Purple Scent

Ch. 6: Traitors

I harshly gritted my teeth when I saw the familiar vehicle coming from the corner of the street. Knowing who it was, my mood switched and I suddenly felt not good, either way, I was furious.

"You all stay here and observe.", I said with full authority and swiftly hooked the strap of my arrow bin across my torso and prepared to leave. With heavy and fast steps, I ascended out of the basement and made sure it was closed as it should be.

I walked on the sidewalk towards the incoming monster truck, which stopped when I was few inches from it. The person by the driver’s seat opened the car  door was someone with a familiar angelic face whom I already expected, and to my surprise, he brought his evil cousin. Soobok and his evil brat cousin, Kahee.

I welcomed them with a scoff, "Oh look at what the stink wind brought here.", I said and tried to sound excited by it and added, "What the heck are you two doing here?", I asked them and they went walked away from their monster truck which looked smaller than Yul's.

"Is that how you’ll welcome us?", he smiled innocently as if nothing had happened in the past. Call me bitter or anything, but I couldn’t just forget the dirty trick they did on me. I scoffed yet again, "Stop acting like a fool. You two knew too well what evil things you both did in the past.", I said out of frustration. Unbelievable.

"Come on, Geuhan, we are here to apologize. Look, what happened in the past is an accident, and I admit, we were too greedy.", he said. I looked at Kahee who didn't look apologetic for me. Not even a bit. She just looked like she was forcedly brought here She looked at me as if I wasn't an interesting thing to look at that she had to look away and impatiently tapped her foot on the ground.

"She didn't look apologetic as she should be.", I pointed at Kahee and she just raised me an eyebrow. I scoffed, "And for your own sake, Soobok, just mind your own life and don't bother me anymore. I don't care whatever your reasons are.", I said and was about to leave when he held my wrist but I harshly pulled it away from him and glared at him.

"Listen. What happened at the past, let me explain. But before that, we came here with some news.", he smiled so proudly, “I found something and it could be the cure.” I smiled at him and his smile widen. I puffed my cheeks and laughter finally escaped my lips. My tummy ached I had to hold on it while I bent over for a bit, slapping my thigh.

"That was the best joke ever.", I said and wiped the fake tears on the corner of my eyes and rolled my eyes, "Follow me.", I said and brought them to my basement.

---

Might as well share his stupidity among with the others. I'm not usually this bad, but I was being overrun by my emotion. I was too childish to play revenge on them. After all, they destroyed my dream. My dream that my father and I had curated; our dream that may have been the key to open another possibilities.

"Heeshik!", he greeted Heeshik and Heeshik just raised his hand and smiled at him. It must have been my glare which stopped them in the middle of hugging each other.

"Now tell me what exactly happened.", I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the wall. The guys were quiet, maybe because of my mood, and the sudden intimidating atmosphere I had created.

"Let's talk alone.", he requested but I shook my head and grinned.

"Tell me here. Why, can't tell it in front of these guys? Are you afraid they'll know what you did?", I challenged him and he just smiled.

"Okay, then. First, I just want to apologize. I'm sorry for what I did. I admit that I was wrong, that I had been a bad guy. But hear me out, I don't have the intention to ruin your project, and steal it. Heck, I didn't even know that it was yours, okay? I took it without thinking. I believed Kahee too much.", he glanced at his cousin beside him who suddenly looked embarrassed. He added, “I’m sorry; we’re sorry.”

Kahee fiddled her finger nervously, he glanced up and looked back at his feet, "Sorry, okay? I was jealous of you. Uncle expected so much from me, and I didn't have enough time to have an extremely great idea like yours. While I struggle to look something for myself, you, without any effort, accidentally found one.", she confessed. I laughed in dismay. I ran my fingers through my hair and let out an exasperated sigh.

"All of it, you did it because of your envy, your selfishness! You didn’t think you’re destroying not just our project, but my dream!", I yelled, the high tone of my voice echoing on the wide walls of the fallout shelter. I laughed, "Well, shit.", I said and threw my arrow bin which spilled on my bed. The others picked it all up without saying a word.

"Fine. I acknowledge your explanation. But don't expect me to accept your apology. I may or may not forgive you. Maybe not too soon.", I said and silence filled the basement. I went out for a while and sat under the shade of the tree that had grew on my backyard.

I was childish; I know I embarrassed myself with that scandalous pour of rage. But it was my longing hate and rage that had controlled over me. It was all in the past, but it was just a shame how my dream were burned into ashes.

I looked at the sky and sighed. I don't even know where my parents were, or still alive, even.

Tears started to well on my eyes when I remembered my Dad, and my Mom. The moments we had. If I had known, I should’ve told them how much I love them.

"What are we going to do now, Dad?", I asked him excitedly and he thought for a while. I anticipated his answer and he just smiled, before looking at me.

"I want you to work with someone about it. I know someone. He could be your research partner. If this works, and your research succeeded, you have a very high chance to be named after that discovery, to be known to the world." he smiled and ruffled my hair.

Since I was licensed as a chemist and even though I was still a rookie, I still had the chance to be recognized by the discovery. Just thinking about it made me excited. My discovery would be headlines on news, articles,  on newspapers, even magazines, worldwide.

I should’ve been known.

"One last test, if this succeeded, it'll be great.", Heeshik said. I bit my lip while he slowly lifted the silk cover on the top of the glass jar where the flower was.

He lifted with full anticipation. We screamed and hugged each other while we were jumping around.

"What is it?", Dad asked.

I grinned and we proudly gestured our hand at the flower which re-grew its leaves and petals as if it just bloomed, dried and withered petals and leaves were on the table.

“It guys succeeded!” he smiled and cheered before he lifted me up, but then put me down when his back ached. He wasn’t that old, but he wasn’t that young to just lift an adult woman, either.

He laughed and congratulated us.

"Now we just have to repeat these experiment in front of the science experts, then submit the manuscript of the project and if you passed, then the experiment will be named after you both, while the discovery will be named after Geuhan.", he announced with a proud smile. Heeshik and I high-fived. Finally, those days of sleepless nights were paid off.

"And this experiment, might be an answer to medicine, like an idea to cure cancer and other diseases. But of course, it’ll still have a long way, since it couldn’t just be applied to human without proper study. We don’t know, but we’re open to possibilities.", Dad said and smiled at me. Just after Dad spoke, Kahee went inside the facility, inside our laboratory and greeted us.

"Geuhan?", I was startled when I heard a voice from behind and wiped away my tears as fast as I could. I turned my head to see someone standing beside me, offering a small smile.