YongGuk came all week after school and she refused all week to see him. At school people started to wonder why she wouldn't come to school. YongGuk was unable to say why. His steps found the way to her house and he opened the door.

He found her dad in front of TV. They greeted each others, but the mood wasn't here. « She is lethargic and silent. This never happened before. »

YongGuk patted his shoulder with compassion. Yo Han quickly wiped some tears with his hands. « Mayve you should try and go see her ?»

YongGuk nodded and gots upstairs. « Eunji, I'm entering. »

He entered in a dark room and quickly the light. Eunji raised from her bed surprised to be bothered. She looked puffy and weak.

« Eunji. »

YongGuk sat in front of her. « Hey, why are you in the dark like that ? »

She stayed silent. He opened the curtains and turned off the light now useless. She narrowed her eyes because of the sun.

She was still silent. He sat next to her. « Hey I missed you you didn't miss me ? »

She was closing her eyes. He sighed. She really didn't want to communicate. He took her in his embrace, wanting to comfort her. He noticed that she instinctly grabbed his shirt with her fingers very hard, as a person that needed comfort before removing them slowly. This little detail broke his heart. The fact that he can't be someone she trust and can rely on for him is hard to accept. She doesn't want him to wipe her tears.

She set her free and motionned to him the door. She wanted him to leave.

« Why don't you tell me what's going on in this little head of you before I leave ? » He asked gently, trying to get how she was feeling. They spent a wonderful spring, full of kisses and first times. Why now everything was falling apart ?

She closed her eyes as if wincing in pain. He felt all her sadness seeing her and wanting to comfort her, he wrapped an arm around her waist. He felt that she stiffened and himself felt embarassed about that situation. Eunji was the one that initiate everything and here she was silent and cold. Suddenly, he heard sobbs and Eunji removed his hands from her waist.

She looked at him with her puffy eyes and pointed at the door with her fingers once again. He felt utterly hurt by this way of dealing with him.

He stood up. “Is this really the way you're going to deal with things ? Shutting yourself to the word ?”

She looked at him with angry eyes. “Let me be.”

“Oh so you're talking now ? “ He said, slightly annoyed.

She scoffed and went back in indifference. He sighed. Eunji stared at him and he felt really weird about her eyes. This was the face of someone that was angry against the entire universe.

“I don't want to.” She said, speaking very differently from before. Unsure of the words to use.

“Why ?”

She sighed as of in pain. “Because it's useless. It's not like I hear myself anyway, my talking will only get weirder and weirder.”

This hurted him. Eunji had a slight accent. But not noticeable.  She was already fearing of mispronounncing words.

He touched her arm. “Eunji. I've asked myself this question. I guess that the answer is yes. You're going to become deaf ?”

Eunji looked away, and he repeated himself so she would understand. She seemed sad understanding what he was saying. She nodded slowly. YongGuk grabbed her hand and kissed her forehead.

She pushed him away. “So now go away. Why are you staying ?”

“Eunji I ..."

She stopped him, with a whisper. “Please go. I beg of you. I'm so embarassed to have hidden that to you. I'm sorry, so you should leave now !!!”

“ Hey, look at m-” He started. She headed to her bed and hided behind her blanket. He had no other choice than going out.

Her father waited for him in the kitchen. « What did she say ? »

« She thinks I'm going to ditch her because she'll become deaf.. » YongGuk revealed. Her father handed him a glass of water.

“Are you ?” Her father asked, worried about his daughter wellbeing. YongGuk shook his head. “Eunji understands me the way I need, and I think I understand her the way she needs. We understand each others. Why her deafness would be an obstacle ?”

Her father had a weak smile. “She knows. She saw couples of many years split because of it. Usually deaf people do'nt melt with hearing people. They saty in their community. Why would they chase someone that doesn't communicatge with us. But Eunji is hard of hearing and she met you. She realized that hearing was pleasurable. And now she's going to be deaf. She's going to lost all those sounds she cherishes. That's hard to handle. For her. And it'd be hard to handle for you.”

YongGuk looked at him with pained eyes. Her father felt sorry saying all of this to him.”Hearing loss wasn't a problem until she accepted this stupid hearind aids. She could do a depression, develop disorder or worse things. I'm her father I'm here to help her. But you, you don't have to.”

YongGuk stayed silent, rubbing his finger on the glass. Hearing that was sad.

« She would always tell me how great you are YongGuk. She really likes you. I can't order to stay with her , neither I can tell you to stay away from her.  »

The young male looked even more sad. “Eunji needs time to recover. I want to be next to her, to comfort her. But right now she's angry against the whole universe. She needs some time alone.”

*

1 week later.

Eunji got down for breakfast after a quick shower. She was still gloomy but this french breakfast smelled a lot like heaven right now. Her father tilted seeing her in the kitchen. He hugged her tighly and kissed her forehead.

“I've made french breakfast. If I knew you would have come, I would have buy some pastries. But I can go now .” Her father signed, excited to see her.

Eunji shook her head, and he tried to hide his disappointement. She signed “Let's go together after breakfast.” making him smile widely.

YoHan nodded and ruffled her hair. When Eunji was a child, he was the one that wiped her tears, that calmed her after nightmares, he doesn't understand how Eunji decided to get out of her room after a week. Alone. Without any words said to him. But he felt glad to see her. She was still sad obviously, but this didn't mean she wasn't eating with vigor her breakfast.

He smiled to her. His daughter is strong. She surely was shock by the news but was rising from her ashes.

For the day, he decided to drive around Seoul, just in silence. Watching Eunji watch peacefully the landscape with a dreamy smile in the passenger seat was enough for him.

He could see that Eunji was more at peace. She exclusively signed, and he was sad about this but could understand her point of view. She entered the house and went straight to the kitchen waiting for him to prepar food again.

As usual, he went to check the mailbox and received bills but among those bills, he spotted a letter. He smiled reading the name of the person who send this. Bang YongGuk.

“Eunji I have something for you.” Her father signed coming back.

She gave him a curious glare. “ Is it about missing school ?”

“Kind of.” He . He handed her the letter and her curious smile changed into a surprised gasp. She stayed silent studying the brown envelopp. From recycled paper. She almost giggled. This was totally YongGuk style. She brushed her name that he wrote on it with his neat writing and hided a smile.

Her father pinched her cheek. “Not reading this ?”

She looked puzzled. “Maybe later.”

At night, the letter was still untouched on her desk. She feared to open it. What if he wanted to slip ? What if she would hate the content of it? She was staring at it, brushing it even smelling the nice paper scent but feared to open it. She looked at her Moomin in her bed. Thought about his coming in her vacation house and felt like crying. She went to take a shower and soon sat at her desk, facing the letter.

She took a deep breath and took Moomin in her arms before opening the letter. She took time to open the envelop get the letter and read it.

She  headed outside right away. When she was in the bus, she realized her mistake. She still had Moomin and his letter in her arms, along with her Tmoney, her slippers and pajamas. But nevermind, she needed to see YongGuk right now.

*

« I won, once again !! » YongJoon said excited. He looked at his brother deep in his thoughs and shook his head.

« Okay, I won because I was the only one playing. » He stated vexed. YongGuk looked at him with a blank face. They were playing a football game but he zoned out during the game.

« Oh sorry. » YongGuk said, without any life in him.

« Stop daydreaming. » His twin said, slapping his cheek gently.

« I hmm yeah. » The younger said, staring at his fingers absent.

YongJoon sighed. « YongGuk, do you still think about her ? »

He nodded. « You're hopeless. Why do you want a deaf girl as your girlfriend ? »

YongGuk groaned. « Eunji is precious to me. »

YongJoon scoffed. « Precious. She doesn't even want to talk to you. For someone that you cherish, she treats you like ."

The younger stood up, threw his pillow on his twin and went upstairs. He was angry that's it. YongJoon rolled his eyes annoyed and lied in the couch.

He was so happy to have Eunji as his girlfriend. They were always together, seating next to each others ; talking eating together and he walked her home. Now YongGuk was always at home, silent and it was so hard to gain some words from him. YongJoon was starting back to talk for him and he didn't like that.

YongGuk had explained to him the whole problem and he felt like going to see her and tell her to stop messing with his little brother. He had so much resentment for her, seeing his brother always in thoughts and not smiling anymore.

The door ringed and YongJoon stood up to open it. He gasped seeing Eunji at the doorstep, the exact person he wanted to see. She looked at him and YongJoon couldn't recognize the girl he knew. Skinny, pale and puffy eyes, plus dark circles. She was in pyjamas and holding a plushie. He wanted to yell at her, but first it wouldn't have any effect on her and she seemed so weak.

« I guess you wants to see Gukkie. » He said while she was staring at his feet.

She didn't bulge. 'Sure, she doesn't hear.' He reminded himself. He poked her arm, making her rise her head. “You want to see YongGuk ?”

She nodded. He glared at her “I hope you made a choice, whatever it is. Seeing him like this is driving me crazy. Don't make me hate you. I loved when you made him smile.”

She widened her eyes and nodded slowly. He basically told her to take her decision so YongGuk will know about their relationship. He talked a lot faster than YongGuk and being for the first time confronted to him without her hearing aids, she felt awkward.

YongJoon looked at her fidget the hem of her shirt and realized he still didn't call YongGuk. He looked a last time Eunji before going upstairs to tell YongGuk.

« Gukkie, there's someone for you at the door. » He yelled, not even bothering to open his door.

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