The Omega Is Pregnant

As the warm blanket that had been enveloping him disappeared, Tae-seo pulled his arms in and curled up his body. The room wasn’t cold, but after sleeping so warmly, the cool air hit him sharply, making him feel uncomfortable.
"Mmm... the blanket."
"Get up."

Kang Se-heon took Tae-seo's blanket and spoke. His voice, neither too high nor too low, landed in Tae-seo's ears with such precision that it immediately wiped away his sleepiness. Tae-seo rubbed his eyes sluggishly and turned his body.
"I'm sleepy."
"You’ve been waiting for today."

Kang Se-heon had to watch over Tae-seo, who slept in late because of needing to work. But today was different. Tae-seo, who didn’t seem to want to get up, frowned deeply, clearly showing his reluctance to leave bed. If left to his own devices, Tae-seo would likely skip breakfast and continue sleeping.
Seeing that Tae-seo had no intention of getting up, Kang Se-heon raised an eyebrow and extended his hand toward him. Slowly, but steadily, his hand descended, grazing Tae-seo’s cheek before trailing softly along his smooth nose as it moved upward.
Tae-seo felt like perfume was dripping off his skin from the contact with Se-heon’s hand. The pleasant scent from Se-heon’s fingers made him feel unexpectedly relaxed. It was the kind of moment that made him think he could fall asleep again, even without the blanket.

"Ugh!"
Kang Se-heon’s hand suddenly gripped Tae-seo’s face completely. The sudden strength in his fingers jolted Tae-seo awake, and he grabbed Se-heon’s wrist, trying to free himself. With no other hand available to hold his chin, Tae-seo grabbed Se-heon’s wrist with both hands and tugged at it desperately, finally forcing the hand off his face.
Tae-seo jumped up and shouted at Se-heon.

"Why are you grabbing my face like a ball?"
"Come on."
After confirming Tae-seo was awake, Kang Se-heon turned away without a second thought. Tae-seo, watching him leave, flicked his clothes in frustration and then threw his pillow. After Se-heon left, there was no one to stop him from venting his anger.

Struggling to wake up, Tae-seo rubbed his eyes while stumbling out of his room, letting out a big yawn that almost made him tear up. He should have covered it with his hand out of politeness, but his hands were tucked inside his hoodie pockets, and he couldn’t be bothered to take them out. Watching him, Kang Se-heon pulled the hoodie over Tae-seo’s head.
Why was he putting a hood on him? Was it because the wind was chilly? Tae-seo wondered, looking at him, but Se-heon tightened the hood with a tug, making it scrunched up.
"Your head is showing. It’s embarrassing to walk around with you like this, so let’s cover it up."

"……."
Tae-seo pouted and tucked his hands inside the hood. His hair, still damp from sleep, was sticking up messily, and although he tried to fix it, it didn’t help much. Even so, it was a bit upsetting that Se-heon was openly criticizing him in front of others.
"Hey, baby. Let’s go. Arm in arm."
Tae-seo deliberately called out loudly so that others could hear, then quickly walked up to Se-heon, sticking close to him. If Se-heon said it was embarrassing, then Tae-seo was going to stay as close as possible.

"Yeah, sure. Come here, baby. Stick close to me."
Se-heon matched his pace and wrapped his arm around Tae-seo’s shoulder affectionately. Tae-seo gave him a look, disgusted by his overly sweet voice. When Se-heon smiled and muttered under his breath, “You need to stick close so you’re not compared to me.”
Kang Se-heon, impeccably dressed from head to toe, and Tae-seo, who was just barely covering his dishevelment with the hoodie. Realizing that staying this close would only make him look worse, Tae-seo slowly started to distance himself from him.

“Where are we going?”
“For breakfast.”
Se-heon said it wasn’t far and that they would only need to walk for about ten minutes. As Tae-seo’s pace slowed again, he complained about walking for ten minutes, but with Se-heon resolutely refusing to go back for the car, he had no choice but to follow.

‘The weather’s nice.’
As Tae-seo’s initially hesitant steps became more stable, he lifted his head toward the rising sun. Though his eyes were still heavy, the warm sunlight and gentle breeze made him feel more relaxed. His mood gradually improved, and the reluctant walk transformed into an eagerness to reach the restaurant quickly.
“Breakfast should be Korean food.”

Tae-seo flipped through the menu, teasing the options, but his eyes scanned the salads and brunch choices while his mouth kept looking for rice and soup.
“You’re picky about breakfast, but you eat everything at dinner.”
“How do you know that?”

“I know everything.”
Se-heon answered while sipping the hot Americano he had ordered first. He could easily find out what Tae-seo had eaten by checking the fridge or asking the staff. Though Tae-seo seemed to eat anything, it was surprising how he avoided anything that smelled in the morning.
Soon, Tae-seo ordered a variety of dishes, starting with a salad. Since Se-heon had ordered nothing, Tae-seo finally asked him, a bit later than usual.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I’m planning to steal some of yours.”
“You’re not complaining about me ordering too much, are you?”

“You should pay for what you’ve eaten.”
“Wow…”
Tae-seo realized that Se-heon had just silently watched him order everything, thinking maybe Se-heon would pay since he had brought him out. He turned his head, pretending to be annoyed, but the pleasant sunlight from earlier now felt much hotter on his skin.

“Perfect timing for a walk.”
“If you had delayed a bit, we would’ve walked under the blazing sun.”
“Can’t we just get along for this moment?”

Without answering, Se-heon gently patted Tae-seo’s head. Then, they both began to enjoy their time, each quietly lost in their own thoughts. Tae-seo lay his head on his arm while waiting for his food, and Se-heon drank his Americano, reading articles on his phone.
“Ah, this is nice.”
Even without doing anything, just being there felt so good. Tae-seo closed his eyes, inhaling the familiar scent of Se-heon and smiling faintly. He leaned his head back, resting on his arm.

“I didn’t expect to have this kind of time with you.”
Maybe because of their intense first encounter, Tae-seo had initially thought he should avoid meeting Se-heon. But after meeting him once, then twice, talking, exchanging business cards, and even staying at his house, he had never imagined things would unfold this way.
A day in the life of Yoon Tae-seo had always revolved around Kang In-hyuk, but now, it seemed like he had drifted off course, moving farther away, and new days continued to unfold. He didn’t hate anyone, nor did he have to torment anyone. If he was sleepy, he slept; if he needed to study, he studied with his head buried in books; and just like earlier, he enjoyed a simple walk. Those were the days he truly enjoyed.

What he especially liked was having dinner face-to-face with Kang Se-heon every evening. He didn’t have to eat alone, and it was easy to talk to someone who didn’t hold any preconceived notions about him.
“Actually, I’ve always felt uneasy. I’ve stopped doing it, but I couldn’t shake the fear that my fate would start to follow its old path again.”
Kang Se-heon, listening to Tae-seo’s confession, set down his coffee and phone. He wanted to hear more about what Tae-seo meant, but as the dishes began to arrive, the conversation was interrupted.

“This is really delicious.”
Tae-seo placed the utensils in front of Se-heon and began to eat whatever his heart desired. The salad was fresh, with a particularly tangy yuzu dressing that captured his taste. The bread, grilled in butter, might have been too rich, but surprisingly, it went down smoothly with balsamic sauce.
“If your fate is decided, then it’ll come to you, right? There’s no need to be tied down.”

“Ah… I suppose so. But that’s just it; I fear it won’t happen the way I want it to.”
“How did it feel being dragged out against your will?”
“Why the sudden shift in questions? Of course, I hated it. …At first.”

He quietly added that he didn’t feel that way anymore.
“If you ever feel uneasy again, tell me. I’ll change your fate.”
Kang Se-heon said this as if offering reassurance, even promising to take him on unexpected outings and walks like today. He then picked up his fork and tasted a bite of what Tae-seo had eaten.

After a couple of bites, Se-heon set the fork down, clearly not finding the taste to his liking.
“Ah…”
Tae-seo, who had been mulling over Se-heon’s words, suddenly froze, deep in thought.

‘That’s true.’
His past belief that he was doomed to die had kept him from considering anything else. Living with Kang Se-heon, or eating meals face-to-face like this, was something Yoon Tae-seo had never even imagined. He had already veered away from his previous fate, but he hadn’t realized it until now.
The medicine he had been planning to give Seo Da-rae had ended up in his own body, and he had become an Omega. He had left his home. So why had he been so afraid?

“Why the face?”
“What do you mean?”
“You look like you’ve figured something out.”

“Ah… is that so?”
“So, is it solved? Can I send you away now?”
Just as Se-heon’s words cut through the air, the worries that had been clogging up Tae-seo’s mind seemed to fade. He now felt that going back home wouldn’t be a problem. But as soon as he considered saying it out loud, he hesitated—was he really supposed to leave Se-heon’s house? The thought of actually leaving his house made him nervous. He stirred his straw absentmindedly and, without giving a direct answer, came up with a different excuse.

“It’s not that. I had somewhere to go, but I just remembered it now.”
“Where were you going?”
“Oh, I was thinking of going to the hospital.”

“The hospital? What’s wrong?”
“It’s not really an illness…”
“I’ll go with you.”

“Hmm?”
Tae-seo looked up at Se-heon while still holding his straw in his mouth. He was taken aback by Se-heon’s sudden offer to go with him, and before he knew it, Se-heon had already stood up.
“It’s the weekend, so the hospital will be closed. Let’s go to a place I know.”

“You really don’t have to go that far…”
“You forget everything else, but forget about the hospital?”
Se-heon motioned for Tae-seo to get up, signaling that it was time to go. It was the same expression he had worn when waking Tae-seo up earlier that morning. The determined mood, as if Se-heon had decided everything for him, made Tae-seo feel a slight twinge of regret. Maybe he shouldn’t have used the hospital as an excuse?

“Where’s the problem? Want to get checked up?”
Tae-seo realized that there was no way to refuse Se-heon’s initiative and shook his head.