Chapter 19
On the day the victim, Young So-yeon, died in her officetel.
"Hey, what's wrong with her? Did she drink? She looks like she passed out."
Gu Young-seok had gone to the victim's house.
He was called there by Moon Jung-ho, Young So-yeon's ex-boyfriend, who had made her a victim of illegal filming and distribution.
"Enough, just move her. She'll wake up if we go to the rooftop. You know I hurt my leg recently."
"Hey, I told you to exercise in moderation. Press the elevator button."
"Let's take the stairs."
"Why?"
"The manager here doesn't like people going to the rooftop, says accidents happen. If you press the top floor, he comes to check. Let's just take the stairs."
"Ah, what a hassle."
Gu Young-seok carried Young So-yeon, who seemed unconscious, at Moon Jung-ho's request.
"Hey, is she really okay? Did she drink a lot?"
"Yeah, a bit. You know how much So-yeon liked me. She felt sorry for causing the trial and everything, so she drank a lot."
"Stop lying. No matter how much she liked you, after you filmed her without consent and spread it, she wouldn't still like you. Unless she's crazy."
"She's crazy about me."
"Idiot."
So, Gu Young-seok carried Young So-yeon to the rooftop instead of Moon Jung-ho, who had a leg injury.
"Thanks."
"Hey, you should drink in moderation too. Don't call me when you're so drunk you can't even think straight."
"Yeah, bye."
At that time, he didn't know.
He really thought Young So-yeon had drunk too much and passed out, and that she was trying to sober up on the rooftop in the cold wind.
"Damn it, so I ended up in the police interrogation room!!"
"Hey, keep it down."
Around the time Detective Ju-won and Sergeant Kim Seok-ho arrived at the victim's officetel.
In an alley not far from Young So-yeon's officetel.
Gu Young-seok and Moon Jung-ho were sitting on chairs outside a convenience store.
Who knows how long they had been drinking.
Empty beer cans filled one side of the table.
Gu Young-seok grabbed one of the cans and muttered in a low voice.
"You... didn't you?"
"Didn't what?"
"Didn't you kill Young So-yeon?"
Moon Jung-ho just stared at Gu Young-seok without saying a word.
"That day, you said she was just drunk, that you just wanted to move her to the rooftop to sober up... You said she liked drinking on the rooftop... You just asked me to help move her there..."
Moon Jung-ho just kept drinking his beer, his expression unchanged.
"Damn it, hey!! Answer me!"
"No."
"Really? So you were on the rooftop, you left first because you were drunk, and she fell and died alone, right?"
"Yeah. And why would I kill her? I've already paid for my crime."
A fine of 7 million won, 2 years in prison suspended for 1 year.
That was the punishment for illegal filming and distribution.
No, the punishment for killing someone's soul.
A talented individual who had been at the top of the business department at Korea University.
That was the reason the judges let Moon Jung-ho back into the world.
Moon Jung-ho gulped down his beer.
Then he looked at Gu Young-seok.
"By the way, isn't it hot? Why are you wearing a windbreaker in the summer?"
"Ah, I just feel uneasy."
"About what?"
"This is that thing, right? The clothes you wore on the day you asked me to move Soyeon to the rooftop to get some fresh air."
In an instant, Moon Jeong-ho's eyes widened.
However, Goo Young-seok, who didn't notice Moon Jeong-ho's reaction, continued speaking.
"But since Soyeon died, I thought maybe some evidence might be buried here."
"You wore that and walked around? No, you went to the police station wearing that? Are you out of your mind?"
"Don’t you know that it’s darkest under the lamp? What if I left it somewhere and it ended up in the hands of the police? It’s better to just wear it. Who would’ve thought something would come out of this? Why are you overreacting? Hey, don’t tell me she was already dead……."
Goo Young-seok leaned closer to Moon Jeong-ho and continued.
"Tell me it’s not true. Did you really do something to Soyeon……?"
"Damn it, hey!"
"Alright, alright! You’ve got such a temper……."
Moon Jeong-ho, who had been glaring at Goo Young-seok with a deeply furrowed brow, suddenly stood up.
But then something caught Moon Jeong-ho's eye.
Staring intently at Goo Young-seok's hand, Moon Jeong-ho crumpled the empty beer can he was holding.
"I’m heading out first. You should drink in moderation and go home too."
"Sure, whatever."
Moon Jeong-ho turned away.
After tossing the beer can into the trash, Moon Jeong-ho slowly walked away from the convenience store.
But there was a chilling look in his eyes.
As if he was about to do something drastic.
"Like I’d do nothing, damn it……."
And Goo Young-seok watched Moon Jeong-ho's retreating figure.
He slammed the beer can down with a clang.
"Sigh…… So, she was already dead back then. Soyeon…… And I didn’t even know……."
What he felt wasn’t guilt.
"Ugh! No wonder that drunk kid was wearing a hoodie……. Damn it, was he trying to hide blood or something? Sigh…… I shouldn’t have answered the phone and ended up moving a corpse like a fool……."
He lamented how unlucky he was to have answered the phone right when Yeong Soyeon died, getting tangled up in the incident.
"If my fingerprints show up on Soyeon’s clothes or something, I’m screwed…… Damn it, what should I do?"
Goo Young-seok's eyes slowly rolled.
And soon after, he dialed 112 on his phone.
"Hello, I have something to report. It’s for Detective Lee Joo-won from the Violent Crimes Unit at Gangjung Police Station."
"Yawn."
5 a.m.
Although a new morning was dawning, the night hadn’t yet ended for Team 3 of the Violent Crimes Unit at Gangjung Station.
"Is Inspector Lee still out on field duty?"
Team Leader Goo Jin-goo asked as he stretched to wake himself up. Officer Han Geon-woo, who was putting down some documents, replied.
"Yes, this case just came in from the patrol station."
"Ah, thank you. What about Goo Young-seok?"
"He’s still waiting in the interrogation room."
"Hmm, I see."
As Officer Han Geon-woo returned to his seat, Team Leader Goo Jin-goo picked up his phone.
He checked the news section on a portal site as usual, but……
"What’s this?"
The news was flooded with a familiar name.
But the atmosphere was unusual.
<Lee Joo-won, Inspector at Gangjung Police Station, solves murder case disguised as a traffic accident two weeks ago…….>
An article that had previously been just a single line was now trending with over 300 comments.
<Inspector Lee Joo-won, who solved a 15-year-old unsolved murder case of an elementary school teacher, also uncovers a murder case that was nearly covered up as a traffic accident…… Currently investigating a suicide case with signs of homicide…….>
<The suicide case being investigated by Inspector Lee Joo-won at Gangjung Station turns out to be related to the illegal filming distribution case at Korea University…….>
There were also details about the case Joo-won was currently handling.
"Why all of a sudden……."
Just then.
"Is something wrong, Team Leader Goo?"
Juwon returned with Detective Kim Seok-ho.
Team leader Gu Jin-gu shook his head.
"It's nothing."
"I heard Gu Young-seok came by. Where is he?"
"Ah, in the interrogation room. With Officer Han."
At Team Leader Gu's gaze, Officer Han Geon-woo stood up.
"Yes, let's go together."
A short while later,
In front of Gangjung Police Station.
There was another guest looking at his phone.
It was Moon Jung-ho.
"Detective Lee Juwon..."
On Moon Jung-ho's phone, there was an article about Juwon.
The case of Young So-yeon, which was being investigated at Gangnam Police Station, had been transferred to Gangjung Police Station, and the detective in charge was the famous officer who had solved a cold case 15 years ago.
As he read the article, Moon Jung-ho slowly moved his steps.
"There's no other way."
At the entrance of Gangjung Station.
The door opened, and an officer standing in front of it blocked Moon Jung-ho.
"What brings you here?"
"Ah, I came to meet Detective Lee Juwon from the violent crimes team."
"What is the purpose of your visit?"
"I have some information to report."
"You can get a visitor pass over here and proceed."
A short while later.
Moon Jung-ho, with the visitor pass around his neck, climbed the stairs.
But then,
"Huh?"
The face he had seen on his phone was coming down from above.
It was Juwon.
"Detective Lee Juwon?"
Juwon's steps halted.
Moon Jung-ho, climbing the stairs towards Juwon, spoke.
"I'm Moon Jung-ho, So-yeon's ex-boyfriend. I heard you're handling So-yeon's death case..."
"Ah, yes."
Moon Jung-ho's face was quite brazen.
No, he was brazenly making a sad expression.
Juwon asked,
"What brings you here?"
"Actually, I came to report something. Information about my ex-girlfriend's death..."
"Information?"
Moon Jung-ho nodded and continued.
"I have a friend named Gu Young-seok. Actually, this guy liked So-yeon even before I dated her. But it seems that for my own selfishness, I did something foolish to So-yeon, and during the time we were apart, he harassed her."
"...So?"
"It seems he even went to her house... So-yeon was very distressed. On the day she died, he even went to her house and called me to ask for her door code... It's suspicious."
As he made this long report with a sad expression, Moon Jung-ho looked up,
"So, perhaps So-yeon's death is related to that friend..."
Juwon's expression was strange.
It wasn't the face of a detective who had just received a lead.
It was more like the face of a happy detective who had caught a criminal.
Was it a misunderstanding?
As Moon Jung-ho tried to continue, Juwon interrupted.
"So, Mr. Moon Jung-ho, are you saying that Gu Young-seok might be involved in Young So-yeon's death?"
"Ah, yes... I can't really believe that my close friend would do such a thing, but..."
Moon Jung-ho nodded.
But then, Juwon slightly turned his body.
"Then we can just check it out."
"Yes, you can check it out... but how?"
"By asking the person directly."
"The person...?"
Juwon's head turned towards the top of the stairs.
Moon Jung-ho's gaze followed Juwon's.
Then his eyes widened.
"You..."
At the top of the stairs,
Gu Young-seok was standing with a detective.
With a very angry face.
"You crazy bastard, what the hell are you talking about?!"
Juwon looked at Moon Jung-ho and said,
"Gu Young-seok also made the same report."
"...What?"
"Although the subject was different, of course."
