Horgan mumbled, almost as if talking to himself, without taking his eyes off Taeui. Seeing Horgan’s narrowed gaze, Taeui withdrew his smile.

“Coming here so suddenly, you must feel a bit overwhelmed, having to do things beyond your expectations. It’s not easy to catch up with those around you……. Or perhaps, it wasn’t beyond your expectations?”

“…….―.”

Horgan raised his eyebrows and slowly curled his lips into a sly smile, dragging out his words. Taeui sighed inwardly.

Although he had vaguely sensed it before, now it was clear that this man was suspicious of him. Taeui wasn’t sure exactly what kind of suspicion it was, but he had a hunch. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the kind of assumption one would make about an ally.

Horgan stared intently at Taeui, whose smile had disappeared at some point, and exhaled lightly, as if satisfied.

“You were probably told in advance about taking up the position of assistant instructor. In any case, it must have been tough.”

“Well…….,……., my duty is to assist you as an assistant instructor. So, it’s nothing you’d call tough.”

Taeui smiled innocently again and shook his head.

Hey. You’ve got the wrong person. The one you should really be suspicious of and wary of isn’t me. Ask anyone (who’s been on this island long enough), and they’ll tell you who the most dangerous person is right now. That’s the one you should be cautious of!

But Taeui couldn’t say that, so he quietly unwrapped a candy on the dining table. Keep your mouth shut.

“Traveling for such a long time must have been difficult, right? Well, I’m not sure, but usually, there’s always some issue with money or something.”

It seemed that Horgan didn’t want to prolong the topic. Taeui had been a little tense, thinking Horgan might probe further if he noticed anything suspicious, but suddenly, the conversation shifted to a mundane subject, making Taeui blink a few times.

“Yes? Oh, yes, um…….,…….. it was a bit harder than for most people. The situation wasn’t exactly ideal.”

Taeui recalled a few years back when he had been forced to go on a trip – or more accurately, to escape and hide. It had certainly been much more difficult than for the average traveler. Not only did he have to search for his missing brother, but he also had to evade death, which could appear at any moment, without knowing where or how the pursuer would come after him…….

“Alright, so that’s how you suddenly found a job like this. Is that right?”

“………Yes, that’s right.”

It had nothing to do with the current moment, but if he denied it, he’d have to give a long explanation, so Taeui decided to gloss over it. He wasn’t confident he could explain the series of events from back then to now in a brief and clear way.

“I see, so that’s how it is.” Horgan slapped his knee. He glanced at Taeui while lifting his head from his hand.

“I heard your uncle is an instructor here, and your brother is the researcher Jeong Jae-i, so it must not have been difficult for you to land this job, huh.”

“………Yes, that’s right.”

Taeui gave the same answer once again.

The question was essentially: ‘You got in here because of connections, didn’t you?!’——which stirred a bit of dissatisfaction within him since, in truth, he hadn’t even wanted to be here. But, in the end, it was undeniable. If his uncle hadn’t been here, he never would have ended up working in this place. Of course. It was all thanks to connections.

Taeui scratched his head. At this very moment Horgan got annoyed, thinking he’d found a weakness in Taeui, and then demanded that his superior fire him for being an incompetent assistant assistant instructor who only got the job through nepotism…….

…….Well, that would be fantastic. But that probably wouldn’t happen.

While Taeui looked up at the ceiling, lost in vague thoughts, Horgan, who had been watching him, slowly spoke again.

“What I mean is, sometimes in life, people are faced with unavoidable situations. To get through those difficulties, they sometimes have to do things they don’t want to, and I understand that.”

Horgan’s slow but smooth, subtle words made Taeui pause. He responded with a: “Yes, that’s true”, but an uncomfortable feeling suddenly flooded him.

“And besides, if your work isn’t harming anyone, and it’s actually helping someone, then it’s not hard to understand. For instance: even if something causes a little damage to an organization, in reality, the organization isn’t affected at all. Let’s say they lose one or two small things out of the vast resources they’ve already accumulated, always ready to use whenever they want.”

“…………..”

For some reason……. this atmosphere was starting to feel really sus…….

Taeui kept the smile on his face, silently watching Horgan. With the trusting expression of a superior, Horgan was speaking in an exceptionally gentle tone.

“I don’t know much about your situation, but if things ever get too tough, feel free to talk to me. After all, I’m older than you, so I might be able to share some useful advice. Sometimes, just by changing our perspective a little, we can open up a whole new horizon.”

Taeui thought it was unlikely, but it seemed he had guessed correctly.

He tried his best to maintain his expression, even though he felt utterly bewildered inside. He wasn’t sure if he should smile or how to react.

It seemed that this man, Horgan, was trying to recruit him – either with money or something else Taeui couldn’t quite figure out yet. Perhaps Horgan believed that, if things went smoothly, he could get close to Taeui’s uncle and researcher Jeong Jaeui, which would bring even greater benefits.

The conversation had been circling around, but the main point was clear: If you help me, you’ll benefit, too.

“Yes……. that might be true.”

Taeui adjusted his expression and spoke, plastering an innocent smile across his face.

“A person shouldn’t live solely by their own standards. Perhaps, by observing their surroundings and going with the flow of circumstances, life can become easier and more comfortable.”

“Yes, exactly. I agree with you.”

“Yes, that’s true. But…….”

That’s not how Taeui lived.

He wasn’t someone who always lived purely by moral standards or fairness, and he probably wouldn’t in the future either – especially considering he was about to continue dealing with a bloodthirsty figure whose crimes made Horgan pale in comparison. But at the very least, Taeui couldn’t agree with Horgan’s reasoning, especially not with the justification Horgan had offered.

“At the very least, one should maintain their core principles. Even when doing something wrong, you shouldn’t excuse yourself or anything like that.”

“…….―.”

The smile on Horgan’s face vanished.

Oh no. Taeui inwardly sighed as he saw the look in Horgan’s eyes, which had been cheerful just moments ago but had now turned cold.

He should have worded things more delicately, but now it was too late. With his sharp instincts, Horgan had detected the hidden criticism in Taeui’s words. Now, only hostility remained in his gaze.

“I see. I know what you’re trying to say.”

Horgan was silent for a moment, then spoke briefly before closing his mouth again. He picked up his newspaper and resumed reading. Taeui couldn’t tell what Horgan’s face looked like now, hidden behind the paper.

Taeui scratched the back of his neck. He fidgeted slightly before the sound of him rising to his feet broke the silence.

“Well then, I’ll excuse myself and head to my room.”

“Mm…….”

A vague murmur came from behind the newspaper. Taeui bowed slightly out of politeness, even though he knew Horgan couldn’t see him, then turned and left.

The door to the room remained open, and the two rooms still shared the same space. But once Taeui entered his own private room, he felt a sense of calm settle over him. He let out a sigh, no longer holding it in.

It seemed like he had just created a major conflict.

From the start, even if they hadn’t met for this specific reason, it was likely they wouldn’t have gotten along. Still, Taeui had hoped to keep things smooth, but now, that wouldn’t be so easy.

The tension of the next half-month had just gotten heavier.

“Maybe the problem is me…….”

Taeui had just begun taking off his wrinkled, sweat-soaked clothes when he paused, thinking to himself. It was probably because his life had been full of difficulties. Even in small moments like this, he had unconsciously made unwise decisions when standing at a crossroads. Right now, all he had to do was agree and play along, and things might have ended peacefully. After that, he could’ve pretended not to understand, and nothing would have gone wrong.

But he had to say that one extra sentence.

“It was the same before……. I could’ve just left, but I had to get in one last jab before walking away, and in the end, I dug my own grave……. That time in Dresden, knowing he was there, I could’ve turned back, but I stubbornly stayed for a book……. I knew I could’ve left safely without any trouble, but I used my brother as an excuse and went to Frankfurt, and ended up suffering through so much…….”

Taeui continued to count such instances on his fingers, and the more he thought about it, the sadder he felt.

In the end, maybe it was all his fault.

…….No. On second thought, all those troubles were tied to Ilay. Yes, it had to be his fault.

…….But if you think about it more carefully, it was you who decided to stay and live with that person.

As Taeui’s thoughts wandered, complex ideas tangled together, making his mind feel muddled. Before things became overwhelming and his brain shut down, it was best to stop here.

Taeui’s unparalleled self-preservation instincts quickly swept away those thoughts, and he continued undressing. While showering, he had to leave the door open and keep an ear out for any sounds from outside. He felt a slight sadness for his circumstances. However, he quickly dismissed even those thoughts, refusing to let himself sink into melancholy.

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

“I wish I could be a python…….”

Taeui suddenly mumbled as he tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling while waiting for his turn to step into the shooting range. His training partner, Qing, standing next to him, looked at him in surprise. Then Qing followed Taeui’s gaze up to the ceiling and softly said, “Aha.” A lizard, about the size of a finger, was crawling through a ventilation gap, though how it had gotten in there was anyone’s guess.

“How did it even end up here? It must be lost and pretty scared right now. Do you think it’ll find its way out safely?”

“Down here on the third basement level? That’s going to be tough. If it were just on the first level, maybe.”

“Well, at least it hasn’t fallen all the way down yet.”

Qing let out a soft chuckle, mentioning that there were still four more floors to go before reaching the seventh basement level. Qing sighed, clearly wishing the lizard had crawled along the wall or floor where he could have scooped it up and released it back on the surface. It seemed like Qing had already imagined a rather grim fate for the creature in the near future. Taeui had a similar feeling. Rarely does an animal wander into human spaces and come out unscathed. Especially in a place that’s far from being an ordinary home.

“But hey, a lizard is a reptile, right? So why did you suddenly mention a python? Isn’t that quite a leap?”

“It doesn’t have to be a python. Any living creature with the ability to unhinge its jaw freely would do.”

“Unhinge its jaw? Why bring up jaws all of a sudden? Do you have something going on with your jaw?”

Qing tilted his head, looking at him with a puzzled expression. Taeui remained silent for a moment.: “Might be a problem soon”, he muttered with a sad look on his face.

“In my next life, I’m definitely coming back as a python…….”

As Taeui sighed and mumbled to himself, a short mechanical sound rang out. Numbers began to appear on the screens lined up above them. It looked like the scores from the groups that had just finished shooting in the glass booths were being displayed.

“9.8, 10, 10, 9.5, 10, 10, 10……. Wow, someone scored incredibly high. Let’s see, booth 13? Who could this sharpshooter be?”

Hearing Qing mumbling with his eyes still glued to the screen, Taeui frowned slightly and mumbled: “Tsk”. He already knew who was in booth 13 without having to look.

“Hmph, probably just stuffing his face and practicing shooting all day long.”

Taeui grumbled with a mix of malice and turned his head away. He didn’t need to look to know for sure that the bastard Kim Jeongpil was stepping out of the shooting booth over there. That guy had always been a top marksman since their military academy days, while Taeui had barely managed to maintain an average score.

Later that afternoon, during training, Taeui finally came face to face with Kim Jeongpil. Everyone in the organization knew about their scuffle outside the crowded mess hall on the first day of training. Qing clicked his tongue, chuckling: “*This narrow bridge is way too smooth. If you’re going to meet, it should at least be in a duel, not at some boring shooting practice”, causing Taeui to kick him.

(*외나무다리: A narrow bridge – in Korean culture and language, it is a common metaphor symbolizing an inevitable encounter or confrontation between two people.)

It was unclear whether this was good or bad, but as Qing had said, since this wasn’t a duel but just individual training, there was no real reason for any trouble between them.

In Taeui’s line of sight, Kim Jeongpil was gradually emerging from the glass booth not far away. Taeui hated seeing the smug look on his face, so he stubbornly refused to look in that direction, keeping his eyes fixed on the lizard on the ceiling. Qing joked: “Hey, if you keep staring like that, you’ll burn a hole through that poor lizard”, but Taeui pretended not to hear him.

But then…….

Just at that moment, the lizard really did get ‘pierced’.

A knife, enormous compared to the tiny lizard, suddenly stabbed straight into it.

*Gasp*, Taeui let out a short breath of surprise as he watched the scene unfold: a blade flew from somewhere, striking the lizard’s tail, causing it to thrash and lose its tail, which fell to the floor. And as the lizard plummeted down, a pale hand snatched it mid-air.

“You want to become a reptile? Then you’d better start studying them first. Here.”

The hand gripping the lizard’s wriggling head moved closer to Taeui. Even though he didn’t want to take it, he felt that if he didn’t, that hand would crush the small creature’s head. So, Taeui silently accepted the lizard. Looking around, he spotted an empty thermos on the windowsill in the hallway and quickly placed the lizard inside.

“Want to be a python in your next life, huh……. Seems like you’re thinking ahead to reincarnation. Thanks. So, what should I come back as?”

Ilay’s deep and leisurely voice rang clearly in Taeui’s ears. Damn it. Qing, standing next to him, had his eyes wide open in confusion, clearly unsure of what had just happened.

“Maybe I should reincarnate as a blue whale. Though, being an underwater creature does sound a bit inconvenient, doesn’t it?”

Ilay’s tone was ambiguous – whether he was joking or not, it was hard to tell. But the smug smile on his face made Taeui want to punch him.

“Why are you here when you said you weren’t joining the training?”

Taeui snapped, his voice sharp, addressing Ilay Riegrow – the man who had suddenly appeared before him, even though five minutes earlier there had been no sign of him in the shooting range. Ilay glanced casually around the training room, looking utterly indifferent.

“I heard you were training with your team today. How could I miss that? Of course, I had to come……. Horgan spent the whole afternoon in a skills training session with Talban, so keeping an eye on him didn’t really make much sense.”

So that was it. Since Horgan didn’t have the opportunity to pull any shady moves, Ilay got bored and came here for entertainment.

Taeui stood silently, staring at the space within a 10-meter radius around Ilay, while the others were focused on their shooting. The atmosphere around Ilay seemed to have dropped by a good 2-3 degrees compared to the outside. Taeui stood quietly, waiting for his turn. As soon as the previous group finished, it would be his turn.

Ilay was looking around leisurely, appearing as fresh and full of energy as ever. Of course, he had the luxury of enjoying a relaxing morning. Taeui couldn’t help but silently curse him.

/Flashback/

Early that morning. After a couple of quiet days, the tension that had built up inside Taeui had eased a little. When his alarm rang at 5:30, he lazily thought:

――Maybe I could pretend I overslept and skip it. It’d be fine. I was there last night, and yesterday morning too. I was there the night before that, and the morning before. Skipping one morning wouldn’t be a big deal.

The prospect of having to meet Ilay every morning and evening made Taeui entertain the comfortable idea of ‘taking a day off’, and he quickly burrowed back under the covers.

To be honest, fulfilling Ilay’s demands, morning and night, on such a regular basis was nothing short of torture. While his body had grown accustomed to it, the discomfort clung to him every time he left Ilay’s room – the aching in his jaw, the creaking, and the endless rinsing still couldn’t wash away the sticky feeling.

Yeah, skipping once in a while wouldn’t hurt. If Ilay had even a shred of compassion, he’d let this one slide, right?

With that thought, Taeui silenced the alarm and pulled the blanket over his head.

……………But that sleepy decision led to a fatal mistake, one that Taeui normally would never have overlooked.

Had he ever found even a trace of compassion in that man? No, never. If it had never existed in the past, why did he think he could expect it now?

Exactly one hour passed.

Taeui opened his eyes at the sound of an electronic chime. It took until the second chime for him to realize it was the doorbell. Glancing at the clock, which now read 6:30, he scratched his head and wondered who could possibly be visiting this early in the morning. Dragging himself out of bed, his still-drowsy eyes glanced toward Horgan’s room, where the door remained firmly shut. The faint sound of water running from the bathroom suggested that Horgan was in the shower.

“Who could it be?”

Taeui mumbled groggily as he opened the door, but the moment he saw the person standing there, he inhaled sharply. Standing right in front of him, with a half-smile, was Ilay Riegrow. Instantly, Taeui remembered the alarm he had turned off just an hour ago.

“Good morning.”

Ilay greeted him briefly and walked into the room as if it were his own. After a moment of stunned silence, Taeui quickly regained his composure and hurriedly followed him, trying to keep his voice calm as he offered an explanation.

“Oh, wow. Time sure flies. I stayed up late last night, must not have heard the alarm……. Did……. did you wait long?”

He asked the question out of courtesy, recalling how in the past – just yesterday and the day before – Ilay hadn’t shown any signs of waiting. In fact, he had simply been lying on the bed asleep when Taeui had arrived. But this time, unexpectedly, Ilay gave him an immediate response: “Yes.”

What?! This bastard – who had been sleeping soundly the last two mornings – was saying he actually waited for me today because I didn’t show up?!

“And what about Horgan?”

With a completely calm expression, Ilay glanced toward Horgan’s room and asked indifferently.

“Uh, well, he’s probably in the shower. He usually comes out of his room after 7 a.m. Do you need something from Horgan?”

“Even when you’re asleep, you leave the door open?”

Ilay didn’t respond to Taeui’s question. Instead, he stepped further into the room, his eyes landing on the doorstep holding the door ajar, and asked. Taeui followed his gaze and awkwardly replied.

“Uh, I have to keep an eye on when Horgan comes and goes.”

“Really? How unfortunate, Tae-i. I thought you didn’t like being noticed by others.”

“Huh? Unfortunate in what way…….” – Taeui turned to look at Ilay and froze in place.

Ilay had already sat down on Taeui’s bed and was unzipping his pants, pulling out his penis. With a casual motion, he grabbed himself and gestured for Taeui to come closer, leaving Taeui utterly stunned, his words fumbling out.

“W-what. Hey. You—”

“Come to think of it, I figured if you were too tired, the least I could do was make the effort to come here. There’ll be times when you’re too exhausted to make it to me, right? This is something we both enjoy, so I should cooperate a bit too.”

“…….!!”

Taeui panicked and kicked the doorstop aside then slammed the door shut. The quiet thud of the closing door echoed, and as he turned his back to Ilay, he could only scream in his mind: ‘YA!!’

“What’s the harm in skipping one day?!”

“I take what I need to take.”

“You think this is as simple as it sounds—!” – Taeui stopped mid-sentence.

Ilay had already begun stroking himself slowly, and Taeui knew that at this point, there was no turning back.

“Horgan won’t come out until after 7 a.m.? Work starts at 8, right? Perfect, Tae-i. From now on, we’ll schedule our meetings at 6 a.m. sharp. If you’re not there by 6, I’ll just come to you. As for the evenings, any time works—before dinner or right before bed. As long as it’s before midnight.”

“I’m not exactly the most patient person” – Ilay added, signaling for Taeui to come closer. Taeui let out a bitter sigh and reluctantly stepped forward. No matter what, the situation had gone too far. There was no avoiding it now. He just wanted it to end quickly—at least before Horgan showed up.

“There’s not much time left, Tae-i. Lie down. We’ll do it at the same time. Looks like there’s not enough time this morning to take turns.”

“Don’t be late tomorrow, understood?”-  Ilay said softly, pulling Taeui down onto the bed. Before Taeui could say anything, Ilay leaned over, flipped him onto his stomach, and swiftly pulled off both his pajamas and underwear.

“Hey, wait a minute, I don’t need—”

“Tae-i. How would you feel if you only got two special meals a day, and someone intentionally turned off the alarm, stealing one of them? Wouldn’t that be cruel?”

“…….”

The alarm clock sat quietly in the far corner, having been turned off. With no time to protest – and really, no excuse to make – Taeui quickly found himself pressed into Ilay’s bare lower body, exposed to the cool air. With no other option, he opened his mouth to take in what was placed before him.

/End flashback/

“…….”

Taeui thought to himself, if he hadn’t made an effort to wrap things up quickly, Ilay and Horgan might have run into each other……. Just thinking about it made his jaw ache, and he unconsciously rubbed it lightly. At the same time, he glanced at Ilay with suspicion.

Ilay’s back looked relaxed and refreshed as he watched the others shoot in the glass booths. The sight made Taeui uncomfortable.

Despite the fact that he regularly had to go to Ilay’s room in the mornings and evenings, it wasn’t an entirely unfair arrangement. It wasn’t just Ilay who found satisfaction; Taeui himself was relieved of tension too. Although what happened this morning – both of them participating at the same time – didn’t always happen, at least Taeui wasn’t forced to serve Ilay one-sidedly.

Still, even though they both found release, Taeui couldn’t understand why he always felt exhausted while Ilay seemed so refreshed and energetic afterward.

“Is my stamina really that weak…….?” – Taeui wondered to himself, something he had never considered before, letting out a tired sigh. At that moment, he unexpectedly caught Ilay’s gaze.

“Go ahead. You’re here to train, aren’t you?”

Taeui snapped, still irritated, pointing toward the now-empty booth. Ilay raised an eyebrow, then shrugged casually, walking forward with a smirk: “As you wish.”