Chapter 75: Unexpected Cravings and a Familiar Face

The morning sickness I had expected to pass peacefully suddenly began.

Nausea plagued me throughout the day, a constant companion. Even the mere scent of food would send me rushing to the bathroom, leaving me clinging to the toilet bowl.

Though the hospital assured me it would subside with time, this persistent state, continuing for over a week, was slowly wearing me down.

‘I’ve never craved food this desperately before.’

Just moments ago, I had descended to the kitchen for an early lunch, only to find the overwhelming nausea unbearable, forcing me to abandon the meal entirely.

Lacking the strength to return to my room, I lay on the sofa, awaiting some semblance of calm. It was then that the housekeeper gently approached, offering a tray of fresh fruit.

“Oh, thank you.”

“Not at all. It’s such a relief that you can at least manage to eat some fruit.”

“I suppose so…”

I replied feebly, selecting a few green grapes. As the fresh, sweet taste of the fruit, rather than the bitter tang of stomach acid, spread across my tongue, I felt truly, wonderfully alive.

Having devoured the entire bunch of green grapes in a flash, she then presented me with a beautifully peeled apple. Its long, trailing red skin made it resemble a whimsical rabbit.

“It’ll likely be a beautiful princess.”

I paused, mid-bite of the apple, to observe the housekeeper’s contented smile. Her gaze then gently drifted towards my belly, which was now beginning to show the subtle signs of pregnancy.

“They say that mothers carrying boys crave meat, while those expecting girls yearn for fruit.”

“Is that so?”

While my morning sickness meant fruit was all I could stomach, the housekeeper appeared firmly convinced that ‘Kkamjjak-i’ would undeniably be a girl.

“If they take after the Director and Seo-jin, they’ll surely be beautiful.”

With those words, the housekeeper took the empty grape bowl and returned to the kitchen, leaving me to finish my apple.

Truthfully, I had never given much thought to the baby’s gender. Whether a son or a daughter, my only wish was for them to resemble me completely.

‘Whatever they turn out to be, it’ll be alright.’

As I savored the last bites of my apple, gazing at the sky where the sun was beginning to set, a familiar scent drifted past my nose.

Turning around, I saw Han Jung-woo, just returned from work, loosening his constricting tie as he approached the sofa where I sat.

“I’m home.”

He smiled sweetly, pressed a kiss to my forehead, then playfully snatched the last bite of apple from my hand and ate it.

“Did you only eat fruit again today?”

“…Because this is all I can manage to eat.”

At my dispirited reply, his face visibly clouded. Han Jung-woo, who was more particular about meals than anyone, felt an immense pity for me, knowing I hadn’t had a proper meal in a week.

“Did you manage to eat anything, Han Jung-woo?”

“Well, more or less.”

I narrowed my eyes, brimming with suspicion at his vague response. After a moment, he offered an honest admission: he hadn’t eaten well at all.

In truth, though not as severely as me, Han Jung-woo was also experiencing similar symptoms. I was the one carrying the pregnancy, yet it seemed we were both enduring the morning sickness.

I reached out, gently caressing his noticeably leaner cheek. While I, idling at home, could somewhat endure not eating, he was a different case entirely.

Amidst his relentless schedule, his inability to eat properly was causing him to visibly waste away. Though I tried not to worry, seeing him in such a state made it impossible.

“You know, this is truly absurd, right?”

He chuckled softly, then kissed my cheek this time. In the next moment, our lips naturally met. We parted slightly, our tongues softly intertwining, before drawing away as our breaths grew short.

“You taste of apple.”

He chuckled playfully, then moved away. After he departed to change his clothes, I was left alone, propping my chin on my sharply bent knees.

‘Well, of course I taste of apple; I just ate one.’

I mumbled softly, my lips still moist, then buried my face between my knees. I was certain my face was now as red as a perfectly ripe apple.

****

“Shall we go see a movie?”

His sudden suggestion led to an unplanned outing. Our TV at home was nearly as large as a small cinema screen, making me question the necessity of a trip to the theater.

Yet, watching him grin like a child on a picnic throughout our preparations, my reservations simply melted away. Besides, having been confined to the house for so long, an outing felt like a welcome change.

“Shall we go?”

Dressed unusually casually, with a hat pulled low to effectively obscure his face, he gently took my hand.

For a fleeting moment, the man before me resembled Seon Woo-jung, but I swiftly dispelled the illusion. I had, after all, resolved to accept that such a thing could no longer be.

Upon reaching the shopping mall, we headed to the cinema located on the uppermost floor. Despite the relatively late hour, the lobby buzzed with moviegoers.

“Is there a movie you’d like to see?”

He offered me the choice. Standing before the screen displaying the list of films, I found myself deep in contemplation.

The most popular option was a recently released blockbuster superhero film, but loud action movies were, truthfully, far from my preference.

‘Perhaps this one.’

It was undeniably an unpopular film, with only a single screening time remaining. Yet, its title, quiet and serene, perfectly suited my taste.

“How about this one?”

He glanced at the film I’d chosen, chuckled softly, then presented his phone screen to me. There, displayed clearly, was the ticket for the very movie I had picked.

“I had a feeling Yoo Seo-jin would choose this film.”

It was merely guessing a movie correctly, yet he looked so pleased. I found myself smiling along with his evident pride. It was truly nothing significant, but it made me laugh nonetheless.

With time remaining until the movie started, we descended to the shopping mall on the floor below. We had no specific purchases in mind, but browsing always made the time fly by.

“If there’s anything you’d like to buy, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

He lightly brandished a card he’d retrieved from his wallet. When I remarked that I possessed such funds myself, he playfully boasted that he could effortlessly buy the entire shopping mall.

Lightly laughing off his jest, I wandered through the mall. Whenever my gaze lingered on an item for too long, he would invariably retrieve it and offer to buy it for me.

While I found myself slightly flustered trying to dissuade him, it was, nonetheless, a truly peaceful time. This moment, naturally holding his hand and blending in among ordinary people, felt strangely wonderful.

‘This…’

My steps halted unconsciously in the baby products section. Among the myriad items, a pair of shoes, smaller than my palm, persistently captured my gaze.

“Do you want to buy those?”

“No. It’s nothing at all.”

Before he could take notice, I quickly averted my gaze. Even after we had circled the entire mall, there was still ample time before the movie, so we settled into a cafe next to the cinema.

Normally, I would have ordered an Americano, but he had dissuaded me, citing its unsuitability during pregnancy. Thus, I opted for a warm tea. Though I pouted my lips in mild protest, the tea proved surprisingly pleasant once I tasted it.

“I’ll be back in a moment; I just need to use the restroom.”

He departed momentarily, leaving me alone to observe the bustling crowd. It suddenly struck me how long it had been since I could simply blend in with people, unburdened by recognition.

‘When I was Yoo Joon-hee, such a thing was utterly unimaginable.’

Back then, I had yearned for an ordinary life more than anyone. I had desperately wished that no one would ever pay me any attention, no matter where I went. Now, with that reality no longer possible, a faint bitterness settled within me.

After a long, slow sip of tea, the bottom of my cup quickly appeared. He had promised to return swiftly, yet there was no sign of him, so I retrieved my phone to pass the time.

‘Is there anything interesting to see?’

I was searching for a short video when, from somewhere nearby, I heard the distinct *click* of a camera shutter. My breath hitched, and my entire body instantly froze.

Forcing myself to quell the rising anxiety, I turned my head towards the source of the sound. Two individuals, appearing to be students, were simply taking photos with their phones.

‘…No, it wasn’t.’

As the tension finally released, a deep sigh escaped me involuntarily. I touched my forehead, finding it clammy with cold sweat. As I extended my sleeve to wipe it away, someone offered me a tissue.

“Are you alright?”

The gentle voice was laden with concern. I offered a quick nod in lieu of a verbal greeting and accepted the tissue the stranger offered. After all, a tissue was certainly preferable to my sleeve.

“Your complexion looks rather pale…”

“I’m fine. I was just a little startled—”

“Even so, shouldn’t you consider going to the hospital?”

His concern, bordering on intrusiveness, continued unabated. The moment I lifted my head to assure him I was fine and saw his face, my mind went utterly blank.

Then, my lips moved of their own accord, uttering a name I had so desperately tried to forget.

“Jung, Hee-soo…?”

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