DP Episode 105

Deep Pivot Episode 105

Clack. Clack. Clack. The sound of Hee-min’s broken glasses tapping rhythmically against the table was the only thing that filled the silence of the lab.

“We don’t have enough data here. We’re lacking a lot of equipment too.”

Hee-min’s somber voice finally broke the quiet as he continued to tap the glasses against the table.

“The IGTS headquarters in Ohio has samples modeled after the DNA structure of Gate samples. They have far more resources than we do here, and there are many more possibilities.”

Seo-joon remained motionless, his face buried in his hands. Hee-min turned his gaze to Seo-joon’s bowed head and set down the broken glasses.

“I’m planning to go there myself. Their researchers must be way ahead of me, and there’ll be a lot to learn from them. If I stay here and wrestle with it alone, I’d just be repeating mistakes they’ve already made.”

“What answers do you think you’ll find there?”

Seo-joon, who seemed frozen in place, finally looked up and interrupted Hee-min.

“I spoke with Eric Donovan early this morning. Their situation doesn’t seem any better.”

After the anger subsided, all that remained was a deep sense of helplessness and uncertainty. Seo-joon looked into Hee-min’s bloodshot eyes, realizing how much he had to carry alone, and felt uneasy.

“But we have to try, Seo-joon.”

Hee-min’s gentle, persuasive tone sought to convince Seo-joon.

“It’s likely the same in other countries. The Sergei Onopko incident is well-known. But the fact that only two No-named have died so far means something.”

The world is more rational than you think. More people believe it’s wrong to sacrifice the few for the many.

Seo-joon stared at him, but Hee-min didn’t avert his gaze or fiddle with his glasses. His gray eyes, marked by disapproval, glistened with moisture.

“There’s no guarantee that your family won’t be among the many who die in the future. Can you live with no regrets if that happens?”

“….”

“What if a Gate suddenly opens at your parents’ home this week? Wouldn’t you feel guilty?”

Like a devil’s whisper, Seo-joon’s endless questions weighed heavily on Hee-min, tormenting him as if to say.

‘Do you still believe this is right? Even if your family dies because of me?’

“I can’t be sure. I’m not sure about anything, hyung.”

Hee-min gave a weary, bitter smile. Despite being the youngest to graduate at the top of his medical school and having earned the title of the top expert in Awakened medicine, even he struggled with questions that had no answers.

“…I don’t know either, Seo-joon. I wish we could ask God directly.”

But God offers no answers, leaving the burden of decision to flawed humans.

“Colonel Jin knows, doesn’t he?”

In response to Seo-joon’s question, Hee-min nodded silently.

“Who else knows?”

“There’s no one else. Only Colonel Jin and I know.”

“It’s amazing how you two, the worst liars I’ve seen, managed to keep this hidden.”

Seo-joon believed the only reason they could conceal this from him was due to timing. Lately, he’d been preoccupied with Cha Yeon-woo, leaving little room to notice anything else.

In other words, he was so caught up in his relationship that he hadn’t realized a storm was brewing right beside him.

‘How pathetic’ he thought.

Seo-joon let out a hollow laugh, frowning. It had been a long time since he felt this disgusted and disappointed in himself.

“…Make sure Cha Yeon-woo never finds out about this.”

His voice was filled with turmoil.

“Even if the whole world learns the truth, Cha Yeon-woo should remain in the dark to the end. No matter what happens.”

Seo-joon finally looked at Hee-min, his eyes calmer.

“That’s my condition for postponing my decision.”

Hee-min might have thought he held the switch, but it was Seo-joon who really had his hand on it.

Everyone else was just one of the many on the other track.

“And I’m going with you. To the IGTS headquarters.”

✽✽✽

Students began pouring out beyond the school gates, each wearing their puffer jackets over their uniforms. It was a sight Seo-joon was quite accustomed to now.

Since tomorrow was the day of the college entrance exam, the school had shortened classes. Instead of a red sunset, the blue sky stretched above the students’ heads. In the crowd, Seo-joon scanned for his lover.

‘Smile. Just smile. Pretend nothing is wrong.’

He mentally repeated, resolving to hide his despair and lock it away from Cha Yeon-woo.

In truth, he hadn’t fully come to grips with the reality that had hit him—from his early morning call to today’s conversation with Hee-min.

If he went berserk and vanished today, would the world see a future where disaster alerts ceased altogether?

No longer would people lose their loved ones in tragedies caused by sudden Gates erupting in the middle of an apartment, a theater, or an amusement park.

Then, what was Cha Yeon-woo’s desperate effort in guiding him through Yeonseon MyPark Mall for?

‘Why didn’t I just die then?’

His wandering gaze settled on a figure approaching. Yeon-woo came to the passenger side, opened the door, and got into the car.

“Hello.”

“….”

‘I should have died then.’

“Lieutenant, are you feeling unwell?”

Yeon-woo, tilting his head, cupped Seo-joon’s cheeks and drew his gaze toward him.

“Your eyes are red.”

With his clear, glass-like eyes, Yeon-woo studied Seo-joon carefully. Seo-joon turned away, smiling as he responded, hoping his tightly bound emotions weren’t visible.

“Maybe because I didn’t sleep well. I stayed up late last night without telling you.”

“Were you in the living room for a long time?”

“Well, …just a bit.”

“Next time you can’t sleep, wake me up too. I’m not a light sleeper, so you have to wake me intentionally. I won’t notice otherwise.”

“You slept so well I didn’t want to disturb you. Your sleeping face was too beautiful, so I watched you for a while.”

“Really? Now you’ve made me nervous. I feel like I need to stay pretty even while I’m asleep.”

Seo-joon chuckled weakly and clasped Yeon-woo’s hand nestled under his palm. While waiting for the traffic signal, he turned his head, locking eyes with Yeon-woo.

“….”

Yeon-woo’s face was so lovely it nearly choked Seo-joon up. He brushed his fingers gently across Yeon-woo’s cheek and laughed softly to cool down the heat welling up in his eyes.

“How could you possibly get more beautiful? If you do, I’ll be too anxious to let you out.”

Blushing at the joke, Yeon-woo smiled. Seo-joon turned to face forward, blinking away the stinging in his eyes. The midday sunlight poured through the windshield.

“The sun is a bit strong today.”

It was the perfect weather to mask his misty eyes with a flimsy excuse.

✽✽✽

“Why are there so many students on the streets in the middle of the day today?”

Colonel Jin grumbled while looking out the passenger window. Cheong-o glanced at the side mirror, keeping his hand on the wheel, and replied.

“It’s the day before the college entrance exam. They probably had shorter classes.”

“Oh, so school finishes early before the exam?”

“You talk like someone who never had a high school kid.”

Turning his head, Colonel Jin chuckled in disbelief.

“But you didn’t even take the exam, you brat.”

“I took it the next year, though.”

The sleek sports car glided smoothly into the Awakened Center of District 1.

“That doesn’t count. Once you became Awakened, you hardly went to school. You and Kang Chae-won were always off playing with Ji Seo-joon.”

“Oh, come on. It wasn’t just playing around; we were training.”

“Training, my foot. You couldn’t even do the drills properly.”

The car finally parked in an empty spot as their playful banter continued. The engine’s loud purring stopped, and the silence was filled with Colonel Jin’s deep sigh.

“Dad, why are you sighing like the whole country’s about to collapse? You’ve been sighing more than usual.”

“I’m just worried, that’s all.”

The two exited the car and stepped into the elevator. Cheong-o pressed the button for the floor with Colonel Jin’s office and another for the floor he was headed to.

“What are you so worried about? How am I supposed to know if you don’t tell me? You’ve been acting strange lately.”

“Don’t worry about it and focus on handling your own responsibilities!”

Colonel Jin snapped, smacking Cheong-o on the head.

Geez, Dad’s really acting weird…

Cheong-o muttered to himself as he got out, leaving Colonel Jin to head to his office.

Walking down the hall, the back of the middle-aged colonel’s head revealed far more gray hair than it did a few weeks ago. Opening the office door, Colonel Jin paused in his tracks.

“Colonel Jin, you’re a bit late today.”

Colonel Jin swallowed the sigh building up and saluted the person before him.

“…Major General Park.”

‘Damn it, Kang Hee-min, how long are we going to keep stalling?’

With a sinking feeling, Colonel Jin sat across from the general. As far as Major General Park knew, Colonel Jin was currently investigating a non-existent terrorist group.

‘What am I going to tell him now? Should I just make up a cult terrorist group?’

He pondered, struggling to piece together an explanation.

Before he could speak, Major General Park broke the silence.

“Are you aware that the No-named in Australia went berserk?”