Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 84

Spending half a day with a purebred lunatic from Mother Russia meant he could get his hands on special items he could never afford. His stagnant level would instantly rise, and his standing in the game would clearly change.

But was it worth risking his life? Yoon Jongwoo finally shook his head.

“Ah, I don’t know. You’re doing your own business, Senior, why should I be sacrificed?” 

“You’re the only one I can trust…” 

“Don’t trust me, I tell you! Please don’t trust me! I don’t want to!”

He screamed frantically. With no more persuasion left, Kwon Taekjoo finally raised the white flag.

“Ha, no choice then.”

He visibly slumped his shoulders and let out a long sigh. His actions of picking up a thick sirloin and placing it on the grill looked utterly listless. Yoon Jongwoo didn’t care. It wasn’t the first time Kwon Taekjoo had manipulated him. By now, he was immune to that level of acting. Today, he just wanted to enjoy the beef.

The problem was the intimidating atmosphere Zhenya created. His gaze remained fixed on Yoon Jongwoo, never leaving him. If his gaze were a knife, it felt like his epidermis was being slowly peeled away, meticulously dissected.

He didn’t dare pick up a single side dish, just sucked on his empty chopsticks, lest he give Zhenya any unnecessary reason.

“What are you doing? Eat. It’s all cooked.”

Kwon Taekjoo cut the meat and offered it. As if remembering something, he also asked a passing server for a fork. He then placed the fork in front of Zhenya. He was huge, treated people like ants, and yet used a fork like a child would. Of course, he was a foreigner, so it was understandable, but the fork looked so small in comparison that it felt pathetic. Though, with that small fork, he could easily end Yoon Jongwoo’s life.

He suppressed his random thoughts and diligently ate the meat. It was perfectly grilled; the meat in his mouth melted away. The rich flavor of the juice left on his tongue was exquisite.

“You’re eating well. Eat plenty.”

Kwon Taekjoo piled meat onto Yoon Jongwoo’s plate. He, however, barely ate anything himself. Yoon Jongwoo offered to grill the meat instead, but Kwon Taekjoo firmly declined. He made a ssam wrap for Zhenya, but under Zhenya’s inexplicable glare, he quietly put it into his own mouth instead. They say familiarity breeds contempt, but Zhenya’s actions were exactly like a beast guarding its master’s favor.

Kwon Taekjoo, who had been grilling meat for a while, got up from his seat. Yoon Jongwoo instinctively grabbed his sleeve.

“Uh, where are you going?” 

“To take care of some business and have a smoke.” 

“Then I’ll go with you.” 

“Why would you follow me to the bathroom? Just eat, you idiot.”

Kwon Taekjoo finally shook off Yoon Jongwoo. Before leaving, he also instructed Zhenya in Russian. Zhenya reluctantly nodded. Then he looked Yoon Jongwoo up and down with disapproval. For some reason, he even seemed to click his tongue.

Soon, only the two of them remained at the table. There was no conversation. Meat was burning on the grill, but he didn’t dare touch it. He just alternated his gaze between the bathroom and the entrance, eagerly waiting for Kwon Taekjoo to return.

However, an eternity passed, and Kwon Taekjoo did not appear. He felt strange. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and sent a message.

(Senior?) 

(Why is it taking so long?) 

(I feel like I’m suffocating.) 

[Sorry, Jongwoo. I’m counting on you.] 

(Huh? For what?) 

(Senior?) 

(No way?) 

[I’ll be back quickly, so keep a close eye on that bastard so he doesn’t do anything funny.] 

[Oh, and if that guy suddenly disappears, call me right away.] 

[Think of it as anti-terrorism, civilian protection, something like that, you idiot.]

Kwon Taekjoo didn’t read Yoon Jongwoo’s messages after that last sentence. He tried to call immediately, but the call wasn’t answered either.

“No way!”

He jumped up, shouting. All eyes in the vicinity turned to him. Zhenya also looked at Yoon Jongwoo strangely. Receiving a look of ‘are you crazy?’ from a madman felt incredibly odd. What did Kwon Taekjoo tell Zhenya to make him stay here so obediently?

He sat back down under the intense gaze. Sweat poured off him. The meat on the grill was burning black, just like Yoon Jongwoo’s insides. A server came by and asked, “Would you like me to remove the grill?” He wanted to beg them to remove him instead.

Even the server left, and a deathly silence settled. Zhenya watched Yoon Jongwoo intently, arms crossed, while Yoon Jongwoo stared blankly out the window. In reality, he saw nothing.

“Come to think of it, there’s something I wanted to ask.”

Suddenly, Zhenya spoke. Yoon Jongwoo flinched, not expecting him to initiate conversation. Perhaps considering his audience, he spoke fluent English, American-accented. Yet, because of Zhenya’s unique Russian pronunciation and intonation, it sounded like an entirely different language. The subtle elegance he felt might have been due to his striking appearance.

“Huh? Me? What do you… Wha-what do you want to say?”

Even though they were the same age and supposedly friends, he couldn’t bring himself to speak comfortably. He found himself stammering. Zhenya asked, looking quite unconvinced.

“Taekjoo often uses the Korean word ‘saekki’ when he calls me. What does that mean?”

An entirely unexpected question landed on him. His thought process momentarily froze. How could he answer this safely? He swallowed hard.

Considering Kwon Taekjoo’s usual behavior, the answer was clear. When he first joined the company, Kwon Taekjoo was a difficult superior to approach. He didn’t see him often, but even when he did, he never engaged in unnecessary conversation. So, Yoon Jongwoo thought he was a quiet person. It was a misconception. After they became a bit closer, he played many pranks and secretly liked to take care of him, pretending not to. Except when working, he was like a friendly older brother next door. Calling people ‘saekki’ or ‘nom’ was generally a sign that he had grown close to them.

But if the target was Zhenya, it was likely closer to an insult than an expression of familiarity. Their relationship had been entangled from the beginning with misfortune. No matter how much ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ might apply, it wasn’t as if Zhenya was simply cute or pretty to Kwon Taekjoo.

The answer was there. The problem was that he couldn’t just blurt it out honestly. Even though Zhenya was a madman who didn’t care what others thought, he wouldn’t be pleased to hear that he was being cursed at every time he was called.

He bought himself time by taking a drink of water. How could he answer this to get out of this crisis? He racked his brain diligently.

“I searched for it in a translator, and it means ‘baby.’ Is that really it, perhaps?”

At the added question, he spurted out the water he was drinking. He also coughed for a long time, almost choking. Zhenya, who had been waiting for an answer, openly frowned.

Was that better? At least it wasn’t a curse word? A normal person’s mind couldn’t guess. It was all or nothing, but he decided to play his hand.

“Yes, that’s right. It’s almost similar. It’s an affectionate term used casually between very, very close people.”

Kwon Taekjoo might get into trouble later, but for now, Yoon Jongwoo had to save himself. Besides, Kwon Taekjoo was the one who put him in this situation in the first place. This was hardly revenge, he thought.

“Hmm… Baby, you say.”

Zhenya murmured softly, then chuckled and leaned back. He kept smiling for a long time, as if deep in thought.

He got out of the car and walked almost at a run. Although he had asked Yoon Jongwoo to look after Zhenya, he wasn’t entirely at ease. He tried to rationalize it; he had no choice. If he honestly said he was going to an alumni gathering, Zhenya wouldn’t just sit still. He would either prevent him from going entirely or sabotage it in ways he couldn’t even imagine. Zhenya had followed him to overseas operation zones, so there was no guarantee he wouldn’t show up at an alumni gathering.

Given Yoon Jongwoo’s personality of prioritizing absolute safety, he would surely manage Zhenya well. However, Zhenya was such an unpredictable person that he couldn’t be entirely relaxed. Just in case, he asked Zhenya to protect Yoon Jongwoo, explaining that Yoon Jongwoo was caught up in some dangerous incident. Zhenya, who was openly annoyed, accepted the request when Kwon Taekjoo convinced him that he could only do his work without worry if Zhenya handled it. Thinking of Zhenya’s somewhat proud face, he felt a pang of guilt. He felt he needed to return as soon as possible.

The alumni gathering was at a traditional bar in front of the school. It seemed like they had rented out the entire place. No music was playing, only the boisterous chatter spilled out even beyond the entrance. He opened the door and stepped inside. At the sound, a few of his alumni looked towards the door.

“Oh? Look who it is?” 

“Kwon Taekjoo?” 

“Wow, he really came.” 

“Long time no see, you bastard.”

Everyone greeted him. Some even came over to shake his hand. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, indicating how much they had already drunk. Kwon Taekjoo also smiled and asked if they had been doing well. He didn’t clasp their outstretched hands, just lightly tapped them.

The attendance seemed to be around thirty people. Yoo Nahyun was sitting deep inside the group seating, in the middle of a conversation. As he greeted his friends around him, their eyes briefly met. Yoo Nahyun smiled first. He gave a slight nod.

He was dragged to an empty seat. As soon as he sat down, he was given a drink. He downed it cleanly in one go and set the glass down. Immediately, it was refilled.

“No, why have you been so out of touch?” 

“We thought you were dead.” 

“Seriously. You said you were going to the special forces, and then there was no news, so we thought something happened!” 

“How is it that no one knows your changed number?”

They bombarded him with questions that were almost accusations. He gave a faint smile and kept quiet. He changed his number frequently after joining the National Intelligence Service to maintain secrecy regarding his identity. Even his colleagues at the NIS asked if it was necessary to go to such lengths, but he preferred to be thorough in everything. It was a world where personal information was carelessly leaked. If he became complacent, his identity would quickly be exposed. That would mean losing his qualification as an agent.

After a few more rounds of drinks, the atmosphere mellowed. His friends at the table were all curious about Kwon Taekjoo’s recent life. They had already talked enough amongst themselves.

“What do you do for a living?” 

“Just a little bit of everything.” 

“Where do you work? Or do you own a business?”

“Kwon Taekjoo, didn’t you even graduate? I was so surprised when I heard that today. I thought someone like you would be in a good position at a large company.” 

“Well, that’s how it turned out.” 

“Huh? You should at least get your degree. In this day and age of specs.” 

“Maybe it’s a job that doesn’t require specs. Are you a professional soldier? Did you just stay in the military after enlisting?” 

“Look at this guy, he’s got a good body. Does he actually do physical work?”

They casually touched his thighs and arms from both sides. This was the most awkward part. When they met after a long time, everyone naturally asked what he did. He had brushed it off a few times before. But then they would inevitably pry about the job or ask for a business card, which was embarrassing. Looking back, the biggest reason his social circle had narrowed seemed to be this.

“Do you do daily labor? Why can’t you just say it?”

When he didn’t answer properly, one of them jumped to a hasty conclusion. They seemed to assume he did work that he couldn’t brag about, which was why he was being evasive. In fact, people who actively participate in alumni gatherings often have socially recognized jobs. Or they simply enjoy socializing. Kwon Taekjoo wasn’t that type. If it weren’t for Yoo Nahyun, he wouldn’t have bothered to come to this uncomfortable gathering.

“Something similar. I risk my life every day.”

He laughed it off to keep the mood from getting heavy. They seemed to think it was a joke and laughed along, calling him “weird.”

“Are you married?” 

“No.” 

“What have you been doing all this time without starting a family? I already have two kids, you know.” 

“Yeah. I guess I’ve been working so hard that I’m this age already.” 

“Do you live to work?”

“Looks like it.”

He chuckled again. The guys at his table were either married or about to be. They competitively showed off unasked-for family photos and pictures of their fiancées. He supposed it was truly that age now. Every time he faced a normal life, he was freshly reminded of how unusual his own work was. It was as if he was following his own curve in a world where everyone else was on similar life trajectories. The thought of where it would all end didn’t always make him feel good.

“But you’re seeing someone, right? Women wouldn’t leave you alone, I bet.” 

“Looking at how you carry yourself, it’s pretty obvious you have a girlfriend.” 

“…I do. I do.” 

“If you do, you do, what kind of answer is that? How long have you been together?” 

“Should I say… one year?” 

“That’s long enough to start thinking about marriage. What does he do?” 

“A civil servant.” 

“Oh? And his age?” 

“Four years younger than me.” 

“Kyah, they say a four-year age gap is so good you don’t even need a fortune teller! Is he pretty?” 

“Well… objectively.” 

“Wow, this guy’s completely smitten! Guys! Kwon Taekjoo’s girlfriend isn’t just pretty, she’s not subjectively pretty, she’s ‘objectively’ pretty!”

One guy jumped up and yelled. Jeers and cheers erupted from all directions.

“Hey, I’m curious what he looks like. Do you have a picture? Let’s see it.” 

“Yeah! We’ll tell you if he’s objectively pretty or not.”

Excitedly, they demanded, “Show us, show us,” as if on cue. He threw puffed rice at the guys who kept egging him on.

“No, you bastards.”

He easily stopped the hands that tried to sneak his phone away. Even when they booed and pressured him, he remained unmoving like a stone Buddha. With no success, their momentum gradually fizzled out.

After that, the conversation shifted to college anecdotes, the current whereabouts of a few seniors, juniors, and professors, and social issues. In between laughs and chatter, he occasionally made eye contact with Yoo Nahyun. He wanted to properly greet her too, but it was awkward to move at that moment.

Though unsaid, everyone was keenly aware of their reunion. If he made any noticeable move, they would undoubtedly tease him cruelly about them being a campus couple again. They wouldn’t care about the fact that Yoo Nahyun was about to get married or that Kwon Taekjoo had a partner.

Because of this, he first heard about Yoo Nahyun from others.

“Yoo Nahyun went abroad to study right after graduation and got her master’s degree in Massachusetts. Taekjoo, you know M company, right? She’s working as a senior researcher there now.” 

“They say she met her husband at that company too? He must be a foreigner.” “Her resume is already incredible, but she’s going to get her doctorate after getting married. Now I’m just curious how far she’ll go?” 

“That’s good.” 

“But did you two lose touch too? You were always together in college.”

The question someone threw out made the surroundings fall silent as if by magic. Yoo Nahyun, perhaps having heard it, suddenly looked towards Kwon Taekjoo.

“I told you. I was too busy taking care of myself.”

He completely blocked any story they might have hoped for. Then he changed the subject by asking about the well-being of absent friends. Yoo Nahyun also immediately turned her gaze and continued the conversation that had been interrupted. With the parties involved acting that way, there was no more reason to add anything. They could only look on wistfully.

After about two hours, empty seats gradually appeared. The remaining few were also slumping from drunkenness. The bar was poorly ventilated, so it felt like he was getting drunk just by breathing. He stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. His alcohol-soaked lungs eagerly inhaled clean oxygen. His hazy mind finally seemed to clear.

Suddenly, he craved a cigarette. He was just considering buying one from the convenience store across the street when the bar door opened, and someone came out. It was Yoo Nahyun. As he just stared at her, she approached him. Then she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered it to Kwon Taekjoo. He didn’t refuse and took one out.

“Long time no see. Has it been about ten years?” “Yeah. Around that.”

They stood side by side, exhaling smoke repeatedly. The serious conversation began after they had finished one cigarette.

“How have you been?” 

“Just living hectically, you know.” 

“Is your mother healthy?” 

“Yeah.” 

“You’re still single, right? Does she say anything? I’m sure she wants you to get married more than anyone.” 

“What’s there to say? Every time our eyes meet, she’s nagging me to get married.” 

“Then why don’t you? I heard earlier you’re seeing someone. An objectively pretty person.” 

“Hey, are you teasing me too?”

He bristled, and she burst into laughter. Her laughter seemed unchanged.

“No, I just thought it might ease her nagging if I introduced you. Is your girlfriend uncomfortable, perhaps?”

Everyone believed without a doubt that Kwon Taekjoo’s partner was a woman. Kwon Taekjoo himself hadn’t expected to be involved with a man until just a year ago, so it was only natural.

“It’s not that. They already know each other. Almost best friends. He probably sees my mother more often than I do.” 

“Then that’s even stranger. Isn’t your partner ready for a proposal? Kwon Taekjoo, are you being clueless again?” 

“What do you mean, me?” 

“It’s amazing you don’t know.” 

“We’re doing just fine as it is, why bother? He doesn’t seem to be thinking about marriage either.” 

“Have you checked?” 

“Do you always have to check to know something like that?” 

“I’m just saying, sometimes it looks obvious but isn’t. Are you a bit insensitive?”

He couldn’t tell if she was giving him relationship advice or pouring out old grievances. It was absurd that they were doing this after ten years.

“Marriage doesn’t prove sincerity, and everyone has different ways of loving, just like they look different. It’s not like marriage is the only right answer and a happy ending. I don’t understand that. If you like someone, shouldn’t you just be together?”

“…”

Yoo Nahyun’s face went blank. Unextinguished cigarette ash scattered in the wind.

“What’s that reaction?” 

“My goodness. Kwon Taekjoo, you’re talking about love… I’ve lived long enough to see everything.” 

“No, who said anything about love? I’m just saying it’s generally like that, generally.” 

“Why wouldn’t you love your partner, and why are your ears turning red?” 

“What do you mean my ears are red?”

He gripped his ear tightly. Sure enough, his earlobe felt warm. Was it because he drank too much?

He snatched the cigarette pack from Yoo Nahyun’s hand. He pulled out another one, lit it, and put it in his mouth. Yoo Nahyun kept smirking beside him.

“Talk about something else.” 

“Why? It’s fun.” 

“I’m going back inside.” 

“Alright, alright.”

Yoo Nahyun pretended to yield, holding Kwon Taekjoo back. Then she finally started talking about herself.

“I came back this time to completely clear up my life in Korea.” 

“Are you moving out for good?” 

“Yeah. I think so. My husband-to-be is American.” 

“What about your family?” 

“After graduating college and going abroad to study, I naturally saw less of them. I’ve only been back to Korea twice since then, for my mom’s 60th birthday and my sibling’s graduation. Now I just think of them as distant relatives. That way, I don’t feel disappointed, and my mom and siblings seem less uncomfortable. I guess they’ll come to the wedding. My mom said she’d help with postpartum care if I have a baby, but I don’t know what will happen.”

He just nodded silently. If it was already like that, what more could an outsider say? Kwon Taekjoo was always the type to listen quietly, no matter what was being discussed. He didn’t recklessly interfere in other people’s affairs or push his own opinions as solutions. That’s why Yoo Nahyun felt comfortable confiding in him. He was like a trustworthy bamboo forest, where secrets wouldn’t leak.

Yoo Nahyun suddenly turned towards Kwon Taekjoo. She openly scanned him meticulously from head to toe. A playful smile was on her face. Kwon Taekjoo’s expression immediately became awkward.

“Why?” 

“You’ve gotten even cooler, Kwon Taekjoo. You’re a real man now. I was always curious about how you changed, and what you were up to. I really wanted to meet you once before I went to America, but on the other hand, I was worried. What if my first love turned into a pot-bellied old man?”

“Should have done that then.”

He joked without a hint of a smile. Yoo Nahyun immediately slapped his back in punishment. She also protested, asking him to at least leave one good memory in Korea.

A breeze blew. The two were silent for a moment until the wind subsided. Faint smiles lingered on their lips. People who had shared a season could reminisce about that time without speaking.

“I once told my husband-to-be about you, you know? That there was a guy who rejected me eleven times. He got really curious. He said he really hopes you’ll come to our wedding.” 

“That’s mean. What’s so funny about pranks from when we were young?” “Did it feel like a prank? I was serious every time.” 

“What kind of prank is this now?” “It’s not a prank. I just pretended it was because I kept getting rejected and thought it would get awkward.”

She clicked her tongue, saying, “He’s so oblivious.” He didn’t know if Yoo Nahyun had truly asked him out eleven times. But it was clear that he had never taken her confessions seriously. To Kwon Taekjoo, she was a friend, a competitor, and someone who shared a similar pain. He had never envisioned any other relationship.

That didn’t mean Yoo Nahyun lacked feminine charm. Even compared to the women Kwon Taekjoo had dated and broken up with, she didn’t. But why was that?

“The last time was probably at your brother’s funeral, right?”

It was around the time he had just been discharged from the military. A phone call came late at night. His heart chilled. For no reason, his last call with his brother came to mind. His ominous premonition wasn’t wrong. That’s how he received the news of his brother’s death in action.

His mother was out of her mind the entire time they traveled to the designated location. She muttered incomprehensible things as if possessed. She begged and begged all gods for it to be a mistake, for a miracle to happen.

But those desperate prayers were not answered. His brother returned as a cold corpse. His body wasn’t even intact. His mother couldn’t bear it any longer and collapsed. There was nothing Kwon Taekjoo could do. He only realized his own weakness and helplessness.

Hearing the news, his friends came to pay their respects. Yoo Nahyun was among them. Even after everyone else left, she stayed alone, keeping watch. She didn’t recklessly approach Kwon Taekjoo or try to comfort him. Kwon Taekjoo only noticed her the next day, after dawn.

Yoo Nahyun reflected on that time and continued.

“I just wanted to be by your side. Do you know what you said?”

“…”

His memory wasn’t clear. It was a long time ago, and he had consciously tried to dull his memories of that time. He just remembered that it wasn’t a situation for joking around, so he didn’t gloss it over for the first time.

“You said you couldn’t, because your mother only had you left. You said you hoped I would meet someone who would always prioritize me and cherish me, and that it couldn’t be you. I couldn’t push it anymore because I knew why you said that.”

“…”

“How is the person you’re seeing now? Did he grow up receiving a lot of love? Does he not depend on you, and do you not need to always look after him?”

He couldn’t answer the subsequent questions. It was a completely different story from Zhenya. When he thought about it, his situation hadn’t changed even a little from back then. But then why was Zhenya okay, but Yoo Nahyun wasn’t?

“If he’s that kind of person, congratulations, and even if he’s not, congratulations.”

He looked at Yoo Nahyun at her puzzling words. She chuckled.

“Kwon Taekjoo, you’re the one who broke down what the stubborn Kwon Taekjoo always said was impossible.”

Is that so? Zhenya was as lacking, or perhaps even more so, than Yoo Nahyun. Perhaps that’s why he always wanted to stick to Kwon Taekjoo, following him wherever he went. No matter how far, or how dangerous. Probably no one else could do that if it weren’t for Zhenya. No one would understand a lover with so many secrets, frequent business trips, and who rarely rested.