103

“…Ugh. I’m a little tipsy.”

His tongue twisted without him even realizing it. Staring blankly at the night view, Yu-young reached for the wine bottle and poured it into his glass, but after waiting for a while, nothing came out. When he shook the bottle a little, he realized it was empty.

‘So I’m drunk, huh? Didn’t even notice I finished it.’

Yu-young placed the empty bottle down with a soft thud on the table, then lightly rubbed his flushed face with one hand. Huh… His breath came out hot.

Usually, when drinking alone, he would only have one or two light drinks. The goal wasn’t to get drunk but to simply enjoy a pleasant evening. But tonight, his purpose was different. He wanted to drink until he was completely wasted to forget the unpleasant things that had happened today.

So he drank a bit faster than usual. However, as expected, drinking quickly didn’t mean the events of the day would be erased. After all, if it had been easy to forget, he wouldn’t have been doing something so out of character.

I guess you didn’t know. Ah, both of you should take the time to get to know each other better before making any big decisions. Didn’t you rush into things too quickly?

Sun-hyung’s voice echoed in his ears.

Yu-young placed his glass down bitterly and stared at the twinkling lights outside the window. In the past, he would’ve probably dismissed these words from a stranger with a snort.

After all, his relationship with Do-won was based on a contract, and there was no reason to feel bitter about not knowing much about him. He would’ve told Sun-hyung something like, “It’s none of your business,” in response.

But as he sat there drinking wine alone, Yu-young couldn’t deny it. He was feeling a little… no, quite bitter.

Now that he thought about it, he really didn’t know much about Do-won. Of course, that was only natural given the time they’d spent together, so he didn’t feel guilty about it. Still, it was a bit disappointing. The enormous amount of time that Sun-hyung and Do-won had built up together compared to the thin layer of time Yu-young had shared with Do-won felt so shallow.

Of course, Yu-young knew well that there was no need to compare himself to Sun-hyung, who had been friends with Do-won since childhood. No matter how irritating Sun-hyung’s words were, or how he deliberately tried to put him in a difficult position, Do-won had chosen him over Sun-hyung because he didn’t want to marry Sun-hyung. That was a clear fact.

Even if it was a contract marriage, he was still Do-won’s partner, and no matter how much Sun-hyung struggled, that fact wouldn’t change.

‘Yeah, I shouldn’t be feeling this way. I’m the one who Choi Do-won brought into this house, not Sun-hyung.’

Tomorrow, he could get to know Do-won better. They were together all the time, at work and at home, so there would be plenty of opportunities. Thinking this way, his mood lifted just a little.

What exactly was it about Do-won that made him feel this way?

Yu-young couldn’t help but feel a little silly for having such feelings. He suddenly thought about Do-won, who was out at a company dinner. No matter how late it got, he wanted to see him come home. A momentary worry crossed his mind—what if he showed Do-won something embarrassing while drunk? But he quickly smiled.

That was when he had grudges against him. Back then, he had grabbed Do-won by the collar. But now, no matter how drunk he got, he wouldn’t do something like that. He had no intention of doing so. Unless, of course, he made a different kind of mistake.

…A different mistake, what?

Rubbing his red face with his palm, Yu-young squeezed his eyes shut. The dizziness seemed to scatter in front of his closed eyelids. But no matter how much he tried to deny it, he couldn’t forget the brief memory of the time when Do-won had kissed him.

It seemed like he was really drunk if he kept remembering things like that. He decided it was time to stop drinking. Breathing out a warm, sweet wine-scented breath, Yu-young leaned back on the sofa. Closing his eyes and trying to relax, the drowsiness quickly overtook him.

…I should brush my teeth and go to bed.

That was the only thought he had. He had already taken a hot shower and finished an entire bottle of wine. His body, now warm and relaxed, clung to the sofa, and he had no intention of getting up.

Maybe I’ll just sleep here. After all, Do-won will probably go to his own room to sleep. It won’t be too much of an inconvenience… With that thought, Yu-young let his consciousness slip away, and before long, a soft, steady breath began to escape from his nose.

…

Click The sound of the door locking echoed as Do-won entered the front door. The living room, dark except for the faint light from an lamp, seemed to indicate that someone was already asleep.

It was almost midnight. Even though he knew how late it was, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Yu-young was probably in his room by now. He had received a brief text saying he was home, but that was all. Walking into the living room, Do-won stopped abruptly.

“…”

He spotted the small figure curled up on the sofa. It was Yu-young. On the table next to him, there was an empty wine bottle and a glass.

Had he been drinking? He didn’t seem like someone who liked to drink alone.

Do-won slowly approached. Yu-young’s face, breathing lightly, glowed pale under the light. Looking at him, Do-won couldn’t help but smile quietly. Suddenly, memories of the past surfaced.

A completely wasted Yu-young, grabbing him by the collar, swearing, and even crying. Back then, he had only seen Yu-young as an annoying and troublesome subordinate.

Could he have ever imagined that he’d find himself wanting to see this face while he was out drinking?

“You didn’t even cover yourself with a blanket.”

Muttering to himself, Do-won was about to head to Yu-young’s room to get something to cover him, but then he turned back and headed to his own room instead. He knew it was a childish desire, but he couldn’t stop himself.

He took a thick blanket and carefully draped it over Yu-young, who was curled up like a shrimp in his sleep. The blanket, the one Do-won used alone, was completely soaked in his pheromones and scent. Even after covering him, Do-won’s gaze lingered on Yu-young, unable to pull away, staring at him intently.

“Mmm…”

A soft moan escaped from Yu-young in his sleep, faint and longing. His white fingers peeked out from the blanket, tugging it up to his nose, and Do-won let out a heated breath.

He could tell that Yu-young really seemed to enjoy his pheromones. Unable to resist anymore, he knelt down next to him.

In the light of the night, he gently stroked Yu-young’s pale face with his fingers. He caressed the round forehead he always wanted to touch, his pretty nose, the blushing, lovely cheeks, and, as always, the full, red lips that stirred his desire every time he saw them.

His fingers, which had been gently caressing other parts of his face, unknowingly paused on those lips. Several times, he slowly rubbed his thumb over them. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Yu-young’s lips, which shone wetly from the alcohol he had drunk earlier.

The alcohol he had consumed became the catalyst that stirred his lust. Holding his breath, Do-won roughly took off his coat and jacket, tossing them carelessly aside. No, the alcohol was just an excuse. What had truly taken away his patience was the sight of Han Yu-young’s defenseless, sleeping face.

“Assistant Han.”

Do-won whispered, bringing his lips close to Yu-young’s, almost touching. The sweet scent of wine on Yu-young’s breath felt intoxicating. As always, the voice asking for permission was lower and rougher than usual.

“…Can I kiss you?”

His hurried breath mixed with Yu-young’s, just inches away. He knew full well that a sleeping person couldn’t respond, yet he found himself saying those words.

A self-deprecating laugh escaped him. No matter what, he shouldn’t be doing this to someone unconscious.

Just as he was about to turn his head and look away from Yu-young’s face, trying to pull away, the small voice caught his attention.

“…Yes.”

Yu-young’s long lashes, which had been closed, fluttered open slightly. His eyes, heavy with alcohol and sleep, were blurry, but he was clearly looking up at him.

“…Please… kiss me.”

As soon as the tiny permission came, Do-won grabbed Yu-young’s small, round shoulders. He thrust his tongue into Yu-young’s mouth, roughly, urgently.

“Mmm…”

Yu-young’s moan sent a shiver through Do-won’s lower abdomen. He kissed deeper, not realizing his face was contorted in desire. He grabbed Yu-young’s pretty, chubby cheeks with one hand while the other roughly untied his own necktie and tossed it aside.

“Ugh… Team, Team Leader… I can’t… breathe…”

“It’s your fault, Assistant Han. Just endure it.”

Do-won’s low voice stopped Yu-young’s pleading, despite the moisture in his voice.

“Who told you to sleep with such a pretty face?”

Even though he muttered this in a harsh voice, he pulled away slightly, waiting for Yu-young to catch his breath. But Do-won’s gaze, deep and intense, never left Yu-young’s face, as if he were about to devour it.

Yu-young’s face twisted in fear under the gaze, but then he softly whispered and reached his hand around Do-won’s neck. Clumsily, he tugged him closer.

“…Do it again.”