THE BABY PROJECT || HUANG RENJUN

CHAPTER 6

Sieun never imagined cradling a fake baby would be hauntingly surreal.

Little Eui sat motionlessly on her arms, steady rising and falling of her chest indicating a peaceful slumber. A geometric print scarf from the dollar store shielded her body from the cold breeze of the air conditioner, a haphazard-looking sleep-sack make-do Sieun constructed out of necessity.

She peered over the center decoration to look at Renjun's laptop screen. "Did you install the control center?"

Renjun turned his laptop so she could have a proper view of the setup. "I'm done with the installation. I just need to add the baby. Can you put her onto her stomach?"

Sieun did as instructed. Rolling her onto her stomach, she removed the scarf to expose her back. She then grabbed a pen, pushed it open, and pressed and held the Emergency stop switch for two chimes in a row with the pen cap before releasing it. The yellow light came on. 

"I'll add her now." Renjun adjusted the laptop in front of him. She observed him, the screen reflecting on his glasses as he scrolled. When he found the add option, he clicked on it, setting everything up for the project. "Done."

A silent sigh escaped Sieun's lips. "What's left?" She asked while wrapping the baby back in the cloth.

"I think we're all set for now." Renjun slammed the laptop shut. He then twisted his wrist in a quick, circular gesture, perhaps to relax his hand after an hour of working on the device, a curious tick of movement she couldn't help but track. "Is the budget draft due tomorrow?"

Sieun nodded. "We should go shopping." Her eyes drifted toward the sleeping baby in her arms. "She needs her sustenance. Diapers, bottles, and nippers are a must. Perhaps a baby blanket to keep her warm. Ah, and clothes." Her head tilted to the side. "Should we also get a crib while we're at it?"

Renjun pursed his lips. "Are we supposed to spend the funds before submitting the draft?"

Sieun shrugged. "I'm not sure." With the pad of her index finger, she traced the baby's cheeks, and an involuntary smile stretched her lips. "Why don't we get the necessities to survive the first night?"

Her question addressed a topic they hadn't discussed before turning the real-care baby on— who would keep Eui for the night?

Nervousness had her shifting in her seat. "Ummm... Renjun—?" She attempted to draw his attention. "Can you keep the baby for the night?"

Renjun didn't react immediately. Her question stunned him, and he blinked, unsure of what to do with the elephant floating like a mass of dark miasma in the air, until he inhaled, the draw so deep that she was sure the light flickering above would blow with a sudden pop.

"What?" Incredulity dusted his voice.

Sieun caged her lower lip between her teeth. "I was hoping you'd keep Eui with you for the night."

Renjun stared at her, wordless. 

"I have a late night shift at the dinner." She blurted out, her shoulders slumped and eyes closed. "I'm sorry. It completely slipped my mind."

When Renjun refused to speak more, she cracked open one eye to gauge his reaction. Nothing reflected in his wide-set eyes, and then signs of panic flooded in, his eyelids shaking. 

"We will work out a schedule for Eui, you, and me for the future," Sieun added. "We can switch off on alternating days? Alternating weeks? But tonight. Just for tonight, I want you to have her at your place." 

"Schedule? You mean, like, the days when you'll drop her at my place, and when I'd bring her back to you?"

Sieun nodded. "Yeah... This won't happen again, I promise."

"I—I don't know." He gulped, drew in an unsteady breath, and frowned. "I've never taken care of a baby before." He eyed Eui with uncertainty. "What— what if I mess up? Drop her or—or forget to feed her? I don't even know how to change a diaper."

Sieun watched as Renjun's jaw clenched with brewing worries. The forefinger of his right hand started tapping away against the table, clearly indicating the onslaught of emotions raging within him. Was that fear in his eyes?

Renjun's concerns were valid. Despite being made of plastic, Eui's list of needs didn't steer far away from an actual baby. Food and sleep did cover the majority for some. However, deeming them as everything would be a rookie mistake. 

And she wasn't a rookie. She had her ample share of caretaking tales to write a book on baby care. Probably.

"Renjun?" She called his name. 

Dazed and somewhat befuddled, Renjun's stare roved over the baby without an answer.

"Renjun." She called for him again. "Can you hear me?"

Yes. Yes, he could hear her. 

Sieun's words penetrated the thick fog of stupefaction like aftershocks of an earthquake, slower and softer with each passing second, the world aligning millimeter by millimeter; a somewhat severe reaction for a fake baby. However excessive it might look to others, Renjun was truly and profoundly concerned. 

Raking back his black hair, he exhaled a deep breath. "I will take care of Eui." Relief flooded Sieun's features. "You'll have to tell me what to do, though. I know nothing about babies, Sieun. Nothing."

Renjun's fretting, however serious, bubbled a chuckle in her throat. This version of him, worried, anxious, and thoroughly flustered, was in a sharp juxtaposition to his usual self— annoyed, brooding, and I-don't-give-a-fuck.

She smiled. "I'll hand her to you after I set her up for the night. Don't worry."

Reassurance didn't entirely diminish his problems. It did, however, give him a little confidence in his deprivation. 

Renjun turned his attention toward the entrance and ushered them both outside Starbucks. Late afternoon sunshine poured over them, and when they stepped out, the door closed at their heels with a resounding click.

"Where to?" He asked, the keys of his car sitting in the palm of his hand. 

"To the department store." Hand raised with her finger in the general direction of the store, she announced their destination with a little too much enthusiasm. Then she balked, realizing where she was and who stood beside her. 

Purple flushed her cheeks. 

I have foot-in-mouth disease.

Shopping for a baby by two new adults in a child-care theme book. How innovative? >.<

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