Codename-Anastasia

Chapter 44: 3.14 Lonely Koshichei 5

Suddenly he looked up into space with an annoyed expression. His pale face was covered with streaks of fresh blood of unknown origin. At his feet were the agents who had participated in last night's operation scattered.

He frowned at the bright sunlight. He didn't even realize it was morning. Thinking back, my ears were too noisy. Police who started after receiving reports of an explosion were lined up on the street. Ambulances also blared their sirens and rushed to transport the injured.

"Ugh!"

The man in his arms let out a heavy groan. He was the only survivor among the FSB agents sent in last night. Zhenya did not ask him who was the instigator of this mission and what was the purpose. He was used to having his life threatened this way.

Even in a dying state, he still easily broke the neck of an agent who was trying to fight to the end. The man convulsed and drooped down.

He was lost in thought as he wiped his bloody hand on the edge of the curtain. Having received an unexpected gift, now it's his turn to say thank you, right? Who should he go to first? FSB Director? Or the Kremlin? He smiled as he imagined how Bazim would react when he saw him.

He happily developed these thoughts, but suddenly he felt doubts. They will not be optimistic that they can eliminate Zhenya with just that much force. He didn't know if they were going to tie him up and buy time or not.

'The President also wants to reaffirm your loyalty. This opportunity could be the Kremlin's last generosity.'

'Bazim is home. His conversation with his father was very unusual. You could really get hurt this time.'

Could it be?

The doubts over the past seemed to have been reinforced. His mischievous face also stiffened. He remembered Kwon Taek Joo who was on the island. His eyes flashed bright yellow and he felt dizzy. For a moment, the comfort was gone.

He must return to the island immediately. The strides quickly turned into a quick run.

--

He flew through the erratic air currents. When the speed was increased to maximum, the helicopter could not bear to shake violently. The winding black surface of the sea seemed like it could swallow a dangerous helicopter in an instant. He was reckless with a flight that could crash at any time. The only thought in his mind was to return to the island.

His heart was pounding uncomfortably. The speed got worse. Nameless frustration continuously tightened around his neck. He doesn't even know why he is doing these things. He only vaguely thought that if he set foot on the island, this unpleasant feeling would disappear.

Despite the bad weather, he arrived on the island earlier than usual. The first thing that caught sight was a military helicopter turning near the cliff. He immediately turned around and flew straight there. When Zhenya's helicopter approached, the military helicopters opened fire without hesitation.

Zhenya could not avoid the flying bullets. The bullets went through the windows, propellers and the front of the fuselage. Black smoke billowed out from the tail. However. he still stubbornly rushed into the military helicopter. That reckless action hides the will to not be afraid of collision.

Sensing danger, the military helicopter stopped firing and to hastily increase altitude but in the end it was still impossible to avoid a collision. The fan blades rub against each other creating sparks. The air around it temporarily condensed and then exploded violently.

A terrible explosion shattered the air. Black smoke rose, the two planes became piles of scrap metal and fell helplessly. One step before, Zhenya jumped into the sea. Debris from the helicopter fell menacingly. He avoided it and dived deep into the water, then kicked the water and emerged.

The agents ran to the battlefield and pulled the trigger randomly. The target once again dives and disappears from their sight. The agents targeted all over the sea and waited for Zhenya to reappear. But he never appeared on the water.

Was he injured and drowned? It was during this time that the agents faced each other in bewilderment, a chill somewhere behind them. The agent quickly turned the barrel of the gun, but his head was bowed first. The last bullet he fired took away the breath of his poor comrade. Dreamy red blood spread across the pure white snow field.

Zhenya rushed to the cliff where the military helicopter hovered. Even though his eyes were wide open, there was nothing strange there. The closer he got to the cliff, the more the feeling of haste that was boiling in his heart had spread to the extreme.

He reached the edge of the cliff and looked down. Blood streaks gradually spread across the prominent snowfield, but Kwon Taek Joo was still nowhere to be seen.

Zhenya without hesitation attached his body to the ice wall and slid down. The snow was so dense that it softened the shock, but it was not completely without shock. He clenched his molars and lifted his throbbing body. Zhenya looked around in all directions, searching for Kwon Taek Joo.

He chased after the sparse blood stains. That trace was interrupted dozens of meters from where he stood. And there, he saw a small cave that even Zhenya did not know about. It's called a cave, but it's just a groove narrow enough for people to enter.

Kwon Taek Joo, the person he had been looking for, sat hunched inside. I don't know how long he's been like this, his face is pale without a drop of blood, even his cold breath of white smoke is weak. Zhenya ran over and grabbed his arm. It's not an illusion. Only then did the breath he had been holding come out chaotically.

"Ha ha."

Zhenya urgently checked Kwon Taek Joo's breathing and pulse. It was difficult to tell how much Kwon Taek Joo's body temperature had dropped because his body seemed to freeze. The collar of Zhenya, who was checking his breathing by placing his ear on his chest, was gently pulled. Even though it was a very weak force, he immediately stopped all movements and looked in that direction.

Kwon Taek Joo's cold hand was pulling Zhenya's shirt. Hand gestures are weak, as if they could break just by touching them. But why did he feel that hand was so heavy? He couldn't take his eyes off the collar he was holding.

No one told Zhenya about life. Up until now he has lived a life no different from a messenger. He took so many lives himself, and that's all the world wanted and demanded of him. Yet this foolish man is asking him to save his life. This is absurd.

But right now only he can help him. Just Zhenya.

He helplessly looked at Kwon Taek Joo and supported his back. His whole body immediately collapsed without any strength and fell into his chest.

"Is this how you came up with it..."

He muttered as he stared endlessly at Kwon Taek Joo's pale, bloodless face. It was a voice that contained a strange aftertaste.

Zhenya then gently hugged him and slowly walked back to the villa. Steps leave much deeper footprints than steps taken alone. That step also left a deep mark on Zhenya's chest.

--

Kwon Taek Joo blinked his eyes open. It felt like his head was being weighed down. His body seemed to be boiling. The high temperature causes the eyes to melt and vision becomes confused. He could feel someone's presence next to him, but he didn't have the strength to open his eyes and see that face.

A cold towel was placed on his forehead. A grumble was also heard. Something cool flickered outside the closed eyelids. He reached out and grabbed it. Surprised by Kwon Taek Joo's sudden action, that existence was startled.

"Are you awake?"

That was Olga's voice. He tried to open his eyes. Olga was sitting next to the bed with a worried look on her face. What happened? Kwon Taek Joo doesn't remember anything from the middle.

The FSB's special unit Vimpel' suddenly entered, and while fleeing from them, he jumped off a cliff. Right after that, he even remembered that a sharp pain had passed through his body. It seems like Kwon Taek Joo exhausted his remaining strength and took refuge in a cave. Perhaps because of the bullet wound, his body temperature dropped rapidly and he gradually lost strength.

It's been a while and no one has come. There is no way to escape on your own. The wind blew stronger and stronger and visibility became increasingly blurry. It seemed that even if someone died there, the body would not be discovered unless someone made an effort to search. For the first time, Kwon Taek Joo faced complete loneliness. He thought he was used to living alone, but the thought that he might be abandoned forever made him feel helpless and scared. It is said that when the body is weak, the mind is also weak. Seeing him alive and healthy like this, it seemed like he was discovered before his death.

Kwon Taek Joo tried to lift his upper body, but half of his body was stiff. When he stopped with a groan, Olga quickly put Kwon Taek Joo down. His condition got worse so he lay down again. It appeared he had been hit in the side.

"You were unconscious for quite a while, you know that?"

Olga sighed and asked. Kwon Taek Joo shook his head. After losing consciousness, all his senses became dull and he could not even notice the passage of time. He didn't even know how Kwon Taek Joo was brought to this place. It's impossible with Olga's power alone, so someone else must have helped.

Olga did not explain in detail what had happened. It is important for physically and mentally exhausted patients to get absolute rest. She soaked a towel in water and wrung it dry.

"You're sweating a lot and have a high fever, so you might need to clean yourself up a bit. Are you okay with that?"

Kwon Taek Joo nodded and said, "Thank you." It was uncomfortable because his whole body was drenched in sweat, and the gunshot wound made it difficult to bathe for the time being.

Olga carefully lifted the blanket that Kwon Taek Joo was covering. At that moment, someone grabbed her arm. He also snatched the towel he was holding in her hand. It's Zhenya.

He signaled Olga, who was staring at him, to stop and go out. Olga hesitated with worried eyes. If a duel breaks out between the two of them again, this time Kwon Taek Joo won't be able to survive. Zhenya spoke up while he was still hesitant.

"Get out."

The voice was calm but enough to feel the pressure. Olga reluctantly got up and left the bedroom, leaving the door cracked in case of emergency.

"..."

"..."

Two eves met. This was actually the first face-to-face meeting after the quarrel, but the hostility, resentment and antipathy towards each other had subsided. After all the fuss, that's a good thing. However, Kwon Taek Joo looked quite tired. He didn't even have the energy to compete with Zhenya.

Zhenya pulled the blanket away without saying a word. Cool air rushes into Kwon Taek Joo's hot body. He shivered coldly. Zhenya looked intently at Kwon Taek Joo and then raised one hand. He was suddenly startled and reached out his hand, Our eyes met again. The usual Zhenya would completely change his expression, but today he showed patience and withdrew his hand. Then he gently wiped his sweaty skin with a damp cloth.

At first, just touching the towel gave Kwon Taek Joo goosebumps, but after a while he got used to it. Furthermore, Zhenya only focused on wiping his body and remained silent. The guy delicately wiped each finger and then all the way to the inside of his armpit. Kwon Taek Joo quickly felt comfortable and refreshed, but he also felt embarrassed because every corner of his body was being scrutinized so intently. Just because you're a patient and you're being cared for, it seems like your private parts are being exposed.

Zhenya moistened the towel again and placed it on his neck. Kwon Taek Joo frowned at the sudden temperature difference. After waiting for a while, Zhenya gently wiped his bandaged neck and chin. The collarbone is straight and the chest mound is also carefully touched as if tracing a trace.

His aching body immediately felt refreshed. Kwon Taek Joo freely entrusted himself as if forgetting that the other person was Zhenya. Finally, he pulled the blanket covering his back. Kwon Taek Joo is completely naked. The fact that he wasn't even wearing underwear made him cringe, but he didn't show it. There was no reason to be ashamed as Zhenya had seen everything he could see.

Zhenya wiped Kwon Taek Joo's abdomen and thighs in turn, then thoroughly cleaned the groin, genitals and perineum. His testicles shrank when they touched the cold towel. Zhenya, who was often sarcastic and said vulgar things, remained silent. He kept his mouth shut and just focused on what he was doing. It's embarrassing. For some reason, this guy doesn't seem like the person Kwon Taek Joo knew.

Finally, Zhenya lifted Kwon Taek Joo's knees and let the soles of his feet touch his chest. Kwon Taek Joo's legs bent and he stretched out his hand deeply to gently wipe the back of his thighs and buttocks.

"Why do you keep running away? I don't intend to kill you."

A moment later, Zhenya opened his mouth. That tone seemed to secretly reveal the concerns that had been cherished for so long. Kwon Taek Joo did not answer immediately.

He just stared at the guy's face. It was strange that he suddenly asked such a question. Did he really ask because he didn't know?

Zhenya immediately faced Kwon Taek Joo. To the man who was silently waiting for an answer, he replied indifferently.

"Because there's no reason for me to stay here."

His voice was calm, not agitated. From the beginning, he did not come to this place voluntarily. From that moment on, this island was like a prison for Kwon Taek Joo. Trying to escape was not simply about Zhenya, he just had no desire to stay here.

Is he not satisfied with the answer? Zhenya stopped and silently looked at Kwon Taek Joo. He did not frown, nor did he have any obvious change in expression.

But for some reason, that face resembles the face of the hurt child that Kwon Taek Joo saw in his dream. It seemed like he did something really bad. He couldn't help but feel heavy at the gaze of the boy in front of him who couldn't avoid it even for a moment. Kwon Taek Joo turned his face away, avoiding gazes, then lowered his feet.

The conversation was interrupted and a persistent silence prevailed. The two of them don't talk often, so there's no reason to be awkward even now. But the longer the silence lasted, the more uncomfortable Kwon Taek Joo felt.

A moment later, Zhenya stood up. Kwon Taek Joo was unconsciously tense but he did not pose any danger. All he did was put the towel he was holding on the table. The man who was just about to leave suddenly spoke.

"Then leave."