PSS Ch 16
by soapa“They say an Omega’s hole is that good? That they just latch on and suck any dick they see!”
“You filthy bastard. Wipe the spit from your mouth before you speak. Are you that turned on?”
Listening to their harassment, I pushed my trembling body up. I crawled on the floor with a body that wouldn’t even move properly, trying to escape this place somehow.
“Ha. Look at this one.”
As if to say, go ahead and try, they cleared a path for me. The places I’d been hit ached, and my whole body shook so much that even moving my limbs was difficult, but I clenched my teeth and crawled towards the door. My eyes were so full of tears that my vision was blurry. Their laughter, like an echo, rang in my ears and my head simultaneously. In my mind, which had become a ruin, there was only the thought that I had to get out of here quickly. I had to escape, even if it meant crawling like a worm. The door was within arm’s reach. All I had to do was get up and open it. I lifted my arm with difficulty. I reached out to grab the round doorknob.
“Ugh!”
The man grabbed my hair again. I was dragged and thrown onto the bedding. Like an idiot, I got up again. As I crawled towards the door, they flipped my body over.
“Ah, fuck. Does this bitch have no brain? Why can’t she understand a damn thing?”
He lifted his foot. It was a motion as if he would kick me at any moment, so I instinctively wrapped my arms around my stomach and curled up.
“Ha, shit… I almost lost it again.”
Thankfully, the man pulled his foot back before it reached me. A suffocating silence swallowed the room. I cried, muffling my sobs.
“So let’s be good when I’m being nice, okay? Huh?”
The man said, then gestured to his companions with his eyes. One of them came over and hugged me from behind, just as he had at first. Another one quickly began to unbutton my shirt. When the checkered shirt was completely open, the man pulled up the white short-sleeved t-shirt I wore underneath, exposing my bare skin.
At a gesture from the man watching from the front, the one undressing me stepped back.
“Look at this bitch’s tits.”
The man staring at my body in the darkness flashed his eyes. He even bent his body and squatted right in front of me.
“What’s this. Are Omegas normally like this? Why are this bitch’s nipples so big?”
He prodded my nipples. My areolas and nipples, which had slowly started to swell since I conceived Parang, were toyed with by his hand.
“This is weird. Why are they so big? The color is dark, too.”
“Isn’t she pregnant or something? Her nipples look just like a pregnant bitch’s.”
“Fuck. For real?”
They all looked at my face simultaneously. A thick sense of dread washed over my entire body.
“Hey, hey. You fucking bitch. Answer me. Are you pregnant?”
The head of the youth association asked, tapping my cheek. This moment, when they found out I was pregnant, was more terrifying than when they had found out I was an Omega, more terrifying than when they had broken into this house, bound me, and stripped my shirt off.
“Hey, aren’t you going to answer?”
He raised his hand high, as if he would strike me down at any moment. I squeezed my tear-filled eyes shut and turned my head away.
“Ha. Looks like it’s for real.”
Instead of slapping me, the man lowered the hand that had stopped mid-air and spoke with amusement. He grabbed my chin and roughly turned it from side to side. He scanned my face and gave a grotesque smile.
“No wonder. I thought something was strange when an Omega with a face like this came down to the boonies all alone. Did you run away after getting knocked up? A bitch with a story. Fucking hot.”
I felt an even deeper, darker dampness in their eyes as they looked at me. The fact that I was an Omega carrying a child seemed to have fueled their desires even more. Their breathing grew rough. I could feel the flesh stirring from the man holding me.
Everything surrounding me was tragic and cruel. My mind, consumed by despair and a complete mess, was filled with only thoughts of Parang. I have to get away, somehow. I have to escape before they do something terrible to Parang. But my body wouldn’t listen. I was held fast and couldn’t move at all.
“Please… let me go…”
I said, as if begging them.
“Please… you can’t. I’m carrying a child… so, please… please…”
Tears overflowed, and my voice wouldn’t come out properly. Sobbing, I begged and pleaded, appealing to their conscience. This was a precious child. I didn’t want the child to be hurt this way. If they were human, if they had at least a shred of conscience, they had to let me go now.
“Please… I’m begging you… please…”
But they were cruel to the very end.
“You’re even hotter when you cry like this.”
My heart dropped. It felt as if my whole body was being shoved into mud and sucked right in.
“Fuck, you’re prettier when you cry. Fucking hot.”
“She’ll cry even prettier if we shove a dick in her, right?”
“Ah, fuck. Let’s hurry up. I can’t take it anymore.”
One of them approached and reached for my lower body. As his urgent hands roughly undid my buckle, I thrashed as if I were about to die. I kicked wildly, driven by the sole thought of protecting Parang. But it was just a meaningless struggle; they easily stripped off my pants as well. He reached out to remove my last remaining piece of underwear. The other men watched my body, drooling.
I wanted to die. I was going crazy with hatred for this weak body that couldn’t even protect the precious life in my womb. The gazes of those drooling in the dark, stalking their prey, poured down on me. Awaiting my lower body that would soon be exposed, they stretched out their devilish hands.
BANG.
At that moment, the firmly shut door was kicked open, as if it would break. I, and the men holding me, all turned to look at the same time. In the darkness, a large silhouette appeared through the open door. His tall height and broad shoulders were clearly visible.
Tears fell. Even without seeing his face, shrouded in darkness, I knew from his scent first. Because he was the owner of the scent I had missed so much.
“Wh-who the fuck are you!”
The ones holding me shouted. The man paused for a moment, as if to assess the situation, and stood still, observing the scene inside the room. The men from the youth association let go of me and stood up awkwardly. They approached the man, who stood with a noble air, his eyes cast down as if he were born to look down on others.
“Shit, who the fuck are you! Who the hell are you to show up and cause a scene?!”
The head of the youth association threw the first punch. The clumsy fist didn’t even reach him and was caught. The man, who had easily subdued his opponent, twisted his arm back. He glared as if even mincing him into pieces wouldn’t be enough and let out a chillingly low voice.
“You son of a bitch who doesn’t even deserve to be torn to shreds.”
“Wh-what…?”
The man threw the one he was holding onto the floor. He then stretched out his long leg and kicked him hard. The one who was hit let out a sound like, “Keok,” and coughed up a mouthful of blood. I couldn’t help but scream from the bedding.
“Fuck…”
The man’s gaze turned to me. He furrowed his brow on his handsome face, chewing on his rage.
“Hey, you son of a bitch!”
Another one charged. He picked up a small table from the floor and threw it at the man’s head. The man blocked it with one arm and kicked his opponent’s stomach with his superiorly long leg. Another one rushed in and grabbed the man’s torso from behind. He grunted, struggling to lift him, but the man didn’t budge at all.
“Shit! Wha-what the hell is this guy! He’s not moving an inch!”
The man swung his arm. He grabbed the head of the one clinging to him with one hand and slammed him straight onto the floor.
THWACK.
A sound like a watermelon splitting burst out. Startled, I jerked my body and scrambled into the corner of the room. The room became a complete pandemonium. The man was inflicting one-sided violence on the four intruders. Although they were quite burly, having grown up in the rough sea breeze, they were no match for him. All of them were knocked down by his hands. Even though they were already crawling on the floor, the man, as if his anger was not yet appeased, kept kicking them as if he would snuff out their breaths right then and there. For the one who had been closest to me, stripping my clothes, he swung his fists until his face was a pulp.
“St-stop… I-I was wrong. I was wrong, so, ugh.”
Pinned beneath the man, they spat out blood and screamed that they were sorry. But as if his anger still hadn’t subsided, the man continued to swing his fists with cold eyes. Thwack. Thwack. The sound of flesh tearing filled the room. I trembled and covered my ears. I still couldn’t believe it. The fact that I was almost raped, and the fact that the person I had missed so much was now in front of me—all of it.
Hot tears flowed down my cheeks. I sobbed so hard that the scene unfolding right before my eyes became a blur.
“Fuuuck…”
Looking down at the now motionless figures, he stopped swinging his fists. He glanced at the bloodstains splattered on his hand and shirt, then pulled his lips into a bitter smirk.
He stood up. After shaking off his blood-stained fists a few times, he casually took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped them.
“…”
“…”
His gaze met mine. He looked angry, yet also pained… He stared at me with an unreadable expression. I hung my head, feeling so weak I could collapse at any moment. All my emotions, from longing to terror, burst out at once, and I sobbed loudly.
“Let’s go.”
He helped me up. He wrapped his own jacket around my bare lower half and supported my body with his two strong arms.
“I am very angry right now. So angry it wouldn’t be strange if I killed someone.”
He stepped over the threshold. Stepping onto the wooden floor, he went around the detached building and headed for the yard. I just kept shedding tears in his arms. His chest, which had trampled the men who had harassed me, felt unusually broad. Held in his arms, smelling the scent that enveloped my small body, a wave of sorrow washed over me. He was a man with such a broad chest… Why hadn’t I known that all this time? Why did I have to run away like such a fool?
“Did you run away just to be subjected to something like this? Did you want to see me waste away to death?”
A car was parked in front of the gate. He opened the passenger door and sat me down. He must have come in such a hurry that he hadn’t even turned off the engine. Only after he had fastened my seatbelt himself did he close the door. He walked around the hood and roughly got into the driver’s seat.
The sound of the accelerator hit my ears like thunder. The wheels rolled over the bumpy, unpaved road. The car sped quickly down the dark street, which was devoid of any lights. Inside the shaking car, I stared blankly at him gripping the steering wheel. His hair, always neatly slicked back, was a mess, and his shirt, without even a tie, had a few buttons undone.
He had come like this. He, who had always appeared flawlessly put-together, had come to find me looking like such a mess.
“It’s me.”
He made a call to someone while driving.
“Yes. I’ve found him. Get a boat ready so we can leave immediately, and clean up this place. Charge the bastards left behind with attempted rape.”
His voice was rough. Just as he said he was very angry, he sounded furious that he couldn’t do more to the bastards he had left behind.
“No, fuck it. There’s no need for that. Just dump them in the sea out front. It’s a waste of taxes to throw those vermin in jail.”
He ended the call one-sidedly and threw his phone down. His blazing eyes were terrifying. I bit my lip hard, trying to hold back the sobs that kept escaping. I had no idea what to say, so I just let my body be carried by the racing car and silently shed tears.
“What did you do right to be crying.”
As always, he spoke without even looking at me.
“Stop with the nonsense and get some sleep. It’s a long way to Seoul.”
The tears just wouldn’t stop. Sleep was even further away.
“Still don’t listen, do you.”
He said, his tone chewing on his irritation. He kept one hand on the steering wheel and raised the other to cover my eyes.
“I told you babies should be sleeping at this hour.”
Pheromones flowed from him. Enchanted by that familiar scent that had put me to sleep every night, I closed my eyes just like that.
When I opened my eyes again, I was in Executive Director Jang Taejin’s arms, entering a familiar house. The deep blue of dawn was fading, hidden by the pale rising sunlight. He took me to his room without hesitation. Entering the room, which hadn’t changed at all since before I left, he gently placed my body on the large bed. I watched his back as he turned away, tilting his head as if tired, and silently got up. I was about to open my mouth to say something to him when he, sensing my presence, turned to look at me.
“…I’m sorry.”
He said nothing.
“And, thank… you…”
“Ha.” He let out a breath as if in disbelief. He strode towards the bed. With eyes glittering with a killing intent as if he would strangle me, he threw me down onto the bed.
“Ex-Executive Director…”
I was completely terrified and looked up at him. I felt a fear greater than when I was almost raped in his gaze.
“You’re so easy.”
Pressing down on his seething emotions, a voice barely escaped from between his clenched teeth.
“You’re so easy, so you played with me, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t understand what he was talking about. Me, playing with Executive Director Jang Taejin… Was that even possible?
“Executive Director. What on earth do you mean…”
“Then what is it? If you weren’t playing with me, what was it, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong?”
“Executive Director…”
“Just what kind of person are you, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong, to completely bewitch someone, to flirt like you’d give them everything, and then disappear without a word.”
“That’s…”
“Tell me. Just what kind of person are you to have played with me like that?”
It was unfair. It made no sense. I had missed him. I missed his scent, and I yearned for the moments he held me. I didn’t know exactly what kind of emotion it was, but one thing was certain: I needed him. The night I had decided to leave him, I had let him hold me. I just wanted to be held one last time, thinking I would never see him again.
“Executive Director. No. That’s not it.”
“Then what is it? I’m asking you, what is it?”
I’m carrying his child. I know how much trouble that will cause him. I was scared he would abandon me, and I was afraid of raising a child rejected by him.
“…I was scared. That you would turn away…”
I wanted his affection, not his lust. Without knowing my place, I dared to want that.
“That… if you knew I was carrying your child, you would abandon me…”
For a moment, his eyebrows twitched. He looked at me with an expression of disbelief.
“That’s what I was scared of. I didn’t have the confidence to see you abandon me and leave so coldly…”
He shook his head with a complicated expression. He glared at me, thinking hard about something, then let out a breath of disbelief. He sat down on the edge of the bed with a slightly weary gesture. Wiping my flowing tears, I too sat up.
“I’m sorry. For not telling you sooner.”
He seemed to have had no idea I was pregnant. The housekeeper had clearly kept her loyalty to me until the end. Seeing his face, which looked deep in thought, I shrank even more. As expected, he was troubled by my pregnancy.
I stood up completely in front of the bed. Now that he knew the truth, he wouldn’t hold me back from leaving.
“Thank you for everything until now. I’ll raise the child well on my own so it won’t cause you any harm. I won’t tell anyone it’s your child. So, I’ll be on my way…”
My throat choked up, and I couldn’t finish my sentence. The words, I’ll leave you now, squeezed my heart with a pain that was driving me mad.
In the end, unable to even utter a final goodbye, I was about to just turn away when he grabbed me. Then he looked at me with a somewhat dazed expression. The pain, like swallowing thorns, resurfaced. I wanted to scream at him, asking why he was looking at me with such an expression.
“What on earth are you talking about.”
“Executive Director.”
“You’re carrying my child, so why would I abandon you, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong?”
My stomach felt heavy, as if filled with a stone. I couldn’t understand him as he looked at me with a deeply hurt expression.
“Executive Director… You have someone you’re going to marry.”
I’m the one who’s truly hurt and struggling…
“The woman you always go to Epicure with. The politician’s daughter.”
I’m the one who’s in agonizing pain, so why does he have such a wounded expression?
“You have to marry her soon… I’m not supposed to be carrying your child…”
Thump. He shot up from his seat. His face was contorted in anger as he looked down at me.
“Executive Director…”
“That’s right. That woman, just as you said, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong, I was seeing her with marriage in mind.”
Even though I already knew it, the moment his lips confirmed the truth once more, my mind went dizzy as if I had been hit hard on the back of the head.
“However.”
His grip on my forearm tightened. His strong, piercing gaze bore straight into my eyes.
“I was the one who ended it. Do you know why?”
His face drew closer. His voice poured down on me from a distance where I could almost feel his breath.
“Because I have no intention of living skin-to-skin with someone I have no feelings for, someone who doesn’t arouse any desire in me. That’s why I quit.”
The tears that had finally stopped welled up again. The rims of my eyes burned hot.
“Isn’t it strange? I desire you, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong. I’m dying to have you, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong.”
Like the tears that wet my eyes, something hot rose in my heart. An overwhelming emotion engulfed my entire body.
“Whenever I stand in front of you, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong, I’m dying to kiss you right then and there.”
Our gazes intertwined. Our eyes, longing for each other, met hotly.
He covered my lips. I did not refuse the warm flesh that entered as he parted my lips. As if to compensate for the time I had suffered alone, for the time I had to agonize in longing, my whole body melted at the kiss that warmly enveloped and explored me.
I had been a fool. I was an idiot for misunderstanding him just by listening to what Nam Gichul said. He was a person with such a warm gaze, the one who emitted a comforting scent every night to help me sleep. Why had I overlooked that until now?
“Mr. Lim Jaegyeong.”
After the kiss, he brought his damp lips close to mine and whispered, exhaling a hot breath.
“Stay here. Under my watch, protected by me, have the baby that way.”
A long stream of tears flowed from beneath my closed eyelids.
“It’s our child. A child made by you and me, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong. Let me take responsibility.”
He wiped the tears from my cheeks. From a distance where it felt like he would press his lips to mine again at any moment, he whispered softly.
“Let’s start over from the beginning. Rip up that damn contract and let’s start dating again. Let’s try being lovers, and if you still don’t like it, you can leave then. I won’t hold you back that time.”
As I slowly nodded, he pressed his lips against mine again. Receiving his kiss, my heart melted away like an iceberg in the thawing season.
The moment I had misunderstood him felt like a long nightmare I had dreamt last night. It felt as if the moments I had struggled and floundered in that nightmare had been completely annihilated by the morning sun. In the whirlpool of overwhelming emotions, his scent penetrated me. It was telling me that he was the same as me, that he too had just woken up from a long nightmare.
Before I knew it, the sunlight that had completely erased the darkness was pouring in through the window. Welcoming the brightly dawning morning, I buried myself in the bed with him.
⋆.˚🦋₊ ⊹
I woke from a long sleep. In the garden outside the window, darkness was sparsely spread as if painted with ink. I sat up alone in the quiet room. After sleeping soundly for the first time in a while, my whole body felt refreshed. I looked around the silent room and turned my head at the presence I felt beside me. He was asleep. He, who had given me his shoulder and patted me to sleep, was now lost in a deep slumber.
“…”
Since he was always the one to wake up before me and leave, this sight felt a bit unfamiliar. It was hard to believe that this man, who wouldn’t let anyone get close, was in such a defenseless state. He was like that yesterday, too. He had come to get me with his hair a mess, his shirt not even fully buttoned. How did he even think of coming all that way at such a late hour? Did he rush over as soon as he found out where I was? And what about his work, being such a busy person? It seemed he hadn’t even gone to the company today.
I shook my head as if to clear my complicated thoughts. At this moment, those kinds of thoughts were not what was important to me. He had asked to start over. Not this kind of contractual relationship, but to truly be lovers. He wanted to take responsibility for the child in my belly, and he asked me to let him do so. The suffering I had endured alone, the misunderstanding of him, all subsided at once. It felt like breaking out of a suffocating shell and being born anew. My body melted in the pheromones that carried his abundant emotions, and I felt what happiness was, leaning against his warm chest.
He had created this for me. He had gifted me the feeling of being able to dare to utter the word happiness.
“Thank you.”
I said, kissing his closed eyelids. He was so tired he didn’t even stir. A soft smile graced my lips. I buried my face in his broad chest again and lay down next to him, closing my eyes.
When I woke up after another nap, he was gone. I sat up and looked around, and I felt a presence from the bathroom. Thinking I should get up too, I got out of bed, and just then, I heard the click of the door opening. I turned my head and saw Executive Director Jang Taejin coming out of the bathroom with a towel over his wet hair.
“You’re awake.”
A laugh escaped at his tone, which was a little indifferent, yet somehow also affectionate. I don’t know what had possessed me, but even his way of speaking was cute. I could never have imagined that a day would come when his cold tone, which I once found only scary and intimidating, would feel cute. I guess you really never know with people.
“Yes. You woke up late?”
“I just came out of the shower. That’s not something a person who’s been sleeping all this time should say, is it.”
“There’s something you don’t know, Executive Director.”
I said only that and approached him as he wore a puzzled expression. I stood on my tiptoes, reached out, and grabbed the towel on his head. I rubbed his hair, which was still damp with water, with the towel. He was so tall that it was a struggle just to reach his head.
“You don’t need to go through the trouble of doing this.”
“I want to do it.”
“Pregnant people shouldn’t be reaching for things up high. Don’t you know that either?”
“I don’t. It’s my first time being pregnant.”
“As if I’ve gotten several people pregnant.”
Another laugh burst out at his grumbling. He pulled my hand, which was holding the towel, down. He bent his large body, tilted his head, and found my lips. He once again inserted his tongue between my lips, which were swollen from all the sucking and licking yesterday, and sucked on them persistently.
Along with the deepening scent, his body leaned towards mine. He reached out to support my waist and delved in roughly, as if he would strip my clothes off at any moment. I pushed against his hard chest with force in my hands. His body, which seemed like it wouldn’t budge, surprisingly yielded. His eyes, looking at me with disappointment, were moist.
“I don’t want to be eaten up first thing in the morning.”
“Don’t you know that saying that makes me want to eat you up even more?”
“No. Because as someone said, I’m still a baby.”
I took a step away from him. I was about to head to the bathroom when he reached out and hugged me. I could feel the strong beat of his heart against my back. Emitting a scent so strong it erased the scent of his shower cologne, he buried his lips in my shoulder.
“A baby is carrying a baby.”
I placed my hand on his arm, which was wrapped around my chest. His lips tickling my bare skin made me let out a soft laugh.
“I’ve become a cradle robber. Thanks to you, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong.”
“If you know, then behave yourself. Mr. Robber.”
“What can I do? When Mr. Lim Jaegyeong keeps provoking me from the side.”
“Me? I’ve never done such a thing.”
“Didn’t I tell you before? That Mr. Lim Jaegyeong has a talent for driving alphas crazy.”
“Anyone who hears that would think it’s true.”
He loosened his arm around me. He turned my chin and just looked at me for a long time.
“You don’t look it.”
“…”
“Why are you so good at being a fox?”
I furrowed my brow. I patted his shoulder, telling him to stop, but he hugged me tightly again. I liked the feeling of being trapped in his arms. I liked his firm chest, his warm body, his sweet scent.
“Don’t you ever think of running away again. If you do it one more time, I really don’t know what I’ll do.”
“We’ll see how you do, Executive Director.”
“Never backs down on a single word to the end.”
A small laugh escaped from both of us at the same time. He pecked my forehead. His lips brushed my back of the head, the nape of my neck, and my exposed shoulder once each. He turned my body and finally kissed my lips before resting his chin on the top of my head. He patted my back as if soothing a baby and said in a soft voice.
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“No, there isn’t.”
“I heard it’s tough during early pregnancy if you can’t eat what you’re craving. Tell me anything. I’ll have it brought before you right away.”
“There’s really nothing…”
The atmosphere made me feel like I absolutely had to say something, so I thought long and hard until a certain food suddenly popped into my head like a bright star.
“Ah! That’s right. There is one thing I want to eat…”
He lifted his head from my hair and looked down at me. I gave a broad smile to his face, which was full of anticipation.
When I showered and went down to the kitchen, I saw a welcome sight. She was standing in front of the kitchen, pacing and wringing her hands anxiously. I swallowed a laugh and stood beside her. I snuck up without her noticing and grabbed the shoulders of the woman who was distracted by something.
“Auntie!”
“Oh my goodness, you scared me!”
The housekeeper let out a shriek, then covered her mouth as if she had surprised herself, glanced towards the kitchen, and finally looked at me.
“Jaegyeong! My, how long has it been? No. When did you come home? Are you back for good?”
“Yes. Have you been well?”
“My goodness, what a question. How could I have been at ease, worrying about you?”
“I’m sorry.”
She even had tears welling up in her eyes as she took my hands. It looked like she had much more to say, but she seemed to be holding back, conscious of someone else.
“But what are you doing here?”
“Well, that’s…”
The housekeeper, who always stood confidently in front of the counter cooking as if the kitchen were her own domain, was nowhere to be seen, and she just had an anxious look on her face. I peeked my head out and looked at the kitchen counter.
“My… I told him so many times that I’d do it, but he just keeps on.”
Executive Director Jang Taejin was there, cooking himself. He was so focused that he was glaring at the bubbling pot with a deep frown. Seeing that, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. I had no idea why that man, who was so brusque, seemed so cute.
“You’re here.”
He said without looking my way, lifting a spoonful of soup from the pot to his mouth.
“Yes.”
“Go sit at the table. It’s almost ready.”
I replied that I would and headed to the table, and the housekeeper began to move busily, setting out spoons, chopsticks, and side dishes. I helped her move the side dishes, scooped the rice, and set out water. By then, Executive Director Jang Taejin, having finished cooking, appeared in the dining room holding a large pot.
“I don’t know if it will suit your taste.”
His confident demeanor, as if he were an expert at cooking, saying he didn’t want to eat just anything, was gone, and he wore a rather unconfident expression.
I shook my head vigorously as if to say there was no way that was true and sat down. The housekeeper kept glancing at us with an anxious expression before leaving. With the pot, which was giving off a spicy aroma, in the middle, we both picked up our spoons.
“I will eat well.”
I picked up the bowl of soup Executive Director Jang Taejin had served me and lifted a spoonful of the red broth. As I brought it to my mouth and took a sip, the taste of pungent spices filled my mouth.
“Oh.”
It was a fiery taste that made my mouth tingle. He had definitely said he couldn’t make things like malatang, but perhaps he had a talent for cooking from the start, because it tasted quite good.
“Is it okay?”
“Yes. It’s delicious. It’s just like the ones they sell.”
“That’s a relief.”
To think he would make it for me himself… He had perfectly prepared a malatang he had never even tasted before and presented it to me. At this point, deliciousness aside, I even felt a little resentful. I know alphas are a superior trait in every aspect, but isn’t it too much for them to be good at cooking too? The fact that such a well-rounded person existed in this world felt a bit bitter.
“Why that expression?”
“I was just wondering if there’s anything you can’t do, Executive Director.”
“Why wouldn’t there be things I can’t do? I couldn’t even stop you from running away like that.”
“So you feel resentful?”
“Yes. I am resentful. I assigned so many people, yet I couldn’t even keep an eye on one Mr. Lim Jaegyeong.”
“That’s because I’m smart. Not just anyone can be first in the entire school.”
I felt a little proud. Right. This seemingly perfect man was still a person. He made mistakes, blamed himself, and felt resentful. He was indeed a person who felt all those emotions.
“If you’re so smart, why didn’t you know that I like you, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong?”
Startled, I stopped my spoon, which had been moving diligently. As I stared at him with a slightly dazed expression, he spoke calmly, scooping up his food.
“Going on about being scared I’d abandon you and whatnot. While you were gone, I couldn’t sleep a wink. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, I wasn’t even living like a person.”
I felt a little sorry, and tears kept welling up, so I couldn’t answer.
“Do you know what it feels like to let go of someone you like? It drives a person crazy, that.”
I know it too. How hard it is to let go of someone you like, to have to erase them from your heart. Because that’s how I was while he was gone. Because that’s how I was back then, having to soothe my anguish with just a single handkerchief that held his scent.
“So don’t you ever do something like that again.”
I smiled through my tear-filled eyes. I answered him in a slightly trembling voice.
“Yes. I understand.”
I will never leave you again. I swallowed the last words in my heart.
⋆.˚🦋₊ ⊹
The next day, I left the house early with Executive Director Jang Taejin. When I asked if he was skipping work again today, he said he would be skipping often from now on. He said with a casual expression that he wanted to spend time with me for a while, and for some reason, somewhere in my stomach felt ticklish. I smiled and said I understood. I too had a great desire to be with him.
“They said I have to go to the hospital myself to see the baby.”
He was saying that he wanted to call his personal doctor to the house as usual, but he couldn’t. It was a matter of course for others, but he seemed quite displeased by it.
“It’s probably because they have to use some kind of machine. Let’s go in.”
As we were about to enter the hospital, he grabbed my arm. When I turned to look at him with a puzzled expression, he held out his hand to me with his characteristic impassive face.
“Hand.”
I stared at him blankly for a moment, then placed my hand on top of his large one. He held my hand tightly as if it were nothing and entered the hospital. I followed him inside.
The hospital, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, had as many expectant mothers waiting as its size suggested. The waiting list was quite long, but Executive Director Jang Taejin and I were able to see the doctor right away without waiting. When we entered the examination room, a female doctor greeted us with a smile. She was a doctor I had seen on TV once, quite well-known in this field.
“Welcome, Executive Director. Is this the mother-to-be?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
I felt a little awkward for no reason and stuck close behind Executive Director Jang Taejin. Then, the doctor held out her hand to me for a handshake, and I ended up stumbling forward.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. I was wondering who had stolen the heart of someone like the Executive Director, and it turns out to be a great beauty.”
My face turned red. For some reason, it seemed the doctor knew Executive Director Jang Taejin well, which made me feel strange.
“Please take good care of me.”
“I’ll be in your care as well. Shall we start with the ultrasound, then?”
I changed my clothes as the nurse guided me and sat on a chair with uniquely shaped armrests.
“Please put your legs up here and sit with your bottom forward.”
I had thought it was just an armrest, but it turned out to be a leg rest. It felt strange to lie back with both legs raised on the high rests, spreading my thighs. It was awkward to expose my lower half in front of someone else, and the examination room, filled with intimidating-looking equipment, was unfamiliar, which made it even more so.
“Now, don’t be nervous. You might feel a little discomfort. It won’t hurt, so just relax your body.”
The doctor said as she entered the ultrasound room. She skillfully sat down next to the machine and put on gloves. The back of the chair lowered further, and I was almost lying flat. She applied gel to a wand-like ultrasound probe and inserted it into my lower part.
“Ugh!”
Although I had been told beforehand that there might be discomfort, a groan escaped me due to the probe suddenly digging inside. While the doctor moved the wand around, I had to clench my hands tightly over my chest and hold my breath. It wasn’t painful, but the sensation was strange. It dug deep inside and moved around, causing my body to flinch repeatedly. Seeing my awkwardness, the doctor gave me a gentle, reassuring smile. She didn’t forget to add that it was okay.
“The guardian can come in now.”
At the doctor’s words, Executive Director Jang Taejin, who had been waiting in the examination room, came in. He stared intently at the image of my womb displayed on the black screen. Not knowing what was what, I just clutched my pounding chest and glanced at the screen with nervous eyes.
“Congratulations. It’s twins.”
My mind went blank. Twins… did she say?
My gaze involuntarily went to Executive Director Jang Taejin. He seemed as surprised as I was, glancing at me once before shifting his gaze back to the screen with a dazed expression.
“They are growing well according to the weeks from the date of conception you mentioned. Do you see this here? This is the part where the egg implanted. This part, beating ‘thump thump,’ is the heart. Would you like to hear the heartbeat?”
With a skilled hand, she adjusted something. Instantly, a strong heartbeat echoed throughout the room. Tears welled up at the wondrous moment. The strong beating of the children’s hearts pounded against my own.
“The heartbeat is strong, isn’t it? A fetus’s heart rate is much faster than an adult’s. It’s normal, so you don’t need to worry.”
I couldn’t properly hear what the doctor was saying. Just seeing the image of the child in my womb made my heart so full that I was in a daze. To think that’s Parang… no, Parang and another child. Thinking about it now, I hadn’t even given them proper fetal names. To think there were two children in my belly… two such lovely children…
“Alright, you can get ready and come out. We’ll continue our talk in the examination room.”
The doctor, having removed the ultrasound probe, stood up and went over to the examination room. The nurse helped me get off the chair and guided me to change my clothes and come to the examination room. As I was walking to change, Executive Director Jang Taejin, who had been standing there staring intently at the screen, suddenly pulled me into a fierce hug.
I wiped the overflowing tears in his arms and gave a bright smile.
“You can’t do this here, Executive Director.”
“I know. But I couldn’t bear not to hug you.”
“…I’ll change and come out.”
I wanted to stay in his arms too. I wanted to be a little more coddled in the arms of the father of my two precious children. But this was strictly a public place. It would be troublesome if we stayed hugging and then felt like kissing.
“The babies are growing well. From now on, you’ll need to come to the hospital regularly for check-ups. There are specific tests for each week, so you must not skip them.”
After changing, I sat down facing the doctor. Executive Director Jang Taejin held my hand tightly and placed it on his lap.
“You also need to take supplements like folic acid, vitamins, and omega-3. I’m sure the Executive Director will take care of that, right? Since the mother is young, you’ll have to do a very good job, Executive Director. To think he’s only twenty, you’re quite the cradle robber, Executive Director.”
Normally, he wasn’t one to take such jokes, but for now, he didn’t seem to mind and just smiled.
“Well then, any more questions.”
As if he had been waiting, Executive Director Jang Taejin cut the doctor off and opened his mouth.
“When can we have relations?”
At his needlessly serious and heavy voice, only I blushed. The doctor was smiling, but I could clearly see she was thinking something like, ‘Just like an alpha.’
“It’s possible from now on. Of course, no knotting. Until you give birth, and for a while after, knotting is absolutely forbidden.”
“Does that mean other relations besides knotting are possible?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Executive Director Jang Taejin nodded. I lowered my blushing face.
“Then I’ll print out the ultrasound photos for you. You can schedule your next appointment on your way out.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
I bowed to the doctor and stood up.
From the nurse outside the examination room, I received the ultrasound photos along with a maternal handbook. The photo, full of gray shades on a black background, was wondrous no matter how many times I looked at it. To think this pea-sized life form was growing inside my belly. It was a story I couldn’t believe even looking at it again.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
He asked as we waited for the car in front of the hospital. I answered without taking my eyes off the ultrasound photo, which I never tired of looking at.
“Yes, a little.”
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Not really.”
Executive Director Jang Taejin said nothing. I was almost lost in thought, looking at the ultrasound photo, and only realized it when he took the photo from my hand.
“I never thought I’d be jealous of my own baby in the womb.”
As I stared at him with wide eyes, he returned the ultrasound photo to me with a reluctant attitude and said.
“I’m saying I don’t like you looking at the ultrasound photo all day.”
“How can you say that?”
“For the past two weeks, I’ve only been able to see your face through recorded CCTV footage. We’ve only just met again, are you not going to show me your pretty face?”
He spoke so seriously that I couldn’t tell if he was making a mischievous joke or if he was truly sincere. In any case, I replied that I understood and put the photo he gave me in my pocket, just as the car came out of the parking lot and stopped in front of us.
“So, what do you want to eat?”
I got into the back seat next to Executive Director Jang Taejin. I don’t know what kind of obsession he had in his head, but he was desperate to take care of my meals one way or another.
“Um. There’s really nothing in particular… If I had to say, I do want to eat something spicy. Something that would clear my insides. For example, malatang?”
“Don’t you ever get tired of that damn malatang? Wasn’t what you ate last night enough?”
“You wouldn’t know, Executive Director, how queasy my stomach feels. I dry heave several times a day, you know.”
Of course, ever since I could inhale Executive Director Jang Taejin’s pheromones to my heart’s content, such symptoms had disappeared as if washed away. Nevertheless, I feigned illness. The determination to eat malatang no matter what burned brightly.
“There are so many good things, why that of all things?”
“If you were going to be like this, why did you even ask me what I wanted to eat?”