The bright light in the isolation zone in the middle of the road suddenly appeared in a circular shape, and then gradually disappeared and turned dark. The light came on again, but like fireworks at night, it eventually disappeared. The air around him was dead silent, only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard, and everything in front of him became hazy again.

Although the nong's eyes were hazy, he was very familiar with the surrounding environment, and he did not want to pay too much attention to the depressive atmosphere. There was no hope. Doctors started treating him a long time ago, but is his vision improving every day?

"You are Danaiyanat Koprannaphakun, right?" A familiar voice sounded, and the nong confirmed.

"Based on the eye exam and the vision test, I think things don't look good. The function of your eyes has declined since the last time you were checked. I don't want you to be too worried, but I still want you to be prepared."

It was becoming increasingly difficult for Day to remember what the doctor looked like. Now he can see the water and the doctor said word by word, but in fact everything is blurry. It's as if the world around you is blocked by a thick curtain of water. If he wanted to see clearly, he had to get as close as possible. But he didn't like doing it. It was like telling a stranger that he had an eye problem, even though it was a foregone conclusion. Chronic keratitis had damaged his vision for a whole year, and it just kept going of deterioration.

"How much time do I have?" The consulting room was quiet, and he broke the silence. "I really don't want to say anything negative, but I still hope that you and your sight will deteriorate, and one day you may become completely blind" The doctor's voice was filled with depression.

"How long?" Day said trying to remain polite, but there was anxiety in his voice. "The exact number"

"I can't give you an exact number. There are many possibilities. But judging from my past experience..." She stopped and took a deep breath, "I think it may not be more than six months."

The nong responded politely and stood up to salute. A hand quickly supported him, and he knew it was his brother without turning around. He smelled the faint smell of his brother's cologne. His brother helped him out of the consulting room, and he almost fell down. "You wait here, I'll pay for the medicine first."

While his brother was talking, he led him to sit on the hospital bench. The sounds around him made him feel like he was near a pharmacy. The nong sat glumly, and his brother left after giving a few instructions. The nong watched silently as his brother disappeared from sight. He stood up immediately, but he didn't understand why he stood up or what he wanted to do. But the words "six months" kept vibrating in his mind. He really wanted to escape from there, as far away as possible, and if possible, he never wanted to come back.

Peach with molasses! The whole building was a light cream color. The nong grabbed the handrail and walked along the corridor. He planned to leave as soon as possible. He should get a taxi and go wherever he wanted to go. After that, he may start a new journey. The nong walked forward at a loss like a lost child until he reached the end of the corridor and the sun shone on the ground. He had nothing to hold on to, and he couldn't see the road ahead clearly, but he stepped out without hesitation.

"Do you want flowers, nong? Fifty baht a bunch."

"Nong, do you want to buy a lottery ticket? You will be rich tomorrow."

"What's the matter with you? You're walking too slowly."

"Want to take a motorcycle, nong? You decide how much it will cost."

"Would you like to order food? Roast pork is also available."

"Nong, can you lend me some money? I want to find my child, but I'm lost."

"Support our handmade dessert bar, we are raising funds for the Association for the Blind."

Completely contrary to what he had imagined before, he became more and more confused as he walked, feeling like he was lost in a huge maze. He stumbled as he walked, his sense of direction based on his memory gradually blurring. He found that he was just following pedestrians around. He smelled all kinds of smells, but none of them were familiar to him. He wanted to find something to lean on, but the street vendor asked him to walk very carefully for fear of hitting something.

"Oh my God, are you blind? Do you need help crossing the road?"asked a stranger, with a mixture of sympathy and impatience in his voice.

The nong did not respond. He was heartbroken that he encountered someone with malicious intentions, and his mind was in a mess. But before he could answer, a strong arm grabbed his arm tightly and led him. He could only follow and felt that he was stepping on a slightly higher platform. He thought he had reached the end of the sidewalk. He felt dissatisfied with this unsolicited help.

"Thanks." The nong said as he broke away from the stranger's hand. The voice on the other side suddenly got louder, but that was about it. He saw the man wave and leave. The crowd around him started moving again, getting farther and farther away from him. There was a sudden chill in his heart. He glanced around and realized that he had made a complete mistake. This is not a sidewalk, but the center of the road. Pedestrians passed in front and behind him. The world was starting to become chaotic and he didn't know what to do.

"Is there anyone... I..." Day decided to seek help from pedestrians.

He reached out to touch the shoulder of the person in front of him, but in moment, everything became chaotic and he could only see shadows around him. A gust of wind blew, the traffic lights turned green, and the vehicles began to move again. Less than a shoulder's width away from him, a motorcycle sped past. If he had taken half a step more, he might have been hit and killed on that road. His legs were shaking uncontrollably. Since his vision became impaired, he has never acted alone.

"Please..." "Help..." "Help!" His voice grew louder and louder, until it became a cry of despair.

Things were constantly moving around him, and Day couldn't tell which side was the road and which was the median. He doesn't know where in the world he is now. Everything became dark, and the despair in his heart engulfed him. He tried to reach out and grab someone, but all he caught was a worn-out metal railing. Someone laughed at him from a passing vehicle.

"Help!"

Day screamed for help as loud as he could, but his cries were almost drowned out by the din around him.

He didn't know how long he stood there. One minute? Ten minutes or more? Countless pedestrians may have passed by him, and his mind was spinning. The nong didn't want to stay there until dark, when things would get worse. After dark, it will be harder for drivers to see pedestrians. If he took even one step forward he could be hit by a car. He suddenly smiled faintly and decided to take his right leg and walk forward. What should come will always come. Walk forward with your right leg, and what should come will always come.

"What are you doing? Do you want to die?"

There was a sharp sound, and suddenly a hand tightly grabbed the nong's arm and pulled him back forcefully. Day's body hit the chest of the man yelling at him. He smelled a pungent smell of smoke. In Day's blurred vision, he was very close to the stranger in front of him, so close that he could see his faint stubble, as if it had grown out after just shaving. The weathered skin looked very rough. From this angle, Day couldn't see the man's entire face clearly.

"I can't see very well," Day stammered.

"Then why are you here? Where are you going?" There was no tenderness, comfort or concern in this voice, just a straightforward inquiry. But honestly, the stranger seemed to be the only one willing to help him in this situation.

"I want to go home," the nong replied dejectedly, silently accepting that it is not easy to live alone with limited vision, especially in a strange place. Now, nothing is more important than surviving. The incident still sent shivers down his spine.

"Can you take a motorcycle?" the voice from the front asked.

"ΟΚ."

After hearing Day's answer, the stranger slowly led Day's hand to the back seat of the motorcycle. At the same time, rapid sirens sounded all around. The nong can roughly imagine how chaotic the surroundings are now. The strange man stopped his motorcycle, seemingly to rescue him from the rightmost lane. This scene undoubtedly attracted the attention of many people. As the red light turned on, people gathered in the middle of the road, and there was a lot of gossip. Day wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Come up." The stranger shouted, starting the motorcycle at the same time.

Day quickly jumped on it. He clearly recalled how to sit firmly. His feet were firmly on the pedals, but he didn't know where to put his hands because the motorcycle had no armrests. Before he could hesitate, the stranger's hand reached out and took Day's hand, holding him tightly around his waist, reminding him not to be naughty if he couldn't see. Day couldn't help but laugh. He didn't know if it was a complaint or a joke, but this was the first time Day laughed out loud today. No, it was probably the first time in months that he laughed out loud.

"Thank you" Day yelled into the fast wind. He simply explained the way home to the stranger, who immediately understood. Day decided to say thanks. In his heart he wants to give back or do something to show gratitude, but he doesn't know what to do.

"You're welcome, I didn't mean to help you." The voice responded coldly.

The nong was a little confused by this response and didn't know what to say.

"I just don't want to see anyone die in front of me...that's all." The low voice continued without any hesitation.

Day couldn't help laughing and was a little surprised by this unusual reaction. He realized that he had misunderstood. If most people are willing to help, it's either out of pity or because they want to get some kind of reward, but the man in front of him is different.

"What's your name?" Day asked.

The man in front of him smiled, and then replied, "Mhok."

This short answer seems like a joke from heaven. Day feels like his life is lost in a thick fog with no way out. But now, a stranger is willing to lend a hand to help him, and this person happens to be named "Mhok". It seems that God has arranged the most wonderful coincidence.

"Do I need to tell you my name?" Day asked.

"No...we may never meet again after we get to your house."

Such a blunt rejection did not offend Day. On the contrary, he found himself attracted to this mysterious and forthright person. This mysterious and straightforward stranger was full of curiosity. At this moment, he felt an unspeakable regret in his heart. It would be interesting if there were more people like this in the world.

"My name is Day, and it's okay if you know it or forget it, but I want to tell you...that's all."

"Where did Day go?!"

The person who shouted loudly was his mother. To Mhok, he was not surprised because Day's mother was a nationally renowned chef. The middle-aged woman started yelling as soon as she stepped into the home. Day heard the low muttering of the strange man next to him.

"It's all my fault, Mom," his brother explained.

"Can you stop pretending to be pitiful?" Day said with a hint of displeasure, "I ran out of the hospital by myself, and happened to meet a kind person who helped me, and he sent me back." He said and pointed to Mhok.

"What's wrong, Day? Where did you go? Why did you run away? Why didn't you tell your mother if something happened? What would your mother do if something happened to you?" Day's mother's voice was full of anxiety.

"If something happens to me, my mother doesn't have to do anything, because I am already like this. The doctor said that I will be completely blind in a few months. Can anyone help me? In the end, I can only rely on Myself!" His voice rises, almost becoming a roar.

All the helplessness and inferiority came out at this moment. Day knew in his heart that his mother had done nothing wrong and she had always been the one who took good care of him. But he still couldn't help but feel pain, and he wanted to scream. He knows that his current behavior is bad, as if he is looking for someone to share his pain.

"I'm sorry, Mom." After a moment of silence, the nong apologized. He heard his mother's heavy sigh, and seemed to hear it from his brother as well.

"How about canceling the nursing interview first, Mom. Day probably doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. They'll just annoy each other," Night said.

"But I have to fly to Milan tomorrow." That's all my mother said, and then she fell silent.

Day raised his left hand, clearly aware. His mother wanted someone to take care of him, mostly because he had just hit the kitchen table and cut a gash on his finger. She fears the next accident might be worse than this.

"Look, Mom, I brought someone." Day turned his head and pointed at Mhok.

"What? I just sent you home, I'm ready to go now." Mhok whispered.

Day whispered, "You just need to pretend to be doing an interview. Then when you hear the salary, act dissatisfied, so you don't have to do the interview and you can leave."

"Why do you need me to help you? I've already done my best by sending you home." The man complained.

"First of all, you are doing a good deed, that is, helping my mother, so that she will feel at ease. You will definitely go to heaven in the future. Oh, and one more thing, I will remember to owe you a favor, no, two favors, including you taking me home. If you need help in the future, just come and tell me, but a blind person like me may not be able to help you much."

The nong said a lot, but the other party did not respond. Day saw the man walking straight up to his mother and brother, talking to them about something, but he couldn't hear clearly. He stayed there quietly. He thought Mhok would refuse directly, but luckily he didn't. His mother asked him to come to the living room to chat with her, so he had no choice but to follow them.

"What's your name? How old are you?"

"My name is Mhok, I'm 25 years old."

"Where did you graduate?"

"I graduated from a technical school."

"What job have you had before?"

"I worked various jobs: repairing cars, cleaning air conditioners, connecting electrical wiring...whatever someone hired me to do. Also, I sometimes drove a motorcycle."

Day laughed out loud. Mhok really looked like he was there for an interview. He could imagine his mother's expression when she heard the background of the person in front of him, because all the caregivers who came before were at least college graduates, or had some experience in nursing. System training courses. No one dares to hire someone who graduated from a technical school to fill such a position. Night also asked Mhok a lot of questions, mostly about his commute, working hours and accommodation.

"The work you need to do is to help Day adapt to the possibility of blindness in the future. The doctor said he has about six months to go. During this time, Day will need to learn how to use crutches, learn Braille, and learn to take care of himself. Basic daily life, it is not convenient for him to do these things alone for the time being. This work may only be temporary until Day can adapt to it on his own." Day's mother explained in detail. "When would you be ready to start working?"

"Tomorrow."

"The salary is 50,000, including room and board and all overtime pay. You can take one day off per week, but you need to agree with me on which day to take off first, because I need to arrange shifts." Night said.

Day smiled slightly at the thought of his mother and brother being immediately rejected by this man.

"Okay, I'll start working tomorrow," Mhok replied calmly, which surprised Day.

"Wait a moment!" Day couldn't help but stood up and hurriedly followed the man, then pulled Mhok and asked him to go outside to chat privately. His mother and brother did not object, as they had always asked the caregiver to communicate with Day privately.

"I told you to refuse!" Day said with a hint of annoyance as he walked out of the living room and closed the door. Mhok couldn't help but laugh, which made him angrier.

"I never said I would refuse. Although this care taker job is not so arbitrary, the salary is 50,000. If you want to earn more, you have to win the lottery."

"I don't need you to take care of me. You see, I can take care of myself." Day retorted. "Really? Who almost lost their life on the road?" Mhok shot back.

Day felt frustrated and didn't know how to respond, but he became increasingly angry and said firmly: "I don't know, but I'm sure I don't need you to take care of me."

"Whatever you want, it's your mother who pays me, not you." Mhok chuckled.

Day was furious, but before he could snap back the door opened. Night comes out and says he has the book ready. Day is a journalism student and loves reading books. Every time he interviews a caregiver, he asks them to read a book aloud as part of the interview. Because sometimes he will ask his caregiver to read him a whole book or more, depending on his mood.

"Which one do you want to read?" Night asked.

He held a book and Day took his brother's arm back to the living room. Although he usually doesn't have a good relationship with his brother, now he wants to go against Mhok more. Day remembered that in the past, he had asked various questions to interviewees to see their reactions. For those who seemed serious, he had them read "The True Man" because it was so touching. For those who seemed nervous, he jokingly asked them to read "The Little Prince" to gauge their reactions. But for someone as vulgar as Mhok, a complex piece of literature might be required.

"Until the red star fades." He mentioned the name of a literary novel that chronicled the history of ethnic cleansing by the Khmer Rouge. It's about a blind man named Ruthira who had to escape from Phnom Penh to the Thai side. There is a carer named Uthit, who helps him through the difficult and war-filled path.

The brother took Day to sit on his favorite chair and then walked around to the bookshelf to find the book Day mentioned. Not long after, he took out a book with a black and red cover and handed it to Mhok, who was sitting not far away. The sound of opening the book immediately sounded.

"Read it out loud and I'll tell you when to stop," Night said.

"Why are you reading this?" Mhok asked.

"Day loves to listen to books, and one of your duties is to read to him."

Mhok nodded, seeming to understand, and then he began to read as Night directed. Night chose the part about Ruthira and Uthit's escape from Phnom Penh for Mhok to read. The plot in this part is very tense, mixed with the horror of war. Mhok's voice starts out steady, but soon it becomes passionate, rising and falling with the emotional changes of the content, as if he's so immersed in the story that he forgets he's conducting an interview. Mhok's voice is alternately confused, hopeful, weak, and endlessly amused.

"Boom!"

Mhok loudly imitates the sudden sound of a gunshot in the story. Day felt like he was there, so close to the mood of the characters in the book that he felt like he was Ruthira himself.

"That's it."

After that, the sound of turning pages of books stopped abruptly. Mhok didn't stumble or stutter over the complex literary work, although he sometimes mispronounced it or paused in places. But Day had never felt like a character in a book before. Mhok was not reading to Day, but to himself.

"Do you think that 'bang' was a tire exploding or a gunshot?" Day asked. In the story, Ruthira and Uthit were traveling with a driver, and as the two briefly left, there was a sudden "bang" sound. Uthit told Ruthira that the tire had exploded, so they had to go on foot. But Ruthira suspected the sound wasn't tires and that the driver might have been shot.

"It must have been gunfire, the driver was killed." Mhok replied without hesitation.

"Then why didn't Uthit tell Ruthira? Why did the caregiver lie to her employer?" he asked.

"Have sympathy." Mhok simply replied, "Ruthira is a blind nobleman. Just sleeping in the open air has made him feel very anxious. Uthit may be out of sympathy and dare not tell him the disturbing truth for fear that he will not be able to bear it. Just a waste of energy."

"If it were you, would you tell him?" Day asked nervously.

"Yes." Mhok replied quickly, "We are not children anymore, why do we still sit here and talk about irrelevant things? Life is like this, you have to get used to it."

After Mhok finished speaking, the whole room fell silent. It seems that he also felt that he talked too much in that interview. Mom reaches out to squeeze Day's arm as if to force Day to make a decision. Day raised his head with firm eyes. A breeze blew in from the living room window, and he felt the bright light woven together with the breeze.

Maybe the person in front of him was right. Life was like that, if a person could not accept it, how could he go on?

"Okay, I've decided to hire you as my caretaker... but if you ever take pity on me, I'll let you go."

The sound of the curtains opening mercilessly woke Day up from his deep sleep. Judging from the light coming in from the window, it was already morning. The person who woke him up was none other than Mhok, who came directly from the repairs shop. The familiar smell of cigarette smoke filled the room. Someone was definitely smoking, but the smell wasn't that pungent or overly offensive. It's even more like a perfume, but not as nice.

"It's time to get up," Mhok said softly.

"I know, stop waking me up like an alarm clock," he complained.

That new caretaker, who he hadn't really gotten a good look at yet, was more of an annoyance than he'd imagined. If it were anyone else, they would be disturbed by Day's serious tone, and some would give up on the first day. But Mhok is different. No matter what you say to him, it's like talking to a wall, even if it's a joke, it's useless. Day found it difficult to deal with such people, and he was always being ordered to do this and that. At first he resisted. But the more tried, the more trouble he got into, because the other party never gave up. At the end, Mhok took him to take a bath.

"For you."

The nong reached out and took a small bottle of eye drops from Mhok. Although his vision continues to get worse, eye drops can help you regulate intraocular pressure and make your vision clearer, especially in the first ten seconds after the drops fall. Everything seemed like a dream, all abnormalities disappeared. But it only lasts ten seconds. Day picked up the eye drops, got up from the bed, and walked to a familiar corner of the room.

"10...9...8...7...6..."

After two drops of the medicine came into contact with his eyes, the world immediately became brighter. Day stared at the large glass jar in front of him. A chubby goldfish was swimming around inside, as if saying 'Good morning'. He sprinkled the prepared fish food into the water, and the chubby fish swam happily over.

"5...4...3...2...1..."

Day tried to clearly remember what the only pet in his life looked like. Being the owner of a goldfish, he wakes up every morning to feed it. On countless days and nights when he wished he could sleep peacefully without being disturbed by nightmares, it was this goldfish that gave him the motivation to get through every day.

"Oh..."

Then everything becomes blurry again. Jinlu, who had been vivid before, was now a blurry orange blob, floating in the bathtub hidden by the water curtain. He took a long breath. Even if that situation was repeated every day, it was still difficult to adapt.

"What's your name?"

"My nickname is Day, my real name is Danaiyanat, my surname is Kopranpakhun, I am twenty years old. Do you still want to hear my ID number?"

"Has anyone ever said you were naughty?" Mhok whispered, causing Day to laugh. He laughed happily for a while, and then slowly developed a strange feeling. Ever since that day that changed his life, he hadn't laughed like this for many days, many months, maybe a year.

"Jinsay. "

"What does that mean?"

"Life." Day replied calmly, and the room fell silent again. The nong himself couldn't guess what the other person was thinking. But soon, he heard a crunching sound, like hands rubbing against a glass jar.

"But I think your Jinsay is dying." Mhok said quietly.

"What?" Day asked confused.

"The water has not been changed and the rocks are covered in algae. Have you ever cleaned it? Soon you will find the body of this fish floating in the aquarium." Mhok complained while wiping the fish tank, making an annoying sound. "Why don't you clean it up quickly? What are you waiting for?"

"I'm going out with you to clean up. Don't let my fish die, otherwise you will die in his place too."

"I thought you didn't want to leave your bedroom." Mhok shot back quickly.

"Hurry up!" The nong hurriedly urged the other person to quickly clean the fish tank.

Then Mhok set up a table in the center of the garden and wiped it clean. Day is sitting not far away. Mhok kept mumbling as he worked. He didn't ask any questions, he just described what he was doing - removing the goldfish, scrubbing the rocks, changing the water, etc. This made it clearer what kind of person Mhok looked like in Day's mind.

Day felt something inside him. Mhok might seem a bit rude and direct, and almost never spoke softly, but he was probably the one most willing to put himself in other people's shoes.

"It's done." Mhok said after about thirty minutes.

Day moved closer to the glass tank and the scenery in front of him became clearer than before. The cute little goldfish was swimming happily, probably because someone had cleaned his house. He continued swimming for a while.

"Take me back to my room."

"Why do you wanna rush back?" asked Mhok, who was indifferent to the request. "The flowers in the yard are blooming. What kind of plant is this? It smells good. The atmosphere here is much better than the gloomy bedroom.. I don't know why you like being in that room so much."

"As you wish."

The nong frowned, annoyed by the criticism he faced. But Mhok was not angry, on the contrary, he smiled secretly. He stepped back, grabbed Day's hand and placed in it something that looked like a flower.

"Smell the flowers, it can help relieve anxiety."

Although Day really didn't want to follow Mhok's instructions, he had to admit that the atmosphere in the garden was really very nice. After losing his normal vision, the nong has always wanted to be alone and almost never left his room. If not necessary, he ate in the bedroom, leaving the house only for doctor's appointments. Day decided to let time pass slowly, smelling the fragrance of the flower in his hand. He wasn't even sure about what kind of flower it was.

"Oh, has Day come back from the United States? Why didn't Night tell me?" A girl's voice came into their ears. It seemed like it wasn't far from them, maybe it was coming from the front door. Day recognized the voice of one of Night's female friends. A bad feeling immediately came to his heart. He didn't want anyone in the world to know that he had a vision problem, especially acquaintances, because this would inevitably lead him to get entangled in the thing he hates most in his life... that is, pity.

"Take me back to my room right now."

"But..."

"Now!" His voice was urgent and frustrated, all of that showed the seriousness of the situation.

Mhok immediately grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the noisy crowd. It seemed that Night had brought some friends home and unfortunately they were getting particularly loud. The screams mixed with the sounds of his brother trying to control and calm the situation, but the nong no longer cared about those things. He wanted to be as far away from everyone as possible, away from everyone's control and suspicions.

"Just leave me alone. Don't come into my room again until I call you." Day demanded sternly, no trace of softness in his tone. He felt Mhok's embarrassment and nervousness, but he didn't want to care too much. Mhok, like everyone else, couldn't last long.

He didn't need to establish intimacy or trust with anyone. He has had ten caregivers, Mhok was just one of them.

"Go out..." The nong's voice was firm enough to make the hesitant person back away after putting down the fish tank. Day closed the door and returned to his own world. He closed the curtains and escaped into the darkness. He took off all his clothes, grabbed a towel, and went into the bathroom to take a cold shower to calm his uneasiness.

Day soaked in the bathtub, playing soft music. He placed a towel in the bathtub and laid calmly in the water, letting his body be surrounded by the cold water. His breathing slowly slowed down, and his heart was beating heavily with various thoughts. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to fall asleep.

SLAM!

Suddenly... it seemed as if a sound came from somewhere far away.

Tap Tap. A sound seemed to come from far away.

Tap Tap. The sound gradually came closer.

That loud noise made the nong, submerged in the water, suddenly wake up scared. The sound of someone walking could be heard not far from him in the shower. Day quickly grabbed a small towel to hide his body, but it was probably useless.

"Who is there!"

There was silence.

"I said, who's there!"

"It's me...Mhok."

The sound felt like a cold current from the top of Day's head to his toes. Mhok, what right did he have to barge into the bathroom and more importantly, how could he see Day naked like that?

"I was afraid something could happen to you. I called for a while, but no one answered. I didn't have the key, so I had to rush in. I was afraid there was an emergency."

That may have been the first time Day heard Mhok speaking less harshly than usual and with a gentle heart. But no matter what the reason was, it was something he couldn't stand. His heart was beating uncontrollably, faster and faster, as if it was about to explode. Becoming a bullet ready to shoot anyone who forced him into that difficult situation.

"I want you to leave my home, immediately!"