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Heeseung
The sharp, sterile scent of antiseptic and polished floors filled the air as freshly turned 18-year-old Lee Heeseung stepped into the towering Genentech Labs building. It felt surreal, like walking into the future. The sleek walls and hum of technology seemed to buzz with possibility, a playground for anyone with ambition.
For Heeseung, this was the dream—a chance to work at the cutting edge of science and make a name for himself. His mother had cried happy tears when he got the internship. His father clapped him on the back, saying, "First step to greatness, son."
But none of them could have foreseen how it would all fall apart.
At first, Heeseung was dazzled by the environment. He was the youngest intern there, an eager kid running around with a clipboard and endless energy. His supervisor, Dr. Nakamura, took notice almost immediately.
"You're quite sharp for your age," she had said one day, watching him take meticulous notes during a routine observation. "I see potential in you."
Heeseung beamed under her praise. At the time, she seemed like a guiding light—intelligent, authoritative, and someone who could help him rise through the ranks.
He worked tirelessly, quickly outpacing his peers. Late nights were his norm, staying long after others left to assist on projects or learn from anyone willing to teach him. Dr. Nakamura's encouragement only pushed him further.
But as the months passed, Heeseung's priorities began to shift.
It was a rainy evening when he got the call about his little sister, Yeji. She had collapsed at school. The doctors didn't know what was wrong, but it was bad—her organs were failing rapidly, and her blood showed abnormalities they couldn't explain.
"She doesn't have long," the doctor had said grimly.
Heeseung's world crumbled. Yeji was only 10 years old. Sweet, bright, and full of life.
In his desperation, he turned to the only person he thought could help: Dr. Nakamura.
Dr. Nakamura listened intently as Heeseung poured out his fears in her office late one night. He was practically begging.
"Please, Dr. Nakamura. You've seen the best of what science has to offer. You can help her, can't you?"
She tilted her head, her sharp gaze softening just enough to seem comforting. "Heeseung, I can't promise anything. But Genetech does have experimental treatments we've been developing. It's risky, but if you're willing, we can try."
He didn't hesitate. "I'll do anything. Whatever it takes."
Yeji was brought to the lab within days, her small frame dwarfed by the machines surrounding her. Heeseung was by her side every step of the way, holding her hand and whispering reassurances.
Dr. Nakamura oversaw everything. "She's strong," she told him. "We'll take care of her. But this isn't an overnight process."
At first, there were signs of hope. Yeji's condition stabilized, and Heeseung clung to the belief that she was improving. He threw himself even harder into his work, determined to prove himself worthy of the opportunity Dr. Nakamura had given his family.
But cracks began to show.
One day, as he walked into the lab earlier than usual, he caught sight of Yeji through the glass observation window. She looked pale and weak, her eyes half-lidded as a nurse adjusted a tube attached to her arm.
"Why does she look worse?" Heeseung asked Dr. Nakamura later, his voice laced with worry.
"These things take time," she replied smoothly, her tone measured. "Her body is responding to the treatment, but setbacks are inevitable. Trust the process."
Heeseung wanted to believe her. After all, she was the expert.
Months passed, and Heeseung's doubts grew. Yeji wasn't getting better. If anything, she seemed weaker than before.
Late one night, he found himself in the lab again, unable to sleep. He wandered to Yeji's room, pressing his hand against the glass as he watched her sleep. The machines beeped steadily, their lights casting a cold glow over her frail body.
As he stood there, he overheard two technicians speaking in hushed tones nearby.
"...It's not right, draining a child like that."
"It's what Dr. Nakamura ordered. You don't question her."
"Still... using her blood like that? It feels—"
"Quiet. Do you want to lose your job?"
Heeseung's heart stopped. Draining? What the hell were they talking about?
The next day, he confronted Dr. Nakamura in her office.
"Are you using my sister for something?" he demanded, his voice shaking with a mixture of anger and fear.
Dr. Nakamura didn't even flinch. "I'm using her blood, Heeseung. It's part of the treatment process. Her blood contains unique properties we're studying. It's all to save her."
"Studying?" His voice rose. "She's a child, not a lab rat!"
"Lower your voice," she snapped, her calm demeanor cracking for the first time. "You came to me for help, and I'm giving it to you. Do you want to save her or not?"
Heeseung's fists clenched. He didn't know what to believe anymore.
The breaking point came two weeks later.
Heeseung had snuck into the restricted files section late at night, driven by the need for answers. What he found shattered him.
Yeji's name was on countless reports, all detailing experiments conducted on her blood. But it wasn't about curing her. It was about harvesting something unique—something tied to neomorphic cells.
She was never meant to be saved. She was a means to an end.
Heeseung's hands shook as he flipped through the documents. Dr. Nakamura's name was on every single one.
When Yeji died a month later, the lab issued a formal statement: "The patient succumbed to her illness despite our best efforts."
But Heeseung knew the truth. They had drained her dry, using her until there was nothing left.
Dr. Nakamura didn't even look at him during the meeting where the incident was discussed. Her demeanor was professional, detached. "These things happen in experimental treatments," she had said, as if talking about a failed project and not a human life.
Heeseung left Genentech the next day, vowing never to return. But the weight of what happened never left him. Yeji's face haunted him in every quiet moment, every dark corner of his mind.
And now, years later, here he was—back in the place that had destroyed him, watching history threaten to repeat itself with Aiko.
This time, he wouldn't let it.
This time, he would stop it.
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Don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts.
um yeah so that happened... I've written further into the story and I really want you all to read it so I'm publishing this chapter early
