Ilay tightly grabbed the withering object on Taeui’s pants, then suddenly squeezed it harshly. It wasn’t painful enough to cry out, but the sudden force surprised Taeui, and he was about to say something when he instinctively reached out towards the object. The strong hand pushed up against the soft skin, and then fingers gently rubbed the tip of ‘the object.’ He felt the fingers seem to slip through the thin fabric, caressing and lightly pressing on the urethra at the tip of the penis, causing Taeui to shudder. When Ilay easily grasped the now fully erect ‘little guy’, it made him laugh.

It wasn’t an imagined feeling. The object in Taeui’s hand was also gradually rising. Taeui was horrified as he felt it hardened to the point where it could no longer fit comfortably in his hand, but as he tried to pull his hand back, Ilay’s hand firmly held his in place, preventing him from moving.

“Wait, hold on, I’m not interested in this!”

No matter how much he tried to shout, maybe because of panic or the intense stimulation below, his voice became hoarse, coming out like the dry sound of metal scraping. From behind, Ilay whispered in a deep, raspy voice, just loud enough to be heard.

“To be honest, you’re not my type either. But, you don’t have to be the right type to relieve a need. Don’t overthink it. We’re just releasing what’s been pent up. You’re no different from me. We’re just borrowing each other’s hands for a bit. Anyone can do this with anyone.”

As he spoke, Ilay’s breath grew increasingly heated. Then suddenly, the hand gripping Taeui’s object seemed as if it would let go.

Doing this with just anyone? That might be true for him, but I’ve never done this before……. Taeui was about to scream, but when the feeling of stimulation started to fade, he frowned involuntarily. Faced with an overwhelming desire, the disappearance of the sensation brought out the animal instincts that were stronger than logic.

Come to think of it, it had been a few months since Taeui had relieved himself. Ever since he had been busy preparing for discharge, he hadn’t had any chance……. Maybe it has been almost a year by now.

Damn it. How could he be this hard with a crazed murderer right behind him?

“Hey, wait, just a little more…….! HEY, HEY, DO IT AGAIN, DO IT AGAIN!!”

Alright, fine, whatever. It’s come to this, might as well relieve the need first. Taeui’s hand was still held tightly between Ilay’s legs. Anyway, this guy seemed intent on taking care of it himself; if he left it as it was, only Taeui would lose out.

Taeui grabbed Ilay’s wrist as it was moving away and yelled. Ilay paused for a moment, then smirked. After that, he shoved Taeui’s hand away and said:

“Your pants are soaked. Are you planning to finish in your pants?”

Mmm. Taeui withdrew his hand and lowered his head, his whole face flushing red from embarrassment. Ilay slipped his hand into Taeui’s pants and pulled them down. The cold air immediately hit the exposed skin. But before he could fully register the cold, Ilay’s hand reached out and wrapped around Taeui’s lower region.

As he looked down, Taeui saw Ilay’s white, elegant hand gripping the area between his legs. Through those long, slender fingers, Taeui’s member gradually reddened and lifted slightly. Just as Ilay said, the tip was slick and drenched.

Those delicate, pale fingers mischievously massaged the sensitive skin of that area so intensely that it actually hurt. The sight was so obscene that Taeui had to turn his face away.

Meanwhile, Ilay’s hand, which was entwined with Taeui’s, suddenly pulled his hand into Ilay’s own pants. As the zipper was pulled down, Ilay’s hot length suddenly sprang out. Taeui swallowed a gasp once again. When it was still covered by fabric, it only made him slightly uncomfortable, but now with bare skin touching, the oversized member and its heat made him shudder.

“Now, lie down……. Raise your hips.”

Ilay’s chest pressed against Taeui’s back, and the heat seemed to radiate straight into Taeui’s mind, making his thoughts grow foggy.

As Taeui followed Ilay’s instructions and lowered himself, he suddenly felt the object poking between his bare buttocks, snapping him back to reality. Cold sweat broke out. The thought of that thing fully erect flashed through his mind.

“WAIT! NOT LIKE THIS! NO! I told you I’m not interested in this! I said we were just using our hands, but now you’re trying to kill me, YOU BASTARD!”

Taeui jumped up and shouted. This wasn’t a joke. He’d never been pinned down like this before, and if that thing actually penetrated him, his body would surely be torn in two. As Taeui kicked at the air with a pale face, Ilay, who had been holding his member and preparing to push it between Taeui’s cheeks, frowned. But then, he shrugged as if he understood.

“Alright. After all, you’re not my type either. Hugging you probably wouldn’t be any fun……. Now, come closer. No, lie down. That’s right.”

Taeui hesitated, but perhaps out of impatience, Ilay quickly pressed him back down. Then Ilay mounted Taeui and gripped both of their members in his large hand, starting to pump them vigorously.

Ilay’s hand tightened more and more, aggressively preventing Taeui from speaking another word. The movements were so rough they were painful, but Taeui could only open his mouth without making a sound. In that fragile balance between pain and pleasure, his body gradually hardened. The heat from Ilay’s erection pressing against Taeui’s sent waves of scorching intensity, almost as if burning.

Taeui couldn’t say anything, just furrowed his brows in silence. Right on his face, Ilay let out deep, low moans, then suddenly reached out. Ilay’s large hand covered Taeui’s eyes, plunging him into total darkness.

With his vision blocked, Taeui’s other senses become sharper than ever. Every sensation, every nerve in his body seemed to focus on a single point, causing pleasure to surge through him with violent intensity, sending shivers down his spine. His body started to heat up. Little by little. Gradually.

And then, at one moment…….

A hot, sticky liquid splattered onto Taeui’s stomach. Ilay’s hand disappeared from his eyes. The sight of the thick, white liquid spurting out, again and again, unfolded in front of Taeui. It wasn’t clear whose it was, but it seemed to come from both of them at the same time, pooling on his stomach and then slowly dripping down. The heat of it made Taeui unable to hold back, letting out a short gasp.

His head felt like it was on fire, his vision turned white, and it was as if he had slipped into an unreal world. That feeling lasted for just a moment.

His eyes started to blur, so he closed them for a while. His body gradually weakened, collapsing onto the floor.

Taeui thought he might fall asleep like that, but then he felt the warmth of Ilay’s body leaving him. When he opened his eyes, Ilay, who had just been on top of him, was now sitting up. Sitting beside Taeui, Ilay glanced at him sprawled out on the floor, smirked, and said:

“See? Not so bad, right? I told you, it doesn’t matter who it is as long as you’re getting your needs met.”

“…….No……. Even so, I’d still prefer to do it with someone who fits my type. After all, once it’s over, we still have to face each other.”

Taeui murmured while still lying motionless. Only now did his mind slowly start to clear.

He felt like he’d done something foolish again. Even though he hadn’t completely lost control while doing it with Ilay, so he didn’t feel too guilty. But he still had a sense that he was sinking deeper into a mire, going entirely against his uncle’s warnings. His uncle had told him it would be best not to get involved with Ilay, but things were only getting worse.

No. Maybe not. After all, they were close enough now to help each other with their needs, so there was some level of familiarity there. Perhaps in the future, if something happened, Ilay would feel inclined to lend a helping hand out of this bond.

Taeui thought this and sighed.

Even he found this thought ridiculous. No matter how pampered a lover this man might be, if he arrived at the wrong time, he could easily take someone’s life without a second thought.

Suddenly, Taeui recalled something Ilay had said before.

“—…….I’ve never experienced emotions like that, so it’s hard for me to understand. But from my perspective, they don’t serve any purpose in life. If it were me, I’d rather just get it over with than walk around all flushed and pent-up……. Emotions are just fleeting impulses, not worth paying attention to.”

Those words had now become the most important guide for Taeui to understand Ilay.

Taeui glanced over at Ilay. The intense, stifling atmosphere from before had vanished as if it had never existed. Ilay was calmly and coolly cleaning his messy body, his expression unchanged from his usual self. Then, their eyes met. Without the slightest hint of awkwardness or discomfort, Ilay looked straight at Taeui and handed him a tissue, asking if he wanted to clean himself.

Although Taeui had anticipated this, he still couldn’t help but notice it again. Ilay carried no psychological burden or emotional barriers when it came to sex. For him, it was just like a sport, something light and uncomplicated.

Taeui thought about this and sighed softly.

There was no need to overthink it. It was simply enjoying a moment of pleasure with someone else’s help. Besides, even if he felt weighed down emotionally, thinking deeply wouldn’t change anything. This wasn’t about love or anything deeper involving their bodies.

He sighed again, feeling his mood lighten. That feeling became even clearer as he looked into Ilay’s cold, black eyes. Truly, it was just a moment of enjoyment. Although there was a vague sense of regret and bitterness, at least the fact that they could face each other without awkwardness was a good thing.

The only discomfort he felt came from somewhere else. “Sorry, Shinru.” Taeui silently apologized to him in his mind, not entirely sure why he felt that way.

“Aren’t you getting up? If not, I’ll go take a shower first.”

Ilay nodded toward the bathroom. “Yeah, do whatever you want. I’m not getting up,” Taeui mumbled, then turned onto his side. The bodily fluids still clinging to his stomach were starting to dry and harden, slowly dripping down. Feeling it, Taeui frowned slightly and let out an “Ugh.” Ilay seemed to notice, so he smiled and wiped Taeui’s stomach clean with the tissue. As unbelievable as it seemed, maybe he did know how to be polite. Though Taeui wasn’t entirely convinced of that.

“Well……. this is something…….”

Ilay tossed the towel aside, and when he saw some fluids still sticking to his fingers, he clicked his tongue in annoyance. Then, with a calm expression, as if thinking about something, he touched that finger to Taeui’s lips and traced the outline of his mouth.

At first, Taeui had intended to stay lying down for a bit longer, too exhausted to get up, but his expression immediately changed, and he jumped up at once. He grimaced, roughly rubbing his lips with the back of his hand, while Ilay chuckled at the sight. Ilay’s smirk was quickly met with a harsh slap from Taeui, who showed no mercy.

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

Drip.

Drip, drip…….

What woke Taeui was the distant sound of water. The small, gentle sound echoed through the quiet and dark underground space, softly reaching his ears. It felt like a cold, clear droplet of water was about to fall on his forehead.

Taeui opened his eyes. The only thing in his sight was a faint yellow light. But as his eyes moved around, he could make out the dim room slowly coming into view. Carefully listening, apart from the occasional dripping of water, there were no other sounds. There should have been noises from people in the other rooms, but it seemed everyone was asleep.

There was no need for a clock, and no one had to tell him, but his body instinctively sensed the time. It was probably around 2 or 3 in the morning. If he was wrong, it would only be by an hour or two. It was too early to get up and move around, and too late to strike up a conversation with anyone.

“Damn……. I was hoping to get a peaceful night’s sleep while it was dark, but even my dreams were awful…….”

Taeui muttered to himself, pressing his thumb lightly against his still heavy eyelids, weighed down by drowsiness. If he stayed still like this, he’d probably fall asleep again within seconds, but he knew all too well that if he drifted off now, he’d end up back in the same dream he’d just escaped. It was like waking from sleep paralysis — if he fell asleep right away, the paralysis would return.

“What kind of nightmare was that? Did you see someone you didn’t want to meet?”

Taeui froze.

That voice came from right next to him. Someone was lying close to the wall, right beside where he was. The voice sounded calm in the darkness, without any trace of tiredness or sleepiness. It seemed like the person hadn’t slept at all.

When Taeui turned his head, he saw a pair of eyes glowing in the darkness, reflecting the faint light. Seeing them appear so suddenly made his heart almost leap out of his chest.

“Don’t tell me I have to see you in my dreams too.”

Still half-asleep, Taeui mumbled his response. Right after that, he heard a soft laugh, like the sound of a breeze passing by. It seemed like Ilay was laughing like that again. Taeui, feeling the drowsiness still clinging to him, tried to sit up. He didn’t want to fall back asleep and experience the same nightmare again.

“Sigh. If only I could avoid seeing the people I hate in my dreams, that would be great.”

“Sounds like you saw someone in your dream that you were dreading,” Ilay remarked.

“It’s not really fear, just hate…….”

Taeui muttered in frustration, clicking his tongue. Since coming here, he had faced enough difficulties to make it feel like a long time had passed. But when he thought about it, it had only been six months since he was discharged. It wasn’t surprising that memories from that time resurfaced vividly in his dreams.

“There was this extremely irritating guy back in the military. I’m sure he felt the same way about me……. Actually, I met a lot of obedient, cute juniors and reliable, kind seniors. Yet, for some reason, it’s that hateful guy who shows up in my dreams.”

“A ha, a hateful person, huh? Hearing you say that makes me curious,” Ilay responded with surprise. Taeui rarely mentioned other people, and when he did, he seldom spoke harshly about them, so this piqued Ilay’s interest.

Taeui scratched his head. He really didn’t want to talk about it. Not because the story was frightening, but simply because he didn’t want to think about that obnoxious guy.

“What bothered you so much? Tell me and lighten your load. Did you deal with an annoying officer in the military? Let’s hear it. I’m great at listening to others,” Ilay said, encouraging him.

Hearing Ilay’s words, Taeui chuckled softly. He didn’t think he needed a listener, but talking was better than succumbing to the sleepiness that was creeping in. Besides, it wasn’t a secret.

“That guy was the reason I decided to leave the military. I made up my mind to beat him so badly he’d end up in the hospital. I had to go to the hospital too, but I got out half a month earlier than he did.”

When Taeui added that this meant he won, Ilay burst out laughing. The idea of getting into a fight so intense that both ended up in the hospital, yet still debating who won, was truly amusing.

“I kept that under wraps at school, but some complications led to rumors spreading that I liked men. You can understand how that would be, but the military in my country is very conservative. That rumor followed me from military school to my assignment in the army. To make things worse, that annoying guy was assigned to the same unit and happily spread the rumor even further.”

“Oh, I see. So, you beat him to a pulp because he spread that rumor?”

“No. The rumor had been circulating for quite some time. It followed me for years. Since it was true, even though I hated his attitude, I didn’t hit him just because of that rumor.”

“Then what was the reason?”

“At that time, my life was pretty exhausting for a lot of reasons. Both my superiors and subordinates made my life difficult. While I was already mentally drained, he suddenly threw a punch at me. That was the breaking point for all the frustrations I had bottled up for years. I thought – ‘Today, you’re dead!’ – and just went at him. The next thing I knew, we were both lying in the hospital.”

That incident was truly a stroke of bad luck. The worst part was that after deciding I’d never see him again, I woke up and had to face him, stuck in the same small space with no escape. Emotionally, being trapped in a room with this murderous lunatic right now feels a lot easier to handle than back then.

Moreover, during our time in the hospital, he could have ignored me or just left me alone, but instead, he kept picking fights. As soon as things quieted down a bit, he’d say something infuriating. And when I tried to ignore him, he’d use his sharp tongue to provoke me even more. Unlike Taeui, who, when hating someone, would completely stop talking and act as if the person didn’t exist, this guy was the exact opposite in every way.

“He had the nerve to hit you? That’s gutsy. I wouldn’t want to fight you either” – Ilay said with a smile. If someone else had said that, it might have sounded like they respected Taeui’s strength, but when Ilay said it, it came off as teasing. Ilay definitely knew that too.

“Yeah……. honestly, I wouldn’t want to fight myself either. Who knows what dirty tricks I’d pull.”

Taeui thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement. Anyone who knew Taeui understood that, while he wasn’t the strongest or the most skilled fighter, very few dared to mess with him first. That kept him out of many unnecessary conflicts.

In reality, Lieutenant Kim often provoked people with his words but rarely resorted to physical violence. He knew that once a fight started, Taeui wouldn’t hesitate to use the dirtiest tactics to bring his opponent down. And that would never end well for Kim.

Still, the fact that Lieutenant Kim actually punched Taeui was a genuine surprise. Whenever Kim provoked Taeui, he’d always respond in kind, but it was rare for Kim to escalate it into physical violence with a punch like that. Taeui hadn’t even said anything particularly harsh to him at the time.

“Every time he saw me, he kept nagging about homosexuality, which irritated me, so I just joked back. I said: ‘You must really like me, huh? Always hanging around me, saying all this nonsense just to get my attention, right?’ And for some reason, that made him lose it and punch me……. It seems like he really hated gay people. Just a few words, and he blew up like that. What an annoying bastard. If he hated it so much, why did he keep trying to pick a fight with me?”

Taeui clicked his tongue and muttered. As he said those words, memories of that time rushed back, reigniting his anger. Even in his dreams, that guy appeared, ranting about homosexuality and constantly mocking him. Whether in his dreams or in real life, that guy was an intolerably irritating person.

Ilay remained silent, not saying a word. The man who had just been joking and responding was now quiet, causing Taeui to turn and look at him. He thought Ilay had fallen asleep, but those dark eyes were still reflecting the faint light. Ilay seemed to be deep in thought, intently watching Taeui.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing, just……. I’m thinking about when people tend to get the angriest.”

“Ha ha, well, usually people get mad when you hit their pride, don’t they? To be honest, I think that’s the kind of person he was. He probably didn’t even realize it himself. Some people go through life without ever really being aware of who they are, you know?”

Taeui laughed as he joked. But Ilay didn’t respond, only giving him a hard-to-read look, followed by a faint, vague smile.

“Only one person like that?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve never met anyone else who tried to provoke you like that?”

Taeui fell into thought. Lieutenant Kim was the most hateful person he could clearly remember. But even so, as time passed, if he didn’t dream of him, he wouldn’t think about him anymore, and the memories would gradually fade.

He didn’t recall particularly hating anyone else—at least not as much as he hated Lieutenant Kim. Throughout his years of studying and working in the military, Kim had constantly insulted and provoked him at every turn.

But thinking back, there were a few strange people who had crossed his path. Like an upperclassman in high school, for example. However, Taeui didn’t hate that person. It seemed like every year, someone odd would show up in his life. But he figured most of that was due to his older brother.

His brother always seemed to attract kidnappers or people with deviant tendencies, and since they often went out together when they were younger, Taeui ended up in similar situations more often than others. Those people weren’t necessarily perverted or deviant in the modern sense – though sometimes there were those types – but they always did something that made others uncomfortable.

However, after reaching puberty, as his body grew and his strength increased, those kinds of harassments gradually lessened. Perhaps it was because he became stronger and didn’t hesitate to push those people away when necessary, or maybe – though it sounds hard to believe – it was possible that the cute appearance he and his brother had as children had drawn people’s attention, and as they grew older, that look faded away.

In any case, that was why he matured earlier than his peers, and from high school onward, Taeui rarely encountered strange individuals. Most of the people around him were good-natured.

“Or maybe by that time, since I wasn’t always with my brother, those weird people shifted their attention to him without me knowing……. Hmm, so maybe their target all along was my brother. Either way, I stopped experiencing those situations.”

Taeui shrugged and added that perhaps his face wasn’t the type people would look down on or tease easily.

That might have been the reason. Regardless, Taeui preferred gentle, kind people, and since he generally surrounded himself with such people, he rarely allowed those who could cause harm to get close.

Taeui couldn’t remember exactly when that happened. It probably wasn’t too long ago, maybe around the time he graduated from officer school or just after being assigned. At that time, Taeui knew he would have to face Lieutenant Kim again at his new unit, and the thought of it made him extremely uncomfortable. When he got home, he vented his frustrations while drinking a few cans of beer. As Taeui continued to drink and complain, his brother, sitting beside him with only one can of beer, sighed and made a very strange remark.

“Anyone who craves you, their instincts are already greedy. He’s not someone worth getting close to.”

Hearing those words, Taeui felt uneasy and thought that his brother surely wasn’t drunk after just one can of beer, but perhaps he had eaten something bad. Taeui looked at his brother with suspicion and shuddered.

“Hyung—no, Jeong Jaeui? He doesn’t crave me, he just keeps picking fights with me. Why are you talking like that? Are you worried about something?”

Since his brother had suddenly said something nonsensical, Taeui became concerned and changed the subject. His brother seemed like he was about to say something but then stayed silent. By that point, Taeui was tipsy, so he gently shook his brother and urged him to speak if something was bothering him. In the end, his brother revealed that what worried him the most was his only sibling becoming more and more like an alcoholic.

“…….”

Thinking back, his brother was sometimes a difficult person to understand. Occasionally, Taeui wondered whether that man was really his age, but despite that, they were always close and never fought. If they ever argued, it was only when they were very young, debating whether black bean noodles or spicy noodles were better (Jajangmyeon or Jjambbong).

“I don’t know what he’s up to or where he is now. But in any case, I’m sure he’s fine.”

Taeui lay back, staring up at the ceiling, while Ilay looked at him and smiled faintly.

“You must be worried because your brother’s missing, right? From what Instructor Jeong said, it seems like he still hasn’t returned home.”

Taeui gave a dry laugh and waved his hand dismissively. Worried? His brother didn’t need that. For his brother, everything always went according to plan. If he thought, ‘I want to see my little brother,’ then no matter what happened, it would work out. For instance, if Jaeui accidentally bumped into someone on the street, and that person happened to be the head of the UNHRDO, and that person was so furious they locked him up in the nearest branch – which just so happened to be where Taeui was stationed – then his brother would show up right in front of him.

“Still, you never know. He might be secretly locked up in some weapon development facility, having all his intellectual power drained.”

“Someone who’d end up in that situation would have been captured before he was even ten years old”

Taeui responded firmly, without leaving room for doubt. Someone like Ilay, who had met Jeong Jaeui, nodded in agreement, as if he understood the incredible luck that seemed to follow Taeui’s brother.

It was convenient to talk to someone who had already met Jeong Jaeui. When Taeui spoke about his brother to people who had never met him or had only heard vague rumors, they often seemed skeptical, unable to believe that someone could be so lucky. Even Taeui, who had lived with his brother, sometimes found it hard to believe, so it was understandable that others would feel the same.

Taeui suddenly looked at Ilay. It wasn’t necessary to ask, but he couldn’t help feeling curious.

“You said you met my brother before, right?”

“Yeah. Well, it wasn’t really a meeting, more like passing each other briefly—it was too short to call it a meeting.”

“Was it through my uncle? Or because my brother works in arms dealing?”

Ilay smiled vaguely, then answered shortly: “Both”, Taeui nodded.

Suddenly, Ilay asked an unexpected question.

“If you urgently needed to find your brother but had no idea where he was, how would you go about finding him?”

Taeui furrowed his brow: “Hmm…….”. He had never really thought about that. Anytime he needed to, he could easily contact his brother. The only times when communication was impossible were under one condition: when contacting his brother could cause him trouble.

This is where Jeong Jaeui’s luck has always been remarkable.

“He’s not someone I can contact just because I want to. If my brother doesn’t want to see me, it’s useless to try and find him. It’s a kind of innate talent, not something that can be solved through effort.”

However, there was one way to meet Jeong Jaeui: when meeting would bring absolute benefit to him. If, in some way, Taeui could bring luck to his brother, then finding him would become much easier.

While thinking about this, Taeui scratched his head. He had never calculated or thought of meeting his brother in that way, so it became difficult when he tried to consider it.

“Now that I think about it, his birthday is at the end of next month.”
Taeui muttered as the thought suddenly occurred to him, and Ilay raised an eyebrow and chuckled as if finding something amusing.

“Jeong Jae-i’s birthday, huh? That’s also your birthday. But you’re talking like it has nothing to do with you.”

“Huh? It’s not like that. These past few years, we’ve only really cared about each other’s birthday. My brother usually takes care of mine.”

Taeui hardly thought about his own birthday. In fact, he hadn’t done anything special for his brother’s birthday in years. They just remembered the day, called each other, and if they were both free, they’d grab a meal together. Since their parents passed away, there were no other relatives they kept in regular contact with, so it was just the two of them. Neither had significant others, so their birthdays were usually spent together.

“But really, we’re not the type to always remember each other’s birthdays. It’s usually a few days after, and then we find a time when we’re both free to go eat.”

“Hm. So this year, your brother will probably find you on your birthday, or at least contact you, right?”

“Probably. By that time, if I call home, he might already be back.”

Taeui said casually, staring at the ceiling. Suddenly, he felt Ilay’s gaze on him, so he turned and asked.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, it’s just that I’ve thought this for a while now—you and your brother are really close. I’m kind of jealous.”

Ilay shook his head with a smile that was hard to describe. Taeui shook his head as well, wondering if they were really close enough to make others jealous. Suddenly, he paused, feeling as though he heard a very faint sound from above. From the ceiling or maybe from somewhere further up, higher than that.

Ilay seemed to realize why Taeui had suddenly paused. He glanced up at the ceiling and then nodded as if he understood something. Taeui looked at him, sensing that Ilay knew more than he was letting on.

“Probably the radiation response drill. We’re almost at the end of the second week. They usually conduct one of those drills after the joint training sessions finish.”

“Radiation response drill……. but what could they possibly explode that would cause a tremor we could feel down here?”

Taeui muttered in amazement. The distance between the floors in this building was quite substantial, not to mention the walls inside and out were extremely thick, so almost no sound passed through. If there was anywhere sound could travel, it would only be the hallways in the living quarters. Otherwise, the floors and outer walls were built as solidly as a nuclear bomb shelter.

“If we felt the tremor here, it’s probably coming from the floor directly above us. The 6th basement level……. that must be the living quarters. They don’t usually tell members in advance where the blast will be, so maybe this year it’s above us.”

“A radiation response drill in this building……. I think the instructors at UNHRDO must have lost their minds. Do they have an extra budget they need to burn on things like this?”

“It’s like when they repave perfectly fine roads at the end of the year because of the budget. After each joint training session, they have to plan the next quarter’s budget.”

“…….There’s always some kind of irrational system everywhere.”

Taeui muttered bitterly. But carrying out an explosion anywhere in the building was risky. If it was in the living quarters or somewhere unimportant, that would be fine, but if they detonated near one of the crucial upper levels, the consequences could be a real headache. If it were on the 5th basement level, the departments might not be affected too much, but the members would have to find new resting spaces for a while.

“Wherever they explode, it’s going to be annoying for a few days……. Hmm, they should have moved everyone out to the forest or just detonated on the 4th basement level.”

“That’s impossible.”

When Taeui mentioned the different floors, Ilay smiled and whispered. Taeui glanced at him.

Thinking back, Taeui realized he didn’t know anything about the 4th basement level. It was a restricted area, the door to it was always locked, and the elevator didn’t stop there. Only authorized personnel were allowed access, but Taeui didn’t know exactly what was there.

“Why? Is the 4th basement where they’re hiding a secret robot to protect Earth?”

When Taeui said that, Ilay laughed loudly but didn’t respond. Taeui waited a bit longer, but there was no sign that Ilay would answer, so he turned his head away. The building had enough space between the floors that it could probably house a giant robot. If that robot needed to get outside, would it have to dig a tunnel to escape?

While Taeui was lost in his idle thoughts, he heard the faint vibration and sound from above once again. It seemed the radiation response drill was still ongoing. Looking up at the ceiling and seeing nothing, Taeui sighed.

Although he didn’t know the exact time, it was definitely past midnight. Holding drills at this hour was certainly unpleasant for the members. It wasn’t easy for the instructors leading the drill either. In the end, perhaps being confined here like him wasn’t so bad after all.

Taeui tried to count how many days had passed. He had lost his sense of time after being imprisoned here for several days, but it seemed like he had spent about half his time in this ‘prison’.

“Ilay. How long do you have to stay here?”

“Well, I don’t know. I’ve never been released on time. Once they told me I’d be here for only ten days, but I wasn’t released for three months. Another time, they said I’d rot here for a few years, but they let me out in less than a month. Anyway, this isn’t my unit, and I’ve got plenty to do, so they probably won’t keep me long.”

Ilay spoke casually, as if he didn’t care how long he’d be locked up here. Then suddenly, he asked Taeui:

“You’re supposed to stay for ten days, right?”

“Yeah, I think I’m about halfway through.”

“If you leave, I’ll be bored. I wish they’d send someone in to replace you.”

Hearing that, Taeui let out a bitter laugh and threw a nearby pen at Ilay, muttering, “Am I your entertainment toy?” He secretly hoped that the next person to enter this room after him would be exactly like Ilay, so he could experience what it was like to deal with someone of his own personality.

After having slept far more than usual, Taeui’s head felt heavy. When he woke up, he realized he’d slept later than he normally did. His head was a bit foggy, and he felt sluggish. Sitting up, he shook his head to clear the drowsiness and reached for the water bottle beside him, taking a few sips to quench his thirst. It was probably around 7 or 8 in the morning.

It seemed that Ilay had already gone into the bathroom. From the frosted glass door of the bathroom, a faint light filtered out. During the past few days, Taeui had noticed that Ilay always showered right after waking up. He had also picked up on a few of Ilay’s other small habits. When he was thinking, Ilay would tap his index finger lightly on the floor—a habit Taeui noticed even when Ilay was talking on the phone. And when he was joking around, Ilay’s eyes would narrow just slightly.