"Taekjoo! Hey! Get up quickly. It's already 8."
A familiar voice broke through his deep sleep. Kwon Taekjoo shuddered and opened his eyes with effort.
A well-known ceiling appeared in his blurred vision. Then, his mother's face peeked around the corner.
Letting out a long sigh, he slowly sat up. A groan escaped his lips as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair.
"Why didn't you set the alarm? Aren't you going to be late for work?"
His mother handed him a glass of water, her concern evident. He took it without a word and sipped.
"No. I can go in later today."
"Really?"
"Yes. I just got back from a business trip."
"Oh! Is it because it's a foreign embassy that the benefits and treatment are different? Is this job more relaxed compared to the last one?"
"… Yes, something like that."
Saying he was going to wash up, Kwon Taekjoo slipped away to the bedroom. Lying so blatantly to his mother made him feel guilty.
He couldn't look into her the eyes and lie with ease. If his mother had seen the state Kwon Taekjoo was in when he returned from Cuba, all his lies would have been exposed.
But fortunately, his minor wounds had healed on the way back to Korea. He had a higher resistance and faster recovery then most, which was a stroke of luck.
It had already been four days since he returned home. Zhenya said he was going to Russia for a while to finalize a deal with Matías. Thanks to that, he could sleep without interruptions.
Even so, his reflection in the bathroom mirror showed a tired face. He hadn't rested properly due to being with Zhenya until just before his return.
Before, he was so confident in his stamina that he could jump straight into the next mission right after completing one. But now, after spending days and nights with his lover, he wondered if this was what aging felt like—like an athlete hitting a curve.
Yawning deeply, he grabbed his toothbrush. As he brushed without much thought, memories of the last few days flashed before him like a magic lantern.
During a late night, Kwon Taekjoo and Zhenya boarded a prepared helicopter and left Matías Island. The helicopter landed on a large ship, which they were told was a cargo vessel that had departed from Panama, passed through Mexico, and was headed to Busan.
At the time of landing, the ship had left the port city of Manzanillo on Mexico's west coast and was crossing the pacific.
From there, a long, 17-day journey to Busan began. The ship's captain and crew believed that Kwon Taekjoo and Zhenya were security guards sent by an international logistics company. Thanks to this, they didn't have to participate in the ship's tedious tasks. Even when they walked around armed, no one questioned them.
Their intimidating appearance also helped ward off interference or interest from others. The crew, regardless of nationality or age, avoided Kwon Taekjoo or Zhenya. During meals, if they appeared, the others quickly gave up their seats.
Beyond their intimidating presence, having security guards abroad made the crew uncomfortable.
The usual disputes that arise on long ness voyages weren't their concern. The sailors would argue and become noisy, but the situation never lasted long.
When Kwon Taekjoo or Zhenya appeared, everyone dispersed with uncomfortable expressions, as if nothing had happened.
Zhenya would bang on the wall in frustration whenever he heared loud noises outside. Immediately, the entire ship fell silent.
Most of the time, Zhenya and him were having sex, so it was understandable. If it had been a disruption to his sleep, who knows what he might have done in self-defense.
It seemed like a miracle that they made it back to Korea without any major incidents.
Thanks to prior notice to the National Intelligence Service, they didn't have to go through immigration procedures at the port of Busan. Although it caused a bit of a stir, they were granted a few days of vacation as a reward for completing the mission. Everything went surprisingly smooth, almost as if it was an illusion.
Without Zhenya's intervention, none of this would have been possible. The day spent on an unknown island in Mexico now felt like a distant dream.
After gathering his thoughts and finishing
his shower, he stepped out of the
bathroom. His mother had already prepared breakfast. He couldn't refuse and sat down quietly.
The table was filled with more then ten different side dishes. A well-cooked red pepper paste stew immediately awakened his appetite.
"Why did you prepare so much food this early in the morning."
"How much must you have suffered, living abroad for almost a month without being able to eat Korean food? Did you eat well? You've only been sleeping since you got home, and your face is so pale I can hardly stand it."
"Mother, please. Why does a man need a pretty face?"
"Your face, which isn't much use anyway, looks even more gaunt, boy. Should I prepare some medicine for you?"
"For what? The food you make is the best remedy."
As always, he brushed off his mother's concerns with a smile. She, with a reproachful look, place a well-cooked piece of fish on Kwon Taekjoo's rice in silence, he took a big spoonful of rice and brought it to his mouth.
The freshly cooked rice and salty fish blended perfectly. After taking a spoonful of the red pepper paste stew, his unsettled immediately calmed down.
"This is delicious. Mother, you should eat too."
"I already had something earlier."
"Come on, don't just eat a little."
"You'll understand when you get older. Eating three meals a day isn't as easy to digest."
His mother replied while placing a piece of jangjorim on his plate. This time, the jangjorim didn't have the green peppers she usually included.
Zhenya, who had once tried one of those peppers on Kwon Taekjoo's recommendation, had choked severely, leading to this change.
That had been over a year ago. Somehow, Zhenya had integrated too naturally into Kwon Taekjoo's daily life.
"This jangjorim. The ambassador liked it a lot too."
Lost in thought, he was startled by his mother's words. He quickly covered his mouth with the back of his hand to stifle a cough. His mother, unaware of the reason, offered him a glass of water and told him to eat more slowly.
Taking advantage of the moment, she asked about Zhenya.
"I wonder if the ambassador is doing well after his long trip. When will he return?"
"I don't know. When he finishes his business."
"What? You don't know your boss's schedule as his assistant?"
"He said it was personal business. What can I do? Investigate his private life?"
"A subordinate should be able to understand things without being told."
He pursed his lips at his mother's scolding. Although he had always hated the military mentality of his grandfather and father, his mother wasn't much different. He wasn't sure if it was out of habit or because she had a special fondness for Zhenya and always defended him.
"By the way, will the ambassador spend his birthday in Russia?"
He paused at his mother's comment. Then, he glanced at the desk calendar in the corner of the table. The calendar had already turned to August. Exactly one week remained until Zhenya's birthday.
"Don't you think he'll be back before then? He said he'd come soon."
"Really? Then, should I prepare a special meal for the ambassador's birthday?"
"You, mother? Wouldn't it be enough to just buy him a cake."
"Oh no, that wouldn't be proper. The ambassador is all alone in such a distant place; don't you think he'd feel very lonely on his birthday? We've shared so much until now; the right thing to do is offer him a warm meal."
"This is unbelievable. Even on regular days, without any reason, you'd call Zhenya to invite him for lunch or tea. And now, just because it's his birthday, it seems you need an excuse.. we, I'll ask him."
"Yes, just make sure to tell him not to feel pressured."
"That guy is not the type to feel pressured easily. Haven't you noticed that by now?"
"What? You refer to him as 'that' and 'that guy' in front of the ambassador? Are you going to keep being so disrespectful."
"No, he's not here right now…"
"If you speak that way when he's not around, it will become a habit."
As always, Kwon Taekjoo's mother defended Zhenya. She claimed she was doing it for the sake of her only son, but Kwon wondered if she would feel the same way if she knew how Zhenya treated him.
Ignorance truly was bliss. Kwon mumbled an apology and kept eating.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn't heard from Zhenya in the past four days. He thought he had made his point clear last time, but it seemed Zhenya had already forgotten.
They say no news is good news, but that didn't apply to him. It looked like Kwon would have to reach out first.
After finishing his meal, Kwon went to his room and grabbed his phone. Although he had hope for it, there were no missed calls from Zhenya. Could something have happened again in Russia?
Maybe his father had finally caught him to agrrange an engagement, or perhaps he'd been banned from leaving the country for helping Kwon in Cuba.
Zhenya always made him worry. Damn it, Kwon thought, as he pressed the call button. But before it could ring, he changed his mind and decided to send a message instead.
["hey"]
["are you still in Russia?"]
["why. Do you miss me already?"]
Surprisingly, the response arrived immediately. That meant Zhenya could still use all ten fingers. Bastard.
["you said you'd be here soon."]
["Yes. Soon."]
["when is 'soon'?"]
["Taekjoo. What's going on? Asking all these questions."]
["You're doing some adorable things, aren't you?"]
He could clearly imagine that guy's smiling face. He was about to reply with "who" when an incoming call window appeared above the message.
It was a call from headquarters.