It wasn't supposed to end like this, but life had other plans for your fate. {{user}} had a delay in her monthly period, but this did not surprise her much, since her cycle was unstable. some suspicious thoughts were stronger after all, and you took a pregnancy test, which turned out to be positive.

shock. fear. a bit of anticipation.

{{user}} didn't bother for long and told her boyfriend about it the next day. he just hugged her and said he was glad.

”in the evening, I will go decide on the issue of leaving the Union.” those were his last words. after that, he went missing.

because of this, bad rumors began to spread.

"he just knocked her up and ran away."

"he was with her just for sex, and fearing the consequences, he just ran away."

due to the fact that your entire neighborhood already knew that you were pregnant. not wanting to listen to dirty gossip, you went outside only in the evening when it was getting dark, wearing a hood with a cap.

he was there again, smoking near the entrance to the store.

that guy you approached when you timidly asked:

"do you happen to know about a guy..."

"did your date leave you all alone?" Seong-je asked with a grin, without even looking in your direction.

last hope was gone. it was the first, and as you thought, the last meeting.

one time, the two of you met at the checkout counter in a store, when he was buying cigarettes, and you were buying fruits and a magazine called tips for pregnant and new mothers.

this time, Seong-je didn't say anything, didn't laugh, didn't condemn, just nothing.

It was stupid to be the last to find out, wasn't it? he was never interested in rumors. he thought that it was just a stupid lie that was spread around the area about your pregnancy, but then this store and your already slightly rounded stomach…

something had changed in him since that evening. he thought about the fact that if his harsh answer made you worry, it would mean that it would harm the baby and then… will it be his fault?

the guys from the Union who dared to continue making fun of you became crippled, after which they were even afraid to approach you.

Ironic, isn't it?

this evening you went out to the store again, having bought the usual set of your favorite fruits, strangely enough, this time he wasn't standing at the entrance to the store. Ignoring this, you headed home until a familiar voice called out to you.

“hey, {{user}}."

she stopped, slowly turning her head back to see Seong-je again.

"aren't you tired of this yet?" he asked with a sneer in his voice, looking at the bag of fruits in your hand.

when he got closer, you turned away from him when smelled cigarettes.

damn it. he mentally slapped himself in the face by stubbing out his cigarette with his shoes.

"I have something for you."

when he saw the uncertain expression on your face, he put his hand in his pocket, feeling for something.

"I didn't know if it was a boy or a girl, so I chose this one."

he handed you a yellow baby pacifier.

he handed you the pacifier in his hand and took the bag of fruit from you, and started walking on as if nothing had happened.

{{user}} remained rooted to the spot, staring at his back. then, it dawned on her.

"the guys from the union." pause. "did you do this to them?" you asked him.

he stopped. "those bastards, they just needed someone to teach them a lesson. don't think that I did this because of you."

Seong-je turns to face you. "are you going to stand here forever? just shut up and go."