PASSION Chapter 3 Part 12

Chapter 3 Part 12

"But you should have drawn lots better. Ending up staying here which will become unprecedentedly turbulent. Even with 50% probability you could have drawn a lucky lot."

"The lucky lots must have all been drawn by people like Brother Jae-ui."

"Could there be another person in the world like Jae-ui? That guy alone is enough to make the world unfair."

Tae-ui laughed at his uncle's muttering.

"Looking at it, this training doesn't seem like it will end smoothly either."

His uncle spoke in an annoyed tone. Tae-ui stopped the heel that had been tapping the stool. Then he stared at the bathroom as if staring at his uncle though he couldn't see him.

"That sounds rather ominous... Has the list of European branch members coming here arrived?"

"Hmm---though final confirmation will be after their plane takes off tomorrow morning, it's roughly decided."

"If the training won't end smoothly... I suppose there must be some troublesome person mixed among the branch members coming here."

Tae-ui probed carefully. Though it wasn't clearly audible over the shower his uncle had turned on to rinse his hair, what seemed like an affirmative answer came back.

Rigrow. Mad Rick who no one could handle even within the European branch. That man who had left bright red traces with black gloves.

He would be coming to this Asian branch where Tae-ui remained.

Though he had countless times thought his brother was lucky, he had never once thought himself unlucky, but perhaps he needed to revise that thinking a bit.

"I heard he's known as a complete madman... Though the members will be on edge, it must be hard for the instructors too, if someone like that is coming."

When Tae-ui spoke, his uncle's voice came back with a "That's right" grumble.

"Seeing that footage recently, I lost any desire to face him... Uncle, do you think I could survive if I had to fight that person?"

His uncle answered immediately without much thought:

"It would be difficult."

"Hmm..."

"Not just you, but anyone. That kind of guy is hard for anyone to face properly. Well, if you're determined to trade bones and flesh, nothing's impossible."

"Trading bones and flesh... that's quite disadvantageous for this side."

"That's just how he is. You only saw that one footage? Ask others who've experienced him directly. Even if there are some with the guts to face him, you won't find any braggarts with the nerve to say they could handle him alone."

Tae-ui closed his mouth. Though his uncle spoke in a light tone, he never lied. Also, at least from what Tae-ui had seen, he never made wrong judgments.

"...I guess I'll just have to be good at running away if I want to preserve my measly life."

"Well it's not like he's a murderer who kills everyone he meets, no need to be so solemn. The important thing is not getting involved."

His uncle came out of the bathroom. With a towel draped over his wet hair, he walked out naked and took water from the refrigerator, drinking straight from the bottle. As if all his body's moisture had drained out, the 1-liter bottle quickly emptied past halfway.

"Are you already done washing?"

"No, just washed my hair. I was thirsty. I spent all afternoon buried in work without properly eating or drinking. Plus after evening the list of European branch members coming the day after tomorrow arrived and caused another uproar. When that guy is coming, the list of places to contact grows by at least a couple - like funeral homes."

"...Uncle. I want to live."

"Of course. Attachment to life is human instinct. Unless you're suffering from depression, everyone does."

"When you say not getting involved, does that mean I'll be safe if I don't provoke him first?"

His uncle didn't answer for a moment as he finished emptying the water bottle. After draining every last drop, he wiped the few drops that had spilled on his mouth with his fingertip while staring intently at his nephew.

"What do you think?"

"...Well... Since I don't know that person well, I don't know any ways to deal with him at all."

"I don't think so."

"Hearing Uncle's words makes me think that too."

Tae-ui spoke gloomily. His uncle threw the empty water bottle aside carelessly and spoke while heading back to the bathroom:

"It's not about whether you provoke him or not, just don't get involved with a madman at all. Once you get tangled up, even running away won't help. You just have to absolutely stay out of his sight."

"Hmm---that's difficult. How can I not be seen in this cramped place with barely a hundred people total when I'm not invisible?"

"I'm telling you he doesn't grab and slaughter everyone he sees. Just don't catch his eye. Then you just need to be careful not to directly encounter him during training. Though the other Europeans are nasty too, none are as hopeless as him."

Water sounds were heard again. "Ugh, hot, why suddenly..." his uncle grumbled to himself about the control being broken, but soon seemed fine as he even started humming softly.

"Are you acquainted with this Rigrow person?"

Tae-ui asked, feeling something not entirely unfamiliar in his uncle's tone. Perhaps not hearing over the water sound, no answer came. But thinking about it, he probably wasn't completely unfamiliar. After all, that European man seemed famous enough that everyone in all branches and headquarters knew him, and his uncle must have gone to the European branch several times for work too.

Two weeks.

As he sat on the stool leaning against the wall staring blankly at the ceiling, gradually it started to feel like things would work out somehow. Someone like himself who aimed to live peacefully hiding quietly in corners probably wouldn't do anything to catch attention, and really two weeks wasn't that long a period.

In a time too short to even make one friend, how easy could it be to make an enemy?

Right. Even if colleagues push me forward, I absolutely must not step up front even if it means being called a traitor. Unlike them who entered here of their own will for the organization's benefits and future guarantees, I was dragged here with a preset time of half a year, so it's okay for me to do that.

Tae-ui easily justified himself and nodded with satisfaction.

That's when his uncle's humming briefly stopped and he suddenly spoke as if just remembering:

"Oh right, from tomorrow until joint training ends, don't come to my room."

Tae-ui tilted his head slightly. Through the open door he could see his uncle's arm lathering with soap. Soon turning his gaze to the book thrown on the bed:

"But I'm not done reading that book."

"Take it with you then. During joint training period, personal contact between members and instructors is forbidden."

His uncle added "Though technically it's forbidden normally too" while speaking in a pretend stern voice.

While internally muttering that his nerve wasn't quite up to borrowing something worth $3500, Tae-ui picked up the book within reach. Then he stood up and walked casually to stand in front of the bathroom door.

"Uncle. If I die during training, please make sure to bury this unfinished book with me."

"People who die without children are cremated not buried... I'll burn it with you."

"You could at least say I won't die."

"A person's fate is... ...Well no, right, in my opinion you probably won't die."

After briefly pausing, his uncle nodded and spoke casually. Speaking so casually made it seem more truthful and Tae-ui ended up smiling wryly.

A fierce stream of water sound soon flowed from the bathroom. It seemed he planned to just shower today rather than fill the tub.

Should head back now. When he could sleep comfortably was only today and tomorrow anyway, should try to replenish his already depleted energy even a little.

However somehow his feet wouldn't move. After briefly wondering why, Tae-ui recalled the conversation that had been staining his chest like a blot for a while.

"..."

Though not a particularly pleasant topic, he felt he should say something. At least he felt he should let his uncle know that he knew.

Tae-ui leaned against the bathroom door and stared at the ceiling briefly before suddenly blurting out:

"By the way Uncle. When did Brother start getting involved in weapons development?"

Though he spoke casually without raising his voice much, the water sound from the bathroom cut off shortly after. Along with the cut off water sound, his uncle was also briefly silent.

"Where did you hear about that?"

His uncle's voice was as casual as Tae-ui's.

"From the Laurens Gastier broker. I thought he was a rare book broker but turns out he wasn't."

"He told you quite a bit. He called again today?"

"No, it wasn't today. It was a while ago, and I had forgotten about it too and haven't had a chance to meet you lately. And it's not really worth being curious about anyway. ...Hmm, he doesn't seem to have done it while living with me, so was it from when he was at UNHRDO?"

"Though he received many requests before that, you could say he started participating seriously then. What else did that guy say?"

Though answering without particularly hiding anything and still in a casual tone, his uncle clicked his tongue. It seemed to be news he hadn't particularly wanted revealed. Well, it wasn't something he would want to reveal.

"He didn't say much else. But is Brother still doing that?"

"No, he quit now. He had stipulated from the start that he would only do it while at UNHRDO. Though it seems requests still flood in even after he left UNHRDO, he seems to have rejected them all."

"I see," Tae-ui nodded.

Come to think of it, during the few months after Tae-ui was discharged and returned home, there were times he received strange calls. International calls in tones that clearly revealed they weren't ordinary people just from their manner of speaking - though they weren't surprising since he had received such calls occasionally before due to Jae-ui. But he had briefly wondered what kind of people would search so persistently for Jae-ui who barely went out.

Tae-ui straightened up from leaning against the wall.

That was enough. Actually even if he was still continuing development, it wasn't Tae-ui's place to say anything, but if it was something he had quit, he didn't want to pursue it or think about it further. He'd just pinch his cheek once when they met later. Using that good brain of his for something like that.

"Then I'll head out now. I can come back after joint training ends, right?"

"Yes."

His uncle just answered from the shower without sticking his head out. Tae-ui stretched out his arm and waved the book at the bathroom door.

"I'm borrowing this, Uncle."

"Alright. Don't handle it too roughly. It would be troublesome to get another copy."

"Yes, yes."

Adding "As if I'd carelessly handle $3500," Tae-ui moved toward the door.