Dark to Baby: A Changjin Story

Chapter 46

It was one of those weeks.

Hyunjin thought things would be less stressful because he was no longer secluded in his house, but he was very wrong. Now that he could leave, the responsibilities kept building. There was no escaping the issues as they vied for his attention. However, the priority was Felix. If that one was under control, the rest could wait for another day.

Unfortunately, there was no way for Hyunjin to support him during the week. There had to be someone to let Minsoo in the house, and Changbin had been requested for emotional support every day this week. Monday, it was for the meeting with the attorney. Tuesday, Felix was still unstable from the day before. Wednesday, Changbin had helped him write his testimony. And Thursday, Chan couldn't take Felix home, so Changbin had to do it.

Hyunjin felt like a live-in nanny after the third day of being dropped off at Changbin's stop. At that point, Minsoo had adopted Changbin's nickname for him and had no problems making fun of his cooking skills. Not that he cooked. Changbin did that at some point in the night so that Hyunjin could just heat up dinner, but Minsoo seemed to get a kick out of watching the boy fumble with Tupperware while her brother was out.

It was usually around 9 or 10 when Changbin would return, trudging in with only enough energy to eat the meal Hyunjin had warmed up and plop on the couch. Then his head would hit Hyunjin's shoulder, and the afternoon events would spill from his mouth. The sleepy tone was always a bit higher than Changbin's normal one as if he had been completely drained of all semblances of his mature self. He didn't even acknowledge Minsoo and how she should have been in bed already. It was as if Felix had taken up all of his parenting skills with none left over for his sister.

Thankfully, it was easy to get Minsoo to bed and once that was done, Hyunjin left Changbin to his own devices. Since he couldn't control Changbin's late-night tendencies, he would rather not see them. He instead opted to go home and sleep as best as he could with the multitude of worries that clogged his brain.

However, now it was Friday, and Friday brought new afternoon plans. Hyunjin would probably still be responsible for letting Minsoo in the house but he was not forfeiting his playdate with Jeongwoo today. Perhaps Changbin would let Minsoo tag along. There was no doubt that she would enjoy playing with a puppy for a little while. He could also watch her for longer, but honestly, he was scared to ask. There was no telling how Changbin would react to her being out in public. She would also be meeting Seungmin. Not that Seungmin was scary or anything, but if Chan was banned, Seungmin probably was too.

Perhaps he would just ask later. After all, Felix was still the priority. They needed to figure out his afternoon first before coming up with their plans.

Chan had already mentioned dance class in a weird group chat with Jisung. Apparently, Felix had been badgering him about it since Tuesday. However, Chan couldn't be there, so he needed to make sure someone could be there to take care of the boy.

Why he was asking Jisung was beyond Hyunjin's comprehension, but when Jisung said he'd be there with Minho, Hyunjin immediately said that he was also coming. There was no way he was leaving Felix alone with the two of them. There was no telling what they would say! Minho was known for not having a filter, but Jisung? Hyunjin wasn't sure if the boy himself ever knew what he was talking about.

The shocker came later in the night when Chan texted again saying that Changbin would be driving Felix to the class. After a few messages back and forth it was even confirmed that he would be staying! Obviously, Jisung found this hilarious, but Hyunjin was just confused. Would nobody be with Minsoo? Did Changbin not trust him? Did he even dance?

It wasn't that big a deal, but Hyunjin felt that he could handle the situation. Felix would be doing something he loved after five weeks of nothing. If a breakdown occurred, Hyunjin would be surprised. The exciting atmosphere was sure to steer Felix away from any negative feelings about tomorrow. If anything, Hyunjin would have to make sure Felix didn't overexert himself. With one week left before full recovery, he should be careful not to reinjure himself.

With that in mind, Hyunjin decided perhaps it would be best for both of them to be there. One person to watch the couple, and one person to keep an eye on Felix.

But before any of that could happen, Hyunjin needed to find his dance shoes. Granted, they weren't really dancing shoes. His white sneakers just had the most traction and didn't leave skid marks on the studio floor.

He had left them by the door quite some time ago. He knew that for sure. When they disappeared, he didn't know. He searched the coat closet. He searched his bedroom. He searched under the couch in case Kkami had decided to chew them up. They could not be found.

As a last resort, he asked his mother if she had seen them. The look on her face scared Hyunjin, and only then did he notice that the house was sparser than usual. There were fewer knickknacks around, only a sweatshirt that belonged to Taehyuk lying on the couch. Honestly, all of Taehyuk's stuff that usually laid on the tables and on the backs of chairs was gone. It was almost like he didn't exist, which Hyunjin didn't mind.

When he looked back at his mother, she had collected herself.

"Taehyuk must have mistaken them as his own. I'll make sure to get them from him tonight." That is all she said before offering him some fruit from the fridge.

Hyunjin couldn't help the pit of worry that sat in his stomach. Was this the reason for the fancy breakfasts? Was something happening behind his back again? They didn't break up, did they? No, Hyunjin wouldn't be that lucky.

He glanced around as he nibbled on an orange slice. He swore it wasn't just Taehyuk's things. The vase from the table was missing. The picture frame that held a cute image of Kkami licking his face was gone, and he almost lost it when he discovered all the mirrors in the foyer were off the wall.

He wanted to confront his mother right then, but soon it was time for school, and he couldn't miss the bus.

He would just have to deal with his family later. 

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