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Aiko & Heeseung
Aiko sat on the edge of Heeseung's bed, her hands twisting nervously in her lap as she tried to steady her breathing. Heeseung watched her carefully from where he sat beside her, his brow furrowed in concern.
"You don't have to rush," he said softly, his voice soothing. "Just... tell me what happened when you're ready."
She took a deep breath, her voice shaky as she began. "I... I talked to her. My mom. I demanded the truth, and she told me everything."
His eyes sharpened, but he kept quiet, giving her the space to continue.
"She told me..." Aiko hesitated, her throat tightening. "She told me that before I was even born, they started building the virus. My mom and my dad. Overpopulation, dwindling resources... they thought this virus could fix everything. Clean out the human race."
Heeseung's jaw tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line, but he stayed silent.
"My dad didn't agree with her methods. He tried to stop her, but when he couldn't, he left. And then I..." Her voice broke, and she paused for a moment before continuing. "I was born into it. My mom raised me in that lab, surrounded by her experiments. And when I was four... they figured out my blood was different. Special. It helped the virus grow. So they used me."
Heeseung inhaled sharply, his hand reaching out to cover hers. "Aiko..."
"They drained so much blood from me that I got sick," she whispered, her voice trembling. "That's why we moved to London. She stopped using my blood, but it was already too late. The virus—everything—it's because of me."
"No," Heeseung said immediately, his voice firm. "This is not your fault. Your mom made those choices, not you."
"But it's my blood!" she said, her voice rising in anguish. "The neomorphs, the outbreak—it all started because of me! And then..." She looked down, her fingers clutching the fabric of her shirt. "Then she needed more. After we left, she found Yeji."
At the mention of his sister, Heeseung's body went rigid.
"She used her, too," Aiko continued, her voice cracking. "She kept draining her blood until it... until it killed her."
Heeseung's hand trembled against hers, and Aiko's heart broke seeing the pain in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'm so, so sorry, Heeseung. I didn't know... I didn't know what she did to Yeji. If I had, I—"
"Stop," he said quietly, his voice tight. He took a deep breath before meeting her gaze. "This isn't your fault. You were just a kid, Aiko. You didn't know. And even if you did, you couldn't have stopped her."
"But she was your sister," Aiko sobbed. "I can't imagine how much you must hate me for being the reason she's—"
"I don't hate you," Heeseung said firmly, cutting her off. He moved closer, his hand cupping her cheek, his thumb brushing away her tears. "I could never hate you, Aiko. You're not your mom. You didn't do this."
