Divorce Contract Extra 10

Extra 10

 

At the subtle dismissal and the faintly contemptuous glance, Han Seogyeom clenched his molars without realizing it. The way Seo Dohyeon pulled Go Igyeol close, almost shielding him, and offered a polite bow seemed far too composed.

“I should go. Take care.”

“…Igyeol-hyung. About earlier—I’m sorry. I’ll see you tomorrow. Excuse me.”

Scratching the back of his head in irritation, Seogyeom bowed deeply and turned away. Seo Dohyeon wrapped an arm around Igyeol’s shoulders and guided him forward. Several gazes followed them. Feeling that something in Dohyeon’s expression was off, Igyeol cautiously studied his face.

“Did you wait long?”

“No. I just arrived.”

“You could’ve called—I would have come out sooner.”

He murmured this quietly as Dohyeon held open the passenger door. With a soft motion, Dohyeon lifted his hand to prevent Igyeol’s head from bumping the frame, and only after making sure he was seated did he shut the door.

Once behind the wheel, the first thing he did was check that the passenger seatbelt clicked properly into place. The car glided forward. Soft music played, but despite the pleasant weather, Dohyeon’s nerves felt taut—Igyeol could sense it without needing to look. He had openly admitted jealousy before; today was no different.

Igyeol clasped the hand resting on his thigh and swallowed dryly—unsure where to begin, lips parting soundlessly before he finally found his voice.

“D-Did you eat?”

“I did. What about you, Go Igyeol-ssi.”

“I… had time after my morning class, so I ate at the cafeteria.”

“Was it with that kid?”

Igyeol shook his head quickly—firmly denying it.

“I ate alone. I only ran into Seogyeom just now, by chance.”

“He’s more handsome than I expected. I thought he was just young.”

“Ah… he’s pretty popular. Knows a lot of people. He’s sociable, so he fits in anywhere.”

“So that’s why even someone as shy as you became friendly with him so quickly.”

“…What? Ah—that’s not really….”

Something felt off in what he’d said, but Dohyeon didn’t open his mouth again. Igyeol couldn’t leave the misunderstanding to rot. He wasn’t close to Han Seogyeom—just aware of him. He needed Dohyeon to know that.

Time passed uneasily until they reached the department store. Just as Dohyeon was about to get out in the underground parking lot, Igyeol grabbed his sleeve.

“What is it.”

“A-Are you angry…?”

“…Do I look angry.”

“You seem… upset.”

When he nodded faintly, Dohyeon covered his face with a palm. He wasn’t angry. Annoyed—yes—but at no one except himself.

“I’m not angry.”

“Then… why are you….”

“I can’t do anything about not liking your school life. And that… frustrates me.”

“…I don’t really understand….”

Not comprehending the meaning, Igyeol cautiously tugged the arm covering Dohyeon’s face.

“Should I be honest? Or….”

“What’s the honest version…?”

“I don’t want you to see anyone. I don’t want anyone to know you. I don’t want you interacting with anyone who isn’t me. I hate it when you open yourself to others—whether it’s friendliness or fondness. I want every emotion you feel to belong to me alone.”

“…And the ‘not honest’ version…?”

Seeing Igyeol’s startled expression, Dohyeon gave a bitter smile.

“I think I may be coming down with something. I’m not feeling well.”

“……”

“Is it that obvious that I’m lying.”

“…No. If you’d said that first, I probably would’ve believed you.”

His eyes were so sincere they held not even the faintest trace of doubt. Dohyeon had been the one to encourage him to return to school—yet he was the one who felt anxious. He’d brushed off all the questions about campus life, but perhaps Dohyeon had been asking because he needed reassurance.

Interlacing their fingers, Igyeol tightened his hold as though grasping something precious. Dohyeon let out a breathy, self-deprecating laugh—wondering why he’d been behaving so pathetically lately.

“I’m not in my right mind.”

“……”

“What’s worse is that I know I shouldn’t be like this, and yet I can’t make myself stop.”

“…Do you want to know something?”

After hesitating, Igyeol spoke softly. Dohyeon looked up, meeting his gaze.

“…There’s a rumor that I’m married.”

“……”

“And earlier, I told that friend too—that I’m married.”

So he shouldn’t worry like this—his gentle voice seemed to say. Dohyeon stared at him, stunned, then bowed his head again, feeling hopelessly foolish. With the hand not holding Dohyeon’s, Igyeol reached up and cupped his flushed cheek, smiling faintly as their eyes met.

“It’s strange… and it makes me happy.”

“You like seeing me this pathetic?”

“I like that you care enough about me to feel this way.”

Listening to the soft tremor in his voice, Dohyeon wondered why every word Igyeol spoke felt beautiful. Was there truly nothing even slightly rough about him? How could someone be so utterly gentle?

“Shall we go? Or… do you want to stay a bit longer?”

At the cautious question, Dohyeon nodded. He didn’t want to waste another minute here. He wanted to be alone with him as soon as possible.

Once inside the store, they were guided to a table and asked to wait. Dohyeon held Igyeol’s tense hand, brushing over the back of it until the stiffness left his posture.

“What kind of ring should we get?”

“Something that suits your hand. And something you like.”

At the tender tone, Igyeol flushed and quickly averted his gaze—only to tense up again when an employee approached with a case full of sample rings.

“Good afternoon.”

“Hello.”

Under the bright lighting, the rings glittered—some simple like the one he’d lost, others extravagant with large diamonds. Following Igyeol’s line of sight, Dohyeon simply watched without speaking.

“What do you like?”

“…Um… they’re all pretty.”

Pressing his lips together, Igyeol studied the designs carefully. He pointed out a few to try on. Some were simple, some modest, and one—though plain at a glance—flashed beautifully under the light, making his eyes widen in surprise.

The employee smiled warmly, explaining that contemporary wedding bands often leaned toward casual, everyday designs, and recommended several similar options. After trying them all, Igyeol looked down at both hands full of rings, unable to decide, lower lip trembling slightly as he turned to Dohyeon.

“…Which one do you like?”

“They all suit you. I want to buy every one.”

“…….”

That didn’t help.

Turning back to his hands, Igyeol considered his situation. Wearing it at school meant plainer designs would be better. He removed anything overly flashy or reflective. What remained was the one on his ring finger.

“This one is often layered with other bands. You could wear it with the band you tried earlier—like this. Then this ring becomes the guide ring.”

Igyeol hesitated. The paired look was pretty, but he didn’t need two.

“You don’t like it?”

“I do. But I think just one is enough.”

After long consideration, he chose a design with diamonds embedded inside the band and space for engraved initials. Dohyeon nodded, studying the two rings still on Igyeol’s hand with deep meaning.

The employee praised how well it suited him, took measurements meticulously, and began filling out the form. Production usually took two weeks, he explained, though he’d try to expedite it.

After being escorted out, the two naturally headed upstairs to pick out toys and spring clothes for Seohyun. Dohyeon attempted to buy everything Igyeol’s eyes lingered on, forcing him to intervene repeatedly.

“Baby clothes get too small after just one or two wears.”

“Then shouldn’t we buy more? Since they’ll get too small after wearing them once or twice.”

“That’s not… No, this is too much.”

“What about toys? He seems interested in all the ones lying around lately.”