Jang Dongwoo sighed in relief as he watched the last of the boxes go into the truck in front of him. It was always so tiring hauling the boxes into the trucks because most of the boxes were heavy or worst, they smelled of metal and oil and it always clung to Dongwoo’s clothes.

“Hey, Dongwoo! Where are you going?” Kris, the head of the whole shipping business, shouted at him. Dongwoo turned around and smiled brightly.

“I’m done with my shift Kris!” Dongwoo shouted as Kris rolled his eyes.

“I asked where are you going Dongwoo I didn’t ask if you were done with your shift or not.” Kris scoffed as he wiped his dirty hands on a towel. “Me and the guys are going out for some drinks. Want to come?”

“I’ll pass,” Dongwoo declined politely as he smiled. “I still have something to do.”

“You always have something to do,” Kris once again rolled his eyes. “Alright, but next time you’re coming with us. No ifs or buts, you hear?”

Dongwoo chuckled and nodded. “Alright.”

Kris nodded at that and gave a friendly pat on his back. Dongwoo smiled briefly and turned away from place and started his way to his destination.

Dongwoo stared at the worn out path in front of him and sighed. How many times had he walked on this path? Maybe it was bad for him to keep on torturing himself like this…but he didn’t mind. The happiness that came alive in his chest whenever he neared the big mansion and the smile that just seemed to blossom on his face was more than enough to keep him coming back over and over again.

Dongwoo paused shortly when he saw the mansion coming into view. He nodded to himself as he approached it with a faster pace and saw the garden with the small pavilion. He smiled as he reached the pavilion and saw him sitting there, a bandage around his forehead, and a bored look on his face. Two men were standing in front of him with lascivious smiles. Dongwoo stared at them as his attuned ears picked up the conversation between them.

“When are you going to pick one of us, Lee Howon?” The guy on the right asked with a sly smile.

“Isn’t it about time, Howon?” The other nodded in agreement. “Pick one of us and you’ll be happy! You won’t have to worry about a single thing again!”

“Gentlemen, I hope you don’t find it offending to know that I don’t date.” Howon replied, his voice silky and smooth. “I would just be a bother anyway.”

“Of course not!” The guy on the right shouted. “Not being able to see your beauty every day is like losing  the sight of our eyes!”

Dongwoo held back the small growl that threatened to escape his lips. Were they idiots? Did they not see that Howon did not like their company?

Didn’t they understand him?

Didn’t they see he was blind?

“HEY YOU!”

Dongwoo’s eyes widened as he watched the two guys attention turning to him. He bit his lips as a mocking smile made a way to their lips. “You like Howon don’t you?” One of them shouted as the other snickered. “Why don’t you come here and talk to him!”

They laughed as Dongwoo bit his lips. He turned towards Howon and almost squeaked in surprise when he saw that Howon was looking at him, those blank eyes borrowing deep into his heart. He turned away from the garden and ran away as fast as his feet could take him.

Once he was far away enough he placed his hand on his heart and felt it hammer against his chest.

“Like…huh?” Dongwoo mused as he tightened his hold on his heart knowing that he was pass the point of “like”.

The next day Dongwoo was back again at the mansion, it was always a daily routine of him to come to the mansion. He never really minded making the long trek and no ever scolded him about it because the only person that was in the garden was Howon—until of course the marriage proposals started coming in. Dongwoo wasn’t surprised at all, Howon was well known around the country for his perfection and poise. But Dongwoo never really saw that. He had to admit though, Howon was the epitome of perfection but he never did care about that. Dongwoo saw something in Howon. Something that made him came back again and again.  

 Dongwoo was standing just outside of the garden as a fenced gate kept him at bay. The two men from before were back again and this time Howon was turning his back to them, tending to some of the flowers.

“Howon I am considered as the top five most beautiful men in the country!” One person boasted proudly as the other person behind him growled in frustration.

“How dare you tell him that when you know he can’t know it’s true, you sneak!” Another shouted as Dongwoo rolled his eyes. The men were always flaunting their feathers like they were some kind of peacock and Howon never took the bait. Dongwoo knew that Howon wasn’t going to listen to them because Howon never did listen to these people. That’s why it was a surprise to see Howon suddenly stand up and face the men in front of him.

“Very well,” Howon started, making the man smile in satisfaction and Dongwoo frown. “I will marry the person that will let me hear the music that I’ve never heard of before. That way it’ll be fair to everyone correct?”

The men cheered and whooped as Dongwoo stared at Howon, his eyes becoming sad.

“What’s your name?”

Dongwoo squeaked in surprise as he stared at Howon standing in front him. He hadn’t noticed Howon approached him because he was so busy drifting off to la la land. Now Howon was standing in front of him, the white fence serving as a barrier between them both.

“Dongwoo,” Dongwoo answered with a smile.

Howon scoffed as he rolled his eyes. “I guess I don’t have to introduce myself to you, do I?”

Dongwoo nodded. “Howon…”

“What do you find attractive about me?” Howon asked as cynical smiled took hold of his lips. Dongwoo was about to answer his question when Howon continued, cutting him off. “I mean I’m blind. I can’t see the sea, the sky, anything. I can’t see anything.” Howon narrated as tears started to gather in his eyes. “What’s the meaning of living like this? Like a doll. Maybe I should just be dead.”

Silence took hold of the air as Dongwoo stared at the young man in front of him, desperately trying to hold back the tears that had gathered in his eyes. Just as Dongwoo was about to open his mouth, a strong wind passed by making both of them turn to the general direction of the wind.

“Someone close by must have died,” Howon whispered sadly. “How eerie,”

“I don’t think so,” Dongwoo commented as Howon turned to him in surprise. “I think the wind is just here to say goodbye.”

“W-What?” Howon stuttered out.

“And your wrong Howon,” Dongwoo said as a smile took hold of his lips. He reached down and plucked a small dandelion thriving within the weeds. “You said that you’d marry the man who would let you hear the music that you’ve never heard of before. Does that apply to me as well?”

Howon scoffed and shook his head. “You can try. I’ve been listening to the most beautiful music and sounds ever since I was little. Famous composers and unusual instruments don’t impress me.”

“I can try can’t I?” Dongwoo mused as he reached out towards Howon’s hand and placed the dandelion in his hands. “You don’t have to marry me but you have to promise me that you won’t say that you want to die again.”

“What’s in my hand?” Howon asked as Dongwoo brought up the dandelion to near Howon’s lips and smiled.

“It’s a dandelion, a wishing flower,” Dongwoo explained as Howon rolled his eyes.

“There’s no such things,” Howon refuted as Dongwoo chuckled.

“True, wishes aren’t real,” Dongwoo nodded as he brought Howon’s hand to lips and blow on the flower, making its petals softly sail towards Howon, touching his skin. “But that hasn’t stopped anyone from trying.”

“I’ll make you hear how vivid and brilliant the world is.”

Howon leaned against the window as he felt the heat of the sun touching his skin. It was about a week since Dongwoo made his great declaration and now there has been no contact from him. Howon scoffed at that and knew that was just a stupid elaborate joke. True it might have brought up some hope in him but in the end he was just like all of them, he only saw him as a doll.

But that didn’t mean that his pretty words didn’t affect Howon. It might have been a lie but it gave a small dot of happiness to Howon. Most of the men that tried to woo him were all idiots and all too superficial for Howon’s tastes.

He sighed and closed his eyes but the knock on his door disturbed his silence as he turned as one of his servants came in and announced his presence.

“Excuse me young master,”

The servant said as he approached Howon and placed something on his hands. Howon’s eyes widened as he felt the object in his hands. “…A letter?”

Howon heard the rumble of the engine of the car as he stayed still and sighed. The letter was from Dongwoo and it merely instructed him to go to someplace where his driver would know. He also had apologized for the delay.

Howon shook his head and sighed at the theatrics.

What is he planning?

Howon heard the car stop and he got out of it. He then turned to the driver and told him to wait outside. Howon made his way into the house and felt his way around.

“Dongwoo?” He called out into the darkness. “Are you here?”

He was met with silence and Howon sighed as he tried to navigate his way in the unfamiliar territory. It would have been difficult if not for the fact that there were different objects that pointed him to the general direction. It formed like a pathway for him to follow and soon Howon was in front of some stairs. He descended up to stairs slowly so as not to miss a step. Once he reached up the steps he felt the heat of the sun filtering into the small room. “A window?”

He asked just as he was about to turn back down the stairs, he felt it.

He turned to the direction and stopped in his tracks.

The wind blew from the window touching his face and his whole body. But that wasn’t what had surprised Howon.

What surprised him more was the tinkling sound of glassware above him—it sounded so new to him, it sounded so gentle, and serene. Howon knew what made those sounds but he never thought he’d be able to hear it.

Wind chimes.

Above him the wind chimes danced gleefully in the wind as the most amazing sound drifted towards Howon and clenched his heart.

“I will make you hear…”

Howon bit back the sob as the tinkling sound of the wind chimes continued to echo in his mind and in his heart. He reached up and wiped away the tears that had started to fall from his eyes as the wind continued to blow, saying its goodbye.

“How vivid and brilliant the world is.”