Chapter Text
The bell above the door of Little Sprouts Boutique gave a soft, melodic chime as Euijoo pushed it open. The shop was located in a quiet, residential ward on the very edge of Kyoto—miles away from the university campus, hidden where no one from their world should ever have been browsing.
Inside, the air smelled faintly of lavender and soft cotton. Racks of tiny, pastel-colored onesies and miniature knit socks lined the walls. For the first time in months, Taki felt a small, genuine smile pull at his lips. He stepped deeper into the shop, his hand instinctively resting over the soft cream sweater Euijoo had bought him, feeling the small, sturdy curve of his three-month bump underneath.
"Look at these, Taki," Euijoo whispered softly, holding up a pair of tiny yellow mittens. His tangerine and honey scent flared with a warm, maternal brightness that made Taki feel incredibly safe. "They're made of organic bamboo cotton. They won't irritate the baby’s skin."
"They're beautiful, Hyung," Taki said, his chest swelling with a bittersweet warmth. He gently took the mittens, running his thumb over the soft fabric. "But we should just look for the basic swaddles today. I need to keep a strict budget."
"Don't worry about the budget today. I have a little bit left over from my extra shifts," Euijoo insisted with a gentle smile, guiding him toward a clearance rack of swaddle blankets at the back of the store.
They were completely wrapped up in their own quiet world, whispering about cotton blends and pricing, entirely unaware of the sleek black sedan idling across the street.
Behind the tinted glass of the passenger seat, Nicholas sat with his arms crossed over his chest. His dark eyes were cold and calculating as he watched the two omegas through the boutique’s large glass window.
Nicholas hadn't been able to shake the dark suspicion since his conversation with Maki in the lounge. He knew Maki had knotted Taki. He knew Taki claimed to be on cheap medication, but Nicholas also knew his own boyfriend, Euijoo, better than anyone. Euijoo was a terrible liar, and over the past week, he had been working exhausting night shifts, skipping lunches, and acting incredibly protective over Taki.
So, when Euijoo had hurriedly left campus that afternoon, claiming he had an "errand" to run, Nicholas had quietly followed him.
And now, looking through the window of a baby boutique, the final piece of the puzzle shattered the last of Nicholas's doubts.
Nicholas pushed the car door open, his heavy alpha presence instantly stifled by the humid afternoon air. He didn't unleash his pheromones—he kept his scent perfectly locked down as he crossed the street and stepped into the boutique, the door chiming softly behind him.
Taki was holding up a soft yellow swaddle, showing it to Euijoo, when a deep, familiar voice pierced the quiet shop.
"I didn't know you two were shopping for a nursery."
Taki froze. The yellow blanket slipped from his fingers, fluttering to the floor.
Both omegas snapped their heads around. Nicholas stood at the end of the aisle, his hands shoved into the pockets of his expensive trousers. His expression wasn't angry; it was terrifyingly serious, his sharp eyes boring directly into Taki's midsection.
"N-Nicholas," Euijoo stammered, his face turning pale as his sweet tangerine scent instantly soured with pure panic. He quickly stepped in front of Taki, trying to shield him with his own body. "What are you doing here? Why are you following me?"
Nicholas ignored the question, walking slowly down the aisle until he was standing just a foot away from them. He looked down at the tiny mittens in Taki’s trembling hands, then looked back up, meeting Taki's terrified gaze.
"You lied to Maki," Nicholas stated, his voice flat and absolute. "The generic medication. The abdominal cramps. It was all a lie to get him off your back."
"Nicholas, stop it!" Euijoo cried out, his voice cracking as he grabbed Nicholas's arm. "Please, just leave him alone—"
"Euijoo, look at where we are," Nicholas cut him off, his tone softening only slightly as he looked at his boyfriend, before hardening again as he faced Taki. "Maki is an idiot who wanted to believe the easy lie because he's terrified of his family's reaction. But I'm not an idiot. A dominant alpha knotting an omega in heat doesn't just end with a stomach ache, Taki."
Taki backed away until his shoulders hit the wooden display rack, his hands tightly gripping the fabric of his cream sweater, clutching his stomach in a desperate, final attempt to hide the truth. Tears blurred his vision, his throat tightening until he could barely breathe. The static of his post-trauma anxiety buzzed faintly in his ears.
"Please," Taki whispered, a broken, breathless sob escaping his lips. "Please don't tell him, Nicholas. If the Hirota family finds out, they'll destroy my mother. They'll take my baby away. I'm leaving Kyoto after this semester, I swear. I'm going to disappear. Just... please don't tell Maki."
Nicholas stared at the trembling boy. Seeing Taki’s absolute terror, the sheer desperation in his eyes, Nicholas felt a sudden, heavy weight drop into his stomach. He looked at Euijoo, whose eyes were wide and begging, overflowing with tears for his friend.
Nicholas let out a long, heavy breath, running a hand through his hair. He had found the ultimate proof. Taki was carrying the future Hirota heir—the most dangerous secret in all of Kyoto.