Death. It was everywhere. A chilling cold embraced Sooyoung as she stared into the dark eyes of death. She knew she wasn’t afraid of it, yet she took a step back. It was menacing. It did not take pity on anyone. Such a young life had been taken away from the warmth of life. There was no going back. The body was cold. Death was cold. The long black hair of the woman was in bleak contrast with her cold white skin. Nothing of what she once was mattered anymore. In death everyone is equal.  Like a ghost, Sooyoung looked at the body of the woman. She was young. She was beautiful. She was unstoppable. Death was cruel. The sound of a ringing phone echoed in the cold chamber. It was her phone. She would never answer it anymore. Sooyoung looked at the screen of the ringing phone, but she didn’t recognize the number. Instinctively her hand reached for the phone, but her hand hovered over it, for a while.

“Hello,” echoed the voice of the doctor, in the cold autopsy room.

“Minbi is that you?” asked a frantic woman, on the other side of the line.

“No, this is Dr. Choi Sooyoung. Who is this”?

“I am Minbi’s mother, who are you?”

“I work with Seoul’s police department. When can you meet me?”

“As soon as you want,” replied the woman, after a moment of silence. Once she had given the woman the instructions on how to get to her office, Sooyoung quickly left the morgue. The mother of the victim had assured her she would be at her office in thirty minutes, at the most. On her way to her office, Sooyoung caught a glimpse of her reflection on a window. She pursed her lips in disappointment. She was in dire need to wash her hair, but it seemed there were not enough hours during the day or even at night.

Settled in her office, Sooyoung patiently waited for the arrival of the mother’s victim. She carefully looked over at the file and unwillingly signed off the cause of death. She stared at her signature in silence, pen still in hand. She shook her head, trying to convince herself there was nothing she could’ve done to save the young girl, but deep inside she knew she could’ve. A soft knock on the door pulled her away from her thoughts. Her long legs quickly brought her to the door, where a small-framed older lady awaited her on the other side.

“Thank you for coming so quickly. I am Dr. Choi Sooyoung,” she said, offering her hand. The woman slowly shook Sooyoung’s hand. Sooyoung couldn’t help but notice that the woman’s eyes were red and tears were forming in her eyes.

“No, I wish to thank you, my name Lim Gayoung. It says on the door that you are a forensic pathologist,” mumbled the woman. “Does that mean…?”

“Please sit down,” interrupted Sooyoung, taking the woman by the hand and leading her to one of the couches. Once they were settled down, Sooyoung opened the file, quickly scanned it, and debuted. “Ms. Lim, I am sorry to inform you that your daughter, Park Minbi, has passed away,” breathed out Sooyoung, feeling her heart pound against her chest. The woman in front of Sooyoung bit her lip and shook her head, in disbelief. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but no sound could be heard coming out of her.

“I am sorry for your lost,” continued Sooyoung, offering some tissues to Ms. Lim.

“What happened?” demanded the mother of the deceased.

“Early yesterday morning, the body of your daughter was brought to my lab, but before I go any further, I think Minbi should tell you the first part.”

“Excuse me?” exclaimed Ms. Lim. “You just told me my daughter is dead. What kind of doctor are you?”

“This is against protocol,” continued Sooyoung, she grabbed an evidence bag from the back of the file and handed the bag over to the grieving mother. “But I believe it is important for you to read it now. I suggest you wear plastic gloves while handling it, so as to not tamper with the evidence.” The woman carefully took the plastic bag into her hands and grabbed the pair of plastic gloves that Sooyoung was offering her. After putting on the gloves, she carefully opened the bag. Inside the bag, there was an envelope. On the front of it she could read the word Mum.        

“I found it in a hidden compartment of her purse,” explained Sooyoung. “I am sorry I opened it before you, but it was evidence.”

“It’s okay,” murmured Gayoung, taking in a deep breath, before reading the letter.

            Dear Mum,

            If you are reading this, it means my worst nightmare is no longer just a dream. I am so sorry you have to learn about my secret life like this. I was praying you would never have to. I wish I could’ve told you while I was still alive. I have tried. Believe me, I have tried countless of times. It just never seemed like the right time. I wanted you to be proud of me. I didn’t want you to look at me with disgust. I didn’t want you to be ashamed of me. I didn’t want you to worry for me. You have done so much for me. Since the day dad left, you have done everything in your power to make me happy. I wanted to make you happy too. I wanted to buy you a nice apartment, where you could invite your friends. I wanted to have enough money to take care of you, in your old age. That is, or should I say was the problem: money. Mommy, I haven’t been honest with you. All those evenings and nights you thought I was out studying, I wasn’t I was selling my body for money. Working part time jobs wasn’t enough. It’s so hard being a medical student and working at the same time, it’s even harder when you don’t have any scholarships. Selling my body was an easy way of making money, a lot of money. I am ashamed of myself, but it was the only way. Within the last year word has been out that there is a man picking on girls like me and killing them. This is why I have written this letter, in case in happens to me. I was careful, I really was, but I was also afraid. As I am writing this, I don’t know how I will have died, but I promise your will be the last person I think of. There is so much I want to do in this life. It’s a shame I’ll never be able to. I wanted to have children, a boy and a girl. Wouldn’t that have been cute? I promise that from wherever I will be, I’ll take care of you mommy. I’ll look after you. I’ll protect you. I’ll be your guardian angel. Let’s meet in heaven. I’ll be waiting for you. I love you so much. I love you.

Your loving daughter,

Minbi

When she had finished reading the letter, Lim Gayoung broke down into an uncontrollable sob. Sooyoung handed her some tissues and patiently waited for her to calm down. A long time ago she would've known what to say. Emotions had been put on pause for her for far too long. The inconsolable mother suddenly sat straight and starred into the doctor’s eyes.

“What happens now?” she demanded.

“I will write my final report and hand it to the police,” explained Sooyoung. “If they decide to launch an investigation you will have to wait for the remains, if not you’ll have them as soon as possible.”

“Tell me doctor, do you really think they will launch an investigation about my daughter’s death? She is nothing but a to them.”

Sooyoung bit her lip in anger. Since day one, she had been trained to lie, to put the family at ease, but this time she couldn’t. Sooyoung shook her head in sadness.

“I’m afraid they won’t do anything,” she began. “There is not enough public interest and there are too many prejudices against es.”

“So what happens to my daughter?” 

“Her case will be put with all the other cases liker hers. There will only be an investigation if the government decides to fund it or if enough public interest arises.”

“You say there will be no justice for my daughter?” screamed the woman. Sooyoung was suddenly taken aback at how such a powerful sound could come from such a small lady.

“I am afraid they’re won’t be justice for your daughter,” confirmed Sooyoung, slowly taking away the letter from the grieving mother.

“What about my daughter? She deserves justice!” screamed Gayoung. “She’s my little baby, my little baby,” finished Gayoung, before breaking down into a silent sob.

“If it were up to me, I would’ve launched the investigation a year ago,” offered the doctor. “I am sorry I wasn’t able to convince the police to look into these killing. I am sorry I couldn’t stop the killer before. If I would’ve insisted more with the police, your daughter could still be alive today.” 

“You mean you knew about these killings? The ones Minbi talks about in her letter?” asked the mother, astonished.

“Yes, the first case arrived about a year ago,” explained Sooyoung. “Once I had completed the autopsy, I submitted my concerns to the police and asked them to launch an investigation. But, they told me it wasn’t unusual for es to die. As the cases became more frequent, I became more insistent, but the board would always find an excuse: lack of funding, more urgent cases, and the list goes on. At the beginning of the summer, I was assigned a new partner. At that time, I hoped he would help me, but the cases stopped and, to be honest, I forgot about the cases. The last reported case was in late July, early August that is until now.

“But we are in February now, you think he took a killing hiatus?” scoffed Gayoung.

“No, I don’t,” retorted Sooyoung. “I think he got better. I don’t know when Minbi wrote the letter, but she was definitely scared. If he had actually stopped, she probably would’ve stopped carrying that letter around. Minbi was probably his arrogance that took over. Often serial killers become too confident about their “art”. They are not as prudent. They make mistakes and leave traces behind them. This is how we find them.”

“So you think you can find him and bring justice to Minbi and all the other girls?”

“I can, but not alone. I need funding and my team, but without the approval of the police I can’t have access t

o what I need.”

“So there is no hope?”

“I’ll try my best tomorrow morning,” said Sooyoung, trying to reassure the broken mother sitting in front of her.

∴

The next morning, Sooyoung was back in her office, staring at the same file. Not much had changed since the previous evening, only that her hair was washed and she was wearing a different outfit. She waited patiently for the door of her office to be opened. Five minutes later, a tall man barged in.

“What is that’s so urgent that it couldn’t wait any longer?” grumbled Kyuhyun, suppressing a yawn as he sat down on his favourite couch.

“Congratulations on your engagement,” chirped Sooyoung, offering him her best smile. Kyuhyun tried to raise his eyebrow. Surely, the great Choi Sooyoung had not called him into her office, at such an early time of the day, for a congratulatory message. “Luna told me,” offered Sooyoung, after receiving now answer from her partner.

“Ah, yes, thank you,” mumbled Kyuhyun, straightening his pants. “I’ll make sure that you receive an invitation.”

“Thank you, I’ll make sure to send you a valuable wedding gift,” replied Sooyoung, not letting her emotions take over.

“That’s it?” grumbled Kyuhyun, after a long silence. “You called me here so early to congratulate me?” As much as he enjoyed the company of Sooyoung, he was annoyed that he had called her with such urgency for such a simple message. Besides, he found the conversation all to awkward. It was like a ghost from the past was with them in the room. 

“No, I called you here to talk about death,” replied Sooyoung, gaining her confidence back.

“Charming,” grumbled Kyuhyun, for a second time that morning. “What’s up?”

“es. I keep seeing them in my morgue. I keep seeing the same cause of death, yet no one is connecting the dots. There is a serial killer out there and nobody is doing anything to stop him!” exclaimed Sooyoung. 

“So?” replied Kyuhyun, rolling his eyes. He suddenly regreted not insiting more on having the talk over the phone. It would've avoided him a trip to her office. He was getting too lazy, he thought. 

“So, we need to do something,” exclaimed Sooyoung.

“There is nothing to do,” retorted Kyuhyun. “We have more pressing matters, people to bring to justice! Lives that actually matter.” Kyuhyun always thought Luna was stubborn, but he could now very well see from where she took it. He wished Sooyoung wasn't so stubborn, but then he thought maybe it was the reason she was such a good doctor. 

“But these lives matter just as much! This killer also needs to be brought to justice,” snapped Sooyoung.

“There is nothing I can do for you,” said Kyuhyun getting up. “I don’t have time for these .” He reluctantly admitted, internally, that he did. Work at the office had been slow in the last few weeks. He wasn't really complaining. Less cases meant that crime rates were going down, but at the end of the day he had a job because of crime rates.   

“What do you mean?” questioned Sooyoung, looking at Kyuhyun making his way to the door. She hated how he would just get up and leave when he was done with a conversation. She hated how he jus left her hanging there. 

“I mean let it go, Dr. Choi. Forget about these girls. They were worthless to society.” 

“Fine, then I’ll ask Changmin for some help,” threatened Sooyoung. Kyuhyun scoffed and glanced sideways in disgust.

“You think he will help you? At least I listened to you. He would’ve walked away a long time ago. Let it go Summer. It’s a lost cause.” Kyuhyun made his way towards the door. “Anything else?” he asked, before leaving. Sooyoung shook her head, annoyed, and looked away. She felt tears of anger well up in her eyes.

The acclaimed doctor sat in silence for a long time. Park Minibi’s cold body haunted her. She knew she had no duty to protect her. Her only duty was to find the cause of death. It was the police’s duty to bring to justice the individual who had stolen her life. She reluctantly reached for her phone and dialled the number on the business card that was given to her years ago.

∴

Sipping her smoothie, Sooyoung stared over at the man that was looking over the files that she had gathered for him. The man took a bite of his hamburger, chewed slowly and looked over at her. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was, sitting at her desk, tall, and elegant, even while slurping a smoothie. 

“Looks like you have a serial killer on your hands,” he concluded, wiping his hands on a napkin. He didn't know why she had called him. It made no sense to him, but he was happy she did. Their work together had been brief, but he had enjoyed every single second of it. He was also happy that he got to spend some time with her, while Kyuhyun didn't. At the end of the day, Changmin always won and Kyuhyun always came in second. He was that good. 

“So, we need to do something!” exclaimed Sooyoung, happy that someone was finally on her side. If Changmin listened to her, maybe she could deliver the good news to Minbi's mother that same afternoon. 

“I don’t think it’s that easy,” retorted Changmin. “I don’t have the authority to take these cases under my charge. You need to ask for Kyuhyun’s help.” Sooyoung scoffed in disbelief and turned her chair around. She stared at the sky outside. The air was cold she thought. It was cold like the heart of all the police officers she knew, not that some of the doctors she had work with were any better. 

“I already asked him for help,” she grumbled. “He said he couldn’t.” Changmin sat in silence and ate more of his hamburger.

“I am sorry, Sooyoung. I wish I could help you, but there is nothing I can do on my end.”

“I wish I could say I understand, but I don’t,” she retorted, turning around, once again, to face him. “These are lives, Max! These are people with families who are grieving. We owe them justice. If no one is going to do anything, then I will. I’ll go ask the questions if you and Kyuhyun and too chicken to do anything. “

“Don’t you dare, Soo,” exclaimed Changmin, getting up in anger. “You don’t know the motives of this killer. For all we know, this could be drug related or there could be human trafficking involved. We don’t know why these girls were killed. ions works hand-in-hand with drugs and the black market don’t anger the wrong people Sooyoung. Don’t.” Sooyoung bit her lip in anger and tossed what was left of her smoothie in the garbage. She stared at the cup with sadness and instantly regretted her move. There was still so much of the smoothie left in it. Maybe she could reach back for it when Changmin left. Exiting. She needed him to leave. She needed to think. She needed to be by herself.

“You are right,” she said, offering him a smile. “It was foolish of me to care about this manner. I have other bodies to take care of. I should get back to work.”

“It wasn’t foolish of you to care,” replied Changmin. “You are a good person Sooyoung, but you can’t take care of everybody. I should get back to work too, but if you ever want to do another lunch date, let me know,” he said and winked at her. Sooyoung laugh incredulously.

“Date? Don’t flatter yourself Max.”

“Alright, I have to go. See you later Doctor.” Sooyoung waved him goodbye and when the door was closed, she reached for the smoothie in her garbage.

Well into the evening, Sooyoung was still at work. It was dark outside and everything pointed towards the fact that she needed to go home, but Sooyoung resisted. She loved her apartment. She had decorated it herself, with the help of Ahra. She loved its location, all the coffee shops made Sunday morning brunch enjoyable. She was close enough to the Han River that she could drive there and go for a run whenever she felt like it. She hated the feeling of being alone in such a big apartment. Maybe she should’ve bought something smaller. With a loud sigh, she reached for the phone and dialled a new number.

“Ms. Lim? This is Dr. Choi Sooyoung. I have some good news for you. I have received permission to investigate the death of your daughter.”

Sooyoung exited her office building in a hurry. The cold hair hit her as soon as she stepped outside. Taken aback from the cold she coughed lightly to push it out of her lungs. She looked around her. The street was full of people coming out of work. She smiled happy to know that she wasn’t the only workaholic in town. She hesitated for a moment and took a right. It would bring her straight to the subway station. She felt it would be safer to go by subway. Although her car was pretty mainstream, she thought it might still be too recognizable and didn’t want to bring unwanted attention on herself. She put a cap on, hoping it would help her blend in with the public. She walked quickly. It was too cold to waste time outside. 

“Choi Sooyoung where are you going?” grumbled Kyuhyun from the comfort of his car. He had parked his car in front of Sooyoung’s office over 20 minutes ago hoping to see her. Hoping to talk to her. Victoria was working a nightshift and he was bored. He had thought about the cases Sooyoung had shown him in the morning. Although he still believed there was nothing for him to do he feared she would take manners into her own hands. He was therefore not surprised when he saw her exit the building wearing black skinny jeans and a long black coat. He almost laughed when he saw her put on the cap on. What was she now? A spy? He allowed her to walk for a few seconds, before starting his car and followed her. Kyuhyun breathed out a when she went down into the subway station. There was no way for him to follow her now, the subway branched out in so many different directions from that station. There was no way for him to protect her. He drove back home and almost considered going back to his office to check the security cameras. It would be useless. He has no warrant and could not cover all of Seoul by himself. He had to trust her.

“Please don’t do anything  stupid Summer.” 

A/N: I am sorry for the super long hiatus. I don't know what happened. ;__; I have no excuses for you guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you have any ideas, please write them down in the comments. I would love to put them in the story. Have a nice day!!