Prologue
“Taehyung.”
the murmur grew and grew even bigger, until you could clearly hear it, ”Taehyung.” it said.
“I didn’t do anything!” the boy screamed but the teacher looked at him with heartless eyes.
“then who did it?” The teacher asked, his hands folded and his eyes burning holes into taehyungs eyes. “Jimin, do you know?” he asked, his intense gaze switching targets. Jimin gulped and his eyes were dilating.
“Taehyung, you’re coming to the staffroom with me after lunch. Mrs. Jeon wants to have a talk with you.”
“what does a poor deaf guy like you want to do with us?” jimin asked as he pushed his foot further back unto the boys shoulders until he was wincing in pain.
“freak! try crying and screaming. oh yeah, you can’t !” he laughed along with the others.
“and to hell with this notebook of yours.” he added as he stretched the book until ripping noises were filling their ears. the boy took notice of it very late, he immediately started to gather the torn pages.
“ugh, what a weirdo.” Jimin said and grimaced. “lets just get out of here.”
“He was just joking around, teache-” “who did it?”
“it was just a practical joke you know?” Jimin tried explaining. “Jimin..” The teacher taunted. it was obvious which answer he wanted. Jimin stopped speaking and looked away. “I-it was taehyung.”
Taehyung stared at the boy beside him, baffled. “What are you saying? you were the one always instigating the fights! why are you playing innocent?!” He screamed.
“Hawon?”
“Hawon, look at this beetle i caught-” Taehyung stopped speaking and looked at the boy who tapped him on his shoulder. “ew! what are you doing?” He backed away.
the boy made three distinct gestures. Taehyung just raised a brow while Hawon watched, uninterested. “What the hell?” Taehyung said as he pushed the boy to the ground. “Don’t touch me like you know me, freak.” He said and walked away while Hawon stood there, watching the boy struggle to stand back up after the hard fall. He put forward a hand for the boy to take. The boy’s doe eyes gleamed with cheer, and he took the hand and was about to stand up when-
“Hawon?!”
Hawon immediately dropped the boy back, “sorry, i wasn’t planning on helping you. but its not like you can hear.” he said before he walked towards Taehyung. “what were you doing?” “nothing, just pulling some practical joke.”
“well, I did try to stop him. He wouldn’t listen to me.” He said, his usual poker face on. The teachers face darkened. “Taehyung, you’re coming with me with me to the staffroom whether you like it or not.”
“Listen! It wasn’t only me! If i’m the one who’s been bullying Jeongguk, then everyone here in the class is a bully. No one helped him and even laughed at him! Even Class rep-”
“W-what are you saying? I never did any of those things! Don’t lump me in with you”
“wh-”
“just give up already.”
At that time, Taehyung hadn’t understood what the teacher had said very well. But now, he wonders if it meant that he should’ve stopped making excuses or if it meant ” kill yourself.”
