Jeong Taeui slapped his own cheek, but the slap hurt much more than he had anticipated.

“OUCH!” – Jeong Taeui rolled over to one side, covering his face with his hands, rubbing his eyes now filled with tears. Then he got up, only to quickly sit back down when he saw Jeong Jaeui returning and sitting in his chair.

“Why are you suddenly hurting yourself like that?” 

Jeong Jaeui asked with a faint smile. Jeong Taeui shrugged, saying: “It’s nothing”, and shrugged again.

If it was something he had to ponder and figure out on his own, then one day, when they met again, he would grab Ilay by the collar and ask. (Though, he might have his wrist broken by Ilay before he could grab his collar and get an answer.)

Jeong Taeui looked at Jeong Jaeui’s pale hands, completely different from Ilay’s, and then unconsciously reached out to hold them. Jeong Jaeui raised an eyebrow in confusion but remained silent.

Jeong Taeui briefly thought it was strange for two grown brothers to hold hands, but the thought quickly passed. His hand still held Jeong Jaeui’s.

Suddenly, Jeong Taeui’s gaze dropped. His brother’s feet were as pale as his hands. Although he had been outside in the yard earlier, there wasn’t a speck of dirt on them.

Thinking it over.

“Where are your shoes? Why are you always barefoot?” Jeong Taeui asked. Jeong Jaeui looked confused. He glanced down at his bare feet as if it was strange that Jeong Taeui was only now asking about it after they had been walking around barefoot for several days.

Jeong Taeui probably wouldn’t have asked anything until he left this place if he hadn’t seen Raumaan’s shod feet.

But thinking back, everyone else – including the man standing at the door or the woman occasionally passing through the hallway – wore low shoes.

“Let’s see. Since I came here, I haven’t seen any shoes at all. They only bring them when they allow me to go to Baherp. I don’t really care much.”

Jeong Taeui frowned.

He couldn’t precisely figure out what it meant not to provide shoes. But all he could think of at the moment was captivity.

“……I don’t like it at all.”

Jeong Taeui suddenly said. Jeong Jaeui tilted his head as if trying to find the context for those words.

“Because I’m not wearing shoes?”

“No, not that…… that man. The owner of this place. I really don’t like him.”

Jeong Jaeui looked at Jeong Taeui’s expression, showing a faint hint of light.

“Has he said something to you?”

“Rather than saying anything specific, I could say his personality and actions don’t sit well with me.”

Jeong Taeui said, clicking his tongue. It was like a child complaining about something they didn’t like. In truth, he had never thought about whether he liked or disliked anyone, and it wasn’t something he could talk about openly.

However.

The cold tone of that man when talking about outside news. Or his smiling eyes that didn’t actually smile. The cold gaze as if observing prey.

“……Why does he keep coming so often despite being rejected so many times?”

“But these past few days, yes, since you arrived, he hasn’t stayed here anymore.”

Jeong Taeui frowned and looked at Jeong Jaeui strangely.

“Does he come every day?”

“Yes…… Before you arrived, he practically stayed here every day.”

“……What does he do here?”

Jeong Taeui stared at Jeong Jaeui.

Every time Raumaan came here, he seemed strangely familiar with every corner of this annex. Jeong Taeui had once thought it was because this place also belonged to him.

But, hearing what Jeong Jaeui said and thinking it over carefully, it seemed like it wasn’t just because this place was his property, but that he had become accustomed to being here.

“Mostly to ask me about this and that. Just like you usually do.”

Just like you usually do.

It was only after hearing those words that Jeong Taeui understood.

His brother was an extremely taciturn person who rarely initiated conversations with others. Even when someone talked to him, he only responded with what was necessary.

He knew a lot, and his knowledge wasn’t just limited to what he had learned; he had the ability to make insightful judgments and reasoned deductions in any situation. One could say he was an exceptional talent in every field.

Whenever Jeong Taeui had something to think about, he would cling to Jeong Jaeui and ask. He would listen to what Jeong Taeui had to say, ask for the necessary information about the matter, and then provide him with the conclusion he needed. Sometimes it was a quarrel Jeong Taeui had with a friend, sometimes it was an unsolved task, and sometimes it was important life choices that everyone has to face. And the answers Jeong Jaeui gave him never disappointed him.

Jeong Taeui once joked that if everyone in the world were to starve because there were no jobs, his brother could still live well by becoming a consultant.

“……I didn’t know you came here to be a consultant…… But he doesn’t seem like someone who needs advice…… so what the hell did he ask about?”

“Well, mainly about the progress of the power struggle, but that’s not something I can talk about with others.”

Jeong Taeui muttered: “Ha.”

He didn’t know if it was because he hated him, but he thought that man was living too comfortably. Not only had he kidnapped and imprisoned others to force them to make weapons, but he also coerced them into being advisors.

Jeong Taeui lamented: “Hyung, you’re really pitiful”, and collapsed to the floor. Feeling the texture of the wood against his cheek, Jeong Taeui closed his eyes.

“Taeui.”

The voice, as pleasant as the cool wooden floor, brushed past his ear. Jeong Taeui wasn’t asleep, but he didn’t respond, wanting to hear that voice call his name once more. He called his name again. Jeong Taeui opened his eyes instead of answering.

“Do you want to go outside?”

Jeong Jaeui asked softly. He looked at him with calm eyes.

If Jeong Taeui nodded, he would probably nod along. If Jeong Taeui said he wanted to leave, he would definitely find a way for him to get out of here. And if there was only one way to do that, then he would do it.

Jeong Taeui was silent for a moment before speaking wearily.

“Uncle is looking for you. Yes, even Kyle is looking for you.”

“…….”

“I didn’t come to take you back, I just wanted to see you. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, I just wanted to see you once.”

Jeong Jaeui nodded. From the first glance, he had probably understood everything Jeong Taeui had just said.

“I don’t mind going back alone.”

Jeong Taeui spoke. If Jeong Jaeui wanted to stay here, he could go home alone. This also meant that Jeong Taeui did not want to stay here.

But this time, Jeong Jaeui shook his head. Raumaan would not allow Jeong Taeui to leave alone while still holding Jeong Jaeui here. He thought so. Jeong Taeui wanted to leave this place, but he had no intention of leaving unless Jeong Jaeui changed his initial decision (about making weapons).

“…….”

I’m sorry, Ilay. Can you work a little harder to find me? I might have to stay here for a while.

You are probably very angry now, but don’t be too upset and……. If one day we meet again, please don’t kill me with a single shot…….

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

Jeong Taeui took a short nap and then woke up.

It seemed like he had heard a voice somewhere, but when he opened his eyes, no one was there.

“……Ilay……”

Jeong Taeui called the name of the person who seemed to have called him a moment ago. He clearly felt that he had been called by him.

However, when he woke up, he realized he was the only one in this place, so it must have just been a dream.

A dream submerged in darkness with fleeting memories that quickly faded. But the memory of that dream quickly dimmed in his mind. Maybe in just a few minutes, he would forget the name of the person he had unconsciously called out to.

Jeong Taeui looked down at his hand.

The hand resting on the soft blanket he had just tossed aside looked blurry in the darkness.

The dim light filtered through the window far from the bed, unable to reach directly here. It was probably one or two in the morning, just past midnight. Darkness enveloped everything.

It was strange to suddenly wake up in the middle of the night like this. Perhaps it was because he had fallen asleep early, which caused him to wake up in the middle of the night.

“Ha,” Jeong Taeui quietly sighed. When everything is silent, the sound of deep breathing is particularly clear. If he lay down like this and tried to sleep, he thought he could fall asleep again soon. But seeing the bright moonlight made him a bit sad. Jeong Taeui got out of bed.

“Has everyone gone to sleep? At such a late hour, everyone must be sound asleep. The entire mansion was enveloped in silence, except for the occasional guard patrolling inside.

Jeong Taeui got out of bed and walked over to the window.

He couldn’t see the moon as it was hidden above the window, but when he tilted his head up, the moonlight illuminated his face.

It was the stars that shone even brighter than the moon.

The ancient tree trunks, twisting to catch the light, reached high into the sky. The Milky Way. In Seringe, the sea of stars was more beautiful than anywhere else, flowing in the high sky.

Jeong Taeui took a deep breath. Stepping back, he felt the urge to go outside, lie down in the courtyard, and gaze up at that sky.

He remembered his childhood. When he was very young, but part of the memory still lingered.

They said it was the night of a meteor shower.

After waiting for days, that day finally came. That night, his parents took him and his brother to some mountain, and it seemed like it took several boring hours of driving to get there. But perhaps that distance was just an exaggerated memory from his childhood, so it might not have been that far in reality.

Their family arrived at a dark mountain, parked the car at the foot, and walked up for a while.

He still remembered how excited he was about the outing. They had eagerly prepared snacks and walked on a long enough path to tire him out. Amidst the dense forest with no visible peak, only the swaying bushes at their feet. There were a few others who had arrived. Perhaps they were also there to see the meteor shower.

Although he had worn very thick clothes, it was still cold at night in the mountains. He remembered asking, ‘When will the stars fall?’ while Jaeui silently stared at the sky, lost in thought.

Jeong Taeui repeat that question several times before finally falling silent.

The sky was full of stars. The glittering Milky Way. Though faint, it was still clearly visible.

He even felt a vague fear, wondering what would happen if all those stars fell. But at the same time, there was a small bit of anticipation. How beautiful it was. The stars were both beautiful and cold.

As he looked up at the stars filling the sky, he remembered the intense excitement in his heart. That feeling was very strong.

“……Then I fell asleep and never got to see the meteor shower……”

Jeong Taeui chuckled and murmured.