Passion: Diaphonic Symphonia Novel - Chapter 3

“What? What were you talking about that you stopped as soon as I came in?”

Kyle smiled, set down the teacup, and sat in the chair opposite his uncle.

Kyle was the type who wouldn’t bat an eye even if you shouted “Your brother is crazy” to his face, and would just nod in affirmation and say, “He does have a peculiar personality.” But Jeong Taeui hadn’t lost enough of his humanity to insult someone’s family without reason in front of them.

“I was asking about the family’s well-being. Come to think of it, Rick isn’t here.”

“Ah, he’s out on business. He’ll probably be back around the end of next month.”

“Really?”

“You’ll be at peace, Taeui,” his uncle said, warmly gazing at Jeong Taeui as he picked up the teacup Kyle offered. All three cups contained milk tea, which was no choice, but Rita’s milk tea was superb, so there was no reason to complain.

“That’s quite a long job… Oh.”

His uncle, who had been muttering casually, suddenly let out a short exclamation and looked at the calendar on the table. His gaze swept over the dates.

“Come to think of it, Tarten’s decision day must be coming soon.”

His uncle, as if remembering a long-forgotten matter, nodded to himself several times before glancing up at Kyle.

“The date for repaying the loan is approaching too. You repaid it last term, right?”

“Yes. This is the final repayment. Tarten will finally be free from debt.”

“And the creditor remains the same?”

“Hmm.”

A brief silence fell between them, with Jeong Taeui, excluded from the conversation’s context, in the middle. Only the quiet sound of them silently drinking tea occasionally broke the stillness.

Jeong Taeui scratched his head, wondering when would be the right time to chime in. Next to him, Kyle set down his teacup.

“The conclusion is pretty much already decided. As far as I know, there’s no one more influential than Richard.”

“Ah, yes, he’s certainly someone to be wary of.”

“Who is he?”

Jeong Taeui, thinking this was his moment, subtly leaned his head forward. His uncle answered.

“Richard Tarten.”

“…”

Jeong Taeui waited a little longer, but no further explanation followed.

Jeong Taeui, who obviously hadn’t asked for the person’s full name, frowned.

Richard Tarten, what was he supposed to know about that person? He probably wasn’t some famous celebrity. …Then again, you never knew. Given Kyle’s connections, it wouldn’t be strange if he knew even top stars.

“Is he a celebrity? …Ah.”

However, Jeong Taeui, who had asked that without much thought, suddenly recalled a fact the moment the words left his mouth.

Richard Tarten. …Tarten. Tarten & Riegrow.

Another name that balanced Riegrow at T&R.

Jeong Taeui downed his milk tea, set the empty cup down, and tilted his head.

Come to think of it, if the names were side-by-side in the company name like that, they should have a very deep connection, yet that name had never come up while he was helping Kyle or hearing company news.

“Tarten. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard that name much. Weren’t they co-investors?”

“Hmm? Oh, they were at first. Tarten withdrew midway. He’s still a major shareholder of T&R, but his family started a separate business. At that time, the company was growing rapidly, so we agreed to keep the name as is.”

Kyle explained kindly, looking surprised as if he hadn’t known.

“Huh,” Jeong Taeui muttered, then asked again,

“Tarten… I haven’t heard much about them. What kind of business do they do?”

“Information.”

“Excuse me?”

“Private intelligence agency. From trivial information to top-secret information that, if leaked externally, wouldn’t end with just one or two deaths.”

Jeong Taeui muttered “Heh,” again, nodding indifferently. But just hearing that didn’t quite give him a clear picture.

“They primarily work with agencies, as widely publicizing their activities would make it inconvenient for them, but such substantial intelligence agencies are rare… Oh, yes. Gable was also once affiliated with them. For a short while before joining the Ministry of Defense.”

Hearing that familiar name, Jeong Taeui muttered, “Ah.” Certainly, Gable was the first one to find a clue when he was worried about his brother’s whereabouts.

If it was a place that nurtured such a capable person, he trusted it must be an equally capable organization, but…

“So they’re completely separate from T&R?”

“In terms of business, yes. But even though they’re separated, the family’s long-standing connections haven’t been severed, so they still maintain a close relationship. It’s a relationship that’s lasted over 150 years, after all.”

Jeong Taeui was impressed by the number 150 years, which was mentioned so casually. 150 years was a long time; maintaining a consistently friendly relationship for that long was never easy, nor could it be done with only one side’s effort.

“That’s amazing. But did that Tarten family somehow get into debt?”

It wasn’t just a simple debt; if Jeong Taeui hadn’t misinterpreted the word, it was definitely a loan. Considering that private loans often required government guarantees, its nature and amount were obviously not ordinary.

According to T&R’s financial statements, which Jeong Taeui had unintentionally seen—just like the stealth blueprint—T&R was a very solid company. Its debt ratio was distinctly healthy compared to other companies.

But the Tarten family, who once formed a pillar of the company, was now in a situation where they had to take out a loan.

When Jeong Taeui asked without much thought, Kyle suddenly looked troubled. His uncle just silently watched Kyle.

“Ah… that’s classified for now, so let’s talk about it later if the opportunity arises.”

“Oh, okay.”

Jeong Taeui readily nodded.

He must have pried too much. Every company had one or two things they didn’t want to disclose externally. He wasn’t that interested in other people’s companies anyway.

“Oh, right. Jae-ui is coming to Germany next month.”

Just then, his uncle suddenly said, as if it had just occurred to him.

Jeong Taeui thought that his uncle changing the subject like that confirmed it was indeed classified, but his eyes widened at the news.

“Brother? In Germany? Why?”

Jeong Taeui’s older brother, Jeong Jaeui, was currently affiliated with UNHRDO Americas Headquarters as a researcher.

Known as an unparalleled genius, he decided to join UNHRDO two or three years ago, immediately after escaping a kidnapping and confinement incident targeting his intellect, to prevent similar situations from repeating. So, currently working as a special researcher at the headquarters, he had heard from his uncle that he rarely left the research lab, either because he was busy or because he liked the research there.

Since they had last parted, he had only spoken to his brother on the phone a handful of times, and now he was finally coming to Germany.

Neither Jeong Taeui nor his brother were the type to be overly affectionate towards family, but he was still happy and glad to be able to meet him after such a long time.

His uncle smiled, looking at Jeong Taeui, who leaned forward and asked.

“Next month, there’s an International Aviation Technology Forum in Frankfurt.”

“…Did Brother become a pilot or something?”

When Jeong Taeui asked, straining his meager imagination, his uncle chuckled aloud and waved his hand.

“The research on the RAM technique that dramatically reduces RCS, which that fellow has been working on, is almost complete. The presentation of that paper is scheduled for this forum.”

“…That sounds more like a military technology forum than an aviation technology forum. Is Jae-ui hyung still involved in that field?”

Jeong Taeui scratched his head and muttered.

A sigh escaped him first, at the thought of countless defense contractors flocking with their eyes ablaze.

As if to reassure Jeong Taeui, who clicked his tongue, unwilling for another kidnapping drama to unfold, his uncle shook his head, saying, “Don’t worry.”

“Impenetrable security and ironclad protection are guaranteed. In a situation where bodyguards and escort vehicles follow him everywhere except for his bed and bathroom, I would genuinely respect anyone who could harm him… No, before that, I doubt if Jae-ui could be harmed even without security.”

“Even if all the bodyguards turned on him and shot him, wouldn’t he survive unscathed?”

“Right?” his uncle agreed, and Kyle also nodded understandingly beside him.

Anyway, that’s good.

He finally gets to meet his brother.

“Is this how family reunions feel?” Jeong Taeui thought with a feeling so indifferent that a separated family would be offended, and estimated the distance, “It was about five hours by ICE to Frankfurt, right?”

“That’s good, Taei. You get to meet a cherished person after a long time.”

Kyle patted Jeong Taeui’s shoulder, delighted as if it were his own affair. “Thank you,” Jeong Taeui said, smiling shyly, and his uncle, who had been quietly watching their affectionate interaction, suddenly spoke, as if something had just occurred to him.

“Oh, right. Come to think of it, you’re one to talk yourself.”

Kyle, who had picked up his teacup and taken a sip of tea at his uncle’s words, raised an eyebrow in question, “Huh?”

“It’s hot news that just came in right before I left the Berlin branch for here: Christine is back.”

His uncle said casually, as if it were nothing. The sound of him reaching for an apple from the basket on the table, and biting into it without even wiping it, followed.

The sound was so refreshing that Jeong Taeui also reached for the basket at the same time.

Click. A somewhat rough and unnatural sound rang out. Jeong Taeui, turning his gaze towards the sound, found Kyle staring intently at his uncle, as if oblivious to the tea that had spilled from his teacup and wet his hand when he involuntarily set it down.

His eyes wide with a strange expression, it was as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have.

“Christine…”

Jeong Taeui watched with a strange feeling as Kyle’s face instantly turned ashen. When had he last seen him so flustered?

“That’s good, you get to meet a cherished person after a long time.”

His uncle echoed Kyle’s words, smiling faintly. That smile seemed terribly sinister even to Jeong Taeui’s eyes, who had no idea what was going on.

Jeong Taeui, who had momentarily withdrawn his hand, reached out again, picked up an apple, rubbed it on his clothes, and furtively watched his uncle.

“Who is that?”

His uncle, pleased with Kyle’s reaction, smiled contentedly and answered,

“Christine—Christina.”

It was an unfamiliar name. Even after carefully recalling his memories, the name didn’t ring a bell. But Kyle’s extraordinary reaction…

Could she be someone he knew on a deeply personal level—say, an ex-lover from ten years ago, or a secretly hidden daughter? Jeong Taeui hesitated, wondering whether he should ask more, and just silently rubbed the apple.

He had intended to remain silent if the topic somehow moved on or something else was said, but the silence lasted longer than expected. So, Jeong Taeui, glancing at Kyle, reluctantly asked,

“Did you… do something wrong to her?”

It was a rather direct question for someone who was trying to be subtle, but Kyle, as if he hadn’t heard, only stared at his own hands with a pale face.

“Rather than having done wrong—yes, you could say it’s similar to Riegrow. If you think about it, Kyle didn’t commit a sin that resulted in Rick being born as his brother. It’s just a divine punishment that happened by chance.”

His uncle was now smiling playfully. His narrow eyes sparkled with amusement. At times like these, Jeong Taeui was glad he wasn’t his uncle’s equal. At least he was the subordinate; if they were friends, how would he have dealt with such mischief?

“…Is she a hidden wild younger sibling?”

“Strictly speaking, a childhood friend. Though there’s quite an age difference.”

“Ah. So, she’s a friend with whom you don’t quite get along, I suppose.”

Jeong Taeui thought, ‘She’s definitely not a friend, but if I had to compare, she’s like Lieutenant Kim and me. A bad relationship where we hated each other to death but couldn’t avoid meeting due to circumstances.’ He stroked the shiny, polished apple with his thumb, which he had rubbed squeakily on his clothes.

“Let’s be clear… they’re not my childhood friend…”

However, as if his uncle’s words deeply displeased him, Kyle, with a pale face, still glowered and muttered corrections, his eyes blazing with fury.

“To be precise, they’re Ilay’s childhood friend.”

Thud.

The moment Kyle’s words dropped, the apple in Jeong Taeui’s hand, which had been squeaking, also fell.

He had thought the term “childhood friend” didn’t quite suit Kyle, but applied to Ilay, it transcended unsuitability and even blurred the meaning of the word itself.

“Ilay… has a childhood friend?”

“They’re one of the kids who would gather and play together whenever our families had something to do since childhood… Oh, yes, Chris… that kid even worked with Ilay. In the mobile unit at T&R, back when it existed…”

It was a rare sight, in its own way.

His face completely drained of color, Kyle’s hands, clasped together, clenched and unclenched unsteadily, yet his voice remained low and calm. He did stumble briefly when he said her name, though.

However, watching Kyle like that, Jeong Taeui also felt a part of his mind go blank.

The phrase “Ilay’s childhood friend” was frightening enough, but what followed was even worse. T&R’s mobile unit? Wasn’t that infamous as a den of lunatics? Double impact.

Just hearing about that status gave him a headache, and Jeong Taeui could understand Kyle’s feelings, whose face changed color just by hearing the name.

Wait a minute, though…

“Christina… But when Ilay committed that terror attack in Riyadh before, I don’t recall seeing that name on the list of terrorists.”

“Christine was in Lebanon at the time, exchanging gunfire with Hezbollah.”

“…”

What an incredible woman.

He wasn’t expecting Greta Garbo’s Queen Christina just because it was the same name, but he had hoped a woman with that name would at least be beautifully present.

“Let me tell you, despite their temper, they’re prettier than Greta Garbo was in her prime playing Queen Christina.”

His uncle, who had watched classic movies with Jeong Taeui and Jeong Jaeui years ago, interjected as if he had read Jeong Taeui’s mind.

“…That’s a nice element of surprise.”

“I’ve never seen anyone with such a huge gap between their outer appearance and inner self other than Christine.”

Thinking that was also a kind of horror, Jeong Taeui rubbed his goosebump-covered arm. Only then did he slowly pick up the apple again.

Crunch. Biting into the apple, Jeong Taeui again glanced at Kyle. Kyle was still staring at his fingers, his face completely white.

He felt a little puzzled.

She certainly seemed like an extraordinary woman just from the description, but to make someone who has a brother like Ilay Riegrow turn so pale…

Jeong Taeui chewed his apple, observing Kyle intently, then quietly asked his uncle,

“Surely she’s not even more hopeless than Ilay, is she…?”

“Hahahah, if you knew two such people, your life would be utterly ruined.”

His uncle laughed, shaking his head. Jeong Taeui, who often felt his life was ruined even knowing just one, gloomily agreed, “Right.”

“They’re different now, but Christine wasn’t very healthy when they were young. They mostly stayed in the study. And Kyle has received various help from them. Their language skills are extraordinary, and there’s no one who can match them in code-breaking. They’re probably even better than Jaeui in that field. A genius in a different area.”

Jeong Taeui, who nodded, saying he didn’t know much but if she was better than his brother, that was certainly amazing, glanced at Kyle again.

For someone who had received various help from her, his reaction was a bit…

As if to put an end to his bewilderment, his uncle added,

“Christine also loves old books. Especially, their tastes overlap perfectly with Kyle’s.”

The moment those words were spoken, Kyle’s shoulders subtly trembled. Ah.

Suddenly, a puzzle seemed to be solved.

Kyle’s mutterings, supporting Jeong Taeui’s thoughts, reached his ears.

“Why this time… what book are they going to take again…! No, this isn’t the time, James, James! Contact the bank and tell them to clear a safe deposit box… No, all those books won’t fit.”

He thought that James would quite happily bundle up the books and offer them if he heard the news, but he didn’t say it.

“You don’t have to give it to her if she asks, do you?”

Jeong Taeui said, somewhat dumbfounded. This time, his uncle provided the answer.

“He’s Riegrow’s friend and former colleague.”

“…”

Hearing that again, Jeong Taeui finally understood Kyle’s situation accurately.

It seemed he had chosen the wrong person to help him a few times before. Poor Kyle.