“Tae-i. You’re forgetting one thing.”

“What?”

“I told you before. To you who hate being with me terribly, I want you to live that terrible life every day until you die.”

“......”

As he said, Tae-ui had forgotten. He had been foolish to forget even for a moment that cruel, relentless, and brutal nature like a snake’s.

Without hesitation, Jeong Tae-ui got up and climbed down from the bed. He grabbed the shirt draped over the back of a chair and slipped his arms into it, muttering,

“Alright, let’s go. That damn Hong Kong. Whether you lock me up in the basement or toss me coated in cement into the sea in front of Hong Kong, do as you please.”

If the flight was tonight, he didn’t know when this guy planned to leave the house, but he couldn’t afford to be so relaxed. There wasn’t much to pack anyway, but he had to organize what he could, and say goodbye to Kyle, Rita, and others. No matter what, he had to greet them face to face. Kyle had gone straight to work after a late breakfast, so he would have to say goodbye by phone or in writing. They’d probably see each other again someday, but still, he wanted to say a proper farewell.

Damn. Once caught by that guy, he had already half given up on life, but his heart twisted a little because he couldn’t live his life on his own terms.

“The location of a missing person spreads like wildfire once even one person gets a trace.”

Ilay’s voice reached Tae-ui’s ears as he finished putting on his shirt, revealing his unease. Tae-ui glanced over his shoulder and muttered sullenly,

“Yeah, now the fact that my brother might be in Seringe will leak everywhere. Even if it’s not me, there will be a mountain of people trying to drag him out.”

So he’s going to Hong Kong, Tae-ui grumbled.

The wooden floor creaked as Ilay stood. After a few steps, he reached behind Tae-ui, reached out, and grabbed his ear. The twisting motion was slow and gentle but merciless. Tae-ui’s face twisted in pain, and he turned his head.

“I’m not talking about Jeong Jae-ui.”

“...?”

Tae-ui shook his head and covered his ear with his hand. He looked at Ilay with curiosity.

The rumors about the whereabouts of missing persons obviously referred to Jeong Jae-ui in this context.

Tae-ui tilted his head slightly and stared intently at Ilay. After a moment’s thought, he blinked, but Ilay had no intention of explaining himself. Meeting Ilay’s gaze, Tae-ui slightly frowned and muttered to himself,

“Me...?”

“Yes, you.”

Tae-ui looked at Ilay dazedly, then slowly tapped himself with his index finger.

“Well... I guess my uncle must know where I am now. So what.”

“If someone with a grudge against me tries to catch my prey before you do, that wouldn’t be pleasant. If I just stayed in Hong Kong and went back to the branch, I could respond quickly if needed, but otherwise, the moment I leave Germany, they’ll probably pounce immediately.”

Tae-ui still looked dazed.

This was not the first time this man had talked nonsense that the culprit wouldn’t understand, but so far Tae-ui had mostly been able to comprehend him. This time, however, he couldn’t. Still, since Ilay wasn’t a useless babbler, it must mean Tae-ui’s own comprehension was lacking.

But even so...

“Who else but you would target me?”

Tae-ui muttered absently. People tend to judge others by themselves, but even so, he hadn’t lived as recklessly as this man. He had no memory of making enemies so many as to have people everywhere plotting his death.

Certainly, as Ilay said, Jeong Jae-ui was not the only person missing for a while. For a much shorter period, Tae-ui himself had also been untraceable.

But Jeong Jae-ui and Jeong Tae-ui were different. Nobody was desperately searching for Tae-ui. Unless there was someone obsessively chasing him with a special grudge—like the man before him.

“No way. Just naming a few off the top of my head...”

Tae-ui scoffed, but Ilay clicked his tongue and opened his mouth. Then stopped mid-sentence and shut it again.

“Even if I name them...”

Tae-ui pressed him, but Ilay only stared bleakly at Tae-ui. Feeling innocent but uncomfortable under that gaze, Tae-ui slowly averted his eyes. If he didn’t want to talk, fine, he muttered grumpily.

Ilay suddenly muttered softly,

“Jeong Jae-ui...”

“...?”

“That one might be even more troublesome.”

Tae-ui frowned slightly. The topic was drifting oddly and seemed hard to grasp. He sighed deeply and irritably tugged his hair.

“So, someone I don’t know who holds a grudge against me might kill me before you do, so I have to take you along to Hong Kong? Or just suffer miserably every day?”

He wanted to sound very angry, but his will didn’t follow. Even if so, the person hearing that wasn’t worth worrying about, and Tae-ui himself wasn’t really angry.

Speaking in a weak voice, Tae-ui thought: After botching a job and running away, then getting caught, this is what happens. Maybe that’s what karma means.

Since entering this room, Ilay had fixed his gaze on Tae-ui as if lost in thought. He put his hands in his pockets, took out his phone, and tossed it to Tae-ui. Reflexively catching it, Tae-ui looked at the phone with puzzlement.

“Think whatever you want. The Hong Kong trip isn’t changing. We leave in 30 minutes, so call your brother. No hassle or multiple steps—that’s direct.”

“Ah, okay.”

Tae-ui muttered displeased as he opened the folder. Then suddenly frowned.

Leaving in 30 minutes? That’s like frying beans in a thunderstorm.

While dialing a familiar number, Tae-ui asked toward Ilay’s retreating back walking to the door,

“You came on a private plane, right? Then why the rush to leave in just 30 minutes?”

Thinking about it, even if he had dinner with Kyle after he got back, and said proper farewells, the private plane could still manage the timing.

“......”

Ilay stopped and slowly turned around. Seeing a faint expression of disbelief on his blank face, Tae-ui quickly looked down at the phone screen again.

Yeah, a pilot forced here under duress wouldn’t just quietly wait for a mere instructor. Also, it wasn’t a personal plane but a UNHRDO plane with a fixed schedule. This disruption must cause huge problems.

“This is really last-minute... Is the plane ticket even booked?”

More a half-muttered remark than a question, Ilay, already stepping out the door, answered,

“Of course. Passport number JR0203314, Kim Young-su.”

“...Your sarcasm is impressive...”

Tae-ui muttered, exasperated, and Ilay laughed aloud a couple of times. After a pause, he looked back at Tae-ui, seemingly reluctant but said calmly,

“Shut up and come quietly. I won’t let you fail to meet Jeong Jae-ui.”

“Hmm?”

Holding the phone to one ear as the call waiting tone sounded, Tae-ui gave Ilay a somewhat blank look. He hadn’t missed the words but was surprised by them. Wondering if he’d misheard, but before Tae-ui could ask again to confirm, Ilay only left that one sentence and left the room.

Tae-ui stared blankly at Ilay’s disappearing figure until the waiting tone stopped and Kyle’s brief voice came through the phone,

“What’s going on?”

Kyle was a busy man.

Even now, he held a phone pressed to his right ear, receiving a direct call from across the sea, a pen in his right hand, and a piece of paper James had just brought five minutes ago in his left.

In fact, most of the work was already handled and finished by James. Before the news reached Kyle, nine-tenths of the matters would have been settled by James alone. James was truly a competent secretary. Although his nagging was a bit excessive, remembering the past when he was buried under a mountain of work and stressed out to the point of needing psychological counseling, even threatening to resign, Kyle knew he owed his survival to James.

Today, too, after having a late breakfast and coming to the office, Kyle sighed as he saw the mountain of work piled on his desk and muttered, “Too much work.” Yet when James came to pick him up from home after 9 a.m., having already arrived at the office by 7 a.m. and reviewed the day’s tasks, Kyle had no choice but to swallow his words under James’ sharp gaze.

In truth, James had half given up on this boss. Kyle was undoubtedly a brilliant figure often called a prodigy in some circles, but he was not a diligent or conscientious person. Without his brilliant brain, this company would have collapsed long ago.

Knowing Kyle’s capricious nature and lazy side well, James handled tasks himself unless absolutely necessary. Kyle willingly—very willingly—agreed to this, and of course, since the workload was mountainous, James rigorously calculated his salary accordingly.

Therefore, if documents reached Kyle, they were something he ‘must see.’

“So it’s more of a hassle. There’s not a single task I can slack on or pass off easily. Huh? Not one! Damn, that damn work demon.”

After handing over the fax and as James left, Kyle started grumbling and criticizing James. At that moment, a friend laughed on the other side of the call.

“Tell James to give you less work.”

And as expected, Kyle jumped up in surprise.

“Don’t joke. If he actually resigns this time, I’m finished, finished for sure.”

“Haha, you know well. If James quits, let me know. That competent friend—I’ll snatch him up quickly. I’m not the only one after him.”

“No, no. If you want to ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) take James, you’ll have to take me too.”

Thinking about life after losing a secretary far more competent than himself, Kyle shuddered as if with a chill. Meanwhile, his cold eyes, utterly unlike his timid tone, scanned documents, marking them with a pen here and there.

At that moment, his phone in his pocket rang.

Kyle gathered his pen and papers in one hand and took the call. Raising his eyebrows slightly at the number on the screen, he muttered,

“What’s this guy calling for?”

“Did he call? Should I call back later?”

“No, it’s Ilay. He’ll just say what he has to and hang up soon, so it doesn’t matter. But why would the guy I just saw two hours ago suddenly call?”

“Ah, Rick. It’s probably a farewell. That guy has to return to the branch by tomorrow.”

“Really? Then he must go today. No, that guy wouldn’t do something cute like a farewell. Wait a moment... What is it?”

Kyle put the friend on hold and answered another call. It wasn’t someone who would call without reason, nor someone who would call for trivial matters. Moreover, a farewell was out of the question. The friend surely knew that and was joking.

However, Kyle’s curt response was met with a somewhat hesitant gentle voice.

“Kyle? It’s Tae-ui.”

“Tae-i?! Oh, right.”

Kyle lowered the phone from his ear to check the screen again. The number was definitely his brother’s. Scratching his head with question marks in his mind, Kyle spoke softly and kindly,

“What’s up? Did Ilay make you call? Did he tell you to?”

Jokingly smiling, Kyle spoke, and Tae-ui hesitated again on the other side.

“Well... I’m about to leave for Hong Kong soon, with Ilay. I would have greeted you properly this morning if I had known in advance, but it suddenly turned out this way... I’m sorry, and thank you for everything so far.”

“Huh? Leaving? When?”

“In 30 minutes.”