When thinking about it, everything suddenly felt lighter, and Taeui chuckled, telling himself that at least he no longer needed to worry about his brother. After laughing for a while, he noticed Ilay looking at him with a puzzled expression. Taeui patted his shoulder and said it was nothing, but as he did so, bits of dried blood fell from Ilay’s black outfit. The smile and all movements immediately stopped.

“Ah, it’s not my blood.” – Ilay said so nonchalantly that Taeui could only stay silent, quietly pushing him into the bathroom without saying anything more. At that moment, Taeui’s worries about his brother were completely replaced by a sense of sadness for some unknown person (whom Ilay ☠️) that he didn’t even know.

Yes, from that point on, he had almost forgotten about it for the next few months. In fact, he couldn’t dwell on it for long.

Christophe – less fortunate than Jaeui – had unexpectedly stopped by Kyle’s house after flying in through Tegel Airport on his way to Dresden, just on the night Ilay had returned. Though it wasn’t intentional, this made Taeui busy for 1-2 days, and all thoughts of his brother faded from his mind during that time.

Later, in the past two months, Ilay had been loitering around the house as if he’d lost his job, then suddenly disappeared a few days ago for work, saying he’d be back after completing his task. Only then did Taeui feel a little of the current peace was getting dull. And now he was lying by the rooftop door, enjoying the night breeze from the garden with the sound of insects and a beer in hand.

“Recently, I’ve noticed mosquitoes showing up. If you lie there with the mosquito net open like that, you’re going to get bitten all over.”

A voice rang out first, followed by the sound of footsteps. When Taeui turned his head, he saw Kyle walking over with wet hair as if he’d just gotten out of the shower.

“When did you get back? So early?”

“Early? It’s already past eight.”

Kyle sighed wearily and slumped into the armchair next to the door. Taeui chuckled and sat up.

“I thought you’d be back around midnight since James scared you.”

“Today’s Friday, so he let me off the hook… But next week, if he really makes me work till midnight, what then?”

“… Fire James.”

Taeui muttered as he watched Kyle writhing in despair, clutching his head with both hands. Hearing this, Kyle immediately sprang up and shouted: “NO!!!” before bitterly laughing when he saw the mischievous grin on Taeui’s face.

“But thanks to James being so competent, you can lighten your workload, right?”

“Of course. You have no idea how hard it was for me to get James to join the company.”

Kyle mumbled as if he were falling into a deep abyss, burying his face in his hands, causing Taeui to laugh. He handed Kyle a fresh can of beer from nearby, and Kyle accepted it without any resistance.

“Every time I see James, I think of him as an incredible example, someone who never backs down from challenges, always working hard and being dedicated.”

“Yeah… it does sound right, though it hurts a little. James is incredibly talented and dedicated. But you know what? The ideal boss is someone who’s both skilled and lazy!”

Kyle added a weak justification, then quickly glanced over his shoulder as if haunted by the last time he said that, and unexpectedly saw James standing right behind him with a chilling smile. Since that moment, Kyle had become somewhat paranoid. “I don’t deny you’re skilled, but no, I can’t agree that you’re an ideal boss!” – James had once coldly said, leaving Kyle speechless.

“These days, whenever I see James, I feel like my life has become ridiculously lazy. Sometimes I think maybe I should do something.” – Taeui muttered seriously while taking a sip of beer.

Although he often helped with housework – mostly assisting Peter – nobody forced him to work, and he wasn’t the type to worry about it. But lately, those kinds of thoughts had occasionally crossed his mind.

“Work? If you want to, there’s nothing wrong with that. But what kind of work? Do you have anything specific in mind?”

“Well, I haven’t thought about anything specific yet…”

“Hmm…? Oh, how about this? Help me with my work!”

“If you help me, my workload will lighten, and James won’t pressure me as much either.” – Kyle said excitedly, but Taeui only stared at him. Kyle noticed the look and slowly lowered his gaze, weakly murmuring: “It seems you don’t want to.” Taeui quickly waved his hands and laughed loudly.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just… ahaha, I just heard Ilay say something similar. It feels strange to hear both of you brothers say the same thing.”

Kyle looked overtly disgusted, but Taeui just burst into laughter.

It had only happened a few days ago. It was just the day before Ilay left for work. When Taeui saw him answering a phone call about work, he muttered to himself: “Maybe I should find something to do as well.”

But somehow, despite being on the phone, Ilay heard those words loud and clear – more impressive was the fact that Taeui had spoken in Korean. It seemed that, at some point, Ilay had secretly been learning without anyone knowing. Although it wasn’t clear how well he could speak, read, or write, his listening skills had noticeably improved. However, whenever Taeui asked him how much he had learned, Ilay would just smile slightly and never give a proper answer.

Right after finishing the call, Ilay said:

“Work? What kind of work?”

“Well… I haven’t thought about it specifically, but if I do, I’ll find something I can manage.”

“Hmm… Staying at home must be boring. How about this, why not help me with the job I just took?”

Ilay said, patting the phone he had just set down, his tone unclear whether he was joking or serious. “Huh?” – Taeui looked up as if not expecting it to be anything too serious, but…

“…What kind of job is it?”

“Actually, this wasn’t originally my job, but it ended up in my hands. There’s a guy who’s been secretly stealing customer information and making illicit profits. My task is to convince him to confess and spill everything.”

“Convince and confess, huh…”

Taeui narrowed his eyes at Ilay, who was packing his luggage while slipping a pair of gloves into his Boston bag, clearly ready to leave immediately. Shaking his head, Taeui raised his hand in refusal: “No, I’ll have to pass.”

He didn’t want to have nightmares about Ilay ‘convincing’ someone to confess everything, not even in his dreams. Seeing Ilay’s faint smile, as if already expecting Taeui to decline, Ilay swiftly finished packing while Taeui lay down on the floor, where he had spread out some newspapers.

“When will you be back?”

Taeui had become so accustomed to Ilay’s sudden departures that he was no longer surprised, even if Ilay left with luggage right then and there.

“I’m flying out early tomorrow morning… I don’t think it’ll take too long. I’ll probably need to meet the client first. The process is a bit tedious, but the job itself shouldn’t take long.”

“Ah, so this one seems simple. As long as he confesses, that’s it.”

“In my opinion, this time won’t be too difficult, but… sometimes, there are stubborn ones—like you, Taeil.”

At that moment, Ilay paused for a second. Taeui didn’t understand what he meant by “someone like you” but the abrupt stop in Ilay’s sentence suggested it wasn’t anything flattering. Taeui eyed him suspiciously. It was especially unsettling when Ilay muttered: “Maybe I should bring another pair of gloves, just in case.” That definitely didn’t sound good!

“What? What do you mean by ‘someone like me’?”

“If it were someone like you, you wouldn’t even get involved in those things in the first place. ——But if you ever found yourself in that situation, you’d probably confess everything before getting hurt.”

Ilay glanced at Taeui with a mischievous smile, clearly knowing him well. Even Taeui thought there was some truth to that. He’d rather abandon his pride than risk his life in a sea of blood.

“But what if I had a special reason and decided not to say them out?”

“…….?”

“Then it would be more interesting. And it might take longer. One or two pairs of gloves definitely wouldn’t be enough.”

“No, no! You’ve misunderstood me. I always prioritize safety. If I knew what kind of person you are, there’s no way I’d keep my mouth shut.”

Taeui quickly cut in, asserting firmly. But as he said it, he remembered a few incidents from the past that made his words a little less convincing. He could only awkwardly scratch his head.

Ilay, who had been facing away from Taeui while packing, suddenly paused, as if something in Taeui’s words caught his attention. He turned around to look at Jung Taeui.

“A ha. So if you know what kind of person I am… hmm? What kind of person am I? I’m really curious.”

…Aish, damn it. He walked right into that one.

The moment Taeui saw Ilay’s eyes crinkle with amusement, he almost bit his tongue in regret.

“Enough of that. Just finish packing. You have an early flight tomorrow, and there’s not much time.”

“Already finished packing.”

Ilay picked up the last passport and carelessly tossed it into his bag, zipping it shut with a long *Zziip*.

“What about clothes, toothbrush, towel…?”

“I’ll just buy them. Besides, starting tomorrow, I won’t be seeing you for at least a few days, maybe longer. Tonight, we should probably have a slower, more relaxed conversation.”

Ilay slowly stood up and walked over, sitting down next to Taeui, who had been leaning sideways on the floor, clutching his beer can. Ilay gently leaned against Taeui’s thigh, then nudged closer, pinning Taeui between him and the bed. Taeui muttered under his breath but didn’t move the beer can from his lips.

No, clearly, Taeui didn’t understand what kind of person Ilay was. Look at this—if Taeui really knew what he was like, he wouldn’t have said anything stupid and ended up in this situation…

He couldn’t help but sigh internally. Ilay always had a habit of digging into these kinds of things.

“You’re done with the beer, right?”

Taeui watched as a pale hand snatched the can from his grip. He licked his lips in irritation, casting a longing glance as Ilay drained the last drops of beer before tossing the can aside. Then, Ilay turned back and looked directly at him.

“So, what kind of person am I?”

Taeui realized this conversation wasn’t going to end easily. After hesitating for a moment, he sighed and responded in a soft, almost whispering voice.

“Unpredictable, ——no, more like someone who’s impossible to read. You have no plan at all.”

He emphasized the “no plan”.

It was true in every sense – neither good nor bad. Ilay Riegrow was someone completely unpredictable. The two of them had been together for a long time, and Taeui probably understood Ilay better than most people, just like how Kyle had once jokingly but seriously called him an ‘Ilay expert.’ And yet, there were still things Taeui couldn’t fully grasp. There were always hidden layers to Ilay that remained elusive.

For instance, why did Ilay cling to him so persistently? That was something Taeui couldn’t understand. And he couldn’t predict when this relentless pursuit would end—maybe in the next moment, or maybe not until the day he died. Moreover, it was unclear how that pursuit would ultimately conclude.

…If it were Ilay, there was a real possibility he might kill him and consume him entirely…

Taeui doubted whether there was anything in this world that this man considered off-limits – although, a long time ago, he had concluded that Ilay was capable of anything. Taeui looked directly at Ilay. However, for some reason, in Ilay’s gaze, as if he had already seen through all of Taeui’s thoughts, there was a hint of displeasure.

Oh no, this isn’t good. If Ilay gets angry, he’s definitely in trouble.

“So, tell me, what kind of person do you think I am?”

Taeui quickly rubbed Ilay’s eyelids, trying to blur his gaze while asking. Fortunately, it seemed Ilay wasn’t intent on digging deeper into the topic and was willing to let it go.

“…I want to respond to you in the same way.”

“What? You mean I’m unpredictable?”

“No, I mean what you said after that.”

Ilay muttered to himself: “You’re also really hard to figure out… No matter how many times I look, it’s still strange.” He grabbed Taeui’s hand and gently pushed it aside. As he did, Ilay slowly increased the pressure while sliding himself, resting his head on Taeui’s body.

“But there is one thing that’s certain.”

Ilay’s breath drew closer.

“Ugh, you’re heavy.” – Taeui muttered but immediately fell silent.

The conversation paused for a moment. (Hehehe)

“You taste like beer.”

“…When did you sneak in some grilled meat?”

Taeui looked up at Ilay’s face, only a few centimeters away, and unconsciously licked his lips, glistening with saliva. Ilay’s faint smile brushed against his lips.

“Wrong, it’s BBQ-flavored jerky. Want to try again?”

Taeui didn’t have time to say that he had suspected all along that someone had snuck the last piece of his snack.

Whatever Taeui might have been thinking, or whatever Ilay was calculating, both of them probably understood each other more deeply than they realized.

And regardless of whether the snack Taeui ate was BBQ jerky or BBQ chips, it no longer mattered, because for one reason――.

“Anyway, after I shower, I’m going to smell like BBQ all over…”

“Huh? BBQ? So, are we having BBQ tonight?”

It seemed that Taeui had accidentally voiced his thoughts out loud, prompting Kyle, who was now swallowing in anticipation, to respond, “Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?”

Taeui quickly shook his head.

“No, no, that’s not it… I was just, um… randomly thinking about BBQ.”

“Really? Then how about we have a BBQ tomorrow night? Maybe invite some friends over and have a garden party?”

Kyle happily accepted Taeui’s clumsy excuse and began listing off friends to invite. Taeui, who had just been hoping to avoid the smell of BBQ, now found himself unable to protest. All he could do was silently blame Ilay in his mind: ‘This is all Ilay’s fault.’

At that moment, Rita appeared, seemingly to finalize the dinner plans for the next day.

“Here you are.”

With her usual serious expression, Rita stood upright as she entered.

“Rita, you arrived at just the right time. Tomorrow evening, I’m thinking of inviting a few friends over for a BBQ in the garden.”

“Tomorrow evening? I’ll check with Peter to see if we have enough charcoal. We’ll have everything ready. Oh, by the way, Taeui, there’s a phone call for you.”

Rita nodded in response to Kyle and then turned her attention to Taeui, who had been absentmindedly sipping his beer. “Hmm?” – He pointed at himself, his eyes widening in surprise at the mention of a call. Rita confirmed with a nod: “Yes, it’s for you.”

The caller was Taeui’s older brother, Jung Jaeui, someone he had almost forgotten about during the past two months. And the topic of the call was something Taeui had forgotten even longer.

[“Hey, our Aunt Dan took a fall.”]

It was only upon hearing those words from Jaeui that Taeui remembered his aunt, someone they hadn’t been in touch with for many years. Aunt Dan was one of the few remaining relatives in Korea with whom they occasionally kept in contact. She was also the one who looked after the brothers’ vacant house when they left Korea.

However, the relationship wasn’t particularly close, and Aunt Dan had been nearing 80 before they left. So when Taeui heard about her fall, he responded with brief regret: “Oh, I see.” He didn’t feel any deep sadness or overwhelming concern. Furthermore, Jaeui mentioned that she would recover soon and that there was no serious issue, which reassured him even more.

But what truly puzzled Jung Taeui were Jaeui’s next words.

[“But it seems Aunt Dan is planning to move back to the countryside. So, I think we should consider arranging things with our house.”]

That statement implied that the two brothers wouldn’t be returning to Korea for a long time.

Even though Jung Taeui was aware of the reality that neither he nor Jaeui had any reason to return to Korea anytime soon, hearing those words still left him speechless, with a lump in his throat.

“Uh… well, I guess that’s fine… But hey, after your contract is over, are you not planning to come back to Korea? I mean, not right after, but later?”

[“Hmm… probably not. Unless something big happens, I think I’ll just stay here.”]

Hearing Jaeui’s response, even though he hesitated for a brief moment, caused Taeui to feel an unusual heaviness in his chest. He knew exactly why he felt that way.

“Uh… so, what about your boss? Is he doing okay?”

[“Raman? Yeah, he’s fine. He’s sitting right next to me now. Why?”]

Jaeui answered immediately, and Taeui could hear him say something in a foreign language over the phone. From the distance on the other side, a familiar voice responded softly.

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I was just asking.”

Taeui hurriedly replied, but inside, a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts was starting to surge, punching around in his mind, leaving him unable to say anything further.

He wasn’t sure whether to be surprised by the tenderness in the tone of their quiet conversation or to feel odd about why they were still together at this hour. But either way, the questions that were about to escape his lips were held back because he didn’t have the courage to ask.

So, what happened after that?

…But, perhaps there was no need to ask anymore. If Jaeui was talking about selling the house that had been left vacant for so long, it meant…

“Yeah, I don’t have any issues with selling the house. At least for the foreseeable future, I’m not going back to Korea either. So, while I have the time, let me handle the house. I was thinking about going back there once anyway.”

After he responded, there was a brief silence on the other end. Then Jaeui replied: [“Alright, I’ll send the necessary paperwork to Aunt Dan. She said she’ll move to the countryside by the end of next month, so you just need to go before then. If something urgent comes up, you can also ask someone else to help before that.”]

“No, I’ll go soon. Definitely…”

[“……”]

“……”

[“…Alright, take care of it. Stay healthy until we meet again.”]

“Yes, you too…….. Oh, and send my regards to Raman.”

Taeui reluctantly added the final words before hanging up. He kept his hand on the phone for a while, as if Jaeui were still there.

“What’s wrong, Taeil? Is everything okay?”

Kyle, sitting on the sofa not too far away, looked worried. Although he hadn’t understood the language, he had clearly picked up on the mood of the conversation. Taeui put the phone down and turned around, a soft smile on his lips.

“No, nothing’s wrong. My aunt had a fall, but it’s not serious… I just think I should go back to Korea for a bit.”

“Korea? Are you sure everything’s fine?”

“Yes, everything’s fine. It’s just… I think it’s time to clean up the house my brother and I used to live in. After all, neither of us will be going back anytime soon.”

Only then did Kyle relax, nodding in understanding.

“Alright then, I’ll take care of booking your flight. Let me know when you want to go, and I’ll arrange everything.”

“Thank you. But first, I’ll wait for Ilay to come back.”

Taeui added with a playful smile: “I’ll need to let him know before I leave. Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble I’ll be in when he returns and finds me gone.”

Kyle gave him a look that was hard to describe. It was almost like he was watching someone with quiet determination, as if Taeui were bravely bearing the weight of some fateful burden and pushing through the hardships of the world.

Just as Taeui was scratching his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, he suddenly jumped at the sound of the phone ringing again behind him.

Typically, when a new call comes in immediately after the last one, it’s often from the same person――

“Hello?”

[“You just hung up, and already you’re answering so fast… Who were you talking to just now?”]

Right. Taeui knew it wasn’t his brother calling again. Jaeui wasn’t the type to forget something and call back immediately. What he didn’t expect, however, was that this call would be from a ‘tiger.’

“Speak of the devil, and he appears…”

[“Hmm?”]

“Oh, nothing. It was just Jaeui-hyung who called. By the way, when are you coming back?”

Taeui mouthed the word ‘Ilay’ to Kyle and tilted his head in surprise. There was silence on the other end, making him think the call had been cut off, so he called out louder: “Ilay?” Finally, a response came: “Yeah.”

[“Jeong Jaeil, huh? Why all of a sudden?”]

Ilay’s voice sounded a bit displeased.

“It’s nothing. He was just asking about whether we should clean up the house in Korea. That’s all.”

[“…Not bad. So, he’s decided not to return to Korea, then?”]

“Seems like it.”

[“…Hmm.”]

Ilay’s tone softened a little.

Taeui could clearly imagine Ilay’s thought process, which made him feel slightly irritated. Annoyed, he asked:

“So, when exactly are you coming back?”

“Oh, right. I called to let you know that this job is taking longer than I expected. It won’t be much longer, but I probably won’t make it back this month.”

“Huh?” – Taeui teased: “So, what? Is your target this time ‘someone like me’?”

[“No. The person isn’t anything special; it’s just the complicated procedures. Anyway, I’ll be back next month.”]

“Next month, huh…”

Taeui scratched his head.

Since Aunt Dan planned to move to the countryside by the end of next month, if Ilay returned on time, Taeui would have enough time to prepare and head to Korea without any issues—as long as everything went according to plan.

But Taeui knew all too well that things rarely went as planned. And waiting until the last minute wasn’t exactly the best idea either.

“Maybe I should just go ahead without waiting for you to come back.”

[“Hmm?”]

“I mean, I’m planning to sell the house in Korea. The person looking after it has some personal matters, so I need to be there before the end of next month.”

[“You?”]

“Yeah, it’s not like I’m busy with anything, so I thought I’d go check it out. Originally, I was going to wait until you got back to tell you, but if you’re going to be late…”

It’s not like he was trying to run away. He wasn’t trying to sneak off while Ilay was away.

Taeui paused, holding onto that unspoken implication in his mind. It was a bit ridiculous, but he was always careful about maintaining his safety to the fullest.

[“Going to Korea, huh… no problem. Go ahead.”]

From the other end of the line, Ilay’s response was even more agreeable than Taeui had anticipated.

Just as Taeui was about to cheerfully respond with, ‘Alright, I’ll wrap things up quickly and be back,’ Ilay added:

[“I’ll head over once I’m done here, so you can go ahead first.”]

“…What?”

[“Once I’m done, I’ll go there immediately.”]

“You just said your work wouldn’t be done until next month. I’m not planning to stay that long.”

[“Selling a house isn’t as easy as you think. Sure, if you’re lucky, you might sell it in a day or two, but usually, it takes longer than that.”]

Ah, right.

Taeui suddenly realized the issue he had overlooked and was momentarily stunned. Ilay was right. The house’s location wasn’t bad, and it likely wouldn’t be hard to sell, but there was no guarantee it would be sold immediately.

Of course, if needed, someone else could handle the process…

[“It’s been a while since you’ve been back in Korea. You should stay and take a break. I’ll catch up soon… Korea isn’t far away.”]

“…? Where are you right now?”

[“New York.”]

Why would it be easy to get from New York to Korea? Ah, right, it’s probably because there are plenty of direct flights.

In his confusion, Taeui could only respond: “Yeah, that’s right.”

“Oh, by the way, the address. Do you have something to write it down with? I’ll give you the address of the house in Korea.”

[“No need. I’ll find it.”]

He wasn’t planning on playing a game of “finding Kim Seo-bang*” in Seoul, but Taeui silently berated himself for even asking the question. No matter how remote the countryside he might hide in, he feared Ilay would show up the moment he left even the smallest trace.

(*김서방 찾기 – “Searching for Kim Seo-bang”: a common expression in Korean, similar to the phrase “looking for a needle in a haystack.” Kim Seo-bang (김서방) is a very common surname in Korea.)

“Alright, see you in Seoul then.”

[“OK.”]

The call ended right after those final words.

Maybe it was because Taeui hadn’t expected much from the beginning, but he still couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment that his younger brother had, as usual, coldly hung up without even asking about the family. He stared at the phone, feeling uncomfortable. Sensing the situation, Kyle spoke up:

“When do you plan to leave?”

“Uh… probably as soon as possible. Like Ilay said, I have no idea how long selling the house might take.”

“Alright. I’ll have James take care of your ticket. But you’ll still join us for BBQ tomorrow night, right?”

“Of course” – Taeui replied with a light smile. Kyle nodded back with a grin of agreement.

This time, Taeui finally set the phone down and moved to sit on the sofa across from Kyle.

Before he could fully settle in, a steaming cup of ginger tea appeared on the table in front of him—likely prepared silently by Rita. Taeui picked up the cup, gently blowing on it like Kyle, and took a small sip.

…So, that’s it. Jaeui wasn’t coming back to Korea anymore.

At that moment, every word from the conversation with his brother began to sink in slowly, weighing on Jung Taeui’s mind.

Yes, it was the same for him. Although the future was unpredictable, Taeui realized that he likely wouldn’t live in Korea again unless something extraordinary happened. So, there was no point in keeping that house empty any longer. After all, they had moved several times before, and that house didn’t hold many precious memories for him.

Now, that house didn’t need to exist anymore.

The days when Taeui and his brother lived together were over. They weren’t the kind of brothers who were deeply connected, so Taeui didn’t feel loneliness or sadness about it.

But…

For some reason, Taeui felt that tonight would be a long one, filled with thoughts about his brother. He gazed into his cup of tea, gently blowing on it before slowly taking a sip.

Across from him, Kyle picked up the remote control for the sound system and pressed a few buttons. A soft symphony began to play, filling the space with soothing melodies, perfect for ending the day and welcoming the peace of night.

Taeui relaxed his body, listening to the music and letting the subtle scent of ginger tea fill the air. Although his mind still wandered to thoughts of his brother and the house in Korea, the calming atmosphere around him gradually helped him regain a sense of peace.