Please excuse the fact that I have been hit by the truck of FLUFFiness.

aaand #HAPPYKYUDAY , bb.

which was yesterday, but better late than never.

Mi Ra could only smile, looking at the three year old boy jumping up and down, running around with a party hat on top of his cute little head. Sehun was so excited to celebrate his birthday that she just had to make a party hat for him to stop him from bugging her in the kitchen. I hate artsy crafty stuff..

She looked down at the cake in front of her as she wiggled her brows helplessly.

To be honest, it wasn't the best looking cake the world had seen, but that'll have to do. She didn't want to waste the money she had left buying imported semi sweet chocolate, or those double creme--which by the way would make thick ganache. Purchasing those would definitely burn a hole in her pocket if she did. So, she stuck to the old vanilla cake and made a simple chocolate glaze, just by combining some coco powder and condense milk--or in other words, cheap stuff. ..but who cares, really. It's the taste and the thought that counts, no?

Mi Ra was a genius when it comes to baking. Give her the right ingredients and she could even bake a heavenly Donna Hay 4-tier moist chocolate cake. Being an only child, her mother had always gotten her to be involved in the kitchen, especially when she bakes. They say that a house which doesn't smell like the smell of baked cookies isn't a home. Well, her house definitely qualified, with flying colours.

As a child, who wouldn't get excited when your mother asks you to help crack those eggs, or stir that cake batter, or even put on the colourful sprinkles for that matter. By the age of 12, she was able to bake insanely wicked chocolate chip cookies for her girl-scout friends and help them raise funds by selling it.

Yes, she was awesome like that.

Only when she entered college did she realized that her mother's passion for baking was driven by loneliness.

The soon-to-be 40 year old woman, at that time, was lonely. Before this, she had channeled her loneliness into baking, together with her lovely daughter. Her father? Mr Kim would arrive from work late at night--when the house had already drifted into yaya-land, fallen asleep. Putting aside all those loneliness thoughts, she was still happy and counted her lucky stars that God had blessed her with a daughter, the least, who was also her great companion.

Mi Ra would always call home and talked to her mother often--the good girl she is.

'Come home, Mi..' her mother would coo and she would feel her heart sink. 'I'm so bored when you go back for college.'

'Omma~ don't make me sad, ok?' she would always find a way to calm her mother's heart. 'Ahh! Maja. I saw an online advert about cooking classes in our housing area. Omma, you should go!'  happy she found a way for her mother to spend time. The elder would generally refuse, saying that she's already an expert, why would she need to go for classes? 'Anniya, omma.. Go and meet people, omma. I just don't want you to be bored waiting at home all day, waiting for appa. Ne, omma?' she chirped with a smile and knowing her mother would agree to anything her daughter says.

But not everything in life is as perfect as a scenic painting on a wall. Had Mi Ra known things were going to be as they were, she'd never in a million years suggested to her mother to join the cooking class, or any freaking adult classes for that matter--because that was when her mother met with Dr. Jung, or to be exact, the person who ruined my life..

"Omma..omaaa~" 

The constant whining of Sehun snapped Mi Ra back to present time. I hate artsy fartsy stuff and now I hate baking too.. she concluded in her mind as she left the kitchen to cater to Sehun's calling. 

"What is it, birthday boy?" she bent down to his level and ruffled his mushroom-like hair. The boy had been jumping up and down in front of their cave-man era TV, pointing to the screen. Oh Sehunnie.. she sighed absent mindedly. Sehun wants a toy. Sehun wants that toy. He had been pestering her to get him that toy for over a month. ..and today was his birthday.

"Come on.." she said to him as she dragged him by the hand. "Halmeoni! Halmeoni!" she shouted as she reached for her bag and wrapped Sehun in warm clothes. "I'm taking Sehun to town for a bit!". 

"Becareful, Mi Ra ya!"

***

Mi Ra furrowed her brows as she estimated an anxiety attack to happen anytime. 

"What are you doing here?" she clutched onto Sehun's hand a little bit more tighter, planning to drag Sehun as she makes a run for it, if necessary.

Cho Kyuhyun, her ex-boyfriend. The 'good friend'.

He was bending down to meet Sehun's height and giving him a grin, as if he was plotting something in that mysterious mind of his. He then looked up to her, not bothering to stand. "I want to go on a date with Sehunnie today," he stated, like it was a common thing to do. "Ahh. the bus is here!," he said as he got up, not sparing a single minute for Mi Ra to further question him. 

He let the two hop on the bus first, then himself, being the gentleman he is. Oh but he did look like one today. Not clad in his usual boy-band look, he was wearing a checkered woollen sweater and cream-coloured khaki pants. Mi Ra could only huffed through her nostrils in amusement, meanwhile she was LMAO-ing in her head at Kyuhyun's choice of attire today. But she stopped as soon as Kyuhyun got to their seats and lifted Sehun to let him sit on his lap, as he, himself, snuggled next to her. 

She blushed at the sudden contact of his thighs bumping into her--as if it was the first time that actually happen. The bus moved and none spoke a word for the first three minutes. 

Sehun gasped as he pointed out of the window. 

"Nun! Nun! Omma! Nun!" he clapped and pointed as he expressively told Mi Ra it was snowing. 

It was snowing. It was the first snowfall. The weather forcasted it to snow last night, but it didn't. It snowed that day, on Sehun's third birthday. The day she was sitting next to Kyuhyun on a bus. The day after she had decided that they should just be friends--and there he is today, still being next to her, in her life.

But none of that mattered to her, because she was containing the embarassment of being called 'omma'. 

"Omma?" he finally asked, looking to her in confusion. 

"Long story.." she tried to be cool about it and pretended to brush Sehun's hair.

"Which I really am interested to hear," he nodded to her, leaning a tad bit closer than before. 

"Why are you here anyway?" she shrugged and folded her arms, changing the topic smoothly. "Were you stalking me?"

"I told you I have a date with him, gurae Sehunnie?" he winked at him as the boy shamelessly leaned back and rested his head on Kyuhyun's chest, smiling. Mi Ra gave the latter a look and inwardly scolded Sehun for being overly friendly to a stranger, like Kyuhyun. "Ok..Ok.." he chuckled. "You told me it was his birthday today. So I wanted to get him a present. I was about to go to your house, but I guess I was just lucky to see you both at the bus stop. As simple as that. Not a crime, right, Sehun's ommonim?" he raised a brow and looked into her eyes, which made her look away immediately as she frowned. "Don't forget to tell me bout that later.." he reminded her, slightly teasing. 

Was it not a mind-boggling issue? to be called 'omma' by a three year old child? But why does he seem to be so cool about it?

Kyuhyun shifted Sehun so that his legs fell onto one side of him, making him comfortable because the boy had fallen asleep. He smiled at the thought that they were just like a family of three. Omma, appa, and Sehunnie. Mi Ra is a great sister, I'm sure. She's willing to be called omma by his three year old brother. That's like 21 years apart. Perhaps Sehun misses his mother too much. Mi Ra.. your heart is pure gold. 

***

Mi Ra let Kyuhyun push the cart, as she looked at him from behind, still very much cautious about what could be happening next. Anytime, Kyuhyun could suddenly ask her about Sehun. He already did on the bus, but he seemed to be OK with her delaying the story behind it. It made Mi Ra feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing Kyuhyun was patient enough to not force her to. In fact, he hadn't mention about the 'omma' thing anymore, but instead, he brought Sehun to play the indoor games, bought him ice cream--which Mi Ra had to finish it for him because he was so eager to play the Need For Speed, which Kyuhyun appa had promised to be the driver and let him sit on his lap. One more point for you, Dr Cho..

"You like that?" 

Mi Ra snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing Kyuhyun asking Sehun if he liked that particular toy he was pointing to. It was the same toy that was in the TV commercial. She sighed as she joined the two newly formed partners-in-crime, who were drooling over it--The ultimate Razer Switchblade.

"Whoa.. you've got taste, buddy.." he praised Sehun as they harrassed the sample model together. 

Cute.. Mi Ra thought. She moved to the rack beside them to let them play and try out the Razer Switchblade. As she was eyeing the  Avengers figurines, she could feel his presence beside her and confirmed it as she looked to her side. He was quietly trying out another portable game. She could only smile, acknowledging the existing gamer genes in him. 

"Mi Ra.." 

She turned to look at him again. "Hmm? What?" she asked after waiting two seconds for a reply, as his eyes were very much fixed onto the device and not her. 

"I miss you.." 

He finally faced her and gazed longingly. 

Who was she kidding? The fact that she didn't withdraw from his gaze says so much. Normally, she would shy away, but this Mi Ra misses him too--too much, she didn't even realize she had been lost in his gaze--too lost in that gaze that she didn't even realized she was softly squeezing his warm hands, which had been laced together with her's. 

"Omma, I want this! Let's pay! Let's pay!" 

It was when Sehun squealed for her attention when she was brought back to earth. She gasped as she tried to free her hand away from him, but to her surprised, he held on to hers even more firm. 

"Kaja! Let me buy that as a present for you," he turned to Sehun and patted his head as the boy yippee-ed in happiness. They were lining up to pay when he finally let her hands go. 

"Kyu.. You don't have to, Ok? I'll be paying, you've spent so much for him today," she whispered to him, not wanting little Sehun to hear. 

He smiled as he fiddled through his leather wallet and chuckled, "I like it when you call me Kyu," and looked to her, only to see her with a confused face. "..and not Kyuhyun, or Kyuhyun ssi," he looked back to his wallet, saying, "and I don't care what you said, I'm paying." 

"Would you please just let me pay?!" she hissed, trying to be as discreet as possible. 

"No," he shot back. 

"Just give up and let me pay, ok?"

"No"

She heaved a sigh. "Then would you come over ours and have some cake?" her tone changed.

"No--what?!" he looked at her chuckling, surprised by the offer. He cleared his throat and attempted to maintain a cool expression. "I love cakes.." he said, and Mi Ra pinched his arms, to which he yelped in pleasure, playfully. 

***

Mi Ra closed the door behind her. She held in a laughter seeing Kyuhyun pretending to rub his belly. 

"That was the cake you made?" he asked, to which she replied by nodding and then shrugging.

"Don't tell me that was the yummiest cake you have ever eaten in your entire life. I don't want to hear that kind of thing, Ok," she said, not wanting to accept compliments from him. 

"Tch.. as if," he smirked at the now glaring Mi Ra. "But I'll never forget it, because you baked it. Ohh, what is that--you sloppy eater," he chuckled as he swiftly moved to wipe a smudge of chocolate with his thumb, just above her upper lips. 

"Huh?" she was caught dumbfounded.

"Mmm.. Yums.." he mumbled as he the glaze off his thumb, making Mi Ra blush. 

Just then, both of their phone alert went off, at about the same time and they checked their own phones. 

"Oh my god.. OH. MY. GOD !!" she squealed.

"Yes!!" he punched a fist into the air. "Where are you placed?!!" he asked her in excitement. 

"SNU, best hospital in Seoul," she smiled as she wiggled her brows to him teasingly. "And you?"

He rolled his eyes upon her gesture before replying, "only the best hospital in whole South Korea.." and playfully smirked at her. 

"You too?" she shrieked and Kyuhyun could only refrain himself from making any sudden moevements, because he didn't want Mi Ra to realize that she was hugging him, as intimate as could be. 

Happy birthday to me, he grinned to himself.