[Yuji] PASSION Volume 2
They called that Saturday morning "crocodile tears."
For an entire week, regardless of day or night, they were tormented by their duties — always on edge and straining their mental state, even during non-regular hours. They couldn't rest even on the weekend.
Usually, they had free time from Friday evening until Sunday evening, when they could go out freely, but that Saturday, they couldn't even leave the designated area without permission. Training resumed on Saturday afternoon.
They were only allowed to rest on Saturday morning to conserve some energy, as they were brutally worked until Friday night. The instructor's supposedly merciful words, "Rest in the morning and gather in the afternoon," made them grit their teeth in frustration.
"When training starts in the afternoon, can't we tear out the instructor's throat and pretend it's a mistake?"
"If you want to tear out the instructor's throat, you'll have to deal with both the instructor and the officers following them... Do you think you can handle both at once?"
"That's true. Should we form a team, then? I'll take care of the instructor; you handle the officers."
"Sounds good. Which instructor should we target?"
"Obviously, the European ones!"
Lying on mattresses in the free sparring room, not exercising but sprawled out, the men were passing the time with such trivial chatter.
There were three hours left until assembly time. They lamented each passing moment as they watched the clock — only two more hours to gather, only one more hour of free time left. Amid their groans and complaints, Jeong Tae-ui sat curled up with his knees hugged to his chest.
Instead of lying comfortably in his room, reading a book or solving puzzles for a few hours — something he had picked up while living with Maurer — Jeong Tae-ui found himself sitting here, dragged along by Tou, his roommate.
As he looked at the European branch members sitting a distance away, he imagined similar conversations were happening among them. Jeong Tae-ui observed each of them with a curious eye.
When Jeong Tae-ui let out a quiet sigh, Yeun-ho, who was lying beside him and tossing and turning, asked why. Jeong Tae-ui responded thoughtfully.
"I just had a thought. People outside think of UNHRDO as an organization of elite individuals, but the UNHRDO members are so.... Like Carlo over there, scratching his crotch with his hand down his trunks, or Tou, looking like an opium addict because he's out of cigarettes, or Qing, who still cries every night clutching a photo of Mei Yan Fang, asking why she left him behind... People outside would be horrified if they knew."
"Yeah... now that you mention it, our branch does seem quite problematic."
"But looking at the other side, they don't seem much better, which is somewhat reassuring."
Jeong Tae-ui gestured with his chin towards the European branch members gathered on the opposite wall. They were also playing around disgracefully. Among them were guys playing flasher, ones waking up startled and hitting the wrong person, and even some fiddling with hanafuda cards — an even more surprising sight than playing with regular cards.
He recalled his uncle saying that if he stayed here and then left, he wouldn't need to worry about finding a job. Instead, he would have to decide where to go.
To think they deceive countless companies by presenting these people as elite for money, it's practically a scam... Jeong Tae-ui turned his gaze away, feeling disgusted.
