MM 53

At that moment, lost in thought, Do-won finally spoke.

“Assistant Manager Han.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“It just occurred to me… Maybe it’s because you’re in a confined space with too many different pheromones.”

“Oh.”

Yu-young’s eyes widened. Now that he thought about it, there were—his Father, Mr. Choi, and Do-won are alphas. Though all of them maintained impeccable pheromone control, being in an enclosed space with so many Alphas at once might have been overwhelming for him. Yu-young’s mother was an Omega, but since she was already bonded, she was unaffected.

It wasn’t surprising that he was the only one feeling unwell. Letting out a sigh, Yu-young pressed his forehead. No matter where he went, pheromones were always a nuisance.

“…Haah. This whole trait is such a hassle. Even in situations like this…”

“It’s not your fault, so it doesn’t matter.”

Do-won’s curt response made Yu-young look up at him, still letting him hold his hand. Now that he thought about it, just having Do-won touch him seemed to make him feel a little better.

“…Team Leader. Can we… quickly mix our pheromones before going back in?”

“…Pheromones.”

Do-won repeated the word as if considering it, his gaze sharp.

“Let’s do it.”

They stared at each other for a moment before stepping into the restroom together. They weren’t lovers caught up in a passionate affair, yet here they were, rushing into a bathroom together. Given the circumstances, though, there wasn’t a more discreet place available.

As soon as the door was locked, Yu-young practically threw himself into Do-won’s arms. Being in the enclosed space with him brought such an immediate sense of relief that he exhaled involuntarily.

Even so, it felt strange to be this comforted by Do-won’s pheromones. Do-won wasn’t even his Alpha. Yet the sensation was almost what he imagined being with a bonded mate would feel like—comfortable yet precarious, like walking a tightrope over heightened senses.

A deep, alluring scent wrapped around Yu-young like a blanket. Instead of kissing right away, he buried his face against Do-won’s warm body, rubbing against him instinctively. It was an unconscious, desperate search for contact, almost like a newborn nuzzling against its mother.

Watching Yu-young cling to him so desperately, Do-won let out a heated sigh and ran a hand over his face.

“Assistant Manager Han. Look at me.”

“…Haah, Team Leader…”

Calling him in a voice thick with heat, Yu-young obediently parted his lips. His damp eyes were submissive as he gazed up at Do-won, who frowned deeply before closing the distance. The sound of their lips pressing together echoed through the restroom.

“Mm… Ngh.”

The pheromones surrounding him were exactly as expected—sweet and soothing. Being in Do-won’s arms felt like the relief of returning home after a long, exhausting day outside.

‘Damn it, why does this feel so good? If I keep getting caught up in this, there’s no way out…’

Even as that thought crossed his mind, his hands instinctively wrapped around Do-won’s neck, clinging tightly.

‘…Huh?’

But then, the sensation began to change.

Yu-young, who had been pressing against Do-won’s shoulder, suddenly widened his eyes.

Do-won’s pheromones had always felt warm, like a soft blanket or a piece of candy slowly melting on his tongue—sweet, comforting. But today, it was different.

The way it engulfed him was overwhelming, like fire. It was strong, almost aggressive, making him gasp in surprise.

“I-It’s… This feels weird…!”

As the sensation melted through his body, Yu-young struggled, trying to push Do-won away.

But Do-won, for the first time, held him firmly—possessively. He embraced him tightly, pressing a kiss to his forehead as he patted his back.

“Stay still. You’ll get hurt.”

“T-Team Leader…!”

A jolt ran through his lower abdomen. The electrifying pleasure that had seized him transformed into a deep, consuming satisfaction. It felt like something that had been restrained inside him for so long had suddenly snapped free.

His legs gave out.

But Do-won was holding him so securely that he didn’t even sway.

Looking up at him with wide, dazed eyes, Yu-young stammered,

“Team… Team Leader. What… was that?”

“I marked you. You seemed like you were struggling too much.”

…Marking.

It was the first time he had ever been marked by an Alpha.

As an Omega, Yu-young had always found the idea of carrying an Alpha’s mark disgusting. If bonding was a necessity, then fine—but marking? It felt like an Alpha staking a claim over their territory. Even the word itself irritated him.

Yet now that Do-won had done it to him, it didn’t feel as bad as he had imagined.

He was more bewildered than anything else.

And strangely, the nausea, cold sweat, and discomfort from earlier had all disappeared.

Most of all, it was something Do-won had done for his sake.

That alone made it feel… not as unpleasant as he had expected.

“How do you feel?”

“…Much better. Thank you, Team Leader.”

“I adjusted it so that it fades by the end of the weekend, so you won’t have to worry about it when you go to work on Monday. Now, let’s head back in.”

“Yes.”

The dizziness from earlier had completely cleared up. Feeling noticeably better, Yu-young took Do-won’s hand and headed back to the room. That’s when he realized—Do-won was holding his hand naturally, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

The moment he noticed it, Yu-young bit his lip. But he quickly steeled himself. He had no time to get flustered over something like this. He needed to maintain physical contact, appear as close as possible, and merge their pheromones as much as he could.

“You’re back. You came in together—oh?”

When Yu-young stepped in first, his parents, who had been greeting him, widened their eyes.

As he looked at them in confusion, his mother’s face flushed slightly.

‘Why…?’

A beat later, Yu-young’s face turned red as well.

Right now, his body was completely covered in Do-won’s pheromones. It made sense that his parents would feel awkward about it. On top of that, they had walked in together, making it painfully obvious—‘We ran out in a hurry, got tangled up, and came back like this.’

But while the others looked embarrassed or confused, Do-won’s mother was the only one who seemed to connect the situation to Yu-young’s earlier distress.

She turned to Do-won and asked bluntly, “Oh my, you two went out together, and now you’ve come back marked? Why all of a sudden?”

She was likely hoping Yu-young would answer, ‘It was because of my condition.’

It was an obvious attempt to highlight his weakness as an Omega—how he couldn’t even endure an important gathering like this.

Realizing that, Yu-young hesitated and bit his lip.

But before he could respond, Do-won spoke up with a smooth smile.

“Oh, I apologize for causing a scene during such an important occasion. But, well… we’re in our prime, and I just couldn’t hold back.”

“Hahaha! Ah, youth!”

With that, the tense atmosphere melted away.

Yu-young’s father burst into hearty laughter, looking utterly charmed by Do-won. Even Do-won’s father, though letting out a wry chuckle, scolded Do-won in a half-reproachful tone.

“Still, Do-won, you really couldn’t wait?”

“It’s fine! They’re at the perfect age for this. Look how close they are—it’s wonderful.”

Aside from Do-won’s mother, who was glaring at him disapprovingly, all the other parents laughed along.

Yu-young let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Though Do-won had made himself out to be a reckless Alpha who couldn’t control his urges, he had done so to shift attention away from Yu-young’s Omega-related struggles.

Yu-young couldn’t help but be grateful.

‘…But when is he going to let go of my hand?’

Do-won was still holding his hand firmly. Yu-young considered pulling away, but it seemed more convincing to their parents this way. Besides, maintaining contact did help stabilize his condition.

The dinner, warmed by rounds of traditional liquor, continued smoothly in a lively atmosphere. Since it was their first meeting and the two weren’t officially together for long, no one explicitly brought up future plans.

After finishing the meal, the group stepped outside, waiting for their chauffeurs. They exchanged handshakes once more.

“Well then, sir, let’s have another game soon.”

“I’d love that. Let’s meet on the field next time.”

“I hear Assistant Manager Han is quite skilled. How about the four of us play together sometime?”

“Ah, just the thought of it makes me smile. Let’s set a date soon.”

After seeing off their parents in their respective cars, Yu-young and Do-won got into their own vehicle. With only the chauffeur in the front, they were left alone.

Do-won immediately checked on Yu-young.

“Assistant Manager Han, how are you feeling?”

“Oh, I’m fine now. Thanks to your help earlier.”

“That’s good. I’ve heard that if compatibility is off, marking can sometimes have adverse effects.”

Yu-young was about to casually respond, ‘Is that so?’—but then Do-won added,

“Of course, I already knew that our compatibility was excellent before trying it.”

…Honestly.

Did he even realize how his words sometimes made Yu-young’s heart lurch like this?

Ever since meeting Do-won, Yu-young felt as if his heart had become a glass filled to the brim with water. And Do-won, with those long, graceful fingers, kept tapping at the edge, creating ripples as if he didn’t care.

Feeling irrationally annoyed, Yu-young turned away, looking out the window without answering.

Finally, it was all over.

This unsettling ripple—this feeling—would end with this.

Thinking that, his mind felt a little calmer.

Even the faint scent of Do-won lingering on his body—by tomorrow, it would be completely gone.