The Research Director pushed up his glasses and opened his notebook. He picked up a pen and slowly drew black lines on the white notebook.
He had interrogated Yeon Dogyeong who returned from beyond Guimun. Yeon Dogyeong only lined up absurd answers with a smiling face.
‘The method of opening Guimun that I saw in a book before came to mind. It just so happened that the semi-human I was dealing with was pregnant, so I split that semi-human’s belly and secured one egg and blood.’
He said he picked up and read the book in some hallway 10 years ago and left it right there, and he accidentally broke the remaining eggs in the belly and put them in a bag along with the semi-human’s corpse and sent them to the research institute. The research institute side had burned that corpse and the egg fragments. It was plausible but contrived. The Research Director asked why he hadn’t mentioned seeing the book until now. Yeon Dogyeong answered without changing his expression that he thought someone wrote it as a joke, and that he secured the blood and egg with the thought that he had nothing to lose. There was nothing more to pursue. In the end, Yeon Dogyeong leisurely left the Research Director’s room with the same smiling face.
The fact that there was a book with the method of opening Guimun written in it was true. About 15 years ago, the Research Director, who happened to learn that method, recorded it in small letters in the thin novel he had at the time. It was so long ago that he had forgotten. He didn’t even remember where that book was now. In any case, seeing as he mentioned the book, it was difficult to say Yeon Dogyeong was lying. Then was it right to see all this as coincidence?
Thinking about it now, when Yeon Dogyeong said he would cross Guimun to rescue his team members, he seemed to have some confidence somewhere. The Research Director, who was planning to open Guimun anyway to send Yeon Dogyeong and Park Gyujin, didn’t pay much attention to it.
Rather, thinking that idiot was rushing in ignorantly without knowing anything, he pretended to stop him in preparation for any possible situation. This was because he might be suspected later if he showed signs of wanting to send Yeon Dogyeong beyond Guimun at a gathering of key figures related to semi-humans. Until then, things were going smoothly. But suddenly, Yeon Dogyeong, who remembered information he obtained quite by chance, met a pregnant semi-human at an amazing timing and obtained an egg to open Guimun.
“What do you think? Is it a suspicious situation?”
“This is only a personal opinion, but I don’t think you need to worry much about it.”
Chief Lee spoke while placing the tablet PC she had tapped several times in front of the Research Director. What was displayed on the screen was the GPS record attached to Yeon Dogyeong’s wristwatch. Since returning from Guimun, the places Yeon Dogyeong had gone to and from were only the dormitory, research institute, bars, and hotels.
Everyone knew there was GPS on the wristwatch issued to Semi-Human Department members. It was a system where they turned on GPS during work hours and turned it off themselves when work ended, but Yeon Dogyeong often forgot to turn off the GPS. So it was easy to know where he visited during off-work hours.
“Team Leader Yeon has no interest in semi-humans. Even after going to and from Guimun this time, he didn’t show any particular behavior, maintained secrecy, faithfully answered only what the researchers asked, and didn’t dig deeper. We will continue to watch carefully, but for now, you don’t need to worry. Right now you should focus on other things.”
Chief Lee spoke the last words quite firmly. The Research Director only raised his eyes to look at Chief Lee. She looked back at the Research Director with a confident face.
“…There’s progress?”
“Yes. I was actually going to visit you separately to report. Director, Experimental Subject B, who hasn’t lost reason, showed no reaction even when seeing me.”
“Let’s go right now.”
The Research Director stood up, gathering his notebook and laptop. His eyes, extremely excited, glistened as if oil had been poured on them.
* * *
Rattle. A drink fell from the vending machine. Joo Seonghan bent his waist and took out the drink. He opened the pull-tab and sat down in a window seat to avoid the air conditioner wind.
The neighborhood swimming pool where he had a membership was 10 minutes by car from Joo Seonghan’s house. Since he wasn’t particularly fond of driving, Joo Seonghan mainly took the bus. It was the same these days. Regardless of morning or afternoon, whenever he felt like it, he came to the swimming pool by bus, swam for an hour or two, and came out to get a drink from the vending machine. It was the only productive thing in Joo Seonghan’s daily life.
Joo Seonghan didn’t do anything these days. He woke up late, sat blankly, ate, and let the day flow by watching TV or sitting on the terrace smoking cigarettes. When his condition was bad due to lack of sleep, he didn’t even go to the swimming pool. On such days, he became almost one with the bed and spent the day like a pupa. He was lazy to no end, and he found himself pathetic.
No matter how much he had decided to rest for about a month, this didn’t suit Joo Seonghan. He didn’t want to rest anymore in discomfort while keeping a promise alone with someone who didn’t even show himself. Joo Seonghan looked out the window and was lost in thought. And when the traffic light color beyond the car window changed about twice, he stood up from his seat holding the empty drink can.
Let’s go home and prepare for the second-half public recruitment. Since TOEIC expired too, let’s study again and take the test.
Joo Seonghan raised the white flag after a week and three days of rest.
He got off the bus, walked for about 5 minutes, and entered a convenience store near his house. He picked up a lunch box to eat for dinner and two 500ml cans of beer and went to the counter. He was taking out his wallet from his back pocket when ding-a-ling, the bell attached to the convenience store door rang. One lollipop was placed on the counter.
“You seem to like beer.”
“……”
His sense of smell realized before his hearing. Who the person who just entered was. Joo Seonghan raised his head. Yeon Dogyeong was smiling and looking down at the counter. He had spoken to him, but he didn’t know whether it was okay to acknowledge him or not.
“Please ring these up together.”
Yeon Dogyeong, who took out a card from his wallet, pointed at the lunch box and beer Joo Seonghan had brought with the hand holding the card and spoke. The clerk answered “yes” and scanned the barcode.
“Shall I bag them for you?”
“Yes.”
He, who paid extra for the bag too, poked Joo Seonghan with his elbow, tok.
“Do you have anything else to buy?”
“…No.”
He received the bag, unwrapped the lollipop, and went outside the convenience store. The clerk, who said “have a safe trip home,” looked back and forth between Yeon Dogyeong and Joo Seonghan. Joo Seonghan bowed his head and turned his steps. He passed by Yeon Dogyeong, who was holding the door with the candy in his mouth, and came outside.
“On your way home?”
Yeon Dogyeong asked while approaching the car parked in front of the convenience store. Joo Seonghan removed his gaze from the dark navy pants he was wearing.
“…Yes.”
“Do you have a moment?”
He, who opened the back door of the car, put the convenience store bag inside and closed the door before Joo Seonghan could even answer. He opened the passenger door with a smiling face. Joo Seonghan, who lowered his eyes, got into his car.
Yeon Dogyeong fastened his seatbelt without particular words and started the car. When they entered an 8-lane road after driving for about ten minutes, he brought his hand to the air conditioner in front of Joo Seonghan and asked, “Are you hot?” Joo Seonghan answered that he was fine. And shortly after, the car that had been racing along receiving signals met a red light after a long time. The car stopped smoothly, and he, loosely gripping the steering wheel, leaned his arm on the window frame and stared intently at Joo Seonghan. His body tensed.
“Did you lose weight?”
Joo Seonghan rolled his eyes and shook his head. Tok, tok. After tapping the steering wheel a few times, he opened the center console. There were many candies.
“You can eat them.”
He took the lollipop out of his mouth and held it in his hand, rummaging through the console with the other hand. A small glass bottle appeared among individually wrapped mint candies and fruit candies. He opened the glass bottle cap and placed it in Joo Seonghan’s hand.
“That’s the most expensive one.”
“…Thank you.”
He picked a purple candy among the colorful candies and put it in his mouth. After putting the glass bottle back in place, he closed the console. Yeon Dogyeong, who put the lollipop he was holding back in his mouth, received the signal and stepped on the accelerator. Joo Seonghan felt the sweetness spreading in his mouth and awkwardly rubbed his wrinkled pants with his fingers.
It was uncomfortable being alone with Yeon Dogyeong in the quiet car. He, whom he met after ten days, treated Joo Seonghan exactly the same as before, but Joo Seonghan somehow found him difficult and also a bit embarrassing. For good reason—Joo Seonghan had shown an embarrassing sight that day. Not only had he taken Yeon Dogyeong’s penis in someone else’s workplace rather than a personal space, but he had also pissed on the floor. Yeon Dogyeong had wiped it up with a mop. He hadn’t realized it at the time. Only after returning home did he kick off the blanket while recalling the memory. And now, facing him with his reason properly intact, those scenes and the shameful situations that followed came to mind indiscriminately, making his mouth keep drying.
“Aren’t you curious where we’re going?”
“…Ah.”
At the short sigh, Yeon Dogyeong looked at Joo Seonghan with an incredulous face. Joo Seonghan tilted his head diagonally and escaped from his gaze.
“You know who I am, right?”
“…Team Leader Yeon Dogyeong.”
“Do you still want to believe it’s a dream?”
“……”
If possible, he wanted to. But it was impossible. From that world where semi-humans lived and breathed to now sitting awkwardly in the car with him, it had all been reality. He could no longer close his ears and mouth as if uninterested. Joo Seonghan straightened his head.
“…Where are we going?”
Yeon Dogyeong nodded before answering. It seemed like he was praising Joo Seonghan’s question.
“We’re going to draw blood.”
