By Zephyria 
After parting with Ire, Kim Ha-yoon headed to the research institute instead of home. Passing the research institute building, he parked his car in front of the hospital, where Kwon So-young, who had been contacted in advance, was waiting at the entrance.
“You’re so devoted. You want to escort him even in that condition?”
“Don’t pick a fight. I’m tired.”
“It’s not a fight, it’s a shame. Thanks to you, one of my research subjects is gone. If I’d known, I would have tried to woo him first. You didn’t seem entirely uninterested in me back when you were a trainee.”
“Ha, that’s ridiculous.”
“Why are you laughing? I can still do it now.”
“Don’t make me spill your blood on my hands.”
Kwon So-young didn’t flinch; instead, she let out a scoff. She accused him, asking if their relationship was really that shallow. Kim Ha-yoon didn’t acknowledge her words, and Kwon So-young, smiling leisurely, took the lead.
“Well, it’s fine. I can still collect blood samples occasionally.”
“Says who? Don’t you dare touch a single hair on his head from now on.”
“What’s with you? Irene also gave her permission.”
Kim Ha-yoon stopped as he was heading towards the isolation ward. When he asked when that happened, she said she had received confirmation when he was hospitalized before. She explained that he had readily agreed when she said it would be used for developing treatments for patients with incurable diseases. In return, she had asked for some benefit for herself, requesting transparent sharing of the research process and recognition of her share in any profits generated.
Recalling the memory, Kwon So-young chuckled.
“I bet you, in ten years, no, five years, he might grow into someone you can’t handle.”
Kim Ha-yoon didn’t argue. He felt the same way. He truly hoped for that outcome. As they walked, chatting as usual, the two entered the isolation ward. Their steps gradually slowed, and the smiles and jokes vanished from their faces.
Standing at the end of the corridor leading to his mother’s room, Kim Ha-yoon paused for a moment. Kwon So-young also looked around, unusually hesitant.
“Shall we go in together…?”
“No.”
“Ha-yoon…”
“It’s okay.”
Kwon So-young started to say more but stopped. She patted Kim Ha-yoon’s shoulder, then turned away with a complicated expression and got into the elevator. Completely alone now, Ha-yoon slowly walked towards his mother’s room.
On the wall next to the room, where names were usually written, there was nothing. It was to prevent people from knowing his mother was alive. His father wanted to keep her condition a complete secret.
He opened the door and entered. The caregiver had already left. The empty room was filled with the rhythmic beeping of machines, the whooshing sound from the respirator, and a peculiar, sharp smell.
He picked up a chair, sat down, and gazed not at his mother’s face but at the window. Warm light filtered through the white curtains. It was a perfectly bright day, neither too hot nor too cold.
After sitting for a long time, Ha-yoon cautiously reached out and brought his fingertips to the back of his mother’s hand, which was heavily bandaged. When he was young, his nanny had raised him, so he never had the chance to feel his mother’s embrace.
His mother’s sole focus was research. The laboratory was her home, and he often had to go long days without seeing her. She had never held his hand affectionately and had always treated him sternly, telling him not to be weak, not to be distracted by trivial things, and that he must protect what was his, even if it meant being harsh at times.
“It seems I’m an son who disappoints you until the very end.”
She remained silent, and Kim Ha-yoon gave a faint, sad smile.
“Still, I liked you the most, Mother. If there’s a next life, I’ll be born as a great son then.”
It felt absurd to speak of another life to his mother, a doctor and scientist. He slowly rose from his seat and looked down at his mother’s face. The memory of what her face looked like beneath the bandages was fading.
Watching the respirator blur and disappear, he slowly reached out. His fingertips trembled slightly, and his clenched jaw tightened.
“I’m sorry.”
Then, he removed the respirator. His mother remained motionless. The graphs became irregular, and her heart rate dropped. Hesitating, he then took her hand properly.
“Goodbye, Mother.”
As if in response, a beep sounded, and the graph on the monitor turned into a single straight line. She looked so peaceful that it was hard to believe she had stopped breathing. Only then did Kim Ha-yoon’s eyes begin to redden.
* * *
“How is it? Cool, right?”
During a visit to the rehabilitation hospital, Seo Young-jun was busy showing off his newly fitted prosthetic leg. He seemed relieved that its movement was more natural than expected and that he was satisfied with it. Oh Nam-gi, who had taken a short leave from his unit, also gave a thumbs-up, looking at the prosthetic leg.
“It’s cool. Like Iron Man.”
“Who’s that?”
“He’s a hero from an old movie.”
Just then, a nurse arrived and gave a brief explanation about the rehabilitation therapy scheduled for the afternoon. For a very brief moment, Oh Nam-gi couldn’t take his eyes off her. If left to his own devices, he probably would have opened the door and followed her.
“Snap out of it. She’s old enough to be your mother.”
“Mother? No way. Maybe my older sister.”
“She’s probably ten years older.”
“Ten years is nothing these days. Right, Ire?”
Oh Nam-gi asked, and Ire scowled. Why was he asking him that? Oh Nam-gi wanted an answer, and Ire thought hard. It seemed like a lot, yet also not.
When he thought of it in terms of numbers, it felt like a lot, but when he thought of Kim Ha-yoon, it didn’t feel like much. Was it because of his face? Or his immature behavior? Come to think of it, he hadn’t heard from him since then. Was he doing well? Had he aggravated his injury by moving too much?
Then, annoyed at himself for thinking about Kim Ha-yoon, he clicked his tongue.
“Oh, by the way, did you hear about Park Woo-jin? They say he was expelled.”
“He got cocky relying on his father. Honestly, shouldn’t that be a death sentence? They went too easy on him.”
As Kim Ha-yoon said, Park Woo-jin was expelled from the zone. He was a specially managed individual, implanted with a chip in his head for location tracking, meaning he could be found anytime if one decided to do so. Kim Ha-yoon had told them to handle it as they saw fit, and Ire was also considering what to do with him.
Meanwhile, a small commotion could be heard from outside the building. A protest was underway nearby, which was why it had taken time to get here. The protesters were people who opposed the government’s announcement to cancel the Gold City development and instead pour the budget into maintaining other zones.
According to media reports, many influential figures, who were considered the elite even here, were among them. They were restless, fearing they would lose what they enjoyed. However, the number of protesters was decreasing day by day, and they were barely appearing in the media anymore.
“By the way, Ire, when are you returning to Zone D?”
“Today.”
“That’s a shame. Invite us later, okay?”
“I will. Definitely come.”
Seo Young-jun hesitated, glancing around, then cautiously opened his mouth.
“Among your colleagues… wasn’t there a woman?”
Who? There was a woman, but he couldn’t figure out exactly who he was referring to.
“You know. A really cute one, with a pretty smile.”
Baek Seol suddenly came to mind. He didn’t know if she was cute or pretty, but among the people he interacted with most, Baek Seol was the only one Seo Young-jun knew.
“Baek Seol?”
“Her name is Baek Seol? Isn’t the name really pretty too?”
Oh Nam-gi, who had been listening beside them, had his expression contort his face.
“Are you serious? You mean that girl with the pigtails and a fierce look?”
“Does the kid have no taste? That’s what you call attractive.”
Seeing his eyes sparkle, it seemed he was sincere. Oh Nam-gi cursed him as crazy, and Ire thought Baek Seol might faint with joy if she heard it. She had asked about Seo Young-jun a few times already.
After chatting for a while, they came outside, and it was already nearing evening. Oh Nam-gi hurried to catch a bus back to his unit, and Ire headed home.
As he neared his house, children were playing in the yard. When he passed through the gate, Luca and Angelo ran towards him and hugged him. As he lifted them up, Luca grinned, showing all his teeth.
“Hyung! Hyung! Ha-yoon hyung is here!”
At Luca’s words, Ire instinctively scowled. What hyung? Annoyed, he looked up, and there was Kim Ha-yoon, waving from a distance. It was already absurd that he had come without notice, but Luca calling him Ha-yoon hyung was utterly shocking.
How much brainwashing did he do to the kid while I was gone…
Meanwhile, Kim Ha-yoon strode forward.
He looked much healthier than before, smiling brightly.