SUBJECT V || VKOOK

CHAPTER ONE

Jeongguk entered the dimly lit room. There were creepy antique paintings in which decorated the unnoticed deteriorating walls. A scent of an ashy rich oak contaminated the air as silver clouds of smoke lingered and danced in the dark.

In the middle of the room was a man in his early fifties sitting on an antique bonadea chair. His feet had been propped up onto a wooden coffee table. His eyes were drawn to the paintings as he awaited Jeongguk's presence.

"You requested to see me, Mr. Lee?" Jeongguk had asked, breaking the serene silence.

"Hello Mr. Jeon! How great it is to see you!" The man exclaimed as he took a long inhale of his cigar.

He soon slowly discarded the smoke from his chapped lips, setting it on the ashtray. He took a minute to get up— a barely audible creak coming from the chair. He then proceeded to bow to Jeongguk.

"It's great to see you Mr. Lee, but you interrupted me from some very serious business." Jeongguk walked up to where Mr. Lee was standing and returned the bow, a kind smile resting on his face.

"I apologize for distracting you from such work but let me tell you this— this will be one of your most challenging tasks yet. Oh, and please feel free to take a seat." Mr. Lee gestured to the chair on the other side of the coffee table. He sat back down and picked up his cigar from the ashtray.

Jeongguk took the offer and sat down. He adjusted his glasses before asking, "What does my favorite boss need from me, hmm?"

Letting out a raspy chuckle, Mr. Lee flicked the dying embers off of his cigar and inhaled the toxic smoke once more. His eyes trailed to the painting behind Jeongguk, admiring its antique style.

"You're the best psychologist Korea has ever had, your words are sharp and calculated, you're humble and intelligent, and you've never failed me or a client once," Mr. Lee's eyes slowly left the painting and locked with Jeongguk's dark eyes before continuing, "and because of that I have assigned you to an experimentation lab."

"A lab? You must be joking Mr. Lee." Jeongguk scoffed and cocked an eyebrow. He swung his leg over the other and leaned back into the chair while placing his hands on his lap.

"Not just any lab Mr. Jeon, but a lab that consists of human experiments," Mr. Lee pressed the dying cigar into the ashtray watching as the orange glowing embers turned into ashes of gray, "I know this might seem like a simple task for you Mr. Jeon— but from what I have heard, all of the other psychologists that have been assigned had some... Shortcomings with some of the test subjects."

Jeongguk raised his hands and pressed his fingers to his temple. He rubbed them in a circular motion as a way to contain the levels of stress that began to rise. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath while listening to his superior.

"They want you to evaluate six specific patients. They seem to be giving every doctor and psychologist a hard time," Mr. Lee leaned forward in his chair and sighed, "but they really need you to focus on one specific patient."

"Why one specifically?" Jeongguk questioned.

"This specific patient has gone completely... rogue. It's like they are trapped within this constant animal-like state. This possibly began due to their fight or flight response constantly being triggered." Mr. Lee quickly explained.

Jeongguk opened his eyes and stopped his hand motions. He looked his superior straight in the eyes and asked, " What are these people being used for?"

"The lab's purpose is to make humanized weapons— possibly to aid in war. Oddly enough, they have only succeeded in making the six you'll be evaluating. Although they are extremely successful in the physical department, they aren't quite sure about the mental health aspect." Mr. Lee answered as clearly as he could. He clearly didn't seem to have a big understanding of the whole thing himself.

Jeongguk let out a deep sigh before leaning forward and interlocking his fingers. Resting his head upon his hands he asked, "Correct me if I'm wrong but you want me to do psych—evaluations on human experiments to see the state of their mental health? Are you delirious? Of course their mental health is going to be incredibly unstable— they are being used as lab rats! It's preposterous!"

"I know this seems tough Mr. Jeon, but you are such a sharp and determined young man. I bet you could easily get into the minds of these creatures— you've evaluated killers for the love of God! What is the problem?" Mr. Lee questioned, his tone raising in unnecessary frustration.

"Murderers and people being held as lab rats are two completely different things Mr. Lee!" Jeongguk let out an aggravated sigh and stood up from his seat, "But this is my job and there will always be things that go against my morals... I'll do it."

The frustration was quickly swept off Mr. Lee's face with a beaming smile. He stood up as quick as he could and rushed towards his chaotic desk. He rummaged through the disorderly stacks of paper before taking out a thick folder. He made his way back over to Jeongguk and extended his arm to give the folder to Jeongguk.

"This folder contains all of the information you will need on the laboratory and the experiments you will be meeting with. I know you are upset with this sudden task and I know it goes against your beliefs. Sadly this is what needs to be done. I trust you Jeongguk— do not fail me."

Jeongguk took the folder from Mr. Lee's grasp and with a sigh he replied, "I won't Mr. Lee."