Rationality and regret seem to be very close companions.

The moment he woke up, Taeui stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. After all, no matter how drained or exhausted a person might feel, with enough food and a deep sleep, rationality would always return……. And along with it, the regrets of past memories would also come flooding back.

Suddenly, a sharp pain throbbed in his head, it was intense and explosive.

“Oh god…….”

Taeui clutched his head, curling up like a shrimp, releasing groans that sounded almost beastly.

What was he thinking when he raised his fist to hit that guy? He couldn’t quite recall what drove him to do it at that moment, nor why the guy had been so surprisingly compliant, allowing himself to be struck. But he was not the kind of person to easily forget or let things slide. Taeui couldn’t predict when or how he would repay all these debts.

“No, but yesterday in the hallway, he passed by me without saying a word, didn’t he? Pretending not to know anything……. that can’t be right.”

Eventually, his thoughts turned pessimistic. Taeui groaned and rolled over to the other side. His headache grew even worse.

It was strange. No matter how he thought about it, this relationship was bizarre. Why was it always him who had to feel concerned and regretful about something, even when he couldn’t remember doing anything wrong—so much so that he worried like this? The source of all trouble always seemed to lie elsewhere.

“…….”

But one unchanging truth was that, if there was time to lament: “Why me, when it’s not even my fault!” then it would be a hundred times better to use that time to try to improve the situation. Taeui shouted: “Ah—enough!” and sat up on the bed.

‘But it’s not just a feeling; my head really does hurt’ – While he thought, he rubbed his temples gently. Taeui’s gaze fell on the bottle of supplements Horgan had tossed to him last night, perhaps out of pity. Could that be what caused his headache? He’d never heard of supplements causing headaches. Besides, while handing him the bottle with a click of his tongue, Horgan had also taken one himself……. Was Horgan alright?

Patting his throbbing head lightly, Taeui’s gaze shifted to the bedside clock. The time was nearing seven.

“It’s already 6:45……. Did I sleep right through the alarm?”

It seemed he was genuinely exhausted and had slept longer than usual……. and come to think of it, he hadn’t gone to Ilay’s room, nor had Ilay come over here. Taeui blinked, staring blankly at the clock as it ticked steadily.

But something was off. An uneasy feeling, a sense that something was out of place. Taeui tilted his head, looking around as he tried to figure it out, then suddenly realized what it was.

Outside his open door, Horgan’s door was slightly ajar. Moreover, at this hour, Horgan should have already been up, preparing for the day, yet there wasn’t a single sound coming from his room. It was as if no one was in there.

No one was in there.

“…………..!!”

The moment that thought struck him, it felt like cold water was suddenly splashed over his sluggish aching mind.

He jumped out of bed and dashed outside. Despite the throbbing pain in his head, “Ouch” he muttered, but still hurrying straight to Horgan’s room and flinging the door wide open. For a brief moment, he didn’t even think about what he’d do if someone was inside.

But Horgan’s room was completely empty. The bed was neatly made, and there were no uniforms hanging on the rack, indicating that he had already gotten ready and left early in the morning.

“Damn it…….!”

Taeui rushed out of his room, not even taking the time to check if he’d put his shoes on properly.

His first destination was the System Management Room. This was the place where most types of data were gathered and managed, though the specific type of information could vary. All connections were blocked from 2 a.m to 6 a.m, except for a few restricted internal lines, and the System Management Room only opened at 7 a.m So, at this moment, with the time still before 7, no one should be there, yet it was the first place he needed to check.

With no time to wait for the elevator, he ran straight down the stairs. As he descended, Taeui’s rationality began to return, and although he still felt the headache, it was bearable.

Along with his confusion, he was stunned into silence by himself. How could he have slept so deeply, and forgotten everything like that? No matter how exhausted he was, he had never slept with his guard completely down like this. He should have at least heard some noise if someone had come in or out……. unless he had really taken something.

“…………..”

Damn it. Maybe that’s exactly what happened.

He didn’t want to doubt others, but the only thing that could have caused this was the bottle of nutritional supplement Horgan had given him last night. Who would have thought he’d feel sleepy right after taking it? At first, he thought it was just fatigue, but it turned out otherwise.

“If you’re going to give me something, at least give me something decent! What kind of crap is this that leaves me with a headache…….!”

Taeui cursed under his breath as he ran. The more he considered the possibility, the more restless he felt. If he had truly been given something to drink with ulterior motives, that only made the situation more dangerous.

Perhaps it would be safer to check Ilay’s room first to ensure Horgan’s safety, to see if he was there. But no—if his brother’s data were stolen in the meantime, that would be a serious problem as well. If anything had happened, it would have been after Taeui had closed his eyes, which was close to 2 a.m, so this couldn’t have started last night.

No, the system only opened after 6 a.m, and although it was now past six, the System Management Room wouldn’t unlock until 7 a.m. So, if it wasn’t the System Management Room, then where was the most suspicious location?

As Taeui reasoned, he sprinted straight toward the System Management Room. However, he no longer needed to wonder about his next destination.

At the end of the hallway, where the pale white light shone in solitude and the space was usually steeped in silence – visited only by a few select individuals – a black void lay open, like the gaping door to the underworld. It was entirely dark, forming a shadowy crevice in the corner.

The door was open.

Taeui glanced at his watch. It wasn’t yet time for the System Management Room to be unlocked. But it was unmistakable: the door was ajar, about a hand’s width, and a faint light seeped out from within the darkness.

“…….――.”

His heart skipped a beat. Was Horgan in there? Or was it simply the guard on duty, opening the door a little earlier than usual?

…….Hopefully, it wasn’t Horgan’s body waiting inside with Ilay.

Taeui took long strides forward, grabbed the System Management Room’s door handle, and pulled it open forcefully. The door creaked heavily as it swung open, and he stepped inside.

And there, right before him, was the person he’d been looking for.

Horgan was there. He was looking at a secondary computer screen, fingers tapping away on the keyboard, as if he were inputting something.

Taeui exhaled a sigh of relief upon seeing Horgan alone. At least he wasn’t lying there like a lifeless corpse. He seemed perfectly normal. Only after confirming this did Taeui quietly step closer.

Horgan lifted his head from the screen, his eyes narrowing briefly as he recognized Taeui. Then, with a quick return to his usual calm demeanor, he spoke:

“What are you doing here at this hour?”

“Oh, I woke up early and was just taking a little walk around. But by the way, I thought the System Management Room only opened after 7, so I was a bit surprised. And you, Instructor, what brings you here?”

Horgan stopped typing and clicked his tongue in clear, unabashed irritation.

“I forgot that the report was supposed to be submitted yesterday. I was told that if it’s submitted before the system officially starts at 7 a.m today, it would still be counted as submitted yesterday, so I came here to get it done. But……. more importantly, how did you get here? Just taking a casual walk, and you ended up in this remote spot ‘just to look around’? Or perhaps……. is there something you need to report to me?”

In Horgan’s eyes was an unmistakable hostility, a clear sign that he had figured out Taeui was following him. Taeui glanced at the computer screen Horgan was working on. Just as he’d said, the display showed only a report, with nothing out of the ordinary.

Perhaps the report did indeed need to be submitted yesterday—and Horgan might have intentionally delayed it to have a plausible reason for being here if someone happened to catch him. He likely arrived at this hour with the thought that if he managed to finish it, that was fine, but he wouldn’t be too concerned if he couldn’t.

Yet the odd thing here was that the System Management Room was supposedly only open from 7 a.m onward.

Taeui checked the time and saw there were still a few minutes until 7 a.m. He tilted his head, deep in thought. This meant that either someone had unlocked the door for Horgan, or he somehow knew the access code for the System Management Room.

“The entry code to this room isn’t supposed to be leaked. Even as an instructor, you don’t have the sort of internal connections to know the code……. unless you found a way somehow?”

This was a potentially serious issue, as it could lead to identifying whoever disclosed the code and holding them accountable.

After all, courtesy between them had long since faded. Taeui looked up and asked directly. But Horgan showed no sign of discomfort; in fact, he responded with a mocking smirk.

“Is the code really a secret? Since I needed to submit the report, I just expressed some difficulty, and they told me without further question. I thought it was common knowledge.”

“Who was it? Was it the instructor responsible for system management?”

Taeui couldn’t help but be astonished. Of course, that code absolutely should not have been disclosed. Even in his own case, if he were to ask his uncle for the code, despite their deep trust, his uncle would choose to come over personally to unlock the door and supervise in person rather than reveal the code to Taeui.

It was absurd that someone would be foolish enough to disclose such a thing. This matter truly needed to be clarified for the sake of the entire branch.

As he watched the incredulous expression on Taeui’s face, Horgan’s lips curved into a smirk, his eyes narrowing with a hint of amusement, as if he were about to share a juicy secret.

“No, it wasn’t. There was a man accompanying the system instructor, and he met me in the hallway and told me. He said that, since this is the System Management Room, no one would be around before 7, so I could take my time submitting the report. ――Oh, and rumor has it that this person has a rather close relationship with you, isn’t that right?”

Horgan’s smirk turned into a mocking grin, as if daring Taeui to report him to their superiors—knowing he could claim he was merely there to submit a report and knew nothing beyond that. Taeui could only stare at him, struggling to find the words.

“…….Who?”

“The man who, they say, has an improper relationship with you. Oh, yes, his name is Riegrow, isn’t it?”

“…….He’s the one who gave you the access code to the System Management Room?”

“Of course.” – Horgan smiled lightly, seemingly amused by Taeui’s wide-eyed, stunned reaction, and then began packing up as if he had completed his task.

Taeui could only stand there, dumbfounded, and staring at Horgan in disbelief for a few seconds. Suddenly, he turned around, yanking the door open and stepping out into the hallway. He looked around.

No one was there. For a brief moment, he glimpsed a figure fading at the end of the hallway, but the image vanished so quickly that he couldn’t be sure.

“……………”

A chill ran through him. If he had arrived even a little later……. if the instructor had received ‘enthusiastic assistance’ from Ilay, not just to submit a report but perhaps to conduct something shady, even a small, meaningless trick, how dangerously things might have escalated.

“But I’m still curious about what brought you all the way here” – Horgan’s slow voice sounded from behind Taeui, as he continued to look down the hallway.

Horgan didn’t even seem to realize that he was standing right before the ‘gateway to hell’. This foolish man was utterly oblivious to the fact that he had unwittingly taken the hand of death itself, a guide leading him to a place that could well become his own descent into hell—a man both incredibly lucky and thoroughly foolish.

Jeong Taeui turned back with a contemplative look.

He had no idea that Taeui had just saved his life (though not entirely on purpose), yet he was still suspicious and questioning him. How wonderful it would be if he could simply let it all go and think: ‘Believe whatever you want; it’s your life, not mine, on the line.’

The thought that just a slight misstep could have turned this place into a blood-soaked hell weighed heavily on Taeui’s shoulders. And at that moment, he realized something.

Suddenly, Taeui understood that just as he was careful not to take his eyes off Horgan, Ilay had also been watching this man closely. And when the moment was right, he’d be ready to tighten the noose around Horgan’s neck as soon as he slipped. Even now, though Taeui might look away from Horgan for just a second, Ilay was still observing, missing nothing.

“Are you listening? I’m asking what urgent matter brought you here at this hour. Or do you just have a strange hobby of exploring remote places early in the morning? …….Or perhaps there’s something you’re not keen on sharing with others, hmm?”

Meanwhile, Horgan continued his line of questioning, completely unaware that he had just escaped the jaws of hell. He looked robust and confident, while Taeui only felt weary and drained after thinking about the situation he’d just avoided.

Taeui scratched his head, feeling bemused. Thinking of Ilay, who had likely left with a smug smile, perhaps amused that ‘the troublemaker had shown up’ Taeui couldn’t help but feel a strange urge to thank him—something Horgan would never understand.

Frowning, Taeui muttered in irritation.

“The staircase next to this room is a shortcut to the medical office. I don’t know what I ate, but I have a pounding headache. My head’s spinning like I’ve taken some spoiled medicine or something. And I didn’t even drink anything weird. So, I thought I’d head to the medical office to check it out.”

The moment Taeui finished speaking, Horgan fell silent. Although he tried to keep a calm expression, the slight twitch of his lips betrayed a hint of discomfort.

Ah, so it was that damned drink, Taeui thought irritably. Whether it was a sleeping aid or something else, if Horgan wanted to use such methods to achieve his goals, he should at least choose something more effective. This lousy stuff only left him with a splitting headache and nothing more.

Horgan seemed to sense that Taeui was swallowing down his suspicions about the drink. Recognizing that stirring up trouble would be unwise, Horgan prudently decided to keep quiet, realizing it was best to let the situation settle peacefully.

“All right. The report has been submitted, so I’ve completed what I came here to do. While I’m at it, I’ll head over to the instructor’s office early to prepare for today’s work. And you? You look like you just woke up and rushed out here—perhaps it would be best if you went back to tidy yourself up a bit?”

“…….Yes, you’re probably right. Now that I think about it, Luther might be up by now as well.”

It was truly a game of ‘cat and mouse’ with both of them aware of each other’s intentions yet pretending not to. Though Horgan misunderstood Taeui’s motives, even in conversation, their intentions were so obvious that it made the situation almost laughable.

However, it seemed this morning’s incident could end here.

Regardless, the fact that Ilay hadn’t made a move yet indicated that Horgan hadn’t crossed any serious criminal line—at least, not just yet.

At this hour, the other instructors were also beginning to prepare for the day, making it unlikely for any unusual activity to occur in the office.

“I’ll get ready quickly and head to the office right away.”

“Take your time” – Horgan replied – “As I’ve said before, I don’t see the need for an instructor assistant to shadow my every move just to handle trivial matters. If you want, feel free to take the day off.”

There was a sharpness hidden beneath his words, laced with a thorny undertone.

Taeui replied with a faint smile: “Thank you, sir. It seems that thanks to that supplement from last night, I’m bursting with energy, though my head does ache a bit. I probably won’t need a break; I’ll follow along until training is over.” With that, he turned and headed toward the door.

“Please, go ahead” – Taeui gestured politely. Horgan shot him a look of irritation before silently leaving the System Management Room. Only after Horgan was outside did Taeui slowly close the door.

Just before the door automatically locked with a *Click*, he glanced at the walls inside the room. Somewhere in there, surveillance cameras were always quietly operating. But as long as his uncle – who had tacitly agreed to overlook the actions of certain individuals – was around, those cameras probably wouldn’t be of much use.

“No, on the contrary, if there was evidence, Uncle might even welcome it……. Either way, Horgan isn’t foolish enough to be caught that easily.”

For a moment, Taeui thought he should have found one of the cameras in the System Management Room and discreetly flipped it off 🖕before closing the door. But he regretted it too late……. the door was already locked.

The training period was only a few days away from ending.

It seemed that man was finally beginning to make his move.

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

“It’s no easy feat for anyone outside to break through the firewall and access the data lines of the System Management Room. To reach the core data, several strict layers of security must be bypassed. Before that can happen, any alerts will be directed here.”

Horgan surely knew this, and he was likely just testing the waters to see what might happen, so Taeui’s uncle replied nonchalantly. Although he had anticipated this reaction, Taeui still felt disappointed that his uncle wasn’t offering any further assistance.

During a break, while sipping a bottle of water in the cafeteria, Taeui happened to run into his uncle and subtly hinted at Horgan’s activities, but his uncle showed no interest.

“You need to get back to training soon, don’t you?” – His uncle asked, sipping his coffee leisurely. Meanwhile, Taeui was sitting beside him, shooting him a dissatisfied look, and then gulping down his water as if in a hurry. Noticing this, his uncle merely added two more ice cubes to his coffee and pulled out a chair to sit down.

“Horgan seems to be planning to wrap up this round of information dealings and then take a break. He’s even submitted a leave request to the higher-ups. It’s fair to assume he’s worried his actions might be exposed soon.”

Taeui rubbed his throat, chilled from drinking the ice water too quickly, and raised an eyebrow at his uncle, who continued speaking in a relaxed tone.

“He probably doesn’t have a good feeling about this one. And who could blame him? With you constantly watching him closely, it would be hard not to feel the pressure.”

“Really? He’s considering dropping this plan?”

The news made Taeui so relieved that he smiled and immediately asked for confirmation. If Horgan was willing to abandon his scheme here and simply complete his main duties before leaving, then Taeui would have no reason to worry further. Although it might disappoint Ilay a bit, everything would be resolved far more peacefully.

However, his uncle’s scoffing smile dashed Taeui’s hopes. “Do you really think Horgan will give up so easily? The data he’s after……. The data bearing the name Jeong Jaeui. Just think, how valuable could it possibly be?”  – His uncle muttered, making Taeui question whether he should feel proud or wary about the staggering worth of the molecular information his brother had developed.

“It seems he submitted the leave request as a contingency plan for the worst-case scenario—if he’s caught and has to flee. Horgan probably thinks that as long as he can make this sale, being dismissed won’t matter” – Taeui’s uncle remarked casually, discussing the possibility of someone waiting to steal valuable information from the branch as if it were a trivial matter. He smiled as he looked at his nephew.

“Taeui, I’m entrusting this to you. There’s no one else I can rely on. Rick wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone, even those unrelated to the matter. That’s why no one on the team has even a shred of goodwill toward him.”

“Well, if anyone could look at him kindly, they’d have to be a living saint.”

Taeui grumbled in displeasure, losing his appetite for water and setting the bottle down.

With only a few days left until the agents would complete the hands-on training phase, the final day or two would be so busy analyzing training logs that there’d be no time to rest—the system would be running at full capacity. Realistically, that left Horgan only about three to four days to make his move.

This thought made Taeui feel a considerable amount of tension.

“How about a game of pool tonight, Tay?”

After the afternoon training, Taeui was drenched in sweat and heading toward the cafeteria to grab dinner before dealing with Horgan, when a hand patted his shoulder from behind. He turned to see Carlo, who must have followed him at some point, also soaked with sweat. Taeui sighed and shook his head.

“Pool, huh……. Sounds tempting, but I can’t.”

“Why not? Is it because of Horgan again?”

Carlo frowned, clearly annoyed.

“I mean, he may be a high-ranking instructor, but is it really necessary to stick to him even after hours? Are you two dating or something?”

“Hey, hey, don’t say such nonsense. Just the thought of Horgan’s name is enough to give me chills. Please, don’t question my taste like that.”

“…….Come on, your taste is already known to be the worst, Tay.”

Carlo muttered: “I’d take Horgan over that other lunatic any day”, leaving Taeui too frustrated to come up with a reply.

Taeui forced a bitter smile, trying to drink the last few drops from his nearly empty water bottle in the cafeteria. Carlo, apparently sympathetic, handed him his own water bottle.

Since that last outdoor training march, rumors about Taeui’s relationships had spread everywhere. Even Horgan, who typically never cared about anything beyond political alliances, had thrown in some mocking remarks.

The looks from those around him had grown colder. Thankfully, those who were close to him hadn’t turned distant. Instead, they looked at him with a hint of sympathy, treating him no differently than before. They still invited him to join their evening gatherings, as if everything was as it always had been.

Among all the rumors and reactions, most of which Taeui couldn’t refute, there was one reason people looked at him with such cold eyes that he genuinely felt unjustly accused.

“Hold on, why is my taste being labeled the worst? I don’t have such terrible taste. No, in fact, my taste is still the same. It’s just that there’s a huge gap between my taste and reality——”

Taeui stopped in his tracks as he entered the cafeteria, turning to Carlo with a determined look, clenching his fist. Carlo immediately took a step back, pretending to dodge as if Taeui was about to attack him. Then, he glanced inside the cafeteria and lowered his voice to mutter: “Your ‘worst taste’ is over there.”

Taeui’s face fell immediately. This wasn’t the first time he’d had trouble because of Carlo’s ‘six-million-dollar ears’* the ones that always caught everything, no matter how much he pretended not to listen.

(*Six-million-dollar ears’ refers to Carlo’s incredibly sharp hearing, like cutting-edge, high-priced equipment.)

“…….He’s really over there?”

“Yeah, right in the middle of the cafeteria.”

Taeui turned his back to the cafeteria, staring intently at Carlo without moving. Meanwhile, the cafeteria grew more crowded as people gathered for dinner.

In a place this packed, and yet Carlo could spot him right away……. Taeui thought, knowing exactly why without needing to look. Him, too, would notice that person the moment he walked in.

With a slightly stiff, almost creaking motion, Taeui slowly turned his head back toward the cafeteria.

As expected, right in the center of the cafeteria, within a radius of about 3 meters, he sat alone amidst the bustling crowd. Amid the noisy atmosphere, that area was unusually empty, creating a distinct gap that made him stand out unmistakably. An odd aura of silence surrounded him, even in the chaotic environment.

There was no avoiding it now. In a cramped branch building like this, hoping never to cross paths with him was impossible.

“Hey, is that rumor true?”

Carlo, standing beside him, murmured in such a low voice that his lips barely moved, almost like a ventriloquist. Taeui mumbled back: “Which rumor?”

“I heard that during your last march, you gave him a punch.”

“…….”

“I heard it wasn’t just one punch, either.”

How did they even hear about this? Taeui found it hard to comprehend. Rumors here spread at an astonishing speed and reach.

“Right now, people are split on whether it’s true or not. Since you’re still in one piece, some think it’s just gossip → But because he acts differently around you, it could be true → Yet, if he hadn’t changed his nature, he’d have shown up with a bloodied face by now. The details are that precise, but there’s still no final conclusion.”

“What did you bet on?”

Taeui nudged Carlo, suspecting he’d probably joined a betting pool on the matter. As expected, Carlo glanced down at him and grinned widely.

“That you actually punched him, and he’s deliberately dragging it out to torment you mentally, waiting for the right moment to retaliate.”

How could he have forgotten that? Though they didn’t see it, everyone here was quite sharp and perceptive, especially Carlo, who was always hyper-aware of everything around him.

“Close enough” – Taeui replied, then stomped his heel down on Carlo’s shin before walking away. Carlo hopped around, clutching his throbbing leg, while Taeui grabbed a food tray and made his way to the center of the cafeteria.

As soon as Taeui entered, Ilay noticed him. As Taeui quietly approached the table, Ilay stretched his leg out to nudge a vacant chair toward him. “Thanks” – Taeui muttered tersely as he sat down in the pushed-out chair and began his meal.

Exactly, Carlo. I also think your answer is right.