Chapter Text
Mingi is the only T in his group of friends. Which is fine; Mingi actually enjoys being the odd one out, even if his friends tease him for it. It makes it more fun and an interesting dynamic within his close circle. It caused a bit of problems in the beginning, but once they all learned how to talk to one another, it was smooth sailing.
Due to this, Mingi honestly thought he’d have a harder time with writing romantic metaphors and scenarios whenever he gives his lyrics to Hongjoong. He always thinks from a more logical standpoint, the literal sense of words and phrases. Surprisingly, writing about love and beauty and anguish is easy if he just reads a lot of sad romance novels or coming of age books and applies that knowledge to his writing. It’s a formula of love; pining + slight anguish = 90% of love songs and story plots Mingi’s ever heard or read. That makes sense to Mingi – formulas make sense to Mingi. They’re consistent, forever, and never fail him in a time of crisis.
Unfortunately for him, there is no formula for a way to deal with Choi Jongho.
“Just…ask him out?” Yunho says in response to Mingi’s rambling about the smaller boy, sipping on his coffee. The local cafe about a three minute walk from campus is their hang out spot – Seonghwa being a head manager has its perks – and is currently soaking in the latest of Mingi’s turbulence in life: a junior whose translator introduced as Jongho.
There is also that. Jongho is deaf, from birth as he told the class. He can speak small words and phrases, but he hates his voice, so an interpreter and KSL it is. The interpreter introduced himself as Changmin, a cute dimpled boy and that was the end of Jongho’s introduction to the class and to Mingi’s life.
“I can’t just ask him out, Yunho,” Mingi says, looking at Yunho with an exasperated look. “I’ve not spoken to him at all. Imagine just some weirdo comes up to you and says that to you on the first day. Imagine how that would look.”
Yunho stares at him with a look that Mingi can clearly read: ‘For someone as smart as you are, you are incredibly stupid sometimes’. This is a normal look he gets.
“You know Jongho is a normal boy, right?” Yunho asks. “He’s just some guy who happens to be deaf. Being deaf doesn’t make him any less likely to say yes.”
“Or no. He’ll say no,” Mingi says back, pointing his fork at him. “So I have to romance him.”
Yunho snorts. “And how are you going to romance him if you haven’t even talked to him?”
“Who is Mingi romancing?” Seonghwa butts in, one hand on the table and one hand on their hip. They must be on break, as their apron is around their waist and not their neck. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Seonghwa-nim,” Mingi whines, pouting at the older. Yunho cackles. “I can romance just fine, thank you very much.”
“This boy named Jongho,” Yunho explains to Seonghwa. “He’s in Mingi’s communications class.” Seonghwa hums, then their eyes light up.
“Oh! I know who you’re talking about! The really cute boy that’s deaf?” Seonghwa asks. Mingi nods, his cheeks blushing a little. Jongho is really cute, which is why Mingi is so set on romancing him. Mingi had made eye contact with Jongho as he walked past his desk, and the smile and little bow he shot Mingi’s way had his heart squeeze in a way he never experienced before, but he knows what it is.
Being in love has a checklist, according to Mingi. It goes as follows:
- Cheeks reddening
- Heart squeezing
- Thought consuming
- Physical reaction
- Realization
Mingi is currently on step three, going down at a pace that truly scares him. Just this morning he was at step one, how is he already at three?
“Well, I recommend actually talking to the boy before going all in. I know you, Mingi,” Seonghwa states, pointing their towel at Mingi. “You’re going to go all in because you’re melodramatic and have to be extra in everything you do, and you’ll scare him.”
“I am not !” Mingi whines, proving Seonghwa’s point. Yunho snorts, coughing a little as he gets coffee in his nose. Serves him right, Mingi thinks.
He doesn’t exactly blame his friends for thinking he’s melodramatic – he’s a Leo, after all, and an ENTP. Mingi thrives off attention like a pretentious Pennywise. So yes, if he is going to romance any boy, it will put the greatest of k-dramas to shame.
“Fine,” Mingi states with a heavy sigh. Just because his friends are right doesn’t mean he won’t be a brat about it. “I’ll talk to him. Say hi.”
“Act like a normal fucking human?” Yunho states in a monotone voice. Seonghwa guffaws.
Mingi needs new friends.
Mingi doesn’t actually say a word to Jongho until their second week of classes. Most of his time has been spent looking at the chestnut hairs on the back of the other boy’s head and watching him and Changmin interact, taking into account the way their hands move faster than his own brain can compute.
So he does his research. He looks up the basic signs of KSL, and practices them. Mingi certainly isn’t the greatest signer of all time, but he learns enough to at least ask Jongho how he’s doing. He hopes that maybe Jongho will be more open to talking to him if he tries to meet him in the middle of speaking and signing.
The next class period Mingi steels his nerves and during break stands and taps on Jongho’s desk – he remembers reading that people who are deaf will feel the vibrations and it’s a lot less scary than just straight up tapping him on the shoulder without warning. Mingi’s not a creep; he’s not going to just grab Jongho.
Jongho looks up, a little bewildered and unsure. Mingi’s heart squeezes because he’s 99.9% certain he can see the Ursa Major in Jongho’s eyes, but he pushes forward.
“Hi,” Mingi says, but also pushes both of his hands in the thumbs up position in a downward J-shape. Changmin looks up at Mingi’s voice as well, and looks pleasantly surprised at Mingi’s signing.
The response Mingi gets makes staying up past his bedtime to practice worth it. Jongho’s eyes lit up, and a small gummy smile forms on his face that makes his eyes squint up and god, Mingi is a weak man. A weak, weak gay man.This confirms his hypothesis that Jongho is the cutest boy on this entire planet.
Jongho does the same sign back, definitely more composed than Mingi’s, and Changmin’s lips curl up into a smile. Mingi feels like his feathers are ruffled a little, getting the interpreter’s approval.
“I’m Mingi,” Mingi says, doing the signs clumsily along with it. “It’s nice to meet you.” Jongho’s smile turns shy and he quickly signs something to Changmin that makes Mingi’s head spin.
“Do you actually know KSL?” Changmin’s soft voice speaks, translating for Mingi. “You’re the first person that’s said hi to me like that.”
Oh, Mingi’s heart aches .
“I learned the basics,” Mingi states after trying to sign and then giving up. He can feel his ears turning pink. Hopefully Jongho doesn’t mock him and laugh for giving up so quickly. “Sorry, I probably sign like a three year old.”
Jongho shakes his head rapidly, the gummy smile on his face growing wider. Pink dusts his cheeks and Mingi is honestly gobsmacked. How one man is this gorgeous is beyond him.
“You don’t sign like a three year old,” Changmin says. “I honestly just appreciate the effort to even say hi to me in my own language.” Mingi feels himself blush and he rubs the back of his neck, bashful.
Which, for the record, is so unlike Mingi. Mingi loves compliments and coddling and attention. Being bashful is not a good sign. He might as well just jump off a cliff headfirst while screaming at this point.
“It’s the least I could do,” Mingi says truthfully, a small smile gracing his face. The delayed reaction Mingi gets as Changmin signs what he says to Jongho is now his reason to wake up every morning.
Sorry, Yunho.
“If you need any help with school, or finding your way around, just give me a tap,” Mingi continues, motioning to his desk and his shoulder. “I sit behind you and I’ve been here a while, so I think I can be of decent help.” He chuckles a little, suddenly anxious.
What if he doesn’t want my help? What if I’m just assuming he wants help because he’s deaf and thinks I’m a complete and utter asshole who wants to glorify himself for ‘helping the disabled kid’?
“Thank you, Mingi-sshi,” Changmin translates. “I really appreciate the help, seriously.” Mingi waves his hand.
“Call me hyung,” Mingi says just as class starts. He shares a glance with Jongho as Changmin signs to him and his eyes shine in the shitty florescent lights of their classroom, perfectly framed by his soft smile and round cheeks.
I’m fucked, Mingi thinks as he sits down in his chair. So, so fucked.