I’m Pregnant with My Friend’s Child - Chapter 2.1

A month had passed since that day.

Today, more than ever, I felt drained. Ever since I had an upset stomach after a company dinner a few days ago, I hadn’t been able to eat properly. Despite trying various remedies, including pricking my finger and even fasting all day yesterday, the nausea only seemed to worsen.

It was fortunate my workplace wasn’t far from home, because the mere thought of taking public transportation in this state was unbearable.

Though I craved caffeine to combat the heaviness of my eyelids, my queasy stomach couldn’t handle the thought of coffee.
As she walked toward the office, Lee Jin paused, resting her hand on her head, letting out a long sigh.

For the first time, the 9 cm heels she wore daily felt unbearable. Over the past few days, she had lost 3 kilograms from barely eating, yet her body felt heavier, and the soles of her feet ached.

Usually, the 20-minute walk to work was nothing, and she often enjoyed it with a cup of coffee in hand. But today, she felt as if she couldn’t take another step.

Taking a taxi seemed nauseating, and going back home to change into more comfortable shoes felt pointless, as she had already walked halfway.

Feeling pale, Lee Jin sat on the bench at the bus stop, closing her eyes in an attempt to quell the nausea. Swallowing to moisten her dry mouth, she found that even saliva wouldn’t gather.

“What are you doing here?”

Startled, she opened her eyes to see Woo Jae standing over her, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

For the past month, ever since her birthday, she had been diligently avoiding him. Thanks to her packed schedule as a trainee lawyer, she had a legitimate excuse to do so. But of all places, she hadn’t expected to run into him here.
Unlike Woo Jae, who looked impeccable in his suit, Lee Jin was already drenched in sweat, her hair clinging to her head.
Seeing her pale face, Woo Jae bent down.

“Woo Jae…”

“Why are you like this? Is it anemia again?”

Woo Jae remembered better than she did that she had fainted once in high school from anemia. His concern for her paleness made her grateful that he wasn’t asking about why she had been avoiding him.

“No, my feet just hurt too much.”

Woo Jae frowned, glancing down at her feet.

“What’s the door lock code?”

“Huh?”

“The code for your door. I’ll go get you some comfortable shoes.”

Lee Jin checked the time on her phone. Going back home now would cut it too close.

“I’ll just rest for a bit. I’ll be fine.”

“You don’t look fine at all. Let’s go to the hospital.”

“No need for that. It’s just my feet from wearing these heels.”

“Lee Jin, are you trying to worry me?”

“Well, I can’t move because my feet hurt.”

“Give me the code.”

Woo Jae gently brushed her hair aside as she hesitated.
“Don’t feel bad about it.”

Even though her head was already spinning, her cheeks grew warm from the unexpected tenderness in his touch.

“My birthday.”

“Lee Jin.”

Woo Jae’s expression darkened as he processed her words.

“Huh?”

“You used your birthday for your door code? We’ll talk about that later. Just take off your shoes and wait here. I’ll be back soon.”

“Tha—”

Before she could finish thanking him, Woo Jae had already turned around and started running. His tall figure, close to 190 cm, immediately drew the attention of everyone waiting at the bus stop as he sprinted away.

Watching him, Lee Jin was reminded of their school days. Woo Jae had always been athletic, excelling at sports just as he did with everything else. Girls from neighboring schools had lined up to admire him, with his handsome looks and all-around talent.
As Woo Jae’s constant companion, Lee Jin had been busy delivering love confessions from her friends, only to be met with his harsh responses.

“Why the hell are you giving me this crap?”

“Woo Jae, Seo-yeon is a great girl!”

“I don’t care if she’s great or not.”

“Why are you so mad about it?”

“Do you really think I’d hang out with someone like that?”

“Someone like what? Ugh, Woo Jae, do you really think you’re that great? There’s no such thing as someone being above others! You’ve got such a temper. Honestly, Seo-yeon deserves better than you!”

A faint smile crossed her lips as she recalled her younger self, who had been oblivious to Woo Jae’s feelings, running around trying to play matchmaker.

You really did make it obvious. It must’ve been frustrating that I didn’t get it.

“Feeling better, now that you’re smiling?”

Startled, Lee Jin looked down at the flats in front of her, realizing Woo Jae had returned.

“You’re back already?”

Even though it would normally take Lee Jin 20 minutes to walk back and forth, Woo Jae returned in under 10.

Kneeling down, Woo Jae slipped the comfortable flats onto her feet.

“I can do it myself…” she mumbled.

“Should I start giving you a hard time now?” he teased.
“Huh?”

“Don’t wear shoes that hurt. You’ll look great in anything.”

“W-what?” she stammered, her face flushing at the compliment.

Since when did he start saying such cheesy things? He was the one making her flustered, yet she was the one blushing.

“And change your door lock code.”

“If I make it too complicated, I won’t remember it after a night out drinking. We have so many work dinners, and I drink a lot with clients.”

Woo Jae stood up, holding her high heels. He’d even brought a shopping bag from home and carefully placed the heels inside. The stares of passersby made her feel self-conscious, but Woo Jae seemed completely unfazed.

“Then just tell me the new code. If you forget, you can call me. I’ll never forget it.”

“Why would you need to remember my door code?”

“Why do you think?”

His gentle smile and warm gaze made her heart skip a beat.
So this is what they mean by ‘heart-fluttering moments,’ she thought.

Flustered, she grabbed the shopping bag from his hand to distract herself.

“Thanks, anyway.”

“Make sure you change it, alright?”

His serious expression didn’t help lighten the mood.

“Alright, alright. You’re such a nag.”

“I only say it because I care.”

“Care about what?”

“Because you’re pretty.”

“Oh my God, what are you saying?” she muttered, embarrassed.

“I’m worried someone might steal you away.”

“Seriously…”

Though they lived nearby, this was the first time she and Woo Jae were heading to work together. When they were younger, they used to walk to school side by side every day, but ever since they spent that night before her birthday together a month ago, their time alone felt awkward.

It was strange. Her heart raced, and there was a nervous excitement in the air.

Every time their arms brushed, she’d try to step away, but Woo Jae would close the gap again with his long strides. By the time they reached the office, their arms had barely stopped grazing each other, making her nerves tingle the entire walk.

She was so focused on their arms that she couldn’t even remember what they had talked about on the way.

As they reached the office building, Lee Jin smiled and squinted up at him.

“I’ll head in first, then.”

“I’ll go ahead.”

“Huh?”

“Your feet are still hurting, right? I’ll run ahead, and you can just walk in.”

Since no one at the office knew they were friends, they had to be cautious. The competitive work environment was far more intense than anything they had experienced in law school.

Out of the ten interns hired, only five would be offered full-time positions, making it a survival competition. Lee Jin didn’t want to fuel any baseless rumors or be accused of using her connections, like relying on a partner lawyer for support.

She had entered law school because of Woo Jae’s encouragement, but her internship at Taejung Law Firm was entirely earned through her own merit.

She harbored insecurities about her abilities as a lawyer, and the last thing she needed was gossip about her being involved with a partner lawyer.

“And how long do you plan on avoiding me?”

“A few more days.”

Woo Jae narrowed his eyes at her, studying her face before nodding and walking ahead.

Before she knew it, Woo Jae had already disappeared into the elevator.

Suddenly, her nausea returned. Lee Jin sighed and waited for the next elevator.

She spent her morning preparing reference documents for an upcoming construction lawsuit, organizing a claim for debt collection to be submitted by the second weekend, and getting her appeal statement approved for an upcoming hearing. By the time she sat back down at her desk, it was already 3 PM—time for her client meeting.

Skipping lunch had become routine, but the workload for a junior lawyer at a large firm had long exceeded her limits.

Her upset stomach slowed her down, and she nearly forgot about the meeting even though it was marked on her schedule.

Thankfully, a litigation team member reminded her just in time, and she stood up to leave.

Lee Jin made her way to the 22nd-floor conference room, knocked twice, and entered.

Her task was to assist Partner Attorney Kang Joo-taek in sorting through the complex details of various lawsuits, but to her surprise, it was Woo Jae sitting at the table instead of Kang Joo-taek.

“Hello, Attorney Lee Jin.”

As if things couldn’t get worse, the man who greeted her was none other than CEO Lee Do-joon—the protagonist of the parking lot incident on her birthday eve, where Woo Jae had intervened.
Lee Do-joon was the CEO of Light Therapy, a health food company, and she hadn’t expected him to show up in person. She had been told his sister, Director Lee Do-hee, would be attending on his behalf. Perhaps she had misunderstood the details due to her poor health.

The strong scent of Lee Do-joon’s cologne made her stomach churn. Trying to maintain her composure, she bowed slightly and took a seat next to Woo Jae.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Attorney Lee Jin.”

“Have you been well?” Lee Do-joon extended his hand for a handshake, but Woo Jae quickly handed him a stack of documents. Now, instead of shaking her hand, Lee Do-joon found himself holding a list of ongoing lawsuits.

“We have another meeting in an hour, so let’s get started,” Woo Jae said curtly, cutting off any chance of small talk.

It seemed that the company had grown too fast, leading to reckless investments. Internally, there were traitors leaking business secrets, and externally, scammers were infringing on property rights.

To make matters worse, a multi-billion-won lawsuit involving the withdrawal of business rights from a Southeast Asian reseller was now underway.

“We invested 2.2 billion won, but our company has been saddled with the debt,” Lee Do-joon explained, his expression sharp. Woo Jae listened intently, while Lee Jin felt as though the room was closing in on her.

Sensing her growing discomfort, Woo Jae abruptly cut off the conversation and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Attorney Lee, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Please continue.”

Lee Do-joon resumed speaking. “The most frustrating part is that we still don’t know if they’re dragging things out to negotiate or if they’re trying to gain leverage. We’re unclear about Director Park’s intentions.”

“Ugh…” The overpowering scent of cologne finally overwhelmed Lee Jin, and she covered her mouth, rushing out of the room.

Once in the restroom, she gripped the sink and turned on the cold water. Her stomach was churning, but having not eaten much, there was nothing to bring up. She rinsed her hands under the cool water, trying to steady her breath, when the door opened and Woo Jae stepped inside.

“Attorney Woo Jae?”

“You’re not in good shape. Let’s go to the hospital.”

He took hold of her pale, trembling hand. Frowning, she pulled her hand away.

“Get out. This is the women’s restroom, and we’re at the office. What if someone sees?”

“Your health comes first.”

“Go back inside first. You can’t just leave the client alone, Attorney Cha Woo Jae. That’s not like you,” Lee Jin said, turning off the water and looking up at him.

“What’s ‘like me’?” he asked.

“Being professional,” she replied.

“What’s really ‘like me’ is thinking about you all day,” he shot back, making her cheeks burn.

“Please stop and go inside. This is still the office,” she said, forcing a smile as she tried to push him out of the restroom.
After closing the door behind him, she let out another sigh. What on earth is wrong with me?

It didn’t feel like a cold—there were no coughs or runny nose—and she hadn’t eaten anything substantial enough to upset her stomach. The nausea had just lasted far too long.

Could it be premenstrual syndrome?

Her period?

No way. That can’t be it.

Despite the stress from studying, her menstrual cycle had always been remarkably regular. She hadn’t even noticed that her period was overdue.