“Whatever it is, say it’s good no matter what.”
While listening to Siwoo’s out-of-the-blue words that started again, Evan was extremely tense in case even a little of the pheromones he was already keeping in check leaked out. And he recalled what his mother-in-law had said earlier and nodded his head. She had said that whatever happens, just think he’s dead and live.
Though it was awkward, confirming that Evan had nodded, Siwoo released his nose tip that he had been pinching tightly with his fingertips until now. Since he felt unwell when close to Evan, he had blocked his nose just in case. They were close enough that their bodies would touch if he took just one more step forward, but right now he didn’t particularly feel uncomfortable.
“Then that’s settled.”
Siwoo, who had been breathing in while patting Evan’s chest with both hands as he still didn’t budge from his spot as if frozen, turned around faster than ever. If there really was a problem somewhere, it was certain to be a big one.
Siwoo, who rushed into the bathroom again, filled his mouth with cold water. While playing with the water in his mouth, moving his cheeks around, Siwoo stared intently at his face reflected in the mirror. His hair had built a magpie’s nest on its own, and his reddened face made his cheeks bulge each time he moved the water in his mouth.
Could what Mom said be true? Once again his hand touched his lower abdomen.
They said it would be difficult. They said it might be impossible. Still, he had been careful saying you never know with people’s affairs, but since he had already heard those words, it was a part he hadn’t particularly thought about even while not using contraception.
Whenever there was any problem with Siwoo’s health, the answer that always came back was that they would look into it. And each time he only heard that it wasn’t typical and there was no accurate academic data. They said omegas had heat cycles occurring in cycles of one month at the shortest, usually two months, almost 50 days. But Siwoo only had three times a year. And it wasn’t that difficult either.
Fayden, who had now become his primary physician, had said it seemed to pass lightly because of the influence of imprinting and because they were always together and exposed to each other’s pheromones. Every time he received regular pheromone tests, Siwoo’s levels were lower than recessive omegas. So they had said pregnancy would be difficult.
“Coco. If you’re okay, can you come out in about a minute?”
Siwoo, who had been lost in thought blankly, turned around at Evan’s voice. It’s not asking him to come out now, but to come out in a minute—what’s the reason for that again? The person waiting for Siwoo, who had spit out the water he was rolling around in his mouth, brushed his teeth again and came out, wasn’t Evan but Fayden.
“Congratulations on your marriage. I said it yesterday too, but you were so busy you probably don’t even remember properly, right?”
Sitting across from Fayden with the table between them, Siwoo made an awkward smile looking at him speaking first. While drinking chocolate milk, he shifted his gaze outside the window for no reason.
“Yes. I really don’t know how the time passed. Even now it doesn’t really feel real.”
“I’ll start with blood collection.”
I’m not mentally prepared yet though. Is it blood collection first, conversation later? After exchanging simple greetings, Fayden went straight to the main point, and Siwoo grumbled inwardly while obediently extending his arm.
“After the marriage news is announced, it’ll be hectic and all. What are you going to do from now on?”
At his question, he brought up that he was thinking of going into vlogs. At Taehoon’s suggestion about how it would be to film his married life with Evan or life in England which is different from Korea, he had talked with Evan for quite a long time.
Vlogging was the only way to communicate with fans and show them his life that they were curious about while not doing entertainment industry work. To properly do what had been sporadic for the past year, he had hired an expert to properly learn video editing.
While watching Fayden, who had finished blood collection, drop blood on the test, Siwoo slowly drew out his words.
“That’s a good method too. The fans will want to see a lot. Can you tell me how you’re uncomfortable?”
After auscultation, when Fayden, who had checked his blood pressure, threw out a health-related question, Siwoo’s face turned red for no reason.
It had been a series of embarrassing situations since morning. Starting with his mom who had patted his buttocks while leaving the house and gave him praise saying he did well, what can he say—judging by Evan’s behavior and tone that seemed to already know something, it seemed they were already certain.
The reason Fayden came was probably related to that too.
“There’s no particular discomfort. Occasionally my stomach feels queasy and I want to vomit at the nauseating feeling, but even that doesn’t continue, it’s just very brief moments.”
“When you’re with Evan?”
“Evan was next to me every time that happened.”
Siwoo’s gaze, who was talking about health-related matters, turned toward the doorway. Where did Evan go again? He must have been the one who called Fayden too. Whether going to the hospital or Fayden coming, the one who sensitively checked his health condition wasn’t himself but Evan.
Honestly, he had just measured his blood pressure, but Siwoo didn’t even pay attention to the measurement.
“I’ll do a few tests, so tell me if you’re uncomfortable.”
Fayden certainly said he’d do tests, but all he was doing was opening and closing small bottles. Staring at that blankly, it seemed like it would take time to prepare the tests, so Siwoo stood up from his seat. Walking to the window while picking up and eating a biscuit with one hand, Siwoo’s gaze turned toward the vast garden.
Evan was playing ball with Rush. Each time he threw the ball far, Rush ran around here and there excitedly. At the obvious behavior of deliberately keeping distance from him, Siwoo’s lips jutted out. Siwoo, who had been leaning his forehead against the warm window receiving sunlight and watching Rush and Evan, frowned and covered his lower face with his hand.
When he turned his head to look at Fayden, he was, as expected, opening and closing the caps of small bottles. At the same time their eyes met, he gave a gentle smile toward him.
“I’ll start by saying congratulations.”
And Siwoo blinked his big eyes and listened absentmindedly to what Fayden was saying. It seemed like it went in one ear and flowed right out the other, but it felt like he had to listen carefully.
“Siwoo-ssi. You understand, right?”
If you mean understanding, are you saying that when you tested with my blood, judging by the level of some hormone or whatever in the blood being higher than average, it means pregnancy? It would also include that since the level isn’t that high, it can’t be confirmed by ultrasound, right?
Since it has to be about 2 weeks before it can be confirmed by ultrasound, I need to eat well and rest well during that time, but the problem is that there will probably be chaos after the marriage announcement, so I did hear you tell me to stay quietly watching movies or reading books. You also said that even during that time, if I’m curious, I can check the change in levels through blood tests anytime.
“…It might not be, right?”
“If implantation doesn’t happen properly or something, that would be the case. But looking at Siwoo-ssi’s reaction now, that doesn’t seem likely. Um… it’s awkward to say this to a newlywed couple who just got married yesterday, but that’s why I think it would be good for the two of you to stay apart for a while.”
Siwoo’s expression changed more and more strangely as he listened to Fayden’s words that sounded like a fairy tale. No. You said it’s still in cell division. But suddenly what is this talk about pheromones? So what if pheromones were in those bottles you were opening and closing, and I’m fine with omega pheromones but uncomfortable only with alpha pheromones?
As Fayden’s story continued, Siwoo’s body leaned toward the window. He got married to be together openly, but he’s telling him to stay apart.
He gave up being a celebrity because he didn’t want to be apart. He’s about to be forcibly separated. He says the baby in the form of cells still will be an alpha. He had nothing to say to the reaction that it was the omega carrying him trying to distance himself from the alpha as a survival instinct, because to a literally tiny cell alpha, the strong pheromones of another alpha are poison.
“So how long?”
“This too…”
It’s case by case, but you don’t fit into existing data. So we have to watch and see. Is that what you’re saying?
“Ah. But when I covered my nose and went next to Evan, I was fine…”
Siwoo quietly closed his mouth at Fayden’s gaze looking at him. Even at his explanation that after properly settling in, the strong alpha’s pheromones are actually needed so they need to stick together more closely, Siwoo couldn’t easily smile.
And a moment later.
Standing by the window, only opening the window and waving his hand to greet Evan, Siwoo’s lips jutted out unstably. At least see his face and hug him once before going. Fayden, who had finished talking with him, met Evan separately, and just like that, Evan was packing his bags to leave the castle.
“Coco.”
Evan’s voice was heard from beyond the phone he was holding. Since his own phone was turned off, this situation of talking through Fayden’s phone. Everything felt unrealistic.
“I’ll send you a new phone right away. And when the article comes out on Monday, it’ll be hectic, so I’m staying apart for a while to take care of all that. Yeah. Tell me everything you want to eat. Since you told me not to say anything, only the butler will come. But are you okay?”
What are you saying? So even smart Evan can say incoherent things.
Not even Romeo and Juliet, looking down at the garden from the 3rd floor, Siwoo just waved his hand slightly. He didn’t know how he was feeling right now, but he could clearly tell Evan’s feelings. You don’t want to go, do you? I don’t want to send you away either.
Siwoo cut off Evan’s words, who continued saying he would love and miss him, then said to use the third room on the south side since the main room they use might be cold, then out of the blue said he’d send an electric blanket through the butler, then said that’s not good for the body so a heated water mat would be better, with one word.
“Plum.”
“I’ll take Rush too… Huh?”
When Evan, who was saying he’d take Rush too so Siwoo could rest comfortably, questioned Siwoo’s out-of-the-blue words, Siwoo laughed brightly out loud.
“The baby. Let’s make the prenatal name Plum. I’d like that, what about you?”
Fayden, who had been watching the farewell of the goosebumps couple who for over 30 minutes kept saying I love you, I miss you, I only have you, take care of your body, blowing hand kisses and even air kisses, shook his head and picked up the completely cold coffee cup placed in front of him.
While praying that this farewell greeting would end within today…
