Taeui didn’t forget to add a final comment. Ilay raised his eyebrows slightly and stared intently at Taeui. Then, in a glance, he shifted his gaze to the men. After observing them quietly for a few seconds, Ilay suddenly smirked faintly.

“Well…… this is something. You’re trying to stir up trouble, aren’t you? Taei, meddling won’t just end with you getting hurt. Those guys who seemed like they needed a bit of trimming from the start—they’ll get handled no matter what you do. And after that, you’ll just end up dragging yourself into more trouble.”

‘Oops. Wrong move.’

Taeui took a step back. Still keeping a neutral expression, he glanced at Ilay with feigned indifference, as if to say: ‘Then do as you please’, and shook the encyclopedia leisurely in his hand as though he was about to put it back on the shelf.

‘Damn. If luck’s not on my side, today’s going to be a headache. Trying to brush it off and get by with that guy was a foolish idea.’

Taeui clicked his tongue and slowly walked toward the shelf where he had taken the encyclopedia. Since he had resolved not to get involved, he figured it was better not to witness the unpleasant scene altogether. He decided to let them settle it among themselves and step aside. After all, that’s what he’d always done until now. 

After slotting the encyclopedia back into its empty space, Taeui lingered there, tapping his fingers lightly against the bookshelf, intending to wait until a reasonable amount of time had passed before leaving.

Come to think of it, Taeui had never properly gone up against that man. Of course, if they did fight for real, he’d be knocked out in a single blow, but they hadn’t even sparred casually. When Ilay had joined for joint training while stationed at the European branch, there might have been a chance. However, the 1st week had passed without them crossing paths during sparring sessions, and during the 2nd week, Taeui had been stuck in Eoryeong the entire time. As a result, they had never officially sparred.

Well, now that he thought about it, they had scuffled quite a bit out of boredom while trapped in Eoryeong. Though, for Ilay, it was barely more than playful teasing.

Even a few light exchanges, more like playful gestures than actual sparring, were enough to make it clear. Taeui knew all too well that he couldn’t stand a chance against Ilay in a fight. It was only natural. He was never particularly good at fighting to begin with, and within this branch, he wasn’t exactly exceptional either.

What would he do if he ended up having to face that man?

“……”

No matter how much he thought about it, no answer came to mind. The only options seemed to be either running away as fast as possible or getting beaten to a pulp and passing out before it got fatal—one or the other.

After loosening up with those guys, that man is probably going to ask Taeui why he stuck his nose in and made things unnecessarily troublesome for everyone. The thought left a bitter taste in Taeui’s mouth.

He clicked his tongue.

“Better to just pass out before dying. Surely no one beats a guy who’s already unconscious…… No, wait. If it’s Ilay, he might just cleanly slit  on that person’s throat before he even has the chance to faint.”

Taeui muttered to himself, letting out a sigh as he voiced his worries about what lay ahead. Just then, Ilay’s carefree voice floated over from the other side of the shelf, calling out to him.

“Who might you be talking about?”

Startled. Taeui froze, his hand stopping mid-swipe over the book. Through the narrow gap in the bookshelf, above the line of books, he could see Ilay standing there. Only his jaw and the corner of his mouth were visible, partly obscured by the books.

“Already knocked them all out? Didn’t hear a sound.”

“Because you worrying about McKean on my behalf almost makes me feel like I should go along with it.” 

“You worrying about McKean on my behalf almost makes me feel like I should go along with it.”

“……You just let them go?”

Taeui was finding the words hard to believe, asked skeptically. Through the narrow gap above the books, Ilay’s lips curled into a smile. His white teeth briefly flashed before disappearing back behind his lips.

“You liked the guy who was standing in the middle, didn’t you?”

Ilay’s sudden question caught Taeui off guard. Taeui tilted his head in confusion and quickly realized Ilay was referring to the men from earlier. Recalling the scene, Taeui remembered that the one in the middle was the 2nd man—the one who had done so in the most reasonable and humane manner of the three, while still picking a fight.

“Aaa…… yeah, I guess he was the best of the bunch. How did you know?”

“If the circumstances were right, he seemed like someone you’d get along with. For now, though, you’re practically a loner in the branch, Jeong Taei.”

Ilay spoke with a chuckle, his voice laced with amusement, as he slowly rounded the bookshelf and approached. Emerging from the other side of the shelves, Ilay’s presence filled the narrow space, making it feel even more cramped.

Taeui faced him head-on. Watching Ilay take slow deliberate steps toward him from the dim side of the shelves felt oddly reminiscent of a scene from a horror movie. Yet, strangely enough, it didn’t feel as terrifying as it could have. When he thought about it, the situation was undeniably unsettling: Alone in a rarely visited library, cornered in an obscure corner of the shelves, facing a man who might as well be a killer. And yet, he didn’t feel the kind of urgency or danger one might expect. Perhaps he had grown used to this man’s presence.

Taeui clicked his tongue bitterly and asked him,

“Are you planning to settle this troublesome matter here?”

He tried to gauge how long it would take for someone to find him if he got beaten up and left sprawled out here. The shelf right in front of him held novels, so people frequented it, but this section held collected works—rarely visited.

If luck was on his side, he’d be found quickly. If not, it would likely be evening, when the library staff came to tidy up. Hopefully, if he was discovered in the evening, the situation would be annoying enough to leave a mark, but not so bad as to put his life at risk.

As Taeui looked up at Ilay and spoke, Ilay let out a small chuckle. After that, he tilted his head slightly to the side, gazed down at Taeui with an unreadable expression.

“You really are…… an interesting guy.”

The softly spoken words brushed past Taeui’s ears, disappearing into the air. Suddenly, Ilay bent slightly at the waist, lowering himself to meet Taeui’s eye level. He stared intently, as if examining something peculiar. His gaze roamed from Taeui’s eyes to his nose, then to the curve of his mouth, as though each feature was a rare treasure. Taeui raised an eyebrow.

“Jeong Taei. This is the last time I’m telling you.”

Suddenly, Ilay’s voice dropped. It was the kind of tone people often use when speaking from the heart—serious and deliberate, yet slow and clear.

“I have no intention of fighting with you right now, but I’m not the type to put up with someone to the point of annoying myself. So, no matter who I’m up against or what happens, don’t you ever interfere.”

From less than a handspan away, Ilay whispered softly, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Taeui. He didn’t blink once, and the deep black of his eyes held no emotion, almost like staring into a glass doll. For a fleeting moment, the illusion made Taeui shiver, a cold chill running down his spine.

Taeui stared at him with discontent, though the source of his dissatisfaction was less Ilay himself and more the situation—and the subject implied by his words.

The person Ilay wasn’t willing to tolerate to the point of annoyance was none other than Jeong Taeui.

‘Alright, so you’re saying I’ve been overstepping my bounds with you. Fine, I guess it’s up to me to manage my own survival.’

Taeui nodded. He had no intention of forgetting his top priority for the past six months. The timeline was already more than halfway through. After enduring all that trouble and overcoming so many close calls, he wasn’t about to let it all go to waste in the short time left.

The goal now was simple: Survive and make it out of this branch six months later, alive and intact.

Seeing Taeui nod in agreement, Ilay smiled faintly. The smile suited his neat and pleasant face well, but for anyone who knew his true nature, it was far from comforting.

“Good, I like that. I’d prefer to keep you safe and sound for as long as possible.”

It almost felt as though an unspoken condition lingered in the air, like a whisper: ‘But if the circumstances change, I can always abandon that thought.’ Taeui let out a sigh, muttering his dissatisfaction under his breath.

“Because I’m my uncle’s nephew? Or Jeong Jaeui’s younger brother? Or maybe…… because I’m Gilsangcheon?”

The last remark sounded a bit absurd even to Taeui himself, but surprisingly, it didn’t seem so ridiculous to Ilay. Though he wore his usual faint smile, there was no hint of amusement. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, as if lost in thought for a moment.

“Well…… let’s skip the last one. Like I said before, I don’t need something to bring me luck. It’s interesting, but it’s not quite enough to fully capture my attention.”

Taeui looked at Ilay in mild surprise. He had thought the last option might hold some weight, but he hadn’t expected Ilay to dismiss it so easily.

Ilay seemed to genuinely consider Jeong Taeui’s question. He slowly stroked his chin in thought, eventually smiled a little more deeply and came to a conclusion.

“If I had to pick, I suppose it’s because you’re Jeong Jaei’s younger brother. His talent is undoubtedly something to envy.”

“My brother would be thrilled to hear that. I’ll be sure to let him know later.” – Taeui replied with a shrug before turning and starting to walk toward the outer shelves.

The excuse he had come up with earlier to avoid running into those three men again wasn’t entirely serious, but it still had some truth to it. Instructor McKean was probably sitting alone in the Instructor’s office by now. Likely, while sitting there during his free period, he was forming a less-than-favorable impression of Ilay—wondering where on earth he might be goofing off instead of attending to his duties.

“There’s no need to go out of your way to be overly friendly, but there’s no point in being needlessly antagonistic either. Building a good rapport with McKean wouldn’t hurt.”

As soon as Taeui said this, he remembered that Ilay’s direct superior was Mao, while McKean’s direct superior was Rudolph, also his uncle’s. By extension, the two could be considered rivals. Perhaps forming a good relationship with McKean might not be entirely without drawbacks after all. With that thought, Taeui shut his mouth, deciding against adding: ‘So, try to get along.’

Just as Taeui stepped out from between the shelves, for some reason, Ilay suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind. Before Taeui could turn around, Ilay seized his jaw from behind and tilted his head back. Startled by the sudden move, Taeui looked up at Ilay, who was leaning over him. Despite the situation, Taeui let out a faint nervous smile as he watched Ilay’s face draw closer.

“─……”

A sharp sting pricked his cheek, followed by the sensation of something damp and fleshy slowly dragging along his cheek. The wetness trailed from his cheek up to his ear, and then it moved to his earlobe, which was licked slowly before being nipped again, causing another sharp pain.

The sensation traveled down to the back of his neck, making Taeui’s shoulders twitch slightly. Then, as Ilay pressed his lips against his neck, Taeui reached up with both hands, cupping Ilay’s cheeks firmly and pulling him away.

He looked at Ilay with a steady gaze, his expression unreadable, as the other man nonchalantly wiped his mouth. He tilted his head slightly, Taeui watched him with a peculiar look in his eyes.

There was no way this guy had suddenly lost his mind. Surely, he wasn’t planning to sink his teeth into Taeui’s neck and tear him apart. And there was even less chance he was suggesting a game of hopscotch here. No, the only conclusion was that this guy was simply too insane for Taeui to comprehend.

As Taeui stared at Ilay, deliberating what to say, Ilay wiped his lips with his thumb and gave them a slow lick. Seeing Taeui’s expression, he let out a small chuckle.

“But putting all that aside—Instructor Jeong , Jeong Jaeui, even Lady of Luck herself—forget them all. You’re surprisingly interesting in your own right. Actually, quite entertaining.”

“……Did you enjoy hopscotch that much?”  

Taeui asked, looking at Ilay with suspicion. After suddenly grabbing him, kissing him, and then making a vague remark about him being ‘interesting’, that was the only conclusion Taeui’s mind could come up with. Besides, he thought he’d heard Ilay call him ‘entertaining’ back then as well.

When Taeui said that, Ilay, who had been smiling down at him, suddenly fell silent. For a brief moment, the smile disappeared from his face. Ilay stared at Taeui with an unexpectedly serious expression, meeting his gaze without a word. Then, all of a sudden, he burst into laughter.

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

The door to the Instructor’s office closed, separating the hallway and the office into two distinct worlds. While the soundproofing wasn’t perfect, the flow of air between the two spaces was undeniably cut off.

Beyond the door were 6 Instructors from the branch. And standing before each of them were their respective Assistant Instructors.

At the end of the regular workday, the Instructors would gather daily in the office to briefly exchange thoughts about the day’s events. It wasn’t formal enough to be called a meeting—more of a short conversation. However, the Friday afternoon discussions, held after wrapping up the week’s schedule, tended to run slightly longer. Even so, they rarely lasted more than half an hour. The moment Taeui closed the door behind Ilay as he entered the office, he mentally marked the end of his duties as an Assistant Instructor for the day. Once the Instructors finished their discussion and emerged, the Assistant Instructors would deliver their final reports to their respective Instructors, officially concluding their work for the day.

In Taeui’s case, while he held the title of Assistant Instructor, it was more of a hastily assigned role than a proper position. As such, there wasn’t much to his ‘final report’. It was enough to simply ask whether there were any urgent tasks or remaining work once the Instructors finished their meeting.

‘If I knew this tedious routine was part of the job every evening, I’d never have aimed to become an Assistant Instructor!’ – He thought bitterly. After Ilay entered the Instructor’s office, Taeui stayed in the hallway to wait for him to come out, sighing in relief that yet another day had ended without any major incidents. He reminded himself to mark off the day on his calendar with a cross as soon as he got back to his room.

“Looking tired. You okay?”

As Taeui leaned against the windowsill, gazing at the darkening sky and taking a moment to catch his breath, someone approached and spoke to him. He turned his head slightly to glance at the person, responding vaguely with a simple: “Yeah, well, sort of.” The speaker was someone Taeui still thought of primarily as ‘the driver’, though he was officially the assistant Instructor to his uncle. Having seen him briefly each evening, his face had become quite familiar.

“Being tired is nothing new, so this much is manageable. What about you? Your uncle seems pretty busy lately. Doesn’t that make things hectic for you too?”

“Hmm, a little.”

Assistant Instructor Kang didn’t elaborate further and merely offered a slight smile. Though Taeui was the nephew of Instructor Jeong, Kang had made it clear before that he refrained from sharing overly detailed information. It wasn’t his place to decide how much to disclose.

Despite his quiet and reserved nature, once you got to know him, Kang was easy to interact with. He was the type of man who, though not talkative, knew how to say the right things at the right time. Moreover, he was one of the rare members of the branch who would initiate a conversation with Taeui.

Taeui took the canned coffee handed to him by Assistant Instructor Kang and drank it as he glanced around. Aside from the two of them, four other Assistant Instructors were scattered throughout the hallway, each standing in their own spot. However, Taeui had never heard their voices before—more specifically, he’d never heard any of them speak to him directly.

Assistant Instructors were similar to branch members. While they often couldn’t participate in the same activities as the members, their basic mindset and behavior didn’t differ much. The only distinction lay in their proximity to the Instructors, which sometimes gave them a slightly different perspective on certain matters. Even so, fundamentally, there wasn’t much to set them apart from regular members.

For that reason, they too, like the regular branch members, didn’t view Taeui in a particularly favorable light. While they maintained polite behavior toward the Instructors, their wariness toward Ilay extended to Taeui as well. The Assistant Instructor had their own tightly-knit relationships, and while they were generally close with one another, Taeui couldn’t recall ever having been part of their conversations.

Of course, Taeui didn’t care in the slightest. Getting involved in those kinds of dynamics was exhausting, and in the end, it didn’t matter—he only had six months. Six months, six months. Repeating that phrase like a mantra made the troubles on this island feel just bearable enough to endure.

In the near-isolation Taeui felt, Assistant Instructor Kang was one of the few branch members who spoke to him casually and without hesitation. It might have been because he was his uncle’s assistant Instructor, but it seemed more likely due to Kang’s personality—one that didn’t concern itself much with competitive dynamics or rivalries.

Even if Taeui didn’t personally care about such social dynamics, he still felt a sense of gratitude toward anyone who initiated a conversation with him. In Taeui’s mind, this ‘driver’ was firmly etched as one of the few decent human beings in this place.

“Lately, it seems you don’t visit Instructor Jeong’s room at night much anymore.” – Kang remarked.

By the time Taeui had finished about half of his canned coffee, Assistant Instructor Kang spoke up, as if he’d just remembered something. Taeui glanced at him with a curious “Hmm?”, and tried to recall. Now that it was mentioned, it had indeed been a while since he last visited his uncle’s room.

“Hmm…… I guess I’ve been so drained, both physically and mentally, that I don’t feel like doing much of anything. But you seem to notice these things well. Did my uncle complain that I haven’t been visiting?”

“No, it’s just that lately the beer cans in Instructor Jeong’s room haven’t been disappearing as much.” – Kang replied with a faint smile.

Assistant Instructor Kang smiled faintly as he spoke. Taeui looked at him, half-impressed and half-surprised. How Kang managed to know such details was a mystery to him. Noticing Taeui’s expression, Kang added casually.

“I cleaned up Instructor Jeong’s room, you know. That includes restocking the fridge when it’s running low.”

“You even do that?” – Taeui asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

“Most Assistant Instructors probably do the same.” – Kang replied nonchalantly.

Taeui stared at him with a slightly stunned expression before slowly turning back to sip his canned coffee.

It was surprising enough that Assistant Instructor had to clean up rooms, but knowing they also managed the refrigerators in someone else’s space made it clear—being an assistant Instructor wasn’t for just anyone. Taeui was convinced his appointment was a clear oversight on the part of his uncle and the other Instructors.

He had never been to Ilay’s room, nor had he ever considered going. Of course, Ilay had never invited him either. For Taeui, casually visiting his uncle’s room to open the fridge and help himself to whatever was inside was more than enough.

As Taeui finished the last sip of his canned coffee, he reflected on how intricate the world of Assistant Instructor seemed. Just then, Kang let out a soft “Oh……”, as if something had come to mind. Taeui, turning his head without much thought, followed Kang’s gaze—and saw Xinlu approaching from the office on the other side, arms full of documents and other materials.

It seemed Xinlu had noticed Taeui the moment he stepped out of the office, as he was looking straight at him. Taeui noted that, in the time since he had last seen Xinlu, his face seemed to have taken on a slightly unwell appearance.

Recently, Taeui hadn’t been able to properly talk with Xinlu. Ever since Taeui became Ilay’s assistant Instructor, the awkward and chilly atmosphere between them had persisted. Attempts to contact Xinlu were often met with no response, and Xinlu rarely reached out to him either. This left Taeui feeling quite disheartened.

Seeing Xinlu approaching but gradually slowing his steps, Taeui quickly said a short goodbye to Assistant Kang with: “See you later”, before heading toward Xinlu. As Taeui drew closer, Xinlu stopped walking altogether.

“Where are you headed? That looks heavy—let me help.” – Taeui offered.

“…………”

Xinlu kept his lips sealed, offering no reply. Undeterred, Taeui reached out to take most of the materials Xinlu was carrying. However, Xinlu shifted slightly, making it clear he didn’t want to hand them over. Taeui noticed the avoidance in Xinlu’s movements, then felt a bit awkward but extended his hands again.

“They’re heavy. Come on, give them to me.”

“……No, it’s fine. I’ll carry them. You shouldn’t be carrying things like this, Taei-hyung.”

When Taeui insisted on taking the load, Xinlu finally opened his mouth, though he clung tightly to the materials as if determined not to hand them over.

As Taeui’s outstretched hand faltered and retreated in awkward silence, Xinlu seemed to notice the shift. He hesitated, looking slightly anxious, before muttering under his breath.

“I just don’t like the idea of you carrying something heavy, hyung. It’s fine—I can manage. It’s not heavy at all.”

“No, but still, it’s heavy. Just now, when I touched it, it felt pretty—”

“Tae-i hyung.”

Xinlu cut him off abruptly, his tone firm. He looked directly at Taeui and spoke clearly, his voice serious.

“The truth is, when I joined UNHRDO, I graduated at the top of my class. Not just in the intelligence tests, but in the physical fitness tests too. Normally, I would’ve entered as a branch member and followed the promotion track. But my mother was adamantly against me doing anything dangerous, so I joined as a Assistant Warden instead.”

“……Oh. Right.”

Taeui responded blankly, his mind momentarily frozen. He felt as though he had just heard something out of place—this sweet and adorable young man had been the top of his class at UNHRDO? Even in the notoriously grueling physical fitness tests, no less?

Unable to fully grasp the reality of it, Taeui simply blinked, struggling to process the information. Suddenly, a memory surfaced—his uncle once smiling meaningfully and saying something cryptic.

“—You know, that kid…… he’s full of surprises. You’ll figure it out as you spend more time around him.”

“………….”

Taeui had assumed his uncle’s comment referred to how, despite Xinlu’s delicate appearance, he tended to take control in bed. But maybe – just maybe – it was also about this. Or perhaps both were equally surprising and somehow connected in their own way.

Without a word, Taeui stepped to stand beside Xinlu. Xinlu remained silent as well. Though he could feel occasional glances from the other Assistant Instructor, neither of them paid any attention. Xinlu, too, ignored their gazes completely.

“……Let’s go.”

For a while, Xinlu kept his head lowered in silence, then suddenly mumbled something under his breath. His voice was so quiet that Taeui couldn’t quite catch it and asked: “Hmm? What was that?”

At that, Xinlu slowly lifted his head.

When their eyes met, Taeui flinched. Xinlu was looking at him with a gaze tinged with something close to resentment. His eyes glistened, unusually moist, as if he was holding back tears.

“If I’d known it would turn out like this…… I should have…… I should have joined as a branch member instead.”

Xinlu’s voice trembled faintly at the end, as if he were barely holding back tears. Taeui looked at him, visibly flustered. Once Xinlu started speaking, it was as if a dam had burst, and the words spilled out uncontrollably.

“If I’d joined as a branch member, I could’ve qualified to be promoted to Instructor in just a few years. If I’d waited just a little longer, I could’ve become an Instructor too. Then…… then I could’ve stayed by your side, hyung—……I shouldn’t have settled for being an Assistant Warden!”

His voice rose, filled with frustration and regret. Xinlu looked as if he were on the verge of breaking down, his resentment and helplessness pouring out. Taeui could only stare at him, overwhelmed and unsure of how to respond. He felt he should say something, but no words came to mind.

“B……but isn’t being an Assistant Warden a more stable path? I mean, they say after a few years, you can transfer to headquarters to work there.”

Taeui stammered as he tried to console Xinlu. It was the first time he had ever heard anyone regret choosing to be an Assistant Warden over a branch member. Although their roles were different, Taeui had often heard that being an Assistant Warden was considered a smoother route to success.

However, his attempt at comfort didn’t seem to work. Xinlu shook his head vigorously and cried out in frustration.

“No, that doesn’t matter! I don’t care about headquarters or stability. What’s the point if I can’t stay by your side, Taei-hyung?”

“What’s the point? Even if I go to headquarters, it’s not like you can be my Assistant Instructor there……! If I’d known it would be like this, I would’ve never become an Assistant Warden……!”

Xinlu finally broke into tears. Despite holding the visibly heavy stack of books tightly against his chest, he let his sorrow flow freely, the tears falling like drops of sadness. The image of him, strong enough to carry such a weight but crumbling emotionally, seemed oddly out of sync—but that didn’t matter to Taeui. All Taeui could do was stand there, utterly at a loss, fidgeting nervously as he faced the tearful Xinlu. He had no idea what to say or do in the face of Xinlu’s unexpected outburst.