The next and last specimen for me to meet is named Y-B. His hair is shaved on the sides, and although rather long, it’s spiked up pretty high. His face is softened, and friendly, but a deep sadness lines it. The way he talks and moves makes me think that he’s the only one here who is actually brought down by his surroundings.

“Who are you?” He asks softly, eyes on me. His eyes hurt me, make me want to tell a joke, or something. Anything to make him smile, assure him that it’s going to be okay. But I can’t move.

“Focus on the test, please, Y-B,” my mom instructs quietly, and Y-B slowly pulls his eyes away from me. I feel like I can breathe again after he releases me from his purple eyed gaze, and I let out a long breath.

Y-B seems to drag himself as he moves, in a way that reek’s of how unwilling he is to perform these tasks.  He reaches one side of the room and suddenly, in a blur of movement, is on the other side. His movement is so quick that the ITB stands there for a moment, motionless, before shattering into a million pieces. Mouth open in amazement, I look away from the pile of broken mannequin to Y-B’s face, and gasp. His face is twisted in wordless pain as he stares at the pile of destruction he left behind him.

“I don’t want to do anymore today,” he whispers hoarsely, and my heart worms in sadness. My mother stares at him, seeming…pleased. I feel a strange nauseas sensation as I look at my mother’s proud expressions while she jots things down on her notebook.

“Are you alright?” She asks suddenly, voice hushed, “you look pale.”

I nod wordlessly, staring blankly at the pile of broken ITB in the middle of the room. My mom turns back to Y-B and presses the microphone on, as if he couldn’t hear with it off.

“Just one more today, Y-B,” she murmurs encouragingly, but he shakes his head, eyebrows pinching together.

“I can’t.” He whispers, shaking his head.

“One more.” My mom says again, voice harder this time. Y-B’s body is shaking, his hands reaching behind him to touch the wall. “I need to record one more,” my mom orders.

“I can’t!” Y-B exclaims, voice now shaking too, “I won’t.”

I stare back and forth between the shaking boy and my mother, eyes widening when my mom makes a ‘tsk tsk’ noise.

“I really wish you would cooperate,” she mutters, not bothering to press the microphone button this time, but reaching forward to press another one. Suddenly doors inside the room whoosh open, and guards rush in, holding objects that look like elongated electric cattle prods. A terrified sob escapes Y-B’s parted lips, and he presses himself further into the corner of the wall.

I jump out of my room, pressing my hands to the glass. “What are they doing to him?!” I exclaim as the guards close in around Y-B, whose scream cracks mid-way and breaks to silence.

“Mom?!” I ask again, but she ignores me, and I turn around to see her standing by the door.

“Come on, we have the next specimen to go see,” she mutters, opening the door with her card.

“What? Mom, what were they doing to Y-“ I stop as my mom turns around to face me, her face as stone hard and emotionless as the day when Daesung was taken away. The resemblance between then and now is so strong it sends a sharp chill down my back. I snap my mouth shut, hanging my head slightly in defeat, and following her into the next room.

“Next,” mom says emotionlessly as T-0-P gets ready for the next ITB. He watches her for a moment, studying her before taking off and slicing through the ITB with a thin chain. Mom studies a computer screen, and he continues to study her.

“Mom,” I whisper, “he’s watching you,” I point quickly at T-0-P, who just stands there, watching her. She doesn’t even look up from the screen, just nods.

“I know, Minji.” She murmurs, pressing a button to whisk the ITB away.

“We’re done for today,” she announces, and T-0-P’s face remains blank.

“Are you sure?” He asks, and I hear my mom’s teeth clench together with an audible snap.

“Yes, T-0-P, we’re done.” She turns towards the door, but suddenly he’s at the glass, his breathtaking beauty stopping her in her steps.

“Mihyun,” T-0-P murmurs, his voice breaking in sadness. I stare at his wilted features at he stares longingly at her. “Please, stay. I’ll do anything. I’ll take more drugs, I’ll run more tests. Just please…stay.”

His voice draws me in, but I snap away to look at my mom. She’s staring at the floor, her card ready in her hand. To my horror, tears glisten in her eyes.

“Not today, Seunghyun,” she mutters in a voice I don’t think I’ve ever heard before. It’s so full of regret and sadness, it almost tells the story of her and Seunghyun with those three words. She reaches over slowly and opens the door, turning to face the hallway.

“And it’s Dr. Bu,” she whispers over her shoulder as she walks away, and I sneak a glance at T-0-P’s tall frame, which has sunken to the floor, before scurrying after my her.

T-0-P’s yellow green eyes, softened by the memories of my mother as he stared at her, longing to be able to win her trust again, glow behind my eyelids. I try to keep my eyes open, hating the see those eyes staring at me. But no matter what I do, they’re still there. And something tells me they aren’t going away anytime soon.