Not your child chapter 21

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The first thing that caught Hyun’s eye was a calendar next to the monitor.

It seemed ordinary enough, but the regular pattern of red-marked dates was conspicuous.

“6:30 p.m. appointment. Ultrasound…?”

“Has he been going to the hospital every week? Why?”

“So he’s sick after all.”

They all stared at the writing on the calendar, each of them wondering the same thing.

Flipping back to the previous month, they saw the start of Siyoung’s hospital visits.

“I thought it was strange that he seemed so worn out, and it turns out he’s been dealing with this since then.”

“Why would he keep this a secret? Hiding it….”

Yeonseok and Jaeyoon voiced their own concerns as they scanned the desk, noting that the dates marked with red pen indicated hospital visits that had started last month, right around when they’d first noticed something was off with Siyoung.

“Move aside. If we search thoroughly, we might find a prescription or a pill packet or something.”

The calendar alone wasn’t enough to give them answers. Yeonseok wedged himself between them and searched around the desk.

Near the calendar, he found a bottle of pills Siyoung had been taking recently.

“Didn’t he say it was for his stomach?”

Yeonseok searched for the name on the bottle, only to find it wasn’t any prescription medication at all—just a common supplement.

“Why would he carry something like this around?”

Disappointed, he shook the bottle to check if there was anything else inside.

Meanwhile, Hyun opened Siyoung’s desk drawer, rifling through work schedules, employment contracts, and other random documents.

Finally, he froze when he came across a certain item.

“This is just a supplement. Was he carrying it around as a decoy? This is fishy. Maybe we should’ve just dragged him to the hospital.”

“…Let’s just ask him. If we say we know everything, maybe he’ll finally tell us the truth. No way he’d keep hiding it now.”

“I will ask him, but we need solid evidence first so he can’t lie his way out. How could he hide something like this? Doesn’t he trust us at all?”

While Yeonseok and Jaeyoon were combing through the desk, Hyun remained frozen, holding a photograph he had just found in the papers.

Sensing something was wrong, Yeonseok nudged him.

“Hey, what are you looking at? Show us….”

Seeing Hyun’s expression, Yeonseok glanced over his shoulder and froze as well.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Jaeyoon came closer.

“…What is this?”

It was an ultrasound image.

Though Jaeyoon didn’t know much about such things, he could recognize it for what it was.

“This… Is this Siyoung’s…? Or maybe it belongs to someone else. Could his younger sibling have…?”

Yeonseok took the photo from Hyun and examined it, hoping it wasn’t Siyoung’s.

But on the back of the photo was a small inscription: “Mother Siyoung’s Baby.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

The three of them stood in silence, unable to say anything.

By the time they thought of what to do next, it was already dark outside.

---

“Your stomach was hurting, you say? Where exactly did it hurt?”

“It wasn’t severe, but I felt a sharp pain here every so often….”

“This sometimes happens with recessive omegas. It’s due to a weak uterine lining… It’s not serious, but try not to overexert yourself. Take your medication, and come in twice next week, on Tuesday and Friday, so we can monitor the situation.”

“Twice?”

“There can be cases of bleeding. If it’s light, it’s not a problem, but if it’s heavy, come to the hospital right away. Our emergency department is always open, so….”

Siyoung sighed quietly, uncertain whether he should feel relieved.

Hearing that recessive omegas can experience complications as the baby grows made him think it might’ve been better if he couldn’t conceive in the first place.

“The baby is healthy, but the concern is the mother’s well-being. Eat well, avoid stress, and if possible, consider taking maternity leave or using an early departure policy….”

“I’m not in a position to disclose my pregnancy at work. It’s a small company, and there’s no one to cover for me….”

“Even so, it’s better to rest when possible. If your job situation becomes an issue, there are support programs for recessive omegas. You might want to look into them.”

“Yes…”

If it were just him, Siyoung could manage on his savings, but now with the baby, he’d need to save every bit he could.

He couldn’t afford to take time off, but his options were limited.

‘So much for being self-sufficient… This feels like hiding from reality.’

“Today, I’ll give you an injection. There aren’t many medicines safe for expectant omegas, so it’s crucial you take care of your health, for your own sake as well as the baby’s.”

“Yes…”

“Then I’ll see you next week. Take care on your way home.”

Though not the worst news, it was still far from ideal.

He couldn’t even carry the baby safely, nor could he afford to raise it comfortably.

It was as if the world were testing him.

Yet he refused to give up.

Siyoung himself hadn’t been born into ideal circumstances, but he’d still received love from his parents and had always cherished their memories.

‘This is my family. If I don’t protect them, who will?’

Determined to do everything he could to give his child a happy life, Siyoung left the hospital after his appointment, feeling a mix of hope and worry as he thought about the future.

Arriving home, Siyoung noticed two familiar, unexpected cars parked outside his house: Jaeyoon’s and Yeonseok’s cars were both parked side by side.

“What the…? Why are they here without even a word…?”

While his friends did occasionally visit, they would always call first.

As Siyoung moved to unlock the door, he suddenly froze, remembering something critical.

‘Oh no… I left that photo out on the desk.’

A wave of panic washed over him as he recalled leaving a certain ultrasound photo right in plain sight.

His face turned pale as he bolted inside, praying they hadn’t seen it.

Or if they had, what would he even say?

Claim it wasn’t his?

But as he opened the door, he saw three pairs of shoes by the entrance, none of them his size.

“What the…? Even you, Hyun? Why… all three of you?”

Before he could process why his friends had all gathered at his place, Siyoung’s eyes widened at the sight of his apartment in disarray.

“What the hell? Why are you guys tearing my place apart?!”

“This,” Hyun, looking more serious than Siyoung had ever seen him, held up a photo.

Siyoung was speechless.

Not only the most recent photo he’d left on the desk but also a neat pile of older ones hidden in his drawer were all in Hyun’s hands, undeniable evidence.

“I… I can explain—”

He had thought of some excuse on the way up, but his mind went blank.

There, in plain view, were not only the ultrasound photos but also a maternity badge and early health guidelines from the hospital, all items too personal to belong to anyone else.

“Why the hell were you digging through my things? Are you insane?”

“Is that really what matters right now? Do you have any idea what this looks like?!”

“That’s…” Siyoung reached out, snatching a photo from Hyun’s hand.

It was one he’d stashed in his drawer after hastily hiding it at work when Jaeyoon had suddenly shown up.

It wasn’t supposed to be here.

“…So you searched through my stuff even back at the office.”

“Is that all you’re worried about? Why were you hiding this from us? And don’t even think about changing the subject.”

“Are you seeing someone? Why didn’t you tell us?” Jaeyoon pushed past Hyun, his face thunderous—a look Siyoung had never seen from him in all the time they’d known each other.

“And the kid’s father? Does he know?”

“…No.”

“What?”

“I don’t know who the father is. And honestly, it’s none of your business.”

It was a lie he barely managed to get out, keeping his head down.

The truth was, the father was in this very room, but Siyoung had no intention of revealing that fact.

“It was just a one-night stand. Just one time, for the sake of… I don’t even know his name. And since it has nothing to do with either of you, why did you feel the need to invade my space and get mad at me?”

“You really think that’s something you can just brush off like that?” Jaeyoon’s face hardened.

“Yes. We’re friends, aren’t we? How could you hide something like this from us?”

“…Maybe you don’t know all his personal info, but you at least remember what he looked like, right? Just tell us. I’ll find him.”

The three of them were cornering Siyoung in their own ways.

Friends—that was such a nice word.

Once, Siyoung would have felt proud to hear it, but not now.

“Why should I?” he murmured, still not meeting their gaze.

Their feigned concern, as if he were something precious to them, was sickening.

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