[This chapter may contain coercion, assault, and drugs so please be aware.]
deafening explosion tore through the air, followed by a shockwave that hit Kwon Taekjoo's ears.
His dazed consciousness struggled to distinguish reality from fiction.
A mechanical, piercing ringing reverberated in his eardrums, rattling his brain.
It wasn't until the noise faded that he finally opened his eyes.
The sharp chemical smell of drugs, clinging to his body, invaded his nostrils, stabbing into his head like a needle.
Even breathing felt nauseating.
Kwon Taekjoo slowly inhaled and sifted through the chaotic whirlwind of his thoughts, trying to identify his last memory.
If he remembered correctly, he had been ambushed in his hideout.
Had he lost consciousness there?
Then, where was he now?
His eyes flew open wide, and he sat up abruptly, freezing in place.
A stabbing pain shot through his skull due to his sudden upright posture.
"Agh…"
An involuntary groan escaped his lips.
Kwon Taekjoo gritted his teeth, feeling a rising frustration as he scanned his surroundings.
The environment seemed eerily familiar.
Everything, from the smell of the air to the feel of the sheets against his skin, struck him as unsettlingly familiar.
Was this a dream? It couldn't be real.
Instinctively, he ran his hand over his body.
His gun holster was empty.
His eyes swept the room, landing on the gun resting on the nightstand next to the bed.
But his communicator and phone was nowhere to be see.
It didn't take long for Kwon Taekjoo to grab the gun and check the magazine.
It was fully loaded.
Hadn't he pulled the trigger after being ambushed?
What the hell had happened?
Suddenly, as if cutting through the fog, his last memory came rushing back.
"… Zhenya?"
He had met Zhenya on the rooftop of the building he had turned into his hideout.
Although he hadn't been able to clearly see his face, his silhouette, scent, and touch were unmistakable.
It had undoubtedly been Zhenya.
But why? How had he shown up there?
And how had Kwon Taekjoo ended up on Ajinoki Island?
A flood of questions bombarded his mind, one after another.
Kwon Taekjoo felt overwhelmed.
Maybe it had all been some kind of deranged dream, or maybe he was still
dreaming.
Yet amid the confusion, a sinister possibility, one he refused to acknowledge, crept into reality.
He tried to dismiss the suspicion, telling himself it couldn't be true…
but a sense of unease gnawed at his mind.
Just then, a series of footsteps echoed in the hallway.
The sound was faint, barely noticeable
to most people, but not to Kwon Taekjoo.
He immediately recognized the weight and rhythm of each step.
His eyes narrowed, fixed on the door.
The approaching footsteps stopped right behind it.
The doorknob slowly turned, and the door creaked open, revealing Zhenya standing in the doorway.
Zhenya's eyebrows lifted when he saw that Kwon Taekjoo was awake.
A smug smile curled at the corner of his lips as he stepped into the room.
But for some reason, a strange burnt
smell clung to him, masking his usual scent.
"You always greet me with a gun in my face. One of these days, you might actually shoot me."
Zhenya smiled as he glanced at the barrel pointed directly at him.
He seemed completely at ease, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Kwon Taekjoo's expression darkened, his gaze turning cold as ice.
So it hadn't been a mistake.
He had encountered Zhenya just before everything went black.
Kwon Taekjoo wished it had all been a dream or a figment of his imagination.
But now, seeing Zhenya standing there so brazenly only complicated his already frantic thoughts.
"What happened?"
Kwon Taekjoo asked.
His voice was dangerously low, not just because he was hoarse from fainting.
Yet despite the tension, Zhenya shrugged with indifference.
"Why don't you eat something first? You won't be able to think straight on an empty stomach. Besides, a hungry animal is always more restless. How about some ramen?"
He turned as if he were about to head to the kitchen.
Was he seriously talking about ramen
right now? Kwon Taekjoo's head throbbed with rage.
"I asked you what happened,"
Kwon Taekjoo snapped, glaring at Zhenya's back.
Zhenya paused and slowly turned to face him again, scrutinizing Kwon Taekjoo's stern expression.
After a long moment of silence, an unexpected reply came from him.
"You've been unconscious for half a day."
"… What?"
"I wanted to use something milder, but all I had on me was the strong stuff,"
Zhenya said, tapping his neck.
Kwon Taekjoo instinctively touched his own neck.
A sharp pain, followed by numbness,
pulsed from the spot he touched.
The wound was far worse than it should have been, likely because Zhenya had stabbed the needle in forcefully, and Kwon Taekjoo had resisted.
"You're doing pretty well for someone who should be too drugged to even sit up. I have to admit, I admire that pride of yours."
Zhenya gave him a nonchalant smile.
He acted as if nothing had happened, even though he had tracked down Kwon Taekjoo and ruined his mission.
Kwon Taekjoo couldn't understand
how Zhenya had figured everything out so quickly and easily.
Suddenly, his simmering anger
transformed into a heavy weight collapsing at his feet.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"What do I think I'm doing?"
Zhenya repeated, pretending not to understand, then let out a deliberate
"Ah."
One side of his mouth curled into a smirk as he teased Kwon Taekjoo.
"Are you mad because I put you to sleep? But Taekjoo, you did the same to me."
Zhenya flashed a brazen grin, as if the entire situation was nothing more than a joke.
Kwon Taekjoo's eyebrows knitted together, his nose wrinkling in a scowl as he fought to contain his rage.
"Enough games. Explain what's going on. Why are you here?"
"Here? What's the problem? Can't I come? This is my island and my home."
"Are you fucking kidding me right now?!"
Kwon Taekjoo exploded, unable to suppress his fury any longer.
Zhenya's eyes widened slightly at his sudden outburst, but he quickly regained his composure.
He maintained a blank expression, as if he had no idea what was going on.
"You shouldn't be here right now, you bastard!"
Kwon Taekjoo shouted, his words tumbling out in a choked, furious tone.
His clenched fists trembled, knuckles white from the tension.
Zhenya's pupils contracted slightly as he took in every detail of his changes.
But that was it.
Zhenya's expression remained the same.
He still didn't seem to understand what he had done wrong or why Kwon Taekjoo was so angry with him.
"Taekjoo,"
he murmured in an infuriatingly calm voice.
"Why are you mad at me again?"
Kwon Taekjoo's tangled emotions seemed to be ripping apart at that question.
His voice, tense, rough, and brimming with frustration, burst from his throat.
"I told you not to follow me! Especially not this time! Are you deaf?!"
"I didn't follow you. I came to save you."
"What did you just say?"
"My lover was about to throw himself blindly into danger. What else could I do but try to stop him?"
An incredulous laugh escaped Kwon Taekjoo's lips.
Such a harmless comment from a man
who crushed others like insects without a second thought.
His heart sank, a hollow weight collapsing onto his chest.
It might have been the lingering effects of the drugs or the anger still surging through his veins, but Kwon Taekjoo's vision seemed to blur at times.
His legs trembled, threatening to give way beneath him.
A suffocating heat took over his body, causing his breathing to become shallow and erratic.
Irritated, he wiped his damp forehead.
Zhenya had shown up right after the explosion had ripped through the Russky Bridge.
Given the timing and circumstances, Kwon Taekjoo suspected it had been Foxtrot acting recklessly after being kicked off the team operation.
But he wasn't sure if it had really been him, and it still wasn't clear whether they had secured the cargo.
Foxtrot might even have been taken
down by the enemy right there.
One thing was certain—the explosion had blown their cover, and now the enemy knew there were spies among them.
Alarms blared in all directions, and armed police swarmed the Russky Bridge, the hotel, and the Far Eastern Federal University.
Engaging in a counterattack against such overwhelming numbers would have been suicidal.
They had no choice but to abandon the mission and wait for another chance.
Kwon Taekjoo had ordered Sierra to retreat and was about to do the same when Zhenya appeared.
Somehow, he knew exactly where to find him, even though Kwon Taekjoo had cut off all lines of communication to make sure there was no way Zhenya could track him.
Kwon Taekjoo was well aware that Zhenya had been watching his every move for some time.
He had warned him repeatedly to stop, but it was clear Zhenya would never listen.
That's why, this time, Kwon Taekjoo had been especially cautious.
He only used new devices for his communications and had the agency set up a private phone line and account.
He had even scanned his entire body for hidden microphones or tracking devices.
But it had all been for nothing because Zhenya stood in front of him, as bold as ever.
The outcome wasn't entirely unexpected.
Kwon Taekjoo had anticipated it, which was why he had gone to such lengths to keep Zhenya on good terms before traveling to Vladivostok.
He had put in so much effort to avoid making him an enemy, because a fight with him was the last thing he wanted.
But now, seeing how things had played out, he felt like a complete fool.
The very outcome he feared had become reality.
Despite repeated warnings from the NIS,
Kwon Taekjoo had assured them he would handle it, promising that Zhenya wouldn't interfere again.
But now, that promise seemed like a joke.
Worst of all, Zhenya could be involved with the twisted alliance between North Korea and Russia.
In truth, Kwon Taekjoo had no reason to think otherwise.
Kwon Taekjoo let out a heavy sigh.
He turned his gaze to Zhenya, his eyes sharp and dangerous.
"Don't tell me…"
he said, his voice faltering,
"...that you're working with them?"
"Them? You mean my family?"
Zhenya scoffed, a crooked smile twisting his lips as he stared at Kwon Taekjoo.
"Is that your conclusion from all this? I'm still your lover. You really don't trust me, do you?"
"If it's not that, then what is it, you bastard?"
"I kept the promise you forced on me. And strangely enough, this time, I actually wanted to keep it,"
Zhenya replied, shaking his head.
He had already blatantly sabotaged Kwon Taekjoo's mission—what promise was he claiming to keep?
Anger surged through Kwon Taekjoo at Zhenya's nonchalant attitude.
It sounded like he was toying with him.
"What the hell are you talking about? Are you seriously saying it's just a coincidence you're here right now?"
"No, it was inevitable,"
Zhenya shot back quickly.
Kwon Taekjoo was baffled, unable to make sense of what was happening, while Zhenya remained annoyingly calm, as if he had all the time in the world.
"If you're asking whether I knew what my brother... my family was plotting, yes, I knew. Or rather, I found out after you left, Taekjoo. You told me not to follow you, but you never said I couldn't spy on my brothers. So I never broke my word."
Was he saying he learned about the operation by spying on Bazim instead of him?
It sounded plausible, but right now, Kwon Taekjoo didn't care.
The real issue was that Zhenya had shown up on his mission again.
From now on, the NIS's suspicions would only get worse.
Kwon Taekjoo had no idea how Zhenya had managed to cross enemy lines and bring him to Ajinoki Island.
If Zhenya had been exposed, Russia or his family might now consider him a traitor.
Zhenya had already betrayed his family more than once by helping Kwon Taekjoo, but this time, he might have severed all ties.
Everything Kwon Taekjoo had been fighting for collapsed in an instant.
His frustration boiled over.
"Damn it… I told you not to interfere with my work! This is my business, not yours!"
"Taekjoo, I would've stayed out of it if you hadn't thrown yourself into danger so recklessly. I wanted to keep our promise this time too."
Zhenya kept repeating the same thing over and over.
No words seemed to reach him.
This wasn't the first time either.
No matter how much Kwon Taekjoo tried to reason with him, it was like talking to a brick wall.
Talking to a wall might have been less disappointing.
Kwon Taekjoo held back the storm brewing inside him, clenching his teeth so hard the veins in his neck and forehead throbbed.
When he finally spoke, his voice was hollow.
"You always undermine me like this."
Zhenya tilted his head at Kwon Taekjoo's low words, his tone dripping with such disdain that Zhenya couldn't ignore it.
"Throwing myself into danger? Recklessly?"
Kwon Taekjoo snapped, lashing out at Zhenya.
He couldn't stand the calm, exasperating look on his face any longer.
"How the fuck would you know, you bastard?! Why do you always assume I'm going to fail? What am I to you? An idiot who can't handle things without your help?!"
"You're getting mad for no reason again. From the start, I knew you were doomed. I didn't need to see it myself."
"Get off your damn high horse. I've been taking risks long before you came on the scene. You think I've always had an easy job? If I cared so much about my own safety, I wouldn't be in this line of work!"
Kwon Taekjoo's enraged voice echoed through the house.
Zhenya simply watched him with the same calm expression as always.
A flash of confusion flickered across his face before it vanished, replaced by a mocking smile.
"You seem awfully sure of yourself. But so what? Did you even manage to find out what kind of deal was being made between Russia and North Korea?"
Zhenya immediately answered his own question.
"No, you didn't. Because you didn't have
enough time. And the security would've been too tight for you to get close to your target."
Then, he tilted his head, as if daring Kwon Taekjoo to prove him wrong.
Kwon Taekjoo felt a sharp sting of irritation and shot back,
"The North Korean guards transporting the cargo were fully suited up in protective gear. That means whatever they were carrying was dangerous, probably too dangerous to handle directly. And Russia must be planning to use it to develop a biological weapon or some vaccine for their own benefit."
"Exactly. Ricin, novichok, VX, polonium 210… They must've found something on Mount Baekdu that could rival those toxins."
Ricin, novichok, VX, and polonium 210 were infamous for their deadly toxicity.
If any of them were absorbed by the human body, the survival rate would be almost zero.
For this reason, they were more often used as assassination tools than weapons.
And now something just as lethal had been discovered on Mount Baekdu.
It finally made sense why a biologist from Mount Baekdu had been dragged to Russia, and why he had desperately sought the help of a spy.
As Kwon Taekjoo got lost in his thoughts, Zhenya pressed on in a calm tone.
"Don't you understand? The Kremlin already has access to toxins like ricin, novichok, and VX whenever they need them. But they still showed interest in a microorganism that was just discovered in North Korea. That means they've already determined that this microbe is far more dangerous than any of the deadly toxins the world already knows. If you're infected by it, there's no cure. You wouldn't even know how it would kill you. Were you planning to let yourself get captured and become a living test subject?"
"That's part of my job—to take risks like that."
"Oh? So you're saying you don't care if you die doing your precious work? And I'm just supposed to sit back and watch? You fought desperately to survive when you fell into my hands, but now you're willing to throw it all away? That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard from you. Taekjoo, stop being so stubborn. Is that really what you want?"
Zhenya's smile faltered for a moment, his face turning cold and severe.
He quickly masked it with a grin, but it was clear that he was growing angry as well.
His distorted tone betrayed his rising frustration.
"Risking your life recklessly just because it's your job... Who's going to recognize your sacrifice?"
Kwon Taekjoo pressed his lips into a thin line, glaring at Zhenya.
Zhenya stared back, unfazed, and continued with his sarcastic comment.
"Is that what your grand patriotism boils down to, Taekjoo? Hmm?"
"Don't mock me just because it's not something you care about."
"Mock you? When have I ever done that?"
Zhenya shook his head slowly.
The motion was lazy, almost as if mocking him, but he didn't seem very pleased either.
"Right now, I'm angry with you, Taekjoo. Whether you live or die isn't just about you anymore, is it?"
"....."
"You promised me you wouldn't die. You asked me to trust you."
Looking at Kwon Taekjoo in silence, Zhenya suddenly moved closer.
His steps weren't fast, but Kwon Taekjoo couldn't help but flinch.
His instincts flagged Zhenya as a clear threat.
"That you wouldn't throw yourself recklessly into danger,"
Zhenya continued, casting doubt on the promise Kwon Taekjoo had made earlier to comfort him.
Slowly, he began to close the distance between them.
"Haven't I told you again and again? If you want to throw yourself into danger and play hero, go ahead. I'll chase after you every time you do. But if I grant you that freedom, the least you can do is entrust me with your pathetic life, instead of acting like you're invincible."
"Do you see? That's what I mean. You always look down on me as if I'm some kind of fool. Maybe it's not obvious to you, but I'm always giving it my damn best. Even without all the information, even when the odds are stacked against me, I always try to find a way out. And
now you're calling me reckless? Do you even know what's been haunting me these days? If you did, you wouldn't be able to insult me like that. Sure, I used to throw myself blindly like you said, but now I question every step. Do you have any idea how much I've agonized over this mission?!"
"Stubborn to the end, huh? Taekjoo, it's not my fault your country lacks information. And it's definitely not my fault your temporary partner decided to go rogue and blow himself up. So,
how about you stop taking out your frustrations on someone innocent?"
Kwon Taekjoo raised the gun again.
Zhenya tilted his head, raising an eyebrow as if witnessing something abnormal.
However, this time it wasn't an empty threat or a release of pent-up anger.
Kwon Taekjoo was done, done with letting Zhenya brush things off, tired and sick of convincing himself that Zhenya would never understand him anyway.
He steadied himself, aiming the gun directly at Zhenya.
But Zhenya kept walking toward him
without the slightest hesitation.
"Don't come any closer,"
he growled through gritted teeth.
Zhenya ignored the warning and reached out toward Kwon Taekjoo.
"Don't waste your energy trying to stop me. There's nothing you can do anymore. Right now, everyone is in a rush to hunt down a certain little rabbit. You should rest until the storm passes, Taekjoo."
A large, pale hand reached toward Kwon Taekjoo's face.
His finger twitched on the trigger, but in the end, he couldn't pull it.
Instead, he grabbed Zhenya's wrist and shoved his chin away.
"I told you not to—!"
Zhenya pressed against him, using his full weight to pin him down, while Kwon Taekjoo desperately fought back.
He shoved his knees and elbows into Zhenya, striking the arm trying to cover his mouth, but Zhenya didn't relent.
The two of them wrestled for a long time, pushing and pulling each other violently.
Multiple scratches, both big and small, appeared on their skin from the constant struggle.
Kwon Taekjoo's joints felt like they were being pushed to the limit.
Neither of them gave in, fighting fiercely for what felt like ages.
Kwon Taekjoo's body soon became drenched in sweat.
The intense fight ended when his knees buckled. His head began to spin—probably the drug taking effect again.
Zhenya didn't waste time.
He shoved Kwon Taekjoo onto the bed, pinning his arms down with brute strength.
Kwon Taekjoo kicked wildly, landing blows to Zhenya's abdomen and sides, but Zhenya locked his knees against his legs, trapping him in place.
Finally, the fight came to an end.
Their breaths were heavy and erratic as they glared furiously at each other.
That's when Kwon Taekjoo got a clear look at Zhenya's face.
There were fresh wounds, along with the ones Kwon Taekjoo had inflicted in the fight moments ago, and a small clot of
dried blood had formed on his ear lobe.
Now that Kwon Taekjoo examined him closely, Zhenya didn't look his usual self.
His hair was disheveled, and the sleeves of his shirt were stained with dust, when he was normally so meticulous about cleanliness.
But above all, the most unusual thing was the sharp, burnt odor clinging to Zhenya instead of his usual scent.
Kwon Taekjoo had been too furious with him for knocking him out and ruining his mission to even think about how Zhenya had escaped or managed to get to Ajinoki Island through the chaos.
Without a doubt, the situation outside the island was already a mess.
If the enemy had realized Zhenya intervened, they were likely tracking him down to launch a counterattack.
In fact, they might already be doing just that.
Once again, Zhenya had stood against his brothers, his family, and his country...
all to save him.
"...Damn it,"
Kwon Taekjoo cursed, dropping his head.
His jaw clenched as he gritted his
teeth.
Zhenya always left him feeling helpless, using his love and affection like a relentless weapon.
"Taekjoo. You're breathing heavily."
Kwon Taekjoo noticed that his breathing was becoming alarmingly fast, his chest heaving.
His shoulders shook uncontrollably against his will.
He was hyperventilating from the
overwhelming stress.
No matter how hard he tried to slow his breath, inhaling deeply, it wasn't working.
Zhenya watched him closely and sat him up.
Though Kwon Taekjoo was no longer pinned down, he couldn't move a single muscle.
Zhenya briefly stepped out of the room and returned with a paper bag, pressing it over Kwon Taekjoo's nose and mouth.
Kwon Taekjoo grimaced in distress but managed to grab onto the collar of Zhenya's shirt.
"Breathe. Slowly,"
Zhenya murmured softly.
As Kwon Taekjoo took deep breaths, his consciousness began to blur.
He wasn't sure if it was due to the lack of oxygen or the medication still in his system.
He frowned, fighting to keep his eyes open, but eventually, his eyelids fell shut.
At the same time, his grip on Zhenya
loosened, and his hand dropped limply.
"There you go, just rest for now."
Zhenya's voice faded into the distance.