Side Story 1.11

Jieun received emergency treatment for her sprained ankle. After being carried into the emergency room in the arms of the personal assistant, she had noticeably quieted down. She insisted she was fine and demanded to go straight home, but Leeseo calmly persuaded her to receive an IV drip, which was good for relieving hangovers.

Once the emergency treatment was completed, they left the chaotic emergency room and moved to a quiet private room. Taegyeom was nowhere to be seen, possibly meeting with the doctor. Jieun, lying down and receiving the IV, stared blankly at the ceiling before suddenly asking Leeseo a question.

“By the way, the personal assistant who carried me earlier—how old is he?”

She tried to sound casual, as if it were a passing question, but her intentions were transparent. Leeseo suppressed a smile tugging at her lips and replied.

“I’m not sure. I didn’t get the chance to ask about his age.”

“Oh, I see. I thought you’d know since he’s your husband’s personal assistant, but I guess not.”

Jieun’s expression visibly drooped. She occasionally groaned, likely due to the pain in her ankle, while fiddling with her fingers. Before long, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Sitting in the chair beside the bed, Leeseo quietly left the room.

At that moment, Taegyeom appeared, walking down the hallway. The personal assistant, who had caught Jieun’s interest, was walking alongside him. Upon seeing Leeseo, the personal assistant gave a polite nod and turned the other way, disappearing down the hall.

“Why are you out here? You should be resting inside.”

“I was just in there until now. Did you talk to the doctor?”

As he approached, Taegyeom studied Leeseo’s face instead of answering. His expression quickly hardened.

“It seems the person who should have seen the doctor is someone else.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not well, are you? Right now.”

Strangely, as soon as he said that, her stomach churned. No, to be precise, it had been like that for a while. Her head throbbed, and a wave of nausea kept rising and subsiding. She thought if she endured a little longer, she’d feel fine again. Shaking her head slightly, Leeseo replied.

“My stomach feels a bit off, but it’s probably because I drank. I’ll be fine soon.”

“And this is why I can’t take my eyes off you for even a moment.”

Muttering under his breath, Taegyeom stepped closer. His scent wafted over, sharply heightening her senses. Dizzy, a brief spell of vertigo overtook her.

Before she knew it, her feet left the ground. Taegyeom had effortlessly swept her into his arms, narrowing his eyes as if in exasperation.

“You have a tendency to overestimate yourself. You’re burning up, and your face is so pale you look ready to collapse.”

“No… it’s not that bad…”

“When will you finally be honest and lean on me? I’ve been waiting forever.”

“Oh, come on… You make it sound like you’ve been waiting for years…”

Leeseo let out an incredulous laugh and shot her husband a playful glare.

“I said it to make you laugh.”

“Well, I did laugh, but it was because I was dumbfounded. I’m worried someone might overhear. Who would ever imagine that the mighty Kwon Taegyeom would say such vulgar things so casually?”

“I didn’t get much love growing up. That’s why a good environment during adolescence is so important.”

“Don’t blame your upbringing. Your coarse way of speaking is just part of who you are.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“It’s not a compliment! You just twist everything to suit yourself.”

“I like hearing you like that. Keep going.”

“…Just be quiet and walk.”

The couple’s playful bickering echoed softly through the hospital hallway. Holding his wife carefully in his arms, Taegyeom pressed a brief kiss to her hair and continued walking.

***

“You’re pregnant. Congratulations.”

The doctor’s words struck like a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky. For a moment, Leeseo thought she’d misheard. But the doctor merely smiled warmly, oblivious to her shock. She was so stunned that she couldn’t even form the words to ask again.

Blinking rapidly, Leeseo’s face was a picture of bewilderment. Her wide eyes swam with confusion, teetering on the edge of panic.

Unlike her, Taegyeom, who sat beside her, remained surprisingly composed. His expression was as impassive as ever, showing not the slightest hint of surprise. His calm demeanor was so at odds with the situation that Leeseo momentarily wondered if he had even heard the doctor correctly. For a man hearing about his wife’s pregnancy, his reaction was unnervingly ordinary.

For some reason, this left her feeling unsettled. Fighting the nausea that churned in her stomach, Leeseo swallowed dryly as she listened to the doctor.

She was five weeks pregnant.

Considering the frequency and nature of their intimate moments, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. However, she hadn’t anticipated this because they had resumed using contraception recently. Since she was working at the pharmacy for two months, they had agreed to be cautious during that time.

They had been diligent about using condoms, so this turn of events left her baffled. Of course, she knew condoms weren’t 100% effective, but the odds of pregnancy were statistically slim. To think she had beaten those odds was almost surreal.

When she asked about the alcohol she had consumed at the company dinner, the doctor reassured her it was fine. As long as the mother was unaware of the pregnancy, it wouldn’t harm the baby. Babies, the doctor said, were stronger than most people thought.

When they returned to the hospital room, Jieun had finished her IV and was preparing for discharge. On the drive to drop her off at her apartment, Jieun couldn’t hide her embarrassment.

“Thank you for today. I shouldn’t have drunk so much… I ended up causing trouble.”

It was probably the fifth or sixth time she had apologized since the hospital. In a way, Leeseo thought, Jieun’s antics had led to her discovering the pregnancy. But unaware of this, Jieun repeatedly expressed her regret for being a nuisance. Since it was still too early to share the news, Leeseo simply smiled and saw her off.

“You weren’t a bother at all. Take your medicine and get plenty of rest.”

“Okay. You two drive safely. And, um… Taegyeom, thank you for taking care of me at the hospital and for driving me home.”

“It’s no trouble at all. It’s only natural to make sure you got home safely.”

“Seoul is still a long way from here. Drive carefully.”

Jieun gave a small, awkward bow to Taegyeom before disappearing into the apartment building. Only after she was completely out of sight did Taegyeom recline the passenger seat for Leeseo and speak.

“You must be tired. Get some rest while we drive home.”

“Mm…”

Leeseo responded absentmindedly. Watching her closely, Taegyeom fetched a blanket from the back seat, carefully draped it over her, and started the car. The heavy sedan glided smoothly out of the alley.

Leeseo leaned back in her seat, staring blankly out the window. The stillness of the early morning scenery blurred past, but none of it registered. Her mind was filled with the words “pregnant” and “baby,” foreign concepts that felt distant and unreal.

I’m pregnant? Just like that?

It felt like a dream. Nothing about it seemed real. Half-dazed, she had no clear memory of the hour-long drive home. When she came to, she was already being carried inside in Taegyeom’s arms. She must have dozed off in the car without realizing it.

A minor argument broke out between them over whether he should help her wash up. Predictably, Taegyeom won, as always.

Unlike their usual showers, which often turned playful and intimate, tonight he was serious and focused solely on taking care of her. As the warm water washed over her, Leeseo let the day’s exhaustion melt away, trusting herself entirely to her husband’s hands.

After the shower, she went straight to bed. The moment she pulled up the soft, comforting blanket, she fell into a deep sleep.

The faint rustle of fabric brushed against her ears as she dreamed. A pleasant scent filled the air, curling her lips into a soft smile. The bed dipped slightly as someone climbed in beside her. A warm presence pressed close, enveloping her in a cocoon of safety.

Hesitant hands gently pulled down the blanket. Slowly, cautiously, they wrapped around her, and a warm palm began to stroke her belly. The touch was tender and reverent, as if cradling something precious.

“How… in such a small belly…”

The voice murmured softly, filled with awe. His hand continued to trace gentle circles over her abdomen, trembling with a mix of wonder and excitement.

“To think we’re having a baby… I still can’t believe it, Leeseo.”

Though she had briefly felt a pang of disappointment earlier at his calm reaction, hearing his heartfelt words now melted away any lingering doubts. The small knot in her chest dissolved, leaving only warmth in its place.

She had thought her husband was unshakable, even in the face of such news. But now, she realized he, too, was grappling with the same whirlwind of emotions. Perhaps, like her, he needed time to adjust to the idea of becoming a parent.

Feeling his cautious, loving touch on her belly, Leeseo drifted into a peaceful slumber. It was a sweet, serene sleep, unlike any she had ever known.