Chemistry

The high-definition camera was set up to illuminate the laboratory table. After finishing the video call setup, Cho Sung-hwan asked into the microphone.

“Can you hear me?”

-Yeah, it’s good.

Cho Sung-hwan glanced at the screen of the other person.

“How many people are there over there? Aren’t they all busy?”

The conference room at AN Hospital Pharmacy Center was so crowded that there was barely any space for chairs.

-I’m not exactly sure. A lot of doctors from the Genetics Center came over.

“There are so many observers here too. Not everyone can fit in, so about 70 people will watch via video in the conference room.”

-If this research had received this much attention earlier, I wish I could have observed it at headquarters.

“Senior colleagues even struggle to find a seat. You have to be at the level of a professor at Seoul National University to watch.”

-Seoul National University?

Seeing Jeong-woo, who had just walked in from outside the door, Cho Sung-hwan gave a faint smile and covered the camera.

“Team leader Han. I received a call from the Pharmacy Center and added him to the connection.”

“Oh? He’s there too?”

Placing his laptop on the table, Jeong-woo nodded at the people on the screen.

As Cho Sung-hwan adjusted the audio settings for the last time, a question came from the other side.

-Sung-hwan, why is everyone making such a fuss about Seo Jeong-gu’s genes?

“Do you think it’s because of that that everyone’s making a fuss?”

-What?

Cho Sung-hwan glanced at the image of Jeong-woo captured by the camera.

10.30 AM.

Jeong-woo, upon receiving a notice that the test subject would soon arrive, turned his gaze to the genetic analysis report displayed on the laptop screen.

Seo Jeong-gu had a track record of receiving top grades in almost all categories in past tests evaluating gifted individuals.

While his overall intelligence was outstanding, he exhibited symptoms of antisocial personality disorder. A scholar at the Seoul National University Institute of Genetic Engineering had even conducted research under the project title ‘Genetics of Psychopathy.’

‘If someone wanted to study my personality for such reasons, I might just hit them.’

As Jeong-woo observed the analysis data, he turned his head as the door opened.

‘He’s here.’

A young man in his early twenties entered. His gaze, almost devoid of emotion, fell upon Jeong-woo. Despite being observed by many, the room was empty except for the two of them, which made Jeong-woo slightly nervous.

“Welcome, Mr. Seo Jeong-gu.”

“Turn off the mic.”

The blunt voice came unexpectedly. Such brusqueness was within the expected range.

“Just audio? What about the camera?”

With no response, Jeong-woo decided it was okay to disconnect only the microphone cable connected to the outside.

“Before we start, you need to use this brainwave analysis device.”

Seo Jeong-gu silently looked at Jeong-woo, then reached into his pocket. He placed a small glass bottle on the table.

“What’s that?”

“That drug.”

Jeong-woo flinched. He couldn’t predict the intention behind producing the hallucinogen that had caused seven delinquents to fight each other.

“If you can solve the problem with that strange chemical reasoning of yours, then I’ll wear that.”

“What?”

It was a proposal where one gives and takes. Jeong-woo turned his gaze to the bottle.

‘No wonder. He said he really wanted to meet me.’

Upon examining it with molecular vision, he saw much denser components than those seen on the ingredient from Seo Jeong-gu’s fingertips before.

“Are you imposing exchange conditions for research cooperation?”

“That’s right.”

“But that…”

Observing Seo Jeong-gu’s attitude, seemingly indifferent even to the onlookers, Jeong-woo found himself in a dilemma.

“What problem are you trying to solve?”

“Half-life.”

It was a chilling answer. He couldn’t even imagine what kind of mischief someone would attempt with a hallucinogen that leaves no evidence behind.

‘Leaving aside his lack of manners, he’s really a tough nut to crack.’

While Seo Jeong-gu’s personality itself was burdensome, researching the traits his genes possessed unexpectedly intrigued Jeong-woo.

Perhaps, he could even empathize with the thought process unfolding in his mind.

‘Cho-won’s rough estimate was roughly correct, but was I mistaken about this person?’

Five days of effort would go to waste, but he couldn’t assist in creating a hallucinogen.

“Are you aware of what kind of criminal carries around such substances? Why do you think I would assist Mr. Seo Jeong-gu in his crimes?”

“You’re a strange chemist.”

Jeong-woo let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.

“You’re mistaken. Call me a chemist who maintains a level of common sense.”

“Is that a refusal?”

“Of course.”

“You’ve wasted my time.”

Seo Jeong-gu attempted to grasp the bottle again.

Jeong-woo raised his left hand and pushed a bunch of dust particles into the bottle. With a crackling sound and a static charge, Seo Jeong-gu reflexively let go of the bottle.

Casually filling the bottle, Jeong-woo said.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t ignore something this dangerous.”

“You…”

“It seems there’s a misunderstanding. If you think I’m holding back because I’m weak, you’re mistaken. I don’t particularly expect anything from you, like Professor Lee Sang-joong or others. If you want to leave, leave. If you want to stay, stay.”

Jeong-woo took out bottles displayed on one side of the laboratory wall and spread them out on the table.

“This is a chemical company. My own backyard. Even though it may be different outside, there’s almost nothing chemically forbidden here. Extracting these components from licorice and peony would have taken a lot of effort, it’s a shame.”

Jeong-woo dropped the bottle into a metal cup filled with mixed liquid.

Splash.

He held a battery in one hand and concentrated the lightning particles into the cup.

Fizz—

As the reaction accelerated, the bottle melted away, and its contents were destroyed in an instant.

The professors observing widened their eyes and looked inside the glass.

“What is that?”

“It seems like it’s from the hydrochloric acid family, but…”

“By the way, why are they having such a serious conversation? And Mr. Seo Jeong-gu’s face. Isn’t he flustered right now?”

The professors, who seemed to sense emotions from Seo Jeong-gu’s response, all leaned in closer to the glass, but they couldn’t hear the conversation inside.

Seo Jeong-gu couldn’t take his eyes off the cup where only a transparent liquid left.

It was a bizarre phenomenon. Apart from melting, the remnants of the medicine didn’t spread as if it knew the antidote, perfectly neutralized.

“How is this possible?”

“Let’s call it magical chemistry.”

At the chemist’s peculiar answer, Seo Jeong-gu turned his head. The world contained within Jeong-woo’s clear gaze seemed extraordinarily special.

“I’m going to turn on the mic now. I’ll inform Professor Lee Sang-joong myself that I won’t participate in the research. If I have to talk about the reasons, I’ll have to detail everything up to the incident where you were detained. So, you can handle it on your own. Oh, this isn’t a threat, it’s a request.”

Jeong-woo reconnected the microphone cable and stood in front.

“As someone who has meticulously observed Mr. Seo Jeong-gu’s genes, I’ll say one more thing. The predispositions you’ve inherited aren’t like this. They’re perfectly normal. I don’t know why you’re so off track, but your parents gave you a bright and healthy body, so you shouldn’t blame anyone.”

Seo Jeong-gu, who had been staring at Jeong-woo with a mesmerized gaze, pointed to the device on the table.

“If I wear this, will the test proceed?”

Jeong-woo hesitated at this question.

“Why all of a sudden?”

“I’m curious about the chemistry you’ll show.”

The students inside the conference room doubted their ears as the microphone turned on and voices were heard.

-I’m sorry, but I’m not curious.

-What do you want?

-How about a trade?

-If it’s possible.

After pondering, Jeong-woo spoke briefly.

-Courtesy.

-What?

-Don’t say you don’t like it.

Those gathered at the pharmacy center were equally surprised.

-Don’t you know mutual respect?

Jeong-woo gestured with his mouth and hand motions, urging Seo Jeong-gu to repeat the words. Hesitantly, Seo Jeong-gu followed along.

-If I wear this… will the test… proceed…?

-Hey. You can do it if you want to.

-Then let’s get started.

When Jeong-woo warned, “Be careful,” Seo Jeong-gu immediately added, “Please”.

The professors in the opposite room couldn’t utter a word at the events unfolding.

“Wait, was Seo Jeong-gu always this cooperative?”

“He never wanted to solve a single problem with me.”

“A stress test right away? That’s quite painful.”

Especially the professors who had been in charge of Seo Jeong couldn’t close their mouths.

-Doesn’t it sting your ears?

-Why ask when you already know?

-Perhaps because you seem indifferent even to pain. We suspect that Seo Jeong-gu’s remarkable intelligence may be due to the ‘SJG-8’ variant gene. Do you see the genetic structure here?

All the professors took out the analysis data presented by Jeong-woo.

“Isn’t this a mutation gene that hasn’t been reported in academia?”

“If this factor is involved, we may need to redefine what constitutes a genius.”

“Since not all tests have been completed yet, let’s observe.”

With each voicing their opinions, the professors became engrossed in discussion.

Watching from the sidelines, Song Boyeong smirked at the scene.

-Mr. Han Jeong-woo, may I ask a question?

Jeong-woo turned his head at the voice coming from the video monitor. It was a doctor who was observing from the pharmacy center.

“What is it?”

-You mentioned that the ‘SJG-8’ variant gene is located within the non-coding DNA. Isn’t this part classified as a meaningless section in the process of genetic design?

Seeing Seo Jeong-gu memorizing the order of the Trump cards, Jeong-woo turned his head to the video monitor and replied.

“Some parts of non-coding DNA have been fragmented and abandoned over generations. This is a combination of those.”

-Interesting. Do you have any related papers or evidence to support that opinion?

“There probably aren’t any, since it’s just my thought.”

-Excuse me?

-I have a question too!

This time, it was a graduate student from the Department of Biotechnology in the conference room.

-You said you analyzed for 5 days, but did you really examine all 35,000 base pairs? Or did you search for target genes in existing genetic databases? Both seem impossible considering the time.

“You’ve seen my data, right? If you consider the DNA sequence in there as the chemical blueprint that initially constituted the human known as Seo Jeong-gu, it was a method of distinguishing between what parts were sophisticated and what parts were simple combinations.”

-How could you…

“You probably memorized a substantial portion of the databases in your head, right?”

After answering, Jeong-woo found himself curious about the limitations of Cheon Seung-guk’s vast knowledge in chemistry.

When the questioner stopped speaking, the graduate students in the conference room eagerly raised their hands.

-Mr. Han Jeong-woo!

-I have a question too!

-Me too!

“I’ll stop taking questions now. Mr. Seo Jeong-gu seems to have already memorized everything.”

30 minutes later.

Jeong-woo, who recorded the final results of the cognitive test, sent an okay sign to Seo Jeong-gu.

“This should be enough. You can take that off now.”

While Seo Jeong-gu was removing the device, Jeong-woo unplugged the microphone cable and approached.

“Before you go, let me check one more thing informally. Back in high school, where you bullied Seo Jeong-gu? Is that why you sought revenge?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“I do need to know. If that’s the method you used due to being bullied, I might find myself in a difficult situation if you decide to recreate it. While I can’t exactly condone it, if the method was seeking revenge because you were bullied, then I can at least understand it.”

“What’s important about your understanding?”

Jeong-woo replied as he scanned the DNA information displayed on the laptop.

“You’re not the type to act on whim or mood swings for no reason.”

“I thought you were a chemist, not a psychoanalyst.”

“That’s what your genes seem to be implying.”

“Weird analysis. Weird reasoning. It doesn’t make sense.”

“The words might not, but to conduct in-depth analysis and continue research, one must accurately grasp your thoughts.”

Seo Jeong-gu, who had been looking at the cup where the bottle had melted, quietly spoke up.

“A will.”

“Yes?”

Seo Jeong-gu continued speaking with a dry voice. Jeong-woo had to suppress a groan after hearing it all.

“If you understand everything, can you tell me how to reduce the half-life?”

Jeong-woo hesitated for a moment before replying.

“I’ll need a signed agreement stating you won’t use it again.”

“A proposal with more cons than pros is a rejection.”

“There are more pros than cons. It’s a win-win proposal that satisfies intellectual curiosity and gains conscience.”

“So, do you know the answer?”

“Have you been deceived?”

Upon hearing that, Seo Jeong-gu nodded. Jeong-woo was surprised by this reaction and asked.

“You really won’t use it again?”

30 minutes later.

Jeong-woo remained in the laboratory, resting his chin on his hand lost in thought.

Thunk.

Entering the room, Song Boyeong grinned as she approached Jeong-woo, who seemed so absent-minded that he didn’t notice her until she was close.

After waiting for about three minutes, Song Boyeong finally spoke up.

“Jeong-woo.”

“…Oh, you’re here?”

“Why the worried look? Did you receive a threat or something?”

Jeong-woo chuckled as he closed his laptop.

“I did, from myself.”

Looking puzzled, Song Boyeong asked him.

“What about Professor Lee?”

“He’s gone to supervise the students. He said he’d visit before the follow-up analysis.”

As Jeong-woo began tidying up the table, Song Boyeong joined him.

“Remember how the professors who used to mentor Seo Jeong-gu used to write down everything you said as if they were studying? They thought you were such a studious student. They complained about not being able to ask real-time questions because the video communication wasn’t working.”

“Is that so?”

“And Seo Jeong-gu suddenly becoming polite. It’s because opinions were divided, leading to fights.”

“There’s no special reason. If he doesn’t feel the need, he won’t do anything. Courtesy is one of those things.”

Answering almost absentmindedly, Jeong-woo’s mind seemed elsewhere. Unable to hold back, Song Boyeong asked.

“After a successful test, why are you like this again? Is it a secret you can’t tell me? Is it more serious than the prison talk?”

“Senior.”

“Yes?”

“Can a person really exist who never breaks a promise?”

Song Boyeong felt a sense of disbelief as she cautiously asked.

“Is that what Seo Jeong-gu said?”

“Probably.”

Jeong-woo began a rough explanation based on what he had heard from Seo Jeong-gu.

“You heard about Seo Jeong-gu’s family background, right? His parents passed away, leaving behind only one younger sibling. It seems those delinquent kids we saw at the police station extorted money from his sibling. They were from the same school.”

“So, he used the fighting drug against each other because of that?”

“In essence, yes.”

“The intention itself wasn’t scary. But what does that have to do with keeping a promise?”

“Seo Jeong-gu’s mother…”

Jeong-woo was caught off guard by the weight of the memory of his mother’s dying wish.

“Jeong-gu, take care of your younger sibling until they can stand on their own. Your mother raised you, so you should at least do that much, right?”

“Did she really leave such a will?”

“That’s why I don’t know if he has the heart to truly care for his sibling.”

Jeong-woo felt the need to meet Seo Jeong-gu’s sibling before the follow-up analysis.

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