MM 59

“Good job!”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Manager!”

The days had gotten noticeably shorter. The air in the office had grown cooler. Yu-young, along with Ju-yeon, hurriedly closed the windows.

As they watched their teammates exchange loud goodbyes and leave the office, Yu-young deliberately took his time tidying his desk. In contrast, Ju-yeon, who packed her bag in the blink of an eye, raised her voice as she looked at Yu-young.

“Yu-young, what are you doing? You should leave quickly! On days when we’re not working late like today, we need to head out fast!”

“Haha… I’ll just check the internet for a bit. My computer at home broke down…”

“Really? Ugh, I can’t stand being in the office for another second. I’m going ahead! See you tomorrow, Yu-young!”

“Yeah! See you tomorrow, Ju-yeon.”

Yu-young forced a smile but Ju-yeon didn’t seem to mind and quickly left the office.

It felt a little empty, and then Yu-young realized that Yoon-seok, who had always been by his side like a shadow, wasn’t there. The phrase “You never know what you have until it’s gone” crossed his mind. Without the lively youngest, who always smiled brightly and energized the atmosphere, things felt a little lonely.

‘Well… I guess it’ll be fine after a few days of rest.’

Earlier, during lunch, when Yu-young had asked Do-won about Yoon-seok, Do-won had told him not to worry. As expected, Yoon-seok had manifested as an Alpha, and after taking the suppressant and pheromone regulator in time, he would be fine after a few days of rest.

Thinking about it, it was rather late for his manifestation. Usually, people manifest around the age of twenty, but Yoon-seok’s had been a few years later. Still, though rare, he had heard of such late manifestations before.

‘It’s a relief that he’s okay. Ugh… I just barely finished today’s work.’

With Yoon-seok absent, Yu-young had to take on the his tasks as well, making the day feel much busier. If Do-won hadn’t stepped in earlier, he would have spent the whole evening dealing with Deputy Manager Kim’s leftovers. Thinking about it, it had been his routine when Do-won wasn’t around. How had he endured that? At least, thanks to Do-won, he had avoided working overtime.

“Have you finished your tasks?”

“Ah, Team Leader.”

Yu-young heard Do-won’s voice as he walked out of the team leader’s office, closing the door behind him. Yu-young nodded while packing his things into his bag.

“Yes, I’ve finished my tasks.”

“Then let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

“I have a place reserved. Do you like French cuisine?”

“Ah, yes. I like it.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

French cuisine…? Yu-young, who had only expected a sushi restaurant near the office, widened his eyes in surprise. Confused, he hurriedly threw on his jacket and followed Do-won out of the office. Then, Do-won suddenly spoke up.

“Now that I think about it, it’s rush hour. How about we go in one car?”

“Ah… okay. I understand.”

“Then let’s take my car. It’s on the way anyway, so we can go together until tomorrow’s work.”

“Well… I’m not sure if it would be too much to ride with you until then..”

“If Assistant Manager Han doesn’t mind, I’m fine with it.”

With a somewhat seductive expression, Do-won said this, and without thinking, Yu-young nodded. Meanwhile, the elevator had already arrived at the underground parking lot.

Yu-young, now somewhat familiar with Do-won’s car after a few rides, naturally got into the passenger seat as Do-won opened the door for him. After sitting down without much thought, Yu-young realized what he had just done and felt his face flush.

‘Wait… Han Yu-young, are you crazy? Who gets into their boss’s car like this, let alone let him opens the door for me…!’

Do-won, with a blank expression, fastened his seatbelt and glanced over at the passenger seat. However, Yu-young, lost in his thoughts, didn’t even think about fastening his seatbelt.

With a brief sigh, Do-won urged him.

“Assistant Manager Han, the seatbelt.”

“Huh?”

“You need to fasten it before we can leave.”

Do-won gestured toward the seatbelt with a brief word. Yu-young hastily pulled the seatbelt, clicking it into place, and the car finally started moving. Soon, they joined the evening rush-hour traffic.

“How long will it take, Team Leader?”

“About 20 minutes.”

True to his concise answer, the car quickly entered Cheongdam-dong. The restaurant was located at the top of a steep hill.

The fine dining restaurant, located on a high hill, was made of red bricks and looked like a small cottage from a fairy tale. The yellow lights shining in the now-dusk evening sky matched the autumn night scene perfectly.

“Let’s get out.”

After handing the car over to valet parking, Do-won and Yu-young entered the restaurant. The interior wasn’t very large but was elegantly and cozily decorated. A staff member approached, smiling kindly and bowing.

“Welcome. May I have your name for the reservation?”

“Choi Do-won.”

“Yes, confirmed. I’ll guide you inside.”

Following the staff member, Yu-young couldn’t help but gasp at the unexpected view inside. He had expected a good view, given that the restaurant was on a high hill, but he hadn’t imagined it would be this impressive. Moreover, the table was located in a private room, offering a romantic setting where the two of them could enjoy the view alone.

‘What… why is he bringing me to such a romantic place? Is he going to propose or something…!’

While Yu-young smiled with his eyes, he swallowed a dry gulp in his mind. It was far too romantic for just having a meal with a coworker.

“Sit down.”

“Ah, yes… yes.”

The one who had brought him to this place looked as emotionless as if he were about to present a PowerPoint in a meeting room. As Yu-young begrudgingly sat at the beautifully arranged table, he couldn’t help but resent the man who rarely showed his emotions.

“Do you have a favorite dish?”

“Ah, no. Not really… I’ll have the same as you, Team Leader.”

“Then I’ll go with course B, please.”

“Yes, understood.”

Once the staff member left, Yu-young swallowed nervously and opened his mouth.

“Uhm… Team Leader? Why a place like this…?”

“You remember what I said last time, right? If I treat you to something delicious, you’ll forget everything.”

Yu-young, staring blankly at Do-won, suddenly recalled the meaning behind his words amidst the scattered memories.

So, the day he had returned from Do-won’s family home, his mother had said harsh words to him… and Do-won had apologized on her behalf. For some reason, Yu-young hadn’t liked the way Do-won had apologized with a troubled expression. So, as a joke, he had said he would forget everything if he was treated to some special sushi.

“Ah… so because of that… you brought me to a place like this…”

“Disappointed that it’s not sushi?”

Do-won asked with a faint smile. Yu-young quickly shook his head.

“No, that’s not it.”

“I’ll treat you to sushi at a good place next time. But for today, I wanted to choose a quiet place since there’s something we need to talk about.”

“Yes… even if it’s not sushi, it’s fine. I like French food too.”

As they talked, a server entered the room.

“I’ll bring the champagne and amuse-bouche.”

A beautifully arranged tray was placed on the table. The extravagant yet delicate plating caught their eyes. After the staff left, Yu-young bowed slightly and greeted them.

“…Thank you for the meal.”

“Eat a lot.”

Looking at the food in front of him, Yu-young’s appetite surged. Rolls filled with corn and veal tenderloin tartare, cooked with cheese, were prepared enticingly. As he carefully picked up the food and placed it in his mouth, Yu-young’s eyes widened in surprise.

‘Crazy… this is so good.’

He didn’t even know how long it had been since he had thought this way. With an excited face, he chewed and swallowed the food, then took a sip from his champagne glass. Do-won chuckled at the sight.

“It seems like it’s really good.”

“Yes, really… it’s delicious, Team Leader.”

“Do you know? When you eat something delicious, you make a particular face.”

Just as he was about to put another piece of food in his mouth, Yu-young froze in surprise at Do-won’s unexpected remark. His mouth was slightly open. Seeing this, Do-won smiled slightly again.

“Eat your food first.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Yu-young was thoroughly embarrassed. How had Do-won managed to observe his face while eating all this time? Come to think of it, he had always been too focused on eating to notice how Do-won ate his food.

‘Well, I can observe it slowly from now on… Wait, why do I need to know that? Am I crazy?’

Anyway, it felt ridiculous. Why would he need to care about what kind of face his boss makes while eating? But despite thinking this, Yu-young found himself glancing up at Do-won’s face while he ate. It hadn’t mattered when he was eating unconsciously, but now that he had been pointed out, he felt strangely self-conscious.

His dining manners were impeccable, so much so that it was almost textbook-like. His posture was upright, and he used his utensils with precision, his movements graceful and deliberate. He could have been described as textbook-perfect in a good way, but in a bad way, it almost felt suffocating.

At that moment, a staff member entered the room at the perfect timing.

“I’ll bring the wine and the next course. It’s a dish with shrimp, scallops, radish, and plum sauce.”

The next dish looked just as delicious as the first. Yu-young didn’t even remember the last time he had had a well-organized, full-course meal. With a satisfied heart, he picked up his fork and placed the food in his mouth.

After sipping his wine, Do-won quietly spoke.

“Assistant Manager Han.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“As I mentioned yesterday, I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Ah, yes. Please feel free to speak.”

Yu-young answered while chewing on the scallop and shrimp, thinking how well the sweet and sour seafood dish paired with the white wine.

However, the next words from Do-won were enough to freeze all of Yu-young’s movements in place.

“How about entering into a contract marriage with me?”