Kai's Cinderella

Your POV I sit in my brother’s room silently. He starts tossing and turning again so I start to sing him our mother’s lullaby and he calms down quickly.
Dr. Kim hasn’t come back from talking to her son still I sigh and start the lullaby over again mostly because it also helps me.
I hear a voice start calling out, “Noona. Noona. Help me, noona.”
I look around but can’t’ figure out where the voice is coming from. Looking down I see my little brother and his mouth is moving.
“Kwan! Kwan! Wake up! Noona is here. Noona will protect you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you please let me help now.”
I start crying and start to mumble out, “Bāozi! Bāozi wake up, please for noona.”
His eyes flutter a little bit like he was trying to wake up but they still stayed closed. I sigh holding his hand and bring it up to my mouth to give it a kiss.
“Bāozi, remember when mom use to take us to that little prairie and she told us stories about fairies. I remember how you were so afraid of the fairy rings and getting stuck in them. I remember telling you that I’d protect you from everything. I broke that promise. I’m paying for it though. You’re asleep here safe for what I know and I’m taking beatings left and right because… Well I can’t tell you why.”
I smile even though I’m crying. I lay my head down on the bed as I hold onto my brother’s hand. I cry myself to sleep like I do every time I stay the night at the hospital. Tears kept falling as I dreamed of what my life use to be like.
Through the night, Kwan would start twitching as if he was trying to get up even though his eyes stayed shut.
In the morning when the sun started to shine through the windows of the hospital room, I feel someone poking my cheek calling out to me.
“Noona. Noona wake up.”
“Ehhh… Five more minutes. You promised.”
“I promised what?”
My eyes pop open when I feel one more poke to my cheek. Sitting in front of me like nothing happened is Kwan smiling.
“I must still be dreaming. No, I must have died and gone to heaven. Wait no that…”
“Noona, you’re depressing.”
Dr. Kim walks into the room and smiles, “Well Mr. Kim Kwan I’m glad that you woke up your noona for me since she has school in an hour.”
I shoot up from my seat and look at Dr. Kim, “No, please can I please stay with my little brother. He’s finally awake. He hasn’t been awake for 10 years.”
She laughs, “I can see what I can do. Kwan, what do you think of here staying here?’
“Yay! Noona. Hey noona do you have a boyfriend now?”
I laugh and shake my head, “No, I’ve been too busy to date anyone. I’m ok with that. I still have great friends.”
My phone goes off showing Tao’s caller ID.
“Yoboseyo, Tao.”
“Hey, where are you Chanyeol, Kris, and I are at your place?”
“Oh I’m at the hospital visiting my brother. Guess what, Tao-oppa?”
“I don’t know your brother woke up.”
“Yes, Bāozi is awake and everything. Wait 1 second.”
I look at Bāozi, “Can you pinch me?”
He does, “Owww...”
Laughing I rub where he pinched, “Tao can you stop by before you guys get to school since you don’t need to be an hour early?”
“Yeah” there is a pause, “can we bring the guys?”
“Yeah go ahead.”
“Great see you in 5.”
“Neh, bye oppa.”
I hang up and my brother is smiling.
I lift an eyebrow, “What?”
He uses his arms to push off the bed and to jump into my arms.
Laughing I swing him around even though he’s only 14 he’s still light.
Hearing a knock at the door, I yell come in.
When the door opens Kai is standing there looking a bit upset, but when he sees me smiling it disappears.
“Good morning my mom told me that you weren’t going to school today so I wanted to ask if you wanted me to pick up your school work.”
I nod and smile at Kai, “That would be nice.”
Kai smiles at me and I feel my heartbeat quicken at the very sight of it.
Before I had a brick of ice blocking the warmth from touching it but now it’s gone or mostly is.
Kwan ruins the moment a bit when he looks at Kai and asks, “Are you noona’s boyfriend?”

Notes