He thinks he knows why she’s ignoring him, but he really doesn’t.

 

“You can’t just ignore my calls and texts like that,” he lectures, opening the door for her when she’s just about to step outside into the front yard. “I worry.”

 

Victoria schools her expression. “I’m sorry.”

 

“I know you’re mad because I left you last night, but I was hardly gone for three minutes and you had already left. Do you know how worried I was about you?” Minhyun questions.

 

“I’m sorry,” she says again.

 

Minhyun takes Victoria by the wrist and prevents her from trying to move any further away from him as he speaks to her. “Is that not what you’re angry about?” He wonders aloud. “What is it then? Amber? Or was it one of the other girls? They’re just friends.”

 

“I have nothing against any of them,” Victoria replies calmly.

 

“Then why aren’t you talking to me?”

 

Victoria sighs, turning her body in the direction that faces her towards him. Minhyun raises his hands to her shoulders and leans forward, looking into her face at eye level.

 

“Hm?” He hums.

 

“How old are you?” Is all Victoria asks.

 

Minhyun furrows his eyebrows. “Why?”

 

“Just answer,” Victoria insists.

 

“Do you care about age differences?” Minhyun retaliates; the thought of telling her his age had never occurred to him before.

 

And in all honesty, Victoria didn’t truly care about such things because, to a blind person, she’s still a burden no matter what the age of the other person is but when you are looking for a fight, anything can be a reason. “You’re eight years younger than me, aren’t you?”

 

“So what?” Minhyun irritably retorts. “What does that matter?”

 

“I should have known when you said you had tests around the same time as Luna,” Victoria grits through her teeth, “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it.”

 

By now, the anger in him is beginning to infuse. “What are you trying to say? I’m too young for you?”

 

“You nev—“

 

“Before you found out about my age, we got along just fine. I don’t see why it should be a problem now,” Minhyun interrupts her, “Unless you’re just looking for a reason to let go of me.”

 

Those words… they hurt. Victoria suppresses the sour feeling in her nose. Ever since she turned blind, words like that were ones she hated most—after her blindness, that was what she feared most: being let go of.

 

“Have you lost interest in me? Is that why you’re picking a fight?” Minhyun continues to ask.

 

Victoria takes a deep breath. “The first time I met you, you gave off the impression that you’re an easy guy—you pick girls up, you put them down; no attachments, no pestering and no strings left to be pulled once you’re done. What happened to that side of you?”

 

“I don’t know,” Minhyun replies simply. “It must have just disappeared after meeting you.”

 

“Minhyun, I—“

 

He’s never had issues with saying goodbye; Victoria was right about that much. Some people just weren’t so important that he felt the need to see them again and others he knew very well would be around if he needed them, yet, Victoria—if he lost Victoria now, would he ever be able to find her once more?

 

That’s why he can’t let go of her; not if he wants to keep her near.

 

So, without another word, Minhyun presses his lips against hers and swallows all the words she has to say. It’s not that he doesn’t want to hear her speak, but he’s afraid of the things she’ll tell him; things like I’m tired of being with you or I don’t need you in my life anymore.

 

Victoria is weak against his kiss, she’s weak against his touch, she’s weak against Minhyun. He’s probably the only one who can make her feel weak but not useless—when Victoria is with Minhyun, she doesn’t mind being weak.

 

When Minhyun finally pulls away from her lips, he embraces her into his chest and holds her still, her cheek pressed against his collar.

 

She says, “Minhyun, I made a promise.”

 

“Hm?” He hums.

 

Victoria wraps her arms around his waist, feeling his warmth, relishing in his touch. “My parents left me here with my Oppa; Oppa is getting married soon, but my parents refuse to return unless I am willing to undergo the knife again to retrieve my sight—the fact that their daughter cannot see haunts them, more or less a disgrace to the family. His wife really wants my parents to be present at their wedding but Oppa doesn’t want her to travel to my parent’s country because she is pregnant with child; because Oppa has always been so good to me, I promised to accept the surgery.”

 

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Minhyun wonders.

 

“If the surgery succeeds, then nothing will change aside from the fact that I can see again. If the surgery fails, my parents have convinced Oppa to contemplate sending me to a country with a better medical system to receive advanced treatment.” She continues. “They won’t allow me to return until I can see again.”

 

A memory suddenly intercepts him and Minhyun thins his lips. “You’ve mentioned before that not being able to see is actually a relief for you. Why?”

 

Minhyun smells a little like the home Victoria remembers as a child. “Schemes, affairs, the world in which the wealthy live… when I was just a child, I had the misfortune of witnessing some of the worst sides of humanity.”

 

“In your own home?” He asks.

 

“The only time I felt freed from those visual terrors and haunting memories was when Oppa took me out to fly a kite, but he would only take me when I could see because otherwise it would be too dangerous for me.” She chuckles a little. “Or, at least, that was his reasoning.”

 

He nods against her silky hair. “He probably saw the same things.”

 

“I am more fortunate, because I see less. That’s why I feel compelled to return the favor to him,” she agrees.

 

“You don’t think the surgery will succeed?” Minhyun presses.

 

Victoria shakes her head. “I don’t want it to,” she says, “I don’t want to see again.”

 

 

 

 

 

From then on, Minhyun spends a little less time obsessing over Victoria’s sight and a little more time researching ways to cheer girls up. His friends side eye him from the sidelines, but it’s endearing, to be honest.

 

“Give her chocolate,” Aron supplies unhelpfully.

 

Baekho rolls his eyes. “Tell her cheesy jokes.”

 

“Buy her flowers,” Ren joins along.

 

Amber crosses her arms over her chest and raises a single eyebrow. “Give her some space to breathe.”

 

“I like that suggestion,” JR nods, “then Minhyun can attend more gigs with us. The girls love it when he’s around.”

 

Krystal scrunches up her nose. “They love our gigs just as much without him around, plus, his hearts not even in it right now.”

 

“You got something right for once,” Sulli teases.

 

“Well, gee, you two make me feel good about myself,” Minhyun jokes.

 

Sulli grins. “I say you just let her do her own thing; your support should be more than enough for her. Girls don’t want much, really; we just want someone to be there for us to speak to, to complain to, to hug us and comfort us when we need it. That’s all.”

 

From beside her, Krystal throws an arm over Sulli’s shoulder and nods along. “Sounds about right.”

 

Minhyun takes a sip out of his drink and leans back into the soft booth cushion. It’s been bothering him for a while now, but he hasn’t mentioned anything of it to Victoria.

 

Did she not at least want to know what he looks like, beyond the fog of black that separates her eyes from his?

 

 

 

 

“The last few times you asked me to take you out to fly a kite… was it because you’re brother discussed the surgery plans with you?”

 

Over the phone, Victoria sounds very tired and barely holding herself together. She had just taken a nice, long warm bath and fatigue was gradually taking over her. “Once or twice,” she admits.

 

“Then what about the other time?” Minhyun follows up.

 

Victoria smiles to herself, comfortably tucked under the blankets of her bed. “I just wanted to be with you.”

 

It’s the answer he wanted to hear—an answer he knew would come eventually.

 

 

 

 

 

She hates the breakfast table when Luna isn’t there with her.

 

Her brother’s fiancé is usually with them, but Victoria has more often than not decided to ignore her presence. Their relationship was never out of love, it was out of duty; her brother’s duty to their parents.

 

As her brother's fiancé, Victoria could do nothing aside from keeping her lips shut when she saw the woman.

 

“You’re not eating much today,” her brother comments.

 

Victoria nods. “I’m meeting up with a friend for lunch so I figured there’s no point in eating too much now.”

 

“Who is it?” His fiancé asks.

 

“A friend,” Victoria repeats, in a guarded tone.

 

“Jenny didn’t mean anything by asking,” her brother explains, “she was just curious.”

 

Victoria shrugs. “I know.” Yet, she also knows that Jenny constantly urges her brother to move out of this house and into a new home with her—she also urges him to quickly join in a position within the family business and work his way towards being their father’s right hand man.

 

There’s too much that Victoria knows about Jenny and her various aspirations for her family.

 

“Oppa, about the surgery…” Victoria starts, but slowly fades out.

 

Her brother reaches out and pats the back of her hand soothingly. “What of it?”

 

“I… if I—“

 

“You’re not backing out, are you?” Jenny interrupts, earning a glare from her fiancé.

 

“No,” Victoria shakes her head. “Nevermind.”

 

Her brother shakes his head sadly but forces a smile, even though Victoria cannot see. “It’s okay. Tell me when you’re ready.”

 

Victoria nods, hopping the thrumming pain in her head will fade away, just like her words.

 

 

 

 

 

“I’ll be a little late.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“You’re not going to ask why?”

 

“Why?”

 

Minhyun laughs. “I was helping the guys set up their stage for their performance tonight and slipped off the stage, scraping the back of my arm. It kind of hurts to move it so I’m moving slow.”

“You should see a doctor,” Victoria tells him, worry laced in her tone.

 

“It didn’t break,” he insists. “A little bit of blood, but no broken bones. I can tell.”

 

If he doesn’t want to, she can’t force him. So, Victoria just waits impatiently as Minhyun makes his way towards her place and when he finally does appear, she immediately rushes over to him and runs her fingers over his arm until she finds his wound softly.

 

“Were you worried?”

 

“Does it hurt?” She asks, ignoring his question.

 

Minhyun smiles while shaking his head, petting her hair with his free hand, “No, not anymore.”

 

“Maybe we should stay in today,” Victoria suggests. She starts back towards her house but Minhyun reaches for her hand with his good hand, slipping his fingers into hers. Instead, he guides her away from the house onto the sidewalk, their footsteps matching and the sun shining warm rays over their skin.

 

She follows obediently, not out of habit but out of curiosity. A blind person will always need a guide even if they don’t want one, but Victoria is willing to follow Minhyun to the ends of the world if she had to.

 

Amongst their walk, Minhyun tells her about the gig that his friends are preparing for. “Guitars, drums, keyboards, microphones, speakers, stands, there are so much put into a single performance that doesn’t even last an hour,” he muses, “but to the performers, even if only for a second, it is worth it.”

 

“You were a part of that lifestyle,” Victoria comments. “So, to you, living in the moment is more important than the past or the future, no?”

 

“Used to,” Minhyun laughs. “I admit, that’s the way I used to be.”

 

They walk for a while more, chatting, laughing, hands still held together. Minhyun notices Victoria’s hesitance at times and when he glances over his shoulder at her, seeing her worried expression, he knows.

 

He doesn’t know how he knows, but Minhyun just knew that Victoria was contemplating death.

 

It’s not a matter that he dared to confront to her on a personal level, because, what if she admitted to it? What if Victoria told him, yes, Minhyun, that is exactly what I want—I want to die?

 

What if Victoria told him he was right, and then said that he wasn’t reason enough for her to want to live?

 

Minhyun was born into this world alone; he didn’t want to feel that way anymore.

 

“Did I ever tell you that my parents tossed me away by the dump at our local village hospital when I wasn’t even a day old?”

 

She stirs a little in her seat, hand frozen on the handle of her hot mug of coffee. “No, I don’t believe you have.”

 

If he let her know that he needed her, would that convince her to stay? “Oh, that’s odd,” he says with an accented shrug in his voice, “I thought I definitely would have.”

 

“Why?” Victoria asks.

 

“So you won’t abandon me, just like my parents did.”

 

There’s a small twitch in her lip and Minhyun bites down on his own, leaning forward and brushing the back of his index finger over her chin.

 

“You got some coffee on your lip there,” he says.

 

Victoria doesn’t move a muscle. “Thanks.”

 

“Sure,” Minhyun smiles.

 

“So, what happened afterward?” Victoria ponders.

 

He leans back in his seat, crossing one leg over the other. Love—that had been an emotion so foreign to him; he’s learned it now, but it feels so far away. “I met you.”

 

“Before that?”

 

Minhyun laughs. “I’m sure they searched high and low for my parents but eventually I was sent to an orphanage. I was so ugly and behaved so horrible, even as an infant, that no family would take me. When I turned eighteen, they let me go.”

 

“How old are you now?” She asks.

 

“Nineteen,” Minhyun answers honestly. “I’ve only tasted freedom for a year, and you’ve got me bound again.”

 

Guilt: guilt is something all men naturally have the skill of doing. Minhyun was no different. “I would never abandon you willingly,” Victoria tells him.

 

“Then don’t leave me at all.” Minhyun replies in tight timing with her words. He didn’t intend for their conversation to head this direction, but something about Victoria today is different—it feels as though she is slipping away.

 

“I would neve—“

 

“Then don’t,” Minhyun interrupts her. “Just don’t.”

 

Victoria swallows the rest of her words. Although she feels a little cheated, another part of her is also relieved; to Minhyun, at least to him, she mattered more than just a set of eyes that have the ability to see.

 

He wanted her—that simple thought was enough to make her thinning blood fluster in the veins beneath her freezing skin.

 

So, how could she?

 

-----

 

A/N: One more part to go~ yipee! XD Hope I'm not boring you guys! ^_^ ♥Xue