The Gift

I opened my eyes as I felt a tap on my shoulder. I saw the old woman nurse tidying up the used up bandages and some ointment back to its place. “You can go now, dear.”

I glanced at my right hand. The old nurse was a neat lady. My arm was bandaged without wrinkles and the bandages were clipped neatly. She put the bottles into its boxes, arranged the tray of eqiupments just like how it was before and threw away the old bandage in the trash can.

My arm was cleaned and now wrapped with a new cream-colored bandage along with the cast. My arm smelled like it was dipped into a medicine—it was a mixed smell of alcohol and ointment—and I was starting to hate the smell of my hand now.

I turned my head up to saw the door being closed. The nurse was gone by now, and I was alone—not really alone, there was an old man—in the ward. I was too lazy to rise from this position—sitting on the hospital bed with my back rested on the wall—so I just stayed there and closed my eyes.

“Son.”

“Hey, young boy.”

I opened my eyes tiredly and looked at my surrounding. No one was in this ward except me and this old man sitting on his hospital bed across me. I raised my eyebrow in confusion, but in the end I just shrugged and laid back, covering my whole body with the blanket.

“I was calling you.”

I opened my eyes a second, and closed my eyes back.

“Hey, I was right in front of you, and I’ve been calling you from the past 3 minutes.”

My eyes widened. I threw my blanket from my upper torso and sat up, alarmed. I stared at the man in front of me. I raised my eyebrow in confusion and saw the old man staring back at me and calling me with his hand. I pointed my hand at me in complete confusion.

“Yes, you. I’ve been calling you.”

I got off my bed slowly and walked over to him hesitantly.

Why did he call me like that? How did he know that I can hear people’s mind? Did he hear my mind too? Who the hell is he?

The old man slowly smiled and allowed me to sit on his bed, in front of him. 

Now that I looked at him closely, he looked like my grandfather—like a very typical old man—well my grandfather was a typical old man. He wore a circular reading spectacles, his hair was all white already, a little dark skin—probably from working too much under the sun, and wrinkles everywhere, he also had a white mustache—which reminded me of my grandfather, his tired eyes, and his quivered smile. He’s probably in his late 70.

It kind of reminded me of my past when my grandfather told me several stories before I sleep. His bright but tired eyes, his quivered smile and his charming white mustache look exactly the same with this old man before me.

“Do I know you, sir?”

I asked him, talking—not in the way he called me.

“No. You don’t know me, but neither do I know you.”

He must’ve seen my confused look so that he explained more.

“I was studying you ever since you came in here. You are just like me.”

“What are you talking about, sir?” I asked, still didn’t understand what he meant.

“We both share the same gift.”

I gave up talking, so I used my mind instead. So you knew that I could hear people’s mind? And you’re exactly like me?

“Yes. You’re right. I am deaf. I don’t understand why, but I think it’s also because of my age.”

Really? Then when did you start to hear this people’s mind?

“I don’t really remember when, but I’ve had it for a long time already.”

Why… do you think you receive this kind of ‘gift’?

“It’s because I wanted and need it.”

So, why do you think I received this too?

“Didn’t you want it in the first place, son?”

I like this gift, I really do. I can do whatever things I cannot do before, but I didn’t ask for this in the first place… I don’t even know if this kind of gift exists…

“Maybe you didn’t really ask. But you need it. God won’t give something that you don’t need, son.”

I didn’t reply. I didn’t know how to reply.

Do I really need this? I was fine before this thing happened…

“Son… It’s a gift. Cherish it. Use it wisely. And most importantly, use it while you are given the chance.”

I looked at my lap and think.

“You’re wise, son. You have a really good heart. I may not hear your voice, but I can hear your heart.”

‘Oh Sehun! Let’s go to a new music store in Myungdong! It’s pretty much popular for a new store… Well can you?

-Jung Soojung’

Was what she text to me this night. That’s what we always do after I went with her to a music store the first time. Almost every 3 days she bought me to the music store since she said that she didn’t have the money, so she thought that it might be better to just listen it free at the music store along with new released songs. But I didn’t complain. I liked it too, so I don’t really mind.

‘What now you don’t even asked if I want to go with you?

-Oh Sehun’

‘Even if you say you don’t want to, you’ll end up showing anyway. So why bother?

-Jung Soojung’

‘Still-__-“ But we just go to a music store yesterday! As much as I love music, I will eventually grow tired to go to a music store almost every day, Soojung.

-Oh Sehun’

Oh, I didn’t mean what I said on my text. I like to play with her, she was just too easy to be bullied, and will never be angry. I can’t and won’t get tired of music and going to music stores. It’s good anyway. I could listen to some music and just relax instead of just reading the lyrics and imagining the melody of the songs.

‘But… We are going there because there’s also a café in the store! We could listen to songs and chill while drinking some coffee or something… Or we can go to the arcade! Or window shopping! Or, something-_-

-Jung Soojung’

‘Okay, okay. Alright. Tomorrow, same place, same time, don’t be late! I won’t tolerate for even 1 minute!

-Oh Sehun’

‘Assa! Okay! I will meet you at the same place, tomorrow, and will be late 59 seconds!

-Jung Soojung’

‘…Yah…

-Oh Sehun’

We finally really did go to Myungdong the next day. We go there a bit early since Soojung said that if we go a little bit later, the music store will be crowded. Myungdong in like 9 o’clock in the morning is not too crowded as we predicted before, and it was relaxing to just walk around there—waiting for the music store to be opened which is at 9.30—and hearing some thoughts of people passing by occasionally.

It is actually fun, hearing people’s thoughts and guessing the real situation happened to that person. Even though, you can also say that it’s a bit of invading people’s privacy, but what can I do? I couldn’t control it.

We were listening to a new album of Rain, while just chatting and drink some coffee in the café side of the music store. Soojung was right. It’s pretty popular for a new store. Even though it’s still early I could already spot 4 or 5 people in there. And the atmosphere was cozy, just like a perfect place to hang out with some friends and chat.

“Hey, let’s go eat something. I’m hungry.” I said to Soojung.

“Okay…” Soojung said in confusion. ‘He was just drinking coffee and 2 brownies a while ago and he’s already hungry?’

I chuckled at her. “I have a big belly, okay?” I said while patting my stomach. Soon Soojung laughed.

“Okay then, you go first, I need to buy this album. Wait for me in front of the store, okay?”

I smiled and nodded at her.

After she disappeared to the music store cashier, I went to pay my coffee and brownies, and finally get out of the store. I waited for her in front of the store as she asked me to, and stood beside the glass door of the music store.

It’s almost lunch and Myungdong’s already full of people walking here and there, a lot more crowded than this morning.

‘I’m going to buy that dress!’ I heard a thought and scanned the crowd in front of me to find the girl thinking about that.

‘Where did she go?! Why did she go so suddenly?’ Even before I found the first girl, I heard another thought and I started to find the man thinking about it.

‘I need refreshing! That ajumma is really annoying!’ And even before I found the man, I could already hear another thought, and the other thoughts of the people passing by.

‘Umma you should by yourself some shoes!’

‘Where is he? Why is he late?’

‘Is there any ice cream parlor here?’

‘Is he going to ask me out this lunch? Oh my God!’

I started to feel dizzy as more people passed by me. I clutched my head with my left hand—since my right hand was still in cast—and squeezed my eyes shut in pain. People started bumping into me as if they didn’t see me frequently. I didn’t even remember of having claustrophobia, but at that time, I felt so small and so cramped and people’s thought just kept coming to my head constantly.

AARGH Oh My God! This is too much! I can’t stand it anymore!

It’s too confusing! I couldn’t focus! I couldn’t get my mind straight!

I started to crouch as I couldn’t stand the pain in my head, my hand still clutching my head and my eyes still shut.

Oh God! Please! Don’t do this to me! Help me! I don’t want this gift! It’s annoying! I can’t endure it anymore! God! Please!

God!

I slowly fluttered my eyes open and saw a blurred vision of Jung Soojung’s face on my left, my mom’s face on my right and also my dad’s. I blinked a few times more to focus my vision until I got a clear vision of the people by my side.

“Are you okay, Sehun?!” My dad shook my shoulder while I saw my mother looking at me worriedly with her wet eyes.

“I’m okay mom, dad.” I smiled at my parents and pat my father’s hand on my right shoulder with my uninjured hand.

I looked at Soojung. “Oh God! You’re okay! I’m so sorry Sehun! I didn’t mean to!”

I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion and asked, “Why are you sorry?”

I tried to look at her to find, hear her thoughts, but somehow, her voice just didn’t come through my head. I closed my eyes and opened it again. It still didn’t work.

“What? What are you saying?” I asked her once more since I didn’t catch .

“I’m sorry I brought you there. I didn’t know. I’m sorry. You should’ve told me beforehand so I wouldn’t bring you to music stores.”

She knows. She knows now. Now I feel terrible. I liked to be treated as a normal person for once. I felt good since she didn’t feel sorry about me. But now? She knows. She said sorry to me. She felt sorry for me.

And the worst part, the worst thing is that I found out that I lose that gift. I lose that precious, once in a lifetime gift. I’m done now. I can’t listen to music anymore, forever. I couldn’t recall people’s voice. Moreover, I haven’t even heard my own voice even with my gift. I haven't even cherish and use it properly. It’s late. I’m late. Too late. It’s over now.

My life’s over.

A/N: Hi people! 

I'm really sorry for the late, very late update. It's been months since I last updated this story. Truthly speaking, I was having a major author block after I updated chapter 2 last time. And then I got an idea and wrote it in Ms Word in my laptop, but then I got lost, so I left it for days. And just when I wanted to continue the story, unexpectedly, unfortunately my laptop was broken, so my dad brought it to fix it. It's been a few weeks since I last seen my laptop and yesterday I just recieved my laptop, so I just finished writing chapter 3 yesterday night. I'm sorry guys, really sorry. 

I really hope this chapter makes it up :D Bye! Please look forward to the next chapter!