You're a blind woman, about 23 years old with long, dark hair and a long neck and afraid of elevators. Your name is Hwang Yeong-Ae (皇 英愛 (hanja) // 황 영애). You and your older brother were orphaned when you guys were young, and after being separated by various foster families, he managed to get guardianship about 10 years ago and has been taking care of you. But now that he is approaching 30 (he is about 27), he has to enter the military and has been moody due to worry about you, so you've had many misunderstandings. One day, you guys had your biggest fight in about 10 years and he ended up ditching you somewhere in Seoul, so you wandered around until you collapsed infront of Heechul's dormitory. This is set sometime after Heechul returns from service, so yes, he's 30 and no Yesung or Teukie in this story.

 

A Warm Heart

 

"Yeonggie-ya . . ."

" . . ."

"Yeonggie-ya . . ."

" . . . oppa?"

"Yah, get up." I feel someone slapping my shoulder. It doesn't hurt; I don't think he's trying to hurt me.

"Oppa?" My hands reach for that face, and when they find their target and trace the should-be familiar features, I freeze. This nose . . . "Oppa, did you get your nose done just now? Your face feels so small right now--" It hurts as brother seizes my wrists like that. I don't remember his hold ever being so strong and hostile.

"Excuse me?" an unfamiliar voice says. "Aren't you being a bit rude? Open your eyes and look at people, lady." This voice isn't my brother's . . .

I try to back away from this stranger, but he has my wrists firmly in his hands.

"I'm sorry," I felt myself stammering. "I mistook you for my brother, please let me go." I lower my head, feeling my hair slowly slide over my face and smelling the sweat from wandering around all day to look for my brother.

The man snorts. "How can you mistake me for someone else? You're not even looking at me--"

"I'm sorry, sir. But I am blind," I said quietly. "I need to find my brother, so could you please let me go?"

He is quiet for a bit, maybe he is surprised. Then I hear a sigh. "You're an idiot."

"Pardon?"

"How are you going to find someone if you're blind?" He was wrapping something around my neck, and then I felt a warm weight on my shoulders. "You're going to catch a cold before you catch your brother like that, if you're really blind." He sounds a little annoyed . . .

I shiver, finally realizing that it was not only sweat that was making my hair feel heavier; it was snow.

"Yah!" He huffs as I try clumsily to stand up and drag him to the ground in the process. He releases my hands to pull me up, only to be dragged back down again. I don't understand why, but it feels like my leg isn't there, but my foot hurts.

"I'm sorry," I say, bowing in the direction of his raspy voice. I begin to untie the scarf when he grabs my wrists again.

"You," he says. "Ah . . . You're even more troublesome than Ryeowook and Kyuhyun combined, you know? I'm going to be late--"

Suddenly, the ground vanishes from beneath my legs and this stranger grunts.

"But how can I leave a beautiful lady like this?"

I inhale, smelling a slightly citrus-like scent with the faint smell of alcohol. Beneath my hand is a strong pulse, and I realize that I'm in his arms and start to slap at his chest. Oh, my Lord . . .

"Yah, stop flailing or I'll drop you." He hissed. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. I'm running late, so I'm dropping you off with the other two troublesome things."

I stop, tilting my heated face away. I think I'm blushing . . . And honestly, this must look ridiculous and embarrassing. "Please put me down," I pleaded.

"Oh, shut up," was all he said as warm air from a building washes over my frozen face. "I'm going to be frank--"

"Please put me down, I need to find my big brother--"

"--but you're exactly my style." he finishes. "And no, you'll catch a cold and I'll get fired at for being a cold-hearted if I do that. Yah!"

 "I'm sorry, but please put me down--ouch!" And he dropped me on the floor as I began to hit him again. And again, I try to stand and say, "Thank you--" Why can't I stand? I fell straight to the floor again. "Ah!"

"Sorry," he says, hearing my yelp as he pokes my ankle. "I think you twisted it or pulled something. Ryeowook's foot pointed a funny way once when we danced Bonamana, and he had trouble standing after that stage, too." And he begins to lift me up again.

"Please don't--"

"I'll let you walk up on your own if you can stand," he retorts, holding me firmly. "What's your name? Yah, hold on and don't make me do all the work!"

"Yeong-ae," I said, and because I was scared of his temper, I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung on for dear life. Brother, where are you? I'm scared.

"Good name," he says, gasping.

"I'm heavy . . ."

"Yeah, you are."

I feel a slight bounce in his movement as he walks; maybe he has a leg injury, too.

 

I hear the beeps of a keypad, then some other voices. They echo, so maybe we are in an underground parking lot.

"Hyung? Why are you back so soon?" This voice was very sweet, almost childlike. "Did your schedule get cancelled? Oh? Who's this?"

"Ryeowook-ah, just open the door, hyung is dying here!" He wheezes.

"Oh, Heechullie-hyung's back already? Or playing hooky to go on a date?" A mischievious voice teases.

"Shut it, Donghae. Open the door, please! I'm going to die, she's really heavy!"

"Or you're just weak," I muttered bitterly, feeling like a sack of potatoes.

"Doesn't look that heavy to me--"

"Door. Open. Now. Open sesame!"

"Heechul-hyung, you're going to be late for your radio interview," A slightly accented voice says as the electronic lock clicks. "And don't use stairs . . . I don't want either of you getting hurt."

"Thanks, marinade sauce," He huffs, and we're moving again.

"And you," he says between breaths. "I'm not weak."

"And I'm not that heavy," I shot back.

"To me you are."

This man is . . . "Intolerable," I blurt out, quickly covering my mouth. "Sorry . . ."

"Yeah, I know," He snorts. "I'm putting you down in a sec, ok?"

"Ok--" I couldn't help but yelp as he dropped me on the floor again, but this time it was gentler drop. I hear joints popping and feel myself yelp again as I feel my stomach dropping. I think it's an elevator, I've never ridden one without my brother . . . Brother, I'm scared.

"Relax, it's an elevator," He was laughing at me. "Never ridden on before, Yeonggie?"

I froze, terrified. Brother. "I need to find my brother--"

"Again," he says, sounding exasperated. "Look, we'll--"

"My brother--" I'm scared. "Brother--" Something warm is rolling down my face . . .

"Aish, don't cry, you'll make me look like an ," the strange man seems to be in a panic. His hands . . . why is he touching my face? "Don't cry, yah!"

I think I was crying . . .

Brother, where are you? I . . .

 

"Wow, she really is blind, hyung," I hear a gentle voice say.

"You mean she's not faking?"

"Hyung, you're really mean," the gentle voice lightly scolds the strange man. "But the fact that her eyes don't react at all to light--she doesn't see this flash light at all-- means she's blind. Bad hyung!"

"Like you're one to talk, Mr. Casanova Sungmin," he huffed. "I have schedules today, so can you guys look after her? Yeah, hyung, I'm on my way!"

And a door slams shut.

I inhale and my nose wrinkles a bit. Why does my room smell like my brother's?

"You're awake?" Sungmin asks me. "Sorry about the smell, we dumped you in Yesung-hyung's room since he's . . . nevermind. How are you feeling?"

"Where am I?" My head feels fuzzy . . . and these voices aren't my brother . . .

"Our dormitory, Heechul-hyung carried you here yesterday."

Yesterday? "Eh? Yesterday?"

"Nn. Heechul-hyung said he found you collapsed outside, so he brought you in and you fainted in the elevator. He told me that you're looking for your brother, is that right?"

"Y-yeah, I am. We had a fight and he stormed off."

"I see . . . If you don't mind me asking, why did you guys fight, Ms. Yeong-ae?"

"It wasn't anything major, he was leading me around the city and suddenly snapped when I told him to wear gloves because his hands were cold. He snaps pretty often lately . . ." Then I realized that he knew my name and I didn't know his name or the name of that-- "Jerk." I blurted out. "Sorry," I said quickly, embarrassed at how rude I was becoming. "But what is your name?"

"Oh, it's ok, I didn't introduce myself and used your name because Heechul-hyung told me, so it's my bad" He says cheerfully. "I'm Lee Sungmin, and the 'jerk' is Kim Heechul-hyung." He shakes my hand. "Hyung is actually a really warm-hearted man. But yeah, he can be a bit . . . Anyway, Ms. Yeong-ae-- if you don't mind me asking again-- but, how old is your brother?"

"Yeongmin-oppa? He just turned twenty-eight--" Then it hit me. Twenty-eight. Did my brother . . . ? Those letters, they couldn't have been . . .

"And sorry again, but what about your parents?" Sungmin asks.

"Oppa raised me since I was about thirteen."

"Oh . . . I'm sorry." This man goes silent for a bit. "Um . . ."

"Nn?"

"Maybe your brother delayed his military service to--sorry, Heechul-hyung's calling. Hello?" I heard him leave the room to take a phone call, but he didn't return.

 

I don't know for how long I was left alone, but must have fallen asleep.

"Noona?" Someone was gently shaking my shoulder.

"Ryeowook-ah, I don't think she's a 'noona' to any of us," Heechul says. "Yah, anyone home in there? Hey spirit!**"

I for a face again, wanting to find Heechul for some reason, but my hands find an even smaller face. "I'm sorry, but what year are both of you?" The small face is smiling, and I feel myself smiling back. This one must be a young boy, his face seems to be the size of a child's.

"I'm from the '87 line," the boyish voice says. "So that makes me twenty-seven." And I felt my jaw drop. No way, he's only a year or so younger than my brother . . . My hands search again for Heechul's face and Ryeowook laughs a peculiar, high pitched laugh. "Heechullie-hyung is behind you, closer to your left shoulder--there you go, you got him!"

My hands found Heechul, and his skin is warm. "Since this one--"

"I'm Super Junior's maknae, Ryeowook~" he says singsongily.

"Since Mr. Ryeowook calls you 'hyung,' I assume you're . . . ?"

"Yeah, I'm older," He admits. "But how old are you?" He's changing the subject . . .

"I'm an '89er, so I'm twenty-four. I'm sorry for speaking plainly--"

"I'm an '86er."

Ryeowook laughs again, maybe Heechul made a funny face . . .

"Hyung, you're not friends with Donghae-hyung,***" Ryeowook chuckles. "Yeong-ae, Heechul-hyung is an '83er."

"Whatever, age is just a number," Heechul sulked. "Teuk is still older. Yah, just wait until you hit your golden years!"

"But when I'm in my thirties, I won't be scared because Teukie-hyung and Heechul-hyung are already past that point," That peculiar laugh goes off once more and I felt Heechul pull away the pillow from behind me. Thump! It sounds like it hit the door . . .

"By the way, dinner is ready," He says. "Yeong-Ae, you should contact your brother after you eat with us." And the door clicks behind him, and I realize that I'm alone in the room with Heechul.

"Um . . ." I began.

"Scooch over," He pushes me closer to the wall, and I feel the mattress dip down a bit as he seats himself on the edge. "So."

"So?"

"Like I said, even though you're blind," he seemed to be lost for words. "I'll be frank. You're exactly my style." I heard him yawn and my heart skips a beat as i feel the mattress move a bit more.

"Heechul-oppa?"

"Nnn?" He sounds sleepy . . .

"You're repulsive, but--"

"Thanks."

"I think you have a warm heart."

I wanted to say more, but I heard him snoring, so I just smiled. Lightly, I traced his face with my fingers again and freeze when he began to mumble something.

"Spirit, you can stay awhile with me. But there's no guarentee I'll give you back to that dipwad brother of yours after he's discharged."

"Thanks, Heechul." And I feel safe in his arms.

 

END

 

20130806 - CHOPPY. Jaedelle is positive that I mixed up 1st and 2nd perspective =_= This is what happens when I don't do any prior planning and write stories on very vague inspirations~ Apologies~~ So far the only story out this collection that I like is Donghae's (but I also hate it at the same time) . . . Jaedelle's writing is getting worse~ T^T It's hard writing from 1st person since I got used to 2nd for the others in this series, plus I couldn't use visual descriptions TT_TT Sorryyyyyyy~~

** "Spirit" is kind of a word-play (very weak and poor word-play), as to spirit/soul is 영혼 and the character's name is 영애

*** ". . . not friends with XX . . ." means not the same age (hyung-dongsaeng sentiment)

This was inspired by some program where Heechul (kind of) proudly called himself "the most vulgar celebrity" ^^