Her Voice / han sanghyuk (#14)

Episode 4

JooEun

I got out of the house as early as I can to go to school, I don't know why that I had the urge to greet everyone at school and of course to say thanks to HakYeon sunbaenim again. I know that I had already thanked him yesterday at the bookstore but it won't hurt to say a few more 'thank you' right?

I got out of the car and waved at the chauffeur before going into the house as I was making my way to my classroom, I could hear whispers here and there. 'Yah, here's the deaf one. I wonder if that hearing aid is real or not..'

'I know right, what if she is lying to all of them to get attention from the guys. Bitches these days...' My eyes turned red from hearing and I unknowingly froze right on the spot, unable to move an inch. Why are they saying this to me? Am I that bad?

A hand was placed over my shoulder. "Yah, if you have any opinions about anyone, keep them to yourself. You don't know how much it hurts." I looked to my left. It was Joohyun sunbaenim, the dance club captain and HakYeon sunbaenim's girlfriend. Did she just stand up for me, but why?

"Sorry, sunbaenim!" They all bowed to her and ran away. Are they really that scared of her?

"Are you okay?" She asked me and I nodded my head. "Good, these girls really don't know how to shut their mouths right?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Don't worry, just ignore them and you would be fine. It is worse to confront them upfront especially if you are a first-year." I nodded. 

"Then let's get to your classroom." We walked to the classroom and she dropped me off. "See you later at the cafeteria." She said waving at me before going off. She is such a nice senior, how I wished that I could be like her but I can never be like them. I am not someone that can talk, I am deaf and a mute.

I walked to my seat and sat down. Jang DongWoo sunbaenim is already in class, he is the seatmate that I am assigned to since yesterday. "Hi, JooEun ssi!" He said in his usual happy tone. I waved back at him. "Did you sleep well last night?"

I nodded. "Can you teach me sign language so that it is easier to talk to you?" He asked, I feel hesitant to do this, I mean he is just my seatmate and he wants to learn sign language. "Really, I want to communicate with you better. Trust me." I sighed.

'So this is hello.' I began conversing in sign language.

"What is this sign?" He asked.

I took out my notebook and wrote. 'This is hello.'

"Oh really? It is really easy." He copied the gesture immediately as thought. "Hi, JooEun ssi!"

I chuckled at his actions. 'Next, goodbye.'

"That means goodbye right?" I nodded.

"Woah, sign language is really easy." He said and I smirked. It is harder than you think.

I looked up and saw HakYeon sunbaenim walking into the classroom with his headphones on as always, I got up from my seat and went over him. I tapped on his shoulders and he saw me taking off his headphones. "You have something to say to me?"

I nodded and he gave me his hand. 'Thanks for yesterday. My cuts have really healed a lot thanks to you.'

"Well, it is just plasters, right? How are the books? Are they good?"

I nodded. 'They are really good!'

"Woah, I didn't know that JooEun is this kind of a person. Really..." I heard people gossiping again. "I know right. I heard that she's the reason that Joohyun broke up with him."

I was going to let go of his hand but he tightened the grip. 'Don't care about them and it will be fine.' He said the same thing as what Joohyun sunbaenim said just this morning. How can I ignore them when I can hear everything?

He suddenly came close to me and put my hair behind my ear, revealing the pink hearing aids that I have on my ears. "Mute it when you hear anything like that the next time. You are not the one at fault." He switched off the hearing aid and I hear absolutely nothing, no insults, no hurtful remarks about anyone.

'But--' He cut me off. "Go back to your seat, the class is starting soon." He said shooing me away and put on his headphones, I reluctantly went back to my seat.

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HakYeon

I came into the clubroom as early as I can as usual in order to nap for a while. To my surprise, everyone is already in the clubroom, I wonder why. "Hyung, here!" Yook SungJae signalled me to my seat which is right beside him. What a nuisance...

I sighed and sat down beside him. "Is there something that I should know?"

"Of course, we are having a collaboration with the dance club for this year's school festival." Collaboration with the dance club? Will Joohyun be involved in this? Right, Joohyun will not be a part of it by the end of this week. "We are doing a dance musical and we are dancing as well. Are you excited about it?"

"It doesn't matter as long as--" He cut me off. "As long as I perform, am I right hyung? Do you think that JooEun ssi would perform?"

"Maybe. She just joined right?" I asked and he nodded.

"Here comes the dancers!" The club president shouted and the rest of the club members clapped their hands to welcome them. I looked towards the door and Joohyun appeared behind it followed by the rest of the dancers and JooEun ssi, she is at the very back.

They stood behind us since there were not enough chairs for all of them, there were 15 members in the drama club and 10 dancers joined the room, making the room look smaller than it already is, the school should give us a new room already. I felt a tap on my shoulder and lifted my head up, looking at JooEun ssi. She was smiling as usual. I mouthed 'Are you going to perform?' She nodded.

The club president cleared his throat and everyone's attention went to him. "OK, so we are having our first-ever collaboration with the dance club in history and we decided to use Romeo and Juliet for our performance."

"Romeo and Juliet? Isn't that a very professional musical?" One of them asked.

"I know but for the sake of the dancers, we are going to make it a bit comedic to go with the flow. No one objects to that right?"Everyone shook their heads and it is decided that there will be a performance by the drama club and the dance club at this year's school festival.