in a future world where people rely on charging their bodies like technological devices, individuals are capable of living up to 200 years, thanks to scientific advancements. however, if their charge hits 0%, they face a fatal outcome.

"good evening, and welcome to 'nightly update: breaking news at 11'. i'm your host, bringing you the latest headlines and developments from around the world. in tonight's broadcast, we bring you breaking news right from our city. as you know, a wave of mysterious deaths had struck, leaving the community gripped with fear and uncertainty. victims, one after another, had tragically reached 0% charge, leading to their untimely demises.  in response to this escalating crisis, the authorities had assigned the skilled detective, shuhua, to investigate these puzzling deaths.  what makes these cases all the more perplexing is the complete absence of violence or any signs of foul play. tonight, the team also revealed that there are no signs of a  contagious disease.  as the investigation unfolds, our city holds its breath, hoping for answers and solution to this unsettling series of events. stay tuned for more updates..."

the news report flickered on the holographic projection, projecting vibrant and lifelike images suspended in mid-air, illuminating the room with its captivating display. soojin, hidden away in her secluded hideout, watched the news report with a mix of fear and anger. all of this has started with the tragic loss of her own career and reputation. soojin, a former famous brain surgeon, had been living a life filled with dedication and compassion. however, her world crumbled when a lie shattered her dreams and condemned her as a killer in the eyes of the public. the circumstances surrounding the mysterious death of one of her patients after surgery had been twisted against her. the patient suddenly passed away in the vip patient room of the hospital. although someone had intentionally taken a life, the evidence seemed to point to soojin as the responsible party. her once-promising career was abruptly cut short, and the weight of the false accusations bore down on her like an insurmountable burden. disillusioned and consumed by injustice, soojin vanished from the public eye before the court ends, determined to only revenge upon those who had orchestrated her downfall. her anger burned within her, fueling a relentless pursuit to identify the real culprit. in her solitary quest for answers, soojin had inadvertently become a threat herself, armed with a chilling ability to steal the life force of others with a single kiss. she has an ability that no one, as she knows, has in this world. she can steal charges when she kisses someone, charging herself instead.

this extraordinary power, once a source of fear and confusion for soojin, had now become her weapon against those who had wronged her. with a kiss, she could drain the life force, the charge, from her victims, leaving them lifeless and depleted. the more the kiss intensifies, the more deadly it is. this ability granted her a dangerous advantage, making her a formidable force to be reckoned with. however, soojin was not without her own inner struggles. each stolen charge weighed heavily on her conscience, a constant reminder of the darkness that had consumed her. the line between justice and vengeance blurred as she continued her relentless pursuit. she questioned her own humanity, wondering if she had become the very thing she sought to destroy. nevertheless, fueled by her burning desire for retribution, soojin continued her hunt, leaving a trail of empty bodies in her way. with each target eliminated, she felt a twisted sense of satisfaction, inching closer to the truth she so desperately sought. but little did she know that her path was about to intersect with that of detective shuhua, who had embarked on her own mission to uncover the mysteries behind the deaths plaguing the city.

shuhua sat in her office, watching the same news report. she was one step closer to the truth, as one of the files on her cluttered desk contained the case of soojin. the accused doctor, labeled as a killer on the run, raised suspicion in shuhua's sharp mind. however, she and her team was facing a confusing challenge—the death cases displayed no evidence of homicide. it was as if the victims had spontaneously chosen to drain their own charges, not charging themselves which leads to their death in the end. yet, one particular case stood out from the rest. that person had been fully charged when leaving their office at 8 p.m., only to be discovered lifeless in an alley with 0% charge at 8:30 p.m. this puzzling scenario defied the concept of suicide of that individual because it was impossible for a charge to go 0 within just half of an hour. equally confounding was the absence of any trace of charge theft, as indicated by the data from the neurotechnological device implanted inside of the left forearm, which enables the transmission of charge to the brain and body. no incidents of charge theft, or any similar occurrence, were observed. and according to the autopsy results, there was no sign of a contagious disease either. it seemed as though a mystical or divine force was at play, defying logical explanation within shuhua's pragmatic worldview. however, with soojin's case, shuhua had enough clues to warrant investigation and interrogation: shuhua and her team, responsible for this case, had discovered a common connection among the deceased individuals. so far, there had been 20 recent deaths of this nature. although distinguishing whether they were suicides or victims was almost impossible except for that one person, shuhua and her colleagues made a startling discovery during their investigation. it became evident that a significant portion of the deceased individuals were interconnected in some way. they discovered that these individuals were either current or former employees of the same company, Cybernetix Innovations (CNI), with a high likelihood of having remote or close relationships with each other. in fact, a few of the deceased individuals were connected on social media platforms. as their investigation delved deeper, they stumbled upon a shocking revelation. the ceo of the rival company, Quantum Nexus Technologies (QNT), was identified as the patient whom soojin allegedly killed. these two companies, despite not being officially acknowledged, were notorious among the public for their deep-seated mutual hostility. after a detailed examination of soojin's case, shuhua noticed something peculiar. the possibility existed that CNI had framed soojin for the murder of QNT's ceo. while nothing was certain, the clues pointed to a injustice and suggested that soojin's motivation could be driven by a perceived wrongdoing and her personal quest to punish CNI. but how does she do that? nothing was definitive at that point, but considering all the connections, the result became clear: soojin became the prime suspect.

"yo, shu, can you believe it? we've been slaying it like nobody's business. it's pushing midnight, and we're still going at it. let's cut ourselves some slack and call it a day, huh? pretty please, with a cherry on top?" said yuqi, the field investigator and research analyst in the team, after yawning.

"yeah, if this meeting's done, let's get outta here. i need to head to my lab. i still got some stuff to work on, while y'all can enjoy your beauty sleep in your comfy beds," whined soyeon, the chief forensic chemist in the department.

minnie, the technology specialist, chimed in with a playful tone. "hey, hey, dr. soyeon, you've been quite the complainer lately. it's not just you who's exhausted, you know. do you have any idea how much my head throbs every day dealing with all this stuff? i definitely deserve a break."

"what if we take a day off? how does that sound?" yuqi asked, leaning back in her chair. shuhua was engrossed in the soojin file, deep in thought.

"i can't catch a break. got a meeting in the early morning, lined up with a witness who might've seen the perpetrator. well, i mean, if there is a perpetrator." miyeon, the psychological/criminal profiler, replied with a mix of cuteness and melancholy in her voice.

"dr. 2yeons are hella busy," yuqi said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

miyeon sighed at yuqi's comment and then turned her attention to shuhua, noticing her lost in her thoughts. "detective?" as shuhua didn't reply she asked louder, "shuhua? are you still with us?"

shuhua snapped out of her thoughts, "huh?"

"you look lost. is something on your mind?" asked soyeon.

"oh, nothing. and yeah, you guys have worked nonstop lately. you can chill and take a break this week. like, seriously, you can have the whole week off or handle your own stuff if you need to. just keep your phones handy, alright? be available when i hit you up. now, you may leave." 

everyone screamed in joy after hearing shuhua's words. yuqi, soyeon, and minnie said their goodbyes and left the office, but miyeon stayed.

"why are you not leaving? you said you have a meeting tomorrow morning," asked shuhua.

"i'll leave when you leave," replied miyeon.

"nah, don't wait for me. i might stay up late."

"but for what? you can continue tomorrow. you've worked hard already. you have to sleep, shu."

"stop worrying about me, miyeon. i didn't bring you into this team to be my psychologist."

miyeon felt hurt by shuhua's sudden aggressive behavior. "okay, i'm sorry if i was too much."

shuhua felt remorse wash over her upon hearing miyeon's shaking voice. she turned to miyeon, "no, i am sorry. you know, there's been so much going on lately. i'm a bit sensitive, i guess. i know you've just been a good friend of mine. but, you know, this is my way."

"right... just don't forget to rest well." miyeon then kissed shuhua's head and left the office.

shuhua couldn't help but feel sorry ever since miyeon had opened up about her feelings. she was sorry that she couldn't reciprocate the same affection. she had always considered miyeon as a dear friend. however, miyeon understood and valued their friendship. they were okay now, but sometimes certain moments was being overwhelming for shuhua. she shook her head to clear her thoughts and stood up to make some coffee. she spent the night pondering the connections between soojin's case and the cases under her responsibility. eventually, exhaustion took over, and she dozed off.

***

the morning had arrived, and soojin woke up from her uncomfortable sleep. today held great significance for her, as she remembered the words of her last victim: find the secretary aesha. i'm certain she knows who it is. but please spare my life.

today, soojin was determined to find aesha and finally discover the identity of the person who had killed the patient. and killing that person had become her utmost desire. her anger had not diminished, and she had spared no lives. after quickly showering, she dressed in black, and she put on a vintage jacket. checking outside through the security cameras, she confirmed it was safe to leave. she had been hiding in her deceased family's farmhouse, which despite being old, still possessed futuristic technology. the farmhouse was conveniently located near the city center, and soojin had been fortunate that no one had ever noticed her. she put on her cap and left the house, deciding to walk.

meanwhile, shuhua also woke up, realizing she had fallen asleep at her desk. she got up and made another cup of coffee. she checked her forearm to see her charge level, it was 60%. she got outside for a smoke, thinking she should charge any time soon. then she suddenly remembered her discovery from the previous night before drifting off. "oh my god!" she exclaimed, tossing the cigarette away. with a rush of excitement, she hurried back, inadvertently spilling coffee on the way. when she reached her desk, she placed the mug down and turned her attention to the transparent touchscreen. she replayed the footage of the last victim. up until now, they hadn't been able to obtain a camera recording showing the moment of the victims' deaths. the last victim's footage was also no different. the victim had entered the bathroom and died, and no one had entered or exited thereafter until the person who made the report arrived. but they had missed something. what they had overlooked was someone entering two hours prior and never leaving. shuhua couldn't comprehend how they had missed it, but she was relieved to have noticed it now. the person who had entered two hours ago and never left had likely escaped through the big ventilation system. when she checked the camera recordings of the external ventilation exit, she could see someone exiting. but the image was just a blurry silhouette of a woman wearing a cap. she would reach out to an expert who could enhance the footage and provide further analysis. immediately, she grabbed her phone and took action on her thoughts. while awaiting the results, she decided to return home to take a shower and charge.

she stopped to visit a market on the way. before getting out of her car, she gazed into the mirror beholding the image of a 106-year-old woman who appeared no more than 26 years old. yet, despite her youthful exterior, she was completely disheveled. the lack of proper sleep had caused dark circles under her eyes. her appearance was far from impeccable, a stark reminder that even in this era of extended lifespans, the issue of sleep deprivation remained unchanged. she took a deep breath and exhaled. perhaps, as the girls had suggested, she needed some good rest, but she couldn't do it just yet. she wanted to solve this case and disclose the mystery as soon as possible. she took out her lip balm from her bag and applied it to her dry lips. she tied her hair up and got out of the car. she didn't feel like preparing breakfast, so she decided to have noodles. she grabbed two packs of the spiciest noodles and some other things, then she headed to the cashier. shuhua and the cashier had known each other for years now.

"wow, the editing has reached the level of a god tier. you looked more lively on the screen during the press conference last night. but, you seem drained in real life," she said.

"debby, i know you enjoy teasing, but now is not the time," shuhua replied.

"what happened? are things going badly?"

"no, quite the opposite. we've made progress. but, i don't know... i'm a bit tense."

"we believe in you, shuhua. you always know what's best. you've always made the right decisions. so, don't stress. you'll succeed again."

these words were meant to reassure and calm shuhua, but instead, she felt even more tense. the weight of expectations, the pressure to do what's right for the public, and all the similar burdens were weighing her down. it was a part of her job anyway. but for some reason she was feeling more overwhelmed. while paying for her purchases, she questioned herself: was catching soojin and finding out if she was the culprit or not, and bringing justice, really the right thing to do? what if soojin had really been wronged, and the world had failed to deliver the justice she deserved? what would happen then? shuhua took a deep breath once again and exhaled. she thought that no matter what, we had to abide by its rules in the world we live in. taking the law into our own hands, especially by killing people, was not justice at all. no, she shouldn't let her mind be clouded by these thoughts. she exited the market, looking at her phone. as someone passed by, a gust of wind carried the scent of freshly washed hair. she briefly turned to see who it was and caught a glimpse of a woman wearing a cap and an oversized vintage college jacket. she didn't dwell on it and continued towards her car. the car was parked in a way that she could see the exit of the market. she got in the car and placed her purchases on the passenger seat. before starting the car, she checked her phone again for the latest notifications. just then, the expert she had requested to enhance the footage called.

"yes, what's it?" shuhua asked.

"i've already taken care of it, detective. i'm sending the clear footage to your phone now."

"great, thank you, tzuyu. you always come to the rescue when i need it."

"no problem. let's go out for a meal sometime. you haven't forgotten your promise, right?"

"forget? not at all. once things settle down a bit, i have it in mind."

"alright then, see you later."

"see you. take care."

shuhua was surprised and pleased by her friend's promptness. after hanging up the phone, shuhua opened the notification on her device, and with the car's advanced features, a touchscreen display materialized in front of her. her gaze fixed on the clear image of soojin's cctv footage, she froze, pausing the video in sheer astonishment. "this... this is her," she whispered. just at that moment, the real soojin stepped out of the market, appearing behind the transparent screen and creating an overlapping image with her projected self. shuhua swiftly closed her phone and focused her attention forward. soojin was there, right before her eyes. shuhua could feel her heart pounding in her chest, but she knew she had to maintain composure and avoid causing a scene. determined not to lose sight of soojin, she decided to discreetly follow her without drawing attention. 

soojin walked past shuhua's car without noticing anything. shuhua waited for her to move a little further away before getting out of the car. she realized that soojin didn't have a vehicle, so she decided to follow her on foot, and that's exactly what she did. soojin fearlessly and calmly moved through the crowd, blending in like an ordinary citizen. after all, her case was not widely known. currently, the public's attention was solely on the mysterious deaths, and only detective shuhua and her team knew that soojin could be involved. however, that was likely to change soon. during the pursuit, shuhua managed to go unnoticed. however, after a while, soojin started making strange changes to her route. she suddenly turned right, then quickly turned left, zigzagging through the streets. shuhua began to worry that soojin might have noticed her, but she felt the need to closely follow her to avoid losing her trail in the crowd. perhaps if it were someone else, they wouldn't even sense shuhua's presence, but soojin was as agile and sharp-witted. after a while, soojin veered off the busy street and entered a narrow and empty alley. it was a small corridor surrounded by tall buildings closely packed together. shuhua observed her entering and waited for a moment. after a brief pause, she cautiously proceeded and entered the same narrow alley, but soojin was nowhere in sight. as she moved further ahead, she failed to notice the staircase leading to a basement right beside her. soojin was hiding there. then soojin went up, silently approached shuhua from behind. and in a quick manner, she forcefully pushed her face down against the wall. she locked one of shuhua's arms from behind and pressed her with her entire body.

"wait! stop! soojin! i just want to talk!" shuhua struggled to free herself. soojin was indeed strong, but years of training had made shuhua strong enough to subdue soojin. however, using her full strength at the moment wouldn't serve shuhua's purpose. so she allowed soojin to take control.

soojin, on the other hand, was puzzled about how shuhua had found and followed her. there was hardly anyone in the city who didn't know the detective shuhua, so she also knows her. however, she couldn't understand why shuhua was tailing her instead of focusing on her own case. thoughts swirled in her mind, wondering if shuhua knew everything.

"let go of me, and let's talk properly. you're assaulting a government officer right now," shuhua attempted to give warning. she was also ready to make her move.

without saying a word, soojin turned shuhua around and forcefully kissed her. shuhua couldn't comprehend what was happening and was left in shock. as soon as soojin started kissing her, shuhua's charge, which was at 60%, rapidly decreased: 59, 58, 57, 56... shuhua wasn't aware that her charge was dropping, she was simply overwhelmed by the situation. but then she unreasoningly responded to soojin's kiss. as of that moment, it seemed like they were kissing willingly, rather than soojin forcefully kissing shuhua. soojin had planned to drain shuhua's energy, leaving her weak, and then disappear, erasing her tracks. she had no intention of killing shuhua since she wasn't one of the people she was targeting. but, when shuhua responded, she realized that it had been a long time since she had truly kissed someone. her emotions became a whirlwind, and she got lost in the kiss. as their kiss deepened, shuhua's charge dropped even faster: 40, 35, 30, 25... shuhua finally noticed that something was wrong, and the exhaustion started to overwhelm her. for a brief moment, she pulled back to catch her breath and with the little strength she had left, she whispered, "what's happening to me?"

upon hearing this, soojin snapped out of it and quickly released her grip on shuhua's body. "oh ! damn it!"

shuhua collapsed to the ground and could see that her charge on her left forearm was flashing and beeping: 15%. she was at a critical level. the images became blurry and increasingly dark. then, she fainted. soojin panicked, unsure of what to do. she eventually decided to run away and quickly disappeared from the scene. when the charge hit 10%, the beeping got louder. fortunately, someone passing by heard the noise and came to see what was happening. then, they noticed shuhua and immediately called the ambulance.

***

"shuhua? girls, she's waking up!" miyeon's voice echoed.

shuhua opened her eyes in an emergency room. as soon as she arrived at the hospital, she received immediate treatment and her charge was gradually replenished. now, she was fully charged and feeling better, with only a slight headache. as soon as the girls had heard the news, they had rushed to the hospital and had waited by shuhua's side until she woke up.

"shuhua, how are you feeling?" asked miyeon, sitting on a chair next to her on the right.

"i'm okay, i guess. what happened to me?"

"we should be the ones asking that question," said soyeon, sitting on the left. yuqi was standing beside soyeon, while minnie perched herself on the foot of the bed.

as shuhua tried to remember what had happened, the last moments before the incident replayed in her mind, and she recalled. "girls, i think i solved the mystery. we need to arrange a meeting in the office immediately. you won't believe what i'm about to tell you."

everyone was surprised by how shuhua immediately thought about work upon waking up. shuhua had always been a workaholic, so it wasn't that surprising, but what truly amazed them was her lack of concern for nearly dying.

miyeon suddenly burst out, "don't you realize what you've been through? the doctor said you could have died, and yet here you are, thinking about work even in this condition!"

"miyeon, don't worry, i'm perfectly fine. nothing like that happened; look, i'm right here."

miyeon didn't respond and angrily got up, storming out of the room. the girls watched in astonishment and silence as miyeon expressed her anger.

"don't mind her. she's just worried. she's been crying ever since she arrived here. she had stopped crying right before you woke up," said minnie. "i'll go after her to make sure she's okay."

now, there were only yuqi, soyeon, and shuhua in the room. yuqi broke the silence, saying, "the doctor will come for a check-up soon. let him decide whether you need rest, or you can work."

"you're right," shuhua managed to say. "but we really need to get to work without any more delays. we're facing a major threat."

"what is it?" soyeon asked.

"i can't discuss it right now, but you need to know that i'm being more serious than ever."

"okay but, are you gonna tell us what exactly happened to put you in this situation?" asked yuqi.

shuhua looked around and hesitated. "oh that... is nothing. i just forgot to charge and fell sick from exhaustion. by the way, how long have i been sleeping?"

"it's been 12 hours, i think." soyeon answered.

meanwhile, miyeon's emotions were in turmoil. the fear and worry she had been carrying since they received the news about shuhua's critical condition had reached its breaking point. she needed a moment to collect herself and release the tension. minnie, being perceptive as ever, hurried after miyeon to provide support. she found her in a quiet hallway, leaning against the wall with tears streaming down her face. without hesitation, minnie approached her, wrapping her arms around her in a comforting embrace.

"hey, it's okay," she said soothingly, rubbing miyeon's back. "i know this has been incredibly tough on you. shuhua's a strong girl, and she's awake now. she's going to be alright."

minnie was the only one that knew about miyeon's feelings towards shuhua. she's been a good listener for miyeon to pour her heart out. although it wasn't easy for minnie to hear miyeon, the girl she had secretly loved for years, talking about her crush, she always managed to listen attentively and provide support. minnie was just so good at hiding her true feelings. and she was truly being the best support to both shuhua and miyeon on this topic. but there was something that minnie didn't quite believe—ever since miyeon had learned that shuhua didn't have romantic feelings for her, she had buried her own emotions and only saw her as a dear friend.

miyeon sniffled, her voice shaky. "i-i can't help it, minnie. the thought of losing her... it terrifies me. and now, she's acting like it's just another day at the office."

minnie held her tighter, understanding the mix of relief and frustration miyeon felt. "i get it, miyeon. it's hard to comprehend, but you know shuhua. she's always been dedicated to her work, sometimes to a fault. i think that's just her way of coping, you know? to dive right back in and focus on something she can control."

miyeon pulled away slightly, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "i know, i know. but it's just... it's hard to see her so nonchalant about it as if it was no big deal. she could have... she could have..."

minnie placed her hands on miyeon's shoulders, looking at her in the eyes. "but she didn't. she's here, with us."

miyeon took a deep breath, finding solace in minnie's words. she nodded, her expression gradually softening. "you're right. i need to be there for her, even if i don't fully understand. she's my... friend... and i can't let my worries cloud that."

minnie smiled warmly, giving miyeon's shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "that's the spirit, miyeon. we're all in this together."

miyeon then hugged minnie so tightly, making her fluster. "thank you, minnie, for everything."

"no worries" said minnie, hugging her back softly.

while miyeon continued to hold on tightly, she whispered into minnie's ear, "you know, life is too short to postpone certain things. we never know what tomorrow holds. we should always be open and honest with each other."

minnie found herself even more surprised by these words. she slowly pulled away from miyeon. "w-what do you mean?"

"nothing, it's just that... today made me realize how it can be too late for some things. i don't know, i guess i'm getting emotional," miyeon said. "anyway, let's go. we don't want the girls to worry."

they then headed towards the room. minnie was so confused about what miyeon meant. had she noticed her feelings? her mind was filled with confusion, but she tried not to dwell on it. as they entered the room, the atmosphere shifted. shuhua noticed their return and smiled at them. miyeon walked up to shuhua's bedside, her voice filled with both concern and support. "shuhua, i'm sorry for storming off like that. i just... i got overwhelmed."

"it's okay, miyeon. i get you and i really appreciate your concern."

just then, the doctor entered the room. he was a middle-aged man with a calm demeanor, carrying a digital clipboard in his hands. he greeted them with a warm smile and approached shuhua's bed.

 "good to see you awake, detective," the doctor said. "how are you feeling?"

shuhua offered a confident smile. "i'm feeling much better now, thank you, doc. i believe i'm ready to get back to work?"

the doctor nodded, understanding her determination. he proceeded to examine shuhua, checking her vital signs and asking her a series of questions. shuhua answered questions without revealing that she was attacked. after a thorough evaluation, he seemed satisfied with her progress.

 "well, miss shuhua, it seems your recovery has been remarkable," the doctor said. "your charge levels have fully restored, and physically, you're in good shape. however, i would still advise you to take it easy for a few days. your body needs time to fully recuperate from the ordeal."

shuhua sighed but understood the doctor's concerns. "i appreciate your advice, doctor. but there's a pressing matter i need to address with my team. we must act swiftly. lives are at stake."

the doctor exchanged glances with the girls, sensing the seriousness of the situation. "alright, i'll leave the decision in your hands, but please listen to your body and take breaks when needed. it's essential to prioritize your well-being."

with the doctor's endorsement, shuhua felt more confident in her course of action. after the doctor left, she turned to her friends, her gaze determined. "well, listen up," shuhua began, her voice tinged with excitement. "no time to waste. gather everyone at the office as soon as possible. the threat we're facing is no joke, and it requires our immediate attention."

yuqi nodded, her eyes reflecting a mixture of concern and determination. "consider it done, shuhua. we're with you every step of the way."

"yes, i'm also ready to help you," said miyeon. "but you have to promise me that you'll take care of your health, rest when necessary, and not skip meals."

"yeah, shuhua, she's right. you should eat properly and get enough sleep when needed." minnie added.

"exactly." soyeon also agreed.

shuhua reached out and squeezed miyeon's hand, her eyes b with gratitude. "thank you, miyeon." she said and then, looking at the girls one by one, she added, "and i promise."

the police took shuhua home after being discharged from the hospital. the meeting at the office was scheduled for 11 pm. when she saw her car parked in front of the house, she felt relieved. she parked the car in the garage. she was gonna take a shower, get ready, and have a snack before leaving.

after the team finished their tasks, they gathered at the office at the agreed-upon time. they had started discussing the details of the case before shuhua's arrival at the place. shuhua then came in and she began her speech right away in a very formal speech.

"my dear colleagues, i acknowledge that i had previously approved your vacation leave. however, circumstances have arisen, necessitating our immediate assembly, and i am grateful that each of you has honored your commitment to reconvene. i extend my sincerest gratitude for your cooperation in this matter."

"well, now that she started talking so formally, we should prepare for the worst, i guess." said soyeon.

"no, don't see it as something bad. it's a significant development, a big step in the investigation we are conducting."

"come on, tell us already, shuhua. i'm about to burst with curiosity!" yuqi exclaimed.

"alright. now, listen carefully. as you know, we had found a complex connection between the deceased and soojin. however, there was a lack of evidence, and we weren't sure if it's really her as we had no idea how she'd do that. but now i know because she tried to do the same to me."

yuqi was in astonishment. "you've been attacked? but you said-"

"yes, i know, i lied at the hospital, saying i forgot to charge myself. but that's because i want this to remain secret until we figure out the whole truth behind it, and i don't want anyone to hear about this except you girls. we will secretly monitor soojin and try to gather evidence."

"why are we keeping it a secret? you already know what it is, and there is already an arrest warrant against her. you can just coordinate with other investigators and take over her file. and we can immediately start working to apprehend her," said minnie.

"this is a bit complicated. because what she does... how should i say it... needs to remain a secret. it's a situation we have never encountered before, and we need to observe it first."

"then, tell us already. what does she do, detective?" yuqi asked.

shuhua hesitated for a moment. she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "by kissing," she blurted out.

for a while, the girls froze. they looked at each other with their mouths open. then miyeon involuntarily chuckled. when she chuckled, yuqi started giggling too. then everyone burst into laughter, and soon they were all drowned in laughter. they couldn't control their laughter.

shuhua rolled her eyes. "what are you laughing at?" she asked, but the girls couldn't stop laughing, so she had to shout, "what's so funny!?"

with shuhua's roar, the girls finally managed to stop laughing. she got them scared for a second.

"wait a minute, weren't you joking?" soyeon asked.

"no, of course not. are we even in a situation where we can joke about it?"

yuqi stood up. "oh my god, that's right!"

"oh, thank god someone is smart," shuhua said angrily.

"shuhua may have suffered a head injury when she fell! and here we are sitting and laughing. look at the poor girl's condition!" yuqi burst out. then she turned to shuhua and said, "we need to go back to the hospital urgently, shu."

"no, she is right. i didn't really want shuhua to be discharged early anyway." miyeon joined.

shuhua sighed and took a seat. she facepalmed, trying to remain calm, but she couldn't blame them for their reactions.

"girls, calm down for a second!" minnie said and then looked at shuhua. "shu, are you sure you're okay?" she asked calmly.

shuhua raised her head and looked at minnie with determination. "yes, minnie unnie. i'm better than ever, and i'm very sure."

then all the girls paused and slowly sat back in silence. they hadn't heard the word "unnie" from shuhua's mouth for a long time. it meant that shuhua was truly becoming emotional and upset. it was like a secret code among them, and shuhua had no idea. she couldn't understand why they suddenly fell silent. she wasn't even aware of saying it.

"go ahead, shuhua. we'll listen to you without interrupting," minnie said.

"alright," shuhua began again, shrugging. and she started describing in detail what had happened to her in the morning. when it came to the kissing part, she paused for a moment and reconsidered the events. she decided not to mention the passionate kissing part. "...when she was forcibly kissing me, my charge suddenly started to drain. but she pulled back at the last moment and said 'oh ! damn it!', then ran away."

"wait so, she showed remorse. maybe she didn't actually want to kill you but just wanted to knock you out," miyeon said, still in shock from this extraordinary event. however, she knew that shuhua wouldn't lie and that she was serious now.

"at first, she was quite aggressive, to be honest. that's why i'm not sure if you ask me. then, i was about to faint, and everything was blurry. so i can't remember it clearly."

"okay, the detective is right. we should handle this secretly," minnie said.

"shuhua, i have complete trust and faith in you. but as a scientist, i have to say that there can't be any transfer of charge just by two lips touching. it's impossible. can you remember if you felt any device in ?" soyeon asked.

when shuhua thought more about the moment of passionately kissing, her face reddened. she wondered how she could say that her tongue even explored inside soojin's mouth, and she didn't feel anything about the device.

then shuhua got a call. she picked up the phone, listened and hang up. "they say we need to open 'breaking news at 11' it's urgent, hurry up!" she told minnie. minnie did what shuhua wanted right away. it appeared on the large screen. 

the headline was: the ceo of the CNI was found dead in a nightclub. the prime suspect was arrested at the scene. then the announcer talked about the striking details.

"the death of the ceo seems to be connected to the mysterious deaths that have been going on for months as he died out of charge suddenly just like the other victims."

***

ever since shuhua found out that the suspect was soojin, she couldn't shake the awful feeling inside. soojin had been interrogated for a while. the interrogation turn passed to shuhua. she could see the tiredness in soojin's eyes when she walked in. 

"hello, again." shuhua said.

soojin looked happy to see shuhua, "hi detective, i'm sorry for earlier. i didn't mean to hurt you." 

"it's okay. i guess i knew."

"i like you. i'll answer your questions honestly and sincerely."

shuhua was surprised that soojin was so calm. "okay, then, start by telling me what happened after you knocked me out."

earlier

soojin had found secretary aesha's house and knocked on the door, pretending to be a pizza delivery person. when aesha said she hadn't ordered any pizza, soojin insisted that this was the address the order was meant for. to have a face-to-face conversation, aesha opened the door, and at that very moment, soojin burst inside and forcefully pressed her lips against aesha's. she tightened her grip around aesha's neck. she dragged aesha inside and kicked the door shut. aesha realized her energy was draining, and she struggled to break free from soojin's grasp. when aesha soon weakened enough, soojin stopped kissing her and threw her onto the bed.

"you noticed? i can steal your charge and easily kill you just by kissing," soojin said.

"what the hell!! why are you doing this to me?" aesha managed to gasp.

"do you want to die?"

aesha began to cry. "no, no!"

"then you will do as i say, and you will answer the questions i ask," soojin said.

"okay, i'll do whatever you want. i don't want to die!"

"who killed the QNT ceo, and who gave the order to kill?"

"h-how would i know that?"

soojin angrily tightened her grip around aesha's throat. "why do you think i found you? i'm not an idiot, answer the damn question!"

"wait!... o-okay... ceo... the ceo!"

soojin paused and released her hold. "are you referring to the CNI ceo?"

aesha tried to fix her breath, "yes, he killed him personally and manipulated the security footage. i arranged everything for his plan to trap you and made his job easier. but he was the one who actually killed him. i swear! i'm just a pawn, please!"

soojin hesitated for a moment, then turned and said, "give me some leverage so that i can control you like a puppet."

"what?"

"you will give me a tangible guarantee that you won't stab me in the back."

"but- but how?"

"you're a smart girl, aesha. i'm sure you understand what i mean. now take a deep breath and think calmly."

aesha pondered for a moment, trembling with fear. then the thought of the tapes showing the ceo engaging in a relationship with her came to mind. the CNI ceo was married and had a 'perfect' family, and aesha kept these recordings hidden in her safe in case they were needed against him. however, giving them to a stranger at this moment was extremely dangerous because if they were exposed suddenly, she would lose everything. soojin quickly realized that something had crossed aesha's mind.

"it seems like you want to die. fine," soojin said and moved to kiss aesha.

"no, stop! okay, i found a way, i'll give it to you!"

upon hearing this, soojin backed away and helped aesha to stand up. aesha showed her the tapes she retrieved from the safe. after verifying their content, soojin transferred the footage to her phone. then she sat aesha down on a chair and asked about the ceo's whereabouts.

"today is my day off. once a week, the ceo gives me a day off and asks me to work extra on that night."

"extra?"

"yes, on the nights of my days off, i accompany him to a nightclub. i'm there to prevent him from getting out of control, ensure his safety, and maintain his privacy."

"so tonight is an extra work night as well. okay, listen carefully to what i'm about to tell you..."

soojin explained to aesha what she planned to do based on the idea that had formed in her mind. with the assurance provided by the footage, she left the house and went to a place to have a meal while waiting for the night.

when night fell, soojin was waiting behind the club. aesha opened the door at precisely the right time and let soojin inside. soojin followed closely behind as they made their way past the dance floor and up a staircase to the upper floor where the vip rooms were located. on the floor above, there were exclusive rooms reserved for high-status individuals. and they went up there. after passing a few rooms, they finally stood in front of the room where the CNI ceo was.

"here. there are two escorts with him. no one else is here."

"okay, now you go and make sure no one else is coming."

"what are you going to do?"

"it's none of your concern."

"i told you i won't stay silent if anything goes wrong and you harm him."

soojin grinned at aesha and then swiftly entered the room. the ceo and the two women with him seemed to be enjoying themselves, fueled by alcohol. the ceo noticed soojin but, under the influence of alcohol, couldn't recognize her.

"i didn't ask for another woman! hey!"

soojin closed the door and approached closer. "stand up, you piece of ."

the ceo, angered by the swearing, stood up and started walking towards her. "who the do you think you are?"

"i am seo soojin!" she shouted and at that moment, she forcefully began kissing the ceo. she did it with disgust and revulsion, but she had to do it. the ceo had to die. she pressed harder, and the girls in the room laughed, oblivious to the sudden attack. although the ceo initially kissed back, he quickly realized that his charge was running out. he would soon become one of the victims of sudden charge failure. fearfully, he tried to push soojin away, but she held on tightly. the ceo had no strength left to respond, and his charge rapidly depleted. soojin was stealing the charge even faster than usual. she was stronger than ever. aesha entered the room from behind and realized the situation, shouting, "no!" she tried to separate them, but soojin pushed her aside. aesha immediately left the room and called the police. the ceo eventually fell to the ground. the girls in the room finally noticed something wrong was happening and screamed in fear, quickly leaving the scene. soojin checked the ceo's arm to confirm his charge was at 0%. it was over. she had finally avenged herself. everyone had gotten what they deserved. now she could surrender. nothing else mattered to her.

present

shuhua believed that every word soojin had spoken was true. hearing her account, she realized that soojin had completed she had set out to do, and that's why she appeared so calm and indifferent. everything had already come to an end for her. there was nothing left for her to regain, and nothing to lose.

"i knew about your situation. when i examined your case, i realized there was an injustice. now, it seems that it was indeed the case."

"i'm glad you believe me."

"but belief alone is not enough. we don't have any evidence to substantiate all these claims."

"those born inherently bad always get away with their actions, sometimes even applauded, while someone good who decides to be bad is immediately condemned and shunned. perhaps we just can't be good at being bad."

"you're not bad, soojin. you made a mistake, but i know you're not evil."

"you're mistaken, detective. in a place where justice cannot be served, there is nothing but evil. so it makes us all bad, even you."