Passion Novel - Volume 6 - Chapter 144

Jeong Taeui scratched his head.

“That guy, he’s got skills… How did he handle my passport?”

Come to think of it, it wasn’t just Jeong Taeui’s own passport. Jeong Jaeui probably didn’t have a passport either. If he could handle one person, why not two?

Jeong Taeui nodded, understanding and accepting it to himself. But where in the world had everyone gone? He scanned the room here and there. Indeed, he was the only one inside.

Scratching his head, he went back to the bed and sat down. Then, restlessly tossing and turning in bed, he turned on the TV. He didn’t particularly want to watch anything, so he flipped through a few channels, stopped at a suitable one, and lay down sideways on the bed again.

“…”

As his mind began to work properly, information that had haphazardly poured in without time to think deeply began to surface one by one.

Before he could process one piece of information, another overlapped it, making his mind increasingly complex.

Let’s trace back from this morning—surely he hadn’t taken the medicine in the morning, been unconscious for a day and a half, and then woken up the next night—.

Raman had returned to his home country. He hadn’t heard the details, but there was a terror attack in his homeland. It must have been quite serious, as he took most of the armed guards from the villa with him. Then, luckily, Ilay broke in through that lax security, using a very barbaric method. It seemed he had almost razed the villa to the ground.

Meanwhile, Xinlu had entered the annex first and taken—dragged—Hyung and himself out… and he had lost consciousness.

“Seriously… What is this?”

Jeong Taeui buried his face in the bed with a thump. Nothing was going his way, everything was turning out wrong. Why was his luck so bad? He desperately wanted to share some of Hyung’s luck, who had been able to leave the annex the moment he decided to.

“…”

—Taei. Come here.

It was a low, rough voice. That soft shout, mixed with the roar of the motorcycle, echoed in his ears. And the expression at that moment.

Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue. His heart suddenly felt heavy.

“It feels strange. That guy, making that kind of face…”

His muttered words suddenly penetrated his own ears.

—Taei, come here.

His eyes, sharp as freshly ground ice, stared directly at Jeong Taeui. He didn’t turn his gaze away for a moment, looking straight at him, and said that.

His face was angry. No, perhaps—though it might just be a feeling—it seemed anxious.

“It really didn’t suit him…”

It truly was a face that didn’t suit him. His usually expressionless and cold face was best suited to the faint, sneering smile he sometimes wore. It was a face that perfectly revealed the man’s personality.

Depending on how you looked at it, it was quite annoying and even chilling, but he’d still prefer that face. Rather than that unfitting, anxious expression. He didn’t want to see that unfitting face.

—Taei!

The voice calling Jeong Taeui’s name echoed in his ears. When he first spotted Jeong Taeui inside the villa.

Shouting his name like that, Ilay, who had been smashing the villa buildings indiscriminately, immediately rushed towards Jeong Taeui. While rushing, he even threw a mortar—though it didn’t seem intentional—and broke a pillar, approaching Jeong Taeui with terrifying momentum.

He was smiling.

He was definitely smiling. From the moment he discovered Jeong Taeui, and even while he was running towards him. As if he was truly glad to see him, to the point where he might not even realize it himself, as if he was happy.

“…That face suited him even less…”

Jeong Taeui groaned, murmuring painfully. He buried his face in the blanket, then pulled the blanket over his head.

He had never seen that face before.

No, come to think of it, he had seen similar faces before. There were a few times when Jeong Taeui had been surprised and stared at his face, seeing such unexpectedly similar expressions. With that temper, if he habitually smiled like that, he should be wanted for fraud, so much so that he occasionally smiled as if he was truly enjoying himself. However, even though he had seen such faces several times and was somewhat accustomed to them, that bursting smile he showed earlier felt unfamiliar.

So unfamiliar that it was frightening. So unfamiliar that his heart ached with fear.

“Where did that monster learn such an unfitting expression…”

Jeong Taeui muttered with his head buried in the blanket. But it wasn’t bad. It was a face that seemed bad for his heart, but perhaps he might get used to it if he saw it occasionally.

However, that face hardened in an instant.

The moment he saw Xinlu’s face over Jeong Taeui’s shoulder, and the moment Jeong Taeui showed signs of going towards Xinlu.

“…It’s like I did something really bad. Damn it.”

Jeong Taeui mumbled a groan. After burying his head in the blanket and remaining motionless for a long time, Jeong Taeui suddenly threw off the blanket and stood up.

He felt like he had to make contact.

That expression clung to his mind and wouldn’t leave. Those ill-fitting faces alternated in his mind, stabbing at his heart.

“It’s because that monstrous guy made such an unfitting face…”

Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue and stood up.

As soon as he thought about making contact, his heart suddenly felt anxious. Xinlu would clearly stop him if Jeong Taeui said he was going to contact Ilay.

In that case, he had to make contact now, while Xinlu was gone, wherever he went. Jeong Taeui picked up the phone receiver from the nightstand. Following the instructions next to the phone, he dialed the international call code. He already knew Ilay’s direct number by heart.

But what would he say when he called?

Suddenly his fingers recoiled. He couldn’t immediately think of what to say on the phone.

I’m sorry about earlier…? What kind of face are you making now…?

Neither would work.

He had nothing to say. In fact, he had nothing to say even if he called him. Should he make an excuse for coming with Xinlu like that earlier?

…Ah. Yes. That’s it.

Jeong Taeui suddenly had a thought. A faint pallor spread across his face.

Why had he been so foolish as not to think of it? Come to think of it, what happened earlier, looking at it slightly differently, Jeong Taeui had run away from Ilay. What had he said he would do if he ran away again? Had he said he would really kill him then?

“Ugh… I’m really going to die the next time I see him… But it was unavoidable.”

Jeong Taeui quickly dialed the number. At least on the phone, he couldn’t be killed, so it would be good to make excuses beforehand for the sake of his future life.

He glanced at the room door, but it showed no sign of opening. It would be a disaster if Xinlu came in now and snatched the phone away.

“Why can’t I even make a phone call as I please, really…”

Lamenting his fate, Jeong Taeui listened to the dial tone.

However, after a short while, Jeong Taeui frowned and tilted his head in confusion.

The call wasn’t answered. No, not answering was one thing, but the dial tone was strange. It rang exactly five times, then abruptly cut off. It didn’t even go to an automatic voicemail. He wondered if he had dialed incorrectly, or if there was something wrong with the phone, and he called again, but it was the same. The signal rang a few times and then cut off, and that was it. If it had gone to voicemail, he could have left an excuse, but that wasn’t even an option.

“…?”

Jeong Taeui stared blankly at the receiver with a furrowed brow, then put it down.

He felt that something was strange.

Even with such thoughts, he had no way of knowing their cause. Jeong Taeui stared at the phone for a long time before sighing. The stifling feeling inside made him think he should have another beer. He took another can of beer from the mini-bar.

“Only two cans? Should I call the front desk and ask for more? ……But Xinlu is paying for the hotel, right?”

Jeong Taeui simultaneously recalled two situations: being alone in the room, and having not a single penny to his name. A sudden ominous thought crossed his mind, but he quickly shook his head.

“But seriously, where did everyone go…? … …Uh…”

Jeong Taeui, who had torn open the tab of his beer can and taken a sip, paused as his gaze inadvertently landed on the TV. The late-night news was on. The screen showed international news, with footage of a luxurious mansion on fire in one corner, as if struck by a bomb. Seeing three or four similar videos in a row, it seemed to be the same topic. The announcer’s voice, which he only half-listened to, suggested it was news about a terrorist attack.

“Looks like they fired artillery or something… Who are these bad guys bombing such a magnificent mansion?” Jeong Taeui mumbled, sipping his beer on the bed. The world seemed so unsettled lately that terror attacks were breaking out everywhere.

“Claims that there’s no other way to uphold one’s beliefs don’t hold up in front of the actual victims.” Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue.

Come to think of it, Raman’s sudden return to his home country early this morning was also said to be because of a terror attack. He wondered if the news was about that, and then saw the subtitle below: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

…It must be.

Jeong Taeui finally watched the news more carefully. Frankly, whether Raman was attacked or not was none of his business, but thinking it might concern someone he knew made him pay attention.

‘…ㅡThe suspects in this incident, whose motive is yet to be revealedㅡ….’

The screen changed with the announcer’s voice. Photos of six or seven people appeared in a row on the screen. It seemed to be pictures of those bad guys.

Jeong Taeui looked at their faces without much thought.

At that moment.

“…ㅡCough!! Kk, …cough, cough cough…ㅡ.”

The beer went down the wrong pipe. Jeong Taeui collapsed onto the bed, coughing frantically. His chest tightened painfully. He had choked so badly he couldn’t breathe. His eyes turned red as he coughed to the point of gasping for air.

He must be losing his mind. His eyes seemed to be playing tricks on him.

Jeong Taeui, with eyes brimming with tears from coughing so much, looked at the TV again. But the news segment had already passed, and the British royal family was now on screen.

Cough, cough. Barely steadying his slightly recovered breathing, Jeong Taeui hastily changed the channel. There had to be news on somewhere else. He needed to confirm that what he had just seen was an illusion.

After changing channels several more times, Jeong Taeui finally found the news again. The announcer’s voice and the details of the article were only slightly different; everything else was the same. The content, the footage.

And Jeong Taeui saw it.

The face of the person he had been thinking about just moments ago, reflected on the TV.

Below the photo, his name was also displayed: Ilay Riegrow. And below that photo, among the faces of his accomplices, was another extremely familiar face. A face he saw every day in the mirror. Next to it, written neatly in the subtitle: Jeong Taeui.

“…Huh?”

A single, stunned sound escaped his lips.

The photo, which he didn’t know how it was obtained, was one taken years ago, when he graduated from the military academy. It hadn’t changed much from now.

But why that photo was there, he couldn’t fathom.

Jeong Taeui, staring blankly at the news, thought he must have misheard something. After the news ended, he flipped through the channels again. But it was too late, and there weren weren’t many channels, so there was no more news on.

“….”

Jeong Taeui stared blankly at the TV, which had now begun a late-night talk show. The guests’ laughing and chattering faces flashed by, but he didn’t register them. Among the six or seven photos in the video, there were two familiar faces. And he couldn’t understand why either of those faces was there.

Ilay Riegrow. Why was his face on that list?

That bastard was certainly a very bad guy. But had he done anything that would put him on the list of terrorists? At least, as far as Jeong Taeui knew, he hadn’t. Or even if it wasn’t a past event but something that happened just this morning —around midnight, so a full day had passed—even if he was the one who caused it, there was no reason for him to do such a thing.

A terrorist? What reason could that bastard have to commit an act that would lead to an international warrant?

Jeong Taeui stared blankly at the TV.

Then, suddenly.

ㅡTaei. Do you want to get out of there?

A conversation from sometime ago came to mind.

ㅡRight… Understood. But Taei. Remember this clearly. As much as I have to put on the line for that, I will certainly get it back from you.

He had definitely said that.

He had asked if Jeong Taeui wanted to get out of that place, when Jeong Taeui was confined in the annex. Just once, when he barely managed to talk to him on the phone.

The remote control he was holding slipped and fell. The remote lightly struck his instep, and Jeong Taeui suddenly came to his senses.

“…ㅡ.”

His fingertips nervously twitched. He pulled back his bewildered fingers to rub his mouth. Unconsciously, his fingers were tearing at his lips.

“Who…”

A barely audible voice escaped Jeong Taeui’s lips.

“Who told you to do such a thing, you crazy bastard.”

Crazy. There was nothing more to say. The act itself was insane, but if the reason was what Jeong Taeui suspected, then Ilay Riegrow was truly insane.

“This is driving me crazy…” Jeong Taeui nervously ran his hand through his hair, the same hand that had been tearing at his lips. His long hair flowed back through his fingers.

What should he do? What should he do with that madman?

Jeong Taeui glanced at the TV again. Even though he knew there was no more news on, he flipped through all the channels once more. As expected, there was no news. Jeong Taeui pondered for a moment, then suddenly stood up.

“Ah, the newspaper.”

If it was on the news, it must surely be in the newspaper. Since it was news from a distant region, it probably wouldn’t be a huge story, but he still felt he should look for any small details.

Jeong Taeui looked down at his own disheveled attire, still wearing the same clothes he had fallen asleep in, and then left the room. His anxious steps quickened as he moved away from the room.

The moment he stepped out of the hotel, Jeong Taeui realized.

There was no way a place selling newspapers would be open at this hour, when the news wasn’t even on. He looked around just in case, but all the newsstands were already closed. He tried looking for a convenience store, but for some reason, none seemed to be in sight.

Returning listlessly to the hotel without having achieved what he wanted, Jeong Taeui felt unnecessarily abashed and awkwardly bowed his head. It might have just been his imagination, but the staff at the front desk seemed to be scrutinizing his face. Not only that, the person he encountered in front of the elevator seemed to be staring intently at him, and the person he passed in the hallway on his way back to his room seemed to be glaring at the back of his head, ready to pull out their phone and call the police.

“I should buy a hat first… A person really can’t live after committing a crime, can they?” Jeong Taeui needlessly covered his face with his somewhat long bangs. But as he said that, he suddenly felt wronged. No matter what, he didn’t recall committing a crime serious enough to appear on TV like that. This was truly a false accusation. He felt wronged.

“At the time of the terror attack in Riyadh, I was trapped in the annex in Seringe…” He thought he would have to explain it like that if anyone asked, and Jeong Taeui entered his room. He went to open the door and insert the card key, but a card was already inserted there. It seemed someone was in the room.

“…This has become quite troublesome.”

Jeong Taeui, taking off his outer clothes and entering the room, paused, stopping in his tracks at an utterly unexpected voice. The voice, which didn’t sound as troubled as its words suggested, and perhaps even joyful, belonged to his uncle.

But his uncle couldn’t possibly be in this room right now.

Jeong Taeui’s eyes widened, and he passed through the narrow corridor in front of the bathroom and entered further inside.

Jeong Jaeui was inside the room; it was unclear when he had entered.

He was sitting at the table, silently reading a newspaper he had somehow acquired. No, before he could ask, “How did you find a newspaper when I couldn’t find any?”, Jeong Taeui first looked around. Indeed, Jeong Jaeui was the only one in the room. But he soon realized why his uncle’s voice had been heard.

[The agency is in complete chaos right now. That bastard really messed things up, this time. Thanks to him, I was up all night yesterday.]

His uncle’s voice was coming from the phone. “Ah, I see,” Jeong Taeui nodded.

Jeong Jaeui often did that when he was home. If he was doing something else when a call came in, he would put the phone on speaker and handle both the task and the call simultaneously.

Although Jeong Taeui was accustomed to this sight, he sometimes marveled at it. If he was watching TV while talking, or cleaning while talking, that would be one thing, but if he was engrossed in complex engineering textbooks that would make his head spin just by glancing at them, all while having a conversation, he truly thought it was amazing.

Sometime ago, when he observed this, he wondered if his brother was actually reading the book properly. After he hung up the phone, Jeong Taeui asked if he remembered the content of the book. His brother looked bewildered as to why he was asking such a thing, but then readily nodded and explained the book’s contents.

“Well, if I marveled at every such thing, it’d be hard to be Jeong Jaeui’s younger brother,” Jeong Taeui thought, pulling out a gown from the built-in closet and taking off his clothes. Jeong Jaeui gave him a nod when he saw Jeong Taeui enter. When he was on the phone with someone else, he didn’t talk to Jeong Taeui, and Jeong Taeui did the same.

Jeong Jaeui’s gaze fell back to the newspaper. Jeong Taeui looked over his shoulder at the paper. Then he clicked his tongue.

He had spread out an Arabic newspaper, from who knew where. Jeong Taeui couldn’t understand it.

He had returned without even finding a common English newspaper, and wondered where his brother had gotten this one. Jeong Taeui then thought that since the photos in the newspaper indicated the terror news was very widely covered, he should ask Jeong Jaeui about it later. Then, seeing the large photos of the terror suspects at the bottom of the newspaper, he winced and shut his mouth.

[Still, I’m glad you got out safely. Are you hurt anywhere?]

His uncle’s words continued from the speaker.

At that moment, Jeong Jaeui, who had been focused on the newspaper even while talking to his uncle, suddenly seemed to flinch. Jeong Taeui, standing right behind Jeong Jaeui and looking over his shoulder at the newspaper, immediately noticed that small movement and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“Ah…ㅡ Uncle, that’s…”

Before Jeong Jaeui, seemingly flustered, could say anything, his uncle’s sigh was heard from the other end of the line.

[If Taeui is alright, then you’ll be alright too, but still, take care of yourself. Luther wants to see your charts properly again, and if he can contact you, he’d like you to come for a detailed examination――――.]

“Uncle.”

Jeong Jaeui sharply interrupted. At his low, resolute voice, the voice on the other end of the line paused.