A fragrant scent of grass tickled his nose. Woo Jin unconsciously reached out his hand, then withdrew it.

“What is it?”

“A houseplant.”

At the mention of a houseplant, Woo Jin’s face hardened.

“You want me to grow something I can’t even see?”

“This is not for seeing, but for touching.”

“What?”

“Can I touch your hand for a moment, Seol Woo Jin?”

“No.”

“Aw, come on, just once.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she grabbed his hand and placed it on the plant.

Feeling her warm body temperature on the back of his hand and the rough texture on his palm, Woo Jin couldn’t pull his hand away and ended up staying still as she guided him.

“Stroke it like this. Like this.”

She moved Woo Jin’s hand up and down slowly while holding the back of it.

“Then the fragrance becomes stronger. Isn’t it amazing?”

The woman’s voice was somewhat excited. However, as soon as she stopped moving his hand, Woo Jin roughly pushed her hand away.

“Ah, why!”

“I hate things like houseplants. Did you check if there are any bugs in the pot? I want to wash my hands.”

Woo Jin abruptly stood up, went straight into his room, and closed the door.

What the… He’s a germaphobe too? Oh my…

Even so, she suddenly realized there was also a bathroom inside the room. However, having been blatantly rejected after bringing the plant with such consideration, she muttered in embarrassment.

“Fine. What business does a plant have with that temper? Even plants would wither prematurely in this house.”

As she was about to put the plant back in the shopping bag, she paused and stared at the room he had entered for a long time.

Then she soon picked up the pot and placed it on top of the living room cabinet. Deep in the corner so he wouldn’t bump into it when walking back and forth.

“You try to fix that temper of his here. Just keep emitting phytoncides without needing to be touched. Then won’t that person become a bit softer? Don’t you think? That person, if he lives with that personality as it is, he won’t be able to have a social life his whole life? It’s not because he can’t see that he can’t do it, but because of his temper. But he’ll probably think it’s because he can’t see? Come to think of it, I should start having a social life too… Ah, I should really get a job somewhere. It’s stifling, so stifling.”

Not realizing that Woo Jin’s door was slightly open, Soo Young rambled on to the plant.

Having tossed and turned the night before, and feeling tense from the unfamiliar sensation, Woo Jin was inhaling powder from a nebulizer held to his nose and mouth as his breathing became uncomfortable.

He could hear her chattering in the living room.

At first, he thought she was on the phone, but it didn’t seem like it. Who is she asking to fix my temper?

She says it’s not because of his eyes, but because of his temper that he can’t have a social life. Why is she worrying about my social life?

Then she started worrying about her own job search. Now that I look at it, she’s got her own problems yet she’s…

On the other hand, he wondered why she was so interested in him. Listening to her, it didn’t seem like simple pity. Does she have some interest in me?

Then, as he remembered his own situation, a bitter smile appeared. Are you crazy, Seol Woo Jin?

The previous helper said she would come back in about 3 weeks. Only 2 weeks left now. What will that woman do then? Will she just continue preparing for job applications?

Whatever she did, the fact that she wouldn’t be coming in two weeks made him uncomfortable again, and he deeply inhaled the fine drug particles emitted by the machine.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Ahem, ahem.”

Ji Hyun stared blankly at Woo Jin, who kept clearing his throat while eating.

“Don’t look. I’m fine.”

Woo Jin said as he drank water, making Ji Hyun chuckle. This kid, at times like this he really seems like he can see.

“There’s a houseplant in the living room? Did Soo Young bring it?”

“Yeah.”

It seems she pushed it into a corner so I couldn’t touch it, but I noticed right away because of the scent. Is that woman an idiot?

“You don’t like potted plants, right? Because of bugs.”

“Yeah.”

“Should I throw it away for you?”

“Leave it.”

When Woo Jin replied coldly, Ji Hyun stared at him intently. My, he’s changed. Is it because of that woman?

“Cough, cough.”

As his throat clearing turned into coughing, Ji Hyun immediately took out his phone.

“I’m fine- cough! I said- cough, cough!”

Woo Jin tried to stop him, realizing Ji Hyun was calling someone, but he didn’t seem to listen.

After a few exchanges, in less than 30 minutes, a man with graying hair visited Woo Jin’s house.

Sitting on the sofa and examining Woo Jin’s body with a stethoscope, he smiled kindly and said,

“It seems your bronchitis has recurred due to a cold. I’ll send a nurse with medicine, so take it 30 minutes after eating.”

When Woo Jin was rescued from the fire scene, he had no external injuries.

However, because he had inhaled so much smoke, his bronchi were severely damaged. Although it improved with consistent treatment, chronic bronchitis was unavoidable.

As a result, whenever he caught a cold or on days with high fine dust, he inevitably suffered from coughing, phlegm, and difficulty breathing, but each time, Dr. Kang comforted Woo Jin, saying that considering the people who died then, this much eye damage or bronchitis was nothing.

“Your face looks a bit better than when I last saw you. Are you eating well?”

Dr. Kang Hyung Min was an elderly doctor who had been the personal physician of Woo Jin’s grandfather, Chairman Seol Ma Jung, for 40 years.

He had watched Ji Hyun and Woo Jin since they were born, so he was like family to these brothers.

However, when Woo Jin went blind, Dr. Kang Hyung Min was in charge of various tests and treatments, which made Woo Jin despise him. As a result, he often behaved incredibly rudely, but Dr. Kang just soothed and comforted him, thinking, “That’s just how he is.”

“He doesn’t eat breakfast, but he does eat lunch and dinner regularly.”

Ji Hyun replied kindly instead of Woo Jin, who didn’t answer and moved away from him to sit down.

“Good. You need to eat well first, exercise alone doesn’t make your body healthy.”

“What’s the point of eating a lot if I don’t even go outside? I’ll just get fat.”

Woo Jin grumbled as if for him to hear, but Dr. Kang replied with a consistently affectionate smile.

“That’s why you should go outside sometimes. Do you know how nice the weather is these days?”

As the usual repertoire repeated, Woo Jin straightened his clothes and abruptly got up to go into his room.

Despite Woo Jin’s rude behavior, Dr. Kang’s expression didn’t change as he gently asked Ji Hyun,

“Woo Jin has changed. How come he received the examination in the living room and didn’t push my hand away?”

“Yes. It seems he’s become friendly with the housekeeping assistant, so he’s eating well and coming out to the living room often.”

Then Dr. Kang asked with a surprised expression,

“Ah, the housekeeper changed?”

“Yes. The previous one injured her back, so her niece is coming instead, and it seems she gets along well with Woo Jin.”

“Oh, that’s very good. Very good indeed!”

He exclaimed with genuine joy.

“Then will that young lady continue coming?”

“Well, since she’s coming as a substitute… She’ll probably only come for about 2 more weeks.”

“Then Ji Hyun, you should find a way for that young lady to keep coming.”

“Me?”

Ji Hyun asked, slightly taken aback.

“Yes. Didn’t you just say that thanks to that young lady, Woo Jin is coming out to the living room and eating? If she only comes for 2 weeks and then stops, won’t he go back to how he was before?”

“Ah, I suppose that’s true.”

“So you should try to find a way.”

Dr. Kang patted Ji Hyun’s shoulder, who was a head taller than him, with a bright smile. It was a precious smile that only appeared when a patient showed signs of recovery.

[This is the timeline separator]

Soo Young got off at the bus stop and looked up at the shopping complex in front of her, lost in thought. It was good to eat lunch every day, but menu selection was quite troublesome.

Ji Hyun had told her to buy whatever she wanted to eat, and if Woo Jin wanted to eat it, they’d eat together, and if not, not to force him, but since they were eating anyway, she wanted to buy something Woo Jin would enjoy.

The grilled intestines she bought on the weekend were a complete failure. Even though she clearly told him it was intestines, he put it in his mouth without much reaction, but as soon as he chewed once, he went to the sink to spit it out and made a fuss.

He didn’t forget to make a disgusted expression while asking how she could put such a thing in her mouth.

Intestines are so delicious. And how expensive they are! I bought them with such consideration. He seemed not to know what intestines were. Or maybe he knew but it was his first time eating them.

From then on, she became much more careful in menu selection. What should I buy today? They say the most common thing mothers say is “What should we eat today?”, and she too always worried about what to feed him before going to work.

Just then, the smell of chicken wafted from somewhere. Huh? Was there a chicken place here?

Looking around hurriedly, she saw chicken being grilled on skewers inside a truck. That’s it!

The price was cheap too. Two for 10,000 won! Soo Young ran towards the truck without hesitation.

[This is the timeline separator]

Although she proudly set up the chicken on a plate, Woo Jin’s expression wasn’t very pleased.

“There’s a whole chicken in front of you, Woo Jin, and a fork on your right, on your left…”

“Debone it.”

“What?”

“I said debone it for me.”

This jerk…!

“Is this some kind of fish? Debone it? Just pick it up and eat!”

“I don’t want to touch it. You debone it and give it to me.”

Wow. I told my friends I was taking a gap year, but now I see I’m babysitting. Having to debone even chicken… This has nothing to do with his eyes, right?

However, Woo Jin found the whole process of holding and tearing apart the chicken, removing bones, all while not being able to see, too bothersome. He’d rather not eat at all.

Just imagining it made him feel his appearance would be too unseemly.

“If it’s too much trouble to debone, forget it.”

As he was about to get up, Soo Young quickly grabbed his arm, then let go and exclaimed,

“Ah, okay, okay! I’ll debone it, sit down!”

“Are you going to tear it with your hands?”

“Yes!”

Although she shouted with intentional anger, Woo Jin calmly replied,

“Then wash your hands before tearing.”

Huh… Ugh… Soo Young wanted to hit him on the head once with the fork, but she suppressed it with heaven-given patience and stood up.

As she stood up, his gaze followed her movement.

“Where are you going?”

“To see if there are any disposable gloves!”

“Why are you angry?”

“I’m not angry?”

“Your voice sounds angry though? Don’t lie just because I can’t see.”

Looking at him, who didn’t lose a single word, she wondered what his mother ate when she was pregnant with him.

Even while cursing inside, she deboned the meat for him, and he picked it up well with chopsticks. Seeing him eat well made her feel good, and her voice naturally became sweet.

“Is it delicious?”

“Salty.”

A dry answer came back. Soo Young spoke through gritted teeth, as if muttering,

“There’s cola on your left.”

“Don’t talk with your teeth clenched. I don’t like hearing it.”

“Seol Woo Jin.”

“What.”

“What did your mother dream about when she was pregnant with you? A raccoon? A hyena?”

At that, Woo Jin lifted his head as he was about to put the chicken in his mouth.

“What about you? A badger? A fox?”

Although he started it first, Soo Young felt slightly annoyed at his retort. Meanwhile, the corners of Woo Jin’s mouth were slightly raised.

“It was a white horse, you know?”

As she spoke in a sulky voice, Woo Jin tilted his head as if surprised.

“A white horse?”

“Yes. My mom said she dreamed of riding a white horse and flying high in the sky.”

“Is that… really your pregnancy dream? Wasn’t it someone else’s?”

“No, it’s not? She said she got pregnant with me right after having that dream.”

“Tell her to look for someone else. There must have been someone else pregnant around that time.”

“Why would someone else’s pregnancy dream be stolen? Your personality is really weird. For you, it must be a raccoon, right? I can’t think of any other animal.”

“It was an eggplant.”

“What?”

“Mom said she picked an eggplant.”

Suddenly, Soo Young’s face turned bright red up to her neck. She quickly lowered her head in case Woo Jin might notice.

Although he couldn’t see her reddened face, Woo Jin’s mouth corners became somewhat wicked after hearing her breath stop for a moment.

“You… What were you thinking?”

“Ah, I wasn’t thinking anything.”

“You were thinking something.”

“Huh, just because you can’t see doesn’t mean you can pretend to read minds! I really wasn’t thinking anything?”

“Then why did you hold your breath?”

“Wh-when did I?”

“You stopped breathing as soon as I said eggplant.”

“I-I was eating chicken!”

“I didn’t hear any chewing sounds though?”

This man must have superpowers, just unable to see. Soo Young unconsciously stuffed the chicken breast she was holding into his mouth.

“Mmph! Ptooey! What is this!”

“It’s chicken breast. For your stamina.”

“What do I need stamina for?”

“Well, what would you use it for?”

“To show you the eggplant?”

This, this crazy…! A blind, lewd demon transformed into a human was giggling in front of Soo Young.