I didn't like my school very much.

There were basically two buildings that made up the high school. One was the regular main building, where all the normal kids bustled around, gossiping and tossing their hair at us.

Us.

The second building was the "lame-o" building. We the lame kids weren't in the same boat as the true special ed kids. Those kids shared the main building with the normal kids, or should I say the "healthy" kids. They were adored and babied by everyone in that building. They were constantly sent cards, paid visits, and given loving hugs from all the teachers and students.

We weren't officially special ed, so we were put in the "second building." It was complete bull, according to basically everyone, but nobody trusted our words since most of us had some sort of attention defecit disorder.

Because we weren't officially special ed but we were separated into a different building due to our slightly different educational needs. We were picked on constantly. The kids in the first building must have had five different nicknames for each kid learning in the second building.

For example, I was "derp eyes," "chipmunk," "Hellen Keller," "crybaby," and  "weird blind kid."

I think it was a Friday when I received the big news. The bell rang at 2:45 as it was supposed to and usually did, and my teacher's assistant got to his feet and approached me as he usually did.

"Hey, Seokjin," I said, bowing as he helped me pull on my backpack. I couldn't see Seokjin very clearly - because hell, I couldn't see anything very clearly - but it was noticeable even to me that Seokjin was good looking and sweet-faced. I liked him a lot, because he treated me like a human, not like a broken pair of eyes.

"How was your day, Kookie?" he asked as I grabbed his arm. This was a daily routine for us. He would guide me down the stairs to the drop off lane and help me into the back seat of my umma's car, and she would always thank him endlessly. She had a bad hip and preferred not to walk upstairs to get me.

"Great, how was yours?" I replied automatically as we walked through the halls. I stayed close to him because I didn't feel like bumping into any ADHD kids and getting a good lecture.

"It was the usual," he said in his smooth, pleasant voice. "You know I love you, kid, but I'm starting to wish I had taken my open last period to go nap at home instead of hang out here."

I knew I probably should have been offended, but I only chuckled. Seokjin's honesty was refreshing. "I know what you mean. Regular high school is probably worse than this place anyways."

"You'll get your eyes back before the end of the year, Kookie."

I barely contained a sigh at his words but didn't reply. Seokjin was more honest to me than anybody, so I could only assume his persistent belief that I wouldn't be mostly-blind forever was a true one.

Umma was waiting in the car in her usual spot, and immediately leaned back over the car seat to thank Seokjin when the door was opened. "Thank you so much, Seokjin."

"My pleasure," he said with a friendly laugh. "Jungkook is a good kid, I like taking him around."

I grinned shyly at my mom and patted Seokjin's shoulder. "I can take it from here, thanks buddy."

"I'll see you on Monday, bro." As soon as Seokjin shut the door, Umma started driving and talking at the same time, which she often struggled with.

"Calm down, umma," I said quickly. "One or the other."

"Right. I'll just talk slowly," she said with an embarrassed chuckle. "I was going to wait until your father got home to tell this to both of you, but I can't wait. I could barely even wait until Seokjin shut the door."

I drew my eyebrows together. What could possibly be so exciting that she couldn't tell the trustworthy and humble teacher's aid (who she probably had a crush on) Seokjin? "What is it?"

"You..." she took a deep breath and lifted her hands off the wheel for a second so she could shake them ecstatically.

"Umma!"

"You're getting your sight back, Kookie. There's an available surgery that...usually works."

My heart skipped a few beats too many. I dropped my jaw at her, clutching at the window like it was my new best friend. "My...my....what? My sight?"

I dimly saw the shadow of her head nodding vigorously. "Yes. Dr. Gong said so today, he said there's an available surgery. It has a 60% success rate..."

I froze up as that sunk in. 60% only? Wasn't that...a little risky? "What happens if it doesn't work?"

"Then it just doesn't work, Kookie. Then we're back to square one. I told him I'd ask you about it..."

I almost smiled. She was almost as excited, if not just as excited, as I was. "Of course I want to try it umma, but isn't it expensive?"

"Don't you dare worry about that."

I sighed, but at that point I couldn't even bring myself to worry. There was a possibility that I would be able to see. To see! I didn't even know what to expect or imagine, other than maybe a few more shadows. I knew all the colors but I had no idea what any of them looked like.

"Tell him I want to do it, then."

"I will, right away!" she said, suddenly squealing with delight. "Oh Kookie, I'm so excited for you! The earliest we can get in the surgery is next Saturday, a week from tomorrow."

"The earlier the better I guess," I said. Was this really happening? Just like that, I had a chance to get my retinas surgically altered? It felt like a dream. I wasn't going to believe it until it happened. 

I was going to get out of the second building. I was going to go to normal high school. I would get to eat lunch with Seokjin and his friends who he talked about all the time instead of the slightly special ed kids who scared me on a daily basis.

It didn't feel real.

...

The weekend and even the week went by in a blur. I kept myself busy in order to avoid stretching out time to the max. I did a lot of homework, I went to a movie with Seokjin (movies sounded cool even if I could only see some weird shapes and shadows), and I exercised whenever I had free time. Maybe going onto the operating table with a healthy body increased the chances of success.

Seokjin had been ecstatic when I told him about the surgery. He hugged me about twenty times that day and didn't hesitate to rub it in my face that he'd been calling it all along, but I was too happy to care that he was right and I was wrong.

I couldn't sleep the night before the surgery. The appointment was scheduled for noon, and even my appa was going to come, even though it conflicted with his crazy work schedule. It was going to be a make or break day in my life, that was for sure.

Saturday, October 25th. It was going to be my day.

Going into the operation room was scarier than I had expected. I thought I would be skittering around with excitement, bouncing up and down like a child on Christmas Day, and begging them to jam their tools into my eye sockets already, but at that point I felt sick with nerves.

"Good luck, my angel," my umma said, taking my face in her hands and kissing both of my cheeks twice. "Be brave."

"Okay," I said, trying to conceal how nervous I was with a relaxed grin. Appa pulled me into a tight embrace, squeezing me so hard I thought he must have been more nervous than I was. "Whoa, Appa, ow."

"Sorry. Go in there and be strong, son."

"Okay," I said again, sniffling once and quickly regretting it. Even I could see how concerned they were.

"You'll be fine, honey," Umma insisted. 

"Jeon Jungkook?" a doctor called from the doorway.

Without another word, Umma took my arm and led me towards him.

Not much talking happened after my umma left me in the operating room. There were several surgeons present...three, maybe four, or maybe the last moving shape was a machine. The main surgeon asked me how my day was going and I told him it was good, asking him how his was as well.

They got right to it. I didn't even remember when they knocked me out, but I stayed out for another eight hours, spending six of those asleep with patches on my eyes as I healed.

...

"Can you see me?"

I blinked my eyes over and over, staring up into the blinding white light in my attempt to focus my brain. Everything was fuzzy, but nonetheless there were colors there...colors. 

Please log in to read the full chapter