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I remember strolling home from the mall one weekend with my friends. It was my birthday and they have decided on having a meal together. Checking my phone for the nth time that day to make sure that MinKyeong hasn’t called me to ask me out all of a sudden due to a change in her schedules, I sighed again as I remembered that she had told me she would be busy for the whole day and would make it up to me tomorrow. Stuffing my phone into my back pocket, I wore a smile as I agreed to go with them. Finally after 3 hours of eating and chit chatting, we were on our way home. It was 45 minutes past 9pm but I was in no hurry. I watched the anxious and busy passers-by scurry past, instead, I casually strolled home and took in the fresh spring air. It would be best with MinKyeong around.

I fitted the key into the keyhole and turned it slightly to hear a click. I could hear shuffles coming from the inside with a few clanging of utensils and shushing that followed soon after. Puzzled, I recalled Youngmin telling me that he would be home late as he is going out to celebrate with his friends when I asked him if he wanted to have dinner together on our birthday. Pushing down the handle, I peeped into darkness, as I began to suspect if I was just too tired that I had thought I heard sounds coming from the inside. With the door left slightly ajar to allow some light to come in, I felt for the switch on the wall to my right and the lights. To my surprise, MinKyeong was standing behind the kitchen table, an array of food coloring spread over her face and Youngmin standing behind her with crossed arms.

As soon as I made eye contact with her, she started singing the birthday song as she walked out from behind the counter, the cake in hand. MinKyeong was a great cook but never a big fan of baking. Seeing the effort she had put in to make me, or us, this cake brought tears to my eyes. As she approached me, I quickly suppressed my emotions and took the cake from her.

“… Saranghaneun Kwangmin…. (and) Youngmin, Saengilchukhahamnida.”

I giggled as I heard MinKyeong quickly inserted Youngmin’s name into the song as well, embarrassed that she had nearly forgotten the Youngmin standing behind her. “Yah Jo Youngmin, hurry up and come over. We need to blow out the candles.” And together, we blew out the candles.

“Yah, what took you so long to come home?” Youngmin started to nag as he received a piece of cake from MinKyeong and started stuffing it into his mouth. “This crazy girlfriend of yours made me come home at 12 pm to open the door for her and I have been her cake taster since then.” Pointing to a box of weird looking cakes, he continued, “Those are going to be your breakfast for the next month. There’s no way I’m eating another cake.” Ironically, after he finished saying that, he continued to stuff cakes into his mouth.

“Thank you Youngmin uh. I thought you were busy and we wouldn’t be able to celebrate our birthdays together. But I’m really glad you’re here with me on our special day.”

Youngmin waved his hand in front of his face trying to hide his embarrassment from my sudden confession. “With this girlfriend of yours around there’s no way I’ll have a chance to be away from you on our birthday.” He said in a manner like he did not like the idea of us being together on this day but I knew deep in his heart, he felt grateful towards MinKyeong just I do too. With that he stuffed a neatly wrapped box into my hands and sauntered to the living room, leaving us two alone in the hallway between the kitchen and the main door.

Thanking him, I set aside the present for the moment and embraced MinKyeong. Her stiff, shocked body relaxed after a moment as she wrapped her arms around my body, careful not to stain my clothes.

True to what Youngmin had said, ever since MinKyeong became my girlfriend, there was never a birthday that Youngmin was not around to celebrate together. Those years after my mother passed away and father left to work for the family, we never spent our birthdays together anymore. But since MinKyeong came along, she often made an effort to ensure that we celebrated our birthdays together and although we both complained about each other’s presence, Youngmin and I are both immensely grateful to her. Without her, we both would have been too prideful to ask each other out and express our feelings. But because of her we changed. These thoughts ran through my mind as I squeezed her in a tight hug before releasing.

As she looked into my eyes, her lips tipped into a smile and with the most gentle voice in the universe, she whispered, “Happy Birthday my Kwangmin.”

With that, we celebrated our fifth spring together.

I dodged passers-by as they strolled along while I ran at full speed towards the direction of my house. Beads of perspiration dripped from my face and my face had turned an ugly shade of pale grey from all the running I did since I left the company but I couldn’t care less. All I want now is to reach home as quickly as possible so that she wouldn’t have to wait too long for me.

As the lift door opened, my eyes were fixed on that ever so familiar door. I burst through my house door as I dramatically spread out my arms, a wide smile on my face as I exclaimed loudly, “I’M HOME!” My wife and children chuckled at that. I noticed MinKyeong inch towards the table and propped her elbow up to support herself as she watched our children crash their bodies onto mine.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY APPA!” They chorused as they extended their hands out to me, in it a card from each of them. I received it as my eyes shot big in an exaggerated expression of happiness and lifted them both into my arms, laughter echoing through the house. I headed for MInKyeong, my expression softening into a smile as I leaned forward and pecked them on the cheeks, my innocent children covering their eyes almost immediately.

“So what’s for dinner?” I asked as I headed for the kitchen, when a familiar voice answered me in an enthusiastic manner.

“Spaghetti with lots of cheese!”

“Youngmin?!” I questioned in shock even though he was standing right before me. He smiled at me as I looked behind him to find Yoonji preparing our dinner together with him. I put my children down and walked towards him. “YAH! WHY ARE YOU HERE?!”

Youngmin shrugged as he stuffed a meatball into my mouth. “Ask our wives.”

Dinner ended in a flash and soon the family was gathered in the living room for some movies. Laughters came from the living room as I could vaguely hear Youngmin fooling around with the three children. Turning my head back to face MInKyeong who was sitting beside me at the sink, I flashed her a smile before continuing to clean up the dishes. Today, too, she managed to do it; To get Youngmin here to celebrate our birthdays together, even though we both claim that as we age there isn’t anything much to celebrate anyways. “I really don’t get you MinKyeong uh. You are so … amazing.” I repeated each year as I still fascinated over how great she was to be able to ensure my brother celebrates our birthdays together every single year, and even when she is sick, she never fails to do so still.

I placed the last plate onto the shelves and paced towards her, helping her up into a stand. “11 years together and here I am still wondering what kind of a girl you are.” I teased as I held her hands in mine.

Minkyeong chuckled. “Well that’s my charm,” she boasted, her face flushing red immediately after. I pulled her into a hug, unable to resist her beauty even though her bright face had been replaced but shade of pale, her once nicely curled hair now cascaded down her back in a lifeless form, and her form had turned stick thin.

“I love you, MinKyeong uh, thank you for setting this up once again this year. I don’t know how it would be like without you.” I blurted my real emotions, almost regretting it immediately.

An ounce of pain flashed through MinKyeong’s eyes as her lips parted, “Kwangmin uh…” She started as though wanting to say the same thing she always does but quickly pursed her lips back and smiled at me, swallowing the words she had meant to say. “I mean, You’re welcome.” She replied as she ran her fingers through my hair. “You know how much I love you right?” I nodded and for some reason relieve escaped in a sigh as I pulled her towards me and enveloped her in a hug. Her arms s around my waist as well and I could feel her face crease into a smile.

“I love you so much… and Happy birthday my Kwangmin.”

Hey everyone we are back with another chapter. So this is actually a chapter we wrote before the accident but i finally have some time to update. How do you guys find it? 

By the way just for those who are curious, Geummin is getting better. she still cant walk because of all the wounds she have and some form of moderate to vigurous movements would cause it to split. a few days ago a wound in her lung split so now shes still recovering. But shes laughing and smiling as usual. 

Shes truly a miracle, considering how fatal the blow actually supposedly was. 

anyways on a happier note, shes awake, laughing and teasing us like nothing was wrong so i guess we are just this much closer to having the old geummin back. 

Back to the chapter, Do comment and subscribe and upvote and everything you do. I know we are kind of slow but do please coninue to support this story and i promise we'll be back with more. thank you all for sticking through. 

and this time we have new subscribers!!!!!! cherryblossomxo and  strawberry_mochi_01

Thank you ! 

Love, 

YooGeum