Chapter 1: A Steak, a Signature, and a Shattered Loop

“Sign it.”

Jung-hoon placed the divorce papers in front of Jin-yeop with an impassive face.

For him, this was just another divorce demand, but for Jin-yeop, it wasn’t.

This was the eleventh time he was receiving divorce papers.

The neat handwriting that filled only half the paper sent chills down his spine.

“There’s no need to drag this out pointlessly.

Making a big fuss over a divorce won’t do either of us any good.”

Jung-hoon’s voice as he added this was utterly cold.

Jin-yeop didn’t answer and turned his head, fixing his gaze out the window.

The upscale restaurant had one entire wall made of glass.

The glittering lights reflected from the high-rise buildings all around seemed to embroider the pitch-black scenery, brilliant and dazzling.

The soft classical melody, the laughter of people sharing happy, quiet conversations.

Indeed, no matter how he thought about it, this wasn’t the kind of conversation to have in front of such a picture-perfect night view.

Jin-yeop looked around at his surroundings, which he’d never properly taken in before, always too caught up in the shock of the moment, then fixed his gaze back on Jung-hoon.

It was nauseating.

This was his tenth regression.

He had struggled with every possible method, solely to prevent this divorce, but the end was always the same.

It was simply that Cha Jin-yeop loved Kang Jung-hoon and didn’t want to part ways like this.

Whenever he opened his eyes after regressing, it was always the day of his first blind date with Jung-hoon.

The two had met through a marriage agency that specialized in matching Guides and Espers, and after a smooth and short courtship, they had tied the knot.

But without fail, exactly on the first anniversary of their meeting, the divorce papers appeared.

No matter what Cha Jin-yeop did, the result was always the same.

Jin-yeop picked up the papers lying between him and Jung-hoon with a strange expression, suddenly recalling the day he had first received a divorce demand from him.

That day, like today, was their wedding anniversary, and the two had been sitting facing each other in this very restaurant.

Back then, Jin-yeop had been quite excited.

Just being with Jung-hoon in a nice restaurant with good food and a wonderful atmosphere was enough to make his eyes well up with tears.

After the wedding, Jung-hoon’s attitude had turned cold at some point, without any clear reason or incident.

The sweet dream of the honeymoon period was nothing but an illusion; every day was like walking on thin ice.

A continuous state of anxiety and nervousness had worn his nerves down to nothing.

So, this unexpected event in the midst of it all was more than enough to make Jin-yeop excited.

Thinking, ‘Finally, we’re going to put an end to this inexplicable cold war,’ Jin-yeop had felt relieved.

But it was then that Kang Jung-hoon handed him the divorce papers.

Without a clear reason or even a plausible excuse, he just spouted incomprehensible words.

“I guess marriage just isn’t for me.

We should have just remained partners.”

As he calmly announced their separation, Jung-hoo raised his wine glass.

With the same expression, the same tone, the same voice as the day he first handed Jin-yeop the divorce papers, he spoke the same words.

“You’re always like this.”

“Always?”

“You’d think you could at least come up with a plausible excuse just once.”

Jung-hoon, having taken a sip of wine, furrowed his brow, one eyebrow quirking up.

Behind his expression of bewilderment, displeasure was spreading.

But at this moment, the one who was unbearably displeased was Jin-yeop.

He had regressed ten times just to prevent a single divorce.

During that time, Jin-yeop had tried clinging to Jung-hoon, tried crying, tried changing his entire personality, attitude, and even his tastes.

He had lived his life solely to become a person who would appeal to Kang Jung-hoon.

It had been a full eleven years.

The one year of life before the first regression, plus the ten regressions added to it.

For Kang Jung-hoon, it was merely the period put on seven months of married life, but for Cha Jin-yeop, it wasn’t.

Jin-yeop had never once won against Jung-hoon.

Not in matters of the heart, or anything else.

Jung-hoon had said he liked Jin-yeop because he was kind.

With the pathetic words that he was so kind, almost foolishly so, that he wanted to stay by his side and protect him, he had wormed his way into Jin-yeop’s heart.

But the reason Jung-hoon gave for loving Jin-yeop deteriorated day by day.

“Kind” turned into a question of “Are you an idiot?” and “Are you an idiot?” eventually turned into the sneer, “Are you a pushover?”

Once, he had told Jin-yeop in a cold, heartless voice that watching him was suffocating enough to make him want to die.

That was less than six months into their marriage.

Jin-yeop was well aware that he himself had an indecisive and frustrating personality.

He’d often been told that he was too kind for his own good.

But this was the person who had said he liked that.

That he liked how docile and obedient Jin-yeop was…

Now, finally understanding the true meaning of those words, Jin-yeop’s hands began to tremble.

Kang Jung-hoon must have expected Jin-yeop to docilely accept the divorce, just as he always had.

He himself was indeed a pushover.

It was only after repeating his life this tediously that he accepted this undeniable truth.

A past life so absurd it wasn’t even laughable.

An idiot who had deliberately, deliberately taken the long way around a path that was close and simple.

Self-mockery felt almost too good for him.

Jung-hoon, holding the papers, stared blankly at Jin-yeop, who remained silent, then let out a small sigh.

He put down his wine glass and began cutting his steak with a knife.

‘He’ll just whine pathetically like an idiot.’

Jung-hoon coldly observed Jin-yeop’s figure.

Just as he finished that brief, heartless observation and looked away, a tearing sound made him startle and lift his head.

“What do you think you’re doing now?”

At the unexpected sight, Jung-hoon’s pupils dilated.

Jin-yeop, meeting Jung-hoon’s gaze directly, was mercilessly tearing the papers to shreds with a chilling expression.

And it didn’t end there.

Before Jung-hoon could even stop him, Jin-yeop shot up, grabbed the torn paper tightly in one hand, and scattered it like throwing it onto Jung-hoon’s steak plate.

“Cha Jin-yeop!”

The shreds of paper, scattered over the steak like cheese powder, became damp and soaked with sauce and oil.

Overwhelmed by anger surging alongside his bewilderment, Jung-hoon couldn’t hold back and shouted his name.

But Jin-yeop, unfazed by the furious voice, slammed both hands on the table with a bang and glared at Jung-hoon.

“Divorce?”

“……”

“What have you ever done right that you dare demand a divorce from me, you crazy bastard?”

“What?”

“Hey, are you even human?

This is absolutely insane.

Someone’s spaced out after getting divorce papers, and you’re cutting your steak in front of them?

Does the food just slide right down your throat?”

Jin-yeop had never once raised his voice while living with Jung-hoon.

But today was different.

Faced with such brazen behavior, he felt he wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink if he didn’t hurl every insult he could.

He unleashed the fury boiling up from his core without restraint.

Once he decided to do it, he saw nothing else.

Fool, pushover, idiot, stupid moron!

His internal self-flagellation was over now.

“You must have been longing for this divorce so much that you called me to such a nice restaurant, huh?

How is it?

Feel like you’re flying with joy?

You were planning to enjoy this using that feeling as a side dish.

So I seasoned it for you.

Since it’s a side dish you brought, eat it up along with it.”

“…Keep your voice down.

Everyone is staring.”

Just as Jung-hoon said, all eyes were drawn to Jin-yeop’s bizarre behavior.

The sudden commotion in the nice, atmospheric restaurant was enough of a spectacle.

Jung-hoon bowed his head as if trying to hide his face, but it was already too late.

Honestly, Jung-hoon was now beyond surprise and anger, deep into sheer absurdity.

This was the first time he had ever seen Jin-yeop like this.

The same went for Jin-yeop.

He had never once been so consumed with rage and shouted at him like this.

Throughout his repeated married lives, he had acted out various personas, but never like this.

He had been obedient, answering “Yes, yes,” he had smiled brightly and pretended to be optimistic for no reason, and sometimes he had presented himself as calm and intellectual.

But he had never once been this aggressive.

It was only natural.

There was no way Kang Jung-hoon would want to see that side of him.

But after repeating that charade multiple times, he realized it was all futile.

No matter what he did, he loved him, and no matter what he did, Jung-hoon ultimately demanded a divorce.

That was the important part.

In the end, what Kang Jung-hoon wanted was the divorce itself.

So, he decided to stop all that nonsense now.

He wouldn’t choose that crazy option anymore, committing suicide at the same time as the divorce just to trigger another regression.

‘Who the hell is Kang Jung-hoon?

What is this f*cking bastard to me, anyway?’

Jin-yeop’s eyes, muttering inwardly while grinding his teeth, blazed with rage.

In the chaotic, repeated lives, Cha Jin-yeop had been utterly broken.

Rather than forcing a smile until his face muscles ached, or pretending to be calm again, it was better to put an end to this shitty marriage himself.

Leaving Jung-hoon, who had so calmly demanded a divorce but was now silent with his head bowed as if embarrassed to show his face, Jin-yeop took a brown envelope from his bag and hurled it at his head.

“You sign it.

You sign it, and you file it with the court.”

“……”

“I’m the one divorcing you, not the other way around.

Got it?

How dare you act so cocky and demand a divorce from me?

Do I look like a pushover to you?”

Living with an inherently kind nature had its limits, especially after being reborn multiple times.

Besides, anyone would go crazy repeating the same life, ending it so miserably over and over.

“Have you lost your mind?”

Jung-hoon grabbed the envelope that had fallen on his head and looked up at Jin-yeop.

His gaze was quite sharp, but Jin-yeop just snorted.

What, did he think that if he looked at him like that, Jin-yeop would apologize, trembling, saying he was sorry, that he’d lost his mind for a moment?

Not a chance in hell.

“Lost my mind?

Isn’t it obvious?

How could anyone not lose their mind living with a bastard like you?

Go outside and ask anyone you meet.

I was crazy to live putting up with a bastard like you.”

“……”

“Listen carefully.

I’m going to make sure this stupid stunt you pulled today becomes the biggest regret of your life.

Be prepared.”

Jin-yeop spat coldly at Jung-hoon, then snatched the wine bottle from the table and started drinking from it directly.

The harsh, bitter liquor poured down his throat into his empty stomach.

At the same time, the murmur of voices reached him like background music, but Jin-yeop paid no attention.

Let them gossip if they wanted.

No, actually, it was better if they did.

At least he wouldn’t have to see Kang Jung-hoon’s face anymore—the man who never came home but pretended to be so family-oriented on social media.

Jin-yeop and Jung-hoon’s marriage was what all sorts of media had hyped as a fated meeting.

A high matching rate of 70%, Kang Jung-hoon successfully crafting a perfect image as a devoted husband.

And himself, playing along as if that pretentious behavior was real.

Jin-yeop roughly put down the bottle, now more than half empty, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and spoke.

“File that the moment the sun comes up.

If you don’t, I swear, I’ll smash your head in with this wine bottle.”

“……”

“If you understand, answer me.

Is your mouth just for decoration?”

“Honestly, so frustrating, f*ck.”

Jin-yeop threw the word “frustrating,” which Jung-hoon had always used on him, right back at him, picked up his bag, and strode out of the restaurant.

After receiving the divorce papers for the eleventh time, finally, it was a divorce.