The Omega Is Pregnant-Chapter 75

Inside the moving car, Tae-seo stared ahead, absentmindedly fiddling with the necklace around his neck. As his fingers traced over the gift Se-heon had given him, the kiss they’d shared earlier came rushing back. His face grew warm, and he instinctively fanned himself with his hand.

“Should I turn on the air conditioning? Are you hot?”

“No, but what if someone saw? Kissing me like that right there?”

“Then where should I have done it instead?”

“...Well.”

Even Tae-seo, usually quick-witted, couldn’t come up with an answer right away. Se-heon took that as an opportunity to rephrase his question.

“Then how about a kiss that happens by chance?”

“A kiss by chance?”

As they stopped at a red light, Se-heon gestured toward a couple walking along the street. They were turned toward each other, their gazes filled with love, and even Tae-seo found himself smiling at the sight.

“They could trip and accidentally kiss.”

Hearing that ridiculous scenario, Tae-seo scoffed.

“This isn’t some drama. That’d just end with broken teeth.”

What’s with this guy talking like he’s planning to get dental implants or something?

“And while we’re at it, don’t hide a ring inside a cake. That’s a one-way ticket to a chipped tooth. Also, no making a heart out of candles—it’s a nightmare to clean up. And don’t pluck a bunch of rose petals and scatter them everywhere. The vacuum will suck them up and break.”

As Tae-seo listed off typical proposal ideas one by one, Se-heon burst out laughing. Tae-seo started laughing along with him but gradually fell silent. The teasing glint in his eyes faded as if it had never been there, and he turned his head slightly away from Se-heon before speaking casually.

“I met up with In-hyuk earlier.”

He had only told Se-heon that he had somewhere to go, without giving him the details. Now, he turned back to face him.

“Aren’t you going to ask about my relationship with In-hyuk? Considering how much your aunt threw a fit—ah, I mean, how upset she was?”

He had almost said threw a fit outright, but at the last second, he changed his wording. After all, to Se-heon, Han Mi-sun was still his aunt. Since she had emphasized his connection with In-hyuk so aggressively at the family meeting, Se-heon probably had some idea of the situation.

“We weren’t just college classmates or simple friends. I liked him for a long time.”

A sudden scratchiness in his throat made Tae-seo rub the back of his neck. Maybe it was because saying this to Se-heon felt uncomfortable, or maybe it was just difficult to admit.

“That’s why his mother liked me so much, too.”

He spoke matter-of-factly, laying out his past. Only by doing so did he feel like he could properly apologize to Se-heon for what had happened at the meeting.

“Everything she did today—it was all ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) because of me. I’m so—”

“Tae-seo. Let’s stop.”

Se-heon, who had been completely silent and focused on driving, suddenly spoke.

Tae-seo turned to him, caught off guard.

From his side profile, Se-heon’s high nose bridge was prominent, but his expression remained unreadable. The fact that he couldn’t fully see his reaction made Tae-seo feel uneasy. Without realizing it, he leaned forward and reached out.

Instead of turning Se-heon’s face toward him, he simply placed his hand against his cheek.

His fingers slid over Se-heon’s smooth forehead before lowering to brush against his lips. Tae-seo was so focused on the sensation beneath his fingertips that he didn’t even notice when the car came to a stop.

“Are you mad?”

Se-heon’s lips weren’t pressed into a tight line, nor did the corners of his mouth drop in displeasure. But Tae-seo still couldn’t be sure, so he asked. And just like that, as if the question had been a signal, Se-heon’s lips parted.

His lower lip stretched slightly before curving upward, his breath spilling out in a soft, amused sigh.

“Are you letting this go because you’re an adult?”

Is he saying he’s mature enough to overlook the past? That he can be generous about it? Tae-seo had never been as old as Se-heon, so he didn’t know. That’s why he asked. Because Se-heon had always seemed like an adult—while he still felt like a child.

Because Se-heon was always understanding.

“That’s not why I didn’t ask.”

Se-heon turned his head fully, his face now completely visible.

“Even adults get jealous. No matter how old you are, you still hate what you hate.”

“Then why—”

“Because it’s not something you need to apologize for.”

Se-heon caught Tae-seo’s hand, which was still lingering on his lips, and pressed a kiss to it.

“And it’s not like I didn’t already know. My aunt has mentioned it before. I just didn’t realize she was talking about you until I started paying attention. You met In-hyuk today because you wanted to put this situation to rest, right? I trusted you, so I didn’t interfere.”

He placed a hand on the back of Tae-seo’s head and pulled him in. Holding Tae-seo close, Se-heon pressed a soft kiss to his ear.

“You’re going to have to love me even more. I’m not as generous as you think.”

But today, none of this was anyone’s fault, so he wouldn’t place blame. He kept whispering, gently easing the tension from Tae-seo’s heart. Tae-seo, who had been listening in silence, suddenly had a thought and lifted his head.

“You don’t have an ex, do you?”

“I don’t. You know that.”

“I meant someone you gave your heart to. I know you don’t just fall for people easily. But still, there’s no way you’ve been single your whole life.”

Se-heon said nothing, simply tightening his embrace.

Tae-seo squirmed slightly, trying to pull away, but Se-heon only held him closer.

“No, seriously. Have you ever had someone?” Tae-seo forced the words out through gritted teeth, but Se-heon pretended not to hear and just held him silently.

“For someone who never shuts up, you’ve suddenly turned into the Little Mermaid.”

What, did he sell his voice to a witch or something?

A conversation that had started out serious barely lasted ten minutes before it completely unraveled.

****

Seo Da-rae sat on a bench, knowing full well that Kang In-hyuk was approaching, yet he didn’t turn around.

There was a time when they used to take evening walks together in this very place. He had thought that sitting here again would bring him comfort, but it wasn’t working as well as he had hoped. With a subdued voice, he finally spoke.

“Tae-seo is pregnant.”

“......”

“Did you know?”

“So what?”

“...What?”

Seo Da-rae lifted his gaze in disbelief at In-hyuk’s indifferent response. Even from just his side profile, he could tell—In-hyuk wasn’t the least bit surprised.

Da-rae bit down hard on his lower lip. He already knew. And not only that—he had been deeply shaken by it. Yet here he was, pretending it was nothing in front of Da-rae. Others might not notice, but In-hyuk couldn’t fool his eyes.

Even after hearing about the pregnancy, In-hyuk’s heart still wavered because of Tae-seo. Da-rae wanted to hold onto him. He stood up from the bench and faced In-hyuk directly.

Somewhere along the way, meeting In-hyuk had become suffocating. The uncomfortable pheromones that lingered, the awkward atmosphere—it made even swallowing difficult.

“Tae-seo doesn’t like you anymore, In-hyuk.”

“...So that’s why you did what you did? Do you even realize that he could’ve been in serious danger because of your stunt?”

“...What?”

Before Da-rae could recover from his shock, In-hyuk continued.

“That last heat incident. You dragged Tae-seo into it, and you got caught up in the mess yourself. It wasn’t some accident—you orchestrated it.”

The sharp look in In-hyuk’s eyes left no room for argument. From the very beginning, he had never believed it was a coincidence. Da-rae had been the one to set it all into motion.

“...You knew?”

In-hyuk let out a deep sigh—not out of disappointment in Da-rae, but in himself. Even now, when he thought back to that moment, when Tae-seo had nearly been taken from him, he was filled with rage and frustration.

I should have taken him away first.

The mere thought of what could have happened sent a chill down his spine. In-hyuk exhaled sharply and pressed a hand against his chest before turning his gaze back to Da-rae.

“Why the hell did you do that to Tae-seo?”

“At the very least, I didn’t want to hear that from you.”

Da-rae’s voice wavered with emotion, but In-hyuk turned his head away, unwilling to meet his eyes.

Da-rae clenched his fists and bit down hard on the inside of his cheek. The pain helped him hold back his tears. His throat tightened, but he forced himself to speak.

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“I put up with Tae-seo tormenting me for so long... I endured it.”

And if anyone knew that best, it was In-hyuk.

Even Kang Se-heon, whom he had just met, had looked at him with sympathy after hearing only part of the story. It was only natural that In-hyuk, who had witnessed it firsthand, would feel it even more.

He had stepped in to protect Da-rae from Tae-seo before.

“So instead of judging me, can’t you try to understand me, just this once?”

Da-rae struck his own chest, desperately seeking validation from the one person he thought would always be on his side.

Even if the whole world turned its back on him, at least In-hyuk would stay.

“...I’m tired of this. Let’s stop.”

What came back was cold betrayal.

“...What do you mean by that?” Da-rae muttered, his voice trembling with disbelief. “What are you stopping? What are you tired of?”

For the first time, In-hyuk’s quiet, accusatory gaze turned sharp.

“To be honest, I was always frustrated by how passive you were. I didn’t want you to just complain about Tae-seo—I wanted you to actually do something about it. But you never did. And yet, now, you suddenly go this far?

In the end, you did it just because you hate him.”

Da-rae’s lips parted helplessly.

The tears he had been holding back with so much effort suddenly spilled over, falling in heavy drops.

Unable to bear the sight, In-hyuk turned his head away.

As if that wasn’t enough, he pressed his fingers against his temple, as if nursing a headache, before stepping past Da-rae entirely.

“...I’m sorry. I think we need some time apart.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned away.

Not once had he tried to comfort Da-rae.

Not even when Da-rae was falling apart in front of him.

So even as In-hyuk walked away, Da-rae didn’t try to stop him.

Because what was the point? The only thing he would get in return were words as sharp as thorns.

Da-rae lowered his head.

The tears that had trailed down his cheeks dripped onto the ground.

“...I hate this. I hate everything now.”

He hated In-hyuk, who wouldn’t hold him.

He hated Yoon Tae-seo, who had once tormented him—who was now laughing happily while he was left suffering.

He hated himself, stuck in between them, his heart bleeding from the wounds they had left behind.

“Hhkk... hhk.”

Da-rae sobbed, consumed by the crushing loneliness of the moment.

He cried like a child, but no one came to him.

The tears seemed endless, as if they would never stop.

And then—suddenly—he remembered something.

A voice from the past.

Someone had once looked at him with cold eyes when he had tried to justify himself. But when he had finally been honest about his pain, they had reached out and patted his shoulder.

And they had said—

"You’ve been through a lot."

It wasn’t a long or elaborate comfort.

But the moment those words came to mind, Da-rae’s tears slowed, and amidst the overwhelming despair, for just a fleeting second—

It felt like there was a sliver of light.