PASSION Chapter 4 Part 2

Chapter 4 Part 2

Tae-ui smiled wryly watching Tou playfully make a slashing motion across his neck with his hand while going "Snap!" That playfulness briefly erased the dark afterimages clouding his mind.

Only a few hours remained. After half a day passed, they would see those they had only heard rumors about. Though very different from anticipation, he couldn't help his heart fluttering slightly with excitement.

"Come to think of it, they said people moving rooms should go report to the office after moving. Said they need to keep track."

Tou mentioned casually while wiping his mouth with a towel. Tae-ui couldn't help flinching.

"You'll see Shin Lu at the office. No wait. Since he's in charge of internal affairs, you'd have to talk to Shin Lu anyway. Lucky you, Tae-ui."

Tou smiled mischievously and lightly jabbed Tae-ui's side with his elbow. Tae-ui swayed and mumbled "Hmm" evasively.

This wasn't good. No, it wasn't that he didn't want to see him. He wanted to meet him and hear his voice. That fragrant soap smell was nice too. But he didn't quite have the confidence to stand before him yet. Somehow he felt like if he faced Shin Lu now, he would freeze up again like a boiled octopus.

Moreover... when we meet again, what kind of face will he make looking at me?

Tae-ui wiped his already dry nape with the towel. His mood quickly became gloomy.

He hadn't met Shin Lu once since that day. Though there weren't really occasions for members and Support Staff to meet unless something came up, he had avoided places where he might run into Shin Lu as much as possible. Even when going to basement level 1 for his uncle's room, he had checked his surroundings carefully like a thief.

Getting an erection in front of someone kindly applying medicine to an injury - what on earth had he been thinking?

While Tae-ui was lost in anguish, Tou threw his towel in the collection bin beside him and habitually patted his pocket checking for cigarettes as he walked out of the bathroom. Tae-ui gloomily stopped him.

"Going for a smoke?"

"Hm? Yeah. Want to come?"

"Yeah, give me one."

"...You know there's nowhere to buy cigarettes here right? Fine. I'll lend you one, but pay me back with a pack later."

"You know you just made a really disgusted face? I want to show you a mirror."

Tou, a heavy smoker to his bones, excused his own stinginess saying "Damn, I still have to be locked up here for two more weeks but my private stash is almost gone," and Tae-ui pacified him saying he understood as they left the bathroom together.

After passing through the messy corridor and going up to the ground floor, Tae-ui quickly followed behind Tou who headed straight outside from the elevator without hesitation, glancing around as he went. Though he felt somewhat pathetic acting this way, still he didn't know what face to make if he happened to run into Shin Lu.

When they went outside, the sunlight was so bright it was hard to properly open their eyes.

Though they lived underground, the air conditioning system ran perfectly and the interior lighting was equipped to match natural light, so they could live without feeling any discomfort about being underground. However, still the sunlight, sky, and wind they occasionally encountered like this clearly soothed their minds.

Tae-ui often came out to walk during free time too. Perhaps the same for other colleagues, when walking outside he would usually run into one or two people.

Though the dense forest path had a dangerous atmosphere late in the evening so they rarely went there, it was fine to walk during the day. And following the small path behind the building - though quite far - led to the beach. Though far from a dazzling sandy beach with house-sized rocks piled in layers, the color of the sea was incomparably magnificent.

Tae-ui forcibly extorted two more cigarettes from Tou who said he was too lazy to go far, and walked that path alone. While pushing through grass grown to his knees, his calves were completely bitten by insects and cut by grass blades.

Though he shouldn't have worn shorts, even as he debated whether to go back and change now, the sea breeze began to blow as he kept walking.

Tch, originally he should have come walking here with Shin Lu. Yes, then perhaps everything would have flowed smoothly. There would have been no need to get excited and flush red... ...though well, that was uncertain too.

Tae-ui grumbled while putting a cigarette in his mouth. Using the lighter he had extorted along with the cigarettes saying he'd just borrow it briefly, he lit up and drew the smoke deep into his lungs.

"Sorry, trees. Please put up with the suffocation a bit."

While walking and muttering apologies to himself for exhaling cigarette smoke while strolling through the natural forest, eventually the forest broke and the sea appeared before Tae-ui.

However, unfortunately, that wasn't all that appeared.

There was someone coming back this way, perhaps after fully enjoying the sea smell and breeze. It was someone he absolutely didn't want to meet right now. That person approaching alone was Shin Lu.

The moment he saw Shin Lu, Tae-ui reflexively looked around for somewhere to hide, but before he could find a suitable spot Shin Lu saw him.

After their eyes met, Shin Lu also seemed surprised seeing Tae-ui standing awkwardly unable to hide, briefly stopping his steps, but soon approached slowly. There was only this one path to go anyway.

".... ...Coming back from a walk?"

When they were about fifteen steps apart, Tae-ui mumbled at a distance where it would seem even stranger not to make at least a brief greeting. While gazing steadily at such a Tae-ui, without showing any particular discomfort, Shin Lu nodded.

"Yes. Brother Tae-ui too?"

"Yeah, just briefly. ..., It's been a while."

Tae-ui spoke briefly as if nothing was wrong. But this was bad. His face was gradually heating up again. He should have just said he had erythrophobia.

When Shin Lu came within three or four steps, he stopped. He seemed to hesitate slightly.

Tae-ui pondered with a seemingly calm face while holding the cigarette in his mouth. Should he apologize? Probably. But the words wouldn't come out.

"Come to think of it, you moved rooms too, right Brother? Which room did you move to?"

Shin Lu spoke as if finally finding something to talk about. Tae-ui also opened his mouth with an "Oh, yeah."

"Moved to Tou's room. Right, they said to report it. I forgot. Tou. Tou Qing Ren, he's on my team, I'll be staying in his room."

"Ah, Brother Tou's room. I see."

Shin Lu nodded. Then awkward silence fell again.

The only fortunate thing was being spared the trouble of having to go find him separately later to report. Though fortunate, this thorny situation was very hard to endure.

Tae-ui quietly looked down at Shin Lu who stood a few steps away with lowered head. His long eyelashes blinked several times. His hair parting was visible slightly below the crown of his small head.

He was a lovely young man. A cute girl as small as a doll with a cotton candy sweet smile would suit him best beside him. That must undoubtedly be the type of person he dreamed of too.

But suddenly, how surprised must he have been when a man who had been getting along well calling him brother got an erection in front of him? Beyond surprise, it might even have reached displeasure or a sense of betrayal.

Have you been looking at me that way all along, Brother? - If he said that, should he lie "No, I just lost my mind briefly then"? Or would it be better to honestly affirm "Yes"? Either way would be equally awkward.

"Oh, come to think of it Brother, you often go to Instructor Jung's room right? You won't be able to go for a while. There's a rule that members and instructors shouldn't have more contact than necessary during joint training."

"Ah... yeah, thanks."

Though Tae-ui already knew having been told by his uncle not to come for a while, he trailed off briefly before just saying thanks. He was actually grateful. It meant he was trying to look out for him in his own way.

Yes, still Shin Lu was trying to treat Tae-ui well regardless. Whatever disgust or bewilderment he had felt then, he wasn't showing an angry face.

After each exchange of conversation, several times more silence returned.

When they hesitated again with nothing to say, Tae-ui noticed Shin Lu's troubled gaze glancing at him, sighed and stepped aside slightly. Now he realized he had been blocking his path.

"Well then, I'll go ahead."

Shin Lu bowed his head and hurried past him with small steps. Watching his retreating figure bitterly, Tae-ui muttered "Sorry." Though he spoke aloud, his voice was so small he wasn't sure if the other had heard.

As Tae-ui slowly walked while exhaling cigarette smoke with a sigh, suddenly the receding footsteps behind him seemed to pause briefly.

"Um... Brother Tae-ui."

A voice clearly full of hesitation called to him. Tae-ui stopped walking and turned around. Shin Lu was looking up at him with a strange expression. Oddly enough, he was as flushed as Tae-ui.

"Brother, um, I..."

"...?"

"Um."

Shin Lu's face grew increasingly red. Like the color of the setting sun. His voice grew increasingly small.

Seeing him looking so pitiful with his reddened face and lowered head, Tae-ui felt needlessly restless. It's okay to be angry. It's okay to yell.

Preparing himself to hear harsh words from his mouth, Tae-ui clenched his fist in his pocket.

However, the words Shin Lu finally exclaimed after hesitating for a long while, as if having made up his mind, were completely different from what he had expected.

"I've, I've slept with a man before."

"..."