How to Have a Baby Secretly-Chapter 50

"Worried about what? All I’m doing is lazing around."

With that, Sunwoo responded a bit more gruffly. At that moment, the elevator stopped, and the door opened. A calm, quiet lounge greeted Sunwoo. Soft classical music played, matching the tranquil atmosphere.

Are you outside?

It seemed like Kang Jinwook heard the faint music through the phone. Perhaps because he was a highly perceptive Alpha, his hearing was sharp.

Startled, Sunwoo scratched the side of his head and responded awkwardly.

"Yeah, I stepped out for a bit."

You’re not going for a walk, are you?

He didn’t explicitly say where he was going, but Kang Jinwook relentlessly pressed for the destination. Had he let his guard down? Was that why Kang Jinwook could be so persistent?

Sunwoo thought for a moment that it might be okay to be more honest now.

"Yeah. I’m meeting someone."

Kim Tae-yeol?

Kang Jinwook immediately mentioned Kim Tae-yeol’s name. Sunwoo flinched and quickly looked around. Could Kang Jinwook be watching him from somewhere, or was someone spying on him?

But instead of meeting Kang Jinwook’s gaze, Sunwoo locked eyes with Im Haewon, who had been looking his way.

"Ah…"

Sunwoo unintentionally let out a low sound as he encountered the completely unexpected Im Haewon. Of all people, it had to be Im Haewon.

While Kim Tae-yeol had persistently insisted on meeting, which he hadn’t planned on, it still caught Sunwoo off guard when they ran into each other right after he arrived.

I heard Kim Tae-yeol is in Jeju. Are you meeting him?

Sunwoo realized he had said something wrong, and Kang Jinwook asked him that question. It was then that Sunwoo came to his senses and answered.

Im Haewon, who had briefly made eye contact with Sunwoo, turned her head the other way just in time.

"Yeah. He kept asking to meet. I’m just showing my face for a bit."

Sunwoo answered honestly. He didn’t mention that it wasn’t just Kim Tae-yeol he was meeting, nor did he bring up that they had already met briefly before Kang Jinwook had arrived in Jeju.

Go back early.

"Okay. You should rest too. Don’t overdo it."

For some reason, the words felt strangely bittersweet. Sunwoo fiddled with his hands, trying to shake off the awkward, confused feeling.

"Hey! Choi Sunwoo! You here?"

Just then, Kim Tae-yeol spotted Sunwoo and raised his hand. Sunwoo ended the call and walked over to him.

Im Haewon, who had made eye contact with Sunwoo once more, nodded as a greeting. Sunwoo returned the nod and then looked at Kim Tae-yeol.

"Why are you so late? Sit here."

Kim Tae-yeol patted the seat beside him, urging Sunwoo to join. Sunwoo, without making eye contact with anyone else, scanned the table while greeting the people with a glance.

It seemed like the drinking had already been going on for a while. Empty plates were scattered around, and the alcohol was nearly gone. It was only 8 p.m., but the atmosphere seemed more mature than expected.

"Sunwoo, right? We met briefly at the supermarket, remember? Good to see you again."

The man sitting across from Sunwoo spoke first. He was the sales team member Sunwoo had briefly run into at the supermarket.

"Yeah, hello. Good to see you again."

"You forgot my name already, didn’t you? It’s Park Seongsoo."

"Oh, right."

Sunwoo awkwardly smiled at Park Seongsoo, who was being overly familiar. It seemed like Park Seongsoo didn’t even notice the awkwardness and smiled widely.

"I was kind of disappointed that you left so quickly last time. Are you drinking? Let me pour you a drink."

As Park Seongsoo brought a glass to Sunwoo, he casually offered alcohol. He didn’t seem to have the charm of being sociable—more like someone who acted without thinking.

"No, I’m on medication, so I can’t drink."

Sunwoo firmly stopped Park Seongsoo from filling his glass.

"Oh, medication? What’s wrong? Are you sick?"

It seemed like Park Seongsoo hadn’t expected Sunwoo to use sickness as an excuse. He hesitated as he asked, his gaze seeming to suggest that he didn’t think it was a believable excuse for someone like Sunwoo.

What? Why is he staring at me like that? We’ve barely met.

Sunwoo furrowed his brows for a moment before replying curtly.

"Yeah."

"Hey, come on, you came all the way here. Don’t avoid it. And what’s this about medication? Just come up with a better excuse."

Kim Tae-yeol, who had been sitting next to him, jumped into the conversation. He probably didn’t want the atmosphere to get awkward after Sunwoo had so bluntly turned down Park Seongsoo’s offer.

Sunwoo looked at Kim Tae-yeol with a face full of disbelief. Didn’t he say he just wanted to stop by and say hi? What was going on now?

"It’s just that I’m here to say hello. Yeah?"

"I really am on medication. I came here just to say hello. What do you want me to do?"

"You’re really prickly, aren’t you? Or do you think I’m not worth hanging out with?"

The person who responded was Park Seongsoo, who was sitting across from him. His words sounded confrontational. Sunwoo’s gaze shifted from Kim Tae-yeol to Park Seongsoo.

"And you know, you’ve been rude since earlier, right?"

"What? Rude? I just asked you to drink, and you refused. That’s rude, right?" Park Seongsoo frowned and retorted.

"Enough, both of you. Park Seongsoo, you apologize. It was rude. We’re not close, and it’s our first time meeting. It’s natural for him to feel uncomfortable."

But before Park Seongsoo could finish speaking, Im Haewon intervened to mediate.

‘Im Haewon, huh. So, I run into her again like this.’

Sunwoo glanced at Im Haewon, sitting across from Kim Tae-yeol. Just as he looked over, it seemed like Im Haewon had been looking at him too, and their eyes met.

"I’m sorry. These guys are a bit excited and made a mistake."

Im Haewon apologized again.

"Yeah, it’s a bit awkward, but I think the apology isn’t really for you. Anyway, it seems like I don’t belong here, so I’ll be leaving."

Instead of saying everything was fine, Sunwoo responded with the meaning that they were the ones at fault, then stood up immediately without any hesitation.

He had never agreed to indulge in Kim Tae-yeol’s whining. The whole thing started with him asking to meet, claiming he wanted to save face, and then saying everything was settled.

He should have just greeted them and left. What was he even doing sitting here? Sunwoo was flooded with regret.

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"Ah… still, if you’re leaving, we’re sorry. Please have something before you go."

Im Haewon spoke with a flustered expression.

"Choi Sunwoo and his temper… Fine, fine, I won’t joke around. Sit down. Hey, don’t leave, or I’ll feel bad."

Kim Tae-yeol grabbed Sunwoo’s wrist with a troubled look. Meanwhile, Park Seongsoo, who had started it all, was still wearing an expression that didn’t seem pleased.

Now that Sunwoo thought about it, even back at the supermarket, Park Seongsoo had shown that attitude. Maybe he’d heard something from someone close to Secretary Gwak.

Sunwoo felt wronged. According to Kim Tae-yeol, it seemed like Park Seongsoo had caused some trouble, but in the end, it wasn’t Sunwoo’s fault.

‘I can’t even tell the truth about this.’

Sunwoo glanced around at all the eyes watching him, and then, after a moment, he sat back down.

"Here, drink this."

Im Haewon smiled and handed Sunwoo a glass.

"It’s orange juice."

Sunwoo looked at the cup, and Im Haewon added an explanation. Being an Alpha, Im Haewon was particularly considerate. Her smiling face was oddly flushed, and Sunwoo only realized later that there was a faint floral scent around her.

So this was Im Haewon’s pheromone...

Even though Sunwoo couldn’t feel the Alpha’s pheromone, he seemed to be able to sense an Omega’s.

"Thanks. I’ll drink it."

Sunwoo pulled the glass toward him and nodded. He figured he could try the orange juice. He hadn’t tried it yet, but maybe just a sip later.

"It’s no problem. I apologize again. By the way, I’m Im Haewon. I don’t think I properly introduced myself last time. I heard you and Tae-yeol have been friends since high school?"

Did she really say that? Sunwoo looked at Kim Tae-yeol, who was grinning and winking at him for no reason.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Throughout the trip, Tae-yeol kept talking about you. He said it would’ve been better if you had someone to travel with."

He even mentioned Sunwoo was traveling alone. What was the point of mentioning that? Sunwoo looked at Kim Tae-yeol, who didn’t realize Sunwoo’s confusion.

"Hey, Haewon. You shouldn’t be saying stuff like that. Now you’re making me embarrassed."

"Really?"

Kim Tae-yeol playfully responded, and Im Haewon replied with a soft tone.

"Anyway, since this is our last day, I invited you to spend some time with us."

Being an Alpha, Im Haewon had a gentle way of speaking that made Sunwoo feel at ease. She explained things without making him uncomfortable and kindly said why she had invited him.

At this point, Sunwoo couldn’t continue being gruff.

"Thanks for the invitation."

"I’m just glad you came. How about a toast to that?"

Im Haewon looked around at the people seated at the table and suggested they all toast.

The previously tense atmosphere softened immediately. Afterward, the conversation mainly revolved around Kim Tae-yeol, Im Haewon, and Park Seongsoo, and Sunwoo just went along with it.

It seemed that Kim Tae-yeol and Park Seongsoo were constantly pouring drinks for Im Haewon and chatting with her. Sunwoo noticed that it seemed like those two were interested in her. If that was the case, he didn’t really need to be involved in this gathering.

Sunwoo took another sip of his orange juice and stood up. He had been drinking only water, and now his stomach was sloshing around; he needed to take a break.

Just then, the seat next to Kim Tae-yeol had become empty. It seemed like Im Haewon had gone to the bathroom.

"Where are you going?"

Kim Tae-yeol, who had been chatting with Park Seongsoo, immediately asked when he noticed Sunwoo getting up. Sunwoo whispered, "Bathroom," and quietly slipped away.