“We’ll start with a pregnancy test, just in case.”

“Oh, okay.”

Hwi-gang responded as the doctor headed straight for the examination room.

To calm his anxious mind, Hwi-gang paced back and forth in the consultation room, silently praying to the heavens that Seol-ah would be pregnant. As he anxiously moved around the room, Seol-ah eventually returned, and Hwi-gang quickly approached her.

“Did everything go well with the test?”

“Yes, they’re bringing the results now.”

“Great.”

“Why are you still standing, Hwi-gang?”

“Huh? Oh, I’m just anxious.”

“Come over and sit down; standing won’t change anything.”

“Yeah, I know, but I can’t shake this nervous feeling.”

As Seol-ah sat down in a chair, Hwi-gang quickly joined her, taking her hand in his. His palm was damp with sweat as he intertwined his fingers with hers.

“Are you really that tense?”

Seol-ah asked, covering the back of his hand with her other palm.

“Yeah, it’s strange. I usually don’t get this anxious about things.”

Seol-ah understood. Hwi-gang had always been a calm person, rarely showing any emotional shifts. He exuded confidence and seemed unshakable, no matter what happened. Yet here he was, visibly tense, waiting for the results of a simple pregnancy test.

“Everything will be fine.”

“Yeah, everything will be fine.”

As Hwi-gang exchanged a gentle smile with Seol-ah, the door to the consulting room opened and the doctor entered, accompanied by a nurse. Hwi-gang’s eyes followed the doctor until he sat down. The doctor tilted his head slightly and asked Seol-ah.

“Did you not feel anything at all?”

“Excuse me? Feel what?”

Seol-ah looked confused, not quite sure what the doctor’s vague question was. The doctor looked at the test results again, seeming to realize her lack of awareness, and then said, “You are pregnant.”

“Excuse me?”

“!”

Both Seol-ah and Hwi-gang’s eyes widened in shock. Their large pupils were filled with disbelief and surprise.

“What did you just say? If I heard correctly, you said I’m pregnant…”

The doctor nodded, confirming the news.

“Yes, the tests show that you are indeed pregnant. Congratulations.”

Seol-ah’s heart raced as she processed the information, her mind swirling with excitement and disbelief. Hwi-gang’s grip on her hand tightened, his expression shifting from anxiety to stunned joy.

“Are you sure?”

Seol-ah asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I mean, is there any chance the test could be wrong?”

The doctor smiled reassuringly.

“Pregnancy tests are quite accurate, especially with the results we’ve obtained. If you have any doubts, we can run additional tests to confirm, but I assure you, the evidence is clear.”

Hwi-gang, still in shock, finally managed to speak.

“This is… amazing! We’re going to be parents!”

Seol-ah turned to him, her eyes shining with tears of joy.

“I can’t believe it! This is really happening!”

The nurse chimed in with a warm smile.

“If you’re ready, I can help you with the next steps. We can schedule an ultrasound to get a better look and confirm the gestational age.”

“Yes, please.”

Hwi-gang replied, excitement bubbling in his voice.

“Let’s do that.”

As they began to discuss the next steps, Seol-ah couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth and hope. This was the beginning of a new chapter for both of them, and she was ready to embrace it with Hwigung by her side.

“Is it really true? Am I pregnant?”

“Yes, it is,” the doctor confirmed.

“Both the urine and blood tests show that you are indeed pregnant. An ultrasound will provide even more detailed information.”

“An ultrasound? Already?”

Seol-ah asked in surprise and the doctor nodded.

“Yes, we can do one now to get a better idea of how far along you are.”

“Yes, it’s possible. And you’ll be able to hear the heartbeat too.”

‘A heartbeat?’

At the thought, smiles spread across both Seol-ah and Hwi-gang’s faces as they exchanged glances, each excited by the prospect of sharing such joyful news with Hwi-gang’s ailing grandfather. They couldn’t believe that Seol-ah was already seven weeks along, especially after being so passionate with each other recently.

Feeling a twinge of guilt about their vigorous activities, Hwi-gang thought about the baby.

“Ma’am, would you like to lie down on the examination bed?”

At being called “ma’am,” both Seol-ah and Hwi-gang felt their hearts race with the realization of what was happening. Following the nurse’s instructions, Seol-ah climbed onto the bed and lay down.

The doctor lifted Seol-ah’s top, placing the ultrasound transducer on her bare abdomen. The cold gel sent a shiver through her, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.

“Do you see this dark area? That’s the gestational sac, and the tiny dot inside it is the embryo. It’s about the size of a black bean right now,” the doctor explained, pressing a few keys to capture the image on the screen.

He moved the mouse cursor to circle the dark area, highlighting it for them.

“The gestational sac looks very strong. And do you see something flickering here? That’s the baby’s heartbeat. It’s beating nicely.”

At the doctor’s words, both Hwi-gang and Seol-ah widened their eyes in awe. Hwi-gang leaned forward, almost as if trying to get closer to the image on the monitor. Just then, the doctor turned up the speaker’s volume.

Suddenly, the sound of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room, loud and clear.

“Isn’t it strong? A heartbeat of 120 to 130 beats per minute is a good sign of health.”

“What does it sound like to you?”

As they listened to the rhythmic thumping, Hwi-gang and Seol-ah exchanged glances, their eyes filled with wonder and emotion.

“A train sound?”

Seol-ah replied, her eyes sparkling with wonder.

“Is that the sound of hooves?” Hwi-gang added.

Seol-ah mentioned the sound of a train, while Hwi-gang said it sounded like hoofbeats. As they both responded differently at the same time, the doctor tilted his head slightly and then moved the mouse to adjust the image on the screen.

“!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Is everything okay, doctor?”

Both Hwi-gang and Seol-ah noticed the doctor’s startled expression, their hearts sinking at the thought that there might be something wrong with the baby.

“Oh no, I missed something.”

“What do you mean?”

“What did you miss? Is something wrong?”

Seol-ah managed to ask, suppressing her anxious feelings.

“Can you see this here?”

“Yes, I see a little dark spot. What is that?”

Hwi-gang answered first. The doctor laughed softly and shook his head, which only added to their frustration. He seemed amused for some reason as he zoomed in on the tiny dot on the screen.

“There’s another one in there.”

“!”

“!”

At the doctor’s words, Hwi-gang and Seol-ah blinked in disbelief, momentarily stunned. They understood what the doctor was saying, but the situation was so surreal that they were at a loss for words. The mention of another baby meant that they were going to have twins.

As the thought of twins crossed Seol-ah’s mind, a whirlwind of images flooded her head. The idea of becoming a mother to twins had never crossed her mind—not even in her dreams. But twins?

“Are you saying we’re having twins?”

Hwi-gang asked as Seol-ah was still lost in her thoughts.

“Yes, that’s correct,” the doctor replied. “I thought the heartbeat sounded a bit different earlier, but I assumed it was just a problem with the speaker. Turns out I was mistaken.”

The doctor adjusted the ultrasound transducer, carefully maneuvering it to capture the image of the second baby.