The thing with VIXX is that even when they consider themselves as brothers, they don’t just do anything for free and running to each other at a moment’s notice. There are always calculation or paybacks. Because if they don’t keep tabs, they will be stretching themselves too thin and ended up in way too many hospital beds. So when Hakyeon asked Hongbin to accompany him to another movie premier, instead of asking for the monetary value of that public appearance, Hongbin asked for a favor instead.

In turn, Hongbin asked Hakyeon to accompany him to go somewhere that he absolutely need to go, but absolutely does not want to go alone. And the only person that can survive and maybe be useful to him in the long run.

So that is how currently Lee Hongbin and Cha Hakyeon stands in the middle of a parenting class. Towering over everyone else in the room, which mostly consist of rounded pregnant ladies. Some accompanied by their loyal husband. Unfortunately for Hongbin, he was not able to line up his schedule with Eunjung’s to go to the class together.

They are very much used to getting looks when they go anywhere, being as tall as they are when there are more than just one of them in the room they were bound to grab attention. They were also used to the fact that men and women gives them a second look just to check them out. But they were not ready when they walked in the class and were welcomed with dirty looks from a few couples.

Hongbin don’t usually write much in social media and the fancafe, but he sure does read many of the things written in the internet. He was aware of the portion of their fanbase that ships him together with Hakyeon, due to the frequency of them seen together in public appearances and pictures. But he doesn’t really think that they actually do look like a couple when they were just out and about in their regular people face. So the dirty looks thrown their way was really uncalled for. Even if they do look like a couple, the nasty look is still uncalled for.

So the class starts with the instructor distributing a basket to each table tops. On the very top of the basket is a creepily realistic looking doll of an infant. “Hello future moms and dads, we are going to start the class today. Meet your baby, you can name them. The size of baby that we have this time is a newbord, up to 3 weeks old. We are going to start learning from the very beginning. The weight and length of the baby is quite accurate to the average size of newborns in South Korea. So let’s try lifting the baby. Let’s start with how to properly carry a newborn.”

Hongbin looked around, next to him couples are experimentally lifting the bundled up dummy doll. Trying to lift it by the arms. He hopelessly look at Hakyeon, for a sign of what to, because he was honestly still a little creep out by the baby doll. Hakyeon being the ever encouraging leader that he is, pushes the basket closer to Hongbin. “Try picking the baby up, I have no problems with babies. I’ve got a niece and a nephew. Make sure you support the neck.”

Hesitantly Hongbin reached out and grab the side of the doll wrapped in blanket by its side, and lift up. From next to him he heard a soft chuckle. The instructor who had been walking around the room had made it to his side. The small lady was looking at the way he was holding up the doll. “That’s not how you should ever lift a newborn. If you hold them by their side, their neck is not supported, and their head can lolled back. It’s quite dangerous if it snapped a little too hard. Only do this to your baby when they are at the 2 months age mark.

“Here let me help you.” The instructor takes the swaddled doll out of his hands. As naturally as breathing comes to her, the slides her forearm along the back of the doll and holding the head on her hand. “See this is how you should hold the baby when you want to move them. I’m going to show you the cradle hold. Hold your minor arm in a cradle.” Hakyeon came behind him and help getting his arm in position, then the lady place the doll in his arm. Confidently she grab his forearm and pushing it closer to his own body, making the hold snug around the baby doll. “Relax sir, most of the time your baby can feel it if you are anxious and afraid. And that can unsettle the baby, so have confidence when you are holding and picking up the baby.” Hongbin did not even realize that he was tense. Right now he does not know was it the discomfort of holding a plaything baby or the actual fear of making a mistake when he is holding his child and injuring him or her permanently. He felt Hakyeon’s warm hand on his shoulder, firm and comforting. He tried to calm his nerve.

“Good job, now let your partner try holding the baby. Let’s see how you will transfer the baby.” She points to Hakyeon and the front of the room, when a video of how to transfer a baby from one hold to another is playing on repeat.

Hongbin tried to copying the way the model’s way carefully balancing the baby in two hand and placing it on the arm of someone else, not far from how the instructor did it when she place the doll in his arm. Hakyeon was true to his word, his hold on the doll looks much more natural that his. His body accommodating the new weight automatically, making a secure ground for a baby. “Good job, this is not the first time you are holding a baby I guess.”

Hakyeon shoots her a charming smile, “I’ve had experience with babies. I’m here to help this hopeless future dad.” Nodding his head to Hongbin’s direction. At that their instructor giggled. Then she left their table to announce that they are going to try different holds with the baby.

As the class goes on Hongbin felt a little less freaked out by the uncannily realistic baby doll, and more confident in handling the small weight. One thought dawned on Hongbin, the weight is so small, so light in his hands. Maybe the reason he was hesitant is because the weight had been too light and he’s afraid that when it’s actually Red Bean he is holding, the baby would just fly out of his hand. Hopefully that won’t happen.

 A few times he tried to pick up the doll from the table, holding it upright while supporting in on the back of the neck and bottom. One particular hold was quite challenging, the chest to chest hold, the female students in the class does it with ease, with their bosoms perfectly fit and supports the baby’s head as they tilt the weight to their own body. But with Hongbin and his flat muscular chest, it’s proven to be a bit trickier. But after a few adjustment from their instructor and Hakyeon, it started to feel more natural.

His confidence had been short lives though, because soon comes the difficult part. Swaddling the baby. The instructor said that it’s necessary to be able to swaddle an infant snuggly, especially when they are sleeping, since it mimics the feeling of being hold and it restricts the movement of their limbs that can jerk them awake. Hongbin initially thought that it’s not going to be that hard, and if it became too hard he will just forego swaddling all together. He thinks that it looks like a cage and suffocating the baby. But he tried anyway.

So he started with having the doll in the middle of the table on top of a folded blanket. Folding the blanket properly is already proven to be challenge, with Hakyeon and the instructor reminding him that he cannot be too concentrated in actually folding and pay attention to the baby too. His first try was only short of pathetic, the doll looks like it’s a packed lunch wrapped in pattern handkerchief.

“Bin-ah, I know you call your baby Red Bean, but it doesn’t mean that you have to tie them like it’s a bowl of Red Bean soup. Ya, your baby is going to turn blue in 3 minutes.” Hakyeon laughing at the way Hongbin wrapped the blanket twice around the doll and tightly tying the ends of the blanket across.

Second try it is. This time he tries to not wrap the blanket too right. But instead it looks like the baby doll was drowned in a sea of blanket, it being wrapped too loosely around the body. “It’s okay Appa, keep on trying.” Said another instructor, this time it was a man similarly dressed with the small lady that had stopped on their table earlier. Honestly Hongbin is starting to get frustrated, because next to him Hakyeon was doing fine with swaddling, his hands quick and precise. “Look around.” The instructor pointed at several tables around him, pointing at all the future fathers and a few frustrated mothers. “They are also struggling, you are not the only one. That is why you are in this class that is why we are here to help you, because not everyone is as good as your partner here. Come on let’s try again. This time try to keep one of your hand between each folded layers, so that you can sense how tight or loose the wrap is.” He said encouragingly.

The words of encouragement lift his spirit a little. Hongbin had been so used to suppressing any of his genuine emotion in order to keep a calm face during harder times that it had come naturally to him. So often times he did not realize that his spirit was slowly slipping down. Only when he felt someone else tried to lift it up did he realize his feelings and emotions have shifted.

He had heard all his life that being a parent comes naturally to you. So he had expected to just breeze through this parenting class. He had not expected that he would be doing so many things wrong. To struggle with the most basic of tasks. It makes his mind wander to the darker part of his own consciousness, questioning himself whether or not he will be able to be a good enough father for Red Bean. But here, in the class, looking around the room to witness that he was not the only one trying to blindly reach out in the path towards parenthood, it calmed him down a little.

So with a deep breath he tried again. Carefully wrapping the blanket around the make believe baby, keeping in mind to control the tension of the swaddle. AND HE DID IT! Neat folds and all. He yelped in celebration, congratulating himself. He nudged Hakyeon to show off his accomplishment, and the two throw a mini celebratory party. Thumb wiggle and all.

Before a minute pass, though, the blanket come undone all over the table. Hongbin and Hakyeon burst out laughing.

Then the class moved on to discuss a few other important point; how to feed the baby, then burping them, how often to feed the baby, how much to feed the baby, and the importance of creating a bond with the child. The instructor suggested a regular skin to skin cuddle time, with the parents or anyone that will be raising the child as a parent figure. In the two hour mark they were sent home with a tote bag full of reading material and pamphlets. Next meeting is going to be about Poops and how to clean them off of your child. Hearing this, Hakyeon promptly tell Hongbin that he has work to do and therefore cannot attend the next class.