Chapter Twelve
Star WitnessSuspect number two was Jin Youngmin, the suspect’s former boyfriend, a thirty year old male, single and works as a graphic designer. His studio was located in the basement of his bungalow-type home.
After knocking three times, the door of the bungalow creaked open. Inside was a man with a thin moustache and droopy sorry-looking eyes. He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater that seemed to be in the process of gobbling his head. He gave the visitors a warm, friendly smile. “How may I help you?”
“Good morning, sir. We are looking for Jin Youngmin,” Donghae showed the man his Junior Agent badge.
“That would be me,” the man replied. He opened the door slightly wider and gestured for the visitors to come in. “You are from the NPA, I presume?”
Donghae nodded. “Yes. We’re here to ask further questions regarding Park Chohee.”
At the mention the victim’s name, Youngmin’s face fell. He shook his head disapprovingly. “Chohee. I never met anyone else like her – always full of energy and courage. She was too young to die.”
“The victim was murdered at five thirty in the morning last Thursday. We’d like to know your whereabouts at that precise time,” Donghae said as he and Yoona took a seat on a cream colored couch. Youngmin scratched his beard and sat down on a stool opposite them.
“I was probably at home. This is where my studio is and I rarely leave, except for Saturdays when I buy my grocery,” Youngmin explained. He suddenly stood up. “I almost forgot. Would you like some tea or coffee?”
“T-that’s too kind of you, sir, but...” Yoona was cut off short by Youngmin.
“Come on,” the host insisted as he made his way into the kitchen. “You two look exhausted. I’ll make you some tea.”
The investigators finally consented. Looking around, the two noticed that the graphic designer’s home had little furniture: an outdated television, one couch, two stools and a worn center table. It was humbly decorated, save for an array of masks placed on the wall. There were white drama masks with exaggerated frowns and smiles, masquerade masks with protruding noses and elaborate eyes and many more. A while later, Youngmin finally returned with three steaming cups of green tea, which Yoona and Donghae gratefully sipped.
“Does anyone else live with you?” Donghae asked as he set down his mug on the center table.
Youngmin shook his head. “I live alone. Been like this for years. It gets kind of lonely sometimes and a lot of people tell me to settle down with someone. But I guess I never got over Chohee.”
“She was your first love?” Yoona suddenly asked.
“N-no,” Youngmin looked surprise. “I first dated her sister, Minhee. But things didn’t work out with her. Guess we were never meant for each other. I went out with Chohee a year later after Minhee and I broke up. She was the perfect girl, but she was afraid to commit. Imagine that. Still, I couldn’t get over her. Up until now I guess…”
Here, the artist stopped. He sat still for what seemed like a minute or two. Sensing that the host was beginning to feel uncomfortable, Donghae stood up. “Sir, we’d like to thank you for your cooperation.”
Yoona followed and soon, the investigators were out the door.
“If you ever need anything, let me know,” Youngmin called out as the two hopped on their bicycles.
~~~
It was sunset when Yoona and Donghae reached a hilltop overlooking the town proper. The pair decided to rest and left their bikes leaning against the trunk of some nearby trees while they comfortable sat upon the grass. They decided to visit the third suspect after school the next day.
“What a view!” Donghae’s eyes widened as his eyes traveled through the lush scenery. The setting sun shone fiercely upon the rooftops, like a warm golden veil. Far off to the north, where the flawless green fields ended, was a forest of fiery leaves. Above the treetops rose the soft purple silhouettes of mountains, their peaks delicately shrouded in mist.
Yoona smiled. She harbored a deep, heartfelt love for her hometown. “Beautiful, isn’t it? I’m glad my mom didn’t make me go with her to Seoul when she got promoted.”
“Ah, Seoul,” Donghae replied, stretching his arms forward and enjoying the cool breeze on his face. “I grew up there all my life. Everything’s so fast-paced. The technology, the vehicles…”
Donghae’s voice cracked. His arms fell to his sides, limp. A shadow crept over his being – enveloping him in its dreary grayness.
“A-amber told me what happened,” Yoona placed his hand on the agent’s shoulder. She immediately sensed that Donghae was reminded of his older brother’s death. “I-It’s not your fault, Oppa.”
“If I hadn’t forced him to go to Grand Gallerio, Donghwa would’ve been alive,” Donghae explained. “If I hadn’t been born, mother would’ve been alive.”
When Donghae looked up at Yoona, the girl could see tears well up at the corners of his eyes. Struggling to keep them from falling, Donghae tilted his head back and swallowed. A breeze ruffled his hair making him look even more dashing than he already was.
Yoona immediately turned her face away, afraid that her reddening cheeks would betray her. She thought up of something to say. “O-oppa, you can’t live your whole life regretting the past and blaming yourself for it. It wasn’t your fault. Things like that happen all the time. There’s a reason behind every hardship. Y-you just have to move on, alright? There are many other wonderful, beautiful things in life you wouldn’t be able to see if your eyes were always looking back at the past.”
Wow, Yoona thought to herself, wondering how she managed to have said such things. Now that she thought of it, these were the same words she would repeat to herself whenever she was down, with only her aunt and uncle to comfort her.
“You’re right,” Donghae said, his smile finally returning. He quickly wiped off the tears at the corners of his eyes. “There are so many wonderful, beautiful things in life – like Jeongsan. I think….I think I’m already falling in love with this place.”
When Yoona turned to face him, Donghae wasn’t looking at the scenic view of the town ahead. He was looking right at her.
Nervously, the girl stood up and glanced at her wristwatch. “I-it’s already six o’clock, Oppa. We should get going.”
“You’re always in a rush, aren’t you?” Donghae stood up and tickled Yoona’s sides.
The girl yelped and ran towards her bike, laughing. She called out to him, “Yes, I am! In fact, I’m going to rush downhill! See if you can keep up!”
Donghae ran to his bicycle and readied himself. “I accept your challenge, Yoona-shi. On your mark, get set, go!”
With that, the two bikes dashed downhill, leaving behind a trail of dust and laughter.
“I was probably at home. This is where my studio is and I rarely leave, except for Saturdays when I buy my grocery,” Youngmin explained. He suddenly stood up. “I almost forgot. Would you like some tea or coffee?”
“T-that’s too kind of you, sir, but...” Yoona was cut off short by Youngmin.
“Come on,” the host insisted as he made his way into the kitchen. “You two look exhausted. I’ll make you some tea.”
The investigators finally consented. Looking around, the two noticed that the graphic designer’s home had little furniture: an outdated television, one couch, two stools and a worn center table. It was humbly decorated, save for an array of masks placed on the wall. There were white drama masks with exaggerated frowns and smiles, masquerade masks with protruding noses and elaborate eyes and many more. A while later, Youngmin finally returned with three steaming cups of green tea, which Yoona and Donghae gratefully sipped.
“Does anyone else live with you?” Donghae asked as he set down his mug on the center table.
Youngmin shook his head. “I live alone. Been like this for years. It gets kind of lonely sometimes and a lot of people tell me to settle down with someone. But I guess I never got over Chohee.”
“She was your first love?” Yoona suddenly asked.
“N-no,” Youngmin looked surprise. “I first dated her sister, Minhee. But things didn’t work out with her. Guess we were never meant for each other. I went out with Chohee a year later after Minhee and I broke up. She was the perfect girl, but she was afraid to commit. Imagine that. Still, I couldn’t get over her. Up until now I guess…”
Here, the artist stopped. He sat still for what seemed like a minute or two. Sensing that the host was beginning to feel uncomfortable, Donghae stood up. “Sir, we’d like to thank you for your cooperation.”
Yoona followed and soon, the investigators were out the door.
“If you ever need anything, let me know,” Youngmin called out as the two hopped on their bicycles.
~~~
It was sunset when Yoona and Donghae reached a hilltop overlooking the town proper. The pair decided to rest and left their bikes leaning against the trunk of some nearby trees while they comfortable sat upon the grass. They decided to visit the third suspect after school the next day.
“What a view!” Donghae’s eyes widened as his eyes traveled through the lush scenery. The setting sun shone fiercely upon the rooftops, like a warm golden veil. Far off to the north, where the flawless green fields ended, was a forest of fiery leaves. Above the treetops rose the soft purple silhouettes of mountains, their peaks delicately shrouded in mist.
Yoona smiled. She harbored a deep, heartfelt love for her hometown. “Beautiful, isn’t it? I’m glad my mom didn’t make me go with her to Seoul when she got promoted.”
“Ah, Seoul,” Donghae replied, stretching his arms forward and enjoying the cool breeze on his face. “I grew up there all my life. Everything’s so fast-paced. The technology, the vehicles…”
Donghae’s voice cracked. His arms fell to his sides, limp. A shadow crept over his being – enveloping him in its dreary grayness.
“A-amber told me what happened,” Yoona placed his hand on the agent’s shoulder. She immediately sensed that Donghae was reminded of his older brother’s death. “I-It’s not your fault, Oppa.”
“If I hadn’t forced him to go to Grand Gallerio, Donghwa would’ve been alive,” Donghae explained. “If I hadn’t been born, mother would’ve been alive.”
When Donghae looked up at Yoona, the girl could see tears well up at the corners of his eyes. Struggling to keep them from falling, Donghae tilted his head back and swallowed. A breeze ruffled his hair making him look even more dashing than he already was.
Yoona immediately turned her face away, afraid that her reddening cheeks would betray her. She thought up of something to say. “O-oppa, you can’t live your whole life regretting the past and blaming yourself for it. It wasn’t your fault. Things like that happen all the time. There’s a reason behind every hardship. Y-you just have to move on, alright? There are many other wonderful, beautiful things in life you wouldn’t be able to see if your eyes were always looking back at the past.”
Wow, Yoona thought to herself, wondering how she managed to have said such things. Now that she thought of it, these were the same words she would repeat to herself whenever she was down, with only her aunt and uncle to comfort her.
“You’re right,” Donghae said, his smile finally returning. He quickly wiped off the tears at the corners of his eyes. “There are so many wonderful, beautiful things in life – like Jeongsan. I think….I think I’m already falling in love with this place.”
When Yoona turned to face him, Donghae wasn’t looking at the scenic view of the town ahead. He was looking right at her.
Nervously, the girl stood up and glanced at her wristwatch. “I-it’s already six o’clock, Oppa. We should get going.”
“You’re always in a rush, aren’t you?” Donghae stood up and tickled Yoona’s sides.
The girl yelped and ran towards her bike, laughing. She called out to him, “Yes, I am! In fact, I’m going to rush downhill! See if you can keep up!”
Donghae ran to his bicycle and readied himself. “I accept your challenge, Yoona-shi. On your mark, get set, go!”
With that, the two bikes dashed downhill, leaving behind a trail of dust and laughter.
~~~~~~
Author's Note: I guess since I have free time, I write a whole lot quicker these days. I'm a bit sad because I believe I may have lost my previous readers. I guess it's because I wasn't consistent with my updates, which is my fault. Hope you guys are still there and I hope you liked this chapter! More will come real soon. No silent readers please! Drop a comment to let me know you're there.
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