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Joo-Hyuk extended the hand he had been hiding behind his back, revealing a bouquet of white and pink roses.
“Here.”
“Flowers?”
With a puzzled expression, she accepted the bouquet. Suddenly, he dropped to one knee.
“Joo-Hyuk?”
“Kang Sena.”
“Yes?”
“I know this is a proposal I’ve already done once before—”
His face was slightly tense as he spoke.
“But I thought it was necessary to do it properly this time.”
“A proposal?”
“Things are very different now compared to before.”
He chuckled, looking somewhat embarrassed.
“You don’t need another proposal. I was happy then, and I’m happy now being by your side.”
“But there’s something else I want to ask instead.”
“Something else?”
“Yes. Are you ready?”
Ready?
Not immediately understanding, Sena tilted her head in confusion.
“Are you ready to spend the rest of your life with me? To have children, sometimes argue, but still grow in love every day? Are you ready to live that kind of life with me?”
“You’re kneeling, but this feels more like an interrogation than a proposal.”
“Oh, right. There’s something essential I almost forgot for a proposal.”
With an enlightened look, Joo-Hyuk reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small jewelry box.
Opening it toward her, a dazzling diamond ring gleamed brightly inside.
“Will you love me more today than yesterday, and more tomorrow than today?”
Unable to speak through her emotions, Sena nodded vigorously, afraid that any words might unleash tears.
Joo-Hyuk carefully removed the ring from the box and gently slid it onto the fourth finger of her left hand.
Her existing wedding ring, adorned with intricately set diamonds, remained on her finger, and he placed the new ring beside it.
Surprisingly, the two rings looked as if they were perfectly paired together.
“This...”
“I asked for it to be designed to complement your existing wedding ring. What do you think? Do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful.”
Sena nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.
Rising from his kneeling position, Joo-Hyuk wiped away her tears with his fingers and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I’m glad.”
“You know I’ll love anything you give me.”
“Even so, I wanted to give you something you’d truly cherish.”
“I absolutely adore it.”
Sena wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him close.
She vividly remembered the first time she had fallen into his arms. Even if the world were to end right then, she felt she wouldn’t mind as long as she was with him.
No, it wasn’t just about not minding—it would be a profound happiness to share even the end with him.
“We can’t end a proposal like this.”
“Huh?”
He released her from the embrace and leaned in slightly to kiss her.
Their lips met softly, parted briefly, and then locked again. His kiss deepened, melting her completely.
“Sena.”
“Yes?”
“Do you feel feverish?”
After a long kiss, he pulled back slightly and asked.
“Ah, yes.”
Sena gently pushed him away and checked her temperature again with the back of her hand. The mild fever persisted.
“Do you have a cold?”
“I think I just ate too much.”
“Hmm... Your fingertips aren’t cold, though.”
He murmured while holding her hand.
“I’ll be fine after resting.”
“Want to take some medicine and rest?”
“No, I’ll wash up and lie down.”
“Looks like I’ll have to hold back tonight, no matter how much I want to bother you.”
With a playful yet disappointed grin, he watched her slip away into the bedroom with a mischievous smile.
A sudden thought stopped her from taking the medicine he offered. Her chest didn’t feel heavy like it usually did when she had indigestion, and the only symptom was the mild fever.
Could it be… pregnancy?
The sound of her racing heart echoed loudly in her ears.
What should I do if it’s true?
Though she had thought about wanting a child and conveyed that intention to Joo-Hyuk, leading them to embrace each other whenever possible…
But still.
Can I really do this? Mother?
How she wished her mother could be here now. She needed her mother’s comforting words, patting her hand and assuring her that everything would be alright.
---
“Ah...”
Two bright red lines appeared clearly on the pregnancy test.
Though it was the news she had hoped for, the first emotion that struck her was fear.
“What should I do?”
What could she do?
Perhaps the vague desire for a child or the thought of becoming pregnant had been nothing more than childish fantasy. Now, faced with the reality of pregnancy, her hands trembled uncontrollably.
First, she had to tell Joo-Hyuk.
Carefully wiping the test with a tissue, she slowly stepped out of the bathroom.
“Joo-Hyuk, wake up.”
Despite the early morning light still lingering, she shook him awake.
If she didn’t share this fear soon, it might consume her whole.
“Mmm... What time is it?”
“It’s still early.”
“Just let me sleep a little longer.”
Half-asleep, Joo-Hyuk mumbled.
“Hey, wake up, please.”
“What’s wrong?”
He finally stirred, squinting against the dim light.
“There’s something you need to know.”
“Something I need to know?”
“Here.”
Approaching him, she held the pregnancy test up to his face.
Staring blankly at it in the dim light, he suddenly bolted upright and turned on the lamp on the table.
“Two lines?”
“Yes.”
“Sena, does this mean...?”
“I think I’m pregnant.”
“Wow!”
Joo-Hyuk leapt out of bed and literally started jumping around the room. His face was radiant with joy.
“You’re this happy? I’m scared to death.”
“Oh, sorry, sorry.”
Seeing Sena’s worried expression, Joo-Hyuk calmed himself down and approached her, pulling her into a comforting embrace.
The sound of their pounding hearts—whether hers or his—was indistinguishable.
“Thank you, Sena. Really, truly, thank you.”
“It’s good that you’re happy, but...”
“You’re scared?”
Sena nodded.
“Now that there’s actually a baby growing inside me, I’m so scared. What if something goes wrong? What if the baby gets sick?”
Her anxiety continued to grow.
Not only did she worry about the baby in her womb, but also about what might happen after birth. What if the child grew up healthy but rebelled during adolescence?
“Are you worrying about such distant futures already?”
After hearing all of Sena’s fears, a gentle smile spread across Joo-Hyuk’s lips.
“This isn’t something you have to face alone. And there’s no need to worry about things that haven’t happened yet. For now, we should just be happy. That’s what’s best for the baby too.”
As he gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, one of her small fears seemed to burst and disappear.
“You’re right. We’ll raise this child together.”
“Yes. I’ll always be by your side, Sena.”
“Yes, you’ll always be with me, Joo-Hyuk.”
“Do you feel a little less afraid now?”
Though her eyes were still brimming with tears, she nodded.
“From now on, you need to take extra care of yourself, Joo-Hyuk.”
“Me? You’re the one who’s pregnant!”
“If something happens to you, how will the baby and I survive? So, you absolutely must take care of yourself. No dangerous situations, okay? No drinking or smoking either.”
Her tone was firmer than ever as she spoke to him.
“Understood?”
“Haa—this is quite the predicament.”
“Are you saying you won’t follow my instructions?”
“Of course not! I’ll do whatever you ask.”
With that, Joo-Hyuk pulled her into a tight hug.
The warmth of his embrace slowly eased her fears.
The fact that there was a baby growing inside her still felt surreal. Though tears welled up as she gently caressed her stomach, they were undoubtedly tears of joy.
---
Five minutes later, Joo-Hyuk sent a message asking her to come down to the underground parking lot. He had finished work early and come to pick her up so they could visit the hospital and confirm the pregnancy.
But at the entrance, Sena hesitated.
The thought of going down to the underground parking lot made her uneasy.
Even when she had gone down before because Joo-Hyuk was taking too long to come up, it had taken immense courage.
What should she do?
She stood there for a while, staring at the tips of her shoes, unable to muster the courage to open the door.
Suddenly, without realizing it, her hand moved to rest on her stomach. When she noticed, a small spark of courage began to rise within her.
That’s right. If I go down now, I’ll meet Joo-Hyuk right away. There’s nothing to worry about.
Opening the door, she stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the basement floor, taking deep breaths the entire way. She wanted to take some medication, but given her pregnancy, that was out of the question.
Ping.
Why did elevators always seem so fast when you wished they’d go slower?
Stepping out of the elevator, she slowly made her way toward the parking lot. Trying hard not to look around, she focused on the tips of her shoes. But as soon as she exited through the door, she collided with someone.
“Ah! Sorry…”
Sena couldn’t finish her sentence.
Why are you here? How could this be?
Staring at him as if seeing a ghost, she stumbled backward.
“Sena.”
Ji-Cheol called out to her, his face etched with pain.
“Kang Ji-Cheol… why are you…?”
Her breath caught in her throat. Goosebumps rose on her skin, and it felt like insects were crawling all over her body.
What more could he possibly say?
And why had he shown up here? What could he possibly be thinking?
Unable to speak, Sena shrank back, hunching her shoulders.
“I have something to say.”
“What is it?”
“I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“I’m really sorry. I… back then, I was so young…”
Ji-Cheol’s voice trembled, and tears began streaming down his face.
“I’m so sorry. I should’ve apologized sooner… I knew you misunderstood, but I… I…”
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