Chapter 30: 3rd Intermission
Basically, Jeong Taeui always had a healthy body.
When he was a child, he was quite weak, often sick, and prone to minor illnesses, but because of his energetic and active nature, he rarely got sick as he grew up.
At one point, Jeong Taeui was a soldier, and after being discharged, he continued doing similar work, never hesitating to push himself to the limit, which led to a few hospitalizations. However, he rarely had any health issues related to internal medicine. That said, occasionally during winter, he would catch a severe flu, leaving him bedridden for a few days, but this only happened once every few years.
And this winter, that ‘once every few years’ had come.
This time, the timing was particularly bad. When Taeui only started feeling slightly fatigued and hadn’t realized he had the flu, he went ice fishing, ate raw fish on the spot, and returned home. Perhaps because of that, he developed acute gastroenteritis, experiencing continuous vomiting and an inability to eat or drink, and then the flu struck at the same time.
As a result, this winter, Taeui had a ‘legendary’ illness, bedridden for nearly a week, and then it took him almost another week to fully recover his health, leaving him wandering around the house like a ghost.
Taeui thought that even though his body had improved, he should stay home and rest for one or two more weeks to regain his strength, so he ate porridge three meals a day during that time.
On a peaceful Sunday, when Taeui didn’t expect anyone to visit, the doorbell unexpectedly rang in the morning. He wondered who it could be, and to his surprise, Malik was standing at the door with a large box in his hands, smiling brightly.
“My superior has sent a gift for Mr. Jeong Taeui.”
“……Ah, yes……”
Taeui couldn’t hide his surprised expression and awkwardly accepted the heavy box.
A gift? His superior, who had never called or cared about Taeui with words, had sent a gift? This had never happened before. That man had always looked at Taeui with a visibly dissatisfied expression.
Taeui hurriedly opened the box before Malik left because he thought that if the box exploded upon opening, he wouldn’t endure it alone. When he saw the expensive wooden boxes and ceramic jars inside, Taeui was left speechless. They contained herbs that appeared extraordinarily rare, even at a glance.
“These are all things that are good for health. I heard that you haven’t been well lately, I wish you a speedy recovery.”
Malik left the message with a bright smile on his face and then disappeared as quickly as he appeared. Taeui wondered whether he really came from such a distant place just to deliver these things – but these items seemed precious enough to be handed over personally – and he also doubted whether these herbs were truly good for health or not. After confirming with the herbal expert that Ilay had invited that they were indeed extremely rare and of excellent quality, Taeui still felt skeptical, but since he had already accepted them, before they could spoil…… he ate all of them while in a half-conscious state.
Probably thanks to those herbs, or maybe because of the days that passed while taking the medicine, Taeui was finally able to get out of the sickbed without any lingering effects. And after recovering, he then came to his senses and started to question.
Why on earth would that man, Raumaan Abid Al Saud, who always saw Taeui as a thorn in his side, suddenly send him a gift like that?
“Does he want to win over his brother-in-law?”
“No way. If that were the case, he would have done it long ago……, …… Ugh!! Brother-in-law!! This guy dares to talk nonsense!!”
“Oh, brother-in-law on the wife’s side?”
“Yes, better say that inst……, ……, Euck!!”
Although that gift had caused a minor quarrel between Taeui and Ilay, eventually Taeui decided to call directly to ask for clarification. Regardless of Raumaan’s purpose, he had sent a valuable gift, so expressing gratitude was only polite.
However, after trying to contact Raumaan – initially, Taeui intended to call his older brother first, but when he called, the person who answered was Raumaan – Taeui received an unexpected response: [“I’m glad you’ve recovered. I will send you gifts regularly. If you ever feel unwell or show signs of illness, contact me anytime. I wish you continuous good health.”] Taeui became even more surprised when just a few days later, he received another luxurious gift box filled with nourishing supplements, proving Raumaan’s words were sincere.
No, that couldn’t be right, no matter how he thought about it, it seemed absurd. A few days ago, when he made the call, although Raumaan responded in such a way, his tone was utterly cold, and when Taeui tried to request to speak with his older brother, he immediately responded coldly: [“He’s resting.”] and hung up.
And this time, Taeui grabbed Malik, who was about to turn and leave after delivering the gift box filled with nutritional supplements with a smile on his face.
“What is your master’s intention?”
“What intention do you have? My superior truly wishes for Mr. Jeong Taeui here to always be healthy.
“Then why…… Let’s not pretend anymore, just be straightforward.”
Although saying that to someone bringing gifts might be a bit harsh, thinking back you’d remember this guy has done quite a few unpleasant things to both Taeui and Ilay in the past. So Taeui thought this was a chance for revenge and to clarify everything. While he was pondering how to extract information from Malik, surprisingly, after a moment of hesitation, Malik confessed honestly.
And the content was:
“My superior slept with Mr. Jeong Jaeui, but afterward, Mr. Jeong Jaeui became seriously ill.”
Malik continued: “Therefore, when Mr. Jeong Taeui called last time, but he couldn’t answer because he was resting.”
Jeong Jaeui has always had poor health. Typically, after any intimate relations with Raumaan, he would not be well for 2-3 days, so Raumaan always took great care to wait until Jaeui was in better health before engaging in sexual activities. But that day, Jaeui appeared healthier than usual, so Raumaan indulged a bit more passionately…… and Jaeui, to put it slightly dramatically, was nearly at death’s door.
Because of this, Raumaan became extremely worried and stayed diligently by Jaeui’s side, caring for him day and night. Perhaps feeling guilty seeing Raumaan so concerned for him, Jaeui said in a moment of lucidity:
“Taeui must be sick now. That’s why I’m like this, so don’t worry. Since childhood, it’s been this way. When Taeui recovers, I’ll also slowly get better.”
“That bastard Gilsangcheon, damn him. Burying him alive wouldn’t even placate my anger.”
“That was the first time I saw him get angry and curse at someone like that.” – Malik said with a smile.”
Regardless, the reality is that when Taeui gets sick, Jaeui will become seriously ill as well. So no matter how much anger or profanity Raumaan has, there’s no choice but to keep Taeui healthy and maintain that state.
“…… For that reason, my superior sincerely wishes for Mr. Jeong Taeui to live long and remain healthy. So please feel free to accept these gifts.”
When Malik added with a bright smile: “Of course, as soon as Mr. Jeong Taeui recovered, Mr. Jeong Jaeui’s condition improved significantly. He is nearly fully recovered now.” Taeui, on the other hand……
Since Malik started telling, Taeui remained silent with his head bowed and a serious expression, and……
“Are you saying now…… you want me to be healthy so you can freely ‘eat’ my brother? I won’t consume these!”
Taeui suddenly lost his temper and overturned the table.
Pushing the medicine box back to Malik and kicking him out of the house, Taeui even sprinkled a handful of salt on his back and slammed the door shut. Malik stood outside fumbling for a while, looking quite bewildered, but eventually left quietly.
“Anyway, if you’re healthy, Jeong Jay will also be healthy. Isn’t that good for both you and Jeong Jay?”
“Good! Yes, it’s good, but I don’t want to be healthy by consuming something with such dark intentions! I’d rather keep myself healthy by exercising and eating properly.”
Ilay said: “I think the result is the same anyway”, but Taeui refused to listen, believing that human emotions are not always aligned that way.
No matter what, Taeui still made relentless efforts for his own health and his brother’s. But perhaps because he had just recovered and got excessively angry, or because of the raw beef he devoured in frustration that day, he fell ill again that night.
And this time, his condition seemed better than the previous one. Though he moaned in pain, he could endure it. However, Taeui became worried about Jeong Jaeui.
Jaeui was naturally frail, so if Taeui endured a little pain, Jaeui would endure tenfold. And now, since he hadn’t fully recovered and fell ill again, he wondered if Jeong Jaeui would be alright.
Even while feeling unwell, Taeui was worried and called Jeong Jae, but no one answered. Could something have happened? If anything serious had occurred, surely someone would contact him. And so, Taeui continued living in anxiety, and when his health improved after a few days, he called Jaeui again. This time, the phone was answered. But it wasn’t Jaeui who picked up; it was Raumaan.
As soon as he heard that voice, Taeui silently exclaimed in his mind: “Ugh, ……” But this time, Raumaan surprised him.
[“Ah, Mr. Jeong Taeui. I heard you weren’t feeling well again. Are you feeling better now? Regardless, you must know how to take care of yourself properly, but please maintain your health. Either way, I wouldn’t want Mr. Jeong Jaeui to be bedridden for too long.”]
The gentle and calm voice of Raumaan left Taeui feeling very puzzled. Did he eat something wrong? Why is he so cheerful today……? Whenever this man is happy, it makes Taeui feel inexplicably uneasy……
Indeed, this time too, Raumaan refused Taeui’s request to speak directly with Jaeui with the familiar statement: [“He is resting.”] But from the way he said it: [“When he can get out of bed, I will tell him that Mr. Jeong Taeui called.”] it seemed that his mood genuinely improved.
‘The more he is like this, the more worried I become……’
Although Taeui did not think that Jaeui would encounter anything serious – apart from occasionally being sick, Jaeui is typically quite lucky – but not being able to speak directly made Taeui’s worries grow stronger, and made him uneasy.
Because of this.
The very next day, when Malik came patiently with a box of medicine again, Taeui did not turn him away but even pulled him to sit down.
“How is Jaeui-hyung’s health these days? Is he okay? There’s really nothing wrong, right?”
“Yes, Mr. Jeong Jaeui hasn’t completely recovered yet, but his condition has improved a lot. Besides needing to rest more often, he still goes about his daily activities as usual.”
“……Is your boss making him, still not fully recovered, expend his physical strength unreasonably?”
“No such thing. Absolutely not.”
“But why does he seem strangely cheerful? We both understand each other here, just be straightforward.”
Once again, Taeui thought about the idea from a few days ago – since there’s a debt to be settled, he might as well use force to make this person talk – but this time, Malik only showed a moment of slight embarrassment before obediently starting to speak.
“Actually, this is a bit personal, so I’m not comfortable saying, but well, since you’re family, there’s nothing to hide.”
With such an ambiguous introduction, Malik began to explain as follows.
During the time Taeui was sick, Jaeui fell seriously ill and was bedridden for longer. Throughout that period, Raumaan seemed to fall ill just as much, looking pale, eating irregularly, and not leaving Jeong Jaeui’s side even for a moment. Raumaan personally took care of Jaeui without asking for anyone’s help, heartbroken because he could not bear to see Jaeui suffering, which is why only in a few days, Raumaan became visibly withered. As for Jeong Jaeui, although still sick, when he saw Raumaan like that, it seems he felt incredibly grateful and apologetic. (According to Malik’s account, Jeong Jaeui’s feelings seemed to go beyond gratitude and guilt, emerging into some deep affection and fondness.)
After his health somewhat recovered and he could walk again (according to Malik, the atmosphere between the two had grown somewhat more intimate and gentle than before), one night, the two of them went for a walk together, sipped on some wine, and chatted. Amidst this romantic setting, the atmosphere suddenly turned ambiguous. However, not wanting to do anything disrespectful toward Jaeui while he was still weak, Raumaan tried to restrain himself and decided to leave. But at that very moment, Jaeui stared blankly at Raumaan, and after a moment of contemplation, pulled him to sit down. Then,
“…….”
“…….”
Taeui stared directly at Malik’s mouth with eyes that seemed to perceive something utterly terrifying. Malik paused for a moment, then gave a sly smile and said:
“Yes, as you guessed, Mr. Jeong Jaeui brought immense joy to my superior by satisfying him in a way that did not affect his health.”
“That matter……, could it be……, fell—……, no, no, I don’t know anything. I absolutely have no idea.”
Beside Taeui, who was shaking his head vigorously with a face that screamed fake innocence and naivety while shouting: “I don’t know anything!”, Ilay casually listened to the story and nonchalantly remarked:
“So Jeong Jay sucked him off, huh.”
“Stop saying that!!”
Taeui with pale-faced, shouted out, but Malik cheerfully responded.
“Yes. Even though the two of them had been intimate many times, this was the first time he had taken the initiative to do that, so my superior was very surprised and delighted.”
“That was indeed unexpected. Even if he got swept up in the situation and ended up in bed, I didn’t think he’d take the initiative to ‘oral’ anyone. …… He must really be in love.”
“Yes. Even after it was over, Mr. Jeong Jaeui said that seeing Mr. Raumaan pleased made him happy too, that although his jaw was a bit sore, his body wasn’t tired, so he could do it anytime—which made my superior immensely delighted. Furthermore, since my superior is a fair man, right after that, he also ‘orally’ pleased Jeong Jaeui……”
“After that, they practically every day, “
“SHUT UP!!”
Finally, Taeui slapped Malik.
However, even after being hit like that, Malik did not show any anger, his face still smiling. He placed the medicine box in front of Jeong Taeui, who was in a state of panic, and said: Although it’s not necessary to be extraordinarily healthy, my boss still hopes that Mr. Jeong Jaeui will always stay in good health and avoid getting sick. Then he left, leaving Taeui staring in a daze at the pile of precious medicine, even more luxurious than before.
Just then, Jeong Jaeui called and said: [“I haven’t been well recently, so I couldn’t get in touch.”]; [“But now I feel much better and can do the things I need to do and want to do.”]; [“Every day, I live happily.”] Such ordinary words, at another time, Taeui would have gladly listened to, but now he couldn’t help but interpret them differently. After the call ended, Taeui still couldn’t escape the sadness.
“……If only I could recover quickly.”
Taeui lowered his head, unconsciously murmuring to himself.
“If only I could recover quickly so that Jaeui-hyung wouldn’t have to be bedridden for so long, then even if I had to exert myself more, it would just be occasionally as before…… Not like every day……. like this.”
Ilay, lifting the medicine box to place it on the table, laughed upon hearing this.
“Taei, you’re overlooking an important point. Jeong Jay isn’t the type to be easily coerced. That guy is really lucky.”
Taeui nodded while still drooping his head in quiet sorrow.
“Yeah, that’s why I feel somewhat reassured, but it’s just the way family feels.”
“Hmph……, and it’s true that Jeong Jay doesn’t have a very favorable opinion of me either.”
Ilay, nonchalantly rummaging through the medicine box, then walked over to Jeong Tae. He squatted down, making himself eye level with Jeong Taeui.
“But trust me, Taei. From what I’ve seen, no one is as lucky as that guy, and there won’t be anyone like that in the future either.”
Taeui stared intently at Ilay for a moment, then sighed and nodded. That’s right. Who could be as lucky as Jeong Jaeui?
“Yeah…… that’s true.”
Taeui let out a long sigh, mumbling something as Ilay smiled. Then he broke a piece of ginseng he had taken out from the box in half and pushed one half into Taeui’s mouth.
“In any case, eat something nutritious first. Things have already turned out this way, and you want the best for Jay, right? Besides, I want you to be healthy too. Now……, you’ve recovered quite a bit already, so it’s time for you to repay me for waiting patiently while you were sick, don’t you think? Don’t worry, I won’t make you ‘oral’ me.”
“Huh? Huh? ‘Oral’ what does that mean,…… Wait a minute, I’d rather ‘oral’ than that.”
Taeui hurriedly straightened up and shouted, but Ilay, while chewing the remaining half of the ginseng root, mumbled: “You seemed to dislike ‘oral’ a lot earlier. Just do it like always…… Now then, let me regain my strength.” Taeui stared at him in confusion and then slumped his shoulders.
What is this? Can’t a person even be sick in peace for a few days? Maybe that’s why they say you have to take care of your health.
After drawing a somewhat misplaced conclusion about the importance of health, Taeui sorrowfully noted in his mental diary: ‘Today is a day of misery and despair in every aspect.’
[The End of Suite : Complete Works]
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