Passion: Diaphonic Symphonia Novel - Chapter 1 - Prologue

The torrential rain that had started pouring at some point in the early morning seemed to let up briefly around noon, but by afternoon, heavy raindrops were once again cascading down. The relentless rain, showing no signs of stopping, lashed with the wind, causing raindrops to constantly splatter and stream down the windowpanes.

It had been raining frequently lately. After each rainfall, the temperature would drop, making it chilly even though spring was almost over. It would probably be cold for another day or two after this rain stopped.

“Today is particularly… intense.”

Jeong Taeui muttered suddenly, staring blankly at the raindrops violently beating against the glass door of the living room that led to the inner courtyard. It had rained occasionally every few days, but today it was exceptionally fierce.

But even this was good.

The sound of raindrops hitting the thick glass door didn’t reach inside. Only the shimmering, blurring streaks of water on the glass door were visible, silently undulating.

It felt as if the world was submerged in water.

And deep beneath it, quietly and languidly, Jeong Taeui lay. Tucked away beneath the voluminous curtains draped behind the sofa, a spot rarely noticed by others.

A faint, fresh scent wafted from the curtains, which had been washed yesterday when it was sunny and dried until they were crisp. It was a pleasant, crisp scent that suited this rainy day perfectly.

It was Jeong Taeui’s favorite spot to laze around.

Although everyone in the house now knew that Jeong Taeui liked to lie there, it was still a perfect spot: well-hidden from others’ eyes, filled with sunlight, and if the sun was too much, he could draw the curtains for shade.

The first time Rita caught him, she warned him two or three times not to lie on such a secluded floor. But after she witnessed Jeong Taeui struggling to bend his body in that cramped space, trying desperately not to be caught again, she seemed to feel a bit sorry for him, or perhaps found him pathetic, and stopped nagging. And so, the corner behind the living room sofa became Jeong Taeui’s territory.

He was satisfied.

In the afternoon, when soft, chick-like sunlight streamed in, there was nothing more he could wish for than to open the glass door, feel the gentle breeze, and take a short nap in the curtain’s shade. Or, on a day like today, when the rain poured, it was nice to feel the slightly cool floor and listen to the faint, almost inaudible sound of the rain.

The only thing that kept this spot from being a perfectly satisfying resting place was when Ilay, who was sometimes holed up in the study or his room doing something, would come out, sit on the sofa, and, pretending not to notice, stretch his arm over the sofa to poke Jeong Taeui.

“This is nice…”

Jeong Taeui sighed languidly and closed his eyes, muttering to himself.

Today was a “perfectly stable day.”

His mind wasn’t floating buoyantly like on a sunny day, nor was it an anxious day with thunder and lightning raging. Kyle had come home early today, so everyone who should be in the house was there, with no empty spots. There were no urgent tasks to do, no incidents or accidents to disturb his peace.

“It’s nice, just perfect.”

He muttered again.

Could there be another freeloader so blessed?

In this house, which had become so familiar that he didn’t even think of himself as a freeloader unless he consciously brought it to mind, Jeong Taeui was leisurely lazing around.

Thinking about it, Jeong Taeui had spent several years here, living his days like this. Except for very occasional, planned vacations, he usually couldn’t leave this neighborhood. The boundary he could freely roam was limited to this immediate area. Though almost a formality, Jeong Taeui was still, unfortunately, an internationally wanted man.

The truly notorious fugitive who shared this house, however, would come and go without any hesitation. Sometimes he’d go quite far away for days, saying he had something to do, though Jeong Taeui didn’t know what it was.

At such times, Jeong Taeui felt the unfairness of the world, but even that didn’t particularly upset him. He wasn’t the type to feel so stifled just by staying indoors anyway. Whatever the case, the tasks Kyle dumped on him, which someone like James, Kyle’s skilled assistant, could finish in half a day, often took Jeong Taeui several times longer. And unfortunately, Kyle’s company seemed to be thriving, as the work never stopped.

Right, if I think about it, I’m not such a brazen freeloader. I’m helping diligently, after all.

Jeong Taeui nodded proudly, recalling the stack of files he had processed until late last night and handed over to James this morning.

What does it matter? In this long life, what’s a few years of ‘prison life’? Where else could there be such a comfortable and luxurious prison? It’s a little regrettable that I can’t meet the faces I want to see whenever I want, but they’re all incredibly busy people anyway. Besides, though very rare, sometimes one of them would even come to visit Jeong Taeui. …Like his uncle, who came and stayed for just one day two and a half years ago.

Jeong Taeui stirred, thinking, “Come to think of it, it should be vacation season for him soon. I wonder if he’ll come this way this time.” Even ‘stirred’ was an exaggeration; he merely contorted his body slightly in a different direction within the confined space.

“Not a cat, are you?”

A voice suddenly came from above his head.

A faint shadow appeared on the glass door, where raindrops created a ripple pattern.

Turning his head slightly, he saw the notorious fugitive, the international terrorist Ilay Riegrow, who had been holed up in his room since lunchtime, tapping away on his laptop.

“It’s not as cramped as it looks. Though for you to lie down… Try lying down if you can.”

Jeong Taeui awkwardly shifted his body in that space, just big enough for himself, making a gesture to make some room. An indifferent gaze silently fell upon that corner, less than half a palm’s width.

“…”

“…”

“Then why don’t you try lying down—”

“My apologies. I spoke too soon.”

Jeong Taeui quickly said, as Ilay, with his indifferent expression, took a step forward as if he were truly going to lie down. He swiftly twisted his body back to its original position.

From the start, it was a space that would be too tight for Ilay, who was much taller and broader than Jeong Taeui, to lie down alone.

He had meant it as a joke, but after speaking, he realized that Ilay wasn’t the type of person to get such a joke. If Jeong Taeui hadn’t quickly retreated, Ilay would have truly crushed him by lying on top.

As Jeong Taeui lay down with an expression that clearly said he wouldn’t budge, Ilay chuckled. Then he obediently sat on the sofa. Apparently, he had no intention of disturbing Jeong Taeui’s rest, as the rustling sound of him turning the pages of the evening newspaper, delivered in plastic wrapping about half an hour ago, could be heard.

“Any interesting news?”

“Not really.”

The short conversation ended there.

Jeong Taeui rolled over again to face outwards.

He could see the inner courtyard, where heavy rain was still pouring. The small trees that Peter had meticulously trimmed just yesterday looked pitiful.

Beyond the low, antique wrought-iron fence of the inner courtyard, the outside street was visible. This house, located deep in an alley within a quiet and spacious residential area, had almost no one passing by its front due to its location. If someone approached close enough to see the inner courtyard, it was almost certainly someone visiting the house. So, mostly, people could be seen coming and going at the small intersection a couple of blocks ahead.

However, today, perhaps due to the strong wind and rain, no one was seen on the street. Indeed, on a day like this, anyone would want to drink tea in a warm house.

“…”

He thought about making some buchimgae, but dinner would be in just an hour or two, so he could easily imagine Rita’s displeased gaze. Moreover, the dongdongju he had stocked up on recently had run out. Buchimgae and beer aren’t bad, but not a terribly good combination…

Jeong Taeui sighed slightly, a little regretfully, and smacked his lips.

It was around that time.

Beyond the fence, an indistinct figure appeared in the rain that completely soaked the street. The figure, who emerged from around the corner at the end of the alley, gradually drew closer.

Wearing a black umbrella pulled low, almost completely obscuring his face, he was a tall man. Dressed entirely in black—a sleek black suit, black tie, black shoes—except for an ivory dress shirt. Yet, the man didn’t give off a dark or gloomy impression. Perhaps it was due to his leisurely gait, as if he were enjoying a stroll even in this violent downpour.

He’s visiting this house.

Jeong Taeui suddenly thought so for no particular reason.

“Looks like we have a guest.”

He blurted out to himself. Although his voice must have been heard clearly, no answer came from the sofa. Only the rustle of a newspaper turning over came in return, as if he hadn’t heard.

Just then, the grandfather clock in a corner of the living room began to chime. The familiar sound slowly chimed five times, with the heavy, slow pendulum swinging.

When the slow, resonant whoosh of the sound completely faded, the intercom rang. Light footsteps could be heard approaching from the kitchen; it was Rita. Her voice followed, having a brief conversation with the security guard. It seemed the guest would be entering soon.

Should I get up since a guest has arrived? Jeong Taeui thought, yet he continued to dawdle, still lying in his secluded spot.

He hadn’t been lying down for long. He was feeling perfectly content right now. And above all, guests in this house were different from guests in other houses. It was a home where external visitors, meaning guests, barged in daily and stayed, making it an ordinary occurrence, so he felt not an iota of novelty.

No, even so, there are basic manners. I should get up.

Just as Jeong Taeui was about to push himself up from where he lay, a newspaper suddenly flew onto his face.

Having apparently finished reading the evening paper, Ilay had flung it over the back of the sofa, and it rustled as it covered Jeong Taeui’s face. It didn’t hurt much, but the pages fluttered, sliding from his head to the floor and scattering.

“What are you—”

“Has he arrived?”

But before Jeong Taeui could grumble his complaint, there was a stir as Kyle came down from the study upstairs. Creak, creak, the wooden stairs faintly creaked.

As he took the final step down to the first floor, the front door opened.

Still slumped on the floor behind the sofa, covered by the newspaper, Jeong Taeui saw the man who entered, bringing with him the strong scent of rain.

The man, who had placed his black umbrella in the umbrella stand outside the front door, slowly raised his head to look at Kyle. Then, at Ilay, who was sitting on the sofa.

A slow smile spread across the man’s calm expression. His eyes and mouth curved ever so slightly. And only then could Jeong Taeui properly see the man.

The impression of solidity was the first thing that struck him. Like cold stone, it felt as if not even the tip of a needle would penetrate him no matter where he was poked. The only thing that seemed a little relaxed was his smiling face, but even that gave off a feeling of “he won’t be easy.”

Jeong Taeui scratched his head.

Among Kyle’s friends and other visitors to this house, there were occasionally people like this. People who made you think, “This one won’t be easy.”

This man would be no less, perhaps even more, so.

The one good thing was that, compared to the other formidable people he had seen so far, this man had an exceptionally good impression. Even his all-black attire, more suited for a funeral, which would usually look gloomy on others, looked refined and neat on this man.

It’s not easy to have such a good impression with such an unusual aura, truly.

Jeong Taeui stared at the man with a sense of admiration. Although from Jeong Taeui’s current position, he couldn’t see him properly, being obscured by potted plants and ornamental stones.

While he was thinking these thoughts, Jeong Taeui missed his chance to leave.

“Welcome. It’s been a while. You must have had a rough journey in the rain.”

“Not at all. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen rain, so I purposely got off at the main road ahead and walked. Have you both been well?”

“Hmm? I thought it had rained quite often lately, didn’t it rain where you are?”

Kyle led the man into the living room and sat in the seat perpendicular to the couch where Ilay was sitting. The man sat opposite him.

Jeong Taeui, who could no longer see the man due to his position, blinked for a moment, then quietly sighed and leaned back on the sofa. Sitting back-to-back with Ilay, separated by the thick sofa backrest, he looked out at the pouring rain once again.

The man’s slightly slow and unique way of speaking had a subtle Austrian accent mixed in, but it suited his appearance well and was pleasant to listen to.

“I didn’t know the eastern corner of Germany was so wide. It’s rained heavily four times in Berlin this month, but Dresden hasn’t even seen a drop of rain…?”

Ilay chuckled, his muttering voice coming from right behind him.

His mouth certainly has trouble saying nice things.

Jeong Taeui needlessly knocked his head against the sofa. Of course, there was no response.

But certainly, as Ilay said, if it hadn’t rained once for a long time in a place less than 200 kilometers from Berlin, it would be strange.

“No, I’ve been in Riyadh since March. I just returned a few days ago.”

The man spoke and smiled in a casual tone, as if he knew Ilay. Jeong Taeui yawned, then abruptly closed his mouth. And rolled his eyes.

Riyadh… He hadn’t expected to hear that painful place name.

Wasn’t that where the incident occurred that led to the man sitting right behind him being promoted to an internationally wanted terrorist?

“Ah, indeed. The rain in Germany wouldn’t have reached the Middle East.”

However, the terrorist’s own brother calmly responded and chuckled, and the terrorist himself didn’t seem to care.

“Riyadh, huh. Come to think of it, the anniversary is approaching.”

As Kyle spoke, seemingly with a renewed thought, there was a faint, clear clinking sound of teaware. After a slight delay, a warm scent wafted to his nose. It was the black tea Rita had brewed.

If I were to get up now and ask Rita to brew me a cup too… Forget it. Before I get skewered by her gaze.

The conversation paused briefly as if everyone was drinking tea simultaneously.

Jeong Taeui simply inhaled the faint scent of black tea and closed his eyes.

Come to think of it, Ilay usually didn’t care whether Kyle had guests or not, but for some reason, today he was even drinking tea with them. Well, he couldn’t see if he was actually drinking it or not. Or perhaps, this wasn’t Kyle’s guest, but Ilay’s.

However, before Jeong Taeui’s question could be answered, Ilay broke the lukewarm silence, regardless of whose guest he was.

“So, the succession issue?”

The annoyance, his desire to quickly conclude the conversation, was clearly evident. The man, who had only been seated for a short while, still showed no sign of awkwardness and leisurely placed his teacup down.

“Just under four months until the decision date.”

“Four months, huh… It seems like it’s already decided who it’ll be, so I wonder if there’s a need to wait, but well, that’s the rule.”

This voice, tinged with a slightly calm laugh, was Kyle’s.

“Well, it’s something you can’t know until you go all the way.”

The man’s voice was consistently calm.

From his polite and smiling tone, Jeong Taeui could grasp just one thread of this inexplicable conversation.

In this situation, where a decision was imminent, this man had the upper hand. Almost absolute.

Kyle was generally good at speaking kindly to others, but he never gave excessive, unrealistic praise.

“So, who will be taking it on?”

Finally, the man spoke.

For a very brief moment, silence fell again. In that subtle silence, Jeong Taeui somehow found it increasingly difficult to leave.

He couldn’t stay in this corner forever, so he thought about picking an opportune moment to casually get up, pretending to have just woken up, but the atmosphere felt strangely odd. Sitting here like this also felt, somehow, like eavesdropping, which wasn’t comfortable.

…Then again, the person sitting in the back here at least knows I’m here. So I don’t need to be that uncomfortable.

Jeong Taeui imagined himself suddenly popping out shouting “Surprise!” but shook his head. In such an already peculiar silence, doing something like that would surely lead to him being talked about endlessly by that mouth that had trouble saying nice things.

“I’ll do it.”

After a slight pause, the person who spoke readily was Ilay.

“That is, if you don’t mind.”

Ilay added, slowly tapping the armrest of the couch with his fingers. As he often did when deep in thought.

Jeong Taeui sighed, glancing at his long, white fingers that were subtly visible.

Something… The development was utterly incomprehensible from this fragmented conversation alone, but in any case, Ilay seemed to have taken on something.

He felt strangely moved. It was extremely rare for this man to so readily grant another person’s request. He even added the polite phrase, “That is, if you don’t mind.”

Jeong Taeui, feeling almost overwhelmed with emotion, leaned against the sofa and gazed at the ripple patterns continuously forming on the glass door. In the reflection of the room on the glass, he saw the man nod his head.

“Either way is fine. Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

And no sooner had he finished speaking than he unhesitatingly rose. He gave Ilay a glance of greeting, then turned to Kyle.

“Then, I’ll be taking my leave now.”

…Huh?

Jeong Taeui stared intently at the man reflected in the glass door, blinking his eyes.

He hadn’t been in the house long. Barely enough time to finish a cup of tea. He’d exchanged only a few words without much other conversation, and now he was getting up to leave. It was faster than an insurance agent or a door-to-door salesman.

He could have just talked on the phone, that’s so weird… While Jeong Taeui was thinking this, the man walked towards the entrance, and Kyle, as if he had expected such behavior, saw him off.

Soon, a few parting words were heard from the entrance, followed by a click as the front door closed. Shortly after, the man’s figure was seen again beyond the glass door, outside the inner courtyard.

Just as he had arrived, the man calmly walked through the violent rain that lashed beneath his umbrella. He stopped abruptly while walking along the fence towards the main road. And looked at something.

Jeong Taeui, who had been watching the man without much thought, followed his gaze. What he was looking at were the climbing roses blooming along the fence.

Small yet ornate rose blossoms, with petals mixed in deep apricot and vivid scarlet, layered one upon another, grew along the fence. They swayed precariously in the lashing wind and rain.

The man was gazing at the blossoms lovingly. A smile played around his eyes, as if those small, splendid flowers, bravely enduring the wind and rain, were exceptionally beautiful.

A man who loves flowers. That’s romantic and nice.

Jeong Taeui nodded contentedly, watching him appreciate those beautiful flowers that Peter had carefully planted. It made him feel good to see someone enjoying the beauty in such small things around them.

The man shifted his umbrella to his left hand and carefully caressed a flower with his right. A warm smile spread across his face.

Jeong Taeui, who was contentedly observing the atmosphere created by the splendid man in the rain, the beautiful roses, and the warm touch, then paused.

The man’s fingers, which had been stroking the petals, were crushing them. All with that calm, smiling face.

“…Peter will…”

Peter will be heartbroken… Only that thought came to mind for the moment.

While Jeong Taeui stared blankly, the man, who had crushed a petal until red juice oozed out and then rubbed it with his finger, tapped the petal as if it were cute, then moved on.

Jeong Taeui, who had been gaping, watched the man’s receding back and scratched his head.

“Good grief,” he muttered, and as he stood up, Kyle, returning from the entrance, looked at him with wide, surprised eyes.

“Were you there?”

“Ah, yes. I was going to get up, but the atmosphere was a bit… I unintentionally eavesdropped on your conversation with your friend. My apologies.”

Jeong Taeui bowed slightly to Kyle.

But considering Kyle’s unusual attitude, not even attempting to dissuade the man with empty words, perhaps that man wasn’t Kyle’s friend at all, but rather someone with whom he secretly had a bad relationship, and had simply visited out of necessity for a business talk.

“Still, he had a really good impression…”

He was a man with such a good impression that he would have been perfectly suitable as one of Kyle’s moderate and upright friends.

As Jeong Taeui muttered to himself, Ilay, who was sitting on the sofa in front of him, glanced his way.

“Good impression? That guy just now?”

“Yeah, I thought so. His quiet way of speaking too.”

“…”

Jeong Taeui wondered if he had said something wrong. It was because Ilay was staring at him with narrowed eyes.

After staring for a long time, Ilay clicked his tongue softly.

“It was the same with that Chinese brat, and calling that perverted bastard ‘a good impression’… This guy really has a strange eye for people…”

Jeong Taeui thought that the omitted words, no matter how he looked at the context, wouldn’t be good, so he raised his eyes and was about to exclaim, “What’s wrong with my eye for people?!” but Ilay was already looking elsewhere. Tapping the armrest slowly with his fingertips again.

A perverted bastard? That man just now? He looked perfectly decent and neat.

Jeong Taeui tried to recall his recent memory with great skepticism. The man who had briefly visited and left the house was consistently polite and amiable. He didn’t have a face that would be slandered anywhere.

Then again, you can’t tell from appearances. Even this man sitting right in front of me, if you only look at the surface, isn’t he perfectly normal?

While Jeong Taeui stared at Ilay, Kyle sat in the seat in front of him. Kyle was as silent as Ilay, who was lost in thought, tapping the armrest.

Amidst them, Jeong Taeui stared blankly at the two men, each lost in their own thoughts.

“It must have been an unwelcome guest. I thought he was Kyle’s friend. …He seemed to know Ilay too.”

Jeong Taeui spoke as he sat between the two. Ilay, still in his thought-absorbed, motionless posture, only shifted his gaze to Jeong Taeui.

“Was he a troublesome guest? Talking about succession and all. …And he seemed to have been to Saudi Arabia.”

As Jeong Taeui continued speaking, Ilay stared at him blankly, then for some reason, the corners of his lips quirked upwards.

“Ah, so you can understand German quite well now, it seems.”

“Huh?” Jeong Taeui questioned, his face asking, “What’s so new about that?”

“Speaking isn’t easy yet, but listening or reading is alright. …How long have I been here? What would I do if I couldn’t even adapt that much?”

“Right, indeed. In an environment surrounded by foreign languages, you can’t help but become proficient whether you like it or not. However…”

Ilay’s eyes narrowed. Those eyes, which in a way looked like he was smiling, were somehow unusual, so Jeong Taeui also narrowed his eyes and fell silent.

“Everyone in the house only speaks English, don’t they? For that, doesn’t your German seem excessively fluent?”

Jeong Taeui was momentarily stunned by the subtly phrased words. Soon, he raised an eyebrow and glared at him in displeasure.

“Why are you suddenly picking a fight about something you never did before? Do I just stay at home? I sometimes go out for walks nearby. Besides, I don’t know how long I’ll have to live like this, so of course I learned German.”

“Good. Then don’t go out for a while.”

“…What?”

The conversation, which had been flowing so naturally, suddenly hit a wall. It felt like going A, B, C, D, and then suddenly jumping to Z.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ll be out of the house for a while, and it means you should look after the house well during that time.”

“Oh? Going somewhere?”

The part he should have focused on in the flow of the conversation was “don’t go out,” but Jeong Taeui was momentarily captivated by the preceding words. However, no answer to that question came back.

Ilay, as if anticipating something exciting, was looking somewhere into the air with a strangely glowing gaze in his expressionless face. Tap, tap, his long fingers moved rhythmically.

This guy, talking halfway and then…

Jeong Taeui briefly thought about snapping his fingers to get his attention but soon gave up. Ilay wasn’t the kind of person who couldn’t observe his surroundings just because he was deep in thought. He was the kind of person who could watch everything happening around him while simultaneously thinking hundreds of thoughts.

In other words, he had no intention of answering. And there was no one in the world who could make him do something he wasn’t inclined to do.

Indeed, he wasn’t the type to report every time he had something to do.

Jeong Taeui sighed lightly and scratched his head.

Wherever he was going and whatever he was planning to do, good luck. Any ordinary misfortune would probably flee before those ominous hands.

Jeong Taeui turned his gaze to the outside. The rain seemed to have eased just a little, but the world was still submerged.

And in the midst of it, the traces left by the black-clad guest who had suddenly appeared and just as suddenly vanished remained clearly on the climbing roses.