Reunion and Formation
The afternoon after the reunion and team formation, a Murim Agency vehicle pulled up in front of Garam Bio Headquarters. The building they faced still carried the lingering impression of the signals and observation posts discovered beneath the Jongro Redevelopment Area the previous night, yet it felt entirely different—an extension of the same incident, but one that stood in stark contrast. If the underground beneath Jongro had seemed like the city’s decaying veins and rotting organs, Garam Bio Headquarters appeared immaculate by comparison, almost too pristine, as though it were better suited for concealment.
Yu-jin closed the car door and, like someone who had visited such buildings many times before, swept her gaze across the entrance, the security routes, and the glass facade revealing the lobby. Then she turned to Ha Yul, who was stepping out beside her.
“This is an official investigation. No need to be overly tense, but remember—one careless word to the people here can linger longer than bloodstains at a scene. You don’t have to speak much, but if you do, only say what you’re certain of, and say it precisely.”
Ha Yul nodded and looked up at the building. Its tall glass walls reflected the afternoon light, and the lobby visible beyond the entrance doors seemed designed to leave no trace. Such spaces felt unfamiliar to her.
Once inside the lobby, even the air smelled different. It wasn’t disinfectant, but the expensive HVAC system scrubbed away the scent of outside air and people just as thoroughly. The floor muffled footsteps, and employees in suits moved quietly with an air of busyness. No one ran, no one spoke loudly, and even when addressing one another they maintained a certain distance. It felt like a cross between a hotel lobby, a hospital, and a research facility.
The Murim Agency’s visit had been announced in advance. The reception desk responded quickly and courteously, guiding them straight to an upper-floor meeting room without any mention of waiting. In the elevator, Yu-jin glanced once at Ha Yul’s reflection in the mirrored metal walls, then faced forward again.
“When they open the door this quickly, it’s one of two things. Either they’re completely aboveboard, or they’re confident nothing will be found. Keep both possibilities in mind.”
The meeting room was as spacious and quiet as expected. Beyond the large windows, the Seoul skyline stretched into the distance. A terminal sat ready on the table. The company’s liaison guided them to their seats with a tone that allowed no gaps, then spoke.
“The CEO will be coming personally. She is fully aware of the seriousness of the Jongro Redevelopment Area matter and the transmission records to the company’s internal network. We will provide any necessary materials as quickly as possible within the scope of security review.”
A moment later the door opened. Ga-ram entered without hesitation. She looked at Yu-jin first—the leader of the Murim Agency’s Special Response Team. She would already know that much. Then her gaze moved to Ha Yul. The woman who had subdued the mutant that fled through the plaza. The hunter who fought in outdated ways, the one she had watched repeatedly on video. For a brief instant, their eyes met. Ga-ram smiled, very faintly.
“We meet again. This time it’s neither in a crowd nor on a CCTV screen. I suppose I should be grateful there’s a little more time for us to properly see each other.”
Ha Yul took her seat and answered without avoiding the gaze.
“Same to you. Last time I saw you from afar. This time it’s up close.”
Yu-jin, sensing the subtle tension between them, moved straight to the point. She placed the file and terminal on the table.
“We discovered an observation post in the underground facility beneath the Jongro Redevelopment Area. The equipment records we secured there carried Garam Bio research codes. If that had been the end of it, there might still have been room for interpretation. The problem is that the data collected there also left traces of being transmitted to Garam Bio’s internal network via an external bypass. We need to determine whether this was simply stolen equipment, whether there’s an internal collaborator, or whether something more complicated is at play. That’s why we’re here today.”
Ga-ram glanced down at the materials. She seemed already aware; she flipped through only a few pages before speaking calmly.
“I’m aware. We’ve been conducting our own verification since last night, and we began minimal internal cleanup before the Murim Agency arrived today.”
Yu-jin asked immediately.
“Then please explain. When you say you were aware, do you mean you responded after becoming aware of the facts, or that you already knew of its existence beforehand? We need to clarify that first.”
The atmosphere in the room grew heavier. Ga-ram thought for a moment, then spoke.
“This is not a project I authorized. There is no official budget, no CEO approval, and certainly no formal research. It’s embarrassing to admit, but someone inside the company has been moving budgets and equipment independently, and I never permitted it.”
Yu-jin’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“A project the CEO doesn’t know about is running inside the company. Even for an ordinary corporation this would be serious, but in a large-scale biotechnology conglomerate like this one, with something as sensitive as Blood Essence involved, operating without the CEO’s approval is no small matter.”
Ga-ram did not look away.
“That’s why I’m investigating as well. I have no intention of covering this up for the sake of the company’s reputation. On the contrary, it’s better for the Murim Agency to conduct the inspection directly. At least it will reduce the chance of wasting time with conflicting reports later.”
Ha Yul read the irritation beneath Ga-ram’s tone. Ga-ram was angry not at the essence of the incident, but at the internal fracture itself.
Just then the door opened again. The company liaison hesitated briefly—an unmistakable sign that the person entering was not the one expected. Ga-ram’s expression also stiffened for a moment. She had either summoned a different external researcher or had not anticipated this face arriving at this timing.
The one who crossed the threshold was Se-a. She swept her gaze across the room—first Seo Yu-jin, then Kang Ha Yul, and finally Lee Ga-ram. Ha Yul noticed that the order of her glances was deliberate. Se-a’s and Ga-ram’s eyes met. Through notices, reports, interview footage, and collaborative documents, they must have known of each other’s existence. They might even have read each other’s recent papers or research briefings. Yet actually facing one another in the same space, with the same case materials between them, seemed to have been a long time coming.
Everyone else in the room held their words, making the unspoken current between the two women all the more vivid. Se-a spoke first.
“I brought the Blood Essence analysis results. To get straight to the point, someone embedded an external signal receiver inside the Blood Essence, inserted it near the cervical spine, and was stimulating both the nervous system and bloodstream simultaneously to observe movement and response variations in the mutants.”
She activated her tablet and displayed the data, continuing her explanation before glancing briefly at Ga-ram.
“And to achieve this level of precision, it would have to be someone experienced with corporate-grade research equipment. This isn’t something possible through personal hobby or impromptu experimentation.”
Ga-ram met her gaze without looking away.
“Equipment usage and project authorization are separate matters. We need to distinguish between who could have made it and who authorized it.”
Se-a did not counter immediately. Instead, she flipped through the screen and said,
“So what we need to look at now isn’t a flat question of whether it’s the corporation or not, but who took the corporation’s resources and in what way, and why they specifically built an observation post beneath the city. Still, I see no reason to pretend we don’t notice how familiar the equipment and sample processing methods are.”
It was the kind of probing remark made by someone who knew exactly what the other was hiding and what she was not. Ga-ram looked at Se-a for a moment, then spoke quietly.
“You haven’t changed. You don’t rush to conclusions, but you always know exactly where to strike when someone wavers.”
Se-a’s lips curved in the faintest smile.
“You were the same. Except you were better at not showing it when you wavered.”
Yu-jin did not miss the emotion threaded through their brief exchange. It was clear they had anticipated each other’s manner of speaking in advance—something that went beyond mere university classmates or old acquaintances. Ha Yul watched quietly as well. The two women were not standing close; if anything, they maintained distance, yet that very distance felt like proof they had known each other for a long time. Strangers drift apart out of awkwardness, but people who know each other well deliberately keep more space to avoid being shaken.
The meeting had to continue. Yu-jin leaned forward slightly.
“Settle your personal feelings later. For now, let’s move to conclusions. You said the Blood Essence receives external signals. The key question is where the origin or amplification point of that signal is located. The underground observation post we found last night has already been exposed, and its operators have likely noticed. We need evidence to identify the next observation post.”
Se-a nodded and brought up a map of the Jongro area. It displayed not only the surface road network but also overlapping underground facilities, piping, ventilation shafts, and structures from before the redevelopment.
“It’s an underground network. The base we discovered last night was essentially just one of the observation posts. If we trace the signal attenuation zones backward, the central hub lies even deeper. We don’t have the exact location yet, but what we’ve confirmed so far is that this isn’t a single laboratory—it’s a network with multiple bases.”
Yu-jin asked,
“So the source is still deeper underground.”
Se-a took a short breath before answering.
“Yes. There’s likely one central hub and multiple auxiliary observation posts, recovery points, and temporary storage sites. Jongro may be the starting point, but it isn’t everything.”
Each piece discovered so far could have seemed like separate incidents, but now they were beginning to connect into a single line. Yu-jin summarized.
“Good. The nature of the case has become clear. This is an incident simultaneously involving corporate internal shadows, an underground city network, and Blood Essence-based mutant testing. We can’t split the response across individual departments. We need to form an official investigation team that handles fieldwork, analysis, corporate data, and operational command.”
Amid the quiet breaths of those present, Yu-jin turned her gaze to each person in turn.
“Kang Ha Yul will handle field tracking and combat. She’s skilled at tracing traces, whether observation posts or movement routes. I’ll take operational command and coordination with the Murim Agency. Researcher Han Se-a, please continue with Blood Essence analysis, signal pattern interpretation, and comparison of recovered samples. CEO Lee Ga-ram will need to provide internal company data, access permission records, and equipment code sources. Given the high likelihood this is an internal company issue, you can’t stay out of it.”
Ga-ram spoke at once.
“In this situation, my direct participation in the investigation team could be seen as a conflict of interest. I’ll provide the necessary materials, but joining the official team might invite further suspicion.”
Yu-jin did not hesitate.
“That’s exactly why we’re doing this together. If you stay out, people will call it concealment. If you come in, they’ll call it a conflict of interest. That kind of noise is inevitable anyway. What matters isn’t who can step aside to make things easier, but who needs to be involved so information leaks less. Something is moving inside your company right now, and you’ve said you didn’t authorize it. Then the first thing you need to prove isn’t innocence—it’s cooperation. And cooperation doesn’t end with sending documents.”
The room fell quiet again. Ha Yul looked at each face in that silence. Yu-jin’s eyes showed she had already decided. Se-a stared at the map as though trying not to be conscious of Ga-ram’s presence. Ga-ram had not given up on arguing, yet her expression showed she understood why Yu-jin had spoken that way.
At the end of the meeting, Se-a brought up the signal attenuation chart one last time and added,
“One more thing. Blood Essence is no longer simply a device that strengthens and induces rampage in mutants. It’s becoming closer to a medium that reads reactions and guides direction. If this develops further, we may one day have to ask not where a mutant appeared, but who intended to send it where. We need to stop it before it reaches that stage.”
Ga-ram murmured as though to herself,
“If it reaches that stage, the entire city will become a laboratory. Not just underground—above ground will become dangerous too.”
“That’s why we’re trying to stop it before then. I’ll circulate the official investigation team documents today. Please move forward on the premise that none of you can withdraw. From now on, this is no longer a question of who is right, but of who moves faster.”
Corporate shadows, the underground network, Blood Essence experiments, and the long-unseen past between two people—everything had been laid out on the same table.