MM 62
by Lotus“…So, I’ve structured the team according to the scale I mentioned earlier and drafted a plan so we can proceed with market research immediately starting in January next year. And….”
Ju-yeon’s clear voice carried across the conference room as she stood at the front, presenting. The team members listened attentively, their faces serious, scribbling notes as they followed along. Only Yu-young’s hand remained still.
His gaze was unfocused. Though he appeared to be looking straight ahead, his eyes were utterly vacant. Fortunately, the dim lighting in the conference room kept anyone from noticing his dazed state.
“…That concludes my presentation. Thank you.”
With a professional demeanor, Ju-yeon finished her presentation, using a laser pointer to highlight the final slide. As she stepped back, Do-won, seated at the very front, glanced around at the team.
“If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.”
The room remained silent.
“No one?”
“……”
It wasn’t due to a lack of engagement—rather, it was because when it came to presentations, no one could match Assistant Manager Kim Ju-yeon. Her work was always flawless.
Do-won’s sharp gaze swept over the team as he spoke again, this time more slowly.
“Then I’ll start.”
A hint of tension flickered across Ju-yeon’s otherwise confident face. Straightening her posture, she listened intently as Do-won continued.
“I liked the case studies you included in the situation analysis, but I think it would be beneficial to analyze more failure cases. From what I know, Company A successfully completed their IR process but failed to increase their market share in the later stages. Look into cases like that and include them. Also, the business model could use more specificity—adding market size data, industry trends, and ecosystem analysis would make it more comprehensive.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Additionally, I liked how the ideas were structured clearly using the five Ws and one H. The future strategy was well-organized, and the way you visually presented the steps was excellent. However, I felt the appendix was a bit lacking.”
The team, including Ju-yeon, hastily jotted down notes.
“The core of a business plan is marketing. As you all know, the appendix is essentially a self-promotion tool—it’s the supporting data that reinforces the introduction and conclusion. It should make the audience feel like they’d regret missing out on this opportunity. Make that message stronger. Be direct—tell them, ‘We’re confident, so trust us.’ Assistant Manager Kim, your proposals have always been strong enough to warrant that confidence. Don’t hesitate to assert yourself more.”
“Yes, I’ll make sure to do that.”
“As for this part, along with the other improvements I mentioned—”
Do-won’s gaze swept the room and stopped on Yu-young.
“Assistant Manager Han, work with her on these revisions. Have it ready by tomorrow afternoon.”
“……”
But Yu-young, lost in thought, didn’t even realize Do-won was looking at him.
Frowning, Do-won tapped his fingers against the table twice.
“Are you listening?”
“……”
“Assistant Manager Han.”
His icy tone instantly brought down the room’s atmosphere like a cold splash of water.
The manager sitting next to Yu-young nudged his elbow.
Only then did Yu-young’s eyes widen, and his body jerked upright.
“Y-Yes?!”
“Did you not hear me?”
“Ah…?”
Realizing all eyes were on him, Yu-young floundered, visibly flustered.
“I-I apologize, Team Leader.”
“What did I just ask you to do?”
“……”
His palms were damp with sweat. Clenching and unclenching his cold fingertips, he desperately tried to recall what Do-won had said—anything he might have subconsciously caught. But unfortunately, not a single word came to mind. His focus had drifted away somewhere untraceable halfway through the presentation.
Do-won’s expression turned even colder.
“What were you so preoccupied with during the meeting? Get your head in the game.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“This isn’t a playground. While your teammate was working hard on her presentation, you were just sitting there in a daze?”
“…I sincerely apologize.”
Face burning with embarrassment, Yu-young bowed his head repeatedly in apology. He barely held back the urge to lash out—It’s your fault, isn’t it?
Who was the one who shook up his life with that absurd proposal? Who was the one who left him unable to think about anything else since last night?
But whether or not Do-won could sense his internal turmoil, he simply let out a brief sigh and checked his watch.
“That’s all for the presentation. Assistant Manager Kim, good work.”
“Thank you!”
The tense atmosphere dissipated almost immediately.
The room soon buzzed with chatter as the team, having spent the entire meeting without discussing lunch, gathered in small groups to debate what to eat.
Meanwhile, Yu-young left the conference room at a sluggish pace.
More than anything, he was humiliated about spacing out and getting scolded in front of everyone. But he also just wanted to be alone, troubled by the thoughts of Do-won that had been tormenting him since the night before.
But Ju-yeon wasn’t about to leave Yu-young alone. After organizing her presentation materials, she quickly followed him out and gave his shoulder a light tap.
“Yu-young!”
“Oh… Ju-yeon. Good job on the presentation.”
Yu-young forced a weak smile, his face still drawn with exhaustion.
Ju-yeon narrowed her eyes. “That’s not the issue here. Something’s wrong, isn’t it? You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
“No… It’s nothing.”
Even if it was something, how could he possibly say it out loud? ‘I got something that was basically a proposal from our team leader yesterday, and now my mental state isn’t just shattered—it’s dust.’ There was no way he could be that blunt, so he could only manage a vague smile in response.
“…By the way, when is Yoon-seok coming back?”
“Tomorrow. He’s taking the day off today.”
“Ah… He should’ve taken a longer break.”
“You know how he is—always full of energy.”
Yu-young hesitated before asking, “…Um, do you happen to remember what the team leader assigned me earlier? Haha… Sorry about that.”
“Oh, that?”
With a kind tone, Ju-yeon explained the revisions they needed to work on together. As they talked, they turned the corner at the end of the conference room and headed toward the elevators—only to see Do-won standing there.
“Assistant Manager Han. I need a word with you.”
“Oh… Team Leader.”
Ju-yeon blinked in surprise at Do-won’s sudden appearance. The other team members had already taken the elevator down, leaving him alone in front of it.
It was obvious to anyone that he had been waiting for Yu-young.
Ju-yeon wasn’t sure what was going on, but she figured she should step aside. Just then, the elevator arrived, and she quietly stepped in.
“Well, I’ll leave you two to talk. I’ll head down first.”
“Wait, hold on—!”
Before Yu-young could say anything, the doors closed, leaving just him and Do-won behind.
A wave of frustration crept up on Yu-young.
His mind was already a mess. He’d wanted to keep some distance from Do-won, at least for now, to clear his thoughts. It wasn’t as if Do-won had forcibly dragged him away for lunch, but the result was the same—Ju-yeon had left without him. It took the wind out of his sails.
Before he realized it, his words came out sharper than intended.
“Team Leader, are you calling me for something work-related? Or is this personal?”
“What difference does it make?”
Even in this situation, Do-won remained as expressionless as ever, which somehow made Yu-young even more annoyed. He let out a short sigh before looking up at him directly.
“If it’s about the proposal revisions or anything work-related, of course, I’ll listen right now. But…”
“……”
“If it’s personal… could we talk about it tonight instead?”
A brief silence fell between them.
Looking up at Do-won’s unchanged expression, Yu-young thought—I’ve never met someone so unreadable before.
‘Is this really okay? …Even if it’s a contract marriage?’
He couldn’t help but worry.
No matter what label was attached to it, this would be a permanent mark in his life—a record, a memory. And naturally, he didn’t want to enter into such an agreement with someone who might end up hurting him.
Until now, Do-won had always seemed like someone he could trust. He had wealth but no arrogance, was quiet but serious. At first, he had seemed to despise the fact that Yu-young was an omega, yet in the end, he was the one who treated him the most fairly—without prejudice, without causing harm.
There was no doubt that Do-won was a good person.
So why did Yu-young suddenly feel like keeping his distance today?
Was it because he’d been scolded in front of everyone during the meeting? No, that was his own fault—he’d let his mind wander when he should’ve been paying attention.
Was it because Do-won had interrupted his lunch plans with Ju-yeon? But would that really be enough to make him this reluctant?
If not, then what was it?
As Yu-young stood there, lost in thought, Do-won silently observed him for a long moment before speaking.
“…Got it. Enjoy your lunch.”
With that, he turned and strode off toward his office.
Yu-young stood still, watching him walk away.
After a moment, he finally pressed the elevator button and stepped inside.
“…Haah.”
Now he understood.
Why he wanted to keep his distance.
“…It’s complicated.”
It was unsettling.
No one had ever shaken him up like this before.
No one had ever made him feel so unsteady—lifting him high into the sky one moment, then slamming him down the next, leaving him completely disoriented.
The one who had kept him up all night, unable to sleep.
And yet, the moment they locked eyes, the one who made him feel something unfamiliar, something stirring deep in his chest.
That’s who Do-won was to him.
With a quiet sigh, Yu-young stepped out of the elevator.
Can I really go through with something this huge, feeling like this?
He didn’t know.
But for now, he figured he should at least eat lunch and think it over.
With that, Yu-young headed toward the cafeteria.