100
As Yeon Ji-ho arrived at the hospital, he barely managed to control his involuntarily trembling body despite still being in the warm car. Seon-rok, watching from beside him, neatly folded the scarf he had brought and wrapped it around Ji-ho’s exposed neck, saying,
“We’ll complete your admission procedures today, and I’ll bring your luggage and necessities later. Just think about anything else you might need.”
Ji-ho mumbled a small “thank you” in a hoarse voice, and Seon-rok grinned as he tucked Ji-ho’s hair behind his ear. Then, getting out of the driver’s seat, Seon-rok smoothly escorted Ji-ho.
Since his first visit to this hospital, Ji-ho had to come more frequently than other pregnant patients. The doctor had prescribed medication for Ji-ho, who wasn’t receiving proper alpha pheromones, in short intervals of a few days, requiring frequent visits.
As the two familiar with the route entered the hospital entrance, Ji-ho suddenly felt the urge to use the restroom. He tapped Seon-rok’s shoulder and said,
“Uncle, I need to use the bathroom for a moment…”
“Oh? Oh, okay. I’ll handle the registration, so go ahead.”
Nodding, Ji-ho carefully cradled his belly and walked to the restroom. Being an omega-specialized obstetrics clinic, the omega restroom was particularly well-equipped.
After finishing his business and washing his hands at the sink, Ji-ho suddenly felt a gaze and looked up. His eyes met those of another omega staring at him through the mirror. Both of their eyes widened simultaneously.
“…”
“…”
Neither Ji-ho nor the other person spoke first, despite making eye contact. Though they recognized each other, Ji-ho lacked the courage to initiate conversation and quickly lowered his eyes.
Then, the other person, who had already finished washing their hands, left the bathroom. Left alone in the empty bathroom, Ji-ho exhaled deeply.
It was a familiar face. Probably a high school classmate, one he had shared a class with for two out of three years. They hadn’t been close, of course.
Ji-ho soon forgot about the high school classmate whose name he couldn’t quite remember. After thoroughly drying his hands with the hand dryer, Ji-ho exited the bathroom and was about to head to the reception waiting room where Seon-rok would be waiting. He couldn’t, however, because he spotted a couple standing in the corridor not far from the bathroom.
It was that high school classmate who had made eye contact with Ji-ho earlier.
“You know, that omega I told you about from school. Yeah, the one without friends. Looks like he comes here too. Seems he’s pregnant?”
“Was he actually bullied?”
“What? Pfft, honey, there was no bullying in our school. No, really. He just didn’t have friends, it wasn’t bullying…”
Ji-ho, who had already exited the bathroom, had heard the entire conversation but pretended not to. As Ji-ho passed by them, the classmate briefly fell silent.
But their conversation resumed after Ji-ho had taken just a few steps. In hushed voices.
“Huh, looks like he doesn’t have a husband. Wow.”
“Yeah… No one comes to the bathroom alone here.”
At those words, Ji-ho lowered his head even more. Only then did he notice the alphas waiting for their omegas in the corridor in front of the bathroom.
He hadn’t noticed before, always coming alone or at most with Seon-rok. The fact that when normal omega patients went to the bathroom, their alphas all waited outside for them.
Ji-ho tried to muster strength in his slumping shoulders, determined not to be discouraged. Why wouldn’t he have a husband? He clearly had both a husband and the father of his child. It was just that the circumstances were difficult.
“Oh, Ji-ho, over here! Here!”
Seeing Seon-rok waving from a distance, Ji-ho hurried over, cradling his belly. Despite the crowded obstetrics department, Seon-rok seemed to have been engaged in a silent competition to secure a seat for Ji-ho. Ji-ho, whose legs were feeling numb, bowed slightly to Seon-rok and carefully sat down.
“Ji-ho, have you thought about what you need to bring from home?”
“Ah, no… Not really… Oh, if it’s okay…”
Ji-ho, who was about to dismiss the thought, hesitated as something came to mind. When Seon-rok prompted him, Ji-ho spoke softly, gauging his reaction.
“If you go to my room, there should be some clothes…”
“Clothes? What clothes?”
“…Set’s clothes.”
“Ah,” Seon-rok nodded with a slightly awkward expression. Even Seon-rok, an omega, had heard about it. About omega nesting, the behavior of omegas who haven’t seen their alphas for a long time.
As Seon-rok nodded, Ji-ho once again expressed his gratitude. He was so thankful that Seon-rok, who was just a neighbor albeit a close one, was taking care of him to this extent.
“By the way, Ji-ho. What about your phone?”
“…My phone?”
Ji-ho tilted his head. Phone?
Ji-ho didn’t have a phone at the moment. He had left his original one in the caravan and hadn’t gotten a new one since. There wasn’t much use for it, and above all, he had been too scared to go out alone to even think about it. Even if he wanted to order one online, he’d have to go out to receive the package.
It felt bitter, like he had returned to his hikikomori days that he had barely escaped, but it wasn’t inconvenient. He had both a computer and a tablet at home, so he wasn’t completely cut off from communication.
“You were looking for me this morning.”
“…Pardon?”
“No? Well, you didn’t really look for me, you just sent your name… I was worried something had happened. Oh, Ji-ho. The nurse is calling you. Wait here for a moment, I’ll be right back.”
Seon-rok stood up at the nurse’s call. It didn’t seem to be their turn yet, but the nurse apparently had some quick questions before the examination.
Meanwhile, Ji-ho’s mind went blank. A message had come from his phone?
That couldn’t be…
“Ji-ho, they say outpatient consultations are backed up, so let’s start with the admission procedures first.”
Seon-rok relayed what the nurse had explained. Slowly nodding, Ji-ho stood up with his strangely blank mind and followed the nurse. As they left the crowded examination room and went up to the floor with inpatients, the surroundings became quiet.
While mechanically following Seon-rok and the nurse, Ji-ho felt his heart beating faintly and suddenly stopped walking. It wasn’t beating from fear or anxiety. It was a glimmer of hope.
Ji-ho grabbed the hem of Seon-rok’s clothes who was walking ahead.
“U-Uncle.”
“Hm? Ji-ho, what is it?”
“Phone… Can I… borrow your phone?”
“Oh, oh, of course. But Ji-ho, why are you breathing…”
Seon-rok stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth. Ji-ho’s pale face looked desperate for the first time in a long while. Eventually, Seon-rok silently handed his phone to Ji-ho and resumed listening to the nurse’s instructions about the admission.
Receiving the phone, Ji-ho opened the screen with trembling hands. Seon-rok’s phone, which had no lock, had a picture of Soo-cheol set as the background.
Taking a deep breath, Ji-ho touched the familiar messaging app. Immediately, the screen lit up, and Seon-rok’s recent chats appeared. There were many chat rooms, including the one with Soo-cheol at the top, but…
Finally, he found a chat room labeled “Our Ji-ho.”
“Yeon Ji-ho: wlgrghgwJi-ho” 10:32 AM
“Yeon Ji-ho: Where Ji-ho” 10:36 AM
As soon as he saw this, tears started pouring out. As Ji-ho’s breathing became rapid and shaky, the nurse and Seon-rok beside him turned their heads toward him simultaneously. The nurse exclaimed with wide eyes,
“Patient!”
“Ji-ho!”
Ji-ho’s knees gave way, and he fell backward unconsciously. If Seon-rok, who was close by, hadn’t caught him, he might have fallen and hurt himself badly.
The startled nurse quickly guided them to an empty hospital room. Ji-ho slumped onto the white bed in the private room, and the nurse handed him patient clothes to change into before leaving the room.
Seon-rok gently stroked Ji-ho’s head, who was still struggling to breathe, and asked kindly,
“Ji-ho, what’s wrong? What happened?”
“U-Uncle. Uncle, this, this…”
Ji-ho’s eyes were red as he looked up at Seon-rok. He pointed at the trembling phone screen and asked,
“I think… I think it’s Set…”
“What?! What, what, really?”
“What if… What if it’s not?”
Ji-ho wanted to ask right away. If the person on the other side of this screen was really Set. But he was also scared. What if the phone he thought he had left behind had actually come to this world with him, and all of this was just his imagination?
“…Ji-ho. Let me see.”
At those words, Ji-ho, still panting, managed to hand the phone to Seon-rok. Even knowing that Seon-rok was the phone’s owner, he didn’t really want to give it up. He wanted to just keep thinking that Set was the owner of this message, without confirming it.
If it wasn’t him, he would be too disappointed…
Taking the phone, Seon-rok quietly began tapping on the screen. He silently stared at the screen for about ten minutes, then started tapping again. To Ji-ho, those ten minutes felt like an hour as he anxiously waited for Seon-rok.
That’s when Seon-rok turned the phone screen towards Ji-ho.
“Ji-ho, look at this.”
Ji-ho, whose vision was already blurry, barely managed to wipe his eyes with the back of his arm before staring blankly at the phone Seon-rok held out. Then he could see it.
“Who is this?” 2:25 PM
“Is this Set?” 2:28 PM
“Yeon Ji-ho: Ji-ho” 2:32 PM
“Yeon Ji-ho: I’m” 2:36 PM
“Yeon Ji-ho: I’m Ji-ho” 2:38 PM
“Huu…”
“Ji-ho, don’t cry. Okay? We’ll wait for Set’s reply.”
Ji-ho clutched the small phone tightly in both hands and broke down sobbing. The name he had longed for so much but couldn’t bring himself to call out was trapped in that tiny screen.
