Chapter 230: Divorced Single (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 230: Divorced Single (4)
The time leading up to the divorce had been an agonizing ordeal, but the moment it became final, it was over in a flash.
As a single sentence from the judge turned her and her husband into strangers, Han So-ye was overcome by a strange sensation. She felt a hollow void where her emotions should be—neither relief nor regret—and the unfamiliarity of it left her dazed.
Despite her losing custody, her ex-husband stood beside her, gloating with visible joy as if divorcing her was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.
Between the explicit phone sex she’d caught him in and the long process of preparing for the divorce, her feelings for him had withered away long ago. No matter what expression he wore now, Han So-ye felt nothing.
They were strangers now.
Though they had spent too much time together to be summed up by a single word like 'strangers,' she told herself that it was enough.
The man who was no longer her husband walked out of the courtroom with her.
"I'll contact you when the divorce certificate is ready, so don't try to dodge me."
Having checked out emotionally, the man treated her with a coldness that surpassed even that of a stranger. She had hoped that, for the sake of the years they’d shared, he might at least treat her with basic decency now that it was over. Instead, he looked at her like an arch-enemy, his heart seemingly filled with more hatred than lingering affection.
What exactly had she done that was so wrong?
At the sound of his icy voice, the anger Han So-ye had been suppressing began to flare. She told herself there was no point in getting worked up over someone who was no longer part of her life, yet the feeling that everything she had done for him was in vain turned her hollow frustration into rage.
No… I’m only thinking of my own perspective…
She tried her best to remain calm and endure it. She felt she had tried her hardest, but surely he had his own perspective as a husband, too. Unable to tell if she was rationalizing or being objective, Han So-ye tried to soothe herself and put distance between them.
Once they turned their backs on each other, there would be no more emotional warfare.
"Baby~!"
Just as Han So-ye was about to turn away, a woman with dyed blonde hair approached from a distance and threw her arms around the man.
As Han So-ye stared blankly at the two of them engaging in a blatant display of affection, the woman pulled the man’s face into her chest and looked back at her.
“There are plenty of people who enjoy the act of taking things from others, even if they gain nothing from it.”
Jeong Yeon-woo’s words flashed through her mind, and Han So-ye’s gaze turned cold. However, the colder her eyes became, the deeper the woman’s smirk grew, as if she were feeding off the reaction.
"Everyone’s watching. Stop it."
As if to provoke her further, the woman suggestively felt up the man’s buttocks, and the man responded by rubbing against her and acting cute.
Ha.
When Han So-ye let out a hollow laugh at the absurd scene, the woman continued to caress the man’s rear despite his half-hearted protests, smiling brightly.
"If you were going to get divorced anyway, you should’ve done it sooner. Instead of being such a nuisance."
"I agree. If I’d known he was this kind of person, I would have done it much sooner," Han So-ye replied with a smile.
The woman narrowed her eyes, then let her lips curl upward.
"You’re surprisingly composed for someone who was just crying and clinging to him. Did giving up make it easier? Oh, I laughed so hard when I heard about that. Weren’t you embarrassed? A great Hero, sobbing and begging him not to get a divorce? Were you drunk or something?"
At the woman’s words, Han So-ye remembered how she had pleaded with the man when he first demanded a divorce. She had used every excuse she could think of—even bringing up So-hee—and, shamefully, she had even shed tears.
She felt a surge of resentment toward the man for telling this woman things that had happened in private, but more than that, Han So-ye was overwhelmed by a crushing sense of shame.
As her face flushed hot, the woman burst into a loud cackle at the sight of Han So-ye’s reddened cheeks.
The man shot her a look of pure disgust, as if to say, What’s wrong with her? before burying his head back in the woman’s chest. Passersby turned to stare, drawn by the woman’s loud laughter.
Feeling publicly humiliated, Han So-ye wanted nothing more than to run away. A fear she had never felt even when facing hideous monsters or villains began to take root. It was so difficult to remain standing that she felt the strength draining from her legs.
"Oh…? Are you going to hit me? If a Hero hits me, I’ll just die without being able to do a thing. How scary~!"
"How violent."
The woman and the man mocked Han So-ye as they saw her hands twitch. But her trembling fingertips weren't a sign of wanting to strike back at her mockers; they were an expression of pure terror.
She thought she would feel nothing since her heart had already moved on, but faced with such ridicule and shame, Han So-ye felt like her world was crumbling.
Just as she felt the world tilting on its axis, something warm wrapped around her shoulders, supporting her.
"There you are. I'm sorry. I underestimated how complicated the Family Court would be and got lost."
At the sound of that clear, melodic voice, Han So-ye dazedly turned her head to look at the person holding her up. Perhaps it was the sun, but his face shone so brilliantly that she could hardly look at him directly.
"Yeon-woo… why… what about the Association…?"
"Does the Association matter? You’re more important, Noona."
Jeong Yeon-woo gave her a charming smile and tightened his grip on her shoulder, pulling her close. Seeing him clinging to her like a lover, the woman’s eyes widened as she muttered.
"Hero Jeong Yeon-woo…"
There was no one in Korea who didn't know him now. Not just in Korea, but in Japan as well. Black Unicorn was receiving global attention for the incredible power they displayed during the Dungeon Impact, and everyone knew what their leader, Jeong Yeon-woo, looked like.
As the woman whispered his name, Jeong Yeon-woo smiled while stroking Han So-ye’s shoulder.
"Ah, so you’re So-ye Noona’s ex-husband and his girlfriend? You two look great together. Anyway, thank you."
Thank him for what?
Jeong Yeon-woo didn't bother explaining, but through the affectionate way he touched Han So-ye’s shoulder and the nuance of his voice, everyone understood without words.
Though Han So-ye was flustered by Jeong Yeon-woo’s sudden performance, the man and woman could only stare with blank expressions.
"You—you were cheating behind my back too! And yet you put all the blame on me!"
When the man pointed a finger in anger, Jeong Yeon-woo laughed brightly.
"So-ye Noona is a woman of integrity. She doesn't go around betraying people like some others do. Our relationship is perfectly clean."
"Don't make me laugh! Who would believe that, looking at you two?!"
"This is actually the first time I've even touched Noona’s shoulder. She wouldn't accept my feelings, you see. But what does it matter now? You’re strangers. Ah, I guess I can do stuff like this as much as I want now."
Jeong Yeon-woo let out a soft chuckle and planted a light kiss on Han So-ye’s cheek.
As Han So-ye stared at him with her mouth agape in shock, Jeong Yeon-woo giggled and brushed his thumb over her cheek as if wiping it.
"Look how red your cheeks are. They’re so hot I’m worried I’ll get a burn on my lips."
At the touch of Jeong Yeon-woo’s hands, caressing her face like a lover, Han So-ye took a sharp breath and tensed up. Her heart pounded even faster than it had when she was angry, and her senses became so heightened that she could feel every individual finger on her shoulder.
As Jeong Yeon-woo showered her with affection, his eyes full of love, the blonde woman watched with a mix of envy and jealousy.
When the man began to stutter in his rage, Jeong Yeon-woo leaned in close and whispered something, his lips almost brushing against Han So-ye’s ear.
Every time his lips moved slightly as he spoke, they grazed her pale ear, making her body shiver.
The sight was so erotic that even the woman watching felt her crotch grow wet, but Han So-ye was the only one who could actually feel Jeong Yeon-woo’s lips.
"How vulgar, right in front of everyone…"
Finding that nothing was working, the man muttered pathetically, but even those words only served to make him look more miserable.
After the sensual skinship—which felt like an intimate caress without being explicit—ended, Han So-ye turned her head to look at him.
So close she could feel his breath, Han So-ye stared at him with a face even redder than before. Jeong Yeon-woo gave her a slight nod, urging her on.
"……"
When Han So-ye squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her lips to Jeong Yeon-woo’s, the man and woman were struck with horror.
Her mature, ripe body made her look incredibly sexy, yet as she kissed Jeong Yeon-woo, she seemed as pure as a girl experiencing her first love.
Her tightly shut eyes were trembling, and her red lips remained frozen against his, unmoving.
Tense and barely maintaining the contact, Han So-ye felt like she was going to topple over backward, only managing to stay upright by clinging to Jeong Yeon-woo’s hands.
Meeting her eyes as she gasped for breath, Jeong Yeon-woo gave a small smile. There was a hint of lingering regret in his expression, but because of the kiss, no one else noticed.
Holding Han So-ye tightly as she leaned against him, her strength spent, Jeong Yeon-woo bowed his head to the couple.
"Anyway, thanks. Take care."
Without a moment's hesitation, Jeong Yeon-woo turned and led Han So-ye away.
As they moved further from the man and woman, who were still staring blankly, Jeong Yeon-woo leaned in and whispered in her ear again.
Han So-ye’s eyes widened once more. As Jeong Yeon-woo simply smiled, her hand hesitated for a moment before wrapping around his waist.
When Jeong Yeon-woo playfully bumped his hip against her, her hand slid down and began to stroke his buttocks.
Her slow-moving hand traced the firm curves of Jeong Yeon-woo’s rear, and the woman watching from behind swallowed hard.
"Wait, where are you looking right now?"
The man’s shrill voice echoed from behind, but that was no longer any concern of Han So-ye’s.
Having caressed Jeong Yeon-woo’s rear until they were out of sight, Han So-ye stole a glance back. Seeing that the two were gone, she quickly pulled away and bowed deeply.
"I'm so sorry! You must have felt terrible with me touching you like that!"
Even though Jeong Yeon-woo had been the one to ask her to do it, Han So-ye couldn't bring herself to look up, feeling terrible that he had sacrificed his body for the act.
"Not at all. I actually liked it when you touched me, Noona."
At his words, Han So-ye’s face, which seemed to have no room left to get redder, flared up even more.
"The kiss was surprisingly nice too, since it felt so fresh."
"Stop… stop talking…"
Feeling like she might die of embarrassment, Han So-ye kept her head down and flailed her hands in front of her, trying to stop him.
Strangely, while being shamed by the woman had felt like the world was ending, being teased by Jeong Yeon-woo made her feel like she was floating on air.
Her heart was racing so fast from these strange emotions that she felt like she was going crazy. As she remained hunched over, his gentle hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her upright.
The act was over, yet his hand remained around her waist as if they were still lovers. Han So-ye looked up at him, her body tense.
"They might still be watching."
At his dazzling smile, Han So-ye shyly lowered her bright red face and walked along with him.
"My schedule is completely clear now. Can I play with So-hee?"
"Uh… yeah… that’s fine. School is just letting out now, so it’s okay… but, um…"
Han So-ye, who had always treated Jeong Yeon-woo with a mature air, had turned into a bashful girl, unable to even speak properly.
Jeong Yeon-woo tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her closer as she became endearingly flustered, and answered brightly.
"Then let's go. I should buy So-hee something delicious. We should have a small celebration party… or should I call it a celebration?"
His laughter was contagious, and Han So-ye smiled through her blushing face.
"Yes, it’s a celebration."
"Okay. Let's go have a party, the three of us."
With a look of happiness on her face, Han So-ye left the court behind and headed home with him.