Suho was working in his office when his phone buzzed. It was Haraboji. He frowned and picked up the call.
"Yoboseyo, Haraboji," Suho greeted.
"Suho… where are you?" his grandfather asked.
"At the office, Haraboji."
"Hm. How's Hauen doing?"
Suho froze for a moment before replying, "She's doing well."
"Good. Tonight, come to the mansion for dinner. Just the family, bring Hauen too," his grandfather said in his usual authoritative tone.
Suho thought for a moment and replied, "Okay."
The call ended. He frowned, then immediately called the doctor.
"Yes, Mr. Kim," the doctor answered.
"Hello, doctor. By any chance, did Haraboji find out about Hauen's pregnancy?" Suho asked.
"Well, Mr. Kim… you know how he always gets reports of all family members. I tried to avoid it, but he suspected something, so I had to tell him. I also mentioned that you kept it private for safety reasons," the doctor said, sounding a little guilty.
Suho sighed softly. "I see."
"But don't worry," she added quickly. "He didn't say anything bad; he actually looked happy. So everything's fine."
Suho nodded. "Thank you, doctor."
"You're welcome. And how's your wife doing?" she asked.
"She's fine. These days her hormonal fluctuations are more stable, much better than before," Suho said with a small smile.
The doctor smiled on the other end. "Yes, that's normal. She's in her third month now, so things will start to settle down. Don't worry, her progress is healthy and natural."
Suho nodded, still smiling. "That's good to hear. Thank you for your guidance, doctor."
"My pleasure, Mr. Kim," she replied before the call ended.
Suho sighed softly and leaned back, smiling at the thought of their baby growing healthy inside Haeun's womb. Then, he picked up his phone and dialed her number.
"Ye, Suho…" her sleepy, tired voice came through.
He smiled immediately. "You okay?"
"Hmm… just tired and sleepy. Bora overfed me," she mumbled between yawns.
Suho chuckled quietly. "Good. Take some rest. Oh, and… Haraboji found out about the baby. He's invited us for dinner tonight at the mansion."
"Oh… okay," she said hesitantly, her voice carrying a bit of nervousness.
"Don't worry," Suho reassured her gently. "If he asks anything, I'll handle it. You just rest and get ready. I'll come to pick you up in the evening."
"Okay," Haeun replied softly.
After the call ended, Suho leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply, his mind already running through all the possible situations that could unfold at the mansion tonight.
By evening, Suho arrived at the penthouse to pick up Haeun. She was already dressed neatly, her hair tied back, looking calm but slightly nervous. He smiled at her reassuringly before they headed to the car. The drive to the Kim mansion was quiet. Suho's hand rested lightly on the steering wheel while Haeun stared out the window, trying to prepare herself for the night ahead.
At Kim Mansion
When they arrived, the entire family was already seated at the long dining table. The atmosphere was grand, like a formal gathering rather than a simple family dinner.
At the head of the table sat Mr. and Mrs. Kim, Suho's parents. Beside them were Kim Daeho (Suho's uncle) and his wife Yuna, their son Minho with his wife Sora. On the other side sat Kim Daehyun, Suho's aunt, his father's only sister, along with her son Sojun and his wife Sayeon.
Everyone was waiting for the head of the family, Grandfather Kim, to arrive.
Mrs. Kim looked up as Suho and Haeun entered. "Oh, you're here," she said with a polite smile.
Haeun smiled back softly and bowed.
Aunt Daehyun greeted her warmly, "How are you doing, Haeun-ah?"
"I'm fine, gomo-nim," Haeun replied politely, returning the smile.
Daehyun's gaze softened as she tilted her head curiously. "You are glowing. Any good news, darling?"
Haeun's heart skipped a beat. For a split second, she froze, her eyes darting toward Suho instinctively, silently asking for help.
Suho smiled lightly, trying to ease the tension. "Gomo, why so impatient?" he said playfully. "We'll share the news when the time is right."
Daehyun chuckled, her eyes glimmering with curiosity. "Hmm… sounds like something's cooking," she teased, raising her brows.
Mrs. Kim laughed softly. "Unni, stop teasing him," she said before turning to another side of the table. "What about you, Sojun-ah? You got married first; it's been two years already. When are we hearing good news from you?"
Sojun sighed dramatically, throwing his hands up. "Please don't drag me into baby competitions," he said with a grin. "I'm happy with my wife, and honestly, I enjoy our life in the U.S. just the way it is."
His wife, Sayeon, smiled and held his hand under the table, clearly agreeing with him.
Yuna, Suho's aunt by marriage, let out a small smirk and said bluntly, "It's good you're out of this race, Sojun-ah. One less competitor for the Kim heir."
The entire table went silent for a moment. The playful air vanished as the weight of her words lingered.
Suho's jaw tightened, his gaze sharpening toward Yuna. For a brief second, the room felt colder. Then he forced a polite smile and calmly turned to Minho, Yuna's son.
"How are you doing, Minho?" Suho asked, his tone controlled and soft.
Minho smiled awkwardly, sensing the tension. "Good, hyung," he replied quickly, trying to keep things neutral.
Yuna rolled her eyes slightly, pretending to be unbothered. Suho ignored it and turned to Sora, Minho's wife.
"How about you, Sora?" he asked with a calm smile.
Sora smiled a little awkwardly, glancing between him and Yuna. "I'm fine, oppa. How are you?"
Suho nodded politely. "Good."
Before anyone could say more, the air shifted as Grandfather Kim entered the dining room. Instantly, everyone stood up and bowed in respect.
"Sit," he said warmly, taking his seat at the head of the long table. "How's everyone doing?"
A soft chorus of 'Good, haraboji' filled the room.
Grandfather's gaze moved around the table, his tone light but authoritative. "Sojun," he began, "I heard you're heading back to the U.S.?"
Sojun nodded with an easy smile. "Yes, haraboji. I feel good there, you know, peace, privacy." He added with a playful wink.
The old man chuckled heartily. "Haha! You and your freedom. Fine, fine."
Then his eyes shifted to Minho. "Minho, my son, how's everything going on?"
Minho straightened up. "Everything's good, haraboji."
Grandfather nodded approvingly before turning to Sora. "And you, Sora? Is he treating you well?"
Sora smiled sweetly and nodded. "Yes, haraboji, he is."
Grandfather smiled warmly. "Good. That's how it should be."
The atmosphere was calm, respectful, but under the surface, Suho could already feel the tension building, knowing sooner or later, the spotlight would turn toward him and Hauen.
Then he finally looked at Suho and Hauen. "Okay, I called this dinner because I found out something really good that was being kept a secret," he said.
Suho sighed quietly; he already knew what was coming.
Grandpa looked straight at them and said, "So… our Suho and Hauen are expecting a baby."
Everyone froze in shock, especially Yuna. Mrs. Kim looked completely surprised, but also overjoyed. Daehyun was the happiest of all.
"What? Is that true, Suho?" Mrs. Kim asked.
Suho nodded slowly.
"Why didn't you tell us?" she asked again.
Suho stayed silent.
Then Grandpa spoke firmly, "Tell us the reason, Suho. Why did you hide such wonderful news from your family for two months? What's the reason?"
Suho took a deep breath and looked around the table. "I'm sorry for keeping it from you all," he began calmly. "But I had a reason to hide it."
Grandpa's tone grew sharp. "And what kind of reason makes you hide something like this from your own family?"
Suho's eyes flicked toward Hauen before he spoke again. "Actually… two months ago, we found out that someone was trying to stop Hauen from getting pregnant. Someone who didn't want us to become parents."
Everyone froze as he continued, his voice steady but cold. "Our housemaid, Bora, was blackmailed into giving Hauen pregnancy control pills without our knowledge. She was threatened with private videos of her that were taken without her consent. When we investigated, we discovered that someone from my own family was behind it, and they had their own selfish reason for doing it."
Suho's eyes locked on Yuna, his stare sharp and accusing. Yuna met his gaze, completely unbothered.
Grandpa looked at Suho, raising an eyebrow. "And what made you suspect that it was someone from the family?" he asked seriously.
Suho took a deep breath and nodded. "There are plenty of reasons, Grandpa. The most important one is Bora. She's been a loyal worker here since she was young. It's been over ten years. She would never do something like that unless she was forced to. And the video used to threaten her… it was taken right here, inside the Kim mansion. In her bathroom. How could an outsider get in and secretly record a maid taking a bath?"
The room went quiet as Suho's words sank in. Then he continued, his tone firm. "And there's another piece of evidence, the system call made to Bora's phone. It traces back to the Kim mansion. So yes, Haraboji, it was someone from our own family. That's why I kept it confidential."
Suho's voice was calm, but the weight behind his words filled the room with tension.
Grandpa's face turned furious. "Who did such a nasty thing?" he growled, making everyone flinch. "You'd better confess now, your punishment will be lighter. Otherwise, don't expect any mercy."
Everyone exchanged nervous glances. Yuna, however, seemed strangely unbothered. Suho quietly observed her every movement, analyzing.
Then Hauen spoke softly, her voice calm and polite. "It's okay, Haraboji. Please forgive them, whoever it is. We know what happened, and now we are expecting a baby. So let's focus on celebrating the good news."
Grandpa's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Alright, dear. I won't ruin this sweet moment you've given us. Thank you for such a wonderful gift after all these years," he said warmly.
Hauen smiled, and he stood up, walking over to give her a gentle hug. She hugged him back, and he kissed her hair. "Thank you for giving the family such a wonderful gift," he said, patting her back.
Then he turned to Suho. "Suho… my boy, you've given me a huge promotion, from grandfather to great-grandfather," he said with a chuckle, hugging him tightly. Suho smiled and hugged him back.
Everyone congratulated Suho and Hauen. Sojun teased his brother, "Yeah, Suho… married late but scored the victory so fast?"
Suho smiled. "What are you talking about, hyung? You had plenty of time; you could have scored before we entered the field," he teased back.
Sojun laughed. "No bro… I'm not ready yet. I'm happy with my wife, so no baby plans for the next five years," he declared. Everyone smiled.
Then Grandpa looked at Minho. "What about you, my boy? Even though you married before your hyung, still no good news?"
Minho looked down. "We're trying, Haraboji, but it's not working out," he said, while his wife held his hand.
Grandpa smiled gently. "Don't worry, you're still young. Take it slow, okay?"
Minho nodded, and just like that, the Kim family dinner ended on a warm and happy note.
Later That Night
After dinner, Yuna quickly went back to her room, leaving everyone behind. Suho noticed and followed her.
"Why are you so restless, imo? Are you okay?" he asked.
Yuna stopped in her tracks at his voice. Suho walked up to her and said, "It's you, isn't it?"
"What are you talking about?" she asked sharply.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Suho replied, standing in front of her.
"Look, Suho… if you're suspecting me, you're wrong. I don't do such cheap things," she snapped.
Suho studied her expression carefully. "Whatever you say, imo. But as far as I know, you're the only one who could do something like that," he said, gesturing with his hands.
Yuna glared at him.
he continued.
"I love Minho more than you think. If you're doing this because you're afraid of who'll be the next Kim heir, then relax. I'm not raising a child for inheritance. I'm raising one for myself. But if you're that desperate, I'll talk to Haraboji about it."
His tone dropped lower. "Just stay away from me, my wife, and my child. You've already ruined enough by separating me and Yerin once. Don't make me forget the word mercy."
He turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.
Yuna stood frozen, her hands trembling slightly, lips pressed into a thin line as the weight of his words sank in.