Crescent // ATEEZ ✔

53 [human]

"And that's what they believe. What does it mean to be 'free' to them?" He puts up quotation marks at the word free.

"That they will be unshackled from the Bifidensis and KTC, finally getting on their own two feet without any surveillance from the higher-ups. In short, they are free from people like you, sir."

He chuckles, taking no offence at Eric's chance of jabbing at him. It's an unspoken phrase, but of course everyone knows. Every trainee hates the Bifidensis. The monsters that destroyed their previous lives in the pretense of giving them better ones.

"Correct. But that is their definition of freedom. The Bifidensis members have a different definition for that word, as you may have realized."

Eric's eyes travel downwards, looking at his own clasped hands. He feels as if it's a threat directed at him, that after their contract ends no trainee will have their lives spared. It feels heavy on how he's going to say it so his pink lips stay shut, uttering no words even when it seems that Hodong wanted him to continue the conversation.

He sighs, "Why these 9 trainees? Eric, in your opinion what do you think the KTC is trying to churn out?"

"Agents who obey the rules of the system and follow every single plan laid out for them. People who would continuously pledge their loyalty without even having a thought of stepping out of line. In short," he wrings his hands, "robots."

He nods, satisfied with his explanation. "All the trainees that we recruit into our system are the best that we can get; we snatch them before they manage to use their advantages in society. But, there can never be anything perfect, no matter how stringent you are with the procedure. What do you think these trainees lack?"

"I have no idea, sir."

He gathers the profiles. "Compassion. These trainees lack compassion towards other human beings, because they're not one themselves anymore. In this facility, there is no such thing as humanity being taught- no, you can't teach that. If you have compassion, this," he points a finger behind, the KTC tagline bearing a dark meaning behind them, "can turn around and bite us back. There is a thin line between having skilled and obedient trainees. You can either have both..." he points to one of the profiles, "or only one."

"Compassion," Eric echoes. "You've been observing these 9 trainees ever since your nephew entered this facility. What makes you decide that they are the ones worthy... of your definition of what human beings are supposed to be like?"

"That's a good question, because this is all subjective. Since I'm the only one deciding to pick out these trainees... my definition might not be as clear as it seems."

He picks out one profile- his nephew, Kim Hongjoong.

"I've known him since he was a baby, he was my favourite nephew because I had no son of my own. Wonderful, kind-hearted boy he is. But getting involved with me was possibly the worst fate he could have. The other Bifidensis board members... they know no mercy."

"They killed his parents," Eric adds. "In an instigated car crash, but no details were pointed out to them. With him turning into an orphan, they would have a reason to take him in as a trainee."

"He's a very talented boy that the other Bifidensis board members thought it would be a shame to let him go. I should not have been involved with his family; they killed my brother and took my nephew here, destroyed the only life he had. I should have stayed away from the family, minded my own business when I know getting appointed as a Bifidensis board member means that you should have no heart."

He closes the profile and takes out one and another, putting them beside each other and his assistant takes a look at them before coming to an understanding of what he's pointing out.