PASSION Chapter 4 Part 24

Chapter 4 Part 24

Ignoring the youth who had frozen with a belated cry of surprise, Rigrow picked up the crossbow that had rolled from the man's hand. Then he looked at the arrow that had flown from that crossbow and stuck in the rock crevice. Finally, he turned his gaze to Tae-ui beside it.

When their eyes met, Tae-ui felt needlessly guilty though he hadn't targeted him, and raised both hands. Rigrow's gaze coldly moved down to Tae-ui's hands.

"It wasn't me. ...No, if anything, I helped you. There's no reason to glare so coldly."

Tae-ui muttered with some indignation. Rigrow said briefly, "I know." Then clicking his tongue as if displeased, he took a step forward. His steps approaching Tae-ui were unhesitating.

Faced with him striding closer, Tae-ui instinctively wanted to step back but with rocks everywhere underfoot, he couldn't retreat in such an unstable state.

"I'm telling you it wasn't me. Besides, I don't even know who that guy is. It wasn't planned with me either."

"I said I know."

When Tae-ui kept insisting, Rigrow muttered as if finding it ridiculous. Tae-ui glared at him with wary eyes.

Surely he wouldn't suddenly attack someone who helped him. But why is he walking toward me? No, never mind that, he should put some clothes on first.

It became very uncomfortable facing a man approaching unhesitatingly while naked. However, Rigrow stopped with an unconcerned, calm manner only when he came three or four steps away. Then he bent down and pulled out the arrow stuck in the rock crevice. After examining the arrowhead and tapping it a couple times with his fingertip, he smiled slightly.

"If I'd been hit in the head with this, even I wouldn't have survived."

Tae-ui muttered with a frown. At that, his gaze shifted from examining the arrow back to Tae-ui's face. Tae-ui grimaced with a flinch and made the same excuse for the third time.

"I had nothing to do with it. ...Ah, really. Stop glaring like that. I'll have a heart attack after helping you."

Tae-ui shouted in complaint, suddenly feeling indignant at receiving knife-like stares after helping. At that, Rigrow raised his eyebrows and smiled faintly.

"Was I glaring? I know who that man is. He's from my team. I know why he tried to kill me, and that you had nothing to do with it, so no need to bristle so much. ---Besides, surely even if I had intentions, I wouldn't do anything to you in this situation after you helped me."

He smiled as if amused. However, that sturdy arrow spinning between his fingers like a pen still looked unavoidably dangerous. Tae-ui clicked his tongue.

"You're awfully calm for nearly dying. This must not be the first time."

"Well, I experience it once or twice a month."

He spoke casually as if discussing everyday matters. Then tapping the arrowhead once more, he muttered.

"If he got his head pierced with this like he tried to do to me, maybe he'd come to his senses."

"Do whatever you want, but I'd prefer you avoid bloodshed in front of me. Better yet, away from where I am too. ...If I could ask for more, it would be even better if you handled it after returning to Europe."

Tae-ui muttered with a face like he'd bitten a bug. He absolutely didn't want to get caught up in troublesome matters. He had not the slightest desire to be a witness at a death scene.

Damn it. Why do I keep getting tangled up with this guy? I should have just ignored it, I'm an idiot.

Whether from the cold sea breeze or the man before him, Tae-ui felt a chill in his arms and rubbed them with his palms. Then feeling a sting, he noticed a long cut below. Only upon seeing blood flowing from the torn skin did Tae-ui first realize he was injured.

Going "Huh" in confusion, he soon realized it was from when he had barely dodged the arrow from the crossbow earlier.

"Wow... Amazing. Just a graze did this much, if I'd been hit properly it would have been completely devastating. ...That guy should also copy the UNHRDO Rules and Regulations book ten times for weapons violation."

Tae-ui clicked his tongue while muttering. The cut must have been quite deep as the bleeding wouldn't stop.

Hearing those words, Rigrow suddenly burst out laughing. His soft but pleasant laughter continued for a while. When Tae-ui looked at him with a displeased face, Rigrow gradually stopped laughing and said:

"Hahaha, right. As you say, I should have him copy the Rules and Regulations book ten times before dealing with him. Alright, I'll have him copy the book while here, and handle it after returning to Europe. Since the person who saved my life says so, of course I should comply."

Rigrow continued laughing softly for a while then grabbed Tae-ui's arm. And examined the wound.

"It's cut deep but not severe. Once the bleeding stops there's nothing particularly worrying. ...Take this to wipe it."

Rigrow spoke while removing the glove he was wearing. Tae-ui grimaced with an "ugh." Surely he wasn't suggesting to wipe the wound with that glove soaked in countless people's blood? It felt like the grudges of all those people would transfer if he wiped with that.

"You really are completely different from your brother. Even for fraternal twins, it's rare to be this different. But well, that's not bad either."

Rigrow whispered with amusement still in his tone. As Tae-ui hesitantly took the offered glove, he suddenly paused. The words sounded familiar. Though slightly different, he had definitely heard words like this recently. And from whom--.

Seeing Tae-ui staring at him without moving while just holding the glove, he tilted his head then took back the glove and wiped Tae-ui's wound with it. His bare hand holding the blood-stained glove was very white. Under the sky where fog was starting to clear, his hand looked especially pale in the hazy moonlight.

Nails gleaming neatly like glass. Long, delicate fingers. White, beautiful hands.

Familiar hands. So familiar they seemed more familiar than Tae-ui's own hands.

Rigrow seemed to notice his stare fixed on his hands after wiping Tae-ui's wound. Suddenly raising his eyebrows and muttering "Oh dear" as if troubled, he flexed his hands. That movement was familiar too.

"Do you like my hands that much?"

He asked Tae-ui, who couldn't take his eyes off his hands. Tae-ui raised his head. And stared straight at the man smiling faintly before him.

Damn it. What is this.

That was all he could think. His mind went blank with no thoughts, then suddenly anger welled up.

"If I say I like them, will you cut them off for me?"

When Tae-ui spoke gruffly, Rigrow laughed out loud. The tone of his laughter overlapped with the electronic voice heard recently. Thinking about it, even the way of speaking was similar.

"If you want. Though your own hands would suit you better, I'll give them to you if you want. After I die."

"Don't need them. I wouldn't ask now for something I said I didn't need until recently."

Tae-ui's voice grew increasingly unpleasant. His mood became as unpleasant as his voice.

Rigrow was smiling before him. The smile at his eyes subtly looked down at Tae-ui. Tae-ui glared at his hands again.

There couldn't be two pairs of hands like that. Such beautiful hands.

"Which is your surname and which is your given name?"

Tae-ui asked sulkily. A question he had never thought about suddenly rose up. Rigrow looked at Tae-ui with a subtle smile, then after a pause answered:

"Rigrow is the surname."

"I see. ...Which do you prefer to be called?"

"Whatever's comfortable for you."

"Right. But I don't feel like calling you either way, Ilay Rigrow."

Tae-ui spoke while openly showing his displeasure. The man before him just went "Ah" and smiled.

He had one more thing to resent his uncle for.

***

Even if it was off limits, they hadn't changed the keys.

Tae-ui lay on his uncle's bed, jingling the keyring on his finger.

Come to think of it, he had acted foolishly. Though his uncle had said not to come, it wasn't strictly enforced. If Tae-ui had forcefully barged in and insisted on staying here, his uncle would have eventually let him do as he pleased--of course, if he truly didn't want Tae-ui to come, he would have arranged something to prevent it--.

Currently, amid the ominous European presences pervading the branch, the safest place in this building was none other than here. The instructor's private room marked as off limits.

Then instead of running away and sticking to shadowy places, he could have just come straight here after regular hours and not budged.

"I was too proper... If uncle tried to stop me, I could have snuck in and hidden under the bed in this room."

Tae-ui muttered to himself while shaking his head. Though he briefly considered doing that from now on, it was already too late. He had already been marked by who would mark him and his luck had fallen as far as it could fall. Nothing left to be marked for or fall from.

Going "Ah well" and clicking his tongue while tossing and catching the key once, his uncle entered as the door opened.

His uncle, who was entering while undoing his uniform buttons one by one, made a surprised face going "Oh" when he saw Tae-ui lying on the bed.