The Omega Is Pregnant

"If you keep giving me rides every day like this, Secretary Han will have nothing to do..."
"Your Secretary Han looks like he could use a vacation. Why don’t you let him take one?"
"And what about me? Who’s going to take care of me?"

Tae-seo pointed at himself, but Se-heon didn’t say a word. As he waited for an answer, Tae-seo’s eyes narrowed.
"Aren’t you supposed to say that you will take care of me? Why aren’t you saying anything?"
"Isn’t that something you usually just think about?"

"I was going to keep it to myself, but I guess it slipped out. That was me, huh."
Tae-seo nodded to himself, then suddenly burst into laughter. The way Se-heon countered his words made him anticipate their conversations more and more—every moment was fun. Resting his arms on the windowsill, Tae-seo lowered his head.
In the dim light, as he leaned in, Se-heon’s deep black-and-white irises became clearer. They were always fixed on him. Eyes that seemed like they had no interest in looking anywhere else. Eyes that made him feel like no matter where he was, Se-heon would always find him.

That’s why Tae-seo liked his gaze. He liked his eyes.
"Text me when you get inside. I’ll be waiting."
Tae-seo took a step back, waving his hand. As he clasped them behind his back, Se-heon straightened up, then turned back toward him.

Just as Tae-seo thought they were finished saying goodbye, Se-heon held out his hand.
Tae-seo hesitated. He had assumed Se-heon would drive off after saying their goodbyes—how was he supposed to interpret this?
Should he rest his chin on it like a puppy? That thought crossed his mind for a second before he decided to just place his hand on Se-heon’s.

Not realizing that wasn’t much different from acting like a puppy either.
"You got what you wanted, so now let—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Tae-seo was suddenly pulled forward. The words twisted in his mouth and disappeared.

Se-heon didn’t just hold his hand—he grabbed the back of his neck as well, tilted his head, and kissed him.
Tae-seo’s eyes widened in shock.
It was just a light touch, their lips barely brushing. But just before pulling away, Se-heon’s tongue swept against Tae-seo’s lower lip.
Still dazed, Tae-seo subconsciously licked the same spot, and before he could fully process what had just happened, Se-heon nuzzled the tip of his nose against his hair.

"I’m going."
And with that, Se-heon was gone.
The car had already driven off before Tae-seo even had the chance to respond properly.

Tae-seo ran a hand through his hair, scowling. Every place Se-heon had touched him burned with sensitivity, as if his entire body had been set on edge.
"What am I supposed to do with that shameless old man?"
Muttering what he should have said earlier, Tae-seo turned toward his house. Maybe he should tell Se-heon to warn him next time before kissing him?

Then again, being caught off guard wasn’t so bad either.
…As long as it didn’t happen every time, or else his heart wouldn’t be able to handle it.
As he walked, lost in thought, an odd sensation prickled at his skin. Something felt off.

Tae-seo slowed his steps and glanced to the side.
A shadow stretched long under the streetlight.
It was faint, blurred at the edges, but unmistakably human-shaped.

Tae-seo stopped.
This wasn’t just someone passing by.
The shadow remained unmoving under the streetlight, cast against the wall near his house. A strange, uneasy feeling crawled up his spine. Ignoring it and going inside would leave him restless.

He turned toward it.
"Who’s there?"
Tae-seo tilted his head slightly, peering into the darkness. He could just barely make out the hem of someone’s clothing.

Whoever it was, they ignored his question.
His fingers tightened around his phone, Se-heon’s number already pulled up on the screen. His thumb hovered over the call button, ready to press it at any moment.
And then, as soon as he recognized the figure standing under the streetlight, his shoulders twitched in surprise.

Tae-seo checked his phone again.
Only after confirming that he hadn’t accidentally dialed Se-heon did he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Then, sharp irritation filled his voice as he snapped,

"You scared the hell out of me."
Leaning against the wall, Kang In-hyuk didn’t so much as flinch.
"If you’re just going to stand there like that, I’m going inside."

Only after Tae-seo threw out that warning did In-hyuk finally raise his head.
The light illuminated his face, but shadows clung to his features, making him look even darker than usual.
Tae-seo frowned.

"Why are you standing here?"
"I said I had something to talk about."
"So you’ve been waiting here? For me?"

In-hyuk fell silent again. But unlike before, it didn’t feel like he was outright ignoring him.
Tae-seo decided to let it slide.
"Alright, then. What did you want to say?"

He squared his shoulders and tilted his chin up slightly, signaling that he was ready to hear him out, no matter what it was.
But even with that invitation, In-hyuk hesitated.
"I wanted to ask if you… if you really…"

His voice trailed off, too quiet to reach Tae-seo’s ears.
Even though he was focused on him, he couldn’t hear.
Tae-seo took a step closer.

Now that he was up close, he could see In-hyuk’s face more clearly.
"What’s with that expression?"
It wasn’t just serious—it looked like something had happened to him. The shadows cast over his face weren’t just from the lighting; they looked like they had been carved into his features.

"Yoon Tae-seo."
At first, it seemed like he was about to say something important. But all that came out was Tae-seo’s name, spoken in a voice weighed down with something unreadable.
Tae-seo hesitated, unsure how to respond.

Then In-hyuk spoke again.
"Are you ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) dating Se-heon hyung?"
"What?"

"You and Se-heon hyung—are you together?"
Now that he had started talking, the questions came all at once, pressing in on him.
Tae-seo didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned his head, looking at the spot where Se-heon’s car had been parked just moments ago.

From where In-hyuk was standing, he would have had a clear view.
If he had been here the whole time, he must have seen everything.
"Yeah. We’re dating."

He answered without turning back.
Tae-seo hadn’t expected his relationship with Se-heon to come out like this, but he had no reason to hide it.
Answering wasn’t difficult at all.

"Why?"
"What?" You’re dating Se-heon hyung, and all you have to say is ‘why’?"
"Why him? Why didn’t you tell me?"

Tae-seo’s brows furrowed in confusion.
Why was In-hyuk questioning him like this?
What did it have to do with him?

His expression twisted as irritation seeped into his voice.
"Wait. Don’t tell me I needed your permission to date your cousin? You’re not that childish… are you?"
This was ridiculous.

Tae-seo scoffed, lifting one corner of his mouth in disbelief. The result was a strange, lopsided smirk.
"Don’t do this."
"That’s not for you to decide."

He let his exasperation show openly.
Of all things, In-hyuk was acting like he had a say in his cousin’s relationship.
Who the hell did he think he was?

"In-hyuk, I’m in a good mood right now. I don’t want to have a weird conversation with you."
Tae-seo deliberately lowered his voice, forcing himself to remain calm. He wasn’t going to get worked up—he was going to convince Kang In-hyuk properly.
If he considered the fact that In-hyuk saw Kang Se-heon as a particularly important cousin, then maybe his stubbornness made some sense.

That didn’t mean Tae-seo was going to tolerate him overstepping his boundaries, though.
"Do you even know what kind of person Kang Se-heon is?"
"Not as well as you, obviously. But is there anyone in this country who doesn’t know Kang Se-heon?"

"I’m not joking around with you right now."
In-hyuk raised his voice, cutting Tae-seo off completely.
He had no idea how ridiculous he looked, acting like Tae-seo was the one playing around.

Tae-seo let out a dry laugh, incredulous at the seriousness in In-hyuk’s eyes.
"If it’s just a casual thing, fine, whatever. But have you thought about what’ll happen when you end up hurt?"
Who was he even talking about?

Did he think Se-heon would get hurt?
Or was he trying to say that Tae-seo would be the one suffering?
But In-hyuk didn’t care whether Tae-seo understood him or not. He just kept talking.

"Up until now, Se-heon hyung has never let anyone cross the line. He’s always treated the idea of settling down with someone as just another responsibility to handle later. That’s just who he is. He’s never believed in love at first sight, let alone love itself.
"And you—do you really think you’re special to him? That’s a delusion, Tae-seo. Wake up."
"I think the one who needs to wake up here is you."

Tae-seo had been patient, but now, he was done.
In-hyuk was the one overstepping right now.
"Has he ever told you he loves you?"

Seeing that Tae-seo was just listening, In-hyuk seized the moment, pressing on.
"Has he ever said it? That he loves you?"
"Even if you keep this up, you’re the only one getting hurt. Don’t just ignore what I’m saying—remember it."

Tae-seo exhaled sharply.
"Look, In-hyuk, I don’t know what right you think you have to say all this, but I can handle my own relationships. Even if Se-heon hyung ends up leaving me, even if I get hurt—I’ll never blame you for it. So don’t waste your time worrying about me."
"How the hell am I supposed to not worry about you?"

In-hyuk’s voice rose again, his frustration boiling over.
Tae-seo hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by how strongly he reacted.
"I… I just…"

In-hyuk let out a heavy sigh, pressing a hand against his forehead.
"Do you like Se-heon hyung?"
Tae-seo blinked.

"Wow. That’s the question you’re asking now?"
How had they even gotten here?
Letting himself be dragged into such a disorganized conversation was a mistake.

Tae-seo considered how to answer.
It was obvious. Of course he liked Se-heon.
He could just say it.

And yet—
The moment he had to put it into words, he instinctively took a step back and reevaluated his own feelings.
Se-heon was like a gentle, unrelenting drizzle.

And Tae-seo had been caught in that rain, soaked through before he had even realized it.
It was undeniable now.
He liked him.

That was all there was to it.
…Or at least, that’s what he had thought.
But earlier, when he had stared into Se-heon’s eyes—

His heart had wavered.
"I like him."
A single sentence.

And it hit In-hyuk like a punch to the gut.
His breath caught, his chest tightening as if the air had been sucked out of the space between them.
Tae-seo was looking him directly in the eyes as he said it.

"I like him."
And then, as if nothing had changed, Tae-seo’s gaze passed right over him, like he wasn’t even there.
Like he was thinking about someone else entirely.

In-hyuk’s jaw clenched.
"You…"
"I like Se-heon hyung. But just saying ‘I like him’ doesn’t feel like enough. So—"

"Stop. Don’t say anything else."
Just as Tae-seo was about to say more, In-hyuk turned his back on him.
He didn’t want to hear it.

He didn’t want to hear Tae-seo talk about liking someone else.
He couldn’t stand watching him smile because of someone else.