The Contract's Cruel Truth
The phone line was silent for a long moment before Director Myeong finally answered.
"Really, are you certain you want to include that content?"
"Yes. Please proceed that way."
"...Understood, Director."
After a long pause, Director Myeong hung up the phone.
Siheon's gaze, fixed on the window, grew dim.
No matter how he thought about it, this was right. He was the guardian who had to protect her.
However, contrary to his resolve, his heart kept boiling. He stepped hard on the accelerator. Like someone trying to escape from a thought that had just arisen.
The car he was in sped across the city streets with a heavy, muffled sound.
After finishing her exam prep at the library, Dayeon returned home slowly.
The amount of studying was so much that even staring at books for hours, there was still a lot left to memorize.
But it wasn't all hardship.
Perhaps because she changed her outfit today? Her classmates, who usually only knew her face, occasionally spoke to her, allowing her to make quite a few friends.
It was fortunate for Dayeon. Even though a month had passed since the semester started, there was only Han Seung-hyun in her major she knew.
It was a bit strange that Han Seung-hyun kept getting annoyed whenever they asked for contacts.
'Why does he keep following me around?'
He didn't want to study for exams but stayed in the library late with me, and even though he entered medical school, he didn't want to be a doctor.
What a strange guy, really.
Dayeon, who had pouted her lips, opened the front door handle and raised her tone.
"I'm home."
As usual, greeting as she entered, Dayeon discovered Siheon sitting in the living room, reviewing documents.
"Ah, Teacher!"
Dayeon ran over calling Siheon with a happy heart.
The good things about coming to this house were many, but among them, the best was being able to face him at least once or twice a day.
Unlike the old days when she looked forward to meeting Siheon and greeted him every morning, each day was completely different.
"You're home from work! You said you'd be busy."
If she had known this, she would have come home a bit earlier.
Dayeon thought to herself and looked at Siheon with expectant eyes.
Thanks to Sangjudaek's preparation today, Dayeon had a pleasant day. She wondered if that luck would continue.
She didn't expect praise. Just that Siheon would notice she looked different from before.
And if he looked at her once more, that alone would make her heart swell.
However, unlike the cheerful greeting from Dayeon, Siheon didn't respond much.
Siheon was still fixated on the documents without showing any interest in her outfit.
'If he could just look at me once...'
After thinking for a moment and feeling disappointed, Dayeon quickly changed her mind.
Even when she dressed up after hearing Han Seung-hyun's words recently, the teacher didn't even twitch an eyebrow. The teacher was a person who couldn't be approached with appearances.
She had already failed once, so why this? So, don't be disappointed, Jung Dayeon.
Thanks to the one-sided love lasting long and becoming skilled, she could now shake off this level of disappointment quickly.
As Dayeon was taking a long breath to soothe her bitter heart, Siheon set down the document he was reading and nodded his head as if to say sit.
"Sit. I have something to say."
Siheon's gaze and voice were somehow much calmer than usual.
What could it be.
Feeling something different about Siheon's attitude, Dayeon walked cautiously to the sofa.
When she sat on the diagonal seat, Siheon extended the document he had been holding towards Dayeon.
"What is this?"
"Read it."
As Dayeon lifted the document, the heading at the top caught her eye.
Marriage Contract. The document started like that.
"This is..."
"I couldn't think of a better name, so I just called it that, but I'm not sure if it's right."
"..."
Dayeon quickly read through the contract. There, detailed things were written about the scope of the contract between Dayeon and Siheon, the rules to follow, and the location of the apartment Dayeon would receive after all this was over.
"I had it written through a lawyer. Read it and sign."
Siheon said something faintly as he saw Dayeon staring at the contract with a dark face.
[This contract's validity period is one year from the contract signing date. Upon expiration of the contract period, both parties will immediately terminate the contract relationship without separate agreement, and contract party Jung Dayeon will immediately move to the apartment provided under the contract conditions.]
When she saw the sentence dismissing their relationship, her wavering gaze became even more desolate upon discovering the next part's content.
[During the contract period, you cannot interfere with or restrict the other party's interpersonal relationships, social relationships, and personal choices.
Also, you do not demand marital duties or emotional responsibilities from the other party as a spouse.]
"This... do I have to include this?"
Siheon looked at Dayeon's bewildered face but didn't avoid her gaze.
"Yes."
"After one year, it will definitely end?"
"Yes."
"If I still want to be together after one year?"
Dayeon hurriedly continued.
"Then what do I do?"
"...That won't happen."
Dayeon bit her lip tightly and put down the document.
"I don't understand."
She shook her head quickly and asked as if persuading.
"Why do I have to draw such a line between us?"
"Because there's no reason to get close in the first place."
With his cold words, Dayeon's heart felt like it froze.
"Really... do you really want this? No emotions, don't interfere no matter what they do. You want that?"
"Yes."
She accepted the teacher's suggestion thinking it would make her a bit closer to him. However, it was a complete misunderstanding.
The distance with him didn't close at all. No, rather, she felt facing a huge wall that couldn't be crossed at all.
"This is for you."
"What does this mean?"
Dayeon pointed at the contract's content with a frustrated face.
"Only pretend to be a couple in front of the chairman and family, and then live as completely unrelated people in their own lives?"
How can you do that? Knowing my heart that likes you, how?
Dayeon looked at him with eyes as if asking.
When she received her gaze, Siheon let out a long sigh and rubbed his temple with his thumb.
"Jung Dayeon. You're only 20 now."
"What does my age have to do with this contract?"
"You're too young to waste time on this fake marriage."
Only 20. Too young and too pretty an age.
Bringing an innocent child to this marriage game was so much that there was a bit of guilt.
After this absurd contract ends, Jung Dayeon must return to her own world.
To the place she should have been as if nothing had happened.
That was his duty to bring Jung Dayeon here, and the responsibility of the person who faced her under the name of teacher.
"Go meet proper men your age and date."
"..."
"Then you'll realize how many better people there are than me."
Dayeon stared at Siheon with dazed eyes.
She swallowed words wanting to say "you think this is love?" because she always waited for him despite being told it's not real love.
Even when he disappeared without a word, she kept her heart.
But now the teacher says when you really understand what love is, nothing will happen.
Like my feelings are nothing, wrong.
Her expression twisted with sadness and betrayal.
Siheon clenched his fist.
Without doing that, he would have reached out and touched her cheek. But he couldn't. Because he couldn't wound this child with his desires.
To do that, Siheon pushed Dayeon away more harshly.
"Don't misunderstand, Jung Dayeon."
Siheon, clenching his teeth, was silent for a moment. Then he finally spat out the words.
"...You're not a woman to me."
Each word of Siheon's hit Dayeon's chest heavily.
"You're just a child I have to protect and keep."
Dayeon froze like someone who forgot how to breathe.
No matter what happened, she had sworn that her feelings towards Siheon would not change no matter what words she heard.
However, this time, it hurt more than she thought, more than the words that he didn't see her as a woman.
Her eyes reddened as if shocked, and her head dropped helplessly to the floor.
"I'll think about it."
Dayeon, clutching the contract tightly with both hands, stood up from her seat and returned to her room.
The retreating figure that was slowly moving away kept being stamped on Siheon's eyes.
He knew how cruel his words were to Dayeon. However, it was better this way.
Rather than making her heart hurt even more because of him someday.
A real marriage in his life should never exist.
Siheon's hand, tightly clenched to not stop her, had strength in it.