By Zephyria 
“I think this would look good on you. Try it on.”
Jin Seon-yu held up a white sweater and pressed it against Seo Yi-kyung’s neck. Seo Yi-kyung shook his head and stepped back. Although he had brought his wallet, the price tag was not insignificant. Besides, if he wore it in the painting studio, it would soon be ruined by paint stains.
“Just buy yours.”
“Why? It’s better if we buy together.”
Disappointment was written all over Jin Seon-yu’s face. Seo Yi-kyung shifted his gaze and fiddled with another piece of clothing.
“Should I buy that one?”
“No.”
Perhaps it was because he spent most of his time at home. He hadn’t even noticed that the seasons were changing. After purchasing the sweater, Jin Seon-yu took the shopping bag.
“On the floor below, there are lots of pretty baby clothes. Let’s go. There must be new arrivals.”
Perhaps feeling sorry that only he had bought something, Jin Seon-yu pulled Seo Yi-kyung’s arm and led him onto the escalator. Baby clothes. Seo Yi-kyung rolled the words over his tongue. It was something he felt he would never truly get used to. However, seeing Jin Seon-yu’s excited face, he followed along.
Seo Yi-kyung touched a pair of baby shoes no larger than his finger. Are feet really this small?
He had never once thought about having a baby. And he wasn’t the only one; Han Seung-jae likely felt the same. That was perhaps why he had worn such an unpleasant expression.
“What color should I buy?”
Jin Seon-yu pulled out some clothes and looked around.
“Let’s just buy them all. Put those shoes here too.”
Jin Seon-yu snatched the light blue baby shoes Seo Yi-kyung had been looking at. Before Seo Yi-kyung could try to stop him, he was heading toward the checkout counter.
“I’ll buy those shoes.”
“Since we’re buying anyway, we can just get them together.”
Seo Yi-kyung looked dumbfounded. While he was lost in thought for a moment, Jin Seon-yu had piled an armful of baby clothes onto the counter.
“Are you buying all of this?”
“Yeah. Aren’t they cute?”
Jin Seon-yu nodded with conviction in his eyes. He clearly didn’t understand the meaning behind Seo Yi-kyung’s words at all. Seo Yi-kyung began picking up the clothes from the counter.
“It’s too much. Let’s take these out. We only need one pair of shoes. I won’t be taking these.”
“No. You’ll definitely regret it if you don’t buy them.”
Jin Seon-yu took the clothes from Seo Yi-kyung’s hand and put them back. According to the original story, buying these clothes would be correct. And the owner of all these would have been Jin Seon-yu, who had been pregnant in the original.
He handed the shopping bags he had received to Seo Yi-kyung.
“Let’s go look at the baby supplies store next to it, too.”
Jin Seon-yu had heard along with Seo Yi-kyung at the hospital that there was no sign of a gestational sac. Despite that, he was buying things as if the baby had already entered the world.
He didn’t care about the age range, there were no restrictions on color, and he even bought duplicates of the same items.
* * *
Late at night, Seo Yi-kyung lay on his side in bed. He felt the baby shoes in his hand. After finishing their shopping, he had gone to the Ivory Pavilion with Jin Seon-yu and filled his stomach.
Yesterday, he hadn’t slept a wink all night.
Today, he had been so busy trying to dissuade Jin Seon-yu that he didn’t have the mental leeway to think about Han Seung-jae. Perhaps it was because he had gotten some fresh air and had a full stomach. As soon as Seo Yi-kyung closed his eyes, he quickly fell into a deep sleep.
With a toss and turn, Seo Yi-kyung moved his body. When he lifted his stiff eyelids, morning had already broken.
He swung his legs off the bed. Looking at the baby shoes on the nightstand, Seo Yi-kyung sat up. He walked to the terrace and drew back the curtains. The morning breeze was quite chilly.
Seo Yi-kyung took a warm shower and left the bedroom. The marks Han Seung-jae had left were still on his neck. It felt as if they were reminding him that the events of that day were real.
He used the stairs instead of the elevator. For some reason, after that incident, he had become hesitant to ride the elevator inside the house.
Seo Yi-kyung entered the dressing room, took off his pajamas, and changed into trousers and a turtleneck. He glanced at the full-length mirror. His flat stomach showed no change.
He didn’t expect things to change overnight, but perhaps it was because he had heard those results at the hospital. Seo Yi-kyung stared at his stomach for a long while before turning and walking out into the living room.
“Are you awake?”
The wound on Butler Do’s face had disappeared. Seo Yi-kyung looked at Butler Do and asked.
“Did Seung-jae not come home yesterday either?”
“Ah, I believe he came home in the early hours of the morning. He left early this morning.”
“I see.”
Seo Yi-kyung gave a barely perceptible nod.
“I will prepare breakfast for you shortly.”
“Yes. I’ll be in the painting studio.”
He felt like he had tried to avoid going to the painting studio as much as possible in the past. But now, Seo Yi-kyung’s steps naturally led him there. He opened the door and looked around at the canvas, the glass display case, and the shopping bags placed around the work table.
It wouldn’t be an illusion to say that it now looked more like his personal space than a painting studio.
* * *
A week passed.
With a calm expression, Seo Yi-kyung went down to the first floor and headed to the dressing room. The marks remaining on his neck had all disappeared.
Today was the day he was scheduled to go to the hospital.
Seo Yi-kyung put on a shirt and fastened the buttons. He wore trousers with a comfortable waistband. He took out a coat and put it on.
When Seo Yi-kyung opened the door and stepped out, the living room was noisy with Jin Seon-yu’s laughter. Seo Yi-kyung headed toward him.
As Jin Seon-yu pressed a button on the remote, a red toy sports car zoomed across the living room. Sensing a presence, Jin Seon-yu turned his head.
“Yi-kyung, look at this.”
Jin Seon-yu pressed the buttons to make the red sports car drive to Seo Yi-kyung’s feet. It was large enough to fit a child.
Seo Yi-kyung lowered his upper body and touched the car at his feet. It seemed it would take a very long time for a child to grow large enough to fit in here.
The two passed through the garden and exited the iron gate. As Butler Do followed them out to see them off, Seo Yi-kyung spoke.
“Thank you for making time.”
“Don’t mention it. By the way, do you not like that red sports car?”
Seo Yi-kyung got into Jin Seon-yu’s car. For some reason, the thought of going to the hospital alone felt frightening.
“No. I like it very much.”
He intentionally added the word ‘very’ for emphasis. Otherwise, every single car they saw would end up parked in the painting studio.
“I knew you’d like it.”
Jin Seon-yu tapped the steering wheel lightly. There was a sense of cheerfulness in his fingertips. Still, Jin Seon-yu was the only person who had congratulated him on having a baby. It might have been harder to handle if he had been alone.
Buzz— Suddenly, Jin Seon-yu checked his phone and frowned. At a glance, it looked like Kwon Gwi-jun’s name had popped up. Jin Seon-yu rejected the call without hesitation.
“Why aren’t you answering? It seemed like he was calling continuously last time, too.”
“It’s not like I’m playing with someone. I don’t need to answer.”
“Playing with someone?”
At Seo Yi-kyung’s question, Jin Seon-yu fell silent for a moment before speaking. As he told the story of what happened at the Ivory Pavilion, a shadow fell over Jin Seon-yu’s face. After pouring everything out, Jin Seon-yu asked.
“……He’s just joking, right?”
Seo Yi-kyung pondered how to answer. He didn’t seem like someone who played jokes. Kwon Gwi-jun didn’t seem like a person so frivolous that he wouldn’t know the proper limit. Then, he suddenly thought of Han Seung-jae, whom he hadn’t met recently.
It seemed he came home in the early morning, but on the nights Seo Yi-kyung stayed awake waiting for him, he didn’t come.
“You think so too, don’t you?”
“No. I think it would be better to call him directly and talk it out.”
Meanwhile, the car arrived in front of Seju Hospital. As Seo Yi-kyung stepped out of the car, he tightened his coat against the wind.
The suggestion to call and talk it out was actually meant for himself. Seo Yi-kyung rubbed the phone in his pocket. He hadn’t been able to tell him that today was the day he was going to the hospital. He thought about leaving a message for Han Seung-jae, but he couldn’t bring himself to press the send button.
“This way.”
Entering the hospital, Jin Seon-yu set the direction and walked beside him. Seo Yi-kyung pushed aside his thoughts of Han Seung-jae. For now, getting the examination was the priority.
Seo Yi-kyung entered the consultation room and took off his coat. Jin Seon-yu took the coat and held it in his arms.
“Yi-kyung, don’t be nervous. Just lie down comfortably.”
“You look more nervous than I am.”
Jin Seon-yu gave an embarrassed laugh. Despite that, Jin Seon-yu’s eyes looked more anxious than Seo Yi-kyung’s as he lay on the bed. He had acted as if he weren’t worried at all. In fact, hadn’t he been comforting Seo Yi-kyung for several days? It seemed he had been hiding his true feelings in his own way.
However, just as much as Jin Seon-yu, a seed of anxiety was sprouting in a corner of Seo Yi-kyung’s heart. He had tried to pretend he didn’t feel it when he entered the hospital, but it would be a lie to say he wasn’t anxious.
Just then, from behind the partition, the consultation room became noisy.
“You can’t come in here.”
Despite the nurse’s urgent voice, a tall silhouette approached behind Jin Seon-yu. Seo Yi-kyung blinked. Looking at Han Seung-jae standing before him, it felt as if his breath had stopped.