The morning sickness had been so severe that he had been making daily appointments, but since he had managed a proper meal today, there was no real reason to go to the hospital. He also didn’t want to ruin the condition he had barely regained by exposing himself to incompatible Alpha pheromones.
The Doctor, after receiving Doh Yihyun’s message, initially snapped in irritation, but upon hearing that he had eaten well, he was delighted as if it were his own matter and urged him to go home and rest immediately.
Leaving work on time, Doh Yihyun headed straight to the traditional restaurant Seo Jeongun had told him about. Despite its modest name, Sodamjeong, the place had a wide garden with several standalone hanok style buildings lined up.
As he entered, an employee neatly dressed in traditional attire greeted him.
"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"
"I don’t. I’d like to order takeout. Is that possible?"
"I’m sorry, sir. We operate by reservation—"
While explaining with an apologetic expression, the employee suddenly trailed off and stared at Doh Yihyun.
"Excuse me, are you perhaps Doh Yihyun?"
"...I am."
Hearing his name from a stranger’s mouth, Doh Yihyun instinctively grew wary.
"Oh my, you’re exactly as Executive Director Seo described. He made a reservation for you. Please wait a moment."
The employee clapped her hands brightly and disappeared before Doh Yihyun could stop her.
Left alone in an instant, Doh Yihyun blankly stared at the empty space. He had no idea what Seo Jeongun had said to provoke such a reaction.
'If a reservation was required, he should have said so.'
Frowning slightly, Doh Yihyun vaguely recalled Seo Jeongun’s unnecessarily polished face.
Soon, the employee returned carrying a large lunch box carefully wrapped in cloth. It was far too much food for one person. On top of that, Seo Jeongun had already paid in advance.
All the way home, Doh Yihyun kept glancing at the lunch box placed on the passenger seat. It left a bad taste, as if he owed Seo Jeongun something.
His sinking mood hit rock bottom the moment he arrived home.
The same vegetables that had gone down easily at lunch triggered nausea the instant he opened the box. He couldn’t bring himself to take even a single bite.
He placed the entire lunch box into the refrigerator. It was bitter, but considering his condition, he was lucky he had managed even one proper meal.
The next day, as lunchtime approached, Kim Yumin kept circling around Doh Yihyun’s desk.
He wanted to ignore him, but with his concentration already low, Kim Yumin’s lingering presence was extremely irritating.
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"Ugh—Team Lead, well..."
"Is this about Executive Director Seo again?"
Rubbing his dry eyes, Doh Yihyun narrowed his gaze. Judging by Kim Yumin’s flustered behavior, Seo Jeongun had definitely made him do something strange again.
"Y-Yes. He asked you to come to his office."
As expected, Kim Yumin nodded quickly.
It was obvious Seo Jeongun was trying to get him to eat lunch together again. He must have realized that using Kim Yumin as a messenger was far more effective than approaching him directly.
Without hesitation, Doh Yihyun left the office.
If he left things as they were, Seo Jeongun would only continue to be a nuisance. He intended to make it clear—no more summons for anything unrelated to work.
Although his morning sickness had subsided while eating with him, it was likely just a temporary coincidence.
'Stop causing trouble already.'
Rubbing his lower abdomen, Doh Yihyun let out a faint laugh. Just how troublesome was this child, making such a fuss from inside him?
"This is Doh Yihyun from Accounting Team 2. I’m coming in."
Arriving at the executive office, he announced himself unilaterally and opened the door without waiting.
It was improper, but Seo Jeongun had been the first to blur the line between work and personal matters. Not wanting to be dragged along at his pace, Doh Yihyun chose to act even more firmly.
"Ah, Yihyun. I wanted to welcome you, but that’s a shame."
Instead of pointing out his rudeness, Seo Jeongun started talking nonsense the moment their eyes met.
Doh Yihyun stared straight at him as he approached in long strides.
Seo Jeongun was wearing a beige three piece suit. Despite the light color, it didn’t make him look bulky at all—instead, it fit him perfectly. He had mentioned a shoot yesterday; it seemed he had another schedule today as well.
Though he hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, perhaps because he had overheard Seo Jeongun’s conversation in the garden, the slightly disheveled ash brown hair that didn’t quite match his otherwise immaculate appearance caught his attention.
Someone who usually preferred comfortable knits looked completely different when dressed sharply.
'...I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere.'
Something flickered faintly in his mind, but Doh Yihyun dismissed it indifferently.
"But barging in like this—it feels like we’ve gotten closer. I like it. Next time, you don’t have to knock."
Seo Jeongun leaned forward, bringing his face close to Doh Yihyun’s, and smiled brightly.
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Even faced with a smile as warm as spring sunlight, Doh Yihyun’s gaze remained as cold as winter frost.
"I’d prefer there not to be a next time."
"Isn’t that a bit harsh? Though, I suppose that’s part of your charm."
Seo Jeongun casually brushed back his softly curling hair.
Since he showed no sign of stepping back, Doh Yihyun took a few steps away. As he moved back, Seo Jeongun stepped forward again.
If anything, it was fortunate that he didn’t force the distance any further. Seo Jeongun maintained that ambiguous boundary well.
"What is this about?"
Doh Yihyun spoke in the most businesslike tone possible. If lunch came up again, he planned to reject it outright.
"Yihyun, you like Korean food, right? I prepared galbitang and bibimbap. There’s bossam too."
But as Seo Jeongun softly listed the menu, the appetite that had been dragging at the bottom began to stir again.
For Doh Yihyun, this was quite unsettling. Once might have been unfortunate timing—but twice was too much to dismiss as coincidence.
"Come on."
Seo Jeongun extended his hand.
'Let’s just confirm it.'
After a moment of hesitation, Doh Yihyun ignored the offered hand and headed straight toward the meeting room.
He wasn’t the type to be swayed by food, but his current situation was exceptional. If it meant he could eat, he didn’t care how Seo Jeongun perceived him.
"Haha."
Though the roles seemed reversed, Seo Jeongun followed behind him with light, cheerful steps.
Today as well, several lunch boxes were arranged on the table. At least there were noticeably fewer than yesterday.
"You went to the place I told you about yesterday, didn’t you?"
Seo Jeongun’s eyes sparkled with interest as he quickly opened all the boxes. Among the plentiful dishes were the neat side dishes from Sodamjeong.
Doh Yihyun carefully scanned the table. Normally, most of these dishes would have been impossible for him to even attempt, yet his stomach felt calm.
"Why didn’t you tell me in advance that a reservation was required?"
"You don’t need a reservation. I already told them about you, so you can just go anytime."