Ch 1. That Bastard Has Returned
“Yeon Seonha-ssi, Choi Hongdan-ssi. That’s correct, isn’t it?”
A woman who appeared to be in her early to mid-forties pushed up her glasses with her index finger as she looked back and forth between the ends of the table.
On the right sat a tall man in the seat closest to the judge, naturally bathed in sunlight at his back. In contrast, unlike his counterpart, sat a man with ashen hair and a frame half a span smaller, sitting two seats away without a single lawyer accompanying him, melting into the shadows.
Though they shared not a single resemblance, their pheromones naturally mingled, hinting at the relationship between them.
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
The answers that came out in unison, as if they’d been waiting, were no different.
The judge felt doubt about the tenacious yet fragile nature of human relationships every time this happened. Fortunately, she now had enough experience to swallow a shallow sigh. The sentence she felt like she’d already uttered well over a hundred times just this week flowed out without much difficulty once again.
“You both stated that you wish to divorce because you’ve determined it’s difficult to maintain your marital relationship. Even after the deliberation period, do your intentions to divorce remain unchanged?”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Very well. Both parties appear to have clear intentions.”
The man on the left, who hadn’t lifted his head even once the entire time, finally fidgeted with his interlocked fingers. But that was all the movement there was. He seemed more accustomed to holding his breath than breathing.
The judge tapped the table with the small stack of documents, standing them upright. It was a signal that this tedious procedure would soon be over. The left man’s thumb moved a bit more busily.
“Yeon Seonha-ssi, Choi Hongdan-ssi. I’ve confirmed that both parties have given sufficient deliberation to your intentions to divorce. The contents of the settlement agreement submitted in advance are also deemed legally valid…”
He diligently scratched at his ring finger. At that place where nothing was fitted anymore.
“Therefore, I will grant you both a divorce.”
At that place that would remain empty from now on.
“This decision takes effect from the date the intent to divorce was confirmed.”
Of course it would be so, and it had to be.
“That is, I inform you once again that your divorce has been finalized as of this moment.”
This was also self-punishment for his foolish choice, for the first child he lost because of it.
***
It had become a familiar gray building before he knew it. Yeon Seonha was annoyed by that familiarity.
As soon as he left the building, he called out to the man who had been his husband until three minutes ago, Choi Hongdan, stopping him.
“Do you really not need alimony?”
But his ex-husband, who was already four or five steps ahead, only stopped walking without turning around. Seonha found that stubborn back of his head irritating.
“Yeah. Don’t need it.”
That gruff voice deliberately devoid of emotion, too.
“Ha… Seriously.”
Unable to hold back any longer, he irritably ruffled his hair. It was hair he’d deliberately woken up early this morning to neatly arrange.
Does that bastard know why I made such an uncharacteristic fuss?
Anyway, Hongdan always knew how to put his pride first despite having nothing. He’d looked exactly like this when Seonha first encountered him in the classroom ten years ago.
Seonha’s lips had already tilted into a pout before he knew it. Words just as crooked tumbled out of his mouth.
“What money do you even have?”
You beggar.
You debtor who would’ve already been sold off to some anchovy fishing boat if it weren’t for me.
Just like you grabbed my hand that day, you should naturally grab the hand I’m offering now. How are you going to live without me?
You’re just Choi Hongdan.
And yet he kept his truest thoughts tightly hidden. His firmly clenched teeth represented both his lingering attachment he still couldn’t shake off and his pride.
“Does that even matter to you anymore?”
But the words that came back from those small lips remained indifferent as ever. Unlike Seonha who struggled to suppress his emotions, there didn’t seem to be even a trace of sticky residue.
Leaving only that brief retort, Hongdan resumed the steps he’d stopped. Even though leaving this place could mean a complete end with him, there wasn’t a hint of hesitation. Rather, he looked like he’d been waiting for this all along.
The moment he could finally part ways with the person called Yeon Seonha.
He couldn’t have been more ridiculous for considering whether to at least shake hands one last time. Seonha quickly hid his right hand, which had nowhere to go, behind his back. Then he slowly took steps following Hongdan’s stride. He didn’t close the distance Hongdan had created, but didn’t particularly widen it either.
Tap, tap.
The more Hongdan moved forward, the more brightly the sun illuminated him. His hair, which had been a dull ashen color, now sparkled with a mysterious light. It was as if it blessed Hongdan’s clumsy choice.
Seonha felt inwardly twisted. And yet, strangely unable to tear his gaze away from there, his irritation only grew.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Hongdan passed through the main gate and headed toward the left stone wall. Coincidentally, Seonha also had to turn the right corner and get into the black sedan on the other side.
It was truly time to part ways now.
Just as Hongdan’s figure was about to completely disappear beyond the stone wall.
“…”
Seonha turned around for no reason. It wasn’t that he expected him to be looking at him, but still, just once, he wanted to see those straight shoulders waver. But all that entered his vision was an infuriatingly upright silhouette.
“Tsk.”
Seonha clicked his tongue shortly. Then he pulled out the phone tucked in his back pocket and pressed down hard on the name at the very top of his call log.
Ring-ring.
—Yeah, what’s up.
Fortunately, the ringtone didn’t last long. Seonha curved his characteristically long lips into a picturesque smile.
“Is the water good today? I’m truly single now.”
He absolutely hated being played by pathetic emotions that wouldn’t even be rewarded.
***
“Ah, fuck, my head…”
It had been a year since becoming a divorcé more flamboyant than any peacock. Yeon Seonha was truly living every single day drowning in debauchery.
When he opened his eyes, he’d barely rinse out his alcohol-soaked head with cold water first, then leisurely show up to work around lunchtime to stamp his face for his beloved father.
Then before lunchtime was even over, he’d leave the company and hit the gym a few times for an even more fulfilling trash lifestyle. After a quick shower on the way out, he’d dig through his contacts to call out someone who’d appropriately humor him. After that, it was a repeat of soaking his brain in alcohol again.
And if there was someone he liked, he’d thrust his dick at them too.
It seemed yesterday was one of those days. Since his lower half felt pretty empty.
To disappear on their own before he even opened his eyes. Indeed, seemed like someone worth rubbing asses with at least one more time.
Seonha looked for his phone, planning to ask the group he drank with who had left with him last night.
After a few sweeps with his palm, the mattress was oddly damp with traces of sex. Even so, he didn’t particularly feel grossed out. If it was going to get dirty anyway, it would’ve all been smeared overnight. He wasn’t the type of bastard who’d seen chests, dicks, all kinds of sights on top of this, and now pretended to come to his senses and act fastidious—that wasn’t Seonha.
If he earned dislike, it would be for other reasons.
Moving his body a bit more to the side and stretching his arm long, his fingertips caught a rectangular piece of metal. Seonha unlocked it while yawning wide enough to breathe in all the air in the world. On the other hand, he was amazed that facial recognition worked even in this state.
“…What’s this?”
But.
“A photo…?”
The mouth that had opened so boisterously soon closed due to a single photo someone had sent.
Wondering if he was still drunk, he rubbed his eyes and even slapped his cheeks a few times. But his eyes just stung and his cheeks just tingled pointlessly, while the Polaroid photo occupying his phone screen remained the same.
Wait, is it even right to call that a Polaroid…?
Seonha tilted his head while scratching the back of his head that somehow felt itchy. And for good reason—what was contained within was something he’d never seen in his life. No. Something he’d only seen once in his life.
[010-xxxx-xxxx] It’s your baby
[010-xxxx-xxxx] What are you gonna do now?
[010-xxxx-xxxx] You gotta take responsibility
[010-xxxx-xxxx] You’re the dad
Something that had only black and white.
And yet the round object occupying half the photo could be immediately recognized for what it was.
“What the fuck are you talking about, you crazy bastard!”
It was a baby’s ultrasound photo.
As if they’d been waiting for him to check it, before he could even grasp the situation, the other party kindly informed him ‘you’re fucked.’
The hand scratching the back of his head grew fiercer. No, actually it was closer to clawing.
Seonha didn’t hesitate any longer and pressed those unfamiliar eleven digits to make a call. Fortunately, the ringtone cut off before Seonha’s reason wore thin.
—Hell…
“Who the fuck are you?”
Seonha spat out curses before the other party could even finish their greeting. But as if expecting the sharp reaction, the voice on the other end became even calmer instead.
—…I had a feeling, but it really is Yeon Seonha.
Naturally since it was an unsaved number, but the voice coming through the receiver was also unfamiliar to Seonha’s ears. Having inwardly hoped for a certain voice, his brow furrowed even more.
“No, forget me. Who the hell are you?”
—You really should choose your friends carefully, Seonha. Should a chaebol heir’s phone number be this cheap?
“This bastard keeps ignoring what I’m say…”
—You saw the photo, right?
“…”
Seonha felt heat rising inside and tried to lower the air conditioner temperature. But at just those four syllables, he couldn’t press even a single button and dropped the remote onto the mattress just like that.
It certainly wasn’t despair about suddenly being responsible for two lives from one wrong dick move. Rather.
Crack—! Crackle.
“Yeah, I saw it. Did you photograph your uterus with a DSLR or something? I could tell at a glance it doesn’t look like me?”
—Wh-what are you saying! It’s your baby…!
“I got a vasectomy five years ago, you idiot. So I could fuck around with dumbasses like you. Who the hell do you think I am?”
It was primal rage toward the bastard telling such shameless lies. The air conditioner remote Seonha threw smashed the TV in front and fell to the floor.
Moreover, if what the bastard did was just a lie that would be one thing, but it was exactly like what Hongdan had done to him back then…
“…Shit.”
At Hongdan’s face that suddenly intruded, Seonha’s voice went cold.
“Hey. Pick something believable to rub in.”
—What?
“No matter how crazy your head’s gotten wanting to marry well and reverse your life, there’s a limit. Let’s say hypothetically that kid is mine. You think I’d marry you? Do you seriously think you and I are a match?”
—You… you married fine with that beggar bastard though!
When the other party finally brought up his existence, his teeth ground together. His body was already half risen before he knew it.
“You fucking bastard, who do you think you’re talking to right now…”
He’d stayed in the house without moving, which made it all the more vivid. That’s partly why he’d been going out more. If he swayed following momentary pleasures, the image would blur along with them. That bastard wouldn’t come back even if he died, so if he couldn’t forget, it was his own loss.
And he was someone who would twist his entire body to avoid loss.
Right, he didn’t need to get worked up here right now.
Seonha forcibly suppressed the anger that surged up in an instant. The justification for fighting for Hongdan had long since disappeared. And that too because Choi Hongdan, that bastard, wanted it.
A bitter scene he’d had to chew over for a long time came to mind.
On the day of their parting, Hongdan had knelt before him.
It was the first time in the ten years since meeting him. Hongdan had occasionally shown tears, but had never knelt and begged like that.
‘Let’s stop.’
‘Divorce me.’
‘Please… please let me live, Seonha.’
With a posture shown for the first time, a face shown for the first time, a voice heard for the first time.
He wished for divorce, not forgiveness.
He begged to please let him live, to let him breathe.
Honestly, Seonha was angrier that the only favor Hongdan had ever asked of him was divorce than when Hongdan had held out the ultrasound photo with an excited face saying it was their baby. Therefore, accepting the divorce request was also closer to doing so in a fit of anger.
In other words, Yeon Seonha still hadn’t sorted out anything about Choi Hongdan.
Perhaps it was more fitting to say he hadn’t allowed himself even the time to sort things out.
Biting his lower lip briefly, Seonha soon stretched his body out on the mattress. He could feel unpleasant moisture on his bare back, evidence of just how much he and the nameless omega had made a mess last night. From the moment he recalled Hongdan, even extreme pressure came as if something was weighing down on his body.
Seonha switched the call to speaker and threw his phone far away. Then he casually retorted.
“If it seems like everything you brought has been exposed, hang up on your own. I’m being very generous with you today because I’m annoyed, but an hour from now, who knows. I might want to hand this number over somewhere nice.”
—No, then are you saying I got pregnant alone?
“Well, men get pregnant, so it’s about time for Piccolo to appear too.”
—You garbage bastard!
Ah, bit persistent.
Should I do a sticky tape test before bed from now on?
Seonha pressed his increasingly throbbing temples firmly with his thumb. It seemed to be more because of that shrill shouting. Of course, he did prefer those who knew how to snap back over quiet ones, but that was only when the voice itself was somewhat calm like someone’s…
…Fuck, again.
At the image he’d recalled yet again, Seonha finally forced himself to sit up. He needed to wash up quickly and leave this shitty space. There was no help for it unless memories of Hongdan were completely erased.
He listened to the bullshit about vasectomy probability or whatever like a medical trivia radio show while roughly pushing the damp sheets to one corner. Then, just before entering the bathroom, he finally bid farewell to the clumsy scammer.
“Either bring a paternity test.”
—…Do you even know how dangerous what you’re saying is for an early-term pregnant person?
“Then raise it alone.”
—Garbage bastard.
“Didn’t you already say that? I’m bored. Your bland vocabulary is what seems like garbage.”
Perhaps his brazen personality had finally swallowed up even what the other party had to say, as a long silence continued from beyond the receiver. It was what he’d wanted.
Seonha instinctively realized that if he missed this timing, he’d have to endure another tedious war of words for about 10 more minutes. Just as he was dropping his phone under his chin to press the end button.
—…What if I do?
“What?”
—Paternity test. What will you do if I bring that?
“…”
The opponent he thought had given up was being defiant.
No, if this bastard wants to donate, they should do it to a children’s foundation or something, why the hell there…
In the end, Seonha had no choice but to add a few more words this time too.
“I’ll watch.”
—No, not watch…
“Just try bringing it first.”
