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    Loves Balance
    Chapter Index

    After finishing his work and heading out of the office with his team members, Do-won lifted his wrist to check the time. The clock was already pointing to 8 o’clock.

    The whole team had worked late tonight, and they had just finished a quick meal together at a restaurant in front of the company. After saying goodbye to all the team members, Do-won and Yu-young were finally able to enter the café in front of the company. Yu-young, who had arrived first, asked Do-won.

    “What would you like to have, Team Leader?”

    “I’ll pay. What do you like?”

    “Oh, I was craving cake, so… I’ll just buy it myself.”

    “It’s fine, just tell me the menu.”

    Yu-young looked at the menu, his eyes busy scanning it. His eyes were particularly bright as he checked the menu. After a brief moment of contemplation, Yu-young boldly said,

    “I’ll have a plain yogurt smoothie. And, sorry, but also the yuzu cake.”

    Wasn’t this the same person who ate heartily just earlier, with his cheeks puffed up? Wasn’t he full? Yet he was still eating something like that after a meal. Do-won thought it was strange but nodded without showing any signs of it.

    Not long after they sat at the table, the vibrating bell rang. Just as Yu-young was about to sig, he suddenly shot up and briskly walked to the pickup counter. Soon, he returned holding a tray with a warm Americano, plain yogurt smoothie, and a piece of cake. His small and nimble frame made him seem like a squirrel at times.

    “Thank you, Team Leader. I’ll enjoy this.”

    Do-won nodded once more and took a sip of his coffee, observing Yu-young. Just like when he was eating earlier, Yu-young drank his beverage with the same eager energy and then widened his eyes. From what Do-won had observed during their meals, it seemed that Yu-young made that face when he really enjoyed the food.

    After drinking for a while, Yu-young winced as if he had a headache and pressed his temple with his fingers. It seemed that he drank the cold beverage too quickly. Watching this, Do-won couldn’t help but let out a short laugh.

    “Why are you laughing? I’ve noticed you always laugh when I eat something.”

    Yu-young glared at him with a pouty face, and another laugh escaped Do-won.

    “It’s not a bad kind of laugh.”

    “Still, do you not think it’s rude to laugh when someone is eating? You make the person feel awkward…”

    Seeing Yu-young grumbling, it seemed he had a lot on his mind. Do-won stayed silent, simply staring at him. After a pause, Yu-young, who had been chatting loosely, seemed to realize something and closed his mouth. A couple of times, he twitched his lips and then softly apologized.

    “…Ah, I’m sorry.”

    As a team member, Han Yu-young was polite. However, once outside the company and into his personal life, his demeanor seemed a bit different. Do-won had vaguely realized this lately.

    After all, their first meeting had been completely different from the professional Yu-young he had known at work. At first, he had disliked him a lot.

    And now…

    “It doesn’t mean anything.”

    “…Huh?”

    “The reason I laughed when you were eating— I just thought your actions reminded me of a squirrel, a small animal, so I laughed.”

    Was this a compliment or an insult? Although Do-won didn’t say it out loud, it was clear that Yu-young was thinking this. Watching Yu-young’s face twist in confusion and his furrowed brows, Do-won thought that no one could make their feelings so clear like that. For Do-won, this straightforwardness was oddly comfortable.

    Having grown up surrounded by people whose true feelings were hidden behind steel-like facades, this kind of transparency was less burdensome and more relaxing.

    “Rather than that, let’s talk about the plan for this Saturday’s meal. Have you thought about it, Assistant Han?”

    “…Ah… yes.”

    Yu-young finally stopped drinking and wiped his hand, which had droplets of water from his drink, with a napkin. He looked at Do-won with a serious expression. His gaze was so intense that Do-won almost smiled again, but he lowered his gaze.

    “…Why… are you doing this?”

    “You have cream on your mouth. Wipe it off.”

    When Do-won handed him the napkin, Yu-young hurriedly took it and wiped his mouth. However, the cream, which had been smeared on quite thickly, hadn’t come off completely and remained a little smudged.

    Do-won quietly watched Yu-young and slowly reached out his hand. His fingers gently brushed around Yu-young’s lips.

    Yu-young’s face gradually turned bright red. Even as he held still and let Do-won touch him, it seemed that he had grown somewhat accustomed to physical contact after a few instances. There was no visible resistance in his eyes—only surprise at the sudden touch.

    Even Do-won, when touching Yu-young’s face, was surprised at how it didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. It was especially surprising because discomfort was typically a word that came to his mind when thinking of Omegas.

    ‘Discomfort…’

    Thinking back, the sensation of touching Yu-young’s body was unlike anything he had ever felt before.

    “More than that, Team Leader… about the meal on Saturday…”

    Yu-young, with his red face, quickly changed the subject.

    “No matter how much I think about it, there’s no way out. Even if I try to make an excuse about scheduling, they’ll just change the date, so it seems pointless. Since we’ve already met with both families, if I say no, it’s just going to raise suspicion.”

    “I think so too.”

    Do-won nodded.

    “We’ve said that we haven’t known each other for long, and we’ve shown that we’re getting along well, so there shouldn’t be any greater pressure even if we attend the meal.”

    “I hope that’s the case, but these kinds of situations don’t happen often.”

    Yu-young also sighed briefly and nodded.

    “Still, if we can’t avoid it, let’s attend. And since both families will be there, we’ll have to act more carefully. We’ll need to continue mixing our pheromones until then.”

    Yu-young’s eyes, which had been blankly staring off, started to turn red again. Do-won couldn’t help but recall how Yu-young’s body, unlike his bold mindset and confident character, was more honest and sensitive. He couldn’t help but think back to the flushed cheeks, the heavy breaths that had slipped out when they kissed, and the way his eyes had gotten so wet. Taking a deep breath, Do-won tried to push the thought away.

    “If it’s about mixing pheromones…”

    “That means kissing.”

    It was amusing how his ears turned bright red, and he looked a bit cute too. Do-won held back his laugh and deliberately spoke in a stiff tone. Yu-young was startled by the blunt words, but quickly returned to his usual sulking expression.

    “I-I know. Of course, I’ll do it if needed.”

    His attempt to act nonchalant was even funnier, but Do-won decided to stop teasing him for now. They exchanged a few more words about what might come up during the Saturday meal, and before they knew it, 30 minutes had passed.

    “It’s late, so let’s call it a night. We can think about the rest later.”

    “Okay.”

    Just as Yu-young began to gather his things, Do-won reached out and stopped him. Yu-young’s eyes, full of innocent curiosity, turned towards him.

    “I have something for you.”

    “…For me?”

    Yu-young’s already large eyes grew even bigger. Feeling a bit awkward, Do-won cleared his throat. The thought of last night, when he had called himself meddlesome, quickly filled his mind, but now that he had already said it, he couldn’t backtrack and say, “It was just a joke.”

    Despite his complicated thoughts, Do-won calmly reached into his bag and pulled out something, handing it to Yu-young. Yu-young, who had taken it without thinking, suddenly yelped, almost like a scream. Then he covered his mouth with both hands.

    “C-crazy…! Wh-What is this?!”

    Anyone who saw it would think he had pulled a snake out of his bag. Do-won watched his reaction with an indifferent gaze as Yu-young’s face alternated between pale and bright red, as if he were in a panic.

    Yu-young, who had almost thrown the photo album onto the table in shock, now held it to his chest as if protecting it, staring blankly at it before glancing back at Do-won with an expression of shock.

    Do-won spoke in his usual blunt tone.

    “You’re making a fuss. Calm down.”

    “No! Team Leader! How can I calm down right now?!”

    “It’s just a photo album. It’s not going anywhere, so calm down.”

    “A photo album? This is so precious to me… Do you have any idea how worried I was about not being able to get this?”

    Yu-young, unable to even peel the plastic off the album, simply placed it on the table and stroked it affectionately. His fingers were trembling slightly.

    Do-won chuckled softly.

    “Is it really that important to you?”

    “Yes. Very much. So, so much.”

    “…I just happened to get it at the same time.”

    Do-won handed him a second envelope while Yu-young was still absorbed in the photo album, gently caressing it. Yu-young opened the envelope with shaking hands, and once again covered his mouth in shock. His eyes grew so wide that they couldn’t get any bigger, and he completely forgot that they were in a public place as he shouted loudly.

    “Team Leader, where on earth did you get this…! This is a special edition postcard! H-How did you even get this?!”

    “I’m glad you like it.”

    Yu-young’s hands, holding the postcards, were now trembling like someone with a nervous disorder. As he stared at the three postcards in disbelief, he suddenly jumped up from his seat.

    “…?”

    Yu-young strode over to Do-won, suddenly wrapping his arms around him. Do-won was now held tightly in Yu-young’s embrace, his eyes wide. The familiar scent of lemon and vanilla mixed together tickled his nose.

    “Assistant Han… What is this…?”

    “Team Leader.”

    Unexpectedly, Yu-young’s voice was a little shaky.

    “Thank you for getting this for me. I know it must have been hard to find… I don’t know how you managed to get it, but I really, really appreciate it.”

    From the many repeated words of gratitude, Do-won could sense his pure sincerity. The intense warmth of excitement slowly transferred through their bodies, and the thudding heartbeat against Yu-young’s chest seemed to match his own.

    In that moment, a strange rhythm rang out from inside his body. Surprised by the unfamiliar sensation, Do-won’s eyes widened, just as Yu-young pulled back with an awkward expression.

    “Ah… I’m sorry. I got too excited for a moment… Sorry.”

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