CNA BOOK 7 (OR 2 OF NOVEL II) 5. Hunting Two Tigers
[Hey.]
He opened his eyes dimly at the sound of someone calling him. A figure loomed in his hazy vision. His body, which had been alert and alert for the presence of others, was still completely relaxed. He didn’t even avoid the hand that was coming towards him. He just obediently handed his face over to him.
The hand on his head tickled his hair. The slightly higher body temperature than usual felt good. [Hey, Zhenya.]
When there was no response, he called his name sweetly. His tone had also become much softer. It was the same. He secretly rubbed his forehead with the hand that was sweeping his hair. It was an instinctive gesture.
[I think I should go soon. Are you going?]
He said goodbye for a moment in an ambiguous tone, whether he was informing or asking for understanding. He smiled faintly and moved his lips weakly. He couldn’t tell if the words that were swirling around in his mouth were coming out clearly. Only the feeling of the shadow that had been hovering over his face becoming a little darker and his soft lips gently squeezing down on his forehead was clear.
[Don’t cause trouble and wait quietly.]
The other person got up after giving a request that only a child would be given. At the same time, the body temperature, body odour, and breath that had been familiar to him as if they were a part of him suddenly disappeared. He flinched and absentmindedly reached out his hand, and the other person’s arm was grabbed. A strong frame that didn’t seem like it would break easily came into his hand.
Then the other person ruffled his hair again. The grip that had been restraining him slowly loosened as he repeatedly tried to soothe him.
The other person’s name leaked out from his lips as if he was moaning. The staring gaze fell for a moment, then quickly disappeared. Soon, the presence that had been detected nearby also faded. The sound of a door opening and closing was heard from afar.
His eyelids rolled up, but it was still too late. [....]
A familiar ceiling filled his vision. In the large house, he couldn't even hear the usual ticking of the clock. He sat up straight.
[...Taekjoo?]
He looked around his room, but he didn't detect any human presence other than Zhenya. He stared blankly down at his body. There was no noticeable change. His limbs were sagging like water-soaked cotton. On the other hand, his head felt strangely refreshed.
Now that he thinks about it, when and how did he fall asleep? It didn't come to mind clearly. He just sat there and searched through his hazy mind.
In the evening, Kwon Taekjoo came to his house. He had a lot of stuff in both hands. Most of it was used to fill the empty refrigerator and cupboards.
After that, it was no different than any other time.
After eating together and roughly clearing away the dishes, they sat in the living room and drank. The excuse was to watch a movie, but neither of them were interested in the movie. For some reason, Kwon Taekjoo was very ticklish, saying that since it was hot these days, let's go to Ajinoki or that there was a nice Russian restaurant nearby, let's go there too. He asked if there was anything he wanted to do. It was a sign that he would soon say something regretful.
It was about time that Kwon Taekjoo was given a new mission. He had been called to headquarters several times recently. So he decided to enjoy his flattery or advance consolation.
He leaned his whole body against Kwon Taekjoo, who was rarely shy. He had been arguing that it was heavy, but when he made a pitiful expression, saying, “You’re going to leave me alone again,” he quietly calmed down. He pushed the mood and laid him down on the sofa and kissed him until he was satisfied.
Kwon Taekjoo obediently accepted the persistent kiss that seemed to take away his breath. Occasionally, as if trying to control his pace, Zhenya would pat his ear or chin and tap his cheek, but that was all. Even if he completely squeezed his tongue with his own and tightly blocked his throat, it was the same. Even though he was suffering from shortness of breath, and because of that, his smooth forehead was bloodshot, he would faintly wiggle his tongue and flicker his tongue.
While they were licking their tongues for a while, his collar was suddenly pulled. As a result, they were tangled together and rolled down the sofa. Naturally, the positions were reversed and Kwon Taekjoo rose on top. Kwon Taekjoo, who was quietly looking down at Zhenya while holding his hand on the floor, slowly drank the whiskey in his glass.
He watched him silently, but for no reason, his throat was rumbling. His groyne was also tingling.
Soon, Kwon Taekjoo twisted his head and kissed him again. Their lips completely covered each other, and some of the whiskey he was holding seeped into his mouth. As the lukewarm, fragrant alcohol passed through his mouth, a small drop of water remained on his tongue. It was like a pill.
He stared at Kwon Taek Joo with a questioning look. Kwon Taekjoo calmly blew air on his face and made him swallow the pill.
He didn’t resist, but tightened his neck. With that, the pill that was melting on his tongue slowly went down his oesophagus. Kwon Taekjoo’s eyes were like that. He slid along the movement. He drew his gaze back to him with a smirk.
[Taekjoo. What was that just now?] [Sleeping pills. They’re mild.]
That’s comforting. He burst out laughing. It was ridiculous to openly give medicine to his lover, and now he can’t believe he confessed that the medicine was a sleeping pill.
The shocking situation didn’t end there.
Kwon Taekjoo stuck out his tongue as if he was proud and placed a white pill on it. The contrast of the red tongue soaked in whiskey and the white pill made his mouth water.
Kwon Taekjoo slowly lowered his head and licked his own lips with the tip of his tongue. Unable to watch, he swallowed his tongue. The small pill melted without a trace between the two tongues that were densely mixed.
And then he fixed Kwon Taekjoo’s tongue with his lips and sucked it until it was gone. As the root of his tongue started to tingle, Kwon Taekjoo’s eyebrows furrowed. He wrapped his arms around his body that was struggling to get away and rubbed his tongues against each other as if he was venting his anger. He let him go only when the taste of blood mixed with the saliva that was boiling hot.
Kwon Taekjoo wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, panting. Then he roughly wiped Zhenya’s lips, which were covered in saliva, with the hem of his clothes.
[You little brat, you’ve already been kicked. If that’s poison, why are you taking it so easily?]
[If that was poison, it would have been obvious a long time ago. It would have been enough to twist your neck in a few seconds.]
[You said you’d let me go first and die too, but were you serious? How romantic.]
Kwon Taekjoo grumbled in disbelief and then got up. His arm went up halfway to grab him but fell. Maybe the medicine was taking effect, but his body lost its strength.
[Get up. You should sleep in bed.]
Kwon Taekjoo sat up Zhenya with difficulty. He put his arm, which felt heavier because it was sagging, around his shoulder and supported him. They headed to the bedroom, seemingly about to collapse. While walking, he nuzzled the tip of his nose into Kwon Taekjoo’s ear, who was groaning. He pressed his lips against the veins in his neck, which had become taut from exertion.
In the midst of all this, he was scolded, asking if he wanted to do that. He didn’t care. Kwon Taekjoo threw Zhenya on the bed and collapsed next to him, exhausted. He slowly turned his body to him, who was panting heavily, and hugged him tightly. He also placed one leg on his two legs, making it impossible for him to move.
Kwon Taekjoo, who was in his arms, struggled to escape, but all attempts were in vain. His entire body was soaked in sweat, and only his body odour remained.
[Fuck... Is the weak point? Why does he still have so much strength left?]
Kwon Taekjoo stretched out again and groaned. Following the body odour that had become much stronger, he lightly brushed his cheek against his jet-black hair. He also rubbed his stiff centre against his thigh while tying him up.
[Taekjoo. Taekjoo....]
[He really feels good. Let go, kid. I'll make you feel good.] Kwon Taekjoo patted his arm, saying, “Yes.”
He silently released the restraints. Kwon Taekjoo, who raised his upper body, kissed him. Then, his lips landed all over his face. At the same time, the clothes he was wearing were taken off one by one. Maybe it was because he had never completely left himself in the hands of another person.
The whole situation was strange and interesting.
Looking back, the only time he had unconsciously fallen into someone else’s hands like that was a long time ago, when he was staying with Kwon Taekjoo at a shabby motel.
Kwon Taekjoo, who had climbed on top of his naked body, lifted his knees and untied himself. He pulled out Zhenya’s stiffly erect penis and rubbed it against his own.
The pleasure from the centre spread throughout his entire body. His breath caught in his throat from the languid yet sweet sensation. His body also relaxed pleasantly.
[Um... Taekjoo....]
He moaned sweetly while calling Kwon Taekjoo over and over again. By then, all the energy in his body had disappeared, and his eyes slowly closed and opened repeatedly. Kwon Taekjoo occasionally leaned over and kissed him affectionately. When his lower body was eager for more pleasure and jerked off on its own, Kwon Taekjoo straightened his genitals and slowly sat down on top of them.
[...uegh, ah.]
[Haa, ha... ugh, Taekjoo.]
Even in the midst of his hazy consciousness, the sensation of insertion was clear. For a moment, the pain that felt like his genitals were being cut off passed, and then a sweet sensation came rushing in like compensation. As he moaned earnestly, Kwon Taekjoo, who had been trembling, began to move his body little by little.
[Haa, ha... ugh, ugh, ah....]
[Eum, Taekjoo... Taekjoo, ugh, good.]
He exhaled repeatedly and enjoyed the sweet pleasure. His consciousness kept fading away, as if he was about to pass over.
To Zhenya, sex was no different from hunting. He had to completely subdue his partner and the act of binge eating without any steam. The excitement during sex was not much different from when you chase down your prey and cut off its breath.
However, he was not uncomfortable even when he was helplessly crushed and eaten by the other person. Rather, he felt like the hair on his head and the fluff on his whole body stood on end due to the new stimulation. It was not as intense as sparks flying, but the warmth that spread like a bonfire and spread gently was somehow affectionate and kind, and his stomach felt warm and ticklish.
He groaned softly with the corners of his mouth twitching, and then slowly closed his eyelids. His consciousness remained hazy, but his limbs were stretched out and he couldn't do anything. His last memory was Kwon Taekjoo, who had been shaking his body above, suddenly tilted his head back and was doing a new waist thrust in the air. Then, sticky semen splashed onto his face.
[....]
He suddenly scanned his face. There was nothing particularly noticeable. If last night’s events had not been a dream, Kwon Taekjoo must have cleaned it up.
He chuckled and got out of bed. His mind was clear because he had had a good night’s sleep. He felt extremely refreshed from the aftermath of sex.
When he went to the kitchen, he noticed something on the table. He approached it and saw a microwave. Instant pelmeni was placed on a special plate. Should he consider this as a meal? It looked extremely bleak at first glance, but it must have been a very thoughtful action on Kwon Taekjoo’s part, so he chuckled.
He opened the refrigerator to get some food. Inside were the side dishes that Kwon Taekjoo’s mother had prepared. It seemed to be a selection of the Korean foods that were edible among those that caused terrible pain. Of course, Zhenya had no way of knowing that most of them were considered children’s side dishes.
[My mother made this with you in mind, so don’t throw anything away and eat everything. I’m going to barge in and inspect it. Got it?]
Whenever he brought side dishes, Kwon Taekjoo would always yell at him like that. He thought it was a strange threat, but for some reason he ended up following him obediently. Whenever Kwon Taekjoo saw the empty lunch box, he felt secretly happy, and he liked the fact that he would come to his house again under the pretext of delivering side dishes.
In fact, to Zhenya, food was nothing more than food. A source of energy for survival. That’s why he didn’t eat every meal, but only ate when he needed to. His body, trained to that eating habit, didn’t feel hungry unless it was really bad. He didn’t gain or lose much weight.
However, during the two years he lived in Korea, his body gained nearly 10kg. It turns into muscle as soon as he eats it, so there is no significant change in body shape, but the problem is that now he feels hungry if he skips a meal.
[... First, wash up.]
He was about to close the refrigerator door. A frying pan caught his eye. He was going to take it out and check the contents, but he saw a note on the lid that said, 'Eat or not.' It was written by Kwon Taekjoo. He opened the lid with a suspicious look. There were scrambled eggs inside that were so well-cooked that they were brown.
Kwon Taekjoo, who had prepared a meal for his lover who would wake up late but had failed miserably, had taken out instant pelmeni, which was clearly visible. Laughter erupted again. This way, there’s no time to get bored.
[Taekjoo. You do some pretty cute things.]
He sat down at the table, humming to himself as if singing. Then, he pushed the instant pelmeni aside and ate it on the cold scrambled eggs. As expected, it was dry and hard instead of soft. He even chewed the eggshells a few times. The carrots and onions were chopped so much that they only gave off a scent and there was nothing to chew on.
While continuing the poor breakfast, he thought about what to do today. Normally, he would have tracked Kwon Teakjoo’s location first, but this time, he decided not to do that, so he chose a different destination to try. Only one place came to mind.
He rang the doorbell again. The other person didn’t come out right away. If it were any other time, the intercom would have notified him that the vehicle had arrived, and they would have come out to the elevator to greet him. But he hesitated as he rang the doorbell again.
[Ah....]
Suddenly, Kwon Taekjoo’s words came to mind. Kwon Taekjoo whispered as he put the side dishes his mother had made into the refrigerator.
[My mother will be staying at my aunt’s house for the time being.]
At first glance, he heard that that aunt lived in Canada, that she had surgery because she was sick, that Kwon Taekjoo’s mother was going to Canada to take care of her, and that she could stay for a long time depending on the situation. He heard it clearly, but he forgot about it. It became a habit to visit Kwon Taekjoo’s house whenever he was not around.
Kwon Taekjoo’s mother didn’t have much in common with Kwon Taekjoo. However, whenever she saw Zhenya, she smiled brightly, so he would play along appropriately. He doesn't know if the cooking skills that Kwon Taekjoo boasts about are that great. But thanks to her, he was able to adapt to Korean food quite well. She was quick-witted and took care of everything he needed, so it was convenient in many ways.
In addition, he was quite happy that Kwon Taekjoo told him all the little details about his past that he would never reveal to him.
It wasn't just because she was Kwon Taekjoo's mother, but she was a fun woman. She liked to laugh and chatter so much that he never got bored when he was with her. He guessed he could change his mood just by watching her. The more he watched, the more he wondered how a son like Kwon Taekjoo could come from such a small woman.
He visited today, expecting just that kind of small fun. But right in front of his nose it was so frustrating to have to wait in vain.
Kwon Taekjoo had left for work, and the little woman who had been giving him free time had also left the house.
[Hmm.]
Zhenya wandered around the front door meaninglessly. The heart that had been feeling good since morning had suddenly become dull.
He took his phone out of his pocket. He hesitated as if it were his habit to run the location tracking app.
[Don't follow me.]
Kwon Taekjoo has told him that many times. The warning not to come was ringing in his ears, but this time, the weight was completely different. Whether it was the way Kwon Taekjoo was unknowingly watching him or the way he acted so affectionately before leaving, it was like that. What on earth was he trying to do without him knowing?
All his curiosity would be resolved if he just logged into the app. Nevertheless, Zhenya just stared at the icon for a long time. In the end, he put his phone back in his pocket.
[Let’s keep our promise for now.]
He had never been tied down by a personal promise. No, no one had ever dared to ask such a thing of him. So he made a promise. He didn’t know what would happen if he kept it safely, or what benefits he would gain from it. He didn’t care.
However, if it was a promise with Kwon Taekjoo, it had a different meaning. He thought, “Should I try being a good dog for once?” He wondered what kind of reward Kwon Taekjoo would give him. As he continued to think about it, his mood seemed to improve.
He got on the elevator and went back down to the underground parking lot. Zhenya’s steps toward his Bugatti were incredibly refreshing.
The Russian Embassy in Korea. The roar of an engine from afar was getting closer. The employees working raised their heads one after another with puzzled expressions. They exchanged curious glances and all turned their heads toward the window. Some of those who had their desks by the window stood up and looked out the window. Soon, a Bugatti was seen boldly entering the main entrance.
[What’s all this noise?]
Pavel, who was just finishing a video conference, scolded the chaotic atmosphere. The employee who was glancing out the window explained the situation.
[The ambassador is here.] [What? The ambassador?]
Pavel's eyes widened. He didn't even ask Zhenya to come out, so how could he go to work on his own? Pavel hurried out without even having time to figure out what had happened. The staff members followed him.
He just stomped his feet in front of the elevator and turned toward the stairs. The employees who had been following Pavel also hurriedly went down the stairs.
They looked so confused that anyone who saw them would think they were being chased by a murderer.
When the group arrived at the lobby, Zhenya was just about to board the elevator that had just arrived. The group, including Pavel, quickly approached him.
[Ambassador. What happened....]
Pavel hurriedly picked up the words that had slipped out of his mind. Then he greeted him again formally.
[You came. If you had told me in advance, I would have sent you an official car.] [What are you doing?]
A look of annoyance appeared on Zhenya’s face.
That was why he was curious. Zhenya, despite being an ambassador, did not even try to go to work when there were big events. Even when Pavel begged, he ignored him, and it was often reported to the Kremlin, and only then did he reluctantly show up. Even then, he would often show his murderous intent, turning the entire embassy into a rink of ice or killing time like a barley sack.
It was strange that such a person, Zhenya, came to the embassy without any earnest request to come out at this time when there was no event. He began to watch nervously, wondering if there was some problem or if he was planning to cause some trouble.
Of course, there were times when Zhenya showed up without notice like this. The problem was that he gave off a cold air that was comparable to the bitter cold of Siberia in the middle of winter. He didn’t respond when he spoke to him, and he didn’t respond when he shoved the approval documents in his hands. All day long, he just sat in one place and stared at a blank wall. It was as if he was trying to calm his dizzy mind after a serious fight with someone. It was like that.
But today, the wind wasn't so cold. On the contrary, he seemed to be in a good mood. He couldn't understand English.
Zhenya tilted his head at Pavel's long gaze. [Are you going to get on?]
No matter what he heard, it seemed like he was telling him not to get on. Pavel and his group awkwardly laughed and took a step back.
[Oh, no. You should go up first.]
Zhenya closed the elevator door without hesitation and disappeared from the group. Pavel and the staff members just kept looking at each other with bewildered expressions.
Zhenya, who entered the office, sat down completely leaning back on the office chair. There were piles of documents waiting for him on the desk.
[Hmm....]
Pavel had not urged Zhenya to come to work during that time. Therefore, the documents lying there meant that they were not urgent matters.
Still, he picked one up and looked through the contents. As expected, he was hosting a useless event. It was a plan and budget. It was the same even when he opened the next file.
The Russian embassy was known for being slow in processing work. That notoriety became even more famous when Zhenya took office as ambassador. However, Zhenya did not care at all as if it had nothing to do with him. No, he had never paid attention to public opinion in his life.
That was why it was difficult to understand Kwon Taekjoo. What if he neglected his official duties, his national affairs?
[...]
Zhenya, who had been continuing the approval process with a calm face, suddenly took out his cell phone. He immediately recognized the door and launched the secret app. A map soon appeared on the screen. He told him not to follow him, he didn’t tell him not to spy on where he was or what he was doing, so it didn’t matter. He touched the location icon without hesitation. A message saying that he was looking for a target appeared for a moment.
Kwon Taekjoo would always ask him how he knew where he was. It seemed that he suspected that Zhenya was monitoring his every move. It wasn’t a completely off-base guess. However, it was difficult to track him in time with just wiretapping, as he was running around. To chase him, he needed more detailed and immediate information.
So, one day in the past, Kwon Taekjoo got hurt and while he was unconscious, a chip was implanted inside his dermis while disinfecting and suturing his wounds. Since it was so tiny and recognized as skin tissue by most machines, it was not detected by any inspection or examination. The chip was a system that identified Kwon Taekjoo’s location in real time and sent related information to the tracking app.
The search was soon completed and Kwon Taekjoo’s current location was displayed. Zhenya, who was absentmindedly checking the location, raised his eyebrows.
[...Vladivostok?]
He never thought he would go to Russia. Kwon Taekjoo’s operational site It was always difficult to catch the public, but this time it was really unexpected. Other than the two of them, this was the first time Kwon Taekjoo had visited Russia for business since they developed into lovers.
He leaned back and thought for a moment.
What could possibly get Russia and Korea dirty? There was a high possibility that North Korea was involved in some way. In the past, Kwon Taekjoo had come to Russia to find out the truth of the intelligence report that North Korea had participated in the development of 'Anastasia'.
Was there any new cooperation between Russia and North Korea? Zhenya didn't know anything about it. There was no particular corner that he could guess.
[Hmm....]
He silently thought back. Before leaving for this mission, Kwon Taekjoo had been more gentle than ever. He accepted whatever he did. At the time, he just assumed that he was being cautious because he had to go to work again before his lover’s birthday. Or maybe not.
[Do you want anything from me?]
[Nothing. Other than you not doing anything.]
[You keep cracking down on me, so I’m starting to get curious?]
Even then.
[Don’t listen to me. I said it was for my own good. I told you not to put yourself in danger.] [Danger? Me?]
And even then.
It wasn't like he was annoyed that he interfered with his work like usual. If he had worried about his own safety, then maybe. Why did he care about his own family relationships? Did he plan to stir up Russia from now on? He must have been worried that his lover might be involved in it, but he couldn't ask openly, so he must have been nervous.
Strangely, even though he had asked him to do it several times and accepted it, he broke his promise and even took medicine to keep himself from chasing him. In that case, it was a plan to completely shun Zhenya himself. He didn’t want to become his enemy again even if he died soon.
[Ha, Taekjoo. You’re so precious to me.]
After sighing, he laughed. He can’t believe how cute he is. Thinking of Kwon Taekjoo, who had been anxious all this time, wondering if he would ever have to face Zhenya himself, made him
feel strangely excited. He, who used to prioritise work over his mother, was now struggling between work and Zhenya himself. The corners of his mouth kept twitching in joy.
At that moment, a knock suddenly rang out. Zhenya’s face, which had been soaked in sweet satisfaction, suddenly froze. His eyes, staring at the closed door, had also become cold. When there was no response, he called out from outside, “Ambassador.” It seemed like Pavel had come to see him.
[If you’re busy, would you like for me to come back later?]
The tone of his question was extremely cautious. It was obvious that he was hesitating, fearing that he might offend Zhenya.
[Come in.]
[Yes! Then excuse me for a moment.]
Pavel opened the door after a moment. As he came inside, he was holding another bundle of payment documents in his hand.
[Nothing else, since you took the difficult step, could you please also look at these documents....]
It seemed that he had swept up all the documents to be approved, not knowing when his boss would commit the next outrageous act of coming to work. However, Pavel's positive circuit froze as soon as he met Zhenya. It was because his two new blue eyes were glaring at him as if they would pierce him. His whole body trembled as if a gun was pointed at his forehead. He couldn't take another step.
[Maybe I'm interfering....]
He barely opened his mouth, but Zhenya wiggled his pale and straight fingers. Pavel, who flinched, swallowed dry saliva and barely took a step or two as if he was stuck to the floor. Zhenya in front of the door as he walked to his desk, a thousand distracting thoughts filled his mind. For example, what kind of fate had befallen those who had offended him when he was in his home country. The gaze that quietly pierced his eyes felt like a sharp nail flying in and stabbing him.
[It was slow.]
[I'm sorry!]
He quickly stood in front of Zhenya's desk.
Zhenya glanced at Pavel with a discontented look and slowly opened his mouth. In reality, it only took a moment for him to open his mouth, but in Pavel's eyes, it seemed as if the moment had been in slow motion.
[What is the situation in my home country these days?]
[...Huh?]
Pavel made an expression as if he had heard something strange. An ambassador is a diplomat representing a country, so he should have a detailed understanding of the situation in his home country as well as the host country. However, the obvious question felt unusual because the person he was talking to was Zhenya. He was a great man who wouldn't blink an eye even if Russia disappeared from the face of the earth.
Zhenya added as if he hadn't misheard.
[When I returned home a while ago, I was taking care of personal business. I didn’t get to look properly because I was busy. But when I thought about it carefully, the Kremlin seemed quite busy? Are they planning something else?]
[Well, I don’t know...] [You don’t know?]
Zhenya tilted his head, cutting off the end of his words. His blue eyes, which looked like ice crystals, were sharply squinted. Pavel quietly bit his lips and swallowed his breath.
He tried to hide the trembling coming from inside his body by tightening his limbs. If Zhenya had stretched out his hand, his neck would have been easily broken. Even if such an unfortunate event had occurred, the Kremlin would not have known, as it had always been. They’ll pretend.
The Kremlin’s disregard. Complete indifference. That too was a factor in strengthening the power of ‘Psikh Bogdanov’.
[I’ll ask you again. Do you really not know anything?]
It sounded like he was being asked to choose between confessing completely or dying. Pavel hesitated, staring dangerously into the blue eyes that never left him. He wasn’t sure if what he knew was the information Zhenya wanted.
[I haven’t been to the home country myself, so I’m not sure, but Vladivostok has been undergoing maintenance for the past month.]
[Vladivostok?]
Zhenya showed interest. Pavel nodded quickly.
[Yes. At first glance, I heard that North Korea is sending research personnel to 'Parumza Sita'? For a field trip. Since we have had a technical cooperation relationship with North Korea for a long time, I thought it might be part of that.]
[Hmm... They're just going to reorganise the entire city with a few researchers?] [Oh, there's talk that a high-ranking North Korean official is accompanying them.] [What, are they having a summit or something?]
[If it was a visit from a leader, we would have already received a response manual, so that can't be the case. The diplomatic missions and intelligence agencies of other countries wouldn't be as quiet as they are now.]
[That's why it's even stranger. The fact that someone is suddenly coming to 'Parum Jashita' for a tour, and that such a thing is being prepared at the national level.]
[I guess North Korea is a closed country, so it feels burdened by the world's attention. It seems that the home country is also preparing protocol accordingly.]
[Even so, there's no way Busan would be shaken up just because they're welcoming a single diplomatic envoy, the Kremlin. I don't know, but I guess that North Korean researcher brought a great gift?]
[Well. I don't know the details...]
[Vladivostok.]
He muttered to himself and fell into thought.
A curious smile appeared on his face that had no expression.
[Okay, so go out.]
[Oh, yes.]
Pavel put the documents he had brought aside and hurriedly went out. On the way, his legs gave out and he staggered once.
The quiet closed door suddenly became noisy. It seemed like other employees were rushing to check on Pavel’s safety.
Regardless, Zhenya continued his deductions quietly in his head. His long fingers tapped the desk steadily.
It became clear why Kwon Taekjoo had gone to Vladivostok. And why Zhenya had tried so hard to keep himself away. It seemed like Russia and North Korea were plotting something, and it seemed like the Kremlin and the Bogdanov family were deeply involved in it.
[What are you hiding, Taekjoo.]
[There’s nothing like that.]
[No. Something definitely happened to you. Right?]
[I said nothing happened. That's because I didn't tell you. Actually, I've been thinking about it for quite some time. I've been a bit lax, but I've finally come to my senses again.]
[Ha, Taekjoo. Do you think I wouldn't know if you hid it....]
[Don't try to find a reason. Don't even try to find out where I was or what I did while you were gone. That's what it was all about.]
Kwon Taekjoo always cared about the relationship between Zhenya and his family. No matter how much he was inferior to others, it was no use explaining that they were just a couple. Kwon Taekjoo's work had to prioritise the interests of the Republic of Korea, and if that were to happen, there would be frequent situations where he would be at odds with his own country. Even if that happened, it didn't seem like much of a deal to him.
[From now on, just be my lover, you brat.]
Maybe those blunt words were Kwon Taekjoo's true intentions. Don't be an enemy because you're afraid, and don't try to be a comrade rashly, just stay by his side as a lover.
[Taekjoo....]
Zhenya smiled and leaned back in his chair. A sweet laugh mixed with his exhalation. The chair, which had been pushed back to the max, swayed gently for a long time.
***
Vladivostok Airport transfer area. A line of empty trucks were moving to the logistics warehouse. The driver, who was obviously Russian, turned the steering wheel with one hand and waved to a passing colleague. A fast-beat dance song was playing from the earphones in his ears, but his face was a little dull. There was no change.
The man who finished parking in the warehouse got off the tug and looked at the deserted airport. Only a few aeroplanes were standing here and there on the apron where the darkness had fallen as the night deepened. Even those had all their lights turned off. The plane that had just arrived carrying cargo was the last flight of the day. That was according to the official records.
He turned his gaze to the pitch-black sky. His blue eyes buried in his droopy eyelids shone sharply. However, his awkward standing on one leg and his infinitely slow movements were just like his usual self.
Soon, he turned his head at the sound of someone approaching. The colleague he had worked with until the end. He raised his hand and greeted them.
[I’ll go in first. Good work, Igor.] [Oh, see you tomorrow.]
He responded in his characteristically slow tone. As his colleague left and even his presence died down, the warehouse became as quiet as a mouse. The music playing on his earphones was leaking outside. Even though the melody was exciting enough to make his body sway involuntarily, Igor’s eyes were filled with boredom.
How much time had passed? The music that had been flowing smoothly until now suddenly buffered. Igor absentmindedly tapped his earphones. Then the noise disappeared and a person’s voice flowed out.
- Hunting.
"Two Tigers. Radio Check."
He answered without hesitation. The voice was no longer that of 'Igor', the cargo transporter. A solid voice without a hint of nasality. It was Kwon Taekjoo. The other party, who confirmed the radio code, said, "Roger." and reported the situation on the scene.
- This is Foxtrot. Pyongyang Special Train 0677, just arrived at Hasan Station.
He heard that the train had passed Najin earlier. Now that it has arrived at Hassan, it is moving along the existing route and at the usual speed. It seemed to be going. The train was scheduled to stay at Hasan Station for about half a day. The gauge of the train changed from Hasan, which is Russian territory, so separate work was needed for passage. In such cases, the cargo was transferred to another train or the entire upper part of the car was lifted and replaced, with only the wheels removed. This was a perfect opportunity to spy on the inside and outside of the train and identify the cargo being transported.
[Target?]
- I can't see it. The only confirmed passengers so far are armed soldiers. I don't know what they're carrying, but the security is pretty tight. Currently, the bogie exchange is in progress without a separate inspection.
When exchanging trains, the rule was that all passengers had to get off for safety reasons. In the past, when a North Korean leader visited Vladivostok by land, he got off at Khasan Station while the train was being exchanged and rested for a day in a nearby town. This time, no such movement was seen, so it seemed that the main targets, including Park Jeong-ho, did not board the train. If he was not the leader of North Korea, there was no need to endure such trouble.
The questionable part was that if Flight 0677 was simply a regular freight train, there was no reason to bring armed soldiers along. Moreover, since it was goods being transported across the border, at least a simple inspection should have been conducted. The fact that even that
was omitted is a matter that had already been discussed between the two countries, North Korea and Russia. It meant that they were transporting goods. Seriously
It smelled bad.
[Nothing else unusual?]
- It's dark so it's hard to tell, but all the soldiers who got off the train are wearing masks.
[Masks? Are you sure?]
- Um... No, I'll correct you. I can see a hose connected to the mask. It looks like a gas mask.
[Gas mask? What about the outfit?]
- They're all black from head to toe... I can't tell if they're just wearing armour or gas masks.
[Okay, I got it. Keep observing and report any unusual points. And from now on, set the designated radio time well.]
- There was nothing special to report.
[If there is nothing, report it as it is. That way, we can figure out how things are going on here.] -You're acting like a boss.
[Do you think I'm doing this for fun? If you want to play around with ranks, just go back to the military. I'm warning you, even if you don't like it, follow the rules. Don't act alone. If you're exposed to the enemy, it's not just you who's in danger.]
The radio was cut off in the middle of talking. Earphones in the same place, the song that had been playing as if nothing had happened continued. He was seething inside because of the guy who ignored even the basic principles of radio.
"Ha, this fucking idiot...."
He stared into the air and chewed out a curse. The American agent, 'Foxtrot', had been uncooperative from the beginning. He seemed to be dissatisfied with the situation where he was leading the operation in Korea and they were assisting him. He would often complain whenever they contacted him, and this time was no exception.
He let out a big exhale to suppress his boiling anger. He guessed he should say it was fortunate that we didn't directly collide. If not, he would keep thinking about his face and mess things up.
By the way, were the soldiers on the freight train from Pyongyang armed with gas masks and gas suits? It was not certain, but it was something to think about.
What on earth were they transporting on the train?
If it was a chemical substance with a high risk of explosion, there was no way they would have gone ahead with the car swap. There would have been an unavoidable shock when lifting the train car. It might have been safer to move the items to another train.
The fact that they did not do that suggested two possibilities. First, the items being transported were not the type that were sensitive to shock. Second, the method of moving the entire train was not possible by human hands. It is safer than borrowing.
In other words, it means that even if the substance is not sensitive to shock, it can harm people. That must be why the transport of goods and the movement of major personnel were divided into trains and aeroplanes. The gas masks and gas masks of soldiers protecting the goods at close range also strongly supported this inference. It is too cautious to say that it is simply a movement for technology sharing and research cooperation in the pharmaceutical field.
Park Jeong-ho, a biologist who has been studying the ecosystem of Mt. Baekdu. Russia's state-run pharmaceutical company Parmzashta and the largest defence company Rostak, who invited him out of the blue. Pyongyang, moving at the right time. A special train. North Korean soldiers wearing gas masks. And even secret hospitality from Russia. Each unusual fact intertwined one by one to lead to a conclusion.
The emergence of a new biochemical weapon.
Of course, it could be a vain delusion. It was highly likely that it was a hasty prediction. But perhaps, what North Korea and Russia were planning was much more dangerous than he had vaguely guessed.
While he was seriously contemplating, a strong light suddenly shone from behind him. He frowned and turned around to see two airport police officers looking inside the warehouse. They approached him with suspicious eyes after spotting Kwon Taekjoo. The gun's muzzle also slowly pointed at Kwon Taek Joo.
[Hey, there.]
[Yes.]
[Slowly look this way and turn around.]
He obediently turned his body toward the police. He raised both hands and showed an obedient attitude.
However, the police's vigilance did not easily disappear. They exchanged glances with each other while still aiming their rifles at Kwon Taek Joo. Soon, one of them approached and checked the ID card hanging around his neck. He thoroughly compared the photo of Igor printed there with Kwon Taekjoo's face. As if that wasn't enough, he held the ID card up to the terminal to check if it was real. That's how strict they were. There was no need to hide. Unless he was trying to do something secretly at an airport where all official takeoffs and landings had ended.
[Igor Mussorgsky. What are you doing here? Didn't you hear me telling you to leave work before midnight?]
They were telling them to leave work before midnight at an international airport where hundreds of planes came and went every day.
It was impossible. But this was Russia, where such 'impossible things' happened a lot. Kwon Taekjoo apologised profusely and responded with a sly smile.
[Oh, I'm sorry. It's already too late. I didn’t know it would turn out like this. I have a lot to think about with family matters.]
[Don’t you know that you shouldn’t let household matters leak out of the house? Stop yapping and get out.]
[Oh, yes. That’s right.]
He bowed and left the warehouse. The police continued to follow Kwon Taekjoo as he finished locking the door and went to the parking lot. They glared at him sharply until he got in the car and started the engine. At first glance, it seemed like they were checking the licence plate number. They must have been thoroughly preparing for possible spying or intrusion, but this only made him feel certain that something would happen there.
Kwon Taekjoo drove straight out and greeted the police officers. [Then, take care.]
At that moment, a thud sound came from the trunk. It seemed that the real Igor, who had been put to sleep with sleeping pills, had woken up. He nervously watched the police officers, wondering if they had heard him. When their eyes met, they scowled fiercely and shouted at him, asking what he was doing instead of turning off quickly.
He nodded again and drove out of the airport. As he drove around the building, he saw police cars and luxury sedans gathering one after another. Barricades began to be set up here and there to control access. No matter how you looked at it, it was not an ordinary scene.
After a while, Kwon Taekjoo’s car stopped in an empty lot on a hill far from the airport. The bushes were thick and there were few people even on normal days, but it was especially quiet
late at night. He got out of the driver’s seat and walked to the back of the car. Even then, there was a loud noise coming from the trunk.
When he opened the trunk, Igor flinched and froze, his arms and legs tied tightly. His face was covered in tears and sweat. The tape on his mouth was half-off and dangling, as if he had been persistently pushing it with his tongue.
[Eh!]
Igor shouted in surprise when he saw Kwon Taekjoo, who looked exactly like him. Clicking his tongue he covered his mouth with his hand.
[Shh. You woke up too early. Sleep a little longer.] [Hic! Sa, save me..!]
[Yes. I will save you. It stings.]
He injected sleeping pills into Igor’s neck without hesitation. Igor screamed and struggled against his tied body before slowly falling asleep. He slept soundly, sniffling, perhaps because the tension had been relieved. When he opened his eyes again, everything would have returned to its original place as if it had been a nightmare.
He threw a bottle of water into the trunk and closed the door. Kwon Taekjoo returned to the driver’s seat. Swept the dark night sky. There were still no noticeable lights.
He took out his work cell phone. When he unlocked the screen, he saw a message from the backup team. He entered the designated password to unlock the access rights and checked the contents of the message.
Korean Air Special Flight JS
265. Antonov An-
148 aircraft. Departed Pyongyang Airport at 11:50 PM.
He looked at the sky around the airport with his telescope. There was nothing particularly unusual. The airport was just dimmed and deep in silence as if all work had been completed.
If he goes straight from Pyongyang to Vladivostok without going through China, it takes a little more than an hour. It was about time to show up. He waited a little longer with his chin on the steering wheel. Soon, another message arrived.
Korea Air JS 265. Entering Russian airspace. Control frequency 111.98
It was not a previously known control frequency. It seemed that they were trying to communicate secretly on a separate frequency to prepare for spying and terrorism. He turned on the special
radio and tuned it to that frequency. When he put on the earphones, there was a peculiar crackling noise along with the Koryo Air and Vladivostok control towers. The following transmission was heard.
- Koryo Air 265. Approaching Vladivostok. Hello?
- Koryo Air 265, turn left to 340 degrees and grab the runway 7L localizer. Hello.
- Turn left to 340 degrees, align the 7L localizer. Koryo Air 265.
He looked up through his telescope at the direction mentioned in the transmission. The aircraft lights were blinking faintly in the clouds.
- Koryo Air 265, slow down to 210 knots, descend and maintain 4,000 feet. Runway 7, ILS approach cleared.
- Decelerate to 210 knots, descend to 4,000 feet and hold. Koryo Air 265. - Koryo Air 265, decelerated to 180 knots.
- Koryo Air 265, decelerated to 180 knots. Approaching runway 7 ILS.
- Koryo Air 265, clearance to land on runway 7. Wind 360, 5 knots.
- Clearance for landing on runway 7. Koryo Air 265.
Kwon Taekjoo immediately turned his phone sideways and held it with both hands. Then he took out the micro drone he had secretly left in the airport storage. It was launched and remotely controlled. It was a drone that could fly at high speeds of 300 km/h and had a special lens on the bottom to clearly capture even fast-moving objects. It was so small that it was hard to see, but it was even harder in the middle of the night.
After landing, the drone approached Koryo Air Flight 265, which was moving to the apron. When the aircraft stopped, official vehicles waiting on one side lined up next to it. Soon, a mobile staircase was connected to the aircraft and the door opened.
The drone landed on the wing of the aircraft and photographs were taken of the faces of the people getting off the aircraft. As written in the confidential document, the North Korean General Staff chief of operations, Sim Yeong-il, his secretary, Saradan Kim Gil-ha, and the key figure in this meeting, biologist Park Jeong-ho, got into the vehicle one by one. Their group quietly moved along a controlled route without any separate immigration inspection.
"Okay."
As soon as Kwon Taekjoo confirmed the entry of the key figures, he retrieved the drone first. Then he took Igor out of the trunk, pushed him into the driver's seat, and untied the rope that had bound him. He then sprayed vodka inside and outside the car and roughly threw the empty
bottle into the back seat. Anyone could tell that the driver was seriously drunk and had fallen asleep somewhere. Even if Igor Even if he woke up and reported it, the Russian police would surely dismiss it as the nonsense of a drunkard.
After finishing all the treatment, Kwon Taekjoo pushed through the thick bushes behind the empty lot. Soon, a motorcycle that had been prepared in advance appeared inside. He quickly climbed onto the motorcycle.
"Then shall we go?"
Kwon Taekjoo started the engine and quickly went down the slope in pursuit of the North Korean delegation.
Zhenya leaned against the chair in his office and he just looked up at the ceiling. He was bored so he finished all the work that had piled up, and there was nothing left to do. If it were any other time, he would have chased after Kwon Taekjoo and left for somewhere, but since he was trying to restrain himself for once, he felt bored and suffocated as if he was being held back. Since even Kwon Taekjoo’s mother was away, there was nowhere to kill time. Even he looked at himself and saw that he had no talent for waiting quietly.
[Hmm....]
He wondered if there was anything he could do to have some fun. Zhenya, who had been thinking deeply, suddenly picked up his phone. Then he launched the secret tracking app from before. This time, the target was not Kwon Taekjoo, but his second older brother. How could it be like this now? When he had time to spare, he often looked around to see where his blood relatives were and what they were doing. In particular, Basim’s movements were almost always directly connected to the Kremlin’s intentions, so he ended up looking at them more often.
After waiting for a while, Basim’s current location was marked on one side of the Russian map. Zhenya’s eyes widened slightly as he checked the coordinates.
[This is also Vladivostok. Interesting.]
Basim, the president’s confidant, left Moscow and went to Vladivostok. What on earth could he be doing? Basim rarely leaves his position for any reason. Given the nature of power, a vacancy can be filled by someone else at any time. It was because it contained the risk of being caught.
The fact that a cautious and suspicious central official had travelled to Vladivostok, a remote area, meant that something important was planned. For example, he was supposed to receive a diplomatic envoy from North Korea on behalf of the president. If that were true, it would be safe to assume that the Kremlin was quite interested in the gift of cutting off North Korea.
[What else are you coveting?]
After a moment of doubt, he started hacking all of Basim’s accounts. Not only his personal emails, but also multiple accounts used strictly for official purposes, transmission and reception records from five mobile phones, and personal data stored in a secret folder on his personal computer. He opened up all the files and displayed them on the monitor.
All of them were highly encrypted information, but they were easy to decrypt. At least for Zhenya.
Among the data that was displayed on the monitor one after another, there were also confidential documents from the Russian government.
Zhenya easily deciphered the double encryption set for each document. He already had a good grasp of Russia's security system, and with the access rights of Basim, who had absolute support from the Kremlin, it wouldn't be difficult.
He searched for 'Vladivostok' in the hundreds of confidential documents. He then sorted the related documents in order of their most recent and looked through them one by one.
In 2016, a deer carcass was exposed in the permafrost of northern Siberia. One child died from anthrax and seven adults were infected. This was the first time anthrax had been reported in the region since 1941.
In 2019, a wolf carcass that had died 27,000 years ago was discovered in the Siberian permafrost. A highly infectious virus was identified in the carcass' intestines.
In 2022, a 48,000-year-old carcass of a dwarf deer was discovered buried under a lake in the permafrost of the Yakutsk region of Siberia. 13 new viruses were detected.
Permafrost. Permafrost refers to frozen ground that is always below freezing in polar regions or alpine areas. It can be as deep as tens of centimetres at the shallow end or as deep as hundreds of metres at the deep end, and is commonly distributed in polar regions known as cold regions, Siberia, Greenland, Alaska, and northern Canada.
The reason why this permafrost has recently begun to receive attention is because of global warming. As the permafrost layer has become shallow due to atmospheric changes, the corpses of plants and animals buried underneath have been revealed, and some of them have become a problem because they carry pathogens or viruses that are fatal to the human body. This is because if humans cannot overcome such viruses, a pandemic could occur.
However, ecologists and meteorologists have already warned of this danger many times.
Why was such open information included in a secret document? The basis for this can be inferred from the following sentence.
A new microorganism was collected from the crater of Baekdu Mountain in North Korea. It is presumed to be an obligate aerobic microorganism that causes acute sepsis when inhaled.
The human immune system has a high response rate, and existing antibiotics or vaccines have little therapeutic effect. If infected, symptoms such as headache, fever, vomiting, confusion, hallucinations, and respiratory distress appear within 24 hours, and the mortality rate to date is
98%.
A microorganism that is fatal to the human body was found on Baekdu Mountain. It was discovered in the West. And that fact was mentioned along with the viruses discovered in the permafrost. Each piece of information was reduced to a single word in hid head.
Biochemical weapons.
In this day and age, would they develop something like that? He burst out laughing, but it quickly died down. It was not impossible for the Kremlin to be so ambitious. Not long ago, an RNA virus swept the world. The virus, which had an unprecedented transmission power and fatality rate, caused a panic in all aspects of politics, economy, society, and culture. In return, some forces accumulated enormous wealth and power. The chaos and chaos caused by the tiny virus considering the Kremlin's dominance, it was not surprising that the Kremlin was interested in a new microorganism.
A pathogenic microorganism newly discovered on Mt. Baekdu in North Korea. Since it becomes active in the presence of more oxygen, it will be difficult to prevent its spread, and existing antibiotics cannot treat it when infected.
This information is being secretly shared only between Russia and North Korea. The way things are going is not simple. It will probably be a long time before humanity learns of the existence of this microorganism. When weaponized microorganisms threaten our peaceful daily lives, belatedly.
[You're getting more and more childish. I'll be the tsar. [If you say so, I'll give you the dignity of the empire, this is it.]
Zhenya, who had been sticking his tongue out, finished looking through Basim's personal communication records. They were full of messages reporting to someone, such as arriving in Vladivostok, going to greet the delegation, the goods are being transported safely, and air traffic control communications have begun. The recipient was obviously the Kremlin.
[How long are you going to lick that idiotic pig's rear end?]
He shook his head and put the earphones in his ears. It was to eavesdrop on Basim's calls. Judging from the interval between reports, it was likely that Basim and the President were communicating. He thought it was time.
As expected, soon after, the message 'call' appeared in the hacking window. He held his breath and waited for the call to connect. Soon, he heard Bajim's voice on the other end of the earphones.
- Yes, Your Majesty. The North Korean delegation just arrived at the airport. - Yes, what about the goods?
- The goods will probably arrive tomorrow morning.
- You're managing it thoroughly, right?
- Is there any possibility?
- Before a full-scale conversation, make sure it’s the right item. - Yes, I understand.
The call ended quickly. There was no detailed mention of whether it was for possible wiretapping or why the items were brought in. However, by combining various circumstances and information confirmed from confidential documents, it was possible to easily guess what the Kremlin was planning.
The Kremlin heard news that a new microorganism had been discovered in North Korea. They also knew very well how lethal the microorganism was to the human body. The Kremlin must have proposed cooperation in microorganism research and the development of a treatment, citing North Korea’s lack of pharmaceutical facilities.
The problem was that it was unclear whether the Kremlin would really use the microbe only for developing a cure, or whether it would simply disclose and distribute the results of the related research to the world. No, he was certain that it would never do that. In the phone call with Ba Jim, the order to 'check if it is a proper product before a full-scale conversation' seemed far from humane. That would mean conducting human experiments to see if the microbe is really that lethal, as North Korea claims.
By the way, is Kwon Taekjoo aware of all this? What are the two countries trying to trade, and how dangerous is it?
Running the hacking program again to find the target changed. He was going to check where Kwon Taekjoo was, what he was doing, and what instructions he had received. However, both his personal line and the lines he normally used for work were down. This time, it seemed he had decided to thoroughly evade himself. For now, he could only barely grasp the location information of the biochip that Kwon Taekjoo had secretly implanted in his body.
He knocked on the table. The sudden, strong desire inside him and the reason he was trying to hold on to were noisily competing. He quietly stared at the red dot blinking on the location tracker.
The red dot that had been wandering around the Vladivostok Airport began to move little by little toward the city. In the direction of the hotel run by his family. Unless there was a major change, the accommodation of the North Korean delegation that Bajim was carrying out would have been assigned there.
[...Taekjoo.]
Zhenya, who had been mumbling softly, finally got up from his seat. ***
Kwon Taekjoo was spying on the Bogdanov family’s hotel with his eyes wide open. The North Korean delegation, including Park Jeong-ho, had entered the hotel around 2 a.m. and had not made any significant movements since then. Russian police patrolled the hotel in shifts all night. However, they did not go inside. In fact, not a single person had come or gone from the hotel since the North Korean delegation arrived.
The surveillance inside seemed to be tighter than outside.
The goal of this operation was to find out what North Korea and Russia were secretly discussing. It would have been icing on the cake if they could secure the items transported from North Korea in time for the meeting, but that was something to think about later. Greed ruins things. Kwon Taekjoo was not the only one moving. Therefore, they decided not to force their way in.
As they began the joint operation, the American agent 'Foxtrot' chased the special train from Pyongyang from Hasan, and the Japanese agent 'Sierra' decided to investigate the situation on Russky Island. Kwon Taekjoo was monitoring the North Korean delegation from a hideout where he could see the Bogdanov Hotel through the gaps in the buildings in front.
As of now, there was no way to infiltrate the hotel. He could not install cameras or wiretapping devices in advance. So he infiltrated the hotel with bug-sized cameras through narrow ventilation holes and sewer pipes. The cameras looked very similar to cockroaches, so they were not very noticeable.
After linking two laptops with each camera, one was connected to the North Korean General Staff Department Operations Bureau Director Shim, one was moved to Young-il's room, and the other was moved to the room of North Korean biologist Park Jeong-ho. Since the radio waves controlling the camera had to pass through several walls, it was difficult to make fine adjustments. They had no choice but to hide the camera in the most remote place possible and collect limited information.
After observing for a full day, they discovered one peculiarity. In Sim Yeong-il's room, people came and went frequently and freely used communication devices. On the other hand, Park Jeong-ho stayed in his room the whole time and just sat there blankly. He almost always stayed in the same place except when he was eating or going to the bathroom.
No one came to see him specifically. The guards guarding the hallway would often come in and ask him if he was he just checked to see if they were safe, looked around the room, and left. Even then, Park Jeong-ho stepped aside and watched the guards stirring his luggage and bed. For the time being, he couldn’t tell if he was being protected or being watched. It was a sight that would make him believe it even if Park Jeong-ho was locked up in a prison without bars.
“...What the hell.”
Wasn’t Park Jeong-ho the key figure in this meeting? Why did he seem to have been dragged there by force?
It was full of strange things. At that moment, the alarm that had been set in advance rang. He looked at his wristwatch. It was time for the agents from other countries to report on the status of their respective areas. However, the communicator was strange. It was quiet.
If they think about it, no agent had reported on time until now. The information they had received was also vague. It seemed like they were planning to escape safely in case they had to fight over responsibility in the future. They might have been late because they had to report to their superiors first before contacting Kwon Taekjoo. That was why they didn’t want to get involved with guys of different nationalities.
He sighed and put the communicator to his ear.
It was to contact them first. At that moment, the communicator rang.
- Hunting.
"Two Tigers."
- Foxtrot. Special train from Pyongyang
0677, arriving in Vladivostok. Only some of the passengers disembarked, and the train entered the maintenance yard without any separate logistics transport.
[Hmm. Then the goods must have been loaded onto the train and stored in the maintenance yard. How is the surrounding surveillance level?]
- Tango 4. Guard the car right next to the locomotive. All four are armed. [Okay. Watch a little longer until further instructions.]
- What? Just watch stupidly? This is the perfect opportunity to check the goods. The car stopped and the surveillance personnel were reduced. Let's take advantage of the gap in security....
[Are you sure there's something there? Do you know what it is?] - So we should check it out more.
[Hey, Foxtrot. The top priority of this operation is to find out what kind of collusion North Korea and Russia have had, and what they're dealing with, not to steal the stuff. Don't move rashly and ruin things.]
- Ha... You're being hostile just like I heard. I don't know if Asians are cautious or timid.
Foxtrot's expression turned to Via with a displeased expression. He snickered. It was clearly a racist remark, but he didn't say anything. He had been tracking the goods being secretly transported from North Korea to Russia, so he wanted to know what it was right away. Even if he were Kwon Taekjoo himself, he would have been on edge like 'Foxtrot'.
However, since this was a case involving many interests, he had to be very careful. If he acted rashly in a situation where nothing was certain, he would ruin everything. He might have made a big fuss.
Kwon Taekjoo suppressed his anger and warned 'Foxtrot'.
[Look before you leap. That's East Asia isn’t this a proverb that only applies in ? Being suffocatingly cautious is less dangerous than doing something without thinking. You can't bet everything on a stroke of luck that may or may not come? I'm warning you, never act alone.]
- E&. Roger.
Foxtrot' ended the communication unilaterally, still not pleased with it until the very end.
"Ah."
He pulled the communicator out of his ear and threw his head back. It felt like the bubbling in the bow was suddenly rising to his mind.
That's why he hates all the partners in the joint condition. It's hard to control each agent, and if the line is off, all the operations will fall like dominoes. If 'Foxtrot' had ever worked with 'Sierra' in the past, it would have been different, but since they were all complete strangers and had different nationalities, there was bound to be discord. It was nice to call it a joint team, but it felt like a two-person triangle match between players of different physiques.
He glared at his poor laptop with a dissatisfied expression. Soon after, there was a knock on the door of Sim Yeong-il's room. He immediately put on my earphones.
- Come in.
Sim Yeong-il's voice was heard. Then his secretary, Kim Gil-ha, appeared. - Kirae, what happened?
- I left it at the train maintenance yard as instructed.
I'll find out tomorrow and transport it from Russia.
- Did you get away?
- I gave you a strict warning, so you're going to hang up?
- You're on your way. Okay, then you should go out.
- Yes.
Shim Yeong-il waited for Kim Gil-ha to leave and then made a phone call. As soon as the call was connected, he nodded, so he could clearly guess who the other person was. Shim Yeong-il, who had been looking around at his son-in-law, got up from his seat and walked closer to the window. He went. Then, a noise that interfered with the radio waves came through the earphones. It seemed that they had installed special equipment near the window or door to prepare for the salt. It was difficult to read what was being said because Sim Yeong-il covered his mouth the whole time on the phone.
He sighed softly and took out the earphones. He thought things would be resolved easily, but he must have underestimated the other person too much.
Sim Yeong-il's call ended without any significant results. Immediately after, Sim Yeong-il left the room with a relieved expression. It seemed that things were going smoothly as they had hoped.
He felt unnecessarily anxious. They say that enemies come after a long period of patience, but Lee wasn't the only one who could do it. In order not to miss an opportunity, he had to constantly watch and watch again. But sitting like this, just observing the enemy's movements made him anxious that he might be missing something.
That's when the communicator rang again. He flinched and quickly put the communicator to his ear.
- Hunting.
"Two Tigers."
- This is Sierra. Alpha, can you hear me?
It was a radio message from the Japanese agent, 'Sierra.' Had they detected any movement at the Far East Federal University where he was waiting?
[Listen carefully. Report.]
- The atmosphere here is ominous around midnight. Black trucks are arriving one after another, and the Natural Sciences Building has been completely cordoned off since the evening under the pretext of a fire inspection. The area around it is also barricaded, making it impossible to approach.
[According to Foxtrot, the train that departed from Pyongyang must have brought something. It seems like they’re moving the cargo there overnight. Do you see anyone wearing a gas mask or gas suit there?]
- No. Not at all.
[What’s on the truck?]
- They're all top cars, so it's hard to tell them apart.
[Can't you check a little closer?]
- Isn't it too dangerous?
[...Yeah. If you're not sure, leave it alone. If you see someone wearing a gas mask or gas suit, or if you catch sight of any quarantine equipment, report it immediately.]
- Do you have any guesses?
[It's not certain yet. I'll share it with you when I get more information, so don't be impatient.
If everything goes as planned, the items will be moved tonight. If that's the final destination, then from now on, it’s going to be busy, so don't let your guard down, and prepare your gas mask in advance just in case.]
- Roger, that.
As soon as he finished communicating with 'Sierra', he sighed. He couldn't gather good information because he was hiding in a safe place and just spying. One side was acting on their own and the other side was being too passive, so he was worried. He thought it would be better if Kwon Taekjoo himself was in charge of all three places. Even long-time partners often get along, so how much great results could be expected from a hastily put together team?
He suppressed his growing discontent and checked Park Jeong-ho on the monitor. He was sitting quietly the whole time. Park Jung-ho suddenly got up. Then he strode towards the camera.
"Huh...?"
Before he could even respond, the monitor was filled with Park Jung-ho's face.
- What a cockroach...
Park Jung-ho reached out to the insect-shaped camera without hesitation. The lens was quickly covered by his hand and the screen went black.
"Damn, did I get caught?"
Park Jung-ho, holding the camera in his hand, observed the rest of the coffin for a while. At first glance, it looked like a cockroach, but upon closer inspection, something felt off. There was no choice. Especially since the opponent was a biologist, it was only a matter of time before the identity of the camera was discovered.
Kwon Taekjoo sighed while holding his hair. In the meantime, Park Jeong-ho, who had grabbed the camera, went into the bathroom. He then threw the camera into the toilet and flushed it without hesitation.
The camera was swept away helplessly by the strong current. The video cut off abruptly after capturing Park Jeong-ho watching the scene indifferently.
"Ah!"'
Kwon Taekjoo quickly grabbed his telescope and headed to the window. It was to check the hotel's activities. He could also use the communication device to inform 'Foxtrot' and 'Sierra' that the operation had been exposed. He turned it on.
However, no matter how long he waited, the hotel area was quiet. If Park Jeong-ho had informed his superiors of the existence of the surveillance camera, there should have been some kind of noticeable change.
However, even after watching for a long time, nothing happened. The area around the hotel was quiet, almost peaceful. He couldn’t even see the security personnel exchanging radio messages.
“...What?”
Could it be that Park Jeong-ho didn’t report anything? Why? If that was the case, he would have definitely realised that what he caught wasn’t a real bug. It must have been.
Thinking about it, Park Jeong-ho's act of throwing the surveillance camera in the toilet was also somewhat unsatisfactory. If someone were to claim that he was spying on them, they would need evidence, so wouldn't it have been better to hand it over to the guard rather than just disposing of the camera arbitrarily like before?
No way.
A gut feeling flashed through his mind. He immediately went back to his sofa and watched the real-time recorded video.
Park Jeong-ho, who had been sitting blankly in one spot all day, suddenly stared at the camera. He zoomed in on the video to take a closer look. Park Jeong-ho just rolled his eyes without moving at all and stared at the camera. It was as if he was aware of someone else’s gaze.
Then, he suddenly got up and approached the camera. “What the cockroach...”
Park Jeong-ho, holding the camera as if he was catching a bug, observed its appearance for a while. Then, like he had seen before, he went to the bathroom and threw the camera into the toilet.
With a strange sense of discomfort, he rewinded the video and played it at 0.5x speed. Park Jeong-ho suddenly noticed the camera and slowly approached it. He grabbed the camera without hesitation. He stared intently at the unfamiliar object that might have been sent by someone.
"Hmm? What is it?"
Kwon Taek-joo, who had discovered something, pressed the pause button. He then rewinded the video 10 seconds back.
"What's that cockroach...."
Park Jeong-ho's appearance in the slowly playing video was no different than before. However, right after mentioning the cockroach, his lips moved a little more. He didn't say anything else. He turned up the video volume to the maximum and checked the voice analysis chart, but still, no sound was picked up. At best, he was breathing. Is it Lee?
Nevertheless, he watched the same part over and over again. Still, there was no sound in his ears, but the shape of Park Jeong-ho’s lips became more and more clearly engraved in his eyes.
“What is it that he’s saying?”
He played the video again. Park Jeong-ho slightly moved his lips toward the camera. He seemed to be careful not to be caught on the surveillance cameras installed all over the room by the North. Kwon Taekjoo focused all his attention on Park Jeong-ho’s lips. He tried to follow what he was trying to say.
“Do... Do-ah.....”
He repeatedly read Park Jeong-ho's mouth shape as if he was reading a book. As a result, "Help me?”
An unexpected message was completed.
***
Basim stayed in Saga near the hotel and kept in close contact with the Kremlin. The president strongly urged that the contents of this meeting should never be leaked to the outside. He was not worried about his reputation. It was just that North Korea had discovered a new microorganism on Mt. Baekdu. Before analysing it closely and deciding on its use, they were just wary of letting it be known to the world.
The microorganisms transported from North Korea were to be transferred to the laboratory of the Far Eastern Federal University for detailed analysis and animal testing. Of course, there were many things to coordinate with the North before that.
The Kremlin wanted to exert greater influence by leveraging Russia’s technological superiority in this collaboration. If the microorganisms from Baekdu Mountain met his expectations, it was obvious that he would want to monopolise them completely. The North would demand a large sum in return. It was necessary to closely check whether they were worth it.
Bajim read and reread the report that the North had sent him in advance. In short, the unprecedented microorganism discovered in Baekdu Mountain seemed to be close to a pathogenic bacteria or virus. It is not a problem when it exists naturally, but it is a different story when an animal inhales it. When North Korea conducted its own experiments on rats and pigs, it is said that the test subjects died from acute sepsis within 6 to 24 hours after being exposed to the microorganism. Out of numerous experiments, only one survived. And even that one was in a state where he could not breathe on his own.
Will it work on humans?
That was the first question that came to mind after reading the report. North Korea did not specifically mention human experimentation. However, they were operating a political prison camp where human rights abuses were rampant. It was a place where dozens of corpses were produced every day. The corpses were buried in mass graves or cremated under the supervision of the Ministry of State Security, so the cause of death could have been kept secret.
Moreover, North Korea could not have proposed cooperation without any certainty about the usefulness of the Baekdu Mountain microorganisms. Therefore, wouldn’t it be right to assume that their lethality has been proven to humans as well? Unless North Korea is deliberately trying to deceive Russia.
Of course, no matter how much of an ally they are, North Korea. He couldn’t blindly trust Han’s report. Since it was a huge deal, he had to verify the quality of the product several times. That
was why he brought the recently collected sample here to Vladivostok, even at the risk of leaking it.
He was going over North Korea’s report again to minimise experimental errors. Suddenly, his cell phone, which had been quiet, rang. It was a message from an intelligence agent dispatched to Korea. He had sent him to the Russian embassy in Korea in advance, disguising his identity as a diplomat.
It was to monitor Zhenya, who might run off somewhere. [What? At this hour.]
He felt uneasy. That was understandable, since reports related to Zhenya were usually received once a day, at a set time. The fact that he was contacted at this late hour meant that Zhenya had acted impulsively. For example, like a while ago, he had suddenly visited Ajinoki and played with a weapon he had made. He checked the message that had just arrived.
Boarding the target plane. Destination: Vladivostok.
Bajim’s brow furrowed. He read the message again, but it was exactly as he had perceived it. [Yevgeny is coming here?]
Zhenya had no particular contact with Vladivostok. Even if he said that he was visiting purely for weapons business, the suspicions were not dispelled at all. He rarely came forward except in special cases. Even when he did, he almost always used a professional broker to conduct the transaction. Why would such a guy visit Vladivostok at this time?
A hypothesis formed in his mind as his doubts grew. [Could it be because of that Korean spy again?]
That one assumption cleared up his doubtful mind in an instant. Zhenya insisted there were only two situations in which he would leave Korea.
When he went to Ajinoki for personal business or when Kwon Taekjoo went on an overseas mission.
Most of what Kwon Taekjoo, or to be precise, the Korean government, wanted to do was to cause trouble to Russia or its allies. There were more than one or two instances where the family was in an awkward position due to Zhenya’s involvement. As a brother and on behalf of the Kremlin, he tried to explain to Zhenya several times so that he would understand, but Zhenya would not listen. He warned him that if he kept doing this, he would not be able to avoid trouble, but he would only provoke him by telling him to do so if he was not afraid of the consequences.
So Zhenya was coming to Vladivostok, where he had no connection. He couldn't help but think it was because of Kwon Taekjoo.
He doesn't know where or how the secrets were leaked, or what smelled like in Korea, but all the puzzle pieces fit together exquisitely.
[Ha. Yevgeny, you insisted.]
It was incredible. To be crazy about a man and abandon your family and your country. He couldn't understand Zhenya then or now.
In any case, he couldn't overturn something that was almost done. Besides, the Korean government's espionage was just Basim's own conjecture, and he hadn't secured any evidence about it yet. He thought he should try a bait now. If he did well, two worries might be resolved at once.
After thinking about it for a while, Bajim quickly made a phone call. Despite the late hour, the person on the other end answered the phone right away.
[I'm closing. I think I'll be able to prepare the test subjects you ordered soon. You don't have to worry about the aftermath. They're unknown. Even if they disappear without anyone knowing, there won't be any problems. Yes, I can guarantee it. Oh, the time of the experiment? That's the only problem... Don't worry. The test subjects will come into the test tubes at the right time. We just have to prepare well-cultured test tubes.]
A deep smile spread across Bajim's lips. A gentle light appeared in his calm eyes.
Kwon Taekjoo looked at Director Kwak over the monitor with a complicated expression. As soon as he recognized Park Jeong-ho's message, he had requested an urgent interview through an unofficial line. Even though Kwon Taekjoo himself had the command of this operation, rescuing Park Jeong-ho was beyond his authority. He needed a decision and approval from his superiors.
An unexpected variable arose during the operation.
In such cases, he would respond in one of three ways. Proceed with the operation as originally planned, change it to fit the variable, or withdraw considering the risk of exposure. That was also not something Kwon Taekjoo himself could decide.
Director Kwak seemed half-confident, even though he had a rough idea of the situation from the message he had sent earlier.
- Park Jeong-ho requested rescue. What does that mean? "Did you check the video I sent you?"
- Of course I did. It does look like he asked for help, as you said, but we could have made a mistake. Since the matter is serious, I think we need to cross-check. I'll hand it over to the relevant team and have them conduct a detailed evaluation.
"Sigh... We don't have much time."
- Don't be impatient. It won't make any difference. Because, What's wrong with being cautious? Our goal isn't to protect Park Jung-ho. Do you know? Park Jung-ho might have set a trap to lure us.
"If that were the case, instead of destroying the surveillance camera as soon as we found it, we would have notified the North Korean guards. That someone seemed to be spying on us. And if the wiretapping had been discovered in any way, the hotel, the train maintenance centre, or the Far East University wouldn't have been as quiet as they are now."
- ...That's true, but don't get too excited. When did Park Jung-ho start noticing?
"I already had a feeling. I was going to ask. The surveillance camera used in this operation is shaped like a cockroach. Was it made to fit the local climate?"
- Well. They don't usually consider that. "That's probably why they looked into it.
Park Jeong-ho is a biologist. At first glance, you wouldn't think that a Russian cockroach is exactly the same as a Korean cockroach, right? The difference would have been more noticeable to an expert's eyes. Since it was a species not commonly seen in Vladivostok, he must have noticed that it wasn't a bug. Since North Korea and Russia are already openly monitoring him, he must have guessed that a third country was secretly spying on him."
Park Jeong-ho was currently in custody. Just looking at the fact that North Korean security guards were always on guard around him from the airport and that he was sitting still as if he was aware of the surveillance, it was obvious. Perhaps Park Jeong-ho threw away the camera after making a silent request for rescue because he was worried that his message would not be properly delivered or that he would be caught by the North.
If we infer that, most of the questions that had been nagging at us while watching Park Jeong-ho were resolved. And in their place, new questions arose.
What kind of threat is Park Jeong-ho receiving? It is one thing to keep a renowned biologist locked up. The only explanation was Euro. Could it be that his beliefs as a scholar were against the ruling party and, furthermore, the national interest?
Director Kwak sank into a deep sleep.
- Yes. Let's say that Park Jeong-ho rebelled against the party leadership as you said, and that's why he's being treated like this now. If we secure his new recruits, we'll be able to quickly figure out what the gist of the North Korea-Russia talks is. We'll also be able to easily figure out the identity of the item they brought from Pyongyang as a new treasure.
"There's no need for our agents to be exposed to any possible danger."
- Right. Even so, since it was an unexpected change, let's approach it a little more calmly. We need to be clear about what we can and cannot do right away. After all, it's Russian territory. You went there to dig up secrets between the two countries, not to rescue someone. The other party shouldn't even know that you were there.
"I know what you mean. But if we can somehow secure Park Jeong-ho's new recruits, we can wrap up this operation right away. We'll also be able to save ourselves the trouble of getting our hands on the items on the special train and analysing them.
If those items are the hazardous materials we suspect, we can take action before it's too late." He actively persuaded Director Kwak. A deep sigh came from the other end of the phone.
- Do you think that saving Park Jung-ho is enough? Park Jung-ho must have a family. They would have been held hostage by North Korea right now. If not, Park Jung-ho would have been more proactive in asking for help. Right now, we are not in a position to save Park Jung-ho and safely evacuate his family. Even if we somehow contact Park Jung-ho and persuade him, there is no guarantee that he will abandon his family and come over to our side. It would be a pointless war of attrition. Do you agree with that?
"Ha... Yes."
He had no choice but to admit it. They couldn’t wage an all-out war in the middle of enemy territory when we were so short on manpower and firepower. With North Korea and Russia closely monitoring Park Jeong-ho, it was nearly impossible to approach him secretly or sneak him away without a trace.
“So, you’re telling me to just watch?”
- I guess there’s nothing we can do.
“Director. If Park Jeong-ho refused the party’s demands as we suspected, and if that’s why he’s being treated like that, he’ll be executed as soon as he’s done being useful in this meeting. His family, who were taken as bait, will be in no different situation. But don't you regret this decision?"
- Hey, Gl. We're in a joint operation right now.
To make any decision, we need the consent of the US and Japan. It's hard for the three countries to agree on something. It'll take time to persuade them. They'll just become more suspicious and hostile towards each other, which will only cause confusion. To put it bluntly, would those two countries even care if a North Korean biologist died?
Director Kwak added, "Besides, what's the basis for a dog that showed its teeth to the enemy to wag its tail at us? Defection doesn't mean defection.”
He couldn’t respond to Director Kwak’s question. It was because he couldn’t say for sure that Park Jeong-ho was the absolute best.
“Then, should we maintain the operation?”
- For now, I guess so. Since no special circumstances have been detected yet.
Instead, I should consider the possibility that the operation was exposed, and maintain a stronger alert posture than before. Headquarters will also consider whether or not we can get Park Jeong-ho out, so for now, focus on finding out what was transported from Pyongyang.
“Understood.”
He reluctantly responded, but the communication was silent. The bell rang. Just in case, he looked at the hotel with my telescope. Perhaps because it was late at night, there was no noticeable movement. Perhaps the other agents' areas were different.
"Director, I have a radio call coming in, so I'll hang up now. If there's any change, I'll report back separately."
He finished his conversation with Director Kwak by informing him unilaterally. Then he put the communicator in his ear.
- Hunting.
The voice asking for the password was Foxtrot, an American agent. For some reason, his tone sounded more urgent than before.
"Two tigers."
- It's Foxtrot. The Russians are now
unloading the cargo from the 0677 train. The goods are being transported in iceboxes and in special refrigerated cars.
[A special refrigerated car in an icebox... It might be a problem if it melts, right?]
- There's a high chance of that. Now, what are you going to do? You're not going to sit back and watch again, are you?
[Hold on a second. There's still no movement here. I have to check on the Sierra situation too...]
A blatant sigh erupts from the other end of the communicator. 'Foxtrot' complained without hesitation.
- Hey, Alpha. What are you hesitating for? The goal is right in front of you. If they don't move, that means they're completely off guard. This is when you have to attack them!
[You don't know how dangerous that thing is.]
- Shit! Don't talk nonsense, you idiot! When have you been measuring everything? And while you're doing that, they're just waiting around? Once we get our hands on it, it's just a matter of time before we find out what it is and how dangerous it is!
[It's noisy, so bark moderately? They'll know your voice. And I've told you this many times. Our goal is to find out what North Korea and Russia are plotting, not stealing the goods they're trying to trade.]
- Stop talking nonsense! This game is over once we secure the goods anyway.
[Let's say we get what you want. What then? How are we going to get it out of this country?]
- Let's hide it in the embassy and think about it.
The peaceful words made people laugh.
[Embassy? Is that all you could think of? You don't know the Russians at all. If they were you, they would push aside the embassy of a country without hesitation.]
- How dare you act like a moth to a flame unless you mean to go to all-out war against the United States. Even the Russians wouldn't have their brains blown up like that. If they had brains like that, I'd shoot them myself and blow them up.
Is it overflowing patriotism, pride, or just wanting to show off based on national power? The fool who was obsessed with showing off didn't have the energy to fight back.
[Are you stupid? I'm warning you, but you're acting rashly. Don't throw away all the hard work you've put in.]
- Throw it away? Who would say that, anyway! If you keep acting like this, you'll end up chasing after them all the time. I don't know how slow you've been and I don't care, but since you're supposed to be the leader, don't tarnish other people's careers!
'Foxtrot' shouted angrily. He already knew that he was hot-tempered. He had some idea that he would act emotionally at a critical moment and ruin things. However, he couldn't just sit by and watch them openly sarcastically and defy orders.
The leader's orders were absolute during the operation. This was especially true if the failure of the operation directly resulted in the sacrifice of the team members. If there were team members who wanted to act on their own initiative due to their rebellion against the leader, there was only one way to deal with it.
['Foxtrot', you should just get out of this operation.]
He gave the order in a calm tone. There was no emotion in his final instructions to 'Foxtrot'.
- What?
Soon, 'Foxtrot's' breathy laughter could be heard from the other end of the communicator. The protests that followed became even more intense.
- I'm going to use people as I please and see what I can do. You saw it, so get out?
[Because team members outside of control are nothing more than unexploded bombs that endanger even our own troops. Even the smallest dust is a risk factor that needs to be removed.]
Kwon Taekjoo wasn't angry at all. He just maintained a firm attitude that no amount of persuasion, compromise, coaxing, or threats would work. 'Foxtrot' kept clicking his tongue.
- Okay, I'll leave now. You two timid Asians, have fun playing together!
He didn't forget to be sarcastic until the end. Then, a sharp mechanical sound rang out in his ears. It seemed like Foxtrot had broken the communicator in a fit of anger. Kwon Taekjoo frowned in annoyance and threw the communicator away from his ear. His bones felt cold from the unexpected noise.
"Ah, you fucking racist bastard! You have a pierced mouth, damn it!"
He let out a snarl of anger. If Foxtrot had been next to him, he would have hit him. As expected, collaboration doesn't suit his constitution. It's even worse when there's no absolute command relationship and they're of different nationalities.
He took a deep breath for a moment, tousling the back of his hair in annoyance. Then, a nervous touch he ran the group messenger. He was angry, but now he had to do something. He had to notify Director Kwak and the backup team that 'Foxtrot' was out of this operation. And since the goods were being transported, he had to check the situation on the 'Sierra' side.
Foxtrot, as of now
Hunting Two Tigers
excluded from the operation. Immediately stop all material support and information sharing.
As soon as he sent the message, his work cell phone rang. It was a call from headquarters. He sighed softly and answered, 'Yes.'
- What's the big deal, excluding Foxtrot all of a sudden?
"That's what happened. He keeps disobeying orders and trying to do whatever he wants. He's going to do it anyway, that bastard. It'll put me and Sierra in danger. So please convince the Americans at headquarters. Tell them to either step back and provide rear support or replace him with someone who listens well."
- You have to talk sense. How can I find a replacement right now? "I don't know. Or just tell him to watch a show and eat rice cakes."
- Don't make things too complicated when it's important. Let's not talk. It would be better to ask the US side to persuade that agent....
"If it's possible to persuade. He's stubborn. It'd be nice if he didn't cause an accident..." Before Kwon Taekjoo could finish his words.
A sudden explosion was heard from afar. Kwon Taekjoo jumped up and ran to the window on the other side. He looked in the direction of the explosion with his telescope. Soon, a small but clear flame was captured in his field of vision.
- Why? What's going on? What was that sound just now?
"The overpass 18 km ahead in the southeast direction...Is that the Russky Bridge? That's where they just entered. Something exploded on the road."
- Are you sure?
"Yes. They said that the Russky Bridge was completely closed to traffic since midnight, so it can't be a normal traffic accident. I'll have to check.
I'll report back."
He quickly hung up the phone with Director Kwak. Then he watched the flames growing bigger with anxious eyes. His heart pounded and pounded dizzily. A cold and uneasy feeling licked the back of my neck.
As if trying to shake off that unpleasant feeling, he left his hiding place and headed to the rooftop. He kicked open the worn-out door and went out, facing the direction where the explosion occurred. He checked. No matter how many times he checked, the direction of the Russky Bridge was correct.
"What the hell is going on... Foxtrot?"
Did he immediately go on his own after being told to withdraw from the operation? He was contemplating what to do with an uneasy feeling. The communicator rang. It was a message from 'Sierra'.
- Alpha. What was that explosion just now?
He asked without even checking the communication code, as if he was panicking. Before Kwon Taekjoo could respond, he urgently relayed the situation at the Far Eastern Federal University.
- The movement here is also unusual! Wait, the soldiers and guards came out and searched the area!
[It seems like Foxtrot acted alone.] - What?
[That bastard did it after all!]
He gritted his teeth. Immediately after that, sirens blared one after another from a place not too far away. Police cars, fire trucks, and even SWAT teams seemed to be rushing to the scene of the accident with their lights flashing.
The enemies also seemed to be on high alert due to the unexpected situation. In an instant, black vans rushed in and surrounded the quiet hotel. Armed guards poured down.
If the explosion at the Russky Bridge was caused by Foxtrot as expected, it was only a matter of time before the operation was exposed. No, it may have already been. We had to withdraw.
[Sierra, hide yourself right now. I'll contact you again.]
He immediately cut off the communication and turned around. He had to destroy the hideout without a trace before the enemies came and then ran away.
He opened the rooftop door while chewing on a curse in his haste. Suddenly, my vision became blurry. It was as if a huge wall had appeared before his eyes.
“.....!"
For a moment, his body stiffened, but he instinctively pulled out his gun. In the meantime, a white hand reached out and covered Kwon Taekjoo's mouth and the gun's muzzle. He pulled the trigger halfway and then hesitated.
It was because the hand that flashed into his field of vision was too familiar. Even the sight of the adult in his narrowed field of vision seemed somehow familiar. Even the feel of the hand
touching his face and the grip strength gave him certainty. The smell that seeped into his nose also added certainty to all his feelings.
"...Zhenya?"
While he was mumbling absentmindedly, something was stuck in his neck. The unique smell of medicine spread from the tip of his nose to his brain in an instant. Then, he suddenly became dizzy.
[Ugh, what are you doing...!] [You should take a nap, Taekjoo.]
He whispered, pressing harder on his body that was trying to escape somehow. The body odour, the body temperature, the feel of his skin, and even his voice were all like Zhenya. He was right.
But why? How?
The questions that had been vividly floating in his head quickly disappeared beyond his fading consciousness. Dozens, hundreds of sirens rang sharply in his dizzy ears.
6. Cease Fire
A series of violent explosions and explosions struck his ears. His head was hazy, making it hard to tell if it was an illusion or reality. Then, a mechanical beeping sound pierced his eardrums and hit his brain. He opened his eyes after all the noise had died down.
The smell of the chemicals lingering in his body poked his brainstem like an awl. Even breathing in and out felt awkward.
He let out a long exhale and continued to search his dizzy mind. He tried to recall his last memory. He thinks he was raided in the hideout. Did he lose consciousness? Then where is he?
He opened his eyes wide and raised his upper body, then stopped. His head felt like it was going to split open at the sudden change in posture.
"Ugh...."
He groaned involuntarily. He looked around, gritting his molars in annoyance. The space that filled his vision was strangely familiar. Not only the stagnant air and smell in the room, but even the feel of the bedding against his skin.
Is this a dream? This shouldn't be happening.
He instinctively felt his body. The holster was empty. He looked around and saw his gun neatly placed on the table next to the bed. There was no sign of a communicator or cell phone. He
quickly picked up the pistol and checked the magazine. The bullets were full. Was that the time he was attacked, when he couldn’t pull the trigger? What on earth happened?
The last memory suddenly came to mind in his hazy mind.
“...Zhenya?”
He encountered Zhenya on the roof of the building he had been hiding in. He hadn’t seen his face directly. However, his silhouette, his scent, and even his touch, there was no way it could have been a mistake. It was definitely Zhenya, that guy.
Why and how did he appear there? Did he throw it? Also, when did Kwon Taekjoo himself move to Ajinoki?
The questions continued one after another.
He was confused. Could it be that he had a strange dream? Or that this moment was a dream. In a situation where nothing was clear, the one possibility he hated the most slowly raised its head. He wanted to shake it off as if it couldn’t be true, but an unpleasant and cold premonition stimulated his thinking centre.
Soon, a steady sound of footsteps was heard from outside the door. It was a noise so soft that the culprit wouldn’t have noticed it, but Kwon Taekjoo recognized it clearly. Just by the weight of the footsteps and the sound of people, he could tell who the other person was. He glared at the door with sharp eyes.
The sound of people getting closer stopped outside the door. Then the doorknob slowly turned. Zhenya appeared through the gap in the door that opened with a click.
The bastard raised his eyebrows as soon as he found Kwon Taekjoo who had regained consciousness. He soon smiled and entered the room. For some reason, instead of his unique body odour, he smelled of a strong flame.
[He always points the gun first. I’ll shoot him at any moment.]
Zhenya chuckled as he looked at Kwon Taekjoo’s gun aimed at him. There was no problem. It was a calm expression. Kwon Taekjoo’s face hardened even more coldly.
It wasn’t a mistake that he saw Zhenya right before he lost consciousness. He had hoped it was all a dream, an illusion. When he saw the guy who appeared in front of Kwon Taekjoo, his already complicated feelings became even more agitated.
[What happened?]
He asked in a low voice. It wasn’t just because his voice had been hushed while he was unconscious. Despite the heavy atmosphere, Zhenya just shrugged his shoulders childishly.
[First, eat something. If your stomach is empty, your head won’t work well, you hungry beast. Silver is usually more prickly. Would you like ramen?]
Zhenya turned his body as if he was going to the kitchen at any moment. The sound of ramen came out in this situation. The back of his neck was pulling painfully.
[I asked what happened.]
He growled at the back of his head that seemed peaceful. Zhenya stopped walking. Then, the guy who turned his head looked at Kwon Taekjoo's hard face one by one. The answer that came out as the result of a long search was very unexpected.
[You’ve been like that for about half a day.]
[..What?]
[I want to use something mild, but that’s all I have as medicine.]
Zhenya leisurely tapped his neck. When he absentmindedly touched his neck, a stinging and dull pain came up. The needle had been inserted so many times, and the wound seemed to have deepened because he had tossed and turned in protest.
[It must be hard to just sit down now, but you’re so brave. Should I at least acknowledge your pride?]
Zhenya leisurely smiled. Kwon Taekjoo came to me all of a sudden and ruined all his official duties, and acted like it was nothing. What on earth is so easy and simple about everything? It felt like the scorching heat had suddenly crashed down to the soles of his feet.
[What are you doing?] [What am I doing?]
Zhenya, who had been pretending not to know and following Kwon Taekjoo’s words, made an artificial exclamation of [Ah.]. Then he raised one corner of her mouth and jeered at Kwon Taek Joo.
[Are you mad because I injected you with anaesthesia? That’s what you did to me, Taekjoo.]
He grinned as if it was a joke. Kwon Taekjoo’s brow furrowed deeply. Even the bridge of his nose was distorted as he suppressed his rising anger.
[Stop talking nonsense and explain properly. Why are you here?]
[Here? What, I came to a place I shouldn't have? It's my island, my home.] [That's what I’m talking about!]
Finally, he couldn't hold it in any longer and shouted. Zhenya’s eyes widened slightly at the sudden shout. However, the bastard soon regained his composure. He looked like he didn't know what the problem was.
[You, your little brat shouldn't be here right now.]
A desperate and angry monologue came out. His tightly clenched fists turned white and trembled. Zhenya's pupils constricted slightly, and he sensitively detected each change.
But that was all. There was no change in the bastard's expression. He still had no idea what he had done wrong or why Kwon Taekjoo was angry. [Taekjoo.] His voice was incredibly calm.
[Why are you so angry again?]
His tangled head felt like it was being torn apart. His voice, as nervous as it could be, burst out without a moment to swallow.
[I told you not to follow me! This time, absolutely do not follow me! Don’t you understand?]
[I didn’t follow you. I went to save you.]
[What happened?]
[My lover is about to jump into a pit of fire without knowing what’s next, so there’s nothing I can do.
I have to hold on to him somehow and watch.]
He let out a gasp. How could such an innocent sound come out of a guy who kills people like ants? He felt so depressed that he fell all the way to his feet.
He wondered if it was because of the remaining medicine or because his blood circulation was slow due to the overflowing spirit, but his vision was getting blurry. His legs were shaking and it felt like it would break. His whole body quickly became hot and his breath became stale. He rubbed his wet forehead in irritation.
Zhenya appeared right after an unknown explosion was heard from the Russky Bridge. Based on the timing and the circumstances, he guessed that Foxtrot, who had been excluded from the joint operation, had acted alone. He didn’t know if that was true, and if so, whether the items had been secured safely. It was possible that they had been suppressed by the enemies.
What was clear was that the explosion must have made the enemies aware of the spy’s presence. It was as if the operation had been revealed to the surface. Sirens blared everywhere, and armed police were rushing to Russky Bridge, the hotel, and Far Eastern Federal University. It was foolish to fight back when they were outnumbered. They had to withdraw for now and wait for the next opportunity while watching the situation unfold. 'He told Sierra to take refuge and was about to turn around in a hurry when Zhenya showed up. He
seemed to know exactly where Kwon Taekjoo was. Despite the fact that he had cut off all lines to avoid his pursuit.
He had known for a long time that Zhenya had been spying on Kwon Taekjoo's every move. He had repeatedly advised him to stop, but he also knew that he wouldn't listen to him.
So he was even more careful this time. He only used new communication devices, and he even requested a dedicated line and account from the headquarters. He even scanned his entire body to check repeatedly for any possible wiretapping or tracking devices anywhere on his body.
To no avail, Zhenya suddenly appeared before his eyes. Even that wasn’t an entirely unexpected development. That was why he had tried to coax and comfort him before coming to Vladivostok, which was unusual for him. He didn’t want to fight him, so he tried his best to avoid becoming his enemy. But now that the situation has come to this, he’s the only one who finds himself ridiculous.
The thing he was most worried about has come true. He had been warned by headquarters about Zhenya’s reckless intervention and promised to be careful and not let him interfere again, but it was just an empty promise. In the worst case scenario, he might have been involved in the inhuman collusion between North Korea and Russia. In fact, there was no reason for him not to have done so.
Kwon Taekjoo exhaled as if he was groaning. Soon, his eyes would glare at Zhenya again. Even his voice, saying “No way.”, became sharp.
[.... Are you in league with them too?] [Them? You mean my blood relatives?]
Zhenya, who had been pretending not to know, snorted. A mockery spread across the face that was staring at Kwon Taek Joo.
[That’s all you could think of. Even though he’s your only lover, you still don’t trust him.] [Or what, you punk.]
[I kept the promise you unilaterally made. This time, for some reason, I wanted to do it.]
Zhenya nodded repeatedly and replied. He blatantly interfered with the operation, so what kind of promise did he keep? The attitude of the guy who seemed to be playing with words made him feel angry.
[What the hell are you talking about! You’re right in front of me right now. Is it just a coincidence?]
[No, it's inevitable.]
The guy continued talking in a relaxed tone.
The rest of them were completely out of their minds, but he was taking it easy on himself.
[If you were asking if I didn't know that my brother, my family, was in cahoots with North Korea, then I knew. To be exact, I found out after you left, Taekjoo. Telling me not to interfere with your business doesn't mean telling me not to spy on my brother, right? That's why I didn't deceive you.]
So it wasn't Taekjoo himself who found out about this incident while eavesdropping on Ba-jim?
That could be true. But the current situation wasn't that important.
The biggest problem was that Zhenya eventually showed up at the operation site. This was why the NIS's suspicions could only deepen. He doesn't know how he managed to break through the siege and get to Ajinoki, but if Zhenya had been exposed to the outside world during that process, his family and Russia would have considered him a traitor.
He was a guy who had always been against his family, saying he would help Kwon Taekjoo, but now he had nowhere to go. Everything that Kwon Taekjoo had tried to protect went up in smoke in an instant. His insides were boiling and overflowing.
[Damn... I told you not to interfere! It's my business after all!]
[Taekjoo, if you hadn't jumped into the obvious fire pit, that would have happened. I told you I wanted to, this time.]
Zhenya kept repeating the same thing. No matter how much he said, it didn't get through. It wasn't just this time. Often, the words he said to Zhenya felt like empty monologues. It wouldn't be any more frustrating if he shouted at the wall.
He tried to swallow the emotions welling up deep inside him. He clenched his molars, and a clear vein appeared on his chin and forehead. The voice that came out after holding his sigh was much more subdued.
[You always ignore people like that.]
Zhenya tilted his head at his low monologue. The tone was so twisted and bitter that it was impossible to ignore.
[Fire pit? I don’t know what’s ahead of me?]
He pressed Zhenya as if to question him. Even so, seeing the bastard’s indifferent face made him unable to bear it any longer.
[How can you guarantee that, you son of a bitch! Why are you saying I’ll fail? Am I a fool who can’t do anything without your help?]
[You’re getting strangely angry again. I know it’s obvious, but there’s no need to go there.]
[Don’t show off. It was the same when you didn’t have a kid. Do you think I’ve ever only had it easy? If I wanted to be safe, I wouldn’t have even started!]
An angry shout echoed throughout the large house. Zhenya still looked at Kwon Taek Joo with a calm expression. The confusion that had briefly lingered in his face quickly disappeared. Instead, what took its place was a clear laughter.
[So confident? Did you figure out what they were trying to trade?] Zhenya immediately replied [No.] and continued.
[There probably wasn't enough time. The surveillance was so tight that they wouldn't have even been able to approach the target.]
Zhenya tilted his head to one side. It was a gesture as if asking if he was wrong. He got angry and started talking.
[The guys who transported the trade goods from North Korea were wearing protective suits. That must be because the items were toxic substances that should not be touched carelessly. Russia must have planned to use them to make biochemical weapons or develop vaccines to take advantage of this.]
[Yes. Lysine, Novichok, VX, PoloNium-210... It seems that something comparable to it has been discovered, on Baekdu Mountain.]
Rysine, Novichok, VX, and Polonium-210 boasted lethal toxicity. If these substances are absorbed into the human body, the chances of survival converge to 0. That is why they have recently become a more commonly used means of assassination than guns and swords.
A substance with a similar level of lethality to those deadly poisons was discovered on Baekdu Mountain. It made sense why Baekdu Mountain biologist Park Jeong-ho was taken to Russia, and why he had blindly requested rescue from a spy he did not even know.
Zhenya leisurely watched Kwon Taekjoo, who was lost in thought, he pressed on.
[Don't you know? The Kremlin can already use lysine, Novichok, and VX as much as it wants. But they showed interest in the natural substance that North Korea discovered. What does that mean? They calculated that the new substance would be more useful than the poisons already known to the world. If you get infected, there's no cure, and it's not even clear how you die. Did you want to be caught by them and be subjected to a vivisection? Really?]
[Including that kind of threat, that's my job.]
[Huh? You don't care if you die because of that great thing? So I just sit back and watch? When you fell into my hands, you said you would live like that, but you have no regrets for the rest of your life? It’s funny to hear that. Taekjoo, don’t be stubborn. Is that really true?]
Zhenya’s face, which had been smiling the whole time, hardened. He quickly smiled again and hid his agitation, but it seemed that he was starting to feel offended. The twisted tone of his voice was proof of that.
[Foolishly throwing away one’s life is a thing... Who would understand that?]
Kwon Taekjoo glared at Zhenya with his lips tightly shut. Zhenya also continued to whine while standing firm against his gaze.
[Huh? Takju. Is that your noble patriotism?]
[Don't laugh at me just because I said I'm worthless to you.]
[Laughing? Who?]
Zhenya shook his head. At first glance, it seemed like he was teasing someone, but he didn't look all that happy.
[I'm mad at you right now, Taekjoo. Your life and death aren't yours alone, are they?] [....]
[I said I wouldn't die. Trust me.]
Zhenya, who had been quietly staring at Kwon Taekjoo, suddenly approached him. Although his movements were not very fast, his body froze. His instincts were thoroughly recognizing him as a threat.
[I won’t risk my life and act recklessly in the future.]
He argued, reciting exactly what Kwon Taekjoo had once said to reassure him. He slowly closed the distance between them.
[How many times have I not told you? Run around as much as you want. I will chase you wherever you go. If you give me that much freedom, you should leave your small life line here. Don’t blindly rely on your pride like you are doing now.]
[Look at this. You little punk, you look down on me and ignore me. I don't know what you think, but I've always done my best. When information is lacking, I find what I can do. But, what? A moth? Do you know what's driving me crazy these days? If you knew, you wouldn't be talking like that. I used to rush in without thinking, but now I think, think, and think again. This operation is just...!]
[You're stubborn to the end. Taekjoo, it's not my fault that your home country's information power is that low. It's not my fault that your temporary colleague blew himself up after acting selfishly. So why don't you stop taking it out on me?]
He suddenly grabbed the gun and raised it. Zhenya tilted his head as if he saw something strange.
One of the bastard's eyebrows also rose.
But it wasn't a simple threat. It wasn't a show of taking it out on him. He didn't want to just blurt it out like he usually does. He didn't want to just give up on himself because he thought he wouldn't understand anyway.
He took a proper stance and aimed at Zhenya. Even though he saw the gun barrel aimed at him, the bastard approached without hesitation.
[Don't come.]
A voice that was completely crushed leaked out through his clenched teeth. Zhenya didn’t care. He simply reached out to Kwon Taekjoo without hesitation.
[Don’t lose your energy. There’s nothing you can do right now anyway. Everyone is bloodshot and trying to hunt rabbits. It would be better to rest a little more until the commotion dies down, Taekjoo.]
A large white hand reached out to his face without hesitation. Kwon Taekjoo, who had half-pulled the trigger, couldn’t bring himself to shoot Zhenya this time either and grabbed his wrist. He also pushed the jaw of the bastard who had gotten much closer.
[I told you not to...!]
Zhenya tried to subdue Kwon Taekjoo, who was resisting with his whole body, with brute force. He pushed him hard with his knees and elbows. He also punched the arm of the man who was trying to cover his mouth with his fist. The man did not move.
The two were tightly entangled for a while, pulling and pushing each other fiercely. They failed their limbs without stopping, causing large and small scratches on their skin. Their joints were stretched to their limits.
Even so, no one backed down and they continued to struggle for a long time. Soon, their whole bodies were soaked with sweat. The reason this tenacious battle ended was because Kwon Taekjoo suddenly staggered. Maybe it was because of the weak spirit, but their heads suddenly became dizzy.
Zhenya didn’t miss that moment and threw Kwon Taekjoo down on the bed. Then, he somewhat violently crushed his arms. Even in the midst of that, he kicked his stomach and sides and tried
to escape, and he also crushed his lower body with his knee. With that, the chaos finally stopped. The two people staring at each other continued to breathe heavily.
Only then did Zhenya’s face come into view. In addition to the scratch he had received during the fight a little while ago, he saw a wound he had never seen before.
A small but clear scab formed on his earlobe.
It seemed like the blood that had stopped bleeding had hardened. Upon closer inspection, everything about him was different than usual. Even his hair was dishevelled, and unlike the guy who liked to be so neat and tidy, the sleeves were dirty with dust.
In the first place, it was strange that he smelled the smell of flames instead of his own body odour from Zhenya. He was so angry that he had knocked Kwon Taekjoo unconscious without permission and had ruined his official duties that he couldn't think of how he had gotten out of there. He also didn't know how he had gotten through all that commotion and arrived at Ajinoki safely.
The outside of the island must have already been turned upside down. If the enemies had noticed Zhenya’s intervention, they would have chased him and attacked him all the way here. No, he didn't even know that he was already doing that.
He had once again turned his brothers, his family, and his country into enemies. Just to save Kwon Taekjoo himself.
[......Fuck.]
He lowered his head and cursed. His jaw clenched because his molars were clenched. He always gave me a feeling of helplessness. Using his innocence that was not like him as a weapon, blindly.
[Taekjoo. Your breathing is too heavy.]
His own breathing was already quite irritating to hear, and now his chest was heaving rapidly. Even his shoulders were shaking against his will. It seemed like he was hyperventilating due to extreme stress. No matter how deeply he inhaled and exhaled, it didn’t get better.
Zhenya, who had been watching blankly, suddenly sat up. He was finally free from him. He couldn’t even move a finger.
The guy who went out of the room for a moment and came back out put an envelope on Kwon Taekjoo’s nose and mouth. Kwon Taekjoo frowned in pain and grabbed the poor guy by the collar. The guy whispered to Kwon Taekjoo, “Breathe slowly.”
As he took several deep breaths, his consciousness gradually became hazy. He couldn’t tell if it was from the lack of oxygen or the still weak feeling. He frowned and tried to force his eyes
open. His hazy eyelids finally closed in vain. At the same time, the hand that had been holding onto Zhenya fell limply.
[Yeah. Just take a deep breath.] Zhenya's voice grew distant.
***
"......."
When he opened his eyes again, a large window filled his field of vision. The scenery outside the window was strangely calm and peaceful. The season of greenery. The dazzling sunlight pierced through the thick tree branches. A gentle breeze passed by, gently caressing the bushes in the field.
His eyes were blurry, and his senses in his whole body were awakened one by one. Then, just a stone's throw away, he stopped at the feeling of his breath. The body temperature against his back and the strength of his grip squeezing my wrists were familiar.
When he came to his senses, Zhenya’s body was completely pressed against his back. His two arms were crossed in an X shape on my chest, and he was holding him, completely blocking his movements. He buried his head in Kwon Taekjoo’s neck and his long legs were thoroughly engulfing his lower body. He was held tightly by him, unable to move.
He didn't know how long he had been asleep like that. How much time had passed since he left the operation site without permission?
His head was still heavy, but his headache was gone. It seemed like the medicine that had been in his body had been completely drained.
However, due to the physical fight with Zhenya, he had a new congestion. Zhenya’s hand that was grabbing Kwon Taekjoo’s arm was also weak.
He let out a long exhale. Even though it wasn’t much of a sound, the breathing of the guy who had been struggling stopped. Even without looking back, he could tell that the guy was awake.
[...Let go.]
The force that was squeezing his body grew stronger at the quiet command. Zhenya’s forehead was also rubbed against his shoulder.
[Let go.]
The suppressed voice was overflowing with anger. Despite that, Zhenya stubbornly held on. Without saying anything in return, he only held onto Kwon Taek Joo tightly. Because of that, the blood flow was cut off, so his skin turned pale, and even the blood vessels on the back of his hand became clear.
Annoyed sigh escaped him again. Whether it was an illusion or not, the grip that had been pressing him as if it would break his arm slightly eased. In that gap, he pushed Zhenya, who was stuck to his back with his shoulder and hip. At the moment when the restraints loosened, he raised his elbow and struck the guy. It didn’t have much effect. His limbs were just a little looser than before.
Kwon Taekjoo tried to escape again, and a silent melee broke out between Zhenya and Taekjoo, who were trying to hold on tightly. They struggled by grabbing each other’s hands, pulling them back, twisting their arms, and pushing them away.
Suddenly, a thud sound was heard. It was unclear whether the sound came from Zhenya’s fingers or Kwon Taekjoo’s wrist. However, the two people who had been roughly entangled immediately fell cleanly apart.
Kwon Taekjoo rolled over and got out of bed. Zhenya also half-raised himself and faced each other.
“Haa, haa...” [......Taekjoo. Come here.]
Zhenya demanded in a calm tone. Then he was in a state of holding his breath right before an attack, nothing more or less.
Kwon Taekjoo's eyes, which had been glaring at him, turned to his feet. Something hit his foot, and he saw his gun, which he had dropped at some point. He looked up again and stared at Zhenya. Zhenya shook his head silently. His eyes clearly knew what Kwon Taekjoo was thinking.
He picked up the gun while looking straight into his blue eyes. He immediately aimed the gun at Zhenya, who was about to rush at him. Zhenya instinctively stopped and his gaze clashed violently.
"......" I.....]
The sharp gazes pierced each other mercilessly. Kwon Taekjoo's pitch-black eyes held not a shred of affection or regret for his lover. It seemed as if they had been burned to the brim by the flames that spread to the tip of his head and had been charred without a trace of light.
He slowly pulled the trigger. Zhenya did not try to move away from the muzzle of the gun. He just stared into Kwon Taekjoo's eyes and held his breath quietly. His index finger tightened. Not only the hand holding the gun, but the muscles in his entire body tightened. His bloodshot eyes shook slightly. If he put in a little more strength, everything would be over.
In the midst of the silence, a light rang inside his body. The pressure made his head feel like it was going to burst. Kwon Taek-ju, who had been frowning, finally took his hand away. At the same time, the air that had been tightly condensed was released in an instant.
He strode briskly toward the door. A sharp gaze followed the side of his face. The moment he ignored it and grabbed the doorknob, Zhenya’s voice rang out.
[Is this how it's going to go?]
He didn't respond. He only moved his hand, which had hesitated for a moment, and opened the door.
As he was about to walk out without hesitation, the voice of that damn guy rang out from behind him.
[It can’t go on like this, Lord.]
It was a tone that felt more resentful than angry. Sometimes it even sounded like resentment.
At those words, the moment he escaped Ajinoki, leaving behind Zhenya who had desperately cried out to him, the moment he left the guy who had gotten hurt while trying to save him and tried to escape alone as a model, the moment he had always put this matter first and left the guy behind to go to work, the moment he had turned away after arguing loudly and making a rude remark as if he would never see him again, and even in the midst of all that, the moment he had found the mala-tang that he had prepared only for Kwon Taek-ju himself came to mind one after another.
The guilt of having repeatedly tried to comfort and appease the guy and have him beggarly taken care of had piled up as much as it had. It sank heavily. As a lover, what could be worse?
He kept his mouth shut. He barely controlled his emotions that were about to explode. Now was not the time to be swept away by such petty emotions.
As he was about to walk again, Zhenya grabbed Kwon Taekjoo again.
[I never gave you permission to go.]
[It’s not like I need your permission.]
[Ha. You always act like you want to. Have I been too loose all this time?]
The stubborn tone of his speech became bitter. Only then did Kwon Taekjoo's cheeks harden noticeably as he turned to look at Zhenya. The voice that followed was extremely low and cold.
[It's always like that. You act like you're better than everyone else, and you look down on everyone else...]
[Is it my fault again?]
In this situation, all you can say is that it's his fault, his fault, and all that. What on earth is that guy's thought process? His heart was pounding.
[What's so simple about you, brat?]
[You're not unnecessarily complicated, are you?]
[Haa... What am I talking about with you? When could we communicate?]
The sigh-mixed monologue was filled with resignation and self-mockery. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, he just wanted to let it all go. He just wanted to give up on everything that made him not himself.
Did he read his feelings? The air in his lover’s voice stirred so clearly that he couldn’t ignore it. [Take it.] There was a chill in his voice that he hadn’t felt before.
[Go that far.]
The warning that followed sounded even more chilling.
[I have limits to how much I can endure, so stop acting wild.]
If they tried to argue any further, it would surely lead to a fight. So it was better to ignore them. Right now, both of them need time to cool their heads and emotions. Even though they knew that, they still lost their temper.
[Running? Me? Is that what's coming out of your little shit's mouth right now? What about you? You interpret, judge, and act on everything as you see fit! You fucking ignore other people's positions and opinions, you motherfucker!]
The nervous voice rang out from time to time. The echoes travelled around the mansion and bounced back several times. But Zhenya didn't care.
He stiffened his face and pushed Kwon Taekjoo away. It was like this. [Who's being a slut? Don't you think the whining is too much, Taekjoo?] [Does it look like I'm just whining to you?]
[No? It sounds like I had to put up with it one way or another. How much are you asking me to compromise? Do you really think of me as a dog just because I gave you a little bit of a kick? Really? I'm supposed to stay home and wag my tail when you come back.]
[Fuck, I told you to quit if you don't like it! That's how it was born! You can't change it!] [No, I won’t change. I have no intention or will to do so.]
He was speechless at the sharp accusation. His tightly clenched teeth cracked. An irritated sigh escaped along with the exhalation he had been holding back.
Zhenya’s face also grew angry. The bastard slowly shook his head and continued to point out Kwon Taekjoo’s behaviour.
[You always try to control me like that. You flatter me, you act brave, but when you’re cornered, you threaten me like you did now.]
[Ha... While you were chewing on it like that, didn’t you ever think about this once? How old are you? Do I have to coax and comfort you every single day? How long do I have to do this! Even a reckless child doesn’t throw tantrums like you.]
He’s tired, really.
He swallowed his last words. Did that one sigh, no different from a sigh, cause a ripple? Zhenya slowly sat up, his body that had been motionless the whole time. The bastard seemed ready to pounce at any moment. He struck first at that bastard.
[Alone.]
The bastard hesitated as if the brakes had been applied at the declaration not to approach or follow him. He stopped all actions and focused on Kwon Taekjoo’s every move. Even that was too much for him. It was a rare patience. He was in a tangled state again, messing up his hair.
[Give me some time. We need to cool down, get over our feelings, and get things done. I don’t think I’ll ever see your face again before then.]
He tried hard to suppress his anger and confessed calmly. If we kept provoking each other, it would only build up resentment.
However, Zhenya couldn’t easily accept that. He stood up as if he was going to stop Kwon Taekjoo at any moment. That alone made the air tremble greatly. Whether it was an illusion or not, his body odour also became stronger.
[Are you going to go like this? Inevitably?]
[I told you. I need time. Please, just stay here. There’s no benefit to either of us staying together right now.]
[If you go alone? Can you handle this properly?] [What?]
[Look at yourself, Taekjoo. Get a grip on reality.] He expresses his disappointment aggressively.
As if that’s the only way he knows how to express his emotions. He was big, but he was so young and ignorant. The problem was that the lover of that dangerous and imperfect being wasn’t a very considerate and affectionate person. Now, at least, he wakes them up one by one and Tyler Jul is even more so.
[You little brat, get a grip on reality! Are you and I the only ones who are happy? Are we in a position to play house like that now?]
[That's why I ask. What can you do?]
He tramples and belittles others' efforts and will. He was originally a guy who thought he was the best in the world and that only his thoughts were right. He used to look down on others and look down on them, even if they were his lovers. This time too, he declared to Kwon Taekjoo that he would do something meaningless.
[Nothing will change even if you struggle alone. It has been like that before and it will be like that in the future.]
A sudden thud was heard. It was because Kwon Taekjoo had slammed his fist on the door frame. The atmosphere suddenly froze. The sharp air stabbed his stiff skin. Kwon Taekjoo held his breath while looking straight ahead. His eyes were covered by his bangs, but he could tell he had reached his critical point just by looking at his tightly shut lips.
[Are you done talking?]
The words that finally came out after a long time were not questions, but rather questions. Kwon Taekjoo could not endure any longer and left the bedroom. There was no hesitation in each step he took.
Kwon Taekjoo was just about to climb the stairs leading to the rooftop. A bullet suddenly flew in and blew away the finishing material on the upper step. When he turned around, he saw Zhenya standing there with a pistol. The shadow of the guy on the floor trembled menacingly.
[Taekjoo. Are you going to blow up the National Intelligence Service with your own hands?] [Try it.]
He replied without hesitation.
[Then I won’t see you again.]
He looked at Zhenya clearly and wrinkled his nose. There was no warmth in his gaze. Zhenya also faced Kwon Taekjoo with sharp eyes. He kept his face tense for a while and then turned his head. He stopped for a moment and started walking again.
However, he was caught again soon after. Zhenya had quickly closed the distance between them and hugged Kwon Taekjoo tightly as if he was going to crush him. He was restraining him so tightly that he couldn’t take another step. The two arms wrapped around his waist were as hard as iron. He buried his face in Kwon Taekjoo’s shoulders without saying a word. He looked like a child who was throwing a tantrum because he didn’t want to let go of a doll.
[You can’t go.]
He stubbornly muttered and squeezed Kwon Taekjoo’s lungs harder. The despair and hopelessness of not being able to persuade him no matter what weighed on his whole body.
[Yevgeny, please!]
A plea close to a sigh flowed out. There was some irritation and even resentment mixed in. Was it unexpected? He felt Zhenya flinch. The strength drained from the bastard’s arms that had been restraining his entire body. He sighed deeply and finally stabbed the bastard with a knife.
[It’s time you knew. I don’t want to hate you again!]
Zhenya’s breath was quietly drawn in. The fingertips of the guy who had been holding Kwon Taekjoo were also slightly trembling and unsteady. Even his clumsy movements were frustrating and infuriating. How long would he have to tell him, teach him, and enlighten him one by one? He was overcome with extreme fatigue.
[Haa... Even if we stay together now, we'll just fight, so just let me go.]
He asked, looking as if he was exhausted as ever. Soon after, a cracking sound was heard in his ears. Following that, Zhenya’s arms that had been restraining Kwon Taekjoo loosened little by little. His white hands, which were slowly opening, trembled as if they were enduring an extremely difficult task.
He felt uncomfortable watching him, so he just stared at the empty space. Then, when his body finally became free, he shook off his arm and climbed up the stairs. Zhenya didn't follow him any further. All he could hear was the sound of something repeatedly smashing behind him. It seemed like the guy was losing control of his anger and destroying all the furniture in the house.
However, he didn't hesitate even for a moment. In fact, he walked faster. If he hesitated even for a moment, he would collapse.
When he opened the rooftop door, he saw Zhenya's helicopter. One of the steps had been blown away, and there were clear bullet marks here and there. The guy was Kwon Taekjoo it was a flaw that could be expected as he fled from Vladivostok to here with himself.
“....."
He started the helicopter with his mouth tightly shut. For now, the most urgent task was to return to Korea. He had to go there and somehow clean up the mission he had not been able to complete, the work that Zhenya had messed up. Maybe the headquarters had noticed Zhenya's intervention and issued a warrant for his arrest. Russia would not let it go this time either.
In any case, it was better for him to stay here for the time being. He didn't think about any other problems. He didn't have time for that.
The propeller that had been moving slowly soon began to spin rapidly with a loud noise.
A strong wind suddenly rose, scattering dust and shaking the trees around the mansion. However, Zhenya did not chase him to the rooftop. His silhouette was not reflected in the windows of the mansion. Was he really letting him go like this? Or was he really angry this time? He kept looking down, feeling a sense of relief that was both unfamiliar and uneasy.
The helicopter that had taken off slowly left the mansion. As the altitude increased, fragments of shells scattered all over Ajinoki came into view. The wreckage of the helicopter that had crashed in the deep valley was also visible.
Suddenly, the smell of flames coming from Zhenya’s body came to mind. As expected, there seemed to have been a fierce battle during the process of escaping with Kwon Taekjoo himself. It seemed that the Russian government had even mobilised military helicopters to pursue him. Has the order to kill Zhenya already been given?
In this situation, it was hard to leave Zhenya alone. On the other hand, he thought that it would be safer for him if Kwon Taekjoo himself was not by his side. At least he would be free from the suspicion of protecting a spy. Looking at the current situation, Kwon Taekjoo himself was stealing the guy’s helicopter and running away, so he might be able to get rid of the suspicion of collusion. Being on the same side should be a misunderstanding. That was the relationship from the beginning.
He gripped the joystick tightly and clenched his molars. All the problems he had been worried about exploded simultaneously. He had no idea where to start and how to untangle the tangled threads that had become too tangled to handle. Nevertheless, in Kwon Taekjoo’s eyes, staring beyond the horizon, there was only the blind determination to fix everything with his own hands, to make sure to do so.
***
Taking advantage of the night, he arrived at the border triangle between Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. Due to the characteristics of the region, in addition to Europeans, there were also Chinese Asians. It was a place with a lot of traffic. Thanks to that, there were no restrictions on movement even without special makeup.
Like most intelligence agencies, the National Intelligence Service also established a local exchange base to support overseas operations. This is because if an embassy or consulate were to take on that role, diplomatic problems could arise later. The secretly operated exchange base provides weapons, operating funds, a place to hide, transportation, etc. to agents who have temporarily lost support.
We safely made contact with the Kazakhstan exchange base and received temporary passports and other items necessary for escape. After that, we stayed in China and looked for an appropriate time to enter the country. Taking off the Ajinoki took him ten full days to get to Korea.
When he arrived at Incheon Port by ship, a vehicle sent from headquarters was waiting. What caught his eye was the number of people accompanying him. There seemed to be at least fifteen of them. Moreover, they were all armed. This made it seem more like a deportation than a welcome.
“Thank you for your hard work. I will escort you to the circle.”
One of the attendants opened the back door for Kwon Taekjoo. The other one had already opened the door on the other side and was wary of Kwon Taekjoo. It seemed like he would end up between the two and go all the way to headquarters.
He got into the car in silence. He was so tired physically and mentally that he didn’t have the energy to fight back.
“We’ve secured the GL new recruits. We’ll be returning to the circle at 23:40.”
The attendants left after reporting the situation via radio. The car was as quiet as a mouse on the way to the National Intelligence Service. Kwon Taekjoo just closed his eyes and took a short break.
Even late at night, the lights were on everywhere in the headquarters. Now, he wondered if he would be called to the director’s office and have a blast. Since the matter was serious, he might be called to the director’s office.
Still surrounded by attendants, He got on the elevator. The elevator, which was supposed to go up to the second floor, closed its doors and started going down. In the basement, there was only a windowless interrogation room and a prison where the subjects of the investigation were locked up.
"Where are you going?"
As he was asking, the elevator stopped. The door opened, revealing a dark hallway. "This way."
The attendants guided Kwon Taekjoo to a nearby interrogation room. He laughed in vain. Were the agents who failed their missions always treated like this? The musty basement as soon as he returned. He was dragged in and questioned about how the operation failed, whether the agent was at fault, or whether he was in collusion with the outside. Since this had never happened before, he couldn’t tell if the current situation was normal or special.
Of course, there was enough room for misunderstanding in the parts of the Vladivostok operation that went wrong. Kwon Taekjoo had to prove his innocence, and furthermore, he had to prove why Zhenya had interfered. That’s why he had left Zhenya behind and returned alone.
Kwon Taekjoo didn’t fight back rashly and went inside. The hallway was dark and humid, and the cramped interrogation room gave off an even more oppressive feeling.
He glanced around the room with a displeased look.
Then, he tried to sit down on the iron chair in front of him, but the same attendant from before stopped him.
“Excuse me, but I’ll have to search your body for a moment.” “...Or something like that.”
He obediently stood against the wall behind him. The attendant carefully examined Kwon Taekjoo from head to toe. He took out the pistol he had on his waist and handed it to his colleague, and thoroughly checked the inside of his socks as well. He lifted up his trouser leg and took a knife from the holster of his socks.
But the search was not over. The attendant did not grope his body anymore, but he felt a strange hesitation from him. He suddenly looked back.
"Why? Should I take off my underwear?"
"...No. I think it'll be fine there. Please wait here for a moment."
The attendant was about to leave in a hurry, but then something came to mind and he said, "Ah."
"Are you a market person?"
"Well, can you order some seolleongtang for me? If necessary." "How long are you going to keep me locked up like this?"
"...Or should I get you something to drink?" "Then, an Americano like espresso."
"Yes. I will prepare it for you."
The attendant quietly closed the door and left. Then, the sound of the door locking was heard from outside. He had expressed with his whole body that he had no intention of resisting at all, but he couldn't help but wonder how wary he was.
He leaned back deeply in his chair and tilted his head back. A long exhalation escaped. He felt the air meaninglessly and fell into thought.
What will Zhenya do now? Is he still staying at Ajinoki? He was worried that the Russian government might have mobilised forces again to catch him. Should he have left him alone? He shook his head as he continued his thoughts. If he had moved with him, it wouldn’t have been easy to even enter Korea. But he couldn’t keep running away with him when nothing was resolved.
It didn’t seem like there was a safer place for him than Ajinoki. Here, he’d be treated as a criminal until the cause of the Vladivostok operation’s failure was clearly revealed. In any case, there was no benefit to either of them sticking with Zhenya. It would only make things worse. For now, we had to hold our breath until the situation calmed down. That was right. Of course it was, but he kept thinking of Zhenya’s face, the last time he saw him. He looked like he had been betrayed. It was unfair. He looked upset. He couldn’t control his rising anger and just let it out, but wouldn’t it have been better to explain it step by step? He rubbed the back of his head in annoyance.
It was around that time. A faint rustle of activity could be heard outside the door, and a faint coffee scent wafted in. The lock was released and Director Kwak came in.
“Director.”
“Oh, just sit down.”
He was about to get up and greet him as usual, but Director Kwak waved his hand. He nodded his head.
“It’s been a while.”
"Yeah. You came back safely."
Director Kwak put the coffee he brought down in front of Kwon Taekjoo and took out a chair across from him and sat down. Kwon Taekjoo stared blankly at the coffee in front of him. There was a thin film on the surface.
"Why? I wonder if there was something in it."
Director Kwak saw through Kwon Taekjoo's mind and smiled faintly. Given the circumstances, it was possible that he had confessed.
"No way." "Yeah, no way."'
He spoke in a soft tone, but there was a hint of substance in his words. It was definitely for Kwon Taekjoo. It seemed as if he was asking, 'Did I do something that deserved such treatment?'
He smiled without answering. Then, while drinking coffee, he looked at Director Kwak's face. His eyes were red and he looked quite tired.
The joint operation of Korea, the US, and Japan failed, and now it was exposed, so there was going to be a fierce battle of responsibility.
A successful operation is not known. There is no award or commendation. Only a failed operation is revealed to the outside world. The exposure of an operation meant diplomatic friction. It also meant that someone had to take responsibility. In such cases, the country usually pretends not to know, so the agents who were deployed for the operation were accused of being a spy and punished. That was why the Black Agents were treated like hunting dogs by the government.
He had already explained the general situation when he had contacted the headquarters through the Kazakhstan exchange base. However, that alone was not enough to prove his innocence.
As expected, Director Kwak began to ask about the gap in Kwon Taekjoo's operation.
"So. Where have you been?"
"On a remote island in Russia."
"A remote island... Did you escape all the way there on your own? Leaving your hideout like that?
In any situation, an agent must not leave any trace of himself. He must destroy the evidence of his operation even if it means self-destructing. There was no exception to that rule, even in urgent situations. For the first time, he failed to follow that rule.
"We were attacked. When I came to, I was already on that isolated island." “...Armed?"
Was it unexpected? Director Kwak raised his eyebrows, and his forehead furrowed deeply. He looked suspicious, wondering if there was anyone who could subdue the most elite agent in one breath. Director Kwak muttered, "Armed again," and then suddenly asked a guess.
"Is this 'Psich' again?"
He couldn't answer. He had planned to explain Zhenya’s involvement, but he didn't know Director Kwak would make the first move. Director Kwak smiled as if it was surprising.
"I heard that the Russian ambassador to Korea is called that in his home country? Answer me. Yevgeny Vissarionovich Bogdanov.
Did he show up in Vladivostok too?"
"Yes."
"Then that means he was also involved in the conspiracy between Russia and North Korea?" "That's not true."
"No? The Bogdanov family played a key role in this North Korea-Russia collusion. You wouldn't deny that fact either, would you? But the youngest son of that family had nothing to do with it. How can you be sure of that? He was the one who left his post without permission and directly intervened in our operation. If he didn't know anything like you said, how could he have shown up at that time and place? And why did he attack you while you were on official duty?"
"I think he was trying to save me."
Director Kwak tilted his head. A diplomat representing Russia, saving a Korean friend it was impossible to understand with a normal thought process how he obstructed official duties knowing full well that it would cause friction between the countries. Zhenya's actions were against the interests of his family and his home country, so it was not unreasonable. Even so, he had to explain several times to prove Zhenya's innocence.
"I don't know how the Russian ambassador to Korea found out about the conspiracy between Russia and North Korea. As you know, Director, he is a recognized troublemaker in Russia. It wouldn't be surprising if he hacked our country's secrets without permission."
"Even so, it is undeniable that Ambassador Bogdanov intervened in our operation. It's true."
"I think the ambassador himself judged that it was a tense situation. He didn't have the time to consider and weigh the interests and aftermath involved in the matter."
"It was the only way to protect both you and his family?”
"No. Not only has he never harboured patriotism, he has no interest in the honour of his family. He has not hesitated to betray his country for his own interests or gain, and he has done countless things that have harmed his family. That's the reason I'm still alive."
Director Kwak rubbed his forehead and looked at me again. The director snickered. "Russia appointed such a person as an ambassador?"
"Keeping him by my side would only be a threat, so I got rid of him. In fact, it's no different from abandoning him in Korea."
"Even so, it's hard to believe. What personal benefit does this have for him?"
Kwon Taekjoo's uncharacteristic innocence toward himself was bound to make him less convincing. If you take that out, all plausibility disappears.
"What's clear is that he's independently going to Russia and he said that he found out what North Korea was trying to do and tried to save me right away. He said it himself."
"I want to believe you, but do you know how far-fetched your argument sounds? Didn't I warn you in advance? Don't bring private matters into public affairs."
"...That was my fault."
He was ashamed. He knew that if Zhenya continued to interfere, he would be misunderstood like he is now. He also knew that the headquarters had been keeping an eye on him for a long time. But he couldn't stop him.
"Everything will become clear as we investigate. If necessary, call Ambassador Bogdanov. It's something that can be investigated."
"It'll be another diplomatic issue. That bastard, after all, he's a diplomat."
"If that diplomat had been espionage-related within the country, it would be different."
"From Russia's perspective, what we did isn't much different. No, considering the intention, it's like the guy who farted is getting angry."
Director Kwak burst into laughter.
"Do you know how dangerous your remarks are?"
"Why do you have to bring up something that's not worth covering up quietly? There’s no need to stand up and make a big fuss. Even if we come here now and ask who’s responsible, what’s already happened won’t go away.”
“I agree, but when something goes wrong, it’s not like it’s going to take a day or two to figure out what’s right and what’s wrong.”
Director Kwak shrugged his shoulders, furrowing his eyebrows.
This way, we can’t get away with the suspicion of collusion. It was hard to correct the misunderstanding that Zhenya had turned around. He would have liked to request a lie detector test, but since he was an agent who had undergone psychological training for a long time, the reliability of the results would be low. There was only one solution.
"I'll give you the Russian secrets that Ambassador Bogdanov revealed." "Hmm?"
"The operation failed, so we couldn't find out what Russia and North Korea were trying to deal with. The goal of the joint operation was to find out that in the first place."
Director Kwak rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. He couldn't help but be tempted to blow his nose without touching it.
"Let's just go in."
"I think Park Jeong-ho discovered a new natural poison, or virus, on Baekdu Mountain.
The poison is ricin, novichok, VX, and polo. It is said to be no less than Nium-210. It seems that it was wrapped tightly and transported because it is fatal to the human body even if you just touch it.
Judging from the fact that the Russian state-run pharmaceutical company 'Parmzashita' was at the forefront, it seems that they were planning to develop the substance as a chemical weapon."
"If that's true, things will get bigger than I thought."
Director Kwak, who had been listening silently, rubbed his temples. Then he leaned back and stared at Kwon Taek Joo. That alone made the tense atmosphere in the investigation room much lighter.
"I believe that what you said is close to the truth. If not, you wouldn't have volunteered to come back knowing what kind of misunderstanding you would have. No. I know how special you were to Ambassador Bogdanov. More than anything, your eyes look really angry right now. It seems like you were robbed of your food right in front of your eyes."
Director Kwak drew the line.
"This is just my opinion. If you want to prove your innocence now, you need a more definite explanation. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"You are not completely at fault for this incident, so you will not be able to avoid punishment." "I am prepared."
"And just in case you were wondering, I'm telling you this. The American agent you arbitrarily excluded unilaterally approached the transport vehicle and died in a fierce battle with the enemy. The Japanese agent who was waiting at the Far Eastern Federal University was arrested at the scene and has gone missing."
Director Kwak, who had been delivering news about 'Foxtrot' and 'Sierra', suddenly handed him a tablet. When he turned it on, a low-quality photo appeared. It showed Asian police officers recovering a body from the water's edge.
"This is...?"
"They say an Asian body was found in Lake Ops on the Russian-Mongolian border early this morning. It was already so badly decomposed that it was impossible to identify. It was difficult to determine the cause of death."
"Could it be 'Sierra'?”
"That's what I have tentatively concluded. The height, blood type, and other physical characteristics are quite similar to that of the Japanese agent."
"Did you confirm the cause of death?"
"Not yet. I heard that the body was not damaged and there were no signs of murder, so wouldn't it be treated as natural death due to illness, or drowning? The Japanese government would rather be buried quietly."
The situation of agents who died during operations was no different in any country. Agents work for the country, but the country fails to protect them all. Even though it was bitter, that was the fate of intelligence agency agents.
"What happened to Park Jeong-ho?"
"He went back to North Korea. Since North Korea and Russia were secretly trying to do something, they'll probably try to keep quiet for a while. In some ways, it's an opportunity. While you're waiting, we can find out what the substance you were talking about is. Since Park Jeong-ho requested rescue from us, we can try to contact him. In any case, there's nothing we can do until we completely figure out what the substance is."
Director Kwak said that and stood up. Kwon Taekjoo's eyes followed him for a long time. "It might be uncomfortable, but at least rest here.
You look like you haven't slept in days."
"The director is no different."
Director Kwak chuckled at the bold remark.
Then, Kwon Taekjoo, his voice was plain yet unusually gentle. "Anyway, I'm glad you came back safely."
"......."
"Don't feel any guilt about the operation failing or you being the only one to survive. There are things in this world that can't be helped no matter what you do. If you can survive, you have to survive somehow. That way, whether it's a cleanup or something else, I won’t. It’s not my place to say this, but an honourable death? There’s no such thing. You’re someone’s son, a friend, a colleague, and a citizen of this country. Who would willingly become a bullet shield for the few for the safety of the many? I don’t want to lose my agents so meaninglessly.”
Kwon Taekjoo’s chin tightened. Director Kwak’s eyes fell on his tightly clenched hands. “By the way, is it okay if I don’t treat that wrist?”
Only then did Kwon Taekjoo look at his arm. There was a dark bruise on his right wrist. It was the area that had been twisted when he had fought with Zhenya. He received temporary treatment in Kazakhstan, but the throbbing pain did not subside for several days. Microfractures were suspected.
"It's okay."
"It's okay. If you ignore a minor injury, you can end up with a bone disease. Send a medical team. From now on, even if it's an investigation, it'll be a formality, so just endure it for a little while."
Director Kwak squeezed Kwon Taekjoo's shoulder once, then let go and left the investigation room. Immediately after, the door was locked from the outside.
Kwon Taekjoo relaxed and stared at the blank wall. The past few days felt like a very long time ago. Still brain Riga was complicated and noisy, to say the least. He wiped his face with both hands and let out a long sigh.
Failure. Escape. And Zhenya.
It was too much to bear the gruesome facts and variables that he had thought would never exist in his life, but now had to accept. It seemed like it was going to be a long night.
Black smoke hung everywhere. Both hands No matter how hard he pushed through, the darkness only grew deeper, and it was difficult to see even an inch ahead. The pungent air suffocated me and surged forward.
He shook off the darkness that kept trying to swallow him up and took each step forward. It was not easy to take even one step, as if he was stuck in a swamp.
Soon, his vision gradually opened up, and he saw a boy sitting there. Ivory hair. A round back of the head. White, transparent skin that showed the veins. Just from that, he could tell who he was. And that he was having another damn dream.
Zhenya.
He tried to scream, but his throat was blocked and he couldn't make a sound. Through the gap in his mouth, only the spicy and hot gas was fiercely sucked into his throat. The darkness he had swallowed in a daze blackened his insides and spread to his limbs.
While he was writhing in pain, the empty space suddenly lit up brightly. Countless clusters of lights were falling to the ground. Was it a meteor? No, it felt a bit unsettling and bizarre. While he was trying to figure out what the above-mentioned flame was, the space shook violently as soon as the light that fell in a long arc made contact with the ground. Then, the ground he was standing on split open.
He looked at the boy in a hurry. The boy sat there and looked at Kwon Taek Joo indifferently. He just looked back. For some reason, the child’s face wasn’t clearly concretized. He couldn’t even tell what kind of expression the child was making.
‘Taekjoo. Are you leaving me behind again?’
Only a cold voice sounded strangely clear in his ears. In the meantime, shells rained down on the child, shattering the surroundings. He called the child’s name at the top of my lungs, but his screams didn’t make a sound. His legs were stuck to the ground and he couldn’t move.
He struggled to run to the child, his limbs flailing. The more he did that, the more the distance between him and the child grew. Regardless of his will, he kept getting further and further away.
The moment the child's resentment hit his heart, a white halo of light crashed down in one place. The resulting tyranny blew Kwon Taekjoo away in an instant. When he opened his tightly shut eyes, he saw the silhouette of a child struggling in a huge flame. And soon, even that disappeared without a trace.
My eyelids opened wide. Before my whole body's senses could even come back, he hurriedly looked around. All he could see was a dark grey wall. Thump thump. His heart was dizzy; he
jumped up and down, triggering a weak urge to swear. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand and tried to calm his rough breathing. His mind gradually cleared up and he came back to reality.
Did he doze off? He slowly leaned back against the back of the chair. As he wiped his face, his palms became damp with cold sweat.
He knew it was a dream, even in his dream.
But he couldn't stay calm for a while. Even after waking up, he couldn't calm down. He clenched his trembling hands into fists.
"Haa, damn it..."
If it was a nightmare where young Zhenya appeared, no it was nothing new. A dream is just a dream, and nothing similar to it has happened until now. But he couldn't figure out why his heart was pounding so hard.
Is there something wrong with Zhenya?
He couldn't check right away, so he felt suffocated and anxious. He couldn't openly ask about the guy's well-being, since he was suspected of colluding with Zhenya.
How long should he be trapped here? How much time had passed? He felt like all his senses were becoming duller. On the other hand, the anxiety that had grown inside him grew bigger and bigger.
'Taekjoo, are you leaving me? Me again.'
The resentment that had been in his nightmare echoed in his mind again and again.
[You can't go on like this, Taekjoo.]
The last time he saw Zhenya, he kept thinking about it. If it were before, he would have tied up Kwon Taekjoo himself by force, but for some reason, he didn't. What was he afraid of?
[He always tries to control me like that. He flatters me, acts brave, and when he's cornered, he threatens me like he did now.]
How long had he harboured such a grievance? He didn’t know at all. He knew everything, but he just rationalised it as something he couldn’t do. He made a fuss to his lover who only followed him, asking him to look after him at least. He was relieved by his answer that he would chase him no matter how far. But he himself had ignored his habitual loneliness.
The more he thought about it, the more guilty he felt. He needed to be more cool-headed to solve public issues, but he kept thinking about Zhenya, who he left alone. He worried if he was
taking care of him properly, even though he was a grown man. He took a deep breath again and scratched his head.
Then suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Random thoughts: He was so absorbed in it that he didn't even notice anyone approaching. Soon after, the lock was released and the door opened slowly. The one who peeked his head through the gap was none other than Yoon Jong-woo.
"Senior!"
"Why are you knocking on the door that you're going to come in through?” “Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Yoon Jong-woo busily examined Kwon Taekjoo, not caring about the sudden insult. He kept his eyebrows furrowed and examined the person for a long time. Before long, a sigh of relief escaped him.
"Oh, I'm glad you're okay. I was so worried that you might have been in a terrible situation since you've been locked up for two days."
"What a terrible thing."
"Why is that? You demand confession right away, but you keep pressuring, beating, and torturing people..."
"You've watched too many movies, you know."
While scolding, Kwon Taekjoo warily glanced at the CCTV cameras in all directions.
"More importantly, can you come here now?"
"Oh, the director told me to let you go, senior. Until we have another call, Go home and rest." "Were there any other requests?"
"Yes. As long as you don't go abroad, you can live freely, right? Fortunately, right?”
It was put nicely, but it ultimately meant that an order to ban you from leaving the country had been issued. The freedom to live freely was only within the normal range of life. You were tied to the country until some kind of disposition was made.
"What do you think? You should go home quickly. Your mother must be worried again." "My mother went to Canada."
He briefly told his mother about her recent situation and got up. After sitting in an uncomfortable chair for two days, every cell in his body felt like screaming. If only he could, he wanted to go into a deep sleep and sleep soundly.
He left the investigation room and walked slowly, but Yoon Jong-woo kept following him. He was nagging at Kwon Taekjoo. It seemed like he had something to say.
"Why?"
"Yes?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"... No, I'm telling you to cheer up."
"Suddenly?"
"I thought you were worried. You're a perfectionist, senior."
Is this consolation for the failed operation? Certainly, once he started something, he always finished it. He completed his intentions and plans no matter what. He hated having a bad aftertaste in any situation. He thought that an uneasy ending always leads to regret, and that there was nothing more foolish than being caught up in that and looking back.
Because of that tendency, he preferred things that had a definite outcome, and he tried to handle everything flawlessly. If he couldn't do that, he didn't even touch it from the beginning. Whatever he was assigned, he gave it 100% It would only hurt his self-satisfaction with achieving something. It was the same in his interpersonal relationships.
Maybe that’s why. Even when he reluctantly took on the Russian mission due to the scheme of his superiors, and even when he met Zhenya like that, he still felt uneasy.
At the time, he thought it was just a one-time exception, and he thought nothing would change because of it.
However, after he was defenselessly confronted by the storm called Zhenya that came without any time to avoid it, my firmly held beliefs began to creak. He often got lost in other thoughts while working, and he couldn’t completely cut off his lover who interfered in his public sphere for personal reasons. On the contrary, he was secretly happy when Zhenya showed up. He was always worried about his own safety before the country. It was not like Kwon Taekjoo himself.
Work and love were both a mess, not doing anything right. That was why his mood was sinking so low.
"Honestly, this was inevitable. The plan was ruined because I was acting alone in the US. It's definitely not my fault, senior."
"I can't say it's not my fault at all."
Ne accepted it knowing full well where Zhenya came from, where he was from, and his temperament. It wasn't like someone forced him to turn his back. It was also obvious that a crisis like this would come someday, or maybe many times. It was small. The only variable, exception, and gamble that he put into his life.
He stopped for a moment and stood there, lost in deep thought. Yoon Jong-woo, who was watching, let out an awkward laugh. He tried to change the mood with a bright voice.
"Instead of this, how about having a drink after a long time? I'll buy it!" The stingiest of stingies offered to buy the drink.
Why did he look so depressed? He smiled and rejected the rare offer. “I'm tired. I'll just go home and rest.”
"Hey, don't be like that. You shouldn't be so down at times like this. Your mother isn't here either. If you do, there will be no one to nag you at home. You will skip meals and sleep in the morning."
"That is the most urgent thing right now."
"Hey, I can't say that because I am worried!"
"What are you worried about? Why are you suddenly acting so strange?"
"Well, it is because of the situation. Mr. Yevgeny won't be able to come in for a while either..."
"...How would you know that?"
He suddenly dug in. Yoon Jong-woo hesitated as if he was caught off guard, but soon confessed obediently.
"The director told me that Mr. Yevgeny, you told me to keep an eye on him without fail?”
"Why him?"
"If Mr. Yevgeny was involved this time too. I don't think it's been reported to the higher-ups yet, but since the operation failed, it could be a big problem. Two agents who were deployed for the operation have already died, and my senior is missing... If it's later known that my senior has returned alive, the US and Japan will demand an explanation from us. They'll ask how my senior escaped the scene alone. If we do anything, it's very likely that my senior will be misunderstood as colluding with Mr. Yevgeny. We also have to prove that we had nothing to do with it, and until the matter is settled, my senior will have to go to Yevgeny. It’s better not to contact Mr. Ni. I think
that’s the only way to prove my senior’s innocence. Judging from the fact that he entrusted me with monitoring Mr. Yevgeny, it seems that the director still wants to trust me, my senior.”
Yoon Jong-woo continued to watch Kwon Taekjoo’s expression and tried to persuade him indirectly. It was a subtle suggestion that he should not contact Zhenya in any way for the time being. It was like an unofficial warrant was issued for Zhenya. It wasn’t Romeo and Juliet, and it wasn’t funny.
Zhenya couldn’t enter Korea for a while.
Kwon Taekjoo couldn’t even go see him. For now, he refrained from even contacting Zhenya. It was a situation where he had to do it. The Russian government and the Bogdanov family would not look kindly on him either. He had abandoned a guy who had nowhere to put his heart on a remote island. Kwon Taekjoo boasted as if he would quickly take care of everything, but in reality, he could do nothing.
[Do you really have to strangle me again?]
[.....]
[It’s time you knew. I don’t want to hate you again.]
The moment he finally let go of Kwon Taekjoo, the guy’s fingertips that had been hesitating, worrying, and confused were vivid. He was doing something he really didn’t want to do, something absolutely impossible. It felt like he could handle it. Otherwise, he would be hated by his lover again. He would be afraid that the relationship he had barely managed to maintain would be ruined and would never be able to recover.
Kwon Taekjoo himself thoroughly exploited the bastard’s anxiety. Under the pretext of protecting the bastard, he was busy ignoring and criticising the bastard’s actions that were actually intended to protect him.
“Damn it...”
Suddenly, his chest tightened. He felt a sense of helplessness like never before, wondering how to solve the problem that had become so tangled. A sense of helplessness weighed down his entire body.
***
He spent several days locked up in the house. There was no contact from the headquarters, and he couldn’t even dare to contact Zhenya, knowing full well that he was being watched.
He didn’t wash or eat properly, and just lay on the sofa. He just slept until the boundaries between each day became unclear. When he woke up, he would think about things that had no answer, and he would think about them again, until his mind started to feel dizzy. His thoughts,
which had not reached any conclusions, would return to the starting point. Every day passed by in an infinite loop, his thinking circuits paralyzed and he fell asleep, extremely unproductive.
When he couldn't sleep anymore, he got up with a jerk. He had rested so much that he felt like he weighed a ton. It felt like he had become a rusty machine in a few days.
“....."
He sat there blankly and looked around. His phone had already fallen on the floor. It had already gone dead. He slowly found the charger, plugged it in, and turned it on. The battery level was 0%, so his phone would light up and then turn off again. But he stubbornly repeated the same thing.
After about 3 minutes, the screen turned on.
He immediately started counting the missed calls. The only callers that stood out were his mother and Yoon Jong-woo. It was. He searched up and down for a while more, but he couldn't find Zhenya’s name. The same was true for the unfamiliar number that was supposed to be his.
He wasn't the kind of guy who would contact me regularly. Moreover, right now, it was best not to contact each other in any way. He knew it in his head, but there was nothing he could do about the frustration inside.
If he had known this would happen, Kwon Taekjoo himself should have wiretapped Zhenya. Then at least he wouldn't have been worried about what he was doing and whether he was okay.
While mulling over such thoughts, he called his mother. The call was disconnected before the connection tone even lasted a single time. Then came an urgent call, his mother’s voice was heard.
- Taekjoo? Why can't I get in touch with you!
"Oh... My phone was off. I forgot to charge it."
- What? Your phone's been off for a day, and you just found out?
"Actually, I lost it. I just found it today."
- Oh my, you too. The kid seems to be very stubborn. Does he always act like this? He wondered if his heart was in his throat. His mother kept nagging him.
- I can't even get in touch with the ambassador, so I am worried that something might have happened. Was there an accident? Was something else going on at the embassy? If I didn't get a call today, I was going to go home tomorrow.
"Hey, Mom too. Now that you're all grown up, you're getting old, why are you doing that? Auntie, you're probably going to be so mean. No news is good news, right?"
- That kid? You're making Mom so mad, and you're saying that?
"It's okay since we've gotten a call now. How's Auntie? Has she had her surgery yet? What's the weather like there? Does the food suit your taste? Is there anything inconvenient about your stay?"
He changed the subject wittily. His mother, who had been listening quietly, suddenly said in a calm voice, “Taekjoo.” At the same time, his forced laughter subsided.
- Are you sick?
“No. I told you not.”
- Are you not sick?
“Yes. Nothing is wrong.”
- But why is my son’s voice so low?
“Ahem. I guess it’s because I’ve been sleeping all this time. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good night’s sleep.”
He cleared his throat and lied to his mother. A soft sigh came out of his mother.
- Yes. Our son can do anything and solves any problem smoothly. Mom, I will trust you.
"Hey, you're acting like this again. Mom, your son eats well and lives well on his own, so don't worry. Take care of your health. Don't neglect your sleep and meals just because you're taking care of me."
- Got it. Call me regularly, Seok-ah. I'm worried about you. Okay?
"It's been 10 seconds since you said you trust me, son. Please hang up." - Okay. Let's talk again.
He ended the call with his mother’s request. A sigh escaped his lips. How long will he have to lie to his mother? Since joining the National Intelligence Service, he has only lied. He makes promises to people he cares about that he can’t keep.
“...”
He checked his absence records again. He couldn’t see Zhenya’s name anywhere. It was only natural that he hadn’t heard from him since he had been so busy. No matter how much he tried
to be gentle with Kwon Taekjoo, he still had pride. He must have been angry. He must have been upset.
The one who had suggested that they stay apart for a while was Kwon Taekjoo himself. In a normal romantic relationship, it was an expression used when saying goodbye.
No matter how angry he was, he thought he was too angry. At the time, he hated the sight of him, but it didn’t mean that he should never see him again.
Even if Kwon Taekjoo himself is like that, does he now not want to hear from his mother? Up until now, even when he was in a cold war with Kwon Taekjoo, he used to get along well with his mother as usual.
He had a fight with him over something trivial some time in the past. He was drinking alone to vent my anger, and then he went back to his house to make up. He wasn’t there. He called him right away, but he must have been really upset and didn’t pick up. He kept trying to call him and even sent him messages while waiting for him. But he kept calling him late at night. Rock didn't show up. When he got home exhausted from the product, he was drinking wine with his mother. How graceful was the hand that rejected Kwon Taekjoo's phone call right in front of his nose. When his mother suddenly asked him why he upset the ambassador, he was so dumbfounded.
Was he so depressed that he ignored his mother's calls? Or was he in a situation where he couldn't communicate with anyone?
No, he has to worry about the guy you're worried about. He's not the kind of guy who'd be caught easily if someone came to catch him. Even though he denied it, he couldn't calm his nerves. Even if he left his child alone at the water's edge, he wouldn't be that anxious. It didn't seem like it.
"...ah."
Suddenly, a way to check on Zhenya’s current situation came to mind. He immediately put that thought into action. He looked through the contacts on my phone and called someone. The call connected three or four times before it was disconnected.
- Taekjoo?
A half-hearted voice came from the other end of the phone. It was Olga.
[Yeah. It's me.]
- Taekjoo called me. What's going on?
The voice asking was filled with surprise and joy. He felt awkward for no reason and touched the back of his neck.
[I wonder if you’ve seen Zhenya recently. I haven’t heard about him.]
- Hmm? Well? Meeting that guy was like an annual event to me.
[... Really?]
- Did you fight again?
She hit the nail on the head without warning. He didn’t respond. Was that enough of an answer? Olga said [Hmm...] and easily guessed Kwon Taekjoo’s intentions.
- If you're asking if that guy came to my parents' house, he didn't. For some reason, the atmosphere at home is very gloomy. Maybe it's because of that author? What on earth did he do this time?
[You don't know that,]
- I don't know why you called me when it's something I don't need to know.
He sarcastically mocks me. He doesn't think anyone would say we're not siblings, so he can't help you for free. It seemed like he should at least explain the situation.
[I can't go into detail because it's related to official business. It's against the National Security Act. Even if you find out, it won't benefit you. You'll be hurt too. If it doesn't get worse, that's good?]
- After already dragging them in?
[Who would find it suspicious that my younger brother is looking into what my older brother is doing?]
- Others might, but not us.
It certainly seemed like a far-fetched story for the Bogdanov family. It wasn't a metaphor for Zhenya and Olga meeting like an annual event.
- If that guy had upset my father or my other older brothers, wouldn't that be a good thing for Taekjoo?
[What are you talking about all of a sudden?]
- It seems like you've been arguing a lot about things related to Taekjoo? Don't interfere in other countries' affairs, diplomatic disputes may arise, I'll strip you of your diplomatic status, the family won't protect you anymore.... That guy is the one who's doing all that because he's involved in Taekjoo’s affairs, right?
[......]
- Do you know what that guy says every time?
[...Well.]
- He asked me if I was still curious about how 'Anastasia' came to be? Do whatever you want. Then let me see 'Anastasia' with my own eyes. He threatened my father and brothers instead.
He covered his eyes with his hand. The back of his neck hurt. He knew that Zhenya had not been on good terms with his own blood relatives for a long time. He had often turned his back on his family and his country since he started interfering with Kwon Taekjoo’s official affairs. But he didn’t think he would respond to the threats directed at Zhenya with even bigger threats.
[Anyway, the situation has become a bit complicated, so I can’t look into that bastard myself for the time being. I can’t contact either of them carelessly. It’s hard to get news from them until something big happens here, so I wonder if that bastard if you feel like this is going to get dangerous, call me right away.]
- Barefoot?
[I'll pay you back later, somehow. Please.]
- Hmm. I have nothing else to say.
[Did you just live a lie?]
- Well, it's not a difficult request. But if that human is in trouble after fighting with Taekjoo, I can't approach that island carelessly either. He might even shoot down my helicopter.
[No way.]
- No way? You didn't know, Taekjoo. [What?]
- When Taekjoo was captured on that island before. The government forces came in and both Taekjoo and I were in danger. After that, it seems like that guy installed something on the island? I don’t know exactly what it is, but it seems like a system that responds to all aircraft and missiles that approach without permission. How many have you already been hit by?
Is it that they installed an airborne interception missile on the island?
He suddenly remembered when he was escaping from Ajinoki a while ago. He saw several pieces of aircraft torn like pieces of paper all over the island. All of them were simply confrontations with Zhenya. He thought they were crashed helicopters, but maybe not. Since he was always with him when he
went in and out of the island, he didn't know if they had a separate defence system. In the current situation, it was rather fortunate.
If Ajinoki had become such an impregnable fortress, no one would be able to rashly threaten or attack Zhenya.
- Anyway, I'll listen to the author's news from time to time and tell you if I hear anything. [Yeah. Even if it's something trivial, it doesn't matter.]
- You're really making a fuss about love. Let's hang up now.
Olga grumbled in annoyance until the end, but she seemed excited because something fun had happened after a long time. After finishing the call with Olga, the house felt quieter than before. He checked just in case, but there was still no call from Zhenya.
What could he be doing now? Maybe he’s playing the contrabass alone again. Maybe he’s exterminating all living things on the island because he couldn’t handle it.
Maybe. Since he’s been listening to his every move, he might be watching him from somewhere right now. With such a baseless thought, he shouted into the air.
[Hey, Zhenya. Are you listening?]
He waited for a moment, but there was no answer. No, there was no way he would come back in the first place. He scratched the back of his head and collapsed on the sofa. He felt endlessly helpless at the problem that he had no idea where to start.
The monotonous days continued.
When he was working, 24 hours were not enough, but when he didn’t do anything, he wondered if the day had been that long. In the meantime, he confirmed a few facts. First, his access to the National Intelligence Service server was gone. All of that made it impossible to obtain any information about the failed operation, let alone the situation in which it was happening. It was as if they were excluded from all work.
Second, the Vladivostok operation was thoroughly covered up. Around the same time, he looked through all the articles from the world's media that mentioned the area. However, there was absolutely no mention of it other than the report that Russia and North Korea had met in Vladivostok for technical cooperation. As for 'Foxtrot,' there was only a one-line article that an American man had died in a collision between a cargo truck and a passenger car. Given the circumstances, it seemed that Russia, the US, South Korea, and Japan were all busy keeping quiet.
There was no way to know what happened to Park Jeong-ho, who had returned to North Korea, whether the microorganism he had discovered had ended up in Russian hands, or whether research was really underway to weaponize the substance. When attempts to dig up a secret are discovered, the secret tends to be hidden even deeper.
"Haa, haa..."
He put down the dumbbell and took a deep breath. When his mind was complicated, he would work his body to relieve distracting thoughts. That was why when his body was in pain, he would not think of anything and would focus on the pain itself. He felt pain and heat as if the fibres in his muscles had been torn apart. His whole body was covered in sweat. It had been a long time since that happened. Usually, he would feel refreshed just by doing that, but for some reason, this time, the chaos in his mind and heart did not go away at all.
He was about to sit down on the bench press, thinking that it would get better if he did more. The doorbell rang out of nowhere. But there was no one to come at this hour. His mother couldn’t have suddenly come back from Canada. Could it be Zhenya?
As that thought crossed his mind, he quickly got up. He was about to go to the front door and open it, but a familiar face flashed on the intercom screen behind him.
- Senior.
It was Yoon Jong-woo. It was unexpected that he came at this hour. Still, he lost his strength. His urgent gestures also became feeble.
"Why did you come?"
"Wow... I didn't expect you to welcome me barefoot, but I didn't know you'd treat me this badly. You're new."
"You're in the middle of working. Did you get kicked out?"
"You weren't secretly hoping for that, were you?
I used up my half-day leave."
Yoon Jong-woo grabbed the front door, saying, "I'm hungry." But Kwon Taekjoo didn't give him a chance.
“Why are you here when you’re hungry? Is my house a restaurant?”
“Your mother said she made a lot of side dishes at home and told me to go eat.”
“My mother?”
“Yes. She called me because she was worried about me. She said she would appreciate it if I stopped by once in a while while she was in Canada.”
“I saw it, so go back.”
“You’re being rude again. I brought you some news that you might be curious about.”
Kwon Taekjoo’s defences loosened as if it were a lie. Yoon Jong-woo opened the door wide during that moment. He went inside the house. He usually headed to the kitchen, but he stuck out his tongue when he saw the dumbbells that Kwon Taekjoo had lined up.
"Oh my. You've been stuck at home doing nothing but lifting weights? What kind of exercise do you do so desperately? They say your joints won't be there anymore."
"You should do something."
"You haven't eaten either, have you? You should eat a lot of protein so you don't lose muscle."
Yoon Jong-woo pretended not to hear Kwon Taek Joo’s nagging and took out the side dishes. He heated up the soup that was in the fridge and made scrambled eggs. After setting the table, he sat down. He said, “Come on,” and took a seat first.
He couldn’t tell who was the host and who was the guest.
He sat down across from Yoon Jong-woo in silence. Then, he pushed down Yoon Jong-woo’s spoon, which was about to scoop up soup, with his spoon. Yoon Jong-woo seemed to have expected that much, so he immediately gave up on the soup and scooped up rice. Kwon Taekjoo also blocked his forehead with his spoon.
“Ah, senior! You say you don’t even touch a dog when you’re eating, so why are you doing this?”
“Tell me. Is this news that I should be curious about?” “Can’t we eat first?”
Kwon Taekjoo shook his head leisurely yet coolly. Yoon Jong-woo, who had been looking at the delicious food without any regrets, let out a long sigh. Then he suddenly looked around. He seemed worried that someone might be watching or eavesdropping.
"No. I checked."
"If that's what you're saying, then that must be it."
"How long are you going to knock on the stone bridge? Stop and tell me quickly?"
"I got a call from Olga."
"Olga?"
"Yes. My senior told Olga to ask Yevgeny. If you asked me to find out how I was doing,” "Why didn't you tell me directly?"
"Olga, you must be careful. You asked me why Yevgeny and your senior can't contact each other. It's hard to tell you in detail, but I said that it's because you could be accused of collusion given the current situation."
"I should report you for violating the National Security Act."
"Hey, why are you doing this between us? And you didn't tell me what happened. I just told you what I said."
"Is this kid positive or just a jerk? If Yevgeny and I are the problem, then you and him are no different? You're clearly an NIS agent and she's the daughter of a big shot in Russia, right? Yevgeny, your sister."
"We're... not directly related. If it comes down to it, you can just say we're getting to know each other carefully, Olga."
He didn't like the way she blushed and smirked. He clicked his tongue in disapproval and asked in passing.
"'So. What's going on?"
"Olga?”
"No. Yevgeny, that jerk."
He got angry without realising it. Yoon Jong-woo grumbled, “Why are you angry?” and obediently relayed Olga’s words.
“Thankfully, he said he wasn’t detained anywhere. Olga said he was locked up on some island, and no one had been going there for a while.”
“Hey, that’s news...”
“Even if I wanted to know more, I couldn’t. Mr. Yevgeny doesn’t allow anyone to approach him, and he’s blocked all communications, so wiretapping or anything like that is impossible.”
Why not? Even when Kwon Taekjoo was detained in Ajinoki, he had no way to escape on his own. Oh, he was at a loss. When he asked Olga to find out about Zhenya, he didn’t mean to infiltrate there in any way. He just wanted her to find out the atmosphere and trends of the house.
“Ah! I told you that if I told you this, you’d feel a little more at ease.” “What’s going on?”
“It seems that Olga’s family doesn’t prioritize Yevgeny’s problem. They seem to be busy with other outside work.”
“... Other outside work?”
Could it be because of the research on Baekdu Mountain microorganisms? Using that substance to sell a cure. Are you trying to do that? Or are you really trying to start a war? Either way, it was an outdated and inhumane act.
"You. Haven't you heard anything?" "Yes? What, what?"
"Did you see that headquarters completely folded because the operation failed? They must have planned the next operation."
"Well. I'm not good at... Wow, this stir-fried dried shrimp and chilli peppers is really delicious. You should eat quickly, too. The soup is almost done."
Yoon Jong-woo awkwardly changed the subject and resumed eating. However, under Kwon Taekjoo's piercing gaze, the tips of his chopsticks trembled and he couldn't even eat a single shrimp. He couldn't even pick up the tea properly. Kwon Taekjoo silently picked up dried shrimp and chili peppers and placed them on top of Yoon Jong-woo's rice. Even so, he didn't take his prying eyes off him.
Yoon Jong-woo, who had been eating his rice with difficulty, looked wary of his son-in-law again. Kwon Taekjoo sighed deeply and scolded him for being cowardly.
"Well, I told you there's no such thing as a wiretapping device."
Despite repeated persuasion, Yoon Jong-woo couldn't be reassured and leaned his upper body toward Kwon Taekjoo. Then he whispered faintly.
"Actually. The director urgently needs you to sort out the agents operating in Turkey and Iran. More. Vice-ministerial meetings have been held several times in the past few days.”
“Suddenly?”
Yoon Jong-woo nodded several times.
“It will be reported soon, but I heard there is a three-party summit.”
“Trilateral summit? Who is the ‘three-party’?”
“The leaders of Iran, Turkey, and Russia are meeting in Tehran.”
His mind was blank at the unexpected combination. For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had set fire to a huge bomb.
7. Restart The Game
The office of the director of the National Intelligence Service's Overseas Intelligence Bureau. On the spacious desk was a nameplate with the words 'Director of Overseas Intelligence Bureau, Kwak Young-han' engraved on it. Beyond him, Director Kwak repeatedly scanned the monitor with a serious expression.
Ahead of the deputy director-level meeting, he was looking over the profiles of black agents whose main area of activity was the Middle East. It was to find the right person for the new operation. Since the issue was so serious, he had to be a veteran with a lot of experience and a high level of loyalty. He also needed the judgement and drive to complete his mission in any situation.
As the regime changed over the years, the organisation of the National Intelligence Service was also greatly reorganised. The existing North Korea Counterintelligence Agency and the Overseas Intelligence Agency were merged into one, and the first deputy director scope and scale of the work in charge also increased. The problem was that there was no significant change in the number of employees. There were almost no new recruits willing to take on difficult tasks at a time like this. As the number of agents retiring increased and the number of new recruits decreased, the company suffered from an unexpected manpower shortage.
Agents specialising in faraway regions like the Middle East were even harder to find. There were some employees who stayed in the area for a long time and occasionally performed assigned duties. However, in those cases, there were many cases of double agents acting as agents and making personal gains. Furthermore, Iran was a typical pro-North Korea country. That was why they had to be careful in finding the right person for a new operation.
He looked over and over again the resumes of the agents who had been selected as candidates. But no matter how many times he repeated it, there was no answer.
He was trying to take a break while holding my head, when there was a knock on the door. Director Kwak shut all the windows he had opened and came in. Soon, his secretary came in and bowed.
"Yes. What's the matter?"
"G1 urgently wants to see you, Director."
Kwon Taekjoo? What business could he suddenly have? I thought he had humbly accepted the headquarters' order since he said he would stay at home as if he was a good-natured person, but that was not the case. Will he? Are you going to assert your innocence again?
"Let him in."
After much thought, Director Kwak agreed to meet with Kwon Taekjoo. After his secretary left, Kwon Taekjoo entered the office. He bowed and gave him a deadline.
"I have an important meeting next. Ten minutes.
More than that is difficult." "It will be over before then."
"What's going on? I thought you said you'd call me when the time came, but you're not resting at home."
"I want to know what happened to Park Jeong-ho.” He tilted his head at the request of the idiot.
"Isn't he someone you should remember anymore?"
"I've been reviewing the situation at the time while I was on duty. If our espionage activities were exposed, doesn't that mean the other party is aware of our attention? Even if they are guys who don't pay attention to the surrounding countries, I don't think they'll push ahead with the original plan. But it would be too much effort to just give up. Park Jeong-ho, did you really go back to North Korea?"
Director Kwak didn't answer and looked at Kwon Taekjoo's eyes. He looked at him. Kwon Taekjoo also responded to his gaze without wavering. For a while, no conversation took place between the two.
Soon, Director Kwak leaned back in his chair. He slowly shook his head and drew a line.
“In any case, this is out of your hands.”
“If the operation on the relevant matter has not been concluded yet, I would like to sort it out.”
“I understand that you want to properly wrap up the pending work, but you need to get out of this. Emotions can ruin things. It's the law."
"Shouldn't you give me a chance to explain myself?"
Director Kwak raised his eyebrows at the continued argument. "Explanation?"
"It's unfair to be misunderstood for something I didn't do, and to be excluded from work simply because of suspicion. I feel like everything I've built up so far is being denied. How long do I have to wait? Will my reputation be cleared if I wait?"
"It's a matter of national fortune. It's not a situation where you can take care of your own reputation...."
"What is left in our work without honour?"
"......."
A sacred sacrifice for the country. If even that justification disappears, nothing remains. The justification for giving up one's personal life and deceiving loved ones will also fade away.
"Please let the operation be completed. Ambassador Bogdanov of Russia will not be involved in this matter. I will prove my innocence with results."
Director Kwak's worries deepened. There were also mixed opinions in the National Assembly regarding the disposal of Kwon Taekjoo. The Counter-Communist Investigation Bureau said that it was necessary to closely investigate the collusion between Kwon Taekjoo and Ambassador Bogdanov. He insisted, and Director Kwak countered that Ambassador Bogdanov should rather be seen as Kwon Taekjoo's source of information. This was because Zhenya's intervention had always been useful for what the National Assembly had been trying to achieve.
In the end, no conclusion was reached, so they decided to discuss the issue again after Zhenya returned to Korea. They also agreed to exclude Kwon Taekjoo from all work until then. In this situation, there would have been fierce opposition to deploying him in a new operation.
"I heard that Russia is holding a tripartite summit with Iran and Turkey in Tehran. That was not originally scheduled. It is highly likely that he will mention the Baekdu Mountain microorganisms at this time."
"That is highly probable."
"There is no agent that can be dispatched to the Middle East, right?”
"That is the biggest problem."
Director Kwak smiled brightly, his face hardened. In fact, there were almost no agents in the organisation who had carried out operations in the Middle East.
A diehard individual who was not interested in personal gain and was solely focused on carrying out operations. A veteran with a long history. A specialist who was fluent in Persian and had been monitoring trends in the Middle East for a long time. The only person who met all of these conditions was Kwon Taekjoo.
Director Kwak opened his mouth heavily after a long thought.
“Park Jeong-ho contacted us urgently a while ago."
"Park Jeong-ho?"
"Yes. He said he wanted asylum in a third country in exchange for providing the information we wanted."
"But Park Jeong-ho..."
"He has a family. A wife and children."
Director Kwak handed him the tablet. When he turned it on, a picture of Park Jeong-ho's family appeared. It was a very ordinary and happy-looking family. When he turned to the side, a map of the border area between North Korea and China filled the screen. A virtual travel route was displayed on it.
"As you know, Russia, Turkey, and Iran are holding a tripartite summit. The unique thing is that Park Jeong-ho will also attend. Is he a member of the special delegation? Park Jeong-ho is already registered as a special researcher at 'Parumjasita'. Given the circumstances, it is highly likely that Russia will mention the existence of Baekdu Mountain microorganisms at this summit. Iran and Russia have long been in an anti-American hegemony alliance... Turkey is currently under the control of an anti-American, pro-Russian government, so it is not that surprising."
"What should we do?"
"We're helping Park Jung-ho defect. While he's in Iran, anti-regime forces in North Korea and Chinese agents will evacuate his family to a safe place. We'll secure Park Jung-ho's identity before it gets discovered. I've already talked to the Iranian embassy."
Help Park Jung-ho defect and obtain all the information about the Baekdu Mountain microbes. The operation itself was simple. There was only one chance, and if the timing was off, everything would go down the drain. Since it was a summit, security would be tough. It might even be impossible to approach Park Jung-ho.
Even so, he had to do it. It wasn't like him. Calling the actions that were done as oneself. That was the only answer that Kwon Taekjoo came up with.
As he walked out of the director's office, he arrived at the central entrance. He raised his head unconsciously and a black marble signboard caught my eye. There were about twenty stars engraved on it. The phrase written underneath, 'I will follow the path of those who remained as stars without a sound and devote myself to protecting the fatherland,' caught his eye.
The so-called 'nameless star', the operation was a sculpture commemorating the agents who died in the line of duty. It was also the footsteps of the pioneers who walked the path that Kwon Taekjoo took. The Republic of Korea exists today because of their sacred and silent sacrifice. Everyone who lives a peaceful life owes them a debt. However, no one knows their names. It was the fate of intelligence agency agents.
Kwon Taekjoo thought that someday he would also be remembered as a star like that. If he could devote himself to the country at the final moment that everyone faces, it would be a little less futile. He gave up all personal achievements and comforts, such as ordinary life, success, love, friendship, wealth, and honour, and chose this fierce and difficult life, so that it would be a small comfort.
Is that feeling still the same? Will he be able to feel relieved without any regrets at the end of his life?
He was lost in deep thought, wondering about himself. Suddenly, he heard a voice calling out from behind him.
"Senior!"
He turned around and saw Yoon Jong-woo running out of breath. For some reason, his face was grave.
"Hey, I'm falling." "Ugh, ugh..."
"Ah, kid. You're groaning because you ran a little bit. I told you to exercise before it gets too late.”
"Ugh, is this the time to talk about exercising peacefully?” "Is it not the time to do it, then?"
"You said you were going to meet the director! Are you sure that the new operation is going to be handled by a senior?"
"Why 'no way'? Who else would be better suited for the job than me?" At the calm response, Yoon Jong-woo clenched his fists and shouted.
"I knew this would happen! I knew this would happen! Take care of yourself, how long has it been since you came back? Who said this to your senior? Do you even know? You were falsely accused. And yet, you still feel this loyal?”
"My eardrums are about to burst, Jong-woo."
"I'm so frustrated, so frustrated! Are you some kind of superhuman, Senior? If you weren't Senior, would the peace of this world collapse? Why are you always anxious because you can't do difficult things? That's a disease. A hero disease. You know that?"
"You bastard. You caught me today, you caught me. I've been falsely accused, so I have to get rid of it. If I just sit still, who will take care of it?"
Kwon Taekjoo muttered to himself, saying, "And besides, Even if that's true for me, I can't suddenly make that kid a criminal."
Yoon Jong-woo, who was about to ask what he meant, stopped. Kwon Taekjoo's gaze had long since left him and was fixed on the wall. He followed Kwon Taekjoo's gaze. Soon, the 'nameless star' entered Yoon Jong-woo's field of vision.
"Have you ever imagined being engraved there?"
"Huh? Why are you saying such creepy things! I absolutely hate it!" "Really?"
"Of course! I'm dying without even leaving my name properly. No matter how much I try to protect the country, What good is it if you dedicate yourself to the cause? My family won't even know where I died or what happened, and the people I sacrificed my life to protect won't even know that I existed. What about the country? They'll honor you for a moment as a noble sacrifice, but they'll quickly forget about you and start looking for a replacement?"
"You're working here with that kind of spirit."
"There are no seniors in the world these days. No matter what anyone says, my safety is the most important thing. If I put that first and still have the means, I'll dedicate myself to the country. Do I have to sacrifice my life to be patriotic? If I work for the country and pay taxes regularly, that's patriotism.”
Yoon Jong-woo, who was getting heated up in his self-defence, suddenly pointed at Kwon Taekjoo.
Senior, keep this in mind. Don’t be fooled by things like dedication, noble sacrifice, and sacred glory. You should think of your mother too. It’s really something you can’t do. It’s the worst kind of unfilial conduct!”
“I know, Inma.”
He pinched Yoon Jong-woo’s cheek and then let go. Yoon Jong-woo held his cheek with both hands and made a fuss that it hurt. Even after arguing with him for a while, Kwon Taekjoo couldn’t take his eyes off the stars carved into the sculpture.
He entered Zhenya’s house as usual. The sound of the door closing behind him was particularly loud. Although it was a place he used to visit as if it were his own home, today the space felt unfamiliar and foreign. Was it because there was no landlord to welcome him?
He walked in slowly and checked carefully to see if there were any eavesdropping devices that he hadn’t seen before. He knew that Zhenya would never let anyone invade his space so easily, but he did it out of habit. Fortunately, there was no sign of anyone breaking in.
He tried to open the window to ventilate as usual, but he stopped. It was the scent of Zhenya that had already permeated the house that was fading away. He was worried that the remaining scent would completely disappear.
He stood blankly in the middle of the large house and headed to the refrigerator. When he opened the door, Kwon Taekjoo himself had put the food in the lunch box. The scrambled eggs that he had made for Zhenya before leaving for Vladivostok but had failed miserably were nowhere to be seen. Did Zhenya eat them? Or did he throw them away? He could clearly see him sitting alone at the cold table, eating the messy scrambled eggs. He must have laughed as he ate them.
He laughed without realising it as he imagined it. Then he realised it again and scratched the back of his neck. He was so angry. When he ran away as if he would never see him again, all he could think about was him. Anyway, he was seriously ill.
He slowly sat down on the sofa. Kwon Taekjoo's son-in-law was so quiet that his own breathing was noticeable. When would he be able to go see Zhenya? When all the misunderstandings are cleared up and the charges are dropped, would he come back as if nothing happened? If he doesn't come back like this, then...
[Don't be impatient. I won't disappear. The only time I won't be by your side is when you're dead.]
He didn't have the end in mind when he left Zhenya at Ajinoki. He was just doing his job. He didn't want to see him because he was angry that he was interrupted, because he put himself in danger again. Should he have endured it?
[Taekjoo. You do whatever you want. I will do the same. I came here to catch you, and I am still chasing you every moment of every day. I will continue to do so. Sometimes I get annoyed, but one thing is for sure. There has never been a greater pleasure in my life.]
Did you really not know that Zhenya would chase you? Did you not expect it at all? Knowing full well why he was staying in Korea, where he had no connection.
[You don't care if I die because of that great thing? So you can just sit back and watch? When you fell into my hands, you were going to live like that, but you have no regrets for the rest of your life? It's funny to hear that. Taekjoo, don't be stubborn. Is that really true?]
He’s never worried about my safety while going on a mission. He was just thinking that he should complete the mission safely and return like he always does. Was it arrogance?
If the situation were reversed, what if Zhenya volunteered for something dangerous? Even if he were willing to throw away his life for his country, would Kwon Taekjoo himself be able to just let it be? No, that wouldn't be the case. He would have told him not to talk nonsense and just grabbed him.
Scratching the back of my head and mocking myself, his eyes fell on the laptop on the table. One memory after another came to mind.
He slowly pulled out the laptop and turned it on.
As the system booted, it asked for fingerprint and iris recognition. He obediently placed his eyes on the camera and his index finger on the touchpad and waited for a moment. Soon, the security was released and the desktop appeared. There was only one app installed there.
[Home cam monitor? Why is this all of a sudden? Even if it’s a dog, you’re raising it?] [Taekjoo. You should be affectionate towards me.]
[What are you talking about out of the blue?]
Zhenya ran the app without saying anything.
Soon, the entire screen switched to a real-time monitoring video. The scenery reflected there was quite familiar. It was definitely that guy’s mansion on Ajinoki Island.
[Why did you install the home cam there? What are you growing there? You don’t even go there often these days, so what are you hoping for? Neglect is clearly abuse, Zhenya.]
[I didn’t know, but you do, right, Taekjoo?]
[What?]
[Neglect is clearly abuse.]
Zhenya opened his eyes wide and jeered. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. [So. What do you want me to do with this?]
[Taekjoo, you miss me and are curious about me all the time, so I have no choice. I have no choice but to show you what I'm doing like this. Now, when I'm not around, you won't have to hug my pillow and cry. You can vent all you want here.]
[When did I hug your pillow and do that shit!] [Hmm. You're still so embarrassed.]
[Why are you doing such useless things? Why are there video calls? Do you hate contacting me so much?]
[Rather than that... I'll block all radio waves reaching my island from now on.]
[You're going to be more isolated from the world than this?] [That can't be bad.]
[What a weird kid. Anyway, I don't need that, so get rid of it.] [Don't be embarrassed. Feel free to peek.]
Since he insisted so stubbornly, I just left it alone.
He thought that if Kwon Taekjoo himself didn't use a home cam, it didn't matter whether he installed it or not.
Of course, that thought didn't last long. After that, Zhenya often left the place, and at that time. Every now and then, contact with the guy would be cut off.
(This upcoming part is showing a starting flashback!! Just like the other things Taekjoo is imagining.)
He said he would block all radio waves heading to Ajinoki, but it seemed like he had done as he said.
He had no choice but to turn on the camera to check if he was alive or not. The guy who hadn't sent me a single message for days appeared in front of the three cameras at the sound of "Hey, what's up?". When he saw the guy's shiny face, he was secretly happy but also felt a little angry.
[What, really? You said it would be a week, so why is it taking so long again?] - That's what happened.
[That's what happened? That's what happened? This new kid didn't even show any sign of apology, and he just went out once. You don’t think you’ll come in when you’re hurt?]
- You’re getting all worked up over it. You must miss me a lot, right? Can’t you stand it?
Despite the constant nagging, Zhenya was still laughing and enjoying himself. At those times, Kwon Taekjoo would quickly roll his eyes and carefully examine the guy’s face. It was to check if there was anything hurt that he hadn’t seen before. The guy often felt proud that Kwon Taekjoo had found him first. The evidence was his chin that was raised without fail and his shoulders that were spread wide.
- You miss me so much, don’t you? Well, it’s time for me to get better. My patience is only getting weaker as the days go by.
[Dalgin, who.] - No?
Zhenya laughed, closing his eyes strangely. Then he leaned his upper body back and unzipped his pants without warning and pulled out his genitals. That was the first time he saw a guy masturbating. He almost always asked Kwon Taekjoo to do the same thing and mostly just watched. Then, when he got the urge, he would rush in and try to take the pleasure, and he never did it quietly alone.
Maybe that’s why he didn’t feel disgusted watching his genitals swell up more and more. Instead, he held his breath and focused on it. Every time he stroked his genitals and stimulated them, it felt strangely synchronised. He had been touched by him so many times that just watching him brought back memories from the past. Every time his long, white fingers slid, his spine rang thinly. The sensation of his genitals being gently crushed and rubbed was transferred to his genitals as if squeezing his groyne.
His body quickly heated up. His breathing became rough and unbearable. Sensing the feeling, Zhenya suddenly pulled away his hand that had been moving quickly. At the same time, Kwon Taekjoo let out a soft exclamation. He flinched belatedly, but Zhenya on the screen was already smiling like a winner.
[Taekjoo. Are you going to keep peeking like that? It’s going to be painful.] [...Fuck.]
He couldn’t hold it in any longer and unbuckled his pants. He then pulled out my erect penis with a slight jerk. Just holding onto his penis that was about to burst sent a tingling sensation and even greater pleasure running down his spine.
His spread knees also trembled. He squeezed his swollen penis as if he was going to crush it. The thrill that made his eyes flash quickly spread through my entire body.
[Ah, ugh... slurp, haa, ugh, huff...]
He couldn’t hold back his rapid breathing and moans. He couldn't. He wanted to reach the peak quickly, so he stroked his excited penis without stopping. But for some reason, the sensation he had expected wasn't delivered.
[Taekjoo. You need to stroke it more gently. Think back to how I touched it. Huh?]
Zhenya flexibly stroked his penis from the base to the tip as if showing an example. He covered his ear with his palm and stroked it slowly, and then continued to massage his entire penis like flowing water. His penis, covered in transparent precum, trembled and shook his body.
He kept his eyes fixed on the screen and followed him with his hand. He tried moving it. The genitals that had been throbbing from repeated friction melted away easily at the familiar sensation. Only then did the thick pleasure begin to envelop his entire body.
[Slowly, gently stroke from root to tip.]
[Ugh, ugh... ugh... hau, ugh...]
[Haa, I like it when the tip is rounded like this. Ha, yeah. You're doing well. Taekjoo....]
[Ugh, ugh, a little, quiet, ugh... haa....]
[Now tighten it a little more. Haa, squeeze it tightly, then release it, and press it upward again.] [Ha, ugh, ugh, haeuu, ss...]
[Taekjoo. Isn't it nice to hear you cry so pitifully?]
He gradually reached his climax while listening to Zhenya’s voice and his excited breathing that were incredibly sweet. Even though he was only touching his genitals, his chest and the inside of his buttocks were ticklish and subtly tingly. Was that a conditioned reflex?
[Ha, huh... ugh, ugh. Ugh, ugh... Ah huh...!] [Taekjoo, Taekjoo... uhm, Taekjoo, huh, uhh ugh...!]
Soon, both of them came hotly. Zhenya’s semen, which had splashed on the camera, slowly flowed down, licking the screen.
[Ha... How are you, Taekjoo? Are you feeling better now?]
[...You bastard, hurry up because I'm dying here.]
A hearty laugh erupted from the guy as he grumbled in dissatisfaction. [Sure, I'm not that impressed.]
Zhenya muttered in a vain tone, slowly swallowing his lower lip and licking it as if pushing it out with his tongue. It seemed like he was really sorry that he couldn't kiss him. So he was about to grumble and tell him to come right away, but he was startled. The reason was that Kwon Taekjoos' own appearance reflected on the side of the dark screen was no different from that guy. Kwon Taekjoo himself was biting his pitiful lips like Zhenya.
“....."
Zhenya may still have turned on the camera. It wasn't even certain if the guy was staying in Ajinoki right now. But for now, there was no choice but to hang on there and watch.
He launched the monitoring app. After a bit of buffering, a familiar interior was soon shown on the screen that switched. It was the living room of the mansion.
Zhenya was nowhere to be seen. He tried to silence all sounds for a moment and detect the guy's presence, but he couldn't feel anything.
He opened his mouth, which was reluctant to fall.
A sigh came out before any words.
[Zhenya.]
After hesitating for a while, he called the guy's name.
Zhenya was locked in the basement of the mansion, looking at some blueprints. He was researching how the interceptor missiles installed all over the island could operate in more detail. Even with the existing firepower, it was enough to track down and shoot down most helicopters. However, he wanted more. A complete missile that could easily defend against fighter jets and ballistic missiles and immediately strike the origin. A flawless system was needed. It was a task to make Ajinoki a perfect fortress. It was also something he enjoyed as a hobby whenever he had free time, even before meeting Kwon Taekjoo.
Ever since he was young, he was intoxicated by things that would make him stronger. Sometimes, desperate desires tend to surpass innate abilities or professional knowledge, and weapons were like that for Zhenya. Even without anyone teaching him or a special guide, he freely drew new weapons and soon made his imaginations real. Even when faced with unexpected problems, he quickly found the answer.
It was easier to look into the inside of a machine than a person. If a machine is hard work, it is hard work. He also liked the fact that it was rewarded with great firepower and never betrayed its owner. Even if it made a mistake, it was easy to fix.
In that sense, humans were just annoying.
They didn't do what he wanted, and once they broke down, they couldn't be fixed. There were many times when it would have been better to just destroy them. The problem was that one human who couldn't do that had intervened in his life.
[.....]
At least when he looked at the blueprint, he didn't get distracted by distracting thoughts. I'd even stayed in his seat for days without feeling tired or hungry. But this time, it was hard. It wasn’t easy. No matter how hard he tried to block the progress of his thoughts, all his circuits kept leading to Kwon Taekjoo.
Kwon Taekjoo would have returned to Korea safely. It was obvious what kind of treatment he would have received in Korea, where he had stubbornly insisted on returning.
He tracked the microchip implanted in Kwon Taek Joo from time to time, wondering if he might have been detained. Kwon Taekjoo, who had been staying at the National Intelligence Service for a while, seemed to have returned home after three days. And he spent several days there. It was strange that a great man who could not sit still for even a moment except when he was
sleeping would be confined to his home. Either his body had become abnormal due to severe torture, or he was in a situation where he could not even take a single step outside the house. He guessed that it might be.
As he continued to imagine unpleasant things, he soon became angry again. Kwon Taekjoo felt foolish for taking all the risks and returning to his home country. He couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed with his home country that could abandon him at any time, a country that had already taken away his own blood relatives. After all, a spy is destined to spend his entire life in the shadow of glory and then disappear in vain.
For the time being, he had no idea where or how to start solving the biggest problem in his life, Kwon Taekjoo. It was even worse because he had no human relationships to apply for.
- Zhenya.
Suddenly, all movement stopped. It was instinct, not a brain instruction. Was it because he was so absorbed in Kwon Taek Joo? He thought he heard his voice.
- Yevgeny.
Just when he thought it was an auditory hallucination, a clearer voice reached him. He immediately got up from his seat and went up to the ground. Even though he took brisk steps, he felt suffocated for some reason. His heart pounded heavily, making him feel uncomfortable.
Kwon Taekjoo could not have come back. The radar that detected an approach from outside did not go off, and he could not hear the noise of the propeller.
So it must have been an illusion, but he kept looking around without rest. He scanned the wide room again and again.
No matter how much he looked, there was no sign of someone breaking in. He couldn’t smell Kwon Taekjoo either. Was it really an illusion?
- Are you listening?
He was about to turn around, mocking himself, when a more definite voice rang out. He immediately followed the sound and crossed the living room. Soon, the home cam light blinking on the table came into view. Was the sound coming from there? He stood tall in the middle and watched for a moment. As if it wasn’t an illusion, Kwon Taekjoo’s voice flowed out from beyond the cam.
- I got a new mission. It’s been so long. It won't work.
He laughed in vain. After pretending not to see him again and leaving a few days later, he finally contacted him and said that he was being assigned to a new operation. Is this right? He felt that something was seriously wrong.
Kwon Taekjoo's behaviour of putting off his own problems and prioritising work while saying that he would take his time right away made his mind twisted. If he gave in to one, he would demand two. If he gave in to two with difficulty, he would then demand three. Humans were such greedy and miraculous beings.
Should he catch Kwon Taekjoo and tie him up next to him? Then he would feel this unfair and resentful feeling. The anger will go away a little. The dark heart stirred.
Kwon Taekjoo, who had no way of knowing Zhenya's condition, continued to talk to himself. His speech was calmer and more composed than usual, and it even felt affectionate.
- I gave you the answer. I'll go and tell you. Even the things I couldn't say until now. So this time, don't follow me rashly, don't interfere without permission, and just wait quietly.
He always acts like that when he feels sorry. - This isn't an order, it's a request.
Kwon Taekjoo waited for a while and then made a request. His tone was unusually gentle and sorrowful.
- I'll pick you up right after work, okay? Zhenya. [......]
He spoke very gently. Zhenya seemed to see himself as some six-year-old kid. He glared at the pitiful home cam with a displeased look. It was as if the small machine were Kwon Taekjoo.
Unfortunately, Kwon Taekjoo's voice was no longer heard. It was the same even after waiting for a long time. Only then did he approach the home cam. And then he listened to the automatically recorded voice of Kwon Taekjoo over and over again.
***
Tehran, the capital of Iran. From early in the morning, there was a steady stream of tourists visiting the Milad Tower. Standing on the 435m high observation deck, he could see the entire city.
Kwon Taekjoo pretended to be a tourist and used a telescope to check the situation around the government building, the mosque, and the airport. The telescope he was using boasted a high magnification that allowed him to clearly see every single tile of the Golestan Palace, 15km away. The palace, which retained the Persian architectural style, was decorated with mosaics of small mirror pieces, sparkling dazzlingly in the sunlight.
Mount Tochal, which surrounds downtown Tehran, where snow never melts all year round. The Grand Bazaar, where people constantly come and go. The Imamzadeh Saleh Mosque in Tajri
City Square and the gray-white houses. It made me realise that the unique Iranian atmosphere had entered the centre of the city.
A surveillance system was activated in the city to welcome the leaders of Russia and Turkey. The roads included in the route of the delegation were completely controlled, and the surrounding areas were also inspected at 10-minute intervals. Patrol cars and military trucks passed by. Two-by-two military police officers were patrolling the alleys, looking at the security. Plainclothes agents loitering around and snipers stationed here and there were also noticeable.
The entire city was practically locked down.
This was a measure that had been fully expected. In fact, this operation was relatively simple compared to breaking into the middle of enemy territory, breaking through double or triple layers of security, and kidnapping key figures or stealing important items. All they had to do was infiltrate the residence where the Russian delegation was staying and make contact with Park Jeong-ho. They had already prepared a way to enter the hotel where they were staying and an escape route. All that was left was to wait until they arrived safely.
Since it was a trilateral summit, protocol and security were likely to be focused on the presidents. Park Jung-ho, who stood out as an Asian member of the Russian delegation, would not be protected more than necessary. He would just attract attention. - A Russian presidential plane enters Iranian airspace.
He was looking at his watch, thinking it was almost time to arrive. The long-awaited news came through my earphone. He scanned the sky with his telescope. Soon, a flying object was captured in the eastern sky. It was the Russian presidential plane, the Ilyushin IL-96. The Iranian fighter jets that were escorting it flew in their own directions. They dispersed and quickly disappeared from sight.
A welcoming crowd was lined up at the airport where the plane was to land. Usually, when heads of state visit each country, it is customary for a prime minister-level official to come out and greet them. However, this time, it seemed that the Iranian president himself had stepped forward, which was unusual.
- The Russian presidential plane has landed at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran.
He watched the door of the stopped plane carefully. Soon, the door opened and the Russian President Lomonosov and his wife appeared. They took a commemorative photo standing at the entrance and came down the stairs to greet the Iranian President and his wife. The faces of the staff assisting the Russian President oysters were familiar. It was Ba Jim, the second oldest brother of Zhenya.
"You've come this far. Anyway, I told you there's no way out."
He looked around the other attendants, complaining as much as he could. But for some reason, not even Park Jeong-ho, not even a single Asian was in sight. Did he disguise himself?
"Why did you put so much effort into it? You really are a swindler."
He shook his head and took out disposable contact lenses from his jacket pocket. He opened the sealed package on the spot and put the special lenses into his eyes. He blinked to seal the lenses. Then he looked through the telescope again. As he scanned the faces of the performers, their heights were displayed in numbers in the corner of his vision. Park Jeong-ho was about 172cm tall, so he could quickly pick out the candidates.
He squinted his eyes and counted the candidates one by one. As pressure was applied to his eyes wearing special lenses, the entire bodies of the people in his field of vision were scanned. Of them, there was only one person who did not carry a firearm.
"Target confirmed."
After a short report, he looked around the city again. Armed police officers lined up on the controlled roads. The plainclothes agents also slowly headed to their designated locations. The police controlled pedestrians. They moved them out of the line and checked the identities of the suspicious people. Snipers' rifles were placed on tall buildings such as mosque minarets, bridge piers, and apartment rooftops.
At the same time, Milad Tower, where Kwon Taekjoo was staying, was also closed. Security guards came up and sent all the tourists down. The excuse was that the facility needed urgent repairs.
"Let's go."
Kwon Taekjoo came down the tower with the crowd of tourists. Then he got into his parked car as usual. He hung his phone on the stand and started the navigation.
"Gl, moving. Please send the target location."
As soon as he requested, the target's current location appeared on the screen. Following that, the target's expected movement path and approach route were displayed simultaneously. They were routes excluding the controlled area. After selecting one of them, he slowly drove his car out onto the main road.
- Target, moving on the normal route.
The Iranian and Russian presidents and their entourage quickly sped away, escorted by dozens of police cars and security vehicles. As usual, all the signal systems changed to suit their convenience. Kwon Taekjoo followed them at an appropriate distance. This was to determine whether the target was moving within the expected range. In addition, to check whether the target was not in contact with a third party, or he wanted to make sure that no one was targeting the city target. If the target was in danger, it was Kwon Taekjoo's job to protect him.
The route the navigation system gave him led to narrow, back alleys. He had no choice but to avoid the controlled roads. There were many parked cars here and there, and pedestrians popped out all of a sudden, making driving difficult, but he didn't slow down for a moment.
When you get used to chasing and being chased, you can drive like this with your eyes closed.
"...Hmm?"
He was driving leisurely, but he suddenly felt uneasy. He stopped for a moment and looked up at the rooftop of a building. Kwon Taekjoo It must have been a large hotel, so they would have deployed snipers, but for some reason there was no sign of it. He looked at the rooftop of the building across from him with his binoculars. The situation there was the same.
Have they already withdrawn? No way. The target was still moving towards the Sadabad Palace, where the official schedule would be held. All security personnel would disperse only after the delegations of the two countries arrived at their destination safely. Was there a special situation that would cause the snipers to leave their posts?
"...Hmm?"
That was when. A black figure loomed on the rooftop of the hotel that he was watching closely. The traces that had disappeared from the sniper seemed to have reappeared. Similar movements were detected in the building across the street.
"What are you guys doing?"
A sniper must not take his eyes off the target until he has completed his assigned mission. That was an absolute rule that had to be followed not only for the purpose of eliminating someone, but also for the purpose of protecting them. If it was just one person's deviation, it would be understandable, but for two or more snipers to deviate from their duties at the same time. Something didn't feel right. It seemed necessary to check what the situation was.
"This is Gl. We have detected unusual circumstances. We should check and move."
- Approval.
"Support Team. Requesting access to the Espinas Hotel."
After requesting backup from the support team, he headed to the suspicious hotel. He showed his Iranian police ID to the approaching parking attendant.
[I'll be back soon, so leave the car alone.] [Yes.]
He got out of the driver's seat and strode into the hotel. There were many people in the lobby, perhaps because check-in time was approaching. The staff also seemed busy pushing carts or serving guests.
He went straight to the reception desk and showed his police ID.
[Police. We have come to check if the designated personnel for VIP security are properly guarding the hotel.]
[Oh, we received instructions from above to properly verify the identity of outsiders. If it’s okay, can I make a copy of your ID?]
[Yes.]
The receptionist left for a moment. It seemed like he was going to contact the police station he was affiliated with, as he went inside and didn’t come out for a while. Was it just a suspicion, even though he was checking so thoroughly? While he was worried that he was wasting his time, he couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling of unknown identity.
[You’ve been waiting for a long time.]
Soon, the employee from before came back and returned my ID. It seemed that the support team had succeeded in intercepting the call line.
[You may search the inside. However, due to hotel policy, it is difficult to give out the master key, so please accompany our security team.]
[Oh, that’s okay. I’m just going to take a quick look around.] [We need to know everything that happens in our hotel.]
He couldn’t insist on sticking to his principles any longer. If he aroused suspicion for no reason, things would only get more complicated. In no time,
He was in the security team’s office. Two large guards appeared. They guided Kwon Taekjoo to the employee-only elevator. He followed them silently. Although the inside of the elevator was quite large, it felt crowded with three men.
One of the guards swiped his access card and motioned for him to press the desired floor. After Kwon Taekjoo pressed the button, the door quietly closed.
When the elevator reached the top floor, Kwon Taekjoo was the only one who had walked out. Kwon Taekjoo dragged the two unconscious guards and pushed them into the nearby machine room.
He then snatched the radio and access card from them and entered the emergency staircase where access was controlled.
He went up to the rooftop while keeping his footsteps quiet. Soon, the rooftop entrance door appeared without a separate landing. He quietly set his wristwatch against the thick door. Then, a thermal image of the outside of the door was realised through the special lens he was wearing. One person was lying on the ground, and another was preparing to snipe next to him.
There was no need for two snipers in one place. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to assume that the sniper deployed by the Iranian government had been ambushed. That also meant that the current sniper had a purpose other than VIP protection.
He couldn't tell who the intruder beyond the door was targeting. The only problem was that it could disrupt the schedule of the Russian delegation and ruin all plans. He had to block it.
He took out a small bomb and stuck it on the door. Then, he lay flat on the stairs and pressed the side button of my wristwatch. Immediately after, the small bomb exploded and blew away the entire door.
Taking advantage of the momentary commotion, he rolled to the rooftop and pulled the trigger at the thermal image silhouette. The assailant fell over before he could even react.
But the next moment, a bullet flew from behind me out of nowhere. It seemed that the sniper in the building across from me had figured out the situation and was responding. Kwon Taekjoo quickly ran towards the wall where the sniper rifle was installed while keeping his upper body as low as possible. Even then, the shooting stopped. He didn't know. He narrowly avoided the bullets and slid down the wall to return fire. Soon after, the barrage of bullets aimed at Kwon Taekjoo stopped. He didn't even have time to aim properly, but I was lucky to hit the target.
Kwon Taekjoo grabbed the sniper rifle and scanned the rooftops of other buildings one by one with the telescope attached to it. In an instant, he felt the back of his head tighten. He immediately turned the muzzle to the back, but the sniper caught in the telescope was already aiming precisely at Kwon Taekjoo. It was too late, he thought, and the sniper fell down after being attacked by a suspicious person. He hurriedly moved the muzzle from side to side, trying to figure out who was doing it. However, it was a little silhouette of the person who helped Kwon Taekjoo who caught his eye for a moment and then disappeared like smoke.
Zhenya?
No, the atmosphere was completely different from that guy. It was only for a moment and the distance was far, but he was sure of that. If not that guy, then who?
The doubt didn’t last long. The bullet that came from far away had shattered part of the railing where he was taking cover. Kwon Taekjoo hurriedly turned the gun in the right direction. He aimed at the direction where the bullet had come from to return fire, but he saw a sniper standing tall and proud. There was no such thing as suicide. He frowned and pulled the trigger halfway. Strangely, it seemed like he had made eye contact with the sniper through the telescope. His behaviour of slowly shaking his head was unusual.
“...What is it?”
- Gl, a report of an explosion has been received at the scene. Nearby police officers are moving toward you. Report the situation.
"Later."
He held off on reporting and snatched the communicator from the sniper who had fallen next to him and put it in his ear. Every time the sniper in the building across from him moved his lips, Persian flowed out from the communicator.
- Panz, Chahar, Se, Do, Yek.
It was a countdown. Frowning, he stared at the sniper on the building across from him again.
He had climbed up onto the railing and shouted something before he could even think of it, and jumped down without hesitation.
- Inshallah.
As soon as his last voice rang out from the communicator, there was a thud. Then, as if they had made a promise, dozens of drones rose into the air.
“...What the heck?"
The drones flew in one direction. It was toward the road where the Russian and Iranian leaders were moving. No way. As soon as an ominous feeling crossed his mind, a series of huge explosions were heard. The air that expanded due to that tyranny shook the ground that was standing on.
Suddenly, the entire city became quiet. His head was just dazed. Black smoke rising one by one from the direction of the main street proved that time was still passing and that the unrealistic sight before my eyes was reality.
Police officers patrolling the alley drove their cars quickly. People walking down the street leaned against the road walls and looked around anxiously.
Kwon Taekjoo, who had instinctively lowered his body due to the explosion, quickly checked the status of the target. For some reason, nothing was displayed on the map.
"Fuck, what the hell is going on?”
- Gl, an explosion of unknown cause occurred around the target. Suspected terrorist attack. " ...Terrorism?"
It didn't matter who did it or for what purpose. In his complicated mind, there was only one thought: he had to save the target.
I quickly left the rooftop and reconfirmed the target's location. "What's the target's current location?"
- Unknown. Please check it yourself and report back. "Damn...."
He stood in front of the elevator and pressed the boarding button. Since he was in a hurry, the elevator seemed to be moving particularly slowly.
He tried to find another elevator, but something felt strange. All the elevators were going up to the top floor at the same time. It seemed like the police had been dispatched because of the explosion and shooting on the rooftop a little while ago. It was a situation that could have made him a terror suspect.
- Backup team. Back me up.
After a while, all the elevators stopped. He used that time to go out to the emergency exit and jump down a few flights of stairs. Since he was gaining speed, he even slipped on the railing. It was when he was almost on the ground floor. Suddenly, the emergency exit door below opened wide and two guards appeared.
[Don't move!]
He jumped without paying attention to the warning from my opponent. He stepped on the opposite wall and used the recoil to kick the guard's face who was running towards him. He wrapped his leg around the guard's leg and knocked him down, then raised my upper body and swung his fist. He instantly subdued the two guards and reported to their radios that were on the ground.
[Emergency stairs, no abnormalities.]
He opened the emergency exit as if nothing had happened and went outside. He went out. The lobby was empty. It seemed like everyone had already evacuated to a safe place.
He quickly passed the lobby and got into the car parked in front of the main gate. As soon as he started the engine, he raced down the street where explosions and gunshots were heard one after another.
The unexpected terrorist attack turned the road into a lawless zone. Cars were tangled up, ignoring their lanes, while the traffic lights were not functioning properly. There were countless cases of people crossing the centerline. Many people panicked and abandoned their cars,
running away with their bare bodies. He honked his horn nervously at the people who were fearlessly driving in front of his car.
[Get out of the way. Hey, it's dangerous. Go ahead. Come on, please!]
The military and police officers in charge of maintaining order were also completely shocked. They were confused, unable to tell who was friend or foe. It seemed as if the control system had collapsed and they didn’t know what to prioritise.
It was not that there were too many injured people.
When the black smoke cleared, people collapsed on the street. There were not only public personnel mobilised for security duties, but also ordinary citizens. Groans and screams rained down from all over. The pungent air was filled with the smell of gunpowder, burning, and blood, making it difficult to even breathe. There was no such thing as a vicious cycle.
"Damn, where is Park Jeong-ho?"
The terrorist scene was even more chaotic. In the aftermath of the explosion, large barricades were pushed far away, and abandoned cars were strewn everywhere. Most of them were riddled with bullets or were burning like skeletons. The once smooth roads were now dented or blackened. The remains of corpses and scrap metal were strewn about.
In the midst of all this, gunfire continued nearby. It seemed like a battle between Iranian special forces and terrorists was in full swing. Drones continued to fly overhead. There were too many of them to have been launched for reconnaissance purposes. No, It was different from him, a drone crashed into the battlefield and exploded violently.
So the leaders of the two countries are safe?
Where is Park Jung-ho?
- G1, target location confirmed.
In the midst of the confusion, a happy message was delivered from the communicator. Soon after, the target appeared again on the cell phone screen.
Since an unexpected terrorist attack had occurred, the official schedule was likely to be cancelled. The summit itself could have been invalidated. It meant that Park Jung-ho was likely to return to North Korea. If that happened, this operation would also fail.
It couldn’t be. How could he leave everything to the uncertain future of the next opportunity? “Support team. Change the operation. I will secure the target’s new recruits right away.”
- Gl, standby. Repeat. Gl, standby in a safe place.
“I told you there is no time for that.”
He muttered annoyedly and stepped on the accelerator. He backed up into a nearby alley, avoiding the blinding bullets flying towards him. In the meantime, all the pedestrians had fled, so the road itself was deserted, but the cars, motorcycles, strollers, and carts they had abandoned were scattered here and there. But he didn’t slow down and passed through the obstacles.
He kept checking the target’s direction of movement, then turned the steering wheel and entered a narrow side road. The gap between the buildings was so narrow that both side mirrors kept being pushed back. The more he did that, the more he clenched his teeth and increased his speed.
Soon, his vision cleared up and a wide road appeared. He felt relieved for a moment, but then he ran into a patrol car waiting on one side. The police officers also looked flustered at the sight of Kwon Taekjoo’s car suddenly popping out. Both of them took out their guns in a panic and aimed at Kwon Taek Joo.
[There! Turn off the engine!]
[Put your hands up and slowly lower it. Don’t even think about doing something stupid!]
He turned off the engine as he was told. Then he opened the driver’s door and slowly got out. No, he pretended to do that and then suddenly picked up a grenade and threw it. The startled police officers shouted with all their might.
[It’s a grenade!] [Get down!]
The police officers themselves also got down on the ground. But no matter how long they waited, the grenade didn’t explode. When the police realised something was wrong, Kwon Taekjoo had already accelerated and was leaving the area. The bullet that flew in late only scratched the rear bumper of his car.
How long had he been running? The long-awaited order came from the communicator. - Gl, approve the change in operation.
"Yes! You should have come out like that a long time ago."
As soon as the approval was given, the recommended route was marked on the map. He chased the target along that route. Most of the roads were blocked, so he had to go around the alleys for a long time. In the meantime, the police officers who had received a request for support from the previous patrol car followed him one by one.
All of them blared their sirens and threatened to shoot if he didn't stop.
He paid no attention and focused only on chasing the target. The police officers who had warned him repeatedly began to fire bullets. The shots were concentrated on the rear of the car, and eventually the rear window was shattered. Kwon Taekjoo lowered his head and repeatedly stepped on the accelerator. As his field of vision narrowed, his control also decreased, and his car kept crashing into the wall of the building. In the process, the right side mirror completely bent and rattled, and one side of the rear bumper also fell off and dragged.
“Ha. Let’s do this. This is it.”
Even as bullets flew around without warning,
He zoomed in on the map to grasp the surrounding terrain. A dead end was about to appear. Before that, he had to make a sharp detour in a narrow gap. He should have slowed down, but instead of slowing down, Kwon Taekjoo accelerated even more, then suddenly stepped on the brakes and barely managed to turn left. As a result, the passenger side was scratched against the outer wall and even dented.
Of course, it was nothing compared to the situation of the police cars following him. The police cars that had been following him closely behind Kwon Taekjoo were unable to overcome the speed and crashed into the dead-end wall. The cars that had been chasing him in a row also crashed into each other and blocked the alley.
His fists clenched. But he could not relax. The noise of a propeller was heard from somewhere, and it was because a police helicopter had appeared.
[Dragon's vehicle, stop. Dragon's vehicle, if you don't stop immediately, I will shoot.] "Would you stop if it were you?"
Ignoring him and running, he fired his minigun without hesitation. In an instant, a long bullet hole appeared on the ceiling of the car. The windows and seats on all sides were completely blown out, and the cotton inside was torn out.
"Fuck. They're trying to kill me."
He had no choice but to deviate from the route. The alley he took to avoid the helicopter led straight to the bazaar. Even though a terrorist attack had occurred not far away, quite a few merchants had evacuated. He was cleaning up the store without doing anything. He kept honking his horn and rushed into the bazaar.
People screamed and ran into the store at the sudden reckless driving. The helicopter also stopped shooting and flew towards the exit where Kwon Taekjoo's car was coming out. The bazaar was covered by a roof, so the accuracy was low, and civilian casualties were also a concern.
Running through the bazaar like that was like putting your head in a crocodile's mouth. Kwon Taekjoo checked the gold map again and pressed the horn and rushed into a store. At the same time, he fired a grenade through the windshield that only had traces left. The grenade exploded as soon as it hit the wall, creating a small hole. Cracks radiated around the hole. Kwon Taekjoo opened his mouth. He clenched his jaw and stepped on the accelerator.
"Whoaap!"
The wall that had collided with the car body collapsed with a bang. The debris was completely placed on the hood and the ceiling. The front of the car body and the ceiling were all crushed and looked terrible. It was amazing that he could keep driving in that condition.
Thanks to destroying the wall, he was able to shake off the helicopter's pursuit and the distance to the target was shortened significantly. Kwon Taekjoo kept driving, keeping his eyes glued to the location pin displayed on the navigation.
Soon, his car was on the same line as the target, on the overpass. Now, he was almost there. It was as good as silver. As soon as he was so optimistic, an unexpected situation occurred. The target went into a nearby entrance and exit and started going back the way it came through the underpass. Was it to confuse the possible pursuit?
Whatever the reason, if he left it like that, he would get further away from the target again. He didn't know how much longer it would take to catch up again. What should he do? While he was thinking about it, the target passed Kwon Taekjoo’s feet and ran in the opposite direction.
"Since when did I buy it?"
Kwon Taekjoo, who was muttering self-mockery, suddenly turned his car's head toward the soundproof wall. Then he put on his courage and then stepped on the accelerator pedal. The car, which had just hit the guardrail, fell helplessly down five stories. The airbag inflated violently with a thud.
A strong impact struck his entire body, but he had no time to feel pain. He tore the airbag with the knife he had on his ankle. His chest, which had been severely compressed, finally relaxed and he could finally breathe.
“Aww, shit. I’m going to die if this keeps up.” Kwon Taekjoo barely managed to pull himself together and checked the target’s location. His location on the map and the target’s location almost overlapped.
That’s understandable, because Kwon Taekjoo’s car was on top of the armoured vehicle of the police special forces escorting the target from behind. It was because he had fallen.
At the sudden commotion, the riflemen of the armoured vehicle in front aimed at Kwon Taek Joo. He instantly lowered his head to avoid the pouring bullets and then crumpled into the back
seat. In that state, he took out the portable rocket launcher hidden on the floor and fired a rocket.
As the shells exploded, the two armoured vehicles running ahead were lifted into the air. The car carrying the target narrowly avoided a collision with the armoured vehicles that had flipped over in an instant and fled to the alley on the left. The armoured vehicle that Kwon Taekjoo's car was on also followed suit.
The body of the car tilted at the sharp turn and became stuck between the armoured vehicle and the wall. Kwon Taekjoo’s body also rolled over without a plan. As I was dragged for a while, the body of the car was torn apart and sparks were constantly flying. It seemed like it would catch fire at any moment. It could have been crushed flat along with the car first. He had to escape as soon as possible.
Kwon Taekjoo crawled out the back seat window and blew away the side mirror of the armoured vehicle. He briefly balanced himself on the fast-moving car and then jumped onto the armoured vehicle.
"Pull over!"
Immediately after Kwon Taekjoo got into the armoured vehicle, his car was crushed without a trace. If he had been even a second late, he would have been crushed to death.
Without even a moment to catch his breath, he crawled over the roof of the armored vehicle and approached the driver’s seat. He repeatedly fired his gun at the driver’s seat window, but the bulletproof glass did not break easily. It just burst white from repeated gunfire. He smashed the weakened window with the barrel of his gun and hit the driver in the head. The driver fainted and the car shook violently from side to side.
“Let’s ride together.”
He muttered sarcastically and crawled into the driver’s seat. After grabbing the steering wheel himself, he increased his speed and closely followed the fleeing cars.
There were only two cars in the Russian delegation. It was impossible to know whether they had scattered for safety immediately after the terror attack or whether they were the only ones who survived after everyone else was hit. The remaining two cars were so damaged that it was a miracle that they were still running. It was difficult to guarantee Park Jeong-ho’s life or death right away.
If he had already passed away, they had to at least confirm his body. They stepped on the accelerator and increased the speed to the maximum. The cars that were running away from the armoured vehicles that were barreling down the alley like rhinoceroses were soon trapped in a dead end. Kwon Taekjoo drove all the way and rammed the car in front. He pushed it to death and crashed into the car in front of it. The two cars, with their front and backs crushed, were
stuck between the wall and the armored vehicles, unable to move. The four wheels of the cars came off the ground. He wandered around helplessly.
After all movement stopped, he got out of the armoured vehicle and approached the Russian delegation’s vehicle. Before he knew it, the blood flowing from his forehead was soaking a corner of his vision. His vision was completely red as even the special lenses got wet. He wiped the blood away casually and looked at the car behind him. All the passengers were lying down. Even the driver seemed to have lost consciousness due to a deep gunshot wound. As he looked at each person, the person who had collapsed in the back seat caught his eye. It was Basim.
Tsk, he clicked his tongue and went around the car body to open the back door. Then he reached out and felt Basim’s pulse. He was alive. On the contrary, The throbbing was strangely intense.
The moment he stopped in discomfort, the hard muzzle of the gun pressed hard against his chest. Basim's eyelids rolled up. Kwon Taekjoo obediently raised his arms and stepped back. Basim also got out of the car, fully alert. He faced Kwon Taekjoo and ripped off Kwon Taekjoo’s tattered artificial skin. Soon, a breathtaking laugh erupted from him.
[Ha, it's you again? You, Korean spy.]
[Who would say that? You keep seeing me like this and I'm getting attached to you?]
[Well.... Terrorism is something you did?]
[No way. What good would it do us to do that?]
[If not, why are you here?]
[Well. Isn't that too personal a question?]
When he responded slyly, Basim frowned. He suddenly put the gun to his neck and pressed it. [You always interfere with my work.]
[Who would want to do that? So stop doing bad things. Is shamelessness a family history?] [Even when you're about to die, your tongue is long.]
Basim slowly pulled his finger on the trigger. His lips also twisted upward.
[It was annoying every time, but it’s good.]
Basim’s breathing was unusually heavy as he laughed softly. Looking closely, his left side was soaked with blood. It seemed like he had been shot. His pupils were also cloudy, which was not in good condition. And how could he act so hypocritically?
Kwon Taekjoo’s gaze, which had been fixed on Bajim, briefly shifted to behind him. Then Bajim also hesitated. At that moment, he raised his hand. The bullet fired as the trigger was pulled and pierced the air. He instantly grabbed Bajim’s arm and twisted it back. At that moment, He snatched the falling gun and fired it somewhere. The drone flying behind Bajim exploded violently in the air. Kwon Taekjoo held Bajim as if wrapping himself up and dodged the falling debris. Both his ears were ringing from the intense explosion.
He shook his head to wake up his dizzy mind. It seemed that the drone bombs that had been used in the terrorist attack were still there. He felt he had to hurry.
Kwon Taekjoo grabbed the back of Bajim's jacket and took it off without warning.
[Let go of me! What are you doing...!]
[I don't think that bastard would be sad if one of you died.]
He pressed the half-torn jacket against the wound on Bajim's side. He untied Bajim's belt and wrapped it tightly over it.
[... Ugh.]
[Still, I should experience the good fortune of having a good brother at least once in my life.]
As soon as he finished administering first aid, he let Bajim go as if pushing him away.
[If you go back out this way and go about 200m, there will be Iranian police officers wandering around. Go and tell them who you are and ask for help.]
[.....]
[If you don’t like it, I don’t mind becoming a victim of terrorism here. I don’t think I can stand it for long.]
He nodded at Bajim’s blood-covered pants and threw his gun at him. The magazine was already empty, but it was better than nothing.
Bajim glared at Kwon Taekjoo with an expression that said he couldn’t understand, then backed away hesitantly. He was so wary of people that he hesitated for a long time. When Kwon Taekjoo, who had been watching, said [Oh. I heard a siren.], he limped and ran in the direction he had been told.
Kwon Taekjoo, who had been shaking his head, remembered his duty and approached the vehicle where Park Jeong-ho must have been riding. The door was dented and wouldn’t open. When he pulled hard, the door itself was ripped off. He lowered his head and looked inside. Park Jeong-ho was trembling with his head held up. It seemed that the driver and the guards who had been escorting him had already died.
"I came to pick you up, Doctor.”
Park Jeong-ho flinched and froze when he heard the unexpected Korean. Kwon Taekjoo calmly met his eyes as he slowly raised his head.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Ho, are you from South Korea...?"
"That's right. Vladivostok's cockroach. There's no time to say hello right now, so let's go for now. The car...."
He looked around and nodded at the armored vehicle behind him. "That would be better. Can you move?"
Park Jeong-ho nodded coolly and grabbed Kwon Taekjoo's hand. Despite the noisy chase, he didn't seem to be seriously injured.
"What the hell is going on?"
"We're also assessing the situation. It seems like a terrorist attack unrelated to our operation has occurred. Let's talk on the way out."
"Eek...!"
Park Jeong-ho, who was about to get into the passenger seat of the armoured vehicle, was terrified at the sight of the bleeding and collapsed agents. Kwon Taekjoo grabbed them by the collar and dragged them out of the car without a second thought, then said, “Get in.” Park Jeong-ho seemed quite surprised by his indifferent attitude toward human life. He hesitantly climbed into the passenger seat and continued to pat Kwon Taekjoo, as if he was doubtful whether he could trust him.
Regardless, he quickly backed up and got out of the alley.
“The operation has changed due to an unexpected terrorist attack. We haven’t identified the perpetrator of the attack, but we decided that it would be safer to take advantage of the current chaos to bring you back. The North will also try to find out about the doctor’s disappearance for the time being. They will perceive it as a terrorist attack."
"Oh, what happened to my family?"
"The North must be busy trying to figure out the truth about this terrorist attack, so they must have relaxed their surveillance of the doctor's family. Just think about one thing for now. You have to get back safely so that you can meet your family. I will take you to the South Korean embassy as planned."
Hold on tight, he said, wearing a headset connected to the communication device. Information about the combat situation and restricted areas by area was being transmitted through the headset. He ran without stopping to avoid the area.
But soon all routes were blocked. In a situation where there was an absolute lack of firepower, he couldn’t go to war with Park Jeong-ho. Kwon Taekjoo, who had been worrying, quickly made a decision.
“I guess underground is faster.”
“What? Eeeeeeeeeee!”
The armoured car, which had been running without stopping, rushed into the subway entrance. The heavy body of the car shook side to side as it went down each step. It wouldn’t have been strange if it had just overturned. Park Jeong-ho tightly closed his eyes while holding onto the safety bar with both hands. Screams like moans flowed out of his mouth without stopping.
The subway station was empty as the terrorist attack halted the subway service. He quickly ran over it and headed to the farthest exit. The workers who were trying to close the subway station in preparation for additional terrorist attacks ran away from the armoured vehicle that suddenly appeared. Next to them, a police car controlling pedestrians hurriedly flashes its lights and chases after them. When they ignored the request to stop, they fired bullets without hesitation. Bullets continuously splattered the surface of the armoured vehicle.
"Oh my, I'll get caught!"
"Hold on tight."
Every time he passed an alley, police cars that had received a request for support followed him one after another. In the end, he was in Hell. The mobilization was complete. They were closing in on him from all sides and from the sky. It was a dilemma.
With flashy handling, he changed direction sharply. In his dizzying vision, he saw a sign prohibiting vehicle traffic. It was definitely a narrow side street that was too narrow for a car to pass through. Even so, he had no choice but to take a chance. Kwon Taekjoo stretched out his arm to protect Park Jeong-ho in the passenger seat and stepped hard on the accelerator pedal.
"It's shaking a little." "Eww!"
The armoured vehicle collided with the buildings on both sides of the side street. The side mirror flew off. The road was so narrow that it was almost as wide as the car, so the police cars followed one by one. No matter how much they shot from behind, they couldn't make a single hole in the armoured car. Since the armoured car and the police car were adjacent, the helicopter couldn't shoot the minigun anymore.
The only problem was that if the road on the other side was blocked, they would be like rats in a cage. Sure enough, the police cars that had been requested for backup showed up in the alley on the other side.
Now the only solution was to sink into the ground. They found a manhole that seemed suitable for escape. Meanwhile, the encirclement continued to close in.
Kwon Taekjoo stopped the car and thought about a solution for a moment. Was there really no way out? Would it be better to just get caught and run away when the time was right? Then what about Park Jeong-ho?
While he was pondering this, the distinctive engine noise of a motorcycle rang out from somewhere. He turned his head to follow the sound. From the passenger seat, a motorcycle was speeding fiercely down a narrow side road that was barely wide enough for a bicycle to pass. The driver was wearing a helmet, so his face was completely unrecognisable. Out of instinctive caution, he aimed his gun at the motorcycle.
For some reason, the motorcycle driver did not try to respond. He simply sent some kind of hand signal to Kwon Taekjoo. He watched. Kwon Taekjoo's eyes widened. He recognized the signal at a glance. It was a unique gesture of the special forces that Kwon Taekjoo had been in before being appointed to the National Garden.
Earlier, when he had received support fire on the hotel rooftop, he had noticed that someone was protecting him. For a moment, he thought it was Zhenya.
Now that he looked at it, it seemed that the headquarters had conditionally assigned a Plan B agent. If they had openly assigned him to the team, Kwon Taekjoo himself would have refused. His job would have been to remove obstacles so that the operation would not fail. Those obstacles probably included Kwon Taekjoo himself, who might have defected.
"You have no faith at all."
Kwon Taekjoo, who was muttering self-deprecatingly, suddenly pressed down on Park Jeong-ho's head. Then, he fired repeatedly at the passenger window. The cover agent who approached the armoured vehicle at that moment broke the glass window that had been blown out white by the gunfire. Park Jeong-ho, who had no idea what was going on, covered his head and screamed repeatedly. Kwon Taekjoo grabbed him by the collar and ordered him firmly.
"Doctor. Listen carefully. From now on, you and I must escape from here." "What? Who is he...."
"I'm an agent on our side. I'll escort you to the embassy."
"What about Mr. Ki-reum?"
"I'll just clean up here and follow you."
Kwon Taekjoo said, "We don't have time," and unilaterally unbuckled Park Jeong-ho's seatbelt. He also pushed his back against the wall. Park Jeong-ho climbed over the narrow window frame with a bewildered expression. Plan B agents helped him escape.
In the meantime, the police pushed down the armoured vehicle and repeatedly struck from the front and back. The helicopter in the sky also fired warning shots, demanding that they surrender. Kwon Taekjoo secured an escape route for the motorcycle by moving the armoured vehicle a little further toward the side road.
"Go quickly!"
The motorcycle with reverse gear quickly escaped the side road with Park Jung-ho on board. Immediately after, bullets rained down on the armoured vehicle. The helicopter also fired miniguns, causing holes to appear in the ceiling one by one.
In a way, it was Kwon Taekjoo's last chance to escape. However, if he ran away now, he would not be able to guarantee Park Jung-ho's safety. He had to buy more time. That way, he could make up for his past mistakes and complete his mission.
That was also the only way to clear Zhenya of the espionage charges. "Whaaaaaa!"'
He clenched his teeth. As the attack grew stronger, he pushed the armored vehicle forward and blocked the side road.
How long could he hold out? Suddenly, the attack from the helicopter stopped. When he raised his head, he saw a drone hovering around the helicopter. The helicopter was struggling to avoid the drone. The police officers watching him also didn’t know what to do, worried that the drone might explode.
Kwon Taekjoo picked up his rifle and shot the drone repeatedly. His bullets hit the drone that was moving without stopping. Soon, the drone’s control device malfunctioned and it collided with the helicopter, causing a huge explosion. In an instant, the helicopter’s propeller and body separated and it plummeted to the ground.
The police cars surrounding the armoured vehicle were swept away one by one, exploding in a chain reaction. The huge flames that filled the alley reached right in front of his nose in the blink of an eye.
In an instant, past events flashed through his mind. His happy family, his father who went to work as usual and never came back, his older brother who asked him to take good care of his mother before leaving for his last port, and even my mother who was always worried about Kwon Taekjoo. The moment he graduated from high school and entered college normally, the
moment he joined the special forces during my military service and was scouted by the National Intelligence Service, the moment he left the operation site in a shaky manner, Until the moment he encountered it.
Soon, the ground shook with the great tyranny.
In an instant, his vision was covered in darkness.
8. The Patriot
Zhenya.
The flesh under his eyes fluttered. The hairs in his ears stood up. ‘Zhenya.'
The sharp senses calmed down at the soft call. Even his hardened face relaxed. A rough hand came over and caressed his entire ear as if massaging it. A languid moan flowed out. He hugged the other person with both arms, chasing the soft yet sweet pleasure. He locked him up tightly so he couldn't go anywhere, and rubbed his cheek against his thick thighs.
A shallow laugh erupted from the other person. He liked the feeling of the air fluttering. That soft feeling of a ripple being transmitted to the eardrums.
‘Kid. Stop acting like a fool and get up. The sun is high in the sky.'
Even the annoying nagging sounded sweet. He had never let anyone talk nonsense in front of him, but for some reason, he was just happy about that. He wished they had done more. He wished they had invaded him more.
'Oh, kid. You're pretending not to hear. Have you eaten?'
Instead of answering, he shook his head. He felt like the warm moment would be shattered if he had spoken carelessly. He did it without any basis.
'I knew this would happen. Ah, come to your senses quickly. I'll make you some jajangmyeon, your favourite. You're so big you can't even eat rice properly, and your appetite is like that of a child.'
The other person shook his legs and finally shook his head. He smiled and slowly opened his eyelids.
[.....]
He saw a familiar ceiling. He felt around furtively and the seat next to him was empty. It was as if no one had been there from the beginning, and he didn't even feel the warmth. He let out a long exhale and straightened his upper body.
He looked at the blueprint as usual, It was as if he had fallen asleep. He hadn’t slept properly for over four days, so it was as if the fuse had blown.
Whenever my mind wandered, he would stay on the island like he was now, absorbed only in weapons. It was a task that required advanced calculations and techniques to materialise his imagination, so no other thoughts would enter his mind until he reached a satisfactory conclusion.
But at some point, that wasn’t easy either. It was mostly after he argued with Kwon Taekjoo. No matter how much he blocked out his consciousness, questions that he couldn’t solve on his own would pop up. Why on earth was Kwon Taekjoo angry again? What did he do wrong that he had done so wrong? It was full of things he couldn't understand.
Why? Why? Why on earth?
Questions that kept coming to my mind were twisting and turning. There was no problem he couldn't answer on his own in life. He somehow came up with a result, and if that didn't work, he got rid of the problem itself. He wondered if he could just cut off the threads in his head that were becoming more and more tangled.
However, that didn't work out for Kwon Taekjoo. The questions he had about him never reached any value, and he couldn't erase the problem. Was that why he always felt suffocated and resentful? He clicked his tongue low and turned on the location tracking system out of habit.
[... ..Hmm?]
The only target was Kwon Taekjoo, but for some reason his current location was not displayed. He rebooted the system. This time, the situation was the same. An incomprehensible message appeared on the screen saying, 'Target does not exist.'
That couldn't be true.
The microchip that Kwon Taekjoo had secretly implanted in his body was a device that recognized the target's biosignals and transmitted location information in real time. If Kwon Taekjoo was in an area with radio interference or if the device itself wasn’t broken, there was no way that message would pop up.
Just as he was about to reboot the system again, a familiar noise was detected. It was definitely the sound of the helicopter’s propeller.
- I’ll come pick you up as soon as I finish work, so just wait a moment.
Could it be that Kwon Taekjoo has returned? Has he already finished work? Was that why his location wasn’t being tracked?
After turning off the defence system, he strode up to the living room. He opened the curtains and looked out the window, and a helicopter approaching from afar caught his eye. Its pink exterior made him wonder if it was really there. However, since it would not be easy for Kwon Taekjoo to enter Russia, he thought he would have received Olga’s help.
He headed straight to the rooftop. Soon, the helicopter began to descend slowly. Zhenya’s gown fluttered wildly in the wind from the propeller. He raised his arm to block the wind blowing into his eyes and stared intently inside the helicopter. For some reason, the face he had been expecting did not come into view.
Soon, the propeller stopped completely and the door opened. Olga, who appeared there, looked down at my brother who had come out to greet me on the rooftop with a suspicious look.
[What’s going on? You’re here to greet me like this. Understand? I'm so embarrassed, I don't know where to put myself.]
[Are you sleeping alone?]
[Or who? Did you want to see your father's face again?]
Zhenya’s nose wrinkled as he pretended not to know.
[Get out.]
[I just got here, but this is too much. I'm tired after a long flight. I should go inside and rest.]
[If you don't mind turning it into powder, then do it.]
Zhenya glanced at Olga's helicopter with sharp eyes and went inside first. Olga followed him without a care and taunted him as if telling him to listen.
[Yeah, this is how you should act like 'Psych'.
I thought you were going to die again. You're so unfamiliar.]
No matter what he scratched at, he didn't respond. He ignored the annoying bug as if catching it was a waste of energy. Olga didn't care either.
Zhenya went straight to the kitchen and made tea. His gaze never left the cell phone in his hand. It seemed like Korakseonni was spying on someone again. There is a high probability the target is Kwon Taek-joo. Those who openly stalk their lovers and those who accept such people because they are pretty, they often meet each other.
Olga shook her head and approached the table. She even said to Zhenya, who was pouring tea, "I'll have milk tea." Zhenya, as if he hadn't heard, prepared only his share of black tea and sat down on the chair. He didn't take his eyes off his phone even as he sipped the hot tea.
[The world is turned upside down, but you're being carefree because you're dating. How comfortable would it be to live like that?]
She didn't react much even when he provoked her. Since she was young, she'd treated everyone but herself as invisible. For Olga, it was rather surprising that such a person, Zhenya, completely changed her expression in front of Kwon Taekjoo’s hat.
Olga muttered to herself as she took out milk from the refrigerator.
[Or is he being punished after getting scolded by her lover?]
[What are you talking about?]
She reacted immediately when Kwon Taekjoo was mentioned. Olga’s lips broke into a smirk. She sat down on the chair opposite Zhenya as if dancing.
[You two fought?]
[I asked what you were talking about.]
Zhenya's eyes turned cold. It was like a warning that he would not ask nicely anymore. Olga shrugged her shoulders and answered casually.
[Taekjoo contacted me. He asked me to check on you.] [Taekjoo?]
[Otherwise, why would I have come here? I thought you had fought again because you asked so earnestly, so I came here to try to make up with you, but I feel like I made a mistake. I am being treated like this.]
[ ...What else?]
Olga said, [Well?] and took it easy. Zhenya’s black tea was dragged towards him. She boldly poured milk into it to make milk tea. Her taste was so sophisticated that everything she brought in boasted a heavenly fragrance.
Olga drank her milk tea despite the harsh glares. Then, she fiddled with the cup in her hand and examined her brother one by one.
[Why do you like Taekjoo? Two years is a long time since the husks were peeled off.]
Her gaze was inquisitive, but it didn't feel like enthusiasm. It was just full of questions bordering on curiosity.
[There is no one in the world to worry about, so someone like you.]
Olga tilted her head as if it was really incomprehensible. Although the act of touching my tea without permission and the words that followed were unpleasant enough, Zhenya was not shaken at all.
Even the murderous aura that had been emanating from her had disappeared. It seemed that her frozen mood had eased a little since Kwon Taekjoo had worried about her.
He wondered if he had the will to listen to Olga's story more. Zhenya got up from his seat and prepared another cup of tea. Olga, who had been glaring at her unusually relaxed gesture, said softly, "Ah."
[Bajim's brother is safe. The men in our family seem to have been born with a lifeline.] [Bajim?]
Zhenya looked back with a frown. He looked embarrassed as he suddenly brought up Bajim after having been telling a pleasant story.
[Didn't you know? He went to Iran to accompany the president.]
Iran. The last confirmed location of Kwon Taekjoo was also in Iran. Could it be that his new mission was related to Bajim's work? Was that why he begged Zhenya not to follow him this time? Why did he suddenly say that Bajim was safe? It wasn't good. He had a feeling.
[I think there was a massive bombing in Tehran.] Olga continued speaking without much weight.
Immediately after that, Zhenya suddenly grabbed her by the collar. Olga, who was up from her seat in an instant, let out a single scream. Her upper body was dragged halfway across the table, and she was barely able to hold on to her toes.
[You crazy bastard! What are you doing!]
[A massive bombing? What are you talking about?] [Ugh, let go of me!]
Olga shook off Zhenya's hand and repeatedly struck his arm. It was no use. Without hesitation, she took out her pistol and aimed it at Zhenya's forehead. Zhenya did not budge at all. His eyes, wide open, were bloodshot. His eyes, so blue that they were almost like daggers, seemed ready to be stabbed at any moment.
[What are you talking about!]
Zhenya roared. The overwhelming force made it hard for her to breathe. Olga, panting heavily, was about to pull the trigger when her hand was violently slammed shut. A bullet was fired from the dislodged gun, shattering the poor chandelier.
Zhenya shot Olga without blinking an eye. He looked straight ahead. His pupils were constricted. Even if he were to face a dead beast right in front of him, it wouldn’t be as chilling. Olga groaned with difficulty, holding her voice together.
[Haha, I heard there were simultaneous terrorist attacks in Tehran. Haa, it’s still not clear which of the two presidents they were targeting, what their purpose was, uh, who was behind it. It’s a national emergency here right now, so it’s hard to contact them. I only just heard the news about Brother Basim on my way here. That’s all!]
Zhenya let Olga go as if shoving her away. Olga, who had fallen backwards, grabbed her reddened neck and groaned for a long time. It was painful. Even while coughing, unable to control his anger, he grumbled, “You son of a bitch.” After barely calming down, Olga glared at Zhenya, but then froze. That was why Zhenya was standing there blankly with a blank expression.
[Taekjoo...]
The way he muttered as if he had lost his mind was unusual. Olga, who was feeling uneasy, belatedly urged Zhenya, “No way!”
[Why? What! Did Taekjoo go there too? You can’t contact me?]
There was no response from Zhenya. The fire inside her grew stronger.
[Is Taekjoo okay? I’ll keep watching you. Where are you now? Did you check? Huh?]
He shook Zhenya's leg violently, urging her to answer. However, Olga's voice seemed to be completely unreachable to him.
Zhenya, who had been frozen for a while like a broken machine, suddenly picked up her cell phone. He initialised the federal tracking system and searched for Kwon Taekjoo’s traces. It only kept showing messages that the target could not be found.
In a fit of anger, he threw his cell phone away. Olga quickly picked it up. Soon, she too was faced with the empty coordinates where the target had disappeared. The last record displayed under the coordinates was Tehran, Iran. That too, the center of the terrorist attack.
[No... No. Something is wrong here, right? Right?]
Olga shook her head, denying reality. She looked up at Zhenya as if she was grabbing at straws, but he covered his eyes with his hands and remained silent.
[This is ridiculous.] She repeated the tracking system reset. No matter how many times she repeated it, no new signals were caught. Her hands were shaking for no reason. Her gasping breaths were mixed with sobs.
Zhenya snatched the phone from Olga's hand. Then, without saying a word, she kicked away. A strange light flashed in her blue eyes that she had seen in passing.
[Hey! Where are you going!]
He shouted, but this time it didn't reach Zhenya. In fact, it seemed like nothing could stop him. ***
After the Tehran terrorist attack, the National Intelligence Service was also on high alert. The atmosphere at headquarters was more subdued than usual. The international community was on high alert because this happened before the tripartite summit between Iran, Russia, and Turkey.
Iran declared a state of emergency. Accordingly, communication and movement were restricted and inspections were strengthened. Local embassies in each country responded quickly to new information, but also went into a state of silence for fear of causing unnecessary trouble.
Various opinions were expressed about the perpetrators of the terror attack. The BBC in the UK claimed that it was the work of an anti-government armed group in Iran, and the French news agency AFP, citing an intelligence official, assumed that it was the work of Kurdish armed forces. CNN mentioned the recent suspicious activities of IS members in Iran and speculated that this attack was also their work. An Iranian state-run media outlet even suggested that the United States, which was anxious about the strong relationship between Iran and Russia, may have provided the funds for the terror attack. The international situation, which had been growing increasingly tense by the day, suddenly froze.
The exact extent of the damage has not yet been revealed. It is only known that the two presidents escaped safely, and that there were many casualties among their entourage and security personnel. There were also countless missing people. As it was a drone bombing attack, it was expected to be difficult to recover the intact bodies from the scene and to identify each person.
The National Intelligence Service also had no choice but to be cautious in communicating with the local area. Since they were conducting an operation at the same time and place, it could arouse suspicion.
So far, two things have been confirmed. Park Jungho's family escaped safely during the riots in Tehran and are now in Thailand. And Agent P2, who was in charge of Kwon Taekjoo's backup, safely received Park Jeongho's body from Kwon Taekjoo and delivered it to the embassy.
Kwon Taekjoo's life or death was unclear. He heard that a series of explosions by drone bombs occurred at the place where he was last seen, turning the area into a wasteland. There were hardly any survivors, and those who survived were unconscious.
That was the case for a week. During that time, the biochips implanted into the black agents did not send any signals. Normally, in such cases, it was assumed that the person in question had died in the line of duty.
But it wasn't anyone else, but Kwon Taekjoo? He couldn't believe it.
Director Kwak pressed his temples, which were throbbing, and checked the local news that hadn't been updated for hours. He didn't know if Kwon Taekjoo was among the unidentified injured who had lost consciousness. He couldn't give up the slim hope that the information was just delayed due to the chaotic situation.
How much time had passed? Suddenly, a knock rang out. Director Kwak quickly raised his head and said, "Come in." Soon, his secretary appeared.
"Director. We have a new message from the local embassy." "What did it say?"
"Most of the news was about Park Jeong-ho. He is currently receiving treatment and resting locally. The gunshot wound is deeper than expected, so even if he rehabilitates, he may still be disabled.
We will protect him until he can move, and once he has a new identity, we will grant him asylum through the Turkish example."
"So, have you decided on a country to seek asylum in?" "Yes. It seems he wants to go to Switzerland."
"I see. We should prepare a letter of cooperation first. Military. Ah, what was the item you were trying to secure?”
"I received it. We are currently looking for a way to safely bring it into the country. According to Park Jeong-ho's explanation, it is a microorganism discovered in the Baekdu Mountain volcanic zone. If inhaled by the human body, it causes a rapid inflammatory reaction and can lead to death within hours. It does not respond to existing treatments and is easily transmitted, so it seems that Russia was also interested in it."
Did he plan to develop it into a weapon that boasts powerful killing power while being invisible? To create enormous wealth or upset the balance of global hegemony through it?
All of this was what Kwon Taekjoo told him. It was Roy. The source of the information was Russian Ambassador Bogdanov, he thinks. This proved that Ambassador Bogdanov did not share the same views as his home country or family.
"That's good."
Even as he said that, his heart was not at ease. The news he was really curious about was still not heard.
"Have you identified G1's whereabouts yet?
Or have you found an unidentified injured or dead Asian?"
"Yes. I looked around the last known location of G1, the surrounding areas, and even the hospitals. But it seems there hasn't been any significant results yet. Not only is there no one similar, but I haven't seen any Asians."
The secretary who was reporting said, "I," and tried hard to gauge Director Kwak's intentions.
"G1's only immediate family member is his mother. It has been confirmed that he is currently staying in Canada. Are you going to inform them of G1's disappearance?"
"First, find the body. If G1 really died in the line of duty, we should return the remains. I will request separate cooperation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so tell them to mobilise all personnel locally and search for G1's whereabouts first.”
"Yes, I understand."
The secretary quietly bowed and closed the door before leaving. Director Kwak leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.
According to P2's report, Kwon Taekjoo held on until the very end. He was a veteran, so he could have compromised to some extent, but he insisted on completing his mission, putting his own safety on the back burner. Was it because he was confident that he could survive somehow? Or was it because of his overflowing patriotism and sense of justice? Or.....
"Shouldn't you give me a chance to explain myself at least once?"
"Explanation?"
"It's unfair to be misunderstood for something I didn't do, and to be excluded from work simply because I'm suspected. I feel like everything I've built up so far is being denied. How long do I have to wait? Will my reputation be cleared if I wait?"
"This is a matter of national destiny. It's not a situation where you can take your own honour for personal gain..."
"What's left in our work if you take honour away?"' “....."
"Please let us complete the operation. Russian Ambassador Bogdanov will not be involved in this matter. I will prove my innocence with results."
Kwon Taekjoo said he wanted to explain himself. After the previous operation in Vladivostok failed, he was accused of colluding with the Russian ambassador. He probably wanted to prove his innocence somehow and put everything back on track.
But was that all?
"Director, I have a favour to ask of you."
Before leaving for Iran, Kwon Taekjoo made one condition. In general, you can't expect anything in return for performing official duties. It was strange that someone who knew that better than anyone else would suddenly ask for a favour.
"Please?"
"Yes. If this is safely concluded...” .
Was it because of disappointment in the organization that he brought up that story back then? Because the fate of an agent who must devote his entire life to the country felt empty all over again?
As Kwon Taekjoo was chewing over the request he had made, there was suddenly a commotion outside the door. The voice calling out, "Director Yeon-shin," sounded familiar. The voice of the secretary dissuading him from doing so was also heard. The noise of something being pushed and poured out continued unceasingly as the person trying to come in and the person trying to stop him confronted each other. Director Kwak got up from his seat and went outside.
The person who suddenly barged into the director's office was Yoon Jong-woo, not Nam. His eyes were swollen and his face was wet from crying so much. He knew that Kwon Taekjoo was his master and that the two had been close as more than just colleagues for a long time. No matter how much you had to separate work and private life, it wouldn’t be easy.
Director Kwak motioned to the secretary who was blocking Yoon Jong-woo with his whole body to go out for a moment. The secretary looked embarrassed but silently followed the order.
“Director! You’ll look for your senior, right? Your senior... He’s definitely alive. He’s probably unconscious right now because he’s slightly injured, or his communicator is broken so he can’t contact you. Even before there have been many times like that. They would show up right away asking what happened, but that would happen...."
Yoon Jong-woo, who had been rambling incoherently, finally burst into tears. Do you not know how desperate their situation is?
Right after the police helicopter crashed in Tehran and exploded, Kwon Taekjoo's vital signs also stopped. If it was a simple device malfunction, that would have been fortunate, but his whereabouts were not found for several days. It was enough time for an elite agent like Kwon Taekjoo to return. At the very least, he had to report that he was alive. The fact that no trace of him was found meant that he was in no condition to return on his own. Director Kwak approached Yoon Jong-woo and patted his shoulder.
"We're using every means at our disposal to find him. We'll definitely find him. So you should go and rest for a bit. You haven't even left work for days."
"Director, I'll do anything. Just tell me to do it. If I hack into all the local CCTV and satellites and search through them, I'll be able to find out where my senior is. Or, send me to Iran instead. I'll go and look for him myself. Yes?"
Yoon Jong-woo cried and clapped his hands together. He was being pushed around like a child. He already knew that it wouldn't work.
Iran was on high alert to find the mastermind behind the terror attack. The entire world's attention was focused on Tehran. At a time like this, they couldn't rashly move to find an agent who had gone missing during an operation.
Furthermore, intelligence agents were supposed to exist only in the shadows. Even if Kwon Taekjoo had died on duty, it would have been impossible to officially receive his body. Sometimes, they might have to deny that very fact. They were devoted to their country, but they could be abandoned at any time for the sake of the national interest. That was also the fate of an agent.
"Ugh... Senior, your father died on duty, and your brother died on duty... Now, there's only Senior. There are some left. Senior's mother is always worried about her and can't sleep comfortably. Hehe, she asked me to take good care of her and to come by sometimes even when she's not home. If the Senior is wrong, how can I see your mother? What can I say to your mother? Hehe...."
Yoon Jong-woo, who had been croaking, finally got down on his knees and sat down. He hugged Director Kwak's leg and cried sadly again.
"What have you done all this time, Senior! This is not something we can do to our seniors in this country. We are also citizens of this country...
We can't just throw away used batteries like this. Hehe...." 'We work in the shade and aim for the sun.'
‘Anonymous dedication to freedom and truth.'
'Endless loyalty and devotion to the country and people.'
The motto that has consistently emphasised the silent dedication of employees for decades seemed bitter today.
Yoon Jong-woo entered the dark house. He crouched down, hugging his bag without taking off his shoes or turning on the light. When he was alone, the sadness he had suppressed welled up inside him. He buried his head in his bag and sobbed quietly.
He couldn't stop thinking about Kwon Taekjoo all day. Naturally, he remembered the time I first met him. After winning the international hacking competition hosted by an American IT company, he received numerous job offers. Among them was the National Intelligence Service. Since he had been romanticising white hackers since he was young, he didn't think long about it.
He was put into practice as soon as he finished his internship. Support team members like Yoon Jong-woo were matched one-on-one with black agents, who were on the field, to back up their partners' public duties. His peers gradually became partners, and even though he kept complaining, he gradually adapted to the work.
However, Yoon Jong-woo's guard was out of sight for several days. He was not assigned any work other than his backup, so he just sat there for a while. Then one day, he was suddenly assigned to remote support on site. Since it was his first time in the field, he was frozen solid, but the person on the other end of the communication line greeted him first.
- Is that you? A new recruit who just came in.
He doesn't know if he should call that a greeting. He spoke informally to him out of the blue, and his tone was even rude. Kwon Taekjoo's first impression was not very good. Even when he went into operation, he rejected all of Yoon Jong-woo's suggestions and only demanded one-sided information. He acted as he pleased. He was the worst kind of general, the most toxic partner. It seemed like dark clouds were gathering over his bright future.
It was not long after the operation ended that he met Kwon Taekjoo in person. While he was writing a report, someone suddenly approached him. He rolled around so much that his face was bruised and cracked here and there, and he looked terrible. Kwon Taekjoo silently examined Yoon Jong-woo for a while and then made an incomprehensible comment.
"Hmm. I don't know about anything else, but I guess I can use him for this or that."
“...Huh?"
"Do you want to go eat? What do you like?”
Kwon Taekjoo bought meat for Yoon Jong-woo, who insisted that it was okay. Sitting across from him was awkward and uncomfortable, so he hoped the place would be cleared quickly. Kwon Taekjoo would have been no different, but he immediately wrapped up some ssam and handed it to Yoon Jong-woo. When he took it in bewilderment, he started nagging him as if he had been waiting for it.
"Stop fussing and eat up. Exercise a little. In this world, physical strength is ability."
Then he stuffed his cheeks with ssam until his cheeks were swollen.
A solid body, a refreshingly resentful personality that seemed rude, an adventurous spirit of challenge, an unstoppable sense of execution, and even leadership. Yoon Jong-woo was a different person from himself from birth.
Being with him for so long made me depressed because the hardships were so obvious. While drinking the alcohol he received, he decided that he had to resign unconditionally.
Kwon Taekjoo quickly got Yoon Jong-woo drunk and got in a taxi first. Fortunately, he said he would have a few more drinks and left, so he didn't go with him. He nodded absentmindedly, and Kwon Taek-joo, who had been watching him blankly, suddenly lowered his head and stared intently at Yoon Jong-woo. He thought he was going to find fault with him again, but he just lightly ruffled Yoon Jong-woo's hair. He didn't even like that.
"You've worked hard. You must have been out of your mind because it was your first time, but you took great care to cover for me. Thanks. It was easy for me to get through this. Let’s do better in the future.”
He was clearly full of complaints, but what was all that greeting? His heart melted at the simple encouragement. Maybe it was because he didn’t feel any pretence. That’s how he came to share joys and sorrows with Kwon Taekjoo.
That’s when he started to receive sympathy from his peers. That’s understandable, because Yoon Jong-woo was strictly an office worker who supported from the rear, but Kwon Taekjoo would call him out to the field whenever he could. He almost died several times. Every time, he would grit his teeth and promise to go after the National Intelligence Service.
He should have quit at some point. If he had, he wouldn’t have had to endure this sadness now.
As he completed each operation, he felt a strange sense of accomplishment. He couldn’t brag about it and no one would know, but his heart was filled with pride at the thought that he had done something great for the country. He felt a sense of relief that he had safely survived what would have been a boringly ordinary day for some, and a sense of mission that he would continue to do so. He felt like he had become a truly amazing person.
Would he be able to continue to feel that kind of pride in the future? Could he do it alone, without Kwon Taekjoo? I wasn’t sure.
Yoon Jong-woo sniffled and curled up smaller. He cried. His head was dizzy from crying so much and he couldn’t open his eyes properly. He was so exhausted both physically and mentally that he closed his eyes listlessly. He had exhausted all his energy and couldn’t even think of crawling to bed.
At the moment when the distant waters were closing in, his cell phone rang. He was just going to ignore it, but suddenly the thought occurred to him that it might be Kwon Taekjoo calling. He quickly checked his cell phone. It wasn’t the caller he had expected, but Yoon Jong-woo didn’t have time to be disappointed and got up. It was almost a reflex. Ahem, he had to clear his throat to answer the call.
“Hello?”
- Oh, Jong-woo. Sorry for being so late. Maybe he woke me up while I was sleeping?
The other person was Kwon Taekjoo's mother. Tears welled up in his eyes when he heard her voice. His nose also started to sting.
"No, mother. Are you doing well?"
- Yes. But why is Jong-woo's voice like that? Are you sick?
Even though he tried to sound calm and bright, he was immediately seen through. Yoon Jong-woo laughed awkwardly and grabbed his poor neck.
"Oh, my voice? Actually, it's because I have a cold."
- Oh, dear. Did you go to the hospital? Did you take your medicine? You have to be more careful with your body when you live alone. There’s no one to take care of you.
“It’s okay. I’m eating well, taking my medicine, and eating well. There’s still a lot of the side dishes that my mother made for me last time.”
- Is there any left? You don’t eat much at Jongwoo’s house. “No. I eat a lot... You make me so much.”
- I see. Just in case, smell everything you eat, and if it’s even a little strange, don’t feel bad and throw it away. You’ll get sick if you eat it for nothing.
"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."
- Oh, look at me. Jong-woo must be tired, but I talked too long. It's not that...
Have you met our Taekjoo by any chance? He hasn't heard from him in a few days. He thought he'd be busy for a while.
He knew she'd ask about Kwon Taekjoo’s health before we even talked. She'd asked about him like this before. As usual, he just had to make a suitable excuse. But his lips kept trembling and wouldn't come off properly.
Yoon Jong-woo bit his lip hard, afraid that he might burst into tears.
"Oh, senior? That... I don't know the details, but I think he went on a sudden business trip."
- Really? I can't even get in touch with the ambassador
.
"I think the senior must have taken the ambassador with him. I think there must have been some problem in Russia."
- Could it be because of the terrorist attack? I heard something bad happened in Iran or somewhere.
"Ah... Yes, I know. That's right, mother. But the senior didn't go to Iran. It could have been a terrorist attack targeting the Russian president, so they told the diplomatic envoys from each country to return home urgently. The order must have been given. I think that the matter must be sorted out to some extent before Senior and the Ambassador can return. Since this is such a sensitive issue, it would be difficult to contact the outside world without caution."
- I see.
Kwon Taekjoo's mother obediently agreed, but she didn't feel relieved. As usual, she added a word to reassure her.
"I will come back as soon as Senior returns..."
But before she could finish speaking, her throat became dry. She quickly took the phone away from her ear and caught her breath. It took a moment for her to continue speaking.
"Oh, sorry. I suddenly got a cough. When you get here, I'll tell you that your mother contacted you and to call right away. Don't worry too much, mother."
- Will you? He's always grateful.
"Oh, thank you. Mother, I just put the water on.” - Oh, okay. Let's hang up.
"Take care."
- Okay. Jongwoo, get some rest and I'll see you later.
The call ended quickly. His junior became as quiet as if he was drunk again. The foolish forced smile disappeared from Yoon Jongwoo's face.
He lowered his head and looked down at the silent cell phone. He called Kwon Taekjoo, knowing it would be meaningless. Before the call connection sound even sounded, a voice message came out saying that the customer could not answer the phone. Tears filled his eyes in an instant.
But even that was for a moment, and he flinched when the front door suddenly shook with a loud bang. He was so surprised that he couldn’t even wipe away the tears that fell down.
It was too late for someone to visit. Could it be that a drunk came to the wrong house? Just as he was guessing, the mysterious intruder knocked on the front door again. He was so rude that he seemed like he was going to break the door down at any moment.
"Who, who...”
He was about to ask, straining my vocal cords that were about to shrink. With a thud, the front door was pulled outward, and soon the entire lock was ripped off with a loud cracking sound.
"Eek!”
Then the door opened and the intruder was revealed. An eerie aura emanated from his overwhelmingly tall figure. His sharp eyes were filled with murderous intent.
"Yeob...."'
It was the moment when the surprised Yoon Jong-woo opened his mouth. Zhenya, who had barged in with his heels, grabbed his chin. He was pushed against the wall without even being able to hold on. He instinctively grabbed Zhenya's arms with both hands.
"Heuk, Hak... Mr. Yevgeny?” [Taekjoo?]
Zhenya asked only that question after cutting it short. It seemed that he had already found out that Kwon Taekjoo was missing. Yoon Jongwoo's eyes, looking down at him precariously, began to well up with tears again.
[Heuk, heuk, uh... Senior...]
Zhenya, whose patience had quickly run out, pushed Yoon Jongwoo against the wall again. The back of his head hit the wall and his entire head rang out. Before the pain could even subside, a bullet struck the side of his face. Yoon Jong-woo swallowed his sobs and quickly opened his mouth.
[Senior, senior.....]
But this time too, he couldn't finish his words and burst into tears. A thick vein twitched on Zhenya’s smooth forehead. His pupils were so dilated that they didn't seem human at all. The hand that was squeezing Yoon Jong-woo's neck also gained strength. It was so strong that wrinkles formed on his skin.
[Eek, hic... breath, breath...]
Yoon Jong-woo was in pain, drooling profusely. His eyes also rolled back a little. Zhenya pushed him to his limit and then suddenly let him go. Yoon Jong-woo, who had slipped to the floor, held his sleepy neck and coughed repeatedly.
[Cough cough, ha, ah, Senior’s vital signs, huff, I can’t get them at all. I’m going to finish the work... Senior alone... He was left alone... The surroundings were all scorched by the chain explosion. Heh, huff, I think the car Senior was riding in was also swept away. We still haven’t found the injured person presumed to be Senior... The bodies found at the scene aren’t in good condition either, so it’ll take time until we confirm their identities... Heh, what do I do? Mr. Yevgeny. What do I do, Senior? Heh heh...]
Yoon Jong-woo stammered an explanation. However, his words were so incoherent and his tears were mixed in, so it was hard to understand what he meant. All he could make out was that Kwon Taek Joo had been involved in an unexpected accident while on a mission.
Zhenya slowly shook his head as if to deny that it couldn't be true. Then, he grabbed Yoon Jong Woo by the back of his neck and pulled him up.
[Before I sweep everything away, take the lead.] [Sob, sob, uh, where.....]
Before he could even hear the answer, he was suddenly pushed out the front door. The cold, hard barrel of a gun hit the back of Yoon Jong Woo's head.
[National Intelligence Service.]
One late night. Yoon Jong-woo’s car pulled into the back gate of the National Intelligence Service. Armed security guards stood by to block the way. The car followed their lead and stopped to one side. Then the engine turned off and Yoon Jong-woo, in the driver’s seat, raised both arms and got out. Immediately after that, all the guns were aimed at the passenger seat as promised. When Zhenya got out from there, they surrounded him. Just the confrontation was enough to heighten the tension.
[Let’s go, Mr. Yevgeny.]
Yoon Jong-woo led the way. As he started walking, the security guards also slowly stepped back and made way for him. It was probably because he had informed Director Kwak in advance, but it was a sensitive time for one reason or another. The National Intelligence Service would have wanted to avoid causing a diplomatic dispute by unnecessary armed conflict.
Director Kwak’s secretary was standing in front of the door. He nodded briefly and extended his hand toward Zhenya, asking for his understanding.
[I’m sorry, but please cooperate for the safety of both parties.] [... Mr. Yevgeny.]
Yoon Jong-woo looked at Zhenya with a troubled expression. Zhenya pointed the gun in his hand at Yoon Jong-woo. He pushed it against his chest. He also silently extended both arms. Director Kwak’s secretary handcuffed his arms.
[This way.]
The two walked side by side through the dark hallway to the director’s office. Judging from the fact that all the CCTVs were turned off, it seemed that Zhenya’s visit had not been reported to the higher-ups. It was a secret meeting that was also very dangerous for Director Kwak. Of course, if today’s incident became a problem later, he could have just quietly called him in to investigate the suspicion of collusion with Kwon Taek-joo.
When the secretary knocked on the office door, permission was given to come in from inside. The security guards remained outside, and only the secretary, Yoon Jong-woo, and Zhenya were left. He went inside. Director Kwak got up from his seat and greeted Zhenya.
[Welcome, Ambassador. If not, I was going to ask you to come in once depending on the situation.]
[What happened to Taekjoo?]
Zhenya asked in a curt manner. Even though he was handcuffed, the unique sense of oppression did not subside at all. The air around him seemed to slowly freeze.
Director Kwak faced Zhenya in silence and then opened his mouth. [Information about the staff is confidential, so I cannot tell you.] [Ask again. Is Taekjoo alive?]
[I thought you said you couldn’t tell me.]
[If I ask you one more time, this building here will disappear today.]
Zhenya growled in a low voice. Director Kwak knew very well that he was not a diplomat. He already knew that he was from the infamous FSB, what kind of atrocities he had committed, and why the Kremlin was keeping an eye on him. He wasn’t someone who would particularly worry about the aftermath, so if anything, he might shoot that rumoured ‘Anastasia’ to the NIS.
But Director Kwak didn’t back down easily. He had to find out why Zhenya had intervened in the NIS affairs so many times. He could not tolerate anyone intruding into the sanctuary of public affairs.
[Before that, could you explain what kind of relationship you have with our staff? I think that’s the order and the principle.]
Zhenya’s chin tightened. Yoon Jong-woo looked at him and Director Kwak with anxious eyes.
The next moment, Zhenya pulled both his arms and broke the handcuffs in an instant. Director Kwak’s secretary, who was flustered, tried to subdue him. Zhenya knocked him out in one quick movement.
The security guards opened the door at the sound of the secretary collapsing. Yoon Jong-woo absentmindedly aimed at them with Zhenya's gun. His two arms trembled on their own.
"Stay out."
Director Kwak instructed the security guards.
However, they did not move in the tense standoff.
"Let's not make a fuss out of it."
With a look of displeasure at the added request, he closed the door and stepped back. Yoon Jong-woo also let out a sigh of relief and lowered his trembling arms.
However, Zhenya seemed to have no intention of stopping. With a fierce momentum, he strode briskly toward Kwak. He approaches the director. Yoon Jong-woo hurriedly stops him.
[Mr. Yevgeny! No! Violence is absolutely not allowed!]
Just as Zhenya was about to get rid of the annoying Yoon Jong-woo, the intercom in the office suddenly rang. The three of them stopped at the same time and stared at the intercom. What kind of call could it be at this late hour?
Zhenya gestured to the intercom, telling Director Kwak to answer quickly. This time, Director Kwak didn’t insist. He immediately pressed the answer button and answered the call.
“Yes. This is Kwak Young-han.” - This is Tehran.
Everyone's eyes collided at the familiar place name. Director Kwak tried to respond calmly. "Yes. Go ahead."
- An unidentified body with similar physical conditions to the person you were looking for was found. He was an Asian male, 183cm tall, 76 kg in weight, and RH type B, right?
"... Where was he found?"
- It matches the area where the person you are looking for went missing. It's the northern part of Tehran, where the last serial explosion occurred.
"Okay. If you send me the data, I'll check it and get back to you."
Director Kwak barely managed to reply and put his hand on his forehead in despair. Yoon Jong-woo turned pale and shook his head.
[What are you talking about? What are you talking about!]
In the ominous atmosphere, Zhenya shook Yoon Jong-woo's collar violently. Yoon Jong-woo, who was out of his mind, sobbed and delivered the desperate news.
[Ugh, in Tehran. They found a body that is presumed to be that of my senior.]
