Divorce Contract C103

Chapter 103

By the time Seo Dohyeon finished inspecting the pension and made his way back to Seoul, Go Igyeol—who had only just managed to calm himself—was faced with an unexpected visitor. Someone he had thought he would never encounter again. Someone who, not so long ago, had seen him in a state he wished no one had witnessed.

“I’d prefer if you came out rather than me going in, Go Igyeol-ssi.”

“…How did you even know to come here?”

“I drafted your divorce papers. The address was on the documents. I worried you might not be home, but fortunately, you were.”

He had appeared without warning, and yet spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“You… Na Seunghui-ssi… you drew up the divorce papers? But why?”

As Igyeol stammered in surprise, Shin Eunsuk appeared behind him, asking who had come and why he was still lingering at the door. Her gaze fixed upon Na Seunghui’s face. He lowered his head only slightly in greeting, before lifting it again, and Eunsuk thought he looked like a wicked cat—his upturned eyes slanted sharply, as though looking down on everyone, his very expression bristling with a bad temper.

“Who is it, hmm? You’ll catch cold, standing here with the door wide open, dressed so thinly.”

“…I’ll just step out for a moment.”

“What? Out?”

Igyeol, who had never once gone out alone, suddenly announced that he would. Eunsuk’s face filled with alarm. Her eyes narrowed on the stranger who had appeared out of nowhere to summon Igyeol outside. Who was this man, she wondered, who could pull him from the safety of home? But Igyeol, pulling her hand away, murmured:

“I’ll be back soon, so please wait inside.”

“Yes, and as she says, you’re not dressed warmly enough. Best put on something heavier—the weather is chilly.”

With that, Na Seunghui let go of the door and turned away. To Eunsuk, who demanded to know who on earth he was, Igyeol gave only a vague excuse—that he was someone he knew. Smiling awkwardly, he slipped past her into his bedroom and pulled a cardigan over his shoulders.

“Someone you know? He looked older than you. How do you know him?”

“…Just… by chance. I’ll be back quickly.”

“By chance? Then why would someone you ‘just happened to know’ come all the way to your home? You’ve had such a hard day, don’t go out, Igyeol.”

“……”

At her words—a hard day—Igyeol gave a sheepish laugh and tried to slip past. He simply couldn’t find a way to explain Na Seunghui to her. His smile froze, and when Eunsuk reached out to fasten the unbuttoned cardigan across his chest, she spoke gently:

“…Shouldn’t you wear something thicker? A cardigan is far too light.”

Igyeol caught her hand.

“It’s fine. I’m not cold at all.”

“It’s chilly outside. Even if you won’t be gone long, this is—”

“Really, it’s fine, Auntie. I’ll be right back.”

Releasing her hand, he left the room. His steps across the living room were hurried, his mind fixed on the thought of why Na Seunghui had come to find him, so much so that he quickly forgot the worry etched across Eunsuk’s face. He slipped his feet into whatever shoes lay by the door and stepped outside. There, waiting, stood Na Seunghui. Seeing his rushed appearance, Seunghui unwound the muffler from around his own neck.

“Take this, Go Igyeol-ssi.”

“…No. I’m not cold.”

“You came out in slippers, barefoot. I told you it was cold.”

“I’m fine.”

The offer and refusal passed back and forth. On the third refusal, Seunghui wrapped the muffler back around his own neck and turned.

“If you catch a cold, don’t blame me.”

“If it’s something we can discuss outside, there’s a bench just ahead—”

“Let’s walk. There are cafés everywhere, after all. And as I said, it’s too cold. I won’t talk outside.”

Though his appearance was slightly disheveled, as though he had rushed from work, Seunghui still exuded that sharp, tense aura. By contrast, Igyeol, hastily dressed in whatever he had grabbed and foolishly in slippers, felt all the more shabby. With a heavy heart, he followed after.

Once beyond the villa complex, Seunghui jerked his chin toward a small café.

“How about there?”

“That’s fine.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

He entered first. Igyeol glanced warily about, remembering Dohyeon’s warnings, but saw nothing suspicious. Perhaps it was truly over—his father was in prison now. Did that mean Dohyeon didn’t know about this meeting? Still scanning the area, he entered the café a moment later.

“What will you drink?”

“I don’t—”

“Everywhere requires one order per person these days. Even here, it says one drink per customer.”

“…Then green tea, please.”

Seunghui, shivering slightly, placed the order and returned with a green tea and a citron tea.

“Drink.”

“Thank you.”

“A thank-you for a cup of tea worth only a few thousand won—it feels strange.”

At the edge in his voice, Igyeol lifted his gaze from the cup. Their eyes met, and it was clear in an instant—this man did not welcome him.

“Why have you come?”

“I wanted to ask what amount you had in mind for alimony. Normally such matters are settled with both parties present, but Dohyeon refused, so I came alone. Inconvenient, but necessary.”

“Seo Dohyeon-ssi entrusted our divorce to you?”

“I am both his friend and his lawyer. I assist him with legal matters. Strange? Has he… mentioned me to you?”

His voice trembled slightly at the end, though Igyeol did not notice.

“No, he hasn’t. He only said you would bring the papers on Monday.”

“Yes, of course. He’s used to doing things alone. Even this divorce—he’s treating it like routine business. He told me there was no need to meet you separately.”

“……”

“But in a mutual divorce, the agreement must reflect both parties’ wishes. If I only take Dohyeon’s word, I’ll end up drafting twice. It wastes time. And wasted time is needless.”

Blowing gently over the steaming citron tea, he continued. The tart scent wafted between them, making Igyeol frown.

“Since you’ve agreed to the divorce, I’ll be frank. As for division of assets—your marriage was short, and you made no contribution to their accumulation. So you can’t claim anything there. What you should do is secure as much alimony as possible. How much do you want? And about child support—how much are you expecting? There’s no need to put on a front. Say the figure, and I’ll put it in the agreement.”

He pulled a notebook and glasses from his coat pocket, flipping the pages with a hint of irritation. Igyeol, watching closely, noticed his bloodshot eyes, the dark shadows beneath them—layers of exhaustion. His gaze, when it lifted to Igyeol, was sharp, almost hostile.

“Do you think the amount is written on my face?”

“…How much has Seo Dohyeon-ssi said he would give me?”

“What?”

“How much did he say he would give—that you felt compelled to come? Did you think he was offering too much, and as his friend, you came out of concern? That if you spoke with me, you could lower the sum he intends to give? Is that why you came…?”

His tone was gentle, but the words pierced like needles. Seunghui’s lips parted, then pressed tightly shut. Petty though it might seem, Igyeol’s suspicions were not wrong. If he drafted the agreement as Dohyeon wished, nearly all of his wealth—stocks, properties, land—would be transferred to Igyeol. He had come here to prevent that, even knowing Dohyeon would not look kindly upon it.

“…Why are you going this far?”

“What?”

“I’m asking why you go to such lengths. If it’s because you like him, isn’t this… excessive?”

“Do I need to explain that to you?”

The sudden flare of his temper betrayed him; heat rushed to his face, shame twisting in his chest as though his secret had been stripped bare.

“Seo Dohyeon-ssi knows too, doesn’t he? That you like him.”

“Yes. He knows. Of course he knows. And if he knows what my feelings are, yet still keeps me by his side—what do you think that means?”

 

Tl note – bitch im gonna kill you