Many people asked her why she fell in love with a guy like Byun Baekhyun. For one thing, he was a loner. He had no friends whatsoever. People tended to shy away from him, calling him names like weird, a defect, a nobody. He was never invited to parties, never part of any conversations, always by himself at a corner in school. Byun Baekhyun was the perfect target for bullies, who wanted an easy prey to pick on and pick on him they did. Every day when he went home, there was always an apparent bruise on his body. And much more beneath his uniform. He was a nerd. Always carrying a book in his hand or in front of his nose trying to escape from the cruel reality. He was anything and everything but boyfriend material. Let's face it. Who wants a deaf boyfriend who couldn't hear any word you said, who wouldn't listen to you, who needed babying, who needed your attention 24/7? No one. No one, but Lalisa Manoban. 

Byun Baekhyun was the last person on earth that anyone would have imagined a girl like Lalisa Manoban to fall in love with. Lisa was the epitome of a goddess with looks and personality to match with it. She had the body of a model, the kindness of an angel. She excelled at everything she tried, in another word, she was perfection itself. When Lisa transferred from Thailand to Korea, guys instantly flocked to her side, throwing themselves at her just to land a chance with her, showering her with lavish gifts, and romantic letters that were also poetic. She ignored their desperate pleas and told them they'd be better off as friends. Instead, she had set her eyes on the dreamiest pair of brown eyes that she had ever seen. 

He walked with his head down, not daring to look anyone in the eyes, afraid they'd mock him, afraid he'd get stomped on. Holding his books and lunch tight in his arms he looked down at his shoes and walked the crowded hallway when his shoulders bumped someone knocking his books down, his lunch box flying away from him. He gasped, "Stupid Bakehyun. Why are you so careless? Now you're going to get it. Aish." He carefully bent to pick his books, careful to keep his eyes trained on the floor all the while searching for his lunch. He waited and waited Where were the punching and slapping? The kicking and spitting? Slowly and carefully, he rose his head to meet the goddess herself. She smiled at him and muttered a few words he couldn't quite make out. Lisa's fanboys raced to her side and made sure she wasn't hurt, yelling at poor Baekhyun for even touching their queen while her friends rolled their eyes. Such a common sight.

He concentrated on her lips, Lisa felt a blush creeping up on her cheeks. Why was he so blunt like that? "Come on, Lisa, don't waste your time trying to talk to him. He can't hear you, he's deaf." Oh. She turned to Rosé. "Really?" Rosé nodded and tapped her foot waiting for her best friend to hurry the hell up and stop wasting her time on that stupid handicap. Instead, she bent down, on her knees, and retrieved his lunch box that was now destroyed thanks to his classmates who thought it would be funny to destroy someone's lunch. Bystanders watched in awe as she humbly went to help the person in school no one liked or paid attention to.

Moving her hands she said, "I'm sorry for bumping into you. Here's your lunch box. I'm sorry it got ruined." His eyes wide open shocked she could speak sign language and he wasn't the only one. People watched as Lisa talked to the deaf boy named Baekhyun as if he was a regular person. "You can speak sign language?" She answered, "Just a little." He smiled at her. "Thank you." She nodded. "I'm Lisa, and you?" Of course, he knew her. Everyone did.

Baekhyun. His name was Baekhyun.

"Lisa, seriously. You're wasting your time, come on. Let's go get food, I'm starving." Her other friend, Jennie complained. Baekhyun noticed her impatience and quickly scrambled away unnoticed. Lisa didn't understand why her friends were being such a to Baekhyun, what had he ever done to them? "You guys can go eat, I'm not that hungry."

Jisoo being the eldest out of them looked at Lisa with concern. "But you just said you were starving in class and that you couldn't wait to eat. It's not because of that deaf boy is it?" Even the nice Jisoo too? "I lost my appetite. Don't worry, I'll grab a snack from my locker. You guys can go on without me." She shooed everyone away and ran in Baekhyun's direction, hoping to find him. But before she did, she took something out from her locker to give to him. She found him sitting underneath an apple tree, reading a book while everyone else was inside enjoying their lunch. 

How come she had never noticed him? His soft brown eyes that made her heart skip a beat and his lips that seemed to be made out of cotton candy. His delicate hands that accidentally brushed against her when she handed him his lunch. His neatly styled black hair swept to the side. Why had she not seen him before? Taking careful steps, she walked towards him hiding the item behind her back.

She sat beside him tapping his shoulder lightly. His eyes widen and his book fell from his grip causing her to laugh. "Don't worry. I don't bite." He nodded shyly, grabbing his stuff when her soft hands grabbed his. "Don't go." He hesitantly sat back down. What if this was a prank? A bet to see who could befriend the handicap and then laugh in his face? Not like the first time it happened before." Sensing that he was scared, probably because people had played dirty tricks on him. "My mom's deaf too. She lost her hearing after giving birth to me, that's how I learned sign language. It was the only way I could communicate with her."

He didn't understand it. "Why are you telling me this?" She shrugged. "I guess I wanted you to trust me. I'm not like them, I promise. If I was, why on earth would I tell you something so personal?" She had a point there. "Close your eyes." Was this where she sprayed water on him or laughed? "Trust me." He didn't know why he did though. She tapped his shoulders again, his skin electrifying with even the slightest contact. "A lunch box?" She nodded eagerly. "It was my fault yours got ruined in the first place. Here, take it. I was saving it for when I visited my mom but we can share it now."  

"Share it?" Lisa nodded again then cocked her head. "Why? You don't want to share it with me? Fine. I guess I'll go hungry." He shook his head. "We can share." She smiled her signature eye smile when his heart raced. What on earth? The two shared homemade kimbap, something he loved ever since he was a little boy. As they sat there quietly, enjoying the kimbap and the light breeze of the autumn sky, Baekhyun smiled. He smiled for the first time since he lost his hearing. A real genuine smile, not some fake one he put on for his parents as not to worry them. She loved his smile. It was much too pure and innocent for this cruel world for which they lived in. It suited him. His boxy smile that flashed off his rich white teeth. She absolutely loved it.

"You should smile more." She said to him. He asked her why. "Because I love it." 

Her friends knew how important this date was to her so as usual, they left her unbothered. Yes, they were surprised when they learned of her boyfriend, everyone had been. But he was good for her. He made her genuinely laugh and smile, something she didn't do very often. They felt so guilty for treating him as if he was a contagious disease but he forgave them. Soon, people came to accept him, seeing past the fact that he was deaf and different from them.

She usually went alone but this time, she didn't want to go alone. She needed someone. She needed him. And somehow he knew. After school, the two took the bus, sat by each other, and looked out the small window, pulling on the string when they arrived and walking towards her.

The leaves crunched under their feet, something she wished he could hear. He took her hand as she leads them to her mother. Placing the freshly bought flowers on the stone, Lisa and Baekhyun said a small prayer for her. So that she may rest in peace and continue watching her loved ones from somewhere better.

"It's been 5 years and I still can't believe you're gone. Every day I wake up thinking you're there to cook me breakfast and kiss me off as I leave for school. And every day, it's the same result. You're never there, only emptiness. But someone taught a very valuable lesson. You're not gone, you're here by my side, watching over me. Aren't you mom? You'd love him. He's funny, sweet, caring and can cook. I was never a great cook you know. But, he's been teaching me. He taught me so many things I never thought I could do. He's amazing mom. I love him and I'm pretty sure he loves me too." Baekhyun laughed. "Mom, meet my boyfriend, Baekhyun."

Baekhyun bowed to her mother's grave. "Hello, ma'am. It's nice to finally meet you. Lisa's always talking highly about you whenever we meet. It's an honor, really. Don't worry about Lisa, she's in good hands. I may not be able to provide her with a mansion, and luxury brand items, but I can provide her with my heart. I love her, I really do.  I'll do whatever it takes to make her happy, even if it means, sacrificing mine. That, I can promise you."

Did she need a reason for why she fell in love with Byun Baekhyun? Nope. She just did.