TMFS Chapter 6 (Part 2)

It felt like she could sit somewhere and simply watch people pass by for hours.

It was like she had briefly stepped into a peaceful life.

Without realizing, Yoon stopped walking and stared at the people passing by.

Rachel looked at her in surprise when she came to a sudden stop. Then, smiling softly, she led Yoon to a nearby bench.

“Shall we come out and have fun like this sometimes?”

“…Sure.”

Yoon’s eyes gently curved.

Rachel smiled faintly and quietly watched the people walking by.

Yoon followed her gaze and observed them as well.

They sat in comfortable silence.

Then it happened.

“…There was someone I loved.”

At the sudden words, Yoon turned her head toward Rachel.

There was a faint smile at the corners of Rachel’s lips.

“It was the most brilliant moment of my life.”

Her eyes, reflecting on the past, shimmered under the city lights.

“To be honest, I’m pretty, right? And I’ve got skills too.”

At her playful words, Yoon let out a quiet laugh and gave a small nod.

Becoming the owner of such a big bar at a young age was no easy feat.

“Since I run a bar, I’ve had all sorts of crazy people hit on me.

Men often get the wrong idea.

They think a pretty woman who runs a bar must be selling more than just drinks.”

A bitter smile formed at the corners of Rachel’s mouth.

It was the first time Yoon had seen such a cold expression on her.

“At first, I thought he was just another one of those creeps.

But whenever I went to where he’d sat, there was always a piece of paper with my face drawn on it.”

Yoon quietly listened to her voice.

“I couldn’t throw them away. The me in the drawings was just too beautiful to toss in the trash.

All that time, he never once said a word to me… he just came, drew, and left.”

A gentle smile returned to Rachel’s lips.

“If it was intentional, then it worked.

Before I knew it, I started waiting for him.

One day, he came again, and that time I approached him first.

I asked if he was the one who had drawn the pictures of me.

He nodded shyly, and for some reason, I felt this ticklish flutter in my chest.

I found myself interested in him.

That day, we talked a lot. Turns out, he was a photographer.

He’d wanted to ask if he could take my photo but was too afraid it would come off as hitting on me, so he never dared to speak to me.”

Even now, thinking about it, he was still an adorably shy man.

“He was so flustered and cute that I agreed.

So he started photographing me as his model.

We shot in all kinds of places, and the more we met, the deeper our feelings grew.

But no matter how long I waited, he never confessed.

It was obvious he liked me, but his lips were sealed shut.

Honestly, I was kind of offended.

No one had ever hesitated to confess to me before.”

As Rachel smiled wistfully, Yoon also raised the corners of her mouth.

“Just as I was starting to get tired, he invited me to his studio.

In the dim room, what I saw were photos of me, smiling brightly.

That’s when I realized how much he loved me.

And how much I loved him.”

A dreamy smile spread across Rachel’s face.

“My smiling face was so beautiful… I couldn’t help but know.

Ah, this is the expression I wear when I look at him.

So I kissed him first. I couldn’t hide those feelings anymore.”

Rachel’s eyes softened as she recalled the past.

“I really loved that slow, shy man.

After that, we became a very happy couple.”

“…Then why did you break up?”

Yoon asked gently.

Rachel’s smile faded.

“A painfully typical story.

Parents who didn’t approve of their precious son’s relationship, and the kindest son in the world.”

She let out a pained laugh.

“His family was from a political background.

I guess they didn’t like the idea of their daughter-in-law running a bar.

Famous people sometimes visited our place, after all.”

“Ah.”

Yoon let out a small sigh.

“I don’t resent him.

I knew how much he loved his family.

They were picture-perfect, like something out of a painting.

And it probably wasn’t easy for him to give that up.

So I just think of it this way:

He loved me… but he loved his family even more.”

Her expression was calm. Even when recalling past pain, she didn’t crumble… she was strong enough to endure it.

“Still, I don’t regret meeting him. He made me feel so many things I would’ve never known otherwise, and he loved me passionately. He was my youth. And for the rest of my life, he’ll be the one who reminds me of it.”

Even though the love had passed, the emotions from that time were still alive and breathing in her heart.

“It hurt, and it was hard… but even so, I still love love.”

Rachel smiled brightly and looked at Yoon with warm eyes.

“Someday, Yoon, you’ll feel this too. A day will come when the idea of being ‘moderate’ with someone doesn’t make sense. A day when, even while working, you’ll find yourself thinking about them, getting lost in those thoughts, doing silly things because you’re so into them.

A day when, even if your personalities are completely opposite, you’ll want to adjust and make it work because you like them that much. A day when you don’t want to live as just ‘me’ anymore… but as ‘us’.”

The breeze stirred Rachel’s hair as it fluttered in the wind.

“You might be scared when you feel it for the first time. But don’t run away. Because maybe… just maybe… that person is the reason you’re living this life.”

Her smile was both freeing and wistful.

Yoon silently gazed at Rachel.

The lighthearted, cheerful woman looked especially strong and resolute today.

Rachel stood up, brushed herself off, and gave Yoon a gentle smile.

“Alright, shall we go make peace now?”

Without a word, Yoon stood up.

Rachel’s words… don’t run away… had struck deep.

It was time to face him.

* * *

“Is there any progress on the experiment?”

A tall man looked coldly at the researcher.

“Oh, absolutely. Thanks to the test subjects you sent us, we’ve been able to conduct all the experiments we’d only dreamed of. As I mentioned, this new drug will cause addiction symptoms to appear much more quickly. Ah, and the strength enhancement experiment you were waiting for was also a success!”

“I see. Can I take a look?”

“Right this way.”

Everywhere they walked, machines of unknown purpose and dangerous-looking substances lined the path.

This place had long been where the Howard family’s researchers conducted various experiments.

It was a secret facility where illegal drugs were created and human testing took place.

“Ughhh…”

A sound, not quite human, echoed from within.

The place the researcher led him to was filled with countless people locked up.

Even children were among them, all staring blankly as if something inside them had come undone.

The adults were no different.

All of them, seemingly broken, lay on the floor scratching at it, completely unfocused.

The man walked through them with an expressionless face.

At the far end was a man whose whole body was bound. He too seemed to have lost all sense, his body limp and lifeless.

The researcher adjusted his glasses. Flipping through a chart, he opened his mouth hesitantly, as if disappointed.

“We succeeded in enhancing physical strength through the drug, but we haven’t been able to eliminate the subject’s ability to feel pain. And the muscle enhancement isn’t permanent over time, it causes severe damage… There are still quite a few areas that need improvement…”

Watching the man’s expression, the researcher let his words trail off. Sweat formed on his brow, worried he might be scolded for achieving so little despite the heavy support.

Contrary to his expectations, the man said nothing and simply stared at the test subject.

His expressionless black eyes were chilling.

“If we had an example, would that help with the experiment?”

“…An example?”

The researcher asked, puzzled. What kind of example did he mean?

“I’m asking if the experiment would progress if you had a person who couldn’t feel pain to test on directly.”

When the researcher didn’t immediately understand, the man’s sharp eyes flashed in irritation.

“F-Finding someone like that… won’t be easy.”

Congenital insensitivity to pain was an extremely rare condition. Probably only a handful of cases existed in the world. To bring someone like that in…?

As the researcher stared in disbelief, the man’s face twisted into a cold smile.

“When I ask you something, just answer. Don’t you dare question me.”

His harsh voice made it clear he was in no mood for disagreement.

Those piercing eyes looked ready to strangle him at any moment.

The researcher’s knees nearly buckled.

“Is it possible, or not?”

A large hand clamped down on the researcher’s shoulder.

The pressure felt like it might snap the bone, and the researcher cried out in panic.

“I-It’s possible! I’ll make it possible!!”

His voice trembled as if his life depended on it.

“Good. Then you’d better be ready to take responsibility for that.”

The researcher nodded furiously, nearly bowing with each motion.

Both the research and the experiments depended on his head staying attached to his body.

He still had so many experiments he wanted to conduct.

He couldn’t die here.

If he could really get a pain-insensitive subject to test on, he might achieve something on an entirely different level than before.

That thought chased away his fear, and a thrill began to rise deep in his chest.

Before he knew it, a mad grin had twisted across his face.

Lowell Howard, watching the researcher with a cold expression, pulled his lips into a stiff, deliberate smile.

Perhaps this time, he would finally get what he wanted.

* * *

Should I go in or not? Yoon had been stuck in that dilemma for ten minutes.

“What the hell am I doing?”

Even she thought it was ridiculous. Letting out a scoffing sigh, Yoon grabbed the doorknob, deciding it was better to get it over with. But before she could even apply pressure, the door suddenly swung open.

She was caught off guard by the door opening on its own. Lucas, stepping out, was equally surprised to see Yoon standing there.

“…You were here?”

Of course she was, you idiot. This is your office.

Yoon tried to smooth out the expression that threatened to crumple on her face and asked,

“Heading home?”

Lucas looked down at her with a complicated expression.

After a brief silence, Yoon shrugged like it didn’t matter and nodded toward the office.

“Go back in. I have something to say.”

She shoved a bottle of alcohol at him.

“You have glasses, right?”

In the end, Lucas silently stepped aside. Yoon didn’t hesitate to walk into the office.

Even as she sat on the couch and poured the drinks, an awkward air hung thick between them.

“I didn’t cook, since you told me not to. Just brought something.”

Yoon’s voice pierced the still silence.

A small spread of finger foods was laid out on the table—dishes Rachel had packed herself.

Once everything was set, silence fell again.

Neither of them spoke, and eventually Yoon let out a sigh.

“…Just say something. Say you’re angry or whatever. Just don’t ignore me like this.”

Her voice was firm, her expression cold, but he could tell she was hurt.

Something pricked in his chest. Lucas, staring at her with a troubled look, sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

How should he start? What was he supposed to say to her?

There was so much he wanted to say, but his mind was still a wreck, like a ruined battlefield.

When he still didn’t speak, Yoon tilted her head back and downed her drink.

It tasted bitter on her tongue today.

Just as she was about to knock back another, Lucas opened his mouth.

“Does your body… hurt…”

He stopped mid-sentence.

Their eyes met in the air.

He rubbed his forehead and made a pained face. It was the worst possible thing to say in such an awkward moment.

“…I mean…”

“It’s fine. I get it. You just said it wrong.”