MM 66

As if he had heard something he shouldn’t have, Yu-young’s face slowly began to turn red.

Since they had chosen a house, it was only natural to fill it with things. While they followed Do-won’s father’s wish for him to provide the house, choosing the furniture and appliances to put inside was naturally up to the two of them.

Of course, Do-won had said he would bring his own things, but this time, Yu-young’s mother opposed it. Although they were adults and it was right to respect their wishes, she insisted that since it was her only son’s wedding, it was her wish to provide the household items.

In the end, with the couple’s agreement, Yu-young’s mother decided to donate all the appliances and furniture they had been using to an orphanage and a nursing home, and now they were in the position of needing to purchase everything new.

‘Ugh…’

It was really nothing. Going to buy household items was just fulfilling the terms of the contract. They couldn’t live in an empty house. But still, the thought of going with Do-won to pick out a bed, a refrigerator, and a washing machine made his face slightly flush, and it couldn’t be helped.

Yu-young wiped his red face with his hand and tried to respond nonchalantly.

“Yeah. Sure. Let’s go this Saturday.”

“Good.”

Now, there was nothing more to discuss. Just as they had finished their drinks, Yu-young was about to stand up when Do-won’s hand naturally reached out and tapped his hand.

“…Why…?”

“Your fingers are really beautiful.”

“Ah… yes.”

Yu-young was taken aback by the sudden compliment about his hand. Without stopping there, Do-won quietly looked at Yu-young’s fingers and slowly traced them with his gaze, even touching them as if trying to gauge their thickness.

…Finger thickness?

When he thought of that, Yu-young quickly opened his mouth.

“Uhm… Team Leader. You’re not planning to get a wedding band, are you?”

“Do you want a ring?”

Do-won’s eyes widened, looking surprised.

Was this not it? His expression seemed like he hadn’t expected that at all. It was only then that Yu-young realized he had jumped to conclusions.

It wasn’t that he particularly disliked the idea of matching rings with him. He was just a bit flustered. There was no need for rings, after all. But in the end, it was all a misunderstanding, and it was completely unnecessary to worry about.

Embarrassed, Yu-young’s face reddened again. Just as he was about to quickly wave it off, Do-won’s voice, tinged with a bitter smile, reached his ears.

“Rings are something better shared with the person you truly love later on, don’t you think?”

“Ah…”

Yu-young nodded slowly with a serious face.

“Yes… that makes sense. There’s no need to show it off. We only need to act like it in front of our parents.”

“Right.”

Do-won nodded, his face showing that there was nothing more to think about. Following him, Yu-young quickly began cleaning up, placing empty cups and napkins on the tray.

“It’s late. Let’s head inside now.”

“Yeah.”

Yu-young mechanically tidied up and, along with Do-won, took the elevator up to the 27th floor where they both lived. At the door, they exchanged goodbyes.

“Good night, Assistant Manager.”

“Good night, Team Leader. Sleep well.”

They shared a simple and gentle farewell before heading into their respective homes. As Yu-young closed the door and entered, he loosened the tie he had worn all day. After hanging up his jacket and pants, he went into the bathroom and turned on the hot water. Standing under the warm water, Yu-young let out a small sigh.

He didn’t know why he felt this way.

When he thought about the wedding bands, the first emotion that came was embarrassment. He had never thought about matching a ring with Do-won. Such things were unnecessary for their contract.

But what was the real reason his mind was so troubled? While washing, Yu-young pondered deeply. Do-won had touched his fingers as if judging their thickness, and when the word “ring” came up, he seemed genuinely surprised? So in the end, he felt awkward?

“Rings are something better shared with the person you truly love later on, don’t you think?”

Do-won’s calm voice kept echoing in his mind. Why did it keep coming back so clearly? And why did his chest ache?

He wasn’t marrying Do-won out of love, and they were supposed to part cleanly in three years. There was even a clause to prevent them from falling in love, so it was clear that matching rings with him didn’t make sense.

But Do-won’s words, and the clause about not falling in love, seemed to contrast with each other so clearly, like light and shadow. It was as if Do-won had drawn a line and was telling him not to cross it.

Right now, they were on the same side, sharing a purpose, choosing a house to live in and going to buy home appliances together. Yet, the fact that neither of them would be in each other’s future was perfectly natural.

That fact, which held no bitterness, was what made Yu-young feel so melancholic.

“…Sigh.”

He didn’t know. Since meeting Do-won, it felt like an unsolvable problem had been steadily piling up inside his heart.

After washing off the foam with hot water, Yu-young let his head fall against the wall with a thud. For some reason, he couldn’t stop sighing.

…

“Welcome, Yoon-seok! How’s your body? Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes. Thanks to your concern.”

Just as he was about to enter the office, Yu-young heard Ju-yeon’s voice rise excitedly. Yoon-seok was finally here. Yu-young widened his eyes and hurried into the office.

“Yoon-seok!”

“Ah… Assistant Manager.”

Yoon-seok, who had been greeting Ju-yeon with a smile, quickly lowered his gaze as soon as he made eye contact with Yu-young. But soon, he lifted his gaze with determination.

“…I have something to tell you before work starts, Assistant Manager.”

“Huh? To me?”

“Yes. Just a moment…”

Yoon-seok nodded with a serious expression.

Yu-young blinked and followed him into an empty meeting room. As they entered the closed room alone, the memory of their last encounter came to mind, making him feel uneasy. But now, with Yoon-seok calm and in control of himself, it didn’t seem likely that he would repeat his previous actions. Still, to be safe, Yu-young left the meeting room door slightly open.

Once inside, Yoon-seok bowed his head deeply. His posture was completely different from the confident way he had led Yu-young into the room earlier.

“Um, Assistant Manager…”

“Yes, Yoon-seok.”

“…I’m really sorry about what happened that day.”

Yoon-seok spoke with a sad voice, his eyes downcast.

“I… I never expected to manifest as an Alpha. I just thought… for the past few days, that you smelled really nice. It was strange… every time I entered the Team Leader’s office, I felt suffocated and uncomfortable.”

“……”

“Actually, I don’t remember everything from that day. After… after I did that to you… I don’t remember anything. But I heard that the Team Leader brought me to the hospital.”

Yoon-seok licked his lips and briefly paused. It seemed he was struggling to continue.

“…That day… please forgive me for my rudeness. I didn’t do it on purpose. But I’ve been feeling guilty thinking about how surprised you must have been.”

Yu-young sighed quietly. He could imagine how much Yoon-seok must have regretted his actions. He must have felt heavy-hearted the entire time. Since he had experienced discomfort due to his trait many times, Yu-young didn’t feel any anger or resentment toward Yoon-seok.

Yu-young smiled brightly and spoke to him.

“It’s okay, Yoon-seok. You didn’t do it on purpose.”

“…Assistant Manager…”

“Usually, when someone manifests, they’re not in their right mind. I was the same. Luckily, I spent it at home, but I don’t remember much about that day. You were just unlucky. Who could have known you were going to manifest?”

“……”

“So cheer up. Straighten your shoulders, smile a little. That’s not like you. That expression.”

Yu-young stepped closer to him, gently holding his face and lifting the corners of his mouth into a smile. Yoon-seok looked down at him with wide eyes, but his face gradually flushed bright red.

“Assistant Manager. Thank you. Really, thank you…”

“What’s there to thank me for?”

Yu-young, smiling up at Yoon-seok, suddenly sniffed the air.

“…Is that lime?”

“Ah…?”

Not understanding, Yoon-seok looked confused as Yu-young moved a little closer and sniffed again. There was a faint but distinct scent of lime in the air. Yu-young’s eyes widened, and he spoke with excitement.

“This is amazing. Yoon-seok, your pheromone smells like lime!”

“Wow, really…? Does it smell like that to you too, Assistant Manager?”

“Oh, yeah. It does smell similar.”

“Wow…”

Yoon-seok’s face turned a shade of red, and just then, a cold voice rang out from outside the meeting room.

“What are you two doing in there?”