Hoya opened his eyes as he heard the hustle and bustle of the outside world wake him up. He smiled as he sat up and thanked God for waking him up that day.

Another day, another chance.

He stood up from his bed, careful not to bump into his side table. He walked to his washroom to brush his teeth and wash up. His early morning routine was always the same, he knew the entire house so well he could very well do his normal routine walking backwards.

When he exited the bathroom, he made his way down the hall and headed towards the kitchen.

“Hoya! Come, I made breakfast!” his sister, Hana, said from the kitchen. Hoya and Hana lived by themselves, Hana was a couple of years older than him but they shared a very strong sibling bond. After an accident that had involved Hoya and their parents, their parents had died and Hana had vowed to take care of Hoya forever since he had come out alive.

Hoya was also grateful, he lived every single moment of his life to the fullest, never forgetting to appreciate what he had.

They both sat down and happily ate the delicious breakfast Hana had prepared. Their apartment was small and cramped, it didn’t have much either. They were having a bit of a problem with money, but it didn’t bother Hoya. He was happy living the way they were.

“What do you want to do today?” Hana asked, cutting Hoya’s pancakes for him. Since it had been a while since the two spent some time together, Hana’s schedule could get very packed sometimes, they promised to spend the entire day together.

“Thanks,” he smiled as he pulled the plate towards him when she was done and began eating. Hoya liked his pancakes cut into pieces, exactly the way his sister did it. “Umm, I don’t really care.”

“I have to visit the printing shop and then mail something,” Hana told him. “Why don’t you come along and then after we’ll go to the park and get lunch at a café or something.”

Hoya nodded, “Okay.”

They finished their breakfast and Hana washed the dishes.

“Go change your clothes, I ironed them for you. They’re in my room, on my bed.”

“Thanks, sis,” Hoya reached for her and gave her a hug before exiting the kitchen and going to her room. He decided to just change in her room and put his dirty clothes in the laundry room across the hall.

He sat quietly in the living room and patiently waited for his sister to finish doing whatever she was doing. He was so thankful to have his sister with him even though he had lost his parents in that horrible accident.

The whirring of cars passing by and the incoherent shouts and voices of the outside world put a smile on his face. The world was functioning, the world was alive and doing things to help make it a better place.

“Come,” Hana’s voice took him out of his thoughts and he walked to the front door to put his shoes on.

“Let’s go!” Hana did a fist pump before opening the door and dragging Hoya outside. Hoya waited for her to lock the door before Hana hooked her arm through his and they walked to the elevator. When it arrived, Hoya and Hana walked in and Hana pressed the button that would lead them to the ground floor.

“It smells good in here,” Hoya smiled. “Whoever cleans this thing is a good person, I can tell.”

Hana laughed and shook her head as the doors opened again and they stepped out of the elevator.

Hoya happily breathed in the fresh air he was exposed to when they exited the apartment building.

“The weather is nice today,” Hana said.

“It is,” Hoya agreed.

“I love fall, the leaves everywhere just make me happy,” Hana grinned as they walked on a sidewalk swathed with leaves.

“They really are pretty,” Hoya remarked as the leaves made a crunch crunch noise under his shoes.

“We don’t need to ride the bus, the plaza’s not too far from here,” Hana said as they arrived at an intersection.

“Can I just sit in the park?” Hoya asked. “You can go do what you need to do, I want to go to the park.”

Hana thought about it as they crossed the crosswalk and then nodded, “Okay. I won’t be too long.”

Hoya happily walked with her to the park where Hana made sat him down on a bench.

“You sit here, don’t move, okay?” Hana wagged her finger at him.

Hoya nodded obediently.

“Keep your phone in your hands,” she instructed. Hoya took it out from his pocket and held it in front of her.

“Good,” she smiled. “The shop and post office are nearby, I’ll be back soon.”

“Take your time!” Hoya called. He put his hands in his lap and listened to the sounds of nature while breathing in its scent. He loved nature, he loved being outside, he found it absolutely beautiful.

He heard kids playing in the distance and smiled, kids were such a gift to the world. They were a handful to take care of when they were young, but then they would grow up to be beautiful people that could change the world.

A ball was kicked and it hit the part of the bench beside him. He jumped, startled, and one of the kids playing with it ran over.

“Sorry,” he bit his lip.

“It’s okay,” Hoya reached his arm out and held onto the ball. He held it out in front of him.

“Thank you!” the boy smiled and took the ball from him before running away to join his friends again.

His thumping footsteps faded away and Hoya relaxed back into the park bench. The light breeze that was blowing tickled his face and he enjoyed the way the wind was dancing around him.

It really is a beautiful day. Hoya smiled again. Smiling was something Hoya never failed to do, he believed that if he smiled someone else would too. If he smiled, someone else would pass it on, and then they would pass it on etc.

“Who are you smiling at?” someone scoffed. Hoya turned his head towards the source of the voice and the girl who spoke sat down beside him.

“Smiley people like you who think the world is amazing really bother me,” she said.

“Why? Don’t you smile?” Hoya asked.

“Why should an ugly person smile?” she scoffed.

“I don’t think you’re ugly,” Hoya said.

“Well, what do you know?” she rolled her eyes.

“I know that everyone has a beautiful smile,” he said, not knowing why he was talking to comfortably with a stranger. The stranger was thinking the exact same thing.

“How do you know? What if the person has black teeth and an ugly mole near their lip?” she challenged, thinking up an ‘ugly’ person.

“Why does that matter? If the person has a beautiful personality, their smile should be beautiful too.”

“Then you think I have an ugly smile?” she asked.

“No, why would I?” Hoya asked, confused.

“Cuz I’m rude and a brat,” the girl said after a while.

“I don’t think that’s the real you,” Hoya said. “I mean, I’m sure you’re not the most rude person on earth.”

The girl smirked, “You sure about that?”

He nodded.

“To my parents, I’m really rude. I’m the unwanted child,” the girl admitted. “There’s nothing to love about me, even though I try so hard to impress them.”

“The way you’re working so hard to impress your parents is beautiful,” Hoya stated. “Your hard work will pay off.”

She smiled a little, “You’re an innocent one, you know that?”

“Am not. Something on the outside could seem totally hideous but on the inside is beautiful,” Hoya protested.

“Like?”

“Like an oyster!” Hoya exclaimed. “It’s so ugly on the outside, but when you open it up it holds a beautiful pearl.”

“Dude, real life examples. With people,” the girl emphasized.

Hoya sighed, “You have to let the beautiful out for everyone to believe it’s there. But it’s there in everyone, I know it. If you just dig deep, there’s beauty in everyone. That’s the way God created us.”

The girl burst into laughter, “Holy, aren’t you? Your parents just took you to Church or something?”

“My parents are dead,” Hoya answered promptly.

The girl remained quiet, “Oh, sorry.”

He shrugged, “It’s no one’s fault.”

“You have a lot of courage, you know that,” the girl said. “Seeing beauty in this world when it took so much away from you.”

Hoya shrugged, “I’m just thankful for what I do have left.”

The girl slowly smiled, a few minutes of talking with Hoya and it was guaranteed that he could make a person smile. No matter what, he was just like that.

Hoya smiled, somehow knowing she had, “See, you do have a beautiful smile.”

She turned away, embarrassed, “Whatever. I have to go.” She stood up and began walking away. Then she turned back, “Thanks, kid. I’ll remember what you said.”

“Could you do me a favour?” Hoya asked, following her voice.

“What?”

“Pass your smile on and tell someone they have something beautiful in them,” Hoya said. “That’s what really makes something beautiful, what’s inside.”

The girl thought about it and then nodded, “Okay.” Then she looked at him, “You have a beautiful smile too, don’t stop, okay? A person like you can change anyone.”

Hoya nodded and slipped a small smile on his face. He heard her leave and then kicked the grass under his feet. He felt good knowing he had done something to make someone’s day, he had found the beauty inside someone.

“I’m back~” Hana sang as she sat down beside Hoya. “Who was that girl?”

“I don’t know actually,” Hoya scratched his head.

“Yah, are you making friends with strangers?!” Hana demanded.

“No, she just seemed a little….. bitter. So I made her day better,” Hoya smiled.

“You told her she’s beautiful?” Hana guessed.

“Everyone is beautiful!” Hoya exclaimed as Hana pulled him up by the arm.

“Come on Shirley Shines-A-Lot,” Hana hooked arms with him again and they walked around the park.

“Don’t call me that, it’s so girly,” Hoya made a face.

“Whatever you say, Shirley,” Hana ruffled his hair.

Hoya grumbled incoherent things while Hana rambled on about how she was a huge fan of Henry.

“We should go meet him!” Hana exclaimed.

“No thanks.”

“Why? We could be the three the H’s!”

Hoya burst into laughter and then put on a serious face, “That’s the stupidest thing I have ever heard.”

“You’re mean,” Hana pouted.

“Don’t pout, smile!” Hoya put his hands on his cheeks and smiled. “You have a beautiful smile.”

Hana did as he said, touched. Even after everything he had been through, Hoya was strong and probably the sweetest thing alive.

“Oh look! Hoyas!” she pointed to the flowers that were under the trees. “Stand here.” she let go of his arm and picked one up. She hooked her arm through his and handed it to him.

“A hoya for Hoya,” she smiled.

Hoya beamed and felt the beautiful flower, “It’s beautiful.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because if you gave it to me, it’s automatically beautiful!” Hoya exclaimed.

Even after the car crash had taken Hoya’s vision, Hoya found so many beautiful things in the world.

He found beauty in everything, even though he couldn’t see them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hoya finds beauty in everything even though hecan’t see, so I guess we all can, right? :)