Work Text:
[code name 140277. Defected. Rejected item] and a scribble that can’t be read.
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Jaehyun sighs deeply. He's running out of time, out of funds—money he got from the research center that he cheats on. That if he couldn’t give a result in time, all the fund s that he got would be retracted back. He can’t let that happen when his research wasn’t done. Fuck.
“Prof,”
Jaehyun looks up, and isn't surprised to see Mark, his assistant. “What is it, Mark?”
“I think you should go to the lab,”
Lab. It makes Jaehyun turn highly alert. “Is there something wrong?” he asks, already standing up to make his way toward the lab.
Mark gives Jaehyun a clipboard he is holding and walks behind his professor. “The reading looks a bit unnatural,” he says and then answers most of the questions Jaehyun asks him along the way.
A few minutes later, they arrive at their lab with lots of large glass tubes that contain fluids in it. Jaehyun goes toward a certain tube that has the 010226 written on it and reads the monitor that is intact on it. “I see,” he mumbles and thinks carefully. He then instructed Mark to do this and that thus the reading is back to normal. He sighs in relief. He looks at the object inside the tube with affection and whispers, “please hang in there.”
Jaehyun heard a knock on the table he was sitting and looked up to notice someone was smiling so brightly at him. “Y-yes?” he shuttered.
“Hi, I’m Kim Doyoung and is this seat available?” Doyoung asked, showing the empty seat next to Jaehyun.
Jaehyun nodded his head. He watched Doyoung sit down and put all his things on the table. It felt weird. For the whole 2 years he took classes in this university, no one ever dared to sit right next to him—he doesn't know why and doesn't actually bother to know why either.
"I'll be taking this class for this semester. We will be seeing each other a lot," Doyoung said, still smiling. "oh, I didn't get your name?"
There was something weird happening in his heart—he better check up that later. "I'm Jeong Jaehyun, nice to meet you," he said, giving his smile in return. Ah, little did he know that this first meeting changed everything in his life.
Today is a happy day. It's a miracle. This study, his research, this project is finally getting its results.
"Professor!"
"Yes, Mark!" Jaehyun watches Mark beaming in happiness with him. Their hard work finally paid off. It had been so many years of failures. "We did it," he says, smiling as he looked at the large tube. Then, he turns to Mark and says, "The hardest part is the next step. We can't let our guard down."
"Yes, professor."
Jaehyun watches as Mark walks away. He is left alone in the main lab as all his assistants are in next door—the control room.
His heart is beating hard. Jaehyun has never felt this alive. He closes his eyes and feels his heart. Doyoung, I can't wait to meet you .
Jaehyun watched Doyoung run and twirled in happiness. "Be careful!" he shouted but Doyoung just gave a giggle. He could only sigh in adoration. "You really don't listen to me," he complained as he catched up to Doyoung. He took Doyoung's hand, not letting Doyoung run again.
Doyoung laughed. "I'm very happy today!" he said. "We have been very busy with studies and it's been awhile since I have a date with my boyfriend," he said.
"I miss you too, Doyoung," Jaehyun had the same sentiment. Their school work took much of their time. "I miss you a lot," he repeated.
Doyoung stopped his track, making Jaehyun stop too. They faced each other and Doyoung smiled lovingly. "It would be nice if we could meet often," he pouted.
"I would love that too," Jaehyun nodded.
Doyoung chuckled. He then did a quick kiss of Jaehyun's cheek. He started to giggle again and said, "Your ears are still red as ever."
"Kim Doyoung,"
"It's cute,"
"You’re such a tease,"
Doyoung giggles.
"Jaehyun, that's enough!"
Jaehyun looks up from his papers. "Oh, Taeyong hyung," he responds in monotone. These days, Taeyong has been coming way too often.
Taeyong grabs the papers and throws them on the ground. "Stop this, stop whatever you're doing!"
Jaehyun stares blankly at Taeyong. He has to sort the papers again. "Aren't you tired doing this?" he asks.
"Move on, Jaehyun." Taeyong says. "It's been 7 years since then, and 7 years you've been having this meaningless life. Enough is enough."
Jaehyun sighs, again with empty talk.
"I know what you're trying to do," Taeyong then says and Jaehyun frowns. "What you're doing is illegal. Stop before this getting out of control,"
"I don't care,"
"Jaehyun!" Taeyong shouts, he's getting frustrated. "Doyoung won't be happy with you like this!"
Jaehyun stands up and slams the table angrily. "Shut up," he says, in a stern voice.
But Taeyong didn't back up. "Let Doyoung rest, let him go!"
"Shut the fuck up!"
"Jaehyun, do you think I wouldn't dare to pull out the cable?"
"You won't!" not the cable.
"I would. I don't mind getting my hand dirty if I can let Doyoung, my best friend rest in peace. What you're doing ain't helping him either! LET HIM GO ALREADY!" Taeyong shouts but it feels like he's pleading. His eyes turn red in a mix of angriness and sadness.
"No," Jaehyun says. He has gone too far to give up now. Only a little bit, he will get his Doyoung back. "If you pull out the cable, I won't have a choice but to kill you, Taeyong."
"You're crazy, Jaehyun." Taeyong widens his eyes as he steps back. The Jaehyun he had known is long gone and now he didn't recognise the person in front of him.
Jaehyun laughed, an empty laughter. "I've not been myself ever since Doyoung left. I need him and I won't let him go."
“This is madness...”
Jaehyun thought his whole whole turned dark. His heart dropped when he received a call and now his heart dropped for the second time as he watched Doyoung laying on the hospital bed with all sorts of wires attached on that poor body as life support.
"Jaehyun," Taeyong stood behind Jaehyun looking as wreaked as himself. Eyes red due to crying. "Doctor says, there's no hope left," he said with his trembling voice.
No…
Where did it go wrong? How did this happen? Doyoung was perfectly fine yesterday. Doyoung was still so alive this morning. Doyoung talked to him like he always did. Smiled like always. So how come? Why Doyoung was there on bed, eyes closed and not moving.
No no no
Jaehyun can't accept this. He just can't. This was a cruel game. He didn't want to play this game. Doyoung, honey, wake up.
"No," Jaehyun said. Tears were streaming on his cheeks but he didn't care. He moved closer and kneed down as he grabbed Doyoung's hand. He noticed the ring that he gave Doyoung and it made him cry even harder. "Please… Please wake up, dear," he pleaded. "Don't leave me,"
No hope? Even so, Jaehyun wouldn't give up. As long as Doyoung was still breathing. He didn't care. He will wait for Doyoung as long as he can.
Doyoung will come back home to him. If not, Jaehyun would make that happen with his own hands.
Jaehyun waits patiently as he watches the meter go up and down. The cable was moving with little intensity. He watches the monitor on his ipad, looking at the bars of numbers.
They have been preparing for this moment for the past months. Transferring consciousness was illogical but according to his calculations, it will work. It has too.
Jaehyun who had lost hope, now praying to god to give him a hope. He just wants to see Doyoung smiling at him again, to have Doyoung in his arms again.
"Professor!"
Jaehyun gets startled by Mark's voice. He looks up at the gigantic tube in front him and drops his ipad. Tears are streaming unknowingly as he moves closer toward the tube. He touches the glass and whispers, "Doyoung, welcome home, dear."
His Doyoung is back.
Jaehyun couldn't believe it. Doyoung is sitting and breathing fine. "Do-doyoung," he says carefully.
The said Doyoung who's staring blankly turns toward Jaehyun. His facial starts to wrinkle in action. The first step.
Jaehyun waits patiently. They're in another room called white room—a mini medical center that he designed solely for this moment.
"Jae…" Doyoung starts to talk. His voice is small and quiet, but Jaehyun notes it's because this is the first time he is able to talk. "Jaehyun?"
Jaehyun immediately knees down in front of Doyoung. He grabs Doyoung's hand and asks, "That's right, it's me Jaehyun. Do you remember everything?" he asks, to be sure.
It takes many more minutes before Doyoung starts to speak again. "I do," Doyoung says. "I remember you, and everyone else,"
"Oh thank you," Jaehyun rests his head on Doyoung' s lap. He's crying. Oh how he misses this warmth, this voice. How Doyoung sounds so alive! "Thank you for coming back to me,"
"Why are you crying?" Doyoung asks, concerned. "Wh-where am I?" he looks around, confused with unfamiliar surroundings.
Jaehyun stands up and then hugs Doyoung in his arms. He rested his chin on Doyoung's head and softly pats Doyoung's back. "Don't worry, this place is safe. You just wake up from a deep slumber. I'll explain everything,'
"Okay," Doyoung grabs Jaehyun's lab coat and hugs him back. Resting his head against Jaehyun's chest, listening to a very calm heart beat.
Things have been wonderful these past weeks. After a lot of medical check ups, finally Doyoung is able to walk out from the white room. Jaehyun carefully guides Doyoung to the outside world. He turns to look at Doyoung with curiosity. He wonders what Doyoung is thinking now.
"Sunlight," Doyoung mumbles but loud enough for Jaehyun to hear. "It's nice to finally be out here," he says.
Jaehyun moves closer and carelessly Doyoung's cheek, smiling. A sudden memory of Doyoung laying on bed made him shed a tear.
"Wh-why are you crying?" Doyoung asks, his voice sounds concerned.
"I miss you," Jaehyun answers. "I miss you so much," he repeats.
Doyoung smiles softly as he goes to hug Jaehyun. "I'm here now," he says.
Mark bites his finger, looking at the offer he got. He can’t even do anything about it because he didn’t have any right. If he talks this matter to Jaehyun, he knows Jaehyun would straight flat out reject it. But to Mark, it is too good to be ignored. Fuck. He’s actually desperate.
The door slowly opens. Mark looks up in curiosity and then widens his eyes in shock. “You, what are you doing here?”
“Let’s talk,”
Jaehyun is sitting on the couch in his office with Doyoung sleeping on his lap. He softly pats Doyoung's head, hums to an unknown song. Then, a knock is heard and Mark walks in with an unreadable expression.
"Yes, Mark?"
"Prof, are you abandoning the project?" Jaehyun hasn’t come to work for months.
Ah, it wasn't like that but Jaehyun has already got what he wants. He didn’t think he needed the project anymore. "Maybe,"
"Prof!" Mark shouts but Jaehyun immediately hisses, showing that Doyoung is sleeping. Mark closed his mouth but is still frowning.
"How about this? Why don't you lead the research, Mark?"
"What?"
"You're capable of doing that. You know most of the stuff about it too. You have watched me since the beginning. You’ve been doing this as long as me. I don't think it's a problem."
Mark sighs, "You really abandon this project because of him." he glances at the sleeping figure.
Jaehyun chuckles, "I made this project because of him and that's it."
"Okay, if you said so," Mark says, agreed. "Then, I can do whatever I want with this project and you’ve no right to interfere with it," he adds, for solid agreement.
Jaehyun nods. He didn't care anymore. "I'll just need it for maintenance if you don't mind. Whatever you do with the project, I don't care."
"Alright, well then. I definitely make use of this wonderful project." Mark nods. He then walks out of the office. Before he steps out, he gives a quick glance at Jaehyun and Doyoung and then smiles with meaning. Don't blame me later prof.
Doyoung has behaved a little weird these days. Jaehyun didn't know what went wrong. At first he just brushes it off but Jaehyun didn't remember Doyoung is this kind of person.
Doyoung gets angry a lot. Sometimes he throws tantrums for no reasons. Then he would laugh at things that isn't supposed to laugh at.
Jaehyun does a few medical check ups but nothing's wrong. All readings look fine.
"What's wrong? Am I sick?" Doyoung asks softly.
Jaehyun shakes his head. "No, maybe it’s just my imagination. You're fine," Yet he couldn’t take off the uneasy feeling he gets inside.
"Mark!"
Mark looks up in annoyance. He ignores and continues doing his work. He feels an arm on his shoulder and the man whistles to a tune. "Johnny,"
"Don't be so cold, buddy," Johnny says. He looks around. "I see, everyone’s looking cute," he comments. "This one looks usable," he points out.
Mark takes a look and then snorts, "well, it is but it isn't age well yet."
"It doesn't have to age up. It is perfectly fine with this because no one suspects a child, right?" Johnny smirks. "Did Jaehyun know you sell this project to the organisation?"
"No,"
"Hmm… I wonder what Jaehyun would think if he sees what you did with his creation," Johnny laughs. "You're sending his babies to bloodbath,"
Mark closes his file, and removes Johnny's arm from his shoulder and says, "Prof chooses to abandon this, there's no such thing as his babies. He doesn't have any rights anymore. He doesn’t even care and I only care about money."
“Sometimes I wonder how you can be so twisted?”
Mark rolls his eyes, “I have always like this. People just don’t know me well enough and I just act so perfectly.”
It’s a moment of silence when suddenly Johnny says, “Doyoung.”
“What about him?”
“Is he doing well?”
“He’s fine. In fact he’s doing better than ever. Picking up skills like nothing.”
Johnny chuckles, “That’s wonderful.”
"Doyoung?" Jaehyun says, shocked seeing the image in front him. Doyoung is bathing with fresh blood, sitting under an unknown man.
"Ah," Doyoung says. He looks at the time. "You aren't supposed to be back home yet."
"I… I was going to do a surprise…"
Doyoung wipes his face that has blood on it. "Well surprised," he smiles, dropping the knife he's holding.
“Wh-what are you doing?” Jaehyun asks. “That...”
Doyoung stares blankly at the man that he just freshly cut. “Ah, this? It’s my job,” he says, monotone.
“Wh-what?” Jaehyun steps back. “What job?”
“That I’m a killer,” Doyoung answers and then he laughs. “Looks like my secret got exposed!” he says. “What to do?” he says, cheekily.
“What?!”
“Oh my, oh my,”
“I don’t understand,”
“Of course you don’t. I have been doing this for months. I’m surprised our genius professor never notices what I have been doing behind your back.”
“Yo-you aren’t Doyoung!” Jaehyun shouts, points at Doyoung, horrified.
“Of course I’m not,” Doyoung says, stating the fact like it’s obvious. “You create me, remember, Jaehyun?” he says. “A clone of your dead lover.”
Jaehyun widens his eyes, grabs his hair with both of his hands. He shakes his head, disbelieved. “No, no, no, it can’t be. My research is perfect! I transfer Doyoung’s conscious in you!” he shouts. “Yo-you remember everything about us! Where’s Doyoung?”
“Ah,” Doyoung crosses his arms against his chest. “Well, your research isn’t wrong. Doyoung’s consciousness is well transferred, that’s why I know about you but sadly he’s too weak to stay alive,” he snorts. “And I just took over!” he laughs. “Your Doyoung is dead and what’s left is just me. Nothing.”
“No way, it can’t be!”
“Whether you believe it or not, it’s not my problem.”
“Give my Doyoung back!”
“He’s dead, fucker so shut up!” Doyoung argues, annoyed. He scratches his hair, thinking. “I have been fucking disgust pretending to be doll in front of you. It’s better now that I got exposed.”
“Doyoung,” Jaehyun whispers. “DOYOUNG!” he shouts.
Doyoung then glances at Jaehyun with intensity. His eyes turn dark as he licks his lip. “Goodbye Jaehyun, playing pretend is over,” he says as he moves closer toward Jaehyun with a dagger he grabs.
Jaehyun is too horrified to run and before he knows, his stomach gets stabbed. He winces in pain as he touches his bloody stomach. He looks up at the clone of Doyoung in pain. He feels his cheek being carelessly and then a kiss.
“Bye bye,”
Jaehyun drops dead on the floor. Doyoung-ah… I’m sorry…
“Ah,” Doyoung throws the bloody dagger away and then shouts, “Yuno-ah, where are you? Clean this shits up!” He then takes his phone and dials a number. He waits for the other person on line to pick up the call and when they do, he says, “Mark.”
Click clank—the sound of shoes coming toward the bloody body on the ground. The man squats down and says, "ah, look at you, professor Jaehyun. So pathetic."
The sound of fireworks in the background.
"This is why you shouldn't mess with nature," the man lightly slaps Jaehyun's pale cheek. He laughs for a minute and then opens the zipper of a bag he brings. Time to clean . He whistles.
Light flashed, and there’s something like a tattoo behind the man's neck—140277.