“Baby.”
“……”
Without answering, Eunho turned his head away. The title baby was embarrassing enough, but more than that, it was still uncomfortable to look at Yi-beom.
Every time he remembered Yi-beom urging him to sign the surgery consent form, anger surged up first. How could he say something like that? As Eunho turned his body further away, Yi-beom shifted closer.
“…If you’re going to bring up surgery again, then leave.”
At the firm tone, Yi-beom clenched his fist.
“You can’t avoid this forever.”
“Then what?”
The emotions he had been pressing down felt like they were about to explode. Unable to contain them, Eunho shot up roughly from his chair and glared at Yi-beom.
“Then are you really going to get rid of it?”
“Yeah. If that’s what it takes for you to live.”
“If you get rid of it, I’ll live? How can you be so sure of that?”
His breathing grew ragged. How could he think like that?
“If I have the surgery! Do you think I’ll be in my right mind after that? How am I supposed to face you? With what kind of mind?”
“……”
“And after that, what happens?”
“We go back to how things were.”
Running a hand through his hair, Yi-beom muttered. Through the disheveled strands, his conflicted expression was revealed.
“To when the two of us lived together peacefully.”
“……”
“You said you wanted amnesia. I’ll make that happen, so let’s just forget.”
Yi-beom gently tugged on Eunho’s hand. You’ll collapse again. With that soft addition, he tried to guide him back into the chair—but Eunho stiffened his body.
There was nothing Yi-beom could do against Eunho’s rigid resistance. He couldn’t use force on someone who was sick, yet he couldn’t stand to see him remain standing either. Behind him, Yi-beom restlessly clenched and unclenched his hands.
“…I can’t allow it. If there’s even a 0.1% chance of danger, I won’t.”
At that, Eunho looked straight at him. His wavering eyes met Yi-beom’s.
“Even if… we can’t go back?”
“……”
“Even if we break up?”
Yi-beom’s movements halted completely. As if time itself had stopped, he froze for a moment before slowly pulling Eunho’s hand toward him.
“Yeah.”
His low voice echoed. In that instant, something inside Eunho’s chest crumbled. Along with a dreadful premonition that they had already reached a point of no return.
“H-How… how can you say that?”
Eunho’s eyes shook violently. What did Ahjussi just say? He had heard it, yet he couldn’t understand it at all.
As he blinked blankly, Yi-beom rose from his seat and knelt on one knee. At 190 centimeters tall, once he lowered himself, their eye level matched. The face before him was firmer than ever.
“Baby.”
“…I don’t want to hear it.”
Anticipating what Yi-beom would say, Eunho turned his head away as if refusing the conversation.
“Jung Eunho.”
He caught Eunho’s hand. The touch was as careful as when he had stroked the child earlier. Afraid that if their eyes met he would burst into tears, Eunho lowered his head deeply.
“No. Don’t say it…”
“If we leave it like this, you could die.”
“…It’s okay.”
“What the fuck do you mean it’s o—”
Just having to say the word die made Yi-beom’s insides twist, and he muttered a curse under his breath. According to Professor Hwang, the probability was 70%. And of course, that percentage leaned toward things going wrong.
Eunho bit down hard on his lip. He didn’t even realize tears had pooled in his eyes as he desperately tried to hold them back. Maybe the stress in the hospital had worn him down—he seemed even thinner than when he had been living in that hillside slum. If it were up to him, Yi-beom would sit him down and feed him first, but that wasn’t what mattered right now.
If he could go back to the past, he would kill the version of himself who had begged like a beast.
Maybe I should have let him go from the start.
Perhaps he hadn’t rushed into marriage because he had wanted to leave at least a sliver of space to cut things off. After all, getting tangled up with him only brought filthy trouble rolling in.
Even Eunho’s pregnancy felt like misfortune born because of him. Letting out a breath, he tightened his grip on the hand he held.
“What do I have to do to make you get the surgery?”
“……”
“Should I just break up with you? Cut off my dick here and now?”
“……”
“If I disappear from in front of you, will you get rid of it?”
The moment the word get rid of it left his mouth, Eunho’s head snapped around. With reddened eyes, he glared at Yi-beom.
“Break up?”
“If that’s what you want.”
Eunho’s lips trembled violently. Seeing Yi-beom say it so calmly, rage surged up uncontrollably.
From the moment they first met until now, he had never imagined a future without Yi-beom. Even when he found out about the pregnancy, he had only thought about staying apart for a while—never about breaking up. A future without Yi-beom was unimaginable to him, and he had firmly believed it would be the same for Yi-beom.
“…Is that so easy for you?”
Tears fell in heavy drops. “Hngh…” Eunho let out a small sob, and in front of him, Yi-beom nodded.
“Yeah.”
“…Hngh.”
“It’s easy. For me.”
Without the slightest tremor, he continued.
“If it means you can live, I can break up with you as many times as it takes.”
“……”
Releasing his hand, Yi-beom stood up. Folding his arms, he looked down at Eunho.
“Do you want to say it?”
“……”
“Or should I say it first?”
“……”
“Just choose. I’ll even let you slap me.”
Each word pierced straight into Eunho’s heart. A dull pain like his chest was being torn apart made him clutch at himself.
He pushed himself up. His legs felt like they might buckle, and he grabbed the chair for support—but Yi-beom didn’t offer his arm. That hurt more, and Eunho broke into sobs.
“H-How, hngh, how am I supposed to hit you?”
“Why can’t you?”
Yi-beom covered Eunho’s other hand with his own.
“Just say ‘you fucking bastard’ and hit me.”
He even adjusted Eunho’s fingers, helping him form a proper fist.
“I-I, hic, you’re not a fucking bastard.”
“When you break up, there’s no such thing as a guy who isn’t a fucking bastard.”
“…Hngh, hic. S-Still, you’re only, hic, a bad bastard at most…”
Even while hiccupping, he seemed unwilling to call him a fucking bastard. Ha, fuck. Yi-beom quickly steadied the resolve that was threatening to crumble.
“Do whatever you want.”
He deliberately let go firmly, and Eunho immediately grabbed onto his shirt. Looking up at him with tear-filled eyes—
“Ahjussi……”
Yi-beom pried Eunho’s hand off his shirt.
“Nothing changes. Get the surgery.”
Without a trace of hesitation, he turned away. Just as Eunho stepped forward to grab him—
The ground tilted. The world flipped upside down. Bracing for the incoming pain, Eunho hurriedly wrapped his arms around his belly.
He vaguely thought he heard Yi-beom’s voice.
But Eunho couldn’t confirm it.
***
Holding Eunho—who had transformed into a rabbit—Yi-beom ran straight to the hospital.
He didn’t know how he had managed to lay Eunho on the bed and call for Professor Hwang. He watched with a devastated expression as they inserted needles into the tiny rabbit and attached machines.
Only after administering emergency treatment did Professor Hwang approach him. His face was just as pale.
“President.”
Lifeless eyes turned toward him. Startled, Professor Hwang flinched before continuing.
“If the mother is under this much stress… that alone is more dangerous. Surgery is obviously impossible.”
“……”
“The reason he reverted to a rabbit is likely instinct to protect the baby. If he’s a rabbit, surgery becomes difficult.”
Without speaking, Yi-beom stared through the window. Just moments ago Jung Eunho had been talking and crying—now he lay on the bed again. In that small body.
“So.”
Without taking his eyes off Eunho, Yi-beom spoke.
“Tell me how to save him.”
“…Perhaps you could try persuading him first?”
Professor Hwang looked down at the chart in his hands. After flipping between the test results and ultrasound photos and scribbling notes, he scrawled the number 15 at the bottom.
“You have about fifteen days. If the surgery is done within that time, Student Eunho should be safe.”
“Fifteen days?”
“Yes.”
Fifteen days. As Yi-beom calculated the dates, his brow furrowed deeply. Out of habit, his hand slipped into his pocket for a cigarette.
Then it stopped.
“Fuck……”
In an instant, the cigarette pack was crushed in his pocket. He pulled it out and hurled it toward the trash can in the hallway.
Thunk. The pack landed cleanly inside.
“So all I have to do is make him give up the baby?”
“For now. The mother’s will is what matters most.”
After a moment of thought, Yi-beom picked up his phone instead of a cigarette. After a brief ring, Younguk answered.
“It’s me.”
Yi-beom glanced sideways at Professor Hwang.
“The island we prepared before—it’s still available, right?”
[Yes, hyung-nim.]
“Get it ready without any issues. We’re going today.”
[Are you and Student Eunho going together?]
“No. Professor Hwang too.”
“Excuse me?” Professor Hwang dropped the chart in shock.
“I have a life too, you know…?”
“Should I destroy the hospital?”
“…What?”
“Then you won’t have a life anymore. Professor Hwang.”
He seemed like he had gotten better after meeting Student Eunho, but this was insanity of a whole different level. Stunned speechless, Professor Hwang could only stare as Yi-beom gestured at him.
“What are you doing? Pack.”
Unfortunately, the only person who could rein Yi-beom in was currently unconscious.
Damn it. As Professor Hwang bent to pick up the fallen chart, he wondered what excuse he was supposed to give his wife.
