In front of Ilay, Xinlu did not show any signs of weakness when facing his tall figure. He stood before him with a calm face. A cold glint flashed in Xinlu’s eyes but quickly faded.

“Thanks to you…… I found him. I searched everywhere but couldn’t find any trace of him. Thanks to you, I was able to meet him.”

Xinlu looked at Jeong Taeui and said, Jeong Taeui licked his lips. While traveling around with the new identity his uncle had given him, it seemed there were people he didn’t expect to be searching for him. Really, his brother and he played hide and seek, but only he kept getting caught over and over again.

Ilay tilted his head, smiling subtly, and spoke in a low voice.

“Hey, kid. This person is mine. Not yours to mess with.”

Xinlu didn’t reply, instead, he looked at Jeong Taeui with eyes that seemed to ask: ‘Is it because of this person that you said you couldn’t be with me?’ Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue bitterly. Hearing Taeui’s sound, Ilay glanced at him.

“What’s the matter, you don’t think so? Jeong Taei, do you feel the same? Do you think it’s not that?”

Ilay laughed. The moment Jeong Taeui saw his twisted expression, he was startled. Ilay took a step closer to Jeong Taeui, who tensed up as he saw the pale hand approaching, which gently stopped under his chin. He slid his fingers under Taeui’s chin, lifting it and brushing his thumb along Taeui’s lips.

Jeong Taeui’s expression changed in an instant.

His memory flickered faintly.

It was a part of his memories from a few days ago. The memory of his own suffering in front of others.

Seeing Jeong Taeui’s face immediately harden, the smile on Ilay’s face disappeared for a moment. Jeong Taeui wondered if the hand on his chin had used more force.

But it was just a fleeting moment.

In the next second, Ilay’s expression returned to its usual calm and alert demeanor, but with a cold smile, he looked intently.

“This kid, I wondered if I had met him somewhere before, but it seems he was just raised somewhere.”

“Haha.” – Jeong Taeui frowned slightly at Ilay’s cold smile. At that moment, he saw Xinlu pointing a gun this way over Ilay’s shoulder. A .22 caliber*, it was a small handgun that, once familiar, could be easily held with one hand. Although the gun looked small, it could easily kill a person at this range if aimed correctly.

“Riegrow…… die.”

Xinlu said quietly.

Jeong Taeui stared at him without blinking. The hand gripping his chin, the previous memories, and the situation with Xinlu aiming the gun at Ilay, everything seemed to turn white in his mind. Jeong Taeui just stared at the gun in Xinlu’s hand and those small lips uttering those cold words.

It was a moment when everything felt overwhelmingly foreign. A moment when he could clearly sense that Xinlu would pull the trigger without hesitation.

Jeong Taeui suddenly realized.

It was his fault for feeling that everything was so unfamiliar like this. Because Xinlu hadn’t changed at all. It was simply that he had misunderstood Xinlu’s true nature.

Ilay was staring intently down at Taeui, then he narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled.

His thumb moved over Jeong Taeui’s lips and slowly fell away. He gently licked his thumb. He smiled, his gaze still firmly fixed on him.

“I already told you, you’re mistaken…… but well, it doesn’t change your perception, does it?”

Ilay murmured in a low voice. He casually turned around. The gun was aimed straight at his head. The sound of the gun’s hammer being cocked echoed.

“XINLUUUU!”

Jeong Taeui shouted, but received no answer. The gun was raised as if Xinlu could pull the trigger at any moment. Ilay looked at the young man who could calmly deliver a bullet to his head, and then, in a moment, he laughed.

“As expected…… it’s not what I thought.”

Hearing his soft whisper, Xinlu simply looked at Ilay, his eyes narrowed.

“I thought this kid would have some fun playing a game like this, but no. He’s just a—a blind puppy*.”

(Ilay used a Korean idiom “하룻강아지란 말이야,” which means a puppy that hasn’t opened its eyes yet, implying someone inexperienced and unaware of danger, acting rashly.)

Ilay raised his hand. Simultaneously with that small movement, Xinlu’s finger tightened on the trigger. At that moment.

*Peww*

The piercing sound of metal striking metal rang out. At first, Jeong Taeui didn’t understand what it meant, but he soon realized it was the sound of a bullet being fired from a silenced gun.

And as soon as that sound rang out, the gun flew from Xinlu’s hand and landed at the edge of the sea. The barrel was completely bent.

Jeong Taeui looked at the gun, then back at Xinlu. He frowned, clutching his now twisted wrist. The heavy metallic sound came from behind Jeong Taeui. Behind them was where Gable stood. He was holding a gun with a nonchalant expression, aiming it at Xinlu.

“Kill him.”

Ilay said in a low voice. But Gable responded reluctantly.

“I don’t want to become an enemy of the Ling clan by undertaking such a risky task.”

“I think you’re wrong.”

“No, I’ve already risked my life for this.”

Gable sighed as if it was no big deal. About 100 meters away, somewhere in the forest overlooking the beach, he knew well that the scope of a rifle in the hands of a sniper was aimed precisely at his head.

Ling Xinlu. He was the most beloved son of Ling Ho Long. There was no way he could come to a place like this alone without any precautions.

Xinlu slightly moved his wrist and glanced at Gable.

“What the hell. Do you want to die, you son of a bitch?”

His expression wasn’t overly aggressive, but his tone was very harsh. As if his anger was exploding from the pain in his wrist. Gable frowned slightly, his expression as if trying to decide whether to kill Xinlu or not.

If he died trying to protect a monster like Ilay, it would be unfortunate, Jeong Taeui suddenly thought about that.

“….. Xinlu. Are you badly injured?”

Jeong Taeui sighed as he looked at Ilay’s hand tightly gripping his wrist, suddenly feeling guilty about the words he had just asked.

Only then did Xinlu’s gaze turn back towards Jeong Taeui. A flash of pain quickly spread across his usually cold and expressionless face.

“Hyung, it hurts a lot. I think my wrist is broken. It hurts so much…”

The last syllable trembled slightly. That voice could instantly evoke sympathy from those who heard it.

Jeong clicked his tongue and stepped forward. Ilay grabbed his shoulder. But he calmly gripped that hand, pried it off, and looked at him. Their eyes met.

“Where are you going?”

“His wrist is injured. I’m going to take a closer look…… ——Ilay, don’t stop me. I’m not going anywhere.”

Jeong Taeui emphasized the last words. Twisting, Ilay frowned. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Jeong Taeui suddenly sighed. He looked up at Ilay and spoke in a low voice: “Alright.” Then he pulled Ilay towards Xinlu.

“Alright, then you can come too. Let’s go together.”

Jeong Taeui didn’t give him a chance to say more and pulled Ilay to Xinlu. He positioned Ilay behind Xinlu, while he himself moved in front of Xinlu and took his wrist. “Let’s see.” Jeong Taeui muttered and carefully moved Xinlu’s wrist.

(Order: Ilay – Xinlu – Tay for those who haven’t loaded yet :D)

Xinlu looked at Jeong Taeui with a strange expression. Facing Jeong Taeui with Xinlu sandwiched between them, Ilay’s expression turned peculiar.

Not far away, Gable also lowered his gun. From his position, he could no longer aim at Xinlu because his view was blocked by Ilay.

Similarly, the person holding a long gun aimed at Jeong Taeui from a nearby forest also had his view obstructed.

No one spoke, Jeong Taeui alone examined Xinlu’s wrist with a serious expression. Carefully checking the wrist and the back of the hand for injuries. Xinlu also stared at him with the same intensity.

“It might just be a slight sprain. If it hurts too much, you can go to the hospital. But it doesn’t seem too serious.”

“…… Taei-hyung.”

“That’s why. Xinlu.”

Jeong Taeui spoke calmly. After carefully checking Xinlu’s wrist and finding it fine, he let go and looked directly into Xinlu’s eyes, which were intently watching him.

“I thought if I didn’t go with you, you could just kill me.”

“……”

“That’s why.”

Xinlu was at a loss for words; he just looked at Jeong Taeui. He bitterly licked his lips and scratched his head. He pointed his chin towards Ilay and whispered: “But if you want to kill someone, kill that guy, that one, I’ve put him in the right position.” Jeong Taeui said with an awkward face, looking at Xinlu, who still couldn’t say a word.

At first, he hadn’t realized or suspected anything. But when he recognized there was a sniper hidden in the forest, Jeong Taeui quickly understood.

The sniper wasn’t aiming at Ilay. Of course, it wasn’t Gable either. The target was Jeong Taeui. Perhaps with a small signal from Xinlu, the thin, long bullet from the rifle would pierce through his head instantly.

He shamefully licked his lips and glanced at Ilay standing behind Xinlu. When their eyes met, Jeong Taeui raised an eyebrow.

“If you want to kill him, why don’t you kill him?”

He’s the one you should hate, not me, Jeong Taeui whispered to Xinlu, low enough that Ilay couldn’t hear.

Xinlu stared at Taeui as if his words were just a breeze and then fell into thought. He looked at Taeui for a long time before bursting into a seemingly joyful laugh.

“I planned to kill Riegrow myself. My father gave me a good gun, but he also told me not to cause trouble with that family unless it directly harms me…… Furthermore.”

Xinlu murmured in a soft voice, pausing for a moment. Then he looked at Taeui with a meaningful gaze and continued.

“Because his death and you coming with me are two different issues.”

‘So, you’ll still kill me? ––––’ Jeong Taeui harshly questioned but then closed his mouth. He suddenly remembered what his uncle had said long ago.

“That kid always surprises people.”

Surprises. Damn surprises. There were still a few unexpected things about him that Jeong Taeui hadn’t thought of yet. Would they appear more in the future? He hoped it wouldn’t get worse than this.

Jeong Taeui wanted to pull his hair out, but hearing Xinlu’s soft voice, he lost all strength and sighed. Xinlu lowered his head, looking down at his hand, the wrist Jeong Taeui had seriously checked for injuries, and then Xinlu gently grabbed Jeong Taeui’s wrist.

“I had planned to use force to take you with me.”

As if talking to himself, Xinlu remained silent for a moment after saying those things, lost in thought. Finally, he lifted his head. A faint smile appeared on his face.

He smiled and spoke again.

“If not, I’d rather take your corpse back. But I’ll give up.”

Jeong Taeui fell into contemplation upon seeing the radiant smile he hadn’t seen in a long time. In this situation, should he say thank you or get angry? But before Jeong Taeui could think it through, he heard a cold laugh.

“Even if Jeong Taei becomes a corpse, you won’t get him. If Jeong Taei becomes a corpse, I will consume everything, leaving not a drop of blood or a strand of hair. I won’t give him to you, nor will I bury him.”

Ilay’s slow, indifferent voice came from behind Xinlu. The expression on Jeong Taeui’s face disappeared for a moment. No, instead of disappearing, it froze.

Ah, Jeong Taeui got goosebumps. He said it without it sounding like a joke. Was this man’s mental state not normal?

Jeong Taeui rubbed his now cold arm with a tired face. Ilay raised an eyebrow at him. When their eyes met, Ilay immediately smiled.

On the other hand, the smile disappeared from Xinlu’s face. He was silent for a while with an expressionless, doll-like face, and frowned. His teeth made a slight grinding noise.

“I don’t want to be away from you for even a second, but…… Taei-hyung. Tell me. Do you want to go with me? Then you’ll be mine.”

It was a rare, serious tone.

As if he was deliberately speaking to Ilay behind him rather than to Jeong Taeui, Xinlu looked directly at Jeong Taeui and spoke in a gentle but serious tone.

Jeong Taeui looked at Xinlu, puzzled. Then at some point, he laughed.

“What do you plan to do with my corpse? Do you want to skin it and make clothes?”

“No. I would place it on my bamboo mat and hug it every time I sleep.”

“……”

Why do these people always make such bloody jokes…… ……

Jeong Taeui licked his lips and responded, “Oh, really?”

Seeing his twisted face, Xinlu quietly smiled. Jeong Taeui smiled back.

“I won’t go with you.”

Jeong Taeui said seriously. Xinlu nodded.

“Alright. Then, I’ll wait.”

“Uh……—Huh?”

“Anytime is fine. I said if I wanted to, I’d take you by any means. I’ll stay by your side and slowly wait.”

Xinlu sighed softly and spoke. Jeong Taeui looked at him, slightly tilting his head.

Jeong Taeui brushed the sand off his pants; at first glance, he thought it was just a casual remark, but he immediately realized something was off in those words. Looking at Jeong Taeui deep in thought, Ilay’s eyes turned cold, and he spoke.

“Still want to hover around here……?”

Xinlu carefully brushed off his pants, pretending not to hear what Ilay said, then straightened up and looked back at Ilay.

“Yes. I’ll take Taei-hyung by any means if he wants. By any means. Even if he tells me to take him, I’m afraid he might still be exposed to you……—but just one word. If he wants me to take him, I will. Yes, even if I die. But in return, he’ll be mine.”

The latter words were undoubtedly for Jeong Taeui.

Xinlu made it very clear that if Jeong Taeui wanted to escape from this man, he would definitely help him. But after that, Xinlu himself might not escape.

Jeong Taeui did not respond. It was so bitter that he could only swallow dryly.

“Are you just a grown-up kid?”

Ilay laughed softly and lowered his voice, a hint of coldness seeping through.

“You trust your father too much, Xinlu.”

Ilay laughed. Even while speaking, he always smiled. However, Jeong Taeui knew that this smile was no longer a normal one. And surely, others knew that too.

“ILAY!”

Jeong Taeui suddenly called out in worry. As he prepared to take a step forward, Ilay glanced at Jeong Taeui.

“I’m not going anywhere…… so don’t touch him.”

Ilay stopped. His eyes looked down at Jeong Taeui, his thoughts unreadable. His hand paused, as if regretting the neck it was about to grab and tear apart. His gaze shifted to Xinlu.

Xinlu stood a few steps away. It was clear that if Ilay wanted to touch him, it wouldn’t take even a few dozen seconds. Just a few dozen seconds.

Ilay and Xinlu locked eyes. A faint smile appeared on Xinlu’s tense face. Seeing that blood-stained smile, Ilay’s eyes narrowed.

A few dozen seconds. This was too long a time for Xinlu to signal the sniper to turn Jeong Taeui into a companion on Hwang Heaven Road*.

(*황천길 – Hwang-Cheon-Gil: Hwang Heaven Road, the path to the world where it is said that after a person dies, their soul will live.)

Ilay looked down at Xinlu, who was lost in thought for a moment. Beside him, Jeong Taeui murmured, “I’ve had enough of looking at the sea, what are you going to do now?” Then he took a deep breath, looked at Ilay and Gable, and directed his gaze towards Xinlu.

“I have to get back. If you two plan to leave later, go ahead. And Xinlu. See you again. But before that.”

Jeong Taeui strode towards Xinlu, who was staring at him with wide eyes, and suddenly smiled.

And the next moment.

*Smack*

A sharp sound rang out, and Xinlu fell onto the sand, clutching his face, eyes wide with shock as he took a punch from Taeui.

“Tae……i……hyung…….?!?”

Instead of showing pain, Xinlu looked at Jeong Taeui with a stunned expression.

“Aiigoo. I hit the wrong person.”

Jeong Taeui muttered, rubbing his fist with a frown. He looked at Xinlu with a regretful expression.

“Today, you deserved to be hit, but I can’t hit someone I haven’t seen in a long time…… from now on, don’t do that again. I don’t want to hit you. Because I’m really weak.”

“……is it about the feelings or about wanting to take me?”

“Both! If you do that again in front of me, you’ll get punched again.”

Xinlu held his face and looked at Jeong Taeui, then quietly nodded. Jeong Taeui thought for a moment, wondering if Xinlu understood why he had been hit, but he didn’t bother to explain further. Because if he did, the conversation wouldn’t end here. (And somehow, he realized that even if he explained, Xinlu wouldn’t truly understand.)

Jeong Taeui looked at Xinlu with complex thoughts. Even with a sad face while rolling in the sand, Xinlu still looked beautiful. But behind that face lay a person who amazed him. After considering for a moment whether to help him up or not, Jeong Taeui turned around and made eye contact with Ilay, who was standing in front of him with an indifferent look.

“Are you planning to stay longer?”

“Uh…… I’m considering it.”

“If you’re still considering it, then come with me.”

“Um…… let’s see……”

“……I want to go with you.”

Jeong Taeui hesitated for a moment and then spoke as Ilay seemed to intend to stay longer. His gaze then fell on Jeong Taeui.

“Why? What are you planning to do with that kid when I leave?”

“It’s not that, no, it’s just that…… the kid who brought me here has gone too far. I don’t know how to get back.”

Jeong Taeui scratched his neck and sighed. Ilay raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t that he didn’t know Jeong Taeui had a good sense of direction, but after a moment of silence, he nodded politely.

“Alright, then let’s go back now.”

Ilay said quietly. He glanced at Xinlu, then turned and started walking forward. Leisurely and slowly, just like when he came. Gable, who was watching them a few steps away, followed behind.

Jeong Taeui stood straight and looked up at the sky for a moment, then sighed and began to walk.

“Taei-hyung”

Jeong Taeui heard Xinlu’s voice calling from behind. He slowed down and turned his head. ‘What are you calling me for?’ Jeong Taeui asked with his eyes, looking at Xinlu still sitting in the sand.

“Hyung…… I like you.”

Xinlu said earnestly, words he had heard many times before. And it was also something he had told Xinlu before. The strange heavy feeling made his chest feel burdened.

Jeong Taeui just nodded as if he hadn’t heard, then casually used the back of his hand to cover his embarrassed face, and slowly turned and walked away.