DASH

Jiheon let out a silent sigh. It seemed like Jaekyoung had lost some brownie points because of the calls earlier, and Jisoo wasn’t too happy about anything even before that either.

 
“Shotgun marriage or not, if you intend to marry him and are ready for it, I have no reason to object. But that’s not it. You said he suggested it, but you just brushed it off and were secretly thinking you weren’t going to marry him, right?”
 

However, Jisoo calmly explained the reason for her opposition. She wanted to stop Jiheon if he was being forced into marriage because of the baby.
Quietly listening to her, Jiheon lowered his elbows from the table, straightened up, and said:
 

“No, the reason I didn’t think seriously about marriage wasn’t because of my lover’s problem but because I was skeptical about the whole marriage system itself. Rather, with him… I thought I could do it later.”
“Oh, is that so……?”
 

Jisoo hesitantly responded.
Jiheon expected her to say, “Well, then do it. Have it your way if you want to. Why are you even asking me?” She would’ve said something like a dongsaeng she was and brushed it off, but seeing that she still seemed worried with a disapproving look on her face, she didn’t seem to like Jaekyoung at all.
 

Just as expected.
 
“But still, don’t do it.”

 
Jisoo repeated. Before Jiheon could ask why, she explained:
 

“He’s too young. Well, of course there are many who do their part even though they’re young, but you said your boyfriend doesn’t go to college and doesn’t go to work either. How will you raise a child? Are you going to earn money on your own to feed them both? Nonsense. It’s ridiculous to think about getting married while he’s doing nothing at that age.”
 
Hearing this, Jaekyoung really seemed like the world’s most hopeless bastard. Also, since Jisoo firmly believed that Jaekyoung didn’t use birth control, it was possible he had nothing she liked.
Jiheon wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, but he couldn’t share details about things like being in heat, knotting, the amount of semen, and such with his sister. So, he decided to leave that part behind and explain something else.

 
“No, he doesn’t go to work, but he does have a job.”
“What?”

 
Jisoo frowned, questioning the sense in that.
 

“What do you mean he has a job but doesn’t go to work? Is he a freelancer?”
“Mm, he’s... not a freelancer. Anyway, he’s affiliated with something. And he’s making money.”
 

Jiheon nodded and added:
 
“And he earns well. Maybe more than you can imagine, Jisoo.”

“Really……?”
 
Jisoo’s eyes widened.

 
“What kind of job does a 22-year-old who doesn’t go to work have to earn so much money? Is he doing stocks?”
“No, he earns money by working hard with his whole body. And he doesn’t know anything about stocks.”

 
In the meantime, he hinted at Jaekyoung’s stable asset management method.
 

“He doesn’t even raise funds and puts everything into savings or deposits. So, economically, there will be ups and downs, but that won’t be too much.”
 
When he mentioned his lover being more financially comfortable than average, Jisoo still looked hesitant and muttered, “I see…….”

 
She stayed silent for a moment, her head down, then suddenly got angry and slammed her fist on the table.
 

“Hey, but why the hell did you even ask me? If you’re gonna do whatever you want anyway, why are you even asking me?”
 
Seeing her speaking and clicking her tongue, she seemed quite annoyed. Well, she wasn’t wrong. Even Jiheon felt slightly ashamed of his own behavior, making excuses every time his sister said something.

 
“It’s upsetting, really.”
 

Jisoo grabbed ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) the bottle in annoyance, shook off the last drop, and shouted:
 
“Right? I told you, didn’t I? You had no intention of getting married, but you like this guy so much that you thought you could do it later. You said this guy has enough money and has been asking you to get married for a while! And, based on your personality, you guys didn’t use birth control because you thought it was okay, right? Why even ask me then? Why??”

 
Jisoo slammed down the bottle of soju, visibly upset. The intensity was so strong that Jiheon couldn’t bring himself to say anything otherwise, even when his dongsaeng believed he hadn’t used birth control until the end. If he argued now, he thought Jisoo would just get more upset, turn the table upside down, and leave.
 

“No, getting married and having children are two different things.”
 
Jiheon spoke as calmly as he could to avoid upsetting his sister.

 
“Not everyone who gets married has children.”
“Oh, well, you have a point.”

 
Jisoo reluctantly accepted it.
 

“From what I’ve heard you say so far, I don’t even know if there’s any reason not to keep the baby. What? Are you afraid of getting criticized for having a shotgun marriage? No, who the hell cares about that these days? People won’t care if you’re married shotgun or anything. They don’t even know who you are.”
 
Jisoo snorted dismissively.

 
“Mm…, that’s true.”
 

‘You’ll find out later. There’s no way there won’t be rumors about Kwon Jaekyoung having a shotgun marriage.’
 
—Those words rose up in his throat, but he held them back for now. He didn’t want to reveal that his lover was Jaekyoung. He was already tired and had no intention of making himself even more exhausted, at least for now.

 
“Shotgun marriage is just what I said. That’s not even my real reason. It’s because I don’t have the confidence to raise a child properly.”
 

In the end, Jiheon sighed.
 
“Even if my marriage falls apart, it’s my life, so I can handle it. But if I bring a child into the world and don’t raise it properly, I’ll be ruining the child’s life.”

“Oppa, there’s no way you can’t raise your child properly.”
 
Jisoo spoke in an annoyed tone, still unconvinced.

 
“Given your personality, are you planning to hit your child, ignore them, enroll them in 13 different academies, keep a constant watch on them so they can’t sleep, and force them to study all the time? Is that what you’re gonna do?”
“Hey, of course not.”

 
Jiheon was taken aback by the extreme scenario.
 

“But it’s not just about avoiding those things.”
“Yes, you need to care for your child with love and fulfill your responsibilities as a parent.”
 

Jisoo nodded, confidently raising her drink as if she knew everything. She finished the last sip in one go, placing her glass down and remarking.
 
“But do you really think you can’t do that? You, of all people?”

 
Jisoo seemed as if she couldn’t understand Jiheon’s thoughts.
 

“What the hell made you think that? Of course raising a child is tough and challenging, but it’s not something extraordinary. Everyone manages to do it in their own way. Why doubt yourself when the whole world is doing the same?”
“I don’t know, I just... don’t have the confidence.”
 

Jiheon spoke honestly. Jisoo glanced at him for a moment and, resting her elbows on the table, replied.
 
“Oppa, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. When I look at you, you’re only nonchalant on the outside, but in reality, you’re very perfectionist. So when you say ‘I can’t do it,’ it doesn’t literally mean you can’t do it, but rather, you lack the confidence to do it perfectly.”

 
This brought a new perspective.
 

“Really? Do you see me that way?”
 
Jiheon widened his eyes in response to the unexpected words and asked again. Jisoo nodded.

 
“Yeah. Honestly, when we were younger, I hated it when you acted like that. The more you worked hard and did well, the more I felt compared to you, and it seemed like I was falling short. But I feel a bit sad these days.”
 

Jisoo expressed this and pressed the call button on the table. While waiting for the staff, she continued speaking to Jiheon.
 
“You don’t have to strive for perfection in everything. No one in the world is good at everything. Plus, you’re not raising a child on your own, anyway.”

 
Jisoo paused and then cautiously asked Jiheon.
 

“Right…? You guys are raising the child together, right? You’re not flying solo in parenting, are you?”
 
With a serious expression, it seemed like she was genuinely worried that this 22-year-old little brat, who only knew how to make money and not so much about using birth control, might struggle with taking care of the child.

 
“I can’t raise the child alone.”
 

Jiheon stated plainly.
 
“If, hypothetically, I were to give birth, it’s most likely Jae— I mean, that guy who would take care of the baby.”

“Really? Did he actually say he would do that?”
“He didn’t say that.”
 

‘I’ll be working, and he’ll be at home, so of course he’ll have to take care of the child. What should I do about that?’
 
While Jiheon pondered silently, the door opened, and the staff asked if they needed anything.

 
“We’ll take more jiritang. And another bottle of soju, please.”
 

The staff brought the soju first. Jisoo couldn’t wait for the jiritang and drank first.
 
“Anyway, I understand. If you weren’t planning on having a child right now, I’d have stopped you too. But... that’s not really the case. And you seem to be leaning towards giving birth now.”

“What……? Do I?”
 
Jiheon asked, confused.

 
“No, not at all. What the hell makes you think that way?”
 

To this, Jisoo responded:
 
“Look, based on your personality, if you truly weren’t planning on giving birth, you wouldn’t be stressing about it like this. When you found out you were pregnant, you’d have immediately looked up on how to get rid of it. At this very early stage, you won’t need surgery; just one pill is enough. You know that the more you dwell on it, the harder it is to decide. You would’ve likely made a quick decision, taken the pill, didn’t tell anyone, and moved on as if it never happened.”

 
But now, as he continued to worry, the option of seemed to have vanished. This showed that he had a certain desire to go through with it.