Passion Novel - Volume 5 - Chapter 107

In fact, he couldn’t have not thought about it. Even around his birthday, when they usually contacted each other every year, he hadn’t heard from his brother. So, naturally, he couldn’t help but wonder. My brother must be engrossed in something, so much so that he doesn’t have time to think about me.

“Hate me, huh… That’s a possibility. I hadn’t even thought of that.”

Jeong Taeui muttered admiringly and nodded. It was a premise that could certainly be put forward as a possibility, yet he had never considered it. But even recalling that possibility, he still didn’t think it was likely.

Ilay, who had been steadily watching Jeong Taeui casually nodding, raised one eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

“You two are quite close brothers.”

“Hmm…? Rather than that, well… there was never anything to fight about.”

My brother and I were never the type to clash in the first place, Jeong Taeui added, our personalities don’t really match, to the point where you could say they don’t match at all. He briefly recalled his brother.

They certainly weren’t brothers who got along perfectly. They never went to arcades together or played baseball or basketball. But neither did they have distinct clashing points where they argued over their preferences.

Thinking about it, it might even be a rather bland relationship.

But even so…

“I want to meet my brother.”

So I don’t want to go to Hong Kong with you.

Ilay couldn’t have failed to understand Jeong Taeui’s meaning. He was a man who sensed even what Jeong Taeui didn’t want. Ilay’s gaze narrowed further. Jeong Taeui met his gaze, which revealed nothing of his thoughts.

“Jeong Taei. Do you think you have a choice?”

“…No?”

Jeong Taeui briefly rolled his eyes, then subtly glanced at him and muttered. Just three seconds ago, he had been somewhat confident, but now that the problem of reality had returned, he was like this.

As Jeong Taeui ambiguously licked his lips, Ilay was silent for a moment before asking again,

“If not. Will you try to tie me up and run away again when you get the chance?”

“Well…”

The words, I might, wouldn’t come out.

Jeong Taeui had thought he was quite good at ambiguously trailing off or deflecting conversations, but it seemed he had to revise that thought. It was hard dealing with someone whose next move was unpredictable and who was exceptionally clever. Lies usually didn’t work. But he also didn’t want to obediently follow along.

However, Jeong Taeui soon sighed and shrugged. Even after all this deliberation, he already knew what he had to do.

Though not everything, most things were resolved by time. The degree of difficulty would vary depending on how much time was needed and whether there was enough leisure to wait, but ultimately, there were almost no problems that time couldn’t solve. In a few months, or a few years, or perhaps even longer, Jeong Taeui could escape from Ilay. Anger and persistence faded with time. Then, one day, Jeong Taeui would get another chance. He never thought there would be no chance for him throughout his life.

…The only difficulty was that in this guy’s case, there was a high possibility he might choose to just kill him and get rid of him if his head cooled down enough to not be bothered anymore.

Jeong Taeui scratched his cheek and still clicked his tongue somewhat disapprovingly, then tried a faint resistance one last time.

“But you know. If you find Jaeui hyung, wouldn’t that be a very welcome story for your company? You’ve been looking for him all this time, haven’t you?”

“Company? Well, it’s not a company that would go bankrupt over something like that, and besides, it’s not my jurisdiction.”

The company is strictly my brother’s jurisdiction, not mine, Ilay said, waving his hand lightly. Jeong Taeui tried to resist again.

“Then UNHRDO (though I don’t think you have an ounce of loyalty to it), but it’s still an organization you belong to. Don’t you have any intention of cooperating in finding the person they’re desperately searching for?”

“Me?”

Ilay’s answer was just that one word. And that one word represented all the answers.

Jeong Taeui, who was suddenly ridiculed, inwardly thought, I knew it, and clicked his tongue. He knew perfectly well that saying such things wouldn’t elicit a response like, “Indeed, then you go and find him,” so he wondered why he had even brought it up. In hindsight, the most incomprehensible thing was himself.

“Taei. Then I’ll return that question to you.”

“…?”

Jeong Taeui looked at him suspiciously at Ilay’s sudden words.

“Jeong Jaei is clearly, as you said, a pivotal figure not only in T&R and UNHRDO but also among other related organizations. That means, now that a clue to his whereabouts has emerged, there are countless people who will rush to rescue him even if you don’t fret about it. So why do you have to go rescue him?”

“Rescue? I’m not trying to rescue my brother. I just want to see him.”

Besides, my brother isn’t in a situation where he needs rescuing, Jeong Taeui said, shaking his head.

His uncle’s request for Jeong Taeui to find Jeong Jaeui was probably not simply to strengthen brotherly affection, but even with that calculation in mind, Jeong Taeui wanted to meet Jeong Jaeui. He was curious since there had been no contact for so long. Also, in this situation, the red string that Jeong Jaeui had sharply cut still bothered him.

I guess my fate got twisted because I lost connection with my lucky brother, Jeong Taeui grumbled, then suddenly looked at Ilay. Ilay, who had been staring at Jeong Taeui with no emotion or reaction, slowly began to speak.

“Do you want to go?”

The object, where, wasn’t necessary. Jeong Taeui was silent for a moment, then sighed.

“If I want to go, will you let me?”

“No. You have to come with me to Hong Kong on tonight’s flight.”

Jeong Taeui unconsciously frowned slightly. This guy isn’t playing games, but what the hell is this?

“Ilay. Think about it. You’re not the kind of person to fall for the same trick twice. I know that much, and you know that I know that much. So, even if I were to run off alone to Africa to find my brother right now, you’d be able to find me quickly this time anyway. Then there’s no reason to drag me along to Hong Kong. You could just find me whenever you wanted and choke the life out of me.”

Jeong Taeui spoke quite seriously. Ilay then let out a low snort.

“Taei. You’re forgetting one thing.”

“What?”

“I told you, didn’t I? To you, who found being with me utterly dreadful. To live that dreadfully every day until you die.”

“…”

He had forgotten, just as Ilay had said. He was foolish to have forgotten for even a moment that snake-like, persistent, and cruel nature.

Jeong Taeui got up from the bed without hesitation. He snatched the shirt hanging on the chair back, slipped his arms into it, and muttered,

“Alright, let’s go, to that damn Hong Kong. Do whatever you want, lock me up in a detention facility, or encase me in cement and throw me into the Hong Kong sea.”

If it was tonight’s flight, no matter when this guy planned to leave the house, he couldn’t be leisurely. There wasn’t much to pack anyway, but he should tidy up what needed tidying and say goodbye to Kyle, Rita, and the others. He should at least say goodbye face-to-face, but he’d probably have to call or send a written message to Kyle, who had gone straight to work after a late breakfast. He might see him again someday, but he still wanted to say a proper goodbye.

Damn it. He had already half-given up on life the moment he was caught by that guy, but his stomach churned slightly at this situation where he couldn’t control his own life.

“The location of someone whose whereabouts are unknown, you know, once one person gets a lead, the rumor spreads like wildfire.”

Ilay’s voice reached Jeong Taeui’s ears as he dressed, his discomfort clearly evident. Jeong Taeui merely glanced over his shoulder and grumbled sullenly,

“Yeah, now the fact that my brother might be in Seringe will leak everywhere. There’ll definitely be a ton of people, even if not me, who will try to pull him out of there.”

So I’m going to Hong Kong anyway, he grumbled.

Creak, the wooden floor groaned, and Ilay’s presence rising was felt. He reached Jeong Taeui’s back in a few steps, then extended a hand and grabbed Jeong Taeui’s ear. The slow, gentle, yet merciless touch twisted and rubbed his ear. Jeong Taeui frowned at the pain that made his ear flush and turned his head.

“I’m not talking about Jeong Jaei.”

“…?”

Jeong Taeui shook his head, covering the ear that had been readily released with one hand, and looked at him in confusion.

Rumors about the whereabouts of someone whose location was unknown. In this context, it naturally referred to Jeong Jaeui.

Jeong Taeui tilted his head and stared at Ilay for a moment. He blinked, still deep in thought, but Ilay seemed to have no intention of speaking himself. Jeong Taeui met his gaze, which was looking down at him, and then slowly frowned, muttering to himself,

“Me…?”

“Yes, you.”

Jeong Taeui stared blankly at Ilay with a dazed expression, then slowly tapped himself with his index finger.

“Yeah… well… my uncle probably knows where I am now. So what?”

“If someone else tries to snatch my prey, it’s not pleasant. If I leave you in Hong Kong and go to the branch, I can deal with it immediately if something happens, but otherwise, they’ll surely rush in the moment I leave Germany.”

Jeong Taeui still looked dazed.

It wasn’t the first time this man had spouted incomprehensible nonsense, but usually Jeong Taeui could generally understand him. Not now. But since he wasn’t one to utter completely useless nonsense, this must mean his own comprehension was lacking.

But even so…

“Who else would target me besides you?”

Jeong Taeui blurted out in disbelief. People tended to judge their surroundings and others based on themselves, but even so, he hadn’t lived his life as recklessly as this man. He didn’t recall doing anything to incur such resentment that people would be planted everywhere to target his life.

Indeed, as he said, Jeong Jaeui wasn’t the only person whose whereabouts had been unknown recently. Although for a much shorter period, Jeong Taeui’s location had also been untraceable in his own way.

However, Jeong Jaeui and Jeong Taeui were different. No one was looking for Jeong Taeui. Unless there was someone with a special grudge who would relentlessly pursue him—like the person standing before him—then perhaps it would be different.

“Why not? Just counting the ones I can think of right now—”

As Jeong Taeui snorted, Ilay clicked his tongue and opened his mouth. But he stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth again.

“Counting what?”

Jeong Taeui urged, but Ilay merely stared at him bleakly. Under that gaze, Jeong Taeui slowly averted his eyes, despite remembering no wrongdoing. If you don’t want to talk, then don’t, he grumbled.

Ilay suddenly muttered in a low voice,

“Jeong Jaeui…”

“…?”

“Perhaps that one will be more troublesome.”

Jeong Taeui frowned slightly. The topic was subtly jumping around, almost graspable but not quite. Jeong Taeui let out a deep sigh and somewhat irritably pulled at his hair.

“So. You’re taking me to Hong Kong because you’re worried someone I don’t know, who holds a grudge against me, will destroy me before you do? Or just to make me suffer every day?”

He wanted to speak with blatant anger, but it didn’t go as Jeong Taeui intended. Even if it did, the listener wasn’t the type to care much, and Jeong Taeui, though displeased, wasn’t truly angry.

Muttering in a tired voice, Jeong Taeui thought, This is what happens when you mess up once and get caught after running away. I guess this is what they call karma.

Ilay, who had been staring intently at Jeong Taeui as if deep in thought since entering the room, put his hand in his pocket, pulled out his phone, and tossed it to Jeong Taeui. Jeong Taeui instinctively caught the phone and looked at it in confusion.

“Think what you will. The flight to Hong Kong isn’t changing. We leave in 30 minutes, so call your brother to tell him you’re leaving. It connects directly, no need for complicated steps.”

“Ah, yes.”

Jeong Taeui grumbled disapprovingly and opened the flip phone. Then he suddenly frowned.

Leaving in 30 minutes. He could practically roast beans over a lightning strike.

Jeong Taeui stopped dialing the memorized number and asked Ilay’s back, who was heading towards the door,

“You said you came by private jet, so there shouldn’t be a fixed flight time, why the rush, 30 minutes?”

Thinking about it, in terms of time, even if Kyle returned and they had a final dinner and a proper goodbye, they could still make it if they returned by private jet.

“…”

Ilay stopped walking, then slowly turned around. Seeing the subtle expression of disbelief on his expressionless face, Jeong Taeui quickly averted his gaze back to the phone screen.

Right, the pilot, who was forced to come along, wouldn’t just patiently wait for a mere instructor. And if it was UNHRDO’s private jet, not a personal one, the flight schedule would already be set, so there must be a lot of disruption.

“It really is like roasting beans over lightning… Are the plane tickets booked?”

Ilay, who was just stepping out of the room, answered Jeong Taeui’s question, which was half-muttering to himself rather than asking.

“Of course. Passport number JR0203314, Mr. Kim Youngsoo.”

“…Your sarcasm is truly exquisite…”

As Jeong Taeui muttered with a sense of weariness, Ilay chuckled a couple of times. After a brief pause, he looked back at Jeong Taeui. With a seemingly reluctant but calm tone, he said,

“Shut your mouth and follow me obediently. I won’t stop you from meeting Jeong Jaeui.”

“Hmm?”

Jeong Taeui, who had the phone with the dial tone to his ear, gave Ilay a somewhat blank look. He hadn’t misheard the words, but they were unexpected, making him wonder if he had heard wrong. However, before Jeong Taeui could ask for confirmation, Ilay left only those words and turned to walk out of the room again.

It wasn’t until the dial tone ended and Kyle’s brief voice, “What is it?” came from the phone, that Jeong Taeui continued to stare blankly at Ilay’s disappearing figure.

Kyle was a busy man.

Even now, he had a phone pressed to his right ear, a direct call from across the ocean, a pen in his right hand, and a paper that James had brought just five minutes ago, saying a fax had just arrived, in his left hand.

In fact, James usually handled most matters himself. It was likely that over 90% of the work was resolved by James before it even reached Kyle. James was truly a competent secretary. Although he nagged excessively, Kyle had to unconditionally submit, considering his past where he was buried under a mountain of work, had to seek psychological counseling for stress, and even threatened to resign in a fit of rage.

Today, too, after a late breakfast, Kyle sighed upon seeing the mountain of work piled on his desk as soon as he arrived at the office and muttered, “There’s too much work.” But under James’s sharp gaze, who had woken up at 5 AM, was already at the office by 7 AM to review the day’s work, and then went to his boss’s house after 9 AM to pick him up, Kyle had no choice but to swallow his words.

In reality, James had half-given up on this boss. Kyle was undoubtedly an exceptional individual, hailed by some as a prodigy, but he was by no means diligent or sincere. If it weren’t for his brain, which could do the work of a hundred men, this company would have collapsed long ago.

Knowing Kyle’s capricious nature and lazy side well, James handled matters himself unless it was absolutely necessary for Kyle to see them. Kyle gladly—and with great pleasure—told him to do so, and of course, with a mountain of work, James meticulously calculated his salary to a vast sum and received it.

Therefore, any document that reached Kyle was a “must-see” matter.

“That’s why it’s even more annoying. There’s not a single task I can just slack off on and skim through. Not a single one! Damn that workaholic.”

As soon as James handed over the fax and left, Kyle began grumbling and mimicking James. Then, over the phone, his friend from across the ocean chuckled.

‘Tell James that. Tell him to reduce your workload.’

And just as his friend expected, Kyle jumped.

“Don’t joke. If that guy really resigns this time, I’m finished, completely finished.”

‘Haha, you know it. If James ever quits, let me know. I’d love to snatch that capable guy up. I bet I’m not the only one eyeing him.’

“No, no. If you snatch James, you have to snatch me too.”

Kyle shivered, imagining his life without his secretary, who was far more capable than himself. Even as he spoke in that timid tone, his eyes, cold and calm, completely unfitting his timid demeanor, scanned the documents, checking certain points with his pen.

It was then. His phone rang in his inner pocket.

Kyle gathered his pen and papers in one hand and took out his phone. He raised an eyebrow slightly at the number on the screen.

“Why is this guy calling?”

‘Did you get a call? Should I call back in a bit?’

“No, it’s Ilay. He’ll just state his business and hang up, so it doesn’t matter. But why is the guy I just saw a couple of hours ago suddenly calling?”

‘Ah, Rick. Probably a farewell. He has to return to the branch by tomorrow.’

“Really? Then he has to leave today. No, this guy isn’t one to do something as cute as a farewell. Just a moment. …What is it?”

Kyle put his friend’s call on hold and answered the phone. His brother wasn’t one to call without a reason, nor was he one to call for just any reason. And a farewell? That was unthinkable. His friend knew that too, so he was clearly joking.

However, the answer to Kyle’s curt greeting was a gentle voice, tinged with a slight hesitation.

‘Kyle? It’s Taeui.’

“Taeui?! Ah, right.”

Kyle pulled the phone away from his ear, checked the screen again, and replied. The number on the screen was indeed his brother’s. Kyle tilted his head, a question mark forming in his mind, but his voice softened automatically as he said,

“What brings you to Ilay’s phone? Did he make you call?”

As he spoke with a half-joking laugh, Jeong Taeui hesitated slightly again from the receiver.

‘Well… I’m leaving for Hong Kong soon with Ilay. If I had known earlier, I would have said a proper goodbye this morning, but it happened so suddenly… I’m sorry and thank you. I owe you a lot for everything during this time.’

“Huh? You’re leaving? When are you leaving?”

‘In 30 minutes.’

Kyle was silent for a moment, listening to Jeong Taeui’s words, which sounded apologetic.

“Why don’t you at least have dinner? It’s too sudden.”

‘Ah, I’d like to, but Ilay seems to be in a hurry. He said he has to return to the Hong Kong branch by tomorrow.’

“That’s his problem. Why don’t you send him ahead and stay a bit longer?”

‘As if I can do that.’

“Tell him you’ll die before you go.”

‘…Then I really will die.’

Suddenly, the voice on the phone became gloomy. Kyle also became gloomy. He fully understood the reality of those words. He had thought there were few people as unfortunate as himself, having such a peculiar-tempered younger brother, but suddenly he wondered if there might be someone even more unfortunate than him.

“Alright, then take care. It’s a shame. If you ever come to Germany again, be sure to visit.”

‘Yes, I really owe you a lot for everything. Thank you.’

Neither Kyle nor the young man on the other end of the line prolonged the conversation once a decision was made.