The SSS Rank Babysitter chapter 33

(Here the author, uses korean when hajun and aileen talk. But with Aileen’s current state, they are actually talking in English. Because she knows 5 languages, korean is obviously one of the language she knows so she can have conversation with others. Though she still replies most of the time in english. For example: What?, Yes, No…and etc)

The spoonful of porridge that Cheongmyeong fed Aileen Spencer slipped into her mouth.

Aileen’s expression hardened slightly, perhaps due to the strange texture, but her eyes suddenly widened.

“Tastes good, right?”

Thanks to the deep flavor of the beef bone broth and the touch of salt, the porridge was delicious.

Even Moojin and Cheongmyeong, who normally despised porridge, had emptied two bowls each this morning.

“Let’s have some more.”

As soon as she swallowed the first spoonful, her chewing sped up noticeably as more porridge was placed in her mouth.

“Jun!”

The door suddenly burst open, and Cheongmyeong, who had been running towards Do Hajun, stopped in her tracks.

Do Hajun turned his head while feeding Aileen Spencer.

Cheongmyeong, who should have run over to call him Jun-Jun, was standing in the middle of the living room, dazed.

“Cheongmyeong?”

“Why are you standing there?”

Moojin, having changed his clothes, asked curiously while picking up Cheongmyeong.

Even as she was being held by Moojin, Cheongmyeong kept staring blankly at Do Hajun.

“Is she eating well?”

“Yeah, she is. You should eat with Cheongmyeong too.”

“Sure. Cheongmyeong, let’s eat some meat.”

“Finish eating first. Hey, make sure Cheongmyeong eats her vegetables too!”

After giving a piece of advice to the picky adult, Do Hajun continued feeding Aileen Spencer.

Once her stomach was somewhat full, her chewing slowed down as she began to doze off.

[Status: Full / Drowsy / Sleepy]

“You can sleep now.”

[Aileen Spencer is feeling anxious.]

[Anxiety Level: 80%]

“…Where.”

“No, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay with you.”

Do Hajun gently laid Aileen Spencer’s head on his shoulder to help her sleep.

With rhythmic pats, he soon heard the sound of her falling into a deep sleep.

After making sure she was fully asleep, Do Hajun picked her up and headed to the kitchen.

As expected, the table was only set with meat, causing Do Hajun to frown.

“Why do you keep feeding her only meat?”

“She had porridge in the morning. Kids need a lot of protein.”

“If only you could understand.”

Clicking his tongue, Do Hajun sat next to Cheongmyeong.

For some reason, he had no appetite after holding back his anger earlier, so he decided to just sit until Cheongmyeong finished his meal.

“Is Aileen sleeping?”

“Yeah. She fell asleep after eating.”

Moojin reached out and pinched Aileen Spencer’s cheek as she slept.

“She needs to eat a lot to get chubby cheeks like Cheongmyeong.”

“SBC side effects aren’t a disease; she’ll recover quickly.”

“But why are you holding her?”

“She’s anxious.”

Given her high anxiety level, he planned to stay by her side until she woke up.

At that moment, Cheongmyeong tugged on Do Hajun’s sleeve.

“Jun.”

“Yes, Cheongmyeong?”

Cheongmyeong, having called him, just stared at Do Hajun without saying anything.

“Cheongmyeong?”

“Nothing.”

As Cheongmyeong shook her head vigorously and picked up her fork to continue eating, Do Hajun looked at Moojin.

Moojin smiled slightly.

‘There seems to be something.’

* * *

Just as the doctor said, Aileen Spencer’s body quickly improved.

Although her cheeks didn’t become as chubby as Cheongmyeong’s, she recovered enough to walk on her own.

However, unlike her body, her anxiety remained the same.

“Hello.”

Aileen Spencer quickly turned her head and buried her face in Do Hajun’s chest.

“Again today.”

Ahn Eunseon sighed and lowered her head.

“You’re not the only one. I’ve seen it since I arrived in Korea.”

Moojin, who had been tossing Cheongmyeong up and down, grumbled.

“I bathe her every day! But she doesn’t even glance at me!”

As Ahn Eunseon said, Aileen Spencer avoided everyone except Do Hajun.

In fact, she refused to be apart from Do Hajun even during bath time, so he had to cover his eyes and hold her hand in the bathtub.

Moreover, unlike Cheongmyeong, she barely spoke, only responding with “yes” or “no.”

“Is she sick?”

“No.”

Aileen Spencer’s condition was perfect.

“Could it be that she had some traumatic experience in America that’s making her avoid people?”

Do Hajun shook his head.

Even after a thorough examination, Dr. Oh Yeongeun confirmed that the child’s mental health was fine.

The high anxiety was simply because she was in an unfamiliar place.

“Then why is she so wary?”

Although Cheongmyeong was also wary, Aileen Spencer was much worse.

Whether outside or at home, she never wanted to be apart from Do Hajun.

“Well, she’ll get better in time.”

Just as Cheongmyeong’s separation anxiety improved, Do Hajun believed Aileen Spencer would also get better once she felt secure.

“Wow. I want to be as optimistic as you, Team Leader.”

“Stop talking nonsense and get to work.”

After snapping at Ahn Eunseon, Do Hajun stroked Aileen Spencer’s rosy hair with one hand while moving the mouse with the other.

This morning, the U.S. and Korea officially announced that Aileen Spencer had transformed into a child and that Do Hajun would be responsible for her care.

They also announced that until she returned to normal, Aileen Spencer would join the Seoul Center Delta Team, traveling through dungeons with Cheongmyeong, another child hunter.

Although the U.S. response was unknown, the reaction in Korea was positive.

In fact, the photo of Aileen Spencer released with the announcement was well received.

“She looks really pretty.”

Ahn Eunseon, who was peering at the monitor next to Do Hajun instead of working, nodded.

Aileen Spencer, with her long, curly, rosy hair and white apron dress, looked like a porcelain doll in the photo.

“You know you’re pretty, right?”

At the mention of the photo, Aileen Spencer peeked out but quickly buried her face again.

“Why do you keep talking to her when she doesn’t want to?”

“She needs to get used to faces.”

Waving his hand, Do Hajun dismissed Ahn Eunseon, who left while grumbling.

Just as he was about to grab the mouse again, he felt a tug on his pants.

“Cheongmyeong.”

“Jun.”

Recently, Cheongmyeong had been calling him Jun without saying anything or just staring at him.

Even when he tried to ask why, the situation never allowed it, or Cheongmyeong refused to answer.

“Why?”

“…Jun.”

“Yes, Cheongmyeong, why?”

When he asked gently, Cheongmyeong’s status window changed.

[Cheongmyeong’s status has changed.]

[Status: Anxious / Nervous / Sad]

‘Suddenly anxious, nervous, and sad?’

Tears quickly welled up in Cheongmyeong’s eyes.

“Jun.”

And then the sobbing began.

“Why all of a sudden?”

Do Hajun hurriedly approached Lee Cheongmyeong. But the boy, fists clenched and crying uncontrollably, did not move.

“Cheongmyeong, why are you crying? Why?”

He wasn’t sick or anything, so why was he suddenly so anxious and restless?

With Aileen Spencer held in one arm, Do Hajun awkwardly tried to comfort Cheongmyeong with his other hand, but the crying didn’t stop.

“Huh?”

Unable to put Aileen Spencer down, Do Hajun patted Cheongmyeong’s back. Just then, Lee Moojin, who had gone to the restroom and was now wiping his wet hands on his pants, approached.

Nodding as if he understood, Lee Moojin took Cheongmyeong from Do Hajun’s arms.

“I’ll handle this.”

“Huh?”

Lee Moojin carried Cheongmyeong out of the office. As the sound of crying grew distant, Aileen Spencer, still in Do Hajun’s arms, tapped his cheek.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

Aileen Spencer wrapped her arms around Do Hajun’s neck and said,

“I’m hungry.”

“Huh? Oh. Is it lunchtime already?”

Checking the time, Do Hajun stood up.

“Just a moment.”

He took out his phone and called Lee Moojin.

-Hey, what’s up?

“Is Cheongmyeong okay?”

-Yeah, he’s fine. You called because you were worried about him?

Though Lee Moojin said he was fine, Do Hajun could hear the sound of sniffling in the background.

I still don’t understand what’s making him so anxious and sad all of a sudden.

“Where are you? I’ll come over.”

-No, don’t. If you come, he’ll cry more.

Do Hajun frowned at the thought that his presence might make Cheongmyeong cry more.

“He needs to eat lunch too.”

-Oh, it’s lunchtime already. I’ll feed him and take him to ballet class. We don’t have anything urgent right now. Just stay with Aileen. I’ll hang up now.

The call ended abruptly. Do Hajun stared at his phone.

I feel like I’m missing something, but I can’t quite figure out what it is.

“Jun?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

A grumbling stomach echoed in the quiet office.

Do Hajun stopped thinking and started walking to the cafeteria with Aileen Spencer.

* * *

After crying like that, Cheongmyeong brightened up again. He mingled well with people and laughed, but to Do Hajun, Cheongmyeong’s status window still looked the same.

“Something’s there.”

“Wow, you’re really dressed like a doll today.”

With curly rose-colored hair and green ribbons on either side, Aileen Spencer was wearing a princess-style dress.

It was an outfit sent by Shin Misook.

When Do Hajun first received the clothes, he wanted to throw them in the recycling bin, but the secretary who brought them insisted on taking a photo to send to Shin Misook, so he reluctantly dressed Aileen in them.

‘Is this really a gift without any ulterior motive?’

He had suspected since she sent clothes for Cheongmyeong, but it felt increasingly personal.

Today, Ahn Eunseon, who had recently gotten a job as a photographer, was taking pictures here and there with her phone camera.

“Team leader, should I send the photos to the number you provided and post them on Instagram?”

“Instagram? You do that too?”

“I also do YouTube?”

Ignoring Ahn Eunseon’s protest that she had asked him to like and subscribe to her channel, Do Hajun spoke to Aileen Spencer.

“If you’re uncomfortable, tell me. We can change.”

Aileen Spencer looked at her clothes and then asked Do Hajun,

“Do I look pretty?”

“Yes, you do.”

“Then I’ll keep wearing it.”

“So can I post this?!”

Ahn Eunseon shouted, feeling ignored.

“Yeah, post it.”

It was obvious Shin Misook wanted the photos to distribute articles, so Do Hajun allowed the Instagram post.

“Awesome.”

“First, send the photos to that number.”

“Got it!”

As Ahn Eunseon fiddled with her phone and returned to her seat, Do Hajun pulled out an English storybook.

“Do you want to read?”

“Yes.”

Unlike other hunters who preferred active pursuits, Aileen Spencer liked more static activities.

Especially books, which she read almost obsessively, leading to stacks of them piling up in the once empty storage room.

As Aileen Spencer turned the pages of the book, her status window suddenly changed.

[Status: Calm / Happy]

[Anxiety: 0%▼10]

[The child’s anxiety has been completely alleviated.]

[The child no longer feels anxious.]

[The child has developed perfect trust in their guardian.]

‘Finally.’

It had been two weeks since Aileen Spencer arrived.

Fearing she might disappear if he looked away, Do Hajun had not taken his eyes off her for a moment. His efforts had finally paid off.