Chapter 2.6

As the weekend approached, no one returned to the dorm. The cook and other staff often drank and played cards late into the night at the cafeteria, calling it a gathering.

The manager, who commuted, also habitually stayed out late. Naturally, Yoon-jae was left to guard the dorm alone.

Yoon-jae glanced around the quiet lodging and let out a light breath. If left like this, it might be hard to even walk after the weekend.

She mustered the courage to get up. As she put strength in her legs, a dull pain arose. Still, she could move as long as she didn’t overdo it.

It seemed like it would subside soon.

Judging by the fact that she could walk, it didn’t seem like there was anything wrong with her bones. Resting thoroughly over the weekend should make it better.

What was more urgent was visiting the obstetrician. Yoon-jae rummaged through her handbag and found the tester, letting out a sigh at the still vivid two lines.

What should I do?

In truth, her mind was practically made up. Perhaps it was a naive thought, but she had no intention of giving up the child.

Strangely, from the moment she saw the man’s eyes earlier, she wanted to raise and give birth to the child in her womb.

She wasn’t sure if it was defiance or some strange rebellion. But at least it wasn’t impulsive. Perhaps it was a dream of having a family she had held for a long time.

She couldn’t easily let go of the thread of life that had come to her. Even if others pointed fingers, there was nothing she could do. Despite fear overshadowing joy or excitement, she felt that way.

Maybe it was because she grew up in an orphanage, not knowing her parents, and with her brother. Upon realizing she was carrying a new life, courage filled her instead.

It was the first time she realized how strong the bond of blood was. The more she realized this, the less she could understand the parents who abandoned her.

Even if she thought they had their reasons, the pain was still pain. Yoon-jae shook her head. So, she couldn’t easily think of abandoning or getting rid of it.

Affection slowly grew. She didn’t want to pass on the sorrow and pain she had experienced. If possible, she wanted to cherish and treat it preciously.

She quickly searched on her phone. She found a nearby obstetrician capable of delivery and entered the website. Seeing that reservations could be made online after a call, she left a reservation message.

She felt a bit at ease. Only then did she realize how much of a mess she had been when she fell asleep. Yoon-jae slowly went into the bathroom, took a quick shower, and crawled into bed.

She thought she had slept enough just a while ago, but unexpectedly, sleep overwhelmed her. Was it said that one gets sleepy during early pregnancy? As she recalled the information she found online, her phone rang just as she was about to fall asleep.

Seeing the screen, Yoon-jae frowned. Since she got her phone changed, she rarely received calls. Especially at this hour, there was no one who would call.

Should I answer or not?

Hesitant, she eventually pressed the button and brought the phone to her ear. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Hey, Yoon-jae? It’s me, Cheong-o.”

“…”

“Hello? Isn’t this Yoon-jae’s phone? That’s strange, I entered it correctly.”

Momentarily speechless at Cheong-o’s voice, Yoon-jae maintained silence before barely opening her mouth.

“Uh… yes, it’s me.”

“Ah, right? I thought so. No way the cafeteria boss would give me the wrong number. Ah, I begged the boss at your workplace to give me your number. Don’t misunderstand.”

Cheong-o, speaking as if they had just met, with a cheerful and easygoing manner, left Yoon-jae flustered.

“…I’m not misunderstanding.”

“Good, that’s settled then. You know, I felt bad letting you go like that when you were hurt earlier because I was busy. So, I looked into it.”

Cheong-o, who had been excitedly talking about how he got her number, suddenly spoke in a slightly serious tone.

“Is my call uncomfortable for you?”

“…”

Yoon-jae hesitated before answering honestly.

“Yes, it’s uncomfortable. It’s also concerning how you found out where I work.”

“Ah, well. I see. Honestly, why would you want to keep encountering me when it’s not a pleasant memory?”

Cheong-o let out a deep sigh.

“Still, I can’t help but keep thinking about you. Especially because of that bastard Yoon-ryeol. I know it might be hard seeing me because it reminds you of him, but I also carry that much guilt.”

“…Oppa, you have nothing to feel guilty about. It’s my brother who did wrong.”

“Even so, that’s not it.”

At Cheong-o’s words, Yoon-jae steadied her briefly wavering heart and spoke coldly.

“I can’t help if you feel pity for me, Oppa. But it makes it harder for me. I don’t want to rely on momentary pity and then be disappointed.”

“…”

This time, Cheong-o remained silent. She could hear his slightly roughened breathing, as if taken aback. Yet, he persistently tried to persuade Yoon-jae.

“Hey, that’s not it. Your leg was caught under the scooter earlier, right? Did you go to the hospital? You didn’t, did you? How are you going to manage alone? Do you have money for the hospital?”

Yoon-jae bit her lip hard. It was troubling how he made her want to lean on him, even though she didn’t have any particular feelings.

“Hey, it’s not just about money. Isn’t it lonely when there’s no one around when you’re hurt? Wouldn’t it be nice if I could help you a bit during those hard times?”

Listening to his slightly scolding words, Yoon-jae felt bitter. Memories of enduring everything from mild colds to severe illnesses alone resurfaced.

When her brother was around, those things were less lonely, so she could endure them…

Thinking of Yoon-ryeol made her heart ache. Considering what he did to her, she should hate him, but he was someone she couldn’t completely let go of.

Is that what family is? 

Yoon-jae bit her lips and gathered the courage to speak.

“Um… what happened to my brother?”

At her question, the breathing she heard over the phone suddenly stopped. She didn’t ask further.

It wasn’t that she was curious about anything else. She just had no way of knowing what happened to Yoon-ryeol that day.

“Sigh, Yoon-jae. That’s a bit… it’s a long story to tell over the phone. How about we meet and talk?”

“…”

Still, she didn’t feel like meeting Cheong-o. Perhaps frustrated by the silence over the phone, Cheong-o added abruptly.

“If it’s because of the boss, don’t worry about that. I just want to see you because I’m concerned, not because the boss said anything. Since it’s already over, he won’t treat you harshly anymore. You saw earlier, right? He didn’t say anything and just left.”

Recalling the man’s eyes made her breath catch. It wasn’t that he just left; he crushed her like a bug and left, she thought.

It was suffocating. Yoon-jae took a breath and responded dryly.

“Okay. Where should I go?”

Upon hearing her agreement, Cheong-o replied in a cheerful voice again.

“Oh, I’ll text you the location. It’s just a meal, so come comfortably. Got it? Then, see you on the weekend evening.”

After agreeing and hanging up, Yoon-jae looked at her phone with a troubled expression.

Even though she tried to think it was nothing, the waves in her heart wouldn’t easily calm down. The man’s image kept coming to mind, unsettling her heart.

His contemptuous gaze, as if looking down on something less than a bug, lingered in her mind, constantly staring at her. Even closing her eyes, that persistent gaze followed, making her mouth dry.

Recalling the man was still an unfamiliar and frightening feeling. Yoon-jae moistened her dry lips several times.

She wanted to scream, anywhere, to anyone. More precisely, she wanted to plead in front of the man’s eyes. To cry out not to approach with such contempt and hatred.

Only then did she realize she was still engulfed in fear. She wished he wouldn’t even look at her.

Her hand reflexively moved to her lower abdomen. The unbearably heavy emotions pressed down on her like a stone.

She felt like she wanted to run away. It was a feeling she hadn’t had in a long time. The pressures she felt because of Yoon-ryeol had returned to their place, slowly squeezing her breath.

Of course, it was a completely different incident and manner from her brother. It might have been just a vague fear she felt.

Perhaps Han Baek-geon wouldn’t do anything to her. Maybe they’d never be involved again. Cheong-o’s contact might have been purely out of goodwill.

Yet her heart kept racing. She couldn’t breathe properly. Yoon-jae unknowingly gripped her phone tightly.

Her skin turned pale as she squeezed until her knuckles showed, draining the blood. She let out a sigh-like breath from the suffocating tightness constricting her throat.

Thinking of the man made her feel like she would suffocate and die. The emotion strangled her like thirst, slowly drying her up, causing indescribable fear.

Yoon-jae closed her eyes and held her breath. If she stayed still. If she endured and curled up, time would pass. If she endured, eventually even a blazing fire would slowly burn out.

It was always like that. Whether it was the violence or contempt that crushed her, it was all the same. If she held her breath and endured alone, everything eventually passed.

But Han Baek-geon was different. He completely disrupted the natural flow she had learned through her experiences. That violent destruction was like an unexpected natural disaster to Yoon-jae.

As she held her breath as if slowly dying, she suddenly felt nauseous. Unable to endure, she ran into the bathroom.

The morning sickness was so harsh and relentless that it brought tears to her eyes. Her solar plexus hurt and her insides burned. Yoon-jae staggered out of the bathroom with a face weighed down by distress.

It was strange. After encountering that man, she couldn’t hold her breath anymore. Since she had survived, she had to do something.

Contrary to her boiling emotions, her drooping body brought her back to reality. She needed to go to the hospital and, above all, meet Cheong-o to confirm Yoon-ryeol’s whereabouts.

Yoon-jae lay back on the bed and closed her eyes. The long yet short night passed like that.