Present Time

"ryujin you dumbass, give me back my nugget!" aeri launched at her and the rest of the people on the table laughed.

"hey hey, go easy on her." lia said and gave her other nuggets to aeri.

"i love julia more than you." aeri said and stuck her tongue out and ryujin chuckled.

"whatever, but our minjeong right here loves me more too." she said and put an arm on minjeong's shoulder.

"right?" minjeong chuckled.

"i love all of you, you know. there's no biases here." minjeong signed and they all giggled and ryujin removed her arm.

"eheeyy. come on, i know you love me more." she signed and spoke at the same time which led minjeong laughing.

"whatever, shin."

the four are inside a fastfood chain, with ryujin and aeri arguing about a damn nugget.

if you are wondering what happened, well two years ago minjeong wasn't normally deaf until she got into an accident. in those two years of recovering from her depression and her physical health, she used her other time learning sign language, together with her friends and parents. well, in order for them to communicate, they have to.

"hey jeongjeong. we need to go in a few minutes now, our class starts in a bit. do you want us to walk you back?" aeri signed while she spoke to minjeong and minjeong shook her head.

"no need to. i'll go now, i need to buy new materials for my drawings." the three smiled.

"you and your passion with drawing. okay, stay safe jeongjeongiieee." minjeong stood up and waved goodbye at them.

as minjeong got out of the restaurant, she heaved a sigh and stared at the sky for a moment before putting her headphones on. it was her way of telling people that she can't hear due to loud music when in reality she just can't really hear. because she thinks, in that way, people won't bother her.

she walked into a building which was the reason why they chose to eat there for lunch because it was near for minjeong.

as she entered the elevator, she pressed her floor and the door was about to close when a hand stopped.

"jesus, i told you to hold the door—" the person froze in their spot and so did minjeong. the person smiled and went inside, minjeong smiling back.

'shin yuna...'

"omg, hi minjeong! it's been a while, how are you?" yuna blurted out and minjeong looked at her lips to read.

yuna slightly panicked and touched her lips.

"why why, is there something on my lips?" she fished her phone out to look at her reflection. minjeong chuckling at her.

minjeong took her phone out and opened her note app. she began typing as yuna looked at her, and before she could think she was being rude, minjeong showed her her screen.

'hello yuna. i know it has been a while, how are you? and no, there is nothing on your lips. they look absolutely gorgeous.'

yuna looked at her confused and minjeong typed in again.

'oh, i can't hear anymore due to an accident 2 years ago.'

when she showed this, yuna looked at her with sympathy.

"do you sign?" yuna signed and minjeong was in utter shock.

"yes i do! how come..?"

"oh, i have a little cousin who's also deaf. i only know a few though." the two shared a smile before yuna asked her another question.

"it is okay to ask what happened?" minjeong smiled.

"i got hit by a car. due to the impact, it damaged a lot in my body system, especially the hearing. so yeah, here i am now. unable to hear." minjeong laughed at the last sentence she signed and so did yuna.

"i'm really sorry that happened to you. you are okay now, right?"

"more than okay!" minjeong then flexed her non-existent muscle which lead yuna laughing.

at that time, the elevator dinged and it was minjeong's floor.

"oh, it's my stop now. i'm heading out first. it was nice catching up with you yuna, see you!" yuna waved bye at her as minjeong ran out from the elevator.

she then entered a hallway and opened the glass door revealing another empty hallway. she walked to another door and opened it, revealing an office. she bowed to the person in front and waved.

"eeyyy, my favourite cousin. where have you been?"

"chill, junmyeon oppa. aeri and the others called for lunch, so who am i to decline?" the said guy, junmyeon laughed at her.

"anyways, your orders from last week arrived. take a look and if there's something wrong, we can always call the shop." junmyeon signed while speaking as minjeong followed his finger to wherever he was pointing at.

minjeong saw a box piled up near her desk and approached it. she took out a box cutter and opened them one by one.

it was all art materials. mostly, paints, paintbrushes and a paint palette.

"what do you think, is it okay? do you like it?" junmyeon approached her side and tapped her then signed to her.

minjeong nodded with a bright smile on her face.

"ah, by the way. i'll be having my class in here next week if that's okay with you? there is a portrait i am planning to have them as an activity."

"who am i to decline? our mister teacher kim here is very dedicated to his job." the two shared a laugh at minjeong and junmyeon ruffled her hair making minjeong huff an air.

"fix that. i did my hair this morning and it took me two hours." she said and she threatened junmyeon which only laughed and went along with her.

"yeayea, whatever miss scary kim." junmyeon said and fixed her hair. he hugged minjeong and he sighed.

"i missed the old you jeongjeongie, how i wish i was there when you were having a tough time." junmyeon said, preventing himself from crying as he stroke minjeong's hair and back.

meanwhile minjeong was confused to whatever suho said. minjeong sensed he said something through the vibrations. she tried to break the hug but junmyeon didn't budge and minjeong just hugged him back which lead junmyeon crying, unable to hold it back anymore.

minjeong panicked when she sensed the vibrations of crying from junmyeon and broke the hug.

"oppa, what's wrong? did something happen?" she signed to suho which lead junmyeon sobbing more.

"i'm so sorry you have to experience such cruel things, jeongjeongie. i promise with all my heart, i will protect you now." minjeong's eyes softened at junmyeon's statement.

minjeong just hugged him again and junmyeon sobbed more.

kim junmyeon. minjeong's cousin which is the ceo of the well-known kimjuncotton enterprises. it is a company that is all about art. he was in the US for a seminar when minjeong's incident happened. when he heard about what happened to his lovely cousin, he rushed back to korea to meet her, only to his dismay that minjeong is unable to hear already. he was actually the one who suggested for them to learn sign language and gladly they agreed.

"look oppa, it was an accident, okay? i'm all good now. besides, that was two years ago." minjeong broke the hug and signed to him while wiping junmyeon's tears.

"well, i am more than glad that you are okay now." junmyeon smiled at her while ruffling her hair again which he quickly fixed it when minjeong playfully glared at him.

"i'll head to my art room now, i got an inspiration and idea to paint something." minjeong then collected the boxes, junmyeon asking if she needed help but she politely declined.

minjeong walked towards her art room and was struggling to open the door, but somehow managed. she met the smell of wood and paint and she smiled in satisfaction. i mean who wouldn't?

minjeong placed the boxes down the floor near her desk and walked through the huge space of the room and examined her own paintings.

'i'm glad i got into painting. these are beautiful!' she thought to herself and walked to her desk and grabbed a book and sat down on the room's sofa.

she spent at least 20 minutes reading before starting to get ready with painting.

JAEWOOK AND KARINA HAVE WHAT?!?!? ISTFG, THOSE TYPE OF FANS DOES NOT DESERVE TO CALL THEMSELVES AS MY'S, LIKE PLEASE KNOW YOUR BOUNDARY. my girl just wanted to love, please😔🤚