prologue

He could make a choice.

It was not a choice given in a completely unfair state.
He knew very well what he would gain in return and what he would lose if he chose one of
the two options before him.
The result of that choice would greatly change his future life. Depending on that choice, he
may have to do something he doesn't want to do for a while, or a very long time. But also, I
was able to get my hands on a lot of things that most people who didn't have the opportunity
to make that choice would never even see in their lifetime. So he had to be careful.
The first time he had to make such a choice was when he was only seven years old.
However, no one could protect him because he was too young to make such important
decisions. The situation was neither unfair nor unfair. Have a choice with him
The other four or five children were also of the same age. The oldest of them was eight
years old, but the youngest had just turned five.
'how is it. Are you going to try it, or are you not going to do it?’
The soft voice of the man who gathered the children together and asked them that question
did not implicitly force them to make any choice. Everything was entirely in the hands of the
children themselves.
Each child seemed to be thinking deeply. Even though I was young, I vaguely felt how
important this choice was. They were given ample time to think.
Finally, the first child nodded cheerfully. The man nodded slowly. The second child also
nodded. The third child seemed to think a little more, but eventually nodded. The fourth child
hesitantly shook his head with a slight frown. Still, the man just nodded calmly with a gentle
face.
And finally, the man's gaze landed on him. He faced the man.
The man was an ‘elderly man.’ The man was the best and highest man he knew. His father,
his uncle, and other adults he knew all bowed their heads in front of the man.
I bowed down.
It was my first time seeing a man this close. He was someone who always felt like he was on
a cloud, so I never thought I could see him like this. I thought it was very scary and scary,
like a ghost, but the man's
The wrinkles around his eyes were soft when he smiled.
He was silent for a few more seconds. I wasn't worried about which choice to make. After
looking closely at those wrinkled eyes, he nodded.
The man nodded again and looked around at the children. And I asked everyone one more
time. Has anyone changed their mind? But no one answered, and the man nodded for the
last time. At the same time, an irreversible decision pressed heavily on my heart like a stamp
carved with a heavy piece of iron.
It was the first choice he was given, and he made his own decision.
That first choice was also the memory of his first mistake that he would later regret. It was
more than ten years after his first choice that he was given the opportunity to make a second
choice. This time he stood alone in front of the man.
He was not a seven-year-old child. More than ten years have not changed him, but they
have taught him a lot. Although no one specifically told him, he already knew that his first
choice was a mistake. More than ten years would have to pass before the results of his first
choice would come out, but as with many things, he was able to predict this with some
accuracy.
He should not have nodded when given the opportunity to make the first choice. But that
choice was already irreversible, and now he had to make a second choice based on that
mistake. And this time, there was no third choice.
‘Would you like to try it?’
The man with deeper wrinkles around his eyes asked him again in a soft voice. He also
stared into the man's eyes for a few seconds. Just like before, now
I didn't worry about it. The answer was already decided.
When he shook his head, the man looked at him for a moment and then calmly nodded. A
man in a suit was standing politely behind a man without much light, as if he had heard a
serious answer.
I just frowned for a moment.
He chose second and was satisfied with his choice. Even though I have the opportunity to
make a second choice, I have to bear the weight of having already made a mistake in my
first choice.
But it was still okay.
What choices will other people make?
My first child, who was a year older than me, made the second choice last year. I was told
that the child nodded at that choice. In another half year, the second child will have to make
a choice again, and after a year and more, the third child will also have to make a choice.
But he soon erased them from his mind. It has nothing to do with him now. As long as he
shook his head at the second choice, whatever they chose was probably fine. I felt light and
relaxed.
In this case, it would have been better if I had just shook my head from the beginning.
But it was useless to think about it now, and I didn't want to think about it, at least not during
these rare moments of relief.
Turning around, he laughed. Now he could step aside. Although it was somehow scary, he
also felt extremely light-hearted, and he laughed heartily.
However, the face that rarely smiled could not capture that unfamiliar expression, so the
mouth only slightly faltered. I tried to smile again, but this time I ended up frowning a little.
Even though I tried to laugh.

That was just a little disappointing. 1. fragile

Awareness always comes suddenly.
I don't know if this applies to others as well. But at least it was like that for Jeong Tae-ui.
When I think back on the past, I think it was mostly like that. An important realization does
not come about slowly, little by little, but always comes to me suddenly, as if a light turns on
in my head.
When I was still a teenager, I was hiding in the bathroom with my friends, giggling and
smoking cigarettes, and suddenly realized that I liked men. A few months ago, I was
watching the evening news with Kyle, and we talked about a few trivial things and said,
'Then. Even when you go to your room and suddenly realize that you will never have to
spend time like this with your original family anymore, or even when you suddenly think,
“Ah,” several times, those realizations are similar to what you were doing at the time. It came
suddenly, without any causal relationship to work, thoughts, or emotions.
The trivial daily life may accumulate and ripen to the extent that you are not even conscious
of it, and at some point, it may burst out like a balsam and you will realize it.
Jeong Tae-eui has been like that for most of the time he can remember. At one point, I
suddenly realized something. No reason, just.
It was the same thing recently when I was watching a classic movie at home.
As Jeong Tae-eui watched the boy tilting his head as he walked down a quiet, foreign alley
on the screen, he reached for the plate he had left next to him. As I was trying to pick up a
piece of fruit, my hand grazed. Illay, who was sitting on the other side of the plate, was also
looking at the screen and putting his hand on the plate.
The hands that passed each other casually picked up a piece of fruit and brought it to each
person's mouth, and that was all. The moment I swallowed that fruit, a thought occurred to
me.
I thought, this is where I should be.
It has no negative or positive meaning, just that.
Then I realized it. Maybe this was the most natural position from the beginning.
Later, after I came to my senses, I thought about that realization very painfully and fell into
depression for a while, but at the time, I thought it was a natural thing, good or bad.
It was like that.
Awareness would suddenly bring to mind things I had never even thought of before.
***
Yeah... it's something I've never even thought about before...
Jeong Tae-ui blinked and thought.
Faced with a situation he had never imagined before, he suddenly had such thoughts.
Awareness always comes suddenly...
Jeong Tae-eui opened his eyes and saw a face right in front of him, right above his head. For
a moment, he thought something about that. For a few seconds, I couldn't recognize that
face.
Of course, I knew whose face it was. It is a face that you can never forget or be confused
about once you see it. There can't be two living sculptures like that.
“It’s strange… Why is Kristoff’s face like that…”
It was a very similar carved statue, I thought, but its eyelids were blinking and moving from
time to time.
Based on common sense and past experience, there was no way Kristoff could be there.
This was Jeong Tae-eui's room - to be exact, the room given to Jeong Tae-eui inside the
west wing - and it was still early, less than seven o'clock. Unless he had other plans, the man
who always got out of bed only when the sun was high in the sky - and who suffered greatly
from low blood pressure despite waking up at such a late hour - couldn't have been there.
“Have I woken up yet?”
Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head on the pillow and looked intently at his face. That face was also
silently looking down at Jeong Tae-ui. With a somewhat disapproving face.
Ah, now that I see it, it's a bit different from the face I know from Jeong Tae-ui. The facial
contour is different. The Kristoff that Jeong Tae-eui knew did not have such a swollen face. A
more sleek and smooth facial line is one of the characteristics of the sculpted face.
“They look very similar.”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered to himself and stretched out his arms.
The moment he stretched out his hand to feel the face that was standing next to his bed
looking down at him, the face turned into an unpleasant expression and he stepped back.
“You’re talking about taking care of someone else’s house all this time. Wake up, you lazy
bastard.”
When that sculptural face spoke coldly, it was only then that Jeong Tae-ui realized.
Suddenly, out of the blue.
It's real.
When I realized that fact, I suddenly woke up.

“What’s wrong with your face?”

Jeong Tae-eui jumped up from his seat. Then he took a step back, wondering if he might
touch his face.
Kristoff said sulkily, rubbing his face in displeasure.
“Why don’t you look at your face and say that.”
"uh? “My face…”
While answering blankly, I reflexively turned my gaze to the half-length mirror hanging on the
wall in front of the bed. In it, Jeongtae's own image was reflected along with Kristoff. Half of
the face was round and swollen.
"omg......."
Jeong Tae-eui, who was carefully rubbing his cheek, felt a throbbing pain from the torn
wound in his mouth, and only then did he recall a completely forgotten memory. Come to
think of it, I got hit yesterday. Harshly.
Jeong Tae-eui slowly looked at Kristoff. His face was so spectacular that it could not even be
described as static. It was very swollen.
“You put flesh on the piece.”
As soon as Jeong Tae-ui muttered, Kristoff's eyes widened. Jeong Tae-ui quickly shut his
mouth. Then he scratched his head and looked around the room again.
Although the face in the mirror looked a little different, the scene in the room was no different
from yesterday. It's the same routine as any other, except that this man is standing in this
room at this time.
That one difference made me feel very uncomfortable.
“....... What’s going on? this time. Here."
"you......."
Kristoff dragged his head and opened his mouth. Somehow I felt even worse today. Jeong
Tae-ui scratched his head and looked up at him worriedly.
"why. Is your head hurting again? Tsk......”
“―That’s because you covered it with chloroform or something.”
Oh, that's right.
As Kristoff spoke fiercely, Jeong Tae-eui remembered one more thing he had forgotten.
Jeong Tae-eui glanced at Kristoff’s gaze. And for no reason, I smiled and pretended to
nudge him with a pillow.
“I thought you wouldn’t remember, but you do remember everything... Then I understand the
circumstances that forced me to do that. “I just barely held back my regrets to prevent you
from committing an unjust crime against me…”
The seeds didn't even work.
Kristoff seemed to have snatched the pillow that Jeong Tae-ui was swinging, and then struck
Jeong Tae-eui's head with it without mercy.
"100 million......."
It didn't hurt that much because it was a cotton pillow, but my head shook for a moment.
However, he rubbed his head and frowned, pretending to be in great pain. This is to avoid
the second attack.
I don't know if the smoke worked or if he had originally intended to hit just one person, but
Kristoff threw the pillow at his feet.
“Your arm.”
After a moment of silence, Kristoff suddenly asked.
Jeong Tae-ui, who was rubbing his head after being hit with a pillow, huh? I asked back.
Kristoff frowned when he saw that blank face.
"yesterday. You passed by. To Gyeongbong.”
"huh? Oh right. It was like that. “I think it’s okay.”
Today is a day of enlightenment.
Jeong Tae-ui nodded. I had forgotten about myself ever since I got hit, so it didn't seem like a
big deal, but I tried rolling up the short sleeve on my left arm. "......Oh."
I didn't think it would be anything serious, but there was a black bruise a little above my
elbow.
“Well, do you think it’s okay?”
Kristoff repeated what Jeong Tae-eui had said and expressionlessly pressed the bruise with
his index finger.
“Ahh...! Cancel Cancel...!!”

Jeong Tae-eui trembled and tried to save himself. Kristoff, who had been persistently poking
the center of the bruise, withdrew his hand only when a tear formed at the corner of Jeong
Tae-eui's eye.
“From now on, don’t ever stand in my way when I’m holding a weapon again. Yesterday, I
was lucky enough to have Richard, so I said I would deal with him first. If it were any other
time, I would have killed you first.”
Kristoff said, looking at Jeong Tae-ui with bleak eyes. Jeong Tae-eui bitterly licked his lips as
he heard him add, “If I do this one more time, I really think I’ll die.”
It's been rough since morning today. As soon as I opened my eyes, I was told that I could
see things that I couldn't see, and what I heard was that it was killing me.
“Why are there so many people who want to kill me?”
Jeong Tae-ui sighed and muttered. The moment he heard those words, Kristoff suddenly
widened his eyes fiercely.
“Who does that again? “Some guy did that.”
“....... Ilay.”
Why is this person getting excited on my behalf again? But, thinking to himself, Jeong Tae-ui
named the person who had said the night before, ‘If you do that again, know that you will die
by my hands.’ Then Kristoff fell silent.
“If it’s him… he’s a person who can’t do that… but he could do that…”
Kristoff looked down at his feet for a moment, muttering contradictory words at the same
time in one sentence. For some reason, his expressionless face looked a little gloomy.
Anyway, I can't figure out why he suddenly came. ...Unless he came here with a grudge
against chloroform, I think he came to warn me not to interfere with him holding a weapon
again.
Jeong Tae-eui pulled at his messy hair and looked at him blankly. As expected, it's a pity that
that sculptural face is damaged. Next time, should I tell Illay to hit me rather than hitting
Kristoff? With a heart of sacrifice for the work of art.
.......But if I say something like that, I feel like something terrible will happen, so let's stop.......
“From now on, I won’t stand in your way. ...Did you come to hear that?”
When Jeong Tae-eui saw him standing there without any intention of moving, he quietly
spoke up.
Kristoff, who had been standing silently looking at the feet, raised his head. The way people
look at Jeong Tae-eui is somehow disapproving. Even though his face was clearly
expressionless, I felt that way. “......?”
Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head. Kristoff blurted out.
"okay. I came to say that. “Don’t buy it and get beaten again.”
Hearing you say that makes it sound like you're worried. Jeong Tae-eui smiled.
"huh. thank you."
“Just say thank you to the guy who hit me...”
Kristoff clicked his tongue. Those cold gazes seem to be looking at a male idiot. However,
even those words made Jeong Tae-eui feel happy and he smiled.
Kristoff still had his frowning, dissatisfied face on his face, and muttered in a voice as
dissatisfied as his face.
“Give me your arms. “For my face, I put ointment on it.”
"uh? eight?"
For a moment, Jeong Tae-ui did not understand what he was saying. Then, when I saw him
taking out tape and a tube from his pocket, I muttered again, “Uh….”
“To treat me?”
When Jeong Tae-ui suddenly asked, Kristoff frowned slightly. After a few seconds of no
answer, he opened the tube cap and tore open the poultice wrapper before speaking bluntly.
“It’s ugly. “If that kind of elbow wanders around in front of you.”
“Uh, okay... ......Shall I do it?”
Jeong Tae-eui sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck with his other arm and looked at
Kristoff's hand, which was holding his arm and starting to rub some kind of ointment on it.
Jeong Tae-ui held out his hand, saying he would do it himself, but he didn't even look at his
hand. Jeong Tae-eui hesitated and withdrew his hand again.
“Is it okay if you don’t like being touched by other people?”
Jeong Tae-ui asked while looking at Kristoff who was carefully rubbing the bruise. Kristoff
muttered, telling himself not to be stupid.
“What do you think of me? Of course it's okay for me to touch it. Otherwise, we cannot
defeat the enemy.”
Listening to Kristoff muttering that it was inevitable whether he was cutting with a knife or
hitting with his knuckles, touching the other person was inevitable, Tae-eui Jeong said, yes,
and chewed his mouth.
It's a very simple reason, but as I thought about it, something was strange. This unique smell
that stings my nose is very familiar.

Jeong Tae-eui looked intently at the ointment Kristoff was rubbing on his arm. That hazy
color, this smell, this feeling that is gradually getting warmer… “Is this…”
"huh? When I went to Hong Kong to meet Jeong Chang-in, I received a gift from a member
of the medical staff there named Kyoho. “I haven’t tried it, but they rave about how effective it
is.”
“.......”
Unexpectedly, the origin of this medicine lingered in my ears longer than hearing a familiar
name come out of Kristoff's mouth. It seems that it has spread so far, knowingly or
unknowingly, that the accidental connection is surprising. I think this pharmaceutical
company should make Luther their honorary salesperson.
“Isn’t this the famous tiger ointment that is used for bruises, muscle pain, insect bites, and
even headaches…” “Do you know? Hmm, is this a medicine commonly used in the East?
“That friend praised me until my mouth watered.”
Kristoff seemed a little happy to hear such words from a person who had absolutely no
connection to the origin of this medicine. It's natural to feel happy when you hear that
something you own is a good thing. Of course, but......
“Turn your head. I'll apply it on my face too. ...You got a bruise around your eye. Here too…”
“Oh, wait! Don’t apply that around your eyes...!!!”
I shouted in a hurry, but I was one step too late.
Before Jeong Tae-ui could even scream, he said, ‘Here too,’ and at the same time, he
soaked up some ointment and rubbed it on the bruise on the side of his eyelid. “...! ......!!
......!!!”
Sometime in the distant past, when he was still wearing his school uniform, when his friend
was studying for an exam, he said that he would apply antipramine around his eyes to wake
up, and that he would wake up immediately, so Jeong Tae-eui naively believed that and
followed him. I saw it.
Right now, the memory of that time came back to me as vividly as if it had happened
yesterday.
Yes, that's when I suddenly woke up. It's because I was in tears all night and didn't study for
the exam.
Even after quickly wiping his eyes with a towel, Kristoff just stood silently in front of Jeong
Tae-ui, who was holding his eyes and groaning for a while.
At first glance, he was just looking at Jeong Tae-eui sulkingly in his normal eyes, but his
embarrassment was visible in his hand that was tightly clutching the bottle of ointment.
Jeong Tae-eui pressed his eyes with one hand and waved the other hand excitedly,
pretending that he was okay. At the same time, I expressed the question that had been
running through my mind.
“So, you mean Jeong Chang-in, uncle? “How do you know each other?”
"ah? Oh, yes, it was your uncle. We at least know each other through Kyle's introduction. “I
sometimes borrow books.”
Indeed, there was that kind of connection.
Jeong Tae-ui nodded. I took out a wet tissue that I had kept in the nightstand drawer and
faced Kristoff while rubbing the area around my eyes.
Kristoff was quietly looking at Jeong Tae-ui. To be exact, Jeong Tae-eui's eyes are invisible
and covered with wet tissues.
“....... ......I think things are getting better now.”
Jeong Tae-eui wiped his teary eyes, which were still hot, and answered with bright eyes as if
nothing had happened. Kristoff said nothing as he looked into those reddish eyes.
Maybe it bothers me a little bit.
Jeong Tae-eui looked down at his arm, which had been perfectly applied with a poultice and
wrapped in a bandage without any further modifications. These are the medicines that I
prepared and brought with me before I first came to this room.
“.......”
Jeong Tae-ui glanced at Kristoff. Kristoff was still glaring at the bruise around Jeong
Tae-eui's eye. With the red eyes next to it.
“This person is truly an unpredictable person....”
Jeong Tae-ui sighed and muttered quietly to himself. Kristoff gave Jeong Tae-eui a curious
look, as if he hadn't heard what he said because he was glaring at the corner of Jeong
Tae-eui's eyes, but Jeong Tae-eui shook his head, saying it was nothing.
Come to think of it. .......
It feels a bit unfair to talk about this at a time like this, but in any case, Jeong Tae-eui had a
task to accomplish. Jeong Tae-eui secretly asked, rubbing the bruise around his eye.
“But when will Kyle’s book come out…?”
"huh? ah. “I can do that later when I feel like it.”
As expected, not even the seeds worked.

I thought that appealing to guilt and pity might work.

Jeong Tae-eui said, “Yes,” and took his hand away from his eyes while licking his lips.
Fortunately, after applying the ointment and wiping it off immediately, the burning sensation
went away. Now the area around my eyes feels a little warm. The tears also stopped.
Kristoff looked at Jeong Tae-ui for a moment and then stood up willingly. And when he came
in - even though Jeong Tae-ui was sleeping and didn't see him come in - he walked towards
the door without hesitation.
“Then I’ve finished what I had to say, so let’s go. Now, don't ever get involved in me taking
down someone else again. “In that case, I cannot guarantee your safety.”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at his back while answering in a slightly dumbfounded voice, “Uh,
okay.”
Kristoff was no longer the same person he was yesterday.
He lost the focus of his eyes, his face turned leaden, and his whole body twitched slightly. As
if he had never been like that before, he looked as proud as usual but also bored with
everything. "......chris."
Jeong Tae-ui suddenly called him. As he was about to open the door and go out, he looked
back at Jeong Tae-ui with his eyebrows raised.
I didn't have to ask, but I could tell from his attitude and words that he remembered
everything that happened yesterday.
I remember all the times when I lost my reason and was engulfed in madness, relying only
on my emotions.
What does that really feel like?
The feeling of remembering and recognizing all of your own madness.
“....... That ointment was written to be effective for swelling. You can also apply it on your
face. “Except around the eyes.”
Jeong Tae-ui spoke calmly to him. He frowns slightly, then turns his head away as if he is
saying something nonsense.
However, as he was about to go out the door, he suddenly stopped and turned around. And
then I look at Jeong Tae-ui quietly.
Jeong Tae-eui also looked at the face that had something to say but was hesitating.
This is true in any case. There are things you cannot ask even if you want to, and there are
things you cannot say even if you want to. My father once said that as time goes by and
those undisclosed words pile up, in the distant future, those words will melt and eventually
disappear. That is why time is precious between people.
At that time, Jeong Tae-eui did not yet know the meaning of those words. I still don't know
exactly. Sometimes I just think, oh, is this what it is? ...Will I ever be able to spend that kind
of time with this man? Or maybe not.
It was unknown. This is because human relationships do not last with only one person's
wishes, and sometimes, even if both of them wish for something, it doesn't go where they
want. But I hoped that I would at least be able to see this man until he crossed that anxious
and dangerous-looking rope.
"why. “Do you want to apply some more ointment around your eyes?”
Jeong Tae-eui spoke to the man who was silently looking at him. Kristoff frowned as if telling
him not to say something stupid.
He remained silent for a moment longer, then finally opened his mouth.
“Now that I think about it, Rick didn’t tell you to go back to Berlin?”
Jeong Tae-ui kept his mouth shut.
I face an expressionless face that I don’t know what is thinking.
“I did say that. I decided to stay here for a while. ...I have to go find Kyle’s book.”
So, please hurry and give me back the book, Jeong Tae-eui added, sighing silently.
Kristoff nodded his head a couple of times, lost in thought, and then gave the same answer
as before.
Yes, later when I feel like it.
***
The atmosphere within Seoik was even more hostile.
In fact, if it weren't so scary, it might actually be strange. It was only yesterday that Oliver -
Richard's young son - was taken to the hospital with a head injury caused by Christoph. If
you listen to the rumors, fortunately, Oliver was not seriously injured. I heard that the test
results came back normal and that he is now walking around in good health in Dongik.
“Yeah, that’s a good thing.”
Jeong Tae-eui glared at the chessboard and answered half-heartedly.
Damn it, no matter which piece you move, either a rook or a knight will work within a few
moves.

In front of Jeong Tae-ui, who was moaning and staring at the chessboard for about ten
minutes without moving, Yohan continued by saying that he threw and caught Jeong Tae-ui's
pawn, which he had taken away just two moves ago. "yes. There must have been a problem.
“The whole house must have been a battlefield by now.”
“Hmm... But Oliver lives in East Ik, so why is Richard in West Ik? “There are a lot of
separated families in the same household.”
Should I eat the nitro bishop? ......Arthur. If you do that, it will be checked after 10 minutes.
After thinking for about 10 minutes, Jeong Tae-eui pushed the knight at an angle.
“Oh, normally, if you get married or have a family, you live separately or in a separate
building, but Richard is divorced. Oliver is currently being raised by his grandmother. So
Oliver is with his grandmother.
Although they live together in Dongyik, Richard, who is still a candidate for succession,
cannot live in Dongyik. ......ruler."
John glanced at the chessboard for a moment while he spoke, and as soon as he finished
speaking, he moved his pawn. Jeong Tae-ui quickly checked the location of the phone he
moved. Doesn't look very threatening
Although I didn't know, I was thinking hard about whether I could possibly hide.
“Hmm... If she is your grandmother, she must also be Richard’s grandmother.”
"yes. “She is also Kristoff’s grandmother.”
“Hmm... Then you must be quite old.”
"yes. You already turned eighty a few years ago. “But please correct me very much.”
“Then is he the funniest person in Tarten?”
“Actually, yes. In reality, the elders treated me with the most laughter... Uh, you just moved
that!”
“I didn’t move it! “I just touched it for a moment!”
“Where is that? The world of chess is truly heartless! There is no way to cancel a move!
Now, it’s my turn.”
“Hey, hey! No, it's my turn! “I didn’t move, I didn’t move!”
Jeong Tae-eui quickly put down the phone he had been fiddling with for a moment and
covered the chessboard with his body, being careful not to topple the pieces.
“Hey, shameful... Hey, I took a look. Okay, how are you going to put it? “Do it quickly.”
John grumbled and sat down. Only then did Jeong Tae-ui stand up from the chessboard.
Jeong Tae-eui sat upright, saying "Hmm" and straightening his disheveled collar, and started
having a snowball fight with the chessboard again. In front of him, Yohan took a sip of beer
and continued talking as if he was bored just waiting.
“The highest person in Tarten is the elder. “He is a great uncle, but there is quite a big age
gap between him and my father and other uncles and uncles.”
“Hmm... The person who follows in the footsteps of that great uncle is the successor. Instead
of creating a bad atmosphere by forcing competition, you can comfortably hand it over to
your children and each get a share.
“Can’t we share it?”
“Oh, the old man is not married. Moreover, it is Tarten's tradition to select a successor
through competition. “It may make the atmosphere a bit harsh, but it also has its
advantages.”
"......ruler......."
Jeong Tae-eui carefully moved the bishop. And then I glanced at Yohan’s gaze. What about
Yohan? Did you move the bishop? He looked at me casually and took another sip of beer.
Jeong Tae-eui also drinks his share of beer that was placed next to him.
Then, before I knew it, I realized that I had been frowning and rubbed my wrinkled forehead.
To be honest, I was surprised.
Jeong Tae-eui enjoyed playing chess and chess since he was young. Most of the time, I
spent time playing outside, but on days when it rained or I didn't feel like going out, I stayed
at home leafing through books or sitting next to my older brother and playing games such as
baduk, chess, or chess.
I can't say I'm very skilled, but I still win overwhelmingly more often than I do when I compete
with others. however.
It wasn't so disastrous as to be called one-sided, but it was still quite noticeable.
Did this guy just eat and play chess?...
I felt like I was going to lose this bet. I dreamed of getting a five-star full course meal, but I
ended up losing. While Jeong Tae-eui's expression was heavy, Yo Han was very happy.
The first day I came here, while listening to Christoph explain the structure of Seoik, I was
told that although there were games such as chess and billiards, it was better not to go to
the Seoik underground hall because there were a lot of idiots. Regardless of what he said,
there were quite a few things there. Countless people were coming and going.
Even now, to the side where Jeong Tae-eui and Yohan are sitting facing each other with the
chessboard in the middle, there are three or four men surrounding the pool table and
clutching cue sticks, next to them are men playing poker with cards in their hands, and
behind them there is even a Jenga game in a corner. There were even men doing it.
......Notwithstanding everything else, when I see the two men sitting across from each other
in the corner, grimly playing Jenga, I can sympathize with Kristoff's words...

Jeong Tae-eui thought about getting angry when they heard it, saying, ‘They enjoy catching
things anyway,’ but he shook his head.
Looking at it this way, it seems like a bunch of people are gathered together, but it felt like it
was hard to put into words how each of them were people who put on a show when they
went out.
“Where are you, Bishop... ......Ugh, are you trying to catch the knight?”
John, who looked at the chessboard for a moment, smiled darkly. Jeong Tae-ui flinched.
Damn, full course meal... Damn, my money...
Jeong Tae-eui was lost in thought again as he glared at the look that Yohan was moving.
“Well, anyway, even though the atmosphere has become even more hostile, I think you’ve
done well.”
“What am I doing?”
Even though John spoke happily, the answer did not come out well.
“Yesterday at that scene, I heard that you blocked Christoph, who was carrying a steel bar to
Richard. So the guys under Richard muttered about you, saying, ‘You might be a surprisingly
good guy.’”
“Hehe, it’s simple too.”
“If you tell me that, they’ll probably take that idea back.”
“...No, don’t tell me. “I want to live comfortably.”
Jeong Tae-ui rested his chin, looked at the chessboard, and muttered.
Now that I see it, my phone has already reached this point. I need to eat quickly before I
change to queen, and I get into serious trouble.
“But...”
While looking down at the chessboard blankly, lost in thought, Jeong Tae-ui suddenly asked
in a drowsy voice. huh? He asked back while John was also looking at the chessboard.
“Did Richard have a younger brother? “Looks like Oliver.”
"hmm......? “Who said that?”
Yohan looked up from the chessboard and glanced at Jeong Tae-ui. Scratching one's chest
with a sad face doesn't seem to be a very pleasant subject. Jeong Tae-eui just said, “No,”
and ended up giving a vague answer.
“There was. Although he has been dead for over 10 years. But he doesn't look much like
Oliver. Oliver looks like Richard. The only thing similar to Oliver was the name. “Olivia.”
However, Yohan spoke calmly, as if it was nothing to hide.
“Hmm....”
“Why, did that even come up during the fight yesterday?”
“Uh, whatever.”
“Then the story of Chris’s mother must have come up.”
“Oh, I know.”
“Well, why bother driving nails into your chest when you just fight with your fists?”
Yohan clicked his tongue.
After mulling over it in silence for a few minutes, Jeong Tae-eui put the knight back and
looked at Yohan.
“The atmosphere is really bad, this family.”
“Especially those two guys. “The rest are seen as mere competitors, but that’s because they
are the catalyst.”
“That’s why I try to remain neutral,” said John proudly, moving his phone.
"......evil! Just two more spaces and you're queen! Damn, so the look...!”
“Ugh, this is one of my special moves.”
Jeong Tae-eui pulled out his hair.
The free full course meal was becoming more and more distant.
As for baseball, Jeong Tae-eui started staring at the chessboard while talking about two outs
in the bottom of the 9th inning. Yohan, seeing that there was not much beer left, took a new
can of beer from the minibar and sat down. In the meantime, he scans the chessboard with
his mysterious eyes to see if he has used any tricks.
“Anyway, the two guys had different personalities so they didn’t get along very well from the
beginning, but as you can see, Kristoff’s face is like that. There were some idiots who didn't
know what to do and followed suit, and one of those idiots was Richard's younger sister.
Olivia. Kristoff was very sick of her. Every time I followed him around, he openly mistreated
me. “She was weak from birth, couldn’t go to school, and spent half a year lying in the
hospital, so Richard was especially pitiful and pampered as his little sister, but…”

“.......Please don’t say that Kristoff killed that girl..”

“If that were the case, one of the two would have died by now. I told you, I was originally a
weak kid. Every time the season changed, I was worried about whether I would be able to
survive until the next season. sixteen
I guess... but I lived longer than the doctors said. ...He was a good kid.”
John muttered as he narrowed his eyes and looked at the ceiling, as if he was remembering
a good girl who died young. The voice calms down a little.
Jeong Tae-eui took his eyes off the chessboard for a moment and looked at him. He also felt
a little down. I feel sorry for all those who died young.
“Well... if it was my sister who I cared for so much, it’s not like I couldn’t understand her
heartbreak.”
Jeong Tae-eui said while fiddling with the chess pieces.
Suddenly, the calm yet eerie voice I heard last night passed by my ears.
―Are you angry that they are decorating your mother’s grave with her corpse? You killed a
wild dog and buried its body in Olivia's grave?
“.......”
Jeong Tae-ui sighed heavily.
Whatever the circumstances, or whether it was the madness inside Kristoff that did such a
thing, what can we do considering that?
“There was a bit of a stir after Olivia died – Christoph did some crazy things – and Richard
made a big deal out of it. So Kristoff's family, who were originally living in a separate building
of the mansion, had to move out. “Christoph was still a candidate for succession at the time,
so he could continue to live in Seoik.”
“It’s a bit unreasonable. “The person who caused the problem remains behind and his family
is kicked out.”
“The only family I had was my mother, who remained a widow... but that was what Richard
was aiming for anyway. ...Hey, hey, why are you tapping my bishop?”
“It’s because if this isn’t here, the knight can pass by. Yanjiang, you blocked the road ahead
very well.”
“Ugh, it’s a full course meal~.”
It was then.
Across from Yohan, who was happily looking at the chessboard and rubbing his palms,
outside the open door behind Jeong Tae-ui, footsteps were heard coming down the stairs.
Since it was a place that people often frequented, Jeong Tae-eui didn't pay any attention and
instead focused all his attention on the chessboard.
I need to catch that pawn before it becomes queen, but the only thing that can catch it right
now is the bishop. However, if you move the bishop, the rook will immediately call
checkmate...
Jeong Tae-ui was lost in thought. Then, I suddenly remember my brother in a corner of my
mind.
When his older brother was young, he had little interest in the types of entertainment that
children his age usually enjoyed. So the game console my father bought me was covered in
dust and eventually I threw it away as scrap.
But my brother really liked these types of games. He was not a person who expressed his
likes and dislikes loudly, but whenever Jeong Tae-ui brought out a game of chess or
checkerboard, he would come and sit in front of him before he knew it.
“Obviously, each person has a very different way of doing things....”
As Jeong Tae-eui muttered, Yohan, who had been silent for some reason, answered Jeong
Tae-eui, “Why?”
“When I was with my brother, I rarely won, but it didn’t feel like this. “Rather than rushing
around like this, I’m the type of person who enjoys the flow of water… so when I spend time
with him, my mind becomes at peace.”
“That’s because there is no full course meal on offer.”
“.......”
People are longing for their long-lost brothers, but when that guy arrives...
Jeong Tae-ui opened his eyes and glared at him.
It was then.
“Hmm. “I guess there’s a full course meal on offer.”
A laughing voice came from behind me.
Jeong Tae-eui, who felt that someone was standing behind his back and looking at the
chessboard, but was not paying any attention, turned his head involuntarily because the
voice sounded familiar.
Richard was standing there. As expected, Illay is also next to him.
Jeong Tae-eui, who saw the two people staring at the chessboard who were on the
defensive, bitterly licked his lips and scratched his head.
The two people sat down at the empty seat at the table. It seemed like those two were also
there to spend time as I opened the table drawer and took out a card.
“You always seem to be busy in the afternoon. How can you even hang out in a place like
this?”
Jeong Tae-eui felt like he needed to greet him appropriately, so he chose simple words. I
didn't bother to talk to Ilay next to me. To be precise, I didn't talk to Riglow.

Riglow. And Kim Young-su.

There is a reason for everything. Come to think of it, Jeong Tae-eui didn't even know why he
was pretending to be Kim Young-soo. Even though it was his own name. Kristoff is an
unlucky name.
I dismissed it as such, but......
"ah. Today, I came back early because the elder is coming to Seoik in the evening. “You
don’t want to get caught in a traffic jam and end up being later than your seniors.”
"hmm?"
“An elderly person eats at Seoik once a month. So, no one makes appointments on that day.
...Even though you say that, you can just think of it as taking an elderly person over for a
meal together.”
Richard smiled and explained calmly.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was shaking his head, looked at John and asked, “The old man I only
heard about.”
“Can I have a meal with you at a time like that?”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. Richard said it a while ago. It's just that we eat
together with the old man. Well, if you’re a candidate for succession, you don’t have to know,
you just have to make an effort to respect the elderly.”
John shrugged his shoulders and said. In some ways, this could have been heard as a
sarcasm toward Richard, the successor candidate, but Richard didn't seem to care at all.
John also didn't seem to have any malicious intent.
While Richard was shuffling the cards next to Jeong Tae-eui, Illay, who was sitting across
from him - next to Yohan - with his arms crossed and looking at the chessboard, suddenly
opened his mouth. “Looking at the situation, I think Yohan will get a full course meal.”
That indifferent and cold voice sounded like ‘Why are you playing a losing game, idiot?’ to
the ears of Jeong Tae-ui, who was staring at the chessboard. In fact, Illay seemed to have
had that same meaning to some extent, and when Jeong Tae-ui glanced at him, he had a
sneer in his eyes.
“Well... the game is fun regardless of whether you win or lose.”
Jeong Tae-eui, who had been feeling upset about the full course meal a little while ago - in
fact, even now - made an effort to mutter calmly.
“I don’t know how you feel about starting a game that you know you’re going to lose from the
beginning, saying you enjoy it.”
Jeong Tae-eui, who was pretending to be calm, got angry when Illay snorted and responded.
If this guy wants to pretend not to know, just pretend not to know. Why do you keep arguing?
“Defeatism, thinking that you are sure to lose without even trying, is more difficult to
understand.”
Jeong Tae-eui spoke as if nothing had happened, but glared at Illay with his eyes. Illay
cupped his chin and slowly rubbed his lips with his fingers, looking at Jeong Tae-ui intently.
As if he wasn't sure what he meant by that.
Next to the fierce gazes that met in the air, Richard, who had shuffled all the cards, smiled
calmly as he removed them.
“The spirit of challenge is great, but it doesn’t pay off if you play chess with a grandmaster.”
"swimming?"
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Richard with a blank face for a moment. Richard looked at Jeong
Tae-eui with a puzzled expression, as if he didn't know why he was looking at him like that.
Next to him, Illay seemed to understand the meaning of those gazes and muttered quietly.
"John. Did you cheat again?”
Jeong Tae-eui, who was blinking while quietly staring at Illay, who was talking casually,
saying that it was someone else's business, the very next moment, a light turned on in his
head. Swish, I glared at Yohan who was sitting in front.
headed.
“What can you say, deceiving me... I just didn’t say anything. I happened to see a
chessboard, so I just said how about a game of chess? “It’s no fun if you just leave it alone,
so make a moderate bet.”
John spoke very calmly and softly. However, it seems that his heart is not as calm as his
tone of voice, and the light of ‘Damn, I was almost done’ is clearly revealed in his anxiously
fluttering eyes.
"John. Was he a chess grandmaster?”
Jeong Tae-ui asked softly in a low voice. This is an amazing voice, exuding admiration.
“Uh...what. That's common these days. I heard there are over a thousand people these
days. It's not that big of a deal. “It’s just average.” John's answer was humble. The voice that
emphasizes that it is nothing special is particularly powerful.
Jeong Tae-ui smiled at him.
Now that I think about it, Alta, who taught me that overturning a table is only difficult the first
time, also taught me this.
-Once you overturn the table, it’s not a problem to overturn another table.

“When I heard those words, I had no idea that those teachings would be so useful...” Jeong
Tae-ui muttered bitterly. And as soon as he finished saying that, he grabbed the edge of the
table. gasp, a short groan seemed to come from the seat across from me.
Jeong Tae-eui raised his hand with a calm smile on his face.
***
The moment he entered the restaurant, Jeong Tae-ui thought for a moment that he had
come to the wrong place. It was not a place where he usually sat and ate.
Jeong Tae-eui had never seen so many people sitting in this restaurant before.
The restaurant, which has space for about twenty people, was usually crowded with about
13 or 4 people at most. There were far fewer people at breakfast or lunch, and sometimes I
ate alone, and at dinner there were usually no more than ten people.
But now all twenty seats were filled.
Even after being hit by the chessboard that Jeong Tae-eui had knocked over earlier, Yo-han
grumbled until the end and insisted, ‘I didn’t trick you, I just didn’t tell you.’ He secured
Jeong-tae’s share of the seat in advance.
If I hadn't left it, I wouldn't have been able to eat.
“Elder, you are extremely popular.”
Entering a restaurant with a solemn atmosphere that made it seem impossible to take a
deep breath, Jeong Tae-eui sat down and muttered to Yohan. John shook his head and said,
“Nothing.”
“He is the most popular person in Tarten. Wherever he goes, people gather like a cloud, and
the roads he passes through split like the Red Sea.”
“... Now that I think about it, I didn’t ask, but what do you do for a living?”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him with white eyes, thinking that he was definitely making a living
with his mouth. Then, no matter how he interpreted it, John started talking about a job that
would make him 100% popular with women. Of course, that was 100% for three people.
Jeong Tae-ui ignored him, sat down, and looked around the restaurant.
There was no noticeable empty space on the side of the table.
Even Richard and Christoph across from him came first and sat down. The clothes are also
neat suits.
There are only two seats where no one has sat yet.
One spacious seat at the front of the table and one seat next to it across the corner.
The spacious seat would be a seat for an elderly person, and the seat next to it would be for
someone like a secretary to sit. Or the second-in-command in the family.
“Hey... this is the first time the atmosphere in this house seems so godly. “He also seems to
have good discipline in his own way.”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered with admiration.
Then Yohan, who was still talking about occupations popular with women, scratched the
back of his neck. Even though Jeong Tae-eui was an outsider, while everyone else was
sitting in suits or similar neat attire, Yohan was the only one who stood out wearing a rough
knit and cotton pants.
“It’s natural because you are someone worthy of that. He is a positional figure who almost
led Tarten's rapid growth. He possesses all the judgment, determination, and execution
skills...,...but even if I were to tell this to an outsider, I wouldn't be very convinced. Just think
of him as the person who made Tarten into the huge kingdom it is now.”
Jeong Tae-ui nodded, “Hmm.”
Although he is an interesting friend, Yohan, who has a somewhat perverse and rebellious
temperament, must be an incredible person if he praises him like that.
Well, a person who can stand at the top of a family of this size and lead it in a progressive
direction would definitely be a great person.
“Well, you are an old man who has almost retired from the front line now, but you should
respect him.”
John concluded his story with somewhat off-point words.
It's Tarten.
I heard that this family, which separated from T&R, chose the information industry as their
family business. A private intelligence agency operated in a manner similar to nepotism.
It was clear that Kyle was at a significant level to say that it was a trustworthy and reliable
organization.
But at first glance, it seemed like there was a debt. And that, I guess, is a significant amount.
Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head.
It seemed like they said they had brought in a loan, but it is not so easy to bring in a loan,
even if it is a private loan. Nevertheless, if they had obtained a loan, they would have to have
a business of a public nature, but it is a private intelligence agency. ...Is it at least connected
to a public intelligence agency?
“But before that, if you need such a huge amount of money...” Jeong Tae-eui muttered to
himself as he picked up his fork.

While I was stabbing a tomato on my salad plate, I suddenly felt eyes on me and looked up
to see the cold gaze of those around me approaching. The elders haven't even arrived yet,
but they are the first to pick up a fork.
Jeong Tae-eui quietly put down his fork. That's right, when you eat with an adult, you
shouldn't pick up the spoon first.
I picked up the glass of water sitting right in front of me, moistened my lips, and looked
around. In front, I saw Christoph and Richard sitting on either side of me with an empty seat
in the middle.
It was just a day ago that Oliver was injured and there was a commotion. In other words,
about a day ago, they had a confrontation so brutal that the person watching from the side
turned pale. Jeong Tae-eui almost had to risk his life among them.
But now they were sitting quietly in their seats as if nothing had happened. When our eyes
happened to pass by, the gaze was extremely desolate, but that didn't mean we intentionally
had a snowball fight and just sat there.
“I was wondering if the second round would start at the restaurant today because the
atmosphere yesterday was one where a few people would just be beaten up.” Jeong Tae-eui
muttered, pounding his pounding heart with a mixture of relief and anxiety.
“You can’t fight in front of your elders.”
Yohan suddenly spoke next to me as if I was saying something obvious.
Indeed, he seemed to be someone who was absolutely revered.
However, it felt strange to see Kristoff, who I thought was equally polite to everyone, sitting in
his seat so politely.
However, when I saw Kristoff sitting quietly unlike any other time, a picture was created in
itself, as if a young man was sitting as beautiful and kind as an angel.
If that guy had been just a little more normal, he could have lived a very fulfilling and
rewarding life.
Jeong Tae-eui shook his head, regretting something that could not be helped.
It was then.
The door opened and an old man and a young man came in together. Jeong Tae-eui, who
couldn't believe his own eyes for a moment, saw that the polite young man who politely
opened the door half a step ahead and pulled out a chair from the table, as if supporting an
old man, was Ilay Riglow.
Today, Illay, who was neatly and smartly dressed to look even more like an evil lawyer, was
whispering something to the old man. The old man laughs and agrees with his words.
“...Why does that guy come in last with the main character even though he’s not the main
character?”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered disapprovingly. This time too, John answers kindly.
“You’re a distinguished guest. “No matter how much an elder is a superior, it is not possible
to have someone who is a guest at home sit at the table in advance like a subordinate.”
Jeong Tae-eui seemed to know how he felt when he added, "I tell you that calling him a
guest of honor is not my opinion, it's just the general opinion," so he just nodded without
saying a word. And then turn your head again.
After the elderly man sat down for the last time and Illay sat down next to where I thought the
secretary would sit, all the seats in the restaurant were finally filled.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at the old man, whom he had only heard about in words but was
seeing in person for the first time. And I take a close look at the old man who seems ordinary
at first glance.
At first glance, it was hard to guess his age. I just think it's somewhere between sixty and
seventy, a fairly wide range.
His body was slightly shorter than average, and his gentle smiling face looked no different
from any other old man walking down the street.
However, his clear presence and weight were second to none from the young people
standing next to him and supporting him.
“I guess everyone was waiting because of me. “Hurry up and pick it up.”
Without any grand greetings, the old man gestured to them and said so, then he lifted his
fork and brought some vegetables to his mouth. Soon the meal started.
As John said, it was just an atmosphere where you could have a meal comfortably with an
adult present. There is no hard or uncomfortable feeling. That feeling only exists in a few
men who wear stuffy suits and talk a lot less.
“He seems like an ordinary old man at first glance.”
Yohan, who was already excitedly scooping up his meal into his mouth, shrugged his
shoulders when Jeong Tae-ui spoke.
“What kind of person doesn’t look ordinary at first glance? “Everyone is either surprised or
not surprised when they find out.”
“A person who doesn’t look ordinary at first glance....”
"ah. “There is one.”
John spoke gravely and continued to serve the food.
As Jeong Tae-eui puts unusual food such as grilled pine needles on Yohan's plate in
advance - it was the first time food has caused trauma - he glances and sees an ordinary
person who does not appear to be ordinary at first glance.
Kristoff was eating quietly. Just eat next to the old man, like you would any other meal,
without saying a word. However, the sight of him concentrating on eating in silence without
raising his head even once was somehow different from usual.

“I think this is the first time I’ve seen Kristoff sitting so gently.”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered with admiration.
Kristoff literally sat like a gentle lamb. At first glance, they do not make eye contact, as if they
are scared of something.
“You’re one of the only two people Kristoff treats docilely.”
"okay? “Who is one?”
“The centipede’s mother.”
John spoke well while engrossed in eating. Hearing him speak so clearly even though there
is food in his mouth, it reminds me once again that this guy has to eat with his mouth.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Yohan with admiration as he ate his food at a very pleasant pace,
and then scooped up his share of food.
“Yeah, I heard they’re having dinner at Seoik these days. “Isn’t it difficult?”
Suddenly, an old man's voice was heard.
Unlike other times, everyone spoke in quiet voices, so even people sitting far away could be
heard.
The sweet voice, as if speaking to a young grandson, was directed at Illay, who was sitting
next to him.
Illay, who was picking up appetizers, smiled and shook his head.
“What can be difficult? It's been a while since we've all seen each other, so we took this
opportunity to take a break and hang out. Everyone is nice to me.”
Tuk.
Jeong Tae-ui dropped his fork.
I think I just heard something incredible. Or should I say it's an unbelievable tone of voice.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Illay with eyes close to shock.
As always after coming here, Illei, who seemed like a sophisticated young gentleman, was
chatting amicably with the old man, as if they were good grandparents.
“Hey... do you believe that?”
“Rick is. He was swinging an ax before he was even ten years old. “There is no one on the
outside who does not know about that nature, so how could it be possible on the inside –
even those in a position to receive all information – not know about it?”
“But you lie so calmly?!”
"why. There is no lie in the words themselves. That guy must be having a hard time. There
must be someone who doesn't treat him well. It's true that it's been a while since we all met.
“No part of it is a lie.”
“Intentionally concealing facts is also included in lying!”
Jeong Tae-ui glared at the Grandmaster, who had deliberately concealed the fact. He was
chomping at the cooked vegetables, pretending not to notice.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Illay with shocked eyes again and nudged his plate.
If you think about it, Tarten and Riglow are so close that they come and go every time there
is a family event. It is said that he is similar to most of his relatives.
If you think about it that way, it would be at the level of immorality to be cruel to that elderly
person. Although I've heard that he pointed a gun at my brother, I've never heard that he did
it to my parents, so it seems like he was at least - really the minimum - protecting his
humanity.
Jeong Tae-eui unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Immediately after that, I realized this,
and for a moment I despaired at the reality of having to check his fragile humanity through
something like this. “Okay, what do you think? “Is there anyone who has the potential to
inherit Tarten?”
The old man smiled and spoke to Ilay.
At that moment, tension suddenly arose in the audience.
Even though Illay's opinion was not that important and therefore insignificant, there was
something about it that could not be taken lightly if it came from an elderly person.
Jeong Tae-eui soon realized the tension and scratched his cheek. Is the competitive spirit
this fierce?
“But I heard there are several candidates for succession. “Who else but Richard?”
"uh? ah. Let's be still. Who was Fritz and Max? Anyway, there are a couple more people, but
you don't have to worry about them. There are only a few people, but in reality, there is no
one other than Richard who can take over. Well, those two guys are smart guys, but Richard
is so overwhelmingly resourceful that he rarely stands out.”
“Then the competition itself cannot be established at all. But why is the atmosphere like
this?”
“Well, I don’t think that will happen much, but there are variables. There is still room for the
rest to work together, or to explode one last thing just before succession...” “What does it
mean to say there is room to explode one thing?”

“Oh, that’s right, soon-.”

John, who had been talking up to that point, suddenly gasped and grabbed his throat, as if
the food he had almost swept into his mouth got stuck in his throat. I wanted to leave it as is,
but if I did, it would be dirty in a few seconds.
Jeong Tae-eui, feeling embarrassed, quickly handed him a tissue and a glass of water.
But it was a little late. Yohan chuckled before he could cover his mouth with a tissue, and
Jeong Tae-ui, who quickly leaned to the side, was not harmed, but the young man sitting
across from him was
I was in a painful situation.
“...You are such a gal too....”
Jeong Tae-eui shook his head and pulled his plate closer. They want to defend themselves
in advance to avoid being harmed by John again.
“Yes, Richard, I heard you met with McCarty a while ago.”
The old man spoke to Richard this time.
Richard smiles calmly and answers.
“Yes, I came to meet him because he happened to be coming to Berlin. “They say it’s still on
the M15.”
“Hmm, okay... I heard things are going well over there these days?”
“They said there was no problem overall. I guess there was a secret issue with Muhabharat
not long ago over counterintelligence issues. “It seems like the Shin Bet is also involved, but
I haven’t heard anything about it so I’m looking into it.”
“I see,” the old man nodded slowly.
Jeong Tae-eui was immersed in agony for a moment. The atmosphere in this house became
increasingly unclear.
If I heard correctly, at least three countries' security bureaus and counterintelligence
agencies were involved. It may not have been a big deal just from hearing that, but I didn't
think it was something to talk about at a family dinner like this.
Jeong Tae-ui glared at Yohan for no reason. Yohan wipes his mouth with a tissue and looks
at Jeong Tae-eui with a face that asks why he is glaring at him. “It’s hard to follow the family
atmosphere here.”
“Oh, right? It's hard for me to follow too. More than anything, daughters are very precious to
our family. “It would be nice if there were some older sisters or younger sisters in the house,
but it’s only crowded with guys.”
I wanted to criticize Yohan, who said that it was strange that less than 20% of women were
in the same group, but I held back because I was afraid I would end up in an ugly situation
again. Jeong Tae-eui silently scooped up the food on his plate. It would be better to eat
quickly and just leave. This atmosphere was not very comfortable either.
“I don’t like it, but Richard is definitely a bastard. Although he was the one who built Tarten's
foundation, he was the most responsible for restoring the financially unstable foundation to a
solid one in a short period of time. That guy is a born businessman. “I’m good at deals and
negotiations.”
John threw down the food in his mouth along with the water and said,
“I heard Tarten is a place with substance.”
“Well, but these past few decades have been a bit difficult. The old man took a big risk. “In
the end, it was a great choice, but if you have a financial burden, it’s also mentally difficult.”
"......hmm?"
“The miraculous achievement of reducing the debt ratio to less than half in a short period of
time is almost entirely credited to Richard. Even with that in mind, it’s unlikely that anyone
other than him will succeed.”
Even after eating like that, Jeong Tae-eui ended up giving the whole plate to Yohan, who
glanced at Jeong Tae-eui's plate and faltered as if it was still not enough. Thinking that I had
no idea where all the food I ate was going to go, I squinted at Yohan's skinny body.
Kyle said Tarten was a trustworthy and reliable company, so I vaguely thought it was a
soundly run business, but it turns out it had a surprisingly large debt. Funding is the most
important thing when doing anything.
I didn't know if this was always the case when eating with an old man, but the old man took
turns talking to each person at the table. Seeing that it rotates clockwise from the left, it
seems to be that way.
Since he was the highest-ranking elder in the family, I thought he would be a more stern and
scary person, but when I saw him talking one by one with young people who were as old as
his grandchildren, he seemed like a gentle and caring grandfather. I think he was called my
uncle, but it certainly seems to be very different from that line.
Jeong Tae-ui's gaze moved to Kristoff next to the old man. If the story were told in that order,
Kristoff, who would probably be the last to talk to the old man, was still quietly concentrating
on his meal with his head down.
Looking at it this way, he is truly a beautiful and polite young man. If it were always like that,
his life would be really easy.
As I looked at him sadly, Kristoff suddenly raised his head. As he was talking about
something, he looked at the old man for a moment. And then he bowed his head again. The
tip of his mouth twitched faintly.
The eyes are bent.
ah. I'm smiling.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him with a curious feeling.
Kristoff barely smiled. If it is a literal ‘laughter’, I have never seen it before.

Even when there was something worth laughing about, he didn't smile, as if his mouth or
eyes were slightly bent. However, you can tell right away because the characteristic
coldness and indifference on his face disappears. “You are a good person.”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered without realizing it.
Kristoff liked that old man. It may have been more like admiration or respect, but he clearly
had a crush on the old man. It was a pity that it wasn't revealed well. What about Yohan, who
quickly emptied more than half of the plate Jeong Tae-eui served him? “Whatever,” he said,
tilting his head.
“Everyone likes the elderly. He is also a person worth respecting. However, since there is
only one senior and he is very busy, he cannot take care of everyone. “He just carves out
time like this sometimes.”
“He’s not someone you can meet that easily,” John said, feeling proud of himself for no
reason.
“I see,” Jeong Tae-eui shook his head. Then I looked at Kristoff again. Kristoff sat like that,
like a shy boy sitting next to a hero he admired.
Jeong Tae-ui laughed.
It was my first time seeing something like that - and although it was still incredibly surprising
- it wasn't bad.
“I heard that Christoph was originally a candidate for succession.”
"hmm? hmm."
“It might have been better if I hadn’t quit midway. “I think I could have met my elders more
often.”
Kristoff is someone I like so much, which is rare, so it would have been nice if we could have
met more often.
As Jeong Tae-ui spoke regretfully, Yohan filled his mouth with food and muttered.
“Well... well, Christoph was certainly outstanding enough to compete on equal footing with
Richard, but he still wouldn’t have been chosen as the successor if he had stayed until the
end.”
“...Because he’s vicious and crazy?”
“They say ability is the most important, but when it comes to becoming the leader of a group,
personality cannot be ignored.”
No, when it comes to personality, Richard seems to have a somewhat twisted side... Jeong
Tae-eui thought, but didn't say anything and kept his mouth shut. It was a corner that I
couldn't normally find even after washing my eyes, so I didn't think there was any need to
talk about it as if I was gossiping. Anyway, on average, isn't he a very good person?
“Yes, character is definitely important. “Christoph’s personality is a bit lacking.”
Jeong Tae-eui nodded, openly criticizing Kristoff. Even though I don't hate that guy, I know
very well that his personality has many shortcomings.
However, John's answer, which came back after a while, was slightly different from what
Jeong Tae-ui meant.
“It’s not a personality issue, but rather, my mind is a little weird.”
Jeong Tae-eui flinched at the extremely outspoken tone.
I can never say that those words are false, but to say so calmly, ‘That guy is crazy.’ As
expected, this guy also has an extraordinary mental world.
“That guy can’t do it. “In my opinion, it’s already difficult to live well.”
Jeong Tae-ui frowned at the words of Yohan, who was emptying his plate while speaking
gravely.
I felt uncomfortable with the way he spoke, judging the good and bad things in other people's
lives.
I knew how Kristoff was viewed in the eyes of others, and I understood why, but I couldn't
help but feel uncomfortable when I heard such blatant words.
“I know you don’t like Kristoff, but it doesn’t look like you’re going to say that.”
Perhaps Jeong Tae-eui's uncomfortable feelings were revealed in those words.
Yohan glanced at Jeong Tae-eui, munched on his food in silence for a moment, swallowed it,
and then picked up a napkin to rub the corners of his mouth as if he had finished eating. And
then he looks straight at Jeong Tae-ui. As usual, not cold, but with eyes that keep a cool
head.
“I don’t know what you think, but I don’t hate Kristoff. Even though I don't want to get close to
him or get close to him when I see him throw fits and try to slaughter people sometimes, I
don't hate him. If I had to really ask, I would say that I like him rather than dislike him - but
that's not to say, I don't even like him that much - And although I really enjoy talking about
other people’s backstories, I’m not so twisted as to say bad things about people I don’t even
dislike.”
John said with his face wrinkled. He didn't seem offended by Jeong Tae-ui's words. As
always, the tone is light and lively.
“But not that guy. When I think of him, I feel pitiful and sad, but it's hard to be happy with that
personality. ...Or even if you become happy, the form of that happiness is not what you
normally think of.
“It’s quite different from what it looks like.”
John shrugged his shoulders. As if there was nothing he could do and there was no
relationship.
At that moment, he quickly recognized the dessert placed on the tray that the waiter was
carrying, his eyes lit up, and he ended his conversation indifferently.

“No matter what, it’s not a problem that someone can handle for you. ...Is it millefeuille?
Crème brûlée? “It would be nice if it was something refreshing like sorbet.” I stared at Yohan,
whose interests had already completely changed in my mind.
It's not wrong. I just didn't want it to be like that, but the words themselves made sense to
Jeong Tae-ui.
I sighed quietly. Even John's last words were flawless. Life is not a problem that can be
handled by someone else. For some reason, Jeong Tae-ui's taste buds became bitter and he
scratched his head.
It was then.
Suddenly, I felt a stinging sensation around my forehead, so I turned my head slightly to the
side and saw Illay looking at me. It seemed like they had finished eating too.
I don't know how long I've been watching, but my eyes meet the person who was looking this
way.
“......?”
Jeong Tae-ui looked at him curiously. A glance flew out from behind the glasses. I feel
strange even if I avoid eye contact, so I look at him intently. It wasn't until a few seconds
after our eyes met that it occurred to me that they were staring at each other like that in a
crowd of people, but by the time that thought occurred to me, the snowball fight had already
begun.
It was time to widen my eyes and look at him, on the borderline between glaring and staring.
“But let’s see about that... right. “I heard that Kristoff’s friend is staying, so it seems to be that
young man.”
Suddenly, I felt eyes focusing on me, huh? And I looked back. Everyone was looking at
Jeong Tae-ui with strange eyes.
"uh? ......huh?"
After blinking and looking around for a few seconds, he realized that the old man had also
spoken to him.
I quickly turned my head and said, “Ah, yes.” He answered politely, quickly putting on a
smile. But it was already too late.
The old man smiled warmly and asked.
“Okay, let’s see if you have something to say to Rick. “I saw you looking at me like that.”
"yes? No, that’s it…”
Jeong Tae-eui was startled and began to sweat as he looked at the old man and Il-lay in
turns. This way, if anyone sees me, they will think that I was caught secretly looking at Illay.
“Rick was looking at me...”
As Jeong Tae-ui stuttered, Illay raised her eyebrows. He opened his eyes wide in confusion,
as if asking, ‘Me?’ and then burst into laughter. That expression was like, ‘I’ve never been
like that, but since you’re like that, I’ll just keep quiet.’ It's an expression that can be read that
way in anyone's eyes.
No, I really... he muttered before closing his mouth. I was so upset that I was beating my
chest, but it was clear that it was only counterproductive.
Jeong Tae-eui changed his mind.
He spoke with a very straight face and a serious face, slowly looking at the old man and Ilei.
“It’s something I’ve always thought about, but today, I was drawn to the exceptionally
sophisticated and cool look, and the politeness and sincerity with which the elderly were
treated. “I was just a temporary visitor to this house, so I wanted to keep it in my mind,
thinking about when I might see him like this again.”
The only lies are the first three words. The rest was pure truth. As far as the word goes.
When will we be able to see that guy again, dressed up as a polite, polite, and intelligent
young man? It would be a waste not to take a closer look now.
As soon as he finished speaking, Taeui Jeong looked at Illay again. Open your eyes wide.
There was silence for a moment. Illay silently looked at Jeong Tae-ui, and Jeong Tae-ui also
looked at him. People's gazes also shifted between them.
What broke the silence was the old man's laughter.
“Hehe, yeah. Riglow is a young man who attracts a lot of attention. “I have eyes to see.”
As the old man smiled kindly, Jeong Tae-eui felt like making an excuse for a moment,
saying, ‘That’s not it.’ But he decided to keep his mouth shut.
Next to the old man, Illay looked at Jeong Tae-ui for a moment longer, then turned his head
slightly, raised the corners of his mouth faintly, and spoke to the old man.
“Since you gave me such an undeserved compliment, I would like to meet and say hello
again later.”
While the old man was the only one smiling and saying, "I guess that's right," the others
were still silent. There was no one among them who did not hear those words as ‘I’ll see you
later.’ Even Jeong Tae-ui.
Damn it, why do I always lie down on the turf myself?
The old man's question moved to the next question from Jeong Tae-eui, whose face turned
earthy and his head was lowered.

Jeong Tae-eui was determined that if Illay ever said those words later, he would definitely
claim that those words were pure compliments, so he scooped up the lemon sorbet that was
served for dessert (it seemed like Yohan was lucky enough to eat it).
Like an angry person, Jeong Tae-eui finished the sherbet in just a few spoonfuls before
glancing at Illay. This time, I was careful not to have an overt snowball fight.
Illay, too, had his head turned towards the young man who was currently being questioned
by the old man, and his eyes were focused on Jeong Tae-eui. He has his arms on the
armrests and supports his chin and mouth with his clasped hands.
I couldn't see it in detail, but somehow the eyes seemed to be smiling.
Suddenly, something hot rose up in his chest, and Jeong Tae-eui snatched the dessert bowl
from Yohan, who was happily eating dessert next to him, and swallowed the cold sherbet in
one mouthful. Yohan next to me
I cried, but I pretended not to notice. This guy would probably call the waiter and ask for
another bowl anyway.
My face became hot for no reason.
The smile in that gaze with narrowed eyes is somehow awkward. So I never looked in that
direction again.
In the meantime, the old man seemed to be talking to each and every young person sitting at
the table. The old man looks at Kristoff, who is in his last turn.
“Okay, Chris. “How are you doing?”
When the old man asked, Kristoff only then raised his gaze slightly and faced him. The face
facing the old man with transparent eyes looks surprised, as if he didn't expect that he would
even talk to him.
However, as soon as he saw the old man's calm smile, Kristoff lowered his gaze again.
“Thanks to you, I am doing well.”
A slightly lower and calmer voice than usual.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Kristoff, who was listening to the old man's voice with his head
down. Now he was a beautiful and pure young man.
“If he continues like that, who will think he’s crazy? It would be much better if he continued
like that in the future.”
As Jeong Tae-eui muttered to himself, Yo-han, who, as expected, had received a new
sherbet from the waiter, muttered next to him.
“Wrong, wrong. Basically, the perception of a person is once captured and it is over. “Do you
think the word label is scary for no reason?”
I pinched the back of John, who said grumpily, “Once a guy has ugly hair on him, he looks
hateful no matter what he does.”
“I heard you’ve joined T&R’s mobile squad now. So what are you doing these days?”
The old man asked, looking closely at Kristoff's face. As with everyone else, his face
revealed his unconcealed affection for his nephew.
It was fair affection for everyone. From the grandson whom the world said was the most
outstanding to the grandson who was feared and loathed by the world, he gave his fair share
of love.
“I’m taking a break right now.”
Kristoff answered hesitantly. The old man nods, saying yes.
The meal was almost over. If you just look at it as food, it's already over. However, the meal
continued as the conversation between the old men and women continued.
As if it was time to end the evening, the old man asked for the cane that had been leaning
next to the pillar. Watching Kristoff quickly get up and bring him the wand, Jeong Tae-eui
also stood up.
Today's work is now over. You can just go to your room and rest, either sleeping or reading a
book. Jeong Tae-ui started walking, thinking, “Or maybe I should watch a movie or
something.”
In the chaotic atmosphere where other people were standing up one by one, Jeong Tae-eui
glanced at Kristoff, who was standing next to the old man calmly like a good boy. Pick, smile
It ended.
It was then. The old man, who was turning to leave the restaurant with his cane, suddenly
looked at Kristoff thoughtfully. Kristoff looked at the old man curiously, but as soon as their
eyes met,
I look down awkwardly.
The old man spoke in a rather quiet voice.
“Now that I think about it, your mother said she wanted to come in time for the succession
day. “I told you to do that.”
It was that moment.
Crispy.
Jeong Tae-ui seemed to hear the sound of something breaking.
The sound came from within Kristoff's eyes.
The snow, which had frozen in an instant and was wide, was cracking like ice. On a face that
has become white and pale.
***
Should I take a walk around the forest in the evening?
Jeong Tae-eui thought as he looked down at the forest far away.
The forest surrounding the back of the mansion and facing the majestic mountain range
became denser as you went deeper, but the path was well-paved to some extent in the
middle.

In addition to easy walking trails, there is also a horseback riding course, so Kristoff would
often go horseback riding there.
Jeong Tae-eui also sometimes took a walk there when he had time in the evening.
Perhaps because most people only use it as a horseback riding course, Jeong Tae-eui, who
was walking along the trail, has never encountered anyone else there. The sound of horses
running in the distance could only be heard occasionally.
“Okay, I guess I should go for a forest bath in the evening. “It will relieve some of your mental
and physical fatigue.”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered, feeling sorry for his mind and body that had been devastated
without knowing it since he came here.
That forest was very wonderful. Oak trees and oak trees, which are rare in Germany, filled
the forest in a spacious and dense manner. Lying under a tree and looking up at the leaves
covering the sky was enough to make me forget everything.
There was a birch forest behind the house in Berlin, but the oak forest here was more dense
and quiet.
“It’s rare to see such a fine forest in private ownership. “If he goes to the forest, I can
understand why he doesn’t come back for a while.”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered as he looked down at the entrance to the forest, which was less
than a few minutes away from the mansion.
Kristoff was still in the forest. Several hours had already passed and he still hadn't returned.
......And just a little while ago, Jeong Tae-eui had just finished wiping his study, which was
covered in blood, and had just come out to take a breather.
Kristoff was unstable. From the beginning, there were unpredictable and dangerous corners,
but in the last few days, it has increased significantly.
Today, if it were like any other time, it wouldn't have gotten that big.
While Kristoff was away for a moment, a courier brought a message from the main building.
Perhaps because it was something that needed an urgent reply, the courier tried to leave a
note with a message on Kristoff's desk when he was not in the room. At the same time, he
seemed to have been rummaging through Kristoff's drawers looking for a writing utensil to
write a quick reply.
Luckily, Kristoff came back at that time.
I muttered that my head hurt since morning and that my ears kept ringing, and I was nervous
and didn't know what to do in my room, and eventually I went to get something more
effective than the headache medicine I had.
I was on my way back from the main building.
Jeong Tae-eui followed him as soon as he received the medicine, wondering if he might
have chewed more than the allowed amount on the spot - something like that happened
once the other day.
This time, when he saw that he had received several times more medicine than he needed,
he frowned and said, ‘I’ll keep it for you, so why don’t you ask for it whenever you need it?’
But Kristoff didn’t even listen. Jeong Tae-ui kept his mouth shut, feeling that it would be
dangerous to stimulate him further, as he had been in a bad mood ever since he woke up,
probably because he had a bad dream. Later, when he feels better, I think I will try to steal
the medicine somehow.
It was that time.
As soon as he returned to Seoik, Kristoff, who couldn't stand it all the way to his room,
popped several pills into his mouth and chewed them with a pale face as he headed towards
the study, and found the door open.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was following a few steps behind, saw Kristoff slowing down for a
moment and realized the door was open.
Kristoff thought he might stop for a moment, but then he hurried forward. With an
expressionless face, he violently pushed open the half-open study door.
When the door suddenly opened, the waiter inside turned around in surprise. He opened the
drawer and was rummaging through it.
‘Ah..., you came. I thought it would be rude to leave a note and go back, but I looked for a
writing utensil for a moment...'
The courier was embarrassed and couldn't finish his explanation as if making excuses.
‘Why did you come in freely?’
Kristoff said softly. The gaze looking at the courier was cold.
The courier was frightened. He seemed to have foolishly remembered Kristoff only now.
What kind of person is he?
‘You said it was an urgent, urgent message, so I will deliver it right away.’
‘Did I say it was okay for someone to come into my room?’
‘S-sorry. I just wanted to deliver a message... Ah, that message was sent by Christophe’s
great-uncle-.’
The courier was in tears and hurriedly tried to talk back. But the words didn't seem to be
heard.
Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue, and before he could say anything, Kristoff approached him.
Without saying another word or listening, he strode forward to the desk where the courier
was standing trembling, and took whatever he could find from the cabinet along the way.
It was a porcelain doll. A hat statue that is about knee height.
There was no time to dissuade him.
Kristoff approached the pale, motionless courier with his eyes wide open, and struck him
down without even blinking.

With a loud bang, the porcelain doll shattered. The head, baby, body, arms and legs of the
elegant mother holding the young baby lost their original form and were scattered into
numerous pieces. covered in blood
The courier screamed and crouched down on the spot, holding his head. Red blood trickled
down between the fingers clutching his head.
Kristoff looked down at him coldly. Not only that, he hit the courier again and again with the
porcelain doll that was still half in his hand. The sudden death was covered in blood and my
voice was hoarse from screaming.
until.
Jeong Tae-eui hardened his face and ran towards him. I grabbed his arm and violently
pushed him away.
‘Stop it, Chris!’
‘I would have told you not to touch me.’
Kristoff said coldly. It's not the strange twitching and unfocused bluish eyes that are rarely
revealed. He was looking at them with perfectly normal reason - with a somewhat cooler and
calmer mind than usual.
He raised his hand. Now it had shrunk to the size of a large glass cup and he threw the
remaining piece of pottery in his hand at Jeong Tae-eui. Harder.
The ceramics flew right past the spot where Jeong Tae-eui's head, which he flinched and
avoided, hit the wall behind it and shattered into pieces.
There were no more porcelain dolls left. There were only bloody pieces scattered here and
there.
Jeong Tae-eui, who would have definitely not succeeded if he had been hit, looked down at
the broken pieces behind his back with a stern expression, then looked back at Kristoff. At
that moment, he frowned and shouted.
'chris! ‘You, hand!’
Kristoff's hand was a torn mess. It was understandable since he grabbed the broken
ceramics and swung it several times, but his expression was so calm that Jeong Tae-ui didn't
realize it.
‘Damn it, what kind of person would hurt others even at the cost of hurting themselves, you
idiot!’
Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue and approached him.
Kristoff did not answer but just looked at Jeong Tae-eui. With strange eyes.
However, when Jeong Tae-ui asked to show his hands, he turned around and left the study.
Jeong Tae-eui was trying to chase after him, but when he saw the courier behind him,
crouched in blood and groaning, he approached him.
In the end, Kristoff did not return until someone was called and the sudden death was sent to
the hospital.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was standing in a daze in front of the study covered in blood and littered
with pottery pieces, heard in passing that he had gone into the forest on horseback and
hurled a barrage of insults at the owner into the empty room.
‘Make a person look like that and ride a horse for fun?! Oh my, you crazy person. Look at
what this room looks like. ‘Do you think my blood isn’t mixed in there?!’
So, after hurling all the swear words I could think of in the empty room, I grumbled that I
must have healed my hand and started cleaning the study.
A considerable amount of time had passed since I had thoroughly cleaned the entire room,
looking for debris that may have been scattered in unseen places.
While I was cleaning up, I put a band-aid on the tip of my finger, which was slightly scratched
by a piece and had a drop or two of blood on it. While I was wiping the bloody floor, I clicked
my tongue when I saw the blood staining the knee of my pants. After cleaning up the entire
room, I was truly exhausted both physically and mentally.
I started craving cigarettes, which I had almost quit during my stay in Berlin.
Jeong Tae-eui, who remembered the majesty of this mansion, which was too far from the
outer door to go out to buy cigarettes, thought for a while and went to see Yo-han. I didn't
know if he smoked or not, but I didn't.
If he smoked, he would at least know more people than Jeong Tae-ui, so he planned to tell
him to get a cigarette from anywhere.
Yohan, who was momentarily startled when he saw Jeong Tae-eui wearing blood-stained
pants, said that although he doesn't smoke much, he probably had something his friend left
behind a long time ago, so he sat in the drawer for a while.
He searched through the desk and even the closet and finally pulled out a pack. It was
almost new, with only one empty cigarette.
Jeong Tae-eui was looking for a suitable place to smoke a cigarette, thinking, "Let's
chain-smoke while speeding up." The place he ended up in was the place where he is
currently standing. The view is nice, overlooking the forest far away.
A place where the wind blows well.
It is a rest area with a simple hanging garden at the top of the simple tower that connects the
west wing to the main building.
Originally, the main building, east wing, and west wing were intended to be built as one
building, but due to structural and functional problems, three separate buildings were built.
Instead, a building was built to connect the buildings so that each floor could be easily
accessed. It was this simple tower.
I heard that the simple tower between the east wing and the main building is symmetrical
and has the same structure.
The only function of the simple tower was to connect the main building with the east and
west wings, so the lower floors of this rooftop consisted entirely of corridors. A small artificial
garden like this is set up on the rooftop, and it can be seen far away.
It was designed to be a good place to look out, feel the wind, and take a breather.
In other words, it was perfect for smoking in a place where there was a lot of wind outside,
but it wasn't too visible to other people. Moreover, it is perfect for people who like to chain
smoke like Jeong Tae-eui now.
There is no place.
“There’s a problem...”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered, “There’s something wrong with that guy.” He was smoking his
second cigarette.
 Almost everyone is afraid of Kristoff. Even those who didn't hate him didn't want to get close
to him. It's worth it.
Earlier, when the sudden death was covered in blood and was sent to the hospital, the
people who contacted the hospital and arranged transportation were horrified and clicked
their tongues, but were not surprised that such a thing had happened. This means that such
things happened often.
"....... after......."
He raised his head to the sky and blew out cigarette smoke. Meanwhile, the second set of
cigarettes was almost completely burned out.
Without hesitation, Jeong Tae-ui took out another cigarette and lit it. Maybe it's because it's
been a while since I smoked, but my throat is already sore.
It was that time.
A group of people could be heard coming up from underneath the simple tower, which was
open except for its basic structure.
It's the sound of children.
I listened closely to see if they were crossing to another building through the simple tower,
but they were coming upwards.
I thought that I might fall into the building from this floor below, but the footsteps passed the
lower floor and started to go up further.
Jeong Tae-ui hurriedly put out his cigarette. Even if you're an adult, you can't keep smoking
while the kids are coming.
I quickly put out a cigarette, put the cigarette into the cigarette pack, and waved it in the air.
The cigarette smoke that stayed for a while soon disappeared. At the same time, I heard
small footsteps running up the last flight of stairs and landing on the rooftop.
"uh."
"uh......."
I had already heard their presence and knew they were coming, but when I saw them, I was
surprised and thought, ‘Huh. ' I felt like I should pretend to be surprised, following the child
who stopped walking.
The girl who came up first was followed by four or five children. They also see Jeong Tae-ui
standing there and shout, uh, uh.
“Are you all here to hang out? “We get along well.”
Jeong Tae-ui said with a smile. They were all familiar kids. These are the next succession
candidates taught by Kristoff.
These children are still only a few years old and have to compete fiercely from such a young
age. It was also like Christoph or Richard in the past.
“Hey, I don’t play with him. “He only wants to see the books he’s meeting.”
“I’m better than you just playing puzzle games on a random day!”
As soon as Jeong Tae-eui said that they got along well, each child started talking, pointing at
someone and saying, "I don't play with him, he's not fun." Jeong Tae-eui smiled at them.
Richard and Christoph would not have been like this. I thought that even at this age, their
relationship would not have been much different from now.
Jeong Tae-eui smiled among them and said, “The reason you keep losing to Wolf is because
you don’t know the tricks. I’ll teach you later.” I looked at Oliver who said. Now he was just
walking around without a problem, with a large piece of gauze on the back of his head.
“Oliver, are you okay with your injury?”
When Jeong Tae-ui asked, Oliver immediately nodded. Clear eyes look up at Jeong Tae-eui.
“Only when I reapply the medicine does it seep in and hurt a little, but other times it’s fine.”
"okay. ...You must have been very surprised.”
Then Oliver wrinkled his nose. After hesitating and saying, “Ugh,” I shook my head, smiling
with a frown on my face. Jeong Tae-ui stroked his head carefully.
It was then.
Richard appeared on the rooftop somewhat later than them. And Illei, who always goes with
Richard, appears next to him as he wanders around the mansion.
The moment Jeong Tae-ui saw Illay, he muttered to himself, “Ugh.” On the other hand, he
slightly widens his eyes and smiles faintly. I was bored when I met you. You seemed like a
smile and I wanted to step back.
“What brings you here?”
Richard gathered the children with a wave of his hand and greeted Jeong Tae-eui. After that,
Illay looked around at the surrounding scenery and then gave his gaze. I raise my eyebrows
slightly. “I came here to smoke.”
The kids who ran first didn't know either, but they were the last ones to show up, like this
dog.
However, there is no reason to be dishonest just because you smoked it. Jeong Tae-ui
shrugged his shoulders, wondering what that was.
“From alcohol to cigarettes....”

Illay clicked his tongue and turned his head. That's basically Jeong Tae-eui being scolded
for liking beer - a bit too much.
But that was then. Illay, who was turning his head, stopped. And then he looked downwards.
“......?!”
In an instant, the gaze became desolate. He paused, as if he was about to take a step in this
direction. In an instant, those pitch-black eyes become as cold as ice, and Jeong Tae-eui is
startled. However, the next moment, Illei stared down for a moment more and clicked his
tongue disapprovingly.
“Where did you come from with blood on your knees...?”
While muttering that, he glanced at Jeong Tae-ui with his eyes. I find the small band
attached to the tip of my finger like a ghost, and my eyes become bleak again.
“Uh, I just got pricked by a piece of glass....”
Jeong Tae-eui spoke quickly and casually rubbed the top of the band.
Only then do they discover the blood stains on Jeong Tae-eui's knee and the children are
shocked.
“Where are you hurt? “How did you get hurt?”
“I have to go to the hospital. “Can you walk around?”
In the lively repair that left no time for people to speak, it took some time for Jeong Tae-ui to
explain that the blood was not his.
Richard, who was silently looking at him, spoke quietly.
“You must be Kristoff.”
The voice was cold and without a trace of laughter. Just like when you talk about anything
about him.
It seemed that the news that Kristoff had sent a sudden death to the hospital had already
spread throughout the mansion. Richard and Illei both looked convinced.
Jeong Tae-eui smiled bitterly and shrugged his shoulders.
I already feel like I used up all my energy for the day just cleaning the bloody floor. I wanted
to avoid stories that would make me feel even worse.
“Ah, but what are you doing here with the kids?”
If Richard had only shown up with Oliver, you would have thought it was just a father taking
his son out to get some air, but when all of these children were brought out in a rush, the
only conclusion that came to mind was that he was babysitting.
“Ah, I decided to teach the kids how to use weapons.”
Richard shook the hard case he was holding. Jeong Tae-eui looked at the hard case and
made a strange face.
"gun!?"
It's strange to say that children are taught how to use weapons, but the idea of ​giving them
guns was also very unexpected.
“Guns... Well, I think it's better to know than not to know, but there are so many other good
things, so why bother starting with guns..."
Jeong Tae-ui scratched the back of his head and muttered. However, his small voice, almost
like talking to himself, did not seem to be heard by Richard, who was already unpacking the
case surrounded by children.
Instead, the person who answered Jeong Tae-ui was Illay, who not only had a good nose but
also good ears.
“These kids need to be provided with bodyguards and taught as much self-defense as
possible.”
Jeong Tae-eui nods, saying, “Ah.”
Well, that's right. These children are especially chosen among the many children roaming
around this house. Then, they would face more dangerous situations than other children. In
fact, even if children know how to self-defense, it is of little use because their basic physical
strength is different from that of adults, but considering unexpected situations, it is of course
better to know than not to know. “I need to take care of myself.”
Jeong Tae-ui, who mumbles like that, was almost kidnapped several times when he was
young, although he has never actually been kidnapped. This is because my older brother,
who was actually kidnapped several times, was a very talented person. Even Jeong Tae-ui,
who has nothing special or has anything, faced the threat of kidnapping, and these children
needless to say.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was nodding, “Hmm, I see,” and looking at Richard and the children,
glanced at Illay. Illay crosses his arms and looks into his eyes.
“Did you learn it too, when you were young?”
If you think about it, this man's house is just as good as this one. It was worth living a life of
having a bodyguard around since I was young.
Jeong Tae-eui couldn't quite imagine what it was like to have someone else always
protecting him - watching over him - and having to learn self-defense techniques or how to
use weapons for his own sake.

But Illay's answer was simple.

"no. “They didn’t even ask me if I wanted to learn.”
"okay? “Compared to Tarten, Riglow seems to have introduced a safer protection method.”
"no. My older brother and younger brother learned it. “My father didn’t just make that offer to
me.”
"....... aha."
Jeong Tae-eui did not say anything more and just nodded.
When I think about it, these kids have about eight years left to live. In that case, it was
probably around the same age that the family over there tried to teach the children
self-defense... I heard that this guy was already swinging an ax back then.
The father must have had excellent insight when he decided that various weapons should
not be placed in his son's hands. Although it ended up being useless. “Christoph.”
Jeong Tae-eui blurted out his name without even realizing it. Illay's gaze lowered.
“Didn’t Kristoff need to learn too? “Did you already know how to use weapons?”
Ilay crossed his arms and slowly tapped them with his fingers. The eyes looking at Jeong
Tae-eui are cold.
“If you’re asking when I learned how to use a weapon, I don’t know, but my personality and
mental state have been like that since I was quite young.”
"okay......."
Jeong Tae-ui nodded.
Richard took the children to the round table in the center of the hanging garden and was
unpacking the contents of the case. Inside was a finished gun, and a bag's worth of
disassembled pieces.
"why. “Is it shocking to see that guy covered in blood from the person he beat?”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Illay who said that with white eyes. Maybe it was someone else, but
I don't think it's anything this man would say.
“If I would be shocked to see something covered in human blood, I would have already been
shocked hundreds of times and become neurotic.”
There were even times when it was one of his regular duties to throw away blood-soaked
gloves.
Ilay nodded, saying, “Ah,” as if a forgotten memory had finally come to mind, as if it were
someone else’s business. Now that I think about it, I guess that's what happened, and I can
see that this man has no conscience at all.
As Jeong Tae-eui clicks his tongue and turns his head towards the forest again, Illay
suddenly opens his mouth with a soft snort.
“I guess I thought it was too easy. There’s no way you didn’t notice his temperament, but
were you fooled by his appearance without even realizing it?”
Jeong Tae-ui frowned slightly and looked at Illay. However, regardless of the gaze, Illay
continued speaking.
“Sometimes there are guys like that. Even though they know everything in their head, they
are deceived by what their eyes show. -Then, think about it. Christoph Tarten was
considered a top guy even when he was in T&R's mobile unit. In other words, it means that
we have received and accomplished many difficult requests. “Don’t you know what that
means?”
Know.
Killing people was not a big deal to him.
“Can you tell me something a little easier to understand? When the Kosovo incident
occurred, he was young, just over 20 years old. And the guy who was sent there at that age
is the guy who is still said to have started the European version of the killing fields.”
I heard that too. The story of standing alone in a mountain of corpses was a topic that often
came up among people who talked about Christoph as a side dish. “Rick. “No.”
Jeong Tae-ui opened his mouth.
What Illay was saying was subtly different from what Jeong Tae-eui was trying to say.
“There are definitely spaces where killing people is allowed. In a special environment where
murder is not illegal and no one is charged no matter how many people are killed, killing a
person is not a matter for others to discuss unless it is a crime committed against humanity.
Whether or not he thinks he's a murderer because of that, there's no way anyone could say
that to him. “Whether it was the Kosovo incident or another battlefield where I was called in
as a mercenary, what happened there cannot be called into question now, and I have no
intention of doing so.”
“That also means that we can be held accountable for the killings that occur here.” Jeong
Tae-ui kept his mouth shut. Illay had a cool smile around his eyes.
“I don’t want to place blame, but my head says something else. It’s a pain, isn’t it? I want to
accept everything as good, but reality and your values ​are not like that, right? “Just like your
brother did when he touched the weapon.”

Illay's voice lowered as he spoke the last words. He bends down and puts his mouth close
to Jeong Tae-eui's ear, and a soft voice whispers so that only he can delve into it. The
moment Jeong Tae-ui heard those words, he faintly flinched.
Illay laughed. I straighten up again and put my hands in my pockets. He continued with a
crooked smile.
“There is only one problem with this situation. It's not that complicated. His daily life and
other people's daily life are completely different. If this situation is a problem right now, it's
because he's not where he should be.
It probably means there is something to do. “Don’t you think so?”
“...―.”
“I—I probably know more about him than you—I can tell you exactly. “This is not the place
Kristoff can be.”
Jeong Tae-ui looked at Illay. No words came out of my mouth. I couldn't think of anything I
wanted to say. All I can do is listen to those words that cannot be refuted.
Illei took a step forward. With the children sitting around, I walked to where Richard was
assembling the disassembled gun and showing it off. Jeong Tae-eui stood there silently for a
moment and then followed him.
The children were looking closely at Richard's fingertips. As his hand attaches the spring to
the hammer and adjusts the sight to the barrel, he watches without blinking, as if he doesn't
want to miss every single detail.
The disassembled gun was slowly reassembled and then released again. And I asked the
children, ‘Can you do it?’ The children nodded. However, seeing the child vaguely nodding
his head and saying, ‘I think I can probably do it,’ Richard disassembles and reassembles
the gun once more, this time a little faster. This time, not a single child nodded, saying that
he could do it without exception.
They are smart kids.
I was able to understand where and in what structure the numerous parts, which must have
been unfamiliar at first glance, were used.
Among these smart children, only one will be selected. About 20 years later.
“Hmm… what, are you practicing with toys?”
Ilay muttered as he looked at the parts from behind the children who were fiddling with the
parts given to them. Then Richard, who was looking at the children's wriggling hands, looked
up.
“It’s a toy, but it’s made exactly like the real thing. “The power has been greatly reduced, but
the structure and size are not an inch different from the real thing.” “There are no bullets
anyway, so what does it matter if they are real?”
Illay grinned and glanced at the children.
“Five... I guess there were no children who gave up on succession from the beginning this
time.”
Ilay seemed to be evaluating the numbers for a moment and then suddenly asked. Then,
Richard, who had been watching the children turn his head again, looked at Ilay curiously,
and then seemed to understand what he was saying and answered, “Ah.”
“There wasn’t any. “All five of these kids accepted it.”
“In your time, one person gave up from the beginning.”
"hmm. It was John. “He was very smart, so I don’t know why he gave up.”
“I gave up from the beginning because I was smart.”
Richard laughed out loud. “Maybe so,” he nodded, glancing at Ilay with a smile still on his
face.
“Why are you suddenly saying that?”
“We were talking for a moment about the importance of being able to distinguish between
where you are supposed to be and where you are not.”
"hmm......?"
This time, Richard slightly tilted his head as if it was difficult to understand what Ilay was
saying. Then he looks at Jeong Tae-ui as if waiting for an explanation.
However, Jeong Tae-ui could not answer either. You can't answer something you don't know.
“Giving up succession... does it have different meanings depending on the point in time?”
Jeong Tae-ui asked Illay for an answer. Illay laughed. Richard seemed curious about what
was being said between them, but soon answered on Illay's behalf. “That’s right. The right to
have the possibility of succession—that is, whether to give up being a candidate for
succession from the beginning or to give up along the way.”
“How is it different?”
“Should we not be responsible for our choices, or should we be? “That’s the difference.”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Richard in silence for a moment. He then looked at Illay, and finally
looked at the children assembling the gun in front of him, and then spoke.
“It means that there is no disadvantage if you give up your right to succession from the
beginning, but if you give up in the middle, you have to pay a reasonable price.”
Richard nodded. Jeong Tae-ui thought for a moment and then asked again.

“Do the children know that?”

Of course, since I was speaking in a place where all the children were listening, I was
curious about how much they knew and how much they understood. Richard smiled and
said, “Of course.”
“Since the lives of those children are at stake, it is only fair that they are given a choice.
When you first present children with choices, tell them everything they need to know. Will
you participate in the race to inherit Tarten or not? If you refuse to participate from the
beginning, that's it. The child will have no chance of inheriting Tarten, but he won't have to
pay the price. “You can live a normal life freely and in harmony with other people without any
disadvantages.”
Jeong Tae-ui looked down at the children.
The boy, who had quick hands, was already almost assembling the gun. A child with clumsy
fingertips is a little slow.
However, in other fields, a child with quick hands could fall behind and a child with slow
hands could get ahead.
There could not be a person who was superior in all aspects, so it was necessary to
determine their overall superiority and inferiority through competition. This is not a short-term
accidental superiority or inferiority, but an inevitable superiority or inferiority that emerges
after observing long-term competition.
Nowadays, it is impossible to judge which child is better or worse. This is because a child
who is currently falling behind can grow at an amazing rate. Then, as you become an adult
and accomplish the tasks in front of you one by one, you will eventually develop a firm
difference that everyone - even you - can't help but acknowledge.
Now, it seems like everyone considers Richard the most superior.
“That means there is a disadvantage if you give up in the middle of the competition.”
As Jeong Tae-eui asked that question, he thought of Kristoff. As far as Jeong Tae-eui
remembers, Kristoff also said that he quit midway.
Richard looked at the child's almost fully assembled gun and then looked at the floor around
him. Pick up the spring that had fallen below and hand it to your child. The child became
tearful and started disassembling the gun again. Richard smiled and gently told me to try
again slowly. With a smiling face, he spoke calmly.
“Once the child first decides to compete, from then on until they become an adult, the child
can gain all the experience they want with the full support of Tarten. You can receive support
for everything you want to learn, know, learn, or see, hear, or feel. ......Believe it or not, it
costs a huge amount of money to provide the perfect environment for a child. This is an
amount that would be difficult to save even if it took a lifetime to collect it using normal
methods. “All of those things can be provided to those children.”
Jeong Tae-eui gave a meaningless answer, “Yes….” And wait for his words.
“Now… But what if the child gives up on the succession race in the middle of the process?
All efforts until then will be in vain. Of course, not only the funds and the child's own time, but
also the time, effort, and material of others who put in all their efforts to provide everything
for the child are all in vain. So, it is natural that a child who gives up should be penalized
accordingly.”
“.......”
penalty.
The child must give back what he has received.
As he said, what he received from others was time, effort, and material.
Among them, something that can be given back.
“We are recovering the materials that went into raising that child. “Pay that amount.”
“No, I heard it’s an amount that I can’t collect even if it takes my whole life.”
“Yes, in the normal way.”
When Jeong Tae-eui asked, Richard nodded calmly. Jeong Tae-eui looked at him with a
puzzled expression.
“The money must be repaid in a non-unilateral way.”
“It’s at that person’s discretion.”
The words were concluded so concisely that Jeong Tae-ui was momentarily speechless.
“Similarly, the time and effort that must be repaid is recognized as the cost of acquiring the
material. ...To put it simply, all you have to do is repay the money.”
A voice rose up in my throat saying, “What kind of bastard’s family is like this?”
Jeong Tae-eui looks at Richard with a blank face and then looks down at the children again.
The second child to complete the assembly was checking to see if anything was missing.
The child, who was quietly pulling the ball, made eye contact with Jeong Tae-eui and smiled
shyly as if he were embarrassed. “Then, if we compete until the end, until a successor is
chosen, we won’t have to repay the cost.”
Jeong Tae-eui asked without even looking at Richard. Yes, he answered. Jeong Tae-ui was
silent for a moment.
“Then you wouldn’t have to take that penalty if you just stayed until the end and didn’t give
up midway, so why do people give up?”
“I guess it’s because everyone has different thoughts. After a successor is chosen, the
remaining competitors have to live under the successor and help him with his work. ―If you
are not confident of being chosen as a successor, but have a personality that does not like
working under others, wouldn’t you think that you would rather be free from the orders of
others, even if it means paying a huge amount of compensation?”

Richard’s voice was calm.

Illay, who had been listening silently next to him, laughed softly.
“Let me tell you something. If you had no chance of being chosen as a successor, you would
have chosen to pay compensation even if it took your whole life. “He is a great man who
cannot work under someone else.”
Richard raised his eyebrows, but smiled and shook his head.
“No way, you’re welcome. And I’m not sure I’ll be the successor.”
“That’s called hypocrisy, not humility.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Richard responded casually to Illay's words with a sneer. Then, children who have finished
assembling are asked to disassemble it again. Then, after we've assembled it once more, I'll
teach you how to use it so that children your age will find it most effective, he added.
Jeong Tae-ui looked at them and was lost in thought.
Just as a person cannot judge another person, one cannot say anything about a structure or
method just because it is unfamiliar to oneself. Any method has advantages as well as
disadvantages.
but.
“If you make a choice at such a young age, there is a high possibility that you will regret it
later, but it seems harsh to me.”
Jeong Tae-eui smiled bitterly and said.
It was a story that could have been swallowed without saying - it was a story that wouldn't do
any good for him if he told it - but he ended up saying it.
But Richard shook his head with that kind face.
“At any time, you must take responsibility for your own choices.”
Jeong Tae-ui kept his mouth shut.
This is the thought of a man named Richard. And perhaps that thought is also the thought of
all of Tarten, who actively – or passively – agreed to continue this method.
Jeong Tae-ui was lost in thought for a moment more, but soon sighed quietly.
It would be good if it happened with their consent.
“Christoph knew where he was supposed to be and where he wasn’t. “It’s just a shame
because if we had realized it sooner, we wouldn’t have had to deal with the issue of
compensation.”
Ilay muttered slowly. There was not even a hint of regret in the voice that was slightly laced
with laughter.
Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue. I just pulled my hair and sighed again.
Illay looked down at Jeong Tae-ui. He looks away and looks at the forest in the distance. As
if he knew Kristoff was there.
“This is not where he should be.”
"......okay. You're right."
Jeong Tae-ui weakly agreed. I was so drained that my voice had no strength at all.
As expected, today is not a very good day. Fatigue is just accumulating in my mind and
body. ...If you think about it, I wonder how many good days there were since I came here.
"okay. that's right. “T&R’s mobile unit, known as a den of madmen, would have been a more
suitable place for him.”
“Oh, right. .......”
After saying that, Illay, who had been staying with Kristoff in that madman's den, frowned
vaguely.
Jeong Tae-eui looked down at the forest.
Occasionally, I would faintly hear a short shout or the sight of a horse running, as if someone
was spurring a horse near the entrance to the forest.
It reminds me of Kristoff, who barely makes a sound and is so good at talking that you don't
even know what he's doing just by looking at him. Sometimes I even thought that he was
talking to me.
He doesn't fit in here.
In places other than here, they come together so naturally.
“.......”
Jeong Tae-ui sighed and shook his head.
I need to stop thinking. If I continued like this, only not-so-good thoughts would come to mind
one after another.

"......however."
After I consciously blocked out thoughts about Kristoff, I remembered something that had
crossed my mind while listening to the story earlier, but had been forgotten for a while.
Jeong Tae-eui looked intently at Illay and then shifted his gaze to Richard. This time, Jeong
Tae-eui slowly asked, tilting his head as if in disbelief, with a look of astonishment.
“I think you said earlier that the person who was offered a succession candidate but turned it
down was John. Could it be that John...?!”
“As far as I know, there is only one John in this family.”
“Ah, now that I think about it, you seem to have gotten along quite well. ...He’s an interesting
friend.”
After hesitating for a moment, the compliment of saying that you are an interesting friend
does not sound very unusual. The translation sounded like it was tentatively saying that he
was also a slightly mentally ill person.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at them with an angry face.
Well, while talking, there were times when I admired how smart this guy was, but that was
separate from the issue.
Come to think of it, I heard that Kristoff was also a strong candidate for succession before he
quit...
“......Tarten...doesn’t seem to place much importance on the character of the person who will
become his successor?”
So, no matter how talented he was, how would the family run? No, but the old man he saw
not long ago seemed to be a very good person. Jeong Tae-ui, who was in agony, did not see
Richard's silent and vague smile in front of him.
On his behalf, Illei smiled and said something that was not very pleasant for either of them to
hear.
“I’m saying there’s a problem with your personality, Richard.”
It was only after hearing Ilay add, with admiration, “You have such great insight,” that Jeong
Tae-eui realized what he had said to Richard.
Jeong Tae-eui's face hardened and he quickly made up an excuse saying, "That's not what I
was trying to say." Richard smiled and said, 'It's okay.' But Jeong Tae-eui felt as if he had
spilled a bucket. A bucket of water that cannot be picked up.
No, it's true that I secretly thought that this man also had a lot of personality problems, but I
didn't intend to reveal that so openly. I was talking about Johann, but why did Richard
intervene?
Jeong Tae-eui painfully reflected on his mistakes. And he glared fiercely at Illay, who was
largely responsible for this situation. Thinking that I would somehow resolve this situation for
now, I decided to turn my arrow.
“But wouldn’t we be able to compare it to the T&R Mobile Unit, which selects people by
ranking them in reverse order of personality? I think there were a lot of problems there, not
only in personality but also in personnel selection.”
I didn't really like the idea of ​avoiding one's own disaster by attacking others, but there was
nothing I could do about it now. Moreover, even if you attack another person, isn't that other
person the cause?
Illay narrowed his eyes, still without erasing the cheerful light from Jeong Tae-eui's words,
and suddenly smiled softly.
“The riot squad that Kristoff was a part of.”
I'm talking about you, you.
Jeong Tae-eui shouted loudly in his heart, but he muttered as if it was someone else's
business, as if he had nothing to do with that place.
“Besides, those problematic personnel... they are all people I know a lot from, but the one I
single out among them is my older brother. “Yeah, I thought it was a bit problematic too... I’ll
tell you about it later.”
omg.......
It feels like I spilled another bucket of water.
No, what I want to say is words, Jeong Tae-ui said, picking up words again.
What I want to talk about is the problem with your personality.
“So, what can I say, about that personality that I only heard through rumors that he was very
famous in the European branch of UNHRDO in the past.”
“Aha... Well, there was a bit of a problem with the personnel there. “I actually had no
intention of becoming an instructor at that organization, and I didn’t even know I would be
hired as an instructor.”
"yes! “There is a huge problem with appointing people to key positions based solely on their
abilities without considering their character!”
“It was because it was related to arms brokerage, but anyway, the person who secretly
pushed me to take that position was one of the instructors at the Asia branch. Jeong..., who
was it...”
“.......”
Let's just keep our mouths shut. I will break all the remaining water jars.
Richard, who was sitting next to him with his chin resting on the table and just rolling his
eyes and looking at the two people in turn, looked puzzled as to why Jeong Tae-eui suddenly
closed his mouth, but did not bother to ask. At that time, as if to help Jeong Tae-eui, who had
begun to maintain his right to remain silent, a child asked while fiddling with the gun he had
disassembled and reassembled.
“If I pull the trigger here and then pull the trigger, the bullet will come out, right?”

"yes. “I’ll teach you how to insert bullets later.”

Richard answered, turning his attention to the child. Ilay looked down at the child who was
fiddling with the gun and said, “Wait a moment.” He took the gun from the child.
As Richard said, it was a model made exactly like the real thing. Outwardly, there is no
difference. Jeong Tae-ui was impressed when he saw the gun Illay was holding. Models
come out really well these days. Illay muttered, opening and closing the gun a few times.
“As expected, it is much lighter in weight. This is why toy bullets don't work properly. No, will
it get shot?”
He tapped the barrel of the gun with his fingertip and pulled the trigger. Suddenly, a sound
much lighter than the real thing rang out.
“No matter how much it’s for kids’ practice, it doesn’t taste good at all.”
Illay twirled the gun once, held it again, and pointed the gun at Jeong Tae-ui with a grin.
Jeong Tae-eui frowned as he looked at the gun pointed at him.
"stop. “No matter how much the model is, the fact that you are the one holding it sends a
shiver down my spine.”
“Haha, no matter how much I do, I can’t kill someone with an empty gun…”
It was then.
The child, who had been facing the two with a slightly embarrassed face since Illay aimed at
Jeong Tae-ui, shouted urgently when he pulled his finger on the trigger.
But that sound was a step too late.
phut! - With a light sound, Illay’s wrist shook slightly. The gap between the barrel and the
sight of the gun, which had been clumsily assembled by a child, was slightly lifted and
twisted.
At the same time as that short, light plosive sound, “Ah!” came from Jeong Tae-ui’s mouth. A
short, single word came out. Jeong Tae-eui, frowning and bending his back, slowly crouched
down in that spot. For a few seconds, there was silence.
Richard stands up with a puzzled look on his face, and all the children look at him with wide
eyes. Only the child who assembled the gun muttered with a comical frown on his face. “I
was curious about how strong it was, so I cut an eraser and put it in... Are you okay, uncle?”
In the momentarily frozen air, the child approached Jeong Tae-ui in embarrassment.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was crouching down and holding his stomach, was silent for a while
before finally mumbling.
“If possible... I would like you... But, is it an eraser? Why does it hurt so much... Damn.”
As Jeong Tae-eui muttered in a dying voice, the atmosphere that had been tense for a
moment became loose.
The children muttered, “I’m surprised,” and Richard sighed lightly and laughed.
“I was fortunate that it was a model. “If we had had them practice with the real thing, the
distance was this close, and even if it was an eraser, it would have been dangerous
depending on where it was hit.”
“Ugh...my side....”
Jeong Tae-eui slowly stood up, rubbing his side and the middle of his stomach.
It was quite painful.
The moment it hit me, my back was bent because of the shock.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was rubbing his back while muttering, “Isn’t this a bruise?” suddenly
glanced at Illay.
“I was just trying to make an assessment of your personality, and then you end up shooting
me like this...?”
No matter how you look at it, it was by no means Illay's fault given the circumstances, but
Jeong Tae-ui, who had been on the defensive just a moment ago, used his own pain as a
foundation to hang around.
Illay was holding a gun and staring at Jeong Tae-eui.
Jeong Tae-ui kept his mouth shut.
An expressionless face. It's a face that seems to have locked the door on the expression of
emotion, with no idea what he's thinking. I couldn't even guess what he was thinking.
“Work...―, ......Riglow.”
called his name.
Then, as if he had returned from another world, he immediately looked at Jeong Tae-eui with
an uneasy expression on his face.
“What can a person do if they get hit by a piece of rubber?”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him with axe eyes at that line, which was too brazen for the person
who shot him to say without worrying that someone else would say it.
Illay seemed to soon lose interest and lightly tossed the gun back to the child.

“If the barrel is misaligned by shooting a piece of rubber, it is not good enough for practice
purposes. “In a household where you make a lot of money, why don’t you spend your money
on good things instead of wasting money on things like this?” Hey, if it had been good, I
would have been dead by now, Illay only glanced at Jeong Tae-ui, who grumbled next to
him, but did not respond. I guess this is enough to keep me going.
Jeong Tae-ui rubbed his throbbing side and clicked his tongue inwardly.
2. Confession
“Wow... look at the bruise, the bruise.”
Jeong Tae-eui clicked his tongue while looking at his side in the mirror.
A little bit in front of my side and stomach, there was a blue bruise. It will probably turn black
by tomorrow.
“If you do this, your entire body will be dyed with all natural colors.”
Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue.
The colors were already gorgeous just by looking in the mirror.
I had been hit not long ago on my face and elbow, and as time passed, the bruises on each
part became colorful.
Bruises are a pain that is easy to endure. Even if you get hit hard, it hurts for a day or two,
and after that, you don't usually feel the pain unless you graze or bump into something.
Then, it gets better without you even realizing it.
“That’s good, you get better without knowing it.”
Jeong Tae-ui shook his head. Then, I washed off the soap bubbles from my body using the
shower.
Thinking about how a while ago, while mindlessly rubbing, I pressed on the bruise and had
to press it against the bathroom wall for a moment, I gently and carefully wash away the
foam.
“This is not some kind of beaten wife.”
Jeong Tae-ui sighed as he looked at the bruises all over his body.
I looked down at the most recent, warm bruise on my side and gently rubbed it. It hurts even
when I touch it. However, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, you won't think it hurts unless
you press it on purpose.
“After all, a gun is not an object for a person to hold. “Is this what happens when you get hit
by a piece of rubber the size of a fingernail with a model that’s less than half the power?”
If something harder had been used instead of an eraser, or if the model gun had been more
powerful, Jeong Tae-ui might have ended up in the hospital.
Going to the hospital wasn't scary, but if I had to have surgery, it would be a pain. Due to my
constitution, I am not prone to anesthesia.
Jeong Tae-eui muttered and turned off the water in the shower, saying, “The guy who
invented the gun should go down in history and be stoned.”
After wiping my body with a dry towel, looking at my reddish body in the bathroom mirror
once again, and feeling satisfied when I saw myself with reasonably well-muscled muscles, I
picked up a medicine bottle from the bathroom shelf.
My side was throbbing terribly, and I couldn't find anything to put on, so I looked around and
found the tiger ointment that Kristoff had brought and left behind when he suddenly burst into
the room in the morning.
The bridge of his nose wrinkled at the unique pungent smell and he gently rubbed his side.
“If the suspicious text on this bottle of ointment—including tiger bones—is true, the reason
why tigers are on the verge of extinction is because the Chinese are killing tigers wherever
they are in order to save tiger bones to put in here.”
“It’s probably because they captured everything....”
Jeong Tae-eui, who had finished applying ointment while muttering groundless racial slurs,
turned to leave the bathroom.
However, just before leaving the bathroom, he stops walking.
The bathroom in the next room was connected through a vent. It didn't seem to be the
bathroom itself, and the sound could be heard from the room connected to the bathroom, as
if the door had been left open. It's a popular thing that people come back to. "uh......."
Jeong Tae-ui hurriedly put on some clothes. And then headed to the next room.
It seemed that Kristoff had finally returned.
It was already quite late. Dinner time has already passed.
“Hey, Kristoff.”
I knocked on the bedroom door and opened it almost simultaneously.
As expected, I didn't hear anything wrong in the bathroom, and Kristoff was changing his
clothes in there.
It was so late that he didn't come back, so I wondered if he had come back without me
seeing him and then gone out again, but Kristoff was just taking off his riding clothes.
Surprisingly, he is a guy who pays a lot of attention to his clothes, so he wouldn't have gone
out to do anything else dressed like that, and he seems to have been in the forest all
afternoon.

Kristoff opened the bedroom door and glanced at Jeong Tae-ui, who was leaning on the
threshold, staring blankly. “What?” He asked briefly. Still, judging from the way he
responded, he seemed to be in a better mood than before.
“Your hands.”
Jeong Tae-eui first asked what concerned him the most. Earlier, Kristoff's palms were
obviously torn and covered in blood. Kristoff, who was unbuttoning his jacket, paused for a
moment. And then I see Jeong Tae-eui with a strange face.
“Did you come here to ask that?”
To Kristoff, who frowns and speaks in an annoyed tone, Jeong Tae-eui grumbles, saying yes.
Then he looked at his hand.
My hand, which had been bleeding several times from multiple wounds, had - of course -
stopped bleeding. The hand that wrapped the handkerchief twice and tied a knot on the back
of the hand unbuttoned the clothes.
“Did you properly clean it with disinfectant and treat it?”
“This is a common injury, so why are you making such a big deal out of it?”
Jeong Tae-eui frowned at the tone that made it seem like he just wiped his pants a couple of
times.
No matter how much I thought about it, I didn't think it was a common injury, but I decided to
ignore it anyway.
“Try to solve it. “At least apply medicine and treat it properly.”
Jeong Tae-ui approached him and held out his hand. It was only when I saw Kristoff's gaze
looking down at his palm that I remembered that this guy hated being touched by others.
Jeong Tae-ui withdrew his hand again and clicked his tongue.
“Let’s at least take a look. “Try solving it.”
Jeong Tae-eui spoke again, but Kristoff didn't even listen. Instead, he frowned and glared at
Jeong Tae-ui as if he was annoyed.
But suddenly I thought his expression became a bit strange.
He tilts his head and appears to be examining something, then tilts his head to the other side
again and asks Jeong Tae-eui.
“You smell like medicine.”
This guy is also a bitch. ...No, but if you think about it, it would be more difficult not to notice
this strong smell from this close up.
“Yeah, I got some bruises. “Oh, I used some of the ointment you left in my room.”
“Apply some medicine because of how bruised it is. “Look where you are.”
Kristoff frowned and asked me to lift my clothes with my chin.
Jeong Tae-ui lifted up his shirt while grumbling, “I’m going to try to see if it’s okay, let me take
a look at your wounds.”
Kristoff looked at Jeong Tae-ui's side and said nothing for a moment.
“You heard it pretty harshly. “It doesn’t look like you hit anywhere... Who hit you?”
“Ilay.”
When Jeong Tae-ui gave a misleading answer, Kristoff looked at him with a strange face.
Kristoff, who had been tilting his head for a moment with an expression as if he was facing
something impossible, shook his head coldly.
"no. “It’s strange that he touched you just now, but even if he had, it wouldn’t have ended up
as a bruise like this.”
Jeong Tae-ui unconsciously nodded at the very reasonable logic. “Oh, that’s right,” I
exclaimed before laughing. Listening to Jeong Tae-ui reply, “It happened by mistake.”
Kristoff didn't respond and just looked at the bruise. Then I click my tongue. “The medicine
was mixed together. “What did you do without rubbing it well?”
“Hmm, I scrubbed it well in my own way.”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered as if making an excuse and began to gently rub the wound again.
“Like a fool, you came in injured somewhere.”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Kristoff, clicking his tongue and cursing him like he was an idiot, in
silence for a moment and then muttered like a sigh. “Hearing you say that, the handkerchief
tied around your hand seems much more unusual.”
“I didn’t get hurt by going to someone else.”
“Self-harm is worse, more!”
 Jeong Tae-ui gestured wildly with his index finger and clicked his tongue.
Kristoff doesn't even know that what he did was self-harm. If I get sick, I don't even think
about not doing it next time because I'm the only one who regrets it. Jeong Tae-ui didn't like
that.
So I added a grumpy word.
“If you have to get hurt, bruises are better than lacerations.”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered, rubbing the bruise carefully so as not to accidentally press it.
Kristoff, looking at the bruise, thought for a moment and frowned.
“The laceration is better. Or a stab wound or something.”
Jeong Tae-ui also frowned at what he said so seriously.
“No. Lacerations or cuts have a high chance of death or serious injury, and there are also
cases of bacterial infection. It takes a lot of time and effort to get better. “In that respect, it’s
better than a bruise.”
First of all, the weight of the words is different. Bruises, cuts, and lacerations. Even if you
look at the frequency of police intervention, isn't there a clear difference?
But Kristoff shook his head.
“Bruises are usually caused by hitting the opponent’s hand or foot, rather than using a
weapon. However, there are no cases where the skin is torn by hand, so there is no chance
of direct contact with the laceration. In that respect, bruises are not good.”
He added, “It’s the worst thing to not only get hit but also have to touch someone else’s
body.”
“......Hmm...So, that’s why you don’t like bruises...”
Jeong Tae-eui licked his lips.
The pain that people prefer - or find easier to endure - may vary depending on the person,
but this is the first time I have heard of this reason. Are all people who avoid contact like
this? Jeong Tae-ui looked up at the ceiling for a moment, lost in thought.
It hurts the same on both sides when they get hurt. There is no wound that does not hurt.
However, bruises do not hurt after a while, as long as you do not press on the wound.
Wounds disappear without you knowing, and when you realize it at some point, not even a
trace remains.
But this is not the case with lacerations. It will continue to hurt until the wound is covered. It
oozes and festers. Even if the skin finally stops being painful, a scar will eventually remain.
Like anything else, a wound is not something you can choose, but Jeong Tae-eui thought
that if he were to get hurt, it would be better if it was the former.
“Well, it’s still better than getting sick without even knowing it hurts.”
Since you don't even know you're in pain, by the time you realize it, there's nothing you can
do about it.
This is because the body does not complain of pain. It's because it prevents me from
shouting that I'm in pain.
Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue and scratched his head. Then I put my shirt back on.
“Give me your hand.”
Jeong Tae-ui said in a sulky tone. Kristoff frowned briefly, but then obediently unwrapped his
handkerchief. Don't forget to say, "Don't touch it."
Fortunately, the injury was not as serious as feared. It must have looked even worse before
because it was covered in blood.
Jeong Tae-eui sighed as he looked at his palm, which didn't look like he had applied any
medicine or received any treatment, but fortunately, it seemed to be healing well without any
staining.
As Jeong Tae-ui muttered, “I’m glad you weren’t hurt too much,” Kristoff wordlessly wrapped
the handkerchief again.
“Now that I think about it, I heard that the sudden death earlier received dozens of stitches at
the hospital.”
“Hmm.”
Kristoff muttered as if he had no interest, but Jeong Tae-ui continued talking regardless.
“It was a bit difficult to treat because of the fragments, but it ended safely.”
Kristoff nodded. However, rather than listening to what he said, it seems like he
half-heartedly disagrees.
Jeong Tae-eui sat on the stool at the foot of the bed. Then, while looking at Kristoff as he
was changing his clothes, he blurted out.
“I saw Oliver today. ...He laughed and played well. “You don’t have to worry.”
As he hung his clothes on hangers, Kristoff stared coldly into the closet in silence for a while.
Then he turns his head to Jeong Tae-eui. There was a somewhat annoyed look on his face.
“I don’t know what you’re mistaken about, but I’m not worried.”
He closed the closet door while looking straight at Jeong Tae-ui. An annoyed light appeared
in the hand that quietly closed the door.
“And I’ll tell you what, I think you’re thinking about something wrong. I didn't even think about
that sudden death. I forgot it the moment I left this room, and only remembered it when you
said it a little while ago. “Don’t get me wrong.”

“Uh, sorry.”
Jeong Tae-eui obediently apologized as soon as he finished speaking. From the beginning, I
had no intention of pushing anything towards him or arguing with him.
“It’s just something that came to mind. “I didn’t even think you would think that way.”
Jeong Tae-ui looked straight at him. Christoph frowns as he looks at Jeong Tae-ui. Those
bright blue eyes seemed as if they were curious about what was sitting in front of them.
“Hmm,” Kristoff let out an uncomfortable sigh and said in a depressed voice.
“It wasn’t just that sudden death, it was always like that. I don't really remember who I did or
what I did. There was no need to think about it. but-."
Kristoff paused for a moment. As if he was struggling with what to say, he muttered while
choosing his words.
“It was just loud.”
“......Like waking up unpleasantly in the morning?”
“Hmm... similar.”
Kristoff responds like that and becomes lost in thought.
He was like that often. No, it was like that most mornings.
He had a hard time waking up in the morning due to his constitution, and was always in a
bad mood in the morning. Sometimes, on days when Jeong Tae-ui went to wake him up, he
had to face Kristoff, who was a rough sleeper, about five or six times a week.
The voice whispering in his ear was constant.
Sometimes it sounded like a loud shout, sometimes it sounded like a quiet sound, and
sometimes, on a lucky day, it was a whisper so faint that it was barely audible. Jeong Tae-eui
was able to guess how loud or small the sound, which Jeong Tae-eui could not hear, was by
looking at Kristoff's mood.
The voice seemed to be a bit quiet now.
“In the end, it’s people.”
Jeong Tae-ui suddenly muttered. I stretch my back as if I'm stretching, but then frown and
say, "Ouch." My bruised side was throbbing. As he bent down again and rubbed the bruise,
Jeong Tae-ui continued speaking with a frown on his face.
“It’s okay if you like yourself. No matter what people around you think. Ultimately, it is you
who decides whether you are happy or not. For example, even if you commit a huge act of
betrayal and everyone in the world curses at you, points at you, and wishes you misfortune,
if you don't care about it and live happily and contentedly by yourself, they can't force
misfortune on you. ...Well, let alone whether it fits the definition of true happiness.”
Anyway, you don't look very happy, thought Jeong Tae-ui as he savored his appetite.
Maybe it's because my side hurts, but my appetite feels more bitter today.
Jeong Tae-eui felt Kristoff's eyes looking at him with strange eyes.
What he said was not comforting. In fact, it is a harsh sell. That's why Jeong Tae-ui felt
uneasy. ......It's not good, it's not good....... It's not good until the end of today.......
Jeong Tae-eui sighs and does not bother to give an example to his words.
“Look at Illay. There must be one or two people who want to kill that guy. “There are far more
people who hate him than who like him.”
No, in fact, I wonder if there really is a person I like, other than the very few people I know -
enough to count on one hand.
“But he lives well.”
He was not swayed by the words of others, and no matter how objectively you looked at him,
he was evil, not good, but he lived leisurely and well.
Such is the reality of the social desire for good people to be blessed and evil people to be
punished.
Good people may end up living well. However, even living a good life can be difficult. Wicked
people can be punished, but they can also live well.
The world goes back to normal. However, Jeong Tae-ui could not yet understand that this
was natural.
“Yes, I am living a satisfactory life. actually."
Behind Jeong Tae-ui, who was idly thinking about some law spinning in the air, there was a
voice that suddenly appeared like a ghost.
Shocked, Jeong Tae-ui instantly erased the thoughts from his mind. Jeong Tae-eui, who
stopped stroking his bruised side and froze for a moment, slowly turned around with a frown.
“You should show some signs.”

"why me. “I wonder what you’re talking about.”

Before I knew it, Illay, who had been stepping on Kristoff's doorstep, came inside, smiling.
Kristoff, who was leaning against the closet door and facing Jeong Tae-ui, looked at him in
silence.
“I didn’t see you this evening.”
“I came back after resting.”
“Hmm. ...But somehow it smells familiar.”
Illei said, raising his eyebrows. Jeong Tae-ui opened his white eyes and looked at him. As
expected, it was Gaeko.
“Do you know this too?”
Kristoff said in a curious tone. Illay tilts his head. It's like he doesn't know what he's talking
about.
“That guy is the right medicine. I got it from Jeong Chang-in, but he knew. This is my first
time seeing a medicine with such a strange smell. ...But is it really effective? “I’d rather have
bruises…”
Kristoff muttered vaguely and then closed his mouth. Lost in thought for a moment, I glare at
Jeong Tae-ui's stomach, which is covered by clothes.
Illay looked back at Jeong Tae-ui.
"approximately? “What kind of medicine are you applying?”
“......Medicine for bruises.”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered and pointed to his side with his thumb. At that, Illay only widened his
eyes slightly but said nothing.
At that time, Kristoff seemed to remember something and left the room, saying, ‘I’ll just take
a moment.’
Jeong Tae-eui muttered to himself as he stared in confusion at the traces of the man who
suddenly left without looking back.
“I guess you came and left....”
“Why did I suddenly come and leave?”
“Otherwise, there’s no reason to go out. The timing is just right. “The crow flies and the boat
falls… so it’s your fault.”
“......Do you know what this means?”
“It’s not your fault, but it means it’s your fault.”
Jeong Tae-ui asserted confidently and raised his head. Illay narrowed his eyes and looked at
Jeong Tae-eui as if he were dumbfounded, but then he burst into laughter.
“By the way, is it okay to come to someone else’s room in the middle of the night like this?
And not in anyone else’s room, but in Kristoff’s room.”
“Do you know how many years you spent in the same mobile unit as that guy?”
Jeong Tae-eui nods while looking at Illay who snorts. The reason Kristoff doesn't say
anything about Illay's sudden intrusion seems to be because he has accumulated such
experiences. ...I felt a little sad.
Jeong Tae-ui unconsciously rubbed his side and clicked his tongue, perhaps because it had
become a habit. Illay, who was looking down at Jeong Tae-ui, nodded. huh? When I look at
him, he points his chin at the hem of his shirt and nods.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him shyly for a moment, then obediently lifted the hem of his
clothes.
“My side is popular today....”
In front of Jeong Tae-ui, who muttered like a sigh, he looked at the exposed skin in silence.
No special light appears in the cold eyes.
“.......”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him closely as he looked around his stomach.
It doesn't seem very likely, but is it possible that he feels sorry?
Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head.
If he was sorry, he deserved that greeting, but I didn't feel very angry or resentful. Although
he may have felt angry, saying, ‘Even if this guy made a mistake, I shot him and he doesn’t
even apologize?!’ – but he was that kind of guy, so I thought that was also the case – he
didn’t do it on purpose, it was an accident.
I think I once heard in a lecture on human relations that emotionally criticizing an innocent
accident is a typical way to deal with it incorrectly. But if he even cares about this.
Jeong Tae-eui tilted his head to the side and looked at him gently. He smiles and blurts out.
“Since I came to this house, I have been beaten by you so many times.”
 Then Illay, who had been silently looking at Jeong Tae-ui's exposed torso, raised his
eyebrows.
Looking at it this way, it's hard to tell whether he really feels sorry, or whether he's just proud
of his accomplishments.
Our eyes met.
When Jeong Tae-eui laughed heartily, he seemed to frown slightly and then laughed. That
smile soon disappeared.
“So I told you to go back to Berlin. “Why are you bringing trouble on yourself?”
“No, I mean the book...”
"book. “Then, if I retrieve the book for you, will you go back to Berlin?”
Illay slowly approached and sat down next to Jeong Tae-ui. Sit like that, leaving a gap of
about a hand.
He seemed to have a mischievous smile on his face, and although he was saying it as if he
was joking, it didn't seem to be a joke.
Jeong Tae-ui stared at him and scratched his stomach. Then, after pressing the bruise and
muttering briefly, “Ugh,” he calmly lowered the hem of his clothes again. Ilay clicked his
tongue when he saw that.
“Well... then there’s no reason to stay here for long.”
Jeong Tae-eui, who said that, asks after some pause.
“But, why do you want to send me away like that? “It looks like you’ve been trying to send
me away since the last day... Are you really living in two houses secretly?”
The last words were almost like talking to oneself.
But soon he shook his head.
How could someone like that live in two houses? It seemed like if that guy found someone
he liked, he would proudly bring them in.
“Living in two houses?”
Illei muttered in a very angry tone. As if it were the first time I heard the word.
Next to him, Jeong Tae-ui is daydreaming alone, and still looks at Illay without coming out of
his daydream.
“Then I can go back to Korea after a long time. I'm not necessarily in Germany, just at my
house... ......Ah. “I am a wanted criminal.”
As I was talking, something came to mind.
Most of the reason Jeong Tae-ui was in Berlin was because of this man, but to some extent
it was because of Kyle's protective power. It is all thanks to him that he can comfortably live
his pension life as a wanted criminal.
A very absurd look flew over Jeong Tae-eui's head as he was making plans for an uncertain
future in advance, muttering to himself, "What if that happens? I'll try to rely on my brother or
uncle." However, Jeong Tae-ui did not notice that gaze, and his gaze became increasingly
colder.
“Stop saying things that don’t even sound like words. “There is no plan for something like
that to happen in the future.”
“Uh, really?”
With those words, Jeong Tae-eui erased his uncertain future plans.
Something else may happen and the future may become unstable, but it doesn't seem like
that will cause much instability. Few good words came out of his mouth, but he never said
anything nonsense.
“If possible, return to Berlin before succession day.”
Illay returned to the topic from before.
Jeong Tae-ui just looked at him quietly.
Waiting for you to explain the connection between the succession date and your return to
Berlin.
Illay stretched his arms back and sat comfortably on the bed right behind the stool. And he
opens his mouth indifferently. “When Christophe’s mother comes, he will become more
unstable.”
Jeong Tae-eui, who was looking at him blankly, frowned, as if it didn't seem to fit the context
of the conversation that had been going on so far.
“How can it become more unstable than that?”
Jeong Tae-eui pointed his finger at the doorway where Kristoff left.
It's still unstable enough. Although he was showing more of his normal side in front of Jeong
Tae-eui, in Jeong Tae-eui's view, Kristoff was already a sufficiently unstable person. To the
point where I thought that if you were more unstable than me, you would have no choice but
to go to the hospital.
Illay sat back comfortably, looked towards the place where his gaze naturally went, towards
the lighting fixture swinging a little below the ceiling, and suddenly blurted out: “Have you
tried killing a butterfly?”

"what?"
"butterfly. Or yes, a sleepover or something.”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Illay, who was showing his side profile.
I couldn't really tell what he was trying to say with his slightly languid tone.
"......huh."
Jeong Tae-eui answered with a slight frown on his lips.
Perhaps because there was a pond and a large open space near my house when I was
young, there were a lot of dragonflies flying around.
As summer deepened, the dragonflies began to appear one by one, and as fall arrived, their
tails soon changed into bright red red dragonflies, covering the nearby fields.
Jeong Tae-eui ran around with his friends in the neighborhood carrying a sleeping bag. One
of my friends collected dragonflies as if collecting butterfly specimens, and at some point,
when I came to my senses, my friend's net was filled with dragonflies. And many of them
would die before they could return home.
When I saw those dead bug-like corpses, I felt bad, and I stopped catching dragonflies or
butterflies after that.
“When I was young, I would catch butterflies and take off their wings and legs to play.”
Jeong Tae-eui wrinkled his eyebrows at what Illay said.
Illay looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a faint smile in his eyes as he muttered, “No, I didn’t play
like that.”
“When they are young, they play by killing butterflies, dragonflies, earthworms, bean bugs,
etc. for no reason.” “Hmm…there are often kids like that.”
There's probably no one who hasn't killed one or two of those tiny creatures when they were
young. At least an ant. Children are innocent and cruel. There are times when I am surprised
when I reread fairy tales I saw when I was young. Was it this cruel and terrible?
This was despite the fact that it was a book with the same translation and exact same
content as when I was young.
The story, which I enjoyed watching without any hesitation back then, now catches me in
places.
In reality, Jeong Tae-eui sometimes thought that cruelty was human nature along with
sympathy, and that what one learned while growing up only covered up that nature. “If you
look at it in a pure sense, children are crueler than adults. “For fun, I laugh and step on ants
to death.”
As Jeong Tae-ui mumbled, Illay nodded and accepted the words.
“Okay, so will other children be afraid of the kid who kills ants?”
Jeong Tae-eui looked back at Il-lay curiously. Illay was still smiling faintly.
“Then how about this? “If a child kills a squirrel, a rabbit, or a dog with the same sense as
killing an ant.”
“...―.”
“Christoph’s mother was so horrible that she was sick of him.”
Jeong Tae-ui kept his mouth shut. The story that came out of Ilay's mouth, as if he were
talking about an ordinary, everyday story, made my heart feel cold.
“‘How is killing a rabbit any different from killing an ant?’ he asked, perplexed. “My mother
screamed.”
“....... It’s very meaningful that I asked you. “Did we kill them together?”
As Jeong Tae-ui muttered softly, Illay laughed.
"you're welcome. Even so, when I was young, I never killed an ant or a butterfly for no
reason.”
I think I heard that he swung an ax at a friend - was he really a friend - before he got on the
train?
Jeong Tae-ui looked at Illay with white eyes, but then withdrew his gaze. Illay continued
speaking slowly.
“It wasn’t necessarily a problem limited to animals. Kristoff has been a bit mentally unstable
since he was young - in the general sense of the word. I was extremely insensitive to pain.
To the pain of others and to your own pain. ...At least now I know what it's like to wrap
yourself up, but back then there was nothing like that. “They just hurt you without any
reason.”
Like you stepped on an ant. Like you killed a fly. “In fact, there were children who were more
bothered by Kristoff than me.” “That was…,…a bit serious.”
Jeong Tae-ui foolishly muttered in fascination.

Ilay stopped talking for a while. His hand on the bed slowly patted the blanket.
“The problem is that Kristoff was insensitive to his own pain. “There was no such thing as
self-defense on an emotional level.”
He muttered to himself. Jeong Tae-eui lowers his head and looks at his toes.
That you can't feel pain.
I'm not sure what that is like. Even though I thought I knew it in my head, I couldn't actually
think of it. This is because Jeong Tae-ui was not like that.
But suddenly a thought occurred to me.
If you suffer, suffer, suffer, but do not feel it, and continue to be left defenseless, you will
eventually die.
Be it body or mind.
You don't even know you're dying. I just tilted my head thinking it was strange, strange.
“That guy is a double thinker. In some ways, I feel and accept it just like everyone else, and
in other ways, I don't feel that way at all. But the thing about him that thinks in a similar way
to other people is his mother. A mother who feels terrible about herself and is afraid.”
Illay stretched out his voice a little, saying, ‘...your mother is so sad.’ As if we won't talk any
more.
Jeong Tae-ui glanced at Illay, but then turned his head again.
He kept looking at his feet, watching his toes wiggling, then looking up at the ceiling, then
sighing.
“It was a story I didn’t really want to hear.”
Jeong Tae-ui's voice lost strength.
Kristoff may be the same as when he was young. He was purely cruel. They do not attach
special meaning to their actions and leave them in memory.
The man sitting next to him does not attach much meaning to his cruel actions and does not
remember them either.
But Kristoff and Illay are different.
Which part?
“.......Really.......”
Jeong Tae-eui grumbled, “Oh, I really didn’t want to hear it, I just listened to it,” and
reluctantly pulled his hair.
Looking at him like that, Illay suddenly smiled.
“Okay then, Tae-i.”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at the faint smile that appeared on his lips with suspicion. He lowered
his voice a little more. Like whispering in your ear.
“Why did I tell you this?”
“.......You are the only thing in my life that is closely related to a crazy person.”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered sullenly. Then Illei raised his eyebrows slightly. The smile on his lips
was so faint that it was hard to see, but the smile on his narrowed eyes clearly said, ‘That’s a
great answer.’
Jeong Tae-ui looked at him.
I looked at him for a while, who always had a relaxed yet cool look, and then sighed quietly.
“It’s so overwhelming to take care of just one crazy guy... If he continues like this, he might
end up shooting me later.”
Before that happens, we need to humanize it, but the more we learn, the more we have a
long way to go.
Ilay Riglow was still a difficult man to predict.
There is only one thing that can be predicted.
That he would move unpredictably.
It was common for him to throw away things he cherished and cherished until yesterday in
the trash can today.
Looking at things like that—in fact, emotionally, I had a vague feeling that something like that
wouldn't happen—I wouldn't be surprised if he turned his gun on me at some point. Yes, see,
I shot it today too. They say it was an accident, but they shot it as a joke. Point the gun at
me.
Jeong Tae-eui suddenly felt like his side was throbbing again, so he grumbled in his mouth.
"......I?"
At that time, a soft voice came from next to me.

It is a voice that has completely disappeared, with not even a trace of emotion to be found.
Significantly different from before.
Jeong Tae-ui gave him a look. He was looking at Jeong Tae-ui with an expressionless face.
A quiet voice escapes from his lips, as if he is talking to himself.
“Yeah..., yeah. Maybe so. “It might be possible.”
It was only after a few seconds that I realized that his muttering to himself was a response to
what Jeong Tae-eui had muttered a moment ago.
Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue.
I know that's your daily life, but you're saying it so that everyone can hear it. I guess I really
should open a common sense academy for these guys. As a basic step, start with a lecture
on what you can and cannot say.
Tae-eui Jeong said to him, bitterly licking his lips.
“Well, that was then. Anyway, for now, I need to stay safe and live well.”
If something like this happens in the future, you won't have to worry about it for a few days. It
might be good in its own way. There is no longer a crazy person next to me, I can go
wherever I want, and I can go back to my familiar country...
...But when that happens, I think I'll regret the little things.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him blankly.
His black eyes were just a couple of spans away as he was quietly looking at Jeong Tae-ui
with his hand near his temple, lost in thought.
I think of this man every time I see him.
This man's eyes were eerily cold at times.
When he was lost in thought or sometimes talking on the phone with someone about work,
his black eyes narrowed and became frozen like ice.
It was only when Jeong Tae-eui looked into Illay's eyes that he realized that black was a cold
color.
But, guess what?
I knew that from the beginning.
I already knew that this man had a personality problem and that his mental state was
different from that of the criminal. And knowing all that, Jeong Tae-ui was with him. That's
because he's a person named Ilay Riglow.
“Why does it look so good to eat when you stay still like that?”
Jeong Tae-ui suddenly muttered. Right in front, Illay was there, staring at Jeong Tae-ui—or
somewhere beyond him. Closed lips stand out today. “.......”
Jeong Tae-eui suddenly, impulsively, stuck his head out. And then he overlaps his lips on top
of those silent lips.
Their closed lips met each other. I felt body heat on my lips. warm. I suddenly felt the
obvious fact that blood was flowing to the other person as well. Now that I think about it, I
realize how many times I have kissed this guy. It seems like there wasn't much.
But when I savored it slowly, it was quite good. Although it is dry, I like the soft and warm
texture.
“......This is okay too.”
Jeong Tae-eui held his lips like that for about ten seconds, then moved his body back to its
original state and muttered.
Illay's face was still in front of me.
However, his face was different from before, and he was looking at Jeong Tae-ui. This is not
the face that was staring at a place with cold, black eyes that could not be identified as
Jeong Tae-ui's. He was looking down at Jeong Tae-ui, frowning strangely. The hand that was
on his temple didn't move either.
“...... Ah......, this is so absurd. “I liked it quite a bit, but it hurt people’s feelings.”
Jeong Tae-eui scratched his head shyly. Then Illay, who was looking at Jeong Tae-ui with a
strange face, slowly opened his mouth.
“Rather than saying it’s ridiculous, it would be better to say it came out of nowhere.”
“It’s out of nowhere... Is it by any chance the ‘out of nowhere’ that is often followed by words
like ‘bongbyeon’ or ‘horrific accompaniment’?”
When Jeong Tae-ui asked seriously, Illay suddenly rolled her eyes.
“Perhaps the meaning of ‘out of nowhere’ that you know and ‘out of nowhere’ that I know are
not different, but when you say it that way, it sounds very different.”
It was at the same time as he finished saying that.
Illay stretched out his hand. The white, large hand grazed Jeong Tae-ui's earlobe and
generously wrapped around the back of his head. And pulled it.

Their lips overlapped once again. However, it is clearly different from before.
......ah. This guy is right.
It was a feeling that made me think that way without even realizing it.
The tongue that penetrates my lips seems to penetrate deep into my body. I felt like those
lips were going to swallow me whole before long. Or maybe he suffocates and dies before
that.
This is exactly what happened when I locked lips with this man. Even if it started off as a
light bump, I was struggling with the feeling that if I came to my senses, I would just be
swallowed up.
Even now.
Illay cupped his cheek and head and pressed his lips against him, trying to devour Jeong
Tae-ui as if he were a giant wild beast or beast that could not communicate, or something
else entirely. cute kissing
That's not true.
Sometimes I'm scared of this guy... I feel like he's really going to bite me.
Jeong Tae-eui quickly began to struggle for breath, but in a corner of his mind, he was
thinking this. Then, after a little while, I pushed him away because I thought I would faint
from lack of breath again if I continued like this. However, his body, which seemed to have
been pushed a little, did not move. It looks like he won't go away easily.
“Let’s sleep......”
Jeong Tae-eui, who had barely managed to open his mouth by turning his head in his hand
to say a couple of words, was once again suffocated by the lips that followed his direction.
Wait, this situation is a bit problematic.
If I stayed like this, I felt like I was going to faint from suffocation, and even if I didn't faint, I
didn't think this would end if I continued like this, but this wasn't my room. Moreover, there is
no way to know when the owner of the room will arrive.
“Sleep, wait...!”
I turned my head in the opposite direction and shouted again, but this man had no intention
of listening. No, rather, he laughed softly, as if he was enjoying Jeong Tae-eui's
embarrassment. Soon, laughter came into Jeong Tae-eui’s mouth.
It flows in.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was thinking about yelling something and kicking her, kept his mouth
shut at that moment.
Let's wait a little longer and start yelling and kicking.
Jeong Tae-eui liked this feeling.
Sometimes, when Illay kissed Jeong Tae-eui, there were times when something interesting
in its own way was being exchanged, or when something suddenly occurred to him and he
laughed out loud.
When I smiled like that, my lips and tongue overlapped, my mouth felt itchy. A low, soft laugh
seemed to pass straight from my mouth to my ears.
Jeong Tae-eui liked the feeling of eating the other person's laughter.
So I decided to stay quiet for now. Even if those hands start to move unsettlingly around my
waist and below, even if I start to feel more and more dangerous.
wait for a sec. Just a moment more.
It was because I was so distracted. Jeong Tae-ui missed something important.
Although it is well-soundproofed, if you listen closely while reading a book quietly in your
room, you can hear footsteps coming from the hallway. Jeong Tae-eui missed the sound of
those footsteps.
Therefore, the fact that the door was opened was a sudden situation that came without the
slightest warning, even though the person did not deliberately muffle the sound of his
footsteps and sneak up on him.
“I applied this before and the bruises went away quickly. If it’s a bruise, it will heal naturally if
left alone, but anyway…”
The door suddenly opened with a cheerful sound.
At that moment, Jeong Tae-ui suddenly came to his senses, as if he had suddenly returned
from the other world to this world.
I opened my half-closed eyes.
Beyond Illay, who filled more than half of his field of vision, he saw Kristoff standing in front
of him, holding the doorknob.
He had just come in holding an object that looked like a medicine bottle in one hand, and just
watched the two people for a moment.
“.......”
There wasn't even a gasp. Jeong Tae-eui was lost for a moment and looked at Kristoff in
confusion, and although Kristoff didn't look that devastated, he faced Jeong Tae-eui with his
characteristic indifferent expression, not knowing what he was thinking.
The only one who seemed calm there was Illay. “....... .......”
Even though he knew that someone had come in, and even though he knew that person was
Kristoff, the owner of this room and someone he knew, he didn't even look back. No, he
continued what he was doing as if he didn't even know he had come in.

It was Jeong Tae-eui who interrupted what he was doing, putting his hand under Jeong
Tae-eui's shirt and rubbing his back.
“Wait, wait, ......wait! stop!!"
Jeong Tae-eui glared at Illay, who didn't even pretend to listen even after whispering a
couple of times, and pushed him away.
I pushed back with all my might so that it wouldn't be surprising if he fell off the stool, but he
didn't fall off. Still, my body was a bit far away, so I didn't get any closer.
Illay, who was interrupted in the middle of his work, looked down at Jeong Tae-ui with an
unhappy expression.
"why."
“Because Kristoff came.”
Jeong Tae-eui, not to be outdone by the disapproving voice, fiercely fought back and pushed
him away once again. Illay, who was obediently pushed away and took a step back, only
then looked back. “The timing to interrupt is amazing.”
Ilay clicked his tongue and muttered. Jeong Tae-eui once more, this time pushing his waist
with his foot. What should I do about this? A frustrated thought filled my mind.
With that guy's personality, there's no way he would be happy about doing something like
this in my room. Even though I had already tolerated Jeong Tae-eui entering this room, I
didn't think I would just ignore the sight of two men entangled on the stool in my room - or
even on the stool next to the bed.
Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue.
“So, this is....”
But instead of trying to make excuses, I realized that Kristoff was staring at something and
tried to follow his gaze.
There, before I knew it, there was the front of my pants with the buckle undone and the
fastener pulled down.
“......!”
Jeong Tae-eui's face hardened because it seemed like he was blatantly saying that he was
about to do something closely related to the sensations of his lower body a moment ago -
no, he didn't mean to do that - but Jeong Tae-eui's face hardened.
If you think about it, you're at an age where you can understand and move on from what's
going on. I'm not a middle or high school student, and it's nothing to brag about, but it's also
not something to be shy and hide.
What he should be worried about was the fact that he was disheveled on Kristoff's bed stool,
not the fact that he looked like he was about to have an affair. Besides, it didn't show such a
serious scene. At best, your clothes will be a little disheveled and your lips will be bumped.
...The only problem is that they are both men.
Unless Kristoff was an idiot, he would have guessed it already.
When Illay was an instructor at UNHRDO, he went everywhere to find Jeong Tae-ui, and
soon after finding him, he mobilized his colleagues to get him out of the villa of a
high-ranking official in Saudi Arabia and became a terrorist. After that, I moved into my
parents' house, which I didn't want to go into, and even lived in the same house as Jeong
Tae-eui for several years.
It's already become a rumor among colleagues. Not only his colleagues but also most
people who were somewhat familiar with Illay knew Jeong Tae-eui's name. So, unless you're
an idiot - or someone who doesn't know much about Ilay Riglow - you can't help but guess
that they had an unusual relationship. And yet.
As expected, this situation was embarrassing. It seems to be revealing too clearly things that
are known to each other but are overlooked.
Jeong Tae-eui scratched the back of his neck and lowered his gaze to his feet. My throat
feels hot, and it looks like it's about to heat up. But that was then.
"it's okay."
As Jeong Tae-eui was looking at his feet in embarrassment, Kristoff's surprisingly cool voice
was heard. What about Jeong Tae-ui? And I raised my head.
Kristoff was still standing in the doorway, holding the doorknob, looking at Jeong Tae-eui with
an innocent look on his face. It seems like they are laughing at me and asking why they are
so awkward, and it also seems like they are annoying people over something that is not that
big of a deal.
“I am not particularly prejudiced against homosexuality. So, if you’re looking at me, it’s okay.”
"uh......."
Jeong Tae-eui didn't know what to say, so he spoke vaguely and blinked. An unexpectedly
calm and friendly answer came back.
Without realizing it, I glanced at Ilay. He was interrupted mid-way and sat down on a stool
with a blatantly displeased expression on his face. He dragged the entire table that was a
little away in front of him and opened the cigarette box that had been placed on it.

He takes out a cigarette from a wooden box that was placed more as a decoration than for
actual smoking and puts it in his mouth.
Kristoff frowned when he saw Jeong Tae-eui looking at Illay and himself alternately with a
mesmerized look on his face. And he said it as if he didn't feel like talking any more.
“I’m not very interested in other people’s work, and I don’t really understand other people’s
hobbies. And if I may say so, I tend to admire homosexuals. “It must have been a difficult
relationship, but deciding to stay together like that must not have been an ordinary decision.”
Jeong Tae-ui couldn't believe his ears for a moment.
When you hear something completely unexpected or unexpected from an unexpected
person, you wonder if your ears are wrong or if the person in front of you is not the person
you used to know.
Jeong Tae-eui went through Pia's suspicion for a short time, and eventually realized that
Kristoff was not joking and seemed to mean it and was impressed.
I can't believe there was such a surprising human side.
I really didn't know that he was a person who had an understanding of the pain of minorities.
I really didn't know that he would have this kind of understanding when he had no
understanding of the majority of ordinary people.
“Uh...yeah.”
Jeong Tae-ui was a little embarrassed and looked at Illay without realizing it. Illay, who had lit
a cigarette in someone else's room without asking for consent, was also looking at Kristoff
with a slightly blank expression.
He was staring at Kristoff with a cigarette in his mouth, then he tilted his head and looked at
the ceiling. Then, as if he suddenly understood, he nodded to himself.
“Thank you for understanding.”
Although he was impressed by the unexpected aspect, Jeong Tae-ui still didn't know what to
say, so he stuttered and said it. Then Kristoff raised and lowered his shoulders slightly. At the
same time, he looks at Illay with curiosity.
“But it’s unexpected. I was skeptical when I heard that Rick was living with a man. ...I didn't
know that Rick, other than the other guy, would survive abstinence.” Kristoff nodded loudly,
as if he was truly admiring himself, and spoke to himself.
At that moment, Jeong Tae-eui paused with a vague smile on his face.
hmm......?
I felt like I heard something that didn't fit the flow.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Kristoff with a frozen face while smiling. Kristoff sighed and looked
at Jeong Tae-ui.
“If you think about it, compared to a relationship between a man and a woman, where a
relationship can be maintained just by mixing bodies even if there is no respect or affection
for each other, the relationship between same-sex people, which can only be maintained
through the mind because there is nothing the body can do, is purer. You can do it. ...I don’t
think there’s any reason to be so embarrassed and hide yourself.”
Jeong Tae-eui stared at Kristoff in astonishment that was similar to astonishment. As if there
was going to be a hole in his face.
In his own way, Kristoff seemed to be encouraging Jeong Tae-ui. It is another minor surprise
that he is a person with enough heart to encourage and comfort others.
however.......
“My ears keep feeling weird... Or am I just a little dull now? “Well, I couldn’t sleep for less
than three hours yesterday because I was reading a novel.”
Jeong Tae-ui rubbed his ears and muttered. Then, I glanced at Ilay again. He was still
puffing out smoke as he looked at the ceiling.
“.......”
I thought maybe I misunderstood it, but I still felt like I needed to point it out.
“A relationship only with the body... Or, rather, a relationship with the mind only...”
As Jeong Tae-ui scratched his temple and spoke hesitantly, Kristoff frowned slightly.
“Why is that?”
“No...what is it, wait a minute about same-sex sexual relations...”
“Where is the sexual relationship between people of the same gender? Women have nothing
to put in, and men have nothing to put in. ...You sure you didn’t know?”
Kristoff looked at Jeong Tae-ui with startled eyes. And Jeong Tae looks at Kristoff with
astonished eyes.
“....... .......”
Kristoff, wondering how to interpret Jeong Tae-eui's wide-open eyes, clicked his tongue and
sighed.
“Yes, I can even do patting. “If we look at just ejaculation, masturbation or oral sex is
possible - it could also be called sex - but if the body cannot fundamentally mix, it is
emotions that connect the relationship.”
It was a very new feeling to hear such words from a person who had no idea whether
emotions existed or not, but Jeong Tae-eui did not even have the presence of mind to
experience such a new feeling. While Jeong Tae-ui was staring at Kristoff blankly and unable
to say a word, Kristoff looked at Illay, who was just smoking a cigarette as if nothing had
happened.

“I never thought that he would willingly accept abstinence, so I thought that you and that guy
might not have that kind of relationship, but just an unusually close relationship. ...I guess it
wasn’t.”
The voice is somehow subtly grumpy. The mouth twitches slightly, like a child sulking in
dissatisfaction.
As I looked down, my lower eyelashes seemed to tremble slightly. A gloomy light falls over it.
Without having time to think about the reason for his depression, Jeong Tae-ui just stared at
him blankly.
Meanwhile, Kristoff suddenly raised his head and handed the medicine bottle he was holding
to Jeong Tae-ui. And then he spoke with his usual calm and cold face again. “Put it on
because the bruise will go away quickly. There are bruises here and there, it’s ugly. “If you
walk back and forth in front of me like that, it’s annoying.”
Kristoff spoke coldly and stood there silently for a moment. Jeong Tae-ui took the medicine
bottle from him and just stared at him, still as frozen as ice. There was an inexplicable,
subtle silence.
Kristoff looked at Jeong Tae-eui intently—he seemed to be glaring, perhaps because of his
mood—and suddenly took a step back.
“I have to go and eat. ...I want you two to leave my room before I come back.”
I guess it wasn't because of my mood. A cold wind blew in his voice.
Jeong Tae-eui wanted to say something, but his frozen body did not relax at all.
Meanwhile, the door closed.
There was still silence in the room.
The silence became longer than ever, and by the time Jeong Tae-eui barely started to move
his body, almost a minute had passed since the door closed.
“What did Kristoff say just now?”
Jeong Tae-eui suddenly asked while looking at the closed door.
“I think the main point is that there is no love as pure and true as a relationship that
blossoms between people of the same sex.”
Illay answered with a lack of interest.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him in bewilderment as he almost finished burning his cigarette,
then looked back toward the street door.
It seemed like the door would open at any moment and Kristoff would reappear inside,
muttering, ‘I was just joking a little while ago.’
However, even after waiting for a while, there was no sign of that, and there was no sign of
anyone loitering outside the door.
“.......”
I guess he's sincere. It seemed like he was serious and not joking.
But, no, no way.
―I don’t have any particular prejudice against homosexuality.
Suddenly, I remembered what he said first.
Now Jeong Tae-ui was able to shout loudly to him.
No, you are extremely prejudiced.
“...How can you do that?”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered, barely able to support his sobbing body that looked like it was about
to collapse. Shock filled his eyes again. I reflect on what he said a little while ago.
―It could be said that same-sex relationships, which can only be maintained through the
mind, are purer because the body has nothing to do with it.
-Where is the sexual relationship between people of the same gender?
“No, that doesn’t make sense. This seems to be some kind of unique Kristoff joke.
Otherwise...”
Jeong Tae-ui shook his head.
Yes, otherwise there was no way I could have thought that way at that age and in that
environment.
Jeong Tae-ui looked back at Illay. He had already burned out his cigarette, and as if he liked
it, he took out a new cigarette and was checking the company.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Illay with suspicious eyes, wondering if he was the only one who
had heard something wrong. Then, as if feeling his gaze, he put the cigarette back in the
box, closed the lid, and gave Jeong Tae-eui an indifferent look.
“Why are you making such a mesmerized face?”
“Now, to my ears, it sounds like Kristoff views physical relationships between men in a very
platonic way.”

“That’s a coincidence. “I heard that too.”

“.......”
“Why is that?” he glared at Illay, who had an innocent expression on his face. Illay's neck
was sore that he lightly shook his neck from side to side. Tap, tap, the sound of bones is
heard.
“For you to think of me as such a stoic person, our 30-year relationship was in vain.”
Jeong Tae-eui grabbed Illay, who was muttering indifferently, and finally couldn't bear it
anymore and appealed.
“Does this make sense now, huh?! I heard you spent several years in a riot squad full of
guys? Moreover, even when I was called in as a mercenary, wouldn’t it have been crowded
around with people who were hungry for women because of the environment?”
"ah. “I guess so.”
“Besides, look at that guy’s face! That’s what it looks like! It's not like everyone in the world
cherishes art and just stares at it. How can that be? -no. It doesn't make sense in common
sense.
“It’s impossible to not know that even if you just watch TV these days.”
“That guy doesn’t watch TV. “I probably won’t even watch the movie.”
“You read books.”
“What he likes to read is humanities and philosophy books. “The only books I’ve seen that
contain codes of homosexuality are at most a few works of aestheticism.” Jeong Tae-ui kept
his mouth shut.
Although he was so incredibly surprised, this man was extremely calm.
The attitude of saying that it could be so was quite bizarre.
“.......What was it like in the riot squad? No one tried to approach Kristoff? “Isn’t there anyone
there who has that hobby?”
“No, there were a few.”
"however?"
When Jeong Tae-ui asked, Illay sighed, “Hmm.” Then, he taps the air with his index finger
and remains silent for a moment.
Jeong Tae-eui often spent time in situations where there were a lot of men, partly by choice
and partly out of necessity.
It was a boys' school from middle school to high school. The only women are teachers,
students, and cafeteria ladies. Moreover, the place he went to afterwards was a military
academy.
Although they admit female cadets, it has only been about 10 years since that happened.
Although the number of women is small now, it was overwhelmingly less than men.
From there, he went straight into the military to drive piles, stayed there for a few years, and
then retired. A few months later, he was taken to the UNHRDO Asia branch by his uncle. It is
said that there were female members in other branches, but there were none at all in the
Asian branch.
If it weren't for Jeong Tae-ui's tendency to only be attracted to people of the same sex, it
would have been an environment in which pessimism would have been enough.
Because he had been in that situation, Jeong Tae-eui could only see the fact that Kristoff
was so ignorant about that part as a lie or a miracle.
Besides, with an eye-popping appearance like that, there were bound to be people who took
a stab at it. In worse cases, there were even people who tried to rape her.
So, naturally, even if you are not the victim, you have no choice but to know about such
situations due to ugly rumors that come from across the street.
however. A pure relationship maintained only by the heart. Abstinence.
To Jeong Tae-ui, who was almost lost with a blank face and muttering, ‘No, no matter what,
how could that be possible?’, Illay, who had been silent for a moment and thinking about
something, slowly opened his mouth.
“But, think about it.” "what?"
“Then if it’s you.”
"huh?"
“Whenever he goes out on the field, he is covered in blood from head to toe. Sometimes, if
he makes a mistake, he throws a fit and flips out, and his personality is like that. Also,
contact avoidance. Well, how about it? “Would you dare touch it?”
“.......”
Jeong Tae-ui was dazed again and looked at Illay.
The thoughts that had been scattered in a daze came back together one by one.
Yes, if you think about it, that’s true. I have a bad temper, I don't like having people in my
room, and I'm a contact averse person who gets uncomfortable when people touch the hem
of my clothes. Even the ability to slaughter people is outstanding.

"......ah."
Only then did Jeong Tae-eui realize why Illay had been puzzled earlier and at some point
made a face that suggested that could be the case.
Now Jeong Tae-eui is fully convinced. It was unbelievable, but given that man's personality
and circumstances, it might not have been impossible.
“............But you knew about the relationship between men and women. “I’m sure it’s not a
virgin.”
Jeong Tae-eui, who had inadvertently muttered about someone else's sexual affairs, kept his
mouth shut in surprise at what he had said.
However, after speaking and thinking about it slowly, it seemed like that could also be the
case. That contact aversion wasn't just for men.
“.......”
“.......”
There was silence in the room for a while.
***
It was a public holiday.
For Jeong Tae-eui, who was harassed by Kristoff every day and helped him with his work,
whether it was a public holiday or a weekday was no different.
However, the atmosphere in the house was different. Above all, there were more people
than usual in the main building, east wing, and west wing.
Among those who would normally have gone out to work, there were quite a few who chose
to rest at home instead of going to the countryside or playing for the long-awaited holiday.
So, Jeong Tae-ui, who was relatively free today regardless of whether it was a public holiday
or a weekday, was internally annoyed.
Even if I tried to roll around on the portable tower or in the courtyard, it felt more crowded
than usual.
In fact, there were usually very few people, and even today, in absolute terms, there were
not that many people, but since I was used to being in a situation where there were almost
no people, I thought that it was crowded even if I saw one or two people on the roof of the
portable tower, which was always empty. I heard this.
“People shouldn’t get used to luxury like this...”
Jeong Tae-eui shook his head and walked out of Seoik. I wanted to go to the forest.
People used to only use the forest horseback riding courses. I've never encountered another
person on the well-maintained walking path inside.
It seemed like there would be hardly any people there today.
It's not that I particularly dislike people, but when I want to rest, I can't rest comfortably if I'm
in the same place as a stranger.
While I was walking into the forest, I caught a glimpse of a person riding a horse in the
corner of my eye, but it didn't matter. Anyway, the horseback riding course and walking trail
are separate. Whether the horseback riding course was crowded or not - checking the
number of horses left at the horse riding course, it was not so crowded as to be crowded -
was none of Jeong Tae-eui's business.
Taking a leisurely walk..., Jeong Tae-eui had just reached the entrance to the forest.
I saw two people approaching along the path leading from the back of the main building.
Since this road was single, I couldn't expect to end up somewhere else. In other words, it
seemed like they were about to walk down the promenade.
This is my first time meeting another person here. Since the road splits into several
branches, I'll just have to take a different route, thought Jeong Tae-ui, and looked in that
direction. Then, I mumble briefly, “Ah.”
It was Richard.
He walked at a leisurely pace, wearing a comfortable-looking cotton shirt and cotton pants,
and looked like someone trying to relax while walking in the forest on a long-awaited holiday.
And next to him was someone he had never seen before.
The woman was one head shorter than Richard.
If I had seen it at least in passing, I would have remembered it, but given that I had never
seen it at all, it seemed like they were not blood relatives living in Tarten's mansion.
......ah. I see
Jeong Tae-ui nodded.
Now that I think about it, I think I heard at first glance that Richard was dating someone. I
had heard that she was a small, lovely woman across from me at a restaurant.
Jeong Tae-ui looked at her with new eyes.
Just as I had heard through rumors, she was a small and cute woman. The eyes were
exactly like that of a deer. He looks so thin and weak that even a slight prick on his cheek
would make him shed tears. However, the shy smile on Richard's face next to him was very
sweet and lovely.
It's like candy.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.

When I put it in my mouth, it seemed like it would melt and disappear, leaving behind only
that sweet aftertaste.
As Jeong Tae-ui was looking at her, she raised her head as if she felt his gaze.
When her eyes met with Jeong Tae-eui, her eyes widened as if surprised, and she stepped
back slightly from Richard and said something to him. Then he looks this way.
“Ah... Mr. Kim Young-soo.”
When Richard saw Jeong Tae-eui, his eyes widened for a moment as if he was surprised,
but then he smiled calmly and raised his hand.
Jeong Tae-eui, who had been contemplating whether to enter the promenade first, had no
choice but to stand there and wait for them, nodding his head slightly and raising his hand.
Richard immediately approached Jeong Tae-eui. A woman follows right behind him,
hesitantly, as if embarrassed.
Looking at it like this, they look like a really good pair.
The tall and handsome Honam, and the lovely and pretty beauty like a candy cookie.
Suddenly, my heart felt bitter.
Of the two people people think of as rivals, one of them has a pretty lover, a handsome son,
and enormous wealth and power that will come into his or her hands in the future.
However, the other one has a contact aversion that makes him unable to even dream of
having a lover, a pure virgin who seems to have never even attempted to have a son, let
alone a son, and even has a huge debt to repay to his family.
Could there be such a contrast?
“Christoph. “I’m on your side emotionally.”
Jeong Tae-eui grinned at Richard who came closer while muttering under his breath.
“It looks like you’re taking a break because it’s a holiday. “Are you dating this person?”
Jeong Tae-eui gave the woman a friendly look and asked Richard. Richard smiles and nods.
“Are you here for a walk? “A lot of people usually go horseback riding here because the
horseback riding course is more beautifully decorated. Why don’t you take a ride from the
horseback riding club and take a look around?”
“Ah... I can’t ride a horse.”
Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head and spoke sheepishly. Richard then nodded and explained
the walking path, probably because he thought Jeong Tae-ui had rarely been here before.
“The walking trail has four main branches. Each stem has a few side branches, but there are
basically four. If you like water, take the path to the far right at the first intersection, then
continue up the stream and come back... Oh, come to think of it, this isn't your first time. “It’s
been a while since you’ve been here.”
Richard explained kindly, but suddenly stopped explaining and asked Jeong Tae-ui.
“Yes, I come here sometimes. But I don't know much about roads yet... Thank you for your
words. ...Now that I think about it, I shouldn't disturb you while you're on a date. Which way
do you want to go?”
Jeong Tae-eui seemed to be very shy, so he deliberately did not even look at her, who was
hiding behind Richard and did not even raise her red face, for fear of making her feel
burdened.
After asking where Richard was going, he quickly said goodbye and left the place.
If I just stayed still, I heard that it was going to the middle left road. Then I'll go to the right.
The stream is good too.
Jeong Tae-eui walked steadily without looking back once and took the rightmost path at the
first intersection.
I've been here a couple of times before. If you take this road and walk for about ten minutes,
you will see a small stream on your right, as he said.
Jeong Tae-eui walked a few steps and tied his shoelaces again under the oak tree that had
grown close to the middle of the road. And when I glanced back, I saw that the two people
who had followed behind Jeong Tae-eui, following the woman's pace much later than Jeong
Tae-eui, had entered a different trail just as Richard had said.
“It’s quite nice to see such a well-matched pair.”
Jeong Tae-eui sighed as he looked from a distance at the two people who were glimpsed
between the trees and then disappeared from sight. And then I took a step.
The woman had a very gentle appearance. Looks like scared cotton candy.
“I see... Richard liked that kind of woman.”
Each person's favorite type is slightly different, but that guy seems to like the cute and lovely
type. Although it had a slightly different feel, it seemed to overlap with Shinru at first glance.
From that perspective, I didn't know that he and Jeong Tae-ui had similar tastes. Although
there are extreme differences in gender.
“.......”
Now that I think about it, when was it? It wasn't that long ago.
While I was resting on the roof of the portable tower, I ran into Illay by chance - it was an
open structure in all directions, so there was a high probability that he would have known
about it before coming up. After looking at Jeong Tae-ui, who was lying and rolling around on
the smooth, shiny marble floor for a while, Illay suddenly muttered something.

‘Well... okay, if it’s Chris. 'If it's that face, you won't be mesmerized, so it won't matter if I'm
next to you.'
There was no need to answer because he was talking to himself, but Jeong Tae-eui, who
was lying with his head toward Illay, looked up at Illay, who was sitting on top of his head and
was looking upside down.
tilted
That's why you won't be mesmerized--beyond the face, the personality left a strong
impression--but with that face, there's no way you'll be mesmerized. In fact, a face like that is
enough to captivate anyone.
‘It’s strange... I thought his aesthetic sense was similar to that of ordinary people... but I
thought Kristoff’s face was amazing.’
‘Yes, the face is definitely a masterpiece. In the past, there was a joke going around in the
riot squad that if you got used to that guy's face, your eyes would get higher and you'd be in
trouble when you got a girlfriend later.'
‘That’s right, that’s a face worthy of being bewitched.’
‘But that face isn’t what you like.’
Illay said calmly. Jeong Tae-ui looked up at him blankly for a moment and muttered.
'It's not. When I look at Kristoff’s face, I think it’s beautiful, and so do I.’
Illay, who had been fiddling with a cube that the children had seemingly forgotten on the
table, threw the plastic toy at Jeong Tae-eui's face as he mumbled, "My aesthetic sense is
also at a standard level."
Jeong Tae-eui barely managed to catch a square piece of plastic flying straight at his face.
‘But what you like is a face like Shinru. A face that is charming and cute, right, like a candy
cookie. ‘Isn’t that what you like?’
Jeong Tae-eui, who was disorganizing the cube that had all six sides neatly aligned, looked
at Illay when he heard those words.
‘...Now that I think about it, I see that.’
I forgot about it for a while.
After it became useless or irrelevant to consider tastes, I barely thought about it.
Come to think of it, Jeong Tae-eui originally liked a small, cute person who could easily fit
into his arms. So when I first met Xinru, I almost hung myself.
It certainly seemed that his favorite tastes did not necessarily mean that he would be the
person who would live with him for a long time.
It is true that even 10 years ago, Jeong Tae-eui would never have dreamed that he would be
living with a vicious murderer who was rumored to be a madman. Sometimes, when I heard
on the news that a murderer who had escaped from prison was arrested at his lover's house,
I would think, 'Yes, I must have been nice to that woman, but what was she thinking in living
with me?'
This is why I don't care what others say. If I had known I would be in this situation, I would
never have said that.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at the man sitting on top of his head, who looked distant and
handsome on the outside. It somehow got confusing.
Illay, perhaps aware of Jeong Tae-eui's feelings, took the cube that Jeong Tae-eui threw with
one hand, turned it over, and began to turn it without hesitation.
‘If I hadn’t known you had such tastes, I wouldn’t have left you next to a guy like Kristoff.’
Illei spoke gravely. Jeong Tae-eui nodded, saying, “Well, that’s right,” as he watched the
cube, which he had carefully disorganized, slowly regaining its original form. When someone
like Kristoff is next to you, it's quite easy to roll your eyes.
‘But even if my taste was a face like Kristoff…’
Jeong Tae-eui looked up at the bright blue sky unfolding before his eyes and muttered
before closing his mouth. Illay, who had already almost solved the cube right above his head
in that short period of time, glanced at Jeong Tae-ui.
I looked at him, but I didn't bother to ask him what he said.
‘Well, life goes by naturally. Let it be as it shall be, que sera sera....’
Jeong Tae-eui picked up any words and served them. And then I thought.
Even if a person with a face that perfectly suits your taste appears before your eyes, what
does it matter? They and Jeong Tae-eui did not have time to build together.
“... Well... Still, if I had liked a face like Kristoff’s, I might have been a little offended when we
saw each other like this every day.”
Jeong Tae-ui patted his chest and muttered.
After muttering without realizing it, I flinch and look around.
Even though there was no one listening on the quiet and unpopular forest trail, I glanced
behind me and quickened my pace.
Just as Richard said, after walking a short distance, a small stream appeared on the right.
Across the stream that a person of average height could barely walk across without getting
wet if they rolled up their pants to their thighs, this side was connected to the west bank and
was a forest with trails and horseback riding trails, and the other side was connected to a
mountain range. It was a natural forest that had not been touched for a walk.
Jeong Tae-eui, who said that natural forests have their own tastes, went across that stream
the other day and had to come back before he could take a few steps because of the thorn
trees that grew densely between the oak trees.
There is a reason why people don't take roads.

Jeong Tae-eui, who no longer regretted looking beyond the stream, looked at the stream
with regret this time.
When I crossed the river to see the other side the other day, the water was cold because the
sun was not as hot as it is today. Of course I didn't think about swimming.
However, today it was so hot that even in the forest, I could feel the sunlight above my head.
Only the occasional breeze cools the forest.
“A stream this big is perfect for swimming. ......... It would be perfect for the people of Tarten
to take a summer vacation here without having to go far, on a day like today. ......It's going to
be hot that day as well....”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at the stream from the side of the forest where trees grew thickly and
nodded, saying, “Hmm.” I decided to give up on the walk.
You can go for a walk even on a cloudy day, and if you want, you can even walk under an
umbrella on a rainy day, but swimming is not possible unless it is a hot day, as the water is
cold.
I went out from the shade of the tree.
On both sides of the stream, round pebbles were piled up as they came down from
upstream.
Jeong Tae-eui looked around once out of courtesy to make sure no one was there - in fact,
he probably wouldn't have minded even if there was someone there - and took off his jacket.
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to take off my pants and go in in my underwear.
The plan was to take off my underwear and wear only pants over it when I returned home.
I put my clothes on a rock under the warm sun and jumped into the water.
It was cold.
Perhaps because the water came down from the mountain, it felt a little warm in the hot sun,
but it was as cold as ice and rubbed against my skin.
“Ugh…, the faint of heart will not enter.”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered that as he dug into the water once again. Sink your body so close to
the bottom of the stream that even a hair of your head is submerged in the water. The water
wasn't deep, but it was enough to lie down in it.
Suddenly I felt better.
When it comes to swimming, you can do as much as you want in Berlin. Just as there was a
pool next to Tarten's villa, Berlin's house also had a pool. It was wide enough for several
people to swim together.
But how long will it be before you can soak yourself in water flowing in a forest or mountain
like this? I couldn't even remember.
The swimming environment, water temperature, and water quality were all much better than
the pool at home, but the feeling of swimming uncomfortably in such a shallow stream was
also special.
felt good.
Jeong Tae-eui dived with his boat close to the bottom of the stream, as he often did when
playing in the stream as a child. It wasn't deep enough to be considered a dive, but it felt
good to be completely submerged in the water. There is no better feeling than turning your
body, opening your eyes, and looking up at the surface of the water, even if it is only through
blurry vision.
Next time, let’s go on a vacation to the beach.
I thought about Kyle taking his family on vacation once a year.
While I was rolling around in the water, I quickly became out of breath.
Jeong Tae-ui stuck his head out of the water. Pooh, as I stood up spitting out the few drops
of water that were in my mouth, the stinging sun above my head warmed my body.
“Ugh... it would be great if the water was just a little warmer. ......hmm?"
Jeong Tae-eui suddenly felt like something he hadn't seen before entering the water passed
by in the corner of his vision, so he turned his head. And after confirming that something, I
was speechless for a moment. That is. word. White horse.
A white horse that looked even bigger when seen up close was standing right next to the
rock where Jeong Tae-eui had left his clothes, looking down at him.
“.......”
And a step later, I found Kristoff sitting on a large rock by the stream downstream. Those
white riding clothes look particularly hot today. "critical......."
"sit down."
"what?"
As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, Kristoff frowned and spoke. Jeong Tae-ui looked
at him blankly for a moment.
“Sit down, where are you?”
“In the water.”
"......why."
“My wet underwear is sticking to my body so I can’t see right now.”
Jeong Tae-eui, who had just recently remembered looking at his own body while taking a
shower and feeling happy inside himself, thinking, 'If this is enough...', quietly bent down and
sat in the water in front of his cold gaze.

"......cold."
“Then turn around and stand.”
Jeong Tae-eui, who only stuck his head out of the water, looked pitifully at the beautiful
young man who spoke calmly without changing his expression.
“I have a good idea... how about we go the same way? No, this isn't even a horseback riding
course. “Why are you here?”
“This is the road I always take. Additionally, this is also where I always rest.”
“This is not a horseback riding course!”
“I don’t run along the original course. “I don’t want to accidentally pass by other guys.”
Jeong Tae-eui closed his mouth and even dipped his lips into the river water.
Kristoff stood up quickly and walked over to the horse resting next to a rock shaded by the
thick branches of an oak tree. I took out something that looked like a snack from a small
pouch hanging on the saddle and placed it in my palm, and the horse nuzzled into my hand.
Another hand strokes the horse's mane.
It's a really heartwarming sight... but it's cold.
I didn't even think about it when I was submerged in the water, but now that I'm conscious of
it, the water feels like ice water.
At that time, Kristoff sighed quietly, looked at the sky, and wiped the area around his
forehead under his hat with his fingertips.
......ah.
“Christoph. “Christoph.”
Jeong Tae-eui called him in a friendly manner. He was wiping away the slightly sweaty sweat
and looked back in confusion. Jeong Tae-eui laughed very intimately.
“I had another great idea: how about you take a refreshing dip, too? “It’s very good.”
Then Kristoff snorted with an incredulous look on his face.
Sheesh. It doesn't work either.
Jeong Tae-eui again submerges himself in water up to just below his nose.
However, it appears that he was not completely without thoughts.
Kristoff was lost in thought for a moment and then asked Jeong Tae-eui.
"good?"
"huh?"
“Do you think it would be good to take a dip like that?”
"uh? Yeah, it's cool. “It gets cold if you stay in for a long time.”
Jeong Tae-eui slowly stood up because he thought it wouldn't work. It was much warmer
even if I only had water above my waist.
Kristoff seemed to be lost in thought again. He glances at the horse and lightly taps the
horse's nose. It seemed like he was telling me to wait a moment.
And as he approached the water, he began to take off his riding clothes next to the rock
where Jeong Tae-ui had left his clothes.
Take off your hat first, followed by gloves and a tight-looking jacket, and then take off your
boots and set them aside. After taking off the pants that I thought might be uncomfortable, I
finally put on a white shirt without any stains.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was looking at Kristoff without thinking, lost his gaze without realizing it.
Kristoff, wearing only his underwear, unwrapped his watch and placed it on top of his neatly
folded clothes, soon approached Jeongtae.
“Wow...a statue is walking...you look great...”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered with his mouth only half submerged in water. It seems that the words
that came out in a flurry of bubbles were not clear enough for Kristoff to understand. I
deliberately made my pronunciation slurred because I was afraid I would die if I understood
it.
To be honest, Jeong Tae-eui didn't know where to focus his gaze in front of Kristoff, who
entered the stream with a splash and stood there for a moment, submerging only up to his
shins as if the water was colder than expected.
At times, I thought his appearance was truly breathtaking, but when he took off his clothes,
his appearance created a synergistic effect and was incredibly powerful. Although the
slender, flowing body was somewhat thin, it was excellently balanced with the gently curved
lines of the body.
Jeong Tae-eui, who had a strange thought for a moment, thinking, “If I paint that body with a
thin layer of plaster and take a picture of it, a statue will be created,” he looked up at Kristoff,
who had finally started to approach here again, perhaps getting used to the temperature of
the water.
“Your lips are blue.”

At Kristoff's sudden words, Jeong Tae-eui became aware of the cold again. Now I see that
my fingernails are also pale.
“Can I wake up...?”
When Jeong Tae-ui hesitated to ask, Kristoff was silent for a moment, but immediately
nodded, as if his heart had become more generous after he entered the water.
Jeong Tae-eui stood up and sat down on a rock that jutted out in the middle of the stream, a
few steps away. The rock got wet from the water flowing down from above my body, but the
hot sun dried it quickly.
As if they had switched positions, Kristoff sank into the water this time.
In any case, the depth was not even up to the waist, so even if the body was fully immersed,
it was clearly visible from the outside, but Jeong Tae-eui knew that this was not important to
the person who immersed. My whole body with water
The only thing that remains is the feeling of being enveloped. “.......”
Jeong Tae-eui sat on one knee, crossed his arms, and looked at Kristoff's submerged back.
A white back swayed in the water. The straight legs looked as soft as silk. My mouth started
watering without me even realizing it.
Then, all of a sudden, I flinched and ended up wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
"......omg. No, no, no. “It’s not even my rice cake, so I shouldn’t covet it.”
Come to think of it, Illay said that. If Kristoff was a person who suited Jeong Tae-eui's tastes,
he would never have left him next to him.
Jeong Tae-eui nodded, patting his pounding heart.
Even though it's not my taste, I feel so lost at moments like this, and I'm glad it's really not
my taste. Or maybe he'd already passed out by now and was floating on the water.
As Jeong Tae-ui was tapping his heart, Kristoff stood up from the water. When soaked in
water, the platinum blonde casts a slightly darker shade. Perhaps because the water was
young, the blue eyes seemed twinkling.
Why are you like this, me? Wake. I'm not a bachelor being possessed by a fox ghost.
“Is Rick your lover?”
However, Jeong Tae-ui, who had been trying to calm his mind, soon found that there was no
need to do so. This is because an unexpected story suddenly came to me and other
thoughts were erased from my mind.
"......huh?"
When Jeong Tae-ui asked blankly, Kristoff remained silent. The way he lowers his head
slightly and keeps his mouth shut makes him look like he's lost in thought, and in other ways,
he looks angry.
However, there is no reason to be angry after getting in and out of the cool water.
Jeong Tae-ui scratched his wet head. The water droplets that had formed on the ends of my
hair flowed down my hands.
“Are you already in a deep relationship with Rick?”
After being silent for a long time, Kristoff asked again, and this time, Jeong Tae-eui's other
thoughts were taken away.
Tae-eui Jeong said blankly again, “Huh?” I was just asking.
Suddenly, in a corner of my mind, a question arose as to what kind of deep relationship this
man, who views relationships between men in a very platonic way, was talking about.
“How deep does the relationship go?”
“....... Did you try the mouth?”
He asked with such a serious face that I felt like I would be in big trouble if I didn't answer.
Even though Jeong Tae-ui was dumbfounded, he also became serious.
"huh."
The moment Jeong Tae-ui answered, Kristoff's expression suddenly became more fierce.
For a moment, I even read Jeong Tae-eui's gaze.
At that moment, a thought flashed through Jeong Tae-ui's mind like a flash.
Yes, if you think about it, this man has known Ilay since he was very young. Whether they
admit it or not, aren't they childhood friends anyway? They even went through difficult times
together in the same mobile unit. In that case, there is no reason to be surprised at all if
feelings beyond friendship arose in the process.
Jeong Tae-ui's expression became more serious.
"chris. Are you…”
Do you have feelings for Illay? ―The reason I couldn’t bear to ask until the end was
because as soon as I said that, Kristoff’s expression became even more bleak. and. I guess
it's true.
Jeong Tae-eui was dazed, as if he had been lightly hit on the head.

Several years had already passed since he met Illay and their relationship began on one
level or another, and even though the man named Illay Riglow was very normal on the
outside, he had never once imagined fighting with anyone over him. It wasn't his personality
that was that quarrelsome to begin with, but it was because he didn't think that there would
be someone as big as him who would try to take over him.
Because it was so unexpected, I didn't feel bad or embarrassed.
Now that I think about it, if my competitor is this guy, I'm at a huge disadvantage. Person,
ability, wealth, there is nothing I can overcome... ......No. It's a bit hard to say this with my
own mouth, but my personality is
Better than these guys. No problem.
While Jeong Tae-eui, who had lost all sense of reality, was thinking about something else for
a moment, Kristoff, who was standing in front of him with a somber expression, hesitated for
a while and then asked again.
“So, you sleep in the same bed?”
"......uh. “It’s not always like that.”
Jeong Tae-eui answered, wondering if he might be doing something cruel to Kristoff. Then,
Kristoff's expression hardened slightly.
As with other things, sleeping in the same bed is a bit difficult if you have contact aversion.
When I thought of Kristoff, I felt a little sad.
Kristoff was silent again. Then, as if he was angry, he sank back into the water without
saying a word.
In the meantime, Jeong Tae-eui was sitting awkwardly on a rock, with splashing water
droplets hitting his face.
“.......”
I was embarrassed.
When Kristoff disappeared from sight, my sense of reality slowly returned, and I became
embarrassed.
If Kristoff likes Illay.
“I guess it would be rude to say it was a disaster... Then it was a disaster...”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered, rubbing the goosebumps on his arms. Then I thought about it.
Kristoff and Ilay.
“....... ......it might suit you in its own way....”
I was able to imagine the external aspects quickly.
The appearance seemed to fit quite well. In any case, both of them had an outer appearance
that betrayed their inner self. A person who is just right and sturdy and someone who is just
right and slim. The face is also very nice.
personality. Personality......
“It seems like there was a study that showed that people live better when they live with
similar people. Then it would be a good fit.”
Jeong Tae-eui added, “I never want to live near them,” and rubbed his forearm, which had
become irritated again.
Then Jeong Tae-ui rubbed his chin and shook his head.
“Yeah, now that I think about it, it suits you well. It's perfect because the family gets along
well. They say the place they worked was originally the same. ......Hey. “It must be difficult to
put together people who get along so well.” After picking them out one by one, I found that
they were truly an ideal pair.
Even though I kept getting a tingle on the back of my neck, it was very ideal anyway.
Jeong Tae-eui looked down at Kristoff, who was lying face down in the water.
What on earth should I say in this situation...
Even though I scratched my head, I couldn't come up with an answer.
While thinking about a solution to this situation, Kristoff rose from the water again.
His face was still serious. He was now openly glaring at Jeong Tae-ui, took a deep breath,
and asked coldly:
“Then, ......, ......masturbation.”
At first, Jeong Tae-eui couldn't understand the words asked with such force and a fierce
expression, as if he had made a great decision.
Masturbation, what is masturbation? As Jeong Tae-ui thought for a few seconds, the
meaning of masturbation finally came into his mind.
Jeong Tae-ui was speechless for a moment.
No, there was nothing I couldn't answer, but what can I say...
I wanted to just gloss over it and move on, but Kristoff, standing in front of Jeong Tae-ui,
showed no sign of backing down. Jeong Tae-eui had no choice but to speak hesitantly.
"......huh."
I guess I just masturbated, but I did almost everything that contains the word ‘eum’, including
oral sounds. I don't know either. Next time, I might ask you if you've tried pronunciation.

Jeong Tae-eui was prepared and waited, but Christophe, who firmly believed in platonic
homosexual relationships, seemed to have reached his limit. Suddenly his face turns cold
and he closes his mouth.
“.......”
“.......”
And the next moment, Kristoff went into the water again. Jeong Tae-eui was still sitting on
the rock, sweating coldly.
Now my back was hot. I wanted to get off the rock and go into the water, but I couldn't
because I was scared. It felt like if I even dipped my toes in the water, a hand full of
resentment would immediately press down on my head.
It would be great if someone could save me from this situation... It was time for Jeong
Tae-eui to pray sadly.
An unexpected rope came down from an unexpected place. "......ah. “I see you often today.”
A man appeared between the lush oak trees upstream. When he found Jeong Tae-eui, he
seemed surprised, but then smiled as if nothing had happened. The shy girl who followed
behind him turns bright red when she sees Jeong Tae-ui half-naked and hides behind him
again.
“Ah... I see.”
Jeong Tae-eui smiled vaguely while nodding.
Oh... I was desperately hoping for a rope to help me in this situation, but it seems like a
rotten rope came down...
It was Richard and his lover who had clearly gone for a different walk earlier.
“On the way, she said she was tired and hot, so she came back to dip her feet in the water
for a while, but I didn’t know you were there first. The water must have been full. Was it okay
to submerge your entire body?”
Richard approached with a friendly smile.
However, as he approached Jeong Tae-eui, his expression suddenly changed and he
stopped walking.
This was because I saw a white horse standing under the shade of a tree a little distance
away, and a white riding suit neatly placed on a rock next to it.
"this......."
But before he could even speak.
Between Richard and Jeong Tae-eui, in the stream closer to Jeong Tae-eui, there was a
figure standing up with a splash of water.
Jeong Tae-eui muttered, uh, uh, and turned his gaze from Richard to Christoph.
Kristoff, standing towards Jeong Tae-ui, let out a long sigh and brushed the hair that covered
his forehead and cheek. Water droplets flowed down the white body, drawing a line. From
the face to the tip of the chin, down the neck, to the chest, to the stomach.
Blinking his eyelashes with water droplets hanging like grains of sand, he was looking down
at Jeong Tae-ui as if he had made up his mind.
“Is there a reason it has to be him?”
The voice that first asked Jeong Tae-ui was colder than usual. As he ran his fingers through
the hair stuck to the nape of his neck, he took a step closer to Jeong Tae-ui.
As he walked, his underwear was soaked and wrinkled, making him look even more
provocative than if he wasn't wearing it.
Looking at the limbs stretched out freely, the white skin covering the naked body, Jeong
Tae-ui felt nervous for some reason.
Jeong Tae-eui glanced at Richard over Christoph’s shoulder.
He was facing this way with an expressionless face with no trace of emotion, even the smile
disappearing everywhere. As if frozen in place. Behind him, a woman who looks like a candy
cane is looking at us with mesmerized eyes, her shoulders shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s not him. “It has to be him.”
Kristoff opened his mouth again and took a step closer to Jeong Tae-ui. But then he seemed
to suddenly realize that Jeong Tae-ui's gaze was moving beyond his shoulder.
Kristoff turned back curiously.
And Jeong Tae-eui could clearly see his back stiffening faintly.
The smoothly raised shoulder blades are more clearly revealed. The cleavage in my waist
became so deep that it seemed almost invisible, my buttocks no longer meant wearing
underwear, and my straight legs beneath them became stiff. For an instant, silence fell
between them, as if ice water had been poured on them. No one said anything or moved.
They just stared at each other with expressionless faces.

The first to break the silence was Jeong Tae-ui.

“Hmm,” he said as if he was embarrassed while rubbing his cheek.
“We all meet here by chance, so I guess this location is a good place to rest.”
However, despite Jeong Tae-ui's words, no one said anything for a while.
Soon, Kristoff’s shoulders seemed to be shaking a little. I shake very slightly and shake the
water off my shoulders, as if the cramps that had been submerged in cold water have finally
come.
He gave attention to his words, clothes, etc. A voice was heard softly clicking its tongue and
muttering something abusive.
Kristoff slowly went out of the stream. With each step, water droplets flowed down.
Richard was a few steps away from the rock where he had placed his clothes. His
expressionless gaze was directed at Kristoff.
Eventually, Kristoff reached there, put his hand into the pocket of his horse's saddle, and
took out a sports towel. Without even looking at Richard, he wipes his body in silence.
Richard did not take his eyes off him. With cold, sunken eyes that make it impossible to tell
what he's thinking, he looks at each of Kristoff's slow movements. Then, he suddenly
muttered in a voice that was close to ridicule.
“It seems like a stream like this is better than proper grass. Surprisingly. “I thought you
couldn’t swim because I’ve never seen you go into a pool, but I guess you’re good enough to
splash around in a place like this.” At those words, the hand that was running the towel up
my leg seemed to stop for a moment. However, Kristoff soon wiped himself off as if nothing
had happened. Then he says something briefly.
“I would rather never swim for the rest of my life than go into the same pool you took a dip
in.”
Kristoff finished drying himself and roughly stuffed the towel into his saddlebag. The gesture
of gathering up the clothes and putting them on seemed angry.
Jeong Tae-eui clicked his tongue and stood up, thinking, “The atmosphere is really
embarrassing.” And after crossing the stream, he too went out to the stream. Water
footprints are left behind on pebbles dried by the sun. “Christoph. Please lend me a towel.
There's nothing to wipe. ......Richard, it looks like the woman over there has been waiting for
you since a while ago...”
Jeong Tae-eui, who slipped between the two and held out his hand to Christoph, pointed
with his chin at the woman standing behind Richard.
The atmosphere of the place became delicate again.
However, perhaps because he thought it was not a good idea to fight in this place, Richard
whispered something to the woman and retreated. Kristoff didn't bother to bite him either. “I
was thinking of taking a rest here, but I guess I’ll have to postpone it until next time. Then,
have a nice walk.”
Richard bowed politely to Jeong Tae-eui and stepped back. Before turning around, his cool
eyes glanced at Kristoff, but that was all. He disappeared again between the oak trees with
the woman and soon disappeared from their sight.
When the sight of him walking away on the soft grass soon disappeared, Kristoff, who was
buttoning his shirt, suddenly swore harshly.
“Damn it!!”
"......calm down. We met by chance. “They didn’t hit me, so I can just let it go.”
Jeong Tae-eui, who had wiped the moisture from his body with the towel given to him by
Kristoff, forced himself into the clothes that were too stiff and did not fit well because his
body was not yet dry, and muttered as if to comfort him.
“More than anything, I hate standing in front of others defenseless! Especially in front of
him!”
Kristoff shouted as if his temper was rising. While picking up the hat, I clenched my fist and
the hat got crumpled.
“Defenseless...”
“Yes, defenseless. “If he were to point a gun at me in that situation, I would be pinned down.”
Kristoff clicked his tongue and muttered another curse.
Thinking about his personality that hated showing his inferiority in any situation, Jeong Tae-ui
glanced at him, who was now almost fully clothed. Then he looked down at himself, who was
now wearing only one pair of trousers, with only his legs sewn up and not buttoned.
“By that logic, if you pointed a gun at me now, I would be pinned down.”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered calmly. Kristoff raised his eyebrows disapprovingly.
“Why am I pointing a gun at you?”
If you ask that question, Richard was about to say, “Why would he point a gun at you?”, but
Jeong Tae-ui kept his mouth shut. Thinking about that look from a moment ago, I thought for
a moment that I might aim the gun. It had an eerie, shining look, as if it could eat a person.
Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head and clicked his tongue. And then he looks at Kristoff, who is
waiting for his answer. “How do you know if you want to get rid of at least one competitor?”
I felt sorry after saying it, but the words had already come out of my mouth.

Kristoff looks at Jeong Tae-ui with a puzzled look.

"competitor?"
“.... I’m talking about Ilay.”
Jeong Tae-eui spoke awkwardly and tasted bitterly.
For some reason, I felt very strange. Jeong Tae-eui had never, ever dreamed that he would
compete with someone over Illay. When Ilay's name came out, Kristoff's expression sank. I
close my mouth and look at Jeong Tae-eui quietly.
Now, what should I do with this?
Jeong Tae-eui was unable to respond to this unexpected situation and just stood there in
silence.
But if you think about it, in a situation like this, the story can only be resolved if Ilay himself is
in the middle. Even if you exclude the parties involved and make a fuss from the side, it was
the parties who came to the conclusion.
“Then, go to Illay and—.”
“I want to kill Il-Lay, so why am I pointing a gun at you?”
When Jeong Tae-ui sighed and opened his mouth, Kristoff, who was deep in thought with a
serious face, asked if he had any idea.
Jeong Tae-ui was silent again for a moment. And he just blinks.
Oh... that was the moment I thought.
The very next moment I thought something was wrong with the story, the flow of the story
was reorganized.
"....... chris. If not, I'm really sorry, but I'm just asking just in case, and I'm a bit of an axe
person, so don't worry too much, just listen and ignore it...."
Jeong Tae-eui, who had laid out a long list of clues, kept his mouth shut for a moment. And
he asked with a very serious face. “Is it possible that the person you have feelings for is
me?”
3. Where it should be
There are things in life that you regret later.
I wish I hadn't done this then. Or maybe I should have done that back then.
Such things have happened many times, whether trivial or important, and regret is a feeling
that never gets better, regardless of whether it is trivial or important.
If it is a regret of a nature that makes you think that you will not repeat the same mistake in
the future, it can be used for development, but something that has already passed and is
completed is just an irreversible regret.
Like everyone else, Jeong Tae-eui hated regret. I didn't want to keep looking back, regretting
that things were out of my hands. So no matter what I tackled in my life, when I came to a
crossroads, that was the first thing I thought about.
When you think back later, will you really regret it or not?
If the possibilities are similar, which of the two paths at the crossroads will lead to less
painful regrets - regrets that can be reversed?
Thinking about those things, I chose something, threw it away, and moved on.
Those things weren't always right, but I think that thanks to them, I was able to look forward
and live with more peace of mind and less regrets.
What's not over is what's not over, what's over is what's over.
So, over the past few years, Jeong Tae-ui has lived without any regrets. It was a fortunate
thing.
And now, after a few years, he was thinking about such grandiose thoughts and thinking
about a life that would have regrets and a life that would not. Also about the appearance of
regret. I wish I hadn't done this then. Or maybe I should have done that back then.
“...I wish I hadn’t asked that then. Or, we should have responded quickly as soon as we
heard the answer.”
Jeong Tae-ui rested his chin on his arm, which was casually hanging on the railing, and
muttered gloomily.
In the late afternoon, Jeongtae was alone on top of the portable tower.
As the sun set red in the west, the wind blew unusually strong today. Her hair hits her face
and the hem of her clothes flutters to the point where it makes a fluttering sound. Even
though the wind was strong, it was a nice day with a pretty sunset. A place where the wind is
strong and the weather is good. It feels like I've reached the top of a mountain.
“Even though it is a five-story simple tower, it may still be surprisingly high in terms of altitude
above sea level.”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered something that had nothing to do with the worries that filled his
head.

Standing toward the back of the main building, Jeong Tae-ui saw an outbuilding located
quite far away. A large, clean grass can be seen to the side of the outbuilding. Perhaps
because it was a hot day today, there were two or three people taking a dip in the pool.
At other times I would have thought the water looked really cool, but now it didn't even occur
to me. On the contrary, the water looks ugly, and the gloom only increases. I wasn't asking.
-Am I the one you have your heart set on?
Immediately after asking, Jeong Tae-eui regretted it.
There was no benefit in asking and it was a question that would only cause harm.
If you answer no, you will feel embarrassed and embarrassed. As a bonus, you will also
receive the other person's dumbfounded looks, and for a while, you will have to live with the
feeling that you have committed a sin every time you see that other person.
But it would have been better then.
In any case, I was willing to pay the price for not being able to endure a moment of doubt.
However, if the opposite answer is returned.
“.......What should I do with this....”
Jeong Tae-eui's chin slipped from his hand and rested directly on the railing. And then I end
up tearing my hair out.
*
The answer came back a long time after I asked that question.
When Jeong Tae-ui asked that question, Kristoff gave no answer. I just silently looked at
Jeong Tae-ui.
From that subtle gaze, somehow Jeong Tae-eui had a very ominous feeling. I shouldn't have
asked, but I asked for no reason, and a feeling of disappointment crept up my whole body.
While Jeong Tae-ui was thinking about how to overcome this hopeless situation, Kristoff
slowly lowered his head. And then he looks down at Jeong Tae-ui’s chest. There was silence
again for a long time.
For now, we just have to laugh it off.
That's what I thought.
It would have been better to humorously say that it was a joke and something I said for no
reason and resolve the situation.
...Otherwise, something very difficult will happen.......
I felt it instinctively. That instinct was the great ally that protected Jeong Tae-ui all this time.
'ah. Hey, I just wanted to laugh-.’
‘I guess so.’
However, it was only when Jeong Tae-eui belatedly suggested that the matter be resolved
quickly.
Kristoff, who had been immersed in thought with his head down until then, as if he was
waiting, cut Jeong Tae-eui off mid-sentence.
His gaze slowly raised his head and met Jeong Tae-eui's gaze.
I felt what it felt like to be a frog that encountered a snake.
No, Kristoff would never have thought of swallowing Jeong Tae-eui or killing him, but Jeong
Tae-eui felt that way. In this situation itself.
‘I guess I like you.’
Kristoff seemed to have come to a conclusion while he was deep in thought, and this time he
spoke firmly and clearly. The expression was faintly stiff and seemed blunt.
Jeong Tae-ui didn't know what to answer for a moment - his mind was also blank - and he
just stared at his face blankly.
When I heard those words clearly, the first thought that came to my mind was ‘He’s dead.’
And the second thought that came to mind, despite all the dozens of difficult situations that
came to mind at the same time, was a somewhat foolish thought: ‘This beautiful-looking
person likes me.’ And only after that, for the third time, did Jeong Tae-ui return to reality.
What should I do with this?
Of course, you can just refuse.
There was no need to say more.
However, if they refuse, will everything be resolved neatly?
Sometimes just saying something out loud can cause problems. Somehow I had a feeling
that this might be the case.

No, the first thing you have to do is refuse.

‘Chris, thank you. I am very glad that you said that.’
In order to speak smoothly, I started with an appropriate greeting. But it seems like that was
another mistake.
A light dimly lit up on Kristoff's face, who was looking at Jeong Tae-eui indifferently. The
mouth twitches and the eyelids blink a couple of times.
Jeong Tae-eui was resentful of himself for being sensitive enough to detect that faint signal.
'no! No, no, I mean, you know I already have a guy I'm living with. ‘We didn’t even break up.’
As Jeong Tae-ui hurriedly raised both hands and added words, the signal disappeared from
Kristoff's face again.
He returned to his usual cold and indifferent expression and spoke indifferently.
‘You can just break up. ‘I’ll do better.’
shit. This man, who lacked common sense in interpersonal relationships, clearly did not
know how to deal with rejection. Or maybe you've never been rejected before and don't
know what to do. Or maybe he has a peculiar brain disease that prevents him from
accepting rejection as rejection.
Then, let’s attack in a different direction.
‘The person you are telling me to break up with is your friend and former colleague.’
‘I think I said we weren’t friends.’
Kristoff's attitude suddenly became crooked. The attitude is that the mood has completely
changed.
He raised his head and looked at the sky, then looked back at Jeong Tae-ui.
'and.'
‘.......’
‘What would you think if that guy were in my shoes? Do you think he will quietly step away?
Or do you think they will take it away?’
There was nothing to reply to that statement. Because the answer is too obvious.
Jeong Tae-ui scratched his forehead and said, “Hmm.” Before I knew it, a drop of sweat
appeared on my temple.
‘Then the most important thing is my opinion. I don't really think so. sorry.'
In this case, there is no benefit in dragging it out for a long time. Jeong Tae-eui quickly went
to Jeonggongbeop.
This time, Kristoff kept his mouth shut and glared at Jeong Tae-ui, as if he had no intention
of accepting it. He looks like he's struggling to find the right words.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him in agony, wondering how he had come across such a difficult
situation.
I was embarrassed. You should be happy that you are popular, but that also depends on the
person.
‘So, you’re going to refuse?’
Kristoff finally seemed to have gathered his thoughts and asked. Jeong Tae-ui answered
right away without thinking for long. Yes, I do. Then Kristoff thought for a moment again and
then spoke with that bleak expression on his face.
‘But I like you.’
‘.......’
In this case, it is likely to become an infinite return table.
Jeong Tae-eui pulled his head with the force of almost tearing it out. Perhaps thanks to that, I
suddenly remembered one fact.
'yes. ‘You don’t like being touched by other people.’
This time, Kristoff's expression hardened a little more clearly.
It seems like he couldn't make an excuse for that much.
‘Well, if it’s just holding hands, you can get used to it.’
‘No, not to that extent. As I said before, I go beyond holding hands with him, we sleep in the
same bed, kiss, and even masturbate.'
Jeong Tae-eui continued to talk, thinking that he should gather momentum and end this
story. After talking about it, I thought it was really cool to say it with my own mouth, but it was
already too late.
In addition, masturbation is something and something worse, but the reason I only
mentioned that much is to protect the pure spirit of Kristoff, who has a huge prejudice
against physical relationships between people of the same sex.
As Jeong Tae-ui, who quickly justified himself, continued speaking, Kristoff's face turned
slightly pale. The eyes become grim.

‘I don’t like that.’

'uh?'
‘I don’t like what you do with that guy.’
‘.......’
Jeong Tae-eui thought about something else for a moment, wondering if this meant that the
wrong guy was pretending to be the West, but quickly erased the thought from his mind.
Kristoff bowed his head again. This time, he lowered his gaze to Jeong Tae-eui's chest and
was lost in thought with a fierce face.
Jeong Tae-eui managed to recover from the defensive position and calmed down a bit. I
quietly looked at Kristoff, who was lost in thought and didn't move anything.
Even though it was a fierce face, it wasn't much different from his usual face. This man's
expression never changed much. Unless he sometimes seemed to lose his temper and went
on a rampage, his expression didn't change much whether he was angry or happy. Even
when laughing.
......... No....... Have you ever seen a smiling face?
Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head slightly. Thinking back on the memory, I tilt my head back in the
opposite direction.
It was as if I was meeting someone who had never laughed before, and I couldn't remember
anything.
A person who has never laughed.
The person in front of me was thinking hard and frowning. It was a very slightly, slightly
displeased face, but that was the face of someone who was in very serious trouble.
‘Christo......’
Without realizing it, I tried to call his name.
But that was then.
Jeong Tae-eui opened his eyes wide. And then I blinked several times.
I felt something off below. It wasn't completely unfamiliar, but it definitely felt unfamiliar.
Jeong Tae-eui lowered his head to check down, then raised his head very awkwardly. And I
looked at the man in front of me in disbelief.
‘......What, it’s nothing special.’
He clicked his tongue and muttered in a somewhat annoyed tone. There was also a look of
disapproval on his face. It's the perfect face to wear if you're constantly asking why you're
giving people trouble.
However, the color of the face betrayed the expression.
Very bright red.
The face was dyed as red as a scarlet.
And underneath that face, there was Kristoff's hand, reaching towards Jeong Tae-eui's groin
and soaking in the cream.
No, I was the one caught, but why did your face turn redder?
Jeong Tae-eui tried to blush a little, but when he saw that face, he couldn't bring himself to
blush any more than me.
Kristoff spat out, “It’s nothing,” and was massaging the top of Jeong Tae-eui’s pants.
I just kneaded it. I just squeezed and unfolded and squeezed and unfolded.
‘.......’
‘.......’
There was only subtle silence.
Meanwhile, Kristoff's face, which was so bright as a crimson that he thought it couldn't get
any redder, surprisingly became even redder, and when he saw that face, Jeong Tae-eui,
who had been fine until now, naturally got hot.
‘Christoph......’
Jeong Tae-ui quietly called him. Kristoff, who was expressionless and indifferent even though
his face was ripe enough to be ripe, raised his eyebrows as if asking why he was calling me.
Looking at that face, Jeong Tae-ui could not bear to say anything else.
‘Let’s take some more time to think about it… It takes a lot of time for people to get to know
each other. First of all, there are probably a lot of things you don’t know about me. ‘Me too.’ It
was very funny that he was saying this calmly while holding his crotch, but Jeong Tae-ui
spoke seriously anyway.
Kristoff, who was still holding Jeong Tae-eui's groin in his hand and his face burning,
remained silent after hearing Jeong Tae-eui's words, and eventually nodded.
 There was a subtle silence again.
Kristoff's brows were furrowed as if he didn't know when to let go and how to move away.
Jeong Tae-ui had no choice but to reach out and gently touch his hand between his legs.
However, just as his hand was about to touch, Kristoff quickly withdrew his hand.
At that quick movement, Jeong Tae-eui stopped his hand and looked at him, and Kristoff
made an embarrassed face - although it didn't show much.
Kristoff, who soon left with a calm expression on his face, quickly got on his horse and rode
away without leaving Jeong Tae-eui with just one word, ‘Okay.’
Jeong Tae-eui, who was left alone in an instant, didn't really want to ride, but thought that if
he was going to confess that he liked him, he should at least say, 'Would you like to ride with
me?', grumbled, and put on the rest of his clothes. And as I regained my senses a little more
while I was putting those clothes on, regret came over me like a torrent of regret and I
collapsed on the spot.
*
My guess is that the man would most likely burst out laughing and be very amused.
No, due to his personality, he rarely bursts into laughter while holding his stomach like that,
so to put it more realistically, there was a high possibility that he would be very amused and
his eyes would sparkle.
If you think about it, he liked accidents. He must have liked it, but he always followed the
incident.
When something noisy happens in a place that has nothing to do with him, he watches with
interest, and when something noisy happens in a place related to him, he gets annoyed, but
when it comes to solving the problem, he solves it quickly and quickly.
However, this incident cannot be called an accident.
To be honest, even though Jeong Tae-eui thought and thought about it until his head
exploded, he couldn't figure out why Kristoff liked him - or even said he liked him - but in any
case, there was no way this could have happened.
It was like something that happened without me knowing. So, there was a high possibility
that the man would be very amused and watch with interest. The only thing that bothers me
is.
“To what extent should I speak....”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered, resting his chin on the railing and looking resentfully at the grass in
the distance.
No matter what, if you tell me that you like me while massaging Gukbu, you say this.
...Even though I said it and thought about it, it still sounds strange.
Moreover, another thing that bothers me is that it would have been nice if I had shouted no
until the end, but I didn't.
“.......”
He's a guy who shows obsessions in strange places, but in this case, it's probably fun to look
at. For some reason, it seemed like that would be the case if Kristoff was the opponent.
Fortunately, he had a pure spirit and believed that same-sex physical relationships were
platonic.
However, there are still minor problems like that.
“I’d rather just keep my mouth shut.”
However, after thinking for a moment, Jeong Tae-ui shook his head.
That's not a very good method either.
Considering that Kristoff and that man were soul twins in a subtle way, there was a good
chance that Kristoff would go to him and start an open fight.
I have this worry, I have that worry, I have another worry...
“...Ugh, why do I have to worry about this... I was planning to leave Berlin and go see the
outside world and have fun, but what kind of guy is like this... ..” Jeong Tae-eui hit his
forehead on the railing. Thump, thump, keep pounding two or three times.
Then the concerns reach one conclusion again.
Of course, books are the problem. If I were to become a little more mentally and physically
exhausted, I would go so far as to say that books are the root of all evil.
At that time, Jeong Tae-ui suddenly had a rather naive and cowardly thought.
If you truly love me, return that book to me.
Should I make such a request? ...Is this too petty?
Jeong Tae-ui sighed. I put my arm on the railing and placed it under my cheek.
“Oh..., I don’t know. “Everything will work out as it should.”
"what."
“.......”
Now, I don't even get surprised when people suddenly talk to me from behind without
warning.

Jeong Tae-eui turned his head slightly and looked over his shoulder. Illay was approaching
from the side of the stairs. “For some reason, I’m alone. “What about Richard?”
He always appeared in front of him accompanied by Richard, but today he was walking
alone. Illay chuckled in an absurd tone.
“Did I always go around with him? “Well, come to think of it, I think we were together most of
the time I ran into you.”
But, thinking that there would be no good in staying together until a holiday like today, he
came and stood behind Jeong Tae-ui.
Only then did Jeong Tae-eui remember Richard walking down the promenade with a woman
who looked like a candy cookie. I was so distracted by my worries that I forgot about it.
“Oh, yes, I did. “I ran into you earlier on the forest trail.”
Jeong Tae-ui nodded and spoke, then looked at Illay.
“I was with my lover. “She was beautiful.”
"lover? Hmm... A thin woman with waist-length curly hair, white and petite, who looks like
she might be timid?”
“Oh, I guess I’ve seen you before.”
"no. “I’ve never seen it.”
Jeong Tae-eui frowned, making a strange face. He comes right next to me and says
something disapproving to the profile of him looking at the sunset over the railing.
“How did you know if you never saw it?”
“That’s exactly what he likes about the women he takes with him.”
“It hasn’t changed in ten years,” he added, laughing. But when the laughter died down, he
looked a little puzzled.
“I was walking with a woman... did something happen when I ran into you?”
"with me? What has anything to do with me? “I just ran into him by chance at the entrance to
the walking trail, said hello, and passed by.”
Jeong Tae-eui tried to rewind his memories to try to remember ‘what happened’ between him
and Richard, but there was no way anything special had happened between him and
himself. If there's anything special to do, it's better than yourself...
......ah.
Jeong Tae-ui glanced at Illay and asked quietly.
“Why do you say something happened with me?”
"no. I met him briefly at the main building on the way here, and he didn't look very nice. “He
always seems to be wearing a smiling mask, but he shows his true nature on his face and
doesn’t even pretend to smile.”
"cellar? ...Maybe I had a fight with my lover.”
Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head.
I ran into Kristoff earlier and there was a bit of an unpleasant atmosphere, but that was no
different from any other time. Even the other day, when we had a much tougher fight than
that, didn't he show his tough side for just a brief moment and then smile calmly again?
However, Illay did not agree with Jeong Tae-ui's plausible reasoning. Instead, he looks down
from the corner of his eye and chuckles.
“He’s not fun enough to fight with a girl, and he’s not naive enough to lose his face after a
fight.”
“Hmm... Then, is it because you fought with Kristoff earlier? “Because I fought in the
presence of my lover, I may have surprisingly felt more resentful in my heart.” “Christoph?
“Did you go to the forest with Kristoff?”
Illei asks with a faintly puzzled look.
This is because we know that Jeong Tae-eui cannot ride a horse, and Kristoff can only go to
the forest by riding a horse.
"ah. No, I ran into Christophe while I was taking a walk. “Richard also came there.”
“It wouldn’t have been easy to run into someone like that in that wide forest....”
Illay's gaze narrowed as he looked at Jeong Tae-ui.
Jeong Tae-eui, who had been explaining insignificantly, "Oh, that's it, playing by the stream,
and Kristoff came riding a horse," suddenly closed his mouth. I was momentarily distracted
by the dispute between Richard and Christoph and had forgotten about it. Now that I think
about it, there was one more thing that I was worried about whether I should talk about it or
not. Jeong Tae-eui again stands at a crossroads of choice. What are you more likely to
regret later and what are not?

If so, there is no need to think for long. When things go wrong, the one who will regret more
later is the one who kept quiet and lied.
“Now that I think about it, Kristoff said something interesting to me.”
Jeong Tae-eui spoke as lightly as possible, as if it were a joke.
Just as the body dominates the mind and words dominate emotions, it wasn't as if I didn't
suddenly think it was really interesting when I brought it up like that. If you think about it, it's
a really fun experience to be told that you like someone at this age, in this situation. It might
be fun, but it's hard to do.
Jeong Tae-eui suddenly became funny and looked at Illay while laughing. For some reason,
Illay was also smiling. Round and round. At the same time, Illay asked with round eyes full of
laughter. "why. “Did he even tell you that he liked you?”
“Oh, I know. Ahahaha.”
I laughed out loud in response to the joke, pretending to take it as a joke, but there was no
response to the laughter.
Jeong Tae-eui quietly stopped laughing and looked at Illay again. And then he wipes the
smile off his face.
In that short period of time, the smile on Illay's face had completely disappeared. Rather, the
way he raises his head slightly and looks down at Jeong Tae-ui is quite frightening.
weird. The atmosphere suddenly died.
Only then did Jeong Tae-ui think, ‘I stepped on it.’ Intuitively, I literally ‘stepped on’ this.
However, if even Jeong Tae-eui sank like this, the mood seemed irreparable.
He smiled bitterly and lightly tapped Illei's arm.
"hey. Why is it getting so serious all of a sudden? Christophragu, Christophe. Not anyone
else. “I thought you would have a lot of fun.”
“Other people would have found it funny.”
Illay's voice as he answered was simply cold.
Jeong Tae-eui didn't have the courage or confidence to lighten the mood any longer, so he
just kept quiet.
No, that doesn't mean it's getting this serious....
“...Aren’t you going to ask what I answered?”
Jeong Tae-eui tried his best to somehow relieve the atmosphere that had suddenly become
violent. But it backfired.
Ilay muttered, ‘What did you answer…?’ and then looked down at him with an even colder
face.
“I tried to say no straight away, but he didn’t understand what I was saying and showed signs
of sticking around, so I had no choice but to put it on hold, saying I would take some more
time to think about it.”
“.......”
Jeong Tae-ui was speechless.
I've always thought of myself as a scary person, but at times like this, I feel it again. A really
scary guy.
Jeong Tae-eui bitterly licked his lips, thinking that his behavior patterns might be being read
too easily.
“Why are you being so serious? When Kyle said something similar to me before, I laughed it
off. Same thing this time too. “It’s not much different.”
Kyle, who had already been living together for several years and had no idea what kind of
relationship Jeong Tae-eui and Il-lay had, once came after drinking too much for
entertainment and confessed the truth about his drunkenness.
‘You should beat up a guy like that and meet a healthy person like me. How did you get
caught by a guy like that and have your good life turn so upside down? Oh, how pitiful…’
Jeong Tae-eui, who was moved by Kyle's gratitude for crying for him, hugged Kyle and said,
'I guess', and chimed in, and Illay caught the scene. I thought he was going to die if anything
went wrong, but Illay just snorted and ignored it. All I did was give Kyle a harsh slap on the
cheek as he fell asleep from drunkenness.
Although it was somewhat different, I thought it was in a similar context to back then.
But this time, Illei burst out in laughter.
“Humans are different. “Christoph is a pain in the ass.”
He clicked his tongue and said. Then, suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and glared at Jeong
Tae-ui.
"and."
"huh?"
“I said I liked it, but other than that. “Did anything happen?”

Jeong Tae-eui closed his mouth for a moment at the low questioning voice.
What flashed through my mind was a face as red as a persimmon. And that hand that
moved clumsily in his groin.
I realized it intuitively. I felt like I wouldn't be able to achieve anything if I talked about that.
As Jeong Tae-ui looked up at Illay and said nothing, his eyes narrowed further.
“Taey.”
“What’s going on? There’s nothing special going on. “It was just recently that he claimed that
physical relationships between men are pure.”
Jeong Tae-ui said sullenly. Illay narrowed his eyes and stared at Jeong Tae-ui, and then said
somewhat suspiciously, “I see.” He muttered and stretched his body again.
Ilay quietly looked down at the view below the simple tower, frowning as if in annoyance. A
hand on the railing taps lightly on it. I feel very uneasy about what thoughts are going
through those hand gestures.
Suddenly, the finger stopped. After that, Ilay, who had stopped for a while, suddenly turned
around.
“I need to talk to you directly. “I don’t think it will work, though.”
Leaving only those words that seemed to be muttering to himself, he walked toward the
stairs with great strides.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was left alone and dazed for a moment, came to his senses at some
point and hurriedly followed behind him. ***
It's a really awkward situation.
Jeong Tae-eui had this thought when he and Illay arrived in front of Kristoff's door.
Maybe it would have been better to just pretend not to know and not say anything. Then, it
would have been better to return to Berlin or to attempt natural extinction.
As Jeong Tae-ui was downcast and lowered his head next to Illay, Illay, who was just
grabbing the doorknob, spoke without even looking up.
“As for Christoph, if I don’t convince you in my own way, I will chase after you and catch up
with you even after you go to Berlin.”
Jeong Tae-eui took a deep breath and glanced at Illay.
This guy isn't even a ghost, and he seems to be looking into people's heads as if they were
his own.
Then again, this time he said something.
“Sometimes you do things you can’t even guess what you’re thinking, but most of the time,
what you’re thinking shows on your face. Actually, you don’t even try to hide your thoughts,
you just show them all.”
He concluded with a short laugh.
Jeong Tae-eui scratched his head and asked, ‘Is that so?’ As he said, he never felt the need
to hide his expressions or emotions, so he didn't even try to hide them.
But while Jeong Tae-ui was grumbling that it wouldn't be easy to read it that well, Illay had
already entered Kristoff's room.
Kristoff was in the study. I sit on the single couch by the window, cross my legs over the
stool, and turn the pages in a lazy posture that makes me feel like I could fall asleep.
When his eyes landed on Jeong Tae-eui, following Illay who opened the door and came in,
Jeong Tae-eui clicked his tongue lowly. This situation was very uncomfortable.
If I had to compare it, I would say it felt like an adult accompanying a child to a fight.
“You came later than expected.”
Kristoff muttered lazily without even getting up from the couch, as if he had already guessed
that they would come. Even after closing the book and placing it on the window sill, he didn't
seem to have any intention of getting up.
Illei stood next to him and looked down at Kristoff crookedly. Then, suddenly, as if smiling, he
asks in a light tone. "chris. “What are you thinking?”
"give it to me."
“.......”
Jeong Tae-ui suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu from that short line. This feeling that
something is not right in the conversation seems to have been felt very recently. However,
while I am filled with this inexplicable emotion, I briefly think about where my opinions have
gone.
Jungtae is popular, to be surrounded by two men and talking to each other about what is
yours and what is mine.
Jeong Tae-eui thought of something like that. Self-deprecatingly.
If the two men were Ilay Riglow and Christoph Tarten, it was certain that everyone who knew
them would look at them with sad sympathy in their eyes.

But what can I say, fortunately, it didn't go into the dangerous development that Jeong
Tae-ui was worried about from the beginning. Surprisingly, the story seemed to flow quietly.
Jeong Tae-eui still had some anxiety, but it was less than half the anxiety he had felt while
coming here. He pulled out a nearby chair and sat down. And quietly
I decided to take a look at them.
Let me know when everything is decided. Then I will hear the decision and then make
whatever decision I want.
Jeong Tae-eui watched them for a moment, overlooking who had the choice in this situation,
and then noticed the minibar in the corner of the study and approached it. Then I took out a
couple of cans of beer and returned to my chair and sat down again, ready to see things
properly this time.
Illay was standing next to Kristoff, looking down at him. He looked at me like that, as if he
was wondering what to do with this, and then suddenly asked:
“Which one do you like?”
When that question was asked, Kristoff tapped his knee with his clasped hands. The way he
tilted his head and remained silent for a long time made it seem like he couldn't think of
anything even after thinking about it for a while.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him with white eyes - even though he wasn't necessarily looking for
an answer as to which was better.
Hey, if you don't know that, you shouldn't confuse people by saying you like them in the first
place.
Jeong Tae-eui clicked his tongue and swallowed his beer. I could feel Kristoff's eyes staring
intently at Jeong Tae-ui, as if he needed an answer.
“Well... I don’t know. “When I think about it, I don’t really see anything I like...?”
With Kristoff's answer, the half-drinked beer can was crushed in Jeong Tae-eui's hand.
What on earth is that guy trying to do, is he just playing with me?!
Jeong Tae-eui bitterly licked his lips as he felt as if he had filmed a Dokseong movie by
himself. Beer is also used today.
“But I thought it might be good if we were together.”
Kristoff spoke slowly, as if hesitating a bit, ‘But I’m not sure yet…’ The gaze flew to Jeong
Tae-eui, who was holding a crushed beer can to his mouth.
“I think it would be nice if we continued to live together. I don't know how it will be good, just
a little bit. No matter what happens, it will be better than the idiots that crowd this Seoik
area.”
It was a very ambiguous answer. I don't know how it will be good, I just think it will be good.
Jeong Tae-eui reflected on the answer while sucking on his beer.
But maybe I knew.
Even the man who was currently standing next to Kristoff looking down at him couldn't tell
which was better if you asked him.
I think it would be better if we just lived together.
There is no problem in living life without it, but I still think it would be nice to have it.
Jeong Tae-ui looked at Illay in silence.
“.......”
If I were to say, for a moment, that I thought that it was a useless thing and that it would be a
shame if it weren't there... I wouldn't be able to get expelled.
But, it really is. Now that I think about it again, it was like that. Maybe many of the people we
live with are like that.
You can live without it. It's not particularly uncomfortable. But I still thought it would be nice to
have it. Although there are times when I get angry, it's still nice to have it.
“So give it to me.”
At that time, Kristoff gave an answer that was vague yet vaguely clear, and then said that.
That grumpy face looked like he was about to say, ‘If you don’t like it, don’t.’, but those words
didn’t come out until the end.
Ilay looked down at Kristoff. Then, at some point, he chuckles and says, “Ha….” “Okay, I
don’t know which one is better, but I guess it would be good anyway, right?”
“Oh, right.”
“That’s what I thought when I first brought him here.”
Illay glanced at Jeong Tae-ui. Jeong Tae-eui nods, saying, “Hmm.” I went to this place with a
sacrificial spirit, but I am just grateful that they thought that the other side would be better as
is. “Do you know how much time has accumulated? As time went by, I worked hard to make
it mine. It fits me perfectly. But do you covet it? You covet what’s mine? ...Have you lost your
mind?
Christoph Tarten?”
Ilay's voice lowered somewhat.
However, Kristoff said nothing in front of him. However, it wasn't like he was shrinking or
looking scared. I was just lost in thought for a moment. “Still... I need it. I want to have."

“Christoph. You know. “You need qualifications to have people by your side.”
Suddenly his voice becomes even lower. A soft, low voice whispered, passing by Kristoff's
ears.
At first glance, an icy expression passed over Kristoff's quiet and bored expression.
The hand that was resting on the armrest of the couch suddenly twitched, clenched into a
fist, and then unclenched. The lips closed and opened for a moment.
“Riglow. I feel unusually good today. So it would be better to talk about that later. These are
very rare times. very."
A low voice murmured. The voice gradually becomes slower and lower and the last word is
pronounced with a long drag. Ah, I said. The voice seemed to tremble a little.
Now that I think about it, Jeong Tae-ui thought.
I didn't say anything was noisy today.
Normally, from the moment he woke up in the morning, Kristoff would have clicked his
tongue and muttered to himself that he was so loud that his ears hurt. There was a
difference whether I said it often or infrequently every day, but there was almost no day when
I didn't say it.
But today I didn't listen to that. He didn't seem to be in a particularly good mood, but he
certainly seemed calmer than usual.
Don't touch me. Don't make me noisy anymore. It's quiet for a long time. Don't bring those
voices back together.
In a voice that sounded like that, Kristoff spoke to Ilay.
Illei narrowed his eyes. A faint, satisfied smile appeared in the corner of his eyes, as if he
knew that he could easily provoke Kristoff if he said just a little more. "okay. Well then, let me
just say one thing for now. “I won’t give it to you.”
Kristoff didn't answer. Illay continued speaking.
“For now, let’s just watch. There's less than a month left and I don't want to cause any
trouble. “Christoph, I want to leave here very gently after I’m done.”
Illay raised the corners of his mouth slightly as he added, “I don’t really want to cause trouble
with Tarten or you.”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at them while flattening the empty beer can.
For some reason, it felt extremely unsettling, but it seemed like the event would end
smoothly without anything major happening.
But at the same time, it sounded as if he was saying that even if he tried to leave this place
in a moderate way, he wouldn't be able to do it because there would be obstacles.
Jeong Tae-ui frowned. A vague uneasy feeling remained, as if another meaning behind it
was embracing my heart.
Ilay bent slightly at the waist and brought his face closer to Kristoff and spoke softly, then
straightened up again as if he had finished what he wanted to say. And take a step back.
“I clearly told you in advance. “Don’t say at any time later that you weren’t warned.”
Ilay turned around. Saying that he had already finished everything he wanted to say, he
walked away from him and headed toward the door, when he suddenly saw Jeong Tae-eui
sitting a little away.
He slowed down a bit and looked at Jeong Tae-ui, and a smile suddenly appeared on his
lips. This is the smile that most often appears when you see Jeong Tae-ui. But soon, a cool
light was mixed into that smile. A cold voice whispers one last time.
“Christoph. If you desire something you shouldn't desire, you will only make yourself suffer.
“It’s not something that an idiot who doesn’t even know he’s in pain and can’t smile can hope
for.” The last words were particularly harsh.
Jeong Tae-eui's heart ached at those low yet clear words.
It's a clear warning. From Ilay to Kristoff.
Illay headed to the door again. As he passed by Jeong Tae-eui, he left a very magnanimous
remark: ‘Please comfort him well and then go back to your room.’ ***
He was looking in the mirror.
I didn't know how long I had been standing in front of the mirror.
It was a morning on a day with no other plans - a morning close to noon for everyone else -
when Jeong Tae-eui went to Kristoff's room to wake him up.
Unless it was a day to teach children, Kristoff was rarely awake until Jeong Tae-eui visited
him. He always had a hard time waking up only when the sun was high in the sky. Eyes
As soon as I woke up, I would wrinkle my eyebrows and mutter in pain, ‘I can’t open my
eyes.’ After that, I would start the day muttering ‘It’s noisy’ and ‘My head hurts’ as a habit.
However, that day, when Jeong Tae-ui, who woke up at a similar time to everyone else and
had a leisurely morning without a demanding superior, went to his bedroom, he was up.
Seeing as I hadn't changed out of my pajamas yet, it seemed like I had just woken up. It
can't be said to be a eccentricity, but one of his habits that could not be understood by
someone like Jeong Tae-eui who lived in a moderately similar way to other people was that
he strictly followed the dress code.
Normally, he wears everyday clothes, when exercising, he wears matching sportswear, and
when he sleeps, he wears pajamas. This can be said to be similar to other people, but he
had to accurately match the situation in which he was wearing those clothes.

When I got out of bed in the morning and went to the bathroom, I always changed my
clothes first. At the very least, I had a few dozen minutes to spare before leaving the room,
so even when I thought it would be inconvenient to change into clothes for going out, I didn't
put on my pajamas until after I washed up. Even if he had to change into indoor clothes and
then change back into outdoor clothes a little while later, he adjusted the dressing situation
like a knife.
That guy has all kinds of mental illnesses, avoidance of contact, obsessive-compulsive
disorder, personality deficiency, etc... While I was thinking that, Hyunjae got used to it after
spending time with him.
When Jeong Tae-eui entered the room, he was surprised to see Kristoff already up, but he
had probably just gotten out of bed. He was still in his pajamas. Now that I look at it, my hair
is also matted.
Whether he had a gray hair or was wearing cat-patterned pajamas at that age (or perhaps
he was always quickly changing out of his pajamas because he didn't want others to see that
appearance), I thought that people who matched their looks benefited that much.
Kristoff did not move, staring intently at the mirror.
Standing in front of the half-length mirror hung on the wall, I didn't even turn my head as I
watched Jeong Tae-ui enter the room.
He was staring at me so harshly that at first I thought there was a bug on the mirror.
"what's the matter."
I went to the side, but the only thing Kristoff was looking at in the mirror was Kristoff himself.
Jeong Tae-eui approached and looked at the reflection in the mirror for a moment, but soon
he paid no attention and looked at himself again. Jeong Tae-eui silently watched from the
side.
Watching the statue-like figure barely blinking and looking longingly at his own reflection in
the mirror, I felt like I should at least put daffodils in the vase underneath it.
Does this guy seem to be adding narcissism to his list of mental illnesses?
Jeong Tae-eui asked him, observing with interest the bizarre behavior that had never been
seen before.
“Have you fallen in love with your own face again?”
“Don’t be stupid.”
Kristoff muttered gravely.
Even in Jeong Tae-ui's opinion, Kristoff was not a great man who could fall in love with his
face. He has never shown that side before.
I thought it wouldn't be surprising if he suddenly fell into narcissism this morning with that
face, but seeing him call me such a fool and say that's not even true.
“I don’t think I like my face so I’m thinking about how to fix it…”
“If you keep talking like an idiot, get out, you’re crazy. “My ears are already so noisy that I’m
dying.”
Kristoff cut off Jeong Tae-eui's words in annoyance before he could finish speaking.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was looking at him with suspicion as to whether this was really the guy
who said he liked her, opened the window, shook out the bed, and muttered, ‘I’m really a
housekeeper now.’
“It’s not going well...”
As Jeong Tae-ui finished making the bed, Kristoff suddenly muttered to himself. His face in
the mirror frowns slightly.
Jeong Tae-ui looked at him with a strange expression and scratched his neck.
“Can I help you with something?”
Jeong Tae-ui said, “I don’t know what it is, but it seems very difficult to stare at the mirror.” I
thought he would tell me to leave without talking to him because he was crazy this time, but
Kristoff, who was silent for a moment, slowly looked back at Jeong Tae-eui.
“Okay, then.”
“Yes, what can I help you with?”
“How can I smile?”
Hearing him speak in a calm tone, Jeong Tae-ui was speechless for a moment.
***
I kept laughing for hours and it felt like my face was going to cramp up.
It has been a long time since I had a strong desire to deny the theory that laughter is a
person's most beautiful expression. Jeong Tae-eui continued to smile and face Kristoff.
And in front of Jeong Tae-ui, Kristoff was glaring at that smile.
His mouth twitched slightly. The tip of the mouth rises diagonally.

“Cheek, cheek. “Lift up your cheek muscles.”

Jeong Tae-eui smiled and placed his index fingers on both sides of his mouth and pushed
them up. Kristoff follows suit.
Something similar to laughter came out.
As I first asked, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the facial muscles. If I had to
force myself to smile consciously, I could make that kind of facial expression.
But the problem was that somehow it didn't look like laughter.
“.......”
In the end, Jeong Tae-ui erased the smile from his face. Now I can no longer tell my own
expression.
Jeong Tae-eui fell to his seat and rolled around, muttering.
“Hey, go and find someone who will laugh for me. I can't laugh anymore. Ah, my face
hurts...”
I mumbled while rubbing the corner of my mouth.
Kristoff clicked his tongue.
He looked down at Jeong Tae-ui for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. And he
said it without any facial expression.
"it's okay. “It was a pointless attempt.”
“.......”
Hearing things like that made me feel really bad...
Jeong Tae-eui sat up straight away. I sit cross-legged on the floor and scratch my head. And
then I quietly looked at Kristoff.
Kristoff was frowning slightly, as if he thought he had done something pointless as he said.
“No...don’t frown like that.”
Jeong Tae-ui spoke quietly, like a sigh. Kristoff, who raised his eyebrows after hearing those
words, does as Jeong Tae-ui says.
Jeong Tae-eui was lost in thought.
“What is the problem? The lips are properly curved, and the eyelids are also curved by
putting pressure on them, and... but why doesn't it look exactly like that?..."
Kristoff waved his hand at Jeong Tae-eui, who was muttering with a very serious face. And
then it goes back to that grumpy face.
"it's okay. When I think about it, there is no one I want to smile at like that. There is no
situation where you have to laugh. “You’ve lived like this without any inconvenience.”
“No, I thought laughter was an instinct.”
Actually, I still think that way, but I was a little less confident and spoke in the past tense.
But it's just as Kristoff says. Even if you can make a smiling face with your own face, it is of
no use if you don't actually smile.
“......It’s a shame.”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered without realizing it.
The reason he had been comforting Kristoff while smiling to the point that his face was
convulsing was, in fact, to a certain extent, because he felt sorry for Jeongtae himself. This
is because I was curious about what kind of face would appear if I smiled brightly.
The idea of ​an angel's face and a devil's mouth is still the same, but the face is still the face
of an angel. However, no matter how many famous paintings or sacred paintings Jeong
Tae-eui had ever seen, he had never seen a picture of an angel with a bright smile on his
face.
If Kristoff were smiling, wouldn't it be infinitely closer to him? A thought occurred to me, so I
led him up to the roof of this portable tower and sat down. It was never easy.
“......Let’s get some rest, for now.”
Jeong Tae-eui fell flat again.
There was sky above my head. The sun was very hot, so instead of sitting on the bench in
the shade with the awning, I sat here on the floor.
“.......”
I turned my gaze towards the sky slightly to the side. I look at Kristoff. Kristoff looked up from
slightly below, and his beauty did not fade even when viewed from that angle.
He was looking at the view between the railings on the roof of the portable tower. There was
something in the direction my eyes were looking at. To the left of his field of view was a
forest, and to the right there seemed to be an outbuilding with a mountain range behind it.
The grass is slightly visible because it is hidden by the outbuilding, and behind the
outbuilding is a fairly large lawn.
I barely thought about it because it was such an obvious fact, but if you look at it, this was
Kristoff's hometown where he was born and raised.

From Seoik, where he is currently staying, to the main building, to Dongyik, where he
doesn't go often, to the outbuildings to the resort area within the grounds surrounding all
those buildings. Until he left here, he would naturally have blended in with all of this.
“How about here? “Is it good to live there?”
“Dresden, or Tarten.”
Jeong Tae-eui, who had asked without much thought, immediately closed his mouth in
response to the rebuttal. In his mind, Dresden and Tarten were separate. It was as if Tarten
was a borough within Dresden from the beginning.
"both."
Then Kristoff seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. After blinking slowly a few times, he
spoke.
“Hmm, okay.”
That was it.
After that, I waited for him to elaborate, but he showed no sign of saying anything more.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him with a strange expression, but it seemed like that was really all
he said.
Jeong Tae-ui was about to ask more, but stopped. Well, he himself didn't have anything
special to say about his house if he thought it was a good place to live. Because I know it
well, it is familiar and comfortable. That is the biggest advantage of your own home.
Familiar and comfortable.
Even Jeong Tae-ui, who is said to easily adapt and get used to wherever he goes, felt most
comfortable at home. You will probably feel some sense of discomfort when you return to
your empty home in your home country.
Berlin, my current home, was like that.
It wasn't long after I came here that I got used to the atmosphere here - although I didn't like
it - and I was moving around quite comfortably, but the best place to live was in Berlin.
This is Kyle's house.
“.......”
-Where you belong.
Suddenly, a story we shared once came to mind.
Where I should be. Where he should be. Or a place that shouldn't be there.
“It’s a position you should be in, but you don’t like it, or vice versa, it’s not a position you
were given, but you really like it... So what should you do?”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered quietly. Kristoff looked at her as if asking what she was talking about,
but didn't say anything. Anyway, it's not like I was hoping for something to be said.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Kristoff. He was still looking at the scene below the portable tower.
At a loss. Looks like he's lost his mind.
-How about here? Do you like living there?
-Well, okay.
Maybe he didn't even know he liked this place.
But this was not his place. There was no place left for him.
“...I moved. “I think it was when I was in middle school, living in a house I’ve lived in since
before I even grew up, or since I can’t even remember.”
Jeong Tae-eui suddenly brought up a memory from the past. Kristoff gives a glance.
“It was a city right next door anyway, so it wasn’t too far away, so I could get there quickly if I
wanted to. But since I didn’t have anything to do and didn’t have anything to do, I ended up
not going.” Then, I went there after graduating from high school.
Just before I entered the military academy, a memory suddenly came to me without any
reason, and I suddenly had the urge to go.
The place where he lived has changed a lot. Even though it had only been a few years, a
building had already been built on the vacant lot in front of the house, and the house next
door with a large yard had become a townhouse.
However, the appearance of the alley and the scenery that appeared sparsely overlapped
with the image in my memory, and I felt nostalgic and happy as I walked along those streets.
He still loved it and missed it, but it wasn't his place anymore. I remember realizing that fact
while walking down that street and returning with a somewhat desolate feeling. "....... chris."
I lay down with my arm pillows and looked at the sky in silence, then called out to him. He
didn't turn around, but it seemed like he was listening.
“Did you by any chance care?”
"what."
“That’s because Ilay is an idiot who can’t even laugh.”
 Would it have been better to speak in a slightly more refined way? But it seemed like it
would be even weirder if I purified it for no reason. Rather, it seems like they are paying too
much attention to what they say. Jeong Tae-eui soon thinks, “Well, what about it?” If my soul
was weak enough to be hurt that much, I would never have grown up like this.
"no."
This time too, the answer came right away.
There was no feeling as if he was intentionally wrapping himself up or wrapping himself up.
Well, he was originally a man who was not good at things like that. If so, those words are his
truth. Or it is a lie that he sincerely believes to be true.
“Yes,” Jeong Tae-ui muttered. He was silent for a moment and then added. “You don’t have
to smile.”
As Jeong Tae-ui spoke seriously, Kristoff looked down from the side. Our eyes met. Kristoff's
gaze and Jeong Tae-ui's gaze were both vivid. Like you're talking about a topic that neither
of you really care about.
“It shows in its own way.”
Jeong Tae-ui added one more word.
However, despite these words, Kristoff just nodded a couple of times as if it didn't really
matter.
......... When I think about it, if it was such a big deal, why did I ask how I could laugh?
Jeong Tae-eui quietly looked at him with an axe-eyed look, recalling a somewhat perverse
thought after saying that he didn't need to smile. He opened his mouth in confusion, not
knowing that the gaze was focused on his back.
“I tried it before, but I quit. “It didn’t work out.” “Hmm... he’s a man who gives up quickly.”
“Because it wasn’t something I wanted to achieve even though I worked hard.” He adds, “It’s
just a shame that it doesn’t exist.”
Jeong Tae-ui kept his mouth shut. After a while, I muttered, “That’s right.”
There were plenty of things around that were not absolutely necessary but would be
regrettable without. If you think about it, there were surprisingly few things that were actually
necessary.
It is believed that one cannot live without it. Aside from food, water, air, and sunlight, there
was almost nothing that we could not live without.
There are plenty of things you can live without.
Things you can live without but regret.
People I can no longer meet, words I want to hear from anyone, the body heat of others I
don't really need, and voices I miss that I rarely hear.
"....... let's try again."
Jeong Tae-eui sat up straight away. Then he sat facing Kristoff again and smiled.
Kristoff frowned slightly as he looked at Jeong Tae-ui.
“Because I’m quitting.”
Jeong Tae-eui gave him a sharp look with a smiling face as he spoke as if he was annoyed.
"why. First of all, you have to laugh before you can tell someone you like them or not. Look, I
told you to raise your cheeks like this. like this."
Jeong Tae-eui placed his hand on his cheek and lifted it up.
However, as expected, there was hardly any plausible expression on Kristoff's face. “Oh my
gosh,” he said, beating his chest and bringing his hand up to his face.
“Try raising it like this.”
However, just before poking his cheek with his finger, Jeong Tae-ui saw his face hardening
and immediately felt like it was a miss. The hand hastily stopped in front of his face. Is it
even an inch away?
"......sorry. “For a moment, without even realizing it.”
Jeong Tae-ui quickly withdrew his hand. I almost touched it. If that had been the case, my
Cheonja would have appeared between those eyebrows in an instant, and I would have
been unable to see it. Jeong Tae-eui smiled again as he wiggled his outstretched hand. It
seemed as if he was trying to soothe Kristoff's momentarily frozen expression. Kristoff was
looking at Jeong Tae-ui with a disapproving expression.
“Hey, you didn’t reach it. “I didn’t touch it.”

Then, Jeong Tae-ui suddenly said, ‘Someone told you to mess with me as you please.’
Jeong Tae-eui felt that it would be very unfair if bloodshed broke out, so he quickly spread
out his hands and said. Kristoff glared at that hand with very frightening eyes.
His gaze moved to Jeong Tae-ui’s face. Jeong Tae-eui grumbled, ‘I didn’t touch you.’ and
looked at him vaguely. Kristoff, who had been staring at Jeong Tae-ui for a while, suddenly
sighed silently. And said.
“You can touch it.”
Jeong Tae-eui shook his head and said, “Huh,” at the quiet and casual tone of voice, but
after a few seconds, he said, “Huh?” And he stopped shaking his head. “.......”
Jeong Tae-ui stared at him. The first reason was that I wanted to make sure that I heard
what he said correctly, and the second reason was that I wanted to make sure that I
understood what he said correctly.
“Touch something.”
A question was asked to solve two questions at the same time.
Kristoff frowned and clicked his tongue. And after a moment of hesitation, he suddenly
grabbed Jeong Tae-ui's hands.
Oh, yeah, I said it was okay for me to touch other people with my hands, but I told them to
touch something.
While Jeong Tae-eui was thinking confusedly, Kristoff grabbed Jeong Tae-eui's hand and
pulled it to his cheek.
"uh......."
Jeong Tae-eui blinked and muttered only one word. Something strange was happening right
before my eyes.
Kristoff dragged Jeong Tae-ui's hand right in front of his cheek and seemed to hesitate for a
moment. He made a really disgusted face for a moment, as if he was about to eat some kind
of disgusting food. He frowns his eyebrows in a way that makes the viewer feel sorry for him.
“...Hey, why did you have to go that far....”
Jeong Tae-eui couldn't help but say something, but Kristoff, who heard that voice, placed
Jeong Tae-eui's hand on his cheek as if that was a signal.
“.......”
“.......”
A warm and soft feeling in the palm of your hand.
Jeong Tae-eui was surprised.
I was surprised that I was putting my hand on Kristoff's cheek, and I was surprised that
Kristoff led me that way, but even more than that, I was surprised by the feel of that cheek
that I touched with my hand. Warm and fluffy. It feels like stroking a warm silk cushion.
“Why is your face like this?”
Jeong Tae-eui said with a serious face while holding his cheek tightly.
After saying it, I thought it might be somewhat misleading, but it was a good thing.
“No. But is it okay if I touch you?”
Jeong Tae-eui asked a second question that should have been asked first.
Kristoff, who was still holding Jeong Tae-eui's wrist and had a strange frown on his extremely
demanding face, gave him a look. It's a look that seems to be a mixture of discomfort and
relief. "......hmm. I think it's okay. But it’s not very good.”
“Okay... But why are you pulling someone else’s hand? “Let go.”
“I think I’ll have to get used to it.”
Kristoff still muttered in a disapproving voice. Jeong Tae-ui opened his eyes slightly wide.
Maybe this was a good sign.
“To get used to dealing with people?”
Jeong Tae-ui asked happily. But Kristoff shook his head. Jeong Tae-ui raised his eyebrows
curiously.
“Wherever you reach.”
"....... why."
“If I think about it in the long run, I think it would be better if I want to live with you.”

Kristoff said bluntly.

Jeong Tae-eui remained silent at the tone of voice that was not a question that tried to guess
the other person's intentions, but simply conveyed what he believed and had no doubt about.
I think he clearly refused yesterday...
Jeong Tae-eui, who was thinking about speaking again, seemed to have gotten used to
having someone else's palm on his cheek, but when he saw his serious face as he began to
very gently rub his cheek with that hand, he kept his mouth shut.
Little by little, the wrinkles between the eyebrows that had been frowning unpleasantly began
to straighten. A slightly confident look subtly spreads across his face, as if he thinks he has
become somewhat accustomed to being handled by others.
Jeong Tae-eui suddenly and impulsively snapped his fingers. The tip of his index finger was
slightly buried in the soft cheek. At that moment, Kristoff's hand, which was holding Jeong
Tae-ui's wrist, reflexively tightened.
“...My wrist is broken.”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered, speaking casually but half sincerely.
I thought my wrist bone was cracked due to the sudden violent grip.
Kristoff did not quickly remove Jeong Tae-eui's hand, but immediately raised his eyebrows
and said disapprovingly.
“Why are you moving so suddenly?”
“If you don’t move or budge, then how can it be someone else’s hand? “It’s a piece of flesh
on someone else’s arm.”
Jeong Tae-ui said indifferently. And I see Kristoff’s expression strangely changing before my
eyes. Suddenly I felt like laughing.
"chris. “Somehow I got better.”
Of course, what I said almost got stuck in the back, but I held back.
However, although I asked it with a smile, it was actually a serious question.
Why did I like myself? What did I like about myself? Why did I have to pick and choose
myself? I can't respond.
However, in response to Jeong Tae-eui's question filled with vague regret, Kristoff spoke
gravely.
“Well... do you really like it?”
“.......”
Kristoff's words were not a joke or a joke either. With a serious face, he lowers his head
slightly as if he is asking himself a question and is lost in thought.
How long has it been since you told me you liked me?
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Kristoff with white eyes, but when he saw him lost in thought with
his hand on his cheek, he sighed and closed his mouth.
“It just suddenly occurred to me. I wish we could be together. ...It was the first time I had that
thought, so I concluded that he must like it. “Well... do you really like it?”
Kristoff looked up with a questioning look on his face. Blue eyes look at Jeong Tae-ui
curiously from under long eyelashes.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him blankly and sighed slowly.
“Just because we like being together doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the case.”
“But now it’s okay for you to touch me. “I can bear it.”
Kristoff repeated. Jeong Tae-eui's eyes widened at that cold tone, which could have been
angry. Then, he finally speaks in a quiet voice.
“What you can endure is not okay.”
If you don't feel like it to the point where you have to endure it, it's just training your patience.
Jeong Tae-ui slightly removed his hand from his cheek. Kristoff looked at Jeong Tae-ui
blankly.
There was a sense of discomfort, as if there was a subtle discrepancy.
There was no reason for Kristoff to like him.
They say there is no original reason for liking it, but I couldn't figure out the probability that it
had to be me.
He told Jeong Tae-ui that he liked him. As if it had to be that way.
Perhaps Kristoff also felt that sense of discomfort. No, it's my own business. Even if you
can't bring it to the forefront of your consciousness, there's no way you wouldn't be aware of
that faint sense of discomfort.
Kristoff looked at Jeong Tae-ui in silence for a while. However, as if he couldn't come to his
own conclusion in the end, he just says once more in a weak voice, "I like you." As if I were
telling myself.
“It’s okay for you to touch me.”
“It’s because you endured it. “If you want to endure, you can do it to anyone.”

“But you’re okay.”

Instead of answering further, Jeong Tae-ui just nodded.
If that's what he wanted, I thought it would be okay to accommodate it for a while. As long as
you are here.
There was silence for a moment.
In the end, neither Kristoff, who could not laugh satisfactorily, nor Jeong Tae-eui, who could
not see that satisfying laugh, stopped thinking about laughter.
It was then.
I could hear people coming up from underneath the simple tower.
Kristoff and Jeong Tae-ui turned their gaze towards the stairs almost at the same time.
The various signs that seemed to be coming up from a couple of floors below were so lively
and lively that they could be seen even from a distance. It is the presence of young children.
"......ah."
Jeong Tae-eui muttered without realizing it.
I have met children here before. Now that I think about it, I think it was the same day and
time as today.
That means.
“Let’s see if the kids come.”
Kristoff muttered in an annoyed tone. He frowned slightly, but he didn't look very unpleasant.
“Ah...Chris. But I think it’s probably Richard who’s bringing the kids.”
Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head and said.
At that moment, Kristoff's expression, which had been annoying but not unpleasant, changed
completely. It quickly turns into something annoying and unpleasant.
“How do you know that?”
As if he didn't want to believe it, Kristoff questioned Jeong Tae-ui with a disgruntled look.
Jeong Tae-eui shrugged, saying, “We’ve met once before.”
“If I had known in advance, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place.”
Kristoff clicked his tongue and stood up. Jeong Tae-eui didn't feel like leaving because
Richard was coming, but still, thinking of Christoph, who he clearly disliked, he thought,
"Anyway," and got up to follow him.
If there are two people in a group who don't get along extremely well, the people around
them will get tired. Although, in this case, there are a group of people around them fighting
together, so I don't think I'll be as tired as Jeong Tae-ui.
As expected, the kids reached the rooftop while they were complaining that the water was a
bit bad in this neighborhood. "......uh."
"uh? “There is another one.”
"uh? Kristoff is with us too!”
The children came up without any hesitation and were happy to see Jeong Tae-ui there
again, but they looked even more surprised when they saw Kristoff next to him. These were
also children whom Kristoff regularly taught.
Jeong Tae-eui slightly raised his hand and greeted the children who were running noisily.
Then, suddenly, I muttered, “Ah,” and saw Oliver among the children.
Oliver, whose wounds were now completely healed and showed no traces on his head,
smiled and greeted Tae-eui Jeong a few steps behind. The same goes for Kristoff, who is
standing next to him.
Laugh.
Kristoff, as always, had an annoyed and annoyed look on his face.
“Oliver, I guess you’re all better now. “There is no gauze or bandage on my head.”
“Yes, I last went to the hospital a few days ago.”
The boy who answered quickly smiled brightly. And then I glance at Kristoff.
Kristoff was just giving a cold look, pretending not to know.
After the children said their goodbyes and chatted, they dispersed in front of them and
walked around the rooftop as if their business was over. Richard was not yet visible, as he
seemed to be slowly coming up behind the children.
“I guess I should go down and see before I see the ugly face.”

“I’ll probably run into you on the way down.”

“.......You can go straight downstairs to the west wing or main building.”
Kristoff responded sullenly to Jeong Tae-eui's plausible words.
As he followed Kristoff, who was walking forward, Jeong Tae-eui suddenly opened his
mouth.
“Oliver, I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
Kristoff slowed his pace slightly. He looked down at Jeong Tae-eui with a frown, then glanced
at Oliver, and then finally looked at Jeong Tae-eui again.
“I think I said it before, I don’t care.”
“Yes,” Jeong Tae-eui nodded in an unusual manner. Anyway, I didn't mean to say something
different. I just remembered seeing Oliver and Kristoff together.
But even though he said he didn't care, Kristoff stopped walking. And for a moment, I look at
Oliver from afar. His eyes are dark, as if he is looking at something other than Oliver.
“It’s just that I think of Oliver when I see him. “Because they look a lot alike.”
I whisper softly, like I'm talking to myself. While looking at that perhaps slightly sunken face,
Jeong Tae-ui suddenly spoke.
“With Richard?”
Kristoff glares fiercely at Jeong Tae-eui, who shakes his head to himself as he adds, “They
are very similar.”
"no! Whether you look like that guy or not is none of my business! No, it would be even more
unpleasant if they looked alike!”
“Oliver and Richard, you look alike. “At that level, I would believe it was put in a frame and
taken.”
“They don’t look alike, they’re completely different on the inside. “Oliver actually looks more
like Olivia!”
Kristoff clicked his tongue and shouted. Jeong Tae-eui realized that the rough voice
contained anger and impatience, and at that point, he closed his mouth. And then I look at
Oliver again.
The boy who was lost in thought while holding a toy or a puzzle like another child looked just
like Richard in the eyes of Jeong Tae-eui, who did not know Olivia. But you never know. To
those who know Olivia, she may look exactly like Olivia.
“If you are Olivia, are you Richard’s younger sister?”
Jeong Tae-ui asked again. Kristoff nodded.
Jeong Tae-eui opened his mouth to say something to Kristoff, who was looking at Oliver
blankly, but closed his mouth again.
I had nothing to say.
What should I say to him?
If you're Olivia, then you're the one who buried the dog's body in that grave? -I couldn't ask
that.
Jeong Tae-eui silently followed Kristoff's gaze and looked at Oliver.
Suddenly, Kristoff quietly opened his mouth. It was as if he had read Jeong Tae-eui's
thoughts.
“It was a wild dog without an owner, and Olivia loved it by secretly feeding it. “When he
couldn’t take care of the dog because he was in the hospital, he asked me to take care of
the dog.”
Jeong Tae-eui slowly looks up at him.
Still looking at Oliver, Kristoff said nothing more with an indifferent expression.
-Christoph was very sick of her. Every time I followed him around, he openly mistreated me.
Jeong Tae-eui suddenly remembered something he once heard.
“......So, did you prepare me something delicious?”
"huh. Since wild dogs have very picky appetites, they ate food with meat in it, pretending that
they couldn't resist. “When I approached it, its tail would wag gently and it would just turn its
head.” “It was a bit of an unlucky dog,” Kristoff added, shrugging his shoulders.
Christoph. Christoph. The way people look at other people is so different.
Jeong Tae-eui nodded, saying yes. And then looks at Oliver.
“That dog only followed Olivia... so we’ll be together now.”
Kristoff concluded his speech gravely.
Jeong Tae-eui says yes, ......yes, once more.
There was silence there for a moment.

They both looked at the top of the portable tower without saying a word.
Suddenly, Jeong Tae-ui was about to open his mouth and say, ‘Should I just go down?’
Kristoff was about to turn around as if to say something similar, but a girl came running up to
him.
“Christoph, Kristoff! I learned how to fall the other day, but it doesn't work! Heydrich is so
proud that he is only good at things! What should I do?!”
The girl complained with a red face, as if she was exasperated. The kid who was shouting
from behind with a grumpy face, ‘You couldn’t even do that, so you went back to learning
again?’ seemed to be Heydrich.
Kristoff looked down at her with an annoyed frown, and she flinched, but she clenched her
fists and didn't move a single step, as if she didn't want to back down in front of her friend
who was teasing her from behind. Kristoff, please teach me, he begged in a voice that
sounded like he was crying.
Jeong Tae-ui glanced at Kristoff. Kristoff seemed like he wanted to get down from here
quickly. There was no sign of anyone coming up from down there yet, but the man teaching
the children would soon be here. And Kristoff never wanted to meet that man.
“Ask Richard to teach you.”
Kristoff said coldly and tried to walk away. Then the girl shouted in frustration.
“I mean, I learned it from Richard! But how can you directly tell Richard that you don’t
know?!”
“......I think it would be more efficient to talk to him rather than to me.”
Kristoff frowned. However, the girl seemed to have some pride of her own. Jeong Tae-eui
quietly laughed because he wanted to show that he understood and learned everything
perfectly at once.
“It’s a failure... Do you think I’ll understand if I show you a demonstration?”
When you ask the child, the child frowns and tilts his head, saying, “Hmm.” It seems like he
doesn't know whether he can find out that way or not.
“Can I do it?”
Jeong Tae-eui smiled as he looked back at Kristoff, who was frowning arrogantly with a hint
of annoyance showing on his face (although it still wasn't showing much), and Kristoff
shrugged his shoulders. “That’s it,” he mutters.
Jeong Tae-ui looked back at the child. Then bend over and make eye contact with the child.
No, this man is not the man who was running errands... The child's suspicious gaze was a
little heartbreaking, but Jeong Tae-ui smiled and held out his hand to the child.
When I held out my hand very seriously and elegantly, as if asking a lady to dance, the child
hesitantly placed his hand on her hand.
That moment.
“Well then, first try as much as you know. Goes?"
As soon as he finished speaking with a smile, Jeong Tae-ui lightly turned his body and hit the
child.
Just before touching the ground, lightly support the back of the child's waist and knees, and
position the child so that he or she can easily roll over.
However, the child, who had never expected to suddenly fall like that, fell to the ground. With
Jeong Tae-eui's assistance, the child fell down gently without any shock, and blinked for a
moment as he looked at the sky in front of him.
"......oh. “I guess I made a new mistake without even realizing it.”
The child opened his eyes and whispered. “It doesn’t hurt at all,” he said again, blinking his
eyes and looking very happy.
“Why are you providing assistance? “You learn by watching people get sick.”
Kristoff, who was watching everything from the side, clicked his tongue and muttered bluntly.
Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head.
“Hmm... I guess that doesn't work... Well then, just take a closer look from the side. “From
the hips to the back, and from the shoulders to the arms.”
Jeong Tae-eui, who had been teaching the child carefully, looked back at Kristoff. Kristoff,
who was staring disapprovingly with his arms crossed, frowned at the gaze staring at him.
"what."
“Ask me to knock it over.”
Jeong Tae-ui pointed to himself and said.
Kristoff looked extremely annoyed and sighed in displeasure before approaching Jeong
Tae-eui. And without a word of warning, he grabbed Jeong Tae-ui's forearm and pulled him
towards him. Jeong Tae-ui's body lost balance as a brief impact came behind his ankle and
slightly below his knee.
“......!!”
The next moment, Jeong Tae-ui was lying on the floor.
Kristoff knocked Jeong Tae-ui to the floor with the speed he would have attacked if he had
not anticipated his attack in advance, and was standing upside down looking down from
above. Kristoff glanced at the child with innocent eyes.

“I saw it. “This is how we do it.”

"....... I do not know. Please show me again.”
The child spoke boldly and brightly. Even though Kristoff's gaze turns vicious in an instant,
he doesn't back down and orders, "Please show me more slowly," so it seems like this kid is
going to be a big person in the future.
“What do you think? Just showing it one more time. “Then, try reading it a little more slowly.”
Jeong Tae-eui stood up and said, “Anyway.” Kristoff shook his head with a frown.
“I can’t go any slower.”
"huh?"
“I didn’t originally learn it for sparring.”
I learned it so that I could use it only in actual combat, to actually kill people.
Kristoff was saying that. So, I just learned how to kill the opponent as quickly as possible,
and I'm not used to showing it slowly for others to see.
“Aha,” Jeong Tae-ui nodded. Jeong Tae-eui told Kristoff, pointing to the stairs with his chin,
to stop going down.
“Then I can just knock it over. slowly. “Take it seriously.”
"you?"
Kristoff made a strange face. His face looked both a little embarrassed and disgusted. It was
only when Jeong Tae-ui saw that he was about to shout something and suddenly hesitated
that he realized.
“...They said it was okay for me to touch them.”
“I didn’t say it was okay to touch me to attack me.”
“What is the attack.... let’s go.”
Jeong Tae-eui smiled and approached him.
Yes, a grumpy feeling was creeping up inside me, wondering how much of his avoidance of
contact was acceptable to me.
Suddenly, the soft feel from when I stroked his cheek a moment ago came back to me in my
hand. It was a surprisingly good feeling.
“.......”
Jeong Tae-eui, who was unconsciously looking up at the sky with a slightly ecstatic
expression, only came to his senses when Kristoff approached him and muttered to himself.
sorry. For a moment, I thought that it would be really ecstatic to sleep with you. Please
forgive me for messing around with you, even if only in my head. ...If I tell Illay like this, it will
be a bad day, so I have to keep it a secret for the rest of my life.
But when I think about it, Jeong Tae-ui grumbled and grabbed Kristoff's chest collar and
forearm, saying that I wasn't the type of person who enjoyed being trampled on.
I could clearly feel his body shrinking in my hands. Jeong Tae-eui lightly floated his body in
the air as he reflexively tried to shake it off.
Boom, it seemed like that was the sound.
Christoph turned around in the air, drawing a slow but clear trajectory, and the moment he
fell, he clicked his tongue and rolled over. His hands tap the floor, absorbing the shock with
his entire body. Even Jeong Tae-eui, who defeated him, was impressed by the performance,
which seemed like a model match.
They said they only used it for actual combat, but if there was a man fighting with these
movements in actual combat, I wouldn't be able to kill him carelessly, even if I wanted to
keep seeing his movements.
Jeong Tae-ui looked back at the child with a somewhat misguided admiration, saying, “In a
way, he is a man who is scary to make an enemy of.”
“Did you see it well?”
The child stared intently with his eyes wide open without even blinking, then nodded vaguely.
Judging by the sparkle on his face, it seemed like he had a good look but wasn't sure if he
could actually use it.
“Yeah... I saw it, but one more time-.”
“How can you learn just by watching? Go practice and learn.”
Before the child could finish speaking, Kristoff sat up from the floor and shouted coldly. The
child flinched, shrugged his shoulders, and pouted his lips. The child smiles brightly while
rolling his eyes like a fox cub, and says, ‘Yes, thank you.’
Jeong Tae-eui smiled and turned around. Kristoff was sitting on the floor clicking his tongue.
“Your clothes are dirty. “I need to change again.”

He spits it out in an indifferent tone and gets irritated.

As I lay down, there was a little dust on the back of my pants, back, shoulders, and sleeves.
Even though it wasn't a brightly colored outfit, so it wasn't very noticeable, Kristoff clicked his
tongue and shook off the dust on his sleeves.
Jeong Tae-eui became quite cheerful and took a step closer to him.
“Then let’s go back to the room. That’s good, I actually didn’t like that outfit.”
Then Kristoff, who had been checking his sleeves or hem of his clothes for any more stains,
lifted his gaze.
“I don’t like something.”
The voice is harsh.
These are the clothes I chose in the morning after spending a lot of time and effort. However,
he seemed displeased when he heard that he didn't like it.
“The color of that dress. “That grass-colored knit I wore the other day is prettier than that.”
“I sent it to the laundromat.”
“Then that camel color...no, that wasn’t good. “Then how about that navy blue shirt?”
Jeong Tae-eui walked next to him and held out his hand.
Kristoff, who was dusting off his clothes, looked at the hand and gave it a puzzled look. And
with a still puzzled look on his face, he places the dust removed from his clothes onto the
palm of his hand.
"What's this!!"
“Didn’t you ask for it?”
Kristoff said, looking at Jeong Tae-ui curiously as he shook off the dust and held out his hand
again.
“Why would you ask for dust! “I’m telling you to get up, I’ll help you!”
Jeong Tae-eui shouted incredulously. Then suddenly I realize.
This man has never been like this before.
There was no such thing as holding someone's hand, getting up, or being supported by
someone.
Always alone.
All alone.
That's why I don't even know how to ask for your hand. I don't even think about the fact that
it's okay to say something like that.
Jeong Tae-eui looked down at Kristoff, who was still looking at the hand with a puzzled
expression, and suddenly his heart felt warm and he closed his mouth. Then, after looking at
him silently for a while, he asked:
“Is it really okay for me to touch it?”
Upon hearing those words, Kristoff looked a little anxious. In fact, it's a face that says it's not
okay. However, he seemed reluctant to say it out loud.
“You said it was okay for me to touch you, right?”
Jeong Tae-ui asked that question again, and this time, he grabbed his wrist before he could
answer. I felt the strength to flinch again and reflexively shake off Jeong Tae-ui's hand. But
regardless, Jeong Tae-ui pulled his arm.
"stand up."
Pull your arms diagonally upward. Only then did Kristoff stand up from the floor, relying on
that hand.
Jeong Tae-ui did not let go of his arm for a moment even after he stood up.
Kristoff seemed uncomfortable as all his attention was focused on the hand holding his arm,
but he kept his mouth shut, perhaps because he had said something with his own mouth.
Kristoff was glaring at Jeong Tae-eui with a face that said, ‘Why don’t you just pay attention
and let go on your own?’ written on his forehead, but Jeong Tae-eui continued to hold on,
pretending not to notice. He even takes another drink and asks.
“Can I touch your cheek again?”
“.......”
“It was very soft. The texture was so good. “Can I touch it?”
"not-."
“You said earlier that you could touch me, right?”
“.......”
Jeong Tae-eui happily stretched out his hand towards Kristoff, whose face turned earthy and
glared fiercely at him.

As the hand came closer, the upper body slowly moved back. Jeong Tae-eui grabbed the
arm he was still holding and pulled him. And cover your cheeks with your hands.
“......!”
Looking at Kristoff's frowning and lowered gaze, Jeong Tae-eui felt like he was an old man
making fun of an innocent girl, and he bitterly licked his lips.
Still, she continued to stroke his cheek. Eventually, he slowly touches other parts of the face.
As I checked those distinct features with my hand, I thought for a moment that I was
touching a statue in a museum with the words ‘Do not touch’ written on it.
“...Stop it now...”
Finally, Kristoff could no longer bear it and opened his mouth darkly.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was ecstatic, holding his arm with one hand and stroking his cheek with
the other, stopped when he saw the man who had just come up the stairs.
The person whose eyes met over Christoph's shoulder was Richard.
“.......”
“....... ...―.”
Since there was almost no sign of presence, it seems that they came directly from the west
wing of the lower floor or the main building.
Richard stopped walking and looked at them with his eyes slightly wide. Jeong Tae-eui didn't
know why, but he felt somewhat embarrassed, so he stopped moving and just stared at him.
Usually, when our eyes meet, he is a man who smiles and greets me first, but strangely he is
quiet today... This was when Jeong Tae-eui was thinking.
Kristoff noticed that Jeong Tae-ui's movements had stopped and his gaze was looking over
his shoulder, and he turned his head to follow his gaze.
“......!”
As soon as he saw Richard standing there, what little warmth remained on Christoph's face
disappeared.
With a face filled with only displeasure and coldness, he clicks his tongue and quietly says, ‘I
ended up encountering an unpleasant face.’
As a result, Jeong Tae-eui took his hand away from Kristoff and glanced at them while
rubbing the back of his neck.
There are children over there, so things won't be as bad, but the atmosphere is still very
desolate. It wouldn't be strange at all if at some point some words turned into a fight and
turned into a fight.
“The kids are waiting over there.”
Jeong Tae-eui gave him a proper nod and quickly pointed his finger at the children playing
among themselves a little distance away. Immediately after that, he grabs Kristoff and
speaks.
“Aren’t you going to change clothes?”
No matter which direction he turned to, he smiled brightly and spoke brightly. Reminds me of
the proverb that says you can't spit on a smiling face.
The two closed their mouths for a moment and looked at Jeong Tae-ui. They were two
people who rarely grabbed hold of each other for no apparent reason, but they had a desire
to quickly escape from this desolate atmosphere.
Kristoff clicked his tongue and walked toward the stairs. Richard also walks out onto the
rooftop, passing by about a span of space.
When Christoph came to the landing and was about to take the first step, Richard, who had
already stepped out of the staircase's awning into the sunlight, suddenly stopped.
“I guess I’ve cured one disease.”
He spoke with his usual soft expression, but with a hint of ridicule in his voice, with his head
half turned over his shoulder.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was about to follow Kristoff down, stopped. Kristoff, who had been a few
steps ahead, also stopped walking.
Christoph's gaze, which turns his head silently and glares coldly at him, meets Richard's
slowly turning gaze.
“Thank goodness. “Among the many illnesses, the mental illness that prevents me from even
interacting with other people seems to have improved a bit.”
"......under."
Kristoff, who was quietly listening to his words, smiled with a cold expression on his face.
And then he slowly turns around and stands facing Richard.
Jeong Tae-ui stood between them, sighed, and took a step to the side. While they were
glaring at each other, it felt uncomfortable to see their eyes passing through me.
Jeong Tae-eui, who had left the place to let people who were not on good terms with each
other feel free to shoot without getting in the way, on the other hand looked at Richard
curiously.
I never thought he would start an argument first.
As far as I have seen since Jeong Tae-eui came here, Richard has never been the first to
start an argument. He always dealt with others with a calm smile on his face, and acted as if
Kristoff was invisible. As long as there is no other person caught in between.
The same goes for Kristoff.
He basically wasn't very interested in other people.

He didn't even let anyone into his field of vision unless he started an argument or caused a
problem.
In general, he reacted excessively to the other person's actions, causing scorn and
resentment, but he never attacked the other person first without any reason.
Therefore, even though Christophe and Richard have a hostile relationship with each other
within Tarten, we have rarely seen them clash.
...Or is there still some resentment left over from Oliver's injury not long ago?
Jeong Tae-eui glanced at Oliver.
There were children gathered there.
The children were frowning with concern when they saw Richard and Kristoff standing face
to face. Then, suddenly, Jeong Tae-eui made eye contact with the girl from before.
“.......”
Jeong Tae-eui winked at the girl. Pointing to Richard and Christoph.
The clever girl seemed to have figured it out quickly. He seemed to nod his head indistinctly,
then cleared his throat a couple of times and shouted.
“Richard—. You're too late... Do I still have to wait longer?”
As the girl shouted, the children glanced at each other slightly and each raised their voice.
“I have to go as soon as this class ends.”
“Ah, I’m tired of waiting.”
“He always does that when he’s busy.”
Jeong Tae-eui looked at the bright children who were all grumbling or complaining, and he
turned his head and smiled.
The children's shouting seemed to have had an effect, as Richard frowned slightly, but then
looked back at them with a smile.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
He walked away as if he was trying to turn things around like they never happened.
Behind Richard, who was ignoring Kristoff and heading toward them, Kristoff let out a short
laugh.
"psychosis-. Yes, even if I cure that mental illness, I think you will still remain a sick person. “I
don’t even want to touch it with my fingers.”
Richard seemed to slow down his steps.
But even for a moment, he kept walking without looking back.
Eventually, when he got close to the children and was quite far away, Jeong Tae-ui sighed
and shrugged his shoulders.
“I guess I had a fight with my real lover... I heard I wasn’t feeling very well a while ago and it
looks like I’m still feeling that way.”
As I approached Kristoff muttering to myself, he looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a strange
expression on his face.
“Are you fighting with your lover? With that girl? That can't be possible. No, I’m not the kind
of person who would feel bad if we fight.”
Jeong Tae-eui snorted and followed Kristoff, who turned around and went down the stairs
again, and tilted his head.
“Ilay said something similar, and you said the same thing. You seem to be on good terms
with your lover so much that you don't even fight. Oh, by the way, I saw you yesterday and
you seemed to be getting along well.”
“Not a lover, but a toy slave. Throw away. Ah, thinking about it makes me feel bad again.
“Stop talking about that guy.”
What about Jeong Tae-ui? Christoph's eyes widened, but he waved his hand as if even
mentioning Richard's name bothered him.
Suddenly, the words about metamorphosis, which I had heard with great discomfort from the
beginning, passed through my mind.
Jeong Tae-ui just shrugged his shoulders and followed behind, thinking that there was
something that only people in the know would know. In any case, I didn't want to know if
possible.
***
Jeong Tae-eui thought that he was not that sensitive to other people's opinions.
Sometimes I felt gazes on me and when I turned around I made eye contact with someone,
but that wasn't always the case. There were many times when he couldn't even notice until
the end whether someone was looking at him or not. To put it mildly, when I was in
elementary school, my parents came to visit me while I was having an outdoor class at
school. I was told that even though they kept looking at me from not far away to get me to
class, they didn't notice me until the end.
Also, in a similar vein, even if I knew someone was looking at me, I didn't really care. I just
thought, “Oh, that person is looking at me,” and passed it on. Whether or not he would stare
at me to the point of burning a hole in his face - but generally that rarely happened - he
would ask people he knew what he wanted to do, but he would pay little attention to
strangers.
When I was in school, I once noticed a student sitting diagonally behind me staring at me (or
his answer sheet) intently and blatantly during a test, but I didn't pay much attention to it,
which later aroused the teacher's suspicion that he was a member of the gang. That's about
it. Even when I almost got kidnapped, I ignored it because I thought some guy kept looking
at me, and I almost got into big trouble.

There were a few times when he almost got into trouble for not paying attention to what
other people thought, but perhaps it was nature rather than learning, and Jeong Tae-ui still
wasn't the type to react very sensitively to other people's opinions.
however.
just now.
There was someone sitting on the sofa about 3 or 4 meters away from the bed on which
Jeong Tae-eui was leaning, looking at Jeong Tae-eui intently.
To exaggerate a little, his eyes never left Jeong Tae-ui's eyes, except when he blinked his
eyelids.
He was looking at me so intently and persistently, as if there was a hole in his face.
“.......”
Jeong Tae-eui was sitting leaning against the head of the bed and reading a book.
There were many rare books in Kristoff's study that Kyle did not have. Among them, I found
a book that I had always wanted to read and took it out.
The book was very interesting. What the author wrote about 50 years ago, when he went
into a remote area where almost no one had yet set foot and lived with the people there, was
even more interesting as it was immediately contrasted with the current situation in the same
area that I had just read about not long ago.
It was a fairly thick book, but I read half of it in a couple of hours last night and was planning
to read the rest today. And about two hours passed. I couldn't read even half of the class.
“.......Christoph.”
In the end, Jeong Tae-ui closed the book.
I had a nightmare last night and had trouble sleeping, so I tried to just read a book and go to
bed early today, but I guess I woke up.
Even now, I feel drowsy and keep closing my eyes, but that steady gaze continues without
stopping even for a moment.
After dinner, he came to Jeong Tae-eui's room and sat down on the sofa, and has been there
ever since. Jeong Tae-eui tilted his head a few times, wondering why he was doing that, and
then just went about his business.
I decided to do it. They'll say something like that.
...But I didn't end up like that.
“For the most part, I don’t care whether other people see me or not…”
Two hours seems a bit too much, huh? This was when Jeong Tae-eui looked at him with a
straight face and was about to give him a beating.
The phone rang on the nightstand.
Jeong Tae-eui stopped pointing his finger and looked back at the phone. Phone calls rarely
came to Jeong Tae-eui's room. If a phone call comes in every now and then, it's the
extension that the man sitting over there is calling from. Another man who was otherwise
worth contacting tended to come to me in person when he had something to say.
However, if the call comes, there is only one person to call.
“Yeah, it’s been a while, Kyle.”
As I answered the phone without even checking who it was, a familiar voice came from
inside the phone after a moment of silence.
‘Is it me without even asking who it is?’
“The only person worth calling is Kyle. “I’m out in the middle of nowhere, so I need someone
to find me.”
Jeong Tae-eui laughed. I can hear Kyle laughing even on the phone.
When I called a while ago, I bombarded Kyle with questions about why I didn't tell him in
advance that Illay was here. I think that was probably the first time I got angry at Kyle. Kyle
apologized hesitantly, saying, "No, that's confidential for now," and called two or three times
with an apologetic tone. And now, it's not much different from before. 'why. There must be
people worth calling at least on the extension line.’
"ah. Just like when I was there, Illay comes directly when he needs something to do.
“Christoph is in front of me right now.”
Jeong Tae-eui glanced at Kristoff, who was still looking at him intently, and said. When Jeong
Tae-ui answered the phone, he was staring even more intently.
‘Was Chris there? For some reason, I didn't answer the phone. That guy goes and sits in
other people’s rooms, it’s a big deal.’
"ah. “If you have anything to do, can I change it for you?”
‘No, no. 'That's the business I called you anyway.'
Jeong Tae-eui laughed bitterly.
“I won’t give it to you. “I haven’t received it yet.”
‘That guy really...! When did they say they would give it to you?’
"well......."

Jeong Tae-eui was speechless.

I didn't know from the beginning when I would actually receive the book, but these days I
couldn't know even more. No, it was difficult to even ask for the book back.
-If you like me, give me those books back.
Out of a desire to get the book back quickly, I talked about it at length. I thought it was a
petty and childish thing to say, but I should have received the book anyway.
But it wasn't talking.
Kristoff answered in an even more petty and childish manner.
―If you would abandon Riglow and stay with me.
I couldn't bear to answer that question.
In the end, whenever I brought up the book, Kristoff looked at me with a silent and
meaningful gaze, so I could hardly even talk about it these days. I dug my own grave.
But I couldn't say that to Kyle, so I kept my mouth shut. Kyle just thought that Kristoff was
being stubborn and wouldn't give it to him - which was also true.
‘How is Ilay doing?’
"ah. Ilay is doing well. Was that guy a great person who couldn't stay anywhere? “It seemed
like he was walking around Tarten looking like some kind of successful new lawyer.”
‘Ahaha, you used to say you were a budding businessman, but I guess your style has
changed. Still, dressing up like that makes me look a little more human, doesn’t it?’
“Originally, his appearance was human enough....”
‘Yes, yes, is that why you were deceived?’
“.......”
No, I knew he was extraordinary even before I first saw him in person. There were various
recorded videos within the branch, as well as evidence showing that we should not approach
that guy, even before he arrived.
However, I kept my mouth shut because I felt that if I said that, I would be met with a sad
silence asking why it happened even though I knew it.
'yes. It should be arriving soon. Have you received it yet?
"yes? What?"
‘I guess I haven’t received it yet. Recently, while on a business trip, I bought beer that is a
local specialty and is only available in limited quantities. It tastes quite unique and good, so I
thought of you and sent a few cans. I happened to have something to send to Illay, so I sent
it to him, so let him receive it.’
“Uh... thank you.”
Jeong Tae-eui immediately greeted me with a blush on his face. Kyle’s voice, smiling and
saying “what, what,” sounds particularly friendly today.
In fact, if we look at it, Kyle, who had committed many sins of his own, hung up the phone
after saying a polite greeting and wishing him good luck with the book. Jeong Tae-eui put
down the phone and dreamed of the beer that would soon be delivered to him.
“What are you thankful for? “I’ll give you some kind of gift.”
At that time, Kristoff, who was sitting on the sofa and staring at himself, opened his mouth.
While Jeong Tae-eui was reading, he didn't say a word and just stared at me quietly. This
was the first time since I sat there.
It's a word that comes out.
“Oh, they say they’ll send you a beer that is a specialty product.”
"beer. Now that I think about it, it seems like he drinks a lot of beer. “Do you think you like
beer?”
"hmm? No, I don’t like it that much, I just drink it when I have it.”
Jeong Tae-eui smiled calmly and lied. However, I had no awareness that it was a lie. In my
head, it was the truth.
Kristoff muttered, “Hmm,” and rested his chin on his arm.
Jeong Tae-eui, who had been very bothered by those gazes a little while ago, but quickly felt
better after hearing that Kyle was giving him a gift, hummed and sat down on the bed again.
“Ilay......”
Suddenly, Kristoff muttered.
Jeong Tae-ui raised his head at the unfamiliar sound.
Kristoff muttered ‘Elay’ again and frowned slightly.
“It’s an unlucky name...”
No, that guy is unlucky in every name...

Jeong Tae-eui, who had unintentionally become Kim Young-soo in this family, glared at him
with white eyes. However, without even nodding, Kristoff sighs, “Hmm.” “I thought the only
people who call him that are the people who live in that house.”
Jeong Tae-eui responded sullenly to him who spoke as if he was very surprised even though
he was upset.
“I guess you wanted to call me that too. Then call me.”
“Because I haven’t seen more than one person call someone by that name without realizing
it and end up having bad luck.”
When I was young, whenever we had a gathering, one or two people like that would always
come out, and I could guess the truth of what they were saying.
Jeong Tae-ui kept his mouth shut. Kristoff did not stop there and continued speaking.
“A name is just a title anyway, so if you call me something random, I wonder if you’re going
to reveal the truth.”
Even in seemingly innocuous words, there are disapproving thorns embedded in them.
Why does a person who has neither positive nor negative interest in others suddenly start
gossiping...
I didn't necessarily have the heart to take Illay's side - in fact, Kristoff was right, and it wasn't
something weird, so what was the point of calling her by her first name? - but I suddenly had
the urge to say, 'Christina is a pretty name, too.'
However, when I glanced at Kristoff's face, it didn't look like it was worth touching, so I
decided to just keep my mouth shut and move on. “Did you meet Rick at UNHRDO?”
“Uh, yes. “I know.”
“Oh, he was famous. Jeong Tae-i.”
His own name appeared right after the completely unexpected words, and Jeong Tae-ui
looked at him in confusion. Then he laughed.
“You just said the wrong name. “I guess that means Illay was famous.”
“Ah, there’s no need to say it’s him.”
Kristoff pulled up a stool a little away from the sofa and put his feet on it. His voice quickly
became drowsy, as if he was going to sleep comfortably. “Ever since he joined UNHRDO,
there has been a lot of talk about hiring people without a personality test.”
Everyone thinks that....
“But there is a widespread rumor that the mobile unit over there is also a den of crazy
people.”
"uh. “We were selected without a personality test.”
“No, I don’t think it’s a question of whether or not to take a personality test, I…”
Jeong Tae-eui spoke quite seriously, but Kristoff didn't seem to care much. Reminiscing
about the past, I mutter with distant eyes.
“Even when I heard that I had been promoted to UNHRDO and went to the Asian branch as
an instructor, everyone doubted the legality and ethics of UNHRDO. “I wondered what kind
of human resources they were trying to foster.”
“Even though it is a den of crazy people, it seems like most of the people still have their
sense of reason intact. “I see you don’t protect your family.” Even if I were to praise Illay, a
member of my family, for becoming an instructor at UNHRDO, I would be criticized by
everyone.
But Kristoff just snorted again.
“Would you like to protect my family? “It was a collection of internal divisions, that is.”
“...Why... But we got along well and even carried out a terrorist attack together...”
“In the first place, I contacted the extremists first and paid them compensation. ...Well, the
people who were involved in terrorism at the time were crazy people who worshiped Riglow
in their own way.”
“Wow, that’s really crazy,” Jeong Tae-ui thought, shaking his head. After speaking up to that
point, Kristoff was silent for a moment while staring into space. Eventually, he returned his
gaze to Jeong Tae-eui.
“There were other rumors going around at the time. There is no benefit to him, but he takes
the initiative and becomes a wanted criminal for no reason and does something that will limit
his future actions. He must have been diagnosed with a terminal condition. “There were a lot
of people who were happy when that rumor spread.”
“.......”
“With so many rumors going around, you suddenly became a celebrity. “The Asian man that
Riglow was carrying by his side when he entered Kyle’s house.” “.......I was famous in that
sense, am I?”
"uh. I did not know?"
I didn't know.

No one deliberately passed on such stories, and I rarely went out of Berlin anyway. I was
almost always spending peaceful days at home.
I knew what it felt like to wake up one morning and find that I had become a celebrity... but I
never liked it. I didn't want to become that kind of celebrity. One day, he suddenly became a
terrorist and was reported in the newspaper.
It's the same feeling as when you find yourself floating.
“I didn’t take on much outside work after that, so it’s been quite a while since I saw him.”
Kristoff bent his fingers one by one, as if trying to count how long it had been since then, and
suddenly he looked at Jeong Tae-ui. And I ask.
“How is he doing at home? “With you.”
"with me?"
Jeong Tae-ui frowned.
If you asked me how I was doing at home, I could answer, but when I asked how I was doing
with myself, it was difficult to answer.
“What do you mean... we just get along while working with each other. When both are busy,
neither of them knows. If only one is busy, the other either helps out with some work, gets
them a beer to drink, or just leaves them alone and plays alone. “When we’re both
free—which isn’t often—we just laze around at home or go somewhere to play.”
“Hmm... yes, I can live like that.”
Kristoff muttered curiously. The voice whispering to myself, “There is a way to live like that,”
is as if I have realized something new. I've never lived like that before
As if I had never even thought about it.
“I am. “I thought Rick would definitely not die a nice death.”
Kristoff suddenly blurted out. It wasn't a very pleasant topic to listen to, but Jeong Tae-ui
nodded. He had thought so too. In fact, even now, I think I would understand it even if that
guy was found dead.
Although he said that Ilay Riglow was a tolerable bad guy, there were undoubtedly many
people in the world who thought he was an intolerable bad guy. And you can't blame them
because it's the result of his accumulation.
“Well, that could be possible.”
“Like you just said, I never thought it would be possible to live such a normal, easy life. He
always lives in bloody places, where there are screams and shouts.
okay."
Jeong Tae-ui did not answer, but he had no choice but to agree with this statement. Even in
his opinion, Illay seemed more suited to living in danger than living in peace.
“But living like that now....”
Kristoff trailed off as if he was talking to himself. Then, suddenly, I see Jeong Tae-ui. Jeong
Tae-eui frowned slightly, feeling somewhat burdened by the sudden gaze.
Suddenly, Kristoff got up from the sofa. And then he comes over to Jeong Tae-eui and sits
down on the bed.
I faced that face that was staring intently.
His face, which I couldn't tell what he was thinking, looked at Jeong Tae-eui and then subtly
tilted.
“Then maybe I can do that too.”
Kristoff said. It wasn't something I said to Jeong Tae-eui. He whispers softly, his lips moving,
as if he were telling it to himself.
“My head no longer hurts, and I no longer hear loud noises that hurt my ears, so I might be
able to do that.”
"critical......."
“It happens every day. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. It's like this
every day. Continue forward. Last time, it was so noisy and gave me a headache that I hit
my head off with a hammer. But when I came to my senses, it was still noisy...”
"chris."
Kristoff silently rubbed the bed sheets. His hands are as white as a pure white sheet without
any pattern. Although they have equally white hands, they are different from Illay. Kristoff's
hands are like porcelain
It was the same. As if it would break if I touched it.
Kristoff raised his head and saw Jeong Tae-ui. Even though his face was as calm as usual, it
looked somehow dangerous and unstable. When I think about it, he seems to have always
been like that. Beneath that indifferent face. “Stay with me.”
“Christoph.”
“I can be nice to you too. “I could do that too.”
A sorrowful voice reached my ears. At the same time, Kristoff leaned over Jeong Tae-ui. And
grabs his two wrists.
The next moment, their lips overlapped.
“......?!”

Jeong Tae-ui frowned. It touched my lips slightly, but if I tried to avoid it, it followed me on
top of it. It is a kiss where only the lips are carefully grazed. His lips were trembling, perhaps
as if he was scared or scared. I didn't know that this was probably the first time I had come
into contact with another person like this.
Jeong Tae-eui shook his wrist to shake it off. But I couldn't remove my wrist.
I was embarrassed.
It didn't seem like he was holding it very tightly, but no matter how much he shook it,
Kristoff's hand didn't budge.
It was only then that I realized that his physical strength was incomparable to his
appearance.
“Wow, that’s too much!”
I turned my head and shouted, but Kristoff followed me regardless. And yet, it feels so
unfamiliar and eerie to be touched like that, and I can feel myself flinching every time my
cheek or lips brush against it.
Not long ago, you were massaging someone's crotch - even though it was on top of your
clothes - but now you're using your mouth? Take it in moderation, you crazy bastard.
There was a mountain of desire to shout like that, but first, let's take this wrist off first, and
Jeong Tae-ui violently shook the wrist that was not moving. But still the hand did not move.
But then.
Of course, at that time. It was exactly at that moment, as if the timing was just right.
The door opened.
Jeong Tae-eui's door opened, and the sound of footsteps leisurely walking inside stopped.
......Ahh.
Looking over Kristoff's shoulder, I could see Illay entering with a large box in one arm.
I looked at their vaguely overlapping figures on the bed for a while with an expressionless
face, and at some point I narrowed my eyes slightly.
Without much haste, he slowly walked over to the table and put the box down on it. There
was a sound of something hard hitting inside.
Then he came over.
Still at a leisurely pace.
Without changing one's expression.
However, by the time he reached the bed, his steps had become quite fast, and his face had
an expression on his face that I couldn't tell if it was a smile or something else. It's just
creepy.
“I should have made it clear.”
A soft voice reaches my ears.
“Why can’t you understand this?”
The hand that grabs the back of Kristoff’s neck, saying, ‘I should have said it clearly,’ pulls
him away from Jeong Tae-eui in ‘Why can’t you understand?’ And with his last words, he
punched him in the stomach. Without mercy.
A terrible sound was heard, as if a meat bag was being chopped.
“Come to your senses, you idiot. Can't you tell now whether it's okay to touch it or not? It's
best to avoid doing anything dangerous that doesn't suit you, but did you forget that too?
“Get your mind right, Kristoff.”
The sound of striking the same spot rang out two, three times in succession. It was a strange
sight.
Even though he thrust his fist into my stomach without hesitation, and even though it made a
horrifying sound, there was no scream. He only frowned slightly, and not a single moan
escaped from Kristoff's mouth.
―If you say even one word that it hurts, it's obvious that you won't be able to hold it in and
you'll keep complaining that it hurts, so you held it in. You can say it hurts. Once you scream,
it's okay to not have to hold back the screams that will explode like a torrent of screams. My
heart felt numb.
When Illay swung his fourth fist, Jeong Tae-ui lifted his head with a heavy sigh. And called
him. “Ilay.”
Hearing that voice, Illei stops punching for a moment. Cool gaze turned in this direction.
Whatever they say, if you want to try it, try it. Oh my, the review was completely wrong again.
Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head. And it tasted bitter.
“I think I am the actual victim in this situation, so could you give me my turn to hit you too?”

As Jeong Tae-eui spoke in a weak voice, Illay, who was clenching his fifth fist, looked at
Jeong Tae-eui gently and eventually slowly loosened his fist. And then he threw Kristoff onto
Jeong Tae-ui’s bed.
As a result, Kristoff hit his knee on the edge of the bed. Even though it sounded like he was
in a lot of pain, he didn't even blink. So much so that I doubt whether there really is no sense
of pain.
Kristoff raised his head. If it weren't for the hand that was clutching his stomach, he wouldn't
have even known that he had been hit with such a terrifying sound just moments ago.
“.... You give in return and receive in return, Chris. However, I also agree with the advice to
come to your senses.”
Jeong Tae-eui got up from the bed and stood on his knees. A couple of times, I approached
Kristoff, waving my wrist. Right after that, he swung his fist. He also didn't look at the
circumstances and aimed directly at the solar plexus.
Kristoff's breathing stopped for a split second. His eyebrows were drawn together so that
they were almost unrecognizable.
“You don’t want others touching you, but what if you do that? “Get your mind together.”
Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue and said. Only then did I turn around.
Illay was standing in front of the table with his arms crossed, looking at them as if he was not
satisfied with something. Jeong Tae-eui felt at a loss to say anything, so he just ate his food.
Seeing Jeong Tae-ui like that, Illay unwrapped the box he had brought, took out an
aluminum can from it, and threw it away without a word. Jeong Tae-ui reflexively accepted
this and opened his eyes wide.
"What's this. ......ah. if."
“My brother sent me to give it to you. ...Okay, how was it? “That guy’s lips.”
At that serious question, Jeong Tae-eui, who had been gleeful after checking the beer,
suddenly became glum.
This guy caught another pod. They were trying to prey on people, but it worked out well.
“Well... lips are just lips.”
“That’s what happens when you become close friends unnecessarily. “Make some friends.”
Jeong Tae-ui gasped for a moment as Ilay clicked his tongue and said something.
No, this guy is telling me who to be friends with...
I glared at him with wide eyes, but he still had a disgruntled look on his face, so he took out
another beer from the box and emptied it in one go.
Ah, the special product that Kyle gave me to eat...
For a moment, I thought it was a bit of a waste, but since I had committed a crime - I didn't
commit it and it was very unfair - I couldn't say anything and just stared at the can.
Behind him, Kristoff, who had been sitting motionless on the bed for a while, pressing his
stomach, finally slowly got off the bed. For some reason, each step I took seemed uneasy.
“I don’t want to fight with you...”
Kristoff mutters in a weak voice.
The moment I heard those words, Illay's eyebrows twitched as he put down the beer can.
The icy gaze is directed at Kristoff.
“That’s a coincidence. I also don't want to fight with you if possible. “I don’t want to get into a
fight that will cause great damage to our side.”
Illay said softly.
He tapped the table with his knuckles, closed his mouth for a moment, and then asked
again.
“Still, I want it...?”
"okay."
Kristoff did not hesitate. The voice that answered quietly was weaker than usual, but the
tone of speech was as cold and emotionless as always.
The sound of knuckles tapping on the table became a little clearer. Illay's knife-like gaze did
not leave Kristoff.
“Christoph. Don't be mistaken. You're just placing unreasonable expectations on that guy.
You're hungry and want to fill that hunger, but you see that guy, reaching out for something
that isn't yours. That guy is not yours. “It’s my responsibility.”
“Rick. You said you wanted to be quiet while you were here. “You don’t want to touch me.”
Kristoff said quietly, looking at the knuckles tapping on the table. A smile appeared on Illay’s
lips. "okay. so?"
“Then I will take it away in the meantime.”
Kristoff said calmly. And Illay didn't answer.
 There was deafening silence for a while.
Among them, Jeong Tae-eui was drinking beer and glaring at the two people alternately.
The beer that Kyle had specially sent me was indeed unique and had a great taste, but I
couldn't taste any of it right now. These damn bastards were ruining the taste of alcohol.
I wanted to say what my opinion was, but the atmosphere wasn't one where such a
statement would be accepted.
Jeong Tae-eui had no choice but to leave the two people to talk on their own, just like a while
ago. You can leave people talking as they please, and make your own decisions.
Jeong Tae-eui watched them, regretting that the beer tasted worse because the atmosphere
had calmed down.
However, it wasn't long before I was able to stay so carefree.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees in an instant.
What little smile remained on Illay's face disappeared. That frozen expression, black eyes as
vivid as glass, looked at Kristoff. Jeong Tae-eui knew that face.
He had that kind of face even when he was tearing people to pieces with his bare hands.
"Day......."
However, even if I tried to call him, my heart was frozen and words could not come out.
Eyes I haven't seen in a while.
Air that hasn't been around for a while.
A very brief moment.
Crazy Rick was there.
His hands seemed to be moving. That white, beautiful hand wriggled and moved.
The very next moment.
Dalkang, a small, clear sound rang out in the silence.
It was the sound of the beer can that Jeong Tae-eui had unconsciously grabbed hitting the
edge of the bed.
For a brief moment, Illay's eyes fell on that direction. Jeong Tae-eui and I make eye contact.
Jeong Tae-eui was looking at ‘Crazy Rick’ with an expressionless face.
“...―.”
Illay frowned slightly. At that moment, his expression returns. The remaining emotion, a faint
anger, appeared again on his face. A low sigh seemed to reach Jeong Tae-ui's ears.
Eventually, Illei opened his mouth quietly, as if a fearsome beast was holding its breath.
“Christoph. “Making enemies is not a good choice.”
“Making you my enemy is not a good choice.”
Kristoff answered in a voice as quiet as Ilay. Illay slightly raises his eyebrows.
“Still, you’re greedy?”
"okay. I'm greedy. I want it. ...I want it too.”
Kristoff said expressionlessly.
While listening to his words, Jeong Tae-ui erased his expression.
He didn't know anything, but if there was one thing he could know, it was that what he
wanted was not here.
And probably the only person who doesn't know that is himself.
"okay. ...Then I guess I'll have to do my best to get you out of my way."
Kristoff slightly shrugged his shoulders at Ilay’s words. It seems like you should do whatever
you want.
Ilay said nothing more. He just raised his eyebrows and nodded slightly.
***
 The past few days have been particularly severe.
Kristoff always rubbed his temples and cursed, saying that he couldn't stand it because
something was talking loudly in his ear, and the sound that grew louder and quieter made his
ears hurt and his head hurt.
did.
The degree varied from day to day.
Some days, I spent the whole day peacefully, saying it wasn't that noisy, and other days, I
kept chewing headache medicine from the morning.
However, for the past few days, Kristoff has been complaining of a terrible headache every
day. Every morning, when Jeong Tae-ui woke up and opened his eyes, his pale white face
was covered in sweat and he was muttering softly.
It's noisy, be quiet, please shut up...!
That low, rough voice muttering without knowing who it was addressed to continued for
some time.
Today again, Kristoff covered his ears all morning, making soft groaning noises with a pale
face, and only in the afternoon did he feel a little better and went out for a horseback ride.
However, not long after leaving, the horse came back into the room, saying it seemed to
have hurt its leg.
Then, sitting in the study, he opened an art book, rested his chin in front of it, and just looked
at the painting. Just the same picture over and over again without turning the page. Maybe
he wasn't even looking at a picture.
“Why don’t you try getting some sleep? “My complexion is very bad.”
Jeong Tae-eui looked around the study, which was now neat and tidy, with no need to
organize anything, and looked at Kristoff, who had been sitting in front of the art book as if
he had just opened his eyes and fallen asleep.
Kristoff shook his head without even looking.
“No... I don’t like sleeping. “I just have strange dreams.”
“What kind of dream is it?”
Jeong Tae-ui frowned and asked back. I took water from the minibar instead of beer and
approached him. He put down the entire palm-sized water bottle in front of him and sat down
across the table.
"I don't know. Something whitish comes and goes. “That’s it.”
“That’s all? ...Then why not just ignore it? “As long as it doesn’t cause you any harm.”
“I feel bad. If it touches me... I feel like something is touching my body, so I feel like I'm going
to throw up.”
Kristoff shook his head.
Jeong Tae-ui sighed and immediately put his mouth to the water bottle. Since it was a small
bottle anyway, this much water could have been emptied in one go.
“But in your case, it seems like you can tolerate contact avoidance if you put your mind to it.
“When I touched you, you frowned, but you tolerated it well.”
“That doesn’t make that feeling any better. “There is no reason to intentionally put up with
other things and reach them.”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered, “Ah, yes,” and gurgled water.
If I interpret that again, it means, ‘You can tolerate being touched, but it’s never good.’
Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue inwardly. And then, as if surreptitiously, I ask.
“Why don’t you talk to Illay and make up again? “It’s not good for each other if things get
rough, even though we’re friends.”
“Not my friend. “It’s an unpleasant misunderstanding.”
“Ah, yes, it was like that,” Jeong Tae-eui said, looking at Kristoff. If it had been any other
time, he would have been furious, but seeing how quiet he was, it seemed like he wasn't in a
very good condition today.
It was then.
The phone on the table in the study rang.
No matter how many times the phone rang, Kristoff wouldn't answer it or even look at it.
Jeong Tae-eui, who looked at the phone with him for a while, scratched his cheek and picked
up the receiver.
"hello."
‘Christoph? ……Oh, isn’t it.’
A thin and sweet voice.
After calling Kristoff's name, he added it as if he was unsure. It seemed like he probably
didn't know Kristoff very well.
“Just a moment,” he said and handed the receiver to Kristoff.
Kristoff, who had been staring at the picture as if in a trance, looked at the receiver and
glared at Jeong Tae-eui with an annoyed face for a moment. And then, I answered the
phone reluctantly, in a voice that was faintly irritated. Yes, I said just one word.
Next to Kristoff, who was answering the phone, Jeong Tae-eui stood up holding a water
bottle that he quickly finished drinking.

It was quite late. I thought about going back to my room.

I should throw away the empty container, reorganize the few books I took out earlier, and
then head back.
However, Jeong Tae-eui, who had thrown the plastic bottle into the trash can and was
walking towards the bookshelf where he had taken out the book, suddenly looked up.
Even though Kristoff answered the phone a little while ago, the room was somehow quiet. I
don’t think there was any sign of him hanging up the phone.
Jeong Tae-eui put the book back in its place and tilted his head towards the table. I thought
he had hung up the phone, but Kristoff was still holding the phone.
As expected, I didn't hang up. Now that I look at it, it's just that I can't hear it because it's a
small voice, and Kristoff is giving a short answer into the phone. Yes, yes, no, yes. yes.......
In response to the short answer heard intermittently, Jeong Tae-eui turned to the table and
looked at Kristoff with strange eyes. Then I realized.
Kristoff's face was pale. It turned pale and looked like an elaborately crafted wax doll with
only its mouth moving.
A face that has lost its white color. The slightly wide-open eyes were trembling slightly. Like
those lips.
Jeong Tae-eui stopped walking without realizing it. I stop in place and look at Kristoff with
disbelieving eyes.
I've never seen Kristoff like that.
With a pale, frozen face, he barely answered mechanically, like a doll. Her tired eyes, lips,
and even pale hands trembled slightly due to fear or anxiety.
A muffled voice that could barely reach my ears was whispering.
"yes. ......yes. ...Yes, mother. ......yes......."
If voices had color, this voice must have been the color of unstable, shaking glass. It's so thin
and precarious that you never know when it might break.
At that time, the words Kristoff whispered penetrated Jeong Tae-eui's ears.
mother.
That thin, faint voice clearly said that.
Kristoff's face became increasingly pale. Later, the grip on the lower part of the neck
becomes so tight that it seems as if even breathing is suffocating, and the joints appear
white.
Jeong Tae-eui's feet, which had been stopped, began to move slowly. The steps gradually
became faster, and before long, they were approaching Kristoff as if running.
He looked as if he was going to faint at any moment, his face was pale and he was barely
breathing, but his voice was just quiet. If you just listen to the voice, it is so small that it is
difficult to understand, but it does not tremble or shake. As if speaking calmly and casually in
a low voice.
However, Kristoff was already trembling, and his eyes were fixed on the empty space.
"......chris."
Just as Jeong Tae-ui reached Kristoff, the phone hung up.
Kristoff slowly lowered the receiver from his ear and shrank back with a pale face. In the
study, which was moderately air-conditioned, he looked extremely cold, shivering with a pale
face.
"chris."
Jeong Tae-ui called him again and carefully placed his hand on his shoulder. But - as
expected - his shoulders trembled violently and shrank. Shaking off Jeong Tae-eui’s hand.
Kristoff slowly raised his gaze. Only then did the blue eyes look at Jeong Tae-ui.
The tremors gradually subsided. The tremors of my shoulders, body, lips and hands subside
and eventually stop.
He sat like that for a while. He remained silent, just looking down at his clasped hands. Even
after a long time had passed, the pale complexion never returned to its original state.
Eventually he stood up. He got up rather suddenly and left the study without looking back.
Jeong Tae-ui hesitated for a moment and then followed him.
“Christoph, where are you going?”
“To ride a horse.”
Kristoff spoke briefly. The brief and cold tone of speech was no different from usual. He
seemed to have already returned to his usual Kristoff.
Jeong Tae-ui frowned and clicked his tongue.
“How can I run through the forest at this time of night? “It’s too dark to run a horse.”
“I can run.”
Kristoff answered and went down the stairs without turning around.
Jeong Tae-ui followed him down. It was already pitch black outside. Even though the forest
was dotted with lights, it was dangerous to ride a horse. But Kristoff didn't seem to listen to
anything Jeong Tae-ui said.

......ah.
"leg! “You said you hurt your leg!”
He said he went horseback riding earlier and came in because the horse seemed to have
hurt its leg.
Kristoff seemed to have remembered something only then, and as soon as he left the
mansion, he briefly slowed down his stride toward Martha.
“If you want to decide, just go for a walk in the forest. “The trails are also well-maintained.”
Jeong Tae-eui came up with the next best solution, but Kristoff, who hesitated for a moment,
walked towards Martha again.
“The forest always went with that horse. “Even if I don’t get on it and just get caught and
drag it, that’s how I’m going to go.”
Jeong Tae-ui tried to say something, but eventually sighed and closed his mouth. It seemed
like no matter what I said to Kristoff right now, he wouldn't hear me.
however.
“Christoph.”
Jeong Tae-ui called his name.
Kristoff, who had been a few steps ahead, looked back with an annoyed look on his face.
Jeong Tae-ui asked him quietly.
“Are you able to see clearly in front of you?”
Are you looking for the opposite sex, are you shaking, or are you not moving well due to
nervousness and anxiety?
Kristoff looked at Jeong Tae-ui in silence for a moment. Then I frowned slightly. Only then did
it seem a little like normal again.
"of course."
He left those words coldly and turned away again. And then walks to Masa.
Jeong Tae-ui slowly followed him, wondering what to do. Since he can't ride a horse anyway,
I can't follow him. Then, after seeing him go out, should I just go for a walk or take a walk?
Jeong Tae-eui followed behind Kristoff, who had disappeared into the massage parlor, and
since he was already out, he thought of taking a quick look around the promenade.
At night, the trails in the forest would change paths every day, with only one path lit up with
lanterns. So, sometimes I encountered people taking walks at night, but more often than not,
I went to the forest at night.
There weren't many people.
Jeong Tae-eui sighed lightly, thinking that it would be nice to enjoy the starry night in the
forest, and entered the massage parlor. The guard who was supposed to be in front of
Martha must have been away for a while, and the chair next to the entrance was empty.
there is.
The horse stable, which was shaped like a letter and had two entrances, was quite spacious
as it could accommodate 11 horses spread out.
The horse that Kristoff always rode was in the innermost part of Martha. It's located around a
corner, so it's not visible from the entrance.
Kristoff, who was walking towards the inside, stopped near the corner. I stopped and looked
inside.
“......? “Christoph.”
Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head curiously and called out to him. However, he only looked inside,
as if he couldn't hear Jeong Tae-eui's voice.
Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head and approached him. You have to go a little further to pick
up the horse, but it's strange to stop in front of it.
Jeong Tae-eui, who went next to him and called out “Chris” again, closed his mouth. There
was a faint sound of talking coming from inside the temple. Five or six people enter the
room, and soft voices come out mixed with laughter.
“So I said you shouldn’t hurt your leg. “If you hurt your leg, you can’t ride, so of course
there’s no danger.” “But, since you can’t ride the horse you love so much, your face is so
grumpy all day, you crazy bastard.”
“Look, put a couple of thorns under the saddle and put them in there. Then, as the horse
runs, the saddle will get chafed little by little and get pricked by thorns, so no matter how
good he is at handling the horse, it will be difficult for him to ride the horse without problems.”
Softly giggling voices mingled.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was listening to those small words leaking out, gradually frowned.
Because I realized what these mean and vicious words meant.
Jeong Tae-eui clicked his tongue and looked at Kristoff with an uncomfortable feeling. And
then, it stops on the spot.
Kristoff stood there in silence, listening to the words. Those who would not have been visible
from Jeong Tae-eui's position seemed to be visible from Kristoff's position. The thought that
my face would turn as pale as before momentarily crossed my mind.
However, Kristoff did not turn white or tremble in convulsions. I was just looking at them with
cold eyes.
"......okay. “It worked out better.”

Kristoff said quietly.

However, that voice, which was as cold as ice and had a blue edge, resonated coldly within
Martha, and the voices coming from inside stopped at once.
The men inside turned around, their expressions changing. As they walked and changed
positions, only then was Jeong Tae-ui able to see them.
The six men gathered there were all followers of Richard. We never talked separately, but
we often ran into each other at restaurants. I remembered that whenever I passed by Jeong
Tae-ui, I would glare at him or Kristoff in a low voice, swearing at him or Kristoff.
“Did Richard tell you to do it?”
Kristoff asked. At first glance, there was a faint sneer in those eyes. It is an eye that looks
down on a man who is only that level.
The men, who realized the meaning, instantly widened their eyes grimly.
“It has nothing to do with Richard! “It’s because I don’t want a crazy person like you to come
back and hang around Tarten!”
“It has nothing to do with Richard...? What's good? Even if this matter has nothing to do with
Richard, you will have something to do with him.”
Kristoff said quietly. Suddenly, he saw Jeong Tae-eui a few steps behind him, made an
annoyed face, and briefly said, “Don’t go forward.” Then he looked back at the men and said.
“Even so, I just needed a decent distraction. “I’m going to catch you guys today, and I’m
going to catch him too.”
“......You crazy bastard...!!”
It didn't take long for the men to take steps.
And, even though Kristoff appeared in front of them with an expressionless face.
Jeong Tae-eui did not know exactly what kind of man Christoph Tarten was.
We only heard about how he fought in the numerous battlefields and how he survived, only
occasionally and partially through word of mouth.
Jeong Tae-eui didn't know his cruelty, his brutality, or what kind of expression he made or
what kind of eyes he made when he was putting people down one by one.
I was just guessing from some of it.
That lost, expressionless face, blurred focus, and movements that move precisely and
without hesitation like a machine.
It was only then that Jeong Tae-eui saw for the first time the sight of him just calmly and
quietly tearing people to pieces without any violent convulsions causing convulsions
throughout his body.
There he was like a machine.
It is a heartless machine that has no qualms about being covered in blood and only sees
people as goals.
The machine, as beautiful as an elaborately crafted glass doll, had an eerie hesitation. To
tear off human flesh and to tear out the red and green things that fill the flesh.
Wherever he passed, dots fell and pieces of flesh, whose original origins were unknown,
were left in a puddle of blood.
It didn't take very long.
A few minutes at most.
His entire body was covered in blood, and eventually even the ear-piercing screams
stopped, and only moans were left standing there quietly, squirming like insects. He looked
around while rubbing the blood on his shoes on the hay, as if he was worried.
There was no one there anymore to attack him. The six men on the ground could no longer
harm him.
“There must have been so many rumors going around about me, but you guys are really
stupid...”
He muttered that as if he felt sorry for him, then sighed and raised his head. But there was
no regret or pity on his face. There is no facial expression.
He raised his head, looked around slowly, and suddenly fixed his gaze on Jeong Tae-ui
standing to one side.
The place had already become quiet while Jeong Tae-eui was so absorbed that he had no
time to intervene, or even if he wanted to, he was blocked by the men and could not
intervene. “Uh... were you still there?”
Kristoff muttered vaguely.
Tuga asked, slightly raising his eyebrows, as if he thought he might have run away
somewhere long ago.
“Christoph, these people...”
“It’s alive. I didn't kill him. “This is not a field, so you can’t kill them.”
He clearly states that he does not kill outside of the field, as if he were reading a Korean
language book, or as if someone forced him to memorize it.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at him with a hard look on his face and sighed softly.

Still, I don't know who it was, but it seems like they entered it into my head. Do not kill in
places other than those permitted. To this man who is as dangerous as an innocent child.
Kristoff wiped his bloody face with his sleeve. But it was of no use because the sleeves were
already soaked with blood.
He didn't look tired at all. Not even out of breath.
The opposite sex seemed to be alive and well. Except for the bloody smell, it was no
different from usual.
“Okay… then, let’s go catch that guy.”
Kristoff slowly bobbed his neck to both sides and muttered.
“That guy.”
“The guy sitting on top of these guys. They should be held accountable for not managing
their subordinates properly. Even so, I thought I should sort it out at least once. I have to go
now. “It actually worked out well.”
Jeong Tae-ui soon realized who he was talking about.
It's Richard.
Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue. If they faced each other again now, it wouldn't be an easy
task.
“Chris, something like this can’t happen in the house-.”
“Oh, it’s okay, it’s okay. “He’ll be at the bar today.”
“Bar?!”
“He has a big bar… Today is Tuesday, so he will be there.”
“I usually leave the operation to someone else and go and check it every Tuesday,” Kristoff
added, shaking his hands. The blood that had accumulated on my fingertips trembled.
“There’s a suspicious bar with a number of secret rooms inside where people don’t come
and go, and no one knows what they’re doing. Isn’t this a perfect place to go to take
responsibility? Yes, it would be nice to have a cocktail on the way there. “It would be nice if
there wasn’t any poison in there.”
Kristoff shrugged his shoulders.
And then I quickly turned around and walked straight out of the massa.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at the back in confusion with a frown on his face.
It seemed like something was going to be very bothersome. No, it got annoying.
“......What should we do with these people first...”
They were rolling around like corpses at my feet, occasionally convulsing, and it seemed like
they would really turn into corpses soon if I didn't get in touch with them somewhere. Let's
first do something about the men who have become so terrible that we can't even tell what
their original appearance was...
"......shit. “I should have followed Kristoff and stopped him... He was truly the type of guy who
would turn someone else’s store into a sea of ​blood.”
Jeong Tae-eui looked anxiously at Kristoff's back as he grew further and further away. It was
obvious that I would miss it while I was collecting these men.
However, while he was searching his pockets in vain for his missing cell phone, the security
guard, who seemed to have gone to the bathroom for a moment, returned.
The guard's eyes widened when he saw that Masa's interior had suddenly turned into a
terrible hell while he was away.
He looked at Jeong Tae-eui with wide-open eyes, probably because he was suspicious of
Jeong Tae-eui, who was standing there alone, and shouted something to him, but Jeong
Tae-eui did not have time to listen to his story.
“Please call the hospital. Even in the mansion. huh? “Please.”
Jeong Tae-eui lightly patted the guard's shoulder, who was shaking and turning pale upon
seeing this bloody scene, and quickly ran out of the massage parlor. The security guard
behind me shouted something only later.
There were no ears to hear.
Kristoff was already turning the corner of the mansion towards the garage.
Jeong Tae-eui ran like crazy with the thought that he should not miss out.
Damn it, what's going on? How did this happen? I wanted to live in peace, but why again?
Spilling out a barrage of curse words from his mouth, Jeong Tae-eui spotted Kristoff inserting
his car keys into a sedan that was sitting quietly inside the garage far away and ran towards
him.
4. At the Bar
It was in a delicate location, at the border between a residential district and a commercial
district.
An alley just wide enough for a couple of cars to pass by, with no traffic lights.
Shops and houses faced each other across the street.
It was already midnight, so almost all the stores lined up on the deserted road were closed.
Light came out sporadically between the stores with their safety doors closed.
 In between those stores, there was a building that blended in so quietly and naturally that it
was hard to notice at first glance.
A building with a simple exterior that looks somewhat quiet.
There was an entrance in the side corner of the first floor.
Without the slightest hesitation, Jeong Tae-eui clicked his tongue as he followed Kristoff
through the entrance and down the stairs.
He walked forward without hesitation and followed his momentum, but I don't know what he
was thinking as he jumped into enemy territory alone. What are the plans of this man?
Unless I misheard earlier, it was clearly Richard's store.
In that case, the people camped out in that store are generally people under Richard, or at
least not people who can be our allies.
"....... are you okay?"
When Jeong Tae-ui spoke, Kristoff, who was ahead, turned around. I ask with my eyes,
“What is it?” Seeing that calm gaze, Jeong Tae-ui shrugged his shoulders. Christoph Tarten.
I have heard many people say that he is the main character of the European version of the
Killing Fields and that he is a crazy person who will be extremely dangerous. However, just a
little while ago was the first time I saw its majesty with my own eyes.
The overwhelming ability to tear apart three or four people in an instant without any
hesitation, and even in the gruesome process, to stomp on them unharmed, even though the
blood of the opponent was covered with them, he himself did not get hurt.
Even though I had already witnessed another monster and lived with it and was somewhat
accustomed to such surprises, my heart felt cold.
However, even if that were the case, Jeong Tae-eui was able to protect at least his own
body, but he already knew that he would not be a very effective force for Kristoff - breaking
through the enemy lines was quite a burden.
Although I thought about calling the police and destroying the inside of the store, I also knew
that the police would be of no help in this case.
Jeong Tae-eui racked his brain for a while, but in a state where he didn't know the situation,
he couldn't think of a sharp move no matter how he tried to simulate it, so he ended up
bitterly tasting it.
I don't know. it will work out somehow.
At the same time he was thinking that, Kristoff, who had gone down the four steps ahead,
opened the wooden door without hesitation.
All eyes were focused at once.
As he followed Kristoff in, Jeong Tae-eui clearly felt the stinging gaze pouring on them.
The gaze was mainly focused on Kristoff, and only after taking a glance at Kristoff did it fly to
his companion, Jeong Tae-eui.
“...Wow..., the store looks nice.”
That was all Jeong Tae-ui could say.
The shocked look at Kristoff, who appeared covered in blood all over his body, was also
looked at by Jeong Tae-ui, who entered with him, with a similar gaze, defining him as being
of the same race. That gaze was really stinging.
It's Christoph, it's Christoph Tarten, I could hear voices whispering like that.
Following the voices filled with surprise, clear hostility, anxiety, and fear, Jeong Tae-eui
looked around the store.
The place didn't seem that different from any other bar.
Inside, there were separate counter seats on a slightly raised platform, and tables were
placed around them. The width is okay.
“It’s all good, but I don’t really like the members. “Customers and employees…”
Jeong Tae-ui frowned slightly and muttered.
Although I expected it to some extent, I saw quite a few familiar faces among the people
sitting inside. Most of the familiar faces were people who worked under Richard, whom he
had seen in the west wing.
Although I only knew about three or three faces, it would be better to assume that the rest of
the humans were similar to him. Looking at Kristoff, it was clear that he was at least not on
this side.
It was when Jeong Tae-ui took a long breath, praying inwardly that he would be able to finish
the day without any problems.
“Christoph!”
A sonorous voice calling for Kristoff came from inside.
The person who was sitting on one side of the counter, saw them, and walked out was a
man wearing a half-suit that was neither too formal nor too shabby. Judging by his
appearance and familiar appearance, he appears to be someone who works here. That
probably has quite a bit of status, too.
Kristoff, who was walking in ahead, looked at the person who called his name. And the
moment he identified that person, he stopped walking, his eyes widening slightly. “Erich!”

It seemed like we knew each other.

The man named Erich walked out with his hands spread out and smiling cheerfully.
“Geez, how long has this been going on? So...this is the first time since I saw you in Serbia,
right? Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. ...No, but what is this blood? Your whole body is
covered in blood? “Did you get hurt somewhere?”
The man who was walking close to Kristoff tried to tap his shoulder instead of shaking his
hand, but when Kristoff glared at his hand fiercely, he grinned and muttered, ‘Oh, yes, that
happened.’ Only then does he realize that Kristoff is covered in blood and looks very
surprised.
However, Jeong Tae-eui realized that the question about whether he was hurt was a formal
question, and when he saw the expression on his face that did not show the slightest
concern. In that case, there was a high possibility that this man already knew what kind of
person Kristoff was.
“Why are you here?”
Kristoff asked the man with a frown. What about men? He raised his eyebrows and laughed
out loud.
“Have I not always lived a wandering life? “There’s nothing strange about where you are.”
“When did you come here?”
"here? Ah, it was eight months ago that I came to Germany and two months ago that I came
to Dresden. “I came here two months ago.”
The man shrugged his shoulders and said.
Kristoff was about to say something, but fell silent again. An unpleasant expression was
clearly visible on his face.
“Are you also attached to Richard?”
Kristoff's voice suddenly became cold. Then the man opened his eyes wide in surprise and
frowned.
"What are you talking about. I was just hired by Richard. He said that there was no one
suitable to look after the store for a while because someone had suddenly left from
downstairs, so he asked me to take care of it until he could find someone. As you know, I
owe a debt of gratitude to Richard for his help. But people are shy, how can they refuse?”
“Yes, that means you got attached to Richard because of that debt.”
“Uh-huh, Kristoff. You have to listen to what people say until the end. I am Richard's friend,
but I am also your friend. Isn't it? If I'm not your friend, why are you in Serbia?
Would I have risked my life to save you? “My injured knee still hurts on rainy days, but I have
never once blamed you or regretted what happened.” “.......”
Kristoff looked at the man in silence. The expression on his face was extremely desolate. It
was a face that said things had gone wrong unexpectedly.
“......So, Erich, are you using that incident as an excuse to disturb me?”
When Kristoff spoke coldly, the man's eyes widened in surprise. He raises his hands and
shouts exaggeratedly.
“Oh my, how can you believe that I am disturbing you! If it's my friend's business, I'll go out of
my way to help, but I'll never interfere! “No matter what, aren’t we friends!”
In front of the man who appealed for such close friendship, Kristoff's expression gradually
sank. The frowning mouth is fierce.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at this insanely cheerful man and then glanced at Kristoff. Kristoff had
a very unlucky look on his face.
At first glance, this man, who seemed to be acquainted with both Richard and Christoph, had
once saved Christoph's life by seriously injuring his own knee. At the same time, I couldn't
tell what it was, but I felt like I owed Richard something.
Kristoff looked coldly at this cheerful man who greeted him with a very happy face. Then, he
clicked his tongue and raised his head slightly. And he said coldly. “Call Richard. “Because I
have business to attend to him.”
“Richard? …Can I ask what’s going on?”
When this lively man, Erich, heard Richard's name, he tilted his head in surprise and asked
tentatively: Kristoff's face frowned.
“That’s none of your business, Erich. I came here to discuss something with him, and I know
he is here. If he doesn't come out of hiding, I'm going to have to destroy this damn store. “If
you don’t want to see the store destroyed, quickly bring Richard to me.”
“What?! “This bastard broke into someone else’s store...!!”
Those words were shouted by a man standing a few steps away from them.
The man, whom I had passed by several times in Seoik, had been looking at them with
hostile eyes ever since they entered the store, and now, upon hearing Kristoff's words, he
got angry and walked out.
Kristoff glanced in that direction. The man shook off the person next to him who was trying to
stop him and walked towards him.
“This is no place for you, you idiot! I don't want to see you at home, so why are you coming
in like this?! What about that topic? If I don't call Richard, I'll destroy the store?! “Okay, try it.
If you can, take me down first and try it!”
Kristoff looked indifferently at the man who clenched his fist and shook it in front of Kristoff's
nose. I saw Kristoff slightly clenching his fist.

The first batter was that guy, Jeong Tae-eui thought as he glanced away.
“Why is this guy like this again? What happens to my reputation if my friend comes and
behaves so rudely, huh! “Hurry up and get away!!”
The person who slapped the man on the back and shouted that was Erich, who was
laughing and talking frantically in front of Kristoff.
To the man who was about to complain, “Don’t confront the store manager and just go away,
my friend, my friend!” Erich shouted and pushed the man away in an instant, then turned
back to Kristoff and smiled.
“I’m sorry about this, please understand. You know that most of the people who work here
follow Richard well. huh? Now, please at least look at my face. Oh, right, come here, come
here. A very, very rare drink arrived today! I thought I was so lucky, but it looks like you were
the one who came. Now, come here and sit down. ―Oh, that was the friend who came with
Kristoff, right? “Friend, please come here too, come here.”
Without knowing at what point, Erich led Christoph to an empty seat inside the counter. As
he followed them a few steps away, Jeong Tae-ui was amazed.
That resourceful man whose identity he was was very good at leading Kristoff to the counter
seat without even touching his body. He seemed to be very aware of Kristoff's habit of
reflexively avoiding his hand when he brought it close to his body.
When Jeong Tae-eui followed, exclaiming that it was somehow amazing, Christoph was
already sitting on the chair that Erich had provided.
However, rather than being blindsided, it seemed as if Kristoff had half complied with his
wishes, and although he made a disapproving face, he was not particularly angry. “Now,
now, what kind of alcohol did you drink today?”
"I do not need. Bring Richard. “I need to see him right away.”
Kristoff said coldly, turning the glass he offered upside down and pouring it at his feet. Then
Erich clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed. He muttered, “Oh my, what a good drink
this is,” and shook his head. He didn’t respond to Kristoff’s comment, but looked at Jeong
Tae-ui sitting next to him and smiled kindly, “What do you want your friend to drink?” “I’ll buy
it for you, so don’t worry and order it,” he suggested.
“Then give me that precious and good drink. I'll drink Kristoff's share instead. “It looks like I
had a lot of luck today.” As Jeong Tae-ui muttered, Erich paused and laughed out loud. And
then he hit Jeong Tae-ui hard on the shoulder.
“What a fun friend, what a fun friend! Okay, I'll give it to you. Now, about this drink—.”
“Erich.”
Kristoff said coldly, interrupting Erich’s words. That low, icy voice contained the will to
overthrow the person's words one more time. Erich must have also felt the same will that
Jeong Tae-eui felt sensitively, as his face suddenly darkened and he exaggeratedly sighed.
Strangely enough, other people find it funny when they do it.
Even though it looks like this man is really depressed and helpless, it makes me feel weak.
I think I somehow know this man's abilities... While Taeui Jeong was silently fiddling with his
glass, Erich sat in front of Christoph with a heavy face.
“Christoph. Can you just look at me once? Richard is definitely in this store right now. But
now he is meeting a very important guest. “I can’t possibly ask you to come out now.”
“It’s none of my business. “I have to finish my business and go right back.”
“Hey, Chris. please understand me You know that I owe a lot to Richard. He trusted me and
entrusted me with the store, but if something unfortunate happened to the store while I was
in charge, how would I look at him? Please, please take a look at it just once. It doesn't
mean I won't bring him. I'll let you know as soon as that important guest returns. huh?
“Please wait just a moment, just a moment.”
“I said that was none of my business-.”
“Uh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, suddenly my knee... Because of this knee, I couldn't work
anywhere properly... Then, the person who entrusted me with the store like this... How
grateful I am to Richard....
Ah, but of course I feel truly fortunate that I was able to save you by sacrificing my knee!”
“.......”
It seemed like a blue fire was coming out of Kristoff's eyes. The fist clenched tightly on the
table trembles slightly.
After doing this for a few seconds, Kristoff finally let out a bitter sigh and relaxed his fist. And
then he asked, blatantly shining an unpleasant light on him. “When does that important guest
leave?”
"hmm? Oh, as far as that... I've only recently arrived, so I think it might take a while... Just
wait, I'll sneak over to Richard and tell him as soon as I get the chance, even if that customer
doesn't come back. . “He would probably run out if you were here.”
When you say it like that, it sounds like they have a really good relationship, but Jeong
Tae-eui just quietly sipped his drink, remembering the relationship between the two people
where it would not be strange at all if they were cross-countered as soon as they came out.
Kristoff glared at Erich with disgust - judging by his observation, it seemed that this was not
the first time he had been involved in this way - and let out a rough sigh. "one hour. “I won’t
wait any longer, so take care of it.”
"one hour? So fast?! Oh, no, no, no, there will be a gap in between.”

Erich, who had been shouting while changing his voice, quickly changed his tone and
smiled when he saw Kristoff's face, whose patience was about to break.
Thinking that he somehow understood why Richard hired this man as the store manager,
Jeong Tae-eui looked around the store again while holding a drink. However, no matter how
you look, it looks like Richard
There was no one in sight.
......ah. If you're with an important guest, you'll probably be in a separate room. Is that the
hallway inside there...
Jeong Tae-eui thought as he looked at the other hallway he was in, almost hidden by a large
flower pot, right next to the small hallway marked with a bathroom sign.
but.......
"what's the matter?"
Kristoff, who had asked for water next to him and was drinking it, asked as if he had noticed
that Jeong Tae-eui was looking around. Jeong Tae-eui shrugged his shoulders and said,
“No.”
“I thought the structure was a bit strange. If you go into the hallway over there, do you see if
there is a room? Why is the atmosphere of the store a bit subtle...”
Jeong Tae-eui was speechless.
The atmosphere of the store is subtly...dangerous.
The people who work in the store are like that, it looks like it could have multiple emergency
doors, and there are surveillance cameras hidden in every invisible corner of the ceiling and
walls.
Additionally, the store was much narrower than I expected upon entering the building. The
bar itself wasn't narrow, but considering the size of the building, it was much narrower than
average. In other words, there are quite a few rooms that are hidden from view.
It would be difficult to view these as simply facilities designed to make the liquor business,
which is somewhat illegal, safer.
As Jeong Tae-eui muttered that, Erich, who was mixing cocktails by hand across the table,
slightly raised his eyebrows. He glanced at Jeong Tae-ui and then looked at him again
without saying a word.
I dropped it.
Next to him, Kristoff said, “Ah,” gravely.
“It’s a dangerous store, right?”
“Dangerous store...”
“This place is owned and managed by Richard, but in a broad sense it is Tarten’s property.
This is a place that customers who use Tarten often visit. Now... then, of course, there are
bound to be several rooms that are close to secret rooms.”
It was only after hearing Kristoff's indifferent words that Jeong Tae-ui remembered Tarten's
family business. Information industry. Private intelligence agency.
“Aha... Indeed.”
Jeong Tae-ui nodded. In that case, it is understandable that the store structure is a bit
strange. Kristoff adds to Jeong Tae-ui, who nods.
“The structure is a bit strange because we bought and remodeled a club that originally
secretly dealt with drugs on a large scale.” “Ah..............Can you just say that to me, but?”
Jeong Tae-eui shook his head and looked at Kristoff suspiciously.
Somehow, considering the content of the story, it didn't seem like something to be told so
carelessly to an outsider. Then Kristoff nods, saying, “Hmm.”
“If something happens and the store is in trouble, Richard is the one in trouble. “If you want
to spread rumors, feel free to do so.” "....... uh."
Even if I had to start a rumor, the people I could spread the word about were, at most, Ilay or
Kyle, or my uncle or older brother. But somehow it seemed like they already knew
everything. It's not that strange to find a store that's a bit unusual.
There was something else I was more concerned about right now.
“I thought only Seoik of Tarten was evil, but the atmosphere here is also very...”
Jeong Tae-ui emptied his glass and muttered.
He waves his hand at Erich, who tilts the bottle to give him more, and asks for a beer
instead. Although it seemed like a good alcoholic beverage with a nice smell and feel, it was
beer that suited my taste better. Looking at it, I thought it would be given for free if I gave it
as much as I wanted, which was great.
It was a bit of a problem that there was also an atmosphere that would make the taste of the
beer go down...
“Why is the atmosphere so harsh?”
Jeong Tae-ui shrugged his shoulders and muttered. Kristoff nodded slightly, but didn't seem
to care much.

Well, who cares so much about a person whose whole body was covered in blood until he
wiped at least his face and hands with the wet towel Erich had prepared for him a little while
ago.
However, Jeong Tae-eui was concerned.
It had been like that from the beginning, but now, for some reason, it seemed like the
countless eyes glaring at them had become even harsher.
While I was working in Seoik, I received a lot of harsh looks, but now that I was at Richard's
store, it was even more special. If something goes wrong, it looks like they will criticize it.
“Even though it’s Richard’s store, isn’t the atmosphere in this store really bad?”
As Jeong Tae-ui grumbled and muttered, Kristoff moistened his lips with a glass of water and
spoke indifferently. “It would be time for a call to come in by now.”
“What contact?”
“News from the six guys who were probably friends of those guys who left them lying in the
forest.”
"......." aha. indeed.
Only then did Jeong Tae-ui understand. I nodded and glanced at Kristoff. He didn't care at all
whether their gaze was harsh or not, and except for his face and hands, which he had wiped
with a wet towel a little while ago, his entire body was covered in blood. It was better
because the indoor lighting was dim so strangers would think he was wearing black clothes,
but if seen in bright light, he looked really scary.
No problem. It's okay to be angry.
I don't like seeing a guy who looks like an enemy suddenly appear and threatens to
overthrow the store and shouts for the owner to come out. I wonder where he came out
covered in blood, but it turns out that it's all his friends.
If it was blood.
...Those guys are really good-natured too. Even if I grabbed a mop and started wiping it
down right now, I wouldn't feel comfortable with it.
“Hmm, this is difficult....”
Jeong Tae-ui let out a long sigh and muttered. Next to him, Kristoff said, “What?” he asked.
“I’ve been wanting to go to the bathroom for a while now, but I don’t want to get in trouble
while I’m there…”
Jeong Tae-eui raised his head and looked inside the store again with a pitiful face. The road
leading to the bathroom in the corner looks strangely dark. It seemed like the road would be
difficult.
“It’s an atmosphere where it’s easy to get dragged somewhere and beaten on the way there
or back...”
“......Shall I go with you?”
Kristoff looked at Jeong Tae-eui, who was muttering heavily, with a puzzled look on his face,
and then spoke out loud and patronizingly. However, Jeong Tae-ui shook his head and
waved his hand.
“No, if one of you stays and the other doesn’t come back, it’s better to report it to the police
right away. What if we both get bullied at the same time?”
“If you think about it that way, don’t you think that the moment the two of you separate,
danger will reach out to each of you?”
Jeong Tae-eui nodded at Kristoff’s words, saying, “Ah, I see.” I looked up at the dim lighting
on the ceiling for a moment and came to my own conclusion.
“In other words, it’s dangerous no matter what you do.”
Kristoff didn't answer. I don't think it's dangerous at all, but considering the context of the
story, it seems like the conclusion is that it's all the same.
Jeong Tae-eui said, ‘Okay then.’ and stood up readily.
“I’m going to the bathroom. “Please pray for my safe return.”
As he was going to the bathroom, Jeong Tae-eui felt sorry for the atmosphere of having to
leave after saying such a tragic thing, and turned around.
This is no joke.
Jeong Tae-eui had that thought from the moment he stood up from the chair.
As soon as I stood up from the counter and took steps to go to the bathroom, I was
immediately met with harsh gazes all over my body.
Jeong Tae-eui felt eyes pierced like arrows both in front and behind him and walked along
the sign indicating a restroom.
I turned around the corner, following the restroom sign that was softly blinking under the dim
lighting—it was actually an illuminated restroom sign! The road turned again about 10
meters in front, and at the end there was another restroom sign.
Rather than having a deep restroom, it was a store with a strangely structured structure.
When Jeong Tae-eui reached the end of the street, he took a quick look around.
There was not one path leading to the bathroom.

There is a path leading from the store hall that Jeong Tae-eui is currently walking. And on
the other side, there is a road that leads from a wide and deserted corner where you can't
tell what's going on. And there was another road leading inside.
“The structure is unusual, but it would also be perfect to get lost.”
Jeong Tae-eui muttered and tilted his head, saying, ‘Could I report this as a violation of the
building code?’
Jeong Tae-eui suddenly stopped walking towards the bathroom and sneakily walked towards
the road leading in the opposite direction. That's because I was curious about what was on
that road.
From the moment Jeong Tae-eui walked a few meters into the path leading to the hall, the
interior decoration of the path on the other side changed.
A thick, soft carpet was spread all the way down the hallway. The lighting was soft yet
moderately bright, and the zigzag doors on both sides of the hallway were made of heavy
oak wood.
“Oh my god, they make the poor guests sit in uncomfortable seats in the hall and serve only
cheap drinks, and only the rich guests are taken to this luxurious room to drink expensive
drinks like water. Oh my, oh my.”
Jeong Tae-eui had been playing with the children taught by Kristoff from time to time for
some time now, and was snooping around the hallway, muttering in a tone he had adopted
from one of them, a girl who was as clever as a fox.
Perhaps some of those doors had people inside, but I couldn't tell from the outside. It's just
that it's a hallway that looks odd at first glance.
Jeong Tae-eui shrugged his shoulders and walked away.
It's a place that has nothing to do with you anyway. There's no reason to go into that room,
and I'm not even sure I can afford the cost of alcohol if I go in there.
Jeong Tae-eui, who came out of the hallway and walked towards the bathroom again,
stopped at that moment.
"......uh."
A short sound comes out of my mouth without my knowledge.
A hallway extending inward from the bathroom.
Some distance away, a man was opening the door and entering the room. It is the room at
the very back of the hallway.
When Jeong Tae-eui had just come out of the hallway, the man had already stepped into the
room, and by the time he looked at him again, only his shoulders and back had passed his
field of vision and he had already entered the room.
And soon there was a very faint sound of the door closing heavily.
"....... uh......?"
Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head.
The man from before seemed somehow familiar. No, I couldn't see his face, but the faint
glimpse of his profile, his shoulders and back, and his walking posture were somehow very
familiar. Among the people Jeong Tae-eui knows, there is a person like that...
“....... ....... ....... Eh, no way.......”
Jeong Tae-eui, who was lost in thought for a moment while staring into space, soon smiled
and waved his hand. There was no reason for that man to be in a place like this. By now, the
man is Tarten's Dong-ik, serving the distinguished guest.
He was probably rolling around comfortably in the guest room.
Jeong Tae-eui shook his head and went into the bathroom.
The spacious bathroom was empty.
In a store of this size, even if timing was considered, it would not be rare for the bathroom to
be empty like this, Jeong Tae-ui thought, then nodded, saying, “Oh, I see.”
At this scale, there could have been one or two more bathrooms. In addition, each room
would have its own separate room, so if you think about it that way, you can understand why
there are no people there. Jeong Tae-eui shook his head and approached the toilet.
“After all, people cannot know the future....”
While muttering with a sigh, I slowly began to do my business. Actually, I wanted to go to the
bathroom ever since I was in the study with Kristoff earlier. I endured it for quite a long time.
“Just this morning, I thought I was going to have a peaceful night. How could I have guessed
that I would have left Tarten and ended up in a bar?”
If you think like that, how do you know if you can go back to Berlin with a book in your arms
tomorrow and live in peace? You should always live with hope, you muttered.
It was Jeong Tae-ui.
Meanwhile, it was time to finish my errands and straighten the front of my pants.
Suddenly, there was a clatter behind me, and the bathroom door opened.
Two men came in. One of them closes the bathroom door and stands in front of it.
Jeong Tae-ui muttered as he pulled up his pants fastener.
“If two men enter the bathroom at the same time and close the door, they are most likely gay
or-”

That was before I even finished muttering those words.

A man approached Jeong Tae-eui and hit him on the head with his fist. -No, more accurately,
he swung his fist, but Jeong Tae-ui quickly turned his head to the side and narrowly avoided
it.
“Yes, this is it, a bunch of people with bad intentions. No, but if you suddenly do this without
warning...”
Jeong Tae-ui quickly backed away from the man and walked towards the mirror.
When the man missed his fist, he turned around, frowning even more viciously.
“You are the one who came with Kristoff.”
That's right, that's the only thing that can cause resentment here.
“That’s true...”
“This bastard, then you’re saying you’re in the same group as him, why are you acting the
other way!”
The man came closer to Jeong Tae-ui again and shouted harshly and swung his fist. This
time, Jeong Tae-eui dodged the punch without difficulty and clicked his tongue.
“You’re not saying that you and that bastard turned my brother into a blood clot!”
The man chased after Jeong Tae-ui, shouting harshly like an animal roaring.
I couldn't tell which of the six the younger brother the man was talking about was, but they
were the only ones who could guess from what he said.
“No, no. I just watched and Kristoff did it all by himself. “I feel wronged!”
Jeong Tae-ui thought that he was a bit cowardly for shouting like that, but he was not in a
position to think like that right now. I was in a hurry to avoid the man's randomly swinging fist.
And above all, even if Jeong Tae-ui shouts like that...
“Don’t be ridiculous, how can one guy crush six people like that!”
See, I thought you wouldn't believe me.
Even Jeong Tae-ui, who I saw in person, couldn't believe it. It's a miracle that one person is
able to take on six people in an equal situation where neither party has anything to use as a
weapon.
“You coward, are you just trying to get rid of yourself by lying?!”
Why did I want to listen to that?
Jeong Tae-eui, somewhat aggrieved, appealed that it was real, but it didn't work either.
Meanwhile, after seeing Jeong Tae-eui moving around the bathroom without difficulty and
avoiding it, the man who was guarding the bathroom door joined in, perhaps thinking that
one man alone would not be enough.
“Aha, I would be grateful if you would get out of the way like that.”
Jeong Tae-eui smiled.
The miracle of one person defeating six does not happen very easily, but the feat of one
person defeating two in a not overly large space happened quite often.
First, before the man guarding the door could get close, he caught the man who had been
following him. I dodged his fist and at the same time grabbed him by the back of his neck
and slammed him into the wall. A loud, loud sound followed by a loud scream was heard,
and one person was resolved.
And when the other one saw that, his expression distorted and he was about to get ready to
attack, he hit the bridge of his nose with his fist. I could clearly feel my nose bone being
broken. Drops of blood were sprinkled on the floor.
“Then why are you two attacking me? “If only one had come, I would have just avoided it.”
Jeong Tae-ui said while straightening his disheveled collar.
Unlike the man who hit his head against the wall, the man clutching the bridge of his nose
was conscious and shouted something, but the sound could not be heard clearly due to the
nosebleed going down his throat.
“I’m sorry, but please excuse me first.”
Jeong Tae-eui sincerely waved his hand at them and was about to open the bathroom door
to return to the hall.
Just then, a large figure was about to enter the bathroom.
"uh......."
"hmm? ......uh?!"
The large man, wearing a hooded jacket that went down to his thighs, saw Jeong Tae-eui
casually and tried to get out of the way, but when he saw the man lying on the bathroom
floor and the man crouching next to him, he suddenly screamed.
He tried to quickly disappear before he got into even more trouble, but the big man looked
back at Jeong Tae-ui with his eyes wide open. “Is that you?! “Looking at this guy now, isn’t
he the guy who came with that guy Kristoff earlier?!”

shit. I think everyone in this store remembers me.

“It’s a very friendly store that remembers each and every customer, but I’m a bit reluctant to
do so…”
While Jeong Tae-ui was picking up random words and wondering what to do with this big
guy, he must have heard the commotion when he saw several more people approaching
from around the corner of the hallway.
“What’s wrong, there?”
“Why is it a bit noisy?”
“Is there something wrong?”
It wasn't just one or two people who turned the corner and appeared whispering like that.
There were only four people who appeared in front of me right away. In other words, there
was a lot of possibility that it would increase in the future.
Jeong Tae-eui's eyes darkened for a moment.
Behind him was a man with a broken nose but still intact hands and feet, a large figure
standing directly in front of him, and four people crowding behind the large figure.
“Wow... They say that if you see one, there are actually 30 out of sight. I guess that's right..."
Jeong Tae-ui counted the men with his eyes and muttered absently.
Since there were only six people, it matched the number of miracles Kristoff showed earlier,
but Jeong Tae-eui did not have the confidence to create such a miracle.
Kristoff chose to fight as a way to escape the situation of confronting six people, but Jeong
Tae-ui was different.
“Originally, the field in which I am most confident is running smoothly...”
I muttered that and quickly looked at the surrounding situation.
It didn't seem difficult to avoid those men and go back to the hall, but if you do that, what
happens next is a problem. I think they'll probably follow me there if they notice, but it would
be a disaster if a large-scale fight breaks out inside the store. Moreover, if that happened, he
would have no way to stop Kristoff.
Then you will have to run away to the other side, and wherever you go, you are bound to be
noticed as an outsider. I needed some kind of temporary solution, but I didn't have the
presence of mind to take care of that right now.
“Let’s run away and see. “Hey, sorry.”
Jeong Tae-eui briefly apologized and rushed at the large man who was right in front of him.
The large figure, who was looking back at his colleagues approaching from behind, was
suddenly attacked. What?! And I screamed. However, by the time he screamed and tried to
punch Jeong Tae-ui, it was already too late.
Jeong Tae-eui knocked down the large man with a leg-step that would have been very
difficult to succeed if he had not been caught off guard. Leaving behind the sound of a heavy
hitting the floor, I jump over it and run.
The men who were approaching from behind were surprised when they saw this and started
chasing after them.
Fortunately, Jeong Tae-ui's running speed was fast, so the distance increased little by little,
but the problem came next.
Damn it, I don't know the way. I thought the road was a bit complicated earlier, but as I was
running without really looking around, I couldn't tell where I was.
Before he knew it, Jeong Tae-eui was back in front of the bathroom without even knowing
where and how he had turned. In the meantime, I could vaguely hear the men rummaging
around, perhaps thinking it would be better to disperse.
Now, how do you do it? Would it be better to go back to Kristoff? No, if I did that, I'm sure
there would be bloodshed due to his personality. “.......”
Let's try to run away as soon as possible.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was standing silently in front of the bathroom, started walking aimlessly
again.
It was then.
"uh?!"
I turned around because I thought I heard a strangely familiar voice behind me, and the
same large figure from before was there. His elbow was slightly scratched, as if he had been
injured when Jeong Tae-ui tripped on his leg and knocked him down. “Uh... that must have
hurt. sorry."
There was absolutely no intention to ridicule. Even though it was really just a genuine
apology, the big man seemed to take it differently.
In an instant, his face turned red and he rushed towards Jeong Tae-ui.
“You bastard!”
Jeong Tae-eui saw the sinister force and quickly went into the bathroom behind him. Then
the big man quickly followed behind.
“You bastard, you are now a poisoned rat.”
The large man shouted in triumph with an angry expression on his face, and attacked Jeong
Tae-ui, who was hesitating in front of the sink.

And then.
Jeong Tae-ui ducked slightly to avoid the big man's massive arms and kicked him hard on
the ankle. Then he fell down on the floor with a deflated sound.
This young man was not destined to grow up. I don't have the ability to learn.
Feeling somewhat sorry for his future, Jeong Tae-ui aimed a short, hard strike precisely at
the area slightly above the nape of his neck and below the back of his head. The large man
rolled his eyes and fainted with a loud “screaming” sound.
When the large figure who had been shouting like thunder a moment ago fell down, the
surroundings instantly became quiet.
Jeong Tae-eui looked down at him, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his
hand. The hood of the jacket was turned over and covered the large man's head.
“....... ........ Should I borrow this?”
Jeong Tae-eui looked down at him.
A generous hooded jacket that goes down to the thighs, and the feeling of being chased.
It seemed like a very plausible combination.
*
I like plausible combinations....
Jeong Tae-eui soon realized that his choice was wrong.
He took the hooded jacket off the large man and put it on himself, dragged the unconscious
large man into the bathroom, and stuck a broom inside the door to secure it.
The hood covered Jeong Tae-ui's head and came down low enough to cover under his eyes
and almost up to his nose. The clothes that used to come down to the thighs for a large man
came down to near the knees when Jeong Tae-ui wore them. For a moment, I thought with
joy, “This is great because it covers almost everything.” The large body that had been kept in
the bathroom was discovered too quickly. At this point, the large hooded jacket was very
noticeable.
“There it is! It's him! “I’m wearing Wilhelm’s clothes!!”
...What a fool.
As Jeong Tae-eui was running around like a madman running through the maze-like streets
of the store, he realized the mistake he had made.
This guy's clothes were too hot. It made sense since it was covered from head to knee, but it
did not allow the heat radiating from the jumping body to escape.
Moreover, the size, which I thought was an advantage of this clothing, actually became a
disadvantage. A hood that falls in front of your eyes and blocks your vision, and a hem that
reaches your knees and gets in the way when running.
I wanted to take this off and throw it away somewhere, but when I stopped somewhere and
tried to take off my jacket, some guy followed me like a ghost and shouted, ‘It’s over there!’
How long did he run?
I had no idea where I was in the store, and I had no idea how much time had passed.
Even now, behind Jeong Tae-ui, there was a guy following him at quite a distance. It seemed
like he wasn't exactly following Jeong Tae-ui after seeing him. However, it seemed like they
were following footsteps and signs of popularity.
I think if I go somewhere suitable and hide for a while, that guy will look for me and just pass
by.
While Jeong Tae-eui was running, he kept a keen eye on his surroundings.
It was then.
Another road branched off to the side of the road where Jeong Tae-eui was running like
crazy. At the end of the road, a built-in storage room that looked like a cabinet caught my
eye. “―...!”
It's a cabinet at the end of a dead end alley.
If you go in there and hide, and you get caught, you will have nowhere to run and it will be
over.
In short, if you can hide safely, it's great, but if you get caught, it's a disaster.
Jeong Tae-eui was momentarily worried.
I probably wouldn't have chosen that place under normal circumstances. I wouldn't have
tried to go there unless I could escape again just in case.
However, Jeong Tae-eui's legs were already getting numb, and sweat was pouring down
inside his hooded jacket. I desperately wished I could stop and rest my legs just for a
moment. So, my judgment was clouded.
“―...Eh, I don’t know. “You die of out of breath while running, or you get caught and beaten
to death, but life is the same anyway.”

Jeong Tae-eui ran there, talking gibberish without even knowing what he was saying.
Before I knew it, I had reached a certain road, and there was a soft carpet under my feet.
There was no sound of running. Great.
There was a hint of someone following behind the corner.
Before that figure sees his appearance. Hurry before that.
When Jeong Tae-ui, who was running out of breath, barely reached the built-in cabinet, the
figure followed him right around the corner.
“......!”
I opened the cabinet and jumped inside. And then it closed again. The wooden door closed
without a sound, blocking the inside from the outside. And at the same time, the figure
chasing them reached the corner.
Jeong Tae-eui held his breath inside the cabinet.
This built-in cabinet, which seemed to have been remodeled by dividing a small warehouse
with wooden doors, had short wooden boards attached diagonally like wood blinds to the
door. Outside between the spokes of the trees
It looked out.
The young man following behind passed the corner, looked around for a moment, and then
ran back to the other side of the street.
“...―.”
Jeong Tae-eui, who was holding his breath in the cabinet, sighed. Then, it was time to take a
long breath and take a deep breath.
Ah... it seemed like a small, faint sound was heard right next to me.
“―?!”
Even if it wasn't right in my ear, I could hear it very close, less than a few steps away.
Jeong Tae-eui flinched and held his breath again. And then slowly, I looked in the direction
where the sound came from.
Just like the door facing the hallway that Jeong Tae-eui had been looking at a little while ago,
the side of the cabinet now looked like it was also made of a door. No, not the door. There
was no handle. The side of this built-in cabinet, which had a door facing the hallway, was
probably in the process of changing the interior structure, and was in contact with the room
at the end of the hallway.
Originally, the open space seemed to have been blocked with plywood or something, and
the side was blinded with comb teeth like a door, but there was no handle.
I wondered why I had opened the blinds if they were going to block it instead of leaving it as
a door. When I looked up, there was a ventilation hole right above it, and a fan was running
through it. next to it
A small hole was drilled in the corner to connect the exhaust pipe. It seemed like it was
probably unavoidable because of the plumbing. Damn, I thought I was hiding well, but why is
this happening? There's another person beyond the open door.
Jeong Tae-eui first held his breath. Since I didn't know who he was, I couldn't let anyone
know that I was here. Moreover, this was the end room of a carpeted hallway lined with
secret rooms. The location of the room alone is enough to guess that a suspicious person
may be sitting there.
Jeong Tae-eui very carefully, careful not to make a sound, turned his body and looked into
the room adjacent to the side of the cabinet.
"-...Ahhh......."
The thin and faint voice from a moment ago was heard again. The sound, repeated several
times at intervals, eventually turned into sobs mixed with tears. It was a woman's sobs.
Jeong Tae-eui frowned and turned his gaze to where the sound was coming from. The
sobbing thing bothered me, but the woman's voice bothered me even more.
However, when he caught a glimpse of the woman through the wooden bars, Jeong Tae-eui
flinched and froze for a moment.
It wasn't just that the woman was naked. It wasn't just that a man was thrusting his waist
between the woman's crotch - his face wasn't visible due to the angle of the wood. It was a
face that Jeong Tae-eui knew.
No, rather than saying I know it, it's a face I've seen before.
There was no way I had seen it wrong or was mistaken. Because I saw it just a little while
ago. In the Forest of Tarten. Her standing next to Richard.
Her beautifully curly hair was soaked with sweat and tears, sticking to her face. She was
sobbing and pleading in a low, mumbling voice that was difficult to hear. “Please……,
please―, ……, ……, ……please……. ....”
The pleading words that were heard at first glance were a mixture of obscene words that
made Jeong Tae-eui's earlobes heat up as he was frozen like a stone statue at the situation
that was happening in front of him.
The woman herself seemed so embarrassed to say such a thing, and her bright red face
was completely covered in tears.
Jeong Tae-eui could not move, so he just lifted his eyes upward. I couldn't bear to look any
further, and I didn't think I should look any further.
But why is that woman here looking like that?
I heard that that woman is definitely Richard's lover...
“.......”

The moment that fact occurred to him, Jeong Tae-ui opened his eyes wide.
Come to think of it, this was a store owned by Richard. And that woman is Richard’s lover. In
that case, the man who is currently grabbing her waist is―.
“Okay, well said. “I’ll stop looking at you now because I did as I was told and spoke nicely.”
A man's voice was heard smiling softly and speaking to the woman.
Sure enough, it was a voice that Jeong Tae-ui knew.
As the man bent down to pat the woman's back, his face was also visible. There was no
doubt.
Richard Tarten.
It was that man.
He smiled in satisfaction and began to guess roughly. Soon a mixture of screaming and
moaning filled the room. Meanwhile, Richard told the woman obscene words that were
difficult to bear in her ears, and forced those words out of her mouth.
Jeong Tae-eui's complexion turned pale.
oh my god. It was really perverted. It's really a metamorphosis....
It felt like I was dreaming. He was not the Richard that Jeong Tae-eui knew. He was
muttering words that Richard living in the west wing of Tarten would never say, with an
expression he would never make, and so cruelly that he could never do that.
Jeong Tae-eui's eyes suddenly spun around, he raised his eyes upward and tried to avoid
looking away from the scene.
I wanted to cover my ears. Vivid and explicit sounds were heard from a short distance away.
I was astonished at how he could disguise himself as a human being and embarrass people
like that.
My tightly closed lips were trembling. Wow, that was truly a metamorphosis. There really
were people like that around me.
For some reason, I felt like I would die if I got caught. If he was ever caught, he would
mutter, “You saw it...?” and his friendly smiling face would instantly turn into that of a cruel
pervert.
It was a time when Jeong Tae-eui was confused as to whether he was dreaming or alive,
barely able to hold his head as it became dizzy.
Another low male voice was heard from the right side, which was not visible from the angle
where Jeong Tae-eui was standing.
“Your tastes really don’t change either. “You always pick similar women.”
omg.
That voice penetrated my ear like an awl.
I was out of breath. Even my ears felt numb. Even before my eyes it was black.
That voice was so familiar to my ears. I hope I heard it wrong, but it's a voice that I couldn't
have heard wrong. Because we lived together for several years.
...Elay. Ilay Riglow.
...I escaped from the fox's den and came to the tiger's den.
Jeong Tae-eui looked into the room with a pale face, clutching his trembling hands tightly.
Richard, who had made love calmly even in front of another person - Illei - was watching,
and as if he had finished his business, he got away from the woman and wiped himself with
a towel.
The act of sex alone could be said to be perverted enough, but now that I see it, it was even
happening in front of other people. It could truly be said to be a metamorphosis.
Richard threw the towel he had used after drying himself into the basket in the corner and
picked up some clothes. He smiled as he casually exposed his naked body and put on his
clothes one by one.
“I like these lovely things. Do you know how lovely it is to hear voices crying and asking for
forgiveness because if I just pet them a few times, they will listen to everything I say? “There
is nothing quite like this feeling of being completely under my control.”
“It’s still the same.”
Illay smiled and responded.
But before that, the mouth that had always smiled softly and spit out only kind and sincere
words was now spitting out such shocking words in the same voice. Not even a lovable
person, but a lovable thing. Wow... he was a person who could be considered one of the top
people to avoid in business.
Jeong Tae-eui couldn't believe it and looked at him with his eyes wide open, but when he
looked again and again, he was still Richard Tarten.
While Richard was getting dressed, the woman, who had been there for some time, fell
down motionless, as if she were exhausted. My whole face is wet and sometimes I can't help
but breathe.
Regretful.
“How about that one?”
I heard Illay’s voice.
Location-wise, it was closer than Richard. The voice comes from just a few steps away. It
was just that it was not visible from where Jeong Tae-ui was standing.

Richard was putting on his pants and looked back at Ilay.

“That one? ―...Ah, in that case, there isn't much change right now. “As far as the known
situation is concerned, there are still no signs of change.”
While Richard was saying that, he finished putting on his pants and picked up the shirt he
had draped over the back of the chair.
“It’s not a situation where I can step forward yet. Because nothing has been decided. One
way or another, I just wait for the decision to become clear.”
When Richard shrugged his shoulders and spoke, Illay, who had been silent for a moment,
opened his mouth.
“If Al Fahd holds on a little longer, things might go in a different direction.”
I couldn't tell whether that ambiguous tone of voice meant that he was hoping for that, or that
he was disappointed, or that he was excited. It would have been easier to tell by looking at
the expression. Richard muttered, ‘Is Al Fahd holding up...?’ and seemed to think about it,
but then shook his head.
“It is a foregone conclusion that he will pass over. “It’s just a matter of whether it’s a little
early or a little late.”
“That way, the pro-American government in that country will not be overthrown. “No matter
who takes over, the direction of policy will not change significantly.”
“I guess so. But the point is that it won't be long before the situation changes. The problem is
who will take that position...”
Richard was speechless there. A faint laugh is mixed at the end of the words.
Illay answered in a voice filled with just that much laughter.
“So, which of the two do you want to catch?”
“Haha, it would be better for me to suggest conditions that are easy to repay.”
“Conditions that are easy to repay.”
As if to underline his words, Illay repeats a phrase.
There was silence for a moment. There is silence in the room.
Jeong Tae-ui took a deep breath.
shit. It's not good to be quiet. Anyway, say something, sing a song, or at least move.
Jeong Tae-eui cursed inwardly as he looked at the scene in the room peeking through the
cracks in the wood below the ventilation shaft.
Who would enjoy being in a situation where they were eavesdropping on someone else's
words against their will, but this situation was truly terrible.
It was very muggy inside this narrow built-in cabinet. A fan was spinning in the ventilation
shaft directly above his head, blowing hot air straight at Jeong Tae-eui's head. Moreover, this
hooded jacket, which was covered from the top of the head to almost the knees, was
blocking half of the eyes and blocking the view. Even if you don't, your whole body is hot
from running like crazy, and the air in the cabinet is also muggy. In addition, this damn
hooded jacket was perfect for protecting against cold, and I was already taking a bath in
sweat.
Why did I steal the hooded jacket and wear it? If I was going to hide in a corner like this
anyway, I wouldn't have worn stuff like this. Even if I wanted to take it off now, I couldn't. If I
even lifted a finger, it was likely that the people in the room would catch me. Because it was
so hot that it was suffocating, even my breathing was becoming increasingly difficult.
It's a disaster.
If the room was that quiet, not only would I not be able to move, I would even have to hold
my breath. However, if it had been like this, I would have just thought that it was unlucky, that
it was a disaster. The person who unintentionally overheard the conversation was that guy.
I really got sick of luck.
I could understand Richard being here. Anyway, isn't it called his store? So I thought it might
be the case that he was sitting in the room located in the deepest part of this place. But why
does the person he is talking to in front of him have to be that guy?
Moreover, the worst thing of all is that if I overheard a conversation that was of no particular
interest, I would just smile and sneak away, but something serious was emerging, and it felt
like I had overheard something I shouldn't have heard.
It is unfair. Even if I listen to it, I don’t even understand what’s being said. Somehow, just by
hearing it, isn't there already a subtle, unforgivable atmosphere flowing through it?
Yanjiang. It's okay, for now. Please stop just looking at each other like that and someone say
something, say something. You can't hold your breath forever. Jeong Tae-eui's eyes were
almost blurry. I can barely control my rapid breathing, and sweat continues to seep into my
eyes.
At this point, the thought of passing out due to difficulty breathing and collapsing in the
cabinet and getting caught passed through my head.
Richard broke the silence and opened his mouth.

“The only thing that bothers me is that, as far as I know, Al Faisal is a person who values
​practicality. You have a very good idea of ​what will benefit you. But this time, the prediction
went wrong. in other words......."
“Is there someone behind it, or is there some unknown number here...?”
Illay's soft voice follows.
Jeong Tae-ui exhaled silently. Sweat kept getting into my eyes and my vision was blurry.
Anyway, I couldn't see clearly because of the hood that saggy below my eyes, but now it's
even worse. When will they leave? I have to hold on as long as I can.
There was silence again.
In my heart, I wanted to scream.
Talk to me, talk to me! When it's this quiet, you become wary of even breathing out. Do you
know how difficult it is?!
While thinking about the subject of secretly eavesdropping on the conversation - and I
emphasize again, this was not his intention - Jeong Tae-eui swept an expletive into his
mouth again.
But fortunately, this time the silence was broken sooner than before.
Illei's low laughter was heard.
“It must be hard for Tarten too. “If you’re faced with a choice that you can’t readily say which
comes first, it can be quite difficult.”
“It’s something that can’t be done. Because you reap what you sow. however......."
“Yeah, but…”
Suddenly, Illay's voice lowered. “Anyway,” I hear a figure standing up from the sofa.
Jeong Tae-ui's ears, which became more sensitive as his vision became blurred, heard the
sound of footsteps slowly walking leisurely.
“I’ve been curious about this for a while.”
The sound of footsteps is approaching. Slowly, slowly, slowly. With a happy voice.
In an instant, my whole body became cold.
A sensation so refreshing that the heat in the muggy cabinet disappeared from my mind.
The footsteps were coming exactly towards Jeongtae. No, to be exact, just beyond the
built-in cabinets and the plywood dividing that room.
The sound stopped right there. In terms of distance, it is just one and a half steps away from
Jeong Tae-ui.
“What on earth are you growing in this narrow and dirty place?”
“To prevent misunderstanding, I am not raising it.”
“Aha, really? Then where-”
I thought my voice was filled with laughter.
At that very moment,
Bwajik-...,
The plywood that separated the room and the cabinet split, creating long, sharp grains.
Through the gap where a long beam of light shined through the room, a tightly clenched fist
narrowly passed the tip of Jeong Tae-ui's nose.
“......!”
“If you were going to build a nest, you would have done so in a larger place. Why did you
crawl into such a small place?”
A soft voice sounded right in my ear. He was laughing lowly, close enough for my breath to
touch.
Underneath my blurred vision, there was a hand wearing a dark blue leather glove.
The monster-like fist that had split the plywood in an instant seemed to soon unfold, and
then, with a quick burst, it tore the plywood apart. One or two rays of light came in like a
flood. Jeong Tae-eui was frozen, unable to move even a finger.
Right next to him, Illei, who had put aside the plywood, was looking down with his arms on
the wall and smiling faintly.
“Aha... Wasn’t it hot to be covered in such a black hood from head to toe? Tsk, tsk... Look at
this, the back of my back is really wet.”
The gloves slid down Jeong Tae-ui’s back. My heart sinks every time a hand gently caresses
my back, pressing down on my clothes. It was a hand that wouldn't be strange if it ripped off
a piece of flesh at any time.

Richard, who was sitting on a stool a few steps away, asked calmly without even turning his
head in this direction.
“Is it from our family? Or the other side?”
“Well, where did you come from...”
Illay muttered bitterly. Another hand came under the hood. Reflexively, I grabbed Jeong
Tae-ui's chin as he flinched. The strong hand, which could easily crush a person's chin,
moved slowly while grasping the lower part of the face from the chin to the cheek. “If it’s
worth covering up and hiding in a piece of black cloth like this...”
The smell of leather gloves filled my nose.
Jeong Tae-eui closed his eyes at the eerie smell he had smelled for the first time in a long
time.
Damn it... I wonder how it would end up like this... I'd rather fool the ghosts.
Jeong Tae-eui opened his eyes, calmly leaving his face in the hands of the man who was
sure to break his jaw without mercy if he tried to back down.
Underneath the hem of the hood that obscured more than half of my vision, I could see the
lower part of Illay's face.
Under the familiar bridge of the nose, I see familiar lips. The lips are gently curved and smile
like a child who has found a living toy.
With a thin piece of leather between them, Illay's hand stroked Jeong Tae-ui's chin. The
hand then lightly traces his cheek.
It was then.
Suddenly, the hand stopped.
At the same time, the faint smile on his lips disappears.
“.......”
The lips seemed to open slightly, but then closed again.
The tightly closed lips without a trace of laughter appear in a frown.
The hand holding my chin gained strength. The hand stroked my face once again. A
neckline that extends from the cheeks to the nose and chin.
The finger, which traced slowly and lazily over the skin, finally touched Jeong Tae-ui's lips.
Suddenly, the finger tracing over my lips gently pressed the tip.
“....... ...―.”
The mouth that was about to say something closed, and instead I saw him click his tongue
silently.
At that time, Richard asked from a little distance away.
"who is this?"
Illay slowly took his hand away from Jeong Tae-eui.
“Well... before I find out who it is, it just so happened to be good.”
Illay's voice answering him was no different from before. Still relaxed and languid.
“Because you had a fight in front of me a little while ago, I was also feeling depressed, so I
was thinking about grabbing someone and relieving the situation before I go back. But it was
a good thing because there was this amazing guy who walked in on his own just at the right
time.”
There was a very faint hint of laughter at the end of his speech. The moment that soft laugh
penetrated my ears. It rattled.
My heart dropped.
I suddenly had a very ominous feeling.
Sweat, which I had forgotten for a while, began to well up my spine.
“You want to do it with him?”
Ha, Richard asked with a ridiculous empty smile. However, the sound of a belt buckle being
undone was already clearly heard from closer.
“Anyway, I’ve been abstinent for two months, so it’s time to let go. Besides, there's nothing
you can't say under the pillow, so if you share the fun underneath, this guy will be happy to
tell you where he's been hiding from. - Now that I think about it, you didn’t enjoy secret
service. “Then it would be better not to look at this side.”
Hey, wait a minute. You must be kidding. Hey, hey, wait a minute.
Many words lingered on the tip of my tongue, but not a single word came out of my mouth.

Illay unbuckled the buckle in front of Jeong Tae-eui, who was stiff and frozen, and suddenly
muttered to himself, ‘Oh, that’s right.’ and took off his gloves. Inside, a familiar, white and
neat hand appeared.
“What do you think, beautiful hands? “Even if he struggles on the bed for a hundred days
and scratches my shoulders and back with his fingernails until they bleed, there is someone
who likes him so much that he can’t even hurt his hands like that.”
With a voice mixed with a low laugh, the beautiful hand approached.
Jeong Tae-eui glared at him with a blue face, thinking that in his current state of mind, he
might bite off his hand.
“I have to make a lot of noise to break the excitement, so I guess I should just cover my
mouth first...”
Illay muttered slowly, as if he was talking to himself, and stuffed the gloves he had taken off
into Jeong Tae-eui's mouth. Without realizing it, I tried to squirm away and spit out the
foreign matter filling my mouth, but the hand holding my head easily blocked Jeong Tae-ui's
resistance.
“It would be more exciting if you made a moderate amount of noise.”
Richard’s voice was heard.
Although the figure of him sitting was hidden behind the hood, his slow and languid voice
was clearly audible.
“That’s your preference. What makes you cry and scream until you spit out the words you
want. “I just hate loud things.”
Illay answered in a voice filled with a soft smile.
Jeong Tae-eui struggled to spit out the glove that was filling his mouth, and muttered, “You
liar,” with his tongue buried in the glove.
It was so terrible to hear my own moans with my own ears - I was so embarrassed that my
brain felt like it was melting - and I said I would keep my mouth shut, but it wasn't long ago
that I made a fuss about not having to listen to those sounds!
However, no matter how loudly you shout in your heart, it is of no use unless you say it out
loud.
“Um―......Um, um―.......”
Jeong Tae-eui screamed without meaning to and struggled, but it was no use.
Illay easily turned Jeong Tae-ui around and tied his wrists back. The feeling of hard leather,
perhaps a belt or something, was digging into my wrist. Going crazy. It's really driving me
crazy.
I'm crazy. He sticks his head into the tiger's mouth to avoid a fox.
If I had known this would happen, I would have never run away from those men earlier.
Rather, he would have quietly knelt down and held out his wrists together. Take me wherever
you want, deep inside.
Anywhere is fine as long as it's not your room.
As the freedom of my wrists and arms disappeared, my body became less free. When the
arm itself was tied behind the body, balancing the body was different from usual.
Illay, perhaps aware that Jeong Tae-eui was screaming at the top of his lungs with his mouth
blocked, turned Jeong Tae-eui backwards and dragged him towards the console attached to
the wall inside the room. With one hand, I pushed away the decorations and picture frames
that were on the console, clearing the space. The sound of objects falling and rolling on the
floor rang loudly at my feet.
“Are you going to lay down there? “It’s going to be tight, so why don’t you just do it on the
sofa?”
“I don’t plan on doing it that seriously. “As long as you loosen the tension underneath by a
foot, that’s fine.”
Illay, who lightly rejected Richard's words, laid Jeong Tae-ui face down on the empty
console. My stomach and chest touched the console. Jeong Tae-eui, who was lying face
down on the narrow console while supporting the floor with his legs, felt his heart sink as
soon as he was ready to do it.
for a moment. Are you really going to do this? Are you really going to do this?! In a place like
this, in such an uncomfortable position, and even in front of that perverted person?! My heart
sank at all of that. I really disliked all of those conditions.
However, when a large hand approached me and lifted my hooded jacket from my knees to
my waist, my vague bad premonition took on a strong sense of reality. “......!!”
Don't do it, you idiot. I told you not to do it. When was the last time I flatly refused something
you asked me to do?! I'll do whatever I can to do it later when I get home, so don't do it.
Don't do it now. Please, please, please stop now!
Jeong Tae-eui cried desperately until the end. He didn't even think that this heart-wrenching
appeal would reach Illay's ears, but he couldn't bear it if he didn't shout it out that much.
My mind became a mess, and my thoughts became a mess.
Damn it, why did I come here? Why are you doing this here?
Even when I tried to think about those things, they just didn't come to mind.
And the next moment, I felt like those thoughts were being ripped out of my head.
 The hand slides in front of the waist, unfastens the belt buckle, and pulls down the button
and fastener of the pants.
I could tell without even looking. It was the most beautiful hand in the world - in Jeong
Tae-eui's opinion - and also the most disgusting hand in the world.
The very next moment, the hand grabbed his pants and underwear and pulled them down in
one go.
“......!!!”
My hair turned white. The sight before my eyes became dark.
Above his waist, he was still wearing that dull and stuffy hooded jacket, but everything below
his waist was exposed without a single thread.
“....... ....... .......”
what's this. What are you doing? What is this?
It was so pathetic that I felt like crying. I was so angry that I felt like I was going to cry.
This damn thing clearly knew.
This damned bastard definitely knew that the person he had stripped naked from the waist
down was Jeong Tae-eui. There's no way you wouldn't know.
“It looks very delicious.”
I could hear Illay laughing softly from behind me.
Jeong Tae-eui shed tears of blood in his heart.
If it looks delicious, eat it. Just kill it like this, and then choose whether to roast or boil it. Just
kill me right here and now.
Jeong Tae-eui felt heat rising to the top of his neck.
My throat gets hot and my face gets hot too. Your body will probably warm up after a while.
“Well, I’ve never seen a man’s butt look like that before, but it doesn’t look as bad as I
thought it would.”
Richard's voice heard from a little distance away.
......Okay, look at everything, look at everything. Bring everyone and show them all.
In his heart, Jeong Tae-eui was already sobbing and crying.
But—of course—that wasn't the end.
The shy shock of having my inner skin, which only a very small number of people have ever
seen, proudly revealed to others - I could have proudly shown it to millions of people in a
bathroom or something, but I had no idea that I would be naked in front of others in a place
like this - I was half entranced. In Jeong Tae-eui's ears, the sound of putting down the hair
straightener was heard. Then, a faint sound of tearing fabric is heard.
......? I took off my persona earlier...? So, your butt is exposed like this...
The sound of Richard clicking his tongue struck Jeong Tae-eui's ears while he was thinking
so in a dazed state.
“I’m not going to tell you what I like, Elay. You're still the same, that thing. ...It is said that it is
also a punishment for secretly eavesdropping on other people's conversations, but even so, I
feel sorry for the man if he includes such a thing.”
The moment I heard those words, my mind, which had been a bit lost and a bit dazed, came
back to me in an instant.
I forgot about it for a moment due to the shock of exposing my buttocks.
If it were anything else, how could I have forgotten it?
What Jeong Tae-eui really had to worry about was not doing it in an uncomfortable position
with his upper body lying face down on the console, nor was it doing it in front of Richard. In
a situation like this, where you don't know what's ahead, dealing with that person called Ilei
was something that deserved to be in agony.
“......! ......!!”
Jeong Tae-eui jumped at the terrible scene unfolding behind his back, which he clearly felt
even without seeing it.
An unfamiliar fear for the first time in two or three months came over me about the object
that had slowly begun to rear its head behind me by now.
for a moment. calm down. Let's calm down. It’s okay, Jeong Tae-ui. You're already used to it.
What's new? We did it every day, but then we were separated for a little while, like a month
or two. Your body will remember everything anyway. No problem. are you okay.
In my head, another person was trying hard to convince me. Like a self-defense mechanism
activated. And yet.
...To be honest, I was scared.
Even though I was already used to it, the suffocating object that forced my body open and
forced my way into it made me suffocate every time I did it. There was a time when I
seriously suspected that they were trying to change the position of my internal organs.

To encounter something like that again in a place where my body and mind are not at
peace. My mind became dizzy.
It would be better to just faint, but in times like this, even that isn't possible. Elay. Elay. Hey,
please. Let's not do it here. please.
I will listen to everything he says, so please forgive me. He fully listened to the opinion of the
pervert who said that he loved the voices crying, so Jeong Tae-eui was willing to cry as
much as Illay wanted.
...So let's not do it here.
Even in front of other people.
please.
However, no matter how earnestly Jeong Tae-ui prayed, the movement behind his back was
heartless.
“I don’t think your item will fit in that narrow space. ...Wouldn’t it be better to have an
ambulance on standby in advance?” Even Richard, who said that, became resentful of
Jeong Tae-eui.
Having said that, I hoped they would dissuade me more seriously.
However, Illei's laughter reached me from behind.
“I never thought I’d end up doing it this way, but now that it’s come to this, I have to do it.
...So, who is telling me to eavesdrop on the story as I please? “I dug my own grave.”
The last words were definitely words for Jeong Tae-ui to listen to.
The hand gripping my buttocks gained strength. As my buttocks opened, I felt the outside air
hitting the inside.
My heart dropped that much.
Eventually.
Jeong Tae-eui closed his eyes tightly, pouring out all the swear words he knew into his
mouth. At this moment, the muscles of my entire body tense and freeze as I prepare for the
sensation that will come right away.
Soon, a hot feeling came deep inside my groin.
at that time-.
smart.
A dry, dry sound echoed in the room.
At that moment, everything in that space seemed to stop.
Air, time, space, people, and senses.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was preparing for the near future with his eyes tightly closed, could not
tell for a moment what that meant.
However, I didn't have to wait long and the sound rang nervously again, and only then did I
realize that it was a knock on the door.
Tae-eui Jeong opened his eyes.
The person who showed up to save him - it seemed unlikely, and the number of people who
showed up to look at his ass increased.
Illay, who was embarrassed to have his butt brightly exposed, looked back casually as he
exposed his buttocks, which could have been even more embarrassing.
“I wonder if anyone is looking for it. “But let’s open the door.”
The relief of barely escaping the moment of crisis was only a split-second, and Jeong
Tae-eui thought, 'There's one more person to look at my butt,' and 'If this guy wants to let
people into the room, he puts that object in.' I was engulfed in thoughts like, ‘Once that
person leaves, there will be another crisis,’ and ‘I wonder if they’ll do something to that
person while watching.’
While my head was filled with those thoughts, the door opened. At that moment, Illay slightly
pulls up his hooded jacket and covers it over Jeong Tae-eui's head.
Hey, if you pull it like that, your butt will show off even more!!! Just as he thought that for a
moment, the door opened and Jeong Tae-ui saw the person coming in through the gap in his
hooded jacket and hid his head under the cloth.
“Richard, I’m sorry to disturb you. It's a bit of a pain - oops, you were doing something good,
but I'm really sorry for interrupting you. But that’s what happened to that customer, Richard,
and we’re in trouble.”
That cheerful and cheerful speaker was the manager who had briefly taken over the
management of this store from Richard. Kristoff was quickly boiled with three inches of
tongue.
The store seemed to be fine, but then suddenly there was a problem... That was when
Jeong Tae-ui started to wonder.
With the door closed, the sound of something breaking was vaguely heard in the room,
which was completely blocking out the outside noise. At the same time, something similar to
shouting seemed to be heard. Richard frowned slightly.

“Were there any drunkards among the guests? Then have the employees kick them out.
“There’s no need to worry about the store’s image against someone like that, so feel free to
beat them up and kick them out.” To Richard, who spoke casually and waved his hand,
Erich, the fast-talking store manager, hastily shook his head.
“No, if you were that kind of bastard, I wouldn’t have even bothered you! That's what I
mean...”
Erich lowered his voice a little.
It would be nice if I could just cover my butt. Jeong Tae-ui, who had been thinking about
such a trivial wish from a while ago, suddenly felt like he heard a familiar name. at the same
time.
“......Who are you saying?”
Richard's voice followed.
A wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows, as if he couldn't believe his ears after hearing the
name Erich had just said.
“So, Kristoff came and is now causing trouble outside. I tried to block it as much as possible,
and it seemed to work well at first, but it didn't work. Still, for about an hour
“I asked them to wait and I agreed...”
Erich clicked his tongue as if he was embarrassed.
Jeong Tae-eui rolled his eyes inside his hooded jacket. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I
looked at the clock hanging on the console, just above my head.
Not even an hour has passed yet.
However, the sound that could be vaguely heard from afar outside was clearly the sound of
something being overturned and broken. Judging by the sound of yelling and screaming
mixed together, it looks like some idiot was recklessly attacking Kristoff and getting trampled
on.
But no time has passed, so why are they already turning the store upside down?
Damn it, I followed him to stop him, but what am I doing here?
Jeong Tae-eui lamented and hit his head on the console. Meanwhile, Erich continued
speaking.
“My friend who came with me said he was going to the bathroom, but it looks like he went
there first without even contacting me. “With that in mind, he starts going on such a
rampage, asking me to expose him, saying that he hid my friend somewhere, and asking me
what I did—it’s hard to do anything about it.”
Erich sighed heavily. Jeong Tae-eui kept his mouth shut after hearing those words of
extreme regret. A feeling that my exposed buttocks had become pale crossed my mind. Are
you saying that the commotion going on outside right now is all because of me? It seems like
it's because of me.
In order not to turn the store into a sea of ​blood, I followed Kristoff to stop him, but I didn't
know that I would actually be lighting the fuse.
Jeong Tae-eui put his head on the console again. Thump, thump, a small sound rang out
from inside the hooded jacket.
“Why don’t you go? “If you don’t leave, he might actually threaten to destroy this store.” Illay
said from next to me. It was a somewhat cheerful voice.
Then, I will go first and try to prevent as much damage as possible, so please come quickly,”
Erich said and disappeared out the door again. After the door closed, there was a short
silence inside.
“Go ahead. That guy would have destroyed at least half of this store by himself. Even if the
cost of running this store is less than a chick’s tears, there’s no reason to intentionally
destroy it and buy a new one.” Illay's voice was still cheerful and mixed with laughter.
In front of him, Richard answered vaguely, “Yes,” and slowly stood up.
Tidying up his disheveled clothes, Richard glared at himself in the mirror. From the moment I
heard the name Christoph, my eyes froze.
“You have the guts to come to someone else’s store. No matter how fast I fly, I break the
game when I come into my store...? under." Muttering softly as if to himself, Richard
buttoned the wrists of his shirt. Also fasten the neck button.
“I thought it was because I didn’t hear any news, but it looks like you two are still on good
terms.”
Illay asked with a subtle smile. Richard glanced coldly at Ilay as if he were displeased.
“There’s nothing else to do but get along better. That guy is crazy. Do you think you can get
along with a crazy person?” “Hmm.”
Illay answers vaguely and smiles. In front of him, Richard continued speaking.
“Whenever the time comes, I want to step on that guy for sure. I will trample on you so that
you can no longer act so arrogantly in front of me, and so that you can never set foot in
Tarten again.
“I have to let it go.”
There was a faint hint of anger in Richard's voice. It is anger that has built up over decades.

It was clear that he probably hated him as much as Kristoff hated him.
At that time, Illei suddenly muttered, “Aha….” And then he started laughing softly.
A quiet laugh went around the room, and Richard, who was getting ready to put on his suit
jacket for the last time, looked at Ilay curiously.
"what's the matter."
“No, it just occurred to me. “I thought it wouldn’t be that hard to make Kristoff get really sick
of it.”
"what?"
Richard stopped walking. He looked at Ilay for a moment with a suspicious look on his face,
then turned back to him.
“If there was a way to do that, that would be fun. “What is it like?”
“Well, it’s not that big of a deal. “I thought that a person who avoids contact as much as
Kristoff would be very nervous to be touched like this.”
When I said ‘to this extent,’ I felt a hand rubbing Jeong Tae-ui’s buttocks. Jeong Tae-eui, who
flinched and flinched, cursed again, something he had forgotten.
You damn bastard! Damn someone’s butt like that in front of their eyes!!
But it wasn't until I got so angry that I heard what he said.
Kristoff avoids contact. A man who will hate you and shudder even if you touch him ‘to this
extent’.
It was clear what that meant.
At that moment, Jeong Tae-ui’s body stiffened. I listen to his words with disbelief.
Richard seemed to understand what Illei was saying, and he too was silent for a moment.
But then he frowned, as if he didn't really like what he said.
“I’m sure you won’t like it, but I don’t have that hobby.”
Illei smiled calmly and shrugged his shoulders at Richard, who spoke sharply in an upset
voice.
“It just occurred to me. “I think it will really run a long way.”
“...―.”
“Well, let’s go for now. “Even as this happens, the items in this store will be falling apart
horribly.”
Richard frowned for a moment as if he wanted to say something, but then he shook his head
and walked away.
“Okay, then let’s go for a while. “You should have fun with that man in the meantime.”
“Oh, of course.”
Illay smiled cheerfully and answered.
Soon Richard left the room and the door closed.
After an instant of quiet silence, I could hear Ilay muttering softly to himself.
“That’s why you shouldn’t covet what’s mine, Chris.”
A voice mixed with faint laughter.
The moment that voice reached his ears, Jeong Tae-eui's stomach jumped.
This crazy guy. I knew he had no ethical concept, but still, this bad guy.
Jeong Tae-eui jumped up from his prone position on the console. And shook his head
furiously. The hood that had been placed over his head was taken off behind his back.
And Jeong Tae-eui, who had finally opened his eyes properly, glared at Illay with menacing
eyes.
In front of him, Illei smiled sweetly. The smile forming on his lips seemed unusual today.
“It’s such a coincidence that we run into each other in a place like this, Tae-i.”
“......! ......!! ......!!!”
If people could only speak with their faces, swear words would have filled this room, but
unfortunately, Jeong Tae-eui, who can only speak with his mouth, was currently speechless.
As if he had finally realized this, Illei opened his eyes wide, pretended to be surprised, and
clicked his tongue.
“Now that I think about it, I forgot. “What should be in this mouth is not a glove or anything.”
Illay’s lips curved gently. With that subtle laugh, he put his finger into Jeong Tae-ui's mouth.
Then, he takes off the glove covering his mouth.
“......Phew!”

I could breathe just through my nose, but the frustration of having my mouth blocked was
indescribable. Jeong Tae-eui let out a loud sigh and coughed several times, and only then
was he able to speak.
“You knew that from the beginning, you damn bastard!!!”
Then Illei raised his eyebrows. Looking at him, who was staring at Jeong Tae-eui with that
ambiguous face, Jeong Tae-eui felt like it was too bad. And that oops expression is still on
your face.
It seemed like it was revealed.
Finally, Illay laughed this time. densely.
“Tae, I guess you forgot. I haven't released your hands yet. ...Well, that's good. “I’m slowly
reaching the limit of my patience anyway, so since I’ve already tied it up, it wouldn’t be a bad
idea to just do it.”
"bad!!"
Jeong Tae-ui immediately refuted, but Illay did not have ears to hear.
"don't do it......!"
Jeong Tae-ui muttered softly. Even though no one was touching his neck, his voice came out
hoarse, as if he was being strangled.
The large hand pressing down on his back did not move. Jeong Tae-eui soon realized that
no matter what he said, his hand would not move until he achieved what he wanted. There
wasn't much strength in those hands. If Jeong Tae-eui twisted his body to shake it off, it
would easily fall off from his body.
Suddenly, I tried to move my body.
The hand pressing my back took very little strength.
Damn it, if you even try to get up and shake off this hand, within a few seconds this hand will
grab you again and press down on your back. It would have been as easy as twisting a
child's arm to hold on to an awkward body with its arms tied behind its back. And after that,
this time it really won't move as if it were being pressed down by a rock. No matter how
wildly Jeong Tae-ui fluctuates.
Jeong Tae-eui decided to stay still under that hand for now as a last resort when his body
and mind were pushed to the point where he could not bear it. Perhaps Illay had all of that
calculated from the beginning. They were all predicting what kind of judgment Jeong Tae-eui
would make.
"coon......."
Jeong Tae-eui cursed the man behind him, who was pressing his back with one hand and
pushing his other hand toward his groin, as much as he could in this situation. I understand
exactly what it means
I could hear Illay laughing.
“Are you even scared? “I’m shaking.”
The palm pressed against my back caressed the skin in a circular motion for a few
centimeters. Jeong Tae-eui was startled by the hand gently pressing his skin and shrugged
his shoulders.
“If there is a brave person who is not afraid in the same situation as me, I would like to see
it.”
Jeong Tae-ui responded bluntly. However, it was only after hearing those words that he
realized that his body was faintly trembling.
“I’m scared. why? You know. That there is no threat to your life or your safety. “Why should
you be scared when you know I would never take your life?”
A voice filled with laughter reached the back of my neck. The feeling of touching and falling
slightly is hot.
“No... I don’t know about life, but at least I feel a serious threat to my safety.”
Jeong Tae-ui clenched his fists and muttered. At first glance, the white joints above the
clenched fist were shaking unsteadily.
I wasn't exactly scared. As Illay said, there was no reason to be scared. At least I knew that
much. Just the fact that he wouldn't put his life in danger.
But instinct drives tension.
I had a premonition of a burden that would soon hit me with an intensity close to shock, and
my body instinctively tensed. The tension caused a slight cramp.
Illay seemed to notice the tension. He slid his lips over the nape of the neck or shoulders
where tremors were visibly visible. The soft laugh that escaped from those lips tickled my
skin, making my body tremble in a slightly different way this time.
“Tae. “You were completely foolish today.”
Suddenly he whispered in a slightly lowered voice.
He pressed his lips to the nape of my neck and clicked his tongue, perhaps angry or
troubled. The movement is conveyed so vividly that it is frightening. Maybe it was because it
was such a long time coming, I didn't know.
“I didn’t know it would be like this...!”
Jeong Tae-eui responded unfairly to those words.
I know he's right. What he did was clearly stupid. I should have pulled out from the beginning
when I felt it was dangerous. Or, if I couldn't move out on my own, I had to force Kristoff to
go somewhere else before coming here.
Damn, if I had known it would turn out like this, I think I would have come. Even if they beat
him to death, he wouldn't come.

But it is already too late to say that. It becomes nothing more than a vain sigh.
“Like a fool. You shouldn't have come here, and you shouldn't have sneaked into this room.
Moreover, I didn't want to get caught. So, this is the least you can do for being stupid.
I think it's a price. “I tell you, I tried to be quiet and chaste while I was in Dresden.”
Illay, who had been trying to remain quiet and modest, pushed Jeong Tae-ui's pants, which
were already scattered on the floor, with his toes. Along with the underwear, the clothes were
like peeling skin.
It was pushed far away. I can't even touch it from here.
Afterwards, Illay, who said he was trying to remain quiet and chaste, had no hesitation and
put his legs between Jeong Tae-eui's legs and widened the gap between them. Also, you
should stay calm and quiet.
I put my hand inside it.
“......!”
Jeong Tae-eui held his breath without realizing it.
Suddenly, without any warning, fingers dug into my body and began to move in and out,
opening my insides.
Jeongtae could also feel the feeling of the dry flesh of the inner wall sticking to his fingers.
Jeong Tae-eui closed his mouth, experiencing a feeling that was closer to discomfort than
pain. It seemed like an ugly sound would leak out.
But I didn't forget to curse under my breath, saying, "You damn bastard, I'll at least give you
a warning and apply my saliva."
“We don’t have much time, so please endure some discomfort. Besides, it would be better
for you to finish quickly.”
As if he could hear Jeong Tae-eui's silent swearing, Illay whispers in his ear.
“And one more thing, I’ll tell you this while you’re still conscious. Tae-i, you are too reckless
sometimes. Even though he clearly knows how dangerous he is doing - or even if he doesn't
know, he has an almost accurate sense of it - he sticks his head in there. “I don’t really feel
like doing this.”
“Damn it, what do I know? I am a safety-minded person who avoids dangerous things at all
costs...! “Do you think I wanted a situation where I didn’t know what was going on?!” Jeong
Tae-eui shouted with anger.
Meanwhile, the fingers increased one by one to two or three. However, the stiffness did not
go away, so the fingers went in and out carefully for a while.
The body has a ridiculously easy way of adapting to situations that are presented to it on a
regular basis. Jeong Tae-eui had already realized that fact because of this man.
I wasn't sure exactly how long it had been since I started hanging out with Illay, but I think it
was around the time when I got used to it and it almost became a habit. At some point, I
suddenly realized that he wasn't using lubricant.
When Jeong Tae-eui asked blankly, ‘Oil?!’ while looking down at the object that was safely
digging between his legs, Illay stared at him with an expression as if he was saying
something new, and at some point, he burst out laughing. And said.
‘Your body has become accustomed to receiving me from behind, so now when I stimulate
the front, the back naturally gets wet as well. 'Did you not know yet?'
Jeong Tae-eui could never forget the shocking feeling he felt when he heard those words.
Of course, I know that the human body is inherently equipped with the ability to adapt for
survival, but I never thought I would realize it in this way. It was a frustration that bordered on
shock.
If I had lived my life without meeting Illay, I would never have known that fact, and I would
never have to know it in the future. Without experiencing such frustration, he would probably
have been living as a popular and well-mannered top in his own right, embracing a sweet
and lovely young man who suited his tastes.
Now, my body has become inextricably tailored to Illay.
It's not that I didn't like being aligned with Illay, but I couldn't help but feel frustrated as a
man.
The depression that had lasted for several days due to the shock had long since
disappeared, but even after that, whenever I worked with Illay and felt my body getting wet, I
felt a vague sense of regret.
And even now.
The fingers that were going in and out, opening the inside as if digging into the body, were
getting wet little by little. Now the sticky feeling was almost gone, and the sound of sloshing
water could be heard from below. I've heard it many times, but every time I hear it, I feel
embarrassed to the point of death. No matter how much time passed, I could not get used to
this embarrassing feeling.
The body gets used to it so easily, but the mind can't keep up, and it's just pitiful.
“Tae. “Go back to Berlin.”
Just as I felt like the sound of sticky water was filling my head, Illay spoke softly as if casting
a spell.
The moment I heard that sound, it felt like cold water had been poured onto my head, which
was growing hot.
"......why......."
“Go back and wait. “I will return as soon as I finish my work.”
“.......”

Jeong Tae-ui tossed and turned slightly. Illei's hand was still pressing on my back, but I
ignored it and turned my head. His face was less than an inch away. “What is the reason?”
Now that I think about it, I forgot about it for a while.
Things that have been gnawing in my head for a long time.
Illay narrowed his eyes and looked at Jeong Tae-ui. I quickly realized that this meant he
didn't want to say much. But Jeong Tae-eui had to know. If you continue to be in an awkward
state, nothing will be resolved within you.
Even if I went to Berlin, I didn't want to go there suspiciously. “.......”
As Jeong Tae-eui stared at him without blinking, Illay, who was also staring at Jeong Tae-eui,
eventually sighed lightly and said, “Hmm.” He looked at Jeong Tae-ui as if he was not very
reluctant, and then opened his mouth.
“This year is a very important year for Tarten.”
Jeong Tae-ui blinked and looked at him.
I already know that. I think I heard hundreds of times while I was at Tarten that succession
day is coming soon.
“It is also the time to choose one of the succession candidates that have been cultivated
over twenty years, and it is also the year when a long debt relationship ends.” “Debt
relationship...?”
“Tarten has quite an old debt.”
Jeong Tae-ui looked at him in confusion. Now that I think about it, I've heard the Vice
Minister talk about it.
But still, I couldn't figure out why Jeong Tae-ui had to return to Berlin.
“The elder Tarten is, after all, a very greedy person. He had a great desire to build the family
business, so he built the family business, which he laid the foundation for under his elders. It
has grown dramatically during his time. Until then, Tarten was a pretty good private
intelligence agency, but it wasn't something I could count on. But after he gambled and
succeeded, there were few intelligence agencies that could follow suit.”
Illay continued speaking as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, he delved into Jeong
Tae-ui's lower body with great care, as if they were chatting while working.
Sometimes it seemed like it was done on purpose - no, I think it was definitely done on
purpose - but there were times when it made a squishy sound by rubbing the moisture that
had seeped out from the inside. Every time I heard that sound, the fact that Jeong Tae-ui
was preparing to have sex with this man felt very realistic, and my head heated up. So I
would lower my head, and Illay would sometimes make that noise as if he found it amusing.
Even now.
Jeong Tae-eui lowered his head more and more, shrank his body, and tried to sneak away
without realizing it. I wanted to get away from this anxious feeling just a little longer.
But when I did that, his big hands would grab my waist and pull me hard, spreading the bite
even deeper with his fingers.
“If you want to talk about something, talk about it, and if you want to do that, do that, and do
just one thing!”
Jeong Tae-eui felt the fingers slipping in and out of his lower abdomen, and before he knew
it, even the back of his neck turned red and he grunted.
However, it was only after shouting that I realized my mistake.
Of course, Illay said this.
"okay? “Then let’s stop talking and focus on this…”
“No, wait! “Keep talking!!”
Jeong Tae-ui quickly shouted. Illay closes his mouth and stares intently. Unable to overcome
that gaze, Jeong Tae-eui muttered as if he wanted to hit his head on the floor.
“...Keep talking...and keep doing that...”
Only then did Ilay chuckle. And then I open my mouth again.
“That gamble was money, and the risk was quite high. In that situation twenty years ago, it
was literally a gamble. At that time, as the Cold War system began to slowly collapse,
informants planted in each country by the Eastern and Western camps began to desert in
large numbers. ...At this time, the old man hired those informants from Tarten.”
Jeong Tae-ui paused for a moment. I turned my head and looked at Ilay. He was talking
about something insignificant.
However, it is not an insignificant story.
If the information sources had been planted by the East and West camps, the scale would
have been enormous, but the information circulating only internally would have been
incomparable.
Even after the Cold War collapsed, contrary to people's expectations, war did not disappear.
And wherever there is war, informants and information are always lurking around. It goes
without saying how much of an advantage it is to have them in hand.

“The cost would have been enormous...”

Jeong Tae-ui muttered in embarrassment.
There are more than one source of information and more than one piece of information. The
fields in which they worked were also enormous.
Embracing those things as a whole meant that if one step was taken, everything that had
been built up to that point would all fall apart.
Obviously, it's a gamble.
“Yes, the cost was enormous. No matter how healthy it was, it was never an amount that a
single company could afford. So, they brought in a loan.”
Illay continued speaking.
loan.
Little by little, the words I had heard before were coming together.
“Even private loans—although there are exceptions—basically require a government
guarantee. Let’s not bother explaining what kind of deal was made between the government
and Tarten, but Tarten got the loan anyway. In order to manage the funds smoothly, we
divided it between four sources. And then they put conditions on it.”
“.......”
“Repayment is made one by one in order every five years, but the creditor can either receive
the debt in money or make any corresponding demands depending on the situation at the
time.”
“Every five years... Then this year...”
"okay. This year is the last repayment. After this year, Tarten will no longer have any debt.
Incidentally, it was T&R that was liquidated 5 years ago. “This wasn’t a vice minister.”
Illay ended his speech there. And suddenly, the hand that was rubbing Jeong Tae-ui's lower
body quietly bent.
Jeong Tae-ui frowned at the feeling of his body opening up and increasing its volume.
“Wait, wait, let’s talk first-”
Jeong Tae-ui said in embarrassment as he felt a tingling sensation deep inside his body. It
felt like if I added just a little bit, the bottom would completely heat up. If that happens, the
story and everything else becomes ambiguous.
However, as if he could not hear Jeong Tae-ui's words, Illay suddenly bent down. And then
he sunk his teeth into Jeong Tae-ui's shoulder.
Jeong Tae-eui flinched as he felt a stinging sensation. The words I mutter unconsciously,
“Ah, ouch,” are more of a sign of telling me to stop rather than because it really hurts.
Then the feeling of biting disappeared. Instead, he slowly licked it and drew a line with his
hot tongue.
“Now, let’s go in.”
I felt like a soft voice penetrated my ears.
Jeong Tae-eui, who was waiting for what he would say next in the story that started there
and why he was asking him to return to Berlin, suddenly came to his senses when he heard
words that were completely out of context. I was startled and flinched without realizing it.
“Wait a minute, let’s stop talking…!”
However, before Jeong Tae-ui could speak properly, the fingers that were moving his body
apart slipped out.
And almost at the same time, a hot and wet sound penetrated the place where moisture had
seeped out enough to slip smoothly.
“......!!”
My body stiffened.
Without realizing it, I could barely suppress a moan that was close to a scream. I took a
deep breath and also moaned.
However, instead of screaming, Jeong Tae-eui opened his eyes wide and glared at the wood
grain in front of him.
Damn it. Yanjiang. This is why I haven't done it in a long time.
It really hurts.
I loosened it enough to make it wet, and I confirmed that two or three fingers could go in and
out without difficulty, but it was always embarrassing when this guy dug in. The object was
so heavy and tall that it took my breath away, and I felt like my entire stomach was
expanding just by putting the end of it on.
“Relax a little more, Taeyi. ...I told you to relax your butt.”
It seems like too much force was put into his body.
Ilay's voice lowered slightly. He didn't show it, but it felt like it was painful because he was
squeezing it too hard.
“Strength, ......I can exert it at will, ......no.......”
Jeong Tae-eui answered briefly. I was suffocating and my breathing kept getting shorter.

Behind him, he clicked his tongue.

“It’s hard for you if you stay like this. “Try to relax a little.”
The hand that lightly slaps my buttocks is definitely that ugly hand.
“It’s wet enough, but if you’re nervous like this....”
Ilay clicked his tongue and muttered. Then, as if thinking something, he bent down and bit
Jeong Tae-ui's ear. And whispered into his ear.
“Hold on a moment. “It will get better soon.”
The soft voice breathing into my ears gave me a shiver. Jeong Tae-ui shrugged his
shoulders and nodded almost unconsciously. The sound of his laughter reached the back of
my neck.
Illay put his hand on Jeong Tae-eui's butt. I grabbed the spot right next to where the end of
his object was already hanging and pulled.
"......ah!!"
His hand opens the area that already has a very thick tip and is wide open.
Although his body was shaking, Illay gently pressed his chest against Jeong Tae-eui's back.
Soon, Illay's penis penetrated into the area where the flesh was pulled open a little more.
With each shallow shovel, the depth gradually deepened.
A body that digs deeply, little by little, shallowly and lightly.
“......, ......! eww, ......!!"
My frozen body slowly began to tremble.
Perhaps because of my mood, I felt like my body was getting wetter.
As soon as that thought occurred to me, even the back of my neck turned red and I hung my
head down. Well, it didn't have much effect since I was lying face down.
Suddenly, Illay laughed from behind his red neck. And then lightly bite its neck. The
sensation was somehow thrilling, and Jeong Tae-eui flinched again.
Little by little, little by little, the lump of flesh that had been persistently pushed into my body
seemed as if it was trying to burrow into my stomach and fill it up. As other people's bodies
constantly filled my body, there were times when I became paralyzed with instinctive fear.
The feeling that my body is not my own. Or the feeling that my body doesn't move as I want.
But before I could be overcome by that instinctive fear, the object escaped from my body.
And just as I was about to escape, this time it hit me with such force that it took my breath
away.
"......ah!"
Without realizing it, a small sound came out along with my breath.
It feels like being punched in the stomach.
Once it slowly and painstakingly penetrated and made its way into the body, it was always
like this.
If you open it up like this, it won't be torn in any way, so while saying that, Illay pushed his
chunk of flesh into Jeong Tae-eui's body without hesitation.
It's stiff. Even though it was so young, it was so swollen that it was not enough, and the lump
of flesh dug into the stomach.
“I,...porridge..., that..., ah....”
Jeong Tae-eui took a deep breath as he stuttered out words that did not make sense.
Physiological tears were already welling up in my eyes and starting to drip.
“Tae-i, don’t cry. Be kind, don't cry. ...I'm not the one who doesn't quit. “You swallowed my
things and then kept your mouth shut and wouldn’t let me go.”
Illay also had a rough voice. His breathing is slowly becoming shaky. However, I still disliked
the way he spoke in a leisurely manner.
As if comforting a child, he whispered to him not to cry, tilted his head to the side, and licked
the tears flowing down Jeong Tae-ui's cheeks.
Only then did he release Jeong Tae-ui's tightly bound wrists. The clearly marked wrist barely
manages to break free.
But there was only one thing the free hand could do.
“Now, let’s lie down… and then hug.”
As if it had become a natural thing now, Illay hugged Jeong Tae-ui. As if he felt regretful, he
dug deep into that body once more and then escaped.
Jeong Tae-eui, who finally felt a little better, finally turned over with his throbbing lower body.
However, as soon as he lies down, Tae-eui Jeong sighs as he sees Illay lifting his arm and
wrapping it around his neck.
Illay, hugged by Jeong Tae-ui, smiled softly. Then, she buried her lips on the nape of his
neck and pushed her waist between his legs again. “When will it be over...”

Jeong Tae-eui could barely hold back the terrifying weapon that penetrated into his body
again, and finally asked in a hushed voice. I just hoped it would be over before the owner of
this room came back.
As he pushes and digs into his body endlessly, Illay answers, “Well, I don’t know.”
“Just do the two months worth of work I’ve been doing.”
“......Damn......”
As soon as I heard that it was a two-month supply - even though I knew it was a joke - I felt
dizzy and muttered.
At that moment, Illay suddenly closed his mouth. While rubbing my lips against Jeong
Tae-ui's cheek, I raised my head and looked down.
Those eyes suddenly smiled.
“Come to think of it, I asked instructor Jeong Chang-in about that a while ago.”
“......?”
Jeong Tae-eui couldn't properly understand what he was saying with his increasingly white
hair, so he just gave him a puzzled look.
“I asked him what the Korean word mang-hal-nom meant, and he happily answered.”
As he said that, he laughed.
Slowly, a memory came into my mind as I was lost in whiteness. At that moment, my head
suddenly woke up.
“No wait, that’s not that…”
“If it’s not enough, feel free to tell me. “Because I can handle it.”
“No, that’s not it, that means-.”
“What do you mean?”
The moment Ilay asked back, Jeong Tae-ui suddenly closed his mouth.
I can't really teach you what that means.
“....... ....... .......”
"why. What do you mean, huh? “The thing called mang-hal-nom.”
“....... ....... ......what my uncle said... is similar....”
As he answered like that, Jeong Tae-ui suddenly seemed to understand. Why do you always
dig your own grave, go inside it, and even cover it with dirt?
The best way to get out of this situation was to just talk back.
Jeong Tae-eui hugged Illay’s neck tightly. I tried to hold my breath and tried to do what I was
doing, but Illay just smiled and bit the back of Jeong Tae-ui's neck.
"......so."
"hmm?"
I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten because I was distracted for a while.
Jeong Tae-eui hugged Illay's neck and murmured into his ear.
“What does Tarten’s final payment have to do with my going to Berlin?”
“.......”
There was no answer for a while.
Instead, Illay buried his flesh inside Jeong Tae-eui's body and slowly shook Jeong Tae-eui's
body as if it felt good in itself.
“So… why is that…”
Jeong Tae-ui asked again, shaking as he shook him.
How long had it been like that?
Eventually, the object that had been proudly held in my stomach for a long time began to
pour out its contents inside my body. Surprisingly, Illay put a little more strength into the arms
that held Jeong Tae-eui, who was flinching, and planted himself inside Jeong Tae-eui's body.
And only after pouring every last drop into Jeong Tae-ui's body, Illay spoke lazily, as if
satisfied. “This is because the final target for repayment is a state-owned company in Saudi
Arabia.”

"Saudi Arabia......."
There was something subtle about it.
What does that have to do with you?
Is there a possibility that it might be related to you in some way?
There was only one answer.
Jeong Tae-eui looked at Illay with an expression that was instantly erased from his face. The
possibility that is associated with him is undoubtedly also associated with this man.
However, even though Illay must have known the meaning of that gaze, he just smiled
calmly, as if Jeong Tae-eui's reaction was amusing.
“And the executives there chose to use demands rather than money as the method of
payment.”
[Continued with Volume 3]
bonus track
Richard Tarten was a standout.
He was easily found even among the dozens of boys of different statures and statures. It
wasn't just that he was taller or bigger than other boys his age.
He always had a gentle smile on his face, and although he rarely went out in front, he was
always a boy who shined on everyone like the sun. Although he is the same age, he is also
the idol of the boys around him.
It was the same.
Even if he said the same thing, it seemed more plausible if he said it, and if he did the same
thing, if he did it, it carried more weight. Even the slightly slow way he speaks, or the way he
tilts his head slightly when he's lost in thought.
There were also boys who imitated his habits.
It was like that even before I became an adult.
He was wiser and more trustworthy than the boys who were three or four years older than
him.
Therefore, no one thought it strange when he was one of the boys chosen by the elder. He
fully deserved it. He deserves to inherit the original family, rise to the greatest position, and
reign over us.
And on the other hand, no one found it strange that Christoph Tarten, a boy who was quite
different from Richard, but no one could deny that he stood out, became another person
chosen by the elders. He, too, was fully qualified to run for that position. More than any of
the several boys who envy and envy him.
However, Christoph had a decisive difference from Richard.
He was unable to attract the boys to his side like Richard.
He was blunt, cold, cruel, and sometimes eccentric. There were boys who were afraid of
him, there were boys who admired him, and there were boys who hated him.
However, what is clear is that Christoph did not receive the full trust and support of the boys
like Richard did. His expression without a trace of laughter and his voice as icy as that
expression inevitably created a distance from other people.
Maybe my overly beautiful appearance actually had a negative effect. The appearance that
would tempt anyone at first sight and lose their heart gave rise to distorted expectations.
Kristoff was never a kind or warm person, and those expectations could not be met.
There were quite a few boys who hated Kristoff and gossiped about him. They didn't make
up stories that didn't exist, but they generally exaggerated Kristoff's words and actions and
reported them negatively. I confidently proudly told myself that I did not lie.
However, even the boys who gossiped about him behind his back could not say anything to
him. Even the three-inch tongue that was so confident could only helplessly hide in front of
Kristoff. This was because they knew that no matter how much they cursed and whispered
bad things, they could not follow him.
In such a situation, it was perhaps natural that Richard and Christoph would naturally
confront each other.
Whether they meant it or not, the boys were divided.
Boys who respect and follow Richard. And the boys who, for whatever reason—whether due
to intra-kinship ties, a simple sense of inferiority, or personality differences—did not like
Richard.
In fact, the latter boys regarded Kristoff among themselves as one of their own, even though
Kristoff did not belong to either side. Without necessarily confirming or denying,
Perhaps without even having the chance, Kristoff came to stand at a distance, on the side of
the boys who surrounded him and said they were joining me.
In a way, it was natural that they, who were in competition with the elders' choice, along with
the perception of those around them, would become hostile to each other.
Meanwhile, big and small things overlapped, and their relationship couldn't be said to be
good even with empty words.
They were rivals, both internally and externally, with sharp swords pointed at each other, not
one inch behind, and even they did not deny that fact. ***
I have had an admiration for Richard since I was young.
To me, who was small, not very strong, and not particularly smart, Richard seemed like a
hero.
Like many of the boys who followed him, I looked up to him. He probably didn't know that I
was mixed in with the boys who wanted to hang out with him, but I always followed him with
my eyes. He was the ideal of what I thought I wanted to be.
 As I grew up, rationally I realized that he was not such an ideal and blameless saint, but
emotionally, Richard was always the most wonderful and wonderful man. I sometimes
dreamed that I was Richard and then became ecstatic.
Since I was young, I was an introverted and shy person, so I wasn't particularly good at
socializing, but even so, I had a stronger desire to mix in with people than others, so I was
sensitive to other people's feelings. I was able to feel the person's mood with just the
slightest change in facial expression, eye movement, or mouth shape. Perhaps it would be
more correct to call it observation skills.
Naturally, most of my observation was focused on Richard. I tried to follow his little habits,
hand gestures, body language, etc., but eventually gave up. Meanwhile, I discovered a
secret joy of my own.
I realized one of Richard's habits that perhaps even he himself was unaware of. This is
something I realized by chance and suddenly at some point, and I'm not sure, so maybe I'm
wrong. But since I had no intention of telling anyone else anyway, I decided to be happy
alone, assuming that my guess was correct.
Richard, who was always proud and confident, but always gentle, would occasionally cover
his mouth with one hand when he was lost in thought. Then the lower half of the face was
almost covered and the expression was barely recognizable. All you can see is that
indifferent look in his eyes.
When we were no longer young, when we were in the vague boundary between boy and
young man, I was still looking at him in fascination and suddenly realized.
Richard couldn't believe it, but he would cover his mouth like that when he was embarrassed
or wary about something. It's as if he can't hide that expression and is trying to hide it by
covering it with his hand.
The attempt was always successful, and Richard, with his hand around his chin, looked like
he was calmly thinking about something.
But in reality, he rarely covered his face like that, and it was difficult to see him more than
two or three times as the years passed. In any case, the adult man who was the idol of many
boys, including me, rarely did anything youthful, like being embarrassed or wary of
something.
I haven't seen him do that a few times either. For example, one day, a boy among his
followers suddenly confesses his love for him with a serious face and physically bumps into
him, or a boy who has always treated him in a suspicious manner suddenly changes and
keeps coming to him for no reason and talking to him as if searching for him. When I put it
on, I only saw it a few times.
As his hair grew thicker, it became difficult to see Richard like that, as he had become
accustomed to keeping his thoughts to himself.
I was a little disappointed, but I decided to be satisfied that for once I was the only one who
knew about his habits that no one else knew about.
***
Although there were many boys who followed Richard, that did not mean they could only
gather around him all year round.
Normally, they would each lead their own lives in their own home - Tarten's branch - and
spend their time intensely, engrossed in the tasks given to them, such as studies and various
activities.
Likewise, after school, I usually went to the library to buy books and regularly received liberal
arts tutoring in things like musical instruments, foreign languages, and sports. Then, on the
weekends, I would go to my family's mansion and learn about the things I would do in the
future.
However, since there was no rule that they had to go to their parents' houses on the
weekends, there were often cases where boys who did not have the right time could meet
less than a few times throughout the year. Meanwhile, there was one day when everyone
with the last name Tarten gathered together. The elder’s birthday is that day.
It was like that that year.
Three days or two days before the elder's birthday, the older person visited the family home
a week early and stayed there.
Normally, it would be a time to bring up each other's trivial personal stories or rumors going
around in the house.
That year was different.
Although there was a difference in age by a few years, the boys were generally around the
age of twenty, when they were no longer boys.
As usual, no one was talking about winning a medal at an international shooting competition
or successfully completing a cello concert. They all mentioned one person's name. As if they
couldn't believe it, were filled with astonishment, laughed at it, clicked their tongues, and
expressed regret. Everyone said his name.
Christoph Tarten.
Rumors were spreading throughout the mansion that he, who had recently turned 20, had
expressed his intention of rejection to his elders.
He threw away the precious opportunity that everyone longs for but cannot obtain, the right
to inherit this family, this small but huge kingdom, and the right to work hard to obtain that
qualification.
Everyone who heard it said it was nonsense at first. They said it couldn't be like that. Then,
after confirming that the rumor was true, their eyes widened in shock, and everyone
remembered Richard as if they had made a promise.
Kristoff's rival. No, now that Christoph has quit, the most promising and strong succession
candidate is now Richard. I was no exception.
When I hurriedly went to my parents' house a day before the elder's birthday because there
was an important meeting of the research group, the first person to stop me was my cousin
Julrich, with whom I had a relatively good personality and was close to me.
“Evans, you’re here. “Did you hear the rumor?”
"huh?"
I was looking at Julrich in confusion as he suddenly spoke like that before even saying hello,
and my eyes widened at what he said in an excited tone.

“Christoph has withdrawn from the succession race! “On my 20th birthday last month, I told
my elders that I was quitting.”
I was speechless for a while because of the incredible news, and then I couldn't believe it
and stammered.
“No way...is it true? “Isn’t this just a rumor going around?”
"Really! I couldn't believe it either, but I heard my eldest uncle talking to my second uncle!
You know what's even more surprising? “If you hear this, you won’t be able to help but be
shocked.”
Julrich lowered his voice as if he was telling a big secret. It wouldn't be such a big secret if
he knew about it, but I couldn't quite accept this unexpected situation, so I lowered my voice
and asked, "What is it?"
“Christoph, that bastard... he joined the T&R Mobile Squad...! The very day I told my elders
that I was quitting, I left Dresden for Berlin. okay?! Where crazy Rick is! “Christoph wasn’t a
normal guy either, but I was really surprised.”
Well, who in their right mind would make such a choice?, I just blinked blankly as I listened
to Julrich's voice adding,
Crazy Rick is Riglow's second son.
I encountered the Riglow people, a family that has maintained a close relationship with
Tarten for over a hundred years and decades, several times. In particular, because they
were relatively similar in age to the sons of the family, adults often brought them together
and made them hang out together when they were young. After I grew up, we only saw each
other occasionally, such as when there were big events like an elderly person's birthday, but
if I were to be honest, I couldn't say that we were childhood friends.
However, no one wanted to say that he was childhood friends with Riglow's second son, Ilay
Riglow.
Everyone said it in unison. That guy is truly crazy. And for the sake of their own social
prestige and personal safety, no one wanted to be friendly with a crazy person. So in Tarten
They were the only ones who spoke at least a few words with Rick. Richard and Christoph.
I pushed aside the extremely excited Julrich and hurried on. With each step I took, I became
more and more excited.
Let me just say that although I was emotionally drawn to Richard, I did not dislike Christoph.
Because of his cruel and unusual personality, he may have stayed away, but there was
nothing particularly regrettable about him.
But no matter what, Kristoff disappeared from the competition. Then, the most likely person
to take charge of Tarten was Richard. There were two other competitors, but they had long
since been no match for Richard or Christoph.
I felt like I should congratulate Richard.
Congratulations, Richard. Kristoff, who was considered a thorn in my eyes, has finally
disappeared. Tarten is yours now. congratulations.
However, when I found Richard, who was wandering around the mansion with a heavy heart,
he was already surrounded by several people. I congratulated him vigorously in my heart,
but in reality I was still introverted and timid, so I hesitantly approached him.
I could hear people surrounding Richard and talking. The sounds were almost similar to the
congratulatory words I had tried to give him.
“Very well, Richard! “I don’t have to see that ugly face anymore!”
“I’m sure he was scared of losing to you, so he tangled his tail first. You won! “I knew it would
happen from the beginning.”
“T&R Mobile Squad, a gathering place for those crazy people! Wow, I did a great job finding
the perfect place. That's it. From the beginning, there was no one better suited as Tarten's
successor than you. Really congratulations, congratulations.”
In the midst of a chaotic mix of criticism of his now-retired rival and praise for his supporter
who had an overwhelming advantage, Richard stood quietly.
He doesn't look very happy that his competitor is gone, nor does he look displeased or
displeased, just smiles calmly and vaguely nods his head in response to what people say,
just like always.
I just nodded.
The people gathered around Richard chattered about their own stories while admiring his
adult-like, nonchalant attitude that at first glance seemed like he didn't care.
Perhaps Richard even seemed a little tired in the midst of it all. Well, it makes sense since
you've probably heard the same thing dozens of times.
However, while he patiently endured their praise and criticism without showing signs of
boredom, little by little the topic shifted to other places. After the most surprising topic was
discussed, it seemed that the usual everyday topics returned.
What have you been doing, what news have you heard and what is it?
In the meantime, the flow would be momentarily interrupted when young people who arrived
late sometimes came one by one.
“Richard! “Did you hear about Kristoff?!”
Like this.
Then Richard was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly and answered.
“Ah, I heard.”
Then, the young man would say a few words about Kristoff and then conclude the story like
this.
"congratulations. So now you will take over.”
And after the congratulations, he smiled as if embarrassed and said, “Well, you don’t know
that. This was followed by Richard humbly replying, “Because there is still a lot of time left.”

But Richard didn't seem to be very interested in the topic.

Although he calmly listened to their stories, he occasionally rubbed his temples or massaged
the back of his neck as if he was bored.
That attitude was as if he was saying, ‘I didn’t think of that guy as a competitor from the
beginning, and it doesn’t matter what happens now,’ so his followers would secretly make a
satisfied face, as if they were vicariously satisfied.
But regardless of those things, I watched him carefully.
Perhaps it was because he had been hearing the same thing over and over again, but he
didn't seem to be in a very good mood. Even I, who had been quietly observing him for a
long time and am extremely sensitive to other people's feelings,
He looked upset, vaguely, so faintly that it was hard to notice.
But he was smiling calmly, and I tilted my head a few times and ended up thinking that he
must have been bored.
Anyway, there was nothing to talk about that day that went beyond Kristoff, and the story
was repeated every time a new person came. As a result, people seemed to be slowly
getting tired of the story.
It was just around that time.
Ilay Riglow appeared on the spot.
It was no wonder he appeared there.
Tarten and Riglow were a family that maintained a very special relationship, and they always
attended each other's important events. There was no need to say anything about it on the
elder’s birthday.
That day too, Riglow's eldest son came to celebrate his close friend's birthday, and his sons,
who were much older than most other father and son, came along.
Rick was wandering around the mansion alone, away from Riglow's eldest adult and eldest
son, who were probably with the elders and other adults in the household. Then he
appeared on the spot.
As soon as I saw his appearance, a cold silence immediately came over the place. Just
because families are close doesn't mean that individuals are also close.
Rick was a person I could never get to know on a personal level, even considering the 150
years of family ties. Rather than becoming friends with him, he was firmly at the top of the list
of people to avoid.
While the people suddenly became quiet as if cold water had been poured on them, Rick,
who seemed to have come to this place by chance, frowned slightly when he saw the crowd
of people.
There was only one person in the room who could talk to me calmly after looking at that
creepy and cruel gaze that made me wonder if he wanted me to set it all on fire and get rid
of it all.
“Rick, it’s been a while. I guess it's here now. What about the eldest adult?”
Richard really had a lot of courage to talk to that guy with a smile.
While people were secretly admiring each other, the two people talked casually, whether
they were aware of these thoughts or not.
“It looks like the old people have a lot to talk about. “I’m not interested in that story.”
Rick waved his hand lightly.
If you look at him like that, he looks very close to a normal person, but it was a pity that his
natural personality took away all the advantages of his appearance. Moreover, what was
unfortunate was not just the appearance.
In fact, there were other things that people felt deeply sad about when they saw Rick. That's
right-.
“Elay! Give me the car keys. I left my cell phone inside. “Oh, hello.”
A sonorous voice rang out. The sound of light footsteps walking quickly follows the voice.
Soon after, a woman appeared in the hall on the first floor of Seoik where they were
gathered.
She was a slender, beautiful woman who might have just turned twenty.
The woman who calmly called Rick by his first name was Helena, the famous daughter of
the Riglow family and Rick's younger sister.
She always had a soft smile on her white face and her shiny curly hair hung down to her
waist, and she looked like a fluffy candy cookie. Although she was not as meek and weak on
the inside as she appeared on the outside, she was definitely a lovely woman.
Normally, she was such a lovely woman that it wouldn't have been strange for all the young
people here to cling to her, but unfortunately, no one tried to get close to her as long as they
knew that Rick was right above her. And then I felt sad inside.
It would be rare to find a sister like that under such a person. “It’s been a while, Helena. “It
has become more lovely.”
Sometimes I think Richard is amazing, and it's times like this. It would have been impossible
for me to say a single word in front of a woman, but Richard was good at saying such things
in a calm and friendly manner without any grudges or discomfort. So it’s natural that it’s
popular.
Yes. Richard was as popular with women as he was with men. Of course. Such a manly
appearance, physique, personality, abilities, and background. Because I have everything.
But we weren't jealous of him in that regard either.

Richard had very strong tastes in dating women. He liked women who were like candy. A
woman who looks so gentle and soft as if she would break if she were not careful. He always
dated women like that.
Helena, who was chatting happily with Richard over there, was of that type in appearance,
but from what I heard at first glance, it seemed that Richard liked a woman who was so
gentle and timid, not only in appearance but also in personality. So, as far as I know, they
are just friends.
“Then see you later. “I have to call you, so I’ll have to go find the phone first.”
"boy friend?"
"huh. Come to think of it, Richard, this lover is just as lovely as a deer. That would be nice.
“Introduce me next time.”
Helena walked away at a brisk pace, waving her hand with a key chain on her finger, and
Richard waved at her from behind.
“It seems like that taste is still the same.”
After Helena disappeared from sight, Rick spoke slowly. Richard glances back at him. There
was a smile in the corner of his eyes.
“I only focus on lovely ladies who look soft and warm.”
“Crazy guy.”
The words that came out of Rick's mouth were words that absolutely did not suit Richard,
even if he did not know it himself - he couldn't understand why he went crazy saying he liked
such a lovely girl - but there was no one who could say that to him openly. . Richard, the only
person who could say that, just smiled silently.
"why. I saw you the other day, and you had a very sweet-looking and cute lover. “So I was
worried because I thought he had similar tastes to me.” "why. “Are you afraid they’ll fight over
the same woman?”
Rick chuckled, muttering in a tone that was infinitely close to ridicule. Richard also laughs, as
if that statement is funny.
As soon as I heard that, I - and probably other people who followed Richard - began to
worry.
Even if just by chance, they end up fighting as he said.
I'm sure Richard won't lose, but his opponent is that crazy guy. Neither of them will be fine.
But after thinking that far, I immediately relaxed.
If you think about it, Richard was kind and wise. Rather than arguing, we will find something
to agree on. Considering that she had a personality that wasn't particularly attached to
anything, be it people or objects, she might have been willing to let her go if she wanted to.
While I was thinking that, as I was fidgeting with some anxiety about what would happen if
those two people fight, I heard Rick's voice.
"doesn't care. I don't really have a preference, and if I like something, I don't really care.
Besides, if I had to say it, I like a face like a sculpture rather than a face like cotton candy.”
As he spoke his thoughtful words, I suddenly thought of one person.
The face as lovely as cotton candy was exactly like the Helena I had just seen, but I only
knew one person who had a face as beautiful as a sculpture or even as bewitching. No,
even if there were someone else like a statue, they wouldn't be more beautiful than that
person, so I couldn't even think of it.
Christoph.
Christoph Tarten.
Who else is there?
I held my breath for a moment. As Rick's words involuntarily reminded me of Kristoff, a
series of scary thoughts came to mind.
Rick and Kristoff.
As I muttered those names in succession, I got chills. They must be the strongest and worst
pair.
However, it was already a well-known fact that Rick did not discriminate between men and
women, and on the other hand, it might have been impossible to suppress a personality like
Kristoff's without being that crazy.
I looked around and it seemed like everyone was going through similar thought stages as
me. People's thoughts are similar.
Perhaps Rick also thought of Kristoff when he said those words, or maybe he had said them
with Kristoff in mind from the beginning, but after thinking for a moment, he muttered to
himself.
“But the problem is that that face doesn’t look pretty anymore because of Kristoff.”
Once you get used to a face, you can either like it or hate it, but next to him who added,
Richard was silent.
He had been keeping his mouth shut for a while. I flinched when I saw him staring into space
as if he was lost in thought. I couldn't see the smile that was always in his eyes or on his lips
like a habit.
“So you took Kristoff with you?”
Richard muttered softly and suddenly. It wasn't until later that I realized that that name had
come out of his mouth for the first time today.

But it was right after those words were said. For a very brief moment, as soon as Richard
spoke, he looked embarrassed, as if he had made a mistake. The expression disappeared
as quickly as it appeared and no one seemed to have seen it, but I did. Soon after that, I saw
him cover his mouth with one hand.
Richard held his chin as if nothing had happened and slowly turned his head toward the sky,
seemingly thinking about something. However, the fingers covering my chin and cheek were
gradually gaining strength.
“Christoph? That guy came first on his own feet. “I’m taking him with me?”
Rick muttered, “No way!” and suddenly turned to Richard. He was already smiling like usual.
I give Rick a look as if I were looking at a close friend and laugh haha.
“One day, someone might appear who is attractive and grabs your heart, regardless of their
face. “To you too.”
Rick looked at Richard with a slightly bewildered expression at the very innocent, yet at the
same time standard, words.
“It feels really strange to hear those words from your mouth.”
"okay?"
Even though those words were extremely rude, Richard, who was generous, only smiled.
Rick clicks his tongue.
“He’s someone who grabs my heart... It would be fun if he showed up. “I don’t know if there
really is such a person.”
Rick muttered again, “It would be fun if he showed up,” but without any hesitation, he
sneered. I hated him for making fun of my idol like that, so I prayed earnestly that he would
meet someone like that and go through some trouble.
At that time, as if she had finished her business, Helena appeared again and gave Rick the
car keys back. I watched in fascination as she turned around and smiled brightly at the
people around her, saying, ‘See you later then.’
It's really sad. I can’t believe such a lovely woman is crazy Rick’s younger sister. Well, even
if he wasn't Rick's younger brother, the only man who could approach such an elegant girl
would have to be Richard.
“Seeing you again, your sister is lovely.”
Richard muttered as he looked at her, who, no matter what was on the inside, was sure to
suit his taste on the outside. But Rick just shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
“There are many people praising her as the beautiful Helen.”
Even though he was talking about his younger brother, Richard frowned slightly and laughed
at the tone of voice, as if he was referring to his younger brother as a ‘bastard with a
sprained eye.’
“No, that’s not it. “That’s not what a beautiful face is…”
Richard, who continued talking, suddenly closed his mouth. In an instant, the expression
disappeared from his face.
Richard, who was silent for a very brief moment, at most, one or two seconds, rubbing the
corner of his mouth, gave a silent look into the air, as if glaring at the traces of Helena, who
had already disappeared from sight.
He was glaring at me without blinking, as if there was someone at the end of his gaze.
Without any expression, like a ghost.
But it was only for a moment.
Richard smiled calmly and slowly shook his head as if he had never done that before.
“No, anyway, I like cute and lovely people. “A person who comes to me as warmly as cotton
candy.”
And he was silent for a moment, as if hesitating, before finally speaking.
“Beautiful people are dangerous because they are easy to be mesmerized by.”
I closed my mouth as the voice spoke softly, slowly, and quite seriously. The same goes for
other people.
At that moment, there was a strange silence in the place.
But that was only for a moment, and soon Richard broke the silence and said, “What’s
wrong, everyone?” He said and laughed as if it were a funny joke.
Lured by the clear and soft sound of laughter, people laugh along, one by one, saying,
“Haha, that’s right.”
Only after almost everyone else burst into laughter did I laugh along. Slowly, without any
reason, looking at what other people think.
Among them, the one who did not laugh until the end was Rick.
After looking around coolly, as if looking at a group of idiots, he looked at Richard for the last
time. Richard was smiling quietly and softly as usual, as if asking when he had burst out
laughing so much, and when he made eye contact with Rick, he quirked his eyebrows as if
asking why.
Eventually, Rick chuckled as if it didn't matter, and Richard turned his gaze away from him.
Before long, the topic shifted to each person's personal stories, and I, who had nothing else
to say and had nothing to say, just sat between them and listened to their stories.
Still, I looked at Richard, who was sitting in the middle, listening to their stories and
occasionally chiming in with them. Rick, who was not a Tarten person to begin with and did
not get along with people in the first place, was already asleep behind a corner pillar.
Richard has been our leader ever since we were too young to even remember. Now that the
only competitor that everyone had secretly thought could stand up to him was gone, there
was nothing to be rough about anymore.

A thought suddenly crossed my mind: What would it be like to have someone who has
always been running on the same path as a given disappear since I was young? However,
looking at Richard, who looked no different from usual, I put that thought aside.
Anyway, now he is the only one who can stand above us.
He was up there alone.
[end of bonus track]