In the car on the way to their newlywed home, Hanseo kept nodding off, only to jolt awake repeatedly.
I'm so damn tired...
A quick search revealed that wedding preparations typically require at least six months to a year. It was no wonder he was exhausted after cramming everything into just one month.
It always looks so effortless in dramas.
Having only ever seen weddings depicted in the media, Hanseo always imagined them as purely beautiful and romantic affairs.
He never realized how much time, effort, and meticulous planning went into making one happen.
And even this simplified ceremony, since it wasn't a real marriage, had many traditional steps omitted. The formal meeting between families, the exchange of gifts—all skipped. What remained were only the bare essentials needed to maintain appearances.
Gu Jei handled all the complex and difficult arrangements, leaving Han Seo to simply follow instructions: come when told, leave when told. But even after the wedding ceremony concluded, he was so exhausted he could barely stand.
At least my body is younger than it was in my previous life.
Otherwise, he would have fainted immediately. He also benefited from the basic physical training he'd been forced to do at the research lab.
Hanseo glanced at Gu Jei. He was sitting with his arms crossed and eyes closed. It was hard to tell if he was asleep, but Hanseo knew Gu Jei possessed senses so sharp he could feel even a gaze while sleeping.
Hanseo quickly looked away and closed his own eyes. He'd been incredibly sleepy just moments ago, but now, for some reason, he couldn't fall asleep. Still, he felt like he was dreaming.
The thought of being married to Gu Jei...
Of course, it's not real.
Han Seo added this thought like a splash of cold water, snapping his fatigue-addled mind back into focus.
Yes, this marriage isn't real.
As Gu Jei had firmly stated, this was nothing more than a transaction. Gu Jei will protect Yeo Hanseo, and Yeo Hanseo will provide Gu Jei with guiding.
And like any transaction, it will be terminated when one party no longer needed the other.
Just as the written agreement they signed before stamping the marriage documents stipulated:
This agreement, entered into by Yeo Hanseo (hereinafter referred to as "Party A") and Gu Jei (hereinafter referred to as "Party B") through mutual consent, stipulates that both parties shall faithfully adhere to the following terms throughout the duration of the agreement:
Article 1. Neither Party A nor Party B shall engage in physical contact without mutual consent. In the event of unavoidable guiding, prior notification shall be given. Contact for purposes other than guiding is strictly prohibited.
Article 2. Both parties shall reside at the same address, but each party's personal space shall not be infringed upon.
.
.
.
Article 10. If either contracting party wishes to terminate the contract, the other party shall agree to a divorce (contract termination) through mutual consultation, without requiring any special justification. Upon termination, the shared living arrangement and marital relationship shall immediately cease.
Gu Jei patiently explained the contents of the agreement to Hanseo until he fully understood them, showing no signs of annoyance. Thanks to this, Hanseo thoroughly memorized the terms.
Everything else was irrelevant, but Article 10 posed a problem.
The clause allowing either party to terminate the contract at will seemed fair at first glance, but it wasn't. As long as Hanseo couldn't prevent Gu Jei from signing, he would never be the one to initiate a divorce.
But what about Gu Jei? Hanseo knew that the moment Gu Jei no longer felt the need for a guide will arrive sooner than expected.
Barun Pharmaceutical's guiding drug will soon be available for sale.
Typically, it takes years for a new drug to progress from development to commercialization. However, Barunmunje Pharmaceutical had secured unusually rapid approvals for everything. As a result, by next year, anyone will be able to easily obtain the guiding drug.
Unbeknownst to anyone, this so-called medicine was essentially poison.
No, actually it's no longer true that no one knows. At least one person knows the truth about the guiding drug.
"......"
Hanseo rubbed between his eyebrows. Gu Jei must be waiting for the guiding drug from Barun Pharmaceutical, planning to divorce him immediately if it works. It was obvious that Article 10 had been included with that situation in mind.
He couldn't let things play out like that. He will be the one to initiate the divorce.
Hanseo already devised a plan to prevent Gu Jei from taking the guiding drug. The best approach would be to stop the drug from ever reaching the market. But since that was unlikely to succeed, he prepared alternative strategies.
If everything went according to plan, Hanseo will soon be able to divorce Gu Jei and leave. Of course, to continue using Yeo Hanseo's identity, he'd have to deal with the Heukyeongdong Gate, but there was still plenty of time for that.
Good, the plan is flawless... unless Gu Jei finds a woman he likes and asks for a divorce first.
Hanseo frowned. Imagining Gu Jei standing with another woman sent a sharp pang through his chest, leaving him with an inexplicable sense of unease.
No, is this anxiety? It was only natural to feel anxious, given that Gu Jei finding a lover could ruin his entire plan. But there was no need to worry about something that hadn't even happened yet. Come to think of it, hasn't everything been going more smoothly than expected?
This is all thanks to Park Jintae.
Park Jintae's commotion had forced Gu Jei to make a decision sooner than expected.
Incidentally, Hanseo heard that Park Jintae returned to the center just a few days after the incident. He was investigated for unauthorized entry into a private residence but was quickly released.
That was what the instructor told him after learning Hanseo's absence from training wasn't due to illness, but because of Park Jintae.
The instructor further added:
"But Park Jintae looked terrible. He was strangely subdued, not his usual sleazy self. There were rumors he'd been rushed to the center's hospital a few days ago. I wondered if it was true. Ha ha, surely Guid Yeo Hanseo wasn't responsible for that, right?"
"......"
"Huh?"
His heart raced, leaving him momentarily speechless. Fortunately, the instructor seemed to joking, and the conversation ended smoothly.
In his mind, he had killed Park Jintae a hundred times over, but in reality, he hadn't done anything. Even the kick he landed would have been nothing more than a dog bite to an A-Class Esper.
If Park Jintae had truly been hospitalized, someone else must have been responsible.
"....."
He lowered his gaze, hiding the glance that almost strayed to the man beside him.
That can't be.
Gu Jei never laid a hand on anyone but monsters. He rarely used excessive force, even against criminals, let alone civilians.
Of course, there were exceptions for certain villains.
Suddenly, his stomach felt like it was being stabbed.
Hanseo looked ahead. The middle-aged chauffeur was driving so quietly that his presence was almost faint. He must have witnessed Gu Jei's cold rejection of his newlywed partner, declaring he had no intention of playing house with a man, yet he showed no surprise. He probably knew the full story.
They were currently heading to the house Gu Jei had lent Hanseo when he was disguised as Kim Youngsoo. Gu Jei later revealed that the house was actually registered in his own name, explaining that Kim Youngsoo was merely an acquaintance. After remarking that the house was better than his current residence, it became their honeymoon home.
They couldn't have been far from the wedding venue, so they should arrive soon.
...Maybe I'll just take a quick look.
Hanseo turned on his phone, which he had switched off upon entering the wedding hall.
Hanseo watched the internet erupt in a frenzy after Gu Jei's sudden marriage announcement.
The reactions were varied:
Some were shocked by the news.
Others offered congratulations, celebrating the auspicious occasion.
Many marveled at the guest list, impressed by the attendees.
Others praised Gu Jei's decision to forgo a honeymoon and focus on defending the nation.
Right, we decided not to go on a honeymoon either.
The official reason was Gu Jei's sense of duty to national defense, but the truth was they weren't close enough to travel together.
If this was a real marriage with someone he truly loved, things might be different...
Beep.
The familiar sound cut through his idle thoughts.
Hanseo turned his head.
Gu Jei, who had already opened his eyes, was checking the watch on his wrist.
"Mr. Yeo Hanseo."
No way.
"I should be going now."
"......"
"Thank you for your hard work. Let's meet again sometime."
Gu Jei delivered the dry farewell and opened the car door as it sped along.
"Wait...!"
Hanseo reached out urgently, but Gu Jei already vanished in an instant.
Thud.
Even in the midst of his hasty exit, Gu Jei didn't forget to meticulously close the car door with his telekinetic powers.
"......"
"Haha, he does that sometimes," the middle-aged driver said calmly, glancing at Hanseo's stunned reflection in the rearview mirror as he continued driving. It was as if Gu Jei jumping out of moving cars was a routine occurrence.
Hanseo's eyes turned bitterly cold.
I take back what I said about things being different if he had a lover.
Even if Gu Jei had married his sweetheart, he still wouldn't have gone on a honeymoon anyway due to national defence.
And even if he did go on a honeymoon, Gu Jei was the kind of guy who'd dash off without looking back the moment the gate alarm sounded!
Comments
Post a Comment