Chapter 5 - Wonderland-4 (2/2)
”It's not a seduction.” SoYoon imitated the Mad Hatter's smirk and pointed at her left shoulder.
Above the part of her shoulder where the bone stuck out, there was a blue brand stamped on it. It was about four centimeters in size, with complicated symbols inside a circle. It was the sign of magic, as well as the identifying marker of a research experiment. This symbol constantly sent out a signal to ensure that experimental subjects could never run away without their location being compromised.
The Mad Hatter's blue eyes flashed in concern upon seeing the symbol. ”So your business is to get rid of this?”
”Is it possible?”
”To put it in layman's terms, this symbol is attached deep in your shoulder. So, if you want to get rid of this, we have to remove a chunk of your shoulder. About… this deep?”
Mad Hatter held his hands apart about a finger's length. Essentially, the whole arm would have to be sliced off.
Teasing SoYoon, he extended his fingers. ”Or maybe this much?”
”Any other way?”
”Well… If the only thing we have to worry about is its signal relaying power… Hmm. But that can't be its only purpose…”
Mad Hatter mumbled slowly in a small voice as he leaned close to observe the symbol. He was close enough for her to feel the warmth of his body. His gaze concentrated on SoYoon's skin to an uncomfortable degree. SoYoon's breathing stopped.
”If you've seen everything you need, can you move your face?”
”Why? Are you embarrassed?”
”It tickles.”
As Mad Hatter lifted his head, SoYoon scratched her arm. A girl with her chest bared, scratching her arm—SoYoon's conscience returned. The man looking at her was flabbergasted.
”So, to be clear, is your motive to get rid of the symbol altogether or just to block the signal so that it can't do its job?”
”The first. However, it really doesn't matter if I have to settle for the second.” She hated seeing the blue brand because it made her feel like a pig in a butcher's shop, but how she felt about it wasn't a priority.
At her answer, Mad Hatter suggested a compromise. ”Then I think it's best to try to block the signal. It's going to take a long time until the proper items will be available. Come see me once every other day. Even if you can't come on a certain day, there's no need to notify me.”
It's you who's in a hurry, not me, thought Mad Hatter.
After Mad Hatter finished, he stopped staring at her. He wanted to get under her skin, but SoYoon's remembered something else.
”Cell phone.”
”You can use the previous White Rabbit's cell phone. Like him, you don't seem to have an ounce of magical powers. Or do you have reservations about using a personal item of the person you killed?”
”Not really. That's not what I wanted to ask.”
SoYoon pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. On it was a sketch of a smartphone. It just looked like a rectangle in a thin box, so the Mad Hatter looked at it without much of a reaction.
”You are the person who knows the most about Wonderland, aren't you?” said SoYoon.
”Yes I am. What is this?”
”Smartphone. It's the upgraded version of the cell phone.”
Touchscreen, home button—after SoYoon explained the simplest components, Mad Hatter stole the paper out of her hands and stared at it with his nose almost touching the paper. After fully examining all the descriptions she had written in tiny letters, he popped back up with his eyes ablaze.
”Where in the world have you seen such a thing? The research facility? Who's the maker? Let's kidnap him this moment and bring him here! I need to split his head open and gain his knowledge…”
”…Pervert.”
”What? What did you say?! Wait! Where do you think you're going?!”
”I'll see you the day after tomorrow.”
SoYoon shut the front door in the Mad Hatter's face as he tried to follow her. She had told him about the smartphone to get him to concentrate his energies on getting rid of the brand, but it only made things bothersome. Mad Hatter was a true technological nerd.