8 – Contract

Warmth and a comfortable pressure embraced Do Yi-hyun.

As he stirred slightly in his sleep, a soft hand gently stroked his back.

‘……What is this?’

Despite the distant pull of sleep, Do Yi-hyun felt an unfamiliar sense of incongruity and forced his heavy eyelids open. Beyond his blurry vision, he saw a navy blue wall. He blinked, but having slept deeply for the first time in a long while, his drowsy mind was slow to clear.

Do Yi-hyun unconsciously groped at the wall before his eyes. The wall, covered in soft fabric, was warm and firm, and rose and fell lightly in a regular rhythm. It didn’t take long for him to realize that this wall was none other than someone’s chest.

“Ugh.”

Do Yi-hyun instinctively pushed the other person away. Leaning his upper body back and tilting his head back, he met eyes that held no trace of sleepiness—pale irises. Faced with the familiar yet unfamiliar man’s face, Do Yi-hyun froze momentarily, unable to react.

The man, wearing a faint smile, shone as brightly as spring sunlight.

“Don’t be startled. It’s me, Mr. Lee Hyun.”

The man coaxed the thoroughly stiffened Do Yi-hyun in an affectionate voice. Along with that, memories of last night flooded back as if a dam had broken. The order of the memories was all jumbled, which was a bit troublesome.

“……Executive Director.”

Do Yi-hyun called him in a stiff, hardened tone. Recognizing that the stranger was Seo Jeong-woon didn’t immediately ease his tension. Rather, a deep wariness arose.

“Wow, you really didn’t recognize me? It’s not a face you’d forget.”

Seo Jeong-woon grumbled as if hurt and pulled Do Yi-hyun back into his embrace. Not stopping there, he even rubbed the bridge of his nose against Do Yi-hyun’s cheek. Do Yi-hyun belatedly realized that a fragrant yet bittersweet pheromone was thoroughly enveloping him.

He couldn’t shake the suspicion that his mind kept feeling languid and loose entirely because of Seo Jeong-woon’s pheromones.

“Please let go now.”

Do Yi-hyun frowned and pushed against Seo Jeong-woon’s chest again. He had agreed to sleep over at Seo Jeong-woon’s house, but he had never intended to share a bed. And he certainly hadn’t intended to stick this close.

He knew it, but Seo Jeong-woon’s personal space was just too narrow.

‘Or does he just like skinship?’

Looking back, Seo Jeong-woon had approached very naturally even when they met at the bar. As if he were used to spending a night with someone he just met. Even at the hotel, he had persistently clung to Do Yi-hyun and hardly let go.

It seemed Seo Jeong-woon was the type to reach out without hesitation even to those with whom he had a distant relationship.

‘This is going to be tiresome.’

Do Yi-hyun swallowed a sigh. It meant that for the sake of the baby, he would have to endure this bothersome trait of Seo Jeong-woon for the time being. It was quite uncomfortable for the roles of superior and subordinate to extend not just at work but into daily life as well.

“Rest a little longer. It’s not even seven yet.”

Seo Jeong-woon whispered gently and grabbed Do Yi-hyun’s wrist as he kept trying to escape his embrace. Six-thirty. The time Do Yi-hyun usually woke up.

There was no difference just because it was the weekend. Since he wasn’t the type to sleep in, he didn’t want to laze around lazily in bed. Perhaps reading his reluctant expression, Seo Jeong-woon twisted his smooth lips and pressed his forehead against Do Yi-hyun’s.

“Now we’re at a stage where I can take care of you, Lee Hyun-ssi. Right?”

“……”

At the confident, clear statement, Do Yi-hyun found himself speechless again today. Seo Jeong-woon had a knack for leaving people at a loss for words.

‘Once he latches onto something, he’s persistent about it.’

Do Yi-hyun forcibly input information about Seo Jeong-woon into his head. Since he’d have to deal with him frequently for the foreseeable future, he needed to understand him well to avoid unnecessarily provoking his feelings.

“Am I right?”

“Well……”

Seo Jeong-woon tapped Do Yi-hyun’s shoulder, demanding an answer again. Do Yi-hyun neither affirmed nor denied. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t him but the baby that could be taken care of, but if he denied it this time too, it seemed Seo Jeong-woon would become even more excessively obsessive.

Seo Jeong-woon smiled slyly with his eyes. It was a radiant smile that even Do Yi-hyun couldn’t help but glance at.

“There’s nothing to do, so it’s okay to take it slow.”

“Then I’ll go home.”

The business trip was canceled, and he had received plenty of pheromones. There was no longer any reason to stay by Seo Jeong-woon’s side.

“Hmm. I’m not going to let you go, though?”

At that, Seo Jeong-woon widened his eyes and tilted his head. The arm wrapped around Do Yi-hyun’s shoulder also filled with strength. Do Yi-hyun made a displeased face without any effort to control his expression.

He clearly came along because Seo Jeong-woon said they’d just sleep together for one night, but he was shamelessly changing his words. Of course, even if Seo Jeong-woon held him back, he wouldn’t stay meekly, but the capricious attitude was really unpleasant.

“Hahaha.”

Seo Jeong-woon suddenly burst into a clear laugh.

“I’ll feed you breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and then send you off.”

In other words, he intended to be with Do Yi-hyun all day.

“Why should I……”

Do Yi-hyun opened his mouth as calmly as possible to refuse the unreasonable demand. At the same time, he tried to twist his waist to escape Seo Jeong-woon’s embrace. But then Seo Jeong-woon abruptly placed his hand on Do Yi-hyun’s waist.

Then, as if it were his own side, he swept it down without any hesitation.

“You’ve gotten really thin, Lee Hyun-ssi. I couldn’t tell when you were dressed.”

“Ha.”

Do Yi-hyun let out a hollow laugh, finding it absurd. He was at a loss for where to even start pointing things out. Glancing down, Do Yi-hyun finally realized he was wearing pajamas.

Moreover, they were the same pajamas as Seo Jeong-woon’s. It seemed Seo Jeong-woon had personally changed him. Do Yi-hyun narrowed his eyes.

It was awkward, but now that he thought about it, it was also laughable to be shy with Seo Jeong-woon. Even if Do Yi-hyun didn’t remember, they were at a stage where they’d seen everything, good and bad.

‘Wasn’t it heavy?’

More than that, he wondered how he had been moved from the sofa.

“You need to gain some weight.”

Unaware of Do Yi-hyun’s inner thoughts, Seo Jeong-woon shook his head with a very serious expression.

“It’s because I’m worried about you, Lee Hyun-ssi, and our baby. You must have had a hard time alone all this while, and I feel sorry too.”

When Do Yi-hyun showed a lukewarm reaction, Seo Jeong-woon deliberately made a sullen face and let his long eyelashes droop. It seemed Seo Jeong-woon was deeply immersed in a sense of responsibility. Do Yi-hyun lay straight without answering.

He acknowledged that Seo Jeong-woon had a rather tenacious personality, but this act of pretending to be devoted and fussing wouldn’t last long. It was just regrettable that he was in a position where he had no choice but to go along with it, even though he clearly knew it was nonsense.

“Haha.”

Seemingly pleased to have obtained silent permission despite the obvious reluctance, Seo Jeong-woon wrinkled his nose.

“Do you have any siblings, Lee Hyun-ssi?”

Seo Jeong-woon asked while carefully smoothing the disheveled hair on Do Yi-hyun’s forehead with a cautious hand. Do Yi-hyun firmly closed his mouth as if protesting his displeasure and didn’t respond.

“Where do you live? Do you live alone?”

It should have been awkward, but Seo Jeong-woon continued the conversation alone, steadfastly. Do Yi-hyun slightly furrowed his brow. Since he was still using Seo Jeong-woon’s arm as a pillow, a subtle vibration transmitted each time he spoke.

“……I’ll go wash up.”

Do Yi-hyun, who had been wiggling his fingers and recalling the character for ‘endurance,’ finally got up without even lasting 10 minutes.

More than anything, lying blankly in bed was the most embarrassing.

“Okay, got it. The bathroom is over there. I’ll put a change of clothes by the door.”

Surprisingly, Seo Jeong-woon obediently let Do Yi-hyun go and pointed to one of the three doors.

‘Once I get out, I should finish talking about the contract.’

Under the warm stream of water, Do Yi-hyun carefully pondered what terms to propose and what Seo Jeong-woon might demand. His thoughts kept tangling and extending, so he ended up wasting more time than usual. Do Yi-hyun turned on cold water to refresh himself and quickly finished showering.

With a towel wrapped around his waist, Do Yi-hyun paused at the clothes Seo Jeong-woon had placed by the bathroom door. Underneath the unopened new underwear was not casual clothes but another set of pajamas. It meant he wouldn’t let him out until he’d fed him all three meals.

It was a transparently shallow trick.

‘Does he want to play house with me or something?’

Do Yi-hyun clicked his tongue but diligently put on the pajamas. They had a yellow check pattern with light blue lines added to the collar ends and sleeve cuffs. It was a color not found in Do Yi-hyun’s wardrobe, which preferred achromatic tones.

Judging by the ample amount of Seo Jeong-woon’s pheromones on them, they seemed to be pajamas he usually favored. Since there was quite a height difference, the sleeves came down to the middle of the back of his hands, and the pants dragged slightly on the floor. Finding it uncomfortable, he tried folding the cuffs once, but the soft material smoothly unraveled.

The chest area was a bit tight, so there was an uncomfortable feeling when moving, but it was wearable enough. He considered undoing one button, but the neckline was a deep V, already revealing down to below his collarbone, which felt a bit burdensome.

‘Is there no hair dryer?’

He glanced around but couldn’t see one. Not wanting to rummage through things, he roughly towel-dried his hair and went out. Seo Jeong-woon’s shadow was nowhere to be seen in the bedroom.

Do Yi-hyun walked slowly toward the wide-open middle door. Soon, he could easily spot Seo Jeong-woon standing in the kitchen.

“Yellow suits you well too.”

Seo Jeong-woon looked Do Yi-hyun up and down with a smiling face. Even though it was a gaze that could be seen as rude, perhaps due to the refreshing smile, it didn’t feel too unpleasant.

“Is there anything you want to eat? Just say anything.”

Seo Jeong-woon, who had approached, placed orange juice in Do Yi-hyun’s hand. It was the same product Do Yi-hyun had drunk yesterday.

‘Where did this come from?’

Clearly, Seo Jeong-woon had only bought one of each type. As Do Yi-hyun stared blankly at the orange picture printed on the juice container, Seo Jeong-woon sneakily leaned his head in.

“Should I give you a different juice?”

The subtle question carried an inexplicable sense of expectation.

“It’s fine.”

Do Yi-hyun slowly shook his head. Since he received it with a straw already inserted, it felt awkward to ask for something else. Seo Jeong-woon only straightened his upper body after confirming Do Yi-hyun had taken a sip.

“Anything is fine for breakfast too.”

“Hmm……”

At the utterly indifferent answer, Seo Jeong-woon rolled his eyes with a very dissatisfied expression.

“Is a simple salad and sandwich okay? That’s all I can prepare quickly.”

“Yes.”

Do Yi-hyun nodded indifferently and put the straw back in his mouth. Seo Jeong-woon naturally took out a cutting board as if flowing water. He thought he would buy or order delivery, but it seemed he intended to make it himself.

Now he noticed Seo Jeong-woon was wearing a black apron around his waist. Do Yi-hyun looked at Seo Jeong-woon with a bewildered expression. Through the slightly open refrigerator gap, he could see all sorts of ingredients packed tightly.

Moreover, one shelf was completely filled with various juices. Just yesterday, there wasn’t even one orange juice, so Seo Jeong-woon had hurriedly gone out, but it seemed like he had gone grocery shopping while Do Yi-hyun was sleeping, unaware of the world.

“I’ll help.”

Do Yi-hyun slowly rolled up his sleeves and approached Seo Jeong-woon. He wanted to bring up the contract talk right away, but the timing was really not good.

“No need. Just relax comfortably on the sofa. Ah, if it’s because you want to be by my side……”

Do Yi-hyun turned his body sharply before Seo Jeong-woon could spout more nonsense. A low laugh came from behind, but he pretended not to hear it. Having almost fled to the living room, Do Yi-hyun briefly looked around before sitting back in the spot he had occupied yesterday.

Seo Jeong-woon told him to make himself comfortable, but it was still unbearably awkward. About 15 minutes later, Seo Jeong-woon strode over to the sofa.

“It’s done.”

Do Yi-hyun ignored the hand Seo Jeong-woon offered and stood up alone. Undeterred, Seo Jeong-woon closely approached Do Yi-hyun and wrapped his arm around his waist again.

“It’s uncomfortable.”

Unable to bear it, Do Yi-hyun pushed Seo Jeong-woon’s arm away with his elbow.

“That’s a problem. You need to get used to it quickly.”

But Seo Jeong-woon just leaned his head against Do Yi-hyun’s shoulder, flexible as ever. In the end, Do Yi-hyun had to endure the unwanted escort until he sat at the dining table. Do Yi-hyun looked at Seo Jeong-woon, who even pulled out the chair for him, with dissatisfaction before turning his gaze to the plate.

He saw a fresh salad decorated with blueberries and strawberries, and an open sandwich with neatly sliced avocado and well-cooked shrimp on top. For something made in less than 20 minutes, it had a remarkably excellent appearance.

“Try it.”

Seo Jeong-woon urged with a bright smile. Do Yi-hyun reluctantly took a bite of the sandwich. It was quite delicious, enough to tempt even Do Yi-hyun’s dull palate, which ate anything without discrimination.

“Is it good?”

“Yes.”

Since there was no need to lie, Do Yi-hyun readily nodded.

“Father always said that Alphas who cook well are loved. Seeing you eat well is rewarding.”

Seo Jeong-woon smiled shyly, but Do Yi-hyun listened half-heartedly and focused on his meal. Not taking his words seriously was better for his mental health.

“Actually, I wanted to prepare various things in advance early this morning, but I just couldn’t…… get up.”

Seo Jeong-woon let out a deep sigh and looked at Do Yi-hyun with an unreadable gaze, savoring the taste.

‘Was Executive Director Seo very tired too?’

Do Yi-hyun lowered his gaze and speared a strawberry with his fork. Even if he didn’t drive himself, moving from Busan to Seoul and drinking a few glasses was enough reason. For all he knew, the psychological shock might have been quite significant too.

Do Yi-hyun covered his lower abdomen with his left hand.

“Eat slowly. If it’s not enough, I’ll make more. Lee Hyun-ssi, your bangs down look cute.”

Seo Jeong-woon, who was pouring water into an empty glass, suddenly offered a baseless, endless compliment. Empty words should be used in moderation to be effective. Saying he was cute when there wasn’t a single Omega-like aspect was nonsense.

“……”

A rebuke rose to the tip of his tongue, but Do Yi-hyun just glanced at Seo Jeong-woon indifferently.

‘Why on earth is he acting like this?’

There was absolutely no need to make a good impression on him, so why did he keep dealing in empty words? Even after acknowledging that Seo Jeong-woon was an incomprehensible being, unbearable questions occasionally bubbled up.

‘Is it just a habit?’

Based on the experiences of the past few weeks, Do Yi-hyun concluded that Seo Jeong-woon routinely lavished excessive praise without any purpose. It was a fairly credible guess. Thanks to tuning out Seo Jeong-woon’s one-sided conversation, Do Yi-hyun was able to finish his meal safely.

Since he had received food, out of courtesy, he tried to at least do the dishes, but Seo Jeong-woon stubbornly ushered Do Yi-hyun to the living room. Do Yi-hyun turned without asking twice. If playing house was what Seo Jeong-woon wanted, he had no choice but to go along.

Time passed quickly as he practiced consciously sensing Seo Jeong-woon’s pheromones out of boredom. Since Do Yi-hyun wasn’t good at handling pheromones, it wasn’t easy to perceive even the concentrated pheromones of an Alpha without effort.

“You waited a long time.”

Seo Jeong-woon, who had finished the dishes at some point, sat next to Do Yi-hyun. After the water sounds stopped, it had been quiet for a while, and he was holding a plate full of fruit. On the plate with delicate patterns, apples, pears, bananas, and tangerines were modestly arranged.

Whether he was skilled or not, the cut shapes were all neat and pretty.

“It’s too much.”

Do Yi-hyun slightly frowned. Every time they ate something together, he repeated the same words like a parrot, but Seo Jeong-woon hardly changed. This time too, he just looked at Do Yi-hyun and smiled brightly.

It was unclear whether he was simply stubborn or had wasteful tendencies. Quickly giving up on persuading Seo Jeong-woon, Do Yi-hyun left the neatly placed fork and stretched out his hand. He intended to pick up and eat a tangerine cut in half horizontally.

But as soon as Do Yi-hyun moved, Seo Jeong-woon swiftly snatched the tangerine. Then he started peeling it for him instead.

“Here.”

“I can do it myself.”

“I want to do it for you.”

“……”

Do Yi-hyun looked at Seo Jeong-woon with an annoyed expression. The orange juice was like that, the chair was like that. Seo Jeong-woon kept doing things he normally didn’t do.

Born with a calm and meticulous personality, Do Yi-hyun rarely received help from others. Perhaps because of that. Seo Jeong-woon’s excessive care felt really uncomfortable.

Frankly, his pride was a bit hurt too.

‘What on earth is his scheme?’

Seo Jeong-woon acted affectionately toward Do Yi-hyun as if they were lovers who couldn’t live without each other. Was it that the stubbornness from being rejected by him was still ongoing?

‘So the more I push him away, the more tenaciously he clings?’

Do Yi-hyun narrowed his eyes. He was uncertain whether he should forcibly accept Seo Jeong-woon’s actions even if they were awkward or if it was okay to draw a line like now. While hesitating as his thoughts multiplied, Seo Jeong-woon plucked a bright yellow tangerine segment and suddenly offered it.

“Should I put it in your mouth? Ah, let’s try.”

“……Just give it here.”

Do Yi-hyun spoke as if sighing and took the tangerine. The ripe tangerine was deliciously sweet and sour, which made him even more spiteful for no reason. Seo Jeong-woon just rested his chin and smiled brightly until Do Yi-hyun finished half the tangerine.

Then, as soon as Do Yi-hyun swallowed the last bite, he speared an apple and offered it. But Do Yi-hyun shook his head.

“Let’s talk properly. About the contract terms.”

At Do Yi-hyun’s words, Seo Jeong-woon’s expression brightened. He seemed to really like Do Yi-hyun taking the initiative.

“There’s nothing that needs to be decided so urgently. It’s only eight in the morning.”

“I’m in a hurry.”

“Really?”

At Do Yi-hyun’s firm attitude, Seo Jeong-woon shrugged his shoulders and straightened his posture, which had been leaning sideways on the sofa.

“If you’re okay with it, Lee Hyun-ssi, I’ll state my conditions first.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

When Do Yi-hyun nodded indifferently, Seo Jeong-woon gently curved his red lips. Then he raised his index finger.

“From now on, we eat lunch and dinner together every day.”

“……One meal a day is enough.”

Do Yi-hyun, who had been slowly blinking, replied a beat late. He hadn’t expected Seo Jeong-woon to propose a condition about eating meals together, so he was quite flustered.

“Then two meals would be even better, right?”

The smile on Seo Jeong-woon’s lips deepened. Since it was a valid point, Do Yi-hyun couldn’t bring himself to refuse the offer.

“Does ‘every day’ include weekends?”

“Of course. You should eat well on weekends too.”

“……Please continue speaking for now.”

When Do Yi-hyun showed a somewhat positive response, Seo Jeong-woon extended his middle finger following his index finger.

“So, about that, spend one day a weekend at my place. Like today. It would be even better if you stay overnight.”

“……”

Do Yi-hyun looked over Seo Jeong-woon with an ambiguous expression. It seemed Seo Jeong-woon had a tendency to be overprotective. He should have realized it from when he kept trying to do everything for him.

He had a lot he wanted to say, but Do Yi-hyun first silently nodded. He was practically a mutant, no different from a half-Omega. Even if it seemed he would be fine once the morning sickness was resolved, there was no telling when his physical condition might change again.

There was no harm in receiving plenty of Seo Jeong-woon’s pheromones. Then Seo Jeong-woon raised a third finger in succession.

“When you go to the hospital, you must go with me.”

The first two conditions were already like that, but the third one was even more astonishing. Do Yi-hyun’s expression, which had been maintaining composure until then, changed as if he had bitten into an unripe persimmon. After hearing such harsh words from the doctor, could he really want to go back there?

“Lee Hyun, were you planning to go alone? Surely not, right?”

Seo Jeong-woon tilted his head and pressed Do Yi-hyun. Do Yi-hyun tightly pressed his lips together. If Seo Jeong-woon was as sharp as he seemed, he must have roughly figured out that he was different from ordinary Omegas.

He had never intentionally hidden it until now, but strangely, he didn’t want Seo Jeong-woon to know that he was a malformed Omega.

‘Is it because of the baby?’

Do Yi-hyun habitually stroked his lower abdomen. Was he worried that the baby might be looked down upon for being born from an incomplete Omega’s womb? Do Yi-hyun wasn’t the type with low self-esteem or a submissive personality.

The fact that he was abnormal was an objective truth, so he had calmly accepted reality and dealt with it accordingly. That’s why he felt even more unfamiliar with his own reaction, which was different from usual. In the meantime, Seo Jeong-woon spread all four fingers wide.

“Let me know right away if anything’s wrong with your body. Even if it’s something small.”

Seo Jeong-woon, having withdrawn his smile, seriously urged as he held out his phone.

“Give me your number.”

This condition was something Do Yi-hyun could accept without much hesitation. It was rather a grateful thing. It meant having someone nearby to ask for help in an emergency.

After entering the eleven-digit number, Seo Jeong-woon immediately made a call. Do Yi-hyun’s phone rang briefly and then stopped.

“Can I ask just one thing, Executive Director?”

“Anything, Lee Hyun.”

“Why are you going this far?”

Do Yi-hyun glanced at Seo Jeong-woon while saving his number. No matter how much he thought about it, none of the things Seo Jeong-woon was demanding now would benefit him.

“……It’s for our baby. Not for you, Lee Hyun.”

Seo Jeong-woon, who had been speaking smoothly, suddenly hesitated.

“Is that so.”

On the other hand, Do Yi-hyun readily nodded. Seo Jeong-woon had given an extremely normal and understandable explanation for once. He hadn’t shown any signs of it at first, but it seemed he cared particularly about the baby.

‘It would be good if he doesn’t try to take it away.’

Do Yi-hyun leaned back slightly. He couldn’t easily let down his guard against Seo Jeong-woon.

“…….”

Seo Jeong-woon made a somewhat dissatisfied expression, pouting his lips, then spread his fifth finger wide.

“Give me 30 minutes a day to talk with the baby.”

“What does that mean?”

When Do Yi-hyun raised his eyebrows and asked back, Seo Jeong-woon pointed at Do Yi-hyun’s stomach.

“Like yesterday.”

“You said it was just once?”

Do Yi-hyun glared at Seo Jeong-woon.

“That was the first greeting. Since I’m the baby’s mother, I have visitation rights. It’s a legitimate right, so don’t block it.”

“Ha…….”

Do Yi-hyun let out a long sigh full of meaning and swept his hair back. It was absurd to talk about visitation rights for a baby that hadn’t even been born yet. It was a ridiculous sophistry.

“That’s unfair. The baby is with me all day.”

“Huh?”

“……I mean you, Lee Hyun. You’re with the baby all day.”

Seo Jeong-woon, with his arms crossed, twisted his mouth crookedly. He had a firmly sulky expression.

“When do you plan to have these conversations?”

He should have refused without mercy, but he couldn’t bring himself to coldly dismiss it. It was because of the conditions Seo Jeong-woon had set earlier, which offered no benefit to him. Even with just two meals a day, Seo Jeong-woon would be donating over two hours daily to Do Yi-hyun.

“In the morning…….”

Seo Jeong-woon drew out the end of his sentence while observing Do Yi-hyun’s complexion. That would mean meeting Seo Jeong-woon three times a day: morning, lunch, and dinner.

“Or even during a short break after a meal is fine.”

When Do Yi-hyun showed reluctance, Seo Jeong-woon quickly changed his words.

“30 minutes is too long. Let’s make it 5 minutes.”

“What kind of conversation can we have in 5 minutes? I’ll compromise. How about 25 minutes?”

It was a period when the baby’s hearing hadn’t even developed yet. Whether he knew it or not, Seo Jeong-woon was shamelessly pushing.

“Not more than 5 minutes.”

“Wow, shouldn’t you raise it to 10 minutes in situations like this?”

“Understood. Then let’s make it 10 minutes. I’ll take it that you have no objections.”

Do Yi-hyun drove the nail in before Seo Jeong-woon could say anything else.

“That’s too harsh, Lee Hyun.”

Seo Jeong-woon slumped his shoulders with an expression as if he had been greatly betrayed. He even bowed his head deeply, though he didn’t seem particularly upset.

“Is that all now?”

“There’s still one left.”

As expected. At Do Yi-hyun’s calm question, Seo Jeong-woon, who lifted his head sharply, looked perfectly fine.

“Lastly…….”

Seo Jeong-woon paused, looking at Do Yi-hyun with a meaningful gaze, then suddenly smiled brightly.

“Let’s change how we address each other. ‘Executive Director’ is too stiff.”

“If I don’t call you Executive Director, what should I call you?”

Do Yi-hyun showed displeasure at the absurd request.

“How about ‘Jeong-woon Hyung’? ‘Jeong-woon-ah’ is fine too, for me.”

“…….”

At the nonsensical talk, Do Yi-hyun firmly pressed his full lips together. He didn’t even feel it was worth retorting.

“Don’t like either? That’s a shame. Then how about ‘Mr. Jeong-woon’?” Seo Jeong-woon grinned, his eyes curving into crescents as if something was very amusing.

“…….”

Do Yi-hyun turned his head sharply to the opposite side.

“I have six suggestions. What do you want, Lee Hyun?”

When Do Yi-hyun took a hardline stance, Seo Jeong-woon instead passed the topic back to him instead of being stubborn. Do Yi-hyun touched the corner of his mouth, choosing his words for a moment. His head was a bit muddled because Seo Jeong-woon had already said everything he was supposed to say.

“I’d appreciate it if you could contact me in advance when we can’t have meals together.”

Even if he didn’t know for sure, given his position as Executive Director, Seo Jeong-woon must be quite busy. He didn’t like finding out only after going there, like last week, that Seo Jeong-woon wasn’t available. It felt like being turned away at the door, which was very uncomfortable.

“Alright. Though there won’t be such occasions from now on.”

Seo Jeong-woon declared confidently, nodding his chin.

“There could be business dinners or work appointments.”

“I can postpone or delegate them.”

“…….”

Do Yi-hyun was left speechless by Seo Jeong-woon’s bold declaration. Who on earth had ever called Seo Jeong-woon a responsible superior?

“You should also contact me if you have other plans, Lee Hyun. When, where, with whom, and what you’ll be eating.”

“Do I really need to report in such detail?”

“Yes. Really.”

Seo Jeong-woon went even further, as if that’s exactly what he wanted.

“Understood.”

Do Yi-hyun agreed without hesitation. Since he rarely refused meals first anyway, it wasn’t a particularly concerning condition.

“Eating together should be until my morning sickness subsides……”

“No. Our contract lasts until you give birth, Lee Hyun. I have an obligation to deliver pheromones stably until then. And to do that, you know we need to see each other consistently, frequently, and continuously, right?”

Even though Do Yi-hyun had thought it through and said it, Seo Jeong-woon stubbornly insisted. Do Yi-hyun wiped his face dry and nodded again this time. Clearly, it was a good thing for him, but the more they talked, the more he couldn’t shake the feeling of being drawn into Seo Jeong-woon’s scheme.

“Visiting on weekends is fine. But I’d appreciate it if you asked for permission before any skinship. Whatever it is, if I say I don’t like it, stop immediately. And in case of emergency, I won’t hesitate to use physical restraint.”

“Lee Hyun, you should be careful with your body.”

Even though it was a warning about forcibly restraining him, Seo Jeong-woon worried about Do Yi-hyun, not himself. He was a truly peculiar person in many ways.

“If you don’t do anything strange, Executive Director, it should be fine.”

At the word ‘Executive Director’ that slipped from Do Yi-hyun’s mouth, Seo Jeong-woon narrowed his eyes.

“Alright. So it’s fine as long as I get permission.”

Seo Jeong-woon smiled confidently again this time.

“There’s no need to go to the hospital together; it’s just troublesome. I’ll inform you of the results without hiding anything.”

“That won’t do. I’m the baby’s mother. I’m also your guardian.”

Seo Jeong-woon made a firm expression as if he absolutely wouldn’t back down on this. Do Yi-hyun, tired of the back-and-forth struggle, quickly gave up.

“If any problems arise, I’ll let you know first, so don’t make unnecessary contact.”

Do Yi-hyun glanced at his phone.

“Hmm.”

Seo Jeong-woon vaguely avoided answering, rolling his eyes. Do Yi-hyun didn’t say it twice. He was prepared to block him if Seo Jeong-woon became too bothersome.

“And we can’t change how we address each other. It could cause misunderstandings at the company.”

“We can just address each other comfortably outside the company. And what misunderstandings could there be? Shouldn’t misunderstandings be avoided?”

“No.”

Do Yi-hyun curtly and coldly cut him off. Seo Jeong-woon’s neat eyebrows twitched slightly, but Do Yi-hyun pretended not to notice.

“Then at least at my house.”

“……Alright.”

Do Yi-hyun reluctantly nodded. It would be resolved as long as he didn’t address Seo Jeong-woon directly.

“I think that’s about it.”

At Do Yi-hyun’s words, Seo Jeong-woon lowered his gaze and slowly nodded. He seemed to be carefully pondering each part of their conversation so far. Do Yi-hyun looked at the long, ash-brown eyelashes that had unconsciously extended.

He suddenly wanted to touch them.

“Ah, I want to add one more.”

Seo Jeong-woon opened his eyes wide and suddenly brought his face close to Do Yi-hyun’s. Then he tapped the tip of his own chin with his index finger.

“Remember my face.”

“……I’ll try.”

“Okay, I’m glad.”

Seo Jeong-woon smiled brightly. It was strange that he wasn’t displeased or disappointed but genuinely happy.

“I’ll try hard too.”

“What do you mean by trying?”

Do Yi-hyun asked warily. It made him uneasy to hear Seo Jeong-woon say he would do something.

“If I become more handsome, it’ll be easier for you to remember, right?”

Seo Jeong-woon wrinkled his nose.

‘Isn’t it enough already?’

Do Yi-hyun casually scanned Seo Jeong-woon’s face. He had never seen anyone as dazzling as Seo Jeong-woon in his life.

“You like handsome people, Lee Hyun.”

Perhaps offended by Do Yi-hyun’s indifferent reaction, Seo Jeong-woon soon started grumbling again.

“……Me?”

Do Yi-hyun asked back awkwardly. It was the first time he had heard such a thing.

“Yes. You can look as much as you want from now on.”

Seo Jeong-woon rested his chin on the back of his hand and smiled gently. Do Yi-hyun ignored Seo Jeong-woon, who was acting pretty, and picked up some fruit to eat. At the stone-like response, Seo Jeong-woon let out a deflated laugh and leaned back against the backrest again.

“I’ll organize it and bring it tomorrow, so check it once more. Then I’ll get it notarized by a lawyer.”

Seo Jeong-woon, who had been watching Do Yi-hyun eat for a while, explained gently.

‘Is it necessary to go that far?’

Do Yi-hyun, biting into a crisp apple, stared intently at Seo Jeong-woon. Although he had brought up the contract, Do Yi-hyun only intended to formalize their conditions. Whether they wrote a contract or did anything else, Seo Jeong-woon could overturn it whenever he wanted.

“Do as you please, Executive Director.”

“Executive Director? It should be Mr. Jeong-woon.”

“We haven’t stamped the contract yet.”

“Ahaha.”

Seo Jeong-woon burst into laughter, bending at the waist as if something was very funny.

“When do you plan to inform the company?”

“I’ll tell them when I enter the stabilization period.”

“When is that?”

Seo Jeong-woon asked while gently tickling Do Yi-hyun’s nape.

“We haven’t stamped the contract yet.”

When Do Yi-hyun frowned, Seo Jeong-woon brightly smiled and returned the words he had just heard.

“You promised yesterday not to do strange things.”

“Is this a strange thing?”

Seo Jeong-woon opened his eyes wide and tilted his head.

“Sigh. Around early December.”

Do Yi-hyun sighed, pushing Seo Jeong-woon’s arm away, and pressed his tired eyes with his thumbs. After finishing the busy schedule at the end and beginning of the year, he planned to use maternity leave between March and May next year, depending on his condition. The due date was late June, but nothing could be guaranteed.

“Will you also reveal that you’re an Omega?”

“When the time comes, everyone will naturally know.”

Do Yi-hyun answered indifferently. From the beginning, Do Yi-hyun had never actively hidden that he was an Omega.

“Alright. So we have about a month then.”

Seo Jeong-woon smiled mysteriously.