Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

DOREMIZ  announces comeback with their 8th mini-album 'Your Choice'

May 18, 2021

Boy group  DOREMIZ  surprises fans with a new teaser.

On May 18 at midnight KST, the representative KPOP boy group revealed an animated concept trailer titled 'Power of Love'.

PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT revealed that the trio will release their 8th mini Album, 'You're Choice,' on June 18.

It has been about eight months since their previous album, 'Semicolon'. Representatives of the company state that this album contains a story about expressing love courageously, and fans will see  DOREMIZ  with a new mature image.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TRAILER

"Congratulations, Lee Chan-ssi. You're pregnant."

Two words. Those two words are all it takes for Chans's world to be flipped completely upside down.

For a second, everything fades into the background.

The doctor's rumbling voice fizzles and crackles like white noise. The bright fluorescent lights of the sterile hospital room glare down on Chan as his body completely tenses. His nails dig into the palms of his hands, likely leaving crescent-shaped indents behind. A loud high pitched bell rings inside his ears, and another wave of nausea washes over him. That  goddamn  nausea that's been plaguing him for the past week, is one of the main symptoms that led him to finally book this appointment. Along with Seungkwan-hyung's constant nagging to " take care of himself as much as he tries to care for the group."

You're pregnant. Those two words echo inside his head, bouncing around in the caverns of his skull.  You're pregnant. You're pregnant. You're-

"Lee Chan-ssi?" Dr. Kim calls out to him, sliding her chair over closer. She offers a sympathetic smile. It doesn't do much to calm Chan down but the thought is nice.

When Chan gives a jerky nod the doctor continues, "I understand this may be difficult to process. How are you feeling right now?"

How am I feeling? Scared. Confused. Anxious. Stunned. They all seem to be good answers.

What comes out instead is, "I…I don't know." Chan takes a deep breath in. He peels the cap off his head and runs his fingers through his hair. "How is this possible? I use suppressants and everything."

The doctor flips through his chart, "You said your last heat was around a month and a half ago, correct? You spent it with a partner I presume then."

Chan flushes and nods. It was the first time he had spent his heat with Wonwoo-hyung since they started dating.

"Suppressants aren't a 100% effective form of contraception. It's possible you may have missed a dose as well. Since you spent your heat with a partner when your hormone levels are at their highest a situation like this can happen."

Chan doesn't speak, letting the information wash over him. He's certain he's never missed a dose of his suppressants. Most of the time Wonwoo had always insisted on using a condom even with Chan on birth control. He thinks back to his most recent heat and cringes upon realizing what might have caused this.

Due to the constant use of suppressants, his heat is extremely intense the one time a year he is required to have it. It comes at him full throttle and lasts for over a week. Near the tail end of this last heat, they had run out of condoms. Wonwoo had tried to make a quick run to the convenience store but Chan horny and desperate, coerced him into staying. Birth control was around 93% effective on its own and the idea of feeling Wonwoo's thick length inside him without any barrier had been too enticing to his cock-drunk brain. And Wonwoo always did have a problem with giving into Chan's whims…

The doctor goes towards the cabinets across the room. She digs around in a cabinet for a second and comes back with a few pamphlets in hand. "You have a few options now, Chan-ssi, but before you can make those I have to refer you to an OB/GYN. At the appointment there the doctor will be able to determine your due date more clearly and provide you with resources and options depending on if you decide to go through with the pregnancy or choose termination."

"A clearer due date?"

"Yes. Well right now, I can only estimate based on the information you provided me with in regards to your last heat cycle. You seem to be about 8 weeks along. The OB/GYN will be able to use an ultrasound to figure out the date more accurately."

She passes over the pamphlets to Chan along with a report for his visit that day. He takes them with shaky hands. He has an infinite number of more questions but finds it difficult to voice them. So he just stares numbly at the pamphlets, eyes running over the baby blue text that mockingly reads  You're pregnant! So, now what?

"Well, Chan-ssi, that's it for today. Because of your special circumstances, I'm sure we'll have to get ahold of your company to figure out what works best with your busy schedule for the next appointment. I can have my secretary call-"

"No!" Chan shouts, hands flailing wildly.  Fucking shit.  He internally curses. The company can't know. That would ruin everything. Chan  was  ruining everything.

"I'm sorry?" Dr. Kim tilts her head in confusion.

Chan shakes his head and stands grabbing his bag. He bows graciously, "There's no need to call. My manager is right outside, he knows my schedule already. I'll just talk to him and make sure he calls to set up the appointment."

"Alright then. Remember to have plenty of rest and to not overexert yourself. Have a great day. Do you need help getting to the lobby?"

Chan makes his departure with a quick " No need, thank you" before ducking out of the room. Instead of continuing down the hallway to the lobby, he makes a detour into the first restroom he sees. He dashes inside and twists the lock immediately. Everything that he had been holding in—the unease, the panic, the anguish—is released. A flood of emotions rushes out filling the tight space of the bathroom and causing Chan to sink under the pressure. His body floats down, down, down to the floor sinking to the bottom with a thud. Hot tears begin streaming from his eyes in rivulets.

Ruined. Everything Chan has worked for in his life up until now was obsolete. Gone. Vanished. He can feel his dreams and success slowly slipping away from his fingertips.

This past year had been a whirlwind of successes, one after the other.Despite the shitstorm that was the pandemic cutting their world tour short  DOREMIZ, still had a very successful year. After 6 years of hard work and dedication, the group found both domestic and international success. They had a daesang to their name and were finally official "million album sellers". A documentary series on YouTube, a successful variety show of their own, and numerous CF deals; the opportunities and recognition continued to pour in for the trio. The group still always had room to improve and grow as artists, but it truly did feel like after years and years of hard work and dedication the world was finally giving them their flowers.

Not to mention the success Chan had found in his love life as well. He met Jeon Wonwoo a year and a half ago on the set of a web series the elder was filming. Their band had made an OST for the show and in turn, were offered cameos in an episode. Chan had instantly been intrigued by the tall Alpha cameraman.

Not only was Wonwoo singlehandedly one of the most handsome men Chan had ever met (he worked in the entertainment industry so it wasn't like he was short on eye candy to ogle at). Wonwoo possessed a unique type of beauty that was different from what Chan was used to. He was humble about it, not full of himself. It also didn't hurt that he immediately seemed enamored with Chan. Chan was an easy guy, he liked feeling desired and praised, it's one of the aspects he liked about his job. The way Wonwoo would stare at him with rapt attention from behind the camera in between takes, the awkward fumbling greeting in that deep voice that made tingles run up and down his spine, the over-enthused barking laugh that seemed to come deep from within Wonwoo every time Chan attempted to make a joke; it was all so endearing. Chan couldn't help but find himself yearning for more near the end of his two days on set.

So, Chan took a page from Hoshi-sunbae's rulebook and sneakily asked around for Wonwoo's number. This is after all how Hoshi told him he landed his hot actor boyfriend a few years ago.  You gotta put yourself out there Chan-ah. Don't be afraid to take the first step. An omega with confidence is the most attractive. Luckily they had a common connection, Chan's longtime makeup artist and friend Minghao was dating Wonwoo's roommate Mingyu at the time. Without hesitation, he asked his hyung to set the two of them up and they have been dating ever since.

Wonwoo-hyung . Chan moans as another round of tears racks through his body. How was Wonwoo going to react to the news? It frightened him to even think about it. He can't imagine his hyung getting upset with him, but they definitely had never spoken about kids or the possibility of wanting to start a family. Chan isn't even really sure how this could have happened, they both were so safe and had taken every precaution possible.

The sound of his phone ringing jolts Chan back to the surface. He sits up and wipes his hands roughly across his face. He looks at the screen, the contact reading  Seungcheol-MANAGER . Right, Chan can't just sit in this restroom crying all day. He's an adult with a job, a fucking busy job, and he has to get his shit together. The phone stops ringing and Chan checks the screen to see a flood of notifications.

Multiple messages from Seungcheol asking how the appointment is going and when he'll be done. A couple of messages in the DOREMIZ group chat of Seungkwan complaining about how he is still stuck alone in the recording studio. The band was in the middle of preparing for a long-awaited comeback. The only reason he wasn't in the studio today with Seungkwan and Vernon was that he couldn't keep any food down for the third day in a row at dance practice this morning. Seungcheol, their longtime manager, had to drag him to the hospital today. It seems that Vernon finished his parts early and left for the day already. The last message is a crying emoticon and a plea for Chan  to hurry up and get better so he can come save Seungkwan from his loneliness.

He also sees a text from Wonwoo asking if he's feeling any better from this morning and to give him an update when the appointment is over. Chan's gut lurches at the tender tone of the message. He can feel bile start to make its way back up his throat. He  cannot  handle that right now.

With a huff he clicks the phone off, choosing to ignore the requests for now. They'll all have to learn the truth soon anyway.

He stands and splashes water on his face before taking a few deep breaths. It doesn't really do anything to help make it look like he didn't just bawl out the equivalent of the Han River in tears but there is not much he can do about it anyway. He pulls his mask back up on his face and digs his sunglasses out of his pockets to put on.

He drags himself out to the lobby and finds Seungcheol anxiously pacing with his phone pressed to his ear. His manager's shoulders are rigid and he's loudly talking on the phone.

"Yah, what the hell am I supposed to do?! I've messaged him about a hundred times and he's not picking up his phone. The front desk said that his appointment had already ended fifteen minutes ago, but he's nowhere to be seen. No, Jeonghan, I didn't check to see if he took the car without me looking, the kid doesn't even have his license plus he's sick. I don't think he's gonna try to make his great escape while projectile vomiting every five minutes."

"Hyung," Chan calls out softly. Seungcheol stops and turns around swiftly.

"Lee Jungchan, where have you been? You nearly sent me into cardiac arrest-" His voice tapers off when he takes in Chan's disheveled appearance. He sighs and speaks into the phone, "Yeah, he's right here. We'll be heading to the dorm, he still doesn't look so well. Can you stop by the pharmacy when you bring Seungkwan back from the studio? Thanks."

Seungcheol puts a reassuring hand on Chan's shoulder and begins steering them to the door. "Hey whatever it is can't be that bad right since you got sent home. What is it, the flu? Jeonghan's going to pick up some medicine on the way back to the dorm later today. You'll be good in no time."

Chan doesn't reply. Just continues to be steered in the direction of the van parked outside the hospital's side entrance. He climbs in and buckles up as Seungcheol hops into the driver's seat. The car revs up and Seungcheol looks back at Chan. He stares for a good two minutes before realizing the younger won't speak. With an exhale he turns back around and puts the car in drive. They continue on their route to the dorm in relative silence. The only sounds that can be heard are the soft mumblings of the radio and the two men's breathing.

The car slowly pulls into the parking garage for the dorm about twenty minutes later. Seungcheol shuts the engine off. "We're here. I'll help you get up to the dorm. I didn't want to leave you alone while you're sick so it's a good thing that Hansol is already back."

Chan slowly nods but makes no move to get out of the vehicle. His whole body feels like a lead weight, the doctor's earlier words still running around in his head.  Pregnant. About 8 weeks along. You have options.

It certainly feels like he doesn't. He wishes he had the option to ignore this whole predicament. He wishes he had the option to close his eyes, fall asleep, and wake up from this dream.

The only option he has right now is to tell someone.

"Chan-ah," the soft deep rumble of Seungcheol's voice along with a gentle shake to his knee is what drags Chan out from the depths of his inner turmoil. "Lee Jungchan, are you listening to me?"

Chan looks up into Seungcheol's eyes. They're filled with concern and comfort. It's a familiar sight, that look. It's something he's seen throughout the last three years of having the elder as his manager. Whether it be to cheer him up when their group didn't win first place at a music show when everyone had thought they were a shoo-in for it or if it's when a pointless dating rumor circulated the internet between him and some Beta. He can always depend on Seungcheol to be a consistent presence in this unsteady world he got himself into.

Which is the reason why it is so easy for the words to slip out of his mouth.

"Hyung…I'm pregnant."

The hand on Chan's knee freezes. Seungcheol looks up at him, his large eyes blown so wide they look like they'll project out of his head.

"Wh-what?"

The tears from earlier return and sting at Chan's eyes. He looks down and breathes, "I'm pregnant, hyung. About 8 weeks."

The silence in the car is deafening. Seungcheol turns back around and leans his head against the steering wheel. He eventually asks,

"Does Jeon Wonwoo know?"

Chan shakes his head and lets out a pathetic, "No."

Seungcheol nods and starts unbuckling. He looks at Chan, "Well, there's step one. Actually, wait, step one is a group meeting. We need to let the other members know because this affects them too. Then you can tell Wonwoo.

"I'll text Jeonghan and tell him to skip the pharmacy and bring Seungkwan ASAP. Well unless you need something from the pharmacy right now? I don't really know anything about pregnant people." Seungcheol pulls his phone out and begins tapping away.

Chan lets out a puzzled noise. "Wait, hyung, you aren't mad at me? You're not telling the company?" It seemed like the logical first step for Seungcheol to take with the news.

Seungcheol steps out of the car and walks around to open up Chan's door. He grins softly, "Firstly, Chan-ah why would I be mad at you? You are already probably upset with yourself as it is. No need for me to be angry with something you can't control." He motions for Chan to get out of the car grabbing the idol's belongings to carry. He continues talking as the two walk towards the elevator to go up to the dorm.

"Secondly, I can only imagine what the company is going to try to do. I don't want them to influence any decisions you have to make. I'll hide it from them as long as I can. I'll make sure the others do too. I might be your manager but I'm also your hyung. I care about you Chan-ah. I want you to be in control of your future."

Chan breathes a sigh of relief. That takes the pressure off a little. He'll have to tell the company eventually no matter what he decides to do, but he'd rather hide this for as long as possible. It also doesn't sit right with him thinking that the CEO of PLEDIS Entertainment would be informed of his pregnancy before the man who impregnated him found out.

"Thanks, hyung," Chan says as the two step onto the elevator. The doors close behind them and Seungcheol presses the button for Chan's floor.

"No problem. Remember I'm here for you Chan. Always."

The two reach the dorm's door. Before entering the passcode to unlock it Seungcheol pauses looking up from his phone. He turns to Chan. "Jeonghan said he just left the studio with Seungkwan they're heading over right now."

Chan hums in acknowledgment. It's about a thirty-minute drive from the company to the dorm with traffic at this time of day. He did not have much time to mentally prepare himself for this at all.

Seungcheol notices his uneasiness and pats him on the back. "It's going to be okay. I promise."

The beeping of the front door code being entered alerts Chan of Seungkwan and Jeonghan's arrival. He looks up from his bowl of ramen he'd been snacking on nervously and directs his anxious gaze to Seungcheol. The elder mimes for him to calm down as he gets up from the couch. He reassures him again, "You got this, Chan-ah. It'll be fine. Let me get Hansol from his room so we can get started."

A long exaggerated sigh announces Seungkwan's entrance. He has a pout on his plump lips as he takes his coat off his shoulder and hangs it by the front entrance, Jeonghan trailing in behind him.

Jeonghan is the second manager for DOREMIZ. He's been with the group since their debut, joining shortly after Seungcheol. Chan doesn't fully understand why a trio needs two managers, especially with Seungcheol being so damn good at his job. (He runs the three of them like a navy, making sure they're always taken care of and able to perform their schedules without a hitch.)

When Chan brought this up to Jeonghan, the elder just danced around the subject, speaking in riddles like an ancient wizard.  Why am I here? Well, Chan-ah that's a mystery your young mind will never be able to comprehend.

Chan suspects it's nepotism that got Jeonghan his position, or maybe he blackmailed some higher-up in the company into giving him a job where he can spend his days bothering Choi Seungcheol. There is no way his basic manager salary pays for the designer clothes and wildly expensive LEGO sets he's always doing. Whatever the reason, he's a permanent fixture in their lives.

"Yah, Seungcheol-ah," Jeonghan calls out, "What's this about some emergency meeting? I had plans tonight, you know."

"What plans? You never have plans." Seungcheol mutters out as he and Hansol come in from the hallway. Seungcheol settles on a stool near the kitchen counter and Hansol saunters over to sit on the couch, but not before reaching over the coffee table to steal a bite of Chan's ramen.

"You were going to buy me dinner tonight," Jeonghan smirks as he hops onto a stool next to Seungcheol.

Seungcheol huffs out a bewildered puff of air, "And when did we decide on that?"

"Right now." Jeonghan beams.

"Anyways, what's this about a meeting? As leader of this band, I definitely should have been the first to know about a meeting." Seungkwan interrupts walking into the living area. He takes a seat next to Hansol. "Does this have anything to do with our Channie being sick?"

"Sort of," Seungcheol says as he settles on the stool next to Jeonghan.

"Oh no, my poor baby." Jeonghan fake whines. "I've been worried about you all day."

Seungkwan laughs, "No you haven't. You've been looking up miniature furniture to buy for that pet rock of yours."

"I can multitask."

"So, what's wrong with Chan?" Hansol asks, redirecting the conversation back to the topic.

"Don't tell me this is like the time his IBS flared up because he stuffed himself with too many rice cakes backstage before our performance," Seungkwan complains.

Seungcheol shakes his head. "No, it's not that. That'd be much easier to deal with."

Seungkwan lets out a noise of concern, his face pulling together. Suddenly the light teasing air in the room is laced with tension.

"What's with the mysterious act, Cheollie?" Jeonghan yanks on the eldest's arm. "Just tell us what the doctor said."

"That's not really my place to say." Seungcheol looks over at Chan.

It would be great if a giant hole could open up and suck Chan into the inner core of the Earth right now. Heck, he'd even take a giant meteor crashing into Seoul. If it was good enough to take out the dinosaurs it'd be good enough to save Chan from his misery.

Sadly, no Armageddon-esque catastrophes seem to be happening today.

"So, at the doctor's today, they ran some tests," Chan speaks slowly. "Just standard ones to check to see if anything was wrong with my blood levels that could explain the nausea and fatigue. But, um, what came back was the last thing I expected."

"Oh my God, Chan." Seungkwan leans forward. There is a thickness to his voice, obvious tears starting to form. He clasps the younger's hands, "Don't tell me you're really sick. It's not like you're going to…"

His words trail off, but what's left unsaid is clear. And it's also completely wrong.

"No, no it's nothing like that." Chan shakes his head vigorously.

The humming of the air con kicking on is the only sound heard as everyone waits with bated breath for Chan to continue. For the first time in his life, the weight of everyone's gaze locked onto him feels like a burden. Chan loves attention—he yearns for it, but right now all he can do is look down at his lap. Their eyes carry inquiry, care, and concern, but no signs of animosity. Chan wonders if this is the last chance he'll get to have them look upon him in favor. Quietly he clears his throat and decides to bite the bullet. There is no use in delaying the inevitable.

"I'm pregnant."

Chan cringes at the silence that ensues. It carries on for a good minute before Seungkwan explodes.

"YOU'RE PREGNANT?!"

Seungkwan's bewildered screech echoes around the room. Under normal circumstances, Chan would be ready with some retort aimed at the elder urging him to quiet down. Now, he just finds himself sinking deeper into the cushions of the couch.

"Lee Chan! Are you serious right now? " Seungkwan calls out again, voice still raised an octave higher than normal. He starts frantically looking around the room, peering into a potted plant by the window. "Where are the cameras? This smells of content right now."

Chan shakes his head before replying meekly. "No, I'm being serious."

Seungkwan freezes at the sound of Chan's meager voice and turns back around. "Oh my fucking God. You're pregnant."

"Yeah. I am."

A low whistle sounds from the other side of the room. Chan peers up to see Jeonghan leaning against the kitchen counter. "Well, congratulations! Way to throw a curveball at us Channie."

"Really?" Seungcheol hits him on the shoulder in disapproval. There is not any force behind it. There never is when it comes to his fellow manager/best friend/constant-annoyance-by-his-side that he's (not so) secretly fond of. The two's relationship has always been an enigma to Chan that he's too embarrassed to ask about the details. He isn't really sure all of what would come out of Jeonghan's mouth will be PG and he doesn't want to think about his hyungs that way.

Jeonghan scoffs, "What? It's the truth! Tell me that the maknae getting knocked up was on your bingo card for the year."

Seungcheol ignores him with a roll of his eyes and redirects his attention back to the others.

Chan waits with bated breath for his group mates' reactions. Especially Seungkwan—never the one to shy away from sharing his opinion. He mentally prepares himself for the elder's response. Perhaps a lecture about how irresponsible he is? Or maybe some gross quip about how 'Jeon Wonwoo's dick was just that mystifying' that Chan couldn't help but let him rawdog it?

None of that comes, though.

The tension is palpable in the air as Chan looks up. Seungkwan's eyes are locked on Chan, his expression unreadable except for the hard-line his jaw is set in. He crosses his arms against his chest, refusing to speak.

Hansol is the first to break the silence surprisingly. "Wow, Chan. Uh, congratulations?" It comes out as more of a question than a statement.

Chan scoffs wetly, tears beginning to well up in his eyes for the umpteenth time that day. "Thanks. I can really feel your sincerity."

"Yah. I'm trying to be supportive, you brat."

"You're doing a pretty terrible job, Hansol-ah," Jeonghan says as he moves in from the kitchen. He takes the vacant spot on the side of Chan and wraps a comforting arm around the younger's shoulders.

"Well, it's not like this kind of thing comes with an instruction manual. This is the first time I've ever met a pregnant person."

"You're telling me that in twenty-three years of life, you've never once met someone pregnant?"

"Not that's close to me."

"You have a younger sister!"

"That doesn't count, I hardly remember that."

"Are we all just going to pretend like this is normal?"

The biting tone of Seungkwan's voice promptly shuts the two up. He hasn't moved for the last few minutes and Chan can still feel the icy glare of his gaze.

"How are you all just carrying on as if nothing's wrong?"

"Seungkwan," Jeonghan says in that apprehensive tone he gets when he can tell how fragile the situation is. He moves to rest a hand on the other's shoulder.

Seungkwan brushes him off angrily, "No, don't 'Seungkwan' me. I'm not the one who messed up here, Chan is!"

He shoots up from his seat on the couch, almost knocking into the coffee table with his haste. Hansol goes to grab onto his arm attempting to calm him down, only to be shaken off.

Seungkwan's fists ball up by his sides as he looks at Chan, his expression tinged with malice. "You've done some dumb shit before but I can't believe you would be this stupid. How could you be so selfish? Do you have any idea what this could do to us and to everything we've worked for?"

Chan winces at the harsh tone and tries to defend himself, "I do, hyung. But It's not like I did this on purpose."

Hansol attempts to grab Seungkwan's hand again, trying to redirect his gaze. "Kwannie, I'm sure this is even harder for Chan than it is for us."

"I can't believe you're on his side, Chwe Hansol." Seungkwan barks. "He's putting the band at stake just because Jeon Wonwoo couldn't pull out fast enough, and you're siding with him?!" With a dramatic huff, Seungkwan storms off. He goes over to grab his coat and yanks it back on before grabbing his bag.

"Wait, where do you think you're going?" Seungcheol calls out. "You know it's not safe to go out by yourself."

"I'm going out for a walk. Don't worry, I'm gonna cover myself up." Seungkwan says as he grabs a mask from his belongings and puts it on. His voice is muffled as gripes, "I wouldn't want to risk being spotted by a fan right now. You know, gotta think of the group's well-being first." The last words are directed at Chan before he exits the dorm, the slam of the door shaking the walls.

Bickering and arguments aren't anything new for Seungkwan and Chan. It's a running joke among their fans just how much Chan and Seungkwan fight with each other. It's usually never anything too serious. They love each other despite their differences, and everything blows over within a few days (at the most a couple of weeks). So it really shouldn't be a surprise that Seugnkwan is upset with him.

And it isn't a surprise. That doesn't stop the ache in Chan's chest at the other's bitter words.

Sobs begin to rack Chan's body. He can't even be upset with Seungkwan. He has every right to react the way he did. Chan getting pregnant is going to make everyone's lives infinitely more difficult. Their schedule will have to be modified, not to mention how this could mess up the group's upcoming comeback. It's not like it's unheard of for idols to have children, but it usually takes place way farther down the line in their careers. It's usually alphas that can have children and continue with their career, anyway. He's never heard of an omega idol being able to stay active after getting pregnant.

This pregnancy is a death sentence for the group or his career.

"Oh, Channie." Jeonghan coos out, bringing the younger into the warmth of his arms. He rubs tender circles into Chan's back as he continues to cry.

"Why aren't you all mad, too?" Chan manages to blubber out between gasps for air.

"Well I can't say I'm not upset," Hansol says, "But it's not at you. I'm more upset at the situation. This complicates things a lot."

"That's an understatement."

Hansol continues ignoring Chan's remark. "But it's not like any of us are perfect. We've all made mistakes in the past. It's like you said, you didn't do this on purpose, right? What good is getting mad at you gonna do?"

Jeonghan hums in agreement. He reaches up and pats Chan's head affectionately. "It's not like you're the only member who's put the group's fate in jeopardy anyway."

Hansol lets out an affronted noise, "What do you mean by that?"

Jeonghan gestures between him and the general direction Seungkwan left in. "You and our lovely drama queen have been secretly dating for what? Two years now? That whole thing's a scandal waiting to happen."

Chan chuckles wetly as Hansol's ears turn as red as a ripe tomato. He sputters out, "W-wha, what are you talking about?"

Jeonghan levels him with a look. Hansol gawks over at Seungcheol who just shrugs.

"You aren't good at hiding it. At least to us."

"Or the fans," Jeonghan adds. "It's all the weird ear touching and you looking like you want to attack him every five seconds."

Hansol accepts his defeat and turns the conversation back to Chan. "Well, how far along are you?"

The question takes Chan aback. He racks his head for the information the doctor relayed to him. It was only a couple hours ago but emotionally he feels like he's lived a lifetime since then. "Uh, the doctor said she isn't sure but guesses about 8 weeks. They'll be able to tell more at the next appointment."

Hansol hums, eyebrows squinting and gets out his phone. He types something into the screen and browses for a bit, "This says here that the baby looks like a tadpole right now."

Chan laughs in disbelief as Jeonghan leans to look over at Hansol's phone screen. "That's what you're choosing to do right now, look up fetal development timelines. You don't want to run out and try to calm down your second half."

"Nah, Kwannie wants to be by himself right now. I learned a long time ago it's better to let him cool off when he's that upset. If he doesn't come back in like an hour then I'll start to worry."

"Wait, bookmark that page Hansol. That might be helpful." Seungcheol says coming into the living room and taking a seat on the floor by the coffee table. "We'll need to know what to expect if we're planning on hiding this from the company for a while."

"We're not telling the company about this?"

Chan shakes his head, "No, not yet at least. I guess I'll let them know when I've made a decision."

"Decision?"

"If I keep the baby or not," Chan says quietly as he looks down at his now flat stomach. It's hard to imagine that in just a few month's time, it would begin to swell. It's an alien feeling to think that there is  something  in there right now, even if it is just an amorphous blob that looks like a tadpole.

"Are you going to keep it?" Jeonghan asks.

Chan shakes his head. "I have no idea. It doesn't really feel right deciding on my own."

"What does Wonwoo-hyung have to say about all this?" Hansol questions as he continues to type away at his phone. Chan can only imagine what he's looking up now about the inner workings of the omega reproductive system. Once he gets hyper-fixated on something new to learn about it's really hard to get him to stop.

"I haven't told him yet."

"You haven't told him?"

Chan rubs his neck and has the decency to look sheepish. "I just found out like two hours ago. I needed to tell you guys first."

"You needed to tell us and not the father of the baby?"

"Well, that's what Seungcheol-hyung said to do."

Jeonghan leans forward and thumps the eldest on the back of his head. "Yah, what kind of advice was that?"

"Hey, it seemed like the right thing to do. It's not like I'm some pregnancy expert."

"Give him a break." Chan says, "If it wasn't for him I'd probably still be in the van spiraling about all of this right now."

"Well, you need to let Wonwoo know. Like now." Jeonghan says as he stands and stretches.

Chan sighs. He knows he needs to. It doesn't make it any less terrifying. Chan pulls out his phone and navigates to his messages with Wonwoo. Biting the side of his cheek he shoots a text that says,

Sorry for just now replying, hyungㅠㅠ Appointment's over. Can we meet up? 

The message is read not even a minute later and a reply dings back.

Sure. I'm just wrapping up with work. Have you eaten? Do you want me to come over?

Chan would prefer to have this conversation happen away from prying eyes and ears. Plus, he doesn't want to still be around when Seungkwan comes back. He's stressed enough already as it is.

No, it's fine. I can swing by yours. I'm feeling better now. 

'm sure you're tired after work.

I'm never too tired for you, Chan-ah.

Chan feels his cheeks heat up at the reply. Wonwoo always has a way of saying the most disgustingly romantic thing without even meaning to. It was impossible for Chan not to fall for him.

So cheesy ㅋㅋㅋ

I'll head over soon.

Chan laughs at the cute heart-eye sticker Wonwoo sends in response and clicks his phone off. He stands and starts cleaning up his now cold noodles. He asks Jeonghan, "Do you think you can drive me to hyung's place?"

Jeonghan nods. "Sure. I'm assuming I'll also need to let Woozi know you won't be able to go in tomorrow to make up for your recording session?"

Chan shakes his head. It'll be suspicious if he keeps pushing things off. "No, I can go in. If the morning sickness is still bad I'm sure hyung will have a trashcan in the studio I can borrow."

"Chan, don't push yourself," Seungcheol warns.

"It's not that big of a deal. And I know we still have filming scheduled tomorrow afternoon for the next episode of  Going DOREMIZ . It would be really difficult for all the staff if I suddenly canceled." Chan goes to get one of the pamphlets the doctor handed him earlier from his room. He walks back quickly, "Look it just says here I need to stay hydrated and stay away from triggering smells."

Seungcheol relents and nods, "Alright, I'll check with the production staff to see if you'll be doing anything extraneous. I'm not going to let them have you bungee jumping again while you're with child."

When Chan walks into Wonwoo's apartment the sound of the TV playing softly and the warm familiar smell of Buldak Ramyeon greets him.  Hyung's here already.  Chan had hoped to get there first and let himself in before Wonwoo so he could have a few more minutes alone to mentally prepare himself. Alas, the universe seems hellbent on making sure nothing goes his way today.

The pitter-patter of Seol's paws tap across the hardwood floor, the dog happily running to greet Chan. She circles Chan's feet yipping happily as he slides out of his sneakers and into the blue pair of slippers always set out for him. He bends down and pets her fondly as he announces, "I'm here."

"Chan-ah." Wonwoo greets back his lips curving up into that soft smile he always reserves for Chan. He stands from the couch and wipes his hands on a napkin before shuffling over and enveloping Chan in his arms.

For the first time that day Chan feels at ease. Wonwoo's warm woody scent envelopes him as he melts into the elder's embrace. Chan's hands reach up and clutch onto Wonwoo's back, clinging onto the fabric of his shirt and anchoring him there for just a little longer. He ducks his head into the crook of Wonwoo's neck, breathes in deeply, and then exhales shakily.

Wonwoo tenses up at the hitch in Chan's breath but immediately relaxes and starts patting the other's back. "Oh, my Jungchan-ah. You've had it rough today, huh?"

Chan nods and whimpers as he feels the softest press of lips against the side of his head. The kiss is gentle and nothing more than a reassurance.

I'm here for you.

Before Chan knows it the corner of his eyes are stinging, tears threatening to fall again. He fights them off by taking a deep breath, focusing on the soft peach undertone Wonwoo's scent emits.

Wonwoo pushes Chan back a bit, hands coming up to cradle the younger's face. He coos at the younger, "It must have been so hard still working while you were sick. You did well today."

Seol's eager barking and pawing at Chan's legs breaks them apart finally. Chan smiles tenderly as he bends down to pet her once again. She hops atop Chan knocking him onto his butt as she nuzzles her face against his. "Wow, someone's happy that I'm here today."

Wonwoo pitches his voice higher and cracks out a terrible attempt at giving Seol a voice. "Of course, I'm happy you're here, Channie-oppa!"

Chan gives him a quizzical look before busting out into laughter. The proud smile that graces Wonwoo's face makes his whole day.

"Oh, well that's new."

Seol had drifted away from licking Chan's face and decided to start sniffing Chan's crotch like crazy. Which, you know, typical dog stuff. She usually does that to some extent, but this is on a different level.  Can dogs smell if you're pregnant? Shit.

Wonwoo must not think much of it, his only response is a chuckle before telling Seol to calm down. Then, he takes Chan by his hand and leads him over to the living room table. He grabs the remote and turns the television's volume down to a low hum before joining Chan on the floor with their backs pressed against the sofa. Laid out on the table next to Wonwoo's half-devoured container of Buldak Ramyeon and open energy drink is an assortment of food in containers from a restaurant down the street from Wonwoo's place. Chan notices there is enough for two and he mentally swoons because of course Wonwoo thought of him and got him food as well, of course he did.

"I didn't really know what you would be able to keep down, so I got a couple of different things," Wonwoo says sheepishly, he pulls a container of soup out and sets it in front of Chan. "I thought  samgyetang would be okay on your stomach but take anything you want. Sorry, I already started eating without you. I didn't have a chance to have lunch today."

Chan smiles softly and shakes his head before placing a kiss on Wonwoo's cheek. "It's fine, don't worry. The only thing I was able to keep down today was some ramen I had earlier so this is great. Thank you, hyung."

The two dig in and start eating in comfortable silence for a minute. It's peaceful and relaxing just being in each other's presence. This was something relatively new for Chan when he started dating Wonwoo. His extroverted self had always been used to overcompensating when conversations fell flat, trying some kind of gag or joke to keep the conversation flowing. At first, he thought the elder's quiet tendencies to be a lack of interest in him, but he's grown to understand the beauty of just simply existing near someone.

It's just another thing he's afraid of losing. Seungkwan's already pissed at him, he can't take losing another important part of his life. Plus, he's not sure how to just casually drop the news. Does he just rip the band-aid off right away  Hyung, I'm pregnant.  Does he work around it slowly?  So you see at the doctor's today they found out something while running tests.

Fortunately, Wonwoo breaks the silence first.

"So, uh, the doctor's visit today. What happened?"

Chan pauses mid-slurp of soup. He looks up at Wonwoo and finds his brows creased slightly, pure concern and worry written all over his face. Chan hates being the cause of such a look, it feels almost mean to let the elder wallow in worry. He just needs to get this over with. He sets his bowl down and gulps audibly.

"Hyung," Chan's voice is shaky as he starts but he pushes through. "The reason I've been so sick lately…well, it's because I'm pregnant."

Wonwoo promptly chokes and a tiny bit of energy drink dribbles out of his mouth. His eyes have doubled in size behind the lenses of his glasses.

"P-pregnant?" he asks, wiping his mouth off.

Chan nods and looks down, his messy unstyled bangs making a nice curtain to cover his eyes.

"You're pregnant?" Wonwoo asks. He says each word slowly, almost like he's afraid of hearing the answer.

"Yeah, about 8 weeks, the doctor said."

The silence stretches out for far too long. It fills Chan with unease and his need to at least gauge Wonwoo's response to the news outweighs his desire to shrink in on himself in shame. He chances a glance and finds Wonwoo staring off into the distance. A glaze has settled over his eyes and his face is stone and expressionless.

"Hyung?" Chan says, waving his hand in front of Wonwoo rapidly. No response. With urgency, Chan grabs his shoulder and starts shaking him. "Hyung! Yah, Jeon Wonwoo I just told you some life-altering news and you go silent on me!"

Wonwoo snaps back to his senses after Chan lands a soft smack on his shoulder, "Sorry, Chan. I just- I don't know what to say. I never imagined that this could happen."

"You didn't take health class in school?"

Wonwoo shakes his head, "No, of course, I understand the mechanics behind everything. I just never expected that this could happen for us."

"Oh." Chan breathes out. He bites the inside of his cheek and nods. It's understandable for Wonwoo to be surprised. The most they've ever really talked about the subject of family planning was Chan reassuring Wonwoo that he was on suppressants and that everything would be fine even if he didn't wear a condom.

And look where that got us.

"Are you upset?" Chan hesitantly asks.

Wonwoo makes a confused sound. "Upset? Why would I be upset?"

"Because I ruined everything. Because I'm stupid. Because your boyfriend's a horny idiot who couldn't wait fifteen minutes for you to go to the corner store to get more condoms."

Seungkwan's earlier words ring loud through his ears,  How could you be so selfish?

"Don't talk about yourself like that Chan."

"But it's true." The tears he held back earlier begin to stream down his face.

"No, it's not. And besides it'd be pretty hypocritical for me to get mad at just you. I'm as much a part of this as you."

"But you said you never imagined this happening."

Wonwoo reaches forward and grabs Chan's hands. Small tremors rock his hands as he tightens his long fingers around Chan's smaller ones. His deep brown eyes are glossy as he looks at Chan. "I said I could never imagine this happening for  us. I've never really given myself the liberty of thinking about starting a family with you. It's not really something your job allows." Wonwoo looks down at their interlocked hands fondly.

"But now that I'm thinking of it. I can't stop."

Chan can't help the little shocked intake of breath he inhales. He had been so wrapped up in his worries and imagining the worst possible scenario, that he hadn't stopped to think about what to do if Wonwoo was…happy about the pregnancy.

And that's exactly what he seems to be right now. Happy. Elated. Over the moon. He grins down at Chan's still flat stomach, smiling so wide it causes his nose to scrunch up cutely. Chan can only imagine what thoughts are going through the alpha's brain.

"Hyung, I'm glad you're not upset about this, but I wouldn't start planning a nursery too soon. I still don't know what I'm going to do."

Wonwoo's expression sobers up as he realizes the implications behind Chan's words. He nods. "Right. Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself here."

"It's not that I don't want to have a family with you." Chan rushes out, "I mean I've just never really thought about it either. I also have to think of the band. We're in the middle of comeback prep and-"

"I understand, Chan-ah." Wonwoo cuts off his rambling drops one of Chan's hands and keeps the grip on one, interlacing their fingers together.

Chan rests his head atop the elder's shoulder and nods. "Thanks, hyung."

"Now, let's finish the food before it gets cold," Wonwoo says, picking up Chan's bowl and shoving a spoonful of soup towards his mouth. Chan accepts it, basking in the attention. Sometimes after a shitty day, it just felt right to be fed and doted on by your super hot nerdy boyfriend.

" Shit." Wonwoo suddenly pauses.

"What?" Chan muffles around the spoon still in his mouth.

"Your brother's going to kill me. You haven't told him yet, right?"

"Which one?" Chan asks, puzzled, he doesn't plan on telling any of his family about this. Not yet anyway until he's finally figured everything out. Still, he can't imagine any of his family members getting upset at the pregnancy. He knows his parents want grandchildren eventually, he just always thought one of his older brothers would be the one to carry out that deed first. Especially Seokmin who is already well established in his career as a musical theater actor and has been married for a few years. Besides he wouldn't get mad at Wonwoo, he pretty much accepted him as part of the family the minute Chan introduced him to everyone. The only person who didn't automatically warm up to the alpha was…

"Jihoon. You know he doesn't like me, Chan-ah." Wonwoo pouts.

"It's not that he doesn't like you. He's just a little…protective."

Wonwoo just gives him a leveled stare.

The truth is that Jihoon does have a little bit of a complex about the youngest of their trio of siblings. He's been super protective of the youngest ever since they were little, always watching out to make sure no one messes with the omega. Chan finds it a little overbearing at times, but he knows it comes from a place of love.

Chan leans over and pats Wonwoo on the head. "You'll be fine. I'm not planning on telling him anyway. Or anyone else until we've figured this whole thing out."

"You work with him Chan-ah. He's gonna find out."

"Don't worry. It won't be the first time I've hidden things from him." Chan shakes his head and pokes the now half-empty ramyeon cup in front of the elder. "Now, don't just feed me. Eat."

The rest of the evening goes by quickly from there. They finish their meal, which thankfully Chan was able to keep down. Chan fills Wonwoo in on the game plan to keep the company in the dark about the whole pregnancy thing for as long as possible. He also reluctantly lets him know about Seungkwan's reaction to the whole thing which sets off another round of tears that ends in a cuddle session in Wonwoo's bed.

Chan decides to just spend the night once he realizes how late it's gotten. He sends a text to the group message with Seungcheol and Jeonghan quickly notifying them of this and groans when he's told to be ready for pickup by 5 AM the next morning.

After washing up, Chan curls up next to Wonwoo in bed. The exhaustion of the day hits him like a truck. The combination of that and Wonwoo's thumb tracing a circular pattern on the jut of how hip bone begins to lull him to sleep.

As he lays there wrapped in the comfort of his lover's arms, Chan allows himself to do what he's been avoiding all day. He begins to think about the what-ifs.  What if I keep the baby? What if I make a family with hyung? Would that be so bad?

The picture that floats across his closed eyelids is of him and Wonwoo smiling down at a small bundle wrapped in blankets in his arms. Chan feels a flicker of warmth radiate across his chest at the image.

The last thing he hears before sleep finally takes him is Wonwoo whispering in his ear.

"No matter what you decide to do, I'm here for you Chan-ah."

The next day goes by in a whirlwind of nausea and busy schedules. Chan pukes his guts out first thing in the morning over the porcelain of Wonwoo's toilet before having to leave for his recording session. Thankfully, Jeonghan brought along ginger tea and small crackers to help with the morning sickness and he's able to finish recording his parts for their newest title track without raising any of Jihoon's suspicions. His brother even compliments how raw and mature his vocals sound this time. Nothing like a life-altering event to suddenly give Chan the edge he needed for their angsty concept.

Filming for the group's variety show doesn't go as smoothly.

Everything starts fine. Chan even feels optimistic when he arrives on set and finds out he doesn't have to go on a pointless treasure hunt on an empty island rented out by the company or play some odd amalgamation of hide and seek and tag with an absurd amount of rules. No, the Gods have smiled down on Chan in fortune and decided to give the production team the idea to film a third installment in their DEBATE NIGHT series.

It sounds like a simple and easy day of shooting.

And it would have been if not for the giant elephant that enters the room along with a still pissed-off Seungkwan.

The tension on set is palpable. Seungkwan won't even look at Chan up until the moment the cameras start rolling. Like the born entertainers they are, they both manage to grin and talk amicably while the cameras are on. Still, there is an undeniable heaviness in the room. Their smiles are too forced and stilted. There is a real sour bite to any of the "playful" jabs Seungkwan throws Chan's way. Poor Hansol is the moderator today, he does his best to sit in between the two and makes more effort to talk than he normally does during variety shows. Anything to mitigate the strain.

It gets so bad that at one point Seungcheol and Jeonghan pull them aside and tell them they need to get it together before an attitude controversy starts circulating. Chan's never been more mortified. He makes a mental note to buy a coffee truck for the whole staff during their next shoot.

After that, they're able to finish the shoot. Chan makes sure to bow extra deeply as he thanks everyone for their hard work before leaving. He makes a quick stop to the restroom before leaving and just as he is about to round the corner to leave he hears the sound of Hansol and Seungkwan's sharp whispers.

"Seungkwan, you have got to stop it."

"Stop what? Treating him like the selfish brat he is?"

Chan hears the audible sigh Hansol lets out.

"Stop acting like he's some kind of traitor."

"Well, he kind of is."

"You don't mean that."

"He's destroying everything we've worked for over the past 9 years, Hansol! If that's not a traitor I don't know what one is."

"You know he didn't do this on purpose, though."

"Doesn't matter. It doesn't take away from the fact that it's happening." Chan can hear the exasperation in Seungkwan's voice loud and clear. He doesn't have to see the elder to know there is a peeved scowl across his face. "I just don't see how this is going to work unless he takes care of it soon."

Chan has to stop listening there. He pushes himself off the wall and stalks away in the opposite direction. It makes his trek to the van waiting outside about 2 minutes longer but he can't bear the thought of walking past his two members right now.

He ends up getting to the vehicle first anyway, his steps hasty and sharp. Chan nods at Seungcheol in the driver's seat unceremoniously before burrowing himself in the backseat nearest to the window. He fishes his earbuds from his pockets and stuffs them into his ears. The deep bass of his music cranked up as high as he can manage reverberates against his skull, successfully allowing him to block out the rest of the world for at least the ride back to the company's headquarters.

A part of him knows that Seungkwan is right. It's unheard of for an omega to get pregnant and maintain their career as an idol, much less a male one at that. He's seen things like this happen before, an omega idol mysteriously goes on hiatus and then a few months down the line a handwritten apology letter detailing their departure from the group with the good ole' wedding+pregnancy announcement tacked onto the end. The nasty comments with a few good-willed messages of support sprinkled in always follow. Chan doesn't want to have to go through that. He doesn't want Wonwoo or his members to go through that either, nor the fans.

Performing is his life, it always has been ever since he was little and his dad would take him to his dance studio. He can't imagine walking down a path where he doesn't get to greet their fans on stage again.  DOREMIZ  is an essential part of Chan's being. Without it, it would be like he doesn't even exist.

But there is also a part of him that longs for something else. The part of him that got swept away last night in visions of Wonwoo and him and a tiny little creation of their own. Much like his lover, he never allowed himself to imagine starting a family, but once he did the floodgates opened.

The two hadn't talked about marriage of course. But the idea of mating with Wonwoo sends a cacophony of butterflies dancing about in Chan's ribcage. He's longed for the day he could let Wonwoo sink his teeth into his neck, marking him so the world could know they were each other's. And to add onto that a physical manifestation of their love in the form of a tiny angel that bears both their features, the idea sends Chan's heart apace with delight.

He can imagine them moving in together, into a new place since Wonwoo's one-bedroom would no longer be enough. He can picture them setting up a nursery and struggling to build a crib so much they need to call in Wonwoo's best friend Mingyu for reinforcement. He can see the smile that graces his mother's face when he tells her the news and can imagine all the food his grandmother will send them in congratulations.

All these images meld together into a beautiful collage of  what-ifs  in Chan's mind. They feel so real and authentic it hurts when he's ripped away from them and thrust back into the real world by a persistent shake on his arm.

Chan opens his eyes and realizes it's Hansol shaking him awake. They're back at the company now and need to head up to the studio for dance practice. Today's the last day with the choreographer to teach them the routine for their comeback. They'll be filming the music video next week so now is not the time to get lost in his thoughts.

Chan thanks Hansol for waking him up and takes an awkward glance around the vehicle. He sees there is just the two of them still inside.

"Boo already headed upstairs," Hansol tells him.

Chan lets out a cautious hum in response.

"He's still, y'know, in a mood," Hansol replies as the two begin their trek into the building.

That's an understatement .

"He's not gonna let it mess with practice today. I made him promise." Hansol reassures Chan. They make their way to the artist-only elevators and step in after having their faces scanned for security.

"We'll see how that goes." Chan can only hope things go better than they did this afternoon.

As the elevator begins its ascent, Hansol rests a hand on Chan's shoulder and gives him a look filled with concern. "He'll come around, Chan. He's just thinking about the group."

"He's right, though." Chan deadpans out. "I should just get rid of it. Then it'll be like none of this ever happened and we can all get on with our lives."

Hansol's eyebrows shoot up at the realization that Chan overheard Seungkwan's earlier words. The elevator dings as it lands on the floor for their designated practice room that day. Before Chan can walk off in the direction of the room, ready to channel all his frustrations into practice, Hansol grabs him by the arm. He leads them to a secluded corner near the end of the hall and levels Chan with a considerate gaze.

"That's not what you want though, is it? You want to keep the baby."

"It's not possible, hyung. If I don't do it, I'll have to leave the group. The company's gonna want me to."

"I'm not asking about what the company wants. I'm asking about what you want.  You want to keep the baby, right?" It's said with a tone of finality like Hansol already has made his mind up on what the answer is.

Chan averts his gaze. He nervously plays with the team ring on his finger. The cold metal bites against his skin.

"I don't know."

Hansol just nods solemnly."You have to decide what is best for you. Not what's best for the company, or the fans, or Seungkwan and me ." He pulls Chan in for a side hug. "Whatever happens we got your back, bro."

" You  might."

"No,  we  do. Kwannie's just in shock. All three of us made a promise to always stick together a long time ago. He's not gonna break that, Chan."

Chan chooses not to argue, deciding it useless. Besides, he wants to believe Hansol's right. Despite today being quite the evidence against his case.

"He's gonna get even more upset with me if we don't head to practice right now," Chan says, tearing away from Hansol's arm and starting the walk back down the hall.

Hansol catches up, the two walking in sync. He looks down at Chan's stomach apprehensively. "Are you sure you should be practicing anyway?"

"I'll be fine. The doctor just said not to overexert myself. This isn't even one of our hardest choreos." Chan had already made up his mind that he at least needed to get through comeback preparations. He can't let their fans down by not participating in the music video. Maybe even the first stage if he can push it. It's not like he's going to start showing in the next few weeks. Besides he’s only thrown up like five times today. He could do this.

One time when Chan was a guest on a variety show there was a psychologist on the panel as well. He mentioned something called the frequency illusion, which is a phenomenon where once a person has learned about something they start seeing it everywhere. At the time it didn't really resonate with Chan, he just nodded along as the doctor spoke making a face that said  wow, that's fascinating without really fully understanding why an idol needs to be a guest panelist on a counseling show in the first place. But now it's nice to know he's not going insane when he suddenly starts to see children  everywhere.

The little girl clutched onto her mother's hand as they walked past Chan's van stopped in traffic. The tiny boy strapped across his father's chest standing in front of Chan in line at the convenience store next to their apartment. Chan just about lost it this morning when his brother Seokmin sent him a link to a video of a toddler dancing along to one of DOREMIZ's performances with the message  'Look it's a little Channie in the making 😻'  attached.

It's driving him insane. He thought the country had a declining birthrate for God's sake, yet every corner Chan turns he runs into the image of a chubby-cheeked angel.

It's not like Chan dislikes kids. No, he in fact really really likes them. He's always enjoyed interacting with children. They carry a bright and uplifting energy with them that comes from not yet knowing the true burdens of life. Not to mention just how  cute  they are so full of innocence and wonder.

He's always enjoyed working with kids anytime it comes up in their career. Just this past year for a special stage at their concert each member of  DOREMIZ performed with a mini version of themself. While Hansol had been awkward and timid with his young partner, Chan and Seungkwan quickly bonded and played games with theirs.  It's like looking at my younger self. Chan had fondlyremarked at the time. He considered little Inho like a cute brother for their short time together.

Now when he stares at the video clip Seokmin sent him the sense of kinship he gets leans more paternal than brotherly.  It's like it could be my son.

Chan tries to push all thoughts of parenthood and children to the back of his mind. Today is the first day of a two-day shoot for their music video. He only threw up once while getting ready and one more time after arriving on set this morning which is a good sign. It's going to be a great day where he's able to focus on his craft, do what he does best, and not think about the little tadpole growing inside of him. He's taken to mentally referring to the baby as that after what Hansol said because it makes the situation seem less  real .

He steers clear of Seungkwan who is still giving him the cold shoulder and settles into the makeup chair next to Hansol in the dressing room. He sends a swift reply to Seokmin's message 'ㅋㅋㅋ How cute' because Seokmin will get upset if he sees Chan left him on read with no reply.

Over the past week as preparations for the comeback have come to a head Chan's symptoms bear no sign of calming down. The morning sickness continues to plague him. He's taken to sticking to small meals and keeping ginger candies on him wherever he goes. The nausea continues to plague him throughout his days and he's grown over sensitive to smells. He had to stop in the middle of dance practice one day because the smell of Seungkwan's cologne mixed with his sweat sent Chan straight to the trash can to vomit. This doesn't help Chan get back into the older omega's favor one bit.

He's also just so damn tired all the time. He finds himself falling asleep in the chair as his stylist, Minghao, and his team flutter around. It's not like he can sip on an Americano like Seugnkwan or steal one of Wonwoo's energy drinks from his fridge, either.

"It's okay if you need to nod off for a bit. I'm about to work on your eyes anyways so you need to close them," Minghao says as he lifts a brush loaded with shadow to Chan's lids.

Chan closes his eyes and resorts to pinching himself on the thigh in order to stay awake. "No, I'm afraid if I go to sleep now I'll stay asleep." Chan needs to give this shoot his all. It could be the last time he's able to meet their fans through a music video for a while. Depending on whatever he decides to do about the little tadpole.

Minghao tuts at him and lightly smacks his hand away, preventing it from leaving marks on his skin. "You look extra tired today Channie, I had to use a color corrector on your dark circles. You need to take care of yourself."

"I'll be fine. Nothing I'm not used to." Especially in the early days of their career when they were going on music shows back to back for an entire month's worth of promotions. And don't get him started on the toll touring can take on his body. Chan is familiar with working under less-than-ideal health conditions. It just comes with the job.

Minghao shakes his head as he dusts glitter onto the inner corner of Chan's eyes. "No, this seems different.  You  seem different than usual."

When Chan opens his eyes Minghao is glancing at him with an inquisitive gaze. Chan typically loves attention but the other's scrutiny is crawling under his skin right now. It's not like there have been any physical changes to his form yet due to the pregnancy so there is no way that Minghao  knows.  However, Minghao has been with Chan for years now, back when the Chinese man was just an intern at the makeup shop he now owns. He's always been so in tune with others and very observant. His eye for detail is one of the reasons he's a master of his craft.

"What do you mean?" Chan clears his throat and shifts his gaze down.

Minghao hums as he grabs his lash curler. He brings it to Chan's eyes and clamps down. "Your vibe has a different feeling to it. Your scent is a little off, too. Not in a bad way, just different." He pauses his work and reaches up to smooth the wrinkle between the furrows of Chan's brows. "You don't just seem tired, you seem burdened by something."

Chan sucks a breath in, Minghao hitting the nail on the head. He has confided in his stylist before, using the makeup chair as a sanctuary to air out his troubles and get level-headed unbiased advice. Though only a few years older, the elder omega was leagues ahead in emotional maturity. Chan would love to just open his mouth and let all his worries spill out for Minghao to hear. He's certain the other would keep his secret safe. It's just too risky with all the other staff in the room.

"What do you do when you're faced with a hard decision, hyung?" Chan asks instead.

Minghao leans back and crosses his arms. "Well, it depends really. Is it a serious issue? Like life-changing?"

Chan nods, "Yeah, pretty damn serious."

"Well if that's the case I would lean more towards listening to your heart rather than logic," Minghao says as he lights a tiny wooden stick on fire before quickly blowing it out. He motions for Chan to blink as he runs the burnt wood along his lashes. "It's easier to live with a decision that your heart made. Less regret that way."

"What if the choice doesn't just affect you?"

"Everything we do affects someone in some way. That's what happens when you form relationships. It's just a part of being a human."

Chan lets the others' words wash over him. "Is that how you decided to stay in Seoul?"

Minghao had only come to shadow a famous makeup artist early in his career. He was meant to leave after completing his internship but had found love during his time in Korea. He's now been happily mated with Mingyu for a year,  DOREMIZ even got to perform at their wedding reception. Chan always wondered if Minghao ever regretted leaving his old life in China behind.

Minghao nods. "Yeah. I realized I was the one who had to live with the decision. Not my parents, no matter how much they wanted me to go back home. I just didn't want to spend the rest of my life going 'What if?, you know?"

Logically it makes sense to terminate his pregnancy. His career is on the line, something he spent years' worth of blood, sweat, and tears fighting for. Hansol and Seungkwan were right there with him too working just as hard to achieve their dreams. It would be unfair for him to take that away from them.

Yet his chest curls in on itself at the idea of telling his doctor he'll go through with the procedure at his follow-up appointment in a few days. He can't stop the flashes of  what ifs floating through his mind: a little girl that looks like Wonwoo gripping onto his finger as they cross the street together, Wonwoo standing in line at the convenience store with  their child strapped across his chest, Chan dancing with  his child—a real-life  little Channie —as Wonwoo's laughter heard behind the camera screen as he films them.

Could he spend the rest of his life lamenting this hypothetical child he cannot help but love?

When he looks in the mirror he spots Seungkwan looking at them from across the room as he's getting his newly blonde hair styled. Their gazes lock for a brief second before Seungkwan tears his eyes away.

"You're thinking too hard." Minghao comments as he moves on to Chan's eyebrows. "Seriously, why don't you rest Chan? At least while I'm finishing your look. It'll do you some good to turn that brain of yours off."

Chan sighs and nods, the offer too tempting. "Ok, but Myungho-hyung you have to wake me up if the camera crew comes into film behind-the-scenes footage."

"Promise."

(Minghao does not wake him up. Chan just has to live with the fact that he'll be seen snoozing in the background of the DRMZ.VLOG when it's released.)

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

DOREMIZ Reveals Title of New Lead Single 'Ready To Love'

June 8, 2021

Boy group  DOREMIZ  is preparing for a comeback with their 8th mini-album, 'Your Choice.'

On June 8, the trio consisting of SEUNGKWAN (Ω), VERNON (β), and DINO (Ω), released a clip revealing the name of the title song 'Ready to Love'. The group has also revealed a comeback teaser schedule ahead of their mini-album release.

Late last month, it was reported that the  DOREMIZ album is to be released on 18.06.21 at 6 pm KST.

WATCH THE TEASER HERE

Chan can feel the vibrations coming from Wonwoo's shaking hand all the way up his arm. The alpha has Chan's hand locked in a death grip as they sit in the private reception area of the OB/GYN's office. Chan uses his other hand to rub soothingly along his boyfriend's tense arm.

"God hyung, you seem more nervous than me."

Wonwoo offers him a sheepish smile. "It's not a bad nervous. It's a good nervous. I just can't believe we're here. That you're actually pregnant."

"Yeah, me either," Chan says softly.

"Are you feeling okay? I read online that you could start experiencing back pain now. Do you need a massage? I can try to give you one before you have to go to practice later." Wonwoo asks. He's taking this entire thing so seriously. He's taken to reading up on pregnancy symptoms in his free time and Chan is often greeted by a link to some article or a pregnancy blog whenever he checks his phone. It's all a little overwhelming but he knows Wonwoo means well.

"My back is fine right now. Thanks." Chan calmly replies.

"Are you hungry? There's a bakery nearby I can run to. I know you've been craving cream bread. I can check to see if they have any."

"No, I'm fine hyung." Chan cuts his rambling off. It was best to stop him before he really started. He lifts their intertwined hands. "All I need right now is you here with me."

Wonwoo nods and brings their interlocked hands to his face. He kisses along Chan's knuckles and smiles.

The conversation stops there. Chan and Wonwoo sitting in comfortable silence, basking in the reassuring warmth of each other's scent. Chan finds Wonwoo's eyes keep drifting towards his stomach absentmindedly. He's taken to doing that very often over the past two weeks since they learned the news.

Chan lets his free hand drift down to rest over his stomach. It's still just as flat as always but Chan can admit he feels it starting to soften. Where the hard planes of his abdomen muscles were he now feels a slight soft give as he presses against his shirt.

Truthfully, he's been dreading today. He tried his best to clear his head of thoughts of Little Tadpole while on set for the music video shoot and other than his informal counseling session with Minghao he'd been doing a pretty good job of it. Now, as he sits in the sterile waiting room he's faced with his dilemma head on again. Chan leans his head on Wonwoo's shoulder and breathes in his scent, letting the woody smell form a dam around his mind to protect him from his never-ending stream of consciousness.

"Lee Chan-ssi? We're ready for you."

Chan and Wonwoo stand up and follow the nurse back to the room. It's a whirlwind of activity from there. His vitals are checked and his weight and height are quickly measured before he gets his blood drawn. Wonwoo is right there with him the whole time, a calm steady presence amongst the commotion.

They are led back to the examination room where they are instructed to wait for the new OB/GYN to arrive.

"Dr. Hong," the doctor introduces himself as, with a kind smile. "Nice to meet you Lee Chan-ssi, Jeon Wonwoo-ssi."

Dr. Hong's hands are cold yet comforting as Chan shakes them. The doctor is an omega, as most OB/GYN specialists are. His bright and refreshing citrus scent warms the cold, sterile environment of the examination room. Chan feels immediately at ease with him.

"Alright so we're still waiting on the results from your blood and urine samples to come back but from what I see in your charts everything was fine when you visited your primary care physician," Joshua says as he reads through the file on his laptop.

"That's good," Chan says.

"Yes. We're just double-checking to make sure that everything is developing smoothly. Now Chan-ssi, how have you been feeling lately?"

Like shit.  Chan wants to say. His back is aching constantly and he gets nauseous whenever the wind blows in the wrong direction. He's so damn exhausted all the time too, especially after practice. But this is a part of the job. He's learned over the years how to just grit his teeth and push on.

"I've been fine," Chan says calmly.

Wonwoo pipes up from beside him. His eyebrows are scrunched together and concern is laced in his voice. "He's been really tired lately, Dr. Hong. And he's still getting sick every morning. I read that it can let until the end of the first trimester, but I'm afraid he could be overexerting himself."

"Yes, sadly morning sickness can last for a while but most start finding relief around week 12." Joshua looks back over to Chan. "Are you getting enough rest? I take it you're still working. While dancing can be a great way to get exercise while pregnant you mustn't be putting yourself under too much stress. Given your profession Chan-ssi, you need to be extra careful."

Chan shakes his head, "I am still working but honestly I'm fine. We finished up most of our preparations. I just want to get through this first week of promotions. It's the least I can do for our fans." The ' Since it might be the last time' remains unspoken.

Joshua eyes Wonwoo briefly before nodding. "As long as you are listening to your body. Remember if you experience any discomfort, pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness I advise you to stop immediately."

Chan nods.

"Now, I see in the notes here that you asked to hear about options to end the pregnancy. Is that still the case?" Joshua asks.

Chan tenses and suddenly it's like his lungs forgot they had the ability to breathe. He closes his eyes as his grip on Wonwoo's hand tightens.

Here it is. What he's been dreading. The dilemma constantly looms in the back of his mind. He wants to be able to give the doctor a clear answer, but the truth is Chan still has no fucking idea what to do. It's like he's tied to a stake and being torn in half. One rope connected to the life he's created for himself and the very real dream he worked so hard to reach. The other connected to the

illusory life he didn't realize he even really desired. No, more like the life he didn't allow himself to ever possibly consider. But the more it becomes a tangible form, the more he realizes just how much he yearns for it.

"We can still discuss the options but you don't have to make a decision today." Joshua softly notices Chan's apprehension. "You have until your 22 weeks to decide."

Chan opens his eyes and looks at Wonwoo. He offers Chan a reassuring smile and not much else. While Chan is grateful that the other offers him blind support no matter what, a small part of him wishes Wonwoo would express what his desires are on the matter.

Joshua closes his laptop and moves to wash his hands. He motions for Chan to lie back on the examination table. "Okay then. Keeping that in mind I need to ask if you'd like to see the baby today while I complete your ultrasound. I have to perform the procedure no matter what, but I can put up a partition if you would like."

Chan meets Wonwoo's eyes. The elder tells him it's up to him, but Chan sees a sparkle of desire shining behind the lenses of his glasses.

He already knows what Wonwoo wants, even if the elder hasn't flat-out said it. He shows it instead. Chan thinks back to the tab of a baby furniture website he pretended not to notice at the top of Wonwoo's computer screen the other day.

"I want to see it," Chan says. He reaches out for Wonwoo's hand after he lies back flat on the table. He squeezes it twice for good measure. " We want to see it."

Chan's breath hitches at the shakey blue and black image filling the screen. Chan feels hot tears pinprick the corner of his eyes even before Joshua tells him ' So there's the baby's hand and we can see its fingers here'.

A quiet cry of  'Oh my God'  comes from beside him. Wonwoo's voice is watery and shaky as he repeats the phrase over and over again.

Chan is certain he's crying as well but he can't bear his eyes away from the screen. From the image of  his child.

"I'm going to check the heartbeat now. If you look here you can see it beating." Joshua directs their attention to the quick movement in the middle of the screen. He zooms in on the screen and must be interpreting the random lines running across the bottom of it Chan can't decipher. "We're at 150 beats per minute."

"That sounds high. Is that good?" Chan asks.

"Yes, at 10 weeks a normal fetal heart rate is between 140 and 170 beats per minute so this is a great sign that the baby is developing well."

"Now, you're far enough along Chan that we can hear the heartbeat. Would you like to?"

Without hesitation, Chan and Wonwoo both say  yes.

The steady quick thumping fills the room. As Chan lies there with his shirt hiked up and the probe glides along his stomach spreading the warm gel around everything suddenly feels real.

A baby. That's a baby. It's not some imaginary amalgamation in his head. It's right there taking residence in his womb, using the fuel and energy Chan gives it to grow and thrive. Something that he's created. His baby.

Silence fills Wonwoo's car as he drives Chan away from the doctor's office and off to the company's building. He was only allotted 3 hours in his schedule for the follow-up appointment. It's back to the never-ending grind as their comeback showcase draws near.

Chan clutches onto the tiny black and white picture in his hand.

Maybe it was a mistake taking the image with him. Or even allowing himself to look at the ultrasound. It only made this decision a thousand times harder.

But as he gazes at the photo, running his finger over the swooping lines of the baby's tiny form he can't find any regret lingering in his heart.

"Do you need me to stop at the store before I drop you off?" Wonwoo breaks the silence.

"No, I'm fine. I'll get Seungcheol to pick up the vitamins Dr. Hong prescribed later."

"Are you sure? It won't be that big of a detour. We still have thirty minutes to get you back to the company."

Chan ignores the question and asks one of his own. "Hyung, what should I do?"

Wonwoo's eyes flash over at Chan before returning to the road. "I take it you're talking about the baby?"

"Yes, I'm talking about the baby." Chan sighs out. He doesn't need Wonwoo doting on him right now, what he needs is to feel like he's not making this very huge life-changing decision on his own.

Wonwoo puts his turn signal on and pulls the car over in an alley with low traffic. He glances around checking that there is no one there even if the windows are tinted—always looking out to protect Chan.

Once he's deemed the area private enough he says, "You should do whatever you want to do, Chan."

"No, stop doing that." Chan grits his teeth. "Stop putting it all on me, you're a part of this as well."

"It's your body though, Chan. It's your career that would be on the line. I don't feel like I really should have a say."

"It's your baby too, hyung! It's  our baby." Chan's loud voice echoes throughout the vehicle. "I don't want to be alone in this!"

Wonwoo instantly reaches over to pull the mask Chan is wearing down his face so he can wipe at the tears streaming down Chan's cheeks. He cradles Chan's head and sounds distraught when says, "Oh no Chan, you aren't alone. You're never alone."

Chan leans against him and lets loose all the pent-up tension he's been holding in for the past two weeks. Wonwoo says nothing else as he lets the younger man cry against him for a few minutes. He only lets go when the well of Chan's tears finally runs dry.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea you were feeling this way."

Chan sniffs, "I didn't really know either until today. I'm sorry for yelling at you. My mood is all over the place."

"You don't need to be sorry for having feelings, Channie." Wonwoo reaches over into the glove compartment and pulls out a pack of tissues. He offers one to Chan.

Chan takes the tissue with a mumbled thanks. "Really hyung, what do you want me to do? And no more 'whatever you want Jungchan-ah' bullshit, what does Jeon Wonwoo want?"

Wonwoo swallows hard. His eyes float down to where the discarded ultrasound picture lies on the dashboard. "Truthfully Channie, I've wanted to keep it since you said you were pregnant. Seeing the baby today just solidified it for me."

Chan nods. It's what he suspected but it's nice to have it confirmed aloud.

"But I won't be mad or upset if you do decide to end the pregnancy. Really, I wouldn't blame you for wanting to. One of the things I fell in love with was the passion you have for your job. Seeing you dance, it's like magic. You belong on the stage and this might rob the world of being able to see that."

Chan hums and takes a deep breath. He smiles at Wonwoo. "Thank you for telling me, hyung."

"Did that help at all?" Wonwoo asks hopefully.

"Ah, not really." He quickly backtracks when he sees Wonwoo's shoulders deflate. "With the decision I mean. I'm just as lost, maybe even more unsure. But it helps to know I'm not alone in this."

He leans over and gently grabs the sides of Wonwoo's face. He pulls the elder in for a kiss that is soft and steady. Wonwoo brings his hand up and cradles Chan's chin. The feeling of Wonwoo's cool fingertips pressed against his chin is a reminder that they have each other no matter what comes their way. Chan grins into the kiss and tilts his head wanting to drag out the feeling.

His cell phone suddenly rings, and Seungcheol's display name flashes across the screen.

"Ah shit we gotta go. That's probably Seungcheol-hyung wondering where the hell I am."

Wonwoo starts the car as Chan pulls his mask back up.

22 weeks. That's the deadline Dr. Hong had given him.

Chan looks out the car window watching the buildings of Seoul flash by.

He still has time.

The group has a pre-recording for their comeback showcase tomorrow and while Seungkwan has a variety show shoot he has to go to that day, Chan and Hansol were lucky to have been given the easy task of shooting TikTok challenges with company seniors and juniors along with some other promo materials for the upcoming week.

They are just finishing up filming their challenge with an overly enthusiastic Hoshi-sunbaenim when Seungcheol rushes into the dance room and informs Chan there is some urgent matter with the company he needs to attend to. When he asked for more information his manager just said that one of the higher-ups requested Chan come for a meeting as soon as possible. Chan assumes it has something to do with the comeback so he waves goodbye to Hansol and Hoshi making sure to thank the elder for his help before heading upstairs.

The sight that greets him is unsettling. Across the table sits the CEO of the company with a stern look on his face. In the middle of the table lies an unopened manilla file folder. There are a few other people sprinkled around the table, Chan recognizes them as various employees of the company. The atmosphere in the room is tense and unusual with no kind greetings or formalities.

Chan bows anyway and lets out a greeting. "Good morning, Daepyo-nim."

"Sit down, Chan. We have matters to discuss." The CEO's tone is cold and unfamiliar as his eyes flit to the chair in front of him.

Chan looks to the side, eyes begging Seungcheol for any kind of clarity on the situation. The manager can only offer him a slight shrug before he pulls out Chan's chair and takes the seat next to it. Apprehensively Chan joins him.

"I want you to open the folder on the table, Chan. Tell me what you see inside."

Chan reaches forward and grabs the folder. He slowly opens it and his heart immediately sinks into his gut when he sees its content.

Inside are numerous photos. Some are blurry and hard to decipher but most are clear enough that it's easy to see who the subject is. Each and every picture contains Chan.

There is a shot of him in the passenger seat of a very familiar black vehicle. The driver's face is blurred, but Wonwoo's tall torso and cropped black hair are a dead giveaway for who it is. There is another picture of the two of them out on the street hand in hand. Chan remembers the day it must've been taken, they had gone out for celebratory drinks after seeing one of his Seokmin's theater productions. Another shows Chan entering and leaving Wonwoo's apartment building, his cap doing little to conceal his identity.

Who the hell took these? How did they take these?

The most damning picture of all comes in the form of a shot of Chan exiting the doctor's office a few weeks ago. The shock and anxiety are written across his features as he tumbles towards Seungcheol's awaiting van. A printed copy of a chat log between a reporter and an eyewitness at the hospital is attached. Chan's eyes zero in on the last few messages.

Reporter

You were one of the hospital staff present at the time of Dino-nim's visit, correct?

Eyewitness A

Yes, that's right.

I can confirm that he did in fact test positive for pregnancy. 

Reporter

Thank you for your time.

Chan slowly lifts his head and looks at the president of the company's unamused face.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

At a loss for words, Chan can only stare helplessly. He opens and closes his mouth a few times but nothing comes out. What is one supposed to say after finding out the intimate details of their personal life are about to be exposed to the entire world?

"You've put the company in quite a situation, Chan. The reporter informed us this morning about the article."

"When is it supposed to come out?" Seungcheol asks from the side as he looks over the contents of the folder.

"We managed to persuade them not to release the article, but at a high cost."

Chan breathes out a sigh of relief. He still has time before everyone finds out. He still has time to make a decision.

22 weeks.

"However, we need to discuss Chan's future with the company."

Okay, so, maybe he does not have time to decide.

"My future?" Chan asks.

The CEO nods solemnly. "It's obvious how important  DOREMIZ  is to our company. You are one of our company's main revenue streams and losing a member would give the band a hit we don't think it could survive right now. Especially with the upcoming comeback, it's integral we keep the group as 3."

Chan perks up at this. He was certain this would be the end of his career once the company found out about the pregnancy. "So you're allowing me to stay?"

Another one of the executives speaks while turning on the giant screen in the room. He displays a document Chan recognizes as the contract he signed years ago with the company. "Under some conditions. You have passed the expiration date for the dating ban clause in your contract, so there's nothing we can do about your private life. We just ask that you be more careful. We were able to prevent the dating news from spreading this time, but we may not be able to stop it again."

Chan nods. "Okay, is that it?"

The man shakes his head and scrolls down further in the document. "I'm afraid not. Here in Article 8 subsection B of your contract, you agreed to use suppressants to prevent your heat cycle and/or any reproductive issues from interfering with your promotions as an idol. That includes pregnancy."

Chan bites back the bile that attempts to come up as his stomach twists and turns at the other's words. It suddenly feels twenty degrees colder in the room. He painfully swallows and asks, "So that means?"

The CEO takes back over and levels Chan with a look. "If you decide to keep your child you will be in violation of contract and we will have grounds to sue. If you want to continue being a member of DOREMIZ you need to terminate the pregnancy. There's no way around it. You violated your contract. This is the only way for you to continue with our company. Think of the uproar and scandal that will be caused otherwise. This doesn't just affect you, Chan. Think of all the staff that have poured money and resources into allowing you to chase your dreams. Not to mention the members you will be effectively screwing over."

The CEO leans forward so he's face to face with Chan and lowers his voice. The deep sound of it sends shivers down Chan's spine as he whispers, "And that boyfriend of yours. The alpha cameraman? Our company has a lot of ties with many broadcasting networks. It might be difficult for him to find work once this gets out."

He leans away from Chan, a fake smile plastered onto his face as he crosses his hands in front of him. "The choice is obvious Chan-ah. You always were such a bright boy. You will make the right decision and soon, understand?"

"I understand." Chan robotically states.

With that, the CEO finishes the meeting quickly. Chan goes through the motions of pleasantries before he makes a swift exit. The second he steps into the hallway he promptly vomits all over the floor.