Time, when we look back, is never as long as we once thought. In any circumstance, the time ahead always seems endless, but once it passes, it feels like just a fleeting moment.

Ten days are the same. In life, the amount of time we can patiently endure isn’t that long. Moreover, it wasn’t on the tenth day but early on the ninth that made the waiting feel the longest. When the instructor appeared and suddenly told him to hurry outside, Jeong Taeui felt as if he had already passed the halfway point of those ten days.

He hesitated, glancing back at Ilay, but the instructor only called for him, while Ilay simply raised a hand slightly, his face remaining calm. Although it wasn’t unfair, being the first one allowed to leave left him feeling a bit confused. As he was still hesitating, the instructor yelled: “Do you want to stay another ten days before leaving?” prompting him to quickly step outside. As he followed the instructor, the instructor appearing dissatisfied, said: “Anyway, that guy will be out soon, so don’t worry. You shouldn’t have paid attention to such a strange person from the start.” Hearing this, Jeong Taeui felt somewhat relieved and nodded.

The first person he met as soon as he stepped outside was his uncle. When he passed through Eoryeong’s iron door and entered the elevator waiting on the 7th basement floor – the same elevator he had taken when he first arrived – he went straight up to the instructor’s room above ground, where his uncle was waiting.

Jeong Taeui immediately frowned upon seeing his uncle. Even though his uncle greeted him with a bright smile, upon seeing his expression, he shifted to a wry smile.

“Such a harsh, reproachful look. Was Eoryeong that uncomfortable? Strange. I specifically requested to send you to East Eoryeong; perhaps the instructor misheard. He’s getting old, after all.”

“No, not at all, thanks to you, I had a very comfortable time resting. It felt like a vacation. I even got to share a room with Ilay.”

He mumbled, his eyes full of playful resentment as he looked at his uncle. In truth, there was nothing he could blame his uncle for. Thinking about it, sharing a room with Ilay wasn’t so bad. After all, he had spent ten very safe days without encountering any life-threatening danger.

But right after, Jeong Taeui realized that sharing a room with Ilay wasn’t his uncle’s intention. His uncle looked at him with a slightly surprised expression.

“With Rick? It’s a relief that you’re still okay……. Honestly, he doesn’t seem like the type of person who would harm you.”

“Why is that?”

Taeui sat down on the sofa his uncle gestured to and asked thoughtfully. Was it not the case, then, that the man judged people by appearance to decide whether or not to harm them? That he would harm those who looked easy to bully but leave alone those who didn’t? ……. But if that were the case, then there was no reason for Ilay not to harm him.

“Of course. There’s no one easier to take advantage of and manipulate than me, whether it’s you or that guy.”

Feeling conflicted, Taeui looked at his uncle with a puzzled expression. His uncle nodded as if contemplating how to respond.

“Well, there are many reasons, but above all, it seems like he quite likes you.”

“Hah” – Taeui let out a strange sigh while staring at his uncle, who then raised both hands and said: “I’m serious.”

“I always thought you were good at reading people……. Why would you think that?”

Taeui mumbled with a sigh. Although not as perceptive as his uncle, he believed he had a certain ability to read people. He thought that if the man felt like it, he could easily and casually cut off his head at any moment. Whether Ilay was joking or laughing, his eyes never lost that cold, gloomy glint. Those eyes were always as cold as ice.

“Moreover, he rarely reveals his name so easily, especially when talking for the first time.”

His uncle gave a reason that Taeui found hard to accept. A name was merely a tool to call someone; as long as it wasn’t an ugly nickname, it didn’t matter how one was called.

Seeing Taeui’s frowning face, his uncle seemed to guess his thoughts but only offered a forced smile, saying: “I’m serious” without trying to assert it too strongly.

“Uncle, as I see it, if that guy had a reason, even if it was just a simple whim, he would easily kill me.”

“Ah, that’s true. But that has nothing to do with liking or disliking.”

“How could it not be related?”

“There are some types of people who can separate the two. Unfortunately, Rick is one of those types.”

His uncle shrugged. Thinking back, it seemed plausible. Ilay Riegrow was someone who could coldly dismember anyone. But even so, he could distinguish between those he liked and those he didn’t. Maybe when he said: “For now, I don’t want to fight with you” Taeui was temporarily in the favored group. Still, the phrase “for now” left him feeling uneasy.

Feeling annoyed by his jumbled thoughts, Taeui scratched his head and changed the topic.

“But why is it so quiet at this hour? Shouldn’t people be bustling around before work?”

“Huh? It’s because it’s a holiday.”

“Holiday…….?”

“Yeah, the cooperative training session ended last week, remember? While you were in Eoryeong, the training finished, and then they had a holiday. During the cooperative training, they didn’t get any weekends off, so this is their compensatory holiday. Most of them have gone out to Hong Kong, and the rest are probably either lounging in their rooms or hanging out on the fifth floor.”

“Besides, the instructors are still continuing their usual work, so nothing has changed.” – His uncle added with a light knowing smile. Clearly, the old man had also heard about Xinlu’s visit to Eoryeong a few days ago.

Taeui glanced at the clock. His uncle seemed to pick up on the expression, so he suggested that Taeui should take a rest.

“If you want, you can go out to Hong Kong for some fun. Just be back before 5 PM on Sunday.”

“Hong Kong……. Sounds interesting, but I’m not really in the mood right now. And what about the other instructors? Don’t I need to meet them?”

“Hmm. Once you’re out of Eoryeong, just meeting one to talk is enough. What’s there to say if you meet all of them? It’s probably just going to be something like: ‘You’ve worked hard, be more careful and live properly from now on’ that sort of thing.”

“Anyway, those who get into trouble and end up in Eoryeong will just keep going back, while those who don’t won’t. Saying things like that is a waste of time,” his uncle muttered, his brows furrowing slightly. He was someone who strictly followed the formalities but didn’t particularly like them.

As he was about to leave the instructor’s room, Taeui paused for a moment and glanced at his uncle. Their eyes met, and he hesitated, wondering if he should ask. But his uncle, as if suddenly recalling something, spoke calmly.

“Right. Riegrow, the one who was in the same cell with you, will be leaving Eoryeong tonight. He’ll have to meet with all the instructors for interrogation, since he did cause a big incident after all.”

“Tonight……. I see.”

He had worried that the time in Eoryeong was always unpredictable, stretching and shrinking like a rubber band, making him wonder if Ilay would end up being detained for a few more months.

Taeui nodded, feeling a slight sense of relief. He didn’t want to see a wild and brutal beast that was no longer under control, but he also didn’t want to see it caged and unable to move. His uncle continued in his calm manner.

“And early tomorrow morning, he’ll be departing by plane. The others from the European branch left right after the training session ended, but he had to stay in Eoryeong, so he didn’t go with them. Now that he’s out, he has to return to his branch immediately.”

Taeui silently stared at his uncle. After blinking two or three times, he mumbled: “Ah, I see.” It felt as if he had just heard something very unfamiliar.

So, that’s how it is. The cooperative training session was indeed over. And that crazy guy, Rick, had to return to his European branch. There was no longer any need to worry about protecting his life or anything like that. No need to be concerned about Xinlu either.

It was only two or three weeks, but he had gotten so accustomed to that man’s overwhelming presence that hearing about his departure felt strangely unreal. It was as if an unbelievable reality was approaching.

Suddenly, he remembered Ilay’s face, how he had slightly waved at him right before leaving Eoryeong. That face still bore the usual vague smile. He had never shown any signs of worry or unease. It was as if he knew that no matter what happened, he wouldn’t be stuck in an uncomfortable situation for long.

Perhaps, though not as much as Taeui, he also carried a certain degree of natural luck. Taeui suddenly paused. He recalled Ilay’s words.

“Uncle, when it comes to lucky people, what is the cause of their luck?”

Of course, luck is something bestowed by the heavens and has no reason behind it. But perhaps, as Ilay said, there is something that brings luck. If that truly exists, surely everyone in the world would wish for it.

Lost in these thoughts, Taeui absentmindedly mumbled to himself. There was no response. After a while, he noticed the unusual silence, turned to look, and then fell silent without saying anything further. His uncle was looking at him with a slightly surprised expression. When their eyes met, Taeui forced a smile.

“Rick said something like that once.”

“Is this something you shouldn’t be talking about?”

“No, it’s not that……. but……. well, there’s one thing that’s clear. Just as everyone has a different destiny, the reasons behind each person’s luck are also different.”

Taeui frowned. His uncle was speaking in a way that was hard to understand. But somehow, those words seemed related to what Ilay had hinted at. Taeui pondered for a moment, unable to find an answer and not wanting to ask further, so he sighed and nodded.

“Yes, that’s true. Perhaps……. Ilay is also a rather lucky person.”

“That guy? Of course he’s lucky. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”

“…….”

Taeui paused. Born with a silver spoon. But what about the difficult circumstances from his childhood? What about the harsh situations that shaped him into who he is today?

When Taeui stared at his uncle and questioned him like that, his uncle waved his hand dismissively, as if saying: ‘What nonsense are you talking about?’

“Riegrow wasn’t born into an ordinary family. You know his family is in the weapons brokerage business, right? They don’t just deal with simple consumables; they also trade official military equipment. It’s a well-known family in the industry. They’ve been around for a long time, building deep trust and partnering with many organizations. Beyond that, they’ve even hired a series of expensive lawyers to find legal loopholes, allowing them to independently develop and trade weapons. At that scale…… we’re talking about a level where even nations struggle to control them. A silver spoon? That’s nothing—it’s beyond a golden spoon; you’d need a whole diamond block carved into a spoon for him.”

Taeui stared at his uncle with wide, annoyed eyes. Something felt off. Even though Ilay had once joked that the tales of his miserable childhood were just that… jokes. Taeui still believed that at least part of it was true. Regardless of his natural personality, he thought there must have been some difficulties in Ilay’s family situation. What a liar, a deceiver.

The issue is just one. No matter how respectable his family may be, his nature has been like that since birth.

Seeing Taeui looking quite emotional, his uncle couldn’t help but be surprised and asked quietly. But after a moment of silence, Taeui just sighed and changed his expression. After all, he wasn’t good at holding onto anger for too long.

“Alright, fine. Either way, once he returns to Europe, I won’t see him again.”

Taeui decided to think positively. Tonight, Ilay would leave, and tomorrow morning he would return to Europe, and after that, Taeui wouldn’t see him anymore. A year from now, when the cooperative training with the European branch took place again, he wouldn’t be around. Thinking this way, he felt he could forgive everything. A sense of relief and regret intertwined within him.

When Taeui finished speaking, his uncle briefly showed a strange expression. Taeui looked at him with a puzzled gaze. But then his uncle just smiled as usual and said: “Yes, you’ve worked hard.”

Taeui stared at his uncle suspiciously, but at that moment, an instructor happened to come by looking for his uncle, so he stepped out of the instructor’s room. For some reason, he felt a bit uneasy. Most of the time when his uncle looked at someone like that, it was usually because something had suddenly come to mind that troubled him.

“………?”

Taeui tilted his head but couldn’t figure out the reason, so he continued walking slowly. Then, suddenly, he slowed his pace. As he was leaving the instructor’s room and heading towards the elevator, he passed by the office.

He remembered his uncle’s joke: “The instructors are still working as usual.” Among them was definitely Xinlu. Though there were other instructors, Taeui hesitated for a moment before knocking on the office door. There was a sound from inside.

He opened the door. Most of the instructors were present in the office. It seemed like this was just before work started, so everyone was there. Taeui hesitated a bit upon seeing so many people – although it was only four, he had never seen the office so full when he had visited before. Xinlu sitting closest to the door, noticed Taeui and stood up in surprise.

“Hyung, you’re out already? I thought you were leaving tomorrow?”

Xinlu spoke while glancing at the calendar on the desk with a confused look. Tomorrow’s date was circled, with ‘Taei-hyung’ written beneath it. Seeing those small, neat, and cute letters, he couldn’t help but feel a little happy.

“Yeah, I thought so too, but this morning they told me I could leave. It seems the timing there is pretty flexible……..Are you doing alright?”

“Yes, although it’s been a bit busy, nothing serious has happened. But hyung……. it looks like you’ve lost a bit of weight.”

“Is that so? I ate well and stayed healthy there, so that’s strange.”

“…….Was it really hard, being in the same room with that person…….?”

Suddenly, Xinlu’s face darkened. Seeing that expression, Taeui quickly waved his hand.

“No, no, it wasn’t like that. You don’t need to worry. Look, I’m back safe and sound, aren’t I?”

Taeui tried to reassure Xinlu, but just then, a assistant warden from the medical team, who was retrieving an old ten-year file from the cabinet, squinted at them and mumbled, as if intentionally for them to hear,

“Oh my, anyone who sees this would think it’s a reunion after years of separation. Such dramatics, such dramatics.”

As soon as the man finished speaking, light laughter echoed around them. It wasn’t mocking laughter, just gentle teasing, with no malice, but Taeui’s face still quickly turned bright red. Xinlu’s face did too. Xinlu hurriedly stood up and pulled Taeui out of the office.

As they left the office and closed the door, the sounds inside became muffled. Standing in the quiet hallway, Xinlu hesitated while looking at Taeui. Seeing that shy expression on his face made Taeui feel a warm pang in his heart. It was a pleasant feeling. But Xinlu gazed at Taeui with concern, and then suddenly, he reached out and brushed Taeui’s hair. The soft touch of his hand on Taeui’s cheek startled him.

“No, hyung, you really have lost weight. It looks like you went through a lot there. What should I do…….?”

“Ah, no, really, it’s nothing. It was just like a vacation. Even though it was Eoryeong, I was only temporarily detained. There’s nothing to worry about, really.”

“But you shared a room with that person!”

Xinlu’s voice suddenly rose. He burst out emotionally shouting, and then immediately startled by his own voice, he became silent and lowered his head in sadness. Taeui, also startled by Xinlu’s outburst, didn’t say anything further.

This was the first time he had seen Xinlu shout like that. When they first met, although the situation was uncomfortable and Xinlu had looked at Taeui with displeasure, he had never seen him lose control and yell like this. Taeui looked at Xinlu, feeling a bit confused. He was truly grateful for Xinlu’s concern, but…….

Before Taeui could say anything, Xinlu lowered his head with a sad look and mumbled.

“That person……. was in the same room with you all this time…….”

“Ah……. yes, but……. I’m fine…….”

Something felt off; there was something strange about this conversation. Taeui sensed that the dialogue was going off course. As he got lost in thought for a moment, he looked at Xinlu’s face, which seemed ready to burst into tears at any moment, and a suspicion arose within him. Could it be……. was Xinlu misunderstanding in a very peculiar way?

“After spending ten days in the same room with him……. if you’ve started to have feelings for him……. what should I do?”

Oh no, tears finally welled up in Xinlu’s eyes. At the same time, Taeui felt like he might cry too. Why did it have to be misunderstood in this way? It really wasn’t like that.

Taeui paused to think. Should he say something or not? It might be better for him not to say anything. Given the current situation, the fact that Ilay was targeting Xinlu was something he shouldn’t reveal. But seeing the young man in front of him shedding tears pained his heart. Just a few minutes ago, Xinlu was smiling and laughing, and now he was crying, showing how much this misunderstanding had troubled him all along.

Even if it might put him at a disadvantage, the important thing now was to comfort Xinlu.

“Xinlu……. it’s not like that. He……. is targeting you.”

Taeui hesitated as he explained, and Xinlu immediately lifted his head. His eyes, still brimming with tears, widened in shock as he stared at Taeui, as if he had just been struck from behind.

Should he have said this? When someone learns that someone else is interested in them, they may start paying attention to that person as well. Taeui knew that many feelings often arise that way. Even though he hoped it wouldn’t happen, there was a chance that Xinlu might start seeing Ilay differently. And he truly didn’t want that to happen. Even if Xinlu was very perceptive and could eventually figure this out, he still didn’t want him to be burdened by it.

“Ilay likes people like you. Gentle, cute……. and that’s why he and I don’t get along. I……. feel uneasy.”

Taeui, like a shy man, lowered his head and mumbled with a sad tone. But Xinlu continued to look at him with a strange expression. Slowly, as he began to understand everything, the sadness and tears on his face started to fade. However, a smile had yet to fully appear, and a hint of darkness remained.

“So……. hyung……. you didn’t do anything strange with him, did you?”

Xinlu’s voice was cautious, laced with worry, and Taeui confidently replied: “Of course not!” But the moment he finished speaking, he suddenly froze. Memories flooded back. That day, even though Ilay had called it ‘just helping each other out with our needs’ they had touched, rubbed against each other, and climaxed together.

Right after he spoke, Taeui’s expression faltered slightly. Seeing his troubled look, Xinlu stared at him, his face stiffening. His eyes were locked onto Taeui with a piercing serious intensity. Those wide open eyes as if glaring right through him. 

“No, no, it’s not like that……. you misunderstood. I didn’t mean anything else…….”

“What did you do?”

“Uh?”

Suddenly, Xinlu’s voice became deep and low. The gentle, soft expression that was usually on his face disappeared, replaced by an unfamiliar, rare expression. It was a cold and fierce look. Even his voice, now low and deep, carried an icy chill that sent shivers down Taeui’s spine.

But in the next moments, Xinlu wrapped his arms around Taeui’s back. A sharp sensation touched his lips. Unable to pull away in time, Taeui’s eyes widened in shock as he realized Xinlu was pressing his lips against his own. Xinlu parted his lips slightly and bit gently on Taeui’s lower lip. It was enough to feel the pain.

It wasn’t the pain but the sheer surprise that made Taeui tremble. Immediately, Xinlu hugged him tighter. Taeui could feel Xinlu’s breath filling his mouth.

Oh……. what should he do now?

Taeui, burning with embarrassment and shock, found his mind going blank. This was completely beyond anything he had expected. But in his embrace, Xinlu was clearly anxious and worried. Taeui suddenly recalled the time when he had asked his uncle about the boy he met in the bathroom, and his uncle had mumbled with a hint of meaning: “Hmm, Xinlu, huh.” And the complex look his uncle gave him afterward.

But before he could piece together those fragments of memory and question them, Taeui sighed and wrapped his arms around Xinlu. He gently patted Xinlu’s back. The soft body clung tightly to him like a small anxious animal, as if not knowing where to go.

Xinlu seemed tense, but when Taeui stroked his back, he slowly relaxed. The teeth biting down on Taeui’s lip gradually released.