Day 819 - April 02, 2032, 06:00

  Hwayeon was packing her bag as Taeseok woke up from her hurried footsteps. When he looked at his clock and saw it was only 06:00, he stretched as he rubbed his face and sat on the edge of his bed.

  “Are you going to Dr 5?” He yawned.

  “Mhm.” Hwayeon nodded as she combed her hair in a rush but it kept getting tangled.

  Taeseok watched her struggle before he got up and reached his hand out, “Give me the comb.”

  Hwayeon faltered as she handed him her comb. Taeseok gently brushed her hair, loosening the tangles with ease as she murmured, “How did you do that?”

  “… You have to be gentle and start at the ends, then you go up.” Taeseok replied. After combing, he then began to braid her hair.

  “Thank you.”

  “…” Taeseok simply continued to braid her hair and when he was done, Hwayeon gasped at the beautiful braid.

  “You have talent.” Hwayeon giggled.

  “… Yerin taught me.”

  “When?”

  “… No comment.”

  Hwayeon got up as she smiled, “Well you should go back to sleep. But don’t forget to have breakfast at 07:00.”

  “I will.”

  Taeseok nodded but then shyly muttered, “… come back soon, I’ll save you a snack.”

  Hwayeon chuckled, “I will.”

  She then left the dorm room as she went with Rhino up the lift to Sector B Dr 5’s personal lab.

  ***

  06:20 - Dr 5’s lab

  “Oh Rhino, Hwayeon, you’re here!” Dr 5 smiled welcomingly.

  Hwayeon immediately noticed his messy lab and frowned, “Doc, how many times do I have to say to clean up?”

  “It was clean yesterday.” Dr 5 pouted as he turned his gaze away.

  “That was yesterday. How about today?” Hwayeon sighed.

  “…Well, I…” Dr 5 shrugged his shoulders.

  “…So why did you call us?” Rhino interjected.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Dr 5 nonchalantly said, “I got fired. I need help packing.”

  !!!

  “Wha—? When?” Rhino and Hwayeon were baffled.

  “Why do you look so shocked, old chap? Didn’t you want me to retire?”

  “Retiring is different to being fired.” Rhino clicked his tongue.

  “Oh they’re the same. I’m leaving the workplace regardless. Now, fetch that box in the door for me and throw it out in the trash compartment.” Dr 5 pointed to the five boxes on the door. Rhino sighed as he picked them up and headed to the trash compartment.

  Hwayeon didn’t know what to say but asked, “Why?”

  Dr 5 looked down to his many invention ideas and then glanced at the report of all Gen5 subject progress, “…When the explosion occurred a month ago, I was outside and had a bit of a vacation. Thankfully, my personal lab was unharmed considering I didn’t like being bothered… but when I came back and noticed all these children… they were gone and…” His voice trembled, “… and none of their bodies were found… I just… couldn’t work…”

  Hwayeon supported him as he shook terribly. His words quavering, “… Dr 8 used this chance to report me for my lack of progress and Dr Oh had me fired.”

  He sniffled, his frail bones about to give away from the heavy guilt, “If only I had been there for those kids…”

  “Doc, even if you were there, you may have gotten yourself mixed in it… I heard the explosion went too quickly and affected all areas nearby.” Hwayeon tried to console him.

  “Life is too cruel… making an old man like me continue to live while those kids were taken before they even had a chance…” Dr 5 sighed, “I admit I am a flawed person and I have made far too many mistakes… but I thought I could finally do some good in my life with this project but then… they transformed it into something horrendous.”

  Hwayeon couldn’t retort as she stayed silent. Dr 5 patted her hands, “Don’t worry about it, Hwayeon.”

  Hwayeon, who wanted to change the subject, then said, “Actually, I am Tigress now. That will be my official code name.”

  “…” Dr 5 chuckled, “Let me guess, Hawk?”

  “Yep.”

  “Boy, that man never changes.” Dr 5 cheered up, “Right, I have no time to grieve. We have to pack things up. Umm, can you clear out my Draft Invention drawers for me, dear?”

  “Sure.”

  After that, the three began to pack. As Hwayeon looked through his many drafts over the years, she was fascinated by the many ideas he had but never had the chance to explore, “Doc, these are amazing!”

  “Oh those? You can keep them if you want. Parting gift…” Dr 5 snorted, “Though I had no way of using them, but maybe, you can.”

  Hwayeon smiled, “I’ll treasure them.”

  Dr 5 turned away as he tried to go through his piles of belongings. Hwayeon chuckled that he was still the same as she looked through many blueprints…

  At least until her gaze stopped at a certain blueprint with the title, ‘Truth-Teller’. It was a micro, no, even nanosized invention that is injected into the neck and forces people to tell the truth.

  It sounds like the nanobomb…

  She then felt a sticky note behind it as she read it quietly in her head:

  ‘That bitch Dr 8 stole my blueprint and made it hers!!!’

  Her heart began to beat quicker as she analysed the blueprint.

  There is a safety kill switch!

  Just as she was analysing the blueprint, Dr 5 asked, “Hwayeon-ah, can you help me pull this up?”

  “A-ah yes! Coming!” Hwayeon hid the Truth-Teller blueprint into her bag with the many other blueprints she got. For the first time, she felt guilty towards Dr 5 as she tried her best to hide it and helped him.

  ***

  13:40.

  Hwayeon had returned to Sector A as Rhino sighed, “You can rest for the day since you helped Dr 5 with packing.”

  She gripped her bag with blueprints as she smiled, “Ah no, I want to train with everyone. It’s unfair that I was missing out on training this morning.”

  “…What’s up with you six?” Rhino chuckled, “You’re all so diligent. I like it but I’m beginning to understand why Hawk doesn’t.”

  When they arrived, Hwayeon bowed and hurried off to everyone else while clutching her bag tightly.

  Due to the fact the six of them were about to graduate, Hawk and Goldie no longer bothered to supervise them as much so the six of them could discuss whatever they wanted secretly.

  “Guys! I’m back!” Hwayeon waved at them. Taeseok immediately stood up as he strode to her, “Why were you so late?”

  “Pfft.” Minggu chuckled, “Just say you were worried, hyung.”

  “Shut up, Minggu.”

  Hwayeon looked around and beckoned everyone closer, “I was helping Dr 5 pack… he got fired. He said I could bring some of the draft blueprints he made as a parting gift.”

  “And? What does that have to do with us?” Jiho raised his brows.

  “I found this.” Hwayeon showed everyone the Truth-Teller blueprint, “What does it look like to you?”

  “A nanobomb.” Seohwa interjected, “That's… our first clue.”

  “Right but there is something else…” Hwayeon pulled the sticky note behind the blueprint and showed it.

  Yerin gasped, “That means, it’s practically identical except for the coding…”

  Hwayeon nodded, “I can make a kill switch, but I need time, about a few weeks? I need to understand the mechanism and disarm our nanobombs through a simple tool.”

  “You did good, Hwayeon.” Taeseok smiled as he patted her head, “Take your time, we still have about three months left. Now the only other problem is…”

  “The brainwasher.” Minggu rubbed his head, “I might… be able to help with that…”