Chapter 31: Even a Kid’s Booger Would Be Precious

Imagining Jung-hoon digging his own grave in the middle of a fire pit, lying down in it, and closing the coffin lid himself, he couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“What’s so funny that you keep laughing?

Is this something to just leave alone for fun?”

Despite Director Im’s reproach, Jin-yeop continued speaking calmly.

“Anyway, any statement released before the artifact case goes public will be useless.

Rather, a statement implying ‘I’m also a victim’ will only fatigue people.”

“…”

“Right now, everyone is paying attention because the story between me and Kang Jung-hoon is interesting, but how long will that last?

No matter how entertaining, if you talk about it 365 days a year, people get sick of it.”

“That’s when it’s not a personal story.

A scandal like this, people can chew on all day and still find it interesting.”

At Director Im’s point, Jin-yeop nodded.

“You’re right.

It’s not the kind of story that will just die down on its own.”

It was a matter that could fester and lead to truly nasty rumors.

Staying the protagonist of such gossip wasn’t good for him mentally either.

“Besides, people keep demanding an explanation.

You have fans, you know.

Don’t think just because you’re okay with it, the people who support you will be okay too.”

“…”

“The world wants its heroes to be innocent.

As long as you exist in this world as an Esper, that’s who you have to be.”

“Exactly.”

“…”

“Me just claiming innocence here without clear and definite evidence is nothing more than asking others to fight on my behalf.”

Saying this, Jin-yeop adjusted his posture, held up three fingers.

“There are three things total that I need to prepare proper evidence for.

I can’t show any weakness in any of them.”

The biggest problem was that people didn’t know he was a regressor.

Ten regressions, and now this eleventh life.

If only he could lay out all the emotions he had accumulated and buried over that long time in detail, everyone would understand, the divorce would be justified, and the guilty party would be Kang Jung-hoon.

But he couldn’t do that.

The only thing Jin-yeop could clearly prove right now was the artifact incident.

The rest was just endless emotional squabbling.

Jung-hoon hadn’t cheated on him, hadn’t gambled or done drugs.

There hadn’t even been violent, intense marital fights, so that said it all.

‘We couldn’t have had fights anyway.

Not that it would happen, but frankly, if we fought, I’d obviously win.’

Jin-yeop let out a small sigh and spoke.

“First is the money issue that Kang Jung-hoon first brought up.

The wedding and honeymoon costs were all covered by Gaee, and appliances and furniture besides the house were mostly sponsored, so setting that aside…”

“We need to examine who contributed more to actually running the household.”

“Yes.

It’s true that I didn’t do any financial activities during the marriage.

I only did housework.”

“So you were responsible for all domestic labor?

Was there any hired help…”

“No.

I did everything myself.”

At Jin-yeop’s answer, Chang-gyun looked somewhat surprised, then quickly erased the expression.

“How did you manage assets with Kang Jung-hoon-ssi?”

“There wasn’t really any management.

His money was his, mine was mine.”

“What about living expenses?”

“Jung-hoon covered the basic living expenses.

However…”

“However?”

As Director Im urged him to answer quickly, Jin-yeop narrowed his brow and replied.

“I often bought him luxury items like shoes, clothes, accessories.”

“How much are we talking about?”

“Enough to buy a house easily.”

At that, Director Im leaned back on the sofa and let out a hollow laugh.

Then he suddenly picked up his water glass, gulped it down, and looked at Jin-yeop.

“Where, where are we talking about!

Seoul, or the countryside?”

“Not enough to match Seoul house prices, but it wasn’t a particularly large amount for me either.”

“Hey, even a kid’s booger would be precious to that bastard!”

Watching Director Im huff and puff, Jin-yeop couldn’t help but laugh.

The more he laughed inappropriately, the angrier Director Im got, but he couldn’t suppress it.

“Housework by a full-time homemaker is recognized as contributing to the maintenance of marital property.

Even if Jung-hoon-ssi covered general living expenses, given the scale of the gifts you mentioned, frankly…”

“…”

“Assuming everything you’ve said is true, I’m not sure what Kang Jung-hoon-ssi is thinking.”

“What’s he thinking?

He’s banking on our Jin-yeop’s pushover nature.”

It was spot on, so there was nothing to say.

Jin-yeop just scratched his head and moved on to another point.

“Second is the dungeon raiding part.

Kang Jung-hoon subtly implied he wanted me to stay at home… so I stayed home, but I don’t have any evidence to prove that.”

“…”

“Regardless of whether my doing all the housework without hired help is acknowledged or not, someone might see it as intentional.”

“You’re saying they could interpret it as you just wanting to laze around at home?”

“Yes.”

This time, instead of raging, Director Im strangely pressed his lips together and groaned.

Even though it was said in jest, his own comment about Jin-yeop just lazing around pricked his conscience.

“Couldn’t we say that Kang Jung-hoon’s side had suggested hiring help for housework?

We’ve never had any in-depth conversation about this.”

“I see.

And the third is the artifact?”

“Yes.”

“The second point will only have both sides’ claims, so that needs more careful examination.”

Chang-gyun pondered Jin-yeop’s words for a moment, then cautiously spoke.

“Besides the reasons for marital breakdown that Kang Jung-hoon-ssi claims, what made you decide on divorce, Cha Jin-yeop-ssi?”

He was asking if there was anything else to claim besides refuting the other side’s arguments.

Jin-yeop thought for a moment and answered.

“There are a few things if we get more personal, but I’d rather not talk about them in detail.”

“You don’t need to announce them.

You can just argue them in court.”

“I could argue that he was neglectful of the family.

For example, aspects like the marital relationship.”

When Jin-yeop brought this up, a strange silence fell.

But Jin-yeop showed no particular reaction to the two men pressing their lips shut.

“I’m an Esper and he’s a Guide, so I think it can be understood in terms of guiding.

There was almost no physical contact, let alone a marital relationship.

We started sleeping separately about three months after the wedding.”

“…”

“Since we weren’t raiding dungeons, I didn’t need intensive guiding, but due to the nature of my abilities, it would have been right to receive guiding periodically.”

As he pronounced the words ‘periodic guiding,’ Jin-yeop strangely thought of Eun-ru.

Because it felt odd to be saying the exact words Eun-ru had used on the day they first met.

“Do you think that also affected your not raiding dungeons?”

“Absolutely.

Kang Jung-hoon is not someone who likes dungeon raiding to begin with.

You can tell just by seeing how he focuses only on broadcast work.”

He had been an actor even before awakening as a Guide, so that could be considered natural, but once Jin-yeop became his spouse, the situation changed.

Kang Jung-hoon must have realized that the moment he married Cha Jin-yeop, dungeon raiding might become necessary, so he should have accepted that to some extent.

“Even if not in detail, to clearly establish fault, it would be good to include a softened version related to guiding in the statement.”

At Chang-gyun’s words, Jin-yeop nodded in understanding, but Director Im’s eyes widened as if to ask what he was talking about.

“If he doesn’t want to, why would you put that in the statement?

Forget it, don’t do it.

Just say you stayed home because you wanted to laze around.”

“Director Im.”

Jin-yeop looked at him in disbelief, and Director Im got even more heated.

“Hey, winning against people is important, but to me, the pride of my agency’s Esper is more important!”

“…”

“Guides who want to guide you are a dime a dozen.

How dare a mere B-class Guide reject Cha Jin-yeop?

And a married couple at that.”

“I never specifically requested it.

As if I was rejected…”

“Whether you requested it or not, that’s not the point.

Are you going to put such an addendum in your statement?

That you didn’t really want it either?”

Pressed by Director Im, Jin-yeop fell silent.

He couldn’t say that.

That would truly be too personal.

“People only believe what they see.

If you tell that story, public opinion might sympathize with you, thinking you’re pitiful.

But why do you even need that?”

“…”

“Be arrogant and prickly.

I think I finally understand why you’re acting this way, so don’t say anything until we go to court.”

Just earlier he had been complaining about not releasing a statement, and now he was raging that they didn’t need to release any statement at all.

“Director Im, you’re reacting that way because you’ve heard my whole story…”

“No, I agree.

That was me speaking as a lawyer, but let me speak now as just Im Chang-gyun the person.”

“…”

“You don’t need to say that crap.

My cousin is a hundred percent right.”