Reasonable Loss - 25

She would look like Eunsu. How pretty she would be. White and small, she would monopolize all the cuteness in the world.

He had to give her everything. Let her do whatever she wanted. Let her see only pretty things and live only in good places.

Dokwon resolved it with force at the corners of his lips.

The doctor glanced at the two with similar expressions and fiddled with the speaker button.

“We can hear the heartbeat too. Want to listen?”

“Yes!”

“Yes.”

Eunsu and Dokwon answered at the same time.

Eunsu had some bl00d drawn, his bl00d pressure taken, and various other tests done. Staying at the hospital for so long, fatigue crept up little by little, and at the same time, hunger set in. As Eunsu stroked his belly and muttered that he was hungry, the doctor who had been flipping through the chart smacked his lips.

“Eat a lot now. Morning sickness will start soon.”

“Morning sickness?”

“Yes. You won’t be able to eat things you used to eat well, and even sitting still, your stomach will churn.”

“Even though I usually eat a ton, will that happen?”

“Do you drink alcohol?”

At the sudden question, Eunsu straightened his back rigidly. Alcohol. He did not even drink caffeine, so how could he drink alcohol. Eunsu shook his head vigorously.

“No! Of course not! I don’t even drink coffee.”

“No, not now. Before the pregnancy.”

“Ah……. Ah, before the pregnancy……. Back then, I did. I liked it quite a bit.”

“The day after heavy drinking, you’ve had times when your stomach felt bad, right? Nauseous, throat bitter, body heavy, thirsty but water tastes off.”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

“……Yes?”

“That’s what morning sickness is like. Sometimes your stomach feels two or three times worse than a hangover. From morning to evening, all day.”

Ah……. Eunsu sighed with a vague expression. Feeling like a hangover all day long? That was a bit worrying. No matter how great his digestion was, when suffering from a hangover, he lost his appetite. He was the type to avoid food when stressed anyway.

As Eunsu stroked his knee like scratching it, Dokwon asked in his place.

“Then what should we do?”

“You have to eat even if you force it. Try various things and find what suits your taste. During pregnancy, your tastes change, so things you didn’t eat before might taste good.”

Of course, you have to take your nutritional supplements well too. The doctor said, clicking the mouse. Then he pushed up his glasses and asked Eunsu.

“Shall I prescribe pheromone inhibitors?”

“Yes. I’m finishing up the ones from last time.”

“You’re not taking too many, right?”

“I take three a day.”

“Good.”

The doctor nodded lightly. At the somehow dubious conversation, Dokwon slightly furrowed his brow.

“Isn’t it bad to take too many inhibitors?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Why not?”

“…….”

The doctor stared silently at Dokwon instead of answering. For some reason, in that cold and sharp gaze, Dokwon’s jaw tightened, and then the doctor firmly pressed the enter key with a tap. After that, he showed a clichéd smile.

“The consultation is over. Mr. Yoo Eunsu, please go out and get your medication, and the guardian, please stay a moment.”

“Yes?”

“Yes?”

Dokwon and Eunsu both asked back at the same time. The doctor lightly interlaced his fingers on the desk. Through the rimless glasses, his bare eyes narrowed slightly.

“The guardian should stay to hear the explanation.”

“What explanation are you talking about?”

“Since it’s obstetrics and gynecology, it must be pregnancy-related, right? Five minutes will be enough.”

“And me?”

Eunsu asked. An explanation just for Dokwon. But the one who’s actually pregnant is me. Why leave me out? He felt puzzled and a bit hurt.

But the doctor was firm.

“Mr. Yoo Eunsu, you’re fine. Please go out.”

In the end, Eunsu had to leave the consultation room feeling as if he were being chased out.

Eunsu got the ultrasound photo from the nurse and picked up the suppressant at the pharmacy right below. As he stood there, Dokwon appeared. It was exactly about five minutes later. He took the medicine bag from Eunsu’s hand and held it.

“What did the doctor say?”

Eunsu asked probingly, like he was demanding an answer. What could it be that he only told you? Is there something seriously wrong with my body? Usually, they tell the guardian first in cases like that.

“I got scolded.”

Dokwon said as he handed his card to the pharmacist.

“……Yes?”

At the completely unexpected words, Eunsu’s eyes widened round.

“He asked if I’d ever said anything negative about Eunsu-ssi’s pheromones.”

“……”

“And then he scolded me, saying how dare I say such things to a pregnant omega in the early stages.”

A-a-ju. Deon-tong. Dokwon dragged out the words long to show just how thoroughly he’d been scolded.

Eunsu, who had been blankly stunned for a moment, giggled and laughed like a child. Who would have thought the doctor said something like that. He seemed like a robot. Well, the first time they visited, he had asked if perhaps the husband was treating him roughly. Both then and today. He was a person overflowing with observation and warmth.

Dokwon, who had received the card and receipt, put them in his wallet and asked.

“Was that it? To the doctor? That I hate your pheromones?”

“Yes. You said that when you were hospitalized.”

“……”

“You blocked your nose as if it smelled like food waste or something, wrinkled your whole face like this, and glared at me.”

Eunsu covered his lower face with his hand and scrunched up his expression to mimic Dokwon from back then. Dokwon clenched his fist tight and then released it. The medicine bag in his hand rustled and crumpled.

“……I’m sorry. Back then, to me, Eunsu-ssi was just…… an unfamiliar omega……”

“Yes. I understand. If I woke up from a coma with four years of memory loss, and a huge dominant alpha like you said, ‘You’re awake? I’m your husband. And you’re pregnant. With my child,’ I would have reacted the same way, thinking, ‘What the hell is this crazy guy!'”

Eunsu acted out a low voice and a sharp one. Dokwon laughed without a sound. Eunsu looked up at Dokwon and cheekily raised his eyebrows.

“By the way, I said he’s a good doctor, right?”

“Yes?”

“If he calls you aside just to scold you, that means he’s really something. Who could say something unpleasant to someone like you, Dokwon-ssi.”

Eunsu chattered on. Dokwon gently stroked the back of Eunsu’s head.

“Yes. He seems like a good doctor.”

Sometimes—no, often—he felt it, but there were times when he could understand why he had loved Eunsu, why his mother and father cherished Eunsu so much.

Lovely, cute, bright, good personality, and they said he handled work sharply too.

He had a wicked thought that it was fortunate the him who had forgotten had loved Eunsu, and planted a life in his belly so that such a him couldn’t easily leave.

At that moment, Eunsu tugged firmly at Dokwon’s sleeve.

“Dokwon-ssi.”

“Yes.”

“Buy me this.”

He pointed to the gummy vitamin supplements that looked like they could be chewed. They were packaged like gum. Dokwon took out the whole box without hesitation and handed it to the pharmacist.

The startled Eunsu tapped his forearm quickly to stop him.

“One is enough, one.”

“You might want to eat another in the evening. Or tomorrow……”

“No, that’s not it.”

Eunsu took the box from Dokwon’s hand and put it back in place. Then he picked up one, added another, and handed two to the pharmacist. The pharmacist, who seemed good-natured, smiled and tapped the POS machine.

Dokwon handed his card to the pharmacist and said toward Eunsu.

“It’s the pheromone suppressant.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t take it when you’re with me.”

“……Yes?”

“I didn’t know it was bad for a pregnant body. I’m sorry. I should have looked into it more. I was out of my mind.”

“……”

Eunsu pressed his lips tight. He looked at Dokwon with damp eyes. When did he hate my scent so much. Now he tells me not to take the suppressant. On top of that, he even apologizes for not knowing about it in relation to him.

It would be normal to get annoyed at him going back and forth like this. But Eunsu was glad at that change. It felt like Dokwon was gradually returning to the old Dokwon, little by little.

“Yes. I won’t take it.”

Eunsu smiled. Dokwon smiled along.

The two who left the pharmacy stood at the crosswalk right in front of the building. They planned to go to a famous bulgogi restaurant nearby. Since they could walk there, the location was perfect. If it suited his taste, maybe they’d stop by every time they came to the obstetrics clinic from now on.

Dokwon, standing close to Eunsu’s side, began peeling the vitamin gummy with his large hand. Then he brought the plump candy to Eunsu’s mouth. Eunsu took it in neatly.

A sour yet fresh and slightly sweet taste filled his mouth. The chewy and sticky texture was something he hadn’t had in a long time. When he was little and dragged to the hospital by his mom’s hand, he could eat one or two.

Eunsu chewed diligently with his mouth working. When his mouth was empty, Dokwon peeled another one for him. Eunsu took it in smoothly and smiled as if feeling good.