In a large office filled with bright sunlight streaming through wide windows, Doh Yihyun sat upright at his neatly organized desk, pressing the keyboard with mechanical precision.
"They said you worked overtime until ten yesterday? You’re not even Team Lead Doh—"
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Through the irregular clatter of keys, hushed voices drifted over.
Doh Yihyun, Team Lead of Accounting Team 2 at Taewoon Trading.
Within the company, Doh Yihyun was well known in many ways. Because he consistently filled his weekly overtime hours to the limit, at some point his name had become synonymous with “workaholic.”
Since he showed no interest in anything outside of work, absurd rumors even circulated—whether he might actually be an AI, or a hidden heir concealing his identity.
"I made a mistake right before leaving yesterday. But Team Lead Doh helped me a lot."
One of the team members laughed awkwardly and glanced at Doh Yihyun. The others followed suit, sneaking looks at him.
Amid the lively chatter, Doh Yihyun stood out sharply—silent, lips pressed together, eyes fixed only on his monitor.
Despite his complete lack of sociability, the gazes directed at him carried a trace of goodwill.
"Hasn’t Team Lead Doh been a bit intense lately?"
"Yeah. It’s kind of scary to talk to him."
A few complained under their breath, but there was more disappointment than discomfort in their tone. Among them, there were even some who harbored feelings for him beyond simple camaraderie.
Even as his team openly talked about him, Doh Yihyun did not spare them a glance.
Even if he looked, he would not know who was who.
Doh Yihyun had prosopagnosia.
It was not severe—if he made the effort, he could distinguish people after some time. The problem was that he had absolutely no interest in others.
Since he felt no need to recognize people, there was no reason to try.
In truth, it was less that he could not remember faces, and more that he chose not to.
'I can’t focus.'
Clicking his tongue softly, Doh Yihyun pressed his palm against his upper abdomen. His stomach felt off.
His neat brows were slightly more furrowed than usual. It was a subtle change, but for someone who maintained an indifferent expression at all times, it was significant—enough for his team to notice something was different.
Swallowing a sigh, he absentmindedly rubbed his lower abdomen. It had been about two weeks since he learned he was pregnant. It had become a new habit.
'...There’s really a baby in here?'
His stomach was still firm and flat, not even slightly swollen. If he had not heard the fetal heartbeat three days ago, he might still not have believed it.
A sound far faster and more dynamic than an adult heartbeat.
That rhythm, brimming with life, had filled him with a feeling he could not quite describe. He had simply stood there, holding his breath, listening.
As if his body had recognized the change in his state of mind, nausea began shortly after that day. It felt like he had eaten something greasy all the time—a constant queasiness.
Morning sickness.
'I need to eat properly.'
For several days now, he had not been able to eat a full meal. Since yesterday, even the smell of food made nausea rise.
This morning, he had barely forced down half a sandwich. At lunch, he had gone to the cafeteria, only to mix plain rice with water and swallow it down.
What he really wanted was to gulp down a strong iced americano.
And that was not all. Despite sleeping constantly over the weekend, drowsiness kept washing over him.
For Doh Yihyun, who could function perfectly even after two sleepless nights, this was unfamiliar.
At times, he felt a faint pulling sensation in his lower abdomen. A dull ache, like something pressing and prodding—different from the soreness after exercise. The doctor had said there was no issue, but it still bothered him.
Junahye, the only friend besides his mother who knew he was an Omega, often described him as the epitome of indifference.
As she said, Doh Yihyun had lived his entire life without knowing what it meant to be sensitive. He had never suffered indigestion, and aside from special cases like his heat cycle, he had rarely felt unwell.
A faint crease formed along his straight nose. He could not easily adjust to these uncontrollable changes. His nerves had become sharper as well.
He had been confident that, since he was physically strong, he could endure it well—but it seemed he had taken pregnancy too lightly.
Doh Yihyun lightly rubbed his tired eyes.
It was common knowledge that a pregnant Omega needed Alpha pheromones. Without them, the Omega’s body would be placed under heavy strain.
For someone like him, an incomplete Omega, it might even affect the fetus.
That was why he had planned to have a child only after quitting his job and fully preparing.
Now that his plans had been disrupted by an unexpected accident, he had expected things to be difficult. But it was more overwhelming than he had imagined. His constantly changing physical condition, preparations for maternity leave, baby supplies—there was too much to handle.
For now, he intended to keep the pregnancy a secret until it stabilized.
Especially from his mother, who had only recently remarried—he did not want to worry her.
"Ha, so pretty."
A faint, smiling voice suddenly brushed against his thoughts.
Since learning about the pregnancy, fragments of that day had begun surfacing again, as if mocking how completely he had forgotten it.
Through a hazy, fog like memory, the man smiled sweetly and repeatedly told him he was beautiful.
Whoever he was, his eyes must have been seriously flawed. Or he was simply someone who lied as easily as breathing.
Even his own mother, who adored her only son, had stopped calling him pretty once he reached middle school.
Doh Yihyun himself knew well that there was nothing about him that resembled a typical Omega.
All the more reason not to look for that one night stand partner.
It would already be shocking enough for an Omega to suddenly appear claiming to be pregnant. But what if that Omega was as large as most Alphas and as blunt as he was?
No one would welcome that.
To begin with, he did not even know whether the man had been an Alpha or a Beta. If he was a Beta, there would be no pheromones, only unnecessary complications.
It was better not to look.
Besides, he did not want to raise his precious child with someone he knew nothing about.
'Stop thinking about useless things.'
Doh Yihyun pushed away his thoughts and focused back on the monitor. The bright screen was filled with dense numbers.
"Team Lead Doh."
A friendly voice called out from nearby.
When he slowly lifted his head, he saw a male team member smiling brightly across the desk. He glanced down, but the employee ID was tucked into the man’s shirt pocket, making it impossible to read his name.
Doh Yihyun stared at him with a cool expression.
"Ah… Team Lead, you don’t recognize me again, do you? We’ve worked together for a whole year."
The team member shook his head and reluctantly pulled out his ID.
In Accounting Team 2, everyone usually wore their ID around their neck. It was less unpleasant to have Doh Yihyun glance at it and call their name than to be stared at blankly.
"Kim Yumin."