However, Taeui’s colleagues, who had been closely following the international news about the notorious international criminal – except for Alta, who was the only one to receive the news a little late – didn’t seem too serious and were just chatting casually.

“Why is this guy suddenly freaking out over a few jokes?”

“Maybe it’s because Xinlu isn’t here.”

“Really? Should we call Xinlu over?”

“NO! DON’T DO THAT! DON’T ADD ANOTHER SOURCE OF TROUBLE!!”

Taeui shouted as he tugged at his hair, causing his colleagues to look at him strangely. It seemed that the news about Xinlu hadn’t spread yet. At least, it hadn’t been widely reported.

At that moment, only Alta noticed something was off and looked around in confusion before shouting: “I thought this joint training would be peaceful, why is that maniac here?!”

“But still… compared to all those jerks from the European branch coming over, it’s slightly better that he’s here alone.”

Tou muttered as he bit down on a cigarette. Taeui took a sip of barley tea, raising his eyebrows slightly as he glanced at him.

“You still don’t like the Europeans?”

“Tradition doesn’t change that easily.”

“What kind of twisted tradition is that?”

Taeui laughed bitterly. Seeing how nothing had changed, it really might be some sort of tradition here. Even the atmosphere inside wasn’t much different.

Seeing Taeui laugh made Tou smirk a little as well.

“Seems like you’re in a better mood now. You’ve looked like a dead man all morning.”

“Ah, no… I just had a bad dream. That’s all.”

Taeui recalled last night’s dream, feeling bitterness rise in his mouth. He felt like he was about to sink into dark thoughts again.

“What kind of dream? Was Rick in it?”

“No. It was someone else… A troublesome figure I was tangled with before coming here.”

Taeui stopped there. Seeing that he didn’t intend to say more, Tou just nodded slightly and mumbled,
“Everyone has at least one or two bad relationships in their life. But why did it suddenly come up? Did you meet them again recently?”

“Not really…”

Taeui just took another sip of barley tea. The tea tasted more bitter today than usual.

In truth, they hadn’t met recently. The last time he had encountered that person was many years ago, even before he left Korea, so it couldn’t really be called ‘recent’.

But soon, they would meet again. Very soon.

“Well, I should probably go take a nap. When those people arrive tonight, there won’t be any rest or good sleep until the training ends.”

Carlo stretched and stood up: “Yeah, me too. I should go maintain my weapons.”

“I’ll swing by the medical station to grab some energy supplements”, etc…… People mumbled as they stood up one by one to leave.

“Well then, I’ll go have a smoke… starting tomorrow, there won’t be time to relax with these anymore.”

Tou shivered as if already feeling nicotine withdrawal and stood up. He looked down at Taeui, who was still silently holding his cup of barley tea.

“What about you?”

“I’m fine. I’ll just finish this up and take a nap too……”

“Yeah, get some rest. You’re probably the one who’s going to have it the hardest.”

Leaving behind a statement that was half-consoling, half-teasing, Tou patted Taeui lightly on the shoulder and left. Hearing that, a few others nodded in agreement, patting Taeui’s shoulder before they headed out. Taeui could only smile bitterly.

The joint training was set to start tomorrow. The few peaceful days he had since arriving here were coming to an end. No, to be precise, they would end this afternoon.

It was expected that by late afternoon or around dinner time, the people from outside would arrive. Among them would be Ilay. And also, one face he did not want to see.

“……”

“Is it Kim Jeong-pil? Oh right, he’s on the list for this training. From the South Korean military. Let’s see……. Captain. In his thirties……. the same age as you, Taeui.”

The uncle’s words as he skimmed through the list lingered in Taeui’s ears.

Kim Jeong-pil had become a captain in the South Korean military, at the same age as Taeui. Though Taeui knew there might not be just one person who fit those criteria, the likelihood wasn’t high. At the very least, Taeui had never heard of anyone else like that.

“Aissh—what the hell is this?”

Taeui banged his head on the table with a *Thud*.

He had already been stressed about how to protect himself (along with the Instructor) from that lunatic, and now he had to deal with a familiar face he didn’t want to see again. Could this be part of his uncle’s plan as well? He glanced at his uncle with suspicion, but his uncle only looked confused and asked: “What?” When the uncle sensed something was wrong, he quietly looked at Taeui and asked: “Seems like you know this person, don’t you? This Kim Jeong-pil?”

Taeui could only sigh. He had once hoped for a future ‘full of new and wondrous things he couldn’t imagine,’ but this was definitely not what he had expected. In reality, this was an unpleasant surprise, one that he couldn’t have anticipated even in his worst nightmares.

Taeui sighed again and stood up.

Given the situation, worrying wouldn’t change anything. Besides, the two-week training session would begin soon. As Tou had mentioned, it was better to take advantage of the few remaining hours of rest before the exhausting days ahead. The ship carrying people from outside wouldn’t arrive for a few more hours.

Recalling the ship’s docking time, Taeui left the cafeteria.

He knew a place where he could rest undisturbed, a spot he had discovered long ago. Just a few days ago, he had revisited it and found that it remained unchanged from years before: a corner on the rooftop of the ground floor, where one could bask in the sunlight.

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

Taeui hadn’t slept well the night before. After waking up from that nightmare of his miserable past, he couldn’t fall back asleep. And today, the weather was beautiful, with bright sunlight shining all over the rooftop.

In such circumstances, falling asleep was inevitable, but sleeping in until the sun had already begun to set in the west was a surprise.

He hadn’t even woken up when his pager beeped. It had recorded four or five missed calls. When Taeui checked the number, he saw that they were from the office. He clicked his tongue and hurriedly left the rooftop, heading straight to the office, where he was relentlessly scolded by his superior.

They said that if they called again and he didn’t answer, they would activate emergency communication, angrily demanding to know what he was doing and where he had been. Taeui could only respond that he had fallen asleep on the rooftop, which earned him an even harsher scolding.

Although Taeui was scolded for quite a while, the tone of his superior’s reprimands suggested that the situation wasn’t urgent enough to warrant calling him four or five times. At least, that was a small relief.

“Is there something going on?” – Taeui asked and looked around. The atmosphere in the office was busier than usual. He sensed that something was off……. Just as he was thinking, the office door behind him opened, and a man walked in, speaking to the Assistant Warden in charge of internal affairs:

“I’ve lost my room regulations sheet.”

Taeui blinked as he looked at the man. There was nothing particularly strange or notable about him, just an unfamiliar face. On this isolated island – this middle-of-nowhere place with a very limited number of residents – it was almost impossible to see a new face.

“……..”

Taeui glanced at the wall clock in the office. It wasn’t even 5 o’clock yet. He checked his wristwatch, and the time matched.

The scheduled time for the ship to dock was usually between 5 and 5:30, with only minor deviations now and then.

“Who is that guy? I don’t recognize his face” – Taeui asked curiously. Gongmu Kyoho gave him a quick glance and replied indifferently:

“I don’t know. How would I know every outsider? Oh, by the way, you didn’t answer your phone, huh? Must’ve been out of your room.”

Kyoho had been making phone calls since Taeui walked in, and now he clicked his tongue in frustration. But no matter who the Assistant Warden was calling, Taeui couldn’t take his eyes off the back of that unfamiliar man as he took the regulations sheet and left the room.

“An outsider? What kind of outsider?”

“The people from outside here to join the joint training. Today’s their arrival day, remember?”

The Assistant Warden looked at Taeui with a surprised expression, as if he couldn’t understand why Taeui didn’t know that.

Taeui responded with an even more bewildered look:

“But it’s not time for the ship to dock yet, right?”

“Because there are so many people, they’re running an additional temporary ship. It just docked a little while ago, so everyone’s probably in their rooms settling in now. More importantly, aren’t you supposed to greet your new Instructor as an Assistant Instructor?…… Yet here we are, unable to reach you.”

Kyoho grumbled, muttering something about not having handed out pagers yet, clicking his tongue in irritation. Meanwhile, Taeui could only blink at him, at a loss for words.

That was absurd…….. Taeui felt not only surprised but also stunned by himself. It was ridiculous that a whole group of people had just landed, and yet he hadn’t woken up from the noise. Instead, he had slept peacefully on the rooftop as if nothing had happened.

Now that he was paying attention, Taeui noticed that the sounds around him were indeed different from usual. Not only were the office staff busier than normal, but there were also more footsteps in the distant hallway, along with a louder hum of conversations than usual.

…….Wait. If the people from outside had already arrived, that meant…

“…….Okay, if that’s the case……..”

“I still can’t get through. There’s no other option. Jeong Taeui, go down to your room right now. I’ve already informed the Instructor that as soon as I reach you, you’d be sent down to meet him. You need to greet him and have a brief discussion about the upcoming plans.”

Before Taeui could finish his thought, Kyoho interrupted casually. The Assistant Warden glared at him and emphasized:  “This time, you must go and meet him. No more avoiding it!”

Faced with this stern reminder, Taeui could only obediently reply: “Yes”, before turning and leaving the room.

As he stepped out of the office and headed toward the elevator, Taeui passed by two unfamiliar men who had just exited the elevator on the first floor. Their outfits made it clear they were outsiders. They nodded briefly in acknowledgment of Taeui before continuing their conversation in a foreign language, likely heading outside for a smoke.

I see. They’ve arrived.

Taeui sighed and muttered to himself: “All these people arrived and I didn’t even wake up. Am I too carefree, or just too slow?”. He lightly tapped his head in self-criticism.

Just as he was about to step into the elevator, he suddenly stopped. Something didn’t feel right. He thought for a moment, then stepped back. His destination wasn’t the underground sixth floor where the dorm rooms were located but the floor just below, where the Instructors would be staying. So, he decided not to take the elevator and turned toward the staircase instead.

“………….Okay, what now.”

This meant those people were somewhere in the building – or somewhere on the island. One was a fellow cadet he had no desire to see, and the other was a companion in life whom he absolutely didn’t want to encounter at the moment. (In truth, Taeui still didn’t know what to call his relationship with Ilay Riegrow. Sometimes there was a word that could describe their relationship, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Occasionally, Ilay would say the word naturally, but Taeui never did.)

In this awkward situation, with two unwelcome faces present in such a confined space, Taeui couldn’t feel at ease. Even so, he merely sighed quietly and shook his head.

In any case, the chances of running into them right away were slim. Of course, he’d definitely have to face them during the training sessions, but the inside of this UNHRDO Asia branch building was very spacious.

The building had eight floors, each covering more than 2,000 pyeong. With only around 100 people living there, the population density was very low. If you didn’t count the training sessions, just in daily activities alone, it was possible for Taeui to go all 15 days without encountering them even once.

That’s right, and how many years had it been since he left the military? It was possible that one of the faces he didn’t want to meet had long since forgotten about him. (At least, that was what he hoped). Even if they had to train together, if he only saw them from a distance, he might be able to get through the training peacefully.

But the real issue wasn’t Lieutenant Kim – or rather, Captain Kim now – it was that guy. He should be more concerned about the man who could turn everything into a bloodbath right before his eyes.

If possible, Taeui would try to avoid meeting both of them. Even though it might be impossible to completely avoid Ilay due to work-related matters, he could certainly dodge Lieutenant Kim if he was lucky enough.

Yes, in this vast space, there were fixed places where people usually gathered. If he could avoid those spots…

“What? Jeong Taeui?!”

However…

Unfortunately, Taeui’s wishes were already showing signs of failure at this very moment.
Somewhere below on the staircase, about two floors down.

“What’s that guy doing here?”

“I don’t know. There’s a Korean here, and when I asked about him, they said his name was Jeong Taeui. The pronunciation sounded a bit off, so maybe I misheard.”

An irritated voice mixed with a calm one in conversation. It sounded like they were sitting by the water cooler between the floors, and the occasional sound of slurping water could be heard.

And right there, on the staircase between the two floors, Taeui stood frozen, his feet rooted to the steps. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard someone else speak Korean, and for a moment, a careless thought flashed through his mind.

“Isn’t it just a guy with a similar name?”

“Listen, when I looked into it more, the time he first came here coincides with the year he left the military. And he’s also a former officer. If everything lines up like that, then…”

The conversation was abruptly cut off, the tone now filled with suspicion.

Taeui slumped down onto the chair at the landing of the staircase. Why were the voices he most wanted to forget now echoing so clearly in his memory? These long-buried sounds, which he had tried so hard to erase, were now vividly resurfacing.

But it wasn’t just the voice that jogged his memory. There was also a slow, calm voice that made it easy for Taeui to recognize who it was. More than that, it belonged to a classmate from the Military Academy whom he used to meet regularly during official gatherings. He relaxed and remembered… Ah, right. Chang-oh. Yoon Chang-oh.

So, he’s here too. Taeui thought. He vaguely recalled seeing Chang-oh’s name on the list. However, at the time, the appearance of Kim Jeong-pil had left such a strong impression that he hadn’t paid attention to it.

Taeui grabbed a cup of water from the cooler and drank, trying to soothe his dry throat.

He had thought that memories would fade over time, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. Just hearing Kim’s voice again caused all the buried resentment to surge up once more. He hadn’t thought much about it before, but perhaps, deep down, he was someone who couldn’t easily let things go.

……Ha. If I could have forgotten that grudge after all these years, I would’ve become a saint by now.

As he recalled the past, Taeui felt his eyebrows knit together, and the irritation welled up in his chest. Meanwhile, the conversation below occasionally drifted up.

“Honestly, I’ve always wondered what happened to him, but I never expected to run into him here.”

“What’s there to wonder about? Probably still doing those ‘gay things’.”

*Crack* The paper cup in Taeui’s hand crumpled.

That bastard hasn’t changed at all. I wonder if his elbow and ribs, which were broken back then, have healed by now.

At that moment, Taeui’s expression twisted like a crumpled paper cup. Meanwhile, from below, the sound of someone opening a door echoed. It seemed someone had stepped out onto the staircase landing. The conversation of the two people below abruptly stopped, and Yoon Chang-oh’s voice called out briefly: “Hello.”

After a few seconds of awkward silence, that hateful voice spoke again.

“So, what’s that guy doing here?”

“Huh? Oh, Taeui? Didn’t ask about that, just heard someone with a similar name is here.”

“Bet no one here has heard about him doing ‘gay stuff’ yet, huh.”

“Hey, Jeong-pil…”

“Huh? What? They’re foreigners. Even if I speak in Korean, how would they understand? And even if they do, so what?”

It seemed Yoon Chang-oh had said something to signal caution, probably because someone had entered the staircase landing. However, that bastard Kim Jeong-pil remained persistent.

Fine, go ahead and broadcast it everywhere that ‘Taeui is gay’. Like you said, out of over 6 billion people in the world, how many would even understand?

Taeui shook his head.

On second thought, even if the rumors spread here, it wouldn’t matter much. Taeui’s sexual orientation had been known by everyone for a long time. Maybe the newcomers didn’t know, but his old colleagues had been well aware for years. Besides, back then, they’d often joked about it, using Xinlu as part of their teasing.

“But now that I think about it… isn’t it strange? Taeui… he was once internationally wanted for terrorism, right? So how is he still working here?”

Hearing the added comment from a colleague, who admitted they were shocked to learn that Taeui was connected to terrorism, made Taeui sigh deeply.

Of course, it was only a matter of time before that came up. Back then, he hadn’t even touched a gun, yet he was wanted like some ruthless terrorist. The whole thing had been so unfair. But people who knew the truth would understand, while those who didn’t would always have doubts.

“Oh, that? It’s been cleared. I checked recently, and he’s been pardoned. Not sure what it was all about.”

“When did you check that, Jeong-pil?”

Taeui wanted to ask the same thing. The news of his pardon hadn’t been reported yet, so how had that bastard managed to check?

Kim Jeong-pil didn’t answer, only letting out a cold, mocking laugh. After that, Yoon Chang-oh sighed.

“You’re a strange one. There’s no reason to look into him anymore, but you’re still interested? Your relationship wasn’t exactly good back in the day, was it?”

“Not see him again? I’m running into him head-on right here. Such bad luck.”

Bad luck? That’s my line!

Taeui tossed the crumpled paper cup into the trash and stood up abruptly. Staying here any longer only made him feel like he was eavesdropping on other people’s conversations, and it was making him uncomfortable.

He decided he’d either head down to the basement to avoid them or go all the way down to confront them – perhaps even grab them by the collar if need be.

Without even attempting to mask his footsteps, Taeui descended the stairs. If he heard one more word, he wouldn’t hesitate to grab someone by the collar. Yes, just one more word… One more, and that would be it.

“But why has that foreign guy been staring at us for so long? It’s like he’s trying to burn a hole through us with his gaze.”

“Maybe he’s just here to get some water. Look, he’s drinking water now.”

“When I got here, I think I saw him on the ship. He didn’t look like the type to work in a 3D* job like this, so I remember his face clearly.”

(*3D jod: refers to work that is considered Dirty, Dangerous, and Difficult.)

“He’s probably doing desk work. Look at his hands—completely clean, not even a scratch. Those aren’t the hands of someone who does manual labor. Do you think he’s ever even held a gun?”

Yeah, he’s probably just doing office work. They nodded and continued their conversation. Since it wasn’t an outright insult, Taeui didn’t feel the need to concern himself too much. They spoke casually in Korean, assuming hardly anyone here could understand.

As for Taeui, he kept walking down the stairs, occasionally wondering if he should just take the basement route to avoid them. Meanwhile, their conversation carried on.

“But that foreigner keeps staring at us. Should we talk to him?”

One of them whispered about how foreigners are usually friendly, even if they don’t know you. A voice responded immediately afterward.

“Hmm… Korean?”

Sure enough, just as they had been discussing, the friendly foreigner, who had likely been sitting nearby drinking water after stepping out onto the landing, finally spoke up. His English tinged with a light and curious intonation has rang out.

“Ah… yes,” Taeui’s two colleagues responded, joining the conversation with the friendly foreigner, which quickly switched to English.

It seemed this person wasn’t a permanent member but had been sent here for the upcoming training. Yes, they had seen each other on the ship earlier, and now they were looking forward to cooperating over the next 15 days. It was an entirely polite, light-hearted exchange, typical for strangers meeting for the first time.

And then…

While listening to this casual conversation, this time Taeui actually stopped walking.

……………What?

Taeui’s face went rigid, as if he had just seen a ghost. The conversation continued clearly within his earshot.

“This is your first time in Hong Kong, right? But it looks like you’re with friends, so you won’t be too bored.”

“Haha, yes, that’s right. Are you here alone?”

“Ah… I came here alone initially, but I have some acquaintances here. What about you? Do you know anyone here?”

“Hmm… I heard there’s an old colleague of mine here.”

Yoon Chang-oh hesitated, not being completely clear, which piqued the other person’s curiosity, prompting a “Hmm.”

“A colleague? Who might that be?”

“Oh, a colleague from school. We haven’t been in touch for a long time.”

“Haha, I see… He’ll probably be happy to see you again, right?”

“Not at all.”

Ah, of course it was that bastard Kim Jeong-pil. Only he would bluntly make such a negative statement right in front of a stranger.

“That guy is someone who doesn’t get along with anyone. He’s indifferent to everyone around him, has a bad temper, and his mouth is just as bad. In short, he’s no good…”

Taeui thought, at the very least, that this bastard had some sense of decency by not bringing up his homophobic remarks in front of strangers. But it seemed Kim Jeong-pil had reached his limit in talking about someone unfamiliar and switched topics.

“The person you know here, they must be a friend of yours?”

“Friend… can I really call them a friend…?”

The man dragged out his words with a vague smile, then quickly followed up with a brief reply.

“We know each other in excruciating detail. There were times when I was so bored I’d count the wrinkles in his pores.”

“……….Huh? Haha, you two must be really close.”

It was clear that Kim Jeong-pil – who was always repulsed by anything related to homosexuality – didn’t understand the quick remark the man made after saying “bored.” Jeong-pil innocently laughed and nodded in agreement, obviously unaware of the meaning behind the comment. Yoon Chang-oh also chuckled lightly and added: “I bet you’re looking forward to seeing your friend.”

As for Jeong Taeui.

He stood frozen on the staircase.

…….Damn it.