Time. There was no time to adjust. My eyes felt heavy & my body extremely weak. I soon enough was sat in a room & Ms. Cha sat across from me. "남준아 잘 쉬었어요?" (Well rested, Namjoon ?) She asked in that sweet tone of hers.

I was still adjusting so I didn't know what to look out for. I didn't know it then, & I most certainly didn't know it now. "I am well, Ms. Cha" She seemed very pleased with my answer. "Good. This will make this process easier."

This is when Ms. Cha sat a document in front of me. "An NDA ?" She pointed at the document, "이것은 간단한 비공개 계약입니다. 당신은 여기서 일어난 일에 대해 아무 말도 하지 않을 것입니다. 그것은 또한 당신이 나의 연구 프로그램에 참여하면 보상을 받을 것이라고 명시되어 있습니다." (This is a simple non-disclosure agreement. You will not talk about any of what has happened here. It also states that you'll get compensation for your participation in my research program.) I looked over & it was exactly as she said. No tricks.

"All you need to do is sign, Namjoon." I signed & was escorted out with Secretary Oh.

Secretary Oh handed me a folder. "What is this ?" She looked paranoid. Like even just speaking too loud would be an absolute problem. "글쎄, 잘 모르겠는걸요. 남준아, 당신이 이곳을 떠나고 나면 당신에게 도움이 될 거예요." (I can't say. It will do you some good after you leave here, Namjoon ah.) It wasn't long before we reached the front door.

Secretary Oh pointed at the folder, "It is crucial you look at it, Namjoon ah." Security got me to a car & then I was being drove home. Nothing looked as I remembered. Before long I was home. It took me a minute, but eventually I knocked on the door.

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"Oh, Namjoon !", My mother said as soon as she opened the door & had seen me. She looked younger. Much younger than when I had last seen her. "엄마?" (Mom ?) She smiled as she brought me inside. "Your father will be back in a bit. Why don't you take a seat ?"

I did as she suggested. I ignored how much everything seemed different, but I could tell things were a bit off since I had returned. "I am so happy you're home, Namjoon. I worried about you." Things felt different. I looked at her wrist, a watch was on it with the N.L.I trademark. "What aren't you telling me ?"

My mother sighed as she took a seat. "전혀 모르시는군요, 그렇죠? 당신은 지난 몇 년 동안 연구 프로그램에 일생을 바쳤습니다. 우린 당신이 절대 집에 오고 싶지 않다고 생각하기 시작했어요. 남준아, 그게 변했어요." (You have no idea, do you ? You've dedicated your life to the research program all of these years. We were beginning to think you never wanted to come home. That's what changed, Namjoon.) Nothing was like I remembered.

"So you just acted as if I didn't exist ? Like I wanted to be there as this time...", I asked as I was trying to process. My mother nodded as she pointed at her wrist. "It was better than wishing for my son who literally couldn't tell me how he was feeling, Namjoon ah... This watch tracks my data for NewLife Industries. You being in that program was a tremendous help for Ms. Cha' company & for the rest of us with the dormant ability."

I was going to say something else when my father stopped me. How was I to cope with this ?