"Min Jae? As in... Lee Min Jae?" Mr. Ji asked, unable to contain his unbelief.
"Yes." Min Jae shortly replied. He was expecting that Seong Won would take a moment before he would reply but apparently, the man was excited to hear from him again
"Min Jae! How have you been? It's been so long that I thought you forgot all about me already." Ji Seong Won joked. He was really surprised to receive a call from him today. Part of him was glad but at the same time, he also worried that something terrible might've happened. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen nor talked to Min Jae for a while now. He thought it was simply because he was doing well. "Min Jae... are you okay?" Mr. Ji asked again, this time he was more careful and gentle.
Min Jae paused. Seong Won knew him well. He was quick to know if something isn't right. "Let's meet today. I... I need your help."
---
The next weeks had been dragging for Min Jae. He was told by the private investigator to wait for three long weeks before they could proceed with the paternity test. Of course, there was nothing else he could do. Even Ji Seong Won advised that he make himself productive instead so that he wouldn't think much about the waiting process.
"What would you do if the results really show that you're the child's father?" Kang Suk Ju asked. He dropped by to visit Min Jae this morning, knowing that today would be the day he'll have the DNA test.
He had kept his distance from Min Jae during the past weeks. Aside from the fact that he had also been busy, he didn't want to let his emotions make him do something he would regret. He was still upset with Min Jae's actions, especially upon knowing that he might've gotten Na Rae pregnant. But what else is there that he can do? There's an innocent life at stake and the least he could do was to pretty much make sure that this bastard takes responsibility of his sins.
"I don't know..." Min Jae muttered. He was leaning against his desk with his arms crossed. Staring into space, he continued. "I will support the child of course but... I don't know if I can become the father he or she needs."
Suk Ju turned to look at his direction. One thing's for sure, Min Jae's current situation had indeed slapped the sh** out of him. It was disheartening to see that it had to come to this before he realized his mistakes. Truly one has to lose something first before they regret not knowing its value.
Seeing Min Jae like this, it was no use for Suk Ju to hold a grudge against him anymore. There was despair in his eyes and even if Min Jae doesn't say it out loud, Suk Ju could tell that he's nervous for the DNA test. "Well... you can still decide on that when you see the results. Hopefully the child isn't yours. Otherwise, you know that you have to do the right thing this time, don't you?" Suk Ju asked.
Min Jae let out a sigh. He knew that much. The moment he confirms that the child is truly his, he'll have to support the child. He'll have to treat the child as his own. Even though the baby was just an accident, he shouldn't allow the baby to live like that forever. Min Jae slowly nodded in response to Suk Ju.
A knock resonated from the office doors. Secretary Yoo entered and greeted his superiors. "Mr. Lee, your car is ready." He reported.
Min Jae's phone buzzed at the same time. Checking the screen, he read the message from Na Rae who agreed to proceed with the paternity test. Min Jae's brows furrowed upon receiving her response. Her confidence wasn't really a good sign for him. Could it be that she's really saying the truth?
"She's up for it?" Suk Ju curiously asked as he saw his friend's expression.
"I was surprised myself that she did." Min Jae replied. Keeping his composure, he purposely dismissed the pessimistic thoughts. He still had to know for sure. After another deep breath, Min Jae finally made his way out the door.
Na Rae was already at the hospital when Min Jae arrived. Apparently, she didn't seem nervous at all. She looked thinner than before and with the dark circles under her eyes, Min Jae could tell that she hadn't been properly resting too. "I've already registered for the DNA test. We should see the specialist now." She said without much enthusiasm.
Min Jae followed Na Rae until they reached the specialist's office. The genetic specialist was a woman in her late forties. When she saw them coming in, she welcomed them and asked them to take a seat before she began explaining the procedures.
It was simple actually. Because they couldn't risk Na Rae undergoing the invasive methods as it could be a cause for miscarriage, they went for other means. Through the non-invasive pre-natal paternity testing, they would be able to observe the fetus's DNA by drawing a blood sample from the mother. It will then be tested to see if it matches Min Jae's.
After explaining the procedure, the genetic specialist proceeded to draw a few blood samples from Na Rae. Afterwards, with a buccal swab, she collected cheek cells from Min Jae. "We would be able to provide you the results after ten working days. Should there be any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me." The professional said.
"How accurate will the results be?" Min Jae couldn't help but ask.
"Ms. Choi is approximately eight weeks pregnant by now and that's an ideal timeframe for the test. We are particularly aiming for the fetal DNA found in the mother's blood. It increases as the pregnancy progresses so if you wish for a more precise result, I suggest that you wait for a few more weeks before taking the test again." She explained.
Wait for a few more weeks?! Screw that! He could only hope that the first test results to a negative. Else, there's really no way out for him.