Passion Novel - Volume 4 - Chapter 86

Shaking his head vigorously, Jeong Taeui quickly rinsed his mouth, then, remembering Rita’s words that the host was waiting, he quickly changed his clothes. It would be rude to make the host wait for him at dinner, especially since he was a guest.

…Well, the host wouldn’t care at all and would probably be happily chatting with other guests, enjoying appetizers.

Jeong Taeui hurried towards the dining room.

*

Did I take it too lightly? Jeong Taeui muttered to himself, tapping his beer glass with a faint smile playing on his lips. He had no intention of smiling, but the smile made his gaze float aimlessly, and he had to pull himself together several times. No, rather than taking it lightly, this was a mistake. Why do humans repeat the same mistakes over and over? He hadn’t forgotten that this guy wasn’t human.

The muscle relaxant he’d mixed into Ilay’s beer was definitely tasteless and odorless. Before putting it in, he’d smelled it and even tasted a bit. Jeong Taeui, too, had fairly sensitive senses, so even if that guy wasn’t human, he wouldn’t have noticed it mixed in the beer. In truth, the muscle relaxant he’d gotten by beating up Moro was a bit weak. Though called a muscle relaxant, its practical effect was closer to a sleeping pill; it was something that would make you lose consciousness and struggle to control your body at some point.

It was a drug that would only make you lose consciousness for a few tens of minutes before waking up perfectly fine again—of course, if it worked normally, you’d be a bit low on energy for a while after waking up—so it wasn’t a burden on the body and was good for light use. But it seems it doesn’t work on this monster. It was a mistake not to have known this beforehand.

Jeong Taeui chewed on his snack and muttered, “Tch,” to himself. Well, it didn’t matter. He’d just wanted to give a proper farewell, and it was a bit disappointing that it wouldn’t happen.

“Why are you so lost in thought?” Ilay suddenly asked after emptying his second glass of beer and taking a few sips from his third. Jeong Taeui, who had been glaring at the snap peas on the plate, lifted his gaze.

“If you come to ask something and then make such a serious face, it makes me wonder what on earth you’re going to ask, and it gets scary.” Ilay said this with a calm smile, his face not scary in the slightest. Jeong Taeui sighed inwardly as he watched the beer flow into Ilay’s mouth, then swallowed his own share of beer. Ilay finished his beer, set the empty glass on the side table, and then leaned back against the bed. His languid face looked somewhat sleepy. Jeong Taeui silently took another sip of his beer.

He had a mountain of questions, yet in reality, none at all. He wanted to grab him by the neck and shake him, demanding he spill everything, but on second thought, it was impossible that this man—even if he seemed to have swallowed hundreds of cunning snakes—would know everything, and he also wondered what good it would do to know. As Jeong Taeui silently leaned back on the sofa, simply staring at Ilay, Ilay smiled faintly.

“You met Instructor Jeong, didn’t you? There.” Perhaps thinking Jeong Taeui was hesitating, Ilay opened the conversation first, as if to give him an opening. Jeong Taeui’s hand, which had been slowly swirling his glass, paused. There was no need to ask where “there” was. Jeong Taeui looked at Ilay with a strange expression, then frowned.

“This damn place, the rumors spread way too fast… Do you talk on the phone with your uncle every day? Or do you meet him constantly?” 

“Ah, not at all. The story of a mere subordinate entering the fourth floor was referred to the instructor’s meeting for security reasons. To inform you, for the sake of Instructor Jeong Changin’s love for his nephew, the one who brought up that story wasn’t your uncle, but the General Manager. That elevator records all movements, you see.” Jeong Taeui lightly clicked his tongue but said nothing more. Even that didn’t matter much. Even if his uncle had brought up the story first in the meeting, it wouldn’t have mattered. It was his uncle’s proper duty in an official setting.

“So, what are you curious about, besides what you heard from Instructor Jeong?” Ilay’s voice grew more languid. A hazy drowsiness seemed to cover his eyes. Perhaps—though he couldn’t be entirely sure—the drug was taking effect. …This guy is truly terrifying. Though weak, it was an excellent drug; anyone else would have collapsed after half a glass, but he’s only pretending to be a little sleepy after drinking three whole glasses. Jeong Taeui thought he should have just mixed the entire concentrated muscle relaxant and poured it down his throat, and silently emptied his own glass.

“It seems you’ve heard everything about what my uncle and I talked about, judging by your expression.” Jeong Taeui said with a snicker. Ilay merely raised an eyebrow slightly, saying nothing, just smiling. He probably thought he’d heard most of the story. However, Jeong Taeui knew his uncle. He was someone who clearly distinguished between what to say and what not to say. Especially regarding topics he wished wouldn’t leak out.

Jeong Taeui and Ilay faced each other, smiling faintly. He wondered why this guy was smiling like this, but it was all good. Now, there’s no more business between us, you non-human bastard.

“If you have anything to ask, hurry up and ask. I’m starting to get sleepy.” Ilay murmured slowly. His half-closed eyes curved gently, as if in pleasure. Ah, Jeong Taeui slowly tapped the empty glass once, twice, three times. Of course, you too must have one foot in the human realm.

“I thought I was curious, but now that I think about it, I’m not really. Things in the world just flow as they flow.” 

“Fatalism?” 

“That’s what you like.” At Jeong Taeui’s words, Ilay chuckled softly. His white hand slowly brushed back the hair that had fallen over his forehead. He looked languid and sleepy. Ilay blinked a couple of times, staring at the ceiling, then closed his eyes at some point. Jeong Taeui simply watched him.

“You must be sleepy.” 

“Hmm… sort of… just thinking for a moment.” 

His voice gradually lowered, the last words almost inaudible. Jeong Taeui paused, then asked,

“Thinking about what?” No answer came back.

Jeong Taeui slowly tapped the empty glass a few more times. He counted the numbers silently to himself. “Ilay.” He called out quietly, but there was still no response. He waited a moment, then called again, but it was the same. It didn’t seem like he was intentionally not answering or pretending to be asleep. His shoulders, head, gradually losing strength and slumping, and the low, slow, regular breathing in between.

Sorry. I thought you weren’t human at all, but it seems there was still some human left in you after all. Jeong Taeui took out the finger-sized medicine bottle he had been holding in his pocket. More than half empty, a little transparent liquid sloshed inside. This much was enough to knock out three or four people.

“I wonder if I should be glad that even the tip of one toe remains in the human realm, or if it would be better to push him completely to the other side and plead for isolation…” Jeong Taeui muttered lowly and stood up.

The drug’s effect didn’t last very long. He’d heard that he would lose consciousness for a moment and then wake up again. Well, he didn’t know what would happen if he drank more than the prescribed amount, but he wouldn’t just sleep soundly for hours like this. It wouldn’t be fun if he slept for hours. Rather, it would be troublesome if he woke up unexpectedly in one or two minutes.

“Well, even if he wakes up, his body will be relaxed for a while and he won’t be able to move as usual… but with this guy, how can I ever let my guard down?” Jeong Taeui approached the side of the bed and looked down at Ilay. It felt strange, even, to see this man sleeping with such a deep, peaceful breath. Just looking at his sleeping face, he looked like a handsome young man, neat and gentle.

Jeong Taeui shook his head. Looking down at him like this, his heart somehow sank, and he felt a little forlorn for no reason. Perhaps he was even a little disappointed. It would be hard to answer if asked what he was disappointed about.

He counted them off in his head one by one. His luggage was all packed. It was funny to even say “packed,” as there was hardly any luggage. He’d only had a sports bag when he came anyway. When he left, he’d abandon even that luggage here, taking only his wallet and passport, so he was practically empty-handed. Traveling light felt more comfortable.

Less than two hours remained until the boat was scheduled to arrive. In two hours, he would say goodbye to this damn island forever. Goodbye to this damn guy, too. And to this damn organization. …Though he wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to his grudge-filled uncle.

“Alright, we don’t have much time, so let’s do this.” Thinking that if this guy woke up now, he wouldn’t die a natural death, Jeong Taeui pulled out handcuffs from his back pocket with a clink. He had confirmed several times that they could even restrain King Kong before taking them, but he felt a bit uneasy, aware that he was doing something bad.

“Still, if you’re born a man, you should live boldly at least once.” He cuffed one side of the handcuffs to the bed leg and the other to Ilay’s right wrist. He was ready to bolt and run the moment Ilay opened his eyes, staring intently at his face. Ilay’s wrist in his hand was as white as snow. Although he could feel the muscles hidden just beneath the skin of his forearm the moment he gripped it, it was a white and smooth wrist on the surface. Chok, Jeong Taeui lightly touched his lips to that hand, which he had thought beautiful since he first saw it.

Then he went to the other side and cuffed the other wrist as well. Jeong Taeui sat beside Ilay, who was sleeping peacefully with his arms spread, and quietly looked down at him. Come to think of it, he had more than one grudge against this man. If he were to strangle him now or cover his face with a wet towel, who in this world could blame him?

…Since his hands were tied anyway, maybe he should really wet a towel and put it on his face. No, he could just shake his head and make the towel fall off, so maybe it’s better to just strangle him…

Jeong Taeui slowly reached out and lightly gripped Ilay’s neck. A faint bluish vein showed beneath the pale white skin of his neck. The blood flowing beneath it warmed his skin. He felt a pulse beneath Jeong Taeui’s fingers. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Suddenly, a strange feeling came over him. It was like finding a toy he used to play with in the attic when he was very young. He didn’t know why he felt that way, but he did.

When was the last time he felt a person’s pulse? The fact that he felt such a human sensation from this man was very strange, and at the same time, very slightly, faintly, a tender feeling arose.

“…” 

“Alright, what are you planning to do now?” He had quietly rested his hand on his neck for a while, feeling his pulse. In that quietness, a low, languid voice suddenly spoke. With his eyes closed, only his lips moving, Ilay spoke. But after finishing his words, he opened his eyes and looked at Jeong Taeui.

Jeong Taeui instinctively recoiled the hand he had placed on his neck. And he re-evaluated the situation. Right, at this moment, he was contemplating whether to strangle this monster, whose hands were now restrained, or cover him with a wet towel. But, he knew he would wake up soon anyway, but even so, how many minutes had passed…?

Although it was an expected situation, Jeong Taeui felt a chill run down his spine as his gaze met Ilay’s, especially with the handcuffs so grandly clasped around his wrists. Now, if this guy gets angry and thrashes around, and by some bad luck those handcuffs come loose or break, his short life will end today.

Of course, before such an unlucky situation could occur, he had already tested the strength of the handcuffs. These specially ordered shackles were certainly strong enough to restrain even King Kong. Realistically, he couldn’t know how strong King Kong was, but he thought they could at least tie up an elephant.

So, even though it should be perfectly safe, he couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart.

Ilay still seemed languid and weak, opening and closing his eyes several more times. Then he slowly turned his head and looked at his wrists. Clink, he raised an eyebrow at the metallic sound that came from shaking his wrists. Jeong Taeui sat on the bed, looking down at him. Soon, Ilay turned his gaze to Jeong Taeui. Their eyes met.

But surprisingly, Ilay, whom he had expected to shoot a terrifying gaze, looked at Jeong Taeui calmly without changing his expression, then suddenly snickered.

“Were you awake?” 

“No, I momentarily lost consciousness and just woke up again. …What did you intend to feed me, I wondered, and it was this? Hmm… a muscle relaxant, I suppose. Doesn’t seem like a sleeping pill or an anesthetic. …You’re not even feeding me cyanide, so why the anxious face? It makes the drinker uneasy.” 

Ilay, who had shaken his wrists a few times before giving up and calmly lowering his hands, showed no sign of anger. No agitation or excitement either. Instead, a smile played on his lips, as if he were watching an amusing movie.

Jeong Taeui frowned. He felt as if he had heard something incredibly bitter.

“…You knew?” 

“Knew what? That you drugged my drink? I didn’t know what kind of drug it was. But I generally knew this guy put something in it.” 

“Why did you drink it then?” 

Jeong Taeui frowned and muttered, as if he couldn’t possibly be immune to every single drug in the world. As he did, he rolled up his sleeves. Ilay chuckled again, watching Jeong Taeui unbutton a couple of buttons on his shirt and roll up his sleeves.

“You were doing something you don’t usually do, so I was curious what you were planning. Though I didn’t expect you to do something so foolish and cute….Taei. Let me tell you, nothing will change no matter what you do to me. Your brother will still churn out weapons, the organization will still be a weapons distribution network, weapons will still spread throughout the world, and your brother will still develop weapons.”

“…Ilay Riegrow.” 

Jeong Taeui smiled broadly. He placed his hand just below Ilay’s collarbone and pressed down, raising himself up. Then he straddled his stomach, as if to strangle him right then and there.

“At this point, it doesn’t matter to me if you grandly recite world peace. Whether your brother develops weapons and sells them, or how my brother distributes weapons and what’s involved in between, when I think about it, it’s none of my business. I’m not some active anti-war activist.”

“Ah ha… So?” Jeong Taeui was silent for a moment, looking down at Ilay, who was sprawled beneath him like a cushion. Even if he had thrashed around wildly with his wrists bound, his form wouldn’t have been pretty, but this calm snickering was by no means welcome either. His mood grew increasingly twisted.

“In this situation, if I were to strangle you or stab a knife into your chest, would you have any way to avoid it?” He asked, lightly tapping Ilay’s chest. Ilay pretended to think seriously for a moment, then shook his head.

“It would be a bit difficult. I’m still sleepy, and I can’t properly exert strength. Plus, these handcuffs don’t seem like ordinary items.” 

“But aren’t you a little too nonchalant, huh?” 

Jeong Taeui muttered discontentedly, then gripped Ilay’s nape again. Ilay suddenly smiled. He seemed to lift his head slightly, then tilted it, and licked Jeong Taeui’s wrist. Jeong Taeui flinched, pulling his hand back. It felt as if a beast had tasted its prey.

Ilay chuckled softly, then let his head fall back onto the pillow.

“Well, I think I am a bit too nonchalant. Why was that? I even thought about it while drinking that beer. Why am I calmly accepting and drinking this? Well, I was curious what you would do.” 

Ilay’s face momentarily lost its smile. He stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought, then at some point, he looked directly at Jeong Taeui. His cool, black eyes, which revealed nothing of his thoughts, entered Jeong Taeui’s vision. Suddenly, he felt a shiver. A chill ran down his spine.

As he looked at Jeong Taeui, Ilay, who had been muttering “Why?” and seemed lost in thought, suddenly looked displeased, as if he had come to some conclusion. He frowned as if an unpleasant thought had crossed his mind, then shook his wrist.

“Enough. There’s no need to indulge in this impertinent prank for long. Release these handcuffs.” At the cold voice, tinged with displeasure, Jeong Taeui felt a chill in his heart. For a very brief moment, he even considered quietly releasing him and ensuring his own safety.

“…No.” 

But the moment he answered that way, Jeong Taeui felt a pleasure as intense as the chill. Perhaps it was the awareness that he was putting his life half on the line, but his heart throbbed at the sight of Ilay’s eyes turning cold. Jeong Taeui smiled.

Ilay, who had been looking at Jeong Taeui expressionlessly, chuckled again. But it was a smile devoid of warmth.

“What’s this new audacity…?” 

“Don’t get so angry, there’s no need to get mad over having your hands tied. I, you know, despite appearances, plan to give you a really hot time today.” 

Jeong Taeui whispered quietly, yet inwardly clicked his tongue bitterly. Even as he said it himself, it was such an unfitting line. He had intended to imitate this man and speak more menacingly and subtly, but doing something he wasn’t used to didn’t come easily.

“Haha. A hot time. That sounds promising.” 

Ilay raised an eyebrow slightly. He seemed to be thinking for a moment, as if he wasn’t entirely pleased with the situation, but there was nothing he could do right now. Perhaps he was thinking, ‘If these hands are freed, you’re dead,’ but by then, Jeong Taeui would already be gone from this island.

So, today is the last day. It wouldn’t be fair if I was the only one who suffered and then left. You should have at least one infuriating memory, shouldn’t you? Right? Still, my heart is as vast as the sky and as soft as silk, so I won’t repay you exactly for what you did to me, but only a very small amount, so you should be grateful.

Jeong Taeui ticked off his grudges one by one. There were too many to list individually, but if he had to pick the most stomach-churning memory, it was just one. That night, the first time in his life he was so hurt and angry that he fainted. That time he truly thought he was going to die, splitting in two from his crotch upwards.

Recalling that memory brought the grudge back to life. He felt like it wouldn’t be satisfying even if he ripped out that hideous piece of flesh.

“Ilay. You, you don’t know what it feels like to be forced into it, do you?” 

Jeong Taeui smiled broadly and slowly slid down from Ilay’s stomach. He stopped over his crotch. The volume he felt between his thighs was thick enough to immediately feel out of place even in a normal state. The moment he felt that large volume, he became depressed and angry again.

Ilay seemed to not understand Jeong Taeui’s words for a moment, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow, but then he let out a sound similar to a “ha.” An incredulous smile soon crossed his face. That smile quickly turned into one of amusement.

“That’s right, I don’t know. So, you’re going to teach me?” 

He even chuckled softly. It was as if he was responding to a joke that wasn’t funny at all.

And Jeong Taeui, just a few seconds ago, he had no intention of doing such a thing. He didn’t like the “an eye for an eye” approach, and the idea of rape was repulsive. Most of all, the man in front of him was absolutely not his type to embrace. He’d want to see anyone who could get aroused by this man, knowing his ominous mental world. However, at that moment, as past pain overlapped with that laugh, Ilay suddenly spoke in a surprisingly serious, feigned-concerned tone.

“Jeong Taei. But, you… did you get a terminal diagnosis at the hospital? Where did you leave your courage, why are you like this today? I thought you were smarter.” 

At those words, the last shred of his good nature evaporated.

Jeong Taeui grabbed Ilay by the collar. He shook him once, roughly, with emotion. Ilay coughed a couple of times, as if he couldn’t breathe.

“I told you. I’d give you a hot time. I’m not going to just force it in like you do. You should be grateful.” 

Holding his collar, he chewed out the words lowly into Ilay’s ear. And then, he immediately pulled back his hands and ripped open Ilay’s shirt. Right, let’s change his mind. Although he was hateful enough to want to strangle this crazy bastard, he didn’t actually dislike the act itself. Anyway, as long as that terrifying thing wasn’t inserted, the preceding steps were so thrillingly pleasurable that he would lose his mind in ecstasy. So, he didn’t have an aversion to sex with this guy.

He pulled back the shirt. Beneath the pulled-back fabric, the white, smooth body, which had been covered several times, was revealed. He boldly lowered his hands and even unbuckled his belt. Twitch, his legs seemed to move slightly, then calmly settled back onto the bed. Jeong Taeui only lifted his gaze to look at Ilay.

Unexpectedly, he had a calm face. There was still a hint of incredulity, but he even smiled.

“Just filling the back wasn’t enough, I suppose. …Well, alright. Let’s see your skill. If you think it’s not working, you can always release the handcuffs. Since you’ve come out so proactively, I’ll take responsibility and send you to heaven.” 

Ilay murmured this, lying comfortably as if telling him to do as he pleased, then deliberately arched his hips once. With that obscene and blatant movement, his penis, which had sprung out from between his unzipped fly, stood up erect.

Jeong Taeui frowned. Of course, he hadn’t expected this man to cower and shout “No, please don’t!” like in some third-rate porn. If he had, Jeong Taeui would have been disgusted and walked away. But he hadn’t expected him to brazenly get an erection even when he was about to be forcibly taken in return.

Damn it. He wanted to see him flustered and angry—or, judging by this guy’s personality, furious enough to want to kill him.

However, Jeong Taeui’s disappointment didn’t last long. Along with his overtly revealed desire, Ilay’s face was also sharply tinged with a clear, internal rage. It seemed he was more angry about the forced situation than the forced sexual act.

Jeong Taeui saw that face and smiled. Yes, get angrier. That way, my departure will be more pleasant. Shouldn’t I at least get some proper severance pay?

The man’s penis, pushing through his underwear, grew harder and rose. Seeing that object, which was sickeningly massive even on a second look, his heart throbbed. His body instinctively recoiled, but at the same time, the memory of pleasure vividly resurfaced. That intense sensation, when his vision had flashed white with the pleasure he’d tasted with this man, chillingly revived.

Was I the only one who enjoyed it? Were you just so-so? —That can’t be right. Yes. So today, you’re going to die properly.

Jeong Taeui gripped his chest, which throbbed painfully. What should he do? The conclusion had been reached. Should he just take him? He probably wouldn’t get hard enough to ram into that body against this guy, but he briefly considered just grabbing whatever was at hand and shoving it in to make him taste the pain. He dismissed such thoughts. If he did that, he’d have to suffer too, looking at that hideous sight, and hurting himself to hurt others wasn’t a good idea.

Jeong Taeui knew well what made a man suffer.

“Ilay. …Look forward to it. I’m going to make it absolutely—amazing.” Jeong Taeui cupped Ilay’s face with both hands. And with the mouth that had whispered into his ear, he bit his cheek. Hard enough to make that pale white face contort.

“Jeong Taei. What are you planning?” 

Even though his body was clearly aroused, Ilay whispered in a calm voice. His cool gaze, tinged with heat yet composed, met Jeong Taeui’s expression. Jeong Taeui snickered. He must think it’s strange how suddenly he’s acting out.

“Why? Do you think I’ll really strangle you to death after it’s all over?” 

“If I were to die on your stomach, that wouldn’t be so bad—but.” 

Though his words, uttered lowly through his teeth, held a hint of amusement, Jeong Taeui, sensitively picking up the underlying displeasure and faint anger in each word, pleasantly stroked him from his nape down to his chest and stomach. With his other hand, he unbuttoned his own shirt. Then he unbuckled his pants and unzipped his fly, slowly pulling them down along with his underwear.