Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 85

Moreover, Zhenya came to Korea, leaving everything behind. He had no ties, no interest, no fondness for Korea, and he could have lived his whole life without any involvement. He came purely to be by Kwon Taekjoo’s side. For Zhenya, it would be much easier to just drag him along and restrain him. But he doesn’t. Only because he doesn’t want to be hated by Kwon Taekjoo himself. Zhenya’s unwavering persistence, which didn’t suit him, made him feel a little sorry for him.

He felt inexplicably emotional. He felt like he had treated Zhenya badly. And strangely, he missed Zhenya.

“Hey, Kwon Taekjoo! Hey… Wake up. I don’t know where you live.”

He shook Kwon Taekjoo, who had fallen asleep face down. There was no reaction from him, completely passed out. A dozen empty soju bottles rolled on the table. Most of them had been drunk by Kwon Taekjoo alone. He had planned to have a pleasant drink after coming back from smoking a cigarette. It was definitely like that at first, but somewhere in the middle, Kwon Taekjoo started overdoing it. He just kept drinking without a word, and it seemed he had something bothering him, though no one knew what. His tendency to become more taciturn when worried was the same then as now.

Only about six people, including the two of them, remained in the bar. Even they couldn’t fully control their bodies. It was past 3 AM, so it was understandable. Still, they were conscious enough that there seemed to be no problem with them returning home.

It seemed they just needed to get Kwon Taekjoo home safely. But no suitable plan came to mind. Even finding his home address was an obstacle. Since they hadn’t kept in touch for nearly 10 years, no one knew where he lived. And they couldn’t just wait until he woke up. Even if he was a guy, he couldn’t abandon his best friend whom he hadn’t seen in 10 years.

He figured he’d have to check his ID. After hesitating, he started rummaging through his pockets. He tried to be as careful as possible, but his hand brushed his buttocks and thighs.

“Ugh… Zhenya…”

Kwon Taekjoo groaned softly, shifting his body. Zhenya? Was that his girlfriend’s nickname? He vaguely guessed, then pulled out the phone he found in his hand. That was all he had. No wallet, no ID.

A sigh escaped him. He checked the phone just in case, but it was locked. He was about to try flipping his eyelids, but it wasn’t a fingerprint or iris recognition system either. When his last hope vanished, he felt helpless.

Then, without warning, it vibrated. He flinched, startled. Kwon Taekjoo’s phone was ringing. The caller was ‘That Bastard Zhenya.’

“…Bastard? So it’s not his girlfriend?”

He cocked his head, then tried to touch the answer button. As expected, a security window appeared. It was unnecessarily strict and meticulous. He tried everything to answer the call, but there was no way. The vibration soon subsided. And then it immediately started again. This time too, the caller was ‘That Bastard Zhenya.’ That’s how the unanswered calls piled up.

“Oh, really. What should I do?”

He paced impatiently, frustrated.

Not long after, Yoo Nahyun’s phone rang. It seemed the taxi she had called had arrived.

“Hello? Oh, yes. I’ll be right out.”

Now there was really nothing else to do. He had no choice but to find a room and just dump him there.

“Hey guys, my taxi’s here. I’ll take him home, so could you help me move him to the taxi?”

At Yoo Nahyun’s request, the remaining alumni readily came over. But the three of them, clinging to Kwon Taekjoo, struggled just to lift him. It was partly because Kwon Taekjoo was completely limp, and partly because they were all too drunk to use their full strength, but even if they weren’t, it wouldn’t have been easy to support him.

“Hey, hey, this isn’t working. Each of you grab a limb.”

Under someone’s direction, they each took one of Kwon Taekjoo’s arms and legs. In that state, they left the bar and made their way to the main road. Yoo Nahyun also busily followed, gathering her coat and bag.

The taxi driver, seeing the group, quickly got out and opened the back door. The group struggled to push Kwon Taekjoo headfirst into the car.

Around that time, a sudden roar was heard from a distance. It sounded like someone was showing off their driving instincts again. The problematic noise grew louder and louder, until a Bugatti appeared in sight. The car stopped diagonally, blocking the taxi.

The group watched in a daze as the Bugatti’s driver’s side door opened. A tall foreigner stepped out. He was a handsome man with platinum blonde hair and refined features. He approached with a blank expression, step by step. His shadow enveloped the stunned group’s faces.

“Give him to me.”

The man spoke in an incomprehensible foreign language, presumably Russian, and abruptly pulled Kwon Taekjoo.

“Wh-who are you?” 

“Wait a minute!”

Kwon Taekjoo’s friends struggled with the man, not knowing what was going on. It was useless. Even with four of them pulling, they helplessly gave Kwon Taekjoo away. Yoo Nahyun also had his phone snatched from her hand in an instant.

The man slung Kwon Taekjoo over one shoulder and immediately headed to his car. Everything about him, his unique gaze, his aura, his movements, was rough, yet his actions of putting Kwon Taekjoo into the passenger seat were incredibly careful. After closing the door, the man walked around the car and got into the driver’s seat. Then, without a word of explanation to the bewildered group, he simply drove off. The Bugatti vanished from sight as quickly as it had appeared.

“What was that…?” 

“Who on earth was that man?” 

“Was it okay for us to just let him go like that? He’s not some loan shark or organ trafficker, is he?” 

“If he were, he’d have crammed him into the back seat or trunk. Would he have taken him so carefully?” 

“Well, that’s true, but…” 

“But what language was that earlier? Was it Russian?” 

“What’s his relationship with Kwon Taekjoo?”

Everyone just voiced their own questions. Even the taxi driver added, “Shouldn’t we report this?” Yoo Nahyun also looked anxiously in the direction the Bugatti had disappeared.

“That face… It looks strangely familiar. Like I’ve seen it somewhere.”

A friend who worked as a journalist, unrelated to their major, kept cocking his head. Soon, he pulled out his phone and searched for something. He focused on the fact that the man spoke what was presumed to be Russian and compared it with photos of important figures. Before long, he gasped.

“That’s right. The Russian Ambassador to Korea!” 

“What?”

Everyone’s gaze simultaneously turned to the empty road. It was as if they had been dreaming with their eyes open.

His body swayed without stopping. It wasn’t a pleasant vibration. The sudden drops made his already pounding head throb heavily. He groaned, struggling to lift his eyelids. Through his hazy vision, he faintly saw Zhenya’s face. For some reason, Zhenya looked annoyed. His eyes, glaring at Kwon Taekjoo, were sharply honed. His usual mischievous smile was nowhere to be found. Was it a dream?

“Zhenyaaa…”

He called out to Zhenya, but his words stretched out uncontrollably. His voice was also terribly hoarse. He must have drunk too much. Even after closing his eyes and opening them again, his vision didn’t clear much.

His throat was parched. And it was incredibly hot. His lungs were compressed, making it difficult to breathe. His entire body felt as if it were crushed under a rock. He called out to Zhenya again, suffocating. Zhenya didn’t answer this time either. Instead, he abruptly placed Kwon Taekjoo’s legs on both his shoulders. He then leaned forward significantly, stubbornly bending his knees. As a result, Kwon Taekjoo’s body was completely folded, almost floating. Only his head touched the bed. Blood instantly rushed to his face, making his brain feel even hazier. He tapped Zhenya’s arm, asking to be let down.

“What… Ung-euh… uhh… too, deep… Augh.”

Zhenya ignored him, slowly pushing the rest of his member all the way in. With Zhenya’s weight added, Kwon Taekjoo’s lower body spread with difficulty, and his abdomen filled with a dull ache. Zhenya’s scrotum slapped against his buttocks with a squelching sound, pressing tightly against him. As if that wasn’t enough, he rubbed their joined parts, trying to delve deeper inside. His airway was compressed, and his breath hitched. His face flushed red, feeling like it would burst.

“Just a moment, just… Aah, ung, ah-ah…!”

He sharpened his fingertips and tightly gripped Zhenya’s hand. Even with his nails digging into Zhenya’s skin, Zhenya continued to rub his firmly inserted lower body. Zhenya’s member, filling his abdomen, violently stirred his already softened insides. The undeniable sensation made Kwon Taekjoo’s limbs tense up. His opening and inner walls tightened in response, gripping Zhenya’s raging member tightly.

At that, Zhenya began to forcibly pull out his fully inserted member. The inner lining, which had been clinging to Zhenya, was scraped in reverse, making him involuntarily twitch. Both his buttocks trembled spasmodically. He didn’t know how much he had been tormented while unconscious, but his opening throbbed unbearably. He squeezed his eyes shut and writhed to reduce the stimulation. It was mostly futile. Despite Kwon Taekjoo’s pathetic struggles, Zhenya stubbornly pulled his member out completely. Then, after precariously hovering for a moment, he thrust it back in with a powerful slam. His repeatedly scraped inner walls split open before they could even react.

“Aaugh, uh… ung, uhh, hurt… Ah, haugh…”

Every time Zhenya thrust deep, his lower abdomen resonated with a dull, tingling ache. At the same time, his vision blurred further, and his breath kept catching in his throat. His mind was so fuzzy, yet the sensation of Zhenya’s member entering and exiting was strangely vivid. Then again, with such a massive erection thrusting into him, he probably couldn’t help but feel it, no matter how unconscious he was.

With successive deep thrusts, a repeated puffing sound came from where raw flesh met. Something slick, whether Zhenya’s semen or gel, overflowed from his opening and dripped out.

“Augh, ugh… Ah, why, ung! Ha, why again, uhh, my eyes… Aauugh!”

He couldn’t finish his sentence as Zhenya again pressed tightly and rubbed him vigorously. He had no idea why Zhenya was doing this. Or, for that matter, when and how they had met. He clearly remembered going to the alumni gathering, meeting Yoo Nahyun, and drinking with her. But he had no memory after that. Had he returned on his own feet? Or had Zhenya come to find him there himself? An uneasy thought sprouted.

But that too was momentary; even the leisure for other thoughts vanished. Zhenya had suddenly leaned his upper body further, adding his own weight. Zhenya’s knees wedged themselves under Kwon Taekjoo’s waist. His arms wrapped around Kwon Taekjoo’s wet back, firmly holding his shoulders from behind. The backs of their thighs pressed against Zhenya’s chest, squeezing them together. Kwon Taekjoo’s body was completely folded in half, effectively fixed to Zhenya. Their joint area was fully exposed upwards.

“…Ughhh.”

A violent pain exploded in his waist. The force pressing down from above was so immense that he couldn’t move at all. It felt like he could be crushed to death by Zhenya. His lost hands frantically clawed at the innocent bedsheets. Zhenya ignored him, explosively entering and exiting his opening.

“Aaah! Augh, uhh, ah… ung, ah-ah…!” “Taekjoo…”

Zhenya pressed Kwon Taekjoo flatter and kissed his face and neck. He called his name plaintively, as if clinging to him, while relentlessly plundering his lower body. His internal organs felt so pounded they were sticky. The moist membranes squelched continuously, clinging to the surface of Zhenya’s member. Zhenya reveled in that intricate sweetness, then unexpectedly scraped against the inner wall and slid out repeatedly. Just when he tried to get used to the sensation, Zhenya would press his lower body tightly again, rubbing him violently as if he would shove his balls all the way in. An intense burning sensation made his fingertips and toes tingle.

Kwon Taekjoo, pushed to his limit, smacked Zhenya’s arm. Due to the alcohol, he had no strength, so there was no impact. Zhenya bit his warm earlobe, intensely rubbing their perfectly joined lower bodies. He rubbed so hard that part of his balls felt like they might slip inside. Kwon Taekjoo, writhing in pleasure equal to the pain, slapped Zhenya’s shoulder again.

“Uuugh, haah… Sh-shit, it’s all just what you want… uhh, ugh.”

“…Taekjoo?”

Sensing something strange, Zhenya’s movements stopped. He took Kwon Taekjoo’s repeatedly striking hand and looked down at his face. Kwon Taekjoo, with a terribly distorted expression, kept muttering incomprehensible words.

“Ugh… If you’re going to disappear, then just disappear quickly, why are you lingering and messing with me?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. I’m the one who should be angry, not you. Are you trying to get ahead of me?”

Zhenya sneered, bewildered. Kwon Taekjoo was the one who had abandoned him with lies. He had thoroughly betrayed Zhenya’s rare sincerity, which was purely for him. All just to go to some gathering and pass out.

But Kwon Taekjoo showed no sign of apology. Instead, he was the one breathing heavily. It felt like more than just drunkenness; there was an old emotion mixed in. Perhaps accumulated feelings had exploded in his weakened state. He gasped roughly, his shoulders heaving, then abruptly pinched Zhenya’s cheek. His eyes, staring at Zhenya like he was an idiot, were full of resentment.

“Hey, Taekjoo. Why, after getting drunk somewhere else…” 

“Engagement?”

A completely unexpected word burst out. His heavy breathing seemed to be due to more than just intense sex.

“No way, you bastard.” 

“…Huh? Is that why you’re doing this?” 

“No matter what you say, I won’t give up. Even if you’re lonely on your own, I can’t help it.”

He had no idea what Kwon Taekjoo was trying to say. He was just dumbfounded by the complaints that lacked a clear subject or object. And even that, he was only revealing because he was drunk. Always so direct and quick-witted, yet so clumsy when it came to revealing his true feelings. He hadn’t seemed to care much about the engagement talk either.

Kwon Taekjoo’s firm voice suddenly lost its strength.

“Can’t you at least look after me? You, at least…”

His grumbling completely faded away. The hand that had been pinching Zhenya’s cheek also dropped limply. He had suddenly woken up and caused a ruckus, then fallen back asleep. A warm, sweet breath escaped Kwon Taekjoo’s slightly parted lips.

“He’s unpredictable, as always.”

He softly chided, then pressed his lips first to Kwon Taekjoo’s flushed cheek, then to his lips. A subtle static electricity arose. He lavished tender kisses, fiercely thrusting back into the depths that had momentarily stopped.

“Just sleep well, for now.”

The two intertwined figures remained inseparable long after that.

Consciousness returned, and his fingers twitched. A heavy sigh-like exhalation and a low groan simultaneously escaped him. Every part of his body ached. His mind was still hazy. He buried his head in the bedding, lingering a little longer. But a continuous vibrating sound kept disturbing his rest.

Unable to even open his eyes, he fumbled around on the bed. Even that slight movement made every muscle in his body scream. Groaning, he searched for his still-noisy phone. It took him a long time to finally get his hands on it.

He grudgingly lifted his eyelids. After a few clumsy attempts, he finally unlocked it. He wondered what alarm kept ringing, but it turned out his SNS messenger was exploding. There must have been at least 300 unread messages, most of them from the group chat with his colleagues.

Yoon Jongwoo had sent at least 50. There were over 100 missed calls. About 20 of those were from Yoon Jongwoo, his mother, and Yoo Na-hyun, and the rest were from ‘that bastard Zhenya.’

“…What the hell.”

He checked Yoon Jongwoo’s messages first. He had been reporting the situation almost every 10 minutes after Kwon Taekjoo left. His calls became more frequent just after midnight.

(Senior, are you still far?) 

(Yevgeny found out you liedㅠ) 

(His expression isn’t good.) 

(Please answer your phoneㅠㅠ)

Yoon Jongwoo’s desperate feelings could be sensed in the text. The very last message said, ‘Yevgeny suddenly disappeared.’ It was around that time that Kwon Taekjoo’s phone had started buzzing incessantly.

Next, he went into the group chat with his colleagues. The first thing he saw was talk about the Russian ambassador. A shiver ran down his spine. Instantly, his head cleared, and his eyes snapped open. He scrolled back to the top and carefully read each accumulated message.

The colleagues who had remained until the end were chattering about Zhenya’s appearance. They were trying to put a drunk Kwon Taekjoo into a taxi when a Bugatti suddenly appeared, and a flamboyant foreigner got out and abruptly took him away. Someone even found and uploaded Zhenya’s official profile. Below that, for a while, his colleagues fiercely debated whether Kwon Taekjoo’s profession was a diplomat or a bodyguard. Someone, sharply, wondered why, if it was a professional relationship, he would interfere with private plans.

That alone gave him a rough idea of the situation. He sighed, tearing at his innocent hair. He shouldn’t have drunk so much.

‘He’s the one who broke Kwon Taekjoo’s stubborn “absolutely not.”‘

Talking with Yoo Na-hyun filled him with complicated feelings. Zhenya kept coming to mind, and the various recent events made his stomach churn. They had only been together for a year, and they weren’t committed for life. Moreover, Zhenya thought nothing of meeting other people, talking about engagements and whatnot. He was always like that. It wasn’t that he didn’t know; rather, he should have been pleased, as it was what he wanted, but it wasn’t turning out that way. That monster, pretending to be affectionately sentimental, was utterly despicable.

“Son of a bitch.”

He cursed and tried to get up. Then he grabbed his waist, groaning in pain. He couldn’t put any strength into his spine, as if his joints had come undone. Even the slightest movement creaked and ached.

Each time he vaguely woke up, he remembered Zhenya being on top of him. Even when Kwon Taekjoo passed out, Zhenya always did as he pleased, but yesterday seemed excessive.

He stumbled out of the bedroom. In the mirror he passed, his face looked like a corpse. His physical condition was terrible. It would be faster to find a spot without teeth marks. There were many places where he had been bitten and sucked so much that dark blue ecchymosis had formed. His lips were not just chapped but swollen, and his eyelids were practically raw. He touched his nipples, which were stinging even when still, and inadvertently groaned.

“Agh…”

He usually bit and sucked like a dog, but when he sulked, he really bit as if he meant it. At such times, it was hard to tell if they were having sex or just rutting.

“Where did that damned bastard go?”

He looked around, intending to hit him on the back. For some reason, the house seemed empty. He opened the quiet bathroom door and even went out onto the balcony. But Zhenya was nowhere to be seen. He wouldn’t have gone to work on a weekday, but today was strictly Sunday. He wouldn’t have left Kwon Taekjoo behind to see his mother, let alone the embassy. Had he gone to the convenience store alone again?

First, he took a shower. Just standing under the pouring water made his skin tingle from the inside. No matter how many times he experienced it, that sensation never got familiar.

He finished his shower more slowly than usual and came out. The house was still chilly. He picked up his phone, intending to call Zhenya. Just then, it vibrated. But it wasn’t Zhenya calling. ‘Yoo Na-hyun’ appeared on the screen. If she had run into Zhenya early in the morning, she would have been quite surprised. He needed to check if she had been harmed. He touched the call button.

“Yeah.”

“Kwon Taekjoo, are you alive?” 

“If I were dead, would I answer?” 

“Your voice sounds like you’re on your last legs, though? The hangover must be serious, huh?” 

“Did you call to check that?”

Around then, he sensed a presence outside the door. He craned his neck and looked down the hallway leading to the entrance. Before long, he met Zhenya’s eyes as he walked in. The bastard said nothing. He just stared at Kwon Taekjoo, then walked down the hallway and headed for the kitchen. There was a subtly cold aura about him. He seemed to be sulking again.

“No. I’m leaving again after the holidays. Thought it might be hard to see you before then. I’ll send you an invitation, so make sure to bring your ‘objectively pretty’ lover, okay?” 

“Well…”

He glanced at Zhenya. The bastard was tidying up the things he’d bought, and their eyes met. Displeasure was clearly etched on his face.

“We’ll see. If I’m not busy then.” 

“Beg your boss, it’s your only best friend’s wedding. You seem to be his favorite, won’t he grant you that much?” 

“What are you talking about now?” 

“It’s true, isn’t it? What kind of boss personally comes to pick up a drunk subordinate? And keeps calling late at night. On a weekend, too.” 

“No, that all has a reason… there was an urgent matter at the embassy, and I accidentally left out important documents…”

He made a clumsy excuse. He didn’t even know what he was saying. He struggled, trying to make his dulled mind work. He even writhed in agony, unable to think of a sharp counter.

Zhenya watched his bizarre behavior, frowning and crossing his arms.

“You’re not, by any chance, involved with that boss, are you?” 

“Involved with what?! Are you still drunk?” 

“No, in my opinion, that man’s gaze was quite unusual. If you don’t intend anything, be careful.” 

“Hey, if you’re going to spout strange nonsense, just hang up.” 

“So old-fashioned. Even if you’re not, your boss might be, so take my advice to heart.” 

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, hang up. Goodbye.” 

“Don’t forget to come to my wedding, okay?”

She hung up after saying her piece to the very end. The surroundings quickly fell silent. He took the phone away from his ear and looked at Zhenya. The bastard had already averted his gaze and was busy tidying up. He always brings back ramen, even though I tell him to stop.

Feeling subtly guilty, he lingered nearby. After all, he had indeed deceived the bastard, so he felt he had to offer an excuse or an apology.

“Hey, yesterday…” 

“You certainly made a fool of me.” 

“No, that’s…” 

“Was it fun? Fun enough to completely forget about someone like me.” 

“I just intended to check in quickly.” 

“For that, you seemed completely wasted. Couldn’t answer your phone. Oh, or did you intentionally not answer?”

He twisted his words, ridiculing him as much as he could. Because of whom did he drink that much? He felt indignant, but he was speechless. Deceiving Zhenya wasn’t a mistake.

“I already said I’d go, so I couldn’t back out. And I wanted to meet him at least once, after 10 years.” 

“Who were you missing so much? That woman you just talked to?” 

“What kind of imagination do you have? It’s not like that.”

“It’s not, but why did you lie?” 

“Well, because you’d misunderstand strangely like this…”

He was actively explaining, but the bastard suddenly shook his head. It seemed he wouldn’t listen. It also seemed to mean there was no need for a lengthy explanation.

“Taekjoo. Don’t be mistaken. Your freedom is purely because I allowed it. I’ve let you loose, for now.”

They say humans don’t change easily, and he was still threatening like that. What should have been natural in a romantic relationship, he made out to be an enormous act of consideration. For him, even such a natural mindset required unprecedented effort, patience, and compromise.

“It means I’m ready to accept even a minor complaint, so you don’t have to foolishly try to deceive me.”

The next words somehow felt like he was being coaxed.

“Where I am, who I meet, what I’m doing. If you want to obsess, to control, then do it.” 

“…What?” 

“Whether it’s a reluctant engagement or marriage. If you don’t like it, openly make a scene. I’ll find it endearing.” 

“What kind of nonsense is this all of a sudden?” 

“Didn’t you say ‘no way’? And something about killing me if I disappeared or went into hiding without warning?” 

“M-me?” 

“You threatened me in various languages.”

His ears burned. His heart began to pound rapidly. What kind of disgraceful behavior had he displayed? His eyes wandered, lost. Heat instantly spread to his neck. It was a rare sign of embarrassment.

Zhenya, in a slow tone, said ‘Is that all?’ and further exposed the previous night’s misdeeds.

“You cried all night, begging me to look at you.” 

“Y-you’re lying! There’s no way I did that.” 

“Yes, you did. Taekjoo.”

He affirmed, suddenly taking a step closer. He didn’t want to show his undoubtedly flushed face. Zhenya’s direct gaze was also uncomfortable. He avoided his gaze and tried to push the bastard away, but the bastard instead wrapped his arm around his waist and pulled him close. He grabbed his chin and turned his head forward. Their eyes met, so close their stomachs almost touched. The bastard looked into Kwon Taekjoo’s eyes, where he was reflected, as if to lick them.

“Don’t be impatient. I’m not disappearing. I’ll only be gone from your side when you’re dead.”

The hands holding Kwon Taekjoo tightened. “It hurts,” he said, but the bastard’s grip wouldn’t loosen.

“So don’t even imagine such things, unless you want me to kill you with my own hands.”

How could even a romantic confession be so chilling, just like him? He found it absurd and laughed. Zhenya’s face became visibly displeased, perhaps thinking he was being mocked. He pulled both of Zhenya’s ears and kissed him lightly. The disgruntled expression on the bastard’s face smoothed out instantly. When he kissed him repeatedly, even a hint of bewilderment appeared in Zhenya’s crimson eyes. He always reacted so innocently when Kwon Taekjoo initiated physical affection. This is why others called him a monster, but to Kwon Taekjoo, he could only be a child.

“You…”

Is he really okay? Isn’t he lonely being by my side? Is he perhaps exhausted?

Just as he was about to ask, his phone rang. It wasn’t Kwon Taekjoo’s phone. He gestured with his chin towards Zhenya’s phone, which kept ringing. But Zhenya seated Kwon Taekjoo on the table and patiently, ardently, awaited the next display of affection. He didn’t seem to have any intention of answering the phone. Left with no choice, he checked the phone instead. An unknown number was displayed on the screen. It didn’t even seem to be a domestic call. While he hesitated to answer, the call ended.

Even though it was a call for him, Zhenya paid it no mind. He merely pressed his lips to Kwon Taekjoo’s neck, murmuring, “Taekjoo.” Kwon Taekjoo tilted his head slightly and embraced the bastard’s head. With long fingers, he caressed the soft ivory hair, languidly massaging his scalp. Zhenya’s breath deepened. He rubbed his sharp nose against Kwon Taekjoo’s neck and earlobe, enjoying his scent, then suddenly bunched his tongue against his prominent Adam’s apple. The sensitive spot became warm and wet, quickly arousing him. He massaged Zhenya’s ear, as if calming him, but actually inciting him further.

Just then, the phone vibrated again. He glanced at it, and it was the same number. Whoever it was seemed to need to contact him urgently. As he was about to press the answer button, Zhenya suddenly bit his lip and held on. It seemed like a silent protest, telling him not to answer. Kwon Taekjoo chuckled and tilted his head slightly. Then, blocking Zhenya’s mouth as he tried to lunge again, he finally answered the phone.

“Hello?” 

“…Huh? Who is this?”

It was a young woman speaking Russian, abruptly asking who he was. A strong sense of déjà vu washed over him. The other person seemed to feel the same, asking in surprise.

“Taekjoo?”

That voice was unmistakably Olga.

“Taekjoo! Long time no see.”

Olga smiled brightly and opened the door. Zhenya walked past her and entered first. Olga didn’t even spare a glance at her brother.

“When did you arrive?” 

“Last night. Didn’t that person say anything?” 

“Not at all.” 

“I knew it. He just dumped me here last night and then just left? And he ignored all my calls.”

She grumbled incessantly. There was nothing he could say. He had an unfounded certainty that Zhenya had left Olga alone to come pick him up. Moreover, from dawn until the sun was high in the sky, they had been having sex, so there was no chance to hear news of Olga.

He cleared his throat unnecessarily and changed the subject.

“Why did you suddenly come?” 

“Why, of course. He’s my flesh and blood, after all. I came to see how he was doing, all alone in a foreign land.” 

“Is he a child? How shameless. If you sent him, you should have worried about this country, not him.” 

“That’s exactly what I mean! Did it sound different? The family is worried that he might cause another incident and lead to diplomatic friction. Nothing’s happened yet, right?”

As expected, they sent him knowing. They clearly sent him on purpose, knowing everything. At this point, being shameless seemed to be a family trait.

“And it would be nice to see Taekjoo and experience what kind of country Korea is.”

It seemed the real purpose was the latter.

He entered the official residence belatedly. The first thing he noticed was the three largest suitcases strewn haphazardly on the reception room floor. He couldn’t tell how many days she intended to stay. It felt like another troublesome burden had been added.

“You, lunch?” 

“I’m waiting.” 

“What did you order?” 

“Yes.” 

“How?” 

“Is there a special way? You just order it, right?”

Olga looked as if she had no idea why he was asking that. Had she mastered in a day what Zhenya had barely learned in a year of living in Korea? Or was she unexpectedly fluent in Korean?

“Please sit down first. Would you like some fruit?”