Evening came fast. Ara just got off from her work. She was about to enter a junction when she heard a loud noise of old lady screaming from behind.

Through the side mirror, she could see a middle-age woman was chasing after a man in black mask. The man was approaching her car from behind. Ara's head was doing the interpretation of the situation. Thief? 

As soon as the guy passed by her car she quickly opened the car door, making the man to hit it hard and fell behind. There was a small crack on her window. She sighed under her breath. The old lady caught him and hit him repeatedly. He was trying to run away but crowd already stopped him. Several young students grabbed him and a female student call the cop to report about the thief. The old lady approached Ara and thanked her for her quick action. 

Mapo Police Station

Ara helped the old lady to walk inside the station. She offered to send her to the station since it was on her way home. The patrol polices caught the guy and brought him here. The old lady needed to file a report of the crime.

As they entered the police station, the view of a young female cop putting ointment on a male cop made Ara's in maze. She stopped not far from them. Her eyes were still locked on them, squinting. He looked like him. The old lady turned to her because she didn't move from her feet for a moment. The woman also looked at the direction of the two cops.
"You know them?", the old lady asked her, making her came back to her sense. 

She just laughed it out. "It's nothing--", she said, helping the lady to sit on a vacant seat in front of a middle-age officer. 

Ara excused herself and was about to walked out of the station when she bumped into Jinwoo. They gazed on each other for a second. Ara's eyes flinched to the view of the guy's face. A scar on his cheek, a tiny cut under his left eye and his lips was busted open. While she was examining him attentively, he covered his face with his palm, obviously sensing she was judging him just now. The lady flustered a little.

"J-jinwoo-sshi.... You okay?", she opened , her eyes were still fix on his face.

Lowering his palm, the guy spoke up, "I really don't want you to see me like this-- This is nothing". He chuckled in low voice. 

Ara smiled warmly. "If you said so", she replied with a bright smile. They just laughed it out. The whole police officers in the station were watching at the two of them. 

"Sunbae-nim -- who is she??", the young female cop asked him. She appeared out of nowhere. The other officers tried to eavesdrop while making themselves busy with their work.

"Uhm--", Jinwoo tried to arrange his words. 'What should I say'. They were not officially dating yet but they did have 3 dates so far.

"We are currently trying to get to know each other", Ara told the female officer bluntly. Jinwoo was startled by her straight exclamation.

"Uhm kinda--", Jinwoo said, he smiled warmly. That smile.

Ara was a bit disappointed with his answer. She just brushed her thought away.

Noticing that Ara's face became a bit dark, Jinwoo added, "-- but we will soon. M-make it official"

He asked Ara to wait because his shift was almost over. He wanted to grab a drink with her. Hyemi, the female officer showed her the waiting corner and asked her to wait there. Every seconds there were so awkward. All eyes were apparently staring at her. Well their Liutenant's most likely soon-to-be girlfriend.

Changing Room

A tall man was changing his uniform into casual clothes when his colleague entered the room. Jinwoo put on his jacket and checked his face on the mirror.

"'If you say so'. That girl is really something. Who is she? I thought you like Hyemi. That's what everyone was thinking too", Gunpil, his colleague spoke up, leaning against the wall, gazing at the good-looking man in front of him.

He gave him a sheepish smile. "You remember the missing case in D Island 3 years ago", he opened his mouth.

"The unsolved missing case. The infamous killing MT.Of course. Everyone was talking about it back then", he replied after doing some thinking.
Jinwoo smirked a bit. "That girl, she was one of the main suspect".

Gunpil's eyes opened wide. He chuckled in disbelief. "You mean you approach her because of the case. You seriously--".

Jinwoo shook his head. "4 months ago. A female student was murdered in her hostel room. The murderer wrote 1002 on her forehead. And for your information, she was also one of the students during the MT. 1002 was the date of the MT--", he explained to his colleague. "-- two weeks ago, a female body was found in her car. Charcoal poisoning. But the same numbers were written on her forehead. She was also one of the main suspect during the missing case investigation."

Gunpil frowned. "You mean this is a serial killer case. That's why they don't disclose it to the public".
"--Uhm. She is one of the suspects for this case too. And she maybe the next target too. I'm kind of protecting her".

"But-- the case .. How did you get the information. it's not under our jurisdiction right. Tsk.. tsk.. Why are you getting involved", his colleague sighed.

"I have an informer. Since I was the one in charge of the case before, I just cannot turn a blind eye on this one. Now that someone was killed and someone might get killed soon.", Jinwoo said again, he put on his bagpack on his back. Shutting his locker door, he sighed under his breath.

"So you and the lady. Just a cop-citizen relationship. Hyemi?", Gunpil asked out of curiosity.

"I don't know", he replied curtly before leaving the room.

***
Jinwoo went out from a room after changing his uniform. He wore a double layer jacket and a skinny black jean with a black bagpack on his back. Ara almost burst out laughing but she controlled herself and let out a small giggle.

"What? What's so funny?", he asked her as they walked out of the station to his car.

"You looks so cute -- with that bagpack", she said honestly.

He curled a huge smile, also laughing with her. He opened the door at the passenger seat and shutted it after the lady jumped into his car. Jinwoo then entered the car and sat on the driver seat.

"Where are we going-- my car", Ara spoke up. 
"Han river. And about your car ... I heard from my colleague. Just leave it here. I'll fix it and send to your house", he replied with a bright face.
"But---"

A warm gust escaped Jinwoo's lip. "That's okay. Remember I still need to make up for yesterday. Give me the key"

"But still--", Ara didn't find comfortable asking favor from him.

"Ara-sshi", he sighed under his breath. Jinwoo turned and faced her. He raised his eyebrows, pleading her to accept his favor. His intense eyes made her cowered a bit. She nodded in agreement.

He drove to a nearby convenience store. He said he would buy some snacks and drinks for them to enjoy at the Han River later. Ara waited in the car and looked out of the windows, watching the nightlife of Mapo people. As she was scanning the people, she saw a pharmacy 3 building away from the convenience store. A moment later, Jinwoo came with a plastic bag full of soda can and snacks. Ara permitted herself to go out for awhile. She ran towards the pharmacy.

Within several minutes, Ara returned with a plastic bag of ointment. She slid on, sat in the passenger’s seat and shut the door. “Did you go just to get this”, he said, taking out the ointment from the plastic. She turned to look at him. “Just a second. Here”, she pasted a plaster on the scratch below his eyes. The man hissed quietly. It stung a bit. “This is supposed to be anti-scarring. You should treasure your pretty face. Apply it well”. He laughed before starting the ignition. The car finally roaring to life and drove off the road.

***

The cop sat on a bench, facing the river. It was pretty dark here but the street lamp above them brighten the path. He carried a bag full of cans and snacks with him. The lady sat next to him. 

Silence.

They exchanged a warm smile and finally burst out a pleasant sneer. Awkwardness was in the air. Jinwoo took out his phone and played a soft romantic song. Ara smiled widely. Her heart fluttered a bit.

Ara took out a soda can, opened the lid and gave it to the man next to her. He thanked her and drank a sip of the water. Ouch. He groaned in pain. His busted lip stung a bit. Ara sighed a bit. 

"I'm okay. Just hurt a bit.", he said, looking at her. The guy opened a snack bag and tried to eat it but he hissed again, with pain. Ara let out a warm air.

"This can't do. You wait here", Ara said, walking towards the car to get the ointments. She looked around the car. She was so sure she put the ointment at the dashboard before going out of the car.

As she was searching around the car, a picture fell onto the floor. Ara picked up the picture and was about to put it inside the glove compartment when the picture attracted her attention. She felt her stomach churning inside. Jinwoo and a young girl's picture. They seem close, more than just a mere friend. The girl was kissing his cheeks. 

"What are you doing?", Jinwoo suddenly opened the driver seat door and popped in. 

Ara jumped a bit by his action and let go of the picture. The picture fell on the driver seat, right infront of him. Jinwoo frowned and took a look on the picture. 

Silence.

Awkward.

"Found it", Ara said as she saw the ointment plastic on the floor. The lady glanced at the frozen guy in front of her before getting out of the car and shutted the passenger door behind. She inhaled a big air into her lung and walked towards the bench. Later, Jinwoo joined her.

Silence again.

Ara opened the ointment and dipped a cotton bud into it. She turned to the guy next to her and asked him to stay still. Ara carefully put the ointment on his cut and busted lip. He stared at her deeply without saying anything. Only the soft music accompanying them. 

Out of the blue, Jinwoo grabbed her wrist, stopping her. They stared silently into each other eyes for a while. Ara's face became flushing red. Her heartbeat was thumping crazily. But she still gazed on him without breaking the eye contact. He released her wrist, still staring on her. A minute already passed.

Ara could not hold it anymore. Finally, she looked down, capped the ointment's lid and threw it into the plastic. Jinwoo was still fixing his gaze on her, making her uneasy. 

"That pretty--", Ara tried to joke around, breaking the tension. She looked at him again.
"Uhm", he played along.

Ara hissed in between her teeth. Jinwoo finally curled a sweet smile. " I read that when people stare into each other's eyes for several minute, they'll end up falling in love--", he said out of nowhere. Ara scoffed in disbelief. Woah unbelieve this. This guy is really a player.

"Ara-sshi.. I think-- I like you", he added after a moment. 

Again, silence.

A gentle wind blew the lady's hair slightly, letting her brownish hair covering half of her face. He stared at her deeply and brushed her hair back. Ara was so embarrassed and her cheeks began to feel warm. 

Ara brushed her hair with her fingers, ensuring it was not messy. His eyes sparkled and a grin formed onto his face. He touched her cheek softly. His eye intense as they gazed into her. She knew he was testing her right now. 

"Will you go out with me”, he asked.
Ara brushed his hand away. Jinwoo put his hand down.

"You-- really mean it?", Ara finally spoke up again. The man nodded his head, putting a sweet grin on his good-looking face.

"Before that--- uhm.. the girl, you and her. I don't think--", Ara was about to talk about the picture but the guy cut her words.

"-- Jin-ah, my sister. She was around your age".

Ara slightly nodded her head, slightly taken aback. She didn't know what to speak at the moment. Everything seemed so ad-hoc. 

"She is pretty", she replied. He laughed softly.

"So, are you going out with me or not", the guy asked again for the second time. Ara sighed heavily.

"Jinwoo-sshi, you know what. You are the pushy type of guy. How could I give you an answer now", she blurted out. 

He just chuckled seeing her reaction. "Why? You don't like me?", he asked.

"It is not like that", Ara replied, looking down.
Jinwoo smiled widely upon hearing that. "That's okay then. Take your time". They just laughed it out. For the first time after a while, her heart was about to open to someone. But little did she know, that is all lie. The guy put on an act to get close to her. To get close to the serial killer. To uncover the secret of the case three years ago.