Chapter 0: Prologue
Ugh, my head.
A sudden pain made me clutch my skull.
Did I take too much of a shock?
Well, they said my gender changed, so this kind of headache makes sense.
*
“Patient, you’re awake!”
“Ah, yes… um…”
A nurse rushed toward me.
…Wait, something’s off about this place.
The room I was in before was all closed off.
They said there were a lot of tests to run, but are they done already?
The nurse looked at me and spoke.
“Phew, it wasn’t that big of an accident, thankfully. No injuries, right?”
“…I was injured?”
“Well, you must’ve been, in a way.”
My soft voice coming from my throat was proof enough.
“Yes, Yeju.”
From behind the nurse, a familiar face appeared.
My best buddy, Kang Jaehyuk.
…Wasn’t he preparing to join his dad’s company? Did he get in overnight?
Jaehyuk placed a hand on my forehead and said.
“You okay?”
What the hell, this lunatic.
Why’s he suddenly touching me like that?
“Get your hand off me. You crazy?”
“…Huh?”
“Ugh, why’re you acting all creepy? Are you worried or something?”
“…????”
“What, what’s with that look?”
I’ve hung out with Jaehyuk plenty, but I’ve never seen him look this concerned.
While I was puzzled, a doctor hurried over and spoke to Jaehyuk.
“The patient was in a traffic accident, but at this rate, they’ll be discharged soon.”
“Ah…”
“The baby in the womb is fine too.”
Then the nurse let slip something bizarre.
“Baby?”
“…”
“…”
The doctor’s face froze instantly and he approached me.
“What happened to you up until yesterday?”
“I was lying in a hospital bed for some tests.”
“…What year is it now?”
Is this doctor treating me like an idiot?
A short-term memory test? As if I’d forget yesterday’s date.
Yesterday was January 2, 2019, so…
“2019.”
“And the date?”
“January 3.”
Jaehyuk, standing behind the doctor, looked like he’d seen a disaster.
The doctor tapped a paper with his pen and said.
“Memory loss.”
“…What?”
What’s he talking about?
The doctor continued.
“It’s January 3, 2021. It seems you’ve lost two years of memories.”
“Yo, for real?”
I turned to Jaehyuk.
He nodded, his gaze trembling.
‘Two years…’
The doctor left after saying he’d get some medication.
I scanned the room again.
A private room, and a pricey-looking one at that.
Jaehyuk said he’d grab some things and started to leave.
“Hey.”
“…Yeah?”
“Come here.”
Jaehyuk complied and sat on a chair beside me.
Two years… two years…
He did look different, didn’t he?
His usual sharp vibe seemed softer, looser.
Tap, tap, tap.
I drummed my finger on the bed and said.
“What’s this about a baby? I’m pregnant?”
“…Yeah.”
“Who’s the father?”
Jaehyuk avoided my gaze, then pointed at himself.
I grabbed a book nearby and smacked his head.
It only made a ‘thwack!’ sound, probably didn’t even hurt.
“Are you serious? That’s bullsh*t, right?”
“It’s not bullsh*t.”
“Ugh…”
As I sighed, Jaehyuk shoved a photo in my face.
He said it was an ultrasound, and… yeah, there was something there.
I clamped my mouth shut and stared at him.
How the hell did I end up with this guy…?
Jaehyuk slowly opened his tightly shut mouth.
“Uh… look at your left ring finger.”
I glanced at my left hand.
A gold ring with a blue gem sparkled there.
I shifted my gaze to Jaehyuk’s hand—same ring, same design.
“We’re… married.”
“…”
What the hell did I do in those two years?
It’s only been, what, a week or two since I lost my old self?
Pregnant? Married? A ring?
I propped my throbbing head with my hand.
“Keep talking.”
“You said you weren’t ready for a kid, but we got drunk and messed up.”
“And I got pregnant.”
“You were on your way to the company when the accident happened.”
“And now this mess.”
“Yeah…”
“…You’re skipping a lot, aren’t you?”
Goddamn, what the hell happened?!