"No, yeah, it's true, but I feel a little hurt by your easy admission..."Jeong Tae-ui, feeling somewhat conflicted, licked his lips bitterly. Then his uncle's smiling gaze returned.“But in this base, under the constraint of fifteen days, isn’t there at least some hope? ――Well, even if you can’t succeed, there’s no other option. You’ve got to clutch at straws.”Transformed from shield-bearer into a man clutching straw, Taeui exhaled and stared up at the ceiling.He’d thought it strange—his life flowing this smoothly felt wrong. But this time was different. He actually had a choice.“I won’t do it, Uncle.”Taeui [N O V E L I G H T] looked his uncle squarely in the eye and spoke clearly. His uncle hummed awkwardly, a subtle, bitter smile playing on his lips. He looked as if he were weighing whether to speak or remain silent. Finally, he muttered, “I suppose I have no choice,” and sighed.“The information Hogan pilfered―and will probably try to siphon off again during this joint training―is the molecular formula for Jaeui’s chemical weapon. When Jaeui moved from UNHRDO headquarters to Riyadh, all research rights beyond the headquarters’ projects moved with him. But that formula is dangerous. They must have thought it too risky to take to Riyadh, so they left it here on the condition it remain undeveloped and unused.”At the mention of “I won’t,” Taeui’s resolute expression momentarily flickered. Seeing that face, his uncle smiled wryly. He clearly didn’t relish this conversation either.“Once we cut Hogan loose, some word will inevitably leak out. And if Rick turns him into minced meat here and the rumors spread―well, Jaeui’s current research institute and our organization could end up litigating over him. And of course there’d be a big risk of that formula being used in ways Jaeui never intended.”“….”“There are other reasons we’d like to wrap this up quietly, but personally, that’s the biggest one.”His uncle dropped the subject there, as if placing the choice firmly in Taeui’s hands.Taeui stared wordlessly at his uncle. Then he glanced reluctantly at the white hand of Ilrey―who must be quietly listening on the other end of the call―and murmured,“Can’t it be resolved quietly? We just need to secure his testimony.”“My client detests Hogan. He wants to escalate this into something that’ll ruin him utterly.”A voice added in a tone that sounded not at all regretful: I’m sorry I can’t grant your wishes.Taeui scowled into empty air.He had thought he had a choice…but clearly he didn’t. No, he hadn’t even wanted to choose otherwise.“Ugh… I really hate you guys. Both you and Uncle.”Taeui muttered in exasperation, rubbing his face, already worn out by the thought. Having obviously expected such an answer, his uncle cheekily patted his shoulder in sympathy. But because that comfort was sincere, Taeui could do nothing but pinch his uncle’s finger ruthlessly, venting his resentment.“Why not direct that hatred at the man on the other end of the line?”“…Hate all I want, but for these fifteen days I’m going to be risking my life.”“Do you really think he’d kill you? Right, Rick?”“After all, that’s what you’ve been aiming for.”At that moment, Ilrey, who’d been listening until now, snorted softly over the phone.“Fine, Taei. I’ll honor your choice of Jaeui over me with all sincerity.”His tone was as always, faintly amused yet unreadable—and this time, the laugh in his voice was ever so slightly stronger. Taeui knew too well that Ilrey’s laughter sometimes wasn’t laughter at all.Wait… it’s not that I valued my brother more than you, it’s that――Before Taeui could mount a defense, Ilrey added, “However,”“I’m magnanimous enough to guarantee your life.”That, he could be thankful for. Truly.Yet at the same time, a vague doubt crept in at having to be sincerely grateful that his life would be spared in this relationship.Taeui muttered in a voice too tired even for a sigh, as if burrowing through the earth to the far side of the globe:“Look, if you’re doing me a favor, at least do it generously. We’re not exactly close.”To find himself saying that meant he’d aged. They say people’s faces grow thicker with age.A brief silence followed. Then Ilrey chuckled softly; the tapping of fingers on the table sounded strangely cheerful.“I never thought I’d hear that from you, but it’s not bad. Not bad at all. ――Alright, Taei. Let’s do it this way: I’ll give you a chance to complete the mission, too.”Ilrey’s voice carried a pleasant lightness, and Taeui raised an eyebrow in surprise.Taeui’s mission would directly oppose Ilrey’s: hunt and protect could not coexist.“I’ll apply a penalty. I’ll only strike Hogan when I catch him in the act of extracting information.”“Wh….”“In other words, you can choose to either monitor him so he doesn’t steal the data, or watch me so I can’t get to the scene, or stand against me at the extraction scene and defend him however you like.”Of course, he could simply neglect the mission, the easy choice, Ilrey added—but Taeui gazed intently at him, or rather at his hand.“So what if he just behaves during joint training and goes home?”“He won’t. He won’t come back to this Asia branch. He already knows there’s information here no one else has.”It was his uncle, arms folded and leaning on the desk, who answered Taeui’s question. Ilrey offered no dissent.Their words were undoubtedly true. That man―Ronald Hogan―would surely attempt to smuggle out the data while stationed here. Ilrey would pounce and crush him, and Taeui would have to stop him by whichever means Ilrey had laid out.Tch, Taeui clicked his tongue softly.This time, there was truly no choice. No—he ought to be grateful that Ilrey had at least applied this penalty. At least he wouldn’t have to face “Madman Rick” indiscriminately.“Okay. Got it. Thanks.”“For what—it’s between us.”Taeui’s lips curled in a bittersweet grimace at that subtle smile. Why did the words he once spoke taste so bitter when returned to him…?“That’s quite an unprecedented favor. Is there some catch?”His uncle exclaimed in surprise, but Ilrey’s brief sneer was the only reply.“A catch? Ridiculous. Wouldn’t you feel sorry for your nephew if you couldn’t even do this much for her lover? Your nephew isn’t that unlucky in love.”To see his silver-tongued uncle momentarily at a loss for words was rare.Yet without changing expression, his uncle, wearing a composed smile, gazed blankly at the screen, then slowly turned his head toward Taeui.His steady gaze carried countless unuttered words, but Taeui averted his eyes.“Besides, think of this as a brief diversion. If you fail to protect him, it ends right then.”Those words were addressed equally to uncle and nephew.It was a favor, and yet also a pastime for him. He was utterly confident of his outcome. The penalty was merely to spice up a game whose conclusion was already certain.For Taeui, looming storm clouds; for Ilrey, just a tasty dash of seasoning.…Somehow I just got a little fired up.But sensing Taeui scratching at his neck, Ilrey chuckled again through the line.“Taei, no need to get so serious. I know I can be a pain to deal with when I’m your enemy. So trust that I’ll do my best—so that I can tear Hogan apart right before your eyes.”“No, don’t!”Don’t overestimate me—I’m not that kind of man! So don’t do your best, and above all don’t deliberately put him through agony in front of me!As soon as Taeui retorted, Ilrey laughed heartily.“Fine, I’ll look forward to next week’s meeting. I hate that we won’t be on friendly terms while you’re there. Good luck. ――And Instructor Jeong Chang-in, I’ve sent the paperwork I mentioned by email. Check it when you can.”With that, the call ended.Is there any good luck more sinister than that?“…What paperwork?”“A few documents needed to qualify that bastard for joint training.”Taeui, unwilling to confirm that lies truly ran rampant in the world, didn’t bother asking for details. Truth and reality had always differed.Weariness washed over him. The overload of information and its content seemed to fry his brain.What is this?That man—whom Taeui would never wish to meet as an enemy—why was he suddenly looming beyond the boundary?Even if his life wasn’t at risk, this was a cruel trial.His overloaded mind turned white with fatigue.His gaze, drifting aimlessly, landed on scattered papers on the nightstand. The name ronald Horgan, written midway down the list, stood out sharply to his tired eyes.“A leak of classified data… Does he have some compelling reason?”It seemed unlikely that a man with a perfectly respectable job and position would do such a thing, but maybe he was born the eldest son of a desperately poor family with dozens of dependents, and now had to pay for his elderly mother’s surgery… Taeui’s mumbling trailed off as his uncle cut him off curtly:“Simply greed.”“To have to protect someone like that makes me uneasy.”Taeui slowly shook his head, and his uncle smiled wryly.“You’re wrong, Taeui. It’s not Hogan you must protect. It’s Jaeui’s peace.”Jaeui, living peacefully under distant skies, would never dream that this was unfolding thousands of miles away. Perhaps that was even part of his luck. Hearing those words, Taeui nodded in understanding.Now that this was how things stood, he felt a strange relief. After all, even if he’d firmly refused Hogan’s offer of cooperation, he couldn’t have stood by and watched Ilrey carve that man to pieces without acting. Better to see it as an extra chance to help his brother.But.In that moment, Taeui felt utterly exhausted. Emotionally drained, he stumbled and collapsed.“Don’t overthink it. After all, what your task is is to follow him. He won’t blatantly break the law right before your eyes. Just watch carefully and prevent Rick from catching him in the act.”“It sounds simple, Uncle, but does everything Hogan’s involved in really go smoothly?”Muttering that, Taeui realized why he’d grown so accustomed to misfortune; but for now, he had to stop. He was truly too tired.So he didn’t want to think about the papers, or the names on the list—certainly not that ominously familiar name just below Ronald Hogan’s. If he thought or asked now, the exhaustion would sink him deeper into despair. Better to wait until he’d recovered his energy.Feeling that his self-preservation instinct was indeed his most faithful ally, Taeui left his uncle’s room and trudged to his own chamber―still unoccupied by Ronald Hogan―where he could have some solitude.It was going to be a dreadfully long fifteen days.

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