The Omega Is Pregnant-Chapter 81

“Ma’am, In-hyuk’s here.”

Lately, her son had been coming home more often, and seeing him brought a smile to Han Mi-sun’s face. Even before she could ask where he’d been, the moment she saw Kang In-hyuk, she hastily set down her bag and walked toward him. When she placed a hand on his back, he, lost in thought, looked up and met her gaze.

“You’re home early today. It’s been a while since we could all have a meal together as a family.”

“Mother.”

“Yes?”

Kang In-hyuk dropped his gaze to his own hands.

“I confessed to Tae-seo and got rejected.”

His voice wasn’t loud or quiet—just even. Calm on the surface, but somehow unstable underneath.

“Do you... do you know Tae-seo’s pregnant?”

At In-hyuk’s bitter smile, Han Mi-sun, her heart aching, reached out and held his hands in hers.

“I do. When he said he was pregnant... I was really shocked. I struggled with what to do, but in the end, my feelings didn’t change.”

Han Mi-sun gripped his hands tighter, already sensing what those feelings were.

“It doesn’t matter that he’s carrying Se-heon hyung’s baby. I could love them both. But Tae-seo won’t even look at me.”

He wanted to say that it didn’t matter. That it was his fault for not recognizing Tae-seo sooner. That he was sorry. If only he had turned back to him before Tae-seo gave up, then he wouldn’t be pregnant with Kang Se-heon’s child.

“In-hyuk.”

Han Mi-sun looked down at her son’s hands. His hands no longer fit inside hers. He’d grown that much. And yet right now, he seemed like a lost child. She stroked his hair gently.

“Mom will help you. There’s a way.”

“A... way?”

“Yes.”

“You can really help me?”

Han Mi-sun nodded with a soft smile.

“That night you came home drunk, you called for ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Tae-seo in your sleep. I’ve been thinking about this ever since.”

When In-hyuk raised his head, she cupped his face with both hands and looked him in the eye.

“Join HQ as an intern over the break. Watch closely what Se-heon does... and tell me everything.”

Leave the rest to me.

****

Tae-seo, sitting in the first-floor café with a drink, happened to look up—and spotted a familiar face.

“Uh?”

Even seeing someone quickly approaching, he couldn’t react right away.

“What’s our baby doing here?”

“...Hae-jin noona.”

“Yes, yes, your noona’s right here. Baby~ Aww, so cute.”

The person rushing up at a frightening pace was Jung Hae-jin. She was someone Tae-seo had gotten to know after interrupting a matchmaking date with Kang Se-heon—somehow, they’d ended up becoming close. He knew she was about to smush his cheeks and wanted to stop her, but he held back and offered up his face. As she rubbed at his cheek, Tae-seo mumbled with a fish-like pout.

“Noona, you’re doting on me again today.”

He may have been younger than Jung Hae-jin, but he was still a fully grown adult. Especially when outside, surrounded by kids in school uniforms and actual toddlers waddling around to kindergarten. Still, Tae-seo didn’t bother trying to explain that he wasn’t a baby.

“Noona, what brings you here? Are you meeting with Se-heon hyung?”

“No, I just had something else to take care of. But hey—aren’t you being too distant with me lately? Not a single call or message.”

“What would you like to drink? It’s on me.”

Tae-seo opened his wallet, offering to buy her whatever she wanted. Turning her words around with shameless composure, he made Jung Hae-jin laugh in defeat.

“I already had something. And I have to head out soon.”

Saying she didn’t have much time, Jung Hae-jin stood and pulled Tae-seo over to sit next to her. Sitting side by side with her, Tae-seo awkwardly smiled and picked up his drink.

“How are things with Kang Se-heon?”

“Great.”

“So you two don’t fight? Maybe because you’re cute?”

“That definitely plays a role.”

Tae-seo admitted it. Honestly, he and Kang Se-heon weren’t the type to fight.

“Se-heon hyung really likes me. When I’m with him, I lose track of time. Wanna hear what happened this morning? I woke up, and he was making breakfast. That’s the kind of guy I live with.”

Jung Hae-jin, staring at him, suddenly broke into a mischievous smile.

“Now that I think about it, it’s almost lunchtime. Did you know? If you walk down the main road from here and turn at the first alley, there’s this place called Hyungnim’s Soft Tofu Stew. The bubbling stew is delicious, but what really hits is the huge chunks of soft tofu. The owner makes the tofu himself. You should try it sometime.”

Just imagining it made Tae-seo nauseous—he pounded his chest and took a sip of his drink. Thanks to the cool and clean aftertaste, the churning in his stomach settled.

“Or, if you go a little further down that alley, there’s Unni’s Oxtail Soup. They simmer ox feet and tail in this giant pot, and the broth is just unbelievably savory... And if you add some radish kimchi juice, it gets this spicy kick—so good. And if that’s not your thing, there’s Noona’s Blood Sausage Soup. It’s got tons of intestines in it. Just add two spoonfuls of perilla powder, half a spoon of seasoning paste, stir it up, and top it off with salted shrimp. That broth is out of this world.”

While Jung Hae-jin was happily debating what to eat, Tae-seo could do nothing but keep sipping his drink, trying to calm his stomach.

“There’s more.”

“Please stop recommending...”

“There’s Grandma’s cold noodles, you know? That one’s the best. No weird aftertaste, and the finish is super clean.”

For the first time, Tae-seo perked up and listened closely. Seeing that, Jung Hae-jin narrowed her eyes and smiled. Watching Tae-seo stay seated even while looking slightly queasy at her earlier descriptions, she decided she’d teased him enough and changed directions to something more palatable.

“Now that I think about it—how about watermelon?”

“Watermelon?”

“Yeah. It’s a first-harvest batch, so it’s super sweet. If you chop up the whole thing and keep it ready to go, you can snack on it whenever. Probably better than that drink, too.”

“I didn’t really like it before, but now that you said that, I kinda want some.”

“Right? When you’re pregnant, cool and clean-tasting stuff really hits the spot. I’ve seen people who never touched cold noodles before eat whole bowls, and even go through multiple watermelons.”

Jung Hae-jin pulled out her phone.

“Give me your address. I’ll have one sent over.”

Tae-seo leaned in so close that they were nearly shoulder to shoulder, bringing his face close to hers. Then he carefully recited his address, speaking clearly so she could type it easily. He added that it should be left in the unmanned delivery locker.

Even after giving her the address, neither of them pulled away. Instead, Jung Hae-jin patted Tae-seo’s head, as if she liked the closeness.

“If Kang Se-heon ever makes you feel upset, come find me. If you ever need something, come find me. No—just call me whenever you feel like it, and I’ll come meet you.”

“I will.”

Even if it was just a polite reply, Tae-seo didn’t turn her down, and that made Jung Hae-jin laugh like she’d expected it.

“No wonder the Chairman adores you.”

As she patted Tae-seo’s head again, she whispered it so softly it was barely audible.

****

Tae-seo waved until Jung Hae-jin was out of sight, then turned around. He thought waiting might get boring, but meeting her had made time fly.

“I wonder what he’ll say when I tell him I ran into Hae-jin noona—huh? That’s Se-heon hyung.”

Even from behind, he could tell it was Kang Se-heon. Smiling, Tae-seo quickly started walking toward him. He was about to call out—when he suddenly stopped at the sight of the person next to him.

“Seo Da-rae?”

He couldn’t hear what they were saying. But Seo Da-rae’s expression as he looked at Kang Se-heon was unmistakably bright. He had boldly stepped in to “protect” Se-heon when they met during the matchmaking with Jung Hae-jin before. So Tae-seo should’ve just walked up and done the same thing again, but his feet felt glued to the ground.

Watching them talk, Tae-seo slowly raised his phone. He opened his contacts, searched for Hae-jin’s name, and made the call.

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Even while it was ringing, his eyes didn’t leave Kang Se-heon. He caught glimpses of Se-heon’s face—and it didn’t look bad. No, it looked like he was smiling now and then.

Why was Kang Se-heon smiling and chatting with Seo Da-rae? What kind of conversation could they possibly be having?

[Baby Baby Tae-seo’s Line]

“Noona, you said I could call you when I missed you. Can I also call when I’m upset?”

[Want to tell me what’s wrong?]

“I think someone found out that Se-heon hyung is actually a really sweet, gentle, amazing person.”

I was supposed to be the only one who knew that. But now it seemed like Seo Da-rae knew too. Was that why the rumors were spreading?

“I know he’s mine, and I should protect him... but it’s not that easy with that kid.”

He had bullied Seo Da-rae before, back when he liked Kang In-hyuk. That was the original Yoon Tae-seo’s behavior. But now, the idea of shoving Seo Da-rae out of the way just to protect Kang Se-heon again... wasn’t so easy.

[Tell me more.]

“It’s like... the same thing that happened with you is happening again.”

[Wait—what? Is Kang Se-heon going on another matchmaking date? That can’t be. The Chairman wouldn’t allow it.]

“It’s not a matchmaking thing...”

Tae-seo tapped his toe against the ground. He wanted to rush over to Kang Se-heon, but instead, he was stomping the floor to hold himself back.

[So? You’re just gonna stand there and watch?]

“I was gonna wait... until they split up, and then—huh? Hey—hey!”

He panicked the moment he saw Seo Da-rae reach both hands out toward Kang Se-heon. If he just stood there watching, wasn’t Seo Da-rae about to throw his arms around Se-heon’s neck?