"....."
When Kwon Taekjoo opened his eyes, a large window filled his vision.
Outside, the world seemed strangely peaceful and serene...
revealing a landscape of lush greenery.
Blinding rays of sunlight filtered through the dense branches, and a gentle breeze stirred the bushes below.
He blinked slowly, his senses returning to reality, but then froze at the sound of soft breathing behind him.
The warmth of a body pressed against his back and the familiar grip on his wrists was all too recognizable.
As his awareness sharpened, he realized that Zhenya was practically clinging to his back.
He had him tightly wrapped up, with Kwon Taekjoo's arms crossed over his own chest, holding him in place.
Zhenya had his face buried in Kwon Taekjoo's neck, and his long legs were
tangled up with his.
The embrace left him completely and utterly immobilized.
Kwon Taekjoo had no idea how long they had been like this, or how much time had passed since he abandoned his mission without warning.
His head still felt weak and sluggish,
though the worst of the headache had passed.
The remaining traces of the drug in his system seemed to have worked their way out while he slept.
However, new red marks stained his skin from his earlier fight with Zhenya.
Zhenya's hand, now gripping his arm, hadn't come out unscathed either.
Kwon Taekjoo let out a deep sigh.
It wasn't loud, but it was enough to cause Zhenya's breathing to hitch.
Without even turning around, Kwon Taekjoo knew he was awake.
"...Let go of me."
Zhenya's hold only tightened in response to the quiet demand.
Instead, he pressed his forehead insistently into Kwon Taekjoo's shoulder.
"I said, let go."
A barely contained tremor of anger edged into Kwon Taekjoo's voice, but Zhenya stubbornly refused to release him.
The grip on Kwon Taekjoo's wrists intensified.
His skin paled, and the veins in his hands started to bulge.
Kwon Taekjoo exhaled in frustration.
The crushing grip threatening to break his arms loosened just slightly.
Taking advantage of the moment, he tried to shrug Zhenya off using his shoulders and hips, even delivering an elbow jab when the hold weakened.
But it was futile.
All it did was grant him a bit more freedom in his limbs.
Another silent struggle ensued as Zhenya tried to pin him down even more firmly, preventing his escape.
They wrestled, pulling and twisting each other's arms and hands.
Then, a loud snap echoed between them.
Kwon Taekjoo wasn't sure if it came from Zhenya's finger or his own wrist, but it was enough to break them apart.
Kwon Taekjoo rolled off the bed as Zhenya sat up. They faced each other from opposite sides.
"Aah, aah... aah..."
"...Taekjoo. Come here,"
Zhenya murmured in a deceptively calm tone.
But Kwon Taekjoo knew all too well that it was only the calm before the storm.
Kwon Taekjoo's gaze drifted toward the floor, where his feet had collided with something.
He wasn't sure how it had ended up there, but he found his gun lying on the ground.
Slowly, he raised his eyes to meet Zhenya's once more.
Zhenya shook his head silently, as if he already knew what Kwon Taekjoo was thinking.
Kwon Taekjoo locked eyes with Zhenya's blue ones, then lifted his gun.
As soon as he did, Zhenya lunged forward.
Kwon Taekjoo aimed the barrel at him, and Zhenya stopped dead in
his tracks.
Their fiery gazes clashed.
"….."
"….."
They stared at each other with a dangerous gleam in their eyes.
The dark look in Kwon Taekjoo's eyes held no trace of love or remorse for his lover standing before him.
It was as if they had been burned away by the flames of rage, which had risen to his head and consumed any last glimmer of light.
Kwon Taekjoo lightly pressed the trigger, but Zhenya remained still, refusing to move out of the gun's path.
He simply watched Kwon Taekjoo, holding his breath in silence.
Kwon Taekjoo's finger tensed on the trigger, his muscles tightening.
His bloodshot eyes trembled.
Just a little more pressure, and it would all be over.
In the midst of the silence engulfing them, Kwon Taekjoo's body began to send warning signals.
His head felt like it was going to explode from the weight of everything happening.
Finally, he furrowed his brow and yanked his hands down.
The unbearable tension shattered in an instant.
Kwon Taekjoo turned around and headed for the door.
Zhenya watched him go, but Kwon
Taekjoo ignored him.
His hand was just about to touch the doorknob when Zhenya's voice broke the silence.
"Are you really going to leave like this?"
Kwon Taekjoo said nothing.
He moved his hand again to open the door.
He was ready to leave when Zhenya's voice echoed behind him once more.
"You can't just walk away from me like this, Taekjoo."
There was no anger in Zhenya's voice, only a wounded, almost resentful tone.
A flood of memories rushed through Kwon Taekjoo's mind...
Leaving Zhenya behind on Ajinoki Island
while he screamed for him, trying to abandon Zhenya in the motel after he got hurt protecting him, all the times he had sidelined Zhenya for the sake of his missions...
He even remembered that last argument, where he'd spat cruel words and walked away as if he'd never look back.
And yet, through all of it, Zhenya had still ordered malatang for him.
The guilt Kwon Taekjoo had tried to bury beneath empty apologies and hollow reassurances now weighed on him like a heavy burden.
He couldn't have been a worse lover to Zhenya.
Kwon Taekjoo pressed his lips together, barely holding back the storm of emotions threatening to break loose.
Now wasn't the time to let personal feelings take over.
He was about to leave when Zhenya grabbed him again, holding him tightly.
"I never said you could go."
"I don't need your permission."
"Ha. You're always doing whatever you want. I've been giving you too much freedom lately, haven't I?"
Zhenya's mocking tone twisted his arrogant words.
Kwon Taekjoo turned to face him, his
cheek visibly tense.
His voice was colder than ever.
"You're always like this, acting superior and looking down on everyone else..."
"So, it's my fault again?"
Even now, Zhenya was still arguing about who was to blame.
What exactly was going through his mind?
A heavy knot tightened in Kwon Taekjoo's chest.
"Is that really all you can think about?"
"I think you're the one making things complicated."
"…Ah... Forget it. We've never agreed on anything, anyway"
The whispered words that followed his sigh were bitter and full of resignation.
At this point, Kwon Taekjoo just wanted to let everything go, to abandon anything that made him feel less and less like himself.
Zhenya must have sensed the shift in him, as the tension between them grew sharp.
"Taekjoo,"
Zhenya said coldly, his voice rougher than before.
"Don't say anything else."
Zhenya's next words came out as a cold threat.
"There's a limit to how much I can take. Stop crossing the line."
Ignoring him would've been the right move.
Arguing now would only lead to another
meaningless fight, and they both needed space to cool their minds and emotions.
But Kwon Taekjoo couldn't help but explode in rage.
"Crossing the line? Me? Do you really think you're in a position to say that now, you bastard? What about you? You always make every decision your way and do whatever the hell you want! You don't give a damn what anyone else thinks, you damn bastard!"
His furious voice echoed through the house, bouncing off the walls and circling them both.
Despite everything, Zhenya seemed completely unbothered.
He just kept criticizing; his face emotionless.
"Who's acting like a child now? Haven't you had enough of this tantrum?"
"You think I'm throwing a tantrum right now?"
"Oh, aren't you? All I hear is that I should keep putting up with whatever you do. How much do you expect me to take? Do you really think I'm your dog just because I decided to be kind once? Is that it? Am I supposed to guard the house like an obedient dog and wag my tail when you come back?"
"Like hell, if you don't want to, then just leave! I told you, this is who I am! I can't change!"
"No, it's that you just don't want to. You have no intention of changing."
The sharp accusation left Kwon Taekjoo speechless.
A grinding sound escaped through his
clenched teeth, followed by a frustrated sigh he had been struggling to suppress.
Zhenya's face twisted with anger as well.
He shook his head slowly and continued to rant at Kwon Taekjoo.
"You're always trying to control me like this. You sweet-talk me, flatter me, praise me when it suits you, only to turn around and threaten me when things don't go your way."
"Ha... Haven't you realized anything in all this time you had to think? You're a grown man, why the hell do I have to comfort you like a child? How long do I have to put up with that nonsense? Not even a little kid acts like you..."
I'm getting tired of all this crap.
Kwon Taekjoo swallowed those last words before they escaped his mouth.
Who knew what kind of damage that one sentence, barely more than a sigh, might cause?
Zhenya hadn't moved all this time, but now he was slowly rising, as if ready to strike at any moment.
Kwon Taekjoo decided to speak first.
"Leave me alone."
As soon as Kwon Taekjoo told him not to follow or come near him, Zhenya hesitated, like he had hit the brakes.
He stood frozen, watching Kwon Taekjoo's every move.
Even that was a rare display of patience from Zhenya.
Seeing him like that only twisted Kwon Taekjoo's emotions further, making him run a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Give me some time. I need to calm down, organize my emotions, and figure out what to do about my work. Until then... I don't think I can stand to look at your face,"
Kwon Taekjoo said calmly, holding back his anger.
Staying locked in this confrontation, venting their frustrations on each other, would only leave them both full of regrets.
But Zhenya didn't seem willing to accept it.
He stood up as if he was prepared to stop Kwon Taekjoo from leaving.
In an instant, the tension between them intensified.
Even the scent of Zhenya seemed to hang heavily in the air.
"All that, and now you're just going to leave like that?"
"I already told you, I need some time. I'm begging you, just stay here. Nothing good will come out of us being together right now."
"And if you leave on your own? Do you really think you're capable of sorting things out?"
"What?"
"Just look at you,Taekjoo. You need a reality check,"
Zhenya demanded.
He expressed his hurt feelings by lashing out at Kwon Taekjoo, as if he didn't know how else to express his emotions.
Although outwardly a grown man, inside he was still young and inexperienced.
The problem was, this unstable and imperfect man's lover wasn't a patient or
understanding soul, nor was he someone willing to teach him everything gently.
"Why don't you get a reality check, bastard?! Just because we're happy doesn't mean that's all that matters... We're not in a position to mess around!"
"That's why I'm asking you. What do you think you can do?"
Zhenya's words crushed and belittled Kwon Taekjoo's determination.
He always saw himself as superior, believing he was always right.
He looked down on others, even his own lover.
Even now, he issued a firm warning, dismissing Kwon Taekjoo's efforts as insignificant.
"You can resist all you want, but nothing will change. It was like this before, and it'll be the same in the future."
Suddenly, a loud thud echoed through the air.
Kwon Taekjoo had punched the doorframe.
Instantly, the atmosphere turned icy, the sharp tension making their skin prickle.
Kwon Taekjoo stared ahead, struggling to control his ragged breathing.
His eyes were shadowed by his bangs, but Zhenya could tell by his tightly clenched lips that he was at his breaking point.
"Are you done?"
The word that finally left his mouth after a long pause was a question, but not really meant as one.
Kwon Taekjoo finally lost his patience and stormed out of the bedroom, his steps firm and unyielding.
He was about to climb the stairs leading to the rooftop when a stray bullet shattered the varnish on one of the higher steps.
Turning around, he saw Zhenya standing with a shotgun in hand.
On the ground, his shadow loomed menacingly.
"Taekjoo. Are you really going to make me blow up the NIS?"
"Go ahead, do it,"
Kwon Taekjoo replied coldly.
"Then I'll have no reason to ever see you
again."
His nose wrinkled in a snarl as he locked eyes with Zhenya, his gaze devoid of any warmth.
Zhenya stared back with an equally dangerous look.
They held each other's gaze for a long
moment until, finally, Kwon Taekjoo turned his head and began to walk away again.
But after just a few steps, he was yanked back.
Zhenya had closed the distance in an instant, trapping him in his arms with a fierce grip that threatened to crush him.
His embrace was so tight that Kwon Taekjoo couldn't move at all.
Zhenya's arms wrapped around his waist like steel straps as he silently buried his face in Kwon Taekjoo's shoulder, clinging to him with the desperation of a child holding on to their most cherished stuffed toy.
"I won't let you go,"
Zhenya muttered stubbornly, wrapping Kwon Taekjoo in a suffocating embrace.
A deep sense of helplessness overtook Kwon Taekjoo as he realized there was no way to convince Zhenya to release him, no matter what he said.
"Damn it, please, Yevgeny!"
The words came out as a desperate plea, almost a whisper, his voice filled with frustration and anger.
Zhenya must have been surprised by his reaction, as Kwon Taekjoo could feel him
tremble.
The grip of Zhenya's arms around him began to loosen.
Kwon Taekjoo let out another deep sigh and threw another sharp comment at Zhenya.
"I don't want to hate you again! You should know that by now."
Zhenya took a silent breath, his hands fidgeting over Kwon Taekjoo, unsure of what to do.
Even that small gesture of hesitation fueled Kwon Taekjoo's frustration.
How much longer would he have to teach him such simple things?
A deep fatigue started to take over him.
"… If we stay together, we'll just keep fighting, so let me go,"
Kwon Taekjoo said, utterly exhausted.
The sound of Zhenya grinding his teeth echoed in his ears, followed by the slow, reluctant release of his grip.
His arms trembled as they opened, as if it took all his strength to let go.
Uncomfortable with the scene, Kwon Taekjoo averted his eyes and stared at the emptiness.
Once his body was freed, he shoved Zhenya's arm aside and headed upstairs.
Zhenya didn't follow, but a crash and the sound of things breaking echoed behind him.
Zhenya seemed to be tearing the house apart, unable to contain his anger.
Yet Kwon Taekjoo didn't hesitate for a second.
The noise only made him move faster.
He knew that if he wavered for even a moment, he would crumble.
When he burst through the rooftop door, he found Zhenya's helicopter.
One of the landing skids had been ripped off, and the helicopter's fuselage was peppered with bullet marks.
The damage was more than enough to show what Zhenya had been through to bring him from Vladivostok to this place.
"…..."
With his lips pressed into a hard line, Kwon Taekjoo started the helicopter's engine.
Right now, his top priority was getting back to Korea.
He needed to resolve the mission he had left unfinished, as well as the scandal Zhenya had caused.
The NIS had probably already uncovered Zhenya's involvement and might have even issued an arrest warrant against him.
It was also likely that Russia wouldn't ignore what had happened this time.
In any case, the best thing for Zhenya was to stay here.
Beyond that, Kwon Taekjoo couldn't afford to think about anything else.
Time was running out.
The slow rotation of the helicopter's blades sped up, filling the air with a deafening roar.
The wind kicked up dirt and leaves, causing the nearby trees to sway violently.
Despite everything, Zhenya didn't follow him up to the rooftop.
Kwon Taekjoo couldn't even see his
shadow through the lower windows.
Was Zhenya really letting him go so easily?
Or was his silence a sign of how furious he was?
Kwon Taekjoo kept glancing anxiously downward, feeling an odd and unsettling sense of freedom.
Little by little, the helicopter moved away from Zhenya's residence.
As he gained altitude, Kwon Taekjoo spotted debris scattered across the island.
He even saw the wreckage of a
helicopter that had crashed into a deep crevice.
The acrid smell of burnt metal that clung to Zhenya's body flashed through his mind.
Just as he had suspected, Zhenya must have been caught in a fight while getting him to safety.
The Russian government had probably sent helicopters to chase him.
They might have even issued orders to eliminate him.
Kwon Taekjoo felt a deep sorrow in his heart, knowing he was leaving Zhenya behind at such a moment.
But at the same time, he knew Zhenya would be safer if he wasn't by his side.
At the very least, Zhenya would be free from accusations of harboring a spy.
From an outsider's perspective, it might even seem like Kwon Taekjoo had blackmailed Zhenya into giving him
the helicopter to escape, meaning Zhenya could clear himself of any suspicion of being secretly allied with Kwon Taekjoo.
Their alliance had always been something others should view as a misunderstanding.
In fact, their relationship had been that way from the very beginning.
Kwon Taekjoo clenched his fist on the control stick and gritted his teeth.
Everything he feared had unraveled all at once.
He didn't even know where to begin untangling the mess.
But as he gazed out at the horizon, his eyes filled with determination.
He would find a way to fix everything on his own, no matter what it took.