When Cha Juheon gets off work, we sit in the living room and spend time together. Sitting side by side on the sofa for about an hour, he works on business and I study or read a book.
This was precisely the reason I came into Cha Juheon’s house to live together. This time is exactly when the baby and I receive Cha Juheon’s alpha pheromones.
It was a very important task to release pheromones to a degree that doesn’t stimulate each other, preventing the same thing as before from happening. Also, since I can’t get sick like that time, I really diligently received his pheromones.
Actually, Cha Juheon subtly releases his pheromones and leaves even outside this time before going to work. That alone helps, but receiving his pheromones in earnest like this, the effect was much better.
The parts that were difficult due to pregnancy became surprisingly comfortable. I definitely felt my mind and body stabilizing and my condition improving on my skin. Cha Juheon also knew my body’s changes well, so he considered that time more important than anything. I know it’s because of the baby, but I was grateful that he doesn’t consider this time a waste and prioritizes it.
“Eunwoo-ssi. How’s your morning sickness these days?”
“It was severe when my stomach was empty, but it’s gotten much better because you take good care of me here. It’s also about time for it to subside. Plus, I think Executive Director’s pheromones have an effect too.”
Actually, it’s not that I don’t have morning sickness whether my stomach is empty or I eat something, but the part that improved the most from Cha Juheon’s pheromones is morning sickness. The symptoms of my stomach churning painfully in my chest improved a lot thanks to his pheromones. When my stomach hurt once in a while, it hurt from the back of my neck to my head, but it’s just amazing that these symptoms have been alleviated. So it’s definitely good for the baby too. The baby? Ah, right?
“That’s right, Executive Director! Come to think of it, we haven’t decided the most important thing. So I’ve been thinking about it for a few days.”
Cha Juheon’s voice rose somewhat, perhaps concerned that I said I’d been worrying about something.
“Something important? What is it that you worried about alone? I told you to talk to me right away if there’s anything.”
When I even clapped my hands emphasizing its importance, Cha Juheon, who had been looking at his laptop, frowned and stared at me. It’s not that serious though? Did I make the atmosphere too serious? I felt awkward for no reason and scratched my forehead while observing his expression.
“It’s not serious. It’s the baby’s prenatal name.”
“…Prenatal name?”
At the word prenatal name, Cha Juheon closed his laptop and came down to sit next to me, who had been sitting below on the sofa. Cha Juheon’s surprised face was more serious than ever.
“Ah, you see. They say you have to communicate with the baby from when it’s in the belly like this. They said you have to familiarize the baby with the mother and father’s voices by calling the baby. Executive Director needs to do that, but we don’t have a prenatal name for the baby yet.”
Cha Juheon, who was listening to me, tilted his head slightly and expressed doubt.
“Is it really possible for the baby to hear my voice?”
“…What?”
“Although it’s said to be scientifically possible to some degree, fetal hearing couldn’t have developed that much. They don’t even recognize their own prenatal name. It would be possible for the fetus to become familiar with the voice pattern of parents calling them, though. And even if hearing has developed, it would be impossible for the voice to be transmitted accurately inside. The inside of the belly where the baby is would be a noisier environment than you think. It wouldn’t be a quiet place. But how…”
“Ah, Executive Director, really…”
I was dumbfounded at Cha Juheon’s appearance talking about such realistic things with a very serious face. Is this a life science class now… Of course, his words make sense too.
I’m not unaware that the baby, who’s still a fetus, won’t go ‘Huh? That’s my dads’ voices? That’s my prenatal name? They’re calling me?’ I know it’s not in a state with that much self-awareness. The importance of this act was just that I wanted to emphasize it’s communication.
The main caregiver who will raise the baby in the future will be Cha Juheon, and if so, it was my wish that a good bond would be formed through natural communication with the baby. But what do I do if he approaches it with that kind of thinking…
“Of course the baby won’t understand its name and react like ‘Daddy, Daddy!’ But they said it responds to the tone and pattern of sounds. From 5 months, the auditory organs work, and from 6 or 7 months, it detects and learns external sounds according to the book. So! Just call the baby’s prenatal name unconditionally from now on and greet them!”
It’s impossible to logically persuade someone like Cha Juheon. Persuasion or whatever, I just have to order him to do it unconditionally. With some courage, I gave him not persuasion but compulsion.
“When the baby is born, Executive Director will be the only dad, so you need to imprint the father’s existence from now! Greet the baby morning and evening.”
“…Ah, the only dad. Right. That’s true.”
Did I put too much pressure with an inappropriate word? The only dad. Even I hear it as a somewhat heavy word. It was something I said to make him think about the baby that much, but I seem to have made his shoulders heavy. Cha Juheon, who had been muttering about being a dad alone, asked me.
“Eunwoo-ssi’s suggestion seems like a good idea. Then, do you have a prenatal name in mind?”
The atmosphere could have become awkward if I’d done wrong, but Cha Juheon turned the conversation around and asked me about the baby’s prenatal name.
“Um, what I thought of is Kkomul-i.”
“Kkomul-i?”
“When we did the ultrasound last time, I saw it moving wiggling well. That was so cute… it went so well with this word. But that’s just my thought, and I think it would be better to call it what Executive Director wants to call it.”
On the ultrasound, the baby played quite well. The small body moving wigglingly was even admirable. I want to call it that because it’s cute, but it might feel insincere when Cha Juheon hears it, so I try to follow his opinion as much as possible.
“I also like that prenatal name. It suits well. Kkomul-i. I’ll call it that.”
When the word Kkomul-i came from the tall, sturdy alpha’s mouth, the corners of my mouth rose. I laughed more because he has such a strong and cold impression that I wouldn’t think such a cute word would come out. When I laughed, Cha Juheon also showed a gentle smile.
“Greetings, you know. They’re nice to hear. I felt good hearing them too, so I think the baby probably will too.”
“Greetings?”
“It was the first time someone greeted me asking if I’m back. I always lived alone, so there was no occasion to hear it. It’s unfamiliar but nice to hear.”
“Ah, I see…”
Cha Juheon’s expression was bright as he smiled, saying somewhat shyly that he felt good hearing greetings. Even knowing he lives a life of voluntary solitude, I don’t know why those words feel so sad.
It must have been a very long time since someone welcomed him at home. Only after hearing his words could I understand what emotion he felt when he was surprised at me greeting him asking if he’s back. After ending with those words, Cha Juheon, who had been looking only at the tree without saying anything, opened his mouth.
“In a world like these days, you might think why I’m so obsessed with bloodline. It’s strange, isn’t it?”
“Me? I didn’t think that. Executive Director isn’t strange either.”
This was the first time Cha Juheon brought up a topic other than the baby or my health.
“If you ask whether I need a baby to this extent… Yes. I absolutely needed a baby to this extent. That’s how we are.”
I was inwardly surprised that a more personal story came up than I thought. I was surprised, but I didn’t want to interrupt his words, so I quietly waited for the next words.
“From my great-grandfather to me, we’re all only children. We have no siblings. But since I’m in this state, it became quite difficult in this generation. Not having even one sibling means that when pulling this work all the way here until now, everything was resolved on their own without anyone’s help.”
“…Yes.”
“But just because I don’t have a child, everyone covets this position. People who didn’t provide any help in getting here even attach the ridiculous reason of being relatives and do absurd scheming. So I made this decision to protect my position and what’s mine. I absolutely needed a child. I couldn’t tolerate those humans who did nothing shamelessly and presumptuously aiming for this place.”
Cha Juheon confessed to me what had happened in a quiet but firm voice. It was very unexpected, but thinking how frustrated he must be to tell me such a story, I just wanted to listen.
“My great-grandfather started it and my grandfather established the position. I can’t tell everything that happened, but there was no one’s help. But… people of bad quality kept getting entangled because of my fault, and it was troublesome.”
The Cha Juheon I’ve experienced until now is a person with moderate ambition and desire for power. That was too natural for him, and he chose a surrogate for that. The baby in my belly is a baby with great meaning to Cha Juheon. The successor to the company that’s absolutely necessary for him who gave up marriage due to germaphobia. Hearing such a story directly, I could realize once again how important this contract is.
“Don’t worry. Executive Director. I’ll keep the contract well and definitely give birth to a healthy baby.”
I even felt somewhat determined. It was added responsibility that I should give birth to a healthy and smart baby by mobilizing everything I can do. But unlike my determination, Cha Juheon burst into a chuckle seeing me making a resolution.
“I didn’t say it to burden Eunwoo-ssi. I don’t really know why I said such things to Eunwoo-ssi either. The words came out without me knowing. Don’t worry about it too much.”
“It’s okay. It was rather helpful.”
Everyone has those times. The moment you want to confide in someone the inner feelings you’ve hidden tightly. There are moments when you’re swept up in emotions without knowing it. Cha Juheon seemed to have felt that way for no reason too.
I wasn’t burdened by that at all. Rather, I felt like I wanted to do something I could do for him. Also, hearing such a story, I felt like we’d gotten a little closer, making my chest flutter.
