“Thank you, Manager Song.”
Surim, who had put the contract into a file folder and hugged it, continued speaking brightly.
“I really was saved thanks to you. I’ll work hard.”
“What are you going to work hard at?”
“I’ll diligently take iron supplements, and eat lots of things like spinach and beans…”
“How are you planning to eat those?”
“I can eat them if I grind them up.”
“There’s no need to force yourself that much.”
He really is kind! Since he’s done this and that for him, it would be a situation where Surim would have to comply even if he threatened to draw 200ml more blood, but Song Hanyeong wanted nothing.
“Still, if there’s anything you want, please feel free to tell me. I’ll really work hard to help.”
“Yes, do that.”
Song Hanyeong, who replied in his characteristic slow manner of speech, got up from his seat.
“Ah, from now on, I’ll be the one drawing blood.”
“In the laboratory?”
A creepy scene came to mind, and Surim flinched for no reason, shrinking his shoulders.
“In this conference room.”
“That’s a relief…”
Surim, who had been rolling his eyes for a moment, whispered quietly.
“Actually, that person was a bit scary. I think I’ll feel more at ease if you do it, Manager Song. I’m also glad I don’t have to do it in the laboratory. That place somehow felt kind of creepy to me.”
“Did it?”
“Yes, part of it is because the laboratory temperature is low, but just… thinking that so much of my blood is there…”
“From now on, there shouldn’t be any need for Jin Surim-ssi to go to the laboratory.”
“That’s true too. Yesterday was a bit of a special case.”
Since it was a process to explain how closely connected this place, Research Lab 0, and Surim’s blood were, it was natural that Surim, who wasn’t a researcher, would never have to visit again.
Just as Surim, who had finished his business, was about to get up from his seat, Song Hanyeong suddenly spoke.
“Is your hand okay?”
Surim reflexively looked down at the foam dressing band still attached to his palm.
“It doesn’t hurt. I think it’ll heal soon.”
“That’s good.”
Song Hanyeong, who nodded, moved his steps outside the conference room. Surim also followed after him and politely greeted him at the door.
“Then I look forward to working with you.”
The two came out of the conference room and dispersed separately. Song Hanyeong, who had been staring intently at the back of Surim walking briskly to his seat, wrinkled his nose. The fresh scent of blood that came from Jin Surim still lingered around his nose. It seemed Surim had burst open his wound in the morning. Otherwise, there was no way such a thick fragrance would be present.
The base of his tongue tingled achingly as if he had bitten into a sour lemon. Song Hanyeong stared persistently at the nape of the neck visible below the short-cut hair.
Song Hanyeong approaches Jin Surim with large strides. He pushes Surim, who turns around startled by the footsteps, against the cabinet and loosens his tie to pull it down. There’s no time to leisurely unbutton each button one by one. He tears open the front of the shirt, and where to sink his fangs into the exposed pure white nape has already been decided. On Surim’s right neck, above the hotly pulsating blood vessel. He buries his nose in the neck to deeply inhale the body scent, and while directly facing the frightened Jin Surim’s eyes, sucks Jin Surim’s tongue into his mouth and chews it thoroughly…
Song Hanyeong, who had been thinking that far, furrowed his brow. The sexual desire that had seeped between his appetite felt unfamiliar. Originally, they were a promiscuous species whose appetite and sexual desire crossed over without a line, but for Song Hanyeong, such an experience was a first.
“……”
Song Hanyeong followed Jin Surim’s movements with his gaze. As if a beast was gauging the timing of when to pounce on its prey. Unaware of anything, Jin Surim walked briskly and entered between the partitions, then sat snugly in his seat. Where Song Hanyeong’s gaze moved to was the window next to Jin Surim. Jin Surim was reflected in the window.
Song Hanyeong, who had been tilting his head and quietly watching that figure, returned to his seat without taking his eyes off.
Only after sitting in his chair and being hidden did Song Hanyeong take his eyes away and look down at the supplementary contract they had just completed.
It was a contract that bound Jin Surim, and at the same time, it was also a contract that changed the contract parties from Nasol and Jin Surim to Song Hanyeong and Jin Surim.
With this, he wouldn’t have to worry about Jin Surim slipping out of his hands for the time being. The strange unpleasant feeling that had been constantly chewing at his heart also disappeared without a trace, and satisfaction took its place.
Now that the situation had become like this, Song Hanyeong found his own state quite laughable. Just a little while ago, he hadn’t been pleased with Jin Surim being inserted as bait, but now that he had prevented him from escaping, he was even satisfied with this situation.
To escape this ridiculous state, he had to perfectly replicate Jin Surim’s blood as soon as possible. The moment the bait caught his uncle’s eye, Jin Surim would be placed in all sorts of danger, and if he ended up dying, it wouldn’t be Jin Surim who would starve to death but himself.
“…Tsk.”
His mood plummeted in an instant. Song Hanyeong shouldn’t cherish ‘that thing’. As long as Jin Surim remained a precious thing of which there was only one, Song Hanyeong would have to spend precarious time as if a blade was held to his throat.
To escape this miserable situation, he had to perfectly replicate Jin Surim’s blood as soon as possible. Recently, the blood replicated in Research Lab 0 was showing a 98% compatibility with Jin Surim’s blood. He had to solve the remaining 2% as soon as possible…
As soon as Song Hanyeong turned on his laptop, he opened the blinking message window.
[Jin Surim] Manager Song, I’ll be away from my seat for about an hour regarding General Affairs Team work report.
After checking Jin Surim’s report, the displeasure on Song Hanyeong’s face subsided.
In fact, the reason he had tolerated Jin Surim’s absurd antics was because he thought it would be very annoying if he showed his exasperation and the tail-catching started again, but there was really no end to it. Should he consider it fortunate that at least he doesn’t report going to the bathroom? Song Hanyeong chuckled.
[Song Hanyeong] Yes. Go ahead.
[Jin Surim] Thank you!
So many things to be thankful for. Song Hanyeong shook his head with a snort through his nose, but one corner of his mouth was raised crookedly. He felt through the air Jin Surim raising his body above the partition.
Thump, thump.
The sound of Jin Surim’s beating heart brushed past his ears. Jin Surim’s heart was beating rather quickly.
Since yesterday, his senses had been following Jin Surim with abnormal keenness. Really, to an abnormal degree.
* * *
Every Tuesday at 10 o’clock was the General Affairs Team work report and regular meeting time. General Affairs Team employees scattered here and there would gather in the conference room to report what work they had done during the past week and receive simple evaluations and advice.
“Surim-ssi is an exception. Research Lab 0 is all classified. Just sit there and then leave. If there’s something to say separately, do it later.”
“Yes, Assistant Manager Seong.”
Surim, sitting in a corner seat of the conference room, answered briskly. Unlike Research Lab 0 where there was no work at all so he had to find and create it, the other research labs were handling various researchers’ requests.
In fact, General Affairs work ranged from various odd jobs to somewhat professional material investigation and summary writing, with feet in various places, so what work was done varied greatly depending on how the superior used them.
“Creating office environment…”
The case of arranging various plants in the Senior Researcher’s laboratory, who disliked having items other than furniture for work, to change the atmosphere received great praise from Assistant Manager Seong. Research Lab 8’s Senior Researcher had good performance but on the other hand had a personality that disliked change and was hostile to outsiders, so communication hadn’t worked until now, but he had managed to successfully persuade him.
When asked how he did it, the new employee, Ji Seongchan, laughed as if troubled. It seemed difficult to say that he knew him personally and pestered him. Assistant Manager Seong didn’t ask further and moved on, but had a very satisfied expression.
When the work reports continued like that.
The ‘friend of Research Lab 8’s Senior Researcher’s son’ who had finished his work report naturally sat in the seat next to Surim.
“Surim-ssi, how have you been?”
At the hushed greeting, Surim nodded while watching Assistant Manager Seong’s reaction.
“Any difficulties?”
“There isn’t much work yet.”
“I think you said the place you’re at is Research Lab 5. There’s nothing properly known about that place. Even the uncle didn’t know well.”
He apparently calls the Senior Researcher ‘uncle’ in private. When Surim went “Wow” in jest, Ji Seongchan realized his mistake and hit his own mouth a few times.
“I’ll keep it a secret.”
“Please do…”
The two who were giggling made eye contact with Assistant Manager Seong. It was a warning gaze. The two bowed their heads repeatedly saying sorry and focused on the meeting again.
The meeting ended only after continuing for about two hours. Since Surim didn’t have any particular issues to report, he left the conference room right away. The words ‘creating office environment’ floated around in his head.
The Research Lab 0 environment wasn’t bad overall. In fact, it was on the rather luxurious side. But there was exactly one thing that bothered him—there wasn’t a single plant. Not even a table palm or sansevieria that was common.
That’s why the office seemed desolate.
Let’s bring in plants. When he was making that resolution, a familiar voice called him and grabbed his shoulder.
“Surim-ssi!”
It was Ji Seongchan. Ji Seongchan was a colleague he had become quite close with during the probation period.
