Passion (BL Novel)

The moment the doorbell rang, Jeong Tae-ui hesitated. The black bean he had been holding with his chopsticks fell and rolled off the plate. It didn’t take more than a few seconds for the black bean to roll out of the plate, leaving a sticky trace until it finally stopped, but before he could react, the doorbell rang again.
Jeong Tae-ui tapped the edge of the table with his chopsticks, glancing toward the front door with a distracted look. When he heard footsteps faintly climbing the stairs, he had a bad feeling.

No, to be exact, it wasn’t just then. From the moment he woke up with a throbbing pain in his knee due to the rain starting early in the morning, he had been feeling uneasy. His knee always hurt when it rained or the weather was bad, but today, with the sharp ache, he felt the day was going to be unlucky.
It wasn’t long after he placed a simple breakfast on the table and had a few bites that he heard the footsteps from outside.
The old, worn-out row house, more than twenty years old, would carry any sound—like a cat entering the building—up to the top floor. So, when the footsteps were heard coming up from the third floor, Jeong Tae-ui felt an ominous premonition.

When the doorbell rang, that sense of unease grew stronger and approached him with full clarity.
There was almost no one who visited this house. Since his brother, the only person who lived with him here, left four days ago and had not been in contact since, he had the keys and never rang the doorbell.
The presence outside the door was solid and heavy. Even as Jeong Tae-ui pondered, the doorbell rang once more. Thud. The footsteps echoed again. The sound was hard and heavy. It resembled the sound of military boots.

The moment he thought of military boots, the ominous feeling intensified, and the doorbell rang consecutively three or four times in a row. He hadn’t even finished his few bites of rice, but his appetite had completely disappeared, and he set the chopsticks down.
The person outside the door did not show any sign of leaving. Without knocking or calling out, the doorbell kept ringing relentlessly, and Jeong Tae-ui’s heart grew heavier as the image of someone began to form in his mind.
“...”

Jeong Tae-ui went to the front door, unlatched the lock, and opened the door when the bell rang exactly twelve times. The person outside stepped back slightly as the door opened. The boots making the hard noise were immaculate military boots, without a single speck of dust.
Resting atop the boots was an impeccably straight and neat military uniform, which was more than just a uniform; it was a dress uniform, or rather, a regimental uniform. The place this man belonged to wasn’t too different from the military.
The small silver badge on the collar looked oddly insufferable. It wasn’t because so many people in the world desperately wanted to wear that badge, but because of this man.

Every time this man wore the badge—and dressed in full uniform—good things never happened. Although Jeong Tae-ui had said that, it was the third or fourth time seeing this man in his full regalia.
The black gloves came off, and the black hat was removed. The man smoothly smiled at Jeong Tae-ui.
“It’s been a while. Nothing’s wrong, right?”

The last time Jeong Tae-ui saw this man was about three years ago. A lot had happened during that time.
He nearly died while defusing a landmine, nearly died again when a surgery caused a rejection, had someone endure three treatments of acupuncture before nearly causing death on the fourth, and had barely served half of his mandatory service before being discharged.
Jeong Tae-ui briefly stared at the man’s face, letting out a sigh, and then said:

“What could be new that my uncle doesn’t know? Maybe you might have a reason to come unannounced at this hour, but… please, come in.”
He felt uneasy, but it was hard to ignore the request. The man, though not disliked, always came with a strange feeling when dressed this way. But after thinking about it, it was most likely that he had come to find his brother, and there was no reason for him to feel uneasy.
Still, Jeong Tae-ui stepped aside, feeling like he was letting in an omen of bad luck. The man’s eyes twisted slightly with amusement as he smiled, and with the door now closed behind them, Jeong Tae-ui asked:
“When did you get here?”

“Two hours ago. Came straight from the airport.”
“Ah, I see... But you should’ve contacted me first. My brother’s not here.”
The man, dressed impeccably in his uniform, threw himself onto the couch in an awkward posture, clearly out of place with his military appearance. He paused for a moment before looking directly at Jeong Tae-ui.

“He’s not here? When is he coming back?”
“I don’t know. He left four days ago and hasn’t contacted me since. Did you come to meet him? If so, it seems you’ve walked a long way for nothing.”
“No one to contact?”

“Sure, I tried calling, but if contacting someone were easy, it wouldn’t be Jeong Jae-ui. Don’t act like you don’t know that.”
Jeong Tae-ui, sitting on the stool across from the man, said indifferently.
His brother was someone who usually led a regular life. If he were going to be away for a day or two, he’d at least inform Jeong Tae-ui briefly. But sometimes, he would leave without notice for several days, even weeks, and sometimes months without a word. This was one of those times.

However, this time, it felt like his brother might be gone for quite a long time. Four days ago, his brother had left with some cryptic words:
“If a person lives too lucky, it gets boring. I need to experience some misfortune too.”
With that strange smile, his brother had left. Jeong Tae-ui recalled it briefly and sighed again. He never fully understood his brother, but the meaning behind those words still eluded him.

But…
“Hmm, what now…”
As he muttered to himself in difficulty, Jeong Tae-ui glanced at his uncle. The man had a thoughtful expression as he tapped his forehead with his fingertips. He was lost in his own thoughts for a moment.

Jeong Tae-ui had an older brother who was born on the same day, at the same time.
Though they were split at birth, his brother was as different from Jeong Tae-ui as could be. He was frighteningly intelligent—so much so that calling him a genius barely scratched the surface.
Jeong Tae-ui had an older brother who was born on the same day, at the same time.

Although they were separated at birth, his brother, who was nothing like Jeong Tae-ui, was frighteningly intelligent. The term genius didn’t even begin to describe him.
If his brother hadn’t been so laid-back and somewhat lazy, if he had been someone with ambitions or desires for more, exaggerating just a bit, he might have been able to wipe out an entire continent on Earth.
His brother, who was so highly sought after by organizations like the United Nations Human Resource Development Agency, had exceptional talents in everything from the humanities to science and technology, and even entertainment.

On the other hand, Jeong Tae-ui was ordinary. Slightly better than ordinary, one might say. He never dropped below average, no matter what he did. In some fields, he had even been told that he was excellent.
However, when Jeong Tae-ui was called excellent, it was because of the effort he put in. It was different from his brother, who reached the highest points without even half as much effort.
But Jeong Tae-ui had never envied his brother for his intelligence, talent, or abilities. He had thought it would be convenient to have those abilities, but he never wished for them.

What Jeong Tae-ui envied about his brother was not his brain, talent, or ability.
It was his brother’s luck.
Jeong Jae-ui, his brother, was so extraordinarily lucky that even his genius brain could not be compared to it. His luck was so extreme that describing it as being born under a lucky star didn’t do it justice.

Even when caught up in major accidents, Jeong Jae-ui would miraculously escape unscathed. That was just the beginning. When he was a student, he never needed pocket money because he didn’t have to.
His lack of desire for material things meant that money was rarely something he needed, but whenever he found himself in a situation where he needed money, he would borrow a few coins from people and buy a lottery ticket.
And that lottery ticket would always bring him exactly the amount of money he needed.

Everything in his life was like that.
Living next to someone with such an extreme and absolute kind of luck that seemed too unreal, Jeong Tae-ui lived a life where he encountered ordinary amounts of luck, along with a similar amount of misfortune. It would be a lie to say that he never envied his brother’s luck.
When he was younger, he often felt a sharp envy, but as he grew older, that envy became more like a general longing for things that he couldn’t have, things that seemed amazing and good but were out of his reach.

Even so, for someone like Jeong Tae-ui, who rarely envied others, this was the only envy he ever felt.
He was envious, and sometimes even jealous, but no matter what, Jeong Tae-ui liked his brother.
He was incredibly intelligent, and his ability to utilize that intelligence was even more remarkable. On top of that, he was extraordinarily lucky. Despite all this, his personality wasn’t unbearable. He was indifferent and unpredictable, but as a brother, he was quite ordinary. He was average in kindness and reliability.

Jeong Tae-ui thought of them as a relatively good pair of brothers. … Even though, after living as brothers for more than twenty years, there were still parts of his brother that remained unclear, maybe all geniuses were like that. But perhaps his brother didn’t like him as much as he thought.
Four days ago, the night before his brother left.
As usual, Jeong Tae-ui couldn’t understand something—his brother was staring at some complicated blueprint, occasionally scribbling down chemical formulas and molecular diagrams. Jeong Tae-ui thought his brother was lost in thought, so he climbed onto the couch next to him, grabbed a normal humanities book, and started reading.

It was a quiet and peaceful night, just like any other. After some time, his brother pushed the papers aside and lay down on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling.
At that moment, his brother might have let out a tired sigh.
Suddenly, his brother walked over and sat next to Jeong Tae-ui, grabbing his little finger and speaking.

“Here… ”
Then he opened his little finger and continued.
“There’s a red thread here. Since we were born on the same day, at the same time, it’s only natural, but… let’s cut it now.”

“…What?”
It was suddenly an incomprehensible thing to say. While Jeong Tae-ui was used to his brother’s strange world, he had never heard him say something so strange.
Jeong Tae-ui knew his brother wasn’t of an ordinary mind, but at that moment, he briefly wondered if maybe his brother wasn’t even normal after all.

But his brother, as calm as always, spread his fingers in a scissor-like shape, then mimed cutting between their little fingers. It was as if he was cutting the invisible red thread connecting them.
Then, as if nothing had happened, his brother turned his gaze back to the ceiling, while Jeong Tae-ui, still holding up his little finger, stared at him. After a moment, Jeong Tae-ui asked:
“Brother… Did you actually dislike me?”

Or had he done something recently that had upset his brother? He tried to think back, but there was nothing that stood out. What was the issue? Why would he suddenly want to cut their connection?
When Jeong Tae-ui asked, his brother looked at him like he was saying something completely absurd.
“Why would I?”

His brother finished his sentence. Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head and stared at his brother’s face. But, though he couldn’t read his brother’s thoughts, there was no hint of insincerity in his expression.
Without saying anything more, Jeong Tae-ui turned back to his book. But looking back, he wondered if those words meant, “Why would I like you?”
Now, he would never know. The only person who could have explained it was gone, having left with his strange words and that cryptic smile.

Jeong Tae-ui thought, ‘What a ridiculous thing to say.’ But now that his brother was gone, he realized that even leaving like that had been a demonstration of his brother’s incredible luck. He had disappeared just before this inconvenient guest arrived.
Though Jeong Tae-ui wasn’t thrilled, he couldn’t ignore the request of a rare guest asking to eat, so he scooped another bowl of rice and placed it on the half-eaten table. His appetite had long since disappeared, but he sat in front of the table, across from his uncle.
"What's this? A simple meal like this?"

His uncle laughed at the barley rice, light soup, and a couple of small side dishes on the table.
"What do you expect from a poor young man? At my place in the military, we'd only get high-quality delicacies."
"Well, of course. If the food was any worse than this, there would be a rebellion. But it’s not the military."

"What? From what you’re saying, it sounds like the military. From what I hear, it's even more self-disciplined than the military."
"Still, there are people lining up to get in, even on the other side of the world. It’s even got a prestigious name—the United Nations Human Resource Development Agency."
"I can’t even remember such a long name."

"Well, it’s been a while since I’ve had such a simple meal, but it tastes good," his uncle murmured, neither praising nor complaining, while eating. Jeong Tae-ui sighed again and picked up his spoon. Since he’d put down his chopsticks earlier, he had no appetite, but he thought he'd have a few spoonfuls of soup.
As he was eating the light soup, his gaze stopped on the chopsticks moving in front of him. He had thought this before, but his uncle held his chopsticks beautifully. The way he handled them was graceful, just like his older brother’s.
Looking up, Jeong Tae-ui met his uncle’s face, neat and, in some ways, seemingly mild-mannered. His face resembled his brother’s.

Well, it made sense. Genetically, his uncle was his father. Even though Jeong Tae-ui didn’t resemble him at all.
"Next month will be the third anniversary of my brother’s death, right?"
Jeong Tae-ui had no idea what his uncle was thinking when he suddenly said this.

"Yes. It's the 20th day of the lunar calendar. Will you come?"
"It'll be hard."
Now that he thought about it, the last time he saw his uncle was at his father’s funeral. After that, he hadn’t shown up for any ceremonies, but he knew that his uncle was a busy man, so it was understandable.

His uncle, though a nuisance to Jeong Tae-ui, was a person who would receive good treatment wherever he went.
"I don’t know when he’ll be back, but should I have him call you when my brother comes?"
Knowing it would probably be faster for his uncle to hire someone to find him if it was something urgent, Jeong Tae-ui still asked. Of course, his lucky brother would never be found if it meant it would result in something bad for him.

"No... we don’t have that much time."
Having finished a bowl of rice in no time, his uncle wiped his mouth with his fingers and mumbled, then stared directly at Jeong Tae-ui.
At that moment, the ominous feeling he had forgotten about returned, creeping up his spine.

"Jeong Tae-ui."
"Uncle... I don’t know why you're looking for my brother, but you do know that my brother and I are completely different, right? Even if you gave me a chemical formula he solved when he was five, I wouldn't even understand it."
Jeong Tae-ui quickly said with a blunt tone, and his uncle gave a slight, mischievous smile as if he were amused.

"You know, one of you two—either you or Jae-ui—was meant to be my child, right?"
The words his uncle spoke were a subject Jeong Tae-ui never expected. He would have been surprised by anything his uncle said, but he had never imagined him bringing this up in this context. Jeong Tae-ui stared at his uncle and sighed.
"Well. Both of us are your sons, genetically speaking. I know that. Why?"

It wasn’t a secret. His father had told them this when they were old enough to understand. His father had said that, since he couldn’t have children, he had sought his uncle’s help to have them.
It didn’t really change anything. His father was still his father, and his uncle was still his uncle. It was one phenomenon, but the truth could be more complex.
However, his father had also told them, "If your uncle ever says something strange, just go along with it."

It wasn’t just because of that, but the brothers had always followed their uncle’s advice, and aside from the occasional difficulty, his uncle was a pleasant and good person. But in heaven, his father must have been thinking that his uncle said strange things more than once.
"No. Not both, just one. Before you two were born, I knew you were twins, and your father said one of you would be given to me. So, originally, you two were supposed to be separated at birth and live as cousins. … But you two were so inseparable that I gave up on separating you. So you two didn’t have to live apart."
"See? Your uncle’s at it again with the weird talk." Jeong Tae-ui looked at his uncle with wide eyes, and his uncle, noticing, quickly became serious. He seemed to emphasize that it was true, but Jeong Tae-ui didn’t think his uncle was the type to lie.

Jeong Tae-ui suddenly realized something. Maybe the strange statement his father made about giving one of his sons to his brother was something he didn't want to tell them directly. Was that what his father meant by the "strange talk"?
Now that he thought about it, his father had briefly paused and then quietly added, "When the time comes, treat your uncle like your father and follow him."
When the time comes, it seemed to refer to when his uncle would need him.

Jeong Tae-ui didn’t know for sure. But if his father had accepted it, he wouldn’t question it further. His brother, who wasn’t here, would probably come to a similar conclusion. Jeong Tae-ui was quick to give up. He could adapt to any given environment quickly.
"Yes, Uncle... my cousin just left, actually. Should I tell him to call you when he returns?"
Jeong Tae-ui asked, and his uncle chuckled aloud. His laughing face was very much like his brother’s. With such a resemblance, it would be easy to mistake them for father and son. Their personalities also seemed to have similarities.

By the way, his brother would probably be shocked when he came back to see that his father had changed. But maybe he wouldn’t be that surprised. Jeong Tae-ui couldn’t recall a time when his brother had shown visible shock—at least not in the way most people would.
"No time to look for someone who’s not here. Come on, from today, you’re my son, Tae-ui. Let’s go together. Pack your things. All the unnecessary stuff will be distributed there, so just pack what you really need."
His uncle said with a touch of cheer in his voice as he rubbed his chin. The voice was full of laughter, but hearing it, Jeong Tae-ui didn’t feel cheery. It was a rare experience to hear something like this so suddenly, but he wasn’t enjoying it.

"Me?"
"Yes, Jeong Tae-ui. My son."
It felt like a heavy burden was settling on his shoulder. Jeong Tae-ui looked at his uncle seriously and frowned.

It wasn’t just the sudden claim on his father’s right, but the question of why his uncle, who had been living alone without a wife, suddenly needed a son.
"Can I not go?"
"Consider it filial duty. Come on, son."

"I don’t want to. Can’t I just be an unfilial son?"
His uncle laughed heartily. He was much older than his father, and the age gap between his uncle and Jeong Tae-ui was only three years less than between his uncle and his father. So, he felt more like an older brother than an uncle.
His uncle laughed deeply, then stood and walked toward Jeong Tae-ui. He suddenly slapped him on the back of his head. The slap was more than a playful tap—it was full of force.

"Ow!"
Jeong Tae-ui held his head, glaring at his uncle. His uncle, still smiling, spoke calmly.
"You brat, I even helped you get discharged, and now you’re talking about being an unfilial son? You need another slap."

"Ow! Ow! Ah! That really hurts, Uncle!"
His uncle’s hands were as rough as his brother’s. Maybe it would have been better if his brother had been his uncle’s son. His brother, with his lazy personality, had nothing to do with violence, but sometimes, when he called out to Jeong Tae-ui or slapped his cheek to wake him from a nightmare, his hand was surprisingly firm.
After a round of slapping Jeong Tae-ui, his uncle casually massaged his hand and sat back down, while Jeong Tae-ui rubbed his sore head and muttered.

"How could you let me discharge so easily when I still had months left on my service... Did you help me, Uncle?"
"Yeah. Jae-ui said you were crying in the military, completely broken down."
"...I wasn’t exactly 'broken down.'"

He had almost died in the military hospital, and his comrades had given him a hard time, but he hadn’t been that broken down. Maybe.
The biggest problem had been being assigned to the same unit as the one person he couldn’t get along with. In the end, he nearly killed someone and almost died himself, and he got discharged, severing all connections. Now, he didn’t even want to think about it anymore.
The memories he had forgotten began to resurface, and Jeong Tae-ui quietly sighed. He had been discharged four months ago and was now part of the youth unemployment group. Though his knee still ached when the weather was bad, his leg was healed, and his body was in good shape, so he was thinking it was about time to do something.

"Yeah. Why did you suddenly need a son? Where are you planning to send me?"
Jeong Tae-ui asked, his enthusiasm fading, and his uncle smiled, no longer joking.
"Well, a son doesn’t matter much. I need someone useful. Recently, we had a big fight with the European branch, and the staff really thinned out. I need to fill in the numbers."

"...."
"That’s just an excuse. What I really need is someone lucky."
His uncle paused briefly. Jeong Tae-ui waited for him to continue ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) without saying anything. He already knew that the talk about numbers was just a cover. If it were just about filling numbers, they wouldn’t have gone this far to ask him. But a lucky person? Jeong Tae-ui didn’t think he was the right fit for that, and his uncle knew that as well.

"Half a year from now, our branch’s director will be moving to the US headquarters. So, the two deputy directors are fighting behind the scenes for that spot. As usual, there are factional struggles in every place. Because of that, my superior is busy, and it’s causing me trouble. Anyway, I have to help my boss reach that position. In the next six months, we’ll be fighting fiercely within the branch. And that’s when underhanded and sneaky tactics will come into play. In other words, I need someone who can survive long enough in that environment."
"I’m not that lucky."
"Hmm, well... you’re my substitute, I guess. What do you think?"

"What do you mean, what do I think? Who would be happy to be called 'the substitute'?"
Jeong Tae-ui responded bluntly, but he didn’t feel offended by the words. If Jeong Jae-ui were the 'pheasant' in this metaphor, then just being called a 'chicken' was enough for Jeong Tae-ui to feel grateful. His brother, Jeong Jae-ui, was an exceptional person, after all. Jeong Tae-ui understood only half of what his uncle was saying. The half he understood was that it was a situation that could get messy if he got involved. The factional struggle sounded like a nightmare, and given his uncle’s line of work, it was almost the same as the military that Jeong Tae-ui didn’t want to be part of.
"So, you were in the Asia branch?"

"Yes."
"Well, there are plenty of people, much luckier and more capable than me, who’d love to get into that place. Just pick anyone from the crowd."
"I’ve already told you about the internal struggles. After hearing all that, you can’t just back out now."

"Struggles? Please, it’s probably public knowledge by now. Just handle the fight and get promoted safely."
Jeong Tae-ui waved his hand dismissively and stood up, as if signaling that the conversation was over. He began clearing the empty dishes. His uncle grabbed his wrist tightly. Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue. Looking at his uncle’s face, he realized his uncle was serious. Now it would be difficult to refuse.
"Uncle...

why are you doing this when you already know? I can’t."
Jeong Tae-ui sighed aloud and muttered. His uncle looked at him seriously.
"Tell me why you can’t. If you have a reasonable reason, I’ll find someone else."

"You know why."
"Hmm...?"
Jeong Tae-ui couldn’t figure out what his uncle was thinking. By all logic, there was no reason that it had to be him. If it were Jeong Jae-ui, maybe, but someone like Jeong Tae-ui was a dime a dozen in this world.

"Uncle. First of all, I hate the military. I’ve already had enough of that authoritative and closed-off place."
"We’re not the military. We just do a bit of physical training. The hierarchy and atmosphere are completely different from the military. We deal with confidential cases, so in that sense, it’s a bit closed-off, but it’s not authoritarian. If you join, the ranks above you are the director and deputy directors. You won’t see them much. Everyone else is an equal colleague. So, any other reasons?"
"...My health isn’t great."

"I know you’re better now."
"I’m not going to the hospital, but when the weather’s bad, my knee still hurts, and my body gets stiff."
"No one there is in perfect shape. Everyone’s been shot or broken a few bones. Any other reasons?"

"And I’m not what you’re looking for. I’m neither lucky nor capable."
His uncle’s eyes narrowed again. He looked at Jeong Tae-ui thoughtfully before speaking slowly.
"I need someone who can do the job well and survive long-term. And I’ve got high hopes for you, Jeong Tae-ui. I’ve been keeping track of you from the military academy days to recent records. You’ve got what it takes to survive."

"What’s that?"
"Instinct."
"...."

Jeong Tae-ui had thought they were getting somewhere serious, but the word "instinct" caught him off guard. He thought he was about to hear some praise, but instead, he felt drained.
"Uncle... what do you mean by 'instinct'...?"
"Why, disappointed?"

"Disappointed? More like... yes, disappointed."
Jeong Tae-ui slowly shook his head and muttered, and his uncle chuckled softly.
"Nothing to be disappointed about. For most normal people, 'instinct' is the most necessary thing for survival. It's the gut feeling. Sometimes, just having a better instinct than others can make the difference between life and death."

His uncle’s tone dropped a bit. He had never faced the life-and-death crossroads his uncle had experienced, but he could tell that the "instinct" his uncle was referring to was something he knew all too well.
"So, what's next?"
"What?"

"You mentioned other reasons, didn’t you?"
His uncle gestured as if to say, "If you have other reasons, let’s hear them." He had that look that told Jeong Tae-ui that his previous reasons weren’t convincing enough. If they had been, he wouldn’t have argued.
Jeong Tae-ui silently stared at his uncle. His uncle stared back at him. Without pushing further, he waited for Jeong Tae-ui to speak.

Sometimes Jeong Tae-ui was surprised by his brother. It wasn't about his genius or luck, which he already knew as if it was air that clung to his skin. He felt that he knew himself surprisingly well. It was time.
They had already grown up together for a quarter of a century---even if they hadn't always been together because their lives were different---so they thought they knew enough about each other, but sometimes Jeong Jae-ui would catch Jeong Tae-ui off guard.
That's when Jeong Tae-ui would point out his own tendencies or thoughts that he hadn't even realized. Jeong Jae-ui would naturally grasp the essence of people without having to observe them on purpose.

In that sense, this uncle definitely had a similar makeup to Jeong Jae-ui.
"……."
He had never said it or hinted at it, and he hadn't met his uncle that often, but he seemed to already know. Or, even if he didn't know, he wouldn't be surprised at all if he heard Jeong Tae-ui say it.

"……It's dangerous if you go into a place where only men are crowded."
Jeong Tae-ui muttered gloomily. His uncle, who raised his eyebrows as if he could see them, smiled as if he found it amusing the next moment.
"Who?"

While Jeong Tae-ui was still processing his uncle's question, his uncle continued asking.
"Is it you? Or is it someone else?"
Jeong Tae-ui furrowed his brow slightly and thought for a moment before responding.

"If I had to choose, it would be me."
"You? Why? Do you think the people there will attack you?"
Jeong Tae-ui glared at his uncle, who seemed to be speaking in a playful tone, and then, in exasperation, muttered with a sigh, almost as if giving up.

"I think they might attack me."
"I didn’t realize your defense perimeter was so vast. If you want, and if it’s possible, you can attack as much as you like. That place is a society where strength rules, at least as long as it's not your superior."
"...Are you saying that just because you’re strong, you can attack anyone?"

Jeong Tae-ui shouted in disbelief, and his uncle opened his hands and smiled broadly. Sometimes, it was hard to tell if his uncle was joking or being serious. Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue, irritated, and scratched his head. Then he glared at his uncle.
"Why pretend you don’t know?"
"Hmm... From the context, the only thing I can guess is that you have a tendency to feel sexual attraction to men, but is there anything else?"

"That’s enough reason for me to get tired, don’t you think?"
"Was it that tiring to knock out your classmate with the bad habit of yours and get discharged?"
Jeong Tae-ui stared at his uncle fiercely for a while, then, feeling exhausted, sighed and leaned his head against the wall. See, you already know everything. Since you’ve probably guessed it, it wasn’t that surprising.

His uncle grabbed a cup from the nearby shelf, then grabbed a kettle to pour water into it. He drank the plain water as if it were a fragrant tea and then spoke.
"Jeong Tae-ui, if you had given me a reason from a different perspective, maybe I would have understood. But the meaning you’re giving me, I just can’t accept."
"A different perspective? What do you mean by that?"

Jeong Tae-ui, tired of the verbal back-and-forth, asked in a weary voice, and his uncle laughed mischievously.
"Well, like you’re afraid someone else there might attack you."
"Uncle, that joke isn’t funny..."

A deep sigh escaped him. He murmured to himself, "That’s not really a joke, though," but it still sounded like a joke. What wasn’t a joke were the words that followed.
"Alright, any other reasons?"
Jeong Tae-ui let out a long sigh. After being silent for a while, he finally mumbled as if he were giving up entirely.

"...Half a year?"
At that, his uncle’s eyes sparkled, and he smiled happily.
"Yes, half a year. Until the new director is decided. After that, you can do whatever you want. You can quit if you want, or if you like the lifestyle, you can keep going. To add, even if you quit, you’ll immediately get scouting requests, so you won’t have time to worry about finding a job. Though, if you're worried about where to go, that’s another matter. Being part of our organization will give you an excellent resume."

"Yes, I suppose so."
Jeong Tae-ui felt as if all the strength had drained from his body. He slumped against the backrest of the chair. It felt like he had run a marathon—though he didn’t feel any sense of accomplishment, not even the slightest. But the wall clock in his sight showed that it was still early in the morning, just as people were starting their day.
Though people say the future is unknown, who could have predicted this sudden and unexpected change?

Yeah, I had a bad feeling since the morning. And now look at me.
Looking at it from this angle, perhaps his uncle was right in saying that he chose Jeong Tae-ui because of his "instinct." Maybe his instinct was indeed a big part of it after all.