Passion (BL Novel)

Jung Tae-ui briefly made eye contact with Mora, and then flashed a grin. Mora smiled back.
"That Tow guy, he's alright, but his head's a bit too hot-headed."

Mora shrugged in agreement without responding, and returned to her puzzle.
Jung Tae-ui started unpacking his things. There wasn’t much to unpack, really. He hadn’t had much luggage when he entered this branch in the first place, and since he wasn’t planning to stay long, he didn’t have a need for a lot of items. He could have easily carried everything in his hands without even needing a bag.
"Is it alright to use the spare toothbrush holder?"

"Yeah, go ahead. Just don’t mix things up. Tow once bought a new toothbrush that looked exactly like my Ticnat toothbrush, and for a while, we fought every day over which one was whose."
While Mora was lost in her puzzle, she answered him as if it was nothing. Jung Tae-ui glanced at the color of his toothbrush before setting it in the bathroom. Then, when putting his underwear into the drawer, he heard a similar story and checked his own underwear one more time. He regretted bringing the plain white ones, which could easily be confused.
When he tried to close the drawer, it wouldn’t shut properly, as if something was caught inside. After several attempts, Jung Tae-ui frowned and pulled the drawer all the way out.

"What the hell’s stuck in here…? Oh."
Jung Tae-ui pulled out a chunk of metal that was sticking out between his underwear.
It was a Beretta.

He felt the cold, snug grip of the gun in his hand and glanced at Mora. She was still bent over her puzzle, facing away from him.
Personal weapons were prohibited within the branch. Even if they let it slide, only things like knives or non-lethal guns were allowed. There were occasional rumors about gun enthusiasts sneaking firearms into the branch, only to be caught and have them taken away. They’d always insist it was a toy gun, but this in his hand felt all too real.
Jung Tae-ui held the Beretta and tapped its grip lightly on his other palm. The magazine was loaded. With the safety off, it could fire instantly.

Just then, Mora absentmindedly twirled a pen and looked up, only to spot the Beretta in Jung Tae-ui’s hand.
His face changed immediately. His expression shifted to one of panic as he jumped up and rushed toward Jung Tae-ui, trying to snatch the gun from his hand. Jung Tae-ui instinctively stepped back.
Mora’s face slowly twisted in irritation. Jung Tae-ui muttered to himself, "Aha," and grinned widely.

"Is this yours? You’re violating the weapons possession law with this thing."
"Give it back, you bastard! I worked hard to get it, that model!"
Mora shouted, sulking, and reached out to grab the gun.

Now that Jung Tae-ui thought about it, he remembered hearing from Tow, just in passing, that one of his roommates was a gun enthusiast and kept model guns stashed around the room.
Someone like Tow definitely wouldn’t confuse a real gun with a model gun, so it was probably true that he kept both kinds in the room. The gun enthusiast he'd only heard rumors about was probably Mora. It was an unexpected hobby for someone who had his nose buried in puzzles.
"You better take the live rounds out, though."
Jung Tae-ui handed over the gun willingly.

This place was full of people like this, dangerous and hidden in plain sight. No wonder he couldn’t help but worry about his future in such a place.
Mora took the gun, and then suddenly Jung Tae-ui grabbed him by the vest and slipped his hand inside, feeling around. Mora shrieked and recoiled.
"Hey! What the hell are you touching?"

"What’s the big deal? We’re both guys, right? Just hold still… Ah-ha."
"Hey, hey! I heard you’ve got some bad intentions with Shin Ru! Hey, don’t touch me! I’m pure! I don’t have any interest in guys like that!"
"I don’t want to do anything with you either… But what’s this?"

Jung Tae-ui chuckled and pulled out a small piece of metal that Mora had secretly stashed in a pocket inside his vest.
"Oh ho, a Colt .22... It’s cute. What were you planning on doing with this?"
"Give it back, you little shit! Why do you keep messing with my stuff!"

Mora snatched the Colt out of Jung Tae-ui’s hand, fuming. Jung Tae-ui clicked his tongue, watching him take the gun away.
There always seemed to be one guy like this wherever you went. There was this one guy in the past, back when they were all in training, who was so obsessed with guns that he decorated his whole house with model guns. When Jung Tae-ui asked, impressed, "Isn’t this a bit much?", the guy had answered with wide eyes, "As long as you don’t go around pointing them at people, you won’t get caught," and Jung Tae-ui had kept his mouth shut.
He’d met a few guys in the past who couldn’t escape the allure of firearms, whether or not they had any intention of using them for real. And now, here was another one.

"You’re Instructor Jung’s nephew, right?"
Mora glared at Jung Tae-ui with fierce eyes. Jung Tae-ui hesitated, then smirked.
"You know, if you start talking about the guy in the same room being obsessed with guns, your uncle might barge in before you get a chance to shoot me, don’t you think?"

"Of course! If you talk about it anywhere, I’ll kill you, you bastard!"
With a clear attempt at an exaggerated threat, Mora tucked the Colt back into his chest.
"You carry that thing everywhere, huh? You’re gonna get caught someday."

"As long as you keep your mouth shut, I’ll be fine!"
Mora snapped at him and stormed back to his desk. He shot one last glare at Jung Tae-ui before roughly flipping open the puzzle magazine again, his irritation evident in his every movement.
Jung Tae-ui chuckled to himself and returned to unpacking. But, when it came down to it, the unpacking was over almost as soon as it began.

Jung Tae-ui sat on the bed, glancing around the room. Unlike his own room, which he had to himself, this room was filled with three people’s belongings. And since he’d never been fond of clutter, it was safe to say this place was packed with odds and ends, in stark contrast to his own, nearly empty room.
He chuckled quietly. It wasn’t so much unfamiliar as it felt somewhat nostalgic.
Back when he was at the military academy, and even when he stayed at the BOQ—officers' bachelor quarters—he shared rooms with his peers. There was always one guy who couldn’t throw anything away, and his side of the room was filled with stuff. Eventually, another roommate got fed up and shouted at him to throw some things out, which led to a bit of discord before things settled down.

Though this room was a bit crowded, it wasn’t as bad as those days. It was a place that felt just right, as if someone actually lived here.
As Jung Tae-ui sat, a faint sense of nostalgia washed over him. Yet, outside, the sounds of squabbling and tension never stopped. Every so often, he could hear the sound of cans clinking or metal objects being kicked. It felt like a fight could break out at any moment.
Eventually, it seemed the European branch members had returned to their assigned rooms, and the ruckus in the hallway started to die down. The guards, likely not wanting to stir up trouble, had split the area, assigning the side near the east stairs to the local branch and the one closer to the west stairs to the European members.

Jung Tae-ui thought this would reduce their chances of running into each other since their bathrooms and toilets were separate. But that thought was naive. Even from the far end of the corridor, he could hear the heated arguments and the intense atmosphere that seemed to scream a fight was about to happen.
There should have been someone trying to stop them, but the tension between them was so thick that there was hardly anyone trying to even pretend to break it up. Even the guards or the wardens tried to act like they were stopping things, but if a real fight broke out, it seemed like it would spiral out of control quickly.
"All we can do is hope we don’t get caught in the middle of a whale fight…"

Jung Tae-ui clicked his tongue and muttered to himself. Whether he heard it or not, Mora glanced briefly at him. He nodded as if he agreed, then returned to his puzzle.
Jung Tae-ui chuckled. He had seen the simple nature of men burning with the desire to team up and take down a common enemy far too often. He didn’t mind the atmosphere, but he had never really joined in. The few times he had participated were probably just in something light-hearted like a sports day. So, it was no surprise he wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about participating in a heated environment where actual injuries could occur.
Tomorrow, the real joint training would start, and if things were already this tense at the very beginning, he wasn’t looking forward to it.

Jung Tae-ui scratched his head, recalling the words of his uncle, who had given him a kind of ominous reassurance, "You probably won’t die."
Well, considering the fact that six people had died in the worst joint training session in history, with a total of ninety people involved, that worked out to about a 1 in 15 chance, or around 6.7%. Even rounding it off, that was still a 7% chance.
They say it’s always the unexpected that kills you, but surely he wouldn’t be among those unlucky six or seven. Besides, if that had been the worst case scenario, it was bound to be better this time around.

Jung Tae-ui patted the side of his stomach, which had become heavier with his thoughts. He turned his gaze to the bookshelf that filled one corner of the room. Tow, who had shared the room with him until now—he had moved to the South American branch—had a reputation for being a bookworm, and sure enough, there were a fair number of books. The shelf assigned to Tow was packed with books, stacked two or three deep. He wouldn’t run out of reading material while staying in this room.
"…Ah."
At that moment, Jung Tae-ui suddenly frowned and muttered to himself.

How had he forgotten? He remembered now, as he looked at the books. He had left the book his uncle lent him back in the room. That $3,500 book—his uncle had said he wouldn’t give him $3,500 for it, but in Jung Tae-ui’s mind, every book on his uncle’s shelf was worth that much.
Last night, he’d left it on the desk while reading. There were other books mixed in, so it wasn’t likely to be damaged, but it was still the most valuable thing he had, and certainly not his own. The responsibility that came with it was heavy.
"Damn it… I’ll have to go get it."

Jung Tae-ui scratched his head and clicked his tongue.
No one would be foolish enough to damage a book like that, but still, the thought of leaving someone else’s property unattended for two weeks made him uneasy. Especially since it was $3,500—an amount that wouldn’t be easy to replace, even if he had the money.
He didn’t know who might be occupying his room in the meantime, but surely, if he just went back to grab the book for a second, they wouldn’t start a fight with him. Even if the relationship between the branches was bad, surely it wouldn’t go that far. Besides, it was originally his room.

Jung Tae-ui recalled Tow’s words about territorial issues and the oppressive atmosphere that seemed to seep through even the walls, making him feel a bit uneasy, but he decided to think positively. Worst case, he would grab the book and leave quickly. Surely, they wouldn’t follow him into his room and cause trouble. If that happened, it would turn into a full-on fight, but he didn’t think anyone was foolish enough to cross that line.
Probably not. The men who joined the UNHRDO, as often as he forgot, were at least considered polite, high-caliber individuals.
Jung Tae-ui took a deep breath and stood up, but just as he was about to head to his room, he heard the door open. Tow was walking in. Then the door slammed shut with a loud bang.

"...What’s wrong? Did you trip and fall into the toilet?"
At Jung Tae-ui’s question, Tow glared at him with a ferocious look, but didn’t respond.
He looked like someone who had been beaten up somewhere and was now angrily returning with no outlet for his frustration.

"Why are you glaring at me like that? Did you have a fight with the European branch?"
Jung Tae-ui asked casually, and Tow’s face hardened, becoming even more scowling. It seemed like he’d hit the nail on the head.
It hadn’t even been half an hour since the instructor had warned everyone not to cause any problems after the European branch members arrived. But, as expected, it was all in vain. Or maybe, while sitting in the bathroom, this guy was just going to argue that he hadn’t heard any such warning.

"They kept bumping into me on purpose, the bastards. So I was gonna give them a piece of my mind, but of course, the instructor showed up at just the wrong moment… Damn it, maybe I should’ve just beaten them up anyway, instructor or not."
"Enough, you did well. What good would it do to start a ruckus on the first day? There’ll be plenty more chances to take them down when the instructor’s not looking, right?"
Jung Tae-ui patted Tow’s shoulder with a smile. Tow, though still displeased, seemed to calm down a bit.

Having bad blood with someone from your own squad turned out to be useful in times like this. I should have tried to calm those guys down a couple of times, but in the end, I just ended up causing a bigger mess and got discharged.
Jung Tae-ui exhaled, then moved to grab a beer from the fridge. Tow gulped it down in one go, then asked as he looked at Jung Tae-ui.
"Where are you going?"

"Uh… I’m heading to the bathroom."
If he said he was just going to grab something from his room, Tow would most likely either follow him or, more likely, try to stop him, so Jung Tae-ui gave a vague answer instead. Tow, finishing his beer, offered his advice.
"If anyone bumps into you on the way, don’t wait for the instructor—just beat them up right then and there."

"Ah… I’ll keep that in mind."
Jung Tae-ui didn't even look back as he waved his hand and left the room.
The moment he stepped into the hallway, the oppressive atmosphere was palpable. Groups of men stood in threatening clusters, two or three at a time, some from this branch, some from the other. They glared at each other, whispering under their breath, ready to explode at any moment.

"The tension is worse than I imagined…" Jung Tae-ui muttered to himself with a ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) sigh, continuing to walk.
The distance between Tow’s room and his own was fairly significant. Even though he hadn’t thought much about the distance before, walking through this tense atmosphere made it feel much farther.
"Hey, Tae-ui. Where are you headed?"

One of the men from the group standing in the hallway greeted him. This was someone from another team who usually wouldn’t even acknowledge him. But with the outside threat looming, it seemed like everyone was instinctively uniting internally, as he greeted Jung Tae-ui warmly despite the hostile atmosphere. Jung Tae-ui, aware of the fierce gazes from unfamiliar faces nearby, casually raised his hand in return.
"Bathroom."
"The bathroom’s right there."

It felt a bit odd for the man to mention the bathroom right in front of them, so he asked again, confused. Jung Tae-ui shrugged.
"I can’t use the one near my room. I’m a bit picky like that."
"Haha, you’re an odd one."

The man laughed, as if bemused, but didn’t say anything further.
Jung Tae-ui casually slipped his hand into his pocket and kept walking. He passed in front of a group of European branch members. One of them took a step forward as he passed, but as soon as he did, a group of locals in the distance tensed, ready to rush forward. It was clear that if anyone touched one of their own, a fight would immediately break out.
The European man hesitated for a moment but exchanged glances with his comrades and then folded his arms and stepped back. The men who had been preparing to help Jung Tae-ui also stepped back, seemingly backing off.

So it goes… It’s one thing if my own life is at risk, but now I’m also the fuse that could set everything off. No wonder I can’t walk comfortably around here.
Jung Tae-ui clicked his tongue quietly. The camaraderie of colleagues he wasn’t even close to felt awkward, like an ill-fitting outfit, making him want to smile but with a hollow laugh.
After a few more awkward moments, he finally reached his room.

The area was quieter, being located deeper into the hallway. As he neared, the other people, both from this branch and the European one, seemed to vanish. There was one European man a little further off, watching him, but it didn’t look like he was planning on starting anything. In fact, the man seemed to have a very strange expression, staring intently at Jung Tae-ui.
Jung Tae-ui gave him a confused look before opening the door.
"Well... a thorny path would be easier than this."

He sighed and muttered to himself, preparing himself mentally as he opened the door.
The atmosphere out in the hallway had been so charged that just passing through it felt like a potential fight could break out. Now, facing someone in his room, he wondered what would happen. Tow’s warnings about territory weren’t just jokes—this could turn into something real. In the worst case, he might just grab the book and run.
He wondered what kind of imposing figure would be occupying his room. There was a slight, nervous anticipation in his chest as he entered the room, but as soon as he saw who was inside, he froze.

There was one person in the room.
The man, lying on his bed as if he had lived there for ages, flipping through the bookshelf, glanced up when he heard the door open.
The book he was reading, that was the $3,500 one. He shouldn’t be handling it like that.

But the words never left his mouth. He recognized the man immediately.
Jung Tae-ui’s gaze fixed on the man’s face.
The translucent skin was so pale it almost seemed sickly. His delicate features were still clearly visible, even behind the thick rimmed glasses. He looked like a dedicated researcher, deeply focused on his work in some quiet lab, but when their eyes met—those sharp, penetrating eyes—it sent a chill down his spine.

Jung Tae-ui knew him. The dark red mark in his memory was clear.
Rigrow... Rick.
The same man whose face had once been splattered across the screen, smiling faintly as blood colored the screen.

Jung Tae-ui, dazed, almost absentmindedly closed the door behind him. It wasn’t until he heard the sound of the door clicking shut that he snapped back to his senses and regretted his action. Why had he closed the door? There wasn’t much reason to do it, but leaving the door open might have given him a sense of connection to the outside. Or perhaps, it would have been easier to just leave quickly if things took a turn.
Now he understood the expression on the European man’s face from earlier. He had known exactly who was going to be in this room.
"You bastard," Jung Tae-ui thought. "Even if you see us as enemies, as humans, you should have at least been cautious when someone’s life was hanging by a thread."

Up until now, Jung Tae-ui had just dismissed all the complaints Tow and the others had about the European branch. But for the first time, he felt intense resentment toward them.
"Is this the owner of the book?"