MM 95

After taking a late nap the previous night, Yu-young woke up late in the evening to find that Do-won was already gone. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around the house and checked his phone first.

[I’m heading to the office for a business trip prep, so I’ll be out for a while. Rest up.]

[Okay, Team Leader.] After sending the reply, Yu-young returned to his room and fell back to sleep. The exhaustion from the workshop and housewarming had been piling up like a tidal wave, overwhelming him. Eventually, he spent the entire Sunday sleeping.

When the alarm rang, it was Monday morning. Usually, he’d hear Do-won making breakfast in the morning, but today, the unusual silence made everything feel inexplicably lonely. Realizing Do-won was missing, Yu-young stretched and muttered to himself.

“Seriously, how did I survive living alone until now?”

Grumbling, Yu-young hurriedly washed up and had a quick breakfast. The same went for going to work. Their unspoken agreement to go to work separately had long since been forgotten, and recently, they had been driving to work together every day. Now, it felt a little awkward to drive alone.

…

“Good morning!”

“Good morning, Yoon-seok, Ju-yeon!”

Yu-young, who had turned on the office lights and made coffee, greeted the team members as they entered one by one. They all looked like they were genuinely happy to see him after the weekend.

“Did you rest well after the workshop? It must’ve been tough leading it.”

“Oh, absolutely! I even went for a massage! Ah— but even though it’s Monday, I feel oddly relaxed.”

“Why?”

Yu-young asked innocently as he watched Ju-yeon stretch out. Ju-yeon looked at him with wide eyes, as if to say, “Do you not know?”

“Don’t you know? Team Leader’s on a business trip today. He’ll be gone until tomorrow.”

“Ah… right. I totally forgot.”

Actually, Yu-young himself felt the absence more than anyone. After all, the person who usually made breakfast this morning was missing… However, he pretended to just remember and awkwardly nodded his head.

“He’s nice to us, but at the end of the day, he’s still the Team Leader. For us, it’s actually more comfortable when he’s not around, right?”

“Well, I guess that’s true… Hahaha.”

Yu-young nodded along since he had felt the same way in the past. If it were the old him, he’d probably be the happiest person in the office. He and Ju-yeon had always understood each other’s feelings with just a glance, but for some reason, today, Yu-young felt like he was losing touch with that connection. He forced a smile to hide his inner turmoil.

The day passed slowly. Deputy Manager Kim spent the day happily trading stocks, while Yoon-seok and Ju-yeon casually brought coffee and chatted. It was the most relaxed and carefree day at the office since Do-won had become their team leader.

But Yu-young’s mind was far from the office. It was as though his thoughts were drifting away, nearly detached from his body. If he were busier, he could focus entirely on work, but since it was a slow day, his mind kept wandering.

Whether he was staring at the monitor, heading to the kitchen for coffee, or even going to the restroom, all he could think about was that vivid image from yesterday.

“Ugh… crazy…”

Yu-young seriously considered whether he might be a pervert. He could just brush it off as a small accident and move on, but the more he tried to forget it, the clearer the image of Do-won’s naked body kept resurfacing.

But there was a bigger issue.

The more he thought about it, the more his body began to react oddly. He felt an itching sensation rise in his stomach, like thousands of tiny sprouts growing at once, and his cheeks flushed hot. His chest tightened as if he couldn’t breathe.

Even memories of their more intimate moments, like when they had shared a kiss while drying his hair or the time they kissed by the beach, began to surface. The sensation of Do-won’s warmth, pheromones, and that kisses were still so vivid, and before he knew it, Yu-young’s mind slipped into impure thoughts.

What if… they did something else?

“Ugh, crazy.”

Yu-young quickly shook himself out of his thoughts, slapping his thigh in frustration.

“Crazy, crazy. What am I even thinking?!”

“Yu-young, what are you doing? Aren’t you leaving work?”

“…What?”

Snapping out of it, Yu-young was surprised to realize the day had already passed. He looked around the office as his teammates were gathering their things, preparing to leave.

“Ah… right, I should go. Thanks for everything!”

“Good job today!”

With energetic goodbyes, the office lights turned off. The team leader’s office, usually the last to turn off, was the first to go dark today. Yu-young felt the Do-won’s absence even more as he glanced at the empty office and quickly drove home.

After dropping his bag and changing clothes, Yu-young took a shower and sat heavily on the bed. Hunger suddenly hit him hard.

“Dinner… I need to eat something.”

Everything felt like a hassle. When he was with Do-won, deciding on dinner was a fun little routine, and most of the time, he’d be the one cooking. Yu-young found himself missing Do-won’s cooking, whether it was Korean or Western food. He’d always whip something up quickly.

“Ugh, Han Yu-young, what’s wrong with you? It’s just been one day, don’t overdo it.”

Shaking himself out of it, Yu-young considered ordering takeout but then opened the fridge. He was just going to grab whatever he could find, but when he opened the door, he spotted an unfamiliar container.

“What’s this?”

Yu-young blinked, pulling out the large glass container that had been tucked away in the fridge. There was a simple post-it on top, with only a few words written on it.

[You can have dinner with this. The broth is set aside next to it.]

When Yu-young opened the lid, he saw the meat and vegetables neatly sliced and arranged beautifully, and there was another container with broth beside it. He also noticed a one-person hot pot set placed on the corner of the stove. It was a Millefeuille Nabe.

Yu-young stood there for a long while, simply staring down at the food.

“When… when did he even cook all of this?”

He mumbled quietly to himself. Wasn’t he the one who had been working late at the office yesterday? He must’ve left early this morning, so when exactly did he prepare all of this?

A wave of emotions surged through him. He carefully peeled off the note, as if it were a cherished letter, and tightly folded it in his hands. Unable to throw it away, he stuck it on top of the refrigerator, pressing down on the edges repeatedly to make sure it stayed put.

He carefully transferred the neatly arranged vegetables and meat into the hot pot, being mindful not to disturb their shape, and poured in the broth, letting it simmer. Soon, a warm and delicious smell filled the kitchen, all for Yu-young to enjoy alone. He carefully carried the hot pot to the table, scooped a bit into a bowl, and took a spoonful to taste.

“…It’s delicious.”

The taste was so good, it made him unconsciously sigh in admiration. The warm broth warmed him from the inside, and as he chewed the tender meat and vegetables, he couldn’t help but think of the person who had prepared it all.

It was really good. It would have been better if we could have shared it.

He naturally thought to himself. Eating the food that Do-won had left behind in a house [visit our site]without him felt strangely unfamiliar. Despite trying to push the thought away, the words that kept rising in his chest became harder to ignore.

Choi Do-won… I miss him.

‘I’ve really reached this point, huh? …I miss him.’

It was clear that he had gone crazy. He had acknowledged that he liked him and was fully aware of the fact, but every time an unfamiliar feeling rose in his chest, Yu-young couldn’t help but be flustered.

He hated the idea of being tied down by someone, and he didn’t want to live his life adjusting to anyone else. That was why he didn’t want to get married. Above all, being emotionally bound and dependent on someone was the one thing he absolutely wanted to avoid.

But somehow, here he was—feeling like his heart was tightening, even over something as simple as a meal, longing to see someone.

‘I… miss him. Even so.’

Unable to control his fluttering heart, Yu-young kept fiddling with the phone he had been holding. If he couldn’t see his face, at least he wanted to hear his voice.

Should he contact him? It was dinner time, so he [Read on]might be busy. Would he even pick up the phone? But if he answered, what would Yu-young even say? He was sure to ask why he was calling, and then what would Yu-young answer?

He couldn’t come up with a clear response to any of those questions. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to put the phone down. With his heart pounding, Yu-young repeatedly stared at the contact saved under [Team Leader Choi Do-won] before putting the phone down again. Then, he made up his mind.

‘What the hell, I’ll just send a text… Can’t even do this between a couple?’

Mimicking something Do-won had once said, Yu-young decided to go ahead and text. Just as he was about to press send with the message [Team Leader, have you had dinner?]…

The phone vibrated. Startled, Yu-young almost dropped the phone, and when he looked at the screen, his eyes widened. The caller was none other than Do-won.