Chapter 43: The Unspoken Truth

Yoonwoo had never once said that this child was Yeon-chae’s baby. Yet, somewhere along the way, both Yeon-chae and Yoonwoo had begun conversing under the assumption that Yeon-chae was the baby’s father, as if it were obvious. It had been like that from the very beginning.

‘I was wrong about everything.’

‘I’ll do better, truly…’

Those were Yeon-chae’s first words when Yoonwoo confessed about the pregnancy.

At that moment, overwhelmed by panic and fear, Yoonwoo hadn’t even suspected that the situation was strange. His mind had been so consumed by the thought of a baby, and specifically Yeon-chae’s baby, that Yeon-chae’s matter-of-fact response hadn’t struck him as odd in the slightest. Yoonwoo gritted his teeth, a surge of injustice rising from the time he had spent fretting alone.

“You said you didn’t remember? Huh? You said it felt like a dream!”

Yeon-chae’s eyes darted around nervously.

Then, with an awkward smile, he spoke.

“Oh, did I not tell you? Hahahaha…”

“Hey!”

Yoonwoo narrowed his eyes, glaring at Yeon-chae.

“How long have you known?”

Yeon-chae’s cheeks flushed crimson. It was absurdly cute that he was blushing now, which only annoyed Yoonwoo more. After a few more insistent prods, Yeon-chae hesitantly opened his mouth.

“From the very beginning.”

“What? From the beginning? So, when we met in the lecture hall that day, you already knew everything and were just testing me?”

“That wasn’t testing you, it was…”

“Then what was it?”

The shock was immense: the person he had most wanted to hide the events of that night from, the secret he intended to take to his grave, had known everything from the start. Yoonwoo’s head swayed unsteadily before he let it drop forward.

“Hey, do you know how much I’ve been struggling alone…? If you remembered, you should have just said something, seriously.”

“I thought you didn’t remember, Senior. So, rather than intentionally telling you, I figured it would be better to pretend it never happened…”

Yeon-chae’s voice grew progressively slower until it faded into silence. Yoonwoo, looking puzzled, lifted his head.

‘Why?’ he mouthed, and Yeon-chae quietly lowered his gaze. His long eyelashes fluttered tragically, like a butterfly’s rain-soaked wings trembling.

Yoonwoo felt a touch of unease. He had only been trying to confirm the facts, yet Yeon-chae looked as though he had been harassed.

“Hey, why are you stopping mid-sentence? Finish what you’re saying.”

Thus, Yoonwoo deliberately pressed Yeon-chae with a cool tone. Yeon-chae looked at Yoonwoo, appearing on the verge of tears, but realizing his expression had no effect, he continued speaking with a resigned sigh.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Hmm?”

However, there was nothing for Yeon-chae to apologize for regarding that night. Yoonwoo had merely pretended to be angry with Yeon-chae out of embarrassment and shame. The thought that Yeon-chae might have known Yoonwoo had stubbornly refused to leave, despite being told to go multiple times, while pretending ignorance, sent a shiver down his spine.

But Yeon-chae’s reaction was peculiar. He truly looked on the verge of tears, his lips trembling visibly.

“That day, I… because of the rut… No, that’s just an excuse. No matter what happened, I shouldn’t have… I’m truly sorry…”

“Uh…”

Yeon-chae squeezed his eyes shut. Moisture gathered at the corners of his long eyes. Yoonwoo instinctively reached out to embrace Yeon-chae and soothe him, only to flinch and halt. Clearly, Yeon-chae’s recollection of events differed from reality.

Yoonwoo mumbled incoherently.

“No, I drank too much that day, too… And even though I didn’t know then, I’m an Omega, so it was bound to happen, I guess.”

It was clear that Yeon-chae only remembered that he had gone into rut and slept with Yoonwoo. He seemed unaware that Yoonwoo had repeatedly refused, or that Yoonwoo had refused his refusals. An opportunity to avoid utter humiliation glimmered before Yoonwoo’s eyes.

“So, it’s fine. Let’s just say that incident was, uh, a mutual mistake.”

Though his conscience pricked at him, asserting its presence, Yoonwoo feigned ignorance and turned his head. He simply couldn’t bring himself to say, ‘The truth is, I was the one who initiated it…’

However, Yoonwoo had gravely underestimated Yeon-chae. Yeon-chae was not the kind of person who could simply ‘call it a mistake’ and move on.

Yeon-chae abruptly lifted his head, his expression resolute. It was the same determined look Yoonwoo had seen several times already that day.

“I’ll take responsibility.”

“Huh?”

“I will truly take full responsibility, to the very end.”

“…Huh?”

“I’ll always be by your side, except when we’re sleeping. I’ll make sure you don’t experience morning sickness even once. Tell me everything you want to eat. I can do it all.”

“No, you don’t have to…”

“Don’t worry about a thing, Senior.”

“…”

Yeon-chae’s clear cheeks were flushed, seemingly with excitement, and his light brown eyes sharpened with resolve. Unable to form a response, Yoonwoo merely parted his lips soundlessly.

Even in that bewildering moment, Yeon-chae still carried a pleasant scent—a bright, sweet cherry blossom fragrance.

Suddenly, Yoonwoo realized that ever since he had encountered Yeon-chae in front of his house, he had consistently felt well.

Yeon-chae was, without a doubt, the best pain reliever. The thought that he could just embrace Yeon-chae and lie down in bed, sleeping soundly until morning, crossed his mind idly before Yoonwoo flinched in surprise.

Yoonwoo slumped onto a chair in the waiting room of the obstetrics and gynecology clinic. Having experienced such a tumultuous morning, he felt utterly drained of energy.

He couldn’t even comprehend why he was sitting there. He wasn’t there to confirm a pregnancy, nor did he need counseling for a Beta pregnancy.

Yoonwoo had originally intended to visit the hospital for a surgery consultation, but that couldn’t possibly be why Yeon-chae had dragged him here by the wrist.

“Senior, your ID please. I’ll register us.”

“Uh… but Yeon-chae.”

“Yes?”

“Why are we here?”

Yeon-chae raised one eyebrow, an expression of bewilderment on his face. His clear eyes gazed down at Yoonwoo before he abruptly reached out a hand. His large hand gently patted Yoonwoo’s cheek.

“You’ve been in pain, haven’t you? We should at least ask if there are any safe medications or supplements you can take.”

“Huh?”

“And I need to find out if there’s anything I can do. I looked it up, and it said I just need to be by your side, but we should still get a consultation. Neither of us knows anything about this.”

The phrase ‘neither of us’ sounded unfamiliar to Yoonwoo. He stared blankly up at Yeon-chae until their eyes met. Yeon-chae’s neat features softened into a gentle smile, as if to reassure him.

“Don’t think about anything, just rest. Your ID please.”

“Uh…”

After Yoonwoo handed over his ID as instructed, Yeon-chae took it upon himself to add Yoonwoo’s name to the patient waiting list. Soon, he completed the registration and returned to sit quietly beside Yoonwoo.

Yoonwoo’s mind felt a little complicated. It had only been a few hours since he had decided to undergo surgery alone.

Yet now, he had suddenly revealed everything to Yeon-chae and even heard him promise to ‘take responsibility.’ Yoonwoo had no idea how he was supposed to let Yeon-chae take responsibility.

About twenty minutes of awkward waiting passed. Just as Yoonwoo’s mouth began to feel dry, the nurse finally called his name. Both Yeon-chae and Yoonwoo simultaneously turned their heads toward the sound.

“Ah, yes.”

Yoonwoo briefly pushed aside his complicated thoughts and rose, heading toward the examination room. Yeon-chae followed closely behind him. Once again, just like their previous visit to the internal medicine department, they were met with the nurse’s inquiry.

“Are you the guardian?”

Yeon-chae replied with a polite, ‘Yes.’

“What is your relationship?”

The nurse, her face skeptical, looked from Yeon-chae to Yoonwoo and back again before asking once more.

Yeon-chae answered proudly.

“I’m the baby’s father.”

“…”

“…”

Stunned, Yoonwoo found his wrist once again caught by Yeon-chae, who then guided him to sit on the examination room chair. Yeon-chae stood right beside him, close.

Yeon-chae introduced himself as ‘the baby’s father’ to the same doctor Yoonwoo had met previously when he came alone for his test results. While Yoonwoo’s expression turned awkward, the doctor’s face lit up with welcome.

“I was already quite worried because of your weak omega trait. As a recessive, it must have been very difficult to endure alone. How have you been feeling?”

“Well, actually, today I…”

“He’s been struggling a lot, unable to eat properly.”

Yoonwoo had opened his mouth first, but Yeon-chae quickly cut him off. As Yeon-chae, with a tense expression, explained Yoonwoo’s symptoms, the doctor launched into a lengthy lecture on the dangers of a recessive Omega’s pregnancy. Upon hearing that weaker traits required an Alpha’s pheromones for stability, Yeon-chae nodded gravely.

“I will stay by his side constantly.”

“Yes, it will be much better for you now. Please be very careful from now on.”

“Yes. I apologize.”

Though he had done nothing wrong, Yeon-chae wore an expression as if he had committed a grave sin. Yoonwoo tried several times to mention that he had actually come for a surgery consultation today, but he couldn’t find an opening to interject.

While he could only open and close his lips without speaking properly, the doctor and Yeon-chae progressed relentlessly. Before he knew it, Yoonwoo was already lying on a cot, undergoing an ultrasound.

He had already had one last time, and wondered if he really needed another, but the moment the words ‘ultrasound examination’ came up, Yeon-chae’s eyes sparkled, making it impossible to refuse.

“See here? This is the gestational sac. It’s well-positioned.”

The doctor pointed to the ultrasound screen again, asking, “See it?” but Yoonwoo couldn’t. He hadn’t been able to find the baby well during the last check, and this time was even harder. Yoonwoo furrowed his brows, staring intently at the screen, then lifted his head.

‘Can you see it?’ he wanted to ask Yeon-chae. However, with his mouth half-open, he found himself speechless.

Yeon-chae was gazing at the screen, his eyes filled with all the tenderness in the world. His clear cheeks glowed with vitality. As if sensing Yoonwoo’s gaze, Yeon-chae turned his head. Their eyes met, and his doll-like face broke into a bright smile, an expression of joy and pride, as if he possessed the entire world.

And so, Yoonwoo remained silent until the very end that day. He simply could not bring himself to mention the surgery.