The new room arrangements make the following days a lot better. Jihyo doesn’t have schedules due to the swift arrangement of her manager oppa, but Jongkook’s in and out of his apartment for his other recordings, always leaving little notes for her by the dining table or fridge so she’ll know where he went. They’ve set up a system now — he’ll go to the gym in the morning or way too early for her to be awake, and if he had schedules, he kept the timings and dates for her to check easily on the calendar. She doesn’t pry, and he doesn’t tell her, so the system works out beautifully for them, considering he’s not his girlfriend and doesn’t need to know where he’s at every second of the day.

The rooms help, though. With the safety of her own privacy intact, and his own corner down the hallway, they don’t have to worry about any awkward incidents. I’m fact, it gets a lot better living together, considering they enjoy their moments alone.

She gets these headaches and the nausea must be at its peak, so the food he gets doesn’t really get consumed most of the time (if she got it down, it might make its reappearance hours later down the toilet bowl), but he’s always there with a cup of warm ginger or peppermint tea afterwards. He claimed to have read it somewhere online that it had a soothing effect to relieve the nausea from morning sickness, but Jihyo begs to differ — that was not fun, and she’s already starting to feel the horrible side effects of being pregnant.

Anyhow, it’s very domestic, seeing Kim Jongkook write notes to her on his fridge about his schedules, and how he brews tea or fusses over her. It’s also very frightening, because she’s not his wife. This was the kind of thing he would do for someone he loved, not for someone who was his friend. She tells herself it’s just him being a gentleman, coupled with the fact that she’s pregnant with his child, but how long can she do that for?

She tries not to think about it too long.

On the Friday morning of her first official gynecologist appointment with Doctor Choi, Jihyo’s nothing but wrecked with nerves. Maybe they’ve gotten it wrong — she’s not pregnant but very, very sick. It’s her body rejecting food and life, and suddenly her period stopping was a sign of stress or some disorder. Or what if there’s something wrong with the baby? She’s too old for this, for crying out loud! Forty was a dangerous age for pregnancy, even she knew that.

They’ve picked a time that’s supposedly less crowded to avoid any unnecessary interactions with others because she’s aware of how easy it is to spot two celebrities in a gynecologist’s office. She almost wants to go alone, just for her own selfish reason and because Jongkook seemed to be busy based on the calendar hung beside the fridge where they wrote their notes, but he heads up to her an hour before her evening appointment, his car keys in his hand. “Ready to go?”

“You’re going?” Jihyo asks, surprised. She’s been debating about asking him since the morning.

“Of course.” Jongkook frowns, worried. Was it strange for him to accompany her on her gynecologist appointment? Some sort of girl code? “Is that not okay?”

“No, no.” She shakes her head — they signed an agreement. Number four clearly states that she’s not to run away, and wasn’t this part of it? He’s the father, and he should be there for the baby’s first check up.

“Then we should go if we want to beat evening traffic.” He nods as she grabs her purse, tucking a hat on as a disguise and making sure her mask was on. Despite all the preliminary measures, she was not going to get caught in a gynecologist and find herself in the gossip section the next day. Seems like he thought the same, because he was wearing black head to toe as always, with his own snapback on.

She’s not checking him out — but what kind of guy wears such a tight coat? He would be recognizable miles away, with those bulging muscles of his. “Are you wearing that?” Jihyo blurts as they step out of the apartment.

“What’s wrong with this?” Jongkook scans himself up and down, confused.

“It’s so obviously you!” She nudges his large arms, and he feels the heat on his cheeks as she presses firmly. “Don’t you own a bigger coat?”

“No... but it’s black, and I’m not the only man in Korea that works out!” He defends, watching her laugh. So far so good; laughter was better than silence.

If he would admit it, he was a little nervous. Not because it’s been a little tensed lately, with all his schedules and her being at home as per normal, but because he doesn’t know what to expect at the gynecologist’s. He hasn’t exactly brought any woman, married, dating, or otherwise, to one!

He would have texted Donghoon or Jaesuk for advice (Sukjin was a no go — Hyunwoo was 17 anyway), but maybe it’s his pride keeping him from doing so. Or maybe because Donghoon was hella annoying when it came to father duties like this, always rubbing it in that he was the better man. That, and the fact that his teasing was merciless.

They spend the rest of the journey immersed in their own thoughts, instead of indulging in one another’s company, both on the edge of anxiety. It doesn’t feel very real, until she’s registering at the counter and he’s waiting by the seats for her, thankful for the empty room; no need for disguises. Still, he lets his mind wander again, looking around the waiting area at all the mummy & me magazines, the row of pamphlets and infographics about pregnancy, and suddenly it hits him.

This was very, very real.

There’s no one around, so they get called in minutes. In fact, the receptionist calls her in almost immediately. They enter the room, him hot on her heels, and Doctor Choi barely blinks when she sees him. “Hi, Jihyo. Have you been well?”

“As well as a pregnant woman can be.” Jihyo replies, waving. “Um, Jongkook came with me today. Is that okay?”

“Of course.” Doctor Choi eyes his nervous expression, and gestures to the empty chair beside Jihyo. She doesn’t pry, but she could have sworn he wasn’t the father after that awkward encounter in the hospital. “You might want to take a seat thought.”

Oh, yeah. He nods sheepishly, doing exactly that, as Jihyo watches him carefully. Was he nervous? She didn’t get the chance to ask in the car, being a little anxious herself. Is that why he wanted to come?

“From those blood tests we took at the hospital, everything seems to be fine, so no abnormal problems are expected so far.” Doctor Choi shows her a few papers full of medical jargon and tests that she doesn’t fully understand, but it calms her mind a little to hear that. “Today, we’ll just do a quick ultrasound to calculate your expected due date. First pregnancies don’t meet the exact date a hundred percent of the time, but it’s a better gauge for all of us. Then we’ll set the next ultrasound appointment for a checkup, and if you want, you can get to know the baby’s gender.”

Jihyo feels Jongkook leaning beside her, looking over her shoulder at the papers. Suddenly, this was all feeling very fast. Due date? As if this wasn’t enough proof that she was pregnant, now she’s given a timeline of when she’ll have her baby... Also, whether it was a boy or a girl. What was she expecting? She didn’t really know. And as far as she can tell, neither did Jongkook, who seemed a little slower today.

“Have you been experiencing nausea? Vomiting?”

“Yeah. My mother says I should ask for some anti-nausea medication.” Jihyo nods.

“I’ll prescribe some as well as more prenatal vitamins, but you don’t have to take the medication unless absolutely necessary.” The doctor advises, noting everything down. “Any other symptoms?”

“She’s been very tired too, taking more naps than usual.” Jongkook pipes in.

For a few seconds, Jihyo thinks he’s mocking her, and is ready to turn to give one of her deadly full blown glares, but she realizes he’s genuinely concerned. It’s very weird seeing him like this, even if she’s not sure it’s for her.

“That’s perfectly normal. The body’s just getting accustomed to the baby.” Doctor Choi explains, and Jihyo nudges Jongkook playfully. She’s fine, just growing an extra human inside of her. “I hope you’ve cut down on your schedules.”

“I only have Running Man on Mondays.” Jihyo says. “I’m stopping soon.”

“Take it easy.” Doctor Choi nods in approval. “Hormones? Cravings? Oh, and maybe urges? I get this from couples a lot so I’ll just tell you straight up now — there’s nothing wrong with having while pregnant.”

“Um...” Jongkook was not expecting this.

“There’s a lot of hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, so I’ll understand if you want to continue your ual activity in the bedroom.” Doctor Choi mistakes Jongkook’s blush for him being shy. “It’s perfectly safe for the baby. Even when you’re in your last trimester, although you might discover certain positions that will help you out with the baby bump in the way.”

“Um, good to know.” Jihyo squirms as she answers, avoiding Jongkook’s eyes. This was a nightmare! Drunken with Kim Jongkook was what gotten her here in the first place, and now her doctor’s implying that she’d want more ? Oh my god! Even if the was mind blowing? Her dirty mind goes even further than that, about how she could even be the one blowing...

She goes bright red at that indecent thought, and from the looks of it, Jongkook was still reeling with embarrassment too.

“Have you been continuing any ual since the hospital?” Doctor Choi does not let it go, even when both of them are practically losing their minds trying not to look at each other.

“No!” Jihyo squeals, then clears and shakes her head — she’s got to be more chill than this. “No.”

Doctor Choi looks at them both, and shrugs — not every couple was the same, so maybe they’d wish for privacy over what happens to them in the bedroom. “Anyway, I’ll pass you a few pamphlets to read up on, and you can always ask me any questions you might have. Do you have any?”

If only they could get past her nonchalance and do the same. “Nope!” Jongkook shakes his head quickly. Could she just give it a rest already?

“Well, okay.” The doctor tries her best not to sound judgmental in a room with two of Korea’s top celebrities squirming over the thought of like they were teenagers. “Now... Are you ready? If you just hop on here...”

This is it. Jihyo follows suit quickly, stepping up onto the doctor’s examining bed across the room while Jongkook lags behind.

“Yup! And could you hold her coat? Thanks.” Doctor Choi orders as she swiftly helps Jihyo lie down, passing her coat over to Jongkook who’s still processing everything. He’s not usually the type to be so out of it, but today he’s experiencing something new. And terrifying. Did she just say they’ll find out the due date today?

By the time he snaps out of it, Jihyo’s shirt is lifted slightly for Doctor Choi to squirt some form of gel on her abdomen. She winces, unused to the cold sensation, and he looks on worriedly. This didn’t hurt, did it? Jihyo’s one of– if not the strongest–woman he knows, but he can’t help but worry.

“Don’t worry.” Doctor Choi reassures, as if she’s been reading his mind. “It’s just a little cold.” Then she presses the ultrasound wand around the gel, probing gently and adjusting some dials. It’s very fascinating and exciting, seeing all of it before them: the black and white screen and the tiny changes on it — how the hell was that showing a tiny baby in there? They are both absorbed at the sight of the pictures on the monitor, and then, something that makes Jihyo gasp in wonder.

Amidst the amazement of their baby shown to them, there’s a sound of a quick, steady rhythm. How can something so tiny, barely looking like a fetus let alone a human, hold such impact on her just by the sound of its heartbeat? She looks up at Jongkook, her eyes misty as their gazes meet —  he’s heard it too. He reaches over to clutch her hand tightly, and she lets him, smiling wobbly. It’s the first time he’s even initiated any form of skinship willingly, without the need to pretend or fake it in front of others, but she holds onto him like he’s her lifeline and resists the urge to cry.

That’s the sound of their baby, the little boy or girl that’s inside of her now. Their miracle.

“That’s the heartbeat.” The doctor confirms, smiling. “Strong and healthy over here.” She moves the wand a little, and a new sonogram image updates the monitor. “And judging by this, the baby’s around ten weeks. See that? It’s the head, and its ears and nostrils and other features are starting to form. Looks like we can expect a September due date! I’ll give you a concrete date so we can work from there, but remember what I said about how it’s not a guaranteed date.”

Jihyo and Jongkook barely catch what she’s saying — who knew a blob of cells could be so captivating? Their baby was going to come in September, and she could finally hold her own child... She stares at the images on the monitor, captivated.

“Everything looks fine here, and the heartbeat sounds steady. I’ll schedule a few more tests for you to find out if there might be a risk of any chromosomal abnormalities because of your age, or if you have any underlying genetic disorders, but everything else looks all set.” Doctor Choi announces, looking at the two. She could have sworn they were a little awkward the last time they met, but now they were every bit like all the patients she had, looking teary eyed and moved by the first glimpse of their child. She was very professional about this, and wouldn’t spill to whatever gossip news site there was out there, but she had a feeling Jongkook and Jihyo would be a celebrity couple with a force to be reckoned with. “I can print out a few copies of the sonogram for you to bring home, would you like them?”

“Yes please.” Jongkook clears his throat, answering for the both of them as Jihyo continues to beam at the monitor, her eyes welling with tears of joy. “Could you print a couple extra?”

“Of course.” Doctor Choi nods. This was usually the time when she would leave the parents behind for their own private moment. “I’ll go get them ready. Jihyo, there are paper towels by the bed side that you can use to clean off the gel.”

She leaves, and Jongko