It was only a moment’s time.

Holding the cigarette smoke in my mouth and breathing it out repeatedly was only a moment’s time.

That moment of time pushed me into a pit of eternal pain that I couldn’t swim out of.

Just then his cell rang and shattered the peace.

At the almost frantic ringing, Jong Kook sighed and picked up his phone.

“Hello?”

“Ah, Jong Kook! This is Hyuk, you busy?”

The one who had called was the person who he had studied for the police exam with, his best friend, Jang Hyuk.

He had become a police officer on his own and currently worked as a capable officer in the homicide division.

“No, I just took a leave of absence yesterday. Why?”

“Oh really? You of all people, taking a leave of absence? Did something happen?”

“Nothing happened, why?”

Hyuk hesitated for a moment, before he began speaking again with great care.

“You know right?”

Jongkook sifted through his thoughts, then answering with a scowl on his face.

“That psycho serial killer that you’re investigating?  Of course I know him, he’s 'Jack the Ripper' of this age.”

“Yeah. And……”

One particular case flashed in his head at the hate-filled tone of his friend.

“...... Yeah, I know.”

“I have a favor to ask because of that.”

“A favor?” His friends, Hyuk included, didn’t really ask for for favors.

“This time, we got a witness who saw that guy.”

“A witness you say…. Are you saying—”

“Yeah, I’m hoping that you could protect ‘her’ in secret.”

“Are you hiding the witness from the higher-ups? If you get caught, it’s not even going to be a disciplinary action, you could be fired right there you know? You could be buried alive!”

Smile Face was a killer who had officially killed eighteen innocent people.  Unofficially that number was rumored to be over fifty, a mass serial killer. On top of that, upon a non-formal investigation the killer was found to have even covered up numerous other cases of other people, although the reason was unknown.

Among these were the rich and wealthy, corrupt officers,  gang members— there were many politicians as well.

But despite the numerous cases, there had not been a shred of evidence, nor any suspects.

So that witness that Hyuk had mentioned was an important evidence that would have captured the attention of the whole nation,  as well as the world. That was the person whose existence Hyuk had kept from the police,  and was now trying to hide.

Should the truth be revealed, it would not have just stopped at disciplinary action— the whole world would scorn him and kill any social standing he had.

“I know…. But you know why, don’t you?”

“Even so, this isn’t right! Report it to the higher ups and conduct a proper investigation!”

“What do you think those guys who are helping that bastard are going to do to when they find out about a witness? The moment the info reaches the top, the press will swoop in, and when that happens that guy will find out about her! Then he’ll start threatening the people that have helped him. And you know what will happen then better than I do, don’t you?”

Hyuk’s angry words silenced Jongkook.

Of course, the Republic of Korea was too rotten to trust fully, and the ruling class had too large of a weakness the killer had exploited , and the whole thing was connected in deep and complicated ways in a manner so serious it was incredibly worrying.

“....Alright. I’ll guard the witness along with two of my most trusted guys, top secret. Then where are you handing her over?”

“It’s going to take time to get that side ready too, so let’s meet at Tae Hyun’s house tomorrow at dawn.”

“You think he’s going to like that?”

“I already got the bribe ready. See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah.”

Jongkook hung up and called up two more places, to his dongsaeng security guards that he trusted most— Kang Hee Gun and Ha Dong Hoon.

Hee Gun, or Gary, had stayed at the same orphanage as Eun Hye and Jong Kook and had followed him since he had been getting into fights during his school years to his position as a security guard now. He was someone who he basically considered his brother by blood.

Dong Hoon had kept challenging him when Jong Kook had first entered the security guard institution, but after seeing his dazzling skills and self-sacrifice in refusing to shrink from danger, he had stubbornly followed him around pledging his loyalty. He was someone with a complex on his short height.

The two looked questioningly at Jong Kook who didn’t explain much, but this was the guy who was almost god-like within their line of business and honest to a fault. So without another word, they had canceled all plans, taken a leave of absence, and packed the tings they needed for the while. Jongkook too, painstakingly readied all necessary supplies. Going up against a killer, he made sure to pack a stun gun, K-7 rod, and