92

A busy schedule was lined up, waiting for Do-won and Yu-young. After successfully finishing the workshop, the very next day—Sunday—was set aside for housewarming visits with both sets of parents.

With the help of the housekeeper, the two of them woke up early in the morning and busily prepared to welcome their guests.

“My, your cooking skills are extraordinary.”

Do-won’s cooking skills, which Yu-young had always thought were impressive, shone brightly as if he had been waiting for this moment. Even the newly hired housekeeper couldn’t help but admire him as he prepared the ingredients. He worked so quickly, just like how he handles things at the company. By the time the parents began to arrive around lunchtime, the table was filled with an array of dishes.

“Yu-young! I’m here.”

“Mom!”

Yu-young’s parents were the first to arrive. Wiping his hands on his apron, Yu-young greeted his mother, who was taking off her shoes, with a warm hug.

“How have you been? Oh, my child, you look even better since you got married!”

“Welcome, Mother, Father.”

Next, Do-won, following behind, greeted Yu-young’s father with a bright smile and then politely took his mother’s bag and coat. Seeing his manners naturally shine through along with his elegant smile, Yu-young’s mother beamed with satisfaction.

“How’s our son-in-law been doing? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you both. I wanted to visit a few times, but I held back, thinking it might seem too forward. I waited for you to invite me.”

“Haha, we should have had you over sooner.”

“Well, speaking of which, what’s that wonderful smell?”

Yu-young’s mother asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Oh, we made some food for everyone today.”

“Really, Yu-young, you can cook?”

“I’ve always done a bit of cooking. But actually, Do-won is better at it. And the housekeeper helped, too.”

“Wow, I was worried about whether the two of you could manage cooking by yourselves, but it looks like I was wrong.”

As they entered the dining room, Yu-young’s mother clapped her hands in admiration at the beautifully arranged dishes on the table. After taking a moment to marvel at everything, she turned around and slowly began to look around the house.

“How do you live so beautifully? It’s so nice. I heard Do-won led the interior design?”

“It was just a joint effort with the designer.”

“Wow, this is the most beautiful house I’ve seen in a while.”

With a flushed face, Yu-young’s mother circled the spacious living room before approaching Yu-young and giving him a subtle nudge in the side.

“Hey. Yu-young, where’s the bedroom? Can you show me around?”

“…Huh?”

In an instant, Yu-young’s palms began to sweat. He and Do-won were using separate bedrooms, and if he opened the door and showed it to her, his mother would quickly realize that it was a space only Yu-young used. The pheromones, the belongings… everything.

“Ah… Haha, Mom, come on! We do value our privacy, you know.”

“Come on, I just wanted to see the room!”

“Well, still… that’s…”

Yu-young clenched his fists, sweat dripping from his palms, and glanced over at Do-won, hoping for help. But Do-won was on the other side, talking with his father. Damn it, he had to handle this on his own.

In the end, Yu-young, feeling defeated, blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Well… we were busy preparing food since early this morning… haha… we didn’t get around to tidying the bedroom.”

“Tidy up? Haha, who cares if it’s a little messy? I’m your mother.”

“It’s not that… it’s just… well, yesterday… ahem.”

“…Huh?”

His mother, who had been looking at him with a pure expression, suddenly turned bright red.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Yu-young. Ahem.”

“Haha… I’ll show you next time.”

The lie to get out of the awkward situation worked well enough, but the embarrassment that followed was hard to shake off. Both he and his mother blushed, and Yu-young raised his hand to subtly hide his face. The mere thought of hinting at something they hadn’t even done yet made his face burn with embarrassment.

‘What… what am I even imagining?’

Despite his efforts not to, his unusually vivid memory kept replaying the night of the workshop—the soft sea breeze, the sound of the waves, and the kiss with Do-won beneath the dark trees.

The way Do-won’s lips had gently parted his own, and the sensation of his touch had now become something that felt almost natural to Yu-young, which felt oddly unfamiliar to him. In fact, when Do-won kissed him, Yu-young couldn’t help but think that maybe he had been waiting for this all along, even during their walk on the beach.

Still, he had to admit it now. Do-won’s touch was incredibly comforting, and kissing him made his heart race every time. The way Do-won always asked if they could kiss, the warmth of his hands as they gently caressed and held him, the scents, sounds, and the very air they shared—it all felt so good.

“Hey! Yu-young, what are you thinking about?”

“No, nothing.”

Yu-young snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his mother’s voice. Just then, the intercom buzzed loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. It seemed like Do-won’s parents had arrived.

‘Stay calm. You can do this.’

Yu-young swallowed and steadied his nerves. He walked up to Do-won and stood beside him. It was clear he was feeling a bit more tense than when it was his own parents. After all, one of his parents had shown a clear dislike toward him, so it was understandable.

Then Do-won’s hand quietly found his.

“You don’t need to worry. I’m here.”

“…Yes.”

Noticing Yu-young’s anxiety, Do-won gave his hand a gentle squeeze and whispered into his ear. Yu-young silently nodded, feeling his anxiety slowly subside. With a smile on his face, he prepared to welcome Do-won’s parents.

“Ah, welcome!”

“Haha, have you been well?”

“Welcome, Father, Mother.”

For a while, the air was filled with cheerful greetings near the entrance. Do-won’s father, upon entering the house, let out an appreciative exclamation. It must have felt particularly meaningful to him, since he had personally given the house as a wedding gift.

“You’ve really made this place beautiful.”

“Haha, thank you, Father.”

“So, how’s it been living with Do-won? Has our son been treating you well?”

As he handed Do-won his coat, Yu-young’s father unexpectedly asked this question, causing all attention to turn to Yu-young. In an instant, he could feel his face flushing, but he answered bravely.

“Yes, of course. Team… Do-won is so considerate… Ahem… He’s very thoughtful.”

“You two look so good together. Well then, shall we go inside?”

“Yes, please come in.”

Yu-young wasn’t sure why such a simple question was making him so nervous. He had always thought of Do-won as his team leader, but now, with him as a spouse, the role was constantly on his mind.

‘…Spouse…’

That word felt heavy and significant, especially considering that, despite living together, things with Do-won hadn’t really changed much. They had made a promise to keep their physical relationship on hold, after all.

However, he couldn’t deny that his feelings for Do-won were slowly ripening. Even though nothing outwardly had changed, Yu-young was now fully aware of how differently he felt. He just couldn’t show it to Do-won.

“Why did you prepare so much food? You both worked hard.”

“Yes! Thank you. Please sit over here.”

“My, our youngest has grown up so well and is handling things so maturely…”

Everyone, except for Do-won’s mother, was chatting happily, asking about each other’s well-being. Of course, they didn’t miss the chance to praise the food that Do-won and Yu-young had so carefully prepared. Do-won’s mother still looked displeased, but as it was a gathering, she was clearly trying to hide her discomfort.

Business talk, health, golf—they all came and went quickly. But the parents’ biggest interest was naturally the couple’s married life, so the conversation swiftly turned to questions about the young, lovely couple.

“So, how is married life going? I heard it’s a secret at the company?”

Yu-young’s mother asked, her face full of curiosity. With a soft smile, Do-won answered.

“Yes, we thought it would be easier for both of us to keep it private while working, especially since we’re on the same team.”

“Right, that makes sense. Oh my, how romantic… Dating your team leader. That must be quite thrilling!”

Yu-young gave a vague smile, looking at his mother, who had a girlish expression on her face. Well, there certainly was a bit of thrill to it, he couldn’t deny.

“We decided to give it a year, but seeing how happily you two are together, I think it would be wonderful to speed things up. You should get registered and have a wedding soon!”

Yu-young’s mother said this with a dreamy smile, her hands clasped together, while both fathers smiled warmly. Although they all said politely, “Come on, they might feel pressured.”

However, a calm voice interrupted Yu-young’s mother’s words.

“Haha, even so, I think it’s better to take some time and think things through slowly. After all, that’s what the kids wanted from the beginning.”