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The hand Yu-young had hesitated to offer quickly warmed from Do-won’s touch. Even though he’d been drinking, the scent of his pheromones, carried by the breeze, felt pleasant. The combination of the alcohol and everything else made Yu-young’s eyes redden and his heart swell with excitement.”

No matter how much he tried to calm himself, the pounding of his heart showed no signs of stopping. Finally, Yu-young gave up trying to suppress it and decided to simply enjoy the night. He walked slowly, matching his steps with Do-won’s, all the way to the end of the narrow path.

And there, spread out before them, lay the calm sea at the edge of winter.

“Wow.”

The sound of the waves had reached their ears by then. The empty beach greeted them quietly. Yu-young stopped walking for a moment, watching the dark water gently ripple.

A cold wind blew, and Yu-young, unaware, shivered. Without a word, Do-won draped his jacket over his shoulders.

“Team Leader, I’m fine. I have my own jacket on…”

“Just keep it on. You’ll end up leaving early because of a cold if you’re not careful.”

Yu-young chuckled at his usual, somewhat scolding way of looking out for him.

“Team Leader, you can just admit it. You’re giving me your jacket because you’re worried about me. Why be so shy about it?”

Yu-young smiled playfully and looked up at Do-won. But when Do-won looked down at him, there was no smile. His gaze was deep, as dark as the night sea, and he spoke quietly.

“Yeah. I’m worried. I don’t want Assistant Manager Han to catch a cold.”

“……”

“I don’t care about you leaving early or anything. I just don’t want you to be sick.”

Having said that, Do-won took Yu-young’s hand again and began walking slowly. Yu-young had expected him to continue joking or scolding as usual, but after hearing Do-won’s unexpected serious response, he had no choice but to walk along, silently led by his hand.

The waves rolled in, crashing against the shore. Do-won stopped just before the water could touch their feet.

“The view is beautiful, Team Leader.”

“Yeah. It is beautiful.”

His voice, laced with admiration, merged with the softness of his words. The scent of the sea, carried by the breeze, enveloped Yu-young, bringing a warmth he hadn’t realized he needed. It had been so long since he’d felt the sea air in such an open space.

“Being here with you, looking at the sea… it’s really nice.”

Was it only the alcohol, or was it the romantic setting? The lights of a beautiful resort sparkled in the distance, and the stars twinkled above the dark sea. The peaceful sound of the waves filled his ears like a song.

And beside him stood Do-won, the man he couldn’t help but admit he liked. His honest feelings poured out without him even realizing.

“Do you like the sea?”

“Yeah. I mean… the sea’s nice.”

In truth, Yu-young wanted to say he liked everything—the sea, the moment, and even Do-won—but it felt too much. Even with alcohol, he hesitated to say too much. He stammered and trailed off.

But then Do-won said something that caught him off guard.

“Instead of just liking the sea, don’t you think you should like the guy standing next to you by the sea a bit more?”

“…What?”

His heart, which had been peacefully beating in rhythm with the waves, suddenly raced faster. He felt like his secret thoughts had been exposed, like a child caught doing something wrong. Yu-young’s eyes widened in surprise.

However, seeing Do-won smile mischievously, as if it was just a joke, his tension eased a little.

“You just said you absolutely didn’t like me, right? You said you didn’t feel any attraction at all.”

“Th-That’s not it! Team Leader!”

Yu-young realized that his earlier words might have hurt Do-won. If he were in Do-won’s shoes, hearing a strong denial like that would’ve made him feel the same way. As he realized this, Yu-young flustered and waved his hands.

“How can I say anything after that! What if… what if people find out about us?”

Seeing Yu-young floundering, Do-won just smiled quietly. It had been a joke, after all. Still, Yu-young found himself troubled by his own reaction to the seemingly harmless comment. He forced himself to calm his racing heart and changed the subject.

“Team Leader, you… your answer…”

“My answer? What answer?”

“You said earlier you had someone in mind.”

As soon as he spoke, an odd feeling washed over him. It felt like his heart was aching. Without realizing it, Yu-young clutched his chest tightly, trying to stop the strange sensation. He paused in his steps, taking a deep breath, but somehow, it didn’t feel right.

‘What’s going on with me…’

“…Can I ask who it is?”

“……”

“You said in our contract that we have to inform each other about things like this.”

Yu-young barely managed to blurt out the words stuck in his chest. He was genuinely curious, though he didn’t want to mention the contract—he just couldn’t help it. The clauses in the contract that stated their personal relationships were their own business tightened around his heart more and more. The part about not falling in love seemed to constrict him even further.

It felt like no matter how close he got, Do-won would take two steps back. If it was true that Do-won had someone else in mind, then he absolutely couldn’t let his feelings be exposed.

In the brief silence, the sound of the waves surged in.

“Who do you think it is?”

Do-won asked. His serious tone, without a hint of laughter, made it hard for Yu-young to interpret his words. Do-won’s face, which usually left Yu-young guessing about his thoughts, seemed even more enigmatic today, putting him to the test.

He couldn’t say anything. He was afraid that if he revealed his feelings, Do-won would look at him with disdain. But he also didn’t want to know how Do-won truly felt. The thought of Do-won being kind to someone else, the way he was to Yu-young, was painful, like a thousand thorns piercing his chest.

Would he smile and pat someone else’s head, fix their clothes, or buy them flowers? He would speak in that detached yet kind tone, offering words of comfort and encouragement in any situation.

Even when their lips met, it would probably be the same. He would hold the back of their head and waist as gently as he did with Yu-young, never rushing, letting their lips meet softly. With his intoxicating pheromones, he would envelop the other person like a warm blanket, careful not to break anything precious, his beautiful, large hands caressing gently.

‘Stop.’

The thought hurt. Yu-young squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. He didn’t want to keep torturing himself.

If that was the case, then what were all the things Do-won had done for him? The disappointment that had started to rise in his chest was quickly crushed by the clauses of the contract.

The part about caring for each other’s pheromones. The pheromone bond was based on physical contact, after all. If Do-won were to say he had only done what the contract required, Yu-young would have nothing to say. There would be no reason to resent him.

Do-won, looking down at the silent Yu-young, spoke again.

“That’s…”

“No, no, Team Leader.”

Yu-young shook his head, hoping his voice didn’t sound too desperate. He forced a brave smile.

“It’s fine. I don’t want to hear it. I’m not curious.”

“…Assistant Manager Han.”

“Why would I listen to stories about my team leader’s love life? I’m happy with how things are right now.”

Yu-young, trying to leave behind the warmth of his words, skipped along the beach like a playful child.

“If I did something silly like this, what would you say?”

Do-won stood motionless for a moment, but then, with a faint smile, replied.

“Don’t trip and cry, just walk slowly.”

“Pfft, why would I cry? Stop treating me like a kid.”

Yeah, this was fine. Just joking around with each other, spending time in a comfortable atmosphere. That was the right answer.

But from now on, he had to be more careful. If Do-won truly had someone else in mind, and what he said wasn’t just a joke, then…

Do-won had made it clear he wasn’t seeing anyone. It wasn’t like he had started a relationship with someone else either. He didn’t think Do-won would lie about something like that, so Yu-young believed him. That meant Do-won was likely experiencing one-sided feelings.

So, even if he and Do-won continued to have physical contact under the pretense of pheromones, it didn’t mean they were doing something wrong or causing harm. But if it continued, the one most likely to get hurt was Yu-young himself. Though he liked Do-won, Yu-young didn’t want to let himself get hurt.

Do-won liking someone else, and Yu-young being the one to kiss and touch him…

If Do-won was truly in love with someone else, the deeper the feelings grew, the more painful it would be for Yu-young.

“Team Leader, let’s go back. You’re going to catch a cold.”

“I’m fine.”

“Still, I don’t want you getting sick.”

That was why Yu-young decided to lock away his emotions even more. The truth was, he wanted to walk with Do-won a bit longer, to listen to the waves together, but he had to be careful not to get lost in the romantic atmosphere of the night. Smiling lightly, Yu-young turned toward the resort.

But just as he started walking, the grip on his wrist stopped him. Yu-young turned back.