Is there anything more useless than asking a child about his future hope?
This is because he changed numerous times overnight, crossing majors and occupations into lawyers, doctors, astronauts, and entertainers.
The same was true of Kwon Taek-ju when he was young. He didn't expect to become an NIS agent until he entered the college entrance examination center.
The older brother was different. His dream had been consistent since he started talking in earnest. Being a soldier like his father. His mother, who said she was relieved to pick up a book on his first birthday, used to lament,
"Who knew it would be a military theory book?"
The mother hoped that the two sons would not be soldiers or anything like that.
His maternal grandfather, who put the country's affairs before the
housework, and his military husband, whom he got early through his
introduction. Thanks to that, his mother said she had no memory of sleeping with her feet stretched out for nearly 60 years. On the day his father went out on a mission, his mother hugged his bloodthirsty brother and worried all night. He would not have wanted to pass on such hardships to his children.
But no child can go the way their parents want him to. His brother finally turned a blind eye to his mother's expectations. He volunteered to join the navy, and died during the operation. It was already more than 10 years ago.
It was from then on that mother became obsessed with Kwon Taek-ju, who became like an only son. As soon as she performed her brother's funeral,
she held onto Kwon Taek-ju and nailed him several times, saying, "You can't." However, Kwon Taekju also failed to comply with her wishes.
Under the NIS's job regulations, the status of employees is kept secret. The same was true of immediate family members, including parents. Even if it wasn't for that reason, he couldn't honestly tell his mother. He was a woman who lost his father, husband, and first son to the country. If his mother knew that even the remaining skin was carrying more guns than chopsticks, she would not have been able to endure it any longer. She thinks Kwon Taek-ju is a low-level government official in a small local town. He wouldn't even
dream that he was heading to Moscow disguised as a Japanese.
He closed his eyes and looked back on the past and suddenly took out his cell phone. As expected, his mother's message arrived.
[Son, enjoy your lunch. Fighting!]
It was a greeting that arrived around noon every day. If there was no reply, he got a call right after work. There were times when he got a call. He thought he should reply as soon as he landed. It was Monday, so he was distracted by a lot of complaints. That should be enough. Now he has a history of strengthening his mother's faith.
He checked the time while putting his cell phone back. It's been nine hours since he got on the plane. Looking at the remaining distance on the monitor, it seemed to take about an hour to arrive. He thought it would be good to check the mask at this point. He got up straight from his seat.
Just in time, the bathroom was empty. As he opened the door and tried to enter, he heard a sudden hum. It was on the economy side. A new open curtain examined the situation. A passenger and the crew were in a scuffle.
Someone seemed to have drunk a lot of alcohol, saying it was free again.
He quickly became interested and went into the bathroom. When he locked the door, the overhead light came on. He looked into an unfamiliar face in the mirror. The current Kwon Taek-ju
was obviously Hiro Sakamoto. His ears were modeled after him. Kwon Taek-ju's only eyes were black.
He turned his head around and swept his skin. The texture of the artificial leather that touched his hands was just like his skin. While he was at it, he smoothed his pressed hair and washed his hands. He was just about to go out after wiping the water on a paper towel. Suddenly something hit the back of the door.
How hard the collision occurred, and the ceiling was all flashing. Soon after, it became more noisy outside. "It's all right", the voice of the asking flight attendant, the sound of footsteps rushing in, and the shouting of a man who couldn't understand what he was talking about were mixed up.
He unlocked the lock and pulled the door open. Then the man leaning on the outside jumped inside and fell.
"Ha... what the heck!"
The crumpled man was faintly intoxicated. It was typical Russian. There was a bottle of vodka in his hand. It seemed that he opened the alcohol he bought at duty-free on board. He wondered who was the most shameless person who drank until he got free alcohol, but it was a bit more serious than that.
He looked down silently at the man who was struggling for a long time.
Only the crew was embarrassed for nothing.
"Sir, get up. I'll hold you."
"How dare you touch me? Let go! Let go!"
"Argh!"
The man pushed the flight attendant who was trying to get him up. All the other crew members, as well as the crew who fell out, looked embarrassed.
There seemed to be no one to overpower this big Russian right away. Even a righteous passenger to help the crew. It's annoying to go out in person.
While contemplating, a flight attendant hurriedly put the intercom into the control room.
Usually, when this kind of disturbance occurs on board, the aircraft makes a temporary landing at a nearby airport. In that case, all passengers, as well as the drunk in question, must get off the plane. In addition, from baggage
inspection to boarding procedures, it will be conducted again from the beginning. It was basic to wait for hours until the aircraft was reorganized or alternative flights were arranged.
It's a matter of discretion to meddle in others' affairs. He didn't even want to do anything worth the attention. However, it was only annoying that the original plan was broken because of a person who did not know the shame, and that he had to deal with the complicated trouble.
He snatched the back of the drunk who was still leaning on his leg.
"Wake up for a moment."
"...Uh!"
The forced man was dragged into the bathroom. The man was pushed as it was, hit his hip on the toilet, and fell forward. When the fallen man's arm poked out of the door, a low scream broke out from the passengers. Those sitting in the front seats hurriedly raised themselves. The crew repeatedly asked me to sit down, but no one complied. Eventually, calls began pouring in from here and there.
The man's face, stumbling up, was poisoned. The man grinned with a ripe face.
Wipe the saliva around his mouth roughly with the back of his hand.
"Oh, let's do this, right?"
The grumpy man only raised his finger. The man who was splitting his face suddenly solidified his impression and rushed in. It was like an excited bison.
Kwon Taek-ju instantly wrapped his neck around him and put it on his side.
The man clasped his neck, tightened Kwon Taek-ju's legs with both arms and lifted him up at once. He was trying to stick it into the ceiling.
The crew members who were watching closed their eyes tightly. The saps calm the surroundings. But after a while, the predicted crash was not heard.
Passengers who were far away blinked. It was after a little more time that the expected sound came out.
It was not Kwon Taek-ju who collapsed, but the big one. The large man, who was unexpectedly attacked at the vital point, was still drooping with his neck held up. Kwon Taek-ju completely overpowered him and released
his tightening arm. Then he kicked the fainted bulk in the shoulder and pushed it out of the bathroom. There was another suppressed scream from the passengers. Whether or not, he walked leisurely, shaking off his wrinkled jacket.
"What's the matter?"
At that time, a bookkeeper who was briefed on the situation appeared. He alternately looked at the sprawling size and Kwon Taek-ju and turned to the crew. Kwon Taek-ju returned to his place as if he had no idea. Click. The sound of belt-closing declared an end to the disturbance.
The crew, who had been distracted by dealing with the drunk, were now busy appeasing other passengers who complained and disputed. The position of the bookkeeper was no different.
'I'm sorry, sir.'
'Were you very surprised? I'll bring you a cup of warm water.'
'It's safe now. Don't worry.'
'I'm sorry. I'm sorry.'
He could hear such words one after another from beyond the closed curtain.
There was also an apology broadcast for a series of disturbances.
He ignored it and tried to catch his eyes, but the bookkeeper and the office manager approached him. He seemed to express his gratitude for his help.
He hit a player with a snap.
"Can I get off on time?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, but it's already been reported to the control center. You have to wait in the air until the airport authorizes you to land. The estimated arrival time will also be delayed by about an hour from the original."
That's what happened to the gear. He wrinkled his brows and nodded halfheartedly. Then he put on his headset right away. Despite the euphemistic refusal to talk, the two returned to their respective seats only after expressing their sincere gratitude.
Passengers, who had been complaining until then, became silent as
promised when the aircraft shook in the turbulence. Even if the flight
attendant doesn't ask for it, he fills the belt on his own and holds his breath straight to his waist.
Someone even murmured a prayer.
Thanks to that, he could spend an hour quietly. His ears were so deaf that he could hardly keep his eyes open. It kills time, but a pleasant in-flight broadcast came out.
[Our plane will arrive at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport soon. The local time is now past 16:11. The weather is cloudy with a lot of clouds, and the temperature is -13 degrees Celsius. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by an unexpected disturbance during the flight.
Thank you for using our Japanese airline today, and I look forward to
having you again soon. Take care of your final destination. Thank you.]
However, even after the broadcast, the aircraft wandered more over the air for a while. It was past 5 p.m. when he got off the ground.
Followed the crowd to the immigration checkpoint. He wasn't too nervous.
Crossing the border disguised as another person was boring enough.
The examination ended in a flash. The employee only glanced at Kwon Taek-ju and asked no questions. Everything was smooth until he went out to the arrival hall to find his baggage.
Outside the exit, people who came to meet customers, family members, and relatives were camped. He visited at the invitation of the Russian a day earlier than the main camp. Therefore, it was planned to move to the hotel without a separate delivery.
But out of the blue, a piece of paper with "Hiro Sakamoto" written on it caught his eye. Even if he took off his sunglasses and looked again, the name that was written once in Chinese and once again in English was correct. The company name "Itochu Corporation" was also listed under it.
When he stopped, the man with the paper rejoiced greatly.
"Mr. Sakamoto?"
"Yes."
He replied rather grimly. A cheerful smile spreads over the man's face.
"Good morning! My name is Vasily Alexandrovich, and I work in the
Gazprom Public Relations Office. I heard that you are entering the country first today, and I came out to greet you."
He asks for a quick handshake. Kwon Taek-ju tilted his head as he looked at the hand sticking out in front of him.
"I didn't get that call...."
"You didn't hear from me? No way? We definitely showed you around this morning.Your company also said it would tell Mr. Sakamoto the news."
Vasily was confident that he was sure. He asked for his understanding by saying,
"Wait a minute. Hurry up and check my work phone. I thought it would be a roaming or a message from the consulate and the consulate because the text kept coming in, but Lim's message was mixed. As Vasily claimed, Gazprom will greet him.
"Oh... that's right."
"There must have been some mistake? Anyway, thank you for coming all the way. But you're way behind schedule, aren't you?"
"There was a little commotion on board."
"Did any other drunk go on a rampage?"
"...how, that?"
"That's because it's common for hot Russian men to like vodka. You must have been very surprised. Is that all you have? I'll listen."
"That's all right. I'll hold it."
"Oh, yes, then this way."
He is not ashamed of being refused a favor. Rather, he took the lead
cheerfully as if something good had happened. He followed it slowly. He didn't know what got twisted and where and how, but when he thought about it, it was natural.
Whether with the main camp or separately, the fact that Hiro Sakamoto is a VIP does not change. Thanks to this, only Kwon Taek-ju has become a headache. He had to play Hiro Sakamoto until he arrived at the hotel.
There was a black sedan waiting at the arrival along Vasily. A man knocks out of the driver's seat. Then he took Kwon's bag and loaded it into the trunk. Vasily personally opened the rear door. He crumpled up awkwardly in the hearty hospitality. When Vasily, who was in the passenger seat, closed the door, the sedan left the airport as if waiting.
His whole body felt stuffy because of the long flight. He was bitten in the back deep in the seat and closed his eyes for a while. It was a silent sign not to talk unnecessarily. But Vasily sat down with a half turn.
"Are you tired?"
"Because of the time difference, a little."
When he reluctantly replied, he asked how the in-flight meal was, whether the seats were comfortable, and whether the flight attendants were worth watching. He even poured out anecdotes he had experienced on the aircraft.
Kwon Taek-ju turned his head out of the window and listened to them all roughly.
There was already deep darkness on the road. However, it was not
unreasonable to enjoy the atmosphere of Moscow. Wherever he looked, he could see a Lada vehicle. Indeed, it deserved to be called Russia's new national car. The combination of Starbucks' emblem and Cyrillic characters, located in the middle of the city, drew attention. Pedestrians were wearing long or short sharp cars. The necks were all curled up, and the big nose that came out was red. Perhaps because of the cold weather, the faces hardened, giving off a stingy impression.
"Is it that cold these days?"
Vasily, who was arranging a Japanese cruise, stops talking when asked out of the blue. He grinned, not disappointed that his story had been cut off.
"It's pretty good these days. It's around minus 15 degrees even though it's winter. It's really worth living."
The shoulders are curled up.I hate the cold. Whether or not Vasily was excited about the changed subject.
"Sometimes there are people who can't stand Moscow because it's too cold, and that's what I'm saying because I haven't been to a really cold place.
Irkutsk and Verkhoyansk go up and down between minus 20 and 45
degrees. By comparison, Moscow has no other paradise on earth. Of course, it's not going to be Tokyo. I heard that the temperature is maintained throughout the year,
right? If it falls below zero, people freeze to death, right? If that happens in Russia, my neighbor's dog will laugh."
It's freezing to minus 40 degrees. The mere mention of it made him shudder.
After that, Vasily was constantly babbling, but there was no talk of coming in properly.
Kwon Taek-ju, who was only looking out the window, suddenly looked around.
It was because the car stopped at all, even though the speed seemed to slow down. Then he went for some time and repeated his position. He pulled his head out and looked ahead. Cars were lined up. It was such a long procession that he couldn't even tell where the end was. It seemed to be caught in the rush hour.
It wouldn't have happened if the aircraft had arrived on time. It was all because of the damn drunk. He should've done better. Vasily exchanged a few words with the man in the driver's seat, while clenching his fists and defusing the late man. He then looked back at Kwon Taek-ju and asked for permission.
"I don't think we'll be able to move for a while at this rate, so why don't we take a shortcut? I know everything about Moscow. Since it's dinner time, Sakamoto will be hungry. But don't you just want to rest after a long flight?"
It was a good thing to hear. He wanted to lie down on the bed right away, regardless of the meal. Kwon Taek-ju nodded to Vasily several times, saying, "Is it okay?"
As soon as permission is given, he leaves the ranks and enters a nearby side road. It was a narrow road with no distinction between a roadway and a sidewalk. It was hard to find a proper street lamp. Relying on the headlights, he broke out of the darkness. The street cat, which was searching the trash can, ran away in surprise at the light.
The driver said he knows the way well, but he goes around the alley where a car barely passes without resting. The straight distance would have been much shorter on the road a while ago, but this would have been faster if he didn't get lost.
It was the moment when he was so optimistic, and he was bitten deep in the back seat.
"...!"
He turned his head out of the window. It was because a strange object seemed to be caught at the corner of the field of view. He looked back on the road he hurried by, but nothing stood out. He thinks he saw something similar to a human figure. Is it an illusion? It was hard to be sure because it was so dark around. Nevertheless, he felt so reluctant that he couldn't shake it off right away. He tilted his head and sat down slowly. When Vasily asked what was going on, he said it was nothing.
He suddenly realized it as he looked outside conscious of nothing. The vehicle was running again on the road it had already passed. The buildings were all similar, and the alleys were so dark that he couldn't tell an inch ahead, but there was no doubt. He mumbled, staring at the trash can that had just passed by.
"I think we're lost."
"No way. It's going right."
"No. That's definitely the road before. The trash can you see on the left. It's where the dirt is, the overflowing garbage, and the lid is about to close, the same as we saw a while ago. What about the building behind it? Cracks on the outer walls, the color of the bricks and the shape of the window frame,
and even the laundry and pots hanging there. It's no different from what I've seen before."
He argued by contrasting the scenery outside the window with past
memories.