WANTED: Baby | vseul

21

The first thing Seulgi had ever done after her boyfriend’s departure that night was to call for her gynecologist, Dr. Song, who was just about to check her in ten minutes. She asked – or more appropriately – pleaded the female doctor not to visit her tomorrow until she was discharged. She didn’t lie about the purpose, not wanting to weigh her guilt heavier, and told her that she wanted to keep her condition from someone.

That same measure was done to Dr. Kim Seokjin, who turned out to be her boyfriend’s cousin out of all doctors working in the hospital. At first, she thought it was the universe telling her to spill all the beans she had, but a voice inside her head kept on telling her that it was not yet the right time.

“Chul-ah, don’t you think he’s trustworthy enough to tell him the truth?” Mrs. Kang asked right when her daughter told her about the relation of her doctor to her boyfriend. Her usual motherly voice mixed with wonder. “He’s not your boyfriend for nothing. I know you won’t be with someone if you’re indifferent.”

Seulgi was absent-mindedly fidgeting her fingers together, mind was flying elsewhere. When she didn’t respond, her mother held her arm to get her attention.

“W-what?” The sight of her mother having a certain amount of worriment on her face made her recollect what she unconsciously heard. There were a few seconds of pause, then she simply shook her head as she set her eyes on the distant television. “I trust him, eomma. I just don’t want him to be worried.”

Seulgi never lied to her parents before, at least not as pretentious as it was until that moment, but she cannot fool them – especially her own mother who knew her from the first moment she breathed for her life. On the other hand, she was aware that her mother won’t buy her reason. She knew that her mother can feel the fear deep in her chest. That she was afraid of how the things would turn out if she told him everything. That her mind was full of tangled thoughts she was having a hard time to figure out, therefore making her hesitate to unfold what was needed to be revealed.

The next morning, just about half an hour after she took her breakfast, she got a call from Taehyung. His voice was ever caring that it made her feel bad about herself. At the same time, it was consoled with the mentality of: “If he’s worried sick about my current situation, what more if he knew the whole story of my condition?” and that was somehow enough to keep her lying to herself that she was not doing anything definitively wrong because behind the lie she had always intended, there was a considerable purpose.

“Where’s appa?” she asked with a pinch of sulkiness for the third time that morning when she got bored flipping the channels. “I missed him already. I thought he’d be here first thing in the morning?”

Mrs. Kang just finished reading a message from her husband, and her face already told her daughter that there was something coming up. “Your father happened to tell Juwon about your condition.”

“What? How?” Although she was not that surprised, knowing that his uncle Juwon was her father’s best friend since college, there’s an alarmed curiosity lining her voice. “Please don’t tell me –” Her words were cut by the chime from the door and having enough energy, she bolted up and grabbed the stand of the IV fluid bag to follow her mother on the way to opening the door. “Is that appa –”

The words left unspoken as she saw the man following her father inside the hospital room.

“Chimchim-ah, it’s nice to see you again,” her mother greeted good-naturedly despite knowing the history of the man with her daughter.

Park Jimin, who gave her a thoughtful look, turned his attention to her mother and gave a polite bow. “It’s nice to see you too, aunty. You look younger!”