MM 139

Episode 1. Happy Honeymoon

Phones rang non-stop as team members rushed to answer calls. Occasionally, someone would shout in frustration. The office was in complete chaos, filled with the sounds of ringing phones, frantic typing, and hurried footsteps.

Soon, everyone gathered around the table. Choi Do-won threw several pamphlets and documents onto the surface with force.

“This is… How could this happen?”

Kim Ju-yeon muttered blankly. Everyone looked stunned.

“It seems like there’s been an internal information leak. The legal team will handle the investigation, so let’s focus on our work.”

Do-won’s calm yet cold voice commanded attention.

“They knew we were putting a lot of effort into this item, so they rushed theirs out first. If we release our product as is, it’ll just look like a copycat version. Their product is getting a decent market response, but since they hurried the launch, the quality isn’t great. Let’s see this as an opportunity to refine our version and make it better.”

The tie that was always perfectly knotted around Do-won’s neck had loosened slightly. He ran a rough hand through Read onhis hair and looked at his team with sharp eyes.

“Manager Yoo, Deputy Manager Kim—analyze XX company’s market data and product specs, then compare them with ours and bring me the results by four. Assistant Manager Kim Ju-yeon and Employee Lee Yoon-seok will assess the need for new features and conduct usability research. Assistant Manager Han Yu-young and I will prepare the presentation for the higher-ups.”

“Yes.”

“Stay sharp—this isn’t the time for mistakes. If you’re going to mess up, make sure it’s within what I can cover. Understood?”

“Yes!”

His cold orders were practically a warning not to fail. Do-won’s gaze and tone were harsher than usual, but he remained composed. Yu-young understood why—if Do-won faltered, the entire team would. He was deliberately maintaining a firm stance.

Still, it was hard to wrap his head around the situation. What on earth had happened? Even as he moved frantically to follow Do-won’s instructions, Yu-young couldn’t believe this absurd reality.

It was simply ridiculous. Today was supposed to be the long-awaited departure for their honeymoon. Right now, at 11 a.m., they should have been relaxing in an airport lounge with a glass of champagne, dreaming of the blue waters of the Maldives.

Since leaving for the honeymoon immediately after the wedding had been difficult schedule-wise, they had planned the trip a week later. They had kept their relationship a secret from the team, so they had given different excuses for their absence. It was only a five-day, four-night trip—short, but they could always travel again later.

Last night, Yu-young had packed everything, excitement bubbling in his chest. He [stolen content]and Do-won had enjoyed a rare lazy morning together, waking up late and having breakfast that Do-won had prepared.

‘It feels like heaven, being able to do this on a weekday.’

Yu-young had murmured sweetly, and Do-won had smiled warmly.

‘Yeah, it’s nice to just relax with my baby.’

‘We’ll be even happier once we’re on our trip, right? Just thinking about it makes me so excited.’

Do-won had been completely different from his usual polished and meticulous self. He had lounged comfortably on the sofa in casual training clothes, his hair naturally tousled. Sunlight streamed into the living room, accompanied by the soft notes of classical music.

‘I love it when you’re like this, just relaxed.’

Yu-young had traced his fingers along Do-won’s jaw, adoring this unguarded, boyish side of him. A lazy chuckle had escaped Do-won as he caught Yu-young’s wrist. Then, with a light kiss on his hand—

The phone had rung.

At that moment, they had no idea. No idea that this call would mark the beginning of a disaster.

‘…What? What are you talking about?’

Do-won’s eyes had sharpened instantly, his voice tense. Startled by the rare display of unfiltered emotion, Yu-young had sat up abruptly. Do-won had risen as well, exhaling an agitated sigh.

And then, his next words had left Yu-young in utter shock.

‘…Damn. So it’s come to this. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. If anyone calls, tell them I’m on my way.’

‘What?!’

Their flight was leaving soon. Where was he planning to go in fifteen minutes?

Yu-young had gaped, but before he could protest, Do-won had already rushed into the bedroom, hastily throwing on a shirt and jacket.

‘T-Team Leader… What’s going on…?’

‘Just get dressed. I’ll explain on the way.’

Flustered but unable to argue against Do-won’s intense energy, Yu-young had scrambled to comply. He hadn’t even been able to ask, What about our honeymoon?

Moments later, he had found himself in the passenger seat of Do-won’s car, staring blankly as the engine roared to life.

When Do-won had explained the situation on the way, Yu-young had been left completely speechless.

It was a crisis.

A product that their company had planned to launch next quarter—one that had been meticulously designed and developed—had been stolen and suddenly released by a competitor.

Panic had erupted in the upper management. The product had been positioned as a key item, the result of long and careful planning. The shock was enormous.

That was how, on the morning of their honeymoon, they had ended up rushing to the office instead of the airport.

‘This is insane…!’

But no matter how much Yu-young screamed internally, nothing changed.

Do-won was already in full-on work mode, his honeymoon completely forgotten. He was running around the office, giving orders as if he had never even planned the trip in the first place.

Yu-young barely had time to process his emotions as he followed Do-won’s lead, relaying instructions to team members, gathering progress updates, and putting together the presentation materials.

By the time they realized it, lunchtime had passed, but no one had even noticed.

At around 2 p.m., food deliveries arrived at the office. Everyone looked confused—no one had placed an order. But soon, they realized Do-won had ordered for the entire team.

Still, there was no time to stop. Each team member had a lunchbox on their desk, but they were too busy answering calls and typing away.

“This is a complete disaster…”

As the sun dipped below the horizon, a sigh escaped him. By now, they should have been on a plane, stretching out their legs, enjoying a luxurious in-flight meal while watching a movie. Or perhaps sharing quiet conversation over wine, marveling at the breathtaking sunset from above the clouds.

A quick stop in the restroom gave Yu-young a glimpse of himself in the mirror—an absolute mess. That morning, he had been lounging comfortably with Do-won, only to be thrown into chaos. His usually neat and tidy hair was a disaster, and his clothes were disheveled.

With a tired sigh, he adjusted the tie that was barely hanging onto his neck. But there was no time to dwell on it. Without [unauthorized copy]hesitation, he turned and rushed back into the office.

“…Yes. I understand. I take full responsibility for handling this. I sincerely apologize for the trouble.”

Yu-young froze mid-step. Do-won’s steady, composed voice drifted from the open office of the team leader.

A sharp ache pricked his chest. None of this was Do-won’s fault. It was just a case of bad timing—if anything, Do-won was the victim here. Yet the higher-ups were pressing him hard, forcing him to bear the burden alone. It made Yu-young angry. For a fleeting moment, he wanted to call his father and have him tell those people to back off and stop harassing someone who had done nothing wrong.

But the thought was pointless. The damage was already done, and someone had to clean up the mess. And that someone was none other than Do-won, himself, and their team.

Letting out a deep breath, Yu-young rushed back to his seat. Right now, the only thing he could do was stand beside Do-won and keep moving forward.

A loud thud drew Yu-young’s attention to the side. Yoon-seok had just lifted his head from where he had been dozing on his desk. Ju-yeon’s workspace was cluttered with several empty coffee cups and disposable eye drops. Meanwhile, Deputy Manager Kim let out what must have been his fiftieth yawn.

“You can’t expect an old man like me to pull an all-nighter. This kind of thing should be left to you young folks…”

Muttering under his breath, Deputy Manager Kim grumbled quietly to himself. But when no one responded, he fell silent. There was simply no room for complaints. Even in the dead of night, phones from different departments continued to ring. The entire company was burning the midnight oil.

Just before 2 a.m., Do-won stepped out of his office and spoke in a calm tone.

“Go home. Pick it up again in the morning.”

“…Understood. Thank you for your hard work.”

“We’ll see you in a few hours.”

Like zombies, the team members staggered to their feet. They hurriedly packed their things, and as soon as Deputy Manager Kim bolted out the door without a backward glance, the rest followed suit.

Soon, the office was empty, leaving only Do-won and Yu-young behind.