#110
The old woman, no, the engineer already knew about Yoo Seong-woo’s condition. Proving that she was the mentor of Yoo Seong-woo’s creator wasn’t particularly difficult. Not only did she easily solve the equations found in the creator’s house, but she also had the programs the creator used and even photos taken together on her tablet.
Before entering the room, she willingly submitted to a body search by the security guard Yeon Tae-soo had hired. She examined Yoo Seong-woo thoroughly. Yoo Seong-woo showed no signs of wariness. His demeanor seemed less about trusting the engineer and more about considering this his last chance.
The engineer moved various tools across Yoo Seong-woo’s body. The inner workings of Yoo Seong-woo’s body were clearly visible on her tablet screen. Yeon Tae-soo found it unpleasant to see the corroded microchip and black moonstone so explicitly displayed on the screen, but Yoo Seong-woo himself didn’t seem bothered.
The examination dragged on. Only when Yeon Tae-soo’s patience was about to run out did the engineer put away her instruments and pat Yoo Seong-woo’s shoulder with her wrinkled hand.
“You must have suffered a lot. Does it still hurt?”
Yoo Seong-woo hesitated to answer. Instead, almost reflexively, he looked toward Yeon Tae-soo. The expression of Yeon Tae-soo, who had been standing right beside him monitoring the engineer, changed immediately.
“…It doesn’t hurt that much…”
“It must have been hard to endure. Anyway, your condition is better than I thought.”
Yeon Tae-soo, who had been maintaining his guard, brightened at her words.
“His condition is good?”
“Yes. It hasn’t completely corroded yet. And his body hasn’t decomposed.”
Somehow, the word “condition” as she used it didn’t seem to have its usual meaning.
“…Could we speak privately?”
Though he asked the engineer, Yoo Seong-woo, who had been quiet all along, stepped forward.
“Please talk while I’m here.”
Yeon Tae-soo faltered. Yoo Seong-woo faced him with calm, firm eyes. Eyes that didn’t belong to someone who was sick.
“It’s about my body, and I want to hear it too.”
Yeon Tae-soo swallowed a sigh.
***
The engineer carefully reviewed the data on Yoo Seong-woo’s condition that Yeon Tae-soo had provided and remained silent until she finished her tea. Just as Yeon Tae-soo, unable to bear the suspense any longer, was considering what to say, she finally spoke.
“It’s completely corroded. There’s no way to save him.”
Having expected her to say she could fix him since she had mentioned his “condition is better than thought,” Yeon Tae-soo was shocked by this statement that was so contrary to his expectations.
“What do you mean you can’t save him?”
“I’m talking about the microchip. This is indeed technology I taught, but even I can’t fix it. How can you use something that’s already rotted?”
Yeon Tae-soo felt his heart shattering. The fragments mercilessly stabbed at his insides. He took a deep breath.
He had thought this was their last hope. He believed that as the mentor of Yoo Seong-woo’s creator, she would at least have a solution.
He needed to retort something, but only his lips trembled. Then a familiar touch reached his fingertips, making him start and look to the side. Yoo Seong-woo was looking at him.
In that moment, Yeon Tae-soo felt ashamed. He was embarrassed that after begging Yoo Seong-woo to live with him, to keep living, he had panicked at the engineer’s single statement.
Forcibly swallowing a dry gulp, he nodded to Yoo Seong-woo. The brown irises still showed no sign of wavering. Taking a deep breath, Yeon Tae-soo inhaled Yoo Seong-woo’s scent. Tightly gripping Yoo Seong-woo’s hand, he faced the engineer.
“Then, what should we do?”
“What else? We need to make a new microchip.”
“Is that… possible?”
The engineer twisted her lips into a smile. The wrinkles formed strangely, making her face look almost like a frown.
“If you know how to make it, it’s possible. However, it might take quite some time.”
At those words, Yeon Tae-soo finally felt relief. It was fortunate that there was at least some method.
“If we make a new microchip, is treatment possible?”
“Theoretically, yes.”
Without realizing it, he squeezed their joined hands harder. Yeon Tae-soo felt his heart pounding intensely.
“I’ll pay whatever cost is necessary. Please treat him.”
As he spoke with undisguised desperation, the engineer stopped smiling. Yeon Tae-soo hesitated, sensing something ominous in her change of expression. The engineer interlaced her fingers, causing the multiple rings on each finger to collide with a clattering sound.
“I don’t do repairs for money. I only do what I want to do.”
Yeon Tae-soo felt his patience instantly depleting. Should he threaten her? Would that work on someone like her? Just as he was considering this, fortunately, the engineer smiled again. While looking at Yoo Seong-woo.
“I am curious, though. I’ll at least open him up and take a look.”
She’ll at least take a look. This meant she would start, but it also implied she hadn’t yet decided whether to continue with treatment afterward.
Yeon Tae-soo was about to say something, but Yoo Seong-woo pulled on his hand. When their eyes met, he slightly shook his head.
“I’ll open him up tomorrow. I’m tired today. Old people need frequent rest.”
The engineer looked at the two of them with an enigmatic face, then stood up. As soon as she was gone, Yoo Seong-woo leaned his head against Yeon Tae-soo.
“…Seong-woo?”
“I’m tired too.”
After saying this, Yoo Seong-woo started dozing off right there. Though he had been trying not to show it, it seemed he wasn’t feeling very well today.
As Yeon Tae-soo picked up Yoo Seong-woo’s body, which was warmer than usual, a thought occurred to him.
Perhaps there might be a way to persuade that eccentric engineer.
***
Entering the bedroom of the suite, Yoo Seong-woo tried to stay awake despite rubbing his sleepy eyes. Yeon Tae-soo laid him on the bed and gently patted his chest.
“Why are you trying to stay awake? It’s already night, just sleep.”
“Just, it’s a shame…”
“Hmm, a shame?”
Either he had developed a tolerance to the baby-talk manner, or maybe he was just too tired, but his eyes didn’t sharpen in response.
“This is my first trip.”
Yoo Seong-woo said casually, resting his cheek on Yeon Tae-soo’s thigh. His body temperature transmitted directly.
“So time feels a bit precious. I want to do more sightseeing too.”
Come to think of it, since his creation, he had only been on the run, so he probably hadn’t experienced anything that could be called a trip. Yeon Tae-soo slipped his fingers between Yoo Seong-woo’s hair strands and gently tousled them. The sensation of the fine hair wrapping around his fingers felt good.
“Let’s go sightseeing tomorrow. See other cities too.”
Yoo Seong-woo looked up at him with a face that seemed fully awake. Then he shook his head.
“On second thought, it’s better to get treatment first.”
It seemed like an answer he had come up with after brief consideration. Yeon Tae-soo didn’t ask why or suggest they should just leave without treatment. He simply nodded. He could understand the sentiment well enough.
“Alright. Let’s get better first, then go. We’ll go everywhere you want. Having a boyfriend with a private jet, you should take advantage of that, right?”
“There are many places I want to see. Will you take me to all of them?”
“Take you? We’ll go together.”
The brightly smiling face was lovely. Yeon Tae-soo hated that he could read an ominous feeling in that loveliness. It felt like a curse that the kind of intuition he had developed while living as a mercenary would manifest at times like this.
“I want to see the famous tomb palace in this country, and travel to other countries too…”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
The focus in his eyes blurred. As if rejecting his own deterioration, the light returned and then disappeared again.
“There are many places I want to see. After treatment… take me to other countries…”
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
Yoo Seong-woo’s eyes closed. He suddenly fell asleep, though just seconds earlier, there had been no trace of drowsiness in him.
“Seong-woo.”
Bringing his face close to check his breath had already become a habit. Only after confirming the faint continuation of breathing did Yeon Tae-soo raise his body that had been pushed close.
“…Haa.”
It was as if he could hear the sound of his heart, which had been briefly torn, being messily reattached. Yeon Tae-soo lay on his side next to Yoo Seong-woo, strength drained, as tears thinly flowed from the corners of his eyes.
***
The night in India was bright. Colorful lights flowed through the windows with drawn curtains. It seemed even more so because they were near the bustling area. At least this hotel was well soundproofed, so it wasn’t noisy.
The engineer who had claimed to be tired was sitting wide awake. Her face showed no trace of drowsiness as she turned to look at him.
“I have something I’d like to propose.”
The engineer, who had been looking at her tablet, gave Yeon Tae-soo a glance. She appeared completely uninterested.
When Yeon Tae-soo manipulated his watch, a semi-transparent display screen appeared in midair. The screen showed medical images of the inside of his body. The engineer’s eyes instantly widened.
“Wouldn’t you like to open me up and see what’s happened to my body?”
In response to his question, the engineer smiled, showing her teeth. She looked happier than any of the numerous smiles she had shown before.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
