Siwon

He had been blind since birth and he had never complained about it. Not once. He loved to listen to the city that he’d memorized in his head, and feel the world around him. He was happy with his life, he was very capable of living on his own, and he liked it that way. At least he thought he did.

He woke up and walked to his closet. Feeling through his clothes he pulled out a pair of jeans and his favorite black v-neck t-shirt which people assured him looked great on his tall, well-built frame. He’d been told he was handsome many times, and he usually just chuckled at the comment. It didn’t matter what he looked like. Not to him anyways. He ran his hands through his short black hair, grabbed his cane, and walked into the kitchen to make himself his usual breakfast before he left the apartment.

It was a Saturday, and like every Saturday he took the 9 o’clock bus and waited three stops to get off at the library.

“Thanks Shindong” he said smiling at the bus driver “see you tomorrow.”

“You be careful out there Siwon” Shindong replied with a smile that Siwon could hear in the driver’s voice.

He got off and counted the 33 stairs up to the door of the city library. The library had a great selection of Braille and he loved the way the words felt under his fingers and the way the little dots told him their stories. He loved the smell of the books that lined the shelves of his own personal haven, and as always, he took in a deep breath and smiled as he walked through the library doors.

“Siwon Oppa!” a familiar voice said as she grabbed his arm. 

The beautiful girl who watched the front desk looked up at him longingly. 

“Back to read again?” she asked with what sounded like hope in her voice.

“Of course” he smiled. “I heard you have some new Braillebooks in.”

“Oh… yeah.” Disappointment was written all over her face.

Siwon couldn’t see it, but he heard it, and ignored it like he did every Saturday. He thought she was a perfectly lovely girl, but he just wasn’t interested.

“Want me to take you back there?” She hinted. 

“Naw, I can find my way, thanks Jessica. Plus, I think the desk phone is ringing” She ran to answer the call as he walked towards the Braille section of the library feeling his way through the bookshelves. “Saved by the bell; How cliché” he laughed to himself.

Hoping to avoid hitting anyone with his cane, he carefully turned the corner around a bookshelf, but as he did he walked straight into someone and heard a clatter of books and a body fall to the floor.

“God, watch where you’re going!” the stranger’s voice screeched as he hit the ground.

“I’m so sorry” Siwon said dropping his cane and quickly bending down to help him up. He felt around for the boy he’d pushed to the ground. His hands wrapped around the boy’s small waist and he pulled his light body off of the ground. The boy was nearly his same height, but Siwon could feel that he was a lot smaller.

“YAH! Let go of me!” the boy yelled as he squirmed out of Siwon’s arms and turned sharply to face the older boy. “What are you, BLIND?”

Siwon started laughing as he grabbed his cane off the floor. “Yes, yes I am. Sorry about running into you.” Silence followed and he realized how awkward the boy must feel.

“My name’s Choi Siwon” he said extending his hand for the boy to shake, smile still in place.

“Cho Kyuhyun” The boy replied quietly reaching out and taking Siwon’s hand in his own. “…Nice to meet you.”

He could feel the smaller boy’s hand shake and he suppressed his laughter.

“Umm…” the boy started, but Siwon stopped him before he could apologize.

“Don’t worry about it” he said pointing to his eyes. He smiled and winked at the boy before heading over to the Braille section.

I hope I didn’t scar the poor kid, or injure him, he thought to himself as he walked to his special corner of the library. He was so small and light, and so… rude. He smiled as he moved his hands up and down the bookshelf feeling for the title of a book to read. He took one from the top shelf and sat down on his favorite couch and flipped open to the first page. After a while he realized that he hadn’t moved his hands for a few minutes and that he couldn’t stop smiling. His mind was stuck on the boy he’d knocked over and the way he had yelled at Siwon before he found out he was blind. He laughed quietly to himself and felt someone sit on the armrest beside him. He didn’t need her to talk to know who it was, but she did anyways.

“Whatcha readin’?” she asked touching Siwon’s shoulder.

Oh well, he thought. I wasn’t reading anyways. He reluctantly shut his book and started a conversation (like he did many Saturdays) noticing how every time she spoke she touched his arm or rested her hand on his shoulder. She laughed loudly for what seemed like the millionth time when Siwon heard a loud crash. He turned his head toward the sound.

“Kyu!” Jessica shouted.

Still staring towards the direction of the crash Siwon flashed a wide smile when he heard the familiar name. Kyu.