Passion (BL Novel)

Jung Tae-ui cursed silently in his mind, but then he heard Rigrow's quiet voice.
He froze.
It was a low, soft voice, one that seeped into his ears like water. It was an unexpected sound, one he had never imagined or even anticipated. And the voice coming from this man, Rigrow, didn’t evoke any of the ominous feelings he had associated with him in the past.

He asked quietly, lifting the book, but didn’t give any sign that he was about to rush forward and slit Jung Tae-ui’s throat or cover him in blood. Instead, the faint smile on his face made him appear almost pleasant.
"It’s a borrowed book. It’s a rare one, so I need to take good care of it and return it. I came to get it."
"Are you taking it now?"

Rigrow asked back, as if disappointed. A slight frown appeared on his face, as if he had been reading something particularly interesting.
"I’d probably finish it in two or three hours. Would you mind waiting?"
"… I don’t mind."

Jung Tae-ui responded with a strange feeling.
Somehow, this was different from what he had imagined. After exchanging a few words, it felt like he was talking to a normal person. Maybe he had misremembered the face of that crazy guy. The quality of the footage hadn’t been great, so maybe that wasn’t the same face after all… but that couldn’t be right.
Looking at Rigrow, who smiled brightly and said "Thanks," Jung Tae-ui doubted his own memory for a moment. But, so far, his eyes had never failed him. Especially not with such an unforgettable face like this one.

"Well, he’s not a psychopath, is he? No matter how crazy someone is, they can’t be in full-on psycho mode 24/7, right?"
"Eh? What did you say?"
Jung Tae-ui muttered to himself, too quietly for even himself to hear, and nearly jumped when Rigrow asked the question.

"Huh? What? What are you talking about?" he said, pretending to be confused, shrugging his shoulders. Rigrow looked at him for a moment and then smiled faintly.
"Thinking about it, it must be boring to wait for two or three hours. —Here, I’ll give it back."
Rigrow closed the book and handed it to Jung Tae-ui, shaking it lightly as if urging him to take it.

"No, I can come back for it later, so you can keep reading. It’s a bit annoying to stop halfway."
"I’ve already read it before, so I know the content. I just wanted to read it again, that’s all. It’s fine, take it."
Rigrow shook the book gently again, his voice smooth and pleasant, but there was something dangerously enticing about it. It felt like being slowly drawn into deep water.
Jung Tae-ui laughed it off, thinking it was a bit silly to keep rejecting it, and took a few steps closer. With every step, an odd tension gripped him, as if he were approaching a hungry beast.

"This author’s books are hard to come by, aren’t they? Have you read any others?"
The moment Jung Tae-ui took the book, Rigrow asked casually. Jung Tae-ui hesitated for a second and met his eyes. The soft gaze quickly softened even further as they locked eyes.
"I know a good rare book dealer. The one after this book is even more interesting, but it’s hard to get. He might be able to get it for you, though. If you want, I could introduce you."

"… The price will be quite high, right?"
"Well, I’d say around two or three hundred bucks. Or, if you go to the German National Library in Berlin, there might be an English edition of foreign books. I saw it there about five or six years ago."
It was still a hefty price, but compared to $3,500, it felt light. Jung Tae-ui thought to himself while watching Rigrow. This guy was a bit of a bookworm, not what he had expected at all. He hadn’t imagined he’d be discussing books, especially not so enthusiastically. It was a far cry from the bloodthirsty killer he had seen in that video. Here, he seemed like a pleasant and well-spoken young man.

"Rigrow… is that right?"
Jung Tae-ui asked hesitantly. Rigrow seemed a bit surprised but smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, I’m the only one in this branch with that name. You must have heard something about me somewhere."

"Yeah, a bit."
"Haha, now I’m curious about what kind of rumors you’ve heard."
"You probably know already."

When Jung Tae-ui said that, Rigrow closed his mouth and stared at him intently. His dark eyes locked on him, and for a moment, the gaze felt unsettling. Then, suddenly, he smiled again.
"Yeah, I guess I know most of them. But rumors are always exaggerated, aren’t they?"
Rigrow shook his head and clicked his tongue as if he was a bit exasperated. He was certainly playing the part of the misunderstood youth well.

With his white, clean, and charming appearance, his smooth voice, and his way with words, everything about him was flawless.
"…Well, in the video I saw, you didn’t seem like this, but I guess rumors do tend to get blown out of proportion."
Jung Tae-ui murmured as he sat on the empty bed across from Rigrow. He wasn’t crazy, and he could have a conversation just fine. Plus, his way of keeping the conversation flowing wasn’t something everyone could do. Though Jung Tae-ui still had his guard up, he sat down, mentally settling into the moment. Rigrow’s white, neat face seemed to glow as a smile crossed it.

"The video? Oh, right, there was a camera I tore out back then. Yeah, the record is probably still there. I wonder why they recorded it and made me look like some weird guy."
Rigrow muttered to himself, as if he was talking to no one in particular. Jung Tae-ui, now certain, thought to himself, "Yep, this is definitely the guy."
He looked pretty normal now, and the conversation flowed easily, but did he turn into a different person when it came to the battlefield? Or maybe he had some kind of split personality. Or perhaps he was just a little mad in that video, just temporarily insane.

Jung Tae-ui stared at him with his chin resting in his hand, then sighed.
It didn’t matter either way, as long as he didn’t pose a threat to his comfortable life for the next six months. Besides, maybe he wasn’t as strange as he thought.
"Oh, and there’s another book that’s completely different in perspective. After that book came out, Charles Campbell wrote a counter-argument in six months, and it caused a huge fight at the academic conference."

Jung Tae-ui had just stood up when Rigrow casually pointed to the book, and he sat back down.
"Are you talking about '1337, The Beginning of Flanders'?"
"Ah, you’ve already seen it? It must’ve been hard to get."

"No, I haven’t seen it. I’ve just heard the title. How is it?"
"It’s interesting. The content itself isn’t that fresh now, but the way it keeps attacking Joy Moyers at different points is kind of funny. Still, it’s worth reading. If you want, I can get it for you. It’ll take some time, though."
Rigrow offered, and Jung Tae-ui couldn’t help but admire him inwardly. This guy was a true literature nerd, the type who was into obscure, niche works. Jung Tae-ui, who had grown up surrounded by books thanks to his uncle, was accustomed to the lifestyle, but it was impressive to see someone involved in this world so deeply.

Jung Tae-ui, smiling, was about to speak, when suddenly, an enormous crash came from the hallway. It sounded like a door had been ripped off its hinges, or like someone was purposefully smashing the wall.
"These bastards are so weak, I just let them be, and look at them now!"
"Look at these jerks coming into our branch and making a mess!"

"Hey, everyone out! Maybe they’ll quiet down after a good beating!"
"Yeah, let’s fill the infirmary with these bastards!"
Jung Tae-ui’s eyes widened, and he stopped mid-sentence, blinking at Rigrow. Rigrow, still with his calm smile, silently stared back at him.

He had forgotten. The truth was, he and Rigrow were practically enemies in this place. If a fight broke out right now, no one would bat an eye.
"Well… are you planning on joining in?"
Jung Tae-ui didn’t finish the thought about the fight outside. He just wanted to quietly wait for the rough times to pass in his room.

However, after a brief silence, Rigrow betrayed his expectations.
"It’s noisy."
His voice, a little irritated, caused the gentle look to vanish from his face. As he stopped smiling and spoke coldly, his expression shifted dramatically.

It was cruel and fierce.
Jung Tae-ui froze for a moment as Rigrow abruptly stood up and walked toward the door.
The moment Rigrow’s hand grabbed the doorknob, Jung Tae-ui clicked his tongue and stood up.

If that door opened, it would be a battlefield. If he wasn’t lucky, he might end up fighting with the closest guy to him, but that wasn’t something he was hoping for. What should he do now?
He sighed, clicked his tongue again, and loosened his wrists, preparing his body. Even if he was going to take a hit, he needed to loosen up a bit to avoid unnecessary injury.
As he thought about it, Jung Tae-ui followed behind Rigrow, but unfortunately—or fortunately—there was no need for him to step in.

Rigrow, standing firmly in front of him, quietly observed the hallway for a moment.
The hallway was already chaos. Branch members from every room had come out and were fighting, some rolling on the floor and engaging in wild brawls.
For a moment, Jung Tae-ui wondered if the instructor would come back down, but with this scene, even if the instructor yelled, it was clear that no one was going to stop.

Rigrow glanced at a steel pipe that had rolled toward his feet from a distance. He kicked it up lightly with his foot and caught it with his hand. The steel pipe, slightly thinner than a baseball bat, fit perfectly in his hand. It was a far cry from the hand that had been holding the book just a moment ago.
Suddenly, Jung Tae-ui’s gaze fixed on his hand.
Was it a habit? Rigrow was still wearing gloves. But unlike in the video, these gloves were made of a thin, navy fabric, clean and composed.

The steel pipe in his hand looked completely out of place—just as Jung Tae-ui thought this, Rigrow moved forward.
His gaze quickly found two men who were fighting the loudest, grabbing each other by the collar and slamming into the wall.
"It’s noisy…"

His voice, almost a whisper to himself, couldn’t even be heard over the chaos. In the midst of the tumult, he lifted the pipe with a bored, annoyed expression.
And then, simultaneously...
— Crack.

Even in the midst of the turmoil, that sound was unnervingly loud.
It wasn’t just Jung Tae-ui who heard it.
The chilling silence that followed, louder than even a scream, spread quickly through the air. One after another, the terrifying sounds of broken bones and flesh being torn followed as the steel pipe continued to make its gruesome noise, knocking down a few men nearby without mercy.

"Coming all this way, and it’s already annoying enough. Why do they have to be so loud?"
Rigrow’s voice, calm and tired, shattered the eerie stillness.
The bloodstained steel pipe, still in his hand, dripped on the floor as he swung it around. The navy gloves were now stained with dark, spreading patches of black.

"That bastard..."
Someone muttered, their voice trembling faintly. But this murmuring became the spark that ignited everything.
In an instant, the hallway filled with shouts and screams, as if everyone was trying to shake off the fear in the air.

"Kill him! That demon-like bastard, kill him!"
Despite the shouts and screams, no one dared approach Rigrow. Even members from the European branch retreated a few steps, their faces filled with fear.
With a flick of his wrist, Rigrow swung the heavy steel pipe as casually as if it were a pen. Then he smiled faintly and lunged forward.

What followed was pure hell.
The bodies of men, like lifeless heaps, piled up in the hallway, and Jung Tae-ui, standing frozen, could only watch as Rigrow’s back disappeared into the chaos.
He couldn’t help but wonder, where did this insane guy come from? But it only took a moment for him to realize.

This man was the same one who had been calmly discussing books with him just a while ago, the charming, pleasant man who had smiled as he talked about literature.
"Amazing, just amazing…"
Jung Tae-ui muttered as he entered the cafeteria, clicking his tongue.

One thing was certain—the men in this branch always made sure to eat. The cafeteria, which was usually full to accommodate everyone, was packed. It had been rare to see it so empty the past two days, but now it was back to normal, with the seats filled.
The members from the European and Asian branches were divided cleanly into separate sections. Even if a seat opened up on the opposite side, no one from their respective sides would dare sit there—they’d rather stand and eat.
But that wasn’t what was surprising. He had expected that much.

What was truly surprising was that all the men had some kind of injury. Some had their heads wrapped in bloody bandages, while others had large patches stuck to their shoulders and necks. In more severe cases, there were those wearing splints on their limbs.
Before they even started proper training, this was the state they were in, and it made Jung Tae-ui feel more distant from what was ahead.
The few who hadn’t been involved in last night’s brawl, or had been absent at the time, were the only ones still walking around without injuries. Jung Tae-ui was one of those lucky few. His path had been blocked by the aftermath of the fight, and he couldn’t even get involved.

"Hey... this is one hell of a breakfast vibe."
Mora, who had followed Jung Tae-ui into the cafeteria, muttered, looking disgusted. Mora, too, had patches on his arms and elsewhere. He had stuck his head out to see what was going on, only to get lightly struck by someone as the chaos swirled around him. He didn’t plan to get involved in the fight, but being the kind of person he was, he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. He had ended up fighting back, getting a few wounds in the process.
Jung Tae-ui, picking out a few items from the buffet, looked at the silverware in the container, sighed, and grabbed a pair of chopsticks ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) instead.

"I’ve never seen a fork and knife look this ominous before."
The thought that everyone in the cafeteria seemed to be holding some kind of weapon didn’t leave his mind.
Just as he was about to turn and sit down with his tray, he flinched when he saw a man picking up a fork while carrying only toast, salad, and coffee on his tray.

"If you look at it that way, the chopsticks you’re holding aren’t much different. Honestly, there are fewer things in the world you can’t turn into a weapon," the man muttered, noticing Jung Tae-ui's gaze.
Jung Tae-ui couldn’t help but smile at the remark, his unease momentarily eased by the comment.
Jung Tae-ui barely stopped himself from muttering, "You wouldn't need any weapons, even a thumb would be enough for someone like you..." The words nearly slipped out, but he managed to swallow them down.

The man glanced at Jung Tae-ui's tray, which contained a few pieces of rice, some vegetables, and a couple of pieces of meat, and casually struck up a conversation.
"Is that all you're going to eat? Haven't you heard you're supposed to eat like a king for breakfast?"
"I’ve heard that before, but have you ever heard of the saying 'A fool's feast is just another fool's feast'?"

Jung Tae-ui glanced at the man's tray as he spoke, and the man laughed aloud. His low, quiet laugh was pleasant to hear. The very man who had been the source of the many injuries among the men in this place appeared completely unscathed. His neat attire was flawless, with no sign of disarray.
"Hmm, there doesn’t seem to be any empty spots. Oh, wait, there’s two seats over there. Shall we sit?"
The man casually motioned toward the empty seats, giving a gentle nod. Jung Tae-ui, slightly surprised, thought about using Mora as an excuse to refuse, but when he looked back, Mora, who hated getting involved in such situations as much as Jung Tae-ui, had already stepped away and sat at a different table.

For a moment, Jung Tae-ui stood silently, but he couldn’t bring himself to say, "I can't sit with you, you're from the European branch," nor could he say, "I can't sit near someone like you, who could turn on me at any moment." So, reluctantly, he silently followed the man.
This didn’t feel right. This wasn’t a good sign.
His uncle had always advised him to avoid drawing attention. Jung Tae-ui had taken that advice to heart, and it had become something he naturally followed. Even without that advice, he would have avoided trouble.

The previous night had caught him off guard—he hadn’t expected the man in his room to be the same person. He had thought it was a mere coincidence and hoped it would pass without incident. Thankfully, it hadn’t caused trouble, and after the chaos in the hallway, Jung Tae-ui had hoped to just keep to the shadows and live quietly from now on.
But now…
"Are you worried about something?"

The man, still smiling softly, casually spoke up. Jung Tae-ui never expected him to strike up a conversation. He had assumed the previous night’s events were behind them, and they would simply move on from there.
As he lifted his chopsticks to take a bite of rice, Jung Tae-ui muttered flatly, "What’s there to be worried about?"
It wasn’t a response implying that he wasn’t worried. There were plenty of things on his mind, but he didn’t know which one the man was referring to. Was it the fact that the most troublesome person in the room had approached him? Or was it the strangely friendly tone of the conversation? Or maybe it was the cold stares from the European branch members seated at the six-person table nearby?

The man laughed softly after hearing Jung Tae-ui’s response.
"I just thought it was bold, sitting right in the middle of the table with only European branch members."
His calm words made Jung Tae-ui glare at him with his chopsticks still in his mouth.

"You told me to come over here. And besides, there were no other empty seats."
Jung Tae-ui felt uneasy as he spoke. It wasn’t just the table he was sitting at, but the whole area was filled with European branch members. The arrows of their stares poured down on him like rain. It felt as though any moment now someone might shout, "You should be sitting with your own people!" But it didn’t happen, most likely because of the man sitting in front of him.
The men at the table with Jung Tae-ui, along with Rigrow, froze and fell silent as they sat, their eyes darting nervously at the newly-arrived man. In that moment, Jung Tae-ui could easily guess how the others treated Rigrow in their own branch.

... Maybe it wasn't because he was from the European branch that they were afraid of him, but perhaps it was just his nature—he might beat up anyone who rubbed him the wrong way.
"Is he like this with his own branch, too...?" Jung Tae-ui muttered under his breath while eating, unaware that Rigrow had overheard.
"Who?" Rigrow asked, raising an eyebrow.

For a moment, Jung Tae-ui paused with his chopsticks, but quickly resumed eating as if nothing had happened.
No, don’t let anything slip. He had to remain invisible. Whether it was for good reasons or bad, the best thing was to stay out of sight. He would just eat and leave as quickly as possible, avoiding any further interactions with this man.
As Jung Tae-ui silently continued his meal, the members of the European branch, who had been sitting at the same table, stood up and began to leave like a receding tide. The four seats emptied, but no one took them.

"Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve heard your name," Rigrow murmured, his voice barely audible. The moment the words left his mouth, Jung Tae-ui’s heart sank.
This is bad. The signs keep getting worse. Normally, it would be expected that someone would ask for your name, but hearing it from Rigrow made it feel entirely different—unsettling.
"Mm, can I ask you something?" Jung Tae-ui asked without answering the question, casually wetting his lips as he looked up at Rigrow.

Rigrow raised an eyebrow as if to say, Go ahead, ask me anything.
"Do you always ask people for their names?" Jung Tae-ui asked, his tone curious.
He had assumed Rigrow was the type who wasn’t particularly interested in others. But thinking it through, even Jack the Ripper might have asked a prostitute for her name when they first met.

Rigrow chuckled lightly, finding the question amusing.
"Yeah, I do. It’s uncomfortable not knowing someone’s name when you need to call them, don’t you think? Don’t you feel the same way?"
"I only ask for someone’s name if I’ll be seeing them often enough that it’ll become awkward if I don’t know it," Jung Tae-ui replied, vaguely dancing around the question.

Rigrow nodded as if he understood, and Jung Tae-ui, still chewing his food, watched him out of the corner of his eye.
From the outside, Rigrow looked like an exceptionally well-groomed young man, someone you would easily notice in a crowd. Even among the hustle and bustle of the city, his clean, well-put-together appearance would stand out. Depending on the perspective, you could even say he looked handsome.
The way he casually ate a piece of toast, crumbs falling everywhere, still looked somewhat charming. Seeing him in person made Jung Tae-ui realize that, compared to how he had appeared in the video, he looked younger than expected—maybe even a year or two younger than Jung Tae-ui. Or perhaps, as some say, people appear younger after a good rest. It was also possible that, despite his youthful appearance, Rigrow might actually be older than he looked.

"How old are you?" Jung Tae-ui asked suddenly, resting his elbows on the table and staring at him intently.
Rigrow was taken aback by the question, a little confused, but answered with a chuckle.
"Do you often ask people how old they are? Or do you only ask because you think I’m someone you’ll be seeing often enough that it’ll be uncomfortable not to know?"

Jung Tae-ui didn’t respond to Rigrow’s playful retort. Instead, he just sighed, feeling more down than before. I really shouldn’t have asked. Why did I even talk to him?
But his uncle’s words echoed in his mind: "Just don’t draw attention."
It was too late, Uncle. What should I do now? If I die, make sure to burn the books with me.

Jung Tae-ui, muttering half-jokingly as he chewed his food, suddenly noticed Rigrow reaching for a cup of coffee. He was still wearing those neat, dark gloves.
"You really like gloves, don’t you? You’re always wearing them."
"Hm?" Rigrow glanced at his own hand as if the question caught him off guard. He clenched his fist a few times before shaking his head.

"Not really. I just find it more convenient than going bare-handed."
"Then why do you always wear them?"
"I don’t like getting blood on my hands. It’s sticky, and once it dries, it’s hard to clean off."

"How would you get blood on your hands while eating in a cafeteria...?"
Jung Tae-ui was about to finish his sentence when suddenly, the door to the cafeteria slammed open. A man came rushing toward their table, his face grim and his eyes bloodshot with rage.
"Rigrow! This is the gun that killed Kroi!"

The man, with the revolver in his hands, was shaking with fury.
Jung Tae-ui’s face drained of color in an instant. What the hell! Who walks into a cafeteria, first thing in the morning, holding a weapon like that?!