There was a swarm of bodies going back and forth between the aisles as Shin Hye stepped inside the police station. It was only quarter to seven but the area was already bustling with activities- something Shin Hye had wanted to avoid, but then, she ended up getting caught in the scene. She weaved her way along the endless rows of tables and chairs, slowing down every now and then to make a turn until she reached her destination.

“Somebody had been monitoring your unit for a while already,” the officer instantly stated just as Shin Hye took a seat. She didn’t respond right away but settled for wiping away the sweat that had formed on her forehead and cooling down her temperature.

She raised her brow in confusion once the earlier statement sank into her thoughts. “What do you mean? We are not rich- I mean, there is nothing of much value in our unit for somebody to waste their time stalking us.”

“Well, the investigation team asked for a copy of the CCTV footage from the landlady. Mrs. Kwon was very accommodating and she immediately gave us the copy of her records. However, there was no recorded footage on the time of the incident from any of the cameras, leading us to believe that the incident was planned way ahead. Even Mrs. Kwon was confused since she never turned any of the cameras off that day. Thus, we handed the case over to our technical team to see if they could figure out if it was a case of inside job or a more complicated situation,” the policeman paused, perhaps to breath after a lengthy explanation, allowing Shin Hye some time to digest the newfound information she heard.

She didn’t answer or asked immediately (although she had a lot of questions swarming through her head) and opted to letting the officer finish giving out the report to her. She nodded her head and gestured the officer to continue. “Thus, we took copies of those from the earlier weeks prior to the incident. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately, the new member of the team recognized a pattern of the timing of the blackouts from the camera along your corridor. I would like to explain it to you but honestly, I’m not an expert on the IT Department so I’d better let the- Oh there he is!” the officer exclaimed and gestured to a young looking man, most probably a fresh graduate judging by the way he seemed to be just adjusting to the chaotic nature of the station and the hesitation in his eyes when the older one beckoned him to come. Shin Hye had been a teacher for a while now and she could easily differentiate a newcomer amidst the chattering crowd.

“Miss Shin Hye, this is Lee Jong Suk, the member of the technical team I’ve told you about. He topped the graduating class of KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology this year, making him a valuable asset to our station,” the officer, whom Shin Hye noted as Officer Park according to his nameplate, stated proudly like a father boasting about the achievements of his son. The new guy ducked his head and smiled bashfully at the unexpected praises. “Very well, I’ll let him tell you the details first. I’ll be back after I submit the report to the chief.”

Shin Hye watched as Officer Park proceeded to finish some errands and then turned back her attention to Jong Suk who had just taken a seat. He cleared his throat and opened the folder he was holding earlier.

“Miss Shin Hye right?”

Shin Hye nodded right away and Jong Suk handed her the folder. “I’ve listed down the time frame where the camera along your floor seemed to black out. It happened thrice since last week, twice during the night and once during noon time, a day before the crime. On the bottom part is the timetable on which all the cameras of the apartment had missing footages on the day of the incident. We didn’t notice the unusual activity from the other cameras immediately. It started from the first floor with the recording missing from 9:05- 9:08 AM followed by the second floor from 9:07-9:10 AM. However, the camera on your floor wasn’t working since midnight.”

“Perhaps there was a glitch? Maybe the devices were not in a good condition?” Shin Hye suggested, a bit unsure of her theory. She was hoping that Jong Suk would agree with her. She doesn’t want to dwell on the other excuse she could think of – somebody was indeed monitoring them and that they had taken control over their apartment’s security system.

“Unfortunately, no. We tried to trace the culprit for rigging the cameras but the hacker had already put up numerous traps that are hard to crack. It seemed as if the hacker really planned this for a long time since he or she had invented his or her own language and program to code it. Our team of experts is still trying to decipher the codes and the only thing we could confirm as of now is that the server used by the hacker is located outside the country. Our program points us toward the direction of the west, somewhere along Europe.”

A visible frown was etched upon Shin Hye’s face as she listened to the report. Why on earth would somebody from Europe want to monitor them? “I don’t understand. What would they gain from stalking and entering our unit?” Shin Hye asked in confusion.

Jong Suk’s lips were pressed into a thin and he released a sigh. “That is what we had discussed with the officers holding your case. We couldn’t find any motive behind the crime since nothing was stolen as you’ve said. And since the server was located in Europe, the hacker must have had an accomplice here in South Korea- the one who broke into your apartment. Given these additional evidences, however, we are still back to zero since we don’t have any motive provided. If it was merely a way to scare you off for some reasons, I don’t think they would go this far. The complication of this case is overwhelming that even the chief suggested that there should be a separate team to focus on your case. Officer Park thinks that there might be something more than a mere break-in.”

Shin Hye felt goosebumps on her skin as she tried to grasp the reality presented before her. The report wasn’t only confusing but it was also creepy and it was freaking her out. She made a pact to herself that she would protect her sister at all cost but how could she when she doesn’t even know whom should she protect Ji Won from?

“What should we do?” Shin Hye’s voice rose a bit higher, indicating her nervousness. “As of now, I’m advising you to be more cautious. We don’t know their motives so we don’t also know what they would do to you. Ring the station immediately if you notice somebody following any of you or if you notice something strange in your surroundings. Mrs. Kwon had already agreed to change the CCTVs and it would be arriving this afternoon. Some of the men from the station will be installing it to ensure that there are no bugs or rigged components,” Jong Suk paused and saw the worried face of Shin Hye staring back at him. He wasn’t close with her sister but he had heard about the story of their mother’s disappearance from a common friend and he felt sorry that they had to face another big problem. “We cannot provide officers to guard you since the case had a lot of loopholes but rest assured we’ll do our best to find the suspects as soon as possible.”

Shin Hye tried to trust Jong Suk’s words but the fear on her mind didn’t simmer down. “Can you please do me a favor?”

Jong Suk immediately nodded.

“Please don’t tell my sister anything about this for now. I don’t want her to worry or feel unsafe because of the incident. I’ll tell her soon I promise. Just not now,” Shin Hye pleaded. It was selfish of her to withhold such valuable information but then she knew that her sister would not let go of the case until she got some answers. It had already happened before when their mother disappeared- Ji Won tried to book a flight to Japan to look for their mother without telling her. Fortunately, she discovered the ticket the day before her sister’s flight. Shin Hye was afraid that her sister might do something reckless not out of desperation, but out of curiosity this time.

The refreshing taste of the cucumber cooler washed down the worried thoughts of Ji Won as she joined her best friends’ chatter inside the restaurant. She and Han Groo were doing perfectly well in distracting Soo Jung throughout the day. The two went to the Ahn’s house early in the morning to be greeted by a very sleepy Soo Jung. But that didn’t stop them from forcing her to get dressed and go with them with the excuse that it had been a long time since the three of them did something together.

Well of course, the morning didn’t pass by without Soo Jung complaining about her disrupted beauty sleep. “I love you guys and I’m glad we are together. But I still can’t believe that you did