Moon Child

Bonus 1 Cookie Monster

Light chirping, ringing laughter, tinkling dewdrops; shaking with the Swan family's morning filled the house as the soft pitter-patter of tiny feet tore through the kitchen. Hushed murmurs followed the children's giggles as they cupped their hands over their mouths, careful not to wake their Papa Bear.

In the kitchen, the sun brightened with the presence of the Swan couple's precious gifts, their tiny laughter lifting the orange veil of the rising sun to reveal the bluest sky to grace Seoul that year.

It was a special day, you see.

It was Hyun Bin's birthday.

While fans around the world were already celebrating the Ballet Legend's birthday through fan events and generous gifts, his family was preparing something special for him too.

Hyun Bin was in for a surprise.

"Get the eggs, Mi Ri. We need six." Ye Jin hummed lightly after she helped the twins wash their hands.

"Eomma, can I sift the flour?" Mi Ni beamed as she clambered onto the stool so that she could reach the countertop.

"Of course, munchkin." The mother smiled, instinctively placing her hands under her child's arms to steady her.

Saved from yet another colossal failure of balancing, their clumsy daughter instantly started sifting the flour with her twin carefully holding the sift. Honest ramblings were exchanged between the twins as they fought over the proper way to bake their father's birthday cake while their mother busied herself with the puppy treats.

Gradually, the base began to take shape and the twins could pour the batter into the cake pans.

"We should use the extra batter for cupcakes!" Mi Ri suggested minutes later.

"Omo! I love cupcakes!" Mi Ni clapped happily.

Before Ye Jin could say anything, their hyperactive child had already jumped off the stool to fetch the cupcake trays. Loud metal clanging sounds of trays dropping onto the floor bounced off the walls of the quiet house seconds later, much to Mi Ri's frustration.

"Ni-Ni! You're going to wake appa! Shhhh!" Mi Ri chastised her twin.

At her twin's reminder, Mi Ni froze on the spot instantly, her eyes darting worriedly in the bedroom's direction. Seconds ticked by as the girls worried that they had roused their Papa Bear. When there were no signs of movements coming from the master bedroom, the twins relaxed, and Mi Ni tiptoed across the kitchen and handed the tray to her twin.

Chuckling, Ye Jin kissed the twins on their cheeks, assuring them that their surprise wouldn't be ruined. "Appa can sleep through an earthquake. I'm sure we're safe."

"Appa's silly! Who can sleep through an earthquake?" Mi Ri giggled.

"It's true. Yesterday I bounced on the bed for a whole hour and appa never moved once!" Mi Ni recalled, eliciting more giggles from her twin.

Mi Ni didn't need to know that her father's newfound talent for sleeping was because of her. Sometimes, parents had to master the art of sleeping amidst their children's ingenious wake-up calls just to get that extra minute of shut-eye. Hyun Bin has certainly mastered it and that morning was proof of that.

Past their lively chatters, Mi Ni and Mi Ri finally popped the cake tins in the oven. To guard their cake well, the twins sat right in front of the oven, watching the batter rise with wide eyes. The orange glow of the oven highlighted their beautiful features and the purity in their eyes as they rocked to the light humming of the oven.

What started as a team of two ended with Rose and Dino who were both curious over the delicious smell wafting from the oven. Dino wagged his tail playfully as he tried to scramble onto Mi Ni's knees whereas Rose had lovingly nudged Mi Ri's face and settled next to the tamer child. The twins laughed when Dino tripped over Mi Ni's legs, a sight that welcomed Ye Jin when she came back to the kitchen.