Marriage Mate: 34

“Wh-what?!”

Yu-young’s mind momentarily froze. His pupils, which had been darting frantically, locked onto Do-won, who was now impossibly close.

He barely managed to open his trembling lips.

“Did you just… What did you just say…?”

“If we get caught because we did a sloppy job faking it, it’ll be worse than not doing it at all.”

Do-won stated flatly. His expression remained as businesslike as ever, making it hard to believe that he had just suggested kissing.

“This seems to be the only way with ten minutes left. But if you’re uncomfortable or don’t want to, just say so.”

His words offered Yu-young a choice, yet Do-won’s arms, which had pulled him in, didn’t loosen their hold. Trapped in his embrace, Yu-young was at a loss for words as he looked up at him.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

A heavy pounding noise echoed somewhere, making his already dazed mind even foggier. Even in his confusion, he found himself noticing Do-won’s face and neckline—this was the closest they had ever been.

His sharp jawline stood out against his straight, elegant neck. He hadn’t been with the company for long, but compared to when they first met, he looked a little leaner. However, his refined features overshadowed any hint of sharpness or tension in his expression. His poised appearance, combined with the intoxicating nature of his pheromones, was enough to send Yu-young’s heart racing.

He could almost smell the clean scent of his skin. Come to think of it, they hadn’t even made direct contact yet, and still, their pheromones seemed to be blending more smoothly. A natural harmony had begun forming around them, wrapping Yu-young in a strange sense of comfort.

At this point, controlling his heartbeat was impossible. It pounded so hard that he feared it might leap out of his chest. Raising a hand, he tried to cover his flushed face, desperate to hide how shaken he was.

Meanwhile, this man—who looked no different than when he reviewed reports—remained unfazed. The thought of him noticing how only he was blushing and breathless was unbearable.

Deciding it would be better to just get it over with, Yu-young finally opened his mouth and forced out a response.

“I… I don’t mind.”

As soon as the words left his lips, Do-won gave a small nod. Watching his face draw closer, tilting slightly to the side, Yu-young squeezed his eyes shut.

Then, something warm and soft gently pressed against his lips.

It smells good…

A blend of crisp cologne and his unique pheromones seeped into Yu-young’s senses. His heart, already racing, now pounded so wildly it felt on the verge of exploding.

Panicked by how loud his heartbeat sounded, he instinctively tried to pull away—but Do-won’s arms tightened around his waist, pulling him closer. Completely trapped, Yu-young kept his eyes shut. He couldn’t bring himself to open them.

It was nothing more than their lips touching, like a child’s timid experiment, yet Do-won didn’t rush him. He simply held their lips together, waiting patiently.

Tension locked Yu-young’s body in place until he felt short of breath.

“Haa…”

As he exhaled, his lips parted slightly.

That was all it took.

Something warm and velvety slipped past, slowly exploring his mouth.

His closed eyelids trembled. His fluttering lashes lightly brushed against Do-won’s cheek. It must have triggered something, because their interlocked lips suddenly deepened.

Like a malfunctioning robot, Yu-young had kept his arms stiffly at his sides, but before he knew it, they had wrapped around Do-won’s waist. His fingers, gripping the fabric of Do-won’s shirt, quivered slightly.

“T-Team Leader…”

Breaking apart just for a moment, Yu-young breathlessly called him. His voice, laced with something unintentional, made his own ears burn.

For a split second, Do-won’s brows furrowed ever so slightly. Then, the distance he had momentarily granted was swiftly erased.

This time, the kiss was even more unrestrained.

Yu-young obediently parted his lips, and Do-won’s firm body naturally enveloped him. As though they had been waiting for this, their bodies fit together seamlessly, melting into each other in a fluid rhythm.

Eventually, Do-won slowly pulled away.

“Much better.”

To Yu-young, the kiss had felt both endless and fleeting.

With an impassive face, Do-won made his assessment and reached out, wiping away a stray trail of saliva from the corner of Yu-young’s lips.

Yet, his voice—low and calm—now carried an unmistakable warmth.

“…Y-yeah. I guess so.”

Still dazed, Yu-young murmured, unable to meet his gaze. Instead, his eyes lingered somewhere near Do-won’s collarbone.

Just as he had said, their pheromones had completely blended, now pulsing through the air in waves.

Do-won pulled out a tissue and carefully wiped Yu-young’s face once more.

It felt oddly intimate, but Yu-young accepted the touch without a word. Only after finishing with him did Do-won wipe his own mouth and straighten his clothes.

Meanwhile, Yu-young stood frozen, utterly bewildered.

Had that really happened?

Just days ago, they were practically at each other’s throats.

Until last night, he had been nothing more than a strict supervisor he worked overtime with.

And now… they had just kissed in this place?

It felt like he had been ensnared by some kind of spell.

Do-won glanced at him before checking his phone, then spoke as if nothing had happened.

“Now that our stories are all aligned, let’s get ready.”

…

Just as Do-won had assured him, their clothes arrived right on time.

A man, seemingly a hired attendant, personally brought a bag up to the room.

Do-won accepted it with an indifferent expression, showing no surprise at the presence of personal staff.

Considering his prestigious background and career, it was no surprise that he came from a well-off family. Yu-young didn’t bother asking further.

“I’ll get changed quickly. Wait here.”

“…Ah, then I’ll head down first. Take your time.”

With a nod, Do-won dismissed him, and Yu-young hastily exited the room.

His footsteps toward the elevator were hurried—not just because his father was waiting.

Is this really happening?

The elevator doors slid open silently, and Yu-young stepped inside.

Only then did he raise both hands to his face.

Then, leaning against the wall, he slid down into a crouch.

His entire face burned.

It felt like steam would start hissing out of his ears at any moment.

“I’m losing it…”

Kissing the team leader. As if that weren’t enough, now he had to link arms with him affectionately and work together to deceive his father.

Ever since he met him, hos daily life had felt like a whirlwind. Technically speaking, this situation wasn’t caused by Do-won—in fact, he was the one helping him out of trouble.

Of course, it was a give-and-take situation; Do-won had demanded something similar from him in return. But at this moment, the one who was truly in urgent need was undoubtedly me. And if I thought about it, the bigger risk in failing to deceive my father lay with Do-won.

If things went wrong, he’d just get a scolding or even lose his job—either way, it would be my problem. But Do-won, who had only recently joined the company, could end up losing the trust of the company president and become a laughingstock. As annoying as he was, I didn’t want him to suffer because of him.

“…I can do this. I have to.”

Muttering to myself, Yu-young pulled himself together and stood up.

When he stepped out onto the first floor, he scanned the lobby. As expected, his father was sitting on one of the wide sofas, waiting for him. After taking three deep breaths, he walked toward him.

“Father.”

“You’re here.”

As proof that he was ready for the date, his father was wearing his favorite suit. Not only that, but his hair was neatly styled, showing the extra effort he had put in. Swallowing a sigh, Yu-young sat down beside him.

“When’s the meeting?”

“There’s still some time. I scheduled it with some leeway since I never know what tricks you might try to pull.”

Checking his wristwatch, his father gave him a light scolding. Yu-young looked at him with a resolute expression.

“Father. You should call and cancel the date right now.”

“…What?”

He gaped in disbelief.

“What kind of nonsense is that? Are you trying to pull something again—?!”

“That’s not it, Father.”

Yu-young met his gaze with the most resolute expression he could muster.

“I’m seeing someone. I can’t go through with this date.”

“You can’t—! What?”

His father, who had been about to raise his voice, suddenly stopped.

“…What did you just say?”

“I said I’m seeing someone, Father. And since things have come to this, I’d like to introduce them to you today. They should be arriving soon.”

His father’s gaping mouth remained open.

There were no flies buzzing around the hotel, but just in case, Yu-young helpfully closed his jaw for him.

“You—you—you’re not playing some trick, are you? Trying to deceive me and run away or something…?”

“Oh, come on, Father. What do you take me for?”

“If you were seeing someone, you should have told me sooner!”

With an excited look, his father grabbed both of my hands.

“Even when you came home a few days ago, you told me you weren’t seeing anyone!”

“Well…”

Yu-young hesitated.

“I just didn’t feel like mentioning it then. It was too soon. Ha-ha… We haven’t been together that long.”

“Who is this person? Huh?“

Seeing the emotion in his face, Yu-young felt a pang of guilt. But there was no turning back now. The more convincing the lie, the better.

For the first time, he felt grateful to Do-won for his bold suggestion: If you can’t pull it off perfectly, it’s better not to do it at all.

“Father, I think you’ll like them very much.”

“…Me?”

His eyes widened.

“Do I know this person?”

“Well… You could say that.”

“Who is it?! I’m dying of curiosity!”

His face turned red with excitement. The happier he looked, the heavier the weight on Yu-young’s conscience became. But it was too late to stop now.

Just as he was about to speak, a smooth yet firm voice rang out from behind the sofa.

“Good evening, sir. I’m Choi Do-won, Team Leader of Business Strategy Team 1 and Yu-young’s partner.”