Taeui smacked his lips bitterly and unconsciously looked around. Although he felt like he had slept very deeply, not much time had passed. And it seemed that his uncle still showed no signs of arriving.

“……..”

Taeui absentmindedly scratched his head, and his gaze suddenly fell upon the table beside the bed. On the table, which was neatly arranged much like his uncle’s personality, there were only a few sheets of paper that looked as if they’d been left unfinished. At first glance, it seemed to be some kind of list.

Without any particular intent, Taeui gently pulled the paper toward himself and began blinking at the list that recorded the names, ages, organizations, and nationalities of several people. After blinking a few times while looking at the list with dozens of names, he nodded in understanding: “Ah.”

It appeared to be a list of foreigners who would be joining this branch next week. Looking at the date columns on the right confirmed this even more. Most had dates listed for next week, with only one or two people marked a day or two earlier or later.

“They said they sent official documents to Asia; indeed, most of them are Asians… But is this the kind of document I can look at?”

He tilted his head and hesitated a bit, but he didn’t think about it for long. If this were an important document, his uncle certainly wouldn’t have left it carelessly like this, knowing that Taeui could come and go from this room. And anyway, everyone would meet each other next week. The information on this list, such as age or nationality, couldn’t be considered a big secret.

“A total of 45 people, huh. Well, during the cooperative training last time, they also took in half of the personnel from this branch. Seems like it’s the same this time. Let’s see, how many people are coming from my homeland……..”

His finger traced the list sorted by nationality and stopped at the column ‘Korea (Republic of)’. (Although it was clearly specified as ‘Republic of’, obviously there was no one coming from North Korea.)

There were five people from Korea. The first name was written in English, and in the notes column, ‘U.S.A’ was written—probably the person that Taeui would have to protect.

“Ronald Horgan… Let’s see, most of the ones below are military personnel… Sang-rock Kim, Chang-oh Yun, Ho-jin Park, Jeong-pil Kim………”

Suddenly, Taeui’s finger stopped as he was scrolling through the list. Not only did his finger halt, but his expression also became strange.

…….It seemed that just now he had seen a familiar name. Not only familiar but a name that caused discomfort and made his mood uneasy.

“…Kim Jeong-pil…….?”

Taeui frowned as he double-checked the spelling of the name written on the thin paper.

At that very moment, as he was staring intently at the name for quite a while, intending to slide his finger over to check the person’s age and organization, suddenly—the phone on the desk rang, shattering the silence.

Taeui glanced at the phone with an irritated look. He shifted his gaze away from the paper he was holding for a moment, then dropped it onto the desk as if he didn’t care anymore, and stepped toward the desk.

However, although he had stood up reflexively upon hearing the phone ring, he quickly realized two things. First, whether he should answer someone else’s call, and second, he noticed that it was an external call due to the prolonged ringing.

“Um――.”

It was only a few steps to the desk, but while he was hesitating whether to pick up the phone or not, the call switched to the answering machine after a few rings. Simultaneously, the display screen lit up.

[“Is no one there? ……,…….―.”]

A low, cold voice sounded from the other side.

At the very moment he heard that voice and saw the image on the screen, Taeui instantly froze as if turned to stone.

It seemed that when the call switched to the answering machine, the image from this side was also transmitted to the other side. Because the voice that was calmly murmuring suddenly stopped midway, leaving an awkward silence.

“…….”

[“…….”]

Just from the silence of the person on the other side who didn’t hang up, it was clear that they were now looking at Taeui. Just as Taeui was staring fixedly at the reflected image on the screen.

To be precise, it wasn’t the entire image of the person on the other side that was displayed. Only a small part could be seen – those pure white and beautifully sculpted hands.

Suddenly, a chilling sense of déjà vu washed over him. It seemed like he had seen it somewhere before…..

………Stop avoiding reality. It’s not that ‘you’ve seen it somewhere before’; you’ve definitely seen it. Even in this very room, at this very spot, on this very screen.

It doesn’t have to resemble the past this much.

With that thought, Taeui slowly extended his hand and pressed the button to turn off the answering machine mode.

“……. Uncle isn’t back yet.”

[“Hmm. It seems so.”]

“If you have any message you’d like to leave, I can jot it down.”

[“No, it’s not urgent.”]

“Alright then. I’ll let him know that you called when he returns.”

“Thank you. Sorry to trouble you. But hey, Tae-i?”

The moment that voice called his name, Taeui knew that this brief ‘friendly’ conversation had come to an end. He quickly responded in a low, melancholic voice: “Yes, what’s up?”

[“What are you doing there? By this time, you should have arrived in Seoul and be at the Club Residence of the Grand InterContinental Hotel.”]

“…….”

Taeui remained silent, not just because he wasn’t where he was supposed to be.

“A hotel reservation? I didn’t know about that. Thanks for letting me know, Ilay.”

Yes, it was Ilay Riegrow—this man.

He was foolish to have given him his address, making it easy for him to find him. He could laugh at himself all he wanted.

Taeui gently rubbed his temples that were starting to throb.

“There was an unexpected incident. No, perhaps calling it trouble would be more accurate… But actually, it’s just as well. Anyway, I plan to stay here for about half a month and then return to Korea as scheduled. However, if I’d had the chance to contact you earlier, I would have informed you that I’m stuck in Hong Kong.”

[“…Half a month?”]

“Yes. I have some work Uncle asked me to do.”

Taeui sighed softly.

Although the unexpected phone call had momentarily left him stiff, thinking about it, this was actually a good thing. By the way, he could inform him that he would be staying temporarily in Hong Kong for a short time during his trip.

[“Half a month… It’s the work that Instructor Jeong Chang-in asked you to do, right?….”]

Ilay murmured slowly.

“Yes, it’s nothing difficult. Next week, there’s joint training, and Uncle asked me to protect someone who will participate.”

[“…….”]

While Taeui spoke calmly and plopped down onto the chair in front of the desk, for some reason, there was no response from the other end of the line.

“Ilay?”

[“Yes, I’m listening.”]

On the screen, Ilay’s fingers began to tap rhythmically on the table. He seemed to be pondering something, but it wasn’t clear whether he was interested or displeased since his face couldn’t be seen.

[“Staying for half a month, huh…….”]

At Ilay’s vague muttering, Taeui obediently replied softly, “Yes.” Another silence passed, but this time it didn’t last too long.

[“Alright then, that’s good.”]

The voice sounded as if Ilay had come to a satisfactory conclusion.

“Huh? What’s good?”

[“It seems I’ll see you sooner than expected, Taeil.”]

“What?”

Taeui froze.

Rather than feeling ‘good’ in the literal sense, the atmosphere carried a bit of a feeling like: ‘Oh, so things have gone that way…?’

[“I’ll be there next week, and I’ll meet you.”]

“Next week? You?”

Something was terribly wrong. Next week, outsiders would come to participate in the joint training. Very strange. As he thought about it, Taeui’s voice gradually turned gloomy.

“But you’re still working. Have you finished your work already?”

[“No, I’m going there to work.”]

“Huh? But your work is…”

Taeui stopped mid-sentence. His mind, which had been wandering aimlessly, now began to gradually become clear.

An answer to everything that was happening. Looking back, it was the perfect explanation without any discrepancies. An unexpected thought sprang into his head.

“…………………………At this very moment, for some reason, a hypothesis about the fundamental reason why I’m here right now has come to mind…”

[“Aha. Seems similar to my hypothesis.”]

“Ilay.”

The only beautiful hand in the world once again slowly tapped on the table, as if urging him to continue speaking.

“Is your target this time Ronald…?”

[“If that person also has the surname Horgan, then it’s perfect.”]

Damn it, that uncle of his…

Taeui nearly swallowed the curses rising up to his throat and pressed his hand more firmly against his temple.

―― All you need to do is protect the instructor you’ve been assigned to and ensure that nothing unusual happens to him. That’s all you need to do.

Now he understood the meaning of his uncle’s words. The significance of that enigmatic smile as well.

“I’M NOT DOING IT!”

Taeui shouted angrily, his eyes blazing with fire.

Right at that moment, as if waiting for this, the door suddenly swung open.

“Not doing what?”

His uncle, with leisurely steps, gently asked with a calm smile as he entered the room, then looked at Taeui with a somber gaze. Then he stared intently at the white hand on the screen in front of his nephew. And this cunning uncle of his seemed to have deduced the answer to his own question.

“Aha, so Rick contacted you? You two are certainly destined for each other. A guy who never calls unless it’s for work, yet we get a call after a million years. — So, how are things over there, Rick? Are you still doing well?”

Taeui’s uncle casually took off his military jacket and hung it on the hook, pretending to glance at the screen.

[“Ah, of course. But hey, Instructor Jeong Chang-in…? I thought we had already reached an agreement about Horgan?”]

“Yes, the agreement is settled.”

[“Then what’s this about?”]

The “this” Ilay referred to was the scowling face of Taeui glaring angrily at his uncle. His uncle was untying his tie, loosening a few buttons on his shirt, then sighed and said, “Ah.”

“It’s true that we have an agreement about eliminating Horgan. But we didn’t reach a consensus on how to go about it. Your side wants to obtain testimony and expose everything to the public. Our side doesn’t want that. We want to resolve everything quietly and discreetly without fanfare… But if Riegrow has taken on this job, you’re sure to stop at nothing, and if everything gets exposed in a chaotic situation, that wouldn’t be beneficial for us.”

[“Aha… So you’re planning to use this kid as a shield?”]

The ‘kid’ who had been trying to listen to the entire conversation – Taeui – was still glaring at his uncle with displeasure and frowned.

“Uncle. First of all, you’ve picked the wrong person. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but do you really think I can protect someone this guy is targeting?”

“Can’t.”

His uncle replied extremely briefly and decisively without any hesitation.

Well, it’s true that he can’t, but the fact that his uncle admitted it so easily and quickly made Taeui feel a bit hurt…

As he was feeling somewhat uncomfortable and bitter, his uncle’s eyes curved into a slight smile once again fell upon him.

“But perhaps, during this brief half-month at the base, it’s worth expecting a little, isn’t it?––Even if it’s impossible, we have no other choice. Sometimes, we have to cling to the last straw.”

Taeui had evolved from being a ‘shield’ to a ‘straw’, sighed softly, and looked up at the ceiling.

Indeed, as expected, something isn’t right. It’s too strange for life to pass by so smoothly like this.

But this time is different. This time, he truly has a choice.

“I won’t do it, Uncle.”

Taeui looked straight at his uncle and spoke clearly. His uncle let out a hesitant “Hmm…” with an awkward sigh and gave a bitter smile. That expression seemed to be pondering whether to say something or not. Finally, his uncle sighed and murmured: “There’s no other way”, and began to speak.

“The information that Horgan has stolen – and will probably continue trying to steal during this joint training – is the molecular formula of a chemical weapon invented by Jaeui. When Jaeui transferred from the UNHRDO headquarters to Riyadh, the authority over all other research rights, except for what had been studied at the headquarters, was also transferred. However, those molecular formulas are too dangerous. It seems they thought that bringing them to Riyadh was too risky because they could be misused, so they decided to leave them here on the condition that they wouldn’t be disclosed or actualized.”

The ‘determined’ expression of Taeui, who had just declared “I won’t do it!”, suddenly wavered. After seeing that face, his uncle gave a bitter smile. It seemed he himself didn’t want to have to say this.

“Anyway, if we cut off Horgan, some information will inevitably leak. But if Rick turns him into a piece of raw meat to extract information and amplifies the issue, then Jaeui will be in big trouble. It’s very likely that the kid’s research institute and our organization will face lawsuits. And there’s a high possibility that the molecular formula will be used in a way that Jaeui absolutely doesn’t want.”

“…—.”

“We have many reasons to want to resolve this quietly, but my biggest personal reason is because of Jaeui.”

His uncle ended the story there as if handing over the decision to Taeui.

Taeui silently looked at his uncle. Then he glanced at Ilay’s white hand—the one who was still listening to the conversation from the other end—and spoke in a not-so-pleasant voice.

“Can’t we resolve everything quietly? Just getting a confession is enough.”

[“As you know, my client hates Horgan so much that words can’t describe it. They want to amplify this matter as much as possible to make it beyond redemption.”]

[“I’m also very sorry that I can’t fulfill your wish,”] Ilay added, but there was no real regret in his words.

Taeui frowned, his face grimacing as if he had just chewed something bitter, and stared vacantly into the space before him.

He had thought he had a choice… but it seemed he didn’t. No, actually, he had no intention of choosing otherwise.

“Ah… really… I’m going to hate both of you.”

Feeling weary just from thinking about it, Taeui sighed and mumbled, rubbing his face with his hands. Although he knew his uncle would respond that way, it was irritating that his uncle still patted him on the shoulder as if to comfort him. However, knowing that the consolation came from sincerity, the only way Taeui could end his resentment was by giving his uncle’s finger a merciless pinch.

“If possible, I’d prefer you to hate the person on the other end of the line more.”

“…It’s not about hate or not; for the next half-month, I’ll be risking my life.”

“Would he actually kill you? Right, Rick?”

[“That’s what you’re aiming for anyway.”]

Ilay, who had been silently listening to their conversation all this time, let out a slight chuckle.

[“Well then, Taeui. I will sincerely respect your choice of Jeong Jaeui over me.”]

His voice remained calm. The tone carried a faint hint of laughter, not much different from usual, but this time it seemed a bit more ironic. However, Taeui knew well that sometimes his smiles weren’t genuine.

‘Hey, wait… It’s not that I chose my brother over you, it’s not like that—.’

Before Taeui could hastily justify himself, Ilay added: [“Besides, I will generously ensure your safety.”]

That was something to be grateful for. Truly.

But at the same time, he felt uneasy about a relationship where he had to be sincerely thankful just because his life was being guaranteed.

Taeui mumbled in a voice that could no longer even sigh, as if he wanted to dig all the way to the other side of the earth.

“Yeah, if you’re being kind, be a bit more generous. We’re not complete strangers, after all.”

Seeing himself saying such things, it seemed he had grown older. They say that as people age, their skin gets thicker.

A short silence passed. Soon, a soft chuckle sounded. *Tap, tap* The fingers lightly tapping on the desk became more cheerful.

[“I didn’t expect to hear that from you, but it’s not bad. Not bad at all. —Alright then, Tae-i. Let’s do it this way. I’ll give you a chance to complete your mission.”]

Ilay said. This time, the laughter in his voice carried a cheerful tone, but Taeui raised an eyebrow in surprise at those words.

Taeui’s mission directly opposed Ilay’s work. Hunting and protecting. Two things that cannot coexist.

[“Let’s set a penalty. I’ll only capture him when I raid the scene where he’s stealing the information.”]

“What…?”

[“Meaning, you can monitor to prevent him from stealing the information, or stop me from reaching the scene where he’s stealing the information, or confront me at the scene when I attack him to protect him—it’s up to you.”]

[“Of course, there’s also the easy option of giving up the mission.”]

Ilay added. Taeui looked intently at him—more precisely, at his hand.

“Then what if he doesn’t steal the information and just participates in the joint training peacefully and then returns?”

[“That won’t happen. He won’t have another chance to return to this Asia branch, and he knows that there’s information ‘that only exists here’.”]

The one who answered Taeui’s question was his uncle, who had been standing with his arms crossed, leaning against the desk beside him. Ilay also had no objections.

Their words were probably correct.

That man – Ronald Horgan – will definitely try to steal the information during his time at this branch, and Ilay will raid the scene to crush him. And as Ilay said, Taeui has to stop him somehow.

Tsk, Taeui clicked his tongue.

This time, there really is no choice. No, he should be grateful that at least a penalty has been set. At least he doesn’t have to confront ‘Crazy Rick’ indiscriminately.

“Alright. Understood. Thank you.”

[“Oh, it’s between us.”]

Facing the response filled with profound amusement, Taeui smacked his lips bitterly. For some reason, when his own words were thrown back at him, they tasted so bitter…

“What an astonishing favor. Do you want something in return?”

His uncle spoke with an expression of surprised admiration. But in response, there was only a short, mocking laugh.

[“In return? You’re quite humorous. Don’t you think your nephew would be too pitiful if his lover couldn’t at least do this much without asking for anything in return? Your nephew isn’t that unfortunate in his love life.”]

It was rare to see his uncle—a master of rhetoric—rendered speechless, even if just for a moment.

However, even so, his uncle continued to stare at the screen with an unchanged calm smile, then slowly turned his head toward Taeui.

The gentle gaze directed at him contained countless unspoken words, but Taeui deliberately avoided meeting his uncle’s eyes.

[“Besides, this is just a short diversion. If Tae-i can’t protect him, everything will end right then.”]

These words were directed at both his uncle and Taeui.

For him, this was both a favor and an amusement. He had no doubt he would achieve his desired outcome. The fact that he set a penalty for Taeui was merely to add some balance to a game whose result had already been determined due to overwhelming disparity, to make it more interesting.

For Taeui, it was a dark cloud looming in his future, but for him, it was just a bit of delicious seasoning.

…He suddenly felt a bit irritated.

But somehow, Ilay on the other end of the phone seemed to notice Taeui scratching his head and chuckled softly.

[“Tae-i, there’s no need to be so serious. I know that when you face me as an enemy, you can become quite troublesome. So, no matter what, I will try my best—to slaughter Horgan right before your eyes.”]

“No, don’t do that!”

‘Don’t overestimate me; I’m not like that! So don’t try your best, and above all, please don’t deliberately expose such horrifying scenes right in front of me!’

As soon as Ilay finished speaking, Taeui retorted, causing him to burst into delighted laughter.

[“Well then, I look forward to seeing you next week. It’s a pity that during that time we can’t maintain a friendly relationship. Good luck. —And Instructor Jeong Chang-in, I’ve sent what we discussed via email, please check it.”]

With those words, the call was disconnected.

Could there be any “Good luck” more frightening than this?

“……What did he send via email?”

“Just some necessary documents to facilitate that guy’s eligibility to participate in the joint training.”

Taeui didn’t want to deliberately confirm that falsehoods were rampant in the world, so he didn’t ask anything more about those documents. As before, truth and reality were always different.

A feeling of fatigue washed over him all at once. It seemed his brain was overloaded with an amount of information (and the content of the information) that he couldn’t process.

What on earth is going on?

The man he didn’t want to face as an enemy even if it killed him—even though he didn’t particularly want to meet as an ally—why did he suddenly stand on the other side of the boundary?

Even if there was no life-threatening danger, this was truly a harsh challenge.

His overloaded mind, dyed with mental fatigue, became empty.

Taeui’s unfocused gaze landed on the scattered paper on the table next to the bed. The name ‘Ronald Horgan,’ written around the middle of the list, appeared clearly before his tired eyes.

“Leaking confidential information… Does he have any reason to do that?”

People with proper jobs and positions usually don’t do such things, but perhaps he’s the eldest son of a family so poor they’re in rags, having to feed dozens of mouths, and then suddenly his elderly mother needs surgery and requires money… Taeui mumbled, but his uncle interrupted that mumbling briefly without even needing to hear it all.

“Just greed.”

“It’s really unpleasant to be in a position of having to protect someone like that.”

Taeui slowly shook his head, and his uncle smiled bitterly.

“You’re wrong, Taeui. The person you’re protecting isn’t Horgan. It’s Jaeui’s peace.”

Jeong Jaeui, who was living peacefully under a distant sky, not even knowing that such things were happening thousands of miles away – which was perhaps his good fortune – upon hearing those words, Taeui nodded as if he understood.

Now that things had come to this point, he even felt like it didn’t matter anymore. But thinking carefully, even if Taeui firmly refused to be Horgan’s protector, if he had to witness Ilay cutting that man into pieces right before his eyes, he truly couldn’t just stand by and watch. If that was the case, then he might as well choose the best option; adding a bit of accomplishment by being able to help his older brother wouldn’t be bad.

But.

At this moment, Taeui felt extremely tired. His spirit was completely exhausted.

“Well, don’t worry too much. Anyway, that’s what a protector’s job is. Stay close to him. Surely he wouldn’t commit a blatant crime right before your eyes. You just need to monitor him closely to prevent Rick from catching him in the act.”

“Easy to say, but, Uncle. Things that involve that guy never go smoothly like that.”

Hearing himself say that, he suddenly felt as if he understood why he had become accustomed to misfortune, but in any case, he needed to stop now. Right now, he was truly very tired.

Therefore, at this moment, he didn’t want to think about the name he had seen in the documents anymore. Even the disturbingly familiar name a few lines below Ronald Horgan’s, he didn’t want to ask about it now either. Because he felt that if he thought about it and asked about it now, his already exhausted spirit would sink even deeper, so he decided to wait until he regained his strength before asking.

Thinking that his self-preservation instinct was at least quite strong, Taeui left his uncle’s room and slowly walked back to his own room, where he could still use it freely by himself since Ronald Horgan hadn’t moved in yet.

Perhaps the upcoming half-month would be terribly long.

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

*Grand InterContinental Hotel: