Chemistry

3. Old steel(8)

* * *

A taxi stopped in a shopping area near Yeouido.

After paying and getting off, Song Boyeong looked around and pointed to a chicken and beer place with a sign that read “The End of the Pig.”

“There, that’s where the team dinner is.”

Jeong-woo, who followed behind her, asked, “Can I join in?”

“Of course. Dong-gil Senior said to bring Parachute.”

“I see, if the team leader called you, it means he trusts you.”

Song Boyeong hesitated, “What trust?”

“There is a senior colleague at the research institute who, whenever they ask to follow them, strange problems arise that I haven’t thought of.”

“Oh?”

“Uh, is that senior you?”

Feeling Jeong-woo’s sharp gaze, Song Boyeong avoided his eyes and opened the door to the chicken and beer place.

Jeong-woo followed in, smelling the savory fried batter and feeling his appetite stir.

“They’re in there.”

Inside, about twenty people were sitting around a large table.

‘They all seem to have high seniority.’

It was understandable since this gathering was a meeting of the flagship project team and the top researchers from Research Room 1 of the central research institute. Jeong-woo greeted them with a straightened waist since he had not had the opportunity to have a proper conversation with any of his senior colleagues.

“Hello, I’m intern Han Jeong-woo!”

Everyone who had been chattering away with full force turned their heads to him.

“Isn’t that the intern from the news earlier?”

“That’s right, that intern.”

Amidst the murmurs, Team 1 leader Lee Dong-gil raised his hand.

“Song Boyeong! Come quickly with Han Jeong-woo!”

“Sure thing, Mr. Parachute.”

Jeong-woo, who had ended up sitting next to Dong-gil, cautiously looked around wondering what was going on. Research Room 1 director Oh Seung-ju was also sitting next to him.

‘Why did they call me? There aren’t even any public recruits.’

Dong-gil, who was smiling slyly, gave off the feeling of looking at someone who had followed an elite course and had steadily risen to success within the upper class.

Jeong-woo had heard rumors that he had even earned a PhD from a famous American university.

Dong-gil asked Jeong-woo, who had taken a seat, “Soju? Beer?”

“Oh, I haven’t eaten yet, so…”

“Then just get beer. We don’t force anyone to drink at our gatherings, so drink within your limit. What about Boyeong? A bomb?”

“I need to fill my stomach first. I’ll just have beer too.”

Jeong-woo was taken aback by Boyeong’s appearance, which made it seem like she should be drinking carbonated juice instead.

While staring blankly at the beer being filled in his glass, Dong-gil asked, “Did you work well with Yujin Chemical?”

“Yes.”

“I know Director Yoon Jae-gil a little bit. It couldn’t have been that easy, could it?”

Since Dong-gil’s question was directed at Jeong-woo, he answered without much thought, “It wasn’t that difficult.”

Dong-gil chuckled and took a sip of soju before turning to Oh Seung-joo sitting next to him. “What do you think about Seung-joo senior? You were really surprised earlier.”

A man in his late thirties with shaky eyes looked at Jeong-woo once and casually replied, “He did well.”

“Wow, you’re cool. If this intern had made a big mistake, wouldn’t Seung-joo senior have been in trouble too?”

Jeong-woo was taken aback by the mention of trouble. Oh Seung-joo put down his soju glass and turned his head to Dong-gil.

“Don’t scare the intern with unnecessary words. Boyeong must have taken care of it properly. She didn’t do the research alone.”

Song Boyeong looked out the window and took a sip of beer, pretending not to hear anything. Despite her claim of being helpful, she had only followed Jeong-woo around.

“Mr. Han Jeong-woo, listen without misunderstanding.”

The warm smile on Dong-gil’s face suddenly turned cold as he spoke.

“What you did today was a pretty risky thing to do. Even if we ignore the absurd assurance you made at the press conference, there must be a clear reason to put KG Chemical’s name on it. But I didn’t see that justification in you.”

“You’re saying I shouldn’t do anything that I can’t take responsibility for, right?”

“That’s right. You catch on quickly. I hope you will be more careful in the future when you do something like this.”

Jeong-woo nodded his head.

Despite whatever reason there may be, he was somewhat confident that he had worked with Yoon Jae-gil today.

With the eyes that can see the microcosm, he can push forward with confidence no matter what he does.

‘I can see things that they can’t see comfortably.’

This is a tremendous power for a chemist.

The atmosphere of the company dinner became deeper as it approached 8 pm.

Senior research colleagues had also joined Jeong-woo at his side.

“Jeong-woo’s story during the weekly meeting was really funny.”

“Team Leader Jung’s temperament is no joke, but he becomes a yes-man in front of Dr. Shin.”

Jeong-woo laughed along with his seniors and took a sip of beer. He had probably drunk four bottles without realizing it due to the intoxicating atmosphere.

‘They say that company connections start from company dinners.’

He now somewhat understood the complaints and bragging of his university classmates who had successfully landed a job this summer.

However, the good thing was that his senior colleagues in the company seemed to have little prejudice, unlike the new hires who had kept an eye on him.

Perhaps the fact that they had successfully finished their work with Yujin Chemicals today had shown that he was a reliable researcher.

“Hey, Boyeong is drunk. Someone stop her. She was carried out last time.”

Jeong-woo’s gaze turned to Song Boyeong as his senior colleague next to him mentioned her. She was chatting happily with female researchers around the table and seemed to have drunk quite a bit.

“Sure, Song Boyeong here! I’ll sing a song.”

“No one asked you to.”

“One, two~ please give me a beat!”

“Quiet down, will you! You’re being obnoxious.”

Jeong-woo bit his tongue silently. Although it was usually right that the youngest member would leave first after being forced to sing a song under the influence of alcohol, the senior colleagues here were begging them to be quiet.

“Jeong-woo, how is the planning evaluation going?”

At the senior colleague’s question next to him, Oh Seung-ju, who had been quietly tilting his soju glass on the opposite side, also looked at Jeong-woo with interest.

“I’m just thinking about simple items. Probably related to synthetic resin…”

The list of research that he had organized on his laptop crossed Jeong-woo’s mind. His answer was straightforward as he had entered all the basic materials in the field, which was the main job of the company.

“There are many interesting products made of polyurethane provided by KG Chemicals. From mattresses, adhesives, bicycle saddles to ski boots and artificial heart valves.”

“Oh, artificial heart valves. Wasn’t that the project that Senior Seung-ju did?”

At the words of the senior colleague next to him, Oh Seung-ju nodded briefly.

Jeong-woo was surprised by Seungju’s behavior throughout the company dinner. Seungju usually became quiet after drinking alcohol.

When the most senior colleague at the table stepped back a bit, the atmosphere became more relaxed. It was a drinking party where they didn’t have to worry about their boss’s judgment.

The colleague sitting next to Jeong-woo tapped him on the shoulder.

“Good luck with your project. But, from my experience as a newcomer, just having a bright idea doesn’t necessarily mean it will be developed into a project. Upper management prefers more practical ideas, so don’t be too disappointed if it doesn’t work out.”

“Isn’t it common for an idea to be adopted?”

“Almost never. Can you present a new research topic in front of PhDs? Oh, I heard that a researcher named Moon Chae-eun at the pharmaceutical bioscience center started her research as soon as she joined. She’s so talented that even the responsible researcher can’t criticize her.”

Jeong-woo chuckled and said, “I know how that feels,” but the colleague didn’t seem to catch on.

Thinking of something, Jeong-woo sent a message to Dr. Moon, asking if he had to work tomorrow.

[According to company regulations, working on weekends is restricted unless it’s for a specific research project.]

“Oh!”

When I asked the senior colleague next to me, I learned that it actually looks suspicious when a researcher who is not participating in the project walks around the research center on a holiday.

They say that when you work, you should work, and when you rest, you should rest, because it leads to more creative results or something like that.

‘It’s a satisfying end to a surprisingly productive day.’

Jeong-woo smiled happily and sipped his beer. Then he casually looked to his left and flinched.

Song Boyeong was staring right at him, and he didn’t even notice when she came.

“Oh, it’s a surprise. Weren’t you singing just now?”

“Senior Jeonghee said he would kill me if I continued, so I ran away.”

Jeong-woo looked at the table in the middle and saw Senior Researcher Sim Jeonghee gesturing to him that Boyeong was talking too much. Jeong-woo picked up a chicken wing from the oven.

“Are you hungry, senior?”

“No…munch.”

Boyeong’s eyes widened as she ate the chicken that Jeong-woo handed her. Having successfully completed his mission, Jeong-woo gave a thumbs up to Sim Jeonghee.

Song Boyeong, who was gnawing on chicken wings, squeezed herself in between Jeong-woo and another senior and placed an empty beer glass on the table.

“Can I have a drink?”

“Haven’t you had a lot already?”

“Today’s drink is particularly sweet. And I’m a strong one, you know?”

She sent a warm smile. In the morning, he thought it was a fake smile, but now it seemed like it was just Song Boyeong’s natural smile.

“I always drink alcohol intensely until the end. I’m afraid I’ll feel down if I drink half-heartedly.”

Despite having had a lot to drink, her pronunciation wasn’t slurring, so Jeong-woo poured her a beer.

As he started pouring, Song Boyeong suddenly lifted her glass and exclaimed, “Oh!”

“You have to leave room for soju.”

“Are we going to keep drinking soju? The alcohol is really strong.”

“Mix it in moderation.”

“Okay.”

As Jeong-woo poured soju into the glass, he was surprised. The transparent liquid in the glass gradually expanded, revealing the inner compounds.

“The composition of soju is simple.”

Mostly alcohol and water. He tried to lose interest since the molecular structure wasn’t that fascinating. However, he was captivated by the movement of one compound that was connected like a chain.

Aspartame.

An artificial sweetener that produces a sweet taste.

It was floating in the soju, shaking as if it were speaking to him.

Jeong-woo guessed that the molecules of aspartame shook because of the force of pouring the soju. However, the other compounds were still stable.

‘Why is it showing off like this?’

Did it hear his thoughts?

All the aspartame molecules in the glass vibrated at once. It was like a temptation, saying, “Have another drink.”

‘I can’t get too drunk here since there are many seniors around. If I get too drunk, I act like a dog a little bit. I take after my dad.’

As he pretended to convey his intentions by tapping the glass with his fingers, something happened.

Most of the aspartame molecules vibrated in the body and transformed their structure in an opposite form, as if being reflected in a mirror.

‘What, what is it?’

“Oh my, why aren’t you following?”

Song Boyeong poured the soju glass onto the beer glass. She stirred it and immediately raised her hand.

“Cheers!”

Song Boyeong clinked her glass with Jeong-woo’s beer glass and took a sip of the shandy.

And then,

“Puu!” She spat out what she had just swallowed on the floor with a scream.

“Ow, why does it taste like this? Why is so bitter?”

Jeong-woo tilted his head as he looked at the aspartame molecules mixed with the beer.

‘Did I just move the molecules for real? Am I drunk?’

Aspartame is an isomer composed of two amino acids. The left form tastes sweet, while the right form tastes bitter.

There were clearly many right-handed aspartame molecules in the shandy, making it bitter.

Jeong-woo recalled this fact and tapped Song Boyeong’s beer glass again, just in case. The aspartame molecules that had changed structure quickly reverted to their original form.

‘Is, is it real?’

The senior colleague next to them grimaced as Song Boyeong spit out her drink.

“Boyeong, are you drunk? Take a taxi and go home quickly. Do you want to embarrass yourself in front of your junior?”

“No, senior. The alcohol tastes strange.”

“You can’t blame the drink for your strange behavior.”

“But it’s really weird.”

“Let me see.”

Song Boyeong poured some of her beer into her senior’s glass. After taking a sip, he laughed and said, “It tastes good.”

“But it’s not. It tasted strange….”

Song Boyeong tasted it again.

“Oh? It’s not bitter?”

“You’re out of your mind. Go home quickly.”

Jeong-woo cleared his throat after seeing the scene. There was evidence that the molecules had indeed changed.

‘Once again.’

He poured some soju into an empty glass and touched it with his finger before sipping it.

“Cough.”

Unable to swallow the bitter taste, Jeong-woo grabbed his throat. The alcohol woke him up instantly.

If soju tastes like poison, the liquor industry in our country is in big trouble.

“Why are you acting like a paratrooper?”

“No, it’s nothing. Sorry, senior.”

Song Boyeong looked at Jeong-woo with a puzzled expression, not understanding the reference to a paratrooper.

“See you all on Monday!”

The dinner ended exactly at 10 pm. As they said their goodbyes at the entrance of the pub, Song Boyeong walked out onto the street to catch a taxi.

“Hey, Song. I called a driver, can I give you a ride?”

As Lee Dong-gil approached her, Song Boyeong lowered her head.

“Senior. I know about everything grandfather asked you to take care of. It’s all just a burden, so please stop.”

“Wow, you only know one side Song and not the other.”

“What do you mean?”

“What the chairman said is correct, but what I’m doing is not showing concern, it’s showing interest. You know, between a man and a woman. Can’t you feel it?”

Song Boyeong widened her eyes.

“No way. We have a 10-year age gap.”

“Is that a problem?”

“You should date someone who’s not generations apart. And why would I, who has more money than you, date an old guy?”

“Wow, you’re straightforward.”

“I have no intention of dating anyone right now. Let’s just forget this conversation.”

Dong-gil shrugged, knowing he had been rejected.

“I think you’re not making a good judgment because you’re drunk. Let’s talk about it next time.”

“I wasn’t that drunk. The taste of the alcohol was just weird, so I stopped drinking in the middle.”

“Okay, forget it. The driver is here. I’m going.”

As Dong-gil waved and hurried away, Song Boyeong looked at him with a puzzled expression. Then she noticed Han Jeong-woo, who was standing among the other senior colleagues.

“Jeong-woo, your interview was really funny. You should have seen the other seniors’ faces turning stiff. They were clearly worried.”

“I’m sorry. I was trying to be confident.”

“No, no. I like that kind of enthusiasm. We need researchers at Jungyeon who are that confident. Most of the others are too inactive because they’re always stuck in the lab.”

Song Boyeong touched her scarf, realizing she still had it on and had not returned it.

“Listen well and do well in the planning evaluation.”

“I received a lot of help from the senior colleagues. Thank you!”

As Jeong-woo greeted with a bow, Song Boyeong approached him quietly and spoke.

“You seem to have become close with the senior colleagues quickly.”

Jeong-woo turned around and looked at Song Boyeong.

“You haven’t left yet? I thought you went home because Senior Jeonghee chased you out earlier.”

“That was just a joke.”

“No, it wasn’t. His eyes weren’t joking.”

“I did apologize to him when I went out.”

Jeong-woo laughed and his cheeks turned red, indicating that he had had a bit too much to drink. Looking up at his tall stature, Song Boyeong spoke cautiously.

“Um… About that strange senior you mentioned earlier.”

“Oh, him.”

“If he asks you to go somewhere again, will you go?”

“I’ll see.”

“Oh, and this.”

Song Boyeong took off her scarf and handed it to him.

“You used it to keep warm. I’ll treat you to a cup of coffee later.”

“I like coffee. As long as you don’t have any other intentions.”

“Oh, should I treat you to a meal instead? I think I should.”

“Coffee is fine.”

“Okay.”

Song Boyeong had given up on asking about Dr. Cheon’s story by now.

As they waited for a taxi, Jeong-woo asked her.

“By the way, Senior. Do you have any samples left of the preliminary coating agent? I want to paint the front gate. It’s an old iron gate that’s severely corroded.”

“There are no more in the lab, but there might be some at the Cheongju factory… No, wait. I might have brought some home for research purposes. Do you want me to give it to you?”

Jeong-woo nodded his head. Meanwhile, the taxi arrived and honked its horn on the street.

“If you give me your address, I’ll send it to you by courier. Please give me your phone number.”

After taking down the number, Song Boyeong said goodbye and got in the taxi.

“Where are you headed, miss?”

“Near Hwagae Station.”

She entered the just-gotten number into her phone’s address book and named it “Han Jeong-woo,” deleting the earlier “Mr. Parachute” nickname she had given him.

‘Come to think of it, we’re the same age, right? Twenty-six. The generation gap wouldn’t be too big…’

As Song Boyeong pondered to herself, she watched Jeong-woo’s figure recede into the distance outside the window.

code: AF-12

case: Molecular Communication Network

research: When a certain stimulus is received in the body (e.g. alcohol), particles that affect other molecules are generated at the fingertips. It is estimated to be colorless and odorless.