Chapter 39 – Interest (2)
“Take care.”
The female nurse skillfully performed the blood draw.
It was not a skill she had done once or twice. She did it just once, and she finished the job neatly, and continued with a nod of her head.
“The tests are all over. The results will be sent to you by text the day before they come out, and then mailed to the address you wrote.”
” Thank you. “
The person next to me, who appeared to be a guardian rather than a blood drawer, thanked me and left the blood collection room with a hurried greeting.
“Good work. Harin-ah.”
The person who seemed to be her guardian was Shin Eun-seo, who was the branch manager, but it was Kang Ha-rin who sighed blankly like a dying person even when she spoke lightly.
“You worked hard, but are you hungry? Shall we eat something?”
“Haaa…”
Shin only sat down on the waiting chair on one side of her with a weak gait, as if everything was going to be useless even if Seo spoke to her.
Shin Eun-seo, irritated by that action, pulled her unblooded arm.
“You’re hungry. I’ve done several tests since morning on an empty stomach, so why don’t we go get something to eat?”
” Ha····. “
“Kang Ha-rin!”
There was no wooden stone like this.
It was because no matter how much I pulled her arm, I could only hear a heavy feeling as if her liver didn’t even go through.
Shin Eun-seo, as if she had finally given up, sat next to her and sighed to cool her anger.
“What did Ji Sangi say?”
When Shin Eun-seo brought up the story of her one and only son, Kang Ha-rin lowered her head with a sullen expression, as if she was getting more and more exhausted.
‘What do you need to know to deal with… ‘
Shin Eun-seo made a puzzled expression.
It was because Kang Ha-rin had no way of knowing why she was so weak.
First of all, one thing was certain: it had to do with her son.
As soon as she said it, the immediate reaction came because it was a video without even watching.
However, it was difficult to easily anticipate the details of her story itself as she did this.
She must have been right about what had to do with her son, but she had no reason to react this way in the current situation.
‘ ···· No way, did you really fight with the ground…? ‘
Even after being rescued from the kidnapper, there were no more threats, so all expectations came down to one thing.
That’s what she had a big fight with her son.
At first glance, this reason made sense.
I hurriedly came to get a health checkup, but the blank expression on my face in the morning, the eyes that had gone crazy, and the gait that staggered like a zombie seemed unusual to anyone.
However, since the inspection could not be postponed, Shin Eun-seo had to struggle alone, whimpering and leading the forced march for more than four hours.
It was himself who died thanks to this, but considering that it was planned out of concern in the first place, it was a contradiction in itself to get angry.
“What did your son say?”
“…Is the inspection… Over…?”
” Uh····. “
“…Then wait a minute… I’ll get some fresh air…”
“Okay, don’t go too far…”
Shin Eun-seo sighed deeply when she saw Kang Ha-rin walking outside without replying with blank eyes.
It seems like they fought pretty badly, but that didn’t mean there was nothing he could do about it.
“Whee-Good morning.”
As she rubbed her face, her familiar voice passed her ears.
A bread hat and sneakers in a puffy sweatpants as if out of a drink.
Despite the appearance of an old man drinking in the neighborhood, his eyes seemed full of interest and vitality.
” You! “
“It’s been a while. Perhaps, it’s been two years?”
Unlike the old man, who greeted him with a leisurely smile, she looked around to see if anyone was watching, and motioned for him to follow.
The old man also shrugged her shoulders as if he didn’t mind, and Shin followed Seo.
Shin Eunseo, who rolled her eyes to find Kang Harin’s whereabouts, saw her sitting in a corner at a convenience store not too far away, and moved her steps in the opposite direction of Kang Harin.
“It’s unexpected. I thought you’d lead me to a more obscure place since you’re all coming to the cafe.”
“Why are you here!”
Seeing her out of anger, he gestured for her to calm down and continued.
“Let’s calm down first.”
“Calm down… Ha- I’ll just get to the point. Please disappear immediately.”
Seeing Shin Eun-seo sigh and speak as if giving a notice, the old man laughed.
“Well, I see no reason for that.”
“Are you going to break the contract?”
“Infringement? That’s funny. You were the first to violate it?”
– Whoops, whoops-
“Huh- wait. I’ll get you coffee first.”
“As expected, sense is the best.”
The vibrating bell rang and she took two drinks from her staff at the counter.
She brought it and put one in her place and the other in front of the old man.
“My, I still remember the taste wonderfully.”
“I want you to think of it as a habit I developed from meeting a lot of people.”
“This habit isn’t bad. It means you have great powers of observation…”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Heh heh- I’m not a great person who compliments me a lot.”
Unlike the outfit, it seemed to create a very dignified look, but Shin Eun-seo didn’t like the atmosphere, so she drank coffee and continued talking.
“What do you mean I broke the contract first?”
“You don’t remember the call? You asked for a genetic sample, but you completely ignored it, didn’t you?”
“I’m assuming you gave me your hair and nails.”
“Including blood and other body hair.”
“Didn’t I tell you I didn’t like that?”
“It’s easy to say since you came out like that. Look- that’s why I’m here.”
“You! … Hoo-“
Shin Eun-seo had to soothe her complex stomach with coffee because of the old man who shamelessly insisted on his position.
It was still bitter, but the coffee was also Americano, so it seemed more bitter.
” ···· Hmm- it tastes good. Maybe it’s because it’s been a long time since I’ve been out for coffee… It’s several times better than convenience store coffee.”
The old man, who was leisurely tasting his coffee, looked at her and continued her words.
“Now that it’s come to this… I’m just going to talk about it openly. Now, I wonder what it would be like to ask her for her cooperation. Anyway, aren’t we supposed to meet?”
“Isn’t that a bit misleading?”
“No matter how much I try to stop it, it has to happen in the end.”
“Ha- ok. Ok. I’ll provide you with samples as soon as possible, so please stop going back today.”
“Well- I don’t want to hear from someone who has already ignored the terms of the contract…”
When Shin Eun-seo glared at him, he smirked and refreshed the atmosphere.
“It’s a joke. Just kidding. Won- Is it bad for an old man to stare at you as if you’re going to kill him for playing a prank?”
“Know that it was you who approached first.”
“・・・Yes, that’s right. I was in a hurry… Huh- I can’t say anything. The strong energy makes the old man’s heart stop. Stop it, man.”
“…I know that you understand when you say that.”
“It’s still… Sharp. Yes, that’s right. It’s like the sudden change of the branch manager, and when such a talented person leaves, it’s just that this side is in trouble…”
Shin Eun-seo let out a small sigh at the old man’s sobbing.
In any case, from the old man’s point of view, it was confirmed that he was still a useful being.
“I wonder why you’re doing this all of a sudden. You’ve been doing well, haven’t you?”
“You’ve done well. Yes, you’re right… I’ve never missed the deadline you gave me her samples, and no, I wish I had given it sooner…”
“Then…Why?”
“They started moving again.”
“I would have said I wasn’t interested in a power struggle. That wouldn’t be a reason, would it?”
“Of course. But I’m talking about this because it has something to do with her.”
“Are you Harin?”
“Yes, it seems that the non-Excel project is gaining momentum again. Thanks to that, it seems to be moving as well.”
Shin Eun-seo frowned at the old man’s words.
It was because she knew better than anyone else about non-Excel projects.
“So, are you saying that they are targeting Harin again?”
“You can see that. Didn’t I tell you? How amazing her genes are.”
“You bastard bastards.”
“You don’t know. If it’s literally a power struggle, you wouldn’t be interested. But even after the B-Excel project ended, Miss Harin continues to cooperate with the government and keep an eye on it.”
“You didn’t give up…”
“She’s terrible, her guys are aiming at her tenaciously. In a way, I don’t know if she’s still in danger.”
“…Are you only targeting Harin…?”
“····It’s hard to answer that far···· But maybe, even her children are being watched… If it’s them, they’ll stay like that.”
At the old man’s words, Shin Eun-seo’s head became dizzy.
She barely thought that everything was over for her, but when she said that she was secretly targeting her, her anger was fierce.
In fact, the only thing she was complacent about was herself.
It wasn’t that they didn’t care because they were crazy about the work of the branch manager, but they were enough guys to do it just because they were a group that committed such anti-human behavior.
“What do I have to do?”
“Yeah, you speak well. Literally. Give me another hair and blood sample as soon as possible, because that’s good for her and you.”
“In what way?”
“Her guys will definitely try to get her. Just like they’ve done before her.”
“Harin is strong. She is an SSS-class hunter.”
“Are you obsessed with power? Well, I don’t think I’m a very good option. They could bring monsters worse than her. To be honest, if you hit the wrong place with a gun, you’ll die like a dog, even a hunter is the same as a normal person, just like that. Blind faith in power is nothing but sewage.”
” Then? “
“If you give me a sample of her, you’ll have a fallback plan. It’s some kind of insurance? Maybe it’ll keep her from the drug if she’s in a bad situation.”
“A drug…?”
“Yeah, the shot she got… Ah-you know? She must have been there herself.”
“What the hell is that drug?”
One of the biggest sins that was stuck in Shin Eunseo’s mind.
The drug that was injected into her when she was a child.
I didn’t know what it was, but it must have been something bad, so I was curious about what it was.
“···· Well, I’m not sure either···· Maybe, some kind of stimulant or ovulation stimulant···· Judging by her precocious puberty, she got pregnant easily.”
” Nonsense····. “
“Anyway, that part needs to be confirmed. That’s why I’m asking for a sample from her, and whether it’s really because of the drug or if her genes, which caused precocious puberty, are unusual.”
” . . . “
“What is certain so far is that her genes are definitely excellent.
Shin Eun-seo stared blankly at the shocking fact.
I thought he was the kind of maniac who was simply interested in Ha-rin Kang, but he was conducting research with a purpose.
“Huh- It’s a partner united by simple interests… But this is the only way to give them trust.”
” Yes? “
“My ultimate goal is to destroy the BExcel project. That’s it. To do that, it’s true that we need her more.”
After drinking coffee once, the old man continued with calm eyes.
“Anyway, the key is her. The difference between the complete presence and absence of her genetic sample is the key to her success.”
“····Once we get all of Harin’s samples···· Can we really stop doing that anti-humanitarian project?”
“I told you. The ultimate goal is to destroy it. I know you hate power struggles, but if I have to add a word, the project is like the heart of the guys. If we keep that in check properly, we will… Hmmm – that’s it.”
Shin Eun-seo washed her face dry as she watched him swallow the words, as if it was difficult to say any more.
I didn’t know what I was saying wasn’t true, but considering that we were moving together in a situation where our interests were aligned, there was a high possibility that it wasn’t a lie again.
” ····Okay···· I’ll send it to you as soon as possible····. “
“I thought about it well… My rudeness over the phone… I’m sorry… I was in a hurry too… I’ll apologize.”
” Yes. “
“Let’s stop going back today. Seeing how the conversation went like this, it’s no longer a waste of time.”
” …No. Wait a minute, I’d rather take a blood sample with me today.”
” What? “
It was the old man who was dumbfounded by her remarks that even pulled out the horn.
“Why, don’t you like it?”
“No… The sooner the better, the better… Suddenly too much… I think it’s like that…”
“It’s not sudden. Don’t panic. Besides, who said you were going to see it?”
The old man, who had been looking at her with a puzzled look on her face, she said, looking at her without avoiding her eyes this time.
“Let me ask you a question. Are you still interested in… Genes? So, putting power aside and all that, purely research interests…”
“I’m talking about that! Of course! I’m moving for personal reasons… But I, seriously!…”
“All right. Then.”
She smiled, talked to the old man, and left her cafe.
As a scientist, I could trust those eyes.
*
“Hoho…”
“Harin-ah. This is… Um… So, he’s someone I know. In a way, he’s someone who can be of help to you.”
“Haaa…”
An old man with an intriguing eye.
And Shin Eun-seo hesitates, not knowing what to introduce.
Kang Harin still sighs without energy.
It couldn’t have been a really funny combination.
“This child… That… Heh heh- he really has grown up a lot… He has grown up well.”
“…Hey, Harin-ah…?”
” . . . “
Kang Ha-rin, who treated the elderly as non-existent, sighed deeply.
The old man put on a puzzled expression.
“What is going on?”
“That’s… Haa- no. Harvest the harvest… Now- get your blood drawn quickly.”
” What? “
I was embarrassed by Shin Eun-seo’s behavior of walking her arms without thinking about Katabuta.
Blood sampling in the middle of a cafe?
It was absurd to leave the hospital across the street.
“…Am I really okay…?”
” .
” . . . Quickly.”
With his urging eyes, the old man had no choice but to pull out the syringe, and the people around him began to glance at him at the sight of blood drawing.
The old man, who finished drawing blood in an instant, thanked Shin Eun-seo with a smile on his lips.
“Thank you.”
“I’d like to give you body hair too… But the condition… This is the situation… It will take a little while.”
“Don’t worry. This alone is more than half a success. Hehe-“
The old man, who kept the Koi sample in his hiking bag, stood up and asked for a handshake.
“It looks like the old man is being kind for no reason. I’m sorry.”
“No… Rather, because you came, things went well…”
“Haaaaa…”
“…Really, isn’t something happening?”
” ····Go quickly. Don’t forget to let us know if you have any good news.
“Of course… Then… I’ll go.”
Shin Eun-seo swallowed a laugh when she saw the old man leaving the cafe quickly after seeing Kang Ha-rin’s notice.
It was an act of speeding up the pace with the thought of conducting an interesting research.
In fact, I still couldn’t completely trust the old man, but I decided to trust him.
As of now, there is no way.
“····Harin-ah, shall we go eat pork cutlet?”
Shin Eun-seo struggled out of the cafe, whimpering while forcibly taking Ha-rin Kang, who sighed deeply for the ground to go out.
