Marriage Mate: 6

Yu-young woke up in the morning feeling great.

“Not seeing that damned deputy manager today—this is a miracle in itself…”

Stretching, Yu-young reached for his phone. The clock read 9:20. If it were up to him, he would’ve slept past 11, but his body, conditioned by work, had already stirred awake at 7 AM. Realizing he was on vacation, he had smirked and shut his eyes again, sleeping for over two more hours.

Oddly enough, despite the extra rest, his body felt heavy. He even sensed a bit of warmth—was he coming down with something? A slight chill ran through him. It wasn’t his heat period, but the symptoms felt eerily similar.

I should go to the hospital after lunch… But whatever. Vacation is still the best.

Yu-young stretched like a cat and got up. The frustrations of the previous day had already settled in his heart.

After preparing a light breakfast, he headed out. It was time for the massage he had planned. Since the shop hadn’t opened yet, he arrived early, opened his laptop, and leisurely started watching a movie.

Just as he was stifling a giggle with his wireless earphones in, his phone vibrated.

[Yu-young, is the report for Monday’s team lead ready?]

Of course, it was that damned deputy manager. His blood pressure spiked instantly. Son of a… Gritting his teeth, he shoved his phone away.

There couldn’t possibly be a more insufferable human being. Before leaving work yesterday, Yu-young had poured his soul into that report and sent it to the deputy manager’s email. And yet, the man had the nerve to text before even checking his inbox. On top of that, the report had originally been his responsibility. Dumping it onto someone else was bad enough, but bothering them on their vacation?

I swear, I just want to punch him in the gut…

Suppressing his urge for violence, Yu-young sent a reply.

[Yes. I sent it to your email yesterday.]

The read receipt appeared instantly, but there was no response. Not even a simple “Got it, thanks.” Would it kill him to type two words? Grumbling, Yu-young shoved his phone aside and resumed his movie.

Then, his phone started vibrating again—this time repeatedly.

The caller ID read: Dad.

Yu-young let out a deep sigh and covered his face with his hands. Compared to this, the deputy manager’s texts were nothing. He hadn’t even answered yet, but he could already feel the icy wrath seeping through the screen.

Ignoring this call would probably… result in being forcibly fired. With a sinking heart, he picked up.

“Dad, how have you been—”

“Do you really work under such awful conditions?!”

As expected. His father must have heard the nonsense the deputy manager spewed at him yesterday. Internally, Yu-young groaned. Outwardly, he forced a cheerful voice.

“Come on, Dad. You know how workplaces are.”

“Nonsense! Quit immediately and come back home! I’ll handle your resignation.”

“Dad, you know me. If you do that, I’ll just find another company.”

“You… you ungrateful brat!”

His father’s voice exploded through the receiver, so loud that Yu-young instinctively pulled his phone away to protect his eardrums.

“I refuse to watch my son get treated like this! What do you lack, huh?!”

If you cherish me so much, how about transferring that damned deputy manager to the middle of nowhere?

Yu-young silently pleaded, hoping his telepathic message would reach his father.

Miraculously, his father did seem to catch on. Unfortunately, he had no intention of granting that wish.

“Even if I transfer that bastard, the way society treats Omegas won’t change. Besides, you’re long past the age to get married. I’ve been trying not to pressure you, but it’s been a whole year!”

With his father raging, Yu-young wisely chose silence. Though, he couldn’t help but feel wronged. Why is the fallout landing on me when it was the deputy manager making disgusting comments? I didn’t even strangle him or throw my resignation at his face—I acted like an adult and endured it!

…Well, mostly endured it.

But arguing now would just make things worse. The priority was calming his father down. Otherwise, he really might end up unemployed.

“Dad, calm down for a moment.”

“You think I can calm down?!”

“Look, I’m on vacation. You probably already knew that. I’ll come home near the end of my break, okay?”

Sacrificing a day of his precious vacation to listen to nagging… Yu-young clenched his eyes shut. If he went, his sisters would probably be there too. Seeing his mother and sisters wouldn’t be bad, but his father would definitely harp on marriage until his ears bled. Still, this was the best way to buy himself some peace for now.

“You want to spend time with me too, don’t you, Dad? Hehe~”

Time for the ultimate weapon: the youngest son’s adorable aegyo.
His words might have been soulless, but he mustered the cutest voice he could manage.

Thankfully, it worked.

“…Hmph. Fine. Come Saturday evening. We’ll finish this conversation then.”

“Alright, Dad.”

As expected, his father’s tone softened just enough to allow negotiation. Hanging up, Yu-young exhaled deeply. Saturday night is going to be a battlefield…

But that was future Yu-young’s problem. Massage first. Think later.

Leaving the massage shop, his body relaxed, Yu-young stretched with satisfaction.

It was already past noon. His stomach growled loudly. Hopping into his car, he set course for a nearby Italian restaurant he had reserved.

It was a place he frequented on weekends—slightly pricey, but worth it for the clean ambiance, great food, and excellent service.

I haven’t been here in a while. I should treat myself today.

Humming, he drove to the restaurant. Since it was a weekday, it should be mostly empty. The thought of enjoying a quiet meal with soft music lifted his mood.

However, upon arrival, his eyes widened.

“What the hell? Why is it so crowded today?”

Unusually, the parking lot was full. Forced to use a nearby public lot, he walked to the restaurant—only to find the inside just as packed.

Is it a holiday?

A closer look revealed the culprit: everyone was wearing golf attire.

A golf club gathering, huh…?

Clicking his tongue, he entered anyway, taking his reserved solo seat.

The restaurant had a row of single-person tables lined up, and unfortunately, even those were nearly full. Only his seat and the one next to it remained empty. At least he wouldn’t have someone right beside him.

“May I take your order?”

“Yes. Burrata cheese salad and sirloin steak, please.”

Smiling, he placed his usual order without needing to look at the menu.

As he glanced around, relieved that the place wasn’t too noisy despite the crowd, his thoughts drifted.

After this, I’ll visit the hospital, then go home for a nap…

—Then, his eyes caught sight of something. Or rather, someone.

…Wait, am I hallucinating?

Standing at the entrance was none other than that annoying bastard from next door.

Yesterday, the guy had been losing his mind over laundry. Today, he was dressed in a sharp, casual suit—beige pants, a crisp white shirt, polished shoes. His walk exuded confidence. His usual irritating expression remained, but there was no denying his striking good looks. His posture was straight, powerful.

“Wow, look at him.”

“Damn… he’s seriously handsome.”

The whispers of admiration spread across the restaurant. Even the staff were sneaking glances.

Hah! Bet he doesn’t know this place is fully booked. He’s gonna get kicked out. This is gonna be great.

Yu-young smirked.

But then—

“Welcome, sir.”

Instead of turning him away, the server smiled and led him inside.

…Straight to the only empty seat left.

Right next to Yu-young.