MM 123

After breakfast and tidying up, while Do-won was in the bathroom brushing his teeth, Yu-young stepped into his room with a pounding heart. He took out the gift he had carefully hidden and, clutching it tightly, walked back out. His heartbeat was racing in a way that was both thrilling and a little nerve-wracking.

Just then, Do-won also emerged from his room. As always, he looked impeccably put together—except for the hastily applied medicated patch on his neck, just as he had said earlier. It was glaringly obvious that he was trying to cover up a suspicious mark, which made Yu-young chuckle automatically.

“Team Leader, it’s… really obvious.”

“It’s fine. More importantly, let me see what Assistant Han prepared. I’m way too curious.”

Do-won flicked his gaze toward the box Yu-young was holding. Seeing him openly display such anticipation only made Yu-young even more nervous. Swallowing dryly, he quickly shook his head.

“T-Team Leader, please don’t expect too much. I just… did my best within what I know.”

“Got it. If it’s from you, I’d be grateful even for a single pair of underwear, so don’t worry.”

The mention of underwear instantly brought back old memories. Come to think of it, there was a time when they had argued loudly in front of their houses over a single pair of briefs. Who would have thought back then that the man from the neighboring house, who once felt like a nemesis, would end up becoming his lover—his husband?

Do-won must have been thinking the same thing because his smile deepened in amusement.

“Come on, let me see.”

“A-Alright…”

Oh, whatever. He had bought the gift to give it, so he might as well just hand it over. Yu-young squeezed his eyes shut for a second, then resolutely held out the present to Do-won.

Do-won accepted the box with a chuckle in his voice. “Can I open it now?”

“Uh… Y-Yeah. We still have time, so… sure, go ahead.”

The nervousness made Yu-young sound like a robot again. While he blushed furiously, Do-won took his hand and gently guided him to sit on the couch. Then, slowly, he began unwrapping the gift.

Yu-young couldn’t take his eyes off Do-won’s fingers as they untied the ribbon.

At last, the wrapping paper came off, revealing a black branded box containing a camera.

“…….”

“…….”

Yu-young had expected Do-won to say something like “Oh,” or “It’s beautiful,” with a satisfied smile. But the atmosphere that followed was entirely different from what he had anticipated.

In the silence, Yu-young stole a glance at Do-won’s face. He wasn’t saying a word, simply staring at the box. His expression, frozen in place, seemed almost rigid—as if he were so taken aback that he didn’t know how to react. It was enough to make Yu-young wonder if he was actually upset.

His heartbeat, which had been pounding with excitement, now grew heavier with unease. Did Do-won not like it? Was it the wrong brand? No, that couldn’t be—he had heard that any photography enthusiast would love this brand. Or maybe it was the model? What was wrong…?

The silence wasn’t long, but to Yu-young, it felt agonizingly drawn out. Unable to bear it any longer, he spoke first.

“Um, Team Leader… do you… not like it?”

Do-won slowly shifted his gaze from the box to Yu-young. His eyes, deep and quiet, carried an inexplicable trace of sorrow. Strangely, meeting that gaze made something in Yu-young’s chest ache.

“…That’s impossible,” Do-won finally said in a low, slightly hoarse voice.

The next moment, he stepped forward and gently pulled Yu-young into his arms.

“Thank you, Assistant Han.”

With a quiet sigh, Do-won pressed his lips to Yu-young’s hair. His breath carried an emotion too layered for Yu-young to fully grasp—something dense, something heavy.

“I’ve never received a camera as a gift before.”

“…Ah.”

“Except from my mother.”

Do-won’s words were followed by a pause before he slowly pulled away. Then, this time, he slipped his arms under Yu-young’s and hugged him tightly around the torso. Naturally, Yu-young leaned back slightly, and the way they ended up positioned made it seem as though Do-won was the one being held.

With his face buried against Yu-young’s chest, Do-won murmured,

“…Thank you, Yu-young.”

For a moment, it felt like he was glimpsing the boy hidden within the man. Do-won’s voice as he expressed his gratitude was so open, so sincere, that it made Yu-young’s heart ache a little.

He couldn’t bring himself to smile lightly. Now, he had a faint understanding of what “mother” and “photography” meant to Do-won.

Holding the man who clung to him like a large dog, Yu-young gently ran his fingers through his hair—carefully, so as not to mess up the perfectly styled look for work. He smoothed down Do-won’s neck and shoulders, then softly patted his back.

“…I’m just glad you like it,” he whispered.

Do-won inhaled deeply against his chest, then exhaled. The way he deliberately took in Yu-young’s scent was so blatant that it made Yu-young’s face burn.

“‘Like it’ isn’t enough to describe how I feel.”

Do-won’s voice was calm as usual, but to Yu-young, it felt like he was suppressing something—just like the time they had talked about the photo of the snow-covered trees on Do-won’s desk.

After finishing his words, Do-won slowly pulled back and met Yu-young’s gaze. The warmth from his hands, still wrapped around Yu-young’s arms, seeped through.

For a long moment, Do-won simply looked at him in silence.

“Yu-young.”

Hearing his name spoken so softly and tenderly, Yu-young realized once again just how much he loved it when this person called him like that.

“…Yes.”

“Thank you.”

Do-won’s words were slow and deliberate, yet crystal clear.

Held captive by the deep, unwavering gaze, Yu-young found himself holding his breath without even realizing it.

“…You’ve given me a reason to pick up a camera again.”

With those enigmatic words, Do-won closed the distance and covered Yu-young’s lips with his own. Unlike the fervent passion of the previous night, a warm and gentle pheromone washed over Yu-young like a rolling tide.

Yu-young slowly closed his eyes, responding carefully to the soft lips enveloping his own. He didn’t fully understand the depth of Do-won’s words, but one thing was clear—his gift had profoundly moved him. And that alone made Yu-young indescribably happy.

Do-won’s tongue moved slowly, exploring Yu-young’s mouth with deliberate care, as if savoring him for the first time. Despite spending the whole night tasting and devouring him, his kisses remained tender and considerate. The sheer intimacy of it made Yu-young’s eyes mist over. The pheromones they had exchanged throughout the night now melded into a deeply intoxicating bond.

“Mm… Haa…”

A breathy moan escaped. As Yu-young lifted his arms to hook them around Do-won’s neck, their kiss deepened, his body gradually reclining against the sofa. Without breaking the kiss, Do-won reached up and tugged his tie loose with a sharp pull. Seeing him wear the same exact expression as last night, Yu-young suddenly panicked and pressed his hands against Do-won’s chest.

“T-Team Leader…!”

“Stay still. After shaking me up like this, why are you pushing me away now? Hm? Are you trying to drive me insane?”

“I-It’s not that… We have to go to work. There’s only thirty minutes left.”

“That’s plenty of time.”

Had he always been this relentless? After going at it all night, Do-won was already fired up again, and Yu-young was both exasperated and—honestly—a little scared. But at the same time, his own body was heating up just as quickly.

Can a person really be like this? After everything last night, and still…

Even as the thought crossed his mind, Yu-young found himself surrendering to Do-won’s touch as he unfastened his belt buckle. In the pale morning light, the living room was soon filled with the hurried rustling of clothes being shed and the occasional soft laughter.

***

As always, the two of them commuted to work together in Do-won’s car. Upon arriving, they opened the office doors, aired out the space, and turned on the heating. The chilly morning breeze swept through, but they refused to skip the daily ventilation. Letting out the stale air from the night before left them feeling refreshed.

It felt like everything would go well from now on. No—actually, even if things didn’t go perfectly, it didn’t matter. Because now, Yu-young had the most reliable partner in the world.

Handsome, tall, well-built, impeccably polite, and above all, someone who cherished him deeply—a man so unrealistically perfect that he embodied every trait of Yu-young’s ideal type. His lover. His husband. With Do-won by his side, Yu-young felt like he could handle anything that came their way.

A silly grin kept creeping onto his face. He hummed a tune as he tidied his desk and powered on his computer to start the day.

Before long, people began filing into the office.

“Good morning, Team Leader!”

From outside, Ju-yeon’s cheerful voice rang out. She entered, holding a cup of coffee, and upon spotting Yu-young, immediately hurried over, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

“Hey, Yu-young. Have you seen the Team Leader?”

“Good morning, Ju-yeon. Why do you ask?”

“Well, you see…”

Ju-yeon glanced around furtively before lowering her voice even more.

“Do you think the Team Leader is… dating someone?”

“Huh? What—where is that coming from?”

Yu-young barely managed to suppress his shock. He nearly jumped out of his seat.

Clearing her throat, Ju-yeon hesitated for a moment before whispering again, her tone oddly embarrassed.

“It’s just… well, it’s a little awkward to say this, but… Did you see him today? The medicated patch on his neck. Doesn’t it look like he’s trying to cover something up?”

There was no way Yu-young could admit, I was the one who made that last night. So, he stayed silent for a moment. But if he stayed quiet for too long, she might get suspicious. Forcing a laugh, he waved his hand dismissively.

“Oh, come on. You really think the Team Leader would let something like that happen? He probably just has a stiff neck or something.”

“Yeah? I guess so. I mean, he doesn’t really seem like that kind of person…”

Ju-yeon tilted her head, seemingly satisfied with the explanation, then suddenly turned the conversation toward Yu-young.

“Anyway, never mind him. What about you? Did something good happen? You look way too happy.”

“W-What? No, it’s nothing.”

“Yeah, right! It’s written all over your face! Come on, spill it. You clearly didn’t win the lottery, or you wouldn’t be here at work….”

Narrowing her eyes, Ju-yeon scrutinized Yu-young’s beaming face for a long moment. Then, with a dramatic gasp, she exclaimed,

“Wait—you’re seeing someone, aren’t you?!”

Her excited voice rang through the office.

‘Damn. Was I smiling too obviously?’

Yu-young quickly tried to school his expression and was about to protest when—

“…Good morning, Assistant Han.”

A low voice cut in.

Startled, Yu-young turned to see Yoon-seok standing nearby, still wearing his bag. He hadn’t even put it down yet.

“Oh, when did you get here? You scared me.”

But something was off. Yoon-seok’s expression was noticeably dark.

Yu-young was about to ask if something was wrong when Yoon-seok spoke first.

“Um… Assistant Han. There’s something I need to tell you.”