Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 12

Kwon Taekjoo sat in the main restaurant with an utterly bored expression. Key figures from both Russia and Japan were scheduled to enjoy lunch there. Fortunately, he didn’t arouse any particular suspicion from the Japanese officials. Naturally, a mere trading company employee wouldn’t draw much attention. He just needed to safely conclude today’s lunch and attend the celebration party a few days later. The moment he entered that gathering of Russian political and business magnates, his act as Sakamoto Hiro would end.

He suddenly looked at his wristwatch. The scheduled lunch time was noon. However, the minute hand had already passed ’12’ and was heading towards ‘6’. Those who arrived on time had awkwardly held their seats for nearly 30 minutes. It was because the head of Gazprom had not arrived. The Gazprom practical staff member repeatedly called the company to confirm. His flustered appearance, barely able to sit down, was truly pitiful.

“…Mr. Sakamoto?”

Distracted by the chaotic scene, he missed the Russian official’s question.

“Hm? Oh, I apologize. What did you say…?”

“I heard you suffered a terrible incident on the day of your arrival. Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes. The Russian police arrived just in time, so I was safe. They even kindly escorted me to my accommodation.”

“I don’t know how to apologize… I am sorry that you had to experience such a thing.”

“No, is there anything to apologize for? Rather, I should have been more careful; I’m mortified.”

He replied with feigned humility, yet his eyes showed no hint of remorse. Even though he said he was fine, the other party wouldn’t stop apologizing. Then, the entire Japanese delegation began bowing their heads in unison. “We apologize for the trouble,” “It’s our oversight, please don’t worry,” “You apologize,” “I apologize,” it was a complete mess.

His stomach churned abruptly. As he stood up, the gaze of both delegations converged on him. Kwon Taekjoo, who had been trying to slip away unnoticed, smiled awkwardly and asked for leave.

“Please excuse me for a moment.”

He even feigned washing his hands before going out. As soon as the door closed, a sigh escaped him. He paused while loosening his suffocating tie. The Gazprom staff member, still on a frantic call, was standing in the hallway. He was pecking at the person on the other end of the line in a somewhat agitated tone, though keeping his voice as low as possible.

“Where is the director? Has he left? Are you trying to kill me with stress?!”

Kwon Taekjoo subtly slipped past him. Before long, the staff member unleashed his suppressed rage.

“A proxy? What do you mean? A proxy is coming?!”

It was the moment all his patience went down the drain. Kwon Taekjoo clicked his tongue in a low tone and unhurriedly headed for the restroom.

The restroom was located by turning down an independent corridor. He opened the door, which was as tall as the almost 5-meter ceiling, and entered. Habitually, he first checked for any presence inside. There was no one. He took a quiet breath and stood before the sink.

He washed his hands, which weren’t dirty, and reviewed his actions. The day before yesterday, he had fallen asleep while looking at the PDF file Director Im had sent. It wasn’t a bad night, except for a slightly restless dream. He might have simply fainted from mental and physical exhaustion.

Yesterday, he finished the remaining PDF files in the morning and went to the airport in the afternoon to meet the main Japanese delegation. From then until a moment ago, he checked each situation and found no major mistakes. Perhaps it was because he crammed his studies, but thanks to the contract documents he devoured in two days, he could understand the conversations without difficulty.

Around then, he heard voices from outside the door. It was one person’s voice. If he wasn’t muttering to himself at length, he must have been on the phone. Was it that Gazprom staff member from before? The door opened, and the voice reached him more clearly. His body stiffened instantly.

“…No. I came, but it seems it’ll be boring.”

He felt like he had heard that voice somewhere before. Where was it, exactly?

It wasn’t a very old memory. Nor had he heard it often enough to be familiar. Yet, it was from some intense moment, vivid enough to be distinctly etched in his mind.

As he struggled to recall the elusive memory, the voice from earlier echoed again. It was precisely from behind him.

“Let’s be clear. Last time was enough trouble, wasn’t it?”

It was him. He was sure, even without turning around. It was definitely the murderer he had encountered two days ago in that temporary building. As soon as he realized that, all his senses sharpened. The first to awaken was his sense of smell.

He detected the deep scent of damp leaves subtly burning. Inevitably, a subtle cognac and rich aroma lingered. Cohiba Behike. An undeniable stimulus seemed to weigh down his shoulders. Even though the opponent wasn’t holding a cigar himself.

The assailant’s voice still lingered behind him. He had stopped at the doorway and continued his call.

Then, he suddenly felt a gaze. He still didn’t turn around or look in the mirror, but he was certain. The assailant was looking at Kwon Taekjoo. A chill ran down his spine.

“Alright, then… I guess so.”

Perhaps it was his imagination, but the tone of “alright, then” seemed a bit drawn out. Immediately after, the call ended. The probing gaze from behind became even clearer. With even the sound of the call ceased, only the assailant and Kwon Taekjoo remained in the restroom.

He continued to wash his hands, observing the assailant’s movements. His gaze remained fixed on his hands, not betraying any recognition of the assailant. The air grew suddenly heavy. Time flowed sluggishly.

How much time passed? The assailant’s halted footsteps resumed. He took a spot at the sink right next to Kwon Taekjoo. Soon, with a hiss, water flowed. The assailant began to lightly rub and wash his hands. Even that small movement intensified the Cohiba scent lingering on him. Simultaneously, the memory of the first day he smelled that scent resurfaced.

Kwon Taekjoo tried to act as nonchalant as possible. He turned off the water as if unaware of the assailant and dried his hands with the prepared towel.

He didn’t know why the murderer appeared at this time, in this place. If it was a coincidence, it was a damned coincidence. Considering his economic situation, it wasn’t a place he couldn’t appear. The only problem was being trapped in an enclosed space with him.

He had to escape. The singular thought of not being in the same space as him dominated his entire body. He could feel the pressure in his brain rising from the tension.

He tossed the damp towel into the receptacle and immediately tried to leave. Just then, a casually tossed remark halted his steps.

“Not even a greeting? I thought we were acquainted.”

He added, “Are Japanese people really that impolite?” Kwon Taekjoo didn’t turn around. He couldn’t even release the doorknob he was holding. He didn’t know what would happen if he moved carelessly. Even if something went wrong right then, even if the assailant broke him limb by limb and killed him, no one would know. He would only be discovered much later, after he had passed.

As he hesitated, the assailant continued to sneer, “So that’s all the courtesy a samurai has, huh?” His tone was relaxed, yet it didn’t sound comfortable at all.

After that, the assailant said nothing more. Kwon Taekjoo, who had focused all his senses on the presence behind him, finally left without a word. As the door closed and he was separated from the assailant, a sigh of relief naturally escaped him. His heart pounded wildly. Perhaps he hadn’t realized it, but it might have been racing for a long time. He couldn’t remember when he had been so tense.

First, he needed to get far away. Just as he was about to follow that instinct, a vibration suddenly buzzed from inside his jacket. Sakamoto Hiro’s phone was in his outer pocket, so this vibration must be from the phone he used for communication with headquarters.

He remembered that they would send a photo of the partner who would soon join him. He reached inside his jacket and took out his phone. Indeed, a photo had been sent from Director Im.

He unhesitatingly checked the photo. It took about 2 or 3 seconds for the device to fully display the image on the screen. 1 second, 2 seconds, and 3 seconds. He tapped the “Download Complete” notification. The awaited photo filled the screen.

“…Hmm? It’s me.”

He almost dropped his phone. It was because someone’s voice had suddenly interjected.

He silently rolled his eyes and looked at the floor. He saw the shadow that enveloped him. It was creeping over from behind him. He knew whose it was, even without looking back. Because of that dense, woody scent that seemed to numb his olfactory cells.

The Gazprom representative ultimately didn’t show up. In the end, the waiting party ate together, chatted briefly, and then dispersed. The Japanese delegation, exhausted from the long flight, also scattered to their respective rooms. Thanks to this, he was able to finish his day earlier than expected. But the real problem was about to begin.

Kwon Taekjoo couldn’t even enter his room and kept pacing in front of the door. After a long moment, he took a deep breath and opened the door.

“…….”

His gaze immediately went to the table by the window. The murderer was perched on it, ignoring the perfectly fine chairs, and looking out the window. Perhaps it was more comfortable for him due to his long legs. An oppressive aura emanated from his broad shoulders and powerfully muscled back. Sensing Kwon Taekjoo’s gaze, he quietly turned his head.

His hair, backlit, shimmered serenely somewhere between white and gold. His faint but sharply rising eyebrows suggested a sensitive disposition. His eyes, hidden by long eyelashes, held a secret savagery, while his translucent, beryl-colored pupils contained cold reason, creating a strange ensemble. His prominent, smoothly defined nose naturally drew attention to his lips. Even though they held a clear smile, the tension didn’t ease. Human eyes couldn’t lie, so the one feigning pleasantries must be those perpetually curved lips.

His overall features were rather handsome, yet he felt no particular fondness for him. When their gazes met, the air particles around them seemed to freeze. His eyes, quietly squirming as if searching for prey, didn’t seem human at all.

The assailant, with an inviting gesture, beckoned Kwon Taekjoo, who stood frozen at the doorway.

“Don’t be shy, come in.”

The roles were completely reversed. Kwon Taekjoo shook his head and took off his jacket first. He suddenly snapped his head around because an intense cigar aroma washed over him like an attack. It wasn’t particularly unpleasant, yet it deeply upset him. Perhaps it was due to the lingering impression from their first encounter.

Unaware of the revulsion on Kwon Taekjoo’s face, the assailant extended a long arm, offering a handshake.

“Zhenya.”

Kwon Taekjoo stared intently at Zhenya’s hand extended towards him. Was this the hand that had pierced someone’s eyeballs? He inadvertently thought such a thing, when suddenly that hand darted forward. He involuntarily flinched, pulling his upper body back.

Zhenya’s white fingertips stopped right in front of Kwon Taekjoo’s left chest. His lungs instantly constricted, preventing him from breathing properly. The frozen fingers then swayed, as if teasing Kwon Taekjoo. His intense tension dissipated helplessly. A look of displeasure spread across Kwon Taekjoo’s face. Zhenya withdrew his hand, grinning.

“You don’t look too happy?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? But beating the hell out of you might make me feel better.”

He gritted his teeth. His jaw instinctively tightened. Zhenya, seemingly taking it as a joke, merely chuckled and brushed it off.

“So, what’s your name?”

“You know it.”

“It’s hard to pronounce, though. Isn’t there an easier one?”

“If it’s hard, don’t call it.”

“…….”

At his curt reply, Zhenya cast a long, lingering gaze at him. His lips still held a long curve, but his eyes shone unusually brightly. Silence settled for a moment. Being observed without a plan quickly made him uncomfortable.

After a while, Zhenya broke the long silence, saying, “You went to the police station, right?” He even wore a shameless smile, as if he had forgotten everything that happened before. Kwon Taekjoo gazed at him without replying. No, it was more like a wary observation. He felt he shouldn’t show any weakness to him, even for a moment.

Zhenya, unconcerned, got off the table and headed to the mini-bar. He scanned the small liquor bottles displayed there, then took out a whiskey. He wet his throat with it, then shrugged.

“There’s no need to be so wary, is there? I just helped a colleague in danger.”

He spoke of abnormal events as if they were nothing. Kwon Taekjoo continued to observe Zhenya, scrutinizing him.

“How long were you watching?”

“How long? From the very beginning.”

He was at the airport from the very beginning? He was biding his time to make contact, and then followed and rescued Kwon Taekjoo when he was kidnapped? If so, why didn’t he reveal his identity then?

Zhenya suddenly grinned. He seemed to have seen through Kwon Taekjoo’s question.

“Headquarters told me to wait patiently until today. If you hadn’t been so disgracefully handled that day, there would have been no reason for me to intervene.”

He spoke mockingly, his lips wet with whiskey. The humiliation he had tried to suppress resurfaced. He had thought that due to his inhuman strength, he was a different class of being entirely, but he was a colleague. His pride was wounded.

“What a terribly good first impression. Just showing off by piercing someone’s eyeballs.”

He clicked his tongue and retorted. Now that he knew Zhenya was his partner, there was no reason to be cautious. He and Zhenya were on the same side. That single fact dispelled the fear he had felt for the first time in his life. Zhenya twisted his mouth at the sudden chiding and scoffed.

“What an absurd pacifist act.”

“I prefer to be neat.”

“Neat, huh? Like shooting, or if things go wrong, bombs? My, how unfeeling.”

He shook his head with a feigned expression of disapproval. Then, he tapped his temple with his finger.

“Think about it. Everyone wants to be special, don’t they? They even want their dying moment to be glorious. But how empty and dull would it be if their death was simply glossed over in a newspaper article as ‘death by gunshot’? If I at least pierce both their eyeballs, they can occupy one more line. What’s good for them is good for everyone, isn’t it?”

It was sophistry. The sophistry of a psychopath trying to justify his wrongdoing. Kwon Taekjoo scoffed, as if incredulous.

“If the day comes when I die by your hand, please, just kill me dully.”

“Hmm. It’ll be difficult, but I’ll consider it.”

He paused, as if it were a serious matter. He even added, “Don’t worry.”

“It won’t happen unless you try to harm me. Believe it or not, I only deal in self-defense.”

“What an absurd pacifist act.”

He threw Zhenya’s sarcastic remark back at him. Zhenya chuckled, then tossed him the whiskey he had been drinking. It was a small bottle, already more than half empty. Kwon Taekjoo unhesitatingly put the bottle to his mouth and drained the remaining liquor. His esophagus felt like it was burning, and his tongue tingled.