“… …Are you afraid for your life? That he threatened to kill you if you didn’t go out with him?”Yun Chang-o asked gravely, as if that were the only explanation he could fathom. He sounded ready to drag Tae-ui off to a domestic-violence counselor. Tae-ui laughed, amused that his friend could read his mind so plainly.“Haha… yeah, now that you mention it, at first he said something like that—told me not to even think of running away. …Right, I guess he still has that side. Even if we can’t stay together for some reason, I don’t think we’d break up so much as just… snap apart at some point.”Snap apart—either I die by his hand, or he eats me, or he dies. The last wasn’t something Tae-ui liked to imagine.He softened his eyes slightly. No wonder people sometimes looked at him like he’d lost his mind—mad to be serious about a guy like that.Yun Chang-o stared at the ground, serious, then looked up.“Tae-ui, think carefully. You’ve got a long life ahead. You’ve spent too long railroaded by threats and coercion. You need a way out. There has to be some solution.”Yun Chang-o clearly misunderstood, but Tae-ui couldn’t help smiling wryly.“A way out, huh… like what?”“Well, for example… set him up with a woman—no, not a woman in your case. How about pairing him with another man? Someone who suits him better than you.”“Denied. Would I wreck someone else’s life just to make mine easier?”“Then, avoid his calls. Don’t pick up, dodge him.”“He lives in the same house—too cramped to dodge him. I see him every few steps. Denied.”Yun Chang-o’s eyes nearly popped at the mention of co-habitation, but he went on, more pensive.“Or show him only your worst side. Behave so disgustingly he begs off.”“Disgusting…?”Tae-ui rubbed his chin. He’d already seen too many inhuman sides of himself to know what ‘disgusting’ might mean. Whatever he did, could he out-do the inhumanity he’d witnessed in that man? Sometimes Ilrey had gleefully forced him into the most embarrassing acts—and watched with pleasure.“That’s hard. We’ve bared every side already—I can’t out-disgust him.”He shook his head. Indeed, there was no way to casually break up with him. None of these methods fit.Yun Chang-o looked truly troubled. He sat cross-legged, head ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) in his hands, then jutted his chin.“Then go at it straight. Tell him you want to end it.”“Ah, I refuse.”Tae-ui’s answer was immediate. Yun Chang-o, dumbfounded, watched while Tae-ui scratched his head in apology. He’d tried so hard to help, only for this.“I have no intention of breaking up.”“…Uh… but I’ve heard he’s not a good person.”“Right. You heard correctly.”Tae-ui’s calm confirmation left Yun Chang-o even more bewildered—which was fair. Tae-ui himself had wrestled with his own values. Now, he only knew one thing for certain: he intended to stay with Ilrey Regrow.“Well… look on the bright side, Tae-i. You may have saved others you don’t even know.”At that moment, Tow, nibbling on the spent filter of his cigarette, muttered:“The mood was frantic—who’d die first? But look, no one’s died… except maybe you.”Tae-ui heard that spiteful joke with a bitter twist. Tow grinned sideways, then added:“You’re playing a good role—though it hasn’t improved your rep with most.”Tow’s laughter made Tae-ui briefly consider deck­ing him.“Enough. I expected that. Let them curse me all they want!”Tae-ui tossed the empty pack toward Tow and stood. Yun Chang-o leaned forward, hesitated, then spoke softly:“Tae-i, is your guy here now? In the Asia branch? Maybe I should talk to him. If he won’t break up, maybe he’d consider improving things. Sometimes an outside party has more sway.”““Hey, cut it out.””Tae-ui and Tow said in unison.“This training—no casualties so far—it’d be great to finish safely. Everyone’s surprised you’ve survived.”“That’s been said? Without me knowing?”Tae-ui clicked his tongue wryly. He couldn’t exactly deny it.“Well… it’s true. Sometimes I’m amazed I’m still breathing. I should have died properly at least once by now.”He gazed at the unseen night sky beyond the forest canopy. Frankfurt’s grim nights flickered through his mind—how death had teetered on the edge, then receded. He knew there would be more close calls with Ilrey by his side.“…”Tae-ui blinked. He tried to recall Ilrey’s expression then… but it eluded him.In that pitch darkness, blood scented the air until sensation vanished—until the flashlight beam shone. Ilrey had—“So, have you thought of a way to get free?”Then he saw someone stepping through waist-high underbrush toward them. The slanted, listless gaze fixed on Tae-ui. No warmth, no hostility—an inscrutable expression.Tae-ui’s frown deepened; Tow went rigid. Only Yun Chang-o greeted him casually:“Oh—Rick. Welcome.”But Rick—Ilrey Regrow—ignored Chang-o, staring only at Tae-ui.…Damn. Worse than CCTV.“Whether you have the will or not, it’s not a pleasant topic for me. So—have you found a solution?”“I told you. I’ve resolved to live like this.”“A firm resolution, hm?”Ilrey’s lips curved slightly. Tae-ui realized then that, however inscrutable Ilrey’s mind might be, his heart was still twisted.“I really want to help. How can I? How can you be free of my threat? For example, if I cut off this hand—your favorite hand—it might put your mind at ease.”Ilrey slipped off his glove and held up his hand. The pale skin gleamed even in the dark as he flexed his fingers. Tae-ui’s lips tightened.“Cut it off? That’s one of the few things I like about you. Try cutting it off. I’ll—”“Right away?”“…I’ll just reattach it.”Even as he spoke, Tae-ui felt foolish. Other voices in the night must be watching him now with disgust and bewilderment. Among them one gaze stood out—disturbed and shocked.“Um, Tae-i—if I’m not mistaken, are you and Rick…?”Yun Chang-o asked cautiously. Tae-ui’s lips twitched but he feigned ignorance—though silence can be taken as assent.It wasn’t shameful or awkward—but facing a comrade who once knew the truth, it felt oddly embarrassing to admit ‘yes, this is the one.’What weighed more was the flicker of annoyance on Ilrey’s face—like he was a bothersome insect to be brushed away. Tae-ui knew well how Ilrey dealt with nuisances.Even so, he tolerated it—though he could never accept it. But truly, now was not the moment for Ilrey to flare up.A surge of resentment he’d nursed all afternoon boiled over.“How long will you keep being twisted? What’s your problem?”“Twisted? Me?”“Yes. Are you mad at me? But isn’t it too late for that?!”He shoved the nearly empty pack at Tow and rose. Ilrey met his gaze steadily, then spoke after a pause:“No. I’m not angry at you.”“Not angry? Your voice is still twisted!”Ilrey’s occasional sarcasm had stung before—but now, Tae-ui had no idea where to even start untangling whatever was knotted between them.As his voice rose, Yun Chang-o reached to restrain him: “Tae-i, calm down—” but Tae-ui shrugged him off.“Listen—I need you to explain properly—”At that moment, a chilling wind swept through. Instinct made Tae-ui’s neck prickle. Then: crack! A splintered tree trunk, wood chips fluttering down.…?!He heard no shot—but there, lodged deep in the tree, glinting faintly, was a bullet. The trajectory passed exactly through the spot where Ilrey had stood—if he’d stayed one breath too long, that shot would have pierced his skull.From somewhere—no more than a few dozen meters away, given the dense cover and dark—a low curse sounded. Seconds later, a muffled bang, as if a suppressed weapon fired, and a thick branch overhead shivered, shedding leaves and twigs.An ambush.Whose life was the target? The man standing squarely in that path had just slid on his glove. It was obvious.Damn timing.“Tow! Chang-o—go with him! Warn Instructor Jung Chang-in!”Tae-ui shoved Yun Chang-o toward Tow and shouted, regretting that even his roar might not carry to camp. Tow clicked his tongue and, knowing what had to be done, bolted for safety.“Wait—!” Yun Chang-o stammered, but was dragged away out of sight.Tae-ui turned—Ilrey was already gone.

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