Love Born of Pity Chapter 91

Do Yeonjae was a little flustered. With his firm tone and deliberately cool expression, it was hard to tell if he was serious or not. Only after staring at the tear-streaked face for a long time did he realize that Kwon Jiho’s words about not wanting to give birth were sincere. His plan to hold onto Kwon Jiho for the time being using the baby as an excuse had instantly fallen apart.

He realized it at that moment. Something was going wrong. Ah, this isn’t right. Why is he suddenly acting like this?

Avoiding the gaze they had been sharing, Do Yeonjae swept his hair back as if frustrated. His large hand brushed against skin that had grown rough, concealing his anxiousness.

While Do Yeonjae was still processing Kwon Jiho’s unusual change, the plane left Namhae and arrived at Gimpo Airport. Do Yeonjae took Kwon Jiho straight to the hospital as if he were arresting a criminal.

With a resigned expression, as if he had given up on everything, Kwon Jiho buttoned up the changed hospital gown and chewed on the inside of his cheek. The process of confirming the baby he was going to get rid of anyway felt cumbersome and annoying.

If I knew it would be like this, I should’ve eaten something. Then I could have been away from Do Yeonjae, even for a little while. Even imagining swallowing water made his stomach turn, so he hadn’t had a single sip. The examination proceeded quickly.

It was similar to the detailed examination he had before. After drawing blood, they meticulously checked his stomach with an ultrasound. Just as they had predicted a while ago that he was around 6-7 weeks, the pregnancy was now in its 8th week.

Hearing the heartbeat of the bean-sized baby in the dark ultrasound room, Kwon Jiho clenched his teeth to hold back his tears. He brainwashed himself into not hearing the doctor’s words that followed, “If you look here,” and consistently either turned his head away or just stared blankly into empty space.

The only one moved by the fetus’s heartbeat was Do Yeonjae. A shape resembling a gummy bear had short limbs attached to it. A baby, smaller than a thumbnail, was nestled inside Kwon Jiho’s belly, powerfully asserting its existence from within.

“Why is the heart beating so fast?”

Do Yeonjae, who had been silently checking the monitor, finally spoke after a long while.

“A fetus’s heart rate is normally 110-160 bpm, so 140 bpm is perfectly normal.”

“How long will the morning sickness last? He can’t even drink water.”

“It’s different for every expecting mother, so I can’t give you a definite answer on when it will end. There are some mothers who experience it right up until delivery.”

The ob-gyn, who was Jang Hyunsu’s personal doctor and had been in charge of Kwon Jiho until right before he ran away, smiled gently.

“If it gets too difficult, coming in to get an IV or a shot can be helpful. Also… once he enters the 12th week, we will conduct a prenatal screening for birth defects. We’ll do a detailed ultrasound then as well.”

“…Wouldn’t that be too late by then?”

“Pardon?”

Kwon Jiho, who hadn’t opened his mouth once during the entire examination, spoke for the first time.

“…It has to be done when it’s still small, before it gets bigger…”

“Pardon? What… are you referring to?”

Kwon Jiho couldn’t finish his sentence and started to choke up, eventually bursting into sobs. The doctor, looking at the ultrasound, wore a bewildered expression, while only Do Yeonjae, who understood, sighed.

After the examination, Kwon Jiho stayed at the hospital for one more day. While he was on an IV drip, an array of fruits Do Yeonjae had prepared, from sour kinds to sweetly ripe ones, was served. Even though Kwon Jiho said he didn’t want to eat anything, he couldn’t win against the persistent nagging and ate a little, as if just tasting it, before throwing it all up.

He couldn’t even make it to the bathroom. The moment he turned his body, the vomit that poured out of his mouth soiled the clothes of Do Yeonjae, who was supporting him.

His eyes widened as if in shock. Kwon Jiho wiped his wet mouth with a trembling hand and took a step back.

“Huu, I… told you I wasn’t going to eat…”

As if asking what to do now, he reached out his hand, but then seemed unable to bear the rising nausea, covering his mouth again as his back heaved. Kwon Jiho hastily left the spot. He fled into the bathroom as if running away, and had to cling to the toilet, emptying his stomach until the churning inside subsided.

Do Yeonjae managed to move to the front of the bathroom Kwon Jiho had entered, but he couldn’t open the door. Today was the first time he had witnessed the morning sickness he had only heard about. He covered his face, awash with bewilderment, and was confused about how he should react to Kwon Jiho. Whatever it was, he now clearly understood that he shouldn’t force him to eat.

♬⋆.˚

They spent an awkward and uncomfortable time together. Kwon Jiho closed his tired eyes and tried to sleep. Falling asleep was the only way to escape from him.

Do Yeonjae, unaware of what Kwon Jiho was thinking, stayed up all night with a mixture of satisfaction from having him in his sight and worry. From what he had observed, Kwon Jiho would get nauseous not only when eating food but also just by smelling anything bothersome.

At this rate, won’t both Kwon Jiho and the baby be in trouble? He was seized by ominous thoughts until morning, and even while discharging Kwon Jiho, he anxiously watched his every move.

The plan was to leave before breakfast time, but Kwon Jiho started gagging again at the smell of food that wafted through earlier than expected. After covering Kwon Jiho’s mouth and nose as much as possible with a handkerchief and getting him into the car, Kwon Jiho was completely drained and limp.

Chief Kim, sensing the situation, drove very carefully. He maintained a constant speed and was especially cautious about sudden starts and stops. Only after safely parking the car beneath the tall wall did he wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

Do Yeonjae carried Kwon Jiho, who had fallen asleep during the short ride, and entered the main gate. He passed through the front door that Chief Kim had opened ahead of him and felt relieved only after laying Kwon Jiho down in the bedroom.

“Make sure there are no food smells in the house.”

“Yes, I will give them strict orders.”

Do Yeonjae dimmed the bedroom lights and turned around. He intended to let him sleep soundly. Chief Kim followed quietly. A brief conversation continued in the living room.

“Rooibos tea? I heard there’s something like that. Prepare that too. And… tell them to be careful with anything that has a smell.”

“I’ll tell them to be mindful of the laundry as well.”

Do Yeonjae nodded and rubbed his chin. He thought of Kwon Heeyeon, whom he had lured out and kept locked in a hotel for days under the pretext of a secondhand trade. He had been holding onto her to use as a threat when Kwon Jiho said he wouldn’t come back, but as of now, she wasn’t a particularly useful card.

“Is Kwon Heeyeon staying put?”

“Yes, she only caused a fuss on the first day, saying she wanted to leave, but she’s been quiet since the second day. A post was uploaded to her personal social media saying she’s enjoying a ‘hotel-cation’.”

“What kind of mindset does one need to live like that?”

Chief Kim couldn’t answer the softly asked question. It was his first time dealing with that type of personality. How could he possibly describe it? An attitude that was too far beyond common sense to be called free-spirited.

“Ah, or is she asking Kang Gyumin for help? Since he was the one who hid him.”

“…Yes, that could be possible.”

“What a pipe dream. Just scare her a little so she doesn’t cause any more trouble. And confiscate all her electronic devices.”

Do Yeonjae scoffed at Kwon Heeyeon’s behavior, which became more absurd the more he thought about it. They say she has a different father from Kwon Jiho. Thinking she might be similar to Kwon Heeyeon, he had looked into her biological father, but his personality and temperament were completely different from hers. If anything, Kwon Heeyeon resembled Kwon Yoon Taek more.

“You said she has a different father from Kwon Jiho, right?”

“From what I’ve investigated, that is correct.”

“Maybe Kwon Yoon Taek had the baby and just recklessly left it with those two to raise. How could that incompetent man raise a child? He’s been living a pathetic life all this time.”

Chief Kim thought there was some truth to the casually muttered words. Kwon Heeyeon and Kwon Jiho were said to be half-siblings with the same mother, but they had no resemblance. If Kwon Jiho’s real mother had given birth to him, wouldn’t he have inherited some of her gentle nature? And his physical appearance as well.

“I will look into it further.”

“I’ll have to meet Kwon Yoon Taek soon, too. You may leave for the day.”

“Ah, the item you mentioned has been placed on the dining table. It’s a real problem that the morning sickness needs to subside.”

“I am concerned he might get sick if I feed him something sour and cold, but I suppose I have to try.”

Chief Kim, too, had grown deeply worried after seeing Kwon Jiho unable to keep any food down. He didn’t show his feelings outwardly for fear of displeasing Do Yeonjae, but he felt troubled by how much Kwon Jiho’s face had withered in just one or two weeks.

“I will also do my best to look into it and help.”

“Why would you, Chief Kim, look into it and help? Just support what I instruct you to do.”

“…Yes, I apologize.”

The alpha, having reclaimed the pregnant omega he had even one-sidedly imprinted on, was instinctively wary. This was true even if the target was someone he had kept by his side and worked with for over a decade.

Chief Kim bowed his head toward Do Yeonjae, whose sensitivity was at its peak with his rut approaching. He mentally chided himself for meddling out of misplaced sympathy and opened his briefcase.

“Here are the suppressants you asked for.”

“Thank you. You may leave now.”

Chief Kim gave a slight bow to Do Yeonjae’s back as he immediately turned after taking the suppressants, and then walked briskly toward the front door. All he wanted was to go home as soon as possible.