Passion (BL Novel)

"I clearly don’t want to fight with you right now, but I’m not going to just hold back and tolerate someone making me angry. So, no matter who I face or how I deal with them, never interfere," Illae whispered softly, his eyes not blinking once as he stared at Jeong Taeui from less than a hand's width away. His pitch-black eyes held no emotion, and for a moment, it felt like he was looking at a glass doll. A chill ran down Jeong Taeui’s spine.

Jeong Taeui glared at him with displeasure. It wasn’t so much Illae that bothered him, but the situation itself, and the object included in his words.
The person who would never tolerate something to the point of getting angry—Jeong Taeui’s name was that very person.
So, you’re saying I’ve been too cocky with you, huh? I should manage my own life, I suppose.

Jeong Taeui nodded. He wasn’t about to forget the priority he’d set for himself over the past six months. Half a year had passed, and he’d struggled through it, barely surviving the crises. He didn’t want to throw away all of that effort in the remaining half of the year.
His goal was to safely escape this place six months later.
Illae, confirming Jeong Taeui’s nod, smiled faintly. His neat and pleasant face suited the smile well, but knowing his true nature, it didn’t bring comfort to those who understood it.

"Okay, fine. I also want to take good care of you as much as I can."
If things go awry, I can always change that plan, the unspoken addendum echoed like a whisper in Jeong Taeui’s ears. Sighing, Jeong Taeui muttered with dissatisfaction.
"Is it because you’re my uncle’s nephew, or because you’re Jeong Jaei’s brother, or maybe it’s because of Gilsangcheon?"

The last remark was somewhat amusing even to him, but oddly enough, Illae didn’t seem to find it funny. Though he still wore a faint smile, there was no trace of amusement in his expression. Instead, he tilted his head and seemed to fall into deep thought for a moment.
"Well… I’ll pass on the last one. As I said before, I don’t need luck. It’s interesting, but it’s not quite enough to capture my full attention."
Jeong Taeui looked at Illae in surprise. He hadn’t expected him to dismiss the last one so easily.

Illae seemed to be seriously contemplating Jeong Taeui’s question. Slowly stroking his chin, he appeared deep in thought before breaking into a deeper smile and coming to a conclusion.
"If I had to pick, I guess it’s because I’m Jeong Jaei’s brother. His talent is certainly something worth desiring."
"Your brother will be happy to hear that. I’ll be sure to pass it along later."

Jeong Taeui shrugged and began walking toward the outside of the bookshelf. Though it had originally been an excuse to avoid running into the three people from earlier, it seemed that Instructor Mackin would be alone in his office by now. Illae, who might be slacking off somewhere, would probably leave a negative impression on him.
"There’s no need to force a close relationship, but there’s no harm in getting along with Mackin," Jeong Taeui muttered.
Then, as he remembered that Illae’s direct superior was Mao and that Mackin’s superior was his uncle, Rudolf, he realized the two were, in fact, rivals. He paused, thinking that there might be some benefit in maintaining a cordial relationship and shut his mouth, not intending to say, "So, take care of it."

Just as Jeong Taeui was about to step out of the bookshelf and into the hallway, Illae suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind. Before Jeong Taeui could turn around, Illae grabbed his chin and lifted it up. Jeong Taeui, surprised and tilting his head back, looked at Illae’s face coming closer to his.
"..."
He felt a sharp sting on his cheek. Then, a wet, fleshy sensation dragged across his cheek, slowly licking from his jawline to his earlobe. A sharp pain followed on his earlobe.
That sensation continued down his neck, making Jeong Taeui shrink his shoulders slightly. Illae, kissing his neck, pulled away when Jeong Taeui cupped his face in both hands and gently removed him.

Illae, wiping his mouth without a care, smiled faintly as Jeong Taeui gazed at him with a strange expression.
This guy wasn’t just suddenly going mad, right? He wasn’t planning to tear out my throat and kill me like a mad dog. Nor was he suggesting we play some sick game. He really was too crazy to understand.
Jeong Taeui, staring at him, pondered what to say first. Illae, licking his thumb after stealing a kiss, grinned at Jeong Taeui.

"By the way, putting all that aside… Jeong Instructor, Jeong Jaei, and the goddess of fortune, all of them aside… you’re actually pretty interesting in other ways too. Quite amusing, actually."
"...You really like playing that game, huh?"
Jeong Taeui asked skeptically, looking at Illae. He had grabbed him out of nowhere and kissed him, then said it was interesting. The conclusion that came to his mind was the only one that made sense. Moreover, he felt like he had heard that “it’s interesting” before.

Illae, who had been laughing while looking down at him, suddenly closed his mouth. The smile faded from his face. He silently met Jeong Taeui’s serious gaze, then, after a moment, broke into laughter.
The door to the instructor’s office closed. The hallway and the instructor’s office became separate worlds. Although the soundproofing wasn’t perfect, it was clear that the air between the two spaces was blocked.
Beyond the door, six instructors of the branch stood, each with their respective assistants.

After the regular work hours ended, the instructors gathered every day in the instructor’s office to briefly discuss the day’s events. It wasn’t really a meeting, just a brief conversation. The meetings after Friday afternoons, at the end of the week’s work, tended to last a bit longer than usual, though still no more than half an hour. Once Jeong Taeui had confirmed that Illae had entered the office and the door was closed, he knew his day as an assistant had ended. When they finished their meeting, the assistants would give their final reports to their respective instructors and conclude their work for the day.
For Jeong Taeui, though he was technically an assistant, it had been hastily arranged and didn’t count as formal work. There wasn’t much to report. After the meeting, it was just a matter of asking if there was anything else to do.
If he had known he’d be doing such tedious work every evening, he would never have become an assistant, Jeong Taeui thought bitterly, waiting for Illae to come out. When he did, he would mark the day’s date on the calendar with a check.

"Looking tired. Are you okay?"
Someone approached Jeong Taeui, who was leaning against the window and gazing at the darkening sky. Jeong Taeui turned his head and gave a vague response.
It was the driver who had come to be associated with him in his mind, the instructor’s assistant, and someone who had become somewhat familiar after seeing him every evening.

"Work like this isn’t new. I can handle it. But your uncle seems busy these days. Doesn’t that mean you’re busy too?"
"Yeah, a bit."
Instructor Kang didn’t elaborate further, but gave a small smile. Although he was an assistant to the instructor’s nephew, he had never spoken in much detail. He had once said that deciding how much to share wasn’t up to him.

A quiet man with few words, but once he opened up, he was easy to talk to. He didn’t say much but knew exactly when to speak the necessary words. Moreover, he was one of the rare assistants who initiated conversation with Jeong Taeui.
Jeong Taeui accepted the can of coffee offered by Instructor Kang and looked around. Four other assistants stood scattered around the hallway. However, Jeong Taeui had never heard their voices before. More precisely, he had never heard them speak to him.
Assistants were essentially like subordinates. Although they often couldn’t work alongside the instructors, their basic mindset and behavior weren’t much different. They didn’t have much contact with Jeong Taeui, and even though they were polite to the instructors, they looked at Illae with discomfort.

Jeong Taeui wasn’t concerned with such relationships. He found them tiring, and after all, it was only for half a year. He repeated that word like a mantra, thinking that the troublesome things on this island might be tolerable after all.
In an atmosphere that almost felt like being ostracized, Kang Kyo-ui was one of the few branch members who would casually speak to and treat Jeong Tae-ui. Perhaps it was because Kang Kyo-ui was his uncle’s assistant, but it seemed more like he didn’t care much about such competitive relationships.
Still, even if Jeong Tae-ui himself didn’t care about such things, he couldn’t help but feel grateful when someone spoke to him. In Jeong Tae-ui’s mind, this driver had truly become a human being.

"You don’t seem to be going to Instructor Jeong’s room much these days," Kang Kyo-ui said, almost as if it had just come to his mind, as he took a sip of his canned coffee. Jeong Tae-ui turned to look at him and briefly tried to recall the events. Come to think of it, he hadn’t visited his uncle’s room for a while.
"Well… my body and mind are tired, so anything I try to do just feels sluggish. But you sure know a lot. Did my uncle say anything about me not coming by?"
"No, it’s just that it looks like the beer cans in your instructor’s room aren’t going down much these days," Kang Kyo-ui said, smiling gently.

Jeong Tae-ui stared at him in half admiration, half surprise. How did he even know about that? Seemingly reading Jeong Tae-ui’s expression, Kang Kyo-ui added, "I’m the one who arranges Instructor Jeong’s room. I even restock the fridge when things run out."
"You even do that?"
"Most of the assistants probably do."

Jeong Tae-ui looked at him with a blank face for a moment before slowly turning away to sip his canned coffee. It was surprising that he was tidying up rooms, but even more surprising was that he kept track of what was in other people’s fridges. It seemed that being an assistant was not something anyone could do easily. Jeong Tae-ui felt that his appointment as an assistant had been a real misstep on his uncle’s part, as well as the other instructors' choices.
Jeong Tae-ui had never been to Illae’s room, nor had he ever thought to go. Of course, Illae had never called for him. He could freely open his uncle’s fridge and take whatever he wanted, but it wasn’t something he would do at someone else’s place.
As he finished the last sip of his coffee, thinking that the world of assistants was quite deep, he suddenly heard Kang Kyo-ui muttering, "Hmm…"

At the sound, Jeong Tae-ui absentmindedly turned around and noticed Shin Ru coming from the office with a stack of paperwork. Shin Ru, from the moment he exited the office, seemed to know exactly where Jeong Tae-ui was and was staring directly at him. Over the time they hadn’t seen each other, his face looked a bit worse for wear.
Recently, Jeong Tae-ui hadn’t had much chance to talk to Shin Ru. Since Jeong Tae-ui became Illae’s assistant, the awkward and cold atmosphere between them had remained unchanged. Jeong Tae-ui had tried to contact him, but it had been difficult to get through, and Shin Ru hadn’t reached out much either. This had left Jeong Tae-ui feeling rather down.
As Shin Ru approached, slowing his steps, Jeong Tae-ui quickly excused himself from Kang Kyo-ui, saying, "I’ll see you later," and made his way over to Shin Ru. When Jeong Tae-ui got closer, Shin Ru stopped walking altogether.

"Where are you going? You look like you’re carrying something heavy. Let me help," Jeong Tae-ui offered.
"…"
Shin Ru kept silent and didn’t respond. Jeong Tae-ui, not taking it personally, tried to take most of the books Shin Ru was holding. However, Shin Ru subtly moved his body away, refusing to hand over the load. Jeong Tae-ui felt a little awkward at his avoidance but reached out again.

"It’s heavy. Give it to me."
"…No. I’ll carry it. Taei-hyung, don’t carry things like this."
Only when Jeong Tae-ui insisted on taking the load did Shin Ru finally speak. He hugged the books closer to his chest, as if to resist giving them up.

Jeong Tae-ui, feeling a bit embarrassed by his outstretched hand, pulled it back without a word. Noticing his discomfort, Shin Ru seemed slightly nervous, hesitating before muttering,
"It’s because I don’t want you to carry heavy things, Taei-hyung. I’ll be fine. It’s not that heavy."
"No, it’s still heavy. From what I just briefly lifted, it seems pretty heavy—"

"Taei-hyung."
Shin Ru cut off Jeong Tae-ui’s words sharply, and with a serious tone, he said slowly,
"I was the top student when I joined UNHRDO. Both the intelligence test and the physical test. So normally, I would have entered as a branch member and gone through the promotion course, but my mother strongly opposed me getting involved in dangerous work, so I joined as an assistant."

"…Oh. I see."
Jeong Tae-ui responded absently, feeling a little confused. This kind, cute young man had been the top student in the UNHRDO exam? The physical test, especially, was known to be grueling, and he had topped it…
Jeong Tae-ui, still unable ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) to grasp it, blinked in bewilderment. Then, suddenly, he remembered something his uncle had said with a meaningful smile.

— "That kid, he’s got an unexpected side to him. You’ll slowly get to know him."
"…"
At first, he had thought the remark referred to the fact that Shin Ru might try to dominate in bed with that beautiful face. But now, he wasn’t sure if it was that—or maybe both aspects, each surprising in its own way, but strangely fitting together.

Jeong Tae-ui stood silently beside Shin Ru. Shin Ru, too, was quiet, ignoring the curious glances from the other assistants, who were glancing at them but paying them no mind. Shin Ru, too, didn’t give them any attention.
"…"
For a while, they stood there in silence, but then, quietly, Shin Ru mumbled something. His voice was so soft that Jeong Tae-ui didn’t catch it. "Hmm?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion. Shin Ru lifted his head, and when their eyes met, Jeong Tae-ui flinched.

Shin Ru was looking at him with a look of resentment in his eyes. His eyes looked unusually moist, as if he were holding back tears.
"If I had known, I would’ve… I should have joined as a branch member instead."
His words trailed off faintly, as if he were about to cry. Jeong Tae-ui looked at him in surprise, unsure of what to say. Shin Ru, having started speaking, seemed unable to stop.

"If I had entered as a branch member, I would have earned the qualifications to become an instructor in just a few years. If I had waited a little longer, I could have been an instructor too. Then I could have stayed with Taei-hyung… I shouldn’t have joined as an assistant."
Shin Ru cried out with frustration. Jeong Tae-ui, still unsure how to respond, stared at him blankly. He wanted to say something comforting, but he had no idea what to say.
"Ha… but being an assistant is harder, right? If you work as an assistant, you’ll be sent to the headquarters after a few years."

Jeong Tae-ui tried to comfort him, but Shin Ru shook his head, almost angrily, as he replied,
"What’s the point? Even if I go to the headquarters, my brother won’t be able to be my assistant… If I had known, I wouldn’t have joined as an assistant!"
Shin Ru finally let the tears fall. Despite the heavy stack of books he held against his chest, he was sobbing quietly, and the contrast felt strangely off, but Jeong Tae-ui didn’t care about that. He was just at a loss, unable to comfort the young man crying in front of him.

"Shin Ru… Don’t cry. Okay, don’t cry."
He cursed his lack of words. He had never heard that he was bad with words, and since coming to this island, people had even warned that his smooth tongue might one day get him into trouble. But no matter how eloquent he had been, it didn’t help now. He couldn’t comfort the young man sobbing in front of him.
Jeong Tae-ui, not knowing what to do, cautiously reached out and gently patted Shin Ru’s shoulder. The slight shudder of his shoulders made Jeong Tae-ui’s heart ache, unsure of how to ease the pain. As he stood there helplessly, the young man in front of him continued to sob.

"…Alright, Shin Ru, stop crying now and move those things. Taei, stop wasting time and if you want to move something, move my stuff. It’s too heavy for me to carry."
A cold, uncaring voice rang out, unmoved by the pitiful and heart-wrenching sight.
Turning his head, Jeong Tae-ui saw his uncle leaning against the doorframe of the instructor’s office, staring at them with an indifferent look. Behind him, the instructors and assistants threw fleeting glances at them, and standing with arms crossed in the hallway was Illae, silently watching them with a somewhat ambiguous, unreadable expression. Illae stood there with a blank face, his thoughts hard to guess.

Shin Ru quietly wiped his eyes with his index finger, nodded briefly to Jeong Tae-ui, and walked away briskly. As he passed Illae, it seemed like Shin Ru briefly glanced at him, but since Jeong Tae-ui was behind him, he couldn’t tell what kind of expression Shin Ru was wearing. Illae simply raised an eyebrow slightly, watching Shin Ru with an amused look.
Jeong Tae-ui stared at Shin Ru’s retreating back for a moment before glaring at his uncle, who spoke again, "I told you to move my stuff."
"Uncle, don’t you think it’s a bit much to make a kid cry like that? There’s no need to embarrass him."

"I don’t think he feels embarrassed. And by now, I’m sure his tears have stopped. Stop worrying and move my stuff. — Ah, Yeongmin, don’t bother. Taei will move it. It’s heavy, so just leave it and go do your own thing. The workday is over."
Jeong Tae-ui’s uncle waved away Kang Kyo-ui, who had been about to lift the heavy frame at the door, signaling Jeong Tae-ui to do it instead. Jeong Tae-ui glared at his uncle with furrowed brows for a moment, but, as always, his short temper didn’t last long. With a sigh, he relaxed his face and walked over toward the instructor’s office. At that moment, he locked eyes with Illae, who stood a little further off.
"What’s up? Got something else to do today?"

Illae was staring at him, making Jeong Tae-ui frown slightly. Normally, Illae would have just waved him off with a simple gesture and disappeared after a meeting, but today, he seemed to be watching Jeong Tae-ui with some strange expression.
After a while, Illae, who had been staring at him as if lost in thought, finally snapped out of it and shrugged nonchalantly.
"No. Just thinking how well you’re getting along with the rookie."

"...Don't mess with Shin Ru. Find someone else."
Jeong Tae-ui spoke bluntly, his voice tinged with suspicion.
Illae tilted his head and stared at Jeong Tae-ui for a long while. Jeong Tae-ui met his gaze without backing down.

They stood like that for a while.
Then, suddenly, Illae let out a soft laugh, a cold gleam flashing in his black eyes.
"Well… fine. As you say, I’ll find someone else."

He left those words hanging in the air and casually backed away. With a typical wave of his hand, he turned and walked off, disappearing as usual.
As Jeong Tae-ui watched his retreating figure, he turned back to face his uncle, who was pointing at the large frame, leaving him feeling utterly defeated.
Jeong Tae-ui collapsed onto his uncle’s bed the moment he entered the room, after placing the massive frame down.

It really was a frame the size of a door. It was a famous painting that had come as a gift, but the subject was unrecognizable. Jeong Tae-ui had thought about smashing it eleven times while dragging it from the instructor’s office to his uncle’s room.
"Uncle... is this really necessary?" he muttered as he carelessly propped the frame against the wall, then collapsed onto the bed. His uncle, unfazed, leisurely pulled out a beer from the fridge and handed him a can.
Jeong Tae-ui tried to pick it up, but his arm trembled too much to grasp it. After a few moments, he finally sat up, rubbed his arm several times, and managed to grab the can. He opened it and, in one gulp, drank it all down. Only after finishing did he feel slightly better and glared at his uncle.

His uncle, calmly preparing tea, looked at him with a face that seemed to say, "What’s the problem?"
"I don’t want to pass on my work to others, but if Kang Kyo-ui offered to move it, why make me do it? It’s too heavy."
Jeong Tae-ui shouted, pointing at the frame.

The frame was truly heavy, not just in weight but also in size. It was hard to even hold, and with its large size, it became nearly impossible to handle.
Though he didn’t consider himself incredibly strong, Jeong Tae-ui thought of himself as someone who could handle his fair share of physical work. He glared at the frame as though it were the size of an elephant, frustrated by the weight. His uncle, however, remained unfazed and calmly went about preparing his tea.
"I just wanted to see how well you could handle social situations," his uncle said casually.

"If handling a heavy frame means I’m good at socializing, then I guess I am."
Jeong Tae-ui raised an eyebrow, looking at his uncle.
"Moving a heavy frame without breaking a sweat would mean you’re good at socializing."

"In that case, you must be really good at socializing, since you moved the frame without breaking a sweat."
"Well, this is the power of authority. In this case, I’d say my ability to move a heavy frame comes from my successful social life."
Jeong Tae-ui bit his lip. He was confident with his words, but there were a few people he couldn’t win against. His uncle was one of them. His uncle smiled faintly, savoring the aroma of the tea.

"If I were you, I would have asked Shin Ru to carry it."
Jeong Tae-ui was taken aback, waving his hand dismissively.
"How could I ask that poor kid to carry something so heavy?"

His uncle stared at him silently. For once, his face showed genuine concern.
"They say people don’t always see things as they are; they see them as they want to."
His uncle muttered that, almost as if sighing, shaking his head.

Jeong Tae-ui quietly looked at his uncle. Before coming here, his uncle had said they needed someone "lucky." Because his brother was absent, Jeong Tae-ui had been dragged here instead. His uncle had wanted someone who could survive all the vicious and underhanded struggles, someone who could make it to the end by sheer luck.
"By the way, who do you think will be the next instructor? Do you think Rudolf Jangtil will become the next director?"
Jeong Tae-ui asked, trying to recall the conversation. He had heard about it even before coming here. His uncle had also brought him in for reasons related to this.

"Hmm… I’m not sure yet."
His uncle smiled ambiguously as he replied. Jeong Tae-ui, looking at his uncle, realized his uncle had already made some guesses about who the next director would be.
"You think things will go the way you want?" Jeong Tae-ui asked.

"Well… unless something unexpected happens, I think things will go alright."
His uncle shrugged, sipping his tea. Jeong Tae-ui glanced down at his hand, holding the beer can, and slowly tapped the edge in rhythm. After a pause, he spoke flatly.
"So, if things go the way you want, does that mean it’s because of me…?"

His uncle blinked in surprise at the comment, then chuckled softly.
"Yes, yes, it’s because of you. You’ve been a great help."
His uncle said this in a joking tone, but it was clear he was being sincere.

Jeong Tae-ui, slightly embarrassed, downed the rest of his beer in one go and set the empty can on the nightstand, muttering.
"Yeah… it’s because I’m Gilsangcheon, right?"
The moment he said it, he felt it was a bit ridiculous. However, now that the words had left his mouth, there was no taking them back. He didn’t particularly want to take them back, so he just looked at his uncle, tilting his head.

His uncle, who had been sipping his tea, paused mid-motion and looked up with a slightly furrowed brow. Then, he sighed, speaking with a hint of reluctance.
"Rik said that?"
"Well, it just came out. Was I not supposed to know?"

"No, it’s not like that. But Jaei didn’t really want you to know."
Jeong Tae-ui opened his eyes wide, sensing the unspoken question in his gaze. His uncle, however, didn’t elaborate. Jeong Tae-ui didn’t feel the need to press, simply nodding quietly. Then, he suddenly smiled softly.
"Why would he think that? That Jaei’s luck comes from me? I don’t really feel that way."

Jeong Tae-ui shrugged. He had only said it out of curiosity, but his uncle responded so seriously that it took him by surprise. This was starting to feel all too real.
His uncle, still looking thoughtful, turned his gaze to the air, lost in thought.
"Well, Jaei was naturally a lucky kid. His luck probably wouldn’t just disappear if you weren’t around, but… you two are certainly connected."

"Of course, being twins, we’re close. But it’s not like we can sense when the other one’s in trouble or anything. It’s not that mystical. Maybe other twins have that kind of power, but not us. We’re just siblings."
"I guess so. But Jaei always felt your pain when you were sick."
"…Well, kids usually catch the same illnesses. Their immune systems are weaker than adults."

Jeong Tae-ui shrugged, confused. Surely, his uncle couldn’t be thinking that he and his brother had some sort of mystical bond just because of that.
But it seemed his uncle believed it. His face wasn’t serious, but it wasn’t joking either. He continued to sip his tea as he slowly spoke, recalling the past.
"You were extremely weak as a kid, remember? You barely even remember it, but you were diagnosed as a risk by the doctors several times. I even had to rush you to the hospital in the middle of the night."

"Oh, I’ve heard about it."
"Yeah, I carried you to the hospital a few times past midnight. But Jaei? He was so healthy he never even caught a cold. When you were near death at the hospital, he would act like he was sick too. Even when he was perfectly fine during the day."
"…That’s… the mystery of twins, I guess."

"Is that all?"
Jeong Tae-ui asked cautiously, noticing that his uncle didn’t seem to have anything else to add. His uncle, who had been lost in thought while looking at the ceiling, seemed to snap back to reality at Jeong Tae-ui’s voice and turned to look at him. Then, with a shrug of his shoulders, he responded.
"Well, that’s about it. The ones who were sick were you and Jaei, so you two would know best."

"I don’t remember anything about it. When was this supposed to have happened?"
"It was when I was about to go to college, so it was a few years ago… you must have been around two or three years old."
"Then, of course, I wouldn’t remember."

"Really? Jaei seems to remember it."
"Well, he’s got a great memory. He’s super smart."
Jeong Tae-ui sighed. He had half-expected some grand, mystical story to emerge, but it turned out to be more like a coincidence. It wasn’t that he had been expecting something incredible, but he couldn’t help feeling a little deflated.

This was the kind of story his uncle and Illae both knew. Maybe there were others who knew it too. But such coincidences weren’t exactly rare, and now hearing it this way, it seemed like nothing more than an odd, unexplainable tale.
Jeong Tae-ui suddenly felt an invisible tension within him dissipate, and he weakly chuckled.
"Why even believe in superstitions like that? Seriously, it’s ridiculous. From the start, it didn’t make sense. How can a person give luck to another person? If it were money or power, it’d be easier to understand."

At Jeong Tae-ui’s words, his uncle didn’t say much but just smiled calmly.
"Ask Jaei about that. He’s got a good memory, and whatever’s connected between you two, he’ll probably know."
"Maybe. I don’t know when we’ll meet again, though. He might still remember by then, but who knows."

"Well, your birthday’s coming up soon. He’ll probably contact you around that time, like always."
"Yeah. Or he might just show up out of nowhere. ...Even if he doesn’t, I’m sure he’ll contact me around that time, even if it’s not exactly on the day."
Jeong Tae-ui said this while thinking about his brother, whom he hadn’t seen in months. Even if they were to be apart for hundreds of years, he wouldn’t be worried about his well-being. Despite living a routine life, his brother occasionally did unexpected things like that.

Jeong Tae-ui didn’t know a lot about his brother. At least, that’s what he believed.
One of the few things he knew for sure was that, no matter how much his brother seemed immersed in books or mysterious symbols, he loved Jeong Tae-ui and their family without a doubt. No matter where he was. No matter what he was doing. Just like Jeong Tae-ui himself loved his brother.
He rarely thought about wanting to hear his brother’s voice or meet him. So, being apart didn’t really matter.

Even now, being far away with no clear way of knowing when they might meet again, Jeong Tae-ui didn’t feel any sense of loss. He trusted that if he truly missed his brother, they would be able to contact each other. And that belief had never been betrayed.
Perhaps that, in itself, was the unbreakable red thread connecting them, something that could never be cut by anything.