Passion: Diaphonic Symphonia Novel - Chapter 62 - Have no choice but to

“He could have died,” the doctor said stiffly, his face grim. The injured area itself wasn’t critically fatal, nor was the wound excessively large, but the blood loss had reached a dangerous level. After lecturing him for a long time with a stern face about how things could have been much more serious if they had been even a little later, the doctor finally turned to leave. The person who should have received that lecture was still unconscious, buried in the bed, while Jeong Taeui, who had been unfairly scolded, could only return to the room after his mind and body were utterly worn out.

Ilay, who had disappeared somewhere while Jeong Taeui was being lectured by the doctor and only reappeared after Jeong Taeui returned to the room, scoffed at the doctor’s remark that Jeong Taeui relayed grumblingly, as he rubbed bruise ointment he’d gotten from somewhere onto Jeong Taeui’s deeply bruised elbow.

“If a person could die from something like that, then what am I? A ghost?”

“…Anyway, you’re not human, that’s for sure.”

Jeong Taeui massaged his neck a few times, then held out his hand for the ointment container when Ilay finished rubbing. Ilay, who was about to close the container, looked puzzled and placed it on Jeong Taeui’s hand.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?”

He was indeed hurt elsewhere. His whole body ached in various places. His bones creaked. This was all thanks to someone who had driven so closely behind him, occasionally bumping into him… he thought, but decided not to say it aloud. Jeong Taeui opened the ointment container.

“I’m not hurt, but I think I sprained it a little. It’s a bit stiff.”

He mumbled as he applied the ointment after tracing his neck thoroughly. However, Ilay pushed Jeong Taeui’s hand away and grabbed his neck.

“Your neck, huh… Come here.”

Unable to resist the grip that dragged his neck, Jeong Taeui was pulled along, saying, “Uh-uh-uh,” and sat down with his back to Ilay. As soon as he sat down, Ilay suddenly grabbed the hem of his shirt from below and pulled it up, stripping him, leaving Jeong Taeui sitting naked from the waist up in an instant. The hands that systematically stroked down his back from his nape to his waist, as if examining his body, felt strangely chilling.

Whether Jeong Taeui flinched or not, Ilay slowly surveyed his body, then moved his hands back up and slowly pressed down on Jeong Taeui’s cervical vertebrae with his thumbs.

“If you injure your neck badly, it can easily become a chronic problem… You should take good care of yourself. How long has it been since you left home, and you’re already in this state?”

Hearing the clucking sound of his tongue, Jeong Taeui’s anger flared. He rubbed his heavy eyelids, which were drooping with fatigue, and mumbled, “It happened because someone hit me from behind with a car…” Thanks to someone who was still clinging to him less than a meter away.

The moment he mumbled that, the vivid memory of what happened just a few hours ago flashed back. On the road along the riverside. After Richard jumped out of the car that was speeding away with Christoph. Jeong Taeui drove. He drove like a madman. Now, he could swear that if he had entered a race at that speed, he would have easily placed within the ranks.

He had expected it wouldn’t be easy. He had already thought it would be quite difficult to maintain a distance of more than a meter when cars were practically bumper to bumper, especially if the opponent was Ilay. However, Jeong Taeui had actually held a glimmer of hope. He only needed to create a distance of more than one meter just once, without needing to maintain it constantly. The given time was not short, about ten minutes, and if he followed the course Ilay had mentioned, there were at least three curves. Due to the car’s structure and its trajectory, the distance would inevitably widen on curves. He hoped that if he played it right then, he might be able to put about a meter between them.

So, he drove, risking his life at a speed where a major disaster wouldn’t be surprising, even worrying that the engine might explode. And the result was…

“Ah… Now that I think about it, you really tried to run away.”

The hand pressing his nape tightened. Jeong Taeui, who had been obediently entrusting his neck to that brutal hand, flinched and shouted, “Would I risk my life and run away from a guy who just shoves a grappling hook into you?! Wouldn’t you do the same?!”

Only after shouting that did he realize he had made a slip of the tongue. This man would stop the car on the road and finish things right there, rather than run away. Jeong Taeui awkwardly tried to pick up his words and salvage the situation.

“And you, hitting me so mercilessly, it’s a miracle there wasn’t an accident.”

“Hmm? Oh—… That much won’t cause an accident.”

The person who had hit him from behind with the car said it shamelessly and nonchalantly. Listening to this man’s dismissive remarks—saying that someone who almost bled to death wouldn’t die from that, and that hitting a car from behind while driving at over a hundred kilometers an hour wouldn’t cause an accident—only increased his fatigue.

“Tae-. Keep your promise.”

“…”

“Taei.”

“Alright. I won’t touch Christoph unless it’s an unavoidable situation. Happy?”

“Good.”

That was the conclusion reached after a fierce chase where he risked his life. If it was an unavoidable situation, he couldn’t help it, but he was not to intentionally contact Christoph. He thought it was fortunate. He had worried that Ilay might make some outrageous or excessive demand, but that much was a perfectly acceptable request.

Moreover, in truth, as Jeong Taeui nodded to that request, he also felt a sense of relief. No more. That thought had been slowly surfacing. He shouldn’t get any closer to Christoph than this. It wouldn’t be good for Christoph. Jeong Taeui could always unhesitatingly cut off matters he couldn’t take responsibility for or that weren’t his concern. So, at least for Christoph’s sake, no more. That was what he thought.

Jeong Taeui, who had been sitting silently with his back to Ilay, looking down at his legs, suddenly sighed and, feigning to look over his shoulder, said weakly, “But I hope you won’t tell me to reject even Christoph touching me slightly. …For now, anyway.”

A brief silence hung over his shoulder, then a quiet clucking sound was heard. No specific answer came back. Jeong Taeui didn’t press the matter further. He just mumbled a groan, “Ugh, ugh.” It had truly been a long night.

His body felt like water-soaked cotton, and he couldn’t even think of protecting it from Ilay’s clutches. He obediently surrendered, lifted his heavy eyes to the clock, and saw that dawn was almost breaking. If he fell asleep like this, he felt he wouldn’t wake up for three days.

Jeong Taeui’s body grew increasingly languid and heavy under the massaging hands on his neck, and he even closed his eyes completely. Drowsiness rushed over him like a tidal wave. “To feel sleepy even with my neck entrusted to these brutally beautiful hands, I’ve really grown bold,” he mumbled, a thought crossing a corner of his mind.

“Being a successor candidate is no job for a human.”

“What happened tonight wasn’t because of being a successor candidate, but a matter of human relationships.”

“No, no. More than that…”

Jeong Taeui lazily shook his head. As he did, he thought of Richard, who must be at the shop by now. Richard, upon returning to the mansion, received only the minimum necessary treatment and then immediately got up again. Although he hadn’t lost consciousness from blood loss like Christoph, Richard, who looked almost equally battered in appearance, got up without resting and went straight back to the shop. He had left the mansion as if it were obvious, saying he had to sort out the messy situation at the shop first before resting.

“Does being a successor candidate mean that kind of responsibility is natural? He looked so exhausted I wondered if he could even drive properly.” Jeong Taeui sighed lightly and shrugged. “He probably needs to sort things out as soon as possible. The shop interior can be fixed in a few days, but there must be innocent customers who were harmed in that chaos, and he’ll have to look after colleagues who won’t be able to leave the hospital for a while.”

“No, but he himself is on the verge of collapsing and dying—”

“I told you, that much won’t kill you.”

Jeong Taeui fell silent. He wanted to say, “That’s because you’re not human, normal people die from that, it wouldn’t be strange at all if they died,” but it didn’t seem like it would get through to him. Since no one actually died, it certainly wouldn’t.

“Your muscles seem a bit tense, but not injured. …Lie on your stomach.”

After thoroughly examining Jeong Taeui’s neck, Ilay patted his back. Jeong Taeui, whose body was pleasantly relaxed by the slow massaging of his neck, obediently lay on his stomach without a word. Soon, hands began to meticulously loosen his back, starting from just below his neck. Ilay even got serious, bringing body oil from the bathroom and pouring it generously onto his back before rubbing it in. Jeong Taeui let out a languid sigh. It felt good.

“Ah… this feels good…”

At the weary voice, exhaled like a sigh, the hand tracing down his back paused for a moment. Soon, that hand swept down his back with a palm.

“Hearing that makes me want to ‘feel good’ too.”

“… …Can’t we just rest for a day and then do it?”

When Jeong Taeui mumbled in a sorrowful voice, Ilay laughed aloud. His large hands began to rub the muscles of his back again.

“You understand quite well.”

“If I hadn’t been quick-witted, would I have survived this long? I don’t have superhuman strength like you, or good abilities like Chris, nor do I have the responsibility to inherit a family like Richard that would allow me to survive on sheer willpower alone…”

As Jeong Taeui mumbled, half-asleep, a faint breath touched his nape. It was Ilay’s chuckle from behind him. He suddenly asked, “How much do you think T&R’s market capitalization is?”

“Hmm…?”

Jeong Taeui tilted his head while lying on his stomach. It would be hard to guess even in his normal state, but it was even harder when his mind was hazy.

“Well… it must be enormous.”

“It’s 20 billion US dollars.”

At the casually stated number, his mind almost cleared instantly, but it wasn’t a realistic figure, so he sank back into the quicksand of drowsiness. Even amidst that, he didn’t forget to grumble, “Why are you suddenly showing off your money, you diamond spoon…”

Once again, a breath brushed his nape.

“T&R’s assets and my personal assets have nothing to do with each other… but isn’t it good if I have a lot of money? You just have to live spending it like water.”

“Huh…? No, I’ll just earn my own money and spend it…”

“Ah—right, right, now that you mention it, you were going to earn money and support me. Until I die.”

At the words added at the end, his sleep instantly vanished.

“What?! No, wait, not until you die, just until you can somehow make a living—”

As he spoke, it felt strange. No, he already knew it, but even now, when Jeong Taeui wasn’t really earning money, this man was living very well. However, before Jeong Taeui could complain about the absurdity, Ilay continued, pressing down on Jeong Taeui’s vertebrae.

“Tarten’s total assets themselves aren’t that large. But the ‘goods’ they handle greatly exceed that value. But you know, T&R is still alright. For example, even if my brother died today, the company’s existence wouldn’t be at risk. But it’s different for places that live on information. The weight hanging on that one mouth is different. Moreover, such matters, especially if the center is shaken, affect even the lowest ranks. Simply put—”

Ilay paused for a moment. Jeong Taeui, who was half-asleep, opened his eyes slightly, murmuring, “Huh?” But then Ilay suddenly grabbed his shoulder and twisted it, making him bolt upright.

“Ow!!!”

“What were you doing for your muscles to be hard as rock?”

“After spending such an eventful night, it’s no wonder they’re stiff! So, simply put, what?!”

“If you get like this from such a minor thing, then you’re not cut out for a key position in Tarten.”

“I won’t sit there, I won’t sit there even if you give it to me! Ow, ow, ow…”

He kept waking him up just as he was about to fall asleep, so it seemed he wasn’t going to let him sleep peacefully. Jeong Taeui debated whether to give up on the massage and try to sleep, or postpone sleep and loosen his body, and chose the latter. This kind of thing didn’t happen often, and surprisingly, those hands felt incredibly good. Though the hands pressing his stiff muscles now hurt quite a bit.

“Someone who would be in danger of losing their life or would sit down to rest from something like that wouldn’t be in that position now.”

Jeong Taeui listened to Ilay’s relaxed words and sighed bitterly to suppress the pain.

“Christoph did well to quit that power struggle early.”

“Why, are you worried?”

At the question laced with laughter, Jeong Taeui closed his mouth. After a few seconds of thought, he quietly exhaled and shook his head.

“No… seeing how he is even after quitting, it doesn’t seem like it was just because of that power struggle.”

“There’s nothing more foolish than worrying about a life that doesn’t care for itself.”

Ilay lightly patted Jeong Taeui’s waist as if he was done. “Oh, thanks,” Jeong Taeui said, lifting his head. Ilay wiped his back with the clothes he had thrown casually aside and even effortlessly turned Jeong Taeui to lie on his back.

“Christoph shouldn’t have stopped competing midway.”

“Hmm?”

“Or, no matter what, he should never have returned to Dresden.”

He said, in a not-so-serious tone, as he wiped the oil from his hands with a handkerchief placed on the side table.

“You know, Richard, though he barely shows it, is a very proud man. And he has an excellent memory, remembering every little thing from before he even matured. The worst part is that he knows how to endure for a very long time to achieve what he wants.”

“…I don’t quite understand why that’s unfortunate or bad from just that statement.”

“Then, for example, what if someone remembered in detail an incident where their pride, which no one had ever even scratched, was trampled underfoot, and endured for a long time, honing themselves to repay that memory, and then suddenly all that effort became meaningless?”

“…”

“If it were me, I’d fillet them.”

No, if it were this man, there would be no process of enduring for a long time. He would have dealt with it cleanly the moment he felt annoyed. Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue bitterly and scratched under his chin. Then he glared at the ceiling for a moment before shaking his head.

“Still, I don’t really know. I don’t think I would have reacted that way, but… well, you never know until it actually happens.”

“They’re the kind of guys who make things difficult for no reason, even though it’s not hard at all, right?”

“…Well… the scope of what you call ‘not hard at all’ is quite broad, you know…”

He briefly wondered if there was anything Ilay Regrow would find difficult to handle, but nothing came to mind. Of course, not everything in the world would be easy and comfortable for this man, but he felt that if it were Ilay, he would simply cut through a complex and tangled knot with a knife rather than painstakingly untie it.

Jeong Taeui turned his body towards Ilay and lay on his side. His body, pleasantly relaxed as if he had been immersed in warm water, felt incredibly good.

“But personally, I prefer a straightforward personality, even if it’s a bit shocking, over a personality that’s hard to figure out and makes you wary… I’d side with Christoph rather than Richard.”

“Ah, in that case, depending on the situation, you can kill Richard.”

“…”

Jeong Taeui, who had been closing his eyes in a languid and pleasant state, remained silent for a while. When Jeong Taeui slowly opened his eyes, there was no longer a smile on his face. He looked up at Ilay with suspicion, wondering when he would ever fully understand this man. Now, he couldn’t even understand the context of the conversation.

Ilay, who had wiped the last bit of oil from his pinky finger, threw the handkerchief into the trash can and met Jeong Taeui’s gaze. He didn’t seem to be joking, nor was he particularly serious.

“It might get a bit troublesome, but I’ll protect you.”

“If I have to kill Richard to side with Christoph, I’d rather declare neutrality.”

“Ah, rather than that—”

Ilay, who was about to speak, frowned slightly. And he stared intently at Jeong Taeui, as if thinking about something. Jeong Taeui knew this familiar gaze well. It was the gaze of someone pondering how to most easily convince an opponent whose way of thinking was different from his own. It was also the gaze he often sent to this man.

Jeong Taeui suddenly found it funny and amusing, and he let out a small laugh. Even after living so closely for so many years, there was still such a vast river of misunderstanding flowing between this man and himself. And no matter how he thought about it, that gap didn’t seem like it would ever close.