1.1 – in Seringe

The youngest son of the Ling family was famous among those in the know—so much so that even people who had never seen his face would nod and say, “Ah, that person…”

The Lings were a well-known family in the business world. Particularly in mainland China and the neighboring Southeast Asian countries, where the Overseas Chinese power held a tight grip, there was hardly anyone in political or business circles who hadn’t heard the name.

The patriarch who held the family in his palm, Ling Huolong, was already over seventy, yet he commanded the household with more vigor than his eldest son, who was nearing fifty. It was the general consensus, including that of the family physician, that he would easily live past a hundred.

He was not an old man who seemed likely to die easily. From his youth until now, he had stopped at nothing to make the family larger and more formidable. He was a cold-blooded man without a shred of pity. More than a few people had charged at him with knives in broad daylight, and several others had sent professional assassins.

Having survived numerous brushes with death since his youth, the old man only grew stronger and more vicious. By the time he entered his fifties, no one dared to touch him anymore.

It was around that time that something unimaginable happened to this cold, ruthless man, in whom not a trace of humanity could be found.

It happened shortly after his eldest son, who was nearing thirty, had a son, making him a grandfather at a relatively early age.

While visiting a small mountain village on business, he fell in love at first sight with a young girl not yet twenty. He brought her back immediately and installed her in a separate annex. Judging by the fact that he kept guards around the annex to prevent her from stepping foot outside until she conceived, it didn’t seem as though she had followed him willingly.

It was nothing unusual for Ling Huolong to take a wife. Even if she were the seventh to enter his house, it wouldn’t have been strange if an eighth or ninth followed. He was prone to capriciously taking in wives only to grow bored and cast them out shortly after.

Even if the young girl were so beautiful and delicate that any man would lose his mind, she was expected to be no exception. A man of Ling Huolong’s stature had experienced many women considered the most beautiful in all of China; usually, he would be captivated by beauty and show favor for a few days, after which he would turn cold and indifferent again. Countless women, compared to peonies and peonies, had passed through his hands, and everyone expected the young girl to follow a similar path.

That was why everyone was astonished when a month, two months, a year, and several years passed, and Ling Huolong remained completely infatuated with her, ignoring all other women. No, they were more than astonished. Every time that ice-cold man visited her, his face was visibly excited, like a boy meeting his first love, clearly unable to contain his affection.

Everyone was shocked. That ruthless man, who had cut off even his own parents with knife-like decisiveness if they didn’t suit his will, could be so obsessively infatuated with someone.

And so, when a son was born to that woman, everyone watched the developments with tense eyes. Perhaps the most anxious were the eldest son, who had already established his position in the Ling family, or his mother, Ling Huolong’s first wife.

Sure enough, upon gaining a youngest son who was younger than his own grandson, Ling Huolong rejoiced as if he had won the entire world. Declaring that the child was the apple of his eye, he cherished him dearly, always keeping the boy within sight whenever he was home. Even the eldest grandson, whom he had loved dearly, could not compare to the youngest son.

Perhaps if the woman had been more assertive and ambitious, the power structure within the family might have shifted. Ling Huolong had poured out such fervent affection that he seemed ready to grant her any wish.

However, she had a quiet and timid personality, matching her perpetually gloomy and anxious expression, and she lived in fear that something might happen to herself or her son. Perhaps this could be called wisdom. She knew that she could face hardship at any moment from certain aggressive wives, and that no matter how much Ling Huolong protected her, it would be too late once something actually happened.

Whether because of that, or because the grown sons felt it was ridiculous to feel competitive against a mere infant, or perhaps because they still feared their tiger-like father even in their old age, the youngest son grew up without incident, receiving immense love to the point of being called the “Little Young Master” amidst the swirling malicious worries.

Thus, the youngest son of the Ling family was famous even before he was born. As he grew, that fame only increased, fueled by his father’s unconditional affection. While people had whispered behind their backs when he was very young, looking askance at the old man for losing his mind over a young concubine, as the son grew, they began to add a word or two: “It’s understandable why he dotes on him so much.”

The child, raised with an overflowing amount of parental love, was truly a lovely child. Just as his delicate and lovely face took after his mother, his friendly personality—never shy and always smiling—was more than enough to win people’s hearts. He was even thoughtful and intelligent, leading anyone to sigh in admiration, “If the child were that pretty, I couldn’t help but love him too.”

That was the youngest son of the Ling family.

Yuri Gable had also heard rumors about that son. Not in great detail, but just the drifting rumors. That he possessed a delicate and beautiful appearance just like his mother, and that despite his young age, his skills were excellent enough to enter the UNHRDO with top-tier grades, and that he was a kind and polite young man.

However, the moment Yuri Gable saw the young man he had heard so many rumors about, he thought:

What do they mean, taking after his mother? He’s a spitting image of his father.

Yuri had seen both the young man’s father and mother. It was around the time of Ling Huolong’s sixtieth birthday; he hadn’t been invited to the banquet, but he had happened to stop by on the day it was being held. That was about ten years ago.

At the time, he had visited to see the eldest son of the house and had been accidentally swept inside to be served food. He had seen her from a distance. The woman who, at the young age of twenty, had caught the eye of a man over fifty and entered the house in a flower sedan. She was certainly beautiful enough for that. Even though she was already in her thirties then, her youthful face, like a hydrangea drenched in rain, was lonely and pure, possessing a melancholy that captured the viewer’s heart. And the sixty-year-old man sitting right beside her emitted an overwhelming aura, such that even if she hadn’t been there, one could immediately tell, “That man is the master of this place.” It was as if a tiger the size of a house, wearing a human skin, was sitting there.

Indeed, one must be at least that much to be called the master of this house, Yuri remembered nodding to himself.

And the young man now before his eyes looked exactly like his father, no matter how he looked at him. At least, that’s how it seemed to Yuri Gable.

He understood why people said he resembled his mother. If one looked closely at the features, he had inherited that outstanding beauty intact.

However, unlike the mother, who had a sorrowful quality like a May hydrangea drenched in silent rain, the son was like a peony blooming lavishly under a golden sun. Despite having a cute, lovely face, he gave off a feeling of being dangerously flamboyant.

It was because the father’s atmosphere was contained within the features inherited from the mother. While the mother was a flower of fragile and timid nature, the son was a flower containing the nature of the father—a tiger who commanded heaven and earth. That was why. That was why he felt a sense of danger instantly.

No, he might actually be dangerous.

In the brief moment he locked eyes with those pitch-black pupils that seemed to pass over him with indifference, Yuri flinched inwardly, feeling as if he had been stung by a poison needle.

This is troublesome.

“He was just pretty when he was young…”

The man walking a few steps ahead glanced back at Yuri, who had unconsciously muttered to himself. Yuri quickly shook his head, gesturing that it was nothing, in response to the look that seemed to ask what he had said. The man then turned his attention forward again, as if whatever someone was muttering behind him wasn’t important right now. Then again, he probably didn’t have the mental capacity to pay attention to anything else.

Yuri sighed. This German man standing opposite that flamboyant young man was also a dangerous human being, second to none. To the point where Yuri hated to even attach the word “human” to him.

And yet, that young man also gave off a subtly dangerous feeling, though he didn’t display it as boldly as this man.

Unfortunately, Yuri had a very good intuition. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have earned Kyle’s trust so much while working in this industry.

In truth, he was lucky. While his abilities weren’t bad, he considered himself lucky. Things generally worked out well for him. Even this request to find a once-in-a-generation genius, for whom people were scouring every corner of the world to find a single strand of hair.

That luck actually stemmed from his outstanding intuition, and that intuition was telling him now. This situation did not look very good.

Indeed, anyone who knew the people present would say the same thing. It was a very wretched situation.

It seemed the cause of all this was the Asian man standing awkwardly with a troubled face between the two.

Jung Tae-ui, the only younger brother of the genius they were searching for, and the companion of the German, Ilay Riegrow—a man whose life expectancy would increase if one avoided him as much as possible.

Until they arrived on this island, Yuri had been enjoying a relatively peaceful and quiet time.

As per the request, he had spent nearly a year scouring the world in pursuit of the genius Jung Jae-ui, who had suddenly vanished. After wandering through all sorts of remote areas, he had finally caught a lead and come to this island with a certain degree of confidence. Being conservative in his work, Yuri had of course kept in mind the possibility that Jung Jae-ui might not be on this island, but he expected a probability of over fifty percent that he was hiding here—or being hidden here.

Now that the end of this job was finally in sight, Yuri was in a good mood. Since he was the type with few facial expressions, it didn’t show on his face, but since arriving on the island, he had been enjoying a leisurely and comfortable feeling. It wasn’t just because the job was nearing its end. This was an island, after all. An island. A land surrounded by a generous sea that people would pay money to visit.

Once this job was over—once he found Jung Jae-ui—his contract with T&R would end. He had received documents to renew the contract a few days ago, and several other places that valued Yuri Gable’s abilities had expressed their desire to contract him.

He hadn’t decided yet whether to go elsewhere or renew with T&R, but regardless, Yuri planned to relax on this island for at least a month after finishing this job. Days spent soaking in the sea all day long without any burden or worry about work—just thinking about it made his heart feel pleasantly languid.

What came to such a Yuri, along with the premonition that the job would soon end, were those two people.

Ilay Riegrow, the employer’s brother, and Jung Tae-ui, the target’s brother.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jung Tae-ui.”

When he went to meet the two at Dar es Salaam Airport, Yuri carefully observed the young man as he shook hands with him.

So this is what the lucky man I’ve only heard about in rumors looks like, he thought.

It was famous among those in the industry that “Madman Rick” had turned the T&R Intelligence Agency upside down to find one person and had been rampaging like a tiger that hadn’t slept. Rumors flew: what on earth did someone have to do to make that man so angry? Who was the person who turned him upside down and then vanished? What would be that person’s end?

It was only a short while ago that Yuri heard the news that the man had finally been found. In fact, while it was a very interesting incident, it had nothing to do with Yuri’s mission—or so he thought—so he hadn’t paid much attention. Yet, the reason he couldn’t ignore it was the message that the two protagonists of those rumors were coming here to Seringe together.

“Who? Jung Tae-ui? Jung Jae-ui’s brother? With Rick? …He’s coming with all his limbs intact, right?”

It wasn’t unreasonable for him to ask James, who delivered the news, in return. It was highly surprising that the person Rick had been searching for with such fury, as if he would turn the whole world upside down, was intact. Since they were brothers with Jung Jae-ui, he wondered if their luck was similar; he was impressed by how lucky one had to be to survive after crossing paths with Rick.

In any case, the two who appeared at Dar es Salaam Airport looked perfectly fine on the surface, and Yuri had brought them to Seringe just a few days ago.

That lucky young man, who remained intact even after being fiercely entangled with Rick, however, revealed that evening that he was actually incredibly unlucky. No, he wasn’t sure if it should be called lucky or unlucky now, but Yuri wanted to lean more toward the “unlucky” side.

He already knew that Riegrow did not discriminate between men and women when it came to sexual partners. So, he wasn’t that surprised when he happened upon the sight of them mixing their bodies on the day they arrived. Yuri, who had a good idea of what it was like to sleep with Riegrow, simply felt pity for the young man.

However, what truly surprised Yuri, and made him feel pity for the young man, came after that.

On a leisurely afternoon, he saw the young man spinning a pen with his fingertips while a very meager map—hardly enough to be called a map—was spread out on the courtyard table. At the same time, he saw Riegrow sitting diagonally across from the young man, gazing at him.

Riegrow’s eyes, staring intently at the unremarkable young man, curved narrowly like a cat under the sun, his gaze never wavering for a moment.

“…”

Again, Yuri Gable had a good intuition. Therefore, he could see the situation the young man was currently in quite accurately. In a word, the person he would accompany for the rest of his life had been decided, no matter how he looked at it.

He felt sorry for the young man for a moment, but Yuri soon accepted it. He felt that a dull and cheerful young man like that probably wouldn’t be unhappy regardless of the situation. Being unlucky doesn’t necessarily mean one must be miserable.

Accepting it thus, Yuri decided to wait for the young man to successfully reunite with his brother and for his own work to end.

He didn’t know that such a variable would appear at this point.

“You certainly found him. No matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find a trace of where he went. Thanks to you, I was able to meet my brother again.”

Seeing the young man speak while staring straight at Riegrow with Jung Tae-ui between them, Yuri clicked his tongue inwardly. Though there was no change in his indifferent face, he was actually quite troubled.

He knew there was a presence following them.

From the moment the two entered the island, it wasn’t hard to notice that someone was subtly approaching them—even if Anna, the quick-witted landlady of their lodgings, hadn’t tipped them off by mentioning that a cousin she wasn’t particularly close with had asked what kind of guests had arrived. Having spent so much time on this island, how could they fail to notice a subtle presence that hadn’t been there before?

Who, exactly, was this mysterious person chasing? Since it started after their arrival, it had to be Riegrow, Jung Tae-ui, or perhaps Jung Jae-ui, who was beginning to reveal his outline. Based on general probability, it seemed likely to be either someone seeking the whereabouts of Jung Jae-ui, whose utility value was beyond compare, or someone targeting Riegrow, who had sown enemies across the entire world.

Yuri, who had used his superiors to obtain a list of people who had entered Seringe around the same time as them, found the name of the famous youngest young master of the ringa. Recalling that he had heard the ringa were also eyeing Jung Jae-ui’s brilliant mind, he assumed their objective was Jung Jae-ui.

There were more than a few people targeting Jung Jae-ui, and more than a few groups with as much authority as the ringa; while caution was necessary, he figured there was no need to be overly concerned.

And yet.

“Listen, kid. This is mine. Not something for you to covet.”

Hearing Riegrow’s voice speaking low, as if threatening the young man, Yuri looked at the three of them in turn—bewildered, yet maintaining his indifferent expression.

Yuri Gable was as quick-witted as he was intuitive, and he wasn’t so stupid as to have no idea what they were talking about by this point. Nevertheless, the reason he still felt mentally perplexed was…

‘I’ve lived a life seeing all sorts of strange and bizarre sights, but I never imagined I’d witness Riegrow and the ringa’s youngest young master fighting a romantic battle over a man right before my eyes.’

Since one never knows what might happen in this world, it wasn’t exactly shocking, but it was a bit absurd.

These were men who, if they so desired, could line up the beauties of all nations like delicacies to enjoy; why on earth was there such a menacing atmosphere over a perfectly ordinary, unremarkable man who was currently muttering, “Oh, my head…”?

Yuri stood there like a misplaced sack of barley, a mere spectator whom none of the three bothered to look at, thinking to himself: I’ve seen everything now.

But it seemed Yuri wasn’t the only one finding this absurd. Right in front of him, the man in question, Jung Tae-ui, was looking at them with an even more troubled expression. His gaze was primarily fixed on the ringa’s youngest young master; it seemed he hadn’t yet accurately grasped what kind of person this young master really was. He looked at him in disbelief, as if wondering if the person before him was truly the person he thought he knew. It was as if he had been lightly blindsided by that pretty face.

Yuri looked at the ringa’s youngest young master again.

He was indeed pretty. Beneath that beaming, lovely smile, the piercing gaze and expressions—which were well-hidden—looked exactly like his father’s no matter how many times Yuri looked, but on the surface, he was truly exquisite. He looked like someone who could bewitch anyone, man or woman, if he set his mind to it.

But the inside is what matters; just because a tiger cub wears a human skin doesn’t make it human.

Yuri thought the young man named Jung Tae-ui would be quite quick to notice such things, but surprisingly, he wasn’t. Or perhaps he had been so entranced by the young master’s smiling face that he failed to see. …Judging by the atmosphere between the three, it seemed more likely to be the latter.

Yuri felt awkward in this situation that had erupted even before they could find their actual target, Jung Jae-ui. He felt that if this ridiculous state of affairs dragged on, the future would inevitably become a headache.

In his heart, he wanted to contact the ringa immediately and say, “Come take your precious golden child back,” but as it turned out, that wasn’t an option. He didn’t know how accurately the ringa understood the situation, but they seemed to know their precious youngest son was causing trouble somewhere. Judging by the heavy security detail attached to him.

“…”

Yuri checked the gun tucked inside his clothes. The muzzle of a sniper, targeting their heads from afar, was pricking the back of his neck, asserting its presence. It radiated a bloodlust that suggested they would shoot immediately if anyone so much as laid a finger on their young master.

Yuri’s hope for a peaceful resolution seemed destined to go unfulfilled. Right then, the young master pulled out a gun and aimed it at Riegrow.

“Riegrow. I’m shooting.”

Those words were neither a threat nor an intimidation. They were literally nothing more than a prior notification of what was about to happen. The voice, as black and calmly sunken as the young man’s pupils, conveyed that fact.

Simultaneously, Riegrow’s eyes narrowed.

Dangerous.

A warning light flashed in Yuri’s mind.

And in this moment, Yuri had to make a judgment. Should he make an enemy of the ringa, or invite an even worse disaster?

In recent times, there had been no choice that sparked such a massive conflict in such a short amount of time.

However, once the decision was made, his action was swift.

Yuri pulled out his gun and pulled the trigger. Toward the ringa’s precious golden child.

Bang— The sound of the shot, ringing out powerfully, was heard only by Yuri, along with the recoil felt in his hand. The gun, which had been pre-silenced, spat fire with only a small, dull sound.

At the same time.

Without a scream or a groan, the young man looked at Yuri with a slightly surprised face. As if he were seeing the person standing there for the first time.

The young man, who looked at Yuri for a moment with a face as surprised as if a boulder had suddenly fired a gun, had his gaze ignite with rage in the next instant. Fiercely, as if scolding the presumptuous person who had interfered with his business.

“…—”

Yuri flinched unconsciously, though so minutely that no one could notice. He wondered if this was how it felt to accidentally graze a spirited beast.

“I’ll just kill him.”

Unaware of Yuri’s internal sigh at the thought that the future would not be smooth, Riegrow—who had been saved by Yuri’s help, though no one, not even Yuri himself, thought of it that way—muttered nonchalantly.

Yes, if Yuri hadn’t shot the young man’s wrist to make him drop the gun, if the young man had actually shot Riegrow, Riegrow would have killed him. Without even considering the terrifying counterattack from the ringa that would follow. He was a man who calmly committed acts for which there was no solution.

Yuri responded bluntly, belatedly doubting if what he had done was actually wise.

“Take on that kind of dangerous role yourself. I have absolutely no desire to become enemies with the ringa.”

Riegrow glanced at Yuri and snorted. To say such a thing after already shooting their precious golden child; even Yuri thought it was funny.

“I think it’s already too late for that.”

“No, I’ve put my life on the line, despite how I look.”

He could clearly feel that the sniper’s muzzle, which had been aiming vaguely at the three of them, was now fixed precisely on his own head. If that distant index finger moved just once, he would bid farewell to this world.

…Well, there was nothing to be so aggrieved about.

He had no regrets, no lingering attachments, and he felt that if he were to die in a place where he could melt into this deep blue sky and jewel-like blue-purple sea, he would be happy. It would be perfect if he could be buried in that beautiful ocean.

However, whether by luck or misfortune, it seemed that wish would not be granted here and now. Even as the young man’s terrifying gaze flew toward Yuri, he felt no sensation of a bullet piercing the back of his head.

“What is that? You want to die, you brat?”

A curse suddenly burst from the young man’s pretty face. It wasn’t just talk; his eyes were cold, as if he truly intended to kill him.

As expected, Yuri, who had taken the brunt of the resentment, hesitated on how to respond. Meanwhile, Jung Tae-ui asked the young man with concern.

“Xinlu, are you badly hurt?”

In that instant, the young man’s desolate eyes changed instantly into those of a pitiful and sad puppy, as if the previous expression had never existed. It was so blatant that Yuri, watching right in front of him, was left speechless.

“It hurts, Hyung. I think my wrist bone is broken. It hurts so much.”

The trembling voice sounded as if he might burst into tears at any moment, and Yuri shut his mouth completely.

I see, that’s how he got through.

If a single, sorrowfully trembling flower were to weep, there were few men who wouldn’t fall for it. Even if that flower were a man, as long as he was that pretty.

Behind Jung Tae-ui, who approached the young man to examine his wrist, Yuri lowered his muzzle. And he felt the presence of the sniper who had been aiming from afar.

Jung Tae-ui, who was pityingly examining the wrist despite knowing the young man’s tricks, likely knew as well. That the person the sniper was actually targeting was himself.

This time, Yuri truly became a third party and watched them. More specifically, he looked at the young man, Ling Xinlu.

He had intended to kill Jung Tae-ui if necessary. Saying that if he couldn’t have him, he wouldn’t hand him over to anyone else. With the face of an arrogant and self-righteous ruler.

“I was going to take him even by force. …And if that didn’t work, I was going to take his corpse back instead.”

Muttering as if to himself, or as if still contemplating what to do, the young man eventually looked at Jung Tae-ui and smiled. It was a cute and lovely smile, as usual.

“I’ll stop.”

The young man spoke concisely, but no one believed he was actually stopping. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have chased them all the way here.

Relieved that the situation seemed to have entered a lull for now, Yuri took a step back and watched them. For a very brief moment, the young man’s gaze flickered toward him.

The moment their eyes met, the gaze turned desolately cold. Having clearly seen that change, even for a fraction of a second, Yuri kept his mouth shut. He felt a chill run through his heart.

Right, you’re going to remember this. Indeed, he hadn’t expected there to be no repercussions after shooting a young master with such towering pride. He felt he would have to find a way to handle this.

However, the young man’s gaze, which returned to Jung Tae-ui, was smiling softly again as if nothing had happened.

“I’ll wait. …I’ll stay near you, Hyung, and wait slowly.”

Until you come, the young man whispered to Jung Tae-ui.

Good grief… Yuri clicked his tongue behind his indifferent face. It seemed that young master would be around them for a while. Watching for any opening.

He felt it was troublesome.

One difficult-to-handle beast like Riegrow was more than enough.

Fortunately, Yuri knew how to deal with overwhelming beasts. You just don’t step into their territory. The best way was to maintain a proper distance and satisfy what each desired. That was how Yuri had known the man called Riegrow for quite a long time without incident.

But this youngest young master was already a lost cause. Hadn’t he just been shooting a gun a moment ago?

Yuri tried to smooth the frown forming between his brows, thinking he should look for a helping hand as soon as he returned to the lodgings.

Eventually, as the conversation between them seemed to have been roughly settled, Jung Tae-ui turned to leave, saying he should go back. Knowing that leaving alone might lead to uncontrollable results, he made sure to take Riegrow with him.

Yuri followed behind the two.

Thinking it was a relief that no serious disaster had occurred here, Yuri thought that the report he would send to the headquarters tonight would be very substantial. That also meant his workload would increase, so he sighed inwardly. His time for evening swimming would be reduced.

“Hyung, I like you,” a fading voice called out from behind. Jung Tae-ui gave a barely perceptible nod and continued walking forward. Following those footsteps, Yuri also walked, then glanced back.

The young man, sitting on the sand, was looking this way. His face looked as if it were holding back tears.

That was not a fabricated face. Revealing his inner feelings as they were, the young man was looking at Jung Tae-ui’s back like a sorrowful and aggrieved child. As if he would truly burst into tears the moment they disappeared from sight.

Unconsciously, Yuri’s pace faltered. It was because he felt as if he had abandoned a lost child.

As Yuri slowed his pace, the young man’s gaze soon crossed over to him.

“…”

A look of realization flashed across the young man’s face. Simultaneously, Yuri realized that this was a face the young man did not want others to see. It was his bare face, with his inner thoughts fully exposed.

The temperature in the young man’s eyes dropped at an alarming speed. Eyes so cold they could have hit absolute zero stared intently at Yuri. With an expression that said, Now that I’ve come to my senses, let me get a good look at the face of the guy who shot me.

Yuri quickly turned away as if nothing had happened. However, a feeling of failure was spreading in his chest. He shouldn’t have turned around. He shouldn’t have seen the face that revealed such a fragile heart. A face that would be wounded in pride just by being seen by a complete stranger.

Yuri clicked his tongue. That fierce gaze flying toward him, making the back of his neck hot, felt as if it wouldn’t be strange if a bullet actually pierced through.

It was probably anger shifted as a half-meaningless vent, but since it was anger that could become a practical threat, it had become very bothersome.

「How did it end up like that?!」

A troubled sigh leaked through the phone.

“It wasn’t what I wanted either. In any case, the employer’s safety was the priority.”

When Yuri made his excuse, the person on the phone let out a pained groan.

「Why of all people did it have to be that child? My words don’t work on him at all.」

“I’m sorry.”

To the apology that carried the meaning of But please take care of it, the person on the phone remained silent for a while, only letting out deep sighs. Eventually, he responded weakly, “Fine, but don’t expect much.”

This man seemed extremely uncomfortable with his youngest brother, despite an age difference comparable to that of a father and son.

As the saying goes, “A tiger’s cub is also a tiger,” the eldest son of ring huolong was no pushover either. Yuri had already felt this when they worked together in the past. Unlike his father, who was rumored to be cruel and cold-hearted, he was the type to win people’s hearts and lead things leisurely, leading some to say he was soft, but he was not a man to be underestimated. Rather, he was closer to a sly snake.

It was by a chance encounter that Yuri Gable had formed a connection with this man. It was quite a long time ago, not long after he had started working seriously at T&R. About a dozen years. It was back when he was very young, and wherever he went, people would laugh and scoff, asking, “This brat is the official employee dispatched from T&R?”

At that time, the only person who didn’t judge Yuri by his appearance was this man—Yuri remembered him saying, “I also have a young brother whose inside and outside are completely different. He’s much younger than you”—and because they had shared their lives while working together in a danger zone for a short period, they had formed a relationship that was quite close compared to the time they spent together. Even after that, he had looked after the man’s son for a couple of months at Yuri’s house when he came to Europe, so they still maintained an informal relationship.

That man was the eldest son of ring huolong, Ling Tangyun, who had already entered his fifties and firmly established his position.

「Is that child doing well?」

“Not yet.”

「Why ‘not yet’?」

“He’s picking a fight with Ling. I mean, Kyle Riegrow’s brother from T&R.”

「Why did they get entangled like that?!」

Regarding Kyle’s brother, the notorious madman, Ling Tangyun seemed to have already heard about him, as he shouted abruptly. Yuri moved the receiver slightly away from his ear.

“He seems to be coveting someone who has a deep relationship with Ling.”

There was no answer for a moment.

「I heard he caused a scene and left because he took a liking to someone… Who is it?」

Aha. It seemed the young man had already turned the house upside down to find Jung Tae-ui before coming out.

Yuri gazed out the window. Jung Tae-ui was lying in a hammock tied to the base of a mango tree, sucking on a ripe mango.

Whenever someone asks what kind of person someone else is, it always feels quite awkward. It’s because one begins to worry about how a single person can be expressed in just a few words.

Watching Jung Tae-ui peacefully swaying in the hammock as he picked up a second mango, Yuri gave a brief answer.

“He is a good young man.”

「Young man?!」

“Yes. …Were you unaware? Your younger brother is currently engaged in a homoerotic melodrama.”

As if Ling Tangyun hadn’t mentioned who the other party was while turning the house upside down, his groaning grew even louder.

Yuri had hoped that, for the sake of the family’s reputation, they would quickly take that youngest master away, but seeing Ling Tangyun moaning in contemplation for a while, it seemed that wouldn’t be easy either.

“Aren’t you going to take him? I’m not just saying this; I’m telling you because he truly looks dangerous.”

It wasn’t an empty remark. Ling Tangyun knew that Yuri Gable was not a man to speak lightly.

Right then, as Riegrow—who had appeared suddenly from nowhere—approached Jung Tae-ui and pulled his mango-juice-stained hand to lick it clean, Yuri seriously worried about the future.

It didn’t seem like that young man, who was like a poisonous peony, would retreat obediently, nor did it seem like Riegrow would let go of that hand.

「Take him? He’s not the kind of fellow you can just handle as you please. That guy is… how should I put it… different on the inside than he is on the outside.」

“It seems so.”

Yuri readily agreed.

He had eyes that could harm someone with complete composure. While he was beautiful enough to bewitch people, like a flower luring a butterfly, he clearly harbored a dangerous light.

「Since he’s a child who won’t budge unless he’s convinced himself, we’ll have to wait and see for now… but Yuri, I have a favor to ask. Regardless, he is a child my father cherishes dearly. Please keep a close eye on him so that nothing seriously bad happens.」

Frowning, Yuri did not answer. Knowing Yuri’s personality—that he does not answer things he cannot take responsibility for—Ling Tangyun clicked his tongue. “Anyway, I’ll get in touch with him from my end,” he added, his voice sounding gloomy.

Yuri found it strange. It was something he had thought fleetingly whenever he heard the stories about the youngest brother from Ling Tangyun’s mouth in the past.

Although Ling Tangyun didn’t quite reach the level of the raging tiger that was ring huolong, he was not the type of person to bow down to subordinates. No matter how much the boy was a son cherished like a precious jade by ring huolong, from Ling Tangyun’s perspective, he was a vastly younger junior. Thus, it would have been natural for him to treat him as a strict eldest brother.

And yet, whenever he spoke of his youngest brother, he maintained an ambiguous distance. It was slightly different from guarding against or hating a brother who was exceptionally favored by an aging father. It was a feeling of being awkwardly troubled, as if dealing with a subtle plague, yet a feeling that he couldn’t genuinely hate or be displeased with him.

…Is it because he’s pretty? Well, facing such a lovely face could indeed make the desire to cause harm vanish. Regardless, it was clear that this exquisite young master was a difficult individual whom even the elders of the ringa family could not handle carelessly.

「Come to think of it, once that matter is finished, doesn’t your contract with T&R end as well? What will you do after that?」

“I’m not sure. For now, I plan to rest for a while and think about it.”

The date of the contract’s expiration was just around the corner.

Once it was confirmed that Jung Jae-ui was here, the contract would be expired.

His job was to find Jung Jae-ui and confirm his current location. Bringing him back was not his concern.

「Then, why don’t you come visit sometime.」

“There’s no wonderful ocean there, so I’m not particularly inclined.”

「Haha, you’re still the same. Fei mentions you occasionally; anyway, come visit when you’re free. Let’s have a drink.」

“I don’t think my alcohol tolerance is enough to match yours… speaking of which, has Fei returned from the US? I believe it’s about time for him to graduate from college.”

「Ah, he’s scheduled to graduate this spring. That fellow—not that I’m trying to brag—but his graduation exam scores were…」

Ling Tangyun looked pleased as he listed his son’s achievements. It seemed that doting on one’s son was a family trait of the ringa. However, since the story of the boy he had looked after for a couple of months was of interest to Yuri, he listened attentively and chimed in.

Meanwhile, looking at the two people outside the window—Jung Tae-ui, who suddenly threw away his mango with a bitter face as if he had lost his appetite during their conversation, and Riegrow, who looked down at Jung Tae-ui with a subtle smile—it seemed like a trivial conversation—Yuri let out a quiet sigh, vaguely anticipating the youngest brother’s arduous heartbreak.

It was an island famous for its beautiful sea.

Not only the scenery of the sea viewed from the land, but the underwater ecosystem was also incomparably rich; everyone who visited this island unanimously cited it as ‘the most beautiful sea I have ever seen.’

Despite this, the reason the island was not widely known was, first, that most of the archipelago gathered nearby in large and small clusters were private properties; second, even for islands that weren’t, the shipping routes were not properly established, making it extremely difficult to visit from the outside; and third, because the currents were strong, it was difficult to enter the sea around the island unless one was very accustomed to the water.

However, Yuri Gable met all the conditions to enter that sea.

Ling Tangyun, with whom Yuri had built a considerable personal friendship—to be precise, his family—owned one of those islands and had given him permission to enter. Ling Tangyun also decided to take the opportunity to rest there with his close family, including his wife and children, and had already entered the island. He sent a boat to pick up Yuri, who arrived at a nearby island later, so the journey to the island was not arduous. As for the condition of being accustomed to the water to enter the sea despite the strong currents, there was no need for further explanation.

It was a sea where no one existed except for the caretakers employed by the ringa who lived on or visited the island. And the inside was more beautiful than what he had heard in stories. To the point where, throughout his time underwater, he thought he wished he could just stop breathing right there.

‘But you guys can’t go in.’

When Yuri, who had just come out of the sea, said this while drying his hair with a dry towel, Ling Tangyun’s young son, Fei, pouted and shouted in a disgruntled voice.

‘Why?! I’m a good swimmer too.’

‘The currents are too strong.’

‘Cur…?!’

The child twitched his lips with a face that looked like he didn’t understand what that meant. Yuri changed it into words the child could easily understand.

‘I’m saying it’s dangerous because the water flows very strongly.’

‘? There are no waves.’

The child pointed to the calmly undulating sea and spoke as if throwing a tantrum.

‘There are waves that flow only on the inside, invisible from the outside.’

‘…Hmph. I want to go in too.’

Yuri wrapped the towel, which he had used to roughly dry his body, around the shoulders of the child who was giving up quietly despite grumbling.

‘Your skin is red. It’ll hurt when night falls, so don’t run around too much under the sun. In the sea, see those black rocks sticking out over there? You mustn’t go beyond them.’

The child shouted “Yes!” in response and immediately jumped into the water. Yuri watched the child splashing around only nearby before turning away. Fei was quite mischievous, so there were times when he was hard to handle, but he wasn’t a child who couldn’t understand or wouldn’t listen.

‘Goodness, the mermaid has finally come up to land. I was just wondering if I should call someone because you weren’t coming out.’

On the grass spread thickly a bit above the white sandy beach, Ling Tangyun, sitting under a parasol, smiled and handed a beer to Yuri. Yuri waved his hand lightly and instead picked up water to quench his thirst.

‘The currents are strong? Then isn’t it dangerous?’

‘Near the surface, it’s fine. You have to be careful once you go a few meters deep… but up to that point, it’s okay.’

Yuri glanced at Fei splashing around with his younger sister and sat in the chair.

‘That’s a shame. Then I can’t go deep either?’

‘It wouldn’t be difficult if you had equipment and some help from others, but you didn’t bring any equipment, did you?’

“I didn’t,” Ling Tangyun shook his head and clicked his tongue.

‘What a pity. I was looking forward to it because I heard the underwater scenery here is very beautiful, but why on earth are the currents strong?’

‘It’s beautiful because the currents are strong. Because the underwater flow is active, more things gather in search of food.’

Yuri put down the water glass he had emptied in a few sips and leaned back long in the chair.

Looking at the watch, quite some time had passed. It seemed a fair amount of time had gone by while he was intoxicated by the underwater scenery, diving up and down and wandering inside. He felt unusually languid compared to other times. He must have spent a lot of energy resisting the current and playing for a long time.

As he narrowed his eyes amidst the pleasantly rushing fatigue, he saw a small shadow entering the water without hesitation at the end of his gaze. The sight of the figure swimming in briskly was refreshing. The posture was good and the speed was fast.

‘Uh… wait, isn’t that dangerous?’

Ling Tangyun’s voice became a bit serious. Yuri said, “I don’t know,” and poured water into the glass again.

‘Actually, even if they go out a bit far, it doesn’t matter much as long as they play on the surface. It would be a bit troublesome if they got a cramp. I’ll keep a close eye.’

Yuri had no intention of leaving this spot unless something happened. He felt it would be a waste to take his eyes off the sea for even a moment. He had only arrived this afternoon, but he had to leave again tomorrow dawn. Since he had come by taking a short break in the middle of his work, he couldn’t stay long.

Ling Tangyun clicked his tongue, asking if the travel time didn’t take longer, but Yuri shook his head. He couldn’t miss the chance to come to this beautiful place, even for half a day.

‘Is that child the youngest brother?’

Yuri looked at the small child he was seeing for the first time after only hearing rumors. He was far away, so he couldn’t see clearly, but although he heard there was a two-year difference with Fei, the build was much smaller than peers, making it look like a difference of four or five years. He looked exactly like a small and fragile girl.

‘Hmm….’

This man, who always mumbled with a subtle frown whenever he spoke of his youngest brother—this man who was already in his forties—was that small child’s older brother.

‘For some reason, why did you bring your younger brother along?’

Knowing that he didn’t think very highly of his youngest brother, Yuri asked in a surprised tone.

‘I know, right. Originally, my father said he would take him to Hong Kong, but a few days ago, that child suddenly saw something from somewhere and begged to see an island in the South Pacific. So, what could I do? Since I was planning to come here anyway, I had to bring him. It seems the child begged to go to the island with that intention from the start.’

Thanks to that, I’m the only one who earned my father’s dislike, Ling Tangyun said, sipping his beer with a bitter face.

‘Since he’s an eldest brother with such a large age gap, he might think of you as a father.’

‘Hey, don’t you start saying things like that too.’

Ling Tangyun suddenly let out a groan and clutched his head. Yuri gave him a glancing look.

‘Even as it is, that child occasionally tells me I’m just like a dad in front of my father, so my father looks at me with disapproval. Do you know how uncomfortable that is?’

Thinking that ring huolong might feel gloomy if his cherished son followed someone else saying they were like a dad, Yuri felt sorry for him for a moment, but Ling Tangyun, whose state of mind would be uncomfortable because of it, must also be in a predicament. Yuri shrugged his shoulders.

‘Well… they’re children.’

Since almost all the fathers of peers would be as young as Ling Tangyun, they might follow an older brother who is like a father more than a father who is like a grandfather. Wouldn’t that be possible for children of that age? Saying whose mother is prettier, or whose father is cooler.

“I don’t know…,” Ling Tangyun sighed lowly, not seeming to particularly agree with Yuri’s words, but he didn’t bother adding more. Looking at the youngest brother splashing in the distance with complex eyes, he shook his head, saying, ‘Anyway, if that child gets even slightly hurt, I’ll be in huge trouble.’

Yuri looked at Ling Tangyun with smiling eyes and then turned his gaze back to the sea.

—Ah, it truly is a dazzlingly beautiful sea.

Water undulating like transparent jewels, an endless deep blue sky, and blindingly white clouds.

He felt truly regretful that he had to return soon.

In his heart, he wanted to quit his job and stay here for a lifetime, but it couldn’t be helped. James was already grinding his teeth in a groaning voice, saying that Kyle had suddenly vanished—he’s probably at some rural book festival—so if he added his own burden, James would truly collapse.

He had no choice but to promise himself another opportunity.

Yuri stared blankly at the endless water-color, intending to take in as much as his eyes could hold.

He didn’t know how long he had been there.

He hadn’t fallen asleep, but as if he had, there was a gap of time in his consciousness. As if his body was on land, but his mind was submerged in water.

He thought he heard the sound of water.

‘….’

Yuri looked at the child. The child had been diving in and out of the sea happily for a while. It seemed the view of the bottom of the transparent water, which was visible even just by floating on the surface, was breathtakingly beautiful. The small child, who couldn’t hold their breath for long, was diving diligently while gasping for air.

Then, the child must have seen something at the bottom of the sea, as they stopped moving for a moment, looked down intently, and took a deep breath. After giving their body a large rebound, they dove back under the sea.

‘…—.’

Yuri frowned slightly. Beside him, Ling Tangyun was smiling peacefully, saying, ‘They must really like it; the kids don’t think about coming out of the water,’ and was waving back to his son who was waving from the sea.

‘What is it?’

Ling Tangyun cast a curious glance at Yuri, who had half-risen.

‘Your youngest brother….’

‘Hmm? Ah. He’s been going in and out of the water for a while. He’s usually lively, but it’s rare for him to be this excited; he must really like it. He just went in again.’

The sound of Fei cheering could be heard from a distance. “Wow, it’s a turtle! It’s huge!” he shouted along with his younger sister.

‘Father, it’s swimming right under our feet!’

Fei let out a shout mixed with surprise and joy. Ling Tangyun, who responded with “Oh, that’s nice,” suddenly looked bewildered as he saw Yuri stand up without hesitation beside him.

‘What’s wrong? Is a turtle dangerous by any chance?’

‘No, it’s not dangerous if you don’t touch it. Most of the time, the turtle will avoid you even if you go close.’

However, while saying that, Yuri hurried his steps toward the sea with a serious face—though he always had such a face.

Just as he took a step, he saw the child from before dive in with a large plunge. Perhaps they wanted to touch the turtle. “Brother, me too, me too!” the younger Xiao Chun pleaded, but after trying to enter the water a few times, she swallowed some water and burst into tears.

‘Xiao Chun, stay there.’

Yuri said this and jumped into the water.

He reached Xiao Chun, who was floating in a tube and crying, in a single bound. After wiping the tears of the sobbing child, he quietly said, ‘You must hold onto the tube tightly,’ and looked down.

As Fei had said, a large turtle was leisurely passing below. It was a turtle so large that it was rarely seen near the shore, appearing to be 60 or 70 centimeters in length. And Fei was diligently diving toward that turtle.

Perhaps the reason that small child had gone underwater earlier was because they saw that turtle. …But.

Yuri dove into the water.

The water was so transparent that the view extended all the way to the bottom. Because of this, the turtles looked close enough to touch if one just reached out, but the depth was easily several meters. As Fei dove deeper, he pinched his nose and blew air into it a few times, likely because his ears were hurting.

Then, the moment he reached a certain depth, Fei, who had been swimming skillfully, lost his balance. His body swayed and tilted as if he had collided with something invisible.

As expected.

At that depth, there were currents. The current was strong enough to be overwhelming even for an experienced adult, and it quickly swept around Fei. Panicking as his body ceased to move according to his will, Fei exhaled the air he had been holding in his lungs and began to struggle, gasping for breath.

‘—…!’

Yuri reached Fei just in time, and Fei clung to him desperately. Paralyzed by a sudden surge of terror, the child ignored Yuri’s gestures and glances, blindly grabbing and pulling at Yuri’s shoulders, arms, and waist.

Even for a child, when paralyzed by fear and using all their strength, it is difficult for an adult to withstand. If Fei had gone any deeper, or if the current had been any stronger, Yuri might not have been able to reach him so quickly.

It’s still okay. I can handle this.

Because Fei was clinging haphazardly, Yuri swam upward, barely able to use half of his body. Thinking it was a relief that Fei hadn’t gone too deep, he quickly surged toward the surface.

Even after exiting the water, Fei remained clung tightly to Yuri for a while, as if dazed. Gasping for air and coughing violently, he sounded as if he were on the verge of tears, perhaps from having swallowed some water.

‘It’s okay, Fei. Calm down. You’re okay now.’

Yuri swam slowly toward Xiao Chun, who was watching with wide, frightened eyes. He carefully moved Fei onto Xiao Chun’s tube. Fei flinched for a moment, trying to cling to Yuri and not let go, but he soon seemed to regain his senses and settled into the tube.

Yuri quietly pushed the tube toward Ling Tangyun, who was swimming over with a belatedly shocked expression, and then turned back to scan the surroundings. He had a feeling, but the small child was nowhere to be seen.

Leaving Ling Tangyun to soothe the children, Yuri dove back into the sea and swam in the direction the child had disappeared.

The further he went in that direction, and the deeper he dove, the stronger the current became. At this rate, the child would have been swept away and wouldn’t be in the same spot as before. He might have been pushed quite far. Yuri clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking it was fortunate that it wasn’t a downcurrent.

Fortunately, he found the child not long after.

The child, who seemed half-unconscious, appeared to have held on by gripping coral or rocks while drifting. There were small scrapes and bruises on his hands, arms, and various parts of his body. There were no air bubbles leaking from his lips, suggesting he had almost stopped breathing.

As Yuri hurried toward the child, he was slightly surprised.

If the child had been unable to surface since entering the water, he should have lost consciousness by now. However, as if forcing himself to stay awake, the child was blinking his flickering eyes. Through the blinking eyelids, black pupils glistened faintly.

It was then that Yuri saw the child named Ling Xinlu for the first time.

It was the first time he had seen him properly from such a close distance.

And for a moment, forgetting the situation, he stood dazed.

The child, clinging to a massive cluster of coral and swaying in the current, looked as if he were fluttering softly.

The jet-black hair scattering softly, the white skin glowing bluish underwater, and the delicate face—so beautiful that one would wonder if any doll could compare—made him look like a fairy, or a beautiful youth cherished by a god of the water.

Like a flower blooming underwater.

Radiant and beautiful.

Aside from water, this was the first time he had been so captivated by something, even if only for an instant.

However, Yuri quickly snapped back to his senses when he noticed the child’s presence—the child had opened his eyes wide upon discovering him while drifting toward unconsciousness.

Seeing Yuri, the child realized someone had come to save him and began waving his hands frantically. In the face of the terror of death, the child’s thin shred of reason had long since flown away. Even the willpower that kept him conscious, which was surprising in itself, seemed entirely focused on the single goal of grabbing Yuri. Only the instinct for survival remained.

Yuri hesitated and stepped back slightly.

Not now. It was different from when he saved Fei.

Even for a child, the strength of someone clinging in such a situation would be terrifying, and Yuri was currently exhausted from swimming against the current. Moreover, the current here was much stronger than before, making it difficult for Yuri himself to maintain his balance. If the child grabbed his limbs with that desperate strength and held on tight, both of them would likely end up in a disastrous situation. Furthermore, Yuri had no rope or stick to offer the child to hold onto.

In such a case, the wisest method was to wait for the other party to lose consciousness. And fortunately for Yuri, who was starting to run out of breath, it seemed the child was not far from passing out.

It’s okay. You must be scared, but don’t worry. I’m watching over you right here. When you close your eyes and open them again, you’ll be lying in a safe and comfortable place.

Yuri watched the child from a short distance. Although he spoke through his gaze, it was unlikely the child understood. It pained him to see the child struggling and trying to reach him, but he could not recklessly offer his hand. He only whispered inwardly. It’s okay. I will definitely save you.

Even then, he found himself captivated by how beautiful the child was.

It truly felt like a flower had bloomed in the sea. Where else could there be such a radiant and lovely flower?

Yuri struggled to maintain his composure, fighting the urge to lose himself in admiration, and waited calmly for the child. His own breathing was starting to grow labored.

Eventually, anger filled the child’s eyes. It was a fierce and terrifying anger that made Yuri flinch for a moment. It was the anger directed at someone who was silently watching him die.

The child glared at Yuri with eyes mixed with resentment, rage, and agony, and in the next moment, he lost consciousness. The strength left the child’s hand, and the coral he had been gripping tenaciously slipped away. The child’s body began to drift with the current.

Only after approaching to a point where he could almost touch him and confirming that the child had passed out did Yuri pull that delicate and precious flower up to the surface. He really is beautiful. So beautiful. He continued to marvel several times even then.

The waters of seringe remain warm throughout the year, rarely dropping below 20 degrees even during the rainy season. Especially during the hot dry season, the water temperature is comparable to most tropical seas.

‘At this rate, it might even be 28 or 29 degrees…’

A pleasant warmth wafted and flowed from the seawater enveloping his entire body.

When he closed his eyes, a low sound filled his ears instead of air. A sound so low it was indescribable, a continuous noise. The sound of the seabed. The sound of the living ocean breathing.

Outside the water, one hears the silent breath of the living atmosphere; inside the water, one hears the silent flow of the living sea.

Moreover, beneath the sea, even the sky above is filled with water.

He loved that.

Therefore, while any water he could immerse himself in was fine, he loved the sea the most.

Yuri opened his eyes. The shimmering deep-blue surface was visible above his head. The dark blue water and the dawn sky sparkled dazzlingly like jewels.

The sky inside the sea was so beautiful that he had gazed at it countless times, yet he still lost himself every time he saw it. However, he couldn’t stay there forever. Although Yuri boasted a lung capacity far superior to others, he was starting to run out of breath.

Wishing that he might be born as a fish in his next life, he surfaced.

“…―.”

He spat out the droplets on his lips and took a long breath. The eastern sky was beginning to brighten dimly. Another day, like any other, was beginning.

Yuri looked toward the island. He began to quietly cut through the water toward the island, which was dozing in the lazy silence of the early dawn.

His daily routine always began with water. At the beach, he would pleasantly immerse himself in the dawn sea; in places without a sea, he would settle for a pool; and in situations where even that was impossible, he would enter a bathtub with a heavy heart. In dire circumstances where even that wasn’t possible, he spent his days gloomily, like someone suffering from depression.

For instance, around this time two years ago, he had been forced to wander through the Sierra Nevada for several days, and being in the mountains, he naturally couldn’t find any water. It happened to be during a drought, making it hard to find even a small puddle and forcing them to conserve drinking water, so far from a bathtub, even a shower was out of the question. After seeing Yuri march gloomily without smiling or speaking for days, his colleagues had united, saying, ‘At this rate, the guy’s going to go insane. Let’s finish the job as quickly as possible,’ and they completed the task earlier than scheduled.

‘At that point, it’s a disease. I can introduce you to a good doctor.’

Even James, who—except for Kyle—didn’t care at all about others’ privacy, had seriously held onto Yuri and made the suggestion. And because Yuri couldn’t refuse his earnest request, he actually met a doctor, but after all sorts of tests, the only result was that Yuri’s mental state was perfectly normal.

‘It’s natural for people to have one or two attachments.’

Having said this nonchalantly, Yuri added, ‘So from now on, I won’t accept requests in regions without water,’ making James’s task of scheduling work very difficult.

While it couldn’t be said to be a direct result of that, Yuri was currently finishing his work in a satisfying environment, and James was likely satisfied with the progress of the work he had entrusted to Yuri.

It was almost time. He just needed to confirm Jung Jae-ui’s location. And that was the problem.

He had a guess as to where he might be, but there was no way to confirm…

Yuri only rose from the water once it had receded to the level of his waist. Crushed shells and coral crunched beneath his feet. Before fully exiting the water, he took off his boots and stepped onto the sand barefoot. He liked the feeling of the fine sand tickling as it seeped between his toes.

“……Achoo.”

Yuri sneezed, shrugging his shoulders, and hunched over while rubbing his chilly forearms.

The water was warm, but it was inevitably cool once he came outside. Although it was a region that was warm year-round, no place was warm enough for the dawn air to feel warm against a wet body.

“Towel, the towel is…”

“Here.”

Beside Yuri, who was looking around for the towel he had tossed next to his sandals, a strange but remembered voice approached. Simultaneously, a white hand thrust a towel in front of his eyes.

“……. Thank you.”

Yuri straightened his back as he took the towel. As he had guessed from the voice, a handsome young man stood there with a beaming smile.

Whether the young man didn’t see Yuri’s reluctant expression as he silently dried himself—or chose to ignore it—he didn’t let the bright smile fade and struck up a conversation.

“Isn’t it cold to go into the sea before the sun even rises? Gosh, I hate even getting out of bed in the early morning.”

“……It’s actually warmer in the water than outside.”

“Really? I doubt that. Do you come to the sea every morning?”

Seeing Yuri nod after a brief pause instead of answering, the young man smiled with his eyes and scanned him unabashedly.

“I see. As expected, people who swim have great bodies; I’m jealous. You don’t look like an ahjussi who’s almost forty at all.”

“…….”

Yuri stopped his hand for a moment while drying himself, but soon continued rubbing with the towel. Only after draping the towel, which had roughly wiped away the moisture, over his shoulder did he look back at the young man.

The fact that there were still four years left until he turned forty probably wouldn’t matter to someone in the prime of their early-to-mid twenties. No, more than that, when they had encountered each other yesterday, the man had glared at him fiercely as if to say ‘just wait until I catch you next time,’ so what was this casual smile?

He couldn’t fathom why the man was here. Seeing as he had been standing right there and spoke to him, it seemed he had come for some business with him.

“…….”

Yuri looked at the young man in silence for a moment, but the man just kept smiling with an innocent, circling expression. After sharing a few seconds of subtle silence, Yuri stepped aside. Seeing this, the young man raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Did you come to swim…?”

That was the most plausible conclusion Yuri could reach. Being here at this hour, if it wasn’t for business with him, the only other option was swimming. Indeed, since the sea was this beautiful, it was natural to want to swim.

However, when Yuri gestured with his head toward the sea over his shoulder, the young man responded with a brief silence. Wearing a white shirt loosely and with his hands thrust into the pockets of neat cotton trousers, he certainly didn’t look like someone who had come to swim.

“I don’t swim.”

The young man looked bewildered for a moment, but soon returned to his pretty smile and spoke. Yuri blinked and asked.

“Do you not know how?”

He knew that couldn’t be the case. When he had seen him as a mere child of ten or so, he had been quite good at swimming in the sea even then.

However, the young man wrinkled the bridge of his nose and grimaced.

“I almost drowned when I was little, so after that, I hated even looking at the sea. I know how, but I don’t do it. I hate swimming pools, too.”

He shrugged his shoulders as if even thinking about it was unpleasant, and even frowned. Although there was a playful glint in his eyes, he seemed genuine about his dislike.

Almost drowned when he was little… He had a hunch. Unless he had almost drowned multiple times, the experience the young man was referring to was likely one that Yuri also knew about.

“But you survived, didn’t you…?”

“I still hate it.”

“…….”

The expression as he answered bluntly with a beam was extremely firm. It was a face that left no room for reconsideration or persuasion on that matter.

To hate water—what a pity.

Yuri had no intention of trying to persuade him, but his feelings seemed to be written all over his face. The young man, who had been scanning every inch of Yuri’s face, suddenly burst into laughter.

“Ahaha, you have a look on your face like it’s a crying shame. Why are you like that when it’s not even your business?”

“Because it is a shame.”

How beautiful it is… Yuri looked back at the sea he had just exited. He knew how beautiful, abundant, and serene that quiet water was. To push such a thing away out of dislike was truly regrettable.

Yuri looked at the sea and then turned his head back. Dawn was slowly breaking. He had to go back, shower, and prepare for the day’s work. Before that, however, he had to finish the business of this young man, who indeed seemed to have come looking for him.

When Yuri gave him his attention, the young man, who had been examining him thoroughly as if searching for something, smiled thinly like a mysterious cat. Yuri had expected him to rush at him the moment they met, shouting, ‘You’re the one who shot at me?!’ but this unexpected reaction was somehow unsettling, so Yuri stepped back slightly. The young man, however, smiled even more deeply, looking amused.

“I heard from my eldest brother. He said you two know each other.”

“……Ah.”

It seemed Ling Tangyun had contacted the young man in the meantime. Yuri had called him only last night; he was certainly fast.

“You must be very close. To the point where he would defend the culprit even though his own biological brother was shot.”

The tone was so friendly and soft that Yuri only realized a beat later that the content was sarcastic. The young man had been the one to pull the gun first, and what Yuri had shot was not the man but the gun he was holding, but it seemed such details were entirely irrelevant.

Yuri kept silent, having no particular desire to correct him.

“Is your expression always like that? Indifferent, or blunt… I can’t tell what you’re thinking. People without expressions are really hard to deal with.”

The young man smiled while frowning. Looking down at the face where two contradictory expressions coexisted with a slightly strange feeling, Yuri unconsciously brushed his palm down his face.

He didn’t do it on purpose, but he often heard that his expressions were sparse. Depending on the case, it was sometimes a compliment and sometimes a criticism, but right now, it seemed to be the latter.

“It’s much easier to deal with people who are quick-witted and easy to read. They’re easier to hold in the palm of your hand and shake around.”

The young man grumbled, looking at Yuri with eyes that seemed to ask, ‘But why is your expression like that?’ Yuri looked back at him—slightly bewildered by his lack of hesitation in speaking rudely, yet still maintaining an indifferent face.

As if nothing had happened, the young man smiled prettily again. His changes were so rapid it was hard to keep up.

Yuri still hadn’t grasped why he had come. At any rate, it didn’t seem like he had come for revenge.

“I came to make up. Let’s get along.”

As he spoke, the young man grabbed Yuri’s hand abruptly and made a gesture of shaking it. Yuri looked back and forth between his captured hand and the young man’s face. Contrary to his pretty face, his hand was quite large with thick knuckles—a man’s hand. Yet it was surprisingly soft, as if he were touching the padded paw of a fluffy beast hiding its claws.

“Make up…?”

Feeling uneasy about the claws that could pop out at any moment, Yuri muttered while glancing tentatively at the young man. The young man’s black pupils narrowed.

“It means I’ll act as if nothing happened. Well, our first meeting was a bit unpleasant, and I’m still quite annoyed when I think about it, but since you’re my eldest brother’s friend, it would be awkward to do anything to you, right?”

The young man winked playfully, making a gesture of firing a gun with his finger.

This wasn’t the first time, Yuri thought, but he had no desire to take credit by mentioning that he had saved the man when he was young, so he remained silent. Rather, upon hearing that the young man had come to make up, he finally guessed why he was here.

“Even so, you won’t get any useful information regarding Mr. Jung Tae-ui. I don’t know much myself.”

When Yuri spoke, the young man burst into laughter.

“Hey, why are you being like this? I told you I came to make up. Besides, when it comes to Tae-yi hyung, there’s no need to ask. I probably know more about him than you do. There aren’t many people who know more than I do.”

“And I have no intention of helping you in any way that benefits you. I don’t intend to fall out with Ling.”

Ignoring the young man’s words, Yuri spoke flatly.

Indeed, this time the young man shut his mouth. The way he gazed steadily at Yuri with a subtle, swirling smile was somehow unsettling.

“Well… it’s fine. I don’t have great expectations of you. But triggers are always created from very trivial, mustard-seed-sized things.”

And maybe you’ll be the one to create that trigger? —that was the look that flew toward him, wrapped in a smile. It was as if he intended to keep a hold of anything that showed a glimmer of usefulness.

“Besides.”

The young man started to say something, then paused and tilted his head diagonally. His gaze, which scanned every corner, was blatantly searching, yet because his black eyes were so large, he looked innocent. This man really had a huge advantage just based on his looks.

“It seems my eldest brother thinks very highly of you. He said that although you seem a bit blunt because you’re a man of few words, you’re a trustworthy and good person—someone without malice—so I should just let things slide if possible. …And my eldest brother is someone quite stingy with praising others.”

“…Thank you.”

“Ahaha, I wasn’t the one praising you. You should thank my eldest brother.”

The young man laughed aloud and patted Yuri’s shoulder familiarly. The reason Yuri didn’t think the youth was being arrogant might be because the tinkling sound of his laughter was pleasant to hear.

Yuri silently looked at the young man while pulling up the towel that was about to slip.

He was certainly pretty. Yuri couldn’t understand why Jung Tae-ui had chosen that ticking time bomb over this pretty young man. If the contents of both were equally troublesome to handle, wouldn’t this one be far superior in terms of looks?

“Is there something on my face?”

The young man asked slowly, looking straight at Yuri, who was staring at him. It was a face that knew why people stared—one already accustomed to such gazes. Yuri shook his head and looked away.

He thought he understood. It must be because of those eyes that resembled a tiger’s. Eyes that seemed to pierce through to a person’s core were certainly burdensome.

“I should be going soon. I deliberately set an alarm and woke up at dawn to meet you, so I’m sleepy. You should go get dressed too, right? You seem cold since you came out with a wet body. …Ah. You have goosebumps.”

The young man reached for Yuri’s forearm, which was exposed beneath the towel. Before Yuri could dodge, the palm swept down from just below the shoulder to the elbow. Only then did Yuri realize that he had goosebumps on his arm—that his body had shrunk from the chill—and simultaneously became conscious of how intensely warm the spot where the palm touched was.

It was a hand that was soft and gentle, but could become rough and fierce at any time if necessary.

Yuri looked away from the hand that quickly detached itself, said, “Then, goodbye,” and stood blankly for a while, watching the young man’s back as he turned and walked away readily, leaving behind one last smiling gaze.

It was a quite strange feeling to see Eli Riegrow looking like an ordinary person.

About twenty minutes’ slow walk from the Backpacker, there was a small night market. This market, which opened every other day, wasn’t as large as the Bahep night market that held a big fair once a week; it was just a small open lot with a dozen or so open-air stalls. However, since it mainly sold fresh seafood and street food, locals often used it.

Yuri, who had come out to buy watermelons at the request of Anna—the owner of the Backpacker—stopped in his tracks when he spotted Ling and Jung Tae-ui among the bustling crowd.

Standing in front of an open-air stall enveloped in acrid smoke and eating grilled crayfish, the two looked so ordinary that he would have just passed them by if they hadn’t been familiar faces.

“….”

He had never imagined in his life that there would be a single moment where that man would look like an ordinary person.

Yuri gazed at them blankly, feeling somewhat overwhelmed with emotion.

Eli Riegrow—anyone who knew him would immediately frown and shake their head at the name. This was because the gruesome stories accompanying that name were countless. As far as Yuri knew, no one wanted to be in the same place as that man.

Yet, he was currently offering a scallop skewer to his companion who had finished the grilled crayfish, and was muttering a nonchalant ‘thanks’ while taking a sauce bottle from the shop owner. He blended into the scenery of the market perfectly normally.

Yuri stared intently at him, and at some point, he muttered, “Ah.” He realized why he looked ordinary. It was because of the companion standing beside him, calmly biting into the scallop skewer he offered. Because of Jung Tae-ui, who treated him as if he were truly an ordinary person, that man was blending in among them like a human being.

“….”

Suddenly, Jung Tae-ui seemed extraordinary.

Yuri looked at Jung Tae-ui this time. He set down the two watermelons he was holding and examined him carefully.

What about that ordinary man had drawn him in? He couldn’t tell.

Through several conversations with Jung Tae-ui, Yuri had also come to like him. Although he occasionally showed an unpredictable, eccentric side, he was a decent and well-raised young man.

However, one thing was certain: Riegrow would not let go of that man once he had grasped him. In reality, people falling for each other doesn’t always happen because of a massive trigger or a grand reason.

“….”

No, but maybe there is something about Jung Tae-ui. Leading two men like that behind him like tails isn’t something just anyone can do.

Yuri, who had set down the watermelons and was watching them like a spectator, discovered a familiar face in the opposite direction, forming a triangle with those two as the vertices. A young man sitting with his legs crossed at the end of a long bench where three or four people were seated, resting his chin on his hand and looking at them with a thoughtful expression.

The youngest son.

Since Asians were very rare in this place and he looked like that, he stood out immediately. Seeing as he was sitting naturally, as if he didn’t care whether he was spotted or not, it didn’t seem like he intended to watch them in secret. No, rather, he seemed to be staring with fire in his eyes, as if he were upset that he hadn’t been discovered quickly and that the two of them were only talking to each other.

“….”

Yuri realized his mistake.

The other side had discovered Yuri as well.

No, it seemed he hadn’t just discovered him. He had already known Yuri was there but hadn’t cared, and now that Yuri was looking at him, he was returning the gaze with a face that said, I’ll just look back since you’re looking.

Once their eyes met, Yuri felt even more regretful.

Why was the timing so bad? Or he should have just pretended not to see him the moment he spotted him.

This time too, the young man pretended to be composed, but he had a subtly displeased look on his face. As if he had shown a face he didn’t want to reveal to others. Perhaps it was painful to have someone see him looking at Jung Tae-ui with yearning or at Riegrow with envy.

If so, he shouldn’t have sat in such a conspicuous place.

While telling himself it wasn’t his fault, Yuri quickly picked up the watermelons and turned away. He needed to get back to the Backpacker quickly. Yes, Anna would be waiting for the watermelons…

Even though he had done nothing wrong, he felt inexplicably uneasy and hurried his pace. His strides, which had been wide, slowed down a bit once he left the open lot where the yellow lights of the night market were flickering and entered a dark alley.

But.

Could it be that good?

Yuri recalled the image of the young man who had been staring at them endlessly with his chin resting on his hand. Envious, pitiful, wronged, and angry. He had been staring at the two of them fervently with such a face. Look this way just once. How can you not look even once when I’m staring this hard?! With such a resentful and sorrowful face.

…I wish they had looked once. If it had been me, I would have stared back fervently.

It was just as he was letting out a quiet sigh, thinking such thoughts.

“Why are you running away? The moment you see my face.”

There was a hand that abruptly grabbed his shoulder from behind. Under the grip that had approached without a sound—likely intentionally suppressing his presence—and squeezed mercilessly, Yuri flinched just a little. It wasn’t obvious on the outside, but the owner of the hand gripping his shoulder probably noticed.

The person who stopped Yuri while smiling with narrow eyes was none other than that youngest son.

“…What are you doing here?”

Yuri asked suspiciously, given the situation where the person who had been staring fervently at those two in the market just a moment ago was suddenly standing behind him.

“You suddenly start running away the moment you see me; wouldn’t that be suspicious? I wonder what on earth you did to me behind my back.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Then there’s no reason to run away.”

“I never ran away.”

“I saw it clearly with my own two eyes that you bolted the moment you saw my face.”

For a moment, he was speechless.

He had never intended to run away, but hearing his words, it was true that he had turned around the moment he saw him. It could have looked like running away. But that wasn’t the case…

Without waiting even the one or two seconds Yuri was flustered, the man fired off a series of questions like a machine gun.

“Why did you run? Did you commit some sin against me? Did my eldest brother tell you to monitor me so I don’t get caught? Or did you perhaps badmouth me to Tae-yi hyung? Otherwise, there’s no way you’d bolt like someone who just bit into a sour persimmon the moment you saw me.”

“No… it’s not that…”

He had no idea how to shut this man’s mouth.

The troubled Yuri opened his mouth with a slight frown, but seeing Yuri’s face, the man curved his eyes like a cat, looking satisfied. Seeing that, Yuri realized. He came here to be mischievous toward me. But why me?

As Yuri looked at him in bewilderment, the man, who had been steadily examining every detail of Yuri’s expression, tilted his head subtly. Then, he let out a short laugh, saying, “My goodness.”

Stepping back a pace, he seemed reasonably satisfied as he let the malicious playfulness fade from his eyes and spoke calmly.

“Despite the fact that it’s utterly difficult to read your expressions, why are you so quick-witted yourself? Reading everyone else’s expressions. And then, you quickly reveal a face that says you’re in trouble because you’ve read my expression. It just makes a person’s heart hurt more.”

“…Did I do that? I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”

Yuri bowed his head obediently. Although it wasn’t intentional, if the man’s heart was hurt enough to chase him all the way here, it was right to apologize.

This man seemed to intensely dislike it when someone discovered his weak side—whether it was envy, anxiety, or sadness—that he hadn’t intentionally revealed.

Then again, perhaps everyone is the same. It couldn’t be pleasant to have someone pierce through one’s vulnerable parts.

Yuri nodded, convinced of this on his own.

“Wow, but you must be stronger than you look. To run away that fast while carrying two watermelons. I thought for a moment you were carrying something like watermelon-patterned rubber balls. …Oof, they’re heavy.”

Suddenly feeling a coolness in one hand, Yuri realized that the watermelon strap in his right hand was gone. The watermelon the young man was now effortlessly cradling seemed to be the one Yuri had been carrying.

Before Yuri could say, “Uh,” the young man started walking briskly. When Yuri opened his mouth to say, “Wait a moment,” the young man looked back with a puzzled face and tilted his head.

“Aren’t we on the way back to the Backpacker? This should be the right direction, right?”

“Yes, it is, but, uh… aren’t you going back to the market?”

“Do you want me to go? …Strange, was I that unlikeable? What’s the problem? My face?”

The young man frowned, tilting his head repeatedly as if it were truly strange. He muttered that he’d never had someone avoid him like this. Then, looking back at Yuri, who was just staring blankly at him from a few steps behind while holding the watermelons in both arms, the young man smiled and spoke flatly.

“I’m going to stop for today. I want to see Tae-yi hyung more, but there’s one eyesore stuck right next to him, and I can’t stand the irritation bubbling up inside me.”

“…Mr. Ling Xinlu, your lodging isn’t in this direction, is it?”

“How did you know that?”

Looking at him blinking innocently as if surprised, Yuri shut his mouth.

It was basic to investigate someone who had the potential to be a dangerous person. Even after appearing right in front of him, the young man couldn’t have thought that the other party wouldn’t care.

“To suspect a kind person who met you by chance and even carried your heavy watermelons, how cruel.”

“….”

“Did you tell Tae-yi hyung everything about meeting me?”

The young man asked, matching his pace with Yuri, who had no choice but to start walking behind him. Yuri shook his head. He had no intention of helping the young man’s achievements, but he also had no intention of reporting everything in detail to intentionally put him at a disadvantage—though he wondered what more could be disadvantaged since everything had already been exposed.

In fact, as long as it didn’t interfere with finding Jung Jae-ui, Yuri had no intention of interfering at all.

“Yuri Gable. 36 years old. Born March 30th, Aries. Blood type O. Only child born to German Gustav Gable and British Natalie Watson. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, but moved to Berlin, Germany, before he was a year old. Parents divorced at age 13, spent adolescence in Birmingham, England, but returned to Berlin to attend a liberal arts college. However, dropped out of college six months after admission, briefly affiliated with T&R, then moved to the National Intelligence Service at age 27. Retired after two years and transferred back to T&R, leading to the present.”

In the lonely alleyway where few people passed but there was no feeling of danger, the young man’s casual voice continued for a long time. Yuri glanced at the young man, who recited the long content—so long it seemed hard to memorize—without a single hitch. The young man, who hadn’t been looking at Yuri, only turned his head after saying “leading to the present.” Then, he smiled brightly.

“Anything wrong?”

“No.”

“Actually, I know even more detailed parts, but I intentionally shortened it because I thought it would be boring to listen to.”

Yuri silently looked at the face smiling brightly like a child waiting for praise, as if saying, Did I do well?

Indeed, it meant: Just as you looked into me, I have looked into you sufficiently.

Yuri, who had no past he couldn’t tell others about, nodded without any particular look of displeasure.

“Aren’t you offended?”

The young man, observing Yuri’s expression, asked with a smirk. Yuri paused in thought for a moment before replying calmly.

“If I were Mr. Jung Tae-ui, I would have answered, ‘I wasn’t offended by the fact that you looked into my personal details, but I am offended by you asking if I’m offended right now.’”

The young man shut his mouth. The smile vanished from his face in an instant. Staring blankly at him, Yuri added indifferently.

“But I’m not particularly offended.”

“……××××…….”

The young man muttered something. Even without trying to translate the language of his mother tongue, the content was easy to guess. Something along the lines of ‘this little shit,’ perhaps.

Seeing the young man’s face turn sullen and fierce, and hearing that desolate mutter in a foreign tongue, Yuri somehow felt a bit lighter.

“But you probably said that knowing full well it would offend me.”

Even as those cold words were spat out, Yuri did not answer. Taking the lack of response as an affirmation, the young man glared at Yuri fiercely once more.

However, perhaps aware that he had been the one to provoke first, the young man seemed to decide to drop the subject there.

“I know about this much regarding Tae-yi hyung. No, I know far more than this. I know which hospital he was born in, down to the exact hour, minute, and second, and exactly which day he received which vaccination at what age.”

“……You have a remarkably good memory.”

The young man’s eyes sharpened again. Only after reading from Yuri’s expression that the comment was a compliment in the purest sense did he hide the edge.

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but Tae-yi hyung originally liked me. But that crazy bastard showed up late and snatched him away.”

Yuri, sending only a gaze that conveyed ‘Is that so?’, walked side-by-side with the young man who had started moving again.

“Things were going well between us without any problems, but that guy sneakily stole him. I had already agreed with him beforehand not to touch hyung, but he broke that promise too.”

The young man’s eyes flared as he spat out curses, calling him a despicable and shameless human who knew nothing of professional ethics. It felt as if a vivid glint of light was emanating from his eyes.

“I will never forgive him.”

The young man whispered to himself in a low voice, barely audible. Yuri glanced at him and silently turned his gaze forward.

Silence flowed for a while. There was only the sound of slow footsteps treading on the firmly packed sandy soil path.

“Mr. Gable, do you have one? A first love to whom you devoted a part of your youth?”

Suddenly, the young man asked. A first love—Yuri searched through his mind, but finding nothing that immediately came to mind, he asked back.

“Was that information not included in the data about me?”

“Dolores from next door, who you played with often at age twelve? Brenda, who you dated for two months at sixteen but dumped you for another man? Annette, who worked as your partner in the intelligence agency for a while?”

Hearing those names, the heartless man Yuri finally remembered the women who had passed briefly through his life. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head.

“I don’t think I have one. ……I don’t.”

As he said this, Yuri felt a small shock to his heart.

It was hard to believe he had never thought about it until now, and equally hard to believe even after thinking about it, but he truly had no such thing as a first love.

That didn’t mean he had lived without loving anyone. Though they didn’t last long, he had dated women a few times, and those relationships hadn’t been superficial. He still had memories of each person being precious and lovely.

But a love that ‘devoted a part of one’s youth,’ as the young man put it—he had no such memory. He had rarely experienced emotions intense enough to sweep away his entire body and soul.

Realizing anew that he might be a very dry person, Yuri felt a bit depressed.

The young man, watching Yuri intently, gave a slight smile. The way the corners of his mouth curled up, as if he had won, was somehow irritating. As if piercing through that twisted mood, the young man patted Yuri’s shoulder in a mock-generous, comforting tone.

“Well, don’t be too depressed. You probably just don’t remember, but if you think hard, you must have had one. A moment where you lost yourself over someone, or couldn’t take your eyes off them, or something like that.”

The young man, chatting irresponsibly as if to say ‘if not, then whatever,’ seemed to be in a very good mood. It seemed his spite had finally been satisfied. What a nasty temperament.

Yuri looked displeasedly at the young man walking briskly ahead. Then, once more, he searched his memories more desperately than before. Had there ever been someone he lost himself over, someone he couldn’t take his eyes off?

“…….”

There was.

It came to mind instantly without needing long deliberation. It was because the memory remained so vivid. So vivid that it would suddenly resurface several times even after that.

At some point, his pace must have slowed unconsciously. The young man, who was three or four steps ahead, looked back. Seeing Yuri staring blankly at him, he looked puzzled and raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Do you have one? A moment like that?”

It was evident that he felt deflated, having just filled his quota of spite. Yuri nodded silently and resumed his slowed pace. The sound of a click of the tongue could be heard.

Yuri looked at the young man’s slanted profile slightly ahead of him.

A bright and beautiful flower that bloomed underwater.

A life that existed for only a single moment, yet was more beautiful than anything Yuri had seen or felt underwater.

Even now, the image of that moment remained clear.

……Thump.

Suddenly, his heart beat loudly.

Huh, Yuri tilted his head.

It didn’t hurt, but the dull resonance was clear, as if a long-forgotten passion from early childhood had briefly awakened.

Uh……?

As Yuri tilted his head and slowed his pace again, the young man, who had moved a few steps ahead once more, looked back. Yuri gazed blankly at the young man, who was lightly cradling a watermelon in one arm. The young man looked at him with a face that asked what was wrong.

“……Hair.”

“Yes?”

“There’s an insect in your hair…….”

Yuri suddenly muttered the first thing that caught his eye. In truth, insects hadn’t even entered his mind, but his eyes and mouth were moving in automatic synchronization.

The young man frowned and brushed his hair with the hand not holding the watermelon. An insect that had been sitting there flew up, only to land on the opposite side.

“Done?”

“No. It sat on the other side.”

As Yuri muttered, his mouth still moving independently of his thoughts, the young man swiftly shifted the watermelon to the other arm and shook that side of his head. The insect flew up and hovered for a moment, then cunningly landed right back where the young man’s hand had just dropped.

Yuri approached him with steady steps. He raised his hand over the quietly standing young man’s head and made a motion as if tapping it. He waved his hand in the air until the hovering insect finally gave up and flew away.

During this, Yuri’s gaze remained on the young man. And the young man looked straight back at Yuri. Watching Yuri scrutinize him intently, the young man seemed to think of something and smiled thinly, like a mischievous cat.

“It’s gone.”

Yuri spoke briefly and this time he walked ahead. Then, the young man quickly stepped up to walk side-by-side with Yuri.

“Thanks. I hate bugs.”

“Is that so? It was just a small grass insect. Harmless.”

“Still, a bug is a bug. I hate them. Whether it’s a grass insect, a flying insect, or a larva.”

“…….”

“But depending on the case, I don’t hate human-pests that much. They’re funny.”

Yuri shifted his gaze to look at the young man. The young man had a cheerful expression, tossing the watermelon between his two hands as if playing catch with a rubber ball.

“You are quite strong. …….”

“Contrary to appearances?”

The young man, somehow knowing the words Yuri had started to say but swallowed, added with a beaming smile. He must have heard that many times before.

“I’ve had quite a few human-pests swarm around me since I was young. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Handsome looks, smart brain, solid background, overflowing money, and a personality that seems kind—ugh, even I’d be enchanted by myself. But because of that, it wasn’t just harmless bugs that swarmed. What can you do? I did some exercise. As a result, I ended up stronger than most people.”

The young man waved his well-shaped arm—which didn’t feel bulky or aggressive, perhaps because it was covered by clothing—claiming he had never lost an arm-wrestling match.

Come to think of it, Ling Tangyun had mentioned before that his youngest brother had entered UNHRDO as the top graduate. UNHRDO screenings were notorious for being grueling; if he had graduated at the top, his physical stamina must be extraordinary.

“That must be quite nice.”

Yuri’s physical condition wasn’t significantly inferior to others, but since he mainly made a living with his head (and his intuition), there were times lately when he felt his stamina lacking. Whenever he met and talked with people doing similar work, he often envied those with good stamina. He sincerely envied the young man’s youthful vigor. Even now, while Yuri’s arm cradling the watermelon was starting to ache with a heavy weight, this person was playing ball with a watermelon as if it were nothing.

As Yuri muttered, the young man burst into laughter. The young man looked back at the bewildered Yuri with eyes crinkled beautifully.

“Mr. Gable, you’re actually quite interesting. If you just listen to the words, it sounds like sarcasm, but you have a strange talent where it doesn’t sound like that at all.”

“? ……I wasn’t being sarcastic.”

“I know.”

The young man laughed cheerfully and waved his hand lightly. Then, his laughter subsided.

“Anyway, I don’t hate all human-pests. It’s funny to see them buzzing around saying they like me. It’s also funny how they fly up in a panic at a single gesture and hover around, not knowing what to do.”

“…….”

Yuri wondered why the young man had been staring at him intently for a while now. After a moment, it occurred to him that the gaze was related to what he was saying.

“Am I that bug?”

“Ahaha, I wasn’t saying that.”

While waving his hand as if to say ‘no way,’ the young man’s gaze did not leave Yuri. He scanned every corner of Yuri’s face as if trying to find something very minute.

Yuri also stared back at the young man, slowly looking at his eyes, nose, and mouth one by one. ……Somehow, it felt like his heart was going to throb again.

Eventually, the young man looking at Yuri frowned slightly. With a smile that looked like a grimace—mouth smiling but brow furrowed—he tilted his head.

“Man…… you really are a person with very few expressions……. I’m usually a ghost at detecting gazes fixed only on me, but right now I’m not so sure. ……Ah, or are you looking at me for another reason……?”

The young man, muttering half to himself, paused in thought and then asked.

“Did the eldest brother tell you to monitor me? I’m sure he put it nicely, like ‘take good care of him’ or ‘look after him.’”

“……He did tell me to keep an eye on you so you wouldn’t get seriously hurt.”

“What, so that was it.”

The young man clicked his tongue with a bored face, as if deflated again. Perhaps he was naturally a fast walker, as he didn’t try to match Yuri’s pace and soon moved several steps ahead. Then, thinking of something, he tilted his head and looked back.

“This is boring, and I’m starting to get sleepy. I’ll be going now.”

No sooner had he said that than the young man casually tossed the watermelon he had been holding like a basketball.

Startled, Yuri quickly shifted his current watermelon to one arm and caught the flying one with his free arm. Fortunately, he caught it without dropping it, but the watermelon, which plowed ruthlessly into his chest and slammed against his ribs, delivered a throbbing pain proportional to its immense weight.

Swallowing a low groan, Yuri finally straightened his hunched body after a few seconds. The young man was already far away, disappearing into the opposite end of the dim alley.

Yuri looked at the back of the young man’s head. He watched him leave without looking back once, as if he had lost interest in Yuri. The words Yuri shouted were unexpected even to himself.

“What is the criterion for a human and a bug?”

The word ‘bug’ itself wasn’t offensive. Throughout his life and work, he had heard all sorts of insults. From profanity to curses and malice, such a word was almost cute. Moreover, he believed that such words indicated a problem with the speaker rather than the listener, so it didn’t bother him much.

But for some reason, Yuri was bothered now. It was a feeling different from displeasure—something like regret or bitterness.

The young man stopped in his tracks and looked back at Yuri. His eyes, which widened slightly as if he hadn’t expected such a question, soon narrowed with a smile. ‘I wonder,’ the young man said, looking up at the sky as if considering it for the first time.

“The criterion for a human and a bug……. Wouldn’t it be whether I perceive the other person with even a tiny bit of seriousness, in any sense—whether good or bad?” He then smiled nonchalantly. “Ah, were you offended?”

If Yuri were to ask the young man, who was smiling calmly, ‘Am I the latter?’, he felt the young man would smile mischievously in silence for a moment and then lie calmly, ‘No way.’ He felt he had come to know this young man enough to gauge that much.

“……No. Be careful on your way home.”

As Yuri spoke, the young man smiled even more beautifully and waved both arms broadly. Then he turned and walked away with a step much lighter than before.

Watching his retreating figure in silence, Yuri’s honest heart felt a bit deflated. And Yuri was aware of that fact. It was the first time, at least as far as he could remember, that his emotions had been swayed by another person’s reaction.

Therefore, Yuri—who had good intuition—could soon realize why he felt gloomy, why the watermelon felt exceptionally heavy, and why his heart had been beating with a slow but clearly felt, large throb for a while now.

It seemed he would have to go out for a bit.

At this rate, it felt as though he would never be able to pinpoint Jung Jae-ui’s location even after a thousand years.

“I’ll be away for two or three days starting tomorrow. If you need anything, ask Anna, and if there’s something urgent, contact me. I’ll have my phone.”

“Ah, yes. Are you going far?”

“Not that far. To Sana for a while.”

There was someone Al Faisal had been close friends with since his student days in England. It was also the last trace before seringe. If he knocked on that door, there might be results.

Jung Tae-ui, watching Yuri answer indifferently, muttered ambiguously, “I see. If it’s not far, then I guess it’s not far.”

Jung Tae-ui, who had been occupying the outdoor lounge alone and watching a soccer broadcast, made a gesture to make room for Yuri as he sat down, asking, “Is it the Germany-Italy match?” Even though there was plenty of space left for two or three more people to sit.

“For some reason, I find myself watching my own country’s games more passionately when I’m abroad.”

Jung Tae-ui said this to Yuri, who had already been traveling overseas for a long time to find Jung Jae-ui. However, when Yuri replied calmly as if it were someone else’s story, “Is that so?”, Jung Tae-ui made an ambiguous face again.

“I’ve never particularly cheered for my own country. Sports have wins and losses; as long as it’s enjoyable while playing, that’s enough. Come to think of it, do Eastern cultures tend to have strong nationalist tendencies?”

“Ah—well, I don’t particularly place meaning on winning or losing either, but I still find myself cheering for my country, hoping they win if possible.”

Jung Tae-ui had a nostalgic look in his eyes as he mentioned that during a previous Korea-Germany match, he had sat cozily with Kyle’s family and was the only one cheering passionately for his homeland. Thinking of the family members in that house, Yuri guessed that the Riegrow brothers had likely watched indifferently without much excitement, and probably only Peter and Jung Tae-ui had competed fervently in their enthusiasm.

True, there might be a general national temperament, but whether one is obsessed with winning or losing is likely influenced more by individual personality than by national character.

Even siblings raised in the same country and environment can have vastly different inclinations. For instance, Ling Xinlu and his eldest brother, Ling Tangyun, whom he had encountered earlier this dawn.

Ling Tangyun was the type to believe that while one must win at decisive moments, it was acceptable to lose occasionally. Ling Xinlu, however, seemed like a man who didn’t even know what defeat meant. Because he had always been ahead of others, falling behind—let alone losing—was an utterly foreign concept.

‘I can’t stand losing. …Actually, I only realized this fact not too long ago. Until then, I’d never lost, so I didn’t even know what losing was.’

Beside Yuri, who was drying his wet body after just emerging from the sea onto the shore, the young man had started with a compliment, saying, ‘If you’re that good at swimming, you could sweep all the awards in a competition.’ When Yuri replied, ‘I don’t know, I’m not particularly fond of competitions that determine winners and losers. Winning against someone isn’t particularly welcome, and losing isn’t great either,’ the young man had responded that way. That he couldn’t stand losing.

Even though it was seawater and he would have to return to the lodging to shower with fresh water anyway, Yuri stared blankly at the young man while meticulously drying the moisture from his hair. His pretty eyes, blinking as if he had come out at dawn by cutting into his sleep, looked a bit drowsy.

‘Is it possible for a person to have never lost in their life? For example, if I had a swimming match with you, I would win, wouldn’t I?’

As Yuri tilted his head, wondering how a human could exist who had never lost to anyone, the young man shook his head with an “Ah.”

‘But that’s not what I want. I wanted to be smarter than others, I wanted my athletic nerves—reflexes, endurance, and such—to be superior, I wanted to be popular, and I wanted my talent for making money and my social status to be outstanding. In the areas I “wanted,” I have never lagged behind others in terms of achievement relative to my age.’

“Excluding extreme comparisons like Olympic gold medalists or rich people like my father,” the young man added with a bright laugh.

I see. So he’s saying he can’t endure this current situation, where the tide has turned and defeat looks imminent in a struggle for affection that started on equal footing—or rather, from a position more advantageous to himself.

The more they spoke, the more Yuri felt that this young man was a different kind of person from himself. In that regard, he felt that Jung Tae-ui was more similar to him. A temperament that could be described as finding contentment in a simple life.

And in that sense, Yuri pitied Jung Tae-ui. Once this matter was over, Yuri would say goodbye to all of this, but Tae-ui could not.

“It would be quite a hassle for a long time to be hostile toward someone so aggressive and persistent.”

When Yuri suddenly muttered this, Jung Tae-ui—who had been cheering for Germany and had just let out a sigh of relief, relaxing his fist as an Italian player missed a goal—looked back and asked, “Pardon?” Yuri didn’t take his eyes off the screen and brushed it off with a “No, just…”, but this man, who was unexpectedly quick-witted, rolled his eyes for a moment and then asked subtly, as if he had realized.

“Did Xinlu do something?”

“No, not really. …Though it does seem like he’s constantly looking for an opportunity to cause trouble the moment a gap opens up.”

Jung Tae-ui sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He maintained a nonchalant air, but it seemed he was bothered in his own way.

“That kid… he wasn’t always like that. Or rather, I should say he wasn’t like that at first. For a while after we first met, he was a very sociable and kind child. He’s probably still like that to people he gets along with without any trouble. That’s likely his usual personality.”

Yuri didn’t give a particular answer to Jung Tae-ui, who muttered, “If only the situation or emotions hadn’t become so tangled.” He simply gave a vague acknowledgment, asking, “Is that so?”

Perhaps that was true. He might treat people sociably and with a kind smile in general. Even considering how he treated Yuri, if one looked only at his tone and expression, wasn’t it a sociable, friendly tone and a kind, smiling face? Although the vicious aura contained within leaked out unfiltered, if Yuri and he had met somewhere other than here in seringe—if Ilay and Yuri weren’t on the same side—Ling Xinlu might have tucked away that viciousness and shown only the image of a sweet and cheerful young man.

…But even so, given his personality, he likely wouldn’t have smiled sweetly and indiscriminately at people he didn’t particularly like, so there was no doubt that he had been pretending in front of Jung Tae-ui.

“A person’s true nature comes out when they’re backed into a corner.”

Just then, Riegrow walked out from behind the gloomily silent Jung Tae-ui. His shirt was disheveled, as if he had been taking a short nap in the room. Watching the match that was nearly over, Ilay turned away with a face that showed absolutely no interest, whether it was his own country’s game or not, sat next to Jung Tae-ui, and snatched his beer to drink. Jung Tae-ui let out a short shout at the sight of him emptying the can in a few gulps.

…They would probably hate to hear it, but in some ways, Riegrow and Ling Xinlu seemed to have similar streaks. For instance, those words from just now. Yuri had heard almost the exact same thing, word for word, from Ling Xinlu earlier this dawn.

‘It’s true that I intended to take back even a corpse. I’m still thinking that now.’

‘….’

When Yuri had half-heartedly replied, ‘I wish you luck,’ to Ling Xinlu’s claim that he couldn’t stand losing, that was the response. That he would take back even a corpse.

‘Why are you telling me this? I have no intention of conveying the conversations I’ve had with you to them. I haven’t done so until now.’

Yuri had stared at him blankly and declared his neutrality. To the young man, who widened his eyes slightly as if surprised and amused, Yuri added.

‘Furthermore, no advantageous opportunity will arise for Mr. Ling Xinlu because of me. So,’

Yuri stopped speaking for a moment. He couldn’t immediately think of how to follow up with “So.”

So don’t talk to me, so don’t get in my way, so don’t stab me.

They were all plausible, but they all felt subtly off, and after a moment of deliberation, the answer Yuri chose flowed out in a lifeless voice.

‘There’s no need to go through the trouble of coming out every dawn while fighting off sleep.’

Ling Xinlu, who was still blinking his eyelids heavy with dawn drowsiness, blinked a couple more times even after Yuri finished speaking. In that short interval, the sleepiness vanished from his eyes, replaced by a playful light.

‘Ahaha, are you worried about me? How sweet. But it’s okay. It’s not that much of a struggle. Besides, just like right now, talking to you sometimes makes me feel very cheerful.’

‘I’m glad to hear that,’ Yuri mumbled. Returning to the image of a cool and sharp young man—perhaps one of his essential forms—without the playfulness, Ling Xinlu murmured softly.

‘It’s not that I want a corpse. If possible, I’d like to return together in a moderate and peaceful atmosphere. …But a person’s true nature comes out when they’re backed into a corner.’

That face, which still looked young with its sweet softness and a hint of childishness, looked like the expression of a man far beyond his years the moment he spoke of true nature. He wore a bitter and arrogant smile, as if he himself didn’t like his own nature but couldn’t help it.

Yuri gazed at him blankly with an expressionless face. It was a pity to see that beautiful face frown. He felt sorry for that face, which momentarily reflected an emotion close to self-loathing. He wished it could just stay pretty.

‘…. People often say that a person’s true nature is revealed when they are agitated or cornered. Every time I heard that, I wondered. If a person lives as their usual self for about eleven and a half months of the year and reveals their true nature for the remaining fifteen days, is that person’s essential character really found in those fifteen days? I see that person’s usual self twenty times more than their agitated self. In that case, how important is “essence” really?’

It wasn’t that he specifically wanted to comfort Ling Xinlu. Unless he had a specific intention to harm him, what influence did this so-called “true nature” have on the relationship between them? He had wondered about this for a long time.

Yuri, who had been looking into the void, shifted his gaze to Ling Xinlu, who was staring at him. The beautiful face had lost its expression, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

In terms of being hard to read, this man was in no position to talk.

Yuri sighed and picked up the water bottle he had tossed on the sand. It was about time to go back.

‘But I think those fifteen days are your essence. Because those fifteen days are far more intense than the other eleven and a half months combined.’

As he muttered this nonchalantly and started walking, Ling Xinlu, who had been gazing at Yuri with an unreadable expression, suddenly wrinkled the bridge of his nose. He pouted his lips in a mock-displeased manner.

‘Did you just call me an essentially ill-tempered human being…?’

‘I did not.’

‘I think you did.’

‘I didn’t.’

In truth, it wasn’t entirely untrue, but Yuri denied it with a serene face. He felt that if he said “Yes,” it would be used against him for a long time.

After glaring at Yuri for a moment, he suddenly laughed silently. A soft curve formed on his lips as a quiet breath escaped. Yuri found his gaze stolen by that curve of the mouth.

Ah, it really is like a flower blooming. That brilliant flower that had bloomed in the water long ago was now spreading its petals radiantly. How could he be this beautiful? To the point where one couldn’t look away, even while knowing full well that he was staring back with narrowed eyes.

…Well, what of it. It’s not like he was committing a crime, just staring blankly.

It was a pity that he was a dangerous flower that shouldn’t be touched, but come to think of it, he had never been particularly greedy about wanting to possess it. If a flower is pretty, isn’t it enough to just look at it? There was no need to pluck it and hold it in one’s hand.

‘Why are you staring like that?’

Only after hearing the slow question did Yuri realize he was facing him. The slanted eyes seemed to say, I know why you’re looking at me.

‘Because you’re pretty.’

Since it was obvious he’d been caught, Yuri answered without needing to hide it. The young man frowned slightly and clicked his tongue with a deflated face.

‘I’ve heard that thousands of times, but Mr. Gable is the first person to say it with such an indifferent face.’

‘Did you hear it that often?’

‘Why, don’t you believe me? People who were desperate to see me even once used to line up in front of my gate every day.’

Hearing him add, ‘I’m not joking,’ Yuri imagined himself standing in front of his gate. Even though he wasn’t swimming, he could easily imagine himself standing there blankly and regularly every morning.

That was why. An emotion Yuri rarely felt suddenly surged. It was spite.

‘You should say thank you to my face. The fact that there’s nothing I’ve wanted that I haven’t gotten is largely thanks to that.’

‘So you think you’ll be able to get your hands on Mr. Jung Tae-ui as well.’

‘–I know that Hyung is someone who shouldn’t be approached with looks alone, so I’m thinking of other methods too.’

Perhaps surprised that Yuri brought up Jung Tae-ui, Ling Xinlu raised an eyebrow slightly. Yuri looked at the sky once, then at the sandy ground, and then at him.

‘Do you like Mr. Jung Tae-ui, or do you just hate losing him to someone else?’

Direct.

It seemed that four-word blade had fallen squarely on Ling Xinlu’s head. Because the expression vanished from his face instantly.

Silence flowed for a while.

‘You’re overstepping. Greatly.’

It felt as if the temperature had dropped from his voice. The voice that touched him coldly was like ice. Even more so than expected.

Yes, it was “even more so than expected.”

And only then did Yuri realize that although he had guessed the young man would be displeased, in the face of a reaction stronger than expected, he might have touched a certain weakness that the other had been trying not to consciously acknowledge. He hadn’t intended to do that.

‘Did my feelings look that ridiculous to you? To the point where you could judge and trample them as you pleased? –So you’re saying I looked that ridiculous?’

A swirling smile returned to his face. As if he had never been angered by being caught off guard. However, his eyes were as black as an abyss.

Yuri remained silent. He hadn’t said it because it was ridiculous, nor had he intended to trample him, but nothing he said would reach the other’s ears now. In that silence, he regretted it. Because of a momentary surge of spite, he had broken and wounded the precarious pride of a child.

How immature, Yuri Gable. To someone more than ten years younger than you.

It was when Yuri silently bowed his head very slightly instead of speaking.

–Thwack.

A clenched fist struck Yuri’s temple without hesitation.

Rather than pain, it was surprise.

No, that surprise only came after some time had passed.

After his head shook and he lost his balance and collapsed onto the sandy ground without even room to think, and after the white sand clung grittily to his legs, palms, and elbows, it took a while before Yuri could form a thought. And then he was surprised.

Since Yuri wasn’t originally combat personnel, it wasn’t surprising that the young man had the skill to knock him down, but even though he had expected a fist or something to fly his way, there was no time to dodge. Moreover, the impact was strong enough to leave his head dizzy and make him feel a flicker of nausea.

Even though he knew the young man had the capability to enter UNHRDO as the top of his class, that perception had been blurred by his soft appearance. Thus, Yuri was surprised once again by his own naive judgment.

‘Did you think I was a rational person with good judgment, and that’s why you were so overstepping—because you expected your eldest brother to be your shield? Did Hyung not tell you to be careful and not to do things that would annoy me?’

‘-….’

‘You’re a smart person, Mr. Gable. You’re quick-witted too. But you need to behave better. Who knows if a gun barrel will touch your temple instead of a fist next time.’

Ling Xinlu shrugged, asking, ‘Isn’t that right?’

Having come out immediately in a state of drowsiness and possessing nothing, if he had brought a gun, he might have shot Yuri this time. Perhaps not in the temple, but maybe in the elbow or ankle.

Ling Xinlu clicked his tongue softly. ‘Ah—how boring, it just ruined my mood,’ he muttered to himself and then turned around. His shoulders, stiff as if his mood had soured, strode away.

Yuri, whose head was still shaking and who felt he would stagger if he stood up now, remained sitting on the sand for a while, watching him.

He felt a bit depressed. Yuri quietly chewed over the emotion of regret—an emotion as distant from him as spite was from the other. He let out a quiet sigh, recalling one or two emotions he usually barely recognized.

“Quite a day, sighing like an old man.”

Would this man, who muttered beside him without even looking at Yuri, ever feel things like depression or regret?

Yuri watched Jung Tae-ui, who had been huffing and puffing after having his beer stolen, return while clutching a beer can, and then looked at Riegrow, who was blinking his eyes pleasantly.

Probably not.

Yuri reached a simple conclusion without much deliberation. Such a day would never come in his life. It would be faster for him to become a mermaid.

“What, is the game of tag not going well?”

Only after taking the beer can handed to him by Jung Tae-ui did Riegrow glance back at Yuri. Only then did Yuri turn his attention back to the task of catching Jung Jae-ui’s tail. He thought it was almost done, but finishing it was not easy.

“Yes, so I’m planning to go to Sana for a bit tomorrow. After that, I should slowly bring the game of tag to an end.”

There was no need to rush all of a sudden, but he couldn’t drag things out forever either. It was about time to wrap things up.

As Yuri thought seriously about work, he found himself thinking of Ling Xinlu again without realizing it.

If the man intended to settle things here in seringe, he didn’t have much time left. Even if the conclusion were postponed… once his work was finished, Yuri would leave seringe, and he would no longer be involved in their love triangle. He would no longer have any reason to see that beautiful young man.

“…….”

Yuri felt a sense of regret. However, he soon shook his head. He felt the regret, but he didn’t feel pity.

It was enough that they had been able to cross paths like this, even for a short while.

For a long time, he had occasionally recalled it—that lingering feeling of regret from long ago. On that day, after pulling the flower-like boy out of the sea, he had to leave in a hurry the next morning, and thus he never got to see the boy wake up.

Of course, he heard later through Ling Tangyun that the boy had opened his eyes safely, but that regret had remained in his heart for a long time, refusing to be erased.

And now, unexpectedly, he had received a grateful gift in the name of coincidence. Only after seeing the young man alive and radiant, those black pupils shining before his eyes, and engraving that smile, those eyes, and that voice into his heart, was he able to soothe the old regret he had been faintly forgetting.

It felt as if he had finally completed a task he had left unfinished.

“You’ve been clinging to this job since last year, haven’t you? You’re working hard.”

Yuri looked strangely at Riegrow, who was unusually offering a superficial word of praise, perhaps because he was in a particularly good mood, but Yuri soon shook his head.

“No. It was rewarding work. I’m glad I did this. ……Yes, truly.”

* * *

In the end, going to Yemen had been of no help.

It wasn’t that there were no gains. On the contrary, there were plenty of gains.

In Sana’a, where Jung Jae-ui’s trail had last been seen, Yuri confirmed that there was an unidentified person among the party of Raman Abid Al Saud—the man suspected of kidnapping Jung Jae-ui. He also discovered that this person had been following them since Varanasi.

Furthermore, he succeeded in meeting Al Faisal’s friend and winning his favor. For some reason, Yuri often won the favor of elders regardless of gender, and he managed to obtain an invitation to Al Saud’s villa in seringe.

Probably no one, no matter how resourceful, could have achieved better results than Yuri in such a short period.

However, despite all that, those achievements all came to nothing.

It was because Jung Tae-ui’s whereabouts had become unknown in the mere two or three days Yuri was away.

The timing was impeccably precise. Exactly five seconds after Yuri stepped off the light aircraft and turned on his phone, it began to ring.

Yuri tilted his head as he looked at the number on the screen. There was nothing strange about this man calling, but they had already spoken early this morning. Usually, the contact was made from this side at a fixed time in the evening, so there was no reason for him to call again after their morning conversation—unless something incredibly urgent had happened.

He had a bad feeling.

The ominous sensation that had been swirling darkly in his mind since he received a call from an unexpected person late yesterday afternoon grew even denser.

“What is it, James?”

「Yuri, where are you right now?!」

At the sudden outburst of his familiar former colleague’s voice, Yuri remained silent for a moment before answering, “I’ve just entered seringe. I stepped off the plane thirty seconds ago and plan to head straight back to my lodgings.”

Early this morning, just a few hours ago when leaving Yemen, he had reported to Cha Berlin. There was no way James would have forgotten Yuri’s whereabouts in just a few hours. No, a man as competent as he would have calculated that Yuri would be arriving in seringe right about now. James, who was a few years older than Yuri, was a man whose mind worked much faster than most young people even in his forties. Indeed, if he weren’t, he wouldn’t have survived under a boss like Kyle for this long.

This poor man, whose competence had instead brought misfortune to his life, let out a pained groan. Thinking that Kyle might have slipped away again without James knowing, Yuri asked once more, “What happened?”

「It looks like that damn crazy second son caused trouble again. I got a call from ringa.」

Yuri fell silent. The combination of a few words brought an ominous premonition. Thump—it felt as if his heart had been struck. In that moment, the phone call from yesterday afternoon flashed through his mind.

“What did Ling do? To Ling Xinlu?”

「I don’t know exactly what he did, but the situation is unclear. It seems the people attached as Ling Xinlu’s guards were all injured to the point where proper contact or reporting was impossible.」

Is that lunatic second son planning to ruin the business in Asia?! Ringa is throwing a fit, saying they’ll never let this slide, and I’m more than welcome to it! I hope they just throw that psychopath in prison for good!—the sound of cursing could be heard over the phone.

Riegrow. To Ling Xinlu. ……In the end.

Yuri murmured, his mind feeling as if it were clouded by a thick black fog.

“Is Ling Xinlu…… not dead?”

「No news on that yet. In the worst-case scenario, he might already be dead. Regardless, we need to prepare a response on our end according to the situation, so Yuri, I know you’re tired since you just arrived, but could you go to where Ling Xinlu is staying?」

He didn’t even know in what state of mind he answered, “Understood.” It felt as if some of his memory had vanished after that. Yet, even in that daze, he seemed to have properly retrieved his luggage, taken a taxi, and stated his destination. When he came to his senses, the car was heading toward the Suhapha district where Ling Xinlu was staying.

The sun was beating down from above. Even the wind coming through the open car window was sweltering, making him dizzy. No, this dizziness was due to his heart. Get a grip, Yuri. He took a water bottle from his bag and slowly swallowed the few remaining sips, confirming that his thoughts were functioning properly.

He had felt that something like this would happen sooner or later. Given the situation, wasn’t it inevitable? Neither Riegrow nor Ling Xinlu were the types to quietly step aside, nor was this a matter that could be easily compromised. It wouldn’t be strange if any extreme situation occurred.

But if possible, he hoped the matter would be resolved moderately—though it would be impossible—in a direction that all three could accept. This was because it was all too obvious who would be the one to get hurt. Not just physically, but emotionally. The future where Ling Xinlu would be heartbroken was faintly visible to Yuri, who had stayed with Riegrow and Jung Tae-ui for a while.

“Could you speed up a little more?”

Urging the driver, who was leisurely humming a tune, Yuri slowly leaned his head against the seat. He didn’t know how long it had been since he last felt this kind of anxiety.

He had heard the news that Jung Tae-ui’s whereabouts had become unknown from a contact staying in Dar es Salaam upon his arrival. To be more precise, the signs had been bad since the previous night when Riegrow suddenly called and asked bluntly, 『He hasn’t come back. Do you know anything?』 No, more accurately, it started a few hours before that, in the afternoon, when he answered a call from Ling Xinlu.

When the owner of the unfamiliar number brightly said, 『It’s me,』 as the first words, Yuri remained silent for a few seconds, unable to believe the caller was Ling Xinlu, even though it was a voice he could never mistake.

『Don’t you know me? It’s Ling Xinlu——.』

‘……I know.’

Recalling the last time he saw him, Yuri answered bluntly. It felt slightly strange that the man who had struck Yuri’s temple with a cold, expressionless face and turned away was the same man now speaking over the phone in a bright voice that vividly brought to mind a beaming face.

『Why does your voice sound like that? Oh, you’re pouting, aren’t you?』

Flustered by the bright tone—which only made his own voice sound stiffer and blunter—Yuri replied, ‘I am not,’ to the comment about pouting just because someone had gotten a bit angry.

Rather than how the man got his number, he was more curious as to why he had called. Surely he didn’t call to apologize for hitting him. (Considering Ling Xinlu’s personality as Yuri perceived it, it was more convincing that he had called simply out of boredom.)

While Yuri hesitated on how to start the conversation, a cheerful voice continued to flow through the phone.

『I called to apologize.』

The answer he had dismissed first had come out. More surprised than when he first confirmed the caller was Ling Xinlu, Yuri was momentarily speechless again, but he managed to respond.

‘No, well…… it didn’t hurt that much, so it’s fine.’

『Huh? What is?』

‘……. You said you called to apologize.’

『Huh? ——Ah, I thought you meant something else. No, I called to apologize in advance.』

‘Huh? ……For what?’

The conversation was subtly misaligned.

Realizing that the reason Ling Xinlu called was certainly not because of the violence he had inflicted on Yuri, Yuri frowned suspiciously at the phrase ‘apologize in advance.’

『I’m in front of the hospital right now.』

‘Where are you injured?’

As Yuri trailed off, thinking the voice sounded perfectly fine, a tinkling laugh returned to him.

『No, no, it’s not that. I’m waiting for Tae-yi hyung. He went to the hospital to see if his ankle had fully healed.』

‘Ah, yes…… that’s good news.’

『Yes. So I thought I’d take him away now. I’m waiting in front of the hospital. I’m going to try and persuade him.』

Yuri was silent for a moment.

‘Persuade……. In my opinion, I don’t think Mr. Jung Tae-ui will follow you, Mr. Ling Xinlu.’

『Hmm, I don’t think it’ll be that easy either. But I still want to take him. I’ve grown tired of just watching from afar.』

Yuri fell silent again.

It sounded like he intended to take him regardless of whether the persuasion worked or not…….

‘Is Ling nearby…….’

『He’s not. Hyung came alone. My goodness, isn’t it truly cruel to send a sick person to the hospital alone? It would be better for hyung to cut ties with a guy like that as soon as possible.』

‘…….’

『Anyway, I’m going to take hyung, and it’s obvious that the remaining people will suffer if that guy throws a fit later. So, I called to apologize to Mr. Gable in advance. But you’re in Yemen right now, right? It’s a relief that you’re out. Stay there for a few more days so you don’t have to see anything unpleasant.』

Whether he should thank him for the advance notice or not, Yuri, feeling a sudden headache coming on, didn’t know how to respond and remained silent. Meanwhile, Ling Xinlu left a refreshing farewell—『Then, let’s see each other again when the opportunity arises』—and hung up.

Yuri stared blankly for a few seconds, holding the receiver that only emitted a disconnection tone, but he couldn’t stay that way. Right in front of him, Al Faisal’s friend, with whom he had been talking, was waiting for him.

Praying that nothing would go wrong and that Ling Xinlu’s attempt would fail in some way, Yuri returned to his duties to wrap up the work in Sana’a. Though his uneasy peace was shattered by a contact from Riegrow just as he had barely finished his work after running around all afternoon with a sliver of anxiety.

When he was asked if he knew anything because Jung Tae-ui hadn’t returned, Yuri’s headache finally flared up.

‘No, I don’t know,’ he replied, lying without realizing it, and Riegrow hung up as if he didn’t have the luxury to prolong the conversation. And once again, Yuri had to hold the receiver and stare blankly for a while. Needless to say, he booked the first flight to Dar es Salaam the next day immediately after.

“Customer, we’ve almost arrived at Suhapha.”

Only after hearing the taxi driver speak while glancing through the rearview mirror did Yuri realize the destination was coming into view. He mentioned the name of the lodging where Ling Xinlu was staying and prepared to pay the fare. At the same time, he prepared his mind for the gruesome scene he might be about to witness. In the worst case, he would be seeing a corpse.

“…….”

He had seen dozens of corpses so far, including several that had lost their human shape, and he had never once felt afraid, but at this moment, Yuri could tell he was clearly shaken just by the thought of Ling Xinlu’s corpse.

Stupidly.

He should have just gone back immediately after kidnapping Jung Tae-ui, so why did he stay?

Even though he must have known it would end up like this.

“…….”

Yuri tilted his head slightly and rubbed his chin with his fingers.

Yes, he must have known. There was no way Ling Xinlu didn’t know that Riegrow wouldn’t stay still once he found out Jung Tae-ui had disappeared.

Then why hadn’t he left the island immediately or taken some other measure? Was there some reason why he wouldn’t——.

While he was thinking, the taxi stopped in front of the destination.

The guards who should have stopped Yuri at the resort entrance were nowhere to be seen. Entering through the open gate without any guards, Yuri soon realized why they weren’t visible. It was because he could faintly hear a commotion from a distance inside the resort. A chaotic mixture of screams, curses, and shouting.

None of the voices were familiar, but Yuri recognized it immediately.

It was Riegrow. The situation was still ongoing.

His first thought was that it was a relief. The fact that the situation was ongoing meant that Ling Xinlu had not yet reached the worst-case scenario.

Yuri clicked his tongue and ran toward the noise.

However, there was nothing to be relieved about.

The soil of the beautifully manicured flowerbed looked exceptionally black because it was soaked in an immense amount of blood.

Stepping onto the flowerbed, Yuri shuddered as he saw his footprints leaving distinct red marks on the stones.

No, even that wasn’t the problem. He didn’t even notice the people sprawled across the garden in horrific states, unable to tell if they were corpses or critically injured patients who looked like corpses.

The first things to enter Yuri’s vision were Riegrow and Ling Xinlu standing before him.

Ling Xinlu was wearing outdoor clothes, as if he had gone out and come back. Perhaps that was why he hadn’t yet become part of that pile of corpses.

However, his appearance was not much different from a corpse.

An arm dangling where the shoulder had been separated from the torso, a leg somehow supporting him on the ground despite a twisted ankle, and blood splatters all over his body, though it was unclear whose they were.

Despite this, as if he felt no pain, his piercing, glistening eyes glared at his opponent with the ferocity of a beast on the verge of death. Those pitch-black eyes, which Yuri had once thought were a very clear and beautiful light, were now filled with murderous intent, like a crimson flame.

“Hand him over. Then I’ll consider whether or not to let you keep your life.”

Riegrow’s low, slow voice sounded somewhat languid, completely mismatched with the menacing atmosphere of the place. His fingers, moving slowly—flick, flick—looked like terrible weapons.

Before him, Ling Xinlu’s black pupils seemed to falter for a moment. His eyes swelled with explosive rage.

Why.

In a sensation where time seemed to have stopped, a thought suddenly occurred to Yuri.

Why hadn’t he left? Since yesterday afternoon, after getting his hands on Jung Tae-ui, he would have had plenty of time to leave this place.

Jung Tae-ui. Where is he? Even in this situation where Ling Xinlu is here and his surroundings have been devastated, why is he nowhere to be seen?

The way Ling Xinlu slowly curled his lips into a smirk looked extremely strange. Hatred and triumph, along with anger and resentment.

It was——.

“Hand him over? Did I leave something with you? Even if I did, I don’t want to hand him over to a bastard like you.”

It was the moment the mocking words fell from Ling Xinlu’s lips. Riegrow, who had no intention of waiting long, reached out. The pitch-black glove, whose original color was unknown, stretched relentlessly toward Ling Xinlu’s neck. And the moment that hand touched the neck would be the end of a life——.

“Stop. Jung Tae-ui is not here.”

It was only after seeing those black gloves stop just before touching his white neck that Yuri realized the voice that had escaped him in the heat of the moment was his own.

Before the indifferent and eerie eyes of Riegrow, who was slowly turning to look at him, Yuri first saw the face of Ling Xinlu, staring at him with wide-open eyes.

The face, which had looked caught off guard as if he had been struck from behind, soon shifted into a terrifying expression, like an Eastern ghost.

“Gable!”

A voice laced with simmering rage called out to Yuri. However, Yuri deliberately averted his gaze to look at Riegrow. Riegrow, slowly withdrawing his hand, tilted his head slightly, appearing as though he no longer had any interest in someone like Ling Xinlu.

“Then where is he?”

“I will find out soon. But he is not here. He wasn’t the one who took him.”

That was why he had remained here. To chase after Jung Tae-ui, who had vanished so completely that even he could not trace his whereabouts.

“I’ll kill you, you bastard…!”

Ling Xinlu, who had clearly intended to grate on Riegrow’s nerves, stepped toward Yuri, his exploding anger fully on display. But before he could, Riegrow cast a glance his way.

“Fine. Either way, this works out. I didn’t like this little brat anyway. It would be better to just clean things up once and for all.”

“I would prefer if you didn’t,” Yuri said with a troubled expression. Riegrow frowned slightly and looked at Yuri with a desolate gaze.

“James contacted me. He said that trouble with the ringa must be minimized at all costs. Therefore, I must protect him even if I have to throw my own body in the way, and you would have to harm me before you could harm him. But if I am injured, who will find Mr. Jung Tae-ui? Is there anyone who can find him better than I can?”

“Are you threatening me?”

“I am simply presenting realistic logic.”

Riegrow stared at Yuri in silence for a moment. He was likely weighing the situation in his head, but his narrow eyes felt as if they were freezing Yuri’s very heart. It felt as though he might sweep Yuri away as well if things went south.

Eventually, he let out a light breath.

“Fine. I don’t care about this fellow.”

Yuri breathed a sigh of relief, sensing that Riegrow wouldn’t completely dismiss his proposal. But the relief was short-lived as Riegrow continued.

“But you know, still, you claim to have been with Tae-yi until last night, yet you have useless eyes that couldn’t even properly watch where he disappeared to. What use are they, hm?”

The words were barely spoken.

The hand that seemed to be withdrawing suddenly lunged forward again. Seizing the opening that appeared in that split second, Ling Xinlu aimed his gun at him. The movement of the gloved finger extending and the finger on the trigger pulling happened almost simultaneously.

With exquisite timing that left no room for evasion, the muzzle flashed. Riegrow frowned slightly and seemed to recoil his hand a fraction.

However, both were just a fraction too late to deal a fatal blow to the other.

“—…!”

A bullet grazed Riegrow’s left chest, a few centimeters to the side, piercing through the clothes and deeply scratching the skin.

Blood glistened and flowed between the fingers of Ling Xinlu, who was clutching one eye, accompanied by a short, sharp intake of breath.

Aside from the gunshot, there was almost no sound, yet it felt as if a scream had erupted. Yuri, watching Ling Xinlu swallow his scream while biting his slightly parted lips, had that thought.

“Ling—!”

Yuri shut his mouth before he could unconsciously call his name and stepped toward him.

Riegrow, whose skin on the side of his chest had been deeply gouged because he failed to time his evasion, quickly soaking his clothes in blood, frowned slightly and then ruthlessly kicked Ling Xinlu in the ribs. Despite it being a kick violent enough to have broken bones, Ling Xinlu, still clutching one eye, gripped Riegrow’s leg tightly with one arm. He twisted his body as if intending to snap the leg right there.

It was as if only malice remained, and he could not endure unless he did something to this man, even if it meant crushing his own body.

And just before Ling Xinlu could twist his body to break Riegrow’s knee, Yuri stepped between them. He struck Ling Xinlu’s forearm with his fist, causing the arm that had been hugging Riegrow’s leg to accidentally let go.

“Gable! You son of a bitch from the Riegrow family! Don’t interfere!”

The one eye glaring at Yuri, pouring out curses, glistened even more eerily than the other eye, which was drenched in blood. He looked less like a human and more like a ghost.

Without a word, Yuri kicked Ling Xinlu’s ankle, which was already bent in an abnormal direction. A short scream erupted from his mouth, and his body, losing balance, collapsed to the floor. Supporting the fallen Ling Xinlu with one arm, Yuri placed his own body between him and Riegrow.

His pale face was drenched in cold sweat. Nevertheless, with piercing blue eyes that had not lost their light, Ling Xinlu stared at Yuri.

“Let go, move. Don’t interfere. I’ll kill you…!”

“Are you unaware of your own condition? If you don’t want to be further humiliated in front of him, stay still.”

Yuri’s brief reprimand was in Ling Xinlu’s native tongue, which Riegrow could not understand. A flicker of something passed through Ling Xinlu’s eyes. Whether it was because it was Chinese or because of the content of the words, he did not open his mouth again, save for muttering to himself with a gradually blurring gaze: It hurts, damn it, it hurts.

“James must have given you a very stern warning, huh? Seeing as you’re throwing your body away to protect that guy.”

Riegrow snorted and muttered from behind Yuri’s back, but he didn’t seem inclined to take further action. Supporting Ling Xinlu over one shoulder, Yuri frowned and looked back at Riegrow.

“James will cry.”

“There’s no way that man would cry over something like this. I don’t care. Find Tae-yi first, Gable. I don’t intend to wait long.”

“You won’t have to wait long.”

Just then, as if someone had called, the sound of sirens grew closer from the distance. It was the sound of an ambulance rushing toward them.

Looking at Ling Xinlu, who was biting his lip and drenched in cold sweat, as if forcibly holding onto a shred of consciousness that had half-slipped away in agonizing pain, Yuri carefully moved the hand covering his eye to examine it and fell silent for a moment. Perhaps sensing that Yuri’s hand, which was gently holding his, trembled slightly, Ling Xinlu seemed to put a bit more strength into his grip.

Eventually, when the siren stopped nearby, Yuri spoke heavily.

“But before that, I should take this ambulance to the airport first.”