flashbacks | primary school

KWON CHAERIN.

And all I could do was staring at the scene played before me; Taehyung being mocked by the boys which had became a daily routine for them.

The bullying grew wilder as the days passed. Profanities that used by them was extending into something nastier called insults. Not only Taehyung, but his family was also included.

They thought Taehyung couldn't hear what they had been saying, those boys were too ignorant to notice Taehyung's hearing aids.

He heard it all, clearly and well.

But Taehyung didn't do anything, he was just smiling, like usual while staring to the whiteboard. The boys continously insult him on his back. Even they told everyone to join them and mock Taehyung.

"Chaerin."

As the word came out from Jaeho's, the main bully, mouth, I felt a lightning struck my heart. My hands trembled, causing the book on my hand fell onto the table.

He hopped off of the table he was sitting on and approached me, bending to my ear level and whispered, "Why don't you join the fun? Scared? Well, you join us or join him?" His voice made me froze for a few moments.

I was trying my best to not be involved in this matter but in the end, Jaeho told everyone to join him. Simply; you join him or join Taehyung. That was the rule he set and everyone knew how strong Jaeho was, and of course my classmates chose the first option.

"Chaerin?" He called.

A lump formed in my throat. I knew the thing he told me to do was very wrong, but I had no other choice because it was possible for Jaeho to make the rest of my school years like a living hell, if I disobeyed him.

I turned my body to face Taehyung, and then began muttering disgusting words that I didn't want to remember. I was so ashamed by my own action. Taehyung didn't react, he kept staring forward, looking vulnerable as ever. But I knew he heard everything I'd said.

I hurt an angel.

Jaeho, who was on the other side, proudly smiled at me and patted my back. "Good job, Chaerin. You did it very well," he praised but I wasn't engrossed by it. I was really disgusted by myself for being weak. Yet I felt relieved because Jaeho wouldn't bully me.

You're a disgrace to yourself, Kwon Chaerin.

"Uhm, what is this?"

I turned to see Jaeho examing Taehyung's right ear. Taehyung shifted uncomfortably on his chair, rubbing his palms.

Please don't, I prayed inside my heart, hoping Jaeho wouldn't do anything nasty with it.

But he did.

He seized the hearing aid from Taehyung's ear, causing his ear to bleed a little because of the harsh movement. Taehyung flinched while rubbing his right ear in pain.

"Look guys! He can hear us after all!" Jaeho showed the device to everyone with a creepy smile plastered on his face.

My fists clenched as I stared down to my shoes. Why didn't I do anything to help Taehyung? Why my legs can't move? Why my mouth won't open to speak anything? Why did I do something that I knew was wrong? I bit the inside of my bottom lip.

"Jaeho, I don't think it's a nice thing to do..." Jimin spoke as beads of perpiration fell from his forehead.

Jaeho smirked, "Jimin, you don't have to be nice when it comes to him. I mean, look, why didn't he respond us even though he could clearly hear what we were talking? Oh, I forgot! He can't." The smirk on his face grew wider when he spoke the last few words, referring to Taehyung's disability.

Jimin shut his mouth and lowered his head. He was just like me, wanted to help but had no power to do so.

"That means he doesn't need this, right?" Jaeho played the device in between his fingers as Taehyung looked at him in fear. Trying to get back his hearing aid but to no avail. Without his device, it would be hard for him to decipher the words that came out from out mouths.

"You're just wasting your parents' money, Kim Taehyung. You're a disgrace to our class, you shouldn't be here, trash." As he finished the last word, Jaeho threw the hearing aid to the wall near the trashcan, and soon it fell into it.

"Bingo!" Jaeho exclaimed as he went to his group of friends, high fiving them and laughed together.

A very unpleasant scene to witness.

Taehyung rushed towards the trashcan and delved his hands into it, searching for his hearing aid in panic, without anyone's help. Some people showed sympathy through their expressions, wanting to help, but too afraid of Jaeho.

I stayed on my position, staring at the busy Taehyung although my mind was somewhere else, reminiscing the scene of yesterday, when I saw that angelic smile of his.

I felt really frustrated, I wanted to cry. This whole class was garbage. I was a mess. I hate myself.

I'm sorry, Taehyung.