Divorce Contract C141

Chapter 141

At the doctor’s firm insistence that treatment could no longer be delayed, the awkward and heavy atmosphere came to an end.

Go Igyeol was left alone in the hospital room while Seo Dohyeon stepped out with the doctor. As they exited, Seo spotted Yoon Jaeseon arriving and instructed him to remain by Igyeol’s side and not to leave the room under any circumstance.

Yoon wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and nodded before watching Seo Dohyeon walk away. Then, moving slowly, he stepped inside.

Go Igyeol sat on the edge of the bed, his face pale and his appearance pitiful.

“Are you all right?”

“Ah… Secretary Yoon. Yes, I… I’m fine.”

He said the words automatically, as if by habit. Yoon glanced around the room, noticed a neatly folded hospital gown laid out on a chair, and approached him carefully.

“I think Ihyeon’s checkup is nearly finished,” he said gently. “Perhaps you should take a shower and change your clothes first?”

“Eh? Oh… yes. That would be… good, I think.”

Igyeol’s response came a beat too late. His mind was still hazy. He managed to stand, but his legs gave out the moment his feet touched the floor. Yoon moved quickly to steady him, keeping one arm at his back.

He guided Igyeol safely to the bathroom and set the clean hospital gown on a shelf inside.

“Take your time,” Yoon said. “If you need help, just call for me. When Ihyeon gets back, I’ll look after him.”

“Ah… thank you. He’ll probably come with Kwon Seunggyu. They’ll be together.”

“Will they?”

Yoon smiled faintly, polite and warm, before stepping out.

As the door closed, Go Igyeol lowered his head. He lifted the hem of his shirt halfway up—then froze.

He wanted to check what he looked like, but the courage to face his reflection wouldn’t come. The blood on his face had mostly been wiped away, yet he knew he must still look terrible. He lowered his gaze, exhaling slowly, over and over, before finally forcing himself to look up.

A trembling gaze met the man in the mirror—hollow-eyed, exhausted. His eyelids were swollen, his lip split open. Dried streaks of blood clung stubbornly beneath his nose, behind his ear, along his jawline.

He let the hem of his shirt fall and reached for the faucet. He soaked a folded towel in warm water and began wiping carefully around the bandage near his brow—his eyes, nose, chin, and under his ear. The towel quickly turned dirty.

He wanted to wash his hair too, but hesitated. Was the bandage waterproof? It didn’t look it.

Once his face looked a little cleaner, he began undressing. Setting aside his clothes, he grabbed another dry towel and stepped into the shower. He pressed the towel firmly against the bandaged spot and turned on the water.

For now, all he could do was wash carefully.

As he was buttoning his shirt afterward, noise rose from outside. The moment he heard it, Go Igyeol knew instinctively that Seo Ihyeon had arrived.

He could faintly make out Yoon Jaeseon and Kwon Seunggyu talking beyond the door. Quickly drying his damp hair with a towel, he went out, worried for the child who had been feverish earlier.

“Ah, you’re up, Mr. Go. Are you all right?”

Kwon Seunggyu looked him over anxiously. He’d seemed badly hurt earlier, but after washing up, he appeared almost fine.

The moment Seo Ihyeon saw him, the baby reached out, eyes brimming with tears. He had cried endlessly on the way to the hospital, but now, seeing his father, his sobs faltered.

“Has the fever gone down?”

“Yes, thankfully. Not completely, so the doctor prescribed antipyretics and cold medicine. He said it’s common this time of year for babies to catch colds. Ihyeon’s throat got a bit hoarse from crying in the car, but the doctor said it’s nothing to worry about.”

“Thank goodness. Maybe he got chilled when I opened the window for ventilation in the mornings? He doesn’t go out into the cold much… how did he catch a cold?”

Holding the baby close, Go Igyeol asked softly. Ihyeon babbled in response, fascinated by the bandage near Igyeol’s eyebrow. He reached out and pressed at it with small, curious fingers.

Igyeol squinted at the slight pain but didn’t pull away. He let the baby touch his face.

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t poke Daddy’s face, it hurts,” Kwon said, gently catching the tiny hand. But Ihyeon persisted, stubbornly patting his father’s cheek again.

“It’s fine,” Igyeol said, smiling faintly. It hurt a little, but not enough to make him pull away.

“I keep thinking about earlier,” Kwon said quietly. “That must’ve scared him. I just hope he doesn’t remember it.”

“He’s too young. He won’t,” Igyeol replied.

“I was more worried about you,” Kwon added, his voice soft. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“You don’t need to apologize. I’m fine, really.”

Kwon tried to sound casual, but Igyeol could tell everyone was shaken. He felt embarrassed—his most miserable state had been seen by too many people.

He wished they could all forget, though he knew they wouldn’t.

He kissed Ihyeon’s cheek softly and murmured, “Daddy’s fine. It hurts a little, but not too much. I’m okay.”

“Buh… bwaa! Pu!”

“Yes, that’s right,” Igyeol laughed quietly. “Daddy got hurt here. You were scared, weren’t you? I’m sorry.”

“Ubuh!”

Though he couldn’t understand the baby’s babbling, Igyeol answered every sound tenderly.

Yoon Jaeseon, seeing Ihyeon up close for the first time, stared in awe. He couldn’t take his eyes off the child.

Noticing, Igyeol turned slightly to face him.

“Secretary Yoon… is this your first time seeing Ihyeon?”

“Ah, yes. I’ve only seen him from a distance before, just briefly.”

Even knowing it was impolite, Yoon couldn’t stop looking.

He had never seen such a beautiful baby.

Perhaps he didn’t have much to compare to, but even so, Ihyeon was extraordinary.

The baby resembled Go Igyeol more than Seo Dohyeon. He had the most delicate features of both—soft lines, gentle eyes, a perfect blend of them.

Each time his tiny mouth parted to make a sweet sound, Yoon felt his chest tighten.

“Ihyeon isn’t shy with strangers,” Igyeol said, smiling. “Would you like to hold him?”

“Would… would that be all right?”

“As long as you don’t drop him.”

“I’d never—never in a million years,” Yoon said earnestly.

He silently vowed that if he ever dropped the child, he’d have no right to keep his arms.

After a deep breath, he removed his jacket, washed his hands thoroughly, and came back, visibly tense.

He held out his arms, almost pleadingly.

Buried in Igyeol’s arms, Ihyeon blinked sleepily, then, seeing the man’s outstretched hands, stretched his own short arms toward him.

The baby fell naturally into Yoon’s embrace.

So small. So soft. So warm.

Resting his forehead against Yoon’s neck, Ihyeon yawned, babbling softly. His tiny hands tugged playfully at Yoon’s tie as his heavy eyelids began to flutter.

But soon, the baby grew restless again, whining faintly and reaching back toward his father.

“I think he’s sleepy,” Igyeol said as he took the child back. “It’s past his nap time.”

Yoon gently released him, holding onto the warmth left against his chest and the faint sweet scent that lingered on his tie.

It faded too quickly. He already missed it.

“It’s… amazing,” he murmured.

“Pardon?”

“How is this even possible?”

“What do you mean?”

When Igyeol asked in confusion, Yoon answered with an expression of pure wonder.

“He looks so much like you,” he said. “Honestly, not very much like the Executive Director. There’s nothing harsh about his face. How can genetics combine to create something this beautiful?”

“Ah…”

“Of course, you’re both good-looking, so it’s no surprise the baby is, too—but even so, Ihyeon is… unbelievably beautiful. Truly, I’ve never seen a child this lovely.”

Yoon was almost ashamed of his lack of vocabulary. “Beautiful” felt pitifully inadequate.

He watched as Ihyeon, nestled in Igyeol’s arms, began to doze off, and found himself in quiet awe of life itself.

How could something carrying Seo Dohyeon’s genes be so soft, so angelic?

The baby’s long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, casting faint shadows across his porcelain cheeks.

As he drifted into sleep, the room grew still.

Only the faint, steady sound of the child’s breathing filled the silence.

A shiver ran down Yoon’s spine.

Go Igyeol watched the baby’s slumber intently, as though memorizing every detail. When Ihyeon’s hand slipped under the collar of his hospital gown, Igyeol took it gently, pressing a kiss to the damp little palm.

Kwon Seunggyu stepped forward, taking the sleeping baby with practiced ease.

He patted Ihyeon’s back and looked at Igyeol. “Shall we go home now?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll probably come later tonight.”

“If you can’t, please call me. I’ll leave as soon as he’s asleep.”

“All right. Please drive safely. Let me know if his fever rises again. Thank you for everything.”

“Don’t worry about him. I’ll keep you updated.”

Once Igyeol finished speaking, Kwon and Yoon left together.

There was no real threat near the house, but Yoon wanted to personally ensure they arrived safely.

He was certain Seo Dohyeon and Go Igyeol would feel the same.