Jieun flipped through the magazine that a few of her friends had chipped in to buy for her during their last visit with little interest. They didn't seem to know what she was really interested in, but she couldn't deny their efforts. At least they tried, right?

Right.

She closed the magazine when Luhan opened the door to her ward, his hands placed suspiciously behind his back, as though hiding something. He didn't enter, but there was a mischievious glint in his eyes that belied the childish side to him that he tried hard not to show.

"Why are you just standing there and not coming in?" She raised an eyebrow at him, but he just continued to shake his head and stand rooted to where he was, and she got worried.

"Luhan-"

"Happy birthday!"

He gave her a shock as balloons appeared from behind his back, and there were seven, in the respective colours of the rainbow. Jieun's eyes lit up with joy immediately, and she struggled to get up to walk over to him, but Luhan was quick enough to notice what she was doing and rushed over before she could get herself fully out of bed.

"Careful!" He placed his arm around Jieun's shoulder and tried to help her back into bed, "You're still weak from the last chemotherapy session, don't stress yourself out physically like that. I'll come to you when you want or need me to, okay?" 

Jieun nodded, and Luhan passed the balloons over to her, before kissing her softly on the forehead. She blushed, and accepted the balloons shyly. It was the first time a guy had ever given her anything, and she was thankful that Luhan was the first one to do so.

"I can't believe you remembered my birthday," she whispered, "no one else remembered except for you."

"Not even your parents?"

"They're busy with work...and my friends are all preparing for their exams. I don't blame them, really. They have better things to do than celebrate a meaningless birthday with me. It'll be selfish of me to keep demanding that they spend time with me."

"Why not? You're worth everyone's time." Luhan looked at her slightly sad eyes, and sighed, "You need to stop convincing yourself that you're useless."

"It's the truth, isn't it? I don't do much to help anyone."

"At least not for me. You mean a lot to me, Nam Jieun. Even though we've known each other for only about two weeks, I've seen so much more on you than anyone else. You don't have to be like everyone else, fighting for something that only holds material worth. You, Jieun - you are fighting for your right to live, and no one else can take it away from you."

He always had this way with words that made her melt inside. He made her feel like she was wrong, that she was indeed someone, and not just anyone, not just any patient in this hospital. And maybe that was why she started to develop feelings for this volunteer, who became much more than another guy who will come and go.

"You like TVXQ, right? I'll sing...what do you want to listen? I'll sing it for you if you ask for it."

"You...sing?"

"I'm no Kim Jaejoong though, but I'll try my best," Luhan sat down on the chair next to her bed, "it's my birthday present to you. I didn't know what else you would like, so I decided that something from the heart would mean a lot more even if it doesn't last physically. Come on, pick a song!"

Jieun pondered for a while, before replying, "Rainbow. I want to hear you sing Rainbow."

Darling, I want to see you 

Love, times when I can't see you
I always gaze at the sky

Calling you baby baby
Hey, my heart will always be by your side all the time
Even if it's raining a little inside my chest
Because your words bring along light with it that clears up the weather
Even though we're separated from the rainbow that ties us both together, say I love you
Your voice is my rainbow 
I'd cross the sky just to reach it

In this wide world, Darling, there's only one person (you)
You're listening to my heart
I can always feel you no matter when, baby how d'you feel me

After the rain, everyone watches the rainbow with smiles
At that moment when time froze, baby, I feel like holding you in my arms
The rainbow that carries wishes, keep shining smile oh my girl
My dream is your rainbow
I'll just sing for you
(Sing a song for you)

From good morning to good night, continue believing
In the moonlight of a sorrowful night
Love overcomes all

Even though we're separated from the rainbow that ties us both together, yes, I need you
Your voice is my rainbow 
I'd cross the sky just to reach it
The rainbow that carries wishes, keep shining smile oh my girl
My dream is your rainbow
I'll just sing for you

Luhan's voice was soothing, and it felt like honey flowing on silk - so smooth, yet so calming. Jieun never heard anyone sing like that in front of her, and everything just felt extremely surreal as Luhan sat there singing to her. She wished that the lyrics were Luhan's feelings towards her, she wished that the song wouldn't end so soon.

As the song ended, Jieun looked at the doe-eyed guy with a look filled with aprpeciation and genuine respect.

"You were amazing."

"I know, I know," Luhan grinned, "I would never dare to sing like that in front of anyone else, to be frank."

"Why not?" Jieun pouted, "You should audition to be a singer! That way more people can hear your voice!"

"No, I don't need everyone else to hear. I just want you to hear it, that's all."

Is this guy getting cheesier?

Jieun shrugged it off, and tried to ignore the fact that her heart was beating a lot faster and that she refused to look Luhan in the eye.

"I-" 

Luhan suddenly got into a coughing fit, and Jieun quickly got him to drink a cup of water that was on the table. He stopped after a while, and she finally noticed how tired he looked recently. She hoped that he wasn't working himself out, and especially not because he had been spending too much time with her recently.

"Luhan, go home and rest. You're tired, and at this rate you're going to fall sick."

"I'm fine," he insisted, "by the way, happy birthday again, Nam Jieun."

"Thank you, thank you for all the effort you put in. I guess I was right when I first saw you. I knew that you weren't going to be one of those stupid volunteers who come here just for the resume. I'm glad that I'm right."

She expressed her heartfelt gratitude once again as she clutched onto the seven balloons that Luhan had specially bought for her, and wondered how he ever knew that she loved balloons a lot, ever since she were a kid, or that she liked to look out for rainbows in the clear blue sky after rain. She realized that there was still a lot about him that she still didn't know, but she was too shy to initiate such personal conversation with him, such as which part of China he was from, or whether he had any girlfriends to speak of.

"Jieun, I.....I think I have feelings for you. Do you...look at me the same way too?"

Jieun looked up at Luhan in shock as he confessed, but before she could say anything, he continued, "Don't, don't tell me anything now. Don't reply. Don't say yes or no. Don't reject me just yet. I just wanted to get this off my chest because it's becoming too much of a burden to keep it in. I'm sorry that I'm suddenly throwing this at you. I'll give you time to think, and hopefully one day you'll give me the answer you think is best.

"And by the way, happy birthday again. I hope I can spend every other birthday of yours together with you to make up for those 16 years that I've missed out on." 

He got up and left the ward, while Jieun watched him leave as she softly whispered,

"Yes, Luhan. I definitely do, and I'm not going to give any other answer no matter how long time passes. I want to spend every single birthday of mine together with you."

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” ― Anonymous, Holy Bible: King James Version