you taught me honour

With nothing better to do and everything in the world to think about, I return to the bench the next night. With every trip I feel myself getting better and better at navigating, but it only serves to remind me that my skill may become useless in the near future. It took a while before I could confidently get here without my eyes, even with the relatively short distance to my house, but the roads make me nervous and even still I have to check with people around me if it was safe to go.

No one is there when I arrive, like usual. I don't expect Taeil to come back tonight, since he only has time once a week at best, so I take the opportunity to lie down and stare at the sky, trying to imagine it littered with millions upon millions of tiny glowing lights. My hands reach out absent mindedly, across the air in front of me, but although I know they're there I can't see them. It never stopped unnerving me, and I will probably never forget this feeling for as long as I live.

With a dejected sigh, I let them drop back to rest on my stomach, closing my eyes. I'm easy prey for anyone right now, but this part of the river rarely has visitors so late, and any that do go past are usually locals of some sort who know who I am through gossip. Besides, I always have a can of pepper spray and my retractable cane in my bag in the unlikely case I run into trouble. And when Taeil keeps me company, I'm the safest I can be.

Taeil. I try to imagine his face, but it's difficult to come up with something that fits his voice. His tone is deep and rich and friendly, and he's probably quite manly. Most likely older than I am, too. I never asked his age, and he never asked mine.

"Sojin?"

His voice makes my eyes flutter open in surprise and I push myself back to sitting. Did I just hear that or was it my imagination?

"Sojin, are you ok?"

I wasn't dreaming. He's here again tonight? I turn my head until I locate the source of the voice. "...Taeil? Why are you here?"

"Huh? Why? Do you want me to leave~?" He almost sings it as I shake my head in alarm, and I hear his footsteps on the pavement approach me until they stop right in front of the bench. "I happened to have a spare day off, and decided to keep you company. If, uh... If that's okay...?"

"Of course it is, you idiot," I reply warmly, reaching out into the unknown to land a soft punch on his stomach. But instead I just feel air, until his warm hands close around my fist and direct it towards his chest, fingertips soft and soothing as they in small circles. My head automatically rises to look where I guess his face is, cheeks warming up, and one hand leaves mine to reach out and tuck some hair behind my ear. 

"Sojin, do you want to go somewhere?"

...What? Go somewhere? "What... What do you mean?"

"Um..." I hear him shuffle around, letting our hands drop but still holding. "Well, just that, you'll be getting your eyes back soon, and uh, I don't really know how long I can keep coming back here, so... I was just wondering... We don't have to..."

I can sense he's nervous in the way he fumbles over his words. But what he said makes me pause in replying - he doesn't know how long he can come back? What if he just disappears? What does he mean? If... If he... No. I can feel myself beginning to panic, so I stop my train of though and concentrate on his request. "...W-Where shall we go?"

He helps me to my feet and hands me my bag from the floor, never letting go of my hand, our fingers now intertwined. "Um... Let's just walk. We'll see what happens. Okay?"

Taking a deep breath, I nod, preparing myself to move around the unknown again. He comforts me with a reassuring squeeze of my hand, reminding me he is right beside me. There's no way I could forget, though - his presense itself is soothing and his voice like silk could calm a raging bear. Or perhaps seduce it. Lord knows how my heart sings everytime I hear him say my name.

"There, it's not so bad, is it? I'll help you."

"Thank you..."

I wish I could see his smile. He probably would have smiled right there, I can tell from his tone. I bet he has the most beautiful smile, to match his fun and sunshine personality, and in a few weeks I might just be able to see it, if he's still here. I'm... I'm excited for that much, at least. I have to think positive, like he would.

He leads me around like a gentleman, telling me how cool the party boat on the opposite bank looks all lit up, describing the ducks fighting ov