#Case007 – 「Remembering Back」

Gunwoo had just arrived to the police station with his briefcase. All the staffs under him were greeting him ‘Good Morning’ along with the police salute. He replied it back and went straightly to his own office, which was not afar from the other staff desks. He closed the door and shut down the window blinds.

He wanted to avoid his staffs’ eyes on him.

Slowly, he took out a shiny star-shaped that was given by Himchan three days ago.

“This bracelet...could it possibly the clue to the serial killer though?” Gunwoo questioned himself for it. He did felt unsure about this evidence a bit. So that’s why he did take three days to thought about it all over back again.

Was it or not.

And now, he was staring at it for a long, long time. Until there was a bold knock on his door. He hurriedly shifted his gaze to the door.

“Enter!”

The door opened, revealed Mr. Han who was smiling to see his boss.

“Detective Lee. It seems that you’re coming so early for today.”

Gunwoo laughed. “Waeyo? Is it wrong for me to change my usually arrival time?”

“Aniyo~ I’m just surprised to be told by Mr. Go about your sudden early arrival. That’s all.” Mr. Han then closed back the door and sat on the chair which facing Gunwoo.

“Oh. I see.” Gunwoo replied shortly. He actually didn’t really think that would be hot news though.

“Detective!” Mr. Han exclaimed when he saw the bracelet in a transparent plastic bag. “What’s this? New proof?”

“Urm...you can assume that as a proof. Himchan had given me this bracelet three days ago. He found it in Sooyeon’s trench coat.” Gunwoo felt hesitated to say about it to Mr. Han.

”Sooyeon? Do you mean Jung Sooyeon?” Mr. Han asked Gunwoo to get verification about the full name of the victim.

Gunwoo nodded. “So...why did he give this to you now? Why doesn’t he give it last month?” Mr. Han felt quite curious regarding this matter.

“He just found it.” Gunwoo then took this opportunity to ask to Mr. Han. “By the way, do you think I supposed to send this to lab for an analysis?”

“Why – of course, yes! It’s a proof after all, am I right?” Gunwoo thought deeply about his own opinion regarding the bracelet.

“But...the killer isn’t expected to be a yeoja though. The way of killing is just so brutal...”

“Hey, Detective Lee Gunwoo. Do you still remember the first rule to be a good detective?” Mr. Han crossed arms in front of Gunwoo. As he could sense that Gunwoo felt the other way round.

“How can I ever forget about it? First rule; don’t make a hurry hypothesis just by some unclear proofs-“ Suddenly, Gunwoo stopped continued his sentences. He just realized his mistake right then.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

“Now, you see it right? Anyway, we really didn’t expect the killer will be a yeoja but...in this surprising world; nothing is impossible. Remember that.” Mr. Han then patted Gunwoo’s shoulder, assured him to be back on the right track as a detective.

“You’re right. I’ll take it by myself to the lab.” Gunwoo then smiled to Mr. Han before took the bracelet along with him as he went out from his room; to go to the lab.

Mr. Han just looked to him with a happy face. He almost whispered to himself, “Now, that’s the Lee Gunwoo that I knew before.”

Himchan felt a bit sick this morning. Not a physical sickness, or an internal sickness too.

His heart...just felt like wanted to burst.

He lay on his bed and stared to the ceiling with a sad looks on his eyes. He was in that position was about 30 minutes already. And he didn’t felt like wanted to moved his body anywhere at all.

Then, he slowly closed his eyes.

‘I can’t be like this. Stay strong. Himnae! (Be strong!)’

He then quickly got up from his bed and walked past through a mirror. Suddenly, he stopped. He took several steps behind to make him stand right in front of the mirror. He looked towards his image in the mirror.

“Kim Himchan.” That’s the only word that could escape his mouth at this moment.

Then, he slowly lifted his left hand and caressed his cheek. The image of him was also doing the same.

“Why are you being like this?” He bowed his gaze to his legs. Couldn’t take a better look to his own image for now.

Felt too guilty.

“It’s not your fault.” Himchan once again as said to himself, he lifted back his gaze towards the mirror. “It’s definitely not your fault...”

Then, slowly he said under his breath. “...for missing her like crazy.”

After he said that, he suddenly sank onto his knees. He was crying like a child right now.

Another side of Himchan that was never had seen by anyone.

He felt loss. And at the same time he felt anger and melancholy. It’s as a part of him was missing.

And he couldn’t take it back. Because he just couldn’t turn back time.

He was standing right in front of mirror from his sorrow just now; looked to his image with sudden fierce eyes.

PRANG!

He had just punched the mirror until some of its fragments did scattered on the floor while the other mirror part was having a big cracks on its surface – the place where Himchan stayed his bleed hand on it.

The tears kept fell down his cheeks; not because of his hand’s bleeding, but for his bleeding poor heart.

Finally, he just let out a true confession; deep from the bottom of his heart.

“I need you.”

Turn left. Several minutes later, she turned right. Then, left once again.

Soojung was getting fed-up so she insisted to just wake up from her not-so-in-deep-sleep.

“Haish! Why I do keep thinking of her?” Soojung ruffled her own hair, felt somewhat weird with herself.

She couldn’t sleep because of her. Her.

“Jung Eunhwa.” She softly mentioned the name. “She said that she didn’t know well with unnie and yet, why she did look to unnie’s picture like she was actually recognized her?”

There’s just a long silence for her questions.

“No... I don’t know her. If just I and your sister met earlier, for sure maybe we’d already be best friends.” 

“...If just I and your sister met earlier, for sure maybe we’d already be best friends.” 

...If just...

“Ahh~” She cupped her face in frustration. “What’s that supposed to mean?? That sentence...as if there’s was another meaning in it...” Soojung pouted. She couldn’t figure out what’s that possibly could be.

Soojung then slowly stood up and went to her cabinet to take her phone on it. She wanted to call someone...but who? She wondered for a while in her contacts list.

“Pabo! Your sister isn’t no longer here, Jung Soojung! Please be back into reality!” Soojung then hit her head several times.

She’s always like this.

And she hates it.

But she didn’t know how to stop.

Felt like Sooyeon was here.

Then, she was about to put back her phone to its place back. But...

CLANK!

Soojung couldn’t believe her eyes. She quickly kneeled and took the photo frame that was fall suddenly from the cabinet, right on the floor without any prior notice.

She turned the frame to see the picture. It’s their picture of happy moments.

Especially Sooyeon’s broad smile.

“Why this photo frame could be easily toppled off? Weird...” Then, Soojung muted herself for a while.

“Was that actually meant...” She was once again saying things to herself.

“...that something bad gonna happen soon?” Soojung closed with both of her hands thus made the frame fell once again.

“Ahh~ Mianhae unnie. Neomu mianhaeyo...” She quickly took the frame and hugged it to her chest.

Eunhwa felt blurred. She didn’t know what she had to do. Before this she used to prepare herself to go to school, but not for today and upcoming days later as well.

She was being unemployed started yesterday.

“You’re fired.”

“B-but why? I didn’t do anything at all!” Eunhwa tried to stand her right as an innocent victim in this case.

“Yes, I know that you’ll possibly not do anything harm to Kim Eunyoung but...” He muted for a while and scratching his bald head. “The people are now making a big rumors...which could make this school reputation went down.”

Eunhwa was startled. “So, all about firing me am to take care of school reputation? So, how about my own reputation?”

“I know that this decision is as evil towards you as you had given a lot of contribution to this school. I really appreciate - no, all the school authorities are appreciated that. Thank you, Miss Jung.”

“That’s it?” Eunhwa smirked. Felt somewhat didn’t make sense. “Fine.”

Eunhwa quickly bowed to the Headmaster and hurriedly went out from the Teachers Room with full anger.

Why did she have to bear the responsibility? She wasn’t even guilty but she didn’t even been given an opportunity to defend herself – at all.

This world was so cruel.

“Miss Jung!” Suddenly, there was a loud voice calling for her name from the corridors. It’s Miss Kim, adopted sister of Kim Eunyoung.

Eunhwa looked to the direction. And her cheeks suddenly being slapped by Miss Kim made her eyes opened wide.

“Y-you! How dare you do that?! Why you killed my Eunyoung ahh???! Wae?!” Miss Kim yelled made the students became noisy in their own classroom to see and hear about it.

“I DON’T KILL HER! Why I should kill my own student anyway?” Eunhwa explained herself in front of Miss Kim. She just didn’t want this matter became more serious.

But, Miss Kim just smirked; revealed her evil side especially when she pushed Eunhwa until she fell.

“I don’t and never believe you, Jung Eunhwa.”

Eunhwa let out a deep sigh right after she remembered back that day. It’s not her fault but everybody did blame her.

Great. Such an injustice.

Finally, Eunhwa made a decision to take her own leisure time; going everywhere without any set destination. She wanted to heal this pain...eventhough it won’t be fully healed at all.

She boarded a bus and just sat in it while just looked the scenery in front of her eyes from the windows. After a short journey, the bus stopped beside the one of gigantic airplane company in South Korea, Angel Air as there was a traffic light in front.

She kept looked to Angel Air’s building with an empty looks. Suddenly, she as remembered something to do, she quickly pushed the stop button as soon as the bus moved near to the nearest bus stop.

Right after she hopped off from the bus, she took a slow walk to the front of Angel Air’s building. Then, she was just kept looking towards the building with a thoughtful expression on her face.

She was sure she had seen him here before this. Was it only her imagination?

“Kim...Himchan.”

Petite_Star's Corner : Feel free to give comments for this chapter. Thank you~ :)

Btw, the mystery is getting more complicated....soon.

And for Himchan's scene, it's actually inspired from 1004 (Angel) MV - Youngjae part. :D