This chapter is dedicated to @KimTaeya for her PM;
to @paendeozilla and @SleepingBeauty_Belle for the upvote. It's a real surprise, but still, thank you! :)

Journey 3

"Okay Jinri. Calm down. Calm down." she told herself repeatedly. She thought that her weak knees won't support her anymore so she slumped down, accidentally facing Mei eye-to-eye.

"AAAAHHHH!!!" she screamed, backing as far as possible away from Mei's cold body. She clutched her thumping heart and breathed heavily, cursing the heavens for what situation she was in. "Oh God, what am I doing in a dark alley with a dead woman and a baby with me?!" she asked hysterically. "This is so unfair! I just want to go home!"

Silence fell. She felt stupid for half-hoping that someone would respond to her, but it would be creepy if someone did respond to her. She remained staring at Mei's dead eyes, and she thought that it was staring back at her, which crept her out.

With lips quivering and palms sweating, Jinri slowly leaned closer to Mei and cautiously closed her eyes. Now the old woman seemed to be sleeping, which was far better than having her eyes opened.

"So what am I going to do with you now?" she asked the dead body. "What's more, what am I going to do with you?" she asked in desperation at the baby in her arms. She leaned on the wall for a very long time and thought hard for a plan. 

Finally, Jinri collected herself and ran outside the alley. She passed streetfood stalls and malls.... until she reached the place she was looking for: the police station.

Jinri ran inside without hesitation, and at the same time, she snorted at the sleeping policeman in-charged of the visitor's desk.

"Sir!!!" she said, gasping for air.

The police ignored Jinri and continued sleeping. Getting angrier, Jinri slammed her hands on the police officer's table waking him with a start. 

"Where's the bomb?!" the officer asked stupidly.

"There's no bomb, officer." Jinri said angrily.
"Wha -- who -- why are you here?" the desk officer asked dumbly.
"Halmoni!!" Jinri cried.
"What?" the officer asked.
"Halmoni !! --  this baby!!" she held Prince Yeol in front of the officer's nose. He raised an eyebrow.
"Where are you getting at?" the officer asked in irritation.
"A halmoni collapsed -- no, she's dead! She gave me this baby to take care of! Please, I need your help!!"

Jinri looked desperately at the police officer, aware that other policemen are now watching them.

Then, as sudden as it appeared, everyone burst into laughter.

"HAHAHAHA!" they roared.
"Wha- what's so funny?"
"Haha! She- she....." the officer-in-charged choked amidst his fistful laugh.
"What?" Jinri snapped.
"You think we're dumb missy?" someone asked.
"Or maybe the social welfare department?" another one suggested.
"No -" Jinri started.
"Or maybe an orphanage?" another one chimed. 

Jinri glared at them. So they thought that it was all a joke?

"I'M SERIOUS HERE!"
"Yeah, well we're serious here too." the officer said. He stiffled his laughter and continued. "I think I know what you're trying to do."
"I don't understand." Jinri frowned in confusion.
"I think you're trying to escape from your responsibilities." the officer-in-charged replied.
"What?!"
"You know what, I think you're right." a senior police officer said. He faced Jinri seriously and frowned. "You should go and talk to that baby's father and decide things with him. The police is not concerned with your personal affairs."

Jinri's jaw dropped in bewilderment. *Are they serious?!*

"No! Listen! The old woman who gave this to me, she's dead. Again -- she's D-E-A-D. I can prove to you that she was. She's just lying on that alley not far from here -"
"Is this a trick?" the senior officer interrupted.
"No." Jinri growled. The longer she talked with them, the angrier she gets. "If you want proof then follow me."

Without any further ado, Jinri walked outside the police station, passed the streetfood stalls, malls, letter companies, and back to the dark alleyway with the officers behind her back.

She angrily stomped her way toward Mei's spot but when she reached the place, her eyes widened in fear.

The grandmother, whose presence was as clear as a crystal earlier, was nowhere else to be found now. Instead of a cold body of an old woman, all Jinri saw was a large lump of ashes.

"I knew it. You're trolling us." the senior officer said.

Jinri faced the prosecutors with defiant eyes.

"But she's here. I'm telling you she's just here, that's how I got this baby with me!" she said desperately. Everything was now blurry and confusing on her. What was happening?
"That's enough Ma'am. We're letting this go but next time you do it again, then it's jail time. Stop wasting our time." the desk officer said.
"He's right. We're outta here." the senior officer shook his head frustratedly. Muttering under their breaths, they left Jinri alone in the alley.

"AARRRGGHHH!" she shouted in anger. "Stupid, stupid policemen!"

She just stood there, at the middle of the alley, with no concrete plan anymore. Her plan A backfired, and she has no plan B. Jinri stared at the ashes where the grandmother was supposed to be lying. She was about to turn around when something caught her eyes.

"Huh?" she bent forward and peered at the shiny, black pearl at the middle of the ashes. "Oh my God" she breathed, mesmerized by the precious pearl in front of her.

She rummaged her pockets and pulled a handkerchief. Then, she carefully picked the black pearl using it, scared that she might scratch the gem. "Well would you look at that? How did it get here?" she wondered, pocketing the pearl.

After a few minutes she started panicking again. The baby was still unsolved. Jinri ran outside the alleyway, knowing that her apartment was just nearer.

When she reached her house, she tiptoed quietly so as not to disturb her grumpy spinster old neighbor, Ann Li. She reached for her keys and opened the door quickly. Then she laid Prince Yeol on her couch. Unfortunately, that woke the baby up.

"UWAAAAA!! UWAAA!!!" it cried.

Jinri gazed at the baby in horror as his loud cry rang inside the house. She peered nervously at her neighbor's window. If Ann Li woke up, then she's in a very deep trouble.

"Shut up! I need you to shut up!" Jinri shouted.

"Uwaa!!! Uwaaa!!! UWAAAAA!!!" the cry grew louder, and she though she was about to get deaf from it's annoying voice. 

Frantically, she fumbled her phone and dialed.

"Please answer. Please answer..." she muttered.

After a few rings, someone picked up.

"Yeoboseyo?" Kyungsoo grunted groggily.
"KYUNGSOO!" Jinri shouted loudly. "Oh thank God you picked up! I've got an emergency! I need you to come over here quickly!"
"It's almost 2 in the morning Jinri." Kyungsoo groaned.
"I know, but I really really need your help." she pleaded, glancing at the crying baby.

There was no response from the other line.

"Hello? Hello Kyungsoo are you still there? It's an Emergency type Z!! TYPE Z!!" she shouted as loud as she can. but Kyungsoo never replied.

"Aaarrrghhh this is hell!" she threw her phone and strode over Yeol. "What do you want?" she picked Yeol in her arms and cradled him roughly. "Shut up, just shut up you baby. Ann Li might wake up." she begged.

When the baby did not stop, Jinri dropped him again. She pushed her bangs frustratedly and thought.

"Diapers!" she hurriedly unfastened Yeol's under garments. She almost puke from the smell that ensued from Yeol's diapers.

"When was the last time you changed your diapers? So sick!" Not being able to take the smell any longer, Jinri vomited on her newly-bought carpet which made her groan in despair.

Weak-kneed, Jinri washed and snatched her purse. "Stay there!" she told the baby and ran towards the nearest convenience store as fast as her legs can carry.

"How can I help you Ma'am?" the seller asked nicely.
"Diapers! Please!" Jinri said.
"What brand Ma'am?"
"Anything for one year olds! Hurry up, it's an emergency!"

The seller picked the nearest pack of diaper. Jinri slammed the bill and grabbed the pack, not bothering to get her change.

When she reached her house, the baby was still crying.

"Here it is! Here's you diaper!" Jinri tore the diaper's seal and picked one. Then, she unsurely placed it under Yeol's .

"But how can I put a baby's diaper?" she asked herself. She had never experienced doing it, let alone taking care of a baby. "I..  I think it's in this way.. or this way? No, it's like this...." she said, placing the tape here and there.

After 15, torturing minutes, Jinri smiled in relief as she finally managed to put the diaper on, although it was angled lopsidedly.

However, Yeol continued crying, making her smile fade.

"What else do you want?!!!" Jinri cried in despair. The light on Ann Li's window flickered and Jinri watched in panic as she saw the faint shadow of her neighbor.

She picked Yeol in her arms and desperately cradled him.

"Lalalalalala" she sang. "Shut up lalalalalala..."

Soon, there was a sharp knock on her door. "Choi Jinri!"

Jinri reluctantly opened the door and faced her grumpy-looking, squash-faced neighbor.

"Good morning Ann Li!" Jinri greeted in what she hoped was a cheerful tone.

Ann Li's thin eyebrow arched upwards as she scrutinized the baby in Jinri's arms.

"Your baby?" she barked.
"No! It's uhh...."
"Whoever that was, SHUT HIS MOUTH!"
"Yes, yes. I will shut him. I'm so sorry."
"You should be!" 

And with another pirecing glare, Ann Li walked away, slamming her door closed.

"Sorry my ." Jinri muttered and snapped her door shut too.

An hour passed when Prince Yeol finally stopped crying. Jinri carefully placed him on her couch, feeling more drained than ever. After a few minutes of rest, she proceeded on cleaning her sick-drenched carpet as quietly as she could so as not to wake the baby up. Then, she picked her bag and started her homework, without much thought about her answers.

Soon, Jinri fell asleep. Her head was laid on the couch, her lower body sitting on her newly cleaned carpet. Yeol rolled over, entwining his small hands on Jinri's soft ones.

And with the first touch Prince Yeol's tattoo fainted in the most little way, indicating his 1st year in Earth.