DP Episode 98

Deep Pivot, Episode 98

In the afternoon at the Awakener Center, with little time left until Yeon-woo finishes school:

“Generally, you need to be at least 25 years old, and the age difference with the other party should be less than 60 years.”

Seo-joon listened half-heartedly to the legal representative explaining the rules as he scanned the documents. Words about the registration process floated past his ears, and the rim of the paper cup he held became tattered from being bitten.

“…This grants you rights as a legal guardian, providing authority as a custodian…”

Ding. The monotonous alarm rang in the middle of an already dull moment. It was normal for emergency alerts about gates to go off constantly. Seo-joon checked the message with a blank expression.

Instead of a familiar disaster alert, something unexpected appeared on the screen.

Overseas message.
This may include malicious links or harmful images.
Show images and links

[Hi.]
4:02 PM

An unregistered number displayed a red warning banner. The phone number provided by the Awakener Center shouldn’t have been leaked, and spam shouldn’t reach him. It seemed like a message sent in error.

Turning off the screen, Seo-joon asked the legal representative, “Does this require consent from the parties involved?”

“Yes, aside from the government-affiliated Awakeners themselves, consent is needed from two external parties.”

“I’ll take care of it and send it to you.”

“Oh, would you? Then, here’s the paperwork from the father’s side, and this is from your brother.”

Seo-joon double-checked the documents and put them into an envelope. Hee-min, just entering the meeting room, approached them.

The legal representative and Seo-joon stood up and exchanged handshakes.

“I’ll meet you next week to update the exclusive guide contract terms. We need additional documentation, so we’ll see you then, with your dedicated guide.”

“Understood.”

Hee-min’s eyes widened at the mention of updating the exclusive guide contract. After the representative left, only Seo-joon and Hee-min remained in the meeting room.

Catching Seo-joon as he organized the documents and prepared to leave, Hee-min asked, “Updating the exclusive contract terms? What are you planning? Is there something you need to renegotiate with Yeon-woo?”

“…Dr. Kang, long time no see. You’ve been so busy that I couldn’t even catch up with you.”

Seo-joon replied with a deliberately cold tone. Since he started dating and living with Yeon-woo, and now revising his family status, he hadn’t seen Hee-min at all.

In the past, they’d always been up-to-date on each other’s lives. But now something had changed. Hee-min, still fumbling with his cloudy glasses without wiping them, nervously replied, “I just had a lot going on… But what was that just now? Is something happening with Yeon-woo?”

Seo-joon looked at him with a grumpy expression. Apparently, his loud love life at the Everworld incident hadn’t reached Hee-min’s ears yet.

Normally, Jin Cheong-oh would have gossiped about it by now, but the fact that Hee-min hadn’t heard suggested he really hadn’t met anyone because of how busy he was. Looking at Hee-min, shadowed with a strange weariness, Seo-joon spoke up.

“It’s not that something happened. I’m just updating the exclusive contract terms.”

“What terms? Are you using some weird excuse to refuse guiding again—”

“I’m going to consent to pairing.”

Hee-min’s concerns were cleanly cut short by Seo-joon’s response. His dark-circled eyes widened even more.

“Wh-who? You?”

“Who else?”

“You’re pairing with Yeon-woo?”

Seo-joon, with a sheepish expression, nodded as he fiddled with his eyebrows.

“Oh, Seo-joon.”

Hee-min, whose eyes had been dull and dark, now grew red and teary.

“That’s a good decision. Even with the high compatibility with Cha Yeon-woo, over-tuning can’t cover everything. Well done, Seo-joon.”

He patted Seo-joon’s back repeatedly, tears brimming in his eyes. For Seo-joon, who was being congratulated like he had performed some great miracle, it was a bit awkward.

A lifelong single who loses his virginity wouldn’t even receive such a warm welcome.

“I don’t mean to do it right away. I just want to try slowly.”

“That’s the same thing. Just the other day, you stubbornly insisted you’d never pair. How did you suddenly grow up like this?”

Is it really worth getting this emotional over someone else’s sex life? Still, it wasn’t surprising, given that Hee-min had wanted Seo-joon to be sexually active more than anyone.

But the excitement soon faded, replaced by a more complicated expression on Hee-min’s face. Seo-joon noticed this shift.

“Thanks to you, I have one less thing to worry about now… Or should I say, it’s thanks to Yeon-woo. He’s a real gem, isn’t he?”

Despite his words, Hee-min’s face showed a tangled mix of relief, joy, regret, and anxiety. It reminded Seo-joon of the look on Colonel Jin’s face during the last sample collection. Why was everyone like this lately? What was on their minds?

“So why did you collect my sample, anyway? Is there a new project?”

Seo-joon asked as he straightened Hee-min’s rumpled collar.

“A new project? No…”

Mumbling, Hee-min suddenly took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.

“…I’m a bit busy right now. Let’s talk later, Seo-joon, okay?”

After fixing his glasses, he patted Seo-joon’s shoulder. Just as Seo-joon was about to stop him, a notification sound chimed from his phone.

Overseas message.
This may include malicious links or harmful images.
Show images and links.

[“Seo Jun”]
[Hello.]
{This document was created using an online translator.}
4:36 PM

Seo-joon frowned at seeing his name at the beginning of the message. Perhaps it wasn’t sent by mistake. This prompted him to open the warning message. He tapped on the red banner and was greeted by the NASA-Korea IGTS logo.

His eyes instinctively searched for Hee-min, but he was long out of sight. It seemed like the sender was a researcher at the Gate Joint Research Institute. But why would they message him?

Who are you? Standing in front of the water cooler in the hallway, Seo-joon filled a paper cup while replying. Ding, a quick response returned, as if waiting for him.

[Give me your contact information.]
[There’s no time.]
{This document was created using an online translator.}
4:39 PM

What kind of new phishing scam is this? Seo-joon remained skeptical, despite the NASA-Korea IGTS logo at the top of the message. How could they message him and claim they didn’t have his contact information? But then more messages quickly followed.

[The Deputy Director will return soon.]
[Give me your contact information.]
{This document was created using an online translator.}
4:41 PM

[I want to talk.]
{This document was created using an online translator.}
4:42 PM

[Plz]
[Plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz]
4:43 PM

Make up your mind, either turn off the translator or use it. Seo-joon chewed on the edge of the paper cup and repeated his reply, Who are you? He couldn’t reveal his contact information to a complete stranger.

The messages stopped flooding in after his question. As Seo-joon stared blankly at the screen, ready to close the chat, more messages appeared.

[I am ‘No-Named’ from America.]
{Ths document was created using an online translator.}
4:45 PM

[Noooooo]
[“NO-NAMED”]
[My name is “Eric Donovan”]
[I’m ‘No-Named’]
{This document was created using an online translator.}
4:46 PM

[crap]
4:46 PM

[Trash trash trash]
[Poop]
{This document was created using an online translator.}
4:47 PM

…It seems like they were having issues with turning the translator on and off. Nonetheless, the intention was conveyed, so Seo-joon didn’t mind.

[How can I trust you]
4:48 PM

Almost immediately, a new message appeared, not directly answering Seo-joon’s question.

(202) XXX-XXXX
[Call me.]
{This document was created using an online translator.}

4:48 PM

As soon as the final message appeared, the chat history suddenly vanished. Every message that had been accumulating disappeared as if it were all a dream, leaving only a blank screen. Seo-joon quickly opened a notepad.

[Eric Donovan (202) XXX-XXXX]

It was the first time he was directly communicating with a nameless person from another country—assuming this person was really “Nameless.”

It would be a problem if their claim was true, and an even bigger problem if it was a new type of phishing scam.

…Who should I verify this with?