Convincing my father to let me go back to school was a challenging task. Despite knowing it would be difficult, I was determined to succeed. Perhaps, if he found out I made it into Class A, he might even praise me. I had thought that if I handled it well, considering he hadn't noticed the instability of the mark, I could truly convince him. However, as I looked at my father through the glass with a bewildered expression, my daydream shattered when I saw the shackles suddenly closing around my ankles and wrists. On that day, when the name Kang Sihyun on my father's nameplate became unusually clear to me.
"So, I heard you made it to Quadruple-Class. Is there anything you can't do?"
"...Father?"
My words stumbled. I couldn't comprehend what he was saying. When I returned to the laboratory, I felt a brief joy hugging my father, who confirmed the mark on my forehead and called me his son. It was as overwhelming as when he embraced me that day, the day the mark appeared on my forehead after arduous experiments, and asked me to call him father.
I thought I would lose consciousness due to confusion, but I relaxed after receiving a warm embrace. Calling him father, I hugged him with a longing voice, only to be instantly struck in the neck and lose consciousness as the security guards hit me. And when I opened my eyes, I found myself in the current situation, with shackles being fastened to me. I was speechless. My red, trembling eyes scanned the laboratory wall, which showed no sign of color, and then turned to look through the transparent glass. This window was a cruel barrier completely separating me from the world. Here, my words did not reach others.
At the age of 15, I managed to escape this dreary laboratory when the mark manifested. I could sleep in a small but comfortable room instead of the cold laboratory, learn basic knowledge while having meals provided by my father. It was definitely like that. So why did I return to this laboratory now? That, Haru couldn't understand.
Confused eyes turned towards my father. Haru, trapped in this oppressive laboratory, was able to escape thanks to the mark when he was 15. He could sleep in a small but comfortable room, have meals provided by his father, and learn basic knowledge. He couldn't understand why he had returned to this laboratory now.
The eyes of my father, who smiled kindly at Haru, turned immediately towards the researchers behind me. The sound of his words didn't penetrate through the glass. Haru stared at him with a bewildered expression until he approached the glass. On a weekend day, he remembered Haru's father making a call, listening to trivial stories from his daughter, and hugging her tightly. He hugged me warmly, and at that moment, the emotion was as overwhelming as when he called himself father and hugged me on the day the mark appeared after the exhausting experiment.
Haru approached the glass and reached out his hand. He fully extended his arm, but the shackles prevented it from touching the glass. Just as his hand did not touch the glass, Haru moved his lips, even though he knew his voice would not reach his father.
"I met a friend at school."
My hand reached out to the glass. Although my arm was fully extended, it did not touch the glass due to the shackles. Just like my hand did not touch the glass, my voice did not reach my father, but Haru still moved his lips.
"He's kind and considerate. I want to protect him. Like you said, he didn't avoid me, ignore me, or hate me like other people. He's kind and always takes care of me because he cherishes me."
Haru's gaze fell to the floor. In the meantime, his father, who finished talking with the researchers, turned to face the microphone again and pressed the button. The speaker crackled with noise, preparing to transmit his father's words. Haru, clenching his fist, stared at his father beyond the glass. His father, who had looked at Haru with cold eyes, turned away and left the laboratory. Haru, unable to say the words he had not said, watched him leave.
"I want to go to school with him."
"... ."
There was no response in the silent laboratory. Haru slowly sat down in the all-white room that seemed terrifying. Closing his eyes, Haru recalled memories that would make him forget the impending pain.
In the past, enduring was the only way. He would sleep like he was dead or imagine scenarios where people in the laboratory praised him. But now, there was a precious memory firmly entrenched in his mind, not just an imagination.
"You did well."
There was a voice praising him when he studied hard, and a warm touch that stroked his hair. When he was scared, there was a white hand holding his hand, and always someone calling him Haru, his brother. He had lived a life imagining coexistence with others, separated by a single transparent window. The person who taught him that there was another way to live with others, not through pain, was now gone.
Kang Sihyun, with his knees embraced, recalled the gentle touch of a hand sweeping through his hair. The warmth stemming from that memory was short-lived, as the moment researchers entered the room, the familiar sensation vanished. They seated him in the all-too-familiar chair, initiating various experiments.
Clarity of mind was a rare occurrence. When he struggled in agony, the researchers administered injections that blurred his consciousness. Only after receiving the injection did Sihyun feel a sense of liberation from the pain. On days without the injection, the pain was severe enough to induce fainting. In those moments, Sihyun had no choice but to endure or risk facing more punishment if the researchers reported to his father.
Sometimes, when a seizure seemed imminent, his father would approach, gently stroking his cheek while whispering words of reassurance, urging him to trust. Unable to betray that trust, Sihyun tried to comply as best as he could. Whenever possible, he pleaded with his father to let him return to school and expressed his longing to see Sihyun. However, his father only reiterated that once the successful core transplant took place, he would be allowed to go.
The probability of success was slim, known not only to Sihyun but also to the researchers. It seemed only his father was unaware. His father whispered that if he could achieve Triple, he might also reach Quadruple, making Sihyun an even more praiseworthy son. Yet, Sihyun's desire to attend school and reunite with Sihyeon overshadowed any pride in being his father's celebrated son. However, it didn't mean he disliked his father.
His father was the only one who had rescued him from abandonment. To defy such a person meant certain punishment.
The Core Transplant needed careful planning since reckless attempts could result in a high risk of death. Sihyun had to create a body capable of accepting additional cores. Enduring painful experiments three times a week and engaging in combat training with Awakened individuals or irregulars filled the remaining three days. Rest was a luxury, occurring only one day a week. Even then, he couldn't feel the warmth of people since he was confined to the isolated white room. He found solace in having a schedule, whether it involved experiments or combat.
As the date for the Core Transplant neared, it became clear that it would take place after this week. Sihyun wished to expedite the experiment, hoping to finish it before the end of the vacation. However, his father only repeated that it couldn't be done.
The probability of not returning to school was high.
As he thought about the impending punishment, Sihyun, in a rare act of rebellion, refused to cooperate with the research. For the first time since he was ten, he demanded to be sent back to school and expressed his desire to see Sihyeon. This led to the death of one of the researchers.
Thinking that by killing the researcher, it would all be over, Sihyun closed his eyes. Suddenly, an emergency siren blared—an unfamiliar sound in his over ten years of living in this place.
The commotion beyond the thick door intensified. Feeling isolated from the world, he pondered over what might have happened. The wall separating him from the world would never crumble. Sihyun absentmindedly stared at the ceiling. The dazzling white ceiling, adorned with brilliant lights, failed to evoke any emotion in him. He longed for the outside world.
How long had it been since he last saw sunlight? Since he gazed upon the sky? When was the last time he engaged in a proper conversation with people?
"You..."
When was the last time he saw you, Sihyeon?
Lost in his thoughts, Sihyun's eyes lost focus. A loud sound, like a bang, resonated from beyond the thick walls. The sound of a door being hit was so loud that it reached him.
Was his father angry and coming for him? Sihyun swallowed nervously. Even if he received punishment, it wouldn't hurt as much now. With that thought in mind, a creaking sound announced the opening of the door. Sihyun slowly rolled his eyes towards the entrance, meeting the gaze of the approaching person. The reddened eyes, once lifeless, gradually widened.
Sihyeon?
The words that flowed from the lips of someone whose reality he couldn't distinguish from illusion unmistakably spoke his name. He opened his mouth as if enchanted.
"... Sihyeon."
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
