1 BIRTHDAY

THE STAFF on the counter of a cake shop sat lazily. It was ten in the morning and there were hardly any customers coming in. So she chose to just chat with her friends on LINE. Minutes passed by and the chime on the door rang. She looked over and saw a man coming in.

The man was tall and pathologically pale. Like he hasn't been exposed to the sun for a very long period of time. He was also thin, as if he had lost a lot of weight recently. As evidence of how loose the shirt he was wearing was. But despite that, his handsome features still couldn't be hidden. The pair of hazel brown eyes, straight nose, and the almost pale lips - he's definitely someone not easily forgotten.

That's why the female staff remembered him. He usually went in this shop together with another woman. But for the past year, she hadn't seen him or the woman. That's why his physical changes were more obvious to her.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"Good morning." The man smiled back and looked at the rows of cakes on the display cabinet.

"What can I get for you?"

"One coffee cake with mocha frosting, please. And could you write a 'Happy Birthday' greeting on it?"

"Sure. Please wait a while."

The staff went to the kitchen and told the pastry chef of the man's order and request. A few minutes later, she came out with a white box containing the cake the man ordered. Then she noticed the man coughing quite furiously.

"Are you okay?" she asked, a bit worried.

The man only smiled. "Yes, I'm okay."

"Here is your order." She handed the box to the man. "Who's birthday is it, if you don't mind me asking?"

The man took the box and paid for it. "It's my wife's," he answered, his voice full of affection and love. "This is her favorite cake."

The staff remembered the woman who always came with the man. She was probably his wife. "Oh, I hope she has a wonderful birthday."

"Thank you."

The man went out of the cake shop and happily started walking towards the direction of the apartment where he and his wife lived. He coughed a few times along the way. But that didn't detract him from his good mood. He reached the apartment building after fifteen minutes of walking. He rode the elevator and pressed the fifth floor. After getting off the elevator, he walked towards their apartment unit.

He took his key from his pocket and opened the door. He entered the apartment. It was a simple 2LDK apartment. With two rooms, a living room, a dining room, and a small kitchen.

"I'm home," he called.

"Welcome back," said a sweet voice coming from the balcony.

A woman wearing a white knee-length dress walked towards him. She has long black hair that flowed on her back. Her big almond eyes were surrounded by thick black eyelashes. There was a sweet smile on her lips. Anyone who first saw her would only think of one thing - that she's a beautiful and sweet girl.

"I bought your favorite cake," the man said putting the cake on the table. "Happy birthday!"

The woman smiled and it felt like the whole surrounding just brightened. "You remembered."

"How could I forget? I'll give you a slice."

"No. Let's eat it together later. I want to go somewhere first."

"Where?"

"The place we first met."

The man smiled when he heard that. His eyes softened. "Okay." He first put the box of cake in the fridge, then turned to his wife. "Let's go?"

"Yes."

They walked out of the apartment hand-in-hand.

"Why did you suddenly thought of going there?" he asked when they entered the elevator.

"No reason. Maybe because the weather is too good, just like that day we met."

He smiled when he heard her answer. He was about to say something when he had another coughing fit.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, gently patting her husband's back.

The man wiped his mouth with his handkerchief before answering, "I'm okay."

His wife frowned, apparently not believing him. "Did you drink your medicine today?"

"I did. You were there, remember?" he teasingly said.

She still has something to say but the elevator opened and her husband immediately pulled her out. They started walking towards the nearby park. They talked and laughed. The people they passed by kept looking in their direction. But neither of them cared.

When they reached the park, they sat on a bench.

"Do you remember the day we met?" the woman asked.

"How could I forget? You were so beautiful that day, your image was forever imprinted inside my head."

"I was only beautiful that day?" she asked, raising one of her brows.

The man smiled. "No. You're beautiful everyday. For me, you're the most beautiful woman in this world."

His wife pinched his cheek. "What a sweet mouth you have."

"And you're the only person who will ever know that," he said, teasingly.

The woman blushed furiously. "Don't tease."

The man only smiled. He looked around and really did remember the day they met.

It was a beautiful sunny day. He went to the park to take some photographs. While doing that, his camera accidentaly caught the image of a girl sitting on a bench, feeding the birds. She was smiling so sweetly. Just looking at her made his heart beat like crazy. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. And he just knew, he just knew she was the one.

So he gathered all his courage, walked towards her, and introduced himself. And that's the beginning of everything.

They met in a very normal way. Their story could even be said to be ordinary. But his feelings for her, his love, was completely opposite of ordinary. It was immeasurable. It was as vast as an ocean. He could never ever contained it even if he tried.

That's just how much he loved her.

He turned turned back to his wife but she was not there. He stood up and looked around but didn't see even her shadow. He was suddenly filled with worry and fear. He saw another couple sitting on the next bench. He walked towards them.

"Excuse me, have you seen where the woman I was with go?" he asked.

The two looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Dude, there was no one with you. You're just talking to yourself," the man answered, standing up and pulling his partner away. As if afraid they'll be contaminated with whatever crazy virus he has.

What he heard suddenly jolted his brain. It was like a bucket of cold wated was poured onto him. Then he was suddenly attacked by another coughing fit. He continued coughing until his own knees gave in and he kneeled down. He covered his mouth. When he finished coughing, he looked at the palm of his hand and saw blood.

And something he had been trying to forget this past year just entered his mind.

He was constantly hospitalized last year. On the day of his wife's birthday, he was sent to the hospital again. He was saddened by the fact that he wouldn't be able to celebrate with his wife like a normal couple should. Instead, they had to spent it inside a hospital room. To cheer him up, his wife told him that no matter where they were, as long as they're together, that would be enough for her. But to have a more birthday-like atmosphere, she went out to buy a cake.

And she never came back.

He just received a call telling him that his wife was hit by a truck on an intersection. She died on the spot. She was sent to the same hospital he was in. The last image he has of her was that of her lifeless body lying on the morgue.

He felt like his whole world just shattered that day. The despair and heartbreak he felt was overwhelming. He didn't know how he could continue on living. The only way he could think of was to act like that day never happened. But it was not enough. It would never be enough.

A part of him just died that day. And as the day passed by without her, more and more parts of him died.

He continued coughing. His tears kept flowing down his cheeks. He kept calling on her name, but no matter how much he did, she never appeared again. His cough kept getting more and more uncontrollable, blood flowing from his mouth. But he didn't care and just kept on crying. He looked up at the blue, blue sky and raised his hand.

Then he closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already standing on a field of wild flowers. But he never noticed the beauty of any of the flowers. His sight was just focused on the figure standing not far from him. The woman glanced back and smiled at him.

His tears flowed again and before he could think, his body already moved and he ran towards her as fast as he could. The moment he was closed, he immediately hugged her.

"Hikari... Hikari... Hikari..."

Hikari hugged him back. "I missed you, Shinji."

"I missed you too. So, so much. Please tell me we would never separate again."

"No. We'll be together from now on."

Shinji let go of Hikari for a while and stared at her beautiful face. "Promise?"

Hikari smiled. "Promise."

Shinji finally showed a smile. He bowed down his head and kissed her soft lips. Yes, they would never ever separate again. Not now. Not ever.

***FIN***