Marriage Mate: 30

“Team… Leader?”

The puppy-faced troublemaker with a terrible temper gaped in disbelief.

He must be shocked… I’m shocked too, so it’s understandable.

Looking down at Yu-young’s face, which was filled with disbelief, Do-won let out a sigh in his mind.

Why did I follow this troublemaker?

It had been an overall frustrating and ridiculous day. Of course, it all started with the phone call he received that morning.

After starting his job, Do-won had slept two or three hours a day for an entire week working two to three hours a day, reviewing the department’s personnel files, analyzing the mid- and long-term business plans, and evaluating company performance.

Fatigue had accumulated, but he planned to rest a bit in the morning and return to work in the afternoon.

However, the phone call he received in the morning completely shattered Do-won’s plans.

-“Come to home tonight. I have something to discuss.”

Just seeing the name “Father” flashing on the screen made his head throb with a dull ache. Wearing workout clothes after a shower, Do-won held his head with one hand and answered the call.

“What is it about?”

-“Sun-hyung is coming tonight. Let’s have dinner together.”

“This is too sudden. Let’s schedule something properly next time…”

-“Choi Do-won.”

The voice on the other end cut him off, clearly displeased.

-“You’re already thirty. It’s time to come back and settle down. You should get married and join my company.”

“I’ve told you many times about that.”

Still rubbing his forehead and eyes roughly with his hand, Do-won spat out his words.

“I don’t plan on working under you, and I’m not going to marry Sun-hyung.”

-“You brat!”

Soon, a sharp, icy voice shouted from the phone.

-“How long are you going to act like a child? Are you going to ignore your late mother’s wishes?”

“….”

-“She said she wanted to see you take over my position. That was her wish. You’ve been doing well, so why are you being so stubborn now?”

Do-won couldn’t understand why his father was suddenly so emotional about his late wife. How could he think of her after planning to remarry just a month after her death? No matter how much his second marriage had been a strategic move, to young Do-won, his father’s new marriage always felt like a scar.

However, Do-won swallowed the words that rose to his throat. With so many things to worry about already, he didn’t want to add a war with his father to his plate. After all, it was all in the past now.

-“I heard you recently changed jobs. You moved to SC, didn’t you? I’ve been asking you to come to my company for years.”

Despite Do-won trying to hold back his frustration, his father showed no intention of backing down.

-“If you have no intention of joining right now, I won’t force you, but I won’t give up on the marriage.”

“My marriage is not something you can just give up or decide for me.”

-“Shut up! What’s wrong with Sun-hyung? Or is there someone else?”

The conversation pattern, which had been going on for years, hadn’t changed at all. His father’s wishes had always been clear: enter his company, slowly prepare to take over, and get married to Sun-hyung to create a stable family first.

That wish was also his late mother’s. She had been frail and sick for a long time, and she knew that once she passed, someone else would soon replace her.

That’s why she left a will saying that Do-won should marry Sun-hyung and inherit the management rights. She was worried that if his father remarried, Do-won would be treated unfairly.

Do-won had done his best to live in accordance with his mother’s will, but because of that, he had been forced to live a life he didn’t want. Despite clearly expressing his wishes, his confrontation with his father had been ongoing for years.

-“If there’s no one else you care about, then stop being stubborn and accept it. Sun-hyung is a good match. He’s decent, and his family background is solid.”

”…What if there is someone?”

-“What?”

It was pure frustration. Do-won had blurted it out without thinking of the consequences.

“If I have someone I truly love and I wanted to marry them, would you stop forcing me?”

-“..…”

For the first time during the call, his father went silent. Do-won waited for the next words in silence.

-“I’ll have to meet them. Bring them over as soon as possible.”

After a long pause, his father ended the call with that final remark.

Putting on his shoes and starting the car, Do-won let out a wry laugh. No matter how annoying his father’s interference had been, this… loving someone? Slowly preparing for marriage, huh?

Was he out of his mind from overwork?

Thinking about how ridiculous it all sounded, Do-won headed toward the gym.

“Ugh!”

Adding to his troubles, the most noisy and bothersome person in Do-won’s life recently was waiting for him at the gym. Seeing him, Yu-young looked shocked, almost like he had seen a ghost, and fell backward off the treadmill.

Do-won watched him with a look of disdain, clicking his tongue. If the trainer hadn’t caught him, he would’ve caused quite a commotion. Seriously, he wasn’t a child, so why was he so careless?

Since they had no reason to interact outside of work, Do-won tried to ignore him and focus on his workout. However, Yu-young came over, asking why he hadn’t said hello and babbling noisily.

After giving him a brief nod, Yu-young pouted and walked away. An hour later, after working out with his squirrel-like energy, he waved goodbye and left.

With the nuisance gone, Do-won decided it was time to focus on himself and shake off the heavy thoughts weighing on his mind. He threw himself into his workout, using every muscle in his body as if to push his worries aside.

Later, on his way home, he was once again faced with the chaos of his life.

In the dark underground parking lot, Do-won saw a familiar figure in front of him. But this time, he wasn’t alone. Some thug-like men were holding both his arms, one more was involved. Surrounded by them, Yu-young clearly wasn’t moving of his own free will.

Do-won´s eyes and focused intently on the scene ahead.

What the hell is going on now?

Do-won frowned as he was about to step out of the car, intending to inspect the situation more closely. However, before he could fully exit, the thugs in black suits tossed Yu-young into a large van. The van then drove off quickly.

The situation unfolded so quickly that Do-won couldn’t even process it at first. Yu-young was definitely shouting something, looking furious, but the thugs had forcibly shoved him into the car, three of them against one small person. It was certainly an illegal situation.

So what? What am I supposed to do about it?

Do-won clenched his lips, ready to ignore it and just head home.

…Damn it.

Cursing under his breath, Do-won started the engine. With the powerful roar of the car, it quickly sped out of the parking lot.

Fortunately, he quickly spotted the van that had exited before him. He was glad he had made the decision to follow immediately after the incident. When he saw the van making a right turn onto the main road, he discreetly followed, staying behind it.

The car sped on for a while. As Do-won stayed behind, he carefully observed the van. Between the bulky men, he could make out a small head, Yu-young’s. He considered sending a text to assure him, but quickly decided against it.

If any of the thugs saw the message, it would make things worse. Calling the police wasn’t an option either since the situation wasn’t fully clear, so Do-won quietly stayed behind, following the van.

The van stopped once in the middle of the drive. Thinking it might be time for Yu-young to get out, Do-won turned on his hazard lights, only to see a woman with a large bag waiting on the roadside. She climbed into the van, and it took off again.

What’s going on now?

Do-won’s face grew more puzzled.

What are they up to?

For a moment, he thought about turning back, but then realized it could lead to an accident. Worse, Yu-young might be in danger. He couldn’t just pretend he hadn’t seen it after witnessing everything.

Ugh, this troublesome guy…

Narrowing his eyes, Do-won gripped the steering wheel tighter.

With one hand rubbing his forehead in frustration, he pushed the accelerator harder. What was supposed to be his day off had turned into something he never imagined.

The car drove on for a while before stopping in front of a hotel. Do-won’s expression turned cold as he saw the building. Just as he feared, it seemed like he had made a mistake.

Yu-young got out of the van with the thugs, and seeing his arms firmly held, Do-won sighed deeply.

“I’ll help you with parking.”

Do-won handed his car over to an employee and rushed into the lobby. But as soon as he entered, he couldn’t find either Yu-young or the thugs. Looking around the lobby, he quickly darted into the restroom. But there was no sound. It didn’t seem like they were in there. If Yu-young had been brought here, it wouldn’t be so quiet.

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, Do-won chuckled bitterly.

What the hell…

It was absurd. Coming to a hotel in a tracksuit instead of a suit was the first time he’d done that. It was all because of this annoying guy.

Annoyed, Do-won walked out of the restroom with heavy steps. He was about to give the lobby another once-over and maybe make a phone call if he couldn’t find them.

However, just as he exited the restroom, Yu-young appeared in front of him, standing by the lobby sofa.

“Let go. Are you not letting go?”

Yu-young’s voice pierced through the air, and even from a distance, it clearly reached Do-won’s ears. With an expression that didn’t seem threatening at all, Yu-young was growling at the thug who was holding his wrist, looking like a small chihuahua. The thug next to him was grinning, holding Yu-young’s wrist as if it were some sort of joke. At that moment, Do-won’s brow furrowed deeply.

Damn thugs.

He felt anger rising as he thought about how he ended up chasing these guys on the weekend. Seeing the thug’s grinning face just made it worse. Without hesitation, Do-won stepped forward, grabbed the thug’s thick wrist, and twisted it behind his back.