Volume 5 of Passion :
Advice of the Heart
Seringe Island
Area: Approximately 840 km². Population: About 150,000. Located in the Indian Ocean, about 45 km off the coast of Tanganyika. The island, made of coral limestone, has a tropical monsoon climate. The rainy season is from April to May, and the fresh, dry season with southwesterly monsoon winds lasts from June to October. Another rainy season occurs from November to December, followed by a hot, dry season with northeasterly monsoon winds from December to March. The average annual rainfall is around 1,500 mm, and even during the hot, dry season, the wind keeps the climate relatively pleasant.
The main crops are coconuts and clove trees (a source of spice), with rice farming taking place in the wetlands. Other food crops and fruits are also cultivated, which, along with fishing, help sustain the residents' food supply.
***
Jeong Tae-ui stared at the passage, as if trying to memorize it in its entirety, before closing the laptop.
What did it matter how big the island was, how many people lived there, what the climate was like, or what industries existed on an island floating in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa? If only there were a map or something more practical, but none of the map services had any information on it.
It was said to be a small island. Even if it was small, finding one person within an area just shy of half the size of Jeju Island wouldn't be an easy task. However, according to Kyle's brief explanation, which was more useful than any encyclopedia's trivial descriptions, fortunately, the areas where people mainly reside are divided into three or four regions. Among these, the place where foreigners — mostly wealthy people from the Middle East — have villas is a certain part of the southeastern coast.
Somewhere in that area is Jeong Jae-ui. Or at least, the likelihood is high.
Jeong Tae-ui limped over to the bed and threw himself onto it. The sun had risen high. Although the rays were blocked by the awning and couldn't reach into the room, they still gleamed brightly, reflecting off the wide-open window frame, which was often used in place of a door.
He casually draped one arm over the large window that was barely a hand's width higher than the bed and cast his gaze outside. Just a few steps away was a pool that looked refreshingly blue. As he lay on the bed, lightly swinging his leg encased in a heavy cast, Jeong Tae-ui stared longingly at the pool. And at the empty pool bench beside it.
A book was lying face down on the bench, as if to prove that someone had been there not long ago. Now that he looked, there was also a half-empty can of beer on the small wooden table next to it. He had just noticed the can.
".........."
Jeong Tae-ui smacked his lips and glared at the can. Schultheiss. Damn it. I can drink beer too. Did you drink that alone?
He grumbled inwardly, recalling the man who had been sitting there until a moment ago.
After a slightly late lunch, while Jeong Tae-ui was lazing around in his room, that man, Ilay Riegrow, had come out to sit by the pool with an old, tattered book, likely fetched from the study. Whenever the weather got too hot, he would jump into the pool for a swim, then get out and pick up his book again. He appeared to be thoroughly enjoying a leisurely, relaxed vacation.
Jeong Tae-ui considered it a great relief that, unexpectedly, Ilay didn't interfere with whatever he did. Whether Jeong Tae-ui took a nap in his room, snacked in the dining room, or browsed through books in the study, Ilay neither intervened nor cared. He simply spent his time leisurely, swimming in the pool or reading his book.
