Today marks a fresh new start, a new beginning, and— a new student? In the middle of the semester?

“Alright, class. Take your seats down. We have someone who’d accompany us throughout this semester. Please introduce yourself, Joshua.”

Joshua? That sounds very foreign.

Joshua glances at the woman once or twice as he continues to fidget his fingers from behind.

“Go on, there’s no harm in introducing yourself.” The woman kindly spoke, holding out a thumbs up on him.

Taking a deep sigh, the young man went to pick up his notebook from his bag, with his name written in hangul on the first sheet.

The class went on full silent as they eye on the new figure’s actions. Joshua flips the second sheet, a short description written down in bullet form:

• You can call me Joshua.
• I came from America.
• I suffer from hearing loss. 

    Please take care of me.

As soon as Joshua flips back his notebook shut, a young man, about his age, starts laughing as he claps his hands.

“This school accepts person with disabilities now?”

“Jeonghan, respect.”

“But he can’t hear anyways.”

The woman sighs in disbelief, shaking her head as she gestures Joshua to take the empty seat— which is the seat infront of Jeonghan.

“I hope everyone takes good care of Joshua. I’ll be eyeing each one of you. Especially you, Mr. Yoon Jeonghan.”

“Yes, Ms. Chu.”