* * *

So embarrassing.

Why did I say that?

I rubbed my face with my hands, wanting to run away.

I glanced at Taeshin at the counter and then at the exit.

If I left now, I could probably get away before he came back.

I was torn between the exit and Taeshin’s comforting pheromones.

When I looked back, Taeshin was watching me, making me abandon my escape plan and turn my gaze out the large window.

Can he read my mind with his pheromones…?

His perfectly timed glance made me suspicious.

The café was bustling, likely because it was a residential area, and all the good seats were taken.

Some people glanced at Taeshin at the counter, whispering to each other. It made me feel uneasy again.

Taeshin is so handsome that people always stare at him, but he never seems to notice. It suddenly bothered me.

I remembered when people at school recommended blind dates to him.

If he liked me, he should use his charm only on me, not on others.

My emotions surged again, and tears welled up.

Taeshin’s phone vibrated in his jacket.

It was an unregistered number, so I was going to ignore it, but it kept buzzing, so I answered.

– You idiot, my car…!

Click.

“Are you very cold?”

Taeshin, holding a warm drink, naturally took his phone from my hand and hung up.

He even silenced it and put it away.

“Hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmallows, extra chocolate syrup… Sunwoo?”

“Give it to me.”

I grabbed the hot chocolate mug Taeshin brought with a trembling voice.

I took the spoon and stirred the hot chocolate vigorously, mixing the whipped cream, marshmallows, and cocoa powder.

I tasted it with the warm spoon and blew on the hot chocolate to cool it before taking a sip.

“…It’s not good.”

The hot chocolate wasn’t sweet at all, despite the added marshmallows.

I drank it grudgingly, sniffing, convinced that the café made terrible hot chocolate. If not, the only other reason it tasted bad was Taeshin.

“Close your eyes. It doesn’t taste right.”

I looked at Taeshin rebelliously, but my nose kept running, ruining my defiant look. Taeshin watched me and then closed his eyes.

The lack of his gaze and the faint pheromones made the hot chocolate’s sweetness disappear entirely.

Taeshin is too sweet. I couldn’t taste the deep, rich sweetness of the hot chocolate at all and saw the bottom of the mug.

As I licked my lips, a sweet scent wafted with the intensified pheromones. Taeshin was watching me.

“Sunwoo, give me your hand.”

I felt calmer after the warm hot chocolate, and Taeshin’s outstretched hand. Avoiding his gaze, I placed my hand in his.

His big hand gently enveloped mine, warming and soothing it.

“It’s a bit better now.”

Taeshin’s warm hand massaged mine, touching each finger and stroking the joints. The gentle touch tickled. When I tried to pull my hand back, Taeshin lightly held on tighter.

“What’s wrong? Your text yesterday and now this… Did I do something wrong?”

Holding my hand, Taeshin asked calmly.

When I didn’t answer, he lifted his gaze from my hand to look at me.

His piercing stare made me avert my eyes and press my lips together.

My mind and throat were filled with unrefined thoughts and words.

“Sunwoo.”

Trying to hold back tears, I took a moment to gather my thoughts, but Taeshin, oblivious to my distress, kept urging me.

I wanted to tell him to wait, but my throat was so tight that no sound came out.

As I tried to sort through the jumble of thoughts about nothing and pregnancy, he kept calling for me impatiently.

“Sunwoo,”

“…I… I’m…”

“Dad! Hyung said to me…”

Trying to speak through Taeshin’s prodding, my voice was drowned out by a young boy, probably an elementary school kid, among a group of customers who had just come in.

The boy’s loud voice completely buried my words. It felt like Taeshin hadn’t heard a thing.

“Sorry, Sunwoo. I didn’t catch that.”

The kid’s vocal power was impressive, like a budding opera singer.

He was so loud that his neglectful father had to tell him to lower his voice.

I felt like burying the words I had finally mustered up to say to Taeshin.

But it was something that had to be said, so I steadied myself and tried again.

“I’m pre….”

“Sorry, one more time….”

“…Preg… nant.”

“Sunwoo, again….”

“I’m preg….”

“Damn it. Can’t you control your kid?!”

The little troublemaker, who seemed to have the vocal chords of an opera singer, kept running around and being noisy at the next table.

Despite the kid’s father trying to quiet him, my words were drowned out again and again.

Finally, Taeshin, who had been patiently asking me to repeat myself, raised his voice at the disruptive table.

“Sunwoo, just once more,”

“Pregnant, I’m pregnant!! How many times do I have to say it!”

Finally, Taeshin used one of the many swear words I had taught him, but I barely noticed.

I was furious at the filthy situation where I had to keep repeating such a sensitive topic.

I snapped and shouted, then buried my face in the table, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Waaah! Why can’t you understand quickly! Now I’m doomed! If Mom finds out, she’ll kill me! Moon Jinwoo, that bastard also warned me to be careful, and now look at this!”

If there was a god, they were surely making noise every time I tried to speak, to make my life miserable. Otherwise, this much bad luck was inexplicable.

Crying with my head on the table, I could almost hear Moon Jinwoo’s voice scolding me about being cautious with Alphas because they’re all beasts.

I had always half-listened to Moon Jinwoo’s advice, but it stung that he was right, and that I was pregnant because of it.

“…Pregnant?”

“Yes, pregnant!”

“…Pregnant?”

Still unable to believe it, Taeshin kept mumbling to himself.

I lifted my head from the table and shouted at him.

“That’s right! Pregnant! You knotted that day. You went crazy! I told you not to, that it scared me! Waaaah! You bad jerk, I was in pain the whole time and you don’t even remember! My brothers said they’d kill me and the baby’s dad if I got pregnant, what are we going to do! I’m dead now! They’ll kill me and my mom will too! Waaah!”

“Really… no. Sunwoo. Calm down, Sunwoo.”

Taeshin put his hand on my head as I cried into the table.

His gentle, careful touch only made me cry harder because of the rowdy father-son duo next to us.

How could I handle it if my kid turned out like those two, with no sense of public decency or parental discipline!

Taeshin is too soft and would spoil the kid, becoming a dad like that and driving me crazy with rage!

I hadn’t decided to keep the baby yet, but imagining it growing up like that was horrifying.

Lately, there seemed to be more and more parents with no sense, and it didn’t feel like someone else’s problem.

Crying bitterly, I heard laughter from around me, making me feel even more isolated in my sadness.

“Um, Sunwoo. First… calm down…”

“Do you think I can calm down!? I’m pregnant! What now? Take responsibility!”

I lifted my head and snapped at Taeshin, who was trying to soothe me by petting my hair and telling me to calm down.

It felt like he was treating it as someone else’s problem.

I slapped away his hand angrily and saw him cover his mouth, suppressing a laugh.

“Waaah, I’m ruined…!”

Seeing Taeshin, seemingly in shock with his hand over his mouth, made me feel hopeless.

I had taught and raised Taeshin, helping him escape his foolishness, but now there was a Taeshin Junior to think about!

If the baby took after me, fine, but if it took after Taeshin, the future seemed bleak.

“Sorry, Sunwoo. It’s okay, don’t worry.”

“What do you mean, okay! Hic, you have no sense at all!”

* * *