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“Han Yu-young! Han Yu-young!”

Just like when they had all called out for Do-won earlier, voices shouting his name erupted from all around. Yu-young sighed and allowed himself to be led forward.

I really hope they don’t make me do something weird. If they ask me to sing, I’d rather do that, but why does it feel like something’s going to happen with Do-won?

“Alright, our handsome team leader already introduced himself, so now let’s have our Assistant Manager introduce himself.”

With one hand raised to cover his flushed face, Yu-young reluctantly took the microphone. He bent slightly at the waist and, facing forward, introduced himself with clear, precise pronunciation.

“Hello. I’m Han Yu-young, Assistant Manager of Team 1.”

“Wow! So handsome!”

Ju-yeon’s mischievous voice rang out loudly across the auditorium. At the same time, laughter erupted again. Yu-young shot her a sideways glance, his face bright red, but the mood had already become just the right temperature to carry on with whatever was next.

“Alright, now let’s get started. Do you all remember the communication concept we talked about earlier? What’s the most important thing when it comes to sharing your heart?”

“Expression!”

“That’s right. How do we express ourselves? Through words and actions. Now, let’s take some time to actively express ourselves through words and actions to our respected team leader and beloved teammates. First, both of you should face each other. And extend both hands forward.”

Biting his lip, Yu-young stood facing Do-won. For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to look into Do-won’s eyes, so he focused on the area near his shoulder instead. This meant he had no idea what kind of expression Do-won was making.

The instructions continued.

“Alright, next, hold each other’s outstretched hands.”

Yu-young felt his face grow even hotter. To hold hands, facing each other, in front of all these people?

He briefly imagined shouting out that he couldn’t do it and running away, but he knew if he did that, it would look like he was hiding something with Do-won. Shaking off the absurd thought, Yu-young grasped Do-won’s hands in front of him.

Calm down. It’s just a team leader and a team member holding hands. What’s the big deal? He thought to himself, taking a deep breath, puffing his cheeks like a hamster, and exhaling quickly.

“Alright, we’re ready. Now, just repeat after me with the words on the screen. You’ll address the other person by name and then explain why. First, shall we have our team leader demonstrate?”

Come to think of it, Yu-young couldn’t really remember what had been put up on the screen while he was talking with Ju-yeon. Slowly turning his head to look at the screen, he froze. A terribly awkward sentence caught his eye. At the same time, Do-won’s soft voice filled his ears.

“Assistant Han, I’m always reassured by you being here. Thank you for always working so hard for the team.”

His words, elegantly delivered with perfect pronunciation, ended with a few small gasps of admiration from around the room. Yu-young felt as though he’d mistakenly wandered into a celebrity fan meeting.

“Assistant Han! Don’t just listen! You have to respond.”

“…Ahem… Team Leader.”

Still unable to look up at Do-won, Yu-young lowered his gaze and mumbled.

“…Team Leader, I’m always reassured by you… I respect you for always working so hard for the team.”

It wasn’t that it didn’t embarrass him, saying this in front of so many eyes while holding hands with Do-won, but it was still bearable. He hoped this would end soon, but unfortunately, this was just the beginning.

“Alright, the two of you have demonstrated well. Now, everyone else, please pair up with someone sitting next to you, your dear teammate, and do the same.”

Following the instructor’s instructions, the audience quickly paired off. Amid the chatter, the instructor switched to the next slide.

“Now, let’s move on to the next line. Team Leader, please read this one.”

“Assistant Han, I’d like to know more about you, who always works so hard for the team.”

Once again, the monotonous voice read the words displayed on the screen. There was no real meaning to it; he was just following instructions, but for some reason, those words stirred something deep within him. Yu-young, his face and ears now bright red, tried to focus on the screen, hesitating as he read the words out loud.

“…Team Leader, I’d like to know more about… the Team Leader, who always leads the team with strength…”

Even as he read, he thought, I should have just read it without hesitation… The pause and awkwardness in his voice made his discomfort even more apparent.

Luckily, the audience was distracted, repeating the same words to their partners, so Yu-young’s flustered expression wasn’t as noticeable.

However, Yu-young’s face was growing even redder. It was just a simple exchange between a team leader and a team member, and words they could easily exchange in this kind of setting, but for some reason, those words felt special to him.

As he steeled himself and raised his head, his eyes landed on Do-won’s ears, which had also turned bright red.

‘…What’s this?’

Do-won’s gaze had always been direct, never shying away from looking people in the eye. But now, Yu-young noticed something subtly different in his expression, as though he were a little embarrassed.

“Alright, now for the final step! This time, as a token of appreciation for all the hard work under the team leader, we’ll have you read these lines and give each other a proper hug. For those of you who are more reserved, you can substitute a handshake.”

A hug… Yu-young’s face was nearly bursting at this point. The audience, without thinking, followed the instructor’s direction, either hugging their partners or exchanging handshakes. However, the two standing in front, Do-won and Yu-young, just stared at each other, unsure of what to do.

However, Do-won’s hesitation was brief. He quickly opened his arms wide, striking a pose as if to say, “Come here and hug me.” The moment he did, Yu-young’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach. Then, Do-won stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace.

““You are always my person, Han. …I love you.”

Do-won’s voice came through the microphone handed to him by the instructor. At the same time, he closed the distance between them. As his warm pheromones enveloped Yu-young, his heart began to race wildly, as if it were about to burst out of his chest.

“What are you doing, Yu-young? Hurry up and hug back, and respond!”

Yu-young’s arm, which had been stiff and frozen in place, slowly reached up to wrap around Do-won’s back. He almost instinctively hooked his arm around his neck, but he stopped himself. Having embraced him so many times, his body naturally fit against Do-won’s.

“…Team leader, you’ve always been my, my person. Love… ahem.”

Yu-young couldn’t finish the sentence. Even though he knew it was a meaningless phrase in this context, saying it felt strangely ticklish, from his lips to his chest.

“You two look perfect together!”

“Wow!”

A mischievous voice echoed from somewhere, followed by a burst of laughter. The previously tense atmosphere shifted instantly. Before the audience’s cheers could grow louder, the instructor hurriedly wrapped things up.

“Haha, it seems like our team leader and team member have a very close relationship. We’ve witnessed your happy moment together, so let’s give them a round of applause!”

Amid the enthusiastic applause, the two of them returned to their seats. As Do-won sat in the front row, Yu-young’s face was burning up, almost at the point of exploding. Ju-yeon, laughing, poked Yu-young’s cheek with her finger as he sat down.

“You look like a perfectly ripe tomato. You two really looked like a picture!”

“Ju-yeon, stop teasing me…”

But Yoon-seok, for once, remained silent, pouting. However, Yu-young didn’t have time to worry about that. After returning to his seat, he was so anxious about his heart pounding loudly that he worried others might hear it. Nervously scanning his surroundings, he held his chest.

The shared barbecue table was covered with delicious-looking meat and drinks. Although the weather was cold, the evening sky was painted with beautiful colors, and under the warm, bright lights, the team members in their thick clothes chatted eagerly, filled with excitement.

“Yes, this is it. It wouldn’t be right without it.”

With skilled hands, Ju-yeon made some soju cocktails and handed them out to everyone sitting at the same table. Yun-seok, sweating profusely, was running errands for Do-won, while Do-won himself was grilling the meat in front of the grill.

“Wow, the team leader is grilling all the meat… What should I do, this is so embarrassing.”

“Eat a lot, enjoy.”

His response was simple yet gentle. Do-won, with his sleeves rolled up and wearing work gloves, looked radiant even in a tracksuit as he grilled the meat.

Soon, the perfectly cooked meat was placed on the shared platter. After setting down the tongs, Do-won picked up a paper cup filled with soju made by Ju-yeon. The others also raised their cups in unison.

“Let’s make a toast, Team Leader!”

“Yep! Leave it to me.”

Ju-yeon quickly stood up and raised her paper cup.

“To the endless growth of Team 1, to this beautiful night, and to these two who are such a perfect match!”

“Ju-yeon!”

Yu-young, who had been quietly sitting, was suddenly caught off guard and screamed. The team members at the adjacent table, including Ju-yeon, giggled as they looked at him. Unlike Do-won, who remained expressionless, Yu-young’s face turned completely red. Ju-yeon teased him again, saying, “You’re definitely asking for it.”

“That’s enough teasing, but seriously, eat a lot.”

“Yes! Enjoy your meal, Team Leader!”

The atmosphere was warm and lively, and the glasses kept passing around the table. After the day’s activities, there were no more schedules, so all the team members, including Yu-young, freely drank as much as they wanted.

Yu-young occasionally glanced around. Unlike at lunch, Do-won had naturally seated himself next to him. He couldn’t understand why that felt so reassuring and comforting. With a pounding heart yet a relaxed mind, Yu-young continued drinking.

Do-won, who had been drinking whatever Ju-yeon handed him, didn’t change his expression even as he drank. Meanwhile, Ju-yeon, who loved alcohol, eagerly continued to offer him more drinks. As the alcohol bottles stacked up, the mood became even more heated.