MM 74

The alarm rang in a steady rhythm, “Tiririririk.” Opening his eyes to the familiar ceiling, Yu-young instinctively thought to himself.

‘…Today is the last morning.’

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t help but get sentimental. The word “last” always carried a certain lonely tone, and because of it, he had spent much of the night tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

The bed that had become so comfortable and familiar. The scenery of the house that had witnessed Yu-young’s joys and sorrows over the years. The thought of parting with all of these things made it impossible not to feel nostalgic.

‘But it’s not like I’m moving for a bad reason.’

It’s a new beginning. With that thought, Yu-young made a conscious effort to get up from the bed with a little more energy. After stretching, he tidied up his bed as usual. Once he left for work, the movers his mother had sent would probably come to organize the house. This bed and the blankets he had slept with would be taken too.

After showering and making a light breakfast of toast, he brushed his teeth. It had gotten chilly, so he lightly draped a coat over his suit. After fixing his hair neatly, Yu-young reached out to his reflection in the mirror before leaving the house.

“…Thanks for everything, house.”

The constant nagging about getting married. The days when he would often be “kidnapped” by his dad. The relentless torment from Deputy Manager Kim. The pointed, but unspoken, gazes that questioned why an Omega like him didn’t just find a good Alpha to live comfortably, instead of clinging to his job.

Still, in order to maintain his desire for independence, he had weathered those days, soothing his mind and holding firm. During those times—sometimes tiring, sometimes happy—this house had quietly been a part of his life.

“Ugh… making me feel weird.”

Smiling at his reflection, Yu-young put on his shoes and left the house. Pressing the elevator button, he casually walked to the front door of the apartment next door. But there was no sign of life. He, too, usually left early for work, so he figured that the man next door had probably already left.

With upbeat music playing, Yu-young sang along loudly as he went to work. He stopped by to grab some coffee for his colleagues. He knew their tastes well, so it was no trouble.

Carrying his bag in one hand and a carrier with four cups of coffee in the other, Yu-young took the elevator up. As the bell rang, he stepped out and saw the lights coming from the office. It was only the team leader’s office that was lit, judging by the dim light elsewhere.

As he entered the office, Yu-young opened the windows as usual to air out the room. Still holding the hot coffee, he walked toward the team leader’s office and knocked.

-Yes.

“Team Leader, this is Assistant Han.”

-Come in.

Yu-young straightened up. The person who had been joking and laughing with him at the house the previous night was nowhere to be found. Sitting at the desk and working, Do-won looked like a completely different person.

The natural air of authority he exuded made Yu-young swallow as he carefully placed the coffee on the desk. Do-won gave a surprised look.

“Why the coffee?”

“Just… Because.”

Feeling a bit shy, Yu-young cleared his throat.

“I bought it while getting mine… I thought I’d get you one too. Please enjoy.”

Do-won’s lips slowly curved into a smile, and for a moment, there was a playful glint in his eyes.

“Why don’t you just tell me to throw it away if it’s bad like last time?”

“This is good coffee. I bought it from outside.”

“The coffee you made last time was good too.”

“…You drank it?”

Yu-young looked surprised. He honestly thought Do-won had thrown it away because the coffee from the break room was so bad.

“Why would I throw away something you made for me?”

“……”

He almost said, “I thought you might have,” but decided against it. Do-won gave him an incredulous look.

“Do you really think that little of me?”

“Well… honestly, back then, our relationship… wasn’t exactly great.”

“And now?”

Once again, there was a change in Do-won’s gaze.

“Now, how is our relationship? Is it better?”

“Uh…”

Yu-young was at a loss for words. Just like last night, Do-won had a tendency to pry into the current relationship between them.

“…Honestly, it’s much… better than before.”

“Much better.”

Do-won nodded lightly, repeating the words, but his expression didn’t seem fully satisfied with the answer.

Yu-young couldn’t find any more words to say and just fumbled with his lips. What exactly could he name their current relationship?

Team leader and assistant manager? That felt like crossing a line. Then, a contractual relationship? That was too stiff. No matter how he thought about it, a term like “ally” might fit, even though it had been criticized for its lack of elegance yesterday.

“Well, I’ll be heading out then.”

Yu-young didn’t know why. In situations like this, it seemed best to just say goodbye and leave. He bowed his head slightly and gave a one-sided farewell before leaving the team leader’s office. Just then, Yoon-seok and Ju-yeon walked in together.

“Good morning, Yu-young!”

“Good morning, Assistant Manager Han!”

Ju-yeon waved her hand energetically, and Yoon-seok bowed, greeting politely, though his face showed a shy expression. Ever since he had manifested as an Alpha, Yu-young couldn’t understand why he seemed even more shy than before.

“Good morning. I brought coffee for both of you.”

“Wow! Really?”

The two’s eyes sparkled simultaneously. Like children running toward a sweet treat, they both rushed toward Yu-young’s desk. Ju-yeon clapped her hands first and grabbed a cup of coffee.

“Oh yeah, iced Americano! I was craving it this morning but was too lazy to go, so I just came in. Thanks, Yu-young!”

“You’re welcome, enjoy.”

“By the way, did you bring one for Yoon-seok too? He looks so nonchalant, but his coffee taste is ridiculously picky, you know? What was it again? It’s super complicated. He won’t drink it unless it’s that exact recipe.”

“Oh, of course I know.”

Just then, Do-won quietly came out of the team leader’s office, but the three of them were so absorbed in the coffee and conversation that they didn’t notice. Yu-young spoke up loudly and confidently.

“Yoon-seok always drinks it the same way, right? Iced cappuccino, large size, one shot of espresso added, three pumps of syrup, and a huge sprinkle of cinnamon powder on top.”

“Wow, amazing. You remember all that? What kind of senior are you? That’s real dedication.”

“Not just dedication, it’s love itself.”

It reminded him of when Ju-yeon, back when she was his mentor, had bought coffee for Yoon-seok multiple times when he was struggling to adapt to work. It had become a cherished memory, and now, the three of them could laugh about it together.

Before Yu-young could add to his sentence, a cold pheromone brushed past him from behind. Ju-yeon and Yoon-seok hurriedly greeted.

“Team leader, Good morning!”

“Good morning, Team Leader!”

“Good morning.”

The tone of the reply sounded strangely out of sync with the words. Yu-young glanced at Do-won, sensing a slightly different atmosphere from before. But neither of the two seemed to react, probably accustomed to this side of Do-won.

Am I overreacting? Just as Yu-young thought that, Do-won spoke.

“It seems Assistant Manager Han really loves Yoon-seok. You even know his coffee preferences down to the smallest detail.”

“…Excuse me?”

Yu-young’s face froze in confusion. Both Ju-yeon and Yoon-seok wore similarly puzzled expressions. Do-won’s slightly twisted expression clearly didn’t look like he was in a good mood.

“Ah… well… Yoon-seok always drinks it that way… um…”

Just as he started to explain himself, a thought crossed Yu-young’s mind, ‘Why am I even making excuses for this?’ However, Do-won quickly wiped the displeasure off his face and asked in a flat tone.

“By the way, Assistant Manager Kim. Is the workshop preparation going well? Are you collaborating smoothly with Team 2?”

“Oh, of course! It’s going smoothly.”

Ju-yeon replied confidently, and Do-won gave a light smile and nodded.

“Good. When it’s all ready, please give me a briefing anytime.”

“Yes, I will.”

“If you have any questions or requests, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Yes! Thank you.”

“Team Leader, good morning!”

As more people entered the office, the group naturally dispersed. But Yu-young still couldn’t shake the lingering questions in his mind, even as he sat back down, tilting his head in confusion.

What’s going on? It seems like he’s been unusually sensitive about Yoon-seok recently. Could it be that he…

Just as Yu-young thought this, he forcefully shook his head.

‘Hey, Han Yu-young, you’re thinking too much.’

He scolded himself inwardly, tongue clicking in frustration. What on earth was he thinking? Just because that stiff person had been a bit kinder lately, he started thinking about things that would never happen, even if the sky fell down.

‘Why would he feel jealous? No, wait, can Do-won even feel jealousy?’

Do-won was the most perfect person Yu-young had ever known. The only flaw seemed to be a lack of warmth. Of course, when he had first interacted with him, he had different thoughts, but now, including Yu-young and almost every team member, everyone who knew him would agree with that assessment.

So why would someone like him feel jealous about Yoon-seok’s relationship with him? A fresh-faced rookie who had just entered the workforce.

‘Stop with these useless thoughts and get to work.’

Yu-young stretched his neck and turned on his computer. Now that he thought about it, just like Do-won had said, the workshop was coming up soon.

Last year, when he was constantly bothered by Deputy Manager Kim, he didn’t want to attend any workshops or events, finding them annoying. But strangely, this year, he felt a bit excited about the workshop, anticipating it in a way he hadn’t expected.