It was the third month of Hauen's pregnancy. Her hormonal fluctuations were finally under control, and nausea had become rare, though her unusual cravings persisted. Most of the time, she felt tired, drained, and sleepy. Suho was taking excellent care of her, and Yerin had been visiting more often to check in.
It was a weekend, and Suho was home. Hauen was still asleep even though it was already 10 a.m. He didn't want to disturb her at first, but seeing that she hadn't eaten breakfast, he gently knocked on her door.
"Come in," Hauen mumbled groggily, still half-asleep.
Suho opened the door slowly and stepped inside. Hauen was rolling lazily on the bed, her hair messy and shirt wrinkled. Suho smiled softly at her unbothered morning self.
"Morning," he said quietly.
She squinted one eye at him, frowning slightly as she tried to wake up fully.
He walked over to the bed carrying a tray of food and sat on the edge.
"Wake up, lazy mumma. Feed my child something," he teased.
She rolled over, groaning. "Your child's lazy, not letting me wake up," she mumbled.
He laughed. "Stop blaming my child."
She couldn't help but laugh with him and finally sat up, looking like she'd survived a battle just by getting out of bed. Rubbing her eyes and adjusting to the light, she looked exhausted.
"You okay?" Suho asked gently.
She nodded, her hair sticking out in every direction as it bounced with her movement. He smiled at how undone and unbothered she looked.
"It's 10 in the morning. I came to bring you breakfast. Eat this first, then you can sleep more," he said.
She glanced at the tray and then at him. "You cooked this?" she asked.
He smiled and nodded. "Yes."
She grinned back. "Thank you, I'm starving."
"Then dig in," he said, nudging the tray toward her.
She took it and started eating while he watched, smiling. "Does my child like pork belly now?" he teased.
With her mouth full of meat and rice, she nodded, "Yes."
He giggled. "Which means appa can eat too."
She let out a small laugh and looked down at her stomach, pretending to talk to the baby. "Did you hear, appa? He's asking if he can eat pork belly."
Suho laughed at her little conversation. She looked up at him and said, "Baby said okay… You can eat now."
They both laughed together.
They kept teasing each other until she finished the last bite and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Does my child want anything else?" Suho asked, grinning.
She shot him a glare. "So you only care about your child, not the mother?"
He laughed. "Of course I do! But right now, it's my child inside you controlling your system…" he teased playfully.
She looked at him seriously. "Not always… but sometimes."
He chuckled. "Okay, Madam… I'm asking the mother now, Do you want anything else?"
She gave a sassy look. "No thanks, I'm full," she flipped her wild hair.
Suho laughed and messed up her hair again. he stood up with the tray.
"Yerin is coming today… She missed you and the baby," he said with a smile.
She looked at him, and a pang hit her heart, part of her didn't want Yerin to come. She loved how he cared for her and their child when Yerin wasn't around. But she forced herself to smile brightly.
"Okay, that's good… we both missed her too," she said cheerfully.
Suho smiled back. "Alright, I'll be leaving soon to pick her up."
Hauen nodded as he left the room. The moment the door closed, her heart sank again. She gently rubbed her stomach, speaking softly.
"You and your Appa… both belong to her… so yeah, I'll step aside once you come into this world," she murmured, a tear slipping down her cheek.
Thoughts of a future without him and this little soul terrified her, but she quickly forced herself back to reality, wiped her tears, and rushed to the shower, determined to wash away the painful thoughts.
By evening, Yerin arrived at the penthouse with Suho. The three of them had dinner together, talking, laughing, and teasing each other. But no matter how much she tried, Hauen's eyes kept drifting toward Suho and Yerin whenever they got lost in their own little world, completely forgetting she was there.
Her chest tightened, and her eyes stung with unspoken emotion. Trying to hide it, she blinked rapidly and suddenly stood up.
"Guys, I'm going to bed. I'm feeling sleepy. You both continue," she said with a forced smile.
Suho and Yerin looked at her. Suho frowned slightly, concern in his eyes. "You okay, Hauen?" he asked gently.
Hauen avoided his gaze and nodded. "Yeah… just a little tired."
Yerin chuckled lightly, "I think the baby's troubling her again," she teased.
Suho turned to look at Hauen. "Is that so, Hauen?" he asked softly.
Hauen shook her head quickly. "No, not really. It's just… I've been feeling more sleepy these days. Please excuse me," she said politely before walking away, almost rushing toward the bedroom.
Suho and Yerin exchanged a puzzled glance as she disappeared inside.
"What happened to her suddenly?" Suho mumbled, frowning a little.
Yerin shrugged casually, "Maybe another mood swing."
He looked at her, still a little uneasy, but smiled faintly. "Maybe…"
Yerin tilted her head, watching him with a playful smile. "So… Mr. Kim," she said, leaning a little closer, "you've been taking very good care of your child, and the mother of your child, huh?"
Suho bit his lip at her closeness, trying to stay composed. "Yeah, I have been," he said with a teasing smirk, playing along.
Yerin arched a brow and leaned in, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't you think you've been ignoring your only love lately?" she whispered.
He smiled faintly, eyes darkening as he met her gaze. "Had I?" he asked, voice low.
"Mm-hmm," she breathed, her tone daring.
Their faces were close enough for him to feel her breath on his skin. "Then tell me," he murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, "how should I make it up to you?"
Yerin smiled, eyes glinting with mischief. "You already know how," she said softly.
For a moment, the air between them thickened, familiar, dangerous. He gave in, closing the space between them, his lips finding hers in a rush of everything they'd been holding back.
When he finally pulled away, still breathless, he whispered, "I missed you."
Yerin's voice dropped low. "Then show me how much you missed me."
Suho's lips curved into a faint, daring smile. "Don't complain if I go overboard," he murmured.
She laughed softly, brushing her thumb along his jaw. "no worries I have my boyfriend who can take care of me " He smiled and nuzzled into her neck, kissing and whispered "I love you baby..."
Yerin chuckled, tapping his shoulder lightly. "At least take me to the bedroom, you idiot."
He let out a quiet laugh, scooping her into his arms effortlessly. Their laughter and whispers faded down the hallway as he carried her away, two hearts tangled in a moment they both knew they shouldn't have given in, yet did anyway.
On the other hand, Haeun lay on the bed, lost in her thoughts. Then came the sounds, faint whispers, soft giggles, and then… the moans. Her heart started to race. Every sound, every gasp, felt like a knife twisting inside her. It reminded her of that one night she spent with him, the warmth, the closeness, the love she could never claim.
Her stomach churned, her mind spinning out of control. She pressed her palms over her ears, trying not to listen, but the sounds still slipped through, echoing in her chest. Her breathing grew shallow, her heart pounding so hard it hurt.
Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them. The pain… the hurt… the unwanted jealousy that clawed its way through her chest.
She couldn't take it anymore.
She rushed out of the room, out of the house, until the sounds faded. Out in the backyard, she sank into the chair, her body trembling as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Why… why does it have to be like this?" she whispered to herself, voice breaking. "Why do I have to feel this way? Why can't I control it?"
She wiped her tears, but they kept falling.
"I know he's not mine," she murmured. "I know they belong to each other… and I'm just the third person. But why… why is my heart fighting my mind?"
Her voice faded into quiet sobs. She cried until her chest stopped heaving and her body finally gave in to exhaustion. Only then did the ache in her heart begin to calm, just a little.
She sat there quietly, looking up at the sky. The half moon hung above, glowing faintly through the soft night clouds. Her eyes were still puffy, and the traces of dried tears glimmered under the silver light.
The night was calm, calm enough to soothe the storm inside her chest. She took a deep breath, feeling the cool air against her skin, and tried to steady her heart.
You should not feel this way, she told herself. You should not think about him like that.
She kept repeating it, a quiet promise she wasn't sure she could keep. But at least for now, the silence helped her believe it.
She sat there for a long while, under the calm sky, convincing herself that she could move on, even if her heart refused to listen.