Is It Happening Right Now?

Park Jihun furrowed his brow. The chat window was in an absolute frenzy, scrolling past at a dizzying speed. Normally, it should have been buzzing with talk about the shamanic reading he had just performed, but today was different. Jihun scanned the chat.

Jihun opened a web browser. Doyun's name was plastered all over the front page of the portal site.

Was it because ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he had fled the special broadcast last time without getting his reading? It seemed someone had found that suspicious and decided to dig deeper. The chat scrolled even faster.

However, Jihun closed the browser window as if he couldn't care less and spoke.

"nlt2001, get on Discord."

The chat quieted down slightly.

Jihun added coldly, "nlt2001. If you don't join within one minute, I'm canceling your reservation."

It was a morning nearly two weeks after his reading.

Kim Tae-jun visited the research lab early in the morning. The moment he opened the door, he could feel a shift in the atmosphere. The lights were brightly lit, and the researchers looked like absolute wrecks. Bloodshot eyes, crumpled shirts, empty paper cups, and towering stacks of energy drinks. They had the unmistakable look of people who had pulled an all-nighter.

Deep inside the research wing, Research Director Yun Jeongho was huddled around a main monitor with several key staff members. Someone was tapping away at a keyboard, while another was checking printouts. Hardly any words were being exchanged.

Tae-jun took a few steps inside, then stopped in his tracks when he saw a researcher with hollow, sunken eyes.

"Has everyone been eating while working?"

The researcher offered an awkward smile. "We were planning to eat as soon as we wrapped this up."

Tae-jun clicked his tongue. "You're going to collapse at this rate."

He immediately pulled out his phone. "Just tell me what you want to eat. I'll order it right now."

One researcher said hesitantly, "No, really, right now is a bit..."

"Because it's right now, you need to eat even more," Tae-jun said bluntly. "It's not like the results will come out any faster if you starve. Take care of your health first. Hurry up and tell me what you want."

After a brief silence, menus were called out from all directions—porridge, sandwiches, coffee, and more. Normally, there would have been a minor squabble over what to choose, but today, no one even had the energy to argue.

Tae-jun placed the order with practiced ease.

Before long, the food arrived, and a few staff members began ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clearing off the table in the adjacent conference room. The delivered food was moved over there.

"Let's eat first." Tae-jun pulled chopsticks out of the bag and began setting them on the table.

It was then.

The research wing fell into an eerie silence. Led by Research Director Yun Jeongho, the entire staff was staring intently at the main monitor. The sound of the keyboard tapping abruptly stopped.

Tae-jun paused and walked over. Standing by the conference room door, he asked a nearby researcher, "What's going on?"

"Just a moment. We're verifying it now."

Meanwhile, one staff member adjusted the parameters again, while another cross-referenced the data with the adjacent set. Those few seconds stretched out agonizingly long.

"...We got it."

The researcher's voice was visibly trembling.

Tae-jun's gaze locked onto Yun Jeongho. Without taking his eyes off the screen, Yun Jeongho spoke.

"It's not for diabetes."

Tae-jun's expression stiffened. "What do you mean by that?"

Yun Jeongho took a short breath. "The sample we have now... won't work as a diabetes treatment."

Just as Tae-jun's face began to darken, Yun Jeongho quickly continued.

"Instead, we caught a definitive reaction in the liver."

"Which means..."

"The signal we detected previously appeared exactly the same in the validation batch. It repeated in the same direction, and we've secured reproducibility."

One researcher covered their mouth. Another slumped back into their chair.

And someone muttered in a trembling voice, "...It actually worked."

Starting with that single sentence, the tension they had been holding back exploded all at once.

"It's a success!"

"We caught it!"

"We did it!"

Some hugged the person next to them, while others laughed with tears welling in their eyes. The people who had endured the night together began to embrace one another.

Eventually, a researcher pulled Tae-jun in. Swept up in the moment, Tae-jun found himself squeezed into the middle of the group. He gave an awkward laugh, but soon joined the researchers in sharing the joy.

Once the roaring excitement subsided a bit, Tae-jun spoke with a smile.

"Excellent."

The researchers all turned their eyes to him.

"You've all worked incredibly hard. For today, go home and get some proper rest. And..."

Pausing for a moment, Tae-jun added, "Tomorrow evening, I'll book a banquet hall at a hotel. Let's have a celebration party there."

After a brief silence, laughter burst out here and there.

Tae-jun chuckled. "Save the fancy food for tomorrow. For today, head home. Before you all collapse."

The following evening.

The chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the hotel banquet hall was dazzlingly bright. The overhead lights sparkled, and the long tables were fully laden with exquisite food and expensive liquor.

The sound of popping champagne corks echoed continuously throughout the room. The clinking of glasses, excited laughter, and congratulatory remarks blended into a lively hum.

The researchers' faces looked completely different from the day before. Their eyes were still bloodshot, but their expressions were radiant. Some raised their glasses repeatedly, while others recounted the previous day's results for what felt like the hundredth time.

Yun Jeongho offered an embarrassed smile as glasses were repeatedly pressed into his hands. Though deep fatigue still lingered around his eyes behind his glasses, the corners of his mouth remained turned up.

"You all did a wonderful job."

Several researchers gathered around Yun Jeongho. Tae-jun was standing right beside him.

Yun Jeongho glanced at Tae-jun, then spoke.

"Ah, we also have an unsung hero here. Our Division Head, Kim Tae-jun. If he hadn't pushed for us from the middle, we would never have made it this far."

At those words, the researchers nodded in agreement.

"That's true. He made sure our research wasn't cut off."

"Thanks to you, we were able to get this far. Thank you!"

Someone started clapping. Others joined in, and a brief round of applause followed.

Tae-jun smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, everyone."

Someone handed him a glass of champagne and said, "You should have a drink too, Division Head."

Tae-jun shook his head. "I'm sorry. I've quit drinking."

"Ah, if you don't drink on a day like today, when will you?"

"Haha, next time." Tae-jun smiled lightly and pushed the glass away.

It was then.

A commotion stirred at the entrance of the banquet hall. People's attention shifted toward it.

A man in a black suit was walking inside.

The moment Tae-jun recognized his face, his eyes widened.

"...Brother Taehun?"

It was his eldest brother.

In an instant, Tae-jun's feet moved toward him of their own accord.

As he drew closer, a strange sensation washed over him. Normally, this was a man who wouldn't even give him a single phone call. Whether something good or bad happened, communication was almost always routed through their maternal uncle. He was certainly not the type of person to show up in person to congratulate him.

Two nearby researchers whispered quietly.

"I think that's the Division Head's family. I think he called him 'brother'..."

"Looks like it. But they don't really... look alike, do they?"

Tae-jun stopped in front of his eldest brother.

Tae-jun's eldest brother, Kim Taehun, gave a brief nod to the surrounding people, then looked at Tae-jun.

"Congratulations."

His voice was calm.

Tae-jun hesitated slightly before asking, "Brother, what brings you here..."

"I heard from our uncle. He said something good happened, and I felt it wouldn't be right to just let it pass."

It was a brief reply. Yet, those short words felt strangely unfamiliar.

At one point, Kim Taehun had been the person Tae-jun admired most. Because of their significant age gap, when Tae-jun was young, he had wanted to copy everything his brother did, and even a single word from him would leave him thrilled.

But at some point, his brother had grown cold. Instead of speaking to him directly, his brother began relaying messages through their uncle, and each time, Tae-jun was pushed further into the background.

And now, that very brother was standing right in front of him.

In front of everyone, having seen his achievement, he was offering his congratulations in person.

Kim Taehun patted Tae-jun lightly on the shoulder.

"You've worked hard. You really pulled it off."

At that brief touch, Tae-jun was momentarily lost for words. It felt foreign. Yet, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at the same time, it felt as though his childhood brother had briefly returned for this single moment.

"This is a surprise," Tae-jun managed to say with a smile. "I didn't expect you to congratulate me like this."

Kim Taehun smiled faintly. "Because you finally did it, youngest."

Hearing that, Tae-jun cast his eyes down for a moment. Hearing the word "youngest" for the first time in so long left him momentarily speechless.

Just then, Kim Taehun took a glass from a passing server. He naturally held it out to Tae-jun.

"Have a drink."

Tae-jun hesitated, then waved his hand. "Ah, I'm fine."

"Why?"

"I've quit drinking lately."

Kim Taehun did not pull the glass back. "If not now, when will I ever get to have a drink with you? If I've made you feel neglected, I'm sorry. I've just been busy with work. Please understand."

Tae-jun bit his lip.

He could just refuse. Normally, he would have done exactly that.

But today was different. It was right after his great success. On top of that, his eldest brother had come in person for the first time to congratulate him. He had even apologized, saying he had been too busy.

Maybe just for today... it would be fine, he thought.

After a brief hesitation, Tae-jun nodded. "Alright. Just one glass, then."

The moment he reached out.

The words Park Jihun had spoken suddenly flashed through his mind.

Instantly, a chill ran down his spine.

Tae-jun's fingertips froze.

"Tae-jun, my arm is going to fall off."

Tae-jun blinked, snapping back to reality.

The bright lights of the banquet hall came back into sharp focus. In front of him, his brother was still holding out the glass.

Tae-jun swallowed hard without realizing it.

No way...

His lips trembled.

Is it happening right now?