Jeong Taeui also fell silent. Like Christoph, he didn’t take medication, but his taste still felt bitter.

But that was it. He couldn’t ask any more.

Jeong Taeui’s intuition told him exactly where his limits lay and when it was time to pull back.

That boundary was like the things he could manage.

Currently, the area within Jeong Taeui’s ‘manageable zone’ was occupied by a madman—and that madman took up an absurdly large portion, leaving very little else. With the remaining small part, he could only go this far.

After all, he couldn’t chase the madman away to expand his area. As time passed and life went on, priorities naturally shifted toward him.

…… Anyway, it’s too late to regret now, so he could only follow through.

According to his uncle, Jeong Taeui was ‘the type who easily adapts to any situation but sometimes makes unexpected decisions in unforeseen circumstances’. Jeong Taeui recalled his uncle’s words and quietly shook his head. Still, he believed he would be ready to humbly kneel to survive in critical moments.

But even so, no matter how the situation turned, the permissible range for Christoph was only up to here.

“Listening to you, it seems you really are Ilay’s friend. Sometimes you have a human touch, other times you feel very dangerous, and then sometimes you’re both dangerous and insecure…….”

Jeong Taeui muttered like a sigh.

And then he felt a surge of anger beside him.

Although it was dark and he couldn’t see clearly, Christoph was surely now looking at him coldly with an annoyed expression on his sculpted face. Even without looking, Jeong Taeui could easily imagine that face in his mind. If it were someone else, Christoph might have already cut out their tongue without hesitation.

It was truly a stark contrast.

Richard – he was like someone from a completely different extreme compared to Christoph – always smiled with a kind and gentle face. Even when he had to say unpleasant things, he wouldn’t be rude to the other person. He was truly a mature and kind person.

“But I still like you more than Richard. … It feels strange to say it out loud…….. But yes, it’s incomparable, but still, I prefer you.”

Jeong Taeui muttered as he looked into the dark void. When he lifted his head a bit, the night sky filled his view, dimly lit with a few stars peeking through sparse clouds.

After Jeong Taeui finished speaking and fell silent, Christoph suddenly spoke after a brief pause.

“I don’t like you.”

“…….”

Jeong Taeui didn’t expect those words. He didn’t even want to hear them. Because if he did, he might think he was delusional. But still, it was too harsh to respond so coldly.

“You… really need to learn….”

Perhaps it was the bad environment around him, but there were people lacking common sense in dealing with others scattered all around him like landmines. Although the severity varied, just thinking about those who immediately came to mind, there were indeed many, like mushrooms after the rain. Just at UNHRDO, where he used to work, there were many people on the edge between normal and abnormal.

If Jeong Taeui opened an academy to teach how to behave like a normal person, business might thrive. There were potential students everywhere. Not only around him but also in places Jeong Taeui didn’t even know.

But after thinking it over, he immediately gave up.

If he opened such an academy, those who needed to learn basic manners would never come, instead, introverted and shy people might seek it out.

Overall, people who don’t understand social norms often don’t realize they are that way, so it would be a futile and useless effort……. Jeong Taeui indulged in these strange thoughts for a moment and then shook his head: “Hmm” he sighed and bluntly said.

“I don’t care whether you like me or not. Anyway, the feeling of ‘liking’ I’m talking about doesn’t need to be mutual to establish a relationship. So what I’m trying to say is-…… I don’t know. It’s just that.”

Damn it, he was the one who really needed to attend an academy for communication skills.

Jeong Taeui’s tongue felt twisted every time he tried to express his thoughts, so he ended up closing his mouth. Jeong Taeui licked his lips, feeling it was worse than saying nothing.

The silence dragged on.

After that silence, Christoph spoke in a deep voice.

“But I don’t like you…….”

“I get it.”

Jeong Taeui waved his hand, thinking he really needed to establish an academy to teach normal social manners. Even though he sat at a reasonable distance from Christoph, he still felt a bit anxious whenever the other’s hand moved slightly.

“I don’t like you.”

Christoph repeated once more. This time his voice was a bit lower. Jeong Taeui opened his mouth to say something but then fell silent.

Though it might not be true, that gentle voice seemed tinged with sadness and worry at the same time. Combined with Christoph’s stern expression, it suddenly felt comical. So Jeong Taeui laughed out loud.

Hearing Jeong Taeui’s laughter, Christoph turned to look at him, full of questions.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s very funny.”

“……. Because you’re with me?”

“Yes, because I’m with you.”

Responding to Christoph, Jeong Taeui smiled and replied.

Christoph sighed. Then he looked into the empty space under the sky. Even if his facial expressions couldn’t be seen clearly, his face was as usual, full of boredom and sadness.

“Then come to me.”

“Uhm, come to you…, what?”

Jeong Taeui quickly turned his head and asked, his smile not yet fading. It seemed he had just heard something strange.

However, Christoph didn’t look at Jeong Taeui, instead, he gazed up at the sky and mumbled slowly, “Life is so boring.”

“If you want to get away from Rick, that problem will be solved.”

“…….Did I ever say that?”

Jeong Taeui asked doubtfully. His smile immediately vanished.

Though his worries were somewhat similar to what Christoph had just mentioned, they weren’t exactly the same. Rather than wanting to escape, he just wanted to avoid Rick’s incoming explosive wrath.

“I’ve told you before about Rick. He’s not obsessed with anything. Even if he likes something, he’s willing to give it up in exchange for something else. I have quite a few things he might want to trade for, so if you want, you can stay with me.…… If he says no, just resist. Anyway, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a proper fight, so it might be good to stretch my muscles a bit…… If you want…… I can do that.”

Christoph added, “If you don’t like it, then forget it.”

Jeong Taeui looked at him, stunned.

He had thought about it before, but this seemed like a huge favor from Christoph. Considering his usual behavior, it was an unimaginable and incredible favor.

“No, rather than saying I don’t like it……” – Taeui scratched his neck and stammered.

Christoph’s assumptions weren’t entirely wrong, but there was a crucial part that was incorrect. However, Jeong Taeui felt a bit embarrassed, and the words stuck in his mouth even though he wanted to correct it.

Then another thought crossed his mind.

It was Christoph’s determined intention to fight back. In other words, it seemed he was trying to resolve the issue through violence to confront Ilay, but did he really have the ability to do that?

Jeong Taeui suddenly imagined a confrontation between Ilay and Christoph.

……. On the surface, Christoph looked frail, more suited to holding flowers than throwing punches, yet he was stronger than anyone else.

Though their personalities were very different, they were both equally crazy.

So the outcome of the fight would depend on their combat skills and physical strength…….

From birth to growing up, Jeong Taeui had been surrounded by rough men, not many women. Even in his family, aside from his mother, there were three men. Jeong Taeui attended an all-boys middle and high school, then transferred from a Military Academy to the Army. After his discharge, he went to UNHRDO and finally Berlin – and the only woman in that house was Rita, who would be turning 70 in a few years.

He had lived a life surrounded by such men. Since attending the military academy, he had been in an environment where men only knew how to fight, fight, and fight.

Despite being around many men, with his extensive experience, he had never seen anyone who could fight better than Ilay. Not one. Ilay always defeated his opponents quickly and could easily achieve what he wanted through combat. So he couldn’t imagine Ilay being defeated by anyone, even Christoph.

“……. Is it possible if you are determined?”

Jeong Taeui wasn’t underestimating Christoph; he just had doubts. Hearing Jeong Taeui’s mutterings, Christoph frowned and stared at him with a silent, intense gaze, seemingly asking what he meant.

“No, it’s not that I don’t trust you.”

Jeong Taeui quickly added, raising both hands.

Christoph squinted dangerously at Jeong Taeui for a long while before swiftly turning his head back.

Jeong Taeui smirked, and as the wind blew through his hair, he also turned his head.

At that moment.

“Really. You can’t say that to someone who single-handedly created the European version of the Killing Field.”

(The Killing Field*: The Killing Field is a former garden in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which now contains a mass grave of victims who were killed by the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979.)

The voice was deep and cold, almost as if it was smiling.

As expected, when misfortune strikes, it doesn’t leave easily. Jeong Taeui frantically searched his memories.

Damn it. What did I say? Did I say something that made him upset? Jeong Taeui became more anxious because he couldn’t remember what he had said. He thought the last thing they talked about was resolute struggle.

While Jeong Taeui was lost in thought, a man approached from the small tower. Without looking, Jeong Taeui knew who it was by the voice and the slow-moving shadow.

“Seems like someone loves eavesdropping… .”

Jeong Taeui frowned.

He glanced to his side.

Christoph remained still, quietly gazing at the sky. It was as if he were dreaming with his eyes wide open and his expression unchanged. After a long silence and suddenly saying those incomprehensible words, Christoph quietly mumbled: “He’s here?”

Jeong Taeui awkwardly scratched his head.

He never imagined he would encounter such a situation.

Dongik was very far from here. From where they were sitting, they could directly see all the people coming and going there.

Jeong Taeui thought Ilay was somewhere in that building.

“Why are you coming from that direction?”

Jeong Taeui unconsciously muttered and turned his head toward the source of the sound but stopped midway.

Ilay was taking a few steps forward, coming closer to him. Because of the backlight, he couldn’t see his face clearly, but Jeong Taeui recognized the familiar silhouette on the grass approaching him. However, the strange thing was that there was a round lump on Ilay’s shoulder. That lump was even higher than Ilay’s head.

“Oh, there’s something on your shoulder……..”

But before Jeong Taeui could finish speaking, the lump moved. Only after hearing a child’s voice say: “Put me down” did Jeong Taeui realize there was a child sitting on Ilay’s shoulder.

Ilay gently lifted the child and set them down, the small shadow on his shoulder disappearing.

“Christoph. Did Christoph come to see the meteor shower too?”

The child ran joyfully toward Christoph. Only when Jeong Taeui saw the child reflected in the light from Seoik’s lit windows did he realize who it was. Oliver—a mini version of Richard.

Christoph slightly frowned upon seeing the child. Then he shook his head in annoyance.

“I don’t know about that.”

“Oh, people say there will be a meteor shower tonight……. But it’s too cloudy…….”

Oliver was happily talking when he suddenly looked up at the cloudy sky with a disappointed face. With the sky full of clouds, it was hard to see the stars hidden behind the distant clouds.

Christoph looked down at the child with an unpleasant expression, then directed his gaze to the sky. His eyes wandered vaguely across the night sky.

“……. Ah, right…”

Jeong Taeui unconsciously mumbled.

Christoph’s eyes immediately turned towards him, and Oliver did the same. Jeong Taeui quickly waved his hand to indicate it was nothing.

He suddenly realized.

It seemed that, somehow, Christoph liked this child.

……. However, seeing Christoph’s cold expression now, he thought maybe he was wrong.

Jeong Taeui scratched his head. Up until now, he hadn’t noticed the gaze fixed on him. He turned his head.

Ilay was standing there, a little distance away, quietly staring at him. Jeong Taeui couldn’t tell if it was because of his mood, but that gaze felt sharp and prickly.

He suddenly remembered a question he had. Or perhaps it was more of a curiosity or surprise.

“……. Why did you bring that child along?”

When Jeong Taeui asked suspiciously, Ilay slightly raised an eyebrow. Then he responded as if Jeong Taeui’s question was a strange one.

“Richard asked me to. He planned to watch the meteor shower with his son tonight but had something to take care of at the main building. He asked me to accompany his son until he returned.”

Jeong Taeui fell silent after hearing Ilay’s explanation and looked past Ilay towards where he had come from. There was a simple tower connecting the main building to the West Wing. The tower was quite high and open, likely an ideal spot to view the sky. But…

Leaving his beloved son with this man showed that Richard had far more courage than Jeong Taeui had thought.

What surprised Jeong Taeui even more was that Ilay could let a child sit on his shoulders.

“You seem to have an unexpectedly tender side, Ilay. You even treat children kindly.”

Jeong Taeui glanced at Ilay and said. Ilay stared at him silently for a moment. That thoughtful look in his eyes was cold. So cold that even Jeong Taeui, who was used to those eyes, felt a sudden chill.

Finally, Ilay spoke.

“If you value your small life, never call me by that name again, Kim Young Soo.”

“… ― Oh, of course, I’ll remember that, Riegrow.”

Jeong Taeui quietly replied. After observing him for a while longer, Ilay turned to Oliver, who was standing a short distance away, and suddenly spoke.

“Is it strange that I treat children kindly?”

Ilay said with a slight smile. Jeong Taeui looked at him, puzzled by his expression. But he quickly returned to his usual demeanor.

Although his personality couldn’t be described as normal, Jeong Taeui thought he had a good understanding of himself, but maybe not?

“……. Have you ever done this before?”

“No, this is the first time.”

“I thought so.”

Jeong Taeui didn’t know which way the wind was blowing, but from the beginning, the man named Ilay Riegrow and the seven words ‘kind to children’ had no relation to each other. It was an illusion that couldn’t exist in Jeong Taeui’s mind.

Even now, the way Ilay looked at Oliver showed no concern or warmth. It seemed he viewed it simply as a task he had to perform.

As expected, Richard must have had an exceptionally large amount of courage. Thinking about it, Jeong Taeui couldn’t help but admire Richard’s decision to leave his son with this man, even for a short time.

“I don’t know what happened that made you put a child on your shoulders, but it doesn’t look too bad.”

Although the image didn’t suit Ilay at all, that was because Jeong Taeui knew Ilay too well. To a stranger, Ilay might appear to be just a handsome young father with his child.

Upon hearing this, Ilay chuckled. He slowly approached Jeong Taeui. In the unreadable expression in his sharp eyes, Jeong Taeui instinctively shrank back.

Ilay continued to approach, seeming to slow down a bit when he was right in front of Jeong Taeui, but then he passed by him and headed towards Christoph. Christoph was speaking coldly to Oliver in the distance, and as Ilay walked past Jeong Taeui, he whispered something close to his ear.

“If you want, I can fill your body. Every day. Until the baby comes.”

“… ―.”

Jeong Taeui flinched and subtly moved back. Ilay glanced at him, then smiled before walking slowly past Jeong Taeui towards Christoph.

“I fit the role of a father quite well, don’t I?”

When Ilay reached Christoph and Oliver, Christoph responded with a sneer, snorted, and turned his head away. Oliver also smiled but said nothing more.

No matter how much he thought about it, Jeong Taeui couldn’t find an answer. No matter how much time he spent pondering, he couldn’t understand what was happening.

Jeong Taeui, for a moment, rubbed his goosebump-covered arms and stared at Ilay’s back. He sat alone on the bench, trying to forget what he had heard.

Then Oliver suddenly said: “Dad!” and started running towards the main building.

Richard was coming down the stairs in front of the main building, far enough that Jeong Taeui couldn’t see his face clearly. As Oliver ran towards him, Richard seemed to notice, smiled, and opened his arms wide.

Jeong Taeui watched from a distance, with Ilay’s voice ringing in his ears, not sure who he was speaking to.

“Be careful with your words.”

Jeong Taeui turned his head.

Ilay was looking at the father and son from afar with a detached expression and his usual faint smile.

Jeong Taeui squinted at him and said.

“Can you hear sounds all the way from that tower?”

“I can see clearly who’s sitting here from there, and the sounds of conversation…… When I got closer, I could hear.”

Jeong Taeui recalled the question he had pondered for a long time earlier and had forgotten.

Come to think of it, what had he said to Christoph before Ilay arrived?

Looking at Richard and Oliver approaching, Ilay said in a low voice.

“Chris. Someone who doesn’t even desire what they should, shouldn’t hope for what they shouldn’t, right?”

“Me?”

Christoph frowned and stared at Ilay as if hearing something unpleasant.

“If you don’t even know what you want, don’t have useless ambitions.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The cold and quiet conversation continued.

Meanwhile, Richard and Oliver were approaching. Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue at the tense atmosphere among the men and muttered, “What’s happening now?”

Ilay looked at Oliver with a calm smile on his cold face. It seemed Christoph’s words had irritated him, and his eyes grew colder.

“Why is the atmosphere getting worse?”

Jeong Taeui had quietly intervened, but no one responded.

Ilay slowly shifted his gaze to Christoph and stared at his emotionless sculpted face. Suddenly, his lips moved, producing a deep, dangerous sound.

“You’ve never complained about that pain to anyone.”

“…….”

“Of course, you can go anywhere and cling to anyone to cry. It doesn’t matter who, Chris, but it can’t be this person. Find someone else. But who would be willing to accept someone like you?”

The last words were so soft that the person facing him could hardly hear them.

Jeong Taeui’s expression froze.

Those words weren’t aimed at him. Ilay was clearly talking to Christoph. But they sounded especially terrifying. All expressions disappeared from Christoph’s face.

He stood there silently, blinking, not moving like a living doll. No matter what Ilay said, it seemed he couldn’t hear and didn’t look at or answer him. Christoph just stood there, indifferent and bored.

His face was pale. His bloodless face blended into the darkness.

Next to him, Ilay looked down at Christoph. Then, in an instant, his lips curled. His icy eyes also formed a thin line.

“Hey—…… Riegrow.”

Jeong Taeui stared at him and spoke stiffly.

He couldn’t pinpoint it. But clearly, Ilay had delved into the deepest part of Christoph’s darkness, and he knew it well. From the beginning, he had intended to say those words.

Hearing Jeong Taeui’s voice, Ilay turned his cold gaze towards him.

Before Jeong Taeui could say anything more, Ilay spoke first.

“Haven’t I made it clear that I won’t tolerate troublesome people? For those who don’t know their place and meddle in others’ affairs, I have no mercy. You’d better remember that well, Kim.”

Jeong Taeui fell silent.

The glassy eyes staring straight at Jeong Taeui belonged not to Ilay but to Riegrow.

Just as Jeong Taeui was Kim Young Soo, not Jeong Taeui.

“If you dare to go out, you’ll be dead.”

Perhaps anyone else would have been dead long ago.

So, what about him?

Thinking about this, Jeong Taeui held his cold heart and forced a smile.

Get a grip. Now you are Kim Young Soo. You must take full responsibility for all your actions and not expect any generosity or tolerance from others.

Jeong Taeui looked at Christoph.

He still stood there indifferently, as if nothing had happened. Without looking at Jeong Taeui or anyone else, he only stared into the endless void ahead. Only his complexion was slightly paler.

The atmosphere between the three men was tense, silent, and uncomfortable.

The one who broke the silence was Oliver, who had come quite close and was running towards them. Richard smiled warmly, watching his son run after him.

At that moment.

“……. Ah. A meteor…….”

Suddenly, Oliver widened his eyes and looked up at the sky. He raised his chin, following a fleeting trace that disappeared behind the sparse clouds in the night sky.

“Dad, did you see it? Just now!”

Oliver looked back with wide eyes and excitement on his face. His bright eyes gazed up at the enchanting sky towards Richard, who was standing a short distance behind him.

Richard smiled and nodded.

“There will be more meteors falling soon. It would be better if the sky were clearer and less cloudy… … .”

Richard looked up at the sky with a bit of concern, then looked at his son. The next moment, the smile on his face disappeared.

Oliver was running and looking up at the sky, heading towards Christoph, who stood there as if frozen.

“Oh…… Ah!”

Oliver ran on without noticing Christoph standing right in front of him. The child bumped into Christoph and lost his balance, staggering for a moment before instinctively grabbing Christoph’s waist to avoid falling.

“Ah…,… sorry….”

Oliver looked up with an apologetic face and stared at Christoph.

At that moment.

Christoph stood there like a statue, not moving a finger. But his facial expression changed instantly. His pale, dull eyes widened as if shocked. His already pale face turned even whiter. The corners of his mouth twitched.

And, without realizing it, or even knowing what was happening, Christoph pushed Oliver away as if not knowing what it was.

His body trembled as if a large, terrifying bug had clung to him. He harshly struck the small body hugging his waist.

“……. !!”

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

No one could stop it, no one had time to shout. Christoph’s violent hand struck the child’s body mercilessly.

Oliver, unable to maintain his balance while clinging to Christoph’s waist, was thrown several meters away with a loud scream and wide eyes.

A heavy sound echoed from the back of Oliver’s head as he fell. Though not loud, it was the kind of sound that sent chills down one’s spine.

“OLIVER!”

Richard’s scream shattered the brief silence.

Christoph seemed to come to his senses just as he pushed Oliver away. He blinked, looking momentarily confused, seeing Oliver lying a few meters away. Christoph stared blankly at the spot with a blank expression.

Jeong Taeui instinctively stood up and ran towards Oliver.

They were standing near the path in front of Seoik, next to a well-maintained yard. Surrounding the area were small stone pillars, knee-high, lining the path.

Oliver had fallen next to one of the stone pillars and was unconscious. Blood had stained the top of the round pillar.