“…….So why are you dating someone like that?”

“That’s exactly how it is.”

“…….Are you being threatened? Did he say he’d kill you if you didn’t agree to date him?”

Yoon Changoh asked with such seriousness, as if that was the furthest extent his rational mind could imagine. He looked as if he was ready to drag Jeong Taeui to a domestic violence counseling center if needed. Taeui laughed, seeing the concern clearly reflected in his friend’s eyes.

“Haha, well, he did say things like that at first. He even told me not to think about running away……. Yeah, I guess there’s still a bit of that. It feels like, even if we weren’t together anymore, it wouldn’t be a normal breakup; it would be something abrupt, like a sudden severing of ties.”

Whether it’s being killed by him, consumed by him, or even his own death……. it all felt the same. That last possibility—Jeong Taeui truly didn’t want to think about it.

Jeong Taeui let his gaze soften a bit. He understood why people around him sometimes looked at him as if to ask: ‘Are you crazy?’. He really was a fool for genuinely loving someone like that.

If even Taeui couldn’t understand himself, how could Yoon Changoh? Yoon Changoh, wearing a deeply serious expression, looked down at the ground before slowly raising his eyes again.

“Taeui, think carefully. You’ve got a long life ahead of you. Don’t you think it’s time to reflect on how your life is being pulled by force and threats? Think seriously about how to end things. There’s bound to be a way.”

It seemed Yoon Changoh had misunderstood something, but Taeui found the situation amusing and let out a small chuckle before asking:

“A way to end things……. like what?”

“For instance……. Ah, right, a girl—no, in your case, not a girl. That’s it, how about a guy instead? Who knows, there might be a man out there who suits you better than him.”

“Rejected. I’m not going to ruin someone else’s life just to make mine easier.”

“Hmm, then……. ah, right, how about avoiding him? If he contacts you, don’t respond and find a way to evade him.”

“The problem is, the house we share is too small. Just a few steps and we run into each other; it’s hard to avoid him. Rejected.”

“You even live together?” – Yoon Changoh’s eyes widened into perfect circles as he stared, looking conflicted for a moment before his expression turned thoughtful again.

“Ah. Then how about showing him your worst side? That’s right, show a side of yourself that would make him lose all interest. Make him so fed up that he’s the one who decides to end things.”

“Make him lose faith in me as a person…….?”

Taeui slowly rubbed his chin. He had witnessed so many inhumane things that he couldn’t quite grasp what ‘disillusionment in someone’s character’ really meant. Could he really do anything that would look worse than what that guy had already done? Besides, thinking back, there were times when that man had forced him to do things that were so humiliating that Taeui wanted to bury himself in a hole just remembering them, yet the man had seemed to enjoy it and insisted he go through with it.

“…….That might be difficult. And besides, we’ve already seen everything there is to see about each other, so I’m not confident I could outdo him in inhumanity.”

Taeui shook his head.

But as he said it, he truly felt that way. It seemed impossible to break up with him. No matter how many ways he listed to end things, none of them felt like they would actually work.

Yoon Changoh looked deeply troubled. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he propped his hand on his knee, thinking for a long time before suddenly lifting his head.

“Then just come out and say it straight. Tell him you want to break up.”

“Ah, that……. I don’t like that idea.”

Taeui’s response was immediate. When he saw Yoon Changoh’s bewildered expression, he scratched his head, feeling a bit guilty. After all, this person had been worrying and thinking so much on his behalf, yet the conclusion remained the same.

“Because I don’t plan on breaking up.”

“……., …… Uh……. H-Hey. But from what I’ve heard, that person……. he’s not a good person.”

“That’s right. You heard correctly.”

When Taeui confirmed it again, succinctly, Yoon Changoh seemed even more confused. And it was only natural. Taeui himself had gone through a great deal of turmoil trying to reassess his own values. In truth, he still hadn’t managed to sort through all his thoughts clearly. But the one thing he was absolutely certain of was that he had decided to stay by Ilay Riegrow’s side.

“Well……. look on the bright side, Tay. Maybe you’ve saved a few unknown lives.”

At that moment, Tou, nibbling on a cigarette all the way down to the filter, spoke regretfully.

“The moment people heard he was joining this training session, everyone was on edge, wondering how many people would die this time and who it would be. But look at this, surprise, surprise—no one’s died yet, right?”

Hearing that malicious laughter made Taeui’s chest tighten: ‘Oh, right, I’m the only one dying here, aren’t I?’. Tou glanced at him with a smirk and continued.

“In a way, you’ve done a good deed. Of course, that doesn’t mean anyone’s going to change their opinion of you.”

On the contrary, like attracts like; the crawfish sides with the crab, and green blends with green*. Among those who don’t know you well, there are even some spreading rumors that make your reputation worse. Seeing Tou smirk like that, Taeui seriously considered, for a moment, whether he should punch him.

(*유유상종, 가재는 게 편, 초록은 동색: A Korean idiom similar to “birds of a feather flock together”, implying that those of the same nature or kind tend to stick together and support each other.)

“Just let it go. I’ve already prepared myself for things like this. Let them curse me as much as they want!”

“Does being cursed hurt? Can words pierce your stomach?” – Taeui mumbled dejectedly, sounding resigned, while Yoon Changoh tilted his head, still skeptical, and asked cautiously.

“Is your boyfriend here now? At the Asian branch? ……. Maybe I could try meeting him and talking it out? A breakup……. If you don’t want to break up, then at least try to improve the relationship. Sometimes, in situations like these, an outsider might have an easier time communicating than the people involved.”

“”Hey, drop it.””

Taeui and Tou’s voices overlapped perfectly.

“This training session is expected to pass without casualties, so try to stay safe until the end. Everyone’s talking about how strange it is that this guy is still alive.”

“So, those rumors have already spread, and I didn’t even know…….?”

Taeui clicked his tongue, feeling bitter. But he couldn’t deny it, as he had nothing to counter with, so he had no choice but to accept it.

“Yeah, that’s true. Sometimes, I also think it’s a miracle that I’m still alive. I have to keep my mind strong to survive……. Just last year, I almost died once.”

Taeui looked up at the distant night sky, hidden behind the forest canopy. The exhausting nights in Frankfurt flashed through his mind like scenes from a film. Yes, after all these years, it was the first time he recalled that feeling of death hovering so close, and how narrowly he had escaped it. And at the same time, he knew that as long as he was with him, incidents like that wouldn’t just be a one-time occurrence.

“……………”

Taeui suddenly blinked and muttered: “Huh…….”

What kind of expression had Ilay worn back then?

He realized he couldn’t remember. The flashlight’s beam had illuminated that place—a darkness as hellish as it was suffocating, erasing all sensations and leaving only the faint scent of blood lingering.

He――.

“So, everyone’s trying to figure out how to get out of this situation, huh?”

All of a sudden, at that moment.

Ilay had appeared without anyone noticing, emerging from the waist-high grass and slowly making his way over.

His lazy gaze tilted slightly, but his focus was fixed directly on Taeui. He stopped a few steps in front of him. It wasn’t an irritated look, but it wasn’t friendly either—it was, as always, an unreadable expression that gave no hint of what he was thinking.

Aside from Taeui, who frowned slightly, and Tou, whose face stiffened, only Yoon Changoh greeted him casually.

“Oh, Rick. Hey there.”

But the man called Rick – Ilay Riegrow – didn’t even glance at Yoon Changoh; his gaze was fixed solely on Taeui.

…….Damn it. Something worse than CCTV has just shown up.

“Whether you think so or not, it’s not a pleasant topic for me to overhear. So, have you come up with a suitable solution yet?”

“I’ve already told you. I’m just going to keep resolutely living like this.”

“Resolutely, huh.”

Ilay’s lips seemed to curl up just a bit. And Taeui realized that, even if he couldn’t fully understand Ilay’s thoughts, he still knew there was turmoil within him.

“Hearing that makes me really want to help you. So, how should I go about it? How can I help you escape the threat I pose? For example, if I cut off this arm – an arm you seem to be quite fond of – though it would be unfortunate, do you think you’d feel safer if I did?”

As Ilay spoke, he removed the glove he was wearing and lifted his arm. His pale hand, exposed from the black leather glove, stood out sharply in the darkness. Seeing that hand, with its fingers flexing and extending, made Taeui frown slightly.

“Cut it off, huh? That’s one of the few things I actually like! Go ahead and try. I’ll immediately…….!”

“Immediately?”

“…….reattach it, you’ll see.”

After Taeui finished speaking, he felt foolish, pressing his lips tightly together in bitterness. He realized it wasn’t just him who thought that way; he could clearly see the surprise in the eyes of those around him. Among them, one gaze was particularly embarrassed and confused.

“Uh, Taeui, I’m not sure if I’m right, but are you and Rick…….?”

Yoon Changoh asked cautiously. Taeui’s mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something, but he pretended not to hear. However, since Yoon Changoh’s voice wasn’t something easily ignored, his silence was as good as a confirmation.

Even though he no longer felt embarrassed or ashamed about the situation, but admitting  ‘This person is that person’ in front of an old friend he’d known for so long still made him feel a little awkward.

But what bothered him more was Ilay’s cold stare directed at Yoon Changoh. It was like the look one gave when an annoying insect flew past during a conversation—a sharp icy gaze that seemed to wonder: “Should I get rid of it?” Taeui knew all too well how this man dealt with nuisances.

That was the reason. A reason he was willing to overlook for now, but one he couldn’t fully accept as he decided to stay with this man.

Even though he already knew and was fully aware of it, he had no reason to be angry now. Yet, somehow, the irritation that had been building up all afternoon suddenly flared up.

“How long are you planning to stay irritated? Why are you so annoyed?”

“Irritated? Me?”

“Yes, exactly. Are you angry with me? Because if you are, it’s a really strange time to be mad!”

As Taeui pushed the cigarette pack – now down to its last cigarette – toward Tou and stood up, Ilay watched him intently. It took a moment before he finally spoke.

“No. I’m not angry at you.”

“Not angry? Your tone right now still sounds irritated!”

There had been several times before when he had seen Ilay show this kind of subtle, simmering displeasure, but this time, Taeui had no idea what had triggered it or how to resolve it.

As Taeui’s voice grew louder, Chang-oh, standing behind him, instinctively called his name and grabbed his arm, trying to calm him down. But Taeui gently brushed his hand away.

“Listen, I need to say this clearly and slowly――.”

But the moment Taeui pushed Yoon Changoh’s hand away, it happened.

It felt like an icy wind blew past. Instinctively, the back of his neck turned cold, and as the chill passed *Thunk* it pierced through a tree trunk, scattering splinters.

“…….―?!”

There was no sound. But the object lodged deep into the tree trunk glinted with a faint metallic shine. It was clearly a bullet!

The bullet’s trajectory had grazed the exact spot where Ilay had just been standing – if he hadn’t moved back slightly in that split second – that bullet would have pierced through his head.

From somewhere a few dozen meters away – in the dense, obstacle-filled forest, shrouded in darkness – the maximum range for a precise shot would only be about that distance. It seemed there was a faint, unfamiliar voice muttering a curse from the shadows.

And then, immediately after, another faint thup-thup sound echoed – barely audible and clearly coming from a silencer. At the same moment, a large branch above him shook violently. This time, the bullet seemed to miss its mark, only causing leaves and small twigs to fall.

It was an ambush!

There was no need to guess who the bullet had been aimed at, as the man standing directly in its path was calmly putting his glove back on.

Damn it. What terrible timing.

“TOU! GET CHANGOH OUT OF HERE! ALERT THE INSTRUCTOR—INSTRUCTOR JEONG CHANGIN!”

Taeui shoved Yoon Changoh toward Tou and shouted loudly. He began to regret having ventured this deep into the forest; it was such a distance that even shouting might not reach the campsite.

Tou clicked his tongue briefly as Yoon Changoh, still not understanding the situation, stared blankly at him, Ilay, and the deeply gouged tree trunk with a look of confusion. But Tou knew exactly what to do in this situation and immediately began to move without hesitation.

“Huh? Wait, hold on, ――.”

Yoon Changoh mumbled something, but was quickly pulled away by Tou, disappearing from sight. After confirming that they were heading back toward the camp, Taeui quickly turned around.

Ilay was no longer there.

Just moments ago, he had lightly touched the bullet-riddled tree trunk, feeling the embedded bullet’s direction and depth with his fingertips. It seemed he had left immediately after assessing it.

Taeui clicked his tongue.

――There were still those who held grudges, and he needed to be cautious during night marches outdoors. Even if they had no chance of winning in a direct confrontation, some might think that an ambush could yield a different result.

Qing’s warnings flashed through his mind.

Taeui began running in the direction where Ilay had disappeared. He had no idea who the attacker was. There were too many potential culprits to make a guess.

But at the very least, he had sent a message to the one person who would definitely not target Ilay – his uncle. So, if he could hold out until then – he might be able to save the life of the one who fired the shot.

Taeui sighed, wondering why he was worrying about the life of the attacker in this situation, but he knew it was something he had to accept if he wanted to continue living alongside Ilay.

At the same time, he found himself worrying about Ilay, even if just a little, in case the worst happened.

“ILAY!!”

He saw Ilay’s silhouette in the distance. Even though Taeui was certain Ilay had heard his voice, he continued looking ahead, running further and quickly vanishing into the forest’s shadows.

As Taeui ran, he noticed several tree trunks deeply pierced by bullets and rocks shattered in unusual ways. Despite being pursued, it seemed the attacks were still ongoing.

“Damn it, what kind of ambush ends with the attacker being chased down? If you can’t handle it, don’t start something you can’t control.”

He muttered curses under his breath and continued following Ilay’s trail. But before long, he was forced to slow down. The trail had vanished.

Just moments ago, Ilay’s shadowy figure had flickered in and out of his view, appearing and disappearing amidst the darkness, but now it was completely gone. In the pitch-black forest, Taeui had no idea where Ilay had gone.

Standing in the dim moonlight, which provided just enough visibility to see ahead, and with the faint sounds of the campfire gatherings echoing in the distance, Taeui paused in the clearing, straining to listen. He tried to pick up any hint of movement.

The forest sometimes felt like being underwater; even if there was a sound, it was difficult to pinpoint its direction. And especially when darkness cloaked his vision entirely, it became even harder.

It seemed like a sound was coming from somewhere – a rapid labored breathing, muffled groans, a noise that sounded like choked sobbing, and the impact of bodies colliding. In the heightened tension, these sounds echoed in his ears, but he couldn’t pinpoint their origin.

Damn it. Where is it coming from?

Taeui stood still, listening amid the indistinct noises—distant voices, the wind rustling, the soft whispers of leaves and grass.

Then, he heard it. The sound of footsteps crushing the grass.

Almost reflexively, Taeui sprinted toward the sound.

“ILAY! ――HEY!!”

He shouted as he ran in that direction, pushing through the tall grass obscuring his view.

And there, Taeui saw them—two men.

With a cold indifferent expression, Ilay had his hand around the neck of the man in front of him. The stranger’s bloodshot eyes bulged as Ilay’s pale hand tightened around his throat.

“Why did you come here? There was no need for you to come.”

Ilay glanced briefly at Taeui, his expression as calm as his voice. Taeui could only make a few strange guttural noises from his gaping mouth as he stared into the eyes of the struggling man for a few seconds before frowning.

“Don’t kill him. If possible, let him go. Capture him alive and hand him over to Eoryeong. He’ll rot there.”

For a moment, Ilay’s eyes flicked quickly toward Taeui. His cold gaze lingered on him for a second before narrowing, almost as if he were smiling, though it was unclear.

“Didn’t you say you had ‘prepared yourself’ for things like this when you decided to stay with me?”

“…….―Honestly…….”

The long-suppressed anger flared up in an instant, and Taeui stepped forward, genuinely wanting to rush in and bite his neck right then and there.

But just as Taeui rolled up his sleeves and took a step forward, a chill ran down the back of his neck.

Right before his eyes, Ilay’s expression suddenly grew colder. It wasn’t just his gaze; his entire demeanor became so icy that Taeui felt as if his heart might leap out of his chest. And at that very moment, Taeui realized someone had grabbed him from behind, pressing a knife to his throat.

“…….―.”

“This is your weakness, isn’t it? Is it really, Rick?”

A low excited voice whispered into his ear. The cold blade pressed against his neck, and he could almost smell the metallic chill.

――Someone might target you to get to him, so you need to be the one who stays careful.

Damn it. That was the one thing he should have remembered most. Jeong Taeui, you idiot.

Taeui stood frozen, eyes wide as he stared at Ilay in front of him, feeling the knife’s blade just a thin layer of skin away.

Ilay, still gripping the other man’s throat, stood partially turned away from Taeui. He watched him silently for a moment before slowly loosening his grip. *Thud*—the man, who had been lifted off the ground, dropped heavily to the forest floor. He lay there, coughing violently, gasping as if he was on the verge of death.

But despite the man’s struggles – rolling on the ground and choking as though he were moments away from suffocating – Ilay no longer paid him any attention. Ilay clenched his gloved hand into a fist and slowly turned toward Taeui. His face was pale, almost like wax under the moonlight, appearing less human, and his expression was completely devoid of emotion.

A chill ran through Taeui’s chest, as if ice water had been poured into him, but it wasn’t because of the knife pressed against his neck. It was the deep, empty, and emotionless black eyes staring directly at him—or perhaps at the person standing behind him.

“My weakness, you say. Where did you hear that rumor?――I don’t like it.”

Soon, those eyes seemed to smile. They narrowed, shifting their focus from the person behind Taeui back to him.

Taeui had seen that look before. A long time ago. Yes, it was in the video where he had first seen Ilay. Those hollow eyes, filled only with indifference and coldness.

“What’s that? Are you going to deny it? But those who know, know already. The madman Rick is being bewitched by some idiot. Or maybe……. it’s just a silly rumor, huh? If that’s the case, then even if I slit this guy’s throat, it wouldn’t be a problem, right? Huh?”

The man behind Taeui laughed menacingly as he threatened him. The blade lightly grazed his neck, making his skin sting.

Taeui let out a small “Augh” and furrowed his brow. Though it wasn’t a serious wound, a thin line of blood undoubtedly began to seep out.

“HEY, YOU CRAZY BASTARD, WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU? WHY ARE YOU PUTTING A KNIFE TO MY NECK? AIM AT HIM, AIM AT HIM INSTEAD!”

After shouting angrily, Taeui realized that the “him” he had just mentioned was standing right in front of him, but the words had already escaped his mouth, and part of him felt it didn’t matter anymore.

If Ilay wanted to be mad, let him be. He was already irritated anyway.

However, what Taeui received in response was only a brief moment of silence.

Ilay stared at Taeui with a detached expression for a moment before turning back to the man, as if entirely disregarding Taeui’s words. His gaze fixed on the knife in the man’s hand, the blade pressing against Taeui’s neck. A faint smile appeared at the corner of Ilay’s mouth.

“You say you’ll slit his throat, but all you did was graze it enough for a few drops of blood to seep out. What kind of cutting is that? Even a child’s skin wouldn’t break from that.”

Ilay spoke slowly, tilting his head lazily, clearly amused. His deep bottomless black eyes seemed to laugh as well. When he suddenly smiled more deeply and whispered: “Or perhaps…….” Taeui instinctively felt a chill run down his spine.

“Let me show you how to properly cut someone’s throat.”

He sang the words as if he were humming a tune, and at that moment, Ilay took a step forward. Taeui felt the blade pressing against his neck start to tremble, digging in just a bit deeper. The hand holding the knife shook slightly.

“STAY BACK! DON’T COME ANY CLOSER, YOU LUNATIC!”

The man’s shout echoed in Taeui’s ear, but it was as if he couldn’t hear anything anymore.