## Chapter 51 – Spare Time (19)
“So, is this everything now?”
“Yes, I’ve programmed these girls to naturally recommend drugs to customers while working, just like you used to do, Unni.”
Chae-yoon, finally finished with the brainwashing, dusts off her hands and speaks to me as she gets up.
Then, turning around, she begins to give simple commands to the four brainwashed women.
“From now on, follow Seo-hee Unni’s instructions. And remember what I told you.”
“Yes, we understand. Even if our bodies break down, we will obey your orders without fail.”
“…”
Indeed, she’s much better at this kind of delicate work. Unlike my friends, who looked somewhat broken and dazed after I forcibly tried to brainwash them, their faces are full of life. Looking at them like this, you wouldn’t think they were brainwashed.
“Haa♡ Master…”
“Is there anything else you’d like us to do?”
…
Except for the fact that each and every one of them is completely obsessed with Chae-yoon. She pushes them away with a smile and urges me with her eyes to give them orders, as if to say, “Go ahead.”
Seeing that look, I awkwardly step forward and clear my throat quietly. Hearing that sound, the women who had been clinging to Chae-yoon all start staring intently at me.
It’s a bit overwhelming.
“…Okay, then, this blue bottle in front of you. I’ll fill these bags with them and you can hand them out. You can secretly slip them to customers, or you can promote them by using them directly in front of the customers. Whatever you do, just don’t get caught.”
As I say that, I nod to Nabi. Seeing the signal, Nabi uses her hair to lift the large, heavy bags and places one in front of each of the women.
The women, moving in unison, open the bags that have been dropped in front of them. They take out the blue bottles to examine them, then close the bags again and sling them over their shoulders.
“Yes, Master.”
“Okay, let’s just confirm one more time before you go?”
“Yes! If we get caught by the police, or if the existence of the Masters is revealed, we will bite down on the poison capsules you gave us to destroy the evidence.”
“Yes, you know it well♡ Good girls.”
Lee Chae-yoon is smiling and enjoying this chilling scene.
And the women are happily accepting the orders that tell them to die.
Just how do you brainwash someone to the point where it changes their personality this much? Curiosity arises, and I immediately ask Chae-yoon.
“…Wasn’t your brainwashing not this extreme before? The human survival instinct is quite strong, to the point where we can’t ignore it, so they should instinctively reject an order to die. How did you do it?”
“As you said, I was a bit soft before. Recently, there was a human who refused an order, so I did some research.”
“Hmm…”
It’s not like you can improve your ability just by researching it.
If I think about it that way, it’s the same for me. I could create neurotoxins or potent poisons, but it used to take quite a while to create and break down the components of the poison. Now, I can create enough to fill four large bags like that without any trouble.
“…It’s strange, isn’t it? Our growth is unusually fast.”
“Yeah, even if we’ve already created a seed once, this is too fast.”
For us, creating a seed is no different from a human giving birth to a child.
The difference is that, unlike humans who become weak and need time to recover after giving birth, we have a structure that further evolves our weakened bodies.
It’s a trait derived from the wisdom of our ancestors, who believed that an individual who has succeeded in propagating the species is an excellent individual, and ensuring the survival of that individual would allow for more efficient reproduction. But even so, Lee Chae-yoon seems to feel a sense of unease about our bodies, which are growing too quickly.
“…You know what you said last time.”
“Let’s talk about that with Oppa later. Even if we talk about it just the two of us now, nothing much will come of it.”
“…”
She’s right.
The one story that has been passed down to our species that she brought up before. I was going to bring it up, but I don’t have any information about it now, and it seems like she’s in the same state, with only suspicions.
Talking to the person involved. That’s the only thing we can do right now.
“Then let’s finish up here quickly and go.”
“Yes, let’s do that. You finish up the rest, Unni.”
“Good work, Chae-yoon Unni. Do you want some chocolate?”
“Oh, thank you.”
Chae-yoon stretches and walks out of the factory, followed by Nabi, chattering away. After sending them both out, I give orders to the women who are still standing in place, carrying the heavy bags.
“Okay, then, go back to your respective homes now. The work starts tomorrow, so make up a good excuse for what happened today.”
“Yes, we understand!”
Hearing my order, the women turn around as if performing a pre-arranged dance and walk out of the factory. I follow Chae-yoon and Nabi out of the factory as well.
————————
“…Ugh♡”
Again.
Something’s wrong with my body again. Do I have a fever?
My face is flushed and I feel dizzy.
And that, how should I put it…
“…I feel a little good…”
Staggering, I grab the wall of my room to keep my balance.
It feels like the room is too hot, but is it just my imagination?
I haven’t been feeling well lately.
Due to the heat constantly rising to my face, sweat keeps dripping from my forehead.
The breath coming out of my throat is rough, hot, and wet.
…It’s nothing.
Just a simple cold.
That’s all, there’s no need to go to the hospital.
Huh? No…
What am I thinking?
What am I…
When I come to my senses, I’m already out in the living room.
I must be thirsty because it’s too hot.
Barely moving my staggering body, I open the refrigerator, take out a drink, and drink it straight from the bottle.
“…Ugh?! Uwaaaack!!”
After a moment of coolness from drinking the drink, a repulsive and fishy smell rises from the back of my throat. I drop the bottle and kneel on the floor, vomiting.
“…Haa…! Haa…! What the…”
“What’s that noise? Noona?”
While I’m staring at the spilled drink bottle on the floor, trying to sort out my confused mind, my younger brother, Hong Soo-ho, comes out of his room, having heard the loud noise, and slowly approaches me, checking on me.
“…What’s wrong? Dad!!”
“Don’t call him! Shit… The drink is spoiled…”
“What? I bought this yesterday, how could it be spoiled?”
As he says that, my brother casually picks up the fallen drink bottle and takes a sip.
He drinks it without a care and shrugs his shoulders as if to show me that it’s okay.
“…What…”
“Anyway, Noona, you don’t look good. Aren’t you feeling well? Let’s go to the hospital first. You’ll get another lecture from Dad.”
“…Shit, mind your own business!!”
I shake off Soo-ho’s hand, which was reaching out to support me, and cross the living room, escaping this tiresome house.
I quickly run down the stairs and out of the building. The voice I didn’t want to hear calls out to me from behind.
“Hong Soo-ah.”
“…Dad.”
“Where are you going this late at night?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
I try to run away without looking at my dad’s face, but he continues to speak.
“…I’m sorry.”
“…What?”
“I’m sorry for being a father who can’t understand his daughter’s feelings like this, Soo-ah. I was also angry that you’ve been treating the other gym members carelessly lately, so I didn’t try to listen to you. I’m really sorry. An adult shouldn’t be like this.”
“…”
“I’m on your side no matter what. So, won’t you tell me what’s going on? Did something happen with Chan-woo this time?”
Should I tell him everything now? That I actually like women, that that bastard stole the person I liked. He says he’s on my side, but can my dad, who has such incomprehensible common sense, understand and embrace a daughter like that?
“…If not now, tell me slowly. If you’re going out, here, buy yourself dinner with this. You don’t look good, so I’ll talk to Chan-woo, so take a break today.”
As he says that, my dad comes up to me and puts a crumpled 50,000 won bill in my hand.
“…”
I don’t want to be hated by this dad, by my family.
But if it’s this person,
if it’s my dad, maybe he can understand me?
I’ll try to be brave just this once.
“…Dad…!”
“…Yes, I’m listening.”
“I, actually…”
“Oh, you’re already out here?”
“Ah, Chan-woo-ssi…”
This voice is…
I turn my head and shift my gaze to where Im Chan-woo,
that man, is standing.
No, no, no.
Not now.
For some reason,
I feel a nasty, eerie feeling spreading throughout my body, as if I’ll fall into a bottomless pit that I’ll never escape from if I don’t get away from him now.
“…Dad…!”
Without realizing it, I make a face that looks like I’m about to cry.
Seeing that, my dad seems to realize something and stands in front of me, blocking Im Chan-woo.
“…I’m sorry, but my daughter isn’t feeling well today. She’ll take a day off today.”
“…Not feeling well, huh.”
Im Chan-woo mutters unpleasantly to himself and glances at me, who is behind my dad.
“That, I’m the one who did it.”
“…Yes?”
“What did you say…?!”
“‘Why is my body so hot?’
‘I feel dizzy and feverish, but strangely good.’
That’s not a fever, it’s just you being in heat.
And did you try eating something after that? It tasted disgusting, right?
That’s because I twisted your sense of taste and smell.”
“…H, how…”
Im Chan-woo is matching my symptoms one by one.
My body stiffens and I can’t move.
“Well then, we have to do ‘class’ today too, teacher.”
“…Ah.”
The moment I hear a certain word.
My mind turns completely blank and I become dazed.
Escaping from fear, dread, and anxiety,
I feel like I’m embraced by a cozy cloud…
I feel, good…♡
“…Yes, class…starting…”
“Soo-ah?!”
Someone grabbed my shoulder.
And they’re trying to pull me out of that coziness.
What, let go of me.
“Ugh?!”
“Ouch, you shouldn’t hit your father.”
Me? Hit Dad?
I don’t care about that.
The closer I get to here, the more comfortable I feel.
“You, what the heck…!!”
“Don’t worry about it, Director.
How can you call yourself a father when you didn’t even notice your daughter was in this state?”
“Ugh, uwaaaah!!”
A dull sound of something hitting and being hit…
“…Did you know? Your daughter.
She likes women, what they call a lesbian these days, right?
The reason Soo-ah has been so irritable lately is that
my girlfriend was Soo-ah’s first love.”
“…What?”
….
“No, that can’t be.”
“Believe it or not.
Saying you’re on your daughter’s side, that’s all hypocrisy.”
Ha, hahaha…
I definitely feel good.
But I feel sad.
Why?
Why?
Something that makes me comfortable
starts to take me somewhere while holding me.
