* * *

“We all heard it, so just be honest.”

“Hurry up and spill. Otherwise, we’ll spread rumors that you’re dating Taeshin.”

Park Jonghoon closed the lecture hall door while Jung Noeul and Park Kangseop approached slowly like hyenas.

Their sharp eyes aimed at their prey, they advanced, and I grabbed Taeshin’s hand, calculating the best escape route.

Hey, count to three in your head, then we’ll dash out the front door, okay?

One, two… I sent a desperate telepathic message to Taeshin as our eyes met and began counting.

“Three… Ah!”

Thud!

Just as Taeshin, who had somehow understood my plan, and I were about to run at the count of three, my foot caught on a chair.

As I fell, Taeshin immediately caught me and pulled me into an embrace.

“Sunwoo, are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah. You scared me.”

After freeing my trapped foot, Taeshin helped me stand up awkwardly and asked.

With my heart pounding, I nodded, and Taeshin sighed and hugged me tightly.

“It’s true, I’m an uncle now!”

“What?”

“‘Alpha instinct,’ as the omega…”

Park Kangseop shouted, and Park Jonghoon explained to a curious Jung Noeul.

Jung Noeul, after hearing the explanation that alphas become more sensitive and protective towards pregnant omegas, alternated between looking at Taeshin and me with his mouth agape.

Eventually, our escape attempt failed, and we returned to our seats, surrounded by the three of them.

They demanded the truth with piercing stares, and I reluctantly nodded while covering my face with my hands. Then, a mix of awe and shock erupted from them.

“I’m an uncle at twenty! Geukja is going to be a dad at twenty…!”

“Really, Sunwoo…!”

“Wow…”

Park Kangseop jumped up and shouted while Jung Noeul and Park Jonghoon stared at my stomach.

Under their blatant gaze, I subtly covered my belly, hidden by a long T-shirt and loose sweatpants, with my hand, and they quickly apologized.

“Anyway, I’m an uncle now. Tell us the whole story.”

“Yeah, yeah. What happened?”

“The progress is so fast; I’m really curious.”

Park Kangseop, momentarily excited about becoming an uncle, sat down and demanded the backstory.

Jung Noeul and Park Jonghoon joined in with questions, and since it all started from my careless remarks, I couldn’t blame anyone else and had to explain it roughly.

I skipped the crucial parts about how Taeshin and I ended up together and how our relationship developed from there, summarizing the story to gloss over the important details.

“Is that really the whole story? It feels like a lot is missing.”

“Sunwoo, the story seems weird. Was there something huge you couldn’t tell us?”

“Ugh, just take it as it is!”

Even though I told them on the condition they wouldn’t tell anyone else, Park Kangseop and Jung Noeul found it strange and protested.

Just let it go!

I couldn’t exactly go back several months and honestly say that we slept with each other even before the semester even started!

“Getting pregnant after a month… that’s fast.”

“No wonder Sunwoo kept rejecting all the drinking parties.”

“Yeah. I can’t drink, so…”

Even though the story was lacking, Park Jonghoon was still shocked, and Jung Noeul nodded behind him.

When I explained why I’d been turning down drinking parties, Park Kangseop’s dissatisfied expression turned oddly bright.

“But why didn’t you tell us? You committed the grand act of making me an uncle!”

“How could I say it?”

“Even if you kept it a secret, it would have come out when the baby was born.”

“Sunwoo, were you planning not to tell us even after the baby was born?”

“No, I would have said it before then. I would have had to take a leave of absence anyway.”

As I mumbled an excuse, Park Kangseop scoffed. I was wary, wondering what he was up to, but thankfully it was nothing serious.

“I’ll buy the stroller as a special uncle gift. I’ll send it straight to your place, okay?”

“No, it’s fine. It’s still a long way off.”

“It’s my first nephew; I have to at least do that much. Or when should I send it?”

“Well, then…”

“Sunwoo.”

“I’m having the baby in November, so next year, maybe? Why?”

While calculating when we’d need the stroller, Taeshin called me.

When I turned to look at him, he was fiddling with my hand and glaring at Park Kangseop without saying anything.

Wondering why he was staring, I looked at Park Kangseop and saw him and Jung Noeul making strange gestures with their fingers.

“Wow, I knew it! Sunwoo, you did everything with Taeshin ages ago! You broke the speed limit even before the semester started!”

“Sunwoo, even after all that, you asked Taeshin to set you up on blind dates?”

How did they know? I had vaguely mentioned that it hadn’t been long since I got pregnant, but they figured out it happened much earlier.

Shocked, I opened my eyes wide, and Park Jonghoon, making the same strange gestures, let out a small exclamation.

“If it’s November, it doesn’t match the time you asked for blind dates back then.”

I’m done for. Answering carelessly, I let everything slip.

Even though I didn’t lie, I hid the truth well, but they still found out the exact timing of my mishap with Taeshin.

Embarrassed, I buried my face in my hands on the desk while Park Kangseop and Jung Noeul teased me about already having done the deed and pretending otherwise.

“Did you really think we wouldn’t find out?”

“So this is what Sunwoo was hiding.”

“Mind your own business. What does it matter when Sunwoo does anything?”

Thwack, thwack!

“It’s your fault!”

You idiot! Did I make Haeju alone? You’re Haeju’s dad! You’re talking like it’s someone else’s business! And you should have stopped me earlier!

Now everything’s out in the open!

While Taeshin patted my head gently, he scolded Park Kangseop and Jung Noeul, and I hit him lightly while glancing at him.

“Sunwoo, it would have been a disaster if you’d gone on blind dates while seeing Taeshin.”

“Ever since I saw Taeshin looking at Sunwoo like a beast, I knew, ow!”

Thwack!

“Mistake.”

“A mistake, my ass!”

Taeshin accidentally kicked Park Kangseop’s shin.

Even though he said it was a mistake, Park Kangseop, with his small-heartedness, insisted it was on purpose and freaked out.

“Sunwoo, are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah. We have our plans, and our parents gave their permission.”

When I answered with a smile to Jung Noeul’s worried question, the concerned expressions of my friends softened.

Having a baby and getting married at twenty wasn’t a light decision, so they were probably worried.

“Anyway, congratulations. It’s good that your parents gave their blessing.”

“Congratulations to both of you, Sunwoo and Taeshin… wow.”

“Thank you.”

“One day, I’m going to sue you for emotional damage. Moonsun, you really meant it when you said you’d buy a stroller, right? Let me know when you need it. I’ll get it for you, not for Geukja.”

Park Jonghoon and Jung Noeul celebrated noisily.

Even Park Kangseop, who had been yelling at Taeshin, quickly changed his attitude and joined the conversation.

In no time, the number of supportive uncles grew from four to seven.

---

After the lecture ended, I was studying when suddenly I started craving my mom’s seafood pancake.

I remembered how she would make it thick with all sorts of seafood.

The desire to eat it hit me hard, so I called her right away. She scolded me for only calling at times like this but told me to come home.

When I arrived and rushed into the dining room, I saw Mom and the Housemaid.

“Mom! Pancake!”

“Look at you, asking for it right away. I’m still preparing, so go change your clothes and come down. Taeshin, you too, come on in.”

“Yes, Mother.”

I got scolded for asking about the pancake first before greeting anyone. I quickly washed up, and by the time I came out, Mom had finished preparing the ingredients and was heating the oil in the pan.

The sizzling sound of the pancake cooking in the well-heated pan filled the air with a delicious smell.

Excited by the sound, I grabbed my chopsticks even before Mom finished plating the pancake.

“You’re not going to eat any rice, just this?”

“Yeah! I suddenly thought of this while studying.”

“Studying, sure. Just don’t get into any trouble.”

Mom handed me the perfectly cooked seafood pancake and lightly scolded me. Geez, it’s not like I get into that much trouble. I pouted and tore into the pancake, sneaking a glance at Mom.

“Is it good?”

“Yeah! It’s really good. Hey, Taeshin! You should try this too.”

“Taeshin, haven’t you had dinner yet?”

“It’s okay, Mother.”

I offered some to Taeshin, but he shook his head and declined, even skipping dinner. His complexion didn’t look good, and I remembered he’d been unable to stand the smell of seafood lately.

“Does it smell fishy?”

“No, it’s fine… urgh.”

Taeshin covered his mouth and turned away. I couldn’t smell anything, but it seemed to bother him.

Ugh, didn’t the hospital say nothing was wrong? Is he really okay? Feeling sorry, I patted his back gently.

“How about seeing another doctor? It’s been a month, and they said nothing’s wrong.”

“A month? Is Taeshin sick?”

“I don’t know. He can’t even walk past the seafood tanks at restaurants because of the smell.”

“I’m sorry. I’m fine, Sunwoo.”

I sighed and looked at the pale-faced Lee Taeshin. Fine, my foot. He didn’t look fine at all. Could it be that the doctor we saw was a quack? I squinted suspiciously as Mom spoke up.

“Is Taeshin having morning sickness?”

“Huh?”

“Some Alphas experience it too. Your dad had a hard time when I was pregnant with Jinwoo.”

“Huh?”

I widened my eyes in surprise and looked at Taeshin.

He covered his mouth and avoided our gaze after briefly looking at Mom and me.

Huh? What’s with that reaction?

* * *