"Ahaha, even though he's grown up, he still looks like a child, right? Ah. The other day, while cleaning out the warehouse, I found an old album. Do you guys want to see it?"
Kwon Taek Joo almost stood up.
"Ah, why is that so? No need, mom."
"What else? The Ambassador likes to see photos very much."
Kwon Taek Joo tried to stop but was pushed aside. His mother stood up and went into the back room. Zhenya looked at him with curious eyes. Except for Kwon Taek Joo, everyone looked very happy.
He lightly kicked Zhenya's leg under the dining table. The guy looked straight into his eyes and asked in a low voice.
[What is up?]
[You said you'd be back soon, so why did it take 15 days?]
[Are you curious?]
Zhenya asked again as if surprised. Kwon Teak Joo was speechless. He wants to hear the reason so of course he will be curious.
[Because I don't know where you are and what you're doing when you suddenly disappear like that. I was very worried.]
[Ah ha, is that why you sent messages and called like that?]
Zhenya continued.
[It's surprising because I didn't think you were the type of person to be that obsessed with your lover. Do you have separation anxiety disorder?]
[Who...!]
Kwon Taek Joo tried to argue but the past few days replayed in his mind. He went to the embassy and consulate residence to find out news about Zhenya. He did not hesitate to order Yoon Jong Woo to do something no different from a stalker . Is he haunted just because this bastard returned later than expected? Impossible. Kwon Taek Joo tried to deny and defend.
[That's because I have too many enemies. I'm afraid you might have been kidnapped again.]
Zhenya laughed. It was an undisguised mockery , but the mood seemed quite happy.
[Who do you think is in front of you?]
[That's why I'm crazy. Who are you? What happened to you? I wonder if it's the other way around.]
Well, the opposite is also the problem. He made a fuss. He doesn't want Zhenya to be in danger , nor does he want the opposite situation if Zhenya endangers others. The guy listening laughed again.
[Taek Joo, you are the only person who cares for me in this world.]
(that makes me realize he doesn't really have anyone else to care about other than,
Taek Joo 🥲)
Really? Suddenly disappearing to make others worry and then making a face that makes people feel uncomfortable. Kwon Taek Joo is dating someone like that.
(Dating.. yes you are)
"This is the album. Just looking at it, it looks very old, right?"
His mother returned soon after with the album. Looking at the old stains and scratches, it looks like it's been 20 or 30 years old. Kwon Taek Joo also saw the album for the first time. No, he wasn't interested enough to know if this was the first time or not. Except for his mother , the rest of the family members are all dry men. He didn't even try to take good photos, let alone organize albums, so recording family moments became his mother's responsibility . All the photos in Kwon Taek Joo's room are her work.
"Because it's a family album, in addition to Taek Joo's photos, there are also photos of
other people."
Zhenya smiled brightly and happily accepted the album. I'm not doing business right now, what's with that smile? It was an expression that even Kwon Taek Joo had never seen before. A very beautiful smile but also extremely conceited. His mother smiled at Zhenya without knowing the dark intentions in his mind.
He opened the album cover. First is the parents' wedding photos. The photo is over 40 years old. Zhenya looked intently at a young couple then raised his head and smiled gently at Kwon Taek Joo.
[Taek Joo, you look like your father.]
[...Really .]
"Everyone around him says he looks like his father. The Ambassador looks very similar, right?"
He nodded slightly . Zhenya still only speaks Russian and his mother only speaks Korean but they understand each other without any other hand gestures. Kwon Taek Joo felt insecure with an unnamed fear coming over him. He stared at his father's photo and muttered to himself.
[If the genetics are like this, there's no need to worry anymore.]
[What are you worried about?]
[Even if I give birth to a child without you knowing, it will be just like me.]
What? Kwon Taek Joo frowned. He didn't know what the hell Zhenya was talking about. He definitely knew that the two of them couldn't have children together . So even if you have a child with someone else, it's okay?
(I think he said that because he doesn't wear protection while 'having fun' if you know what I mean. he did it with a lot of women, so he wouldn't know if he had a kid) 😪
[I mean, if you dare to do so.]
Zhenya added, each word slowly. The saying has many meanings. With just that one word, many people's heads were blown off. But it was unreasonable that Kwon Taek Joo secretly felt relieved. The next section is a family biography . From the moment his brother and Kwon Taek
Joo were born to the big and small events in the house. Zhenya listened attentively and carefully examined each photo. Every time he discovered Kwon Taek Joo in there, he laughed like the sound of the wind blowing.
[So you like black beans.]
[What beans? You were a cool kid.]
[Are you kidding? You're as small as a fist.]
[Ha, this self-centered brat. You're the one who's strangely tall]
Zhenya ignored Kwon Taek Joo's excuses and bowed his head to listen to the explanations that he could not understand from his mother . Neither of them even knew how much time had passed.
Not long after, Zhenya's eyes stopped at a certain photo. It was a photo from the day of the elementary school sports festival. Kwon Taek Joo, over 10 years old, is crying sadly with a dusty face. The knee and elbow were torn and bleeding profusely . Embarrassing memories came to mind. His mother excitedly chatted without knowing what her son was thinking.
"Ah, so cute, right? Was that time 10 or 11 years old? Since he was a baby, he hasn't cried that much, only whimpering a little when he's hungry or has a wet diaper. Thanks to that, I was able to raise two sons relatively easily. The adults around were worried that he was retarded, but luckily Teak Joo grew up strongly . Since childhood, he has liked to exercise, and his ambition to win is also very big. Maybe in the photo he's crying because he lost."
"Ah, mom. Why do you say such things..."
"Look at this. It was chosen to represent the relay race and practiced very hard every morning and evening. But why did he fight with the person running in front that day and both fell so violently? The people running behind all caught up... I thought he was going to give up. From a distance, it is clear that a piece of skin is missing from the chin. But
not. He jumped up, continued running and began to catch up with everyone one by one. Of course, he didn't get first place. There were times when he fell while running, but he didn't give up and tried his best, so that's okay. Even though the 3rd class comforter was good enough, he still sobbed like it was a sad thing. You definitely have to get first place to accept it, right? If you don't do it, don't do it, but if you do it, you have to do it."
Zhenya stared at Kwon Taek Joo and smiled, looking like he understood the whole story while not knowing how to write even the letter ABC in half.
His mother's revelations did not end there.
"And when? I wonder if there is homework in Russia? In Korea, they force them to learn
this and that because they're afraid the kids will play during the vacation. Among them is an exercise on making a glider. Taek Joo refused his brother's help and did it alone, but the day before school started, his cousin came to visit and ruined it. I couldn't do it again, so I asked the teacher for sympathy , but it didn't help. That day, he spent the
whole night sobbing and doing it again. Let's see."
"Mom, stop it. It's shameful "
"What? It's fun."
His mother laughed and said to Zhenya,
"Isn't that so, Ambassador?"
This time he also nodded slowly. He looked at his mother , gave a strange smile and then turned to look at Kwon Taek Joo.
[Taek Joo, it would be better if you were like this little woman. Isn't it cute how she talks non-stop and smiles a lot?]
[Sorry for not being cute. Also, don't casually say cute things to adults. It's disrespectful, boy.]
[I don't understand why you get angry so easily, but it's fun.]
He didn't know if it was Zhenya trying to soothe him, but why did those words make him feel itchy? There must be something in his body that is broken. Zhenya took out his phone and took a few photos of Kwon Taek Joo's childhood. His mother watched in amusement while he tried to use violence to cover the album,
"Stop it",
she hit and stopped Kwon Taek Joo
"The Ambassador is watching, why are you being so rude?"
"No, mom, ah..."
His heart felt like it was about to explode because the mother didn't understand anything about Zhenya but only focused on blaming Kwon Taek Joo and scolding him.
"When he was little, he was very obedient and cute, but since he grew up, he's become stubborn like this... I don't have any great wishes. Now if he flies out of the nest, gets married and lives a happy life, I have no regrets anymore. But it seems like he hasn't met anyone, even when asked to go on a blind date, he refused and said he didn't like it."
His mother clicked her tongue. He quietly looked into Zhenya's eyes. He tilted his head to look at Kwon Taek Joo, seemingly expecting an interpreter. Of course it's impossible to tell him.
These days, his mother often brings up the topic of marriage. On the days when Kwon Taek Joo comes home, she often pushes someone's photo and asks him to go on a blind date. When he continued to be indifferent, she asked if there were any girls he was seeing and asked to meet.
He couldn't answer that there was a guy he was dating. He also had nothing to say when his mother said she was jealous of her friends who were living with her grandchildren.
It's not like Kwon Taek Joo was indulged in romantic thoughts that he would live like this
with Zhenya all his life. If he broke up with him, he will never be involved with another man again. But until now, he absolutely could not imagine that ending.
(I can't either)
This time too, Kwon Taek Joo answered with the excuse he often gives when mentioning marriage.
"Mom, how can I get married when I'm busy with work? No woman likes that."
"Are you going to work until you die? There's no problem with living a little leisurely . Who are you that only knows how to work? Please get married and have children for me. If you have free time, travel and see the world."
"That's when everything goes well. Mom has raised me alone all her life. Mom has almost completed the task. How can I tell someone else to do such a difficult job? If you love that person, you can't do that."
His mother rolled her eyes again. Kwon Taek Joo has never pictured married life. He never held that dream even vaguely and never harbored any romance. He just wondered if he would continue to work and live as he did now. Family is more likely to become an obstacle or weakness at work. Just like he loves his mother but her worries make him feel pressured.
For Kwon Taek Joo, passion for work and attachment to loved ones are values that he
cannot undertake at the same time. Each of them hung on either side of the scale and kept shaking his mind, making it difficult for him to keep his balance, so he could not hastily put more weight on either side. His mother shook her head disapprovingly then turned to look at Zhenya. A mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"Are you married, Ambassador? A young man with a good job, talented, ethical and even handsome. All the things girls love. Are you dating anyone?"
"Oh my god, mom, why do you ask that?"
"I was curious so I asked. If you don't have a lover, I can introduce you to a good girl."
His mother kept asking despite Kwon Taek Joo's dissuasion. While she kept asking something, Zhenya stared at Kwon Taek Joo with a puzzled expression.
[What are you asking?]
[Nothing.]
[What are you waiting for? What's wrong?]
[It's just nonsense so just nod your head and it's okay.]
(I love Taek Joo even more for that)
Zhenya looked skeptical. Anyway , this kid never trusts anyone. He ignored the guy's stare and looked around.
"He's seeing someone so don't ask anymore."
"Oh, really? Are they both Russian? So that girl also came to Korea? If two people live separately , they will miss each other and be very lonely."
"They will know how to handle it themselves."
"No, but what about him? You should care."
Being scolded for no reason. He always tried to be careful in front of his mother , but he couldn't do anything about her uniquely blunt tone. Kwon Taek Joo drank warm honey water and hummed,
"Yes, yes, yes."
Even without any response from Zhenya, the mother continued the one-sided conversation.
"Why don't you say anything at home? People say that if you have the opportunity to go abroad, you should get married early."
"...Probably not."
If the Bogdanov family knew about Kwon Taek Joo's existence, they would try to get rid of him somehow , let alone marry him. On the contrary , it is surprising that he has remained unharmed so far. Does that side really not care about Zhenya? He had heard that rich people often get married early, but perhaps for that guy this wouldn't be a problem.
(Personally , I think that Zhenya doesn't care about marriage. Because If he did, he and Taek Joo would have been married already . And he never said anything about it)
Kwon Taek Joo was immersed in random thoughts when his mother suddenly began to investigate the household registration.
"Thinking back, what is your family like, Ambassador? Is the Ambassador an only child?"
"Why?"
"Why can't Mom ask?"
"He has two brothers and a sister."
"Your family must be really happy."
Kwon Taek Joo was the one to answer , but his mother looked at Zhenya and nodded.
"Are your parents still alive?"
He couldn't immediately answer the next question. Kwon Taek Joo knows Zhenya's father, Vissarion, but he knows nothing about his mother . After a long while, he passed his mother's question to Zhenya, who had only been watching their conversation.
[My mother asked if your parents are still alive?]
[Dad is still alive.]
Kwon Taek Joo was about to translate immediately , but he looked at Zhenya. If so, has
his mother passed away? Thinking back, even though he knew all about the Bogdanov
family history, he still couldn't know the circumstances inside. In particular , he did not
remember finding any information regarding Zhenya's mother . He also never talked about himself.
[Is your mother dead?]
[It's been a long time.]
Zhenya replied nonchalantly . In how long? 5 years? 10 years? Or when he was very young? It seems like you don't know much about this guy. What was his childhood like, did he go to school properly or how did he go through school? Kwon Taek Joo was sure that he had no friends, but he didn't even know if Zhenya had ever dated. He never asked. Have you been too careless? Maybe that's why he has gone through the past 15 unprecedentedly difficult days.
Since Zhenya cut off contact, he didn't know where to find out about him. If it were the opposite situation then Zhenya would somehow find Kwon Taek Joo. The more you know about someone, the easier it is to figure out their scope of activities. The fact that Zhenya knows everything about him inside and out and he doesn't, makes his insides even more complicated. A moment later, Zhenya asked.
[Why are you looking at me like that?]
[...Nothing]
Kwon Taek Joo quietly turned away. He felt a bit of guilt as if he had done something wrong. He took it for granted that Zhenya was by his side and he didn't seek to know more about him. Zhenya always waited for him, but he wanted to go crazy waiting for him for only 15 days. While Kwon Taek Joo was still thinking, his mother and Zhenya were looking at another photo. It was the only family photo taken before his father passed away. Nearly 20 years have passed, and the golden light on it has faded.
"This person is Taek Joo hyung. This is the children's father. My family has no sisters, so when I got married, I wanted to give birth and raise a daughter . Fate is cruel. Except for me, there were only men, so I didn't know how gloomy it was in the house. When I was young, my children lived quietly because their father was strict, so the family was
like a temple. I don't know if you know, but Taek Joo's father and older brother were soldiers. Not all soldiers are like that, but father and son are very quiet and straightforward. Actually , Taek Joo also inherited that blood, so he is also very cold. But
after his father and brother passed away, he became very obedient. I wonder if he's trying to do all three because he's worried that I'll be lonely."
The mother's chattering voice suddenly choked up when she saw the photo of her brother's appointment ceremony . She quickly pulled out a tissue to wipe her tears as the remaining tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Oh no. Sorry, Ambassador ."
Zhenya slightly raised his eyebrows. There was a time when Kwon Taek Joo confided a family matter, so Zhenya also knew a little bit, but he still seemed quite surprised by the unexpected situation. The mother shed tears in front of the guests, looking confused. She kept wiping her tears,
"Mom, it's okay."
He comforted his mother and winked down
the hallway at Zhenya.
[Hey, that's no good. Just come back another day.]
[...No matter what, that's the way it is.]
Zhenya shrugged. He stood up and Kwon Taek Joo also stood up immediately .
"Mom, the ambassador is about to return. I'll see him off and then come back."
"Yeah, don't bother, just go. Sorry ambassador . Be careful."
Mom apologized to Zhenya and then rushed to the bathroom. Soon there was the sound of water on the sink. Kwon Taek Joo left the house with a heavy heart.