PASSION Chapter 2 Part 9

Chapter 2 Part 9

Tae-ui turned his head. No more water sounds could be heard from the bathroom. Though he thought his uncle might come out soon, soon splashing sounds of water being struck and low humming were heard. He seemed to be soaking in the bathtub or something.

The phone wouldn't stop ringing, so Tae-ui put the book down on the desk and stood up. He approached the bathroom and tapped on the glass door.

"Uncle-, there's a phone call."

"Phone? At this hour? ---Ah, I know who it is. Answer it for me and take down the message. I'll be out in a while."

There wasn't a hint of surprise in his uncle's voice answering Tae-ui's words. He must have known from the moment Tae-ui entered this room. Though he had entered silently, his uncle wasn't one to miss sensing a presence, but Tae-ui just sighed thinking 'as expected.'

"If you know someone's coming shouldn't you think to come out quickly instead of leisurely taking a bath, Uncle."

When Tae-ui muttered this, low laughter echoed from inside the bathroom.

"Why would I hurry out when I know it's you?"

Right, he was originally this kind of person.

As Tae-ui clicked his tongue and returned to the desk, the phone had already hung up. "The phone hung up, Uncle" Tae-ui called toward the bathroom then sat down picking up the book again.

A bath huh. That young man must be in the bathroom now too. ....

Tae-ui blushed again for no reason. Even his earlobes were burning hot.

That peach-colored soft gentle body would take on a pretty pink flush in the hot water. It was skin that seemed like it would have a subtle and soft, very nice smell. It made one wanted to embrace it instinctively.

"... This is serious, really serious... It was just a brief encounter. Why am I like this. Jung Tae-ui."

Tae-ui fanned his thoroughly cooked face with his hand while muttering with a sigh. It was somewhat different from liking or being attracted to that young man. He didn't know him well enough to have such emotions. But he kept floating up in his mind.

While Tae-ui was fanning himself with the thick book in his hands making who knows how many sighs today, the mechanical sound quietly rang again. The lamp blinked once more.

About to call "Uncle," Tae-ui briefly hesitated thinking of his uncle who wouldn't come out even if called, then pressed the lamp. He had said to take a message but no paper or pen was visible. Hopefully it would be a message he could remember.

"Yes, hello?"

When he answered the phone, the LCD monitor above the lamp turned on. And what seemed to be the image from the caller's side was shown.

Though he couldn't tell well since the viewing angle wasn't very wide, it seemed to be indoors. Probably someone's room, with what looked like built-in closets visible beside white walls.

And a person's body filling about 1/3 of the screen.

Due to the narrow angle, only part of the body was visible, with about half the chest area of a light blue shirt showing. And from that shirt's sleeve, a hand holding a mug.

It was a white hand. The delicate and fine hand looked like it would be most suited to running across piano keys. Though it was quite large making even the large mug look small in it, it was a beautifully white hand that seemed almost translucent. Even the nails neatly arranged at each fingertip were pale like glass.

'---Who is this?'

A grating mechanical sound.

Whether the phone settings were like that, or the voice sounded mechanical and layered like listening to an automated response recording.

The white hand in the screen put down the mug. Then the long fingers tapped the mug's rim.

'Is Instructor Jung there?'

"Ah-... he's in the bathroom now. If you have a message I can pass it on."

Tae-ui answered while captivated by the beautiful hand that looked carved from transparent ice.

For a moment there was no answer from the other side.

While marveling that those hands were actually moving, living body parts, that voice suddenly whispered:

'So.'

"Hm?"

'Who are you, answering the phone in that room?'

The voice seemed somewhat looser, perhaps due to his mood. Somehow it felt entrancing. Not just that strange mechanical sound, but watching those abnormally beautiful hands slowly caressing the mug gave an even stronger such feeling.

Tae-ui wondered what to say, but since he didn't know who the other person was, he chose the most neutral response.

"I'm the nephew of this room's owner who's enjoying his bath unhurriedly even when people visit. If you have a message I'll pass it on. Though I don't see anything to write with so I hope it's short. I have poor memory."

When Tae-ui finished speaking, after a brief pause came the sound of chuckling.

'I see, then you must be the second nephew. Your name is...?'

".... Jung Tae-ui. And you are?"

Tae-ui soon realized. This man knew about him. Or more precisely, knew about Jung Chang-in's family relationships. That he had two nephews, and one of them was a very intelligent and famous person.

Since it seemed to be well-known within the branch that Jae-ui was Jung Chang-in's nephew, it wasn't strange for others to know about family relationships.

The man was silent briefly then said:

'Ilay.'

Tae-ui nodded. Ilay. An easy name to remember, that's good.

After giving his name as Ilay, the man was silent again for a while. Another hand appeared in the screen. The left hand symmetrical to the right hand that had been showing until now. Two white and beautiful hands interlocked fingers.

When Tae-ui unconsciously sighed, only then did Ilay speak:

'Why is that?'

"No... Haven't you been told your hands are pretty?"

'Hands?'

Ilay repeated dubiously. Perhaps looking at his own hands, the hands in the monitor unlocked and moved. Even just the fingers bending at each joint made a picture.

He clenched and unclenched his hand once then interlocked fingers again while saying amusedly:

'Well, that's the first time I've heard that. Do you like my hands?'

"Yes, they're beautiful."

'Haha, I see. Then I'll give them to you. But only after I die. In exchange put your hands on my arms. A corpse would be pitiful without hands.'

"...I'd rather decline. They wouldn't suit me anyway. If those hands were attached to my body, just the hands would float ethereally."

Tae-ui wrinkled his nose bridge. This guy makes brutal jokes sound just like truth.

Ilay quietly laughed for a while at whatever words he liked.

'Right, they probably wouldn't suit you. Your face suits your hands.'

The voice tinged with laughter said.

Tae-ui knew the camera on this side showed a wider view and tapped above the phone's lens.

"Seems this side's lens has a wider angle. Well, not bad just seeing pretty hands filling the screen."

Ilay's breath of laughter could be heard.

'So being there now means you've joined the Asian branch?'

At Ilay's question Tae-ui shrugged.

"Yes, thanks to my uncle I got in without any procedures."

'Aha, a parachute.'

At Ilay's amused words Tae-ui had to laugh too. Come to think of it, that's right.

Just then water sounds were heard from the bathroom again. Perhaps his uncle had finally finished bathing and was rinsing off to come out.

"Uncle seems about to come out, want to wait a bit? Or shall I pass on the message? Or call back?"

Realizing he still hadn't heard the reason for the call, Tae-ui spoke, and Ilay languidly went "hmm" then said:

'Tell him I found the book he was looking for. Laurent Gastier's Mythology, 1925 edition. 3500 dollars.'

"Okay. Laurent Gastier's Mythology right. 1925 edition for 3500..."

Tae-ui fell silent while repeating that far.

Laurent Gastier's Mythology was a book Tae-ui had heard of and wanted to see once too. But.

"3500 dollars? For one book?"

When he muttered incredulously, Ilay laughed out loud as if understanding what he was thinking.

'Tell Instructor Jung and he'll be very satisfied thinking he got it extremely cheaply. Well then, pass that on, and let's meet again if there's a chance sometime.'

The beautiful hands waved slightly in greeting. And with that screen, the call ended.

Tae-ui stared blankly at the now black screen for a while, then sighed "ha" and slumped back in the chair.

Though he knew rare books were traded at high prices, he hadn't known they were this expensive. Now he understood - this room and his uncle's house too were treasure vaults. No wonder book thieves broke in.

While looking at the book on the desk with fresh eyes and trying to estimate how much it might be worth, his uncle who had come out of the bathroom without him noticing patted his shoulder while drying his hair.

"Why are you having a staring contest with the book? You can borrow it if you want to read it. Just be careful with it since it was hard to obtain and return it neatly."

"I'm not bold enough to borrow books worth 3500 dollars."

"3500 dollars? I didn't pay that much for that book - who said that?"

His uncle wrapped his wet towel snugly around Tae-ui's neck and took out a robe from the built-in closet to put on.

While removing the damp towel, Tae-ui leaned back in the chair and said languidly to his uncle who appeared upside down:

"Seems to be some rare bookstore owner. Had really pretty hands though."