#117
After finishing his shift at the cafe, Idam climbed the stairs with heavy steps. Usually, these gray walls and stairs didn’t feel heavy, but today they felt incredibly burdensome.
He reached the third floor and stood in front of room 304 at the end of the hallway. He opened the door with his key and entered, revealing a room with a narrow single mattress and a desk. This 1.5 pyeong (about 5 square meters) space was the gosiwon where Idam currently resided.
When he first came to Cheongdo, he stayed in a motel for a week. But when Idam ran out of money, he begged Sujeong for an advance and found this cheap place close to the cafe. The facilities were really poor, but Idam, used to living in such environments, adapted quickly.
Idam changed his clothes and headed to the shared bathroom with his shower supplies. He usually tried to shower quickly around 5 PM when there were fewer people. After showering, Idam returned to his room. He dried his hair and drank some water from the mini-fridge. However, perhaps due to the news of Taemin’s marriage, his thirst wasn’t quenched.
Maybe the students had misheard the lyrics.
Idam quickly sat at the desk and opened his laptop. There was a spider web-like crack in the corner of the screen, but it was still usable. This laptop was one Sujeong had given him when she was about to throw it away after getting a new one.
Idam immediately went online and searched for Baekwol Corporation.
The articles were listed one after another. As Idam’s worst fears became reality, he felt his heart ache even more. His round eyes shook violently, filled with sorrow.
“He’s really… getting married…”
The identity of the partner wasn’t disclosed, but it seemed certain that the wedding would take place soon. He wondered how wonderful the bride must be. Suddenly, he thought it might be that person called Go Heewon, whom Taemin’s father had tried to introduce before. Idam’s heart felt heavier and more depressed.
I never suited the CEO anyway. I’m too young and have nothing…
“I know that… but still…”
Tears of sadness flowed down his cheeks. He had tried to forget him… tried to escape, but like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web, he was still deeply embedded in his heart.
* * *
The sedan was racing down the road.
“The news is full of articles about the CEO’s marriage now.”
Secretary Kang, holding a tablet in the passenger seat, scanned the internet articles and looked at Taemin through the rearview mirror.
“Hah.”
He sighed.
After Idam disappeared, Taemin’s appearance had become even more beautiful as he started exposing himself to various media, but in reality, this was just a facade.
He barely slept or ate for days. It was partly due to worrying about Idam, but also because he kept feeling nauseous at the mere smell of food. It’s not like he was pregnant or anything. So he endured by getting nutrient injections at the hospital every day.
It was puzzling why he suddenly started appearing in the media. In the past, he had been reluctant to do so, finding it bothersome and worrying that it might reveal the company’s gangster connections.
“Still haven’t found Yeo Idam?”
Taemin asked, rubbing his brow as if extremely tired. Secretary Kang lowered his head like a criminal.
“No.”
“It’s taking too long.”
Taemin’s eyes sharpened like an axe. Three months ago, they had succeeded in tracking Idam going to Seoul Station through CCTV. After meticulously reviewing a week’s worth of footage, they discovered that this mischievous fairy had gone to a clothing store and disguised himself beautifully enough to make one want to fuck him, then boarded a train to Busan. Feeling more urgent, Taemin immediately ordered a thorough search of all the areas where that train had stopped. Despite mobilizing all available manpower, Idam’s whereabouts remained unknown. They even obtained CCTV footage from all the stations the train had passed through, but couldn’t find any further traces of Idam in women’s clothing. It seemed he had changed clothes again during the journey.
“It’s taking more time because there are big cities like Daegu and Busan among the areas the train passed through. I apologize.”
“No news of the fairy visiting an obstetrician either?”
“No… There are people with the same name, but it seems no extremely recessive omega mother has visited anywhere.”
Im Hoyoung’s father-in-law was the chairman of the Integrated Association of Omega Specialists. Using that connection, they had arranged for Secretary Kang to be notified immediately if a pregnant extremely recessive omega visited any obstetrics and gynecology clinic in the country.
“Well, today’s article should bring about some changes.”
Taemin, who had been momentarily depressed, now wore an expression of hope.
“Changes, you say?”
“Yes. It’s a gamble, but I had no choice since I was feeling frustrated too.”
Sweat began to form on Secretary Kang’s forehead.
“But it’s spread too much to later claim it was false news. It might be difficult to manage, are you sure it’s okay?”
“False news?”
Taemin gazed intently at the ring on his left hand.
“I’m going to marry Idam this fall. I’ll propose as soon as I meet him.”
His eyes, deeply in love, seemed somewhat crazed.
“When catching peaches, you have to grab them by the ankle bone first.”
* * *
Idam, who had been crying intensely, wiped his tears with a tissue and blew his nose. After crying his heart out, he felt somewhat refreshed. But exhausted, Idam soon lay down on the mattress. The windowless room. Dim lighting. It was dark. As a result, his body felt limp, as if sinking into a swamp.
Just as the drowsy Idam was about to close his eyes, his stomach began to feel tight and sore. When he touched it, the sensation intensified. It was clearly different from needing to use the bathroom. He became frightened. Could there be a problem with the baby?
This baby was the only being that mixed his blood with Taemin’s. It was incredibly precious to him.
He couldn’t lose the baby just because he was afraid of rumors and had been avoiding the hospital. He also expected that Taemin would be too busy preparing to make a lifelong commitment with someone else to focus on tracking him down.
“Then, should I go to the obstetrician…”
Thinking about it again, there were countless obstetrics clinics in the country, so how would Taemin possibly know? The world doesn’t revolve around him after all. Having changed his mind, Idam got up. He looked up nearby obstetrics clinics on his laptop, quickly changed his clothes again, and headed out.
* * *
“The fetus is healthy. Can you see?”
Idam, who had come to the obstetrics clinic, started the ultrasound examination. Gel was applied to his belly, and the machine was rubbed over it. The monitor in front showed a black and white image fluctuating.
The baby had grown considerably, with its head, arms, and legs clearly visible. Seeing his first baby with his own eyes, Idam was overcome with emotion. Watching this life wriggling filled him with tremendous awe. The heartbeat sound was also very lively.
“But why did my stomach feel tight?”
“It’s a temporary symptom that doesn’t have a clear cause. It could be due to the uterus growing and pressing on organs, or it could be neurological. It’s a natural occurrence, so you don’t need to worry. However, if it persists or the pain worsens, it could be a sign of miscarriage, so please come to the hospital promptly if that happens.”
“I see…”
It was a relief that the baby was healthy and there were no major issues.
After finishing the examination, Idam received his due date, ultrasound photos, and a maternal health handbook. He also received a booklet about benefits for unmarried omega parents.
Having confirmed the condition of the child he was so curious about, Idam finally felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. He walked out of the hospital feeling lighthearted. He saw a street food stall. It had bright red tteokbokki, sundae, and hot fish cakes.
Suddenly feeling hungry, Idam sat at the food stall and started eating one serving of each. As the spicy tteokbokki entered his mouth, his worries disappeared, and eating the sundae gave him strength. Drinking the fish cake broth even gave him the courage to believe he could raise the baby well on his own.
Happiness isn’t far away. Idam finished his meal feeling satisfied. Starting to crave something sweet, Idam devoured two each of twisted donuts and red bean donuts, and only after eating a strawberry ice cream did he head back to the gosiwon.
* * *
Arriving at the mansion, Taemin entered his bedroom. Having been worn out by work and meetings all day, he felt completely drained. Moreover, he had to give up trying to eat during meetings due to nausea. Sitting on the sofa, he felt as if his soul had left his body, leaving only an empty shell.
“Idam…”
The more Taemin faced his inability to eat properly, the more he worried about Idam.
Is he eating properly? Is he having morning sickness? He shouldn’t skip meals…
He looked at the wedding ring on his left hand. His eyes burned like someone lovesick. As he was unable to contain his longing emotions for Idam…
Ring ring.
His phone rang. He checked the screen like a dead man. The caller was Im Hoyoung. In the past, Taemin hadn’t welcomed calls from Im Hoyoung because he often talked nonsense. But these days, knowing how sensitive Taemin was, he didn’t contact him unless it was absolutely necessary.
Taemin hurriedly answered his call.
“Yeah, what is it?”
[I was going to contact Secretary Kang first, but I thought you should know first, so I called you.]
“Tell me, what is it?”
[I think I know where Yeo Idam is.]
Taemin quickly stood up from the sofa.
“Did he visit an obstetrics clinic?”
[Yes. It seems they contacted us right away because it’s a unique case of a pregnant extremely recessive omega.]
“Which hospital?”
[It’s a small obstetrics clinic in Cheongdo. The doctor who contacted us said it was fascinating, even though we’ve never met at association gatherings.]
“Idam was in Cheongdo?”
[It seems so.]
Taemin’s dead heart felt like it was coming back to life and breathing again. His eyes began to regain their vitality.
“I need to go to that obstetrics clinic right away.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
