With you
Title: With you
Pairing: Eunhae
Ratings: PG (Slight violence)
Summary: Two friends. One stands up for the other, who is being bullied by the former's brother. A story of pure and innocent friendship.
Dedicated to Evelyn.
He raised his hands above his head, cowering behind his arms. He winced, as pebbles and sticks bounce off his arm to land, harmless, onto the soft sand of the playground. He was used to it, bullying, that is, ever since he moved to this place. He flinched, when one of the branches happen to graze his arm, causing one long scratch to appear on his left palm.
"Hah! That will teach you! Don't come here anymore!" One of the guys sniggered, staring at the wound he had just caused. Snickering to the others, they grabbed him by the arm and forced him forward. He jerked slightly, frightened. They always left immediately after they threw stones and jagged rocks. Somehow, their evil smiles plastered on their faces do not help.
Pulling him forward, the eldest pointed to the rusty metal bars that were left abandoned in a certain part of the playground, an area where it was cordoned off. It definitely did not stop the rest of them from breaching it, climbing over the fence eagerly, and dragging him directly across without even bothering to stop to let him catch his breath.
Smirking, the eldest of the gang motioned for one of the followers to pull that boy across to one of the metal bars. He pushed him down and leaned towards him, placing his face right in front of the terrified child, till he was only a mere few inches away.
"Well….rust. Goes well with an open wound, doesn't it?" He questioned, his glare conveying the amount of hatred that was burning within him. The boy widened his eyes as he grasped the situations. Shaking his head furiously, he backed away, scrambling on his hands to gain some distance between him and those bullies. Cradling his left palm to his chest, the tears in his eyes threatening to spill, he opened his mouth to form an 'O', silently transmitting the plea to just, just let him go.
The leader shook his head, as if it was in pity. He threw a glance over his shoulders, silently giving the thumbs-up to the members behind him. He turned his attention back to the quivering figure in front of him. The boy was staring back in determination, determination actually! Raising an eyebrow, he shoved the boy back, only to be met by a set jaw and squared shoulders, a slight angry pout forming on those lips of his.
"Get away from him."
The rest of the members swiveled distinctively towards that voice, rigid. They backed away slightly, leaving a clear path between the new intruder and their leader. Casting all their glances towards the ground, it seemed as though they could not summon enough courage to look at the intruder in the eye.
The leader stood up slowly, brushing the dirt off his trousers. Slightly annoyed and irritated, he walked towards the newcomer, staring right down at him. He grabbed the shorter boy in front of him by the chin, forcing him to look up into his eyes. Both of them stared at each other, into the depths of their souls. One pure and innocent, the other burning and fiery.
"Don't think I will stop just because my younger step-brother tells me to do so." He scoffed, turning his face away in disgust. "A 10 year old young boy like you, telling me, a 13 year old, what to do? Where have your manners gone, huh?" He shoved his younger brother back, who stood firmly rooted to the spot, clutching to his backpack for support.
"I'm not. He is." The younger boy pointed to the man standing behind, in the distance. As the elder raised his head, he met the gaze of someone familiar. He cursed mentally, silently berating himself for not having seen that person earlier. The other members had dispersed immediately, running off in different directions. The elder placed his head near the ear of his younger brother, and whispered harshly into his ears, before stalking off in the direction of the man, spitting and cursing on the way there.
"Lee Eunhyuk. You are so going to get it from me one day." He silently promised himself, as he was pushed into the car by the adult.
Eunhyuk rushed to the side of the young boy, who was still sitting on the ground, in a daze. Prodding the unknown boy in his arm slightly, he noticed the bleeding wound that was evident on his palm. It was a deep gash, and the blood was still flowing, even though the wound was inflicted more than fifteen minutes ago. He quickly pulled the boy out of the restricted area, being extremely calm and patient. He hurriedly sat him down on the clean side of the playground, fussing around in his backpack.
"You are lucky that police officer gave me some first aid stuff before he left with my step-brother. And you are again, very fortunate, that my mother happened to teach me how to bandage and dress a wound only just a few days ago." He muttered under his breath, his hands doing quick work on the wound. The injured child did not seem to notice him, even when Eunhyuk was definitely sure the wound stung like hell when he applied the medicine.
Shaking the younger boy out of his reverie, he pointed at the well-bandaged hand, smiling slightly, proud of his handiwork. Eunhyuk stood up quickly, shouldering his backpack again. He glanced down, concerned that the figure on the ground was not responding much. Sighing, and frowning, he took a step away, only to be halted by a small palm pressing into the calf of his leg. The boy tugged at Eunhyuk's trousers, clearing the ground beside him with a random swipe of his hands. He looked up at Eunhyuk with pleading eyes, hoping that he could keep him company for just these few moments. Eunhyuk quietly sat down, cross-legged, as he stared back at the boy beside him.
"I'm Eunhyuk." He introduced, raising his hand towards the younger boy, who stared at it. Awkward, he dropped his hand after a moment, preferring to stare at the blue skies today.
"I'm sorry that my step-brother is such a mean bully. Ever since my mother remarried, he totally just went out of control, spinning around crazily and mixing with the wrong crowd. No one could get him back anymore, the naïve and pure innocence that he once had." Glancing sideways, he noticed that the other had tucked his chin in between his legs, and was staring forlornly at the ground.
"I'm 10 years old this year. I study at the elementary school just around the corner. I love strawberry milk, and tangerines. I have one best friend, Kim Junsu, and he studies in another class, although we always meet up during our breaks. I like dancing, although I always get teased by the older students, saying that a young kid like me should not be too focused on dancing yet, since my limbs have not enough fully developed." He rattled on, knowing that the other would not be replying him anytime soon.
"I like the neighborhood, even though sometimes it may get stifling, as I don't really mix around well with the others." His voice dropped to a whisper, as he glanced down at his palms, twisting his fingers. He mumbled something incoherently, and then shook his head quickly to dismiss that sentence. Eunhyuk let out a long sigh, when he suddenly wondered at the reason why his step-brother was bullying the person beside him. He opened his mouth and turned his head towards the younger boy.
The younger boy was writing something in the sand, with the branch he now firmly grasped in his right hand. Eunhyuk leaned over slightly, as the boy lifted his head, a small smile gracing his features. He motioned at the words on the sand, encouraging Eunhyuk to read them.
I'm 10 years old too! My birthday's on 15th October. Yours?
I study at the elementary school 30 minutes away from here, and I like fish. I moved into this neighborhood recently, and I like dancing too.
I always get bullied, and I have no friends.
Eunhyuk tilted his head towards the guy, raising his eyebrows slightly. The last sentence of the paragraph had trailed off slightly, the handwriting becoming a little messier. He stared at the smaller frame in front of him, as he picked up another random branch that was right beside him. Taking in a deep breath, he lifted the branch and pointed it at the sand.
I'm born on the 4th of April. Looks like I'm the hyung eh?
Eunhyuk grinned, as he finished his sentence. Turning his attention back to the other, he was alarmed, as he noticed the other trembling, sobs racking through his body. Quickly shifting his backpack off his shoulders, he looked around wildly, trying his best to calm the other boy down.
"No no please don't cry in front of me here! I'm really bad at comforting others! I cry easily too, and I'm always the first to cry! I have been labeled as the crybaby, because I cry so often and I don't know how to comfort others!" He gushed out, speaking his mind without even processing the sentences, as he was too confused and shocked at the sight in front of him. The other seemed to be oblivious to what he just said, as he continued to cry into his hands, staining the bandage a little.
"Oh no you don't! That will infect your wound!" Eunhyuk cried out, pulling the hands away from the younger's face. The younger turned his face towards Eunhyuk, displaying a full, teary-eyed sight. He sniffed slightly, as tears continued to run down his cheeks endlessly. Desperate, Eunhyuk quickly pulled the younger into an embrace, hoping that this would be the best way to soothe and calm the younger down.
The younger one continued to cry, staining Eunhyuk's shirt with his tears. Eunhyuk sighed, as he patted the younger on his head, just sitting there silently, offering silent support. It looked like the younger had also recently transferred over to this place, and was still unaccustomed to this neighborhood. Life could indeed be pretty tough for a newcomer, not to mention the 'help' offered by his mean step-brother. Eunhyuk squeezed his eyes tightly shut together, as he remembered how he adjusted to the surroundings as well.
"I will not cry. I will not cry." Eunhyuk muttered to himself, trying to will those tears to remain and dissipate by themselves.
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After a short while, the younger had drawn back immediately, brushing away the stray tear tracks that were still evident on his face. Smiling a little shyly, he stood up quickly, and waved goodbye before sprinting off in the opposite direction. Eunhyuk had stared at the retreating figure, the incident still fresh in his mind. Smiling slightly, knowing that he had helped someone, he stood up as well, and set off for home.
He noticed, that he did not know the other's name yet.
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Every day, they would meet by the playground, shyly bowing to each other, before settling down on the side, at the edge of the sandbox. Eunhyuk would always talk and describe his day, down to the smallest detail, like how he noticed a smudge on the corner of the whiteboard just because his tutor was not tall enough to reach that particular spot, resorting to throwing the duster up and down in a futile attempt at cleaning that part. The younger would then smile in response, and write his replies down in the sand. They would exchange their thoughts and feelings this way, learning more and more about the other with every passing day.
On one particular day, Eunhyuk arrived particularly early, and sat himself down, grinning and anticipating the conversation later. "He definitely should have a beautiful voice, with such an angelic face to go with." Eunhyuk thought silently to himself, as he drew random pictures in the sand, while waiting for the other to arrive. He poked shyly at the figure he had drawn on the sand, an image of them together, enjoying the breeze together on this hilltop and vast green field, where both of their faces were free from worry and anxiety, just laughing, purely enjoying themselves.
"I wonder if he realized….that we are already friends, without really stating that we are." Eunhyuk mused to himself, slightly amused. "I wonder if he realized….that we have been meeting like this and conversing with each other for 5 years already, since that episode where his crying nearly made me cry along as well. I wonder if he realized….that I'm as close to him as I am to Junsu now." Eunhyuk pondered, making a note to ask the other later.
"Somehow, I always forget to ask him for a name during our initial meetings, until I realize, a name doesn't really matter anymore, when you are so fortunate to get another bosom friend like him. Names are no longer important when I make friends with him."
Eunhyuk stopped drawing, as he heard footsteps approach. With a smile already on his face, he placed the branch down gently on the side of his body, and stood up carefully, brushing the sand off his back. Eunhyuk froze at the image in front of him, as he stared back into the eyes of his step-brother. The smile initially plastered on his face fell immediately, as if the strings holding them up have been abruptly cut off. Wary, he turned, as he faced his step-brother, who was alone.
"I did say, I'm going to get back at you. I'm running after this, so I'm not afraid of getting caught." A smirk hung on his face, as he addressed his younger brother.
The last image Eunhyuk registered in his mind, was his brother pouring something that smelt sour and sharp towards him, before pain and fear seared through his mind, as he bent down to clutch his face towards his chest.
Pain, because whatever his step-brother had just poured towards him dealt him with excruciating pain, as though it was eating away at his face.
Fear, because he wondered whatever happened to his friend, if his step-brother did the same thing to his friend as well. Fear, that he was not able to protect his friend from his step-brother. Fear, that his friend may suffer the same plight as he was now. Fear overtook his mind before he fainted, and fell into unconsciousness, a relief from that amount of ache he was experiencing.
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The younger traced an image repeatedly in the sand, wondering at the absence of Eunhyuk for the past few weeks. He poked at a figure in the sand, pouting slightly. Did Eunhyuk actually forget about their unofficial meeting at the playground? Or perhaps he was too busy these few weeks to come for this small gathering? Questions popped up incessantly, flooding his mind.
Turning his head to take in his surroundings, he noticed an unfamiliar figure sitting on the park bench close to the playground. As he squinted further, he stood up, and walked towards the bench. He stopped right in front of the person, a small smile tugging his mouth. He raised his hand as a gesture of greeting, happy that he had finally found Eunhyuk. After so many weeks of not seeing his best friend, ever since he moved to this neighborhood, it felt comforting, reassuring, that Eunhyuk was finally here.
However, Eunhyuk did not raise his hand back to greet him, and those large sunglasses that hid Eunhyuk's eyes looked ominous. As he took a closer look at Eunhyuk's face, he realized that there were pale splotches of pink with white, smooth skin over rough, and rough intertwined with the smooth. He gasped, as he finally realized what had happened all this while.
Eunhyuk's hand shot up immediately, after hearing that familiar gasp. His fingers crawled through the air slowly, until he found an arm that was directly in front of him. Lowering his fingers quickly to reach the palm, he traced it lightly, confirming that the unknown stranger was his friend, with that scar still embedded in the palm.
"I….I..." Eunhyuk stuttered out, his hands clasping firmly onto his friend's, holding them for support.
"I can't see anymore." Eunhyuk's voice dropped to a whisper, as he confessed. His step-brother had poured sulfuric acid onto his face, and some of it had been in direct contact with his eyes. Lifting his other hand, Eunhyuk traced his own face, feeling a completely different face from before, as his fingers explored the unfamiliar terrain. He couldn't help it, and it definitely didn't have anything to do with him being a crybaby anymore. Tears automatically sprang to his eyes, and began to make their way down his cheeks, which Eunhyuk wasn't even sure if those were his cheeks anymore.
"I'm just 15 years old this year….and I'm ruined for the rest of my life. I'm disfigured, disabled, crippled by my lack of sight. I don’t want this to happen….I don't…." Eunhyuk sobbed, as he felt his friend pulling him into his embrace, hugging him tightly. He felt the younger's fists tighten on his shoulder, as he rocked the both of them back and forth, in a soothing rhythm, calming Eunhyuk's emotions and heartbeat.
"If you don't want to be my friend anymore, I understand. I would be a burden, and I don't want to be one to you." Euhyuk whispered, as he dropped his face towards the ground, unwilling to even sense what his friend might even do. He felt his friend release him from his embrace, dropping those hands from his shoulders.
Eunhyuk sat silently, as he no longer felt anyone in front of him. He would take it strongly, face it head-on, and this was what he had actually wanted. Having a blind friend was so much trouble, he could surmise, seeing how much his parents now suffer every single day to make his life more comfortable. He could understand if his friend left him, he could understand.
He heard snippets of conversation around him, but he couldn't process the words. "You…..want me….to talk to…..your friend…..for you? Alright."
"Hey…. Eunhyuk? Your friend over here, asked me to tell you something." A stranger's voice floated within the range of his hearing. Eunhyuk frowned, as he nodded his head cautiously, waiting.
"He says…" the stranger waited patiently as the other teenager bent down to scribble his words into the sand.
"He says that he doesn't mind that you are blind, because you never bothered about the fact that he could not speak either. He says that being blind isn't a disability, because he had experienced it himself before. He says that because of you, he is now able to face every day with a smile, instead of being constantly bullied. He says that because of you, he now has his very first, true, best friend, and he is not willing to give it up just so easily."
"He says that he is willing to be your eyes, relating everything to you, just that he thinks he needs some time, to co-ordinate with you, writing into your palm as you process what he says. He says he is willing to be your friend forever, helping you through this very dark period in your life. He says….no, he asks, if you are willing to give something in exchange?" The stranger questioned, his own voice taking on a note of curiosity at the end.
"What is it?" Eunhyuk whispered, unable to trust his voice.
"He asks if you can be his voice, replaying whatever he wants to say, and be the voice in his life, filling his dull silence with moments of laughter and cheerfulness with your speech, your random talks, everything, anything."
Eunhyuk felt familiar hands pressing into his own palms, as he felt stunned at the sudden revelation. Throughout these 5 years, he had never noticed that his friend was unable to speak. He mentally scolded himself for being unobservant, every single time, his friend had just scribbled his response in the sand, before punctuating it with a perfect smile that lit on his face.
Eunhyuk raised his head, where he approximated where he would meet his friend's gaze, nodding tentatively. He could almost feel the grin that was evident on the other's face, as the stranger also broke out into laughter, encouraging Eunhyuk slightly before going on his own way.
Eunhyuk felt fingers tracing on his palm, and he concentrated hard on what his friend was now writing.
"If you ever need me, call my name out loud. I will come to you, I try my best. I realized I have never told you my name before."
"My name's Donghae."
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A/N: This is for my friend who bears with my spamming and spazzing of Super Junior and Eunhyuk almost every single day, who stays up late with me or wakes up at 4am with me just to study with me, for a friend who I have known since I was in Secondary 1, and got closer during JC1. This is for a friend to take her mind off recent exams, and to cheer her on for her physics and chemistry papers 1 coming up next week.
Evelyn ah! Hwaiting!
Pairing: Eunhae
Ratings: PG (Slight violence)
Summary: Two friends. One stands up for the other, who is being bullied by the former's brother. A story of pure and innocent friendship.
Dedicated to Evelyn.
He raised his hands above his head, cowering behind his arms. He winced, as pebbles and sticks bounce off his arm to land, harmless, onto the soft sand of the playground. He was used to it, bullying, that is, ever since he moved to this place. He flinched, when one of the branches happen to graze his arm, causing one long scratch to appear on his left palm.
"Hah! That will teach you! Don't come here anymore!" One of the guys sniggered, staring at the wound he had just caused. Snickering to the others, they grabbed him by the arm and forced him forward. He jerked slightly, frightened. They always left immediately after they threw stones and jagged rocks. Somehow, their evil smiles plastered on their faces do not help.
Pulling him forward, the eldest pointed to the rusty metal bars that were left abandoned in a certain part of the playground, an area where it was cordoned off. It definitely did not stop the rest of them from breaching it, climbing over the fence eagerly, and dragging him directly across without even bothering to stop to let him catch his breath.
Smirking, the eldest of the gang motioned for one of the followers to pull that boy across to one of the metal bars. He pushed him down and leaned towards him, placing his face right in front of the terrified child, till he was only a mere few inches away.
"Well….rust. Goes well with an open wound, doesn't it?" He questioned, his glare conveying the amount of hatred that was burning within him. The boy widened his eyes as he grasped the situations. Shaking his head furiously, he backed away, scrambling on his hands to gain some distance between him and those bullies. Cradling his left palm to his chest, the tears in his eyes threatening to spill, he opened his mouth to form an 'O', silently transmitting the plea to just, just let him go.
The leader shook his head, as if it was in pity. He threw a glance over his shoulders, silently giving the thumbs-up to the members behind him. He turned his attention back to the quivering figure in front of him. The boy was staring back in determination, determination actually! Raising an eyebrow, he shoved the boy back, only to be met by a set jaw and squared shoulders, a slight angry pout forming on those lips of his.
"Get away from him."
The rest of the members swiveled distinctively towards that voice, rigid. They backed away slightly, leaving a clear path between the new intruder and their leader. Casting all their glances towards the ground, it seemed as though they could not summon enough courage to look at the intruder in the eye.
The leader stood up slowly, brushing the dirt off his trousers. Slightly annoyed and irritated, he walked towards the newcomer, staring right down at him. He grabbed the shorter boy in front of him by the chin, forcing him to look up into his eyes. Both of them stared at each other, into the depths of their souls. One pure and innocent, the other burning and fiery.
"Don't think I will stop just because my younger step-brother tells me to do so." He scoffed, turning his face away in disgust. "A 10 year old young boy like you, telling me, a 13 year old, what to do? Where have your manners gone, huh?" He shoved his younger brother back, who stood firmly rooted to the spot, clutching to his backpack for support.
"I'm not. He is." The younger boy pointed to the man standing behind, in the distance. As the elder raised his head, he met the gaze of someone familiar. He cursed mentally, silently berating himself for not having seen that person earlier. The other members had dispersed immediately, running off in different directions. The elder placed his head near the ear of his younger brother, and whispered harshly into his ears, before stalking off in the direction of the man, spitting and cursing on the way there.
"Lee Eunhyuk. You are so going to get it from me one day." He silently promised himself, as he was pushed into the car by the adult.
Eunhyuk rushed to the side of the young boy, who was still sitting on the ground, in a daze. Prodding the unknown boy in his arm slightly, he noticed the bleeding wound that was evident on his palm. It was a deep gash, and the blood was still flowing, even though the wound was inflicted more than fifteen minutes ago. He quickly pulled the boy out of the restricted area, being extremely calm and patient. He hurriedly sat him down on the clean side of the playground, fussing around in his backpack.
"You are lucky that police officer gave me some first aid stuff before he left with my step-brother. And you are again, very fortunate, that my mother happened to teach me how to bandage and dress a wound only just a few days ago." He muttered under his breath, his hands doing quick work on the wound. The injured child did not seem to notice him, even when Eunhyuk was definitely sure the wound stung like hell when he applied the medicine.
Shaking the younger boy out of his reverie, he pointed at the well-bandaged hand, smiling slightly, proud of his handiwork. Eunhyuk stood up quickly, shouldering his backpack again. He glanced down, concerned that the figure on the ground was not responding much. Sighing, and frowning, he took a step away, only to be halted by a small palm pressing into the calf of his leg. The boy tugged at Eunhyuk's trousers, clearing the ground beside him with a random swipe of his hands. He looked up at Eunhyuk with pleading eyes, hoping that he could keep him company for just these few moments. Eunhyuk quietly sat down, cross-legged, as he stared back at the boy beside him.
"I'm Eunhyuk." He introduced, raising his hand towards the younger boy, who stared at it. Awkward, he dropped his hand after a moment, preferring to stare at the blue skies today.
"I'm sorry that my step-brother is such a mean bully. Ever since my mother remarried, he totally just went out of control, spinning around crazily and mixing with the wrong crowd. No one could get him back anymore, the naïve and pure innocence that he once had." Glancing sideways, he noticed that the other had tucked his chin in between his legs, and was staring forlornly at the ground.
"I'm 10 years old this year. I study at the elementary school just around the corner. I love strawberry milk, and tangerines. I have one best friend, Kim Junsu, and he studies in another class, although we always meet up during our breaks. I like dancing, although I always get teased by the older students, saying that a young kid like me should not be too focused on dancing yet, since my limbs have not enough fully developed." He rattled on, knowing that the other would not be replying him anytime soon.
"I like the neighborhood, even though sometimes it may get stifling, as I don't really mix around well with the others." His voice dropped to a whisper, as he glanced down at his palms, twisting his fingers. He mumbled something incoherently, and then shook his head quickly to dismiss that sentence. Eunhyuk let out a long sigh, when he suddenly wondered at the reason why his step-brother was bullying the person beside him. He opened his mouth and turned his head towards the younger boy.
The younger boy was writing something in the sand, with the branch he now firmly grasped in his right hand. Eunhyuk leaned over slightly, as the boy lifted his head, a small smile gracing his features. He motioned at the words on the sand, encouraging Eunhyuk to read them.
I'm 10 years old too! My birthday's on 15th October. Yours?
I study at the elementary school 30 minutes away from here, and I like fish. I moved into this neighborhood recently, and I like dancing too.
I always get bullied, and I have no friends.
Eunhyuk tilted his head towards the guy, raising his eyebrows slightly. The last sentence of the paragraph had trailed off slightly, the handwriting becoming a little messier. He stared at the smaller frame in front of him, as he picked up another random branch that was right beside him. Taking in a deep breath, he lifted the branch and pointed it at the sand.
I'm born on the 4th of April. Looks like I'm the hyung eh?
Eunhyuk grinned, as he finished his sentence. Turning his attention back to the other, he was alarmed, as he noticed the other trembling, sobs racking through his body. Quickly shifting his backpack off his shoulders, he looked around wildly, trying his best to calm the other boy down.
"No no please don't cry in front of me here! I'm really bad at comforting others! I cry easily too, and I'm always the first to cry! I have been labeled as the crybaby, because I cry so often and I don't know how to comfort others!" He gushed out, speaking his mind without even processing the sentences, as he was too confused and shocked at the sight in front of him. The other seemed to be oblivious to what he just said, as he continued to cry into his hands, staining the bandage a little.
"Oh no you don't! That will infect your wound!" Eunhyuk cried out, pulling the hands away from the younger's face. The younger turned his face towards Eunhyuk, displaying a full, teary-eyed sight. He sniffed slightly, as tears continued to run down his cheeks endlessly. Desperate, Eunhyuk quickly pulled the younger into an embrace, hoping that this would be the best way to soothe and calm the younger down.
The younger one continued to cry, staining Eunhyuk's shirt with his tears. Eunhyuk sighed, as he patted the younger on his head, just sitting there silently, offering silent support. It looked like the younger had also recently transferred over to this place, and was still unaccustomed to this neighborhood. Life could indeed be pretty tough for a newcomer, not to mention the 'help' offered by his mean step-brother. Eunhyuk squeezed his eyes tightly shut together, as he remembered how he adjusted to the surroundings as well.
"I will not cry. I will not cry." Eunhyuk muttered to himself, trying to will those tears to remain and dissipate by themselves.
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After a short while, the younger had drawn back immediately, brushing away the stray tear tracks that were still evident on his face. Smiling a little shyly, he stood up quickly, and waved goodbye before sprinting off in the opposite direction. Eunhyuk had stared at the retreating figure, the incident still fresh in his mind. Smiling slightly, knowing that he had helped someone, he stood up as well, and set off for home.
He noticed, that he did not know the other's name yet.
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Every day, they would meet by the playground, shyly bowing to each other, before settling down on the side, at the edge of the sandbox. Eunhyuk would always talk and describe his day, down to the smallest detail, like how he noticed a smudge on the corner of the whiteboard just because his tutor was not tall enough to reach that particular spot, resorting to throwing the duster up and down in a futile attempt at cleaning that part. The younger would then smile in response, and write his replies down in the sand. They would exchange their thoughts and feelings this way, learning more and more about the other with every passing day.
On one particular day, Eunhyuk arrived particularly early, and sat himself down, grinning and anticipating the conversation later. "He definitely should have a beautiful voice, with such an angelic face to go with." Eunhyuk thought silently to himself, as he drew random pictures in the sand, while waiting for the other to arrive. He poked shyly at the figure he had drawn on the sand, an image of them together, enjoying the breeze together on this hilltop and vast green field, where both of their faces were free from worry and anxiety, just laughing, purely enjoying themselves.
"I wonder if he realized….that we are already friends, without really stating that we are." Eunhyuk mused to himself, slightly amused. "I wonder if he realized….that we have been meeting like this and conversing with each other for 5 years already, since that episode where his crying nearly made me cry along as well. I wonder if he realized….that I'm as close to him as I am to Junsu now." Eunhyuk pondered, making a note to ask the other later.
"Somehow, I always forget to ask him for a name during our initial meetings, until I realize, a name doesn't really matter anymore, when you are so fortunate to get another bosom friend like him. Names are no longer important when I make friends with him."
Eunhyuk stopped drawing, as he heard footsteps approach. With a smile already on his face, he placed the branch down gently on the side of his body, and stood up carefully, brushing the sand off his back. Eunhyuk froze at the image in front of him, as he stared back into the eyes of his step-brother. The smile initially plastered on his face fell immediately, as if the strings holding them up have been abruptly cut off. Wary, he turned, as he faced his step-brother, who was alone.
"I did say, I'm going to get back at you. I'm running after this, so I'm not afraid of getting caught." A smirk hung on his face, as he addressed his younger brother.
The last image Eunhyuk registered in his mind, was his brother pouring something that smelt sour and sharp towards him, before pain and fear seared through his mind, as he bent down to clutch his face towards his chest.
Pain, because whatever his step-brother had just poured towards him dealt him with excruciating pain, as though it was eating away at his face.
Fear, because he wondered whatever happened to his friend, if his step-brother did the same thing to his friend as well. Fear, that he was not able to protect his friend from his step-brother. Fear, that his friend may suffer the same plight as he was now. Fear overtook his mind before he fainted, and fell into unconsciousness, a relief from that amount of ache he was experiencing.
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The younger traced an image repeatedly in the sand, wondering at the absence of Eunhyuk for the past few weeks. He poked at a figure in the sand, pouting slightly. Did Eunhyuk actually forget about their unofficial meeting at the playground? Or perhaps he was too busy these few weeks to come for this small gathering? Questions popped up incessantly, flooding his mind.
Turning his head to take in his surroundings, he noticed an unfamiliar figure sitting on the park bench close to the playground. As he squinted further, he stood up, and walked towards the bench. He stopped right in front of the person, a small smile tugging his mouth. He raised his hand as a gesture of greeting, happy that he had finally found Eunhyuk. After so many weeks of not seeing his best friend, ever since he moved to this neighborhood, it felt comforting, reassuring, that Eunhyuk was finally here.
However, Eunhyuk did not raise his hand back to greet him, and those large sunglasses that hid Eunhyuk's eyes looked ominous. As he took a closer look at Eunhyuk's face, he realized that there were pale splotches of pink with white, smooth skin over rough, and rough intertwined with the smooth. He gasped, as he finally realized what had happened all this while.
Eunhyuk's hand shot up immediately, after hearing that familiar gasp. His fingers crawled through the air slowly, until he found an arm that was directly in front of him. Lowering his fingers quickly to reach the palm, he traced it lightly, confirming that the unknown stranger was his friend, with that scar still embedded in the palm.
"I….I..." Eunhyuk stuttered out, his hands clasping firmly onto his friend's, holding them for support.
"I can't see anymore." Eunhyuk's voice dropped to a whisper, as he confessed. His step-brother had poured sulfuric acid onto his face, and some of it had been in direct contact with his eyes. Lifting his other hand, Eunhyuk traced his own face, feeling a completely different face from before, as his fingers explored the unfamiliar terrain. He couldn't help it, and it definitely didn't have anything to do with him being a crybaby anymore. Tears automatically sprang to his eyes, and began to make their way down his cheeks, which Eunhyuk wasn't even sure if those were his cheeks anymore.
"I'm just 15 years old this year….and I'm ruined for the rest of my life. I'm disfigured, disabled, crippled by my lack of sight. I don’t want this to happen….I don't…." Eunhyuk sobbed, as he felt his friend pulling him into his embrace, hugging him tightly. He felt the younger's fists tighten on his shoulder, as he rocked the both of them back and forth, in a soothing rhythm, calming Eunhyuk's emotions and heartbeat.
"If you don't want to be my friend anymore, I understand. I would be a burden, and I don't want to be one to you." Euhyuk whispered, as he dropped his face towards the ground, unwilling to even sense what his friend might even do. He felt his friend release him from his embrace, dropping those hands from his shoulders.
Eunhyuk sat silently, as he no longer felt anyone in front of him. He would take it strongly, face it head-on, and this was what he had actually wanted. Having a blind friend was so much trouble, he could surmise, seeing how much his parents now suffer every single day to make his life more comfortable. He could understand if his friend left him, he could understand.
He heard snippets of conversation around him, but he couldn't process the words. "You…..want me….to talk to…..your friend…..for you? Alright."
"Hey…. Eunhyuk? Your friend over here, asked me to tell you something." A stranger's voice floated within the range of his hearing. Eunhyuk frowned, as he nodded his head cautiously, waiting.
"He says…" the stranger waited patiently as the other teenager bent down to scribble his words into the sand.
"He says that he doesn't mind that you are blind, because you never bothered about the fact that he could not speak either. He says that being blind isn't a disability, because he had experienced it himself before. He says that because of you, he is now able to face every day with a smile, instead of being constantly bullied. He says that because of you, he now has his very first, true, best friend, and he is not willing to give it up just so easily."
"He says that he is willing to be your eyes, relating everything to you, just that he thinks he needs some time, to co-ordinate with you, writing into your palm as you process what he says. He says he is willing to be your friend forever, helping you through this very dark period in your life. He says….no, he asks, if you are willing to give something in exchange?" The stranger questioned, his own voice taking on a note of curiosity at the end.
"What is it?" Eunhyuk whispered, unable to trust his voice.
"He asks if you can be his voice, replaying whatever he wants to say, and be the voice in his life, filling his dull silence with moments of laughter and cheerfulness with your speech, your random talks, everything, anything."
Eunhyuk felt familiar hands pressing into his own palms, as he felt stunned at the sudden revelation. Throughout these 5 years, he had never noticed that his friend was unable to speak. He mentally scolded himself for being unobservant, every single time, his friend had just scribbled his response in the sand, before punctuating it with a perfect smile that lit on his face.
Eunhyuk raised his head, where he approximated where he would meet his friend's gaze, nodding tentatively. He could almost feel the grin that was evident on the other's face, as the stranger also broke out into laughter, encouraging Eunhyuk slightly before going on his own way.
Eunhyuk felt fingers tracing on his palm, and he concentrated hard on what his friend was now writing.
"If you ever need me, call my name out loud. I will come to you, I try my best. I realized I have never told you my name before."
"My name's Donghae."
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A/N: This is for my friend who bears with my spamming and spazzing of Super Junior and Eunhyuk almost every single day, who stays up late with me or wakes up at 4am with me just to study with me, for a friend who I have known since I was in Secondary 1, and got closer during JC1. This is for a friend to take her mind off recent exams, and to cheer her on for her physics and chemistry papers 1 coming up next week.
Evelyn ah! Hwaiting!