#Case025 – 「Found You」

A week had already passed. And this new week is actually is the starter of the next month; but still, the sudden disappearance of Moon Jongup – the main alibi of Madman – is still remained a mystery.

Where is he? Is he dead? Or– is he who killed Kim Jaekyung? – It’s all the questions that lingering around people minds; especially Angel Air’s staffs. Most of them felt worried but at the same time wondered about Jongup’s condition now; as they didn’t even get any clue about his disappearance.

And that did include Kim Himchan, Jongup’s daddy-long-legs.

“Jongup ahh...where you could have been? I’m so worried about you, you know that?” Himchan sighed while his fingers pressed his temples. Jongup’s disappearance could make him worried all over and couldn’t focus on his work. “Call me later if you got this message, okay?”

TUT

Himchan averted his gaze to outside of the window of his office. His phone was still in his grip; he just called – or exactly, gave voice message to Jongup’s cell phone number – if in case Jongup would need his help in anything or everything that haunted him.

As Jongup was the only person could see Madman closely.

And he was the important eyewitness for police.

Himchan let out a deep sigh once again before scanned his whole office while his thoughts were still on Jongup. “Today...is actually the first day for Jongup to work as my own personal secretary...”

‘If only he is here....’

Himchan sat back on his chair while cupped his face with his hands. He felt worried and at the same time felt an enormous anger ran in his veins. He closed his eyes and take a deep breathe....in and out. All that he could think about was...

“Why Jongup? Why he; from all of Angel Air’s staffs, became the eyewitness of Madman? And now, he is in danger. His life now is in danger. All because of Madman.”

TOK TOK

Himchan lifted his head for a bit and finally opened his eyes. “Enter!”

The door opened for a little and Himchan could then saw a silhouette of a girl that he didn’t want her to be here, and looked for his own miserable condition.

Song Jieun.

“I’m sorry for coming here without even tells you before. But....I’m just...” Jieun slowly closed the door after she had stepped into Himchan’s office. “Worried about you, Channie ahh...”

Himchan stood up from his place and pulled Jieun’s wrist slowly and motioned her to take a seat beside him on the sofa in front of his table. “Eunnie ahh...you shouldn’t worry about me. I’m just fine...well, maybe not but still I can stay handling all these trouble all by myself, okay?”

Jieun shook her head. “No. Kim Himchan, you shouldn’t think like that though.” Jieun clasped her hands onto Himchan’s palms. “I know that you’re now Angel Air’s President; but still you are Kim Himchan, the ordinary guy that I had known for years ago. I know well about you – you can’t handle all these by yourself. You need somebody to talk about it, don’t you?”

Himchan lowered his gaze to the cold floor. His heart now was cold; as cold as the floor itself, as he was thinking that all these problems – he should put it onto his shoulders, as he is the President.

But deep in his heart, he acknowledged every word that Jieun did say to him.

“You’re right.” Himchan let out a sigh. “I can never lie to you, am I?”

Jieun patted Himchan’s back before gave him a bear hug. “That’s why you have to let out everything inside your mind right now. Don’t keep it all by yourself.” Jieun then broke the hug and looked directly to Himchan’s teary eyes. “Plus, I’m willingly offered myself to be the one who could hear your story from your own mouth.”

Himchan smiled. Then, he pinched Jieun’s nose playfully. “Yah! I don’t want to make you more worried-“

Jieun quickly kissed Himchan to stop him from finished his sentences. “I’m now your girlfriend. Please don’t ever treat me like that, hmm? Your problems are also mine. And mine is also yours – as we should put more trust in each other.” Jieun smiled and then looked away from Himchan before he gave her a warm back hug.

“Song Jieun.” Himchan whispered slowly to Jieun’s ear. “Jeongmal gomawoyo. (Thank you very much.)”

Jieun’s lips curled up from ear to ear as soon as Himchan said so to her. She feel loved; and anything that would came across them wouldn’t ever broke their relationship apart – as Himchan had slowly accepted her into his life.

A better change from Himchan.

“Channie ahh. By the way, I’d brought you a flask of porridge – abalone porridge; your favourite.” Jieun quickly took out a vacuum flask from the bag that she did bring along with her ever since and showed it to Himchan with a smile that was fadeless from her face.

“Jinjja? (For real?)” Himchan hurriedly took the flask from Jieun’s hand and looked to Jieun with thankful eyes. “Thanks Jieun ahh. I’m not sure whether I’ll finished this up or not as I didn’t have any appetite for now but I do appreciate every effort that you make for me. I feel glad, that you’re here with me for now.”

Jieun smiled. “You don’t have to say thanks actually. I love to see you happy; and I’ll make sure that I can become the reason you smile in most of the days in the future, starts from now. And I got an idea.” Jieun looked to Himchan with meaningful eyes.

Himchan curiously stared to Jieun. “Idea? What kind of idea?”

Jieun took a deep breath. The idea was actually come as soon as Himchan gave her a sweet, lovingly back hug. It’s the place that she actually didn’t want to come ever again as it is where every of their memories engraved there.

It’s actually the place where they had met each other for the first time.

“Let’s go to the place where we first meet with each other, shall we after you’d finished this porridge?”

Bloods.

It’s everywhere.

She moved forward to the crowd of people.

Then, she saw a lifeless figure on the floor.

But it’d no longer look like a perfect human being in her eyes.

She gulped. It’s quite looks like a monstrous form.

It’s totally a cringe side – she couldn’t tell who the person anymore.

She then slowly took steps backwards; with the unpleasant smells still in the air.

The dead body smell.

And it’s scary. When she knows that the person is-

Actually someone that she knew.

“Kim Jaekyung.” Soojung trembled hard upon said out the latest victim of Madman’s name out from . She still couldn’t forget how late Jaekyung looks like.

It’s sadistic.

“How can a person could simply...” Soojung couldn’t continue whispering random things that she thought about Jaekyung. Once again, tears fell from her teary eyes. “She is a nice girl and yet...why? Why she had to die in that-“

Soojung could no longer stop herself from let out all her despair emotions that existed inside her. Eventhough she just knew Jaekyung by their first meet only, but it’s enough to make her feel sad for Jaekyung’s fate of death.

Soojung slowly closed her eyes; but Jaekyung’s image still couldn’t disappear from her mind. The images kept playing in her mind – Jaekyung’s face that didn’t looked like her at all, her bruised body all over as if showed her had been beat brutally by someone that was so mindless.

She was crooked; Soojung could bet that almost of Jaekyung bones must be broken. Madman’s level had already met the part – and the first person to experience it was an innocent person named Kim Jaekyung.

“Enough! Please stop!!” Soojung opened her eyes and cupped her face with anger. Jaekyung’s death did haunt her; in the same way as her sister’s death.

But for this time, it’s different.

Because she saw the body; that was still in the crime scene, right in front of her eyes.

“The victim had been identified as Kim Jaekyung, the chief stewardess of Angel Air’s cabin crew one.”

Soojung shook her head in disbelief. This crime was too much for her own eyes to see. She almost tripped when she did take steps backwards – especially when she heard Jaekyung’s name.

She couldn’t believe it.

Thankfully, Gunwoo did hold her in the right time before she fell onto the hard floor.

“Miss Jung? Are you okay? You seemed pale.” Gunwoo took a look towards Soojung’s white face.

Soojung just muted herself before shook her head. Gunwoo let out a sigh after he took a glance towards Jaekyung’s body. “You shouldn’t follow me in the first place though, Miss Jung. I’d already warned you; and actually I didn’t think that this latest victim will be turned out like...that.”

Soojung finally broke into cries after Gunwoo had finished his sentences. “I know her. I’d met her before. She is indeed a good and nice girl – but how can... It’s too-“

Gunwoo nodded. “I know what you are thinking about. And you said that you know her; Miss Kim Jaekyung?”

Soojung nodded. And her cries had become uncontrollable soon after that until Gunwoo had to take an action to bring her out from the crime scene.

“Miss Jung. Let me take you back to your place, okay?”

And that’s how could she been here, right in her Crime News Section room as she had insisted Gunwoo to send her back to her office.

She sent her laptop screen on front of her a vacant stare as soon as she finished spilled out her despair.

Madman cases. She could stand it no more.

Soojung nodded fervently. This will be her only choice if she didn’t want herself to be keep haunted by every single Madman’s victims.

Slowly, she reached out for her mouse and clicked on the Microsoft Word icon on her desktop screen.

She would take this decision. She won’t look back to the past anymore.

“I’m sorry, Sooyeon unnie....”

Gunwoo couldn’t express his feelings right in this current moment after he had seen Madman’s latest victim in front of his eyes week before.

It’s stressed him out.

Kim Jaekyung death made all Madman’s victims in total now were seven people altogether; which was 5 women and 2 men. Gunwoo had made a promise not only to his chief, but to all the citizens as well, to finish this matter in short time and ensure that Madman would be behind those cold bars – but it all seemed like hopeless.

As Madman kept killed more and more people.

Mercilessly.

“One more person down...” Gunwoo lowered his gaze and slowly sighed in disappointment. “I wonder why you’re doing all these crime, Madman?”

Suddenly, Mr. Han slowly approached Gunwoo from behind and patted his shoulder. “Detective Lee. I personally think that Madman had become wilder.”

Gunwoo arched an eyebrow when he looked towards Mr. Han. “Yeah... I felt pity for the latest victim though. We can’t even identify her normally as we usually did to the other victims of his.” Then, he paused himself for a moment as he felt real hard to say the next words from his mouth. “As her face bones had mostly fractured.”

Mr. Han nodded. He fully agreed with Gunwoo. “The Madman is not a kind of human being anymore. He is a monster. I can’t even imagine myself will be dealing with that kind of people more in the future.” Mr. Han slowly then put his head down when Gunwoo eyed him with a curious stare.

“What do you possibly mean by those sentences of yours, Han Jihoon? You want to quit?” Gunwoo now was really in utter shock. If there would be anyone who wanted to call this job quit so badly; that would be him.

As he was also felt almost gave up as he keeps chasing Madman’s shadows endlessly.

But now, his long, old friend since they had studied together in the Police Academy years before would already come out with that kind of decision – right before him.

Mr. Han let out a weary sigh. “I’m tired.” Then, he took all his courage to look back towards Gunwoo’s eyes. “I know that I’m not supposed to say those things – especially when we still dealing with this complicated cases of Madman. It does sound selfish; but, let me tell you one thing for sure, Gunwoo ahh. I’ll just quit my job when these cases are over. Completely.”

Gunwoo nodded slowly. “Now I got that.” Then, he gave Mr. Han friendly hug. “I’m sorry because you have to get through this. But, let us solved this crime cases together shall we? And then...I’m going to miss you, my chingu.”

Mr. Han then broke the hug and gave a smile to Gunwoo. “I’ll miss you too, Detective Lee Gunwoo. But still; before I took the decision, I have a bad news for you.”

“Bad news? What now? Another victim so soon?” Gunwoo took a long look towards Angel Air’s signage on the top of the building. Deep in his heart, he wanted to arrest Madman so much – with his own hands.

Mr. Han shook his head. “No. It’s not. But it’s indeed a bad news after all.” Mr. Han then turned to look Gunwoo with hesitant eyes. “You know our eyewitness of Madman?”

“Of course I do. Why? Anything did happen to Moon Jongup sshi?” Gunwoo asked Mr. Han insistently as he couldn’t stop himself from felt worried in himself.

“I don’t think anything had happened to him.” Mr. Han bit his lower lips before continued his sentences. “He had been looked as the last person to be with Miss Kim Jaekyung and yet...”

Gunwoo gulped. He had already put himself ready for any kind of news that he would face.

“Moon Jongup sshi had gone missing. I’d tried to keep in touch with him but failed. And his neighbors didn’t see him lately either.”

Gunwoo cupped his face. Now, it’s another trouble.

“Are you sure of it? Jongup sshi can be disappeared just like that? Without even any clues left behind?” Gunwoo massaged his temples with his fingers as he could felt a throbbing pain in his head.

Mr. Han nodded. “And...I’m just afraid that he’ll be the next target of Madman. As he was the important alibi for the police and yet he’s now missing, I’m not sure whether he was already been kidnapped by Madman or...”

Mr. Han took a deep breath before he spilled out his second opinion about Jongup’s disappearance. Deep in his and Gunwoo’s heart, they didn’t want any person would be Madman’s next target – especially Jongup.

“...he was actually running away from Madman. And maybe hiding in somewhere without even telling anybody at all – including us, as his life was in danger.”

It’s really worth a journey to get through after all.

Eunhwa took a deep breath and threw herself to captivated everything that she could use all her five senses – watching the sea, hearing the chirps of bird or even sounds of sea waves itself, have a good smells of nature and last but not least, having an unique taste of her hometown food.

Yes, she was now in her hometown. This was also the place where she and Youngjae first meet.

As her former college was located here.

She was used to always having an eerie deja-vu; so that’s why she finally took a decision to go back to her hometown eventhough she afraid if her heart would be hurt upon her mind would keep playing their sweet memories together.

Especially in this beach – where they had their first kiss.

But she was completely wrong; as she was actually enjoying her own moments to collect back their memories.

‘Maybe this is a sign for me to move on?’

Eunhwa shook her head as soon as she thought about it. She won’t move on – she couldn’t.

She loves Youngjae; and she would always be. As for now, she won’t ever open her heart for anyone.

Eunhwa shifted her gaze towards the beautiful sunset skies which was almost looked like an amazing painting right in front of her eyes. She indeed felt glad as her visit to her hometown did stop her from keep replaying all over the nightmare that keeps haunting her.

But, was it indeed a good sign?

“Sunsets...Youngjae loves to see sunset scenery very much.” Eunhwa slowly said out the sentences which she was the only person that could heard it for sure.

Eunhwa let out a sigh before she looked view beside her with a vacant stare. Then, she saw a couple who clasped hands and romantically walked along the beach with a smile on their faces.

She had once been like that before. But, not now.

As now, she’s all alone.

Eunhwa then took a last looks for the sunset before walked alone along the beach with both of her arms hugged herself as the cold wind passed through her. She closed her eyes for a moment to indulge the beauty side of the beach as she would never – as she had no reason – be here back in the future when suddenly she heard her name been called by someone from behind.

“Jung Eunhwa.”

Eunhwa stopped herself for a second. She waited for another call, but there isn’t any.

‘Is it just my imagination?’

“Jung Eunhwa. Is that you?”

Eunhwa quickly turned around as soon as she heard the same voice, calling for her. And as she looked for someone behind her – or exactly, a man and woman behind her, her eyes widen.

And just two words could escape .

A name.

“Kim Himchan.”

Petite_Star's Corner : Feel free to give comments for this chapter. Thank you~ :)

I'm sure that all my lovely readers will be wonder about Jongup, right?

Don't worry, he is safe and sound - it's just he is hiding himself for a moment as Mr. Han's hunch. ^^