324. Catfight (9)

As the stone of doubt plopped onto the surface, suspicion spread like ripples and grew larger.

But no matter how sure I was in my head, I couldn’t ask Hinami directly.

I didn’t know what to ask, nor how I should take the answer when I heard it.

Both I and she are still idols.

Even though the contract period was shortened, there’s at least a year left.

What on earth possessed her to do that kind of thing?

If it was simply my misunderstanding, it wouldn’t matter, but what if it wasn’t?

Knowing my friend and colleague was carrying my brother-in-law’s child, I’d have to watch her dance and sing in front of fans.

No matter how many lies and deceptions I’ve told until now.

This, however, I absolutely couldn’t brush off as a joke.

“Wow, I’m so damn tired….”

As soon as the long-awaited schedule ended, the fake smile I’d been forcing instantly vanished.

But Hinami, who flopped down into the car as soon as she got in, sweating profusely, was only saying she was tired, but her face was beaming.

It was a look I’d never seen Hinami wear before.

The more unnatural that look seemed, the more my suspicion was confirmed.

The only person I’d ever seen smile like that was my unnie.

…I’d only ever seen it when she was being loved by my brother-in-law.

“I should just go home quietly today. Jia, you wanna come too?”

“Nah. I’m gonna rest at home too.”

“Rrrreally? Then… hmm. Nah. Forget it.”

Usually, she’d drop all sorts of cryptic hints, but today, she suddenly became quiet and shut her mouth tight. That was suspicious too.

If it were like usual, she would have teased me relentlessly, asking what I planned to do alone at home, whether someone was there or not.

She couldn’t have suddenly developed tact overnight, so there must have been some change of heart.

If the ‘Hinami’ I knew could change that drastically…

…the problem was that only one answer came to mind.

“…Haaah, I’m tired.”

Was it really my speculation?

Or was everything pointing to the correct answer?

Before I knew it, seeing my friend quietly wearing an eye patch and gently stroking her lower stomach as she tried to sleep, I couldn’t help but lean towards the latter.

…If that was really it.

Could she handle it?

Could I handle it?

No matter how much I thought about it, the thought of it being okay didn’t come, I was scared.

…How she could have ended up committing that kind of act,

made it even worse.

Even more so.

**

Since that day, I’d been avoiding going over, fearing Haeun unnie might slap my belly instead of my cheek this time. So today, I went home quietly, spent some time alone, and then, feeling inexplicably suffocated, I walked out onto the dark street.

My time to walk this street confidently wouldn’t last much longer.

Of course, even if there’s no guarantee it happened right away… I’m sure it happened because I was subjected to it.

Just like those people waddling by.

“…I’m envious.”

I never thought I’d envy a pregnant woman walking down the street with her husband, stroking her swollen belly.

If I got pregnant, I wouldn’t be able to go on affectionate strolls with Oppa.

After spending all day long acting cute and making a fool of myself in front of cameras, I realized how desperately I craved an ordinary life.

Meeting someone I love without any worries,

coupling with someone I love without any second thoughts,

and having a child with someone I love without any prior planning.

That ordinary life.

“Oppa, isn’t that idol you like?”

“What, really? Uh… is it? Is it really Hinami?”

But I’m just too good-looking to live that kind of life.

Everyone recognizes me, whether man or woman.

…I wish they’d recognize me quietly, though.

Or at least ask for an autograph boldly.

“But she’s really damn pretty. Celebrities are different, alright.”

“Ah, really.”

“Yeah. First off, her face is ridiculously small? How do all those features even fit on that face? And…”

It was quite a headache that he was so great he could make such a fuss praising my looks, even with his pregnant wife right beside him.

I guess men just can’t help being tempted by other women, even if they have a girlfriend they like.

Of course, that’s probably how I was able to seduce Oppa too.

It feels unfair sometimes.

Well, I guess the one who can get multiple people pregnant can’t be the same as the one who can only have one child.

“Ouch! Hey, why’d you hit me?”

“You deserved it.”

“Owie owie….”

Still, hearing the couple bickering and disappearing like that, I realize anew how amazing ‘love’ truly is.

Those two probably aren’t soulmates, but they got pregnant because they love each other.

Oppa and I must have done this because we love each other, even if we weren’t each other’s perfect ideal type.

I always felt like my body wasn’t exactly Oppa’s type.

Yet, he was the first one to get me pregnant…

That means he loves me that much.

“….”

I suddenly wanted to hear Oppa’s voice, so I walked to an empty bus stop and called him.

He should still pick up at this hour.

Sometimes unnie answers, but a call or so should be fine.

Ring, ring. After a few rings, the call connected.

“Oppa.”

I hid my joy and called Oppa as calmly as possible, but…

“-…What.”

“…Why are you answering?”

The voice coming from the phone speaker was my closest friend’s clear voice.

…Why you, not unnie?

“-Why ask? I picked up because brother-in-law isn’t here.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. …Seo Jia.”

“-Unnie and brother-in-law aren’t here. They must have gone for a walk, leaving their phones.”

“…Then why are you there?”

“-I came down to get dinner… got tired and fell asleep, and you woke me up.”

Hearing Jia’s voice, speaking so calmly and casually, didn’t make it seem like she was lying.

However, I couldn’t believe she had really gone to that house just to get dinner quietly.

I know better than anyone that those are just excuses.

“Oh, really? Then, when Oppa gets back, tell him I called.”

“-Okay… wait.”

I knew exactly why Jia was there.

Unless I was a fool, I knew why she suddenly got tired and fell asleep at that house.

More importantly, Jia couldn’t possibly not know that Oppa wouldn’t go for a walk leaving his phone behind.

“-Hoo, damn. It’s hot. Huh, what, you’re awake?”

“-…Yes.”

“-But what are you doing alone with my phone? Did someone call?”

“-…No, just-“

Click.

The lie I told, looking at Oppa instead of the receiver, reached my ears, the call cut off, and the world went quiet.

You said you were going for a walk, but I didn’t even hear the front door open, Jia.

Of course, she wasn’t lying.

Probably… the part about going down under the guise of dinner, getting ‘tired’ somehow, and falling asleep was true.

And her waking up startled by the ringtone I called must not be a lie either,

and her arbitrary guess that they went for a walk probably wasn’t an intentional lie.

It’s just that…

…Oppa, who was probably busy swapping spit with unnie in another room, must have changed his mind the moment he saw me come out for a drink of water.

It was so obvious and infuriating what she saw that made her change her mind, I didn’t bother giving her a break and called Oppa’s phone again.

Ring, click.

This time, the call connected after just one ring.

“Oppa.”

“-Uh, what? At this hour.”

“Is Jia next to you?”

“-…Uh.”

“…Transfer me, please. Just for a moment.”

Perhaps to give Jia, who was likely still lying, the bare minimum chance.

I asked Oppa to transfer the call, then whispered softly to her after she took the receiver.

“-…What.”

“Oppa’s not wearing clothes, is he?”

“-It’s not because of me.”

“Really? …Then were you wearing clothes before you slept?”

“-….”

…See?

You definitely did it before falling asleep.

I went out of my way to give you space, being considerate of unnie, and you shamelessly stole him away.

Jia, who I was trying to force down, thinking I just wanted to hear his voice, became more infuriating the more I thought about it.

I didn’t give her a break and called Oppa’s phone again.

“Jia. …Do you like Oppa?”

“-Not at all.”

“Really? …Then, if I said I wanted to have Oppa’s baby, could you understand?”

“-…What are you talking about?”

“Why? You said you don’t like him. …It has nothing to do with you.”

You don’t even know what kind of resolve Oppa and I shared.

I provoked my annoying friend, who was trying to interfere arbitrarily.

“-It’s not like there’s no connection. If you do that, our group-“

“What about you, Jia? …Is having sex with brother-in-law okay, but getting pregnant isn’t?”

“-That’s not the issue.”

“Then what is the issue? Tell me straight.”

“-In the first place, with unnie right there, you…!”

“What are you talking about? Jia. You’re naked with brother-in-law right now. Puhuhu…”

After cutting off Jia’s retorts, which I expected so much, again and again.

I waited until my friend spoke honestly.

“-…You’re already pregnant.”

“Hmmph.”

“-You did, last time. Without taking your pills, after sex….”

“So?”

“-…What were you trying to do?”

“Who knows.”

…But,

My poor Jia kept going in circles, unable to spit out her true feelings.

…Fool.

“If you have nothing else to say, I’m hanging up. And… I’m not pregnant yet.”

“-Hey…!”

Click.

Jia, you…

are just envious of me.

Pfft.

…Try being brave like me.

You fool.