Junsu laid still on the ground as his father pounded his body repeatedly, telling him words that his ears were already accustomed to hearing.

“It’s because of you that I lost her, you worthless bastard,” his father exclaimed drunkenly.

Another punch, another kick, and another insult, that was what he felt. It went on and on, just like it always would, until his father got tired and passed out in a drunken haze. He learned early on that pleading and moving would not help his case, it would only anger his father more and that would lead to worse beatings. So he forced his body to lay motionless, tossed around by his father.

“It’s because of your petty existence that she isn’t here,” his father hissed, slapping his face.

Junsu barely flinched at the motion, focusing on a random spot on the wall. He closed his eyes, accepting the beatings and the hurtful words, letting them pierce his already broken heart. He focused on the melody that Yoochun – his neighbor and first friend – had taught him two days ago. He went through the notes in his mind, letting it engulf his entire being. It momentarily gave him peace, blocking the insults that his father was throwing at him. It gave him a few minutes to ignore the pain that racked his entire body. Music was his personal haven. It gave him peace during these times, calming his drained body and giving him the strength to endure the pain. However, it was not working tonight. The song was broken and he couldn’t find it again.

Two simultaneous punches to his jaw broke his concentration, bringing him back to the world. A groan slipped past his lips and a ringing sound surrounded his hearing.

‘How long has this been going on? Why does it feel so much longer than the rest?’ he thought, trying to ignore the pain that coated his body to no avail.

“Die, you trash,” he heard his father say venomously.

He barely had time to open his eyes, before he felt his head being pounded on a hard surface repeatedly. A scream tore through his throat at the new sensation, alerting the neighbors. His father repeatedly banged his head on hard surfaces, sometimes stopping to deliver a solid punch to his head. This was the first time he had done this.

“Freeze!” an unfamiliar voice reached his ears.

His father dropped him instantly, letting him fall to the floor in a broken heap. Blood stained his clothes and he was sure that his head was dripping of it too. He could feel the warm substance slipping down his face. This was the first time that he bled this badly.

Hurried footsteps and exchanges of words were barely caught as the teen struggled to stay awake. He briefly felt someone lifting his head up and something was being pressed on his head. He glanced at the person holding him and saw someone that looked vaguely like Yoochun, a blurry and disoriented version of him. The man’s mouth moved, probably words of reassurance coming out of his mouth, but Junsu couldn’t hear them. A second later, he was plunged into darkness.

Junsu slowly opened his eyes and saw a completely white ceiling, shocking him. Where was he? This wasn’t his home. He turned his head and saw machines around him, tubes attached to his body. He saw that he was in a room painted white and he deduced that he was in a hospital.

‘So this is what a hospital looks like,’ he thought. He had never stepped foot outside of his house. He was clueless about what things laid beyond the rundown apartment. He never got the chance to go to hospitals or even school, he didn’t know about such places.

A groan slipped past his lips as he strained to move his limbs, only to find that he couldn’t. He panicked momentarily. What had happened to him?

From the corner of his eye, he saw the door open and a very familiar person walked in. Yoochun, his neighbor and his first friend, walked into the room with a sad smile. The older male looked at him and shock immediately coated his features.

“You’re awake,” Yoochun said, but Junsu was confused when he did not hear the words.

“I can’t hear you,” Junsu responded. But, did he actually speak? Why could he not hear his voice? Dread surged through his entire body and his vision turned blurry from the building tears.

Yoochun’s shocked face dropped, replaced by a worried frown. Junsu saw something unreadable swimming in the elder’s eyes, confusing him immensely. It wasn’t something that he usually saw on the bright and cheerful eyes that belonged to his first friend. Yoochun shook his head; walking over to him and helping him sit up. Wordlessly, the older man grabbed the glass of water and raised it to his lips, helping him soothe his parched throat.

A doctor came by a few minutes later, a sad smile painted on his face. The two males started conversing with each other. Junsu’s heart pounded even faster when he couldn’t catch what they said. He only heard glimpses of their conversations. Only brief and loud words were able to push past his ears. A few moments later, the doctor walked towards him and placed his clipboard on Junsu’s lap carefully, an apologetic frown settled on his kind face. Junsu peeked down at the paper and a gasp left his lips.

“I’m sorry, Kim Junsu-ssi, but your hearing was damaged after your father’s actions. You cannot hear properly without the help of a hearing aid from now on.”

Junsu’s eyes filled with tears as he read those words. A scream tore through his throat, all of his agony and pain released in that one yell. His tired body slumped down again on the bed in sobs, unable to believe that his only passion was being taken away from him like this. He continued to cry, straining his weak body until he was once again claimed by sleep.

Junsu had grown to accept the fact that his hearing was slowly slipping away. He felt happy for a moment a few days ago, when he was informed that his father was placed in jail and imprisoned for his crimes. Yoochun had taken him in since he was released from the hospital a week ago, and he couldn’t be happier, but the constant thought of his lost hearing was disheartening.

“Don’t worry about it. You’ll find another passion,” Yoochun said, noticing the look on his face.

“I… I know, but I just can’t believe it,” Junsu replied softly. His hand reached up to tap the hearing aid placed on his ear, as if making sure that it was really there.

“Don’t mess with that. If you touch the wrong thing, it could end up hurting you more,” Yoochun warned, walking over to remove Junsu’s prying hand away from the device.

“I just…” Junsu sighed.

Yoochun smiled at him, pulling him into a hug. He whispered softly, mindful of Junsu’s hearing. “Just because you’re losing your hearing, doesn’t mean you have to give up on music. You can sing. You still have your voice and it is beautiful.”

“But how can I be sure that I’m singing correctly if I can’t hear properly?” Junsu argued.

“You’ll learn,” Yoochun assured.

He pulled away and smiled at the other. Suddenly, he remembered a certain thing that he had been contemplating for a while. Junsu noticed him thinking deeply immediately, piquing his curiosity.

“What is it?” Junsu asked.

“I was just wondering. Would it be okay with you if I enroll you to a school specifically for those with sensory disabilities?” Yoochun questioned.

Junsu’s jaw dropped in shock. “You’re sending me away?”

“No, no, I just want to help you. The school is specifically for people who have a sensory impairment. You can learn sign there and other things. Maybe you can even learn how to play music without relying heavily on your hearing,” Yoochun explained.

“Will you be there with me?” Junsu asked nervously.

Yoochun sighed, shaking his head. “No, it’s a boarding school, but I will drop by from time to time. My uncle is the headmaster, but his son is the one managing the school right now. He’s Park Jungsoo, but you can call him Leeteuk. He’s 8 years older than me, so he’s 28 now.”

“Is it a good place?” Junsu questioned, wonder evident in his form.

Yoochun smiled. “It is. You might even make a few friends your age there.”

“You’ll help me, right?” Junsu asked. He felt like a dependent child but he really needed the elder man. Yoochun was the only one he’s ever known to love him and care for him, after all.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way. I promise,” Yoochun assured.

“I’ll go, then,” Junsu said determinedly.

Yoochun felt a surge of pride run in his system. He felt happy that the younger was trying to make some progress. He was even getting ready to try out new things. Maybe this academy would do him some good. His cousin had also informed him that another student was in there, one who also loves music but suffered from an accident, taking away her dream of being a famous singer. Maybe that girl could help Junsu in some way.

Here is the second chapter! I hope you all enjoyed reading that. Or if you're Junsu biased, then I hope I didn't hurt you with the situation? Ahhh, I'm sorry. Poor Junsu... Abused by his father and then he's suddenly losing his hearing. Tell me your comments and subscribe! ^^ Thank you!