Surim’s expression, which had been cheerful as he greeted and hung up the phone, darkened instantly. His hyung’s voice had been weak. Yesterday he had definitely been much more energetic, but it seemed his condition had worsened again in just one day. Though his hyung’s condition changed several times a day, Surim’s heart raced with worry every single time.
He couldn’t help it.
Ever since that summer when he was fifteen, when his family except for Surim had been in a car accident while traveling, his hyung had become Surim’s only family.
“……”
Surim sighed deeply with worry and started walking, not noticing that a surveillance camera deep in the hallway was staring intently in his direction.
* * *
The lunch menu he ate at the cafeteria was always the same. Takeout salad. Specifically, it always had to be tofu salad. After finishing lunch almost as if drinking it, Surim sat on a bench outside the research institute and basked in the sunlight. Surim really loved the sensation of the area in front of his closed eyes turning crimson, his body growing warm, and drowsiness gradually washing over him. The sun always gave him the sense that he was alive.
1:25 PM. Opening his eyes to the alarm and returning to the General Affairs Team office, Surim was surprised to see Assistant Manager Seong busily pounding away at the keyboard and rushed over.
“Assistant Manager-nim, is there anything I can help you with?”
“Just a moment.”
Assistant Manager Seong, who had been pulling up various documents for reference while writing something in an Excel file, pressed the print button. Surim caught on and quickly ran to the printer to bring back the printed papers.
“Let’s go to the conference room for a moment. You too, Ji Seongchan-ssi.”
Ji Seongchan was a new employee who had joined around the same time as Surim, and because they had gone through all sorts of hardships together during their probation period, the two had become quite close.
Since he was calling both new employees, it seemed like some rather troublesome work had come up. Surim and Seongchan exchanged glances as they moved to the conference room.
“Research Lab 8 has decided to move their lab location. There had been requests for a while to move to a larger space, and the Director approved it this time.”
Assistant Manager Seong, who had taken the seat at the head of the conference room table, continued speaking while giving each of them a copy of the paper he had just printed.
“But the Senior Researcher says he needs to go tomorrow right away. He’s even asking us to fill it with furniture before we leave work today. Says he doesn’t like our General Affairs Team people coming and going busily tomorrow.”
Assistant Manager Seong ground his teeth as if his insides were boiling and sighed, then forced a smile.
“The Senior Researcher of Research Lab 8 is a bit reclusive, so there’s nothing we can do. Fortunately, our new employees are strong men.”
It was a story about the two of them, Surim and Seongchan, carrying and placing the furniture. Looking at the paper, it was a laboratory floor plan showing what furniture should be placed where.
It seemed that the work Assistant Manager Seong had been doing in a hurry earlier was organizing and writing down which furniture was in which warehouse.
“Now, as you can see, everything is in Warehouse 1. The inside of the warehouse isn’t well organized, so it’ll be a bit complicated. Find everything well and move it to Room 512, and arrange it according to this floor plan here. Call me when you’re done and I’ll come check.”
Assistant Manager Seong, who had finished explaining, stood up from his seat and patted Surim’s back.
“It’ll be tough, but do your best. It’s not my responsibility until you clock out, and after this is done today, I won’t make you do any more work and will let you rest.”
“Really?”
“Of course, of course.”
As Surim grinned broadly, Seongchan sidled up and presented his back to Assistant Manager Seong. At the quiet protest, Assistant Manager Seong laughed out loud and patted Seongchan’s back as well.
“I’ll do my best too!”
“Then we’ll be going, Assistant Manager Seong-nim.”
“We’ll be going!”
The two who left the General Affairs Team office moved to the warehouse pulling a cart. Looking at the paper, the furniture they needed to move wasn’t just one or two items—desks, chairs, cabinets, drawers, auxiliary tables, and so on.
Surim, who had been examining the list, said to Seongchan:
“Should we move the big stuff together first? Then I think it would be better if we split up to move the small stuff.”
“Sounds good. Then the cabinets first?”
“Yes.”
It took about three hours for the two young men in their prime to set up one research lab. It took longer because a researcher who came to check in the middle requested they change the cabinet to dark gray, saying ‘the Senior Researcher-nim dislikes bright colors,’ which meant they had to do the work over again.
When they conveyed this fact, Assistant Manager Seong let out an exasperated sigh, told the two they’d done well, and truly gave them free time.
The place the two headed to with their break time was naturally the company cafe.
“Ah, I’m so tired… If this weren’t a place I got into through a referral, I would have quit ages ago.”
“Seongchan-ssi, did you say you got in through your father’s friend’s introduction?”
“Yes. Actually, that ‘reclusive person’ from earlier is that person.”
“…Ah.”
Surim reviewed whether he had made any slip-ups today. Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t badmouthed that reclusive person.
“Then the research lab you’ll be in charge of next week is also?”
“Yes, that place from earlier will be my workplace. Actually, half the reason I passed the interview was probably for that purpose. It’s obvious when you see that I’m the only one walking around here with this kind of hair.”
Seongchan said, pointing to his own yellow sports cut. It was true, actually. In a research institute where most people had black hair, and deviation at most meant dark brown hair, Seongchan’s hair was quite conspicuous, and there were even people who looked at him with mystified eyes sometimes. It was because it didn’t match the research institute’s atmosphere at all.
“Actually, I dyed it yellow the day before the interview because I didn’t want to get hired, but it was useless. Since I got hired, I can’t quit either because my old man at home says he’ll cut off all my cards and kick me out of the house if I don’t attend properly.”
“So that’s the situation…”
“Ugh, making strange complaints like this. Sorry. I’ll buy you coffee instead. Cold brew?”
“Yes, cold brew.”
Seongchan, who had just reached the company cafe, strode toward the counter. Surim looked around wondering where to sit, when he suddenly saw a man passing by him and was so startled he stopped breathing.
The man must have sensed something strange because he glanced in this direction. The two people’s eyes met.
“……”
“……”
The man furrowed his brow, then turned and moved away. Surim kept watching that retreating figure until the distance widened, then whipped his body around with his eyes wide open.
‘That person…?’
Surim calmed his anxious heart and slowly turned his body again to follow the back of that man’s head. The man who sat in a seat by the window was facing his head toward the window.
Although only the back of his head was visible, Surim could be certain it was that person he knew. No, precisely because it was his back view, he was even more certain. After all, Surim had seen that man’s back view far more often than his front.
‘He was working at this research institute?’
Why hadn’t they met until now when he’d been working for three months? Surim steadied his breathing, trying not to get excited.
Once he calmed his chest that had been in a state of excitement from shock and joy, the man’s expression from a moment ago suddenly flashed through Surim’s mind. Why had he done that? He was sure that just before turning his head, the man’s nose had wrinkled subtly.
‘…Don’t tell me I smell…?’
Flustered, Surim looked around cautiously and lifted his arm to smell his sleeve and forearm area. There was only the scent of fabric softener.
What on earth was it? Surim lifted his other arm awkwardly and sniffed it.
“Surim-ssi, what are you doing?”
Seongchan, who had gotten the coffee at some point, suddenly held out a cold brew coffee to Surim. Surim, who caught it reflexively, answered awkwardly.
“Ah. My nose was just a bit itchy.”
“Is it because of dust? Then shall we go outside and drink while getting some air?”
Surim checked the seat where the man had been with a regretful look. But perhaps he had left while Surim was thinking about other things for a moment—other people were sitting in that seat.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing. Let’s go outside.”
Since he’d seen him once, there would be another chance to meet. Definitely. Surim, who looked around searching for traces of the man with a regretful air, walked out of the cafe.
The two who sat on a bench by the lawn a little away from the building chatted while watching the fountain spouting water.
“But Surim-ssi, you haven’t heard anything yet?”
“About what?”
“The research lab assignment. Assistant Manager Seong-nim hasn’t said anything to you?”
“Hmm… I don’t think there was anything in particular.”
“That’s strange. Last year they apparently gave hints about a week before…”
Where had he picked up last year’s story again? Despite looking like a playboy, he was really bright and had wide connections. Seongchan, who tilted his head, started counting on his fingers.
“From what I’ve seen going around, Research Lab 1 is generally unlucky. Research Lab 2 has a lot of overtime so everyone seems sensitive, and Research Lab 3 seems picky so there’ll probably be lots of small requests. Research Lab 4… the Senior Researcher-nim seemed to have a good personality, so I wonder how it would be…”
“Well, wherever it is, how different could it be? I think it’s all similar actually.”
The two exchanged subtle glances. It was clear that whichever research lab they were assigned to, they would be worked like slaves.
Seongchan, who had been sighing deeply, suddenly spoke as if he’d just remembered something.
