YN's POV
I sat in the exam room feeling like my nerves were trying to claw their way out of my skin, my fingers pulling at the frayed hem of my black jeans. I'd managed to snag the last appointment of the day, and now all I could do was wait.
And wait.
And wait.
"Ms. Kim, how are you feeling?" The young doctor stepped inside with a bright smile, her sleek black hair falling perfectly over her shoulders, making me feel even more washed out in my all-black ensemble.
"Nauseous and exhausted, Doc. So... you have good news for me?" I tried for levity, but the way she exhaled—too slow, too serious—told me not to expect it.
"I can't say if it's good or bad news for you, but your test results are in. You're pregnant, Ms. Kim."
Pregnant.
The word dropped into the air like an anvil, slamming straight into the pit of my stomach. Of all the explanations for what had been going on—illness, stress, something serious—pregnancy had been way down on my list.
Pregnant.
"Pregnant," I repeated, tasting the word like it was unfamiliar.
"Yes," she said gently. "Close to three months, based on your hormone levels and the date of your last period. Is this not good news?"
"It's... a surprise," I managed. And it was the truth. A baby. With a man who—at best—saw me as a passing fling and, at worst, thought I was after his money. "So... what do I do next?"
The doctor began outlining options, prenatal vitamins, first-trimester care. I heard maybe half of it. My brain was too busy spiralling. By the time I left clutching prescriptions and an appointment card, I was in a fog.
That fog carried me straight to Yujin and Kai's place.
"YN? This is a surprise. Come in." Yujin's smile was warm, her tone soft—too soft.
I didn't even sit before the words burst out. "I just found out I'm pregnant, and I don't know what the hell to think or feel."
Yujin tilted her head, studying me too closely. "Is that good news or bad news?"
I glared half-heartedly. "It's not good, exactly. Mostly I'm... shocked. But I think I have a plan."
"Let's hear it," she said, setting a steaming mug of peppermint tea in front of me.
I wrapped my hands around it like it could anchor me. "I'm going to put in my notice and move. Somewhere else in Seoul—but not here. Not in... his city maybe or I'll out of country... I'll raise my baby alone." The words made my chest ache, but it was the only way I could imagine protecting myself.
Yujin's frown deepened. "You can't do that to Jungkook without at least telling him."
"I can," I said quietly. "I know exactly how it would go if I told him now—he'd accuse me of lying to get his money, he'd make the pregnancy hell until tests proved otherwise. I don't deserve that. I want to enjoy this... even if it's hard and messy. Just once, I want it on my terms."
"YN..." she said in that warning tone only best friends can pull off.
I shrugged off the guilt setting in. "Maybe years from now I'll send him a postcard and let him decide what to do with the truth. Leaving Layla will hurt like hell, but she's not my child. Better now than later, before I get even more attached."
"This is a bad idea," Yujin said firmly. "A really bad idea."
"I agree," Kai's voice came from the doorway. He stepped into the kitchen, wearing the grim expression of someone who'd been listening. "I didn't react well when Yujin told me she was pregnant—it took me time to get on board. But I got there."
"That's because you loved her," I shot back. "This isn't the same thing. Jungkook and I were nothing serious. Just... nights together. That's all."
"So we're not giving you the answer you want?" Yujin smirked knowingly.
I sighed and nodded. "Exactly."
They shared one of those married-couple glances—the ones full of complete conversations—and then, to my annoyance, both of them started laughing. Look, YN. Just... don't do anything rash. Don't make big life decisions when you're feeling emotional and vulnerable," Yujin said firmly, crossing her arms. "You're hurt. And hurt people make knee-jerk choices."
I frowned at her. "Says who?"
"Says me," she shot back without hesitation. "Just give yourself a few days to breathe and really look at the situation before you decide anything."
"There will never be a good time for him to hear that I'm trying to trap him for lifetime child support," I snapped, my voice sharpening under the weight of the memory. "Or that he thinks I did this on purpose—got pregnant—just to get my grubby hands on his money." My throat tightened, and my eyes shut hard as the words I was trying not to remember hit me full force. "He accused me of whoring myself out," I said, the words tasting bitter, "of sucking him off for a piece of jewelry or a pair of designer shoes."
The pain wasn't dulled yet. It was raw. Still right under my skin, and I refused to walk into that again.
"Kai accused me of chasing Alex because he thought Alex had a bigger bank account," Yujin said, her voice softer now, though her eyes stayed steady on mine. "It was equal parts insecurity and jealousy." She glanced at Kai with a tiny, teasing smile; he had the decency to look embarrassed.
"Yeah, well, I'm not as forgiving as you," I muttered. "And moving across the country is off the table anyway—because now you know about it. And if he turned those pitiful eyes on you, you'd cave and tell him exactly where I went."
"I wouldn't," Yujin said immediately.
I narrowed my eyes. "You would."
She gave me a faux-serious shrug. "Okay... bros before hoes, except for Kai." She leaned over and bumped his shoulder with hers. "He's my number one hoe. I'd tell him. But no one else." I was halfway to pushing my chair back when Kai's voice cut in, firmer than before.
"Wait a second. Did you just say his name is... Jungkook?"
I frowned, confused at the sudden change in his voice. "Yeah. Jeon Jungkook. Why?"
Kai blinked, then let out a low whistle and sat forward, elbows braced on the table. "You're kidding me."
"What?" I looked between him and Yujin, but they were both staring at me like I'd just confessed I was dating the president.
Kai scrubbed a hand over his jaw. "YN... Jungkook is my boss."
For a split second, I just stared at him. Then Yujin and I exchanged a look that was equal parts wait, WHAT? and how the hell did we not know about this?
"I'm sorry, what?" I asked slowly.
"I work for Jeon Jungkook. He's the founder and CEO of Win Some, Lose Some—you know, that gaming company that's basically dominating the industry right now."
I blinked several times, trying to remember how to breathe. "You mean... the company behind Aether's Fall and League of Blades?"
"That's the one." Kai leaned back, his expression thoughtful. "I've seen the man in meetings almost every week for years. Never in a million years would I have guessed you were talking about him."
My brain was scrambling to piece it together — the silver-blue eyes, the quiet confidence, the way he could work a room without trying. Jungkook, my Jungkook... the Jungkook Kai had been answering to this whole time?
"What are the odds..." Yujin muttered, shaking her head like she still didn't believe it.
Kai's voice pulled me back. "YN, I'm gonna be straight with you. If you walk away and he finds out later — especially about the baby — he's gonna be pissed. And not just in that 'cold glares and harsh words' way."
My lips parted, but the words wouldn't come.
Kai held my gaze. "Men like him... they don't like being blindsided. Jungkook's the kind of guy who always wants to be in control — of his company, of his image, of his personal life. That's not me defending him, by the way, it's just fact. If you ghost him with something this important, he'll see it as a betrayal. And once that trust is gone?" He shook his head slowly. "It's gone."
The truth in his voice made my stomach tighten.
"I get that you're hurt," Kai continued, softer now. "And I get that you're protecting yourself. But if you think disappearing is going to make things easier, you're dead wrong. For you, for him... and definitely for that kid."
Yujin frowned at me gently, but her eyes said the same thing her husband had just spelled out

Jungkook's POV
"We're on track to launch in sixty days, which means we need to kick marketing and promotions into high gear."
The game was officially finished and in the testing phase to make sure there were no bugs or plot holes in the storyline.
"We have a schedule laid out already, which you should have in your inbox." Sera spoke with confidence as she outlined the plan that had been approved for months. "Everything is on track. Don't worry, boss."
I let out a huff of laughter I didn't feel. "I always worry," I told her. "But I trust you to do the right thing."
Strange... I trusted Sera implicitly when I hadn't been able to show YN the same courtesy.
"You heard it here first, folks," Sera joked. "I'll keep you updated, I promise."
"I know." I nodded at the computer monitor where the team leads all stared back at me. The phone screen on my desk lit up and then vibrated across the hard cherrywood. "I need to take this," I told them, ending the video call all at once.
"Jungkook speaking."
"Sir Jungkook, this is Serenity Woods, from—"
"Yeah, I know who you are, Miss Woods. How can I help you?"
She sighed, and the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood on edge.
"I'm sorry to have to deliver this news, but YN has given her notice to quit her current position. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen—and I promise you I will have a replacement immediately."
"No," I barked, instantly and instinctively. "That is unacceptable."
"I agree, but she's quitting the agency entirely, and she plans to move out of Seoul. There's nothing we can do to change that fact, I'm afraid."
She was leaving. Instead of facing me head-on, she wanted to get as far away from me as possible.
"This is entirely unacceptable, Miss Woods. We have a twelve-month commitment, and it is still in effect. If Ms. Kim leaves, I'll sue you both."
Serenity huffed out a shocked breath. "I'm not worried about me," she snapped. "I've dealt with men like you most of my life. But I will speak to YN and get back to you."
She ended the call without another word, and I smiled to myself—knowing YN would hate me for it, but certain she would come around.
She had to.
I paced the length of my office, wondering what I could do to get her to change her mind. She'd ignored me for weeks, which was as clear a sign as any that she wanted nothing to do with me. But I couldn't shake the feeling that this was an emotional reaction—that she wouldn't leave if she didn't feel something for me too.
When the phone rang and vibrated again on my desk, it startled me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah," I answered right away because I knew it would be Serenity.
She sighed on the other end of the line, and worry burrowed deep in my gut.
"I've spoken to YN, and she's willing to pay out the contract. She even offered to cover my legal expenses if it comes to that."