I've Been Possessed, But What If I Get Pregnant First? - C37
#37
When I arrived at the academy after a long time, the director welcomed me warmly. He asked how I was doing, saying he had heard I was very sick for the past few days.
Tsk…. I guess he had already contacted them to say I was quitting.
I thanked the director for his excessive kindness as he handed me the study materials from while I was gone, then I rushed off to class as if escaping.
“I-jun, did something happen?”
I-jun, who always arrived early, was nowhere to be seen. I thought maybe he just overslept, but I started to worry a bit when he still hadn’t shown up by lunchtime. Taebeom couldn’t have done something to him, right…?
I almost called Taebeom right then, but put my phone away, not wanting to pick a fight with him for no reason.
Right, it’s not like Taebeom is some thug- Well, thugs… He is sort of like a gangster, but still, he’s not… How should I say this, he’s not that bad of a person.
Feeling conflicted, I messed up my hair and sent I-jun a message.
“Ugh…. Let’s just eat.”
I wanted to just have some chocolate milk or snacks for a meal again today, but in order to keep my promise with Taebeom, I decided to eat some nutritious food.
I was thinking of having porridge, but suddenly craved pork cutlet, so I headed to the nearby Gimbap Hell restaurant. As I opened the door with a jingle, a strong fishy smell of seaweed hit me, making me feel nauseated.
Could it be that Yuwon can’t eat seafood well…?
He seemed especially sensitive to fishy smells. I ended up holding my nose and breathing through my mouth as I barely managed to sit in an empty seat. I picked up the menu, contemplating between regular pork cutlet, cheese cutlet, and sweet potato cutlet, then raised my hand.
“Auntie, one special pork cutlet set!”
After much deliberation, I ordered the special set meal. This was something I only ate on birthdays or special occasions, but I had no worries since I had the black card Taebeom gave me. Now that I think about it, I’m being quite extravagant… I thought I should get a part-time job soon to pay back the money I’ve been freely spending.
“Enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you!”
As expected, all the food at Gimbap Hell put fast food to shame. In just a few minutes, the special pork cutlet set placed in front of me made me gulp. The thick assortment of cutlets were flaunting their presence.
Feeling famished for the first time in a while, I hastily picked up a knife and cut the cutlets into bite-sized pieces. As I dipped it in sauce and put it in my mouth, the sweet and sour flavor of the sauce and the juicy tenderness of the meat…
“Ugh-“
The sauce was delicious, but as I chewed the pork, the distinct gamey smell made my stomach churn.
“Urgh-”
As I dry heaved, the people at the next table frowned at me.
“So- sorry- ugh-”
I apologized to them, then quickly covered my mouth. I left some cash on the table and fled the restaurant.
“Phew…. Ugh….”
Coming outside, the cool breeze calmed my stomach somewhat and I wiped the tears that had formed in my eyes.
“Yuwon, are you really not sick or something?”
Thinking back on the past few weeks, I couldn’t remember the last time I had a proper meal. The only times were when I had some soup or porridge with Taebeom. Plus yesterday, I felt a stinging pain in my lower abdomen and a squirming sensation.
This seemed much more serious than I thought. My lips trembled in fear, unable to close properly. I looked up, searching for a hospital among the many signs.
“…6th floor.”
I took the elevator up with an uneasy heart, covering my nose and shutting my eyes tight at the blatantly noticeable body odors of the people around me, more sensitive than ever.
‘Wh- what do I do….’
I nervously chewed on my fingernails. With a trembling voice, I completed the reception process and sat down.
“Cha Yuwon, please come to the exam room.”
Shaking like a leaf, I finally had my turn after waiting. I slowly entered the exam room and sat in a chair as the young doctor looked me over, scanning my chart.
“What brings you in today?”
“I… have a stinging pain in my stomach and ca- can’t eat. Even just smelling food makes me nauseous….”
“Specifically where does it hurt?”
“My lower abdomen….”
The doctor questioned me further, examining my frozen expression.
“How long have you had these symptoms?”
“About 3 weeks….”
“When was your last heat cycle?”
“I- I’m not sure.”
I didn’t even know I was an omega, so how would I know about heat cycles…. I still knew nothing about hormones or whatever. The only thing I noticed was that for some reason, I liked Taebeom’s scent but not other people’s… And actually, I couldn’t really sense other people’s pheromones well either.
“Are you married?”
“N- no?”
We lived together but we weren’t d- dating… much less married. Now that I think about it, it’s a bit questionable…. I answered, looking crestfallen, and the doctor turned away from the computer screen to speak.
“It doesn’t seem to be a simple case of indigestion, so I’d like to do an ultrasound just once. Due to the recently revised omega laws, we’re required to test anyone with digestive issues.”
“An ultrasound?”
“Yes, it’s not painful so don’t worry too much.”
“What about the c- cost….”
Aren’t those expensive…? I came here without telling Taebeom so I can’t use the black card, and all I have left is a single 50,000 won bill… I wonder if I can pay later?
“Ultrasounds for omegas are 100% covered by the government, so you don’t need to worry about cost.”
“Thank you.”
As I looked up at the doctor with anxious eyes, she reassured me with a gentle smile. I went into the ultrasound room and laid on the bed, my body tensing at the cold gel touching my stomach. Having my first exam, the few minutes felt extremely long.
After finishing the test and returning to the exam room, the doctor sat with my chart in hand and spoke to me with a smile.
“Congratulations, Mr. Cha Yuwon. You’re pregnant.”
In contrast to her brightly smiling face, my mind was overcome with shock. After a long silence, I barely managed to part my lips, having finally come to my senses.
“…What? What did you just say….”
“You’re pregnant. You’re already over 8 weeks along.”
“…P- pregnant?”
Her words struck me like a bolt out of the blue. The doctor held out an ultrasound photo to my frozen self. In the center of the black background was a tiny dot, no bigger than a booger. It was an ultrasound photo I often saw on TV and in movies.
“Uh… uh… Are you sure this is mine? I’m a man though?”
I asked again in disbelief. The doctor pointed to the small bean-sized dot.
“You may be a man, Mr. Cha, but you’re an omega. Plus, it seems you had relations during your heat cycle, in which case the chances of pregnancy are very high.”
Pregnant. It was a situation I never could have imagined. Me, pregnant?
In this novel, the existence of three traits – omega, alpha, beta – was still unfamiliar to me, and now pregnancy too!
I felt dizzy, barely managing to grip the table as my fingertips turned white.
“Besides the upset stomach, have you experienced any symptoms like mood swings or constant drowsiness?”
“Y- yes, that’s right.”
As the doctor said, my mood really had been swinging up and down like a rollercoaster these past few days. I felt depressed over trivial things, then suddenly felt better as if nothing happened.
“Difficulty regulating emotions and fatigue are representative symptoms of early pregnancy. You mentioned not being able to eat properly, so it seems morning sickness has already started as well.”
So that’s why I was experiencing all this – because I was pregnant. The reason my stomach churned at the slightest smell, making me dry heave, was morning sickness… No way, that can’t be. Me, pregnant? But… I did feel something moving inside my stomach.
Even in this still unbelievable reality, I worried about the b- baby in my belly. I rubbed my trembling eyes and gulped.
“D- doctor. I felt a stinging pain in my stomach and a squirming sensation. Wh- why is that?”
Amidst my confusion, I was concerned if something bad happened to the baby because I hadn’t been eating well.
“The fetus is probably just settling into place. You’re still young, and the fetuses of male omegas tend to develop quickly. But the squirming feeling may just be from your womb expanding, causing muscle twitches. It’s a common symptom, so you don’t need to worry too much. There were no issues at all in the exam either.”
Thank goodness….
I felt relieved at the doctor’s reassurance not to worry too much. Only then did I look at the baby in the ultrasound photo. I wanted to believe it wasn’t true, but now I couldn’t deny it.
It was smaller than a baby fingernail. Why did you come to me, little one….
I let out a deep sigh, firmly rubbing the corner of the angular ultrasound photo with my finger.
“Then I… I really have… in my stomach… whew….”
I had no idea what to ask first. My mind just went blank and I couldn’t think at all. Pregnant… man… Cha Yuwon… Tae…beom. I probably got pregnant that night I spent with Taebeom, likely for the first and last time.