~ooOOOoo~

 

A young man in his early twenties was bound by the chains in the middle of an empty room. The chains that tied on his wrists and waist were long enough for him to walk around but too short for him to approach the only escape way, the open door across of him. The feeling of being trapped, the solitary and the silent around him had stressed him. Not to mention that his kidnapper had tortured him, leaving bloody wounds across his bare torso and back. It almost drove him crazy.

 

Then, someone entered the room and approached. As the figure came to view, he recognized the person as his kidnapper; a Caucasian male with beard and brunette hair.

 

And fear once again rushed inside of him.

 

---

 

Kim Myungsoo jolted up, waking from short deep slumber that he had before and feeling threatened all of sudden. He looked around and realized that he was still at the comfort of the couch at his study room in his villa. He remembered that he was taking a nap earlier since he felt very tired. But it seemed that his peaceful slumber would always be disturbed by a dream that he wanted to forget.

 

Click!

 

The sound of the door opened made him turning his gaze. He saw Minho at the door. His friend stopped and frowned as he saw him. But Myungsoo ignored the expression and lifted his position. As he sat, a sudden throbbing pain struck on his head, making him to put a light pressure on the inner corner of his left eye.

 

“Do you have that dream again?” Minho asked out of concern. He had known Myungsoo for long enough to know what his friend had been gone through in the past.

 

Myungsoo heave and lowered his hand. “If you have something to say, just say it.”

 

It was a signal for Minho to approach. “Park Jieun will start working tomorrow.” He then handed clipped-papers to Myungsoo. “It’s the contract of her employment that I’ve made her signing it. I have also given her the copy of this contract.”

 

Myungsoo took the papers and skimmed through it.

 

“After I hand over stuffs to her tomorrow, I will return to Seoul.” Minho continued to brief his friend. “The refrigerator has been stocked up for you. It will be enough until you come back to Seoul.”

 

Feeling enough, Minho walked back to the door. But he then remembered something. So he turned back to Myungsoo.

 

“Oh, right. For this translation project, do you need it to be handwritten?”

 

“No.” Myungsoo closed the papers. “Just prepare a computer for her.”

 

The order seemed to be unexpected, even for Minho. An upward tug appeared on a corner of his lips. “Wow. I don’t know that you will give special treatment to the ladies,” he jokingly said.

 

But Myungsoo only coolly put the contract on the low table beside the couch and replied, “Her handwriting is bad.”

 

It made Minho scoffed and nodded while mumbling, “No wonder.” He looked back at his friend. “You really have a high standard, you know. You really need to stop it before ladies start avoiding you.” He then turned to the door before Myungsoo could say something and walked out. “See you again at Seoul.”

 

Myungsoo only turned to see his friend walking away.

 

 

 

Downtown, at the police office, Doojoon stuck a photo of a young teenage boy on the white board then stepped back as he gazed at the white board that filled with clues of missing people cases.

 

“Kim Youngjoon, 15 years old,” he said, giving a brief of the newest case of missing teenage boy to his team members. “He’s actually coming from here. But his parents made him to visit his aunt outside the town for vacation. According to his parents, in the morning, he went with bus. And ever since, we haven’t heard anything from him again.”

 

“This is the sixth missing person. Why do they still not approve to open the case yet?” One of his team members asked.

 

“Well, a case where children of his age run away from home is happening quiet often. So I don’t think the higher managements thought of this case seriously.” Another member explained. “Besides, this case seems like a trafficking gang case. But there’s not enough evidence for it.”

 

Doojoon heaved a silent sigh then moved forward to write some info about Kim Youngjoon. “The other missing people are also abducted in the city. If these cases are related, then we can assume that Kim Youngjoon didn’t get off the bus and went straight to his aunt house.” He wrote his assumption then turned to his team. “Print his picture then visits the terminal stations along the way. If we’re lucky, we will find someone that remembers him. We need to find out on which station he went missing. Report to me immediately if you find something.”

 

He received a random ‘okay’ from his team members before they dismissed their selves. But before Doojoon could do something else, his subordinate called him. Doojoon lifted his gaze to see the guy.

 

“You have a visitor,” he said with a teasing smile on his face.

 

Doojoon felt confused to hear the words. But as his subordinate turned his gaze to his side and Jieun appeared, a smile bloomed on Doojoon’s face. Jieun thanked the subordinate and approached the guy.

 

“What are you doing here?” Doojoon asked the girl as she approached.

 

“Delivering lunch box for Uncle,” Jieun replied then looked at the white board. “I also happened to have a business nearby.”

 

“What business?”

 

Jieun looked back to Doojoon. “Signing contract for my new job,” she replied again then pointed at the white board. “New case?”

 

Doojoon nodded. “Yeah,” he sighed. “But it’s none of your concern.” He stepped closer to the girl. “Have you eaten lunch?”

 

A smile bloomed on Jieun’s face. “Your treat?”

 

To hear the question, Doojoon heaved a sigh. “Fine,” he said in defeated tone. “And it’s also for celebrating your new job.” He slung his arm across Jieun’s shoulder and turned the girl around.

 

Jieun chuckled. “Yay!” She cheered timidly then chuckled to her own foolish act. Doojoon only chuckled along to see her fooling around and walked out with her.

 

On the next minutes, Doojoon and Jieun sat across of each other with foods spreading on the table between them. They were having lunch at a restaurant near the police office while chatting.

 

“So…” Doojoon started to talk again, making the girl to look back at him. “Tell me more about your new job.”

 

Jieun tugged her chin slightly up and pursed lips, thinking. “Hmmm…” She mumbled. “It’s only a translation job for researches. The job will start tomorrow and I will be doing it for a week.”

 

“But have you met the one that hired you?”

 

“Not yet,” Jieun replied in careless manner. “We only talked through messages. Other than that, I just met his friend.” She then smiled. “But I’m sure I’ll be seeing him soon. I’ll be working at his place after all.”

 

Somehow, Doojoon found it strange if Jieun’s employer had never met Jieun directly but only through a third party. “Well, that’s weird.” He frowned then looked back at her. “Who is his name again?”

 

“Kim Myungsoo.”

 

And the name sounded familiar for Doojoon. “Kim Myungsoo?” He tilted his head. “His name sounds familiar. I think I have seen it somewhere.” He tried to remember.

 

To see him trying hard to remember, Jieun only smiled. She stretched her hand to the guy and waved it in front of the guy’s face, stopping him from thinking. “Haish, don’t try to remember.” She withdrew her hand. “It’s not good if a police officer like you thinks the name familiar.”

 

“Why?” Doojoon asked innocently.

 

“Because, it makes people thinking if he has criminal records or not.”

 

The words brought realization for Doojoon. “Ah, right.” He looked back at Jieun with serious manner; he looked concern and worried. “Should I investigate him?”

 

But Jieun only laughed. “Yah, I’m just kidding,” she said. “Professor Jang told me that this Kim Myungsoo has just returned from America not so long ago. So even if he has a criminal record, it would be in America, not in Korea. So I don’t think an ordinary detective like you will know about it.”

 

Doojoon smiled to hear it. He then leaned his body forward. “But, if you’re feeling suspicious with him, just tell me. I will surely investigate him for you.”

 

Laughter broke from Jieun again. “Yah. Why are you so skeptic about him? I’m sure that he’s only a normal researcher.” Her laughter toned down as she propped her hand on the crook on her side neck. “Although… I must admit that he’s kinda tricky.” She shyly admitted then looked back at Doojoon. “He has me guessing his friend’s occupation at the interview. Thankfully, there was a magazine about his friend on the room. So I can guess it right.”

 

Doojoon scoffed softly to hear it. He had known very well about Jieun’s highly observant nature. But his phone disturbed the peace. He fished out his phone from his pocket and answered it. “Yes, Yoon Doojoon’s here.”

 

He then went silent as he heard the explanation from his team member. But Jieun also noticed that his expression became serious. Whatever that he heard on his phone, it must have been a serious matter. Jieun guessed that it might be related to the case that he handled.

 

Doojoon dropped his gaze. “Okay, I’ll be on my way,” he said then hung up and lowered his phone. He looked back at Jieun. “Quickly finish your lunch. I’ll be taking you home first before going somewhere else.” He had somehow guessed if the girl would refuse. So he quickly continued. “And…” He put a palm facing the girl, stopping the girl as she had opened to say something. “I insist.”

 

Jieun closed and heaved a defeated sigh. “Okay.”

 

After dropping Jieun at the house, Doojoon went to meet his teammate on a small shopping district near a bus stop in the town. He pulled over as he saw his teammate had waited on the sideway. His teammate approached as the car stopped and peered in.

 

“Found anything?” Doojoon asked him.

 

“Yes,” he said. “I actually found several people that could confirm Kim Youngjoon’s presence on the bus. They said that he came out from the bus at this bus stop.” He then pointed at a small store on the corner. “The woman who sells food and drinks there also confirmed that he was stopping here because she remembers him buying drink from her store.”

 

Doojoon looked around. “His aunt house is still far from here. But why did he stop here?”

 

“His parents said that he supposed to switch buses here. There’s no direct bus to his aunt’s place.”

 

Doojoon looked back to the front then heaved and looked at his teammate again. “Get in. We’ll try to check the bus route.”

 

His teammate pushed himself from the car and opened the door before entering the car.

 

After driving for a while, they arrived at the mountain side. Doojoon turned his car to the right and stopped on a dirt street. He then came out from the car and looked at the surrounding. He even walked toward the sideway and looked at the road. He saw cars and buses passing by.

 

“This place looks desolated,” he commented.

 

His teammate nodded and said, “The mountain side is quietly isolated with exception of one villa.”

 

Doojoon turned his gaze to him as he heard the word ‘villa’. “A villa?”

 

His teammate nodded and looked at the right side. “There.” He pointed at a specific road across of them. “That path leads to that villa.”

 

Doojoon looked at the pointed area. He then remembered that it was the road that he had taken when he drove Jieun to the place of her interview. Now, somehow, he felt worry with Jieun.

 

 

---

 

The next morning, Jieun came to the villa for working. Minho had waited for her and gave her briefing for things that she supposed to do and not around the house. Jieun’s workstation would be located on the living room; and he told her that she could free to roam around and do everything on the first floor except for a locked door beside the stairs. He also told her not to come to the second floor because Kim Myungsoo didn’t like strangers to enter his private domain upstairs. Jieun could only come upstairs if the Professor asked her to come up. Minho also warned her about Kim Myungsoo’s weird temper and asked her to be patient with him.

 

After a quietly long brief from Choi Minho, Jieun finally started her job. So she started to engulf herself on the translation project. She only stopped to get a drink. At that moment, Jieun realized that she had run out of warm water. So she went to the kitchen that located across the stairs and boiled hot water.

 

As she waited the water to boil, her eyes spotted a fishing kit beside the refrigerator. Feeling curious, she came closer to check on the fishing rod. Because of her late father, Jieun could tell if the rod was a customized one; she could see Kim Myungsoo’s name engraved on it. She remembered if she used to accompany her father for fishing. Those memories made Jieun smiled.

 

She then turned to the refrigerator and somehow tempted to check the content. She opened the door and saw that the racks were filled mostly by fishes. It made Jieun thinking if Kim Myungsoo was actually a fish lover. But she quickly ignored the thought because she heard the water boiled. She closed the refrigerator’s door and went to the water boiler.

 

When she wanted to go back to the living room, her steps were halted by a slamming noise from the door beside the stairs. She turned her gaze there and heard another noise; this time it sounded like a stabbing one. She approached the door in caution and heard metal clanking.

 

Actually, the noise scared her, thinking that someone was actually stabbing something behind the door. But then she thought that it was weird to hear those noises. Choi Minho had told her that the room was supposed to be locked. But why did she hear noises from it?

 

The door then opened, startling her and made her stepping back. A man in yellow radiation suit and mask came out from the room; he stopped as he saw Jieun standing before him. Jieun became dumbfounded to see the man. The man was tall and he got a pair of good eyes behind the goggles that he wore. Jieun even thought that those eyes were looking smart.

 

But who was he?

 

Well, other than her, there was only Kim Myungsoo on the house. So Jieun assumed that the man was him.

 

“You are Mr. Kim Myungsoo, right?” Jieun asked in caution.

 

The man only looked at Jieun from top to bottom then replied in an ‘Uhm’ before turning and walked away.

 

Jieun only looked at the man. Choi Minho was right; Kim Myungsoo was indeed had a weird temper. She tilted her head and shrugged before going back to the living room.

 

After continuing her work for some times, Jieun felt her body a little stiff. So she stretched out her body. She stood up and approached the window. She opened the window to let some fresh air in. She took a deep breath and exhaled. She then realized that there was a lake outside. And as she saw the view, she realized that the weather outside was perfect for a walk. So Jieun thought that it would be fine for her to take a break and have a walk outside.

 

Jieun walked outside the house and saw a path to the lake. She took the path and walked further until she reached a small opening. There, she saw a fishing kit. She approached and found out that the fishing kit was belonged to Kim Myungsoo, as she recognized the fishing rod from the kitchen. She looked around but saw nobody there. It seemed that the man had left his fishing kit there; it was very weird. But Jieun thought that Kim Myungsoo was perhaps in hurry.

 

Then, she saw the bait moved. So she checked on the rod and saw that the fish had actually taken the bait away. She hooked the bait back and threw the hook back to the lake. Somehow, she ended to fish for a while.

 

After some time, Jieun packed the fishing kit and brought them back to the house, where she put them back beside the refrigerator at the kitchen. She dusted off her hands as she walked to the door. When she saw the stairs, her thought came back to Kim Myungsoo. She thought that it would be impolite if she didn’t notify the man that she had brought back his fishing kit. So she took out her phone and texted the man, notifying him that she had found his fishing kit by the lake and brought it back along the fishes that he had caught. She also told him that if he didn’t have anything else for her to do, she would go home since her working time had done. She then waited for his reply.

 

But after a while, Jieun didn’t receive any reply. So she texted him once again, telling him that she was going home since the day had become late. After that, she came out from the house. As she stepped down the front staircase, she saw Doojoon’s car there. The guy came out from his car as she approached.

 

Jieun looked at the car and to Doojoon. “Is there any special occasion till you pick me up?”

 

“I just happen to have some business around here,” Doojoon said. “Besides, Mom was nagging at me a lot because I’ve rarely visited her.”

 

Jieun only smiled to hear that.

 

“So…” Doojoon stepped forward and slung his arm across Jieun’s shoulder then leaded her to the passenger side. “I took the moment to pick you up and go back home with you.” He opened the door and pushed Jieun to get in.

 

After the girl secured on her seat, Doojoon closed the door. He turned and looked at the house for a moment with caution look. Somehow, he was feeling suspicious with Kim Myungsoo; it seemed that something suspicious happened around that guy. But Doojoon didn’t want to blame people blindly without further investigation. He heaved softly then went to the driver side. He entered the car and drove it away while looking at the house through the rear mirror on his side.

 

“You know.”

 

Jieun’s voice made Doojoon breaking his gaze to the house. He looked at the girl and saw her tilting her head. A curious frown appeared on her face.

 

“I’m really curious with your reason for picking me up.” She turned to look at him, leaning herself a little closer to the guy. “You’re not suspecting anything wrong with Kim Myungsoo, right?”

 

Sometimes, Doojoon really wished if Park Jieun didn’t have a pair of good observant eyes. She had guessed right. But somehow, Doojoon didn’t want to get her involved. He then scoffed in amusement and felt wanting to tease the girl. “So I can’t pick you up like this?”

 

Jieun seemed taken aback by the question. “It’s not what I meant. You know that I can always use taxi, right?”

 

“Even if I come as your boyfriend?” Doojoon added with a naughty lopsided grin on his face.

 

Jieun’s expression quickly dropped as she heard the additional words; an annoyed expression appeared afterward. She knew that Doojoon was joking. “I think Aunty has planted the idea of you becoming my boyfriend too much on your brain,” she grumbled as she sat back on her seat. “It really needs to stop. We’re not even dating.” She added as she turned her gaze out.

 

Her comment made Doojoon giggling, feeling relief that he had successfully diverted the topic. His giggles then calmed down as his thought went back to the house. As a police officer, Doojoon couldn’t help but to feel suspicious with the solitary villa. And with a mysterious Professor living alone there, it had increased his suspicion.

 

Chirp!

 

The chirping sound from Jieun’s phone had broken Doojoon’s thought. He turned to look at the girl and found her suppressing her smile. It seemed that the girl had read something that made her proud on her phone.

 

“What’s with the smile?” Doojoon asked. “Is that Kim Myungsoo?”

 

Jieun nodded and her smile bloomed. “He thanked me for the fish.” She then turned to Doojoon. “You know. I think he likes fishing. I found fishing gears on the kitchen with a customized fishing rod earlier this morning. Then, I spotted them again by the lake. It seemed that Kim Myungsoo was fishing but left in hurry because of something.” She looked back to front, still with a smile on her face. “It really reminds me to my father.”

 

To hear the words ‘Jieun’s father’, Doojoon’s expression quickly dropped. Actually, he had tried his best to avoid topics about her father for so long because he knew perfectly if it would make the girl recalling the worst time of her life. And the last thing that Doojoon wanted to see from her was to feel scared and sad like she was back then.

 

“Yah, Jieun-ah.”

 

“Yes?” Jieun looked back to Doojoon.

 

“Do you think we need to bring fruits home?” Doojoon then looked at Jieun. “Mom and Jina really like fruits, you know.”

 

A realization came to Jieun’s face. “Ah, right. Can we stop by the fruits store then?”

 

Doojoon only nodded as a smile broke slightly on his face, thinking; luckily for him, Park Jieun was easy to divert.

 

---

 

A man was working in the dark of the forest. The night was late and he was seen putting something into a big hole that he had dug earlier. He straightened his body, checking the arrangement, but only to feel that it was making him unsatisfied. So he re-arranged.

 

After checking the arrangement again, he felt satisfied.

 

He then took his hoe and closed the hole with the soil again.

 

 

~ooOOOoo~

 

Three more to go to Chapter 5