And right from a place very far away.

In the vast expanse of the southern seas, where thousands of miles from the crumpled newspaper discarded in a trash bin, lay an island surrounded by a cluster of coral-ringed isles, both big and small.

On that island, in a beautiful villa meticulously built atop the jewel-like waters, four men sat gathered around a table.

On the table lay a copy of the same gossip newspaper, identical to the one crumpled in a distant land’s trash bin.

“…….”

“…….”

The four men sat silently, each lost in their own thoughts.

The 1st was a young man of East Asian descent, stared at the photo with a deeply troubled expression, his breath held as if weighed down by serious contemplation.

The 2nd was the villa owner’s younger brother, who had the faintest hint of a smirk on his lips, as though he found the situation amusing. Yet, his narrow slightly open eyes carried an unmistakable air of danger.

The 3rd was a flawlessly sculpted handsome young man, who wore a blank disinterested look. His expression seemed to suggest he found little intrigue in the matter—yet his gaze remained fixed on the photo, as though nailed to it.

The young head of the family gazed down at the photo with an expression impossible to read, his face emotionless, and the hand idly rubbing his chin as he appeared lost in thought.

The heavy silence, neither too long nor too short, was finally broken by the East Asian young man: Jeong Taeui, the one who had a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He was beginning to feel as though he’d been born under a star of misfortune.

“It’s not me……. probably.”

The “probably” at the end was barely audible, a whisper soft enough that only a passing ant might have turned its head. As his words trailed off, Ilay’s eyes were narrowing at him all this time, now squinted even further. Ilay’s gaze became razor-sharp.

“Hmm……. Well, I suppose that’s possible.” – Ilay murmured.

“…….”

And silence fell once more.

None of them were fools. No, ưhile two or three of them might have aspects in which they fell significantly below the average, at least when it came to reasoning and judgment, none of them were lacking.

The question lingered in the air: Whose silhouettes were captured in this photo?

Assuming they were all arriving at the same conclusion, Taeui kept his expression as calm as possible, sipping a beer he couldn’t even taste while internally tearing his hair out.

This vacation felt cursed from the very beginning. The root of the problem, he realized, was that he had foolishly agreed to Christoph’s proposal without a second thought.

No, not that there was anything inherently wrong with spending a vacation with a friend. If you had to get permission from others for something as simple as that, life would be far too suffocating to bear.

The problem was that the friend in question was Christoph – a man who by all accounts, had never been on good terms with Ilay – and the bigger problem was that the vacation dates Christoph had suggested just so happened to coincide ‘perfectly’ with the ones Ilay had marked on his calendar months ago.

Yes, months earlier, while reading the newspaper, Ilay had suddenly turned to Taeui and said:

“Tae-i, there’s a regional craft beer expo in London this summer. Apparently, they’ve even set up a dedicated beer corner.”

“Huh? A craft beer expo? With a beer corner?”

With his ears practically perking up, Taeui flew to Ilay’s side and eagerly sat down. What Ilay showed him was an advertisement for an expo aimed at promoting craft and regional beverages from around the world. Eyes sparkling with excitement, Taeui immediately exclaimed: “I want to go!” Ilay let out a small chuckle and said, as though he had anticipated this reaction.

“Okay. Then I won’t take any jobs nearby during that time……. Hmm. Alain mentioned there’s a decent opportunity around this date, but I guess I’ll have to turn it down.”

As Ilay murmured to himself while marking the date on the desk calendar, Taeui beamed with joy so his face lit up in happiness. Ilay glanced at Taeui’s delighted expression, and said nothing, but ruffled Taeui’s hair briefly. Taeui remembered Ilay looking somewhat pleased with himself as he did so.

The problem was that the date they had agreed upon for the expo coincided exactly with the vacation dates Taeui had impulsively promised to Christoph. In the end, Taeui chose the latter.

To be honest, skipping the craft beer expo wasn’t a big deal. After all, the only one whose ears had perked up at the mention of it was Taeui, and the only one who had been eager to go was also Taeui. If he was the one to abandon the expo in favor of a summer vacation with Christoph, there was no reason for anyone else to feel disappointed. Besides, it wasn’t as if Taeui had completely ditched Ilay for Christoph—Ilay had come along too, hadn’t he?

But when viewed through a critical lens, even the most trivial matters could become irritating. Especially when the time that had been deliberately kept free was repurposed for something else, it wasn’t surprising if someone’s mood took a nosedive.

Thus, from the very beginning, Taeui had come on this vacation carrying a somewhat heavy feeling regarding Ilay.

Still, once he arrived here, he had been enjoying his days well enough. The island was tranquil and serene, with stunning coastal scenery that seemed almost impossible to replicate anywhere else. Days spent leisurely basking in this idyllic paradise felt like pure bliss.

There had been no major troubles. Occasionally, Richard would drink Taeui’s share of the beer, or Christoph would move a book Ilay had been reading, it was just that such trivial things – sometimes with a sense of intention – would occasionally happen.

So, with the initial sense of unease fading, they had been enjoying their leisurely days. Now, just a few days away from returning to their usual routines, everything had seemed peaceful. Until, out of nowhere, the metaphorical boulder of a tabloid dropped squarely into their midst.

“…….”

Taeui sat silently there, sipping his now bitter-tasting beer, glaring at the offending piece of yellow journalism with a mix of frustration and resignation.

Let it be said once more: There were no fools among them. Each one possessed reasoning skills well above average. Taeui was no exception, and as he stared at the photo, he was already piecing together the most plausible conclusion in his mind.

‘Oh, dear God, why must you test me like this?’

When Taeui nursed his beer with a miserable expression, unable to tear his gaze away from the newspaper. He stared at it as if willing it to actually burn a hole through it—anything to escape this torment.

It was then that he heard a sharp “Tsk”, the sound of someone clicking their tongue.

The tense silence was broken by a sharp disapproving click of the tongue, followed by the voice of Christoph, whose sculpted features were marred by an uncharacteristically fierce scowl.

“For heaven’s sake, you’re all old enough to know better. What’s the big deal? Who cares who it is? So what if someone kissed someone? It’s not like your lips are going to wear out from it.”

He let out a derisive snort, brushing the newspaper off the table with his fingertips as if the entire situation was beneath him. The paper slid off the table and fluttered to the floor with a faint rustle. From across the table, Ilay’s low unhesitating response came.

“Worn out.”

“Wear…….out?” 

Momentarily caught off guard, Christoph stared at Ilay with a mixture of disbelief and irritation. However, Ilay spoke slowly, as if the matter was hardly worth discussing.

“A kiss burns approximately 3.8 kilocalories, doesn’t it? So, however slight, it does technically cause wear and tear.”

“There’s no way something as brief as a light kiss could burn that much!” – Christoph retorted indignantly.

“And how can you be sure it was just a light kiss and not……. something more? From looking at this photo, how could you possibly tell?”

“…….―.”

Christoph was left speechless and his mouth still open mid-retort while glaring at Ilay with a frustrated expression as if searching for a comeback that wouldn’t arrive. Next to him, Taeui with a darkened expression, subtly rolled his eyes.

‘You idiot……. Right, so there is one fool among us.’

“Well……. Taei said it wasn’t him. If it’s not him, that leaves the three of us, but what do you even mean by ‘something more’ happening?” – Christoph mumbled awkwardly, then sulkily shut his mouth. However, Taeui could clearly feel Christoph sneaking glances at his expression, trying to gauge his reaction. (And surely everyone else noticed it too.)

It was at that moment, when a very subtle and unsettling silence seemed to pass briefly.

Then, Richard finally spoke after being quietly lost in thought: “No.”
His calm voice broke through the tension as he continued:

“I think Christoph has a point. A kiss doesn’t wear anything out, does it? Right?”

Christoph glanced at him with a puzzled look, and wondered why this guy was suddenly backing him up, as the latter casually shrugged his shoulders and threw an indifferent glance in Christoph’s direction. Richard was wearing a benign expression, then met Christoph’s gaze momentarily before nonchalantly turning his attention elsewhere. After staring at Richard while blinking in confusion, now Christoph seemed to relax a little, his fierce expression softening.

Observing this subtle exchange from the side, Taeui found himself murmuring: “Huh…….?” But as a dark premonition flashed through his mind, he hurriedly tried to say: “Wait, Chris…….” However, just at that moment, as if someone had been timing it perfectly, a large foot pressed firmly down on Taeui’s under the table. Taeui abruptly shut his mouth.

The reason was clear: The sinister aura emanating from the foot resting lightly on his own belonged to that malicious being beside him, who was now watching him with a faintly curved gaze, as though amused by the situation..

Completely unaware of the growing drop of cold sweat forming on Taeui’s forehead, Christoph continued speaking in an even brighter tone.

“Exactly, exactly. Worn out? What nonsense. Something as trivial as lips touching something is no big deal. Besides, even if they do get a little worn, you can just eat something and replenish those calories, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. You’re absolutely right, Christoph.”

A faint smile briefly flickered across Richard’s otherwise expressionless face. Christoph, still slightly bewildered, glanced at Richard with a softened gaze as the latter nodded in agreement with a kind demeanor. For a rare moment, a warm and congenial exchange of looks passed between the two.

Watching this from the sidelines, Taeui could only sit silently, the weight of the heavy foot pressing on his own preventing him from saying a word. He sipped his beer and thought: ‘This isn’t right…….’

There was no way Richard would ever smile at Christoph like that.

No, saying it like that would be misleading. In other circumstances, perhaps Richard might have smiled at Christoph like that.

Yes, for instance, a few days ago.

The villa had everything: Swimming areas, scuba diving gear, and all the equipment necessary for serious water activities. But Christoph wasn’t particularly keen on such intense water activities, so he opted instead to tie a rubber boat to one of the villa’s pillars. He lounged on it, swaying gently as he took a nap. Without bothering to set up even a temporary shade, he basked under the full force of the sun, and when it got too hot, he would briefly dip into the water before returning to his lazy slumber. However, in that evening, Christoph ended up sprawled on the bed, groaning like a sunburned octopus, his skin glowing a bright red.

From head to toe, he was flushed crimson, muttering repeatedly: “It stings……. it stings…….” Beside him, Richard clicked his tongue in disapproval, though a laugh escaped his lips. Hearing the laughter, Christoph immediately glared at him with all the ferocity he could muster, despite his boiled-octopus-like face, and snapped: “It’s not that painful, so there’s no need to feel so smug, Richard.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but the effect was less convincing.

“Feeling smug, huh…….” – Richard muttered with a wry smile, but he didn’t respond further. Instead, he gently pushed Christoph back onto the bed. Without saying much, Richard grabbed the large bottle of after-sun lotion he had rushed out to buy as soon as he saw Christoph’s condition that evening. He started by squeezing a generous amount onto Christoph’s severely sunburned back and carefully spreading it over the inflamed skin.

The moment Richard’s hand touched him, Christoph flinched and tried to protest: “Wait, stop it! I’ll do it myself.” However, for some reason, when Richard glanced at him with those serious unwavering eyes, Christoph uncharacteristically fell silent, as if something was holding him back from arguing further.

As if he couldn’t bring himself to face Richard directly, Christoph turned his head to the side, staring intently at a framed picture on the wall. Meanwhile, Richard silently chuckled as he carefully applied the cream with a gentle touch. The soft creases forming at the corners of his eyes made his smile unexpectedly pleasant to look at, so much so that when Taeui entered the room with an ice pack in hand, he found himself momentarily captivated by that smile without even realizing it.

“Ah, wait, Taei, don’t go—!”

Christoph sounded desperate and seemed to be trying to plead with Taeui who was about to turn and leave. But in that very moment, Richard’s hand that had been applying cream to Christoph’s stomach, suddenly moved up to his chest. With the tips of his fingers, he firmly pressed and circled Christoph’s nipple, causing Christoph to sharply inhale and instinctively try to sit up. However, Richard pinned him down with ease, keeping him lying flat.

Turning his head, Richard smiled calmly at Taeui and said: “Mr. Taei, would you mind bringing a bit more ice?”

“What? Ice is right there…….”

“Ah, but I think we’ll need more.”

Though there seemed to be plenty of ice in the container next to the bed, but Taeui being overwhelmed by Richard’s unwaveringly calm demeanor – and more specifically, by the audacity of Richard’s fingers, which continued to pinch and rub Christoph’s nipple even as Taeui stood there watching – mumbled: “Ah, okay”, and awkwardly left the room. He could feel Christoph’s resentful gaze burning into his back, but he forced himself to ignore it as he closed the door behind him.

“…….”

Perhaps this situation was revenge for that time.

That thought suddenly crossed Taeui’s mind.

But he quickly shook his head. If that were the case, Christoph wouldn’t be sitting there with that composed expression, which only barely concealed the subtle restlessness underneath.

Amidst this, Richard’s lips curved into a deep smile.

“Something like lips touching isn’t a big deal, and any calories consumed can just be replenished by eating, right? Yes, you’re absolutely right, Christoph. I completely agree with you.”

“Of course, absolutely.”

Christoph smiled brightly, but still puzzled as to why Richard was suddenly agreeing with him so readily, his expression filled with genuine delight.

Richard was watching Christoph’s now rather convincing smile, his gaze lingering on the corners of his eyes and mouth, smiled once more and nodded. Then, without warning, he reached for the intercom sitting in the corner of the table. Cutting off their conversation mid-flow, he picked up the receiver and dialed an extension number. Taeui wondered briefly where Richard could be calling, but soon it became clear as someone answered on the other end. Richard began speaking into the phone in his characteristically smooth voice.

“Sorry to disturb you during your break, Bessie. No, we don’t need anything at the moment. We just had a delightful lunch, after all. Haha, nothing urgent—just that for dinner, I’d like you to prepare something especially high in protein and calories. And make sure there’s plenty of it, more than usual. …….Hmm? Haha, no, no guests are coming. But it feels like tonight calls for a particularly nutritious meal.”

Strange. For a moment, it sounded to me like he said: ‘It feels like someone needs to be well-fed.’ And honestly, I’m not sure I misheard.

Taeui muttered inwardly, his gaze still fixed on some arbitrary point in the air. He couldn’t even glance at Christoph to exchange a knowing look. The reason? The man beside him, who was pressing down firmly on Taeui’s foot, sat there languidly like a well-fed lion, his demeanor unhurried yet intense. His gaze met Taeui’s, one that seemed to say he was just about done digesting and ready for the next course.

Eventually, Richard hung up the phone. His gaze flicked toward the wall clock, its hands now marking the early afternoon.

“Well then, Christoph.” – Richard said while rising slowly from his seat as he called out to him.

Maybe Christoph had already felt that something was off the moment Richard ordered the high-protein and high-calorie meal, so he shot Richard a wary glance, his expression filled with suspicion. Richard smiled calmly, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Come with me for a moment, just until dinner is ready.”

“…….―No. Why?!” – Christoph retorted, his voice tinged with both defiance and unease.

It was only then that Christoph, sensing a growing unease, leaned back slightly and replied nervously. However, Richard’s smiling eyes didn’t waver in the slightest.

“How will someone who unknowingly becomes a victim of harassment look at the perpetrator once they realize the truth…….?” – Richard mused slowly, half to himself.

As those words were spoken in a deliberate, almost detached tone, Christoph’s face briefly stiffened. His gaze darted toward Taeui as if seeking confirmation or an ally. But Taeui couldn’t meet his eyes. The large foot pressing down on his own was now applying more pressure, enough to suggest it could crush his foot entirely if he dared to move.

“…….Fine. Let’s go. Quickly. Whatever. You said you had something to say.”

Christoph jumped up like his tail was on fire and hurriedly pushed Richard toward the other room, as if there was something he desperately didn’t want them – or more specifically is Taeui – to hear. Richard walked alongside Christoph meanwhile, already undoing a couple of the top buttons on his shirt, allowing himself to be guided without resistance. Watching this unfold from the corner of his eye, Taeui could only scream inwardly.

‘Christoph, don’t tell me you’re doing this because you’re afraid I’ll overhear something! Do you really think I don’t understand what’s happening here, in this exact moment?! Do you think I’m some clueless fool?! I’m not, Christoph! Come back right now! Do you even realize where you’re heading—?!’

“It’s that guy who’s being dumb. It’s strange, really. Most of the time, he’s so sharp it even surprises me, but in situations like this, he acts like a complete idiot.” 

As if he could see into Taeui’s mind, the moment those two disappeared from sight, Ilay slowly opened his mouth.

‘Ah. This wasn’t the time to be worrying about Christoph.’

Taeui instinctively hunched his shoulders slightly and hurriedly tried to defend himself.

“It wasn’t me! …….Well, maybe it was me, but I swear, I don’t remember a thing!”

“Hmm…….?” 

“I’ve never lied about something like this!”

Taeui looked Ilay straight in the eye for a while, his expression as if to say: ‘Just look at these honest eyes!’ On the other hand, Ilay stared back at him with an unreadable expression. After a moment, the corners of Ilay’s lips curled ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly.

“Sure, I suppose that’s true. For what it’s worth, I do trust you, Taei. I trust you deeply. The one I can’t trust, though, is that annoyingly pretty-faced guy over there. He knows full well that what’s his is no longer his, and he even knows exactly where his own ‘cake’ is. Yet, with his own cake in hand, he still impulsively glances at someone else’s, driven by nothing more than some shallow regret from the past.”

Taeui stared at Ilay blankly, processing his words. Then, with a resigned sigh, he clicked his tongue.

Well, it wasn’t like Taeui thought Ilay wouldn’t figure it out. Ilay was by no means stupid. In fact, Ilay was sharp, quick to read the room, and even faster at assessing situations. And when it came to piecing everything together and arriving at the most fitting conclusion, he excelled.

Taeui sank deeper into the sofa, rubbing his throbbing temples with his thumb. With a sigh laced in his muttering, he said,

“It’s frustrating to be blamed for this, but honestly, I’d rather you not hold him accountable either, if possible.”

“Why? Are you worried about him?”

Ilay’s eyes were smiling, but for some reason, Taeui had a gut feeling that with just the slightest misstep in his response, that smile might no longer be a smile. Not that it would have changed his answer, even if it wasn’t the case.

“Well……. if it were you, wouldn’t you be worried about a friend’s problem?” – Taeui retorted grumpily.

Only after blurting that out did he think: ‘Actually, this guy probably wouldn’t worry. No, he definitely wouldn’t. Oh, wait—he doesn’t even have friends in the first place, does he?’

“Hmm, a friend, you say. Christoph, is it?” 

“Yes, a friend.”

Ilay’s subtle tone only made Taeui more annoyed, and he replied even more sulkily. ‘A friend. Of course, a friend. What else could it possibly be?’

After much insistence, Taeui had once convinced Kyle to introduce him to others as Ilay’s friend. However, every time he was introduced as ‘Rick’s friend’, a faint sense of guilt would weigh on his conscience. But calling Christoph a friend? That didn’t trouble him in the slightest.

When Taeui firmly stated: “A friend”, Ilay let out a low laugh.

“If Christoph heard that, he’d be thrilled. —Well, yes, that’s true. Christoph is, after all, technically my friend as well.”

‘No, somehow it feels like the kind of ‘friend’ you’re talking about is different from the kind of ‘friend’ I mean…….’ – Taeui thought to himself but wisely chose not to say it out loud.

“Well, fine. Since it seems like Richard will handle giving that guy the practical advice he needs, I’ll just leave him alone and quietly wait it out.”

“…….That guy?”

“Yes, that guy.” 

“………….. Then what about me? Are you saying you’re going to hold me responsible?”

Taeui pointed at himself with his index finger, staring at Ilay with deeply suspicious eyes. ‘I’ve said a hundred times already—I’m innocent!’ – His expression seemed to scream.

For a few seconds, Ilay’s gaze lingered on Taeui, as if lost in thought, while Taeui wore an expression brimming with indignation, practically radiating his innocence. Whether his effort paid off or not, Ilay seemed to stifle a quiet chuckle. Picking up a newspaper scattered on the floor, he finally spoke.

“Blaming someone who isn’t responsible……. that’s a foolish thing to do.”

He muttered the words as if to himself, his eyes scanning the newspaper. After a moment of staring at a blurry silhouette captured in one of the photos, he casually tossed the paper onto the table.

“Instead, let’s cover it up.”

“Huh?”

Taeui raised an eyebrow at the sudden cryptic statement. Ilay tapped the newspaper lightly with his fingers.

“That memory needs to be erased. The lingering sensation on your lips—are you planning to keep carrying it around without wiping it away?”

Ilay leaned back against the sofa with a casual air as he spoke. Taeui stared at him silently for a moment before letting out a sigh. Then, with a resigned expression, he stood up from his seat.

Muttering under his breath: “I told you, I don’t even remember it”, Taeui circled around the table and approached Ilay. He sat down next to him, then reached out with both hands to cradle Ilay’s head, pulling him in for a kiss.

Ilay obediently being pulled and opening his mouth, felt Jeongtae’s tongue tap gently against his. A faint chuckle seemed to echo between their mouths, and soon, Ilay’s tongue returned the gesture, playfully tapping back against Taeui’s.

A familiar sensation soon crept over him. The kiss was intense, heated, and almost precariously thrilling—so much so that a corner of Taeui’s heart instinctively fluttered with unease, as though he might truly be devoured. Of course, he knew that wasn’t the case, yet the feeling lingered. It was rough and deep, but never clumsy or brutish.

It was as if a fearsome predator, both intimidating and immensely powerful, sat before a delicacy it had been savoring. The predator was content for the moment – sated just enough – but still thoroughly enjoying its meal. Sometimes tender, sometimes ravenous.

――This was Ilay.

No matter how many times, dozens, hundreds, thousands, there was always a moment when that thought crossed his mind. A fleeting yet profound sense of comfort, as though this had always been the way things were.

“…….”

Taeui suddenly found himself smiling. Ilay must have noticed, as his lips briefly pulled away, his gaze locking onto Taeui’s with quiet intensity, as if silently asking: ‘What’s so funny?’

“It’s nothing,” – Taeui replied with a soft chuckle – “Just……. who’d have thought a day like this would ever come?”

“What kind of day is this?” – Ilay asked.

Taeui only laughed. He wasn’t sure how to put it into words, and even if he did manage to express it well, he doubted Ilay would take it in good humor. Yeah, the more he thought about it, the less sense it made to say anything. ‘A day where I realize I’ve finally lost my mind—feeling a sense of comfort in the presence of someone like you.’ – If he said that, it was obvious the only thing he’d get in return would be pain.

Instead of answering, Taeui leaned in and lightly licked Ilay’s lips before gently pushing his face away, a small gesture to dodge the question entirely.

“How is it? Do you think it’s properly erased now?”

“Hmm……. well, more or less. Almost.”

Ilay seemed to have a rough idea of what Taeui was thinking, but it appeared he had decided not to press the matter. Instead, he slowly licked his lips, following Taeui’s lead in the conversation without resistance.

“What’s that supposed to mean? How much more would it take to cleanly erase it?” 

Taeui frowned slightly, feeling like his lips might start to go numb soon. Contrary to what he expected, Ilay didn’t seem intent on continuing the kiss. Instead, he leaned back comfortably against the sofa, his posture relaxed, and uttered something cryptic.

“Hmm, let’s see……. To erase it completely? Maybe in about three or four hours, just before dinner, we can give it another go.”

“What??”

‘What’s this guy even saying?’ – Taeui blinked in disbelief, staring at him. Ilay casually picked up the newspaper again and began flipping through it for other articles, as if completely unfazed, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone.

“To erase it completely, I’ll have to make sure that Christoph never pulls another stunt like that with you again.”

“You said you wouldn’t lay a hand on Christoph.”

Ilay, who had been flipping through the newspaper with disinterest, glanced at Taeui out of the corner of his eye. His gaze narrowed slightly, carrying a hint of warning.

“Of course. I’ll keep my promise, so don’t make that face. Otherwise, I might start feeling like I don’t want to keep it anymore.”

Hearing the faintly menacing edge in Ilay’s voice, Taeui quickly shut his mouth. He knew that Ilay was, at his core, someone who kept his promises. At least, he believed so. There was no point in poking the bear unnecessarily—it would only lead to trouble. And trouble was something he’d prefer to avoid—for both his own sake and his peace of mind.

With a resigned thought of – ‘I need to survive first’ – Taeui settled quietly beside him, his demeanor calm but his mind secretly praying for Christoph’s safety.

“…….”

Still, for some reason, Taeui couldn’t shake the feeling that Christoph wasn’t entirely safe at the moment. Yet, at the same time, he had absolutely no desire to follow the two of them to check on Christoph’s well-being. There was an ominous hunch lingering in his mind—if he went now, he’d probably end up seeing something he’d rather not.

Clicking his tongue, Taeui let out a heavy sigh. Scratching the back of his neck in frustration, he muttered to himself under his breath, accompanied by a resigned sigh.

“I just want to finish this vacation peacefully.”

Even though it was a whisper meant only for him, Ilay must have heard it, because a calm and nonchalant response came from beside him: “Of course, it will.”