The memory of that day makes his teeth ache every time he recalls it.

Damn it. Jeong Taeui had tried hard to erase that memory, and he thought he had managed to forget some parts, yet he still remembers it so clearly and vividly.

Jeong Taeui shook his head vigorously, feeling like he would collapse if he kept recalling the warmth and taste lingering in his mouth from that time.

He looked at the broker with wide eyes, and the broker looked back at him with a curious expression. Their eyes met for a moment.

“You look pale today…… Are you okay?”

“Oh no, I’m fine. By the way, how’s your work going? From what I’ve heard, it seems like investigations are becoming more intense these days, it must be tough.”

Jeong Taeui changed the subject. He felt it would be a hundred times better to talk about something else and focus entirely on it.

“It’s been suppressed. We might lose a few trivial things, but for people like me, even public security coming here isn’t much of a problem.”

Though it sounded a bit boastful, making him a bit skeptical, it seemed like there must be something reliable about it if he continued to meet his partners in the same place for such risky work.

The waiter quickly brought tea. Jeong Taeui gestured to him when he was heading towards the table he was sitting at earlier and called the waiter over.

Jeong Taeui glanced at the teacup placed in front of the broker and took his own.

There was a moment of silence, and then the conversation continued with scattered topics. As expected, unless you’re close, it’s hard to talk comfortably without feeling any awkwardness.

Jeong Taeui slowly drank his tea and fell into thought. He wasn’t one to be bothered by such things, no matter how awkward the atmosphere, but perhaps the person across from him couldn’t stand the silence. The broker looked down at his watch and mumbled.

“Oh, it’s almost time……”

“……Ah, then I should go……”

Jeong Taeui awkwardly put down his glass. Clearly, there was no reason for a third person to be here unless it had been agreed upon beforehand. The broker looked a bit reluctant.

However, when Jeong Taeui was about to stand up, the broker waved his hand.

“No, it’s okay. I still have some time, you can finish your tea. I arrived a bit early.”

“Ha, alright……”

Jeong Taeui half-stood, hesitated for a moment, then sat back down. He had planned to finish his tea and go back to his room, but then he met this broker.

“By the way…… do you have anything interesting going on these days?”

Jeong Taeui habitually turned his teacup on the saucer and glanced at the broker.

For him, asking about the goods he was selling was probably taboo. So people usually chose to ask indirectly. But Jeong Taeui wasn’t that curious and didn’t care what the broker sold or to whom. Having witnessed large-scale arms deals, these small transactions seemed as simple as drinking a cup of tea in places like this. (So his question was genuinely just to see if there was anything interesting.)

Becoming accustomed to such transactions was already a big problem, Jeong Taeui licked his lips bitterly.

The broker seemed to have misunderstood Jeong Taeui’s question. He looked surprised, as if he thought Jeong Taeui was genuinely curious about what he was selling and to whom.

The broker intertwined his fingers and responded: “It’s not much.”

“Well, today it’s nothing significant either. Someone just asked me to make a passport.”

“Passport?”

Jeong Taeui, who had been fiddling with his teacup, suddenly froze. Bitter memories flooded his mind.

Even if you have a hundred perfect passports, you can still get caught anywhere if you’re unlucky. He wanted to share his hard-earned experience with the person intending to make a fake passport, but he couldn’t if he didn’t want to receive the broker’s bullet-like glares for interfering with his business.

“……”

Jeong Taeui had no intention of creating a new identity and using the same method with Ilay. Wouldn’t it be better to try escaping in a different way? Using the same methods tends to lead to the same results.

But…… 

“Is that passport…… usable?”

Jeong Taeui pushed himself up slightly and hesitantly asked. The broker looked up confidently and said: “Of course it is!”, as if he was ready to show it off immediately.

“After all, it’s a fake passport, but if you just show it to someone who doesn’t know you, it’ll be fine……”

Jeong Taeui swallowed back his questions, reached out, and took the red passport the broker handed him.

The passport his uncle had given him before was a perfectly made fake. In fact, Jeong Taeui wasn’t sharp enough to distinguish between fake documents or counterfeit money, so as long as it wasn’t too obvious, he couldn’t tell if the fake was of good or poor quality. So, he wasn’t sure if the passport in his hand was something the broker should be proud of. But it seemed good enough, difficult for even professionals to recognize.

Jeong Taeui thought for a moment, fiddling with the passport. It was a fake identity. For someone from a small country, especially one with its own language, forging a foreign passport was very challenging.

Even for Jeong Taeui, who had traveled abroad frequently since he was young and spoke English quite well and fluently, people could still notice his accent and intonation if he spoke for long.

“In the end, this method can’t be used multiple times……”

Jeong Taeui muttered and shook his head.

…… But even if it’s discovered, it won’t be too bad.

“This thing, if it’s good enough, maybe I can make one……” But before Jeong Taeui could finish his sentence.

A hand suddenly reached out from behind his shoulder. A neatly gloved navy-blue hand smoothly took the passport from Jeong Taeui’s hand.

“Wang Li-Ming? If you’re not fluent in the language, you should stop making fake foreign passports.”

A series of pages flipping could be heard behind Jeong Taeui.

Hearing the slow and calm voice over his shoulder, Jeong Taeui froze.

“Moreover, with this thing, you wouldn’t even pass the public security gate before the airport gate. If you really need it, let me introduce you to someone better. Okay, Taei?”

“……Don’t put words in my mouth. I don’t ‘really’ need it right now. I was just curious about its price. There’s nothing wrong with seeking knowledge.”

Jeong Taeui emphasized the words “don’t really” and turned to look at him.

He wasn’t lying, but saying this in such a situation felt like a lie. See, if you’re unlucky, things can turn out just like this. No matter how perfect your fake identity is, if you’re unlucky, you can end up with this result immediately.

Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue bitterly and looked up at the tall man who had silently come up behind him. Those navy-blue gloves didn’t look remarkable, but soon they’d be wet and discarded.

Jeong Taeui just hoped he wouldn’t be one of the reasons they got wet and had to be thrown away.

Even as he looked at him, Ilay, still in his unfamiliar suit, looked at the passport in his hand with an indifferent gaze, then glanced at the broker sitting opposite Jeong Taeui. The broker flinched, glanced at Jeong Taeui, and then cautiously looked at Ilay with fear.

“Who is this……?”

The broker stammered, though he seemed to recognize Ilay. However, Ilay didn’t seem to care.

“Oh, this is Ilay, someone I worked with at UNHRDO…… —Riegrow.”

Jeong Taeui glanced at Ilay and introduced his full name. After all, he didn’t usually call him by his full name, but it wasn’t a secret.

“Oh, right! Mr. Riegrow of T&R. I-I met you once before……”

“Are you planning to make a fake passport for this guy?”

The broker excitedly said, but Ilay didn’t bother. He calmly asked, as if talking about the weather, and casually threw the passport in front of the broker. Then he looked at Jeong Taeui, pondering.

“It’s not this person, is it? The one who made the passport for you?”

“Huh? Uh, probably not.”

Maybe, he added. The truth was, Jeong Taeui had never met the person who made the fake passport for him. He received it from his uncle when it was already done, so he wasn’t sure if the person who made it was this broker.

“Hmm. Well, if it was someone Jeong Changin introduced to you, they wouldn’t make something like this. Besides, I’ve been busy lately and finally have some free time, and I’m in a good mood. So today, you’ve saved yourself. Let’s go.”

Ilay’s tone was extremely calm. The broker blinked blankly for a moment, seemingly not realizing those words were directed at him because Ilay spoke without looking at him.

However, even a school dog can recite poetry after three years*; Jeong Taeui,  having been around Ilay for a while, understood his words and mood perfectly.

(*서당개도 삼 년이면 풍월을 읆는다고: Proverb/ “Even a school dog can recite poetry after three years” / Even if someone has no knowledge in a particular field, if they stay in that field long enough, they will gain knowledge and accumulate experience. —Tay has been around Ilay for a long time, so he understands those words and his mood very well.)

The broker might have known the name Riegrow, but not necessarily much about him. He opened his mouth to say something more, sensing that RieGrow might not have recognized him. RieGrow indifferently touched his glove once more.

“……— I’ve finished my drink!”

Jeong Taeui gulped down his tea and placed the cup back on the saucer with a clatter before standing up hastily. He moved to stand in front of Ilay RieGrow with an awkward smile and reached out to shake hands with the bewildered broker.

“The person I was waiting for has arrived, so I’ll be going now. Good luck with your transaction today. See you if we have the chance.”

“Huh? Oh, yes, but……..”

The broker replied hesitantly, glancing at Ilay with a worried expression.

Yes. The younger brother of the “big boss” of T&R is standing right in front of you. Isn’t he also famously notorious in certain fields, perhaps even more so than his brother?

Jeong Taeui could understand the feeling of wanting to talk to a famous person standing right in front of you. But damn it! The broker should know why he’s so famous! Jeong Taeui’s kind heart urged him to help the broker out.

Jeong Taeui smiled brightly and quietly took hold of Ilay’s cold, gloved hand.

“Let’s go back to the room. Anyway, I have something I want to talk to you about.”

“…….”

Ilay squinted at Taeui, as if understanding the thoughts running through his head. He sighed.

“Alright. I’m also curious about what you want to talk about. But right now, there’s something even more bothersome to deal with, so after that’s taken care of, we’ll go back to the room.”

Saying that, Ilay tapped the back of Jeong Taeui’s hand, which was holding his. Jeong Taeui frowned and responded.

“Hey, in any case, this isn’t UNHRDO. It’s not within the jurisdiction. If you kill someone right in the middle of the hotel……”

“…….”

As if telling him to continue talking, Ilay smirked down at Jeong Taeui. That smile was, after all, a mockery. Jeong Taeui fell silent. The smile on Ilay’s face deepened.

“I know what you’re thinking, Taei. Whether what you’re holding is a legitimate passport or not. I’m not cruel enough to lay a hand on brokers who deal in small transactions and sell low-quality items like that.”

Jeong Taeui licked his lips and stared at Ilay. If he wanted to catch someone, he could catch as many as he liked. But in situations where he didn’t restrain himself, it was terrifying for those people. The broker’s face twisted like a crumpled piece of paper upon hearing that the items he dealt with were of poor quality and clumsily made. But he didn’t realize that in this case, it was the very straw that saved his life. If this broker had been a professional dealing in large transactions and selling high-quality items properly, today might have marked the anniversary of his death next year.

Unlike Jeong Taeui, who had been unlucky for years, this broker was indeed a lucky person. At the same time, it seemed that the broker’s client had finally arrived, so he gave a brief greeting and quickly left. The broker looked back and forth between Jeong Taeui and Ilay as if he regretted having to leave, then departed.

Jeong Taeui stood in front of Ilay until the broker and the unfamiliar middle-aged man had walked away and completely disappeared from sight. As if all his strength had left him, fatigue overwhelmed him. Jeong Taeui anxiously eyed his empty cup before looking up at Ilay, who was sitting across from him.

“…….Why are you here?”

Only now did Jeong Taeui question why the man who had disappeared for a week without any contact suddenly appeared in front of him without warning. Ilay responded briefly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Because today is Friday. Did you forget?”

Up until the day before yesterday, Jeong Taeui had been thinking about it. Yet now, he had completely forgotten. Come to think of it, didn’t this man come to Hong Kong from the island every weekend for work?

Ilay called the waiter to bring drinks. His gesture of flipping through the menu looked genuinely cheerful. As he had said, it seemed his mood was really good today. When he made eye contact with the waiter, he even smiled politely.

Jeong Taeui paused, holding the glass of water that the waiter had just poured, and stared at Ilay. He blinked a few times. Ilay seemed to sense his gaze and looked back at him. Jeong Taeui awkwardly mumbled to himself: “So what?”

“Nothing. It’s just that my mood is very good today.”

“Hmm……?”

Ilay shrugged ambiguously.

Look, he’s actually happy to see me, Jeong Taeui thought, lowering his eyes.

Jeong Taeui didn’t want to make any mistakes; he would keep quiet to avoid unnecessarily provoking the man who seemed to be in a good mood after a long time. A good mood was much easier to deal with than a bad one.

Besides, this was a face he hadn’t seen for a few days. If he looked annoyed, it wouldn’t be pleasant at all. But if he had to point out one thing that he couldn’t help but be concerned about……

“Could you—could you take off those gloves?”

“Those things look too grotesque,” Jeong Taeui swallowed the last words and silently chewed on them. Ilay raised an eyebrow and obediently removed the gloves. The beautiful, white hands that he could never imagine covered by those ghastly gloves were revealed.

“Yes, I like these hands…… no, that’s not it, I mean, like this……—”

Those hands suddenly moved close to his face, blocking his view, and Jeong Taeui became flustered. Reflexively, he leaned back a bit and looked through the gaps between Ilay’s fingers. Although he tried to suppress his instinctive wariness towards Ilay, it was already too late.

Ilay fixed his gaze on Jeong Taeui, smiling as he withdrew his hands. He leaned back comfortably on the sofa and asked,

“Alright. Let’s hear what you have been waiting to tell me.”