The bottle of wine that Kyle had prepared was emptied in no time.

Generous Kyle had prepared enough alcohol to last over a dozen men for three days, yet within just a few hours, not a single drop remained. Witnessing this only reinforced Jeong Taeui’s belief that these people weren’t human. Even more so, seeing that none of them appeared drunk and remained completely sober further convinced him that it was best not to associate with them.

“Alright, the wine’s all gone now…… I guess it’s time to wrap things up.”

Alain said as he shook the empty wine bottle one last time. Right after, Ivan nodded and finished his glass of wine.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a few days to relax like this.”

“Finally done. If I stayed one more day, I might go crazy looking at these faces and end up shooting someone.”

Ángel chimed in and raised his glass. Alexei immediately clinked glasses with him.

“So, about this bet—who won? Who lost?”

Alexei’s words brought about a brief silence. Their eyes met, sparkling with curiosity, caution, and excitement.

“Nobody managed to get Tay to confess his passionate feelings to Rick, right?”

“If it’s words with a similar meaning, then everyone has already heard them.”

The men silently looked at each other as if pondering something. Finally, the first to speak was Ángel.

“Whatever the case, the one who contributed the most, regardless of the process, has to be me—the one who gave them a steamy night, right?”

Immediately, Alexei refuted those words.

“What nonsense are you talking about, you criminal. The thing that makes Tay happiest is definitely when I show him the assets he didn’t even know he had.”

“The one who made me realize that the most primal human need is the most important was me, yet now you want to take advantage so easily.”

“Calm down, the one who pointed out the right path to accept fate was me.”

No one knew when the silence had been broken, but the men began arguing fiercely, like a chaotic brawl. While listening to the content of the argument, Taeui thought to himself: ‘Truly, just a bunch of idle people……’, but he silently drank his beer like a white stork, completely unwilling to get involved with this flock of black crows.

‘Anyway, the beer today is still really good.’ – Taeui thought to himself as he leisurely enjoyed the beer, when suddenly the gazes of the men all turned toward him. That was the moment they agreed, ‘The person who can most accurately judge who made the strongest impression must be him!’ after raising their voices in that meaningless argument.

Taeui was happily sipping his beer when he suddenly realized their silent and focused stares were all directed at him. Before he could get flustered, Mark placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Tay, what do you think? If you had to choose one person who made your heart flutter the most and one person who made you feel the worst, who would you pick?”

“Huh……?…… Why me? You guys settle this yourselves. This is your bet, not mine.”

Taeui hurriedly waved his hands and stepped back. He had no intention of making enemies with anyone in the Private Task Force, full of these crazy people, and he was wise enough to know that just pointing at someone would bring a flood of resentment from that person.

“That’s right, letting Tay decide isn’t very reasonable. We should settle this ourselves.”

It seems that Ángel also realized that if the decision-making power fell into Taeui’s hands, he would be the most disadvantaged, so he quickly objected. But the others, perhaps having made a similar judgment, immediately said: “We always decide by majority vote”, “You’re the only one objecting,” and surrounded Taeui with an overwhelming momentum.

Suddenly being pushed into the middle of the group of men against his will left Taeui unable to hide his confusion as he looked around at them. When his eyes met Ilay’s, who merely shrugged as if to say, ‘You’re on your own,’ he realized that escaping this situation wouldn’t be easy……. Suddenly, the taste of beer became bland.

Taeui sighed, took one or two sips of beer, and exhaled deeply.

“…… Does it even matter? No matter what you all say, my thoughts about Ilay, whether in the past or now, remain completely unchanged. If the purpose of this bet is to evoke some kind of emotion from me, then all of you have wasted your efforts.”

The moment Taeui spoke his feelings directly, it seemed to silence the men for a brief moment, but shortly after, Mark frowned and urged him.

“It might be meaningless to you, but for us, this is important. You just need to choose the loser and the winner that you feel is most reasonable based on your emotions.”

And this time, Ángel beside him also objected: “No! I don’t think that’s a good idea!” but was ignored by the other men.

‘I really don’t want to at all…… Actually, it’s not like I prefer or dislike anyone’s words more…………’

Taeui looked around them in confusion and scratched his head. These guys had been bothering one person each day for five days straight, and in the end, it still came to this.

“…… The next meeting is in 3 years?”

Taeui, still feeling very awkward, blurted out the question, and everyone nodded without needing to be told. They said this was a gathering that only happened once every 3 years.

“Then…… Anyway, betting is a form of gambling, so let’s just leave it this time and move on. The next bet will be doubled.”

“Wouldn’t that be more interesting?” -Taeui said, and the men fell silent for a moment, then glanced at each other.

“3 years later,” – They murmured. Among them, some looked rather reluctant, some indifferent, some bored, and some intrigued, each with a different expression. But when Taeui firmly stated: “In any case, I won’t decide the winner this time. Whether someone else decides or the bet is canceled, that’s your business, you handle it yourselves”, those who were about to make a decision this time all fell silent.

“Hmm…… Double in 3 years……”

“Not exactly fond of it, but it’s not bad either.”

“I don’t care either.”

“Then this time, let’s decide by majority vote as well.”

The men glanced at each other briefly, then seemed to quickly reach a final conclusion. They shrugged or nodded slightly, then said in unison: “Alright, then 3 years later.”

Taeui felt a sharp pain in his stomach, immediately rubbed his lower chest, and took a sip of beer. Ilay took the beer can back from Taeui’s hand.

“If your stomach hurts, just stop here.”

“It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt. It’s just a feeling.”

Taeui hurriedly waved his hand and grabbed the beer can back, making Ilay chuckle softly.

Five pairs of eyes were quietly observing them.

“In the end, it only benefits Rick, doesn’t it?”

“That’s right. We gain nothing at all.”

Amidst the group of men grumbling in dissatisfaction, Alain, with his ever-smiling face, kept staring at them and suddenly asked.

“So, in the end, are you not going to show us what you and Tay do even once, Rick?”

“Cough!” – Jeong Taeui, who was drinking beer, choked, wiped his mouth with his fist, and glared at Alain. ‘This guy is still talking about that!’ – He was about to say something when the group of men started chiming in like fish in water.

“Exactly. We’ve put in so much effort, shouldn’t we get a little reward?”

“Anyway, you do it every day, letting us watch wouldn’t hurt.”

“We’re all men here, what’s there to be embarrassed about? Not manly at all! Just boldly show us once!”

Amidst the noisy chatter, Jeong Taeui hesitated whether to pour water over their heads or not. At that moment, Ilay, who was leisurely listening to their commotion beside him, smirked slightly and spoke up.

“For the past five days, you’ve been doing it with him every night, and hearing those sounds still isn’t enough for you?”

Right after saying that, Ilay reached into his pocket and threw something out. A small object rolled across the table between them and came to a stop. The small object, resembling a button, was……

“……”

“……”

The space instantly fell silent.

Jeong Taeui stared intently at the familiar small object. It seemed like he had seen it once or twice before, then slowly picked it up and identified what it was by its mesh-like speaker shape.

A listening device.

“Hey, what is this?”

Jeong Taeui muttered through clenched teeth and looked up. A cold gaze swept across the faces of the men.

“Just happened to find it under Taei’s mattress…… So, is it necessary to figure out who did it, or if a few people collaborated?”

Ilay slowly spoke, and the group of men nodded with expressions more gentle than ever.

“Thinking about it, I feel like we shouldn’t ask them to show such private and discreet actions.”

“Even if you see it, you have to pretend not to, that’s the behavior of a gentleman.”

“Alright, let’s stop here.”

“WAIT! I DIDN’T SAY STOP!! WHO PUT THIS ON MY BED――.”

Amidst the moment when the men were harmoniously agreeing with each other, Taeui suddenly shouted, interrupting them, but the five others simultaneously widened their eyes as if nothing had happened, leaving him speechless and mentally shocked.

‘Wow……, these rotten bastards can still maintain teamwork with a unity like a flock of crows, there’s definitely a reason for that.’

Taeui could only smirk bitterly, unable to say a word.

Meanwhile, Alain suddenly glanced at his watch, set down the glass in his hand, stood up, and said: “Well then, in that case.”

“We’ve met, and we’ve rested for a few days, so now I’m off. I have to deliver Christmas presents.”

At this unexpected statement, Taeui stared blankly at Alain. Not being Santa Claus, yet suddenly going to deliver presents—perhaps because he could read Taeui’s expression upon seeing his face, Alain smiled and said:

“Christmas is also a time to meet people and give gifts, so I’m doing the same.”

As Alain put on his coat, as if it were a signal, the other men also began to get up one by one.

“Time flies so fast. I have to go too.”

“Hmm――if I leave now, I can meet Marina before Christmas is over.”

“I’ll be taking a break in Malaga* at the end of the year and then returning to work.”

The only one bewildered by this sudden departure atmosphere in the middle of the night was Taeui. As if they had prearranged to leave at this hour, the men laughed, put on their coats, and stood up, while Ilay showed no intention of stopping them, merely bidding farewell: “Everyone, travel safely.”

“Get some sleep and leave tomorrow morning.”

Taeui tried to say something reasonable, but the response he received was simply: “Why?”

“If the work is done, there’s no need to stay. We have to leave.”

Ivan uttered a sentence that sounded very cold and indifferent, then extended his hand to Taeui.

“It was nice meeting you. Take care from now on.”

“Huh? Oh…… you too.”

While thinking that this farewell felt a bit strange, the others who shook hands afterward also said similar things.

“You’ve worked hard. Hang in there.”

“Live strong. Grit your teeth and live well.”

“……”

‘Why are all the farewells like this……’

As Taeui muttered to himself in silent dissatisfaction, everyone had already started heading toward the front door. When they were here, they felt bothersome, but now that they were suddenly leaving like this, it felt a bit sad.

When the front door opened, a cold gust of air rushed in from outside, where snow was falling heavily. As if dividing this world from the other, the men stood in the outside world, while Taeui and Ilay remained inside the house.

“Well then, see you in 3 years.”

“If you want to bet again, make sure to stay alive.”

“And you, don’t come back with bullet holes in your head or heart.”

Hearing these sharp-edged farewells exchanged with casual smiles, Taeui suddenly thought: ‘Ah, so that’s how it is.’

Exactly. These weren’t just ordinary goodbyes. The cold lives they were living were encapsulated in those light, offhand remarks.

Stay alive to meet again. In 3 years. And even after that.

Even if bad news about someone comes tomorrow, it wouldn’t be surprising, yet today they still promised to meet again in 3 years.

“Merry Christmas to everyone!”

No one said a word, yet the final greetings were exchanged, and the men departed as abruptly as they had arrived, like the receding tide.

After they completely disappeared, leaving only footprints on the thick snow covering the yard, Taeui finally closed the main door. The world he had shared with them over the past few days also came to a close in the same way.

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

“Three years later, huh……”

Jeong Taeui muttered like a sigh and then turned back to the living room. If you say it’s far, it feels far, and if you say it’s near, it feels near, but at this moment, it seemed like a day far, far away. Partly because just a moment ago, it had been noisy and lively, yet within a few minutes, the living room had become strangely quiet. Standing here made him feel as if the men who had been sitting here were a thing of the distant past.

Empty bottles of liquor were lined up under the table, and plates and baskets with only a few leftover dishes were placed on the table. Only those things indicated that many people had been here just a while ago. Other than that, there was nothing.

Thinking this, Jeong Taeui suddenly realized. There really weren’t any traces. Even the spots where they had been sitting showed no signs that anyone had been there. The cushions on the sofa, the slippers by the entrance, everything was exactly as Rita had arranged them.

So that’s how it is. They were people who were used to this.

Although it felt novel, he wasn’t overly surprised. Because Ilay was often like that too. No matter where he stayed, whether for a few days or a few months, he never left any traces.

As soon as they left, everything would be as if no one had ever been there. So that no one could find any clues about them. That’s why, when they disappeared, it didn’t leave any sense of unfamiliarity.

“……”

Jeong Taeui quietly looked at Ilay. He slowly sat down on the sofa and looked straight into Jeong Taeui’s eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking it would be nice to meet again in three years.”

When Jeong Taeui said those words, Ilay raised an eyebrow as if surprised, then smiled faintly: “Are you serious?” But hearing those words, Jeong Taeui broke free from the sudden emptiness and recalled the days they had spent together.

“Well…… just half.”

Jeong Taeui quickly took a step back and set the condition that as long as they didn’t drag him into their absurd issues unreasonably, it would be fine. Otherwise, it seemed like every three years, he would have to face them again like this.

But whether it was three years later or someday in the future, if the day came when he met them again and one of them didn’t show up. If one of them could never come again.

In their lives, no matter when that day might come, it wouldn’t be strange. But Jeong Taeui would surely feel regret. A lot.

Let alone if――.

“I won’t die before you, so don’t worry about being buried together, Taei.”

Jeong Taeui’s brief thoughts were interrupted by Ilay’s casual words.

Jeong Taeui frowned at the man opening a fresh can of beer.

“I told you, I’m not doing it. Your death is your business, my death is mine. Why do you keep trying to lump us together?”

Jeong Taeui muttered as he rummaged through the empty beer cans to see if there was a new one mixed in, quickly finding a fresh can and picking it up.

Even if he died, Jeong Taeui would still live on. Like most people who have lost loved ones, even if he died, Jeong Taeui would continue to live, perhaps meeting someone else, or perhaps meeting no one at all. Perhaps loving someone more than him, or perhaps loving no one at all. It was something unknowable.

But no matter how life turned out, it would surely be a life where, in a small corner of his heart, he would have to struggle every day to keep going.

“I really can see what you’re thinking, Taei.”

Ilay smiled gently and said, making Jeong Taeui curl his lips bitterly.

“Seeing it again, huh? Fine, go ahead, keep looking.”

After all, it didn’t matter what he was thinking now, and it didn’t matter what Ilay saw.

Ilay, watching Jeong Taeui drink his beer, suddenly tilted his head and smiled.

“Sometimes I think that, in some aspect of my spiritual world, I might be more vulnerable than you. I don’t think I could endure that kind of pain. That’s why I asked Alain…… In some ways, I think you might be stronger than me, Taei.”

“Hmm…… I’m not sure, but maybe.”

No one knew why someone like him, who couldn’t get drunk from this amount of alcohol, suddenly said such things. But, yes, perhaps when it came to quickly bowing down to things that couldn’t be changed, he might actually be better at it than him.

“But when you make a face like the one you have now—a face that makes me think it might not be the case, Taei.”

“What, does it look that bad?”

Jeong Taeui rubbed his face and asked back, only to have Ilay grab the back of his neck and pull him closer.

“It’s the kind of face that makes me want to try for a lifetime. Until it appears.”

He leaned in so close that their noses almost touched and whispered softly. In that moment, Jeong Taeui shrank back and raised his hands, saying: “Wait, wait.”

“When you say things like that, I’m really afraid you’ll actually do it.”

Ilay chuckled softly.

“You seem to read my thoughts a little. That’s right, I’m serious.”

“Ya, ya, ya!”

When Jeong Taeui shouted in alarm, Ilay laughed quietly. Then, right after,

“——Taei.”

He gently called his name and lowered his head. When he felt the lips about to touch, Jeong Taeui froze and tilted his head back.

“Wait, here is a bit……”

This was the living room. Although it was a time when everyone was already asleep, in an open space like this – if someone were to appear, it could be Kyle or Rita, and even though they knew about the relationship between the two, they certainly wouldn’t want them to see this scene – showing affection here felt a bit uncomfortable. That’s why, in this house in Berlin, they usually avoided physical contact in shared spaces like this.

However,

“It’s okay. It’s fine here.”

Ilay whispered that, then raised his hand to lightly tap something above his head. When he looked up, there was a cluster of mistletoe hanging as a decoration that Rita had hung up.

“But, that thing……”

Before Taeui could say anything, Ilay could no longer wait and pressed his lips against his. Jeong Taeui hesitated for a moment but then sighed and obediently opened his mouth. He felt Ilay’s tongue slip through his lips, entwining with his own, and together they savored the passionate moment.

‘Well, what’s the harm? On this night, in this world, there are surely countless boys bringing the girls they love under the mistletoe to kiss, and they are just one of those few.’

“Taei.”

Between their lips, which had just parted, Ilay’s whispered voice softly resonated. However, as if not expecting a reply, Ilay gently plucked a berry from the mistletoe branch and pressed their lips together again. 

They continued to taste each other’s lips for a long while, and then, suddenly, he whispered again: “Taei”, like a gentle call. After that, he plucked another mistletoe berry, shared another kiss, and once more, repeated that name in the softest whisper possible. 

Ilay pressed his lips against Taeui’s, calling his name over and over again. And each time, Taeui did not respond with words but silently parted his lips to receive him. 

Then, at some point, without knowing how many times it had been, Ilay pulled away and spoke.

“If this is something that truly causes you pain, I won’t do it. No matter what it is. Even if it’s beyond my will, even if I can’t do it, I won’t let it happen.”

“――.”

“So, you don’t need to think about anything that weighs on your heart.”

‘What is that, really? Saying you won’t let things you can’t control happen, that’s such a nonsensical statement.’ – That was what Taeui wanted to say, but right after, their lips met again, and those words dissolved in his mouth.

………….But.

It really seemed that way.

It truly would be that way. If it were this man, he would make it happen. So that he wouldn’t have to live each day in hardship.

Taeui almost burst out laughing. No, actually, he did laugh, but the sound didn’t escape because it dissolved in Ilay’s mouth. Perhaps Ilay also realized that Taeui was laughing.

His heart felt as if it was filled with a warm sensation. A feeling both blazing and soft in his chest, like a gentle reassurance. At the same time, an intense ambition suddenly surged from deep within.

Taeui reached out and gently pushed Ilay. It seemed as though he stood still for a moment, but then obediently stepped back under Taeui’s push, looking at him in confusion.

Taeui raised his hand and plucked a berry from the mistletoe branch above. After placing the berry on the table, this time Taeui pulled Ilay closer. As soon as their lips touched, he fiercely captured Ilay’s lips and tongue, exploring every corner of his mouth. Greedy and intense beyond comparison.

Ilay seemed very surprised, standing frozen for a moment, but then responded to Taeui’s passionate kiss. He could feel Ilay smiling in his mouth.

“What’s going on?”

When their lips parted for a brief moment, Ilay smiled and asked.

“Because I love you so much I can’t bear it……”

Taeui murmured this and kissed him again. This time, it was a gentler and shorter kiss than before. After breaking the kiss, Taeui whispered like a sigh.

“I can’t help but love you.”