The silence in the room felt too big, too cold for the small object lying on the table. The test sat there—simple, almost harmless in appearance—yet that faint line felt like a brutal punch, a thin mark that changed everything. Euijoo couldn’t stop staring at it, as if keeping his gaze locked on it might somehow erase the truth it carried.

"There's no way."

It was strange. He had never been afraid of pregnancy, not really. It had always seemed like something distant, a possibility that belonged to other people, other lives. Never his. Not this soon. Not now. And yet… there it was. That line. That test. That weight pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

He sank into the bed, feeling the mattress dip beneath his rigid body. His heart pounded in his ears, a wild rhythm he couldn’t control. His breathing was shallow, almost ragged, as if each breath was a struggle. His fingers twisted in the sheets, clutching at them like a lifeline, like they could somehow ground him in a reality that suddenly felt too unstable, too surreal.

The clock on the wall ticked, each second dragging by with unbearable slowness. His eyes darted to the door, as if it might burst open at any moment, as if his boyfriend would appear and wrap him up in his arms, tell him everything would be okay. But no. He was still at university. He wasn’t coming yet. And Euijoo was alone. Completely alone with this truth that burned in his chest.

A pang shot through his abdomen—just a flicker, a whisper of something that could have been fear, panic, or perhaps the faintest spark of what was beginning to grow inside him. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the tremor roll through his shoulders, and for the first time, a tight knot formed in his throat.

All he could do was wait.