Marriage Mate: 20

“Yu-young! We should have a drink too! We need to clear up any lingering feelings!”

“Ah, yes, Deputy Manager. Welcome.”

Anyone could see that Yu-young wasn’t the least bit pleased, but he still spoke politely and guided the deputy manager to the empty seat beside him.

“Han, do you know how disappointed I was? Last time, you argued with me so fiercely! And then you even filed a complaint against me … That was you, wasn’t it?”

“Haha, Deputy Manager. I think there’s some misunderstanding. I never filed a complaint against you.”

“Come on, if it wasn’t you, then who else would’ve done it? The only people I treat so casually are you and Yoon-seok…”

At that point, the deputy manager abruptly shut his mouth. It seemed even he realized that saying he treated them “casually” sounded a bit off.

“Anyway, let’s be open and honest tonight. Let’s clear everything up and leave all our emotions here!” He poured a generous amount of liquor into Yu-young’s glass. There was only one person at the table who couldn’t freely speak their mind, but Yu-young silently accepted the drink with an awkward smile.

“To be honest, at first, I found you a bit annoying, Han. You walk around with your head held high just because you’re good at your job, you don’t have even a hint of submissiveness, and every time I try to teach you something, you argue back without missing a beat…”

“…”

“But! After going through this situation, I’ve felt a lot of different emotions. So in the end, as your superior, I’ve decided to embrace you, even though you have a difficult personality. You get what I mean, right? These days, leaders need to be tolerant!”

The soju glass in Yu-young’s hand trembled dangerously. His thigh quivered with barely contained rage, and Yoon-seok, growing anxious, placed a calming hand on it—his silent plea for Yu-young to hold back.

Seeing Yu-young’s face darken in real-time, Ju-yeon hurriedly refilled the deputy manager’s glass.

“Haha, our generous and broad-minded Deputy Manager! Let’s have a drink!”

“Exactly! That’s why you’re the only one I can rely on, Ju-yeon! Alright, everyone, bottoms up!”

Even though the alcohol suddenly tasted bitter, Yu-young silently swallowed his drink. Yeah… at least he wasn’t hearing this nonsense sober. With that thought, the liquor slid down his throat more easily.

For nearly twenty minutes, the deputy manager alternated between boasting and venting, completely killing the mood at the table. Every sentence began with “Back in my day” and ended with “Kids these days.” As Yu-young watched Yoon-seok struggling to suppress a yawn, his eyes tearing up from the effort, the deputy manager suddenly refilled Yu-young’s glass again.

“Hey, Han! What are you doing? Drink up!”

“Ah, I’m feeling a bit dizzy…”

“Come on, a young guy like you can’t be weak! Look at me, I’m still perfectly fine. And you can’t refuse a drink offered by a senior! Back in my day…”

The deputy manager relentlessly filled everyone’s glasses, but especially targeted Yu-young, insisting it was a “reconciliation drink.” He pressured him to drink at double or triple the pace of everyone else. Even when Yu-young tried to politely decline with a smile, the deputy manager would make a disappointed face and say, “You won’t even drink for our reconciliation?” So, in the span of twenty minutes, Yu-young had to drink five extra shots compared to the others.

Thud.

Yu-young set his empty glass down on the table and pressed his forehead with his palm, feeling lightheaded. His body wobbled like a squid. He had reached his absolute limit.

Ugh, so dizzy… I really can’t drink anymore.

His vision spun. As he blinked sluggishly, the deputy manager’s face appeared doubled before his eyes. His body kept tilting forward and sideways, and he felt like he might faceplant into the sizzling grill.

He needed to say he couldn’t drink anymore, but his mouth wouldn’t cooperate. When he finally managed to open it, all that came out was a strange, garbled sound.

As his limp arm wavered, Yoon-seok grabbed it and whispered urgently in his ear, “Assistant Han.”

“….”

“Han… Are you okay?”

“I’m… fine…”

At that moment, like a savior, the manager stood up with a flushed face and clapped his hands twice.

“Alright, that’s it for tonight’s gathering!”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“Anyone who wants to go for a second round, feel free! But don’t drink too much.”

“Manager, you should come with us!”

“Nah, I’ll leave now so you younger folks can have fun.”

The timing was perfect. If the manager hadn’t intervened, Yu-young might have drowned in alcohol. The moment the deputy manager stood up to grab his bag, everyone at the table let out a collective sigh of relief.

With flushed faces, they hurriedly gathered their belongings. Yu-young reached for his phone, but his arms felt like jelly. His vision swirled wildly, and his usually nimble body felt as heavy as lead. No matter how hard he tried to keep his eyes open, his eyelids kept drooping.

Damn… This is bad…

When he tried to stand up, his legs wobbled uncontrollably, and he nearly collapsed. Yoon-seok caught him just in time.

“Assistant Han! Are you okay?!”

“He was already swaying a bit earlier,” Ju-yeon said worriedly as she rushed over to support him. Ironically, she had contributed quite a bit to getting him drunk.

With their help, Yu-young barely managed to stand.

“Ugh… S-sorry…”

“If you’re drunk, at least show it! You were sitting there looking fine—when did you even get this wasted? Pull yourself together, Yu-young!”

As their group struggled to support him, most of the planning team had already left the barbecue restaurant. Now, only Yoon-seok, Yu-young, and Ju-yeon remained at the table.

Yoon-seok, draping one of Yu-young’s limp arms over his shoulder, turned to Ju-yeon.

“ Do you know where Han lives?”

“No… I have no idea.”

“Then what should we do?”

“Put him in a taxi, of course! Yu-young! Wake up!”

Ju-yeon lightly slapped Yu-young’s cheeks, but his consciousness was already slipping away, not even registering the pain. All he wanted was to bury his face somewhere and sleep. Whether Ju-yeon smacked him or not, he simply smiled hazily and closed his eyes.

As Ju-yeon and Yoon-seok sighed in unison, a low voice suddenly rang out from behind them.

“What are you all doing there?”

“Oh, Team Leader!”

Ju-yeon called out to Do-won urgently, looking as if she had just found a savior.

“What should we do? Assistant Han is way too drunk… He can’t even move. But no one here knows his address… It would be great if he could at least respond, but he’s just making strange noises and can’t speak at all. Team Leader, do you happen to have his emergency contact or address saved?”

Do-won looked down at Yu-young with an expression of disbelief. Just a moment ago, this insolent subordinate had been barking at him, but now he was slumped over like some sort of invertebrate. His face was marked with bright red handprints, yet he was even smiling to himself as if he was in a good mood.

Letting out a scoff, Do-won spoke coldly.

“This is ridiculous. Is Assistant Han always like this?”

“No, this is the first time I’ve seen him like this. He usually knows how to pace himself… But the Deputy Manager insisted on making him drink excessively, saying it was for reconciliation.”

Hearing Ju-yeon’s explanation, Do-won sighed and ran a hand through his hair, clearly irritated. Just then, Yu-young, who had barely managed to lift his head and open his eyes, bit his lip as he looked at Do-won’s face.

Again, that expression… What a bastard.

A surge of emotions welled up inside him. Looking at this man, he felt annoyed, resentful, and even heartbroken. His intoxicated, clouded mind became an even greater mess of emotions.

Why had this man suddenly appeared and completely turned his life upside down? Before Do-won, Yu-young’s life had been stable—maybe a bit tough and sometimes boring, but at least predictable.

Was it the same for Do-won? Did he find Yu-young’s presence just as annoying, frustrating, and unbearable? Was that why he always wore that expression when looking at him?

But still, Yu-young was a cherished son in his family, someone often called lovable by others… So why did this man always look at him as if he utterly despised him?

Hot tears suddenly spilled from Yu-young’s eyes. The heat that had been boiling inside finally turned into liquid, rolling down his cheeks. Once the tears started, they wouldn’t stop. Like a flood bursting through a dam, he let out a choked sob.

Yu-young shook off the arms of Ju-yeon and Yoon-seok, who had been holding him up. His body, as limp as a squid, staggered toward Do-won. With both hands, he grabbed onto the lapels of Do-won’s clearly expensive jacket.

Ju-yeon and Yoon-seok simultaneously gaped in shock.

“Yu-young! What are you doing?”

“Assistant Han!”

Although he had boldly grabbed at the man’s collar, the stark difference in their height and build made it look more like Yu-young was clinging to him. Staring up at the man who was looking down at him in sheer disbelief, Yu-young stammered out his distress.

“Team Leader… do you… hic… really… hate me that much?”

“Assistant Han.”

“I mean… I hate you too… Seriously… hic I hate you so much… hic damn it…”

“Yu-young!”

“Assistant Han!”

Ju-yeon and Yoon-seok, now pale as ghosts, scrambled to pull Yu-young away, but he desperately clung to Do-won’s jacket, refusing to let go. He was like an octopus suctioning itself to a rock, muttering slurred insults as he clung on.

Looking down at the drunken mess of a man gripping him, Do-won spoke icily.

“Assistant Han, stop doing things you’ll regret tomorrow.”

His voice was sharp with irritation, veins standing out on his forehead. The coldness in his tone was enough to make even Ju-yeon and Yoon-seok flinch. But in Yu-young’s intoxicated state, he couldn’t perceive any of it. Instead, that cold voice only made his sorrow swell even further.

“See… hic even now… sniff Look at you… You bastard… hic you’re such a… such a fucking bastard.”

“Yu-young, please!”

“Assistant Han!”

But Yu-young was too far gone. His body, drenched in alcohol, was rapidly shutting down. He was losing energy by the second, barely able to stand.

As he wavered, his tear-streaked, snot-covered face sank against Do-won’s chest. And the moment he did, the scent of the man wrapped around him.

Damn it… he smells so fucking good.

Even though this man was so heartless and utterly devoid of empathy, the pheromone-laced scent rising from his skin was intoxicating.

“Sniff… Ha… Seriously… Why does your scent have to be so damn good… when your personality is absolute trash…?”

“Assistant Han!”

“Yu-young!”

Ju-yeon and Yoon-seok’s panicked voices echoed in the background, sounding distant and hazy. The grip Yu-young had on Do-won’s jacket slowly loosened.

Ah… I’m so sleepy.

As the overwhelming drowsiness took hold, Yu-young’s knees gave out. But instead of crashing to the ground, he felt no impact.

Whatever… I don’t care anymore. Let things happen as they will. I’m just going to sleep…

With that final thought, Yu-young let his heavy eyelids close, and his consciousness faded to black.