Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 86

She rustled a large convenience store bag and took out fruits. They were small, pre-packaged oranges, melons, pineapples, grapes, etc. She bought a lot for someone alone. There were three or four more bags of that size. Convenience stores aren’t called convenience stores for nothing, but the two siblings were exactly alike in shopping for days’ worth of groceries.

“I thought fruits would be more delicious in Korea since it’s a warm country, but I guess not?” 

“That’s because you bought them at a convenience store. No matter what anyone says, you have to see and buy fruit directly at a traditional market.” 

“Really? Then let’s go there too.”

‘There too’? The nuance was strange. Before misunderstanding and getting disappointed unnecessarily, he clarified his position.

“I didn’t say I’d go with you. I don’t have time to play with you.” 

“Are you pretending to be busy? You said you met friends and drank yesterday. You’re playing around now too.” 

“Yesterday and today are the weekend.” 

“Exactly. You wouldn’t think of taking up my working hours, would you? They say Korean public officials leave work at six in the evening? And if it’s a flexible work schedule like yours, you can adjust your time flexibly, right?”

Who taught her such things? At least it didn’t seem to be Zhenya. Because he was constantly glaring at his younger sister with his arms crossed, clearly displeased.

“Actually, I didn’t have high expectations coming here. I mean, Korea is a small country. Even on the map, it looks like a tiny bean, and it’s even divided in half. But it’s incredibly developed! The hygiene and service are good, and the people are sophisticated. The traffic seems even worse than in Moscow.” 

“Always calling it a ‘tiny bean,’ ‘tiny bean.’ Anyone would think you’re giants. Is your entire ethnicity arrogant, or is that just your personality?” 

“What else would you call something small if not small? Anyway, it was surprising that it didn’t look like a country at war.” 

“Well, that’s because it’s practically the end of the war. Now it’s just in a state of military tension out of habit.” 

“Hmm. It’s difficult. Why drag it out when one side could just sweep the other away?”

Olga shrugged indifferently. Compared to Zhenya, she seemed normal, but every now and then, she reminded him that she was a Bogdanov.

“Oh, and the food was really delicious! As soon as I arrived, I ate Korean BBQ to my heart’s content. I wanted to visit a historical palace in another country at least once, and it happened to be open at night, so I went right away yesterday.”

He thought she had made good use of her short time. At the same time, he wondered who had accompanied her. Zhenya would never do something so sweet. He was still silently protesting Olga.

“Oh, I also took some pictures. Want to see?”

Olga, ignoring Zhenya’s glare, held out her phone. There must have been at least a hundred pictures taken at the palace. To Kwon Taekjoo’s eyes, the background, composition, and people all looked the same. It clearly wasn’t a selfie, so had she hired a photographer? He wondered who would so diligently take pictures of others if it wasn’t for work.

While he was listening to Olga’s various impressions, the intercom rang. Olga said “It’s here!” and sprang up from her seat. The lunch she had ordered in advance seemed to have arrived. He followed her without suspicion.

The front door opened, and the person who entered was none other than Yoon Jongwoo. He greeted them with a silly, idiotic smile, but then flinched the moment he saw Kwon Taekjoo.

“S-senior. You were here?”

“What are you doing here?” 

“Uh, well…”

His eyes darted around, searching for an excuse. Just then, Olga stepped forward.

“Welcome. What about what I asked for yesterday?” 

“Ah, here. I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I just bought all the famous ones for now.” 

“Wow, you’re so kind. Come in.”

She readily welcomed Yoon Jongwoo into the house. Yoon Jongwoo looked around the residence unfamiliarly as he followed Olga to the table. He then flinched when he saw Zhenya sitting there.

“Haha, Yevgeny-ssi was here too…”

He forced a laugh, but his voice was barely a whisper.

What Yoon Jongwoo had bought was gimbap. It seemed he had rounded up all the famous gimbap, including those filled with specific ingredients like cucumber or egg, those coated in egg wash and grilled, and those dipped in mustard sauce.

“Yoon Jongwoo.” 

“…Yes?” 

“Explain. How do you two know each other?” 

“We became friends. Yesterday, uh, she said it was her first time in Korea. So I, uh, escorted her around a bit.”

Only then did all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Olga eating Korean BBQ as soon as she arrived, visiting the palace at night, and the hundreds of photos – it all made sense. He had worried about how Zhenya would spend his time when he left him with Yoon Jongwoo, but it seemed his worries were unfounded. Seeing Yoon Jongwoo constantly beaming at Olga, his guilt towards him completely vanished.

“I told you to be friends with this bastard, not his sister.”

He scoffed, and Yoon Jongwoo, having nothing to say, pressed his lips together. But then, Zhenya, who was sitting next to him, subtly raised his chin. He also puffed out his chest, unexpectedly looking proud. Kwon Taekjoo couldn’t understand why.

Seeing that, Yoon Jongwoo fidgeted, glancing at Kwon Taekjoo. He seemed to know something.

“Hey.” 

“Yes?” 

“Why can’t you see my eyes?” 

“W-when did I ever?” 

“R-right now, you are, aren’t you?” 

“Ah, don’t tease me!” 

“You bastard, you know why he’s like this, don’t you?” 

“N-no, I don’t!” 

“You do, though?” 

“I don’t!” 

“You know.” 

“…Oh, come on. Yevgeny-ssi likes it so much, just let it be that.” 

“I need to know what it is to ‘just let it be that.’ It’s unsettling…”

“Wow! This is really delicious. You two will try some too.”

While he was arguing intensely, Olga unexpectedly fed him gimbap. Her hands were big; he couldn’t tell how many grains she shoved in at once. He grudgingly chewed the food in his mouth, staring intently at Yoon Jongwoo. Yoon Jongwoo simply lowered his eyes and his cheeks twitched. Even though he was intimidated by the sharp glare, he enthusiastically nodded to Olga’s “It’s delicious, right?” His face was not just smiling foolishly, but his facial muscles were clearly relaxed. Anyway,

How much time had passed? His quiet phone rang. It was his mother. He immediately touched the call button.

“Yes, Mom. I’m heading home now. Do you need me to buy anything?”

His mother said she was starting to prepare dinner and asked if he wanted anything specific. With his hangover still bothering him, he craved something with a refreshing broth. As he pondered a suitable menu, Yoon Jongwoo abruptly interjected.

“Hello, Mother? It’s Jongwoo.” 

“Oh my, Jongwoo? Are you with Jongwoo?” “…Yes, I guess.”

He pushed away Yoon Jongwoo, who was clinging to his phone. He only gets friendly like this when it’s inconvenient. His mother was overjoyed to hear his voice after a long time.

“Don’t be like that, Jongwoo, come too. It’s been a while, let me feed you a meal.” “Ah. It’s the weekend. He probably wants to rest, would he want to go to his boss’s house?” “No, Mother! I’m free today!”

He raised his voice, not knowing when to be tactful and back off. Even glaring at him as a silent warning was useless. Even his mother sided with Yoon Jongwoo.

“He says so. Make sure to bring him, okay? I’ll make the galbi-jjim Jongwoo likes.” “Thank you, Mother. See you in a bit!” “Alright, see you soon. Oh, if you have time, please bring the Ambassador too. I talked to him earlier today, but I don’t know if he understood properly.”

Ah. A sigh escaped from deep within him. When had she talked to Zhenya again? Was it when he was passed out on the bastard’s bed? Had he blabbered any more unspeakable vulgarities? He looked intently at Zhenya. The bastard had an innocent expression, as if asking why he was looking at him like that. He didn’t know why they talked so earnestly when they couldn’t even understand each other.

He sighed and said, “Okay.”

“Whose call was that?”

Just as he finished the call, Olga reminded him of her presence. She showed immense curiosity, asking, “Who was it that your voice changed so much?”

Ah, right, she was here too. What to do with her?

He looked at Zhenya again. The bastard seemed oblivious. The one who had left his sister at a residence he himself had only visited a few times, wouldn’t bother to take care of her today either. In his heart, he wanted to leave them all behind and go by himself. But he had already said he would bring them, and his mother would prepare food according to the number of people, so he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t just leave someone who had come from far away, especially with a chronic illness, alone just because they were bothersome.

He suddenly felt exhausted. He sighed deeply, as if the ground were sinking.

Suddenly, a shopping bag flew towards him. He reflexively caught it. If he hadn’t, it surely would have hit him. He didn’t know how many it had been already. Utterly tired and fed up, he tried to dissuade Olga.

“Hey, let’s just go.” “Oh my, but how can I go empty-handed when I’ve been invited? One has some shame, you know.” “You weren’t invited; you just tagged along.”

“That one’s pretty. Show me that one too.”

When he hit a nerve, she blatantly ignored him and focused on shopping. He now understood why Zhenya had said he’d go ahead if Kwon Taekjoo was bringing “that one.”

It took two hours just to choose clothes and accessories. They waited another hour and a half at the salon for hair and makeup. She acted as if she were attending a party, not just going to get a meal.

He lost count of how many luxury stores they had visited. Yoon Jongwoo, who had volunteered to be the baggage handler, had long since given up all ten fingers. If left alone, she would even carry things in her mouth, he thought, as he carried one bag after another, but his hands were no longer free.

“Stop buying things and let’s go, please. There’s nowhere to put all this.” “Hmm. There aren’t many brands. All the stock is gone too.”

She ignored his words and just complained absurdly. These aristocrats, he muttered to himself in anger. Yoon Jongwoo next to him chuckled, saying, “It sounds like a compliment but also like an insult.” This bastard had no sense.

“Hmm, I don’t know what her skin tone is, so please give me this, this, and that too.”

Finally, Olga was about to buy all the scarves, differing only in color. Unable to watch any longer, he snatched the card she was handing over.

“No. This isn’t necessary. Thank you for showing us the items.”

“No, why… I haven’t even looked at shoes yet.”

Olga looked back longingly at the scarves she couldn’t buy. To think she was planning to buy shoes too; they almost wouldn’t have had dinner. He rejected her request to at least let her buy wine as a gift and headed home.

Arriving at the underground parking lot, Zhenya’s Bugatti, already there, came into view. As usual, it occupied all three parking spaces. Olga, recognizing her brother’s car, sharply clicked her tongue.

“He parked terribly. I told you, they should install electric saws on parking lines? So they can immediately cut off anyone who crosses the line. That way, he wouldn’t park like that.”

She proved herself to be a Bogdanov once again. It seemed fortunate that Yoon Jongwoo didn’t understand Russian.

With so much luggage, they barely squeezed into the elevator. He unlocked the door lock with his pinky and gruntingly opened the front door. A gasp escaped Olga.

“Is this Taekjoo’s house? I expected it to be, but it’s really cozy.”

That “cozy” house was a whopping 48 pyeong (approx. 1700 sq ft).

“Your house is unnecessarily big, that’s all.”

While he grumbled, his mother opened the inner door and came out. She was wearing a lace-trimmed apron, as if she had been cooking. It seemed to be new. The home dress she wore underneath was also something he hadn’t seen before. If he had only brought Yoon Jongwoo, she wouldn’t have dressed up so much.

Olga tactfully stepped forward and handed the bouquet she had bought first to his mother. It was so enormous that his mother was almost buried in flowers.

“Hello? Nice to meet you. Thank you for inviting us.” 

“Welcome. Oh my, it’s enough just that you came, but why so much? Taekjoo, is this the Ambassador’s sister? She’s as beautiful as a fairy.”

His mother’s eyes sparkled with delight. She called Zhenya an angel, and now Olga a fairy. Would she still think so if she knew what kind of family they were born and raised in?

Yoon Jongwoo, who had almost been crushed by the luggage, peeked his head out.

“Mother, I’m here too.” 

“Oh, Jongwoo, welcome. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Why has it been so hard to see your face? I told you to come anytime you want to eat. Your face has gotten so thin.” 

“I always wanted to come, Mother. If only someone wouldn’t give me the evil eye…”

He mumbled the rest almost inaudibly. Even that was cut short by Kwon Taekjoo’s glare.

“Come in. The Ambassador has been waiting for a long time.”

He followed his mother, who seemed excited, to the living room. Zhenya, as usual, was sitting at the dining table, enjoying refreshments. His mother must have been busy preparing food, yet she still carefully peeled a pear for him to eat. Sometimes, it felt like she cherished him more than her own son. She probably wouldn’t even do that for a handsome son-in-law.

“You took your sweet time coming.”

Zhenya chided him while chewing on a sweet pear. Seeing his calm face, Kwon Taekjoo felt his teeth grind.

“If you knew she was like this, you should have stopped her right away, you bastard.” 

“I did stop her.” 

“You should have stopped her more earnestly, more desperately.” 

“You’re getting angry in a strange way again.”

He clicked his tongue in disbelief and picked at a pear slice. He grabbed the bastard’s hand and snatched the pear slice, eating it. It was cut into perfect bite-sized pieces, making it easy to chew. The crisp fruit crunched, cooling his mouth. The energy he had lost from the long wait and shopping seemed to surge back. When he said, “It’s delicious,” the bastard silently picked up another piece of pear and held it to his mouth. It felt less like a display of affection and more like an interesting and novel game. What did it matter? As long as he was cute.

Enjoying the rare tender moment and taking what he was given, his mother, passing by, slapped him on the back.

“This kid, always stealing the Ambassador’s food.” 

“No, he’s giving it to me…” 

“Don’t just stand there, help set the table or something.” 

“…I was going to.”

It was unfair, but it was true that he had taken the food. He had intended to set the table right away, but in a situation where he had already been scolded first, it was just a flimsy excuse.

Together with Yoon Jongwoo, he laid out the spoons and chopsticks, scooped rice, and diligently carried the dishes his mother portioned out. Even though he had repeatedly said they would eat simply, the table was quickly full.

Meanwhile, Olga was exploring the house on her own. When she discovered a young Kwon Taekjoo in a framed photo his mother had displayed, she burst out laughing openly. She didn’t hesitate to point fingers. His mother, even seeing that, simply praised her for having a cheerful personality.

After setting all the prepared food, they sat down at the 6-person dining table. Yeonnopotang (octopus hot pot) was boiling on the portable induction cooktop. Whenever his mother dined with Zhenya, she always put a clear soup with fish or seafood on the table. This was because Zhenya liked ‘Ukha,’ a Russian fish soup.

“Now, there’s not much, but eat a lot.” 

“Wow. When did you prepare all this, Mother? I thought it was Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving).”

Yoon Jongwoo joked. Olga’s eyes were wide as she busied herself admiring the colorful dishes. Indeed, nothing was casually made. The jeon (Korean pancakes) were garnished with chili and mugwort, and the fish dish had colorful jidan (egg garnish). Even the chestnuts, radishes, and carrots in the galbi-jjim were shaped round. No matter how he looked at it, he felt like he had unnecessarily brought three troublemakers.

“Thank you for the meal,” he said, just about to take his first bite. Suddenly, his mother got up from her seat. She seemed to have forgotten something. She returned quickly and placed a fork in front of Zhenya. There were only fruit forks in the house. They didn’t usually eat Western food, and Kwon Taekjoo and his brother had used chopsticks since childhood. The fork looked completely new. It seemed she had bought it separately for Zhenya. Zhenya smiled silently. His mother also smiled contentedly.

Yoon Jongwoo and Olga watched the scene with unfamiliar expressions. If Kwon Taekjoo himself wasn’t used to it, how much more so for the two of them?

His mother, about to offer galbi-jjim to Olga, suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, my goodness!” 

“My head’s in a fog. I didn’t think that my sister would also be clumsy with chopsticks. What should I do?”

She flustered, as if she had made a big mistake. Olga tactfully grasped the situation and dismissed his mother’s worries.

“Ah, you can do it like this.”

She deliberately jabbed a piece of galbi with two chopsticks, demonstrating. But she couldn’t transfer it to her bowl. The greasy meat slipped along the chopsticks, falling back into the bowl or rolling onto the table. Each time, Yoon Jongwoo and his mother exclaimed, “Oh dear!” with regret. In contrast, Zhenya merely mocked his sister’s fierce attempts and failures. He poked the bastard’s arm.

“Hey, give her that fork.” 

“Why should I?” 

“Will she even be able to eat properly like that?” 

“That’s none of my business either.” 

“If you just leave her, our mother will go buy a fork right away. Let’s not make things inconvenient for both of us.”

“Yeah,” he said, picking up a donggeurang-ttaeng (meatball pancake) and placing it on Zhenya’s rice. He also implied, “You can just eat it like this if I give it to you.” He had done it without much thought, but a strange silence fell. When he looked up, everyone was staring at him. Zhenya also stared intently at the donggeurang-ttaeng on his rice, as if something strange had happened.

“…Why? What?” 

“No, it’s nothing. Then I’ll use this.”

Olga gave a strange smile and quickly picked up the fork. His mother also said, “Let’s eat,” with a satisfied look.

During the meal, he carefully picked out only the side dishes Zhenya could eat and placed them on his plate. The bastard, who usually had so much to say, was strangely quiet. He even silently ate the gochujang-myeolchi-bokkeum (stir-fried anchovies with red pepper paste) that Kwon Taekjoo had put on his plate, wondering if it would be okay. He quickly turned red and drank water, but he didn’t pick a fight as usual, asking if he had done it on purpose.

Olga picked at the various new dishes and ate well. Unlike Zhenya, she quite enjoyed the spicy flavors. Yoon Jongwoo intermittently explained the main ingredients, general taste, and nutritional components of the food. Korean, Russian, and English naturally mingled at the table.

“Oh!”

During the meal, Olga spotted something and overtly pointed at it with her finger. It was kimchi. She told the others, who were curious about the situation, that when she first saw kimchi, she thought it was spoiled and tried to throw it away. Laughter erupted, making the atmosphere at the table even livelier. Though their spoken languages differed, there was no difficulty in sharing the moment.

His mother ceaselessly distributed and offered food, watching the four of them with satisfaction.

“It’s been so long since it’s been this bustling.” 

“If you just call, I can come every single day, Mother.”

Yoon Jongwoo scooped more rice for himself, fawning. His mother brightened, telling him to do so as much as he liked, and also refilled his soup.

“Then I’ll really come without hesitation, okay?”

Yoon Jongwoo, who was responding cheerfully, suddenly flinched. Kwon Taekjoo was constantly giving him the evil eye, but now even Zhenya was glaring coldly at him. Had he said something wrong? Even if he had, Zhenya, who didn’t understand Korean, couldn’t have understood him.

His mother, who had placed a bowl of soup in front of Yoon Jongwoo, asked Zhenya if he wanted more. The sharp gaze in the bastard’s eyes miraculously softened. Yoon Jongwoo was dumbfounded.

“I’m not just saying it, come often. I get lonely eating alone, so you’re always welcome. It’s okay if you come without Taekjoo knowing, alright?” 

“Yes, Mother.” 

“Ambassador too. Please visit often in the future, and even after your term ends.”

His mother expressed early regret and repeatedly urged them. Kwon Taekjoo’s hand, engrossed in eating, paused.

Typically, an ambassador’s term is around two years. By that standard, he had a little less than a year left. But he hadn’t thought about what would happen after that. Would Zhenya still be here, by Kwon Taekjoo’s side, even after another year from now? Wouldn’t he sometimes want to return to where he originally came from?

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

Even though that was the most reassuring thing he could hear, he felt strangely uneasy. Unnecessarily, he started to overthink again.

The uninvited guests finished their meal and even had tea before leaving. By then, it was almost midnight. His mother, who usually went to bed early, came out to the entrance to see everyone off.

“Drive safely and come again. Jongwoo, be careful driving at night.” 

“Yes, Mother. Thank you for the meal and fun.”

They had already said their goodbyes and well wishes inside, but they exchanged another boisterous round of farewells. Olga held his mother’s hand and spoke of seeing her again soon, which was an unwelcome suggestion. He peeled her away from his mother and pushed her into the elevator. His mother subtly nudged him, telling him to see them off to the parking lot. They weren’t children, and it was extremely annoying, but he had no choice but to get into the elevator.

Olga and Yoon Jongwoo were busy chattering among themselves. Mostly, Yoon Jongwoo was explaining things Olga was curious about. He overheard them talking about the electronic display in the elevator.

He kept his eyes fixed on the display panel. He felt a direct gaze from behind him, but it was awkward to react in any way. He was hesitant to show his relationship with Zhenya, not just in front of Yoon Jongwoo, which was obvious, but even in front of Olga, who knew everything. The distance between them was barely a span. The situation, where their bodies almost touched, made him conscious and thus awkward. The time until they reached the parking lot felt longer than ever before.

As they exited the elevator, Yoon Jongwoo’s car was visible first. Yoon Jongwoo, the ultimate individualist who usually left parties first, lingered instead of hurrying off.

“It was fun today. Thanks to Olga-ssi, I got to have a delicious dinner.” 

“What are you talking about? She came because of you.”

He broke the mood, annoyed by his constant fawning. Yoon Jongwoo desperately refuted.

“Olga-ssi was the one who said she wanted to try gimbap first! If not for that, I wouldn’t have gone to the residence, and I wouldn’t have been invited by your mother either!” 

“You’re trying too hard. If that’s the case, then be grateful to me. If our mother hadn’t given birth to me, would you even have talked to her?” 

“Are you serious?” 

“You, too, stop it and get lost.”

He made a motion to kick his butt. Yoon Jongwoo reluctantly backed away towards the driver’s seat, yet still bowed deeply to Olga.

“Olga-ssi, please go safely.”

Olga smiled sweetly and waved her hand. Lured by that, it took him a long time just to find the door handle. If Yoon Jongwoo had been born in the Joseon Dynasty, wouldn’t he have had his liver taken out by the Byeoljubu (a character from a Korean folktale) or the Gumiho (nine-tailed fox)?

“Then see you tomorrow, Taekjoo.”

He was clicking his tongue, looking at his displeasing junior, when Olga unexpectedly said goodbye. She was so brazen that he thought he misheard her for a moment.

“Hey, why tomorrow? No. I’m working!”

Though he denied it at the top of his lungs, he was ignored and boarded the Bugatti. What kind of genes did they possess to be so arrogant, every single one of them? Blood was truly thick and terrifying.

He abruptly turned back to Zhenya. But the bastard was also glaring at his Bugatti. It seemed Kwon Taekjoo wasn’t the only one displeased with today’s situation.

“No need to worry, Taekjoo. I’ll send that one back tonight, if not sooner.”

He displayed blatant hostility towards his younger sister. It didn’t sound like an empty threat at all, making Taekjoo actually try to dissuade him.

“No need to do all that so late… Still, she came because she was worried about you.”

“Who?”

“…Surely she didn’t just come to play.”

Even as he defended Olga, he wasn’t entirely convinced. Zhenya let out a low snort. He gestured with his chin towards the Bugatti, telling him to get in.

“Go.”

“Go?”

He repeated Taekjoo’s words, questioning him. Was his pronunciation strange? He instinctively frowned, feeling as if Zhenya was mocking him.

“Why?”

“Just wondering if that’s how one usually says ‘go’.”

What had he done? Zhenya’s peculiar way of speaking, avoiding the core of the matter, only doubled his bewilderment.

“Just go. I’m tired.”

He urged him impatiently. Yet, Zhenya stared at Kwon Taekjoo for a while before abruptly reaching out. Taekjoo pulled his head back from the hand trying to grasp his chin. He also subtly pushed Zhenya’s arm away.

“…They’re watching.”

“Such a pain.”

He complained, as expected. Finally, he said, “I’m going,” and turned away first. By the time he reached the elevator, the Bugatti’s engine finally started. Then, the two cars exited the underground parking lot side by side. He waited until their lights completely faded before getting into the elevator.