The First Movement.

When the baby revealed its first movement to the world, Hae Yeon and Do Ha were as happy as if they had everything.

After the first kick, the baby often knocked on the mother’s belly. Each time, Hae Yeon could imagine the fluffy soft skin, the round and round eyes, and the sunken finger joints.

It wasn’t difficult for Hae Yeon and Do Ha to imagine holding that small and pretty baby against their chest, touching the soft hair, and singing a lullaby.

“Who will our baby look like?”

“I hope it looks like you, Hae Yeon.”

“What?”

Unlike Hae Yeon who brightly smiled everywhere, the blunt Do Ha who was not good at expressing emotions except in front of his wife hoped the baby would resemble Hae Yeon. Saying then the baby would be loved by everyone.

“Hmm, I hope it looks like you, Do Ha.”

On the other hand, Hae Yeon wanted the baby to have Do Ha’s strong and solid personality that didn’t waver in any situation. Of course, with his handsome face added.

“Our little round one will be pretty no matter who it resembles.”

“Yes, because it’s our child.”

Talking full of affection and expectations, the two looked at each other’s faces. Sitting side by side on the hospital bed and having conversations had become their daily routine these days.

Hae Yeon’s head turned back to Do Ha and then, with a “smack” sound, his lips brushed past her cheek.

‘I’m happy.’

The anxiety that she couldn’t know until Do Ha woke up, or perhaps had to pretend not to know too well, was all gone and only happiness and stability surrounded them.

Feeling relieved and happy just by being with Do Ha, Hae Yeon thought this life itself might be a blessing.

Sometimes she felt it was amazing.

Among so many people, she met Do Ha and the fact that he loved her, that only two people in this world had the same feelings for each other and even that moment matched so exquisitely, was an amazing experience.

Even if they each had feelings for one another, how unhappy would it have been if the timing was different. Thinking those thoughts, Hae Yeon was grateful for today and tasted the daily miracle.

“Be careful on your way.”

“I will. You don’t work too much either.”

“Okay.”

It was no exaggeration to say that Do Ha had set up a mini office in the hospital, doing company work in the hospital room. Though it wasn’t something to be happy about, Hae Yeon knew she wasn’t in a position to say anything to him, so she couldn’t interfere much.

Hae Yeon left the hospital room and headed to Daechi-dong. She went there often even when Do Ha was in a coma, and was periodically called even after he woke up. Of course, Do Ha thought Hae Yeon was visiting his own house.

“You’re here, young madam.”

“You came again today.”

When she arrived in Daechi-dong, familiar faces greeted her. Because she visited so often due to Cha Ki Jung, Hae Yeon was now more of a manager than a guest of the main house.

“Oh? The two of you are here together?”

“Yes. It seemed difficult for one person to bring in things from outside.”

“The chairman is sensitive about letting other people into the house.”

The two servants answered Hae Yeon’s question in turn. Chairman Yoon did not place many people in the main house. The number of people doing housework inside, excluding security, was kept to a minimum.

Usually only these two stayed and worked, but it was common in Daechi-dong to additionally hire people for special occasions.

Like now, when bringing things from outside to the inside, the employees would bring them in directly so as not to go against Chairman Yoon’s temper of not welcoming outsiders.

“Shall I help you?”

When Hae Yeon spoke with worry, Mrs. Choi waved her hand.

“Oh my, young madam. What a big deal that would be. You’re heavily pregnant, so just taking care of Director Cha’s meals is more than enough. Please go in.”

“That’s right, it’s our job. Ah, by the way…”

Mrs. Choi was about to say something, but Mrs. Kim was first.

“Let’s go now. It’s late.”

“Right.”

After the two helpers left, Hae Yeon went inside. With people gone, the house was quiet. Cha Ki Jung said he would come home late in the afternoon, and the remaining security was in their quarters, so it was no different from being alone in this large mansion.

Hae Yeon went to the bathroom to wash her hands and left her clothes in the drawing room before going straight to the kitchen. As she was making food for Cha Ki Jung and resting, she thought of something and drew a smile on her face.

‘I should make some snacks the young lady likes.’

She wanted to make dishes Do Hee liked for the first time in a while. The person who didn’t hold her responsible for anything even after the accident and treated her even more warmly than before. The same heart as herself who purely wished for Do Ha to wake up.

“Pretty.”

After making the kimbap Do Hee liked, Hae Yeon was pleased with herself. Do Hee loved Hae Yeon’s kimbap more than anyone. Hae Yeon cleaned the kitchen and divided the kimbap into lunchboxes, making a little more to give to Do Ha and Joo Ah as well.

Carrying Do Hee’s portion of the lunchbox, Hae Yeon went up to the second floor. Do Hee’s room was in the middle of the hallway. As she entered, a photo on the desk caught her eye.

It was taken with Hae Yeon, Do Hee, and Do Ha at Do Hee’s high school graduation. Do Hee and herself looking much younger and brightly smiling than now, and Do Ha awkwardly smiling. Hae Yeon unknowingly smiled brightly.

How could Do Ha hate taking pictures so much? Hae Yeon touched the frame with her hand, laughing, and looked at the wall clock.

“It’s late.”

Do Ha would be worried. Hae Yeon tore a page from Do Hee’s notebook and wrote a note.

Hae Yeon, who couldn’t help but smile when thinking of Do Hee, carefully placed the memo under the kimbap box and cautiously left the room. Being almost full-term at 8 months, her body was heavy.

“Little round one. You’re having a hard time too, right? Let’s go see Daddy now.”

She hurried down the hallway, rubbing her belly. Do Ha would really be worried since it took longer than she thought.

Hae Yeon sent Do Ha a message that she would be there soon. He must be struggling with his laptop right now, so a message was better than a call.

Putting her cell phone in her bag, she carefully went down the stairs. The house was so quiet that the footsteps sounded unusually loud, and just as she was about to step on the fourth step.

Thud.

With a force pushing her back, Hae Yeon lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs.

“Aaahh!”

Thud thud thud!

With a sharp scream, a dull noise rang out at the same time.

Hae Yeon was sprawled on the marble floor.

“Uhhh.”

As her whole body throbbed with pain, Hae Yeon felt her legs getting soaked and barely opened her eyes. She struggled to lift her head, and the first thing she saw was a slender ankle.

The owner of the white and thin calf was standing somewhere in the middle of the stairs.

“I’m sorry. I had no choice either.”

At the flat voice, Hae Yeon wanted to say something, but soon lost consciousness.

* * *

When she woke up, she was hospitalized wearing a hospital gown. Feeling a headache as she woke from sleep, Hae Yeon looked around and inhaled.

It felt like déjà vu.

It was like this when she woke up after the traffic accident in the summer. Do Hee, who informed the dazed Hae Yeon of Do Ha’s news…

Click.

As if on cue, the door opened and someone entered, but this time it wasn’t Do Hee. A different color was painted on the usually solemn face.

A somewhat absurd-looking face, it was Chairman Yoon Myung Gil.

“You’re awake.”

Saying that, Chairman Yoon entered and strode to Hae Yeon. Hae Yeon, who had just woken up with a hazy mind, couldn’t understand why she was here or why Chairman Yoon was coming here.

“Moth…”

Hae Yeon couldn’t say more. It was because of Chairman Yoon’s sharp gaze settling somewhere. Hae Yeon followed her strangely lowering gaze and inhaled.

Only then did Hae Yeon grasp her empty belly. It was strange. The abdomen that couldn’t possibly be held with one hand was hollow.

The belly where the baby should be.

The belly where our baby should be.

Hae Yeon’s wide-open pupils trembled violently. Her murky mind like water mixed with various paints began to gradually clear. But that wasn’t very good for Hae Yeon.

“You.”

At Chairman Yoon’s dry voice, Hae Yeon trembled. It wasn’t because she was afraid of Chairman Yoon. What she feared was what she had to say, what she had to hear.

Hae Yeon covered her ears. She blocked her ears so as not to listen even before Chairman Yoon opened her lips. Chairman Yoon gazed at such Hae Yeon with pitiful eyes.

“You couldn’t protect just that one thing? Just that one little thing.”

That thing.

Clutching her flattened abdomen again, Hae Yeon leaned over. Still, her gaze couldn’t go down. She was too afraid to visually confirm her empty belly, utterly lacking the confidence to confirm that she no longer carried anything inside her.

“Ah, no…”

Acknowledging the fact that the child who never even saw the light had died was sheer terror. Hae Yeon never lowered her gaze.

Buzz buzz-.

A swarm of bees came from somewhere, swimming in her ears and making her head dizzy. Hae Yeon still couldn’t remove her trembling hands.

“You couldn’t protect just that one thing?”

Clicking his tongue, Chairman Yoon left, and Hae Yeon couldn’t even breathe properly.

The baby died.

That fact was so terrible, it didn’t feel real, but her arms and legs felt like they would be cut off from pain. As she was engulfed in contradictory sensations between her head and body, a loud sound right next to her made Hae Yeon tremble with a scream.

The source of the sound was a cell phone. The cell phone she was holding when she was in Daechi-dong had fallen and the screen was shattered. Hae Yeon’s brown pupils shook violently.

Because she knew who was calling even without looking at the screen.

It must be Do Ha.

With trembling hands, she picked up the phone on the nightstand that was ringing loud enough to tear her eardrums. Only one thought crossed her mind.

I have to tell him. He needs to know too.

‘But how. How.’

How could she tell him the baby died, that our baby died.

How could she say that in the short time she went to Daechi-dong after lying that she was going home, she lost the child. The guilt that Hae Yeon had been suppressing since the traffic accident hit her like a wave. The anxiety she had pushed to a corner of her heart all this time overwhelmed her like a tsunami, making her stomach churn.

Tears spread on her trembling eyelashes, blurring her vision. Hae Yeon roughly wiped her tears with the back of her hand and touched the call with shaking hands. As soon as she touched the call, a voice was heard.

[Hae Yeon. What happened? I was so worried because it was too late. Why didn’t you answer the phone like this?]

Hae Yeon couldn’t say anything. She trembled all over and tried to open her lips, but they wouldn’t open at all. She tried to say something, anything.

No. I’m fine. I’ll be there soon. Our baby is…

[Is our little round one doing well?]

At Do Ha’s usual question about the child’s well-being, Hae Yeon’s vision went white. How should she answer? How.

She wanted to escape from here as soon as possible. Hae Yeon, who stood up on trembling legs to go anywhere, ultimately couldn’t support her body.

Thud!

[Hae Yeon? What was that sound? Hae Yeon?]

The moments when they laughed, bickering about whether the baby would look like the mom or the dad.

The moments when they planned the exciting future the three of them would have together.

All of that turned into bubbles and illusions. Hae Yeon finally became powerless. When she closed her eyes, she could no longer hear the echoing voice in the pitch-black darkness.

[Hae Yeon!]