Marriage Mate: 23

In the end, Do-won got up from his bed. The more he drank, the clearer his mind became, a habit that always made things harder for his body. If only he were the type to pass out when drunk, like a certain someone sleeping soundly in someone else’s living room, at least his mind would be at ease.

Muttering a low curse, Do-won stepped out of his bedroom. Lying down any longer would only give him a headache, so he figured he might as well have a glass of wine alone and try to sleep again. For some reason, he was craving alcohol even more tonight.

“Scraaaatch…”

As he entered the living room, he saw Yu-young scratching his belly, his shirt completely untucked from his pants. The sheer ease with which he was sleeping in an unfamiliar place was beyond exasperating. Do-won let out a scoff and looked down at Yu-young’s still-snoring face with a mix of disbelief and disdain. But then, he felt a vibration from his pants pocket and pulled out his phone.

[Lee Sun-hyung]

The moment he saw the name on the screen, Do-won’s face twisted into a frown. Since when had it come to this? There was a time when seeing this name made him genuinely happy. Would it ever be possible to go back to those days?

For a brief moment, such thoughts crossed his mind. Then, erasing any trace of displeasure, he answered the call. He wasn’t particularly eager to, but if he ignored Sun-hyung for too long, the man would only become more persistent.

“…Yeah.”

—“Do-won, what are you doing?”

“Look at the time. Do you think this is an appropriate hour to ask that?”

Despite Do-won’s curt response, Sun-hyung let out a quiet chuckle. However, hearing his laughter only made Do-won scowl even more.

“…Are you drunk?”

—“Mmm. Had a drink with some business partners earlier, and I’m having another in a bar now since I’m in a good mood.”

“It’s already midnight. Stop drinking and go home.”

—”…Is that all you have to say? That’s kind of cold.”

At Do-won’s sharp words, Sun-hyung’s voice took on an unmistakable tone of disappointment.

—“Why don’t you come over? It’s been a while since we had a drink together.”

“I started a new job yesterday. I barely got any sleep last night.”

Do-won ran his palm over his face. Just moments ago, he had felt like drinking and had already grabbed the first bottle his hand reached in the wine fridge. But having a quiet drink alone was an entirely different matter from going out to meet Sun-hyung.

A brief silence followed before Sun-hyung spoke again.

—“You’re really being harsh, Choi Do-won.”

“……”

—“When I drink, you’re the only one I think about. Right now… I really want to have a drink with you.”

“Hang up. You’re drunk. Call a driver and go home.”

—“Choi Do-won.”

His quiet voice called out to him, almost pleadingly.

—“I told you before, didn’t I? I don’t see you as just a friend.”

“Haa… Lee Sun-hyung.”

Letting out a long sigh, Do-won leaned his head back with his eyes closed. He switched the phone to his other ear and, with his free hand, opened the wine bottle and poured a glass.

“I’m sure I told you back then too. I don’t see you as anything more than a friend.”

—“Do-won.”

“Do I need to make it clearer? Is that really what you want?”

—”……”

His cold voice cut through the silence, each word deliberately clipped. He had to grit his teeth to keep himself from outright snapping.

“Sun-hyung, we’ve been friends for a long time. I don’t want to hurt you anymore. So, please… stop.”

—”…Do-won. You really…”

“I’m hanging up. Let’s talk when you’re sober.”

Without hesitation, Do-won ended the call and placed his phone on the kitchen island with a sharp clatter. Picking up his wine glass, he downed it in one go. The astringent liquid coated his mouth before sliding smoothly down his throat.

A deep sigh surged up from his chest once more.

His father’s company had recently signed a new partnership, which meant there would soon be a family gathering. It was already a given that he would have to see Sun-hyung that day, and the thought of it was already weighing on him.

Do-won’s family and Sun-hyung’s family had been close for generations. Not only had their fathers been childhood friends, but their businesses were deeply intertwined as well.

That in itself wasn’t the problem. What made Do-won uncomfortable was the arranged marriage between him and Sun-hyung that had been set up by their families long ago.

Of course, since Do-won had fiercely resisted it, the marriage had remained nothing more than a discussion, never formally arranged. However, when both he and Sun-hyung turned out to be a dominant Alpha and a dominant Omega respectively, their parents made a fuss about it being destiny. Even if Do-won wasn’t home Sun-hyung would be invited over for meals as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The topic of marriage came up frequently—whether a few years later would be ideal, where they should get a newlywed home, and so on.

His father and stepmother had always treated Do-won as their trophy—an only son who excelled at everything. And to them, Sun-hyung was the perfect son-in-law. His family background was solid, his looks were decent, he was obedient, and he carried himself with grace and dignity.

Do-won had rebelled against that family atmosphere. He had spent his entire life living up to their expectations as the “perfect son.” But marriage—marriage was something he wanted to do out of love, with someone he truly cared about.

People often teased him, calling him old-fashioned for being so stubborn about marriage. But he didn’t care what others thought. Watching his stepmother—who had entered his home through an arranged marriage—treat him with hostility after his birth mother’s passing had made him utterly sick of the idea of loveless, convenience-based marriages.

And as if that weren’t enough, it was Sun-hyung himself who had reinforced Do-won’s aversion to both arranged marriages and Omegas.

Since childhood, Sun-hyung had taken it for granted that he would marry Do-won. So when Do-won first expressed his opposition, the shock Sun-hyung experienced was beyond imagination.

Perhaps that was why, at one point, he had attempted to seduce Do-won by using his pheromones during one of Do-won’s rut cycles.

But it had backfired completely.

Not only had it pushed Do-won’s heart even further away, but Sun-hyung hadn’t even been able to lay a finger on him.

On top of that, the incident had caused Do-won to develop a deep disdain toward people who tried to manipulate others using pheromones. It had even made him think that, if he were to marry in the future, he’d prefer his partner to be a Beta.

However, Sun-hyung continued to cling to him, using their families’ connection and their long-standing friendship as an excuse.

That was why, at nearly midnight, Do-won was sitting here drinking wine after answering a call from a drunken Sun-hyung.

“…Ha…”

Pressing his fingers against his throbbing temples, Do-won poured himself another generous glass of deep red wine and downed it in one go. Exhaling a hot sigh, he turned his gaze toward the living room once more.

Completely unaware of the storm in Do-won’s mind, his infuriating subordinate was still sleeping peacefully.

Do-won sighed again.

—

Suddenly, something intense surged up from within Yu-young’s stomach. It felt as if a thick serpent was coiling and rising inside him, sending a powerful wave through his body. His instincts kicked in, and his eyes snapped open.

“Urk…!”

A wave of nausea hit him, followed by confusion. The ceiling above him had a pattern that looked somewhat like his own home’s… yet not quite.

What the hell…?

But there was no time to think. He had about ten seconds before he threw up. No matter where he was, puking on the floor was not an option.

Yu-young scrambled up, his steps unsteady from the lingering alcohol in his system. As he instinctively rushed toward a door, he was lucky enough to find a bathroom. The layout felt oddly familiar, a thought that flickered through his mind as he lifted the toilet lid.

The next moment, he violently emptied the remains of last night’s drinking session.

As he rinsed his mouth and splashed water on his face, his mind finally started to clear.

Where… the hell am I?

Then, just as he was fumbling around for his phone, the sound of a door swinging open behind him made him freeze.

And the voice that followed completely caught him off guard.