UP WITH YON

In the dimly lit space, Yunha stood facing Yon. Their voices echoed softly against the concrete walls, adding an eerie ambiance to their conversation.

"What do you mean how, Yunha?" Yon inquired, his tone tinged with curiosity and perhaps a hint of suspicion.

"The metal door, Yon. Jaeyeon Oppa and Seonsangnim, both had to come together to open it," Yunha explained, her voice carrying a note of astonishment.

"And?" Yon prompted, his interest piqued by her observation.

"You pushed it open casually all on your own," Yunha pointed out, her gaze searching his face for any sign of explanation.

"No one else is concerned about it though?" Yon questioned, a furrow forming between his brows.

"No one paid attention, I believe," Yunha replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Why did you?" Yon pressed further, his curiosity bordering on insistence.

"Just happened to," Yunha shrugged, though her eyes betrayed a lingering sense of intrigue.

"What do you want the reply to be, Yunha?" Yon's tone was measured, his eyes studying her intently.

"You are a grave up, aren't you?" Yunha's words hung in the air, laden with unspoken implications.

"Pardon?" Yon's response was swift, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"You can't hide it for too long. There is something up with you," Yunha persisted, her voice low but resolute.

"Hm," Yon mused, his expression inscrutable as he contemplated her words. Without warning, he swiftly jumped below, ostensibly flying, landing on the floor with a tap that barely made a sound.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" Yon's question hung in the air, his eyes searching Yunha's face for a reaction. She shuffled her hands in her skirt's pockets and produced two small plastic bottles of flavored milk. With a casual flick of her wrist, she tossed one over to Yon, who caught it deftly.

He glanced at the bottle, his curiosity momentarily distracted. "Strawberry..." he muttered to himself, his mind momentarily wandering. But then, he refocused on Yunha, his gaze intense.

"But you didn't reply," he reminded her, his voice quiet but insistent. "Are you or are you not afraid of me?"

"Not really," Yunha admitted, her voice steady despite the weight of the question.

"Why not?" Yon pressed, his curiosity now tinged with a hint of frustration.

"I don't know. You tell me. Should I be afraid of you?" Yunha's question hung in the air, her eyes searching his face for any hint of the truth.

"It's a long story," Yon replied cryptically, his expression guarded.

"Can't be longer than this nightmare, I'm guessing," Yunha quipped, her attempt at humor falling somewhat flat in the tense atmosphere.

"Hah... here goes then," Yon sighed, resigned to sharing his story, whatever it may entail. And as he began to speak, the shadows in the space seemed to lean in closer, eager to hear the secrets he had to tell.

***

(Approximately a year and six months ago.
South Korea, Boseong]

In the dimly lit laboratory cluttered with scientific equipment and stacks of papers, Yon's father beckoned him over urgently.

"Yon! Can you check this for me please?" his father called out, his tone a mix of excitement and apprehension.

"What is it, dad?" Yon responded, curiosity evident in his voice as he approached his father's workstation.

"A sample of the drug that an athlete uses. I enhanced it further. Can you check?" his father explained, handing over a glass tube containing the mysterious substance.

"Okay," Yon replied, taking the tube with care and walking towards his cluttered work table. The desk was a chaotic scene, littered with printed papers, pencils, and crumpled sheets strewn haphazardly across the surface. He seated himself on the rusty wooden chair and donned his steel-rimmed spectacles, his focus narrowing on the task at hand.

With meticulous attention to detail, Yon began studying the glass tube, his brow furrowed in concentration. Five hours passed in a blur of observation and analysis before he finally decided to test the sample. With a snap of his fingers, a dog materialized beside him, its presence a silent witness to the impending experiment.

Injecting the dog with the enhanced drug, Yon waited with bated breath for any sign of reaction. Thirty agonizing minutes ticked by, but there was no discernible change in the animal's behavior. Instead of the expected response, the dog simply cozied up around his legs, oblivious to the failed experiment.

"This one is a failure as well," Yon sighed in disappointment, reaching down to pet the dog's head in consolation. Glancing over at his father, he announced the results of their latest endeavor.

His father chuckled lightly, though there was a hint of resignation in the sound. "Hah... Will this even work-" he began, his voice trailing off into uncertainty.

"Dad! Don't give up! We can do this. Do you want me to help as well?" Yon offered, his determination unwavering despite the setback.

"Can you?" his father asked, a flicker of hope igniting in his eyes at the prospect of his son's assistance.

"Yes! I would love to!" Yon replied eagerly, his enthusiasm contagious.

"Okay then. Let's study the human body first," his father suggested, the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind.

"Okay," Yon agreed, ready to dive headfirst into the challenge ahead.

Over the course of two weeks, Yon and his father delved deep into the intricacies of human anatomy, poring over textbooks and conducting meticulous observations. Their efforts resulted in piles of notes and diagrams, which Yon diligently filed and organized on the shelves lining the laboratory walls. As he removed his gloves, revealing hands with dry, peeling skin, Yon washed his hands and brewed coffee for the two of them as usual, the rich aroma filling the disheveled room.

Pouring the coffee into two glass mugs, Yon joined his father at the table, a sense of camaraderie filling the air as they exchanged smiles.

"Coffee is ready, professor~" Yon teased, his tone light-hearted despite the gravity of their task.

"Haha. Thank you, student~" his father replied with a chuckle, a hint of pride evident in his voice.

"Heh. Anyways, father. Did you figure something out?" Yon inquired, eager for any progress they had made.

"Hm. Not yet. And you?" his father asked, turning the question back to his son.

"Yes," Yon replied confidently, a spark of inspiration igniting within him.

"Really? What?" his father leaned in, his interest piqued by Yon's revelation.

"Doping," Yon declared, his voice brimming with conviction.

"Doping?" his father echoed, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"To enhance their strength, a sports person uses doping. If we don't eat food, we won't have the strength to even move. So, I was wondering... what if we could create a medicine with hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and glucagon, which can act as artificial glucose induction? Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) are also important hormones for increasing human strength," Yon explained, his words flowing with a newfound sense of purpose.

"But we can't just produce these genetically engineered hormones artificially," his father pointed out, skepticism creeping into his voice.

"But what about gene coding in bacteria? We can reduce contamination, and synthesis will be easier," Yon countered, his mind already racing with possibilities.

"Bacteria?" his father mused, considering the idea carefully.

"Yeah. Something like injecting live bacteria," Yon proposed, his excitement palpable.

"You want us to create artificial bacteria?" his father questioned, a note of incredulity in his tone.

"Yes, dad. It's not impossible, is it? Let's try this, okay?" Yon pleaded, his eyes shining with determination.

"But-" his father started, his hesitation evident.

"I have the necessary notes. We won't know until we try," Yon insisted, his resolve unshakable.

"As you say. Let's try this as well," his father acquiesced, his reluctance tempered by his son's unwavering confidence.

With the vague and seemingly impossible idea planted firmly in their minds, father and son embarked on their latest endeavor, fueled by a shared sense of purpose and the promise of scientific discovery.

Three months later, Yon and his father stood side by side, gazing proudly at the glass jar in front of them. Inside, a translucent, uncolored fluid swirled gently, cradling a wriggling, bean-shaped structure floating on the surface.

Yon's father draped his arm around his son's shoulder, a smile of satisfaction playing on his lips. "We are done. This is bound to be a success," he declared, his tone brimming with confidence.

"If not, we have so much information we can practically get rich with that alone," Yon added, his voice tinged with excitement.

"Well said, my son," his father praised, pride evident in his gaze as he shook hands with Yon, sealing their partnership in scientific exploration.

As Yon strolled towards the hall, closing the door behind him, he couldn't contain his excitement, eager to share the news of their breakthrough with his mother. But as he entered the living room, the scene before him froze him in his tracks.

His mother, clad in a pink night suit, lay curled up on the couch, pillows surrounding her as she stared blankly at the blurry images flickering on the television screen. Her hair obscured half her face, but the tension in her posture was unmistakable.

"Mumma. I and dad made a very effective-" Yon began, his voice trailing off as he approached her.

"Don't talk to me," his mother interrupted, her tone icy with disdain.

"What?" Yon's confusion was evident, his brow furrowing in concern.

"You crazy duo of father and son! Don't freaking talk to me! Get lost!" his mother spat, her words laced with venom.

"Mumma-" Yon tried to reason, but his mother cut him off with a sharp glare.

"Don't fuck with me! Get lost!!!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the room, each word a dagger piercing through Yon's heart.

"Mumma... What did we ever do wrong..." Yon's voice wavered, his eyes pleading for understanding.

"What you did wrong? What YOU FUCKING DID WRONG? YOU AND YOUR FATHER ARE NUTS! YOU DRIVE ME INSANE! IF ONLY I NEVER HAD A SON! IF ONLY I NEVER MARRIED THAT ASSHOLE-" his mother's tirade escalated, her words dripping with venom and regret.

Yon's fists clenched at his sides, his anger boiling beneath the surface. Without thinking, he reached for a fork on the nearby table, the cold metal biting into his palm as he gripped it tightly. With a swift, unyielding motion, he brought the fork down, stabbing it into his mother's palm.

Pain seared through her body, her screams filling the room as blood oozed from the wound. Yon stood over her, panting heavily, his eyes ablaze with rage and hurt.

His mother's curses continued to rain down upon him, each word a dagger piercing through his soul. But amidst the chaos and pain, Yon felt something shift within him. A sense of clarity washed over him, drowning out the cacophony of his mother's wrath.

In that moment, he realized the truth of his existence. He was not the helpless victim of his mother's scorn. He was not the product of her anger and disappointment. He was Yon, son of a scientist, bearer of dreams and ambitions beyond the confines of his mother's bitterness.

With a steely resolve, Yon turned away from his mother's cries, his gaze fixed on the future that lay ahead. Beside him, the glass jar containing their latest creation stood as a testament to his unwavering determination.

"We are done. This is bound to be a success," his father's words echoed in his mind, a beacon of hope amidst the darkness of his mother's resentment.

And as Yon left the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway, he knew that he would never be bound by the chains of his past. For he was Yon, son of a scientist, bearer of dreams and ambitions beyond the confines of his mother's bitterness. And nothing would stand in his way as he forged his own path to greatness.