Aoto

“Congratulations! You are about two months pregnant,” the doctor announces, her grin practically lighting up the room. “And from what I saw in the ultrasound, you’re having twins!” She claps her hands excitedly.

Needless to say, my jaw is on the floor, and my eyes are so wide I must look like one of those manga, manhua, or manhwa characters whose expressions scream confusion, shock, or impending doom.

“Pregnant?” Mom yells next to me, his face mirroring mine. “My Ao-kun is pregnant with twins?”

“I’m pregnant?” I murmur, still trying to process the words. “That bastard Dominant Alpha didn’t just knock me up—he gave me two babies?” I hold up two fingers, my entire body trembling.

“What’s the father’s secondary gender?” the doctor asks.

“He’s a Dominant Alpha,” I reply, a blush creeping up my face.

Her eyes widen as she gasps. “A Dominant Alpha? Wow, that is amazing. You are so lucky, Aoto-kun.”

I point at myself, tilting my head in confusion. “Lucky? Me? Why?”

“Dominant Alphas are extremely rare,” she explains, excitement lacing her voice. “They are usually born into wealthy, high-status families and are highly sought after by Betas, Omegas, and other Alphas. They are also very careful about their sex lives and almost never impregnate someone who is not their official partner. The fact that you spent your first heat with one and got pregnant is incredible.”

“But the careful part doesn’t apply during a rut, right?” Mom interrupts.

“For Dominant Alphas, it does,” the doctor replies firmly. “Even during a rut, they maintain a certain level of control and can make conscious decisions.”

“Meaning?” Mom furrows his brows.

“It means that while a Dominant Alpha might forget some details after a rut, they almost always remember eventually. More importantly, they always know who they are with at the time,” she clarifies, glancing at her computer screen. “Aoto-kun, as a Recessive Omega, your pheromones likely triggered his rut, just as his triggered your heat.”

“Does that mean their pheromones are compatible?” Mom asks, his voice trembling slightly.

“Yes,” the doctor confirms with a nod. “In fact, I would even suggest they might be fated mates, considering how quickly Aoto-kun conceived.”

“Fated mates?” I echo, my apprehension growing. Curiosity bubbles up, forcing me to blurt out, “What does that mean?”

The doctor smiles warmly and leans back in her chair. She hands me the ultrasound picture, and as I squint at the confusing black-and-white image, she begins, “Fated mates are an Alpha and an Omega destined to be together from birth.” Pointing to two tiny dots on the image, she adds, “And these two babies? They are already destined for great things.”

As I gape at the dots on the ultrasound, I feel a hand rest gently on mine. Mom’s voice follows, calm and reassuring, “Don’t worry, Ao. Like I told you before, your dad, your brother, and I are here for you and the twins.”

Hearing those comforting words, I can’t help but tremble as I mumble, “But Sota will definitely be upset when he finds out I’m having his ex-boyfriend’s babies. What if he hates them because of that? I can live with him despising me—I deserve it—but…”

“Sota doesn’t hate you, and he never will,” Mom interrupts firmly. “His feelings will extend to your babies too. He understands that what happened two months ago was out of your hands. Besides, he moved on from his ex-boyfriend long ago, especially after the guy moved to Korea. You don’t need to worry about that.” Squeezing my hand, he adds, “Let’s make sure these beautiful twins grow up in a happy, healthy environment, surrounded by unconditional love and kindness, okay?”

Tears spill down my cheeks as I whisper, “Okay. Thanks, Mom.”

The doctor clears her throat, snapping my attention to her. When our eyes meet, she says, “I don’t mean to interfere in my patients’ personal lives, but since you are so young and inexperienced, I strongly suggest you speak with the babies’ father. His support could be invaluable for your physical and mental health.”

“Why would that bastard’s support be helpful to Aoto?” Mom snaps, his displeasure evident. “He’s already done enough.”

The doctor holds her ground. “The babies’ father’s pheromones could help alleviate Aoto’s morning sickness and physical discomfort, especially if they are, in fact, fated mates. Moreover, he has a right to know that he is a father now, don’t you think?”

Images flash through my mind—Yu-jun calling me Sota at the hotel, confessing his love, and later telling my brother that sleeping with me was the worst mistake of his life. My body trembles and anger tightens my chest. Gritting my teeth, I state, “No. The babies’ father doesn’t want anything to do with me. Even if I told him about the twins, he wouldn’t care. He wouldn’t want to be their father.”

Mom nods in agreement, his sharp gaze silencing the doctor’s protests. Accepting our stance, the doctor hands me a prescription for prenatal vitamins with a sigh. “Apologies for intruding. Aoto-kun, make sure to come in for monthly checkups and take care of both your body and your mental health.”

“What about heat suppressants? Can I still take the ones I was prescribed when I first presented as an Omega? Will they harm the babies?” I ask hesitantly.

“You won’t need them for the rest of the year,” she reassures me. “You won’t experience heat during your pregnancy or for a couple of months after giving birth.” Rising to her feet, she gestures for us to do the same. “Call me immediately if you feel pain or notice any bleeding.”

“Okay. Thank you, Doctor Santos.” I wave goodbye while Mom shakes her hand, and together, we leave the office.

The moment I step into the corridor, the distinct hospital smell overwhelms me. My stomach churns, already unsettled from the pregnancy news. Now, nausea surges so strongly that I feel like vomiting everything I’ve eaten this morning.

Hearing my gagging, Mom wraps an arm around my shoulders and leans his head gently against mine. His voice soothes me as he says, “I know you’re scared and confused, but everything will be fine. Like the doctor said, focus on your health and well-being to ensure a safe pregnancy. Do you feel like throwing up now?”

Although I desperately need to throw up, I don’t want to. I’ve been throwing up my guts all week, and I’m sick—literally and figuratively—of doing it. I can’t eat my favorite food or drink my favorite soda because my stomach can’t handle them anymore, which pisses me off since I’m already a picky eater. Seriously, what am I supposed to survive on for the next seven months? Water? Rock soup? My saliva?

I clench my fists, nearly crumpling the ultrasound picture in my hand. Mom notices and gently takes it from me, carefully slipping it into his bag.

“What about university? I was so looking forward to starting with Kenzo and Junko. Damn you, Yu-jun. I’d kill you if I could,” I mutter, raising a fist and shaking it in the air. “You’ve ruined my life.”

“Don’t say that. You’re just as responsible as Yu-jun for what happened two months ago. Like it or not, the twins are already here, growing in your tummy and getting ready to come into the world. It’s not their fault their mama and papa were irresponsible and didn’t think about the consequences before having sex,” Mom scolds, his tone sharp with annoyance.

I cringe and hiss, “Ew, Mom. Could you not talk about sex so casually in the middle of a hospital?”

He laughs heartily. “Why not? You should be glad you can talk about anything with your super modern and cool mom.” He points at himself, grinning. “Besides, I can’t help being thrilled to be a grandma of twins. I’m so happy I want to dance and announce to the world that the most beautiful bums are baking in your oven.”

“Bums?” I stare at him, mouth agape. “Are you calling my babies homeless? Planning to kick them out already? After all that talk about love and support?”

“What? Who called them homeless? I would never do that to my grandchildren. I meant bread rolls.”

I blink, staring at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“What’s so funny?” 

When I can finally breathe, I manage to correct him, “You meant buns, not bums.”

Mom chuckles. “Potato, potahto.”

Suddenly, an uncontrollable urge hits me—I need lemon juice and roasted chicken with lemon. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

“Ao, you’re drooling,” Mom observes, hooking his arm through mine and guiding me toward the escalator. “Let’s eat something. It’s lunchtime.”

“I want lemon juice and roasted chicken with lemon,” I announce, excitement bubbling in my voice for the first time since the nausea began.

“Lemon juice and roasted chicken with lemon? Are you craving lemon?” Mom asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Yep.”

“But you don’t like lemon.”

“I don’t, but I guess the twins do.”

He chuckles, clearly amused. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s find a restaurant.”

After getting my medications and vitamins and paying the hospital bills, I get into Mom’s car and lean back against the seat, shivering a little because it’s freezing. After a brief moment of silence, I glance over and comment, “I can’t go to university anymore, can I?”

Without looking at me, he responds, “Not this year or next.”

“Does that mean I can go in three years?” I jump in my seat, my eyes lighting up with hope.

“Of course. Your dad and I wouldn’t want you to give up on your studies and dreams because of the babies.”

“So why can’t I go next year? The babies will already be born by then.”

“But they’ll only be around five months old and will need their mama twenty-four-seven.” He pauses, tightening his hands around the steering wheel. “Are you really not going to tell Yu-jun about the twins?”

Mom’s question takes me by surprise. I sense hesitation in his voice, and I thought we were on the same page about me being a single parent. Biting my lower lip as nervousness takes the best of me, I reply, “No, I’m not. Yu-jun doesn’t even remember I was the Omega he spent that weekend with. I don’t think telling him about my pregnancy would change anything. In fact, I think he’d suggest I abort the babies so he’d have no ties to me and could chase Sota freely.”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t want Yu-jun to hurt you again, either. And can you imagine the headache the Yoon family would cause us if they found out their heir had two illegitimate kids?”

“Yep. I still remember how much they tormented Sota when he was dating Yu-jun because he wasn’t from a famous or wealthy family. The Yoons didn’t think he was worthy of their precious heir. Ugh.” I cringe, crossing my arms in front of my chest as I recall the times my brother came home crying, saying he hated Yu-jun’s family for threatening to ruin his life if he didn’t stay away from the Alpha.

“I lost count of how many times I wanted to march down to the Yoon Group’s headquarters and give them a piece of my mind for hurting my precious son. So what if we’re not wealthy or famous? That didn’t give them the right to humiliate Sota and forbid him from dating their golden Alpha. As much as I hate to admit it—because it makes me feel like the worst mom in the world—I was relieved when Sota told us he’d broken up with Yu-jun after he cheated on him with an Omega in heat.”

“Do you know who the Omega was? Did Sota tell you?”

“He told me her name was Ai Sato.” Mom glances at me. “Why are you asking?”

I shrug and feign disinterest, lying, “Just curious. Sota never really talked openly to me about his breakup with Yu-jun.”

“That’s because it left deep scars in your brother’s heart.”

I stay quiet, feeling like a coward and a failure for reopening my brother’s wounds. He’s likely hurting alone so as not to make me feel worse than I already do.

I’m the worst brother in the world.

Mom changes the subject. “Do you mind if we stop at your uncle’s store? I’m out of essential oils and can’t sleep without them.”

“Are we going to Uncle Chiba’s crafty store? I want to buy lavender essential oil and an essential oil diffuser,” I exclaim, feeling thrilled for some reason, as I’ve never been interested in essential oils like Mom.

Hold on. Why do I want to buy lavender essential oil when I’ve never liked the smell of flowers? What’s up with that? Is my pregnancy changing my character?

Mom parks the car in front of Uncle Chiba’s store and looks at me, his brows furrowed. As though reading my mind, he inquires, “Why do you suddenly want to buy essential oils? And lavender ones on top of that? I thought you didn’t like the smell of flowers.”

“I dunno,” I mumble before hopping out of the vehicle.

Mom places a hand on my shoulder and stops me from entering the store. “Ao, by any chance, do Yu-jun’s pheromones smell like lemon and lavender?”

I immediately turn to face him, my body freezing in place as a vivid memory of Yu-jun lying on top of me, naked, and opening my legs while whispering my name in my ear suddenly flashes before my eyes. I can also smell his intoxicating and poisonous pheromones as he begins to claim me—a mix of lemon and lavender that reaches me at my core and makes me want more, much more.

“Ao? You’re blushing. You look like a red pepper,” Mom teases, poking me in the cheek. “You’re thinking about your weekend with Yu-jun, aren’t you?” His lips curl into a playful smile as he continues, “So Yu-jun’s pheromones smell like lemon and lavender. That explains why you’re suddenly craving lemon and want to use lavender essential oils. My guess is that the babies and you are unconsciously looking for Yu-jun’s pheromones or anything that resembles them. I was aware that Dominant Alphas exerted power over everyone else, but to this extent…”

Before I can retort, a forty-something-year-old man gets out of the store and heads toward Mom and me, a grin on his face as he greets us warmly, “Yutaka-san, Ao-kun, you’re here.”

“Hi, Uncle.” I hug him tightly.

“Hi, Chiba-san. We’ve come to buy essential oils and a diffuser for Ao,” Mom says after hugging him too.

“That’s great. You’ve arrived just in time because I just finished baking a lemon cake,” Uncle announces, rushing us into the store.

“Lemon cake? Where is it?” I immediately run to the back, following the delicious smell of freshly baked lemon cake. “Can I have half of it?”

“Aoto Kikuchi, manners,” scolds Mom, following me alongside Uncle, who laughs in response.

As I sit comfortably on the chair, I watch Mom squeeze lemon to make me lemon juice while Uncle cuts the lemon cake. I place my hands on my belly, apprehensive but excited about becoming a mama.

Buns, I promise you that I’ll be the best mama in the world. I’ll protect you from your evil papa Yu-jun and his family with my life, and you’ll grow up happy, loved, and healthy. I give you my word.

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