"I'm Pregnant."
Kwon Hwi-young's face hardened, slowly but surely.
The soft curve at the corners of his eyes went cold, and the lips that had been murmuring Som-i's name so gently parted awkwardly in mid-air.
"...What?"
At the visible change in his complexion, Som-i clenched her hands into tight fists without even realizing it. She could feel her nails digging sharply into her palms.
"What did you... just say?"
When Hwi-young asked again, slow and disbelieving, Som-i repeated herself, enunciating every syllable.
"I said I'm pregnant."
"So what you're telling me is—"
"Yes, it's your baby, sunbae. That day was... my first time. Really. I swear there's never been anyone else."
Seeing the gravity settle into his face, Som-i found herself spitting out the words like a rapid-fire barrage. And the moment the torrent left her mouth, the sheer mortification of what she'd said twisted her face into a wince.
Kwak Som-i, for the love of God, do something about that mouth of yours...
Because she was hanging her head in shame, she missed it. She missed the way Hwi-young's eyes rippled the instant the word first fell from her lips.
"And that day, I mean, the con... the condom..."
Was I always this incapable of speech? Exasperated by how she seemed to have regressed to babbling infancy, Som-i bit down hard on the inside of her lip. Whether he'd somehow deciphered her garbled mumbling or not, a low groan slipped through Hwi-young's lips.
"Ah... right, that happened."
Relieved that he at least seemed to remember the chain of events, Som-i nodded her head vigorously.
But Hwi-young froze, his mouth sealed shut, and stayed that way. The suffocating silence that followed was almost painful.
Som-i stood there like a child awaiting punishment, fidgeting with the toe of her shoe—until the hallway outside the lecture room began to hum with voices.
Her head snapped up, her eyes wavering wildly. She hadn't committed any crime, but her heart plummeted as if the confession she'd just made were the reason.
While Som-i stood there flustered, at a complete loss, Hwi-young snapped out of his daze and gripped her by both shoulders.
"Som-ah, crouch down for a second."
He carefully eased her into the narrow gap beneath the lectern.
Trapped in the cramped space all at once, Som-i found her vision filled entirely with Hwi-young's long, lean lower half. At the heavy presence inches from her face, she held her breath and stared blankly at the hem of his trousers.
"Hey, Kwon Hwi-young! You didn't go to Laplace? Everyone headed down there earlier."
Hwi-young shifted smoothly, planting himself between the lectern and the voice.
"Ah, I left something behind."
"Find it? Then let's go together."
At the sound of footsteps drawing near with long, unhurried strides, Som-i curled herself even smaller. The motion stirred up the dust clinging to the inside of the lectern, sending it drifting into the air. The dust assailed her mercilessly, and her nose began to tickle. She clamped a hand over her mouth and tried to hold it in, but it was hopeless.
Hadn't someone once said it? Love, poverty, and sneezes cannot be hidden.
"...Achoo!"
The instant the sneeze finally erupted and Som-i's shoulders jumped, Hwi-young's hand slid in behind her back, crossing the narrow gap to cover her lips. With her mouth sealed under his large palm, Som-i's startled eyes went round.
The scent of soap seeping from his hand and the searing heat of his body made her head spin.
"Not yet. I'll be right down, so go on ahead."
Thankfully, the approaching footsteps faltered, then turned the other way.
"Oh, right. Hurry down, then."
Only after she confirmed the sounds receding beyond the lecture room door did Som-i let out the long breath she'd been holding. The taut tension melted away, and her crouched body tipped sideways, leaning against Hwi-young's leg. The sigh that escaped her lips scattered directly onto the thin fabric of his trousers. For a moment, the muscle in his thigh went taut—but she never noticed.
A short while later, Hwi-young bent his knees and lowered himself until their eyes met. Som-i felt an inexplicable wave of guilt looking at his face, still half-dazed.
"We're not finished talking, are we?"
Som-i nodded quickly, her head nearly dropping with each motion.
"The hospital. Have you had it confirmed at a hospital?"
"That is... I haven't gone yet."
"You haven't even gone?"
Hwi-young's eyes blinked slowly.
"Then it might not be true, couldn't it?"
No, it probably is.
Som-i looked up at him, her heart a tangle.
When her period was first late and her body started feeling strange, she'd taken a test—and the moment those two lines appeared, she'd gone straight out and swept every pharmacy in the neighborhood, buying one of every kind. It was too late at night for a hospital, so she'd chugged water until her stomach churned just so she could keep peeing on sticks.
But she couldn't bring herself to say out loud that all ten-plus tests had come back positive. Because she'd seen it—a flicker of hope, there and gone, across Hwi-young's face as he asked.
"That's actually what I wanted to say. I was planning to go tomorrow."
Som-i swallowed hard.
"Would you... happen to be free tomorrow?"
Hwi-young's eyes widened slightly. Afraid he might refuse, Som-i hurried on.
"Could we... go together?"
"Together?"
Som-i, whose fingers had been fidgeting restlessly in her lap, nodded.
"Yes."
Hwi-young blinked at her with a dazed expression for a moment, then nodded back.
"Okay. Let's go together."
The words had barely left his mouth when Som-i's head, which had been hanging low and glum, shot up. Clasping her still-trembling hands tightly together, she let out a careful breath of relief.
Som-i sat bolt upright, unable to sink back into her seat. And the reason was none other than the heavy warmth pressing against her shoulder.
"......."
She stole a sidelong glance down at Hwi-young, asleep against her shoulder.
...Ha.
Honestly, she could barely breathe. If she moved even slightly, he might wake—so Som-i sat frozen, not daring to shift a single muscle in her arm.
No, seriously, why. Why is he sleeping so naturally on someone else's shoulder?
She bit her lip and slowly turned her head sideways again. Watching his long lashes and his slightly parted lips, she felt a strange, inexplicable feeling—half absurd, half something else entirely.
Right now the two of them were on an express bus, bound for an obstetrics clinic on the rural outskirts. She'd scoured the internet with obsessive care and picked this place, terrified of running into anyone she knew if she went anywhere near campus.
And yet here he was, sleeping away without a care in the world.
It was so ridiculous she nearly laughed out loud. She was in a state of such desperation her lips were cracking dry from want of blood, and was he just at peace—or was there simply nothing going through his head at all? Watching him slumber so soundly while she writhed in anxiety, she almost felt resentful.
Does he not believe me? Or does he think there's absolutely no way I could be pregnant?
The fact that she couldn't read him at all only made her feel more adrift.
Then it happened. The bus jolted, and Hwi-young's head burrowed deeper into the curve of her neck. His soft hair tickled her skin, and his warm breath brushed close to her collarbone.
"Mm..."
Murmuring in his sleep, Hwi-young nuzzled his head against her shoulder. Something about the sight—like a puppy burrowing into its owner's arms—made the world swim dizzily before her eyes. Som-i whipped her head away toward the window like she was fleeing.
Fields of deep green just beginning to fade, scattered low rooftops—the scenery flitted past. But not a single thing registered.
The bus, utterly indifferent, barreled on toward its destination.
A quiet street on the edge of town. Backed against a cornfield, Hope OB/GYN looked far more weathered and bleak than it had in its promotional photos online. And the first thing that caught the eye, above all else, was the sign hanging across the front of the building. As if it hadn't weathered the passing years, the very first character—Hee, meaning hope—had dropped clean off.
...Ruin OB/GYN
Beneath that rusted sign stood Som-i and Hwi-young. As she watched the remaining letters sway in the stiff wind, Som-i's gaze drifted to the man beside her.
Today, Hwi-young was wearing a black cap and a dark oversized hoodie. The style was so different from his usual look that she'd caught herself staring at him like an idiot.
And then it dawned on her—unlike him, who had bundled himself up tight for fear of being recognized, she was standing there completely defenseless.
Feeling oddly desolate, Som-i let out a small sigh. At that, Hwi-young turned toward her and looked down.
"What's wrong? Scared?"
"Ah..."
Som-i pressed her lips together and shook her head.
"It's not that. I think... I should've brought a hat too."
At her murmured words, spoken while she glanced warily around, Hwi-young's brow creased for a moment. Then, without warning, he pulled off his cap and pressed it into her hand.
"Here, wear this. I'm fine."
Kwon Hwi-young's face, hidden until now beneath the black cap, was laid bare under the midday sun. He swept a hand lightly through his hair, tousled from the cap.
In that instant, Som-i thought, this is really, truly wrong. Say whatever anyone liked—the one who needed his face hidden in a place like this wasn't her. It was Kwon Hwi-young.
His face was, how to put it... dangerous. Dangerously, excessively eye-catching. She came to the conclusion that she'd sooner let her own face be seen by the whole world than surrender his to view.
"No, you keep it, sunbae."
Som-i held the cap back out to him.
"Why?"
Hwi-young tilted his head, puzzled.
"Does it smell?"
He promptly brought his nose to the inside of the cap and sniffed.
"No, it doesn't smell. It's just... I think it's better in every way for your face to be covered than mine."
At that, his face fell at once.
"What? Am I embarrassing you?"