I’m Pregnant with My Friend’s Child - Chapter 4.1

Woojae rushed home, grabbed his car, and picked Yijin up, settling her in the passenger seat.

“Where are we even going to find a hospital open at this time?”

It was already well past 4 PM, but Woojae was determined to get her to a hospital on this Saturday afternoon.

“There are OB-GYN clinics that are open on weekends.”

“How do you even know that?”

“What do you think smartphones are for? Just one search and it pops up.”

“Oh…”

Yijin hadn’t even thought to check, assuming that hospitals would be closed on weekends. Truth be told, she had also been putting off the hospital visit, not wanting to confirm what she already suspected.

“You see, Seo Yijin, you can’t survive without me. The world’s just too tough for you to handle on your own.”

“Ha!”

Already back to showing off, huh?

“Instead of laughing, a simple ‘thank you’ would do.”

Yijin glared at Woojae as he continued his smug act.

“And what if it’s not your child? We used protection, remember?”

“I don’t have an excuse for that. My bad.”

“I’m not looking for an apology.”

“Still, while you were stressing out on your own, I was anxiously waiting for your answer like an idiot. So, yeah, I feel guilty.”

“I didn’t realize the failure rate for protection was that high either. But honestly, aren’t you even considering the possibility that it might not be yours? Where’s all this confidence coming from?”

“Even if it’s not mine, I’d still take care of it.”

“What?”

Yijin had only meant to provoke him a little, but Woojae’s response was unexpectedly serious.

“If the guy who got you pregnant bailed on you, then I’d take care of you. Simple as that.”

“Wow. That’s… really something.”

“How could I leave my Seo Yijin to fend for herself?”

He had a way of being both arrogant and incredibly sweet at the same time.

To be honest, everything he said was so endearing that Yijin couldn’t help but get a bit emotional. Maybe it was the hormones, but her eyes were starting to well up.

“Plus, I know you didn’t do anything with anyone else.”

“And how are you so sure?”

Yijin asked, trying to push back the tears and maintain a teasing tone.

“Because I left marks all over you after that night. There’s no way shy little Seo Yijin would hook up with someone else like that.”

“Cha Woojae!”

It suddenly clicked. The marks he had left on her body had only just faded. Especially the ones on her more private areas. Sunhwa had even nagged her to go to the waxing salon again, but she’d found excuses not to go.

Now she understood why he had been so intense. Sneaky guy.
Yijin squinted at him as he casually tapped the steering wheel with his fingers.

“Am I wrong?”

“This is ridiculous.”

“Why? Were you planning to get with Lee Dojun if there weren’t any marks left?”

Yijin furrowed her brow, feeling slightly indignant.

“Of course not! That thing with Lee Dojun was… just a mistake.”

“Good to hear.”

At her words, Woojae’s smile widened in satisfaction.
But what if the baby had been Lee Dojun’s? She wouldn’t have hesitated to go to the hospital by now and move on with her life.

“So… why bring up Lee Dojun out of nowhere? Are you jealous?”

“Jealous? No.”

“Then why single him out?”

“Do I really seem like the jealous type?”

“Well, not really. You’re more of a nagger.”

Woojae raised an eyebrow at that.

“I get jealous. A lot.”

“Really?”

It felt surprising to hear him admit that so openly. But oddly enough, the idea of him being jealous didn’t feel bad—if anything, it felt nice, almost heartwarming.

“I don’t like it when you talk to male clients.”

“Really?”

“And when you tell me you’re going out for drinks with Sunhwa, I feel uneasy.”

Woojae hurriedly returned with the car and had Yijin seated in the passenger seat.

“Where are we going to find an open hospital at this hour?”

It was already well past 4 PM, but Woojae was determined to take her to the hospital on this Saturday afternoon.

“Some OB-GYN clinics are open on weekends.”

“How do you even know that?”

“That’s what smartphones are for. A quick search, and you find what you need.”

“Oh…”

Yijin hadn’t even thought to check, assuming clinics would be closed on weekends. To be honest, she hadn’t wanted to rush into confirming what she already suspected.

“You see, Seo Yijin, you can’t survive without me. The world’s too rough for you out here.”

“Ha!”

Already acting all smug, huh?

“Instead of laughing, how about a simple ‘thank you’?”

Yijin shot a sideways glance at Woojae, rolling her eyes at his cocky attitude.

“And what if it’s not your baby? Remember we used protection?”
“I don’t have an excuse for that. My bad.”

“I wasn’t asking for an apology.”

“Still, while you were struggling alone, I was anxiously waiting for your response, like a fool. So, yeah, I feel guilty.”

“I didn’t realize the failure rate of protection was that high either. But honestly, what if it’s not yours? Where’s all this confidence coming from?”

“Even if it’s not mine, I’d still take care of you.”

“What?”

She had only been trying to tease him a little, but Woojae’s response was dead serious.

“If the guy who got you pregnant abandoned you, I’d be the one to step in and take care of you.”

“Wow. That’s… something.”

He had a way of being both cocky and incredibly sweet at the same time.

To be honest, everything he said was so heartwarming, Yijin couldn’t help but feel a lump in her throat. Maybe it was the hormones, but her eyes were starting to well up.

“And besides, you didn’t do anything with anyone else, did you?”

“And how are you so sure?”

Yijin asked, trying to hold back the tears while keeping her tone playful.

“Because I left marks all over you after that night. There’s no way shy little Seo Yijin would’ve hooked up with someone else after that.”

“Cha Woojae!”

It suddenly clicked—those marks he had left on her body, which had only just faded. Especially the ones in more private areas. No wonder Sunhwa had been nagging her to go to the waxing salon again, but she’d found excuses not to go.

Now she understood why he had been so intense. Sneaky guy.

Yijin squinted at him as he casually tapped the steering wheel with his fingers.

“Am I wrong?”

“This is ridiculous.”

“Why? Were you planning to sleep with Lee Dojun if the marks had faded?”

Yijin frowned, feeling slightly indignant.

“Of course not! That thing with Lee Dojun was… just a mistake.”

“Good to hear.”

At her words, Woojae’s smile widened in satisfaction.

But what if the baby had been Lee Dojun’s? She wouldn’t have hesitated to go to the hospital by now and move on with her life.

“So, why bring up Lee Dojun out of nowhere? Are you jealous?”

“Jealous? No.”

“Then why single him out?”

“Do I really seem like the jealous type?”

“Not really. You’re more of a nagger.”

Woojae raised an eyebrow.

“I get jealous. A lot.”

“Really?”

It felt surprising to hear him admit that so openly. But oddly enough, the idea of him being jealous didn’t feel bad—if anything, it felt strangely endearing.

“I didn’t like it whenever you talked to male clients.”

“You didn’t?”

“And when you went out drinking with Sunhwa without me, I got anxious too.”

The blood test results confirmed it: Yijin was pregnant.

The kind-looking, short-haired doctor in her 40s pointed at the ultrasound screen.

“Your little angel has safely arrived. The gestational sac is forming well.”

Woojae squeezed Yijin’s hand. He couldn’t make sense of the black and white blotches on the screen, but the words “your angel has safely arrived” filled him with emotion.

“The yolk sac is visible, and everything is settling in just right. See here? That’s your little 0.5 cm angel.”

“Yijin-ah…”

Woojae gently stroked Yijin’s hair, overcome with emotion. The fact that something so tiny—less than a centimeter—was growing inside her felt surreal.

Then they heard the sound of a heartbeat, loud and strong, and goosebumps spread across Yijin’s skin.

“Is that the heartbeat?”

It was real. There was a life growing inside her, taking root and thriving.

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

Woojae and Yijin exchanged a look, unable to speak. It was a moment of overwhelming emotion.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you, doctor. Yijin, thank you.”

Woojae kissed Yijin’s forehead repeatedly, his voice full of gratitude. His words made her eyes well up.

“Thank you.”

Though the baby hadn’t been planned, the moment she heard that heartbeat, she was filled with gratitude for the little life growing inside her.

Hearing the doctor say the gestational sac was forming properly made her feel proud. Despite not eating well, her tiny angel was doing its part, growing steadily. Was this what it felt like to be a mother? It was fascinating. If things continued like this, she might already be on track to becoming the type of doting parent she’d never imagined.

For a fleeting moment, Yijin felt guilty, wondering if the baby knew she had once considered ending the pregnancy. But now, she vowed to raise this child without ever causing them pain. And with Woojae by her side—someone as caring as him as the father—she knew it would be enough.

“Do you have any questions?”

Before Yijin could ask, Woojae spoke up with urgency.

“Can we still have sex?”

Yijin’s face flushed red at Woojae’s unexpected question. But the doctor responded casually, as if it were a common inquiry.
“Every case is different, but you just need to be careful in the early stages.”

It was Woojae who asked, but why did the embarrassment always fall on her?

“So, it’s okay right now?”

Woojae pressed for a more precise timeline, and Yijin felt her entire body blush from her head to her toes.

“As long as there are no signs of complications, it should be fine after two weeks, but don’t overdo it.”

“Thank you.”

“Anything else you’re curious about?”

Yijin had several questions, but Woojae’s interruption made her forget them all. They left the clinic, Woojae still acting as if she were a heavily pregnant woman needing assistance.

*
“Cha Woojae, you’re seriously out of your mind.”

Despite Yijin’s exasperation, Woojae merely raised an eyebrow with a playful smirk.

“Of course I am. I just started dating Seo Yijin, and being normal wouldn’t be right, now would it?”

“How can you ask something like that so casually?”

“Like what?”

“About… you know, sex.”

“It’s a valid question.”

Under Woojae’s intense gaze, Yijin turned away, pouting.

“We just started dating. There’s a baby, but don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Woojae smiled as he opened the door to their place, clearly in a great mood.

“I’m not rushing anything. The doctor said to be careful for two weeks. We’ll just have to find other ways to get by until then.”
“Other ways?”

“Kissing, maybe a bath together, sleeping while cuddling.”

“Who said I’d take a bath with you? Wow, Cha Woojae, you are so sly.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault. It’s for the baby’s safety.”
Woojae unloaded all the pregnancy and parenting books he had bought from the bookstore and placed them on the coffee table, along with some stretch mark cream from the department store. He then headed to the kitchen with a bag of fruit he’d bought at the grocery store.

Despite her irritation, Yijin couldn’t help but follow him closely, curious about what he was up to.

“What do you mean, ‘for the baby’s safety’?”

“It’s dangerous for a pregnant woman to bathe alone.”

“And you expect me to believe that’s the only reason?”

Woojae, who was busy washing the fruit, suddenly pulled Yijin into his arms, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

With their faces so close that it almost tickled, Woojae whispered softly, “I’ve always had a plan.”

“What?” Yijin barely had time to react before Woojae’s tongue gently traced her dry lips, sending a thrilling shiver through her, her heart pounding wildly.

“I’m going to feed you, bathe you, and take care of everything from now on.”

“Excuse me, Cha Woojae. I think you’re confused. The baby’s in my belly, not me!” Yijin quipped, trying to assert herself.

“Besides, you don’t know anything about this either, so why are you acting like you do?”

“Who said I don’t know? Who raised Seo Yijin this well in the first place?”

“You raised me? Oh, please.” Yijin scoffed, but before she could finish, Woojae slipped his tongue between her lips, sweetly intertwining with hers, teasing the soft skin inside her mouth.

“Mmm…” Yijin let out a small moan, unable to resist the overwhelming sensation. Embarrassed, she pulled away, but Woojae chuckled lowly and went back to washing the fruit.

“You’re the one who took in three country bumpkins and turned them into decent people,” Woojae said smugly.

“Country bumpkins? Please. And who turned a wannabe thug like you into a decent human being?” Yijin shot back.

“I’ve already raised you so beautifully. Raising one more kid won’t be a big deal,” he said, turning off the water and carrying the fruit to the living room. He gently helped Yijin sit on the sofa and presented the variety of fruits he had prepared.

“Try something. You’ll find something that suits your taste. You need to eat so the baby can stay strong too,” Woojae said, carefully watching her expression as she stared at the fruits.

But Yijin frowned. Even the thought of food made her stomach churn. “Just thinking about food makes me feel sick.”

“I’ll peel everything for you. Just try a bite,” Woojae offered, picking up a yellow melon. It was one of Yijin’s childhood favorites, and it was clear Woojae remembered that.

“Stop, Woojae.”

The sweet fragrance of the melon, once a delight, now turned her stomach. She turned her head away, and Woojae quickly put the melon aside and started peeling some grapes instead.