PASSION Chapter 4 Part 14

Chapter 4 Part 14

However, about two hours after starting to copy...

"Should have just let a stranger die. Should have just let a stranger die..."

Such words were coming from Tae-ui's mouth.

Who did he think he was, some agent of justice, stealing someone else's carefully hidden gun - and even risking a dog's death since it had no bullets - to save a stranger's life? Even risking two weeks of life threats on top of that, I must have been crazy. Crazy. Just picked up bad habits in the military.

Tae-ui moved his hand while grinding his teeth. His wrist and arm were stiff. Though he thought he should go get a patch from the infirmary, considering the afternoon's sparring, he wondered if there would even be any patches left for him.

But thinking about it, Tae-ui's team was relatively better off.

It was when Tae-ui stopped by the infirmary before coming to the library after finishing his schedule, hoping to get some patches or ointment for his bruised side that was aching from taking a hard elbow hit. While asking Support Staff Shin Lu, who must have been suffering in the infirmary all afternoon, for some ointment and casually looking around the infirmary while he searched for it, Tae-ui discovered several half-dead bodies lying on beds.

'Ugh, what is this...'

On the bed right next to Tae-ui lay a piece of meat that could hardly be called human. Though splints were on his limbs and bandages wrapped tightly around his torso, what skin showed was covered in scabs. His face was horrifically broken and damaged. He even lightly touched underneath to check if he was really still breathing.

'Here's the ointment. Ah- don't touch, don't touch. That guy's the most unfortunate one among those who came here.'

Support Staff Shin Lu waved his hand when he saw Tae-ui examining that patient while handing over the ointment tube. Tae-ui nodded while taking the ointment.

'Hmm. He looks badly hurt... but how do you end up like this from fighting? Who fought this guy? Is it that one lying there?'

When he asked while pointing at the next most wretched-looking corpse, Shin Lu shook his head.

'That guy's not here. He's probably playing somewhere right now without a scratch on him.'

'What? But how can someone be unscathed when their opponent is this wrecked-'

Tae-ui was speaking incredulously when he suddenly closed his mouth. Someone had suddenly come to mind. And seeming to guess who Tae-ui was thinking of, Shin Lu silently nodded.

'Yes, that guy.'

'...'

Suddenly the patient's wretched state didn't look so ordinary. If things had gone just slightly wrong, it might have been Tae-ui himself lying there in this state.

Tae-ui opened the ointment tube he got from Shin Lu while looking down at him with a sickened face. He frowned at the familiar smell that hit him as soon as he opened it and turned around.

'What is this... Tiger Balm?!'

'Mm. Never seen it? They sell it everywhere. It's quite useful so you should buy one too when you go to Hong Kong after training. Quite a few members buy it and keep it in their rooms. Since we get hurt so often.'

Though his grandmother had only applied it a few times when he was very young, Tae-ui looked somewhat dubiously at this nostalgic ointment he still remembered because of its distinctive smell. He had thought there would be some professional bruise ointment since this was an infirmary.

Seeming to read Tae-ui's expression immediately, Shin Lu spoke seriously.

'Hey, don't underestimate this. Look at the instructions. Muscle pain, sprains, insect bites, even headaches! It can be used for many things.'

'What ointment for headaches... Are you saying to apply it to your head? Or eat it?!'

'Anyway it's clearly written in the instructions, look.'

It was true. The English instructions clearly listed headache among its effects.

'Man... looking at this is giving me a headache...'

Tae-ui muttered while wondering where on his head he should apply the ointment. Meanwhile more injured people kept flooding into the infirmary, and Shin Lu, saying he was extremely busy, quickly applied a generous amount of ointment to Tae-ui's waist before pushing him out, telling him not to come back for such minor injuries.

Pushed out of the infirmary, Tae-ui had come to the library after confirming that among the people flooding the infirmary, none were worse off than that half-dead body lying on the bed.

"..."

Even now as he copied the book, Tiger Balm smell was seeping out from his covered side. Actually, right now as he moved the pen, it felt like he should pour ointment over his entire arm starting from the wrist, but thinking how terrible the smell would be made him just sigh.

"Should have run away with brother before uncle came. Should have just bolted before uncle came..."

The mantra leaking from his mouth had changed without him realizing. With so many things to regret in this situation, the most fundamental regret had surfaced.

Though there were countless other regrets stemming from that fundamental one, the regret weighing most heavily on his mind now was definitely the one that had freshly occurred after seeing that half-dead body.

Should have avoided even brushing past that madman. Should have stayed hidden without catching his eye.

Given how things turned out, the best strategy would be to stay hidden catching as little attention as possible, and when unavoidably meeting in full joint training, stick among colleagues.

Tae-ui sighed and stretched while pushing aside one copy he had barely finished.

There was no one in the library. Though it was usually quiet anyway, today being the first day of joint training, perhaps no one had leisure to read books as the library was practically empty. At most one or two people occasionally came in just to grab needed books and leave right away.

Tae-ui shook his head side to side while beating his stiff shoulders. Just one copy yesterday, how would he ever copy the remaining nine? Though sighing like that, having no choice he opened a new notebook and wrote the first clause.

UNHRDO Rules and Regulations Article 1 Organizational Structure...

"Working hard. Looking at the remaining notebooks, seems you have nine more to write?"

That's when a languid voice whispered over his shoulder.

Screech, the pen went astray. Glaring at the crooked line drawn over the perfectly written letters, Tae-ui chewed curses in his mouth. Damn it.

His back was exposed. This was fatal. He would have no way to dodge even if a knife stabbed his neck now. Moreover, he hadn't even noticed someone approaching right behind him.

Though tensing reflexively for a moment, Tae-ui slowly relaxed his shoulders. This was clearly a situation where he had no choice but to surrender completely. A knife would stab his back the moment he moved to dodge.

Right, kill me if you're going to…

Tae-ui continued writing letters beside the wrongly drawn line while speaking gruffly:

"There probably aren't any books worth reading here."

Come to think of it, though unimaginable from those ominous rumors, this man had quite a maniacal side when it came to reading books. He wondered if there were any books in the library that would suit this man's taste.

"True. The books in your room seem more interesting."

However, even while saying that, the man seemed to have found something worth reading as he sat down a couple seats away from Tae-ui holding a book.

Tae-ui looked at him with suspicious eyes as he unexpectedly backed off so easily. Though he hadn't hoped for a knife fight to break out, he had thought there would definitely be trouble next time he met this man.

That man, Rigrow, looked no different from when seen in the morning. The same as when seen last night too. If anything was different it was just his clothes - his calm and leisurely movements, cleanly white face, and expression showing no trace of fatigue were all the same.

As if not paying any attention to Tae-ui, he sat down and opened his book as if he had never spoken. Then he silently turned pages. His gaze behind his glasses was fixed steadily only on the book.

Did this bastard perhaps forget... Did he forget I pointed a gun at him this morning?

As Tae-ui was glaring at him with a dubious face, Rigrow who had been turning pages looked up as if feeling the gaze. Their eyes met. Unable to even think of avoiding it, Tae-ui was staring openly when Rigrow quietly looked back at him, seemed to think of something briefly, then closed his book.

"What. Want help?"

Then he made a gesture asking for the remaining notebooks and pen as if willing to help gladly.

"That seems to be the punishment for weapons possession violation. Light. Instructor Jung must have gone easy since you're his nephew."

At those words spoken calmly without even smiling, Tae-ui frowned.

"Seems you want to say I'm getting special treatment. Then I have a question too - if I'm like that because I'm the instructor's nephew, what kind of relationship do you have with someone that lets you walk around fine without any sanctions after crushing people like that?"

At that he smiled. And shook his hand.

"No need to bristle like that. I just thought Instructor Jung must be very fond of his nephew. I'm saying I wouldn't be displeased even if you received no punishment at all - I just spoke an observable fact so don't get angry."

"... Has news of my relationship with my uncle spread even to the European branch?"