Passion Novel - Volume 5 - Chapter 118

Ilay, who had been watching Jeong Taeui scratch his head and mutter, “It’ll work out somehow,” clicked his tongue briefly.

“You’re just as noticeable, you know…”

“Hmm? Oh, right. If the rumor of an Asian loitering around spreads and reaches Hyung’s ears, he might get curious and come out… No way. He’s not someone who pays attention to rumors, nor is he curious about such things.”

What if I spread a rumor that ‘Jeong Taeui, an Asian, is loitering around’ instead of just ‘an Asian is loitering around’? Then who knows, maybe I’ll meet him right away, Jeong Taeui muttered to himself. Ilay raised an eyebrow, as if displeased, but said nothing.

As Gable had said, after walking for about two hours, ten minutes shy of two hours to be exact, they reached the accommodation. The sun had already set, and it was getting dark. Opening the wooden door of the house, which was surrounded by a spacious stone wall in the dim alley, Gable waited for them, who were ten or so steps behind.

The two-hour stroll along the quiet and cool path had been pleasant and relaxing, not at all difficult.

He would spend approximately a month here. His brother might be somewhere on this island. Was he also resting now in this peaceful and leisurely atmosphere?

Jeong Taeui smiled. Then, he passed through the wooden door Gable held open.

“It feels like I’ve suddenly been dropped into a resort town in a Muslim country,” Jeong Taeui muttered to himself.

The accommodation was a cozy two-story backpacker’s lodge. Though described as cozy, it had everything one might need. On the first floor, there was a central hall used as a living room, a spacious kitchen next to it, and a laundry room and office nearby. Though he hadn’t looked closely, there seemed to be a few rooms further down the corridor. On the second floor, three or four rooms lined up along a straight corridor.

Looking down from the window of the second-floor room, he could see fruit trees in the wide garden in front of the house and a small pool attached to one side. Fruits dotted the lawn, having fallen from the trees, and hammocks were strung between the fruit trees.

“A typical backpacker’s. I wonder if it’s profitable to run a lodging business when there are so few tourists. Are we the only guests?”

“He probably rented the whole place. Unless he intends to go around spreading rumors and looking for people.”

Jeong Taeui, who had opened both windows wide and was sitting on the windowsill, looking down at the garden, turned his head at the voice from a few steps away. Ilay was entering the room.

The person who greeted them upon entering the accommodation was a young proprietress who introduced herself as Anna. She seemed even younger than Jeong Taeui, and she led them to the second floor. She then gave them adjoining rooms, claiming they were the brightest and best.

Perhaps realizing that Jeong Taeui was looking at her with a somewhat bewildered expression, the proprietress, who seemed too young to be in charge, smiled and said, “Yes, I am indeed the owner here,” then playfully winked before heading downstairs. Gable added that he would be staying in a room on the first floor.

“It’s a leisurely street. It would be nice to buy a house here and open a guesthouse, occasionally taking in guests and living a relaxed life.”

“That’s an old man’s wish,” Ilay’s amused reply came back to Jeong Taeui, who was muttering from the windowsill. When he turned his head, Ilay was undressing to shower in the en-suite bathroom. He has a bathroom in his own room, so why here?

Jeong Taeui tilted his head, but it didn’t matter, so he turned his gaze back out the window. Soon, the sound of water could be heard from the bathroom.

Jeong Taeui let out a contented sigh. It had taken almost a full day to travel from Hong Kong to here. Though it was only a day, constantly changing planes and cars was quite tiring and exhausting. The good thing, at least, was that arriving in the evening meant he would be so tired he’d collapse and only wake up in the morning, making it easier to adjust to the time difference.

He liked this island, where he would be staying for about a month.

Even in Dar es Salaam, Jeong Taeui had been quite exhausted. The bustling noise of the crowded people had further accumulated his fatigue.

However, upon arriving at this island and walking its leisurely, peaceful paths, a relaxed and unhurried feeling revived within him. The goodwill mixed with the curious glances of the people he occasionally passed also seeped in warmly. Jeong Taeui also liked the uniquely strict yet easygoing atmosphere of the Muslim culture.

Suddenly, he felt a gaze. He lowered his head and saw a young Black girl, who had come out into the garden with a wooden basket to pick up fallen fruits, looking up at him. She seemed to be a girl hired to help with housework in this house. She had stronger Black features but looked to be of mixed Arab descent. However, she didn’t seem to be Muslim, as she wasn’t wearing a hijab.

If she wasn’t a Muslim woman, it wouldn’t be dangerous to talk to her. Besides, she was too young to be considered a woman, perhaps fourteen or fifteen.

Jeong Taeui found the girl, who was looking at him with bright, clear eyes, cute. He smiled faintly and waved lightly. The girl, startled, flinched and hastily gathered the fruits, then quickly went inside the house. Even as she did, her eyes, glancing back up at Jeong Taeui, were gentle. She seemed merely shy.

Jeong Taeui smiled. Was she surprised that guests had arrived at a lodge that rarely saw any? Or perhaps she was simply curious about a rare Asian face.

Jeong Taeui turned his gaze. Beyond the wall, low, quaint houses stretched quietly. Submerged in the dim evening darkness, lights began to flicker on in their windows, one by one. Somewhere in the distance, a strange language, like a mother calling her child, could be heard faintly. He chuckled again, thinking that some things were the same no matter where you went in the world.

He liked this feeling. It was unfamiliar yet nostalgic.

Just then, the sound of water from the bathroom stopped. He turned his head to see Ilay emerging from the shower stall, drying his hair with a towel.

Jeong Taeui got off the windowsill. Moths and other insects were flying around the room. Thinking he should close the screen, he leaned out the window and pulled the screen shut. Then, he suddenly noticed a presence looking at him from beyond the stone wall.

It was too dark to see clearly. A boy was looking up at Jeong Taeui from around the corner of the alley. The boy, who had been staring intently at Jeong Taeui as if he were a strange animal, was startled when their eyes met and ran wildly down the alley.

“…”

Jeong Taeui scratched the back of his neck. Asians must really be a novelty here. Or perhaps there were simply many introverted people.

But it didn’t feel like he had just passed by and looked…

Jeong Taeui pondered for a moment. However, before Jeong Taeui could fully develop his thoughts, Ilay approached from behind him.

“It’s already dark; can you even see anything?”

But just as he finished speaking, three or four small lights in the garden flickered on. They weren’t very bright, but they were enough to walk comfortably in the garden even at night.

“Hmm. I can see very well. I could even pick fruit or swim in the pool.”

Jeong Taeui nodded with a feigned serious expression and turned around. But as he turned, he subtly frowned. Water droplets, not properly wiped off his body, were dripping onto the floor. His exposed naked body shamelessly wore not even a single towel. Jeong Taeui glanced down.

At least he’s not hard. Well, if he got excited while showering, that would be a serious problem.

Jeong Taeui turned and leaned against the windowsill. Ilay approached beside him and looked out. Jeong Taeui thought to himself that the windowsill wasn’t very high, so it would be obvious from outside that he was naked, but he said nothing. After all, it was Ilay who should be shy. (Though he wasn’t the type to be shy.)

“I thought I heard something running just now,” Ilay mumbled. Jeong Taeui pressed his lips together. A chill ran down his spine. This ghostly man. Not only does he have good hearing, but his intuition is also terrifying.

He briefly considered telling him about the Black boy who had been peeking from the alley corner, but decided against it. If it wouldn’t help in any way, it was better not to say anything.

“Hmm. I thought I heard something too, but it was dark, so I couldn’t tell clearly.”

“Hmm…?”

Jeong Taeui vaguely mumbled, trying to avoid saying something like “I didn’t hear anything at all,” which might backfire. Ilay glanced at Jeong Taeui but said nothing.

“Oh. He’s out again. Hello—”

Jeong Taeui waved at the Black girl from earlier, who was now slowly walking back into the dimly lit garden, where lights flickered here and there. She seemed to have changed her clothes, perhaps done with her day’s work, and was walking towards the door. She shyly glanced up at the second floor, and when Jeong Taeui smiled and waved, this time she didn’t flinch or run away, but hesitated and waved back. Then, as if embarrassed, she quickly darted out the door.

Jeong Taeui chuckled softly, and Ilay beside him looked down at him with a subtle gaze. Jeong Taeui, noticing his gaze, mumbled, “Huh? Why?”

“Why? Isn’t she cute?”

“Is that your type, Jung Taei?”

“What?”

Jeong Taeui stared blankly at Ilay, who spoke in a strange tone. Then, realizing the meaning of his words, his face contorted in disbelief.

“Hey, what do you mean ‘type’? She looks barely fourteen or fifteen. What kind of tiny kid… She’s just a diligent child, so she’s cute.”

“Even if her body is a child’s, her mind seems to be a girl’s. Well, you’re not into women anyway.”

Jeong Taeui was momentarily speechless, then closed his mouth with a grunt. While it was mostly true, it somehow wounded his pride as a man.

“Not ‘can’t,’ but ‘don’t.’ You’re talking about me like I’m impotent.”

As Jeong Taeui grumbled, Ilay chuckled.

“I know you’re not impotent.”

Suddenly, a slightly lowered voice resonated in his ear.

There was no time to think, Oh, crap. His hand gripped the front of Jeong Taeui’s trousers. The moment his hand, neither forceful nor loose, grasped his crotch over the fabric, Jeong Taeui instinctively flinched. The memory of that hand crushing his genitals was still vivid.

Noticing Jeong Taeui’s stiff face, Ilay smiled faintly. Bringing his face close to Jeong Taeui’s ear, he flicked out his tongue and licked Jeong Taeui’s earlobe.

“Don’t be so tense. I won’t crush you for no reason.”

Which meant he would crush him if there was a reason. And Jeong Taeui knew that this man could conjure up any reason he pleased.

“What were you thinking so hard about, sitting on the windowsill without moving, while I was showering?”

Ilay released Jeong Taeui’s crotch, stroked his waist, and whispered close to Jeong Taeui’s ear. His lips, brushing against his earlobe and cheek, tickled. Why did this guy pick up such bad habits? Does he only think about sex when he sees me? …Come to think of it, while I was at UNHRDO, this bastard treated me like an easy masturbation tool.

Recalling that memory, a sudden surge of displeasure welled up, and Jeong Taeui grumbled sullenly.

“I was thinking that you have a bathroom in your room too, so why did you bother coming to my room to use my bathroom, my shampoo, and my soap?”

Before he could even finish his grumbling, Ilay chuckled softly.

“Your bathroom’s shampoo and soap were fresher. I couldn’t resist.”

He couldn’t resist the urge to shower, so it was only natural that he couldn’t resist other urges either.

Jeong Taeui flinched, feeling the hand that had crept under his clothes, slowly moving from his waist towards his chest. It tickled, making his body shiver.

It’s strange. He wasn’t this unprincipled before. He wasn’t the type to persistently bother someone when they were alone, so why…

However, Jeong Taeui, who had been tilting his head, soon realized that perhaps he simply hadn’t known, and this man had always been like this. Indeed, he had accidentally seen this man with someone else a few times. Unless it was something truly out of the ordinary, such a sight wouldn’t be seen accidentally multiple times.

“So, do you think we’ll be able to find Jeong Jaei?” Ilay whispered softly, tickling his ear. As Jeong Taeui slowly tried to turn his head away, a white hand grasped his face, holding it still. The teeth that bit his earlobe, as if telling him not to bother, had quite a bit of force.

Jeong Taeui winced at the sharp pain and flinched his shoulder. Ilay, seemingly satisfied, chuckled and stroked his face with the hand that had covered his cheek.

“Well, I don’t know. I haven’t even left this house yet, how would I know?”

“Hmm. If you’re twins, don’t you have some kind of intuition or… something like that?”

“I don’t know about other twins, but I certainly don’t have anything like that. By the way, shouldn’t we have dinner?”

Jeong Taeui mumbled that, trying to push Ilay’s shoulder. It didn’t move. It would be nice if he just let go of his hand and backed off as if it were a light joke, but there was no sign of that.

Jeong Taeui, feeling the solid mass pressing against the front of his trousers, stared silently at the ceiling.

“…Ilay.”

“Hmm?”

“…Do you like me that much?”

After saying it, he wondered if it was a joke that might get him hit, but Ilay wasn’t that humorless. Come to think of it, he had said something similar once before, and… it had gotten a laugh.

Just as Jeong Taeui expected, Ilay, who had been brushing his lips against Jeong Taeui’s, paused for a moment. He seemed to linger, then his body trembled slightly. Though Jeong Taeui couldn’t see his face as it was too close, he could feel Ilay’s gaze on him.

The next moment, the sound of laughter pounded in his eardrums. Laughing heartily for a long time, as if he had met a wonderful friend at a pub, he lightly patted Jeong Taeui’s arm.

“Taei. You really say things I’ve never heard or thought of before. Yes, yes. You said that before too. What did I do then…? Oh, right. Did you obediently spread your legs if I said I liked you? If you want to hear it, I’ll say it as much as you want.”

“No, I don’t want to hear it…”

“Taei, I like you. I love you. So, take it off.”

His voice was firm, though mixed with laughter. This was a case where saying something extra yielded no benefit.

Jeong Taeui pulled his head back slightly and looked up at Ilay, whose face was now visible at a suitable distance. Then, he suddenly raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. Unexpectedly, a faint hint of amusement was in his eyes. His eyes, with that hint of a smile, looked almost gentle, like a normal person, though it must have been an optical illusion.

But that face, too, would surely turn into his usual crazy expression if Jeong Taeui didn’t immediately take off his clothes as he was told.

Jeong Taeui gripped his belt buckle, lost in gloomy thought for a moment. It hadn’t even been three hours since they arrived here. In fact, counting from when they dropped off their luggage at this accommodation—though there was barely any luggage to speak of—it hadn’t even been an hour. To begin another ordeal right after finally reaching their destination after a full day’s journey, this was too cruel.

Ilay, who had been quietly watching Jeong Taeui fiddle with his belt buckle with a somber expression, leaned against the windowsill, enclosing Jeong Taeui in his arms, and asked slowly in a slightly lowered voice, “Shall I ask you the same thing, Jeong Taei? Do you dislike it?”

“Huh?”

Jeong Taeui briefly failed to understand his question and asked again. He couldn’t pinpoint what he was asking if he disliked. In this situation and context, it was one of two things: either he disliked Ilay, or he disliked the act itself.

“…”

Jeong Taeui fell into brief contemplation again.

Did he dislike this guy? As soon as that premise was thrown, something surged up inside him. Then what’s so pretty about this murderer that I should like him? Moreover, a guy who boasts he can slit my throat anytime, and who vows to keep me by his side for the rest of my life, tormenting me to death.

… … But even considering all that, it was a ridiculous thought even to himself, but he didn’t dislike this man. Perhaps it was similar to the friends he had once talked about with this man. Jeong Taeui certainly disliked certain aspects of him, but those aspects didn’t dominate his entire feelings for him.

Okay, so assume the first option is a no.

Then, did he dislike the act with this guy? As soon as the second premise was thrown, something surged up inside him again. How could I possibly like that damn thing that belongs in a stable? If he puts it in once, I have to curl up in bed all day the next day.

Yet, to put it in the best possible light, the act itself wasn’t bad, excluding the penetration. Jeong Taeui was relatively simple in his desires and could live perfectly fine even if he was starving, but he did enjoy sexual pleasure. And this man was exceptionally satisfying in that regard, always bringing Jeong Taeui to climax without fail. …Yes. Except for that damn thing.

Jeong Taeui could declare indignantly, “If you cut that thing in half and come back, I’ll like it as much as you want.”

Ilay, who had been quietly watching Jeong Taeui’s thoughts churn in his mind for a moment, let out a light sigh, as if he had reached a conclusion. Suddenly, the amusement vanished from his eyes.

“You must dislike it. Well… even if you dislike it, there’s nothing you can do.”

“Huh?”

Jeong Taeui’s bewildered reply was cut short.

His hand abruptly seized Jeong Taeui’s crotch. Not painfully strong, but firmer than before, with a clearer intent.

Jeong Taeui suddenly thought, This man might really be planning to finish this today.

“Hey!” Jeong Taeui grabbed Ilay’s arm. Ilay silently lowered his gaze to Jeong Taeui.

“We have to go looking for Hyung starting tomorrow, don’t we? Besides, we just arrived today, and I’m starving to death. If I end up stuck in bed all day, are you really telling me to die?”

However, Ilay merely chuckled, the corners of his lips twitching upwards.

“That’s your problem.”

Jeong Taeui squeezed Ilay’s arm tightly. He was frustrated by the fact that his grip was no match for this man’s. If it had been this man, he could have easily crushed an arm just by gripping it.

Then, he suddenly lost strength and let go of his arm.

“Then, …at least let’s eat first. I really feel like I’m going to faint. You wouldn’t want to do that to someone who’s fainted like a corpse, would you?”

Jeong Taeui mumbled weakly. If he starved like this and then exhausted himself severely, unable to leave the bed all day, he would truly die.

Ilay looked down at Jeong Taeui with narrowed eyes, then suddenly turned and walked away. Jeong Taeui watched his retreating back with wide eyes. Of course, he had pleaded, but he hadn’t expected him to comply so readily. He surprisingly has a human side…