chapter one

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you," Serena quietly sang to her sister with a soft smile, "Happy birthday dear, Melanie, happy birthday to you." Serena finished softly while staring absentmindedly at the still lit single candle on the birthday cake.

"Do we have to go through this every year, Rina?" Maofah asked while stretching himself upon Serena's lap.

"Do what every year, Maofah?" Serena asked as Maofah glanced up at her. "Where you look like you're gonna cry, but don't cry yet you start talking about this and that of Melly's life in a sad and depressing way."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"Shut up."

Serena pushed the feline off of her as she focused back onto the cake where its' candle was removed and half of it was already gone.

"Wow, Nerok. You couldn't have waited for like another minute?" Serena eyed the black feline as Nerok was rubbing his now bloated stomach. "The strawberries were calling for me. It's their fault for being so yummy."

Serena shook her head with a small smile as she broke off a small piece, placed it onto a small paper plate along with a plastic spoon, and handed it to Baitu.

"Same place as last time?" Baitu asked about to set it beside's the table next to Melanie's bed, but Serena shook her head. "No. By the window this time. The weather is nice out." Serena explained as Baitu did so.

Aiusa appeared beside him and set an opened bottle of pink lemonade right next to the plate. Serena did this as a spiritual offering for her sister and the spirits within the hospital. She's been doing this for the past four years with the animals, yet still her sister remained motionless as previous times before. The only thing that moved was the low rise and fall of Melanie's chest maintained by a machine.

Serena quietly returned to moving and massaging Melanie's hands to get the blood circulating, but to also allow Melanie's muscle to still be active. At first Serena didn't think much about it, but she remembered reading something online about a mother doing it for her own son which allowed the son to be able to move about without total stiffness among other things.

The rabbits each started doing the same thing to Melanie's feet. Nerok continued to finish the rest of the cake on his own while Maofah floated around the room. It was quiet, but a comfortable silence that actually soothed Serena's own peace of mind. She wondered for how long until Melanie's Fated One would appear. For how long would she have to continued to see her little sister in this physical state. For how long could she continued to keep up with this triple life before she couldn't anymore.

So lost in her thoughts, Serena wasn't aware that Nerok was trying to get her attention until Maofah threw the strawberry stem at her. Serena snapped out of it and glared at the white feline while tossing the stem in a nearby trash bin.

"Hmm?" She looked at Maofah who pointed at Nerok as Nerok held up a small blue origami crane in his paws. "Can I put this in the jar for Melly this time?"

"Yeah, Nerok. You can."

Nerok smiled as he happily flittered to the end of the bed an across from it was a small white table that held three medium-sized jars filled with different types of papered origami of various colors. He placed it inside the last jar filled with the other papered cranes. Next to it was filled with stars and the first was filled with hearts. Serena doesn't remember exactly when she started doing this, but it had ease the pain day by day. Each little piece was filled with unspoken words for Melanie or just random words or thoughts that Serena wanted to include. She just hoped that one day they would reach her sister and that Melanie would eventually wake up.

Serena left Melanie's hospital room after spending a couple hours with her and upon passing by the room next door to Melanie's, she instantly froze in mid-walk. What made Serena stop was someone suddenly saying 'happy birthday' until she heard a different name that wasn't her sister's.

"Happy birthday, Eunji!! Sohee announced happily while presenting a small cake to Eunji who was sitting in the hospital bed. "I know it's early, but since I have a test tomorrow, I can't come early and I'll be busy, too."

"It's okay, Sohee. School and education comes first. Thank you." Eunji chuckled while taking the offer cake, but in the process of it being transferred from one hand to the other, it ended up falling onto Eunji's lap.

Sohee tsked. "You're so clumsy, Butterfingers."

"Sorry, sorry, and what did I tell you about that nickname?"

"That you hate it, but it's the reason why you tripped and injured your foot. So it's sticking regardless."

"Fine, fine."

"Anyways, I knew this would happen so I bought another one, anyways."

Sohee laughed as she brought out another cake, but had set it on the rolling table instead of handing it to her friend while the two cleaned up the other one and tossed it. Sohee got a new blanket from the cabinets and threw it over Eunji's lap while she took the soil one and dumped it into the hamper.

"Thanks, Sohee."

"You're welcome. Now, let's eat! Oh wait, the birthday song first."

Sohee promptly sang the song, a bit off-tune but with great enthusiasm, as a soft smile graced Serena's lips and she quietly left the duo to their moment as she thought about her own memories with Melanie.

"Hey, you can't cut the cake. You need to sing the song, first." Melanie stated as she swatted Serena's hand away from the knife while Serena rolled her eyes. "Why do you need a song, anyways? It's just the two of us."

"Because it's my birthday and I can do whatever I want and I still haven't taken a picture of it yet."

"Right, right, birthday girl, sure."

Serena backed off with a small smile and shake of her head as she watched Melanie happily take photos of her birthday cake along with appearing in some of them every now and then.

"I seriously don't get it even though we're not that far apart."

"You're just old."

"Okay. I'm twenty-three and you're turning twenty. I'm not old."

"Yeah you are."

"Whatever."

Melanie laughed as she finished what she was doing and looked at Serena expectantly with a huge grin. "Alright, Rere. I want you to know something."

Serena eyed her sister suspiciously. "You're not gonna try to set me up with that one kid at your job, right? I'm practically his older sister and he's not even legal, dude. He's like thirteen."

"He just turned fourteen in August."

"That's still not okay, Mel. He's still a freaking minor. A baby."

Melanie laughed as she dismissed the topic. "That's not even what I was gonna say, Rina, but it's funny that you brought it up though."

"Shut up. You're the one that talks about him to me, that's why." Serena huffed, but shot her sister a nonchalant look. "But what was it you were gonna say, anyways?"

"Oh, I need you to call off some of the days in June."

"Why? That isn't until next year. Like seven months from now."

"I know, but that's when all of the kids will be able to go on a summer trip for the very first time."

"What is it that you do again at um, what's it call? The place you work at."

"Pelias. It's kinda like a care home for teens and kids." Melanie explained while eyeing Serena. "I thought I told you this already when I started a while back."

"I forgot. It's not like I pay attention to your life twenty-four-seven, y'know. Anyways, this is the one that your high school friend, Alyssa, or something, got you in, right?"

"Yeah. She recruited like two others after me, but the kids really like me the most."

"Because you're closer in age than the rest." Serena laughed as Melanie shrugged in agreement. "Probably, but nah, I think it's because I don't nag them like the others do. Also, I make a bomb rabokki."

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