A cute blind soul || Soulmate AU || BTS OT7 x reader

CHAPTER 8

Selia's life had become confined to the walls of her house ever since she crossed paths with Jin. The solace she once found in the park had faded away, as she found herself unable to gather the courage to venture outside. The mere thought of leaving Jin behind terrified her, despite her nagging intuition that she had to do so. Curiously, with each step she took away from him, her headaches intensified, exacerbating her fears.

Furthermore, Selia had become increasingly suspicious of her aunt, sensing that she was concealing something important from her. The guilt she detected in her aunt's voice during their conversations only added to Selia's growing unease. It was evident that her aunt harbored some form of guilt, but Selia couldn't quite pinpoint its origin or nature.

Although her aunt sounded guilty, she did make attempts to coax Selia out of the house, as she did on this particular day. "Come on, Selia, it's time for you to go out. I have errands to run, and you're coming with me," her aunt commanded, adopting a different approach from her usual pleading. "Selia, your parents wouldn't want this for you," her aunt added, striking a nerve within Selia. It was a low blow that set Selia's mind spinning. This was going too far. She couldn't tolerate it any longer.

"Fine, I will come with you," Selia reluctantly agreed, muttering to herself about her aunt and cursing her multiple times under her breath.

Selia, clutching her white cane, reluctantly stood up, prepared to step outside, or at least it appeared so. Resentment filled her heart as she despised her aunt for coercing her into leaving the comfort of her home. However, Selia, being physically weak and visually impaired, found herself without any other options. She heavily relied on her white cane and the assistance of others to navigate her surroundings and undertake even the simplest of tasks.

With a cheerful tone, her aunt urged, "Let's go." Selia couldn't help but wonder if her aunt's enthusiasm stemmed from the desire to free Selia from the confines of their house. It had been a daunting two weeks since Selia's encounter with Jin, and during that time, she had remained within the confines of her home without stepping foot outside. Curiously, Selia refrained from questioning this prolonged seclusion.

On one occasion, Selia overheard her aunt mention that the nearest supermarket was a mere 10-minute walk away. However, Selia's heart sank as she realized that reaching the destination would require navigating numerous flights of stairs, which posed a significant challenge for her.

As Selia and her aunt approached the supermarket, Selia found herself out of breath from climbing the stairs. In that moment, she couldn't help but question why stairs were invented in the first place. She pondered why escalators or lifts couldn't be installed everywhere instead, sparing her from the exertion. However, it seemed that stairs were a ubiquitous feature, present in countless locations.

Curious about their shopping needs, Selia asked her aunt, "What do you need from the store, Auntie?" Concerned about their evening meal, her aunt replied, "Oh, we need some food for today. If we don't have dinner, we'll have nothing until tomorrow when the errands come to us. So, let's hurry, we're here." Surprisingly, Selia couldn't detect any sense of guilt in her aunt's voice this time, which struck her as odd.

As they entered the supermarket, Selia struggled to keep up with her aunt's movements. Being visibly impaired, she couldn't see where her aunt was leading her, and her aunt had to hold onto her arm for support. This situation caused Selia to feel a sense of panic, but soon she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Apologetically, her aunt said, "Sorry, Selia, I forgot. But I already have everything I need. I just realized I require something from the store across the street. Here's my credit card, you know the code. I'll be back soon, okay?" Before Selia could respond, her aunt's hand was gone, leaving her alone once again.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Selia made her way to the checkout counter. Fortunately, there was no queue, or at least she thought so. After swiftly paying for their items, Selia exited the store. Standing just before the crossing, she positioned herself so that her aunt would spot her immediately. However, before she had waited for long, she felt a sudden push on her back, causing her to stumble forward. Yet, she never made contact with the ground. Instead, someone caught her, their touch eliciting a peculiar sensation throughout her body, like a series of electric shocks.

"Miss, are you alright?" a concerned voice asked. Selia's head spun as she tried to comprehend the situation. Amidst the chaos, she heard her aunt yell out her name. Her aunt swiftly intervened, pulling her away from the embrace of the mysterious man. As the man released his grip on Selia's bare arm, her aunt reproachfully addressed him, saying, "I'm sorry, sir, but you can't just go around embracing random girls." With that, her aunt proceeded to drag Selia away from the bewildering encounter.