It was Saturday weekend, which meant no classes for today (for Xiumin). The girl woke up with a smile on her lips. A smile that she didn’t even know that was there.

 

 

“Meet me in the music room and wear something nice. I’ll be waiting, okay?”

 

 

The girl smiled to herself as Xiumin’s voice replayed in her mind. She and Xiumin already knew each other in a week, yet they’ve already grown so close. She was now excited because he said that he’d take her somewhere memorable.

 

She got ready and everything and not long after, she found herself walking to the music room. She gave a smile when she heard a musical piece playing in the distance.

 

“You ready to go out?”

“Yes.”

 

 

~

 

 

The young boy brought the young girl in every simple yet memorable and happy place he knew. They ate baozis, cotton candies, played in the playground; he even brought her to the pet shop. The two had fun time together. They were so sweet to each other to the point that people thought they were together. No they weren’t, and Xiumin was always holding her hand because he didn’t want her to be lost and go to danger.

 

“Where are we?”

“At a wishing fountain.”

“Why a wishing fountain?”

“This was my favorite place when I was younger. But due to studies and other important things, I wasn’t able to visit this fountain anymore. You know, this fountain does make wishes true.”

“Really?”

 

The girl raised both of her brows for a moment until Xiumin slipped a coin into her hand. He held her shoulders from behind and guided her close to the fountain.

 

“Make a wish, Youjung.”

 

Youjung closed her eyes and clasped her hands, hugging the coin close to her chest and saying her wish quietly, but loud enough for Xiumin only to hear.

 

“I wish you heart gets fixed soon... That it’s not empty anymore.”

 

He chuckled and closed his eyes, holding the coin close to his chest.

 

“I wish you see the world.”

 

The two kissed their coins and tossed them to the wishing fountain. Xiumin noticed the time and grabbed Youjung’s hand, quickly going home.

 

There was a certain place where Xiumin used to sneak in and sneak out easily. It was a low wall that anyone could climb easily, but the path to the low wall was secret and hidden.

 

Xiumin grabbed Youjung gently and raised her up to the wall. She stood while Xiumin climbed up to the wall and jumped down to the other side. He held his hands outward to take her hands to help her down, but her feet suddenly slipped and caused her to fall. He suddenly held his arms out and caught her, saving her from hitting the floor.

 

“Are you alright?

“N-No, I should be the one asking you that. Are you okay, Xiumin? Your heart, I...”

“I’m okay, Youjung. What’s important is that you’re safe and you’re not hurt.”

 

Xiumin helped Youjung to stand up and they walked back to the small, narrow way to the backyard garden. He poked his head out from the wall and looked everywhere. He called Youjung over and over again, gesturing her to come with him. But Youjung was still taking small steps, feeling her surroundings. Xiumin suddenly took her hand and dragged her gently to the bench. They sat down and quiet silence took place for a moment.

 

“You know... You shouldn’t have wished for my sight back.”

“Why? Wouldn’t you want to see the world?”

“Because I’m contented. I know this world is beautiful but I don’t want to see the negative parts. I don’t want to see a beggar on the street, being ignored by most. I don’t want to see a child crying. I don’t mind if I miss a lot of beautiful sights here. Voices and music are more important to me. They keep me alive.”

 

Xiumin smiled at her even though she wouldn’t see. He knew she didn’t care about how people would look like, even if she could see. She wouldn’t care as long as they are good to her as well.

 

“The moment I heard music when I came back to this mansion, I felt alive. Piano music keeps me happy. I even wanted to learn the piano but... I’m blind.”

“Being blind is not a hindrance to learning things, Youjung. You could still make memories and you could remember them more. Recall and imagine them in any way you like. At least you don’t get to see the ugly world.”

“But I want to remember you forever.”

 

Xiumin was surprised on Youjung’s words. How come he was feeling this way? He knew to himself that he shouldn’t talk to her, he shouldn’t be friends with her, that he shouldn’t fall in love with her. A pair of soft and gentle hands cupped his plump cheeks. Xiumin chuckled when he saw Youjung smiling.

 

“You know, there was a jar resting on the piano. It’s an empty and hollow jar. I wondered what it was for. I wondered if it was for cookies, for yogurt sticks, for money, or for whatever would fit there. But I always wondered why it was empty, that it seemed like it was waiting for something to fill it. Before you arrived, I sat by the piano and noticed the jar that used to be empty was already filled. There were candies inside. I wondered to whom those candies were for.”

 

Youjung gave out a small giggle.

 

“Why are you talking about candies, Xiumin?”

 

Xiumin smiled and held her hand.

 

“Because today is the day that  realized that that empty jar is similar to my heart. It was waiting for someone to fill it. My heart was empty.”

 

He gently took her hand and placed it on his chest.

 

“And now, it’s beating. Not beating because I am alive, but because it is filled. This heart is like that empty jar until you came. You are the candies who occupied this hollow jar of mine.”

 

Youjung didn’t know how to react. She didn’t know whether to smile or to laugh, to pull her hand back or not. What she knows is that her heart is beating lively. Lively just like how Xiumin played his original musical piece.

 

“I’m in-love with you, Youjung.”

 

She felt and she knew Xiumin was smiling at her. She can’t help but to smile as her hand felt his lovely heartbeats. But their smiles vanished when Xiumin grunted softly, feeling a pain in his chest. He took out his pills and he was about to take it, when Youjung’s bodyguards came in and grabbed Xiumin away from Youjung. 

 

 

Linked hands were broken.

 

 

“Let me go! Hey, stop it! Youjung! Youjung!”

“Xiumin, where are you?”

 

Xiumin was dragged farther and farther away from her until he couldn’t even see her anymore. Youjung held her hand out, hoping to feel Xiumin, but it never happened.

 

A hand rested on her shoulder and helped her to stand up.

 

“Xiumin?”

 

He wiped her tears and whispered her to go back to her room. Youjung made a sniffle and nodded, walking back inside.

 

The butler noticed a container on the grass and went to pick it up. He didn’t know what it was but it seemed familiar. He went back inside and placed them on Youjung’s hands.

 

Youjung frowned to herself and clutched the container close to herself as the melancholic tears kept on flowing.

 

 

From the moment their hands separated, Xiumin’s heartaches became worse.