I've Been Possessed, But What If I Get Pregnant First? - C48
#48
‘Wow, he’s all black.’
It was funny to see him wearing the same pitch-black sunglasses as the completely dark sky at this late hour. Black suit, black hair, even black sunglasses. I giggled inwardly at his color-coordinated all-black look.
By the way, did this man come alone too?
I felt a bit lonely today seeing people hanging out with friends or family. I leaned over casually, looking at the man who seemed to have come to play alone.
“Excuse me… Ahjussi.”
“Hrk, yes bro-, no yes!”
Perhaps startled that I suddenly spoke to him, the man got flustered and even bit his tongue.
“Uh… It’s nothing else, but I was wondering if you came alone too.”
“Ah… Yes, th- that’s right!”
Why is he sweating so much? The April weather seems just nice and cool, but the man must be very hot. Maybe because he’s wearing a suit… I felt strangely sympathetic seeing him wipe his sweat, brushing his forehead.
“Here, Ahjussi, have this.”
I handed the man one of the chocolates I bought along with the lollipop. Then the man expressed his gratitude with a very moved face.
He must be very hungry… Anyway, having become friendly with the man over a chocolate, I started chatting while waiting for the bus. But not long after, I wanted to cover the mouth of myself from 15 minutes ago who had thought confidently, ‘How about I brag about our White Tiger once more…?’
“Our senior director is really, truly an excellent person. He has a great personality too, and treats his subordinates, no- employees well. Haha…”
“Ah… I see…”
I quickly got tired of the man’s words that turned into talk about his workplace superior no matter what he said. I’m quite the chatterbox myself, but this man is on another level. Having lost interest in the man’s workplace superior story that was repeating for who knows how many times already, I just nodded my head absentmindedly.
‘Why isn’t the bus coming… I want to run away.’
I couldn’t ignore the man who was still sweating with a pale face, so I looked at the bus lane with hazy eyes.
“Oh, it’s here! Ahjussi, the bus is here!”
My hazy eyes lit up at the green bus #202 visible in the distance. Can I finally escape? I didn’t want to hear any more praise about the workplace superior of a man whose face and name I didn’t even know.
The bus approached the stop and I got up from my seat. I got on the stopped bus and stepped towards the empty single seat.
‘I’m finally free!’
But for some reason, I felt a burning gaze from behind.
‘No, don’t tu- turn your head.’
I could predict the result. As I desperately tried to ignore it and go to my seat, I heard the man’s cough calling out to me pitifully with a ‘ahem’.
You can feel emotions even in a cough… At the sound that seemed like it would turn into wailing at any moment, I slowly turned my head. Then the man pointed to the double seat with a pitiful smile.
‘O- Okay. It’s just 3 stops anyway….’
In the end, unable to ignore the man, I sat next to him with a gloomy face. Fortunately, the man kept his mouth shut while heading to Central Market. He flinched in between, breaking out in a cold sweat, but overall nothing happened. Freed from the man’s chatter, I closed my eyes and listened to the radio playing from the bus.
But of all things, uninteresting classical music came on. …No. Classical might be better for prenatal care, if I think about it positively. Putting my hand over my lower abdomen, thinking as positively as possible, drowsiness washed over me again.
“Ow…!”
I ended up dozing off for a bit and hit my forehead on the window. Ah, so embarrassing…
“I’m f- fine. Haha…”
I calmed down the man who seemed more startled than me, rubbing my aching forehead.
“Are you really okay? We should go to the hospital right-”
“Nah, it’s not that bad. Ouch… But why am I so sleepy?”
“That’s because you’re preg- ahem, uh… preg- bump, your forehead! It turned really red.”
“Really? I must have hit it hard.”
The man, who stammered tremendously, checked my forehead. Is it red enough to be that surprised? Thanks to that, my drowsiness completely vanished.
[The next stop is Central Market.]
“You said you’re going to Central Market too, right?”
I asked upon hearing the announcement that flowed out, and the man nodded his head vigorously.
“It’s really amazing, we’re going to the same place and neither of us have luggage. Oh, did you come to play too?”
“Ah, no, I’m here on a business trip…”
“I see. So when are you going back?”
At my sudden question, the man’s face began to turn pale as if flustered. I was regretting asking a thoughtless question when the man answered.
“It’s an indefinite business trip…”
“An indefinite business trip? But you said your superior is so great…”
“No! He’s so, so great! He’s really the best workplace superior!”
I was about to curse the man’s workplace superior with a pitiful face, but the man jumped up saying that’s not it. He looked like he would burst into tears any moment.
Could it be… he likes his workplace superior…?
That’s how enthusiastic he was to the point it made me think that.
“He must be the best husband material, haha… I bet he’s gr- great at parenting too?”
“Yes… That’s a relief then.”
I was too clueless. He must not have liked me badmouthing the person he likes. Convinced on my own, I lightly hit my tactless lips with a ‘tok’. At the announcement that we would be arriving soon, I quietly prayed inwardly ‘I hope it works out for you two’ and got up from my seat.
***
“Hyung-nim…”
“What.”
“About the sister-in-law… What are you planning to do…?”
Junseok thought Taebeom would take Yuwon back to Seoul as soon as they arrived in Gangneung. But he didn’t understand Taebeom’s intention of just attaching people to Yuwon’s side and leaving him be while following him.
“Leave him be for now. He’s enjoying himself so much.”
At Taebeom’s words, Junseok looked at Yuwon. His face looked bright, smiling brightly while looking out the window, as if something made him so happy.
“And I need to find out what he was thinking running away.”
“Understood.”
He needed to find out why Yuwon made the choice to risk danger and run away even while pregnant. But if he took Yuwon home like this, he would surely run away again. So for now, he needed to find out the reason first. And Yuwon’s heart as well.
Junseok carefully drove in the lane right next to the bus Yuwon and the subordinate employee were riding. The windows were darkly tinted, so there was no chance of getting caught even if Yuwon looked this way. Junseok smiled faintly, seeing Yuwon at a distance he could reach out and touch.
“He seems to be in a good mood, which is a relief.”
Junseok spoke while looking at Taebeom, who was also wearing a relaxed smile like him, through the rearview mirror.
“Yeah.”
He’s smiling a lot.
Taebeom swallowed his last words. As Junseok said, Yuwon was smiling with a more comfortable face than ever. Taebeom looked at Yuwon like that and clicked his bitter mouth.
***
“Wow…”
A bustling market unfolded before my eyes. Plus, the lined-up street stalls greeted me with all sorts of delicious-looking street foods.
Growl.
‘Baby, let’s go eat.’
I don’t know if the morning sickness is over, but my appetite returned the moment I decided to raise the baby. As expected, our baby was already smart and a filial child for sure.
“Then I’ll get going now.”
Ah, you startled me. I was surprised because the man suddenly stopped. Plus, his black suit and characteristically polite way of speaking reminded me of someone. By the way, I wonder if I ran away well? Judging by how quiet it was until this hour, it seemed I had shaken off Taebeom well.
“Okay, see you next time then!”
“Take care, Mr. Yuwon.”
If it’s fate, we’ll meet again sometime. I exchanged goodbyes with the man and moved my feet in the opposite direction as him. My target was the dumpling shop with steam billowing from a while ago.
‘Wait, but didn’t he just call me Mr. Yuwon?’
I stopped walking and tilted my head, looking at the man walking away.
‘I never told him my name, could it be- No, I must have misheard.’
I must be hearing things because I’m so hungry. I shook my head and headed back towards the shop.
“Welcome-!”
“Hello, Boss! Two servings of dumplings please! Mix the meat and kimchi!”
“Are you eating here?”
I thought for a moment at the owner’s words and concluded I should eat at the shop in case I wanted to eat more.
“Yes! I’ll eat here!”
My mouth watered at the steaming dumplings. I hurried through the white smoke and entered the shop.
***
“I should get a part-time job starting tomorrow…”
I sighed after licking the plates clean. I ended up eating the shop’s most expensive shrimp dumplings after having one serving each of kimchi and meat dumplings and still being hungry. Why did I suddenly think of the creamy shrimp Taebeom bought me at that moment…! Considering the money I had left, it seemed I should save a bit or work from now on.
But that thought was short-lived, as I couldn’t resist the temptation of the hot dogs I encountered on my way to the bus stop after leaving the shop. Even though I had just thought about saving money a moment ago, that resolution crumbled at the sight of the golden-brown grilled hot dogs.