Chapter Two - Time to Let Go

Jong Kook pondered back and forth as he continued to wait. He has been waiting for over 40 minutes now. Cancelling his scheduled meetings and court appearance for this seems more important at the moment. He knows he should just forget about it like Ji Hyo said to but he can’t. 

The door finally opened causing Jong Kook to halt his steps and stare at Kyung Eun, Yoo Jae Suk’s wife. “Hello, long time no see.”

She hid between the small opening of the door. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

”Please...” Jong Kook can’t understand why she wouldn’t want to help out her husband. If what Jae Suk said is true, his wife should at least speak the truth so Jae Suk can come back home. “You know he didn’t hurt the man.”

”I can’t...” Kyung Eun whispered. She kept looking over her shoulders making Jong Kook suspicious that somebody else was behind the door. “Thank you for trying to help, Jong Kook. I know you feel like you owe my husband but just please, leave this alone.”

The door shut on his face before he could say anything. Jong Kook sighed as he walked back over to his car. Why isn’t she trying to help Jae Suk? This doesn’t make sense. As he start opening the driver side door, he looked over at the store across from the house. Secluded area or not, there is always a store nearby. And a store means there are surveillance cameras around. 

Shutting the car door, he rushed over to the store and started looking around. “Can I help you?” An Ahjumma appeared from behind the register side.

”Ahjumma, are your cameras always on?”

”Of course, what kind of question is that?” She moved her monitor around to show Jong Kook. “No one dares to steal from me because of this!”

He chuckled. “Do you mind if I take a look at what you recorded last week on Thursday?”

. . . 

Ji Hyo exhaled deeply as she threw the rubber ball in her hand repeatedly on the wall. Catching the ball as it bounced right back to her, she looked around the empty living room. Jong Kook and Kwang Soo left for work already. Her little couple days off is nothing but torture for her. 

She used to do a lot of things in the past. Before being a cop, she was a wedding planner. Ironic, isn’t it? She used to find joy helping other women find their perfect venue, dress, their entree and desserts. Sometimes when she is lucky enough, those brides would invite her to the wedding and she watched everything she planned unfold right in front of her. 

Now, one little look at a wedding magazine or even driving by a shop with wedding dresses - she wants to throw up. Ji Hyo knows she should at least find a hobby to do with she has days off but there’s really nothing she can do. 

Feeling completely bored, she abruptly stood up to find some snacks to munch on in the kitchen. Maybe munching on food until dinner will distract her until Jong Kook or Kwang Soo gets off of work. 

With a package of seaweed in , she reached over to her ringing phone. “Hello?” 

Ji Hyo, do me a favor. 

It was Jong Kook. She munched on her seaweed and checked the time on her watch. He would call her around lunch time. “What is it?”

Go on my computer in my room. I forgot to send some important data to my email. Can you send it please? 

She jumped up and immediately rushed over to his bedroom. As soon as she was logged in, she narrowed her eyes to look at all the files. “Which one?” 

It should be dated. She can hear rummaging from the other end of the phone. He probably isn’t eating lunch and is just working through his hungry. Once you find it, email me the data. I need to print it for court today. 

“Found it,” she stuffed with more seaweed. “Just this one?”

Yes. Ya, Song Ji Hyo. Are you eating again?

She immediately stopped munching and cleared . “No.”

Go find something to do, Song Ji Hyo. I’m hanging up. 

Ji Hyo rolled her eyes as she logged out of his computer. She leaned against the chair and twirled around as she looked at his bedroom. Out of the three of them, Jong Kook is the neatest. He nags the most if the dishes aren’t done when he’s home. She stood up to take a closer look at his display shelf. It’s all his achievements - first place in school, brilliant award during law school, even a degree from the Police Commissioner for his work as a prosecutor. She looked down at the lower shelf, his photo frames. He has pictures with his mom, brother, his friends. Her smile faltered as she saw a picture of when Jong Kook and Ji Hoon together with their arms around each other.

Jong Kook knew Ji Hoon since their college days. They were as close as two peas in a pod. When Jong Kook introduced Ji Hoon to her, she fell head over heels for that spiteful man. A pang hurt her heart the long she stared at the picture. It’s guilt that she’s feeling. If she wasn’t in a relationship with Ji Hoon, would these two still be best friends? 

She knows that Jong Kook hasn’t spoken with Ji Hoon since he walked out of the wedding. Sometimes, she thinks she’s at fault. 

Feeling her phone vibrate again. “Hello?”

Song Ji Hyo-ssi, do you mind if you come by my office? I have something to discuss. 

She knit her eyebrows together to take a look at the caller ID. It was her leader, Lee Dong Wook. “Yes, Sir!” 

. . . 

Jong Kook rubbed his eyes from exhaustion. He has been staring at the computer screen for hours now. Since coming back from court, he still has to organize certain documents for other cases. In one day, he handles as close as 10 cases. Some of them are easy so he doesn’t mind. Then there are the hard cases that takes research, investigating and several court appearances - those are the ones that makes him feel as if he has lost a piece of his soul. 

“Prosecutor Kim,” his secretary appeared at the doorway. “You have a guest.”

”I told you that I’m not taking anybody else in. I want to spend the last hour to go over some - “ he glanced up to see someone hiding behind the secretary. “Kyung Eun Noona....”

”Jong Kook....” she walked into his office with her hands in her sleeves. 

He abruptly stood up from his seat and rushed over to her aide. Her face was clearly swollen from being beaten up, she has scrapes and cuts all over her face and neck. “Noona, what happened?!”

”He’s not going to stop....he’s not going to stop until he has the money.”

The money? Jong Kook motioned for the secretary to call the ambulance right away. “Who did this?” 

“Please help Jae Suk.....he didn’t do this....he didn’t do anything wrong....” 

Jong Kook held onto her as she’s visibly shaken. “It’s okay....I know.” 

Kyung Eun held onto his hand. “It’s Jin Suk....” She said what she had to say. Closing her eyes in content, she collapsed into Jong Kook’s arms. 

“Noona!!” 

. . . 

Ji Hyo nervously knocked on the door before coming into the office. “Sir?”

Dong Wook looked up from his paperwork and nudged to the seat across from him. “Sit.”

She cleared . “Is there something wrong? Did I not write the report right?” On the way here, she kept thinking over and over what she exactly did wrong. It’s a rarity that Lee Dong Wook would fall especially call someone on their break. 

“No, this isn’t about that.” Dong Wook closed the folder in hand and chuckled. “I have a proposition for you.”

Proposition? She doesn’t like the sound of that at all. Ji Hyo nodded her head. “What is it?”

”Police Commissioner has been complaining about the lack of units in our district. Especially Violent Crimes unit, there are only 2 squads in this station.” Dong Wook shrugged his shoulders. “I was offered a position as Leader for a new Violent Crimes Unit for upstairs.”

”That’s awesome, congratulations!”

”I was also told to pick my own team members for the squad.” Dong Wook said. “What do you think?”

Ji Hyo rapidly blinked her eyes. “Uh, I mean, that’s great to hear. Police Commissioner must trust you that much to let your make your own squad.”

”I’d like to think he trusts me,” Dong Wook agreed. “Which is why, I asked you to come here in person. Song Ji Hyo-Ssi, would you like to be a part of the new unit?”

Her eyes widened in surprise. It’s actually happening! She can finally be a detective that works on actual, intense cases! She stood up and saluted him right away. “Yes, Sir!” 

Dong Wook briefly laughed. “That’s good. Welcome to the squad.”

She didn’t want to press the topic but she had to. “Why did you chooose me?”

”You’re ambitious. It’s a good trait to have when working on an important case.” Dong Wook stood up and held out his hand. “I do want to let you know. Changing squads and the type of criminals we have to chase after, I won’t be as lenient as before. We’ll probably be working on cases that makes us lose sleep. We will be seeing things that we’re not used to. Are you really prepared for all that?”

Ji Hyo smiled. “Don’t worry about me.”

. . .

“How is she?” Jong Kook asked.

Kwang Soo flipped through the patient chart. “Hyung, she’s lucky to be alive.”

”The bruises are that bad?”

“I did a blood test just in case,” Kwang Soo sighed. “We found a good amount of sleeping pills in her stomach. I don’t know if she was trying to - “

”She wouldn’t.” There is no way she would do something like that, leaving Jae Suk behind. Their love for each other has always been strong. “Yoo Jin Suk must’ve forced her to take all those pills.”

Kwang Soo looked at Kyung Eun sleeping through the window. “I can watch her during my shift. If anything happens, I’ll call you.” 

Jong Kook nodded his head. “Thanks.” 

“Have you been able to reach Ji Hyo?”

”Yeah, she’s rushing over as soon as she finished meeting her leader.” At the end of the day, the three of them were extremely close to Jae Suk and his wife. They all have to be here for her. “They’re holding Jae Suk Hyung on the charges of the beating up the victim.”

Kwang Soo cleared his throat. “I shouldn’t tell you this but - “ he looked around. “That victim in the police report, his room is upstairs.” 

Jong Kook arched an eyebrow. “He’s located here?” Despite trying to find the victim’s information, he couldn’t due to the confidential hold that the victim had put. What room?”

”809.”

This is a good sign. If Jong Kook can just talk to the victim for a few minutes, maybe he can get the victim to identify who is the one that had attacked him that day. “Thanks, Kwang Soo.” 

“Hyung....” 

Jong Kook looked at Kwang Soo. “What is it?”

”There’s something else.....”

. . . 

Ji Hyo stared at Kyung Eun sleeping soundly on the hospital bed. Holding onto her hand, she sighed deeply. She can’t believe that someone would do something as cruel as this.

“She’ll be okay, right?”

”She will.” Kwang Soo tries to be optimistic. “I wish Jae Suk can be here...”

Ji Hyo couldn’t agree more. She knows that she told Jong Kook to back off on a case that isn’t his but sitting here, looking at Kyung Eu’s bruised up face and scars - all she has right now is resentment. Whoever did this will pay for what they did.

”Unni, don’t worry. Jong Kook will take care of everything.”

Kwang Soo smiled softly. “He will, he always takes care of things.”

. . .

“Do you understand the severity of this case?” 

“Are you saying that I don’t? I’m the one that’s lying on a hospital bed right now!”

Jong Kook has spent the last 10 minutes arguing with Shin Da Rin, the victim of the case. He keeps insisting that it was Jae Suk that did the beating. “Da Rin, I know you are lying. You know that Yoo Jae Suk would never beat you up. Why would someone like him do such a thing?” 

“I don’t know. I was too beaten to think.”

He ran a hand through his hair out of frustration. “Please think about his wife. She wants to protect her husband but she is scared out of her wits.”

”I don’t - “

”She’s in the hospital right now,” Jong Kook disclosed  the information. “She was beaten up and bashed like crazy. She’s unconscious.”

His eyes widened. “Is she okay?”

”Yes.” Jong Kook answered. “Her baby? No.”

”Baby?”

”Shin Da Rin, she was 5 weeks pregnant. She lost her baby after being forced to swallow sleeping pills and being beaten up like a pulp.” Jong Kook stepped closer. “I don’t know what business you had with their family but I know that you are victim as much as they were. I know that Yoo Jin Suk did this to you. Please, no matter the reason for you being in that house, I will help you avoid jail time. If that’s what’s you’re worried about, I will help you. Just please help me prove Jae Suk’s innocence.” 

. . . 

The Next Morning 

Ji Hyo sat on the couch as she watched the news. An arrest warrant has been officially announced for Yoo Jin Suk. The whereabouts are hard to point out but as long as Jae Suk is out of jail now - everything should be okay for a while. 

“You did it.” Ji Hyo said. “Like you always do.”

Jong Kook leaned against the couch. “I didn’t. I handled over the information to Jae Suk’s defense lawyer. He’s the one that did it.”

”Giving all the credit to him, huh?” Ji Hyo hates it when Jong Kook does that. He overworks himself for other people but refuses to take the credit. People are riding on the promotions when he’s not. “How’s Kyung Eun?”

”She’s miserable,” Jong Kook can’t imagine the pain they must be feeling. They lost their baby, the pain will take ages to recover. “They will be okay.”

Ji Hyo leaned her head against his shoulders. “Oppa...”

”Hmmm...”

”The pain of losing a baby is greater than being stood up during a wedding, right?”

Jong Kook looked down at her. “Why are suddenly bringing that up?”

”I’ve decided to let go.” 

He’s confused. Isn’t that what she has been doing for the last 2 years? “You’re not - “

”If you ever contact him,” Ji Hyo brushed her hair to the otherwise and unlock the necklace she has been wearing around her neck. “Can you give this back?”

The wedding rings were in his hands, the rings that she never got to wear. “You’ve been wearing this the whole time?”

”It’s the last thing I have of his.” Ji Hyo admitted. “Watching the type of pain Jae Suk and Kyung Eun is going through, it feels silly for me to react the way i do. I mean, what kind of pain was mine anyway? Most people get stood up at their wedding.”

”Ji Hyo...” 

“Oppa, I finally can do something important in my life. Be a real detective. I don’t want to keep hyperventilate when the word wedding or even his name gets mentioned. I want to be over him, I want to start over.” Ji Hyo smiled. “I’m ready to let go.”

Jong Kook doesn’t know what to say. This whole time, he had really believed that she was over the wedding and Ji Hoon. Aside from showing small breakdowns, she seemed as if she wasn’t holding onto him. To see that she has always carried the wedding rings around her as a necklace, Jong Kook has really underestimate her pain. 

To him, he doesn’t believe that love does that kind of pain. To him, love is merely a feeling that can be brushed aside. He has always thought that whatever pain that she was feeling, it’ll be okay as long as he made her laugh. It’s what he has been doing for the last 2 years. Making sure that his best friend was happy. 

“Does love really do this?” 

“Do what?” Ji Hyo watched his facial expression.

”Make people feel as if they can’t breathe? Make people feel as if their lives are over?” Jong Kook doesn’t think that something like love would have an affect on him. He’s so busy with making sure his career goes the way he wants to, he has never felt what love is like. He has never shared it but watching Ji Hyo and Kwang Soo fall in love with people several people in the years he has known them - he never understood it. 

Yet he was the one that was always there for them when they went through a breakup. He helped comfort the pain that he can’t understand. Losing family, going through death, angry - he understands it all. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t understand how love toward a complete stranger at one point of your life could have such an affect.

Ji Hyo looked at him. “One day, you will fall in love and find out that pain yourself. And when you do, you’ll understand why it’s so painful to love someone so deeply and have them gone.”

Jong Kook stared back at Ji Hyo for a few seconds. “Ha, you’re funny.” He shoved a throw pillow at her and laughed. “I’m too busy for that nonsense.” 

“You never know, Kim Jong Kook!”