It was during their walk from the hospital  towards the street, that Seokjin for the first time noticed the pitying looks from bystanders and others. They looked at how Taehyung behaved, pointing out everything to Seokjin and commenting on it, like a little child, even when he was clearly a full grown young man of 21 years old.. But Seokjin didn’t let his good mood be dampened by those looks. He was just happy that his brother could leave the hospital. Even when others placed a stigma on his brother for his behaviour.

During the taxi ride towards the station, Seokjin noticed that even the driver gave them a pitying look, when Taehyung pressed his nose on the window, and commented on everything he saw outside: people, trees, cars, stands, bushes, lanterns, traffic lights, cats, dogs, birds, flowers, whatever captured his attention.

At the railway station, Taehyung was full of excitement again, because of everything that was going on. And they were lucky too: Seokjin could indeed get tickets for the KTX train, and texted to Namjoon, what time the train would depart. Namjoon texted back, that he would wait for them at East-Daegu station. If they could text which car they would be boarding, he would make sure to wait on the platform, where their car would stop.

Just in time Seokjin could grab Taehyung arm, who was already seeing something interesting again, and wanted to inspect it.
“No Taehyung,” Seokjin said, “it’s almost time to board the train. You wouldn’t want us to miss that train, would you?”
“No Seokjin-hyung. It would be a mess, to spend time again to change the tickets, would it.”
“Indeed,” Seokjin agreed.

As they boarded the train, Seokjin was just in time to restrain Taehyung again, before he could touch the dress of a slightly older woman, already seated in the compartiment. She looked at Taehyung with big eyes. The burly man beside her also looked flabbergasted at what was happening.

“Taehyung,” Seokjin hissed at him, “apologize! You can’t touch anybody just like that, you know.”
“I didn’t want to touch her. Just the dress, it’s…”
“But she’s wearing that dress. If you touch the dress, you’ll also touch her! You can’t do that, Taetae, It’s very rude, you know.”

With wide eyes, Taehyung looked at his brother, but then it seemed to click in his brain. He looked at the woman again, with almost puppy dog eyes: “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to make you angry or something.” Then he grinned his widest, sincerest boxy smile: “It’s just...I … your dress… it looked so pretty…”
Behind him, Seokjin sighed.  Luckily the man and woman seemed to accept the apology, and both gave a slight nod.

Taehyung was sitting next to the window, and like during the taxi ride, he pressed his nose against the glass, to see what was going on outside, on the platform. He commented on it, and excitedly pointed things out to Seokjin. Taehyung even got more excited when the train started to move. He tried to get everything in, but the train picked up speed. But even when the train reached it’s top-speed,  Taehyung would sight something interesting to point out to Seokjin.

Like how it was as if the smaller trees (“They are just standing farther away, Tae..”) were playing hide and seek with the bigger trees.
“Hide and seek?” Seokjin asked. 
“Yes… look…” Taehyung pointed. “The smaller trees hide behind the bigger trees for a very short time, and do peek-a-boo again with other bigger trees…”
“Ah, that’s what you’ve meant…”
“Yep…”

From the corner of his eyes, Seokjin noticed the woman and man from earlier. They exchanged a look, and watched Taehyung again, apparently trying hard not to stare.

“Oh, pretty,” Taehyung suddenly exclaimed. “Those white things up there, the clouds?”
“Yes, those are clouds. Sometimes they’re grey though.”
“Grey?”
“Yep, like this,” Seokjin pointed at the seat in front of him to indicate the colour. “That usually means it’s gonna rain.”

“O, and those white clouds … do they have a meaning too?”
“Hmm… not sure. But you usually see them on very nice days.”
“Aha. You know what’s also funny, Seokjin-hyung?”
“Mmm?”
“It’s as if those clouds are traveling with us!” Taehyung said, his voice a bit louder because of his excitement.

Again Seokjin noticed the exchange of looks between the woman and man at the other side of the compartiment. Now they held a look of pity, like the others Seokjin had seen. Pity and sadness, that didn’t change.

Eventually they arrived at the East-Daegu station. As soon as the train had stopped and the doors were open, somebody bounded into their car. 
“Namjoon-ah!” Seokjin exclaimed happily.
“Namjoon-hyung?” Taehyung asked, and looked up.

Seokjin rose from his seat, to make some room, so Taehyung could get out too. Taehyung stood before Namjoon and just looked at him. Suddenly he lifted his arm and his fingers touched Namjoon’s pink hair: “I didn’t know you had hair like this!” He caressed the bangs of his older brother.

Namjoon smiled broadly at the big eyes of Taehyung: “Like it?”
“Yes I like it, very much! Oh!!” Taehyung fingers slid down from Namjoon’s hair, to the dimple in one of his cheeks.”Dimples...? They… they look good on you. Now I understand the comments of the nurses, after you’d visited me.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, They commented that Seokjin was incredibly handsome, had a beautiful face and really broad shoulders. And after you came by, they said you had, and I quote: ‘killer dimples!’. They ...” Taehyung coughed a bit, “ they said that I was handsome, and my older brothers were also very handsome guys. That it probably runs in the family.“ He grinned.

Taehyung’s boxy smile became even wider: “Hyungdeul? Why are your ears so red?”
Namjoon and Seokjin exchanged a look and grinned, before Namjoon said: “Well? Shall we get off this train?”
“Ok.”

Namjoon addressed Seokjin: “Hyung, let me take that.” He indicated the suitcase.
“Thanks, Namjoon-ah.”

As Namjoon and Taehyung went outside, Seokjin turned around, took the carry on, and checked a last time, whether they hadn’t forgotten anything. That was when he felt a slight tug on his hand.

He looked, and saw that it was the woman from earlier who touched him.

“My apologies,” she began, “I don’t want to be rude, Seokjin-ssi. I didn’t got your full name. I’m Ma Dongsuk’s wife, Choi Jiwoo.” She indicated the man beside her, who slightly bowed his head.

“It’s alright Choi Jiwoo-ssi, Ma Dongsuk-ssi. I’’m Kim Seokjin.”
“My husband… he… again, we don’t want to be rude… but…”
“Maybe you could visit a good doctor, Kim Seokjin-ssi?” the man now spoke up, with a slightly apologizing tone. “I could recommend several very good ones in Seoul. Maybe they can help… with.. your brother?”
“And maybe I can recommend several good ones in Busan, if Seoul is too far away,“ Choi Jiwoo continued. She looked apologetic. “Again, we don’t want to be rude or offensive, but…”

Seokjin bowed his head slightly: “Thank you for your concern, sir, ma’am. I’m very grateful that you would like to help my brother, by recommending good doctors, but we just came from a very good one in Seoul.”
“Oh?”
“Taehyung just got a surgery. This morning they removed the bandages and because there were no complications we could go home.”
“That surgery…” Ma Dongsuk asked hesitantly, “did it… fail? Or…”
“It worked,” Seokjin said. “The surgery worked perfectly…”

“Ah?” Both Choi Jiwoo and Ma Dongsuk were surprised.
“Yes, you see… Oh!” Seokjin gasped at what was going on outside. The man and woman in their seats turned their eyes to the window, to see what had caught Seokjin’s attention.

Apparently Taehyung had escaped Namjoon’s grasp, chasing after something. He caught it, and with a big boxy smile he brought it back to Namjoon. Taehyung held it up, close to Namjoon’s head: a pink bubble gum wrapper.

Namjoon shook his head, smiling and said something to Taehyung, who looked surprised at what he was hearing. He began folding the wrapper, with intense concentration, the tip of his tongue visible at the corner of his mouth. He folded the wrapper: an almost perfect square. He looked with a question in his eyes at Namjoon, who nodded, and pointed. Taehyung walked with a skip in his step, into that direction until he arrived at a trashcan. He again looked questioningly at Namjoon, who nodded. Taehyung dropped the pink square in the trashcan and skipped back to Namjoon.

Seokjin sniffed a bit. He was so happy, he almost could not contain his joy. The man, Ma Dongsuk, and woman, Choi Jiwoo,  looked up: “You said his surgery worked?”
“Yes,” Seokjin answered, “you see, Taehyung… he…”
Seokjin sniffled again, and a single tear made his way along his cheekbone. The man and woman looked at him, with clear expectations in their looks, but also surprised and concerned that Seokjin reacted like that.

Seokjin began again: “..Taehyung has been blind all his life… and today… today is the first day that he can see…”

Before another tear could escape his eyes, he was saved by the bell… or rather the announcement, that the train would be departing soon.
“My apologies,” Seokjin bowed to the man and woman, “I have to get off the train.” He noticed the looks of astonishment from the man and woman. Now he had the best excuse to avoid answering more questions. Quickly he made his way towards the exit, disembarked, and walked towards Namjoon and Taehyung.

Taehyung looked worried as he noticed the tear that had made it’s way on Seokjin’s cheek: “Hyung!! Are you crying? Are you sad? What’s wrong?” Seokjin smiled, a broad, radiating smile, while another tear escaped his eye. “No, Taetae, nothing’s wrong. I’m just… just so happy!”
“Is that true?”

Namjoon answered that question: “Yes, Tae, people cry when they are in pain or are sad. But sometimes, they also cry when they are very very happy. And Seokjin hyung is just very very happy. So happy, that he’s crying.”

“O…” Taehyung stepped closer to Seokjin, and carefully wiped the tear away with a finger. Both he and Seokjin smiled, and Namjoon joined them.

“Shall we go home? Mom has moved heaven and earth to get you something tasty, Tae. “ Namjoon grinned.
“She has? What is it, Namjoon-hyung?”
“Strawberries!”
“Ooohh… I really like the taste and smell of strawberries. But now I can see them too! Do they look beautiful?”
“Yes, Tae, very very beautiful.”