PIA 13

Contrary to Ji-an’s expectations, his condition deteriorated rapidly.

Perhaps it wasn’t just because of the pheromones but also visual influence. When he saw the square and angular face of the Alpha at the meeting place, his stomach churned.

The symptoms got worse with each step he took, and it was only when he got closer to 5 meters that he could understand the reason.

‘Ah, what an ill-mannered guy.’

Ji-an’s skin was stung by the unrestrained Alpha’s pheromones. Discomfort crawled up his skin like being drenched in sweat in the middle of summer. Unable to endure the distortion of his expression, he covered his nose and mouth with a handkerchief.

“Mr. Seo Ji-an?”

“…”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Ki-seok from Jinhyung Corporation. I’m sure you’ve already heard about me before coming here, so there’s no need for me to introduce myself in detail, right?”

His stomach churned more as he nodded.

Ah shit. At this rate, I might throw up in his face in front of everyone.

Ji-an gripped the corner of the table, unable to sit down. His vision was spinning.

The square-faced Alpha, who remained seated and showed no intention of standing up, stared up as if wondering why Ji-an was acting this way, and when their gazes met, the discomfort intensified.

“Mr. Seo Ji-an? Where does it hurt? I haven’t heard that you’re in poor health…”

Kang Ki-seok, who had blurred the end of his words as if distressed, was about to reach out to his arm just as Ji-an was about to sit down.

Suddenly, the nausea disappeared and his vision became brighter. Even before he could see it with his own eyes, his body recognized Jeong Hee-seo had appeared behind him.

A large hand came in and forcefully slapped Kang Ki-seok’s hand away. Ji-an was pulled helplessly into Jeong Hee-seo’s embrace.

“…Uh.”

It seemed like he staggered unintentionally. He leaned heavily into Jeong Hee-seo in an instant, as if all energy had been drained from him. Ji-an could feel the pheromones pouring out of him like a flood.

Ji-an closed his eyes helplessly as he faced symptoms he had never experienced before. Despite the fact that everything seemed to be tangled up, he had no strength to lift his eyelids at the moment.

When Ji-an regained consciousness, he found himself in a car. He observed the front seat window, the rear-view mirror, and the shoulder of the driver, one by one, as he barely opened his heavy eyelids.

‘Why am I lying here…?’

He was lying on the reclined passenger seat with Jeong Hee-seo’s scented jacket covering his chest. Though it didn’t seem like much time had passed, his body felt surprisingly refreshed. Ji-an soon understood the reason.

‘Pheromones…’

It was thanks to Jeong Hee-seo’s pheromones that filled the car.

The gently swaying car was comforting. It seemed like they were going somewhere, but with the seat completely reclined, Ji-an could only see the sky unless he lifted his head. Ji-an squeezed his eyes shut and played dead when Jeong Hee-seo turned his head to look at him.

‘Think, Seo Ji-an, let’s think.’

Was his pregnancy discovered? That was the first thought that came to mind. Despite feeling pathetic for being so defenseless, he also entertained a rational doubt that the severe pregnancy symptoms might be a plot force rather than reality. However, since it was his first experience with pregnancy, he couldn’t rule out the unpredictability of the situation.

Why didn’t the doctor properly warn him? Ji-an suddenly felt resentment.

The character Seo Ji-an from the drama seems to have lived in hell if he survived all of these symptoms and went through with an unwanted marriage.

People shouldn’t covet what doesn’t belong to them. With this thought, Ji-an felt bitter about becoming a villain. Even though he hadn’t experienced sex yet, the unfairness and awkwardness of getting pregnant suddenly overwhelmed him. Ji-an had to make an effort not to make any sniffing sounds.

Returning to his initial worries… What if he was really caught? Even in this situation where everything seemed to be dictated by the plot, he feared he might end up with a miscarriage.

What should I do?

As Ji-an pondered with no clear solution, the car came to a stop. He could hear Jeong Hee-seo exhaling quietly when the engine turned off. Ji-an became nervous, fearing his trembling eyelids might give him away.

The door to the driver’s seat opened, and Jeong Hee-seo went outside to make a phone call. Ji-an slowly opened his eyes when the door was completely shut. He could see his dark surroundings clearly without making any adjustments because he had kept his eyes closed.

It looked like a parking lot. The sky had darkened without a single star visible. What happened to the Alpha he was supposed to meet? He probably received a call from his grandmother, and Ji-an couldn’t even move his hands due to a severe loss of strength. He felt exhausted in a short span.

Jeong Hee-seo, who had been lingering outside while on the phone, gradually approached. Observing the situation, Ji-an closed his eyes in a hurry when the passenger seat door suddenly opened. However, Jeong Hee-seo’s pheromone kept getting closer.

“Whoa! W-What are you doing?”

Ji-an was startled as his seatbelt was unbuckled and Jeong Hee-seo slid his arms under his knees and around his shoulders, lifting him up.

“You were awake?”

Jeong Hee-seo, who almost dropped Ji-an, asked back with an absurd expression on his face.

“Where is this?”

“Where? It’s…”

Ji-an pushed Jeong Hee-seo away, brazenly. Despite the fact that he was the one who picked him up and took care of him, Ji-an’s reaction was more guarded rather than grateful.

Glancing around with a somewhat fearful feeling, Ji-an unintentionally gasped. He nearly cursed.

It was a general hospital. Holy crap. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before I’m caught, and everything proceeds as I feared the most. A chill ran down Ji-an’s spine.

“I said I was fine. Why do you go through all this trouble? What did I say…”

“I called a friend, so let’s do the check up.”

“A friend? What kind of friend? No, I said I’m fine.”

Ji-an made an urgent move after recalling that the friend he was referring to was a doctor who frequently appeared in the story. He held out his hands and waved them around, frantically trying to distance himself from Jeong Hee-seo.

“I’m really fine. And it’s not your concern. I have my attending doctor, and today’s appointment got canceled, so my grandmother will be upset. So, I need to go home quickly.”

“…Oh, that appointment.”

“Well, what happened to the person I had an appointment with?”

Jeong Hee-seo stood crookedly looking down with his hands on his hips, as if he had no intention of answering Ji-an’s question.

“… I have to go.”

“Do you want to go on your own, or do you want to be dragged inside?”

“What do you care about me? What right do you have to do this?”

“What right? I’m paying a hefty price for a one-night stand with you. I need to know what kind of medication you took.”

“What do you care if I’m a drug addict or whatever.”

Since he was someone he couldn’t communicate with through words, Ji-an took action. As he was taking steps to leave the place, Jeong Hee-seo came quickly and blocked his way.

“…”

Whenever Ji-an turned right, he moved left to block him, and when he turned left, he moved right. He was significantly bigger than Ji-an, with long legs, a tall stature, and broad shoulders, making it impossible for him to escape.

“Ah, seriously.”

Annoyed by this, Ji-an buried his face in his hands. Even after huffing and puffing for a while, he raised his head and the man was still standing there like a wall.

“Why do you have such a stubborn personality?”

“I don’t think that’s what a stubborn child would say, when he himself fell down on the street as if the power had been turned off and then insisted on running away.”

Sighing, Ji-an touched his forehead.

“What department is your friend?”

Whether it was an unexpected question or not, Jeong Hee-seo let out a small laugh. It seemed amusing to him that a guy who was about to run away would question the doctor.

“A surgeon.”

“…Great. Then, I’ll meet him briefly. I will only allow a stethoscope.”

“Stethoscope?”

“This means I refuse to do anything like injections, X-ray, lying down inside a machine, etc.”

Ji-an tried to sound reassured without revealing his relief.

Since he couldn’t see any way to escape, he decided to take an alternative approach. Half of it was out of desperation, but the question turned out to be unexpectedly helpful.

If it were a doctor appearing as a drama plot, one would naturally expect a trait-related doctor or an obstetrician-gynecologist. However, being a general surgeon was a surprising twist.

“Fine, let’s do it that way.”

When Ji-an gave in, Jeong Hee-seo also did the same. He reached out to Ji-an with a big smile on his face like a person who had successfully concluded a significant deal

“Why are you trying to shake hands? Disgusting.”

Ji-an ignored him and headed towards the building. Annoying characters! Especially that Alpha, who seemed so persistent that it made Ji-an worry about the future.

∞

Next to the ivory-colored door, it was written in a neat and orderly manner, “Specialist in Thoracic Surgery, Kim Han-seok.” Just seeing that nameplate alone helped Ji-an feel somewhat relieved. Until a moment ago, he felt like a cow being dragged into a slaughterhouse.

“Is that so? So, you have an upset stomach?”

The doctor, who looked so innocent and amiable that it seemed odd to associate him with Jeong Hee-seo, asked in a friendly tone as they walked in.