Divorce Contract C18

Chapter 18

With careful hands, the long sleeves that covered the back of his hand were neatly folded up.

“…Thank you.”

At the sight of the two of them looking so gentle together, Na Seunghui spoke up before he realized it. His eyes betrayed an envy he couldn’t hide, tinged with something like jealousy.

“But does Igyeol-ssi usually dress like that? When I saw you in the parking lot earlier, I was so shocked. I honestly thought it wasn’t you. You looked way too young.”

“…Ah.”

“Dressed like that, who would ever believe you’re a married man? I’d believe you’d just entered university.”

As if trying to shift the mood, Na Seunghui tossed a light joke toward Igyeol. He should have changed clothes after all. Hearing that they’d been watching from above made even the act of removing his cap feel embarrassing. Unable to reply, Igyeol flushed.

“You look your age to me.”

“What?”

Seo Dohyeon’s hand brushed across his hot cheek before pulling away.

“I thought maybe you kept bringing up his age because you wanted to hear it from him. I’m telling you, even on weekends you should dress like that. It suits you.”

Na Seonwoo’s gaze flicked toward the man who, with an air of nonchalance, wasn’t being nonchalant at all with Igyeol. Watching how attentively he cared for him, it didn’t seem like their relationship was bad… but did he really know? Was what Igyeol had said true? Then why had he looked like he was with Na Seunghui back then? The memory was still fresh enough to be baffling. While Seonwoo drifted into thought, it was only Seunghui who reacted, springing up.

“Why do you always have to embarrass people like that?”

“You embarrassed Igyeol too.”

“If you want to date, just date, seriously—you’re making people miserable.”

“Do it, then. If you wait too long, you won’t even be able to when you want to.”

At the flat reply, only Seunghui fumed. Watching the exchange, Seonwoo thought they really did seem nothing more than just close. Withdrawing his gaze, he reached for his water glass.

“You were the one who was rude to Igyeol first. Why bring up his age?”

“What’s so wrong about saying he looks young…! That’s a compliment.”

“If the person doesn’t like it, and to others it doesn’t even sound like praise, then it’s not a compliment. Don’t say things like that. You’re smart, so why act like you have no sense.”

Even his cousin’s rebuke piled on. Flushing, Seunghui let out a long huff through his nose. Hearing both Seo Dohyeon and Seonwoo say he was wrong made him realize—too late—that what he’d thoughtlessly said might have been offensive.

“Sorry, Igyeol-ssi. I just… I only meant it as a compliment.”

“…It’s fine.”

“I’ll be more careful.”

“…Yes.”

Nodding slightly, Igyeol looked up at Dohyeon and whispered softly enough for only him to hear, words of thanks. Leaning in, Dohyeon murmured something at his ear, and Igyeol’s small face immediately flushed red, shaking up and down in fluster. He bit at his plump lips as if restraining himself, then opened them slightly, as though giving a quiet reply, and Seonwoo’s eyes caught on it.

“By the way, lately Igyeol’s health hasn’t seemed good. You must be worried.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“He hardly eats, just seems to sleep all the time.”

At Seonwoo’s words, Igyeol’s eyes flew wide. Startled was one thing—he was so flustered it made Seonwoo wonder if he’d said something wrong.

“Maybe he hasn’t been eating well lately, but I don’t really understand why that’s your concern.”

“Na Seonwoo.”

Before Dohyeon could finish, Igyeol’s voice cut in. He gave a tiny shake of his head, as if begging him to stop. Seonwoo’s brows drew together slightly.

“…Seonwoo.”

“You’re right… it’s not really my business. I’m sorry.”

Uneasy eyes, trembling, turned toward Seonwoo. The mood had soured, and Dohyeon too felt weighed down. What could possibly exist between an old college classmate and his spouse that he himself didn’t know about?

“Hearing about Igyeol from someone else is a fresh experience for me. Thanks to you, Na Seonwoo-ssi, I’ll have plenty to talk about when we get home.”

Igyeol knew there were thorns in Dohyeon’s words, but he couldn’t care—because Seonwoo had discovered his lie. Only Seunghui looked confused, as if wondering why the mood had suddenly turned so strange. Even when he whispered to Seonwoo, asking what was going on, Seonwoo brushed him off as if he didn’t understand.

As the courses came and went, the amount Igyeol managed to eat was so little that all three noticed.

“But even last time, Igyeol-ssi, you didn’t eat much. And today again. Just like Seonwoo said, are you unwell? Did Dohyeon bring you out carelessly even though you’re sick?”

“That’s not it. Seonwoo and I had a very filling lunch.”

“Ah, right, Seonwoo’s lunch was late. I made him work late. You were hesitating over whether to eat or not, weren’t you? Honestly, making such a fuss over one dinner.”

Pouting, Seunghui grumbled at Dohyeon, saying he didn’t understand why he was so standoffish now that he was married. Seonwoo chose that moment to cut in.

“He didn’t eat much when we were together—your call came in the middle of our meal. But he’d already eaten plenty.”

He spoke smoothly, then looked at Igyeol for confirmation. Taking in a bite of salad topped with yuzu dressing, Igyeol nodded quickly.

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“You really like that udon shop.”

Seunghui asked what was so good about that shabby place. Seonwoo shrugged, exchanging a glance with Igyeol.

“It was tasty.”

“So strange. You went too, right? Back then, you said it was so dirty you couldn’t eat there and left.”

“I remember. It was awful. The taste, the hygiene. So, Igyeol-ssi, don’t go there again.”

Though it sounded like gentle advice, it was essentially an order. Lifting his eyes from the salad, Igyeol met Dohyeon’s gaze.

“…What?”

“Dirty, unsanitary. Isn’t it bothersome? You keep going to places like that.”

For a moment, Igyeol wondered if he’d heard right, but with so many eyes on him, he just nodded. If Dohyeon didn’t like it, it wasn’t a place he could go. Even if he sometimes wanted to.

“Does marriage mean losing your freedom?”

Watching Igyeol’s compliant response, Seonwoo asked Dohyeon with a smile.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, if you want to go somewhere, you go. But you even control things like that? Makes me wonder if marriage means you need your spouse’s permission for every little thing.”

His tone carried a bite, making Seunghui startle. He patted Seonwoo’s shoulder hard, muttering what was wrong with him, what kind of way was that to talk, even apologizing to Dohyeon on his behalf.

“Well, you’ll find out when you experience it yourself. Marriage is about adjusting even in the small things.”

“……”

“Dating and marriage are different.”

“I’d like to know, then, what this marriage is.”

With a smile, Seonwoo responded to his answer. Checking the time, he seemed to suggest there was no reason to linger now that the course was finished, no drinks ordered, and his car waiting.

“Shall we… head out?”

Sensing his intent first, Seunghui raised a hand to call the server, handing over his card with an awkward smile as he stood.

“I’ll treat you tonight. I was the one who suggested dinner, after all. Seonwoo ate too.”

“Do as you like.”

Draping the coat handed to him by the server over Igyeol’s shoulders, Dohyeon replied indifferently. Without so much as a goodbye, he took Igyeol’s wrist and pulled him along. That was when—

“Igyeol.”

At the call, both Igyeol and Dohyeon turned toward Seonwoo.

“I’ll call you.”

“…Ah, okay.”

“Get home safe.”

“You too. Goodbye.”

Igyeol bowed slightly toward Seonwoo and Seunghui, who waved awkwardly beside him. Then he let himself be led away by Dohyeon. His steps were so quick he nearly had to run to keep up. Watching the two descend the stairs, Seunghui jabbed an elbow into Seonwoo’s side.

“Hey, what’s with you! Do you have some grudge against Seo Dohyeon?”

“Hyung, wasn’t that the guy you were seeing?”

“Seeing him? What nonsense! I was the one who liked him! And don’t you dare bring that up to Igyeol if you see him again, got it?”

Seunghui firmly warned, and Seonwoo only gave a vague nod. Even as he slipped back into his cardigan, his eyes didn’t leave the window.

“What are you staring at outside?”

“What else would there be. Just my brother’s friend and my friend.”

“Are you close with Go Igyeol-ssi?”

“Not really.”

Watching Seo Dohyeon instinctively rest a hand on Igyeol’s head as he settled him into the passenger seat made Seonwoo’s brow furrow.

“You two came together?”

“Of course. I was so flustered when Dohyeon suddenly said to bring you and Igyeol too.”

“Why’s my brother want to eat dinner with a married man anyway? Planning to have an affair?”