July 27, 2008

  "...So, you’re saying my son is a sociopath? Doctor, are you absolutely sure?" The psychiatrist nodded. "Your son shows a severe lack of empathy, likely due to genetic factors. Of course, environment plays a significant role as well..." The doctor glanced at Kim Sung-cheol, who snapped angrily, "...Are you saying I raised my son wrong? Watch your words, doctor. I have a lot of influence in this area. Spread any strange rumors about my son or me, and you won’t be able to practice here. Got it?" The doctor lowered his head, avoiding eye contact. He wrote a prescription and handed it to Kim Sung-cheol.

  Kim Sung-cheol left the director’s office and walked to the bench where Kim Dae-hyun was sitting. "Son, let’s go. Staying here any longer will give me a stroke." Kim Dae-hyun took his father’s hand, and they walked to the limousine. As they got in, the driver started the car. "...What’s wrong with you, Kim Dae-hyun? How could you cut your brother’s arm with a knife?" Kim Dae-hyun looked up at his father. "...You said you wouldn’t acknowledge me if I didn’t succeed. But my brother, who’s bad at studies, is going to inherit the chairmanship of Choongsan Middle School. That’s unfair." Kim Sung-cheol clicked his tongue. "...Tch. You think Kim Dae-hyung is getting the school because he’s your brother? He’s getting it because he’s kind and popular enough to be a school president. Thugs like you who go around beating kids have a bad image and can’t even run a school properly. Look at me. I’m a sociopath like you, but I at least pretend to empathize. Why can’t you do that?"

  When the limousine arrived home, Kim Sung-cheol tossed Kim Dae-hyun’s bag to the butler. "Butler, Dae-hyun’s here. I got his psychiatric meds, so make sure he takes them. Oh, and when Dae-hyung comes back from the hospital, keep him separated from Dae-hyun." The butler bowed politely. After Kim Sung-cheol left, the butler approached Kim Dae-hyun and wiped his mouth with a tissue. "...You got hit by your father again. There’s still blood around your mouth." Kim Dae-hyun nodded blankly. "...Well, it’s true I put my brother in the hospital. It’s fine. I’ll go to my room." He entered his room, closed the door, and pulled a knife from under the bed. "...This is so annoying. Why do I have to be treated like this just because I’m a sociopath?"

  ...

  December 8, 2030

  Yawn... Song Jae-seob yawned. He glanced at Gamamusa, who was driving the car. "...Hey, where are we going? I appreciate you getting me out of prison, but shouldn’t you at least tell me where you’re taking me?" Gamamusa shot him a quick look. "...Shut up, punk. I’ve got a business trip to Moscow by Christmas. I’m already late because I had to dodge the cops for you." Song Jae-seob tilted his head. "...What kind of nonsense is that?"

  Gamamusa turned with a smirk. "...Nonsense? I’m dragging you to Russia, punk. You’re headed to Verkhoyansk. When I’m back from Moscow, you’ll be the first to be experimented on, so brace yourself." Song Jae-seob grimaced, looking like he’d bitten into something sour. "...Are you kidding? Why do I have to go there and be experimented on? I don’t want to die." Gamamusa chuckled. "...Man, you’re a funny one. You’re the one who volunteered for the experiments in prison, remember? You jumped at the chance when I said I’d pay you to get out. Plus, you blew all your money on gambling and now you’re begging me again, aren’t you?" Song Jae-seob scowled. "...That’s because of the chip you planted in my head at Dongguk Middle School, you bastard. It’s what caused my gambling addiction."

  Gamamusa grinned. "...Sure, I planted the chip that triggers dopamine in your brain. And yeah, I made it so you’d get a rush every time you gambled. But you’re the one who started gambling, not me. I just amplified it." Song Jae-seob swallowed his anger and stared ahead. "...So why are you getting me out now? You had plenty of time to do it before." Gamamusa shook his head. "I’ve been busy. You were supposed to get out in 2016, right? But in 2015, I had to defect to North Korea urgently, so I proposed the experiment to you in prison before that. When I escaped back in May this year, I swam from Korea to Japan. I was busy collecting intel there, so I kept putting off getting you out. That’s why I stopped by now before heading to Russia. By the way, we’re being tailed, so to throw them off, we’ll take a boat to Hokkaido and swim to Primorsky Krai. You can’t escape during this trip, got it?" Song Jae-seob looked dumbfounded. "...What about Kim Dae-hyun? You said you experimented on his brain before. Where’s he at?" Gamamusa tilted his head. "That guy? He’s in a military prison. Don’t worry. I’ll pick him up once he’s out."

  ...

  August 18, 2014

  Kim Dae-hyun was blindfolded and covered with a blanket. Being transported in a black limousine, he showed signs of anxiety. "...Where are we going? You did weird experiments on my brain, tortured me, and now you’re going to kill me? Please, just let me go..." Gamamusa, driving, turned to him. "The memories implanted in your brain are digitized records of people’s lives—crime records, diseases, deaths. A person with empathy would be tormented by this stuff. You’re a sociopath, so you’re better off, got it?" Kim Dae-hyun struggled, trying to untie the ropes binding his hands. "Damn it! Let me go! Let me go, you crazy bastards!"

  When the limousine stopped, Gamamusa and Ko A-young grabbed Kim Dae-hyun’s arms and dragged him into a hospital. He screamed, "Argh! Help! I’m being kidnapped! Someone save me!" Passing doctors and patients clicked their tongues. "Tch, must be a patient headed to the psych ward. Never see a normal person these days..." Hearing "psych ward," Kim Dae-hyun thrashed harder, but it was no use. Soon, Gamamusa and Ko A-young strapped him to a bed. "Damn it! Don’t do this! I’m not crazy! You insane..." Before he could finish, Gamamusa removed his blindfold. Kim Dae-hyun looked around. "...Where am I?" He turned to the bed beside him, where his brother, Kim Dae-hyung, lay in a vegetative state. "...What’s this? How do you know my brother? What are you going to do to me?" Gamamusa grabbed his chin. "Shh, quiet. I put a chip in your brother’s brain to collect data. Now you’re going to feel the pain he went through." Kim Dae-hyun gritted his teeth, but it was futile. As an anesthetic was injected into his arm, he lost consciousness.

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