March Novel (Completed) - Chapter 45

“You gave him an entire bottle of H1? To a civilian? In that short amount of time?”

Lieutenant Na, who was adjusting the drip rate of the IV, looked back at Gi Taejeong in horror.

“Good heavens. It’s amazing that there are no other symptoms besides the fever…”

Military doctors received special treatment regardless of rank. Their numbers were so few, and from the perspective of someone constantly going out to fight, there was nothing to gain from being on bad terms with medical personnel. One’s life could be in immediate danger due to a grudgingly slow dressing. Knowing this well, those wearing military doctor’s caps generally walked around with stiff necks. Of course, Lieutenant Na was no exception.

“Did you perhaps torture him? If the purpose was simple wound treatment, there’s no reason to force that much medicine down him.”

However, his opponent was Gi Taejeong. His special status as a military doctor would not work on him, who treated everyone equally as insignificant.

Gi Taejeong was lenient with Lieutenant Na only because he was a peer. Lieutenant Na Dae-po was one of the few who survived the internment camp. He told others they were peers because it was bothersome to explain, but a more fitting description would be that they remembered each other’s survival, rather than a strong, friendly bond. Now, almost all the perpetrators of the experiments were dead, and only a few remembered that hell. Anyway, since all the survivors held positions, they often heard the nonsense that being a test subject was actually fortunate. Even when living well, anger would boil up inexplicably when recalling a certain moment from the past, but everyone tried to pretend that the vivid past didn’t exist. Lieutenant Na, along with Lieutenant Park, was one of the few people Gi Taejeong had who could understand this maddening sensation.

“Even if Brigadier General took care of all the backup, being mobilized for the shelter terror attack as a civilian must have been incredibly stressful, and then having intercourse without rest immediately afterwards… how could he not get sick? Why did you have sex in that situation, why?”

Normally, if he poured out this much nagging, a yell to shut up or an ashtray would be thrown, but Gi Taejeong, lost in thought, merely tapped the unlit head of his cigar with a steady rhythm.

“I wasn’t trying to criticize your private life, General. But General, there are limits to the medicine used in the military. If taken like this, his body will inevitably be ruined. He’s a human, not an AI.”

Lieutenant Park mouthed words and made a small ‘X’ with his hand behind Gi Taejeong. It meant to stop, truly. Lieutenant Na scratched his cheek and finally fell silent. The nagging he couldn’t pour out dispersed into a long sigh.

“…I won’t say anything that bothers you anymore. Lieutenant Park says this person is essential for securing evidence… If he’s an important figure, please give him some breathing room. Pushing him too hard isn’t good. If he doesn’t show signs of shock, he’ll wake up if you let him rest well. No matter how weak he is, never give him H1 or anything like that. It’s like giving steak to someone who needs liquid food; it’s nothing but poison.”

The beautiful man lying on the bed still had dark circles under his eyes. His lips were also parched. Still, his complexion was much better than before the IV was inserted. Since the problem arose from excessive administration of high-grade therapeutic agents while in a weakened state, he would quickly recover with proper nutrition and rest.

A faint halo of light, piercing through the prison-like bars, settled on his pale body as if nailed there. Lieutenant Na looked around the office inside the house with a fresh gaze. It was by no means an environment conducive to comfortable rest. The large window, densely crisscrossed with thick iron bars, made one feel depressed just by looking at it. The furniture, covered in red and gold, was maddening in its very existence, and the iron objects and furniture scattered throughout showed no signs of being lived in. Moreover, all sorts of crimes are rampant beyond the thin walls. It was no different from hell, only differing from the military’s internment camp in its methods of breaking people.

“Can I return by Port when I leave? If there’s any problem, I can travel by car. I’m off duty today anyway.”

“Lieutenant Na.”

Gi Taejeong, who had been deep in thought for a long time, finally seemed to make a decision and rose abruptly from his seat. He had clenched his hand so tightly that the expensive, unlit cigar tore in half and rolled across the floor.

“Is the IV having an effect now?”

Gi Taejeong’s massive shadow completely covered Sehwa’s body, so all that was visible was a tangled, dark mass.

“Yes. His fever is slowly coming down. There are no other unusual reactions either.”

The cooling sheet on his forehead was turning from red to green. It meant his body temperature was returning to normal.

“…He said he doesn’t get addicted to drugs.”

What was that? Lieutenant Na just blinked. Due to the backlighting, he couldn’t read Gi Taejeong’s expression from where he stood.

“He said it’s his innate constitution. That’s why he became famous as a courier and started dealing with Kim Seokcheol.”

“Ah, this person? Hmm… Is that possible? I’ve seen people who don’t react to anesthetics, but a constitution that doesn’t get addicted to drugs is new to me.”

“It’s similar. He said anesthetics don’t work on him either.”

“Well, if that’s the case…” Lieutenant Na nodded. It wasn’t a common type, but right before his eyes stood a man who shattered all the world’s common sense and prejudices. Lieutenant Na recalled Gi Taejeong, covered in blood, crawling up a cliff. Yes. There are people who don’t die even when killed. So, a constitution that doesn’t react well to drugs or anesthetics could exist.

“In addition, Sehwa can distinguish all drugs just by tasting them. Not just narcotics, but literally all kinds of medicine.”

A shrill voice, almost off-key, burst out. Lieutenant Na, who had been trying to agree somehow, found it impossible.

“Excuse me? Is that even possible?”

“I confirmed it myself. It’s true.”

Lieutenant Park also nodded in agreement.

“I watched him closely. He correctly identified all types of aphrodisiacs. He seemed to identify H2 immediately after his first dose as well.” 

“Hmm… If that’s true…”

He was a remarkable talent who, if the higher-ups had known, would have been somehow tied to the military. He could discern the taste of poisons and drugs without any internal damage. He was literally a living identifier that didn’t need recharging.

“Wow. I knew Kim Seokcheol was stupid… but he’s really a moron. To take someone like that and make him deal drugs?”

If it were Lieutenant Na, rather than clinging to an uncertain project like ‘Harvest,’ he would have taken Sehwa and presented him to the higher-ups. Since Sehwa seemed to have nowhere to go, if he claimed guardianship and pushed him into an important position, the crumbs that fell would have been substantial. From discerning military rations and water to ensuring the safety of officers, Lieutenant Na could immediately list over ten positions Sehwa could fill. But to think that the brilliant idea he came up with, obsessed with drugs, was something as disgusting as ‘Harvest.’

“But now that I think about it, it’s a bit strange. If Sehwa’s words are true, he should react when given aphrodisiacs, even if not drugs, right?”

“That’s… right? Aphrodisiacs and drugs are different. You said he only doesn’t react to drugs and anesthetics.”

“Exactly. But there was no reaction. Not until I put the patch on him and forced him to take more aphrodisiacs.”

“You’re right? From what the General says, this person seems to not react to any medicine without the patch. Not just that he doesn’t get addicted to drugs.”

Lieutenant Na, chewing on his own words, looked at Sehwa on the bed with a puzzled expression, then at the IV bag hanging on the pole.

“Huh? Wait a minute. But then, the nutrients seem to be working well…”

“H1 also had an effect. All his external injuries healed completely.”

Sehwa had never tried to hide his contradictions from the beginning. No, he seemed unaware of the flaws hidden in his own body and words. Perhaps because the first drug tested was of a similarly obscure type, Gi Taejeong also unconsciously took this confusion for granted. It might even be because Sehwa’s ability to taste and distinguish drugs was quite striking.

“That’s strange. He doesn’t react to drugs, anesthetics, or aphrodisiacs… but he does react to therapeutic agents. It’s like…”

“Doesn’t it seem like he automatically detoxifies only the ingredients that are harmful to his body?”

The content was as heavy as the low voice.

Lieutenant Na rubbed the bridge of his nose, murmuring, “Hmm.” He couldn’t guess Gi Taejeong’s intention in bringing up this topic, so it was difficult to respond carelessly. If his hypothesis was true, Sehwa’s situation would become even more difficult. Rather than being caught and subjected to all sorts of experiments to see what poisons and drugs he could detoxify, it might be better if he had a constitution that didn’t react to any medicine. The latter might be arduous, but he could at least make something of his life; the former…

“As far as I know…”

As if he had already reached a conclusion, Gi Taejeong turned completely towards Lieutenant Na. The reddish sunlight streamed down Gi Taejeong’s suit like blood. With each deliberate step, the space between the bed where Sehwa lay and where Gi Taejeong stood seemed to divide in half. They were clearly in the same time and landscape, but the picture Gi Taejeong painted looked different.

“I remember the military once made a big fuss about preparing for chemical warfare.”

“They got heavily criticized by international organizations and stopped that, didn’t they? For randomly rounding up civilians and administering drugs. They used that experience as a cover when they dragged us in, pretending it was military training…”

Lieutenant Na’s eyes, which had been responding casually, suddenly widened in horror.

“Wait a minute, General. Could it be…?”

“That’s right. It’s just a guess for now.”

Gi Taejeong seemed to believe that the experiment that took place back then was related to Sehwa’s suspicious constitution. Sehwa’s constitution certainly had an artificial aspect that couldn’t be explained as merely innate. And in a way that the military would particularly favor.

“But for this person to have been a test subject… the incident you mentioned happened in the generation right above ours. The age doesn’t match.”

“True. But it’s enough time for a child born to someone dragged into it to grow that much.”

Gi Taejeong grasped a cigar case and a matchbox in one hand and opened the bedroom door.

“I was bothered by it, so I briefly scanned the list of people involved in that experiment on the way here… and I found a familiar name.”

Thwack! A dull sound, like a slap on the cheek, echoed as the match ignited. Gi Taejeong brought the fiery match head to the foot of the cigar, savoring the rich aroma that permeated his lungs.

“Oh Seon-ran was the deputy director of that failed experiment.”

“General Oh Seon-ran?”

“She was a colonel at the time.”

Gi Taejeong exhaled a long puff of smoke, asking if Lieutenant Na sensed anything suspicious. If they connected the dots well, something new might emerge, but he found it difficult to articulate this feeling that permeated his skin into clear words. To concretize this vague instinct, there are more things he needs to find out. If he plays his cards right, he might be able to take down Oh Seon-ran with a bigger incident, not just something like a slush fund.

“Find out how the test subjects were ultimately dealt with, and what role Oh Seon-ran played at the time. All of it.”

His dark eyes, revealed as the hazy smoke cleared, darted towards the syringe in Lieutenant Na’s medical bag.

“And Lee Sehwa’s true constitution.”

Sehwa wanted to wake up. Even with his eyes closed, hazy, blurry afterimages floated around, and he could see the tiny blood vessels beneath his eyelids throbbing, making his mind restless. But his body simply wouldn’t obey. Only the thought of needing to wake up was clear; everything else was faint. The switch in his head kept flicking off and on. Each time he opened his eyes for a brief moment, the world was entirely white, then red, then black. So why am I lying down now? What happened earlier…? As he pondered, he would fall back into unconsciousness without resistance.

Now, he really had to wake up. Sehwa struggled to open his eyes somehow. If he skipped work because he was sick, he’d have to pay a fine. Of course, the amount was up to the boss. Staying at his post, even if he collapsed inside the house, was the way to accumulate less debt.

“Ugh…”

As he habitually thought of the remaining debt and today’s daily quota, money that wasn’t his, a groan escaped him. At the same time, the edge of the mattress rippled slightly. It was a swift movement, as if someone had been watching Sehwa’s struggles the entire time. Sehwa didn’t even have time to be startled by the unfamiliar presence. A hand reached out unhesitatingly and stroked Sehwa’s forehead, then removed something soft, like cloth, that he hadn’t even known was there.

Sehwa’s eyelids, which he struggled to lift, felt incredibly heavy, but a faint glimpse of a man’s hand entered his blurry vision. It was large. His fingers were long, and his knuckles seemed firm. A deep, refreshing scent lingered around the prominent veins below his wrist. Sehwa felt a tickle in his nose. The heavy yet sharp scent of an adult man was unfamiliar… and yet, somewhat familiar.

Feeling a pang of regret as the back of the hand, which had been pressing Sehwa’s cheek as if to check his temperature, withdrew, Sehwa unconsciously leaned his face in. He timidly clung to the receding warmth and awkwardly buried his cheek. The feeling of his feverish cheek pressing against the rough, bony skin of another person felt good. It was the hand of an adult that Sehwa had always wished to have.

“This is really…”

A voice that gasped in disbelief, as if dumbfounded. Sehwa forcefully crumpled a memory that kept trying to surface and indulged in his childish whim. This was a dream. There was no way such a good smell could come from his cramped, dirty room, and there was no way someone would comfort him when he was sick.

“…When I was hurt…”

A rough, unpleasant voice emerged. Sehwa’s parched lips cracked and bled instantly with just that much movement. Gasping like a fish with torn gills, Sehwa begged for mercy from the hand’s owner.

“It’s the first time… someone’s been there for me when I was hurt…”

Sehwa leaned his entire body towards the stranger. He knew it was a dream that would disappear when he woke up, so… he just wished he could lean on him a little longer.