Marriage Mate: 5

“Isn’t he just a complete lunatic!?”

Fuming, Yuyoung slammed the bag of sushi onto the dining table. He tossed the laundry in his hand onto the sofa without care. The anger boiling inside him was too much to contain. With a loud thud, he collapsed onto the sofa, kicking and thrashing like a fish out of water.

“Aaaagh! Aaaah! Argh!”

If it were up to him, he’d scream at the top of his lungs until the entire building shook, causing a noise complaint so bad that it disrupted the entire neighborhood. Unfortunately, he didn’t live in this apartment complex alone with that guy, so instead, Yuyoung buried his face deep into the soft cushions and let out muffled shrieks.

With his nose and mouth pressed against the fabric, his cries came out in a bizarre, “Uuuuugh! Uuuuuugh!” sound. It made him sound like someone being kidnapped rather than venting frustration, which only worsened his mood. Frustrated, he threw the cushion aside, sat up abruptly, and glared toward the entrance.

“That crazy bastard… What? What the hell? He felt uncomfortable? He thinks he gets to judge me however he wants?!”

He should’ve knocked on his door the moment that jerk had gone inside. But because the whole situation had happened so suddenly, he was too dazed to react properly, and now, just thinking about it made his blood boil.

He had half a mind to march right back over and ring the doorbell like a lunatic. Knowing that guy’s personality, he probably wouldn’t open up right away. Fine. Then he’d cause a ruckus until he had no choice but to answer. That guy had ears, didn’t he? He wouldn’t be able to just sit there, pretending not to hear. Eventually, out of sheer pressure from the neighbors, he’d have to open the door.

And the moment he did?

Yu-young would let him have it, yelling until his ears bled. He’d demand an apology for his rude and offensive remarks. Calling people out on their impoliteness was Yu-young’s specialty. Unfortunately, thanks to corporate life, that valuable skill had been buried deep beneath years of forced politeness.

But once he laid it all out, that guy would have no choice but to look uncomfortable and apologize.

“Haa… I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d be that upset.”

He’d say it with that annoyingly handsome face slightly scrunched in regret, his gaze lowering in reluctant remorse. That deep, spine-chilling voice from earlier would soften, laced with an awkward apology.

Just imagining it made the lump of frustration in Yu-young’s throat disappear like a rollercoaster dropping straight down his esophagus. Without realizing it, he smirked—only for his lips to fall just as quickly with the weight of reality crashing down.

He had only met that crazy guy today, so he didn’t know much about him. But from what little he had seen…

The moment Yu-young started banging on his door, that man wouldn’t even think about opening up. No, he’d probably just call security without batting an eye.

Unfortunately, Yu-young was sure of it.

Imagining himself getting dragged away by security, he let out a deep sigh.

But even as he sighed, he didn’t stop glaring at the front door.

Fine. Today isn’t my only chance. The next time we meet, I’ll make sure to pay him back properly.

With that self-reassurance, Yu-young stormed into the bathroom.

“Forget about that bastard and just take a bath.”

Yu-young had always loved fragrant things. Whenever he was in a bad mood, a warm bath with scented products and flickering candles was the perfect remedy.

And today had been a lot. He deserved some comfort.

Opening the small storage cabinet above the bathtub, he found a basket overflowing with colorful bath bombs.

Carefully rummaging through them, he picked one infused with sandalwood oil and damask rose extract—perfect for meditation and relaxation. And right now, he needed all the relaxation he could get.

Filling the tub with hot water, he quickly rinsed off in the shower before dropping the bath bomb into the steaming water. It fizzed dramatically, releasing rich foam and a soothing aroma as it dissolved.

Sinking into the warm, fragrant bath, Yu-young closed his eyes.

Slowly, he inhaled. Then exhaled.

With each deep breath, the tension in his chest began to ease.

I might as well go all in and meditate.

Ever since he started working under that annoying department head, he had listened to so many meditation YouTube videos that he had practically exhausted every available channel.

Recalling the most recent one he had watched, Yuyoung took a deep breath.

“You are lying peacefully in a forest…”

The familiar voice from countless guided meditation videos echoed in his mind, and even the sound of birds chirping played vividly in his imagination. With a faint smile, he tilted his head back against the tub and focused.

Forget it. Forget today’s stress… That jerk of a deputy manager… that jerk from next door… They mean nothing to me. Just passing faces in my life…

Just then—drip, drip.

Condensation gathered on the ceiling, forming droplets that fell onto his face and hair.

Lying there, utterly relaxed, Yuyoung parted his lips and muttered the one thing truly filling his mind.

“That rude son of a—”

…Damn it.

So much for meditation.

Scowling, he lifted a hand from the water and covered his face. He had tried to clear his mind, but even now, that man’s infuriating attitude dominated his thoughts.

But what was even more frustrating was the fact that—despite his rage—he couldn’t stop picturing that obnoxiously good-looking face and that dangerously attractive voice.

“Who cares? His personality sucks.”

Pouting, he opened his eyes. No matter how handsome a face was, that level of bad attitude made it completely unappealing. Just moments ago, he had been peacefully strolling through an imaginary forest, listening to the sound of a babbling brook.

But that neighbor?

Ruined it all.

Ugh. It’s been a long time since someone’s annoyed me more than my boss.

He wasn’t sure if this sudden, fresh disruption to his otherwise monotonous life was a good thing or a bad thing. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Yuyoung quickly dried off and left the bathroom.

After carefully drying his hair, he sat on the bed and turned on his reading lamp.

Yuyoung wasn’t exactly a bookworm, but he loved the feeling of curling up under a cozy blanket, flipping through poetry books or photography collections under the soft glow of indirect lighting.

Sometimes, after a long, soul-crushing day at work, he questioned everything.

Why am I even doing this? Why am I slaving away at this job?

Money wasn’t the issue—his family was ridiculously wealthy. As the precious youngest son, he had no real responsibilities. His older sister had already taken over the family business, and as an omega, there was no expectation for him to continue the lineage.

If he just married whoever his father arranged, he could quit work, avoid his boss’s annoying voice forever, and live a cushy life doing nothing.

But Yuyoung refused to get married.

And that meant he needed financial independence.

That’s why, no matter how unbearable work got, he endured it. Even if it meant pretending his father didn’t exist.

Still, exhaustion hit hard. In the early days of his career, he had collapsed into bed every night, completely drained.

And so, he sought out small sources of happiness—trying new restaurants, cooking, working out, getting massages, taking fragrant baths, and collecting photography books.

Above all, his greatest comfort was in one photographer’s work: Won.

Won’s photography captured everything from familiar everyday moments to the grandeur of nature, showcasing an impressive range.

Yu-Young was completely captivated by Won’s work and made sure to collect every photo book the artist released. Since Won didn’t seem particularly interested in commercial success, his books were always produced in limited quantities, making them difficult to find. But no matter what, Yu-Young managed to get his hands on them.

Every night before bed, flipping through those pages had become an essential ritual.Yu-Young found solace in the way Won saw the world. The everyday scenes he often overlooked in his busy life were reinterpreted through the photographer’s lens, transformed into something entirely new.

Every time he looked at those photos, he could almost feel the temperature of Won’s gaze, the height from which he viewed the world. It made Yu-Young see things differently, made his heart beat a little faster.

The photographer had a stubborn preference for black-and-white images, capturing objects and landscapes with a raw simplicity. As Yu-Young studied the familiar pages under the soft glow of his bedside lamp, the stress of the day seemed to fade into the background, much like the monochrome tones in the book.

The emotions that had ruled his mind gradually lost their grip. He was no longer consumed by them but could observe them from a distance, as if they belonged to someone else.

Tonight was no different. As his fingertips traced the edges of the well-worn pages, he let out a small, content sigh. The storm raging in his chest slowly calmed, the waves of frustration settling into stillness.

And as sleep gently took hold, Yu-Young drifted off, the photo book still clutched in his hands.