Christoph clicked his tongue and sighed as he looked at Jeong Taeui's wide-open eyes. He
spoke as if trying to explain it to him.
"Alright, try to think simply. If you only consider ejaculation through masturbation or oral
sex, that can also be considered sexual intercourse – but the fundamental point is that two
bodies cannot truly unite. So the thing that plays the role of connecting the relationship must
be emotions."
It felt novel to hear such words from someone whose emotions' existence was questionable,
but Jeong Taeui wasn't in a state to appreciate this new feeling.
While Jeong Taeui was staring blankly at Christoph, unable to say anything, Christoph
looked at Ilay, who was smoking as if nothing had happened.
"I never thought he would willingly accept abstinence, so I always thought you and this man
just had an unusually close relationship. ... But now I guess that's not the case."
His voice had a hint of irritation. The corner of Christoph's mouth lifted slightly, like a child
sulking in dissatisfaction.
As he looked down, Christoph's lower eyelashes seemed to tremble slightly, reflecting a
gloomy light.
There was no time to ponder why Christoph's mood suddenly dropped like that; Jeong Taeui
just stared blankly at him.
Then Christoph suddenly looked up, handed Jeong Taeui the bottle of medicine he was
holding, and spoke in his usual cold tone.
"Apply this to that bruise. Those bruises all over you look ugly. It's uncomfortable to see you
walking around in that state."
Christoph said coldly and stood there silently for a moment. Jeong Taeui took the bottle from
his hand and stared at his icy face.
The silence felt somewhat forced.
Christoph looked intently at Jeong Taeui, seemingly glaring at him. Jeong Taeui couldn't
understand Christoph's mood at that moment. Christoph took a step back and spoke as he
retreated.
"I need to go eat now. ... I want both of you out of my room before I get back."
Whether it was due to his mood or not, a cold wind seemed to blow into Christoph's voice.
Jeong Taeui wanted to say something, but his frozen body wouldn't move.In the meantime, the door closed.
The room remained silent.
The silence made time feel longer than ever, and when Jeong Taeui could move, nearly a
minute had passed since the door had closed.
"What did Christoph just say?"
Jeong Taeui suddenly asked while looking at the closed door.
"I think he said there's no love more pure and sincere than the love between same-sex
partners."
Ilay answered with a disinterested attitude.
Jeong Taeui looked at him in confusion as he almost finished his cigarette, then turned to
look at the door.
He wasn't sure what he was expecting. Maybe he thought the door would suddenly open, and
Christoph would step in and say with his usual cold demeanor, 'I was just joking.'
However, even if Jeong Taeui waited a little longer, there was no sign of that happening, and
no sign of anyone appearing outside the door.
"...."
Perhaps those were sincere words. It seemed Christoph was serious and not joking.
But no, that couldn't be.
"I have no prejudice against homosexuality." - Suddenly, Jeong Taeui recalled Christoph's
first statement.
Now Jeong Taeui really wanted to shout in Christoph's face. - 'No, you definitely have
extreme prejudice.'
"...How could this be?"
Jeong Taeui mumbled, almost unable to support his body as it was losing strength and
collapsing. Shock filled his eyes again. He reflected on what Christoph had said not long ago.
"Same-sex relationships are different; apart from pure emotions, there's no other way to
maintain them."
"There's no such thing as sexual relations between people of the same sex?"
"No, that can't be. This seems like a unique joke in Christoph's style. If not…."
Jeong Taeui shook his head.Yes, if not, how could someone at his age and in this environment think that way?
Jeong Taeui looked back at Ilay. He had finished his cigarette and seemed satisfied with the
taste. He took out a new one and checked the brand name.
Jeong Taeui looked at Ilay with suspicion, wondering if he was the only one who misheard
something. Then, perhaps sensing his gaze, Ilay put the cigarette back in the box, closed the
lid, and looked at Jeong Taeui with an indifferent expression.
"Why do you look so glum?"
"From what I heard, it seems Christoph views physical relationships between men as very
pure."
"Coincidence. I heard the same thing."
"...."
"Why??"
Jeong Taeui glared at Ilay, who acted as if there was nothing surprising. He tilted his neck
from side to side, the bones cracking loudly as if it hurt.
"If I didn't know he was an 'ascetic*', our 30-year relationship would be useless."
(*Aescetic: An ascetic is a person who practices severe self-discipline and abstention from all
forms of indulgence, typically for religious or spiritual reasons. Ascetics often lead simple,
austere lives, foregoing material comforts and pleasures to focus on spiritual goals or moral
discipline.)
Jeong Taeui grabbed Ilay, who spoke indifferently. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he
raised his voice.
"Is it believable?! I heard he spent a few years in an all-male mobile unit, didn't I? Moreover,
even when he was called up as a mercenary, surrounded by thugs, weren't there plenty of men
craving women?"
"Oh, probably."
"Besides, look at his face! He looks like that! Isn't everyone in the world interested in art and
wants to appreciate beautiful works? How can he be like that?!...No. Common sense says it's
unbelievable. These days, just watching TV is enough to know about same-sex
relationships!"
"He doesn't watch TV. He probably doesn't watch movies either."
"But he reads books."
"The books he likes to read are about anthropology and philosophy. The only books I've seen
that mention homosexuality were a few aesthetic works."Jeong Taeui remained silent.
He was extremely shocked, but this man remained utterly calm.
Wasn't his attitude strange?
"... So what about the mobile team? Didn't anyone try to approach Christoph? Isn't there
anyone there with that preference?"
"No, there are a few."
"But?"
When Jeong Taeui asked, Ilay sighed, "Hmm."
Then he waved his finger in the air and remained silent for a while.
Jeong Taeui's life often put him in all-male environments, partly by choice and partly by
force.
From middle school to High school, he attended all-boys schools. The only women he
encountered then were teachers and cafeteria staff. Later, when he went to University, he
attended a Military Academy.
Although the school had accepted female students for the past ten years, the number of
female students was still less than that of male students.
From there, he went straight into the military, stayed there for a few years, and then, a few
months after leaving, he was (forced) to join the UNHRDO Asia branch by his uncle. They
said that other branches had female members, but not the Asia branch. (���)
If Jeong Taeui had not been inclined to be attracted to people of the same sex, his life would
have been utterly bleak, and he would soon have become a monk.
Having been in such circumstances, Jeong Taeui could only consider Christoph's ignorance
about same-sex relationships as either a lie or something incredibly miraculous.
Moreover, with his striking appearance, there would undoubtedly always be someone drawn
to him. In the worst case, someone might even try to assault him.
So naturally, even if Christoph wasn't a victim, he couldn't be ignorant of such matters
because rumors would always spread in such environments.
However.
A pure relationship maintained by innocent emotions. Along with abstinence. These words
sounded strange.
Jeong Taeui was almost lost with a blank face."Still, how can this happen?"
Ilay had been silent for a while, thinking about something, then slowly opened his mouth.
"But think about it."
"What?"
"What if it were you?"
"Huh?"
"He always appears covered in blood from head to toe. And when someone disobeys him, he
will immediately handle them; that's his nature. Also, he doesn't like physical contact with
others. So, what now? Do you still dare touch him?"
"...."
Jeong Taeui stared blankly at Ilay.
The thoughts that had been distracted by the earlier shock gradually returned.
Yes, thinking about it, Ilay wasn't wrong. Christoph's temperament was always volatile; he
often didn't like people in his room and didn't like being touched even through clothes. Even
his ability to kill was exceptional.
"... Ah."
Only then did Jeong Taeui understand Ilay's indifferent expression at Christoph's words.
Now Jeong Taeui was completely convinced. It was hard to believe, but given Christoph's
personality and environment, it wasn't impossible.
".... But he still knows about relationships between men and women. So he must not
be a virgin."
Jeong Taeui blurted out about someone else's sexual matters, then fell silent, surprised at
what he had said.
However, after thinking it over once more, he felt it was entirely possible for Christoph to
still be a virgin. After all, his aversion to physical contact wasn't just for men.
"...."
"...."
The room fell into silence once again.