1.1 Before Leaving, Berlin

They say you see as much as you know.

There is no point in handing a treasure to someone who doesn’t know its value. Pearls before swine, horseshoes on a dog.

Even if a scribble on a piece of drafting paper rolling around a desk were the basic skeleton of the latest stealth aircraft, currently being designed and manufactured with the highest level of secrecy, it would be utterly useless to someone who didn’t know.

“But I feel that someone who is allowed to come and go here should at least be able to distinguish whether this is valuable or worthless…”

There would be plenty of places to smuggle and sell this, and if I sold it, I’d have enough funds to disappear and live in luxury for the rest of my life, Jeong Tae-ui thought, waving the drafting paper with an absurd expression.

No matter how he looked at it, this was a top-secret document.

Although it was drawn crudely like a doodle and the letters were scribbled like some kind of code, it was absolutely not the kind of thing that should be rolling around carelessly on a study desk.

“And someone who is allowed to come and go here wouldn’t have much to worry about even if they saw [unauthorized copy]our company’s stolen contentwindow-dressed accounting books.”

Kyle, who had been carefully tending to all the books from one shelf, turned his head to check the piece of paper Jeong Tae-ui was holding and spoke with a nonchalant smile.

Humming as he skillfully patched a leather binding that was so worn it looked like it would develop a hole at any moment, Kyle seemed unable to contain his affection for the book in his hand.

“I appreciate your trust, but still, treating things so carelessly is a bit… What if a thief breaks in?”

“Anyone capable of recognizing this wouldn’t be spending their time as a thief.”

Kyle painstakingly rubbed a tiny speck of dust on the leather corner and glanced at Jeong Tae-ui with eyes full of laughter.

“You recognized it well. That drawing. It was captured at the most basic stage, so it’s not something you can recognize at a single glance.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know when you wrote ‘RCS’ right there in plain sight?”

“Now that I think about it, you’re right,” Kyle laughed aloud, sounding like someone with a screw loose. He was always like that when he had a precious book in his hand. Jeong Read on Read BL Novelsstyle="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[unauthorized copy]Tae-ui could fully understand why James sometimes glared at the books in this study with such intense dislike. He [visit our site]would probably dance if something happened and this study burned to the ground.

Jeong Tae-ui placed the drafting paper back on the desk and muttered with a sigh.

“Besides, since I’m always helping with your work at home, I feel like I could fly an airhawk based on theory alone now.”

From small things like pistols and rifles to shells, armored vehicles, and helicopters, there was hardly any internal diagram Jeong Tae-ui hadn’t glanced at. Because structural diagrams always rolled around the study like this.

He had learned the basics back at the academy, but he never imagined he would be peering into structural diagrams like this. No, before that, when he discharged from the academy, he never dreamed he would handle military supplies or do something similar again.

He thought he would find a mundane job and live a peaceful daily life watering flowerpots. Well, he is currently living peacefully, occasionally helping Peter water the garden.

“Still, you could suffer a loss if a thief breaks in after receiving an outside request. At least put it in a drawer and lock it…”

“I don’t believe there is any insane thief who would enter this house.”

“Ah, I suppose…”

Jeong Tae-ui nodded. Setting aside the fact that there was a guardhouse next to the main gate, he only felt pity for any unlucky, miserable thief who would accidentally enter this house where a mad beast in human skin prowled. But…

“He’s not here right now.”

Jeong Tae-ui stopped nodding and muttered.

The large beast who had been residing in this house had vanished about two months ago.

A few days after Peter had looked blankly at the devastated garden following an exceptionally violent rainstorm, Ilay Riegrow had abruptly left the house.

Since he left lightly without any proper luggage, Jeong Tae-ui thought he would return in a day or two, or perhaps after a few days, as usual, but there had been no news since. Whatever it was, the work seemed to be taking a long time.

But thinking about it, what on earth does he do?

He had the vibe of someone walking a thin line of illegality, [visit our site]copy]our site -->but Jeong Tae-ui didn’t know exactly what Ilay did. Because of that—

“When he disappears without a word like this, I even start to feel anxious.”

“Anxious? That he might get into an accident?”

“That he might cause an accident.”

It wasn’t as if he didn’t know the man well enough to think he was the type to be in an accident. He had never once worried that the man might suffer an unforeseen accident or get hurt.

Rather, whenever news of terrorism or massacres came through the media, anxiety crept up on him.

Surely he didn’t do that. He’s probably already wanted internationally; it would be troublesome if he decided to go wild, thinking he has nothing left to lose and doesn’t care if a few more charges are added to his name.

As Jeong Tae-ui muttered with a feigned worried face, Kyle laughed, as if he understood the inner thoughts.

“What is there to worry about? What kind of accident could he cause [Read on Read BL Novels]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[stolen visit our sitecontent]that’s bigger than what he’s already done?”

“…Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

Jeong Tae-ui nodded again, recalling the numerous atrocities Ilay had committed in the past. He wondered if there were even any more accidents left for him to cause.

In fact, from Jeong Tae-ui’s perspective, it could be said that it was comfortable without Ilay. It wasn’t that Ilay mistreated him or made him walk on eggshells when he was home, but on days when he suddenly burst in as if he’d just remembered, to satisfy his carnal desires, his body became exhaustingly tired.

How long had it been since he had lived so leisurely for this long?

“But this is the first time he’s been gone this long… When is he coming back?”

“He’ll probably be back in about a month.”

Kyle answered while checking the books he had pulled out one by one, as if he had finished tending to them. While placing the books back with satisfaction, he suddenly turned to Jeong Tae-ui as if remembering something.

“Ah. That’s right. Chang-in is coming this evening.”

“Huh? Uncle?”

“Yes. I heard he entered Frankfurt the day before yesterday. He said he’d go to the UNHRDO Berlin branch to take care of some business, so I told him to go ahead. He said he’s returning to Hong Kong tomorrow morning, so he can only stay for this evening. It’s been a while since you’ve seen him, right?”

“I guess so.”

It had been a little over two and a half years since they last met; in a few months, it would be three. Time had flown by like an arrow, so it didn’t feel particularly novel, but it had still been a long time, and a sense of welcome came first.

Jeong Tae-ui helped Kyle put all the books back on the shelves. Some of them were over a hundred years old, yet they were so well-maintained that they gleamed like used books that had only been handled for a few years.

Perhaps because he was too familiar with him, in Jeong Tae-ui’s eyes, Kyle looked more like a neighborhood uncle than the head of a leading conglomerate. Kyle was brimming with dreams of opening an antiquarian bookstore once he took early retirement.

He didn’t know when that day would actually come, but he envied the fact that Kyle had something clear he wanted to do in the future.

Watching Kyle, whose face was full of a satisfied [visit our site]smile just from looking at the [visit our site]books, Jeong Tae-ui thought deeply. He wondered what it was that he himself wanted to do in the future.

After hearing about Kyle’s dream of an antiquarian bookstore, he had once asked the people around him.

‘Rita, what kind of work do you want to do later?’

‘What I am doing now.’

Hearing Rita’s blunt answer as she looked at him with downcast eyes, Jeong Tae-ui thought, Ah, right. Rita took pride in working in this house and taking care of the family. He thought it must be a happy life to want to do exactly what one was already doing.

‘Peter, what kind of work do you want to do later?’

‘Hmm…? Later…? Well… I think it would be nice to be a forest keeper in a quiet, secluded place when I get a bit older.’

Peter, who was carefully transplanting a small wildflower that had somehow sprouted between the bricks of the house from a wind-blown seed, murmured with narrowed eyes. Peter as a forest keeper. It seemed like a perfect fit. As long as he didn’t suddenly encounter some lunatic who broke into the forest to pour gasoline and set it on fire, he would be a happy forest keeper.

‘James, what do you want to do la—… no, never mind.’

When Jeong Tae-ui spoke to him, James—who was currently in the position of having to attend a company dinner with a mountain of apology gifts because Kyle had promptly ditched a prior engagement to fly to France upon hearing news of an antiquarian book fair—slowly turned his head like a ghost and glared at him. Jeong Tae-ui quickly fled from before him as James gloomily remarked, ‘I think I could become the happiest person in the world right this instant if only I could hand in my resignation.’

After that journey, Jeong Tae-ui finally reached Ilay and fell into thought while watching him swim in the pool. Ilay Riegrow’s future dream. For some reason, he couldn’t imagine it. He even felt as if he shouldn’t really be asking such a thing.

As Jeong Tae-ui sat on the bench by the pool and gazed at him blankly, Ilay—who had swum an unknown number of laps—stepped out of the pool without showing any sign of fatigue. Wondering when this man would ever fix his habit of entering the pool naked, Jeong Tae-ui watched Ilay approach while shaking out his short hair.

‘Why don’t you come in too? It’s refreshing.’

‘Hmm… no, maybe later.’

Thinking about how many people would happily enter water that someone else had swum in naked, Jeong Tae-ui gave a vague refusal. He felt the heavy presence of the man sitting beside him through the bench, as Ilay carelessly wiped the water from his body with a towel that had been draped over the armrest.

‘Right, what is it you’re agonizing over wanting to ask?’

As if he had finished drying himself, Ilay asked abruptly. Jeong Tae-ui flinched inwardly Read on Read BL Novelsbut [stolen content]pretended to be composed, glancing away from him and saying, ‘Ah, that…’ He sometimes wondered if this guy was a ghost or a human.

‘Nothing, just wondering what you want to do for a living later. A little survey on future dreams.’

‘Future dreams?’

He heard a chuckle. Right, I asked something pointless.

‘Sure, what did the others say?’

‘What do you think they said?’

‘Hmm… The elder probably wants to build a library and hug books, Rita likely wants to keep things as they are, and Peter would enjoy being a gardener or a farm manager… or a forest manager. James seems too preoccupied with reality to have the luxury of thinking about the future. —Who else did you ask?’

This ghost-like bastard…

Whether he read the answer in Jeong Tae-ui’s expression, another chuckle stolen contentstyle="position:relative;display:inline;">[Read on Read BL Novels]escaped him. However, not seeming to have any intention of hiding it, Ilay seemed to think for a moment while rubbing his head with the towel before speaking.

‘As for me… if I’m still alive by then, I’ll think about it then.’

Only then did Jeong Tae-ui glance at Ilay. Sensing the gaze, those glass-like eyes turned toward him. In response to the look that seemed to ask Why?, Tae-ui simply shrugged.

If I’m still alive by then.

He was surprised that this man was unexpectedly well aware of his own hostile interpersonal relationships, and he was also surprised that he didn’t seem to have much intention of surviving safely until he died of old age amidst those menacing relationships.

But before that, hearing those words, Jeong Tae-ui frowned slightly and murmured to himself.

‘That’s not a very pleasant thing to hear.’

Beside him, Ilay raised an eyebrow and gave him a look mixed with curiosity and surprise, but Tae-ui ignored it.

‘Why?’

A single question flew back, sounding amused. As expected, this guy wasn’t fully humanized yet. It almost felt like he was enjoying the reaction.

He wanted to grab him by the collar or the cheeks and shake him violently, shouting, “What do you take the people around you for, talking like that?” but considering the reality, Jeong Tae-ui decided to simply provide him with a quiet explanation of humanization.

‘It’s something people often misunderstand, but a person’s life isn’t actually entirely their own responsibility. A life also belongs to the people close to them…’

As he began to speak, Jeong Tae-ui suddenly shut his mouth. He had realized a terrifying fact while trying to explain.

He didn’t know if he actually fell into the category of “people close to him,” but the thought that he was sharing even a small portion of the burden of Ilay’s life made his shoulders feel incredibly heavy. Heavy enough to be crushed flat.

‘…Anyway, it’s a bit uncomfortable to hear someone speak so lightly of their own life,’ Jeong Tae-ui murmured bluntly. As if understanding that he didn’t want to elaborate further, Ilay only raised an eyebrow slightly. Then, he smiled subtly.

‘I don’t particularly care when I die, but I wonder when someone capable of artificially cutting my breath short will actually appear.’

Hearing that, Jeong Tae-ui thought of the phrase “full visit our siteEND: visit our site -->of hardships” regarding his humanization plan. However, since the st[stolen content]atement itself was something he deeply empathized with, he remained silent.

Finding something funny, Ilay let out a low laugh. Tossing the towel carelessly at his feet, he asked.

‘So, is there something you want to do?’

‘Hmm… my goal is to survive until the end to the best of my ability.’

Only after answering sullenly did Jeong Tae-ui reflect that it might have been too childish an answer. But that feeling was short-lived, as the laughter beside him grew louder, completely wiping away any sense of reflection.

It was a mistake to bring up the topic of future hopes with this man in the first place.

“…”

Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head, reflecting on his past self. While he was reminiscing, the sound of Kyle murmuring reached his ears.

“One is missing, I wonder why… [Read on Read BL Novels]wm: Read on Read BL Novels -->Ah, it’s Gustav Benesch. Tae-yi, did you happen to take it?”

“Huh? Ah? —Ah. Benesch. Yes, it’s in my room. I’ll bring it to you right now.”

“Hmm? No, no, I just asked because I didn’t see it. Give it back after you’ve finished.”

“No. I finished reading it before I went to bed last night. Since I remembered, I’ll bring it now. Just a moment.”

Jeong Tae-ui gave a light wave of his hand and left the study.

He sighed as he walked down the creaking wooden stairs.

I wonder if that man is currently eating away at his own life in some killing field. Then again, as the man himself said, he wondered who could possibly be capable of artificially cutting his breath short.

“I don’t know where he’s gone and gotten himself stuck, but he can figure it out on his own.”

Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue in disapproval and murmured.

 

* * *

 

Black gloves, a black hat. An overall black hue, but a simple and sophisticated formal uniform with distinct accents on the epaulettes, pockets, and buttons. A silver badge shimmering subtly on the collar.

It was a belated impression, but it was a uniform that suited his uncle very well—even as he sat on the sofa in a lazy posture that didn’t match the neat attire, tossing aside his hat and gloves first.

He had seen it so often while he was with the Organization that he hadn’t thought of it before—perhaps because the memory of never hearing any good news from his uncle whenever he appeared in those clothes was deeply rooted—but looking at it now with a mind detached from worldly affairs…

“Uncle. You look like a handsome gigolo who would work well on a guest with manic tastes.”

At Jeong Tae-ui’s casual remark, the hand of his uncle, who was unauthorized copystyle="opacity:0;font-size:0;">stolen contentremoving his gloves, paused for a moment.

“Is that a compliment?”

“Of course. Maybe it’s because it’s been a while, but the uniform looks incredibly dazzling. Even the buttons that look suffocatingly tight around the neck suit you quite well.”

As Jeong Tae-ui gave his indifferent impression, his uncle laughed and undid three or four buttons.

It was certainly a cool uniform that suited his uncle, but when worn formally and without a single crease, it made the observer feel stifled as well. Jeong Tae-ui exhaled, as if the buttons choking his own neck had been loosened, and asked.

“Why did you wear the formal uniform when you could have dressed more comfortably for the long journey?”

“If I don’t assert my status by dressing like this, who would give me a first-class ticket, a luxury hotel room key, transportation, and other miscellaneous business expenses?”

This time, Jeong Tae-ui laughed.

Even after meeting again after several years, his uncle was the same. Forms [Read [unauthorized copy]on Read BL Novels]on Read BL Novels">Read on Read BL Novelsthat remain unchanged over time sometimes provide comfort to the heart.

“Besides, I’ve come straight from the Berlin branch. I can’t just wander into another branch for official business dressed in civilian clothes.”

“I guess UNHRDO is still as busy as ever.”

“Ah, there’s a joint exercise with the European branch in a little while. There were changes in the rotation this time, so I went to discuss that as well.”

Jeong Tae-ui raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded with a sigh.

“A joint exercise with the European branch… that sounds exhausting. Is the atmosphere between the two branches still the same?”

“Of course, there’s no way the traditional cat-and-dog relationship would change. Still, it’s become much easier now that one lunatic who was hard to handle has disappeared.”

You shouldn’t say that in front of the person living with that lunatic, Uncle, Jeong Tae-ui was about to say, but he shut his mouth. This was because Kyle, who was even the blood relative of that lunatic, appeared from the dining area holding teacups.

“What is it? What were you talking about that you shut [visit unauthorized copyour site]your mouth the moment I arrived?”

Smiling, Kyle set down the teacups and sat in the seat opposite the uncle.

If it were Kyle, he was the type of person who wouldn’t even blink if someone shouted “Your brother is crazy” to his face, and would instead agree with a look of affirmation, saying, “His personality is a bit peculiar.” Nevertheless, Jeong Tae-ui had not lost his humanity to the point of insulting someone’s family right in front of them without a particular reason.

“I was asking about the family’s well-being. Come to think of it, I don’t see Rick.”

“Ah, he’s out on business. He probably won’t be back until the end of next month.”

“Is that so?”

Tae-yi, your mind and body must be at peace, the uncle looked at Jeong Tae-ui warmly and picked up the teacup Kyle had provided. All three were milk tea without exception, but since Rita’s milk tea was superb, there was no reason to complain.

“That’s a rather long task. …Ah.”

The uncle, who had been murmuring casually, suddenly spoke briefly and looked at the calendar on the table. His gaze s[stolen content]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[Read on Read BL Novels]canned the dates on the calendar.

“Come to think of it, for the Tartens, the decision date must be coming up soon.”

As if something he had completely forgotten had just come to mind, the uncle nodded to himself a few times and then glanced up at Kyle.

“The loan repayment date is also approaching. Your side repaid during the last term, right?”

“Yes. This is the final repayment. Finally, the Tartens will be free from their debt.”

“And the creditor remains the same?”

“Mm.”

A brief silence fell between them, leaving Jeong Tae-ui, who couldn’t grasp the context of the conversation, feeling alienated. Only the quiet sound of sipping tea was heard occasionally.

Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head, wondering when to jump in. Beside him, Kyle set down his teacup.

“The conclusion is practically already decided. As far as I know, there is no figure more influential than Richard.”

“Aha, he is certainly a person to be wary of.”

“Who is that?”

Jeong Tae-ui poked his head in, thinking this was the right timing. Then, the uncle answered.

“Richard Tarten.”

“…”

Jeong Tae-ui waited a bit longer, but no further explanation followed.

Naturally, Jeong Tae-ui hadn’t been asking for the person’s full name, so he frowned.

Richard Tarten—what would he know about such a person? It wasn’t as if he were some famous celebrity… No, you never know. With Kyle’s connections, it wouldn’t be strange if he knew top stars.

“Is he a celebrity? …Ah.”

However, as soon as those words left his mouth, Jeong Tae-ui recalled a certain fact.

Richard Tarten. …Tarten. Tarten & Riegrow.

The other name that stood opposite Riegrow in T&R.

Jeong Tae-ui downed his milk tea in one gulp, set down the empty cup, and tilted his head.

Come to think of it, if their names were listed side-by-side in the company name, there should be a very deep connection, yet that name had never once come up while he was helping Kyle or hearing news about the company.

“Tarten. Now that you mention it, I haven’t heard that name much. Weren’t theyaria-label="visit our site">visit our siteRead on Read BL Novels -->Read on Read BL Novels joint investors?”

“Hmm? Ah, they were at first. The Tartens pulled out midway. They are still major shareholders of T&R, but the family itself started a separate business. Since the company was growing rapidly at the time, they agreed to keep the name as it was.”

Kyle explained kindly, with a look of surprise as if wondering why Tae-ui hadn’t known.

“Heh,” Jeong Tae-ui murmured and asked again.

“Tarten… I haven’t heard much about them. What kind of business do they do?”

“Information.”

“Pardon?”

“A private intelligence agency. From trivial information to top-secret intelligence that wouldn’t end with just one or two people dying if leaked externally.”

Jeong Tae-ui murmured “Heh” again and nodded absentmindedly. Read [unauthorized copy]on Read BL NovelsHowever, just hearing it didn’t give him an immediate sense of it.

“They mainly operate for other agencies, saying it’s inconvenient to operate if they become too well-known to the public, but intelligence agencies with that level of substance are rare. …Ah, right. Gable was once affiliated with them. Though it was only for a short time before he entered the Ministry of Defense.”

Hearing that familiar name, Jeong Tae-ui murmured, “Ah.” Certainly, when he had been agonizing over his brother’s whereabouts in the past, Gable was the first person to find a clue.

If it was a place that produced such a capable talent, he believed it must be an equally capable agency…

“Then are they completely separate from T&R?”

“In terms of business. But even if they are separate, the family exchanges that have continued for generations haven’t been cut off, so they still maintain a close relationship. After all, it’s a relationship that has lasted for over 150 years.”

Jeong Tae-ui was impressed by the number 150, spoken so casually. 150 years was a long time; maintaining a friendly relationship throughout that period was by no means easy, nor was it something that could be achieved by the effort of only one side.

“That’s amazing. But did the Tartens owe a debt or something?”

It wasn’t just a simple debt; unless Jeong Tae-ui had misinterpreted [Read on Read BL Novels]the language, he had clearly said “loan”. visit our siteConsidering that even [visit our site]private loans usually require government guarantees, it was obvious that both the nature and the amount would not be ordinary.

According to T&R’s financial ledgers—which Jeong Tae-ui had seen unintentionally, much like the stealth blueprints—T&R was an extremely sturdy company. Its debt ratio was far more sound than other companies.

Yet, the Tartens, who had once been one of its pillars, had been in a situation where they had to secure a loan.

When Jeong Tae-ui asked without much thought, Kyle momentarily looked troubled. The uncle simply watched Kyle in silence.

“Ah… well, that’s currently classified, so let’s talk about it again when the opportunity arises.”

“Ah, yes.”

Jeong Tae-ui nodded readily.

It seemed he had dug too deep. Everyone has a thing or two they don’t want to reveal to the outside world. It wasn’t as if he had that much interest in someone else’s company, either.

“Ah, that’s right. Jae-ui is coming to Germany next month.”

His uncle spoke up abruptly, as if he had suddenly remembered.

Seeing his uncle change the subject like that, Tae-ui figured the classified information was indeed classified, but he widened his eyes at the news.

“My brother? In Germany? Why?”

Jeong Tae-ui’s older brother, Jeong Jae-ui, was currently a researcher at the UNHRDO Americas headquarters.

Renowned as an unrivaled genius, he had decided to join UNHRDO immediately after escaping a kidnapping and confinement incident two or three years ago, where someone had targeted his brain, in order to prevent similar incidents from recurring. Thus, while working as a special researcher at the headquarters, Tae-ui had heard from his uncle that Jae-ui rarely stepped outside and remained holed up in his lab, whether because he was busy or because he enjoyed the research there.

Since their separation, Tae-ui had only spoken to his brother over the phone a handful of times, and now, he was finally coming to Germany.

Neither Tae-ui nor his brother were the type to be particularly affectionate toward their kin, but still, the prospect of meeting after such a long time was welcoming and pleasant.

The uncle laughed, seeing Tae-ui lean in to ask.

“There’s an International Aviation Technology Forum in Frankfurt next month.”

“…Did he

“It’s a bit much to explicitly tell you it’s a string of profanities, isn’t it?” The uncle’s trailing words didn’t even register in his ears.

His vision went black. He must have truly contracted a terminal illness. For the first time in his life, he felt that such a fact was a blessing.

The uncle turned around cheerfully and walked lightly toward the bedroom. Jeong Tae-ui, barely supporting himself as he leaned against the sofa, felt an immense surge of murderous intent at those light footsteps, but the strength and color had drained from his body, leaving him completely unable to move.

The thought crossed his mind that he and Kyle, who was staring blankly with a pale face right in front of him, probably looked exactly the same right now.

 

* * *

 

News was flowing from a radio that had been left on randomly.

Coming out of the shower while rubbing his hair with a towel, Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue briefly upon hearing news of the conflict between Lebanon and Israel.

It was a region where conflict never ceased, but lately, such news had been heard far more frequently. It had reached a point where minor disputes no longer even caught his interest.

In that region, there were places where conflict was particularly frequent, and others that remained stable as if isolated. Everywhere, the most headache-inducing spots were always the worst.

…Then again, there was one guy who had suddenly thrown a stone into a peaceful country. He didn’t know where he was or what he was doing now.

“Surely he’s not running wild over there…”

Jeong Tae-ui muttered, glaring at the radio.

However, after thinking for a moment, he concluded that the possibility was slim and flopped down onto the sofa. Droplets of water fell from his half-dry hair.

Seeing as he could roughly understand that kind of news without any trouble, it felt new, but it seemed his German had improved.

Now then, should he tell Kyle, Rita, and the others—who went out of their way to speak English for his sake—that they didn’t have to do that anymore? …But Rita seemed like she would be strict about grammar, so he decided to just pretend not to know for now.

Jeong Tae-ui nodded to himself.

With the chime announcing ten o’clock at night, the news ended and a music program began.

Setting the towel down and closing his eyes, Jeong Tae-ui listened quietly to the music without even thinking to wipe the droplets rolling down his neck. Perhaps it was a choral special today, as choral pieces were playing one after another.

The sound of well-harmonized human voices was lovelier than any instrument.

Jeong Tae-ui opened his eyes with a relaxed breath.

It was then. A telephone rang faintly.

“… …?”

Jeong Tae-ui turned his head. The sound of the phone, transmitted blurrily as if barely audible, was ringing in Ilay’s room, just one wall away.

There was certainly a phone in that room. However, it rang so rarely that one might think it was a mere decoration. Most of the few people who contacted Ilay did so via mobile phone.

Though it was a very rare occurrence, unfortunately, the owner of that phone was absent. Since two months ago. There was no telling when he would return.

The ringing stopped. But before Jeong Tae-ui could turn his head back, the phone rang again.

Since it was a faint and small sound, he could have ignored it as much as he wanted, but after a moment’s thought, Jeong Tae-ui stood up.

He found it curious that someone was calling a person who had been absent for [unauthorized stolen contentcopy]a while, and on the other hand, a bit of simple whim played a part.

He hesitated for a moment when opening the door to the ownerless room, but seeing the blinking lamp of the phone through the gap of a hand’s width, he stepped inside. Feeling there was no need to turn on the lights, Jeong Tae-ui entered the dark room, checked the unfamiliar number on the LCD screen, and picked up the receiver.

“Hello.”

‘Yes, I knew you’d pick up.’

“…”

Jeong Tae-ui stared intently at the face reflected on the screen.

The owner of the room was there.

Whether he was in a room somewhere, perhaps leaning against a bed, a large oil painting decorating the wall was visible behind Ilay.

“Hey… it’s been a while.”

‘You seem to be doing well. Your face looks quite vivid.’

“Thanks to you.”

He replied, omitting a few words from “Thanks to you not being here.” However, Ilay caught the omission and laughed.

“Why did you call this number? To a room where there’s no one to answer.”

‘I thought you’d pick up. You would have heard the phone.’

“Then why didn’t you just call me directly?”

‘That’s not a video call, so I wouldn’t be able to talk while seeing you.’

“…”

Jeong Tae-ui stared at the face on the screen once more. He had a thought that this might not be the person he knew. However, the face that gave a smirk while watching him was unmistakably familiar.

“Why. Is there some document or item you need to verify via video?”

‘Ah. I just wanted to check if you were staying put. I wondered if you’d taken this opportunity to go somewhere. …Were you showering? Your clothes are wet.’

“Go where?”

Jeong Tae-ui grumbled softly, fumbling around his neck and shoulders. Quite a bit of water dropped from his improperly dried hair.

“What is it?”

‘Sit.’

Ilay gestured toward a chair with his head. Jeong Tae-ui looked at Ilay suspiciously but sat in the chair without [Read on Read BL Novels]unauthorized copya word. Why was he doing things he never did, calling after two months?

“News just came out that things are noisy in Lebanon, so I wondered if you were there, but it seems you’re not.”

As Ilay muttered while looking at the expensive-looking decorations in his background, Tae-yi smiled faintly without answering.

“…Where are you?”

‘I’m south of Berlin. …Hmm. Is it cold there?’

Jeong Tae-ui frowned at the abrupt question.

There was no way this guy had forgotten the weather here just because he’d been gone for a couple of months.

“There’s no way it’s cold here in this season.”

‘Is that so? Your nipples are erect, so I wondered if there had been a climate [unauthorized copy]data-wm="Read on Read BL Novels" style="display:none;" aria-label="Read on Read BL [visit our site]Novels">Read on Read BL Novelschange in the meantime.’

“…”

Jeong Tae-ui glared at the screen in embarrassment. Perhaps his body was slightly tense because he had been hit by the air conditioner after just finishing his shower, and while it might have been a comment made without much meaning, why did it sound so suggestive coming from that mouth?

“Maybe the cooling is too efficient. Is it subtropical over there?”

Jeong Tae-ui muttered sullenly, brushing down his chest.

‘Subtropical. Did you think I came for a vacation alone? If you want it to be a feast for the eyes, why not take your clothes off and rub them instead of doing it over your clothes? I’ve seen your nipples erect countless times, so why act as if you’re suddenly shy.’

“The first thing you say after calling for the first time in a while is just—. Sigh… Fine, look all you want.”

Thinking that a man’s nipples couldn’t possibly be a feast for the eyes, Jeong Tae-ui grumbled and, in a fit of irritation, whipped off his T-shirt. There was nothing new about it anymore.

“Right, what is it? To actually make a phone call.”

This was a man who hadn’t contacted him once for two months, regardless of where he had gone. And yet, the first thing he said upon calling out of the blue was about nipples.

‘Well. I just thought I’d make a courtesy call for a change.’

“Don’t lie.”

He had been hearing a lot of strange things these past few days. The combination of the words ‘Ilay’ and ‘childhood friend’ he heard from his uncle a while ago was quite peculiar, and now, a ‘courtesy call’ from Ilay.

‘To be so blunt, you’re too heartless. …Move your arm. It’s blocking the view, so it’s not a feast for the eyes.’

“… Anyway, I feel like I’ve only been hearing strange things lately. Maybe I’m the one who needs some nourishment for my body.”

‘Haa, strange things. Why, did someone say something nonsensical?’

“No, I heard a while ago that you actually have a childhood friend.”

‘Aha… Who said that?’

It was very slight. Extremely faint. To a degree so minute it was hard to notice, Ilay’s voice slowed down.

Ah… this is it. The reason this guy contacted him so suddenly.

For some reason, that was the story Ilay had wanted to hear.

Jeong Tae-ui fell silent for a moment. And he soon realized. Ilay also noticed that Jeong Tae-ui had caught on. His eyes narrowed.

“What are you curious about?”

‘I wasn’t particularly curious, I just made a courtesy call… but now I think I’ve become a bit curious. Yes, who says I have a childhood friend? Was it your brother? …I told you to move that arm.’

While thinking that he’d like to rip the mouth of unauthorized copythe man who added that he’d [Read Read on Read BL Novelson Read BL Novels]prefer it if he took off his bottoms too, Jeong Tae-ui hesitantly moved his arm.

“My uncle came and went. While talking with Kyle, he mentioned a person named Christina. He said she was your childhood friend and colleague.”

‘Haa… That man came and went? He must have had a pleasant time meeting family after a long while. So, is he doing well?’

“Yeah, he’s doing well. He said there’s a joint exercise with the European branch soon, and that it’s much more comfortable since there’s no lunatic.”

It was nice that the words in his heart came out comfortably and without hesitation since the man wasn’t in front of him. However, Ilay now seemed unfazed by that level of comment from Jeong Tae-ui.

‘Haha, that’s something to be congratulated on, indeed. And the others are doing well too?’

At that, Jeong Tae-ui fell silent once more. He stared at him intently. Ilay was smiling subtly with narrowed eyes.

“…What are you curious about? Just say it clearly. Don’t ask things that don’t suit you.”

‘I wonder what it is.’

Ilay spoke ambiguously and tilted his head to the side. A cracking sound of joints was heard over the phone.

‘More importantly, Tae-yi. How is it being alone at home for two months? Aren’t you bored? Isn’t your body stiff? I feel particularly heavy today.’

At the part ‘particularly today,’ Jeong Tae-ui saw something he shouldn’t have.

Ilay, who seemed to be leaning back on the bed, appeared to stroke over the boxer briefs he wore instead of pajamas, and before he knew it, he had abruptly pulled out the bulging mass of flesh.

“…”

Seeing that object suddenly fill the bottom of the monitor, Jeong Tae-ui was momentarily speechless.

He thought he hadn’t seen it for a while, but now he had to see that thing—which was likely hundreds or thousands of miles away—even through a screen.

“So… what… you want to have phone sex?”

Jeong Tae-ui joked with a disgusted face. Although a smile didn’t appear on his face, it was a joke.

On the face of Ilay, who was rubbing that monstrosity which stood stiff and pressed close to the monitor, there was no sign of excitement or tension, in contrast to the object. Ilay smiled faintly with a relaxed expression, as if he were the one joking.

‘Why. Not in the mood? Don’t you think it would be quite interesting?’

“Going that far… I don’t like it because it feels like my life has truly hit rock bottom.”

Should he just hang up and go back to his room? No, even if they were far apart now, he had to think about the aftermath.

Watching Jeong Tae-ui slowly drift away from the screen, Ilay muttered, “Hmm.” It’s strange, the perspective on the screen seems a bit off, why does only that part look magnified—into the ears of Jeong Tae-ui, who was trying his best to ignore the screen, eventually came a soft, airy chuckle.

‘Tae-yi. Did you forget? I believe I clearly told you that you are mine. If it’s been too long and you’ve forgotten, I’ll tell you again. You—.’

“Ah, what do you want, what!”

Hearing those words again, which felt like he’d been brainwashed a hundred times, sent a sudden chill down his spine, and Jeong Tae-ui reflexively shouted, cutting off the final words.

The answer came simply.

‘Take off your bottoms too.’

He thought he’d been comfortable for a couple of months, but this guy…

“Hey, Ilay, I don’t know when you’re coming back, but in my opinion, once you return, you’ll just do whatever you—.”

‘One month.’

“Huh?”

‘I’ll be back in one month. Then, Tae-yi, for your sake since you seem reluctant, I’ll let you realize one thing: which do you think is more beneficial for you, enduring three months’ worth of hardship in one night, or resolving two months’ worth over the phone first visit unauthorized copyour siteand then doing only the remaining one month’s worth in one night?’

Hearing that, he had nothing to say. Just as he said, it was truly an unexpected new realization.

Facing Jeong Tae-ui, who was staring at the monitor with a blank face, Ilay gestured with his head again.

‘Take them off.’

Damn it. He’d been caught red-handed. If he tried to gloss over this situation or just hung up, he’d truly be facing his funeral in a month.

Jeong Tae-ui glared at Ilay, hooking his hands into the waistband of his pants. However, after a silent staring contest that lasted dozens of seconds, he eventually gave up and took off his pants.

He shouldn’t have answered this damn phone. He should have just listened to the radio and gone to sleep.

But it was too late for regrets.

Suddenly feeling a surge of anger, he threw the removed pants [visit [visit our site]our site]straight at the monitor, but behind the pants that fell limply to the floor, only Ilay’s face remained, smiling mischievously inside the monitor.

“Now what. Take off the underwear too?”

‘Of course.’

Jeong Tae-ui glared fiercely at that white face that didn’t even flinch even as he screamed with an openly displeased expression, took off his underwear, and threw them at the monitor. He briefly hoped they would catch on the corner of the monitor and block the screen, but such a wish was not granted.

At this point, being completely nude wasn’t much different, but standing naked in front of the screen while watching the other person rub their object inside the monitor felt truly subtle. Or rather, uncomfortable.

‘Sit back down. Don’t stand there with such strength in your eyes.’

That nonchalant attitude was also extremely irritating. Then again, he had always been that kind of human.

With his uncomfortable and irritated feelings intact, Jeong Tae-ui sat back down roughly in the chair. In the process, he went as far as to hook his legs over the chair, exposing everything as if to say, ‘look if you want.’

“Does it look good like this?”

‘Ah, it looks exceptionally good. It’s a superb view.’

The object that nearly filled the bottom of the monitor became even thicker.

For a moment, he realized his mistake, but since he was already staring at him with wide eyes, it was too late to avoid his gaze.

For some reason, whenever I talk to this guy, I often end up digging my own grave…

“Is a man’s crotch really that much of a superb view?”

He grumbled, intending to be as sarcastic as possible. Even while he did so, the object within those white hands rubbing it was raising its head even more violently.

Looking straight at Jeong Tae-ui, Ilay smiled. A hint of a smile played in his ice-like eyes. Even after seeing them for several years, they were still unfamiliar eyes. He didn’t know why they looked so strange whenever a smile was contained in them.

‘Of course it’s a superb view. I mean that face of yours, which is trying so hard to look composed without showing [stolen content][unauthorized copy]that you want to hang up and run away right now, or even hang yourself right there.’

“…!”

This was it. The moment he felt this man’s wicked nature most acutely, as if it were touching his skin.

“…Do you like this?”

He asked crookedly, meaning ‘do you like being so malicious?’ Even though he must have known the meaning, Ilay gave a deviant answer.

‘I didn’t originally intend to do this, but seeing you makes me crave it. Seeing the things I’ve only seen in my head for two months like this again. My lower body is pulling so hard it makes my heart ache.’

Contrary to that low and calm voice, the erect object seemed to be slowly reaching its climax.

The piercing gaze, the slightly lower voice, the breath faintly containing pleasure, the sticky touch rubbing the genitals—at some point, these things pierced Jeong Tae-ui’s chest. Just as he said, to the point that his heart ached.

Suddenly, the back of his neck grew hot.

Damn it, my brain must have gone haywire from living with this guy.

‘Tae-yi. Spread your legs more. …Tae-yi.’

Seeing himself obediently spreading his legs more at such words, he thought to himself that his brain might have actually gone a bit crazy.

Praying that he wouldn’t end up getting an erection himself in this situation, Jeong Tae-ui leaned his head back against the chair. He wanted to close his eyes as well, but the pitch-black pupils that held his gaze wouldn’t let him.

Tae-yi, he heard him call once more.

Simultaneously, a sticky liquid splattered blurrily across the screen.

Behind the traces that clung to the screen in dots and then slowly flowed down in lines, he saw the cool eyes still staring through him.

“…”

‘…As expected, it’s not great since we aren’t actually together.’

The moment he heard those words, the surge of anger he had momentarily forgotten returned.

This bastard, he just splattered it all over the monitor while a person was clearly watching, and where does the phrase ‘it’s not great’ even come from?

But before Jeong Tae-ui could shout, Ilay smeared the traces on his fingertips across the monitor. Jeong Tae-ui flinched, feeling as if that finger were smearing directly against him. Ilay smiled faintly.

‘Yes. I should relieve your desires too, but that’s not possible when we’re apart. My apologies.’

“……Not at all. There’s absolutely no need to worry about that.”

On the contrary, it would be scarier if the other side suddenly lunged at him, offering to relieve his desires.

However, swallowing those words out of a meager sense of pride, Jeong Tae-ui clicked unauthorized copyclass="wm-strong" style="position:relative;display:inline;">[Read on Read BL Novels]unauthorized copy -->his tongue in dissatisfaction and glared at him.

“Right, now say what you wanted to say. Why did you contact me?”

Now that his head had cooled down a bit, the vague topic this man had been hinting at resurfaced. But Ilay merely looked at Jeong Tae-ui in silence. Then, he murmured as if talking to himself.

‘He really doesn’t think for a second that I called just because I was curious about how he was doing.’

“Enough with the distractions, just tell me. What is it? Are you curious about my uncle? Or did you suddenly become interested in the UNHRDO crowd?”

Thinking that greetings are for people who actually deserve them, Jeong Tae-ui asked. Ilay tapped the nightstand a few times—tap, tap—before shrugging as if it didn’t matter.

‘To think Instructor Jeong Chang-in went there; they must have had a reunion after a long time. What a shame. It would have been nice if I could have seen him too.’

“What are you talking about with a face that doesn’t look the least bit regretful? If you’re that sad, try seeing him in a month. It looks like he’s coming back.”

‘Hmm……?’

“There’s an International Aviation Technology Forum in Frankfurt next month, and he said he’d be returning then. Oh, right. Jae’s older brother is attending, so for me, it’ll probably be a rare family reunion day.”

Can I put my clothes back on now? I’d at least like to wear my underwear. And seriously, if that guy is done relieving his urges, he should just put it away, Jeong Tae-ui thought as he stealthily pulled his clothes toward him. Then, he suddenly noticed.

Ilay, resting his chin in his hand, was staring intently at Jeong Tae-ui in a brief silence.

“……. What.”

‘Did he mention that before he left……? So, you’re planning to go to Frankfurt?’

A bitter click of the tongue was mixed into the end of his sentence.

Jeong Tae-ui stopped pulling his clothes and looked at him quietly. For a few seconds, neither spoke.

“……. I’m thinking of doing so. He said there wouldn’t [Read on Read [unauthorized copy]BL Novels]data-wm="Read on Read BL Novels" style="display:none;" aria-label="Read on Read BL Novels">Read on Read BL Novelsbe enough time to stop by Berlin then. Both my uncle and probably Jae’s brother.”

‘That is regrettable.’

“What is?”

‘Let’s promise to meet again next time.’

Jeong Tae-ui fell silent again. This time, the silence lasted a bit longer than before.

Jeong Tae-ui tossed the clothes he was holding aside and sat up straight toward the monitor.

“In short, you’re telling me not to go?”

‘Yes.’

“Even though I’m going to see my family?”

‘See you next time.’

“…….”

‘…….’

After staring at Ilay with a bewildered expression for a moment, a look of dissatisfaction gradually clouded Jeong Tae-ui’s eyes. That dissatisfaction soon spread into a fierce glare.

“I don’t want to.”

‘Don’t go out for no reason; just stay put there.’

“Hey, you’re the one who goes wild, and you’re telling me to stay cooped up at home……!”

‘Don’t go.’

“I won’t!”

In truth, it wasn’t that he hated the idea that much, nor did he have a desperate resolve that he absolutely must meet his uncle and brother this time. However, hearing such a cold, cutting command revived a flare of temper he had forgotten.

As soon as Jeong Tae-ui snapped back, Ilay’s gaze instantly turned bleak.

‘Jeong Tae-ui. Don’t go.’

The low voice, pronouncing every single syllable clearly, pierced through his ears like a blade.

Hearing that voice, a timid heart began to stir again. But as soon as he became aware of that timidity, a lament close to self-mockery bloomed.

My life… how did I end up in a state where I can’t even go where I want or see who I want to see?

“The reason I can’t go is.”

Jeong Tae-ui asked displeasedly. No answer came from the other side. So he asked once more.

“What is the reason I can’t go?”

‘Because I don’t feel like it.’

Ugh…… this guy, seriously.

Jeong Tae-ui’s eyes instantly narrowed into slits.

‘Jeong Tae-ui. When a person speaks nicely, listen obediently.’

The voice, now even lower, had lost its trace of laughter, no longer sounding pleasant. The commanding tone became much more pronounced.

Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head and looked at the screen. Inside, [Read on Read unauthorized copyBL Novels]Ilay was also facing him. With a face devoid of any smile.

At some point, he felt a surge of spite. Very impulsively. Suddenly, in a way he hadn’t expected himself.

Jeong Tae-ui leaned forward. Pressing his face close to the screen, he looked straight into Ilay’s eyes and smiled. Then, he spoke slowly.

“I’m going to leave right before you come back in a month.”

‘Jeong Tae—.’

The moment he finished those words, before the voice—now three times more menacing—could even finish calling his name, Jeong Tae-ui hung up the phone.

With the voice abruptly cut off and the screen turning black, Jeong Tae-ui gripped the phone and stared intensely at the display. As if the screen might flash again and reveal a ferocious face. Then, startled, he even pulled out the phone line. Even after that, he glared at the phone for a few more seconds.

“……I…….”

Finally, letting out a small sigh, Jeong Tae-ui hesitantly let Read on Read BL Novels -->Read on Read BL Novelsgo of the phone and murmured like a groan.

“What kind of nerve did I have to do that…….”

Muttering blankly and looking down at the phone as if he had lost his soul, he eventually clutched his head.

I must be crazy, how am I going to handle this, Jeong Tae-ui scolded himself in a mutter, only snapping back to his senses when he noticed the presence of people walking back and forth in the distant hallway. Only then did he realize he was sitting naked in a dark, empty room, and he hurriedly gathered his clothes. Even then, he continued to mutter incessantly. I’m crazy, absolutely crazy…….

 

* * *

 

A worry that yields no conclusion even after a hundred days of thinking tends to drag in secondary regrets and self-reproach.

Why did I say that? What was I thinking doing that? As he dwelled on such stolen [visit Read on Read BL Novelsour site]contentregrets, a feeling of patheticness struck his chest.

When he chewed over it quietly, his mistake wasn’t that great, yet he felt pathetic and pitiful for timidly murmuring regrets.

Having spent nearly the entire night awake due to such regrets and self-pity, Jeong Tae-ui stepped out of the house staggering, and now he was looking up at the sky in dismay.

How fickle the weather was.

Still, for the past couple of months, it had hardly rained and the sky had been a piercing blue, making him think that proper summer weather had arrived.

When Jeong Tae-ui left the house, there were some dark clouds in the sky, but the blue of the sky was clearly visible between them.

But now.

A torrential downpour accompanied by thunder and lightning was falling outside. With the wind howling, it felt as if the whole world was covered in rain.

“It’s pouring as if there’s a hole in the sky…….”

Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue, looking outside.

It wasn’t far from here to his house. About a five-minute run. But the rain was thick enough that those five minutes would be sufficient to turn him into a drowned rat.

Actually, getting a bit wet didn’t matter, but there was nothing so important that he needed to head home while taking the full brunt of that storm. So, he waited for about an hour for the rain to stop or at least subside.

Should I just go? I’ll just consider it a rain shower.

Just as Jeong Tae-ui grabbed the doorknob, a flash of lightning struck, as if it would instantly incinerate the dark world. It was bright enough to momentarily blind him. As he froze instinctively, a magnificent crash of thunder roared a moment later, as if the sky were collapsing.

“……. Since I’ve already waited, maybe a bit more…….”

Jeong Tae-ui stealthily removed his hand from the doorknob and went back inside.

Inside the cathedral, it was silent without a single soul.

In the cathedral, which was neither too large nor too small, statues were placed at intervals along the walls. And behind them were glass windows decorated with stained glass.

Despite being a space that should be holy and reverent, it felt eerie because it was dark and empty amidst the loud thunder and lightning.

Jeong Tae-ui sat down randomly in a spot near the door and looked at the crucifix visible in the distance.

He didn’t have a religion. No one in his family had a specific religion, and he didn’t take an interest in it either. During his days as a cadet, his immediate superior instructor was a devout Christian, so he had been forcibly dragged along a few times on Sundays after being caught, but he hadn’t been particularly moved by it.

Thus, he had lived indifferently, without any particular liking or dislike for any religion.

But perhaps it is human nature to want to cling to something when the mind becomes strained.

……Even so…….

Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head vigorously. He had a bitter taste in his mouth.

Kyle’s quiet voice, barely suppressing a laugh, seemed to still be ringing in his ears.

‘Where are you going?’

This morning, after finishing breakfast slightly later than usual and just as he was getting into the back seat of James’s car to hurry to work, Kyle had asked curiously upon seeing Jeong Tae-ui walking toward the gate. Jeong Tae-ui had answered with the words in his head, reflecting his gloomy mood.

‘To the cathedral for a bit… to repent for the karma of my past life…….’

Kyle probably didn’t understand the literal meaning of Jeong Tae-ui’s state of mind, which had deepened into self-reproach to the point of tracing back to a past life, but he suddenly made a strange face. Jeong Tae-ui soon read that indescribable, strange expression. It was a face mixed with laughter and patience.

He had already mentioned it during breakfast.

When Kyle asked if he had a bad dream because his expression looked terrible, he had inadvertently answered that Ilay had called last night.

Stopping the fork that was poking at the parsley in the salad, Kyle blinked and asked, ‘Why did that guy?’ To that unauthorized copycopy">unauthorized copyquestion, Jeong Tae-ui had mumbled in a half-dazed state.

‘He said he called to check in.’

At that, Kyle had made an extremely bizarre face, but seeing Jeong Tae-ui’s expression—as if he couldn’t climb out of a pit—he thankfully didn’t ask further.

After that, having heard Jeong Tae-ui’s remark about ‘karma from a past life,’ he must have been able to easily guess the cause.

Kyle, who usually looked at Jeong Tae-ui with pity, wondering how he had managed to get on that man’s bad side, was considerate this time and didn’t laugh openly. Instead, as if he felt deeply sorry for him, he simply asked while carefully clearing his throat.

‘If going to a cathedral to repent for the karma of your past life brings you peace, then that’s a good thing in its own way, but Tae-yi, would it be alright if I pointed out a few errors in that statement……?’

‘I’d appreciate it if you did that later…….’

However, when Jeong Tae-ui answered gloomily, Kyle simply nodded and shut his mouth.

Then, while wishing him a good trip and offering to drive him to the cathedral, Jeong stolen contentTae-ui had declined stolen contentKyle’s offer and walked to the cathedral just a few minutes away from the house with his gloomy heart.

And now.

Whether it was because the cathedral was so secluded and quiet, or because he was tired and sleepy from barely sleeping last night, or because he had momentarily lost consciousness while repenting for sins he wasn’t even aware of, he realized upon waking up that two hours had already passed.

Startled after checking his watch, he had tried to leave for home, only to find that it was pouring rain outside.

“…….”

Jeong Tae-ui smacked his lips and scratched his head.

Nothing is going my way today. Not the weather, nor my mood.

Sitting in the cathedral and gazing up at the statues, Jeong Tae-ui sighed.

Come to think of it, he had accidentally dozed off and hadn’t actually repented for the karma of his past life. Should Read on Read stolen contentBL NovelsI try that confession thing I’ve heard about? But would they let someone who isn’t Catholic and has almost never been to a cathedral do it?

Probably not, he thought, shaking his head, then suddenly imagined himself in the situation of making a confession.

I think I must have committed a great sin in my past life; I got caught by a terrorist and ended up becoming a wanted criminal too. I can’t even put into words the shameful things I’m suffering at the hands of that terrorist. Just last night, for instance…….

Imagining himself rambling on about such things, he shuddered and shook his head violently.

I really have a knack for doing useless things, he thought, letting out a self-mocking sigh and bowing his head deeply. It was then.

In the cathedral, where only a heavy silence had lingered without a single person, the sound of rain suddenly grew louder.

Looking up, he saw someone opening the door and entering. Through the gap of the open door, the still-pouring torrential rain was visible. It seemed the rain was far from stopping.

Who is this devout believer who came to the cathedral through such a downpour? Jeong Tae-ui stared at the person blankly, without any particular thought.

The person, wearing a hooded raincoat that reached down to their [visit our site]visit our site -->ankles, took a step into the cathedral and paused upon seeing Jeong Tae-ui. They seemed to have expected no one to be there.

Soon, mumbling something, the person stepped further inside and removed the hood. Raindrops pattered down along the hem of the clothes.

In the next moment, Jeong Tae-ui was speechless.

In the dim cathedral, the young man—whose platinum blonde hair glowed faintly as he clicked his tongue while shaking off a few drops of rain—looked as if he had stepped right out of the dimly shimmering stained glass behind him.

Beautiful as a painting. Like a sculpture. It felt as if the space became different just by him standing there.

All such words existed for that young man.

Having been dazed for a moment, Jeong Tae-ui snapped back to his senses when the young man glanced at him, perhaps sensing the gaze. Even though he knew staring was rude, he couldn’t bring himself to look away.

“Are you alone?”

However, as if already accustomed to such gazes, the young man asked Jeong Tae-ui abruptly. Thinking that his voice Read [unauthorized copy]on Read BL Novelswas like finely [unauthorized copy]crafted white porcelain, Jeong Tae-ui asked back like a fool, “Huh?” Only then did he stammer, “Uh, no, yes, yeah.”

Calm down. Just because you’ve encountered an unexpectedly extreme level of beauty doesn’t mean you should be this flustered.

He patted his chest two, three times, somewhat firmly. After thumping his chest, he felt his mind returning.

The young man looked at Jeong Tae-ui, who was suddenly patting his own chest, with curious eyes and then looked around. Then, he turned his gaze back to Jeong Tae-ui.

“So.”

“……?”

“Were you here by chance, or were you waiting for me?”

“……. I don’t even know who you are…….”

Jeong Tae-ui answered, thinking that this young man [unauthorized copy]content">stolen contentcopy">unauthorized copywith extraordinary looks also had an extraordinary way of speaking.

“Right, then that’s fine.”

The young man answered nonchalantly.

How should he put it—he was a very abrupt and baffling man.

Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head and rolled his eyes. He didn’t know why he had been hearing so many conversations lately that were hard to follow.

But with looks like that, he could easily be a movie actor or a famous model, and if so, it wouldn’t be strange if obsessive fans were stationed and waiting wherever he went. Yes, perhaps he was that kind of person.

Jeong Tae-ui reached a conclusion on his own and nodded. Thinking that, looking at the young man’s appearance again, he felt his conclusion was extremely valid, which almost made him feel satisfied.

“You don’t have a face that looks devout enough to come pray in this kind of downpour.”

After observing the inside of the cathedral for a while, the young man unauthorized copyspoke abruptly again. Depending on how it was heard, it could sound incredibly rude, but Jeong Tae-ui, who was not devout at all, nodded nonchalantly.

“I came in the morning and dozed off for a bit, and when I woke up, it was raining. So I was just waiting for the rain to stop.”

“Why come to a place like this first thing in the morning?”

That’s not something a person who pushed through the rain should say……, Jeong Tae-ui thought to himself with some conflict, then glanced at him. The young man, who had been distractedly looking around, met his gaze.

Whatever. Even if I can’t do a full confession, maybe I’ll just vent this burning heart to someone. Who knows? Maybe some Being above the heavens took pity on me and sent a messenger.

“I came to think about what sins I committed in the past to make my current life so miserable…… something like that. There’s a human being who makes my life miserable just standing right there, after all…….”

“It’s because you committed your sins stupidly. The world is full of people who committed their sins smartly and are living very successful lives without any misery.”

Jeong Tae-ui was momentarily speechless at the answer that popped out instantly without a hint of hesitation.

How should he put it—this man’s face looked like an angel stepped out [stolen Read on Read BL Novelscontent]of a painting or a sculpture, but somehow he was a bit…….

“……And why did you come here through this rain?”

Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head and asked back. The young man was looking up at the stained glass, which glowed beautifully in the dark with a kaleidoscope of colors. Inside the stained glass, the Virgin Mary was cradling the baby Jesus

Even before stepping through the front door, Jeong Tae-ui felt that something was off.

Kyle’s car, which had left the house with him this morning two or three hours ago, was already in the garage.

James, who was standing in front of it smoking a cigarette while staring blankly up at the pouring rain, gave a light wave of greeting upon seeing Jeong Tae-ui. His expression was unusually bright, which made Jeong Tae-ui nod in confusion as he entered the house.

“……?”

For some reason, the atmosphere inside the house felt strange.

Rita, who had been pacing with a serious expression, didn’t utter a single word of nagging even as [unauthorized copy]Jeong Tae-ui walked visit our sitestolen contentsite -->in, dripping rainwater all over the place. She simply said half-heartedly, “Go take a shower first.”

Tilted his head in curiosity, Jeong Tae-ui first contacted the emergency room of the nearest hospital, then quickly washed up and changed his clothes.

However, even after coming out while shaking out his wet hair, the air in the house remained suspicious. Jeong Tae-ui glanced at Rita, who seemed unsettled, and then looked up. He could sense someone’s presence in the second-floor study.

“I guess Kyle is already back. I don’t think it’s even been three hours since he left. I wonder if he forgot something.”

He told Rita that since the timing worked out, he could just have lunch and then head out, but Rita merely nodded distractedly.

Something was definitely weird.

Rubbing his hair with a towel, Jeong Tae-ui went up to the second-floor study.

“Kyle, what brings you home at this hour?”

However, no answer came back to the words Jeong Tae-ui spoke with a welcoming smile.

Seeing that the study door was open, he figured Kyle must be inside. Finding it strange, Jeong Tae-ui climbed the stairs and peeked inside. He wondered if the door had been left open but the room was empty.

But Kyle was there.

He was standing motionless in the middle of the study.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing Kyle standing still like a stone statue, Jeong Tae-ui scratched his cheek and asked. He wondered if Kyle was lost in deep thought and if he was interrupting.

But even when deeply immersed in thought, Kyle usually responded when spoken to. Now, he remained silent. Not only that, he stood frozen in place without moving a single finger.

“……. ……Kyle?”

Jeong Tae-ui approached him from [visit visit our siteour site]behind and called his name. At this distance, it was impossible for his voice not to be heard.

Even when Jeong Tae-ui’s hand touched his shoulder, Kyle didn’t budge.

Only then did Jeong Tae-ui notice Kyle’s wide-eyed gaze and followed where he was looking.

Kyle was glaring at the bookshelf. The third shelf from the top, right next to the chair. The most accessible spot. The place where books that are most frequently taken out and handled are kept. Among the many rare books in this study, this was the spot where Kyle kept the books he had gone to great lengths to acquire—books he could be said to cherish more than his own life.

In the middle of that spot, there was a gaping hole. A space where about a dozen books should have been.

Huh, was that spot always that empty?

For a moment, Jeong Tae-ui was bewildered.

Unless Kyle was cleaning and organizing the books, there was never a gap like that. Perhaps if one or two books had been taken out to be read, but not this.

“Oh……, somehow here…….”

Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head and reached out toward the gap.

But then.

Kyle, who had been standing as still as a piece of stone without even blinking, suddenly flinched. Starting from his fingertips, his body began to tremble, spreading to his arms, legs, and torso. Along with it, the color drained from his face, leaving it stark white.

“……. ……Ri…….”

“Huh? ……Kyle? Are you okay?”

Seeing Kyle trembling violently with a ghost-pale face, his teeth chattering, Jeong Tae-ui approached him in alarm. However, Kyle still didn’t take his eyes off the bookshelf, barely managing to move his frozen tongue to mutter.

“Ris……, Cri……, Chris……, i, i……!!”

And in the next moment, Kyle, who had been fainted while wide awake, truly collapsed backward.

Only Jeong Tae-ui’s startled voice shouting “Kyle!!” remained in the room.

 

* * *

 

It was said that the unexpected guest had arrived about an hour after Jeong Tae-ui and Kyle had left the house.

Rita, who had reluctantly guided the guest—whom she couldn’t possibly refuse entry to—into the drawing room, contacted Kyle immediately. Upon receiving the call, Kyle had apparently abandoned everything and rushed home in a panic.

But he was one step too late.

By the time Kyle burst into the house as if he were about to break the door Read on Read BL Novelsdown, the [stolen [stolen content]content]guest had already departed without Rita even noticing. Along with several books that Kyle valued as much as his own life.

“That’s…… more of a thief than a guest.”

Jeong Tae-ui muttered absurdly while sitting side-by-side with Peter under the eaves of the shed roof that Peter had fixed a few days ago, munching on snacks and listening to Peter’s rough explanation.

Come to think of it, he felt like he had heard a similar conversation when his uncle visited a while ago.

“Christina…… was it?”

He muttered while chewing on a dry snack. He recalled how Kyle’s face had turned pale the moment he heard that name.

He thought that if he had known this would happen, it would have been better to hide the books beforehand, but then he shook his head. As a human with proper manners, who would have thought a guest would come to an empty house and just vanish with the books?

Regardless, thanks to that, Kyle, who had fainted dead away, was currently lying in his bedroom, groaning in pain. With an ice pack Rita had made resting on his forehead, he looked every bit the patient.

Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue.

He didn’t remember exactly, but if it were the books that had been in that empty spot, they were likely the ones Kyle had barely managed to acquire recently—items he cherished so much he had said he had ‘fulfilled a lifelong wish.’

He remembered Kyle smiling like a fool just by looking at the shape of those books on the shelf, as if he were too precious to even turn the pages.

“Those books were probably Ruheln Steiner, Edmond Thiersang, and……. ……. ……It’s enough to make someone bedridden.”

Counting them on his fingers as he recalled them one by one, Jeong Tae-ui muttered while looking at his bent fingers.

Just then, a drop of water fell onto his finger. Looking up, he saw rain leaking from the eaves. A few seconds later, another drop fell.

“Uh……. Peter, it’s leaking again.”

“Huh? I see. Sigh, I ran out of the stuff I was using and used an imported waterproof sealant, that’s why. I’m telling you, you have to use domestic waterproof sealant.”

Peter clicked his tongue and stood up. Jeong Tae-ui smiled and stood up with him.

“Are you going to fix it now? The rain has slowed down a lot compared to before, but it’s still coming down quite a bit. Let’s just fix it after it clears up.”

“No, I should just get it over with while I’m at it. It’s actually better that it’s raining. That way I can tell if it’s leaking or not.”

Watching Peter’s back as he went into the shed to gather a ladder and tools, Jeong Tae-ui chuckled and began tidying up the snack bags and beer cans he had spread out.

Tossing them into the trash can next to the shed and heading back into the house, Jeong Tae-ui looked up at the rain, which had weakened significantly since the morning.

Come to think of it, did that man get moved to the emergency room safely? Even if an ambulance didn’t go, it wasn’t an abandoned cathedral, so surely someone must have found him.

Somehow, today is quite an eventful day, he thought, shaking his head as he entered the house, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Now that he thought about it, since leaving the cathedral, he hadn’t thought about the karma of his past life once. As soon as he arrived home through the rain, he contacted the emergency room, and then Kyle collapsed, so there was no time to think.

As expected, when a person has a problem Read on Read BL Novelsright in front of them, other worries don’t come to mind.

Then again, with Kyle bedridden, why would that guy be such a big deal? ……He is a big deal, but he’s not right in front of him, so whatever.

Jeong Tae-ui considered going to his room but turned around and headed toward Kyle’s bedroom instead.

He felt he would be more at ease if he checked on him and asked how he was doing. It would weigh on his heart to have someone in the same house suffering. If he was still groaning to the point where he couldn’t see the people around him, he’d go back later.

Kyle’s bedroom was just to the left after coming down from the study, tucked inside the hallway.

Approaching the door while muffling his footsteps, Jeong Tae-ui was about to knock when he realized the door was open by a sliver. And through that gap, a voice was leaking out.

“……? Kyle, are you awake?”

Jeong Tae-ui spoke cautiously and pushed the door open. Inside the silently opening door, he saw a large bed and a person lying on it.

Kyle was sitting up in bed.

Seeing him sitting up, Jeong Tae-ui was about to speak again but shut his mouth. Kyle was holding the phone, talking to someone.

“……No, I mean, how on earth can someone come and go while no one is home, huh? You know very well how much I value treating guests—no, that’s not it.”

The person Kyle was pleading with in a low voice over the receiver was likely that problematic guest.

Jeong Tae-ui held his breath.

Kyle seemed to sense Jeong Tae-ui entering and gave him a brief glance, but showing no sign of concern, he focused all his attention on the phone.

“Do you know what kind of books those are?! ……No, you know, and yet you just took them like that……! Look, Christina, ……Gasp, wait! Don’t hang up! I won’t call you that!! I spoke out of turn for a moment, okay. ……So, Chris, those books…….”

Leaning against the doorframe and watching Kyle, who had turned completely pale and was gripping the receiver tightly with both hands, Jeong Tae-ui concluded that Kyle must have been firmly caught by some weakness by that guest. Otherwise, how could someone who had practically been robbed of their books be so weak—

“Hey! Don’t burn them!! You can’t burn them! If you burn those, I’ll die!!”

……Now I see why.

Come to think of it, he said she was Ilay’s childhood friend. He even mentioned they had worked together in the past.

“Wow……, as expected of Ilay. To have a friend exactly like that…….”

It couldn’t have been easy to find someone like her, he muttered, shaking his head.

While Jeong Tae-ui thought about birds of a feather flocking together, Kyle’s expression was becoming increasingly grim.

“Telling me to come and get them, you’re not going to give them back easily even if I go. I only just returned from the rare book fair the other day; if I go now, James will really resign. ……Hey, hey! ……Then let’s do this. I can’t go personally…….”

Listening sporadically to Kyle’s words, which sounded as if he were about to hyperventilate, Jeong Tae-ui nodded.

Of course. Right now was the time when the company was frantically busy with the first-half closing, stolen visit our sitecopy">unauthorized copycontentso if Kyle left his post now, James would truly vanish this time.

While Jeong Tae-ui was nodding, the door opened. Turning his head, he saw Rita bringing either medicine or vegetable juice.

Mouthing that he would deliver it once the call was over, Jeong Tae-ui took the tray and gave Rita a forced smile.

In any case, Kyle was sitting up and talking on the phone. Although he had suffered a great psychological blow, there was nothing for the people around him to be seriously worried about.

After Rita left with a worried face, Jeong Tae-ui turned back to Kyle with the tray.

Kyle had finished the call in the meantime and was glaring at the phone after putting the receiver down. His face was incredibly fierce and serious, like someone facing an eternal arch-enemy.

“Are you finished with your call?”

“…….”

Jeong Tae-ui asked while offering the cup, but Kyle was lost unauthorized copyin deep thought and didn’t answer. Only after taking [stolen content]the cup pushed right in front of him and drinking it mechanically did he say, a step late, “Yeah, thanks.”

“……What did they say? Are they giving the books back?”

Jeong Tae-ui asked casually while taking back the empty cup.

Kyle, who had been silently glaring at the phone with a pale face, suddenly whipped around to look at Jeong Tae-ui. And this time, he glared at Jeong Tae-ui instead of the phone. Jeong Tae-ui instinctively took a step back.

“……What?”

“Tae-yi. You know which books are missing, don’t you.”

“Huh? Yes, well, I mean……. Roughly. But I don’t know exactly.”

“Even if you don’t know exactly, you’ll know when you see them.”

“Yes, I’ll probably know when I see them.”

Since they were exceptionally rare even among rare books, he couldn’t be certain, but he felt he would recognize them.

As Jeong Tae-ui scratched his chin, recalling the books that had been in the empty spots one by one, he was suddenly startled by Kyle’s strong hand grabbing both of his.

“Tae-yi. I want you to go and get those books back.”

“Huh, what? Books? Me? No, from where…….”

He tried to pull his hands away instinctively, but Kyle gripped them tightly as if he would never let go, staring intently at him.

“In my heart, I want to run there right now and retrieve them, but that person isn’t someone who will give them back easily just because I go. They’d probably make me suffer for a week, no, a month, before maybe giving them back. If that happens, James will really quit.”

“Yes, if you leave your post for a month, James would happily clear his own desk and disappear.”

“Exactly, Tae-yi. I’m entrusting this to you.”

Jeong Tae-ui blinked, staring back at him with his shoulders hunched.

It didn’t seem like he was joking.

The tension gradually left his shoulders. Jeong Tae-ui straightened his hunched body. Sensing this, the grip on Jeong Tae-ui’s hands loosened.

“I don’t mind going……, but you said she wouldn’t give the books to you easily, so would she really give them to me?”

“That’s why it won’t be easy. If necessary, you can just find the books and bolt with them. I’ll tell her in advance that someone else will be going in my place.”

Kyle’s face was extremely serious. In half a day, his complexion had turned completely sallow. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he looked as if he had lost weight.

Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head, humming.

Actually, he didn’t mind going instead. Even if he had to suffer a bit because the books weren’t given [stolen [stolen content]aria-label="stolen content">stolen contentcontent]easily, he could endure that much if it was Kyle’s request.

However, he wondered if he could successfully fulfill the request, and one more thing…….

“Will it take a lot of time?”

“She probably won’t give them up that easily, but…….”

Jeong Tae-ui lowered his head again, humming.

If it took too much time, he was a bit reluctant.

More than anything, it was right after he had ended a fierce phone call with Ilay yesterday.

When he was on the phone, he had half-impulsively shouted, filled with a surge of emotion, that he would leave the house before that guy returned, but he hadn’t thought he would necessarily make that declaration a reality.

If he left the house in this situation, the words he shouted yesterday would become the truth.

“……. ……. …….”

Can I really put my life on the line like this?

But on the other hand, since he had spoken so confidently, he felt he should actually leave. It would be pathetic to just stay quietly at home and wait for that guy to return after saying that.

Jeong Tae-ui agonized between a comfortable reality and high-minded pride.

Usually, the conclusion of that agony would have leaned toward the comfortable reality.

“Tae-yi. ……Is it a no?”

But to do that, the debt of gratitude he owed to Kyle, who was pleading before him, was too great.

Even if it wasn’t specifically about [visit our site]Read on Read BL Novelswm: visit our site -->repaying a favor, it was only human nature to want to help a close acquaintance in distress.

“Of course not. I’m worried whether I can actually fulfill your request, but I’ll do my best to the best of my ability.”

Jeong Tae-ui nodded with a bright smile. Kyle’s expression brightened instantly.

“Yes, thank you. I’m counting on you.”

“It’s nothing. I hope I can be of help.”

Right, since he had already said it. He had confidently told that guy, who told him not to leave, that he would leave anyway. It might not be a bad idea to assert himself this time.

He could see the guy would be absolutely furious later, but surely he wouldn’t kill him…….

……. ……. He wasn’t entirely confident.

Jeong Tae-ui, with a very eager expression, began to subtly Read on Read BL Novelsaria-label="Read on Read BL Novels">Read on Read BL Novelsbroach the subject with Kyle, who was busy noting down the address and contact information.

“Um, about that…”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“About Ilay… when something happened a while back, he told me quite bluntly that if I ever tried to run away, he’d kill me and eat me…”

Kyle, who had been writing on the memo pad, stopped his pen and looked up at Jeong Tae-ui.

Feeling sorry for himself for being unable to be completely confident, Jeong Tae-ui continued hesitantly.

“If there’s any misunderstanding that I left without contacting him, I’ll be nothing but bones…”

“Ah, I see. You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll make sure to speak with him separately. Well… surely even he wouldn’t think that you’ve run far away to avoid him.”

Quickly grasping what Jeong Tae-ui was getting at, Kyle readily guaranteed his safety.

Although a sliver of anxiety remained when recalling the memories of last night, it was somewhat comforting that Kyle gave such a guarantee.

At any rate, even in the worst-case scenario, he would at least keep his life.

God, please share some luck with me, Jeong Tae-ui muttered under his breath. Perhaps feeling sorry for him, Kyle patted Jeong Tae-ui on the shoulder as if to offer further reassurance.

“Put those worries to rest. If he contacts me, I’ll be sure to mention it separately.”

“I’m counting on you. Otherwise, I’m dead…”

As he spoke, a vague sense of sadness washed over him, but Jeong Tae-ui decided to forget that sadness for now.

He hadn’t expected his request to be carried out in this manner, but it seemed he would have to stay away from this house for a while.

A worry crossed his mind about whether it was alright for someone in the position of a wanted man to wander unauthorized copyaround [Read on Read BL Novels]so leisurely, but Kyle would likely handle that part.

How long had it been since he had spent a few days away from this house?

He hadn’t felt any great regret or inconvenience, but the thought of leaving this neighborhood for another place after a long time made him feel slightly excited.

Still, it would be nice if Ilay contacted him one more time before he left.

Regardless of Kyle conveying the message well, it always felt unsettling when contact was severed for a while after hanging up the phone on such bad terms. However, since yesterday’s call had come suddenly after two months, it was a bit much to hope for another call within the few days before his departure.

Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head.

Meanwhile, Kyle, who had filled the memo pad with lightning speed, double-checked the contents before tearing off the paper and handing it to Jeong Tae-ui.

“Then, though it’s a bit urgent, please depart as soon as you’re ready.”

Overwhelmed by Kyle’s aura, which clearly indicated he wanted the book found as soon as possible—even today if he were ready—Jeong Tae-ui looked down at the note, thinking, I unauthorized copystyle="display:none;" aria-label="stolen content">stolen contentguess there’s no chance I’ll hear from Ilay before I leave.

Written there was a long destination, which was likely the address of that troublesome guest.

Having no way of knowing the neighborhood or street names, Jeong Tae-ui only confirmed the place name written as Dresden and folded the note.