Passion Novel - Chapter 91

Unfortunately, the next room was the innermost room on this corridor, and the room across was empty, so Jeong Taeui was the closest person to the man. Jeong Taeui, unable to bear it any longer, took a few spoonfuls of rice when lunch was served and curtly told him to stop talking because he was going to eat and sleep. The man in the next room then seemed to quiet down a bit. He sighed and fell into silence, but not long after, the man in the next room suddenly spoke again. Asking if he was asleep.

Jeong Taeui didn’t answer. He wasn’t in the mood to answer. The man fell silent again. He thought it was fortunate.

The man spoke a few more times until dinner was served, but Jeong Taeui remained silent. He didn’t feel like eating dinner either. While he’d at least pretended to take a few spoonfuls at lunch, he didn’t even touch the tray at dinner. In the early morning, even before the workday began, Ilay immediately put Jeong Taeui into Eoryeong. He didn’t even give Jeong Taeui a chance to say anything. Only just before Jeong Taeui entered the door of Eoryeong on the seventh basement floor did he smile faintly and say one thing: to rest comfortably until he came to pick him up.

He told him to rest comfortably. To rest comfortably.

“Rest comfortably, my ass… That damn bastard.”

Jeong Taeui mumbled lowly.

If one were to rest, this place was certainly good for resting. One could escape the bustling world and catch their breath. If he had been put here just a day earlier, Jeong Taeui might have even smiled and said thank you.

“Oh. You’re awake?”

No sooner had he mumbled to himself than a voice came from the next room. Damn it. Jeong Taeui closed his mouth again.

“You sleep well, don’t you? You’ve been sleeping since lunchtime, right? You must have been incredibly tired. But it seems you also came here carrying a grudge, didn’t you? Who is that damned bastard?”

The man asked with a cheerful laugh. Jeong Taeui wondered whether to ignore him but sighed and answered, “There is. Someone who doesn’t see people as people.”

“Aha. That’s a real damn bastard. I know one among the guys I know who’s like that. Someone who thinks he’s so great he just crushes everyone else. …No, I don’t even need to go far.”

Suddenly, the man’s voice turned chilling. His words continued with a tone filled with festering resentment.

“That’s exactly why I ended up here. A guy who doesn’t see people as people. A butcher-like guy who can beat a human to death with his bare hands. A crazy murderer who smiles while covered in people’s blood!”

“…” Jeong Taeui closed his mouth. Jeong Taeui also knew someone just like the man had described. It would be despairing if there were two such people in the world.

“Well then… he must be someone you shouldn’t associate with. By the way, how did you say you ended up here?”

When Jeong Taeui subtly asked, the man’s voice suddenly cut off. After a moment, he gnashed his teeth and muttered in a dejected and resentful tone.

“That madman killed my colleague. So I got a pretty big revolver and shot him with it…”

“Hmm…” Jeong Taeui answered ambiguously and fell silent. Jeong Taeui thought he knew who this man was, born in Kuala Lumpur, graduated from university in Shanghai, and the third older brother of the beautiful Leching.

“Some idiotic new recruit who didn’t know his place got involved and I failed! Damn it. That empty-headed brat who ran around with an empty gun, if I ever get out of here, I’ll find him and twist his neck!”

“Mmm…”

So, that madman from back then was this guy. That madman who stormed into a crowded restaurant with a .50 caliber revolver and started firing indiscriminately. He recalled mumbling that if he ever met that bastard alive later, he’d have to give him a beating. Jeong Taeui glanced over. Nothing could be seen in the pitch-black darkness, but he stared blankly in the direction the voice was coming from. Jeong Taeui changed his mind. It was fortunate he wasn’t in the same room as this guy. If he had been in the same room, he wouldn’t have just shoved a towel down his throat; he would have strangled him with it. Then he would have been in trouble for murder.

But wasn’t it true? Depending on how one thought about it, all the current misfortunes Jeong Taeui was experiencing could be attributed to that man. If that damned guy wanted revenge, he should have waited until he was alone and attacked him, instead of randomly barging into a restaurant, causing Jeong Taeui to get inadvertently caught up in it—he regretted getting involved then—and becoming marked by that madman murderer, whom he should have never met, never exchanged a word with, and fled from even if he just entered his sight from a hundred miles away.

He couldn’t say it was entirely true, but Jeong Taeui thought about 90% of it was that damned guy’s fault.

For a moment, resentful anger surged like wildfire. If he had been next to him, he probably wouldn’t have actually killed him, but he might have choked him until he was on the verge of unconsciousness.

However, thinking that, Jeong Taeui sighed. People say that if you’re unlucky, you’ll break your nose even if you fall backward, so how could it all be that man’s fault?

Perhaps all the misfortune had been foretold from the moment he entered this place. Or it could have been even earlier.

Jeong Taeui habitually rubbed his pinky finger in the darkness. And he dropped his gaze, as if trying to find something invisible. A red thread was originally tied there. He had never seen or felt it, but a red thread connecting Jeong Taeui and his twin brother was tied there. His brother had said so, so it must be true.

Even after hearing that, he still couldn’t see any red thread. Perhaps it had been cut. Before his brother left home, he had snipped at the empty space where the thread would be between his fingers.

“Thinking about it, it seems my luck has been bad ever since that thread was cut…”

Jeong Taeui mumbled to himself.

In fact, the giver of good fortune must have been his brother. By sharing his luck with Jeong Taeui, his brother had brought him blessings so that he wouldn’t encounter misfortune. And what if the thread connecting him and his brother was cut, and he could no longer receive his good fortune?

“That makes more sense. It’s logical too.”

Someone as lucky as his brother was fit to be a giver of good fortune. Doesn’t it make sense to think of someone who is overflowing with luck and even shares that luck with those around them?

“That red thread was actually my luck… Ah, I really need to meet Hyung soon and tie it again.”

He thought he was mumbling quietly, but it seemed his voice was loud enough to be heard in the next room. The man, who had been cursing that madman by himself while Jeong Taeui wasn’t listening, suddenly asked, having heard Jeong Taeui’s words,

“Did you part ways with your brother?”

“Ah… well, something similar. I don’t know where he is… or what he’s doing…”

Jeong Taeui mumbled like a sigh. He wanted to meet him. But he couldn’t. It had never been like this before. His brother was always reachable. Even if not, whenever he thought of him longingly, he could meet or talk to his brother not long after.

Yes. He missed him. Even more so now.

Perhaps his sigh reached him, as the man fell silent. He seemed to be lost in thought, quiet. Or perhaps he had fallen asleep. Jeong Taeui leaned his head against the wall, quietly breathing in the silence, when he heard the man’s low voice.

“You’ll be able to meet him. If he’s still alive. …Though the friend I want to meet most is dead.”

Jeong Taeui said nothing. The man said nothing either. The man who had been so talkative just moments ago was now lost in silence, thinking of the friend he could no longer meet. It felt somehow regrettable, and Jeong Taeui hesitated for a moment before saying something, then closed his mouth again. Now was the time for that man to be silent. Perhaps that friend was the colleague who died at Ilay’s hand? Or another friend? Jeong Taeui mourned for his unnamed friend.

And for him too.

For those who remain, there is a life left that was not given to those who went ahead. Life remains with a sense of loss. Jeong Taeui had seen that loss before. He silently looked at the darkness that covered his body. Then he mumbled bitterly,

“Still, I’m going to be angry, Uncle.”

A sigh melted into the darkness. He had thought all day.

He thought back, step by step, over the events from last night—no, much longer ago than that.

Only one plausible conclusion emerged. But it was a plausible conclusion that he didn’t want. So he thought again and again. The more he did, the darker his insides became. He was utterly exhausted.

Jeong Taeui gave up on trying to organize his thoughts and slowly tapped the wall a couple of times with his heavy head. His tired body sagged.

He wanted to get out of here. He wanted to meet his brother. He wanted to escape these complicated relationships. His desires floated chaotically.

Then it happened.

From a distance, he heard the sound of an iron door opening. Since it was already past evening, no one would be coming from outside. Perhaps an instructor making rounds? But when he heard the sound of shoes on the stone stairs, Jeong Taeui felt he knew who it was.

The presence drew closer and closer. The footsteps approaching had no hesitation, as if he could see clearly even in this darkness. I’m lost, unable to even clear up vague suspicions, yet that man doesn’t hesitate even in this pitch-black darkness. Jeong Taeui smiled bitterly.

“Taei.”

Even when the footsteps finally stopped and a familiar voice came from just a few steps away, Jeong Taeui didn’t raise his head. He merely stared silently at his feet.

Click, a faint sound, and light pouring down from above, happened almost simultaneously. The light wasn’t very bright, but to eyes that had been accustomed to darkness for a whole day, it was more dazzling than the sun.

Jeong Taeui flinched, frowning, and covered his eyes with his hand. He remained silent until his eyes adjusted to the light and he could slowly open them. The man in front of him also waited quietly.

“Did you rest well? I’ve come to pick you up.”

When Jeong Taeui opened his eyes, Ilay was there. Opening the cell door and waiting for Jeong Taeui to come out.

Jeong Taeui stared at him without moving for a moment. He seemed to have no intention of rushing him and waited patiently for Jeong Taeui.

“Hey, are you leaving already? Someone must have come to pick you up.”

Then, from the next room, the silence broke, and the man’s voice was heard. Ilay glanced over, only his eyes moving. But from his position, he wouldn’t have been able to see who was inside the adjacent cell. Likewise, the man couldn’t see Ilay’s appearance. The man didn’t know that the person so close to him was Ilay. The moment he realized that fact, a strange feeling came over him. A feeling difficult to explain.

That man had tried to kill Ilay. Without looking around, practically throwing his own life away, he had lunged at Ilay. Perhaps it was just a moment of fury or impetuosity, but at that moment, he clearly hated Ilay more than anyone in the world. Yet, he didn’t recognize Ilay. The footsteps, the presence, even the voice were clearly Ilay’s, but just because he couldn’t see him, he didn’t know.

“It’s too fast to leave in less than a day. Haha, see you outside!”

The man greeted cheerfully. Only after hearing that greeting did Jeong Taeui slowly stand up. And he walked out next to Ilay, who was holding the door open. Jeong Taeui didn’t tell the man they would meet again. He just said, “Take care until you get out.”

Behind him, the entrance to the seventh basement floor closed. Only a door less than half a span thick separated them, yet inside was pitch-black darkness, and outside, light poured in.

Jeong Taeui looked at the clock. It was almost 10 AM. Several hours after regular work hours had ended.

“I just finished the last meeting of the day ten minutes ago and came straight here.”

Ilay said from behind Jeong Taeui, who was looking at the clock. “Don’t be angry that I’m late; I came as fast as I could,” he added, his lips curving slightly.

Jeong Taeui briefly scanned his smile then turned his head. It was the smile he disliked most among all he had seen. The same smile he had seen at dawn. Jeong Taeui openly showed his displeasure and sighed.

“I end up in Eoryeong every joint training period.”

“Didn’t you like it? I thought spending the day there would be good for you today.”

Ilay raised an eyebrow slightly, speaking as if surprised. Jeong Taeui briefly looked up at the ceiling. As he said, spending the day in Eoryeong wasn’t bad today. In his uncomfortable physical state, there was no way he would have fared well participating in sparring, and he doubted he would have gotten through the day without incident with his current state of mind. For today, being buried in a dark place for the day was better than spending the day in his usual routine.

“Yes, it was better than living as usual. Even if I don’t think you put me in Eoryeong for my sake.”

When Jeong Taeui said this indifferently, Ilay chuckled.

Jeong Taeui headed towards the stairs not far from the entrance. Ilay, who seemed about to stop in front of the elevator next to it, followed Jeong Taeui a couple of steps below as he began to climb the stairs, and asked,

“Going by stairs? Isn’t it hard?”

“It’s hard. My migraine just started.”

Jeong Taeui answered curtly, not stopping his steps. His body was feeling better, at least. He hadn’t moved at all in Eoryeong all day, so now he had no discomfort.

However, his head had just started throbbing a while ago. It had always been like this. If he moved too much and his body became exhausted, or if he overworked his mind excessively, he would get a migraine. Migraines didn’t respond well to medicine either. The only solution was to sleep it off. Ilay followed Jeong Taeui climbing the stairs, gesturing backward with his head.

“There’s an elevator right there.”

“You want to take the elevator to go up one floor?”

“It’ll take longer waiting,” Jeong Taeui added, snorting. Ilay was silent for a moment.

“One floor. Are you going to your room?”

This time, Jeong Taeui was silent.

It was only then that they realized their intended destinations were different. Ilay’s obvious destination was his room on the first basement floor. And Jeong Taeui was headed to his own room, just one floor above. Jeong Taeui stopped, Ilay stopped behind him too.