Thought I had shared this fic idea already, but couldn't find it, so here it is again!
Where Hoon is doing his PHD in ancient Epigraphy and Funerary texts, except everything gets delayed when his supervisor passes away suddenly. He's assigned an interim supervisor who doesn't give a shit, and keeps him stuck in the archives, so when he comes across an invitation to join an undisclosed fully funded dig as he's cleaning out his old professor's office, he takes the opportunity to go meet the investor.
He says he's only going to inform them that the professor has passed, just in case he made arrangements to join the dig, but he's also hoping for an opportunity to join the team himself and get the necessary field experience to complete his PhD.
He arrives at this huge villa, and has to wait in this private museum of sorts, and he gets so swept up examining all the collectibles, he doesn't realise anyone has come up behind him until someone clears their throat.
Cheol is the investor's right hand man, and questions how Jihoon got the invitation. Jihoon explains about the professors passing, and wanting to notify them in case they made any arrangements. Cheol is like, "yeah, we heard. Sorry for your loss. Anyway, let me show you out".
Hoon is very 🥺 and wants to know more about the dig, but Cheol is like, "nope. It's need to know". Then Hoon makes an observation about an artefact in the private collection being a forgery, and that has the investor appearing out of the shadows. "Well spotted. You know how many so-called experts miss that?"
He takes Jihoon for a private tour of the collection while Cheol is like 😑 in the background. Hearing about Jihoon's struggles to complete his PhD, the investor invites Jihoon along on the dig in Egypt. After Hoon leaves, Cheol is like, "I thought we agreed that I would get a say on who you recruited?" And the investor is like, "I doubt Mr Lee will pose an obstacle for you. I have every confidence in your abilities."
A week later at the private jet hanger, Cheol tries to scare Jihoon off from joining. "This isn't what you think it is. You're better off in the archives," but that only makes Hoon more determined to prove himself.
What Hoon doesn't realise is, Cheol was just trying to keep him out of trouble because this isn't any ordinary dig. It's completely unsanctioned and off the books, and actually the second time the investor has tried to uncover this tomb. The first time was such an unmitigated disaster, he recruited Cheol and his mercenary unit to see it through, and while Cheol couldn't care less about endangering the washed up discredited and morally dubious researchers the investor recruited, he does have a problem endangering the innocent PhD student who wants to buy a watermelon to share with everyone.
snowghoul
turnnoffyourmind
romaincrisis