The days continued on, the routines were the same and things didn’t exactly change either. They were basically the same. Chorong would leave the house until the early evening, wandering around with her cane tapping repeatedly against the surface of the ground she walked on. And Kris, he stayed in his studio. Preparing everything for Saturday with his eyes on the canvas in front of him. Wondering what to draw or to paint next but nothing came into his mind. It’s a struggle to be a painter but it becomes hopeless when the muse disappears.

When Saturday arrived, he stood in front of her door instead of staying in his car. Waiting patiently for her arrival when he knocked on the door three times, wondering if he was too late or even too early. The tall male could hear someone messing with the door in order to unlock it and when it was open, he was standing in front of the woman who he met a few days ago. Flashing a smile that was never seen in her eyes but the way she presented herself in front of him was rather comforting, it felt new. Almost like home. 

“Let’s go?” He asked, wanting to make sure she was following close behind. Lifting an arm as an invitation for her to hold onto it, it nudges her own and Chorong glances down. Her palm presses against his bare skin timidly before her petite arm links with his. Kris guides her towards the sidewalk, opening the door to let the younger woman step inside of his car.

Once she got comfortable, tucking the seat belt in the opposite side to secure her safety. The engine was already starting and she could hear the wheels grind along the pavement as he drives. It’s silent. They barely spoke a word but the silence wasn’t awkward, from time to time he would capture a glimpse of the woman’s youthful feature, the tiny smile resting on her lips. Wondering why or the exact reason to the emotion but he didn’t ask out loud.

“Thank you.” She says, fingers fiddling with one another absentmindedly and through dark locks that he managed to blow out and away from his face. Kris quirks a brow, keeping his focus on the front of the street.

“Hm, for what?”

“Taking me out today and letting me spend time with you.” Chorong felt the obligation to show appreciation, the tiniest things as well. Speaking gratitude would show her true emotion if she can’t display it physically, hence is why she says thank you more than most people. There wasn’t much she could do or give but when she informed him, she could only hope he would understand.

He nods his head in understanding, turning the car to the side to slide the vehicle in the parking space. Unlocking the doors as he turns his head to face her with a whole-hearted chuckle. “You’re welcome, it’s a pleasure, Chorong.”

It takes him a while to lead the way to his studio apartment. Thankful that elevators exists otherwise he’d probably carry the woman up the staircase if that was an option itself. Nervous fingers would observe the group of keys he carried along with him, sliding the correct one in the slot as he opens the door with his arm in order to let the other step inside before he does.

“Make yourself comfortable, alright?” He said, placing her on the couch that was settled in the living room and she nods her head with her pearly whites reassuring him. His place wasn’t messy, just the area he paints at was. Scattered papers were dropped on the desk and floor, colors of paint would drip on the surface or on the boards as well.

Kris placed himself on the stool in the corner, the canvas right there in front of him once it was positioned to the area where he wanted it to be. He tried his hardest to remain calm but he chews his bottom lip anxiously because his mother and relatives were the only people who stepped into his studio. It’s a first he brought a girl anywhere to be exact so he wanted to make a good impression or at least try to.

“I remembered you told me that you were a painter.”

Chorong brought up, hands placed on her lap. Vision was still black but with her nose scrunching up to smell the unfamiliar scent, hearing the sound of hands rustling through paper and items being picked up or dropped to one place to another. It startled him for a second, he was used to being alone and enjoying the way he would paint in silence instead of having a guest around him or even close to where he was sitting. He chuckles, rubbing the nape of his neck as he lifts up the tiny plate of colors that rests on his arm, gazing at the woman in the corner of his brunette colored hues. “Yes, yes. And what about it?”

“Are you painting anything right now?” Curiosity was laced between the words that emit past her lips, head cocked to the left as she shifts her gaze right at him. Where he was sitting because she can trail his voice quite well despite the disadvantage she has due to her condition.

He didn’t have anything. It’s a pure blank surface, all white, right in front of him. He didn’t want to lie to the younger woman, that’d be quite immature to do and his mother taught him well to never do such a thing. Bristles of the paintbrush were tapping absentmindedly, lips puckered to one side before shaking his head in defeat. Feeling quite disappointed that he didn’t paint anything the past couple of days for her to know. An idea came into mind unexpectedly. He begins the outline of it first, neutral colors painted along the white as a background color.

“I am.” He admitted, focusing his attention on the canvas right in front of him for a couple of minutes. Using certain brushes to get the correct sizes and he bites the tip of his tongue in concentration until he hears soft spoken words come into his ears again.

“I want to see it.”

And somehow, it aches his heart when he heard those words. Because she couldn’t exactly see what he was doing and she can’t see him entirely either. Kris manages to accept it though because he takes notice of his friend taking it well and therefore, he does as well. He wanted to ask how she was going to but it’d sound quite rude, in regards to how he was trying to phrase it ahead of time in advance out of mere curiosity.

Chorong stands up, the fabric of her skirt falls over and down to her ankles when she does. Slowly, she walks without her cane and her hands were lifted up in order to check where certain items was so she wouldn’t drop it or bump into it on accident. Kris glances up the moment her frame came into perspective, standing up himself with lips parting. “Wait, let me help you.”

“I can do it myself.” She assured the older male with a bright smile that she gives to him normally. Her steps were short and steady. Her palm presses against the edge of the coffee table and she takes a step to the left so her knees wouldn’t scrape the surface. And he watches silently, knowing that if he even tries to lend a hand she’ll refuse it with no hesitations. Sitting back down on the stool, a small smile rises on his lips when she finally stood besides him. “See? No harm done.”

“Good job.” Kris pats the space available besides him, two times for her to hear and she places her behind right there on the area when she gets the response. Chorong’s right hand was up, trying to look for his canvas to touch and let her fingers graze upon and her brows were pinched to the center because she couldn’t feel a thing thus far. He laughs at her, accidentally and an apology would stumble out of his lips because he didn’t want to sound rude by doing so.

“I want to see it, Kris.”

He got the idea by then. An arm sliding over her shoulders rather nervously because he wasn’t sure if she was okay with him touching her but it wasn’t inappropriate. He doesn’t want to make the woman uncomfortable around him by doing so. His hand was resting on top of her own, his fingers settled down with hers until their index fingers were sticking out. He draws the outline of the scenery of the park where they sat with one another, the bench was created. The trees behind it along with the hues of green was there too. Not exactly painted but in his mind it was showing quite visibly for him to finish off in a couple of days. “What do you think?” Kris questioned, asking for an honest opinion from the latter.

“I think it’ll look nice.” She spoke honestly with a nod, her eyes formed into tiny crescents like the ones that were displayed in the dark nights if he was lucky to see them.

“I’m glad you think so then.”

 ✄  -  -  -

Kris didn’t bring her to the studio so frequently, probably once a week if possible. He did however, managed to receive her cellphone number for him to call every night to greet her a quick hello and say goodnight. If she came home earlier than she normally does, they’ll speak about their days for a couple of hours until she suddenly dozes off and falls asleep on the male on the other line. Tiny mumbles and quiet whines would catch his attention and he’d chuckle to himself while he was gazing up at the ceiling or work on the painting he managed to put together in his mind and through his canvas next.

“Hey, Chorong.”

“Yes, Kris?”

“Tell me more about yourself.”

“I wanted to adopt a kitten when I had my own place. I dreamed about adventuring the world, out of town too. Sometimes…” The fact she almost blurted out made her quiet. A bittersweet smile growing along her lips at the thought she didn’t want to think about so much because her parents told her it’s unhealthy to over think about a situation that isn’t worth stressing about. Silently the female would ask for her vision to be back or to improve when it had the chance without giving too much money that her parents earned during the last twenty years. “I hoped to become as hardworking as my mother and father did. So they can sit down for more than two hours and rest.”

Kris rests his hand on his stool, listening to every word that falls out of her lips and he glances down at his feet. He takes notice of how her voice nearly cracked at the end of her sentence and the sounds of quiet sniffling through the phone and he wanted nothing more than to pull his good friend into an embrace to soothe and comfort her. There was much more behind the woman, behind himself as well that they both needed to learn. Yet, it takes time to break walls down and feel another level of comfort and trust between each other.

“Anything else?” He asked, fingers absentmindedly tracing circles on the wooden seat as he brings it up to his hair to push it back and away from his face.

“No, not at all.” She said softly, wiping her cheeks with the sleeve of her long sleeve shirt as she rests her hand directly on her chest. Heart beginning to race faster as she gives it gentle pats on it in order to soothe her nerves before she ends up breaking down into tears when he’s there listening. There’s more she could have said, more she wanted to tell Kris that she told Chanyeol but it’s the feeling of not wanting to become a burden is what keeps her quiet and giving them an answer to secure her content mood. “What about you? I want to know more about you besides you being quite tall and a painter.”

Laughter slips between them both as he nods his head in agreement. “I was supposed to take the lead in my father’s business a year ago but I wasn’t prepared for it. I studied art and business in Europe for two years until I decided to stay here.” Taking a deep breath, he stands up in order to walk over to the space where his room was. Plopping his back against the mattress as he looks out at the window to glance at the sight of the buildings and street lights that were scattered far away from where he was. “When I’m done with my painting, I want you to be the first person to see it.”

“Really?” There was excitement that speaks through one word itself, the corners of her lips showing a bright grin and he chuckles quietly; mumbling a quick ‘yes’ to her answer and she adds on after. “Good, because it’s only fair since I was there when it started anyways.”

“Of course. Ah, Chorong, can I ask you something?” He isn’t good with timing. He didn’t know whether to wait or to simply spill it out but the sudden urge to just do it is what made him bring it up first of all.

“Oh, oh yeah of course. What is it?” Rubbing at her eye with a loose fist, stifling a quiet yawn afterwards. Trying to keep herself up to listen to what the older male needed to ask.

“I was just wondering if you’d like to spend time with me again tomorrow.”

She laughs tiredly at the silly question that he normally asks and her answer will remain the same throughout it all. “I would love to, Kris.”

Kris doesn’t know what keeps him close to her, it wasn’t only because he felt the reason to protect her from falling or injuring herself from objects either. It’s the way she was, herself. Just being herself is what kept him from drifting away or feeling rather uninterested as well. “Good, good. I’ll be there to pick you up then. Just get ready earlier than usual.”

And then, suddenly; vague clues and a change in the tone he speaks is what catches Chorong’s attention. “Wait a minute, are you secretly trying to ask me out on a date?”

He stumbles upon words, syllables because he felt rather flabbergasted from how straightforward it came to him. Almost like a direct slap to his face and there’s a nervous laugh that escapes his lips because he was unsure of whether it was impolite to ask so suddenly through a phone call when he should have done it in front of her presence.

“Kris?”

“Yes.” The word spat out without a second thought, mentally slapping himself in the face for it because he’s being an idiot and he should have done it in a more memorable, romantic type of way. Then again, he was quite inexperienced in this whole dating situation.

“Yes as in hello or yes as in you’re asking me out on a date?” Bringing a palm up to her face in order to hide the sudden blush that spreads along her cheeks when doing so. Chorong never had an interest in dating because she was quite timid with the opposite gender and she would shy away from most of them during high school. Or from what her brother would constantly remind her, ‘they’re only in it to get something out of you, not admiring you for who you are from the inside but the out.’ Then again, Chanyeol’s always been over protective.

“Yes as in, will you go on a date with me tomorrow?”

She felt the warmth trace her entire face out of embarrassment, a sudden squeal slips out too and she whines after at her own reaction. “I would love to, yes.”

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Kris asked, biting down on his lower lip until a brighter shade of red was showing more visibly. A tight fist resting on his eyes and he couldn’t control his mouth when a wide grin was showing.

“Tomorrow it is then.”

 ✄  -  -  -

breathes in because i finally figured out how many chapters it is but yeah. quite content with how it's falling into place and what not. taking a bit slower than usual but sh, it'll be more interesting after the next chapter and so on. thank you again for the support for this story it means a lot to me ; ;