Normally the temperature was maintained at around 23 degrees, but now it was set as high as possible because Junghyun had been whining about being cold.
If this felt cold to him, there must be something wrong with the nerves that detected temperature.
“That talk doesn’t work coming from someone who kicks off the blankets in the middle of winter. Get up now, we’ll eat and leave at 8. If you don’t get up, I’ll kick your butt out of bed.”
Jaehyuk, who had already woken up early, exercised, and finished showering, forcefully pulled Junghyun out of bed.
Practically flowing off the bed from the force, Junghyun trudged toward the bathroom with a face that said he really didn’t want to move at all.
“It’s cold…”
“Cold?”
Looking at Junghyun accusingly, as if to say “Can’t you see I’m still without clothes because I’m hot after showering? Where’s your conscience?” Junghyun glanced at Jaehyuk cautiously and started making useless excuses.
“I keep feeling chills and unwell. I think I have a cold. I should probably go back to sleep.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Your temperature was 36.4 when I checked yesterday.”
Saying it wasn’t high but rather slightly low, Jaehyuk grabbed Junghyun’s shoulder as he tried to return to bed and forced him toward the bathroom.
“Go wash up. We’ll eat in 10 minutes.”
Faced with Jaehyuk’s firm attitude that suggested Junghyun had neither the right to refuse nor any choice in the matter, Junghyun finally let out a long sigh.
“Haaah… damn work. I wish the company would go bankrupt…”
After casually blurting words that would chill the executives if they heard them, Junghyun began dragging his feet toward the bathroom.
Jaehyuk watched Junghyun’s sluggish, dull movements, as if he were a house-bound ghost, with curiosity.
It was natural for activity levels to decrease in winter when daylight hours shortened and temperatures dropped, but Junghyun seemed particularly affected.
Not just his sleep, but everything about him seemed somewhat subdued.
Hopefully it was just a temporary condition, but if his activity had decreased that much, something must be wrong.
Whether physically or mentally.
***
“Could it be pregnancy?”
At the bombshell statement that suddenly came during breakfast, Jaehyuk and Junghyun simultaneously froze.
Then they both turned to look at her at the same time.
As the two stared at her with shocked expressions after Sujin dropped those words while they were finally eating after their needlessly intense morning battle, she calmly continued as she handed Junghyun a glass of juice.
“Since your heat came during your honeymoon, it wouldn’t be strange to see symptoms by now. Besides, the Chairman is waiting expectantly.”
At her unusual claim, Jaehyuk and Junghyun looked at each other simultaneously, then awkwardly smiled and changed the subject.
“Then, I suppose we should visit the hospital.”
Since according to their setup, they should welcome a pregnancy, Jaehyuk forced a smile, but Junghyun quickly corrected him.
“Let’s try a test first. If we go to the hospital and it’s negative, the Chairman might be disappointed unnecessarily. We already tried two months ago, and it wasn’t positive then.”
Seeing Junghyun lower his gaze and trail off quietly, Jaehyuk suddenly realized his mistake.
Thanks to the heat during their honeymoon, his grandfather’s pressure had completely disappeared. He seemed convinced that Junghyun was pregnant.
It was understandable—regardless of Junghyun, Jaehyuk was a dominant Alpha who could impregnate anyone, so it was natural for his grandfather to believe that.
That’s why they had been complacent.
Thinking there would be no summons from his grandfather for a while, Jaehyuk had been too relaxed and shortsighted.
If they were to visit the hospital even for show and this guy’s infertility was discovered, things would become complicated.
“Right, it’s better to be certain.”
Cutting off the conversation there, Jaehyuk deliberately checked the time on his wristwatch.
“We should head out soon. Are you done eating?”
“I’m finished.”
“Let’s go then.”
It was fortunate that they were pressed for time due to Junghyun’s dawdling.
Sujin was a perceptive person, and if they awkwardly continued the conversation, she might only uncover their weaknesses.
At times like this, it was best to escape her radar as quickly as possible.
Trying to gloss over the conversation or change the subject wouldn’t work.
Clumsy handling could only increase suspicion, so Jaehyuk hurriedly stood up. Junghyun followed suit, stuffing the remaining food into his mouth and immediately following him.
They then returned to the bedroom together, hastily layered on clothes, and left the house.
Though still hectic, their days were continuing relatively peacefully and pleasantly.
Flowing smoothly like water.
***
“I let my guard down.”
After living together for about three months, Jaehyuk sincerely reflected that he had become too comfortable in this relationship.
He had definitely been too relaxed lately.
Unlike his usual self.
“Be careful. You’re the one who said Director Jang isn’t someone to be taken lightly, so you shouldn’t let your guard down.”
“But being too cautious would also make her suspicious.”
“That’s why you need to find the right balance.”
Despite seeing each other every weekday for three months already, Sujin was still someone Junghyun found uncomfortable.
As Jaehyuk had said, she was a decent person. She was clear in her attitude, neat, and maintained a distinct line between personal and professional matters.
Looking at her as a person alone, she was exactly the type Junghyun preferred.
But regardless of his impression of her, Sujin was difficult for Junghyun to deal with.
Not only was she perceptive, but she was also exceptionally sharp and the type who seemed to see right through people. If their conversations lengthened, he felt he might get drawn in by her.
That’s why he had been avoiding being alone with her as much as possible.
As a result, he was going through this ordeal every morning, commuting with Jaehyuk.
“Buy a pregnancy test kit and pretend to check at home. Then say you’ll try again later just to be sure, and buy us some time. There’s no way you could be pregnant anyway.”
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Junghyun paused momentarily at Jaehyuk’s suggestion, which seemed to confidently rule out pregnancy.
After a moment, as he changed lanes, he disinterestedly shifted the conversation as if uninterested.
“Hyung, I can drop you off in front of your company, right?”
“Yes.”
After carefully changing lanes, turning on the hazard lights, and stopping the car in front of the company building, Jaehyuk reached for his bag in the backseat.
“It’s cold, so go straight to your office.”
“I have no intention of wandering around outside in this weather.”
“Send me a message when you arrive.”
“Yes, I’ll send it right away.”
“Good.”
Now openly patting Junghyun’s hair as if handling a dog, Jaehyuk immediately got out of the car, and Junghyun raised his hand in farewell.
Despite the cold wind blowing during what had now become their routine goodbye, Jaehyuk smiled at Junghyun before turning toward the building, his long coat flapping.
After confirming that Jaehyuk had disappeared into the building, crossing the sidewalk where yesterday’s snow still remained in patches, Junghyun took his foot off the brake, turned the steering wheel, and slowly moved into the left lane to accelerate.
While he had tried his best to act normal around Jaehyuk, honestly, he wasn’t fine at all.
No, it was more than not being fine.
He had an extremely bad feeling.
“Damn it…”
***
“Deputy Manager, good morn—”
Passing by an employee greeting him at the office door, Junghyun briefly stated his business.
“I’m going to the on-call room for a bit.”
“Pardon? Right after arriving?”
“I’m feeling dizzy.”
“…What?”
Despite claiming to be dizzy, Junghyun passed through the office with unusually fast and precise steps, entering the officetel next door that was used as an on-call room.
All while fingering a small box in his coat pocket.
***
“Damn it…”
After checking the third and final test kit in the bathroom, Junghyun cursed quietly while gripping the sink with both hands.
He had bought three pregnancy test kits from the convenience store and used all three, but the results were the same.
It was undeniably a pregnancy.
Given that three months had already passed and all three tests showed the same result, there was no possibility of a false positive.
Though he had anticipated it, seeing it confirmed with his own eyes made the weight of reality different.
Honestly, his head felt numb.
But at the same time, he was dumbfounded at how he hadn’t considered this possibility until now.
Even though he had already taken a test two months ago, it made no sense to have been so complacent based on that alone.
No, that wasn’t it.
It wasn’t that he believed it.
He wanted to believe it.
He had pretended to believe it because acknowledging the truth would complicate things.
It was easier to turn a blind eye to reality.
Disgusted by his own stupidity, Junghyun checked the test kit on the sink once more, then turned on the cold water and splashed it on his face.
When he raised his head to look in the mirror again, he saw a pale, bloodless face reflected back.
Uncharacteristically, he seemed quite shocked.
It was understandable. He hadn’t expected this at all.
“Pull yourself together, Lee Junghyun.”
This was no time to be shocked and panicked.
He needed to think.
About how to handle this situation.
As he stared at the mirror, trying to hypnotize himself to snap out of it, he heard the sound of the front door opening from outside. After a moment, following the sound of the door closing, footsteps echoed.
As he tensed at the sound, a knock came, followed by a familiar voice.
“Are you in here?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
