FALLING INTO YOUR CASE

“There’s a single car accident at Joyonghan road. Detective Lee, let’s go there!” Detective Jo informed his partner Detective Lee, they were eventually exiting the Seoul Police Headquarters Building, half running.

After not too long journey to Joyonghan road by Detective Lee’s purple sport car, they finally arrived at the scene. As it had been reported, it was really a single car accident. A soft pink car had crashed into a tree at the side of the road, it damaged the front of the car. The driver was a young lady who had been taken to the hospital, she was still alive, but had several injuries on her body and was unconscious.

“I think she was drunk driving,” Detective Lee said as he was inspecting the car.

“Don’t be too quick to conclude something, Howon,” Detective Jo who was more senior warned his partner, Detective Lee or Lee Howon, The youngest and high spirit Detective in his team who always so enthusiastic and impatient, but he thought Howon still had a lot to learn.

“You’re right, Jongsuk hyung,” Howon then said while nodding because he knew well that they need to gather every proofs and evidences first before concluding something. But again, he was always so impatient and wanted to quickly solve a case. Because Howon really loved his job as a detective, it was his dream since he was a little.

“Let’s see the driver now,” Detective Jo Jongsuk said after he got what he needed to know from the car accident scene and after he ordered other polices to bring the car to the police headquarters for future investigation and also ordered them to search any suspicious things about this car accident. Howon nodded his head, got into his car followed by Detective Jo and drove to the hospital.

They arrived at the hospital. They had been told that the driver or the victim of the car accident was in the ICU room because she was still unconscious. The two detectives rushed their way to the room. They found the room and Detective Jo eventually entered the room, but when Howon would follow his senior to enter the room as well, he saw a girl who was standing in front of the ICU room while peeking inside the room with worry all over her face.

Howon decided to approach her, “Excuse me, I’m Detective Lee Howon, the detective in charge of this single car accident case. Are you the victim’s family?”

The girl didn’t reply him or even turned her head to him. It was like she didn’t hear him or she even wasn’t aware that he was there.

“Miss, are you a family of the young lady who was in this room who involved in the single car accident?” he tried to ask again and explained what or who was ‘the victim’ in case the girl didn’t understand it.

The girl stiffened and Howon noticed it.

“Are you her family? Or her acquaintance?” Howon asked again as he pointed his index finger to the victim inside the room.

The girl finally turned her head to him, looking up – Howon was a lot taller than the girl who had petite figure – and rounded her big doe eyes, she looked so shocked and disbelief.

“Miss?” Howon called her while waving his hand in front of her pretty face. He had to admit that she was a pretty girl, but he had to be professional on his job now.

The girl who still looked shocked and still rounded her pretty eyes while also still looking up at him with her small mouth a bit opened, took a step backward wobbly. When Howon wanted to ask her again, why she was like that, Detective Jo called him from inside the ICU room.

“I’ll ask you again later,” Howon said and bowed his head to the pretty girl politely who just blinking her eyes several times with disbelief and confused expression. He smiled charmingly to her and entered the room.

“Hyung, I think there is a family or an acquaintance of the victim,” Howon told Detective Jo who was investing the victim’s injuries and her identity.

“Where?”

“In front of this... Oh! Does the victim has a twin??” Howon felt confused when he saw the victim’s face who was laying on hospital bed with ventilator, still unconscious. The victim also had the same pretty face as the girl who Howon had just met in front of the ICU room.

“What?!” Detective Jo shouted. He couldn’t comprehend what Howon had said.

“Hyung! Ssh.. we are in a hospital! I’m sorry..” Howon reminded Detective Jo and he bowed to the nurse there and he continued, “I met a girl who looks exactly same like the victim, hyung!” he whispered at Detective Jo.

“Where is she?” Detective Jo also bowed to the nurse and apologized.

“In front of this room, I think she was so worried about her sister..”

Detective Jo frowned at him that again Howon just concluded something too quickly. They went out the room but there was no girl in front of the ICU room except other polices who mostly were men.

“Where?” Detective Jo turned to his junior partner.

“She was here, hyung! She’s a pretty girl like the victim, wearing pink fur sweater and white knee-lenght skirt!” Howon tried to describe her.

“’Pretty girl’?” Detective Jo felt amused at that.

Howon then realized that he gave too much information, “W-We are as detectives have to give an information as detail as possible, right,” he reasoned.

Detective Jo only smiled hearing it, “Have you talked to her?”

“I did. But she didn’t reply me, I don’t know why. I’ll find her and try to talk to her again later.”

“You have to,” Detective Jo tapped his shoulder lightly and entered the ICU room again to continue identifying the victim.

Howon still stood in front of the room while wondering where the girl was, because when he asked other polices who were there all along, no one who had seen a girl was there.

“The driver or the victim of the single car accident last night’s name is Lee Biah, 24 years old. She is a florist. She has a flower shop at Hua road,” Detective Jo explained, “According to her mobile phone transcriptions, before the accident occurred, Miss Lee Biah had made two phone calls; one to her friend and one to the police.”

Howon, who was also there in a meeting room in the police headquarters with the other senior detectives in his team, frowned hearing what Detective Jo had said, “She called police? Why?”

“We still don’t know why,” Detective Jo continued his explanation, “There isn’t found any alcohol or drugs in her blood system, so we can assume that she wasn’t drunk driving. Also there isn’t any abnormal injuries on her body aside the injuries from the car accident. Today, we will ask some questions to Miss Lee Biah’s friend who she had called last night,” Detective Jo turned to Howon, “Detective Lee, accompany me.”

Howon immediately nodded to him. He was so curious about what had happened to Lee Biah. Why did she call police before the accident?

“Okay, let’s do the best for our job!” Detective Han, the team leader of their team – The Team 2 of Serious Crimes, ended the meeting.

“Where will we meet Lee Biah’s friend?”, Howon asked Detective Jo while driving his car.

“At the hospital, in Lee Biah’s room. She said, she want to see her bestfriend,” Detective Jo answered as he busily read the informations about Lee Biah.

Howon nodded knowing it and continued driving.

“Howon, did you really see a girl who has similar appearance with Lee Biah last night? Because from this information about her, Lee Biah only has one sibling and it’s her older sister who currently lives in America with their parents, so Lee Biah is living alone here in Korea. Lee Biah’s friend had confirmed to me about this information and she had told Lee Biah’s family about this accident,” Detective Jo then frowned and looked at Howon.

“Wait! So she doesn’t have other siblings or twins?? But, the girl I saw last night at the front of Lee Biah’s room was so similar with her!” Howon knew that he didn’t see wrong. He really saw a girl last night who was so similar with Lee Biah who was lying on hospital bed.

Detective Jo knew very well that even though Howon often concluded something too fast, but Howon rarely lied, “Let’s ask about this to Lee Biah’s bestfriend,” he said.

The two handsome detectives once again arrived at the hospital and walked fast to Lee Biah’s room, she was still in the ICU room. Before entering the room, Detective Jo asked the nurse whoever had entered Lee Biah’s room. While listening to the nurse, Howon looked inside the room through the solid glass wall around the room, he saw an unfamiliar girl who looked so worried and was sitting on a chair beside Lee Biah’s bed. Howon assumed that the unfamiliar girl was Lee Biah’s bestfriend. When he would tell Detective Jo that Lee Biah’s bestfriend was already inside the room, Howon’s deep brown eyes caught the girl he saw last night was also inside the room.

The girl was still wearing the same pink fur sweater and white knee-lenght skirt. She was standing at the other side of Lee Biah’s bed and looking sadly at Lee Biah who was lying still unconscious on the bed and at Lee Biah’s bestfriend. The girl suddenly walked to the door while wiping her tears on her face, her long dark brown hair concealed her pretty face. And then, Howon saw a very odd thing that the girl just went through the closed door to exit the room without opening it.

Howon stiffened, he got goosebumps and couldn’t believe what he had just seen, but he actually clearly saw what had happened. The girl just walked pass the solid glass door which was tightly closed and came out of the room. But, even though he was still in disbelief and confused – and also a bit scared – Howon decided to quickly chase after the girl ignoring Detective Jo who was calling him.

Howon could easily catch up with the girl who was walking slowly. And suddenly Howon felt so sure about who was the girl in front of him after he saw – even though he still couldn’t believe what he had just seen – someone just walk through the girl like she was an air, that she was invisible to the others.

“Miss Lee Biah,” Howon spoke the name loud enough and clear to the girl in front of him.

The girl stopped walking for hearing the name and slowly turned her body. Howon was already right in front of her while gazing straight into her moist eyes. The girl took few steps backward with the same expression she had last night when Howon talked to her and Howon noticed that her body also trembled now. Clearly she was afraid of him.

“Miss Lee Biah~,” Howon called the name with softer tone, he didn’t want to scare her away.

But the girl took few more steps backward and turned her body. Howon tried to grab her wrist to stop her but he couldn’t even touch her.

“We will interrogate your friend,” Howon quickly said.

The girl stopped when she was about to run, she turned her body once again to face Howon with worried expression on her beautiful face now.

Howon walked slowly to approach her while trying to hide his smile, he felt so satisfied because he was right that the girl who was right in front of him was really Lee Biah, “You may follow me, if you’re worried about your friend.”

Lee Biah nodded her head slowly and then she followed Howon to go back to the ICU room. Howon just realized and felt so relief that the hallway was empty, there was only him and Biah. If not, people would definitely think that he was talking alone.

Biah walked quietly behind him, following him with sad expression on her face. Howon knew that Biah wasn’t a ghost, but a soul that left the body for awhile. He had seen it in many dramas or movies and never actually believed it until now. At least, Lee Biah didn’t look scary at all, she still looked pretty even as a soul. But, why only Howon who could see her?

Detective Jo was waiting impatiently for Howon in front of the ICU room, he had a sour expression ever on his face, “Where were you, Lee Howon?!” he shout-whispered when Howon approaching him.

“I.... I went to the toilet,” Howon tried to look as innocent as possible.

“Toilet?? Okay. Let’s do the interrogation,” Detective Jo shook his head and went into the room. He didn’t ask about Biah who stood beside Howon that proved Detective Jo couldn’t see her.

Howon nodded and let Biah to enter the room first. He then felt her eyes on him, when he looked back at her, she quickly looked away. Howon shrugged it off and entered the room.

“Good afternoon, I’m Detective Jo Jongsuk and this is Detective Lee Howon,” Detective Jo introduced both of them to Biah’s bestfriend.

“Oh hello.. I’m Yang Yeseul, Lee Biah’s bestfriend,” Yang Yeseul introduced herself with a hoarse voice and she continued wiping her tears.

Howon turned his head to look at Biah who stood beside him, she also was wiping her tears on her rosy cheeks. He didn’t know what to do to stop her from crying, so he just whispered, “Everything will be alright” to Biah. Biah looked up at him, she looked like thinking for seconds and nodded.

“We got information from Miss Lee Biah’s mobile phone transcriptions that she called you before the accident. Is it right, Miss Yang Yeseul?” Detective Jo started the interrogation.

“Yes, she called me,” Yeseul replied.

“May we know what conversation is it?” Detective Jo asked further.

Yeseul looked at Biah’s body who was lying on the hospital bed and smiled softly, “She will be mad if I tell you about it, but I will tell you if it can help to solve her case.”

“Please do,” Detective Jo said.

“Biah called me that night after I sent messages to her because I was so worried about her,” Yeseul said.

“Yes, those messages are in her mobile phone transcrptions too,” Detective Jo confirmed it.

Yeseul nodded, “I was worried that time, it was nearly midnight but from one of her message she said she hadn’t come home yet. And then she called me, I thought she already arrived at her home, but she said she dropped by at a convenience store to buy something to eat.”

There was new information there and Howon joined the interrogation, “Did she told you where the convenience store is?” he asked Yeseul.

“She only told me that she wasn’t far away from her apartment. Her apartment is at Hua Road.”

“And what exactly was she doing that time that she had to come home so late?” Howon asked Yeseul again. He continued feeling that Biah’s eyes on him.

“Biah is a florist, she has a flower shop near her apartment, and a month ago she received an order from a wedding organizer to decorate a wedding hall with the flowers from her shop. Yesterday was the schedule that she and the team from the wedding organizer had to decorate the wedding hall. Biah is so dedicated on her job and she’s kinda perfectionist too, so she would make sure the decoration for the wedding hall was perfect before she could go home,” Yeseul told them and smiled a motherly smile at Biah who was still lying unconscious on the bed like a sleeping beauty.

Howon then took a glance at Biah’s soul who was standing beside him and he saw a warm smile appeared on her face making Howon’s heart fluttered.

“Is there anything else in the phone conversation between you and Miss Lee Biah?” Detective Jo asked Yeseul further.

Yeseul knotted her perfectly shaped eyebrows as she thought, “There was something...”

“What is it?”

“I think Biah will be really mad at me for saying this,” Yeseul spoke to herself and she continued, “When Biah was calling me at the convenience store, we were jokingly talking about how she still doesn’t have a boyfriend but she often come to a wedding hall,” – Howon glanced at Biah beside him seeing her rosy cheeks turned even pinker and she pouted her pink lips after Yeseul mentioned about boyfriend – “but suddenly she stopped talking and then she said she will call me again later or more like whispering it and before I could ask what happened, she already ended the call,” Yeseul looked up at the two detectives with worry on her face now.

Detective Jo and Howon looked at each other, the two detectives had a same thought that this was the beginning of the problem.

“You called her again after that, right?” Detective Jo asked Yeseul and also wanted to confirm what he had read from Lee Biah’s mobile phone transcriptions.

“I did. I called her again twice, but she didn’t pick it up. I decided to wait for her phone call until I fell asleep and when I woke up, I didn’t get any missed call from Biah. And then you called me, Detective Jo,” Yeseul explained.

Howon once again looked at Biah’s soul who was standing still beside him, but now he couldn’t exactly read her expression. Howon was only sure, with his detective instinct, that Lee Biah was hiding something.

“Is there anything that you know?” Detective Jo urged Yeseul to tell something else.

Yeseul shook her head, “but, I will definitely inform you if I remember something. And I really hope Biah will be conscious soon and that she is alright,” she turned to look at Biah on the bed and caressed Biah’s head softly.

“She is,” Howon automatically said it before he could stop himself. He felt all eyes on him now.

“We will wait for your information and thank you for your cooperation, Miss Yang Yeseul,” Detective Jo ended the interrogation and he bowed to Yeseul.

Howon followed what his senior did and they went out of the room. He thought Biah’s soul was following him, but she was still inside the room. He actually wanted to ask Biah directly what had happened, even though he wondered if Biah’s soul could speak. But now, he didn’t have any choice other than kept following Detective Jo to leave the hospital because Biah was still standing quietly inside the room.

Howon couldn’t sleep that night, he couldn’t make his head to stop thinking about Lee Biah’s case. He was so curious on what had happened to her, what had happened in the convenience store and her unreadable expression after Yang Yeseul told them about Biah’s strange behaviour before she ended the call. He wished that Biah’s soul would come to him so he could ask her every questions in his mind. But, even until Howon could finally fall asleep, Biah’s soul didn’t visit him.

“How is the progress of Lee Biah’s case?” Detective Han asked his team members the next day.

“We got some new informations from her friend yesterday. Lee Biah went to a convenience store before the accident and it was the place when she was calling her friend. Today, we will search for the convenience store which Lee Biah went to,” Detective Jo explained.

“Good. Okay, but why is Detective Lee like having a lot of things in his mind?” Detective Han said and all his team members turned to Howon who was frowning as he was busy in his own world.

“He saw a pretty girl in the hospital but he couldn’t met her again,” Detective Jo scoffed at Howon who finally was back to reality because the loud sound of laughs from his seniors.

“What?”

“And you forgot to ask her friend whether Lee Biah has twins or not,” Detective Jo reminded Howon who was still confused.

“But, in this information, Lee Biah doesn’t have twins,” Detective Kim, the other members of the team stated as he showed the file of informations about Lee Biah.

“Yeah, but Howon said he saw a pretty girl who looked the same as Lee Biah in the hospital,” Detective Jo continued teasing Howon.

“I did saw her!” Howon shouted while his seniors was laughing, they were enjoying teasing the youngest.

“Howon-ah, are you perhaps Lee Biah’s boyfriend? You look so worried about her,” Detective Oh, Howon’s other senior joined to tease Howon.

“I’m worried about her,” Howon replied with serious expression and serious tone in his voice making the other detectives in the meeting room were taken aback on what he just said.

“Then... let’s solve Lee Biah’s case quickly and hope she will be conscious soon,” Detective Han decided to end the meeting.

“Howon, let’s search for the convenience store now,” Detective Jo said.

“I can’t. I have to do something,” Howon stood up from his seat and quickly exited the room ignoring his seniors who were confused and Detective Jo who was calling his name furiously.

Howon had to meet Lee Biah again. He had to ask her directly what had happened to her, so he could quickly solve her case. He drived his purple sport car to the hospital while hoping Lee Biah’s soul was there. When he arrived at Biah’s room half running, he felt so relief that Biah’s soul was standing there in front of the room.

She was bowing her head that her long hair concealed her face again. Howon walked slowly approaching her and stood in front of her. Biah saw Howon’s shoes and she looked up to see Howon was smiling at her. Now that Biah was in front of him, Howon even more realized that he was indeed really worried about her, even though he didn’t know why.

“Miss Lee Biah, may I ask you something?” Howon asked her gently.

Biah looked at Howon for few seconds, like she was considering something, as she bit her soft pink lips and then nodded her head slowly.

“Can you able to speak?”

Biah only blinked her eyes and pressed her lips together.

“So, you can’t speak? Or you choose to not speak?”

Biah frowned hearing what Howon had said.

“What are you hiding?” Howon just made a guess about it because in the drama he had seen, a soul that left a body for awhile could speak. If Biah couldn’t speak, it was either she really couldn’t or she tried to hide something.

Howon studied Biah’s change of expression and he was even more sure that Biah indeed was hiding something. She looked irritated and started to open her small mouth, like she wanted t