-“You’ve had a hard day.”
“Not at all.”
-“Your reputation has been quite good lately, so it reflects well on me, too.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
-“But… it’s good that you’re doing your job well, but you mustn’t forget your true purpose. Understand?”
“Of course.”
The moment she heard Jae-kyung’s answer, she held out a card to him. It was for a hospital… specifically, an Omega specialty hospital.
-“I’ve scheduled your regular checkup. You’ll also be getting a hormone injection. We need to test whether you’re infertile and check the length of your heat cycle, so make sure you go on the day of your appointment.”
A hormone injection…
As far as Jae-kyung knew, that injection had also been developed by NI Pharmaceuticals. It was said that, with regular injections, a recessive Omega could sometimes become a standard Omega, and that it could also treat infertility in Omegas. Its effects had already been clinically proven, and the price per injection was astronomical. But since NI Pharmaceuticals was the company that had developed it, presumably they didn’t have to worry about the cost.
Director Ji had also told him that he could simply receive the hormone injection when they first met in person.
-“And in a month, we’ll administer the second round of medication to your younger sister. I’ll let you know once we have the results.”
Does it really have to go this far?
Jaekyung had almost wished that he would turn out to be infertile. But at Director Ji’s next words, his mind suddenly snapped back to reality.
That’s right. Don’t forget why you’re here. Face reality, Park Jaekyung.
“Understood. Thank you.”
Jaekyung bowed to Director Ji before leaving the office. He slipped the card in his hand into his pocket and returned to where he was supposed to be.
**
Jae-kyung had always hated the smell of hospitals. The sharp scent of disinfectant was so overwhelming that he could almost convince himself he would come down with an illness simply by sitting there.
Just as Director Ji had instructed, he went to the hospital. When he presented the card, they scanned the barcode and immediately directed him to the fifth floor.
The fifth floor was dedicated entirely to the Omega department. Male and female Omegas were separated, and because their physical structures were completely different, even departments such as obstetrics and gynecology were divided according to sex. Now he understood why this was called an Omega specialty hospital.
After receiving some brief instructions, he sat down. There were quite a few people waiting, so he resigned himself to a long wait.
Then he heard someone call his name.
-“Mr. Park Jae-kyung.”
A nurse holding a chart was calling for him. Jae-kyung hurriedly straightened his clothes and got to his feet.
The nurse led him into a room where a doctor who looked younger than he had expected was waiting.
-“Welcome.”
“Hello.”
-“I’ve heard quite a bit about you from Director Ji. My name is Kim Jae-hak.”
“I’m Park Jae-kyung.”
The doctor extended his hand, so Jae-kyung reached out and shook it briefly.
-“There are about ten tests that Director Ji asked us to perform. They’re expected to take roughly one to two hours. Do you have any plans afterward?”
“No.”
-“And you’re scheduled to receive a hormone injection. Have you eaten anything within the past three hours?”
“I was given instructions over the phone yesterday, so I haven’t eaten.”
-“Hmm. In that case, please get up and follow the nurse’s instructions. I’ll see you again after the tests.”
“Yes, thank you.”
After thanking the doctor, Jae-kyung got up and followed the nurse.
The first round of tests was routine. They drew blood, took a urine sample, checked his blood pressure… Then he went to the ultrasound room, lay down, and had his uterus examined by ultrasound.
When the cold liquid touched his skin, his body instinctively flinched. It was an unfamiliar sensation.
-“I’ll need to apply a little pressure. Let me know if it hurts.” The source of this chapter is g.com.
Jae-kyung nodded.
The device slowly rubbed across his abdomen, spreading the liquid over a wider area. Soon, various shades of gray began to appear across the screen. The doctor pressed here and there, then pushed down firmly on one particular spot and took a series of images.
-“This is your uterus.”
“Yes…”
Seeing his uterus on an ultrasound was both familiar and unfamiliar.
When he first presented as an Omega, he had seen a uterus for the first time while undergoing an examination with a fever burning through his body. That was when he learned that his body was capable of carrying a pregnancy.
And yet, strangely enough, the moment he saw his uterus, he felt as though he might cry.
Contrary to what he had expected—that he would have difficulty accepting it—he had felt genuinely happy upon learning that his body was capable of carrying a new life.
Today felt strange, too.
Perhaps it was because this was the first time he had seen his uterus since getting married.
If I had gone through that heat cycle with him back then, maybe I wouldn’t be here today to look at my uterus. Maybe I would be here to find out whether I was pregnant.
The thought left him with complicated feelings.
-“Your uterus is in good condition. For the details, please listen to what the doctor has to say.”
After taking images from several different angles, the ultrasound examination was complete. Jae-kyung got up and, following the nurse’s instructions, went from one department to another for several more tests.
After completing a few of the examinations, he waited for about thirty minutes before he was able to see the doctor again. The doctor looked over the test results and the images he had taken, explaining each one to Jae-kyung in turn. Then, as he examined the ultrasound images of Jae-kyung’s uterus, he spoke.
-“Your uterus is in good condition. Since you’re a recessive Omega, there’s a slight degree of instability, but that should stabilize as long as you consistently receive an Alpha’s pheromones… I don’t think you’ll have any major difficulties getting pregnant.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Thank goodness.
Jae-kyung already knew that, but hearing it from the doctor still made him breathe a sigh of relief, rubbing his chest.
The doctor set the ultrasound images aside and examined the results from the other tests.
-“Hmm… You haven’t imprinted yet.”
The relief vanished from Jae-kyung’s face, turning it deathly pale.
His heart seemed to drop with a heavy thud.
That’s right. Imprinting!
Of course they would test for imprinting. How could he have been so careless about it? Director Ji hadn’t asked him about whether he had imprinted for quite some time, and Jae-kyung had forgotten about it, too.
What am I supposed to do?
Surely all of these test results would be reported to Director Ji.
-“You don’t necessarily have to imprint, but for recessive Omegas, imprinting increases the chances of pregnancy, so I recommend it.”
“Th-then… um, will everything I was tested for today be reported to Director Ji?”
-“Pardon? Ah, yes. That’s correct.”
“Then… as for the imprinting…”
-“Yes?”
Jae-kyung swallowed hard.
No. There’s no way she wouldn’t find out just because I said this.
She would only pass along another detail—that I had specifically asked them not to mention whether I had imprinted.
That would obviously make the situation even worse.
Jae-kyung shook his head.
“No, it’s nothing.”
But I need to come up with a plan.
-“Your stress levels are high, so please be mindful of that. For now, I’d like you to come in for regular checkups once every three months, and I’d also like you to continue receiving the hormone injections. Have you been informed about the possible side effects of the hormone injection?” New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
Jae-kyung merely continued nodding at the doctor’s words without actually listening.
His mind was occupied with only one thing: what he should do about the fact that he had imprinted, and what he could possibly say to Director Ji to keep the situation from becoming a disaster.
That was all he could think about.
He barely managed to say goodbye to the doctor before stumbling out. The nurse led him along, rolled up his sleeve, and inserted a large needle into his arm, yet he felt nothing.
His only awareness was the anxiety pounding loudly in his chest.
-“Please rub the injection site. And you absolutely need to rest today. You may feel a little dizzy—oh!”
I’ve finished the injection, so I should get up…
Jae-kyung tried to stand, only to stagger and collapse back onto the bed.
The nurse, startled, asked if he was all right.
-“You shouldn’t stand up right away. Sit here for about five minutes before you move.”
“Ah, yes…
Should I call Han Tae-seok?
Maybe he should call him first and ask what he thought Jae-kyung should do. Jae-kyung quickly tossed the alcohol swab he was holding into the trash and pulled out his phone. But just as he was about to press the call button, he stopped.
What’s the point of calling him?
It wasn’t as though that man could actually do anything for him. He would probably just say, “Do whatever you think is best, Mr. Park Jae-kyung.”
No… would he even answer the phone?
Probably not.
Even if he called that man… in the end, Jae-kyung was the one who would have to deal with everything on his own.
He shoved the phone back into his pocket, straightened his clothes, and left the injection room.
His legs had felt heavy enough when he came to the hospital, but he hadn’t expected them to feel this heavy on the way out.
**
-“You, come here.”
And, sure enough, that very night, Director Ji came to the house.
Perhaps because of the injection, Jae-kyung had been feeling dizzy and was lying on his bed. At the sound of the doorbell, he shot upright in surprise.
In the living room stood Director Ji, holding what appeared to be his test results.
-“You. Did you lie to me? You said you hadn’t imprinted when you actually had?!”
Just as I thought…
Jae-kyung had nothing to say. He simply stood before her with his head bowed.
-“My goodness… How long has it been since you came into this house, and you’re already lying to me? And to me, of all people!”
“I’m sorry.”
-“Now that I see you, you’re a frightening child. I never thought you were like this, but you really are frightening.”
“I’m sorry.
-“How did you manage to hide it all this time? Don’t tell me you were taking suppressants? Ah, is that why you haven’t been able to get pregnant?! You don’t want to get pregnant? You haven’t forgotten that you signed a marriage contract, have you?”
That was all he could do. There was nothing else he could say.
She wouldn’t listen to any excuses, and he had no excuse to offer in the first place.
Even as Director Ji hurled one barbed accusation after another at him, Jae-kyung simply clenched his lips and endured it, his heart becoming covered in wounds from her cruel words.
It’ll pass eventually, anyway.
But perhaps because he was already feeling unwell, his legs gradually began to lose their strength, and cold sweat broke out across his skin.
In the end, Jae-kyung crumpled to the floor right there.
Director Ji clicked her tongue