Bonus Chapter 1

Areum sat at the small dining table, her laptop open in front of her as she typed out her discussion post for psychology class. Her free hand rested on her belly, where their baby had been kicking on and off all morning. She glanced at the clock—11:30 am. Wonwoo's lunch break was soon, and she had promised to call him.

With a sigh, she stretched, wincing slightly at the dull ache in her lower back. Being seven months pregnant was no joke. Studying from home was a blessing, but sitting for too long made her uncomfortable.

She barely had time to shift positions when her phone buzzed beside her. Right on time.

"Hi baby," she answered, smiling.

"Hey, you," Wonwoo's voice was warm, though a little tired. "How's my beautiful wife?"

"Exhausted. Baby's been practicing for the Olympics in here," she joked, rubbing her belly.

He chuckled. "Our baby's gonna be an athlete, huh?"

"Or a dancer. Or a ninja."

Wonwoo laughed. "Anyway, I should be home by six. You eat lunch yet?"

She hesitated. "I was about to."

Wonwoo sighed. "Areum."

"I got distracted with class," she defended. "But I'll eat right after this call."

"You better," he said, his voice stern but affectionate. "I'll see you soon, okay? I love you."

"I love you too."

After they hung up, Areum sighed and forced herself to get up. Their small apartment wasn't anything fancy, but it was home. A cozy living room, a tiny but functional kitchen, and their bedroom, where the crib was already set up. She made herself a quick sandwich, eating while reviewing her class notes.

Balancing pregnancy, school, and life was exhausting, but she and Wonwoo had worked out a system. Mornings were for studying, afternoons for assignments or rest, and evenings were for them—after Wonwoo came back home from work. It wasn't perfect, but they were making it work.

Just as she finished eating, a knock on the door made her frown. She wasn't expecting anyone. Waddling over, she opened it to find Mingyu grinning at her, a takeout bag in his hand.

"Surprise! I figured you'd forget to eat, so I brought food."

Areum groaned. "You and Wonwoo are so dramatic."

"We know you too well." He walked in, setting the bag on the table. "How's the baby?"

"Kicking. A lot."

Mingyu smirked. "Must take after Wonwoo. He was always restless."

"What are you saying? Wonwoo is the laziest person I've ever seen." Areum laughed.

They chatted while she ate some of the food he brought, because honestly, she was still a little hungry. By the time Mingyu left, it was already 3 pm, and Areum settled back down to work on her research paper.

When Wonwoo finally got home, he looked exhausted but smiled as soon as he saw her.

"Hey," he greeted, stepping forward to kiss her forehead. "How was your day?"

"Busy. I had classes, wrote two assignments, and got scolded for not eating on time."

He gave her a pointed look. "Good. You need to take care of yourself."

Areum sighed, leaning into him. "I know. It's just... a lot sometimes."

Wonwoo wrapped his arms around her, rubbing small circles on her back. "I know, love. But we're doing this together."

She smiled against his chest. No matter how difficult things got, as long as they had each other, they would be okay.