The main lab was alive with the sounds of people rushing up and down, and the clinking of the instruments. The vibe was that everyone was all very busy, purposeful and energetic at the same time people were checking oxygen tanks, testing flashlights, securing first-aid kits, and picking up portable scanners. The smell of the air was different, too, as if the whole place was affected by the anticipation of the appearance of the dangerous thing.
Jaeheon was close to the center table, a little more than half-way through, and he was pulling his vest straps very tightly and sharply with one of his hands. His face looked even more scruffy than usual under the lab lights dark rings around his eyes, tightly clenched jaw, and a determination sharper than any blade.
Ms. Gael walked up to him, with a clipboard in her hand and a very calm and composed look on her face.
"Are you really going to do this?" she asked very quietly, but her voice was strong enough to silence everyone who was working around.
"Straight to the old tunnels… no light, no map, no safety, just a risk?"
Not even for a moment did Jaeheon think about an alternative answer.
"Yes. That's what we're doing."
Ms. Gael breathed out through her nose, and then nodded with a kind of reluctant acceptance. "Then it is very important that your gear is perfect. I don't want you fainting in the middle of the tunnels."
"I promise I won't," he said, even though a bit of a tremor could be felt in his hands as he was looking over his gloves.
On the other side of the laboratory, Teams 1 and 2 were tuning their radios. Team 3, the tunnel team, was at the rear door, tightly packed, and finishing up the inspection of their protective suits. The feeling of anxiety that was present, could be cut with a knife, and every breath they took had a metallic taste.
A junior researcher came up to Jaeheon with a lot of respect and a bit of hesitancy in his step.
"Sir, the scanners are calibrated and ready to use. We have also packed the extra power cells."
"Okay," Jaeheon said while still not looking up. "Let them be put in the front compartment of the van."
"Certainly, sir!"
Another assistant was hurrying, coming forward.
"All helmets have been tested—communication lines are clear. The van is ready and waiting outside. We'll be moving at your signal, Director."
Jaeheon gave a very short nod of his head. "Tell the whole crew to wait for me at the main exit."
People rushed to do as they were told.
A little later, Ms. Gael again stepped close to him. Her eyes were fixed on him, and the seriousness that she showed was deeper than any warning.
"Last chance," she said. "Once we take off from this building… we can't go back. We are stepping into the area that has been left alone for years. Are you really, really, absolutely sure that this is the place you want to go first?"
Jaeheon's eyes wandered to the map that was fixed to the wall—with the red marker circling the Underground Service Tunnels.
His throat was tight, but the voice came out from him very firmly:
"If Han Kyum is anywhere in this world… he must be down there."
Ms. Gael didn't try to convince him anymore. Instead, she put on her vest and tied her hair in a tight knot.
"So, I'm here then."
"Ma'am, Director! Everyone is here!"
An employee called out from the hall.
The place had become very quiet all of a sudden.
Jaeheon took his flashlight off the table and put it in his belt with a clip. Ms. Gael got the emergency keycard that would be used for shutting down the company temporarily.
"Let's go," she said.
They, along with their teams, walked through the corridor side by side and were followed by their teams. The sound of their boots hitting the floor went on and on. Each step was very firm but, at the same time, it was obvious that they were holding the fear back inside of them.
When they got to the main lobby, Jaeheon took a moment to look back at the quiet laboratory through the glass walls. Han Kyum… hang in there.
Ms. Gael pressed the emergency panel with her finger. A loud click could be heard as the system was being secured by itself. Red lights were flashing just above the doors—Facility Secured. Restricted Access Mode Activated.
Not many employees were left inside the building so that they could take care of the minimal operations. All the rest were following him.
Out of the building, the weather was not good. It was windy and the sky was covered with heavy clouds.
The van that they were going to use was already at the front of the steps—engine was on, and the lights were really bright against the concrete.
An employee was opening the side door.
"Director Jaeheon, everything is ready."
Jaeheon took a very deep breath. Then, he moved one step forward.
"Move out."
As they did it one after another, the team members got into the van carrying with them their flashlights, scanners, and protective gear that made some noise by falling to the floor or by rubbing against each other as they were arranging their places.
After that, Ms. Gael came in next, and she sat right next to him. The door was then closed by sliding it shut. The engine started to get a little louder. And the van was driving away from the lab with a sharp turn of the wheels… in the direction of the forgotten dangerous darkness beneath the city.
_____
The van shot through the streets, its headlights illuminating only a small part of the night. The only two people in the vehicle were Jae heon and Ms. Gael, both of them were nervous, fatigued and overwhelmed with the same terror.
Two people were missing now. Han Kyum… and Mrs. Jana.
Ms. Gael gasped as she was rubbing her temples, the GPS scanner was blinking but there was no signal.
"First Mrs jana getting lost… and now Han kyum disappearing without leaving any trace."
Her tone weakened a little. "This is turning into a nightmare."
Jaeheon was holding the handle above the window and looking outside with a serious expression.
"We'll find them," he said with conviction. "Both of them."
She looked at him unsure, mulling it over and then spoke in a low voice, "You and Han Kyum… you're really close, aren't you?"
Jaeheon replied straight away, "Yeah, we were extremely close."
Ms. Gael neither agreeing nor disagreeing, kept her eyes on him and said, "How close?"
Jaeheon lifted his shoulders.
"Close enough that I can tell when he's afraid. Close enough that if something is wrong with him, I can feel it." "why did you question?"
Her eyebrows went up.
"I get it…"
After a long silence, she suddenly broke it by asking:
"Jaeheon... are you gay?"
Jaeheon was surprised.
Then, he went for the driest, meme-like reply and said,
"…maybe?"
"That was the most chaotic 'maybe' I've ever heard."
He rubbed his forehead. "Do you want a yes or no? Because even I don't know. It's complicated."
"It's called mystery," he muttered.
"It's called obvious," she shot back.
Jaeheon sighed dramatically and then, voice soft but honest, added:
"…I've liked Han Kyum for a long time."
Ms. Gael froze.
"…WHAT!?"
After which, she couldn't help herself and burst into another fit of laughter, hitting the back of the seat with her hand.
"Wait—WAIT—so you go from 'maybe' to THAT!?" she cackled. "Choose a lane, Jaeheon!"
"What is funny NOW!?" he protested. "I'm being serious!"
She wiped tears from her eyes.
"Oh, I know! It's just—oh god—your delivery!"
Jaeheon crossed his arms, mortified.
But then Ms. Gael took a breath, her laughter dying down, and real concern replacing the amusement on her face.
"…We need to find him," she said quietly. "And find Mrs. Jana too. I'm… scared for both of them."
Jaeheon nodded sharply.
"We will. I'm not stopping until I bring them back."
The van continued forward, its headlights cutting through the road carrying the two of them closer to answers,
_____
The hours went past, but the whole time it felt tense and uneasy, and the details of that period blended together. The color of the sky outside had changed from orange to bruised purple, the kind of light that looked like night would come soon. The van was making a lot of noise as it moved along a road that was getting narrower, and all of the people the employees who were sitting in the back rows were in firm silence.
Then the driver slowed down all of a sudden.
Everybody turned their eyes toward the driver.
"Ma'am... sir..." the driver said as he leaned forward to see what was blocking the way. "There is a blockage in the road."
Ms. Gael looked out the window with her eyes and saw that it was really barricades that had fallen over, a metal beam that was not straight, and a line of orange tape which together were completely closing the highway.
"What the—there hasn't been any news about the blockade," she mumbled.
"It must have been that time ago, certainly less than an hour," the driver said while he was verifying the directions. "We are not allowed to pass here."
The employees were a low murmur expression of each other, but Jaeheon was so clear in his as he straightened up in his seat:
"So what are we going to do then?"
The driver was not sure of his reply at times.
"There is just the one way left… however, it is not comfortable. We will be going through the mountain and then along the forest path."
The silence was broken only by the voices of the employees who were also stunned by the route change.
"Mountain road? That place is deserted." "I heard there was no signal there." "It's almost night—dangerous, isn't it?"
Ms. Gael took a deep breath.
"It had to be now when this thing happens…"
She looked at Jae heon and spoke, "This is going to take a long time, Jae heon…"
"I don't care," he said right away. "We continue our way."
The mirror showed their faces to the driver.
"It is very difficult to get there. There are no lights. If the van breaks down, only on foot can we continue," he said.
Ms. Gael was tapping her knee with her finger nervously.
"Listen, everyone," she was talking to the employees. "We are going to switch to the mountain route. Be careful. Your phones must be kept charged. Always together."
Some people nodded as if they were sure of it; other people's faces showed that they were shaken.
With both of his elbows on his knees, Jaeheon was leaning forward and talking to them very quietly:
"We are doing this to find Han Kyum and Mrs. Jana. If you don't want to come that is up to you. But, whatever, I'm going."
An employee timidly put up his hand.
"Sir… we support you. We will not be the ones that let them disappear without making a move," he said.
One more follower, a lot more determined, raised his voice:
"We promise that we will bring them both back."
The strength they had in their voices united them and thus the tension between them was reduced.
The driver seemed to get a silent "yes" from them and so he nodded.
"Ok. Get ready. I am turning."
The van turned slowly and moved off the main road onto a forest track that was both narrow and steep.
They were immediately out of the paved road and were on gravel with irregular slopes.
The forest trees became denser gradually, and the branches of the trees were extending over the van like long fingers. There were dark spots between the trees as the light was fading. The coolness was a little more than before.
Ms. Gael had her arms crossed and was hugging herself.
"This forest is always scary at dusk. Why did I agree to come, again?"
Jaeheon gave a slight smile without any humor.
"Because you're the one who will shout at me if I do something stupid."
She laughed softly.
"I have to agree with you on that one."
_____
The fluorescent lights flickered weakly above, casting small shadows over the mess that was the underground lab. The sky outside was still a mixture of purples and oranges indicating the early evening, but the inside air was still redolent with the metallic odor of chemicals.
Han Kyum looked at the clock on the wall. 18:42. A long time had gone since morning, and Part 4 was still not completed even halfway. He could not help but let out a deep breath.
"I… kind of miss the old lab," he said quietly and almost inaudibly, as if talking to himself.
Jin stopped and looked at him curiously. "Are you sure?"
Han Kyum was looking at the mixture before him which was reflecting the light of the flickering lamps. "Sure… more peaceful, less complicated. There were no interruptions. You could even hear your own thoughts. Even if the work was difficult, I don't know, it just somehow felt… lighter."
Jin softly laughed but the humor disappeared quickly as he became pensive. "I miss… my sister. I haven't seen her for such a long time."
Han Kyum looked at him and heard the slight shake of Jin's voice. "I didn't know… How long has it been?"
"Too long," said Jin with a fake smile. "I keep thinking about her being safe and what she might be doing... and sometimes I wish I could just drop everything and go to her."
Han Kyum nodded. "I get it. I also miss the peace... the old lab, the team. It's different now. Everything is much more... risky."
Jin rearranged the vials on the table and took a deep breath. "Yes... but here we are. We can't leave. We have to do it till the end. For everyone. Also… maybe, for her too, in some way."
Han Kyum slowly let out the air from his lungs, the tension in him was lessened just a little bit. "That's right. Every single drop, every stir, every moment – it counts. We are not allowed to rush even when we feel like it is never-ending. This is the only way we stay alive… the only way we get through this."
Jin acknowledged with a nod. "Having something to hold on to makes it all come down to being worth it… even if it's just memories of home, or someone you love."
Han Kyum continued his work at the table, Jin was right there with him and they moved like one person. The smell of metal and chemicals filled the air, and the dark patches of light due to the flickering of the lamps seemed to get bigger the quieter they were.
Jin couldn't help but think of his sister for a moment—the way she would laugh, her soft voice, and the little things they did together. A sharp longing seized his chest but he suppressed it. Concentration had to come first.
At last, Jin, in a voice barely above a whisper, broke the silence, "Do you ever think of how it would be if we were not under such pressure all the time?"
Han Kyum's eyes were on the mixture and he spoke softly but firmly. "I do sometimes. But then… I recall the reason why we started and the people who are waiting for us. That is a more than enough reason to keep going, even when things are tough."
With a long exhale, Jin was a quilt of relief and weariness. "I think so too."
The fluorescent lights flickered once more. The evening was still going on outside, but inside, they were in their own world, one that was dependent on each other, slow but surely, they were moving towards the completion of their work, the final, most important part.
Han Kyum was mixing the solution slowly but his mind was somewhere else.
"You know… I sometimes think of people who help me bear this," Han Kyum said in a very low voice, looking down. "Those who make even these never-ending hours of suffering feel as if they were… lighter."
"Like…?" Jin asked, intrigued.
Han Kyum pressed his lips together and half-smiled. "Like Jaeheon, for instance. Even if in the middle of the explosion of the mixture in my face, he always manages to make me laugh. I don't know how but… he just makes it way better."
Jin looked at Han Kyum with incredulity, as if to say: "come on, really?" and replied with "So you mean that I am not that important?"
Han Kyum was taken aback and after a moment he seemed to get a bit embarrassed as a reddish tint appeared on his cheeks. "Yeah, of course, Jin, you are very important. You too make this less painful for me… but, well… I don't know how to put it… Jaeheon is on another level."
Before Jin could respond, the lab door slowly opened. The sound of the door opening together with footsteps echoed across the floor.
"I see… Jaeheon, eh?" a mellow tone voice said from the doorway.
Han Kyum was definitely not comfortable with the situation here and now. He replied with "Don't bother me" in a very muffled voice, turning back to the flask, hands quivering a bit.
Elijah moved to the doorframe with a relaxed posture, his arms folded. "Relax. I'm just gonna get something from here… but yeah, I'm the one concerned though."
Han Kyum looked like he was about to snap his teeth. "I told you it's none of your business," he said again, this time a little louder, but still with a controlled tone.
Elijah responded to this by slightly raising one shoulder in a gesture of indifference and moving to a shelf to get a vial. He remained silent, and only his action of fetching the item served as his reply. The silent movement of glass on wood and a soft metal to metal sound were the only things that could be heard in that moment as he was doing it with an almost unnoticeable, very fast, and very efficient way.
Han Kyum stamped the ground with his foot and tried really hard to rid himself of all this tension that he was feeling. "Focus, Jin. That is all that counts. Part four… it's a bit hard. We don't have the luxury of making mistakes."
Jin agreed with a nod and was now holding the stirrer more tightly. "Yeah… let's just do one step at a time."
Han Kyum looked at the thermometer.
"Patience…Precision…Focus. We get through this, together."
"Together," Jin said, looking at Han Kyum intently.
After briefly looking at the vial Elijah decided to exit the lab and the door closed with a soft click behind him.
Han Kyum breathed out deeply and tried to focus fully on the fragile mixture that was between them. "Focus. That is all that counts," he reiterated silently...
meanwhile elijah thoughts after he get out in the lab
who the hell is jae heon..
he murmured to him self..