Chapter 42: 3.4 – Contrabass Solo – Crossing the sea

Summary:

*Shafka: Russian fur hat

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Zhenya put the shafka on the table, the slightest movement making the fur coat fluttering, as if a living beast was riding on his shoulder.

Kwon Taek Joo sat sideways on the sofa watching him prepare. He didn't ask where he was going. Zhenya didn't say anything either. After a while, Kwon Taek Joo went up the stairs.

There was a sound of propellers ringing right after that. Maybe it's a hallucination but it seems that the window is also shaking slightly. Kwon Taek Joo was shocked and rushed to the window, a helicopter was flying right above him and entering the air, inside seemed to be that bastard.

"If I bring it, you should eat it, unless you want to starve to death."

What does that mean? The helicopter quickly turned into a dot and disappeared. Zhenya probably has no intention of riding it out to go to the grocery store. Is it okay if he only leaves him as a prisoner like this? Kwon Taek Joo raised a question but forgot the current situation.

He looked down at his hand. His wrists are not tied with ropes, let alone handcuffs. Kwon Taek Joo is free like a bird. Not only that. Both windows and doors are unlocked. Is Zhenya asking him to disappear by himself when he is not here?

Kwon Taek Joo quickly turned around with a sceptical face, he entered the living room and checked the condition of the fireplace. Only the ashes left after burning piled up, the warmth was almost gone. Not lighting a fire anymore means he will be absent for a long time.

Is Zhenya careless? No, that bastard is not that kind of person. He just didn't know if he would underestimate that Kwon Taek Joo himself would not be able to escape even if he went like this.

A smile appeared on Kwon Taek Joo's face. Whatever the reason is, this is a golden opportunity. He may be very angry, but now it is the most important thing to preserve his life.

Kwon Taek Joo was about to rush out when suddenly he remembered his way of dressing. He couldn't freeze to death in vain, Kwon Taek Joo went straight to Zhenya's dressing room. Hundreds of decent clothes were hung in the narrow and deep room but he didn't even think of what to wear. He took out a jacket that seemed to fit him and put it on. Both length and width are absurdly large.

Kwon Taek Joo folded his sleeves and slipped his belt just right and went out. The heavy door pushed the snow on the floor and slowly opened. For the first time breathing outside air, a cold clear air penetrated Kwon Taek Joo's lungs. It was cold enough to make his throat constrict.

He pulled the collar back and strode forward. The snow field stretches endlessly, with no sign of life anywhere. Is the feeling of suddenly falling into the desert like this? He was confused about which direction to go.

A snowy mountain located in the distance looks like a screen but it is difficult to distinguish whether it is mountain snow cover or natural snow, and it is also difficult to open your eyes when the snow-white field reflects sunlight. It seems that the entire land has rejected human settlement.

Kwon Taek Joo turned his back to the snowy mountains and moved towards the winds with the smell of the sea blowing. His lips are a bit salty, so there seems to be a beach recently. His legs sank at every step and quickly got wet to his knees, his skin was numb and itchy, and the cold winds blew through like cutting the flesh. Kwon Taek Joo hurried step by step through the fluttering snow.

After a while, he reached the beach with calm waves lapping on his feet. Zhenya said that this place is 60 km from Murmansk. Kwon Taek Joo couldn't find a small island or a coral reef nearby. Everything became distant again.

But that doesn't mean Kwon Taek Joo will give up. He will die anyway, one way or another, and no matter what the outcome is, it's better than playing in Zhenya's clutches.

Kwon Taek Joo returns to the road he has travelled. Swimming 60 kilometres with a fragile body is impossible, So he had to find a way, if not, he planned to cut down a birch tree to make a boat.

Kwon Taek Joo returned to the villa after walking non-stop. He lit a fire in the fireplace and sat in front of it to defrost his whole body and then went down to the basement. As expected, all kinds of household items are piled up in basement sheds. He boldly stepped into it. A thick layer of dust flew up in the dark.

"Found it."

His dusty face lit up brightly, Kwon Taek Joo found a kayak after half a day of snorkelling. No matter how you look at it, it's just a boat for one person, but that's enough to move him. Without it, Kwon Taek Joo would have cut down a frozen birch tree out there.

He put the kayak on his back and left the villa. The boat was made of wood that was much heavier than he thought. Considering the heavy amount of snowfall, Kwon Taek Joo prepared more firmly than before but his legs were still deeper because of the kayak. It's not easy to take even one step, his toes are gradually becoming numb.

Kwon Taek Joo is ready to endure frostbite. Compared to the difficulties he has experienced so far, this hard work is nothing. If you are smart enough and try hard enough, the weather will definitely help you escape. The violent snowstorm that lasted until this morning has subsided, the dense snowflakes have calmed down and the sea that was very difficult for him to reach has also calmed down.

"Okay."

Kwon Taek Joo immediately put the kayak on the water. He carefully pressed each place on the hull and checked to see if it was leaking water. Contrary to concerns, no corners are worn or damaged, the weight balance is also adjusted quite well, so it will not be easy to overturn.

Kwon Taek Joo held the paddle for a while and waited for the hull to shake less. The kayak was shaken violently and gradually regained stability.

He took a deep breath and used his best to hit the water. While in the special forces, Kwon Taek Joo once travelled a 20 km round trip on a rubber inflatable boat. He would have to travel three times that distance to get to the mainland but with the help of the weather, there's nothing Kwon Taek Joo can't do. This is no longer training but really fighting, despair that will boost human potential to the maximum.

Kwon Taek Joo gritted his teeth and paddled even harder. The force of the water hit the boat hard and was pushed out to break. The kayak continued to turn the water and move forward.

But the real ambush is the sea weather. A quiet coast does not mean that in the middle of the sea is the same. The kayak that was moving vigourously for a while suddenly began to spin. The rising waves quickly pushed the hull to the shore. Kwon Taek Joo can no longer control the boat even when he tries to row. If you keep getting washed away like this, his fragile kayak will be wrecked.

Kwon Taek Joo held his paddle forward. Strong winds blew with high waves, the kayak lost momentum and swayed violently, the head of the boat could not fully orient and began to spin. In the meantime, the waves hit the hull continuously, the kayak swayed as if it would be capsised immediately. Kwon Taek Joo managed to keep his balance by moving the paddle to the opposite side but he could hardly control the small boat against big waves.

The waves ruthlessly hit the boat. The second wave is bigger and more aggressive than the first. The sea is neither blue nor black, opening its mouth as if swallowing everything. Kwon Taek Joo's whole body was soaked in the violent flow of water, ice crystals also seemed to grow from his wet skin. Kwon Taek Joo's heart beat violently at the feeling that his survival was threatened.

'Ahhhh...!'

He faced the wave with all his strength, but even when he pushed the paddle desperately, the hull of the boat still drifted slowly. The deep sea water swallowed the strength that he had worked hard to cultivate, but Kwon Taek Joo still tried his best to row the boat on the spot because if he sat still, the boat would be swept away in an instant.

'Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!'

Kwon Taek Joo shouted in shock. As if recognising his efforts, the bow of the boat is moving forward little by little.

But unfortunately, that hopeful situation did not last long. Suddenly Kwon Taek Joo heard a very loud noise, he looked forward in a daze. A blue-black wall is approaching from afar. It is a wave the size of a house.

If you face it face, you won't be able to survive. Before the head could give orders, his limbs automatically moved but the continuous ripples kept wrapping around Kwon Taek Joo's ankles.

The wave hit in front of his eyes while he couldn't move, his black muzzle expanded. It's here. As soon as the intuition had just reached the brain, a huge wave hit the kayak. Kwon Taek Joo was force majeurely sucked deep into the water in the blink of an eye before he realised it. The strong force of the water pushed his whole body to sink deep. Kwon Taek Joo choked.

After a while, the water that was pushed in kept flowing back and bursting white, dragging Kwon Taek Joo. He raised his feet to the surface of the water so as not to be swept into the sea again. The water is scaryly quiet but above is still a battlefield. The waves came from all directions, making Kwon Taek Joo unable to breathe.

"I'll never give up!"

Kwon Taek Joo shouted frantically. He couldn't succumb to this challenge. He stretched his cramped arm and leaned with the water, his legs also straightened out. Every time he turned his neck to breathe, the salty sea water surged. His lungs tightened, causing Kwon Taek Joo to gasp. Despite how many efforts to separate the water and move forward, his body with no strength was immediately pushed back.

Kwon Taek Joo's whole body is relaxed because of exhaustion. He was just pushed up and then swept in, then pushed up again and rolled back. He couldn't imagine where he was drifting or how far he had to go. He also didn't know if he could even return to Ajinoki Island. The arm is like a thousand pounds and no longer obeys. Will Kwon Taek Joo die like this?

"…..?"

Something hit Kwon Taek Joo's eyes just when he was about to give up. It is the remains of the kayak that was previously smashed floating on the sea washed away by the waves. The survival instinct was extinguished and the group was on fire, he exhausted some of his remaining strength to chase it.

Kwon Taek Joo grabbed the board as if it was going to disappear immediately. The body that was about to be submerged was suddenly supported firmly. He leaned over for a while and took a heavy breath, his whole body was heavy like absorbent cotton wool. Kwon Taek Joo wanders aimlessly on the sea. Sunset is setting behind him.

The sound of waves gently lapping in the ears. Kwon Taek Joo's body is still supported by something.

Is it the ruins of the kayak? But it's much harder than that. It does not shake at all even in the continuous rushing water. Kwon Taek Joo can feel the roughness touching his cheeks. His fingers wriggled, the moist sand was in his hand.

Kwon Taek Joo tried to lift his drooping eyelids. The surroundings were pitch black and he couldn't see anything. He lay on his stomach like that for a while after waking up. He also didn't dare to get up.

The waves still hit Kwon Taek Joo's wet body. His hands and feet trembled when the senses woke up. He tried to move in every way but his body froze because of the cold and tiredness did not move. Can this be called survival? The most reassuring thing is that Kwon Taek Joo is no longer floating in the open sea. Currently, he does not know where this place is, but fortunately, he has set foot in the mainland.

He tried to lift his upper body. Seawater flows from Kwon Taek Joo's hair and clothes. The depressed part of the lungs calmed down and took a deep breath. He drank too much seawater, both cold and salty, so his stomach was rolling up and his head was also very strange. Kwon Taek Joo slowly looked around. In the middle of not being able to see even a centimetre in front due to lack of light, suddenly there was a human presence.

There was a sound of someone stepping on the sand and approaching. Kwon Taek Joo tried to call for help but no sound was uttered. It seems that his vocal cords are broken. Kwon Taek Joo squeezed his neck as hard as he could and shouted.

"Here...!"

The hoarse voice is broken. The sound of footsteps gradually approaching stopped in the distance. Kwon Taek Joo's arm, who was happily raised, suddenly stopped. Because the saviour who appears in the dark is none other than Zhenya.

"Swimming at night? That's a special hobby."

It's probably just a nightmare. Otherwise, Kwon Taek Joo can't understand how he got here. Zhenya is still wearing the whole suit he went out. Impossible. Has he returned to Ajinoki Island? Kwon Taek Joo quickly glanced around but the darkness covered him so that he could not distinguish the terrain.

"Get up if you don't want to freeze to death."

It's not wrong either. The teeth collided with each other making a clicking sound. If it continues like this, Kwon Taek Joo will go straight to hell because of hypothermia. He staggered for a while to get up and then sat down again. He tried to get up again but this time even the arm supporting his upper body lost the strength to slide and Kwon Taek Joo fell helplessly.

Zhenya stood and then clicked his tongue publicly. Then with a reluctant face, he grabbed Kwon Taek Joo's elbow. Only the arm was pulled up, and the heavy body drooped like a water-absorbing cotton still did not move. Zhenya shook his head, sighed, and then suddenly bent down. The body odour buried in the sea breeze becomes more and more intense. Kwon Taek Joo's arm was reflexively about to be thrown away and was quickly grabbed by him and immediately squeezed him on his shoulder.

"You're more annoying than other animals."

Zhenya also did not forget to scold. Every time he walked, Kwon Taek Joo's body trembled. The seawater that stagnates in the body also flows down to soak the clothes. Zhenya didn't care but just quietly walked towards the villa.

Kwon Taek Joo instinctively pressed his body into a soft fur coat, buried deep in his face that had lost all feeling because of the cold. The black waves winding behind the two of them are gradually moving further away.