MM 61

“…Yes. For now, I’ll eat well.”

“Good. That makes me feel a little less guilty too.”

“Why would you feel guilty, Team Leader? It’s a contract for mutual benefit… isn’t it?”

“Still, I was the one who surprised you.”

With that, their conversation ceased for a long while. Even as the course meals continued to be served, Yu-young only moved his utensils mechanically, cutting the food and bringing it to his mouth.

‘Choi Do-won and I… getting married…?’

Even if it was just for show, the very thought made his ears burn as if he’d imagined something forbidden about someone he shouldn’t. It was unbelievable—too surreal.

“Have you finished eating?”

“Oh, yes. …What?”

The course was already over? Shocked by Do-won’s words, Yu-young quickly looked down at his plate. Now that he thought about it, he was aggressively stabbing his fork into the cherry sorbet served for dessert.

Startled, he hurriedly put down his fork. Normally, there was no way he’d treat such a delicious dessert like this.

“I shouldn’t have brought up such a complicated topic during the meal. I should’ve waited until afterward.”

“Ah… It’s fine. I still enjoyed the meal, Team Leader.”

“You didn’t seem to eat properly. If you’re still hungry, do you want to order something else?”

Yu-young forced a smile and waved his hand dismissively. To be honest, he barely remembered what he had eaten or how it had tasted. But he had mechanically chewed and swallowed everything, so his stomach was full, and he wasn’t in the mood to eat more anyway.

Do-won, who had been watching him quietly, wiped his mouth, adjusted his clothes, and slowly stood up.

“Let’s go, then.”

The car ride back home was silent the entire way. Of all days, why did they have to be in the same car today…? With a heavy heart, Yu-young leaned his head against the window. Suddenly, he felt suffocated and wanted some fresh air.

“Team Leader, can I open the window?”

“As you like.”

As he rolled the window down slightly, a cool breeze rushed into the car. The crisp autumn night air always had a way of making people smile. The lingering summer heat had finally faded, leaving behind a fleeting, pleasant chill before the harsh winter cold settled in.

His gaze wandered past the occasional pedestrians, the streetlights flashing by, and finally, the distant city skyline twinkling in the night. Looking at the dense cluster of high-rise buildings, it was inevitable that he thought of the office.

When he worked late into the night at the office, being surrounded by such dazzling scenery felt suffocating. But now, looking at it from a distance, he couldn’t help but find it beautiful. People really were fickle. Smirking at his own thoughts, Yu-young let out a small laugh.

“…Why are you laughing?”

The quiet voice beside him resonated pleasantly in his ears. It suited the autumn night air.

“Oh, nothing. I just… like that I’m not working overtime right now.”

“If anyone heard that, they’d think I’m some terrible boss who makes you work overtime all the time.”

Do-won spoke with a faint, teasing smile, and Yu-young chuckled. As if. He had never met a boss like Do-won—one who expected hard work but was also strict about meals and leaving on time.

“That’s not what I meant. It’s just that right now, what I’m doing with you isn’t work…”

Yu-young trailed off, suddenly realizing he was about to voice his thoughts out loud.

But Do-won wasn’t going to let it slide. He glanced at him, gesturing with his eyes as if telling him to finish what he was saying. Caught under that expectant gaze, Yu-young had no choice but to continue.

“…It’s a drive, so I like it.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt even more embarrassed. Was there another employee in the world who would shamelessly tell their boss they enjoyed going for a drive together instead of working? The absurdity of it made his face heat up.

For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to look at Do-won. Yu-young stubbornly kept his gaze fixed out the window, feeling the burn spreading across his face. But then, a gentle voice pulled his attention back.

“I like it too.”

There was a subtle but unmistakable smile in Do-won’s voice.

“Driving with you instead of working overtime.”

Had he always been someone who could say things like that? Yu-young looked at him, surprised.

His neatly rolled-up sleeves, the well-toned forearms beneath them. The long, elegant fingers gripping the steering wheel. His perfectly straightened posture, his composed voice even when joking, and the warmth lingering in the curve of his lips.

Damn autumn nights. The cool breeze, the beautiful city lights—they made even the person sitting next to him seem different.

Feeling his heart start to race uncontrollably, Yu-young shut his eyes tightly. Do-won’s warm, teasing voice still lingered in his ears, and the faint scent of pheromones filling the car was more than enough to cloud his senses. And on top of that, he looked beautiful, too. It was almost unfair.

At this rate, closing his eyes was the only thing he could do.

As soon as he got home, Yu-young quickly showered and rushed to his desk. With hurried hands, he grabbed the envelope and spilled out its contents.

Scanning the contract rapidly, he had no choice but to accept that what he had heard earlier wasn’t a dream but reality.

The signature at the bottom was unmistakably the one he had seen countless times at work. Next to it was a neatly stamped company seal. This was, without a doubt, a contract drawn up by Do-won.

And in it, the words ‘contract marriage’ were repeated over and over again.

‘Stay calm… Just read it carefully first.’

If some other alpha had handed him something like this, he would’ve scoffed and thrown a drink in their face, telling them to cut the nonsense. But seeing Do-won’s signature so clearly stamped on the page, Yu-young couldn’t bring himself to dismiss it outright.

No matter how ridiculous the word ‘marriage’ sounded.

Yu-young calmly returned to the beginning of the contract and began reading it slowly from the top.

‘Purpose….’

The contract that Do-won handed Yu-young was different from a standard contract. Since it had been drafted without Yu-young’s consent, it was only natural that its fundamental ‘purpose’ was stated upfront. After all, this contract needed to persuade the one reading it.

Mulling over the meaning of the words, he read that section aloud once more.

“…To be excluded from consideration in the marriage market.”

Muttering as he read, Yu-young let out a self-deprecating laugh.

In short, it meant they would use each other until they lost value in the marriage market. The period Do-won proposed was three years, and after living as a married couple for that time, if they separated, both of them would find it easier to be ‘excluded from consideration in the marriage market,’ just as Do-won had said.

Of course, taking this route would leave a record of divorce, but that wasn’t something that particularly mattered to Yu-young. The same likely applied to Do-won, which was why he had made this proposal.

Having been divorced once wouldn’t immediately and drastically lower their so-called value. Especially not for a dominant alpha like Do-won. Even if he got divorced, he would still be young and attractive, and his secondary gender characteristics wouldn’t change. His looks, abilities, and family background weren’t things that would disappear because of a divorce.

But even so, a first marriage and a remarriage were different matters. And once someone had been married once, their family wouldn’t pressure them as harshly about marriage again. That seemed to be what Do-won was aiming for, and as Yu-young gradually grasped his plan, he couldn’t help but nod in understanding.

If he entered into a contract marriage with Do-won—

Do-won would be freed from the pressure of his arranged marriage. And Yu-young would no longer have to worry about his pheromones.

In an extreme case, as Do-won had mentioned earlier, they might even end up having a physical relationship. But at the very least, he would be free from the risk of pheromone shock.

According to the contract, Do-won was obligated to ensure that Yu-young didn’t fall into pheromone shock. Strangely, Yu-young found that clause particularly reassuring. He wasn’t sure when he had come to trust Do-won to this extent.

And then there was another crucial point.

Most alphas wanted their omega spouses to quit their jobs after marriage. This was one of the key reasons why Yu-young had avoided marriage up until now. But the terms of this contract were completely different.

“…Even if the contract is executed, neither party shall interfere in the other’s professional activities, hobbies, or personal life. The same applies to romantic relationships, though both parties must notify each other in advance before progressing in any such relationship. Additionally, within the company, their relationship shall remain unchanged, and publicly, they shall not disclose the nature of this arrangement….”

This essentially meant that even after getting married, he could continue his career without any significant changes.

At first, Yu-young had instinctively recoiled at the word ‘marriage,’ but upon reading this, his perspective started to shift.

However, there was still one major obstacle.

“…As stated, in maintaining a de facto marital relationship, the two parties shall share a residence.”

In other words, they had to live together.

This was something he couldn’t accept so easily. But thinking about it logically, if they didn’t even live together, convincing their parents would be impossible.

No marriage registration, no wedding ceremony—if they also lived separately, both of their parents would question whether this was even a real marriage.

‘Living together with Choi Do-won….’

His face flushed hot again.

Eating together, commuting together, sleeping under the same roof even if in separate bedrooms…. But above all, the fact that his home after work would be the same as Do-won’s hit him the hardest.

The thought of leaving work only to still be in the presence of his boss was almost nightmarish. He tried imagining commuting home with a different superior—say, Deputy Manager Kim. If he had to commute both to and from work with that man, he’d rather jump into the Han River.

But when he imagined coming home with Do-won, strangely, it didn’t seem so bad. No—just earlier, he had outright told Do-won that he enjoyed their drive together.

Recalling his own ridiculous words, Yu-young covered his now-burning face with both hands.

If they bought a large enough house, they might not have to interact too often. In that case, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. They could just think of each other as housemates, mere roommates.

As he reviewed the contract, Yu-young’s expression grew increasingly serious. The more he read, the clearer the mutual benefits became. At first, he had been shocked by the word ‘marriage,’ but thinking about it rationally, Do-won’s proposal wasn’t entirely absurd.

Still, the surreal feeling remained. Even putting aside the advantages they would gain, there was no changing the fact that the word following ‘contract’ was ‘marriage.’ It wasn’t something to take lightly.

It was logical, yet absurd. It was overwhelming, yet made sense.

What Do-won had presented him today was a proposal that left him utterly conflicted.

That night, Yu-young tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.