opia | k. hitachiin

1 | blind girl

She was six when she lost her sight.

It was a fleeting moment where she knew the wooden floors would be the last thing she was going to see. The pain didn't even register until she woke up in the hospital, surrounded by her weary-faced father and her worried brother or so she was told. 

She couldn't even remember what happened. She couldn't remember what caused it and she spent the first year hating herself and flinching at any sound made around her—a blindfold over her eyes for the rest of her life and the world never felt bleaker.

The mystery behind her lost sight was never revealed and she didn't fight for the truth. It made no difference. She wasn't curious. Instead, she was scared to her core and she truly knew the meaning of those words when she faced the real world after a week of being bedridden.

All that entertained her nowadays was the weekly day in the park with her brothers and her lovely guide dog, Aki.

A Braille book in her lap and a bottle of water was what she considered perfect in this autumn weather. Kei was supervising Sora playing in the slides, swings and whatever was built there. She knew he kept an eye on her. They were so close before the incident and it killed him that was never the same after. She remained closed off no matter how hard she tried. And she did. Many times she tried going to his bedroom to see what he was up to but then she's reminded that she couldn't in fact see and then she loses herself in a spiral of depressing thoughts.

It didn't matter to her if the people around her looked at her—a girl running her fingers over the pages of a book and looking pointedly somewhere strange. Basically, she looked like she was casting a spell, she was sure of that. So when she heard his voice, her finger stumbled on the last few words and she tilted her head.

"Hey." A bit high-pitched, young and probably around her age.

"Are you talking to me?" She had to ask. She was not going to pay him any mind otherwise.

"Yes, who else?" He said it with laughter in his tone as to not seem rude but she still couldn't help but get offended.

"Maybe someone who isn't blind like me."

She was not going to apologise. No, that was not harsh. She did not have feelings. No, she shouldn't be sorry, she wasn't sorry, nope, no—damn it.

"I'm sorry about that." She closed her book and bowed her head a little to seem sincere but she didn't hear a direct reply. Instead, she felt him sit beside her and Aki moving closer to him to loudly sniff at his presence.

"Wait, so you're blind blind?" What does that even mean? "Like you can't see anything? Not even a little? That is so cool."

"No, I can't see anything and how is that cool? Do you know hard it is to walk around, not knowing what is around you in the first place? It's not co— are you waving your hand in front of my face?"

"So you can see."

"No, you moron, I can feel some wind and I can hear your sleeves moving."

"Wow." She would've called Kei to smack him the hell away if it weren't for the real awe in his voice. It was so genuine and child-like and that's where her social skills stopped. Luckily, she didn't have to say anything. "That's exactly why it's cool! Your other senses are heightened, you could probably hear an ant walking a metre away from you or, or even taste the flour in some cakes."

"I'm blind. I didn't get bitten by a radioactive spider." She chuckled, unable to not get amused at his imagination. And he let out an embarrassed sound that might've had her pity him but he put himself in this position in the first place. "Also no one can taste flour in cakes unless there's something inherently wrong with the cake."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right." She heard two light slaps layering each other and she guessed it was his palms against his lap or something. "Well, it was nice talking to you, blind girl—"

"Ai."

"Ai, I'm Kaoru, thank you for asking, but I need to go find my friends. Go on with your fascinating life, don't let me stop you. Goodbye."

"Bye," she said plainly, smiling at his outro and returned to her book. But she couldn't focus. All she had in mind was a sweet-toned voice telling her that she had a fascinating life. 

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"Ai, honey, I need to talk to you."

A large calloused hand engulfed her own and the deep baritones of her father carried her to a couch. It was leather and had a strong sandalwood smell so she knew they were in his office.

The door clicked shut after her father briefly greeted Kei and Sora. They have just come back from the park, barely even passing the doors to his working place when he appeared.

She felt the couch dip with an invading weight and then the comforting warmth of his body. His hand held hers again and she knew it was going to be a long talk.

"Ai, sweetheart," he started, always with the endearing fatherly words, "you know how much I love you and do my best to provide you with the best life. I was thinking that maybe it's time for you to get out there and step out of your comfort zone, you know?"

The last few words already had her tasting bile at the back of her throat. "What do you mean, dad? I'm perfectly fine the way I am."

"Don't you want friends? And don't say you have books, I'm talking about real human interactions, actual high school experience. Friends, crushes, ride-or-dies or whatever you kids call it nowadays."

She couldn't help but snort and smile at him. It was very tempting to please him and say yes to all of that. But she really didn't want to. It's scary enough sitting on a bench in a park. He wanted her to go to school. To a huge place full of kids her age that will criticise her, mock her or make her feel like an outcast.

"I want all of that dad but I also don't want to feel like the weirdo. The blind kid. Just today, a guy called me blind girl instead of just asking for my name like he probably would've with a normal girl. Can you imagine a huge school full of rich kids could do? It will be more than just blind girl, it will be weirdo, freak."

He heaved a sigh stronger than her words but she kept going.

"Besides that, I'm blind and I need constant guidance and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't allow me to bring Aki. Maybe a cane but seriously what if I walked into the wrong class? What if I walked into the boys' bathroom? Oh my God, or worse, the boys' locker room. Dad, it's suicide."

Ai heard a chuckle and his hand travelled to her shoulder to grip it in support.

"Honey, all of those things are fixable. You'd have a guide and I asked the chairman for the kindest one he has—"

"So basically a teacher's pet."

"—and, let me finish, they will be with you all throughout the year, you could even make friends with them. As for the taunts you're worried about, well it all depends on you. I would hate nothing more than to send you to a place where you're belittled but I promise, just one semester and if you tell me you want out then your wish is my command."

If somebody heard him say this, they would immediately assume that she had him wrapped around her little finger. And it's true. It's also true the other way around—once a daddy's girl always a daddy's girl—so without even needing to see his eyes that she remembered looked so much like caramel being stirred in a pot, she agreed begrudgingly and crossed her arms.

"One semester."

"I promise."