“Tell me what does this stands for,” Soojung brings a finger, placing it onto a music symbol written in braille. Rest, her student replies. Soojung smiles, “Very good. We’ve covered most of the notes today, I’ll see you again next Saturday okay? Please continue revising what we’ve learnt so far.”

Soojung has been teaching other visually impaired children piano at the student care centre for about over a year now in order to earn some extra money to feed the family and pay off debts. There is so much she needs to pay for and one job will never be enough, if not for Mrs. Park’s help.  

Soojung doesn't even know how this part time career of hers came about. She started learning piano when she was five and except once where she was too distracted by the new boy at class and the other time where she first encounters this permanent blackout in her life, she never really struggled with piano. She still remembers how surprised she was when her first student engaged her for piano classes and have been very happy teaching ever since.

She hurries off to school (again) to attend her sister’s mini choral recitation. She had promised Soomin that she would there at every single one of her choral recitation to support her, leaving her sister with all smiles. 

“Unnie! Remember the new dance teacher I was talking to you about? The young and handsome one? The one that I said have been really patient and nice even though I’ve been so extremely hopeless in dancing? Mr. Kim? He’s right over there! Hmm, about twenty steps northeast? You should really meet him,” Soomin blabbers on (a little too much for a eleven year old girl) and pulls Soojung along. 

“Hello, my favourite student,” Jongin coos and reaches out to ruffle Soomin’s hair. “Teacher, meet my pretty sister!” The latter giggles and delightfully announce as she points to Soojung. 

“Hello, Mr. Kim? Thank you for taking care of our Soomin,” Soojung smiles. She’s really glad that her precious sister got to meet a nice teacher that she likes. People often say you’ll learn better when you like the teacher, isn’t it? 

Soomin excuses herself, invited by her classmates for a photo. The mentioned man diverted his gaze to the lady. “Oh, it’s you!” Jongin’s eyes brighten up. The ceramic girl, he remembers. “Remember me? I’m the one that bumped into you, or rather you bumped into, the other day?”  Or more like few weeks ago, he thinks.

Soojung laughs, remembering the incident. “Oh yes. Really sorry about the other day, I just needed someone to blame on for my broken figure… And, thank you for the plaster.” She says gingerly, biting her lips and flashing him an apologetic look. 

Jongin breaks into a grin. “It’s nothing. Is your finger better?”  Soojung nods and mumbles a thank you for asking. 

“I’m Jongin, by the way. Nice to meet you,” he introduces.  

Soojung, she replies, eyes crinkling up into perfect slits that reminded him of the brilliant moon he sees on late bus rides home. He notices her outfit (a plain white button up blouse, accompanied by a long floral skirt right till her ankle) and wonders how she gets so prettily dressed up every time even though she couldn’t see. 

They ended up sitting at a small cozy cafe hours later, face to face, coffee in hand, words never ending.  Talked about their life, all the things they liked, all the things they wanted to do but never got the chance to. Soojung tells Jongin about how she recognise people by feeling their faces, laughing thinking it’s weird somehow. He tells her that he thinks it’s cool, and lets her feels his too by placing her hands on his face. She carries on about how she could used to see, how she used to be really happy, until that incident. 

He assures her that he everything will be okay, that she could still be happy. That he had to undergo a major life and death lung surgery when he was seven and look at me now, he says, aren’t I still alive and kicking? Everything will get better, Soojung-ah.

She goes on about how much she likes to read in the past, until she lost her sight and is unable to anymore. And he tells her that he will read to her from now on. 

“So you just moved here?” she asks and he nods. "Ah, yes. I'm sorry I forgot you-" Jongin quickly clarifies. “I used to teach at Seoul Academy at town. Was sent here few weeks ago for a workshop kind of thing. Wasn’t keen to but now I don’t regret it a single bit,” he says, eyes crinkling up into mini crescents. 

She laughs. Strangely, she feels so comfortable and free around him. Even when they’ve officially known each other for only hours. 

“Here,” Jongin pushes over a box, and brings Soojung hands to it. He notices the surprise expression on her face and goes, “I still owe you something, remember? Open it”, smiling gently.  

It’s a ceramic figure. A somehow disfigured one, she could tell by the feel of it. “Look, I tried my best okay? I think that’s amazing for someone who just picked this up for a week.” He defends himself. Soojung can’t help but smile, “I think it’s amazing too. Thank you for your effort, Jongin-ah.”