Journey 5

Jinri rubbed her temples as she glared at the baby across her. They were inside a kid's fast food restaurant and they were waiting for their order to arrive. She hadn't realized that she was not able to eat her breakfast until her empty stomach growled in hunger earlier. She would like Kyungsoo to accompany her but then remembered that he was still at school and supposedly, she must be in the "hospital because of her Mom". If anyone saw them together then they were both in big trouble.

Yeol was seated on a high chair meant for babies only. He clapped his hands happily as he touched the belts that secured him safely from his chair. Jinri's stomach made another churn and she groaned.

"You." she barked at Yeol. "When will you stop my life from being miserable, huh?" she accused. However, the baby continued on clapping and smiling, paying an absolute 0% attention at her.

"Look at you, you don't have any problems in this world but eat and sleep... but look what you're doing to me, you're a pain in the . I haven't slept for a good 6 hours than what I usually do, and that essay... oh that horrible essay! It's all your fault!" she continued.

Jinri was always serious with her school works. She was labeled in school as the "typical" good student. She never skipped classes (not until today); never made foul homeworks (not until today, again); and never lied to a teacher (NOT UNTIL TODAY). She broke all her rules in one day just for the baby in front of her.

"Talk to me!" she ordered.

When Yeol continued on being absorbed in his own world, she sighed defeatedly and buried her head on the desk instead. Of course it was stupid for a baby to talk. The weariness she had since yesterday made her assume of idiotic things now.

"Here's your order ma'am," a boy finally approached their table. He was a tall, young man with a tousled brown hair, adorable eyes, thin lips and an innocent face. He smiled at Jinri as he laid her order on the table. 

"Thank you." Jinri said absently. 
"Do you need anything else ma'am?" he asked.
"Uhh," Jinri looked at her newly-brewed coffee, pancakes, potato porridge (for Yeol) and two glasses of water. She shook her head and smiled at the young man. "Nothing, for now."

The man nodded and took a bow. But before he turned around, he looked at Yeol, whose protuberant eyes stared directly at him.

He stared at the baby, as if momentarily captivated by Yeol's gaze. Then the young man smiled at him and  pinched his cheeks. "He's a cute baby."

*Everyone says that.* Jinri thought. She did not respond at him and smiled instead.

"I'll take my leave then. Enjoy your meal."

Jinri followed the young man walk away until he disappeared in the staff room. Then, she grudgingly scooped the potato porridge and shoved it in Yeol's mouth. 

"I swear, you're bigger." she muttered, frowning at the chewing Yeol. When the baby was done with his first scoop, Yeol opened his mouth again and Jinri shoved another round. She continued doing it from one scoop after next, and she realized soon that she won't be able to eat her breakfast in peace until Yeol finished his.

Her stomach gave another hungry roar but she ignored it. She continued on spoon-feeding Yeol until she was finally done and can eat her breakfast at last.
 

But again, it was senseless for her to hope that she can really eat in peace.
 

"UWAAAAA!!!!!" Yeol's ear-splitting cry rang as soon as Jinri put down his spoon. 

Jinri had her spoon close to already when the baby cried louder. The people around them snapped their heads immediately toward their direction as Yeol captured everyone's attention in the restaurant. Jinri saw that the manager was frowning at her. But she ignored everyone and attempted another bite but -

"UWAAA! UWAAA!! UWAAA!!"

Cursing under her breath, Jinri reluctantly laid down her spoon and grabbed Yeol, walking towards the entrance/exit door. She felt everyone's eyes boring on her back and she tried to hide her face in embarrassment.

"That's it! I'm so done with you!" she shouted loudly when they were outside the restaurant. 

Jinri walked aimlessly towards her left - then went right - then left again, looking unsure of where she would go. The people inside the restaurant were still looking at her and they laughed as they saw the young woman walked back and forth outside.

"Poor girl, you see, that's what you get when you marry in an early age." an elderly woman muttered to her granddaughter.
 

Meanwhile, Jinri was still having a dillemma of where she would go.
 

"If you're having a hard time with your son, there are still institutions out there that can take care of him." someone behind Jinri said.

She turned around and saw the young man earlier smiling kindly at her. He held two garbage bags in front of her and shrugged.

"Just passing by." he explained and walked away towards the dumpster.

Jinri blinked a few times, thinking hard from what the young man said. *Institutions that can take care of this kid..?* she thought. She remained silent for several minutes until her eyes shined as a bright idea popped in her mind. She looked back excitedly at the young man and shouted,

"Oi!"

The young man turned to her with a questioning look,

"Thank you!" Jinri yelled and ran away towards the bus stop.
 

She knew where she must go.

* * *

"When you grow up, kid, you won't even remember me crossing pathways with you." Jinri told Yeol with a very serious (but deep inside, very excited) expression. The last time she was this excited was when Joonmyeon admitted his feelings to her and asked her for a date the next day. She can't believe that she's feeling wrought up again, although with a different reason this time.

Jinri took a deep breath. *That's right Jinri! You're doing the right thing.* she convinced herself.

She proceeded on the front stairs of Angel's Orphanage, a place she knew its existence just minutes ago.  She originally planned to go at the nun's place, but a heavily-bearded man suggested this place instead. And so she was here, ready to pass the responsibility given by the old woman to another person.

The building was 'okay' in her opinion. It looked like an institution that can handle a number of kids inside, and with that she sum up her courage and knocked at the door.

Her heart was pounding with a mixture of excitement and now, confusion, but her resolved to get rid of the baby was absolute. *I think?* she thought.

The door finally opened and a woman in her mid-forties welcomed her with pokered face. She raised her eyebrow at Jinri and eyed the baby in her arms.

"What do you want?" she asked sharply.
"Yes, u-uhh..." Jinri stuttered. The intimidating behavior of the woman made her nervous and she stuttered all the way on answering her. "I-I... this place, u-uh, is an orphanage right?" 

The woman's eyebrow raised higher.

"Can you read?" she snapped, nodding at large 'Angel's Orphanage' sign in front of Jinri.
"Y-yes. Of course." Jinri replied quickly. "Well, you see, I found this baby so, can I leave him here instead?"

The woman's face suddenly lightened up.

"Really?" she asked eagerly.
"Yeah..." Jinri answered, surprised by the woman's sudden change of attitude.
"Give him to me." she said urgently.

Jinri took steps closer and transferred Yeol on the woman's arms. The baby instantly cried but the woman tightened her embrace at Yeol's waist.

Just a while ago, Jinri was feeling excited on getting rid of this baby. But now that she was looking at the baby with a different woman holding him, her uncertainty arose. 

The woman smiled meaningfully at the baby.

"Don't worry... I'll take good care of you" she said. Then she faced Jinri and her snappy attitude came back. "You can go now."
"Just like that?" Jinri asked. "I don't have any papers to sign or such?"
"None." the woman replied shortly. Then she snapped the door close.

Jinri scratched her head. She knew that she must be jumping up and down now that she finally got rid of Yeol, but instead she was feeling guilty... and empty.

She bit her lip and walked away. *There's no turning back now Jinri. The baby had his moments in your life, it's over now.*

...Maybe the woman will really take good care of the baby.

...She's pretty sure too that when the kid grow up, he'll be surrounded by kids his age.

...And perhaps the institution doesn't let the kids starve there as well.

*But what if they do starve him?* she thought.

Jinri stopped in her tracks and looked back at Angel's Orphanage. She can't help but feel the nagging feeling at the pit of her stomach that made her want to take the baby back.
 

And that was what she exactly did.
 

"Excuse me! Excuse me Ma'am!" she knocked at the door loudly with her fists. There were no answers and she knocked louder, almost banging it. "Ma'am please open the door!"

She heard hurried footsteps until it came into a halt while there were muffled cries in the background. There were a number of clicks at the door and Jinri wondered how many locks does the door has. Then the woman opened it withthe tiniest crack, so only her eyes can only be seen from inside.

"What?"
"I'm taking my baby back." Jinri said bravely. She can't believe that she's letting this opportunity pass, but the nagging feeling was hard to resist.
"What?!"
"Excuse me." Jinri pushed the door open and snatched Yeol from the woman's arms.
"You can't do that, you gave him to me already." the woman protested.
"But I didn't sign any papers, so, it's your lost."

And before the woman can say another word, Jinri hurried down the stairs and almost ran outside the orphanage's front gates. She can't understand why the woman was so reluctant to give Yeol back to her, but she did not care anyways, because her nagging feeling had finally stopped.

* * *

Jinri decided to grab something to eat at the nearby mall first before she went back to the city. Yeol was seated beside her with the requested baby chair, and she was happily munching her doughnut when a flash news appeared on the television in front of them.

"...the police had arrested a man found at the suspected child trafficking den earlier. The place, however, was completely emptied and further investigation was conducted as of press time..."

It showed a face of a heavily-bearded man who was vaguely familiar to Jinri.

"Wait a minute! That's the man I saw earlier!" she unintentionally shouted inside the food court. People turned to look at her for a moment and she closed shut, but she did not take her eyes off from the man on the screen.

It made her suspicions grow as she linked the heavily-bearded man to the direction he gave to her earlier.

Jinri put down her doughnut and faced Yeol.

"I almost give you to child trafficking lord, you know that kid?" she said guiltily. Yeol looked at her with interest and clapped his hands again. Jinri snorted at the irony of the action, but glad as well that she listened to her nagging feeling earlier. "How about this? I'll make it up to you by buying you clothes and milk, huh? And.. let's see..." she put her fingers under her chin and wondered thoughtfully.

"Do you like Soo Yeol?" the baby frowned and stopped clapping. 
"Moo Yeol?" the baby fell silent and stared at her instead.
"Han Yeol? Chan Yeol?? That's right! Chanyeol?" she raised her eyebrows in expectation and the baby started clapping again.

 

"That's settled then, let's go shopping Chanyeol?" she said with genuine smile.