Passion Novel - Volume 1 - Chapter 8

The fact that Jeong Jaeui was Jeong Changin’s nephew was well-known within the branch office, so it was not unusual for someone to know their family relationships.

The man fell silent for a moment before speaking.

‘Ilay.’

Jeong Taeui nodded. Ilay. A memorable name, that’s good.

The man who identified himself as Ilay remained silent again for a moment. Another hand appeared on the screen; the left hand mirroring the right hand that had been visible until now. Two white, beautiful hands clasped together.

When Jeong Taeui involuntarily sighed, Ilay finally spoke.

‘What’s wrong?’

“No…. Have you never heard that you have pretty hands?”

‘Hands?’

Ilay asked back, seeming bewildered. Whether he was looking at his own hands, the hands on the monitor unclasped and moved. The fingers bending at the joints were a picture in themselves.

He clenched and unclenched his fist, clasped his hands together again, and said in an amused tone.

‘Well, that’s a first. Do you like my hands?’

“Yes, they’re beautiful.”

‘Haha, good. Then I’ll give them to you. But only after I die. In return, you have to attach my hands to my arms. Even a corpse is pitiful without hands.’

“…I’d rather not. They wouldn’t suit me anyway. If I attached those hands to my body, they’d just float around weakly.”

Jeong Taeui creased his nose. This guy delivered his morbid jokes as if they were completely serious.

Ilay chuckled softly for a while, seemingly pleased with what he’d said.

‘Yes, they wouldn’t suit you. Your face suits your hands well.’

Said the voice with laughter in it.

Jeong Taeui knew the view was wider from this side, and tapped the phone’s lens.

“This lens seems to have a wider angle. Well, it’s not bad just seeing pretty hands filling the screen.”

There was a chuckle from Ilay.

‘But you saying you’re there now means you’ve joined the Asia branch?’

Jeong Taeui shrugged at Ilay’s question.

“Yeah, thanks to my uncle, I got in without any procedures.”

‘Aha, a parachute hire.’

Jeong Taeui also laughed at Ilay’s jokingly-said words. He supposed it was true.

Then, the sound of water came again from the bathroom. Perhaps his uncle, having finished his bath, was rinsing himself off.

“My uncle will be out soon, should I wait a bit? Or should I tell him something? Or should I call back?”

Realizing he hadn’t even heard the purpose of the call yet, Jeong Taeui said this, and Ilay mumbled lazily, “Hmm,” before saying:

‘Tell him he found the book he was looking for. Mythology by Laurent Gautié, 1925 edition. $3500.’

“Okay. Mythology by Laurent Gautié, the 1925 edition for 3500… ”

Jeong Taeui trailed off, silent for a moment.

He had heard of Mythology by Laurent Gautié and wanted to see it once. But…

“$3500? For one book?”

He muttered incredulously, and Ilay laughed aloud, as if understanding his thoughts.

‘If you tell Instructor Jung, he’ll be very pleased to have found it so cheaply. Tell him that, and let’s see each other again sometime.’

A beautiful hand gave a small wave. And with that screen, the call ended.

Jeong Taeui stared blankly at the black screen again, sighed, “Ha,” and slumped back in his chair.

He knew rare books were traded at high prices, but he didn’t know it was this much. Now he sees, this room, and his uncle’s house too… a treasure trove. He understands why a book thief might have come.

Jeong Taeui looked at the books on his desk with newfound eyes, wondering how much they were worth, when his uncle, having just come from the bathroom, drying his hair, patted his shoulder.

“Why are you having a staring contest with your books? If you want to see them, you can borrow them. Just be careful with them, since they’re hard to find, and return them neatly.”

“I’m not brave enough to borrow books worth $3500.”

“$3500? I didn’t pay that much for that book. Who said that?”

His uncle wrapped a wet towel tightly around Jeong Taeui’s neck and took a robe from the closet.

Removing the damp towel, Jeong Taeui leaned back in his chair, speaking languidly to his uncle whose face was upside down.

“Some old bookstore owner. They had really pretty hands.”

“Hands? Who is it?”

Jeong Taeui raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise. He thought his uncle would understand with that much description. Was he the only one who thought those white, delicate hands were beautiful?

“They found Mythology by Laurent Gautié. The 1925 edition. They said it was $3500.”

“What? Mythology by Laurent Gautié?”

His uncle’s face lit up. His eyes widened, and he smiled broadly, approaching Jeong Taeui again. Even the way he fastened his robe seemed joyful.

“Uncle… did you collect these books at such huge expense? You’d cry blood if there was a fire.”

“Nonsense, the 1925 edition of Mythology is a bargain, a bargain. Yes, who is that grateful intermediary? I have to call them back to thank them.”
“Ilay.”
When Jeong Taeui named the hand’s owner, his uncle hesitated. Then he looked at Jeong Taeui with a very strange expression. For the first few seconds, he seemed to not know the name, as if it was unfamiliar, but then he seemed to remember. He nodded, “Ah.” But the next moment, he stared at Jeong Taeui with an even more enigmatic expression.
“….Who?”

They said his name was Ilay, but I didn’t hear his full name. He seems to know my uncle well. When I said I was his nephew, he immediately knew I was the second son.”

“Ilay…? He said that? That guy?”

“That’s what I heard… My uncle’s a little unsure now. Maybe the robotic voice made it hard to hear clearly. Do you have any idea who it might be?”

Jeong Taeui added, “Then just call the number back, don’t worry about the book,” but his uncle shook his head.

“No, I know who it is. I just hadn’t heard that name in a while, so I’d forgotten.”

“Does he have multiple names?”

“That’s a sign of a scammer,” Jeong Taeui muttered with a chuckle. But the calm tone of that low, cool voice, and the image of those elegant and beautiful hands, didn’t match the word “scammer” at all. However, it’s hard to say it perfectly fits the image of an antique book dealer either, so you can’t judge a person based on just their voice and hands.

“His hands were really beautiful.”

Jeong Taeui mumbled, and his uncle, who was taking wine from the cellar, looked at him with a complicated expression.

“His hands…? Yes, I haven’t really noticed them before, but now that you mention it, I guess his hands were pretty.”

“Maybe it’s just me. He said it was the first time anyone told him his hands were pretty.”

“That’s understandable.”

His uncle said it so matter-of-factly that Jeong Taeui momentarily doubted his own sense of aesthetics.

His uncle returned to his usual calm demeanor, smiling calmly as he twisted the corkscrew with his fingertips. Easily inserting and removing it from the wine cork, he muttered to himself,

“Unless they were scary hands, when would that guy ever hear someone say they were pretty.”

“? Come to think of it, his nails were neat, like pieces of glass… They were terrifyingly beautiful hands.”

His uncle just laughed without answering Jeong Taeui.

“So, this is where Tou taught you? It’s right near the elevator, so it wasn’t hard to find.”

His uncle changed the subject. Jeong Taeui, who had been momentarily recalling those white hands, finally remembered his minor grievance against his uncle. He had gotten lost and cursed at his uncle for the building’s terrible layout. Then, he remembered the cotton candy-like young man he’d bumped into in the shared bathroom.

His face flushed again.

His uncle, bringing two glasses, looked at Jeong Taeui with amused curiosity. Seeing his face turn from flustered to dazed, then flushed, seemed to amuse him.

“What? Something happened? …Did the guys on our team pull some pranks? They can be a bit mischievous. They’re not bad guys, but when a newbie joins, they get excited and pull pranks. Think of it like kids teasing someone they like.”

His uncle seemed to have imagined a particular scenario, and said, “Don’t worry too much about it, it’s just guys,” comforting Jeong Taeui. Jeong Taeui wondered if the situation his uncle imagined might be even more awkward if it involved guys, but shook his head.

“Whatever you’re thinking, there was no problem with my team. I got roughed up a bit, but I was partly at fault.”

“Really? Then what’s the problem? Tou brought you there, so you must have interacted with those guys. Did it happen after you parted ways with them?”

A sweet scent wafted from the golden liquid his uncle offered. Jeong Taeui sniffed the sweet aroma and clicked his tongue in displeasure.

“Uncle, I heard a prison guard lives on this floor.”

“That’s right. The chief warden and other officers are on the sixth floor below. Why? Want to come up? Then get promoted.”

His uncle laughed, his gaze assessing the truth behind Jeong Taeui’s sudden question.

“…I got lost in the elevator and met someone.”

Jeong Taeui nonchalantly began the conversation. However, the memory of that person made him nervously fidget. His uncle, amused, observed Jeong Taeui’s expression and urged him on, “So?”

“I was just about to go into the bathroom, and that person showed me the way here.”

“……Ah…… I see. So, who was it? Didn’t you ask their name?”

His uncle, with a subtle upward curve of his lips as if he already understood, asked again. Jeong Taeui shook his head.

“No, I just asked for directions. They looked quite young; depending on how you look at it, they might not even be an adult yet. Soft, fluffy feeling… somewhat Western-looking, but they seemed to be of Chinese descent.”

“Ah, young-looking? Tsk tsk, your tastes haven’t changed a bit. I never would have guessed.”

His uncle shook his head, as if he had figured it out. Jeong Taeui glared at his uncle, feeling a surge of anger.

“So, are there any minors here?”

“No. …And even if there were a minor, what of it? Just be patient for a while, wait until they grow up, then take them in. Children grow up in the blink of an eye.”

“Uncle, that’s not what I’m talking about… …So, who is it? That person.”

He grumbled, his tone sulky, “You probably already know who it is, Uncle.”

His uncle, though stubbornly turning his head away, watched his blushing nephew with a sideways glance, then chuckled.

“……Naive fellow. I heard from Jae that your love life is quite complicated, so how come you’re reacting so innocently? I heard there was even a knife fight between two men over you.”

“Did my brother say that?”

Jeong Taeui frowned and clicked his tongue.

There had been such an incident. It was a young man he’d had casual encounters with a few times, because he found him cute, but he had an incredibly fussy and sharp personality.

But they weren’t dating. The young man himself had said so. They were just people who slept together when they felt like it.

So he believed that without a doubt, but apparently it wasn’t true.

Jeong Taeui himself didn’t know why, but he was somewhat popular in that kind of club. So, soon afterward, another person approached him. And then—trouble struck.

This person who approached him also had an extraordinary personality, and a truly bloody brawl ensued.

As a result, Jeong Taeui was even called in for questioning as a witness, and the rumor quietly spread to his school, where he was a cadet at the time. After that, it was a continuous string of misfortunes.

“So, who is that person?”

When Jeong Taeui muttered more gruffly, his uncle, seemingly amused, shrugged and opened his mouth.

“You’ll probably meet them again soon. It’s Gyoho, who’s in charge of member welfare and internal affairs.”

“——The one called Xinlu, that…? Does Gyoho also live on this floor?”

“Yes. Everyone except the members stays on this floor. Even external guests stay on this floor. When people from other branches come for joint training, they stay on the same floor as you.”

“Haah….”

Jeong Taeui mumbled, dazed.

So that’s it. He hadn’t considered Gyoho. Come to think of it, they had little muscle and no visible scars or injuries. With that kind of body, they couldn’t be a member, nor a prison guard who’s been through the wringer. So naturally, it had to be Gyoho, but why hadn’t he thought of that?

Jeong Taeui scratched the back of his neck, lost in thought, then suddenly recalled that smooth, flawless skin, and blushed again. His uncle’s gaze, burning from the side, made him quickly try to clear his head by shaking it, but it was no use.

“So I get to see this side of you, too. You live and learn.”

His uncle shook his head, saying this with a tone of wonder—but clearly with a hint of amusement.

Jeong Taeui glared at his uncle, then suddenly remembered why he had come here.

“But, Uncle, this is going too far! I just wanted to carefully preserve my life and return in six months, but from what I hear, this is a complete survival game.”

“Hmm?”

“They say that many people die during joint training. The number of injured is countless. Even so, to drag your nephew into this death trap is excessive!”

Though he hadn’t actually been that harsh, Jeong Taeui grumbled with a slight exaggeration, and his uncle offered what sounded like a self-serving consolation.

“Minor injuries, or in severe cases, a trip to the hospital might happen, but it’s rare for anyone to die. Don’t worry.”

“Yes… but Uncle, you know I can’t afford to be seriously injured.”

“Ah, I know. If you are seriously injured, I’ll personally take you to the best-equipped hospital immediately. Don’t be so angry. I didn’t bring you here to kill you.”

His uncle continued to speak with a light tone and a smile. Jeong Taeui sighed.

As his uncle said, if he were injured, his uncle would immediately intervene on his behalf. This was less out of affection for his nephew and more out of a sense of duty, but he had never been negligent in such matters.

So Jeong Taeui wasn’t worried about that. He just wanted to complain a little, seeing the signs of a difficult future ahead.

And in truth, Jeong Taeui couldn’t afford to be seriously injured.

Everyone dislikes serious injuries, but Jeong Taeui’s constitution made surgery difficult. His body was, regardless of his will, unusually picky, exhibiting a much higher than average rejection rate of foreign substances. Once, while clearing mines, he was seriously injured and rushed to the hospital. They inserted metal pins to repair his fractured bones, but a strong rejection reaction occurred, requiring another major surgery.

“Then I’ll go now, before it gets too late. Uncle, you must be tired, rest.”

“You took out this book, didn’t you? Take it with you.”

As Jeong Taeui stood, his uncle picked up the book he had taken out and placed on the desk and offered it to him.

Jeong Taeui stared at the book for a moment. It was well-preserved, but the passage of time was undeniable, the pages yellowed with age. The number 3500 dollars flashed through his mind, making him hesitant to even touch it.

“No… I’d rather look at it here. It’s too precious a book for me to borrow.”

“Oh? I don’t mind either way, but if it’s easier for you, that’s fine. When you get your room key from Xinlu, ask her for an extra key to my room as well. I’ll let her know. So, you’ll go get the key and the rules right away?”

Jeong Taeui hesitated at his uncle’s words.

He had indeed planned to go to the office to get the key and other things after leaving the room. He was also going to find the person on duty and ask them to call the person in charge of the exchange.

However, that person in charge was currently in the bathroom. It was doubtful that he would be able to reach them, and even if he did, it would be troublesome for that person.

While Jeong Taeui looked slightly troubled, his face flushed, his uncle, seeming to understand his thoughts, spoke.

“Xinlu will have finished bathing and be working overtime in her room by now. She doesn’t stay in the bath for long due to low blood pressure, and that girl is a bit of a workaholic. Since she’ll be working anyway, calling her won’t be a bother.”

Jeong Taeui’s eyes met his uncle’s, who was giving him a subtle, knowing smile. Feeling inexplicably irritated, Jeong Taeui glared at his uncle, but his uncle remained calm and composed, leaving Jeong Taeui to only sigh.

Yes, he was very attracted to that person in charge. Even if he didn’t realize he liked them, he wanted to see them again, to know more. So what?

Jeong Taeui’s expression became slightly bolder. There’s nothing to hide about being attracted to someone.

His uncle, noticing Jeong Taeui’s expression, looked a little regretful, but then smiled calmly, as if having made up his mind.

“Falling in love is wonderful. Loving and being loved. That’s the foundation of the world.”

“…Uncle, you’re so good at saying things that make people embarrassed.”

Jeong Taeui subtly looked at his uncle with an expression that was neither unpleasant nor happy. Then, leaving his uncle’s laughter behind, he exited the room.