The Virgin & The Tattoo Artist

Part 19

Y/n POV
I look at the old run-down building in front of me & bite my lip.
"Here?" I ask as I lift my bucket hat slightly.
"Yes. The doctor here is my friend's relative & he doesn't have any affiliation with Kang sajangnim. Let's go in." Jimin walks ahead & opens the murky glass door for me.
The sharp smell of antiseptic instantly burns my nose, making me cringe.
"Are you sure he's credible?" I grab his hand & ask again, still not convinced.
My skepticism is not without justification. The clinic is located in a dark alley in the shabbiest part of town, which is infamous as the area where prostitution proliferates.
"Uhm.. Actually, his patients are mostly prostitutes who work in this area, so I believe he has a lot of experience." Jimin scratches his temple, uncomfortable with his own answer.
"Prostitutes?! No. Nu uh. I'm not going to see him. Find me another doctor." I gasp in disgust & start to step backwards.
"Miss, please hear me out. We don't have much time. We need to confirm your pregnancy as soon as possible in order to plan for the next step. So please just go & see him. It will probably only take less than 30 minutes." He snatches my wrist & pleads.
He's right. I need to come down from my high horse. As a matter of fact, I'm no different than those prostitutes.
"You're not a whore like your mother, are you?" Abeonim's words echo inside my head, causing all the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.
"Let's get it done fast." I clench my jaws & step into the small clinic.
The interior looks just like any other clinic, with its plain white walls & metal chairs. A middle-aged woman dressed in a light grey uniform is sitting behind a small wooden desk, writing something on the journal.
It looks much cleaner than I thought & luckily, we're the only one here.
I nervously pull my bucket hat lower & hide behind Jimin as we approach the lady.
"Excuse me, we have an appointment with Dr. Lee." Jimin says.
"Your name?" She asks without looking up from her journal.
"I'm Hwang Seungjo & this is my wife Baek Nara. I called earlier today to get a check up for my wife." Jimin answers with a straight face.
Wife? I widen my eyes in surprise & pinch his arm.
"Just follow my lead." He whispers.
The lady lowers her glasses & scans us from head to toe, prompting me to look down at the floor. Then, without saying a word, she rises from her seat & steps towards the closed wooden door on the other side of the room.
"Please wait here. Dr. Lee will be with you soon." She says before entering the other room.
"Are you sure they won't recognize us? Can we trust them?" I tug at Jimin's sleeve.
"They live in a very different world. I'm sure they have never even heard of your father. Relax." Jimin smiles reassuringly.
"Baek Nara ssi, please come in." The lady opens the door & calls out.
"Breathe. You'll be fine." Jimin takes my hand & squeezes it once.
The intimate physical contact feels weird & awkward, but I need all the support I can get at this moment, so I let him hold my hand & pull me into the room.
"Good afternoon, Baek Nara ssi? What can I do for you today?" The man sitting behind the doctor's desk looks up at me & smiles.
To my surprise, he looks just like any doctor in the hospital I usually go to. I was expecting an unkempt angry old man, but he doesn't look anywhere near it. His white doctor uniform is neat & clean, his handsome facial features are accentuated by strands of grey hair lining his temple.
"My wife took a home pregnancy test yesterday & the result was positive, so we just want to confirm whether she truly is pregnant." Jimin steps in & answers on my behalf.
"Ahh, I see." Dr. Lee's eyes linger on me but if he recognizes me, he doesn't show any hint.
"Please lie down on the bed. Let me check it for you." He smiles again & signals me to go on the single bed standing right by his desk.
Without taking my hat off, I lie flatly on the bed & place both hands on top of my stomach.
"Please lift your shirt up. I'm going to do an ultrasound check on your stomach." He instructs as he wears his gloves.
I gulp & glance at Jimin, embarrassed that I have to do this in front of him.
Seemingly noticing my uneasiness, he discreetly turns sideways & focuses his gaze on the wall.
"Ok. I'm going to apply a little bit of this gel on you stomach & it will feel a little bit cold. There you go. Now please look at the monitor." He presses the ultrasound probe on my lower belly & points to the small screen beside me.
The image on the screen is a hazy mix of grey & black. I don't even know what I'm looking at.
"Give me a minute.. Ah, there it is. Do you see that? This black sac right here is your uterus & the tiny grey spot sticking to its bottom side is the embryo. Judging by the size, you're about 10 weeks into your pregnancy. Congratulations, you are going to be parents." He smiles at me & Jimin.
However, his smile slowly flattens when he sees the horrified expressions on our faces.
"Is there something wrong?" He asks cautiously.
Jimin pushes his hair back as his eyes roll left & right in panic, while I struggle to contain the sob that's about to escape from my throat.
I'm pregnant. A baby is growing inside me. Taehyung's baby.
"Get rid of it." I harden my heart & say as calmly as possible.
"What?! You haven't even thought it through! Don't listen to her. She's still in shock-" Jimin frantically interrupts.
"I don't want it! Get it out of me now!" I start screaming & punching my stomach like a mad man.
"Please calm down, Nara ssi." Dr. Lee says as he helps Jimin pin my hands down onto the bed.
"Let go of me! Let go-" I fight them with all my might.
And suddenly, everything becomes blurry & darkness swallows me.