Note: Finally done with Yadong, my goodness lord help me. I'm also done with Woogyu~ hahah I'll post it later today soon :D

Hope you enjoyt this!

An Eye for an Eye; A Life for a life

The light in the small narrow road flickered on and off as a nearby stray dog howled into the night. It was nine o’clock in the evening and the neighborhood was eerily silent and above the night sky, the bright blue moon shown its brilliance over the buildings of Seoul.

In the distance a small rumbling sound echoed in the silent neighborhood as a bike zoomed past the silent neighborhood, making the stray cats and dogs hiss and howl at the sudden intrusion of the quiet evening. As the bike zoomed through the neighborhood, a man rounded a small corner as his bags of convenience store grocery hang from one hand.

The bike turned a corner just as the man turned another corner.

The sound of the cry of pain and the screech of the tires took hold of the silent night as the driver of the bike stared at the lifeless body lying on the dirty road. He stared in horror at the blood oozing out into a pool underneath the man’s head as turned away and drove into the night.

Lee Howon, aged 19, just killed a man.

“It’s sad isn’t it? I can’t believe he the driver just ran away after he was left in a really horrible state!”

Howon strained his ears as he tried to listen in to their conversation. His eyes narrowed as he tried to let the words sink in.

Driver. Ran Away.

Howon bit his lip as he felt the sickening feeling of guilt gnawing in his stomach. He slowly approached the group of girl, placed on his best smile, and asked which hospital he was in.

Howon buried his hands deep in his pockets as he trudged through the sickeningly white walls of the hospital hallway. He now knew that it was person that he ran over last night and now he came to the hospital to possibly ask for forgiveness—though he doubted he’ll be given such request.

Howon sighed and rounded a corner as he tried to think of ways to atone for his sins—going to prison was one. He thought bitterly. But even he were to go to prison, he would accept it without qualms. He really didn’t mean to leave the person behind—he just panicked and the first thing that came to his mind was to run away. Fight or flight.

“He probably saw my face…” Howon muttered, knowing the weight of those words were akin to a prison sentence.

“SO YOU WAN’T ME TO TAKE CARE OF A CHILD THAT’S BLIND IN BOTH EYES?!”

Howon looked up from, startled at the loud voice of male. He stared in confusion at the two adult people standing just outside of the door of the person he came to see.

“WHAT CAN I DO?! HE STILL HAS TO WORK OFF HIS FATHER’S DEBTS YOU KNOW! THAT’S ONE MILLION WON FOR HIS OPERATION! ONE MILLION WON!”

Howon stared in confusion at the screaming match in front of him and frowned as he tried to avoid the two and slowly open the door to the room 101, where Jang Dongwoo was.

“…Who’s there?” Dongwoo asked, startled at the sound of the door opening. Howon stared in surprise as he stared at the boy sitting up on the bed, his hair slightly messy, and a bandage wrapped around his head—covering his eyes.

Howon slightly fidgeted from where he stood at the entrance of the doorway and his dry lips. “Lee Howon,”

“Lee Howon? From my school?” Dongwoo asked, his voice taking on a confused lit. “Come in! I’ve wanted to talk to someone!”

Howon nodded awkwardly as he made his way towards Dongwoo’s bed. He took a sit near the bed and stared at Dongwoo, his heart clinching in guilt. “Will…will you have surgery for your eyes?”

Dongwoo shrugged. “Probably not, my parents are gone…and I don’t want to bother my aunt and uncle any more than I have.” 

Howon bit his lower lip in guilt and clinched his fist into tight fists. He wanted to apologize, he needed to admit that this was his fault but his lips weren’t as cooperative as he thought it would be.

“But I think the person that ran over me has it harder,” Dongwoo said as Howon looked at him confusion.

“Are you crazy?!” Howon shouted, his voice angry. “He ran over you and he left! He was just a stupid high school kid on a bike…why are you so worried about him?!”

Dongwoo stayed silent for a few minutes and Howon carefully studied his appearance. Dongwoo smiled and Howon’s eyes widened. “Well he must have been pretty scared too right?”

Howon bit his lips as he watched Dongwoo’s smile brightened. “Howon, accidents happen and I know that more than anyone. I’m not angry at him.” Dongwoo shrugged and turned his head towards the window, making Howon realize that Jang Dongwoo will never be able to see again if he didn’t have that operation. “I can understand why he ran away.”

Howon could only stare in awe as he watched Dongwoo laugh with those damn bandages covering up his eyes and the bright spark that they would have in them.

Howon stared at the bright blue moon that hung from the sky as he nervously played his with fingers. He leaned his body against the railing of his room’s small balcony and tried to think of ways to help Dongwoo. He knew it was his fault and he knew he had to do something.

“One million won…huh?” Howon mused as he groaned in frustration and buried his face in his hands. “That’s a lot.”

“Is that your wish, oh child of man?” Howon looked up from his hands and stared at the boy with wings as blue as the moon. The creature slowly fluttered towards him and Howon took a tentative step backward—half scared and half surprised. “W-Who are you?”

“My name is Sungjong, the moon spirit.” He smiled as he moved his hand towards his chest and dipped his body forward gracefully. “Pleasure.”

“A-Are you really a spirit?” Howon asked as his voice echoed the truth of his nervousness and fear.

“Hmm…yep, but I think deity would be a better word than spirit.” Sungjong elaborated. “Because moon spirit sounds like I’m already dead!” Sungjong laughed as the soft tinkle of his voice filled the dark night. When his laugh subsided, he stared at Howon. “Well, human, is such a simple wish enough for you?”

Howon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Simple? Is one million won simple?”

“Well yeah, of course.” Sungjong shrugged, his wings pulsating and fluttering. “I’m a deity remember? I can raise people from death, I can grant immortality, and I can even create another Earth. One million won? Puh-lease.” Sungjong rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Child’s play.”

Howon frowned at the subtitle jab directed at his incompetence. He knew that he could perfectly find the one million won if he tried hard enough. He knew he could. But it would take time; it would take a lot of hours away from school, and…and…

Howon bit his lip as a flash of Dongwoo’s smiling face and those damn bandages around his eyes shut down all protests.

“All right,” Howon nodded, determination taking hold of his system. “I understand. Forget the wish, Sungjong.”

Sungjong could only raise an amusing eyebrow as he watched Howon enter his bedroom and close the sliding glass doors.

Sungjong shook his head and sighed. “Such amusing creatures.”

The moment that Howon finished his school he would immediately go to the different odd and part-time jobs. They paid low wages (because he was a high school student) but the more extra hours he placed the higher the wage became. He was tired yes but he dropped by Dongwoo’s hospital room every day after work (or sometimes before), repeating the amount of money left for him to save. It was the only thing that kept him from feeling that horrible feeling of guilt.

Only 400,000 Won to go…

Only 300, 000 Won to go…

Only…

“I can see again!” Dongwoo shouted the moment stepped into this hospital room. “The doctor told me someone anonymously donated for my operation! I can get eye surgery tomorrow!”

Howon smiled fondly as he approached Dongwoo, loving the way he smiled and the soft tinkle of his laugh. Dongwoo reached out for Howon’s hand and Howon readily gave it for him to hold—just like the numerous times when Howon would visit him.

“Hey Howon,” Dongwoo said as he frowned. “Have you lost weight?”

“Eh? Not really…”

Dongwoo nodded and squeezed Howon’s hand tightly, reassuringly. “I’ll finally see your face Howon.”

Howon’s eyes widened in surprise and fear—if Dongwoo saw his face then he’ll most definitely know who ran over him…and he would hate him forever.

Howon tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill over as he watched Dongwoo animatedly describe to him the first thing he’ll do once his eyesight comes back.

Howon, aged 19, now he knows that his part ends here.

A motorcycle zoomed past the quiet neighborhood as Howon cursed under his breath. His hands were shaking from the fatigue and his eyes would blur from time to time—but he didn’t care. He wanted to come to the hospital before Dongwoo’s eye operation, to say sorry—possibly say goodbye.

After that, he was planning to turn himself in to the police.

“Augh…” Howon complained as his eyesight started to blur again. “I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”

As Howon’s eyesight started to blur a lone cat jumped out of the bushes, right into Howon’s pathway. Howon stared in alarm as he swerved out of the way.

His hands slip on the handlebar of the bike and soon the whole bike was spiraling out of control. And the last thing he heard was a shrill scream and the darkness slowly pulling him into nothingness.

Lee Howon, aged 19, killed a man, has no more parts to play.

Dongwoo stared at the darkness that surrounded him and smiled.

“This won’t last long,” He reminded himself patiently. “I’ll be able to see Howon’s face…and the first thing I’ll do…is tell him…”

Dongwoo searched his surroundings and frowned at the fact that he could clearly see it—it was barren and black sure but he could perfectly see it.

“That boys dead,”

Dongwoo’s eyes widened as he turned around. He was momentarily stunned at the beautiful young man standing in front of him with blue cerulean butterfly wings stretching out behind him. “Lee Howon, won’t come anymore.”

Dongwoo’s knees grew weak as he slumped in front of him. “He worked for long periods of time without rest so and he was speeding here to see you—the added fatigue caused a traffic accident.”

“Why…?” Dongwoo whispered, fear gripping his entire body.

“He was saving for your operation.”

Dongwoo stared at his hands and bit his lower lip. “…Who are you?”

“I’m a moon spirit,” Sungjong paused and corrected himself. “Deity. Moon Deity.”

“Then if you’re a deity,” Dongwoo spoke in a soft tone. “Would you please save his life?”

“Would you do that?” Sungjong spoke, his tone void of emotions. “He is the criminal that did this to your eyes.”

Dongwoo looked up and smiled sadly. “I know that.”

Sungjong’s eyes widened as he stared at Dongwoo.

“When he came in he said that the person that ran me over was just a stupid high school kid on a bike,” Dongwoo paused and smiled sadly. “Only the criminal and I could know that because there were no witnesses.”

“But,” Dongwoo continued, his smile widening. “He gave me so much joy and laughter. It was the first time I’ve ever really laughed after my parents died—even if he was visiting me out of guilt, I was still happy. I was so happy.” Dongwoo lifted his head and stared at the deity in front of him as tears rolled down his cheeks. “Save him. My life for his, I had my share of happiness. Let him have his.”

Sungjong stared at Dongwoo and sighed. “You humans are impossible,” He shook his head and a small blue glow illuminated his body.

“The vow is sealed.”

“Oh? He’s waking up!”

Dongwoo opened his eyes groggily as he stared at the doctor looking down at him. “Dongwoo, can you hear us? It seems that we could only save your right eye. We tried our best but we could only save your right eye…”

Dongwoo clutched his head in pain as he stared at the surroundings—he was alive. He was alive which meant that…

“Doctor!” Dongwoo turned to the doctor in alarm. “What about Lee Howon?! Where is he?!”

The doctor frowned. “I’m sorry to inform you that he got into an accident yesterday…”

“It wasn’t a dream…” Dongwoo muttered, his eyes watering. “Deity…why?”

“Dongwoo! Dongwoo come back!”

Dongwoo ignored their cries as he dashed out of his bed and approached a window and looked out of the full moon.

“Why? Why? This was not my wish! My life for his! WHY?!”

Dongwoo cried out as he hit the window hard, causing it to rattle.

“…Dongwoo?”

Dongwoo’s eyes widened as he turned around and saw Howon standing there with bandages and a left path over his eyes. “You can see now?”

Dongwoo’s eyes watered with relief and pain as he ran into Howon’s arms and hugged him tightly as a steady mantra of ‘you’re alive’ escaped his lips.

Lee Howon, aged 19, is alive.

Sungjong sat on the branch on a tree outside as he peered into the window of the two couple hugging and laughing in the hallway.

“From now on, you will share an eye and a life,” Sungjong commented as a smile touched his lips. “It’s only fitting for you, is it not?”

END.