It seems like he has delved too deeply into it. Everyone has a thing or two they don’t want the outside world to know. Moreover, Jeong Taeui doesn’t pay much attention to other people’s companies.

“Oh, right. Jaeui is going to Germany next month.”

Suddenly remembering, his uncle looked at him and said. Seeing his uncle abruptly change the topic like that, Jeong Taeui thought that the secret indeed needed to be kept tightly under wraps, but the tone of his uncle’s voice still made him widen his eyes in surprise.

“He is? To Germany? Why?”

His brother – Jeong Jaeui – is currently working at the headquarters of UNHRDO in the US as a researcher.

He has always been known as a peerless genius, so he decided to join UNHRDO to avoid being kidnapped again right after escaping from the kidnapper who had taken him two or three years before. Therefore, he is now a special researcher at the headquarters. His uncle said he is always so busy with work that he barely steps out of the research room, and it’s unclear whether he really likes working there.

After parting ways in Johannesburg, the times he could contact him by phone could be counted on one hand, but finally, he has made it to Germany. Although Jeong Taeui and Jeong Jaeui are not as close as other blood brothers, he was still happy to meet him after a long time.

His uncle leaned forward, looking at Jeong Taeui and then smiled and said.

“An international aviation technology forum will be held in Frankfurt next month.”

(*Frankfurt am Main – is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse)

“…..He’s become a pilot now, Hyung???”

When Jeong Taeui asked with his limited imagination, his uncle laughed and waved his hand.

“He’s almost completed his research on RAM technology that significantly reduces the effects of RCS (Stealth Aircraft). He will be there to present his research at this forum.”

“…. …That sounds more like a military technology forum than an aviation technology forum. Is my brother still working in that field?”

Jeong Taeui scratched his head and sighed as he thought about the numerous military suppliers that would probably flock to his brother.

“Jaeui is always guaranteed absolute security and is untouchable. In a situation where he has bodyguards and escort vehicles lined up from the airport to the bed and even the bathroom, if someone could harm that kid, then even I would have to truly respect that person…. No, before that, it’s unknown whether Jaeui could be harmed without protection.”

“Even if all the bodyguards turned on him and pointed guns at him, he would still be safe.”

Kyle next to him also nodded as if agreeing.

Whatever the case, it’s good. It’s been a long time since he last met his brother.

Jeong Taeui wondered if the reunions of other separated families felt like this, but it seemed everyone was so calm that if other families knew, they might be angry at this indifference. Jeong Taeui estimated that getting to Frankfurt by ICE (a common high-speed train in Germany) would probably take about 5 hours.

“It’s alright, Taei. It’s been a long time since you last met the person you’ve been missing.”

Kyle was as happy as if it was his own reunion and gently patted Jeong Taeui on the shoulder.

“Thank you.”

Jeong Taeui smiled shyly. His uncle sitting next to him watched this friendly demeanor then suddenly changed the topic.

“Oh, right. Thinking about it, there’s still one more thing concerning him.”

Kyle was lifting a cup of tea to drink, and he raised his eyebrows at his uncle.

“This afternoon, I received some hot news from the Berlin branch just before coming here. Christine is back.”

His uncle spoke casually and reached for an apple from a wicker basket on the table and bit into it without bothering to wipe it. Next came the crunchy sound.

Hearing that sound was refreshing and tantalizing to the taste buds. Jeong Taeui also reached out to grab an apple from the large basket.

*Clack*

Jeong Taeui was about to touch the basket when he suddenly froze, his gaze shifting toward the unnatural sound. Kyle was staring at his uncle, seemingly having inadvertently placed his tea cup down too hard, causing it to slosh and wet his hand without him realizing it.

Kyle widened his eyes as if he couldn’t hear anything else.

“Christine……”

Jeong Taeui looked at Kyle, amazed, as his face clouded over in an instant. He wondered when was the last time he saw him so flustered.

“Oh, that’s exciting, huh? Indeed, it’s different when you finally meet someone you’ve missed for so long.”

His uncle beamed and mimicked Kyle’s earlier statement. That smile, even to Jeong Taeui, who was clueless about the situation, seemed rather wicked. Jeong Taeui reached out again for an apple and rubbed it on his clothing, then glanced at his uncle.

“Who is that person?”

His uncle smiled and replied, satisfied at witnessing Kyle’s reaction.

“Christine—Or you could also call Christina.”

That name sounded unfamiliar. Even if he searched his memory carefully once more, he couldn’t guess who it was. But from Kyle’s unusual reaction……

Perhaps he had some not-so-pleasant personal history with her—like an ex-girlfriend from about 10 years ago, or a daughter he had secretly kept hidden?

After a long while, Jeong Taeui just sat quietly, trying to keep silent, waiting for someone else to speak further on this topic. But the silence stretched longer than anticipated. So Jeong Taeui couldn’t help but look at Kyle and ask.

“Did you do something wrong to that person?”

It was a rather blunt question, but Kyle just looked down at his hands with a pale face as if he hadn’t heard the words.

“Rather than saying I did something wrong—yes, you could say it’s similar to Riegrow. After all, Rick was born and became Kyle’s brother not because Kyle committed some great sin. It was just a randomly assigned punishment.”

His uncle was now rolling with laughter, tears streaming down his face. At times like these, Jeong Taeui felt fortunate not to be his uncle’s contemporary. Though it’s unfortunate since he is younger, but if he were friends with his uncle, how would he handle him?

“…….Is that person his illegitimate child?”

“To put it bluntly, that person is a childhood friend, just with a considerable age gap.”

“Ah. So, that person’s character is a bit unusual?” 

Jeong Taeui polished the apple until it shone, using the hem of his shirt, pondering.

It’s like Lieutenant Kim for him. He is definitely not friends with him, but from a certain perspective, he both still have a relationship; despite utterly detesting each other, due to circumstances, there’s no choice but to face that bad karma.

“Let’s be clear…. That person wasn’t my childhood friend…”

Perhaps dissatisfied with what his uncle had said, Kyle now spoke up with a murmur in his voice that sounded frightful, along with pale eyes and face.

“To be precise, that person was a childhood friend of Ilay.”

*Thud*

The moment Kyle spoke, the apple in Jeong Taeui’s hand dropped.

Jeong Taeui also thought that the phrase ‘childhood friend’ didn’t quite suit Kyle, but linking Ilay to those words made it even more perplexing.

“Ilay……. You mean he had a friend from childhood?”

“Since they were little, if there were any family matters that needed to be addressed, the children would come together and play…. Oh, right, Chris….  also worked with Ilay. Back when the T&R Private Task Force was active…..”

Somehow, the scene looked bizarre.

Although Kyle was nervously interlocking his fingers with a face that seemed blood-drained, his voice was deep and calm, only stuttering slightly when he mentioned that name.

However, seeing Kyle like this, Jeong Taeui also felt vague.

The term ‘childhood friend’ associated with Ilay sounded ominous, but what followed was even more thought-provoking. If it was the T&R Private Task Force, wasn’t that place notorious for being a den for lunatics like him? It was almost like Double Impact*.

(*An action-martial arts-psychological film from 1991 directed and written by Sheldon Lettich, featuring twin brothers as the main characters, implying Tay thinks Ilay and Chris are just like these two.)

Just hearing it was headache-inducing. Now Jeong Taeui understood why Kyle’s face changed color so dramatically at the mention of that name.

But wait a minute…..

“Christina….. When Ilay was terrorizing Riyadh*, I don’t recall such a name on the wanted list.”

(*Riyadh: the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia)

“At that time, Christine was still fighting with Hezbollah* in Lebanon.”

(*Hezbollah: is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant groups. Hezbollah is considered an archenemy of Israel) (🍉)

“……….”

She truly is a remarkable woman!

It’s not that he had any expectations because she shared the name with the iconic character Christina played by Greta Garbo*, but Jeong Taeui still hoped that the woman with such a beautiful name would also possess a similar beauty.

(*Greta Garbo: was a Swedish-American actress and a premiere star during Hollywood’s silent and early golden eras.)

“I have to admit, although the personality is very different, that person is much more beautiful than Greta Garbo was at her peak.”

His uncle suddenly spoke as if he understood exactly what Jeong Taeui was thinking. He and Jeong Taeui had seen Greta Garbo in a famous theater a few years ago.

“…….A different personality is good too.”

“Except for Christine, I haven’t seen anyone with such a big difference between their appearance and their inner character.”

Jeong Taeui subconsciously rubbed his goosebumped arms and slowly picked up the apple that had rolled onto the table.

Jeong Taeui took a bite of the apple and glanced at Kyle once more. He was still just staring down at his fingers with a pale face.

He felt a bit puzzled.

Clearly, just hearing about her, she seems like an incredible woman, but why does Kyle’s face turn so sour when that name is associated with the man named Ilay?

Jeong Taeui chewed on the apple and watched Kyle’s demeanor, then turned to his uncle to ask.

“Surely that person is not beyond redemption, even more so than Ilay, right…..?”

“Ahaaha, if you got to know both of them, your life would practically be over.”

His uncle laughed and shook his head. Jeong Taeui, who often felt like his own life was about to end, nodded in agreement.

“Things are different now, but when was younger, Christine’s health wasn’t great. General always had to study at home, but that person’s language skills were exceptional and was unmatched in decoding various codes. Oh, and maybe even better than Jaeui at that. Could be called a genius in that field.”

Jeong Taeui listened and sighed, then glanced at Kyle, although he didn’t know the specifics. If even his uncle had to admit that person was better than his brother in that area, that must indeed be a genius.

But Kyle’s reaction was still a bit……

As if to end the series of questions in Jeong Taeui’s mind, his uncle continued.

“Christine also likes ancient books. Especially, has the same taste in books as Kyle.”

The moment his uncle uttered that sentence, Jeong Taeui saw Kyle’s shoulders jerk suddenly. Ah, it seems like the puzzle has been solved.

Kyle muttered as if confirming Jeong Taeui’s guess.

“Why this time….. what book is planning to take next…….! No, I don’t have time to sit here anymore, James, James! Contact the bank to clear out the safe right now……But no, it can’t be those books again….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Perhaps James would be delighted to neatly pack up all those books and deliver them directly to that person. Jeong Taeui swallowed those words and spoke up.

“You wouldn’t even lend them if she asked….?”

Jeong Taeui asked a somewhat foolish question. Then, once more, his uncle replied.

“That person also was both a friend and a former colleague of Riegrow.”

“……..”

Only after hearing those words did Jeong Taeui truly grasp the situation Kyle was in now.

It seems he had mistakenly helped the wrong person a few times before. Poor Kyle.

After quickly finishing an apple, his uncle placed the apple core in an empty teacup and stretched contentedly. When he looked up, he immediately met Rita’s icy stare.

“Well, perhaps I should clean up before dinner. I need to eat and then rest comfortably. I also have to leave early tomorrow. Kyle, may I use the guest room I stayed in before?”

Seeing the bright smile of his uncle, who was patting the shoulder of his friend, who seemed half out of his soul, Jeong Taeui didn’t know what else to say and just sat quietly nibbling on his apple.

Then, to thank his kind host who had provided him shelter and food over the past few years, Jeong Taeui unhesitatingly threw a bucket of ice at his uncle.

“You seem quite happy.”

His uncle gently raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

“It’s not really happiness. I’m just a kind friend who provided important information faster than anyone else to help a friend avoid misfortune.”

“There’s nothing in your words that doesn’t sound cheerful.”

“Exactly, that’s right.”

Kyle murmured as he gave his uncle a sharp look. It seemed like the resentment was quickly redirected.

“Oh well… no good deed goes unpunished.”

His uncle clicked his tongue and frowned, pretending to be disappointed.

However, as Kyle’s resentment shifted towards his uncle, his angry gaze also turned towards Jeong Taeui.

In an instant, Jeong Taeui felt regret but pretended not to notice and blinked innocently at his uncle. But his uncle looked at Jeong Taeui, pondered something, and eventually smiled as usual.

“It’s sad that my good intentions are misunderstood. But anyway, Kyle, make sure to keep those precious books safe. If they fall into Christine’s hands, they won’t come back… Well, I’m going to enjoy Rita’s dinner after I shower.”

His uncle quickly got up and moved towards the guest room.

Jeong Taeui silently sighed as he watched his uncle walk away as if nothing had happened, then patted his chest. Lately, he had been living so peacefully that it seemed his courage had shrunk a bit.

“Oh right, Taeui~.”

His uncle, leisurely walking towards the bedroom, suddenly stopped as if he remembered something and turned back to look at Jeong Taeui. Jeong Taeui stopped patting his chest and suspiciously raised his eyebrows.

His uncle slightly lifted the corners of his mouth and his eyes curved in a smile. Seeing that smile made Jeong Taeui’s heart sink. He could clearly sense that something was off behind it.

“Your German seems quite fluent.”

“…..? Well, I live here, so I have to get used to it, whether I like it or not.”

“Hmm, learning a new language is always good. Rick seems to be learning Korean too, just teaching each other would make it easier.”

“What?”

Jeong Taeui involuntarily widened his eyes at his uncle.

Ilay? Korean? This was the first time he had heard of this. He had never even seen him watch anything related to Korea, let alone learning Korean. Jeong Taeui never thought he would be chatting with him in Korean to help each other learn the language more effectively.

“No way.”

Jeong Taeui bluntly denied, but his uncle shook his head enthusiastically, inexplicably the smile on his lips becoming even more menacing.

“I just spoke on the phone with Rich the other day. Then before hanging up, as if he suddenly remembered, he asked me, ‘Mang-Hal-Nom*’ what does it mean. His pronunciation was also very accurate.”

(*망할 놈 (Mang-Hal-Nom) = You damn bastard!)

“What? Mang……….?!”

Jeong Taeui looked at his uncle in astonishment.

He momentarily did not understand what it meant, and suddenly felt a dull ache in his empty, blank head. At the same time, a bad premonition hit him like a storm.

There was no reason for Ilay to be curious about Korean. No, before that, apart from Jeong Taeui, there was nowhere he could have been exposed to Korean.

And to Jeong Taeui’s memory, whether in English, German, or Korean, he had never uttered such words in front of him. He wasn’t that bold.

Moreover, only when alone recently did he sometimes mutter a bit of Korean. Even in his dreams, he dreamed in English, and when awake, he spoke English. In other words, only in a state where he was almost completely out of his mind could he unconsciously mutter such Korean swear words in front of him, and such situations were very rare.

A fleeting memory crossed Jeong Taeui’s mind.

“…..So….. what did you say exactly…….?”

Jeong Taeui muttered with a pale face. It seemed like he was suffering from anemia, feeling so dizzy all of a sudden. He hoped it wasn’t some incurable disease.

He looked at Jeong Taeui, whose face was drained of color, but he still only smiled and replied smoothly without any hint of worry for his beloved nephew’s safety.

“To be praised to that extent, one must try much harder. I told him that he needs to put in more effort.” 

Jeong Taeui’s face looked like it was about to explode with those words. The subsequent words from his uncle did not reach Jeong Taeui’s ears.

Suddenly, everything before him went dark. It seemed he really did have an incurable disease. For the first time, he felt fortunate about that reality.

His uncle cheerfully turned back and leisurely walked toward the bedroom, while Jeong Taeui leaned against the sofa and struggled to support his body, feeling like he might collapse at any moment. He was furious enough to commit murder upon hearing those carefree footsteps, but being completely drained of blood and strength, his body refused to move even an inch.

Kyle and Jeong Taeui both faced the disappearing figure with faces filled with stunned fear.