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Heeseung & Aiko
Heeseung sat in the dimly lit corner of the communal room, his fingers twitching against his thighs. Aiko had finally recovered enough to move around, though she was still pale, her energy drained. Watching her smile faintly at something Sunoo said, he knew he couldn't put this off any longer.
He had to tell her.
As the others drifted off to their rooms, Heeseung caught her wrist gently. "Aiko, can we talk? Just us."
She looked at him curiously. "Of course."
He led her to his room, shutting the door behind them. The air felt heavy as she sat on the edge of his bed, pulling her knees up slightly.
"What's up?" she asked, her tone light but cautious, sensing his seriousness.
Heeseung didn't know where to start. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing slightly. "There's something I need to tell you. Something about your mom. About Dr. Nakamura."
Aiko stiffened, sitting up straighter. "Okay... what is it?"
He turned to face her, his expression pained. "I worked for her."
Her eyebrows shot up. "What? You worked for my mom? When?"
"Years ago. I was just 18. It was my first job—an internship at Genentech Labs," he began. His voice was quiet, measured, as he tried to keep his emotions in check. "She was my supervisor. I looked up to her, Aiko. I thought she was brilliant. Trustworthy."
Aiko tilted her head, confusion knitting her brows. "Okay... so? What does this have to do with anything?"
Heeseung took a shaky breath. "It's about my sister. My little sister, Yeji."
Aiko's face softened. "Heeseung, I know about Yeji. You told me before how much you loved her and how hard it was when she passed."
"But I didn't tell you everything," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "I didn't tell you the truth about why she died."
Aiko's confusion deepened, her brows furrowing. "What do you mean?"
"My sister was sick, Aiko. Really sick. The doctors couldn't figure it out. They said there was nothing they could do, but I believed your mom could help. She promised she could help."
Aiko blinked. "My mom?"
"Yes," Heeseung said, his tone bitter. "She said she had a plan. A treatment. And at first, I thought she was helping. I thought Yeji was getting better. But she wasn't saving her—she was using her. Experimenting on her blood. Draining her. Until there was nothing left."
Aiko stared at him, her face unreadable.
"She used my sister, Aiko. Lied to me. Lied to my family. And then, when Yeji died, she covered it up. Like it was just another failed experiment."
