MM 132

On the day they returned to work together, Yu-young and Do-won left the office on time and headed to Do-won’s family home. It wasn’t even the weekend yet—the day they had originally set to meet his parents—but they were going now anyway.

All the way through the congested roads, the two held hands tightly.

Stay calm. It’s okay. You can do this.

Yu-young focused intently on the familiar roads he had traveled several times before, taking deep breaths in the car. No matter how much he tried to hide it, his hands kept getting cold, and a nervous sweat formed on his palms. Of course, Do-won, ever perceptive, noticed immediately and gently stroked Yu-young’s cheek.

“Nervous?”

“Yes, a little… ha…. No, actually, a lot.”

There was no use hiding it. With a deep sigh, Yu-young admitted the truth. In response, the hand on his cheek slid down to firmly clasp his hand again.

“I understand. You must be really anxious. Probably scared, too.”

“…Yeah.”

“But trust me.”

The warmth in Do-won’s voice soothed his heart. Yu-young focused on his voice, letting it comfort him.

“I won’t let my father say anything that will hurt you today. If things start getting too harsh, I’ll take you out of there, and after that, I’ll handle the rest alone.”

“I don’t like that.”

Yu-young shook his head firmly.

“To be honest… I am afraid of what he’ll say. But we’re going there to tell him that we’re going to be officially married. I can’t just keep hiding behind you forever.”

“…Yu-young.”

“Believe in me. And remember what I told you before? I’m much stronger than you think.”

Do-won listened to Yu-young’s determined and dependable words in silence before finally breaking into a quiet laugh.

“You’re amazing. My husband. I thought you were just a baby.”

“W-What? Baby?! I’m not a baby!”

“Alright, alright.”

That teasing smile of his—he was definitely messing with him. Seriously, what was with this ‘baby’ thing lately? Mumbling complaints under his breath, Yu-young hastily covered his reddening face with the back of his hand. Beside him, Do-won’s low laughter filled the car.

Listening to that comforting sound, Yu-young realized that the tension that had made his hands go ice-cold had loosened significantly. That was how powerful Do-won’s presence was. With him by his side, Yu-young felt like he could march straight through the gates of hell, even if they were guarded by a three-headed monster.

The seemingly endless highway finally came to an end, and before they knew it, the car was turning into a familiar, spacious neighborhood. The massive iron gates swung open to welcome them inside. Do-won smoothly pulled the car into the driveway and turned toward Yu-young.

“Let’s go.”

“…Alright.”

Yu-young exhaled, puffing out his cheeks like a hamster, and responded with determined energy. Do-won leaned in to place a soft kiss on his lips before getting out of the car, taking his hand in a firm grip. The coldness creeping back into Yu-young’s fingers didn’t stand a chance against Do-won’s warmth.

As they crossed the garden toward the front door, a servant greeted them warmly. However, the tension on her face made it clear—things inside were not looking good.

Don’t be scared. It’s not like they’re going to kill you.

Muttering that to himself, Yu-young tightened his grip on Do-won’s hand and stepped into the drawing room.

“You’re here.”

“Yes. We’re here.”

Do-won’s father greeted them with a heavy voice from the sofa. Beside him, Mrs. Lee sat with a stiff expression. The air in the room was thick with suppressed pheromones, the atmosphere heavy and suffocating. His father’s sharp gaze was so intense that Yu-young instinctively felt his head lower.

Not even an invitation to sit. Just an uncomfortable silence.

But even in this icy atmosphere, Do-won remained calm. His father stared at him for a long moment before finally speaking.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

Slowly, Do-won released Yu-young’s hand and stepped forward. He bowed deeply.

“I’m sorry, Father.”

“……”

“I deceived you and Mother. Your anger is justified. I’ll accept whatever you have to say.”

His apology was straightforward, without embellishment. Then, Do-won slowly raised his head.

His father, now standing, glared at him with an expression brimming with restrained fury. The depth of his betrayal ran deep, and so did his father’s rage. Yu-young, his heart pounding anxiously, bit his lip as he glanced between the two men.

“You made a fool of me like this. Just because you didn’t want to get married? Over something so ridiculous?!”

His father’s thunderous roar silenced the entire room. The air froze over completely.

Glaring up at Do-won, his father’s body trembled with rage, as if he was about to strike. And then, his hand lifted high into the air.

Even as that hand was raised toward his face, Do-won stood firm, his expression unwavering. He intended to take the hit.

Yu-young’s eyes widened.

He couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“No, Father! Please, don’t hit him!”

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Yu-young!”

Yu-young lunged forward, grabbing onto his father-in-law’s raised hand, clinging desperately. Both the older man and Do-won’s eyes widened in shock. Neither of them had expected Yu-young to intervene like this. In the tense atmosphere, Yu-young quickly poured out his words, pleading.

“Father, I’m sorry. We were wrong. But we really do love each other now.”

“What nonsense?! Do you think I’ll fall for that lie again—!”

“It’s true. In the beginning, yes… we did start out that way. I didn’t want to marry an alpha, and Do-won didn’t want to marry Sun-hyung, so we lied. Father, Mother, I truly apologize.”

At the mention of Sun-hyung’s name, both his father and mother’s expressions stiffened. But Yu-young continued without hesitation.

“But after spending time with Do-won… I truly fell in love with him. Before all this blew up, we were planning to tell you everything this weekend. Now, we genuinely want to bond and have a real wedding, but before that, we wanted to apologize and ask for your blessing.”

Finishing his words, Yu-young slowly knelt before Do-won’s father. He reached for Do-won’s hand and looked up at him, and Do-won, without hesitation, knelt down beside him.

The older man, his face flushed with anger, said nothing. He simply stared at Yu-young, speechless.

Yu-young met his eyes with a desperate gaze.

“Father. Do-won and I aren’t in a relationship that will just come and go. He is the person I love the most. If you would only allow it, we want to live as a real married couple.”

“…This is just…”

His father’s voice faltered. Yu-young’s sincerity seemed to have momentarily subdued his rage. The fury in his eyes gradually faded.

The silence stretched on. His father’s heavy breaths slowly steadied. As he looked down at Yu-young without a word, Yu-young pressed on with a final plea.

“So please… forgive us and watch over us as we live happily together.”

Before hearing a response, Yu-young bowed low. His father, now entirely drained of his initial fury, simply stared at him in disbelief.

A sigh of exasperation broke the silence.

“…Hah, unbelievable.”

But before anything more could be said, Mrs. Lee interjected, her voice sharp.

“Honey, I don’t agree. If they lied once, what’s to stop them from lying again? If it were anyone else, maybe, but not him.”

Her eyes flickered with undisguised disdain as she glared at Yu-young.

“The last time I said something, he didn’t even hesitate to defy me. He just grabbed my son’s hand and walked right out of here.”

But Yu-young didn’t spare her a glance. His unwavering eyes remained fixed on Do-won’s father. He couldn’t let himself be shaken by her words.

He simply believed that sincerity would get through to him.

And then, Do-won spoke.

“…Father.”

His father turned to look at him. Do-won’s voice was steady, his expression resolute.

“This is the first time I’ve ever loved someone. The first time I’ve ever wanted to get married.”

“……”

“I’ve lived my life receiving more than enough from you. That’s why I’ve never asked you for anything.”

Kneeling upright, Do-won’s posture and tone were unwavering and honest.

“For the first and last time, I want to ask something of you. Please let go of your anger and accept Yu-young. I promise I will never disappoint you again.”

With that, Do-won bowed deeply. Yu-young, holding his breath, remained still beside him, waiting for his father’s response.

The silence dragged on.

After what felt like forever, his father finally exhaled deeply and spoke.

“You’re not lying about this too, are you? I’ll be watching. I’ll trust you one last time—but don’t make a fool of me again.”

Yu-young’s eyes widened at those words.

A radiant smile spread across his face before he could stop it.

His father, seeing Yu-young’s openly delighted expression, let out a long breath and continued.

“Yes, Father! We won’t— No, ahem… We’ll do our best to show you a good life together.”

Yu-young, on the verge of jumping up in excitement, quickly composed himself and answered properly.

A quiet, deflated sigh followed.

And when Yu-young cautiously looked up, his breath caught.

Though his father still wore an exasperated, bewildered expression… he was smiling.