"Wait. Are you going alone?" The boy stopped the girl.
"Yes. I've been here many times and have memorized the way. And my house is nearby." The girl replied with a smile.
"But isn't it dangerous to walk alone at night like this? Especially..." The boy didn't finish his sentence.
The girl knew what he was going to say, but she smiled anyway.
"Thank you for your concern. But really, I'm fine."
"But—" Just as the boy was about to approach the girl, he realized he was in a wheelchair.
The boy froze. He wondered what he could do for her in this situation. The sparkle in his eyes faded again.
The girl even though she couldn't see, realized something was wrong. She heard a creaking sound, like a wheelchair.
The girl walked toward him, her cane touching the wheels of his chair. The girl reached out searching for a handle to push his wheelchair.
"What are you doing?" The boy saw her gripping one of the handles.
"If you're worried you can take me home." The girl replied.
"Yes? But I—" Just as the boy was about to refuse, he paused.
The girl continued to hold on to his wheelchair. The boy began turning the wheels and slowly moved forward. The girl followed, holding onto the handle.
"Ah, by the way, how old are you?" The girl asked.
"I'm twenty-one." The boy replied.
"Well, that means we're the same age. You can talk to me comfortably, and I'll do the same." The girl said.
"Yes." The boy nodded.
"After leaving the park boundary, we'll turn left." The girl said.
The boy followed her.
Although the park where they had met was quite quiet, the street was not dark and there were many people passing by. The boy understood why the girl dared to go alone. After walking straight past several houses, the girl stopped.
"This is my house." The girl pointed to one of the houses.
"So close?" The boy was a little surprised because his house was only a few meters from the park.
"I told you. But thank you for walking me home anyway." The girl walked toward the door.
After a few steps, she turned around.
"See you tomorrow." The girl waved and smiled.
"See you later." The boy replied in kind.
The girl entered her house. The boy turned around and returned to the hospital. When he returned, fortunately, no one noticed he was gone.
The boy remained sitting in his wheelchair and stared out the window.
The next night, the boy returned to the park. He saw the girl still sitting there. The boy approached her.
"Are you here?"
"Yes."
"I wanted to show you from the beginning."
The girl stood up and prepared to dance.
Music began to play. Under the moonlight, the girl began to dance ballet.
Her movements were graceful and beautiful. Even though she couldn't see, her steps were sure.
Step by step. Her arms swung.
Her feet stood on tiptoes. Her body spun.
Even though the boy didn't understand ballet, he knew for sure that the girl had practiced very hard to dance so beautifully.
The music stopped. The girl's dance was over. The boy applauded her.
"Very beautiful."
"Thank you." The girl bowed gracefully.
The boy helped guide her to a bench. The girl changed into her regular ballet shoes.
"How long have you been practicing ballet?" The boy asked.
"A long time, probably since elementary school?" The girl replied.
"Once, I saw someone dancing ballet on television. It was called swan lake. She danced so beautifully. Her movements were so soft and graceful. When I saw her, I imagined myself dancing there."
"Then, a thought occurred to me. Could I do it? The training is expensive. I thought maybe I should just give up."
"My mother saw me and approached me. She gently stroked my head. She said, 'If you like it, then do it. Don't worry, I support you.'" The girl recounted the story with nostalgic eyes.
A gentle smile graced her lips. The boy listened intently.
"Your mother is very kind." Said the boy.
The girl nodded.
"Ah, it's time to go back." The girl adjusted her cane.
"I'll walk you." The boy said.
The girl didn't refuse, and they walked together, just like yesterday.
As they walked, a strange feeling welled up in his chest. A slight feeling of envy for the girl, who was supported by her mother to do what she wanted. But even so, the boy smiled unconsciously. Because there was also another feeling deep within him.
They arrived.
"Will you be there again tomorrow?" The boy asked.
"Yes. Do you want to see me again?"
"If I may."
"Of course." The girl smiled.
She waved goodbye and entered her house. The boy returned to his hospital room.
The next night, they met again. He watched the girl's dance with admiration.
"Can I ask you something?" The boy asked.
"Yes." The girl nodded.
"I apologize in advance if I was rude."
"Go ahead and ask."
"That... What happened to your eye?" The boy asked hesitantly.
The girl was taken aback for a moment.
"I-If you don't want to answer, don't worry. I apologize." The boy lowered his head.
Instead of getting angry, the girl chuckled.
"No, it's okay. I thought you wanted to ask something with that tense attitude."
"You're not angry?"
The girl shook her head.
"It's not a strange question. In fact, I was wondering why you didn't ask."
"So, it was about three years ago. I was on my way home when a clay flower pot fell and hit me in the head. It broke, and I fainted."
"When I opened my eyes, everything went black. I was so scared. I screamed and cried every time I woke up. Luckily, my mother always calmed me down. Although it was very difficult for me, I slowly began to accept my condition."
"And now here I am." The girl smiled.
The boy was silent for a moment.
"You're truly amazing, being able to dance so beautifully even though you can no longer see." Said that boy.
Tears welled up in the girl's eyes.
"Wh-why are you crying?" The boy was shocked.
"No... I didn't expect to hear such praise." The girl wiped away her tears.