# Chapter 54
After finding the second Fragment of Causality, Lee Hwan strongly sensed that a significant incident involving Kang Dongha would soon unfold.
Partly because he had guessed that Dongha’s troublemaking wasn’t for nothing, and also because if the experiments were to begin around this time as seen in the hallucination, he would certainly be entangled in it.
Sure enough, the very next day after finding the Fragment of Causality, Kang Dongha finally contacted him about the meeting.
—I’ve arranged for your work to be shifted here. Come with me this afternoon.
“…Who gave you the right? No, what work would a mere Supporter have there? Are you trying to see how badly my workplace life can be ruined?”
—It’s about HPA, aren’t you coming?
It was truly the kind of behavior that made him want to punch the guy in the face after putting up with too much. Lee Hwan felt the idiom “fists itching” with his whole body as he glared fiercely. If they hadn’t been on a call, the look would have made the other flinch.
That damn Health Promotion Association. What kind of people were they, gathering together to hold meetings, meddling with experiments, and even attracting Taesung’s interest?
“Get it sorted. And don’t contact me through other channels.”
—Isn’t it already too late?
“Want to die sooner?”
As the voice with a hint of laughter disappeared from the other end of the phone, Lee Hwan was furious.
“Isn’t it already too late?” As much as he didn’t want to admit it, it was true. Still, he didn’t want to bring another crazy storm to the office during this rare, languid morning. Lee Hwan sighed as he slowly packed his things.
Proper regression, reunion with Taesung, smooth work life—all had failed. In the end, having to voluntarily seek out Kang Dongha on a weekday like this was the price for that. The only thing that seemed to comfort him was the fact that if he visited that place, he might see Taesung again at a relatively safe distance.
At least the pain from his wound was almost gone today, as he had been diligently taking the medicine the doctor had left. Drawing nonexistent strength from that, Lee Hwan discreetly left the office after checking that no one was watching.
‘Will they think I’m a weirdo this time too?’
Despite yesterday’s tearful outburst, for some reason, people no longer showed strange signs about him. However, Lee Hwan felt that this was more lonely than welcome.
Some of the team members were people who had been with him for a long time in the past. He had occasionally kept in touch even after changing teams. So he vaguely thought they would become close again, but it was naive of him to believe all relationships would remain the same after regression.
Lee Hwan turned to look back as he passed through the door. The office without him somehow looked peaceful.
With a troubled face, he walked and arrived at the research wing grounds, which was starting to make him sick of seeing it. Lee Hwan adjusted his mask as usual and walked steadily into the premises.
He could understand why he hadn’t known anything about Monster Waves or the Semi-awakening Project in his previous life. Everything was happening here, and he hadn’t gone anywhere near this place.
Surprisingly, today’s meeting was to be held on the upper floors of Research Wing D. Whether this was just for today or always the case, Lee Hwan felt considerably uneasy. Just thinking about what might be happening underground made him shudder.
As he arrived at Building D, he saw a familiar face. Lee Hwan slowed his steps and headed in that direction.
Kang Dongha was sitting on a bench in front waiting for him. It wasn’t clear how long he had been there, but his face was slightly red as if he had been baking in the sultry air despite being in the shade.
‘…Dressed up again, I see.’
Unlike researchers who came to work dressed comfortably and just put on lab coats, Kang Dongha always wore suits. Since the weather had gotten considerably hotter, his jacket was gone, but he still wore shirts. Was he trying to keep up appearances because he didn’t do much? Today, he seemed even more dressed up than usual.
Kang Dongha stood up, dusting off his pants, and muttered in a voice barely audible:
“Let’s go in. Follow behind me. Don’t step in front of me.”
It was probably a warning meant to be conscious of the surroundings. Today, Lee Hwan would orbit around him as his subordinate. However, since he wouldn’t be able to attend with his non-existent status, he quietly expected that he would probably just look around the periphery.
Lee Hwan swallowed hard. A bit of tension ran up his spine. After all, he had sneaked in here and fled just yesterday. He also had some needless worry about whether they had discovered that and would capture him as soon as he entered the building.
At the same time, the hallucination he had seen underground kept coming back to him. Those cold eyes that conducted human experiments. It was so vivid that it was a bit difficult to look Kang Dongha in the eye.
Lee Hwan lowered his gaze subtly, then paused momentarily.
‘…What’s this?’
Beneath Kang Dongha’s shoe, dozens of ants lay dead in a black mass. Lee Hwan was surprised at the unusual number of ants on the pavement when he noticed broken candy fragments scattered around his feet.
Kang Dongha glanced down following Lee Hwan’s gaze, and shifting his body slightly, stuffed a candy wrapper into his pants pocket. The rustling of plastic left an unpleasant feeling on Lee Hwan’s nape.
‘How can someone consistently make me feel uncomfortable in such small ways?’
Lee Hwan took a long breath as he followed behind Kang Dongha.
If there were people who had less value to him than ants, Kang Dongha could easily step on them. Like the ant corpses rolling on the asphalt. He could crush them just out of boredom, let alone if he had a purpose.
The unpleasant and chilling emotions he had felt in the laboratory yesterday were circling around him again.
* * *
The upper floor of Building D. When Kang Dongha opened a door in the corner of the corridor, a spacious and presentable room appeared, making one wonder if such a place had been there.
The light streaming in through the clean windows was quite pleasant. On the left wall were unfamiliar books and plush sofa seats, and on another side was a large wooden table with about a dozen chairs.
Beside it were seemingly useless items like a foosball table, a pool table, and even darts, making it unclear what kind of place this was supposed to be.
The scene, reminiscent of a club room in a prestigious university with a long history, gleamed in the serene afternoon light pouring from the windows. Perhaps because it wasn’t yet time, only two or three people were gathered in the empty room, resting separately on the sofa seats.
Among them, upon spotting a noticeable man with gold-rimmed glasses, Kang Dongha, who had been expressionless until then, suddenly blocked Lee Hwan who was walking and greeted with a broad smile.
“It’s been a while, sir.”
“A while? You just saw me last time, you sneaky fox.”
The man, who looked well over sixty even at a generous estimate, received the greeting with a sarcastic remark. Kang Dongha also briefly greeted the middle-aged woman sitting nearby, but she just glanced at Lee Hwan once and didn’t even give him a look afterward.
Lee Hwan was adjusting his mask awkwardly when he suddenly realized.
Come to think of it, these people looked familiar. He had seen them somewhere after his regression.
‘Could it be from that reception…?’
The gathering at the hall of Building D that he had attended with a limping Kang Dongha not long after handling the C-17 Gate. If Lee Hwan’s memory hadn’t faded, they were definitely there. Lee Hwan had also met Kang Dongying there for the first time.
Kang Dongha, Kang Dongying, and these two in front. If all of them were participants in this meeting, a frightening assumption had to be made.
‘Could it be… that everyone there was part of HPA…?’
Suddenly, a chill ran through him, making him feel cold from the crown of his head. That day’s reception had quite a few participants and was quite lively.
Of course, since this was a secret gathering, not everyone there would be members here, but considering their appearances, he thought most of them probably were.
Wealthy, influential, and formidable people. They were gathering around inhumane experiments and regularly maintaining social activities.
Thinking that far, his head went cold.
‘Why would Kang Taesung be at a place like this?’
He still couldn’t understand, no matter how much he thought about it. Taesung, who hated underhanded tactics the most and had lived away from politics before the regression. A place like this wasn’t just unsuited for him, it was antithetical. It had to be.
But if Kang Dongha hadn’t dared to lie, Taesung had actually shown his face here. For Lee Hwan, who remembered him as consistently affectionate without any discord, it was difficult to even guess the reason.
“You keep bringing your tail around,” the man said.
Revealing his somewhat unpleasant feelings as he nodded towards Lee Hwan, who was lost in thought. Only then returning to reality, Lee Hwan blinked and turned his head to Kang Dongha, who smiled as if it was no big deal and pushed Lee Hwan back by tapping his stomach.
“There were some issues. I felt a bit threatened in my daily life.”
As he said this, he showed his ankle where he had previously worn a bandage, in a tone that suggested he was going around with a bodyguard-cum-lackey.
“…”
Lee Hwan composed his complex feelings inwardly and obediently folded his hands. He couldn’t retreat here, facing a good opportunity to gather various information.
“Ahem.”
Nevertheless, when the man cleared his throat suggestively, “orders” from Kang Dongha finally came to him.
“Wait outside, near the door.”
This meant that it wasn’t a place Lee Hwan was supposed to enter from the beginning. Despite that, Kang Dongha had deliberately brought him in to give him a glimpse of the interior.
So he knew this was a kind of consideration, but… honestly, it felt a bit dirty.
“Yes.”
Of course, Lee Hwan wasn’t stupid enough to show such feelings here. He tightly closed his eyes, then opened them and felt the others’ gazes pierce his back as he walked out the door. From the place he turned away, murmuring voices were heard.
“Couldn’t you have let him rest downstairs?”
“As I mentioned, I felt threatened.”
“Ahem… That one’s master seems demanding too, I see.”
They’re obviously Awakened, do they think lowering their voices means I can’t hear? Inwardly mocking, after quietly closing the door, Lee Hwan’s place became the corridor near the door.
‘I should stay somewhere as inconspicuous as possible…’
The expectation and fear of possibly seeing Taesung here. These two contrasting emotions subtly invaded Lee Hwan’s body. If he appeared today, he would certainly pass before his eyes. Thinking of that, an indescribable feeling seemed to trace down his spine.
Since Kang Dongha had not given any specific warning, Kang Dongying probably wouldn’t appear. At least that fact provided a slight sense of relief.
