Chemistry

15. Old Steel – Great Line(12)

「Mile 787」 – 1 degree of freedom, Last Mountain Range

Jeong-woo was flying a drone towards the southern pass within a forest dense with trees.

It was a calm day with a breeze, and mist rose along the mountain slopes. Due to the warmer weather than yesterday, sweat formed even inside his outerwear.

‘Once I get past this hardship, it’ll be over.’

On the screen transmitted by the drone, a bear was seen engaged in minor light-shading work on the hillside.

『That’s a brown bear digging to catch ground squirrels.』

Now, even without looking, Jeong-woo could naturally follow Kaya’s explanation.

Not far from there, other brown bears and three cubs were visible on the land. The chubby cubs were freely jumping into a pond beneath a waterfall, engaging in playful activities.

『They’re a bear family. Should we warn them?』

『I’ll handle it.』

『This is the Yujin Chemical drone team. Rust Guard situation room, respond.』

After sending the warning, the loud cawing of large crows flying over the snowy field on the hillside could be heard.

『They seem to have a lot to say.』

『Be careful with the equipment. They might steal out of curiosity.』

『If that happens, we’ll have to show them the might of a chemist.』

『Just make sure not to blow anything up.』

The drone proceeded, capturing footage of deer grazing, rams running on high-altitude rocky fields, and the wild landscapes of the Chugach Mountains, eventually arriving at a picturesque meadow full of small flowers.

“Wow!”

Jeong-woo, along with Kaya and Shin Seong-beom, all expressed their admiration while looking at the monitor. But that was it. In less than five seconds, they all shifted their attention back to their tasks.

Watching them, Jeong-woo chuckled inwardly.

When he first arrived, this pristine land didn’t feel this way. The towering trees, glaciers enveloping mountains, and sudden appearances of wild animals once felt intimidating. Now, it all seemed peaceful.

Amidst the stunning scenery, the monotonous and tedious inspection continued, making Jeong-woo feel like he might doze off. Turning to Shin Seong-beom, he said.

“I’ll make a satellite call.”

Shin Seong-beom set down the communication device he’d been carrying on his back.

Dialing the number, Jeong-woo patiently waited for a response.

-Who’s this? What’s with this strange number?

“Hey, Soo-chan, it’s me.”

-Jeong-woo? Crazy guy. Still in Alaska?

“I’m still here. Just wanted you to feel the atmosphere. Won’t you ever come to a place this cold? Hear the crow sounds?”

-Woah, I’m tearing up at the mention of my buddy Jeong-woo. Don’t make such calls. When are you coming back? Laura misses you terribly.

“Are you driving? Still haven’t junked that crappy car?”

-Shut up! Laura, we’re not talking about you. Hurry up and come back. I’m bored.

“I might come this Friday.”

Shortly after ending the call, a signal came indicating the drone had completed its inspection.

“Alright, now we just need to explore backward from Valdez.”

Upon Jeong-woo’s declaration, essentially announcing the end of the inspection, Shin Seong-beom cheered towards the sky.

While waiting for the drone’s return, Jeong-woo pulled out his phone to listen to a song he’d been enjoying whenever he found time over the past two days.

Plugging in his earphones, he played Yoon Yi-seol’s unreleased track, ‘Frozen’ accompanied by lively guitar accompaniment, her sweet voice warmly resonated in his ears.

-Hello, Alaska. Hello, cold wind. Can’t you just let today pass by without any trouble?

Within the transmitted footage from the drone, a cowboy appeared. He took off his shoes and dipped his feet into the river under the gentle sunlight, looking up to the sky with a pleasant smile as he felt the not-so-cold wind.

-Hello, Mr. Bear. Someone I care about is passing over there. Please send my regards.

The brown bear family was in the middle of lunch. The mother bear lay partially reclined, nursing her cubs, while the father bear, having had his fill, lay on the ground with his head resting on his front paws, asleep.

-Or meet an astonishing iceberg.

The river flowing under the glacier curved angrily, producing an overwhelming and dreadful roar.

-Or face something so terrifying it freezes the heart.

Wolverine, sipping water nonchalantly, started to run away as the wolf’s howl echoed.

-Don’t forget. The person who will blow warmth into your frozen hands is here.

At mile marker 207 on the pipeline route, an artic fox standing atop a mountain peak looked at the sky tinged with orange hues and hopped back to its sanctuary. A wooden sign reading [I LIKE YOU] still firmly clung to the spot.

-When winter arrives, spring awaits. When love comes, what awaits?

As they tidied up the landed drone and shouldered their belongings, Jeong-woo, Kaya, and Shin Seong-beom caught the attention of an eagle soaring in the distant sky.

-How about you? Is your closed heart still in the midst of winter?

At [Pump Station 12] base camp, as Wolf set up tents sweating profusely, his gaze turned toward the darkening sky. Holding a radio, Wolf began calling all team members for a safety check.

-It’ll be alright. Spring, love. They’ll open up your closed heart completely.

As dusk approached, riding on a one-ton truck on the road, Jeong-woo glanced at the face of Yoon Yi-seol on his phone. Her eyes, sparkling beautifully, seemed to enter and embed themselves like stars in Jeong-woo’s chest.

A full moon hangs high over Alaska’s mountain range.

As the mountains wrapped in glaciers slowly sank into darkness, night fell, and stars appeared.

「Mile 800」 – 2 degree of freedom, Valdez Port

Neogi sat at the terminal office of the port, reviewing reports from three companies.

Baker Hughes’ data analysis was pinpointing internal risks based on a 99% accuracy rate.

The report from Rust Guard meticulously detailed the inspection history, down to a single bolt of the H-beam supporting the pipeline.

And then.

As Neogi scrolled through a report summarizing hundreds of methods to safeguard the pipeline future, a slow smile spread across his face.

Perhaps he could finally take the accumulated vacation this summer.

“Mr. Jeong-woo, we’ve arrived.”

At the sound of Shin Seong-beom’s voice, Jeong-woo’s eyes snapped open.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon be landing at Incheon International Airport.”

Jeong-woo felt a flutter of excitement looking at the landscape of Korea outside the airplane window. Who would have thought that the mundane place he had to commute to at the same time every morning would feel so welcoming?

“It’s Korea.”

Despite the three-week timeframe, a sense of pride welled up in a corner of his heart, as if he had achieved something significant.

The team was greeted at the immigration counter by Yoon Jaegil, who was flashing a broad smile.

“You’ve all done well. Team Leader, wow, you’ve lost weight! Spending time in such fresh air has turned you into a natural beauty.”

“Cut it out. I’m tired.”

“Alright, alright. I’ve arranged for a limousine bus, so let’s hop on.”

With a sharper edge after consecutive flights, Joo Hana pushed the cart and headed toward the gate.

“Wow, Manager Wi, you’ve grown such a beard. It really suits you.”

“Yes, indeed.”

“Deputy Shin, are you ready to enjoy a special vacation? If you’re going abroad, I can even arrange the tickets. Where would you like to go? Somewhere with a beautiful view?”

“I won’t be going abroad for a while, Director.”

After praising each team member for their hard work, Yoon Jaegil’s gaze landed on Jeong-woo, who was walking out from the back.

Jeong-woo, engrossed in checking his phone, hadn’t noticed Yoon Jaegil approaching.

“Mr. Han Jeong-woo!”

Yoon Jaegil suddenly stepped in, taking over the cart, startling Jeong-woo.

“It’s been a while, Director.”

“I expected success, but I never imagined you’d secure a five-year exclusive deal with TAPS. It’s all thanks to you, Han Jeong-woo.”

“It wasn’t just me. Everyone worked hard.”

After cautiously glancing at the other team members, Yoon Jaegil lowered his voice.

“I heard Baker Hughes and Rust Guard offered a substantial amount.”

“I turned them down.”

“As expected. A man who has been with Yujin Chemical has no reason to go to a smaller company.?”

Yoon Jaegil’s smiling face turned serious.

“This project doesn’t just end in Alaska. Perhaps Director Songu demanded a stake in the overseas business of the Total Care System because of this. Of course, your involvement, Mr. Han Jeong-woo, is a prerequisite.”

“So it’s not over?”

“Nothing ever really ends. Everything is susceptible to erosion.”

Smirking at Yoon Jaegil, who subtly hinted at the future, Jeong-woo chuckled.

“No matter how much more money they offer, some places are just too tough to handle.”

“Hahaha!”

Yoon Jaegil, still smiling, asked.

“What if I guaranteed not 500% but 1,000%?”

“I still won’t go.”

Riding in a limousine bus headed for Seoul, Jeong-woo checked a backlog of messages and found one from Kaya, the survival expert he had met in the U.S.

[I’ve sent the photos via email and, as promised, linked Mr. Han channel on my channel.]

As a result of posting action cam footage featuring Jeong-woo on Kaya’s channel, which boasted a whopping 3 million subscribers, he also got some advertising. Since Kaya had voluntarily proposed the idea, Jeong-woo had accepted without much thought.

[I’m curious, though. The first video on your channel chemistry, isn’t that Yoon Yi-seol? What’s her relationship with Mr. Han? The more I see, the less I understand what kind of person you are.]

Kaya seemed to have watched the video featuring the magician in white.

[It’s a relationship I stumbled upon.]

Replying with this, Jeong-woo became lost in thought.

‘Concerning Yi-seol’s relationship…’

People seemed to increasingly regard him as a remarkable person just because he had coincidentally acquired great abilities. He had never considered this a bad thing until he seriously pondered his relationship with Yoon Yi-seol.

Having gained abilities by taking pills, he was originally just a struggling job seeker, a fact he had intended to confess.

However, the comforting sentiments conveyed in Yoon Yi-seol’s song led Jeong-woo to a new resolution.

Awakening from his contemplation, Jeong-woo dialed Yoon Yi-seol’s number.

His heart pounded as the signal went through. The fear of what would happen if she didn’t pick up was overwhelming, but after a few rings, a voice came through.

-Jeong-woo?

“Yes, I’ve arrived safely in Korea.”

-Tsk. So?

Although her voice seemed to carry annoyance, it was easy to imagine a face brimming with joy.

“I listened to your song. I nearly got caught by a wolf, saw the aurora borealis, confessed to a fox that looked like Yi-seol, and now that I’m back, Korea feels like spring… and my heart has opened up.”

-What kind of experience was that to speak so haphazardly… Wait, what did you just say?

“You didn’t hear that?”

-I did!

“Shall we go on a date? As soon as possible?”

-Excuse me?

A gasp was audible on the other end. She seemed quite flustered.

-The- huh. Thing is—ugh!

Click. The call ended abruptly, followed by a text.

[I’ll clear my schedule somehow, so no excuses!!]

A smile appeared on Jeong-woo’s lips.

“Yes, sir. If I make the deposit, it’ll be processed immediately, right? If my mother asks, please just tell her that my father took care of it for now.”

Jeong-woo lowered his phone in front of Ji-sook restaurant.

The voice that used to constantly disturb his thoughts, when he was leaving for the Arctic, was his mother’s saying ‘adult problems’.

The will of his mother, who insisted that her sons’ happiness was all that mattered, came as a shocking demand for Jeong-woo, who demanded a different treatment as the eldest.

Being grown in stature didn’t necessarily mean one had matured.

Though the path to becoming a son that his mother could be proud of was still long and treacherous, Jeong-woo felt invigorated internally. He believed that his heart had grown at least as much as the tip of his fingernail compared to a month ago, after enduring hardships on unfamiliar soil and returning.

“I’m here!”

With a creaky and familiar sound, he pushed open the door and entered.

Hong Ji-sook, wiping the dining table, turned her head. Seeing her son, who had just returned after a three-week camping life that looked like a vagabond, she furrowed her brows.

“Walking around the neighborhood like that, making a spectacle of yourself. Just go home.”

“Mom, I was craving your bean paste stew, so I came straight here.”

“You rascal. Go home and eat.”

“I’m really hungry. Please cook it quickly.”

Silently observing Jeong-woo, whose weight seemed to have dwindled and who sported a shaggy beard, Hong Ji-sook headed into the kitchen without saying a word.

“Chan is at home, right? I should call him to eat with us.”

Having received a message to have dinner, Jeong-chan entered the restaurant and smirked at the sight of Jeong-woo.

“So you’ve been traveling abroad? How jealous.”

“Chan, I’ve never met anyone worth envying. Wild animals don’t judge by appearance.”

“Whatever.”

Having tasted a spoonful of the bubbling stew, Jeong-woo’s face brightened with contentment. Hong Ji-sook, who had set the side dishes beside him, looked at Jeong-woo and asked.

“You’re having soju?”

“Yeah.”

“Just one bottle.”

“Got it.”

As Jeong-woo began to open the soju bottle, he looked up to see that Jeong-chan had nearly finished his bowl of rice.

“Why are you eating so well? You’ve gained some weight. You’d be wolf food if you ventured into the wild with that body.”

“Stop with the nonsense. I’ve been studying for the college entrance exams, and I’ve gained some weight. Making Su-jin uncomfortable seeing me like this.”

After pouring a shot of soju and taking a sip, Jeong-woo said to Jeong-chan.

“By year’s end, I’ll be confirmed for a position. If you get into college, come back after finishing there.”

“Where?”

“It’s cold, really cold.”

As the bottom of the stew became visible, so did the end of the soju bottle.

“Do you want more? If so, I’ll prepare more side dishes.”

Jeong-woo chuckled and shook his head.

“Mom, what’s gotten into you? Pressuring us to drink. Is it because you haven’t seen your son’s face in a month?”

“You look like you’ve been starving.”

“I’ve been eating well.”

After glancing at his mother and younger brother, Jeong-woo declared.

“Look, I might become a chemist.”

Jeong-chan and Hong Ji-sook exchanged puzzled looks.

“You were already working in a chemical research lab, weren’t you?”

“Just take good care of yourself.”

Jeong-woo grinned at their reactions.

Understanding the chemistry reactions around him had changed his life. The resolve now was to maintain this altered path of life due to the effects of the pill.

‘I have at least seven months of incredible abilities. Whether it’s omnipotence or whatever, I just have to discover it myself.’

With newfound knowledge, not from Cheon Seung-guk but from the transformed Jeong-woo, he felt a burning passion and confidence that he could accomplish any research.

Code: Molecular formula

Case: White crystals that melt the ground

Research: Designed for probe operations at minus 30 degrees Celsius, its effectiveness has been proven even in the extreme conditions of Alaska.