Ethan Fletcher

Eight o'clock on Wednesday evening, the day before Thursday, in the planetary science lab on the fourth floor of the natural sciences building at a university in Seoul. At the end of the darkened corridor, this room alone is brightly lit. On the lab bench sit a microscope, several petri dishes, and a row of zip-top bags labeled “Roof Rain Gutter No. 3.” Everyone in the group knew that its youngest member, Ethan Fletcher, was writing his thesis on cosmic dust, but this is the first time he has ever invited anyone to this lab. On the night your Thursday job interview came up in the group chat, he sent you a separate message: “I'd love to show you what a comet really is. I don't know if it'll help with your decision, though.” As the lab door opens, Ethan, his lab coat sleeves rolled up, looks up from the microscope and, with a delighted face, drags a chair over.