Tadashi's POV:
As a child, not a lot of people would aproceh me. And the ones that would, were doing it just for fun, or so they could say they had a deaf friend. I got used to it after a while. Even so, I was keeping everything for me. Those so called friends of mine, who didn't even care that I was being bullied on a daily basis, were just like the rest of the world to me. Just some passengers, passing by in my life from time to time.
Areum was my first real friend. The first person who ever stood up for me, when I was in need.
We first meet when I was in 5th grade. My parents decided for me to go to a private school in the countrysides of Scotland. The school looked like a big castle, but it was half brown half white, which made it look strange. The reason why the colours were different was because the right wing of the school was boys only, and the left, only for girls. The only thing that the two sides were doing together were the gaming nights, where the boys and the girls could play cards, chess, boarding-games, or read books and drink tea together.
We shared a common school yard as well, even though the boys were more likely to take walks in the backyard, near the forest, or near the sports club rooms. We wouldn't usually go in the front yard, because that's were the girls spend their breaks.
It was an unwritten rule for the boys and the girls not to walk in the over side of the castle for no reason. We obviously could. But no one ever did. The cafeterias were separate too. There were plenty of pupils and students all of the time. So I usually ate alone in the school yard, if the weather was good.
I was eating and watching some doves near the lake, when some of my upper classmates came at me laughing and saying ugly things about me. Calling me names. I didn't even hear them, nor was I trying to understand what were they saying. It was always the same things.
At that time, there was a rumour going around about my sexuality. The boys in my dorm never passed near me. They were so afraid that I would try something...even my roommate asked for another room as soon as he found out. I was so sad. I was always thinking "Why do they have to treat me that way. Yes, I'm gay...but I'm still human. Isn't it bad enough that they laugh at my disability?!"
One of the boys, a 7th grader named Arnold Grey, the guy who bullied me the most, came near me and looked me straight in the eyes. He, then grinned and threw my food in the lake.
I was so tired of all of this, I didn't even try to protect myself. I just stood there, and watched my food sink in the clear water of the lake. Arnold treaded my foot, so he could catch my attention. I looked at him, as I knew the consequences.
"You are just a big bloody faggot, Tadashi...and what a name. I am sure it's a name of a thot...just look at you, you useless piece of cra-" Arnold's eyes widen. He stops talking. I turn my head to see a girl, talking something, no...better say yelling something at Grey and the rest of the boys. From what it seemed, some of the boys weren't there anymore. I guess they were too scared of the girl.
I couldn't understand what was the girl saying. She was talking so fast...too fast for me to understand.
After 5 minutes after the girl came, Grey looked at me, mouthed a "it's not over" and walked off. The girl came near me. She was talking, but she wasn't looking at me, and her head was turning too much from a side to the other.
"Sorry...I-i can't hear you..." I say timidly. She helped me stood up, then slowly said looking straight at me. "I don't care if those bullies have arguments, but if they ever touch you and call you names again, they will be in big trouble." I nod in sign of approval and sign a "thanks you" .
The girl looks at me with a big smile, changing the atmosphere. "The name Areum Yi, class 6B." I think for a few seconds if I should talk or sign. I ended up talking, thinking that she might not know how to sign. "Tadashi Ren, class 5C. Nice to meet you!"
That day, we talked until the bell rang back to class. After everything that happened, we ended up being good friends. We were meeting during lunch breaks, we were going in the forests on the weekend, we were reading books and playing games during gaming nights. She were comforting, me saying that one's sexuality shouldn't be established by what others think of it. That love is love, and that we can't choose who to love because love is blind.
She was my first friend ever. And I'm so very thankful for that, for everything that she did for me all of these years. As a fact, she never gave me the job to be her cook. But she bought me an apartment when I moved to Los Angeles, were she was, and couldn't afford one in her neighbourhood. She made me believe that my food was great. And she is tasting my food every time I try something new. Being her cook was the least I could do.
I was one grade behind her, as she was 2 years older than me. So when she decided to move for America after 9th grade, to do her high school there, and maybe start her carrier, I couldn't help but feel like I was left behind. I was one year away from moving away too but...it was different. I know we promised to keep in touch, and we did in fact, but it feel so wrong, like I was the lonely gay kid I used to be 4 year before. I was happy for her but...I felt betrayed.
That year I decided to live at the dorms for the summer. I enrolled myself as a part manager of the student council and also as the manager of the female volleyball team. The female volleyball team was small, it only had 10 teammates at the time I became manager, but it was a strong team with a strong power of friendship. The girls were nice and kind to me. The other manager, helped me understand how the games worked, how to score points, different techniques, and even taught me how to play volley. In the weekends, after practice, we were going near the lake for a jog or simply a walk. We were having picnics, and adventures thru the forest. The girls didn't mind that I was gay, they were actually kind of happy because this way we were able to do sleepovers without it being awkward.
Summer went by really fast. Areum and I kept it in touch, and she was telling me how nice America was, and how many cool people were there. There was a moment when I thought of going there with her after the end of that year...but I already decided that I was going to study somewhere in France. I got such a hold on my idea, I thought there was no one who would change my mind.
But, oh boy, was I wrong...