Kwon Taek Joo picked up the phone he threw away. Open source. The list of incoming calls is displayed on the screen. No calls or messages from Zhenya.
He carefully checked each phone number, phone number as a precaution, but did not see the phone number of "Do not display caller identity". At least not like the time Zhenya was kidnapped.
Kwon Taek Joo tapped his phone thinking before calling somewhere. Call connection rang twice then picked up. The voice on the other end of the second rang out.
-hello?
The main character with a somewhat awkward voice is none other than Yoon Jong Woo.
"Yoon Jong Woo, what are you doing?"
-What am I doing? I'm working very hard.
"Are you busy?"
- From now on I will be very busy.
Yoon Jong Woo is afraid of getting into trouble. He was only obedient when he first arrived as an assistant shooter , but now he has grown up a lot. Of course, nothing has changed though.
"Don't be like that, do me a favor."
-I don't know what it is, but please do it yourself. I've been resting lately so I'm very comfortable.
"If I could do it, I would have done it early. Why do I have to say these things to you?"
There was no answer from Kwon Taek Joo's sarcastic question, instead there was just a
grumble from far away from the receiver .
"Yoon Jong Woo?"
Kwon Taek Joo spoke up. Only to hear the hum again,
"Hmm."
Let's hear what's going on first.
"Yevgeny Vysarionovich Bogdanov . Do you know?"
-What's wrong with that person?
"Why are you stuttering like that? Is he a ghost?
-Are you kidding? I don't think there is any difference.
"Okay. Find out where he is."
-...Yes?? Now you're asking to investigate civilians? That's a very sensitive issue, senior.
He jumped up. The scream almost made Kwon Taek Joo's ears fall off. Yoon Jong Woo is often surprised and scared but he still tries to join NIS. Is his ability that outstanding? Kwon Taek Joo sighed.
"Do you think that bastard looks like a commoner?"
-No, I mean... No... Not that... After all, he is a diplomat. If you dig up mistakes, it could
become a diplomatic issue...
"There will be no such thing and if it does happen, I will be responsible so let's find out where he is. I didn't ask you to arrest that bastard."
This time, Yoon Jong Woo also took his phone away and mumbled something.
"I heard it all."
He was startled and explained that he didn't say anything. Kwon Taek Joo laughed menacingly.
-Really , this is the last time.
"Alright. Check it out now and call me."
Hanging up. Kwon Taek Joo just wanted to check if Zhenya had entered Russia and if so, whether he was still there or not. He has tried to live a life that clearly distinguishes between work and private life. But when living with Zhenya, that boundary begins to collapse. Kwon Taek Joo cannot rest assured even for a moment because Zhenya has no limits and often causes trouble. He himself decided to accept and tame Zhenya when he settled in Korea, which means Zhenya's troubles are also Kwon Taek Joo's troubles.
The phone rang again not long after. He reflexively grabbed it and checked the caller first. Still not Zhenya. Ah, Kwon Taek Joo received the call. Yoon Jong Woo's report rang out.
-Senior , Yevgeny Vissarionovich Bogdanov is confirmed to have entered Russia. 2 weeks ago.
"What now? No records of exit from Russia or transfer to a third country?"
-Yes. None.
So Zhenya only stayed in Russia for the past 2 weeks. The answer that to some extent Kwon Taek Joo had expected, but for some reason his arms and legs were hanging loose.
"I understand."
he was about to end the call. Yoon Jong Woo's voice was urgent.
- Senior, please don't forget what I said just now.
"A moment ago? What have I said?"
-He said that if anything happened, he would take responsibility . I'm just a pitiful subordinate who succumbed to authority .
"Alright. Back to work."
He laughed. Yoon Jong Woo finished speaking,
"Bogdanov , please talk to that person like that too."
After all, being an employee of the National Intelligence Agency is scary. End call. The surroundings became quiet again. Kwon Taek Joo looked at the phone bewilderedly and tried calling Zhenya. Still no answer .
"Hey. I don't know. That bastard is not a child either."
He threw the phone away and ruffled his hair uncomfortably .
——
The ground shook. Bang bang bang. Kwon Taek Joo could not stand up straight every time the vibration changed. Everywhere was dark and everywhere was the smell of damp earth. Not long after, the ground shook with a loud bang. Mixed screaming The people around him were blurry with unclear shapes. The language they speak is similar
to Korean, English, and Russian.
Thinking it was a dream, Kwon Taek Joo tried going a little further. He couldn't see anything as far as he could see, so he had no choice but to move forward until he came across a wall.
Then the walls and ceiling shook again, followed by broken stone powder pouring down. Kwon Taek Joo cowered out of habit. but small fragments still entered his eyes, nose and ears. He was out of breath. He shook his head vigorously and brushed the foreign object away, then waved his hand to clear the dusty air in front of him.
When Kwon Taek Joo was about to take another step, his foot stepped on something soft. He almost fell over but he kept his balance. Reflexively raising his head, Kwon Taek Joo saw an unexpected figure. It was a boy about six or seven years old. Left alone in a dungeon-like place with no light, the child had silver hair and blue eyes. The
image was similar to many dreams he had encountered before.
Why did that kid appear like that? Kwon Taek Joo frowned. Of course there's no guarantee who that baby is even though he looks a lot like someone Kwon Taek Joo knows well, but it's difficult to be sure. Kwon Taek Joo has not yet confirmed Zhenya's childhood photo but he still thinks it would be Zhenya if there was proper evidence.
Up until now, the dream has become intense every time the child appears. The boy did not cause any particular harm to Kwon Taek Joo himself, but every time he woke up he always felt confused and strangely guilty. It had been a while since he had dreamed of the boy so he felt somewhat relieved, but now it appeared like this.
The child saw Kwon Taek Joo and raised his guard and backed away. There was something in the small white hand, looking like a grenade. Thinking back, he stepped on something just now. Kwon Taek Joo slowly looked back. In places as far as the eye could reach, scattered pieces of flesh had lost their human shape. Even seemingly normal people were groaning under the collapsed pillar.
The insecurity came again. Kwon Taek Joo frantically looked around but nothing came
into view. Outside the square blue window . something like the shadow of a fighter plane
flashed past. Gunfire also rang out. Red laser beams emitted from various guns instantly covered the space and floor. The warning to surrender echoed from afar. Suddenly , Kwon Taek Joo remembered the childhood anecdote that Zhenya had told him. He said he was used to being kidnapped? It seemed that the afterimages of that
time had passed through the subconscious and appeared like a dream. The problem is that Kwon Taek Joo cannot wake up even though he knows this is a dream. A crazy dream.
He looked everywhere for a way out. At that moment, a shock stronger than ever exploded throughout the building. The ground shook violently . Even the ceiling could not bear it and collapsed. If this continues, everything will be buried in hopelessness. It was all so vivid that the perception of the dream faded away. The only thought in Kwon Taek Joo's mind was to quickly escape. He turned his head towards the
silver-haired boy. The child was still glaring at Kwon Taek Joo with sharp eyes. He waved to the boy to come quickly , but the child didn't even move and just looked at him warily.
Zhenya! He tried to scream but his throat was choked. Kwon Taek Joo tried opening his mouth wide and putting strength into his stomach, but all sounds seemed to disappear into nothingness. While the ruthless attack continued, the building began to rapidly collapse.
Kwon Taek Joo ran to the child and tried to pull him out. But even that is not easy. As if a transparent barrier had been placed in front of him. Kwon Taek Joo could not take another step forward. Even if he ran until it hurt. Kwon Taek Joo could not get close to the child.
He continued to call Zhenya, his mouth opening and closing. But the child just stared blankly as if facing a strange scene.
Damn it, run away!
His arms and legs struggled until they were numb. An urgent cry choked in his throat. He felt so frustrated that he went crazy. As if teasing Kwon Taek Joo, something heavy blew in the wind from behind. There was silence inside the building. And just then, the condensed air exploded and tore the child apart. His whole body was as hot as fire.
——
"Oh my God!"
Kwon Taek Joo jumped up. His vision opened in an instant, making him dizzy. His eyes opened wide. He didn't blink for a while, his eyelids even trembled.
"Haha..."
The breath he had been trying to endure escaped him. His lungs ached. His heart was pounding like it was about to explode in his chest. His throat was dry as if he had been screaming the whole time.
Kwon Taek Joo just breathed a sigh of relief when he learned that it was all just a dream. He slowly stroked his face. His trembling palms quickly became wet. Looking back, it wasn't such a terrible nightmare that it made him shudder . To be more precise, there were times when Kwon Taek Joo lived a much crueler reality.
Even so, the feeling of discomfort and frustration has not diminished. After all, where did the child come from, and why did he appear like that and cause a stir? It's not like anything really happened to Zhenya. Even though he denied that there
was no way that would be the case, his heart sank.
Kwon Taek Joo confusedly scratched the back of his neck and grabbed the phone. He still hadn't heard anything from Zhenya. He tried calling right away but this time he couldn't even hear the ringback tone. It was as if the phone had been turned off.
"Where is this kid going?"
If it's late, it's too late. It's difficult to know if something unexpected has really happened,
unless you face the inevitable situations directly .
Furthermore, Kwon Taek Joo himself never made it clear to Zhenya where he was going, what he was doing, and when he would return. That was the NIS's work regulations, but he didn't feel the need to do so, and because he also knew that Zhenya
still followed and came to see him like a ghost wherever he went. It's not often that he makes a private meeting with Zhenya, sending messages or calling can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
"Who doesn't have a conscience towards anyone?"
Suddenly questioning myself. Kwon Taek Joo scratched the back of his neck and checked the time. It's past 7 am. Looks like there's someone outside the door. His mother seemed to be preparing breakfast. Kwon Taek Joo stood up and went out. Seeing him wake up early, his mother asked with a surprised face.
"Don't you go to work until next Monday?"
"Yes. But if you think too long, it will be difficult to work right away. I want to go out for a bit to grasp the work situation."
"Uh. Mom will prepare some food, eat and then go."
"Ah, I don't eat breakfast."
"You should not let fasting become a habit. How can I work properly on an empty stomach?"
"If you go to work now, it'll be almost lunch time"
"Huh, will I be young forever? Debt piles up on your body when you're young, and when you're older, you'll have to pay it back many times over. You're not too young anymore, so you have to take care of your health. Nowadays, people say that illness does not discriminate by age, so you should go for a checkup regularly..."
"Yes.. I know. Is this beef stew soup? It smells so good."
Kwon Taek Joo quickly interrupted his mother's presentation that was about to begin and rushed into the bathroom, Until the door closed, his mother still diligently recounted the medical history of her parents' family, starting with the story of her friend's son having a stroke due to a brain hemorrhage. He could guess the backstory even without hearing everything. Which foods are good for which organs, which ingredients are attracting attention today, how harmful is drinking alcohol and smoking to the body.
From when he was a child until now, his mother's interests and hobbies have not changed. The nagging repertoire also remains consistent.
After a quick shower . Kwon Taek Joo sat down at the table. There were so many side dishes that he couldn't find an empty spot on the table. He picked up the spoon and said,
"I will eat well."
Except for kimchi there are no old dishes. Thinking of that sincerity , Kwon Taek Joo tried each dish and the bowl of rice quickly emptied. His mother said
"Look"
while scooping up more rice. This is the happiest time of her day.
"Does the embassy have a lot of work these days?"
"If so, how can I rest like this?"
"Really?I don't know if the ambassador is very busy because I haven't seen him come home."
Kwon Taek Joo's chopsticks stopped. Because Zhenya was suddenly mentioned. The food in my mouth almost choked. He could barely swallow what was in his mouth and drink water. His mother continued to worry about Zhenya.
"Mom was worried about what happened because his phone didn't call. He lives alone in a country where it's impossible to talk, so if there's an emergency he won't be able to ask for help."
"Mom is also real. Is he a child? He also received leave like you and returned home to rest. So mom, there's no need to worry."
Kwon Taek Joo responded indifferently. His mother seemed surprised.
"Hey! No matter how young he is, he is still your superior , even if he is not here, how can you talk like that as an equal?"
He opened his mouth to explain but then stopped, because there was no effective excuse.
"...No, we're just trying to talk comfortably to each other."
"Talking like that will easily become a habit, then in important situations you will make mistakes. Don't you know how old you are? You really don't know how to think."
His mother clicked her tongue in disapproval. Kwon Taek Joo tearfully picked up a piece of fish and placed it on top of the rice. Since meeting Zhenya, the frequency with which he was scolded by his mother seemed to increase. It's not really the guy's fault, but it's not entirely none of it either. His mother definitely wouldn't have been so supportive if she knew what Zhenya did to her only son. It's unfair, but I can't reveal the details of what happened. All he could do was eat and nonchalantly regret what he had done wrong.
Kwon Taek Joo was about to leave after getting ready when his mother brought up something.
"Take this too."
"What is this?"
"If you were going to work, wouldn't the ambassador have come back too? He eats so little that it must be difficult. Mom has prepared something he likes."
"How did it come to this? I told you there's no need to do that, Mom."
"I don't have any feelings. A young man has to live alone without family because of his job. If you can help him, you should help him."
Kwon Taek Joo and Zhenya were close but he didn't think about it this much. His mother's weakness towards Zhenya's bright appearance was probably due to the influence of her motherly instinct. Not long ago, his mother said that Zhenya looked like an angel when sleeping and Kwon Taek Joo spit out the coffee he was drinking. He didn't know what to do when facing his mother's innocent and pure eyes every time she looked at him.
"Shut your mouth and do as I say. I also often travel for work so I know better. If we live outside for a long time, everyone becomes lonely, depressed and sad. Furthermore, the ambassador didn't know Korean so he couldn't communicate. How frustrating it would be to have no friends and be far from family. You should also regularly keep an eye on him. I mean, don't leave him and think of him as your little brother ."
Strangely , even his mother realized that Zhenya had no friends. Kwon Taek Joo also wondered how his mother was so fascinated by that guy. Even when his mother prayed day and night for his father and brother , she did not have blind faith like she does now. What would happen if the mother found out about his relationship with that brat? Just
imagining it gave him goosebumps. A subtle feeling of guilt crept into his chest.
"I'm leaving."
Kwon Taek Joo calmly received the box and hurried out of the house. He stopped by Zhenya's house before going to work. The visit was without any great expectations. Kwon Taek Joo was just trying to handle the boxes his mother delivered. But when he saw the empty house, Kwon Taek Joo felt empty. There was no trace of anyone in the house. The bed sheets as well as the position of objects in the house have not changed since his visit a few days ago. The house was so quiet it was cold.
Kwon Taek Joo went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator . There's nothing to eat. He put the boxes in the empty space without leaving any special note, maybe one day Zhenya will come back and he will know it himself.
Kwon Taek Joo slowly looked around the house again. This is a place where a person has lived for 1 year, how can he not have this feeling of living? Aside from bathroom items, wine, bed sheets and unlabeled clothing, there was nothing that could be called Zhenya. There is not even a regular washing machine in the house. He didn't know if Zhenya was leaving all his laundry to the laundromat or because he had so much money that he was throwing away all the things he only wore once.
Kwon Taek Joo opened the cupboard but it was also full of dust. Pulling out the large
drawer at the bottom, many types of ramen are stacked one after another . Zhenya only
cooks ramen for him so Kwon Taek Joo never touches ramen anywhere else. He also
couldn't tell Zhenya to stop because he would frown again.
"...I don't like ramen."
Kwon Taek Joo lamented and closed the drawer . There's no food for Zhenya anywhere. Even when he was here, Zhenya only occasionally bought cheese, bread, and fruit. That also means he doesn't like Korean food. Kwon Taek Joo really doesn't know what Zhenya does when he's not here.
He went into the bedroom for a moment. Kwon Taek Joo remembers how shocked he was when he first arrived at this house. The body is so large that it seems that commercially available mattresses cannot fit it. So Zhenya's custom-made bed took up most of the large room. It is said that it is a super king size bed.
Not necessarily not. Kwon Taek Joo really rolled on it. To the extent that there wasn't a position he hadn't tried before. Even after a year of turmoil, not a single corner of the bed was lost. Isn't this a quality product that needs to be recognized?
Kwon Taek Joo sat on the bed for a while. The mattress supports the body firmly. I thought about a lot of things that happened in the past year. How all memories seem to lead to sex.
It's not an exaggeration, but the truth is that he is always physically attached to Zhenya in this house.
It is said that when God created humans. Everything had a reason. It seems he gave
Zhenya the mission of breeding the species by giving him a giant penis, an overflowing sexual desire, and an outstanding body. If it weren't for that, Zhenya wouldn't have been so filled with desire, even in the golden age of his life. Even Kwon Taek Joo, who is healthy and has good physical strength, cannot stand him because Zhenya always rushes in as soon as the two just make eye contact. It would be quick to count the
number of days that he wouldn't faint after making love. I don't know, but if you two were a newlywed couple, a set of triplets would have been born. It must have been a time of lust.
A year has passed like that. Even if it had been that long, the time to decide Zhenya's heart had passed. Zhenya was still completely unchanged that Kwon Taek Joo didn't even notice the passage of time. Meanwhile, he got used to his mother worrying about him, spending time in random conversations between the two of them, spending time with Zhenya after work or on holidays, and seeing Zhenya appear . everywhere. It has
become a very normal daily habit.
That's also why Kwon Taek Joo doesn't think that one day it could end, that everything could return to its original place. When the beginning is sudden, the ending can be just as sudden. The reason why Zhenya suddenly came to Korea is because of Kwon Taek Joo. That means he can leave this place whenever Zhenya is no longer there for him.
[I hope to live there all my life.]
Every word Zhenya said still bothered him like a thorn in his heart.