The Greenwood neighborhood just outside the north gate of NCU wasn't nearly as posh as the Pinegrove neighborhood or as pompous as Gatsby Avenue housing the Vice Chancellor and his lackeys. But it attracted a wide mix of residents, especially students with rich daddies and celebrity mommies who had no qualms about relying on their family's laurels to tackle hurdles.
Real money and connections also came with the power of authority which put stupid new adults on pedestals of admiration among the common masses. These students glittered the houses with frat parties throughout the week. A fair share of NCU's drug busts happened here.
From the other side of the road, Sieun watched the roving cruiser lights dance upon the area, alternating blotches of red and blue, ambulances wailing, and men in uniform handcuffing the perpetrators. It wasn't a drug bust, but a slew of dumb students who had deemed filling the pool with fuel and setting it on fire to be a good way to entertain the guests.
Sieun gagged when she inhaled the stench of lingering petrol and smoke, feeling the bile in her stomach crawling up her throat. The flaring cruiser lights made her vision waver. Yet, she didn't move, oddly invested in the drama unfolding before her.
Or perhaps, she was shilly-shallying, doing everything to dawdle their arrival at Renjun's place because her brain had started second-guessing her decision the moment she stepped out of the campus gates. Who knows?
Renjun, utterly exhausted from the day's happenings, snatched a handful of Sieun's hoodie and yanked her into motion, urging them both into a steady walk. He was more interested in the bed that awaited his arrival at his home instead of a bunch of stupid students. Besides, he didn't want to get swept up with the crowd and get asked difficult questions like why they were strolling around with a fake baby and what was inside the duffle bag he was holding.
Silence engulfed the two as they distanced themselves from the crime scene. They didn't know how long they walked, the blocks passing in a haze of uniform fronts until Renjun discerned the familiar-looking apartment with stark lines, wide windows, and stucco walls. He led her up the stairs, clasping the banister with sweaty hands, and arrived on the second floor.
The keys rattled when he unlocked unit '2C'.
"Welcome," he said, holding the door open for her to enter first. Tonight was the first night he had invited a woman to his little abode. "It's a little messy inside. I left for your place in a hurry. I hope you don't mind."
"It's alright⸺" Sieun couldn't finish the words after taking in the state of the place.
The entryway she was standing in opened up to the living room, giving her a clear view of the half-open packs of diapers and ripped tags scattered all across the floor; It had a smell, an intense baby formula mix she could taste in the back of her mouth even with the front door still open. It clung to every corner, every inch of space, dripping from the ceiling to the curtains, directing her gaze to the kitchen diner adjacent to the living quarters where she guessed it originated.
"Come," Renjun said, dropping her duffle on the wooden sideboard. "Take a seat."
With her outdoor shoes off and indoor slippers on, Sieun set foot into the chaos with a sleeping Eui in her arms, her footfall soft and steady as she evaded the remnants of a hurricane on the floor to reach the champagne-colored sofa. Her thoughts lingered on the condition of the kitchen she was concocting in her mind while she sank into the chair. But her eyes scanned the room, taking in the philosophy he prescribed judging from the minimalistic home design: quality over quantity.
Renjun must've noticed her judging gaze as he quickly began picking up the stray toys and piling them in one corner of the room. "I'm usually not this messy."
Sieun's wandering eyes continued to wander. "Is that so?"
"Yeah." His slippers slapped as he walked around. "I was worried because Eui wouldn't stop crying. And I forgot to get your number before we parted ways. Sometimes, I'm so stupid."
His self-reprimanding made her chuckle. "I guess I'm stupid too because I didn't get your number."
Renjun froze in his cleaning endeavor. Slowly, he turned his head to look at her. Sieun already had her gaze locked on him. And when she smiled, heat crawled to his face, tinting his cheeks pink. "I⸺I... that⸺" His fumbling stretched her smile further.
Within the span of 24 hours, Sieun had witnessed a myriad of expressions on Renjun's face, his typical aloofness or annoyance something akin to a fabled line of a novel. It wasn't normal. This easy articulation of his feelings wasn't normal. However, seeing him all-exuding enthralled her. His vulnerability oddly transfixed her.
Sieun chuckled. "What?"
His rounded eyes rounded fractionally. "Like, I didn't mean you're stupid⸺or that," he stuttered, and it took everything inside her not to jump at him and hug him for his cuteness. "Please erase everything I just said. I don't know what's wrong with me today."
Sieun waved her hand about. "Done." Laying Eui on the couch, she moved towards the balcony, slid the curtain enough to take a peek outside, and marveled at the gardens below. "You have a beautiful home."
Renjun pulled the curtains open. "Would you like to take a look outside?" When she nodded, he opened the double doors to the balcony and leaned onto the railing to feel the slightly warm spring breeze on his face. "My mother left this house for me upon her death." A fond smile stretched his lips. "She loved the place's quietness and the picturesqueness. Though, I wouldn't agree with her claims anymore."
A one-bedroom home just outside the north gate of NCU, an unremarkable, small place Renjun's mother nonetheless loved and cherished. This was the first property she had purchased right after getting a high-profile job as a legal analyst at Huang Legal Services; she enjoyed the tranquility as a student at NCU. And he loved the memories left of her in the little things around⸺ the unmatching furnishing, the elements of randomness, and the minimalistic decor.
Sieun settled beside him. "I can tell." Her eyes glistened when the disco lights from another house party flickered past them. "I have never attended a college party before. I bet they're fun."
Renjun doubted she'd speak with such anticipating approval if she knew how ear-rupturing and crowded they were. "Did you not see the students getting arrested just now?"
Sieun was ear and ear. "Exactly. Fun."
Renjun rolled his eyes. "I'd rather drink tea at home than attend those. They're overrated."
Sieun's head tilted in contemplation. "I never took you as the kind of guy to refuse an invitation to a party."
"You are very presumptuous." He gave her a short, caustic laugh. "You think I enjoy drinking lukewarm beer to a stupor and getting shit-faced at a stranger's home?"
"Don't most people?" She shrugged. "I definitely didn't expect you to be a tea lover."
Renjun's eyes squinted. "Are you making fun of me?"
"I'm sorry. It was just unexpected," she explained, putting her knuckles in front of her mouth in a failed attempt to hide her wide grin.
"What were you expecting, then?"
Sieun considered the question. Immediately, his aloof tendencies and no-fucks-given attitude manifested in her mind. She wouldn't tell him, though.
"Not that," she answered, opting for diplomacy.
Renjun looked at her.
A question dangled on his tongue. But he dared not ask, opting to stare at the night sky. "Take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."
"Oh no," Sieun immediately shot down his idea. "I can sleep on the couch. You should sleep in your room."
"How can I let my guest sleep on the couch? Please. I brought you here because of my own selfish reasons. The most I can do is provide you with the utmost comfort for your stay."
Sieun shook her head. "The couch will be fine, Renjun. Just give me a pillow and a blanket and it'll be as good as a bed."
A brow arched. "You know that's not true."
Sieun smiled a sheepish smile. "Almost as good as a bed?" When his lips pursed, she threw her hands up in the air. "Honestly, I'll be fine on the couch. Just let me jump in the shower real quick."
Renjun sighed in defeat. "Fine." He closed the balcony door behind them. "Do you need a towel?"
Sieun shook her head as she reached for her duffle bag. "Nah, I'm good. I brought my own." Grabbing her night routine essentials, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and fumbled with the shower until warm water burst from the faucet. She peeled all the layers of clothes and climbed into the bath, standing behind the frosted-glass door.
The warm water instantly reduced her tension, her shoulders relaxing bit by bit until calm marred her body. Feeling better than she did thirty minutes ago, she made herself presentable in a pair of navy blue pajama set, tousled the dripping brunette locks cascading down her back, and returned to the living room.
Renjun awaited by the sofa with a pillow and blanket in her arms. "Oh!" His eyes raked over her body, her dripping wet hair and her slightly soaked clothes, and he swallowed to moisturize the parchedness in his throat. "Uh⸺I got you a blanket and a pillow."
Sieun, unknowing and uncaring, grabbed the bedding from his hands. "Appreciate it. Thank you." Her fingers brushed against his as she did, and he shivered. "No worries." Yet, he lingered by the sofa as she made her bed.
Sieun looked at him with round, quizzical eyes. "Is there anything you'd like to say to me?"
"Uhm," Scratching the back of his head, he blurted out, "I put Eui on my bed for the night. I haven't fixed the crib yet."
She nodded. "Alright."
Renjun still lingered. "Don't hesitate to tell me if you need anything."
"I will."
"There are instant noodles in the cupboard and leftovers in the refrigerator if you get hungry in the middle of the night."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"There's water in the jug on the kitchen island if you're thirsty."
"Thank you."
"And⸺And..." Renjun wasn't a skilled conversationalist. Small talks with strangers and familiars alike left him drained, the sheer concept nothing but an uncomfortable social norm to portray a harmonious society. However, at that exact moment, he was racking his brain for ideas to lengthen their time together, beating himself up for not taking on Haechan's suggestion to read "101 ways to start a conversation."
Sieun smiled. "Good night, Renjun."
A stuttering exhale left his lips. "Good night, Sieun."
They're already living together!
Also, the next chapter is just⸺