The mournful notes haunting the hallways of the music wing drew a smile across Jimin’s lips. He could always count on the melancholy music of the violin to lead him to his bestie. Jimin peeped into the music room and saw the violin’s owner, her body hypnotically swaying along with the soulful sounds being drawn by her bow and fingers. He loved to watch Sulhee play, the music always seemed to take her over and transport her somewhere else entirely. Jimin also knew that the violin was the only voice his best friend had, the only way she could fully express herself and her feelings.

            When the emotive melody came to an end, Jimin applauded, startling Sulhee and making her blush. He knew she hated it when he snuck up on her and secretly listened to her practice, but he also knew she appreciated his thoughts on her music. He watched intently as Sulhee signed to him with her hands, asking if he truly enjoyed the piece and if there was anything she needed to change.

            Jimin smiled and shook his head, “You don’t need to change a thing, Heehee-honey. It was soul-touchingly perfect.” He winked and ruffled her long dark hair, her enigmatic amber eyes glowering at him in irritation, which only made his playful smile deepen. “Yoongi wanted me to come find you, to remind you that you need to eat. He’s waiting for us in the courtyard with some food. So, come on, I know your fatty, food-loving soul won’t pass up free food.” Jimin said with a huge grin.

            Sulhee whacked Jimin on the arm for teasing her about her love of food, but he knew it was a playful whack since he always about how she was the skinniest human food-compactor he’d ever met. Sulhee’s brother, Yoongi, who was also Jimin’s boyfriend, called Sulhee a chipmunk because she always seemed to be munching on small snacks that she had stashed in her pockets or bag. She had jokingly told them it was her great misfortune that her best friend and older brother had ended up dating, and therefore becoming a joined force in teasing efforts. But she let them because she knew they both loved her dearly and only did so to make her smile.

            Jimin watched his sweet friend as she lovingly put her violin and bow in their case, then grabbed one of the many fashionable scarves that he had bought her over the years since the accident, to wrap around her neck, covering the thick scars that still marred her otherwise perfect skin. The accident had not only taken Sulhee’s voice from her, but her father as well. The accident had changed many things. Sulhee had always been outgoing and happy. When she entered a room it would light up with her presence. But that was all before. Now, she was more introverted. Her violin had become the voice she had lost, and it always sang the saddest songs. The music she created was interwoven with the love and loss of her father, the sorrow of watching her mother deal with the despair of losing her true love, the frustration and feelings of hopelessness at losing her voice, the worry of feeling like a burden to those around her, all of it was mingled in every piece she composed. Sulhee’s music was haunting, sad, but it was also beautifully expressive and spoke to the soul on a primal level.

            Jimin took Sulhee’s hand and led her through the hallways of their performing arts academy to their favorite courtyard where Yoongi was awaiting them with lunch. Yoongi was seated at a picnic table, facing out, leaning against the table, and looking rather bored as he mindlessly watched the other students walking to and fro. Jimin saw a group of girls ogling Yoongi and laughed inwardly. Girls were always drawn to Yoongi and his stoic, brooding nature. They would always gather in the halls of the music wing whenever he would practice his piano pieces, and swoon as they imagined he was playing just for them.

            Feeling mischievous, Jimin sauntered over to Yoongi and purred at him, “Hello sugar daddy,” before planting a juicy kiss on his lips.

            Yoongi gave one of his rare smiles that curled all the way up to his eyes, “Aigoo, you get any sweeter, my little mochi, and you’ll be caramel covered.” He said, playfully pinching Jimin’s cheek and winking at him.

            Jimin chuckled and sat beside his boyfriend, eagerly looking into the bag containing their food. “Yes, you got my favorite!” He exclaimed excitedly, doing a happy food wiggle as he started to dig into his food.

            Yoongi watched his sister as she sat her violin case and bag down at the table. He then leaned over and handed her some cash for the vending machine. “Go ahead, I know you want a strawberry milk.” He said with a smile as he ruffled his little sister’s hair. His smile grew as her eyes lit up and she happily skipped over to the vending machine. He then noticed Bora, and her two friends Choa and Euna, or as he and Jimin liked to call them, the mean girl squad, walking toward Sulhee. Bora also played the violin and she and Sulhee were the top two in class, and therefore competing for first chair violin in the school’s orchestra. Bora also hated the fact that Sulhee hung out with Yoongi and Jimin, unaware of the fact, like most people were, that Yoongi and Sulhee were siblings, since they had different fathers, both dead now however. Yoongi’s father had been an arranged marriage for his young mother, to a much older, rich man, who died not too long after Yoongi was born, leaving his fortune to his widow and infant son. Yoongi’s mother had the great fortune of meeting the love of her life shortly after and married him, having Sulhee a year later. It was when Sulhee was fourteen that the accident had happened. Her father had picked her up from her violin lesson and a drunk driver had crossed their path on the way home. Sulhee had had to watch her father die in front of her while she too lay injured and bleeding. She had escaped with her life, a broken leg and arm, and permanently damaged vocal chords, but her life had become voiceless and fatherless in one tragic moment. And now, seven years later, she endured bullying from uninformed, uncaring, jealous, spiteful girls. 

            Jimin noticed the girls as well and moved to get up, but Yoongi stopped him and shook his head.

            “We promised her we would let her try to fight her own battles at least once. Let’s observe for a bit and we’ll intervene if it takes a wrong turn. You know she wants to try to be strong again, we have to let her try and do this on her own, we can’t always be there to help her with everything.”

            Jimin could hear the sadness in Yoongi’s tone, neither of them liked watching Sulhee struggle, but they both knew she had to face the challenges of life on her own at some point, they couldn’t follow her around like her loyal puppies forever. Luckily, the two were in earshot of Sulhee and the mean girl squad, so they were privy to everything Bora had to say to Sulhee, and, like Yoongi stated, could come to her rescue if need be.

            Jimin and Yoongi watched as Bora “accidentally” bumped into Sulhee and started boasting of how she would outperform Sulhee and win first chair because she was the better player and composed far superior music and not depressing breakup music. Jimin was proud of how his bestie did a bang up job of simply smiling politely and ignoring Bora, but when Bora snatched Sulhee’s scarf away and told her that she shouldn’t cover up her shameful botched suicide attempt, Jimin’s patience grew thin. He watched Sulhee sign that her scars were from a car accident but Bora just snorted and proclaimed she didn’t speak “freak”. Jimin had had enough and he stood up to go rescue his bestie.

            To his horror he watched as Bora intentionally tripped Sulhee as she turned away from the mean girl to head back to her table. Jimin rushed over to catch her before she hit the pavement, but someone beat him to it. Jung Hoseok, another campus hottie that the girls swooned over, including Sulhee.

            Hoseok smiled down at Sulhee, “You okay?”

            Jimin watched as his flustered bestie barely managed a nod as Hoseok righted her and patted her on the head.

            “Good, I’m glad. I’m Hoseok. I’ve seen you around but I don’t know your name.”

            Jimin saw Sulhee bite her lip and blush as she signed her name. He was then surprised to see Hoseok’s eyes light up and his smile widen as he signed back to her, Nice to meet you, Sulhee.

            Sulhee and Jimin both blinked in surprise.

            “My mother is deaf.” Hoseok explained aloud. His eyes then traced down Sulhee’s face to her neck. “I’m sorry you have to because you lost your voice and not because you are deaf, but I’m glad we can communicate.” He studied her face for a moment then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You have such beautiful eyes, amber is quite a rare shade, but they are also so very sad.” He then held out his hand. “Can I see your phone for a minute?”

            Sulhee blinked again but handed her phone to Hoseok.

            Hoseok smiled and swiped his fingertips over Sulhee’s phone and tapped out something on it before handing it back. “Here, that’s my number. Feel free to text me if you like. I don’t have many friends but I feel like we could be good friends.” He then smiled again and ruffled Sulhee’s hair. “And call me Hobi. See you later, sad eyes.” He said with a wink before strolling off and leaving Jimin, Sulhee, and the mean girl squad all speechless.

            Yoongi seemed to suddenly appear beside Jimin, an amused grin splayed across his face. “Of all the people at this school, you had to fall into the arms of Jung Hoseok, Suls?”