Ch- 18

Sora sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes as her phone buzzed to life. Jungwon’s name glowed on the screen.

"Hello?"

She answered immediately, and his familiar voice poured through the speaker, a little breathless.

"I just got here."

Relief washed over her in waves, as she sighed.

"You're okay?"

"I'm okay."

He assured, as her expression slowly softened in a smile. She hummed in response.

And just like that, it became routine.

Daily calls. Late-night FaceTimes.Sometimes they talked about silly things. Other times, they simply stared at each other.. no words, just soft smiles.

Yeji took care of everything else. From making dinner to taking her to appointments, she never gave Sora a chance to do much. Sora would complain, gently scolding,

"Unnie, I can still move"

"Doesn't mean you should."

But Yeji always waved her off with a grin.

Then... Weeks passed like pages flipping in the wind.

Sora missed him terribly. So many nights she wanted to ask, 'when are you coming back?' But she held herself back.

Jungwon was probably still handling everything. She didn’t want to be a burden. Until one evening, during a call, he sighed and said.

"Sora.. it might take a little longer. Things are more complicated than I thought."

She went quiet. Her heart dipped, but before she could say anything, he added quickly.

"I'll try my best to return in a month. I promise. I really am trying."

She nodded, understanding, and hummed, her voice steady. Then after a few more talks, she declined.

But once the call ended, the dam broke again.

And the tears came.

________

Another month passed.

She was eight months now. Her belly had grown beautifully. She carried herself slower now, heavier, but still graceful.

That morning, they were on FaceTime again. Jungwon was lying on his bed, his hair tousled, his smile soft.

"Let me see the bump"

He said quietly as Sora laughed, lifting her shirt a little to reveal her round belly.

"I look weird, don't I?"

He shook his head, his eyes soft.

"You look beautiful. Like.. really beautiful."

She smiled, cheeks flushed, as she couldn't bring herself to respond to the compliment.

He didn’t say much today. Just watched her. Listened to her.

Their conversation was light.. sweet nothings and soft updates. She mentioned how the baby kicked more now. How Yeji had started preparing for hospital bags. How it felt real now. All of it.

"You need to come back now."

Then, she finally said, what she has been meaning to say since forever.

He looked at her for a long beat. Then hummed quietly.

"Yeah.."

He said, slightly smiling. They stared at each other across the screen. Her one hand on her belly, as he mutters.

"I have to go."

"Okay."

And the screen went dark. Her smile dropped slightly for a second.

Sora exhaled and leaned back against her pillows, sighing as a peaceful smile tugged at her lips.

She wasn’t scared anymore, because he had promised.

She could wait a little longer.

__________