[CONTENTID2]Words aren't the only way to tell someone how you feel." Tifa Lockheart[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID1]

Somewhere in the white noise of a boisterous city, a young boy, no older than eight years of age, was observing his own silence that was deaf inside the gregarious banter of children in the playground.

Kim Sunggyu was born with everything. He had a mansion, a whole room to himself stuffed with toys, and he even had his own butler by the name of Ryeowook. He had the love of a mother who doted him even when he was fed up by her presence. He had the approval of a father that tended to his every needs, even though he wished for time alone.

What he lacked was something that pained him since a young age. Sunggyu was born without a voice. His parents were certain that he could miraculously talk once he entered the age of toddlerhood, but Sunggyu didn’t talk and he was diagnosed with permanent mutism long after. He was forced to learn sign language to communicate. What frustrated him was that because of his disability, he was often the target of bullies.

He managed to reach the playground after school to dwell over things that all eight year old boys ponder. However, his pensive about his identity in a world so large was disrupted when a gang of three boys stood next to him. Their faces were etched with cocky grins and malice. One of them was even missing his front teeth.

“If it isn’t Mister Mime,” one of the boys said. His companions forced a laugh at the mention of Sunggyu’s nonsensical nickname.

“Ain’t got mommy to save you now, do ya?” another one hissed, a hand over his ear, and his posture bent as he leaned towards him.

Sunggyu glared at them.

Get lost, he gestured but he was well aware that these boys had a walnut for a brain, and they would never appreciate the efforts of sign language.

“Wha’ he just say?” a boy hooted. “He’s doing his mumbo jumbo thing again. Let’s make him scream, men.”

“Wait,” said his companion, a malicious grin spread across his thin lips. “He can’t even cry for help because he can’t talk! Too bad he can’t scream ‘mommy!’”

“I think ‘aaah’ would be enough. I wanna make him bleed!”

Before Sunggyu could slip off his stool, three pairs of hands latched onto him and he was strewn across the sandy ground. His body curled in defence, arms wrapped around his head as he felt the whippings of twigs across his body. An anguished yell escaped his lips but he knew that they would not pity him. Their laughter reverberated against his ears until they invaded the depths of his mind.

Each whack left his skin scorching with pain. The back of his sockets burned as fresh, hot tears slid down his cheeks and dangled off the tip of his chin. He inhaled their salty flavour; sinus now blocked and swollen.

Sunggyu cried out again when a branch whacked off his face, ripping the skin just under his jaw. Something wet and viscous trickled down his throat. Just then, the boys’ laughter dwindled away and he heard another shriek ensue.

It sounded like a girl. He dared to peek up through his arms, and noticed a five year old girl punch each of the boys to the floor. She clapped the dust off her arms, blew a large pink bubblegum that was larger than her head before letting it pop, and kicked sand at the boys’ feet. The demons sat up clutching their bleeding noses.

“It’s the tomboy,” one of them blurted. “Run!”

They scrambled to their feet and in a scurry, they exited the playground like a horde of frightened mice.

The girl cackled with a laugh that Sunggyu thought was frightening. She turned to face him, wide eyes prominent and large on an oval face, and long hair tousled and knotted from years of neglect. She was dressed in green overalls and shoes that were too large for her feet. Again, she blew her bubblegum and grinned at Sunggyu.

“Hi,” she said. “They’re gone now, thanks to your friendly neighbourhood guard, Ahn Heeyeon. Dude, you seriously just let them wipe all over you. Lemme teach ya a thing or two about offence, ya know?”

Sunggyu blinked at her in awe. It was his first time up close with a girl, and she was nothing like what he expected.

“Wassa matter with you? Did a cat get your tongue or something?” Heeyeon tilted her head slightly, snorting as she did. Her eyes suddenly went wider on her face and she pointed a finger at him. “Oh-my-gosh! You’re bleeding. Oh man, that looks bad. Here scoot closer.”

Her fingers interlaced with his without warning, and she hoisted him to his feet. She was quite strong and almost his height despite being three years younger. Heeyeon reached inside the back-pocket of her overalls and pulled out a handkerchief.

She dabbed the feathery textured cloth at the cut on his jaw, eyes scrunched with unencumbered concentration. Sunggyu felt his face blush at their close proximity. He didn’t like anyone this close to him, especially a girl. He pushed her wrist and glared at her in hopes of chasing her away.

Heeyeon only raised a caterpillar brow. “You’re a weird chap. If my brother saw you now, you know what he’d call you?”

Sunggyu shook his head. He was curious now.

Her lips twisted into a devious smirk as if she was giddy with knowledge that only she knew. Heeyeon cackled into her palms before she gazed at him.

“He’d call you the b word. Do you know what the b word is?”

Sunggyu shook his head once again.

“It’s a cool curse word. It stands for…” Heeyeon stared at her left, then her right before she lowered her voice. “It stands for batter—someone who was born without a dad. Cool, right? How many kids can exist without a dad?” She sniggered again, and tipped her thumb against her nose.

Sunggyu's eyebrows furrowed.  He certainly understood what the 'b word' was now. The boys in his school loved to use it in every sentence. He decided not to correct her lest he'd hurt her feelings.

“You know what? I like you already, chap. How about we be friends?” Heeyeon rubbed her hand against her knee and shook his hand. "You can be my assistant. Every good guard has an assistant. My daddy has loads too."

The boy was too bewildered to even blink. The only thing that worried him was how dirty Heeyeon’s hands were. It was as if the girl washed them with mud. She wrung his arm enthusiastically, her smile wide and eccentric on her face. For a moment, he wondered if she was a demon straight from hell. All she needed was a pair of red horns and a long tail to complete the picture.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his butler approach, red-faced and breathless. Ryeowook resembled a chipmunk