Vol. 1 Chapter 3 - Chapter 3

Is there anything more futile than asking a child about their future hopes? It is because it changes countless times, across majors and occupations, such as being a president overnight, becoming a lawyer, a doctor, an astronaut or a celebrity.

Kwon Taek-ju, in his childhood, was like that. Even when he entered the college entrance exam hall, he never thought that he would become an agent of the National Intelligence Service.

His older brother was different. From the time he started talking in earnest, his dream was the same. To be a soldier like his father. His mother, who said that she was relieved he picked up the book on his first birthday, lamented, “Who knew it would be a military theory book?”

His mother didn’t want her two sons to become soldiers or anything like that. His maternal grandfather, who prioritized patriotism over housework, and her military husband, who had passed away early right after he joined. 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 would hug his brother and worry all night. She would not have wanted to pass on such hardships to her children.

However, there is no such thing as a child who does what their parents want. His older brother finally defied his mother’s expectations. He volunteered to join the Navy and was killed in action. That was already 10 years ago. It was then that his mother became obsessed with Kwon Taek-ju, who became her only son. As soon as his older brother’s funeral was over, she grabbed Kwon Taek-ju and said, “You can’t do it,” and repeated it again and again. However, even Kwon Taek-ju could not grant her wish.

According to the National Intelligence Service’s job regulations, the identity of an employee is kept secret. The same was true of his immediate family, including his parents. Even if it wasn’t for that reason, he couldn’t honestly confide in his mother. She was someone who had lost her father, husband, and firstborn son to the country. As if that wasn’t enough, his mother wouldn’t be able to stand it any longer if she knew that her only remaining blood would carry more guns and knives than chopsticks. She thinks Kwon Taek-ju is a low-level civil servant in a small provincial town. She wouldn’t even know in her dreams that he was heading to Moscow disguised as a Japanese.

Closing his eyes and reminiscing about the past, he suddenly took out his cell phone. As expected, a message from her mother had arrived.

It was a message he received around noon every day. If there was no reply, he would get another call right after work. There were times when such phone calls came in. It seemed that he should reply as soon as he landed. It was Monday, so there were a lot of complaints, so it was hectic. That would be enough. Now he had a history that strengthened his mother’s faith.

Putting his phone back in, he checked the time. It’s been nine hours since he boarded the plane. Looking at the remaining distance on the monitor, it said it would take an hour or so to arrive. At this point, he thought it would be a good idea to check the mask.  He got up right away.

The bathroom was empty. As he was about to open the door and enter, he heard an unexpected noise. It was from the economy class. He checked the situation with the curtains opened. A passenger and flight attendant were arguing. It seemed that someone drank a lot of alcohol. He quickly lost his interest and went to the bathroom. As he locked the door, the overhead lights came on.

He looked at the strange face reflected in the mirror. The current Kwon Taek-ju was Sakamoto Hiro, no matter who looked at him. Even the ears were covered in imitation of his. All that belonged to Kwon Taek-ju was his black eyes.

He turned his head around and stroked his skin. The feel of the faux leather in his hand was just like his own. He brushed his hair and washed his hands. After wiping off the water with a paper towel, he was just about to head out. Suddenly something hit the back of the door.

They collided so hard that the ceiling lights all flashed. Soon, it got even more noisy outside. The voice of the flight attendant asking, “Are you okay?”, the sound of footsteps, and the yelling of a man who he couldn’t understand what he was talking about were all mixed together.

He unlocked the door and pulled it open. Then the man who was leaning on the outside fell inside.

“Oh… what the f**k!”

The round man was slightly drunk. He was a typical Russian. He had a bottle of vodka in his hand. He seemed to have consumed duty-free alcohol on board. He wondered who the shameless man who drank until he got drunk was, but the truth was a little more serious than that.

He looked down at the man who was struggling for a while without saying a word. Only the flight attendants were troubled.

“Sir. wake up. I’ll hold you.”

“What? How dare you touch me? Let go! Uh, let go!”

“Kyaaak!”

The man shoved the flight attendant who was trying to get him up. The flight attendant, as well as the other crew members, all looked shocked. It seemed that no one could subdue this big Russian man right away. Not even the righteous passengers would help the flight attendants. It was annoying for him to get involved. While contemplating, a flight attendant hurriedly put the intercom into the cockpit.

Normally, when a disturbance of this kind occurs on board, the aircraft makes a temporary landing at the nearest airport. In that case, all passengers, including the drunk in question, must get off the plane. In addition, everything from baggage inspection to boarding procedures is carried out from scratch. Waiting for hours until the aircraft was refurbished or an alternative flight was arranged was the default.

Interfering in other people’s business is a specification. He didn’t want to do anything that would attract attention. However, it was annoying that the original plan was disrupted by a person who did not know shame, and that he had to go through all the hassle.

He grabbed the back of the drunkard who was still leaning on his leg.

“Wake up.”

“… Ugh!”

The man who was forced to stand up was dragged into the bathroom. The man was pushed forward, hitting his buttocks against the toilet bowl and knocking him forward. A low shriek erupted from the passengers as the fallen man’s arm poked out the door. Those who were sitting in the front seats hurriedly stood up. The flight attendants repeatedly asked them to sit down, but no one obeyed. Suddenly, calls began pouring in from all over the place.

A venom ran across the man’s face as he stumbled up. The man laughed with a reddened face. The saliva on his mouth was also wiped off with the back of his hand.

“Oh…you want a go?”

He only snapped a finger at the wheezing man. The man who had been splitting the room suddenly hardened his expression and rushed at him. It was like an excited bison.

Kwon Taek-ju momentarily wrapped his arm around the neck of the man who was about to hit him and put him on his side. Suddenly, the man grabbed Kwon Taek-ju’s legs with both arms and lifted him up. It was an intention to shove him into the ceiling.

The crew members who were watching closed their eyes tightly. Suddenly, the surroundings become quiet. However, for some time, the predicted crash was not heard. Passengers who were far away shut their eyes. The expected sound came after a while.

It wasn’t Kwon Taek-ju that fell down, it was the other man. The hulking body that had been attacked in a vital spot by surprise was still hanging limp, holding its neck. Kwon Taek-ju  had to subdue him completely before loosening his tight arms. Then he kicked the man in the shoulder and pushed him out into the bathroom. Again suppressed screams erupted from the passengers. But he didn’t care, he brushed off his wrinkled jacket and walked out leisurely.

“Is there a problem?”

Around that time, the first officer who reported the situation appeared. He looked back and forth between his staggered figure and Kwon Taek-ju, then moved his gaze to the crew. Kwon Taek-ju returned to his place as if he did not know anything. Click. The sound of the belt announced the end of the uproar.

The flight attendants, who had been busy dealing with the drunken passenger, were now busy appeasing other passengers who raised complaints and objections. The position of the first officer was no different.

Sorry, guest.

Were you very surprised? I’ll bring you a glass of warm water.

You are now safe. Do not worry.

Sorry Sorry.

Behind the closed curtains, such words were heard over and over again. There was also an apology broadcast for the subsequent uproar.

He ignored it and tried to close his eyes, but the first officer and the secretary approached. It seemed like they were trying to express their gratitude for helping. He cut them off with a question.

“Can we get off on time?”

“Ah, unfortunately, it has already been reported to the control center. We must wait in the air until the airport gives us permission to land. The estimated time of arrival will also be delayed by about an hour.”

So, that’s what happened at the end. He wrinkled his brow and nodded his head. Then he put on his headset. Despite the euphemistic refusal to talk, the two returned to their respective seats after expressing their sincere thanks.

Passengers who had been complaining until then became silent when the aircraft shook due to turbulence. Even if the flight attendant did ask for it, they put on their belt, and held their breaths while keeping their backs straight. Some even murmured prayers.

Thanks to that, he was able to spend about an hour quietly. His ears were numb, so he couldn’t close his eyes. As he was killing time, a sweet in-flight broadcast came out.

[In a moment, our plane will arrive at Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. Current local time is past 16:11. The weather is overcast with a lot of clouds, and the temperature is -13 degrees Celsius. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to passengers due to unexpected disturbances during flight operations. Thank you for using Japan Airlines today, and we look forward to serving you again soon. This is your final destination. Goodbye and thank you.]

However, after the broadcast, the aircraft flew around the sky for some more time. It was past 5pm when they landed on the ground.

He followed the crowd and moved to the immigration checkpoint. He wasn’t too nervous. Crossing the border disguised as someone else was too familiar for him that it was nothing.

The checking was over in an instant. The employee only glanced at Kwon Taek-ju and did not ask any questions. Everything went smoothly, from getting to the arrivals hall to finding the luggage.

Outside the exit, people who had come to greet guests, family, and friends were camped out. Even though he was visiting at the invitation of Russia, he was there a day earlier than discussed. Therefore, he planned to move to the hotel without a separate pick-up.

But out of nowhere, a piece of paper with “Sakamoto Hiro” written on it caught his eye. When he took off his sunglasses and looked at it again, the name written once in Chinese characters and once again in English was correct. Below that, the company name “Itochu Corporation” was also written.

When he stopped walking, the man holding the paper was very pleased.

“Mr Sakamoto?”

“Yes.”

He answered rather hesitantly. A cheerful smile spreads across the man’s face.

“Hello! My name is Vasily Alexandrovich, I work for Gazprom’s Public Relations Office. I heard that you will enter the country first today, so I came to receive you.”

He gave his hand for a handshake but Kwon Taek-ju tilted his head as he looked at the hand that was stretched out in front of him.

“I didn’t get that kind of contact… .”

“You didn’t hear? Could it be? But this morning, we received orders to guide you from your company. Your company also said that they would deliver the news to Mr. Sakamoto.”

Vasily was confident that he was sure. He took a moment, and asked him for his understanding. He hurriedly checked his work cell phone. He thought there would be a roaming message or an information message from the embassy or consulate because the text message kept coming in, but it was mixed with a message from Director Lim. As Vasily insisted, Gazprom would come to meet him.

“Ah… That’s right.”

“I guess there was a mistake? Anyway, you must be tired after traveling a long way. By the way, aren’t you much later than expected?”

“There was a small commotion on board.”

“Did any other drunken riots happen?”

“… How, did you know that?”

“Because it’s common for Russian men’s tempers to be as hot as vodka. You must have been very surprised. Is that the only burden? I will listen.”

“It’s okay. I’m fine.”

“Ah yes. Then this way.”

Even when a favor was rejected, he did not flinch. On the contrary, he cheerfully took the lead as if something good was happening. He followed him slowly. He didn’t know where and how it got twisted, but thinking about it, it was natural. Whether with the headquarters or apart, the fact that Hiro Sakamoto was an honored guest did not change. Thanks to this, only Kwon Taek-ju was troubled. He had to play as Hiro Sakamoto until he arrived at the hotel.

A black sedan was waiting where Vasily arrived. A man came out of the driver’s seat and nodded. Then he took Kwon Taek-ju’s bag and put it in the trunk. Vasily personally opened the back seat door. He awkwardly thanked him at hospitality. When Vasily climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door, the sedan left the airport as if waiting.

His whole body was aching due to the long flight. He sat back in the seat and closed his eyes for a moment. It was an unspoken sign to stop talking unnecessarily. But Vasily sat with his body half turned.

“Are you very tired?”

“Because of the jet lag, a little.”

When he reluctantly responded, he asked how the in-flight meal was, whether the seats were comfortable, and whether the flight attendants were good enough to look after him. He even poured out anecdotes he experienced on the plane. Kwon Taek-ju listened to them all with his head turned out the window.

It was already dark over the road. However, there was no crowd to enjoy the atmosphere of Moscow. Wherever he looked, he saw a Lada vehicle. Indeed, it deserves to be called the new national car of Russia. The combination of the Starbucks emblem located in the middle of the city and the Cyrillic alphabet drew attention. Some passer-bys were wearing long or short Shapkas. Their necks were all curled up, and their large protruding noses were flushed red. Perhaps because of the cold weather, their faces hardened, giving off a stingy impression.

“Isn’t it really cold these days?”

Vasily, who had been laying out travelogs in Japanese, paused at the sudden question. He grinned, not disappointed that his story was cut off.

“It’s pretty good these days. Even in winter, it’s around -15 degrees. It’s really worth living.”

His shoulders curled up. He really hated being cold. Either way, Vasily chatted excitedly about the changed topic.

“Sometimes there are idiots who say they can’t stand Moscow because it’s too cold. Irkutsk or Verkhoyansk ranges from minus 20 degrees to 45 degrees. Compared to that, Moscow is paradise on earth. Of course, it’s not like that in Tokyo. They say it maintains a temperature above freezing all year round, is that correct? If it falls below freezing, there will be people who freeze to death, right? If that happened in Russia, my neighbor’s dog would laugh.”

It’s freezing cold down to minus 40 degrees. Just hearing the story made him shudder. Even after that, Vasily talked nonstop, but he did not concentrate.

Kwon Taek-ju, who had been looking out of the window, suddenly looked around. He thought the speed was gradually dropping, but the car stopped altogether. Then it went again for a while, and stopped again.

He lifted his head and looked ahead. Cars were lined up. It was such a long procession that I couldn’t even tell where it ended. It seemed that it was caught properly during rush hour.

This would not have happened if the plane had arrived on time. It was all the fault of that damn drunkard. He should’ve done a little more damage. As he clenched his fists to get rid of the belated minutes, Vasily exchanged a few words with the man in the driver’s seat. Then he turned to Kwon Taek-ju and asked for permission.

“At this rate, I think we will be unable to move for a while. How about taking a shortcut? This friend knows all the roads in Moscow. It’s dinnertime soon, so Sakamoto-san must be hungry too. Anyway, after a long flight, you might want to rest.”

It was a pleasant sound to hear. He wanted to go to bed right away after eating. Kwon Taek-ju nodded his head over and over again to Vasily, who asked, “Would you be okay?”

As soon as permission was granted, they broke away and entered a nearby bypass. It was a narrow road with no distinction between the road and the sidewalk. It was difficult to find  proper street lights. He relied on his headlights to get out of the darkness. A stray cat rummaging through the trash can was startled by the light and ran away.

The driver said he knew the road well, and he turned around without stopping in alleys where only one car can barely pass. The straight-line distance would have been much shorter than the previous road, but it seemed to be faster this way if they didn’t get lost.

It was the moment when he was optimistic that his back hit the back seat sharply.

“… … !”

He turned his head to look out the window. It was as if a strange object had been caught in one corner of his field of vision. He hurriedly looked back, but nothing caught his eye. He thought he saw something resembling a human figure. Was it an illusion? It was difficult to be sure because the surroundings were so dark. Even so, he felt so reluctant that he couldn’t shake it off right away. He tilted his head and slowly turned around and sat down. When Vasily asked what was going on, he said it was nothing.

He was consciously looking outside and suddenly realized. The vehicle was running again on the road it had already passed. The buildings were all alike, and the alleys were so dark that it was impossible to tell what was in front of them, but it was certain. He muttered as he stared at the trash can he had just passed by.

“It looks like you’ve lost your way.”

“It can’t be. We’re on the right track.”

“No. We’ve been this way before. Trash bin on the left. The location of the filth, the overflowing garbage, and the lid being closed are all the same as the ones we saw before. What about the building behind it? The cracks in the outer walls, the color of the bricks and the shape of the window frames, even the laundry and potted plants scattered there. It’s not unlike anything I’ve seen before.”

He insisted on contrasting the scenery outside the window with past memories. Vasily, who had been listening quietly, smiled.

“… You have a good eye.”

The tone was fishy, as if he was being sarcastic. The likability and open-mindedness that had been excessively revealed were completely gone. Such radical developments were usually not good.

Sensing a strange feeling, Kwon Taek-ju took out his Colt without hesitation. With a thud, his bullet was loaded and the trigger was pulled halfway. Through the rearview mirror, he made eye contact with the man in the driver’s seat.

“Stop.”

The commanding voice was low. The man in the driver’s seat obediently followed the instructions. The running sedan stopped in the middle of a narrow alley. Vasily raised both of his hands without protesting.

“You have a pretty dangerous toy, Mr. Sakamoto.”

“Who are you guys?”

“I think I told you. I am Vasily Alexandrovich, who has come to see you.”

“Does this Alexandrovich have anything to do with Gazprom?”

“Very little.”

It was then.