KHYON Life Sciences — Noehcni (Incheon)
One week after the incidents
The man in the sleek black suit walked into the large, spotless office, an old man waiting for him from behind a desk.
After a solemn bow, he spoke. "We got the report, sir."
The old man spun his chair slowly to face him.
The glossy nameplate on the desk read: Seo Jae-Hwan — Chairman, KHYON Life Sciences. Gilded in gold, like the man had never known failure.
"Go on."
There was nothing to be scared of, but the younger male still felt shaky. Being a professional, he kept his composure.
"The underground lab—it's been confirmed. It does exist."
Chairman Seo didn't react. Not even a blink. He simply nodded.
Getting the message, the man continued.
"Kim Do-Jin, the heir of HCP Pharmaceuticals, is the one behind its function. He's been seen with a strange man… someone who follows him everywhere these days."
That finally drew a response. Just a small shift in expression.
"Oh? He normally doesn't trust people that easily," the chairman said, his voice sharp but contained.
The younger man felt an odd relief—like his existence had been acknowledged.
"Yes, sir. This man showed up from nowhere."
Chairman Seo didn't need to ask more. That sentence already told him they had no background on Hyun-So.
"That makes it interesting. Look into him—and keep an eye on Do-Jin."
"Yes, sir." The man nodded again, deep and respectful, before leaving the room.
* * *
Later that night
Hyun-So sat in a metal chair outside the cafe, waiting for Do-Jin. A strange smell lingered in the air—faint, but weird. He scrunched his nose, not reacting much.
He realized he'd been noticing odd smells all day. Not just in the lab, but out here too.
Maybe they were pheromones again.
Well, as long as he wasn't dying, he figured it was fine.
Do-Jin stepped out, holding two coffee cups. "Here. Espresso. Don't you think it's too strong for nighttime?"
Hyun-So took the cup and stared at him. "Says the one who drinks shots of it like it's water."
Do-Jin shrugged. "I work late. I need something strong so I don't pass out on dangerous equipment."
"Same here. I got used to it." Hyun-So took a sip, eyes fixed on the quiet street ahead.
"I never asked… What did you used to do? Before all this?"
"Just part-time jobs," Hyun-So said curtly, not eager to revisit the past.
"Oh." Do-Jin didn't press. He knew enough of the world to guess what that meant.
But the silence was too heavy, even for him.
"So... that experiment. You're still keeping it a 'strictly confidential' topic?" Hyun-So tried to shift the mood, finally glancing down at his coffee.
Do-Jin smiled a little. "I'll tell you in the car."
- - -
They walked side by side, cups in hand.
"There aren't many people around here," Hyun-So murmured. "Not a lot of shops either. Kind of reminds me of where I used to live."
Do-Jin glanced over. "Well, you need a quieter place to hide a lab like that."
He paused. "Was it really like this where you lived?"
"Yeah. A little too similar, actually. I was thinking of checking it out someday… See if the building's still there."
Do-Jin's voice softened. "We can do that. I'd like to see where you came from."
Back in the car, Hyun-So wasted no time.
"So, what was the experiment?"
"It's a biomedical device designed to revert cellular damage to an earlier state—basically, it turns your body back to how it was before the illness developed." Do-Jin's voice was flat, his gaze distant.
"Woah, that's... cool. Is it even possible?"
"We had a reason to try, at least."
That line held weight. Hyun-So's smile faded.
"What was the reason?"
"Huh?"
"Why'd you start working on it?"
Do-Jin sighed. "That's a long story."
"We've got time."
He leaned back in his seat. "There was this girl in high school. A senior. Everyone liked her. She was bright, confident, and kind. One day, her mom died of a tumor. Her dad... he shut down. Stopped coming home. She had to raise her younger brother. Lost her spark. Pulled away from everyone."
He looked down at his lap.
"I couldn't help her. I tried, but... it was never enough. I just thought—if we'd caught the cancer earlier, it might've been different. I wanted to change that. So I started building something that could."
He paused, surprised by the warm hand resting on his leg.
"It wasn't your fault," Hyun-So said quietly.
"I... I know."
"But you still blamed yourself."
"…" Do-Jin couldn't argue with that. He didn't need to.
"I won't pretend I understand what that feels like," Hyun-So said, voice steady. "But looking at what you've done, that massive dome—you cared. You tried harder than anyone else ever would."
A small smile tugged at his lips.
Do-Jin blinked, his eyes beginning to blur.
He turned away, hoping Hyun-So wouldn't notice.
"Hey… Are you crying?"
"I'm not."
"You're totally crying."
Without a word, Hyun-So leaned over and pulled him into a hug.
They didn't say much after that. Home was quiet. Exhaustion did the rest.
* * *
In the days that followed, they fell into a rhythm. Mostly Do-Jin's rhythm—but Hyun-So didn't mind. Not when he was being watched over like this.
The cat, now officially part of their lives, brought equal parts joy and destruction. Pots had been broken. Plants had been chewed.
It was messy but manageable because of the cat, and they eventually spent more time at home than at the lab.
Turns out, cats and indoor gardens? Not the best mix.
Do-Jin sighed, sweeping up spilled soil for the third time that week.
"Maybe we should've picked a cactus," he muttered.
Hyun-So laughed, already chasing the little demon off the bookshelf.
"Too late now. You've adopted chaos."