I’m Pregnant with My Friend’s Child - Chapter 1.1

“You can park here.”

Although it felt a bit premature, Yi-jin had made up her mind to bring her date home today.

Despite still being an intern, Yi-jin was officially a lawyer at one of Korea’s top three law firms. She had already declined her client’s date requests twice. However, with her 29th birthday approaching, the thought of spending it alone suddenly hit her hard, and she decided to accept his invitation.

Do-jun had driven his car, so he didn’t drink. Feeling nervous on her first-ever date, Yi-jin sipped wine on her own. When Do-jun suggested they celebrate her birthday by sharing cake at her place, Yi-jin quietly nodded in agreement.
Do-jun’s foreign car pulled into the parking lot of Yi-jin’s apartment. In the silence of the car, their soft breathing filled the air.

“Happy birthday, Attorney Seo Yi-jin,” Do-jun said, turning to face her.

As their eyes met, Yi-jin closed hers, feeling him move closer. Just as their lips were about to touch, a loud, disruptive horn blared from somewhere nearby.

Who would be honking so obnoxiously in a residential area?

The moment was ruined. As they tried to reset the mood, the horn continued blaring, and then a car approached slowly, flashing its headlights in an irritating manner.

Embarrassed, Yi-jin bit her lip, but Do-jun persisted, leaning in once again. The spark had faded, and just as she was unsure how to respond, the car causing the commotion reversed into the space next to them, scraping harshly against Do-jun’s vehicle.

“What? What!”

“Oh no!”

Both of them shouted in disbelief as the grating sound of metal scraping against the driver’s side door echoed, sending shivers through the car. Do-jun’s face twisted in frustration.

Stunned, Yi-jin and Do-jun exchanged bewildered looks as their car jolted slightly. Was it the alcohol? The sky above her seemed to spin.
“Is that a new driver? Who parks like that?”
Do-jun frowned and tried to get out of the driver’s seat, but he was trapped inside due to the car parked so closely beside his door. Yi-jin let out a long sigh. She had finally mustered up the courage to go on this date, only to be interrupted by a reckless driver.

Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.
“I’ll go check it out,” she said.
“No, stay here. It might be dangerous,” Do-jun replied.

“Dangerous? It’s probably just a resident. You can’t even get out of the driver’s seat anyway. Besides, I’m a lawyer. I can handle this.”
“But you’re drunk,” Do-jun insisted.
“I’m completely fine.”

Just then, a man stepped out of the car that had scraped Do-jun’s and walked over to Yi-jin’s passenger side. As she tried to get out of the car, her face went pale.

Cha Woo-jae.

Why are you here?

Looking sharp in a suit, as though he had just come from work, Cha Woo-jae stopped in front of the passenger seat, his expression curious. His perfectly fitted suit, immaculate hair, strong jawline, and sharp gaze—befitting a former prosecutor turned lawyer—gave off an intimidating aura.

Even as a friend, Woo-jae had a knack for making people nervous. But it wasn’t because of his background as a prosecutor or the fact that he had become a partner at a major law firm at such a young age. It was his arrogant, self-centered nature that truly made him unnerving.

As he got closer, Yi-jin’s heart raced, as if she had been caught doing something wrong.
Had she really done something wrong? After all, she had planned to bring her date home, so she couldn’t say her intentions were entirely innocent.

Woo-jae lightly opened the passenger door, his voice cold as he spoke.

“Seo Yi-jin, get out.”

Yi-jin hesitated for a moment before stepping out of the car. Do-jun, still trapped in the driver’s seat, looked visibly confused.

Once Yi-jin was out, Woo-jae closed Do-jun’s car door and leaned against the passenger side, crossing his arms as he stared down at her. A flicker of intensity flashed in his dark eyes.

“Are you out of your mind? You weren’t drunk, right? How could you scratch a perfectly fine car?”

Feeling awkward and embarrassed, Yi-jin snapped at Woo-jae. Hopefully, he hadn’t seen her almost kissing Do-jun. No matter how long they’d been friends—ten years now—that was not something she wanted him to witness.

“You’re the one who’s been drinking,” Woo-jae said, leaning in close to her lips, inhaling as if he were searching for evidence. Startled, Yi-jin flinched and pulled back.

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Bad parking. I must be losing it, Seo Yi-jin.”
Bad parking? Yi-jin knew better. Woo-jae had always been capable of anything—whether it was studies, sports, or even driving. He could park with one hand as if it were nothing. Woo-jae, the guy who could probably park blindfolded, was now pretending to mess up?

His voice, as he slowly dragged out her name, sounded both familiar and oddly foreign. She thought he had long since tamed that fiery temper of his after growing up, but now he looked like he’d reverted to that rebellious teenager, his eyes gleaming with that sharp, cutting intensity.
Yi-jin squinted up at him. His face, high above hers—Woo-jae stood at 190 cm—made it hard for her to make out his expression clearly.

Meanwhile, Do-jun, still trapped in the driver’s seat, awkwardly struggled to climb over to the passenger side. Sweating, he wiped his brow and tried to open the passenger door, but Woo-jae, leaning against it, wasn’t budging.

“What’s going on, Yi-jin?” Do-jun asked, rolling down the window and poking his head out. Woo-jae, glancing down at him dismissively, offered a flat apology.

“My bad. Seems I’ve scratched your car.”
“Oh, Attorney Cha Woo-jae! Hello,” Do-jun said, finally recognizing him.

“Yes, President Lee Do-jun. It’s me, Cha Woo-jae.”

“Uh, could you move so I can get out?”
Do-jun pushed on the door again, but Woo-jae remained firmly in place, blocking it as if on purpose.

“There’s no need for you to get out. Just stay in the car.”

Do-jun, trying to keep the situation light, forced a polite smile.

“Well, these things happen. I’ll just get the car repaired later. But could you please let me open the door…?”

“You might want to call a tow truck. This needs to be handled properly.”

“It’s really not necessary. It’s just a small scratch. I’ll take it to the shop tomorrow. But for now, could you just let me out…?”

“This is where I’m going.”

Even though Do-jun was three years older, Woo-jae spoke to him with a sharp, casual tone. Yi-jin couldn’t help but wonder if Woo-jae was acting so haughty because of his prestigious background as a former prosecutor. Seeing this raw and unfiltered side of him again after so long felt jarring.

“This is where you’re headed?” Do-jun asked, looking between Woo-jae and Yi-jin, clearly confused. Yi-jin, feeling her face grow warm, turned to Woo-jae and demanded, “Cha Woo-jae, what exactly are you doing here?”

With a smirk, Woo-jae replied, “It’s your birthday today, isn’t it, Yi-jin?”

His tone was gentle, but his eyes were as sharp as a tiger cub’s. He definitely suspected something. He was acting like an overprotective older brother who had seen her almost kiss Do-jun.

“Why are you here on my birthday? I was with Do-jun…”

“Were you on a date?”

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence spread through the parking lot. It was clear that Woo-jae had completely ruined the mood.

“Hajin noona invited me over, so I’m on my way. Should I turn around?”

“My sister? She’s home right now?”

Woo-jae gently touched Yi-jin’s chin, as if calming a puppy.

What’s with this sudden affection?

Uncomfortable under Do-jun’s watchful eyes, Yi-jin quickly slapped Woo-jae’s hand away.

“Why else would I come to your place on your birthday?”

Yi-jin swallowed hard, narrowing her eyes.
That was a close call. She had almost gotten caught dragging a guy she’d only been on one date with to her house on her birthday. Her sister, who was already anxious about everything, could have walked in on the whole scene.

Scratching her head, Yi-jin glanced at Do-jun.
“What do we do now, Do-jun?”

“Ah, well, I guess there’s nothing to be done.”
It seemed Do-jun wasn’t too eager to meet the family of a woman he’d only been on one date with either.

Woo-jae handed his business card to Do-jun, sizing him up from head to toe. It was as if the person who caused the accident was the one in control here.

“Send me the bill for the repairs.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Fine? Look at your face, you’re practically mourning. Don’t make me look like a jerk who doesn’t pay for damages.”

Even though the situation was awkward, Do-jun stayed quiet, not wanting to escalate things. Woo-jae, however, was determined. He shoved his business card into the passenger seat of Do-jun’s car, ignoring his protests.

“Alright, Yi-jin, I’ll be off now.”

“Yes, I’ll contact you later.”

Do-jun, visibly flustered, awkwardly maneuvered his way back to the driver’s seat, legs spread in an ungainly position as he climbed over from the passenger side. Watching him drive off in his car, now streaked with a white scratch, Yi-jin couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.
Once Do-jun was gone, Woo-jae retrieved a cake and a shopping bag from his car. His own luxury black sedan now had a noticeable scratch on it too. From the looks of it, he had definitely come because her sister, Hajin, had invited him.

But why had her sister suddenly planned this surprise? It seemed Yi-jin would be spending her 29th birthday single once again.

Yet something about Woo-jae’s mood felt off. Despite being the one who was angry, it was the way he walked ahead that sent a chill down her spine. Even from behind, she could sense his frustration, and Yi-jin had the sudden feeling that she needed to say something before things got worse.

“Woo-jae, don’t say anything to my sister. Okay?”
She hurried to catch up with him at the apartment entrance, grabbing his arm. The hard, muscular arm under his suit startled her, and she quickly pulled her hand back, as if she had touched something she shouldn’t have.

“What would I say? Did you do something wrong?” he asked, with a smirk.

“What do you mean by ‘wrong’? Don’t say it like that… Anyway, just keep this a secret, okay?”
“A secret? About what? That you went on a date with a client you barely know? That you almost kissed him? Or that you were planning to go all the way?”

“W-what…?”

“Damn it. If you want me to keep quiet, I need to know what the secret even is.”

“How did you even…?”

How does he know?

“Didn’t you say you were meeting Sun-hwa today?”
Ah, Sun-hwa must have told him. I’m screwed. What on earth did she blab to Woo-jae?

“And you even bought a new outfit. Showing off your chest—who’s that for? Why don’t you just walk around with your backside out too?”

Fine. I dressed up a little because I got asked out on a date. What’s the big deal?

I thought Woo-jae wasn’t the type to pay attention to women’s bodies. Turns out, he was watching all along, pretending not to notice.
“You told me you were spending a quiet evening with Sun-hwa. Just two girls catching up, right?”
Well, of course I said that.

If I told you I was going on a date with a guy, you’d interrogate me endlessly. It was just a lighthearted date—there’s no need to report every detail to you, with your persistent nature.
We may have been best friends for ten years, knowing each other inside and out, but I didn’t want to show Woo-jae my casual dating life. Especially not if it somehow got back to my sister, who already worries too much and would pester me endlessly if she found out.

Yi-jin could barely move her lips, failing to come up with a defense against Woo-jae’s words. Even though he was her friend, she didn’t want to reveal everything about herself to him.

“It’s not like I’m in a relationship,” she muttered, preemptively confessing, knowing the interrogation that was about to follow.

“Really?”

Woo-jae raised an eyebrow.

“It was just a first date. Yeah, I got a little caught up in the moment. I’ll admit that. I know I shouldn’t be seeing a client, but turning 29 and still being single made me feel a bit restless.”

They stopped in front of the elevator, where Woo-jae tilted his head and asked, “Didn’t you say you were against marriage?”

It was something she’d told him repeatedly over the years.

“Yeah, I still am.”

“So, are you planning to get married now?”

“Who said anything about marriage?

Why are you jumping so far ahead? Just because I don’t want to get married doesn’t mean I can’t date.

I said I wasn’t getting married, not that I wasn’t going to date.”