Chapter 69: The Ultrasound and the Unexpected Feast

As I had mentioned before, Han Jung-woo intended to accompany me to the hospital for my regular check-up.

I tried to dissuade him, but he was insistent. It was his secretary who ultimately prevented him from joining, stating that he also had a right to hear about the baby’s condition.

The secretary’s warning that journalists’ movements had become unusual prompted Han Jung-woo to reluctantly agree to let me go alone, after much deliberation.

Accompanying me to an obstetrics and gynecology clinic, of all places, and having a photograph taken would have been detrimental to both of us.

Instead, he made a few requests, one of which was for me to show him the baby’s ultrasound photos and let him hear its heartbeat.

As it wasn’t a difficult request, I brought the ultrasound photos and the recorded file of the baby’s heartbeat to show him.

He arrived home earlier than usual that day, skipping pleasantries entirely, and immediately extended his hand, asking for the items he had requested.

Seeing the anticipation in his eyes, I first handed him the ultrasound photos. He couldn’t tear his gaze away, muttering to himself.

“He’s truly… tiny.”

The baby, who had seemed like a mere cluster of cells until recently, had now grown enough for its hands and feet to be distinguishable.

Other pregnant women often described their babies at this stage as resembling a jelly bear, and it truly seemed to be the case.

Noticing the corners of his mouth curving upwards, unable to conceal his joy, I then played him the baby’s heartbeat.

He held my phone to his ear, concentrating on the rhythmic thumping sound, and then drew a deep breath. Turning towards me, he spread his arms wide.

“May I hug you?”

Meeting his gaze, I nodded, uncharacteristically asked for permission. Only then did he approach, carefully embracing me.

“Was the journey there and back difficult?”

“No, it was fine. The driver brought me right to the door and dropped me off directly at the hospital.”

When I added that my step count for the day hadn’t even reached a thousand thanks to that, he chuckled softly.

“Did you eat?”

“I ate as usual.”

Responding to my “as usual,” he released me. With a displeased tilt of his straight eyebrows, he made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction, muttering in a low voice.

“So, you ate next to nothing, then.”

“It wasn’t that little.”

Although I retorted impulsively, my appetite had only diminished with time, rather than returning, making even salads difficult to consume.

Still, for the baby’s sake, I tried my best to eat at least my usual portion, forcing something down.

Though, by his standards, it might still have been a mere ant’s tear.

“You haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Then let’s go out to eat tonight.”

I was about to say I wanted to rest at home today, having already been out once, but he moved swiftly, already returning with my coat.

It was as if a large dog, eager for a walk, had brought its leash to its owner. No, I shouldn’t think that. Comparing a person to a dog is rude.

“Is there anything you want to eat?”

He asked, draping the coat over my shoulders. As I continued to ponder, unable to think of anything specific, a large hand gently took my wrist.

“Shall we just head out then? Something might come to mind as we go.”

“Alright.”

He smiled brightly, properly taking my hand, and then we left the house. Watching his back as he led the way, without even knowing our destination, something suddenly came to mind that I wanted to eat.

“Han Jung-woo.”

Hearing my voice, he paused and turned around. To his questioning tilt of the head, I told him the food that had just popped into my mind.

“I… I want to eat french fries.”

****

We arrived at the closest fast-food restaurant to the house and settled into a secluded corner, away from prying eyes.

Since there was a university nearby, most of the customers gathered in small groups within the restaurant were youthful students.

Amidst the casually dressed students, Han Jung-woo, clad in a suit, was a strikingly incongruous presence. Consequently, several gazes lingered on him.

As I belatedly wondered if I should have made him wear a hat, the vibrating pager placed in front of Han Jung-woo rang with a loud buzz.

“I’ll go get it.”

He gently pushed me back into my seat and went to collect the food before I could even object.

It was only natural that all eyes turned to him as he strode through the fast-food restaurant in a three-piece suit. Yet, he seemed utterly oblivious to the attention.

‘Well, it probably doesn’t matter.’

Since he was no longer a celebrity, there was no chance of eyewitness accounts surfacing, and the public wasn’t so interested in us that a meal between acquaintances would become a trending topic.

Releasing my persistent anxiety, I happened to see him returning. However, the tray in his right hand seemed unusually substantial.

“This one is for you, Yoo Seo-jin.”

I had a suspicion, but still, the tray piled high with french fries like a mountain was indeed mine.

Of course, Han Jung-woo’s order—two burger sets—was also substantial, but it appeared small in comparison to mine.

‘How am I supposed to eat all of this?’

While I enjoyed french fries, I had never anticipated facing such an enormous quantity.

I started picking at them one by one, but after about ten, my stomach began to feel full. And yet, this amount barely made a dent in the mountain of fries.

“Is this enough?”

Was he genuinely asking, or was he merely teasing me? With his perpetually smiling face, I couldn’t discern his true intentions.

“It’s not just enough; it’s overwhelmingly abundant.”

“Better too much than not enough, right?”

While his words were true, coming from him, they sounded utterly infuriating. A surge of irritation prompted me to grab a handful of fries and thrust them towards his mouth.

“I can’t possibly eat all of this alone, so please eat with me.”

After a brief hesitation, he opened his mouth and ate the fries from my hand. I flinched slightly when our lips inevitably brushed, but thankfully, he pulled away quickly.

“Could you give me some more?”

“More of what?”

“The french fries.”

He stated confidently, opening his mouth. It was baffling why he wanted me to feed him when he had his own hands, but to reduce the sheer volume of fries, I picked up several more.

And so, like a mother bird, I continued to feed Han Jung-woo french fries until the mountain-like pile was reduced by half.

“Let’s stop here.”

Han Jung-woo, seemingly at his limit, indicated that I could stop feeding him, no longer opening his mouth. Checking the considerably diminished quantity, it seemed I could now finish the rest on my own.

‘It’s delicious.’

While he soothed his somewhat greasy stomach with a carbonated drink, I continued to eat the remaining french fries on the tray.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Unlike me, who was utterly satisfied, he looked rather unwell, having unexpectedly overeaten.

We decided to pack up the untouched hamburger, and then left the fast-food restaurant, which had grown even more crowded in the interim.

“Did you enjoy your meal?”

As I got into the car and reached for my seatbelt, he asked the question, gently pushing my hand aside to buckle the seatbelt for me instead.

“Yes, I don’t think I’ll crave them again for a while.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried you’d keep eating only unhealthy things.”

Just as he said, considering the baby in my belly, I should avoid unhealthy foods as much as possible and focus on a healthy diet.

Of course, I knew this, but I hoped that for just one day, the little one in my belly would cut me some slack.

Even though I had given him most of the piled-high french fries, I had still eaten considerably more than usual.

“If you think of anything else you want to eat next time, just tell me.”

“Aside from fast food,” he quickly added, perhaps anticipating that I might suggest french fries again.

“If you think of something you want, Yoo Seo-jin, we’ll go out and eat it together, just like today.”

While going out was inherently bothersome, it was bearable if it meant going out to eat. After a brief contemplation, I nodded, and he smiled, gently tidying my disheveled bangs.

“I’m looking forward to every evening now.”

“What makes you so sure of what I’ll want?”

“Well, I’m not picky; I’ll eat anything.”

As we exchanged playful banter, our eyes met. We both paused simultaneously, and in that brief moment, we must have had many thoughts. At least, I certainly did.

“Let’s head back now.”

“Alright.”

As if nothing had happened, we averted our gazes from each other. The silence in the confined car continued until we arrived home, whereupon we dispersed into our respective rooms.

“Good night, Yoo Seo-jin.”

Before entering his room, he bid me good night. Turning to look at him before I entered my own room, I offered a greeting with a smile in my eyes.

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