“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Park Shin Hye turned to look at Ji Chang Wook who was facing the window. She breathed in deeply before she opened the door and stepped out of the car.

After Chang Wook heard the door closed, he slowly turned his head to the passenger seat and watched her walking into her house. He then looked back to the front, resting his forehead against the steering wheel. He closed his eyes and heaved a deep breath.

“I’m just taking care of her because of Jin Wook. Nothing more than that.” He mumbled, reminding himself not to cross the line.

After his mind was calmed, he lifted his head up again and starts the car engine. But before he could drive away, something on the floor at the passenger seat caught his attention. He leaned over and picked up the thing that was lying on the floor.

It was a picture. His eyes widened in shock as he took a clearer look at it. It wasn’t a normal picture. It was an ultrasound picture. He looked out the window but Shin Hye was already out of sight. Since he came back from Japan, this car only drove by him and nobody else has ever touched it. Shin Hye was the first one who sits his car tonight and he was very sure that the picture was not here before this.

Chang Wook stared at the picture he was holding and in a sudden; his heart was racing tremendously fast. He turned back to the direction of Shin Hye’s house and held his breath.

“Could it be…”

--------------------------------------------------------------

“I know you are pregnant.”

Shin Hye looked at Chang Wook in a horror gaze as she shook her head violently. How does he know about it? She never told anybody about her pregnancy before. She slowly stood up of the floor and stared at him blankly.

Chang Wook inhaled a deep breath, pulled himself up too as he took the ultrasound picture out from his pocket. “You dropped this in my car last night.”

She glanced at the picture in his hand and closed her eyes. Tears started to stream down her face again. That was the ultrasound picture the doctor took for her during the check-up yesterday.

“If you didn’t drop it, if I didn’t found this, how long are you going to hide this from us?” Chang Wook asked.

“When I found out that I was pregnant, Jin Wook oppa was still here.” She spoke out slowly in a shaky voice as she opened her eyes again. “That was few days before we went to the bridal shop to try our wedding gown. I wanted to tell him there but we was interrupted by his call and he need to rush back to the football club.” She paused and bit her trembling lip. “He asked me to wait for him. He said he would meet me during dinner. And I’m going to tell him about our baby at that time. But everything was too late. When I saw him again, he was already dying in the hospital. No matter what I talked to him in his ear, he couldn’t hear it anymore. He will never know that he is going to be a father. He won’t know that I’m having his baby.” She cried painfully.

She lifted her head up and held his gaze with her teary eyes. “Why is everything so unfair? All of us were still fine a while ago. Jin Wook oppa with me, oppa with Ji Min eonnie, you and Min Young. Everything was still fine not too long ago. But in just the blink of an eye, everything changed, everything gone. I lost him, I lost everything.”

Chang Wook walked to her and pulled her trembling body into his arms, hugging her tightly while she cried into his shoulder. the back of her head soothingly, he tried to comfort her. “Nothing changed, Shin Hye-ah. You are not alone. We are still here by your side and we won’t let anything happen to you. I won’t let anything happen to you. And you didn’t lose him. His blood is growing inside your stomach. Jin Wook might not be here anymore but you are having something inside of you that is belongs to both of you.”

Shin Hye bit her lip hard and more tears rushed out from her eyes, soaking his shirt.   

He pulled back slightly and cupped her face. “Shin Hye, listen to me. I know how much you are hurting right now because I’m feeling the same too. Everything happened in a sudden and nobody will feel okay about it. Everybody is hurting. It’s normal to be sad, to grieve but not in an unhealthy way. Going to his grave every day doesn’t help and it won’t bring Jin Wook back. You have to be strong. You have to be strong for the baby.”

“I tried. I really tried. But it’s not that easy. I know I have to take care of myself to protect the baby but the pain inside is killing me. I couldn’t breathe. I don’t know…” Her sentence was cut off when Chang Wook pulled her into his arms again.     

“I know. I know how you feel. But hiding inside your own world wouldn’t lessen the pain. It will only worsen the situation. So please. Let me help you.” He said as he tightened his arms around her. “Besides me, who else know about this? Did you tell anyone that you are pregnant?” He asked softly into her ear.

Shin Hye shook her head. “I didn’t tell anybody. I don’t know what to do. I can’t let my father know about it now. He will freak out if he know I’m pregnant.”

Chang Wook nodded as he gently her back. “Don’t worry. You just need to trust me. I’ll settle everything for you.” He then pulled away from her, held her hand and pulled her out of the dancing room.

“W-Where are we going?” Shin Hye asked when he was dragging her towards the door.

“Hospital.” Chang Wook said as he stopped walking and looked at her. “I need to make sure everything is okay with you and the baby.”

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“Doctor Kim, is everything okay with Shin Hye and the baby?” Chang Wook asked, looking at the doctor with a serious and worried expression.

Doctor Kim stared at Chang Wook for a moment before she smiled and looked at the nurse who was standing beside her.

“I need to do a urine test for Park Shin Hye-sshi. Please bring her to the washroom to get her urine.” Doctor Kim gave the instruction to the nurse.

The nurse nodded politely as she walked to Shin Hye and showed her the way out. Shin Hye was hesitate at first. She just came for a check-up yesterday and had all the tests already. She wonders why she still needs to do another urine test today. But she didn’t protest and just followed the nurse out.

After Shin Hye was gone, Doctor Kim looked at Chang Wook and pursed her lips. “I saw the news and I know the well-known football player that passed away two weeks ago is Park Shin Hye-sshi’s fiancé. And by looking at your now, I think you are his brother. If I didn’t witness it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believe that there are two person that look so alike in this world.”

Chang Wook let out a soft sigh before he nodded. “Yes, I’m his older twin brother. The accident has brought a very big impact to Shin Hye. And I know she is pregnant. I’m very worried about her. She doesn’t look good and I’m worried it will affect the baby. That was why I insist to bring her here again today.” He paused and sighed deeply. “As you know, she already lost my brother. The baby is the only pillar she have now for her to stay strong.”

Doctor Kim nodded as she opened the file on the table. She let out a sigh before looking at Chang Wook again. “I did an ultrasound for her yesterday and everything seems fine for the baby. The heartbeat is strong and healthy but looking at her current condition, I think she is slightly underweight. I talked to her about that and questioned her eating habit but she was quite defensive. She said she tried to eat but she will vomit everything out after that. She insists saying that it was because of morning sickness. But I don’t think so. It could be herself that was rejecting the food.”

“But isn’t extreme and persistent nausea and vomiting is normal during pregnancy?” Chang Wook asked with his forehead creased in concern.

“Of course morning sickness is normal in the first trimester of pregnancy but when it turn severe, it could be a problem. Looking at her weight now, I’m quite sure that she doesn’t eat much and it’s not healthy for both the adult and the baby.” Doctor Kim said, as she looked straight into his eyes. “Do you know that nausea or vomiting is also one of the symptoms of depression?”    

Chang Wook widened his eyes. “D-Depression? You think… she have a depression?”

Doctor Kim nodded. “The possibility is high. It’s normal that some people might suffer a minor depression when they lost someone they love so much but it may turn to a very serious one if we don’t take care of them. Losing someone important during pregnancy period is especially bigger impact compared to normal people.  The sadness, the hopelessness, the grieving, all those are the factors that caused the depression. Some people mistakenly believed that pregnancy hormones protected against depression, leaving women more vulnerable to the illness only after the baby was born and their hormone levels plunged. Hormonal changes can also make them feel more anxious than usual. Depression and anxiety may go undiagnosed because women often dismiss their feelings, chalking them up to the temporary moodiness that often accompanies pregnancy. Emotional health is every bit as important as the physical health. And in fact, it can affect their physical health. If we ignore the problem and leave it untreated, it can increase the risk for preterm labour. This condition can hamper the ability to care for herself and developing the baby.”  

“Did you sense anything unusual, strange or different in her after your brother passed away?” Doctor Kim asked.

Chang Wook looked at her as he pursed his lips. “I can’t be sure because I don’t stay with her. But as what I noticed these two days, she is feeling blue, sad and empty all the time. She couldn’t concentrate and she barely touched her food. When we talked about my brother, she will start to lose control and cry excessively. She is not like that before the incident happened. I thought all those is normal because she is grieving.” He paused and heaved a deep breath. “What can we do to help her?”   

“Supports from family and friends are very important for her now.  She needs someone to take care of her. With everything she is going through now, if she continue to keep everything inside of her, I can foresee the problem will be worsened. Depression has potential dangerous risks to the mother and baby. It could lead to poor nutrition and suicidal behaviour, which can then cause premature birth, low birth weight and developmental problems. A woman who is depressed often doesn’t have the strength or desire to adequately care for herself or her developing baby. Babies born to mothers who are depressed may also be less active and less healthy. This is why getting the right help is very important for both the mother and baby.” Doctor Kim replied as she leaned against her chair.

“Get the person she trusted the most, she felt most comfortable being with, understand what she is feeling and going through now and stay with her all the time. She need someone who can pay full attention on her now.” She added.

Chang Wook let out another deep sigh before he turned to the empty chair beside him. What the doctor said was true. She definitely needs someone who understands her to take care of her closely. She could never talk her problem to her parents because they will only asked her to move on and if they know about the baby, they might give her even more pressure. She is still young. He was sure her parents would not want her to be a single mother. That was why until now she still didn’t tell anyone about her pregnancy. She was worried, she was scared and she was alone. She doesn’t know who else to look for after Jin Wook was gone. So, letting her to stay at home will only make her situation become worse.

“I know you are not him but when I saw your face, I just can’t stop myself to imagine you as him. I know it’s wrong to feel like this but whenever I look at you, I feel like he is close to me. I feel like Jin Wook oppa is still around.” 

He clenched his jaws tightly together as those words she said in the apartment just now keeps ringing in his head. He might be the only person that she could trust and rely on now, not because she felt comfortable being with him but it was because he have the same face of the man she love. Because of this reason, she won’t push him away. So in conclusion, the only solution that could help Shin Hye now is him.

Letting out a slight smile, he looked at the doctor again. “I think I know what I should do to help her. Thank you, Doctor Kim.”

--------------------------------------------------------------

Chang Wook was very quiet and concentrating on driving after they were done seeing Doctor Kim in the hospital. Shin Hye shifted uncomfortably on her seat and felt very uneasy with the deafening silence in the car. She turned to him and broke the silence first.

“W-When I was out with the nurse just now, what did you talk to Doctor Kim?” Shin Hye asked softly.

Chang Wook gave her a brief glance before he looked back at the front and smiled slightly. “Nothing much. She just updates me about your check-up yesterday. Everything was fine and normal. The ultrasound shows the baby was healthy.”

“She didn’t tell you that I’m underweight?” She asked cautiously as she bit her lower lip.

Chang Wook inhaled deeply. “She did. She thinks you are not eating enough and it’s not healthy for you and the baby. But I’m sure you will be better as time pass.”

Shin Hye sighed as she turned to the window and looked outside mindlessly. “Where are we going?”

“Since you are underweight, we are going to have our lunch now.” He replied.

“I’m not hungry. Can you just send me back to the apartment? I didn’t have enough time to take a closer look at it just now.” She said.

Chang Wook tightened his grip on the steering wheel and breathed in sharply. He suddenly pulled the car over to the roadside and startled Shin Hye. He unfastened his seatbelt and turned to her as he unfastened hers as well. His face hardened as his gaze was firm and dark. She could clearly sense his anger.

“You told me that you love my brother a lot. Is this the way you love him? You are having his baby in your stomach now. Even if you don’t want to eat, the baby still needs to eat.” He raised his voice. He tried to control his emotion for so long but all the information that the doctor input to him just now make him anxious and couldn’t hold his anger anymore. But that exasperation doesn’t last for long when he saw the tears starting to pool in Shin Hye’s eyes. She is crying again. He heaved a deep sigh before he leaned closer and cupped her face, forcing her to look at him.

“I know and I understand how much pain you are suffering right now. The sadness, the loneliness, the fear, everything is suffocating you. But you are not alone anymore. You are pregnant with a baby. You are going to be a mother soon. You are the one who bring the baby to this world and you need to be responsible to protect him, to care for him and to love him.” Chang Wook paused and breathed in deeply. “I don’t want to say something like, you should move on or you have to forget about Jin Wook because I know better than anyone that it’s impossible to forget about him. I mean it when I told you that I would replace him to take care of you. If you are really so painful and doesn’t know how to deal with it, then just treat me as him. I won’t go away and I won’t leave you alone.”

Shin Hye bit her trembling lip and doesn’t know what to say. Tears were still rolling down uncontrollably. Her mind is so clouded now and she couldn’t think of anything at all. She can only feel pain and want to cry all the time. And she knows Chang Wook was right. She doesn’t know how to deal with her own emotion anymore. She felt so tired and the pressure is killing her softly. When she was in front of her family, she has to pretend that she is okay and healing. Only in front of Chang Wook, she could be herself and break down completely.

Chang Wook gazed at her and gently wiped her tears with his thumbs. “Please don’t cry anymore. If you continue to be like this, I really don’t know how I can go back to Japan.”

“You are going back to Japan… already?” Shin Hye asked and there was an obvious shock and disappointment in her voice. She thought he just said he wouldn’t leave her alone but why is he going back to Japan so soon? But of course he has to go back. Min Young is waiting for him in Japan. She shouldn’t be so selfish. He is Chang Wook not Jin Wook. She doesn’t own him.

Caressing her cheeks softly, Chang Wook shook his head. “I just need to go back to… settle something urgently. I’ll only be there for two days. I’ll come back to Seoul after that.” Even though it’s going to be hard but he still need to make a choice and settle it as soon as possible. Her depression couldn’t drag any longer. He doesn’t mind to be a bad person. As long as Shin Hye is okay, he is willing to do anything for her.

“I’ll need to go back tomorrow. But in order for me to settle my work as soon as possible, I need to have a peace of mind. I need to know that you will be alright here alone and I need you to promise me that you will not do anything reckless again when I’m not around.” He added as he inhaled another deep breath. “If I really don’t have a choice, I have to tell Yoo Chun everything so that he can keep an eye on you.” He looked straight into her eyes before he added. “Can I trust you?”

Looking at his expression, Shin Hye sensed something suspicious about his trip to Japan. She held his gaze for a moment before she asked softly. “W-What… what you need to do in Japan that you need to go back so urgently?”

Chang Wook pursed his lips and averted his gaze. “It’s just some work that need my attention urgently.” He lied.

Shin Hye slowly took his hands away from her face and held it down. “I’m okay.” She lied too. “I know you are worried and care for me but I don’t need you to do anything for me. I’m sorry for what I said in the apartment just now. I was too selfish and just thought about my own feeling. The pain you are suffering wouldn’t be anything less than mine.” She paused and looked at him. “But no matter how sad I am, I won’t use you to heal myself. I can’t…”

“I don’t care about anything or anyone now. I just care about you and the baby