The Omega Is Pregnant

"Is it really that good?"
"You'll know if you try it."

Tae-seo scooped up a spoonful of bibimbap, filling it to the brim. When he had asked to stop somewhere on the way, Se-heon had wondered if he was craving something, and apparently, this restaurant’s bibimbap was delicious. So, he had packed two servings according to Tae-seo’s preference.
Kang Se-heon was gradually getting used to the sight of Tae-seo eating like a squirrel stuffing its cheeks with acorns.
"You seem to like filling your mouth completely when you eat."

"…I should get some dumplings next time."
"Yeah, sure. Eat a lot and grow big."
Since Tae-seo thought of dumplings the moment he mentioned stuffing his mouth, Se-heon figured there was no point in continuing the conversation and leaned back against his seat. Even so, watching Tae-seo eat so eagerly wasn’t unpleasant.

Se-heon planned to stay seated until Tae-seo finished eating, but a vibration from his lap interrupted the moment. He took out his phone—Jin Gyu-min was calling. Se-heon hesitated. Should he take it inside the room, or just answer it here? It was probably about Tae-seo anyway, so there was no need to step away. He put the phone to his ear.
"Talk."
[You’ll need to bring him in again. The results show he needs a few additional tests.]

Before the first check-up, Gyu-min had already mentioned that there might be extra tests needed. He was saying the same thing now, but somehow, it felt heavier. Se-heon ran a hand over his forehead, trying to suppress his frown, but the slight furrow of his brows betrayed him.
"What’s the issue?"
[I won’t know until I see him. If you’re that worried, just be extra nice to him.]

Se-heon’s gaze flickered to Tae-seo, then back. Tae-seo, noticing Se-heon’s attention, dramatically stuffed another big bite into his mouth, chewing with exaggerated enthusiasm. Was it really that delicious? Watching him, Se-heon felt a sudden tightness in his throat and silently placed a glass of water in front of him.
"You can’t just tell me over the phone?"
[It’s something we’ll only understand after further testing. But if my guess is right… Ha, whatever. Just be good to him. Buy him good food, and if he says he’s tired, make sure he gets plenty of rest.]

Gyu-min’s serious tone made Se-heon’s lips tighten. If he stayed here, his emotions might slip through to Tae-seo, so he got up and walked into his room, closing the door behind him. Se-heon paced. The fact that Tae-seo couldn’t sense pheromones was a bigger issue than he had initially thought.
"Is it serious?"
[Depends on how you look at it. Just come in and we’ll talk.]

Could it be an illness? It was a thought he didn’t want to entertain, but once it crossed his mind, his worries spiraled out of control.
"Schedule the appointment as soon as possible."
Se-heon set his phone down and stepped out of the room.
 

****
The Next Morning
Yawning as he stepped into the living room, Tae-seo suddenly froze. Someone was standing there, tall and unmoving. He blinked, his hand still covering his mouth from the yawn, and glanced at the clock. It was past nine—Se-heon should’ve already left by now.

"It’s a weekday. Aren’t you going to work?"
"I’m working from home today."
Se-heon answered without lifting his eyes from the book he was reading. Tae-seo nodded, accepting the explanation. He stretched, trying to shake off the stiffness in his body, but he could feel Se-heon’s gaze on him. He turned to meet it.

"What?"
"I should be asking you that. What are you doing up this early?"
"Oh… I have an assignment."

Tae-seo didn’t go to school, but he had set an alarm specifically for this. Still half-asleep, he shook his head vigorously. Se-heon, watching, set his book down and stood up.
"Let’s eat first."
"I don’t usually eat breakfast…"

"Then just sit at the table."
Se-heon moved briskly, reheating only the dishes that had cooled. Tae-seo, observing the process, quickly brushed his teeth and returned—only to hover awkwardly in front of the kitchen.
"I really don’t eat breakfast that much… Oh? That looks good."

His hesitation vanished the moment he saw the food. The sight of salad, soup, and soft mashed potatoes made his earlier excuse irrelevant. The gentle aroma of coffee only made it more enticing, reminding him of the restaurant they had gone to the day before.
"When did you make all this?"
"Sit."

Without further explanation, Se-heon took his seat, and Tae-seo hesitantly sat across from him. Not that Se-heon had ever been the type to offer long-winded explanations anyway. Tae-seo grabbed his spoon and instinctively reached for the soup first.
"Huh? This is really good. Was potato soup always like this?"
"It’s different from store-bought ones. You start by sautéing onions in butter until they change color—never mind, just eat."

Seeing the way Tae-seo’s eyes widened in surprise, Se-heon found himself explaining before cutting himself off mid-sentence. Why was he even bothering to explain?
"You’re good at everything, aren’t you?"
"Tell me if there’s something you want to eat."

"You’d make it for me?"
"I said tell me, not that I’d cook it."
"You say that, but if you do, am I supposed to act all touched?"

"…Now I really don’t feel like making anything."
Figures. Se-heon’s deadpan response made Tae-seo pout slightly before focusing back on his meal. The soup had a richness he hadn’t expected, smooth and comforting.
After eating with evident enjoyment, Tae-seo suddenly let out a sigh. One of Se-heon’s eyebrows arched slightly. Sighing in the middle of a meal?

"I was happy eating, but thinking about my assignment makes me miserable. I’ve been putting it off because it’s too difficult, but now I have to spend the whole day on it. Ugh, why did I even take this class? Wait, I didn’t even choose it myself… What was past-me thinking?"
Watching Tae-seo sulk, Se-heon finally remembered where he had heard about his university before. Right—In-hyuk went there too. That made Tae-seo his junior.
"What class is it?"

"Understanding Financial Investment."
"…Do you even know anything about investments?"
"That’s exactly why the assignment is hard!"

Tae-seo shot him a glare before stabbing at his salad with his fork. There was something else he wanted to stab, but leafy greens would have to do. Still, the tangy dressing lifted his mood. In the end, it was a satisfying breakfast.
"This isn’t the right approach. Structure the outline based on the fundamentals of investment instead."
Tae-seo brought his laptop to the living room, determined to work on his assignment. He ended up receiving what could only be described as Se-heon’s nagging disguised as help. Se-heon sat down next to him, leaning against the couch like a makeshift backrest, occasionally tapping at the laptop screen.

"What’s the point of using complicated terms if they don’t add any real value? Just use simple words that get the point across."
"Yeah, yeah."
Tae-seo erased the technical terms he had carefully noted down on the side. He had tried to be clever, using complex jargon to make the assignment seem more impressive, but of course, Se-heon saw right through it.

"The topic is already difficult enough. You don’t need to make it harder. It’s better to interpret it in your own words."
"Oh… Should I just flip the whole thing around and write it differently?"
At first, Tae-seo had pouted at Se-heon’s so-called help, but before he realized it, he was asking him questions. Even if it was annoying, he knew Se-heon wasn’t wrong. His advice, though blunt, was actually useful.

As Tae-seo continued working, his grip on the keyboard grew weaker.
Se-heon, reading over his progress, suddenly noticed a series of "ㅎ" characters appearing repeatedly across the screen. He turned his head—Tae-seo’s head was bobbing. So that’s why. He had gotten up early, and now sleep was catching up with him.
Just as Tae-seo’s forehead was about to collide with the table, Se-heon’s large hand caught it.

"Such a hassle."
Always needing attention, always requiring care.
Se-heon debated whether to wake him up, knowing he had a lot of work left to do. But then he sighed and gently pushed the laptop away. Tae-seo hadn’t fallen asleep because he wanted to—his body must have been exhausted.

"Don’t complain later that you didn’t finish your homework. That stupid grade isn’t worth more than your health, so don’t even think about stressing over it."
With an exasperated shove to his forehead, Se-heon let Tae-seo’s body slump to the side. He collapsed onto the thick rug, his breathing soon evening out in deep sleep.
Se-heon watched for a moment before retrieving a blanket from the room and draping it over him.

"I’ll let it slide since you’re not feeling well."
Settling back into his seat, Se-heon put on some background music to fill the silence and returned to his laptop.
Who knew how much time had passed? When Tae-seo finally stirred, he blinked groggily, glancing around with a dazed expression. He had fallen asleep in the middle of his assignment…

"…Classical music?"
The soft notes drifting through the air felt bizarrely out of place.
 

****
At the Hospital
Back at the hospital, Tae-seo looked around the familiar examination room before turning an even more awkward gaze toward Se-heon.

"I could’ve come alone, you know."
Yet Se-heon had insisted on coming with him. It made Tae-seo feel self-conscious. Se-heon hadn’t even gone to work again—was that really okay? But asking seemed too nosy, so he kept his thoughts to himself.
"We meet again. There aren’t too many additional tests, so it won’t take long," Jin Gyu-min greeted them.

Tae-seo dipped his head politely, forcing a small smile. He had been a bit worried when he heard that more tests were necessary, but with Se-heon here, he couldn't let it show. Not when Se-heon was already acting more sensitive than usual, as if he could see straight through him.
"You need to be specific so we can prepare. If he needs a hospital room, book it now."
"I doubt that’ll be necessary."

"If surgery is required, schedule the earliest possible date."
"Surgery isn’t something you can just decide on immediately—wait, what are you even talking about?"
Jin Gyu-min adjusted his glasses, giving Se-heon a sharp look.

"You said he needed more tests. If you’re running additional diagnostics, there must be a reason."
Se-heon deliberately chose his words, aware that Tae-seo was listening. But Jin Gyu-min wasn’t following his train of thought. He glanced between the two, his mind working rapidly until—wait.
"…When did I ever say anything about a full diagnostic scan? The tests we need to do are in obstetrics and gynecology. It’s not certain yet, but we need to check for the possibility of pregnancy."

Originally, Jin Gyu-min hadn’t planned on saying anything until after running the tests. But watching Se-heon spiral into unnecessary panic, he figured he should clarify before things got out of hand.
Both Se-heon and Tae-seo froze.
It was an entirely unexpected revelation.

Se-heon remained completely silent, while Tae-seo looked around in confusion, wondering if he had heard correctly.
Then, as if piecing everything together, Tae-seo started glancing at Se-heon with a strange expression.
Jin Gyu-min’s suspicions solidified—if Tae-seo was pregnant, then the father had to be this guy.

Pregnant?
Tae-seo’s mind raced back to Se-heon’s recent behavior.
He hadn’t gone to work. He had prepared three full meals for him. He had even helped with his assignment. On top of that, he had given him snacks and played classical music while he napped.

Now it all made sense.
Tae-seo turned to Se-heon, eyes widening with realization.
"So that’s why you’ve been so nice to me."

"It’s not like that—"
But even as Se-heon tried to deny it, he bit his lip, realizing how it looked. It was a situation that anyone would misunderstand.