Chemistry

10. Special Research: Venice Entropy(8)

「Yoon Yi-seol」 – Lido Island beach

Beyond the fog clouds covering the sea, the sun was setting, casting a warm hue over everything.

Yoon Yi-seol walked along the beach filled with the sound of waves and turned to look at Jeong-woo, who was recording with his camcorder.

The moment had arrived.

From preparing the confession to execution, she had been thinking about this all day, following him around.

‘It wasn’t easy.’

For someone who carried the misfortune of wanting to kick the futon when feeling flustered, planning had been a battle.

It all started with the fake questionnaire she had prepared on the overnight train ride, pondering throughout the night. She had used all her broadcasting know-how to craft only the most convincing questions. All for this moment.

“Shall I ask a question?”

“Yes.”

Jeong-woo, flipping through his notebook, asked.

“If you had an ideal type who wanted to walk in such a beautiful place together?”

Yoon Yi-seol struggled to suppress the desire to shout “It’s you”.

“Someone who would turn your attention away from music altogether. I’d like that person.”

“Is that all? Looks don’t matter?”

“I’d be satisfied if they looked as good as you, Mr. Manager. Do you think you’re good-looking? Objectively speaking.”

Jeong-woo chuckled and shook his head as if conceding to her, moving beyond the precarious territory of her spontaneous joke. As she threw the joke, Yoon Yi-seol’s expression became more serious, and she walked slowly along the beach.

“Let me ask the next question. If you met such an ideal type, what would you do?”

In the past, she had only lived with end-stage symptoms of timidness, but on the day she followed Jung-woo to the movie theater, she took a step of courage and let it go.

Today, the brave Yoon Yi-seol stood before him.

“If I had a lover? I’d sing songs, write music, and even write letters…”

Yoon Yi-seol took a step closer to Jeong-woo.

She had sung songs to her heart’s content today. The song had practically been composed during her visit to Jeong-woo’s neighborhood, on the rooftop. And the letters, well, they were on the next page of that notebook.

[I’ve fallen for you.]

Starting with those words.

Yoon Yi-seol took another step closer to Jeong-woo.

With his eyes glued to the camcorder’s screen, Jung-woo is focused on capturing her beautifully on film.

Yoon Yi-seol continued her monologue.

“…I will like you much, much more.”

He was within arm’s reach. His always neatly combed hair was slightly tousled by the wind, making her want to fix it. If they became lovers, she could touch it to her heart’s content.

“What do you think, Mr. Manager?”

“I like it. Anyone would become a fan. This feels like an interview just for fans, right?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah. You know, I got so excited because I thought you were talking to me, haha.”

“I was talking to you.”

“Yes?”

“It’s for that one fan who didn’t know me two months ago.”

Jeong-woo, who had been looking at the camcorder screen, suddenly raised his head.

Yoon Yi-seol met his gaze without turning away. She never wavered. She just had one more thing to say.

“Will you read the next page?”

Jeong-woo picked up the notebook and turned a page.

Yoon Yi-seol swallowed hard.

Just in case a strong gust of wind disturbed the atmosphere, or the notebook slipped from her hands, or maybe Jeong-woo suddenly went blind and couldn’t read the letters. A thousand worries raced through her mind with each breath.

“Uh… I’ve fallen for you…”

Jeong-woo stopped abruptly, surprised. After reading the confession-filled letter, he stopped the recording, holding the camcorder out with a serious look in his eyes.

‘What should I do? My heart feels like it’s going to burst.’

Yoon Yi-seol felt like time had frozen.

‘Jeong-woo said he has a liking for me too. And I’m not just an ordinary beauty. Have some confidence. No, wait! Maybe I should do a cheeky wink.’

She kept having these random thoughts and ended up shaking her head. In the end, the answer could only be one of two.

Yes, or no.

But…

“Ugh.”

Jeong-woo suddenly closed his eyes tightly.

She was eagerly waiting for his response, but the first word he uttered was “Ugh,” and his actions seemed to ignore her, leaving Yoon Yi-seol bewildered.

‘Ugh,’ not ‘No’ or ‘Yes.’ She had thought of all the possible answers overnight, but this one wasn’t in the mix. How on earth should she interpret this?

“Maybe if you feel pressured because I’m a celebrity making a confession, you don’t have to. Don’t prepare your heart or anything like that. Just honestly express your feelings…”

“No, Yi-seol.”

“No? You mean, no?”

“Yes. That’s right. Right now, my nerves are… in pain.”

“I’m nervous!”

“Not in the sense you’re thinking.”

Jeong-woo, who had his eyes closed, reached out and placed his hand on Yoon Yi-seol’s shoulder, patting her gently to calm her down as he spoke.

“Let’s take a moment to relax. Breathe.”

“But I’m really calm, you know?”

After blurting out those words, Yoon Yi-seol felt a little stung.

“I’m not saying you’re not calm. It’s me.”

Sitting under a beach parasol, Yoon Yi-seol continued to gaze at Jeong-woo, who still had his eyes closed.

“Is something… hurting? Did something get in your eye?”

“It’s not hurting.”

“But why aren’t you opening your eyes?”

With a gentle smile, Jeong-woo replied.

“Because when emotions intensify, I can’t see clearly. Oh, I’m not saying it’s Yi-seol fault. You know that, right?”

They remained silent for a while, just gazing at the sea. The sky, nearing the end of twilight, had turned from orange to a deep red.

‘What have I done?’

Yoon Yi-seol quietly reflected on the situation, and her cheeks flushed like the color of the twilight.

Why had her carefully planned confession turned into this? She should have waited a little longer, been more cautious.

Han Jeong-woo wasn’t going anywhere. There was no need to rush, yet she had impulsively followed her sister Sora’s advice and acted without thinking about the consequences.

‘Yoon Yi-seol, why can’t you see one step ahead?’

As she reproached herself, Jeong-woo’s voice reached her ears.

“I’m surprised. I can’t believe that you confessed your feelings to me.”

In the background of the quiet sound of the waves, his voice echoed in Yoon Yi-seol’s heart, creating ripples of emotion.

“When I think about it, since the day I became your fan, things haven’t been normal.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Snowflakes, hand warmers, fireworks.”

“Even though it’s fascinating, you did it because you’re Jeong-woo. It’s magical chemistry.”

“No, it’s not.”

Jeong-woo, who had been pressing his eyelids, opened his eyes.

「Han Jeong-woo」 – Lido Island beach

As the waves crashed onto the sand, creating a resounding ‘thud,’ shockwaves rippled through the air, shattering into hundreds, thousands of sound waves before his eyes.

He struggled to calm himself, eliminating other wavelengths from his field of vision, but for some reason, the path of the sound remained, just as persistent as his auditory senses.

Jeong-woo turned his gaze to Yoon Yi-seol.

Could there be another woman in this world as beautiful, bright, and charming as her? The woman who should only exist on TV had just confessed her feelings to him. It was unbelievable.

“When I saw you, I laughed a lot and felt excited. Yi-seol, you made me feel that way.”

“I laughed a lot too, you know?”

“But you… don’t know my true self.”

For two months, he had never seriously considered it. Life with chemistry had been so enjoyable.

I was a job seeker who had nothing and was helpless. Now, he was just in the middle of a clinical trial, and most of the relationships he had gained could disappear like bubbles in ten months. Everything he was experiencing right now was just a magical time granted by chemistry.

The weight of this fact burdened Jeong-woo’s heart.

‘Before the clinical trial, I wasn’t the kind of man that Yi-seol could fall for. And after the clinical trial, I might become so miserable that I won’t be able to accept it.’

It was a story he couldn’t tell her, a story he couldn’t reveal.

“Can the answer… or the confession wait for ten months?”

“What are you saying?”

“If you lose interest in me during that time, just tell me.”

“But that won’t happen.”

“Even if it won’t.”

When Yoon Yi-seol began to shed tears, the emotional turmoil returned, and the world in front of his eyes seemed to flip like a storm.

‘Ugh. I need to train a lot.’

It became difficult for him to look directly at her as she cried.

Various waves of the world inundated his vision like a tempest. Jeong-woo instinctively closed his eyes.

“That’s right. You don’t want to see me, do you?”

Her question was filled with a mixture of moisture. Jeong-woo shook his head.

“If you say you absolutely don’t, then I’ll believe…”

Since absorbing ‘AF-5,’ when he closed his eyes, he felt the distance much more vividly, almost like a bat. That’s why Jeong-woo couldn’t help but flinch rather than respond.

Yoon Yi-seol’s head was so close that it seemed improper.

‘…’

Something softer than anything in the world brushed against his lips and disappeared.

“Ten months? Just wait, because I’m going to make you fall in love with me before then and force you to confess, I’m not the kind of girl who just pines for someone without taking any action!”

“Yi-seol?”

The distance between Yoon Yi-seol and him was growing wider and wider. She seemed quite angry, her footsteps sounding as if she was frustrated.

「Han Jeong-woo」 – Above the Vaporetto

The next day in Venice began with a loud scream. The heightened senses that had calmed overnight now wreaked havoc, turning the world into a chaotic kaleidoscope of colors.

‘If there’s hell, it must look like this.’

Jeong-woo, seated on a water bus, shook his head to erase the horrifying scene he had witnessed in the morning. Then he turned his gaze to Professor Jeremy, who had come out of the hotel with him.

『Professor, are you heading to Marco Polo Airport?』

『Yes, Mr. Han. What about you?』

『I have a direct flight from Milan. When we arrive at the station, it’ll be goodbye.』

『How about exchanging emails occasionally?』

Jeong-woo smiled and nodded at the suggestion of the renowned Harvard biochemistry professor.

『That’s fine with me.』

『Dr. Cheon might not be the type to engage in discussions, but Mr. Han is different. It’s comfortable.』

Despite the torment, Jeremy persevered beside Cheon Seung-guk, and in the end, he was able to discover a highly sophisticated formula for Drex.

Once completed, Jeremy claimed that he could easily receive royalties of up to ten million dollars with just this formula.

『What will happen to Drex now? You received contract requests from five companies, didn’t you?』

He felt that this was the best reward for a lifetime of dedication to research. However, the answer that Jeremy gave afterward surprised Jeong-woo.

『We will provide it for free to those who need it, regardless of where Drex can be used beneficially.』

『You’re not selling it?』

『I have enough money from my professor’s salary. Once I complete the research according to Mr. Han and Dr. Cheon opinions, I will publish all the production techniques in Nature.』

The value of technology changes dramatically between being kept exclusive and being made public. Jeong-woo understood this difference well, having applied for a few patents himself.

Open source. It meant not making a single penny from it.

Jeremy’s attitude, which seemed to focus solely on the chemical completion, was as impressive as his ambition, even if it was a little naive.

The cute fringe on Professor Jeremy’s forehead fluttered in the breeze, making him look cool for a moment. Jeong-woo quietly admired it.

「Ji Seong-jae」 – Locanda Hotel, San Marco Street

Knock, knock.

Manager Ji knocked on the door of Room 306 and waited for a response. However, there was no answer.

“Yi-seol, it’s almost 10 o’clock. Makeup staff is on standby to prepare for filming. Why aren’t you answering the phone? I’m coming in.”

The door was left open. Manager Ji spotted Yoon Yi-seol rummaging around near the bed.

“Yesterday’s footage you shot was amazing, you know? The video team really likes it. Piazza pigeons. I predict it’ll get at least 3 million views.”

“I don’t care about that stuff.”

Glancing at Yoon Yi-seol, who had her lips pursed, Manager Ji couldn’t help but be surprised when she showed a side of her that she usually didn’t.

“Why are you so depressed after a good date?”

“It wasn’t a date. I’ll stay in this state for just 10 more minutes and then leave.”

She had always appeared to be as cheerful as a doll, so when she displayed this unusual mood, Manager Ji found it surprising.

“Yi-seol, are you really in a relationship?”

“Oh, you-!”

Startled by Yoon Yi-seol’s sudden urge to swear, Manager Ji was taken aback by what she said next.

“I’ll do it within 10 months!”

“What’s that supposed to mean? And what about Han Jeong-woo?”

Yoon Yi-seol jumped up from under the blanket.

“What about him?”

“He helped you with yesterday’s Yi-seol TV, right? He did a great job, but he didn’t even get a simple part-time job payment. Yi-seol, are you possibly an unscrupulous employer?”

“No, not at all!”

“Then treat him properly.”

Yoon Yi-seol looked at Manager Ji and retorted.

“Both the contract and treating him properly. Won’t that make it look like I’m clinging, will it?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ll send the makeup staff up. The weather is clear today.”

「Han Jeong-woo」 – Piazza Santa Lucia

As they were descending from the pier to go to the train station, there were people who blocked the way to Jeong-woo and Jeremy.

“Stop.”

A man with a prominently displayed gold watch on his wrist spoke up.

『Professor Jeremy, are you returning home?』

He approached, leading a group of burly men, and spoke English with a heavy German accent. Jeremy, taken aback by the sudden encirclement, had a concerned look on his face and began to tremble.

Jeong-woo, noticing that Tom, who had identified himself as a researcher from Lancess, was standing there, made a rough guess about their identity.

‘These guys still haven’t given up, huh? What should I do? Should I contact Professor Cheon?’

「Cheon Seung-guk」 – Lab 2969

Cheon Seung-guk, who had been rummaging through storage cabinets in the lab he hadn’t visited in a while, became visibly annoyed when he heard a knock at the door.

“Who is it now?”

He climbed a ladder to the second floor, descended the stairs again to the first floor, and opened the door.

『Dr. Cheon Seung-guk? I’m Raheem Albed from the Abu Dhabi Petroleum Corporation. I’ve come because of Drex, but I’m afraid the people next to the door right now…』

As the Middle Eastern man was speaking, he fell to the ground with a thud, sound asleep, right in front of the door.

“You found this narrow alley so well, even though it’s not on the map. Did Google Maps get updated or something?”

Cheon Seung-guk shook his head and grabbed the Middle Eastern man by the collar, pulling him outside while glancing along the wall.

Two people with different skin tones were leaning against the wall, fast asleep.

Due to Jeremy’s phone being out of service, rumors had spread about this place as his last destination, and employees from chemical companies in other countries were lining up to visit. The rumors would quiet down once news spread that he had returned to Harvard to resume his research.

“These idiots believe that just mixing some new materials will magically improve their products.”

Clicking his tongue, Cheon Seung-guk slammed the door shut and climbed back up to the second floor, heading down the ladder to the storage area.

“But I wonder if Weber isn’t coming? It’s been a while since he’s stirred things up. It would be fun if he dropped by.”

「Han Jeong-woo」 – Piazza Santa Lucia

『I’m Weber Jansen, the Director of Development at Lancess.』

As Weber handed over his business card, Jeremy accepted it under the pressure from the imposing figures.

Watching the situation quietly, Jeong-woo suddenly recalled Cheon Seung-guk’s words.

-People have different priorities in their actions. This is my choice according to my standards.

If it were Cheon Seung-guk’s approach, he would have either knocked them all out, blown them up with a battery bomb, or taken extreme measures, which would have been ruthless but overwhelming.

‘But what about me?’

Seeing the guy who had sprayed the sleep-inducing scent among the imposing figures, Jeong-woo thought that putting them to sleep wasn’t a big problem. However, he had found this method only because of Cheon Seung-guk’s orders.

‘It’s not really my style.’

Jeong-woo preferred a more moderate approach. If he could gain some advantage along the way, that would be the best. It seemed like the right balance.

Jeong-woo found his own way and made up his mind. He approached Jeremy.

『Professor, are you considering a contract with Lancess?』

『Mr. Han, I’d like to, but…』

As Jeong-woo spoke up, Weber turned to look at him. Tom whispered something in German, causing Weber’s expression to change.

『Are you Han Jeong-woo?』

『Oh, you know my name.』

『Are you Cheon Seung-guk’s disciple?』

『You seem to know that too.』

Seeing Jeong-woo take out his phone from his pocket, Weber was taken aback. Tom shouted, “Mine!” in German, surprising Jeong-woo.

『Mine? This is just a smartphone. I have a two-year contract with one year left.』

Seeing Jeong-woo fluently speak in German, Weber became wary and questioned him.

『What are you trying to do? Whether it’s you or Cheon Seung-guk, it has nothing to do with Jeremy. Stop interfering and step back.』

『It does matter. Research isn’t done alone.』

Jeong-woo opened a web browser and searched for “Lancess” on the European search page.

Among the articles that appeared, he clicked on the latest one, which mentioned a decline in stock prices due to the failure of new material development.

『Tepex? Lightweight plastic fibers, right? I see. They became lighter, but the durability dropped, so the companies that had placed orders canceled them all.』

『Hey, watch your words. Don’t you see the security guards behind me?』

In response to Weber’s expression as if asking what is he doing. Jeong-woo responded with a relaxed smile.

『Well, mixing up the Drex doesn’t really improve things. The fiber weaving process, which only aligns the fibers in a traditional horizontal and vertical fashion, is not a matter of the molecular structure itself being covered by the shape memory singularity of the Drex. If you choose a molecular structure that can be woven in the desired direction, with continuous fiber layers, it will be more durable.』

『That’s possible?』

『Yes.』

『How?』

『Will you listen to this important advice direclty from? Why not this, CEO.』

Jeong-woo’s confident gaze remained as he spoke.

『I’m Han Jeong-woo from KG Chemical Research Institute in South Korea. If you’re interested, you can request collaborative research from us. We can definitely improve this Tepex. And…』

Jeong-woo took Jeremy’s business card, and on the back, he wrote a chemical formula.

『Tom, please check this and advise Mr. Jansen. By the way, Drex will be made public worldwide soon, so don’t waste Professor’s time for no reason.』

Having finished speaking in German, Jeong-woo turned to Jeremy.

『Shall we go, Professor? How about having a sandwich at the station before parting ways? I’ll treat you.』

Code: AF-5

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