Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue.
Even though I knew this was my first time here, I never expected to get lost inside the building. Especially considering it's no bigger than an elementary school playground.
It all started with the elevator.
Of course, I knew where the elevator was that Tou had taken. It was that old-looking elevator you reach by turning one corner from the stairs. Even though the path had a few turns, I hadn't forgotten the way there once I'd been.
It would have been better if he had gone to that elevator, but unfortunately, that elevator was quite a distance from Jeong Tae-ui's room. There was no way he would deliberately go to a faraway elevator, leaving the one right across from his room when he only had to turn his head.
After all, buildings are usually designed with the same structure on each floor. Even if there are some differences in layout, buildings of this type are typically very similar in terms of architectural design.
So, I thought I could just take that elevator up and then follow the hallway back the way I came.
“Damn it, what kind of building is this? It's completely different from the floor below.”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered a curse and pulled at his hair.
I've never encountered a building where the structure differed so much from floor to floor. It's one thing for the hallways to be different lengths, but for the bathrooms to be in different places? That's just absurd and incredibly inefficient. And yet, they talk about the building's plumbing system?
I had been wandering around this floor for over ten minutes. Of course, I did come across a couple more elevators during my search, but they weren't the ones I was looking for. I was searching for the elevator located at the corner where the stairs turned.
……Even though this building is bizarre, I can't believe the elevators and stairs would be in different places on each floor. If there was such a four-dimensional building, it would be worth reporting to an architectural society.
“Damn it. Why isn't there anyone around?”
Come to think of it, since most of the hundred or so people on this island are currently on the 5th or 6th underground floor, and they rarely come up to the first underground floor, it's no wonder I can't find anyone in this vast place. But Jeong Tae-ui let out what felt like his thousandth curse since coming to this floor.
Even when I was in the army, I was confident in my sense of direction. No, I didn't even need a map. Jeong Tae-ui had an exceptionally good sense of direction. Even when we were on a night march in the forest, sleep-deprived and disoriented, and I had to carry a subordinate who had sprained his ankle back on a different path, I never got lost, even when taking a shortcut.
However, there's no map in this building, so I guess I'll just have to rely on my senses.
Uncle, you sure know how to make things difficult for yourself. How could you live in a building like this?
Jeong Tae-ui gritted his teeth and stopped. I tried to get a sense of where I was. I didn't know the overall structure of the building, nor where the exterior walls were, but I carefully recalled the path I had taken since entering the building. …….Still, I couldn't quite figure it out. So, ……I'd just have to keep wandering until I figured it out.
Sighing, Jeong Tae-ui began to walk, knowing it wasn't a great idea.
Now that I think about it, this hallway seems similar to the one downstairs. The doors, identical to each other, were arranged in a zigzag pattern.
I wonder if this room, like the one downstairs, is someone's dorm room. If so, it must belong to the superiors who stay on this floor. ……Maybe, without realizing it, I've actually found the right place while wandering around.
Jeong Tae-ui was about to entertain that thought for a moment, but then he saw a sliding glass door at the end of his view and sighed.
I see now.
Assuming these doors are the same as the ones downstairs, this door must be a bathroom door too. I remember when Tou was guiding me to the room, we passed by a bathroom that looked exactly like this. If you open the sliding glass door and go through another opaque glass door, and then turn around the wall directly in front of you, you'll find the changing room. And then the bathroom is beyond that.
"But…… if the higher-ups all have private bathrooms in their rooms, why is there a communal bathroom here? Or maybe it's not a bathroom at all.”
Jeong Tae-ui abruptly stopped.
It wasn't a bad thing, but I was still a bit curious. After all, I wasn't in a hurry. Finding my uncle's room was the main issue, but to leave this floor, I could just randomly take one of the elevators that were hidden here and there as I walked around and go up to the ground floor or down to the sixth basement level.
"Since I'm already lost, I might as well take a shower."
Halfheartedly, as if giving up, Jeong Tae-ui mumbled and opened the door. To his surprise, it was another bathroom. He opened the opaque door inside, just like downstairs, and found another wall partition. Turning around it, he found the changing room.
And there was someone there.
Ever since Jeong Tae-ui had opened the door, the man had been staring at him, wide-eyed and motionless, as if startled by the noise.
"Uh, ……Ah……, pardon me."
A pair of clear eyes looked up at him from about a foot below, their surprise making them widen so much that it seemed like they might pop out of their sockets.
It was a boy――or at least, he looked young enough to be one, though it was unlikely he was a minor in a building like this. The boy, who looked quite young, was holding a shirt in one hand, as if he had just finished showering. Or maybe he was about to take a shower, considering his hair was dry.
For a moment, nothing came to Jeong Tae-ui's mind.
Uh, did I do something wrong? But I don't think I did anything wrong. It was just a coincidence that we met. Why do I feel like I've made a mistake? I feel like I should apologize.
For a fleeting moment, a thought like that crossed his blank mind. Yet, he still couldn't understand why.
At that moment, my gaze was drawn to the soft, peach-colored skin. It looked so smooth, as if a gentle touch would reveal soft downy hair. I can almost imagine a faint scent of soap or baby powder.
At that moment, he was inexplicably flustered.
I think I know why I feel like I've made a mistake. But it doesn't make sense. It's not like I've seen something I shouldn't have, like a young lady's skin. Why do I feel this way?
The memory of my uncle's face, with that subtle smile as he mentioned something about underage sex crimes, flashed through my mind. No, but he said there were no minors in this branch, so it's not a crime. And it's even stranger that I'm having thoughts about it being a crime just because I saw a man with his shirt off.
Jeong Tae-ui was visibly flustered. The young man, noticing his confusion, slowly calmed his wide, startled eyes.
"I don't think I've seen you before…… Who are you?"
The young man asked quietly. Jeong Tae-ui was flustered once again.
Even his voice was youthful. Or should I say, his gentle and slightly hesitant speech sounded so fresh. This really made him seem like a minor.
Jeong Tae-ui didn't realize that his hand covering his mouth, trying to hide his embarrassment, actually made him look even more flustered as he rubbed his chin.
Wouldn't it be rude to ask someone their age?
"How……old are you?"
Even though I thought it might be rude, I couldn't help but ask.
Noticing Jeong Tae-ui's apparent embarrassment, the young man seemed offended and replied in an unpleasant tone.
"Twenty-two. But who are you?"
Twenty-two. Still a kid. But even if I touched you, it wouldn't be a crime. No, that's not what I mean.
"Uh……, do you work here?"
I felt a pang of pity and affection for this innocent boy—though he was almost a young man—who was trapped in such a harsh environment, where rough and savage people lurked inside and venomous snakes slithered outside.
By that point, his face clearly showed his displeasure. It was a look that said, 'Who the hell is this guy?' It was no wonder he felt that way. A stranger had suddenly barged into the bathroom, asked him a question, refused to answer, and then started talking nonsense, treating him like a child.
"Which instructor is your team under? Or, are you here as an instructor or an administrative officer, though I wasn’t told anything?”
He spoke coldly, his face as hard as ice.
Jeong Tae-ui flinched as if he'd just woken up from a dream, then scratched the back of his neck. It seemed he was offended because of me.
"I…… got lost. I was on my way to see Instructor Jeong Changin."
"Instructor Jeong Chang-in? Go out of this room and keep going right until you hit a dead end. Turn right again and go all the way down the hall. You'll see an elevator on your right. Take a right at the corner past the elevator and his room is the second one on your right.”
"Um……okay."
Even though the answer was kind of vague, it was really helpful. As long as I have a general idea of the direction, I can find my way there.
"Okay, ……Thank you."
Jeong Tae-ui gave an awkward wave. The young man shrugged, his expression still sour. His bare shoulder looked so pale and smooth.
I should have been leaving, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. He was so captivating, like a living, breathing doll.
"Aren’t you going?"
It seemed like he was in the middle of changing his clothes. He threw his shirt into the rattan basket provided in the changing room and unbuckled his belt. Then, as he was about to take off his pants, he noticed Jeong Tae-ui still standing there and frowned in confusion, asking a question.
Jeong Tae-ui's face suddenly turned bright red. Even though there was no reason for it, he felt extremely embarrassed.
"No…… I'll go. Then I'll see you later.”
Jeong Tae-ui waved his hand and walked out of the bathroom.
Without looking back, he left the bathroom and strode towards the right, just as the young man had told him. When he finally reached a dead end after walking as far as he could, his head began to clear a little. He raised his hand to wipe his cheek, and his ears were burning.
Jeong Tae-ui stood there dumbfounded for a moment, then shook his head and turned right to continue walking.
Jeong Tae-ui wasn't the type to be easily swayed by his emotions. People often said he was indifferent and as stiff as a wooden log. In truth, it's just that he didn't show his emotions on his face very easily, even when he was flustered.
But even without looking in the mirror, he knew his face would be betraying his flustered state.
"Damn it……. you didn't tell me there was someone like that, uncle……."
He blamed his innocent uncle once. But of course, there was no reply.
There was a time before when something like this happened. My mind went blank all of a sudden, and I was so flustered that I could only stammer. I can't remember exactly when it was, though it completely slipped my mind.
Where I was still a student, green behind the ears. Precocious, or perhaps more negatively, brazen, Jeong Tae-ui had experienced everything sexually by the time he was in high school. He'd been with both women and men, and he'd realized he was more attracted to men. He even knew that he preferred soft, pliable bodies.
That was probably around the time of my first love. I went to a friend's house, and there I met my friend's cousin who was staying over for the summer break.
He had a slightly plump figure, not overly skinny, with fair and soft skin, big eyes, and a cute expression. He was like a cotton candy cloud.
It was exactly like this moment.
My face flushed, my heart raced, my mind went blank, and I was trembling.
I made excuses to visit my friend's house for several days in a row and got a little more used to his cousin. But every time I saw him, my heart raced. I liked him so much that I couldn't help but wonder if I could accidentally touch his soft skin.
Before long, the cousin had to go back home, leaving me with a hollow, unrequited first love.
After that, the type of person Jeong Tae-ui liked and was attracted to remained consistent: cute, lovable, and fresh-faced boys who seemed like they could melt away.
However, men of that type, whether they were older or younger boys, were quite rare. I had hardly ever seen anyone like that in real life. Occasionally, if I found someone who vaguely resembled that type at a club, I would be satisfied and enjoy myself.
But I never thought I would find someone who fit my type so perfectly in such an unexpected place.
"What should I do……."
Jeong Tae-ui muttered to himself, truly perplexed.
What should I do? I can't believe I've found someone who fits my ideal so perfectly.
Actually, when I think about it, there's nothing much to do. I have absolutely no intention of raping or assaulting him, so if he's heterosexual, that's the end of it. And the chances of that are very high. Even if I'm lucky enough for him to be in the same orientation as me, our time is limited to six months.
"What can I do?"
Jeong Tae-ui kept mumbling the words, 'What can I do?', without even knowing what he was trying to achieve.
Just as he had said, the elevator was there. It was the same elevator where Tow had gotten on before. A door leading to a staircase was also visible to the side.
"It was the second one after…… turning the corner."
Muttering the exact words the young man had said, Jeong Tae-ui followed his instructions and walked forward.
After turning the corner twice, he could easily find his uncle's room.
***
------
Credits:
Translator: Hoshi Miya
Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago
Comments