date // yuwin

9.

(Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since I've updated this book. I got writer's block with this one for a bit, but I'm hoping that I'm past it and I can continue to update this book :") you all have been so supportive and ily so much ♡ )

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   "Oh, you must be Yuta!" A women came walking up to Yuta with a big smile on her face as he entered the dining room. "I'm WinWin and Yieun's mother, Mrs. Kang. It's so nice to have you over."

   "WinWin doesn't socialize much." A man, Yuta guessed to be their father, chuckled. "We were starting to get scared he wouldn't make any really good friends before leaving for college."

   "Tell us dear, where do you go to school?" Mrs. Kang asked him with interest.

"I'm in college, actually. I'm currently home for the holidays."

WinWin coughed rather loudly from his chair at the dining table. "Wow, I can't wait to dig in with all of you," he spoke in a monotone voice that was almost sarcastic. "What's taking you all so long?"

   "Please be respectful, Sicheng," his mom told him. "Please, Yuta, sit." She smiled brightly and gently pat Yuta's back to lead him to the table. "I hope you like chicken."

"Everything looks amazing." Yuta's eyes swept over the food set out on the table. It was all set up perfectly and looked like a dining table you would see from a magazine.

"Thank you," Mrs. Kang chuckled while taking her seat. "Let's start eating."

Yuta sat down in the empty seat next to WinWin. He didn't even know where to start with all the food that was presented to him. Throughout his life, Yuta never had the opportunity to sit down with his family and have a nice dinner with both parents. His parents have been separated ever since he was little and he stayed with his father, who was a lousy excuse of one. Yuta had to learn how to take care of himself and be independent at an early age.

"We really appreciate you being there for WinWin," Mr. Kang started as he picked out some food. "Ever since his accident, we weren't sure he would ever make good friends again."

"Dad," WinWin muttered with annoyance.

"Oh, honey," the mom rubbed WinWin's arm and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Why are you acting so irritated?"

   WinWin blew a puff of air out of his mouth while finding his chopsticks. Yuta picked them up and placed them into WinWin's hand. "Thanks," he mumbled.

   "I think WinWin needs to start bringing Penny with him whenever he goes out," Yieun brought up. "He scrapped his knee pretty bad because he tripped over the stairs."

"I thought you already were taking Penny with you," the mom looked over at WinWin with a confused expression.

WinWin shrugged. "I don't go out by myself; therefore, I don't need a guide dog when other people are walking with me."

"We bought a well-trained guide dog specifically for this reason," she told WinWin. Yuta could see the disappointment in her face. "What if something were to happen?"

"Mom, I'm fine," WinWin tried to reassure her in a tone filled with annoyance. "I don't need a guide dog."

"Sweetie, it's been ten years. You can't keep going on, pretending like—"

   "I'm fine," WinWin's voice rose significantly. The room fell silent as everyone's eyes drifted to WinWin. He took in a couple of slow breaths before standing up from the table. "Excuse me." Using his hands along the wall, he left the dining room.

   WinWin's mother bent her head and sighed. His dad reached over and rubbed her back to comfort her. "I'm so sorry, Yuta," she apologized. Her voice stayed at a low volume. "I wish you didn't have to see that. Sometimes WinWin gets irritated when we bring up his blindness." She picked her back up to look at Yuta. "It's been ten years, but he still tries to ignore how dangerous it can be. It's like if he ignores it, somehow he'll be able to see again."

   Yuta bit the inside of his cheek, looking in the direction WinWin left the room. "Do you mind if I go and talk to him?"

   "Not at all," his mother reassured, showing a sad smile.

   "Just a warning," Yieun started, "WinWin is kind of sour during these times."

   Yuta gave her a nod before standing from his chair and walking to find WinWin.

   From his memory, Yuta followed the halls to WinWin's room. The door was cracked and the lights inside where shut off. Yuta slowly pushed the door open to see WinWin sitting on the end of his bed.

   "Mind if I sit with you?" Yuta asked.

   WinWin didn't answer. He only messed with his thumbs while keeping his head slightly bent. Yuta cautiously stepped into his room, pushing the door closed until it was cracked like how it was before. He sat down on the bed next to WinWin and slowly let out a deep breath.

   "I know how it feels," Yuta began in a gentle voice, "to try and ignore things, hoping that it'll go back to how it was before."

   "I'm not ignoring the fact in blind," WinWin muttered.

   "No, I get it. You know it's happening, but it's like..." Yuta looked out of WinWin's window, thinking how to properly form his words. "It's like a hopeless wish that you want so desperately. So you turn away from the truth, even though you know it's there and real as hell. But you don't want to face it."

   WinWin stayed silent. Yuta turned back to him to see his eyes marbled over. "It just sucks. You would think being blind would be something you could get used to, but I can't." WinWin paused and pressed his lips together before continuing. "It's all the things I'll miss out on in life. There's nothing they can do to fix it. I'm stuck, disabled for the rest of my life. People always tell me the incredible things they see, and all I can think of when they say it is the fact that I'll never be able to see the same thing. You don't understand just how beautiful sight is until you can't use it ever again."

   Yuta's eyes scanned WinWin's face in the moonlight that seeped through his window. A single tear streaked down WinWin's face and reflected the pale blue light. Yuta gently moved his thumb across his cheek to wipe away the tear.

   "I'm here for you, WinWin."