Live experimentation. He swallowed dry saliva at the word that suddenly came to mind. Joo Seonghan recalled the conversation he had with Yeon Dogyeong that day and chose words in his mouth.
“Are you not on good terms with the people at the research institute?”
“Why?”
“Because you said you’d keep it secret from them and run various tests on my body.”
“Ah, am I monopolizing Joo Seonghan-ssi?”
At the explicit word choice, he unknowingly looked at Yeon Dogyeong. He was smiling while normally gripping the steering wheel, but for some reason it was hard to take his eyes off him.
“Didn’t I tell you then? That if you get caught by the research institute people, you’ll go into live experimentation.”
“…You did.”
At Joo Seonghan’s answer that came out not too late, Yeon Dogyeong added a smile as if understanding. Joo Seonghan was asking what was different between the tests Yeon Dogyeong was doing and the research institute side’s live experimentation. The fact that they were colleagues yet he was hiding it from the researchers also didn’t make sense to Joo Seonghan’s mind.
“I don’t do live experimentation. Just draw some blood, watch the progress, give medicine so you don’t get sick? But the research institute side won’t do it moderately. There’s one person at the very top who’s smart but stupid.”
“……”
“I don’t dislike that person, but I also have no intention of letting them take Joo Seonghan-ssi from me.”
Yeon Dogyeong, who received the left turn signal, smoothly turned the steering wheel. It was no different from treating him like an object. Even knowing that, his words didn’t feel offensive.
Seeing him whom he encountered at the convenience store, Joo Seonghan had no choice but to nod. He had been waiting for him. For the past ten days, Joo Seonghan had been waiting for Yeon Dogyeong. Not because he wanted to solve the problem that occurred in his body, nor to ask once more to have his memory erased. Joo Seonghan simply wanted to see him. With him saying he didn’t want to let Joo Seonghan be taken by others, there was no way he could feel bad.
“How’s your body? You’re not sick anywhere, are you?”
At his voice that suddenly reached him, Joo Seonghan bought time by moving the candy he was holding on the left to the right. And he calmly gave an answer.
“I can’t sleep well.”
“Really?”
He seemed not to believe it. It was because there were several instances of sleeping obliviously in front of Yeon Dogyeong. Joo Seonghan rubbed his slightly heated neck with the back of his hand.
“I fall asleep quickly, but I wake up often. Once I wake up, sometimes I can’t fall back asleep…”
“Is it because of nightmares?”
“Probably not. I don’t dream much…”
Yeon Dogyeong glanced at Joo Seonghan. Ah, really? Yeon Dogyeong’s eyes filled with laughter were asking. Joo Seonghan, who didn’t notice, thought about whether to tell him or not while recalling what happened recently.
The day before yesterday, he had a fever for no reason. Although it went down quickly because he took pain relievers and fever reducers at home, fever was a rare symptom for Joo Seonghan. His head would get hot only with the severe winter colds he caught once every three or four years, and even that was at the level of a slight fever. Regardless of the reality, it seemed like he was being too weak to say he had a brief fever. In fact, since Joo Seonghan was on the healthy side, he wasn’t used to saying he was sick somewhere.
“Besides not being able to sleep, there’s no particular problem?”
“…Yes.”
So he just answered that way. Yeon Dogyeong didn’t ask more, and silence sat down. Yeon Dogyeong driving looked comfortable, but Joo Seonghan wasn’t. For some reason, it felt like he had to bring up something, so he busily searched through his mind. Then Han Jaejun and Kang Hyeonjoo came to mind. Since returning from Guimun, he hadn’t heard news of them, let alone seen their faces. Kang Hyeonjoo, whom he last saw, was relatively fine, but Han Jaejun’s condition wasn’t good, so he was curious if he was okay. While thinking whether it was okay to ask, he glanced at Yeon Dogyeong’s face. Yeon Dogyeong turned his eyes to Joo Seonghan. At the unexpected eye contact, he opened his mouth before finishing his deliberation.
“Is Han Jaejun-ssi… okay?”
His breathing almost got tangled. Joo Seonghan pressed the inside flesh of his finger with his fingernail and soothed his chest. Fortunately, Yeon Dogyeong didn’t show interest.
“Yes. He’s recovering while playing around now. He’ll be discharged early next month.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Hyeonjoo is doing well too. Since Joo Seonghan-ssi’s house is also included in Team 3’s jurisdiction, pretend you don’t know him even if you run into him on the street.”
So that’s why we ran into each other in the alley and at the karaoke room. Joo Seonghan nodded his head and answered yes.
“If it’s hard to act, at least put something in your mouth.”
His eyes folded forward were playful. Joo Seonghan turned his gaze that had been looking at him beyond the car window. He gave up on conversing and pressed his lips tightly together. Even though he tried not to be conscious of it, the inside of his buttocks felt ticklish.
When Yeon Dogyeong said he’d draw blood, Joo Seonghan thought he’d at least take him to a hospital, but the place where Yeon Dogyeong stopped his car was in front of a shabby building. Following Yeon Dogyeong up to the second floor of the building, Joo Seonghan entered through a door from which he could hear faint mechanical sounds.
“Put your shoes in the shoe cabinet and wear the indoor slippers. The person who lives here is extremely fastidious.”
“Ah, yes.”
He took off his shoes, put them in the shoe cabinet, and took out a pair of indoor slippers stacked in front of the entrance to wear. He followed Yeon Dogyeong, who had entered the hallway ahead of him. When he emerged from the short hallway, he could see a wide space on the left divided by several glass doors. He noticed a room filled with various machines of unknown purpose and a greenhouse full of plants, while the right side was decorated like a living room. Yeon Dogyeong passed the living room and went down another hallway. This time, doors appeared on both sides through which he couldn’t see inside, and Yeon Dogyeong opened the right door and went in.
“Sit over there.”
Gesturing casually, he washed his hands at the sink next to the refrigerator. Joo Seonghan watched him move naturally, then sat on a waist-high bed in the middle of the room that looked like an operating table. He looked around at the various tools hanging on the walls and the machines scattered nearby. Yeon Dogyeong paused while bringing over a tray containing a syringe and alcohol swabs.
“Not there, here.”
He smiled and gestured with his chin toward a nearby chair. Hiding his embarrassed face, Joo Seonghan got up and sat in the chair placed in front of the table.
“Put your arm up.”
He placed his arm on the black armrest. Yeon Dogyeong, who had set the tray down on the table, tied a tourniquet around the upper part of Joo Seonghan’s arm. The alcohol swab moistened his skin, and without warning, he inserted the needle into Joo Seonghan’s arm. Blood was drawn out.
“Aren’t you scared?”
Having drawn as much blood as he wanted, he untied the tourniquet and withdrew the needle. He pressed firmly with an alcohol swab on the spot where the needle had entered and exited. Joo Seonghan reached out to do it himself, but he didn’t give him the chance.
“I get health checkups once every two years, so I’m fine.”
“Not that. Your physical condition.”
He removed his fingers. Joo Seonghan blinked and continued applying pressure instead.
“You said it probably wasn’t serious back then… so I’m not really worried.”
“Should I say you’re bold?”
Yeon Dogyeong said with a laugh as he put the collected blood into a dedicated container and shook it. He brought over a small bandage, made Joo Seonghan remove his hand, and stuck it on his arm.
“…Is it not ordinary?”
“What isn’t?”
“Hearing what the semi-human said and not being attacked…”
Last time, when Yeon Dogyeong mentioned the latter, he said it meant the semi-human had taken a liking to him. Just because he wasn’t attacked didn’t mean he could definitively conclude that he’d been liked. At the time, Joo Seonghan thought that while cases like his weren’t common, they weren’t completely nonexistent either.
“It’s not ordinary. I’ve never seen it before either.”
He raised his head at the unexpected answer. Yeon Dogyeong, the corners of his lips curled up, sat on the edge of the table and stroked under Joo Seonghan’s chin.
“Are you a bit scared now?”
“…Did you want me to be scared?”
He asked, grabbing his wrist and lowering it. Yeon Dogyeong’s hand moved toward Joo Seonghan’s left ear. Joo Seonghan turned his head and grabbed his hand again to stop him.
“I wondered if you were unaware again this time.”
Yeon Dogyeong relaxed his hand like someone who had lost their fighting spirit. Since he was the only one gripping him tightly, Joo Seonghan also released his strength. Then he slowly extended his arm. Joo Seonghan’s hand slid to Yeon Dogyeong’s wrist. He could have stopped him easily enough, but the cautious attitude made Joo Seonghan hesitate. Eventually, his fingertips touched Joo Seonghan’s cheek.
“You had such a terrified look on your face.”
“…I did?”
“Yes.”
He hadn’t known. But now that he heard it, it seemed like that might have been the case. No, it was just… confusing. Unable to even open his mouth, quietly receiving his touch, a finger touched his lips. It smelled like soap.
“You don’t have any friends, do you, Joo Seonghan-ssi?”
