Love UnHeard || SeongJoong [Ateez]

[Part E] 6. A new world.

"Nah, Seonghwa is just there, he won't be of any help, he can't even hear if we call him to catch the ball..."

"Yeah, he is useless anyway,"

"Why would he come to a normal school if he can't even hear?" Some boys laughed in the court, they were about to play dodgeball, and like always, none wanted Seonghwa on their team.

The nine-year-old was used to this, he learned to ignore those words with time, but the first time it hurt him deeply.

"How is Seonghwa on our team? C'mon teacher this is a music project, we don't want Seonghwa in our team," A girl cried out when she found out Seonghwa was going to be on her team.
It was true, how was he of any help? He couldn't hear the music. An eleven-year-old who couldn't enjoy the amazing music his friends said that existed.

"Hey watch where you are going!" Seonghwa read the lips of a stranger that shouted at him from across the street, he didn't saw him turn his bicycle and they almost crashed on the crossroad. He was going back home from high school, once again his disability made his day worse.
How was he supposed to live like this? The fifteen-year-old questioned every move he made at this point.

Was it worth it? He had learned to hate himself, it wasn't difficult, he caused problems everywhere he went. His grandparents weren't here anymore I chat with him. Being a teenager who couldn't communicate with others was not fun.

But luckily, Yeosang was there. If it wasn't for him, Seonghwa would have given up a long time ago.

In between the constant jokes, people ignoring him or careless people who didn't even try to understand him when he was asking a simple question was Yeosang. He spent hours talking with the boy since they were kids.
They usually read the same books and then spent hours debating about them. Yeosang and Seonghwa lived cooking together, to which then later Wooyoung joined.
The three of them baked together and ignored comments when they were communicating with ASL in a public space.

The only one left was San, who they met later and became kind of like the "squad protector". His taekwondo black belt and his caring personality made it perfect to keep assholes far away.

One of the assholes being Hongjoong at first. Seonghwa recalled when the first thing Hongjoong said to him was "Look where you are going," they would've hurt, but he was so used to them now.

Somehow when he grew up he understood his position and even learned to appreciate being deaf. It was part of his life, he wouldn't be who he is today without it. But now, a new chapter of his life was opening...

"So we are going to connect it now that we set it up and everything..." The doctor was saying, an interpreter by her side for Seonghwa to understand.

They were in a small room in the hospital, Seonghwa was sitting right beside a compute. Wires were connected to the new sound processor sitting on top of his ear.

The doctor was sitting by the computer, having a weird program open that helped setting the volume and quality of the sound.
Hongjoong, Yeosang and his parents were also in the room. His dad was recording, one hand on the phone and another on his wife's hand. Yeosang was carefully listening to the doctor explanations giving Seonghwa and Hongjoong a glance from time to time. Hongjoong was quiet dead, he didn't move and all his muscles were tensed up. It looked as if he was the one that was getting to hear.

"So, we will start from a low volume, and then little by little, we'll go up unto you feel comfortable. Maybe at the beginning, the sound is weird or crunchy but you will get used to it," She continued explaining. Seonghwa had a straight back and both hands clenching his fist on the fabric of his pants right above his knees. He nodded invested in the explication.