Kim Young Su lay sprawled across his uncle's bed, flipping through the pages of an old book in his uncle's quarters at the UNHRDO Asia branch. He hadn't planned on being here, but when his uncle—a seasoned instructor—called, asking for help, Young Su couldn't refuse. His uncle's assistant was away for a month due to a family emergency, and with an upcoming joint training with the Europe branch, he needed an extra hand. Young Su, who had been traveling around Japan, figured three weeks wouldn't hurt.
Now, on the third day of his stay, training wasn't set to start until next week. With time on his hands, Young Su had stumbled across a rare second edition of a book he had read long ago, tucked away on his uncle's bookshelf. Engrossed, he didn't notice how the hours slipped by, occasionally sipping from a can of beer beside him.
In the adjoining bathroom, the sound of water running indicated his uncle was still in the shower.
Suddenly, a ringing sound interrupted the silence. It came from his uncle's laptop, perched on the nearby desk. A video call.
"Uncle! There's a call for you!" Young Su called out, glancing toward the bathroom door.
"Answer it for me and take a message!" came the muffled reply through the sound of running water.
Reluctantly, Young Su set his book down and opened the laptop. The screen flickered to life, revealing not a face but a pair of hands—delicate, familiar, and breathtaking.
"Young Su..." The voice was soft, almost hesitant, as if the person on the other side couldn't believe it was really him.
Young Su froze. Those hands, that voice... How could he forget? The memory of them still haunted him, and just last night, they had reappeared in his dreams. Panic surged through him before he could think rationally. His breath quickened, heart pounding in his chest. Without thinking, he slammed the laptop shut, the image disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.
He sat there, hands trembling. Could it have been someone else with similar hands? No... He knew that voice, the way it whispered his name. It was unmistakable.
His mind raced. How did his uncle know that man? And why was he calling his uncle?
Young Su scratched his head in confusion, feeling the walls of the room closing in around him. Desperation clawed at his throat as he called out again, this time more urgently.
"Uncle, please... hurry!"
Hearing the distress in his voice, his uncle's response was sharp. "What's going on? Someone weird call?"
Young Su swallowed, still reeling. "Just... please, come out soon."
A few moments later, Uncle emerged from the bathroom, rubbing his damp hair with one towel while another was wrapped around his waist. His expression was relaxed, as if nothing unusual had just happened.
"Everything alright?" he asked, glancing at Young Su, who still looked rattled.
Young Su sat up straighter on the bed, his hands fidgeting slightly. "Uncle... how do you know that crazy guy?"
Uncle raised an eyebrow, amused. "Which crazy guy? I know plenty of them."
"Are you proud of that? No, wait... that's not what I'm asking." Young Su took a breath, collecting his thoughts. "How do you know Ilay? I saw his hands on the video call earlier. I'm sure it was him. I'd never forget that voice—not when I've been hearing it in my dreams."
His uncle stopped in his tracks, towel pausing mid-air. His expression shifted from casual curiosity to shock. "Ilay? You know him? Wait... did you just say ' Ilay' ? You didn't see his face?"
