PASSION Chapter 5 Part 18

Chapter 5 Part 18

Ilay gestured toward the bathroom with his chin. Yeah, do what you want, I'm not getting up, Tae-ui muttered while turning to lie on his side. The fluid that had been pooling on his stomach and gradually hardening flowed down. As he frowned going "ugh," Ilay seemed to notice and wiped his stomach with a towel while smiling. Maybe he wasn't bad with manners unexpectedly. Though not very believable.

"Ah... oh dear."

As Ilay was throwing away the towel, when a little fluid got on his fingertips he clicked his tongue. Then staring blankly down at Tae-ui, whatever he thought, he pressed those fingers to his lips and smeared them.

Tae-ui, who had been thinking he would just lie and roll around being too tired to get up, immediately hardened his expression and jumped up. Seeing Tae-ui going "ugh" and frantically rubbing his lips with the back of his hand, Ilay snickered, and Tae-ui mercilessly slapped that smirking face with his palm.

***

Drip.

Drip, drip...

What woke him was the sound of water from far away. The sound echoing in the quiet dark basement touched his ears gently. It felt like a cold, clear water drop might fall on his forehead.

Tae-ui opened his eyes. Nothing was visible except yellow light. But turning his gaze, he could see the dim room. Though he listened, no sound could be heard except occasional water drops. Though there should be signs of people in other rooms, they all seemed asleep.

Though there was no clock and no one had told him, his body naturally knew the approximate time. Around 2 or 3 AM perhaps? Even if off, it wouldn't be more than an hour or two difference. Too early to get up and move, too late to exchange even a few words with others.

"Damn... Tried to sleep comfortably in the darkness but even my dreams are vicious..."

Tae-ui muttered while pressing his still heavily sleep-laden eyelids with his thumb. Though he would fall asleep again in seconds just staying still, he knew if he fell asleep right now he would definitely have the same dream again. Like falling back into the same sleep paralysis after barely waking up and immediately falling asleep again.

"What kind of dream was so vicious? Did someone you're afraid to see in dreams appear?"

Tae-ui froze.

That voice came from very close by. There was someone lying pressed against the wall closest to where Tae-ui lay. The voice calmly heard in the darkness had no trace of sleepiness. Seemed he hadn't been asleep.

Turning his head, only eyes flashed reflecting the faint light in the darkness. Seeing them suddenly without thinking could easily make one's heart stop.

"How could I see you even in dreams?"

Tae-ui grumbled in a still sleepy voice. A sound like air leaking out was heard. Seems he was laughing that characteristic laugh again. Tae-ui forcibly sat up with sleep still clinging to him. He didn't want to fall asleep and have the same dream again.

"Ah. How nice would it be to not meet disliked people even in dreams."

"Seems you did meet someone you're afraid to see in dreams."

"Rather than afraid, just someone I dislike..."

Tae-ui muttered while tasting bitterness. Though he thought considerable time had passed since coming here due to suffering so much, looking back only about half a year had passed since discharge. Not strange to have vivid dreams of memories from that time.

"There was this really disgustingly unlucky bastard in the military. Well, he probably thought the same about me... Ah, really. There were many kind and cute juniors and gentle reliable seniors, but why does that unlucky bastard appear in dreams?"

"Aha. An unlucky bastard. For you to say that much makes me curious."

Ilay spoke as if surprised. Since he usually didn't bring up others' stories and rarely spoke harshly about people even when talking, he seemed to find it interesting.

Tae-ui scratched his head roughly. He didn't really want to talk about it. Rather than being an uncomfortable story, he didn't even want to recall memories of that unlucky bastard.

"They say talking about pent-up stories is how to resolve them. So, did you suffer a lot meeting an unlucky superior in the military? Tell me anything. Though I may not look it, I'm a very good listener."

At Ilay's words, Tae-ui smiled slightly. Though he didn't particularly think he needed someone to listen, moving his mouth seemed better for staying awake fighting sleepy eyelids. It wasn't a secret story either.

"He was also the reason I got discharged. I beat him up prepared to destroy him completely and put him in the hospital. Though I was hospitalized too, I got out fifteen days earlier than him."

When he added so I won, Ilay laughed. Even to Tae-ui it seemed funny talking about winning or losing after both being hospitalized from fighting each other.

"I kept it hidden at school, but something happened and rumors spread. That I liked men. Though you might understand, military society in our country is very conservative. That rumor followed me even after graduating school and being commissioned into the military, and disgustingly unluckily, that unpleasant classmate who happily spread that rumor was commissioned right next to me."

"Aha. So, you beat him up prepared to destroy him for spreading that rumor?"

"No. That rumor spread quite early. It was a rumor that followed for years. Since the rumor itself was true, even though I disliked his behavior, I didn't beat him for that."

"Then what was it?"

"Life was tiring in many ways then. Superiors and subordinates were making life exhausting. So when I was already mentally worn down, that bastard threw a punch at me. Well, years of pent-up anger exploded then, and I just beat him thinking 'alright, die today.' When I came to my senses, we were lying side by side in the hospital."

That too was the worst luck. Planning never to see him again after beating him, only to see him right after regaining consciousness, even having to lie unable to move in the same space side by side - there couldn't be a worse worst. In terms of emotional horror, it was harder to endure than being locked in the same space with this murderer now.

Moreover, while in the hospital, though he should have just ignored or pretended not to know, he kept picking fights. Just when things would get quiet he would say something to flip people's mood, just when you could ignore him he would poke at people again with his three-inch tongue. He was different from Tae-ui, who wouldn't even mix words with people he disliked and treated them like they didn't exist, from such basic aspects.

"Throwing a punch at you. What guts that bastard had. Even I wouldn't want to fight you."

Ilay said laughing. If someone else had said those words, he might have thought they considered him strong, but coming from that man it only sounded like mockery. He probably knew that too.

"... Right, well I wouldn't want to fight myself either. Never know what dirty tricks I might use."

However, after thinking briefly, Tae-ui nodded in agreement too. Most people who knew Tae-ui somewhat were like that. Though Tae-ui wasn't particularly good at fighting or especially capable, few people tried to provoke him first. Thanks to that, he rarely had pointless fights.

Actually, even that Lieutenant Kim bastard rarely pulled out his fists, just provoking with words. Even that timid and cowardly bastard knew. That once a fight started, Tae-ui would use any dirty trick without hesitation to pin down his opponent, and starting a fistfight with him wouldn't bring good results.

Nevertheless, Lieutenant Kim throwing a punch at Tae-ui was quite unexpected thinking about it. Though Tae-ui would throw back similar words whenever Lieutenant Kim said harsh things to him, it was rare for him to get upset and throw a punch. Moreover, Tae-ui hadn't even used such extreme insults toward him.

"Since he kept going on about homo this homo that every time we met, I just said one thing because I was sick of hearing it. I joked saying 'You bastard actually like me, that's why you keep coming around saying that stuff trying to get attention,' but suddenly he got upset and threw a punch. ...He must have really hated homosexuals. Seeing him get upset immediately at those few words. What a crazy bastard. Why keep picking fights with that attitude."

Tae-ui clicked his tongue while muttering. Speaking of it made those memories vividly return, making him angry again. Even in dreams that bastard appeared sneering while going on about homo this and that. Whether in dreams or reality, he was just disgustingly unlucky.

Ilay was silent. With the man who had been laughing and agreeing until just now giving no response, Tae-ui turned to look at him. Though he thought he might have fallen asleep, black pupils still reflected the light. He was staring intently at Tae-ui while lost in some thought.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No, just thinking about when people generally get most angry."

"Heheh, people tend to get angry when hearing words that hit close to home. Makes me think that bastard really might have been that way. They say there are often cases where people live without recognizing it themselves."

Tae-ui joked with a laugh. But no answer came back, and Ilay just looked at him subtly. Then he smiled slightly without saying anything.

"Was he the only one like that?"

"Hm?"

"Have there been no others who picked fights with you like that while living until now?"

Tae-ui fell into thought for a moment. Lieutenant Kim was the most distinctly memorable unlucky bastard. But even then, with some time passed, unless seeing him suddenly even in dreams like this there was no reason to think of him, and memories had faded a lot.

He didn't particularly remember hating people. At least not detestably hating like Lieutenant Kim. Because he had picked fights insulting him at every turn while spending years together at school and in the unit.

But thinking about it, strange guys had often gotten tangled in his life. Like that senior from high school back then (though he wasn't one Tae-ui hated), it seemed he had met strange guys every year. However, he thought most of those were because of his brother.

His brother always had kidnappers or perverts from moved neighborhoods getting involved, and since Tae-ui always stuck close to his brother when young, he experienced such situations more than others. It was somewhat different from what people now call perverts or deviants. Though they didn't particularly do anything—though some occasionally did—they would strangely hit on him.