SUGA'S POV

It's been approximately half an hour and her hands are moving all over my back. She really placed her efforts in learning how to do this.

I could feel stress seeping out of my body but her movements were becoming soft.

"Apply more pressure," I said.

"Oh, alright," she complied but again after five minutes it became similar.

"What are you doing, huh?" I questioned. I knew she was exhausted, I was just teasing her. Moreover, I was liking this massage thing when she was masseur.

"The position is uncomfortable Hyung," she whined and I already expect a pout on her baby face. I moved my head to her side and I was so right, her pouting and frowning.

I suppressed my laugh and maintained a poker face, "Then change it," I said.

"How?" She asked, clueless.

"I don't know. Wasn't this my birthday gift?"

She hummed, contemplating. Suddenly she got up from the side. Her knees were on either side of my body and her hands on my back.

The position set something weird in my stomach and my heart was beating loud.

Her hands moved more proficiently given the position. As they moved from my spine to my shoulders, I let out a low groan.

"You like this?" She asked. I hummed, not wanting to distract myself from the pleasure.

After minutes, she collapsed by my side.

"Ahh, I cannot do this anymore," she complained, instigating me to laugh. I was looking at her, my cheek pressed against the pillow and my eyes on her.

"That's all?" I questioned.

"Five minutes please," she requested.

"Fine."

"Did it released some of your stress?" She asked, her eyes so bright, even behind the lenses.

"Yes. It felt great. From when are you learning this?"

"A week approximately, since I went out with Ra Im. I wanted to gift you a massage chair, but I cannot. So, I just thought of giving you a massage," she smiled.

"You did good," I said, fixing her bangs a little. I obviously have a massage chair, what I don't have is time. This kind of effort makes me elated.

"Oh let's get it then," she said and stood up again but I pulled her back down by her biceps. Her smile dropped to a very amusingly perplexed reaction.

"It's fine. You've done enough. Rest now," I said.

"No. It's your birthday gift. It has to be perfect."

"It's perfect," I said in a serious tone, because as I said, it was perfect. She frowned and that made me giggle again.

"You're so little, stop acting all buff," I joked and she sat up in protest. I was still lying with my back exposed, front pressed against the mattress and facing her.

She flexed her biceps, "See, I have been dancing a lot. I've got a wrestler's body."

I laughed out loud, "Wrestler? Really?"

Her forehead creased in frustration, "Yes. Really."

I sat up too, facing her. I contracted my muscles, folding my hand by the elbow to flaunt my biceps.

Her jaw dropped making me oddly proud.

"Touch it," I encouraged.

"W-what?"

I took her hand and made it touch my biceps. Her eyes widened, "Woah Hyung. You are great."

She poked it a little and later squeezed it with a tender force, "How is this so hard? This is like a rock."

I relaxed my muscles, letting out the breath I was holding, "Your turn."

She inhaled deeply, accumulating all her strength to contract her muscles. Her eyes were closed shut, jaws clenched, blood was pumping throughout her face making it cherry-red.

"Now see," she said through gritted teeth. She was wearing a shirt sleeved T shirt giving me an access to her biceps. I touched them and a slight brush of her skin against mine sent a shiver down my spine.

It was obviously, not at all sturdy. I squeezed it a little and it was like a ping pong ball. Completely squishy and tender.

"You say this is a wrestler body?"

She puffed out air and panted, letting go of the force she was assimilating. "I can't," she passed and finally her eyes caught mine.

Her expressions freezed and so did mine. She was so engrossed in proving that she was strong that she actually didn't care that I was half-naked in front of her. Neither did I.

All of a sudden, her phone ringed an alarm and our vision disconnected. I coughed awkwardly, getting off the bed and wearing back the Tee I had discarded earlier.

"Oh I gotta go," she said.

"Where?" I asked.

"To the hospital. I promised Areum that I'll be there by 10, bye Hyung."

"How will you go at this hour?"

"I'll take a cab," she said in a hurry and took a paperbag from under the couch, running out.

What just happened?

I moved out behind her, watching her run.

"Oh Sushi? You're going somewhere?" Taehyung popped out of nowhere.

"Um... Yeah Hyung. I have to meet my sister," she said nervously.

"Everything alright?"

She nodded. "What's in that bag?" He asked and she quickly hid it behind her.

"Oh come on. You won't show me?" He urged and I could see the nervousness on her face.

I moved on and took her by her wrist, "Aren't you getting late? Let's go."

She was confounded but before she could question, I dragged her along with me to my car.

"Hyung-"

"Sit. I am dropping you there."

"You don't have to."

"Don't make me repeat myself," I said and she quickly took her seat. I pressed my lips together to stop my smile extending.

We stopped by an isolated public restroom where she transformed back to Ari. She was wearing the same dress I bought for her and as usual, looking effortlessly gorgeous in it.

We reached the hospital in no time and I escorted her to the ward, all disguised. As earlier, she exhaled a shuddering breath and plastered a smile on her face before finally plunging in.

"Wohoo, Unnie's here," the child chimed. She seemed much weaker than earlier, her eyes were set in pits of darkcircles and her entire body seemed frail and deadened.

"Yeah the diva's here, applaud peasants," Ari said with a fake grin.

Astonishingly, her bestfriend and sister did applaud for her.

"Wow Unnie you look like human for the first time," Areum mocked to which Ari scoffed and Ra I'm laughed out loud.

"Okay. Let's cut the cake," Ra Im said and took out a small cake from the plastic lid. It was so cute and had a brown frosting over which the text was, 'ily'.

"I baked it for you," Ra I'm winked to which she smiled gratefully.

Are they couples?

"Oh Oppa. It's you again?" Areum suddenly questioned me. I nodded mutely.

"Are you her boyfriend?" She questioned making me bewildered.

"Areum?" Ari questioned quite sternly, something I was not expecting.

"Oops. Sorry," she bowed.

"It's okay," I said. Fuck.

"Hell! Wait a second. This... This voice-"

"Come on. You don't wanna celebrate or what? I am leaving then," Ari interrupted her.

"Sorry Unnie, let's get on."

Ari took the knife and the two women started singing... Happy Birthday?

It was her birthday?

She grinned wide and took a slice, first motioning it towards Areum and then towards Ra Im. She ran upto me with a broad smile.

"It's okay, I cannot take my mask off," I whispered.

She looked back at the two women who were busy chatting and already eating the cake.

"Its okay, no one will see for a second, it's really tasty," she said and I had to accept the offer.

I pulled down my mask a little and she motioned the cake towards my lips. I took a bite and took the cake from her hands to do the same.

She ate it and smiled yet again, her eyes forming crescents as she did so.

"You've got frosting on your lips," I said but before she could just wipe it off, my thumb moved inadvertently to wipe it off her lips.

"Thanks Hyung," she said and I nodded, pulling my mask back up, hiding the heat travelling up my cheeks.

"Unnie, c'mere."

"I'll just go there," she said and got back to them. My thumb was slightly trembling, still having the frosting over it. I didn't know what to do. There was this weird urge to just taste it, but then again... It was weird. Very very weird.

"Oh, you need a tissue?" RaIm asked abruptly and I nodded. She gave the same and I reluctantly cleaned my thumb, once smelling it. It was just frosting but it meant so much. So much that I don't even know how much and why.

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