#Case029 – 「Hatred」

 

Her hair was blowing carelessly onto her face as soon as she opened up her car’s window together with the sun rays that made her tired visage seemed so vivid. She glanced onto her eye bags from the rear mirror for a second before put all her focus to the asphalt road in front of her sight for now.

 

“Turn left after the junction in about 50 meters ahead.”

 

She turned the steering wheel to the left as soon as she met the junction that the GPS device had told her to.

 

“100 meters ahead; and you’d already arrive in your destination.”

 

She slowly pressed the brake up until she finally stopped in front of someone’s house.

 

She smirked. She had a deal with the house’s owner anyway.

 

 

Eunhwa sipped the coffee that she had just brew from her mug and bite a slice of toast. Her eyes wandered around; just to meet the emptiness that she still wasn’t used to.

 

It felt lonely.

 

She stood up after she had put the toast onto the plate. With coffee mug in her hands, she walked to the glass window and slide the curtains to its right just to meet a car that been parked in front of her house.

 

And most importantly, she knew that car.

 

A metallic purple car.

 

A sigh formed from Eunhwa’s mouth. She didn’t expect that the person inside the car would love to come by her house in such an early morning.

 

Slowly, she walked back towards the kitchen and put her mug on top of her breakfast counter before she took a decision to greet the car’s owner by walking out from her house and inhaled fresh cool morning breeze.

 

TOK TOK

 

Eunhwa knocked on the hard surface of the semi-black glass window to get the car’s owner attention – that she was ensure the person was inside the car; as the engine sound was clearly could be heard.

 

TAK

 

The car’s door been slowly opened thus revealed a person that was coming out from the car – which didn’t meet Eunhwa’s expectation.

 

As the person isn’t a man named Kim Himchan.

 

But instead, it was Song Jieun.

 

“J-Jieun sshi.” Eunhwa stuttered herself for a moment she said Jieun’s name out from her parted lips.

 

“Do I surprise you somehow...” Jieun smirked while her hands swiftly closed the car’s door. “...Jung Eunhwa? I believe that you’ll expect someone else will be the one you’ll meet this morning, am I right?”

 

Eunhwa nodded. “I admit that I’m quite surprised by your sudden visit.”

 

“You don’t surprise by me?” Jieun scoffed and she massaged her temples. “By the way, that’s not the issue here. I want to talk to you about him. Himchan.”

 

“Himchan? What’s about him?” Eunhwa hugged herself as soon as the quite strong wind tickles her skin. Deep in her mind, she couldn’t stop herself from being curious about Jieun’s visit especially when it was regarding her best friend Himchan.

 

“Don’t act innocent Eunhwa sshi. You’re making it worse.” Jieun rolled her eyes. She didn’t get why Eunhwa could still put that expressionless mask on her face – as if everything she said were meaningless to her. “You know what I’m talking about.”

 

Eunhwa softly shook her head. “I don’t know.”

 

“That day when we met; or you can say a fateful reunion as it is seems to be...” Jieun halted for a second before continuing her sentences. “...even after the meeting itself, you were with him right?”

 

Eunhwa stunned. “That day? I’m not – but that night, he offered to send me back to Seoul.”

 

Jieun stood there dumbfounded. She’d somehow realized the situation and been able to put up all the puzzle pieces together in her head.

 

“I’ve an important meeting tomorrow. Early in the morning.”

 

“I’d settled all the important things yesterday and include this; which was this early morning report during your absence, President Kim.”

 

“...but that night, he offered to send me back to Seoul.”

 

She clenched her fists in frustration. Her hunch was right.

 

Even so, her hearts hurt.

 

On the other hand, Eunhwa quite worried to see Jieun’s sudden silence. She held .

 

Did she say something wrong?

 

Suddenly, Jieun lurched towards Eunhwa and pushed her hard until Eunhwa fell onto the rough surface of the asphalt road in front of the car. Eunhwa glanced to her palms.

 

It’s bleeding.

 

But that didn’t stop Jieun from let out all her anger to Eunhwa. She firmly walked to the front part of the car and harshly pulled Eunhwa’s collar neck despite Eunhwa’s weak condition and her bleeding hand.

 

“Why you have to exist this time?! You shouldn’t exist in the first place!!” Jieun then shook Eunhwa vigorously before she let her hands go – and Eunhwa fell with a thud.

 

“Ahh...” Eunhwa softly grimaced in pain. At that moment, she realized that her arms that she used to protect her head had swollen.

 

“Why you don’t just go away – far from Seoul? Far from Himchan?” Jieun then gave her death glare towards Eunhwa. “I’d already give you chance years before to love him – why you don’t make your appearance during that time?”

 

Suddenly Jieun’s harsh voice turned into croaked voice. And tears ran through her cheeks.

 

“Why now, Jung Eunhwa? Why?”

 

She slowly fell onto the road as she had already lost her ability to stay stoic and dignified. Now, she could just weep on her own fate.

 

Her ruined life.

 

Eunhwa took a glance of Jieun after she heard her sobs. She was surprised by the sudden change of moods, but she thought that this moment was a perfect moment to tell Jieun the truth.

 

The truth of her and Himchan.

 

“Jieun sshi.” Eunhwa looked at Jieun. No response. “It’s not like what you think. We do not have any relationships as love. We just try our best back in becoming friends-“

 

“Friends?” Jieun smirked. “Tell me, what kind of friends that will bring his friend back home in night and didn’t care to leave his own girlfriend behind – alone and looked for him like crazy?”

 

“I-I don’t know that-“

 

“And.” Jieun wiped the tears on her face harshly. “A man never forgets his first love so easily, Jung Eunhwa sshi.”

 

Eunhwa stunned. The first love words itself did struck her senses.

 

“Although you don’t love him but...he loves you.” Jieun stood up while her eyes stared at Eunhwa. “And I do hate you for that reason, Eunhwa sshi.”

 

Jieun then turned around and quickly hopped into the car. She started the engine and soon reversed the car for a bit before changed the gear to ‘D’ and drove away from the area; leaving Eunhwa who was still kneeling on the road with a pale face.

 

 

“Jieun sshi!! Song Jieun!”

 

Soojung panted nervously while her eyes searched for the name’s owner everywhere. She’d never think that she’ll find that person as she’d never expected that she’ll eventually have a thought of protecting her.

 

Song Jieun.

 

Like the way she used to love her sister before.

 

It’s not that she made Jieun as her sister or even agreed towards the relationship between Jieun and Himchan; it’s just...she felt that Jieun was a lonely person-

 

-that needs someone to look after her.

 

Soojung sighed. Now, Jieun was suddenly missing and nowhere to be found; she couldn’t help herself to be afraid if Jieun would do something drastic as based on her observations yesterday, Jieun wasn’t a strong girl after all.

 

“Aish...” Soojung ruffled her hair in frustration. “Where this girl could be at? I hope she didn’t do anything stupid...”

 

Then, a noise could be heard from the garage – car’s engine sound.

 

Soojung took a quick walk – almost run – towards the garage and finally meet Jieun; the person that she looked for.

 

“Jieun sshi!” Soojung let out a relief sigh but as soon as she saw the dried tears below Jieun’s swollen eyes – she knew better that something had just happened. “What happened?”

 

Jieun chose to keep shut – not because of she didn’t care about Soojung’s question, but she wasn’t ready to reveal it yet.

 

Soojung held Jieun’s hand. “Jieun sshi. Tell me-“

 

“I’ll get him no matter what.” Jieun suddenly replied without even looking towards Soojung.

 

“What?” Soojung suddenly puzzled by Jieun’s sudden sentences. “Is it Himchan oppa?”

 

“Soojung sshi.” Jieun the turned around and slowly pushed Soojung’s hand away from her. “I’m sure that your sister – Sooyeon – would do the same if she is in my place right?”

 

Soojung stunned. She just stared into Jieun’s eyes before gave her a hug.

 

“You can take him as you wish but please...” Soojung tighten the hug. She didn’t want to see Jieun cry as much as she hated to see her sister cried before. “...don’t ever hurt yourself, Jieun sshi.”

 

As soon as Soojung ended her speech, Jieun broke into tears.

 

She somehow felt that Soojung was sincerely nice towards her.

 

And she feels thankful for it.

 

“Thank you, Soojung sshi.”

 

 

Himchan slowly stepped out from the company car that he used as his transport lately since he had been assigned as President of Angel Air with a tired face. He didn’t get to come back home last night; all because of the reports that he had to complete and submit to the board of directors today.

 

Now, finally he got to have his rest.

 

“Huh?” Himchan stopped himself after his eyes averted towards the door of his house’s garage that was slightly opened – which finally made Himchan stepped inside to have a look of the garage’s condition himself.

 

He scanned for the whole room while his hand was still holding onto the door knob. This garage was designed to have two cars in it – which was his metallic purple car and also Soojung’s car that he had bought for her as a birthday gift. And for the company car; he had to park it outside his house.

 

“Both cars are here...” Himchan then went to look for the keys of both cars that he and Soojung usually hang at its respective place which is located near the garage door itself.

 

“Soojung’s keys...” Himchan looked beside Soojung’s keys to see his own car’s keys but to his astonishment...

 

...his keys were absent.

 

“My keys...” Himchan softly muttered under his breath while he had already started to search for his keys in every angle of the garage itself.

 

Maybe he couldn’t rest; after all.

 

He rummaged through the drawers and even squatted down to looked for the keys if in case it had fall and accidentally been hidden from his sight.

 

Himchan ruffled his hair roughly. He stood with arms akimbo; tried his best to figure out his last moment he drove his car personally.

 

“Last time...was when I offered Eunhwa to drive her back home. And I’m sure I’d hang it back.” Himchan slowly massaged his temples. His head was slightly dizzy as his body still fatigue from work.

 

“How come it is missing?”

 

Then, he stopped his actions as if he got an idea.

 

“Unless there’s someone used it.”

 

Himchan then slowly walk towards his car and he touched the body of his car with a stern face.

 

CLANK

 

Himchan quickly averted his eyes towards the source of the sound.

 

The keys.

 

It fell off from the corner of the car’s trunk to the hard concrete floor.

 

Himchan then quickly took the keys and inserted in its place on the door.

 

TAK

 

“This is indeed my car’s keys.” Himchan laughed. “It’s unbelievable that I didn’t even check that location from all those drawers!”

 

But soon, his laugh died. He opened the car’s door and quickly hopped in. He examined everything inside – and all things were in place.

 

Just when he wanted to get off, he stared onto the black box of his car. Then, he pressed a button there just to make an SD card slide out from the black box and now; it was already in his hand.

 

TWOOT

 

He closed the car’s door and hanged back the key in the exact place before stormed into the house and straightly went to his room to grab his laptop from his suitcase and put it on the table.

 

Himchan his laptop. With a lot of focus, he put the SD card into the SD Card Reader before slide it in his laptop. His eyes were glued to the screen as soon as he found the folders inside the card.

 

XX-XX-20XX

 

“Today’s date.” Himchan couldn’t help but to be surprised by his own observation’s results. He swiftly clicked on the folder then played a video – which was the one and only inside the folder – for him to keep investigate.

 

Who used his car...and where did the person go?

 

The video been played and he keep watching and even forward it for several times.

 

Until an image of a girl existed.

 

‘Pause’ button been clicked. And soon he couldn’t believe his eyes.

 

“Oh my goodness...”

 

 

Gunwoo opened up the file that was written ‘Madman Cases’ on top of its front cover. The very first A4 paper been flipped and revealed a capital letter and bold text written-

 

첫 번째 희생자 – 권미연 / First Victim – Kwon Miyeon

 

Gunwoo examined every detail of her death; along with the pictures of victim together with things that used to be the proof that related to her killer.

 

‘...a student in CheonGuk High School...’

 

‘...been stabbed twice; each on her lower and upper abdomen...’

 

‘... had been slashed off – resulted in hypovolemic shock...’

 

‘...found at dark alleyway near CheonGuk High School compound...’

 

Gunwoo shook his head in despair. He could clearly remember the very first moment when he was assigned to be the detective in charge for this case by his boss, Chief Do Shinwoo.

 

Next page been flipped over.

 

두 번째 희생자 – 지연하 / Second Victim – Ji Yeonha

 

Once again, Gunwoo read the description for Ji Yeonha – the second innocent and young victim killed by Madman. And the Madman name itself existed as soon as he got his second victim – and he had successfully made himself in becoming a serial killer and now, person most wanted by the police authority.

 

‘...a student in CheonGuk High School...’

 

‘...been stabbed twice; each on her lower and upper abdomen...’

 

‘... had been slashed off – resulted in hypovolemic shock...’

 

‘...found in front of CheonGuk High School’s gate...’

 

세 번째 희생자 – 정수연 / Third Victim – Jung Sooyeon

 

Gunwoo stunned for a moment as soon as he read the name. This third victim had somehow made he could meet back his best friend Kim Himchan, after they had lost contacts for years ever since they completed their high school. It was indeed was an unexpected reunion, especially when the victim itself was his best friend’s fiancée.

 

‘...Kim Himchan’s fiancée and Jung Soojung’s sister...’

 

‘...been stabbed on her lower abdomen...’

 

‘...died on the spot at the crime scene; as she’d faced an enormous loss of blood...’

 

‘...found at the park near to her house and been reported by her fiancé, Kim Himchan...’

 

Gunwoo lowered his gaze as soon as his eyes met with her picture in the mortuary room. He couldn’t stand to look at her; as if he could feel Himchan’s sadness along inside him.

 

Thus, he moved on to the next page.

 

네 번째 희생자 – 김은영 / Fourth Victim – Kim Eunyoung

 

“Jung Eunhwa.” Gunwoo slowly slid out a name that was related with this case; as soon as Kim Eunyoung had been found dead. He vividly remembered how he used to feel curious by her expressionless face and everything about her and yet now, he had even promised to protect her after he knew – a bit – of her past life.

 

Again, he read the description and did somehow found the same sentences all over again.

 

Those similarities.

 

‘...a student in SeungRi High School...’

 

‘...been stabbed twice; each on her lower and upper abdomen...’

 

‘... had been slashed off – resulted in hypovolemic shock...’

 

‘...no struggle mark on her body; nor the violence or abuse marks...’

 

‘...found at dark street, 5 km away from SeungRi High School...’

 

다섯 번째 희생자 – 홍원식 / Fifth Victim – Hong Wonshik

 

As soon as he read the name – he let out a scoff. This guy had somehow made a twist turn of events as the last four victims were all girls – and he’s the first man’s victim ever that Madman had killed.

 

The very first victim from upper class society too.

 

‘...Angel Air’s President only son...’

 

‘...been stabbed twice; each on his lower and upper abdomen...’

 

‘...his throat had been slashed off – resulted in hypovolemic shock...’

 

‘...been found in Agatha Hotel’s pub and it was suspected that victim had been killed in other place before his body was removed inside the pub.’

 

Then, Gunwoo flipped another page.

 

And he met Hong Wonshik’s father.

 

여섯 번째 희생자 – 홍경일 / Sixth Victim – Hong Kyungil

 

President Hong or his full name Hong Kyungil was an unexpected victim of Madman as he was known for his wealthy and all the bodyguards that were around him almost 24 hours – he had no reason to easily die in Madman’s hands. But as the fate or karma punished him; he died in a very unpleasant way himself.

 

‘...Angel Air’s President...’

 

‘...been stabbed twice; each on his lower and upper abdomen...’

 

‘...his throat had been slashed off – resulted in hypovolemic shock...’

 

‘...found in Angel Air’s West Side basement parking lot area...’

 

He sighed. Life is pretty unpredictable.

 

일곱 번째 희생자 – 김재경 / Seventh Victim – Kim Jaekyung

 

Kim Jaekyung.

 

Gunwoo was totally speechless for a moment as Jaekyung’s body image been replayed inside his head.

 

“Madman had becoming this wild...” Gunwoo touched Jaekyung’s name with a great burden that almost suffocated him to death. If just he could captured Madman way earlier – when he made a promise towards Chief Do Shinwoo during Kim Eunyoung’s death – maybe she won’t die; at least, not in this hideous form.

 

“I’m sorry...” He lowered his head but his eyes still read on the description of her death – which no one could know better; but him.

 

‘...Angel Air’s Chief Stewardess...’

 

‘...the main cause of death is the repeated stab on her abdomen...’

 

‘... was also had been slashed off and struggle mark on her body could be seen...’

 

‘...a lot of bruises...’

 

‘...her face bone was totally fractured...’

 

BUP

 

Gunwoo quickly closed the file and put it on his table. He slowly held in his breath with his eyes were still fixed on the file.

 

Why all of these weren’t just ‘a nightmare’?

 

“First victim...” Gunwoo tried to get back to his professional mode. He believed that he could capture Madman and stopped the serial killer before he added his list of victims. “...up to seventh victim.”

 

Gunwoo furrowed his eyebrows. After he took some times by himself to think about all the victims that he had just read, he took out a notebook from his drawer and started to write on one of the pages.

 

 

Suddenly his finger stopped writing as he tried to think about the differences that Madman had made on his seventh victim so far. And the only conclusion that he could made for now was-

 

 

“But...” Gunwoo then murmured under his breath. “Fifth, sixth and seventh victim – they’re from Angel Air.”

 

Gunwoo put down his pen and leaned to his chair. This similarity did somehow disturbing him lately.

 

Angel Air.

 

“Why these cases are lingering around Angel Air recently?” Gunwoo sighed before he closed both of his eyes.

 

“I wonder...”

---

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

Do you possibly try to think about the same thing as our Detective Lee Gunwoo? xD

Try and guess it~ I would love to see what your own hunch regarding this Madman cases, my lovely readers ^^

This chapter is almost like the summary of Madman Victims' in order to refresh back your mind regarding the victims that was already - wooh! Seven people altogether - this is quite serious...

And btw, finally 50 subscribers!! Wow! Hahax~

P/s : To both prime and new readers of Going Crazy - do enjoy this adventure of Madman, okay? Thank you for reading this story~ I love you till infinity :D