PASSION Chapter 1 Part 2

Chapter 1 Part 2

However, his brother, looking as calm as ever, spread his fingers in a scissors shape and made a cutting motion between his and Tae-ui's pinky fingers. As if cutting the invisible red thread of fate connecting them.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he went back to staring at the ceiling while Tae-ui stared at him, still holding up his pinky finger. Then he suddenly asked,

'Brother... Did you actually hate me all along?'

He tried to think back in case he had done something recently to upset his brother, but nothing came to mind. What could be wrong? What problem had arisen without his knowledge to make him suddenly talk about cutting their ties?

When Tae-ui asked this, his brother made an expression as if to say what nonsense are you suddenly talking about.

'Why would I?'

That was all his brother said. Tae-ui tilted his head and stared at his brother's face. Though he couldn't tell what he was thinking, there was no sign of pretense in his brother's expression, so Tae-ui said nothing more and turned his attention back to his book.

But thinking about it now, perhaps those words had been short for 'Why would I like you?'

Even if he wondered about it now, the only person who could answer that question had already left without promise of return. Saying he needed to experience some misfortune.

Tae-ui had thought 'What nonsense from someone with a full stomach' and left it at that, but looking at it now, even that departure showed how incredibly lucky his brother was. Since he left before this troublesome visitor arrived.

***

Though not at all welcome, he couldn't ignore a guest who had rarely visited his home saying he was hungry, so Tae-ui just scooped another bowl of rice onto the table he had been eating at. Though his appetite had long since disappeared, he sat down across from his uncle at the table.

"What's with this meager meal?"

His uncle laughed at the simple spread of barley rice, clear soup, and two or three side dishes.

"What do you expect from a young man living modestly? Does your military only serve fancy meals?"

"Of course. If the living conditions are tough and even the food is rough, there'd be internal rebellion. But it's not the military."

"Well, from what I've heard it's not much different from the military. Depending on how you look at it, it might be even more strict."

"Still, people are desperate to get in, with lines stretching to the other side of the Earth. It's got an impressive name too, the United Nations Human Resources Development Organization."

"That name's too long to memorize."

While his uncle ate, making ambiguous comments that could have been either praise or complaints about how even such simple food tasted good after so long, Tae-ui sighed again and picked up his spoon. His appetite was definitely gone after putting down his chopsticks once. He should just have a few spoonfuls of soup and be done with it.

While eating the clear soup, his gaze suddenly fixed on the moving chopsticks before him. He had thought this long ago too, but this man held his chopsticks very prettily. The way he properly used them was graceful. Those hands resembled his brother's.

Having such thoughts, Tae-ui raised his eyes to look at his uncle's face. It was a neat, and somehow even gentle-looking appearance. He resembled his brother.

Well, it made sense that they would look alike. Genetically, he was his real father after all. Even if he didn't resemble Tae-ui.

"Next month will be your father's third death anniversary, right?"

His uncle suddenly spoke up, though he couldn't have known what Tae-ui was thinking about.

"Yes. The 20th by the lunar calendar. Will you come?"

"That would be difficult."

Come to think of it, the last time he had seen his uncle was at his father's funeral. Though he hadn't come since then, not even for memorial services, Tae-ui understood it couldn't be helped since he was such a busy person.

Though this man was a troublesome and bothersome visitor to Tae-ui, he was actually someone who would receive good treatment wherever he went in any country.

"When brother returns, though I don't know when that will be, should I tell him to contact you?"

Though he knew that if it were urgent, it would be faster for his uncle to use his own people to search, he asked anyway. Of course, his lucky brother would never be found if he sensed the outcome would be bad for him.

"No... There isn't that much time."

His uncle, who had quickly finished a bowl of rice, muttered while wiping his mouth with his fingertips. Then he stared intently at Tae-ui.

At that moment, the ominous feeling he had forgotten came creeping back up his spine.

"Jung Tae-ui."

"Uncle... I don't know why you're looking for brother, but you know that brother and I are completely different, right? I'm someone who couldn't even understand the chemical formulas my twin brother solved when he was five, even if you put them in front of me now."

When Tae-ui quickly spoke in a brusque manner, his uncle's eyes curved slightly again as if amused.

"You know that originally, one of you two, you or Jae-ui, is my child, right?"

The topic his uncle brought up was something Tae-ui hadn't expected at all. Whatever he might have said would have been unexpected, but in this context, he hadn't anticipated such words at all. After staring at his uncle, Tae-ui spoke with something like a sigh.

"Well. Not one of us, but both of us are your sons. Genetically, I know that. Why bring that up?"

It wasn't a secret. He had heard it directly from his father when he was young, when his father judged that the brothers were old enough to understand. His father had sat down the two children, who were barely old enough to understand, and explained carefully. That their father was unable to have children, so he had received help from their uncle to have them.

Nothing really changed. Their father remained their father, and their uncle remained their uncle. Within a single phenomenon, there can be one fact but multiple truths.

However, at that time their father had also said, 'So someday, if your uncle says something strange, think that it might be right, and go along with it.'

Though not entirely because of those words, the brothers had followed their uncle well, partly due to their father's request, and actually, except for occasionally causing trouble, their uncle was an amusing and good person. But father in heaven, uncle says strange things more than just once or twice.

"No. Not both, just one. Even before you were born... when we knew they were twins, your father said he would give me one of you. So originally, you two should have been separated at birth and lived as cousins. ...But since the two squirming babies were so close together, I gave up on taking just one of you then, so you avoided being separated."

See? Even now uncle is saying strange things again. When Tae-ui stared at him with blank eyes, perhaps noticing his reaction, his uncle immediately became serious. Though his insistence that it was true seemed somewhat suspicious, he wasn't the type to lie. Besides, somehow it felt right. Ah, so that's what it was.

Their father might not have wanted to tell his children directly about how he had promised to give one of his sons to his brother. That must have been it, that strange thing he mentioned. Come to think of it, after a moment of silence, their father had quietly added:

'When the time comes that you must, treat your uncle as you would your father and follow him.'

Could that time he spoke of have meant when their uncle would demand it?

He couldn't know. But if it was something their father had accepted, he had no intention of raising his voice in argument. Though he wasn't here, his brother would probably reach a similar conclusion. Tae-ui had a personality that gave up quickly. It could be said he was submissive to given circumstances, or that he adapted quickly.

"Yes, Uncle... Though my cousin brother happens to be out right now. Should I tell my cousin brother to call you when he returns?"

When Tae-ui spoke, his uncle laughed out loud. His laughing face resembled his brother's even more. Well, with such a strong resemblance, there would be no difficulty in calling them father and son. Come to think of it, they seemed to have similar personalities too.

By the way, when his brother returns, he'll be surprised to suddenly have a different father. No, would he be surprised? Tae-ui couldn't really remember seeing his brother express surprise—at least outwardly showing expressions of surprise.

"There's no time to look for someone who isn't here. Come on, as of today you're my son, Tae-ui. Come with me. Pack your things. They'll provide all the miscellaneous items there, so just pack what you absolutely need, simply."

His uncle said while rubbing his chin with what seemed like amusement. There was laughter in his voice. However, Tae-ui, hearing these words, was not amused. It was a rare experience to hear such strange things in succession on the same day with barely any time between them, but it wasn't enjoyable.

"Me?"

"Yes, Jung Tae-ui. My son."

It seemed a heavy burden was about to settle on his shoulders. Only then did Tae-ui look at his uncle straight on with a serious face and frowned.

Beyond his uncle's sudden appearance and claim of paternal rights without a word until now, what could be the reason that his uncle, who had been living well as a bachelor without a wife, suddenly needed a son?

"Can't I not go?"

"Consider it filial duty and come along. Son."

"I don't want to, Father. Can't I just be an unfilial son?"

His uncle laughed deeply. Because of the large age gap between his uncle and father, the age difference between his uncle and Tae-ui was only three years less than that between his father and uncle. So he felt more like an older brother than an uncle.

This uncle laughed deeply and then approached Tae-ui. And then, unexpectedly, he struck Tae-ui, who was looking at him suspiciously. It was violence that could hardly be described by the cute word 'bonk.'

"Ouch!"

When Tae-ui glared at him disapprovingly while clutching his head, he continued speaking calmly, still not dropping his smile.

"This kid, after I went to the trouble of getting you discharged, instead of being grateful, what's this about being unfilial? You need a few more hits."

"Ow! Ah! Ack! It hurts, Uncle! I'm telling you it really hurts!"

He had a heavy hand like his brother too. Indeed, his brother should be this man's son. Though his brother was uninvolved with violence due to his characteristically languid nature, when he would occasionally pat Tae-ui's back to call him when he was spaced out, or slap his cheek to wake him from sleep paralysis, his hand was very heavy.

After thoroughly beating Tae-ui, his uncle sat back down nonchalantly, massaging his hands as if nothing had happened, and Tae-ui grumbled while rubbing his beaten head, pouting.

"So that's why I was discharged so easily when I still had plenty of mandatory service left... Uncle helped?"

"Yes. Jae-ui mentioned it. That his brother was crying in the military, all battered and broken in body and spirit."

".... What... I wasn't that battered..."

Though he had nearly lost his life at the military hospital and suffered mentally from the surrounding soldiers picking fights with him, to say he was battered... ...maybe he had been.