As instructed, Haneul watches—no, glares at the man struggling in front of him. He folds his arms over his chest and taps his foot on the floor restlessly, eyeing the way Dae Ho is biting on a roll of gauze while digging his wound with a pair of forceps to find the bullet that punctured him. He hisses in pain but sends a warning look to the doctor when he tries helping him again.
"Stop acting like a child!"
Dae Ho ignores him and a minute later pulls out the bullet drenched in red, throwing it on the table in front of him and sinking into the sofa with heavy breaths. He stays in place as some of the blood drips down his arm and then to the cushion. After recovering himself, the younger cleans the wound and sprays alcohol over it, taking a medical stapler to close the wound.
"Wha— no, seriously!" Haneul throws his hands in the air in defeat. "I can stitch up the wound for you, I'm here for a reason!"
"Be quiet," Dae Ho simply says and wraps his injury in a band-aid, albeit somewhat lousily.
"For the love of the universe! Why are you doing this?" The bluehead thunders in frustration, pacing around the fighter.
Dae Ho's head is heavy, the incidents from the day playing over and over again. One particular event overshadowing others is Minji's death. The scene is fresh at the back of his mind, the sounds of cries making him want to lose control and scream into a void. He can't keep up with what's happening around him and needs a breather. Only if Haneul left him in peace but no. "I need you to leave now," Dae Ho comments, standing up from the couch.
"Not before you let me treat that wound first."
"I already did the necessary process, ChangMin-ssi will come and do the rest. I don't need your charity."
Haneul goes silent and doesn't retort with a statement of his own until Dae Ho meets his eyes. "ChangMin-ssi is gone...he's dead. Has been for a month now." His voice isn't mocking or taunting in any way but something snaps in the fighter.
ChangMin is dead.
Minji is dead.
Haneul would've died.
Dead people. Because of him.
Minji is dead. Because of him.
ChangMin is dead. Because of him.
Haneul will—
"Shut up!" Dae Ho yells and holds his head in his hands. "Shut up!"
"Dae—"
"I said shut up!" And before he knows it, Dae Ho's fist collides with Haneul's jaw, not giving the latter to recover, landing his next punches. Haneul falls to the ground and Dae Ho grabs him by the neck of his hoodie. He's in a zone, sort of like when he had the night terror.
The doctor peels his eyes shut, ready for the next blow but it never comes. Instead, Dae Ho clambers away with shocked eyes and mouth agape.
"If I ever go berserk again, please leave me alone. I can't bear the consequences after it if I hurt someone. It happens with me at times so don't worry, I can handle myself." Dae Ho's previous words ring in Haneul's mind and he dashes out of the apartment to protect himself, the door closing with a loud thud.
The fighter breathes shallowly, his hands curling into tight fists, knuckles turning white. He's done it again. Assaulted Haneul without any restraints. He keeps messing up and it's all his fault. Why is it so hard to control his emotions? It's either he's numb or overwhelmed, there's no in-between. Another day added to his long list of shame and guilt. There's nothing he can do now, what's done is done. But he at least needs to apologize for his actions. So, he sends Haneul a message and quickly slides the mobile phone away from him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you"
Dae Ho brings his folded legs to his chest and drops his head on them, arms coming to hug himself. He lets the events of today calmly replay in his mind this time, trying to search for clues or if they had overlooked anything. His head hurts, despondency taking over. He needs a drink. He stands up to get a bottle when he sees the wallet and car keys Haneul had given him earlier. The fighter walks towards the items and inspects them. It's been so long since he'd seen them. He opens his wallet and goes through the cards in it, chuckling at how he's never needed them when being underground. A criminal has his way of getting by without any legal identification.
A nostalgic smile stretches across his lips when he holds the keychain. A simple rectangular metal piece with the name 'Han Jisoo' engraved on it. Although it's not his, it holds a special place in his heart since it's the only thing he has from his past, the past he still can't remember to this day. He feels the cold metal and runs his thumb over it, putting it down to get the drink he wants.
For now, he wants to drown himself in nothingness, hoping for a sleep that'll ease his mind. The booze that'll help him forget the face that'll soon be bruised because of him.
He's about to lie on the couch when he freezes, the hand holding the neck of the alcohol bottle in midair.
"It's not yours but yours, hidden in its heart is the key to unending power."
Park Seonho's words, the very statement that has been haunting him for years, the helplessness he felt when he couldn't figure them out knew no bounds. But now, his fingers tremble at the hope that instills in him. A wave of anxiety engulfs him as he walks back and picks up the piece.
The keychain.
It's his but not his since it practically belongs to his twin, Han Jisoo.
Hidden in its heart is the key to unending power.
Dae Ho grabs a Swiss knife tucked in his pocket and lodges the blade between the edge of the keychain and the middle piece that has Jisoo's name, snapping it open the next second by chucking it into the air, the metal falling with a clank on the tiled floor.
Dae Ho's breath hitches at the sight of a USB taped inside. His legs feel jelly and his throat clogs at its presence.
Four whole years. He searched every nook and cranny of each item or place he owned and flipped them upside down but nothing came up. He had completely forgotten about this keychain. It's so ironic that Dae Ho wants to cry. Kim Haneul had the key to all his agony, literally. He appeared out of nowhere and just handed him answers he himself didn't know of. His mind is bombarded with 'what ifs' just like it usually does.
What if he didn't push Haneul away?
What if he had protected Minji that day?
What if he had let go of revenge and moved on?
What if he had just drowned in the sea when he was eleven and saved himself from all this?
It's a cycle of thoughts he's accustomed to but with the help of another poison. Alcohol addiction. He takes the said liquid and chugs it down his throat in large gulps, some of it dribbling from the corners of his lips. He wipes it with the back of his hand when the bottle is empty, grabs his laptop, and sits on the sofa. With a long cold breath, he inserts the USB into its slot.
When he opens the folder, there are several files in it. Some of them are Word documents and PDFs and others are videos. They're labeled as 'experiment SH-832' and have a count of days along with it. Dae Ho picks a file at random, opening a document. There's information about the general idea of what the research is, breaking DNA strands and combining them with other animal traits and some scientific words Dae Ho is unable to understand. He isn't educated enough nor does the alcohol in his system allow him to analyze the details. As he reads further, it keeps getting complex and complicated for his tipsy brain to comprehend what's written. So he closes the file and opens a video instead.
The video starts off with a few masked researchers in white coats and gloves, holding injections. They inject whatever liquid it is holding into experimental rats that are caged. The result is as Kim Raewon had explained to them. The animals die instantly or their body vibrates before they squeak and burst, splattering blood and internal organs around the cage.
"The serum we created after months of trial and error method by the agility of a tiger and speed of a gazelle couldn't be contained in the rat's body. Day 197 of project Super Human 832 is a fail." The man states before he's asking the assistants to clean the cage the animal had died in and to bring a new one.
'Project Super Human?'
Dae Ho does a double-take at the man's words. What did mixing different DNA have to do with humans? He watches further, video after video. The results do get better, the animals survive for longer now but the recent video he clicks sends chills up his spine.
There are unconscious people strapped to the beds Dae Ho and Haneul had seen in the underground of Seoul Army Hospital. A man and woman are standing in front and the fighter recognizes them both.
"The government has closed project Super Human after two years of failed attempts but some of our brave researchers would still like to continue." The younger version of Shin Beom says and points to the woman beside him. "I am the head of this project now and the project will continue under the guidance of the talented doctor Park Juri, who already has a team of researchers at her disposal."
Park Juri, or Minji's late mother, introduces herself and explains their goal again. "Super Human 832 was initiated by the government but now will continue without their sponsorship. Some may consider this illegal and unethical but sacrifices should be made for the greater good. The country will praise us when we get successful results. Super Human 832 is a top-secret project. It was put forward to enhance the ability of Korean soldiers in battle. For example, if they had strength as strong as wild animals, they'd be more enduring and victorious in fighting against our enemies. Unfortunately, the lab rats we tested on couldn't withstand the challenge of change."
She glances at the people lying on the bed and continues talking. By the looks of their clothing, these people are homeless, no one would file a report of them missing. "Instead of animals, now we will be experimenting on humans as we believe humans are far superior species and will adapt to the changes that'll occur when they are injected with the serum our research team has created."
Dae Ho's stomach churns at the sight of struggling men, their shaking bodies after the serum spreads inside. The results are just like the blasted animals and immediate deaths. All the next videos are a repeat of the same with different homeless people. It's gruesome and cruel, the screaming patients and agonizing pain are unbearable but Dae Ho continues to watch them all.
"We've done it!" Shin Beom jumps excitedly as the camera pans towards a man just wearing pants, his hands tied in chains. The room is similar to the one Dae Ho was held in. The man is awake but not fully conscious, his half-lidded eyes are unfocused, staring at nothing in particular. He's the only survivor in the past months since the project had been failing with humans too. He survived almost a month now but there hasn't been any response from him. His lanky body is now buffed, with six-packs and bulging arms like he's been given steroids. The video ends so he clicks the next one.
It's Park Juri this time, in the same room where the man was held, but he's not there. The video is on a selfie camera, unlike all the previous ones. The woman looks distraught and frantic. "The subject has escaped! He broke free from the metal chains that were holding him but there's been a setback. He's out of his mind! He's out of control like a beast! The subject has fled to the main hospital and is raging havoc. He has torn apart and killed individuals present in the hospital. As successful as the test subject is displaying his strength, with a heavy heart I have to say that project Super Human ends today."
A tear rolls down Park Juri's face but she's smiling nonetheless. "Seonho, I'm sending you this last video as we have ordered all exits to be blocked and the only one incident that can cover this project's existence and kill the test subject is arson. All of us will die today but I hope this project is brought back one day, at least after when technology will be highly advanced. Singing out, Park Juri."
There's nothing more Dae Ho can watch further. He's been in one place for hours now. He presses his eyes and rubs them, letting the content of the videos he's watched sink in. Now he understands why Vee has been desperately wanting to have this. It would bring in a fortune to the one that possesses it, not only him but his generations wouldn't need to work for a day.
Dae Ho picks up his mobile phone to inform Haneul about his discovery but stops, his lips pressing into a thin line. He puts back the device, curls himself and lays down, he needs a night of sleep after all this.
He doesn't know what pains him more, the bullet wound in his arm or his apology being left on seen.