A Day Off
Although it was a day off, for Jeong Taeui, there wasn't much difference between a day off
and a regular day. This was because Christoph would constantly harass him and make him
run errands.
However, the atmosphere in the house was different this time. There were more people than
usual gathered in the main building, Donik and Seik.
Among those who usually had to go out to work, quite a few chose to rest at home instead of
traveling or going out despite being on a long holiday.
Therefore, someone like him, who is always very free whether it's a holiday or a regular day,
naturally feels uncomfortable inside.
Although he tried to find places that were usually less frequented, like the tower with the
small garden, those places were now more crowded than usual.
This place is usually almost deserted, and even today, there aren't many people. However,
because Jeong Taeui was accustomed to the nearly empty scene, he now felt it was very
crowded even when there were only one or two people in that isolated tower.
"It's true that being comfortable for too long makes it hard to endure hardship. Getting used
to luxury…"
Jeong Taeui shook his head and stepped out of Seik. He wanted to go into the forest.
People here usually only use the roads in the forest that are suitable for horseback riding. As
for the other paths, he had never seen anyone else on the small, well-maintained walking
trails.
If it was that place, then today it would likely still be devoid of people.
It wasn't that Jeong Taeui particularly hated people, but when he wanted to rest, he couldn't
relax comfortably if he was with strangers.
While walking into the forest, Jeong Taeui briefly saw someone riding a horse, but it didn't
matter. After all, the horseback riding paths and walking trails were separate. If he wanted to
know how many people were riding horses, he could simply check the number of horses left
in the stable, and there were still quite a few left. However, whether there were many or few
riders wasn't Jeong Taeui's concern.
He leisurely strolled on the path leading to the forest entrance.
Jeong Taeui saw two people walking along the path from the main building.As this was the only road leading to the forest edge, he couldn't expect them to go anywhere
else. In other words, it seemed like they were about to enter the small path he was on.
This was the first time he encountered someone else here. Since the path branched off into
several smaller paths, he thought he'd have to take another route and glanced in that direction.
But then he involuntarily uttered a sound upon recognizing the person ahead.
It was Richard.
He was leisurely walking, wearing a comfortable shirt and cotton pants, looking like
someone who was enjoying a long-awaited vacation.
And next to him was someone Jeong Taeui had never seen before.
The woman was a head shorter than Richard.
If he had seen her before, he would have recognized her, but this was a face he hadn't seen
before, so it seemed she wasn't among the family members living in this mansion.
... Oh, I see.
Jeong Taeui nodded.
Thinking back, he vaguely remembered hearing that Richard was dating someone. He had
heard it was a small and adorable woman.
Jeong Taeui looked at the woman with different eyes.
Just as the rumor said, the woman before him had a petite and cute appearance. Her eyes
were like those of a deer, with a fragile look that seemed as if even a light touch on her cheek
would make her cry. However, the shy smile she gave Richard was incredibly sweet.
Like candy.
Sensing Jeong Taeui's unwavering gaze, the woman looked up and met his eyes.
Her eyes briefly widened in surprise, then she slightly stepped back behind Richard and said
something to him. Richard then looked this way.
"Ah... Mr. Kim Yong Soo."
When Richard saw Jeong Taeui, his eyes couldn't hide a moment of surprise, but he quickly
regained his usual calm and raised his hand.
Jeong Taeui, considering whether he should take the walking path before they noticed him,
had no choice but to stand there, nodding slightly and raising his hand.
Richard immediately walked towards Jeong Taeui. The woman followed behind him with
hesitant steps as if she was shy.The more he looked, the more they seemed like a perfect match.
A tall, handsome man and a small, beautiful, sweet woman like candy.
Suddenly, Jeong Taeui felt a bitter taste in his heart.
At the present time, among the two rivals, one of them seems to have everything. He has a
beautiful lover, a handsome son, immense wealth, and the enormous power that will soon fall
into his hands in the future.
And what about the other? He had a strong aversion to interacting with others, so he couldn't
even dream of having a lover. He was truly an innocent virgin. He didn't even seem to have
any intention of having children, let alone a son. On top of that, he was burdened with a
massive debt that he had to repay to his own family.
Why was life so cruel?
"Christoph. No matter what, I'm on your side." - Jeong Taeui mumbled as he gave Richard a
mechanical smile.
"Today is a day off, are you on a date?"
Jeong Taeui looked at the woman kindly and asked. Richard smiled and nodded.
"Did you come here for a walk? Many people usually come here because the horse-riding
paths are beautifully arranged... why don't you choose a horse and try riding?"
"Ah... I don't know how to ride a horse."
Jeong Taeui scratched his head and said shyly. Richard nodded and explained about the
walking paths in the forest, perhaps thinking Jeong Taeui rarely came here.
"This path has four main branches. Each branch has a few smaller offshoots, but basically,
there are four main paths. If you prefer a place with water, take the far right path at the first
intersection, then follow the small stream until you reach... Oh, come to think of it, this isn't
your first time here, is it? You've been here for a while."
Richard cheerfully explained but then stopped abruptly and asked Jeong Taeui.
"Yes, I come here occasionally. But I don't know much about the paths in this forest...
Thanks for telling me.... Thinking about it, I shouldn't bother you when you're on a date.
Which direction are you going?"
Jeong Taeui felt a bit awkward, so he purposely avoided looking at the woman hiding behind
Richard, fearing it would make her uncomfortable, as she couldn't even lift her blushing face.
After asking Richard which direction he would go, Jeong Taeui quickly said goodbye and left
the place.Wait, he said he would take the middle left path. Then he would go to the right where there
was a cool stream.
Jeong Taeui walked without looking back, taking the far-right path at the first intersection.
He had been here a few times. Walking along this small path for about 10 minutes, he would
see a small stream on the right, as Richard mentioned.
Jeong Taeui walked a few steps and then stopped under the shade of an oak tree growing
close to the roadside to tie his shoelaces. Looking back, he saw the two had already turned
into another path as Richard said.
"How can they look so well-matched?"
Jeong Taeui sighed, casting a distant glance at the two disappearing among the trees, then
continued walking forward.
That woman looked gentle and sweet. Like a shy cotton candy.
"So that's it... That's Richard's type."
Everyone has different tastes, and it seemed that man liked cute and lovely types. Although it
felt a bit different, he could vaguely see a resemblance to Xinlu in that woman. From this
angle, it turned out that his and Richard's tastes were quite similar. The only difference was
gender.
"..."
When was it? Not too long ago.
While resting in the small garden on the rooftop, he had accidentally met Ilay—although the
rooftop had an open space, so probably he had known Jeong Taeui was there before he
stepped up.
After watching Jeong Taeui lying on the smooth marble floor for a while, Ilay suddenly
mumbled.
"Well... Alright, if it's Chris. If it's that face, you surely won't be tempted, so it doesn't
matter if he's hanging around you."
He didn't need to reply because Ilay was talking to himself, but Jeong Taeui, who was lying
with his head turned towards Ilay—sitting right next to his head—couldn't help but raise his
head to look at him.
The reason why he wouldn't be tempted by that face? Besides that face, the personality was
what left a strong impression—but if it's just that face, it could easily captivate anyone.
"That's strange... I think my aesthetic sense is just like normal people... Christoph's face is
really excellent." - Taeui"Yes, that face is a masterpiece. Back in the Anti-Riot squad, there used to be a joke that if
you get used to that face, your standards will naturally rise, and you'll have trouble finding a
girlfriend later." - Ilay
"Yes, that face can charm anyone." - Taeui
"But that face is not your type." - Ilay calmly said. Jeong Taeui blankly stared at him for a
moment and mumbled.
"No way. Anyone who looks at Christoph can only say he's too handsome, including me. My
aesthetic sense is just like any other person."
Ilay, playing with a Rubik's cube that seemed to have been left behind by children on the
table, threw the toy. The plastic cube flew straight towards Jeong Taeui's face, but he caught
it just in time.
"But the type of face you like is someone like Xinlu, right? A sweet and cute face like candy.
Isn't that your type?"
Jeong Taeui fiddled with the cube and glanced at Ilay upon hearing those words.
"...Now that I think about it, that's true."
He had forgotten about that.
Jeong Taeui seemed to have not thought about his own type ever since it became pointless to
consider it.
Now that he thought about it, his type was originally a small, cute person who could fit into
his arms. So from the first moment he met Xinlu, he was almost immediately smitten.
Perhaps the person most suitable for you isn't necessarily the one you'll live with for a long
time.
Yes, ten years ago, Jeong Taeui didn't think he would live with a notorious, murderous
demon like this. Once, when he heard the news about an escaped murderer caught at his
girlfriend's house, he thought, 'Well, maybe that girl treated him well, but what was he
thinking going to her?'
That's why you shouldn't meddle in others' affairs. If he had known he'd end up in a similar
situation, he wouldn't have said such things.
Jeong Taeui raised his head to look at the tall, handsome man above him. His heart felt
complicated.
Perhaps seeing through his mood, Ilay caught the Rubik's cube that Jeong Taeui was fiddling
with and started solving it.
"If I didn't know your type, I wouldn't have let you be around someone like Christoph."Ilay said calmly. Jeong Taeui nodded as he saw the cube being gradually restored to its
original shape. - "Oh, that's right" - If it was Christoph, he would probably lose his temper if
he couldn't solve it.
'But even if my type was someone like Christoph...'
Jeong Taeui looked at the clear blue sky and spoke, but then suddenly fell silent. Ilay had
almost solved the cube in that short moment. He glanced at Jeong Taeui but didn't ask what
he wanted to say.
'Okay, just let life go naturally, whatever comes, comes. Que sera sera*.'
(*Que sera sera is Spanish for "Whatever will be, will be." The Japanese also often say ケセ
ラセラ "whatever will be, will be.")
Jeong Taeui casually said a few words. And then he slowly thought.
Even if someone who perfectly matched his type appeared right in front of him, what then?
He didn't have the time to build a relationship with them.
'...True... But if I liked someone who looked like Christoph and had to face them every day,
my mood would surely be hard to manage.'
Jeong Taeui patted his chest and mumbled, looking around.
Although no one could hear what he said on this deserted path, he couldn't help but glance
back, then quickly walked forward.