CH 12

Unfortunately or fortunately, Natasha’s consommé was really delicious. Eunhan eventually got a bowl full of consommé and ate two bowls. However, as Vasily’s men flocked to hear what they had to say, asking if it would be good to bring them some medicine, or whether it would be ok to eat just that, Eunhan felt a sense of inferiority. He didn’t know why he had to feel this way. As a healthy young man himself – even though he did not go to the military, he would be sure of being a first-class active duty officer if he had undergone the draft test! – Why should he receive such attention? Those eyes were like looking at a girl with a match in the middle of winter. He was not a shivering white puppy. Of course, he couldn’t get these words out of his mouth, so Eunhan bowed his head and ate the consomme.

It was midnight when he left Vasily’s house. The person who took him was, of course, Vasily. Eunhan thought Vasily’s cars were only the black Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce, but he also had a red Ferrari. Sure, Eunhan himself said that the Ferrari was red. But it was kind of embarrassing to ride in a car that stood out like that. The reason he thought he didn’t want people to see him was probably because he was ashamed of Vasily. He was a mafia boss and a scary guy… No, if he likes him, what’s the matter with all of that? He just didn’t want others to misunderstand because he was just his mistress and didn’t actually like him.

“All right, I’ll see you in a couple of months, okay?”

Vasily rarely stayed in Miami. To be honest, it was even more surprising that Vasily had such a huge house. Eunhan spoke with the hope that Vasily would come to his senses and go to work sooner rather than later. However, Vasily smiled bitterly and replied, “No, the day after tomorrow.” Eunhan replied without thinking,

“Wh, work…?”

He was surprised to hear that. Eunhan lowered his eyes, fearing that he would offend Vasily by saying that he should not come. But Vasily replied, far from offended, with a friendly face—his face had already been revered as if it had appeared in the Catholic calendar again.

“I’ll do it tomorrow.”

It must be a great thing. Arms smuggling, murder, or something like that. As Eunhan trembled, he wondered what Vasily was thinking with a face like that.

“I’m going to the Miami branch. Would you like to go with me?”

“Oh, no.”

“I thought you’d say that. Well, you’ll just be bored if you go.”

Vasily shook his head. It didn’t seem like something he wanted to do. Eunhan stood in front of Vasily’s car, listening to him and waiting for him to go quickly. He wanted to go home and rest, but Vasily won’t let him go, so he couldn’t go in. Receiving Vasily’s gaze, Eunhan was anxious and nervous, and kept holding his hands. Vasily, who looked at Eunhan for a long time, said.

“Today was fun.”

His voice was soft and cool like the wind of an autumn night. As Eunhan looked at Vasily, he took Eunhan’s hand.

“Good night, Yoon.”

Vasily’s lips touched the back of Yoon’s hand. Even though it was a strange act, it definitely became a picture when Vasily did it. His heart beat lightly. He didn’t know if it was anxiety or some other reason, but it was clear that his heart was pounding and shaking slightly. As Eunhan looked at him, Vasily reached out. His hand wrapped around Eunhan’s ear and pulled his hair.

Eunhan did not refuse. He couldn’t refuse, but he didn’t want to. A bad person. A man who was not worth dealing with and he needed to get out of there as soon as possible. A man who was directly connected to his life and separated him from peace. A man who could say he was tired of him. A person who might kill him rather than just throw him away when he got tired of him. But he was nice and sometimes terribly sweet. Moreover, they had connected their bodies. People who said sex wasn’t a big deal clearly did not know about sex. How could the act of sharing the body with another be nothing special? Just by sharing a drink at night, people suddenly feel close to the other person. But how can intimacy not be there with the act of sex?

Just for today.

Eunhan closed his eyes and received Vasily’s lips. While receiving those lips, he gave his lips. Lips and lips overlapped. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in the kiss. After the kiss, Vasily whispered, “Call me if you want to see me.” His voice was so low that it was enchanting. Eunhan didn’t answer anything.

After seeing Vasily off, he sighed as he climbed into his apartment. Vasily Kaminsky was still the infamous paybacker. He can’t love him. He didn’t really like him either. If there was a way out of the hands of Vasily Kaminsky, Eunhan would take it. And he really hated Vasily. However, it felt like a single white line had been drawn on a sketchbook filled with feelings of rejection. Rather, he didn’t feel this way when it was all black, and it was still covered in black, but because of that, Eunhan frowned at the feeling that a single white line stood out.

When he wakes up tomorrow, he’ll be sane. Eunhan smiled as he opened the front door and entered. Perhaps there will come a time when he would be afraid of Vasily Kaminsky and hate him, so he has to mobilize his mind by eating some oriental medicine to see the man’s face.

The wind blew. Eunhan shook his head. The window was open. What’s this? Eunhan called out, “Chris?” Even if he called out the name of the only person who had Eunhan’s house key, there is no answer. In the dark room, a breeze made Eunhan’s heart cold. It was when he carefully entered without closing the front door and turned on the light.

“It’s been a while, Yoon.”

The man sitting on the chair next to the bed spoke to Eunhan. The man was still. A melancholy face,  well-groomed body, and an unknown expression. Eunhan called out the man’s name as if groaning.

“Kay…”

Then Kay Linberg raised his lips. A quiet wind blew between them.

05

Kay Linberg was a really weird guy. He ate breakfast in the same restaurant every day, but in fact he said he didn’t like it. He played chess in the park every evening, but he said he actually hated chess. But he did not miss his daily routine. Those who knew him said he was Miami’s greatest geek. He knew he was a man who focused on his work like crazy. Eunhan didn’t know why he was working until he died. He just thought he was a workaholic geek.

“What’s the FBI doing here?”

It was a coincidence that Eunhan knew his identity. He died suddenly, and Eunhan took over his business. Of course, his business was quite lucrative, so Eunhan was lucky. However, it was also unfortunate that Kay died without handing things over properly, but his customers were not the people who would understand the situation. In order not to become Kay’s companion, Eunhan had to do what Kay was doing without any fuss, and he actually did it.

“I’m here to ask you one more time if you want to go with me.”

To Eunhan who returned after locking the front door, Kay asked. Eunhan laughed.

Until Kay’s death, Eunhan and Kay were in a relationship. However, there was a significant difference between the two feelings. Kay fell in love with Eunhan and had gay sex for the first time, but to Eunhan, Kay was just a sex partner that he could easily sleep with in the closest place. Since they weren’t dating, it couldn’t be said that Eunhan was at fault, but he wasn’t faultless either. Eunhan was very quick-witted, and he knew very well that Kay’s feelings for him exceeded those of his normal sex partner. However, he pretended not to know and did not push him away, and he entered a relationship with him. And he also had intercourse with other men from time to time.

The day before Kay died, he asked with a very depressed face. ’Let’s run away to a place no one knows about us.’ Eunhan asked if he was depressed, kissed him, said good night, and went home. He didn’t think deeply. Because Kay was often depressed because of Eunhan. But that day was definitely different. The next day, Kay had an accident while driving. After falling into the valley, his body was found two weeks later. With a miserable appearance, eaten by a coyote.

“Where?”

Eunhan folded his arms. Leaning on the door, Kay smiled bitterly at Eunhan, who did not approach.

“How about Quantico (where the FBI Academy is located)? Don’t you think we get along well?”

“Isn’t it Guantanamo (Guantanamo concentration camp. It was heavily criticized for human rights violations. It is now closed.)?”

Saying something like a Quantico. Eunhan snorted.

Eunhan’s first doubts about Kay’s identity was when he was trying to sort out the things he had left behind. Eunhan was slightly paranoid, as was the case with all those who had their feet in the so-called behind-the-scenes world. And Eunhan was timid, so even after checking the things that others checked twice or three times, he was not at ease. Because Eunhan was dealing with money, and he knew that money was a magnet for blood. So while he was working, he looked up and organized things from the past several times. Slowly, he realized that Kay was organizing them according to some criteria in managing them. Why did Kay organize them in this way? What was the standard? Even as a paranoid person, Eunhan struggled to find the standard, but eventually found it. Those who are arrested, not arrested, to be arrested. Those were the three criterias.

“Are you angry?”

“Not really.”

Eunhan answered coldly. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t upset that he was completely deceived by Kay. However, Eunhan received so much from Kay. The money and business that Kay left behind were Eunhan’s current sources of income. Besides,

“Well, you fucked me up.”

Kay sharpened his teeth.

“Someone had to get screwed over, and it couldn’t be me. Thanks to someone, my life is always on the line.”

“Still, it was too much to let the Paybacker know of the agent’s identity. Should I tell you how he died? He…”

“I do not need to hear it.”

With the way things were, he was already uneasy. Eunhan cut Kay’s words at once.

“I just set a small trap. It was Kaminsky who set the content of the trap. Don’t be angry with me.”

Vasily Kaminsky’s organization was very strong. However, as the organization was vast, there were also many employees and minions. Among them, agency agents were able to go undercover. Vasily had suspected a few months ago that there were disguised agents around him. And he forced Eunhan to set a trap. Eunhan knew that the agent was dead. Because Vasily said ‘I found the worm’. Vasily would not have trampled the worms with his feet. He must have tortured them in a way that was beyond imagination. Eunhan didn’t know what it was like, and didn’t want to hear it.

Of course, Eunhan could have saved the agent. He could’ve said that there were no bugs caught in the trap. But he didn’t do it as there was no guarantee that the lie wouldn’t get caught, and Eunhan was really scared of Vasily.

“You could have saved him.”

“And risk my life?”

Are you kidding me? Eunhan’s face was cold.

“I thought we had a loyalty between us.”

Kay’s face was expressionless as if wearing a mask. Ha, loyalty. Sure. Eunhan’s lips rose. Loyalty? Loyalty?! Who made him know the face of Vasily Kaminsky? What was going on right now was because he recognized Vasily Kaminsky’s face once.He didn’t know what to do and the road ahead of him was darker, this bastard. It was all because of him!

“Your job, life, and death, you did not speak of it, and I even held your funeral. To expect more loyalty than this is a bit exaggerated.”

‘If you are an agent, do you have to protect them all? Do you know what Sailor Moon is?’

Eunhan laughed, referencing Sailor Moon, which he had never seen before. Eunhan didn’t even pretend to listen, so Kay touched his forehead. In fact, Kay didn’t even think that Eunhan had to save the agent.

Yoon Eunhan recognized the existence of the agent after a few months. Soon after, Eunhan began diverting money to distant offshore areas, such as the nearby Cayman Islands or the Bahamas. Eunhan protected his clients and their money by sabotaging the FBI. Kay had expected Eunhan to launder the money in the same way he did, unaware of his existence. This ensured his own safety, while still allowing him to track the flow of black money. However, Eunhan changed his method in an instant, and the FBI lost track of the black money again. Then a few months ago the money started moving back to the Cayman Islands. Vasily Kaminsky’s money. As Vasily Kaminsky moved millions of dollars at once, it meant that he’s got all that money, so the FBI has assigned an agent to Kaminsky as a task. The only result was the tragic death of the agent.

“…how did you know?”

Kay asked.

“Just a feeling.”

Eunhan replied sarcastically. Kay just shrugged his shoulders as if he wasn’t expecting an answer. He looked at Eunhan and smiled softly.

“Did you work hard today too?”

Taken aback, Eunhan remembered the many marks left on his body. Vasily made marks all over Eunhan’s body. Even the arm that could be seen under the sleeve was a mess. Eunhan bit his lip. Vasily Kaminsky, because of him! The romantic kiss from a few minutes ago had already disappeared from his mind.

“I’m usually a little bold, aren’t I?”

He tried to pretend it was okay though.

“I thought you were hiding from people. Vasily Kaminsky, aren’t you too bold?”

Kay asked indifferently.

Eunhan looked at Kay quietly. What did Kay know, or did he see the kiss before? A bright red Ferrari stood out everywhere. And Vasily stretched out his arms without hesitation and grabbed Eunhan and kissed him. …No, Eunhan was sure. Kay knew from the beginning that Eunhan had an affair with Vasily Kaminsky.

“You’re still very interested in my private life, but there’s something you’re misunderstanding.”

Eunhan raised his lips as he met Kay’s gaze.

“I sleep with anyone. Isn’t it time for you to know that?”

‘Would you have slept with me if I hid the person?’ This was what Eunhan meant, and Kay understood correctly and gave a rotten smile. Eunhan nodded at the front door, saying, “If the only thing you wanted to say is to go with you, we’re done talking. Get out.” But Eunhan knew that wasn’t Kay’s business. And Kay also fully knew that Eunhan was saying it knowingly. They were just exploring each other.

It was Kay who moved first. He suddenly stood up and Eunhan frowned. He strode closer and smashed the walls on both sides of Eunhan with his fists. Eunhan’s eyes widened. Kay had never come to him this way.

“Uh, what…”

“You don’t have to be with me. But don’t hang out with someone like Kaminsky, Yoon.”

Eunhan felt offended. Of course, Eunhan didn’t want to be with Vasily either. Vasily was capricious and scary. No matter how good-looking and affectionate he was, Eunhan didn’t want to have such a tightrope relationship. It was because of this man who pretended to be just right in front of his eyes that he had such a relationship. Having barely put up with wanting to blow up at his predecessor, Eunhan opened his mouth to tell him not to care. It was when he was about to shout that Kaminsky was better than someone like him.

“I know you, Yoon. You’re never going to get along with someone like Kaminsky. You don’t even go near dangerous people.”

Kay said confidently.

“Are you being dragged away unwillingly? I know. Don’t pretend you’re not.”

Eunhan clenched his teeth. It was because of him, this bastard hero!

“I’ll help you. I’ll definitely put the bastard Kaminsky in jail. Then you can be free too.”

Kay whispered.

Eunhan couldn’t even laugh because it was ridiculous. Kay Linberg was not the only person who wanted to kill Vasily Kaminsky. There were many other Kay Linbergs in the world. They need evidence and procedures to put him down. There were also people who said they didn’t need all of that and that killing Kaminsky was enough. But Vasily Kaminsky was still in good shape. He was fine enough to drive the car without an attendant. When Eunhan made a blatantly ridiculous face, Kay said.

“If I can’t put Kaminsky down, I’ll save you.”

“You’re funny.”

“Really. It’s a small thing. If you do that, I’ll put you in the witness protection program.”

“And what do I eat and buy? What about money? You’re joking, really.”

Would he like to do a double side kick and salsa dance? Eunhan smirked. The witness protection program erases a person’s past, but it does not guarantee that person’s job or finances. There were certain things that could be done without a history. Things like cleaners. The job itself may not be lowly, but the pay was definitely low. At Eunhan’s words, Kay smiled.

“Yoon”

Kay said in a serious voice.

“Are you really scared? You’re afraid of being killed by Kaminsky.”

As Eunhan’s face hardened, Kay whispered again.

“If you’re caught by Kaminsky, money doesn’t matter. You could die. But I can save you. Hopefully you can just live here as it is, or get a witness protection program if something goes wrong.”

“…”

“How long do you think Kaminsky will be interested in you? What do you think will happen to you when that interest goes away? You think you could just be a money launderer? No, Kaminsky will get you out. He wouldn’t have taken you to his villa.”

Did he know the truth? Kay put his forehead on the wall and breathed a sigh into Eunhan’s ear.

“Yoon, do you like Kaminsky? Do you like him enough to die?”

Kay seemed to already know the answer. Eunhan swallowed dry saliva. Of course he wanted to get away from Kaminsky. No matter how ideal he was, if he followed his ideals too much, he could get a hole in his head. And Eunhan didn’t have that much affection for Kaminsky. At most, a few minutes of kissing voluntarily. He just had that kind of interest.

Eunhan turned his head. He looked at Kay with his forehead against the wall, locked in his arms. He had to answer, but his mouth kept getting dry. He didn’t know what to answer.