Nobody Like You

Attracted To Red Flags

Lia

The moment I step outside the exam room, I whip my phone out to check if I received a text message from Yeju. All I see are messages from RJ wishing me luck on my last midterm exam.

I send a quick reply to her, thanking her and telling her it went well, before going back to Yeju's text thread and refreshing it three times.

Nothing.

Next to me, my classmates are trickling out. As usual, they form a small circle to discuss their answers. I try to take part, but I can barely pay attention to them. My mind is too crowded with worries and anticipation about Yeju and her experiment today.

After I told her my idea a few weeks ago, Yeju brought it up to Professor Song, and they had a long discussion where they decided to change the project's direction. We've since switched our daily lab work from growing bacterial mutants to preparing for a "comparative metabolomics" experiment—a term I still struggle to understand despite Yeju's countless attempts to explain it. All I know is that the experiment looks for molecules made by soil bacteria that would change when Yeju adds the inhibitor. That is one way to reveal the inhibitor's impact on the community of bacteria living in the soil.

Even though I don't completely understand the experiment, I'm thrilled that it sprung from my idea. Me and my idea! And I can tell that this new experiment is complicated. Yeju has been spending weeks working towards it, planning, preparing, ordering items. Meanwhile, all I could do were minor tasks like making agar plates—I am a pro at it now, I must add—and maintaining bacteria cultures.

And today is the day. Yeju is finally conducting the long-awaited "comparative metabolomics" experiment. She told me not to come into the lab because I have a midterm, but I know it's because she doesn't want any distractions today.

But I want to know if the experiment worked, damn it!

I refresh the text thread again. No new message. let out a small groan and put my phone away.

It's so strange how I am more worried about the result of Yeju's experiment than the result of my midterm. Is it because I'm confident I'll do well? But even so, anxiety still ate me up in the past. I'd compare every single answer to everyone's in the class despite being confident in my answers, and now I find myself walking away after five minutes.

Maybe it's because my priorities in school are flipped. I'm caring more about a research project than my classes. Or maybe... I really want Yeju to succeed.

The image of her crestfallen expression strikes me once again. The way her entire body slumped as she recounted her terminated mice experiment during the pandemic. That lethargy in her voice as if she was sick of it all. The tiredness in her eyes.

I sigh. I hope she succeeds.

When I reach the apartment, I decide I should make dinner today. Yeju has been making most of our meals now, especially during this midterm season. But now that my last midterm is over, I should return the favor. I can't cook half as well as her, but my food is at least edible. I think.

Blasting my songs on my phone, I whip up some kimchi fried rice using the homemade kimchi I grabbed from home. I sing and nod along to the music as rice sizzles in the pan. The familiar aroma of Korean cuisine fills the kitchen.

As I turn off the stove, the door slams open.

"It worked!" Yeju screams from behind me.

"It worked?" I spin around, already forgetting the food I just finished making. "How? What? Explain!"

We run towards each other, and when Yeju reaches me, she wraps her arms around my waist, lifts me up from the ground, and exclaims, "It fucking worked!"