MM 54

After the dinner gathering, Do-won saw both families off and dropped Yu-young home before instructing the chauffeur to head to the office. Work was the best way to clear his unsettled thoughts. The alcohol he had consumed during dinner had already been completely metabolized.

Entering the darkened office alone, Do-won headed straight for his office. He immersed himself in work at his desk until his phone rang. Lifting his head absentmindedly, he noticed the evening sky growing dim beyond the window.

The caller was his father. Do-won answered, pressing the phone to his ear.

“Yes, Father.”

—Where are you?

“At the office.”

He kept his answer brief and waited for his father to continue. Considering they had just met earlier, the fact that he was calling separately likely meant this was about Assistant Manager Han. Do-won instinctively straightened his posture.

However, the unexpected name that came out of his father’s mouth made him frown.

—Have you not been answering Sun-hyung’s calls?

“I was busy. Things were hectic earlier…”

He was responding absentmindedly when his tone suddenly sharpened.

“Wait, are you telling me Lee Sun-hyung called you just because I didn’t pick up?”

Hearing the anger in Do-won’s voice, his father let out a short sigh.

—That’s not it. It seems Sun-hyung somehow found out about today’s events.

“How is that possible? He’s not a stalker.”

—He called your mother to check, and she seems to have told him.

Do-won swallowed a curse.

It was obvious why his mother had so openly shared what had happened today. She must not have been fond of Yu-young’s strong-willed nature.

Though his mother had never been particularly enthusiastic about him getting married to anyone, she must have figured that if marriage was inevitable, Sun-hyung—who would bring more benefits to their family—was a far better choice than Yu-young.

Sun-hyung’s father was the CEO of KS Display, a subsidiary of the KS Group, and their families had maintained close ties for years. His stepmother’s family also ran a major manufacturing company that had deep business connections with KS Display. That explained why, despite her usual disapproval of Do-won settling down, she had never completely dismissed Sun-hyung.

On top of that, Sun-hyung was always sweet to his mother. As if he were already Do-won’s spouse, he frequently checked in, attending both major and minor family events. He even occasionally presented her with jaw-droppingly extravagant gifts. Given all that, it was no surprise that his mother was trying to nudge Sun-hyung back into his life by disrupting his relationship with Yu-young.

Do-won spoke into the phone in a firm tone.

“Let me say this again. I’m in a serious relationship with the person you met today. I will not marry Sun-hyung. I hope you make that clear to his family as well.”

—You know very well that our ties with Sun-hyung’s family go back a long way.

His father’s calm voice made Do-won momentarily fall silent.

—Do you remember? You were seven, maybe even younger, when our families started getting closer. Over the years, marriage discussions naturally came up. But never once did I consider his family as a goal. Our family has never lacked in comparison. I simply wanted you to find a good match. That was all.

“…….”

—If you don’t show something more definitive, this situation won’t change easily. Personally, I wouldn’t mind aligning with SC instead. But if you break things off with Sun-hyung’s family, the long-standing relationship between our households will undoubtedly suffer.

His father paused briefly before adding in a heavy voice,

—And yet, I’m willing to accept all of that. Because your marriage is what matters most to me.

“…….”

—But I, too, need justification for making such a decision.

With that, his father ended the call without hesitation.

Do-won knew exactly what he meant. He set his phone down and ran his hands over his face. A deep sigh slipped through his fingers.

…

Yu-young patted his full stomach while biting into a slice of peeled kiwi. He always ate too much whenever he visited home. Normally, he didn’t come by unless it was a holiday, but lately, it felt like he’d been dropping by more often.

The reason he was here today was because of his mother’s serious-sounding command: “I have something for you, so come over immediately.”

It was a Sunday, and with the previous day’s events over, he had been relaxing at home with nothing to do. So, he had hurried over—only to find his mother pointing at a massive pot bubbling on the stove with a completely nonchalant expression.

“What else could I do if I wanted to see my son’s face? Eat plenty, and take some home too. You love braised chicken, don’t you?”

Hadn’t they just seen each other yesterday?

He was dumbfounded, but at the same time, he understood why his mother had gone out of her way to call him over. He had been a rather distant son. If nothing special was going on, he didn’t visit much.

In the end, Yu-young gave in without resistance, washed his hands, and sat down for dinner with his mother. His father was coming home late today.

As they enjoyed a relaxed meal, his mother suddenly asked,

“Yu-young, when are you going to marry Seo-bang (son-in-law)?”

“Oh, Mother! Where is that title even coming from?! It’s way too soon!”

He nearly choked at the way she casually called Do-won her son-in-law.

But his mother was already treating Do-won’s entry into the family as a foregone conclusion.

“Why? If you’re going to do it anyway, might as well not delay.”

“No matter what, there’s… uh… a proper order to things, you know?”

“That’s true, but what’s there to hesitate about? The elders all like you. Even his father—though quiet—seemed gentlemanly and kind.”

His mother, who had been munching on her fruit with a pleased expression, suddenly grew a little serious.

“But I got the feeling that his mother was a bit… cold. Yu-young, when you visited them last time, was she kind to you?”

She hadn’t been kind, but he didn’t want to worry his mother over something like that. So, forcing a smile, he nodded.

“Of course. Have you ever seen me make a bad impression at one of these meetings?”

“Well, obviously. My son is absolutely lovable.”

His mother pulled him into a sudden embrace. As he squirmed free with a wry smile, he thought, ‘She still treats me like a seven-year-old sometimes.’

Glancing at the clock, Yu-young slowly rose from his seat.

“I should get going before it gets too late. I need to start getting ready for work….”

“What are you talking about! You’re not leaving tonight. Stay over.”

“Ah, Mom. I have work tomorrow.”

“The company is closer from here than from your place. You can just go with your father in the morning.”

“No way. That’d be like advertising that I’m the president’s son.”

After a long back-and-forth, Yu-young finally raised his hands in surrender to his mother’s persistence. In the end, he had no choice but to shower and change into comfortable clothes. Sitting in the living room with his mother, watching TV together for the first time in a while, didn’t seem too bad after all.

As they chatted about various things, Yu-young yawned and got up.

“I’m seriously exhausted. I’m going to bed now.”

“Alright, I should sleep too.”

“Good night.”

“Rest well, dear.”

As he climbed the stairs, Yu-young massaged his stiff shoulders. His body felt strangely warm and sluggish.

But the pheromone detector he had used that morning had given a perfectly normal reading. So why was he feeling like this again? Tilting his head in confusion, he headed to his old bedroom.

Whether it had been cleaned in advance or was just maintained regularly, the room was spotless despite how long it had been since he last stayed there. The familiar scent of his room welcomed him as he plopped onto the bed, lost in thought.

‘…Ha.’

As always, his train of thought inevitably ended with Do-won’s face. Lately, something felt off. Even when nothing happened, he found himself thinking about him far too often.

Recalling Do-won from yesterday, when they met with their parents, Yu-young suddenly buried his burning face in his pillow. Now that he thought about it, the pheromones Do-won had left on him during the marking were still faintly lingering on his body. As he had said, the concentration had significantly faded since yesterday and would likely be almost gone by the time he went to work.

Do-won’s face. Do-won’s pheromones. His smooth voice, casually helping him avoid an embarrassing situation. Yet, in the office, he was composed and impeccably authoritative, exuding an intimidating presence that allowed no openings. Did anyone else know about this contrast? Or was he the only one who saw this side of him?

Thoughts of Do-won filled his mind, expanding like clouds. He needed to sleep early to wake up for work, but his thoughts refused to settle.

At times like this, turning on a soft light and flipping through a photo book usually put him to sleep quickly. His wandering thoughts inevitably drifted to the photo book he had left at home. But even that was tied to Do-won—because the latest one he owned had been a gift from him.

‘He really got me that photo book… Where on earth did he find it?’

Just thinking about it made him grin like a fool. It was the first new work in two years by his favorite photographer—how could he not be ecstatic? And it even came with one of the ten ultra-rare special editions in the world. It was enough to make him feel like he owned the universe.

Turning onto his side, Yu-young blinked.

‘It’s honestly crazy….’

The first person to see the latest book from Won. One of the few people in the world to own a special edition. And that person was him. It felt surreal—like an unimaginable stroke of luck. He could die happy now.

That night, he had brought the package home with trembling hands, unwrapping it carefully before opening the cover. If he had managed to get two copies, he would have kept one sealed and only opened the other. But unfortunately, he didn’t have that luxury. He had even taken a bath beforehand, as if preparing for some sacred ritual, before finally unsealing the book.

“Wow….”

Flipping through the pages, he could only repeat the same awed murmur like someone who had lost all words.

During the two-year hiatus since the last release, the photographer’s perspective had deepened. It wasn’t just about skill, aesthetics, or subject matter. Every leaf and droplet captured in his nature shots felt alive within the pages, and even his still-life photography, though in black and white, vividly conveyed textures and colors.

Majesty. Beauty. No simple words could encapsulate the overwhelming emotion that filled him. He wiped away the tears pooling in his eyes with the back of his hand and, after finishing the book, immediately flipped back to the first page to start again. He spent the night repeating the process over and over.

But why had Do-won gone to such lengths for him?

No matter how much he thought about it, he always returned to that fundamental question. Sure, they had been spending a lot of time together lately, and their relationship had improved compared to a few weeks ago when they constantly clashed. But was that enough