105

“Ugh…”

A soft groan escaped Yu-young’s mouth. He shakes up someone else’s heart and sleeps so peacefully on his own.

Even thinking that, Do-won moved quietly, just in case Yu-young might wake up. He gently wiped the dirty thighs and sensitive areas with a warm, damp towel. He was careful not to cause any stimulation, but Yu-young turned his body with a “hnng.”

Do-won’s hand naturally moved toward Yu-young’s face. Really, so sensitive. After lightly brushing Yu-young’s beautiful features with his palm, he wiped the liquid that had landed on his lower abdomen.

As his body became clean, Yu-young seemed more comfortable, his eyelids trembling as he fell into a deep sleep. Staring at his white, puppy-like face, Do-won put Yu-young’s pants back on, and then pulled up the blanket soaked in his own pheromones to cover Yu-young’s neck.

Everything was taken care of, and now, he just needed to go to sleep. The living room was warm, and Yu-young seemed to be comfortable. He would probably sleep well through the night.

Still, Do-won couldn’t bring himself to leave. He stared at Yu-young’s face as though nailed to the spot, then slowly sat back down on the floor. Yu-young’s face was close enough that a hand could easily reach it.

Staring down at his sleeping face, Do-won thought that he could stay like this forever.

‘…Ha.’

The contents of the contract he had confidently signed, the thought of not wanting to hurt Yu-young, who hated alphas, came to his mind one by one. The way he felt when he suggested this contract.

At that time, he had simply thought he made the offer to avoid a marriage with Sun-hyung, but did he truly have no feelings for Yu-young back then? Was the offer truly made for the mutual benefit of both parties?

The flow of thoughts stopped at that question, and a hollow laugh followed.

No, it wasn’t like that.

He had already been holding Yu-young, the man sleeping so defenselessly in front of him, in his heart.

The man he had thought was arrogant turned out to be polite, considerate of those around him, and a hardworking subordinate. He had started to see him from a new angle after realizing this, and gradually opened his heart to Yu-young.

Despite being an omega, the strong, unyielding pheromones that matched his personality, which at first felt alluring, made him fall deeply, which stirred up excitement he had never felt before.

Above all, when Yu-young called him “Team Leader” and naturally clung to his arm, he liked it. Despite his tough personality, he found it endearing when Yu-young accepted his touch with a calm face.

The way Yu-young cooked for him while wearing an apron was irresistibly lovable, and even when he answered slowly with a sleepy voice and tried to stay on the phone with him all night, it was just as precious.

He couldn’t help but admit it. His face, his body, his heart, every moment with Yu-young was something he couldn’t help but love. He wanted to throw away the false guise of the contract and cherish him in his heart, truly wanting to be with him. He wanted to walk the long journey of life with him.

And now, he wanted to convey all of those feelings to Han Yu-young.

Trying to calm the overwhelming emotions, Do-won leaned in and kissed Yu-young’s face. On his slightly swollen eyelids, his well-shaped ear, his cute nose, and finally, his plump, warm lips.

If Yu-young had pushed away alphas to avoid getting hurt, Do-won thought that as long as he didn’t hurt him, that would be enough. Just like how Yu-young made him smile often lately, Do-won believed he could do the same.

Although their relationship had started in an unusual way, through a contract, they would return to square one and take things slowly.

He would start by carefully approaching Yu-young , making sure not to surprise him too much. And, he would confess his feelings in time, but not too late.

Do-won bent down again and kissed Yu-young’s cheek. After saying a quiet good night, he was about to turn and leave the room.

But, he couldn’t bring himself to go to his bedroom.

Instead, he settled down on one side of the wide sofa where Yu-young was lying and closed his eyes. Despite the uncomfortable sleeping position, the comfort of the mixed pheromones quickly helped him fall into a deep sleep.

…

The sound of the alarm woke Yu-young up. Even before opening his eyes, he felt a light headache. As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was an empty wine bottle and a wine glass.

“Ugh…”

He wasn’t particularly good with alcohol, and after downing a whole bottle of wine last night, it seemed like he had a hangover. Yu-young frowned, yawned, and rubbed his eyes as he sat up.

“…Huh?”

A blanket he had no memory of bringing was covering him. It was an unfamiliar item, and from the strong scent clinging to it, it was undoubtedly Do-won’s.

So he must have seen me sleeping here when he got home from the company dinner and covered me up. Yu-young thought nothing of it and stretched—only to freeze in place.

…Wait a second.

His fragmented memories began to replay, piecing themselves together.

‘But we… It’s my first time… I don’t want to do this while I’m drunk.’

Yu-young’s face turned pale as he clapped a hand over his mouth. His pupils trembled uncontrollably, but his merciless brain insisted on dragging up the rest of the memory.

‘Do you really not want to? Should I stop?’

‘…No. Keep… Ah!’

“Shit…!”

He almost screamed. Yu-young barely managed to clamp his mouth shut, his eyes darting around in panic.

This was insane. Completely insane. Otherwise, what the hell had he done with Choi Do-won—?!

Kissing was one thing. He had kissed Do-won more than once before. But last night, they had clearly gone beyond that.

The sensual sounds that had repeatedly spilled from his own lips, the way his lower stomach melted into a puddle, and… the undeniable traces left behind in liquid form—he couldn’t just dismiss them. The memories were too vivid.

Every place Do-won had touched tingled unbearably, but at the same time, it had felt so good. So good that his body had felt like it was falling apart. Strange sounds he had never made before had poured from his lips. When Do-won’s hands had touched parts of him that no one else ever had, his mind had nearly gone blank. The pleasure, the kind he had never experienced before, had been overwhelming enough to make his vision flicker.

Still, how could he have done something like that with Choi Do-won while he wasn’t even in his right mind? Yu-young grabbed his hair with both hands, biting down hard on his lip.

If he was going to mess up, he might as well have blacked out completely. But no—he had drunk just enough for his memory to remain frustratingly intact, the pieces locking together to paint a clear picture of the night. If he had known this would happen, he would have had two bottles instead of one.

Useless regrets filled his mind as he anxiously ground his teeth.

How was he supposed to face Team Leader now? Should he pretend nothing happened? Say something? While he was still in a panicked daze, the door to Do-won’s bedroom suddenly swung open.

“Han.”

“Team Leader—AAAH!”

Like a thief caught at the scene of a crime, Yu-young let out a startled shriek. As he looked up to see Do-won staring at him with a baffled expression, he shot up from his seat.

“I-I’m going to go wash up!”

“Alright. Take your time. I’ll be making breakfast.”

Do-won’s response was calm and unhurried, but Yu-young didn’t have the mental capacity to process it. He bolted toward his room and slammed the door shut, pressing both hands against his burning face.

“This… This can’t be real.”

The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to squirm in embarrassment, but he had to get ready for work regardless. Turning on the warm water, he washed his face and brushed his teeth, trying his best to calm himself down. He had no choice.

Do-won was someone he had to see all day—at home and at work. It wasn’t good for him to be this restless, like a dog desperate to pee.

After finishing his shower and changing into fresh clothes, Yu-young hurried to the kitchen, only to see Do-won placing a steaming bowl of soup on the table. His eyes widened.

“This… What is this?”

“You drank a lot last night. I made you some hangover soup.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

Team Leader had gone to a company dinner last night, too… But come to think of it, Yu-young had never seen him bother with hangover remedies, even after drinking.

So this meant this delicious-looking bean sprout soup was made just for him.

Of course, this wasn’t the first time Do-won had cooked for him. But the fact that he had taken care of him even after Yu-young had drunk himself into a stupor made him feel strangely… off.

Pressing his lips together, Yu-young quietly sat down. The hot bean sprout soup and neatly arranged side dishes from the housekeeper were spread out on the table.

“Eat up.”

“…I will.”

With a small nod, Yu-young picked up his spoon and brought it to the soup first. As soon as he took a sip of the clear broth, speckled with red chili flakes, a satisfied sound escaped his lips.

Silence followed.

Then—

“Pfft.”

Do-won chuckled.

“…Sorry.”

Yu-young quickly raised a hand to cover his flushed face.

This was all Choi Do-won’s fault. Why did he have to make the soup so damn good?!

Blaming Do-won with completely unreasonable logic, Yu-young lowered his head, nearly burying his face in the soup bowl.

“What are you sorry for? It makes me happy to see you enjoying it. Eat plenty.”

“Yes, sir.”

Do-won looked genuinely pleased. More than that, even while eating, he would occasionally glance up at Yu-young, watching him with an expression so full of affection it was almost unbearable.