Sehun's POV

***

"Uhh..."

I groaned as the sun rays hit my face, meaning someone has drawn my room's curtains open with the broad daylight peaking inside. "Good morning, Young Master." I heard a woman's voice greet me as I pulled a pillow onto my head to cover my eyes from the harsh light streak. It was Heidi, our househelp. "I'm sorry I have to wake you up, Madame your mother told me to do so. She's finishing her dish in the kitchen so she can't come up here yet."

"Hmm-mm." I let out an affirmation, but my body did otherwise. I rolled on my stomach and started snoozing shallowly again, managing to say "I'll be up in 5 minutes. Thank you." to Heidi before she goes out of my room.

I rolled back again and this time, I forced my eyes open, so that I won't go back to sleep anymore. I looked around me, and every time I wake up, I have the very same thoughts as I have now.

5 years ago, everything started to change. I wasn't the Sehun everyone knows now. It's a much different Sehun.

Exactly 8 years ago, I was a vapid, 13 year old -- 'cause I was blind.

No, I wasn't born blind. Me being blind is one of the greatest challenges I faced as a teen. One was losing my father in an accident -- the very accident which took away my sense of sight. Another one was being left by my mother to a dormitory for the blind, until she remarried a lawyer like her, my stepfather Park Chonghwa, who also died two years ago.

But little did I know that Mom leaving me at the dormitory would be one of the best things that happened to me.

[ 8 years ago ]

"Sehun, Eomma will leave you here for a while. Eomma will just work while you'll be having your blind theraphy until you are able to see again. Don't worry, honey. I'll visit you every week. Eomma loves you so much. Remember, things will work out fine." 

I nodded to my mother though I can't see her. I can hear in her voice that sadness -- because she'll leave me, but also that hope - that things will be better again when she returns.

I was afraid, of course. I'm thirteen. I'm blind. And my mom is going to leave in this theraphy dormitory for the blind -- in the care of people I don't know, people who are strangers to me.

There I thought, I'll be living in another misery, but I was wrong. I found a family there, people who'd care for me sincerely, almost unconditionally.l

.

.

.

.

And there, I found her.

[ phone rings ]

I sighed, squinting my eyes one more time and reached for my phone in my nightstand. Oh, there goes the group chat again. I read the messages and came across one of the recent messages.

Kim Junmyeon: Sehun oppa! When are you coming back here? We're going out again tonight! You've actually been missing half of your life not being with us. Do you like Sydney more, now? Please don't forget us!

I tried to hold my laughter as I read the playful (like calling me oppa) message one of my friends, Junmyeon. I decided to reply on the message before I get up and do my morning routine.

Oh Sehun: Junmyeon hyung, I still prefer Seoul. And yeah, it seems like I've been missing a lot. Jeez, you guys should minimize partying without me, it's frustrating me. Hahaha! Don't worry though, I'll be back in no time. Three days won't be that long now. See you!

I hit send and quickly went to my bathroom and did my morning routine and took a quick shower. I changed my clothes and quickly went downstairs, to the dining room exactly, where I found my mom arranging her dish on the table.

"Morning, Eomma. Sorry, 5 minutes took  a little longer." I went up to her and kissed her and slid down my seat. 

"Good morning too, Sehun." She smiled. "How was your sleep? I hope it was fine. Well, today you need to come with me. We'll go shopping for gifts. We only have three days left to roam around Sydney, and I think today's a perfect day for shopping." She said.

"Oh. Of course, mom." I said,  biting off a piece of bacon. I wasn't into shopping but I can't say no to Mom. It's the least I could do for her for being my mom and dad at the same time since my father and stepfather were gone. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Uh... the, the dormitory for the blind? Is, is it still operating?"

"Oh, the one in Busan?" She took a good sip from her tea. "I think so? Why?"

"Nothing, I'm just curious. I, I might go there for a visit when we go back to Korea." 

"Oh, really? Why so?" She asked me.

"Uh, I just want to go back and see how it has been. You know I've never seen the place in flesh, just in the pictures." 

Truth is, I wanted to see more than the dormitory itself. I want to see the people who took care of me when I was still blind. I wanted to see her, I wanted to say how much I have been longing for her.

I want to see Yeonnie.

"Oh, okay. You can go when we go back. But I probably can't join you, son. I have to go to work immediately as soon as we get back. I'll just shop some gifts here that you can bring to them, alright?" My mom smiled again. She's such a gracious woman.

"I understand Eomma. Thank you!" I said, my face lighting up like a giddy child on a Christmas morn.