Chapter 135: My Child

{Girls on Top: Episode 5, Scene 5}

Maya was leaning over Ho Young at his cubicle, looking at some graphics he’d done.

“Eottae?” Ho Young asked.

“This bit. It just doesn’t go with the whole aesthetic,” Maya said as she pointed at the screen.

“What do you mean it doesn’t go?” Ho Young exclaimed.

“It just doesn’t go. Where are your fundamentals?” Maya said.

“I left them at home, honey,” he joked.

“Don’t honey me at work,” Maya hissed at Ho Young.

“Yobo…” he whispered, to rile her.

“Yah!” she hissed again and smacked him on the back.

Ho Young started coughing and Maya tried to stifle a giggle.

“Michoso?” Ho Young coughed, his face turning red.

“Have the revised graphics on my table before you go home,” Maya said in an authoritative tone, and she walked off.

“Maya!” a voice yelled across the room.

The entire office looked up, as did Maya and Ho Young. A tall man with long braids and sunglasses was waving a bouquet of flowers.

“Maya! Nae cheonsa!” the guy said, and everyone was sniggering.

“Si Won!” Maya exclaimed.

“Come here, and give me a hug!” Si Won said as he stretched out his arms.

Ho Young watched in horror as Maya smiled and walked into his arms.

“I thought you wouldn’t be here for another week?” she said to him.

“Well, you’re surprised, aren’t you?” he said.

“As always,” she smiled, and they walked off side by side, conversing like long lost lovers as Ho Young stared at their backs.

{End of scene}

I walked out of the studios and found Yun Ho waiting for me at the entrance.

“Sorry. How long have you waited for me?” I asked him.

“Kwaench’ana. Just a few minutes,” he said. “Shall we go?”

“Ne,” I said as I got into the passenger side of his Mini.

We were going for a radio interview, and after that, he was going to accompany me to see a doctor.

“Are you nervous?” he asked me.

“About the interview?” I asked in return.

“You know I wasn’t asking about the interview,” he said.

“Of course I’m nervous about seeing the doctor,” I said.

“I just can’t understand how Jae Joong got himself into this mess,” he said.

“If you look at the full picture, I got myself into this mess too. Don’t blame Jae Joong alone.”

“He should know better,” Yun Ho said.

“I’m older, I should know better.”

“He’s been in this business longer. He should know damn well what’s at stake. I don’t know what has gotten over him these days. All he thinks of is getting married and having babies with you. It’s like he has forgotten his obligations to the band.”

“He hasn’t. He just doesn’t think it will affect you guys since the band is stable now.”

“No one is ever stable. Little things can turn the tables on us.”

“It may hurt you a little. But I doubt it would hurt TVXQ as much as it will hurt S-Cube,” I pointed out.

“Maja! He wasn’t thinking about your career.”

I sighed, and suddenly, I felt bad for Jae Joong. It’s my fault as much as it’s his, and yet Yun Ho only blamed him. When I was on the phone yesterday, I was inadvertently blaming him too. He must be feeling bad now, as much as he still insisted he was happy with the situation.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore,” I said. “It’s gonna show on my face when we get to the interview if we keep talking all the way there.”

“Araso…” Yun Ho sighed. “I forgot that you weren’t very good at hiding your emotions,” he said affectionately.

“My one and only weakness,” I smiled.

“Of course… other than your weakness for me,” he joked.

“Dream on, U-Know Yun Ho,” I laughed.

The interview was quick and painless, when I’d expected a long grueling session with the DJ. Yun Ho and I were soon on our way to the doctor.

“So how late are you?” the doctor asked.

“About 2 months,” I said.

“Have you ever been this late before?” he asked.

“Not that I remember,” I said.

“Is this gentleman the baby’s father?” he said as he indicated to Yun Ho.

“The baby’s father can’t come personally. I’m just a friend,” Yun Ho said. “Is this information relevant?”

“No,” the doctor said, and went back to questioning me regarding my symptoms.

“Can I know today?” I asked the doctor.

“I can do an ultrasound for you now,” he said. “But it won’t be as accurate as a urine test since the fetus would be too small at this point.”

“Can I just get the ultrasound done now and the urine test as well?” I asked.

“Sure,” the doctor said.

I was shown into a room with a bed and machines surrounding it. On top of one of the machines, which I presumed was the ultrasound machine, was a monitor.

“Lie down, please,” the nurse said. “The doctor will be with you shortly.”

When the doctor came in, the nurse pulled up my shirt to reveal my abdomen, then lowered my pants until it went a little past my hips. The doctor squirted some gel on my abdomen and I flinched at the coldness of it. Then he squirted some of the gel on the instrument in his hand. The instrument reminded me of the end of a dumbbell. After that, he pressed the instrument onto my stomach and started moving it around slowly.

Images started to form on the screen. The doctor squinted and asked the nurse to put more gel on my abdomen.

“Can you see it?” I asked the doctor.

“Unfortunately, we’ll need to do this again in awhile,” he said.

“Why?” I asked.

“Your bladder is half full, and it’s interfering with the view of the womb,” he said as he put down the instrument, and the nurse started wiping the gel off my abdomen.

“So what do I do?” I asked him.

“Drink lots of water, and I’ll have you in here in another half an hour when your bladder is full,” he said.

I walked out of the room, and Yun Ho rushed towards me.

“So? Is there a baby?” he asked anxiously.

“No,” I said, as I shook my head. Then I laughed.

“What? Why are you laughing?”

“Apparently my bladder is half-full, and it’s interfering with the view of the womb,” I laughed, and Yun Ho’s face was covered with question marks.

“Huh?” was all he could muster.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of such a thing,” I giggled.

“Same here,” he said, and he smiled. “Well… so I guess you need to fill your bladder?”

“Right,” I said.

“Then let’s go grab a drink.”

“I need to be back here in half an hour,” I said.

“The café is just across the road. You won’t be late,” he said.

“Okay.”

We ran across the road from the clinic, to a little café. Yun Ho ordered a coffee, and I ordered iced tea.

“So what was it like?” he asked me. “Why wasn’t I allowed in there?”

“Cos I had to pull up my shirt, and it’s inappropriate,” I said.

“It’s not like I’ve never seen you naked,” he winked.

“P’yeont’ae,” I said. “That’s not funny.”

“Araso… araso…” he laughed, taking note of my annoyed expression.

“I wonder how Jae Joong is holding up now,” I said.

“Why don’t you call him?” he suggested.

“I can’t,” I said. “Not until I know the results.”

“Then just relax. Everything will be fine. If there is a baby, Jae Joong will take responsibility,” he assured me.

“I know,” I sighed. “That’s why I feel bad.”

“Of course it will hurt our careers in some ways. Jae Joong will lose some fans, you will lose some fans, but at least you two have a reason to be together now. No one will be able to stop you two.”

“I just feel like I’ll always complicate his life. And I’ve always felt that I wasn’t worthy enough for him.”

“Did you ever feel the same way with me?” he asked me.

“Not as much,” I smiled weakly.

“Why?”

“You can’t cook as well as Jae Joong. You need me to do your laundry. You’re a typical macho guy. Jae Joong’s a sensitive guy.”

“Don’t you wish you could have the two of us then?” he laughed.

“God, no! Then I would feel twice as guilty.”

“You’re hard to please, you know?” he said.

“And you’ve only realized that now?” I joked.

“No,” he admitted, and we both laughed.

Half an hour later, I was back on the bed in the ultrasound room. The doctor repeated all the procedure he did before, and this time, he seemed to have a clearer view of my womb, but of course, I didn’t know what I was looking at.

“Hmm…” he said.

“Is there a baby?” I asked him.

“It seems to be all clear,” he said.

“So there isn’t a baby?” I asked.

“Well, I can’t say I’m 100% sure. But it looks clear for now,” he said. “I would still propose that you leave a urine sample to be tested.”

“Alright,” I said.

“The nurse will tell you what to do,” he said as he got up from the chair.

“When will I be able to see the report?” I asked him.

“You can get it by tomorrow,” he said.

“Komapseumnida,” I said, and the doctor just nodded as he left the room.

Before I left the room, the nurse gave me a container with a screwed on cap. On the side of the container was a label with my name on it.

“The bathroom is down the corridor, on your left,” she said. “Just place the container on the counter at the entrance when you’re done.”

When I was done, I put the container on the counter as the nurse had requested, paid the fees, and left with Yun Ho.

“So when will you know?” he asked.

“Tomorrow,” I said.

“That’s fast,” he said.

“Yea, and thank god I had that glass of tea earlier,” I remarked.

“Why?”

“Otherwise I wouldn’t have that much pee to make enough of a sample to be tested. Do you know how full that container was when I was done?” I said.

“Whoa… I don’t need to know that,” he laughed, “too much info.”

“Who’s acting coy now?” I said, and poked him in the ribs.

“Excuse me…” he said. “Who wants to hear about peeing?”

“Well… you’re here to support me, so you’re supposed to listen to everything I say.”

“I’m only here to provide mental support. Spare me the gory details,” he joked, and I smacked him on the arm.

“Some friend you are,” I grumbled.

“Aigoo…” he laughed. “You can’t take a joke?” he said, and he put an arm around me as we walked to his car.

The next day, we had another interview to attend; a talk show, to be exact. After that, I was due at the doctor’s office to collect my report. Yun Ho was leaving straight after the interview, so he wouldn’t be able to accompany to the clinic this time.

“Call us once you get the report,” he said.

We were at the entrance of the studios after the talk show. He’d brought his bags with him, and a car was sent to pick him up and send him to the airport.

“I will,” I said. “Pray for me.”

“Of course I will,” he smiled, and he reached out to touch my arm lightly. “Take care,” he said.

“Mmm…” I said.

I watched as he got into the car and drove off, then I waited for Skye to come pick me up. He still doesn’t know where I needed him to take me, but I guess I would have to tell him on the way there. I’ve never been more nervous in my life.