Pain
The incident occurred when Jeong Tae-ui had stepped away for a moment.
In truth, Jeong Tae-ui couldn't really be considered a full member of UNHRDO. Above all, it was his mindset. Although he dutifully carried out the tasks assigned to him, deep down, he always felt like an outsider looking in. This was why he viewed both the Asia branch and the Europe branch with the same sense of detachment.
Because of this, Jeong Tae-ui could observe the subtle undercurrents within the organization from a distance. Even when there were power struggles among the deputies, he didn't emotionally align with any side. When Asia and Europe clashed, even though he fought on the side of the Asia branch, his heart remained neutral. This was partly because he hadn't joined the organization of his own volition and because his time there had always been limited.
Nevertheless, Jeong Tae-ui fully understood the feelings of his colleagues. He knew exactly how much they despised Ilay Riegrow. The man who had killed their comrades. A man without a shred of guilt. A man who could harm them at any moment. And yet, he sat in a position of authority over them.
It was unreasonable to expect them not to hate him. If Jeong Tae-ui had felt a stronger sense of belonging to the Asia branch, he would have hated Ilay too. Jeong Tae-ui had also experienced the loss of a comrade. It was an accident. The comrade had been a fresh-faced young man, a couple of years younger than Jeong Tae-ui.
Every year, several young lives are lost in military accidents. One of those was from the unit Jeong Tae-ui had belonged to. Although they hadn't been particularly close, they saw each other daily, exchanged greetings, and occasionally Jeong Tae-ui would hand him something like a snack while he was on guard duty.
Despite that, Jeong Tae-ui vividly remembered the atmosphere in the unit and his own feelings when that young man died in the accident. Here in the Asia branch, Ilay Riegrow had killed several members. He had heard that it was the same even before he joined. Whether it was justified as self-defense according to the rules or not, that man had killed with his own hands. If he had really wanted to avoid killing, he could have done so, but he didn't.
"I'd hate it too. To have someone like him as a superior. It's bad enough when there's no personal grudge, but when someone you have a deep-seated hatred for is sitting above you, it must feel absolutely vile."
Jeong Tae-ui muttered in a low voice, just quiet enough so the man walking a few steps ahead wouldn't hear him. This morning, yet another person had been taken to the infirmary. The ones who kept challenging him, even though they knew they didn't stand a chance, were a problem, but Jeong Tae-ui couldn't blame them because he understood their feelings.
"Why, did you feel like stretching your muscles yourself?"
As Jeong Tae-ui grumbled, Ilay, who was walking ahead, turned around and threw a comment over his shoulder. Jeong Tae-ui clamped his mouth shut. That monster has sharp ears; it's best not to say anything carelessly.
"Not at all. I'm just grateful you handled it yourself, Instructor."
Except for the constant nagging from the infirmary medic, of course. Ilay always dealt with anyone who dared to challenge him personally. Whenever Jeong Tae-ui tried to intervene, Ilay would give him a look that made it clear he'd be the first to get knocked out. So, Jeong Tae-ui decided it was much better to be the one assisting the injured rather than becoming a patient himself, even if it meant getting nagged.
...But come to think of it, he was surprisingly calm when Xin Lu tried to attack him the other day and Jeong Tae-ui intervened. Normally, he'd be baring his fangs at anyone meddling in his affairs. Grumbling to himself about how fickle Ilay was, Jeong Tae-ui stopped walking. Ilay had come to a halt a few steps ahead. As Jeong Tae-ui stared blankly at him, Ilay gestured for him to come closer.
