Passion (BL Novel)

Tae-ui still couldn’t wipe the smile off his face and raised his hand to cover his mouth. Normally, the priest would just pass the tray of food without saying a word and leave, but this time, he glanced at Shin-lu, then back at Jeong Tae-ui, and for some reason, decided to speak up.

"Just now, you were singing, 'I’m hungry, hurry up and bring me food.' That was you, right? Well, here you go. I’ve put a lot on your plate today."
The priest gave a sly grin, and for a moment, his white canine teeth peeked through his lips. Jeong Tae-ui’s face instantly turned bright red. In a fluster, he turned his gaze toward Shin-lu, his eyes rolling around, and cursed the priest inwardly. That damned guy never responded to anything, always silent no matter what, yet he chose now—when Shin-lu was around—to say something like that. He was doing it on purpose, there’s no doubt. Too many enemies everywhere. The world felt desolate.
As Jeong Tae-ui muttered curses under his breath, a soft laugh was heard from behind him. The moment he heard it, his expression stiffened. Behind him, there was Il-lei.

Shin-lu looked puzzled at the sound coming from the dark interior. He hadn’t noticed the man sitting on the lower shelf, as he couldn’t see the area below the shelf from outside the bars. He was startled when the laughter came, his eyes widening, and he craned his neck to look inside. However, it seemed he never managed to recognize who was sitting there.
“Oh, so you’re not alone, huh, hyung? You’re with someone else…?”
"Isn’t that the thin young man we saw before? You came all the way here, huh, Tae-i? You must have a good relationship with him."

Il-lei spoke slowly, still sitting without moving. Shin-lu quickly recognized the faint smile in Il-lei’s voice. His expression also froze.
“Hyung, the person you’re with...?”
“Mmm… You’ve probably seen him before. He’s the one from the European branch... the one who got into trouble last weekend and was brought in.”

It wasn’t a guess; Shin-lu had definitely seen him. He had hoped that Shin-lu would forget, but that wasn’t likely. Just as Il-lei had watched Shin-lu closely, Shin-lu had also looked at him with clear curiosity and wariness.
Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue. For some reason, whenever he met Shin-lu, he always ended up running into this man. He never wanted it. He wanted to keep this man as far away from Shin-lu as possible. Right now, since he was with Shin-lu—and behind bars—he couldn’t do anything, but if they were left alone in a free state...
He didn’t want to think about it. Even though he had no confidence as a man and felt a lack of pride, he couldn’t help it. Honestly, he was anxious about losing Shin-lu.

“Hyung, are you sharing a room with him? ...Since you came in?”
Shin-lu asked stiffly. Realizing the man was so close, his face froze with tension. But Jeong Tae-ui could clearly feel it. Shin-lu wasn’t just nervous or anxious. He was looking at Il-lei with a certain emotion—one that held both curiosity and wariness.
Jeong Tae-ui suddenly recalled what Il-lei had said.

─"I don’t care if I approach him, ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) seduce him, or drag him to bed, just don’t mind it. Instead, I won’t use threats or any forceful means."
Il-lei was confident. He believed he could get Shin-lu if Jeong Tae-ui didn’t interfere. No, even if Jeong Tae-ui did interfere, Il-lei would never give up what he wanted.
Jeong Tae-ui could hear Il-lei rising behind him. Il-lei slowly stepped into Shin-lu’s line of sight. Jeong Tae-ui didn’t even need to look over his shoulder to know. Shin-lu’s gaze was fixed on the spot just beyond his shoulder. He could feel it, piercing through him without even a glance away.

Thud, thud, slowly, Il-lei approached from behind him. Jeong Tae-ui could sense his presence without needing to look, aware that Il-lei was now right behind him. One step, two steps, and then right behind him. The white hand reached out from behind Jeong Tae-ui’s shoulder. The hand brushed next to his ear, grasping the bars firmly—both sides.
Trapped in Il-lei’s arms, Jeong Tae-ui didn’t even turn his face, keeping his eyes locked forward. From the front, Shin-lu, just as stiff as Jeong Tae-ui, stared at Il-lei. Suddenly, Jeong Tae-ui noticed a flash in Shin-lu’s eyes.
Jeong Tae-ui hesitated. Shin-lu was looking at Il-lei with expressionless, cold blue eyes. Not anxiety—no, it was clearly wariness. Wariness and anger, frustration.
Jeong Tae-ui had never seen such an expression from Shin-lu. He had always seen Shin-lu with a smile, soft as cotton candy, whispering “Tae-i hyung.” That’s why this unfamiliar face, staring coldly at Il-lei, felt like a completely different person.

Shin-lu’s face at this moment, what should he say? If he had to name it—.
Then, suddenly, Shin-lu lowered his gaze. Their eyes met. In that moment, his face darkened, as if struck, or as if realizing he had made a mistake.
"Tae-i hyung, I—"

Before Shin-lu could say anything, Jeong Tae-ui grabbed his hand once again, covering it with his own. Despite feeling Il-lei’s presence so close behind, Jeong Tae-ui pretended not to notice and spoke to Shin-lu.
“Thanks for worrying about me. I’m fine. In a little while, I’ll be able to leave here, and then we’ll meet up. Remember, we’ll go out together like I said.”
When Jeong Tae-ui smiled and spoke, Shin-lu, who had looked anxious and confused for a moment, nodded. A smile gradually spread across his face. Seeing that smile, as though he might cry from relief, Jeong Tae-ui felt a pang in his heart.

It was him, making this beautiful young man feel this anxious. He couldn’t even properly protect him, nor could he stop him, making Shin-lu feel this uneasy around Il-lei.
"I... I'm not strong enough, am I? I’m sorry."
Jeong Tae-ui spoke bitterly. Shin-lu immediately shook his head, saying no, over and over.

Then, a hand was placed on Jeong Tae-ui’s shoulder. Il-lei, who had been gripping the bars, released one hand and placed it on Jeong Tae-ui’s shoulder.
“You two have a good relationship, huh? Coming all the way here for a visit. I envy you. I don’t even have friends like that. Really envious.”
Il-lei spoke in a playful tone, whispering into Jeong Tae-ui’s ear. Jeong Tae-ui winced from the warm breath and frowned.

“Well, you’ve got to build good relationships for visits, you know? Stop being so grumpy, I’ll show you the book I got yesterday, so stop pouting and go away.”
Jeong Tae-ui grumbled as he pulled away from his arm. Il-lei laughed softly and stepped back. The white hand that had been holding the bars disappeared from his sight. But Il-lei didn’t turn around after taking a step back. Jeong Tae-ui could tell, from the look in Shin-lu’s eyes, that Il-lei was still staring at him.
Then, suddenly, Jeong Tae-ui heard a short laugh from behind, and Shin-lu’s face, which had been tense, flickered with something strange. When he turned to look, Il-lei was already walking away inside. Jeong Tae-ui glanced at him with displeasure before looking back at Shin-lu. Shin-lu was staring at Il-lei without a single change in expression.

“Why? ...Are you angry? Did that bastard do something?”
Jeong Tae-ui asked anxiously, but Shin-lu didn’t respond. He just kept staring at Jeong Tae-ui, and after a while, he reached out and grabbed his hand. His hand was slightly cold, his palm moist with sweat.
“Hyung, please hurry out. I’ll be waiting, so don’t forget, okay? Hurry up.”

“...Yeah, okay.”
Jeong Tae-ui nodded, slightly confused. However, Shin-lu, with his still uneasy expression, didn’t take his eyes off him. Shortly after, the priest came over, having finished serving the food.
“Hey, Shin-lu. Time to go. You can’t stay too long.”

The priest called out and waved his hand. Shin-lu hesitated, reluctantly letting go of Jeong Tae-ui’s hand, and Jeong Tae-ui, feeling the absence, clenched his fist. After Shin-lu waved goodbye to Jeong Tae-ui, the priest followed him out. Only after the sound of the steel door closing did Jeong Tae-ui sigh and turn around.
Inside, Il-lei was already eating. Jeong Tae-ui sat across from him and silently picked up his chopsticks. Without a word, he scooped rice and put it in his mouth when Il-lei spoke.
“Such a cute guy. I think he’s a little misunderstanding something, but he’s cute. He’s got that spark.”

Jeong Tae-ui glanced at Il-lei. He tilted his head slightly at the part about misunderstanding, but he didn’t ask. He wasn’t keen on bringing up Shin-lu. He didn’t want to drag the conversation on, so he waited for Il-lei to finish before changing the subject. But it seemed Il-lei had more to say about Shin-lu. Suddenly, he noticed Jeong Tae-ui’s stiff face and laughed.
“Are you really worried? Worried you’ll lose him? Or is it something else?”
“...Yeah, I’m worried about losing him. He’s such a lovely guy, I bet there are a lot of people who want him.”

Jeong Tae-ui said gruffly. Il-lei tilted his head, smiled subtly, and looked at Jeong Tae-ui. Then he put down his spoon and took a sip of water. His lips, moist from the drink, looked strangely seductive. Feeling Jeong Tae-ui’s gaze on his lips, Il-lei licked his lips. Jeong Tae-ui quickly turned his gaze away.
Jeong Tae-ui knew. This man, if it was just based on physical attraction, was undoubtedly a captivating man. If he wanted, he could easily pull someone into his arms. And it didn’t seem like Shin-lu would be an exception. In fact, since he and Shin-lu hadn’t exactly defined their relationship, he had no right to stop Shin-lu from going to this man. He couldn’t say anything if Shin-lu went to him, someone who was more charming than anyone else, making Jeong Tae-ui’s heart throb.
“What do you think is the charm of a human?”

Il-lei asked, breaking the silence. Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head, unsure of what he meant. If it was a standard answer, he could easily come up with one—heart, mind, wisdom. Many answers could come from personal opinions.
“Face.”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered gruffly. Il-lei laughed, his fingers tapping the table in an upbeat rhythm.

“Is that your standard? That’s fine, I guess. The face is definitely important. Haha, you’re really interesting.”
Indeed, you’re an interesting character, Il-lei. Jeong Tae-ui didn’t ask who else Il-lei considered interesting. He already knew that every time this man looked at him, he was peeking into the face of his older brother.
“But, you know, it’s not just the face or body, it’s the vibe too. People have that atmosphere. Some call it personality, some call it skill, but there are humans who can attract people even without doing anything. That brat is one of them. Even I get a little tense when I look at him.”

Il-lei said, grabbing his crotch. Jeong Tae-ui wondered if this was really a topic to discuss during a meal, but as usual, he didn’t say anything. Watching Jeong Tae-ui, Il-lei suddenly asked slowly after a moment’s pause.
“I’m curious, what will you do if I take that brat?”
Jeong Tae-ui stopped his chopsticks. The side dishes slipped off between the chopsticks. Damn. Even though he had been using chopsticks for decades, he was still not quite accustomed to them, and now, to hear such a remark while eating? Especially when it was hard to pick up even a few pieces of beans.

Jeong Tae-ui glared at the side dishes rolling on the floor, his displeasure showing. He put down his chopsticks and quickly grabbed the water glass that Il-lei had just drunk from, emptying it in one go.
What would he do if Shin-lu were taken away? He hadn’t thought about it. Didn’t want to, and consciously tried not to think about it. In fact, the idea of “taking” Shin-lu was nonsensical. Shin-lu had never been his to begin with. Just like no one truly belongs to anyone.
He didn’t want to lose him. He wanted to keep him close, safe by his side. He hoped Shin-lu wouldn’t go to someone else. But if Shin-lu left by his own will, there was nothing Jeong Tae-ui could do to stop him.

“If you keep your promise, I’ll keep mine.”
Jeong Tae-ui spoke gloomily. If he didn’t forcefully take Shin-lu, he wouldn’t interfere. He had said it unilaterally, not so much as a promise, but he intended to keep it.
Thinking about it made him sad. Jeong Tae-ui lost his appetite, making a disgruntled sound as he glanced down at the food tray. The meal, which was usually balanced, still had a few spoonfuls left, but he put down his utensils and pushed the tray aside.

Il-lei quietly watched him and then smiled, finishing his own meal. He spoke cheerfully, almost to himself.
“You’re very clever in some ways, but in others, you’re really mistaken. But, from my point of view, it’s fun.”
“Messing with people like that, and one day, you’re sure to get hurt.”

“Hmm... Maybe that’s why I’m sitting here right now.”
Jeong Tae-ui briefly considered smacking the leftover food tray into this man’s face, but quickly dismissed the idea. He still had a few more days to be here. A few more days to be locked up in the same cage with this man. He had to look after his own life. Jeong Tae-ui sighed as he reluctantly pushed the tray away with his fingertips.
Time, when you look back on it, isn’t really such a long concept. In every case, there’s plenty of time left, but the time that has passed is just a moment, fleeting.

The same goes for ten days. The time that could be endured in life wasn’t very long. Moreover, on the eighth day, the morning of the day that felt the longest in those ten days, the instructor came early and suddenly told him to come out. Jeong Tae-ui felt like half of those ten days had already passed.
He hesitated for a moment and glanced at Il-lei, but the instructor had called for him alone, and Il-lei only gave a casual wave with no change in expression. It wasn’t unfair, but there was something about leaving first that made Jeong Tae-ui feel slightly uncomfortable. Still, when he hesitated, the instructor shouted, “Do you want to stay here for another ten days?” and Jeong Tae-ui reluctantly got up. As he followed the instructor out, the instructor muttered, “That guy will be out soon enough. Don’t worry about him. Don’t waste your time on a madman like that.”
Jeong Tae-ui nodded slightly, feeling a little relieved.

When he stepped out, the first person he saw was his uncle.
Beyond the bars of the prison, the elevator he had taken to come down was waiting, stopped at the 7th underground floor. He took that elevator directly to the instructor’s office on the ground floor, where his uncle was waiting.
As soon as Jeong Tae-ui saw his uncle’s face, he frowned. His uncle, smiling broadly and welcoming him, saw Jeong Tae-ui’s expression and gave a vague, awkward smile.

“Your critical gaze is sharp. Was life in the prison that tough? It’s strange. I specifically asked to be sent to the eastern prison, but maybe the instructor misunderstood. He’s getting older, after all.”
“No, thanks to you, I had a nice rest. It felt like a vacation. In the same room as Il-lei.”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered while glaring at his uncle. In reality, none of this was something he could blame his uncle for. Sharing a room with Il-lei wasn’t, in retrospect, that bad. After all, he had spent ten days without facing any life-threatening situations.

However, Jeong Tae-ui quickly realized that the arrangement to share a room with Il-lei wasn’t his uncle’s doing. His uncle looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a slightly surprised expression.
“With Rick? He’s fine, huh? …I didn’t think he’d try to harm you.”
“Why?”

Jeong Tae-ui calmly asked as he sat on the sofa his uncle gestured to. It didn’t seem like it, but did that man judge whether to harm people based on how they looked? He only hurt those who seemed easy to deal with, and ignored others. ...But if that was the case, there was no reason Il-lei wouldn’t harm him.
Well, who else would be easier to manipulate than himself? Whether it was his uncle or Il-lei.
Having developed a twisted outlook on things, Jeong Tae-ui looked at his uncle with a similarly twisted gaze. His uncle seemed to be thinking about how to respond and then tilted his head.

“Well, there’s a lot of factors, but most of all, he really seems to like you.”
“Hah.”
Jeong Tae-ui let out a bizarre sound and stared at his uncle. His uncle raised both hands as if to say, “I’m telling the truth.”

“I thought I had a good eye for people... but why would you think that?”
Jeong Tae-ui muttered with a sigh. While not as good as his uncle, he thought he had at least some sense of judging people. Jeong Tae-ui thought Il-lei could easily slit his throat whenever he felt like it. Whether he was joking, playing around, or smiling, Il-lei never wiped the coldness from his gaze. It was always cold, ice-like.
“That guy doesn’t often teach his name so easily. Especially the first time they spoke.”

His uncle gave a reason Jeong Tae-ui couldn’t quite accept. A name was merely a tool to address someone, and as long as it wasn’t a cruel nickname, it didn’t matter how they were called.
Seeing Jeong Tae-ui’s frown, his uncle seemed to have guessed his thoughts but only smiled wryly and said, “I’m telling you, it’s true.”
“Uncle. From what I see, that man will slit my throat the moment he has a reason—even if it’s just a whim.”

“Aha, that’s right. But that’s a different matter than whether he likes you or not.”
“How can it be different?”
“There are types of people where it’s separate. Unfortunately, Rick is one of those types.”

His uncle shrugged. Thinking about it, it seemed like it made sense. Il-lei Rigrow was someone who could kill anyone without batting an eye. But separate from that, he surely would have his likes and dislikes. Maybe hearing him say, “I don’t want to fight with you right now,” meant that he was somewhat fond of him. That “right now” detail was bothering him, though.
Jeong Tae-ui, tired of overthinking, scratched his head and changed the topic.
“But why is it so quiet at this hour? Everyone should be running around before regular hours.”

“Hmm? Well, it’s because we’re on vacation.”
“Vacation?”
“Last week, the joint training ended. When you were in the prison, the joint training ended, and then vacation came. Since they couldn’t rest on the weekends during the training, this is their compensatory vacation. So, most people went to Hong Kong, and the rest are probably just lying around in their rooms or hanging out on the 5th floor.”

He added that the guards were carrying on as usual with their duties, giving a subtle smile. Jeong Tae-ui knew that his uncle had likely heard that Shin-lu had gone to the prison a few days ago.
Jeong Tae-ui glanced at the clock. His uncle, noticing his look, told him to go rest.
“If you want, you can go to Hong Kong. You just need to return by Sunday at 5 PM.”

“Hong Kong... that sounds interesting, but I’m not in the mood for it right now. Do I really have to meet with the other guards?”
“Hmm. You just need to finish one interview with someone after you leave the prison. What’s there to discuss with everyone else? Just a few words like, ‘You worked hard,’ and ‘Be more careful and live diligently in the future.’”
"Well, the ones who mess up and end up in the prison are the ones who will go back, and the ones who don’t, won’t. No point in talking about it, just wasting time," muttered Jeong Tae-ui’s uncle, frowning. He followed the proper procedures, but he wasn’t a fan of them.

Jeong Tae-ui, about to leave the instructor’s office, hesitated for a moment and glanced at his uncle. They locked eyes, and Jeong Tae-ui debated whether to ask or not, but his uncle spoke first, as if he suddenly remembered.
"Right. The guy you were in the same room with, Rigrow, will be leaving the prison late tonight. He’ll have to meet with all the guards. He really stirred things up, after all."
"Tonight... I see."

The time in the prison had always felt so inconsistent, like rubber bands stretching and shrinking. He had wondered if he might end up being locked up for several more months.
Jeong Tae-ui nodded slightly, feeling some relief. He didn’t want to see a wild, vicious beast unleashed, but he didn’t want it to be trapped inside forever, either. His uncle, still speaking in his usual calm tone, added.
"And tomorrow, he’ll be leaving by a morning flight. The other European branch members left right after the training, but he couldn’t because he was here. So now that he’s leaving the prison, he’ll go straight back to his base."

Jeong Tae-ui kept his mouth shut and stared at his uncle. After blinking a few times, he muttered, "Oh, I see." It felt like hearing something very unfamiliar.
Is that so? Yes, the joint training was already over. And that madman, Rick, was finally going back to the European branch. Now, he didn’t have to worry about the danger of losing his life, nor did he need to worry about Shin-lu anymore.
Even though it had only been a little more than two or three weeks, he had gotten so used to the overwhelming presence of that man that the thought of him leaving felt surreal. It seemed like an unbelievable reality.

Suddenly, Jeong Tae-ui remembered Il-lei’s face as he waved lightly just before leaving the prison. His face had been the same as always, wearing that subtle smile. He had never shown any sign of being anxious or nervous. It was as if he knew he would never be stuck in an uncomfortable situation for long, no matter what happened.
Maybe he, too, had a fair amount of luck, just like Jeong Tae-ui. Jeong Tae-ui suddenly stopped walking. Il-lei’s words came to mind.
"Uncle, what causes a person to have good luck?"

There might be no cause for the luck one is born with, but perhaps, as Il-lei said, there’s something that generates good fortune. If such a thing exists, people would surely covet it.
Jeong Tae-ui mumbled to himself, lost in thought. But there was no answer coming. After a moment of silence, Jeong Tae-ui realized the subtle silence and turned his gaze. His uncle was staring at him, looking slightly surprised. When their eyes met, he awkwardly smiled.
"Rick said something like that too."

"Was that something I shouldn’t have heard?"
"No, not exactly, but... Well, who knows. But one thing is for sure. Just as people’s natural luck varies, the cause that brings forth that luck is also different for each person."
Jeong Tae-ui frowned. His uncle was saying something he couldn’t understand. But somehow, it seemed like what he was saying was related to Il-lei’s intention. Jeong Tae-ui fell into thought for a moment, but no answer came to him, and he sighed before nodding, no longer wanting to think about it.

"I see. I guess so. ...I guess Il-lei really could be quite a lucky guy."
"Him? Of course, he’s lucky. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth."
"...."

Jeong Tae-ui froze. Born with a silver spoon? What about the poor childhood he had? What about the unfortunate circumstances that twisted his personality and made him become like this?
Jeong Tae-ui stared at his uncle as if asking for an explanation, but his uncle waved his hand dismissively, as though saying he was talking nonsense.
"Rigrow wasn’t born into an ordinary family either. You must know that his family deals in weapons. They don’t just deal with simple supplies but also proper military-grade materials. They’re well-known in the industry. They’ve been around for a long time and have built trust, so there are many businesses working with them. They even have expensive lawyers on retainer and use them to find loopholes in the law to independently develop and sell weapons. With that scale, even the state can’t easily suppress them. ...Silver spoon? Forget that. He was born with a diamond spoon, capable of biting into diamonds themselves."

Jeong Tae-ui widened his eyes and glared at his uncle. It felt a bit strange. His uncle had called his childhood hardship a joke, but he had thought there was at least some truth to it. His personality might have been born that way, but surely his family situation must have contributed to his struggles. This liar, this fraud.
The point was clear: whether his family was well-off or not, that man’s personality had been like this from birth.
Jeong Tae-ui’s face hardened, and his uncle noticed, but after a brief silence, Jeong Tae-ui sighed and relaxed his expression. He couldn’t hold onto anger for too long, after all.

"It’s fine. After he goes back to Europe, I won’t have to deal with him again."
Jeong Tae-ui decided to think positively. Tonight, Il-lei would leave, and by tomorrow morning, he would be heading back to Europe. They wouldn’t meet again. A year from now, when there would be joint training with Europe, Jeong Tae-ui would no longer be there. Thinking this way, he felt like he could forgive everything. It was a bittersweet feeling.
Before Jeong Tae-ui could say anything, his uncle gave him a strange look. Jeong Tae-ui stared at him in confusion. His uncle, as usual, smiled nonchalantly and said, "Yeah, good job."

Something about it seemed off. Jeong Tae-ui stared at his uncle for a moment, but then, just in time, the priest came to visit his uncle. He left the instructor’s office with him. It felt strange. When people look at you like that, it usually means something fleeting crossed their mind.
"...?"
Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head, but there was nothing to pin down, so he slowly continued walking. Then, suddenly, his pace slowed again. He had passed the office while walking toward the elevator.

His uncle had jokingly said, "The guards are carrying on with their duties as usual." That meant Shin-lu was probably inside. Of course, there would be other guards as well, but Jeong Tae-ui hesitated for a moment and knocked on the office door. He heard sounds from inside.
He opened the door. Inside the office were almost all the guards. It seemed like it was just before they were about to start their duties, so they were all in the office. Jeong Tae-ui had never seen so many people in the office at once—well, there were only about four or five—but he paused for a moment. Shin-lu, sitting closest to the door, stood up in surprise when he saw Jeong Tae-ui.
"Hyung, you’re out already? I thought you were leaving tomorrow?"

Looking at the calendar on the desk, Shin-lu seemed startled when he saw the circled date with "Tae-i hyung" written under it. Seeing that tiny circle made him smile brightly.
"Yeah, I thought so too, but they suddenly told me to leave this morning. Apparently, the schedule there is a bit unpredictable... How have you been?"
"Yes, it’s been a little busy, but nothing major. You... You seem to have lost some weight."

"Really? I’ve been eating well inside. I don’t know why that would be."
"...Was it tough, being in the same room as that man?"
Shin-lu’s face darkened suddenly. Seeing this, Jeong Tae-ui quickly shook his head.

"No, it wasn’t like that. Don’t worry. Look, I’m fine, see? I’m back now, in one piece."
Jeong Tae-ui tried to reassure Shin-lu, but just then, a guard who had been rummaging through the cabinet for old files looked over and muttered to himself, as if they were meant to overhear.
"Well, if someone sees them like this, they’d think they’ve been separated and reunited after years. You guys are really something."

At his words, a soft laugh echoed around the room. It wasn’t mocking, just lightly teasing, but Jeong Tae-ui’s face turned red immediately. Shin-lu’s too. Shin-lu quickly stood up and, pulling Jeong Tae-ui by the arm, led him out of the office.
Once outside, he closed the office door, and the noise was blocked. Standing in the empty hallway, Shin-lu hesitated, looking at Jeong Tae-ui. His shy look made Jeong Tae-ui’s heart flutter again. It felt good. But then Shin-lu, anxiously staring at him, suddenly raised his hand and brushed Jeong Tae-ui’s hair back. The soft hand gently caressed his cheek, and Jeong Tae-ui was taken aback.
"It’s nothing. You’ve really lost weight. It must have been tough inside... What should I do?"

"No, no. Really, it wasn’t a big deal. I just had a nice rest. It was just confinement, not really prison. You don’t have to worry about it."
"But you were in the same room with that man!"
Suddenly, Shin-lu’s voice grew louder. As he shouted, he immediately flinched, closing his mouth in a depressed silence. Jeong Tae-ui, too, flinched from the sudden outburst and closed his mouth.

This was the first time he had seen Shin-lu shout like that. When they first met, Shin-lu had looked at him with a displeased face due to the circumstances, but he had never seen him get so worked up and shout like that. Jeong Tae-ui was a bit startled, staring at Shin-lu. He appreciated Shin-lu’s concern, but...
Before Jeong Tae-ui could say anything, Shin-lu, who had been watching him, lowered his head in a dejected way and muttered.
"That man... you’ve been in the same room with him... What if you start feeling something for him?"

"Uh... Well, it wasn’t like that... I’m fine..."
Something felt off about this conversation. What was this? What was going on? Jeong Tae-ui pondered for a moment, but then, seeing the young man’s face looking like he was about to burst into tears, Jeong Tae-ui suddenly had a suspicion. Could it be? Surely not, but was this child misunderstanding everything in the wrong way?
"You’ve been in the same room for ten days, and if you... if your heart starts to lean towards him... What will I do then?"

With that, Shin-lu’s eyes filled with tears. At the same time, Jeong Tae-ui felt his own eyes welling up too. Why did he have to misunderstand like this? It wasn’t like that at all.
Jeong Tae-ui paused for a moment, wondering whether to speak or not. Maybe it would be better not to say anything. Given the situation, it was more advantageous not to mention that the man was after Shin-lu. But seeing him in front of him, crying like that...