Chapter 13: My Lab Experiments
The lab room was quiet. Too quiet, for Tae Kook's taste.
Sunlight streamed through the large windows, reflecting off the metallic instruments and rows of neatly organized gadgets. His personal workspace was immaculate, as always, but today it felt… different. He couldn't focus. Not fully.
"…Why am I thinking about her?" he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing at a small circuit board. "…This is ridiculous. Focus on work, Kooky."
A sudden crash from the corner of the room made him jump.
"…Min Ho?" Tae Kook muttered, glancing toward the source of the noise.
"Surprise!" Min Ho exclaimed, holding up a small, wobbling contraption. "I thought I'd help you with your… genius stuff!"
"…Destroyer of peace," Tae Kook muttered. "…Not now."
From the doorway, a small giggle echoed.
"…Ae Rin?" Tae Kook asked.
The seven-year-old crouched in the corner, notebook in hand. "…Observation 127: Kooky flustered outside school. Observation 128: Lab chaos inevitable. Observation 129: Must document every reaction."
"…I'm working," Tae Kook said flatly, adjusting his lab coat.
Min Ho leaned on a worktable, pretending to examine a gadget. "Oh, we're working. Sure. You're just thinking about… someone, right?"
Tae Kook's jaw tightened. "…Do not speak."
Ae Rin scribbled furiously. "…Observation 130: Kooky's internal panic measurable. Observation 131: Possible heart rate increase. Observation 132: Human chaos incoming."
Tae Kook focused on the tiny gears in front of him. Precision, order, control. The familiar rhythm of assembling a mechanism calmed him—at least a little.
"…Focus," he muttered again, forcing his attention on the assembly. "…Nothing else matters."
Then, unexpectedly, Min Ho dropped a small envelope on his desk.
"Look what I found outside," he said, grinning mischievously. "A little note… from someone very calm. Very observant."
Tae Kook froze. "…What?"
Min Ho waved the envelope teasingly. "Open it, genius. Or are you afraid?"
He grabbed it reluctantly. Inside, a small, neatly folded piece of paper. Handwriting calm, precise, familiar.
"…It's from… Soo Min," Tae Kook muttered softly.
Ae Rin squealed softly in her corner. "…Observation 133: Official note received. Observation 134: Kooky internally exploding. Observation 135: Comedy imminent."
The note was simple:
"Check the small experiment in the lab corner. It might help with your project. —Soo Min"
Tae Kook blinked. "…She… came here? Quietly? Without anyone noticing?"
Min Ho chuckled. "Oh, this is perfect. She's playing genius games now. What are you going to do?"
"…Follow her instructions," Tae Kook muttered softly, sliding the note aside. "…Carefully."
He moved to the lab corner. A small device sat neatly on the counter, exactly where Soo Min had described. Tae Kook examined it carefully. It was simple, elegant, and… precise. Everything about it screamed her touch.
"…She notices details," he whispered. "…Every tiny detail. Dangerous."
Ae Rin, notebook in hand, whispered softly: "…Observation 136: Kooky impressed. Observation 137: Internal panic level rising. Observation 138: Chaos not required; intrigue enough."
Min Ho leaned closer, grinning. "Oh, he's totally smitten. Admit it, genius."
"…I am… not," Tae Kook said flatly. "…Curious. That's all."
Tae Kook began assembling the device as instructed. Each motion careful, deliberate, mimicking the precision he had observed Soo Min use earlier.
"…Focus on the work," he repeated quietly. "…Nothing else. Not feelings. Not distraction."
But even as he spoke the words, he felt the subtle pull of curiosity… and something else. Something softer, more… human.
Ae Rin scribbled one final note:
"…Observation 139: Kooky distracted but controlled. Observation 140: Soo Min's influence undeniable. Observation 141: Human chaos level rising slowly but steadily."
Min Ho, still lounging on the counter, grinned. "Man, she's got you doing her little experiments. Genius at heart, caught in someone else's web. I love it!"
"…Annoying," Tae Kook muttered, but his fingers worked faster, more precise than ever.
By the time the sun began to dip outside, casting long shadows across the lab, Tae Kook had completed the device. He glanced at it carefully, then at the doorway, almost expecting Soo Min to appear.
"…She's… precise," he whispered. "…And careful. And… I can't stop noticing."
Ae Rin clutched her notebook in delight. "…Observation 142: Kooky's carefully controlled life officially disrupted. Observation 143: Soo Min's influence expanding. Observation 144: Chaos and curiosity… unavoidable."
And as Tae Kook cleaned his workspace, he realized quietly that some experiments weren't about gadgets or circuits.
Some experiments… were about hearts.
And this one… was already out of control.