Chapter 83: A Daughter and Lingering Doubts

Even after we finished registering and settled in to wait, a noticeable tremor ran through Han Jung-woo’s legs. I, of course, remained perfectly still.

His face was mostly obscured by a low-pulled hat and dark sunglasses, yet the subtle tension in his bitten lower lip betrayed his profound nervousness.

“Why are you so nervous?”

“Me? What is there to be nervous about?”

He bluffed, his pride evident, yet seemed oblivious to the persistent trembling of his legs. It wasn’t until I reached out and firmly pressed his thigh that the shaking finally ceased.

“Mr. Yoo Seo-jin.”

The nurse called my name, and Han Jung-woo reacted instantly. He shot to his feet, turning to me with an anxious gaze, as if urging me to hurry inside.

His uncharacteristic demeanor, though awkward, was undeniably endearing, and I found myself chuckling inadvertently. He was a hulking figure; what made him so strangely cute?

“Let’s go in.”

Composing myself, I patted his still-trembling shoulder. We followed the nurse into the examination room, where the doctor, poised to offer a warm greeting, paused abruptly upon noticing Han Jung-woo trailing behind me.

“It seems you’ve come with an Alpha today.”

Once the door clicked shut, he removed his hat and sunglasses. He lightly ruffled his flattened hair, then offered a polite bow to the doctor.

“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before—”

The doctor, muttering to himself, scrutinized Han Jung-woo’s face so intently that I cleared my throat pointedly. His gaze snapped back to me then, as if he hadn’t been staring at all.

“First, would you like to sit here?”

As I took a seat before the doctor, he positioned himself directly behind me, his body pressing close. It felt as though a massive wall had been erected at my back. When I leaned into it, he gently patted me, murmuring for me to relax.

Throughout the entire examination, he remained utterly silent. He simply listened, absorbed, as the doctor spoke.

“Would you come over here?”

Guided by the waiting nurse, I moved to the examination bed. Gel was then spread over my belly, which had grown even more prominent, and the ultrasound wand began to glide across it.

“Perhaps it’s because the parents have such a good relationship,” the doctor remarked. “The baby is growing splendidly.”

Kkam-jjaki, whose features were now even more distinct, was curled up, squirming lively. Han Jung-woo watched the screen, not even blinking, his gaze so intense it seemed he might pierce right through it.

‘Well, it’s his first time seeing this.’

This was Han Jung-woo’s first time seeing Kkam-jjaki move, rather than just in still images. It was also his first time directly hearing the baby’s heartbeat.

Perhaps it was for this reason. His expression remained as rigid as ever, yet his eyes, wide and shimmering, were brimming with wonder and profound joy.

“Congratulations, it’s a beautiful daughter.”

“A daughter?”

Since entering the examination room, this was the first time he had spoken, and his voice was terribly shaky. It trembled so much, I almost wondered if he was about to cry.

He tore his gaze from the screen and gently took my hand. Then, with eyes shimmering with unshed tears, he crinkled them into a truly beautiful smile.

“It’s a daughter.”

“I heard that too.”

He was genuinely happy.

****

I had fully expected us to head straight home after the routine check-up. Instead, he drove me to a nearby department store.

“Why are we—”

“I have some shopping to do.”

He unbuckled his seatbelt, exited the car, and walked around the hood to open my passenger door. Taking his hand, I followed him to the floor dedicated to baby supplies.

“Shall we go?”

Before I could utter a single word, he, brimming with excitement, began to roam from one shop to another.

With each stop, heavy shopping bags accumulated on his arm, and before long, both his arms were completely laden.

Considering the items he’d arranged for direct home delivery, this spree, while likely insignificant to Han Jung-woo, was undeniably extravagant spending.

“Wait, just a moment!”

A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me—at this rate, he might buy out the entire store. I called out to him, halting his eager pace.

“Are you tired? Shall we rest a bit?”

“It’s not that I’m tired—”

He had purchased enough clothes to dress the baby in a new outfit every day until its hundredth day. Strollers, cribs, and countless other items were acquired in less than an hour.

I racked my brain, trying to figure out how to halt this new type of extravagant spending. Yet, his smug expression showed no hint of stopping his shopping spree.

I was still pondering how to halt his runaway shopping spree when, to my surprise, he spoke first.

“Shall we head back for today?”

“Really?”

The words I had been waiting for tumbled from his lips, and I snatched them up eagerly. A faint flicker of disappointment crossed his face, as if he had anticipated a different reaction from me.

Still, it didn’t matter. Thrilled at the prospect of finally returning home, I grabbed his hand and turned towards the parking lot first.

“Then, at least lunch here—”

“I want to eat the meal the ladies at home prepare.”

As if I wouldn’t see through his ploy to extend the shopping spree, using digestion as an excuse if we ate at the department store. Dejected by his utterly ineffective tactic, he quietly followed behind me.

“There’s still so much to buy….”

He muttered to himself, clearly still harboring many regrets. Even while we loaded the purchases into the car, he subtly cast glances suggesting he longed to return to the stores, but I feigned ignorance.

‘What should I have for lunch?’

Since my morning sickness had subsided, a multitude of dishes had suddenly begun to tempt me. My appetite was now piqued constantly, to the extent that I questioned if I’d always possessed such gluttony, and my requests to the ladies at home had steadily increased.

While eating out was pleasant enough, the ladies at home were such exceptional cooks that I preferred dining in these days. Besides, I simply enjoyed being at home more.

“Do you like going home that much?”

He asked as he opened the passenger door for me. Instead of answering, I simply lifted my face, offering him a bright, cheerful smile. He responded with a deep sigh, a clear sign that he was finally abandoning his lingering desire to shop.

“Who are you trying to charm with that smile?”

He leaned his face inches from mine and whispered playfully. The mischievous smile on his lips told me he was full of teasing, so I met his brazenness with my own.

“I hadn’t intended to, but have you fallen for me all over again?”

“Hmm, no.”

I narrowed my eyes at his blatant lie, and he soon conceded, admitting it was true before pressing a light kiss to my lips. His brazen actions, as if he’d completely forgotten we were in an open parking lot, startled only me, and I quickly scanned our surroundings.

“What are you looking for?”

“It’s not that—”

Thinking about it, I was no longer a celebrity, so there would be no paparazzi trailing us. There was no longer any reason to cling to my fear of cameras; all those shutter sounds I’d imagined before had been nothing but my own delusion.

“If you’re done looking around, can you look at me now?”

When I heard his call and turned my head, his lips instantly met mine again. He kissed me briefly—mwah, mwah, mwah—three times in total, then lightly pressed my shoulder, indicating it was time to get in the car.

After ensuring I was seated in the passenger seat, he closed the door. He then walked around the hood to the driver’s side but paused, not opening the door. When I looked to see why he wasn’t getting in, I saw he held his phone in one hand.

He was frowning intently at the screen, and only opened the door once the vibration ceased. Then, as if nothing had happened, he smiled, settled into the driver’s seat, buckled my seatbelt, and started the engine.

“Shall we hurry home before Yoo Seo-jin collapses from hunger?”

When I retorted, demanding to know when I had ever done such a thing, he burst out laughing. Han Jung-woo’s increasing playfulness often put me in awkward situations, yet the growing number of times we laughed together also left a corner of my heart feeling strangely hollow.

He had promised to respect my choice. In return, he would dedicate himself to winning my heart during the six months I intended to stay.

The arrogant part of me had been confident that the ending awaiting us would remain unchanged. Yet, a cautious hope, one I was even hesitant to acknowledge, had begun to sway me.

Jung Hee-soo had no further contact with him after their chance encounter, leading to a small, burgeoning hope that perhaps many things had, in fact, changed.

‘Couldn’t we just continue to be together like this?’

There was no longer any room for doubt; his feelings were utterly sincere. Han Jung-woo loved me—Yoo Seo-jin, not Jung Hee-soo.

Believing this heart, which I had once dismissed as mere capriciousness, was in fact profoundly deep, I, too, wished to be true to him. More than that, I yearned to remain by his side indefinitely.

“Han Jung-woo.”

At my call, he glanced over. Though his gaze quickly returned to the road as he was driving, he stole glances at me whenever he could, and his free hand found and held mine.

“What is it you want to say that you’re taking so long to speak?”

He gently encouraged me, telling me any words were fine, even though I had called him yet remained silent. Just as I gathered my scant courage to confess my true feelings, a vibrating sound interrupted me.

“Don’t worry about it. Say what you want to say.”

Despite his words, my newfound timidity prevented me from speaking immediately.

Just as I was about to open my mouth again, a message with a familiar name popped up on the Carplay monitor, which was synced with Han Jung-woo’s phone.

[Jung Hee-soo]

Those three characters jolted me awake from my dream.

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