If You Want Me - Episode 44
<Episode 44>
At first, he thought it might be a booklet containing records from when Seo-won was a baby. However, the booklet looked too new for that. The paper wasn’t discolored, it was stiff, and there wasn’t a single crease.
And above all, what caught his eye was Yoon Seo-won’s name written on the very front cover.
“…”
Do-gyeom had been rummaging through the house without the owner’s permission until now, but only now did his heart start pounding like someone doing something they shouldn’t.
He thought there must be a reason why Seo-won didn’t tell him, so he shouldn’t look at it without permission, but he couldn’t stop his hands from opening the booklet.
After taking a deep breath in tension, he opened the booklet and a photo caught his eye inside. It wasn’t an ordinary photo. It was a photo with a white dot on a pitch-black background.
And the date written below it was the day Seo-won had gone up to Seoul and visited the obstetrics and gynecology clinic.
“Ha…”
It’s an ultrasound photo.
Yoon Seo-won is pregnant.
Do-gyeom, whose thoughts reached that point, unknowingly let out a deep breath he had been holding back.
Since it was an obstetrics and gynecology clinic, he thought there might have been a problem with Seo-won’s pheromones, and he was worried that Seo-won might have a serious illness because he showed signs of being sick today, such as vomiting.
It was fortunate that he didn’t have a life-threatening serious illness. But… pregnant?
Yoon Seo-won was a fervent omega, so the probability of him getting pregnant was miraculously low. So even when he heard that Seo-won had gone to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic for a checkup, he had dismissed it as unlikely. But who knew it would be a pregnancy. Now that he had seen Seo-won lacking energy and vomiting, he could be sure of it.
Since Seo-won had been his pheromone partner for a whopping 6 years, if Seo-won were to have a child, it should rightfully be his child.
But strangely, Yoon Seo-won didn’t inform him about the pregnancy.
“…Why?”
Why didn’t he tell me?
He was in the middle of muttering to himself and continuing his thoughts. Suddenly, the alpha from earlier, Lee Jihwan, came to mind.
He thought it was an act, but the atmosphere between the two was affectionate, and there was no falsehood in Seo-won’s voice as he poured out the reasons he liked Jihwan. Even if he looked at it with eyes full of distrust, thinking Seo-won was putting on a show to deceive him, it seemed that way.
Come to think of it, if he calculated the pregnancy date written in the booklet in reverse, it roughly matched the time when Seo-won said he would quit being a pheromone partner. Could it be that he had been in a relationship with Jihwan since then? Didn’t he say last time that he had a one-sided crush?
It was incomprehensible, but the Yoon Seo-won he knew was very innocent and had a strong sense of responsibility. Perhaps he had a one-night stand with Jihwan around the same time, found out he was pregnant, and mistakenly thought he had fallen in love with Jihwan.
Thinking that way, it made sense that Yoon Seo-won kept refusing to be his partner. Because he couldn’t be in a relationship with Do-gyeom while carrying another alpha’s child.
However, apart from understanding, this situation was too shocking. Blood rushed to his head as if it would explode, and irritation surged.
How could such a bastard get Yoon Seo-won pregnant…? He felt like his head hurt as if he had seen his son bring home a delinquent, even though he wasn’t Seo-won’s parent.
“That fucking bastard…”
He wanted to run out of the house right now, grab that bastard by the collar, and slap his face. The urge to stomp on him so he could never appear in front of Seo-won again boiled up like a volcano.
However, Do-gyeom managed to swallow his impulse and called Secretary Bae. The phone rang a few times before Secretary Bae’s voice was heard on the other end.
– “Yes, Young Master.”
“Look into the person named Lee Jihwan that Yoon Seo-won is meeting. Thoroughly, without leaving anything out.”
It was only a guess that Seo-won might be carrying Jihwan’s child. Although he had given him the morning-after pill, they had also spent the heat cycle and rut together in the US around the same time, so the probability of it being his child was also high.
He had to verify whether he had made up a novel on his own or if it was true.
Do-gyeom’s voice as he gave orders to Secretary Bae was colder than ever.
* * *
“Mmm…”
I’m tired. Even after sleeping, my head is constantly hazy and I can’t put any strength into my body. It’s like lethargy is engulfing my whole body, and I don’t want to do anything.
If it were up to me, I’d want to keep rolling around in bed. But perhaps because I haven’t eaten anything all day, my stomach feels like it’s sticking to my back. Come to think of it, at the coffee shop earlier…
The moment his thoughts reached that point, Seo-won opened his eyes wide and became alert.
“Gasp… I fell asleep like that.”
I remember getting into Do-gyeom’s car, but I don’t remember when I got home.
Then where is Do-gyeom? Did he go home first leaving me behind? It doesn’t seem like he would do that, so Seo-won quickly got up from the bed and headed to the living room.
As expected, Do-gyeom was sitting on the living room sofa, looking at a tablet. He was looking at the tablet with a serious face, but perhaps sensing movement, he turned his head this way.
“You’re awake.”
“You didn’t leave…”
“Where would I go leaving a patient? Do you want to eat?”
Do-gyeom spoke as if he wasn’t coldhearted enough to leave a patient and go, and naturally changed the subject.
It’s not like I have a serious illness, so wouldn’t it have been more helpful for me if he had left? Seo-won was vaguely having such thoughts and belatedly realized that Do-gyeom had mentioned food, tilting his head.
“Food?”
“I made vegetable porridge. I’ll heat it up for you, so wait.”
Do-gyeom spoke as if it was nothing, put down the tablet, and naturally headed to the kitchen.
Come to think of it, it seemed like there was a savory smell. But he made porridge? Not store-bought?
Although he didn’t cook often, Seo-won knew that Do-gyeom wasn’t unskilled. He had a picky taste because he grew up eating only good food, but he couldn’t buy it every time, so he occasionally cooked. But Seo-won never thought he would make porridge for him.
As Do-gyeom turned on the gas range, it didn’t take long before the sound of boiling was heard. The savory smell that was subtly wafting also became thicker.
“Eat.”
Do-gyeom scooped an appropriate amount of vegetable porridge from the pot and put it in a bowl. Seo-won looked down at the steaming vegetable porridge and asked him.
“When did you make this?”
“While you were sleeping. I borrowed some ingredients from the fridge.”
“There probably weren’t many ingredients…”
“I bought a few. Oh, I borrowed your key too.”
Do-gyeom took out the key from his pocket and placed it on the dining table as if he had just remembered.
Why is my key coming out from there? When Seo-won hurriedly searched his pockets, nothing came out. It seemed he had stolen his belongings, laid him on the bed, and even went grocery shopping as if entering and leaving his house. It was absurd.
Anyway, since his stomach was about to stick to his back from hunger, Seo-won didn’t ask any more questions, sat down, and obediently ate the porridge. He had a hard time with no appetite since morning, but perhaps because porridge was a food that was easy on the stomach, it went down well. Next time, he should make porridge when he has no appetite.
When he had eaten about half of the porridge, he finally grasped the situation and worries began to creep up.
…He didn’t do anything while I was asleep, right?
Seo-won glanced at Do-gyeom, who was sitting across from him and looking at the tablet again. Except for making the porridge, he seemed the same as usual, so it didn’t seem like anything had happened.
Seo-won was relieved, thinking it was fortunate, and carefully brought up what he had intended to say to Do-gyeom once the date was over today.
“Today… You’re going to take back the documents you gave me, right?”
“What? The apartment?”
Do-gyeom took his eyes off the tablet and asked back, looking at Seo-won.
It’s not that he had any lingering attachment to the apartment… He was asking because he thought Do-gyeom might change his mind now that things had turned out this way. But Do-gyeom slightly furrowed his brows as if asking what nonsense he was talking about and retorted.
“I told you to keep that. Do you think I’m a petty guy who gives and takes back what I gave?”
“It’s not like that…”
“Then why are you asking? And how many times do I have to tell you that it’s not a bribe, but because you were my partner for 6 years?”
“…”
At Do-gyeom’s voice filled with irritation, Seo-won stopped asking further.
Although he had heard it was compensation for being a partner… It was still burdensome since it seemed like he wouldn’t have to face Do-gyeom in the future.
For now, he should accept the apartment only on paper and keep it in a state where he could return it at any time. With that thought, Seo-won recalled what he really wanted to say to Do-gyeom and opened his mouth again.
“Okay, I understand for now. But you’ll stop coming now, right? Since you confirmed that I have someone I like…”
Do-gyeom had said he would believe it if Seo-won brought the person he liked in front of him.
Although he couldn’t properly show it because he vomited as soon as they started the date… They didn’t say they were in a loving relationship, but he had said it was someone he had a one-sided crush on, so wouldn’t he be able to get away with it if he did well?
Jihwan was someone who would soon return to Seoul, and if he missed this opportunity, he didn’t know when the next chance would come. As Seo-won brought it up, hoping it would go well, Do-gyeom turned his head as if it was absurd and let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha… Someone you like?”
He muttered softly as if talking to himself and looked at Seo-won again. Then he stiffened his facial muscles seriously and opened his mouth.
“How naive. You fall for it right away when a vagrant-like bastard seduces you?”
“What? Vagrant…? Seduce?”
“There’s no way you would like that style first.”
What on earth is he talking about? I tried to prove that I have someone I like, but suddenly he’s talking about style?
I don’t know if he believes me or what, so I couldn’t say anything. As I quietly assessed the situation, a shocking remark came from Do-gyeom.
“You’re like this because you’re pregnant. You’re mistaking that you like him because you want to rely on someone.”