"Oh dear, if I had known the ambassador was coming today, I would have prepared a meal at home,"
Kwon Taekjoo's mother said, visibly regretful.
"You should've told me he was coming,"
she added, scolding Kwon Taekjoo. He wondered how much longer his mother would continue treating Zhenya like royalty.
"Come on, it's nice to eat out once in a while. The food here looks good,"
he replied.
"Is it the same as a homemade meal made with love and effort? Besides, the ambassador is very particular about food."
"Nowadays, he eats just about anything."
Kwon Taekjoo kept reassuring his mother while discreetly kicking Zhenya under the table.
Forcing a smile, he asked,
"Isn't that right, Mr. Ambassador?"
Despite his subtle cries for help, Zhenya only gave him a confused look.
"Smile, you bastard."
"What? Out of nowhere?"
"And nod while you're at it,"
Kwon Taekjoo muttered. Zhenya raised his eyebrows, clearly disoriented, but then focused on Kwon Taekjoo's mother.
He smiled and nodded slowly, just
as Kwon Taekjoo had instructed. That simple smile was enough to ease her concerns.
"Thank goodness. Now, eat up, Mr. Ambassador."
Zhenya nodded again. Even though he still didn't understand Korean, he seemed to grasp the general meaning of her words.
He had always been quick to pick things up, and after spending so much time with Kwon Taekjoo's mother, it didn't surprise him anymore.
Out of habit, Kwon Taekjoo began arranging the side dishes he knew Zhenya could eat, placing them in front of him.
"Hurry up and start eating,"
he urged. Zhenya lifted his spoon and tasted the ginseng chicken soup, then carefully picked up a piece of chicken with his fork and took a small bite.
Kwon Taekjoo watched him eat until he couldn't stand it any longer and started handling Zhenya's stone pot with his chopsticks.
"Ugh, what the hell? You're just picking at your food."
With practiced ease, Kwon Taekjoo separated the chicken thighs and placed them in a separate bowl, shredding the meat into medium-sized pieces.
Only then did Zhenya spear the white meat with his fork and pop it into his mouth.
He closed his eyes gracefully, savoring
the flavor. He didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable being served by someone else.
Annoyed by the sight, Kwon Taekjoo muttered,
"Spoiled prince."
As usual, Zhenya took it as a compliment, lifting his head with a satisfied smile.
Kwon Taekjoo clicked his tongue and
was about to dive into his own meal when he caught his mother's gaze.
For some reason, she gave him a knowing smile.
"Why aren't you eating, mother?"
"You know, it would have been so nice if you'd done that for him from the start."
"Done what?"
"He may be younger, but he's still your boss. You should treat him well, like you just did. Who else can the ambassador rely on in this foreign country? I was worried you'd act recklessly with him, but it's so nice to see you two getting along so well."
"Getting along? He's supposed to be my superior, but he can't even take care of himself. I had no choice but to help him."
"Oh, Taekjoo. Why are you being so shy about it?"
"I'm not. Now hurry up and eat; the food's getting cold."
"Alright, let's eat."
His mother neatly separated a chicken thigh from her own stone pot, placed it on a plate, and handed it to Zhenya.
"Mr ambassador, we're nearing the end of summer. In Korea, we replenish our strength by eating healthy foods like this. I know you're prone to heatstroke, so have some of this to regain your energy."
Zhenya obediently accepted the plate with a smile, and Kwon Taekjoo's mother responded with one of her own.
No matter how many times Kwon Taekjoo witnessed this kind of exchange, it always caught him off guard.
"Taekjoo, would you like some too...?"
"No, I'm good. I have enough."
His mother tried to offer him the last chicken thigh, but Kwon Taekjoo firmly refused. She complained that she couldn't eat much due to her age and insisted on putting the thigh in his
bowl anyway.
In response, Kwon Taekjoo pulled a thigh from his own chicken and placed it
on her plate. Zhenya watched them argue with amusement and remarked with a chuckle,
"Koreans are funny."
Kwon Taekjoo's mother turned to Zhenya and asked if he was enjoying the meal. Zhenya's eyes curved into a smile.
For a man like him, the way he played along was almost too
charming.
"The ambassador's birthday is coming up, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Did you tell him I want to make him a birthday meal?"
"Mother, any meal would be more than enough. Why go through the trouble of a special birthday meal?"
"Well, you only have a birthday once a year. We could invite a few people to come celebrate with him. We could invite Jongwoo, and maybe Olga if she's free. Honestly, I wouldn't mind inviting all your embassy colleagues. I'd love to meet them and ask them to take good care of
my son."
"That would be so weird, he's not even your own son. Besides, if I invited everyone, they'd start rumors about me using my mother to suck up to my boss."
"Really? You think so?"
"Yeah. So let's keep it simple. It's already a lot of work for you, mother. The ambassador should be grateful just to get some seaweed soup."
Zhenya's gaze shifted between Kwon Taekjoo and his mother, apparently wondering what they were arguing about as they both threw him subtle glances.
Kwon Taekjoo looked at him
and said,
"Isn't that right?"
dragging him back into the conversation as reinforcement.
" I have no idea what you just said."
"I told you before, just go along with me when we're with my mother."
"Maybe I would if your transitions weren't a complete disaster."
"And how would you know if they're a disaster or not?"
"Unfortunately for you, I'm not as dumb as you think."
"Ever heard of a white lie, you bastard?"
"A white lie? That's rich, coming from you."
"Look who's talking."
"Look at yourself."
Zhenya flatly refused to let Kwon Taekjoo have the last word. Kwon Taekjoo turned his gaze back to his mother.
"Anyway, I think my mom's going to be heartbroken when you go back to Russia."
"Taekjoo, as long as you're here, that won't happen."
"How do you know? Did your country say they'd let you stay here forever?"
"It's safer for them if I stay here, and besides, it's what I want."
"You told me you weren't staying here because you liked Korea."
"I never said you were in that category."
"Really?"
"If I'm still here, despite not being thrilled, doesn't that say enough?"
Zhenya muttered to himself, his eyes drifting toward Kwon Taekjoo's mother, who was seated across from him.
As if she had been waiting, Kwon Taekjoo's mother started bombarding Zhenya with questions—whether anything had happened in Russia during his absence,
if Olga was doing well, how his parents were, if he planned to stay in the country for a while, and if he'd be resuming his embassy duties soon. Although Zhenya couldn't understand a single word, he
listened attentively, giving her a kind smile.
Kwon Taekjoo felt a curious sense of pride in Zhenya at moments like this.
It was as if Zhenya was genuinely trying to bring Kwon Taekjoo and the people around him into his small, restricted world.
Kwon Taekjoo gave Zhenya a firm squeeze on his thigh under the table. Zhenya's gaze shifted from his lap to the side of Kwon Taekjoo's face.
Kwon Taekjoo pretended to listen to
his mother's words while whispering just loud enough for only Zhenya to hear.
"Let's go grab a drink after this. I have something to tell you."
Zhenya's lips curled into a soft smile.
"Sure, I was planning on doing the same anyway."
After dinner, Kwon Taekjoo drove his mother home and planned to leave his car there overnight.
Zhenya followed him obediently, but he drove so closely behind Kwon Taekjoo's
car, from the restaurant to the parking garage beneath his apartment, that Kwon Taekjoo was stressed the whole way.
He parked quickly, helped his mother out of the car, and shot a furious glare at Zhenya's Bugatti.
Zhenya, completely unfazed, got out of the car and nodded toward the elevator, where Kwon Taekjoo's mother was heading.
She paused to say goodbye to Zhenya.
"Have a safe trip home, Mr. Ambassador. Feel free to visit us anytime you're free."
Zhenya didn't respond, but he flashed a smile that even made the corners of his eyes crinkle.
Kwon Taekjoo's mother was momentarily breathless at the sight.
Kwon Taekjoo thought the whole exchange reminded him of a seasoned celebrity effortlessly charming an innocent, starstruck fan.
He knew she'd keep staring at Zhenya in awe if he let her, so he gently turned her by the shoulder and guided her to the elevator, even pressing the button for her.
"You can go up now. I'm going for drinks with him."
"Alright."
"Mm… I might not come home tonight; we could end up drinking until late."
"I see, don't worry about me, go enjoy yourself. Just don't drink so much that you get sick tomorrow."
For some strange reason, his mother was exceptionally lenient when it came to him spending time with Zhenya.
She didn't mind if he spent the night 'drinking' with Zhenya or went on
'business trips' with him for several days.
Even when she couldn't contact him while he was away, she wasn't as worried as before.
In fact, if he called her during work, she'd scold him to hang up right away, saying the ambassador might be waiting.
Did she really trust Zhenya that much? Zhenya wasn't someone worthy of such blind trust.
"Go on now. The ambassador's waiting for you."
It was clear tonight was no exception. Once the elevator arrived, his mother stepped inside and waved him off.
Kwon Taekjoo nodded but waited for the doors to fully close before
turning around.
Zhenya was waiting, casually leaning against the passenger door of his Bugatti.
When kwon Taekjoo approached, Zhenya nodded towards the drivers's seat.
"You drive."
Zhenya slid into the passenger seat, leaving Kwon Taekjoo to do as he was told.
He'd been driving fine until now, but it seemed the spoiled brat was back to his usual self.
Kwon Taekjoo clicked his tongue and reluctantly got behind the wheel.
As he buckled his seatbelt and released the brake, a pale hand suddenly reached toward his face.
Startled, Kwon Taekjoo flinched, his body tensing up. Zhenya smiled, satisfied with his reaction, and his fingers brushed against the cold curve of Kwon Taekjoo's ear, warming it.
Goosebumps rose on Kwon Taekjoo's skin, and the tiny hairs on his cheek stood on end.
He scrunched up, his shoulder instinctively lifting from the ticklish sensation.
But Zhenya persisted, leaning across the console to trail his tongue along Kwon Taekjoo's cheek and ear,
even nibbling on the outer edge of his ear with his dry lips.
Kwon Taekjoo was utterly stunned.
"Is this why you told me to drive?"
"What's wrong? Would you prefer I drive?"
Zhenya asked, pressing kisses along Kwon Taekjoo's cheek and neck.
Kwon Taekjoo was all too aware that if Zhenya were driving, they'd probably crash into something before they even left the parking garage.
He sighed as Zhenya nestled against his
neck, inhaling his scent with enthusiasm.
"Idiot, just give me ten minutes to get to your apartment."
"You should be proud I've been this patient already."
"Ugh… Could you stop, please? I can't see a damn thing because your huge body's blocking my view."
"What's with all the complaints? You used to drive just fine with your eyes covered,"
Zhenya teased, his tone amused by the memory. Kwon Taekjoo's mind flashed back to the time he was sent to Syria on an international mission.
North Korea, having long been an ally of Syria in nuclear collaboration, had the NIS on high alert for any diplomatic maneuvering from either country.
Eventually, they discovered that a North Korean trading company, Cheongang, had supplied a significant amount of aluminum tubes to Syria.
These tubes were a key component of centrifuges used to enrich uranium, raising suspicions that North Korea was aiding Syria in developing nuclear
weapons.
It was crucial to confirm whether this was true, and naturally, this mission had been
assigned to Kwon Taekjoo.
As usual, Zhenya had shown up for the mission too, apparently visiting the nuclear facilities as an accredited guest. In any case, Kwon Taekjoo managed to successfully complete his mission, whether thanks to Zhenya's interference, his help, or a mix of both.
However, just as he was about to finish and escape, the facility's guards caught him, sparking a massive brawl before he managed to flee in the last available jeep.
The only problem was that during the skirmish, the ammunition exploded, temporarily blinding Kwon Taekjoo.
With gunfire raining down on them, he had no choice but to get behind the wheel and rely entirely on Zhenya to guide him.
Zhenya directed him through the chaos, calling out obstacles and giving instructions.
When they finally escaped, all four tires were shredded, the front and rear bumpers were barely hanging on, and the side mirrors had long since been ripped off.
It wasn't exactly a laughable memory, but Kwon Taekjoo couldn't help but chuckle a little, thinking back to the absurd situation.
"I was risking my life back then because it was my job. I don't need to do that now."
"Why not? You loved the adrenaline back then, and you still do. Don't you get even more aroused when it's more dangerous?"
Zhenya laughed.
Are you talking about yourself? Kwon Taekjoo thought.
As much as he wanted to, Kwon Taekjoo couldn't find a comeback because Zhenya wasn't entirely wrong.
But a sense of bitterness welled up inside him, realizing that most of his memories with Zhenya were tied to moments of danger and risk.
Kwon Taekjoo reached out to play with Zhenya's light-colored hair.
The unexpected gesture of tenderness silenced Zhenya's teasing.
"By the way..." Kwon Taekjoo said. Zhenya leaned back, his gaze fixed on him.
"Your birthday is coming up. Is there anything you want?"
"Want something? As if I'm the kind of person who thinks like that."
Zhenya shrugged, not even taking a moment to consider the question.
He had lived a life of abundance from the moment he was born, so it was impossible for him to have any
materialistic desires. He had everything at his fingertips before he even had the chance to want it.
On the other hand, Kwon Taekjoo knew he couldn't afford to buy a gift that matched
Zhenya's lavish lifestyle.
Still, he wanted to give Zhenya something he might like, and in doing so, offer him a birthday worth remembering—especially since last year, they hadn't been able to celebrate properly due to work.
Plus, Zhenya had probably never heard a heartfelt "Happy Birthday"
from anyone in his life.
"Think about it carefully, idiot. Don't let it pass and then complain later that I didn't do
anything for you."
"Huh? So, are you going to give me whatever I wish for?"
"Depends on what it is."
"It's not like you have many options anyway. Why are you so picky?"
"How am I supposed to know what ridiculous request you'll come up with, you bastard?