Jeong Tae-ui was feeling conflicted.
However, in reality, it wasn't something he should have been conflicted about. The monstrous man he had left behind in a distant country was still, in his own way, a rational human being with a properly functioning mind, and he would understand that this situation was not something Jeong Tae-ui had intentionally caused.
Yet, he couldn't help but worry about Kyle. Kyle had firmly insisted,
'I've been planning and waiting for months, and after a lot of trouble, I finally managed to get a week off, but now that guy says he'll return later than planned because of work, and I can't let my vacation get shortened because of him.'
Without hesitation, Kyle had ditched his brother, who had gone to a neighboring country for work, and whisked Jeong Tae-ui away to a faraway southern island for a vacation. Jeong Tae-ui wondered if Kyle would come out of this situation unscathed. (If Kyle had been his usual rational self, he probably wouldn't have done something so impulsive, but Kyle had been furious for days after his brother had burned a book Kyle cherished right before he left for work, to the point where he had fallen ill for three days.)
Regardless, Jeong Tae-ui was now sitting on the lobby sofa of a hotel on this leisurely southern island, which could only be reached by a small private plane. Though he was enjoying the present moment, all he could do was worry about what kind of trouble would arise once they returned to Berlin. He sighed.
"...But there's no point in worrying about it now. What's done is done. I came all this way to relax, so spending the week sighing would just be a waste."
Jeong Tae-ui finally came to a reasonable conclusion and nodded to himself.
This island, surrounded by deep sapphire-blue waters, was incredibly beautiful and peaceful. According to what Kyle had told him on the way here, the hotel was owned by several wealthy individuals and used almost like a private villa, so regular tourists couldn't access it. It was the perfect place to enjoy a quiet, carefree vacation without worrying about being seen by others.
As expected, just as Kyle had said, since arriving yesterday, the only people Jeong Tae-ui had seen were the caretaker and a few staff members — so few that he could count them on his fingers and still have plenty left over.
"A quiet walk along the beach would be nice."
Jeong Tae-ui stood up with a sigh. Kyle was likely fast asleep on the bench next to the private pool. (Jeong Tae-ui knew that Kyle had been staying up all night and working himself to exhaustion before coming here, all for this one-week vacation. That's why Jeong Tae-ui couldn't bring himself to oppose Kyle's adamant insistence on coming here.)
The beach was, of course, just a stone's throw from the lagoon. He could stroll along the wooden bridge that extended over the water if he wanted to stay nearby, but Jeong Tae-ui decided to take a slow walk around the island and headed toward the sandy beach instead. He had heard the island was small enough that he could walk around it in about two hours.
Wearing knee-length shorts and a loose shirt, Jeong Tae-ui was about to step out of the lobby when a bit of noise outside caught his attention — not that it was very loud, but in this quiet place, even a few voices sounded noticeable. Two or three people were entering.
He unconsciously stopped in his tracks. He heard familiar German being spoken. From the voices, it wasn't that guy, but still, he instinctively held his breath.
The calm but cold and businesslike voice was explaining that he had arrived separately from the companion he was supposed to come with. The companion would arrive within an hour or two. The German man soon came into view.
