Jonghyun just stared at Jieun when he watched her leave the school gates. It wasn't because he saw something different about her, but he spotted Luhan sneaking nearby her. Jonghyun didn't know if Luhan wanted to talk to Jieun, or if he was just... stalking her. The brown-haired man narrowed his eyes on Luhan in distress. 

This doesn't look too safe, Jonghyun thought. Should I follow them? But wouldn't Jieun get mad? She would get mad. I should just go home.

He was going to turn around until he saw two students with different school uniform eye on Jieun. He looked around for some hlep, but found that majority had left to go to cram school. He heaved a sigh, and  adjusted his backpack on his shoulder. With Luhan stalking her and two other tough guys following the two, Jonghyun definitely knew that something was suspicious.

He heaved a sigh and looked up to the sky as he folded his hands in prayer.

"Please guide me to safety, Yoona," he whispered. Then, he took a deep breath and put his hands next to his mouth. "Lee Jieun!"

Jieun turned around, and Luhan quickly looked away. The two suspicious boys also turned away, but they had their eyes on her. Jonghyun faked a smile, and walked over to her.

"Let's walk home together!" he exclaimed. "I have nothing to do today, and Taemin is out with his buddies."

Sorry, but I need to go to tutor and visit the library for a book that I need, Jieun replied, bowing her head apologetically.

"No problem. I'll just follow you there. I'm pretty bored," Jonghyun said, putting his arm over her shoulder. Jieun stared at him with her large, brown eyes, then nodded with a soft smile. The two continued to walk along the road. Jonghyun glanced back, and found Luhan hiding behind a lamp post. The two other students had disappeared, but Jonghyun knew that they were probably hiding like Luhan. He shot a glare at everything he saw, incase the two boys who weren't found would appear out of fear from his glare. Suddenly, he felt a gentle tug on his shirt. He looked down, and stared at Jieun with a surprised look.

I'm learning how to speak. Can you check if I'm saying things correctly? Jieun signed.

Jonghyun widened his eyes. "S-Seriously? You're already learning it by yourself? Dang. Let me hear you say something."

"H... Hello... T-Thank you... The answer is..." Jieun stammered along every word she had said. Some of the words she had said her short phrases, sentences, or incomplete sentences. Nevertheless, Jonghyun liked hearing her voice. Before, it had sounded like a rough, scratchy voice that belonged to a woman who hadn't spoke for several thousand years. Now, it was very gentle and sweet, like tiny Christmas bells that tinkled under the crispy snow.

"You know, it's nice to hear you speak," Jonghyun said, completely forgetting about Luhan and the two strangers. He was focused on her voice and the way she spoke. "If you continue to practice and stop stuttering over your words, I'm sure that you'll be able to speak soon."

"I... I used to sing," Jieun whispered. For Jonghyun, it was a bit weird to not face her and know what she was saying. It was a bit difficult to speak to her without looking forward.

"Really? Oh, wait. I remember that your friend tried to make you sing, but you fainted after hearing Luhan's name," Jonghyun remembered, staring up at the sky. His expression softened. "My friend Yoona used to sing, too. She wasn't the best singer, though. I was so much better."

Jieun clenched her fist as she listened to Jonghyun tell stories about Yoona and his past experiences with her. She didn't like it when he spoke of her. It was like as if he was pushing his guilt towards her, and begging for someone to forgive him for no reason. Jieun bit her bottom lip, then glanced behind her. She was aware that Luhan was following her.

Luhan wasn't the best stalker to begin with, she thought, continuing as if she didn't notice his presence. 

"So what's your relationship with Luhan?" Jonghyun asked. Jieun snapped out of her thoughts and stared at him. When did he stop talking about Yoona?

Ah... I don't want to talk about it, Jieun signed. She had a bitter expression on her. Any time there was a conversation that consisted of her past or Luhan, she would lose her voice. It wasn't strange, though. Luhan was responsible for her being mute in the first place.

"Sure, I can wait," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But that day when you fainted was pretty special to me."

Jieun made a disgusted face. Jonghyun stared at her for a moment, then laughed.

"No, no. It was in a good way. That day was the first time I heard you speak," Jonghyun said, smil