Jeong Taeui was feeling conflicted.

But in reality, it wasn’t something he should feel conflicted about. The eccentric man he left behind in a distant country, after all, was a rational and clear-headed individual who would surely understand that this situation wasn’t something Jeong Taeui had intentionally caused.

However, he couldn’t help but worry whether Kyle would be alright. Kyle had firmly declared: “I’ve been planning this for months, and it took me so much effort just to secure one week of vacation, so I can’t let his work make him return later than planned and cut into my holiday!” And so, Kyle had left behind his own younger brother who was working in a neighboring country, pulling Jeong Taeui along to this remote southern island for a retreat. (If it had been the usual Kyle, he probably wouldn’t have acted so recklessly. But before leaving for work, his younger brother had burned the book Kyle cherished, driving him mad with anger to the point of being bedridden for three days.)

Regardless, Jeong Taeui was now sitting on the sofa in the lobby of the hotel on this peaceful island – a place only accessible by private jet, as there were no direct flights. Taeui sighed, constantly worrying about the troubles that might arise when they returned to Berlin. For now, everything was fine, but he couldn’t help but ponder what might happen later.

“…… But no matter how much I worry, what’s done is done and can’t be changed…… Having put so much effort into coming here to relax, it would be a real waste to spend the whole week just sighing.”

In the end, Jeong Taeui reached a reasonable conclusion and nodded.

The island, surrounded by turquoise waters, was truly beautiful and serene. On the way here, Kyle had explained that this hotel was often used by powerful tycoons as their private villa, so regular tourists couldn’t enter. That’s why it was an ideal location to enjoy a comfortable vacation without worrying about prying eyes.

True to Kyle’s words, since their arrival yesterday, Jeong Taeui had only encountered a few people, mostly hotel management and staff. The number of people he had seen didn’t even exceed ten—he could count them all on his fingers and still have a few left over.

“Taking a walk along the deserted beach doesn’t sound bad.”

Jeong Taeui got up from the sofa and thought to himself: ‘Anyway……’. Surely by now, Kyle was sleeping soundly on a lounge chair by the private pool. (Jeong Taeui understood that in order to secure this one-week vacation, Kyle had spent sleepless nights working with a gaunt face before coming here. That was why he couldn’t bring himself to refuse Kyle’s insistence on coming.)

From the lagoon to the beach was, of course, very close—just a short distance apart. If he wanted to wander around nearby, he could take the wooden bridge spanning the water, but Jeong Taeui decided to walk along the sandy beach to explore the island. He had heard that the island was quite small, and it only took about two hours by foot to circumnavigate it.

Jeong Taeui was only wearing knee-length shorts and a loose shirt as he prepared to step out of the lobby when—

It seemed there was a new guest arriving. Because from outside came a bit of commotion – after all, this place was usually so quiet that even a few voices could be heard clearly – there were about 2-3 people walking in.

Jeong Taeui unconsciously paused. From a distance, the familiar sound of the German language reached his ears. Although the voice was certainly not that of the man he knew, he instinctively held his breath.

A cold, calm, and businesslike voice was explaining that the companion who was supposed to arrive together had gone a separate way and would be here in about one to two hours. At that very moment, the German man appeared.

He seemed like a person without any openings, as though even the tip of a needle couldn’t find a gap. Although his demeanor appeared calm and unruffled, Jeong Taeui, with the keen instincts of someone who had weathered countless storms in life, couldn’t help but furrow his brow. This was clearly the kind of individual you wouldn’t want to cross paths with; it would be best to stay as far away as possible.

Jeong Taeui pretended not to notice and continued to walk. Surely, this had nothing to do with him—he’d just go on with his stroll.

But at that moment, the man’s gaze landed on Jeong Taeui. And by sheer coincidence, Jeong Taeui met his eyes.

In an instant, the man’s expression turned icy and menacing. He looked at Jeong Taeui with eyes filled with a sharp chill, then turned to speak to the person next to him, who seemed to resemble a secretary, in an indifferent tone:

“Why is there an Asian here? I distinctly confirmed beforehand that none of the stakeholders here are Asian, and there are no Asian employees either.”

“Ah, no, sir, that person is a guest staying here……” – The companion hurriedly explained. The German man said nothing further, but his gaze toward Jeong Taeui was full of displeasure and disdain before he coldly turned away. A chilling wind seemed to sweep past.

“……”

Jeong Taeui pouted his lips and continued on his way.

He had encountered plenty of white individuals who looked down on Asians, but it had been a long time since he’d come across someone who openly expressed the attitude of ‘I don’t want to see any Asians’ so blatantly. Usually, for the sake of their own appearance and politeness, they would merely frown subtly or gesture discreetly.

Jeong Taeui scratched his head as he headed toward the beach. In any case, this wasn’t enough to hurt or upset him; his mind remained peaceful and undisturbed.

It didn’t matter. After all, he wouldn’t have to see or deal with that man again—what was there to care about?

**************

If traveling from the mainland to the island by boat, it will take about two and a half hours. But if traveling by private jet, it only takes about 15 minutes.

Park Junwoo was struggling to endure his seasickness, his face pale on the swaying boat. That insufferable boss of his must have arrived on the island long ago since he had traveled on his private jet.

“Are you alright? We’re almost there. Just hang on for another 20 minutes.”

A sailor looked at Park Junwoo, who was retching into a bucket, with sympathetic eyes and spoke words of comfort. Park Junwoo could only nod, lacking the strength to respond. He wasn’t normally prone to seasickness, but in his already fatigued state, enduring the constant crashing of waves against the small boat’s hull made him feel as though he was on the brink of death.

It was all because of that bastard.

Park Junwoo had only completed his mission and returned just yesterday. Yesterday evening, when he arrived back at the unit to report, that man had coldly said right away: “You have a mental problem.”

Park Junwoo had no excuses to offer. During this mission, instead of prioritizing the protection of the initially contracted target, he had chosen to shield a young Asian man who was merely the target’s employee. In any case, the primary target had been protected safely, so everything was still fine. The issue was that the young Asian man whom Park Junwoo had chosen to protect turned out to be an infiltrator working for the enemy—a truly cursed situation.

Regardless, the mission was successfully completed, but incidents like this would inevitably be reported to higher-ups. Naturally, when Park Junwoo arrived, his boss already had the report in hand.

Even so, the final result showed that the mission wasn’t a failure but was instead executed thoroughly and completely. It was just that the process had been a bit messy and had almost escalated into greater complications.

Yet his boss had said: “You have a mental problem.”

Ultimately, after nearly two months of not seeing him, Park Junwoo had reacted extremely harshly toward his boss. After that, he drank alcohol to blow off steam and couldn’t manage any sleep. The next morning, as per a plan arranged months ago, he was dragged off for a vacation at dawn, and now here he was. During the journey up to this point, Park Junwoo’s emotions had remained volatile, and he had sworn: “If I have to see his face for another second, I won’t be able to stop myself from punching him straight in the face.” Because of this, the man took a private jet on his own, while Park Junwoo opted to take the boat instead.

And now he regretted that decision. Who could have predicted he’d end up this seasick?

It was only when the tiny boat docked at what could generously be called a pier – more like a makeshift wooden bridge – that Park Junwoo heaved a sigh of relief so profound he almost fainted.

If he couldn’t get off this boat immediately and roll onto that white sandy beach to rest for an hour, he felt he might just die. 

Finally, Park Junwoo staggered off the boat, nearly dragging his feet to the beach, ignoring the scorching sun above, and simply collapsed onto the sand. Even as sand crept into the folds of his clothes, he couldn’t care less. The warm, grainy texture pressing against his neck actually brought him comfort.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Once, twice…… As he struggled to regain his composure, the sharp pangs in his stomach gradually subsided. He now felt alive again.

When his mind finally cleared, a surge of anger threatened to boil over.

Damn it. That person really had the nerve to leave him all alone. And to accuse him of having some kind of mental problem—that boss ought to check if there was ice running through his veins instead of blood.

And honestly, so what if he paid a bit more attention to other Asians? In a foreign land, meeting people from the same background (those sharing a common experience) naturally brought joy and familiarity. Damn it. He just wanted to find some random Asian to ‘hunt’ and be done with it.

Park Junwoo was muttering under his breath when he suddenly fell silent. That was because someone had unexpectedly blocked the sunlight above him, casting a shadow.

“…… Hey, are you okay?”

Perhaps seeing a well-dressed man in regular clothes, not swimwear, lying motionless on the beach with his eyes shut didn’t seem normal in a resort area like this, the voice carried a hint of concern. If he didn’t respond quickly, they might call for help.

Park Junwoo opened his eyes. He replied: “I’m fine”, and sat up. His vision briefly lost focus as he abruptly moved, making him sway, but it quickly returned to normal. Now, apart from being a bit fatigued, his body felt completely stable.

“You should drink something to recover.” 

The man standing next to him handed him a bottle of water. Feeling an overwhelming thirst, Park Junwoo did not refuse and immediately took the bottle, drinking a few satisfying gulps. Only then did he smile and look at the man.

“Thank you. Now I feel much better.”

“It’s nothing, I’m glad I could help.”

Seeing the friendly man smile and take back the bottle, Park Junwoo froze for a moment.

It was someone he thought he absolutely would not meet in this place. AN ASIAN.

Park Junwoo knew. His superior, whenever arranging a vacation, always chose places where no Asians would appear. The reason, of course, was because Park Junwoo was ‘mentally unstable’, and he himself was well aware of that.

“…… Serves you right.”

He muttered to himself unconsciously. The man in front of him looked puzzled. Park Junwoo quickly waved his hand.

“No, I wasn’t talking to you. I just suddenly thought of something…… I’m Park Junwoo. And you?”

The other man hesitated for a moment, then gave a faint smile and said:

“Kim Youngsoo. By the way, are you——”

“”OF KOREAN DESCENT?!””

The last words burst out of both their mouths at the same time. A brief moment of silence followed. They stared at each other, and then, without agreeing on it, both started laughing. Unlike several decades ago, encountering someone of Korean descent in any part of the world was no longer rare, but meeting a fellow compatriot in such an unexpected place still brought joy. All the more so when the other person had been kind to you.

Park Junwoo quickly developed a liking for this amicable-looking man, and the latter also seemed to feel the same, as he sat down next to him at a reasonable distance.

“Oh, how wonderful! I’ve been living abroad for a while, so I rarely get the chance to chat in Korean like this. By the way, where are you from?”

“Ah——Turkey. I currently live there. I left Korea when I was young. Back then, I lived in Incheon.”

“Oh really? Which part of Incheon? When I was young, I also lived in Incheon for a while because of my father’s job.”

The conversation flowed smoothly. Unlike most interactions with strangers, there were no awkward silences or uneasy moments midway. This light yet uninterrupted conversation with this stranger made both of them feel completely at ease.

This unfamiliar young man, who was now living with a friend in Berlin, had an impressive appearance and an extremely pleasant personality. He spoke on various topics and didn’t behave in a distant or complicated manner. His simple, natural smile was utterly charming.

“……”

If he were truly gay, perhaps he would’ve kicked his detestable boss out immediately and tried to woo this young man into becoming his lover.

Park Junwoo shook his head. Although he was currently living with and sharing physical relations with another man, Park Junwoo was not homosexual. He felt sick at the mere thought of sharing a bed with any man other than his one and only partner. Despite how delightful this young man was, he wasn’t an exception to this rule…… But it was utterly strange that he could sleep together and do all kinds of things with his boss without any discomfort.

Park Junwoo sighed and gently wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

At that moment, the young man suddenly noticed something and tilted his head to ask:

“What happened to your elbow? It looks pretty badly bruised.”

Hearing the question, Park Junwoo realized that his elbow was indeed bruised. The bruise had turned a deep purple, almost black, indicating a strong impact. Yet he couldn’t quite remember when it happened. After thinking for a moment, he recalled bumping his elbow against an iron water pump on the deck while struggling with seasickness on the boat. Oh right, it had hurt a bit then. But at the time, the seasickness had drained all his energy, leaving no room to care about pain.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a bruise, it’ll heal on its own in a day or two.”

“Huh?”

“My recovery rate is pretty good. To exaggerate a little, even during surgery, my wounds heal so quickly that doctors can’t finish the operation.”

Park Junwoo laughed and nudged the young man with his elbow. The young man also smiled back and replied: “You’re in really good shape. I’m the opposite; it’s hard for me to even go through surgery.” His somewhat soft voice showed he did not entirely believe Junwoo, but he didn’t bother to explain further. In fact, among those who knew about Junwoo’s extraordinary recovery ability, some were pale-faced and called him a monster.

“Let it be.” – Junwoo shrugged.

“This place isn’t exactly a famous tourist spot. How did you know to come here?”

“Ah…… to be honest, it was more like I got dragged here by my friend’s older brother. My friend’s brother, who shares a room with me, came here for vacation, so I just tagged along.”

“Really? You must be pretty close.”

“Close…… well, you could say that……”

The young man looked up at the sky. His gaze seemed somewhat distant. It appeared this was not a topic he was interested in, so he quickly shifted the conversation back to Junwoo.

“And you, Junwoo-ssi, why did you come here?”

“Me…… well…… let’s just say I came here for a vacation too. Or more precisely, I was dragged here during my boss’s holiday.”

Junwoo’s vacation schedule was always constrained by the calendar of his German boss. Since task assignments were under his boss’s control, Junwoo couldn’t change his days off as he pleased. This had been the case for years, so by now, he no longer felt irritated. However, right after being ridiculed as ‘mentally unstable’ by his boss, Junwoo indeed didn’t want to see him for a while.

……But anyway, being a simple-minded person, such moments of sulking quickly vanished for him. Probably the same for his boss too.

“Even vacations have to follow the boss’s orders? What a tyrant!”

The young man opened his eyes wide in astonishment.

Indeed, that boss was an unpleasant person. A cold, rational, logical individual with no flaws. Even though his anger had subsided, Park Junwoo still wrinkled his nose in frustration at the thought of his boss, just like his usual reaction whenever he thought about the man.

“Exactly. He really is a hateful boss. A workaholic perfectionist, but if you look at him professionally, he’s someone you can admire. You could trust him with any task. However, as a person? Surprisingly, he’s very picky, petty, rude to others, and often throws out insults. Just yesterday, he told me I have mental issues. After that, he dragged me here, leisurely taking his private jet to this island, while I had to endure two hours of seasickness on a small boat.”

Park Junwoo complained, slyly adding a few wrongful accusations onto his boss. But in reality, what he said was not entirely untrue.

…… Having poured his heart out like this made him feel lighter. Now Junwoo could face his boss with a more comfortable and refreshed state of mind…… His stomach growled in hunger; it was time to head back to his place to find something to eat.

Not sure if he noticed the joy in Park Junwoo’s heart, but the young man looked at him with sympathetic eyes and a serious expression.

“That’s terrible…… Can’t you file a complaint with the inspection committee or something?”

“Inspection committee…… There are similar agencies, but with my boss’s status, he can easily suppress everything without a care. There’s nothing that can be done.”

Park Junwoo once again replied with another truth, accompanied by a helpless shrug. The young man nodded sadly: “I see.”

“Life in the organization is never easy anyway.”

The young man’s tone carried a tinge of sadness, as if he too had a few painful memories in the past. Park Junwoo nodded in agreement: “That’s true.”

And so, even though it was their first meeting, somehow the two got along very well, talking about everything from personal matters to global issues.

“Park Junwoo.”

Before he could realize it, a cold and low voice sounded nearby. When he snapped back to reality and looked up, Park Junwoo saw a tall man wearing sunglasses standing a few steps away. It was precisely his boss, the subject of his earlier light-hearted conversation.

“Jürgen.”

At that moment, Park Junwoo glanced at his watch. Time had flown by without him noticing. Perhaps he had been too absorbed in the conversation to be aware.

Park Junwoo stood up. Grains of sand scattered as he did. Beside him, the young man with a strange expression stared at the boss, then rose as well.

It wasn’t just the young man. That boss was also staring at him intently. Junwoo understood the reason behind that unpleasant gaze, hidden within the boss’s cold demeanor. That guy always looked at any Asian person who approached Junwoo with such eyes.

Afraid they’d cause some unnecessary trouble, even if it had nothing to do with the mission.

Junwoo clicked his tongue and scratched his head. The young man beside him gently asked:

“Do you know this person?”

“Ah? Umm——he’s the boss I just mentioned.”

When Junwoo responded with a reluctant tone, the young man’s face suddenly darkened. Was it just an illusion when Park Junwoo felt the sorrowful and regretful gaze from the young man? It must have been an illusion.

Junwoo turned back to look at his boss, who was staring at the young man with a cold, indifferent look. He stepped forward, placing himself between the two as if to block that sharp gaze.

“Just happened to meet and chatted a bit. It’s nothing. Nothing troublesome happened at all.”

“…… Park Junwoo.”

The boss seemed slightly irritated, as if he was about to say something to Park Junwoo, but then he fell silent, looked at Junwoo for a moment, and sighed. It seemed like he mumbled something along the lines of, “You almost caused the biggest trouble of your life,” but Park Junwoo didn’t hear clearly.

“Let’s go.”

The boss gestured toward the Jeep parked not far away. It seemed like he had come to pick Junwoo up. Normally, the boss would have left Junwoo to find his own way back to his lodging, but this time he seemed to feel a bit of remorse.

Junwoo chuckled softly, then walked toward the vehicle. Suddenly, he stopped and turned to look at the young man. The young man was staring at Junwoo with a complex expression.

“Coming along? I’m heading to the lagoon. That’s where you’re staying, right?”

On this island, there was no other place to stay. The young man must also be lodging there.

But the young man shook his head in refusal.

“No, I’m just taking a walk, so I’ll stroll around a bit more before heading back. You go ahead.”

“Alright then, see you later.” – Park Junwoo waved lightly. The young man waved back in return.

It was a pleasant encounter. It’s not every day you can have a carefree, unburdened conversation with someone you’ve just met like that. Park Junwoo walked toward his boss, whistling softly. The boss, who was frowning and glancing between Park Junwoo and the young man, quickly turned and headed toward the Jeep.

The vehicle soon rolled off, leaving faint tire marks on the sandy ground, and in the brief span of just a few minutes to reach the lagoon, a short silence enveloped the inside of the car.

The boss, driving in silence, suddenly spoke as the entrance gate came into view in the distance:

“On the way here, have you cooled off yet?”

“Huh?

Park Junwoo, who was gazing at the sky as blue as if painted, the emerald green sea, and the pure white sandy beach, turned his head back. Angry? He had long forgotten that. His boss surely knew that Park Junwoo’s anger never lasted long.

Park Junwoo lightly scratched the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulders.

“Yeah, I was so seasick I didn’t have time to think about other things.”

The boss glanced at Park Junwoo.

“You seem better now.”

“Yeah, sitting and talking for a while helped ease the sickness. That person is an interesting one.”

“……”

The boss fell silent. Park Junwoo glanced at him, who was immersed in thought and only staring straight ahead, then clicked his tongue in annoyance and scratched his head.

Though he didn’t like having to explain this, the fact was Park Junwoo had nearly gotten into trouble several times for getting involved with Asians. Each time, this man had helped him resolve it, so he couldn’t justify it even with ten mouths.

“……In places where you rarely see Asians, if I happen to meet an Asian, I can’t help but notice. There’s no other meaning. It just makes me happy. If I see them being treated unfairly, I feel a bit more angry. You can understand that, right?”

It seemed like the explanation leaned toward a personal perspective, but Park Junwoo still let out a short sigh and concluded his speech.

The boss glanced at Junwoo. He seemed quite satisfied with the explanation, a hint of a smile in his eyes. He reached out and pulled Junwoo’s head closer.

Aishh. Here we go again.

Just as he thought that, Junwoo felt those lips press down. The kiss, though brief, was strong, and the sensation of his tongue being lightly licked lingered. 

“……”

Junwoo silently wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

Although he didn’t hate it. He even felt a bit amused. Indeed, humans easily adapt to anything.

“Don’t get involved with that guy. Unless you want trouble.”

The boss spoke softly as the car stopped for a security check at the entrance to the lagoon. Junwoo was slightly puzzled because he didn’t understand who the boss was referring to or why it would bring trouble. But then Junwoo shrugged it off and merely muttered:

“Anyway, you’re not giving me any time. Who told me that I had to ‘repay’ you for this whole vacation?”

Junwoo was drowning in a mountain of ‘debts’ piled high, unsure when it would ever end. Every vacation, every free weekend, he had to ‘repay’ this boss. On normal days, when he was constantly in a state of readiness to work, everything was still manageable. But during these rare holidays, the boss no longer held back or bothered with appearances; his true nature was fully revealed. Even someone like Junwoo, who had extraordinary resilience, couldn’t help but cry out in frustration, having no energy left to go anywhere.

Hearing Junwoo grumble, the boss said nothing but merely curled his lips into a slight smile, his narrowed eyes filled with meaning.

Park Junwoo found amusement in those rare expressions on the otherwise cold face, so even though he knew this vacation would be extremely exhausting, he still let out a contented sigh.

**************

Three days later, Jeong Taeui saw the man again.

Taeui was lying under a sunshade, leisurely sipping on his beer and enjoying a relaxed afternoon. When the sunlight turned a golden-orange hue, he noticed a tall, lanky figure emerging from the beach, stumbling with unsteady steps as if about to fall. “Oh,” Taeui jumped up.

It was the same man he had met a few days earlier. The man who had collapsed on the beach like a shipwreck survivor, even though his clothes were still intact. Today, he was wearing baggy shorts and a shirt, perfectly suited for vacation, but his face looked gaunt—worse than the last time. Seeing his wobbly steps, Taeui couldn’t help but feel concerned.

When Taeui lightly waved at him, the man nodded and walked over.

“Meeting you again. I thought this island was big, but I didn’t expect to run into you.”

“Indeed……”

The man squinted at the empty lounge chair beside Taeui, then climbed on and lay face down next to him, sighing deeply like a drenched sponge. The dark circles under his eyes were painfully obvious.

Taeui tilted his head, observing him.

“Are you alright? You look exhausted.”

“Ah…… I just woke up.”

Taeui glanced at the setting sun and smiled.

“Well, as they say, sleeping in is the hallmark of a true vacation. Whether it’s sleeping in or napping, it doesn’t matter, since it’s something you rarely get to enjoy otherwise.”

Because Taeui was the same way. While living in Berlin, he had maintained a disciplined routine. Of course, he could occasionally sneak in a quick nap when he had free time, but only for a few dozen minutes at most.

……But how could this man look so worn out right after waking up?

“Not sleeping in or napping…… Damn it, I keeled over unconscious after watching the sunrise and only just woke up now. That bastard……”

The man spoke in a weary tone, almost mumbling to himself. The venomous curse reminded Taeui of his companion, that tall German boss of his.

Taeui’s expression darkened.

In hindsight, it really added up. This man had a terrible boss. Even during a vacation, the boss dragged him around for errands, left him to suffer seasickness alone on a boat, and maintained a cold, distant attitude. And perhaps – this might be the root of it all – the boss was a racist! Evidence of this was clear: As soon as they met, the boss had looked displeased and questioned why there were Asians here.

Taeui looked at the man with a compassionate gaze.

Having a tyrannical and mean boss alone was already pitiable, but having one who was also racist meant he likely endured unfair and unreasonable treatment on a whole other level. Yes, not every boss would drag their subordinate to a vacation spot just to exploit them.

Taeui didn’t dare suggest that the man quit his job without knowing the full story, so he simply gazed at him with sympathy. After a while, Taeui cautiously asked:

“Your boss……”  

“Hm……? Ah, that bastard suddenly got a call from headquarters and has been in meetings all morning. Otherwise, I’d be dead for sure.”

The groggy man replied with a moan, his voice full of fatigue.

The man muttered something about his boss being a monster, tormenting him all night yet still showing up for work unfazed, definitely inhuman. His complaints were enough to make anyone feel pity.

It seemed the boss had been tormenting him all night. But even so, who would push someone to the extent of sacrificing their own sleep? That’s a bit unusual…… Taeui was thinking this when he suddenly noticed the familiar red marks on the man’s neck as he leaned on his side. Taeui froze, his throat tightening. His eyes widened as he carefully observed those all-too-familiar marks.

No need to look closely to know what it was. They were traces of a moment of indulgence.

“……”

Taeui’s mind swirled with a myriad of thoughts.

How was he supposed to interpret these awkward traces?

“……If your boss is bullying you…… or treating you unfairly in any way, y-you should refuse……”

“Huh……? No, no…… but I have to pay off my debt…… It’s quite a large amount. And besides, that bastard refuses to accept money…… Damn it, he really should know better. Normally, he takes it easy, since you never know when there will be a new mission, but during these rare holidays, he becomes a completely different person and torments me mercilessly…… Honestly, I have an exceptional ability to adapt and recover; usually, being beaten and bruised is nothing to me, I can still run all over the training ground even with iron stakes driven into my legs, but when he truly decides to ‘deal with’ me, I just want to die…… No, I might actually end up dead…… Will I even survive until tomorrow……”

The man looked deranged. He was in a half-conscious state, sobbing and complaining, lying slumped on the chair like a corpse.

Taeui quietly removed his hand from the man’s shoulder. It seemed the man was about to fall back asleep. Well, better to let him rest for now.

Taeui silently observed him. At first, he felt there was something familiar about this man, and now, hearing the way he spoke, Taeui was almost certain the man was a soldier.

Taeui had heard of, and even witnessed firsthand, violence in the military, but using money to bind someone like this was truly abhorrent.

When he thought of the German man he had glimpsed earlier, Taeui frowned slightly. Handsome appearance aside, who knew he was such a shameless person?

“……No……I mustn’t pass judgment on others. After all, I’m also living with someone who’s no less shameless and immoral.”

Taeui shook his head. The mere thought of his ‘roommate,’ who was practically a walking crime scene, gave him a headache. Although he had grown used to it to the point of hardly caring…… recently, he feared his own morals were becoming numb.

Taeui sighed and looked back at the man lying on the chair. He was startled.

The man had woken up and was no longer asleep. His bloodshot eyes blinked as he stared at Taeui, seemingly more lucid.

“……Are you okay? Should I get you some medicine…… or water?”

“……If it’s come to this with men, I’d prefer to go through life as someone small and gentle like you…… As for that bastard, I wish he were a bit smaller, or at least less enduring. If that were the case, I might be able to bear it……”

“……”

It seemed the man wasn’t fully awake yet. His words were somewhat insulting to Taeui’s masculine pride: ‘Ya! What makes you think you can judge me? I’m standard, you know!’ But Taeui decided to let it slide.

“Well, if I had to choose a male lover, I’d rather it be you……”

The man’s muttering voice trailed off until it faded completely. He had fallen back asleep.

Taeui looked at the man with a complicated expression.

‘At the very least, you could’ve asked my opinion first…… Moreover, if it truly were me, chances are you’d already be dust, returned to the afterlife by someone’s ghostly pale hands by now. Because of you, I couldn’t do it.’

Taeui shook his head slightly.

For some reason, he felt immense pity. He felt genuine sorrow for this man, to the point of wanting to take his hand. What did people call this? A sympathetic bond, perhaps……

“I was wondering where you went, and here you are…… Get up, Mr. Park Junwoo.” 

But just then. 

A deep, low, and cold voice echoed right behind the sunshade. Just by hearing the voice, Taeui already knew who it was. It was the German boss, that racist guy!

‘Ah, as expected of a real soldier……’

Taeui thought to himself, and unintentionally blurted out:

“He’s been tormented to this extent, just let him sleep.”

Although he regretted saying it out loud, he didn’t take back his words. The German guy seemed not to hear Taeui speaking, as he lifted his icy gaze away from the man sleeping so deeply he couldn’t hear his superior’s voice. He looked directly at Taeui and slowly said:

“If he is going to sleep, he should sleep in a room. Moreover, I don’t like this man being close to Asians. It bothers me, and——”

He scowled as he stepped closer to Taeui. Reflexively, Taeui shrank his shoulders and stepped back. The man continued to observe Taeui before speaking again:

“If your lover’s mood worsens, I’ll be in trouble. He’s the second son of that family, and I don’t want to clash with them.”

Taeui was stunned by the casual, nonchalant way the German man spoke. Without needing to think, he knew who this boss was talking about. Even though Taeui didn’t want to acknowledge that relationship as ‘lovers’, the truth was undeniable.

Taeui scratched his head. Well, since he was here, at least this man – whoever he was – surely had access to basic information. Just a quick investigation would reveal it all.

The German boss didn’t seem interested in continuing the conversation with Taeui. He approached the man who was lying down and effortlessly hoisted him onto his shoulder. Only then did the man groan, slightly open his eyes, and frown. He didn’t bother to check who was carrying him, merely letting out a complaint as if it were natural: “Just let me rest a bit more, will you?”

Although the man had average height and build, he was still taller and bulkier than most men in the world. Yet the German guy carried him away without so much as a struggle. Taeui couldn’t think of anything to say in response, so when he caught the man’s eye, he blurted out in a panic:

“Hey, Junwoo-ssi, let’s have dinner together tonight!”

Taeui felt he needed to do something to help this poor man, but he didn’t know what. So he decided to invite him for a meal. Maybe he could let him vent his frustrations.

Junwoo, still groggy, mumbled in reply: “Ah…… sure……” Taeui didn’t bother looking at the German boss, who had paused momentarily, and continued:

“I’ll wait for you in the lobby at seven.”

The cold gaze of the German man seemed to pierce through Taeui. That frosty look carried reproach, freezing Taeui’s heart in place, but if he were so easily subdued, he would never have survived living with an inhuman person for all these years.

Taeui raised his head and stared directly at the boss.

Although among the words the boss said, the concern for Taeui’s ‘lover’ made him feel a bit preoccupied, he didn’t really care much. By now, ‘that person’ had probably finished work in Austria and would return to Berlin tomorrow or the day after. (And then, at that point, he would notice Taeui’s absence and plunge into a fight with Kyle.) Regardless of what might happen later, at least for now, he was still safe.

“Hope we’ll have an enjoyable dinner. If possible.”

The German man turned away again, leaving that remark behind, then silently walked off. Taeui looked at Junwoo, who was dazed in the man’s arms, his heart filled with compassion. What on earth had that man gone through?

**************

“James didn’t pick up. Why?”

Kyle frowned and stared straight at his phone.  

“Really?” – Taeui responded dryly, but he also found it strange.  

James was someone who always contacted him at least twice a day. Even though he had also taken leave at the same time as Kyle, due to his dedicated nature, James consistently updated and reported the company’s situation to Kyle daily. When there was nothing urgent, he would call twice—in the morning and evening. But if it was something pressing, he would call at any time without prior notice.  

During this vacation period, all of Kyle’s communications had to go through James. Kyle hadn’t disclosed his vacation location to anyone, making James even more critical for handling important matters. Knowing this, James would always call Kyle, whether there was something urgent or not.  

Yet, this morning, James hadn’t contacted him at all. At first, Kyle was pleased to be free from work, but by evening, still not having heard from James, he began to worry.  

“This has never happened before” – Kyle mumbled.  

“……I have to call his house. Where’s my notebook, my notebook……”  

Kyle stood up abruptly and strode towards his room. Taeui, who was sitting next to him in the lounge, tried to comment, “Calling the company would be faster,” but before he could finish, Kyle had already left.  

Taeui watched Kyle’s retreating figure for a moment, then quickly dismissed thoughts of him.  

Although he felt bad for James, who had to call and report to his boss even during vacation – he’d felt sorry for him for a long time – he felt even worse for Park Junwoo, who had been dragged here by the boss and forced to endure this on his own holiday. At least Kyle wasn’t a racist, nor did he humiliate his subordinates with money.  

Jeong Taeui glanced at the clock.   It was now past seven, nearly eight. Over three hours had passed since those two men had left. The person who had agreed – albeit one-sidedly – to have dinner with him was still nowhere to be found.  

‘Could it have been a mistake to let him leave? Should I have tried harder to make him stay?’  

An uneasy sense of guilt rose faintly in Jeong Taeui’s heart, as if he had witnessed a victim being taken by a perpetrator and done nothing to stop it.  

That’s why, despite anxiously looking around and thinking the meeting had been missed, Taeui decided that if he went back to his room like this, he’d be haunted by nightmares all night. So, he got up from his seat, deciding to go find Junwoo to check on the situation.  

It wasn’t difficult to figure out where they were staying. All Taeui had to do was ask the staff in the lobby, who recognized him as Kyle’s companion, and they immediately nodded and gave him directions.  

Their place was not far from where Taeui was staying.  

After looking over the resort map, which showed the scattered villas located not far apart,  Taeui quickly set off in that direction.  

And then he regretted it.  

No matter how many times he rang the doorbell, no one came to open it. Twice, three times, then Taeui even pressed and held the button to make the bell ring continuously, but inside, it was still eerily quiet.

‘Could they have gone somewhere?…… Or could something bad have happened?’

Taeui hesitated. His intuition told him he should quietly leave this place. Turning around and walking back to his room would help him maintain peace of mind.

But then, as he had done many times before, Taeui decided to prioritize his so-called ‘righteousness’ over peace.

“PARK JUNWOO-SSI!”

Taeui abandoned the doorbell and switched to banging on the door and calling out the name, but there was still no response. Without hesitating any further, Taeui went around to the back of the mansion. No one stopped him as he snuck through the garden bushes to get to the backyard. Taeui easily slipped into the inner yard as if he were just strolling.

The structures of the mansions here were quite similar. The backyard of this mansion also had a large swimming pool and tropical flowers in full bloom, identical to Taeui’s place. In front of the pool was a wide-open door leading to the veranda, with curtains draping down to chest height.

Taeui heard noises from inside. The sound of someone mumbling and footsteps echoed from the open door.

“Park……”

Taeui was about to call out: ‘Park Junwoo-ssi’, when a stifled scream drowned out his voice.

“I already said this is the last time, and then I’ll quit! Do you even realize how many times I’ve had to repeat this sentence? Damn it, for your next birthday, I’ll buy you a sex doll—do whatever you want with it!”

At first, Taeui didn’t recognize whose voice it was. The hoarse voice sounded like an old man suffering from a severe cold. Taeui wondered if someone else was here, but then a familiar voice resounded.

“If there’s a sex doll modeled after you, I’d consider it. Come on, Junwoo, just one more time, and then I’ll let you rest. Don’t look at me like that. We only get freedom like this twice a year——at least indulge me during these times……. No, actually, it’s me indulging you. You ejaculate more than I do…… There are only four days left of this break.”

At this point, Taeui immediately recognized the voice. Even though it had lost its usual cold tone, replaced by hoarseness and excitement, it was unmistakably the voice of the German boss.

“Four days…… Four whole days…… It’s only been three days so far? We’ve already done so much……”

A despairing, pain-filled voice echoed. The hoarse voice, nearly inaudible, was finally identified by Taeui. The owner of the tearful voice, perhaps too desperate and driven to insanity, feebly muttered: “Come on, fainting over something like this is ridiculous……”

And then Taeui stood frozen at the villa’s entrance, like a frog in front of a snake.

What could he say? He felt as though he had come to the wrong place, a deeply wrong place, in fact. Even if Park Junwoo was indeed being tormented, there was something——off, something that made him feel like this was a place he never should have stepped into from the very beginning.

And once again, his intuition was proven correct.

The scene in the room under dim light appeared only as shadows from the outside. On the wide bed, one shadow lay sprawled while another shadow was pressing on top. Regardless, it seemed that the man had no intention of assaulting someone who had already passed out. After gently stroking the hair of the person underneath, he stole a kiss and then stood up.

‘……Oh crap!’

As the shadow slowly stepped outside, heading toward Taeui, Taeui cursed silently in his mind. But before he could do anything, the shadow had already pulled aside the curtain. And Taeui saw the man clearly right before his eyes.

“Oh, a suspicious guest here.”

The German man, staring directly at Taeui, muttered with amusement, seeming as relaxed as Taeui had ever seen him. He looked very satisfied, like a wild beast that had just had its fill, the corners of his eyes gleaming with a smile. But even so, that smile was not meant for Taeui.

What shocked Taeui even more was……

“……”

……His face turned pale.

There was no need to ask what had happened between the German man, standing proudly before him with a naked body without a thread of clothing, and the other man lying unconscious from exhaustion, buried in a heap of crumpled, suspiciously damp bed sheets. The pitiable man’s body, covered in bruises that looked like a contagious disease, was no different from a corpse. And the whitish, thick liquid that kept dripping non-stop from his lower body like a broken faucet horrified Taeui. He wondered how much the man had been ‘stuffed’ to end up in such a state, but no matter what, Taeui still tried to ignore it.

Yet there was one heartbreaking fact that Taeui could not disregard.

“……”

“Not just suspicious, but utterly shameless.”

Though the German man spoke in an extremely cold tone, Taeui could not take his eyes off him.

He stared at the German man’s still-erect lower body in shock and astonishment.

‘……No way. I sacrificed myself to save the lower body of the most miserable human being in existence, and yet……’

Taeui had consoled himself that he would never have to witness that terrifying size ever again.

And yet now, right before his very eyes, stood a naked man possessing a ‘weapon’ comparable to those terrifying things he often encountered on the bed, in the bathroom, the living room, the garden, or even in the car. Taeui didn’t want to see it again, not even in his dreams.

From what he had just overheard, the poor man had been ‘struggling’ with that vicious thing for three days already, and there were still four days left…… Taeui was thinking about this when he suddenly snapped out of his thoughts. He immediately turned sharply around and looked directly at Park Junwoo, whose eyes were still tightly shut.

“Is he dead……?”

“Thank you for your concern, but just one day of rest and he’ll be fine. Don’t say such harsh things.”

“Liar! How can he be okay with just one day of rest?”

“He will be fine. He was born to handle this. Besides, I always try to hold back, to help his body gradually adjust without getting hurt…… I don’t care about your sex life, but he and I have been living peacefully together for years now, so don’t interfere in our matters.”

The German guy muttered something about: “Or maybe all Asians have mental problems like him”, but Taeui only remained silent.

However, Taeui couldn’t retreat any further. Witnessing the pitiful state of the man in front of him made Taeui feel like he was about to cry. What do they call this? Empathy…… No, that doesn’t seem quite right. Compared to that man, his own situation wasn’t as bad. At least Ilay wasn’t a racist, nor did he demand he repay debts.

This time, it was Taeui who found himself speechless.

Even if it was racism or debt-collecting, that guy was still Park Junwoo’s boss, and judging by his words, it was clear there had been mutual consent between them. Although they hadn’t talked much, Taeui could sense that Junwoo wasn’t the type of person to sell himself just for money.

Nonetheless, after witnessing the horrifying scene before him, Taeui couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Junwoo. He tried hard to come up with sharp words that would make the guy reevaluate himself, but he couldn’t think of anything reasonable to say.

Taeui didn’t understand why he blurted out the next thing. Perhaps it was because he remembered Junwoo’s previous words: “If I had to choose a boyfriend, I’d rather it be you”, which kept surfacing in his mind.

“If I’m being considered a potential candidate for a lover, then I have the right to speak up.”

Taeui looked the German guy straight in the eye. Although it was a bit cringe, it wasn’t exactly a lie.

The moment Taeui finished speaking, the German guy’s expression shifted slightly. Taeui noticed the subtle change and silently celebrated his victory, but……

……That expression quickly disappeared as if it were a joke. He reverted to his usual cold and composed demeanor, gazing down at Taeui with indifference.

“That’s fine. There are still four days left, I can ask Junwoo about this. Probably within a few hours ‘No way’ will come out of his mouth…… Hey, are you sure it’s okay to say that?”

“What’s not okay?”

Taeui frowned in confusion and was about to ask: ‘Why wouldn’t it be okay?’ when……

*Thud*……

Something was placed on his shoulder.

In a moment of blankness, the first thought that flashed through Taeui’s mind was: ‘How strange……’

It was really strange. How was it that he didn’t need to turn his head or even glance to know that the thing resting on his shoulder was an exquisitely beautiful, white hand?

“Where have you disappeared to, gossiping away here, Taei?”

The deep voice, tinged with a touch of mockery, made Taeui’s hair stand on end.

The person who had appeared and silently stood behind Taeui, who was frozen stiff, used his other hand to slowly stroke from Taeui’s cheek down to his neck. That pale hand, capable of snuffing out life at any moment, glided along Taeui’s body before swiftly moving downward. And then, that hand gripped tightly onto Taeui’s lower body.

“A candidate for a lover……? Whose?”

“……”

“Haizz, I came just now intending to deal with my brother first, but something else came up.”

“Something……”

“Oh, by the way, my brother has just returned to Berlin. James had to be hospitalized……. If he’d only told me where you were, it wouldn’t have come to this. But he’s not too badly injured, you don’t need to worry.”

Judging from the way he spoke, it sounded like a few ribs might’ve been broken…… but Taeui was in no state to think about that now.

If Kyle was already gone, then now it was just him and Ilay here. There was no one left to intervene. He was most definitely doomed.

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter.”  

At that very moment, the German boss standing in front frowned in annoyance and coldly spoke up:

“It seems like your companion is also looking for you, so it’s best if you go back. I don’t have much time either, you know that.”

Then the man standing behind Taeui tightly embraced him and narrowed his eyes at the German, before glancing over at Park Junwoo, who lay motionless on the bed.

“Is that guy lying there his lover candidate……?”

“Not a chance. For years now, Junwoo hasn’t slept with anyone else but me. It will stay that way in the future…… Though, I’m not entirely sure. It’s definitely not Junwoo, but who knows if he has another lover.”

The German boss said this while nodding his chin toward Taeui. Taeui’s heart felt like it had stopped.

“NOT TRUE!!”

That bastard was going to get him killed. Damn it, he only cared about his lover while turning a blind eye to whether Taeui lived or died?!

When Taeui reacted so fiercely, the man deliberately provoked him further: “If there’s nothing shady, then why are you overreacting like that?”

It was clear that man held a grudge against Taeui for barging into his house uninvited. Or the man disliked Taeui for some reason. Perhaps he was irritated because Taeui kept staring at Park Junwoo, who was lying naked. Or – though Taeui knew it couldn’t be – the man felt deeply annoyed because Taeui mentioned the word ‘lover’.

Taeui suddenly felt dizzy, caught between two men, one in front and one behind, staring each other down for a long moment. Their gazes clashed for a few seconds, coldness colliding, not exactly hostile but far from friendly.

“Fine. If he’s not involved, all the better. After all, I don’t have much time. The original schedule was a week, now we’re down to four days…… Less than 100 hours left.”

Upon hearing the man behind him mumble this, Taeui felt like the ground was collapsing beneath him. Four days. He no longer had time to worry about Park Junwoo.

“Four days. That means we’ll be leaving here on the same day. We likely won’t meet again.”

The German replied, then decisively turned around and went inside, pulling the curtain down. He had no intention of continuing the conversation.

Taeui didn’t have the energy to condemn the vile shadow moving toward Park Junwoo, who was still unconscious, then climbing onto him and spreading Junwoo’s legs apart. The man behind Taeui seemed to have finished his business here, so he effortlessly scooped Taeui up and strode away swiftly.

Taeui was tightly held in his grip, his eyes seeing his own villa drawing closer, his heart filled with despair.

**************

After that, the two men only met one more time, for a brief moment lasting less than a few minutes.

One, with a haggard face, sat huddled on the sofa in the lobby while waiting to check out. The other, in a similar state, sat timidly on the chair opposite. Just a few meters apart, they stared at each other blankly but did not say a word.

Surely the other had been sleepless all night too. No, maybe even more than that.

They wanted to greet each other, but there was no strength left to open their mouths. Their eyes met, and that alone was enough for them to understand each other’s hearts.

“Let’s go.”

Before long, one of them finished the check-out procedure first, then turned back and lifted his companion up before walking away. Even as the distance grew, they kept looking at each other until they could no longer see one another.

With a profound sense of sorrow for the soul companion who might be the only one in this world.