episode_0104

The hellish college entrance exam has finally ended—although it was a time devoid of any tension to say the least.

Ah, when I say devoid of tension, I’m not talking about my grades. It’s more about the fact that I took the exam without any excitement, almost numb to the whole situation.

It was a long preparation period, but instead of feeling relieved that it’s finally over, all I could think about was rushing home to see my husband, just like any other day.

But still, I took the exam seriously, right? There weren’t many difficult questions, so it was surprisingly easy, and I managed to solve all of them without leaving any unanswered.

I’ve never been the smartest, always feeling like a fool, but it seems like I’ve benefited from Minjeong’s exceptional teaching skills, better than most tutors.

And with the added boost from our morning kiss, my condition was perfect, so if I didn’t make any mistakes, I expect a satisfactory outcome. Or was morning sex more effective than a morning kiss?

Well, well. Maybe it was because of the college entrance exam side effects that I messed up in the car again.

No, wait… should I call it a side effect?

When my husband personally put the ring on my finger, I felt like I was being proposed to again, almost on the verge of tears, overwhelmed with joy and excitement… I mean, it was unbearable, right?

Doing it in a secluded corner of the underground parking lot where few people frequent… was that a sense of adventure?

Well, in the end, we got caught and Minjeong scolded us.

I guess it’s all because of my husband.

Who said we had to be abstinent?

“Sorry, honey. I got us in trouble for no reason.”

As I remember being dragged away by Minjeong with a smile, my husband approached looking visibly tired.

Well, he must have been exhausted from having sex discreetly so as not to get caught by others, and he was just scolded by Minjeong a while ago, so it’s understandable that he looks tired.

“Um, why are you apologizing, honey? If I didn’t suggest it, we wouldn’t have gotten in trouble. So it’s my fault.”

If there’s any fault on my husband’s part, it would be that he agreed to continue using condoms despite my insistence.

But then again, he was already prepared before I even undressed, right?

He kept taking out condoms from his coat pocket… No, let’s not go there.

It’s unseemly to make excuses, so let’s just admit that it was entirely my fault.

“No, it’s not exactly like that… Ahem, should we stop talking about this? It doesn’t matter who’s at fault now.”

“That’s right. Let’s stop and clean up.”

As we wrap up the unimportant matter, we tidy up the messy living room in the aftermath of the college entrance exam celebration.

If it were a normal celebration, we could have gone to a karaoke or a bowling alley, but going to such noisy places with a pregnant body would be foolish. Not that I had any intention of going.

So today, the four of us, Minjeong, Junseok, and… his brother, came to our house to have dinner and chat.

When we got home, Minjeong was so angry that if Junseok hadn’t stopped her, I might have cried.

My little brother is so scary.

“Oh no! What’s happening to this?!”

“W-what’s wrong?!”

“This! The shark plushie that my husband bought me last time!! Its face has sunken in and it looks weird now!”

What used to be a plushie I used for cuddling my husband, which I kept as a decoration because it was too stiff, had suddenly changed its appearance.

Why on earth? Did I not take care of it properly? Or did it start to dry out and cave in on itself?!

“Why did this happen… Let’s take it out again.”

The husband, who had a look of great surprise on his face, suddenly changed to a relieved expression. He grabbed the shark doll I was holding, and with his other hand, reached out to the crack on the shark doll’s face.

“…Huh? Why won’t this come off?”

“Eek!”

“Wait, let me try this. Where… Oh!”

With all his strength, the husband tried to pull the shark doll’s face. I could tell that the shark’s eyes, which had been sucked inside, were slowly coming out. However, only the eyes came out, while the rest, like the nose or mouth… anyway, the mouth part was half out, twisted into a grotesque and eerie shape, turning the shark into an unrecognizable creature.

“…Sorry, honey. This is all I can do.”

“Oh my goodness!! What is this?!”

I snatched the shark from the husband’s arms and cried out. The shark I knew was no longer a marine creature. It looked like a deep-sea creature. It had transformed into a grotesquely distorted form of a deep-sea creature, with its fins and body intact, but its face completely deformed, making it unrecognizable as a shark.

“I’m sorry… I’ll buy the same one again…”

“Oh? You don’t have to. No, please don’t. It’s fine like this.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You bought it, so I can’t just throw it away. It’s a bit weird looking, but it’s not that bad!”

“It’s… not bad?”

The husband’s face stiffened, showing a look of astonishment. I was genuinely shocked earlier, but now, instead of feeling repulsed, I found it endearing. It was like a snail with wings and horns sprouting, grotesque yet cute—

—Thud!

“Ugh…? Huh?”

I suddenly felt a strange sensation hitting my stomach, near my left hip. It felt like something hitting from the inside, not outside. And the sound was more like a vibration… it was strange.

“Honey?”

—Thud!

Oh, again.

It felt like something hitting my stomach from the inside. This time, it was more distinct. I didn’t know what was happening, why it was happening. Could it be that my body was getting weird due to accumulated fatigue?

I should tell the husband. I shouldn’t let this affect our baby.

“H-honey… Please don’t think I’m saying something weird right now.”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

“Well, just now, I felt a ‘thud’ in my stomach…”

As I mumbled, the husband’s eyes widened, and his mouth gaped.

“Honey. Is that…?”

“Why, why? Is this something serious?”

Could it be a serious illness? Did I overexert myself and get sick? I can’t let anything happen to our baby!

“No. Since I’m not sure if what I’m thinking is correct, it’s best to go to the obstetrics and gynecology department and get it checked.”

“Uh, obstetrics and gynecology? I don’t need to be sure, just tell me!”

If it’s serious enough to go to the hospital for a check-up, it’s not good! What’s happening!

The next day, we visited the obstetrics and gynecology department right on time for the start of the examination. Through the doctor, we learned the truth about the strange sensation we felt last night.

Fetal movement.

In other words, our baby was moving its cute little feet and kicking inside the mother’s belly, my belly.

Why!?

“Yes, at this stage, you will gradually feel the faint movements more distinctly.”

“Ha, but I’ve never felt the movement, let alone faintly? This was the first time I felt it yesterday.”

The doctor seemed to suggest that there had been movement before, leaving me puzzled. Can there really be such a strong movement without any warning?

“You probably felt it… Have you ever felt a bubbling sensation in your stomach, or a rumbling feeling in your intestines?”

“Oh! I did. I didn’t feel anything special, like feeling sick or anything…”

“You definitely felt it!”

With a congratulatory tone, the doctor clapped once, while my husband sat nervously, not knowing what to do.

I don’t know what to do either, husband.

Well, I don’t know what to say because I’m so happy.

You too, husband?

I am. Just a while ago, I was amazed at how much it had grown, but now it means that it’s moving significantly inside my belly.

Our baby. The growth is truly amazing!

“Should we check with an ultrasound image?”

“Yes, yes!”

The ultrasound image that was checked was quite shocking.

Star, whose shape had finally been corrected last time, was moving its left leg, then its right leg, kicking my belly!

Each time, I could feel a small vibration in my belly, confirming that it was kicking.

And even more surprising was,

“Honey, did you see that?! Our Star just jumped, right?!”

“Yes, yes!! It was definitely a jump!”

Star, who had been resting both legs on my belly, suddenly jumped up!

How can it be so lively already!

What do I do! Our Star is so adorable that I might go crazy! It was really growing rapidly!

Star, Mom will wait for you! I’ll wait for you until you’re born healthy without any pain.

Mom and Dad will wait for you in good health.

When the time comes, not as a brother or sister, but as a mother, I’ll welcome you.

Let’s definitely meet again.