"Congratulations, Miss Han," the doctor said with a warm smile. "Twins are a lot of work, but they're also a blessing. Make sure you rest and eat well. I'll give you a list of vitamins, and we'll schedule your next check-up in a few weeks."
"Thank you, Doctor," Seo-yeon said. Her voice was still shaky.
Her mom hugged her as soon as they stepped out of the room. "Congratulations, my princess. Two babies! Two!"
Her dad cleared his throat. He was looking at the floor, but his eyes were red. "Congratulations," he said gruffly. "Take care of yourself."
"Thank you, Daddy."
On the way home, her mom kept talking about names, baby clothes and which room should become the nursery. Her dad drove in silence, but he glanced at Seo-yeon in the mirror every few minutes, as if making sure she was still there.
---
When they got home, her mom took her aside. They sat on the sofa in the corner of the living room, away from her dad.
"Seo-yeon," she said quietly. "What do you want to do about the babies' father?"
Seo-yeon looked down at her hands. "I don't know yet, Mom. I'm really confused."
"Do you want to tell him?"
"I do," she said. "I really want to tell him. He has the right to know. But I'm scared." Her voice cracked. "He's worked for more than ten years to get where he is. What if the news destroys all of it? I don't know what to do."
Her mom held her hand. "Then take it step by step. You don't have to decide today."
"Okay, Mom."
"Now go upstairs and freshen up. Come down for lunch when you're ready."
"Okay, Mom."
Seo-yeon went up to her room and took a quick bath. When she came out with a towel around her hair, she picked up her phone from the bed. A news notification was on the screen.
BTS to hold fan meet this weekend.
She read it twice. Then she sat down on the bed.
This weekend.
An idea started to form. She could go. She could see him in person. And maybe, if she was brave enough, she could tell him she was expecting his babies.
---
The weekend came fast.
The fan meet was held in a big hall in the city center. A long line of fans waited outside, holding albums, posters and light sticks. Seo-yeon stood at the back with her hood up and her hand in her pocket. She had never felt so nervous in her life.
Inside, the hall was full of noise. Fans were screaming, laughing and crying. And there, at a long table on the stage, sat Min Yoongi.
He wore a white shirt and a black jacket, and he was signing albums one after another. When a fan reached the table, he looked up with a warm smile and said something that made her laugh. He took a photo with the next fan. Then he shook another fan's hand and signed her poster. He looked happy. He looked like he belonged there.
Seo-yeon stopped walking. She stood at the edge of the crowd and watched him.
This is what he worked for, she thought. Ten years of work.
She thought about that night in the club. He had told her it was a risk, and he had been right. If she walked up to that table and said I'm pregnant with your twins, everything in that room could change. The headlines, the fans, his career, his friends. Everything he had built.
She looked at him through her phone camera, and her hand went to her stomach.
"Babies," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I can't tell your father about you."
Her eyes burned.
"We can't ruin his career. I'm sorry. I'm going to keep him out of your lives."
She wiped her eyes quickly and turned to leave.
At that moment, Yoongi looked up.
It was strange. He didn't know why, but he felt as if someone was staring at him. He scanned the crowd and his eyes drifted toward the back of the hall.
Seo-yeon froze. Then she ducked behind a pillar and pressed her back against it, her heart pounding.
Yoongi stared at the spot for a few seconds. He saw nothing but a sea of fans.
I'm probably imagining it, he thought. There are always people looking at me here.
He shook his head and smiled at the next fan in line.
Behind the pillar, Seo-yeon waited a full minute before she dared to move. Then she slipped out through the side door and left without looking back.
---
She got home, went straight to her room and closed the door. Then she sat on the floor against the bed and cried until she had nothing left.
She had made her decision. She wouldn't tell him. She couldn't let one decision made in the moment ruin his career. He had told her the night they met that he was taking a risk, and she couldn't let that risk come true.
She looked up at the ceiling, her face wet.
"I'm sorry, Min Yoongi," she said. "I'm sorry I won't tell you about your babies. I don't know if you would have wanted to be in their lives. I'm really sorry, but I can't tell you."
Her voice broke.
"I'm really sorry."
She put her hand on her stomach and wiped her tears with the other.
"Babies," she whispered. "It's just you and me now. Don't worry. Mommy is here."