→ Chapter 003

Mina’s face contorted in a grimace when Ilhoon smiled at her.

Earlier, she couldn’t believe her eyes when the sharp shadows cast by the street lamps started to fade, diluted by the onset of daylight. She was waiting for this morning, the beginning of the journey to avenge her father’s murder.

Hours spent in front of her blinding computer screen lead her to pinpoint where the accused used to work: Kodak, a well frequented DVD shop in one of the risky corners of Seoul; that is because they only sell non-approved or stolen merchandise.

Mina had to at least try to buy something to not appear suspicious, even if it meant breaking the law. If her father was here, he would’ve advised against it. To achieve a just goal, one has to take a just path; He always said, a hand ruffling her once short waves.

But Mina had another plan in mind.

“Yes?” Ilhoon asked, stirring the cup of coffee on top of the counter, “Do you need help?”

He eyed her cautiously from top to bottom: She was wearing a grey uniform, belonging to that of Hansong’s all girl high school. Her hair looked shorter tucked underneath her blouse with a few strands hanging in the front to make it appear natural. It’s not every day that young girls visit his store, or stroll around the area.

At once, she knew it would be too hard to keep her innocent facade in front of him, costume and all. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, fiddling with the toothpick inside her pocket.

Ilhoon didn’t look intimidating at all, if anything, he looked inviting and warm. He had a petite but toned body, a medium brown fringe partially covering his left eye and a cheeky smile drawn on his small lips she wanted to slap off so bad.

He also had a five hovering above his head, which Mina found bizarre. She met murderers before, and they all have a six or seven on top of them, so why did he only have a five? Is it because he only killed once? That’s unlikely. Or is it because he hadn’t killed at all? That’s also unlikely, all the clues are pointing to him and only him. (She remembers almost all of them.) 

“Don’t be shy.” He cooed, leaning forward to entice intimacy, “Are you looking for ?”

The teenage girl turned scarlet, swallowing her pride and letting go of her grip on her toothpick. “No, no, no… It’s not that.” Her voice small, yet clear enough for Ilhoon to urge her to continue. “Then what?”

“I’m looking for an old album.” Mina finally spoke, to which he smiled and drove his hand closer to her shoulder to pat it. The teenage girl cringed away from his touch, but he didn’t mind since he pursued.

“Looking for an album, I see...” He chuckled softly, brushing back his bangs. “You’re still a minor, do you have your parents’ permission to shop here?”

Mina held back a scoff.

Trying to act sweet, aren’t you? You’re a monster and monsters deserve to burn in hell.

“No, they don’t.” Mina bit her lip, not reciprocating his stare. Ilhoon wasn't taken aback, it wasn’t the first time he has dealt with situations like these. He crossed his arms, leaning back into his leather chair as the girl turned her wary gaze onto his hunching figure.

“I will do you a favor.” He took a sip from his coffee, its leftovers from his upper lip, “But if you ever get caught it’s your responsibility, not mine.”

Mina nodded, her hands clasped together behind her back. She could almost feel her braid underneath the loose fabric of the uniform, “Don’t worry about that.”

“Just call me Hoon, how about that?” The man gave her a friendly smile, “So, what album are you looking for?”

“Seo Taiji and Boys’ Nan Arayo,” Mina responded, to which Ilhoon nodded in acknowledgment.

“Go look in the second music section; it’s at the far back.” The girl bowed gratefully to the man before walking where he motioned.

The shelves were full of different CD’s, DVD’s but the albums were only at the far back of the dusty room. With slow steps, she plunged her hands into the crowded plastic boxes and pretended to search for the album. The plan is flowing perfectly to the rhythm of her fingers; all she needs now is a phone number.

Mina may have craved Ilhoon’s head on a stick that night, but she can’t be a murderer. No, not when a father who has spent most of his time teaching her the ethics of living is watching her from above the skies. For now, the young girl wants to put Jung Ilhoon behind the bars for what he has done to her dad and her family but how? She doesn't know yet but she tried. After an intense research session last night, she managed to paint a picture of the murder scene and the events predating it in her head.

Two years ago, her father received an urgent call from his close friend and ex-colleague Song Seho at sunset. Mina still remembers the smile on her father's face after the exchange right before taking a jacket, his keys and speeding to his car. Seho had apparently asked him to come over for an important matter. The drive from Incheon to Seoul wasn't long and he was soon at the doorstep of Seho's home. 

According to Song Seho's testimony, a man broke into the house from the back half an hour after MinHyuk's arrival. It was confirmed later that the backdoor of the house was broken. The two men were drinking and talking until the said man appeared, a gun in his hand. Her father tried to tackle down the guy but the latter ended up shooting him exactly three times before using the front door to flee the scene. Song Seho hurried to call the police but her father had already lost a worrying amount of blood. He would be pronounced dead hours after his transfer to the hospital.

The detectives assigned to solve the case relied on a number of testimonies, crime scene inspections, an autopsy and the most important of them all, a neighbor's house camera which caught the small upper fraction of Song Seho's front door. The witnesses, which were all neighbors of Seho, recognized Jung Ilhoon as the man running out of Song's house looking distraught. An inspection of the deserted park miles away from Seho's house discovered a .38 caliber revolver thrown behind bushes which had Ilhoon's fingerprints and matched perfectly with the gun wounds on her father's body.