Just like when they left the room, the boy was sitting on his bed, carefully wrapped into his sheet. His eyes whom where glued on the TV tore apart from it to watch the two men enter his territory.

He unconsciously shifted his body away from them while watching the two men with a certain degree of wariness.

They stared at each other like that for a few minutes before Jae-Rim strode toward the bed and sat down on the chair left near it.

Moon JunHo quietly stood behind him, his black eyes staring intently at the boy. Noticing the gaze, the boy shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

- Good morning young man, my name -Jae-rim fished his police badge out of his inner pocket overcoat for the boy to look at- is Kang Jae-Rim, I am the detective in charge of your case. The man behind me, is inspector Moon JunHo.

The boy cautiously eyed Moon JunHo from the corner of his eyes. The man was tall, his hair was brownish and combed back with an undercut on each side of his temples with black bottomless eyes. The boy’s lips parted a little.

He is… handsome. He thought.

Then his eyes fell on Jae-Rim. That man was much older and just like Moon JunHo, he was also on the tall side, his black hair were cut short.

It almost looked like an army haircut. The eyes of the man were sparkling; full of curiosity and impatience. His lips were tugged upward. But it didn’t looks like the man even realised it.

- My colleague and I would like to ask you some questions. Is it ok ?

The boy hesitently nooded is consent.

Jae-Rim smile widened.

- Good.

He rummaged thorough his pocket to take out a ballpen and a sheet of paper. JunHo handed him a clipboard taken from his pannier while he, himself, took out a mini-recorder and put it on play. Jae-Rim unfolded the sheet of paper and clipped it on the clipboard. He lifted his eyes from the tool to look at the boy.

- The interview of the young boy found in Bukhansan National park is being conducted by Inspectors Moon JunHo and Kang Jae-Rim on the eighteen of july 2017 in Pak Hospital located in Nowon-Gu, Korea. My bagde number is 902611, the number of my partner’s badge is 821811. It is currently 10 past 20.

Jae-Rim inhaled and exhaled. He was deeply excited, feeling his blood boiling inside his middle-aged body.

- Are you ready ? He asked the boy.

The latter nooded again.

- I’m sorry, but we need to hear your voice boy. I will repeat my question. Are you ready ?

The boy hesited for a second before replying.

-… Yes.

- Good. I will start now. Is it ok with you ?

- Yes.

- What is your name, and age ?

- My… my name is Shim Chang-Min. I am thirt… no… twenty years old and I am male.

- What are the name of your parents ? Do you have any siblings ? What are their names ?

- My parents name are Shim Dongsun and Lee Hee-Young. I have two sisters called Su-Yeon and Joo-Yeon.

- Now I want to know what type of clothes you had on the 14th of March 2010 when you disappeared. Do you remember ?

- I was wearing… my school uniform.

- Why ? You didn’t have school that day.

- I had extracurricular activities… that day…. I was in a group doing a sciences project… I was on my way home… when it… happened.

Changmin shifted his body weight on the right. Jae-Rim squinted his eyes.

- The person who abducted you, was it a man or a female ?

- It was a man.

- Wash he tall ? Short ?

- Tall.

- Did he looked young or old ?

- Young.

- Did you saw his face ?

Changmin shook his head.

- We need to hear your voice. Jae-Rim reminded the boy once again.

- No. I didn’t saw it. I never saw it. He would always… always put… put a blindfold over my eyes.

- Do you happen to remember what he was wearing ?

- Yes. He had jeans on… a pair of white converse… a cap and a face mask with black sunny.

- Did he had any trademark sign on his face or hand ?

Changmin was silent for a moment.

- He had an… old watch… on his left… left wrist. He always wear it on his left wrist.

- Do you perhaps recall the brand ?

- It was a Rolex watch.

- Did it looked like this ?

Moon JunHo lifted his left arms, pulled up his sleeve to show him a watch locked around his wrist. It had a steel wristbrand, the frame and glasses were black.

Changmin shook his head.

- Not the same. The one he had… wasn’t as nice as this one. It was really old.

JunHo nooded.

- … but… his voice… his voice sounded a little bit… like… you, but... but it was deeper. The boy softlywhispered in a frigthened tone, fleeing a little further away toward the outter side of the matress. At this rythm, he will soon kiss the floor.

- HUH ! My voice ? You must be kidding ! Exclamed JunHo, almost stroding forward, his voice full of disbelief, but was blocked by Jae-Rim’s arms.

- That man, was he nice to you ?

- Yes.

- Did he come to your room often ?

The boy visibly flinched.

-… he would… he would come almost every night. Some day he would be there in the morning. He would also stay in the evening.

- How often does he stay in the morning and evening ?

- He would come over in the morning two times every three days and once every fourteen days.

- I see. How did you wash up ? Eat ?

- I was autorised… to use the bathroom… once a day. As for food, he delivered a meal almost everyday.

- When ?

- The first meal… was usually at 5 AM. Lunch was given at the same time and dinner was sometime given at 22, 23 PM or even at midnight or a one in the morning. Dinner never was on a set time.

Jae-Rim nooded.

- Do you know where he held you captive ? Jae-Rim questionned, his eyes shinning.

- When I came to, I was… I was already inside a room. There was… nothing inside… beside a dirty sheet and a bucket.

- The house was it new or old to you ?

- Old. In ruin.

- Where there other people with you beside the kidnapper ?

- I… I think… maybe… two or four others persons ? I’m… I’m not really sure.

- Let’s get back to your room. Did it had any windows ?

- It… it did.

- Did you look out the window ?

- I… I did…

- What did you see ?

- Nothing.

Jae-Rim frowned.

- Nothing ? How come ?

- Journal papers were pasted on the glasses windows.

- Journal papers ?

- Yes.

Jae-Rim smiled as if he had just won the annual lottery of the department store in front on his appartment complex.

- Did you see any peculiar names on these journal papers ? Anything that could help ? Passionatly exclamed the inspector. He looked at the young man with expectant and excited eyes but was soon disappointed.

- It was… it was only the national news paper.

Kang Jae-Rim slowly nodded his head. Then he kept his silence for a short while before staring at the boy.

- Changmin-ah, I would like to know if that man once told you why he kidnapped you. Why did he let you go after seven years ? Did he tell you ?

The boy didn’t reply.

- Did he do it to play with us, the police ? Does he has something against the police ? Did he ever Say anything to you, Changmin-ah ?

But the boy still didn’t reply. His face was pale and his gaze was fixed on the TV with a glazed look on. Jae-Rim glanced at the televison but only saw the female presenter emotionlessly talking some crap about a CEO running away with the company’s money.

Without as much as a warning, Changmin howled an ear splitting cry from the top of his lung as if someone had stabbed him right in the guts and started clawing off the skin on his arms.

The door opened with a loud « Bam » and Dr Han Hyemi bolted in with the previous two nurses on her heels.

- The interview is over. GET OUT ! She spat without even giving them a side glance.

The two policemen where simply throw out of the room before they could even utter a word and stood dumbfounded before the tighly shut door. Moon JunHo and Jae-Rim stared at each other.

 

- What the heck happened ?