(The ninth month)
Ninth month Had come quietly but cruelly.
Days were moving fast, but inside the Kang Villa, every minute felt heavy.
Everyone went on with their usual lives, Jihan helping around, Mrs. Kang spending most of her time by Jihyun's side.
And yet, nothing felt normal anymore.
The laughter that once filled the house was gone.
Every sound that came from Jihyun's room carried pain soft cries at night, quiet whimpers that echoed down the hall.
His body had grown weaker the baby pressed heavy inside him.
Taewon buried himself in work, but even at his office, every time his phone buzzed, his heart would stop afraid of what news it might bring.
That evening, when he finally returned home,
He barely stepped into the hallway when one of the servants came running.
"Sir...sir, it's"
Taewon's chest tightened. "Jihyun?"
The servant nodded frantically,
"He's inside he's screaming, sir!"
Without waiting another second,
Taewon rushed upstairs.
The sound hit him before he even reached the room Jihyun's screams, muffled by sobs and breaking glass.
He burst in.
Mrs. Kang was clutching Jihyun's shoulders from behind, trying to keep him from collapsing, while Jihan stood frozen, a glass of water trembling in his hand.
"Omma"
Taewon's voice broke as he moved forward.
"He's in pain again," Mrs. Kang gasped.
"It's worse this time his pheromones are unstable"
Jihyun thrashed weakly, his face pale and damp with sweat.
"Make it stop," he cried, voice hoarse.
"It hurts.... Taewon.... make it stop...please!"
Taewon's instincts kicked in. He went to him, kneeling beside the bed.
Without thinking, he released his own pheromones strong, deep, full of warmth the kind that could calm Jihyun's nervous system instantly.
The air thickened Mrs. Kang and Jihan both staggered, nearly falling from the intensity.
Taewon looked back sharply, voice low,
"Go out. Both of you."
They hesitated. Mrs. Kang wanted to stay, but the strength of Taewon's pheromones made it hard to breathe.
"Go," he said again, gentler.
"I'll handle it."
Once the door closed,
Only silence and Jihyun's uneven breaths remained.
Taewon climbed onto the bed, sitting behind Jihyun, pulling him against his chest.
He wrapped one arm around Jihyun's waist, the other supporting his stomach carefully.
"Breathe, Jihyun-ah … slow… breathe with me," he whispered, pressing his lips to Jihyun's temple.
Jihyun's body trembled violently, then slowly, his breathing started to match Taewon's.
The screams faded into quiet sobs.
Minutes passed before Jihyun could speak.
His voice was small, broken.
"Taewon-ah… it's killing me…"
Taewon's eyes lowered, his throat tight.
He placed his hand gently on Jihyun's belly, feeling the faint movement beneath.
"I know," he whispered, voice cracking.
"I know…"
For a moment,
They just breathed.
And then, the words slipped out of him quiet, trembling.
"If you can't anymore, Jihyun… you can give up."
Jihyun froze.
His eyes widened, his heart sinking instantly. He turned slightly, disbelief painted all over his face.
"What… did you just say?"
Taewon couldn't meet his eyes. He didn't move, didn't speak.
"Say it again,"
Jihyun demanded, his voice shaking. "You're telling me to give up on our child?"
Taewon closed his eyes, pain twisting his face.
"I just can't bear to see you like this anymore," he whispered.
"Every day you cry in pain, every night you can't breathe Jihyun, it's killing me."
Jihyun stared at him, his lips trembling.
The tears that had stopped now began to fall again, this time from something deeper than pain.
"Then what about me, Taewon?" he asked softly. "You think this doesn't kill me too?"
Taewon looked up. "Jihyun"
"No, answer me!" Jihyun's voice cracked. "You think I'll stop because it hurts? This is our baby, Taewon! Our child! How could you even"
"I didn't mean"
"You did." Jihyun's tears fell faster. "
You said it because you wanted it. You're scared. But I'm scared too!"
Taewon leaned forward, grabbing his hands
"If I could take this pain from you, I would. You know that. I'd do anything to make it mine."
"Then don't say things like that."
Jihyun's voice softened, trembling.
"Because no matter how much it hurts… I'll bear it. This baby.... our baby means everything to me."
Taewon's shoulders fell. His hand moved to cover Jihyun's weakly trembling ones.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"I just can't stand seeing you like this. It feels like I'm watching you fade away every day."
Jihyun managed a small, fragile smile. "You're not losing me, Taewon. I'm right here."
He reached out slowly, wrapping his arms around Taewon's shoulders.
His touch was weak, but his warmth still found him.
"It's okay," Jihyun murmured softly.
"It's going to be okay. I promise you I'll be fine. And our baby will be fine too."
Taewon exhaled shakily, leaning into his embrace, pressing his face against Jihyun's shoulder.
He didn't speak just nodded, over and over, like if he said it enough, it would be true.
When Jihyun finally fell asleep,
Taewon tucked the blanket around him carefully.
He brushed the hair from his forehead and whispered,
"It's cold nowadays. Don't go out, okay?"
Jihyun, half-asleep, nodded weakly.
"Nae(yes)…"
Taewon stood, walking to the bathroom. The moment the door closed, the strength he held finally broke.
His reflection blurred through the steam as tears began to fall.
He leaned against the sink, covering his face with one hand, whispering quietly through sobs,
"Why does love always have to hurt this much…"
Later that night,
After dinner, he stepped outside, phone in hand. The garden was silent, moonlight falling over the marble tiles.
He dialed the doctor.
"It's getting worse," Taewon said, his voice low, trembling.
"He can't take much more."
A pause.
Then, barely above a whisper,
"If something happens… save him first."
His voice broke on the last word.
And as the wind moved through the garden, Taewon closed his eyes,
His heart heavy with the fear of losing the two things he loved most at the same time.