Suddenly he looked up at the air with an annoyed expression. The white face was full of unknown streaks of fresh blood. At his feet were scattered agents who participated in last night's campaign.
He frowned at the bright sunlight. He didn't even realise it was morning. Thinking back, the air is so noisy. Police set off after receiving reports of an explosion that was lining the road. The ambulance also whistled and rushed to the injured.
'...Ugh.'
The man in his hand let out a heavy moan. He was the only survivor of the FSB agents sent to last night. Zhenya did not ask him who was the instigator of the mission this time and what the purpose was. He was used to being life-threatening in 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 drooped.
He was immersed in thought as he wiped his bloody hand against the rim of the curtain. Having received a surprise gift, it's his turn to say thank you. Who should he go to before? FSB Director? Or the Kremlin? He smiled as he imagined what Bazim would look like when he saw him.
He happily developed the flow of thought, but suddenly he was suspicious. They will not be optimistic that Zhenya can be eliminated with just so many troops. He didn't know if they were going to tie his legs and extend the time.
'The president also wants to reaffirm your loyalty. This opportunity could be the Kremlin's last generosity.'
'Bazim went home. His conversation with his father was very unusual. You can really get hurt this time.'
Maybe.
The doubts during the past time seem to be reinforced. His sly face also shyed. He remembers Kwon Taek Joo who is on the island. His eyes flashed with a bright yellow yellow sensation with a dizzying feeling. For a moment, the comfort was gone.
He had to return to the island immediately. The strides quickly turn into fast runs.
He flew through the erratic air. When the speed was maximised, the unbearable helicopter kept swaying violently. The surface of the sea is winding black as if it can swallow the dangerous helicopter immediately. He was reckless with a flight that could crash at any time. The only thought in his mind was to go back to the island.
His heart was pounding uncomfortably. The speed gets worse. The nameless frustration kept squeezing his neck. He didn't even know why he was doing these things. He was just vague that if he set foot on the island, this uncomfortable feeling would disappear.
Despite the bad weather, he arrived on the island earlier than usual. The first thing that caught the eye was a military helicopter turning near the cliff. He immediately turned his head and flew straight there. As Zhenya's helicopter approached, the side of the military helicopter opened fire without hesitation.
Zhenya did not avoid the flying bullets. The bullets penetrated the windows, propellers and front of the fuselage. Black smoke billowed from the tail. However, he still stubbornly rushed into the military helicopter. That reckless act contains the will not to be afraid to collide.
Feeling the danger, the military helicopter stopped firing and rushed to the altitude but in the end it was inevitable to collide. The propellers rub against each other creating sparks. The air around it temporarily condensed and then exploded violently.
A terrible explosion breaks the air. Black smoke rose, two planes became piles of scrap metal that fell helplessly. One step earlier, Zhenya jumped into the sea. The debris of the helicopter fell threateningly. He avoided it and dived deep into the water, then pedalled the water and emerged.
The agents ran to the battlefield while pulling the trigger chaotically. The target once again dived and disappeared from their sight. The agents targeted everywhere at sea and waited for Zhenya to reappear. But he did not appear on the water.
Was he injured and drowned? It was a time when the agents were bewildered to face each other, a chill somewhere behind them. The agent quickly turned the barrel, but his head had to bend first. The last bullet he fired took the breath of his poor comrade. Dreamy red blood stretches across the pure snow-white field.
Zhenya rushed to the ledge where the military helicopter was hovering. Even if his eyes were wide open, there was nothing strange there. The closer you get to the cliff, the more the feeling of haste that is boiling in your heart, the more it spreads to the extreme.
He reached the edge of the cliff and looked down. The streaks of blood scattered on the snow field stood out, but Kwon Taek Joo was still nowhere to be seen.
Zhenya did not hesitate to attach his body to the ice wall and slide down. The snow is so dense that it softens the shock, but it's not that there are no shocks at all. He clenched his molars and lifted his throbbing body. Zhenya looked around in all directions, looking for Kwon Taek Joo.
He chased after the sparse blood stains. That trace was broken tens of metres from where he stood. And there, he saw a small cave that even Zhenya didn't know about. It's called a cave but it's just like a trench narrow enough for people to enter.
Kwon Taek Joo, whom he had been looking for for a while, sat crouched inside. I don't know how long he's been like that, his face is pale without drops of blood, even his cold breath of white smoke is weak. Zhenya ran over and grabbed his arm. Not a hallucination. Only then did the breath he was still suppressing burst out chaotically.
" Ha, ha. . . "
Zhenya urgently checked Kwon Taek Joo's breathing and pulse. It's hard to tell how much Kwon Taek Joo's body temperature has dropped because his body is frozen. Zhenya's collar, who was testing his breathing by placing his ears on his chest, he was gently pulled. Although it was a very weak force, he immediately stopped all movements and looked in that direction.
Kwon Taek Joo's cold hand is pulling Zhenya's shirt. The hand gesture is weak as if it can break with just a touch. But why did he feel that hand was so heavy? He couldn't take his eyes off the collar he was holding back.
No one taught Zhenya about life. Until now, he has lived a life no different from a messenger. He took a lot of lives on his own, and that's all the world wants and demands of him. Yet this stupid man is begging him to save his life. It's absurd.
But right now only he can help him. Only Zhenya.
He looked at Kwon Taek Joo helplessly and supported his back. The whole body immediately collapsed without any strength and fell on 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's a voice that contains a strange aftertaste.
Then Zhenya gently hugged him and slowly went back to the villa. Steps that leave footprints are much deeper than those that walk 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 weighed down. The body seemed to boil. The high temperature reaches the eyes as well as melts and the vision becomes confused. He could feel the presence of someone next to him, but he didn't have the strength to open his eyes and see that face.
A cold towel was applied to his forehead. A grumble also sounded. Something cool flashes outside closed eyelids. He stretched out his hand and grabbed it. Surprised by Kwon Taek Joo's unexpected action, that existence is startled.
'Are you awake?'
It's Olga's voice. He tried to open his eyes. Olga was sitting next to the bed with a worried 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 the cliff. Soon, he even remembered that a sharp pain had penetrated his body. It seems that Kwon Taek Joo has exhausted some of his remaining energy and took refuge in a cave. Perhaps because of the bullet wound, his body temperature dropped rapidly and he gradually lost his strength.
It's been a while and no one has come. There is no way out with your own strength. The wind is blowing more and more and the vision is getting dimmer. It seems that even if someone dies there, the body will not be discovered unless someone tries to find it. For the first time Kwon Taek Joo faced complete loneliness. He thought he was used to living alone, but the thought that he could be abandoned forever made him feel helpless and scared. It is said that when the body weakens, the mind also weakens. Seeing him alive and healthy like this, it seems that he was discovered before he died.
Kwon Taek Joo tried to lift his upper body, but his lower half stiffened. When he stopped with a moan, Olga hurriedly put Kwon Taek Joo down. Worry the condition worsened, he lay down again. It seems that he was hit by a bullet in one flank.
'You've been unconscious for a long time, you know?'
Olga sighed and asked. Kwon Taek Joo shook his head. After losing consciousness, all his senses became dull and he couldn't even recognise the passage of time. He didn't even know how Kwon Taek Joo was brought to this place. If is with Olga's strength is impossible, so someone else must have helped.
Olga did not explain in detail about the past. It is important for physically and mentally depleted patients to have absolute rest. She soaked a towel in water and squeezed it dry.
"You sweat a lot and have a high fever, so I must wiped your body a little. Is it okay?"
Kwon Taek Joo nodded and said 'Thank you!'. It was uncomfortable because his whole body was soaked in sweat, and the gunshot wound would be temporarily difficult to bathe.
Olga carefully lifted the blanket that Kwon Taek Joo was putting on. At that moment, someone grabbed her arm. He also snatched the towel she was holding in his hand. It's Zhenya.
He signalled to Olga, who was staring at him, she stopped and went out. Olga hesitated with worried eyes. If a duel broke out again between the two of them, this time Kwon Taek Joo would not be able to survive. Zhenya spoke while she was still hesitating.
'Get out.'
The voice was quiet but enough to feel the pressure. Olga reluctantly got up and left the bedroom, leaving the door open in case of emergency.
'...'
'...'
The two eyes touched. This was actually the first face-to-face meeting after the quarrel, but the hostility, resentment, and aversion to each other subsided. After all the noise it's a good thing. However, Kwon Taek Joo looks quite tired. He didn't even have the energy to fight Zhenya.
Zhenya pulled the blanket without saying a word. Cool air rushes into Kwon Taek Joo's hot body. He shuddered in chills. Zhenya stared at Kwon Taek Joo and raised one hand. He was involuntarily startled and stretched out his hand. The eyes met again. Zhenya's usual face would have completely change, but today he is patient and withdraws his hand. Then he gently wiped his sweaty skin with a damp cloth.
At first, just touching the towel also made Kwon Taek Joo goosebumps, but after a while he got used to it. Moreover, Zhenya also focussed only on wiping his body and being silent. The guy delicately wiped each finger and then reached the inside of his armpits. Kwon Taek Joo quickly felt comfortable and refreshed, but he was also embarrassed to be scrutinised by every corner of his body that was too attentive. Just because he is a patient and he is being cared for, but it seems that his private parts are being exposed.
Zhenya moistened the towel again and put it on his neck. Kwon Taek Joo frowned at the sudden temperature difference. After waiting for a while, Zhenya gently wiped his neck and chin that was being bandaged. The straight collarbone and chest bone are also touched as carefully as tracking.
His aching body immediately felt refreshed. Kwon Taek Joo freely entrusted himself as if forgetting that the opponent was Zhenya. Finally he pulled the blanket he was covering on his back. Kwon Taek Joo is completely naked. The fact that he didn't even wear any innerwear made him cringe, but he didn't show it. There was no reason to be ashamed as Zhenya had seen all the things he could see.
Zhenya wiped Kwon Taek Joo's abdomen and thighs in turn and cleaned the groin, genitals and perineal area thoroughly. His testicles shrinked when he touched the cold towel. Zhenya, who was often sarcastic and spoke vulgar words, remained silent. He closed his mouth tightly and focussed only on what he was doing. It's embarrassing. For some reason, this guy doesn't seem to be someone Kwon Taek Joo used to know.
Finally, Zhenya lifted Kwon Taek Joo's knees and let the soles of his feet touch his chest. Kwon Taek Joo's legs folded and he stretched out his arms deeply and gently wiped the back of his thighs and buttocks.
After a while, Zhenya opened his mouth.
"...Why do you keep running away? I'm not going to kill you."
That tone seems to implicitly confess the concerns that have been cherished for a long time. Kwon Taek Joo didn't answer right away.
He just stared at the guy's face. It's strange that he suddenly asked such a question. Did he really ask because he didn't know?
Immediately Zhenya also faced Kwon Taek Joo. For the boy who was silently waiting for an answer, he answered indifferently.
'Because there is no reason for me to stay here.'
His voice was calm, not agitated. From the beginning he did not voluntarily to come to this place. Since that time, the island has been like a prison for Kwon Taek Joo. Trying to escape is not just because of Zhenya, it's just that he has 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 a marked of change in his expression.
But I don't know why that face is similar to the face of that injured child that Kwon Taek Joo saw in his dream. It seems that he did something really bad. He couldn't help but feel heavy at the gaze that could not be avoided even for a moment of the boy in front of him. Kwon Taek Joo turned his face away from his gaze and lowered his feet.
The conversation was interrupted and the persistence of tranquillity enveloped. The two of them don't talk often either, so there's no reason to be awkward even now. But the longer the silence, the more annoyed Kwon Taek Joo felt.
After a while, Zhenya stood up. Kwon Taek Joo was unconsciously tenses, but he did not cause 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 up.
'Then do it.'