captain’s log / 141022 hanbin’s birthday.

Jinhwan blinks at the alarm clock ringing on his bedside table for a few seconds before remembering the things he had planned to do the night before. He flips his blanket off his body and squirms off the bed with difficulty and proceeds to make his hasty dash to the kitchen. Being careful to allow his sister to sleep enough, he shuts the door to her room slowly on the way to the kitchen. He then leans against the kitchen counter and drinks a glass of water while blinking at the red box which barely fit in his small palm. A picture of a cake dons the front of the box as the doctor stands in the kitchen squinting at the small print on the other side of the cardboard box at 2am; after an hour of sleep.

Letting out a yawn, Jinhwan rubs his eyes and places the ingredients list and intruction sheet on the tabletop and fumbles slightly while getting he required materials out from the cabinet. It was always amusing to remember the times when the siblings had ventured to the shopping complex down the road to buy pots and pans and baking materials only to leave them to sit in the comfort of the stale cabinet for a year now. Jinhwan grins at the memory and prepares the cake pan before preheating the oven. His next hour is then spent on a series of repeated movements, namely attempting to make the mix, and making stupid mistakes – such as struggling with the mixer and almost dropping the pan on the floor. He heaves a sigh of relief as he places the cake in the oven and sets the timer. He uses a little over two hours, and leaves the house late, barely catching the bus after ignoring his sister’s calls once she woke up to the scent of vanilla and strawberry. Clutching the box tightly with his hands, he sets the box down on his lap as he sits beside the window in the packed bus. He’s always lucky to get the same spot empty as though it belonged to him in some odd manner. He grins at the sight of a group of small children crossing the road happily and looks down at the cake fondly.

Its 7am when he finally reaches his patient’s room after spending time tidying his own office up and making himself somewhat presentable. He stops in the corridor at the sight of the door being slightly open and peeks in to watch the boy – but he sees another pair of shoes, or rather two pairs of shoes. A little observation reveals that his mother and sister were in the room with him, and Jinhwan smiles at the fact, settling for sitting on one of the chairs outside to wait.

Hanbin curls up into a ball as he looks at his mother with caution in his eyes. He then shifts his gaze to his younger sister standing beside her with her arms somewhat outstretched, her small fingers tapping the edge of the hospital bed lightly with no particular rhythm. His sister then pauses and looks up at him with a smile, her lips curling up on the two edges as she speaks incoherently. Outside, Jinhwan blinks and barely makes out her message as she wishes her older brother a ‘happy birthday’.

“How’re you doing recently?” The older female’s voice rings out and Jinhwan leans back against the wall.

“Fine.” Hanbin’s replies are curt, and he doesn’t display interest in holding a conversation with his mother. Instead, he pushes himself off the hospital bed and reaches out for his sister as he grins and tugs on her arm to pull her up swiftly into an embrace. He then walks around the room with silent footsteps, allowing his sister to fall asleep in his arms as he grins at her. The silence lasts for half an hour and Jinhwan stands up to greet his mother as she leaves, reassuring her with a warm grin. He then picks the small box up from the seat next to him and gets up. He peeks into the room once again to watch the younger boy sit at the edge of the bed, his legs swinging back and forth. Jinhwan steps into the room and walks over with caution before stopping in front of the table and places the box on its surface gently.

“There you go. Present,” Jinhwan grins as he tilts his head to one side and gazes at Hanbin, “You could take it as a birthday present, or a reward for growing up and staying sane. You’re one tough kid.”

“Calling me a kid when we’re nearly the same age though.” Hanbin replies with a slight grin as he looks up at Jinhwan for a few seconds before breaking into a wide smile.

“Those few months makes all the difference.”

“Vanilla and strawberry.” The patient grins as he brings the box up towards his nose and recognises the mixture of tangy sweetness and thickness. He places the box back on the table, “How long did you take to do this? It smells pretty fresh.”

“Woke up early for once.”

“Come on, we all know that you wake up early on a daily basis.”

“Especially early then,” Jinhwan nods and points to his eyebags, “Though, as much as its your birthday I have to check on your condition. How are your dreams?”

“The same, with the addition of my father. And a little more. My father catches me at the end and I fall into yet another pit only to find myself back where I began. The boy is no longer seated on the bench but he’s there behind me. He places his hand on my shoulder and I try to turn to face him but I can’t. The closest I can get to his identity is the little scar on his right hand,” Hanbin pauses, “It resembles a butterfly.”

Jinhwan nods slowly and scribbles away on his clipboard before letting out an awkward laugh, “Well enjoy your cake then. Since you don’t have any dietary restrictions it was much easier for me to make this for you. And once again, happy birthday.” He bows slightly before walking towards the door. As he does so, Hanbin nods and proceeds to tug at the paper box – and he smiles, the pastel hues of ecstasy faintly filling the spaces between the creases on his forehead. 

AN: wow i managed to write this.