1.4 New Mission: Set foot in Russia

What's more useless than asking a child about his future aspirations? From being president to becoming a lawyer, doctor, astronaut or entertainer overnight, majors and careers also change countless times.

Kwon Taek Joo's childhood was the same. Even when he entered the university exam room, he never thought he would become an agent of the National Intelligence Agency.

His brother is different. From the beginning he spoke seriously, and his dream remained the same. That is to become a soldier like dad. His mother comforted him when his brother chose a book at his first birthday, then often lamented,

"Who would have thought it was a military theory book."

The mother always hoped her two sons would not become soldiers or anything like that. His maternal grandfather, who prioritized family affairs over housework, and her military husband, whom she met early on through his introduction. That's why his mother often said that her whole life she had no memory of sleeping with her legs stretched out. On days when my father went on a business trip, my mother often hugged my two brothers and stayed up all night. She did not want to pass that difficulty on to her children.

But people still say that no child does what their parents want. The older brother eventually ignored his mother's expectations and volunteered to join the Navy only to die in combat. It happened about 10 years ago. Since then, the mother has become almost obsessed with Kwon Taek Joo, her only remaining son. As soon as she took care of her eldest son's funeral, she hugged Kwon Taek Joo and repeatedly begged him not to be like her brother. But even he could not fulfill his mother's wish.

According to the National Intelligence Agency's job regulations, an employee's identity must be kept secret even from family members, including parents. Even if it weren't for that reason, Kwon Taek Joo still couldn't be honest with his mother.

She is the one who lost her father, husband and eldest son for the sake of her country. His mother wouldn't be able to bear it any longer if she knew that even the last drop of blood would hold a gun more than chopsticks. She always

thought that Kwon Taek Joo was just a low-level civil servant in a small provincial town. His mother would never have expected that Kwon Taek Joo was coming to Moscow as a Japanese citizen.

He closed his eyes, remembering the past, then suddenly took out his phone.

Mom's message appeared as expected.

"Son, have a delicious lunch. Do your best today too!"

That inquiry always comes around noon every day. If there is no response, she will contact you right after work hours, so it seems like Kwon Taek Joo will have to send a reply as soon as she lands. It's Monday and there are a lot of civil complaints so l've been very busy, that should be enough of an excuse. Now he has the experience to strengthen his mother's trust.

Kwon Taek Joo checked the time while resetting his phone. It's been nine hours since he boarded the plane. Looking at the remaining distance on the screen, it would take about another hour to get there. Maybe you should check the mask on your face again. Kwon Taek Joo immediately stood up.

Just in time the toilet was empty. He was about to open the door and step in when he heard a noise from somewhere in the economy class seat. Kwon Taek Joo opened the curtain to look at the situation on the other side. A passenger and a flight attendant are arguing. It seems this customer thought the alcohol was free so he drank a lot. Kwon Taek Joo quickly lost interest and went to the bathroom. He locked the door and the overhead light turned on.

He looked at an unfamiliar face reflected in the mirror. The current Kwon Taek Joo is Hiro Sakamoto. Even the ears are modeled after him, only the jet black eyes are Kwon Taek Joo's.

He turned his head back and forth and rubbed the skin on his face, the feeling of the artificial skin was exactly like his own. Kwon Taek Joo smoothed his hair, washed his hands and dried them with a paper towel. As he was about to step out, something suddenly hit the back of the door.

It hit so hard that all the lights on the ceiling flickered. Soon it became even noisier outside. The voice of a flight attendant asked, "Are you okay?" The sound of footsteps rushing towards him and the screams of a man who had absolutely no idea what he was saying mixed together.

Kwon Taek Joo unlocked the lock and pulled hard to open the door. The man leaning against the door from the outside fell down inside.

"Fuck...Damn it, what the hell?"

A typical Russian man is extremely drunk, still holding an empty bottle of vodka in his hand. It seems that he drank all the alcohol he bought at the airport duty-free shop on the plane. Kwon Taek Joo wondered who would be so shameless as to drink free alcohol until he got drunk, but the truth was even harsher than that, He looked down at the struggling man for a moment without saying a word. Only the flight attendants were confused and didn't know what to do.

"Dear guests, please sit up. I will help you."

"What? Dare you touch something? Let it go! Ah, let it go!"

"Ah!"

The obnoxious drunk pushed the flight attendant who was trying to help him up. Not only did the crew member fall, but all other crew members looked confused. It seems like no one can subdue the big Russian at the moment. An upright passenger should also help the crew, but it's troublesome to directly interfere in this incident. While Kwon Taek Joo was thinking, a flight attendant hurriedly contacted the cockpit.

Normally when these situations occur, the plane will temporarily land at a nearby airport. In that case, the drunk man and all the passengers had to get off the plane. In addition, everything from baggage check to boarding procedures has been re-done. Then there's the hour-long wait until the plane is re-arranged or an alternative flight is arranged which is essentially what happens.

Interfering in other people's affairs is not advisable. Kwon Taek Joo doesn't want to do anything to attract attention. But he also felt uncomfortable because his original plan was ruined by a shameless person and he had to bear the trouble himself. Kwon Taek Joo grabbed the drunk man's back who was still leaning against his leg.

"Stand up a bit."

"Eh!"

The man was forced to stand up and dragged to the bathroom. He was pushed hard, hit his butt against the toilet and fell forward. As the fallen man's arm stuck out the door. soft screams rang out from the passengers outside. The people sitting in the front seats quickly stood up to watch a good movie. The flight attendant repeatedly asked them to sit down but no one did. Finally, calls started pouring in from all over.

The man staggered to his feet with a cruel look on his face. He smirked with a red face and used the back of his hand to wipe the saliva from his mouth.

"Oh ho... Try it, like this, right?"

Kwon Taek Joo just waved his finger at the drunk man who was wheezing. The man muttered something then suddenly rushed towards him like an excited bison.

Kwon Taek Joo immediately wrapped himself around the neck of the man who was trying to attack him and pinned him to his hip. The drunk man was suddenly grabbed by the neck, used both hands to squeeze Kwon Taek Joo's legs and then quickly lifted him up with the intention of smashing him straight into the ceiling of the plane.

The crew members who were watching closed their eves tightly. But the surrounding suddenly became quiet. Some time passed and the predicted crash was still not heard. The passengers who backed away blinked in the distance.

And the expected sound rang out a moment later. But the person who fell was not Kwon Taek Joo but the person as big as a cow. The man who had just been suddenly attacked at his weak point was still lying down, clutching his neck. Kwon Taek Joo completely controlled him before releasing his tightly clenched arm. He then kicked the unconscious big drunk in the shoulder and pushed him out of the bathroom. Screams that had been suppressed for a while now rang out from the passengers. Kwon Taek Joo leisurely walked out while straightening his wrinkled jacket.

"What's up?"

At that moment, the co-pilot, after being informed of the situation, appeared. He alternated looking back and forth between the body lying on the ground and Kwon Taek Joo and then turned his eves to the flight attendants. Kwon Taek Joo returned to his seat as if nothing happened. Click. The sound of seat belts being tightened announced the end of the commotion.

The flight attendants, who were busy dealing with the drunk passenger, were now busy placating other passengers who were complaining and protesting. The vice captain's situation is not much different.

Sorry customers.

You must have been very surprised? I'll bring a glass of warm water right away. It's safe now. Please do not worry.

Sorry, everyone.

Kwon Taek Joo kept hearing those words from the other side of the closed curtain. A series of apologies for the disturbance were also issued. He was trying to ignore it and close his eyes, but the co-pilot and the manager approached, it seemed like they were trying to express their gratitude for his help. He must have just defeated a serious opponent.

"Can we arrive on time?"

"Ah, unfortunately the incident has already been reported to the control center so we have to wait in the sky until the airport gives permission to land. The arrival time is expected to be delayed by about an hour."

It finally turned out like this. Kwon Taek Joo frowned and nodded dejectedly, then he immediately put on his headphones. Even though they were refused a roundabout conversation, the two still sent their sincere thanks before returning to their positions.

Passengers who had been complaining until that point also became docile as the plane shook due to turbulence. They quickly sat down, fastened their seat belts and held their breath to keep their backs straight even before the flight attendant could ask them to. Someone even muttered a prayer.

Thanks to that, Kwon Taek Joo was able to spend about an hour in peace. His ears were ringing and he couldn't close his eyes. While he was still killing time, an announcement on the flight rang out again.

[In a few minutes our plane will arrive at Moscow Domodedovo Airport. Local time is 16:11. The weather was cloudy and the outdoor temperature was -13 degrees Celsius. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to you

due to unwanted noise during the flight. Thank you for using Japan Airlines and we look forward to serving you again soon. Thank you and see you again.]

However, even after the broadcast, the plane still hovered in the sky for a long time. By the time we landed on the ground, it was already past 5pm. Kwon Taek Joo followed the crowd to the immigration checkpoint. He was not

very stressed because disguising himself as someone else to go abroad was familiar to him to the point of boredom.

The inspection was over in a flash. The employee just glanced at Kwon Taek Joo without asking any questions. Everything went smoothly until he picked up his luggage and exited immigration.

Outside the exit was crowded with people coming to welcome guests, family and relatives. Although he came at the invitation of Russia, Kwon Taek Joo entered the country a day before. So it is expected that he will go to the hotel by himself without his own transportation

But out of nowhere, a piece of paper with 'Hiro Sakamoto' written on it caught his eye. Even when Kwon Taek Joo took off his sunglasses and looked again, the name written on them once in Japanese and again in English was still correct 'Hiro Sakamoto'. The bottom also thoughtfully includes the company name "Itochu Corporation.

As soon as he stopped walking, the man holding the paper smiled brightly.

"Mr. Sakamoto?"

"That's right. But..."

Kwon Taek Joo hesitantly responded. A cheerful smile appeared on the man's face.

"Hello! My name is Vasily Alexandrovich and I work at Gazprom's public relations office. I heard that vou will enter the country first today, so I came to greet you."

He suddenly asked for a handshake. Kwon Taek Joo looked at the hand held out in front of him and tilted his head.

"I didn't receive any information like that..."

"Didn't you receive the information? How could that happen? Obviously, we already informed your company this morning. Your company also said that you would inform Mr. Sakamoto of the news."

Vasily is confident that there were no mistakes at all. "I understand, please wait a moment." Kwon Taek Joo quickly checked his work phone. He thought that the messages that were continuously being sent from now on were roaming messages or announcements from the Embassy, but Chief Lim's messages were also mixed in there. As Vasily confirmed, it is true that Gazprom will come to pick him up.

"Ah... That's right."

"There was a mistake. right? After all, I had a hard time traveling a long way. But it's much later than expected, isn't it?"

"There was a small commotion in the plane."

"Are there any drunk people causing trouble again?"

"..That, how do you know?"

"Well, that happens quite often with Russian men who are as hot as vodka. You must be surprised. Is that all the luggage? Let me help you , okay?"

"It's okav. I can hold it myself."

"Ah, yes. So please come this way."

Even when his goodwill was rejected, he was not embarrassed. On the contrary, this man named Vasily just happily led the way as if something good was happening. Kwon Taek Joo slowly followed behind. I don't know how and when everything started to get messy, but thinking back, the current situation is quite obvious, because whether coming to Russia alone or with a group. Hiro Sakamoto is the guest of honor. still nothing has changed. For that reason, no matter how tired or headache Kwon Taek Joo is, he has to act as Hiro Sakamoto until he gets back to the hotel.

He and Vasily walked to a waiting black sedan (a car with a trunk in the back). A man stepped out from the driver's seat and nodded in greeting, then took Kwon Taek Joo's bag and put it in the trunk. Vasily also personally opened the backseat door. He nodded wryly at the warm hospitality and got into the car. When Vasily sat in the passenger seat and closed the door, the sedan left the airport as if it had been waiting.

Kwon Taek Joo's whole body was tired from the long flight. He sat deeply back in the chair and closed his eyes for a moment. That's a sign to be quiet and not make unnecessary conversation. But Vasily had already half-turned from the front row.

"Are you very tired?"

"Because of the time difference, it's a bit."

When Kwon Taek Joo reluctantly answered, he continued to ask how the meal on the plane was, if the seats were comfortable, and if the flight attendants were nice. Vasily even gushed about his experiences on the plane. Kwon Taek Joo just listened indifferently and then turned his head out the window.

Dense darkness covered the road, but it was not impossible to feel the atmosphere in Moscow. No matter where he looked, he always saw Lada cars. Indeed, it can be called Russia's new national car. The combination of the Emblem and Kiril characters of the Starbucks located in the city center caught his attention. Some passersby wore long or short shafts. Their necks were cramped and their noses, red from the cold, protruded outward. I don't know if it was because of the freezing weather or not, but everyone's faces were stiff, revealing an unapproachable look.

"Is it that cold these days?"

Vasily, who was chattering about his trip to Japan, suddenly stopped talking in response to an unexpected question. He grinned without being disappointed that his story was interrupted.

"It's been pretty good lately. Even though it's winter, the temperature is only about minus 15 degrees Celsius. It's really worth living."

His shoulders suddenly shrank. Kwon Taek Joo really hates the cold. But anyway, Vasily was excited to talk about a new topic.

"Sometimes there are some idiots who say that Moscow is unbearably cold, but that's because they've never been to a really cold place. In Irkutsk and Verkhoyansk the temperature ranges from -20 degrees to -45 degrees Celsius.

Compared to there, isn't Moscow a paradise on earth? Of course it won't be like Tokyo, right? I heard the temperature is always above 0 degrees there, is that true? If it falls down, If something like that happened in Russia, the neighbor's dog would laugh at it."

Extreme weather sometimes down to -40 degrees Celsius? Just hearing the story is enough to make Kwon Taek Joo shiver. Vasily then babbled nonstop but nothin came of it.

Kwon Taek Joo looked out the window and then suddenly looked around. The speed seemed to decrease and the car came to a complete stop. It just goes like that, runs for a while then stops again. He raised his head and looked forward. The cars were lined up so long like a parade that it was impossible to know where it would end. Looks like your car is stuck during rush hour.

If the plane had arrived on time, this would not have happened. It's all that damn drunk Eve's fault. Kwon Taek Joo should have hit him a little harder. Vasily turned to exchange a few words with the man sitting in the driver's seat, then turned to Kwon Taek Joo and asked permission.

"If this continues like this I don't think we'll be able to move at all, so how about taking a shortcut? This guy knows all the streets in Moscow. It's late at night so Mr. Sakamoto is probably very hungry. One way or another, don't you just want to rest after a long flight?"

That's good news worth hearing. Kwon Taek Joo wanted to eat something quickly and lie down on the bed immediately. He nodded several times to Vasily, who was asking him "Is that okay?"

As soon as he was given permission, the driver left the long line of cars and went onto a nearby side road. It's a narrow street with no distinction between the roadway and the sidewalk, and it's hard to find a decent streetlight here. The car drove into the darkness with headlights. A stray cat rummaging through the trash was startled by the light and ran away.

The driver said he knew the route well, and as expected, he drove endlessly through alleys that a car could hardly pass through. The distance in a straight line is probably short, but if you don't get lost, this route seems to be fast.

That was the moment when Kwon Taek Joo optimistically sat leaning in the backseat.

"......"

He quickly turned his head to the window. There seemed to be a strange object floating somewhere in his vision. He quickly turned his head to look back at the road he had just passed, but there was nothing noteworthy. It seemed he saw something resembling a human shape. Is it just an illusion? It's hard to be sure because the surroundings are so dark. But Kwon Taek Joo still felt an uncomfortable feeling that couldn't be shaken off right away. He tilted his head then slowly turned around and leaned against the back of the chair. When Vasily asked what was going on, he replied that it was nothing.

He absentmindedly looked outside and suddenly realized something. The car is still going on the same road it was on. The buildings were all the same and the alley was so dark it was impossible to tell what was ahead, but there was no mistaking it. Kwon Taek Joo muttered while looking at the trash can that just passed by.

"I guess we're lost."

"There's no such thing. We're on the right path."

"No. This is clearly the road from before. The trash can on the left is the same as the trash can we saw not long ago, the location of the stains on it, the trash overflowing and even the lid of the trash can is fine." closed just like before.

There was also the building behind it. The cracks in the outside wall, the color of the bricks and the shape of the window frames, even the laundry and flower pots hanging all over it. It's no different from what I just saw earlier."

Kwon Taek Joo compares and confirms the details of the scene outside the window with past memories. Vasily listened silently and then laughed.

"...Your eyes are so good."

The fishy tone seemed ironic in place of the goodwill and excessive generosity that had completely disappeared. Such a rapid change in attitude is usually never a good thing.

Kwon Taek Joo felt that strange sign and took out the Colt without hesitation. The sound of reloading was heard and the trigger was pulled halfway. He made eye contact with the man sitting in the driver's seat through the rearview mirror.

"Stop."

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***