A Precious New Life and a Saint's Shyness
As soon as we stepped out of the hospital, the Doctor let out a sharp gasp. “Hah…!” With a face brimming with joy, she threw herself into my arms. “Jihyeok…!”
She clung to my neck as if she meant to break it. I gently stroked her back.
“I told you it would happen.”
“Yeah…”
She spoke calmly, but I was quite excited myself. My child was growing inside the Doctor’s womb. It would have been strange if I weren’t overwhelmed. I flashed a sly grin at the Doctor, who had begun shedding endless tears.
“They said to come back in four days. It’s confirmed, but they want to check once more.”
“Okay…”
“Do you want to rest at home today? Or continue with your usual routine?”
“I’ll go about it as usual… I’m truly happy, but it’s not completely certain yet…”
“I told you it’s certain, didn’t I?”
“Ah, that’s right… Sorry. My mind is all over the place right now…”
It was perfectly understandable. After trying for so long without success and nearly giving up on ever getting pregnant, the news that she was expecting had filled her with joy. After wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, I helped her into the passenger seat and started the engine. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I asked,
“I thought you had abandoned the Parsons name?”
“Using Jennifer Cash felt a little awkward… It’s the name of the headquarters director, after all. They might not notice, but any suspicion would be a headache, so I only used it as a cover. Names like that don’t matter anymore anyway.”
“I see.”
“Jihyeok, remember what I told you last time? The dream I had several times in a similar way… Do you remember?”
“I do. Pale skin and slit pupils… That one?”
“Yes. It seems that was my pregnancy dream.”
Huh… If that was a pregnancy dream, it was quite ominous. Good for me, though.
Nodding, I said, “Seems that way. And while you were spacing out, I asked the doctor. The schizophrenia medication is extremely bad for the baby, so they said to stop it. If symptoms appear, we’ll treat them with the medical equipment.”
“Understood… I haven’t been taking it lately anyway.”
“Good job.”
“Um… Jihyeok.”
“Speak.”
“Can’t you come home early today? Making the Device is important, but it’s a monumental day… I want to celebrate.”
Of course we had to celebrate. I readily agreed.
“I will.”
“Tell me the time and I’ll come pick you up.”
“You stay home. I’ll return without being too late.”
“Okay.”
I drove to the front of the yoga academy. When the Doctor, who had unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned in, I chuckled. After passionately exploring my lips for a while, she pulled back with a bright smile and said,
“I’m going.”
“Have a good session. Contact me when you’re heading home.”
“Yes, I love you.”
After planting one last loud kiss on my lips, the Doctor opened the car door and stepped into the building housing the yoga academy. She didn’t forget to glance back at me several times along the way. Once she had completely disappeared from sight, I turned the car toward the lab and drove off.
Pregnant…
I had planned for it. From the beginning, my intention had been to impregnate the Doctor so she could never leave me. The feeling of having my own child was good too. Though it still didn’t feel entirely real.
But I wondered what Sehwa would say if she found out. Yuria would probably sulk as well… A sudden chill ran down my spine. Moreover, would the child the Doctor carried possess Magi? If so, I would need to ask Marcela to prepare some medicine. If Adele—who had already met the Doctor—used Purification on it, it would be a complete disaster.
Today was a day filled with both joy and deepening worries.
Hiss—!
While I ate convenience-store food and worked on the Device, the lab door opened and Adele walked in. I greeted her warmly.
“You’re here?”
“Yes! Did you sleep well last night?”
“I did. How about you, Adele?”
“Me too!”
After speaking, Adele gave me a meaningful smile. What is this? Did I do something? As I tilted my head in confusion, she walked with light steps toward the break room and said,
“I’ll stay quiet in here, so please focus on your work, Jihyeok-ssi.”
No, don’t stay quiet. Come bother me.
As always, Adele watched TV while snacking. But she kept glancing at me far more than usual, blatantly signaling that something was up. Five eye contacts in ten minutes said everything. Yet what was with that mysterious smile? She had done it earlier too, and the curiosity was driving me insane. In the end, I stopped working on the Device and entered the break room.
“I wasn’t bothering you. You came in here yourself.”
The moment I opened the door, Adele said this. As if I could stay away after she made me so curious. I took a bottle of water from the fridge, drank, and asked in a somewhat subdued tone,
“Why do you keep staring at me?”
“Just a moment.”
Adele fiddled with her phone, alternating her gaze between me and the screen. Then she broke into a wide grin, covered her mouth, and giggled. After a brief pause, she cleared her throat.
“Ahem! Ahem! I was just curious what you were doing, Jihyeok-ssi.”
“Is that all? It felt like you were staring more than usual.”
“Did I? You seem very interested in me, Jihyeok-ssi.”
She tried to keep a casual face, but her delight was obvious. Was she looking up dating tips on the internet? It certainly seemed that way, which I found ridiculous. Given how different each person’s personality was, things would never go exactly like the articles said… She was going to get badly burned later. For now, I would play along.
Shrugging, I left the break room and resumed work on the Device. One hour. Two hours. Three hours… I worked in complete silence, without glancing at her as before, fully immersed. Eventually Adele came out of the break room, sat in a chair, and rolled it right up beside me. The action screamed please look at me. She even let her hair down, then raised both arms to tie it up again. The article she must have read this time was surely the one claiming that a woman tying her hair back looks sexy and men like it.
Of course I liked it. But it suited a foxy woman like Yuria or Silvia, not a cute girl like Adele—it only looked adorably pitiful. Besides, with her long sleeves and baggy sweatshirt, you couldn’t even see her armpits.
“Ahem…”
She even cleared her throat to demand attention. I set down the welding tool and turned my chair to face her.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m retying my hair.”
“You could do that in the break room. Why are you doing it here of all places?”
“I also wanted to watch how the Device is made. Why? Is it bothering you? I was trying not to make a single sound… Am I disturbing you?”
“Yes.”
At my firm answer, Adele froze, stunned, then turned on her phone. Looking at the screen, she wore an expression that said this can’t be right. She must have believed I would like it if she followed the article. It was clear she wouldn’t trust the internet after today.
“Adele.”
At my lowered tone, Adele jumped and stiffened.
“Yes…?”
“Did you really not know you were disturbing me?”
“…. No… I knew…”
“You did the same yesterday. I told you I really needed to focus only on the Device today.”
Adele pursed her lips tightly. With a gentle smile, I placed my hand over hers where it rested on her knee.
“You shouldn’t learn about relationships between men and women from articles.”
She flinched at those words and looked up. Her eyes darted around as she made excuses.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“To lie convincingly, your actions need to match. Adele, you are absolutely not the type who is good at lying.”
“…..”
“Still, the fact that you tried to lie to me is a bit disappointing. I really like the honest Adele… It saddens me to see the world’s corruption rubbing off on you.”
As I spoke and tried to withdraw my hand, Adele grabbed my index finger tightly—just like last time—and refused to let go. I cheered inwardly. Completely deflated, she spoke obediently.
“Jihyeok-ssi… I’m sorry… I didn’t want to lie… I was trying to test you, but once I got caught, I couldn’t help but…”
“Why were you trying to test me?”
“Well…”
Adele hemmed and hawed. I understood her heart completely. Being very shy and experiencing this kind of fresh relationship for the first time, it must have been difficult for her to ask if I liked her.
Smiling gently, I decided to help her a little.
“Adele.”
“Yes…”
“Did you want to confirm whether my heart was still the same?”
She flinched at the direct hit. I continued.
“I’ve been showing my feelings from the beginning, and you know that well. Right?”
“Yes…”
“Then was there any need to test me?”
“P-people’s hearts can change at any time, you know.”
“That’s true. Depending on personality, circumstances, and various factors, some people do change who they love in just a few days. But I’m not like that.”
“…. Really?”
“If you’ve gotten that impression from me, Adele, it means I’ve been doing something wrong. I’ll try harder.”
Adele’s face turned bright red. She kept pressing down hard on my captured index finger with her nails, as if mistaking it for her own hand. In a tiny, shrinking voice she said,
“I-I’ve never gotten that impression… Up until yesterday I could feel your sincerity… It’s just… This is the first time I’ve felt these emotions, so I didn’t know what to do, and that’s why I did something stupid…”
“Is that so?”
“Yes… I’ll go back to the break room. I’ll stay as quiet as a dead mouse, so please concentrate on the Device, Jihyeok-ssi…”
“I’ve been concentrating for several hours. I think it’s fine to take a break.”
Adele fanned her face with her hand. The sight of her trying hard to cool her flushed cheeks was adorable. As I slowly stood, Adele rose as well, still holding my finger. I took one step closer. Adele, who had been about to retreat, swallowed hard and stood her ground with determined eyes. I reached out and gently brushed her bangs into place.
“Want to go out for some fresh air?”
“Yes…”
“Are you not hungry?”
“Yes…”
“Then… shall we go?”
“Yes…”
Her shyness must have reached its limit; she could only answer with “yes.” She was so focused on my touch that she clearly wasn’t even hearing the questions. Feeling playful, I teased her.
“I won’t do Bible study starting tomorrow.”
“Yes… I mean, no, you can’t!”
She hastily corrected herself and pouted at me as I burst into laughter. The look was so unbearably cute that I couldn’t resist the sudden surge of desire. I grabbed her arm, pulled her into my embrace, and wrapped my arms tightly around her delicate back.
“Is it okay to hold you like this?”
After staying still for a moment, Adele answered by nodding against my chest. She had been in an awkward position, and only after a long while did she begin squirming to get out. Seeing her reaction, I released her and scratched the back of my head.
“It’s hot, isn’t it?”
“Yes… It’s hot…”
“Shall we go outside for a bit?”
“Sounds good…”
I stepped outside with Adele trailing closely behind me. With our relationship having taken one more step forward, we stood side by side, enjoying the autumn breeze and watching the falling leaves. Without saying a word—for a very long time.