code...name....ana...sta...sia

Zhenya

You have to stay far away first. Just like that, Kwon Taek Joo was about to follow his instincts when a vibration rang out from inside his jacket. Hiro Sakamoto's phone was in his outer pocket, so the current vibration must have come from the phone used to contact headquarters.
Manager Lim said he would send a photo of his partner participating in this campaign with him. Kwon Taek Joo reached into his jacket and took out his phone. Sure enough, a photo was sent from Chief Lim.
He immediately checked the photo. It takes about 2 or 3 seconds for the display device to load the image on the screen. 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds. Kwon Taek Joo clicked on the 'Download completed.' The awaited photo quickly filled the screen.
"Hmm? It's me."
He almost dropped the phone to the ground, because someone's voice suddenly interrupted.
Kwon Taek Joo just silently rolled his eyes and looked at the floor. A huge shadow came from behind and swallowed him. Just by looking at it, you can tell who it belongs to without looking back, because that strong woody smell seems to paralyze the olfactory cells.
Gazprom representatives did not appear in the end. The group of people waited together to eat, drink and chat for a while and then parted ways. The Japanese delegation, tired after the long flight, also dispersed to their rooms. Thanks to that, Kwon Taek Joo was able to complete the work earlier than expected. The real problem is now beginning.
Kwon Taek Joo couldn't even enter the room and just lingered in front of the door the whole time. It took him a moment before he took a deep breath and opened the door.
His eyes went straight to the table placed next to the window. The murderous bastard was sitting on the armrest of a chair and looking out the window. It seemed like it would be more comfortable with his long legs. A powerful source of energy filled with pressure flowed from his broad shoulders and strong back. Perhaps realizing that eyes were looking towards him, he quietly turned his head.
The light dyed the strands of hair mixed between gold and white brilliantly. Eyebrows are long, gentle but still show sensitivity and sophistication. The long eyelashes that cover the eyes carry a hidden fierceness, and the pupils as transparent as blue ocean water carry a calm coolness, creating a unique work of art. The high and straight bridge of the nose brings a natural beauty that directs the eye to the lips.
His face was smiling brightly, but the tension still did not subside. Human eyes cannot lie, so those smiling lips have a fake presence.
Although her overall face is extremely beautiful, Kwon Taek Joo cannot feel any sympathy. When he made eye contact with him, the air particles around him seemed to freeze. The eyes seemed to be quietly watching the writhing prey, unlike the eyes of a human.
He warmly turned towards Kwon Taek Joo who was standing in the doorway.
"Just come in, don't be shy."
The host and guest have been completely reversed. He nodded and took off his jacket, then suddenly he turned his head away, because the strong scent of cigars was spreading all over him. It wasn't too strong but he felt very uncomfortable. He didn't know if it was due to the afterimage of the first time they met or not.
As if he didn't know the aversion on Kwon Taek Joo's face, he reached out and offered to shake his hand.
"I'm Zhenya."
Kwon Taek Joo stared at Zhenya's hand held out in front of him. Is this what stabbed a human in the eyeball? That thought suddenly flashed through when suddenly that hand reached out. Kwon Taek Joo was startled unconsciously without knowing that his upper body was also shaking.
The long white fingertips stopped in front of Kwon Taek Joo's left chest. His lungs suddenly tightened, making it impossible for him to breathe normally. The fingers that were still standing there soon began to swing as if teasing Kwon Taek Joo. The overwhelming tension seemed to be relieved. Dissatisfaction was evident on his face. Zhenya chuckled and gently tapped his hand on his side.
"You don't look very happy, do you?"
"Why not? But if you let me hit you a few times, maybe I'll feel happier."
Kwon Taek Joo gritted his teeth, strength concentrated in his lower jaw. Perhaps just seeing it as a joke,
Zhenya just laughed and ignored it.
"So what's your name?"
"You know that."
"It's really difficult to pronounce. Is there an easier name?"
"If it's too difficult, don't call."
Zhenya stared at him at the blunt answer. His lips still drew a long curve and his eyes shined strangely. Just like that, silence prevailed. Kwon Taek Joo suddenly felt uncomfortable being observed without any measures to deal with it.
A moment later Zhenya spoke up, "I heard you went to the police station?" He broke the long silence. Zhenya even laughed shamelessly, as if he had forgotten everything that had happened before. Kwon Taek Joo stared at him without answering. No, that's nothing more than vigilance. Intuition told him that Kwon Taek Joo himself must not reveal the slightest gap to him.
Zhenya didn't pay attention and left the table and went to the mini bar. He looked through the small bottles of liquor displayed there and took out some whiskey. He quenched his thirst that way and shrugged.
"There's no need to be so cautious. I was just helping a colleague who was in danger."
He talks about unusual things as if they were normal. Kwon Taek Joo continues to closely monitor Zhenya.
"Since when have you been following me?"
"And since when? From the beginning."
Was he at the airport from the beginning? Does that mean he timed the right time to contact Kwon Taek Joo and then chased after him when he was kidnapped and saved him? So why didn't he reveal his identity at that time?
Zhenya suddenly grinned. It seems that Kwon Taek Joo's doubts have been seen through.
"Headquarters told me to obediently wait until today. If you hadn't been arrested in such an embarrassing way that day,I wouldn't have had any reason to come forward."
Zhenya chuckled with whiskey-soaked lips. The shame that Kwon Taek Joo had tried to suppress for so long now surfaced again. The person he thought had extraordinary, inhuman strength turned out to be his colleague. Kwon Taek Joo's pride was hurt.
"First impressions are really unforgettable. You even showed me what it's like to poke someone on the eye."
Kwon Taek Joo clicked his tongue in response. There's no reason to feel inferior just because he's your partner. He and Kwon Taek Joo are on the same team. Just that one fact blew away his fear for the first time in his life. Zhenya curled his lips in mockery at the unexpected criticism.
"Are you a pacifist?"
"I like neat things."
"Neat and efficient, like shooting? Or bombing? Then it's no fun"
He shook his head with a bored expression and then used his fingers to gently tap his temple.
"Think about it. Who doesn't want to be special, right? Everyone wants the moment of their last breath to be as sacred as possible. But how useless and insignificant it would be if their deaths were combined "killed by shooting" in the corner of an article? If both eyes were pierced, they could grab another headline. Wouldn't it be better?"
That's just an excuse. The excuse of a psychopath trying to justify his nefarious behavior. Kwon Taek Joo sarcastically replied.
"If one day I fall into your hands, please kill me senselessly."
"Hmm. It's a bit difficult but I'll think about it."
Zhenya paused for a moment as if thinking about something then he continued "Don't worry too much."
"Because if you didn't hurt me, it wouldn't have happened. Look, I'm just defending myself."
"Are you a pacifist?"
Kwon Taek Joo responded to the sarcastic comments Zhenya said a while ago. He laughed loudly and threw the whiskey bottle he was drinking towards him. The small bottle was more than half empty. Without hesitation, Kwon Taek Joo put his mouth into the bottle and drank all the remaining wine. His tongue tingled as if his esophagus was on fire.
At that moment, Kwon Taek Joo's phone rang from inside the jacket he had taken off. He put down the empty bottle and took out his phone. This time too, a photo was sent from headquarters. After a moment of waiting, a mysterious looking Russian filled the screen. Is this the 'Psych Bogdanov they told you to be careful of?
Kwon Taek Joo vaguely speculated, but before he realized it, Zhenya approached and snatched his phone.
"I was told to be careful with that guy. Do you know him?"
Zhenya squinted, examined the photo, then nodded.
"Of course. I know. Very well."
"What kind of person is he?"
"It's better not to touch him. I've never seen anything good come from messing with him."
"Is Morgan's death related to this guy?"
"If it's Morgan, do you mean the former American? Let's see. maybe it's that crazy guy's trick, maybe it's not. Don't worry about it. You're not here for revenge. Just leave him alone. Play his game, let's do ours."
"If you call him crazy with your own mouth, it seems that this guy is an unpredictable great man."
Kwon Taek Joo shook his head. Zhenya just chuckled. Even if he was Psych Bogdanov, he would believe it immediately. He couldn't even imagine that someone like him would call that guy crazy without any hesitation.
In any case, if getting involved in this matter won't help, then it's best not to collide. No need to worry about someone you haven't even met yet. Currently, Kwon Taek Joo must focus on the assigned task.
"I heard you know the political structure and money flow here well, right?"
"Of course. If you want, I can list it for you anytime."
His confident appearance did not seem to be showing off in vain. It seemed like accepting a partner he didn't want, and making the most of it, was a good idea. The problems that have occurred since day one seem to be being resolved smoothly.
Kwon Taek Joo felt relieved after a long time and then gave instructions.
"First, I hope you will select people who are knowledgeable about underground weapons transactions, regardless of whether they are capital providers, actual developers, or businessmen involved in the sale. If you want to meet 'Anastasia' You must attack first."
At the mention of 'Anastasia', Zhenya's eyebrows raised slightly. It was not an obvious change that Kwon Taek Joo could notice immediately.
But in just that moment, he gently nodded and seemed to understand, then immediately took his coat and stood up.
"Then let's finish preparing tomorrow and continue talking."
Kwon Taek Joo stood up and followed Zhenya. Why were you so happy when you heard he was leaving? Kwon Taek Joo followed closely behind as if intending to chase away not only Zhenya but also his unique scent. He reached out and opened the door himself.
Zhenya obediently went out. Instead of saying go away, Kwon Taek Joo said "See you tomorrow". Then he closed the door but it did not close. He looked down curiously, one shoe toe protruding from the crack in the door. Kwon Taek Joo looked up at Zhenya with a dissatisfied expression. He tilted his head and leaned down a bit, their eyes met.
"Let's slowly take off that mask."
The voice mixed with dark laughter. Kwon Taek Joo frowned and glared at Zhenya. He grinned again, stood up straight and walked to the other side of the hallway. Kwon Taek Joo looked until the elevator door closed and then he closed the door.
———
The elevator door quickly opened. A man was standing inside making eye contact with Zhenya. He stood in front of him with his back turned. While the elevator quickly went down to the first floor, the man behind him suddenly spoke.
"What should I do?"
Zhenya looked at the decreasing number of floors on the display board and thought of something. The mouth on his usually calm face suddenly curled up. He muttered with a languid voice.
"Blow it all away. Don't leave any caves for it to hide in."
———
Morning. The hotel room doorbell rang. Kwon Taek Joo checked the mask on his face and looked at the clock. It's only 8 a.m., there's still a while until the scheduled cleaning time. There is no official schedule for the visiting delegation today. Or Zhenya? If so, it seems he is more diligent than he looks.
He smoothed the artificial skin on his face and walked out the door. Outside suddenly spoke before he could ask who it was.
"Room service."
Kwon Taek Joo opened the door skeptically but it seemed he didn't hear wrong. A specialized cart is standing in the hallway in front of the room. A waiter wearing a hotel uniform greeted him politely.
Kwon Taek Joo poked his head out and looked out into the hallway. It was still early so the surroundings were very quiet. The waiter asked. "Can I come in?" when he stood right in front of the door.
"Looks like you found the wrong room."
"That's right, room number 911, sir."
"But I didn't order room service."
"Ah, someone else requested it."
"Someone else? Could it be that guy?"
"It's a representative of Gazprom."
"Ah", Kwon Taek Joo laughed as if what he just thought was silly. Even though he is a colleague, he is no different from a murderer. What to expect from a name like that?
If it was sent by a Gazprom representative, would this be an apology for what happened yesterday? Not only did he not attend the luncheon he arranged, his representative did not even come. If Kwon Taek Joo refuses, they will probably contact each other again. There's no need to attract unnecessary attention with useless mistakes.
He nodded into the living room. The waiter bowed slightly and gently pushed the cart in. Food is brought in and placed on the table next to the window. The waiter left after placing the silverware neatly and asked to call him if he needed anything else. Kwon Taek Joo also doesn't understand why this strategy is so luxurious.
All dishes are covered with a layer of foil. But the faint scent told him that it was Russian borscht, toast, poached eggs, fruit and coffee.
Kwon Taek Joo slowly glanced across the table, there was a card stuck on the note shelf. There must have been a greeting written on it. He indifferently looked down at the content on the card. There is only one word written there. Four clearly engraved letters caught his eye.
B.o.o.m.
Damned.