Epilogue 4.   I quickly left the house, putting my arms into my black hooded zip-up. As I ran out of the alley and onto the main road, there was a taxi passing by, so I caught it.   After I told the driver Chae Yoo-jeong’s home address he had sent in the message, the taxi drove down the road on Saturday night. As I looked at the road passing by through the car window, I felt strangely good.   “Haa………………”   I sighed as my heart beat rapidly and washed my face dry. I was really unfamiliar with my appearance as I got into the taxi at this late hour, wearing only my coat, with only the thought of wanting to see him.   ‘It will take 40 minutes to get there at the earliest.’   It was then that I checked the time on the cell phone screen.   Tok-todok . When I lifted my head at the sound of a light tapping on the car window, I saw raindrops falling from the night sky filled with dark clouds. I was so busy coming out that I only now realized that the weather was cloudy.   The rain became thicker at a rapid pace. By the time the taxi arrived at its destination, rain was pouring down so hard as if there was a hole in the sky.   I barely had his coat on, so I couldn’t have taken an umbrella. I clicked my tongue and put my hooded zip-up over my head. Even though it was a sudden meeting due to my greed, I later realized that it wouldn’t be cool to go out in the rain.   Even if I don’t, he’s the guy who compliments me and says I’m cool no matter what I do. This time, the bean pods came off properly.   Because it was an apartment complex with tight security, it was not possible to take a taxi into the complex. When I got out of the taxi that stopped in front of the main entrance, rain poured down on my head as if it had been waiting.   There was no point in wearing a hat, so I tried to run to the front of the building to get a little less wet. An umbrella popped out from the side, blocking the rain.   “Chae Yoo-jeong?”   Of course, Chae Yoo-jeong, who I thought was playing Zenoris, was standing in front. The guy who made eye contact with me, who was surprised, smiled shyly.   “It rained a lot, so I waited.”   “Thank you, but how long did you wait?”   I took a taxi, but it would have taken a while. When I lightly held Chae Yoo-jeong’s hand holding the umbrella, I felt a cold touch.   I knew it would be like this. No matter how warm the day was, the air was very cold due to the spring rain falling in the middle of the night.   “Let’s go in quickly.”   What should I do if he catches a cold? It’s game season, so even if he’s sick, he won’t be able to rest well.   Instead, I took the umbrella that Chae Yoo-jeong was holding and grabbed his empty hand. My hands, which had been in the taxi the whole way, were much warmer than those of Chae Yoo-jeong, who was standing outside.   While holding his hand, I went into the house with Chae Yoo-jeong. Even though I used the umbrella right away when I got out of the taxi, the shoulder and hat areas of my hooded zip-up were damp.   Chae Yoo-jeong, who casually took off the hooded zip-up, asked.   “Sit down. I’ll bring you a warm drink.”   When I was about to refuse, I remembered Chae Yoo-jeong’s cold hand that I had been holding the entire way, and I nodded. If you bring it to me, I’ll pretend to drink it and feed Chae Yoo-jeong.   While Chae Yoo-jeong was in the kitchen, I sat on the sofa and looked around the house. I felt a little sad because the interior of the house had not changed much since the last time I visited. Of course, the period of time he stayed at home wasn’t long because he was living in a dorm, but even taking that into account, not much had changed.   It seems that it is still difficult to attach affection to the house. Perhaps, for Chae Yoo-jeong, living in an accommodation with other people would be a more comfortable place than a bleak house.   “I’m sorry, Hyung.”   Chae Yoo-jeong returned from the kitchen and put the glass down on the table in front of the sofa. What was in the glass was warm water.   Chae Yoo-jeong, sitting next to me, said with a shy expression.   “I thought there was something there, but the lady who came to clean it seems to have cleaned it all up.”   “It’s alright. I like water.”   Since the conversation was already going to be long, it was better to have water. After moistening my dry mouth with water, I handed the glass to Chae Yoo-jeong. Chae Yoo-jeong took it without thinking and blinked while holding the hot cup in both hands.   “Chae Yoo-jeong.”   “Yes?”   “First…… I’m sorry for coming to you so suddenly.”   After hearing the apology, Chae Yoo-jeong looked at me blankly for a moment, then smiled brightly, like snow melting on a spring day.   “No. I’m glad Hyung came. Even if it’s late, I can see your face... really good. It’s true.”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who stuttered slightly, had the tips of his ears immediately dyed red. When I saw that, my throat became dry reflexively.   ‘…Let’s calm down.’   Maybe at other times, but now I’m here to have a serious conversation. After clearing his throat for a moment, he opened his mouth.   “The reason I suddenly asked to meet you was because I wanted to talk.”    “A talk?”   “Yeah. Not just doing it but looking at your face like this. Because…………….”   I paused for a moment and looked at the face of Chae Yoo-jeong, who was sitting next to me. The gentle expression on his face that says he will follow whatever I say... To be honest, I was very satisfied.   I never thought I would end up like this. I feel satisfied with someone who only looks at me. Did my quality really degrade?   Determined to control it so it wouldn’t get worse, I raised my hand and carefully touched Chae Yoo-jeong’s pale cheek.   Chae Yoo-jeong slightly tilted my head in response to my touch and lowered his long eyelashes.   “That way, unnecessary misunderstandings won’t arise.”   “Misunderstanding………………”   “But it’s not a very serious talk.”   Afraid that Chae Yoo-jeong might be worried, he jokingly added and laughed bitterly.   “Chae Yoo-jeong.”   “Yes.”   “We played Zenoris together today… Are you really okay?”   Chae Yoo-jeong opened his eyes slightly in surprise and then responded meekly.   “Yes. It was really okay. It was fun.”   “But you didn’t feel at ease, did you?”   This time there was no reply from him. There was an embarrassing light in Chae Yoo-jeong’s eyes as his lips closed.   “Ah.”   “Those People… came where we are and asked us to raid together.”   I thought for a long time about how to resolve the rigid atmosphere that remained between Chae Yoo-jeong and me. I found the answer to his concerns while playing Zenoris with Chae Yoo-jeong.   “I made that offer…I thought you would say no.”   Why didn’t I notice it earlier? It was painful to realize that I didn’t know much about Chae Yoo-jeong.   “If it were like before, you would have declined because you wanted to play games with me. I actually would be okay with that.”   “…….”   “You didn’t notice me this much back then. There was no feeling of guilt for deceiving me. So you were able to express it honestly.”   I realized this while playing Zenoris. Why is the ‘Yoo Chae’ I played with in the past so different from the ‘Yoo Chae’ I played with now?   At that time, I didn’t know who ‘Yoo Chae’ was. Chae Yoo-jeong was just ‘Yoo Chae’ and happily played the game next to me. He must have been the most honest and comfortable person I’ve ever met.   I vividly remember him complaining or begging me to marry him when something disappointing happened to me, and him honestly asking me if I could go on a raid with him.   ‘That… That must be Chae Yoo-jeong’s true appearance.’   He must have been happier back then than now when he is suppressing his emotions because of me.   “I’m not comparing it to what you used to be. It’s not like I’m forcing it. What I want to say to you is...”   “I know.”   Chae Yoo-jeong placed his own hand on top of my hand. His body temperature, which had suddenly become warmer than mine, spread to the back of his hand.   “I’m saying this because I’m worried. I hope you feel at least a little more comfortable.”   Afraid that Chae Yoo-jeong might be hurt, I swallowed what I wanted to add and nodded my head. Then the guy rolled his eyes and smiled brightly.   Chae Yoo-jeong, bending over with his large body, came towards me. I liked his body temperature filling my arms, so I opened my arms and hugged him.   Chae Yoo-jeong opened his mouth as he hugged me with all his might.   “Then, Hyung, please tell me honestly.”   Chae Yoo-jeong made eye contact with me from a distance so close that his breath could touch me.   “If there’s something you want to do, say so. I want to do the same.”   When I heard that, a hot and tearful feeling rose up to the very tip of my throat.   Me asking you to tell me what you don’t like, and Chae Yoo-jeong asking me to tell me what I like. We are similar yet different.   “……Okay.”   I answered, barely able to swallow my emotions that came over in waves.   “I will.”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who had been patiently waiting for my answer, slowly kissed me. I also happily accepted Chae Yoo-jeong’s kiss.   There were times when I wasn’t sure whether Chae Yoo-jeong and I could work out. I was afraid that we might end up hurting each other over and over again like we did before.   But now I know. We can do it well.   I am by Chae Yoo-jeong’s side, and Chae Yoo-jeong is by my side. Let’s move forward together, slowly, little by little.   That guy is that guy. Completed.     HM: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAh! I’m screaming internally…….   --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx Support on Kofi: Side stories 1(Complete) We made a Discord Server ! please join us!

The library on the fifth basement floor was always deserted. Perhaps because of that, you could sometimes see guys lying down between the secluded bookshelves, their faces covered by books, fast asleep. The usual corner between the bookshelves where Jeong Tae-ui always sat to read was already occupied by some guy sprawled out, so Tae-ui went to the opposite side and crouched down. There was a spacious six-person desk available, but if I sat there and read, one or two familiar faces would always come over and bother me. So, I ended up hiding here to read, but I also thought it was better this way since I could just fall asleep if I got drowsy. Jeong Tae-ui flipped through the books on the shelf and picked one out. He silently scanned the pages. However, his quiet and comfortable reading didn't last long. A team member looking for a book came all the way into this secluded corner, and it was a familiar face. "Oh." At the short sound, Jeong Tae-ui only glanced up. It was Wien Ho. Ching was behind him. Wien Ho strode over and gently tilted the end of the book Jung Tae-ui was holding. "What are you reading? ……The Art of War? This guy reads weird books sometimes. Reading stuff like that won't help you in real combat, you know." "Do you know of any other book that compiles the Thirty-Six Stratagems so neatly?" Jeong Tae-ui replied curtly and shook the book. As he was about to explain the saying that classics are timeless, Wien-ho waved his hand dismissively, looking annoyed, and took a step back. "Yeah, yeah, keep reading diligently. The instructor will be very fond of you when you discuss strategic theories." Jeong Tae-ui briefly thought of his uncle, who was in charge of strategy, but immediately scoffed inwardly, thinking, 'No way.'  My uncle wasn't the type to favor model students. If anything, he tended to show interest in slightly oddballs. That person himself was quite unconventional. "But why the Thirty-Six Stratagems all of a sudden? Planning to run away from somewhere?" "Well──you know that training video from yesterday? After watching that, I figured that's the only way I can save my own life. If you're not confident you can win a fight, you should at least be good at reading the situation and running away to prolong your pathetic life by even a day." Whether they thought Jeong Tae-ui's casually muttered words were a joke or not, Wien-ho and Ching laughed as if they found it amusing. "There are opponents it works on and opponents it doesn't. It's not going to work on everyone. ……Hmm. Well, you do seem like the type who could survive even if you were thrown into the deepest jungle and manage to come back alive." As Ching nodded and muttered, Wien-ho also nodded in agreement. Jeong Tae-ui wondered how his image had plummeted like this in just a few days, but he didn't feel like denying it, so he just shrugged. Maybe this was the kind of intuition my uncle had been talking about. In a very short moment, I can make a decision. What is the best way to act, what is the best I could do within my capabilities, what should I give up and what should I gain to be most efficient, I could quickly judge by assessing the opponent and myself. But when you encounter a monstrous madman, the best thing is to give up your pride and gain practical benefits. In other words, just run away as soon as you see them. "But still…… it doesn't say here what the best way to run away is." Jeong Tae-ui muttered while flipping through the pages of the book. As expected, the two guys laughed, thinking it was another joke. Looking at their faces, contorted in laughter, made me want to lightly tap their cheeks to death with the book in my hand.  Jeong Tae-ui stared alternately at the book and their faces, but he couldn't fulfill his desire because his pager vibrated in his pocket just then. Closing the book and taking the pager out of his pocket, Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head slightly at the unfamiliar number. It was an internal extension, but the number was unfamiliar. I had roughly memorized the numbers of the instructors who had paged me before. "Where is number 07?" Jeong Tae-ui, who had taken out his pager and was staring at it with a serious face, suddenly asked. "Huh?" Ching, who was next to him, craned his neck and looked at the pager. Tae-ui didn't have a reason to hide it, but he instinctively pulled his body back and withdrew the pager. Ching grumbled, "What's the big deal?" and answered. "07, let me see. If it's number 7 on the ground floor, that's, where was that again? It must be the Administrative office." "Administrative office? Why would they call someone there…….?" Jeong Tae-ui, who had been muttering with raised eyebrows, suddenly closed his mouth. Then, he stared intently at Ching and blinked. Ching seemed uncomfortable with the gaze and subtly stepped back. "Why are you looking at me like that?" "……No……, could you put this back on the shelf for me?" Jeong Tae-ui suddenly stood up, shoved the book into Ching's hands, and immediately bolted out from between the bookshelves. He heard a few "Hey, wait?" sounds from behind, but he pretended not to hear and ran out of the reading room. My stupid memory! Right, if he didn't contact me yesterday, today would be the day! Did you already forget that you went to sleep disappointed last night, Jeong Tae-ui? He didn't even want to waste time waiting for the elevator, which was stopped on the first floor, to come down, so he dashed up the stairs. He didn't even feel out of breath as he ran from the fifth basement floor to the ground floor. Reaching the ground floor in one go, Jeong Tae-ui patted his pounding chest and walked towards the office. Regular hours were already over, so usually only Administrative officers on duty would be left inside the office. He took a deep breath in front of the door──unaware that his uncle would later clutch his stomach laughing after seeing that scene on the recording camera──and knocked. He heard a sound from inside, and the door opened. Xinlu was the only one left in the office. He smiled brightly when he saw Jeong Tae-ui. "Tae-ui hyung, you're here." " Unn . ……Are you alone?" "Yes, I'm on duty today. ……Were you busy?" "No, I had spare time on my hands so I went to read a book in the library. I was actually annoyed by the interruptions, but then I got your pager, so I rushed over. If you're on night duty, you can't leave, right?" "Yes. Administrative officer Kiffen was originally scheduled to be on duty, but he suddenly got acute indigestion, so we switched. So, I don't think a walk will be possible today. I'm sorry, hyung." Xinlu lowered his head apologetically and whispered. Jeong Tae-ui continued, "No, it's fine. Is Kiffen very sick?" but he was secretly disappointed. So that's it. He paged me to cancel the date. Even though he tried not to show it, Jeong Tae-ui's face must have been too obvious. Xinlu hesitated, looking at Jeong Tae-ui's expression, then smiled awkwardly and continued. "But there's not much work to do today anyway, so all I’ve to do is stay in the office. …….Would you like to sit down and have some tea? Vice-director Jangtil brought us some good tea a while ago when he came back from a trip. If you're not busy, please sit down for a bit, hyung." "Oh, really? Of course, I’m not busy. …… Unn , what kind of tea is it?" "Keemun. Do you like it?" "I haven't tried it. Green tea?" "No, it's a black tea…… it has a nice smell like orchids. I'll get it for you right away, so give it a try." Xinlu busily went into the private room. Jeong Tae-ui could hear the sound of water and clinking dishes from inside. Jeong Tae-ui hesitated and peeked through the crack in the private room door. Then, noticing the recording camera installed in the corner of the office as always, he quietly took a seat. Yeah, there's no real reason to go for a walk. It would have been nice to go outside, walk along the beach, and look at the sky and the sea, but being with Xinlu is more important. If we can be together, what does it matter if we're indoors? As long as we can quietly drink tea and chat. Not long after, Xinlu came out of the private room carrying a tray. The tray with the teacups looked precarious, so Jeong Tae-ui quickly stood up and took it from him. Xinlu's smiling face as he said, "Thank you," was also lovely. Just like my uncle said, maybe my taste really doesn't change. The second person in my life to make my heart pound like crazy is also this lovely and beautiful young man. "Have you fully adjusted to being here yet? It’s hard, isn’t it?" Xinlu asked, sitting down across from Jeong Tae-ui. Jeong Tae-ui, who had adapted far too well, was momentarily confused by the question. Then, realizing that Xinlu was talking about how it had only been a few days since he arrived, he nodded, saying, "Ah, right." It would be a lie to say it wasn't tough. In fact, once I got past the regular work hours of 8 AM to 5 PM, I was free to do whatever I wanted. No one would bother me whether I drank, smoked, or stayed holed up in my bed. So, the daily schedule itself was much more relaxed than when I was in the military. However, the training during regular hours was quite exhausting. It felt like the training here was twice as hard as my military training. There were all sorts of processes to learn, and the colleagues I was competing with in those processes were all top talents from outside, so facing them in competition was no easy task. Carlo, who always had a slouched and sloppy posture, Tou, with his perpetually smiling face and simple way of thinking, Alta, who was short-tempered and always smelled faintly of alcohol, and so on, were all considered top talents……. Furthermore, thinking about it, even that crazy guy he saw in the video yesterday was a man of great talent……. Jeong Tae-ui stopped thinking for a moment and let out a quiet sigh, clearing his head. What is this world coming to? "Are you very tired? I have some dried fruit preserved in honey, would you like some?" Suddenly, Jeong Tae-ui flinched, realizing Xinlu was leaning towards him with a worried expression. Before he knew it, the young man's face was right in front of his nose. I could see the fine, downy hair on his earlobe, sparkling white. His cheeks were also round, making him look like a young boy who hadn't lost his baby fat yet. His heart suddenly stung. As Xinlu moved closer, the air shifted, and the scent of soap brushed against his nose. Then, a sudden heat flared up in his chest. And it wasn't just his chest that was heating up. "Hmm──I'm not that tired, but if you're offering, I'd like to try some." Jeong Tae-ui said, forcing a calm smile. Xinlu said, "Okay," and stood up to go back to the private room. As soon as Xinlu disappeared from his sight, Jeong Tae-ui frantically patted his chest and thighs, careful not to make any noise. What are you doing? You've only known him for a few days, do you want to show such an ugly side of yourself? Get a grip, Jeong Tae-ui! He's still young, look at those cheeks that haven't lost their baby fat and the downy hair on his earlobes. How can you have such thoughts about a child like that! However, while thinking that, he also heard a voice whispering from another corner of his mind. Twenty-two years old is a proper adult, and there's no real reason to feel guilty for having such feelings. It's not like you're going to force anything, and look, you're getting along fine, drinking tea together right now. Jeong Tae-ui groaned in anguish amidst the conflicting thoughts and clutched his head. Either way, after smelling that soft scent, the first thing to do is to cool down my heated body. Has it been building up that much? Come to think of it, it's been over a month since I properly had sex with another human, but still, to have my self-control break down this much, I still have a long way to go. Jeong Tae-ui thumped his chest as if he was choking. He took a deep breath and patted his chest several times, and his body cooled down a bit. Then, Xinlu returned from behind him. "What’s wrong, hyung? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?" Xinlu, who was bringing out a plate of dried fruit, looked strangely at Jeong Tae-ui, who was patting himself, and asked. Jeong Tae-ui smiled and shook his head. The fingertips that had been stroking my chest were now much cooler. He drank his tea and quietly observed Xinlu, whose gaze was lowered over his cup. Even though he looked young, he wasn't a child. His slender eyes with their slightly upturned corners, his plump and moist lips, and the roundness of his cheeks and clear skin just made him look younger. In fact, if you had to categorize him, he leaned more towards the alluring side. Perhaps sensing his gaze, Xinlu looked up. When their eyes met, he paused for a moment and smiled with his eyes. The slight upturn of his lips was incredibly seductive. Was it because I was looking at Xinlu with such eyes that I felt that way? "By the way, hyung, I heard that Jeong Jay, who used to be at headquarters, is your older brother." " Unn ? Ah, Jae-ui hyung? That's right." Jeong Tae-ui nodded, relieved that the topic had changed. It seemed that the fact that Jeong Jae-ui was Jeong Tae-ui's brother had already spread throughout the entire branch. Well, with only about a hundred people confined in one building, there was no way a secret could exist. Not that it was a secret anyway. "Everyone says he's incredibly smart. And that you two are twins." "Hmm──we are twins, but we don't look alike at all. Not in appearance, intelligence, or personality. My brother is better than me." Jeong Tae-ui bit into the dried fruit and slowly counted off the points. As I thought about it again, there was nothing I could do better than Jeong Jae-ui. Except for being closer to being a normal person. Then, Jeong Tae-ui suddenly clicked his tongue with a bitter taste in his mouth. It was a well-known fact that I couldn't beat Jeong Jae-ui in anything. I had accepted that obvious fact from the beginning. Now, I was used to people reacting that way regarding my brother. I had been experiencing it for nearly a quarter of a century, so it would be strange if I wasn't used to it. So, it was okay now, but what had been difficult to get used to until very recently were the people who approached me with my brother as their goal. It was better when people were upfront about their curiosity towards Jeong Jae-ui from the beginning. The bitterness I felt when I realized that the people who approached me seemingly without such intentions had ulterior motives was incomparable. Jeong Tae-ui thought about the past for a moment and chuckled to himself. People eventually get used to anything that happens repeatedly. The hurt and pain only last for the first few times. When similar things happened again and again, I felt extremely hollow. Jeong Tae-ui quietly gazed at the beautiful red color of the tea, from which a subtle orchid fragrance was rising. Well, what would happen? If, for whatever reason, this young man became more interested in Jeong Jae-ui and tried to use me, Jeong Tae-ui, as a means to reach him. In that case…… Jeong Tae-ui smiled.  In that case, what about it? There's nothing to do but watch how things unfold. There are things I can control and things I can't. Other people's hearts belong to the latter. But even if that happens, I would still find this boy adorable. Just like the others before him. "Do you want to meet him?" Jeong Tae-ui asked. Xinlu, who had been enjoying the aroma rising from the tea, widened his eyes. He looked like he didn't understand what he was saying. Then, as if he had grasped the context of the conversation, he said, "Ah," and tilted his head. "There's no reason for me not to want to meet him…… but I don’t even know him." "I see……." Jeong Tae-ui just smiled calmly. It wasn't always bad, come to think of it.  Even though they approached Jeong Tae-ui wanting to know Jeong Jae-ui, some of them stayed by Jeong Tae-ui's side. They are people who are now by his side, people he wouldn't have even had the chance to know if it weren't for Jeong Jae-ui. "But he must be popular." "Yeah." "Your older twin brother. Even if you don't look alike, as twins, there must be some similarities. If your brother resembles you and are that smart, he must be popular." "......" Jeong Tae-ui, holding his teacup, just blinked for a moment. Xinlu, who spoke so casually, drank his tea as if nothing had happened. Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head and looked at him. What should I say? It feels like I heard something that could be interpreted as a compliment, depending on how you look at it. "Hmm…… My brother is popular. (Though it's mostly with the ambitious men from major foreign public institutions.) But…… I'm not." Jeong Tae-ui trailed off. Xinlu's eyes widened in surprise. "Don’t be silly, I think you just don't know it. I think you're popular too. You're really charming." Xinlu said calmly, smiling. Then, he reached out and gently brushed the hair that had fallen over Jeong Tae-ui's forehead. His small, pale hand brushed Jeong Tae-ui's cheek and reached his ear. "You have nice features…… I think you are better with your hair out of your face so that your face shows more. Ah, and your neck too. You have a nice neckline, so I think you'd look good with shorter haircut." "Hmm…… really?" Even as he answered, Jeong Tae-ui didn't know what he was saying. I couldn't move. The warm hand brushed my forehead and cheek. The fingers that briefly touched my neck were very ticklish. I felt breathless. "Oh……, Hyung, you seem to be hurt. You have a bruise here. Hold on, I have some ointment, I’ll put on some for you." Xinlu's hand stopped midway between his shoulder and neck. He hadn't been aware of it until now, but sure enough, as he pressed lightly where Xinlu indicated, it throbbed. I must have gotten hit during sparring. Xinlu opened a desk drawer within reach and took out an ointment. He squeezed some onto his palm and again stroked Jeong Tae-ui's neck. "Oh, no, it's okay, it doesn't hurt that much—" Jeong Tae-ui, flustered and trying to stop Xinlu, trailed off. His voice was faintly hoarse. He became even more flustered hearing his own voice. Fortunately, Xinlu didn't seem to notice and began to rub the ointment on Jeong Tae-ui's neck. Soft fingers brushed over his neck. It was a pleasant and relaxing touch, as if giving a massage. However, Jeong Tae-ui was flustered. Xinlu's breath touched his ear. The regular breathing, along with the warm breath, warmed his face. "Xinlu, that's enough, stop─…." A jolt went through his body. Jeong Tae-ui ended up grabbing Xinlu's wrist and pulling it away.  I could feel my face was incredibly flushed. But what was even more mortifying was the reaction in my groin. The fabric of his thin, loose-fitting indoor clothes couldn't hide the faint protrusion of his aroused flesh. Xinlu, who had been staring blankly at Jeong Tae-ui who suddenly pushed him away, seemed to realize where Jeong Tae-ui's lowered gaze was directed. Jeong Tae-ui could feel Xinlu flinch in his hand as he followed his gaze. A bewildered gaze lingered on Jeong Tae-ui's face, unsure of what to do. Xinlu's voice, muttering "ah," anxiously circled in his mouth. Even as his head burned, Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue. I’m so angry at my own foolishness. What am I doing? I'm not some horny teenager. I wished someone would burst in and slap me hard across the face. "Hyung……, um……." "So, ……rry." Only then did Jeong Tae-ui realize the wrist wriggling in his hand, and he quickly let go. Their eyes met. Young eyes blinked on Jeong Tae-ui's face. Seeing those eyes made his face flush again. Bump. He suddenly stood up, his chair hitting the floor with a thud. Jeong Tae-ui nervously clenched and unclenched his empty hands, not knowing what to do, then mumbled "sorry" once more and turned away. I felt like I should offer Xinlu more of an explanation or apology, but I couldn't bring myself to face him right now . Jeong Tae-ui hurried out of the office and stepped into the dimly lit hallway. I didn't think I'd ever felt so mortified in my life. His quick, rough, and wide steps were almost a run. He brushed past one or two people while going down the stairs, bypassing the elevator, but none of them tried to stop Jeong Tae-ui, who was passing by with a bright red, stiff face. Jeong Tae-ui walked aimlessly, wherever his feet took him, his hair a mess as if he didn't even know what he was thinking. As he walked, he found himself in front of his uncle's room. In his dazed state, his feet must have instinctively found the familiar path. He grabbed the doorknob and yanked it open, but the door was locked. My uncle didn't seem to be there. Good riddance, rather. Jeong Tae-ui took out the key he always carried and went into his uncle's room.  As always, the room was impeccably tidy, without a speck of dust. He carelessly threw off his coat, opened the refrigerator, and took out a beer. He finished it in a few gulps, but it wasn't enough. He took out another one and drank it all at once again. So he took out one more and drank about half of it before he finally felt a bit cooler inside. Suddenly, a large mirror next to the desk caught his eye. He met his own gaze in it. His face was bright red. Red from his earlobes down to his neck. Seeing this made Jeong Tae-ui even more awkward, and he rubbed his cheeks with the cold can in his now-cold hand. He had hoped his cheeks would cool down, but his hand warmed up first. Jeong Tae-ui stood there blankly holding the can before collapsing onto the floor in front of the refrigerator. The heat in his groin had long since subsided. It had deflated as if it had never stood up in the first place. Yet, his face and chest still felt hot and wouldn't cool down. "Damn it……. If you were going to shrivel up like this, you shouldn't have stood up at all. Why do you have to make things so difficult for me?" Jeong Tae-ui muttered his complaints to his own groin. But it wasn't that part that needed to be understood, it was his head. Jeong Tae-ui, who had been sitting on the floor in front of the refrigerator staring blankly at his feet, suddenly raised his hand and brought it to his neck. He traced the spot where the soft fingertips had touched just moments ago. The slippery ointment was still there, I guess it’s not absorbed yet. He rubbed it over his skin. He was just putting ointment on me. I could touch myself like that a hundred times, but I wouldn’t get hard. It’s just my neck! Did I seriously get a boner just because it was Xinlu who touched me. "I guess I'm really hung up on him……. What am I going to do?" He deliberately mumbled aloud, but of course, there was no reply. I had hoped that saying it out loud would help organize my thoughts, but I didn't feel any sign of that happening. Jeong Tae-ui wiped his still-red face with the back of his hand for no particular reason. I needed something to cool my head. At this rate, I felt like this heat wouldn't subside even after a lifetime. Should I take a cold shower? Maybe I need to cool down my body as well as my head. Jeong Tae-ui finished the rest of his half-empty beer and stood up. Shouldn't have drunk that beer. It just seems to be making my face even hotter. Scolding himself for his foolishness, Jeong Tae-ui headed to the bathroom. I might as well fill the bathtub with cold water and soak in it completely. He turned on the cold water in the neatly cleaned bathtub and stared blankly at the strong stream of water when he thought he heard a faint mechanical sound mixed with the sound of the water. He leaned halfway out of the bathroom and looked around the room. Sure enough, Jeong Tae-ui had heard correctly; the phone on the desk was ringing. The sound of the phone quietly filling the room was now familiar. Jeong Tae-ui closed the bathroom door and walked over to the desk. As he approached, he saw his reflection in the mirror and realized he looked ridiculous. His face was completely red, and he couldn't hide his flustered expression. I looked just like a naive adolescent boy. "Get a grip, Jeong Tae-ui. How long has it been since you got out of the military that you're already this lax? This isn't an easy place, so don't go around losing your mind." Muttering to himself, Jeong Tae-ui lightly patted his cheeks a couple of times and then, after hesitating for a moment at the number displayed on the phone's screen, pressed the blinking light. "Yes, hello." '—It seems like you’re the only one answering the phone every time I call these past few days.' Those familiar elegant hands appear on screen every time without fail. Suddenly, I remember with the image of Xinlu's hand. Xinlu's hand was smaller and more lovely than that. His slightly stubby knuckles were cute. It was different from that delicate hand, which looked as if it had been meticulously crafted and polished from wax and glass. What would that hand feel like? It would definitely be different from Xinlu’s warm, ticklish touch. Jeong Tae-ui gave a wry smile, disgusted with himself for thinking of Xinlu even at a time like this. "Well, I'm the one who's curious. Just how often do you call my uncle for me to be in the room every time you call?" 'To be precise, you're the one who's there every time I call, Tay. Though it’s true I’ve been calling more frequently as of late.' "Why? Is Uncle pestering you to quickly sent the book by Laurent Gasset?" Jeong Tae-ui pulled a chair over and sat down, smiling weakly. But come to think of it, this man wasn't an antique book dealer. Or maybe he did it as a side job. 'Haha, I already sent that. I sent it by ship, but it should arrive before the end of this month.' Ilay laughed. Even though it was a mechanical voice, his cheerful tone felt refreshing. The heat in my head seemed to cool down a little. The coolness that came through the heat felt good. I had wondered whether to answer the phone or not, but it seemed I made the right choice. This man had a cooling effect. Jeong Tae-ui brushed back his fallen hair and smiled faintly. "That's good. Once the book arrives, I should be the first to read it," he murmured languidly. Silence flowed for a moment from the other end of the phone. Fingers tapped intermittently on the desk, as if probing the other side. 'Tay. Did something happen?' The quiet voice, asking so subtly. The voice, tinged with an interesting light, could have been unpleasant, but surprisingly, it didn't feel bad. Rather, I even felt like rambling on in my exhausted state. "I guess it’s written all over my face, huh?" 'You can say that. Well, your face is, quite red.' "......" Jeong Tae-ui roughly rubbed his face with the back of his hand. It should be cooling down a bit, but now I was starting to feel the alcohol. 'A complicated face. What could be so troubling in that simple world of yours, isolated on an island?' "......Ilay. You see……." Jeong Tae-ui trailed off for a moment. He hesitated, feeling like some old drunkard grabbing a stranger to ramble to, but he had already started talking. "Have you ever... had something happen that was sexually(性) immoral?" Jeong Tae-ui said seriously. A brief silence passed over the phone before the man replied, his voice a little deflated as if it was an unexpected topic. 'I'm not sure what you mean by ‘Sexually immoral’. What kind of situation are you referring to? If it's an unethical relationship, let's see... are we talking about incest? Or a relationship with someone who has a spouse? Or perhaps rape, assault, or other acts that are taboo from a human perspective……, and from a conservative viewpoint, a relationship with someone of the same sex could also be included. Well, there are so many, I'm not sure which one you're referring to. Take your pick.' ".......Well…… I could pick one from that list if I really had to……, but it's not something that depraved." Jeong Tae-ui, slightly tired of the relentlessly pouring out amoral words, muttered. Hearing those words, I feel a bit lighter. I haven't had such taboo-breaking thoughts myself. Except for one. 'Depraved, huh.' Ilay chuckled. However, he didn't elaborate on that and continued.  ‘You see, I keep my desires and emotions separately. So, there have definitely been instances where I’ve done sexually immoral things, by your standards anyway. Though, I'm curious, what exactly is this sexually immoral thing that happened to you today?’ "......" ‘Why? Did some person jump you and take off?’ "......, ......" This man's thoughts are a bit extreme. Not only extreme, but they also jump in unexpectedly strange directions. Jeong Tae-ui sighed deeply and laughed weakly.  "What kind of person in their right mind even thinks of doing such a thing to me? No, it's not that  serious……. What am I saying, I'm making myself sound ridiculous. It's just that the guy I have feelings for touched me a little, and I got visibly aroused right in front of them. It was just a hard-on but……." Jeong Tae-ui hesitated, unsure of how to continue. Silence returned from the other side.  The way his fingers, which had stopped, slowly tapped the desk one by one, showed that he didn't quite understand. He mumbled, "Why is that……" then suddenly, as if he understood, he muttered, "Ah." 'So, you sexually harassed them? It seems like you regret it.' This time as well, it was Ilay who jumped in an unexpected direction. Jeong Tae-eui stared at the monitor with a bewildered expression before sighing. "No, it's not like that. I didn't mean I got an erection in bed or in a private setting. I mean, we were just normally drinking tea and talking, and it happened in front of someone who has no romantic feelings for me." 'Hmm……?' His fingers tapped the desk, tap, tap. Now, even by the shape of his hand and the movement, I could roughly tell. That gesture meant he still didn't quite understand. 'I'm not sure I understand. I can see your way of thinking……. But I don’t understand why you feel ashamed. That wouldn’t benefit your life in any way. If it were me, I would have just made a move while I was already aroused. That would be better than ending up whimpering and blushing over my own sexual frustration.' Jeong Tae-ui frowned. He rubbed his face with his palm, wondering if it still looked flushed. I probably shouldn't have drunk. "Just go for it, huh……. What about the other person's feelings?" Ilay didn't answer. It wasn't that he didn't know or was thinking, but rather that he seemed to be refraining from answering.  "Well..." he replied in a subtly amused tone, and Jeong Tae-ui realized that this man had his own answer but was deliberately not saying it. And Jeong Tae-ui, feeling the same way, didn't bother to press him. 'If it were me, I would sleep with someone I'm attracted to first. I think emotions are just temporary whims and not worth worrying about that much. Or rather, I wouldn't say that a momentary desire is inferior to a lasting emotion—if such a thing exists.' "Are you a hedonist?" 'Something like that.' He affirmed with a smile. Jeong Tae-ui also nodded. Although I couldn't entirely agree with the man's way of thinking, I understood what he meant. Jeong Tae-ui also didn't disregard pleasure. However, I still felt that my way of thinking was very different from this man's in some aspects. Jeong Tae-ui chuckled and stroked the back of his neck. Regardless of their differing opinions, these kinds of conversations that flowed without any awkwardness weren't bad. I enjoyed talking with this man in that respect. Suddenly, Ilay burst into laughter as if something was very amusing. A short, low chuckle followed. 'It's something I think about every time I talk to you, but you are so different from Jeong Jay in many ways.' "Well, we're different people. Have you been talking to me all this time looking for traces of my brother in me?" 'Not exactly, but the thought that you are Jeong Jay's younger brother has always been on my mind.' Jeong Tae-ui let out a sigh mixed with laughter. "What is it?" Is this man also one of those people who approached me because they were interested in the genius Jeong Jae-ui? No, but he doesn't seem to have any ulterior motives, so it's hard to say he approached me. It would be more accurate to say that he became more interested in me because I was Jeong Jae-ui's brother. I was past the age of feeling resentful about such things, and it had happened so often in my life that it wasn't a big deal anymore. "You seem very interested in my brother." When Jeong Tae-ui subtly brought it up, the man casually laughed it off. 'Is there anyone who isn't interested in the genius Jeong Jay? At least not anyone in my circle.' "Haha, alright. So, what do you think now that you’ve compared us?" 'Hmm? Compare……. I haven't consciously compared you, but alright, let me think. …….It’s obvious without much thought.' "Ah, what is it?" 'Jeong Jay is more human. In many ways.' Jeong Tae-ui closed his mouth. Like most of what the man said, this was also quite unexpected. It was something I had never heard before—at least not openly—and something I had never thought about it myself. Jeong Jay is more human. In many ways, Jeong Tae-ui hmmmed and smiled wryly. Of course, I had never once considered myself to be full of humanity. But I hadn't expected to hear such words. Unlike the common prejudice people have towards geniuses, I knew very well that Jeong Jae-ui was a person with a great deal of humaneness. "Without me knowing, you must have thought I did something terribly inhumane to you, or perhaps my brother did you a great favor. If you mishear that even slightly, it sounds like an insult." 'I didn’t mean it as one. For example…… yes. Perhaps it's that Jeong Jay suffers from more anxiety and stress than you. That's what I mean by being human.' Jeong Tae-ui lost his words again. The things the man said casually without much thought felt particularly surprising today. Anxiety and stress. Perhaps that was true. How could I know how he feels when I’ve never been inside his head? Since individual feelings cannot be extracted as absolute numerical values, it's not a matter of comparing who is more or less anxious. "But objectively speaking, my brother seems like he would have no idea of what anxiety and stress are because of how lucky he is. He's the kind of person who left home saying he wanted to experience some bad luck himself." Jeong Tae-ui shook his head and muttered. Ilay watched him silently for a while. Somehow, it felt like he was smiling from the other side of the monitor. 'Certainly, Jeong Jay is extremely unlucky. To the point where you'd throw up your hands. But, have you ever thought about what lies at the root of that luck?' The smile disappeared from Jeong Tae-ui's face. I  had been feeling like something was off for a while now. Something was nagging at me in the man's words, but I hadn't known what it was. Now, I felt like I vaguely understood. This man knew something that I myself had never thought about, nor needed to think about. "He's my brother, but it seems you know him better than I do." Ilay seemed to immediately catch the meaning in Jeong Tae-ui's bitter words. "Oh no," he muttered, feigning embarrassment, and held out his hand. 'My bad. I didn't mean to upset you. Shall we change from this topic?' Ilay concluded the conversation in a light tone. Jeong Tae-ui stared intently at his white hand before finally sighing. It wasn't a topic I wanted to dwell on. 'I think you’ve calmed down a lot. The flushed look on your face has returned to normal.' At those words, Jeong Tae-ui, who had been wearily rubbing his forehead with his thumb, turned his head to look at the mirror. As he said, the flushed look that hadn't seemed to want to subside had returned to normal. Just as Jeong Tae-ui casually ran his hand over his face, Ilay's subtle voice entered his ears. 'Anyway, if you’re trapped on that island, the person you have feelings for must not be a woman,' Jeong Tae-ui replied sullenly to Ilay, who trailed off ambiguously. "Of course not. Ever since high school, I haven't even held hands with a woman, except for a handshake." ‘Aha, so then that must be part of sexual immorality you mentioned. Indeed,’  Ilay murmured to himself as if understanding. Jeong Tae-ui, who hadn’t brought up the topic first but had no intention of hiding his preferences from the start, shrugged. “Yeah, do you find that distasteful?” ‘Distasteful? Why should I find someone else’s preferences distasteful?’  Ilay said, bursting into laughter. His words clearly drew a line. Even though we were talking as if we were close, we were clearly strangers. Not only practically, but emotionally as well. It was then that Jeong Tae-ui suddenly realized. This man, while talking so freely with me, didn’t harbor any intimacy or liking towards me. Nor did he have any negative feelings. He was literally a pure stranger, nothing more and nothing less. Even though it was obvious, Jeong Tae-ui felt a vague sense of surprise. Only now did I realize that I had felt quite a bit of familiarity towards this man.  They had only encountered each other over the phone a few times, but as most people do with someone they’ve talked to multiple times, Jeong Tae-ui had also developed a sense of familiarity corresponding to the time they had spent together. However, none of that mattered to this man. He wasn’t someone whose feelings were proportional to time spent. Looking back, there had been plenty of room to realize this, but he hadn’t noticed at all. He probably wouldn’t feel any different towards me even if they talked hundreds or thousands of more times. His feelings towards me would remain that of a stranger. Leaving aside the issue of being cold or not, he was outside the emotional spectrum of ordinary people. When it comes to being human, you’re probably the last person who should be talking about anyone……. Those words rose to his throat, but he swallowed them back down without saying anything.  I had no intention of arguing, and having realized that the other man was drawing a line as a stranger, I felt that giving such advice to a stranger would be presumptuous. “What a shame, I actually quite liked you.” ‘Aha, if you mean that in a sexually immoral way, then anytime is good.’ “……No. That’s absolutely not what I meant.” Jeong Tae-ui muttered, sounding fed up. Of course, Ilay, who obviously knew, chuckled softly. Just then, a faint mechanical sound came from afar. The regular beeping sounded like a timer, an alarm, or a call of some sort. It was coming from the other end of the phone. Ilay seemed to turn around. He sighed heavily and tapped the desk with his fingertips. ‘They always call just when I tries to take a break. I should get going now.’ “Alright, then let’s talk again if we have the chance next time.” ‘ Unn . — Ah. Come to think of it, the joint training between the Asian and European branches is around the corner, isn’t it?’ “That’s right. You know pretty well.” A broker of antique books, a broker of weapons, a man who could be considered extremely suspicious depending on how one looked at it. However, the schedule for the joint training wasn’t exactly a secret, and Ilay seemed to have a close relationship with my uncle—though the specifics were unknown—so it wasn’t strange that he knew. ‘Going straight into joint training as soon as you enter the branch must be tough. Good luck. Try not to die.’ “That's a pretty ominous way to wish someone good luck, but thank you.” Jeong Tae-ui muttered with a dumbfounded laugh, and Ilay seemed to chuckle a little as well. And just like that, the call ended. *** ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago We made a discord server! please join us!

"I knew it, but I got completely wrecked." The person who called Jeong Tae-ui more than 30 minutes before the start of the regular schedule the next day was none other than Golding Instructor of the 2nd Special Forces Education. It was only natural, as he was roll calling at the end of the regular schedule, and the guy who had gone to change his clothes more than 30 minutes ago was not there. In fact, he had been called separately right after the evening roll call the night before, but Jeong Tae-ui, who lay sprawled on his uncle's bed, pretending to be dead, hadn't budged. And he paid the price in full by being dragged out before the start of the regular schedule in the morning and being put through the wringer, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted, staggering into the morning regular lecture. The combat practical analysis, which took up the entire morning, had not yet begun. The lecture hall with the large screen installed was not very large, more like a spacious seminar room. The team members were already sitting around in a circle, silently keeping quiet. When Jeong Tae-ui entered the lecture hall, the instructor glared fiercely at him, but having already heard about it from Instructor Golding, he didn't say anything. As he cautiously found an empty seat, Tou snickered beside him. "Did you have a good date with Golding? Being called out right after breakfast, you guys must be really close." "Yeah, so hot I almost burned to death." Jeong Tae-ui, who had been teasingly needled by Tou's whispering, retorted sullenly, then bowed his head again as the instructor in front glared at them with wide eyes. Tou pretended not to notice and looked ahead. "As you all know, joint training with the European branch is just around the corner. So today, as part of the interpersonal analysis, we will be looking at the records from last time. Now, these are the records from last year's joint training." While Jeong Tae-ui mercilessly poked Tou in the ribs, the instructor pressed the controller key. The dark screen brightened, and a video appeared on it. The image quality wasn't great, but it was perfectly adequate for recognizing the content. ‘You son of a bitch, that hurts!’ Tou muttered beside him with a grimace, but Jeong Tae-ui pretended not to notice and just looked ahead. ‘Be quiet and watch that. It's the joint training recording.’ Jeong Tae-ui said curtly. Tou reached out as if to retaliate, but Carlo, who was watching from the back, lightly kicked Tou's chair. With a small thud, the instructor's icy gaze flew their way. Beep, the video paused. "You there. Do you want to see it separately during free time after the regular schedule?" A frosty voice rang out sternly. Tou straightened his back and sat upright, his expression serious. "No. I absolutely do not wish to." "I apologize. I’ll be quiet." The best policy is always to submit unconditionally. Jeong Tae-ui had just realized this morning that arguing with a superior here would only hurt him. Of course, Tou, who had been here longer, must also know this. Although the ranks were Director, Vice-director, Instructor, and then team members, the position of Instructor was not one to be taken lightly. It was said that while they were instructors at UNHRDO, they could immediately secure a senior position if they moved to another organization. The instructor, whose hair was beginning to turn gray, glared at them fiercely before grabbing the controller again. "If you want to stay alive a little longer, you need to study your enemies properly. Watch carefully." As the instructor finished speaking, the video began to play again. It was a recording of last year's joint training with the European branch. It wasn't the entire record, but rather a compilation of necessary parts, edited with cuts between scenes. The lecture hall, which had been quiet when the video started, gradually became more animated as the content progressed. Everyone watched the recordings with serious expressions, quietly exchanging brief words with their nearby colleagues. It could be described as a discussion in the form of casual conversation. Jeong Tae-ui, who had never experienced joint training, focused on the screen, casually picking up the snippets of conversation he could hear around him. "How is it? Less than ten days left. Does watching that make you think you can keep up?" Tou leaned over from beside him and muttered softly. Jeong Tae-ui rested his chin on his clasped hands, gazing intently at the screen without looking away as he replied. "It feels like a systematic gang fight. The job is just to join hands with your teammates and fight your enemies to death. ……Still, I'd better watch out for myself. I'm not so confident." Among the men fighting in the video, there were familiar faces. Colleagues currently sitting in this lecture hall appeared occasionally. But their expressions were ones Jeong Tae-ui had never seen before. They were faces truly on the brink of life and death. Faces that said, 'If I lose, I die.' Lethal weapons were not provided. The guns were paintball guns or airsoft guns. The blades of the knives had been dulled so they couldn't cut people. In other words, everywhere it was formally just training. But there was no one here who didn't know that even without those things, you could kill someone. "Aha, Tou getting caught doing something stupid is on video." Jeong Tae-ui chuckled and pointed at the screen. A man with a deeply furrowed brow was visible inside. He had been trying to seize an opportunity to land a blow on an opponent when he lost his balance by accidentally stepping on someone who was lying on the ground behind him. Because of that, the punch he threw didn't have enough force behind it and was as good as a miss, and naturally, the opponent seized the chance to counterattack. Tou clicked his tongue, grumbling about why such a thing had been filmed. Beside him, Wienho, who had been chuckling, soon saw himself on the screen and had to put on a grim face. "Honestly, instead of just showing us failure cases, I wish they'd show us some success stories. It's embarrassing to watch, seeing all our team members making stupid mistakes." "You little punk...—you think your mistakes won't be shown, so you're all relaxed, huh?!" "It's not easy to shorten your lifespan with such a basic mistake." Tou, enraged by Jeong Tae-ui's blatant snickering, tried to roll up his sleeves, but the atmosphere around them suddenly turned cold. Startled by the sudden silence, Tou looked around in confusion, and Jeong Tae-ui also looked ahead. An edited video clip was playing on the screen. Even though it was edited, it was just the unnecessary parts at the beginning and end that had been cut out; the main parts were still intact. Inside it was a man. His face was so pale it was bloodless. Tall and lanky, he was looking down at his feet, seemingly lost in thought. Perhaps looking somewhat melancholic, this man had a neat appearance that didn't seem to fit in such a video. He would have looked more fitting in a photo from a fashion magazine. "……He looks like he'd be cute if he smiled." But his face is completely white, poor thing, Jeong Tae-ui added in a mumble, then his eyes met Tohu's, who was glancing at him with eyes wide as if he'd seen a ghost. And it wasn't just him. The colleagues sitting within earshot all turned to look at Jeong Tae-ui in astonishment, their eyes wide as if they might pop out—or maybe they were glaring. 'Why are these guys all acting like this?' Jeong Tae-ui thought, meeting their gazes directly before tilting his head and turning his attention back to the screen. The man in the video didn't even have a weapon. His hands were empty. He was only wearing black gloves on his hands. It didn't seem like he was hiding any other weapons either. His form-fitting shirt and pants were simple, without any cumbersome attachments. 'Did they put in the wrong video? No, but the background is definitely our branch.' Jeong Tae-ui, who had been looking at the screen curiously, his chin resting on his hand and his fingertips rubbing his lips, met the man's eyes in the next moment. When those black eyes looked at me as if looking through a glass, I felt my heart drop. The man, who was probably looking at the recording camera installed on a high wall, blinked once and then smiled faintly. As the smile spread over his expressionless and melancholic eyes, Jeong Tae-ui realized that the man might be younger than him. He had an appearance that made it difficult to guess his age, but there was a very faint hint of youth in his smiling face. The man tilted his head slightly and approached the camera. Then he reached out his hand. The screen was filled with his black-gloved hand. However, before the screen was completely covered in black, his hand paused. Beyond his receding hand, another man appeared behind him. He was quite tall for an East Asian man. Seeing the newly appeared man, someone nearby whispered, "Kiyomi." Jeong Tae-ui racked his memory, trying to recall where he had heard that name. This man was the previous occupant of the room I was currently using, the one who had been injured in the last training and was now in the hospital recovering. The man named Kiyomi was holding a knife in his hand. It was a knife with a blunted blade, made dull so it couldn't cut people. Kiyomi's face was deathly pale, but he didn't back down and stared straight at the man. It looked like he was saying something, but no sound was recorded in the video. The man calmly approached Kiyomi. He walked without hesitation, at a pace that was neither fast nor slow, and tension flickered across Kiyomi's face. Whether Kiyomi made a split-second decision, he rotated the knife half a turn so the blade pointed downwards and moved closer to the man. Then, he swung his other elbow outwards, aiming to strike the man, while raising the hand holding the knife. It was a situation where an opening would appear whether the man was hit by the elbow or if he bent over or dodged to avoid it. The man slowed his pace. Then, he reached out and touched the wall beside him, using the tips of his fingers to push off it. Or rather, he himself leaped sideways. Jeong Tae-ui stopped rubbing his lips with his fingers. This is something strange. On the white wall where the man had touched with his fingertips, a black mark remained, exactly where his fingers had been. It was as if water had leaked from his black gloves and stained the wall. 'What is that?' There was no time to think. Kiyomi's elbow slammed into the man's chest. It was a blow that could have easily broken ribs. However, the man only frowned slightly. Even in the midst of that, the man's hand shot out and grabbed Kiyomi's wrist, which was descending towards him, and he smiled faintly as he saw the dull knife Kiyomi was holding. The man twisted Kiyomi's wrist. In the soundless video, an unheard scream erupted. The knife he had been holding fell heavily to the floor. The man lightly tapped his chest a couple of times, as if the pain from the blow he had just received was only now registering. But his head tilted with a face as expressionless as a mannequin. Jeong Tae-ui unknowingly clenched his fist. A cold feeling was spreading through a corner of his chest. The surroundings were silent, without even a breath to be heard. The man, who was holding Kiyomi's other arm, wrapped one hand around his neck. Kiyomi's neck fit comfortably within the large hand wearing the black glove. The man stroked Kiyomi's neck gently for a moment, as if caressing it. Again. Again, a black trail followed the man's hand. Over Kiyomi's neck. Jeong Tae-ui frowned and glared at the mark. It couldn't be that his gloves were soaked in black mud water from rolling around in a puddle. What in the world was that.…….? Then, it suddenly dawned on him. It wasn't black. That mark was a deep red, so dark it looked black. Maybe even the gloves weren't black. That crimson light that had soaked the gloves……. The color drained slightly from Jeong Tae-ui's face. The moment he realized the identity of that crimson light, the man in the video, who had been gripping Kiyomi's neck, straightened his thumb and pressed it down instantly, right above the collarbone. "No way……!" The words escaped his lips before he could stop them. But he couldn't finish the sentence because the clearly recorded reality was unfolding before his eyes, and also because his spine had chilled and his tongue had frozen. The finger that had pierced through the middle of his neck slowly withdrew. That finger was stained with an even darker light. Kiyomi, his eyes rolled back and white, convulsed and then went limp. The man dropped him to the floor without a second thought. He rubbed his chest, looking displeased, but then shook his head and turned away. Again, he stood facing the camera directly. Jeong Tae-ui rubbed his now cold lips with his fingertips. His eyes met the man's on the screen. His face was still pale and calm. It was impossible to see that face as belonging to the person who had just pierced someone's neck, which made it even more chilling. He looked up at the camera for a moment, then suddenly chuckled. Soon after, just like before, the gloved hand came closer and filled the screen, and with that, the edited video ended. Following that, a video of other men grappling played, but the image of the man's last smile was vividly etched into Jeong Tae-ui's retina. A coldness had settled in his chest. "What the hell was that?" Jeong Tae-ui murmured in a voice so faint it was barely a whisper. A low reply came from beside him. "That's that psychopath from the European branch. That madman Rick, who no one in the European branch can handle." Tou's face was also hardened as he replied in a voice filled with dread. "It's not just the European branch. He's already notorious as someone you can't associate with in the headquarters and all the other branches." Carlo's heavy voice came from behind them. "Reigrow from the European branch. They also call him Madman Rick." "Reigrow……." "Because of that bastard, Kiyomi was lying in critical condition with a tube down his throat. We should probably be grateful he was dealt with quickly and survived." Jeong Tae-ui, who had been staring at the lingering image of the man in the video where other people were now visible, frowned slightly and turned to look at them. "Even after all that, the organization doesn't take any action? Even though they have a recording of the evidence like that?!" Then Carlo chuckled, a bitter and grim laugh. "Hey, Tae-ui. That, you see, is 'training.' And that was a 'counterattack by an unarmed trainee' against a 'trainee with a weapon.' What you saw was part of the 'training' process. Okay?" "Well…… still, it's pretty obvious that that bastard intentionally went way too far and killed him. He doesn't even try to hide it, so he must have been in and out of the detention center several times." Following Carlo, Tou, who had been muttering, pointed to the floor with his finger as if remembering something and added, "Ah, there's a detention center on the 7th basement floor. Once you go in there, you come out looking like skin and bones. Well, it's understandable if you're locked up and tormented for days or even months." "……In that bastard's case, wouldn't the supervising instructor have ended up looking more like skin and bones?" While half-listening and half-ignoring their muttering with serious faces, Jeong Tae-ui rubbed his goosebumped arms. 'That guy is going to tear someone to shreds before they get a chance to tear him to shreds.' No, before that, I wanted to tear my own mouth first for saying that the man looked like he'd be cute if he smiled. I thought I had a pretty good eye for people, but I'd completely failed. Now I understood my colleagues' reactions. Jeong Tae-ui kept rubbing his arms. My chest still felt cold. My anxiously fluttering heart wouldn't calm down. Those black eyes I had met across the screen. That snow-white face. Those black gloves. And the blackish-crimson traces left by them. "......" "Alright, everyone watched carefully? I'll replay a few points with emphasis, so watch closely." The instructor tapped the desk lightly and spoke. Then, he started playing the video they had just watched again, this time pausing at intervals. Jeong Tae-ui felt his heart calm down a little and quietly took a deep breath. Then, he watched the videos again, slowly and carefully. As a result, Jeong Tae-ui came to the conclusion that running away was the best option. *** ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago We made a discord server! please join us!

132. Hyeon-woo lay down on the rug and looked blankly at the ceiling. Then he rolled once to the right and once to the left. “Kyuuuu.” Next to him, Kero was sleeping on his stomach, and Spotty occasionally made strange noises like talking in his sleep. It was very cute, but now he didn't feel any emotion. "Haa." Hyeon-woo sighed deeply. He couldn't get rid of his boredom even though he was rolling around in the dark. TV? I've already watched to my heart's content. I've watched it so many times that now, just by looking at the first part of the drama, I can predict the end. Comic book? It was the same. Game? I worked hard for a while and rose to the top of the server, but I quit because it became a hassle. Finally, going out. Don’t get me started on that. There was more than one reporter who clung to my story no matter how tightly I was guarded. It was so sticky that the situation got heated up more than once. I felt like something big would happen everytime I stepped out, so I stopped going out.   Of course, it is the reporters who are in trouble, not Hyeon-woo. 'You can't commit a crime.’ Because now he had decided to live as an ordinary law-abiding citizen. “Then how about going through the portal? This is not an ordinary situation as there is a shortage of hands all over the world. Everyone is suffering from a heavy workload.” As Deputy Guild Leader Chan-young said that, the area under his eyes was dark. “There are several guilds requesting help. Would you like to see the list?” “It’s too much. It hasn’t even been that long since I rested.” "Ah, yes." At Hyeon-woo’s words, Chan-young opened his eyes in a triangle shape. It looked ugly as it was just rolling around doing nothing. I don't know how others might see me, but I didn't particularly dislike him because he always treated me the same way. It was nice that he treated me the same way as before. However, if I  told him that directly, he would get sick of it. Even though he said he didn't want to do it, Chan-young still left the list of guilds who needed help behind.  If someone leaves something like this next to you, you can't help but look at it even if you're not curious. 'He's like an intelligent criminal.' Hyeon-woo rolled over and arrived in front of the documents. “There are especially many requests for help from the United States.” Well, it was worth it since all the top guilds collapsed. The land must be so large there. “What should I do?” Hyeon-woo thought for a moment. I mean, get up, pack your bags, go to America, and attack a portal. And not long after that, the documents were all covered up.  I thought it would be too much of a hassle to go just because I was bored. At that time, a familiar voice was heard along with the sound of the door opening. “Hyeon-woo.” It was Do-jin. After being busy for a while, it seemed like he had some time left today. “By the way, did you change the password for the entrance?” "No?" "Really?" The two looked at each other for a moment and laughed. He realized who had changed the password. “It looks like Seon-woo changed it.” Do-jin was able to open the door from the inside by pushing the shadow. So, what Seon-woo did was nothing more than causing trouble. “He’s a cute younger brother.” “That’s just for you.” "No. Even if you look at it objectively, Seon-woo is cute.” Hyeon-woo steadfastly maintained his opinion despite Do-jin’s words. 'Anyway, it's been three days since I have seen Seon-woo.' It seemed like he was really busy. “Grunt.” Hyeon-woo stopped thinking and stood up. Still, Do-jin came and he was thinking of giving him some juice. “By the way, I think I’ll go to America this time.” “To America?” "Okay. So, do you want to go with me?” “Uh, um.” It was a bit much there, but here too, reporters are harassing us, and it will probably be even worse in the US. That was the country of the paparazzi. “Do you really have to go there?” “Amber contacted me to go help, but I can’t just stay still.” “That’s true too.” “I’m not leaving right away, so think about it. If I go, I’ll be back in about a week.” “Unn, I’ll think.” If I had known this would happen, I would have left Two-eyed with me. The fairy said that the other two were fine, but Two-eyed was out of standard and forced him to return. Therefore, the only remaining monsters were Kero and Spotty. Although they were occasionally dispatched by Hyeon-woo, when they weren't, they were always dozing next to him. Since the owner was lazy, the monsters seemed to follow his example Hyeon-woo handed Do-jin some juice and sat down next to him. When viewed from the side, the bridge of the nose was straight and the lips were tinged with red, making him look particularly pretty. Should I give him a kiss? Then how will he react? While he was thinking that, their eyes met. 'You can do this.' That was what he thought. And when he suddenly came to his senses, he was on top of Do-jin. ‘Well, what do you think?’ Hyeon-woo lowered his head and pressed his lips to Do-jin's. When he lightly touched his lips, Do-jin laughed as if he was tickled. He kissed, once on his forehead, once on the bridge of his handsome nose, and once on his cheek. He showered him with kisses. Do-jin hugged Hyeon-woo and rolled onto the floor. After that, guess what? Before they knew it, Hyeon-woo was under Do-jin. “It seems like you’re used to this?” "What are you talking about? I am virgin.” Do-jin proudly revealed that he was a virgin. Then he lowered his head and licked Hyeon-woo’s lips with his tongue. He was trying to part his lips. His intentions were clear to him. He grinned at that and parted his lips, his tongue beginning to trace the delicate lining inside. Their intertwined tongues were too hot. Not only that, but his body slowly started to heat up. Before he knew it, Do-jin’s hand, that had been resting on the floor, touched his waist. The baggy T-shirt was lifted up, revealing Hyeon-woo’s well-toned body. It looked skinny on the outside, but if you take his clothes off, you can see quite a bit of muscle. Do-jin slowly touched the muscle. A moan escaped his mouth as he felt that touch. And just as he was about to progress further, he heard a cute sound from the side. “Kirrk.” Spotty and Kero had suddenly woken up and were staring at them. Do-jin, who saw that, stood up awkwardly. He knew that Kero and Spotty were great monsters, but when they were small, they seemed infinitely delicate and soft. Because of that, he couldn't continue this in front of them. “Clueless fellows.”  Hyeon-woo pressed Kero's moist nose with his finger. “Wang wang!” Kero desperately tried to explain that no, it was all because of Spotty, but it didn't work. 'It's unfair!' Even when he complained to Spotty, he just tilted his head. Apparently, Spotty had no experience like this. How old was he to not know this? Kero looked at Spotty with a pitiful expression. It was something that Little Spotty could not understand. “Let’s eat first. What do you want to eat?" "Pasta!" “Okay, I have all the ingredients, so I’ll do it for you.” While he was wondering how many servings he should make, the door opened without hesitation. “Hyung!” Then, Seon-woo entered inside with a charming voice. And then he immediately ran to Hyeon-woo and hugged him. As the younger brother was taller, it came out a bit awkward. "Hm!" Do-jin, who was looking at the two, cleared his throat. Even if he and Seon-woo were not on good terms, he was going to save a little face. “Why are you here?” Seon-woo noticed Do-jin's presence and glared at him with sharp eyes. “I stopped by for a moment after work.” “Is Seon-hyeon’s guild a local Sarangbang [1]? I am asking why the Peace Guild Leader is here.” “You know, don’t you?” “Just why!! what?” “What do you mean?” “Hyeon-woo and I are in love.” “Stop talking!” Seon-woo was furious, his body shaking. “Didn’t I tell you to stop being delusional?” “It’s not a delusion, it’s reality.” “That can’t be possible.” Seon-woo said that and looked back at Hyeon-woo with pitiful eyes. It looked like Puss in Boots and I wanted to let it go, but I couldn't do that forever. My younger brother is also an adult now.  After organizing his thoughts, Hyeon-woo opened his mouth. “Do-jin and I are dating.” "Hyung!" “Seon-woo-ya, it’s time to admit it.” “I can’t admit it! Why with someone like that!” “What’s up with you, Hyung? My Hyung is also a guild leader and handsome.” (Hyung→ Do-jin) “But that doesn’t work! I can’t even tolerate dirt getting in my eyes!” Seon-woo said a common mother-in-law comment. “Wang wang!” Kero looked at Seon-woo with a sad gaze. The Hyeon-woo he knows is someone who would actually put dirt in his eyes. Of course, he might not include it because he’s the other person's beloved younger sibling. “Can I just put in some dirt?” "Hyung?" Seon-woo looked at Hyeon-woo with a shocked face. “No, since I’m an Awakened, I thought a little dirt would be okay.” Unbelievable! Hyung has changed. Seon-woo made a sad face. “You said you loved me!” “That’s because you are my precious little brother.” “Listen to what that precious little brother says!” “No, that’s another matter.” Seon-woo tried to run out, but was caught by Hyeon-woo. Even if he tried to shake him off, he couldn't overcome Hyeon-woo's strength. Hyeon-woo forcibly pulled Seon-woo and hugged him again. “Seon-woo, listen. I love you. But I love Do-jin too.” "I do not want to." “I don’t know why you hate it so much.” Hyeon-woo patted Seon-woo’s butt. “You too will find someone you like someday.” “My favorite person is only Hyung.” “No, not as brothers, but because you’ll find someone you really like?” “It won’t happen.” "Why not! How handsome my younger brother is!” While the brothers were bickering with each other, Do-jin finished making three servings of spaghetti. In addition, he also prepared a meal for Kero and Spotty. Notes: [1] Sarangbang: (“동네 사랑방” translates to “room for men” in English. It refers to a room separate from the main building of a house where the male owner lived and received guests. HM: I kinda feel sad for SW, cuz u know…. It’s sad.. I think our editor can relate as well. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Davine, YaagRabRag We made a discord server! please join us!

5.   [Guild] Let’s do this: Sleepy-nim, I heard you’re doing a ranking match. Is this true?   [Guild] I’m sleepy: Yes   [Guild] I’m sleepy: starting today, I’m going   I was already checking my equipment before participating in the ranking match. The guild chat quickly became noisy with my answer.   [Guild] Bright Clouds: If that’s the case...   [Guild] Bright Clouds: Anyone who crosses his path will be punished personally..☆   [Guild] Seasoned crab sauce: I feel sad cuz I don’t have a loverㅠㅠ   [Guild] Manaolingnam: Did you say lycheeyum?   [Guild] Manaolingnam: 1st place in Dark mage now?   [Guild] I’ll take care of you: So, this is an operation to reclaim first place?   [Guild] Harn: I support you   [Guild] Harn: It would be a big deal if we came out first in our guild, which is often said to be outdated   [Guild] TheHunter: the materialistic snob itself omg   [Guild] I’ll take care of you: I have to ask what are you going to do?   [Guild] I’ll take care of you: it might be fine if u reach an appropriate ranking, but for 1st place, you don’t have much time left   [Guild] I’m sleepy: I’ll show you that it’s possible   [Guild] Harn: Kya   [Guild] I’m sleepy: And I enhanced my weapon too   [Guild] Mocha Bread: weapon?   [Guild] I’m sleepy: I took the staff to level up yesterday ^^   [Guild] Harn: Oh   [Guild] Manaolingnam: Gosh   [Guild] Harn: Did you do it alone??   [Guild] I’m sleepy: I did it with Yoo chae   [Guild] Drink some water: fr?   [Guild] I’ll take care of you: Sleepy-nim, what level is it?   [Guild] Harn: 8 level?   [Guild] I’m sleepy: yeah 8 level   [Guild] I’m sleepy: now it’s 9 level ㅋ   [Guild] Drink some water: Sleepy, thinking about ur luck   [Guild] Drink some water: u must have exchanged some money with enhancement stonesㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] Mocha Bread: I’m sleepy-nim... good on his face, voice, and gaming skills, but   [Guild] Mocha Bread: A man with a husband like Yoo Chae but a very unlucky man...   [Guild] Bright Clouds: Phew, God is fair   [Guild] I’m sleepy: lol   [Guild] I’m sleepy: ㅋ   [Guild] I’m sleepy: I don’t think I even used 1000 reinforcement stones.   [Guild] Bright Clouds: ?????   [Guild] TheHunter: Why not??   [Guild] TheHunter: If it’s Sleepy-nim   [Guild] TheHunter: I think u came here after reaching the 5 level again ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   Damn you sharp guys.   When I saw TheHunter’s chat detailing exactly what happened yesterday, I got a little emotional, but I tried to speak calmly.   [Guild] I’m sleepy: I’m unlucky   [Guild] I’m sleepy: My wife is luckyㅋ   [Guild] Mocha Bread: My wife?;;;   [Guild] Drink some water: crazyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] Bright Clouds: Is your wife Yoo chae-nim?;   [Guild] Park Seung-jin99: Guaaaaaaaa   [Guild] Manaolingnam: He says wife   [Guild] TheHunter: Crazy ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] Staric: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] Monster born from capitalism: I’m dizzy ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] I’m sleepy: I made it to 9th level   [Guild] I’m sleepy: I’m collecting reinforcement stones ^^   [Guild] I’m sleepy: I personally made it to 9th level   [Guild] Drink some water: ㅋㅋ fk   [Guild] I’m sleepy: How pretty it is~   [Guild] Harn: Ah..ha..ㅋ   [Guild] Seasoned crab sauce: How to turn off Guild chat   [Guild] Bright Clouds: Get lost;   [Guild] I’m sleepy: Thanks to him, I made it to level 9 and played ranked battles   [Guild] I’m sleepy: I have to take first place no matter what   [Guild] I’m sleepy: Ha I’m really happy that I married a great person ㅋ   [Guild] Drink some water: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] Park Seung-jin99: ha f1ck....   [Guild] Bright Clouds: Gilchat is not easy today   [Guild] Let’s do this: Let’s enjoy it   [Guild] Staric: Can you see hunter-nim? Haha   [Guild] TheHunter: -?   [Guild] Crazy hunting friend: Sleepy-nim, are you with Yoo chae?   [Guild] Crazy hunting friend: Are you actually dating in real life...?   [Guild] Mocha Bread: omg   [Guild] Seasoned crab sauce: Gasp??   [Guild] Bright Clouds: That’s a bit...   [Guild] Let’s do this: Hm;;   As Crazy Hunting Friend cautiously asked a question, the atmosphere in the guild became strange. I was a little embarrassed by the unexpected situation and touched my mouth.   I guess everyone is reacting like this because they know that Chae Yoo-jeong and I are men, right? I clicked my tongue and tried to say that we had never actually met, but then a guild chat came up.   [Guild] Bright Clouds: even in Zenoris, he can’t handle him   [Guild] Bright Clouds: In reality;; Isn’t this too much for you? Phew   [Guild] Mocha Bread: Sorry   [Guild] Manaolingnam: I’m sleepy-nim It looks like you passed out while holding the back of your neck   [Guild] Harn: yeah   [Guild] Harn: I support you   [Guild] Harn: I don’t have that kind of prejudice^^ㅋㅋ   [Guild] Drink some water: Me too^^   [Guild] Seasoned crab sauce: Can’t you hear Yoo Chae laughing?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] Let’s do this: Please flatter me like that in front of Yoo Chae-nim, not here   [Guild] Crazy hunting friend: No   [Guild] Crazy hunting friend: In real life, I was planning to go out to eat when they got marriedㅠㅠ   [Guild] Mocha Bread: They do it in the US all the time, let’s all go   [Guild] Park Seung-jin99: ha America   [Guild] Park Seung-jin99: They’ll provide plane tickets, right?   I lost consciousness for a moment due to the shock that seemed to pierce the chat window.   Sure, this is our guild. I misunderstood for a moment. I shook my head and sighed.   ***   A job ranking competition is held only once a year. Since I was only planning to play one or two rounds on the last day, the participation quests I had previously received remained.   I pressed the button to participate in the ranking match that came as a quest. Then the screen changed and moved to a map exclusively for those waiting for the ranking match.   A square made of marble appeared. By clicking on the bulletin board in the center, you could immediately participate in the ranking match.   In ranking matches, rankings are determined based on a points system, and from 3rd place onwards, players can only move up the rankings by beating an opponent who is one level higher. Since I had not yet participated, my priority was to play at least one game.   Starts a match.   As soon as I pressed the matching button, I automatically entered the duel arena as if my opponent had been decided. Since this is my first game, my opponent will probably be caught as a user with 0 points or below 100 points.   ‘Currently, third place was in the 1,200-point range. If you win a game, you usually get about 50 points... All I have to do is win 24 times in a row.’   There was a need to find out how much time was consumed per round. First, we looked at the opposing character that was caught this time.   Since it was a Dark Mage job ranking match, of course the opponent was a Dark Mage like me. The staff he is holding in his black robe is... Is it about the 7th level? Since the specs didn’t look that good, there was a high possibility that he was a user whose goal was to participate in the event itself, unlike me whose goal was to be first place.   The ranking match will begin soon. Get ready for battle!   3, 2, 1   Battle begins!   Kwasik! As soon as the countdown ended, a bright blue skill flew to where I was standing. It was the Dark Mage’s W skill.   I honestly dodged the incoming skill with ease and predicted the next skill. Q? Or, you can use a lunge to narrow the distance. I can also use the floor covering skill D to slow down my movement speed.   Of the three guesses, the first one was correct. I noticed the opponent’s play type by watching him use the Q skill, which has a fast-casting speed.   It wasn’t particularly strange to use the W skill, which had the most damage, and the Q skill or R skill, which had fast casting speed, in succession. This was the order of skills commonly used by dark mage users.   However, skipping the W skill that binds the opponent and using non-target skills first is very less stable.   ‘It’s easy.’   Victory was assured 10 seconds after the battle began. It was natural. The opponent has already used not only the W skill, which is responsible for the Dark Mage’s attack power, but also the R skill, which is the target skill, even though it does little damage.   To intentionally create confusion, I moved to the right once and then used a lunge. As expected, the opponent was taken aback and reacted one beat slowly to the lunge. The opponent, who saw me approaching right in front, tried to increase the distance with a lunge, but it was already too late.   There was no class better than the Dark Mage when it came to killing opponents who came within range. Without hesitation, I pressed E to tie up my opponent with the restraint skill and then quickly tapped on the keyboard.   A Dark Mage’s representative skill sequence and a connection that opponents also tried to attempt. E-W-Q-R-1-4. There was no need to use W twice. Even before the W skill cooldown comes back, there is no opponent who gets hit by all skill combos while tied up.   Like ice cream in the sea, my stamina melted away at once.   Ugh , the other character screamed and fell down. At the same time, a system message appeared along with a ding-di ding and a cheerful notification sound.   You have won the ranking match.   The quest to participate in the ranking match has been completed!   You have completed the quest to win 1 game in a ranked match!   The quest to earn 50 points in ranked matches has been completed!   The battle will end, and you will soon be taken to the waiting room.   At the same time as the first victory, the event quests piled up in the quest window were completed. When I returned to the waiting room, I saw that I had accumulated 80 points on the Dark Mage ranking match leaderboard.   It looks like I won in a short period of time and scored more points than average. It’s 80 points, so if you win 15 times in a row like this, you can fight with the 3rd place, right? Good?   With a deep smile, I immediately started the next match. I have to kill them all.   ***   HM: MC is op!!!   --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx Support on Kofi: Side stories 1(Complete) We made a Discord Server ! please join us!

"Are you nervous?" "A little." "Since we'll be dating in dungeons a lot from now on, you'll get used to it." Hyeon Gyu-ha gently ran his thumb over the back of his hand. A tingling sensation spread and the tension eased. "First, let me introduce the Narsha Guild members who will be helping you in this training. You all know Guild Leader Gong Tae-seong. It just so happens that you've gotten to have this luxurious training with two S-class Hunters. So, instead of trying anything funny, let's all quietly board the top-tier premium bus that our S-rank hunters have prepared for us." The Awakeners, who were nervous about stepping into the dungeon for the first time, awkwardly laughed at Choi Jin-hyeok's expressionless joke. "As I told you in advance, the environment inside the gate is really cold. We've made a temporary changing room inside the factory, so please change your clothes first and come out." In Yoo-shin also took out winter clothes. It was a long padding that Hyeon Gyu-ha, who saw that the padding at home was only short, had caught and bought. "8- seya . Are you okay? Should I put a hot pack in your pouch?" "Squeak." “It’s an irregular demon, so it won’t catch a cold.” As if that was true, 8- se  nodded. Hyeon Gyu-ha, who was as tolerant of temperature changes as a top ranker, was dressed no differently than usual. Those who changed into winter clothes in early summer were quickly covered in sweat. “Hyeon Gyu-ha, get ready.” “Okay.” At Choi Jin-hyeok’s nod, Hyeon Gyu-ha injected a mana pattern into the barrier covering the gate entrance. The scenery shook, revealing a transparent distortion in the air. It was the third gate that In Yoo-shin had experienced. In Yoo-shin stepped inside cautiously. [Time left until dungeon reset: 39 hours, 06 minutes, 57 seconds] “Wow.” As Hyeon Gyu-ha had said, the dungeon was a white birch forest with snow piled up to his ankles. Just a moment ago, it was the beginning of summer with a scorching sun, but as he took a single step forward, he found himself standing in a winter forest at dusk. Hyeon Gyu-ha put his hand on his shoulder and bowed. "It's not as good as midnight when the stars are out, but sunset isn't a bad time to go camping either, right?" "The sunset shining through the birch trees is really pretty.” "There was plenty of time left until the reset, so we should be able to kill the dungeon boss right away and go camping comfortably." The two people's white, condensed breaths dispersed into the air. It was a snow field where no human traces had touched. The sound of footsteps on the snow, crunching and dyed in the sunset light, leaving traces for the first time was enjoyable. Under the guidance of the Hunters, the Awakeners entered the dungeon one by one. Exclamations of wonder at the sight of the dungeon and the message they were seeing for the first time could be heard from all over. "If I could see the constellations, I could roughly guess the location, but ugh. What a shame." The most excited one was Park Seung-gi. He immediately flew a drone and explored the surroundings. “But Hunter- nim , it’s not as cold as I thought. Is it Europe?” “What century is it?” The only people interested in the dungeon’s setting were Park Seung-gi and In Yoo-shin. The other hunters and Awakeners were busy setting up forward bases near the entrance where the monsters did not appear. Hyeon Gyu-ha, who was also a hunter interested in the background, tilted his head. “Yoo-shin- ssi , it’s a bit too much to show you, so I originally planned to clear it by myself.” “ Gasp . Why?” “Because you’ll end up seeing a lot of corpses in the illusion.” The weather was already wintery, but the thoughtless remark made it a little colder. Even though it was just an illusion that had already passed in the flow of history, witnessing such a cruel scene wasn’t a very pleasant experience. In the first dungeon, In Yoo-shin hesitated whether to go or not, not realizing the change in Hyeon Gyu-ha, who had been able to see the illusion of slaughter without hesitation. In the meantime, the tents where the party would stay and a simple defensive barrier were set up. Choi Jin-hyeok picked up the loudspeaker again. “It was on the test, and you probably know because you’ve heard it so many times, but when the reset time ends, the dungeon literally ‘resets’ your stats. If you stay inside the dungeon during the reset time, you will not only die, but you will not be able to find your body, so be careful.” When the reset time comes, the dungeon will be restored to its original state, with all traces of humans and monsters remaining inside disappearing. The accumulation of mana caused by these repeated resets is one of the factors contributing to dungeon breaks. “If the number of demons in the dungeon drops below ten, a notification window will pop up for the Awakener.” Park Seung-gi whispered while looking at the drone screen. “It's great being an Awakener. In Yoo-shin, you get a notification window too, right?” “Uh, it’s fascinating.” “While I don't expect you to directly engage in combat, if you do end up hunting monsters, please stop once their numbers have dwindled significantly. If all the monsters in a dungeon are eliminated, the boss will appear. The biggest problem is that if you summon or kill the boss in a national dungeon without prior agreement, and consequently close the dungeon, you'll have to pay a huge fine to the government. Isn't it a waste to pay a fine to a government that only takes taxes?” I don’t know if this is something a civil servant should say. Ohana, who was filming nearby, muttered to herself as if she had the same thought. “I really have to edit this part…………….” “Monsters that can solo clear large-scale dungeons or higher are classified as S-rank, and we have two S-rank individuals present here. Since this dungeon is so small, I bet those big shots over there could clear it before a cup of instant noodles even gets soggy. Don't you agree, guild leader?” As he entered the gate, Gong Tae-seong, who had regained his senses a little, glared at Choi Jin-hyeok, who was making such a rude remark. Regardless, he continued talking. “So please don’t cause trouble, do as I say, and go back after enjoying a relaxing dungeon tour.” With this last request that seemed to come from experience, the group began to head north through the birch forest. The stillness of the forest, where not a single bird flew by or animal howled, was disturbingly broken. “Are you going too, Yoo-shin- ssi ?” “The purpose of the training is to experience clearing, so I don’t think I can miss it.” “Yeah, I thought about it well. An experience that you can’t get even if you pay for it.” After blurting out a word, Park Seung-gi went to Choi Jin-hyeok and Gong Tae-seong, whom he had become friends with during the three days he was trapped in the gate, and spoke to them again. He seemed like a guy who would survive no matter where you dropped him. Thanks to that, In Yoo-shin, now that he had no ears to hear, could cautiously ask Hyun Kyu-ha. “I was listening to Team Leader Choi earlier and it occurred to me, what if another hidden boss appears after we hunt the boss of this dungeon?” “We can catch them.” “That’s true, but there was a hidden boss stone that Gyu-ha said he was looking for. Last time, Æ……………….” In Yoo-shin, who was speaking absentmindedly, flinched. He thought of 'Tuesday's Saint, Spunta Marchi' in his head and created language on the floor, but the moment it came out of his mouth, his pronunciation broke. Hyeon Gyu-ha gently stroked In Yoo-shin's hair, who was in embarrassment. "I know what you're trying to say. What you thought of is a concept that exists in this world too, but because the world perceives it differently, it can't be expressed clearly. Not only can I not say the name, I can't even write it." When he heard that, something suddenly came to mind. "Could it be that the broken letters in Gyu-ha's and my status window are because of that?" "Of course. If you look at the status window, you'll see something different from the previous dungeon." When he checked the status window, the letters that were somewhat revealed as '니' in the first dungeon were all displayed as broken ø³¼Îð' as usual. "In the dungeon where I'm looking for what I need, maybe some of it will be revealed." "Aha...…………." I still don't know what's what, but I don't think I need to worry.  Hyeon Gyu-ha bent down and made eye contact. "Aren't you going to ask me what I'm looking for again?" “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t answer?” “I might have changed my mind now.” The old him who said he wouldn’t tell, and the current him who playfully locked eyes. What had changed?  In Yoo-shin didn’t ask and took a step forward, feeling burdened by the gaze that was staring at him intently. Hyeon Gyu-ha didn’t ask again. Outside the forest, a snowy field spread out. There were several long, deep pits that were similar to the height of an adult male. The pits, which were cut off here and there but continued in a winding manner, seemed to stretch on infinitely. Gong Tae-seong clicked his tongue in displeasure. “The terrain isn’t good. It’ll be hard to predict if a monster formed under the pits appears. Choi Jin-hyeok, quickly move those useless things to the back.” Choi Jin-hyeok agreed with that opinion and silently made the Awakeners retreat closer to the forest. In Yoo-shin looked back at Hyeon Gyu-ha with a hopeful thought. In addition to what he had said earlier about seeing a large number of corpses, seeing the pits made me think of something. “Gyu-ha- ssi , are the pits trenches?” As if answering the question, the illusion moved more dynamically and screams began to be heard. It was a hell on Earth, a manifestation of hell in the human world. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Editor M, eteryl Support on KOFI: Chapter 58, 59, 60 If you wanna become a translator, editor or proofreader, please use the discord link given below and follow the instructions in the recruit channel. We made a discord server! please join us!

Looking back, Jeong Tae-ui had never actually been in a proper romantic relationship. There had been times when my heart fluttered looking at someone, but that person had disappeared before I could even properly recognize my feelings. I had slept with numerous people, but it was hard to call it a relationship. A young man I had hung out with for a while and slept with—the very same person from the stabbing incident—insisted that they weren't in a relationship, which was incomprehensible considering his later actions.  So, in the early days of getting involved with that young man, Jeong Tae-ui had been quite hurt. Am I destined to only have shallow relationships with anyone? After that, I hadn't met anyone who struck me to the core, and besides, my military life became so difficult that I had no room for other thoughts. So, these feelings were very unfamiliar. But they weren't bad. In fact, even though it was unrequited love, I felt good. The experience of feeling happy just by looking at someone. "Excuse me—" As Jeong Tae-ui entered the office, there were four men inside. Three instructors and one vice director. Seeing the vice director he had exchanged a formal greeting with the day after arriving, Jeong Tae-ui straightened his posture and gave a slight bow. The vice director seemed to have just finished his business, as he nodded to Jeong Tae-ui in acknowledgment and then passed by him. Rudolf Jantille. The man who was my uncle's direct superior. I didn't know much about him, as they had only exchanged a very brief, formal greeting. However, judging from the opinions of those around him, he was apparently a person who seemed soft but couldn't be underestimated. Does that mean he's a shady character? Jeong Tae-ui suspiciously asked back, but only received an ambiguous reply. I don't care anyway. As long as this superior protected my life for the next six months, I wouldn't mind if the man was so dark inside that he was rotten to the core. "Tae-ui hyung? What brings you here? ……What happened to your clothes?" Jeong Tae-ui, who had been briefly looking at the vice director's back, turned his head at the soft, familiar voice. Xinlu, who was sitting in the seat closest to the door, looked a little surprised at Jeong Tae-ui's appearance. " Unn ? Ah. It got ripped when I was sparring. I came to get new clothes. Is it okay?" Jeong Tae-ui awkwardly laughed and fiddled with his torn sleeve. Xinlu replied, "Of course," stood up, went into a private room attached to the office, and brought out a new set of clothes. "Thanks. What should I do with these clothes? Should I take them off and give them to you, or just throw them away?" "Umm……. If they're torn like this, it'll be hard to repair them. I think you can just throw them away. ……You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" "Getting hurt is an everyday occurrence, what's the big deal? I'm fine, I'm fine. Thanks for your concern." As Jeong Tae-ui smiled sheepishly, Xinlu also smiled slightly and whispered, "Please take care of yourself." Xinlu, the youngest person in this branch, had stiffened his face in surprise when he saw Jeong Tae-ui again less than an hour after their encounter in the bathroom that day. However, that was only for a moment. After meeting and talking a few times, he seemed to have let down his guard and became friendly, calling Jeong Tae-ui "hyung" and following him around affectionately. "......." Xinlu's top of head, as he examined the torn collar and considered whether to repair it, was right below his eyes. The faint scent of soap brushed his nose. I wanted to touch him. Jeong Tae-ui, his fingers twitching as he debated whether to touch the top of Xinlu's head, quickly lowered his hand and gave up when Xinlu looked up. If my uncle had seen that, he would have clicked his tongue and called me spineless. "You've worked hard today too, hyung. There's not much regular work left." As Xinlu said that and smiled, Jeong Tae-ui finally realized that it was already late afternoon. Turning his head, he saw reddish clouds spreading across the sky outside the window. I was always underground, so I couldn't keep track of time without looking at a clock. "The sky is so beautiful……." Jeong Tae-ui murmured in admiration. It wasn't just because I was usually cooped up underground and didn't get to see the sky properly. The colors of deep blue and reddish-purple blending together across the expanse of the sky were truly beautiful. "Hey, are there snakes outside here?" "Huh? Yes. They come out a lot at night. But that's more towards the forest. It's okay if you go towards the coast." "Hmm------ Wanna go together?" "……Now?" Xinlu asked back softly, sounding slightly flustered. Jeong Tae-ui smiled and nodded. And inwardly, he admired himself. See? I can ask someone out on a date without any problem if I set my mind to it. I'm not some shy guy just blushing and holding back. Believe it or not, I was famous for my quick hands in clubs…… No, that's not a good thing, so let's move on. Jeong Tae-ui felt proud of himself, but his face was already bright red. Xinlu looked at him intently with a strange expression. He seemed to be trying hard not to laugh, and in a way, he also looked troubled.  Jeong Tae-ui flinched a little at that look, but upon closer inspection, it didn't seem like he felt any unpleasantness, which was a relief. "Hmm……, do you dislike it?" "It's not that I dislike it, but I still have work left. Please go by yourself, hyung. It seems like there's a nice breeze blowing too." Xinlu smiled faintly and shook his head. Tae-ui felt disheartened but made an effort not to show it and muttered, "Okay, I see." Suddenly, the sky and everything else felt gloomy. Should I really go out alone, but the excitement that had briefly swelled up inside me died down. Inviting, anticipating and being disappointed in solitude, humans are such self-centered creature s, Tae-ui thought, smiling bitterly to himself. "Okay, then finish your work diligently, and let's see each other again. Good luck." "Yes, Tae-ui hyung. ……Ah, wait, hyung!" As Tae-ui turned around and walked out of the office, Xinlu, who seemed to hesitate for a moment, came to the doorway and called him back. Then, looking at Tae-ui, who turned back with a questioning "Huh?", he smiled shyly and said, "Let's go together tomorrow or the day after. I know a nice, secluded place, people don’t usually visit." " Unn ? ……Oh……, really?" "Yes. If you're okay with it, hyung." "Oh, of course, I'm okay with it. …… Unn , sure. Anytime. Call me when you finish work. I don't have any other plans after regular hours." Jeong Tae-ui, flustered but smiling at the sudden turn of events, quickly nodded. And fiddling unnecessarily with the pager issued by the branch, he added, "You can call me anytime." "Yes," Xinlu replied with a bright smile, then went back into the office. Left alone in the hallway, Jeong Tae-ui stared blankly at the spot where Xinlu had been standing for a while before silently clenching his fist. See? I told you it was worth a shot. Anyway, even if it's not today, we'll be able to meet up alone tomorrow or the day after. Jeong Tae-ui finally gave up trying to suppress the smile that kept creeping up his lips and turned around. I instantly feel better. I even feel like going outside and looking around with a happy heart. But since I'll be going out with Xinlu soon, it's better to save this outdoor trip for then. Jeong Tae-ui hummed a tune as he walked towards the elevator. However, while waiting for the elevator, which was stopped on the 5th basement floor, to come up, he shook his head. There was still some time left before the official work hours. I was supposed to go back. But I had initially planned to skip work with Xinlu. Just because it was now, it didn't suddenly make me want to go back and finish the sparring match. I would probably face some consequences later if I didn't go back, but my already excited heart didn't want to return. "……In times like this, the best thing to do is laze around in a room full of food and things to read……" Muttering to himself, Jeong Tae-ui turned away from the elevator and headed down the stairs. His destination was his uncle's room, which was full of food and things to read. The key he held in his fingertips jingled pleasantly in his pocket. As usual, I didn't encounter anyone while going down to the 1st basement floor and heading to my uncle's room. It was truly a deserted floor. Even if a murder happened here, it would take a while to notice─… No, that's not right. There are surveillance cameras everywhere. Jeong Tae-ui pointed out each camera installed in inconspicuous places as he made his way to his uncle's room. Before entering his uncle's room, he politely gave a peace sign to the single camera there and then knocked on the door. Knocking on the door was almost pointless. If my uncle was inside, the door would definitely be unlocked, and if he wasn't, it would be locked. So, at least in terms of asking for the door to be opened, it was an unnecessary action. It probably wouldn't even serve as a way to announce my arrival. My uncle would have already known that someone was approaching the door from the moment I turned the corner. He knocked on the door twice, paused for a moment, and then pulled the handle. The door was locked. Jeong Tae-ui slightly raised his eyebrows and took out the key from his pocket. It was a key he had received some time ago with the room owner's permission. My uncle had readily given me the key, telling me to come and read any book I wanted whenever I felt like it. The room was as neatly organized as ever. It had everything one could need, yet sometimes it didn't even feel like someone lived there. "Uncle has a surprisingly desolate side to him……." The room, clean without a speck of dust, always felt like this when my uncle wasn't there. Like a model room where no one lived. That feeling vaguely resembled the hidden side of my uncle that I occasionally glimpsed,  and Jeong Tae-ui sighed. Jeong Tae-ui freely opened the refrigerator, took out a can of beer, and chugged it down in one go. Then, he threw himself onto the neatly made bed without a single wrinkle. Rolling around a few times on the bed, which had just the right amount of firmness, finally made it smell faintly of human presence. He lay face down on it and picked up a book from the bookshelf within reach. I used to come here almost every day after finishing my regular work and laze around reading if I had nothing else to do. Dozens of pages a day, slowly savoring each sentence. Jae-ui would really like these rare books collected in this bookshelf. No, perhaps he has already read all of these and more. There's no reason to worry about that lucky guy, but I’m curious. Where is he and what is he doing right now? Has he returned home? Is he holed up in some library or research lab, engrossed in books for days without sleep? I had tried calling home yesterday as a test, but no one answered. Considering it was close to midnight when I called and no one picked up, it seemed right to assume he was still wandering around somewhere. Suddenly, I remembered the image of my Hyung making a scissor motion with his fingers, saying it was time to cut the thread of fate. I didn't really think Hyung disliked me or wanted to sever their connection. But what should I say? I had felt a strange feeling at that moment. Hyung was so lucky that everything he wished for came true. So, when Hyung made a gesture like cutting their ties, it felt like the connection between them would really be severed. Maybe at that moment, the connection between me and Jeong Jae-ui had been cut. Would we never be able to meet again then? "I don't want that to happen……. It doesn't feel real though." Jeong Tae-ui lay down and spread out his hand, looking at it. I looked for the trace of an invisible red thread, the kind that might have been tied to my pinky finger as Hyung said. But could it really be cut? Jeong Tae-ui wiggled his pinky finger a few times, as if checking if the end of the invisible red thread was fluttering. It was then. A quiet mechanical sound reached Jeong Tae-ui's ears as he lay blankly staring at his hand. It was a sound he had heard before. When he turned his head, a red light was blinking on the telephone. "……." Staring intently at the phone that was constantly flashing and emitting mechanical sounds, he briefly considered whether he should answer someone else's phone. In fact, I know without even thinking that it will be easier in many ways and leave no room for trouble if I don't answer. But the phone kept ringing so persistently that I couldn't bring myself to ignore it. Jeong Tae-ui got out of bed and looked at the caller ID displayed on his phone. Tae-ui had no reason to know what number his uncle might call from, but he slowly traced the unfamiliar digits. It was an international call. If the number started with 49…… was it Germany? The following digits would be the area code, but I didn't know that far. In the meantime, the phone hung up. Jeong Tae-ui went back to bed and picked up his book. However, once thoughts of his Hyung surfaced, they didn't easily go away, and he ended up covering his face with the book. Hyung often used to sleep like this. When I asked if it wasn't heavy, Hyung would instead retort, asking what was heavy about a book of only a few hundred pages. It was amazing how Hyung's features remained intact even though he always slept with something like this on his face. Come to think of it, I didn't look much like Hyung. Even though we were twins, there was absolutely no resemblance that would suggest it. Not in our faces, our hair, our personalities, or even our luck. ".......Still, my face is better. Even if I can't beat him in anything else." Actually, even our faces had such different vibes that it wasn't even a matter of who was better-looking or uglier. Jeong Tae-ui slightly lowered the book from his face and turned his gaze. From his current position, his reflection wasn't visible, but there was a large mirror hanging next to the desk. Jeong Tae-ui got up again, walked over there, and pressed his face close to the mirror. A man with a calm face was reflected . I hadn't even lived half my life yet, but I was probably a little tired. He ran his hand over his face in the mirror. The cold, smooth surface of the glass was felt at his fingertips. Around his eyes, nose, and mouth, he was tracing them like that when the lamp flickered again. Almost simultaneously, a mechanical sound rang out.  It was another call from the same number. This time, he didn't wait long before answering the phone.  A call that comes like this in quick succession is bound to ring again soon if you don't answer it. "Yes, hello." When he pressed the lamp, the monitor lit up. And the screen on the other side of the receiver was reflected within it. Nothing was visible. It was a white wall. Only a corner of a picture frame was faintly visible at the edge of the screen. It was impossible to tell what was depicted in the picture with colors that were hard to discern on the small screen. "──Hahaa. It's the nephew again." A voice that sounded familiar spoke. Then, on the screen, a hand reaching out in front of the phone to touch the desk appeared. I remember that hand well. It was a hand so beautiful it was hard to forget. "Ah, a hand."  'What?' When Jeong Tae-ui reflexively blurted out, a short, questioning reply came from the other side, as if surprised. “Your hand." For a moment, Jeong Tae-ui thought he had answered incorrectly, but with an unconcerned expression, he tapped the white hand on the monitor. The hand moved inside the monitor. It looked like it was looking at its own hand. "I recognized those pretty hands right away." 'Haha, thank you. It’s nice to hear such a compliment about my hands for the first time.' The man on the other side of the monitor laughed.  It was still a mechanical voice, but it wasn't as jarring as the first time I heard it. 'Is Instructor Jeong showering again? You seem to go there often, nephew.' "No, my uncle isn't here. I just came to read a book. My uncle's room has a lot of good books." 'Ah. Instructor Jeong does have a decent hobby.' The white hand tapped the desk playfully. Those hands really are as clear and pretty as glass. I want to touch them once. Cool shards of glass attached to each finger. ‘Do you like my hand that much?’ “Hmm?” ‘You’re looking at it with such hungry eyes.’ He said with a chuckle in his voice. Jeong Tae-ui also chuckled and shrugged. “Was I that obvious? Well, yeah, they’re very tempting. It wouldn’t suit me, so I’m just admiring.” Jeong Tae-ui added this preemptively, thinking the other person might again say he'd cut off his wrist and give it to him after he died. He laughed cheerfully, as if he had guessed Jeong Tae-ui's thoughts. Jeong Tae-ui suddenly tilted his head. They say you can tell something about a person's life by looking at their hands, but I couldn't figure this man out at all. He didn't seem like he would do rough work, but he also didn't seem like he did desk work holding a pen all day. Even an antique book dealer would have some tough tasks, but hard labor just didn't seem to fit those hands. “Ilay……?” Jeong Tae-ui opened his mouth. Come to think of it, this was the first time I was calling this man's name.  The man naturally replied with a still-chuckle-filled voice, "Hmm?" “When I told my uncle that name, he seemed a bit confused. It seems you have several names.” ‘Ahaha, was that so? Well, Instructor Jeong doesn’t call me by my first name. I only have one name. I’m not doing anything bad, so there’s no reason for me to use multiple names.’ “Hmm──I guess that would be the case if you’re a book dealer……but what line of work are you in?” Jeong Tae-ui trailed off for a moment before asking. What kind of work would someone with hands like that do? Then the man didn't say anything for a moment. Only the sight of the white hand tapping, tap, tap on the desk was visible. Rather than seeming displeased, he seemed to be gazing intently at him, lost in thought.  A cool gaze from behind the lens. Soon after, he seemed to finish his brief thought and answered slowly. ‘I sometimes help my brother with the family business. My brother will probably take over that, so I don't know……, what will I do for a living. I’ve never thought about it, but hearing you say that makes me a little worried.’ Listening to his voice, which showed no sign of worry at all, Jeong Tae-ui suddenly began to worry about his own future. If I got out of here safely in six months, I would still be unemployed. Of course, according to my uncle, the experience of being here alone would be enough to find a job without any difficulty, but what kind of work could I really do to make a living? I didn't even know what I wanted. “I became a total bum after being discharged…….” He muttered with a deep sigh, and it seemed the sound reached the other side. ‘Discharged? Were you a soldier? Well, there are sometimes people who go there after being in the military. But that’s interesting. Jeong Jae-ui’s younger brother is a soldier…….Haha.’ The man chuckled with a subtle nuance. Jeong Tae-ui slightly raised his eyebrows, looked at his white hand, and then snickered. “Why? Is it funny that there’s a physically active younger brother under a brainy older brother?” Then the man laughed out loud this time. He laughed as if he had seen a great comedy and slowly waved his white hand. ‘Not at all, that’s not what I meant. Besides, you don’t seem to have the kind of robust physique to confidently call yourself ‘beastly’, unless you mean it in another way. ……My apologies.’ At the man's laughter, Jeong Tae-ui made a bitter face and said, "It's alright." ‘No, what I meant was that the combination of an older brother who develops weapons and a younger brother who is a victim of those weapons is interesting. If you’re a soldier, aren’t you closer to being a victim rather than a user?’ Jeong Tae-ui, with his chin resting on his hand, paused. He replayed the man's casual words in his mind. The latter part didn't matter. What was important were the first few words. The man seemed to notice the strange look on Jeong Tae-ui's face as he stared intently at the white hand. After thinking for a moment, he seemed to realize the reason and muttered, as if embarrassed. ‘Oh dear. Didn't you know?’ “……Yeah. I didn't know. Was my brother involved in weapons development?” Even as he chuckled and muttered, "Someone else knows my brother better than I do," Tae-ui felt a strange reluctance to say anything more. Jeong Jae-ui and I weren't brothers with a bad relationship, but we also didn't share everything; we were just ordinary brothers with a moderately good relationship. Moreover, from the time I graduated high school, I rarely stayed home, and Jae-ui was also frequently away, so we didn't really know much about each other's lives. I had only heard here that Jae-ui was a specially treated researcher at the UNHRDO Americas headquarters. But he’s developing weapons. When would he have done something like that? If he did, was it at UNHRDO? But it could have been before or after. In any case, we weren't interested in each other's work, so we didn't talk about it much. Weapons. Weapons, huh. Jeong Tae-ui smiled bitterly. I knew they were a necessary evil, but I had seen their negative effects far too many times. ‘Looks like I said something I shouldn’t have. People who should know probably do, but it’s still confidential information, so I’d appreciate it if you’d keep that in mind.’ “I also don’t really feel like saying out loud that my brother develops weapons.” ‘Haha. Looks like you don’t like that. Still, your brother is a well-known genius in this industry.’ “Even if he’s a genius at making weapons, you know, it doesn’t really make me happy.” Jeong Tae-ui, who had been grumbling like that, suddenly raised his eyebrows. Then he rubbed his chin for a moment and chuckled. “Seeing as you mentioned ‘this industry,’ are you also involved in the weapons business?” The man fell silent again. This silence was rather long. If it weren't for the hand moving occasionally, I probably would have thought the call had been disconnected. Finally, he laughed, a sound like a sigh. ‘To be precise, my brother is involved in that. I did say I sometimes help with the family business, didn't I?’ “The family business is weapons-related?” Jeong Tae-ui asked back with a dumbfounded expression. Then he quickly realized. This man wasn't just some antique book dealer. He was a dealer, but the items he dealt with weren't antique books, but weapons. “So you make a living selling weapons……” ‘Not me, my brother.──You really seem to dislike it. The rocket launcher your brother designed the prototype for has consistently been in the top rankings for the past few years.’ “Honestly. A world without war is just a pipe dream of someone who lives in a fantasy land…… Jae-ui hyung. If I see you, I’m going to ripe ou a new one.” The man laughed. The man, who had caused a brief but significant upheaval in Jeong Tae-ui's mind, seemed completely unfazed. ‘How scary. So, are you going to cut ties with your precious brother or something?’ “Like that would make a difference? He’s the one who cut ties first.” ‘Aha?’ The man's voice changed, tinged with interest. I want to see the man's face. He was surely looking at the monitor with a slow, subtle smile. ‘I didn’t know you were such estranged brothers. I thought you were quite close. Why, did you even fight? I wouldn't have thought Jeong Jae-ui would be the type to cut ties with his younger brother first.’ “He said he was going to cut the thread connected right here,” Jeong Tae-ui said, holding up his pinky finger, “and then he left home that day. And he’s still missing.” Jeong Tae-ui muttered, holding up his pinky finger.  It wasn't the complete truth, but that was the gist of it. Then the man was silent for a moment before speaking. ‘Haha. Jae-ui did that? That’s interesting.’ “It might sound interesting to you, but for me, it’s a family crisis.” ‘Haha, ahahahaha.’ The man kept laughing, as if something was very amusing. The sound of his mechanical voice laughing was quite bizarre. “You seem to be in a good mood.” ‘No……I just think you’re quite different brothers. I thought that even though you’re twins, you’d have some similarities, but your faces are different. Your personalities are different. It’s interesting.’ “──Have you ever met my brother?” ‘Hmm. Well, I’ve casually run into him, just seeing his face. I was very surprised at how young he looked.’ That was something he had experienced many times. People who had heard about Jae-ui through various channels since childhood and finally managed to find him were always surprised when they saw him. It was rare for someone not to express their shock, saying they hadn't expected him to be so young. But this man doesn't seem that old either. Jeong Tae-ui stared intently at the white hand, even though he couldn't possibly know the man's age just by looking at his hand. However, he didn't feel like prying into such personal matters, so he changed the subject. “The way you talk, you must be very similar to your brother who deals in weapons.” ‘Well, I haven’t heard that I resemble him much, but my brother and I aren’t twins. There’s quite an age difference between us.’ Jeong Tae-ui, who scoffed at the irrelevance of age difference to whether siblings resemble each other, waved his hand. At that moment, the man paused. He seemed to turn his body slightly, as if someone had come up behind him or perhaps there was some sound. He said he helped with the family business; maybe he lived harmoniously with his family. ‘This is sudden, but I have to go now. Let’s talk again later.’ “Huh? Oh, okay. Uh, but what about my uncle?” ‘I’ll call again later. Bye-bye.’ The white hand waved slightly. With that, the phone call ended. The monitor went dark again. Jeong Tae-ui sighed and pressed the lamp again. The surroundings became quiet in an instant. Ding, ding.  Just like the white hand had done on the monitor earlier, Jeong Tae-ui stood like a statue, silently tapping the desk. My head felt like it was about to get complicated. But thinking differently, it wasn't something for Jeong Tae-ui to get complicated about beforehand now. “Geez……I don’t know. I’ll just live in a world where wars break out. It’s not like I’m going to join an anti-war movement.” Yeah. Even though I quit, there are still many careers in the world that soldiers can do, and they need to make a living too,  he muttered, throwing himself onto the bed. Thwack! He hit the top of his foot on the corner of the bed. It hurts like hell. *** ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago We made a discord server! please join us!

2. White Hand Whack!  A fierce and fast sound rang out. Immediately following, crimson blood streamed down. “Argh!” Alta, clutching his nose, squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Then, seeing the blood flowing over his palm, he glared and burst out in irritation. “This son of a bitch used cheap tricks again!” “It’s because the one getting tricked is an idiot…….” What Alta had wanted was for Jeong Tae-ui to meet his attack head-on and engage in a test of strength, but Jeong Tae-ui had no desire to do that when he knew he would likely lose. This wasn’t a test to fairly assess skill through a proper match, and in actual training where you get hit and beaten, why would I willingly take a clean hit? So, he’d slightly parried Alta’s attack, deflected it, and in that motion, landed a blow right on Alta’s face, and now Alta was throwing a tantrum like this. Barely listening to Alta’s shouts and howls, Jeong Tae-ui rummaged in his pocket to offer him a handkerchief. Suddenly, a hand as big as a pot lid flew in from behind and harshly struck the back of Jeong Tae-ui’s head. “Ayak!” Clutching the back of his head that had been struck with a thud, tears welling up in his eyes, he turned around to see Carlo standing there. Carlo, who had finished his own match, wore a face that was half amused and half genuinely angry. “If you keep using cheap tricks like that, you’ll get seriously hurt someday. Fight properly, properly.” “…Ugh…. I’ve heard that same thing five times already, and this is the sixth time these stupid losers fall for my ‘cheap tricks’.” Jeong Tae-ui muttered as if feeling wronged. At that, Alta immediately stepped closer, right beside him, and yelled. “If someone had known beforehand, who do you think would fall for it!” “If you know beforehand, the usual tactics won’t work against you either.” Jeong Tae-ui offered a very reasonable defense, but Alta was still seething with anger and kept shouting. Jeong Tae-ui muttered, "I know, I get it," and stepped back a few paces from him. Then, he suddenly bumped into someone standing behind him, and stopped walking. “Ah, sorry.” “Watch where you’re going. And do something about that noisy guy in your team.” The person he had bumped into, from the opposing team, frowned as he spoke. As Jeong Tae-ui raised his eyebrows and stared blankly, the man brushed off the shoulder that had bumped against Jeong Tae-ui and walked away. “What’s with him?” “He’s from Instructor Golding’s team. A real pain in the ass.” “Do you know him?” “I know his face and name, but if you're asking about personal relations, then ‘no’.” Carlo shrugged and shook his head. Alta, who seemed to have mostly stopped the bleeding, returned the handkerchief, grumbling, “His attitude is really stiff.” “Did something bad happen with their team? Why is he so aggressive?” “Nothing bad. But nothing particularly good either. It's always like this.” “Always?” “There are more times we compete than cooperate, so why would we be friendly?” “……Wow, this community is, this… bleak……” Jeong Tae-ui shook his head. Relations are bad with other branches externally, and even internally, teams don't get along. What kind of human relationships are these? Staying here much longer, I'll ruin my personality. Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue, propped his wooden sword, and squatted down. Just then, he was hit on the back of the head a second time. “Ack!!” This time, it was weaker than Carlo's hit, but being hit again in the same spot doubled the pain.  Next to Jeong Tae-ui, who was clutching his head again, another thwack sound rang out, and Alta also clutched his head. “Who sits down to rest in the middle of a sparring match? And Alta, aren't you his sparring partner? If he sits down to rest, you should take that opportunity to beat him mercilessly." The one saying this with a grin was my uncle, who seemed to have abandoned his good nature long ago. Tears welling up, Jeong Tae-ui glared at him with blurry vision and muttered. “Unc……, Instructor Jeong, why are you here? It’s not even your class time right now.” But there was no answer. As Jeong Tae-ui said, his uncle, who should be discussing strategy in lecture hall #3 in the West Wing right now, must have come for other business. He walked over to the instructor in charge of the 2nd Martial Arts training, standing at the front. Behind him, a man glanced at Jeong Tae-ui, smiled silently, and followed his uncle. “Ah, the driver.” Jeong Tae-ui blurted out. It was the man who had driven the car when I came here with my uncle, from when we arrived in Hong Kong to when they reached this island. He was wearing an indoor uniform now, making him look a bit more rigid than before, but it was definitely him. “Driver? Ah, you mean Chief Officer Kang? Well, I guess that guy does drive the Instructor’s car.” “Chief Officer is another thing entirely.” “He’s a member just like us, but to put it simply, he’s the instructor’s head secretary. He drives, helps with work, and is also a bodyguard.” The hierarchy that I thought was simple just keeps sprouting new things as I dig deeper. As Jeong Tae-ui muttered, “Is it a cornucopia or something?”, he overheard other colleagues murmuring. “Recently, there’s been sparks flying between instructors. I heard Chaeng fought with Golding not too long ago.” “Hmm, so that’s why. Promotion to Director General. They say he’s moving to headquarters.” “Then it’s understandable that they'd be fighting over achievements now. It won't make much difference to us who becomes Director General or Deputy Director though.” “Don’t be so quick to laugh so comfortably……. Remember when the South American branch got turned upside down? I heard people even died in the fierce behind-the-scenes power struggles back then. If things get serious here, there’s no telling what might happen.” “Hey, stop it, you’re scaring me. We should just look after our own lives.” “……” Jeong Tae-ui rested his chin on the hilt of his wooden sword, staring silently at his uncle.  Listening to conversations like that, I felt more and more resentment towards my uncle. Even if only one member here were to die, considering fighting skills and brute strength, I would be among the weakest. I might as well have the number one spot on the death list. “As expected, the only thing to rely on is luck……. Jae-ui- nim , Jae-ui- nim , please share some of that luck with me…….” Since coming here, sighing seems to have become a habit. Jeong Tae-ui let out another long sigh, and then stood up with a “Heave-ho”.     Alta moved on to the next turn, and a new sparring partner returned. Because they were doing team-mixed sparring, his opponent wasn't always from his own team. He sparred a few times with unfamiliar faces. This time, the new sparring partner who returned was the man from Instructor Golding's team, the one he had bumped into earlier. That opponent also seemed to recognize Jeong Tae-ui, as he frowned. Jeong Tae-ui mumbled awkwardly, "Huh……", scratching his head. I didn't want to become acquainted like this,  he sighed and gripped his wooden sword again. Even though it was a wooden sword, if you got hit by that tree stick, which was adjusted to be heavier than a regular one, it hurt terribly even with protective gear on, so you couldn't relax for a moment. If you were unlucky and got hit wrong, it was straight to the infirmary. It hadn't even been a week since he arrived here, but Jeong Tae-ui had already visited the infirmary more than ten times. Four of those times were to support and take on a sparring partner who had collapsed, and the rest of the time he had collapsed and had to go himself. The infirmary was also located on the 2nd basement floor, where the lecture halls and practice sparring grounds were, and now he could find it with his eyes closed. He was gradually getting used to the system of how the branch operated. He had become familiar with his colleagues, and even if he didn't know everyone's names, he had become familiar with the faces of the guys from other teams. Well, there were only about 100 people in total, and during regular course hours, we were constantly face to face, sometimes becoming people who beat each other up, so even if it was to retaliate for getting severely beaten, I couldn't help but become familiar with their faces. The martial arts training they were doing now had a theme for each hour, and today it was wooden swords. The fact that there were no regulations other than to use the wooden sword efficiently was creating sparring that was infinitely close to brawling. Jeong Tae-ui looked for openings in the man rushing towards him. As the wooden swords collided head-on, a sharp sound rang out. At the same time, a stinging pressure went through his wrist. This man also seemed to have immense strength. "Alright, in that case……." Jeong Tae-ui suddenly grabbed the other man's collar. And then he turned sharply. The opponent, momentarily faltering, noticed Jeong Tae-ui's opening and ruthlessly struck him with the wooden sword. It feels like I’m going to die from the pain. He was not only incredibly strong but also hit without any restraint. Jeong Tae-ui swallowed curses under his breath, endured the barrage, and threw away the wooden sword he had been holding in his other hand. Then, grabbing the opponent's collar with both hands, he executed a shoulder throw, sending him crashing down. It was worth it to have endured the beating and charged unarmed. The opponent, who briefly resisted and staggered, eventually fell onto his back on the floor. As the man lay sprawled on the ground, Jeong Tae-ui picked up the wooden sword he had thrown away and straightened his collar. Astonishment flashed across the face of the opponent who was just trying to get up from the floor. “Hey, you don’t mean to tell me you’re going to------.” “Well, now it’s your turn to get hit a bit.” Speaking casually and rolling up his sleeves, Jeong Tae-ui began to beat the man with an indifferent expression. The man quickly got to his feet even as he was being hit, but in that brief moment, he was hit at least twice as many times as he had landed. When the man stood up completely, Jeong Tae-ui stopped hitting him. He had to listen to the man's shouts, who was massaging his forearms and thighs, face flushed crimson and veins bulging in his neck. “Hey, you ignorant and underhanded bastard! Don’t you even know how to fight?!!” “What are you talking about? You just experienced it yourself.” Jeong Tae-ui blinked with a placid expression. Beyond him, Alta—already forgetting how he had been hit in a similar way earlier—was shrugging and laughing. Face completely red, the man charged at Jeong Tae-ui with his bare hands, wooden sword or not. Seeing the man grab his collar and clench his fist to punch him in the jaw, Jeong Tae-ui slightly frowned and lightly struck the man’s neck with the wooden sword in his hand. “Cough…….” “Knowing full well that your opponent is armed, why would you charge in with bare hands……. You have to think of your body.” Jeong Tae-ui spoke calmly, frowning as if concerned. The man, even while clutching his neck with one hand, didn't let go of Jeong Tae-ui’s collar and staggered back a couple of steps. As a result, Jeong Tae-ui’s top was ripped. “Hey, listen to what that guy’s saying. ‘Think of your body,’ he says, ‘Think of your body.’  He’s as considerate as a cat is to a mouse.” “Vicious bastard. If there's a nasty internal crime next time, the victim will definitely be that guy.” He heard his colleagues whispering from behind. Jeong Tae-ui stared blankly at his chest, now exposed, and then glared fiercely at the whispering colleagues. “I can hear you, you know.” “Well, yeah, unless you’ve got something stuffed in your earholes, you should be able to hear us. Ooh-ooh, hey hey, it’s all visible. Oh my, pink nipples, how cute.” “……” This is why I don't associate with guys like them and only like cute and lovely pretty boys. If I had heard those words from someone with the same inclination as me, how much more disgusting would I have felt? If it had been a honey-sweet pretty boy, I might have willingly offered a hundred nipples as bait and hooked his whole body, but hearing such words from an old guy like that is no fun at all. Jeong Tae-ui grimaced and roughly gathered his clothes, tying the torn edges together. The guy whose neck had been struck by Jeong Tae-ui’s wooden sword seemed to be in quite a bit of pain, still standing frozen like a statue, clutching his neck and panting. “Why is your uniform in that state? The budget manager is going to be angry.” As his uncle, who seemed to have finished his business, was heading out again, he scanned Jeong Tae-ui up and down, then chuckled and said. “It’s only natural for uniforms to wear out, fray, and tear when you’re training, what’s the big deal?” “But that tear wasn’t from wear and tear. Anyway, even if it’s a spectacular view, it's embarrassing for those looking. Go to Xinlu and ask for a new uniform. While you’re at it, show off your physique a bit.” His uncle smiled subtly and left. Following that, unpleasant voices chuckled and snickered, saying things like, ‘Looks like you’re getting to see Xinlu’s face this time,’ ‘While you’re at it, just change right in front of him,’ ‘Even if you’re a bit late, we’ll all understand,’ and so on. Jeong Tae-ui, who could maintain a perfect poker face in almost everything else, was uniquely unable to hide his feelings when it came to Xinlu. Anyone could tell that he harbored feelings for Xinlu from my flustered attitude and blushing face. Thanks to that, there was no one in the team who didn’t know that I had a crush on Xinlu. Xinlu himself probably knew as well. Regarding that matter, Jeong Tae-ui felt not just relief, but even a kind of gratitude. At first, his colleagues tilted their heads, puzzled by Jeong Tae-ui’s attitude towards Xinlu, and then, vaguely suspicious, they cautiously asked, ‘Hey, is your taste by any chance… that way?’ At that time, I momentarily considered denying it. It was because memories from my time in the military flashed through my mind . The memory of having feelings beyond platonic affection for someone of the same sex, or having sexual relations, being a serious handicap. It was also a reason why my relationships with colleagues weren’t smooth. However, as expected, I had no intention of hiding it, nor did it seem like I could hide it.  So, Jeong Tae-ui nodded. Meeting their gazes with a serious face. But his colleagues' reactions were anticlimactically bland. A couple of words like, ‘Oh, really,’ was all they said. ‘We’ve been rolling around in this rough world for years, that kind of thing isn’t even something to be surprised about. Just don’t make it too obvious. ……Ah. I like women, so don’t go liking me!’ Perhaps understanding Jeong Tae-ui’s bewildered expression, Carlo muttered in a bored tone before offering advice with a seemingly serious face. Then, suddenly, he wore a sly grin and spoke in a drawling voice. “So, you like Xinlu, huh. Hmmm… You do know that in-house romance is forbidden, right?” Starting with his words, from then on, all of his colleagues were like that. It was material for teasing that would last a hundred years. The nonchalant attitude of his colleagues, in contrast to his past memories, brought relief to Jeong Tae-ui. However, even while feeling relieved, listening to their teasing and drawling comments still made him bristle. “If you’re so envious, why don’t you guys rip your clothes and go with me? Though, I doubt you have bodies ugly enough to show to anyone.” Jeong Tae-ui spoke confidently, looking at his colleagues with a brazen face. At that, the colleagues who had been teasing Jeong Tae-ui just moments ago, in a simplistic manner, quickly became furious and started ranting. “Ugly?! Did you say ugly?! Look at my magnificent muscles!” “This wonderfully tanned skin! A reverse triangle body! Women are crazy about it!” “All that does is make you look uneducated. You’re not balanced at all. ……And it’s not like you have cute pink nipples as a charm point like me.” Jeong Tae-ui swept his gaze over them with openly mocking eyes, then snorted audibly and walked away. He could hear the voices of his colleagues shouting and yelling from behind, but it wasn’t the first or second time he had heard it, and it was no more than the buzzing of flies. *** ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago We made a discord server! please join us!

My uncle is not in the room No, to be exact, it's more accurate to say that he wasn't in the room. Preoccupied with worries and half-lost in other thoughts, Jeong Tae-ui entered without knocking, but no one was around to call him out on it. The door wasn't locked, and there was no one in the room, so he paused for a moment, but then he heard the sound of water coming from inside and understood. Someone was probably in the attached shower room. Jeong Tae-ui confirmed that this was indeed his uncle's room, noticing several familiar belongings carelessly scattered on the desk. He then entered and sat in the large chair in front of the desk, slowly looking around the room. His uncle's private office was quite different from Jeong Tae-ui's own room. Not only the furniture and electronics provided, but above all else, there were many books here. The bookshelves, filling the walls without a gap, were crammed full of books in no particular order. Jeong Tae-ui ran his hand lightly across a bookshelf within reach. My uncle possessed a great many rare books. My uncle's house—though he spends most of the year at a branch office, returning home for less than ten days a year—belonged to a considerable bibliophile, and was filled with rare books that would make antique book collectors drool with envy. The fact that the house had been burgled by book thieves once spoke for itself. So, Jeong Jae-ui would often go to his uncle's house and stay for several days at a time.  However, he stopped going when he ran out of books to read. Before that, Jeong Tae-ui would sometimes go to his uncle's house to call for his older brother. While Jeong Tae-ui didn't love books as much as his brother or uncle, he still enjoyed them enough to recognize a rare book when he saw one. Among the books within his reach, there was one—a book he had wanted to read but ultimately couldn't find. Jeong Tae-ui raised his eyebrows slightly and picked up the book. It was a book I had tried desperately to find, but ultimately had to give up on because even the original edition was out of print. I don't know where this person finds such things so well. It's convenient for me, though. Jeong Tae-ui, impressed with his uncle, idly flipped through the pages of a book. However, he couldn't seem to concentrate on it. It's because that young man he'd encountered earlier keeps appearing before his eyes. "……Seriously. I’m not some lovesick teenager……. Get a grip, Jeong Tae-ui." Jeong Tae-ui rubbed his face, which was starting to feel hot, and clicked his tongue. He even lightly slapped his own cheeks a couple of times. What on earth is this branch like? How could they leave such a young and frail kid in the middle of this harsh island? But considering he was on this floor, he's probably not a staff member……. Jeong Tae-ui, after considering that much, came to an abrupt halt. This is the first basement floor. It's not a floor where staff members stay. The people who stay on this floor, ……I’m guessing that the kid is actually someone important, like the director, or the vice director, or an instructor……. Jeong Tae-ui's face stiffened slightly. He only mechanically flipped through the pages of the book in his hand with his mind blank. Just that moment. What brought Jeong Tae-ui back from his brief lapse into unconsciousness was a very faint mechanical sound, one that could easily be heard in the quiet room. Jeong Tae-ui turned his head towards the direction of the sound. It was coming from the phone on the desk. A quiet, soft mechanical sound. A monitor, about the size of a notebook, attached above the red flashing lamp, glowed dimly and faintly, as if urging him to press it. Jeong Tae-ui turned his head. The sound of water was no longer coming from the bathroom. He thought someone would be coming out soon, but then he heard the sound of splashing water, along with a soft humming. It seemed like they were soaking in the bathtub. The phone call did not end easily, so Jeong Tae-ui put the book down on the desk and stood up. He went to the bathroom and knocked lightly on the glass door. "Uncle―, you got a phone call.” A phone call? At this hour? ―――Aha, I think I know who it is. Please take the call for me and write down the message. I'll be out in a while." In the uncle's voice, which responded to Jeong Tae-ui's words, there wasn't even a hint of surprise. It's certain that he already knew from the moment Jeong Tae-ui entered the room. Although he entered silently, his uncle wasn't the kind of person who wouldn't notice someone's presence, and Jeong Tae-ui, as expected, sighs, thinking, "Yeah, I figured." "If you knew someone was coming, you should have thought about getting out sooner instead of leisurely taking a bath, Uncle." As Jeong Tae-ui muttered, a low chuckle echoed from inside the bathroom "I know it's you, so why would I hurry?" Yeah, he was originally someone with this kind of side to him. Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue and returned to his desk, but in the meantime, the call had ended. "The call's disconnected, Uncle," Jeong Tae-ui shouted towards the bathroom, then picked up his book again and sat down. A bath, huh? By now, that young man must have entered the bathroom too.……. Jeong Tae-ui's face flushed again for no particular reason. Even his earlobes felt hot. His fair, supple body, close to a peach's hue, would be flushed and beautifully colored in the warm water.  His skin seemed like it would have a subtle, soft, and very pleasant scent.  It made me involuntarily want to embrace him. "…….This is serious, really serious…….It was just a fleeting moment. Why am I being like this? Jeong Tae-ui." Jeong Tae-ui fanned his flushed face and sighed, muttering to himself. It wasn't like I had a crush on the young man or anything. I didn't know him well enough for that. But the guy kept popping into my head. Jeong Tae-ui sighed for what felt like the hundredth time today, fanning himself with the thick book he was holding. Then, the quiet mechanical sound rang out once more. The lamp flickered again. Jeong Tae-ui hesitated for a moment, considering whether to call his uncle, but thought he wouldn't come even if he did. He pressed the lamp, remembering that he was supposed to write down a message. But he couldn't find any paper or pen to write with.  It would be nice if it was a message I could remember. "Yes, hello." As soon as I answered the phone, the LCD monitor on top of the lamp turned on. And a video image, presumably from the person who called, appeared. The viewing angle wasn't very wide, so I couldn't see clearly, but it seemed to be indoors. It was probably a personal room, and I could vaguely see a built-in closet next to the white wall. And, a human body filled about 1/3 of the screen. Due to the narrow angle, I could only see a part of the middle of the body. About half of a light blue shirt around the chest area was visible. And there was a sleeve connected to that shirt, and at the end of the sleeve, there was a hand holding a mug. They were white hands. Delicate and fine, they seemed best suited for dancing across piano keys. The large mug looked tiny in those hands, which were so large but also so white and beautiful. The nails at the end of each finger were neatly aligned and as clear as pale glass. '―――Who’s this?' An unpleasant mechanical sound. It was as if I was listening to a pre-recorded message from an electronic device, with a stiff, layered voice, as if the phone's settings had been configured that way. The white hand inside the screen set down the mug. Then, with a long finger, it tapped the rim of the mug. 'Instructor Jeong Chang-in?' "Ah―…,he’s in the bathroom right now. If you have something to say, you can tell me." Jeong Tae-ui's eyes were drawn to the exquisite hands, as transparent and delicate as carved ice, as he replied. There was no reply from the other side for a moment. As he was astonished to see the hand move, as if it were attached to a living being, a voice startled him with a sudden whisper. 'Therefore.' " Unn ?" 'Who are you, answering the phone in that room?' It seemed like the voice had softened a bit, perhaps it was just my imagination. There was something almost hypnotic about it. The strange mechanical voice, combined with the sight of the abnormally beautiful hand slowly caressing the mug, only enhanced that feeling. Jeong Tae-ui wondered what to say, but since he didn't know who the other person was, he chose the most neutral response. "I'm the nephew of the person who's so relaxed they're taking a bath even though someone might come looking for them. If you have something to say, go ahead and tell me. But I don't see anything to write on, so please keep it short. My memory isn't very good." Jeong Tae-ui finished speaking, and then there was a moment of silence broken only by a few chuckles. ‘I see, you must be the second nephew then. Your name is……?' "…….Jeong Tae-ui. What about you?" Jeong Tae-ui realized it then. This man knew about me. No, to be exact, he knew about Jeong Chang-in's family. He knew that Jeong Chang-in had two nieces, and that one of them was very intelligent and famous. Given that everyone in the branch knows Jeong Jae-ui is Jeong Chang-in's nephew, it's not surprising someone would be aware of their family connection. After a moment of silence, the man spoke. 'Ilay.' Jeong Tae-ui nodded. Ilay. It's a good thing it's an easy name to remember. The man named Ilay was silent for a moment. Another hand appeared on the screen. It was the left hand, symmetrical to the right hand that had been visible until now. The two white, beautiful hands clasped together. When Jeong Tae-ui sighed without realizing it, only then did Ilay open his mouth.  'What’s wrong?' "It’s nothing……. Don't you get told that your hands are beautiful?” 'My hands?' Ilay looked puzzled and asked back, looking at his own hands. Within the monitor, his hands unclasped and moved. His fingers, bent at each joint, were a work of art in themselves. He clenched and unclenched his hands once, then clasped them together again, saying playfully. 'I've never been told that before. You like my hands?’ " Unn , they’re beautiful." 'Haha, sure. You can take it. But only after I'm dead. And put your hand on my arm instead. Even a corpse would feel sorry for not having hands.’ "……I’ll pass. My hands are all wrong for something like that. If I attached your hand to my body, it would just look out of place." Jeong Tae-ui wrinkled his nose. He's the type to make a deadly serious joke. Ilay chuckled softly for a while, as if amused by something that had been said. 'Nah, it wouldn't suit you. Your hands are much more suited to your face.'  A chuckle escaped their lips as he spoke. Knowing that the other side could see him more clearly, Jeong Tae-ui tapped on the phone's lens. "It seems like this lens has a wider angle. Well, it's not a bad thing to see only your beautiful hand filling the screen." Ilay let out a chuckle. 'Does that mean you are working for the Asian branch now?'  Jeong Tae-ui shrugged in response to Ilay's question. "Yeah, thanks to my uncle, I was able to get in without going through any procedures."  'Aha, a parachute hire.' Jeong Tae-ui couldn't help but laugh at Illay's amusing remark.  I guess you're right. Just then, he heard the sound of water again from the bathroom. It seemed like my uncle, who must have finished his bath by now, was rinsing off. "My uncle will be out soon. Do you want to wait a bit, or should I pass on your message? Or would you prefer to call back?” Realizing he hadn't even heard the reason for the call, Jeong Tae-ui spoke. Ilay murmured 'Umm' in a languid tone before replying. ‘Tell him I found the book he was looking for. It's Laurent Gastié's Mythology, the 1925 edition. It's 3500 dollars.’ "Got it. The 1925 edition of Laurent Gastié's Mythology. It's 3500……." Jeong Tae-ui paused to think about what had been said. Jeong Tae-ui had heard of Laurent Gastié's Mythology before and wanted to read it. However. "3500 dollars? For a book?" Muttering in disbelief, Ilay laughed out loud as if he understood exactly what he was thinking. 'If I tell Instructor Jeong that I got it for a really cheap price, he'll be so pleased. So tell him that, and let's see if we can meet up again sometime.’ A beautiful hand waved slightly in greeting, and with that, the screen went dark, and the call ended. Staring blankly at the screen that had turned pitch black once more, Jeong Tae-ui sighed deeply and leaned back into his chair. I knew rare books could fetch a high price, but I had no idea it was this much. Now that I see this room and my uncle's house, it's like a treasure trove. I can understand why someone would steal the books. With a newfound curiosity, Jeong Tae-ui eyed the book on the desk, pondering its value. Just then, his uncle, fresh out of the shower, patted him on the shoulder. "Why are you having a staring contest with a book? If you want to read it, you can borrow it. But since it was hard to find, please be careful with it and return it in good condition." "I don't have the guts to borrow books that cost 3500 dollars."  "3500 dollars? I didn't give that much for the book, who said that?" His uncle carefully wrapped a wet towel around Jeong Tae-ui's neck and took out a gown from the built-in closet and put it on. Removing the damp towel, Jeong Tae-ui leaned back in his chair and, in a relaxed manner, spoke to his uncle who was visible upside down. "It was someone who seemed to be the owner of an old bookstore. They had such beautiful hands.” “Hands? Who are you talking about?" Jeong Tae-ui raised his eyebrows slightly, somewhat unexpectedly. I thought that if I said only that much, my uncle would understand. Am I the only one who thought those white, delicate hands were beautiful? "They apparently found a copy of Laurent Gasthier's mythology book. The 1925 edition. They said it was 3,500 dollars"  "What? Laurent Gasthier's mythology book?” A look of delight immediately spread across his uncle's face. His eyes widened, he gave a broad smile, and approached Jeong Tae-ui again. Even the way he adjusted the lapels of his gown seemed joyful. "Uncle······. these books, did you collect them for such a huge amount of money? I'd be devastated if a fire broke out." "What are you talking about? A 1925 edition of the mythology book for that price is a steal, a steal! By the way, who is this generous broker? I should call them back and thank them.” "Ilay." When Jeong Tae-ui mentioned the hand's owner's name, his uncle paused. Then, he looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a very strange expression. For the first few seconds, he seemed unfamiliar with the name, as if he didn't recognize it, but soon he seemed to remember. 'Ah,' he said, nodding his head. However, the next moment, he stared intently at Jeong Tae-ui with an even more peculiar look on his face. "······Who did you say?" "He said his name is Ilay. I didn't hear his full name. You two seemed to be close acquaintances with you, Uncle.  Judging by how he immediately knew I was your second nephew when I said I was your nephew, it seems like you two know each other well."  "Ilay······. he said that? Him?" "That's what I heard······. But since you're saying that, I'm getting a little unsure.  Maybe I misheard the pronunciation because it was a mechanical voice.  Do you have any idea who it might be?” When Jeong Tae-ui added, 'Then you can just call back using the caller ID, so don't worry about the book,' his uncle shook his head. "No, I know who it is. It's just that I haven't heard that name for a long time, so I had forgotten it." "Does he have multiple names?" That's a sign of a con artist, Jeong Tae-ui muttered with a smirk. However, the calm tone of his low, cool voice, and the image of his elegant, beautiful hands, were not at all associated with the word "con artist." But it's also difficult to say that the image of an old book dealer fits perfectly, so you can't judge a person just by their voice and hands. "His hands were really pretty." As Jeong Tae-ui muttered, his uncle, who was taking out wine from the cellar, looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a complicated expression. "Hands······. Yeah, I've never really paid attention to them, but now that I think about it, his hands might have been graceful." "Maybe it's just me who thinks that. Since that person said it's the first time they've heard someone say their hands are beautiful." "Probably so." The way he spoke as if it were so obvious made Jeong Tae-ui briefly question his sense of aesthetics. With a face as calm as ever, his uncle turned back and, smiling nonchalantly, twirled the screw with his fingertips. As he effortlessly drove it into the wine cork and pulled it out, he muttered to himself. "Even if it were 'scary hands,' maybe, but when would he have ever heard someone say he has 'pretty hands'?"  “? Indeed, his fingernails were neatly arranged like pieces of glass……. They were hands that were beautiful to the point of being almost frightening.” The uncle, hearing what Jeong Tae-ui said, simply smiled without replying. "So, this place was where Tou told you about? It's right near the elevator, so it wasn't hard to find, was it?" His uncle changed the subject. Jeong Tae-ui, who had been briefly thinking about those white hands, then remembered a minor grudge he held against his uncle. While wandering around and getting lost, he had even cursed at his innocent uncle, blaming him for the building's ridiculous layout. Then, what came to mind again was the cotton candy-like young man he had encountered in the shared bathroom. His face turned red again. As his uncle brought out two glasses, he looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a curious gaze, as if he found it amusing. It seemed he found it entertaining to watch Jeong Tae-ui's face change from flushed to blank and then gradually turn red again. "Why? Did something happen?……Did the guys on our team play some kind of mean prank on you? They're usually like that. They're not bad guys, but when a newbie joins, they're happy to have a new colleague, so they play pranks on them. You can think of it like little kids teasing someone they like." His uncle, imagining some situation, comforted Jeong Tae-ui, saying, 'Don't worry too much about it, it's just between guys.' Jeong Tae-ui, while suspecting that the situation his uncle was imagining might be even more problematic if it was just between guys, shook his head. "I don't know what you're thinking, but there were no problems with my teammates. I got lightly roughed up a bit, but that's because I was also at fault." "Really? Then what's the problem? Since Tou took you there, you must have been with them right away. So, did the problem occur after you parted ways with them?” As my uncle handed me the golden liquid, a sweet scent wafted out. Jeong Tae-ui, smelling the sweet aroma, clicked his tongue with a bitter expression. "Uncle. I heard that a prison guard lives on this floor.” "That's right. The other members, including the warden, are on the sixth floor below. Why, do you want to go up? Then you'll be successful." His uncle joked with a broad smile. His gaze, however, held a hint of trying to discern the true reason why Jeong Tae-ui had suddenly brought up that topic. "…….I took the wrong elevator and was wandering around a bit when I met someone." Jeong Tae-ui began the story as if nothing was amiss. However, as that person came to mind again, he became inexplicably anxious.  His uncle, with amusement, observed Jeong Tae-ui's expression and prompted him, 'And then?' "I think it was just before I was about to go into the bathroom when that person gave me directions, which is how I found my way here." "……Ah……. Okay, so who was it? Didn't you ask for their name?" His uncle, with a slight upturn of his lips as if he understood something, asked again. Jeong Tae-ui shook his head. "No, I just asked for directions. He seemed a bit young, and depending on how you look at it, he might not even be an adult yet. He had a soft, fluffy feeling……. and although he looked somewhat Western, he seemed to be of Chinese descent.” "Aha, he seemed young? Tsk tsk, your taste never changes. I had my doubts, but." His uncle shook his head, as if he had figured something out. Jeong Tae-ui, feeling a surge of anger, glared at his uncle. "So, is there a minor here, then?" "There isn't. ……And so what if they are a minor? You just have to wait patiently for a while, then reap the rewards after they've grown up. Kids grow up in the blink of an eye, you know." "Uncle, it's not about that kind of thing.……. …….So, who is he? That person." "Anyway, since it's you, Uncle, you probably already know who it is, right?" he grumbled, asking sullenly. While turning his head away stiffly, his uncle glanced at his nephew, whose face was flushed, cocked his head to the side, quietly observed him, and then chuckled. "……You innocent guy. I heard from Jae-ui that your romantic relationships were quite complicated, so why are you reacting so naively? I even heard there was a time when two men had a knife fight over you.” "Did my Hyung even say that?" Jeong Tae-ui frowned and clicked his tongue. That did happen once. There was a young man I thought was cute and had slept with a few times, but he had an incredibly picky and feisty personality. But we didn't date. That young man himself said so. We were just partners in bed when we felt like it. So I believed that without a doubt, but it seems that wasn't the case. Jeong Tae-ui himself didn't know why, but he was quite popular in clubs of that kind. So, after a while, another person approached me. And------things went wrong. This person who approached me also had a far-from-ordinary personality, so a truly bloody and chaotic scene unfolded. Thanks to that, Jeong Tae-ui himself was even called to the police station as a witness and investigated, and in the process, rumors even spread discreetly to Jeong Tae-ui's school, where he was a cadet at the time. After that, it was a series of hardships. "So, who is that person?" As Jeong Tae-ui muttered more curtly, his uncle, seemingly thinking about something, grinned, shrugged his shoulders, and then opened his mouth to speak. "You'll probably meet him again soon. Since he's the administrative officer in charge of member welfare and internal affairs." "------You mean Xinlu, that......? Do Administrative officers also live on this floor?" "Um. Everyone except the team members stays on this floor. Even outside guests stay on this floor. When people from other branches come for joint training, they stay on the same floor as you guys." "Haa……." Jeong Tae-ui muttered as if he were in a daze. I see. I didn't think about the administrative officer category. Yeah, now that I think about it, he didn't have many muscles on his body, and I couldn't find any scars or blemishes. There's no way someone with that kind of body could be a team member, and it's unlikely he's a prison guard who's been through a lot. Then, of course, the only one left is the administrative officer, but why couldn't I think of that? Jeong Tae-ui, scratching the back of his neck, thought about it, and then suddenly recalled that smooth, soft skin without any blemishes, and his face flushed again. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, feeling the gaze of his uncle watching him from the side, but it was no use. "Seeing this side of you, I really feel like I've lived a long life. You really do see all sorts of things in a lifetime." His uncle, in a tone of wonder—yet with a clearly joyful voice—spoke, shaking his head slightly. Jeong Tae-ui looked disapprovingly at his uncle, then suddenly remembered the reason he had come to this place. "But really, Uncle, aren't you being too much? I was just planning on keeping a low profile and going back in six months, but from what I'm hearing, this is a complete survival game." "Um?" "I heard that a countless number of people die during joint training. And the number of injured people is beyond counting. Even so, how can you drag your own nephew into such a dangerous place? That's too much!” "While there might be some cases of minor injuries or even trips to the hospital for severe cases, deaths are rare. So, rest assured.” "Yes……. But you also know, Uncle, that it would be difficult for me if I were seriously injured." "Aah, I know. If you get seriously injured, I'll personally take you to the best-equipped hospital right away, so don't get angry. I didn't bring you here to kill you." His uncle, still speaking in a light tone and smiling, said that. Jeong Tae-ui sighed. Just as he said, he would immediately take care of things if I got hurt. It was less of affection for his nephew and more of a sense of duty for what he should do, but he had never once been negligent in handling such matters. So, Jeong Tae-ui wasn't worried about that point. It was just that, with signs of a difficult future appearing everywhere, he simply wanted to complain a bit. And in fact, it was also true that it would be problematic for Jeong Tae-ui if he were injured beyond a certain point. Of course, everyone has trouble when they get seriously injured, but Jeong Tae-ui has difficulty with surgery due to his constitution. Regardless of his own will, his body is quite finicky, and his rejection response to foreign substances is much higher than the average person. In the past, when he was seriously injured while clearing mines and was immediately taken to the hospital, they inserted metal pins to connect the fragmented and broken bones, but a severe rejection reaction occurred, requiring him to undergo major surgery again. "Well then, I'll be going before it gets any later. You must be tired too, Uncle, so please rest." "Hasn't this book been brought out to look at? I'll lend it to you, so go and read it.” As Jeong Tae-ui stood up, his uncle picked up the book he had taken out and placed on the desk, and held it out to him. Jeong Tae-ui looked at the book for a moment in silence. It was carefully preserved, but the passage of time couldn't be stopped, and it was yellowed. As the number 3500 hovered in his mind, he was afraid to even touch it. "No……rather, I'll just read it here. It's too precious a book for me to borrow." "Is that so? I don't mind either way, but if that's more comfortable for you, then that's fine. When you go to get the room key from Xinlu, ask him for a spare key to my room as well. I'll let him know. So, you'll go right away to get the key and the rules sheet?” Jeong Tae-ui paused at his uncle's words. Certainly, after leaving this room, I was planning to go to the administrative office to get the keys and so on. And I was about to grab whoever was on duty and ask them to call the person in charge, Administrative officer. But right now, that person in charge, the Administrative officer, should be in the bathroom. Even if I call him, I'm not sure if I'll be able to reach him properly, and even if I do, it would only bother him. Seeing Jeong Tae-ui, whose face was flushed and who looked a little embarrassed, wondering what to do, his uncle opened his mouth as if he knew what he was thinking. "Xinlu has probably already finished his bath and is working in his room. He has low blood pressure so he doesn't stay in the tub for long, and besides, he's a bit of a workaholic. Since he's going to be working anyway, it won't be a bother if you call him." As Jeong Tae-ui met his uncle's gaze, who was looking at him with a subtle smile, he felt a surge of emotion for no reason, glared at his uncle with a sullen face, but seeing his uncle's nonchalant demeanor, as if nothing had happened, he could only sigh. Yeah, I'm really drawn to that Administrative officer. Even if I don't recognize it as liking him, I want to see him again and know more about him. So what. Jeong Tae-ui's face became a little shameless. Feeling attracted to someone isn't something to hide. Sensing Jeong Tae-ui's change of mood, his uncle gave a slightly regretful look, but then, as if he had changed his mind, smiled calmly. "It's wonderful to fall in love with someone. To love and be loved. That's the foundation of the world." "…….Uncle, you really have a knack for saying things that make me cringe sometimes." Jeong Tae-ui, with a face that was neither displeased nor pleased, muttered, glancing at his uncle. And leaving his uncle's laughter behind, he left the room. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago We made a discord server! please join us!

4.   02. Ranking match   “Hyung!”   When I pressed the code on the door lock and opened the front door, Chae Yoo-jeong came running in, smiling brightly. The image overlapped with a large dog greeting its owner.   “Are you not tired? I should have picked you up by car.”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was standing in front of me as I was taking off my shoes, naturally took my bag.   “It’s okay. Why bother going out on this street?”   Yes. Coincidentally, the location of the company where I worked was much closer to Chae Yoo-jeong’s house than my own.   Thanks to this, I can see him like this after work even on weekdays. The contract for the house I currently live in is coming to an end, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to look for my next house nearby.   “Are you hungry?”   “Yes. Order something……”   As I walked into the house while answering Chae Yoo-jeong’s question, I found a table full of food.   “The lady visited yesterday.”   “Ah.”   “Well, all I did was warm it up and prepare it, but… If it’s still okay…………….”   Chae Yoo-jeong continued his words with both cheeks-stained red. Faced with that right in front of me, I thought quietly.   ‘It’s so fucking cute.’   Even if that’s not the case, how can you not like a pretty guy who makes up his mind and only chooses pretty things?   I approached Chae Yoo-jeong, struggling to suppress my dark desire that kept rising at the top of my head.   “Kiss kiss.”   “What?”   I demanded again, tapping my cheek with my finger.   “I want you to kiss me.”   “……!”   Chae Yoo-jeong’s eyes widened and his entire face lit up.   “Why are you so shy about kissing when you prepare all the food and wait for me?”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who had hesitated for a while in front of me, who was smiling, finally mustered up the courage to kiss my cheek. A sound rang out, along with a tickling sensation as if his feathers were touching it.   ***   After dinner, we happily took out the ice cream sticks that we had bought in advance.   “You can’t go to sleep, right?”   “I have to go home because I have to go to work tomorrow too.”   After eating half of the ice cream, I began to speak cautiously.   “Yoo-jeong, I feel bad about saying this while you’re on vacation.”   “What?”   “That… Actually, there is something I want to do at Zenoris.”   Originally, Chae Yoo-jeong’s professional specialty was that he had to return to HOL after his vacation.   Considering that, I tried to enjoy whatever game I played during my vacation with Chae Yoo-jeong.   Of course, I didn’t make a promise, but it’s still a long-awaited vacation and Chae Yoo-jeong might be upset if I do something different.   “Anything else?”   “Yeah. To participate in the event. Rather than just playing one or two rounds, the goal is to be first in the job rankings.”   If the reason Lycheeyum is obsessed with Chae Yoo-jeong is to make his guild No.1 on the server, then you just needs to destroy that goal.   “It won’t take long.”   I added leisurely, leaning back on the sofa.   If you leave Lycheeyum like this, he will continue to follow Chae Yoo-jeong until his vacation ends and force him to join the guild.   To prevent that, even if Chae Yoo-jeong returns in the Early Evening, he will have to leave again when the vacation is over, and that will only cause unnecessary fuss.   In that case, all I have to do is work hard for a few days and take away Lycheeyum’s first place. We also happen to have overlapping jobs. I couldn’t miss this opportunity.   ……To be honest, these reasons were all just excuses, and I just wanted to beat up Lycheeyum in an official setting.   ‘How dare you try to use my lover as promotional material for your guild?’   When I looked into it, I heard that there were a lot of users watching the battle for first place. I’ll spread the word throughout the server that you’re a slob.   “But it’s not important, so you won’t have to do it if you don’t like it. It’s fine.”   After hearing this, I tried to quit talking about this to Chae Yoo-jeong right away if he got even a little glum or sad, but instead, his face was filled with anticipation.   “It’s actually so good! If you had the skills, it would be very easy to get to the top of the job rankings, but since the timing overlaps with your vacation, I thought you couldn’t do it because of me...………………”   “No way. I didn’t want to do it because it was a hassle.”   “Hyung, actually…….”   Chae Yoo-jeong lowered his long eyelashes and opened his mouth with an embarrassed expression.   “I have something to give to you.”   As soon as I finished eating my ice cream, Chae Yoo-jeong grabbed my hand and led me into the room. He then turned on the computer and sat me down, then he turned on his laptop from the seat next to me.   “Wouldn’t it be easier to participate in ranking matches if you had better weapons than you have now?”   “Good weapon?”   Those words reminded me of the weapon I was using now. A few years ago, when I first started at Zenoris, I was using the same staff I received from Chae Yoo-jeong.   Afterwards, new staffs specifically for Dark Mage and high-performance staffs were released, but since I had already strengthened Lux 2.0, there was no need to change to a new one.   “Isn’t it still good enough? You gave it to me.”    “It’s not fully strengthened yet.”   Chae Yoo-jeong accessed Zenoris on his laptop and opened the inventory. I was shocked when I saw the red items filling my inventory.   “What’s this?”    “It’s enhancement stones.”   Chae Yoo-jeong answered shyly and smiled.   “Recently, due to an event, mass supply of enhancement stones has been released, so the price has gone down. I collected them because I wanted to take pictures of Hyung’s weapons.”    “This much?”   “The probability of reaching the 9the level is low, and if I fail, I have to advance again… Still, this will be enough.”   When I received an unexpected gift, I was a little embarrassed. Even when filming the quarterfinals, didn’t Chae Yoo-jeong prepare all the necessary materials, starting with the enhancement stones? He even provided reinforcements himself.   I’m grateful that he did that, but he even prepared the reinforcement stones for reaching the 9th level in advance.   ‘No matter how cheap the event was, it would have cost quite a bit for this amount...…………’   When I saw Chae Yoo-jeong, who only thought about me whether he was sleeping or awake, my heart rang.   “Are you going to participate in the ranking match tomorrow? Let’s make the 9th level with this!”   Chae Yoo-jeong’s eyes were shining brightly towards me. It seemed like he wanted me to praise him, his heart clearly visible, and I couldn’t hold back any longer, so I hugged him and showered him with kisses on his face.   “So adorbs, I’m dying, really.”   Chu, Chu, Chu. The tickling sound rang out non-stop. He was amazed at how someone could be so pretty, cute, and lovely.   “Hyu-Hyung...…………… “   After I kissed him to my satisfaction, Chae Yoo-jeong’s face and neck turned so bright that it wouldn’t be surprising if he burst out immediately. I said that he was so cute, so I kissed him on the cheek one last time and released him.   “Thanks. With this, I’ll take it to the 9th level and then beat up all those kids.”   When I thanked him playfully, Chae Yoo-jeong nodded with an excited expression.   “Should we enhance all here?”   It was almost 8pm now, so I had about 2 hours to spare. I followed Chae Yoo-jeong and accessed Zenoris via computer.   I received the Enhancement Stones from Chae Yoo-jeong and stood in front of the altar. I calmly placed the staff and reinforcement stones on the altar.   The success rate in the 9th round was only 5%. Considering my luck of failing miserably every time I challenged these odds, it was obvious that the Enhancement stones would cost two to three times more than others.   “Should I give it a go?”   “Yes……!”   After hearing the solemn announcement, Chae Yoo-jeong looked very nervous and glared at the monitor. I swallowed dry saliva and moved the mouse.   [Do you want to strengthen it? (Gold coins are used)]    When I pressed the button, a yellow light flashed and a sound effect of striking metal was heard. yet.   Kwrrrng!   [Strengthening failed.]   “……..”   “…….”   Black lightning struck the altar, and a message window notifying the Enhancement failure appeared in the center of the screen. The air surrounding me and Chae Yoo-jeong suddenly became cold.   When I checked the staff information with trembling hands, I saw that the quarterfinals had changed to the semifinals. Fuck.   “Hyung, it’s okay! I knew this would happen so I prepared a lot of reinforcement stones!”   “Y-yes.”   Chae Yoo-jeong is right. There’s no way you’ll succeed right away on the first hit. There is nothing to be shocked about again.   After gathering my heart, I pressed the altar again and inserted the staff and reinforcement stone.   Kwrrrng!   [Strengthening failed.]   Kwrrrng!   [Strengthening failed.]   Kwrrrng!   [Strengthening failed.]   Chae Yoo-jeong and I stared at the staff who had become the 5the level with cold eyes. what? Why have my staff stats returned to when I first received them? Did it go back?   Even after reaching the semifinals, I failed once more. Even if I failed from the 5th level, I was lucky that I didn’t lose my enhancement level, otherwise I would have been stuck in the 4th level.   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was fidgeting next to me, carefully held my shoulder and opened his mouth.   “Hey, Hyung.”   “…….”   “Should I…?”   I quietly gave Chae Yoo-jeong my seat. I’m so embarrassed, really.   ***   HM: MC really has bad luck   --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx Support on Kofi: Side stories 1(Complete) We made a Discord Server ! please join us!