Dark to Baby: A Changjin Story

Chapter 48

Jisung's leg wouldn't stop bouncing. It was like a battery-powered toy. It just kept going. It shook the entire couch and everything on it; the remote, the blanket, and Hyunjin.

He could have screamed.

To stop the impulse, Hyunjin stuffed his mouth with as many chips as he could. He chewed in a circular motion, glancing at his phone for what felt like the millionth time. It was still black and lifeless. It had been that way since they had left. There was no news whatsoever. Not even confirmation that they had reached the courthouse or that Felix had survived long enough to give his testimony. Nothing.

Chan had said no news was good news, but Hyunjin knew that no news could also mean everyone's hands were full.

He just wanted what was best for Felix, even if that meant letting Minho get behind the wheel of a car.

The couch stopped bouncing for a few seconds, meaning Minho had done something comforting. Hyunjin didn't look to see what it was.

Instead, he looked behind him at the dining room table where Minsoo and Soonbin sat peacefully drawing with washable markers. The sight elicited a small smile. The beings in his care were safe and happy. That's all he could ask for.

He turned back to the subpar cartoon on the television, filled his mouth with chips again, and chewed through the tension until sounds of life came from outside.

First, it was the crunching of the gravel, then the killing of the engine, and finally, the car doors slammed shut.

The five in the house rushed to check on the newcomers. Hyunjin flung open the door and was greeted with a huge hug.

"We're home!" Hyunjin smiled down at the blond hair in his arms. "And we brought food!"

Hyunjin looked past Felix to see Chan and Changbin holding up plastic bags full of food. Chan's parents stood behind with grins on their faces. Things were looking promising.

"Is that a slushie?" Minho wiggled his eyebrows in affirmation of Jisung's question. Jisung squealed, hugged Minho, and pushed Hyunjin to the side to get to the delicacy Changbin held. Chan chuckled and walked through the space Jisung had created.

"Nice call, bro." Chan lightly pushed Minho and gave him a wink.

"Couldn't break the streak." Chan scoffed at the comment and continued inside.

Everyone followed him to the dining room table, the kids quickly cleaning up their art supplies while the food was laid out. Chicken wings, french fries, an abundance of ranch dressing, and soft drinks. Felix's comfort food.

It didn't take long to eat. Not with Jisung around. If you wanted food, you had to claim it fast before he got to it. Hyunjin blamed him for the lack of conversation. There was no way to talk with chicken wings shoved in your mouth. Maybe that was the point because Felix was very content with that.

After the meal, Changbin was quick to put on his jacket.

"Hey, Jin. Want me to drive you home?" Hyunjin's mother had made it clear that he could not be gone two nights in a row.

"If you could, that would be great." Changbin nodded and threw Minsoo's jacket on her head. She grumbled and fixed the piece of clothing.

They said their goodbyes as simply as possible, trying to not upset Felix, and made it safely to the car.

"I guess you're wondering what happened." Changbin started as they eased out of the driveway. "We didn't want to talk about it just in case Felix cracked." Changbin caught Hyunjin's worried glance. He gave him a light grin to ease the tension. "You should have seen him though. He was so brave when he gave his testimony. I thought he would shrivel up and cry right on the stand, but he got through it." An affectionate smile graced Changbin's face.