[Taek Joo! Long time no see.]
Olga smiled brightly and opened the door. Zhenya passed her and went inside first. Olga did not even pay attention to her brother .
[When did you come?]
[Last night. That guy didn't say anything?]
[No problem.]
[Knew it. You know, last night he threw me here and left me alone, not bothering to answer all the phone calls.]
Olga grumbled continuously . Kwon Taek Joo has nothing to say. He firmly believes that the reason Zhenya left Olga alone was to personally pick up Kwon Taek Joo. After that the two made love from dawn until sunrise, so there was no time to hear news from Olga. Kwon Taek Joo coughed and changed the subject.
[Why did you suddenly come here?]
[Why? After all, We are blood relatives, so I came to see how he is living alone in a far away country .]
[He's not a child, is he? Why do you have no conscience like that? If I let him come here, I shouldn't have worried about him but about this country .]
[That's what I mean. Did you understand differently? Everyone at home is worried that
that person will cause trouble again and cause diplomatic friction. Nothing special has
happened yet, right?]
Sure enough, even though they knew it was so, they still sent him away, clearly on purpose. At this point, shamelessness seems to run in the family.
[It was to meet Taek Joo and see what kind of country Korea is.]
It seems that the real purpose is the latter. Kwon Taek Joo entered the mansion. The first thing that caught his eye were the bags placed haphazardly on the living room floor. There are three of them in the largest size. He didn't know how many days Olga intended to stay. Kwon Taek Joo felt like he just had another problem.
[Have you had lunch yet?]
[I'm waiting.]
[Have you already ordered?]
[Yes.]
[How did you call?]
[Just order the food, is there any other way?]
Olga looked as if she didn't know why Kwon Taek Joo asked her that question. Did Zhenya master in one day what he barely learned after living in Korea for a year? Or is he already surprisingly fluent in Korean?
[First, sit down. Would you like some fruit?]
Olga opened the large bag from the convenience store and took out the fruit. There are oranges, melons, pineapples and grapes. She bought a lot of things when she was alone. There are three or four more bags like that. Convenience stores don't have
anything else to buy, but the two brothers' shopping trips are very similar.
[Because Korea is a warm country , I thought the fruit would taste better, but apparently that's not the case.]
[Because I bought it at a convenience store, that's why. No matter what, you should go directly to the traditional market to buy fruit.]
[Really? Then let's go there too.]
What do you mean 'We're going there too'? The implications are strange. Before being unnecessarily misunderstood and disappointed, Kwon Taek Joo clearly stated his point
of view.
[I didn't mean I'll go with you. I don't have time to go with you.]
[Are you pretending to be busy? It is said that yesterday you also met friends and drank
alcohol. I'm playing like this now.]
[Yesterday and today are weekends.]
[I know. I didn't tell you to use work time to ao out. I heard that Korean civil servants leave work at 6pm? It is said that hours can be adjusted flexibly if you do freelance work like Taek Joo.]
Who taught her those things? At least not Zhenya. Proof of this is the way he's been looking at his sister with his arms crossed all this time.
[Actually , when I came here, I didn't have any big expectations because Korea is a small country . Looking at the map, it looks like a bean, and it's divided in half. But it has developed a lot, hasn't it? Sanitary conditions and services are good, people are refined, roads seem more congested than in Moscow .]
[Whoever sees it will know it is a giant. Are you arrogant about your country or is your personality like that?]
[Because it's really small? Anyway , it's great because it doesn't look like a country at war.]
[It's still the same as before. Everyone here is in a constant state of military tension.]
[Um. It's really difficult. Just wipe out the other side, why are you guys so slow?]
Olga shrugged indifferently . Compared to Zhenya, she seems normal, but she still occasionally reminds Kwon Taek Joo that she is a member of the Bogdanov family.
[Ah, the food is also delicious. As soon as I arrived, I ate my fill of Korean BBQ.I want to visit ancient palaces abroad at least once. I heard they open them at night too, so I went there yesterday .]
Olga wanted to make the most of her short time. On one hand, Kwon Taek Joo wondered who was with her. There was no way Zhenya would do such a kind thing, because he was continuing to protest silently towards Olga.
[Oh, I took pictures too. Do you want to see it?]
Olga ignored Zhenya's gaze and took out her phone. There were about 100 photos taken in the palace. In Kwon Taek Joo's eyes, the setting, composition, and characters show that these are definitely not selfies, or did she hire a photographer? He wondered who would work so hard, taking photos for others, if not for work.
While Kwon Taek Joo was listening to this and that from Olga, the intercom system suddenly rang. "Here we are," Olga said and jumped up from her
seat. Looks like the pre-ordered lunch has arrived. Kwon Taek Joo didn't suspect anything and followed her.
The person who opened the door and walked in was none other than Yoon Jong Woo. He smiled and greeted me like an idiot, but as soon as he met Kwon Taek Joo, he was stunned.
"Wait, senior. Are you here too?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Ah, that..."
Yoon Jong Woo rolled his eyes looking for an excuse. Just in time, Olga walked out.
「 Come in. What dish did you recommend yesterday? 」
「 Ah. here. I didn't know what you wanted, so I bought all the famous things here. 」
「 Wow, you're so kind. Come in. 」
Olga happily invited Yoon Jong Woo into the house. Yoon Jong Woo looked around the mansion strangely and followed Olga to the table and immediately flinched when he saw Zhenya sitting there.
「 Haha, Yevgeny-shi is also here...
He laughed, but his voice sank. The dish Yoon Jong Woo bought is kimbap, famous for its special ingredients such as cucumber and eggs, rolled in grilled seaweed leaves, dipped in mustard sauce.
"Yoon Jong Woo."
"..Yes?"
"Explain. How do you two know each other?"
"We have become friends. Yesterday , she said it was her first time coming to Korea, so I took her out."
At this point, all the pieces of the puzzle have been put together . Kwon Taek Joo understood that Olga ate Korean BBQ as soon as she arrived, went to see the palace at night, and even took hundreds of photos. When he entrusted Zhenya to Yoon Jong
Woo, he was worried about how the two would spend their time, but it seemed like that was overblown. Seeing Yoon Jong Woo always smiling at Olga, the feeling of guilt towards him suddenly disappeared.
"I told you to be friends with that bastard, I didn't tell you to be friends with his sister."
As if there was nothing left to say, Yoon Jong Woo curled his lips and swallowed. However , Zhenya, who was sitting next to him, gently raised his chin and puffed out his chest with an arrogant expression.
(He is definitely now fluent in Korean, look at him acting like he was complimented)
Seeing that, Yoon Jong Woo became restless and looked at Kwon Taek Joo. He seemed to know something.
"Yes"
"Yes?"
"Why can't you look me in the eyes?"
"I.. I, when?"
"What, right now?"
"Ah, don't tease me!"
"Do you know why that bastard is like that?"
"Yes? I don't know!"
"You know that"
"I said I don't know!"
"You know."
"...Ah, Yes. I'm close to Yevgeny-sshi, ask him."
"If I can ask, why should I say anything? It's so frustrating..."
「 Wow! This is really delicious. You two should try it too.. 」
After arguing for a while, Olga suddenly invited the two of them to eat gimbap. Kwon Taek Joo stuffed a few pieces of gimbap into his mouth and chewed voraciously , while chewing while staring at Yoon Jong Woo. Yoon Jong Woo just looked down with his cheeks moving, occasionally nodding eagerly to Olga's questions.
How long has it been? The silent phone suddenly rang. It was a phone call from Kwon Taek Joo's mother . He pressed the button to receive the call.
"Yes, mother . I'm planning to go home now. Do you need to buy anything?"
His mother said she was preparing dinner and asked Kwon Taek Joo if he wanted anything to eat. He couldn't get over his hangover and craved cold soup. While Kwon Taek Joo was still thinking about a suitable menu, Yoon Jong Woo suddenly interrupted.
"Mom, how are you? I'm Jong Woo."
-Oh, Jong Woo? Are you with Taek Joo?
"...Yes, hm..."
Kwon Taek Joo pushed Yoon Jong Woo, who was stuck on his phone. Only at times like this is he friendly and bothers him. His mother was happy to hear his voice after a long time.
- Don't do that, Jong Woo should come here too. Mom will cook for everyone to eat together .
"No, Mom. Today is the weekend. He also wants to rest, but doesn't want to go to his superior's house."
"No mom! I'm free today!"
He didn't know how to pay attention and raised his voice. Kwon Taek Joo tried to wink and silently warn, but to no avail. Even his mother heard Yoon Jong Woo's voice.
-Right. Be sure to bring him here. Mom will cook the rib stew that Jong Woo likes.
"Thanks Mom. See you soon!"
-Okay, see you soon. Oh, if the ambassador has time, please invite him. Mom talked on the phone earlier but I don't know if he understood clearly.
Ah. A sigh came from deep inside. I wonder when his mother called Zhenya. Was it when Kwon Taek Joo was still lying on his bed? Isn't that crazy guy saying obscene things that shouldn't be said again? Kwon Taek Joo glanced at Zhenya. His face looked back innocently as if asking why Kwon Taek Joo looked like that. He didn't know why they were diligently calling each other when they couldn't even understand what the other person was saying. Kwon Taek Joo sighed and said,
"I know."
[Who called?]
Olga's voice reminded Kwon Taek Joo of her presence as soon as he finished talking on
the phone.
[Whose voice is so different?]
she showed intense curiosity . Ah, there's also her here. Kwon Taek Joo stared at Zhenya again. The guy didn't seem to care much. It seemed like the person who brought his sister into the mansion he had only visited a few times wouldn't care what she would do today. Kwon Taek Joo wants to leave everything behind and go home alone.
But he couldn't because he had agreed to take them home and his mother would prepare suitable food according to the number of people. You also
can't leave someone who comes from far away just because she's annoying. Kwon Taek Joo suddenly felt tired. He sighed as if the ground was about to collapse.
——
A shopping bag suddenly flew in. Kwon Taek Joo caught it, if he had been a little slower it would have flown into him. Not knowing how much he had bought, he stopped Olga with a tired look.
[Ya, let's go home.]
[God, I was invited anyway . How could I come empty handed? People should be ashamed.]
[I wasn't invited, I just accidentally barged in.]
「 That's beautiful. Please show me that one too. 」
Just as she was getting to the point, Olga ignored him and turned to engrossed in shopping. Kwon Taek Joo understood why Zhenya said that if he was going to go with 'that' he would go first.
(He is talking about Olga as 'that')
It took two hours just to decide what clothes and accessories to wear. Kwon Taek Joo waited an hour and a half at the hair and makeup salon. He didn't think she was coming to a meal but to some kind of a party. Olga went around many famous shops. Yoon Jong Woo calls himself a porter and has
already filled all ten fingers with things. If this keeps up, he will probably carry things with his mouth.
[Don't buy anymore, let's go. There's no place for this.]
[Hmm, no brand at all. Inventory is also gone.]
Olga does not listen to what others say and only complains unreasonably . Noble bastards. Kwon Taek Joo tensed up and muttered to himself. Yoon Jong Woo who was walking next to him suddenly pulled away, saying,
"It sounded more like a compliment than a curse."
The kid is so slow to understand.
"hmm... since I don't know what he will like. give me this, this and this too."
In the end, Olga tried to buy all the scarves of different colors. Kwon Taek Joo couldn't bear to watch anymore so he grabbed the card she held out.
"Enough. Thank you for these items."
[No, what's wrong... I haven't seen the shoes yet.]
Olga sadly looked back at the scarf she hadn't bought it yet. If she was going to buy shoes, Kwon Taek Joo wouldn't be able to have dinner. He refused the request for alcohol and went home. When we arrived at the basement parking lot, Zhenya's Bugatti was already parked there. Today they occupied all 3 parking spaces. Olga recognized her brother's car and angrily clicked her tongue.
[I can't touch it, but I can put an electric saw on the parking lot, and if it crosses the line, cut it off immediately . If that's the case then that person can't treat me like that]
That's how you prove that you are a member of the Bogdanov family. Luckily , Yoon Jong Woo doesn't know Russian. Kwon Taek Joo could barely get into the elevator because he had too much luggage. He
unlocked the door with his little finger and opened the front door with difficulty. Olga exclaimed.
[ls this Taek Joo's house? I expected that but it's really small.]
The modest house is 48 pyeong.
(158 square meters)
[It's just that my house is unnecessarily big.]
While Kwon Taek Joo grumbled, his mother opened the main door and walked out. She was cooking and wearing a lace apron. It seems completely new. He hadn't even seen the house dress worn under it. If only Yoon Jong Woo had been brought, his mother wouldn't have dressed like that.
Olga quickly walked over and gave his mother the bouquet of flowers she had bought. It was so big that she was buried in the flowers.
[Hello ma'am. Nice to meet you. Thank you for the invitation.]
"Please come in. Phew. I'm very grateful for coming, but why is this? Taek Joo, is this the ambassador's sister? She is as beautiful as a fairy."
His mother was delighted and her eyes sparkled. To Zhenya, he is an angel, but to Olga, she is a fairy. Would she still think the same when she knew how they were born and raised in the family? Yoon Jong Woo was almost crushed in a pile of furniture, sticking his head out.
"Mom, I'm coming too."
"Hey, Jong Woo should come in quickly too. Long time no see? Why has it been so difficult to meet you lately? If you want to eat, come anytime. My face is only half sunken"
"I always wanted to come. If no one notices then.."
The whispers were so low that no one could hear them. Even with that, he immediately shut his mouth under Kwon Taek Joo's staring eyes.
"Let's go in. The ambassador has been waiting for a long time."
Kwon Taek Joo followed his excited mother into the living room. Zhenya was sitting at the table enjoying a refreshing drink as usual. His mother must have been very busy preparing the meal, but she still carefully cut the pear for him. Sometimes it seemed that his mother valued Zhenya more than her son.
[You returned really quickly .]
Zhenya said as he chewed a pear. Kwon Taek Joo looked at that calm face and gritted his teeth.
[If you know her that much, you should have told me, you brat.]
[I tried it.]
[l have to try harder, be more determined to prevent it.]
[You're strangely angry again.]
Zhenya was surprised and then stuck his fork into a piece of pear. Kwon Taek Joo grabbed the guy's hand and bit the pear and ate it. The pear is cut into bite-sized pieces, delicious and crispy, cooling the whole mouth. Energy was lost from the long wait and shopping seemed to surge again.
"It's delicious,"
Kwon Taek Joo had just finished speaking when Zhenya put the remaining pear on the fork into his mouth. It seems that he enjoys interesting jokes more than emotional actions. Whatever , It's okay
to be cute. Kwon Taek Joo was enjoying the pleasant atmosphere and eating what Zhenya gave
him when his mother passed by and hit him on the back.
"What's wrong with you? Why do you keep taking the ambassador's food?"
"It's not taking, it's 'giving'..."
"Don't just stand there, help mom clear the table"
"...I'm planning to do it too."
It's unfair, but it's true that Kwon Taek Joo ate the pear. He stood up and cleared the table. Together with Yoon Jong Woo, he placed the spoon, scooped the rice and diligently carried the food his mother had prepared. Kwon Taek Joo asked for a simple meal but the table was quickly full.
Meanwhile, Olga looked around the house alone. When she found young Kwon Taek Joo in a photo frame his mother displayed, she giggled and then didn't hesitate to point. Kwon Taek Joo's mother saw her and complimented her that she seemed to have a very cheerful personality .
The food has been served and is ready for the table for 6 people. Yeonpo soup is boiling on the stove. Every time his mother had a meal with Zhenya, he always put a clear stew containing fish or seafood on the table. That's why Zhenya likes Russian style fish soup called "Uha"
"Come on, even though I didn't prepare much, please eat a lot."
"Wow. When did Mom prepare all this? Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Yoon Jong Woo made a fuss. Olga was busy looking at the colorful dishes with wide eyes. It's not wrong because none of the dishes are roughly made. The pancakes are decorated with chili and wormwood, and the fish dishes have colorful fried eggs. Even the chestnuts, radishes and carrots added to the rib stew are cut into round shapes.
"I will eat well."
Kwon Taek Joo said and prepared to drink. Suddenly , his mother stood up from the chair. It seems like something was missed. She quickly turned around and placed a fork in front of Zhenya. There is only one fruit fork in the house. Kwon Taek Joo and his brother have been using chopsticks since they were children because they did not like Western food. The fork seems completely new. Kwon Taek Joo wondered if his mother had specially bought it. Zhenya silently smiled. His mother also smiled happily .
Yoon Jong Woo and Olga watched the situation strangely . Even Kwon Taek Joo was not used to this scene, so the two of them must have been very surprised. His mother introduced braised short ribs to Olga and said
"Oh"
"I wonder what you were thinking. He didn't think about the fact that the ambassador's sister probably wasn't used to using chopsticks either. What should I do?"
Kwon Taek Joo's mother was confused as if she had made a big mistake. Olga observantly looked at the situation and dismissed her worries.
[Ah, you can do it like this.]
Olga confidently picked up a piece of ribs with two chopsticks. But she couldn't put it in her bowl. The fatty meat slid along the chopsticks, fell onto the table, fell to the ground and rolled around. Every time that happens, Yoon Jong Woo and his mother feel regretful. Zhenya, on the other hand, only laughed at his sister's fierce trial and failure.
Kwon Taek Joo tapped Zhenya's hand.
[This. Give me the fork.]
[Why me?]
[How does she eat like that?]
[It's none of your business.]
[lf you leave it like that, my mother will go buy a fork right away. Let's not cause each other any more trouble.]
"Hmm?"
Kwon Taek Joo said as he put the meatballs on Zhenya's rice. It was an action without any particular thought but a strange silence passed. When he raised his head, everyone was looking at Kwon Taek Joo. Zhenya also stared at the round meatball placed on his rice as if something strange had happened.
[What's wrong?]
[No, then I'll use this.]
Olga gave a meaningful smile and took the fork. His mother also said with a satisfied face to eat quickly.
During meals, Zhenya only picks side dishes that he can eat. The guy who always talks a lot about this and that is strangely quiet today. Kwon Taek Joo quietly placed the stir-fried anchovies with red pepper sauce on top of the rice because he thought it would be fine for him. The guy quickly blushed and drank water, but he also didn't argue about whether Kwon Taek Joo did it on purpose like usual.
Olga ate the new dishes little by little. Unlike Zhenya, she can easily eat spicy dishes. Yoon Jong Woo occasionally explained the main ingredients, flavor substitutions, and nutritional content of the dish. At the dining table, Korean, Russian and English are naturally mixed.
[Ah!]
Olga spotted something during the meal and pointed at it. That's kimchi. She told curious people how she had planned to throw away the kimchi when she first saw it because she thought it was spoiled. The burst of laughter made everyone in a happy mood. Although communication languages are different, it is not difficult to share moments like this.
The mother looked at the four of them with satisfaction, constantly picking up food and encouraging them to eat more.
"I wonder how long it's been since Mom did something like this."
"Just call me, I can come every day, mom."
Yoon Jong Woo scooped up more rice while swaying. The mother was happy and poured more soup for him.
"I won't refuse."
Yoon Jong Woo who was responding happily was suddenly taken aback, because besides Kwon Taek Joo who was always keeping an eye on him, even Zhenya was looking at him coldly. Did he say something wrong? Even so, there was no way Zhenya, who didn't know Korean, would understand. After placing the bowl of soup in front of Yoon Jong Woo, the mother asked if Zhenya wanted more. The guy's sharp eyes then gradually calmed down. Yoon Jong Woo was silent and speechless.
"Those are not empty words, so please come often. Mom is also not good at eating alone, so you are always welcome. It's okay if Taek Joo doesn't know.
Huh?"
"Yes, mother."
"The same goes for the Ambassador. Please visit often even after your term ends."
The mother soon expressed her regret and repeatedly asked. Kwon Taek Joo's hand that was engrossed in the meal suddenly stopped. Typically, an ambassador's term is about two years. By that standard, it's less than a year away. Kwon Taek Joo never thought about what would happen after that. One year from now, will Zhenya still be here, next to Kwon Taek Joo, like now? Does he ever want to return to his hometown?
[Don't worry anymore. I will never disappear. I won't be by your side when you're dead.] (I think this is a flashback from what Zhenya said)
Kwon Taek Joo couldn't be more certain but strangely he didn't feel relieved. Once again, he had a lot on his mind.