“Did Xinlu cause some trouble?”
“No, not exactly… Though it seems like he’s always watching for an opportunity to cause some mischief if there’s a chance.”
Jeong Tae-i sighed and rubbed his brow. He looked unfazed, but clearly it was bothering him in his own way.
“That kid… originally wasn’t like that. Or rather, he wasn’t that way at first. When I first met him, he was very polite and kind for a long time. Probably, he still is that way with people he gets along with smoothly. That’s probably his usual personality.”
If only the situation or emotions hadn’t gotten tangled like this, Jeong Tae-i murmured, but Yuri didn’t respond much. She only said vaguely, “Is that so?”
That might be true. Generally, he might approach people politely with a friendly smile. Just think about how he acts toward Yuri herself — judging only by tone and expression, he speaks kindly with a gentle smile. Although the sinister undertone is plainly apparent beneath it, if Yuri hadn’t met him here in Selinge — if she and Yili had not been on the same side — Ling Xinlu might have hidden that cruel air and shown only the kind and lively young man.
…Still, even so, he probably wouldn’t have smiled sweetly and indiscriminately at people he didn’t like, so there’s no doubt he put on a false front around Jeong Tae-i.
“People’s true nature comes out when they’re backed into a corner.”
Just then, Ligrow came out behind the gloomy and silent Jeong Tae-i. His shirt tail was messy, as if he had taken a quick nap. Watching the almost-finished game, Yili showed no interest whether it was his home team or not, turning his head and sitting beside Jeong Tae-i, snatching a beer and draining it in a few sips. Jeong Tae-i shouted briefly.
…Though they’d probably hate to hear it, in some ways Ligrow and Ling Xinlu seemed similar. For example, those very words were almost the same as what Yuri had heard from Ling Xinlu just earlier this morning.
‘He really said he was going to take the corpse with him. He’s still thinking about it.’
When Yuri had replied halfheartedly to Ling Xinlu’s “I can’t stand losing” with “Good luck,” that was his comeback — that he would take the corpse with him.
‘Why are you telling me this? I have no intention of telling what we talked about to them. I never have.’
Yuri stared blankly at him and declared her neutrality. Pretending to be surprised and amused, he widened his eyes slightly, and she added on:
‘Also, nothing favorable will come of this for you because of me. So...’
She stopped speaking for a moment. What she wanted to say next didn’t come to mind immediately.
Don’t talk to me, don’t cause trouble for me, don’t poke at me — any of those would have made sense, but all felt slightly off, so she finally spoke in a weak voice:
‘You don’t need to come out early every dawn fighting off sleep.’
Ling Xinlu, still blinking away heavy eyelids, looked like the drowsiness was lifting, replaced by a cheerful light in his eyes.
‘Haha, you’re worried? Thanks. But it’s okay. It’s not that hard. Besides, like right now, talking with you sometimes makes me really happy.’
‘Thanks for that,’ Yuri murmured. Ling Xinlu, who had shed the playful expression for a cool, sharp young man — probably one of his true selves — muttered softly.
“I’m not hoping for a corpse either. I want to return in a mild and peaceful atmosphere if possible… But people’s true nature comes out when they’re backed into a corner.”
That sweet softness mixed with a little mischief in his still youthful face looked like a man far beyond his years when he spoke of true nature. He wore a bitter but arrogant smile as if resigning to his own nature he disliked.
Yuri watched him silently with a blank face. It was sad to see such a beautiful face frown, a look close to self-reproach. She wished he could always stay beautiful.
‘…People say that when agitated or cornered, a person’s true nature shows. Every time I heard that, I wondered. If someone lives most of the year — eleven and a half months — as usual, and only shows their true nature for the remaining half month, is that really their essential character? I see that person’s usual self twenty times more than the agitated self. Then how important is true nature, really?’
She wasn’t trying to comfort Ling Xinlu. The idea of true nature usually doesn’t affect her relationship with him unless he intends harm. She’d always found it puzzling.
Yuri shifted her gaze from the void to Ling Xinlu’s expressionless face. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
If he was hard to read, he wasn’t much better at reading others.
She sighed and picked up the water bottle she’d placed on the sand. It was about time to leave.
‘But I think that half month might really be your essence. That half month is stronger than the other eleven and a half months combined.’
Muttering indifferently, she started walking. Ling Xinlu, still staring at her with an unreadable expression, suddenly wrinkled his nose and puckered his lips in mock displeasure.
‘I think what you just said was basically calling me a bad-tempered person…?’
‘No.’
‘I think it is.’
‘No.’
Though it wasn’t entirely untrue, Yuri flatly denied it. Saying yes would have given him something to hold over her forever. Ling Xinlu glared at her, but then suddenly smiled quietly. A soft curve appeared on his lips as a quiet breath escaped. Yuri couldn’t help but be drawn to that mouth.
Ah, truly like a flower blooming — that brilliant flower that bloomed in the water so long ago spreading its petals beautifully. Even though she clearly knew he was narrowing his eyes while staring at her, she couldn’t look away.
…Well, what does it matter? She wasn’t committing a crime by just staring.
Though it was a dangerous flower that shouldn’t be touched, it was a pity. But thinking about it, she never really wanted to possess it. If the flower was beautiful, it was enough to look at it. No need to pick it and hold it in her hand.
“Why do you keep staring?”
He asked slowly, and only then did she realize he was looking right at her. His slightly curved eyes said, “I know why you’re looking at me.”
“Because you’re pretty.”
It was obvious now; no point hiding it. She answered, and he slightly frowned, then clicked his tongue with a disappointed look.
“I’ve heard that thousands of times, but you’re the first person to say it with such a casual face.”
“You’ve heard it that often?”
“Why, you don’t believe me? Every day people who want to see me lined up at my front door.”
He added jokingly, and Yuri imagined herself standing at his front door regularly, just standing there every morning like a statue, even though she didn’t swim.
That’s why — a feeling rarely felt by Yuri — suddenly welling up: spite.
“Thanks to my face, I should say. Much of what I’ve ever wanted has come into my hands because of that.”
“So you think you’ll be able to get Jeong Tae-i too.”
“Hyung is not someone you can conquer with just looks, so I’m thinking of other methods.”
Ling Xinlu seemed surprised that Yuri brought up Jeong Tae-i. He raised his eyebrows slightly. Yuri looked at the sky, then at the sandy ground, then at him.
“Do you like Jeong Tae-i, or do you just hate losing him to someone else?”
Straight to the point.
Those four words hit Ling Xinlu squarely on the head. His expression vanished instantly. Silence stretched.
“Quite presumptuous. Very.”
His voice seemed colder, almost icy. More than expected.
Yes, more than expected.
Then Yuri realized that although she guessed he would be upset, his stronger-than-expected reaction meant she might have unintentionally touched a weakness he was trying to ignore. She hadn’t meant to.
“Did my feelings look that ridiculous? So ridiculous you think it’s okay to judge and trample them? You think I’m that ridiculous?”
A smile flickered again on his face — as if he’d never been caught off guard or angry. But his eyes were as dark as an abyss.
Yuri was silent. It wasn’t meant to be ridiculous or to trample him, but nothing she said could reach his ears. In the silence, he regretted it. His pride, as fragile as a child’s, was hurt by her sudden spite.
Be mature, Yuri Gable. To someone ten or twenty years younger than you.
When Yuri silently bowed her head slightly instead of speaking—
Thwack.
A fist struck her temple without hesitation.
It hurt more because it startled her.
No, that shock only came after a moment.
Her mind was shaken; she lost balance and collapsed onto the sandy ground, unable to think. The white sand stuck roughly to her legs, palms, and elbows. Only after a moment could she think again. And she was surprised.
Yuri wasn’t originally combat personnel, so it wasn’t shocking that he was strong enough to knock her down, but she’d expected to dodge any punches. She had no time to do so. The blow was strong enough to still make her dizzy and feel faint nausea.
Though she knew Ling Xinlu had the skills to enter UNHRDO as a chief, his gentle appearance had clouded that perception. Once again, Yuri was surprised at her own weak judgment.
“You’re a rational and intelligent person, but you should behave better. Are you counting on your eldest brother to be your shield? Didn’t your hyung tell you not to cause trouble and watch yourself?”
“.......”
“You’re smart, Gable. Quick-witted. But you better be careful how you act. Who knows if next time a gun barrel might be aimed at your temple instead of a fist.”
Ling Xinlu shrugged and asked, “Don’t you agree?”
Still sleepy and empty-handed after coming straight out, if he’d had a gun, he might have shot Yuri this time. Maybe not the temple, but an elbow or ankle.
Ling Xinlu clicked his tongue low. Muttering, “This is no fun, just ruins the mood,” he turned and walked away with stiff shoulders.
Yuri, still dizzy, sat on the sand longer, watching him go.
She felt down. Reflecting quietly on feelings she rarely even noticed — spite and regret — she sighed.
“Geez, sighing like an old man.”
The man muttering beside her without looking felt unlikely to have much reason to feel sorrow or regret. Watching Ligrow return, snatching a beer can and blinking happily, Yuri thought about it.
Probably not.
She concluded quickly without much thought. Such a day would never come. She might become a mermaid sooner.
“Why, tailing is going poorly?”
Ligrow glanced at Yuri after receiving the beer from Jeong Tae-i. Yuri turned her attention to tracking Jeong Jae-ui. She thought it was done, but tying up loose ends wasn’t easy.
“Yes, so I plan to go to Sanae briefly tomorrow. Then it’s about time to finish the tailing.”
Though it felt abrupt, she couldn’t drag it out any longer. It was time to wrap things up. As she seriously thought about the work, she involuntarily thought of Ling Xinlu again.
If he wanted to settle things here in Selinge, his time was running out. Even if the conclusion were postponed… once she finished the job, she’d leave Selinge. She would no longer be involved in their love triangle, nor see that beautiful young man again.
“........”
She felt regret but soon shook her head. It was regretful but not heartbreaking.
It was good enough to have crossed paths even briefly.
She had long, sporadic memories of the bittersweet feeling left behind. The day she pulled the beautiful child like a flower from the sea and had to leave hurriedly the next morning without seeing him wake.
Of course, she later heard from Ling Tangyun that he had opened his eyes properly, but that lingering regret stayed with her for a long time.
But now, unexpectedly, she had received a precious gift called coincidence. Seeing the young man’s black eyes shining vibrantly alive before her, storing his smile, eyes, and voice in her heart, she could soothe that faint old sorrow she’d almost forgotten.
It felt like finally finishing an unfinished task.
“You’ve been working on this all year, haven’t you? Hard work.”
Yuri looked strangely at Ligrow, who, unusually, complimented her, but she shook her head.
“No. It was rewarding. I’m glad I did this work. …Yes, really.”
Going to Yemen, in the end, didn’t help at all. It wasn’t that there were no results. In fact, there were enough results.
At Sanae, the last known place Jeong Jae-ui passed through, Yuri confirmed that among the group of Raman Abid Al Saud — suspected of kidnapping Jeong Jae-ui — was a person whose identity could not be verified. That person had been tailing from Varanasi as well.
Moreover, she succeeded in winning favor with Al Faisal’s acquaintances. For some reason, Yuri had a knack for winning favor with older men and women alike, and had even secured an invitation to Al Saud’s villa in Selinge.
Probably no other method could have achieved better results than Yuri in this short time.
Still, despite all those achievements, everything was wasted.
Because Jeong Tae-i’s whereabouts disappeared within only two or three days after Yuri left.
The timing was astonishingly precise. The phone began ringing exactly five seconds after Yuri landed from the small plane and turned on her phone.
Seeing the number on the screen, she tilted her head. It wasn’t strange for this man to call, but they had already spoken early this morning. Usually, they contacted each other at an appointed time in the evening, so there was no reason to call again in the early morning unless something urgent had happened.
A bad premonition arose.
Since the unexpected call from an unknown figure late yesterday afternoon, a dark, ominous feeling had been lingering in her mind, growing stronger.
“What’s the matter, James?”
“Yuri, where are you right now?!”
Taken aback by the sudden familiar voice of an old colleague, Yuri paused before answering, “I just arrived in Selinge. I got off the plane 30 seconds ago and am heading straight to the lodging.”
Earlier this morning, just hours ago when she left Yemen, she had contacted Berlin. There was no way he had forgotten her whereabouts in just a few hours. No, knowing how competent he was, James had probably even calculated the exact time she would arrive in Selinge. James was a little older than Yuri, but his mind was sharper than most younger people. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lasted under Kyle’s supervision so long.
This brilliant but unlucky man let out a pained groan. Yuri wondered if Kyle had run off behind James’ back again and asked, “What is it?”
“That damn crazy second brother caused another problem. I got word from Linga.”
Yuri was silent. The few words summoned a bad premonition. Her heart felt like it was hit. What came to mind was yesterday afternoon’s call.
“What did Rick do to Ling Xinlu?”
“He definitely did something, but the situation isn’t clear. Everyone assigned as Ling Xinlu’s guards were badly injured to the point they can’t report properly.”
That lunatic second brother is trying to ruin the Asian business! Linga is furious and won’t let it go. I’m happy too — I hope they throw that madman in jail for good! came the curses over the phone.
Ligrow. Ling Xinlu. …Ultimately.
With her head clouded as if covered in black fog, Yuri muttered,
“Ling Xinlu… isn’t dead?”
“No news of that yet. In the worst case, he might already be dead. Anyway, we have to prepare to respond accordingly, Yuri. You just arrived and must be tired, but can you go to where Ling Xinlu is staying?”
“I’ll do it,” she answered, barely knowing what she was saying. After that, her memory seemed to blur. But even in the confusion, she had properly found her luggage, taken a taxi, and reported her destination. The car was headed for the Suhapa district where Ling Xinlu was staying.
The sun beat down overhead. Even the breeze through the open window felt hot and dizzying. No, the dizziness was in her mind. Focus, Yuri. She took a water bottle from her bag and slowly drank the last few sips, checking that her senses were working.
She had long expected something like this to happen soon. The situation was what it was. Ligrow and Ling Xinlu were not people who would yield easily, nor was this something to compromise on easily. No matter what extreme event happened, it wouldn’t be surprising.
Still, she hoped it could be resolved mildly — though impossible — in a way all three could accept. Because it was obvious who would get hurt, both physically and emotionally. Yuri vaguely saw a future in which Ling Xinlu would suffer heartbreak, while staying with Ligrow and Jeong Tae-i.
“Can you speed up a bit?”
Hurrying the leisurely humming driver, Yuri slowly leaned her head on the seat. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since she’d felt nervous like this.
She heard about Jeong Tae-i’s disappearance when she arrived in Dar es Salaam, from a contact staying there. More precisely, the ominous signs began when Ligrow called suddenly late the previous night and asked, “He hasn’t shown up. Do you know anything?”
No, more precisely, the signs began hours before that when Yuri got a call from Ling Xinlu.
When Yuri heard the bright “It’s me” from an unfamiliar number, she was stunned and silent for a few seconds, unable to believe it was Ling Xinlu.
“It’s Ling Xinlu??”
“…I know.”
Recalling the last time she saw him — the man who struck her temple without a smile, and the bright cheerful voice on the phone — it felt strange that they were the same person.
“Why does your voice sound like that? Pouty?”
Startled by the bright tone teasing her for pouting, Yuri replied stiffly, “No.”
More than wondering how he got her number, she wondered why he was calling. He wouldn’t call to apologize for hitting her. (Considering Ling Xinlu’s character from Yuri’s perspective, it made more sense that he was calling just out of boredom.)
While Yuri hesitated what to say, the cheerful voice kept coming through.
“I called to apologize.”
That was the first answer she dismissed outright. She was even more stunned than when she confirmed it was Ling Xinlu calling, but managed to answer.
“No, well… it didn’t hurt much, so it’s okay.”
“Eh? What?”
“You said you called to apologize.”
“Eh? No, no, that’s not it. I’m calling in advance to apologize.”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
The conversation was subtly off.
Yuri realized at least that Ling Xinlu didn’t call because he’d been violent to her, but frowned suspiciously at the “calling in advance to apologize.”
“I’m waiting outside the hospital now.”
“Where did you get hurt?”
His voice sounded casual, but Yuri’s hesitation brought a sharp laugh back.
“No, no, it’s not that. I’m waiting for Tae-i hyung. He went to the hospital to see if his ankle healed.”
“Oh, good…”
“Yes. So I thought I’d take him now. Waiting outside the hospital, trying to persuade him.”
Yuri was silent a moment.
“Persuasion… I don’t think Jeong Tae-i will follow Ling Xinlu.”
“Hmm, I don’t think it’ll be that easy either. But I’m thinking of taking him. I’m tired of just watching.”
Yuri fell silent again.
Whether persuasion works or not, it sounded like he intended to take him…
“Is Rick nearby…?”
“No. Hyung came alone. Really, sending a sick person to the hospital alone is terrible, right? It’s better for hyung to cut ties quickly with that guy.”
“.........”
“Anyway, I’m taking hyung, but if that guy makes a fuss later, it’ll be hard on whoever’s left. So, Gable, I’m calling in advance to apologize. But you’re in Yemen, right? Good thing you’re out. Stay there a few more days so you don’t get hurt.”
Yuri, who suddenly felt like she was getting a headache, didn’t know what to say as she kept the receiver pressed to her ear. Ling Xinlu cheerfully said goodbye.
“Then, see you again sometime if we get the chance.”
And he hung up.
Yuri sat silently holding the receiver for a few seconds but couldn’t stay still. Right in front of her, Al Faisal’s friend was waiting.
Praying Ling Xinlu’s attempt failed somehow, Yuri returned to finish her work at Sanae. Though she worked all afternoon with some unease, Ligrow’s call shattered that uneasy peace.
When asked if she knew anything about Jeong Tae-i’s disappearance, Yuri’s headache finally flared.
“No, I don’t know.” She lied without realizing it, and Ligrow ended the call as if he had no time to talk more. Yuri remained dazed holding the phone. Of course, she immediately booked the first flight to Dar es Salaam the next day.