MM 148

What was this? Why did he suddenly feel so nauseous…?

Still covering his mouth, Yu-young darted his eyes around in panic.

“Let’s continue after lunch. I’m stopping by Team 2 for a bit. You all go ahead and eat first.”

“Yes, sir!”

Just then, the door to the team leader’s office opened, and Do-won walked out. He exited the office first, and the rest of the team began gathering their things energetically. Only Yu-young remained at his desk, struggling to steady his breathing and suppress the nausea.

‘What’s wrong with me all of a sudden… ugh.’

He clamped his hand over his mouth again as cold sweat broke out on his forehead. His teammates, who had been getting ready to leave, turned to him with puzzled expressions.

“What’s wrong, Yu-young? Aren’t you coming?”

“…Ah… My stomach doesn’t feel good. I’ll eat separately.”

Forcing the words out past the nausea, Yu-young barely managed to respond. Ju-yeon’s eyes widened.

“Huh? All of a sudden? Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing… I’m fine. Just go ahead.”

Seeing Yu-young’s desperate hand gestures, Ju-yeon tilted her head but eventually led the others downstairs.

Once the office was empty, Yu-young took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. His heart was still pounding.

‘What the hell was that just now…?’

It was a strong wave of nausea—like the overwhelming sickness one feels the morning after downing a whole bottle of wine.

It was a dish he usually liked. Why was this happening?

Though confused, just thinking about even the first letter of ‘pork’ made him feel like throwing up again. Shutting his eyes tightly, he shook his head vigorously. But the discomfort in his stomach didn’t ease, so he stood up abruptly and went to the break room, drinking a glass of cold water in one go. Only then did the queasy feeling that had been churning his insides like seasickness start to settle.

‘How am I supposed to eat lunch like this?’

A sense of helplessness crept in. Standing blankly in the break room, Yu-young let out a sigh. He needed to eat something to last until dinner, but nothing seemed appetizing. At the same time, his stomach felt painfully empty. He felt like crying.

He needed to think. Since he had already decided to eat separately from the others, he should at least find something he could stomach. Something he actually craved…

Yu-young paused. Without realizing it, he muttered the first thing that came to mind.

“…I really want some super sour kiwi juice.”

“Kiwi juice?”

“Ah! What the hell, Team Leader?!”

A low voice suddenly sounded behind him, making Yu-young scream in shock.

“Why are you here instead of eating lunch?”

Do-won’s face showed a hint of surprise as he asked. He probably didn’t mean to reprimand him, but seeing his slightly stiff expression reminded Yu-young of what had happened in the conference room earlier. That thought made him a little sulky, and the corners of his eyes sharpened slightly.

“…I don’t feel well.”

Pouting, Yu-young averted his gaze and turned his head away.

Immediately, Do-won’s hand reached out. His voice, edged with concern, carried a hint of urgency.

“You’re not feeling well? Why? Did you eat something bad?”

“No, it’s nothing. I just don’t have an appetite.”

Rather than reacting to Yu-young’s sulky attitude, Do-won seemed more surprised by what he had just said. Yu-young could tell as much, but once he started sulking, his words only grew sharper. It was unusual for him to act like this, and it unsettled him. For some reason, he couldn’t control his emotions properly. Even as he pouted at Do-won, it didn’t feel good.

“You should eat even if you don’t feel like it. How are you going to get through the day on an empty stomach?”

“I said I’m not eating. You should just go and have lunch, Team Leader.”

Do-won looked genuinely worried, while Yu-young’s tone was blatantly inappropriate for speaking to a superior. Realizing it too late, he quickly shut his mouth. But Do-won didn’t seem to mind—he only continued to look at Yu-young with concern.

“You were just talking about kiwi juice, right? If you’re not thinking about eating, should I go get that for you?”

“…I told you, it’s fine.”

“I’ll grab it before more people show up. We can talk while eating.”

Noticing the hesitation in Yu-young’s delayed response, Do-won gave a slight smile. He gently patted Yu-young’s head before turning to leave the break room. Yu-young hadn’t even been able to stop him in time.

‘Hah…’

His mind was tangled. Had he been too irritable? The day he first proposed the idea of a contract marriage, Do-won had firmly stated that they should separate business from personal matters, and that he had no obligation to soothe Yu-young’s feelings.

And yet, despite Yu-young’s childish grumbling, Do-won didn’t get angry. Instead, he went to get something Yu-young wanted. As Yu-young [unauthorized copy]looked at the empty hallway, he sighed.

‘That’s enough whining for now. I should stop.’

Determined, Yu-young slowly walked back to his desk and slumped over. His stomach suddenly felt like an empty pit again, and his mood seemed all over the place, leaving him bewildered. Maybe it was because he had been overworking lately? What should he do to feel better?

While he pondered, drowsiness slowly crept in. How long had he been lying there? He didn’t even hear Do-won enter and approach him. It was only when Do-won’s gentle touch on his back woke him from his light sleep.

“…Team Leader.”

“You must be hungry. Eat and rest. You seem especially tired today.”

The warm, soothing touch on his hair felt good, and the faint pheromone scent was incredibly pleasant. His accumulated irritability and fatigue seemed to melt away little by little. Was this what he had been waiting for all morning?

“Team Leader…”

It felt so good that Yu-young wanted to stay in that moment forever. Without realizing it, he nuzzled his face against Do-won’s hand like a cat. But then, voices from outside startled him, and he jumped up from his seat.

-Ah, that was delicious today. Yeah? By the way, what about the coffee?

Yu-young, startled, glared at Do-won, signaling him to stop pretending to be close and to keep his distance. Although it wasn’t immediately clear when the elevator door opened, Yu-young knew he had to be careful.

Do-won placed the paper bag and beverage carrier on the desk, looking a bit disappointed as he walked away.

Yu-young carefully opened the bag. Inside were two sandwiches, and the carrier had two drinks. One was the kiwi juice he had been craving, and the other was an iced americano. Without thinking, his hand reached for the kiwi juice. He gulped it down, and the tart and refreshing taste filled his mouth.

‘Wow, this is life… really.’

The strange nausea that had plagued him earlier seemed to dissipate as he drank the kiwi juice, like it was some sort of life-giving elixir. While Yu-young savored the moment, his team members began entering the office.

“What’s this, Yu-young? You’re drinking juice instead of eating?”

“Oh, there’s also a sandwich here.”

“Why don’t you eat? Are you feeling better now?”

“Yeah, I’m fine now.”

Yu-young awkwardly smiled, and Ju-yeon looked at him with a confused expression.

“By the way, Yu-young, have you seen the Team Leader? He said he was coming down, but I didn’t see him at the restaurant.”

“Ah, the Team Leader… well…”

Yu-young hesitated, unsure how to respond. Just then, Do-won came ​Read on​out of the team leader’s office, walked over, and picked up his sandwich and coffee, answering for him.

“I was busy, so I asked Assistant Han to get my share. He was going to get sandwiches, so it worked out.”

“Ah… but why are you eating a sandwich, Team Leader? Didn’t you say you were going to the restaurant?”

“A sudden urgent matter came up.”

Do-won gave a nonchalant reply before walking back to his office with his coffee and sandwich. Meanwhile, Yu-young, still drinking his kiwi juice, realized the cup was empty. He hurriedly pulled the cup away and licked his lips in regret.

‘Kiwi juice… it’s so good.’

He didn’t feel like eating the sandwich Do-won had gotten for him, but he suddenly had an overwhelming urge for another cup of kiwi juice. Sweet, tart, cold kiwi juice… green, refreshing kiwi juice, with those little seeds that gave it such a delightful texture.

He couldn’t help it. At this rate, he might end up composing a song about kiwi juice. With regret, Yu-young set the empty cup on his desk, his eyes full of longing. There were still about ten minutes left in the lunch break. Should he go grab another drink?

“Hey, Yu-young, where are you going?”

“I’m going to get another cup of juice. I’ll be back soon!”

“Ah, there’s no one around, so go quickly!”

Grabbing an empty tumbler, Yu-young jumped up and rushed to the elevator. No matter how hard he tried to push it out of his mind, he couldn’t stop thinking about that green [Read on]liquid. He felt like he needed it to make it through the rest of the afternoon.