PASSION Chapter 2 Part 8

Chapter 2 Part 8

Tae-ui must have visibly shown his fluster. His obvious discomfort must have shown in the young man's eyes too, as stability returned to eyes that had been wide with surprise.

"An unfamiliar face... who might you be?"

The young man quietly asked. Tae-ui was flustered again.

Even his voice was youthful. Rather than his voice, his careful and measured way of speaking each word seemed fresh and innocent. Really, it wouldn't be strange if he said he was a minor.

Though he covered his mouth with his hand trying to hide his fluster, Tae-ui didn't realize that the gesture of rubbing from his mouth to his chin made him look even more flustered.

It would be rude to ask his age.

"Um... how old are you?"

However, even while thinking that, he couldn't help but ask.

The young man seemed to guess the reason from Tae-ui's flustered face and gestures, and answered with a slightly hurt and displeased expression:

"Twenty-two. Now who are you?"

Twenty-two. Still a kid. But wouldn't be a crime to touch him. ...No, that's not it.

"Um... do you work here?"

It seemed pitiful and touching to find such a pure young man - though he was a young adult - in this environment with rough violent men crowding inside and poisonous snakes living outside.

By that point clear displeasure rose on his face. A face wondering what kind of person this was. It made sense since a stranger had suddenly barged into the bathroom and instead of answering questions just spoke nonsense while treating him like a child.

"Which Instructor's team and which team did you join? Or though I haven't heard, did you come as an Instructor or Support Staff?"

He asked coldly with a frost-like face.

Only then did Tae-ui start as if waking from a dream and scratched his nape. It seemed he had upset him somehow.

"I got... lost. I was trying to find Instructor Jung Chang-in."

"Instructor Jung Chang-in? His room is all the way right after leaving, then all the way right at the dead end, then from there all the way right there's an elevator, and from there right around the corner second room."

"Um... okay."

Though it was an uncommitted response, it was very helpful. If he could just gauge where it was, finding it would be easy.

"Well... thanks."

Tae-ui gave an awkward greeting. Though the young man still had an unsatisfied face, he answered with just a shrug of his shoulders. His bare shoulders gleamed softly.

Though he should leave now, his feet wouldn't move. He wanted to look more at this pretty young man. It really felt like looking at some amazing doll. One that spoke and moved.

"Aren't you going?"

Having apparently been about to undress, the young man threw his shirt into a rattan basket provided in the changing room and undid his belt buckle. Then about to take off his pants, he saw Tae-ui still standing there and asked with furrowed brows.

Tae-ui suddenly blushed furiously. Though there was absolutely no reason for it, he felt extremely shy.

"No... going. See you later then."

Tae-ui even waved before leaving the bathroom.

He left the bathroom without looking back and strode purposefully in the right direction as told by the young man. Only when he reached the dead end did his head finally cool somewhat. When he raised his hand to stroke his cheek, even his ears were burning hot.

Tae-ui stood blankly for a while looking bewildered, then shook his head and turned right to walk again.

Tae-ui wasn't the type to get emotionally agitated easily. He was often told he was indifferent and wooden. Actually he just didn't show it well on his face even when flustered.

But now he could tell without looking in a mirror. He must have an obviously flustered look on his face.

"Damn... You didn't say there would be someone like that, Uncle..."

He tried blaming his innocent uncle once. But of course no answer came.

He had been like this once before. A time when his head suddenly went blank and he just stammered in confusion. When was that forgotten memory from?

When he was still wet behind the ears as a student. Tae-ui, who could be called precocious, or negatively speaking an overeager teenager, had already tried everything sexually as a high school student. He had slept with both women and men, and recognized that he was more attracted to men than women. He knew soft pliant bodies suited his taste and were nice to embrace.

At that time, though it was probably his first love, he met his friend's cousin who was staying over during vacation when visiting his friend's house.

Not too thin with appropriate flesh, white and soft skin, large eyes and cute expressions. Like cotton candy.

Then, it was exactly like now.

His face heated up, his heart pounded, his mind went blank, his breathing trembled.

Though it got somewhat better after getting a bit used to that cousin by persistently visiting his friend's house for several days making excuses, still his heart would pound whenever he saw that child. Just feeling happy, wondering if he could somehow accidentally brush against that soft skin even once.

Though it ended as a futile first love when the cousin soon returned home.

Even after that, what Tae-ui liked and was attracted to was that type. Cute and lovable and meltingly fresh young men.

However, men with such an impression were quite rare, whether grown or even among young boys still, so he had actually seen very few. He would just satisfyingly enjoy it when he found someone somewhat similar at clubs occasionally.

But he never expected to find someone matching his taste so perfectly in such a remote place.

"What should I do..."

Tae-ui really muttered in a troubled voice.

What should I do. To think someone matching my ideal would appear like this.

Actually thinking about it, there's nothing to do or not do. Since he had no intention of rape or molestation, if that man was heterosexual that would be the end of it. And the probability of that was extremely high. Even if by luck he also had that orientation, time was limited to half a year.

"What should I do..."

Without knowing even the object of what he should do, Tae-ui just kept muttering those words.

During this time he reached the end of that long corridor too. After quietly sighing in front of the wall, Tae-ui turned right again.

Indeed as he had said, the elevator came into view. The elevator in that same position Tou had taken. The door to the stairwell could be seen to the side too.

"Around the corner second... right?"

Tae-ui muttered following exactly what that young man had said as he moved his steps accordingly.

Around the corner second, he could quickly find which was his uncle's room.

***

His uncle wasn't in the room.

No, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say he wasn't at his seat.

Half-entranced in other thoughts due to his troubles, Tae-ui opened the door and entered without knocking, but there was no one there to scold him for it.

He paused briefly at the situation with no one in the room and the door not even locked, but hearing water sounds from inside he understood. His uncle seemed to be in the shower room attached to the room.

Tae-ui confirmed this was his uncle's room from seeing several familiar personal items carelessly placed on the desk, and went inside. Then he sat in the large chair in front of the desk and slowly looked around the room.

His uncle's private room was quite different from Tae-ui's private quarters.

Not just the furnished items and electronics, but more than anything else, this place had many books. Bookshelves filling the walls were packed haphazardly full of books.

Tae-ui briefly ran his hand over the bookshelf within reach. His uncle owned many rare books. His uncle's home - though he spent most of the year at the branch and returned home less than ten days a year - was full of books so rare that rare book collectors would drool with desire. There had even been book thieves, which says it all.

That's why Jae-ui would often go to their uncle's house and stay for days without coming out. Though he stopped going after running out of books to read, before that Tae-ui would sometimes go to their uncle's house to call for his brother.

Though Tae-ui didn't love books as much as his brother or uncle, he enjoyed books enough to distinguish which were rare. Among the books his hand touched now was one he had wanted to read but never managed to obtain.

Tae-ui slightly raised his eyebrows and pulled out that book. A book he had tried everything to obtain but had to give up since even the original was out of print.

I don't know how this person finds these things so well. Though it's convenient for me.

Tae-ui admired his uncle while slowly flipping through the pages. However, he couldn't really focus on the book.

It was because that young man he had just met kept floating before his eyes.

"...Really now. What am I doing... I'm not a pubescent boy... Get it together, Jung Tae-ui."

Tae-ui clicked his tongue while fanning his face that showed signs of heating up again. He even lightly slapped his own cheeks a couple times.

Just what kind of place is this branch? How could they throw such a young and delicate kid into the middle of such a harsh island. Though seeing him on this floor he probably isn't a member...

Tae-ui started at that thought.

This is basement level 1. Not the floor where members stay. People who stay on this floor are... could that kid actually be a Director General, or Deputy Director, or Instructor...

Tae-ui's face stiffened slightly. He just mechanically flipped the pages of the book in his hands, his mind going blank.

That's when.

What brought Tae-ui back from briefly crossing over to distant consciousness was a very faint, but easily audible in the quiet room, mechanical sound.

Tae-ui turned his head toward the sound. It was coming from the phone on the desk. A quiet and soft mechanical sound. A notebook-sized monitor mounted above the red blinking lamp gave off a dark and dim light.