Chapter 31: The Confirmed Truth

The doctor wrote a referral to the obstetrics and gynecology department. An appointment was scheduled for a few days later. Detailed examinations were to be performed by the OB/GYN department upon a follow-up visit.

Upon entering the waiting room, Yeon-chae caught Yoonwoo’s eye, seated and staring at the floor. Spotting Yoonwoo, Yeon-chae immediately rose and approached. Their gaze, silent and probing, seemed to demand an explanation. Yoonwoo involuntarily hunched their shoulders.

“It’s just a common cold and body aches,” Yoonwoo mumbled, offering a vague excuse.

Yeon-chae narrowed their brows, their expression clearly skeptical. “You suddenly collapsed from a common cold?”

“Hey, when did I collapse? I just felt a little dizzy.”

“But you collapsed… Did you explain your symptoms properly?”

“Uh, yeah. Of course.”

Yoonwoo grabbed Yeon-chae’s arm, pulling them out of the hospital, despite Yeon-chae’s lingering, reluctant glances back at the building. Yeon-chae had persistently urged them to visit other departments, so Yoonwoo eventually confessed that they had no choice but to return for more tests in a few days. Only then did Yeon-chae seem somewhat relieved.

“When? I’ll come with you then, too.”

This was precisely why Yoonwoo had kept it a secret. Yoonwoo jumped, shaking their head vigorously.

“No, why would you come? It’s fine that you brought me today. I can come alone next time.”

“It’s far from here. The traffic isn’t good, so it’ll take a long time if you come alone.”

“Ugh, then why did you come all the way out here?”

Yoonwoo’s mind was a chaotic mess. Preoccupied with the thought of shaking off the clingy Yeon-chae, they blurted out the retort without thinking. Yoonwoo flinched, realizing their mistake with a sudden jolt. They furtively glanced at Yeon-chae, who, fortunately, seemed to be oblivious.

Still, Yoonwoo felt a pang of regret for inadvertently blaming Yeon-chae, who had gone to such trouble to bring them here. After a moment of hesitation, Yoonwoo spoke.

“I mean, it’s a hassle for you to drive… Oh, right, how about we go for samgyeopsal? My treat.”

While they had resumed a comfortable relationship since the freshman orientation, they hadn’t hung out as freely as before. Their interactions were limited to casual conversations when they met in the lecture hall or sitting next to each other during class. Thus, Yoonwoo felt a slight tension even suggesting samgyeopsal.

Yeon-chae seemed to share a similar sentiment. Their long eyes widened into perfect circles.

“Just the two of us… Senior and me?”

“Huh? Oh… I thought we could go now. Ah, or should we wait a bit and call the others? It’s getting close to dinner time, after all.”

Yoonwoo stammered, blurting out anything that came to mind in their panic. Yeon-chae, however, shook their head. Their fine brown hair swished past Yoonwoo’s eyes.

“No. Let’s go now. I’m hungry.”

With a somewhat hasty expression, Yeon-chae strode purposefully toward the parking lot.

Throughout the drive to the samgyeopsal restaurant, Yoonwoo remained in a state of profound confusion.

They distinctly remembered once thinking that a severe illness would be preferable to pregnancy. However, Yoonwoo had never, in their wildest dreams, imagined that such a possibility could actually materialize. To be punished in this manner felt utterly unjust. Yoonwoo grew despondent, reflecting on their thoughtless past.

Ultimately, Yoonwoo was left with three distinct choices.

1. The rare case of Beta pregnancy, as initially speculated.

Disadvantage: There is almost no chance of survival for both the baby and Yoonwoo, the mother.

Advantage: Apparently none.

2. A hormonal system disorder or testicular cancer, as per the doctor’s second opinion.

Disadvantage: It’s cancer.

Advantage: At least it’s not pregnancy…

3. Expression as a recessive Omega, leading to pregnancy, as per the doctor’s first opinion.

Disadvantage: Their identity, having lived their entire life as a Beta, would be shattered. Moreover, it’s pregnancy.

Advantage: At least it’s not cancer…

Yoonwoo couldn’t discern which of the three scenarios they should hope for. With a somber expression, they exhaled a long sigh.

‘Perhaps option 3 is the best after all…’

They wished they had somehow managed to shake off Yeon-chae and gone straight to the OB/GYN department. It was better to face the music sooner rather than later. Just as Yoonwoo pondered whether to return to the hospital immediately, Yeon-chae, who had been driving silently, suddenly spoke.

“I know a samgyeopsal place I really like. It’s a newly opened Jeju black pork restaurant.”

“Huh?”

“We’ll go there. Is that okay?”

“Ah, su-sure. Let’s go there.”

Only then did Yoonwoo recall having just offered to treat Yeon-chae to samgyeopsal. They stole a glance at Yeon-chae, whose slender profile seemed slightly flushed and excited. Since Yeon-chae appeared to be anticipating the Jeju black pork, it felt awkward to cancel now. Yoonwoo reluctantly nodded.

It was also true that worrying prematurely wouldn’t solve anything. It was better to undergo the examination on the scheduled date and then worry about the future based on the results. Yoonwoo leaned back against the seat, resolving to take things easy.

After setting the navigation to the samgyeopsal restaurant, Yeon-chae drove without speaking much. Yoonwoo noticed the prominent blue veins on their right forearm, where the sleeve had been rolled up. Their wrist was slender compared to their well-defined muscular arm. However, the hand gripping the steering wheel seemed to have one more finger joint than Yoonwoo’s.

The afternoon sun streamed in through the car window. Yeon-chae’s light brown hair shimmered like golden threads in the sunlight. A soft smile graced their full, red lips. Their clear skin was so fair it seemed translucent.

Though they had been spending time together again for nearly a month, it had been a long while since Yoonwoo had seen Yeon-chae look so relaxed and genuinely happy. It was as if the Yeon-chae from last year had returned.

Somehow, Yoonwoo felt their mood improving slightly.

Upon arriving at the samgyeopsal restaurant, the very thought of meat, which had made Yoonwoo nauseous for days, now surprisingly tantalized their taste buds. Ironically, Yeon-chae, who had claimed to be hungry, ate at a much slower pace. When Yoonwoo inquired if the food wasn’t to their liking, as Yeon-chae had barely touched a few pieces of samgyeopsal, Yeon-chae simply shook their head, diligently continuing to grill the meat.

After devouring the samgyeopsal to their heart’s content, without a single gag, they even grilled pork rind to finish the meal. Patting their full belly, Yoonwoo mused in a languid state, ‘What if the test kit was faulty?’

However, a few days later, upon receiving the hospital’s examination results, Yoonwoo cursed their fate and swallowed back tears.

The doctor, with a troubled expression, pushed up her glasses. It must have been difficult news to deliver to a twenty-three-year-old Yoonwoo.

Yoonwoo struggled to remain composed, but their voice, when they finally repeated the question, was already trembling uncontrollably.

“So, you’re saying I’m… a recessive Omega?”

“Yes. Your trait is quite weak, which is likely why you haven’t realized it until now.”

“Could the test results be wrong…?”

“Given that you are pregnant, it’s highly unlikely the results are incorrect.”

“But what if *that* test result was wrong…?”

“That…”

Yoonwoo knew the answer, yet with a face that utterly refused to believe, they clasped their hands together, gazing up at the doctor with desperate pleading.

With a sympathetic expression, she slowly parted her lips.

“That is not the case.”

She then stated it firmly.

“Yes…”

“You are pregnant, and you are a recessive Omega. You presented at the end of last year.”

It was a final, confirming blow.

“Yes, I see…”

There was nothing else to say. Yoonwoo stared blankly at her, their eyes hollow as if their soul had departed. Though they knew it was irreversible, a lingering regret clung to them.

“But how can I be pregnant when I’m so recessive that I can barely even sense pheromones normally…? I’ve never even had a heat… a heat cycle… And it was only once…”

“Well…”

The doctor awkwardly chuckled, repeatedly pushing up her glasses, which had nowhere higher to go.

“It seems your Alpha partner has a very strong trait. And it probably wasn’t just once.”

Essentially, it was Yeon-chae’s fault. Yoonwoo squeezed their eyes shut, recalling how Yeon-chae had relentlessly pursued them that night, right up until Yoonwoo had collapsed into an unconscious sleep.

The pregnancy was confirmed. There was no escape. The only silver lining, however, was that because they were an Omega, albeit recessive, and not a Beta, there was no risk of stillbirth or death. Reaching this conclusion, Yoonwoo frowned intensely.

‘How is that a silver lining? Does that mean I’m going to have it?’

No matter how much they pressed themselves for an answer, none, of course, was forthcoming.

“Something’s going on with you lately, isn’t it?” Hyun-jun asked, his gaze fixed on Yoonwoo, who was lost in thought and growing paler by the minute. He spoke with an interrogative tone in the classroom, about five minutes before class was scheduled to begin.

“Nothing’s going on.”

“What is it, then? Why are your under-eyes so dark if nothing’s happening?”

“They’ve always been dark.”

Yoonwoo deflected, feigning ignorance and looking away. Yet, they themselves noticed their dark circles worsening each morning. The face staring back from the mirror grew more haggard with each passing day.

“What? Eun Yoonwoo, what happened?” Woo-jae asked, settling into the empty seat beside Yoonwoo.

With Hyun-jun and Woo-jae now occupying the seats on either side, Yoonwoo felt an internal surge of anxiety. Recently, Yeon-chae had consistently arrived about ten minutes early, even reserving Yoonwoo’s seat. Today, however, they hadn’t appeared even after other classmates had arrived. Consequently, Yeon-chae’s usual spot was pushed to the very end, next to Woo-jae.

In the past, Yoonwoo wouldn’t have cared where Yeon-chae sat. But lately, Yoonwoo could only manage to calm their churning stomach when Yeon-chae was close by.

‘Since your trait is weak, you’ll feel quite unwell. As time passes, your hormonal changes will also become more severe.’

The OB/GYN doctor had said as much.

‘It will be easier to endure if your Alpha partner remains by your side.’

The doctor’s advice proved true. After the hospital visit, Yoonwoo’s symptoms progressively worsened. They only found a moment of respite when they could sense Yeon-chae’s scent; otherwise, most smells were repulsive.

Being a Beta, Woo-jae’s presence was somewhat tolerable. However, Hyun-jun, an Alpha, had a scent that irritated Yoonwoo’s hypersensitive sense of smell. Unable to suppress the rising nausea, Yoonwoo eventually nudged Hyun-jun’s chair leg with their foot.

“Hyun-jun. Are you going to sit there?”

Hyun-jun glanced back, then his expression turned to one of surprise. This was likely due to Yoonwoo’s face, which was not just pale but utterly wretched. When afflicted by an Alpha’s scent, Yoonwoo was far from looking like a normal person.

“What’s truly wrong with you? Did you go to the hospital?”

“Uh…”

Yoonwoo couldn’t bring themselves to tell Hyun-jun, who was peering at their face with a worried expression, that they couldn’t stand his scent and felt like throwing up, so he should move. Yoonwoo merely groaned inwardly, burying their forehead in the desk and exhaling a long sigh.

“Senior.”

A familiar voice resonated from behind their head. Though the source of all their troubles, in that moment, it was a sound more welcome than ever.