Chapter 30 ….
“Starting today, the meal assignments will change.”
“Pardon? But I still have five days left…”
The moment she was about to question it, a memory surfaced.
‘How dare trash like you raise your head without permission?’
Acelia paused mid-sentence, recalling how she had once been slapped just for looking at the deputy director while answering Ivan.
Noticing her reaction, Ivan let out a sigh.
“I’ve already contacted Z-898. You’ll probably be reassigned. Just endure it until then.”
“Ah… yes. I’m sorry.”
At her meek response, Ivan looked at her with pity and patted her shoulder.
“Um… I’d at least like to say goodbye. Would that be difficult?”
She spoke in a very small voice, encouraged by Ivan’s relatively kind attitude. But knowing that even this might be part of the deputy director’s plan, he couldn’t answer immediately.
“You’ve gotten close.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. Just… be careful.”
Acelia felt grateful yet guilty that Ivan treated her well, perhaps because he too had once been an A-grade before becoming a researcher. If it had been the deputy director—or any other researcher—her cheek would not have survived the conversation.
“For now… fine. I’ll let you say goodbye.”
“Thank you.”
Ivan didn’t know how far the deputy director’s calculations extended, but he had to admit it was impressive that he had predicted Acelia’s reaction to the reassignment. They had only met a handful of times—and she was merely an A-grade who could be discarded at any moment—yet the prediction had been this precise.
“You might not be able to see him while he’s in his right mind. Is that still okay?”
“…Yes.”
Even if he wasn’t sane, she still wanted to say goodbye. Once the assignment changed, they would never meet again.
Another A-grade would deliver his meals. She likely wouldn’t see him for years.
Still, she had grown quite close to him, and with the reassignment, things would deviate significantly from the original storyline. If he went berserk and destroyed the laboratory, maybe—just maybe—he wouldn’t kill her out of old affection.
Reminding herself there was nothing she could do anyway, Acelia decided to think positively.
Besides, she remembered how he wished everything between them would turn out to be a dream. Maybe it was better this way.
That night—
“Come out.”
“Thank you, Researcher Ivan.”
Ivan had truly come to fetch her. Starting tomorrow morning, Acelia would be assigned to a different grade’s meals.
“Z-898 says he doesn’t want you handling anyone’s meals.”
“Ah… yes…”
“Why not just ask Z-898? With his position, it’d be easy for him to demand anything.”
Acelia remembered stubbornly insisting that she wanted to stay by Kalisten’s side until the reassignment went through. Once this ended, she would be removed from meal duty anyway.
“I can endure five days.”
She gave a bitter smile. Ivan sighed and patted her shoulder again. Unbeknownst to her, Ivan felt she resembled a friend he had once lost, and that was why he couldn’t treat her harshly.
Beep.
Before she knew it, they were standing in front of Kalisten’s door. Ivan opened it.
“Do your best. I’ll come back in ten minutes.”
“Thank you.”
The door closed with another beep. Acelia turned toward Kalisten.
He appeared physically unharmed this time, as if the experiment had been a mild one. Still, he looked dazed, like someone drugged.
“Kal, I came because I have something to say.”
He wasn’t bound in restraints, though the faint clinking of metal suggested he had been near them.
Acelia watched as he approached her blankly. He looked neater than usual, and she thought he seemed relatively fine.
“Kal.”
“Acelia.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
Though she felt sad about parting, she also felt a strange relief—like she was finally stepping away from constant danger.
“What do you mean?”
The moment she saw his previously vacant eyes turn sharp, she realized she had made a mistake.
“Ah… I—I mean…”
“Acelia.”
His crimson eyes gleamed as he advanced on her.
“Today’s the last day. We won’t be seeing each other anymore.”
“What are you talking about?”
He had been injected with hallucinogens, as usual, along with truth serum—and—
A stimulant.
His body was burning with fever, far hotter than usual. But since he naturally ran warm, he didn’t realize anything was wrong. And so many drugs had already been administered that he could no longer judge properly.
“My assignment changed… I’ll be handling another grade’s meals.”
“Who decided that?”
“Ugh… Kal?”
Kalisten thought this, too, must be a dream. Reassignments only happened when an A-grade died. And besides, hadn’t he already—
‘Make Acelia my handler. Then I’ll cooperate quietly.’
He had made that deal with the deputy director.
He believed that since he had obeyed so far, the deputy director would keep his word. And he had shown considerable progress in awakening.
Kalisten didn’t know much about awakening—only that there were stages, and that he had been progressing properly.
“Did you ask for this?”
“It hurts.”
Acelia looked at Kalisten gripping her wrist tightly. Fear crept in, and she tried to pull away.
He released her immediately.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Kal…”
“Yeah?”
“We probably really won’t see each other again. So… could you forgive me for what I said before?”
“What are you talking about?”
She had felt guilty about snapping at him before. But he didn’t even remember.
“I’m an A-grade, and I talked back to you.”
“When?”
“I told you it was all a dream… and stuff.”
“Why are you apologizing for that? You can say anything. I…”
His lips moved slightly. Acelia watched him, her expression distant. He desperately wished this truly was a dream.
“Your feelings matter to me. How you think and what you feel—it’s all important.”
“But…”
“It’s a dream. Stop.”
He said it because anything he might say would only hurt her.
“Right. It’s a dream.”
With that resigned murmur, Acelia stepped closer. Close enough that only a finger’s width separated them. She looked up at him.
“I’m going to miss you every day.”
“…Kal.”
“I’ll miss the meals you bring me every day. I’ll miss the way you put me to sleep.”
“Kalisten.”
“So don’t push me away even in my dreams. It’s enough that you do it in reality.”
As he said that, he brushed her ear. The sensation made her ear tingle, and she stared up at him, entranced by his gaze.
“Kal, we kissed yesterday.”
“I know. We’ll do it again. Open your mouth.”
Unsure whether it was a command or a plea, she hesitated—then closed her eyes as he drew closer.
Warm lips landed softly on her eyelids. Startled, she opened her eyes—only for his lips to press against the bridge of her nose this time.
“It’s a dream.”
Saying that, he unclasped the magnet of the necklace at the back of her neck. Her hair fell long and loose. He gathered it in his hand, lifting her face toward him.
“If you don’t want this, bite me. I’ll stop.”
“Ah…”
Before she could answer, his lips captured hers.
“Don’t you like it?”
She turned her face slightly, breaking the kiss.
“No, it’s just…”
Looking down at her with a crestfallen expression, he took her hand. Their fingers intertwined, locking together so she couldn’t escape. She felt like a rabbit caught in a trap.
The man before her resembled a black panther.
“I don’t like it because I think I’ll miss you even more.”
At that, he pulled her into an embrace. His body was scorching hot, but she didn’t mind. Perhaps ever since she had fallen into icy water before, she had begun to long for warmth. Without realizing it, she wrapped her arms around his back.
“I’ll try to come back, Kal.”
“Don’t go.”
“I’ll work hard and come see you.”
“I said don’t go.”
He tightened his arms around her. She tried to pull away, but the drugs clouding his mind made it hard for him to think clearly.
“When you see me again… don’t kill me. Okay?”
“How could I ever kill you?”
He loosened his hold slightly to look at her, trying to understand her meaning.
“Just in case. You might forget me someday.”
“I will never forget you.”
“…But if…”
Every word from her lips sounded unbearably reckless. He wanted to silence her again.
But this time—
“Mm…”
Acelia kissed him first.
