Blind
In That Place Where You AreI woke up, and I couldn’t find anyone in the house, err Ken. So I walked out onto the beach, and that’s when I noticed the sun was setting. Did I really just sleep through a whole day?
I sat by the down, by the edge as I always do.
I heard someone sit down next to me.
“Are you watching the sunset, or are you waiting for the stars?”
I look over, and I can’t believe it. Hakyeon. I tackle him and I break out into tears as he holds me in his arms.
“How did you know I was here?”
He runs his hands softly through my hair. “I’ll always come back to you Minhee.” He pauses as he lets go of me. “Everyone has their place in the universe, and wherever’s yours is, it’s definitely next to mine.” He suddenly gets up. “Come. I want to show you something.” He extends a hand and I take it.
He leads me along the beach, until we reach the end of the beach, a part the island I’ve never been at. There’s some stone steps that we take, and when we reach the top, we’re at a castle.
“Can we really go in there?”
“It’s okay Minhee. This is rightfully my castle.”
“What?”
“Yes Minhee, I’m a prince.” I follow in amusement, and he leads us through the castle until we end up at a balcony, where a telescope sits. He plays around with it, and then stops. “Aha. I found it.”
He pushes me towards the telescope. “Look into it.” And I do. And when I do, I see a star. Actually two stars, that look like they’re one.
“The binary stars. They’re so cute. It’s like they’re happy being next to one another.”
He laughs at my comment, at first softly but then the laughter turn hysterical and as he laughs he gets further and further.
“Wait Hakyeon where are you going?”
He keeps laughing hysterically as I chase him, and he’s simply walking. He walks into the ocean and he keeps walking and I run, but I hit the force field. I pound desperately on the force field, and Hakyeon just gets further and further from me. I cry and I cry, but still the wall doesn’t shatter.
It suddenly gets really bright.
“Minhee are you okay?” I turn and see Ken at the door, with his shirt half ed.
I try to catch your breath, and Ken comes to sit at the edge of the bed. “Hey are you alright?”
“Yeah, yeah. I guess it was just a nightmare...”
He hands me a tissue and I finally feel the tears along my cheek. Was I really crying?
“What was it?”
“It was Hak-
He rolls his eyes, and gets up, fixing his shirt in the mirror. “So he gives you nightmares. Minhee don’t you think that’s a bad sign?”
“It was only a nightmare because he left.”
“That’s your reality Minhee.”
“Only because you brought me here!” He turns around and suddenly he’s at my side again.
“I wouldn’t have had to do that if you weren’t planning to run off and marry him!” His eyes cut me like knives.
“How did you-
“I followed you. I heard it. I heard everything. I heard how you planned to leave. But really what were you thinking? That was such a ridiculous plan! You don’t even know him!”
“You’re right. I don’t know him. But I know one thing, and that’s that I love him.”
He turns away, and it looks like his breath has left him. He’s walking out of the room, and he stares back at me through the mirror, and it’s not anger that’s in his eyes, but hurt. A small tears spills from his eyes, and he leaves the room. I hear the door slam as he walks out and his footsteps are quick and loud.
You sigh deeply. I guess I can only really have one day of peace with this guy huh?
I get up, grab something to eat in town and go to work. As I also do the next day. And the day after that, all without talking to Ken.
I walk into work, and go straight to back where Sojin has the dress fixed on a mannequin. We finished it yesterday.
“It looks so perfect!” She says excitedly.
I smile slightly. “It does. She’s going to love it.”
“What’s wrong?” Sojin asks.
“Nothing.” I let out a sigh, deeper than it was intended to be.
“It’s a boy.”
“How did you know?”
She giggles. “It’s always a boy.” She sits down on the couch and pats the space next to her. “Come, tell unnie.”
“It’s complicated.”
“I don’t care. We have time.”
“Okay… well where do I start… So back in my old town, in Mokpo I was engaged to my best friend Ken, but it was an arranged marriage. I didn’t want to marry him but it was either marry him or move to another place. So I was going to marry him, but then I met someone. Hakyeon. He made my heart beat fast.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“Ken found out about my plan to run away with Hakyeon and that’s why we ended up here. It’s like I love him, like a brother, and he’s my best friend but he’s making it so hard for me to get along with him because he doesn’t understand that the one that I like is Hakyeon.”
Sojin nods. “But are you sure that you don’t have feelings for Ken?” She tilts her head a bit.
“Not at all. Why would I have feelings for him?”
“Because when you talk about him your eyes sparkle.”
“But I don’t like him. I like Hakyeon who doesn’t hold me back, and he tells me such nice things…”
“Well I hope words aren’t the only things he has for you.” She says and she gets up. “Oh hi Seohyun. You’re a bit early no?”
She giggles. “I couldn’t wait. I had to see it.” Her expression says it all as she walks over to it. “Oh it’s so pretty!”
“Just like you! Do you know who’s doing your hair yet?”
“Ah yes! Eunji is doing my hair. Everything is set, even the place.”
“How did you it to be there?”
“Ah, I’m friends with Hongbin. We went to school to modeling class together when we were younger.”
“Such a shame. He’s done so much good for all of us, yet he lives upset. Such a tragedy.” Sojin sighs.
“I’m sorry I’m completely lost.” I say.
“It’s okay we’ll explain later. Help me wrap this up for her.” Sojin says.
You help her, and when Seohyun is about to leave she stops. “Oh wait I almost forgot! Sojin can you get two pink envelopes out of my purse?”
Sojin grabs them, and hands one to me.
“I’ll see you guys Saturday!” She smiles as she walks out the shop with her big bag.
You open the cute pink envelope, and the sparkling white invitation sits there. There’s a picture of her and the groom, who according to the invitation is named Hyunwoo. I see suddenly see the reason Sojin was freaking out earlier. The wedding is being held in the grand ballroom in the castle.
“Umm I have a question.” I slightly raise my hand.
“What is it?”
“What do you wear to a wedding, at the palace?”
“Ah well everything is always really formal at palaces, especially weddings. So a long dress, simple so it doesn’t outdo the bride. A blouse and a skirt works too, nothing too short, but what you don’t want to do is show up dateless.”
“Why not?”
“Because then you might end up marrying Hongbin.” She whispers.
“What?”
Sojin lets out a laugh. “I’m kidding! You can show up without a date but it’s more fun to have one because then you can dance with them and it’s just more fun. Plus it keeps other people away. Come now, we have work to do.”
“Hmm?”
“We need to find what to wear.” She says and she laughs.
“Wait do we still have that pastel green dress?”
“The one you wanted the first day? Yeah I saved it for you in the back.”
“Perfect.”
You spent the rest of the day helping Sojin make her dress, a lacey violet dress. You loved your pastel green dress. It’s both sweetheart and A line, and goes up to your knees so it seems to fit all the qualifications for not too fancy but not underdressed.
You were walking back home when you heard a familiar voice. You walk in the direction of a café, where Ken sits on a stool with a microphone in his hands, his eyes closed.
What do I love?
What do I care about the most?
I really hope she doesn’t ask me.
Because my answer is you.
You get closer and as he opens his eyes you make eye contact.
Because my answer is you.
Because I only love you.
The audience claps, and I do too. Ken gets up, hand the microphone to a tiny girl, and he walks past me, as if I were invisible. In fact he keeps walking, all the way home, and I have no choice but to follow him in silence.
When I get home he sits there, with his arms crossed at the table, drinking a glass of water. I close the door to the house softly, and contemplate what to do for a second. Then I find myself plopping down in a chair.
“Ken I’m sorry.”
He rests his chin on his hand, looking elsewhere. This has always been the hard part, getting him to forgive me.
“I guess I really hurt you there. I just didn’t know what to-
“Minhee there’s only one thing I want from you.”
“What is it?”
“Since we’re stuck on this island and we have no idea how we’re going to get off, could you forget that Hakyeon exists, at least until we find a way off? I don’t care if you go back to him then, but please, for now, could you pretend he doesn’t exist?” His words sound so harsh, yet carefully practiced as they come out of his mouth.
I close my eyes and let out a breath. Honestly I don’t want to do this, but we’re not going to be stuck on this island forever. I know that much. “I’ll do it. I’ll pretend he doesn’t exist, until we find a way off.”
“Good.” The tone to his voice changes, a bit happier. He drinks the rest of the glass of water and gets up.
“Jaehwan?”
“Hmm?”
“I kind of wanted to ask you if you could… I mean it’s not a big deal and you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to… but could you go to this wedding Saturday with me?”
“Without a doubt.”
It’s the first time you’ve seen him smile in days, and with that smile he leaves the room.
It’s Saturday morning and it feels so warm and cozy, even with my eyes closed, that I don’t want to open them, and when I do, I’m surprised. You back off, and carefully get out of bed so as to not wake Ken.
That’s when I remember he came into the room last night. It’s sort of a sleepy memory, but he had a nightmare.
We’ve been taking turns sleeping on the sofa and the bed the whole time, when really the bed is big enough for both of us. Actually, I don’t see why we don’t sleep in the same bed more often. It’s not like its awkward or anything.
I drink a glass of water, and that’s when I remember the note that Sojin gave me yesterday, the one with her address. I grab my bag and the dress and head out onto the porch. I pass by the window to the bedroom, and Ken is still sleeping.
I walk into town and follow the cute hand drawn map, and for the first time, I wonder where everyone lives, and why our house seems to be so separated from everything else. Regardless I keep walking, and I reach a path, one that doesn’t seem as barren as ours, even if still has a bit of forest.
Then I reach this street I’ve never seen before which has houses, apartments, everything. I feel like I’ve finally found the population of the town, and where they hide them, because from the other side, this island seems so barren, so dead.
I reach the number it says on the paper, and I knock on the door. A sleepy Sojin emerges, hair in a ponytail, still in pajamas.
“Am I too early?”
“Oh no come right in.”
Her house is cute and small, but it is hers.
Her husband sits at the table reading through what looks to be some files.
“Have you had breakfast yet?”
“Ah no. I don’t usually cook, Ken does but he was still asleep so I just decided to leave and not wake him up.”
The man, Kyungil laughs. “I wish Sojin would let me sleep.”
“Hey that’s not true I do let you sleep!” She says, and spins something in a pot.
“On a Saturday? It’s 10am.” He gives her a look, raising one eyebrow.
“12 hours of sleep is not enough for you?”
“I’m just trying to get my beauty sleep so I can compete with my wife.” She laughs as she grabs some bowls, and pours the sweet substance into them. Kyungil smiles, as he gets up to put his papers away. I’ve got to admit, that was pretty smooth.
We all sit and eat, Kyungil is a really pleasant person to be around, and it’s adorable how much he cares about Sojin, from what I’ve seen so far it looks that way to me.
Afterwards, we go to her walk in closet, and we put on our dresses, and Sojin hands me the heels she promised me, they go perfectly with the dress.
We do our makeup, Sojin’s a bit darker to match her dress and mine bright, more of gloss to my lips, and just some shimmer to my eyes.
When it comes to the hair, I watch Sojin put hers into an elegant bun, and sit there not knowing what to do with mine.
After she fines she looks over at me. “OH. You haven’t done anything with it yet?”
“I don’t know what to do.”
She suddenly gets a mischievous grin on her face. “Can I do your hair? Pretty please?”
I smile back at her comment, and give into her request. I don’t understand what she’s doing at first, but she’s making some waves to my hair.
“So does Ken know you’re here?”
“Ah I left him a note on the table. He should be fine if he finds it?”
“If?”
“He misses small things like that sometimes.”
“See! It’s when you talk about him like that, it makes me believe you feel something for him.”
“Unnie!”
“Alright alright, I won’t say it again.”
She’s finally done, and she’s done such a good job you can’t believe what you’re seeing in front of the mirror. It doesn’t even look like you at this point.
I’m about to walk out of her house, when Kyungil comes out of the room, looking like he’s matching perfectly with Sojin.
“Minhee! Can you take a picture of us!” She hands me her Polaroid camera, and I take the picture of them. They’re such a hot couple, it makes me a bit jealous because I’m not sure if I could ever look as good as them together with someone.
I walk back home, heels in my hand, but when I arrive at the porch, I decide to put them on. I enter our house, and there’s no one in the living room or kitchen. So I walk into the bedroom, and that’s when I stop. Ken is buttoning up his shirt in front of the mirror. He suddenly spots me behind him, and he turns around.
“Whoa it’s so bright! AH!” He covers his eyes.
“What is it?”
He makes a small space through his hands “You. You’re shinning.” I find myself still starring at his half buttoned shirt, and suddenly he becomes self-conscious, buttoning it up fast. “Hey that’s not fair! Turn around! I’m not done yet!”
I stand there, with my back to him, but he takes so long I give up and go sit in the living room instead.
He stands at the doorway to our room, He’s in a full suit, and his tie and vest match the color of your dress.
“How did you know?”
“I saw it yesterday.” He says, and that’s when I notice his hair is up. He hasn’t put his hair up since middle school graduation. I thought it was cute back then, but it’s really doing something to me now and I wish I knew why. “What?”
“Your hair… it’s different.”
His hand goes to the back of his head. “Does it look bad?”
“No no, it looks really nice actually. I like it. A lot.” I mean it, but some part of me hopes he doesn’t do that again, because he’s really messing me up. If he keeps it like that I might just fall for him. Minhee what the heck are you saying. Snap out of it.
“Oh. Thanks.” He says and turns towards the door. “Shall we get going?” He asks, happiness beaming from his face.
I can’t help but smile back. I walk back through town, and we follow the signs that lead to the castle. It’s a bit of a walk but I don’t mind because Ken makes it fun. We finally arrive, and I realize the castle is bigger than I thought it was, from far away.
Although it’s strange because when we do get there, there’s no knights like I had picture there would be, there’s no moat or anything. Just two very widely opened doors. We enter, and we hear a very distant melody.
“It’s so big in here, and there’s no signs.”
“Shh. Just follow the music.” He says, putting a finger to your lips.
He leads me through the halls, and then we reach it. A huge ballroom, with golden framed glass doors, decorated in pink flowers everywhere. The ceiling is pure glass, a huge circle leading up to a center point, a star in the glass ceiling.
“Oh. There’s your friend.” Ken says, and he leads us across the room to the table Sojin and Kyungil are at.
“Hey there! Long time no see.” Sojin says, and winks, as her and Kyungil stand up. “Ken I presume?”
“Ah yes! Sojin?” It surprises me a bit how he knows her name, but at the same time is doesn’t. He suddenly turns to Kyungil, who gladly hands him a hand.
“Kyungil.” He has a smirk on his face.
“Ken.” They shake eyes and hold eye contact, it’s a bit nerve wrecking and it feels a bit tense.
We all sit down, and soon enough the lights get dim. There’s a spotlight at the door, and a man enters, walking right in, and stopping at the center of the room, but it’s strange that the man walked in a straight line and knew where to stop, because he’s blindfolded.
Then suddenly, a spotlight comes from the other end of the room, and Seohyun enters. She is also blindfolded. She walks toward the man, most gracefully even in her dress, and when she reaches the middle of the room, she takes the man’s hands. You assume the boy is Hyunwoo.
An older man comes, and takes the blindfold off of Hyunwoo. He also takes the blindfold off of Seohyun. The two stare at each other, smiling.
“Now we didn’t come here to see you two making faces at each other the whole night.” The older man says and the crowd laughs. “So tell me now Hyunwoo do you love this woman? Does she make you happy? Can you see yourself spending all of eternity with her?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I didn’t walk up that hill for nothing, so Seohyun my girl, do not disappoint me.” The whole crowd laughs again. “Hey I’m getting old what do you want me to say.” He laughs at his own commentary, and goes on. “Seohyun, my girl, do you love this man? Does he make you happy? Can you see yourself spending all of eternity with him?”
“Yes.”
“That’s amazing this wasn’t a waste of a walk then. By the power granted to me by Hongbin, I pronounce you husband and wife.” He says and lets out a breath of relief. “You can kiss her you know.”
Seohyun giggles and Hyunwoo kisses her, she kisses him back.
The lights come on and the music starts, and the servers come in with food, placing it in front of everyone. I’ve never seen a wedding like this.
“Sojin.” I say.
“Hmm?”
“Why do they walk in blindfolded?”
“Oh. Well it was a ritual that’s been done since forever I guess. They say the red string of fate will lead you to your soul mate, no matter how blind you are.”
Kyungil starts a pleasant conversation with Ken, when Sojin asks you to accompany you to the bathroom.
Back at the table the two men talk. “You know… you guys look really good together.”
Ken almost chokes on his food. “What?”
“Yeah I was surprised when Minhee said you weren’t married.”
“Why?”
“Are you really that blind? Then again I guess you both are blind. But you’ll come around.”
You get back to the table, and Ken has a half confused look on his face. Kyungil smirks, and when Sojin sits down, he leans into her ear and whispers something. She nods and tries to keep from laughing. “I agree.”
Suddenly there’s the sound of a microphone. “Hello everyone.”
We all turn to the big center table where not only Hyunwoo and Seohyun sit, but also a young boy, blond, and this brown haired man who’s standing up.
“Aish don’t be so silent. I’m not the important one here today.” He says and shakes his head. He smiles slightly. “I want to thank you all for coming to my friends Seohyun and Hyunwoo’s wedding, and I hope you all have a really great time today. Remember, this palace is as much yours as it is mine. So enjoy yourselves.”
Everyone claps at his speech. “That’s King Hongbin.” Sojin whispers.
Ah. That’s him, the guy everyone keeps talking about. The music changes to a bit more upbeat and Hyunwoo and Seohyun open the dance floor. A few more couples go onto the dance floor and then Seohyun pulls Hongbin onto there. Kyungil takes Sojin’s hand and they leave us.
“So, do you want to dance?” I find myself asking. Ken’s gloomy face turns a bit lighter, and I’m still a bit confused on why he’s upset in the first place.
“Let’s dance then.” He’s not smiling yet, but he looks a bit better. He grabs my hand and when we get onto the floor, my hand goes onto his shoulder, his onto my waist. He leads me and I carefully follow him.
“When did you learn to dance?” I ask.
“I didn’t… I’m just copying everyone else.” You laugh at your silly best friend, and he twirls you, causing you to bump into someone else.
You turn to apologize. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
The man’s eyes go big, as he looks at you in shock. “Minhee.” He says, and hugs you.
The whole dance floor stops, and stares. The man holds you by the shoulders. “Minhee do you know who I am?”
You’re so confused, starring at this really handsome man. “King Hongbin? I’m sorry I don’t understand.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to.” He hugs you again, and Ken feels a pang of jealousy hit him. He’s about to do something when a young blond boy, a teenager, approaches them.
“Hyung! You found noona!”
Wow okay so that took longer than i thought it would to write. i was sitting there saturday like hey i can finish but i didn't wanna leave off at a boring spot so yeah that explains this.
:D
Don't kill me haha i'm already dying because finals are next week T_T
anyways i hope you enjoy they chapter my lovelies<3
peace out, i gotta go to work >.<
[edit] yes i have been informed that i accidentally posted the same chapter twice.... LOL sorryyy guys
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