Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Clinic. 9:00 AM. June 11, 2022.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Choi. Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Kwon," said a woman in a white lab coat. She shook Taeyeon and Ji-yong's hands. "Dr. Kang told me that you would be coming."

"It's nice to meet you too," replied Ji-yong as they took their seats. "So what does a reproductive endocrinologist actually do? I've never met one before."

"Well, as a reproductive endocrinologist, it's my job to diagnose people who have infertility problems. I also specialize in in vitro fertilization and other problems regarding the reproductive system."

"Wow," Ji-yong marveled.

"So do you know if it's normal for a woman's period to suddenly stop?" Taeyeon blurted out, wishing to get straight to the point. "My period suddenly stopped two weeks ago and I don't know why. I took a pregnancy test three times, but they all came back negative. But my period has always been irregular, so I've always known that it would be harder for me to get pregnant. But I underestimated how much it would reduce my chances of getting pregnant. It's been a year since Ji-yong and I have been married, and we still don't have a child. I mean, it could end up not being that serious, but I just want to know for sure that there's still a chance for me to have a kid."

Dr. Choi nodded as she typed some notes on her computer.

"Does your family have a history of infertility?"

"Um, no. Not that I know of."

"And what about yours, Mr. Kwon?"

"None that I know of."

As Dr. Choi continued typing, Ji-yong and Taeyeon grew more and more anxious.

"So what's your diagnosis?" Taeyeon finally asked.

Dr. Choi finished typing and turned to face the nervous couple.

"I can't make a diagnosis this early in the process. There could be plenty of reasons why your period stopped. I can't say for sure until I get the test results back. Be prepared to undergo a lot of testing, " she warned.

"I'm prepared for that," Taeyeon assured her.

"Me too," Ji-yong chimed in. "You should test me too, Dr. Choi. In case I might be infertile."

"Alright," Dr. Choi said as she put on gloves. "Let's get started, shall we?"

A month later.

"So what's the test results?" Taeyeon asked anxiously. She was in Dr. Choi's office, sitting on the edge of her seat as she clutched Ji-yong's hand tightly. They had received the call from the clinic this morning. Taeyeon had been agitated the whole car ride to the clinic. Ji-yong had tried to keep her calm, but he was a hot mess himself. His hands would shake as he drove.

"I have bad news," Dr. Choi began, a solemn look on her face. "But before I continue, I want you both to remain calm. It won't do you any good if the both of you freak out. It won't change the situation."

Taeyeon took a couple of deep breaths; Ji-yong did the same. They did so until Ji-yong's hands stopped shaking and Taeyeon's heart beat slowed.

"Alright, I'm calm," Taeyeon said in a small voice.

"Me too," Ji-yong said in an even smaller voice than his wife's.

"All of Mr. Kwon's test results came back negative. You are fertile. But you, Mrs. Kwon..." Taeyeon's heart started beating faster during the pause. She felt lightheaded and wondered if she would faint before hearing the bad news.

"You have premature menopause. This means that you can't have kids. I'm so sorry."

Taeyeon felt her heart drop to her stomach. She felt numb. She didn't know what to think next.

"P-premature menopause? W-what does that mean?" Ji-yong asked shakily as he wrapped him arms around his wife in an attempt to comfort her.

"Premature menopause is when a woman's period stops spontaneously before the age of 45. Mrs. Kwon's case is idiopathic, which means that we couldn't find out why her period stopped."

Dr. Choi leaned over the table towards Taeyeon, a sympathetic look on her face.

"Mrs. Kwon, don't be too upset. There are other ways to have a child. There's surrogacy, adoption..."

Tayeyeon wasn't even listening. She could feel Ji-yong's arms around her, but she was too busy dealing with the shocking news to even register what was happening. She stood up abruptly, knocking Ji-yong's arms off of her. Faster than the speed of light, she rushed out the door and down the hallway.

"Taeyeon!" Ji-yong called after her. He stood up and bolted towards the door, intending on chasing after his wife.

"Thanks, Dr. Choi," Ji-yong said over his shoulder just before he made it out the door. "We'll call you if we need more information."

Underground Parking at Clinic.

"Taeyeon, wait up!" Ji-yong shouted as he chased her down the parking lot. She was several feet ahead of him. Damn, she can run as fast as an Olympian sprinter when she wants to.

Finally, Taeyeon stopped at their car. She slumped to the ground, covering her face. As Ji-yong came closer, he could hear her sobbing. He stopped in front of her and sat himself on the ground. 

"Hey, don't cry. Everything's going to be okay," Ji-yong said gently, pulling her towards him in to a bear hug.

"No, it's not going to be okay," Taeyeon cried out. She looked up at him, her face covered with tears. "It's just so unfair! I've never questioned the fact whether or not I would have kids. I just always assumed that one day I would. And having that taken away from me without my consent really !"

"I know, I know," Ji-yong said comfortingly, patting her back. "Let it out."

"Now I feel like I'm missing out on being a mom. I'm never going to be pregnant. I'll never hold my own baby in my arms," Taeyeon sobbed harder in to Ji-yong's shoulder. "I'll never give you what you wanted, Ji-yong. You always wanted a baby, and I feel so guilty that I can't give you one."

"No, don't think that way. Don't feel guilty. You have no control over this. You've given me more than I deserved, and you'll always keep giving me more than I could ever hope for. Look, I have everything that I want. I have you-a beautiful, kind, generous wife. You're more than I've ever dreamed of having."

"But what if this kind, beautiful wife can't give you a baby? Then what? Would I be less of a wonderful wife in your eyes?" she asked bitterly.

"No, Taeyeon! You can't possibly think that." Ji-yong gently wiped the tears from his wife's face as he spoke. "It doesn't matter to me that you can't get pregnant. Sure, it , but it doesn't bring down you're value to me. You're still Taeyeon-my wonderful, kind wife."

She still didn't look convinced. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do," he assured her as he helped her to her feet. "Come on, let's go home. You need a hot meal and plenty of rest. You've had a long day."

Taeyeon and G dragon's House. 10 AM. A week later.

Taeyeon felt like hell. Her nose was stuffy, her hair was a mess and her skin felt hot and sticky. She had been in bed for the past couple of days, doing nothing but crying her eyes out. Ever since she received that dreadful news at the clinic, she hadn't come in to work.

She had told SM that she needed a break from recording songs. She didn't have the heart to tell SM that the real reason she couldn't concentrate on her work was because she was dealing with the fact that she was infertile. She knew that the second they found out, they would put her back in to a regular promotion cycle. This meant variety shows, concerts and photo shoots. She couldn't bear the thought of going back to work after she just received the most shocking news of her life.

She barely told anyone about her infertility; only her parents and siblings knew. She had also told Ji-yong not to tell anybody else except his immediate family. For some reason, she felt like she had to keep it a secret from everyone else. She felt ashamed of her infertility. She knew she had no control over it, but she still felt like it was all her fault. It was her fault that she couldn't give birth to her and Ji-yong's baby.

Sometimes, she would dream of the face of the unborn child she could never have. The baby had Taeyeon's eyes and Ji-yong's smile. She would dream of holding her baby in her arms, rocking it to sleep. She would hear her baby's laughter, full of happiness and joy. In her dreams, her baby felt very real.

But every morning, Taeyeon would wake up to the horrible reality that she couldn't have kids. It made her feel sad and hopeless the rest of the day. Her only source of happiness right now was her dreams.

Taeyeon knew that Ji-yong was getting seriously worried about her. Ever since they