#ONE
I'll Be Your Light “Yah! Choi Youngjae! Hurry!” Jaebum shouted impatiently.
“Okay! Hold on! I’m at the door!” Came the rushed response.
Frustratedly, Jaebum hopped off his bike, carefully leaning it against the stone wall, and stormed through the gate. He stopped when he saw his best friend crouching down by the doorsteps, arms reaching out. Sighing, Jaebum went over and picked up Youngjae’s shoes.
“Here, let me help,” Jaebum crouched down to Youngjae’s level, already grabbing the smaller boy’s ankle. Jaebum, in a quite decent speed, finished putting on the shoes for Youngjae, now pulling the grinning male up to his feet.
“What am I supposed to do without you, Im Jaebum-ah?” Youngjae cooed teasingly.
“You’re helpless,” Jaebum sighed.
“Can’t help it,” Youngjae said as he steadied himself by placing his hands on Jaebum’s broad shoulders. He lifted himself up on Jaebum’s bike, his feet planted on both sides of the back wheel’s pegs. “Can’t see, remember?”
Jaebum scoffed, “obviously.” Jaebum began pedaling as soon as Youngjae was settled securely. “If you weren’t, then it wouldn’t take you a thousand years just to find your shoes, Jae-ah.”
“Not my fault they ended up three thousands miles from their usual spot. But no worries, I got you!” Youngjae squeezed his best friend’s shoulders.
“Whatever.”
The rest of the ride was silence except for the whooshing of the wind by Youngjae’s sensitive ears. Being blind wasn’t a choice that Choi Youngjae had made; he was born that way the moment his eyes opened, and the shining light of the hospital’s ceiling was not what he had saw. Instead, darkness was there to remind him of how ugly and empty his eyes probably looked.
But it wasn’t about the fact that he can’t see. It has always been the fact that his family refused to trust him with anything. They always thought whatever they’re doing is for his own good even when it clearly wasn’t. No one really trusted Youngjae. Who would trust a kid who doesn’t even know what the sky looked like in the morning? Or how his mom looked like when she silently cried as she watches her son struggle to find his shoes? Or how his dad looked like when he wouldn’t eat for days because of how guilty and disappointed the man had felt? Or how his grandmother looked like when she witnessed her grandson sobbing uncontrollably over frustration upon frustration of being a useless blind kid?
Everyone pitied Youngjae. Some pitied in sympathetic ways while others pitied through laughters and mean actions. Yet, Youngjae still tried hard. He tried hard to ignore everything and only focused on what makes him happy. There are other ways that Youngjae could see; Im Jaebum became his eyes.
“We’re here,” Jaebum said as he brakes his bike to a stop. He waited for his best friend to hold onto his shoulders for support and got off first before himself. Jaebum locked his bike against the metal rail of the school’s “bicycle parking lot.”
“Nice weather today,” Youngjae said as the corner of his lips tugged upward. “A bit breezy, but not cold.”
Besides him, Jaebum scoffed, “yeah, whatever.” Jaebum grabbed Youngjae’s wrist and guided the shorter’s hand to grip onto the fabric of his blazer.
The two began walking towards the entrance of the school. There weren’t many words in between the walk from the front doors to Youngjae’s first period. People were talking, but not them. Youngjae's and Jaebum’s friendship doesn’t really built on words. Or Jaebum just happens to understands Youngjae so well that no words were needed.
Youngjae didn’t know how Jaebum walked into his life. They met when they were building a sand castle with a couple of other kids their age. Jaebum was the one who invited Youngjae to join since the poor boy was being left out with the sole reason that he couldn’t see. Jaebum stuck by his blind friend’s side and helped him built his castle. After, Jaebum didn’t hesitate to described in full details how Youngjae’s castle had looked like. They bonded more after that.
Years and years passed and Jaebum never left Youngjae.
Jaebum was most likely the opposite of Youngjae. From what Youngjae heard throughout his previous high school years, Jaebum was admirable and handsome. Every guy wants to be his friend and every girl wants to date him. Everyone loves to be associated with the school’s hottest bad boy.
Living up to his image and reputation, Jaebum wasn’t an easy person. He has piercings all over his two ear and his jet-black hair was always gelled up, displaying his forehead that’s probably brighter than anyone’s future. He doesn’t wear his tie nor button up his blazer in the formal manner. He walks with his hands in his pockets and ice-cold eyes, always deserving a y frown on his gorgeous face. He rarely smiles, no scratch that, he doesn’t smile or feels happy over anything at all. He’s a player, always sleeps around and jumping from girls to girls, yet them ladies still wants to get into his pants anyways. Jaebum didn’t even batted an eyelash when he was crowned the Ice Prince. Despite all that, all his bad qualities, people still worshipped him like he’s some kind of god.
It makes Youngjae wonders. Why would someone like Jaebum still sticks around? Youngjae had expected for the Ice Prince to detach himself from Youngjae’s life as soon as they started high school. Is it not an embarrassment to be friends with the school’s biggest loser and helpless blind boy?
Apparently, not to Jaebum. He wouldn’t talk to anyone but Youngjae. It has always been like that. Jaebum isn’t very please with the company of others. They sit together at lunch everyday. Studied together at the library (more like Jaebum just quietly reading fantasy books to Youngjae as they sit somewhere in the corner). Walked to classes together. Go home and come to school together. The whole school knows they’re inseparable.
And because they’re inseparable, everyone hated Youngjae. Who wouldn't be jealous when the only one who could easily grab the attention of the school’s Ice Prince is a blind, dull, and boring loner? Legit, only Youngjae could make Jaebum even cares about going to school.
“You’re so quiet today,” Youngjae commented, his hands working the utensils he’s holding to stab at the school’s lunch. “Something’s wrong?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jaebum said. “I’m always quiet.”
“Right,” Youngjae wanted to roll his eyes.
Sighing, Jaebum rested his chin on the palm of his hand, “Sohee is being a pain in the . won’t ing leave me alone.”
“Well, she is your girlfriend. Give her some attention. Don’t be a bad boyfriend.”
“Since when was I a good one?”
“You right.”
Jaebum looked up at his best friend. He’s still amazed, after all these years, at how fascinating it is to just stares into Youngjae’s endless dark seas without the latter noticing. It’s just so surreal. Youngjae blinks like others and his eyeballs move around, too. But he couldn’t see like others. Jaebum finds it strange, but at the same time, amazing.
“You know I can feel you staring,” Youngjae said.
“It’s pretty cool,” shrugged Jaebum. It’s definitely not the first time Jaebum stared.
“Hey, Jaebum.”
“What?”
“Sohee came to me earlier during second period,” Youngjae blinked, his lashes danced slowly, covering and then revealing. “She wanted me to tell you not to forget your date with her afterschool.”
“We have a date?” Jaebum frowned, he wasn’t feeling it today.
“Apparently so.”
“I hate this whole dating thing. Like I’m just fine with just ing. All these hand holdings and cuddling bull is unnecessary.”
“Come on,” it was Youngjae’s turn to frown, “change your ways, Jaebum-ah. Treat them right for once. You always act like this. No wonder your reputation around here .”
“And yours isn’t?” Jaebum retorted, his voice mocking and irritated.
“Okay, but I’m a different situation,” Youngjae scoffed. “I’m special.”
“No, you’re not,” Jaebum said, “you’re just like me.”
“Woah, no. I am not like you and never will be.”
“Why not?”
Youngjae sighed. “We’ve been over this, Jaebum. You’re like this hot bag of French fries while I’m just a potato. We can’t be compared to each other. Everybody loves you. And everybody hates me.”
“I don’t,” Jaebum said. “I don’t hate you.”
“Yeah, that’s because you’re my best friend, you idiot. If you hate me, then you wouldn’t be sticking around me all the time.”
With Youngjae’s comment, the conversation came to an end as the bell signaling the end of lunchtime rang loudly throughout the noisy lunchroom. Jaebum got up from his seat and reached over to take Youngjae’s tray. He returned after a couple of minutes and grabbed his best friend’s wrist. Youngjae grabbed tightly onto Jaebum’s forearm.
“You’ll be fine on your own afterschool?” Jaebum asked, half-worried, half-whatever.
“So you’re going?” Youngjae smiled. “Finally, I convinced you.”
“Whatever,” Jaebum rolled his eyes, “you’ll be fine, Jae?”
“Yep! Go and have fun!” Youngjae enthusiastically grinned widely. “Make sure to act like a gentleman and treat her nicely, Jaebum. Ladies like to be gently taken care of.”
“What do you know?”
“A lot more than you, apparently,” Youngjae replied casually. “From the look of how all of your relationships went, I can guarantee that I’ll make a better boyfriend than you are."
“Whatever. All you do is sit in your room and wait for me to pick your up to go get ice cream or some .”
“Not true!”
“It’s true, Youngjae.”
“You’re so mean! I thought you were different!” Youngjae’s lips protruding to a pout, in which Jaebum glanced over and scoffed like it wasn’t the first time this had happened.
“Anyways, remember to call me when you get home,” Jaebum said.
“Of course!”
“Okay, good, then I’ll see you tomorrow’s morning.”
Stopping in front of Youngjae’s next class after lunch, Jaebum looked over at his best friend. Something irks him, but he didn’t voice it, instead, he patted Youngjae’s shoulder.
“Have a nice date, Bummie!” Youngjae cooed as he walks himself to his seat.
Jaebum stood there and watches Youngjae taking his seat near the classroom’s window. He didn’t leave until he saw the teacher walking down the hall towards the class. Jaebum knows no one dared to laid a finger on the hair on Youngjae’s head whenever he’s around. That’s one of the reasons Jaebum always stayed so close to Youngjae. He always try to protect Youngjae the most that he can, because Jaebum knows his best friend doesn’t deserve all the ugly harassments and heartless beatings.
And although it doesn’t show, Jaebum always worries whenever Youngjae isn’t next to him. Enough reasons, without a second thought, Jaebum reminded himself to meet up with Sohee before school ends to cancel their supposed date.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello~ Don't forget to leave comments~ The first chapt. is a bit rocky and short, but later chapters will be A LOT longer. Thank you for your time and I hope you all enjoyed. See y'all soon~~ ^^
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