It’s not your child chapter 3

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“It’s nothing, really. I’ve just been tired lately. Hyun’s been getting more work, and the company’s been busy. I must’ve skipped meals because I’d fall asleep as soon as I got home.”

“Even so, you’ve always cared more about eating than sleeping.”

“Yeah, I guess. But, you know, sometimes things just happen.”

Jaeyoon’s eyes narrowed at Siyoung’s shifty behavior.

He was definitely hiding something.

The way he avoided eye contact suggested it was something worth getting scolded for if found out.

“Are you sure you’re not sick? Have you seen a doctor?”

“Going to the hospital just because I’m tired? That’s a bit much.”

“I should talk to Yeonseok about this. You’re clearly overworking yourself, passing out as soon as you get home.”

To Jaeyoon, this situation made no sense.

None of them were working to make money, so there was no need to push Siyoung so hard.

“Even Hyun reached out and told me to keep an eye on you. If he noticed, then something’s really wrong.”

“…Hyun did?”

So, after kicking him out, Hyun had told Jaeyoon to take care of him?

That was typical of Hyun.

‘He’s always so hard to understand…’

“Yeah. Actually, now that we’re talking about it, when’s the last time you had a health checkup? If it’s been more than a year, you should…”

“You’re going way too far for a bit of weight loss!”

Siyoung hurriedly waved him off.

It was just a little weight loss, nothing worth all this fuss.

And a health checkup?

That couldn’t happen.

‘If I go for a checkup, it’ll definitely be at Yeonseok’s uncle’s hospital. There’s no way I can keep a secret there.’

Besides, before any tests, they’d ask if he could be pregnant, and everything would come out right away.

That was out of the question.

Siyoung shook his head firmly.

“I’ll eat properly, so don’t worry. Things won’t stay this busy forever.”

This company wasn’t about making money.

It was more like a place where wealthy young men escaped nagging and indulged their egos.

The three of them were born into wealth and could live comfortably without ever lifting a finger, but apparently having a job title was important to the rich.

‘We can’t run any serious businesses. My sister’s scary. If I even pretend to be a threat, she’ll cut off my card and ruin my social life.’

‘Then why not just do nothing?’

‘If I could, I would’ve. The problem is my mom hates the idea of me doing nothing. He says it’s fine if I don’t make money, but I have to work. But I hate working with other people. Then Hyun got famous, and suddenly, he’s a celebrity?’

Hyun had majored in art during college, but after a cover photo he took for a campus magazine went viral, he switched careers and became a model.

Hyun hated meeting new people just as much as Jaeyoon, so he signed with Yeonseok’s agency, where Yeonseok was only nominally the CEO.

Jaeyoon, the only child of a real estate tycoon, was in a similar situation.

His parents pressured him into joining Yeonseok’s company, thinking a title like “Director” was more impressive than “café owner.”

‘I’ll never understand the way rich people live…’

Still, Hyun’s fame grew faster than expected, and when it got to the point where even Jaeyoon and Yeonseok were swamped with work, they hired Siyoung.

He still didn’t fully understand why they chose him.

They’d only been close for just under a year, and Jaeyoon was the only one who kept in regular contact.

‘I mean, I did agree because the money was good…’

“Your health is more important than money. If it gets too much, I’ll pay your salary for a month…”

“I told you, I don’t need that kind of help.”

Siyoung’s expression hardened noticeably. He knew they were just worried, but sometimes it felt a little insulting.

These three would never understand the kind of practical concerns he had in life.

“…Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I know. But I don’t want to take money for no reason. Besides, Hyun’s popularity won’t last forever, and he’s not the type to go chasing after jobs. Things will settle down in a few months.”

Hyun’s sudden fame had excited their company’s president, who was accepting every major booking that came in.

But there was no way this hectic pace would last forever.

Since it wasn’t the kind of company that forced you to go out and find work, things would calm down in a few months.

It would go back to being a moderately busy, sometimes idle place again.

“Sometimes I wonder if I should always be this busy, considering how much we get paid.”

“Don’t say that. I don’t want you pushing yourself to the point of getting sick.”

“I’m not sick, though. I keep telling you that.”

He was planning to quit the company by next year anyway, so his mindset was just to grit his teeth and endure for a few more months.

The suggestion to hire more people had been flatly rejected, so there wasn’t much more Siyoung could do.

“I don’t believe you. You don’t take care of yourself enough.”

“If I were sick, would I be here eating with you? I wouldn’t even be able to make it to work.”

Even though his coworkers weren’t always the easiest to deal with, they were still his friends.

So, to reassure Jaeyoon, Siyoung stuffed a piece of sushi into his mouth.

“Mmm, this is good.”

“I’m glad you’re not sick, but… still, if anything comes up, make sure to tell me. We’re… friends, right?”

Jaeyoon, still unconvinced, watched Siyoung chew his food with concern.

The uneasy expression on his face showed that even to him, Siyoung wasn’t just a carefree friend.

“Did you already finish? I should’ve bought more. Here, have this too.”

“I didn’t realize it, but it’s been a long time since I had anything to eat after work. It tastes even better because of that.”

Siyoung accepted the food Jaeyoon offered and continued eating.

His appetite had been off due to his anxious thoughts, but now that he consciously decided to eat, it came back as if nothing had happened.

“Your fridge is really empty. This won’t do. What time do you finish work tomorrow? No, better yet, just give me your door code and I’ll stock it for you.”

“Don’t bother. You’re not some fairy godmother.”

“I’m just worried about you. I don’t have anything to do until the shop renovations are finished anyway. And you always eat everything in your fridge just because it’s there.”

Jaeyoon said this as he shut the empty refrigerator.

His concern was over the top, but Siyoung knew that if he refused, Jaeyoon would just keep pestering him, so he reluctantly nodded.

“I’m not sure when I’ll finish, but… alright.”

“I’ll tell them to let you off early tomorrow.”

“You think it’s that simple? I’ve got work to do too, you know.”

“Sera will be there too…”

“If Sera heard that, she’d probably quit on the spot and storm out.”

Siyoung chuckled. In a small company where the number of employees and bosses was the same, if one person quit, the workload naturally piled up for everyone else.

“Sera’s working late on a shoot today, so don’t do that. I’ll just give you the code.”

“That easy, huh?”

“What could you possibly steal from my place? Even if you took everything, it’d probably be worth less than the clothes you’re wearing right now.”

Siyoung glanced at Jaeyoon’s outfit. He didn’t know much about brands, but he could tell it was high quality.

“One of those pajama shirts you gave me is probably worth as much as my rent.”

He couldn’t help but think Jaeyoon lived in a completely different world.

Siyoung looked at him, unable to argue with his point.

Honestly, even that watch Jaeyoon was wearing could probably cover everything in the apartment.

“Fine. But don’t go around giving your code to just anyone. That’s asking for trouble.”

“I don’t have any other friends besides you guys, so there’s no one to give it to. Don’t worry about it.”

Siyoung waved his hand dismissively at Jaeyoon’s over-the-top concern and finished off the rest of his food.

After eating nearly twice his usual amount, he soon felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him.

“Yawn.”

“You’re already sleepy? It’s not even 8 o’clock yet.”

“I’ve been feeling extra tired lately… But at least tonight I had a proper dinner before bed, so I’ll be fine.”

“Then I’ll be heading out. I’ll drop by around 4 tomorrow. I’ll leave a message when I come, so don’t be surprised when you see it.”

Jaeyoon stood up as Siyoung, struggling to keep his eyes open, waved him off.

He had come to check on Siyoung, and since it seemed like there was nothing seriously wrong, he figured there was no need to stick around and keep the drowsy guy up.

“Sleep well. I’ll let you know when the shop reopens, so make sure you grab a drink next time.”

“Mm…”

Siyoung, half-asleep, mumbled a goodbye as Jaeyoon left.

He vaguely remembered that he had an OB-GYN appointment tomorrow.

He’d check it again when he woke up.

For now, he let sleep take over.

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