Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 57

At first, just the touch of the towel gave him goosebumps, but he gradually adjusted. Moreover, Zhenya was silently concentrating only on wiping his body. Zhenya meticulously wiped each finger, even cleaning inside his armpits. Kwon Taekjoo felt refreshed, which was nice, but Zhenya’s intense scrutiny of every part of his body made him feel unnecessarily embarrassed. He was just a patient being nursed, but it felt as if his private parts were being exposed thoroughly.

Zhenya again wet the towel and placed it on Kwon Taekjoo’s feverish neck. Kwon Taekjoo groaned, his brows furrowed at the terrible temperature difference. Zhenya then waited for a moment before gently rubbing and wiping his bandaged neck and chin. He also meticulously wiped his straight collarbones and the mounds of his chest, as if tracing them.

His sticky body quickly felt refreshed. Kwon Taekjoo surrendered himself comfortably, as if he had forgotten that the other person was Zhenya. Zhenya pulled back the blanket that was covering Kwon Taekjoo’s waist. Kwon Taekjoo was completely naked. He subtly curled his body, embarrassed by the fact that he wasn’t even wearing underwear, but he didn’t show it. There was no reason to be embarrassed between them, as they had already seen everything, good or bad.

Zhenya, without a trace of self-consciousness, briskly rubbed Kwon Taekjoo’s lower abdomen and thighs. He then meticulously wiped his groin, penis, and perineum, leaving no spot untouched. When the cold towel touched him, his testicles instinctively flinched. Zhenya, who would normally have smirked and uttered lewd jokes, was quiet. He simply focused on his task, his lips tightly sealed. It felt awkward. It was as if this wasn’t what Zhenya Kwon Taekjoo knew.

Soon Zhenya lifted Kwon Taekjoo’s knee so that the sole of his foot touched Zhenya’s chest. Kwon Taekjoo’s leg folded into a right angle. Zhenya reached his arm deep, effortlessly wiping his hamstrings and even his buttocks.

“…Why do you keep trying to run away? I’m not trying to kill you, am I?” After a long silence, Zhenya finally spoke. His tone subtly hinted at a long-held worry he was finally letting out. Kwon Taekjoo didn’t answer immediately. He just stared blankly at Zhenya’s face. It was strange that Zhenya would suddenly ask such a question. He even wondered if Zhenya genuinely didn’t know.

Soon, Zhenya also met Kwon Taekjoo’s gaze. Kwon Taekjoo responded indifferently to the man who was patiently waiting for an answer.

“Because there’s no reason to stay here.” His voice was not agitated, but rather calm. From the beginning, his presence here was not by his own will. From that point, this island was nothing short of a prison to Kwon Taekjoo. His repeated attempts to escape weren’t solely because of Zhenya. He simply had no desire to stay.

Perhaps Zhenya didn’t like that answer. He stopped wiping and silently stared at Kwon Taekjoo. He didn’t particularly contort his face or show any dramatic change in expression.

Yet, he didn’t know why Zhenya’s face seemed to overlap with the wounded child’s face he saw in his dream. It felt as if he had done something terrible. Zhenya’s unwavering gaze was undeniably burdensome. He averted his eyes from that gaze and lowered his legs himself.

With the interruption of their conversation, a tenacious silence fell. They hadn’t exchanged many words at other times either. So, there was no reason for it to be awkward now. But the longer the silence stretched, the more uncomfortable he felt.

After a moment, Zhenya rose. Kwon Taekjoo unconsciously tensed, but Zhenya inflicted no harm. He merely placed the towel he was holding on the table. As he was about to leave, Zhenya spoke. “Then make one.”

He woke up groggily after a long sleep. His mouth and throat were completely parched from continuous groaning. He didn’t know how much time had passed. It seemed night had deepened again. He thought he heard a contrabass in his sleep, but when he opened his eyes, the surroundings were quiet. Was even that a dream?

He got out of bed and went outside. A dull ache still rose from his side, but it was tolerable. He went to the kitchen and quenched his dry throat first. The sweet water quickly coursed through his entire body. His somewhat foggy head seemed to clear completely.

He paused for a moment to catch his breath and looked out the window. His aimlessly cast gaze quickly became fixed on one spot. He thought he saw a light, and then he saw Zhenya sitting outside the mansion. What was he doing there at this late hour?

He finished drinking his water and approached the window. Then he openly watched Zhenya. Zhenya, surprisingly, did nothing. He just sat there, without even a common campfire. The direction of his gaze was only the vast snowfield. Zhenya’s intimidatingly large frame seemed insignificant before nature. Was it because of such a contrast? The solitary figure of Zhenya sitting there lingered in his mind. A monster couldn’t feel lonely, yet his shadowed back looked unusually forlorn.

Who was pitying whom, he wondered. He shook his head, about to turn away. At that moment, Zhenya suddenly turned around. Their eyes met before he could avoid it. Does that bastard have eyes in the back of his head? His heart pounded in surprise.

Contrary to expectations, Zhenya took no action. He merely watched the flustered Kwon Taekjoo quietly. Zhenya’s gaze was so direct and raw that Kwon Taekjoo felt unnecessarily embarrassed. It was awkward to keep standing there, so he quickly turned away.

Kwon Taekjoo headed not to the bedroom, surprisingly, but to the dressing room. He grumbled, “What am I doing in the middle of the night?” as he took out a coat and put it on. He also carefully packed the Macallan he found in the kitchen and went outside.

At the sound by the door, Zhenya turned his head again. He looked surprised to see Kwon Taekjoo. “You kept something good, didn’t you?” Kwon Taekjoo shook the liquor bottle at Zhenya, who was staring blankly at him. Then he went and plunked down beside him. His side predictably throbbed, and he let out a soft “ouch.” Zhenya still said nothing. He didn’t stop staring at Kwon Taekjoo as if to pierce him.

Without a glass, Kwon Taekjoo opened the Macallan and drank straight from the bottle. Drinking with a gunshot wound was ill-advised, but he felt he needed to get drunk for the pain to dull. After quenching his thirst, he handed the bottle to Zhenya. Zhenya, without hesitation, put his lips to the slick bottle mouth.

They passed the bottle back and forth a couple more times. It was Kwon Taekjoo who broke the silence. “I’m really curious about this, but why did you buy such an island?” “It’s good. Quiet, and there’s nothing.” “Good, my ass.” Kwon Taekjoo snatched the bottle back with an exasperated expression. He knew it, but Zhenya’s taste was extraordinarily peculiar.

“You bastard, you don’t have any friends, do you?” To the subsequent question, Zhenya merely stared at Kwon Taekjoo without answering. Kwon Taekjoo shook his head and asserted confidently, as if to himself. 

“You wouldn’t. There’s no way you would.” 

“What about you?” 

“I don’t know why you’re asking. I’m perfectly normal. I have plenty of guys I can call out for a drink. I just have a lot to hide because of my job, and I can’t see them often.” He subtly added, emboldened by the moment. 

“I also have a mother who can’t sleep because she worries about me. I wonder if she’s doing well.” He said it to make Zhenya feel some guilt. But there was no particular change in Zhenya’s expression. Just as he thought. He smacked his lips and asked again. 

“Anyway, you’re a special bastard. Is it fun playing alone like this?” 

“It’s not fun; it’s familiar.” He didn’t respond in a particularly pathetic way, yet Kwon Taekjoo couldn’t mock him as before. It was just… the feeling.

He stared at Zhenya’s face for a moment. If Zhenya stayed quiet and behaved like this, there would be many people who liked him. When he deliberately put on an act, his eloquence was quite refined. And what about his flirting skills displayed on the Trans-Siberian Railway?

Suddenly, he reached out his hand. Zhenya watched Kwon Taekjoo’s hand approaching abruptly with a curious gaze. Soon, Kwon Taekjoo’s finger lightly touched one side of Zhenya’s forehead. It was the spot where he had recently gotten an injury. A mischievous smile spread across Zhenya’s usually poker face.

“How many more people are you planning to charm with this?” He playfully advised him to treat it instead of neglecting it. His hand, which was about to withdraw, was suddenly grabbed. His body was pushed back, and he fell flat on his back. The accumulated snow softly cushioned his back.

The pitch-black night sky filled his vision. The countless stars embroidered upon it seemed ready to pour down at any moment. This was the first time he had seen the stars, despite spending countless days there.

“Oh…” He stared blankly, then abruptly pointed at the sky. A curtain of purple and deep blue light fluttered like a drape. It was the aurora. He was utterly captivated by the wondrous spectacle provided by the vast natural world. No art museum could ever surpass the masterpiece that was the sky at this moment.

How much time had passed? Zhenya climbed over him, blocking his view. Their eyes locked at close range. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps he hadn’t fully recovered from the enchantment, but Kwon Taekjoo didn’t try to avoid Zhenya and just stared intently at him. He could discern pure yearning in Zhenya’s blue eyes that reflected him. It couldn’t be.

Before he realized it, Zhenya’s face slowly drew closer. Zhenya’s lips landed first on his chin, then pressed against the bridge of his nose, and finally melted onto his forehead. He involuntarily closed and opened his eyes. Zhenya, who had pulled away his lips, gazed down at him. He even gently stroked Kwon Taekjoo’s Adam’s apple with his thumb. Kwon Taekjoo’s eyelashes trembled subtly from the tickling sensation. His unstable breath was probably due to that as well.

Soon, Zhenya’s face approached again. He hadn’t even thought of avoiding it, but the moment Zhenya’s breath touched his philtrum, he abruptly came to his senses. Their lips seemed about to touch.

He turned his head to the side. As a result, Zhenya’s lips hit his jaw instead. Zhenya didn’t forcibly hold Kwon Taekjoo’s face as he had before. He merely gazed silently at the indifferent side of his face. Kwon Taekjoo felt uneasy. He quickly pushed Zhenya’s chest and stood up.

“I have no intention of doing this with you, you bastard.” He clearly drew the line. Then, before the atmosphere could become even more ambiguous, he left. He felt a stinging gaze on his back, but he pretended not to notice.

As soon as he entered the mansion, he tore at his hair, self-mutilating. He had almost completely fallen under Zhenya’s sway. Rationalizing it by saying it was because he had been drinking, or that he had momentarily lost his mind, offered no comfort at all. No matter how much humans were creatures strongly influenced by their environment, this was not it. It was no one else but the bastard who had raped, assaulted, and tried to kill him. He must have gone crazy from being left alone in that pristine white space for too long.

He had to leave this place before he got any weirder.

“Go back now.” During breakfast, Zhenya unilaterally ordered Olga. 

“Can’t I stay a few more days? Even just two days.” 

“No.” He cut her off sharply. His hardened face showed no room for compromise. Olga reluctantly nodded. Her face, as she stirred her fish soup, was undeniably pouty.

If Olga left, would it be just Zhenya and him again? He let out a long sigh. Olga then slyly said, “Are you sad I’m leaving?” Zhenya’s gaze followed suit. Anyway, both of them were bothersome.

“Goodbye. And stop staring.” Olga pouted again at his indifferent attitude. She even grumbled, 

“I shouldn’t have nursed you.” After that, Zhenya’s persistent gaze did not waver. Kwon Taekjoo ignored him and silently finished his portion of the food.

After the meal, they went up to Olga’s room together. He followed her when she offered him her book to stave off boredom, but before he knew it, he was being used by her. Olga, using the excuse that the helicopter would arrive soon, threw her belongings at Kwon Taekjoo indiscriminately. As he crammed them in, the bag wouldn’t close.

He didn’t dare to repack, so he just crammed in the items that were sticking out. Then, something briefly caught his eye. He subtly glanced at Olga. She was engrossed in organizing what looked like dozens of pieces of clothing. He hid what he was holding in his pocket.

“Are you done?” Olga suddenly turned around. 

“Yeah,” he said, closing the trunk. 

“What time is the helicopter coming?” 

“Hmm, it should arrive in about thirty minutes.” 

“Really? Then I’ll put this outside.” He lifted the bulging trunk and placed it at the top of the stairs. Then he immediately headed to the basement. In the storage room, boxes of benzene, used for tanning furs, were stacked. He took one bottle and went into the bathroom.

He locked the door securely. His heart began to pound violently. He had attempted to escape countless times, but failed every time. But this time might be different. At least, it was more hopeful than other times. His fingertips tingled with nervousness and anticipation.

He set the benzene down on the floor and took out the pill bottle from his pocket. It was what he had taken from Olga’s bag. The main ingredient in medicine prescribed for angina is nitroglycerin, which helps dilate blood vessels. Nitroglycerin, when dissolved in ethanol or benzene, has the property of exploding with even a small shock or heat. For this reason, it was a commonly used substance by those who manufactured homemade bombs.

He took out all the pills from the bottle and crushed them finely. He carefully poured the powder into the glass bottle containing benzene. He stirred gently with a toothbrush handle, waiting for the powder to completely dissolve. The finished homemade bomb was then placed at the entrance to the rooftop.

By the time he finished all the preparations, he heard the sound of propellers. He could also see a helicopter approaching in the distance. He walked down to the second floor as if nothing had happened and ran into Olga.

“It seems to be arriving soon.” He spoke first, lest he be suspected. Olga nodded readily and got off the trunk she had been sitting on. 

“That man probably won’t even see me off.” 

“What do you expect from that bastard? Go.” He carried Olga’s trunk and went up the stairs. Olga shouted, “I’m leaving now!” towards the downstairs where Zhenya was, then followed Kwon Taekjoo.

Just as they reached the rooftop entrance. Kwon Taekjoo, who was ahead, suddenly stopped. He bent down as if he had dropped something on the floor. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I’ll borrow this for a moment.” 

“Huh? What…” Olga, bewildered, suddenly had her mouth covered. At the same time, her trunk tumbled down the stairs with a clatter.

Zhenya, who was tuning his contrabass, suddenly raised his head. It was due to a sudden noise from upstairs. It was undoubtedly Olga, clumsy as ever, dropping something. In any case, she couldn’t even leave quietly.

He got up and went to the window. Looking outside, he saw a helicopter circling in the air. It seemed to have arrived some time ago, but for some reason, it wasn’t landing and was just hovering overhead.

He watched without suspicion, then frowned. An ominous premonition crept up his neck. He immediately grabbed the shotgun hanging on the wall and ran up the stairs.

Olga’s trunk lay on the second-floor landing. Something lurched inside him. “Taekjoo…” He mumbled, as if groaning, then dashed to the rooftop. When he yanked the door open, he saw Kwon Taekjoo, holding Olga hostage. In his hand was a large bottle of benzene.

“Don’t come closer!” Kwon Taekjoo shouted, highly alarmed. Zhenya ignored him and took a large step forward, and Kwon Taekjoo raised the benzene bottle. “Stop. If you come any closer, I’ll break it.” He warned again, contorting his nose. Even so, what he held was just benzene for fur cleaning. What kind of threat was that? His astonishment was brief, as an automatic calculation ran through his mind. Olga, who suffered from angina, and a large amount of benzene. These facts combined to yield the conclusion: “nitroglycerin bomb.” If it fell and broke, the entire rooftop would be blown away. Not only Zhenya and Olga, but Kwon Taekjoo’s own life would be jeopardized.

He took a calm breath. He gritted his teeth, barely managing to control the emotions surging within him. He reached out a hand towards Kwon Taekjoo. “Come here.” Kwon Taekjoo shook his head and took another step back. His hand gripping the benzene turned white as if he truly intended to break it.

Why, he wondered. Zhenya’s brow furrowed intensely. He narrowed the distance as if to say, ‘Go ahead and try.’ Kwon Taekjoo, in turn, retreated that much and unhesitatingly raised the bottle. His resolute expression indicated it wasn’t an empty threat. Zhenya should have just subdued him as he pleased, regardless of who got hurt, but he couldn’t approach further and stopped again. The simmering anger finally overflowed.

“Damn it, come here when I’m being nice!” Even when pressed, Kwon Taekjoo stubbornly shook his head. Soon, a ladder descended from the helicopter. Zhenya’s eyes wavered. The moment Kwon Taekjoo gripped the ladder, something snapped in Zhenya’s mind. His body temperature dropped instantly. As if forgetting Kwon Taekjoo’s warning, he recklessly charged towards the helicopter. The benzene bottle flew through the air. For a fleeting moment, it felt as if the surrounding air was sucked in and condensed.

Immediately after, an explosion occurred. The entire floor he was standing on shook, and cracks appeared throughout the building. One side of the wall was completely shattered. Zhenya too, unable to withstand the pressure, was thrown back. His back, which collided with the wall, throbbed as if it would split open. His skin was badly scratched by flying debris from all directions. A ringing in his ears echoed in his deafened mind. Blood gushing from his head stained even his vision red.

He picked up his battered body and pushed through the black smoke. The front part of the rooftop was so destroyed that its original form was unrecognizable. Zhenya frantically looked around and saw the helicopter already flying far away. Olga and Kwon Taekjoo, holding her, were hanging from the ladder extended below.

He frantically looked around, intent on chasing after them. But there was no suitable means. His helicopter had been submerged deep in the sea a few days ago. He could contact another helicopter to pick him up, but Kwon Taekjoo wouldn’t wait that long. While he stood there helpless, Kwon Taekjoo continued to move further and further away beyond the sea. He didn’t even look back once.

“Damn it, Taekjoooooo…!” A desperate roar dissipated into the distance.

The helicopter carrying Olga and Kwon Taekjoo arrived near Moscow. Both of them looked calm as they disembarked. There was no trace of the hostile atmosphere that would have been expected after a recent hostage situation.

“What are you planning to do when you return to Korea?” “I have a lot of things to take care of. I need to conclude my mission, and there are some personal things I need to look into. I’ll be busy for a while.” Olga nodded, then offered her hand for a handshake first. Her cheerful face showed a slight hint of regret. 

“If you leave like this, it’ll be hard to see you again, won’t it?” 

“If we see each other again, it means I’ve fallen back into hell.” Olga gave an awkward laugh at his candid reply. Kwon Taekjoo lightly clasped and released her outstretched hand. After the handshake, Olga looked back at the helicopter. Then, the pilot brought a small bag and handed it to Kwon Taekjoo.

“…What is this?”

“I thought you might need it to return to your homeland. Thank you for saving my life twice.” Inside the bag were cash, a neat new shirt, and a Colt. He would need a fake passport and money to leave Russia. He gladly accepted Olga’s help. 

“Thank you. And thanks for your help earlier.” 

“I wasn’t helping earlier. I just stayed still because I didn’t want to get hurt.” 

“You could have escaped anytime if you wanted to. You had a gun, you could have just shot him.” 

“That’s not impossible, but if I had, that man would really kill me.” She laughed playfully. Around that time, an aircraft descending before the runway passed over their heads. Olga, who was aimlessly looking up at the aircraft, suddenly murmured to herself.

“In the end, everything turned out like the story of Koschei.” Kwon Taekjoo’s situation, finally escaping Zhenya, was like the beautiful maiden who found and destroyed Koschei’s heart and escaped from his castle. The story of Koschei always ends there.

As the aircraft’s shadow completely vanished, she said, “You can go now.” Kwon Taekjoo looked at Olga for a moment, then turned away without hesitation. Watching him stride away, Olga made a slightly bitter face. She recalled Zhenya, whose head was bleeding, yet only called out his name. His eyes looked bewildered, as if he had lost something incredibly important right before his eyes. It was truly the first time Zhenya had made such an expression. Even if ‘Anastasia’ had been taken from him, he probably wouldn’t have been so agitated. Her startled heart still hadn’t calmed down.

If, at that moment, Kwon Taekjoo hadn’t been holding the bomb. If Zhenya had boldly shot him with the shotgun, would the outcome have been different? She didn’t know.

Olga watched the distant Kwon Taekjoo and murmured. 

“Koschei’s weakness wasn’t his hidden heart.” Another plane passed over her head. Buried by the noisy engine, her added remark faded away without a trace. 

“…It was love, Taekjoo.”