Passion Novel - Chapter 81

It wasn’t completely silent. The sixth floor was much more crowded than the first floor, where the instructors lived. Compared to being in his uncle’s or Ilay’s room, it was quite bustling now.

However, it was definitely quieter than usual. That was because half the people had left. The night before last, after the lottery, half of the members left the island yesterday morning. They were probably waiting in Canberra to enter the Australian branch now.

“Yeah, I guess it’s because there are half the usual number of people.”

Jeong Taeui nodded and replied. Perhaps it was even more so because guys like Alta, who were notoriously loud, had all gone to Australia. Poor Alta. He had been relishing his grudge over the bamboo pillow so much.

“Now that I think about it,” Ilay suddenly began, as if something just occurred to him. When Jeong Taeui looked back at him curiously, he was pointing at the desk calendar.

“Wasn’t your birthday a few days ago?”

“Huh? Oh…—”

He had forgotten. Only after hearing that did Jeong Taeui realize his birthday had passed recently. A few days ago… now that he thought about it, he had spent his entire birthday this year lying in bed. It was the day after that damn bastard had done him in.

Jeong Taeui, checking the date on the calendar, felt uneasy. Another surge of resentment welled up, but since he couldn’t keep digging up the same old story, he just let out a displeased groan and shut his mouth.

“So, did you hear anything?”

Whether he knew about Jeong Taeui’s resentment or not, Ilay suddenly said something baffling. Jeong Taeui looked at him bewilderedly and tilted his head.

“Hear anything? About what…? Oh, oh, right. Yes, thank you. I did hear from them. The suit should be ready next week. I refused when the shop manager offered to deliver it personally. I told him I’d pick it up later. After all, outsiders can’t come here anyway.”

He added, “It’s a burden if they bring it themselves, unlike a regular delivery,” but this time, Ilay frowned, looking bewildered. Then, as if understanding what Jeong Taeui was talking about, he mumbled, “Ah,” but his furrowed brows remained.

“No, not about the suit,” he muttered like a sigh, rubbing his wrinkled forehead with a pale hand. “I mean a call, a call, from Jeong Jaei. You said you usually contact each other around your birthdays.”

“Jaeui hyung? No, I haven’t heard from him.”

Jeong Taeui shrugged and shook his head. Now that he thought about it, that was true. There had been no contact. While they hadn’t explicitly promised to call on their birthdays, it had been an unspoken agreement that they would always seek each other out on such days. Even if they forgot on the day itself, they would usually contact each other within a few days around it. It was like that when they lived together, and it was like that when they lived apart for school or work.

“I wonder if he won’t contact me this year… Hearing that makes me miss him. I wonder where he is now.”

Jeong Taeui mumbled, looking up at the ceiling. It would be nice if he could contact him first, but he had no way of knowing where he was. He could only wait for contact.

Jeong Taeui, who had been blankly thinking of his twin brother, suddenly felt a gaze and subtly shifted his eyes. Ilay was staring at him intently from beside him, with eyes that were inexplicably heavy.

“…”

Ah, he thought. He had no particular basis for it, but he realized it. Ilay was slightly disappointed right now. Probably about the fact that there had been no contact from Jeong Jaeui. He didn’t know if it was simple curiosity or another reason, but he had been waiting for news from Jeong Jaeui.

When Jeong Taeui stared at him, Ilay slightly raised an eyebrow. He probably realized it too—that Jeong Taeui had discerned his true feelings.

Perhaps a little embarrassed, he rubbed his chin and clicked his tongue. Jeong Taeui straightened his body, which had been leaning back loosely against the chair, and asked, “Did you have something you needed from Jae-yi hyung?”

Ilay was silent for a moment, then answered briefly, as if reluctantly. “To be precise, someone I know does.”

“Aha.”

Jeong Taeui nodded. Indeed, it seemed that people looking for Jeong Jaeui were scattered everywhere. If even this man, who rarely showed interest in other people’s affairs, was interested in Jeong Jaeui’s whereabouts, there was no telling about others. Nine times out of ten, every line of communication, whether phone or computer, that reached Jeong Taeui was probably being monitored.

Jeong Taeui sighed.

What? So that’s why he’s been loitering around for the past few days? No wonder he’s been appearing so often, unlike him.

After Ilay had fully recovered and Jeong Taeui had fallen ill in his place, Ilay would look into Jeong Taeui’s room two or three times a day. When he was groaning and lying in bed, he would poke his head in as if checking his condition, then leave. Even when Jeong Taeui was well enough to move around and fulfill his duties as a adjutant, Ilay would come to Jeong Taeui’s room every night without reason, babble nonsense, and then leave.

So, inwardly, he had been trying to soothe his resentment, thinking, Perhaps this guy is actually sorry, even if he doesn’t show it outwardly.

But this was the conclusion.

Jeong Taeui sighed, “Hmm.” He was too lazy to argue, and he didn’t expect much from this guy’s character anyway. There was no need to get angry again. Though it would be a lie to say his mood hadn’t soured a bit.

“No contact… You were checking everything anyway, weren’t you?”

Jeong Taeui indicated the phone with his chin and sighed. Ilay looked at Jeong Taeui for a moment, then gave up on beating around the bush and smiled as usual.

“Because they’re such peculiar twins, I thought maybe they could contact each other through some unscientific method.”

“Well, if something like that exists, I’d like to learn it too. It seems like it would be very useful for exams or job interviews.”

He mumbled, thinking that if he could communicate with Jeong Jaeui through unscientific means, he wouldn’t fear anything in this world.

Jeong Taeui abruptly got up from the bed. He was craving beer. He felt like he should go to his uncle’s room and steal a few cans. If he rummaged around well, he might even find soju. He wasn’t particularly fond of soju, but sometimes it was decent when he felt a bit annoyed.

“So, if you contact my brother, what do you want to say? Ask him to make weapons? I heard he doesn’t make them after leaving UNHRDO.”

His uncle had gone to Australia, so his room would naturally be locked, but Jeong Taeui had a key in his drawer that he’d received directly from his uncle. Jingling the keychain in his hand, Jeong Taeui turned to Ilay and he advised him with good intentions.

“Jaeui hyung, once he says he won’t do something, he won’t. He’s a man of few words and a gentle personality, so sometimes people underestimate him and try to persuade him against his will, but there hasn’t been a single successful case. He’s not someone who can be threatened either.”

Adding, “Is it even possible to properly threaten that lucky person?” Jeong Taeui made to leave the room. However, Ilay, who should have shown signs of leaving with him in response to that hint, remained seated in his chair, unmoving, and gazed intently at Jeong Taeui.

“…I’m thinking of going to Uncle’s room for a bit. Are you going to stay here?”

“…No. I’ll get up too.”

When Jeong Taeui spoke, Ilay readily stood up and followed him. Right, this guy’s room was right next to Uncle’s, Jeong Taeui thought, heading towards the elevator. While walking with Ilay about half a step behind him, they occasionally ran into colleagues. Jeong Taeui also bore the full brunt of his colleagues’ hostile gazes the moment they saw Ilay, and even though it was something he was accustomed to by now, he sighed.

Jeong Taeui only managed to escape those grim gazes once the elevator doors closed. He muttered to himself, “But if you think about it, if there’s a monster-like bastard on the enemy’s side, you should fear and hate them, but if they’re on our side, shouldn’t we gladly welcome them? Our combat strength increases, after all.”

“That depends on the monster’s track record. But who is this monster, exactly?” Ilay gently asked back, standing beside Jeong Taeui. Jeong Taeui hesitated, then kept quiet. Indeed, a guy who had wielded weapons—and that monster-like guy’s bare hands were also weapons—countless times against his colleagues wouldn’t exactly be seen favorably even if he joined their side.

Moreover, recalling his memories, even when this guy was in the European branch, the European branch members didn’t trust, follow, or respect him. A fleeting, unfortunate feeling brushed past him. It was a sadness he couldn’t speak to anyone about.

Life was an intricate weave of countless people, threads intertwining one by one, yet this man seemed to stand alone, detached. He, being alone, didn’t know what it meant to be unfortunate. He didn’t know that emptiness. He was a man who had never known such emotions from the start. Perhaps that indifferent heart, which scoffed at such sentiments, was actually a blessing for him. If he hadn’t known it until now, wishing for him to never know it going forward was what was best for him. That was bitter and regretful, though if he told this man, he would just laugh.

“If you’re suddenly stabbed in some dirty alley and collapse, and no one comes to save you and you just die there, I’ll be the only one to mourn you.”

Just before the elevator stopped at the first basement floor, Jeong Taeui muttered. At his blunt voice, which was hard to distinguish between comfort and mockery, Ilay made an incredibly strange face. He stared at Jeong Taeui as if dumbfounded, then let out a “Ha!” He didn’t get angry, unexpectedly. Instead, he laughed aloud as if he’d heard something amusing, merely saying, “I appreciate that.” Seeing him say such things so nonchalantly, Jeong Taeui thought, Perhaps I’ve become quite bold, or maybe prickly, after coming to this place and being knocked around. Maybe it’s a good change, in its own way, and waited for the elevator doors to open.

Jeong Taeui, stepping out as the doors opened, paused. Someone was standing in front of the elevator. While it might be understandable on the sixth basement floor, which had a lot of people, such a situation was rare on the first basement floor, where few people lived.

Rudolph Gentil, the person standing there, also raised an eyebrow briefly, surprised by the unexpected encounter, but then he calmly smiled after confirming Jeong Taeui’s and Ilay’s faces.

“You two will have your work cut out for you starting tonight.”

To his customary greeting, Ilay also gave a customary reply.

“It’s nothing to worry about. It’s only natural to ensure things conclude without a hitch.”

Jeong Taeui, who couldn’t—and didn’t intend to—exchange words with them given his status as a adjutant, silently listened to their rote conversation. As he did, he was greatly surprised. That man can actually speak such polite and formal phrases. Perhaps he even pretends to be a normal person when he goes to a company or other places.

Rudolph, after a brief exchange with Ilay, turned his gaze to Jeong Taeui. His eyes narrowed slightly.

“Have you gotten used to life here? You must miss your family, not being able to see them often.”

“Ah… well, we weren’t that close anyway. Thank you for your concern.”

Jeong Taeui replied, recalling his only remaining family. There truly were many people, both here and there, who subtly asked about his brother. Rudolph smiled, saying, “Is that so?”, then ended the conversation appropriately and moved on. Politely seeing him off, they remained silent for a moment even after Rudolph disappeared into the elevator.

“Is it some kind of event week, or something? I don’t know why so many people are looking for my brother these days,” Jeong Taeui grumbled, and Ilay laughed.

“It’s not just these days; it’s always been like that. You just didn’t know. And now that his whereabouts are unknown, it’s probably even more so.”

“Hmm… If there’s any news about my brother, Uncle would surely report it.”

Jeong Taeui tapped the elevator door with his fingertip and turned around. Gentil, his uncle’s superior, was still an inscrutable person. Jeong Taeui didn’t need to know him, but he wasn’t particularly fond of him. Mumbling about getting a few cans of beer, he headed to his uncle’s room, while Ilay, walking beside him with a subtle smile, muttered almost inaudibly.

“Instructor Jeong Changin doesn’t particularly like Gentil.”

Jeong Taeui slowed his steps slightly. He glanced at Ilay, but Ilay wasn’t looking at him. Ilay walked calmly, looking ahead, then met his gaze briefly, chuckled, and lightly waved his hand.

“Just kidding.”

“…”

Jeong Taeui shrugged, meaning it didn’t matter. This kind of talk never led to a good outcome if one thought too deeply about its hidden meaning. It was like that in school, and it was like that in the military.

Well, how many subordinates actually like their superiors? Jeong Taeui decided to take it easy.

Soon, they arrived at his uncle’s room. Ilay’s room was a bit further down the corridor. Jeong Taeui, who was opening his uncle’s door with a key, suddenly realized Ilay had stopped beside him and turned around.

“…Why?”

Although he had unlocked the door, he hesitated to let someone casually into a room that wasn’t his, so Jeong Taeui asked, still holding the doorknob. It meant both, “Is there something else you need?” and “I can’t let you into this room.”

Ilay suddenly smiled faintly, then stretched out his arm and placed his hand on the wall a little distance from Jeong Taeui’s face. Half-trapped between the wall and Ilay, Jeong Taeui frowned slightly. What is he trying to do now?

“It seems you’re well again now.” Ilay whispered, drawing out the end of his sentence subtly. Jeong Taeui glared at him with narrowed eyes.

“It seems you don’t like it that I’m able to walk around properly and finish my duties without a hitch.”

As he spoke with great displeasure, jingling the key, Ilay laughed.

“Starting tonight, you’ll be too busy dealing with the South American bastards for a while, so I was thinking we might as well loosen up a bit. Besides, if we keep too much distance, we’ll never get used to each other, will we?”

“I have no intention of getting used to you whatsoever,” Jeong Taeui said firmly. He felt like he was going to develop a trauma, something he hadn’t had despite living a rough and harsh life. It was so bad that last night, he’d seen sausages the size of his forearm in a dream and was terrified. Thinking of a few days ago when he’d been pale after seeing bloody stool in the bathroom, Jeong Taeui’s face hardened. I can’t possibly see that again, unless it’s like a game of hopscotch… he thought, then flinched on his own accord and shook his head, glaring at the awkwardly smiling Ilay with wary eyes.

“Jeong Taeui. I don’t know if you realize this yourself, but… I never thought your body, which doesn’t seem particularly alluring or gently attractive, would be such an exquisite instrument.”

Jeong Taeui frowned and tilted his head. For a moment, he had to rack his brain to understand what he had just heard.

“What…”

“You suck so tenaciously, I thought I was going to be devoured. And you were like that even while crying that it hurt so much. What kind of thing will you become once you get used to it? Just thinking about it makes me ache… Whoa there.”