Italic means that the sentence are in sign langague !

Eunji didn't like hearing people talking. She almost find them boring. She never need a device for her parents of brother because reading on their lips is rather easy. But doing that at school was difficult, the device was the best thing that happened to her.

She would remove it less often now. Yong Guk felt good when she started to talk to other people and in class. What he didn't know is that she love his voice. He doesn't talk a lot yet it was his voice that she wanted to hear more of. His low voice. His laugh that turned into a cough. There were things she wanted to witness, hear properly.

The test arrived and Eunji had no trouble answering the questions, despite her stress. She sighed out of relief when it was over. When the professor gave back the grades, he looked harshly at YongGuk and Eunji.

« You both got straighs A. »

Eunji nodded and checked her grade with a proud smile before grinning to YongGuk. At the break, a girl made her way to the friends congratulating each others

« Yah, Eunji you're impressive. I thought you were a real daydreamer, yet you actually study !! »

Eunji looked lost. Was this a compliment ? She waited for anything to get the sense of the sentence. The person blushed. « Sorry, it's a compliment !!! You should talk more, you only talk to Yong Guk. « 

Eunji blushed. « Look how shy she is. Cute. » Another girl said. YongGuk was happy to see that Eunji had a pretty good conversation with those girls, there were friendly, blunt but not y. Eunji had a laugh and they seemed pretty pleased.

« You know, you're welcomed if you need any help or just want a talk. I'm Haru and she's Fei.»

YongGuk looked at her nodd with excitement. She looked happy with this turnout. When they left, he looked at her with a grin.

« So did you made some friends today, in addition to this A? »

She looked at him with widened eyes. Yong Guk laughed. «  You're reallly cute. »

« Do you really think they liked me ? »

« Eunji everyone finds you cute as hell !!! » Yong Guk said, making her blush even more.

*

Eunji smiled to herself. Today was an off-day. A day without hearing anything. She had to meet with her friend from her previous school. She prepared herself, putting jeans and a sweat.

She got in the kitchen and her father talked to talk to her before realizing that she wasn't hearing or listening to what he was saying. He grabbed her wrist gently and she finally paid attention to him.

« You're not wearing your hearing aids. »

« I'm going to see Daehyun today. »

Her father nodded. He looked at her go out. She looked happy. He sighed. Maybe it was a bad choice to make her change school, to get her a hearing aids. She seems happier without it. He had to talk to her properly. He knows that Eunji accepted it just to have peace with her mother.

Eunji quickly found her bestfriend in front of the bus stop. She poked his shoulder and he smiled seeing her.

« Oh, the now hearing girl is there. »

She smiled and slapped his arm. « Not today. Not hearing aids. »

Daehyun was her bestfriend from school.  He was mute and deaf. He prefers to sign instead of talking. And gosh he's talkative. Always having things to tell her.

He was explaining her stuffs and gossip that happened in their school on their way to the mall. They had a great day. Laughing, playing around. Daehyun told her about his new girlfriend. Eunji knew her as she was so popular at school.  She was so happy for her friend, she was sure that this girl will have enough patience to bear with the fact he was talkative. He had a date tonight and was really looking forwards.

He did a spin to express his joy and the juice he had got on the shirt of someone.

Nox that person was shouting on Daehyun. She couldn't get much of it. He was talking way too fast. He was really angry, not matter how Daehyun bowed to apologize.

All people stopped their activity. Daehyun had dropped his juice on the man, and he was furious. Daehyun looked teary now. Eunji stepped in.

« It was an accident. He's really sorry. »

« Can he do excuses himself ? » The man asked arrogantly.

« I'm sorry for what I did, I'll pay for the laundry. » Daehyun signed, the man widened his eyes and didn't even listen to Eunji traduce it. He went away.

« Bastard. »

« Don't be so mean."  Daehyun told her with a hopeful smile.

« He ran away as if our deafness is contagious. Go burn in hell !!»

All people around stopped their activity to look at the altercation and were staring at Eunji signing to Taehyung all angry. Eunji returned herself and gave them a glare. Daehyun sighed. She really didn't change. She dragged him to a quieter place getting annoyed of people glance on her.

*

« What a real bastard. » YongJoon said looking at the scene. YongGuk raised his head from his book and looked at the now empty spot. They were in the bookshop of the mall.

« What happened ? »

His twin explained to him the situation and he nodded, consternated by the man. He kept going with choosing his books and his twin sighed. « Please hurry. It'd be a pity if I spend all my time with you there before Minah arrives here, you see. »

YongGuk sighed. « I never told you to come. You tagged along. »

YongJoon laughed, softening YongGuk. « Grumpy Cat. »

« Clingy dog. »

They both laughed, after using their usual insult for each others, bringing the attention on them. Yoongjoon always found YongGuk grumpy and a loner while himself was the most excited about everything, like a dog.

« Oh what a beautiful pair of twin. » YongGuk heard.

« They are really mesmerizing. » Someone  else answered.

YongGuk blushed slightly while YongJoon smiled hearing that . He looked at his brother run a hand in his hair in slow motion and he shook his head. And his Hyung  was waiting for his girlfriend.

Soon a girl hugged him with all her strengh. YongGuk stiffened. « Minah. I'm YongGuk. »

She let out a surprised scream. « I got it wrong again. Sorry YongGuk » She hugged Yongjoon even more tigher  and smiled.

« Should we start our date ? » She asked excited.

« Sure. Bro, see you at home !! »

YongGuk waved at them and looked at them hold hands going out of the mall. He bought the few books he had his eyes on and walked outside of the shop, enjoying walking in  the mall.

Suddenly, a boy and girl got closer to him. It was Eunji. He looked at her signing with a boy of her age. Not sign of her hearing aids. She seemed happier not hearing anything. Her laughs and easy smiles were evidences of it. He quickly understood that the deaf boy and his friend of the earlier altercation his twin told him about were Eunji and her friend.

Now they were in front of each others. She smiled to him. Yet, he greeted her with a head nod before looking away and going with his walk. She widened her eyes.

She ran to him. « Yong Guk. You clearly saw me. »

« I greeted you. What more do you want ? » He asked. He noticed after saying it that his sentence seemed harsh and that he might look very angry.

Daehyun got closer. « Who is he ? A friend of yours ? He seems jealous, your boyfriend maybe ? »

Eunji shook her head vigourously, getting redder cheeks. « NO ; he's simply a friend. »

Daehyun grinned, annoying her. She blushed even more. Yong Guk smiled, he thinks that he got the subject ofthe conversation. He softened himself. He had a part in her life.

« I'm Yong Guk. »

Eunji signed for him and Daehyun laughed. She smiled seeing him laugh. Now YongGuk was lost.

« It's because your name means Dragon soup. Daehyun is  five y.o in his head. Sorry bout that. So Daehyun, my best friend. »

They smiled to each other. « Can he read on lips ? »

« He only signs. » Eunji said, careful of signing to not exclude Daehyun.

«  How is Eunji now  that she hears things ? »

Eunji looked at Daehyun  weirdly before asking that to Yongguk. He laughed. «  She is shy and kind. But don't fool yourself she removes often her device. »

Eunji looked at YongGuk soft way to speak and almost got distracted by his lips trying to read on them.  She signed for him and Daehyun nodded. « Take good care of her. « 

« You're already going ?!!! » Eunji signed with a pout.

Daehyune grinned. « I told you I must go back home early to get handsome. I can't make the most popular girl of our school wait for me.»

Eunji laughed. « Good for you. You'll tell me about it. Good luck. And don't be a creep. »

YongGuk looked at her sign, she looked perfectly okay and happy. He sighed and that didn't go unnoticed. Eunji looked back at Yong Guk once Daehyun was gone.

« I'll carry you home. » Yong Guk mumbled.

She looked confused. « Hmmm, could you repeat ? »

« Let me walk you to home. » He repeated. She smiled.

« Who says that my time here was over ? »

He widened his eyes. Ten minutes after, they were in the cinema theater to watch a subbed movie. He didn't especially wanted to see that movie but well wouldn't waste an opportunity to be with Eunjii.

*

She chose an amination movie and they had a lot of fun during the movie. After the movie, Yong Guk went to the toilets and left her alone on a bench. Eunji was still thinking about the movie when a man tapped on her shoulder. He was talking a lot and didn't seem nice. She started to feel threathening by him.

« Why aren't you answering !!!? »

She signed some bull to him. Using the most complicated things. He became pale. Yong Guk ran back to her.

« What did happen to you ? »

« He said something about wanting to my or mouth. I didn't understand well. » She said with a poker face.

Yong Guk widened his eyes with her chose of words. He took her hand and called back the man.

« Heey, she didn't hear right. Do you want to her or mouth ? » Yong Guk said shouting.  He used her exact same words. The man that harassed Eunji turned himself to YongGuk.

The man blushed. « Young guy, you shouldn't use those words. »

Yong Guk scoffed. « So you can come harass a young girl with those words but I can't say those same words to you ? »

The security staff came and Yong Guk quickly explained the situation. Eunji looked at this with round eyes. He actually did something against street harassment. Holding her hand. She looked at him sigh with relief watching the man got scold by the staff and smiled back to her.

« Hmmm, thanks I guess. » She said.

 « Does that arrive often ? »

Eunji looked down. « Hmm, not that often. I mean at least when I start to sign they go away. »

« Oh gosh this get me so angry when I see street harassment. » She chuckled seeing him boiling in anger.

« Hey I'm quite fine. » She said getting just under his eyes. She was like really close to him, making him jerk away and made her stumble and fell in his arms.

« Oh gosh sorry. Are you fine ? » His way to get back his personnal space wasn't on point. He sighed, the scent of her shampoo was noticable being that close to her.

She didn't answer and he looked at her take some steps away from him with a smile. « It's fine. »

He looked at her and realized that they were still holding hands. He removed his hand, only to hide it behing his body.

« Sorry about that. »

He blushed and looked away, making Eunji realize that after all those weeks, YongGuk could still be the awkward boy around her.  Himself noticed a ice cream stand and looked back at her. She was still staring at him.

« So is your time here over or can I offer you a cup of ice cream ? » He said pointing at the ice cream stand. She didn't get a lot of words on his lips but hopefully his finger pointing at the thing helped her a lot.

Her eyes sparkled with joy and she clapped in her hands.

Enjoy !!