Passion Novel - Volume 6 - Chapter 137

It was a voice he hadn’t heard in a long time. He didn’t know what was happening on the other end of the phone, or where they were searching, or where they were looking for him.

The reality he had vaguely thought was just ‘they must be searching somewhere’ suddenly began to take on vivid colors in his ears. Jeong Taeui grew anxious for no apparent reason. It was an anxiety different from the fear of who might chase him at any moment. His mind went blank with this strange, sudden sensation. There was something he wanted to say. Something he needed to confirm. Before coming here, there was something he wanted to ask. He was afraid to ask, and he had agonized over what to do if he heard the answer he expected.

What was it? Those words.

Jeong Taeui’s palms sweated, and he switched the phone to his other hand. He nervously wiped his hands on his pants. So, that’s…

‘Taei, answer me! …Damn it. You’re not hurt, are you? If you hurt yourself on your own accord, you’re dead. …Answer me! Taei, Jeong Taei! …Jeong Taeui!’

Ah, there it is again. This guy’s pronunciation sometimes gets better… Did he get private pronunciation lessons from someone?

Jeong Taeui, who had been absently thinking irrelevant thoughts, heard the voice tickle his ear, and then suddenly, at some point, without even fully realizing what he was saying, he blurted it out.

“Hey. I wonder if I like you.”

Oh, this isn’t what I meant.

As soon as he said it, he thought, “Ah, again,” but it didn’t matter. At least he’d opened his mouth. But what did I just say? It felt like a touch of schizophrenia, saying something strange and unplanned.

Jeong Taeui nervously wiped his lips with his fingertips.

Suddenly, the voice on the receiver abruptly cut off. No sound came from the other end.

“Uh, hello, hello! Hey, Ilay!”

Did the call really drop? It would be troublesome if the call dropped in this urgent situation.

Jeong Taeui frantically called his name two or three times.

That’s when it happened. Whether he heard the noise or it was just passing by, a presence was felt at the end of the corridor. The presence turned into footsteps, steadily approaching.

Jeong Taeui quickly turned in the opposite direction and picked up speed.

“Hey, what if it disconnects now? I don’t know when I’ll be able to call again… Ilay!”

“—…I’m listening. Just tell me where you are quickly.”

“Uh, here, Raman’s villa. It’s a detached building, but I can’t leave this building, so I don’t know where in the villa this detached building is. But they said it’s on the highest ground within the villa.”

‘The highest ground within the villa…’

Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue. The presence he heard from behind him was probably not just a casual passerby. It was following him in the direction he was going. Jeong Taeui was also speeding up, so he couldn’t keep his footsteps quiet.

Jeong Taeui, almost running, glanced back. That’s when he saw a person turning the corner of the corridor. It was that young man, the owner of this phone.

The young man, seeing Jeong Taeui, immediately shouted something and rushed towards him, his face flushed. And of course, Jeong Taeui, who couldn’t be caught, ran without looking back.

“Damn it. Hey, I can’t talk for long. It’s going to be hard to get out of here. That Raman guy is making hyung build weapons. He said he won’t let us go otherwise. And if there’s external pressure, he said he’ll hide us in a dungeon and pretend not to know. …Anyway, so I might not see you for a while, but I didn’t run away. Don’t come at me all of a sudden if you meet me later, okay?”

‘—Damn it. It’s hard to get out of there from the outside.’

Through the receiver, a voice could be heard that sounded a little anxious, but to a casual listener, it seemed no different from usual. The somewhat lowered voice might even have been angry.

Jeong Taeui was silent for a moment.

It was already a known fact. If it were easy to get out from the outside, there would be no reason for Jeong Jaeui to be trapped here all this time. No matter how much Ilay Regrow acted without forethought, he couldn’t just barge in here. If you mishandled one Middle Eastern royal, the rest would come like a swarm of angry bees.

“I know, I know. It’ll take some time, but—”

‘Taei. Do you want to get out of there?’

Before Jeong Taeui could say anything, Ilay abruptly spoke. Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue.

“Of course, if I could get out—”

Jeong Taeui fell silent. The people following behind him had somehow increased to two. To make matters worse, one more person was jumping out from in front of him. It seemed unlikely that he would be able to hold onto the phone much longer.

‘……Okay, I understand.’

The voice, which had been silent for a moment as if lost in thought, finally fell heavily. And following that brief, weighty answer, his slow but resolute voice was heard.

‘But Taei. Remember this clearly. For the price I have to pay to do that, I will certainly get it back from you.’

“What—”

Jeong Taeui trailed off mid-sentence.

He felt a strange chill. A feeling of having made a mistake welled up in his chest. Was this what it felt like to cross the point of no return?

“Uh, uh,” Jeong Taeui mumbled, running until he was breathless. But the distance between him and his pursuers was rapidly closing. He was confident in his running, but there was no way he could outrun three people chasing him. Then, one of them suddenly grabbed his shoulder.

“Damn it.”

Jeong Taeui briefly cursed and, out of desperation, punched the guy in the face. After punching, he realized it was the phone’s owner. He felt a little sorry.

‘Taei?! What are you doing right now?’

“I’m trying to make a call, and I’m being chased. Ah, damn it, I’m about to get caught.”

Jeong Taeui panted, replying in short, choppy sentences. Running, shaking them off, making a call—he was going to die from holding his breath. It was obvious he would be caught soon anyway. Jeong Taeui dashed into the bathroom right in front of him. If he was going to be caught so quickly, he might as well go into the bathroom and barricade himself, gaining a few more seconds.

Bang—!!

He burst through the door, slamming it shut with all his might. But just before he could lock it, someone slammed into the door, preventing him from latching the bolt.

‘Taei! …Damn it… Don’t you dare hurt yourself on your own!’

“If I hurt myself, I’m the one who hurts, not you… Ow, ow, ow, ow—!”

His finger got caught in the door crack as he tried to close it. It hurt so much that tears welled up in his eyes. Thinking about what he was doing just to make a phone call, even more tears came.

How many seconds could he last? Probably after this call disconnected, he wouldn’t be able to pull the same trick again. Perhaps this was his last external contact before he got out of here.

He felt like there was something more he needed to say. Something he had to say. Jeong Taeui thought anxiously.

‘Why are you hurting what’s mine on your own accord! Damn it, why do you just follow around willy-nilly…!’

Jeong Taeui, who had opened his mouth to say something, flinched and hunched his shoulders at the rough shout coming from the other end of the receiver, even before he could utter a word. His eyes widened.

He had seen this man angry countless times. He had seen him not just angry, but outright beating people like dogs, and there was nothing new to be surprised about with this man’s chilling demeanor. But hearing him get angry while spouting nonsense was perhaps a first.

“……”

It suddenly occurred to him. The words he had to say to this man. The thing he needed to confirm.

Jeong Taeui hesitated for a moment. If possible, he wanted to say it in person. He wanted to see how his face would change. …No, maybe it would be wiser to ask over the phone from a distance, since if he asked directly, he might bare his teeth like a monster right away. …No, but saying it over the phone is a bit…

However, that hesitation, at the moment the bathroom door, which Jeong Taeui was desperately holding onto, swung wide open under the force of the three men, vanished in a rush of urgency.

“Ilay, you… do you, by any chance, like me?”

Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue again. This wasn’t it.

No, what he wanted to ask was precisely that. But there might have been a more roundabout way to phrase it, yet he blurted it out in urgency.

But no answer came back. Perhaps Jeong Taeui hadn’t heard it.

Before he could even wait for the short silence on the other end of the receiver, as if caught off guard, the young man who had been punched earlier violently snatched the phone and ended the call.

“Hey! That was the most important thing, how could you just hang up?!”

Jeong Taeui, pinned down by the men, roared. Even though Jeong Taeui was yelling, the young man, who wouldn’t understand his words and was, technically, the victim of a phone theft, was furious. He probably got a severe scolding from the original Arab guard he followed.

Along with the young man’s brutal cursing—luckily, Jeong Taeui didn’t understand the profanity—Jeong Taeui had to endure the young man’s furious punches.

Jeong Taeui sighed as he looked in the mirror.

His face, a purplish bruise on his right temple, both eyes swollen shut. His lip was also split, with a scab over it.

“I shouldn’t be calling other people’s personalities inhumane… Is there anything in the world as inhumane a sight as this face?”

Jeong Taeui murmured, gently rubbing his face in the mirror. Since it hurt if he touched it hard—some wounds hurt even if he just brushed them—he rubbed it slowly, carefully.

He asked for some ointment to put on it, but the men pretended not to hear him. In the end, he feigned helplessness to a passing girl in white clothes and managed to secretly get one. He had strictly adhered to the rule of never speaking freely to women in the Arab world, so he had squatted by the central pond, waited for a girl to pass, and pretended to be in immense pain. Thankfully, she had secretly left a small tube of ointment on his bedside table.

Seeing that, Jeong Jaeui had said quite seriously, as if admiring him, “You should try selling your good looks to the people here.” Jeong Taeui also seriously considered, “Should I?” but then shook his head. He had no good looks to sell.

Actually, his face was obviously bruised, but he wasn’t seriously injured anywhere else.

The young man clearly wanted to beat him to death, but the guard standing behind him stopped the young man just at the right moment. Although he was effectively a kidnapped and confined victim, he was nominally a precious guest. It seemed they couldn’t possibly beat such a precious guest.

The not-so-ordinary Arab guard, who was a pro, picked an exquisitely precise moment to intervene. He stopped the young man just as Jeong Taeui, having been hit enough to “pay for his sins” thanks to the young man’s furious punches, was starting to wonder whether he should endure more or less.

“Still, at least the main guard didn’t use his fists… Ugh.”

Jeong Taeui groaned as he applied the medicine. It had been several days since he was hit, but it still hurt.

After being beaten, he was neglected for a while, and only late last night did Jeong Taeui find the medicine in the bedroom. He had applied it once before going to bed yesterday, and was now applying it again after waking up, washing his face, and eating breakfast.

The bruises didn’t show much on the day he was hit, but after a few days, the wounds had ripened nicely. It was a quite inhumane sight. The day after he was beaten, he went to the dining room with a disheveled face and sat down. Jeong Jaeui, who was already eating, saw Jeong Taeui’s face, his eyes widened, and he put down his spoon.

He had already seen Jeong Taeui’s beaten face before. So, he thought there would be no need to be surprised again, but then Jeong Taeui nodded. He probably thought his face had gotten more swollen after sleeping.

‘Is your face really swollen?’

Having just washed his face after waking up, Jeong Taeui hadn’t seen a mirror and had no idea what his face looked like. He mumbled, “It doesn’t hurt much,” and asked Jeong Jaeui nonchalantly. Jeong Jaeui nodded and quietly said,

‘Taei. You know, that time you came back on leave after fighting with a colleague named Lieutenant Kim, right?’

‘Huh? Oh, yeah, that happened.’

Jeong Taeui frowned at hearing an unpleasant name so early in the morning. However, at the same time, he also found that name somewhat endearing now. At least that guy was remarkably human.

‘It’s more swollen than back then.’

‘…I’m scared to look in the mirror.’

Jeong Taeui gently rubbed his face, then mumbled, “Ow, ow,” and ate his meal.

And when he returned to his room and looked at his face, it was quite spectacular.

After a few days, the deep blue bruise had changed to a mix of purple and yellowish hues, making it even more vivid to look at. The pain had also subsided considerably compared to then, but it still hurt if he touched it.

“If you’re going to hit someone, you should aim for a spot that doesn’t show much on the outside but hurts a lot on the inside. What is this, all visible on the outside, but my body’s fine? This is why I say I like youthful vigor…”

If he had been hit by the guard, it would have been like that. Or if that young man had good skill and hit him like that, the guard would have watched for a little longer before slowly intervening. Jeong Taeui finished applying the ointment and looked in the mirror again. There was a face worth seeing in it.

Jeong Taeui regretfully fiddled with the almost empty ointment tube, which was so small that he had used it all up after applying it twice, last night and this morning, before throwing it into the trash. He longed for the Tiger Balm that Luther adored.

He sighed deeply and went outside. He thought about going to the study to read a book. However, Jeong Taeui paused, stopping his steps. He had seen a back entering the study from a distance.

It was Raman.

He poked his head into the room to check the time; indeed, it was his usual visiting hour.

Jeong Taeui subtly frowned. He thought for a moment about what to do, then turned his steps towards the inner courtyard. Next to the rubber tree in the inner part of the courtyard, he could peek diagonally into the study through its window. He decided to stay there for a bit, observe the situation inside, and then go to the study after Raman left.

Raman visited the detached building every day.

According to Jeong Jaeui, he used to come more often before Jeong Taeui arrived, but lately, it had become less frequent. However, Jeong Taeui shook his head. Even once was too many.

In fact, he didn’t really have any particular business with him. His business was always the same question: had he considered making weapons now? And Jeong Jaeui’s answer was always the same: he would simply shake his head in silence.

“I feel like I could memorize it word for word now.”

Jeong Taeui sat under the rubber tree, looking up at the leaves, and mumbled.

He glanced at the window, and sure enough, he saw Jeong Jaeui shaking his head. Then, after a brief pause, Raman’s voice flowed out.

“Isn’t it stifling to stay here and not be able to leave?”

Still, there was a slight change today. The basic form of that statement was ‘If you don’t make weapons, I won’t let you out of here.’

“No, I’m fine. Thanks to your thoughtful consideration, I have no discomfort.”

Jeong Jaeui’s quiet voice followed.

Jeong Taeui let out a chuckle. After Raman’s “Isn’t it stifling?” remark, the implied follow-up should have been that he would be released if he complied. But with such an answer, Raman had nothing left to say.

Indeed, Raman’s voice briefly ceased.

Jeong Taeui chuckled silently, thinking that Raman might be wearing a troubled expression.

He tried to imagine what Raman, the man with that cool, composed demeanor who usually wore a soft smile that didn’t reach his eyes—with occasional exceptions—would look like with a troubled expression, but the image wouldn’t come to mind.

But…

“Still, it’s a good thing he’s polite for now.”

Jeong Taeui quietly muttered to himself.

He had been hitting a brick wall for months. He had brought Jeong Jaeui here—kidnapped him—and provided every imaginable comfort, granting all his wishes except for going out. Yet, the very demand he wished for remained unfulfilled. Any ordinary person would have reached the limit of their patience. Furthermore, with no definite promise of acceptance, he could have resorted to threats or harsh methods to force him to create weapons.

However, he had consistently treated Jeong Jaeui with unchanging courtesy, politeness, and the utmost goodwill.

Jeong Taeui didn’t particularly like this man, Raman, but he was somewhat grateful for that aspect. (However, he also thought, what reason was there to be grateful to a kidnapper?)

But was the weapon development not urgent?

Even if it wasn’t an immediate pressing issue, it couldn’t simply be postponed indefinitely. However, his daily visits to ask Jeong Jaeui’s intentions showed no hint of anxiety.

“…Please let me know if you ever change your mind. Until then, I hope you’ll live comfortably. Is there anything you need?”

In the study, the usual conversation continued. Now the standard dialogue was reaching its end.

“Oh, then I’d like to request some books. And a few music albums. I’ve written them down here. Also, my hair is getting a bit unruly, so could you please call the barber again? Since it would be bothersome to call him too often, it might be better to have it cut very short this time.”

Hyung has his own strengths.

With his unassuming and quiet appearance, people who hadn’t experienced Jeong Jaeui much often mistakenly thought he was introverted and delicate. And while Jeong Jaeui was indeed introverted and delicate, the direction was a bit different from what people usually thought.

However, unlike Jeong Taeui, who had been inadvertently dragged along, Jeong Jaeui, though still a captive, was distinctly a ‘precious guest.’ All this time, Jeong Jaeui would occasionally speak freely if he wanted something, and his requests were always fulfilled promptly within a few days.

Jeong Taeui suddenly stroked his cheek and clicked his tongue bitterly.

There was nothing particularly unfair or upsetting, but not long after Jeong Taeui was confined here, Jeong Jaeui, who had been in the study fiddling with a jack-in-the-box, had been suddenly hit on the cheek by a spring that popped out, leaving a bluish bruise.

The next day, Raman, who had come to see Jeong Jaeui as usual and saw his face, instantly wiped the smile from his face, frowned grimly, and called for the guard and a girl in white clothes—a girl assigned specifically to Jeong Jaeui—and scolded them. Jeong Taeui remembered being quite astonished, as he saw the girl turn pale and tremble, quickly bringing medicine and bowing her head at his feet, even though he didn’t understand the words.

Jeong Jaeui, who had a troubled expression but said little, was surprisingly quiet, so when Jeong Taeui asked him later, he said a similar thing had happened once before. That time, he had accidentally cut his chin while shaving, and despite it being Jeong Jaeui’s own mistake, another girl was assigned to attend to him from that very day. When Jeong Jaeui grumbled a few words, Raman shook his head and said firmly, “If the razor had been sharpened well, there would have been no injury. It’s unacceptable for a precious guest to be treated negligently.”

After that, Jeong Jaeui told Jeong Taeui, who was looking at him with a stunned expression, that he would be careful not to get hurt again.

“I can’t understand the thought process of that country…”

Anyway, it was ideal that Jeong Jaeui was being treated as a precious guest.

Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue bitterly, rubbing his face, which was completely different from its original appearance. No matter that he was just an attached bonus, this difference in treatment was too much.

Jeong Taeui was delighted that Jeong Jaeui brought up the barber, as he knew he wouldn’t be able to get a barber called if he requested it himself. He hadn’t had time for a haircut recently anyway, so he thought he might ask for a trim when the barber was called.

It seemed from now on, if he needed anything, he would have to ask the ‘precious guest’, Hyung. First, he should ask for some medicine, and was there anything else he needed?

…If he asked for a phone… Even for Hyung, that wouldn’t work.

Jeong Taeui sighed.

For a phone call that lasted only a minute or two, he seemed to have been beaten excessively. But.

“……”

Jeong Taeui awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

That night, as he rubbed his bruised face, he thought about it again and realized he had said many strange things. And what was worse, he hadn’t gotten a proper answer.

—Do you, by any chance, like me?

Thinking about it, it was the kind of thing only a self-obsessed patient would say. If it really was true, that’s one thing, but if by some chance it wasn’t, he should have smashed his own mouth with a stone for asking such a question.

What kind of face would that guy have made when he heard those words?

He felt a little regretful. He wanted to see that face for himself. If he had, Jeong Taeui might have understood more.

“No. No, it’s not. It would have been better not to hear that answer. No, I was wrong. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked. No matter what answer comes back, it won’t be good.”

Jeong Taeui clutched his head.

Yes, that was the reason he hadn’t asked directly before, even though he had vaguely thought, “Huh?” a few times. If the answer was no, he would simply be labeled as self-obsessed. If it was yes…

…Then the situation would enter a much more terrifying phase.

Jeong Taeui clutched his head, then sighed, “Ugh.” He didn’t know. Anyway, the day he would leave here was distant, and nothing was pressing him immediately. He had plenty of time to think. Besides, if he were to be confined here for, say, ten years, the answer wouldn’t be the problem.

How much longer would he have to stay here?