#Case031 – 「Runaway I」

“I’m sorry, but you’re no longer a good marionette for me, Song Jieun.”

Himchan smirked. He touched Jieun’s face harshly and turned it to the left and right. Then, as if it wasn’t enough; he kicked Jieun lifeless body with his shoes.

“Oh?” A psychotic smile formed on his face. “Dead already? Aww....it’s way no fun though...”

He wandered around Jieun for some times. His face remains expressionless; as he was really used to it.

His every victims cries – he heard it as a beautiful melody that excited him. And for how his victims ended up died; it was his pleasure.

He knew he should be the grim reaper instead of human being.

As he loved to see how stupid humans cried for their meaningless life to him.

Soojung screamed – with her croaked high-pitched voice – as soon as she saw how Himchan killed Jieun mercilessly. And she was also turned into silent sobs as right in front of her eyes; she witnessed the high-profile crime and to make it worse...

...it was done by the person that she loved and adored the most...

...and the victim itself was someone she knew and begins to love as her own sister.

This moment was so much to bear for her. She didn’t even expect this to happen.

Madman...is Kim Himchan; the person who raised her ever since from her sister’s death.

Madman...is also the one who she – and everybody in South Korea – looked for.

She fell onto the hard concrete floor with a slight thump.

But, the sounds itself had attracted its predator; to find his new prey.

As a secret should remain...as a secret.

Soon, he stopped his steps and stood rooted to the ground.

“I want to play.” Himchan said it quite aloud for anyone near him to hear him clearly. His gaze now fell towards one of the pillar with the parking area marked on top of it.

He smirked.

“What do you think about it...” Himchan halted for a second before his steps echoed throughout the basement parking area.

Soojung closed with her hands even harder than before. Her tears couldn’t stop; all she could do was just for Himchan wouldn’t found out she was there, as every bone in her body was froze in terror.

She closed her eyes. How she really wished this was just a nightmare.

“...Jung Soojung sshi?”

Just another false hope.

“Ahh!!” Soojung was taken aback when she heard her name been said by Himchan’s mouth.

TAP

Himchan smiled broadly when he finally could find the trembled Soojung. With most careful steps, he went near her.

“Jung Soojung ahh...” He shone a sweet smile that once Soojung adored. “What are you doing here, hmm?”

Soojung couldn’t dare herself to face Himchan at this moment and so, she chose to mute herself. All the feelings inside her were mixed up; anger, hatred, love, sad – she was in a real dilemma.

She didn’t know which the best to describe her feelings was.

Himchan patiently waited for Soojung’s answer by looking towards his white shirt that had drenched in blood. And he also slid out something from his left hand that he kept hidden behind his back.

His dagger that was drenched with thick red liquids.

Jieun’s blood.

“Probably...” Himchan then wiped his dagger against his shirt, and examined it with his lustful eyes. “...you want to meet me?”

SWOOSH

With a strong sense of danger, she finally could gather her spirits – she budged the attack and quickly stood up and ran away from the spot despite Himchan’s frustrated moan behind her.

It was suffocated to run endlessly and with nowhere to go in specific – but she had to. She didn’t want to end up in the same condition as Jieun.

Eventhough Himchan was a person that she had looked upon before; she wasn’t a stupid person to not making a move after encountered with such a brutal attack towards her.

At all costs; she would still running away from him.

“Jung Soojung!!” Himchan yelled. His face looked like a beast – it was no longer Kim Himchan that everybody knew – it’s something else.

It’s his own Hyde; his hideous form that he created.

Madman.

“You know that I worried about you.” Himchan said with the sweetest voice that he could; with a hideous grin that couldn’t escaped from his face. “Come here. Come to your Himchan oppa.”

Soojung scoffed. The words ‘oppa’ itself wasn’t deserved for someone like Himchan. She wondered how she could live with that monster in most times throughout her life – and now, finally, she’d realized it.

But, it was too late.

She scanned her surroundings. She wasn’t used to this place, and she couldn’t think of anything in her mind to escape this ‘hell’.

Soojung took right turn as soon as she saw the place where she parked her car. And maybe she could elope just in time before she became the 9^th Madman’s victim.

She ran as fast as she could – up until a gleam reflected from a sharp metal that had been tossed towards her – halted her steps; just before someone approached her with a smirk.

“Didn’t I tell you earlier for you to come to me, Soojung ahh?”

“Y-you...” Soojung lips trembled. She finally could saw his face closer than ever. Her eyes bulged.

She almost didn’t recognize him.

“It’s your oppa.” Himchan cleared his throat. As usual, he enjoyed this moment a lot. “I’m your oppa, Soojung ahh.”

“No!” Soojung yelled in rage. “You’d never been my oppa since from the very beginning-“

A harsh slap ran towards Soojung’s cheek in such a fast speed that it made Soojung fell and made her head slammed hard onto the hard concrete floor.

Blood was oozing out from her head.

“I’m your oppa!” Himchan grunted. Then, he pulled Soojung’s hair and made her yelped in pain. He slowly leaned to her ear. “You’re such ungrateful kid – do you possibly forget how I raised you since Sooyeon’s death?”

Soojung could felt herself became weaker. She tried hard to put herself together. She had to stay alive.

“Your sister entrusted you to me.”

Himchan pushed Soojung aside before he moved several steps away – to take back his dagger. Meanwhile for Soojung; she could see every Himchan’s actions from the corner of her eyes.

“So, I’d made a conclusion.” Himchan took the dagger and held it close to him as he turned around and smirked towards Soojung. “And I can still remember that you want to follow Sooyeon right?”

Soojung eyed him with rage. He hated how Himchan said about her sister with his filthy mouth.

“Maybe...just maybe...” Himchan made his way towards Soojung with his grip onto the dagger been tightened. “...I think I can fulfill that.”

SWOOSH

Soojung quickly ran away from Himchan as soon as he lurched forward towards her. The attack somehow did successfully slice her arm; but she’s still strong to sneak away despite her condition right at that moment.

Himchan smirked. “Now, that was fun.”

Himchan took his time by trailing Soojung’s track. He was sure enough that she couldn’t run in a far distance as she had already weak by his brutal attack just now. But still, as to ensure that she wouldn’t escape – he ran at his full speed and chose a short way to stop her...

...just in time.

“Ahh!” Soojung did tripped in her way thus made she fell onto the floor. She glanced towards her bruised knee.

Could she finally get away from Himchan’s claw?

She tried her best to stand up, but she couldn’t even run in rapid speed like before. Besides, her feet had already weak. She clutched desperately on her injured head.

The blood was still staining her face – and even showed no signs to stop.

She had already lost a lot of blood; but she still determined to save her own life.

“I must stay alive...” She turned into a sob. As if there was no voice of hope, her eyes was welling in tears. “...for Sooyeon unnie’s sake.”

“Take care, ne?” Sooyeon smiled. “I love you, Soojung – now and always.”

Tears escaped her eyes. She had already lost her ability to stay stoic.

Then, in a split-second, she’d been taken away by a strong grip without she even been aware of.

PRANG

Eunhwa stunned. The plate that she held just now had been crashed and shattered on the floor due to the hard impact that it received.

“Oh my...” Eunhwa sighed. She then slowly squatted down to collect the broken pieces, one by one.

“If I can’t get over you...let us....die together!”

“Ah!” Eunhwa grimaced in pain. She shifted her gaze towards her fore finger.

It’s bleeding.

The blood came out from the scar and dripped onto the floor. Eunhwa kept looking at it. It’s not that she couldn’t felt the pain; but her mind had already been in somewhere else upon looking to the red liquids.

Images filled her mind.

She saw it once again. It’s been a long time ago since her life wasn’t haunted by the sudden imagination that been replayed all over and made her weakened by it.

But, now it’s back.

And on top of it all; it’s closer.

A figure was coming closer to her. And even the same unusual knife was aiming – for her flesh and bloods.

It summoned her.

“Do you see me?” The mysterious figure came more closer and soon the steps sounds faltered and then faded away.

But, he was still there.

“Jung Eunhwa.” A small chuckle could be heard by Eunhwa. She struggled to get out of her own imaginations.

It could never be easy.

The figure then bowed and finally made his way to reveal its face finally. Eunhwa took a closer look to the figure’s face as her gazes were blurred. Despite the fear that she held in, she approached it.

“Who are you?”

“Jung Eunhwa...”

“I’m asking you!” Eunhwa snapped. “Who are exactly are you? Why do you keep haunting my life all this time?!”

“Jung Eunhwa...” The figure’s voice started to croak. “...do you really want to know who am I?”

Eunhwa stunned as her question been answered by another question.

“You’re still not seeing me, I see.”

“What do you mean?” Eunhwa turned a vengeful look towards the figure. She had already opened her eyes wide enough – but why she still couldn’t see it?

“Should I kill you?”

Eunhwa clambered to her feet and tottered backwards. “Why you want to kill me?”

“It’s because...” It stopped his sentences for a second, in order to enjoy the moment when Jung Eunhwa became weak and hopeless.

Still, the answer that needed by Eunhwa; would be given.

“...I’m a part of you. I’m your half, Jung Eunhwa.”

Eunhwa shouted as soon as the knife was pierced through her abdomen.

And yet, it’s all her imaginations.

But it felt real.

Eunhwa held her stomach in pain. She looked her surroundings; she was still in the kitchen and the shattered pieces of her broken plate were still remained on the floor.

And her finger was still bleeding. But that figure; was gone.

“What had just happened?” Eunhwa questioned herself. She was panting all over for something that didn’t even existed – and yet, she could felt it as a reality.

She did wonder about it for a long time. Even she was now known who the figure was; it’s still haunted her life – more than before.

“My half? Part of me?” Again, questions aroused but there wasn’t a suitable answer could answer it.

But, one thing that she knew and realized since from the very beginning.

“Something isn’t right.”

Gunwoo opened his eyes slowly. He groaned for a bit before he got up from his sleep. He rubbed his neck and scanned his surroundings.

He was still at the park.

Felt puzzled, he shifted his eyes until he saw his jacket been laid onto him. And he finally got his sense back together.

“Miss Jung?” Gunwoo stood up and eyed for everywhere for Eunhwa’s stature. But then, he sat back on the bench while cupped his face.

“Maybe she’d already go back home.”

Gunwoo sighed. He wondered if he had been such a trouble for Eunhwa as he didn’t even remember how and when he fell asleep.

All he could remember was he with Eunhwa, chatting with each other and even he helped her from people’s hateful stares to her.

“Aigoo...how can I fell asleep though...?” Gunwoo massaged his temples for a while before he took his jacket and walked away from the bench.

But his mind was still thinking about Eunhwa.

“Jung Eunhwa...she won’t be the Madman.” Gunwoo stated to himself as he made his way to his car by strolling through the pavements. “I mean...she’s not capable to-“

“What if Jung Eunhwa is Madman?”

“Ugh.” Gunwoo scrunched upon the question existed in his mind once again. He didn’t want to even remember it ever again but it was still stuck in his mind.

“Darn it!” Gunwoo scoffed. “Why you’re becoming this way, Lee Gunwoo? You shouldn’t think of this case with your emotions – but with the proofs, the logics.”

Gunwoo couldn’t help but to mad at himself as he was mostly following his heart lately. He knew that he shouldn’t; but he had already did it.

And, there was the only thing that he hoped for.

“How I just hope that I won’t into these cases of Madman.”

Gunwoo halted. Why this sentence seems so...recognizable?

“I didn’t ever say that before....right?” He smiled sheepishly and decided to brush it away. “What a Deja-vu.”

As he started to continue his journey towards his car; his phone rang. Gunwoo quickly took out his phone from his pocket and slide the screen to the right.

“Hello. This is Lee Gunwoo speaking.”

“Detective Lee Gunwoo. I would like to report something to you.”

Gunwoo furrowed his eyebrows. The caller’s voice sounds somewhat serious and the word ‘report’ had somehow did attract him. “What is it could be?”

“Another victim of Madman...is found in Lotte Mall; right in the basement parking area, gate D.”

Gunwoo’s eyes widen in surprise. Another victim? Was he heard it right?

Besides, the report itself wasn’t from his subordinates.

“Who are you?”

“You don’t need to know me. Please hurry.”

TUT TUT TUT

“Hello?” Gunwoo faced his phone screen. He couldn’t believe this. It happened so sudden. But, he knew that this was a serious matter. He could tell it from the caller’s stern voice; especially the way he emphasized the ‘hurry’ word.

He should hurry if this was right.

Eventhough he felt quite mad by the rude manner by the caller, his responsibility as a Head Detective and the person responsible to arrest Madman had to be executed in any ways possible.

With that belief, he swiftly searched for his most trusted subordinates and pressed the ‘Call’ button.

“Jihoon. We have some errands regarding Madman. Inform the headquarters about it.”

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

For Eunhwa's part; you can actually referred to #Case001 and also #Case012 for situation regarding her half part that had haunted her life ever since.

And...could you see the poster? It's different, I know ^^

It's actually the very first poster of Going Crazy - and I'm kind of miss it lately hehe~

So, I will used it starts from this chapter *wink*

Back to this chapter, could you guess who the caller is? And what will happened to our dear Soojung?

I would really love to know your guesses! Do feel free to comment below~ xD