Chapter 7: A Kiss
APPA HYUNG (Contest Entry to AFF Summer Fic Writing Contest)
Chapter 7: A Kiss
Years had passed, and Jaejoong was in the hospital.
He slept soundly, Jaejoong was awakened by a voice, ‘What is that? Who is making that sound?’ Drowsily, he lifted his head, opened his eyes, and looked about him. He smelled the fresh air, and felt the breeze on his skin. He was in the patients’ terrace garden, under an awning, and seated on his wheelchair.
Not a far distance from him, he saw a young boy of about 4 to 6 years old, who played alone with his airplanes, and he was making sounds, as if he was flying the airplanes, he blinked several times, he thought he saw Dongho, when he was at that age, he had to stare at the boy. The image was just a moment, and then he thought, ‘aaahh Maybe, it’s my imagination. I just woke-up.Or I was dreaming, and I remembered my dream. It’s been awhile, since I dreamed of him.’
The boy sat crossed-legs on the floor, he was wearing a round neck, short sleeves, violet t-shirt, jeans, and white snickers. Jaejoong was wearing hospital clothes and hospital slippers.
‘Cute! He is cute! And here I am, wearing hospital clothes, hahahhaha.’
He watched him, and then he looked about him, there were also a few patients in the terrace with them. And some nurses, who were checking on their patients.
When, he looked back at the boy, he was looking at him. He was taken aback, with surprise. He smiled at the boy, who shyly smiled back at him. The boy looked tentative, he could tell, and then as if, the boy decided on something, stood-up and came close to him.
With a shy smile, he slightly bowed his head, and said, “Good Morning, Mister.”
“Good Morning to you, too.”
“Why are you here? Are you really sick? Except for the clothes, you don’t look sick to me.”
“hhahahaha” That got a laugh from him. He smile broadly at the boy, and said, “Yes, I am not sick, I just needed a check-up.”
“hmmm Why are you in a wheelchair? If, it is just a check-up?”
Smiling more broadly, he said, “They made me ride this contraption.”
“Con.. tra.. what?”
“hahaahaahaaa They made me ride this wheels,” patted the wheels on each side of the wheelchair.
“I had fun riding that once, I made my Omma push me around.”
“Your Omma? Does she work here? Or is she a patient, too.”
“My Omma is a nurse.”
“How old are you?”
“I’ll be 5 soon, it’s my birthday next week. Can’t wait for it, the days are so long. Why can’t it be my birthday now. My Omma said, she is going to buy me some cake, ice cream and she is going to buy me gifts. I wish, it’s already my birthday.”
“What is your name?”
Eyes got big, with lips formed to a small letter ‘O’, he bowed his head and said, “Oh, I am sorry, Mister, I did not say who I was, I am sorry. My name is Hyunjin, Park Hyunjin”
Years had passed, and Jaejoong was in the hospital.
He slept soundly, Jaejoong was awakened by a voice, ‘What is that? Who is making that sound?’ Drowsily, he lifted his head, opened his eyes, and looked about him. He smelled the fresh air, and felt the breeze on his skin. He was in the patients’ terrace garden, under an awning, and seated on his wheelchair.
Not a far distance from him, he saw a young boy of about 4 to 6 years old, who played alone with his airplanes, and he was making sounds, as if he was flying the airplanes, he blinked several times, he thought he saw Dongho, when he was at that age, he had to stare at the boy. The image was just a moment, and then he thought, ‘aaahh Maybe, it’s my imagination. I just woke-up.Or I was dreaming, and I remembered my dream. It’s been awhile, since I dreamed of him.’
The boy sat crossed-legs on the floor, he was wearing a round neck, short sleeves, violet t-shirt, jeans, and white snickers. Jaejoong was wearing hospital clothes and hospital slippers.
‘Cute! He is cute! And here I am, wearing hospital clothes, hahahhaha.’
He watched him, and then he looked about him, there were also a few patients in the terrace with them. And some nurses, who were checking on their patients.
When, he looked back at the boy, he was looking at him. He was taken aback, with surprise. He smiled at the boy, who shyly smiled back at him. The boy looked tentative, he could tell, and then as if, the boy decided on something, stood-up and came close to him.
With a shy smile, he slightly bowed his head, and said, “Good Morning, Mister.”
“Good Morning to you, too.”
“Why are you here? Are you really sick? Except for the clothes, you don’t look sick to me.”
“hhahahaha” That got a laugh from him. He smile broadly at the boy, and said, “Yes, I am not sick, I just needed a check-up.”
“hmmm Why are you in a wheelchair? If, it is just a check-up?”
Smiling more broadly, he said, “They made me ride this contraption.”
“Con.. tra.. what?”
“hahaahaahaaa They made me ride this wheels,” patted the wheels on each side of the wheelchair.
“I had fun riding that once, I made my Omma push me around.”
“Your Omma? Does she work here? Or is she a patient, too.”
“My Omma is a nurse.”
“How old are you?”
“I’ll be 5 soon, it’s my birthday next week. Can’t wait for it, the days are so long. Why can’t it be my birthday now. My Omma said, she is going to buy me some cake, ice cream and she is going to buy me gifts. I wish, it’s already my birthday.”
“What is your name?”
Eyes got big, with lips formed to a small letter ‘O’, he bowed his head and said, “Oh, I am sorry, Mister, I did not say who I was, I am sorry. My name is Hyunjin, Park Hyunjin”
“Hello, Park Hyunjin, nice to meet you, I am Kim Jaejoong,” he said with a smile, and gave a slight bow of his head. He reached out his hand, and the boy looked at his hand, as if surprised by the gesture, but gave his own little hand to him, and they shook hands.
“There you are.”
A soft voice got both their heads turning. A young nurse was approaching them, with a smile on her face.
A soft voice got both their heads turning. A young nurse was approaching them, with a smile on her face.
“Omma!” he called out to her, he let go of Jaejoong’s hand, and approached his mother.
“I hope, you are not bothering the Mister, Hyunjin,” she said, while she touched his head, looked at her son, and then while still smiling, she looked at Jaejoong, she said, “I hope, he is not bothering you, Sir.”
“Oh, no, he was not bothering me at all, I was enjoying his company, actually,” he gave an unconscious-ed yawn, “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Maybe, it is time for you to go back to your room, Sir. I’d take you to your room.”
“Is he going to be alright here alone?” he was worried for the young boy.
“Yes Sir, he is safe here, I asked my friends to look after him, whenever he is here, and my duty will be finished in a few minutes, there is no one I can leave him with at the moment. So, from his school nearby, I bring him here. He does not stay here long.”
“hmmm Alright, but I’d like to stay here.”
“Alright, Sir, but in a little while, I will be off duty. And, I will be taking him home. You might fall asleep.”
“I will be fine, don’t worry about me. We will be fine here, go back to your duty.”
Bowed her head, and said, “He is a good kid, thank you, Sir.” She waved to her son, who waved back, and then left them and went back inside.
After awhile when she returned, already carrying her bag, she found her son still playing with his toys, but now, he was beside Jaejoong’s wheelchair. She approached them.
“Son, it is time to go home. Pick-up your toys and put them in your bag,” she said to her young son.
“Yes, Omma.” he picked-up his toys, and started putting them in his bag.
She bent her head and looked at Jaejoong’s face, who was sleeping on his wheelchair.
She came closer, bent down closer to him, and whispered, “It has taken awhile, but I am here now, Appa Hyung,” she kissed him on the head. “I have a son now, Appa, you said, you’ll give me nephews and nieces to look after. Get married soon, Appa Hyung, I already have a head start. See you again, tomorrow,” she kissed him again on the head.
“Little Bear, come, let’s go home,” she said in a soft voice, and hand in hand, the mother and child walked away from the sleeping Jaejoong.
After awhile when she returned, already carrying her bag, she found her son still playing with his toys, but now, he was beside Jaejoong’s wheelchair. She approached them.
“Son, it is time to go home. Pick-up your toys and put them in your bag,” she said to her young son.
“Yes, Omma.” he picked-up his toys, and started putting them in his bag.
She bent her head and looked at Jaejoong’s face, who was sleeping on his wheelchair.
She came closer, bent down closer to him, and whispered, “It has taken awhile, but I am here now, Appa Hyung,” she kissed him on the head. “I have a son now, Appa, you said, you’ll give me nephews and nieces to look after. Get married soon, Appa Hyung, I already have a head start. See you again, tomorrow,” she kissed him again on the head.
“Little Bear, come, let’s go home,” she said in a soft voice, and hand in hand, the mother and child walked away from the sleeping Jaejoong.
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