For years after they would call it the great cake race. Everyone agreed that as ideas went it was a good one but why Youngjae had such a hard time buying and delivering one single birthday cake no one could understand.
He had prepared himself well. He had visited the store days before and ordered the exact cake he wanted and arranged for it to be ready to be picked up on the right day at the right time. It was everything else that went wrong. He was just getting ready to leave when Angel called him and said she was going to the exact same shop at the exact same time to buy a cake. He managed to distract her by asking her for coffee earlier in a different area. He called Zelo and tasked him with helping to distract her when they met at the coffee shop.

The mismatched pair were waiting when she arrived Jae sitting sedately sipping coffee while Zelo was practically bouncing in his seat. Angel slid into the vacant seat opposite Jae after ordering her drink. “Why are we here? This is far from our ordinary hang out.”
“I’ve been wanting to try this place out it has a good reputation. And Zelo here needed some help.”
“I did?..” Jae kicked the taller man in the shin and gave him a pointed look. “OH yeah yeah I did.”

“Help with?” Angel asked just as her coffee arrived. She looked up and smiled her thanks at the waitress giving Jae time to mouth words at Zelo. She turned back to see Jae smiling at her as he stood from his seat. “I have to go Noona. I have an errand to run. I’ll talk to you later.” Angel opened to say something but it was too late he was gone. She turned to Zelo in disbelief “why did he even want to meet me?”

“Nevermind Noona, I need your help so you can hang out with me.” He could tell she was still a little upset by the way her eyes were sad while she smiled at him.

He was determined to make her next couple of hours fun.

Meanwhile Youngjae stood outside the coffee shop and watched Zelo use his infectious charm to cheer up Angel. He was sorry to upset her like this but he had a job to do and he would use any method to make sure his mission was accomplished. Looking at his phone he realised he had very little time to make it across town to the cake shop. He took off at a run. Judging the gap perfectly he cut across the road weaving in and out of traffic. Down the other side of the road and around the corner.
He paused at a bus stop and calculated whether he had enough time for the bus and working out that he would be quicker cutting through back streets he took off again.

A short time later he burst through the doors of the cake shop and screeched to a halt, hands on his knees as he gasped trying to catch his breath. The assistant was highly amused as they bought him a glass of water. “You made it. On time, but it looks like you tried to kill yourself getting here.”

“N..not dying..yet.”
“Go sit down for a minute, you have time. I’ll box the cake while you relax.” They moved back behind the counter and started to do just that while Jae sank gratefully into the closest seat and drained the glass of water.

He stood and took the glass back to the counter. He paid and collected the box and waved goodbye as he exited the shop. Looking at his phone again he realised he was on time but he had planned this day so meticulously he had no time to spare, everything was calculated to the last second.

Heading towards the local subway station he found himself in the middle of a crowd. Surprised he looked around, there normally wasn’t this amount of people at this time of day. He was jostled from behind and pushed into the person in front, he managed to swing the cake box out of the way before he bumped into their back. Mumbling sorry he held the box above his head, hoping to keep it safe until he was on the train. The push to get on the train was brutal and he let himself be carried along with the crowd. The train traveled along and at every stop more people got on but very few people got off. He was forced to again hold the cake box over his head to protect his precious cargo. Until the stop before his destination when the train unexpectedly drained of people and as much as he fought the tide he was dragged along. Resolving to move to the side and jump back on as soon as he was able he inched his way to the side of the people, only to turn and see the doors close and the train begin to move off. Cursing his luck, he checked the time again. This was going to throw a curveball in his schedule. He headed for the nearest exit taking the stairs two at a time.

Emerging into the daylight again he was collided with by a skateboarder, knocking him to the ground. He sacrificed his body by twisting to land on his back with the box held carefully to his chest. He lay there for a minute wondering why his luck had suddenly run foul. Climbing to his feet he saw his chance to escape the oncoming foot traffic down a nearby laneway. He dashed into the lane and stopped leaning against the wall to rest.

Walking along he heard a growling from behind him. He turned to see a small dog. “Oh aren’t you cute. Are you taking a short cut too?” He bent down to pat the animal when the growls got louder and the dog snapped at his hand. “Woah dude chill. You don’t want a pat, that’s cool. I’ll just be on my way.” Jae heel and resumed walking when he felt a tug on his pants leg. Looking down he saw the small dog attached to his leg and pulling his pants. Shaking his leg trying to get the dog off he couldn’t detach the animal. “Ya! Let go.” He jerked his leg hard and the dog was forced off, but went to snap again. Jae took to his heels and ran screaming “Leave me alone.”

Out the other end of the laneway he sprinted box held out to the side and across the road barely checking for oncoming cars into the park on the other side. When he finally slowed his pace to a jog.

He held that pace through the park and down the block until he finally reached the door of the apartment building he was aiming for. Sighing he placed the box gently on the step and collapsed next to it. He was about to check his phone for the time when he heard a voice.”Youngjae? What are you doing here? What happened to your clothes?”

Jae lifted his head and gave Angel his brightest smile. He picked up the box and it towards her, “I bet you thought I would forget, but I didn’t. Happy Birthday Noona.”

Angel looked at Jae disbelief on her face, his hair was a mess, his pants were torn his shirt was dirty, but he was smiling and holding her a cake box like it was the most normal thing in the world. “Oh Jae what am I going to do with you. Come in and let’s get you cleaned up and have some cake.”