Lovers

8

An Ex-Boyfriend I Don’t Know

Riegel and I were silent the whole way to the Security Bureau. Maybe because I had my nose buried in my phone. I didn’t look at him, but he occasionally looked at me. I could feel his gaze on my profile. Whenever I felt that gaze, as if he was trying to confirm something, I remembered Lee asking, “Do you know him?”

Is he really an acquaintance?

     Did you make it up okay?

As soon as I sent a message to Lee, the reply came flying back.

You crazy bastard, you were trying to break the window earlier!

     You should’ve been prepared when you said that crazy stuff about building rapport.

I told you the method was up to you!

     That was my method. Breaking the window.

You son of a bitch.

While exchanging these pointless words, I was constantly trying to recall if I had ever seen this man named Sebastian Riegel before. If not the name, at least that face.

Honestly, it’s not a common face, is it?

Instead of looking at him directly, I glanced at his reflection in the glass to check on him. Still an unfamiliar face.

Everyone on this bus was clutching their phones. Whether sending messages, watching news, or making calls, they were all glued to their phones. But seeing him sitting there with his legs crossed, lost in thought, made me feel a bit creeped out. It seemed too hypocritical, or if not hypocritical, even more creepy.

They say 2nd Division will arrest and hand over to 1st Division. They want you to stay put.

     How much more put should I stay?

It means don’t break the glass just because you’re annoyed. Just bear with it for a moment. Our team member is processing things. As soon as headquarters gives the go-ahead, I’ll come to take you over.

The Security Bureau is divided into headquarters and branch offices, but most Security Bureau employees referred to the headquarters as the “main office.” Since the official jobs of undercover agents were usually employees of some company, it became customary to say “main office” and “branch office” because it was easier for everyone. Now, even desk workers like Lee used the term “main office.”

     I’m not saying thank you.

I’m not saying sorry either. Honestly, the drink was good, wasn’t it?

     It was sweet as honey. As expected, drinks on the country’s dime are the best.

I stole one more glance at the face of the person I’d be saying goodbye to when we arrived at headquarters. He was still lost in thought.

It was a strange encounter.

But it wasn’t bad. Come to think of it, I’ve now experienced something like flirting with a chaebol pretty boy. I even went into his bedroom. Thinking about it now that it’s almost over, it feels like I’ve had some kind of adventure. I’ve had many adventures with gunshots flying around, but never an adventure involving a bed, so it felt fresh.

It was a good experience.

The bus speeds through the night streets. Cheerfully.

As soon as I got off the transport bus, I saw a face that’s hard to come by. Security Bureau Director Andrea Dill was personally at the entrance of the Security Bureau. Her secretary was standing beside her, and there were two unfamiliar men who, judging by the cards hanging around their necks that read ‘Visitor,’ were clearly not Security Bureau people.

The two men hurriedly came down the entrance stairs with bewildered faces as soon as they saw Riegel.

“Mr. Riegel, are you hurt anywhere?”

Riegel’s impressive guards had accompanied the transport bus. What’s all this fuss about him getting hurt? Two of his guards got off in front of Riegel, I got off after Riegel, and then two more guards got off behind me. Riegel was the safest person on this bus. Yet the two men’s faces were pale as if Riegel had returned from the brink of death.

“I’m fine. And,”

Riegel suddenly looked at me.

“This person,”

“Excuse me.”

I was startled when Riegel pointed at me, but someone wedged between us. Looking at her face, she was an unfamiliar woman. Two men were standing behind her.

“You’re Mr. Schnieke, right? Come this way.”

One of the three looked familiar. He was an employee from Team 4 whom I had drunk with Lee once before. I kept my mouth shut, made no expression, and just nodded slightly as I tried to follow the woman. However, Riegel held me back.

“He’s my companion.”

“That’s why we’re interrogating him separately.”

The Team 4 member in charge of taking me over said indifferently. It was the typical soulless tone of a civil servant.

“That person doesn’t even have a lawyer, does he?”

“Because he doesn’t need one.”

“Why do you get to decide that?”

“Only guilty people bring lawyers to witness interviews. Mr. Schnieke, have you committed any crime?”

The person in charge asked me. There was hostility in his sharp voice. Of course, that hostility wasn’t directed at me, but at Riegel.

Why is this happening? Why are the Team 4 people so angry at Riegel?

“No.”

I answered in a small voice that I hadn’t committed any crime. If I were an undercover agent, I’d know what expression to make in this situation, but I’m what you’d call a manual labor fill-in man. I’m terrible at putting on fake expressions in situations like this. So all I could do was maintain an expressionless face, lower my head, and answer in a small voice.

     Your team member is fighting with Riegel.

I typed a message on the phone hidden in my padding. I was worried if Lee would be able to see it, but then a call came in for the person in charge. She didn’t answer the call, but as soon as she saw the name on the screen, she frowned as if she knew exactly what it was about.

“Let’s go, Mr. Schnieke.”

Am I finally getting out of here?

I wonder if Otto has gone home? Ah, I’d rather not get cursed at twice in one day by the section chief. Above all, my patience is starting to wear thin. I feel like I might not take the second round of cursing so well. I hope Otto has gone home and will postpone the cursing until tomorrow. Once a day is bearable. But today, I just want to go home and sleep.

… But did I clean up well the last time I left home? I didn’t leave any food to rot, did I? Thinking about it, I’m tempted to just go to a hotel. Even if I clean up tomorrow, I don’t want to face any trouble today. I’m already a bit tired.

As I was about to follow the person in charge, someone called out, “Armin.” Well, it’s obvious who would call me, but the fact that we’re not on a first-name basis is a bit…

When I turned to look at Riegel, he smiled.

“Don’t be scared, okay?”

What did Riegel say earlier in front of the 2nd Division section chief? Did he tell me not to worry?

From the tone that strangely sounds like he’s coaxing a child, it’s weird. No matter how rich he is, to walk around with that outrageous long hair, he must be quite a pervert. That tone might also be part of such perverted tastes.

Whether we’re acquaintances or strangers, Riegel is approaching a bit too much. Thinking I should draw a line, I gave him a slight smile.

“I’m fine, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

Riegel, who was taller than me, looked down at me with complicated eyes. I involuntarily felt complicated too. I don’t know what kind of relationship this person has with me, but things keep getting tangled because he keeps giving me these kinds of looks.

No, and if the 2nd Division section chief gave in, why didn’t you just leave? Why did you come all the way to the Security Bureau after catching me? You might think you’ve done me a favor, but honestly, I don’t know what to say to the 2nd Division section chief now.

If I say I don’t know why you’re doing this to me, will he just say, “Oh, I see.”? It would be grateful, no, it would be normal if you didn’t give me these strange looks and just left cleanly.

Riegel didn’t want to leave my side. It was as if he was a lover facing a border, never to meet again, which made me unconsciously say one more thing.

“Goodbye.”

Thanks to you, I now know exactly how Alice in Wonderland felt.

I walked, leaving him behind. As soon as there was a bit of distance, the person in charge started whispering questions to me.

“What kind of relationship do you have?”

“We met for the first time today.”

“That can’t be. His eyes were like, oh, geez, like…”

The person in charge stopped walking while making clicking sounds with her high heels. I urged her with my eyes not to stop. She started walking again but seemed unable to finish what she wanted to say after “like…”

Yeah, I think he’s a bit strange too. Honey is practically dripping from his eyes.

“Let’s not gossip. I don’t know what the situation is either.”

“…”

“Could it be undercover work?”

When I asked, she frowned and went “Hmm.”

“Why would a man like Sebastian Riegel put on an act here, and even drag a man he’s just met to a hotel room? What would he gain…”

“He might have noticed that I’m from the Security Bureau.”

“That’s possible, but if we think that way, it’s too high-level, and… it just doesn’t seem realistic for someone like him to use the pretty boy tactic.”

Even if he could hire someone suitable for the pretty boy tactic, why would he do it himself? The person in charge shook her head. She began with “To be honest with you,” and then looked at my face.

By that time, we had already arrived at the 1st Division. The youngest member of Team 4, it seemed, opened the door for us. Before entering, the person in charge clicked her tongue and whispered.

“It’s not like, an ex-boyfriend or something, is it?”

“I don’t have any ex-boyfriends.”

“Ah. …Then what, a high school classmate? Turns out he had a secret crush on the team leader…?”

“If the son of the Riegel Group had attended our school, I would have known.”

Besides, our school was in a slum. There’s no way the Riegel chairman would send his son to a place like that.

The Team 4 employee scratched the back of her head, saying, “Ah, geez.” The earrings on her ears dangled.

“We did bring the team leader, but the atmosphere in the 2nd Division is really bad, you know.”

“Do they think I ruined the operation?”

We were having a serious conversation standing in front of the door, not even entering the 1st Division yet.

“It’s a bit complicated. First of all, what the 2nd Division was trying to catch at this club was Canaris’s-“

“Senior, 2nd Division is coming.”

The youngest Team 4 member hurriedly drew our attention. The person in charge and I turned our heads simultaneously. Indeed, the team leader of Team 3 from the 2nd Division was running towards us from afar.

Ah, shit, this is too much. I’m sorry for interfering with the operation, but I didn’t really do anything. And I’ve cooperated with you guys as much as I could.

Just as I was about to get annoyed, the Team 3 team leader grabbed me with a pale face.

“Team leader, let’s go.”

“…Go where?”

“The Director, no, Riegel is calling. He says he won’t go without you!”