Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 75

Suddenly, Zhenya tightly gripped Kwon Taekjoo’s thighs and abruptly rose. As his body slipped due to gravity, Kwon Taekjoo instinctively clung to him. Nevertheless, his slackened body allowed the penetration to deepen considerably.

“Aah, ah… ugh!”

Kwon Taekjoo groaned in a stifled manner. It felt as if his organ had been thrust up to his sternum. His breath caught in his throat, rattling, neither exhaling nor swallowing. He clawed at Zhenya’s back, silently pleading to be let down. But Zhenya, indifferent, showered kisses on Kwon Taekjoo’s ears and face, moving somewhere. With each step, his organ plunged deeper, making him feel like he was dying.

He pushed Kwon Taekjoo against a wall. Being pressed between the hard wall and Zhenya felt, if anything, more stable. Kwon Taekjoo’s face, briefly meeting his gaze, was contorted with pain and pleasure. His deeply furrowed eyes held Zhenya, full of resentment. Zhenya grinned, sticking out his tongue and long licking his sweat-drenched cheek.

“Don’t hold back. Cum freely.”

He whispered tenderly, as if consoling him. But to Kwon Taekjoo, those words sounded like a declaration of war. An ominous premonition made his vision blur.

Damn it, as soon as he thought that, Zhenya moved his previously still lower body. He pulled his hips back far, then abruptly thrust down, striking his bottom and digging into the opening. It felt as if his insides were being stirred up along with it. His mouth snapped shut, with no room for a groan. The rough friction sounds pounded in his ears. The insides of his thighs, repeatedly colliding with Zhenya’s, throbbed as if beaten. The gel smeared at the junction had turned white from the frequent friction. Those strands stretched like spiderwebs, following the detaching flesh.

“Ugh, g-gh, ungh, ah… haah.”

The exploding, plunging organ felt as if it would finally bore a hole in his stomach. Kwon Taekjoo shook his head repeatedly, even as he clung to Zhenya to avoid falling. However, when Zhenya deeply shoved his glans, crushing it until the mucous membrane near his prostate caved in, he couldn’t hold back and thrashed his limbs.

“Haah-ung, aah-ugh, ungh-ungh…!”

“I told you not to hold back.”

The white foam that had gathered around the opening burst with each subsequent insertion, only to reform again. Each time he was rammed, his body wanted to slump weakly, only deepening the penetration. To escape the terrifying pleasure, he had no choice but to hug Zhenya and endure. Trapped completely between the wall and Zhenya, there was no escape.

Zhenya continuously probed the same spot, then rubbed against it intimately. The sensitive area was stimulated to the point of being crushed, making his fingertips tingle sharply. His toes, too, tensed painfully.

Before long, a frustrated groan burst from Kwon Taekjoo.

“Ungh, haah-uh, uh…!”

Immediately after, his body trembled violently. His penis, repeatedly rubbing against Zhenya’s abdomen, exploded white. Thickly gushing semen splattered wetly on Zhenya’s broad chest and even his chin. As if that weren’t enough, he also let some dribbles out.

It felt as if he had held in his urine and then let it all go at once; his penis, and his entire pelvis, throbbed. A low moan escaped him unconsciously.

“Aah-uht, uht… damn it….”

He clung tightly to Zhenya, trembling pitifully all over, not moving. Zhenya buried his face deep in Kwon Taekjoo’s dark hair. Then, he once again gathered him into his arms and moved to a nearby bedroom.

His organ was so firmly lodged inside that it wouldn’t easily slide out even when he walked. Instead, even with Zhenya’s slight movements, his already worn-out mucous membranes were stimulated, and his stomach squirmed. Despite having climaxed, the relief didn’t last long.

In the bedroom, a large bed, spacious enough for four adults to roll around on, was placed. Zhenya laid Kwon Taekjoo on the unwrinkled sheets and immediately climbed on top of him. The massive 2-meter tall body exerted tremendous pressure over him. Even being crushed by a rock might not feel as suffocating.

“Aah-uht… uht… uh….”

Kwon Taekjoo’s raised knees, forced up by Zhenya, almost touched his chest. Because of this, his lungs were compressed again, making his breathing unstable. His entire face quickly flushed crimson. He sighed, feeling suffocated, but Zhenya acted as if he didn’t hear him. He just kept kissing Kwon Taekjoo’s lips. When he flared up and tried to complain, Zhenya twisted his head and forced his tongue into the parted lips. His tongue, softened by the heat, flowed in, pressing down on Kwon Taekjoo’s tongue. He swallowed all of his muffled breaths without leaving a trace.

Meanwhile, Zhenya’s organ, which had been quietly embedded, began to stir his insides again. It slowly yet deeply pierced within, then twirled broadly. A long sigh escaped Kwon Taekjoo, who had tightly squeezed his eyes shut.

“How much more must I do to break you in?”

“Uht… ungh-uh….”

“After all this, you should have taken shape by now.”

He muttered slowly, syllable by syllable, as he pressed firmly upwards. It seemed as if he wanted to create a mold of his own organ within Kwon Taekjoo’s stomach.

Zhenya’s eyes gleamed unusually as he stared intently at Kwon Taekjoo’s sweat-drenched face. Even amidst this, his lower body faithfully plunged deeper, stirring inside. It felt like he would suffocate and die at this rate.

“Ugh, stop being so clingy and hurry up and cum!”

He flared up, gritting his teeth and snarling. In a fit of anger, he even grabbed Zhenya’s robe as if by the collar. Zhenya then let out a scoffing, deflated sound.

“He doesn’t even know his place, yet he’s bravely begging.”

He pressed his chest close to Kwon Taekjoo, almost completely pinning him down. His windpipe suddenly constricted. He tried to move his body to get some breathing room, but he was too squashed to budge. With Kwon Taekjoo thus immobilized, Zhenya recalculated his leisurely moving lower body as per Taekjoo’s demand and thrust deeply. A slapping sound accompanied the painful collision of Zhenya’s thighs. A burning pain surged from his helplessly gaping opening.

Profanity and moans mixed together and burst from Kwon Taekjoo’s gaping mouth. But Zhenya, unconcerned, probed his insides even more violently. A tingling sensation condensed where Zhenya’s organ struck, then burst and spread throughout his body. Lights flashed before his eyes. It felt as if his head was boiling. His penis, which had subsided after ejaculating, inexplicably regained vigor. He wanted to touch and release the accumulated heat, but pressed down by Zhenya, he couldn’t even do that.

In a surge of irritation, he bit hard on Zhenya’s neck. Zhenya flinched for a moment, then abruptly stopped moving. His hot opening twitched, swallowing Zhenya’s organ. His trembling limbs, shaking from the burning sensation, also squirmed, unable to forget the deep afterglow.

The next moment, his body was abruptly flipped over. In that instant, Zhenya’s face, glimpsed briefly, seemed devoid of color. Rather than anger, it was as if the thin thread of his reason had finally snapped. He tried to protest, saying, “Wait,” but Zhenya pressed down on the nape of his neck. He also grabbed his struggling arms and bound them above his head. Then, he relentlessly thrust his half-embedded organ upwards with heavy thumps. He thrust so passionately that Kwon Taekjoo’s hips were pushed sharply upwards. With such deep and merciless penetration, his body felt as if it would split in two.

“Aah-ugh, ah! Ugh! Ungh, haaht! G-gh, haah-uht!”

He shook his head and thrashed his body wildly, but he couldn’t escape. Zhenya showed Kwon Taekjoo no mercy, stubbornly pushing on. The once smooth mucous membrane seemed to have become thick and sticky from all the pounding. It clung tightly to Zhenya’s organ as he stirred and withdrew, even being pulled out of the opening. As if that wasn’t enough, Zhenya grabbed Kwon Taekjoo’s buttocks, spread them, and ravenously devoured his inner flesh.

His vision swayed wildly with Zhenya’s rough thrusts. His slick, heated saliva finally flowed down his chin, dampening the pillow.

“Haah-ugh, ungh, ah… aah-ugh!”

“Uht, k-kh, uht, haah, Taekjoo.”

“Ungh, g-gh, aah-ugh, st-stop, Yevgeny….”

He pressed his damp forehead against Zhenya’s arm, which was pinning his wrist down. At the pleading call, Zhenya’s organ thrust in with a thud and then paused. At the same time, the storm of pain and pleasure that had been pouring down temporarily subsided. His constantly heaving body quieted, and a faint dizziness swirled. Just as he was barely gasping for breath, Zhenya’s organ, which had been deeply embedded and squirming inside, burst with a pop. Hot, sticky semen gushed out into his inner walls. Kwon Taekjoo’s abdomen rippled in response.

Zhenya languidly stroked Kwon Taekjoo’s belly, pressing his body completely against Taekjoo’s back. Then, he rubbed his face frantically into Taekjoo’s dark hair.

“Taekjoo.”

He called out, clinging, with a longing note. Although this was the same person who had just relentlessly driven him to the brink, seeing him become so gentle after experiencing climax inside him made his guard drop absurdly. He sighed despairingly and idly stroked Zhenya’s hair.

Zhenya accepted his touch docilely, then lowered his lips to Kwon Taekjoo’s nape. He took a deep breath, savoring his scent. Even though he was a tyrant, when he acted like a large, spoiled dog like this, his heart softened helplessly. There was a limit to who he could be soft on. He felt like he wouldn’t live out his natural lifespan if he kept going easy on Zhenya. Death by coitus didn’t seem like just a saying anymore.

When he opened his eyes, he had been moved to another bedroom. He didn’t know when or how he had moved. Since they had been at it all night, soaking the sheets, it would have been impossible to sleep there. What time was it? The blackout curtains made it impossible to tell if it was night or day.

He forced strength into his blurry eyelids. His body felt relatively light, and Zhenya was nowhere to be seen. Usually, he’d wake up in the morning completely impaled by Zhenya or heavily crushed under him. Was he showering first? Sometimes Zhenya’s stamina was terrifying. Kwon Taekjoo himself wasn’t lacking in stamina, always receiving top grades. Yet, he couldn’t compare to Zhenya. To console himself by thinking Zhenya was just ‘young’ was unreasonable; he hadn’t been like that even at Zhenya’s age.

He lingered for a while longer, then slowly pulled himself up. His head, which had been pounded and shaken all night, was simply numb. His whole body felt swollen and dulled to sensation.

He gazed down at his body. Everywhere his eyes landed, there were mottled handprints and bite marks. Even a slight movement made his limbs scream. It felt as if he had been bludgeoned. Muscles that usually weren’t surprised by any exercise would always seize up and cause trouble after rolling around with Zhenya.

“Ugh… that beast.”

The inside of his buttocks still throbbed. It was clear that Zhenya had enjoyed himself alone while Kwon Taekjoo had passed out. Thinking back, he had almost never been fully conscious during sex with Zhenya. Until now, he had lived a life unconcerned with vitamins or energy supplements. In both health checkups and fitness tests, his physical condition was always above average. Yet, he was no match for Zhenya. Was this what happened when you had a younger lover? No, no matter how he looked at it, Zhenya was abnormal.

Clutching his aching lower back, he went to the living room. Each step felt odd as his thighs rubbed against each other, making him limp unconsciously. A shower was desperately needed, but for now, his legs were trembling too much to stand properly. He managed to grab a bottle of water and head to the balcony.

As soon as he opened the door, a pleasantly cool breeze drifted in. The sounds that had been blocked by the door also poured in. Outside, it was night again. How long had they had sex, and how long had he been unconscious? A breath escaped him, anticipatory.

Las Vegas’s characteristic flashy lights and signs swirled before his eyes. He casually looked down at the scene, which some might find enchanting, and quenched his thirst. Only then did his numb head feel clear.

How much time had passed? He felt a familiar presence behind him, and then Zhenya appeared. He smelled fragrant. It seemed he had just finished showering. Kwon Taekjoo glanced back, glaring at the refreshed-looking man. Zhenya raised an eyebrow, as if he didn’t understand.

“What’s bothering you now?”

“Are you even human?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about so suddenly.”

“If I go to the hospital in this state, I’ll easily get a two- or three-week recovery, you bastard.”

He gritted his teeth and rebuked him. Zhenya leisurely crossed his arms and scanned Kwon Taekjoo’s body. Then, seeing his bruised chest, he chuckled.

“Is there even a hospital specializing in male breasts?”

Without a hint of apology, he made a vulgar joke. Kwon Taekjoo snatched a nearby cushion and threw it. Zhenya easily dodged it and shrugged.

“You brought it on yourself.”

“Did I ask you to jump me? I told you to stop more than ten times, you bastard.”

“Leaving your lover neglected for over ten days at the peak of his life. Doesn’t that mean you’re willing to take what comes?”

As always, he was shameless, blaming others. The problem was that it was true he was acting like Zhenya’s lover, and it was also true that he had been away for over ten days due to work. He had no good comeback.

Even after Zhenya followed him to Korea, his daily life didn’t change much. As soon as he finished an assigned task, another mission was quickly assigned. This was because even with a change in government and North Korea policy, the relationship with North Korea remained the same. As long as North Korea didn’t abandon its nuclear weapons, the current state of tension was bound to continue.

Still, really. When there was no one to play with, shouldn’t he also focus on his own work? He wondered if it was necessary to follow him to the operation site and complain like this. He hadn’t seen the man, who was supposedly the Russian ambassador, go to the embassy at all. If he was really bored, he could have gone to Azinokki by himself, but he wouldn’t do it, not even if it killed him.

“Didn’t you know I lived like this? So why did you get fixated on something weird….”

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Then as now, Kwon Taekjoo was just doing his job, but Zhenya was instilling a strange sense of guilt in him. Since he complained about similar reasons every time, he felt a little suffocated.

“I know. You’re hell-bent on ruining your body. You say you feel alive only when you run and tumble like that, right? That’s why I’m indulging you like this.”

“You should make some concessions too,” he said. It sounded less like remorse and more like he would continue to do so in the future. He felt death by coitus drawing closer and closer.

He shook his head as if to say, “Let’s not talk about it.” Then, he got up and strode past Zhenya.

“I’ll shower.”

“You don’t need to check this right away?”

Zhenya held up the microchip he had received from Choi Yeon-hwa. He hadn’t yet checked what data was inside. If he had received incorrect information, this mission wasn’t over.

Kwon Taekjoo hesitated, then, throwing caution to the wind, returned to Zhenya. He snatched the chip and inserted it into his phone. While the data displayed on the screen, Zhenya rubbed his face against Kwon Taekjoo’s dark hair. With both hands, he annoyingly massaged Kwon Taekjoo’s chest and stomach. He seemed to have learned well that giving Kwon Taekjoo what he wanted would make him docile, if only for a moment.

Soon, several files appeared on the screen. He randomly opened one. It listed bank names, accounts, passwords, and deposits from various European countries. Given that the account holders were all different, they seemed to be nominee accounts used to funnel slush funds.

Next, he checked another file. It was a folder containing various ledgers. It resembled a sort of purchase/sales statement. The documents specified when, from whom, and how much funding was received, how the funds were laundered, and even the purpose of the funding.

He searched for the Korean social organization that had appeared in the intelligence report. Immediately, related documents were filtered out. The funding wasn’t a one-time occurrence. The amount was substantial. Their objective seemed to be to involve North Korea in South Korea’s general election. He wondered if such things still happened, but even as times changed, political machinations remained the same.

This was the data Kwon Taekjoo had struggled so desperately to obtain. Zhenya, however, had simply acquired it in just a few hours. Should he be grateful at times like this? He wasn’t exactly competing with Zhenya, but he felt awkward. Was it emptiness, or a sense of powerlessness? Zhenya’s help wasn’t entirely welcome.

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“…No. It just seems like everything is so easy for you.”

“Everyone just makes easy things difficult.”

How could his way of thinking be so self-centered? Did he think everyone had as much money, power, and inhuman physique as he did?

“Oh, I’m sure you’re right.”

“You should be proud to have such a brilliant lover.”

“You’re strangely sullen,” he said, turning Kwon Taekjoo around. Then he lifted his chin and tried to kiss him. He stared intently at Zhenya’s slowly approaching face. Was it because it was moist? His light eyelashes seemed unusually distinct, strand by strand, today.

Zhenya seemed to know well that his face was his greatest asset and Kwon Taekjoo’s weakness. He’d often just shove his handsome face forward. Kwon Taekjoo watched him approach until their breaths mingled, then abruptly pinched his cheek. Zhenya’s previously languidly lowered eyes widened.

“…Taekjoo?”

“Do you want to hear ‘thank you’? Then you should have left some for me. I’m not doing this just to earn money, you know?”

“Forget ‘thank you.’ Just be impressed by my patience for not having blown up the NIS yet.”

It sounded strangely earnest. Resignedly, he continued to pull Zhenya’s cheek. Zhenya’s lower lip, which had been obediently pulled, was suddenly caught. When Zhenya tried to suck on his upper lip, Kwon Taekjoo subtly pulled his head back. Zhenya casually pressed his lips against his again. This time, just when he thought he would docilely accept the kiss, Zhenya abruptly bit his upper lip. When Kwon Taekjoo extended his tongue to lead a sweet kiss, Zhenya stubbornly chewed on that tongue as well. He couldn’t tell if Zhenya was trying to kiss him or bite him. A bewildered laugh burst from Zhenya.

“Are you going to eat me?”

“Yeah. Some bastard made me work out all night, and I’m hungry.”

“It’s about time.”

Just as he was about to ask, “What is?”Zhenya pushed his finger into Kwon Taekjoo’s mouth. Then he gently pressed down on Taekjoo’s tongue, fiddling inside his mouth. Saliva immediately pooled. His tongue, which had been tormented, grew tired and began to wrap around Zhenya’s finger. Only then did Zhenya pull his finger out, slide it across his cheek, and press his lips against Kwon Taekjoo’s slightly panting mouth. Kwon Taekjoo’s tongue twitched instinctively and was sucked into Zhenya’s mouth with a wet sound.

Around that time, the doorbell rang. It seemed someone had come. But Zhenya, engrossed in the kiss, showed no intention of answering. Kwon Taekjoo subtly pulled away, signaling him to stop, but Zhenya only pulled him tighter. His lungs were crushed by the embrace. After struggling for a long time while his tongue was sucked, he finally yelled, “Ya,” and pushed Zhenya away.

“…Haah, this bastard never knows when to stop once he starts. Go out. Didn’t you say something was coming?”

He steadied his rough breathing and gestured inwards. Zhenya, with a displeased look, reluctantly went to open the door. He heard a voice outside announcing room service.

In the meantime, he went to the nearby bathroom and took a shower. He turned on the water without thinking, then flinched at the pouring stream. It was because every part of his body tingled as soon as the water hit it. His entire body felt extremely sensitive. It was no wonder; it was hard to find a spot that Zhenya hadn’t bitten or sucked. His skin was covered in bruises and hickeys. The insides of his arms, chest, groin, flanks, and buttocks still bore clear bite marks. Faint handprints were also visible on his wrists and ankles. Anyone who saw him would think he’d been sparring all day, not having sex.

After showering, he ruffled his wet hair and sighed softly. It was because he felt a familiar sting. He subtly parted his robe and checked his chest. Its condition was more terrible than any other part of his body. His nipples, in particular, had changed color from the skin itself, mercifully not bleeding. Moreover, they were erect, so they would definitely show if he put on a shirt. When he carefully touched them, a sharp pain shot through him. At this rate, it was as if Zhenya had been teething on his chest. He clicked his tongue and took out bandages, placing them on both sides. Then, before going out, he tightly fastened the front of his robe and cinched his waist-tie. It was the thought that if Zhenya saw him in this state, he couldn’t guarantee what would happen.

When he went out to the living room, the table was filled with covered dishes. Roughly ten different items seemed to be there. Zhenya wasn’t even looking at them, instead elegantly sipping tea. His long legs crossed, tilting a fancy teacup, he looked like a painting, making Kwon Taekjoo feel disgusted.

“…That aristocratic bastard.”

He muttered to himself, and Zhenya tilted his head.

“Huh? What did you say, Taekjoo?”

“That it looks delicious.”

He roughly lied and went to the table. Then he opened the covers one by one to check the menu. Although he hadn’t expected it, there was no Korean food. Steak, pasta, steamed seafood, roasted vegetables, salad, bread, and soup. The only Asian food was Japanese rolls and Chinese noodles. Just looking at it made his stomach churn.

“I haven’t had proper food in ten days.”

He grumbled, munching on roasted broccoli. His jaw joints merely performed a consistent chewing motion like a machine. It was commonly said that each race and country had its unique body odor. For fear that Choi Yeon-hwa might detect the Korean scent on him, he had avoided Korean food for a while. He even sprayed strong perfume. It turned out to be a waste of effort, though.

He cut a large piece of steak and speared it with salad on one fork. Then he crammed it into his mouth as if crumpling it. His cheeks puffed out like he was eating a large ssam. He chewed on them, but seemed to have little enthusiasm.

Soon, the doorbell rang again. Was someone else coming? He glanced at Zhenya. But Zhenya rose from his seat without any explanation. Kwon Taekjoo, still pushing another forkful of meat and salad into his mouth, simply watched Zhenya head for the door. Soon, the door opened, and he heard Zhenya talking softly with a staff member. From the snippets of conversation, he guessed Zhenya had ordered something.

But suddenly, a familiar scent stimulated his sense of smell. Kwon Taekjoo’s jaw, which had been moving automatically, paused for a moment. His eyes widened, turning towards the door. No way. Zhenya, who entered shortly after, was holding a tray. On it was a white bowl and a small side dish. It was unmistakably Korean spicy food.

“…Where did you get that?”

“I asked the restaurant. They said a lot of Koreans visit, so they got it quickly.”

No, you’re a VVIP, so you made something out of nothing. As his sneering reason pushed back, his instincts screamed. He reached out both hands towards Zhenya as if possessed. If you misinterpreted it, he looked like he was begging for a hug. Zhenya chuckled and readily granted the tray to Kwon Taekjoo. He also considerately pushed aside the steak plate that had been in front of Kwon Taekjoo.

Kwon Taekjoo carefully set down the tray as if handling a baby, so as not to spill a single drop of broth. Then, seeing the state of the ramen, he grumbled unhappily.

“Damn it, they made a Han River. Don’t they even look at the recipe?”

The cooking was subpar, but he grudgingly took a sip of the broth first. It felt as if all the greasiness in his veins was completely washed away. Even though ramen was strictly instant noodles, that’s how he felt. He took another gulp of broth, savoring the refreshing sensation, then slurped the ramen noodles, which had begun to soften. Zhenya, who had been watching him with his chin propped on his arm, remarked, “Your taste hasn’t changed.”

There was something Zhenya had completely misunderstood, and that was Kwon Taekjoo’s supposed love for ramen. But he didn’t particularly like ramen. He didn’t dislike it either, but it was one of the foods he didn’t eat much when he was in Korea. It was just that the longer he stayed overseas, the more he experienced symptoms of Korean food withdrawal, a kind of homesickness. Of course, since he repeatedly went crazy for ramen in front of Zhenya, it wasn’t unreasonable for Zhenya to misunderstand.

He slid the ownerless steak towards Zhenya.

“Eat.”

He mumbled, his mouth full. Zhenya, who seemed like he would never eat anything someone else had touched, picked up a fork and knife. Then he cut the steak into a perfect bite-sized piece. He neatly put the cut meat into his mouth and quietly chewed. His cheeks didn’t puff out, his closed lips didn’t part, and he didn’t heave. He made no sound whatsoever until he swallowed that small piece. There was almost no movement. His movements were so graceful, it was like a scene taken from a movie. It was strangely as if the lighting only on Zhenya’s side was more special. Was there a spotlight somewhere? He innocently examined the ceiling.

Just as he looked at Zhenya again, Zhenya noticed his gaze and met his eyes. He asked with his eyes if there was anything to say. Kwon Taekjoo picked up a noodle from his ramen and offered it to Zhenya. Zhenya looked puzzled. Kwon Taekjoo gestured with his chopsticks, encouraging him to try it. But Zhenya remained still. Kwon Taekjoo, unwilling to back down, nodded towards the ramen again.

Zhenya let out a short sigh and then tilted his head. Then he opened his mouth and quietly accepted the ramen Kwon Taekjoo offered. When Kwon Taekjoo asked, “How is it?”, there was no answer. Zhenya simply crossed his arms and quietly chewed what was in his mouth. Kwon Taekjoo slurped the remaining ramen, observing Zhenya’s reaction. Zhenya’s jaw stopped moving, and then his Adam’s apple slowly bobbed. But that was all. Perhaps he had become immune to that level of spiciness, as he calmly began to cut his steak again.

Then, he suddenly picked up a glass of water and rinsed his mouth. His movements were unhurried, leisurely. But Zhenya’s ears and eyes were subtly reddened. As he slowly drank the water and finished the glass, his lips even seemed swollen. Perhaps the ultimate secret weapon to eliminate Koschei was Korean red pepper powder.

He chuckled, finding the thought absurd. Zhenya looked at Kwon Taekjoo reproachfully.

“Is this fun, Taekjoo?”

“It’s just fascinating. Most mercenaries master kimchi within a year of living in Korea, but how can you be so consistent?”

“Spicy isn’t a taste, it’s pain. Why bother getting used to pain?”

“That’s not for you to say, you shameless bastard.”

He thought it was outrageous for Zhenya to say that, especially when he had forcibly made others adapt to pain.

“It’s good for you too, Taekjoo. Now, I just need to put mine in, and you just gush.”

He was beyond shameless, like a human utterly devoid of decency. He would spout obscenities regardless of time or place, even in front of his own mother, yet he would swallow saliva, saying it was spicy. His bewildered blue eyes even seemed to glisten faintly.

“Anyway, you child,” he said, handing him the milk for his latte. Zhenya’s movements as he took the cup were unnatural, as if buffering. He quietly pressed the cup to his lips for a while, extinguishing the fire in his mouth. For a man of such massive build to be acting like that, he seemed incredibly trivial, yet a little cute.

“How long are you going to live with a baby’s tongue? If you can’t eat spicy food in Korea, the amount of food you can eat shrinks by a third.”

“Surely you’re not planning to live there forever.”

Kwon Taekjoo’s hand, which was about to resume eating, suddenly paused. It was a remark of little weight, but he unconsciously reacted that way.

“…Well, that’s true.”

He nodded, dismissing it indifferently.

Indeed, he hadn’t envisioned a very distant future. Just sometime, until Zhenya’s unusual interest in him faded, until Zhenya wore himself out. He had only vaguely set such an end. From the beginning, their relationship hadn’t started with them being madly in love. It had only been a year, and even then, due to work, the time they spent together hadn’t even totaled 100 days. Life was unpredictable, and people’s hearts changed when they turned over. So was there a need to promise a grand future? He wasn’t even committed to taking responsibility for Zhenya for life.

He understood it intellectually, yet why did he keep feeling so hollow? His chopstick movements grew noticeably slower. He was almost shoving salad into his mouth like a shredder. He was mindlessly chewing on something when Zhenya suddenly rose. Kwon Taekjoo’s gaze followed him.

“Keep eating.”

He thought Zhenya was going to the restroom, but he entered a nearby bedroom. And he didn’t come out for a long time. At first, Kwon Taekjoo didn’t think much of it, but as Zhenya’s absence lengthened, he started glancing at the door. He even stopped eating mid-meal.

Zhenya reappeared fully dressed. Kwon Taekjoo looked at him quizzically, then Zhenya checked his wristwatch and said, “It’s time to go.” Did he have a separate schedule?

“Where?”

“Russia.”

Zhenya answered curtly and picked up his phone from the table. He truly looked ready to leave at any moment. But Kwon Taekjoo was still in his robe. His hair, only half-dry, was severely curly. Was he really going to leave looking like that?