“Nell.”The beast that had been dashing off in pursuit of Uichan immediately turned and trotted back at the sound of its master’s voice. It pressed its head against Yeo Taehwon’s palm. His rough hand stroked the panther’s head, and the creature’s yellow eyes blinked slowly up at him.It was as if asking why he wasn’t giving chase.Yeo Taehwon didn’t take his eyes off the park’s entrance as he raised the hand that had touched Uichan’s lips.“I suppose it’s fine to give him time to sort out his thoughts. After today… he’ll be mine.”The beast’s red tongue lapped wetly over the fingertips that had brushed Uichan’s lips.***Uichan couldn’t even remember how he managed to escape. All that lingered was the sensation of running blindly, fueled by panic.His breath caught with anxiety, but he kept reassuring himself—it couldn’t be that serious. It had to be fine.When he finally returned to his apartment, he slipped past Park Rion, who was tinkering with his equipment, and shut himself inside the bathroom.“Uichan? Uichan, are you hurt? Th-there’s blood on the floor!”Thump, thump—the bathroom door rattled as Rion’s panicked voice called out. Uichan mumbled something about tripping and falling. When the muttering Rion finally stepped away, Uichan stripped off his clothes and gasped for breath as he checked his wounds. His burned leg and hand were already swollen.“The first aid kit… ha, it’s in the living room.”Should he go out and get it? But Rion was there, eyes wide open, bound to panic if he saw the injuries. That curious idiot was probably sitting right outside, waiting for him to finish washing up.And then he’d yell, “Uichan, who did this to you?! What were you thinking?! You’re going to drive me insane one of these days!”Uichan shook his head violently. He decided to hold out until Rion went to sleep. He could handle pain. Tomorrow morning, he’d leave early, see a doctor, and while he was there, check on the babies’ condition too.Resolute, he grabbed the showerhead. Then, suddenly, his vision spun.Clang—!“Ha… ahh!”Like children finally breaking into tears after holding it in, pain surged through his body in a brutal wave. The showerhead clattered against the tiles with a shrill clang. His knees gave out; he collapsed onto the wet floor. Startled by the noise, Rion rushed over and banged on the door.“Uichan! Uichan! What happened? I’m coming in! I’m coming in, okay?!”Rion jiggled the locked doorknob, then grabbed his tools and began breaking it apart. The handle snapped loose, and he yanked the door open. Steam billowed out. His face turned white at the sight inside.“Uichan!”Uichan was sprawled on the floor, drenched under the still-running shower. His arms trembled around his stomach. Blood seeped from his thigh. Rion screamed.“Uichan—your leg! You’re bleeding!”But Uichan wasn’t holding his leg. He was clutching his abdomen, clearly in agony.“Your stomach—does it hurt? Is it abdominal pain? What do I do…!”Panicking, Rion hoisted him upright. Uichan’s face was pale, lips trembling as he tried to speak. His brows were twisted in pain.“M-my stomach… hospital… need to go… hospital.”“H-hospital, right. Okay, I’ll take you.”Rion’s gaze darted down Uichan’s bare body, shaking violently with shock. He quickly turned off the water and crouched in front of him.“Climb on. I’ll carry you, Uichan.”He looped Uichan’s arms over his shoulders and lifted him onto his back, babbling in panic.“Clothes first, ID card… ah, hospital! Gotta find a hospital!”After hurriedly dressing him and wiping off the water, Rion carried him out the door.“Which hospital should we go to? The emergency room?”Through the pitch-black night, he darted glances around for any sign of a hospital. Uichan groaned out the name of one between shallow breaths, and Rion sprinted toward the outskirts of the city. Would a hospital even be open at this hour?That worry vanished the moment he saw the red cross logo gleaming atop the building. A twenty-four-hour private emergency hospital.He rushed through the entrance, shouting, “There’s a patient here! My friend—he’s in pain! Doctor, please!”Sharp gazes turned toward him, and a nurse hurried over, guiding them to an empty bed. She pulled the curtain, clipboard in hand.“What brings you in today? Where does it hurt?”“H-he’s got burns on his leg and hand, but it’s his stomach—it’s hurting worse now. What do we do?”Rion explained as best he could, clasping his hands together in desperation. The nurse approached the curled-up patient. Uichan barely managed to whisper,“P-please… call an obstetrician.”“Obstetrician? Are you… a male pregnant patient?”“Y-yes.”“As it happens, we have a specialist for male pregnancies on duty tonight. One moment, please.”Seeing how severe his pain was, the nurse hurried out to make a call. When she returned to say the specialist was on his way, the air inside the curtained room was heavy with silence.Rion stared blankly at his friend, who was groaning in pain.“…Ob… obstetrician…?”At first, he thought he’d misheard. But no one corrected it. Realization struck like lightning, and he fell backward in shock. Uichan—pregnant? A male pregnant patient?!“That’s impossible!”While Rion clutched his head in disbelief, Uichan silently prayed it wasn’t anything serious.Moments later, the curtain swished open and a man in a white coat stepped in. Uichan squinted through the pain. The familiar face of his obstetrician appeared—Dr. Oh Juhyuk, the same man who had once informed him of his pregnancy.“Can you describe your symptoms for me? Where does it hurt, exactly? Try to be as detailed as you can.”“D-doctor… what do you mean pregnancy? There’s no way! ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ My friend’s never even looked at anyone that way! He doesn’t care about people! He collapsed in the shower—is it a head injury?”Rion rambled, clutching at the doctor’s coat. Oh Juhyuk frowned, inspecting the groaning Uichan—then his eyes widened.“Ha Uichan?”“You know him?”Pushing his glasses up, Oh Juhyuk grabbed Uichan’s shoulder and helped him sit up. Sweat soaked his pale face. The doctor’s expression hardened as he examined the swollen abdomen.“For now… let’s get an ultrasound. Prepare the equipment immediately.”“Please hurry, doctor! He’s going to die if you don’t!”Uichan fought to stay conscious. Curtains swayed in his hazy vision. The bright fluorescent light above burned his eyes, and he shut them tight, curling in pain.Please.He wrapped both arms protectively over his stomach. Please, let them be all right.Was it because he’d pushed himself too hard? Because he hadn’t eaten properly? Because he’d been climbing rooftops instead of resting? Maybe the babies were struggling to leave because they knew this world wasn’t safe.Guilt clawed deep into his chest. He bit down hard, trembling on the moving bed as Rion’s hand brushed his cheek, trying to comfort him.***Had he blacked out for a moment? He remembered only the world fading to white, as if sinking behind a wall.When he opened his eyes, soft, shimmering light rippled all around him. He moved his foot, and the faint rustle of grass answered. Green fields stretched wide under a gentle wind, swaying with wildflowers.It was a place that felt pure and solemn, like a high plain beyond the world.Uichan began to walk. Slowly, calmly. In the distance, two pale shapes flickered into view. As he drew near, he saw them clearly—two young white tigers, playfully snapping at each other with bared teeth.Even as cubs, they showed their fangs and scrunched their noses in mock ferocity. Afraid they might hurt one another, Uichan reached out to separate them.Then something astonishing happened.The two cubs looked up at him with round, shining eyes, as if recognizing their mother. Their gaze was innocent, trusting. Adorable and achingly tender.They pressed their small heads against his hand, nuzzling for comfort, and began to cry softly. Their little ears drooped as heavy, glistening tears welled up in their eyes—grief and sorrow far too deep for creatures so small.

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