Among Us

Pink post it

1 month passes.

Me and Minjun become surprisingly close. Jun, I now call him.

He's made a good couple of romantic advances towards me, all of which I have refused heavy heartedly.. and while I thought he'd get bored and storm away, he's maintained a steady Platonic relationship with me that feels like it's lasted for years. He's the only contact my finger hovers over whenever I feel like I'm at my breaking point. He's even come to collect Joon with me two or three times, all the time Kneeling by the gates and telling him to run to him like a weightless bird. Guilt eggs at me whenever I see the shy smile and my unsociable-with-strangers toddler hobble over to the only person ever playing father figure with him, too scared to express himself despite my efforts at enrolling him in therapy. I feel like Jun's helping him get somewhere, though. Joon could never socialise with kids at school, or with teachers, and they've said they wanted to enroll him in speech therapy because they thought he couldn't talk.

Maybe because my head is so full of these things, Today is that fantastic day when I walk out of work, hurrying because I'm running a few seconds late to pick up Hajoon from school..and then my great piece of junk car wont start. 

I start to panic, calling the school to say i'll be late at pickup, and facing the threats of 'late pickup fees'. Stressed out and annoyed, I start trying to fix my car alone and that's when i feel a swift tap on my shoulder. 

"Hey, You okay?"

Turning, I see Minjun.. pretty much the only person I wouldn't punch in the face right now. 

"Oh, hey.." I fake smile.

"What's up? Can I fix that?"

"I have to go and get Joon NOW."

"Let me take you in my car. We'll be back."

Having to go with the idea, we go straight to Joon's kindergarten and I manage to collect him 1 minute 27 seconds before the fee is enforced. 

I even am pushed by my brains insecurities about my time weakness to make changes at the desk, stating that If Jun comes to pick up Joon they should allow him to leave the premises with him. I feel like it's for the best, since I tend to be late a lot and it's starting to have a bad effect on my financial problems. I feel so guilty.. someone that I trust shouldn't be trusted with my child, but even so I've seen that look that Hajoon has when he sees Jun with me. It's like an extra spark has been added to his life, and I don't want to take that from him.

"Thanks so much, Jun. I don't know how to pay you back." I sigh as we pull up into my workplace parking lot. "I'm so sorry for the bother."

"What d'you mean?" Jun snorts, his attention on parking but also snatching a glance at my face. "You're serious?! I love Joon. I want to help him and you whenever I can. I.. I wish I could be in his life a lot more."

I 'tsk' sharply as I panic internally, hoping Joon isn't paying attention or doesn't care about our conversation. As usual, he is holding onto his toy from home and is quietly staring out of the window at the car next to ours. He looks up from his daze to look at me staring at him, doesn't say anything or smile, and then continues looking out of the window. 

Joon jump-starts my car. After a load of patience it starts, and me and Joon head off home-but not before he quietly asks to use the toilets in the police academy quickly. I take him in and escort hm to the ladies' ones- just for extra safety, and just as we step out, we bump into Eunjoo. What is she doing here?  Work ended long ago, and Eunjoo always makes other people do her work and always leaves before everyone, never having done a minute of overtime in her life. She looks surprised to see me too, looking between me and Hajoon and back to me and him again. 

I prepare to dodge around her but she stands in the way a little, crouching to look at my child like he's an obstacle for inspection. 

"Hello little baby," She coos, showing all her white perfect teeth. Hajoon looks at me like he doesn't know how to respond.

"He's the quiet type is he? I didn't know he was so cute.."

I just smile awkwardly, unable to think of what to say. Quickly after though, Eunjoo becomes bold and sweeps him right up into her arms. 

"He's sooo cute. I want a baby now.. and he's so warm, and so quiet I can't believe it!" I still don't know what to say, so just stand protectively near to them both, uncomfortable with my most hated enemy touching my most precious object.

"Why are his eyes so big, though?" Eunjoo swipes her hand in a quick motion toward my baby's eyes, trying to show me what she means. I'm not about to tell her that Hajoon's father was a tourist from russia, and he's gone now and I'm never going to hear from him again, so I just shrug and start to carefully take him away from her. 

"Sorry, we're in a rush."

"Please bring him back some time.." I'm surprised to see the look of longing in Eunjoo's eyes as she waves goodbye to Joon, who smiles shyly- to be formal.

He starts to play with something in my jean pocket to fry his boredom.. and when I get slightly annoyed with it, I take it out only to see its a pink post-it note.

Confused, I unfold it and read the message 

'Not meant to be.'

"Did you put that there?" i ask Joon, to which he shakes his head swiftly. 

I take a quick picture of the note before binning it. I don't know how it got in my pocket but i guess I should just forget it. I should be more worried about Eunjoo's behaviour towards me and my baby actually.

And if it was her who put it there.