a quiet mind | huang renjun

Chapter 13

A customer walked up to the counter, eyeballing the kid. Placing his packet of chewing gum on the counter, he chuckled silently, rising an amusing eyebrow.

"A kid?" He laughed. Renjun turned, taking a while to match name to face. Then it occurred to him; he was the boy that asked for Xinyi's number and got brutally rejected.

Before Renjun could react, Mireu spoke up.

"That'll be 2,500 won" Mireu's voice did not flinch. He was standing, tip toed, on a stool, face wrapped with a monotonous filter.

"Is that your mum?" Jeno, the customer, took the gum, gesturing to the sleeping female. She stirred.

"With all due respect, could you take your things and leave? You'll wake her" The child spoke with the eloquency of an adult; it wouldn't be an overstatement to say Jeno was beyond surprised. Even Renjun, who had only caught a couple words, was shocked.

"Right...Yeah, I'll do that" Jeno nodded politely, his eyes never leaving how some kid had just asked him to leave in such a blunt manner.

Just as he was about to leave, his feet took him back again "My curiosity got to me. Is that your mum or-" This Jeno man just didn't see to have an end.

"Yes, that's his mum. I'm the dad. Move on, please" Renjun put a hand on Mireu's head, ruffling the messy strands.

"Oh?" Jeno crossed his arms over. Abruptly, he leant closer to Mireu, reaching a hand to pinch his cheeks. Mireu retracted instantly.

"You guys don't look alike and Ive been told I was great at picking out similarities"

"Please, whatever your name is, could I kindly ask you to stay away from my kid and exit out this door" Renjun extended a hand to the door. Jeno gave in but he didn't believe a single bit word that came out of Renjun's mouth. The kid didn't look like Renjun, or Xinyi. They both looked too young to be raising a kid that looked as if he was almost 10. Jeno chuckled to himself, then left the store leaving a humorous wave to the kid.

"Son of a bitch" Renjun shook his head, turning to Mireu who was sorting out the money.

"She's going to wake up soon. You should make some tea or lemon water for her; she looks a bit sick." Mireu jumped off the stool "She doesn't like me so I'll be good and stay in the living room"

"Mi-" And the kid disappeared behind the door. The more the child acted like an adult, the more Renjun felt a type of sadness sink inside his body. Renjun himself had lived in a peaceful family, though not being able to see his parents a lot as he stayed at a dorm within his high school majority of the time. Back then was a rough time, no kid has it easy.

He turned back to Xinyi. She begun to groan and rise her head, rubbing her forehead of its creases.

"Are you alright?" Renjun titled his head in an attempt to read her. As always, she was empty.

"How long did I fall asleep for" Her eyes scanning the atmosphere, then glanced at the open cash register.

"Not long, probably half an hour or so. Ah and Mireu tended a customer while you were sleeping so you won't need to wo-"

"That piece of trash" She sneered, taking a hand full of notes from the register and counting them one by one.

"I'm sure he didn't steal-"

"He stole 1000 won" (1000 won = approx. $1) She stuck a tongue into the side of her cheek, shutting the cashier with one shove.

"That's 1000 won Xinyi. It's literally, nothing" He followed her

Xinyi ignored him and stormed her way to the living room. Locating the boy who was having trouble slotting the note into the vending machine, she advanced him and jerked his hand away harshly.

"You thief" She hissed. The money was slipped in the machine already as Mireu's ingenuous eyes blinked at her.

"Xinyi c'mon" Renjun reached his grasp out to wrap around her wrist, only to flinch back at the radiating coldness.

The thing that Mireu bought clattered through the machine. Taking his own chubby hand out of her bony one, he crouched down to pick out a bar of chocolate.

"You looked like your blood sugar levels were low" Mireu handed her the bar of milk chocolate. Xinyi froze for a second, staring at the piece of candy. She hasn't eaten something sweet in years.

Mireu bowed politely and walked away towards the storage office Renjun had been staying at. The chocolate sat heavy in her hands as if the piece of candy was blatantly scolding her for being so hostile to a kid.

"He's a good kid" Renjun sighed, a wave of pride washing over his eyes. Though Mireu was not his own kid, he still felt the responsibility of any parent. And like a parent, he felt like he was watching Mireu grow

Shoving the bar of chocolate into Renjun's chest, Xinyi scoffed in denial "A piece of fake trash". It seemed as though the image of Mireu running a knife into her hands was tattooed inside her brain.

"You're just in denial that he's actually someone good" Renjun whistled, swinging his feet to face her front on.

"As I said, we don't welcome outsiders. So kick him out before I kick you out along with him"

"I'm your husband" Renjun chortled, his smile never faltering

"A contractual husband I can divorce with a single signature on paper" She rolled her eyes, bumping shoulders and heading towards the rowdy training centre.

"You could also adopt Mireu with a single signature on paper"

"Why don't you pay the fucking fees"

"We could be a full family!" Renjun skipped with his hands behind his back, joyfully yelling behind her

"No we can't"

"Don't be so mean"

"Get lost"