The Omega Is Pregnant-Chapter 41

Yoon Tae-seo raised his straw and lowered it again, glancing around. The café Kang In-hyuk had suggested was the same one he had visited with Park Han-su last time. Remembering that the dessert here had been decent, he took a sip from his straw. The cold ade swept through his mouth, cooling him down as it went down his throat.

This isn’t bad either.

Tae-seo pulled the straw away from his lips and looked at the lemonade again, as if seeing it for the first time. Since the menu didn’t have many options, he had ordered it without much expectation. He thought he’d only be able to tolerate it, but the clean, refreshing finish was surprisingly to his taste.

So this is why people drink lemonade.

Bringing the straw back to his lips, Tae-seo took another strong sip. He was aware that the person sitting across from him was barely touching his coffee, but he didn’t bother to urge him to drink. Instead, he chose to nudge him with a mild threat.

“I’m almost done drinking this. If you’re not going to say anything before then, I’m leaving.”

Tae-seo mumbled the words with the straw still between his teeth. His pronunciation was slurred, but whether the other person understood or not wasn’t his concern. The fact that he had even followed Kang In-hyuk to this café was already more than enough effort on his part.

If I weren’t playing the villain, I would’ve never come along.

Originally, Tae-seo had intended to act cold toward Kang In-hyuk. But that was only to make it clear that he had no feelings for him—something that fit the personality of Yoon Tae-seo from the original story. It was never about seeking revenge. He had even let slip his feelings of resentment toward Kang In-hyuk before, but in the end, the mistakes Yoon Tae-seo had made were his own. No matter the reason, his actions couldn’t be justified.

Yoon Seok-hoon had been the one to point that out so sharply. When addressing the wrongs his son had committed, Yoon Seok-hoon had told him to admit his faults and apologize. That was why Tae-seo hadn’t refused Kang In-hyuk’s proposal to meet. In fact, now that they had the chance to talk, he thought it was for the best.

“If you’re not going to talk, I’ll go first. I tried to drug Seo Da-rae at the party.”

“You...!”

Kang In-hyuk’s eyebrows twisted sharply, and his voice was about to rise in anger, but Tae-seo swiftly raised his hand to stop him.

“I’m not done talking yet. I made sure Seo Da-rae didn’t take the drug. I was the one who caused the problem, but I also took responsibility and fixed it.”

Tae-seo calmly laid out the details of what had happened that night. He could see Kang In-hyuk’s expression harden, but he didn’t waver. That wouldn’t help in conveying the situation properly.

“Seo Da-rae didn’t take the drug. I can guarantee that.”

“Even if he didn’t take it, the fact that you tried something like that is already wrong.”

“I know. That’s why I’m apologizing. To Seo Da-rae and to you.”

Tae-seo sincerely apologized to Kang In-hyuk.

“I won’t make excuses. I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ to me. Apologize to Da-rae.”

“I will.”

Even faced with Kang In-hyuk’s sharp reply, Tae-seo accepted it without any sign of irritation.

“Right now, I’m talking to you first because we’re face to face. You were upset too, weren’t you?”

“......”

“I’m sorry for saying this so late.”

He had been too caught up in his own circumstances, which was why he was only now getting around to apologizing. It might all sound like an excuse, but at the very least, Tae-seo had never forgotten. Even if it took time, he believed in making amends step by step. Others might find it frustrating, but as long as he could keep moving forward, he was willing to walk that path.

“...I’m done.”

“So, does that mean you’re accepting my apology?”

Tae-seo asked cautiously. He was only seeking confirmation, but deep down, he wanted to hear Kang In-hyuk say yes. If the other still seemed dissatisfied, Tae-seo was fully prepared to kneel if he had to. If that was the best he could do, then he would do it without hesitation.

“There’s no guarantee you won’t do something like this again. I don’t know if I should just let this go.”

Kang In-hyuk sighed, his voice laced with distrust toward Tae-seo.

“Haven’t I been pretty quiet all this time? Just assume I’ll stay that way. If you still don’t trust me, then next time I mess up, don’t hesitate—slap me right across the face.”

Tae-seo puffed out one cheek and tilted his face toward Kang In-hyuk as if he was already offering it up. As if he was saying that if he ever did something wrong again, he’d wait patiently to be struck. Whether it was because of the pressure or the absurdity of it all, Kang In-hyuk leaned back in his seat. The rigid expression he had worn earlier had already melted away, replaced by a look of disbelief.

“This isn’t something to joke about.”

“I’m not joking. I’m serious. Just hit me. That’s how confident I am that I won’t do it again.”

“...I don’t know if I can trust you.”

Hearing Kang In-hyuk mutter as he ran a hand over his forehead, Tae-seo smirked. Even though he had still felt like he wasn’t completely in the wrong, the fact that Kang In-hyuk was accepting his apology made him feel strangely relieved.

“Well then—”

Just as Tae-seo was about to say it was Kang In-hyuk’s turn, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Glancing down, he saw the name displayed at the top of the screen. Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone. He was about to place it on the table but, remembering who was sitting in front of him, instead set it atop his bag beside him.

Reading the message, which simply said, Still in a meeting, a smile threatened to tug at his lips. He bit down on them to suppress it and quickly typed out a response.

[You should be working.]

[I’m managing just fine.]

[Didn’t you say you were in a meeting?]

[I’m just receiving reports.]

The relaxed response, as if he had all the time in the world, made Tae-seo scoff.

So he’s reminding me that he’s an executive, huh?

For someone who didn’t seem like it, he sure had a way of subtly showing off.

Tae-seo chewed on his straw, rereading the messages over and over. Just replying with okay felt too boring, but ignoring it would make him feel like he was conceding somehow. He debated how to respond.

“...I also have something to apologize for.”

Kang In-hyuk seemed to be hesitating over his words. Meanwhile, Tae-seo sneakily glanced back at his phone.

He had just thought of the perfect reply.

[Babe, do you miss me that much? Is that why you keep texting?]

As Tae-seo typed out the message, he imagined Kang Se-heon’s reaction upon receiving it. The thought of Se-heon’s expression shifting—perhaps his eyebrows twitching just a little in the middle of a meeting—made him stifle a giggle. If he could fluster him even slightly, he’d consider it a success.

“Are you even listening to me?”

“Huh? Oh. Yeah, keep talking.”

Realizing he had momentarily forgotten about Kang In-hyuk’s presence, Tae-seo quickly swallowed his laughter and lowered his voice in response.

“I wanted to apologize for snapping at you back then. I acted without thinking.”

“Oh, that time? It’s fine.”

Tae-seo could understand why In-hyuk had been caught off guard—after all, he hadn’t expected to run into him while visiting his cousin. Being flustered and reacting angrily had been a natural response, and Tae-seo had no trouble understanding that.

“Are you really fine with it?”

Kang In-hyuk’s voice stretched slightly as if asking for reassurance, but Tae-seo, more focused on his phone, brushed it off without much concern.

“You must’ve been flustered too.”

Besides, even though In-hyuk had gotten angry back then, Kang Se-heon had been present, which meant Tae-seo hadn’t been particularly upset about it. In fact, the whole incident had already faded from his memory. Right now, he was far more curious about how Se-heon would respond to his text.

📩 [Babe, please give me a heads-up before you do things like that.]

As soon as his phone vibrated with a new message, Tae-seo pressed his lips together, trying to suppress the laughter bubbling up. He barely managed to hold back the sound, but the corners of his lips refused to come down.

Still covering his mouth, Tae-seo moved his hand and lightly patted his cheek. He never got bored when talking to Kang Se-heon.

“Just forget about it.”

After reading the message, Tae-seo’s entire demeanor softened. Smiling every now and then as he sipped his drink, he seemed more relaxed. As if responding to that change, Kang In-hyuk’s expression also eased, feeling an odd sense of nostalgia.

There was a time when things were peaceful with Yoon Tae-seo too...

For a moment, old memories flickered in Kang In-hyuk’s eyes, resurfacing from years past.

****

“I won’t lash out at you without thinking anymore. So you’d better keep your word too.”

“I will.”

There was no need for Tae-seo to keep up his hostile attitude toward In-hyuk any longer. Not every emotion had been resolved, but it was enough that he had started to care about their interactions. Maybe this was what his father had wanted him to consider as well.

“Go on.”

Feeling noticeably lighter, Tae-seo put some distance between himself and In-hyuk. Now, all that was left was to apologize to Seo Da-rae and bring this entire chapter to a close.

With that thought in mind, Tae-seo immediately called Kang Se-heon.

After just a few rings, Se-heon’s voice came through, lifting Tae-seo’s mood even further.

📞 [Hello.]

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

“Did your meeting end?”

📞 [Thanks to you, it ended early.]

Hearing Se-heon’s shameless response, Tae-seo finally gave up on holding back his laughter. How was it that just talking on the phone with him made him feel like this? Shaking his head slightly, he decided to play along.

“Oh? You react so well when I call you that. Should I keep doing it?”

📞 [Of course. It’d be even better if you said it in front of other people.]

“In front of other people?”

📞 [Yeah. Like my family, for example.]

Tae-seo’s steps slowed at that. His family...

The faces of Kang Se-heon’s immediate relatives, ones he had come across while searching for information about him, flashed in his mind. It seemed inevitable now—Se-heon had met Tae-seo’s parents, so now it was his turn.

📞 [My parents want to meet you too.]

📞 [I told them you’re the person I love.]

Se-heon’s voice brushed against Tae-seo’s ear, leaving behind an undeniable warmth.