3. The Teleporter (1) Doctor Lee

The sirens began blaring early in the morning. When I pulled back the curtains on the second floor, I saw that gray snow had fallen overnight, piling up like cement powder. Imagining the state of my car's back seat made me dizzy. The window must have been shattered, allowing the snow to pour in. I turned my head away, avoiding looking at the car.

Snow in midsummer. I always loved watching the snow fall. But today's snow just looked like debris spewed out by the clouds. As the sirens wailed, a hazy fog settled over the snow. I double-checked that the windows were tightly shut and made sure there were no gaps in the curtains.I went downstairs for breakfast, settling for an energy bar, and washed it down with half a glass of water along with supplements of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. I decided to clean. Entering the lab, I organized the remaining MPS samples and laid out all the experimental equipment for the automatic washer. I disinfected my lab coat and protective gear. Cleaning always helped keep other thoughts at bay.

Sitting in a chair, I listened to the washer and reviewed past experiment results. Maintaining a stable human hibernation state required keeping a low body temperature of around 25℃ to 26℃. But why did a sudden rise in body temperature occur after four weeks? I might need to revisit ways to suppress muscle tremors to prevent this. Heading to the reagent cabinet, I checked for muscle relaxants. Vecuronium would be ideal... but it wasn't there.

I turned on my laptop to request the drug from Balkama. That's when my phone lit up and vibrated. 'Professor Jung Hoon-seok'. A message from my graduate advisor. He guided me into the field of hibernation physiology - a benefactor in my life. I hadn't contacted him since his retirement ceremony the year before last.

'Hee-jae, it's snowing like ash. Are you keeping well?'

'Yes, Professor. I'm fine. How about you?'

His reply took a while, making me anxious. Then two messages arrived in quick succession.

'I'm in Jeju with my family.'

'I heard from Jin-ha that you've been working on personal research. Hee-jae... I believe your dreams will save you. As I said before, hope appears from unexpected places, leading us to unimaginable destinations. So, keep moving forward. Don't try hard, don't try to do well, just do it. That way, you won't get tired and will eventually meet hope. But stay healthy!'

The professor's gentle and warm voice seemed to resonate through the text. How did he know I was on the verge of giving up? I lingered on his message before replying, but then another message arrived.

'By the way, I saw on the news that the real criminal of the Namyeon River murder case was caught. Wasn't the victim's son your friend? Is he doing well now?'

I was surprised Professor knew about Sun-woo. I couldn't clearly remember telling him that Sun-woo was my friend.

'He's out of contact. His family has reported him missing.'

'Oh dear. How long has he been missing? Wasn't he living in the U.S.? I thought I saw him in Chicago.'

That couldn't be. If Sun-woo was in the U.S., there would be departure records, and his brother and the police wouldn't be unaware.

'When did you see him?'

'About five years ago. I was at Homewood University for a guest lecture and saw him sitting among the students. Could he have gone abroad for studies?'

'I'll look into it, Professor. Thank you for letting me know.'

After sending a heartfelt wish for his health, I ended the conversation with the professor. The siren noises had subsided. The washer's completion signal sounded louder than usual in the lab.

It was five years ago when Professor Jung Hoon-seok saw Sun-woo in the U.S., and six years since 'Investigative Report Black and White' was broadcast. Could Sun-woo have gone abroad for studies within a year, without any departure records? It seemed impossible. Perhaps, I could find a clue at the hospital where Sun-woo was admitted. First, I needed to find out which hospital it was.

I closed the email window on my laptop and accessed a video site to replay the broadcast featuring Sun-woo. I rewound to the part showing the hospital, but it was all blurred, making it difficult to identify the hospital's name or exact location. It was a psychiatric hospital in Gyeongsangbuk-do with a closed ward...

As I scrolled through the comments, many of which I didn't want to read, I stopped at one.

[That hospital is in our neighborhood, Healing Spring Hospital]

That was it. I searched for 'Healing Spring Hospital' and found its website. The hospital's main contact number was on the first page. I called immediately. The ring went on for a while.

"Yes, this is Lee Won-young."

I saw on the website that the hospital doctor's name was Lee Won-young, so I was sure I had the right number.

"Is this Healing Spring Hospital?"

"Yes, but we're not accepting patients."

The doctor sounded like he was about to hang up, stretching out his last words with a Gyeongsang Province accent.

"Wait! I'm not looking for treatment. I have a question. Do you remember a patient named Kim Sun-woo, from the Namyun River murder case? He was admitted there six years ago."

"Of course, I remember him. How could I forget? But who are you?"

A sigh of relief escaped me, but the way he said 'how could I forget' sounded like it had been a long time since he last saw Sun-woo.

"I'm a friend of Kim Sun-woo. He's gone missing, and I'm looking for him."

"Oh? I just saw the news about the murderer being caught and was thinking about Sun-woo. What a relief, but now he's missing?"His tone was like that of a worried mother.

"Has Sun-woo been discharged?"

"Of course! It's been so long..."

"When was he discharged? I lost contact with Sun-woo before he was admitted there. His family and the police did, too."

"Why doesn't the police know? A detective came shortly after Kim Sun-woo was discharged. I told them everything..."

Hearing this made me dizzy. The police knew Sun-woo was discharged from the hospital? Did his brother know too? He hadn't mentioned it when I visited their house.

"What did you tell the police?"

"After that investigative show aired, our hospital was in chaos. People called to insult us, came to the hospital, made threats... Sun-woo apologized to everyone he saw, despite being the one who suffered the most. About a month later, someone came and he was quickly discharged."

"Who came for him?"

"A foreign man with tied-back hair and a good impression. He spoke English with Sun-woo."

I couldn't think of any foreigner Sun-woo knew.

"Did you hear where Sun-woo went?"

"I didn't hear that, but now that I think about it... The following year, I think I saw someone who looked like Kim Sun-woo in the U.S."

"Where in the U.S.?"

"I was at a conference... Where was it? The conference center looked like a spaceship... Let me find a photo."

As I waited, my heart rate increased.

"Ah, here it is! Homewood University. I think I saw him on the campus, but I'm not sure. He was with other people, and when I called 'Kim Sun-woo,' he just smiled and walked past. If I knew he was missing, I would have informed the police... Should I tell them now?"

Professor Jung Hoon-seok and Doctor Lee Won-young were pointing to the same university. It wasn't a coincidence; it could all be Sun-woo.