THE BABY PROJECT || HUANG RENJUN

CHAPTER 10

Sieun was incapable of answering. "I don't know. She was fine all evening."

"Then, why is she still crying?" Renjun almost fainted on the spot. "What do we do?"

Annoyance tinged her. 

She maintained composure. "I don't know."

However, Sieun hadn't predicted an angry outburst. "Stop saying that. Stop saying "I don't know," and do something!"

Sieun's annoyance flared. 

"Why are you yelling at me?" She hissed. "Do you think I'm enjoying her cries?" By then, many residents had opened their windows to check the ruckus in the garden. "Tell me what happened after I left, Renjun."

"Nothing happened." His hands were raised in defense. "I left her on my bed for most of the evening and night. She was fine until an hour ago."

She didn't believe him. "She wasn't fussy at the cafe or the departmental store. What did you freaking do? Did you break her? Tell me the truth, Huang, or I swear to God—"

Renjun felt aggrieved. "I didn't do anything!"

"Then why won't she stop crying?" Sieun's irritated voice hastened to a feverish pace. "She—she, Oh my God, you broke her!" Eyes wide-opened, she stared at her partner in disbelief. "You broke our baby!"

Renjun's mouth formed a circle. "I did not break her. Why are you blaming me? I didn't do anything—" His eyes lowered to the ground. "Or maybe, I did. I don't know. Shit!" He slid his fingers through his hair and tugged on them. "You shouldn't have trusted her with me, Sieun. Shit. Shit. Shit. What do we do now?" Their eyes aligned. "I broke her, didn't I? Oh my God, we're failing this class—"

Anxiety suffocated her chest, a familiar discomfort she knew so well. Failing CDC? That was not an option. However, Renjun's panicked rambling stirred the dread sitting quietly in her guts. It was painful. It was suffocating. And all Sieun wanted was to curl up in a tiny ball on the floor and pass out to evade the feeling of helplessness. Only, she couldn't.

No. She wouldn't.

Failing was not an option for Sieun when she had too much to lose— a letter of recommendation for a high-profile summer internship program at the largest Children and Youth Center in Neo City.

Dr. Kim wasn't the only reason why she took up CDC despite her packed schedule. Of course, she admired the woman. But she also admired the opportunity she provided to whoever conquered the hurdles of puzzles she threw effectively. 

Up until last year, it was through class discussions, volunteer work, and forums on trending children and youth issues for a piece of paper with words of praise in it. However, Kim changed the method with a fake baby and a partner without informing the students to up her choosing game this year. Sieun knew and she wanted to win it. 

Breathing slowly, in and out, she shut her eyes and inwardly talked to herself to calm down. She had to be strong. 

Through the high-pitched shrill in her left ear and the anxious rambling in her right, she shot down the pessimistic voices inside her head listing out all the things that could go wrong, and opened her eyes to look at Renjun. 

He looked exhausted, cadaverous, and scared; On the brink of tears.

"Renjun," Calm and confident, she called out to him. "Renjun, look at me."

Renjun complied. He stopped pacing and aligned his gaze with hers.

"It is going to be alright," she told him. "Eui is just scared. This big, new world is scaring her. A cuddle will definitely soothe her so stop worrying. We will not fail."

Renjun was skeptical. "Really?"

"She's right, lad." The new voice almost made the new parents jump out of their skins. Slowly, they turned to face the source of the words.

The security guard stood like a giant in the dark. "Babies are extremely sensitive to their surroundings and tend to mirror their caretaker's vibe. She's probably picking up on your anxiety. It's messing with her head. Ye need to calm down."

Renjun listened. Inhaling a shaky breath, he released it slowly to let his fast-pacing heart shimmer down. And with every intake and release, he realized that his anxiety truly had been through the roof ever since Sieun left him and Eui to their own devices. Perhaps, the baby, though fake, had indeed picked up on the worries eating his mind.

As his erratic heartbeat started to settle down, the baby, too, grew calmer and calmer until her sobs turned into sputtering heavy breaths.

Both Renjun and Sieun released relieved sighs.

Sieun shot the middle-aged guard a grateful smile. "Thank you."

The guard shook his hands. "No need to thank me. I only relayed what I learned through my own experience."

"No, sir. Really," Renjun took the guard's hand in his and shook it. "We are very thankful for your help. Please accept our gratitude."

The guard patted Renjun's shoulder. "First-time parents?"

Awkwardness replaced the previous emotions. He laughed an uncomfortable laugh. "Something like that."

The guard's smile stretched. "Parenting is difficult. Especially for first-timers. Not to worry, though. Ye will be able to handle situations like this with ease soon. Uhmm..." He hesitated momentarily. "Are ye two not living together?"

"Excuse me?"

"How old is yer baby girl? Six months?" The guard hummed. "Young 'uns need a lot of care and the presence of both parents is crucial for development. I might be poking my nose where it doesn't belong but it'd be better for ye to live together if ye want to avoid situations like today. Just a small piece of advice from an old man who has raised five children." He patted Renjun's shoulders one last time before returning to his post. "All the best, lad."

A beat of hesitation ticked within Renjun. The guard's suggestion wasn't unreasonable. With the baby's growing needs— diaper changes, warm bottles, a burping session after each of those feeding sessions, a cuddle to soothe her cries— their living together was the most sensible option. But, how was he supposed to ask her to move in with him when they barely knew each other?

The sound of slow, steady footsteps rustled behind him, and he turned.

Sieun smiled as she made her way towards him. "She's finally asleep."

"Yeah?" Renjun released a nervous laugh, moving towards her to meet her halfway. 

She nodded. "I think she'll be fine for the night." The pad of her thumb brushed across Eui's cheeks softly. "Hopefully," she chuckled, coming to a stop before him. "I mean... she looks pretty comfortable now compared to when I left in the evening."

"Ummm, Sieun..."

"Hmm?"

"Move in with me."