Chapter One / Little Steps
If Only I Could See You // ChanbaekChanyeol was blind, that didn't come as news to anyone. Well, aside from all of the students that were enrolled in his school when the principal announced over the loudspeakers that Tuesday morning that starting next week a blind student would be joining classes with them. Many took this as a shock, why would someone that can't see enroll in an everyday high school rather than one accustomed to their needs? It was quite simple actually, Park Chanyeol, despite not being able to see, wanted to live out an average teenage life the best he could. There wasn't much he could do, aside from listening to teachers best he could. In order to do assignments either his friends or mother would have to help him by reading off the questions and writing down his verbal responses. He'd have to order special textbooks that were written in braille so that he was able to follow along as well.
A large portion of the students in the school were displeased with the information, there was already another "problem child" enrolled in the school. Why couldn't he just go to a specialized school for the blind and deaf? The rest of the students were neutral, not really caring seeing as one more student shouldn't make a difference to the school of already 1200 students. One boy, however, was overjoyed by the news. That boy was Byun Baekhyun, and Baekhyun was mute. He hadn't uttered a word since he had been at the age where he would have been able to speak. He hadn't even attempted, not once since day one. His parents didn't know why he didn't speak, whether it was hard for him, or he was simply unable to do so. Not even doctors knew, they had done several scans on his vocal cords and even his brain but nothing worthy of looking into came up. So, they had decided that Baekhyun was just a "special" child and that one day he would open up and hopefully start speaking. That, however, has yet to be proven true in his eighteen years of life.
Baekhyun had spent his years so far, communicating by writing in pads of paper and sending texts messages, though he did that rarely with anyone aside from his parents. He believed that since he himself didn't have a voice that he should communicate silently, after all, if he was supposed to communicate verbally he'd have his own voice, right? Baekhyun's joy died the day of the new student's arrival, there was no way for him to communicate with him, he was blind, which meant even if he wanted to he couldn't read Baekhyun's attempts at conversation. Baekhyun sighed silently as he sat down at his desk, and dug out a notebook from his bookbag. Upon looking up Baekhyun saw an awkwardly tall boy tightly holding the arm of the male he recognized to be Do Kyungsoo a close friend of Baekhyun's, in his free arm he held a small cane.
The first thing Baekhyun notices about the male, aside from his height, is his large ears. The sight of them makes him smile, not in a rude way, but in a warm way. He finds them awkwardly cute. The male opens his mouth to speak, his eyes crinkling slightly as he pauses and starts to smile, yet another part of him that Baekhyun finds adorable. The male bows his head, and his eyes flutter around the room as if he is looking over the students that sit before him. His eyes hover over Baekhyun, although he can't actually see him, and Baekhyun knows this. But none the less, Chanyeol smiles slightly as his eyes linger over him.
Chanyeol then looks forward, "My name is Park Chanyeol, I am a new student here. I may not be able to see, but I hope you treat me no different than anyone else."
Chanyeol's voice is deep as he speaks, catching Baekhyun off guard. The teacher then tells Chanyeol where to sit, the desk right behind Baekhyun. Kyungsoo slowly leads Chanyeol to his spot and guides him as he helps the taller sit in his chair. Kyungsoo smiles as he looks to Baekhyun.
"Hey Baek, what's your next class?" Kyungsoo asks, temporarily forgetting that his friend can't speak, it dawns on him a second later, "Ah, damn, sorry!"
Baekhyun laughs silently, no sound coming out aside from the release and intake of air as he breathes. He shakes his head, dismissing his friend's mistake before writing on the notepad in front of him and passing it to Kyungsoo, who was sitting at his desk that was next to Chanyeol's.
"World History"
Kyungsoo grins slightly and thanks Baekhyun before turning to Chanyeol, "Do you remember where I put your schedule?"
Chanyeol hums, looking straight into the side of Baekhyun's head, not that he actually knew what he was looking at though. "You handed it to me, in order to not lose it I put it in my sleeve..."
Chanyeol dug his hand into the sleeve of his sweatshirt before pulling out a folded piece of paper. Chanyeol fumbled with the paper awkwardly, not exactly sure what to do with it since he couldn't exactly see where Kyungsoo was. Baekhyun hesitated slightly before taking the paper from Chanyeol's hand and passing it to Kyungsoo.
"Okay..." Kyungsoo muttered, his widened eyes focusing intently on the paper he held in his hands. "You're in a few of my classes, we have 3 classes together as well as lunch. Your second-hour class is with Baekhyun... We have class together again fourth period and seventh period..."
Kyungsoo's eyebrows knitted together in thought, "So... I can help you to first, fourth, and seventh period as well as lunch... and Baekhyun could more than likely help you to second..."
Kyungsoo exhaled slightly, "I don't know what to do about your other classes..."
Baekhyun quickly wrote something down on his notepad before holding it up to Kyungsoo, "Can I see his schedule?"
"Oh, yeah. Of course Baek." Kyungsoo said before passing the paper to Baekhyun.
"Who and where is Baekhyun?" Chanyeol asked, his head tilted down towards his desk.
"Baekhyun sits in front of you, he's a friend of mine." Kyungsoo began, "He can't speak, so he writes stuff down in a notepad and texts... But you... Uh..."
"Won't be able to see it... Yeah... I know... It's no secret that I'm blind Kyungsoo, no need to sugar coat things for me." Chanyeol said simply, a small smile taking form on his lips. "Hmm, since I can't communicate with Baekhyun the way he does, have you considered using text to speech?"
Baekhyun's lips pursed together before he opened his mouth to speak, forgetting that he's never been able to. Kyungsoo chuckled slightly at his friend's action.
"Baekhyun once told me that he believes that since he doesn't have a voice of his own he shouldn't try to change that and replace it," Kyungsoo recalled, a sad smile forming on his face slightly.
"That... makes no sense though... No offense Baekhyun, but just because there's something you can't do doesn't mean you deserve being able to do that in a different way... That's like saying that since I'm blind I shouldn't have my cane to see where obstacles are..."
Baekhyun smiles bitterly at Chanyeol even though he can't see and sighs silently before looking to the floor, "It's not that I don't deserve it, I don't mean it like that at all. I just want to find my own voice"
But Baekhyun only thinks that to himself, just like most things he wants to say because not everything has to be written down. Baekhyun looks up just as Chanyeol is reaching out his arm, hoping to come into contact with Baekhyun's shoulder but instead grabbing Baekhyun's face. Baekhyun's eyes widen in shock and Chanyeol's face turns scarlet, his big ears turning a dark shade of pink.
"I am so sorry! I meant to grab your shoulder, just to get a sense of where you were and everything!" Chanyeol splutters, hanging his head slightly as he quickly retracted his arm.
Baekhyun laughs silently just as he always does before reaching out and patting the taller's head, surprising Chanyeol since he quite literally didn't see it coming.
"Does that mean you forgive me?" Chanyeol asks, furrowing his eyebrows slightly.
Baekhyun pats his head once more, trying to convey to him that he was correct. Chanyeol sighs in relief before placing his hand on his desk, patting around aimlessly until his fingers brush along the side of Baekhyun's arm. Chanyeol's hand trailed the smaller's arm before reaching his shoulder.
"Geez, you sure are small!" Chanyeol exclaims with a chuckle.
Baekhyun frowns before quickly writing on his notepad and showing it to Kyungsoo.
"I am average height! You're just a giant! >:("
Baekhyun angrily shakes the notepad, the pages crinkling as he did so, catching Chanyeol's attention, "What did he say?"
"He said that he is the average height and that you're just a giant. He also put a frowning face." Kyungsoo informed.
Baekhyun drew back his arms and turned in his seat, now looking at the schedule he received from Kyungsoo. After a minute or so he began to write on his notepad before turning once again to Kyungsoo.
"He's in most of my classes, the ones he doesn't have with you. I'll be able to take him to class... Communication may be an issue though..."
"Okay, so, Chanyeol... Baekhyun is in your other classes, so he can take you to them... But you guy will probably need to leave before the bell since there is a very clear communication issue and the hallways are often crowded." Kyungsoo says after reading what Baekhyun has to say.
"The three of you in the back, I understand that you are talking to the new student and that one of you is the new student, but please, I am trying to teach a lesson."
Kyungsoo looked to the front of the classroom, surprised at being scolded by their teacher, "S-sorry sir, we're just trying to work out transportation methods and ways for Chanyeol to get to and from his classes..."
Their teacher's expression softens slightly, "Well, if that's the case, please go into the hall to dis
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