Annyeongz One-shots

99. Wall ( 3 )

The months that followed were not easy.

But they were steadier.

After that night, everything changed in small, quiet ways.

Wonyoung started seeing a counselor regularly. Her parents made sure she was never alone for too long during the first few weeks. The house, once heavy with tension and whispers, slowly became gentler.

And Yujin—

He showed up.

Not dramatically.

Not loudly.

Just consistently.

He would text her in the morning before school.

“Did you sleep?”
“Eat breakfast.”
“Appointment today at 3, right?”

Sometimes she only replied with short answers.

Sometimes she didn’t reply at all.

But he never stopped checking.

He adjusted his part-time job schedule to match her prenatal checkups. He would sit beside her in the waiting room, scrolling quietly on his phone but always aware of her posture, her breathing, her mood.

He never acted like he was sacrificing something.

He never made her feel indebted.

He just… stayed.

By the sixth month, her belly was more noticeable. She walked slower now. She held her back sometimes when she thought no one was watching.

But Yujin was always watching.

On one particular afternoon, the hospital was busier than usual.

The waiting room felt crowded. Conversations buzzed around them. A few older women glanced at Wonyoung, their eyes lingering longer than necessary.

She felt it.

The way their gazes dropped to her stomach.

Then back up to her young face.

Whispers.

“She looks like a high school student.”

“Where are her parents?”

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag.

Yujin noticed immediately.

Without saying anything, he shifted slightly closer, his shoulder brushing against hers — a subtle barrier between her and the stares.

When her name was called, he stood up with her.

Inside the examination room, the doctor greeted them politely, glancing between the two.

“You’re seven months now,” the doctor said, scanning through the chart. “Everything has been progressing normally.”

Wonyoung nodded softly.

The doctor then looked at Yujin.

“And you are?”

There was a brief pause.

Just a second.

Wonyoung expected hesitation.

Expected explanation.

Expected correction.

But Yujin answered calmly.

“I’m the father.”

The words landed firmly in the quiet room.

Wonyoung’s head snapped toward him.

Her eyes widened slightly.