The next morning, Eun-Ae was greeted with the familiar aching, burning pain in her legs, a product of the cancer cells wreaking havoc in her bones. The sensation was beginning to spread, she had noticed, throbbing dully in her arms and body core, though significantly less painful. in a breath as she forced herself into a sitting position, she tenderly rubbed her bare legs in the hopes that it would alleviate some of the ache, to no avail. Within a minute the in-home nurse was rushing through her bedroom door with a tray of painkillers and an assortment of other drugs to help Eun-Ae through the day. Silently and methodically, the girl swallowed them all, wincing at the bitterness of the pills in . As the pain ebbed away, chased to temporary oblivion by the fast-acting narcotics, Eun-Ae slipped out of bed and stretched her arms high above her head. It was a new day, and she didn’t want to waste it.

The girl hurried through her morning routine, energized now that the achiness was gone. She zipped through her shower before throwing on a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a tee shirt paired with simple running shoes. She anticipated a long day of walking, and so she wanted to be as comfortable as she could be. She then hurriedly raked at her hair with a brush, frowning at the significant number of knots in the strands before attacking her teeth with a toothbrush. As she ran downstairs, the taste of mint strong in from impatiently rinsing, she stumbled into the kitchen to find the five boys in a heated discussion over the superiority of breakfast items.

“Onew, they are made with the same batter!” Minho sighed, clearly exasperated from a long period of arguing.

“It doesn’t matter. Waffles are clearly superior!” Onew huffed in response, holding up a waffle dripping with butter and syrup for emphasis. “I mean, look how fancy it looks!”

“No way! Pancakes are way better! They’re so fluffy and light and delicious,” Taemin argued back, sighing in satisfaction as he stuffed his cheeks with pancakes.

“Can’t you guys just be appreciative that Eun-Ae’s mother made us breakfast?” Jonghyun sighed as he rubbed his temples in annoyance.

“Great idea, Jonghyun! Miss Seo-yun, which do you think are better- waffles or pancakes?” Taemin cried, looking at the woman expectantly. She smiled in embarrassment, standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes as she pondered the question carefully.

“I like them both equally,” she laughed, and the boys pouted at the inconclusive answer. Key had remained silent all the while, staring out the window as if he were lost in thought, but he turned when he heard Eun-Ae enter the room. He immediately smiled and rose to greet her, and the other boys abandoned their argument.

“Good morning, Eun-Ae,” Key smiled as her mother handed her a plate piled with waffles (she had to side with Onew on the issue, much to Taemin’s disappointment).

“Good morning, everyone!” she chirped as she hurriedly consumed her meal. The boys watched with mild surprise, and Key laughed as she looked up at them with syrup smeared across her face. “What?”

“In a hurry?” he mused.

“Yes! I’m excited!” she admitted shyly, wiping out and setting her plate in the sink. While her mother finished up the last of the dishes, Eun-Ae flipped out the notebook and perused her list, nodding as she confirmed her desired destination for the day. “Okay! I want to go to the zoo,” she smiled.

“Eun-Ae, are you sure? You’ve been to the zoo before,” Jonghyun frowned. “Isn’t the point to try new things?”

“Well, yes, but I haven’t been to the zoo since I was very little. Besides, I don’t just want to visit; I want to do something exciting, like hold an exotic animal or something!” she explained, tucking the notebook into the pocket of her sweatpants. The boys nodded in approval, and after Eun-Ae gave her mother a farewell hug and kiss, they all piled out of the house and made their way to the zoo in the city. Eun-Ae was practically bouncing in her seat the entire way, visions of massive elephants and prowling tigers dancing in her mind as the scenery raced by. She could hardly contain herself as the ornately decorated entrance swam enticingly outside the car window, partially eclipsed by towering oak trees. When they exited the car, they joined the large crowd of people purchasing their tickets and happily entering the park. As Eun-Ae passed between the iron gates, she took notice of the brilliant craftsmanship, as whoever had designed it had incorporated highly stylized wild creatures into its design. Birds perched in the iron bars, while bugs scuttled along the bottom and a pair of lions pranced on the top.

The gate, however, paled in comparison to the park itself. As they walked along the cobblestone pathway to the large opening area of the zoo, where trails branched off into different exhibits, a magnificent pond stood in the middle, with a fountain adorned with porcelain swans sprayed water in impressive arcs across the surface. Eun-Ae ran over to the edge to find large koi swimming beneath the top of the water, where coins glittered on the bottom. A family of ducks came swimming by, the little ducklings chirping happily as they hurried after their mother. Dragonflies flitted across the top, skimming the water in flashes of blue and green. “Wow,” she breathed. She had only just entered, and she was already thoroughly impressed.

“Here’s a map, Eun-Ae!” Taemin called as he plucked one from a small stand. The group gathered around him, poring over the many exhibits and activities. “Oh, look! This one isn’t too far away. It’s the aviary. You can feed parakeets, it says!” Taemin cried excitedly, pointing to a cutely illustrated model of the aviary. It was just a path away, and as Eun-Ae glanced in the direction of the pathway, she could barely see the top of its domed structure peeking over the tops of the trees.

“That sounds like a lot of fun!” she smiled, and with the decision made, they marched off down the stone pathway. It was quite pleasant, lined with flowers and small trees that bloomed in the late summertime weather. The fragrance of the sweet petals danced on the breeze as they walked along, chatted amiably about the cleanliness and serenity of the zoo pathway, and Eun-Ae felt more at ease than she had in a long time. Soon enough they arrived at the massive aviary, a gargantuan structure that consisted almost entirely of a mesh dome. Even from that distance, birdsong echoed across the wind, a melody of a hundred different calls blended in harmony. The entryway was a glass attachment, bursting green with decorative foliage. As Eun-Ae entered with the boys, she peered at all the tropical flowers. It was quite humid upon their entrance, and the greenery dripped with moisture. The birdsong was almost deafening now, and as they made their way to the center of the dome, they stared in wonder at the wonderful creatures who were sheltered in the aviary.

Finches with a menagerie of beaks hopped along the branches and the ground, pecking at everything from seeds to small bugs. Majestically crested birds perched on vines and thick branches of giant rainforest trees, their brilliant plumage accented by the tropical fauna. A toucan, its ornately colored bill nearly dwarfing its body, shuffled its feathers as it pecked at a succulent fruit growing on a tree. It was almost too much to take in, and their heads swiveled back and forth as they traversed the path. Soon the buzz of conversation had joined in the din, and they rounded a corner to see a small crowd of people gathered on a stone patio. Handlers, their arms laden with small, brightly colored parakeets, stood in the center, smirking as children ran around their feet with sticks covered with birdseed in their hands, attempting to entice the small birds to land on them.

“They’re so cute!” Taemin squealed, dashing into the fray before the others could say a word. He emerged a few seconds later, gripping three birdseed sticks in his hands and already covered with the small birds. He giggled as they hopped along his arms, and as the group approached, one of them grew curious and flew over to land on Jonghyun’s shoulder. The man stiffened, staring at the small bird anxiously as it plucked at a strand of his hair.

“I think he likes you!” Onew teased, and the group began laughing, much to Jonghyun’s embarrassment. The bird eventually flew away, enticed by more treats, and he visibly relaxed. Smiling amiably, Key appeared beside Eun-Ae, tucking one of the sticks in her hands. She blushed slightly as his fingers wrapped around hers, but she was interrupted by the rush of feathers as parakeets fluttered across the room to land on her arms. She laughed, their tiny feet tickling her skin as they hungrily pecked at the birdseed. She heard a gasp, and when she turned to see the shocked boys she felt something land on her head. She froze, her eyes looking upward to catch a glimpse of a parakeet’s tail feathers bobbing just at the edge of her vision.

“Eun-Ae, hold still!” Key grinned as he held up his phone to take a picture.

“Get it off!” she whined, squirming slightly at the uncomfortable sensation of the bird’s feet trawling along her scalp. The camera light flashed, frightening the birds away. “Awe,” she whined and discarded the nearly destroyed sticks. Key was grinning like an idiot, obviously amused at his captured photo. “Delete it!” she exclaimed, reaching for the phone. He held it high above her head, just out of reach, laughing.

“No way! This is a treasure! Besides, you haven’t even seen it!” he laughed. She crossed her arms with a pout, and he lowered the phone to show her. She looked absolutely ridiculous, blushing bright red and looking tense as the bird propped on her head. “I’m going to send it to your mom,” he grinned.

“Nooooo! It’s embarrassing!” she whined, and he hurriedly held up the phone once more as she attempted to swipe it. “You’re being so mean!” she pouted.

“Fine, fine, but I want to keep it. It’s a good memory,” he insisted, and Eun-Ae sighed and nodded in relent. Smirking at his victory, he tucked the phone back in his back pocket. He stared down at her, his eyes warm, and Eun-Ae blushed slightly under his gaze. There was something there, something that she couldn’t place, but it made her heart flutter like the parakeets’ wings. The moment vanished, however, when a frightened Minho dashed between them, a parakeet hot on his trail. Someone had stuck a birdseed stick in his back pocket, and the poor boy hadn’t figured it out yet. The likely culprits, Onew and Taemin, had actually collapsed to the stone floor in a fit of laughter.

“Get it away!” Minho wailed, and Eun-Ae could not help but laugh at his distress.

Key was right. These are good memories, she thought. She then frowned, a saddening thought coming to her mind. I won’t have these memories for much longer though, will I?