[“……. And then?”]

“Well, at this point, some people perceive you as Taeui’s lover.”

No, it didn’t matter——Christoph was about to say it then stopped, rubbing his chin as he muttered: [“Is that so?”], with an embarrassed look. Watching Christoph’s long lashes flicker softly as if one could hear them brush against each other, Jeong Changin only let out a faint smile.

Moments later, Christoph murmured: [“No, that’s not what matters”], and then looked directly at Jeong Changin.

[“So, what about Taei?”]

“Oh, nothing serious. Riegrow just quietly checked the photo, handed the wallet back to Taeui without a word.”

[“That’s all?”]

“Yes. Rick understands it’s just a misunderstanding. He’s not the type to overreact to something like that.”

Christoph knew, of course, that any misunderstanding about him being Jeong Taeui’s ‘foreign same-sex lover’ wouldn’t be something Riegrow could easily accept so simply. Even if Riegrow might act unpredictably at times, at his core, he was a cool-headed and rational person.

It was just unclear whether the issue was that Rick had a photo of Christoph—or that the only photo he had was of Christoph. Though Riegrow kept his smile, it didn’t seem entirely comfortable――.

Jeong Changin gazed up at the ceiling for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

But surprisingly, Riegrow had returned the wallet without a word, and his nephew, whom Jeong had worried might end up harshly chastised if left unwatched, had shown up at training today looking a bit tired but otherwise completely fine.

Anyway, since everything passed without any major trouble, this whole incident is now just a small memory.

“That’s how it is. Somewhere in the world, while you were completely unaware, someone got the wrong idea about you.”

[“Taei’s lover? Hah…….”]

The corner of Christoph’s mouth twitched as he gave a sarcastic smile, as though he found the whole thing utterly absurd. Jeong Changin smiled softly and asked quietly,

“Do you like it?”

[“Like it? Absolutely not.”]

Christoph widened his eyes immediately, feigning seriousness. Jeong Changin laughed out loud.

“Oh, right. It might sound funny to others, but it’s not exactly pleasant for those involved, is it? When I mentioned it to Richard during our call last night, he laughed and asked if that was really true.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s just something to laugh off.” – Changin chuckled as he spoke, but then he noticed Christoph suddenly fell silent, his expression shifting.

“What’s wrong?”

[“…….You told Richard?”]

“Yeah, I just mentioned it in passing.”

It wasn’t exactly pleasant news for an adversary to hear, but it wasn’t anything harmful either. Besides, he’d heard that the two of them were gradually trying to improve their relationship.

Jeong Changin tilted his head, puzzled. Under his curious gaze, Christoph remained silent for a long moment.

[“…….Richard doesn’t like Taei.”]

“Is that so? I wasn’t aware of that.”

[“…….The photo I gave to Taei – not that I exactly gave it to him – I doubt Richard even knows about that.”]

“Yes, probably.”

[“…….Last time he was here, he asked me for a photo, and I refused, telling him he had no reason to need something like that.”]

“Is that so? That’s understandable.”

While Jeong Changin responded calmly, Christoph’s expression grew increasingly dark. Changin didn’t see why it was something to take so seriously, but then he caught a faint mutter, as if Christoph were speaking more to himself than anyone else.

[“All of a sudden, he insists on coming to Riyadh……. without even giving a clear reason…….”]

“Hm?”

[“…….I think I’ll need to take some time off. For some reason, I feel it might be best if I’m gone before he arrives.”]

“What?”

[“Hong Kong……. yes, maybe Hong Kong would be a good option too.”]

Christoph muttered, more to himself than to anyone else, and then abruptly hung up as if something urgent had come up.

His eyes still fixed on the screen that had suddenly gone black, Jeong Changin sat there, momentarily dazed, then tilted his head in puzzlement. He gently patted his folded arm with one hand, lost in thought. A faint question mark seemed to linger on his refined face, as if he were trying to piece something together. Just as he slowly tilted his head in the opposite direction while pondering, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Caught up in his thoughts and staring at the now-dark phone screen, Changin only remembered his expected guest upon hearing the bell. “Oh, right, Taeui said he would be coming” – He muttered, and now sure it wasn’t the phone ringing, headed toward the front door.

“Taeui, you’re here? Come on in.”

As soon as he spoke, the unlocked door clicked open, and his nephew—who had just been part of the recent conversation—peered in.

“——Sorry I’m late. I had to wait until I was sure Horgan was in the shower.”

“You’ve gone through quite a bit yourself.”

Jeong Changin offered a few words of comfort to Jeong Taeui, who was still caught in the ongoing tension between Riegrow and Horgan, then led him inside.

As expected, Taeui was eager to review Horgan’s schedule, and Changin handed him the prepared file.

“Just check it here. Per the rules, it can’t be taken outside.”

“Yes, uncle. I only need to look it over.”

Seemingly anticipating the document’s arrival, Taeui just gave a faint smile as he took it from his uncle and started reading. He concentrated on the contents, occasionally trailing a finger along certain sections as he noted details in thought.

He seemed a bit worn out, though Changin wasn’t sure if it was just his impression. By the time Taeui reached the last page, he unconsciously let out a slight yawn. Dark circles shadowed the area beneath his eyes, suggesting he’d likely tossed and turned through a restless night.

“If you’re tired, take a nap here before heading back. Today’s system maintenance should keep Horgan out of trouble, at least for now.”

“Oh, no need, Uncle. I still have to stop by Rick’s place.”

Taeui responded with a weary tone, waving his hand slightly. Jeong Changin raised an eyebrow.

“Rick? At this hour? Something going on?”

“Well……. it’s just……. he’s in a bit of a bad mood.”

Taeui mumbled, his response vague. Jeong Changin folded his arms, falling into a thoughtful silence.

As far as Changin knew, nothing particularly unusual had happened. He could only guess at one possible reason: that seemingly trivial incident might not have been so minor after all, especially for his nephew and Rick.

Realizing it was probably pointless to beat around the bush with his perceptive uncle, Taeui simply scratched his head with a little embarrassment, and added: “It’s okay, Uncle. It’s almost resolved.”

Jeong Changin looked at his nephew with sympathy, watching as Taeui mumbled that he just needed to endure one more day. Feeling moved, Changin offered some gentle encouragement.

“Alright……. even if it’s tough, just hang in there a bit longer. When training ends, you might have a special visitor.”

“Huh?”

“I heard Chris plans to take some time off at the end of the month and head to Hong Kong.”

But no sooner had Changin spoken than he inwardly thought: ‘Oh no!’ He had only meant to say that a visit from a close friend might be something nice to look forward to since they seemed close. But now that he’d said it out loud, he realized that the very person at the center of all this tension was, in fact, it was Chris himself.

As expected, Taeui’s face went pale at once. Changin could only shake his head with a sigh.

“Doesn’t look like you’re all that thrilled.”

“No, it’s not that……. Happy, I mean I am happy……. It’s just……. the timing is a bit…….”

Taeui suddenly closed the folder, either unable to focus or simply finished with it. He leaned back into the sofa, looking completely exhausted. His shoulders drooped, casting a shadow of sadness.

“I was up all night trying to calm him down……. I thought if I could just get through today, everything would finally settle down…….” – Taeui murmured as if talking to himself, and Jeong Changin watched him with a look of quiet compassion.

Taeui was a beloved nephew whom Changin cherished beyond words. Since childhood, Taeui had been so clever and endearing that Changin wouldn’t have minded even if he could have kept him in his sight always, a person he would sacrifice his very life for without hesitation. Though Taeui occasionally surprised him with unpredictable actions, sometimes even causing a hint of embarrassment, he had always managed to handle things himself – in Changin’s eyes – and had grown into a mature, wise young man. However, a few years ago, Taeui made a critical error in his choices.

And it wasn’t just about Taeui; Rick’s reaction back then was also unlike anything Changin had seen before. At the time, Changin had merely tilted his head while thinking ‘How odd’ and let things pass.

…….Who would have thought it would come to this?

Jeong Changin gave Taeui a gentle pat on the shoulder.

“Well, what can you do? Things have already turned out this way.”

It seemed Changin’s comforting words didn’t reach Taeui at all. His shoulders slumped, his back hunched, weighed down by accumulated exhaustion and lack of sleep. He muttered a weary string of complaints, his voice almost devoid of strength.

“You have no idea, Uncle, how much effort it takes to soothe his sulking mood when he’s all tangled up like that……. It’s like this tightness in my throat that makes it hard to breathe, so painful it feels like my jaw might just fall off……. And do you know what he did last night? He somehow found a camera, and do you even want to know what he did with it all night? Do you know how many pornographic photos he took? He kept at it the entire night, then carefully selected his ‘prized’ shot to carry in his wallet. And not only that—he insisted I carry one too. What if that wallet falls into someone else’s hands one day? I swear, I’d rather accidentally drink pesticide than deal with this…….”

“A camera? Ah, that’s right, he did come by last night to borrow a camera, so that explains——”

As Taeui recalled last night’s events, Jeong Changin nodded absentmindedly and murmured a vague response. But at that exact moment, Taeui’s cold, threatening gaze drilled into him, and Changin immediately clammed up.

“Uncle, that was completely out of line.”

“I didn’t know it would end up like this……. The problem is with the person, not the camera. What fault does the camera have in this?”

Taeui glared at his uncle with an intense, almost terrifying expression, before slumping his shoulders in defeat, muttering in a low resentful tone: “I hate you, Uncle!” The sadness in his voice made Changin think he might burst into tears any moment.

Hearing Taeui’s voice drop, Changin realized his nephew was feeling so worn out and overwhelmed that he likely didn’t even register what he was saying. Yes, to deal with the chaotic whirlwind of emotions Taeui was battling, perhaps this was truly the only way.

At the same time, Jeong Changin recalled how Riegrow had come to borrow the camera the previous night.

“A camera? What exactly do you plan to do with a camera?”

Retrieving the camera he rarely used, which had been tucked away deep in a drawer, Changin dusted it off and handed it to Riegrow, raising an eyebrow. As he did, he casually remembered the incident in the dining hall and thought: ‘Aha, maybe it’s because of that.’

That’s what he’d assumed, but he hadn’t asked any further questions. Riegrow had only flashed a sly smile, saying nothing, and then took off with the camera. Changin hadn’t considered what he might photograph or how he might go about it.

‘I wonder what he ended up taking pictures of’ – Changin mused briefly, but he quickly stopped himself before any unwanted images formed in his mind. Clearing his thoughts, he turned his attention back to comforting Taeui and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

“It’ll be alright. At least it’s a digital camera. Just think of it as a blessing it wasn’t a film camera. You know, in the darkroom at the branch office, all photo data from film is stored indefinitely, right?”

At the words “photo data” Taeui shivered, as though some dreadful image had popped into his mind. He stared at the floor in silence for a long moment, then let out a sigh, seemingly resigned to his fate. After that heavy acceptance of the fate sigh, he stood up, appearing ready to leave. His unsteady steps made him look almost fragile.

“Heading out?”

“Yeah……. He’s probably waiting for me. Last night, he said he’d come by.”

“Alright, hang in there……. And when you return the camera, make sure he deletes the memory card before handing it back.”

Changin quietly muttered to himself: “Please forgive this powerless uncle” as he saw Taeui off to the door.

Taeui glanced back at his uncle with a hint of reproach in his eyes, then said in a sad voice, “If I need anything, I’ll stop by again.” With that, he turned away. Changin crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, watching his nephew’s weary figure as he trudged down the hall, his face weighed down with worry.

Truly pitiful. For a brief moment, Changin nearly acted on impulse, ready to pull his nephew back and suggest: ‘Why don’t we find a practical way to remove Ilay Riegrow from your life?’ But he abandoned the thought. He doubted there was any real, workable solution, and even if one existed, it would likely only end in failure. Besides…….

If it were truly unbearable, perhaps Taeui wouldn’t have continued on this way all these years.

Of course, it was difficult and painful, but it seemed that Taeui didn’t quite loathe Riegrow with the kind of revulsion that would make him shudder, or so Changin thought.

Just then, as Taeui slowly walked down the hallway, the door in front of him suddenly swung open, as if it had been waiting for his approach. It was Riegrow’s door.

It seemed he had indeed been waiting.

A pale hand shot out from the doorway, grabbing Taeui’s arm and pulling him inside, like a hunter lying in ambush, ready to pounce as soon as his prey stepped into his trap.

As soon as Taeui was pulled inside, the door shut immediately. In no time, the hallway fell silent, an eerie stillness filling the space.

Jeong Changin remained there for a moment, even after his nephew disappeared, and then he let out a quiet sigh.

“Well then—perhaps it’s time for me to rest as well. Even if it’s a bit early.”

He murmured to himself: “Tomorrow is bound to be busy” and stepped into his room. Before closing the door, he took one last look down the empty hallway.

“…….May good fortune find its way to the nephew I love so dearly.”

His gentle words, meant for no one else to hear, quietly drifted out as the door slowly closed behind him.