MM 51

“It’s okay, just sit down.”

Coughing to clear his throat, Do-won spoke calmly.

“I told you to calm down.”

His voice was as composed as usual, though it carried a slight wry smile. The areas that had touched Yu-young still felt hot, almost as if burned, and without realizing it, Do-won loosened his tie a bit.

“I-I’m sorry. I just got so excited…”

Yu-young paused for a moment after saying that.

“By the way, Team Leader, how did you get this? It’s still during the reservation period, so there shouldn’t be any actual copies out yet…”

Yu-young’s eyes were filled with questions as he looked at Do-won, but Do-won answered nonchalantly, his face unchanged.

“A friend of mine is close with the photographer.”

“R-Really?”

Yu-young’s voice, which had only just calmed down, rose in excitement again.

“Then, then can you get an autograph for me next time?!”

“I’ll take care of it. But…”

Do-won stood up, picking up the tray with the cups and cake plates.

“Let’s get going. Time to mix the pheromones.”

“Ah, yes. But…”

Still flushed, Yu-young fiddled with his fingers and asked.

“Where should we do it today? We did it at your place last time, so do you want to come to my house today?”

As Yu-young looked up at him, Do-won met his gaze for a brief moment before quickly turning his head away.

Today wouldn’t work. For some reason, he felt that way.

“…My place is a bit difficult.”

“Then…”

“Follow me.”

Do-won drove in the direction of Seonyudo Park (A park in Seoul, located on a small island in the Han River.) not toward his usual route home. Yu-young, following closely behind, was keeping up without difficulty. Since it was already well past rush hour, the two cars were able to travel closely together without much trouble.

It had been a long time since Do-won had been to Seonyudo Park. He couldn’t even remember when he had last been there. As time passed, the scenery had changed slightly, but the view of the gently flowing river still had the same calming effect on him.

Yu-young, who parked his car in the lot, got out with a confused expression.

“Why here…”

“Assistant Han, would you come into my car?”

Do-won spoke from behind the open window. It was possible for Yu-young to get into his car, but Do-won didn’t need to go see it, as the car would already be filled with his pheromones. Although Do-won was skilled at suppressing his own pheromones, today, for some reason, he felt like it would be hard to hold back.

The two cars were parked side by side in the quiet lot, facing the river. After Yu-young got into the passenger seat, he looked at Do-won.

“Here…?”

“Is that okay?”

Do-won asked with a somewhat impatient tone, despite the polite words. Yu-young, who had been looking around with wide eyes, nodded.

Soon, their shadows merged. The kiss, though brief, was soft. At first, Yu-young had been startled, keeping his lips still, but now, he had grown accustomed to kissing him, and even the way he gently opened his mouth became a trigger for Do-won. Without realizing it, his hand began to slide down Yu-young’s side. The hand, which had only ever supported his neck and waist, now began to wander over his side.

“Team… Team Leader. It’s, it’s ticklish…”

Yu-young whispered, his eyes half-lidded, pulling away slightly as he spoke. The thin, transparent line between their lips only made Do-won’s face redden with frustration. Unable to hold back, he kissed him again. The pheromones mixing wildly were soon forgotten.

It certainly felt different from usual. Yu-young’s pheromones were the same as always, and Do-won felt no different either. It wasn’t a rut cycle, so what was the problem? Just as he wondered that, a memory of Yu-young from earlier flashed through his mind.

The way Yu-young had clutched the photo album to his chest, his face flushed with excitement, his voice trembling with gratitude. The way he had repeatedly thanked him, pulling him into a hug without hesitation.

Ah, damn it.

Do-won cursed inwardly, something he rarely did, and furrowed his brow. He pulled Yu-young even closer, pressing his body against his. The sensation of the tight pants around his legs made Do-won let out a quiet, incredulous laugh. Only after several minutes did he finally pull away, breathless.

Saturday came as usual amidst his busy routine. As a worker, he had always yearned for Saturdays, but lately, it felt like the ultimate challenge was waiting for him every weekend. More and more important things seemed to come up on Saturdays, and now, they almost terrified him.

“Shall we leave?”

“Let’s go.”

…

Today, they decided to drive together in Do-won’s car again. As Yu-young sat in the passenger seat, dressed elegantly like last time, he kept glancing at himself in the rearview mirror. Thanks to Mrs Park, who had come early that morning to help him get ready, he sparkled with shine.

‘What’s going on? This really feels like an engagement…’

Dressed up nicely and meeting parents—no matter how much he tried to calm his nerves, that feeling wouldn’t go away. It felt like he and Do-won were simply being dragged into this one-sided arrangement because of their bulldozer-like fathers.

At that moment, Do-won casually spoke up.

“Assistant Han.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

Yu-young, still focused on the road ahead, heard Do-won speak in his usual gentle voice.

“You look great today. Your hair looks nice too.”

Yu-young’s face immediately turned red. He couldn’t understand why Do-won could make such heart-stirring comments so casually. He awkwardly covered his face with the back of his hand and muttered.

“No, Team Leader… You really give compliments so casually.”

“How else should I do it?”

“Sigh… Never mind. Team Leader, you must have been really popular in school, right?”

People like him were always the type to make others pine for them without even realizing it. As expected, Do-won smoothly turned the steering wheel and nodded slowly.

“I wasn’t unpopular.”

“I feel like that’s an understatement. Weren’t there people lining up to confess to you?”

“I don’t know about lining up, but I did receive quite a few confessions.”

Hearing Do-won’s calm, unwavering voice, Yu-young pictured his school days in his head. The image was surprisingly vivid.

“You were one of those types in school, weren’t you? Student president, top of the class, good at soccer and basketball—basically good at everything. And on certain days, your desk would be stacked with chocolates.”

“That’s surprisingly accurate. Did you look into my past?”

“No. But I bet anyone could guess…”

If he asked their team members, they’d all probably guess the same thing. In short, Do-won was the classic “mom’s friend’s son.” It was so obviously fitting that there wasn’t even any resentment about it.

“Then what kind of student was Assistant Han?”

“…Huh?”

The unexpected question made Yu-young’s eyes widen. As far as he could remember, this was the first time Do-won had ever asked him something personal. Watching Do-won raise an eyebrow slightly, urging him to answer, Yu-young hesitated before speaking.

“Well… I was similar, I guess. I was a decent student. Had a fair number of friends. But sports… I wasn’t particularly good at them.”

Do-won listened quietly, then tilted his head slightly.

“And?”

“…What? What else…?”

What more did he want to know? Was he asking for specific grades? The number of friends? Yu-young looked at him, puzzled.

But what Do-won said next was something Yu-young hadn’t expected at all.

“What did you like when you were in school? How did you spend your free time…?”

Do-won trailed off as he made a sharp U-turn. His gaze flickered to the side mirror as he smoothly turned the wheel. Once he had completed the turn, he glanced at Yu-young with his usual calm expression.

“What hobbies did you enjoy?”

“…Oh.”

Yu-young stared at him blankly, momentarily at a loss for words. He hadn’t expected Do-won to be interested in his past. And not in measurable things like grades or achievements, but in something completely different—something no other alpha had ever cared to ask about.

“What I’m worried about is your feelings, Assistant Han.”

Do-won’s voice from before echoed in his mind.

Right—feelings. Back then, Do-won had worried about whether his feelings would be hurt. And now, he was asking about them, wanting to know more. That realization sent Yu-young’s heart into a flurry.

“Uh…”

He forced his voice out, struggling to put his thoughts into words. Somehow, he felt that Do-won wouldn’t laugh at whatever he said.

“…I like fragrant things.”

Do-won gave a small nod, as if telling him to continue.

“So I enjoy making scented candles… I also really like bath bombs and body oils, that kind of thing. I liked them back in school too… Even now, when I’m stressed, the first thing I do is take a bath.”

“I see.”

“But I don’t really talk about it elsewhere. People might just see it as ‘because I’m an omega.’”

Do-won didn’t press for more details, as if he understood completely. It was the same kind of scrutiny his mother had mocked him for before—the kind of perception that, as a male omega, he wanted to avoid as much as possible.

“Fragrant things.”

Do-won repeated the words in a quiet, steady tone. Yu-young found himself speaking again, almost entranced.

“And… well, as you probably know—photography.”

At the mention of photography, Do-won’s expression stiffened in an instant. Yu-young had noticed before—Do-won had a strange reaction whenever the topic of photography came up. He glanced at Do-won, trying to gauge his mood, but though his expression was slightly tense, he didn’t seem outright displeased. So, cautiously, Yu-young continued.

“I like looking at photo books… and taking pictures too. Before bed, I always look through my favorite photographer’s book. It makes me forget all the stress from the day. I liked photography in school too, but I think I really got into it after I started working.”

“……”

Do-won remained silent. He simply kept his eyes on the road, driving without a word. After a long pause, he finally parted his lips and spoke slowly.

“I see.”

Yu-young quietly observed Do-won’s face. Compared to how much he had talked, the response felt brief, almost lacking. But unlike last time, it didn’t bother him. Maybe it was because there was a weight in Do-won’s voice that he couldn’t quite decipher.

At that moment, the car gradually slowed. It seemed they were almost at the restaurant Do-won had reserved.