The sun was starting to go down as Sandara parked her car at the side of the road. Several cruisers and an ambulance parked along the way. As soon as the engine went off, she bolted out, almost forgot to lock the car. Dodged the police line while putting on gloves, she reached her partner who arrived at the scene, stood beside the swollen body that just been lifted from the pond.

“Sunbaenim,” she greeted her senior partner, Senior Detective Park Dongshin.

The 17 years older detective glanced at her and commented, “Really, Sandara? Sweats?”

Sandara grimaced at her partner’s tone with her choose of attire, partially regretted her decision not to change her clothes. She was jogging when she got the call, she didn’t think changing her clothes was a priority, thus she rushed here. No matter if it was her day off, detective’s days off just nothing when there was a case to be investigated.

“I got the call when I was jogging,” she defended her attire. “Give me some slack, Sunbaenim, today’s my day off.”

“Not that your daily costume knows any better, though.” The older man mumbled, but made sure she heard it. She couldn’t argue back with the statement, because she really did prefer sweats over blazer, wearing uniform since middle school until her 2 years as uniformed officer just enough for her. And this wasn’t the first time she wore sweats to work. The guys in the headquarters even ran a daily bet if she would or not dress in sweats, which was very limited.

“Kim Daegu, twenty two years old, sophomore of bioengineering SNU, has been reported missing since a week ago. Three nights didn’t back to the dorm and couldn’t be reached, his roommate reported him missing two days ago.” The discussion about her outfit ended. “A student saw a shoe floated then call the campus security whose then call the police.” Dongshin then crouched down to look the victim more clearly.

Sandara followed after took out a tissue to cover and nose. She still hasn’t accustomed in seeing corps even after she marked her six month in the detective division with specialized to violent crime.

“Looking at the corps’ condition, he hasn’t drowned yesterday, likely last night.” She stated as her partner’s gloved hand touched the body.

“Try he drowned for twelve to eighteen hours,” a voice came from behind them.

They turned then stood up, welcoming the new comer. Average high for Korean and dark haired, he stretched out his already gloved hand. “What a pity, I finally came to my alma mater for a homicide case.” He told them before introducing himself, “Kwon Jiyong, from forensic team.”

Accepted the offered hand, Dongshin shook Jiyong’s hand in a firm grasp then said, “Ah, the famous Kwon Jiyong. Welcome to the family,”

“Neh?” Sandara turned to her partner, haven’t heard such a thing.

“He’s the new pathologist,” her partner told her.

Sandara’s jaw dropped, because the guy didn’t look like pathologist at all. She has been around pathologist since she was in Investigation Division, even before she was been promoted as detective, and this Kwon Jiyong didn’t give the vibe that usually the pathologist brings at all. Dressed in must be the last fashion trend, they guy gave the runaway model vibe. If only he was a little taller, she would believe if he said he was a model.

And somehow deep inside, she didn’t really feel comfortable around this guy. Even she hadn’t been around him more than a minute.

“His record is flawless and all branches police agency wanted him once he finished his time in US, our gain that we got the golden boy!” he beamed like a proud father.

“Don’t overcolour my reputation or I’ll have a hard time to follow the expectation, Detective Park.” the younger guy responded.

“You know me?” the senior detective surprised in delight, like it was honor to be known by the young doctor.

Jiyong smiled before he crouched down to examined the body. “I have to do my homework if I want my life here become easier, right Detective Park?” he stared at Sandara, made her flinched in discomfort, because she was the extract opposite from the doctor.

Dongshin laughed, noticing Sandara saw the comment as a jab. “You’re a charmer like they said, Doctor,” then divert their talk to the problem in their hand. “So, what you say about this, boy?” his serious tone couldn’t be ignored.

Jiyong didn’t answer right away. Instead he poked to several part of the body, opened the mouth, and turned his attention to the backpack laid beside the body.

“It was attached to the body,” Dongshin explained.

Sandara who eyed Jiyong at every move then gasped when she saw he opened the backpack and it filled with stones.

“Drowning is the most risky cause of death to be analyzed,” Jiyong stated. “I can’t say more than he was drowned for twelve to eighteen hours and this backpack used as anchor to help the submerging.” He said then signaling the coroners to bring the body to the lab.

Another officer came over to them and gave them the pictures when the body just was being evacuated from the pond. The three of them swarmed as they looked at the pictures in Dongshin’s hand. From the picture, they saw the sternum strap and hip belt were locked. Daegu’s body had no other choice but to submerge into the water as been attached by such a weight.

“Looking at the backpack size, I bet it weight around twenty kilos.” Sandara commented.

“Yeah, my rough calculation also around twenty,” Jiyong added.

As the body was being loaded to the bag an officer came to them bringing a phone in a plastic.

“I found this at the shore,” said the officer, giving the phone to Dongshin. “Still active but locked.”

“This may or may not Daegu’s,” said the detective.

“We can check it right away, Sunbaenim.” Sandara said as she asked the coroners who were lifting the body to stop. “Wait a moment,” she told. Then took the phone from her senior’s hand and approached to the body bag.

**

“Fascinating, isn’t she?” Jiyong heard Dongshin told him. “She’s our asset. Her six months’ record with us is outstanding. Her file said her IQ is two hundred.” Without realizing, his mouth crept into a smile at the information.

Jiyong watched the female detective doing her job. If not what she was doing, hard to imagine she was a police detective. Her attire emphasized her girl-next-door vibe. She took out the phone from the pla