Chemistry

1. Once in a blue moon(2)

As knowledge that he never knew before was mentioned naturally in the conversation he had unwittingly pulled out, Jeong-woo’s eyes widened.

“Now you understand, right?” Dr. Moon asked, looking at the spot where he had received the injection. A small tremor that started in his arm spread throughout his body.

“What the heck is this…?”

It was like knowledge was automatically transmitted through his nerves as if it had been loaded into his brain like a specialized book. Jeong-woo had never taken any classes related to chemistry before.

“What did you do to me?”

“Just what you see.”

Dr. Moon’s face showed a hint of a smile, confirming that the treatment had actually worked on Jeong-woo.

“So, you can just inject someone else’s knowledge and transfer it to me?”

“That’s not exactly the method, but the concept is similar.”

This was insane. Despite a reflexive chuckle, Jeong-woo was unable to continue speaking due to the shock of actually experiencing it.

“The knowledge that comes to your mind, Han Jeong-woo, is only a small part of it. It’s at the level of a book that anyone can pick up at a bookstore.”

Dr. Moon pointed outside.

“Shall we finish the rest of the conversation in the VIP lounge at AN Hospital, where the car is ready?”

Dr. Moon placed her document bag on the table and took out a medicine bottle from inside. She opened the lid and put one pill on the makeshift table.

Jeong-woo’s gaze became wary when he saw the blue jelly-like substance in the transparent capsule.

“What is this?”

“You could call it the original ‘AF-12’ that was administered during the day. You can get much more stable knowledge than the dilution solution. Oh, and it’s also excellent in terms of nutrition.”

Jeong-woo’s expression changed as he briefly thought about the reason for the existence of the blue pill.

It seemed like a recruitment notice to find a specific person. This was definitely not an ordinary clinical trial.

“So, what do you want me to do with this dangerous pill? Is this a human experiment? Anatomy, perhaps?”

“Dangerous? Not at all. ‘AF-12’ is 100% safe. If you’re worried about any potential side effects, I can attach a document guaranteeing compensation for any pharmacological side effects through the legal team.”

“Regardless of any guarantees, I’m not the kind of person who can accept such a chilling experience so easily…”

“We want to hire you, Jeong-woo.”

“What did you say?”

He thought he might have misheard.

“Please join KG Chemicals, Jeong-woo.”

It was a magical proposal that immediately deflated Jeong-woo’s enthusiasm to run out of the lounge.

“This clinical trial was conducted to hire a practical researcher for KG Chemicals’ research project. The salary is specified in the contract, so please check it. However, the position starts from an intern since you have no relevant experience in this field.”

Employment. Hiring. Salary.

As a first-year university graduate, these were words that couldn’t help but make Jeong-woo’s heart flutter.

It had been a busy year with job interviews. In the end, he hadn’t been able to overcome the big wall of getting a job.

In fact, was this even a part-time job he had found to relieve his mother’s burden as he faced joining the ranks of job seekers, where every day felt like a war?

Jeong-woo’s mind was racing faster than ever.

After all, in negotiations, the one holding the knife has the upper hand.

Even though it was an employment offer from a big company like KG Chemicals, if it was a contract position, it only had meaning in terms of building experience.

Without even looking at the documents that Dr. Moon had handed him, Jeong-woo said, “Contract position? What about my future? Do you know how much time I have left to do whatever you ask me to do?”

Actually, if he couldn’t get a job next year, he still had time.

Maintaining his poker face with a “I’m too busy” attitude, Jeong-woo waited for Dr. Moon’s response with his heart pounding.

“Well, it’s an offer that didn’t consider Han Jeong-woo’s circumstances. I’m sorry about that.”

‘Did I go too far?’

“We’ll raise the proposed salary by 20%. This is the best condition we can offer. What we need is someone special who can actually absorb ‘AF-12.’ You’ve just proven that you can do it. But you must remember that because of the nature of the work, if you can’t adapt and withdraw early, the legal team will make a claim for damages. Including the cost of conducting the suspended clinical trial.”

Jeong-woo’s gaze turned to the contract as the words “20% increase” caught his attention.

“I haven’t accepted yet, but…”

As he looked for the salary clause, Jeong-woo had to swallow his saliva.

100 million.

‘Come in as an intern!’ they said.

The salary was a whopping 100 million won.

With a 20% increase, they would receive an enormous monthly salary of 10 million won.

This was not the amount a newbie just entering the company would receive. Even if they received a supply of chemical knowledge through medicine, wouldn’t there be many doctoral and master’s degree holders in a large company?

“This blue pill is for stable knowledge supply. What does that even mean?”

“Will you understand if I explain it?”

Dr. Moon held out the blue pill to Jeong-woo. After looking at her once, he was conflicted.

“Should I take it?”

He kept glancing at the salary clause in the contract.

There’s no business like money, fear, and greed. And so, Jeong-woo accepted the blue pill.

He swallowed the blue pill without water.

Did about ten seconds pass?

“Huh.”

He tried to endure it boldly, but the fierce heat that dug into his stomach made his heart sink.

“Why is this happening? It feels like I swallowed boiling water.”

“It’s just a simple exothermic reaction that occurs as the pill is absorbed. There’s nothing to be surprised about.”

The process of the molecules inside the capsule finding their own way and scattering throughout the body, transmitted through the nerves and delivered to the senses, was a strange and new experience.

Suddenly, the continuous heat in his stomach disappeared.

“How do you feel?”

Dr. Moon casually asked for his impression.

‘What kind of medicine did you take to make you feel so energetic?’

DNA molecules containing specific information have spread throughout his body. A chemical network has been established on a cellular level.

As he objectively analyzed this phenomenon, his own mind was bewildered and yet fascinated.

“Um, I’m not sure. I feel like some knowledge I didn’t know is coming to mind, but as for a big feeling…”

As Jeong-woo answered, he witnessed a strange sight.

It feels like looking at a precise microscope as Dr. Moon’s face rapidly comes closer. Is it because of the feeling of being sucked into her transparent and deep-looking eyes?

Jeong-woo blinked and refocused his eyes, wondering if he saw wrong. He had to swallow a groan when he realized that her skin was now being observed even more intricately, instead of improving his vision.

This was a phenomenon that couldn’t be explained simply by having good eyesight. Jeong-woo tried to make a rational conclusion that it might be an illusion.

‘What’s going on?’

But this was only the beginning.

Dr. Moon’s skin, which was expanding as if being sucked in, now occupied the entire field of vision like watching a large TV screen. It was as if it would overwhelm Jeong-woo’s sight like the screen size of a movie theater.

‘Ah…’

Jeong-woo was captivated by the awe-inspiring sight.

The sky viewed from the giant earth of the skin texture.

Something shining like a star up there.

When he realized that it might be information about an atomic nucleus rather than something sparkling, he even forgot that this was a strange phenomenon caused by taking “AF-12.”

What would a space astronaut feel when he first reached the unknown space stretching out above him?

Meanwhile, Dr. Moon pulled out another document and handed it to Jeong-woo.

“This is a security-related agreement. Please read it carefully. I’ll point out the parts you must comply with.”

Dr. Moon’s approach.

Thanks to her, her skin felt even more vast like an open space.

“Mr. Han Junwoo?”

The element information of iron [Fe] was added to the star that continued to shine on her skin. Oxygen [O], another element, approached it, and they began to orbit each other’s paths in harmony.

Elemental. That’s probably what it should be called.

“… Mr. Han Jeong-woo. Why are you like that? Did something get on my cheek?”

Dr. Moon cocked her head at Junwoo’s gaze, which stared at himself intently.

At her repeated call, Jeong-woo witnessed the spectacle taking place in a very small world, becoming semi-transparent and connecting with the real world.

‘Um…’

Jeong-woo, who suddenly came to his senses, hastily replied.

“I see something strange on Dr. Moon’s skin.”

“What do you see?”

“Fe, O….”

“What did you say?”

Dr. Moon gave a cold glance, as if she had found a pimple.

“That’s what I see.”

The fascinating combination shown by the two elements was only the beginning. In the world above the skin surface, there were countless stars. These elements had their own orbits and followed certain rules.

“The trajectories of ‘Fe’ and ‘O’ look like iron oxide. ‘Si’ is paired with two ‘O’, so it’s silicon dioxide. If there are two ‘C’, four ‘H’, and three ‘O’, it’s glycolic acid?”

Jeong-woo started with the visible combinations. Dr. Moon’s face showed confusion as she listened to the answer.

“Isn’t that a cosmetic ingredient?”

“A cosmetic?”

In the midst of the confusing feeling of looking into the universe, one thing he could be sure of was that Dr. Moon’s skin was glowing white due to the shining elements.

“I see. Oh, I understand.”

The chemical information overlaid on Dr. Moon’s facial contours. Jeong-woo could read it intuitively, like looking at a traffic sign on the street.

“….Iron oxide and silicon dioxide are attached to the wrinkles next to the eyes, scattering light. Oh, it covers the creases seamlessly.”

Dr. Moon’s face turned red with embarrassment as Jeong-woo talked about the chemical action of wrinkle cream, as if it were not a cosmetic.

“I didn’t apply any!”

“I can see it.”

“What do you see? Don’t make strange remarks just because some knowledge comes to your mind. And do you know the skin condition of a woman who worked overtime for two days after returning the car last weekend, Mr. Han Jeong-woo?”

Dr. Moon’s eyebrow trembled in a confused manner at the seemingly applied but not applied makeup technique. She had thought it wouldn’t be noticeable.

At that moment, Jeong-woo was more interested in the reaction of the other worlds rather than Dr. Moon’s reaction.

“It’s amazing no matter how many times I look at it.”

Dr. Moon raised her eyebrows at Jeong-woo’s muttering.

“What exactly are you looking at?”

“I’m not sure. This seems like something that Dr. Moon should know better?”

“Not everyone can experience the effects of ‘AF-12’ like Jeong-woo does.”

While watching the sight of glycosan particles gently enveloping the skin, Jeong-woo asked Dr. Moon.

“What exactly is this genetic knowledge contained in the drug?”

“It can be considered the personal knowledge of a certain authority figure in molecular biology.”

“Like Dr. Moon?”

“No, I’m just a doctor who deals with related matters, not a chemist. However, it’s true that the owner of that knowledge is a very special chemist, who is quite different from ordinary people.”

As she spoke, Jeong-woo became even more curious.

“I’d like to meet the source provider of this drug.”

“That’s unlikely to happen. Just follow the contract and achieve results. Please make sure to check the contract.”

“Are you not working for the company?”

“I have no obligation to explain others’ circumstances. Jeong-woo doesn’t need to understand those circumstances either.”

Dr. Moon’s polite and business-like tone made Jeong-woo feel like he couldn’t ask again.

He shifted his gaze away from her cheek that he had been focusing on and watched as the trajectories of the elements, which had looked like a fantasy, disappeared like melting snow.

‘What should I call this? A chemist’s insight?’

It was an experience where his perspective on the world changed through the eyes of a molecular biologist. Just that alone made Jeong-woo’s heart beat heavily.

He couldn’t explain it, but he felt like he could do something great and amazing with ease.

“Dr. Moon.”

“Yes?”

“Where should I sign?”

Jeong-woo picked up a pen and signed his name in the visible signature field.

“Did you not read it carefully?”

“I’ll check it later. It’s not like it’s a slave contract. Wait, am I enslaved?”

“You were acting like a new person earlier.”

“Right. Did my liver grow because of the drug?”

Jeong-woo was interested in Dr. Moon’s hidden wrinkles and added a word based on the knowledge that came to mind.

“The problem of rough skin can’t be covered just by the scattering effect of light. Don’t we need a more fundamental solution? We need to remove the aging keratin… the skin wasteland, ah, no, I mean…”

Crunch.

Jeong-woo paused at the sound of the plastic pen cap breaking.

“Stop there.”

Smooth skin is a woman’s pride. In the terrifying gaze of Doctor Moon, who was not like before, Jeong-woo had to cough and turn his head.

Application form, non-disclosure agreement, hundreds of related contracts and agreements.

After finishing what seemed like an endless pile of documents, Jeong-woo asked with only the final signature left to go, “When do I start?”

“As soon as possible, if you could.”

Jeong-woo glanced at one clause at the end of the contract.

“This contract takes effect immediately upon signing.”

Although there were countless other clauses that he needed to ponder over due to his limited understanding, one thing was clear: the sooner he started, the sooner he would get paid.

“Starting today would be fine?”

“Sure, if that’s okay with you.”

Doctor Moon’s questioning gaze suggested concern for his fatigue. Jeong-woo didn’t want to appear weak in front of her, especially after working overtime for two days straight over the weekend.

“Since it’s already Monday, let’s start fresh.”

After signing the final contract with flourish, Jeong-woo handed it to Doctor Moon.

“Here you go. Should I start at nine?”

Doctor Moon scrutinized the signature and put the contract in her briefcase. Then she spoke quietly.

“Eight.”

“Excuse me?”

Jeong-woo asked, thinking he may have misheard.

“It’s already five in the morning, and it’s going to be tight to get back home in time… Have you ever seen a company where interns arrive on time? It may be a different workplace, but when I was an intern, I had no concept of going home.”

Her answer was merciless.

Jeong-woo tried to console himself with the thought that it was the end of the situation, but he wasn’t sure if his attitude had changed.

“I’ll give you a ride before it’s too late.”

Doctor Moon quickly finished organizing and stood up from her chair.

Jeong-woo hastily picked up the pile of contracts stacked on the table and followed behind her.

Code: AF-12

Case: A Chemist’s Insight

Research: When activated, the neurons in the brain are reconstructed to match the DNA of a molecular biologist. Knowledge and senses are heavily influenced.