The date for the surgery is finally set, a month and two weeks away.

In order to help Victoria prepare herself, if the surgery does succeed, Minhyun begins to describe things big and little to her in the best detail that he can. He explains things in colors, size, markings, and shapes, in relation to temperature, taste, feel and other senses.

It’s been so long since Victoria has seen that her mental imagery is incredibly weak, even to her.

“How long is your hair?” Victoria wonders aloud.

Minhyun reaches for her hand and pulls it towards his head. Carefully, he runs the back of her hand over his hair. “Not long,” he says, “can you feel it?”

“Yes,” Victoria nods. “What color is it?”

“About the same color as my eyes,” Minhyun shrugs.

“Then what color are your eyes?” She asks him.

He hums, trying to see if he could catch a reflection of his eyes on any inanimate object around him. Fruitless, he decides to just go by memory. “A dark, dark brown, I would say. Probably almost black?”

“That makes it easy on me,” Victoria laughs.

Minhyun smiles. “Do you know what color your eyes are?”

The question stumps her; Victoria only now realizes she has no idea what she or her own eyes look like. When she was a child, it didn’t matter to her how she looked; when she lost her eye sight, it mattered even less. She shakes her head.

“A very, very beautiful brown; your eyes are bright, almost illusive, and they’re so glassy that I feel like I can see myself in your eyes,” Minhyun tells her. He then leans forward and flutters a small kiss to her eyebrow.

She imagines herself looking like a doll: a lifeless doll that never blinks, who never changes her expression, but sees everything before her. It is a life she does not know, but a life she can imagine.

It’s scary.

“I’m scared,” she confesses, and it is only to Minhyun that she can confess such weakness. “Seeing is such a scary capability.”

Minhyun frowns, wondering how he could make Victoria feel more at ease. “I’ve seen many things, Vic,” he says, “and there have been many things I’ve feared, yet, some things you’re grateful for being able to see. For instance, I couldn’t imagine a world in which I wouldn’t be able to see your face again.”

“If it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t even bother trying to adjust to a life of seeing,” Victoria laughs.

Her words comfort him. “Good,” he says, grinning, “Because I’ll show you everything in this world that is worth seeing.”

Her parents are present on the day Victoria is taken in for surgery. When they see Minhyun standing beside her, holding her hand, they don’t question—they simply stare at him with a confused expression, wondering who this kid could be.

Victoria’s brother arrives a little late, but manages to speak with Victoria for a little bit before her surgery.

It’s his first time meeting Minhyun formally as well.

“We’ll all be here for you if you need us,” her mother tells her.

It must be the years that they have spent apart, but Victoria no longer feels a strong attachment to either of her parents. So, when Victoria feels unfamiliar hands rest on her forearm, she pulls back and cowers beside Minhyun, who wraps an arm around her shoulder.

They are all a little surprised by her reaction, but Minhyun understands. Luna steps forward and pats Victoria on the back a few times, calming her. “It’s just aunty,” Luna tells her, “it’s okay.”

“She’s a little nervous and sensitive because of the surgery,” Minhyun starts to explain, “that’s all.”

Minhyun understands, because if he were to meet his birth parents now, he would probably have the exact same reaction. This is when he realizes that he and Victoria are somewhat the same type of people.

“Right,” Victoria’s mother says with an awkward smile. Victoria’s father turns a blind eye.

Up until the moment she is led into the surgical ward, Minhyun holds her hand. After she disappears behind the doors, he can feel her parents eyes watching him. Luna senses the heavy atmosphere and Minhyun’s discomfort, suggesting that they leave to get a drink since neither of them have really ate anything since the early hours of dawn.

“Who is he?” Victoria’s father finally asks, when Luna and Minhyun are gone.

Victoria’s brother shrugs expressionlessly. “I’ve seen him a few times but Vic never introduced us. My best assumption is that they are somewhere between good friends and lovers.”

“Is he worthy enough?” Their mother asks.

It takes everything for their son not to scoff. “To Victoria, no one else could be more worthy of her trust. Perhaps not even us. That much I know.”

Sitting across from Minhyun in the hospital cafeteria, Luna has one leg crossed over the other as she eyes him carefully. This kid, who is even younger than her, has so much experience drawn on the features of his face.

“I’m sorry for being the one who mentioned your age to Vic,” Luna says.

Minhyun shakes his head with a weak smile. “It’s fine. She doesn’t mind anyways.”

She nods rhythmically. “I was hired to be a close company to her ever since I was just a child,” Luna says, “I’m like a maid, in a sense, but Vic has always treated me like a sister. At first, I wondered if that’s how she thought of you but I soon realized otherwise.”

“I had never intended to be just a friend or a brother to her,” Minhyun admits.

Luna laughs. “I can see that.”

“Thankfully, she seems to think the same,” Minhyun adds. “Maybe not from the beginning, but I think I’ve done a good job convincing her otherwise.”

They both gather their laughs, eventually setting aside their jokes. “When she’s able to see again,” Luna begins, “there will be no more need for my existence. When Vic can see again, you will be the only one she can rely on.”

“I’ll protect her,” Minhyun reassures the girl, “to the best of my abilities.”

Luna smiles. “That’s what I wanted to hear, Minhyun.” She says, sighing deeply. “I’m glad Vic found you, of all the people out there that she could have run into.”

They continue to talk about a lot of things; they speak about what Luna remembers of her past with Victoria, she asks about all the things Minhyun and Victoria have done together. There comes a time when Victoria has become such a constant between the two of them that they feel like they stand on the same grounds; like they share the same sentiments.

However, Minhyun and Luna both realize their differences.

Experiences, environment, education and background; Luna was surprised to learn all the things about Minhyun that he was willing to share. She wonders if he’s shared so much with Victoria, too.

An hour, two hours, by the third hour the two of them are exhausted and tuck themselves back into the seats outside of Victoria’s surgical room. Victoria’s parents are still wide awake, but her brother was called back home by his fiancé.

The atmosphere is odd, so Luna opts not to say anything to break the silence. She wasn’t very familiar with the heads of the Song family, either.

“If her eyes become better,” Mr. Song finally says, “Victoria will—“

Minhyun coldly raises his eyes towards the older man. “If her eyes become better, she will decide what she wants to do with them.”

Mrs. Song and Luna are both taken by surprise. This boy, though young and boyish looking, was much stronger than he appeared.

Mr. Song clears his throat. “As a part of the Song heir line, Victoria has duties she must follow.”

“Precisely,” Minhyun nods. “She is part of the Song heir line; she is family, not a blind puppet that you’re giving eyes to. Victoria has plenty of duties she must follow, but they are to her heart and not to a family name.”

Luna reaches over and pats Minhyun’s forearm in warning.

Mr. Song raises an eyebrow, turning his head to the side.

Minhyun bites down on his lip and sighs. “All I’m saying is that I won’t consent to any ridiculous requests you may ask of me; don’t expect me to leave her, don’t expect me to tell her to follow your words. I want Victoria to live for herself for once, and not a dark, linear life of blindness that she’s condemned herself to.”

At his words, Mr. and Mrs. Song watch Minhyun with interest, a cue for him to continue.

“Victoria has taught me a lot,” Minhyun says, “She’s taught me so much that she may not even realize she knows. I think it’s about time she finds a life of her own, with or without the so-called responsibilities and duties that she’s born to obey.”

Somewhere along their conversation the lights to the surgery ward switch off and Victoria is wheeled out into the hallway by a series of nurses to a patient room.

Minhyun immediately stands and approaches her; her eyes are wrapped in bandages and she lays stiff, motionless.

“The surgery was quite successful,” the doctor exclaims to Victoria’s parents. “It may take up to twelve hours for her to fully wake and be responsive again. Don’t worry.”

And when Victoria does wake, hours later, Minhyun and Luna are the first name she calls for.

“How are you feeling?” He asks.

Victoria groans, trying to reach for his hands. “Not much different. It’s still black all around.”

The younger boy laughs. “Your eyes are bandaged, of course its black.”

“Oh?” Victoria chuckles along. “I suppose that’s true.”

Luna laughs with them, helping Victoria sit up in the bed. Mr. and Mrs. Song watch quietly from a corner of the room, not quite having enough courage to approach Victoria again so soon. Their daughter has long been upset with them, that wasn’t something they were unaware of.

When they leave, Minhyun chases after them into the hall.

“Give her some time,” he tells them. These are words he’d never thought he would ever say. “Someday she’ll put down her fortress and when that day comes, I’m sure she’ll be the first to run into your arms again. That’s just the way Victoria is.”

They don’t respond, simply turning on their heel after a brief moment of staring into Minhyun’s eyes.

This boy, he was different.

Minhyun just pouts and runs back into the room, tending to most of Victoria’s needs. They spend the rest of her recovery like this, until she is finally released from the hospital. Yet, even until that day Victoria is hesitant to remove her bandages.

No one rushes her. Victoria’s new life starts now, and she will decide when the lights will start to shine in this world of her own.

Minhyun stands on the stage, all of his dreams laid out before him as his voice echoes throughout the clubs dance floor. In front of him stands a lady, gaze bright, arms crossed over her chest, full lips drawing out a beautiful and proud smile.

Her eyes are only for him—now and forever; his Victoria.

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A/N: I hope everyone that read this story liked it! Yay for happy endings? lol. I'm trying so hard to write and complete at least one Kristoria fic right now. I have several other Victoria-pairing fics that are longer and basically complete, but I think I'm going to hold off on those until I finish a Kristoria. It's just bugging me that I can't write them properly, even though they are visually mindblowing together. Anyways, till my next fic! Much love to my subscribers and commentators!  If you guys have a twitter, come hit me up @qian_xin0202 ^_^ ♥Xue