Chapter 29
“You know it well. The series of murders that occurred in the eastern Gyeonggi region from 2004 to 2009. Not just the police, but even ordinary citizens are familiar with the case.”
Chief’s Office at Gangjung Police Station.
An unexpected figure sat in front of Chief Myeong Geon-hyung.
“The first victim was found near Socho Mountain, and the crimes continued for five years. It was an unsolved serial murder case, and when the crimes suddenly stopped, there were rampant speculations that the perpetrator might already be imprisoned for other crimes or dead.”
“That’s correct. You remember it precisely.”
The man nodding at Chief Myeong Geon-hyung’s words was Inspector Oh from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Unsolved Crimes Unit.
“Including the area near Socho Mountain, over a thousand police personnel were deployed to search for even a strand of the perpetrator’s hair at the various locations where victims were found. But they found nothing—not even a single hair—making it a stain on the police’s history.”
So, it was a case no police officer could forget.
A case that was repeatedly brought up in crime-related TV programs, simmering like a pot of soup.
It was such a famous case that it inspired dramas and movies.
Inspector Oh continued speaking.
“That’s why I recommended Inspector Juwon. If it’s him…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh?”
“I’m against it.”
At Chief Myeong Geon-hyung’s firm shake of his head, Inspector Oh didn’t continue.
Instead, he leaned back in his chair, looking at Chief Myeong with an intrigued expression.
Then, Chief Myeong spoke again.
“Unsolved cases are no joke. They’re cases that even veteran officers, with decades of experience, couldn’t solve.”
Of course, Juwon had solved some of those difficult cases before.
But one good result could easily be dismissed as luck.
“Still, I do acknowledge Inspector Juwon’s investigative skills. But I don’t know how long that will last, and it worries me.”
Since when had it been?
Juwon hadn’t been able to rest even on weekends, taking on case after case.
Whether by choice or by force.
Fortunately, the cases were resolved faster than others, but the fatigue he must have accumulated was clearly no small matter.
“And now, if he takes on an unsolved case—especially one handled by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Unsolved Crimes Unit—how will he have any energy left? He’ll pour all his passion into it, not sleeping for days, obsessing over it. No, I won’t even say days. There’s no guarantee this unsolved case will be solved as quickly as the last one. He’ll keep investigating for weeks, months, stubbornly clinging to it. And then, he’ll really burn out.”
At Chief Myeong Geon-hyung’s rapid-fire speech, Inspector Oh let out a soft chuckle and picked up his teacup.
“You really care about Inspector Juwon, don’t you?”
The atmosphere lightened a bit at Inspector Oh’s smile.
As his teacup was placed back on the table, Chief Myeong also smiled and picked up his own cup.
“I’m considering him as my son-in-law.”
Responding to the joke with a smile, Inspector Oh glanced subtly at Chief Myeong.
That face, smiling while drinking tea.
It seemed he genuinely meant it when he said he cared for Juwon as much as a son-in-law.
Tap.
A moment later, as Chief Myeong placed his empty teacup down, Inspector Oh leaned forward.
It seemed he had no intention of stopping his persuasion.
“Have you spoken to Inspector Juwon about this?”
“About being my son-in-law? That’s something to discuss later.”
“Not just that, but the unsolved case. I’d like to hear Inspector Juwon’s thoughts.”
“Inspector Oh, for now…”
“There were fifteen victims, and over fifty family members. Some of them visit our office every week, bringing us drinks. This case, buried as unsolved, needs to be…”
"Thank you for investigating."
"......"
"I'm not planning to take him away permanently to the unsolved cases team. I just want to borrow him once, Chief Lee."
"......"
"Wouldn't it be better to have a son-in-law who solved two cases through skill rather than a detective who just got lucky solving one by chance?"
Superintendent Myeong Geon-hyung, who had been leaning back on the sofa with his arms resting on the armrests, smiled faintly as he looked at Inspector Oh.
"Then let's go together."
"......"
"Teamwork is something we can't ignore."
A short while later.
"All of Team 3, except for Officer Han Geon-woo, have been temporarily dispatched to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Unsolved Cases Division."
Inspector Oh and Superintendent Myeong Geon-hyung stood in the office of Violent Crimes Team 3.
"Inspector Oh, everyone knows him, right? He was on the news once before."
Inspector Oh saluted Team Leader Gu Jin-gu.
"Ah, Inspector Oh. Of course, we know him. He helped us with our testimony back then."
"Have you been well, Team Leader?"
"Yeah, of course. I didn't expect to see you like this, Inspector Oh."
Inspector Oh looked at Joo-won.
"It's been a while."
"Yes."
Joo-won gave a short reply and then looked toward the back.
"Sergeant Kim went to the restroom for a moment."
"We can do the introductions later. I originally came just to see Superintendent Myeong, but it turned out like this."
Inspector Oh bowed his head to Team Leader Gu and then saluted Superintendent Myeong Geon-hyung.
"Then I'll be going."
"Alright."
As Inspector Oh left, Officer Han Geon-woo, who had been sitting in the corner of the office, came out with a sullen expression.
"Officer Han, help out Team 2 for a bit. We're short on hands too."
"...Yes, understood."
He had thought of himself as part of the team, but it seemed he felt a bit hurt that everyone except him was being dispatched.
"It's not like you're being left out permanently. It's just one case, and then you'll be back, so don't feel too bad."
Team Leader Gu, understanding his feelings, patted Officer Han on the shoulder.
"But that one case is an unsolved mystery that's been around for decades... Alright, I understand... Just don't forget about me..."
"Forget? Not a chance."
Team Leader Gu, who had been chuckling, glanced at Joo-won.
"And, let's talk for a bit, Chief Lee."
A short while later, on the rooftop.
"You don't have to do it if you don't want to."
Team Leader Gu Jin-gu, with a cigarette in his mouth, rummaged through his pockets for a lighter.
"Huh?"
"The case Inspector Oh asked you to work on together. You don't have to force yourself to take it."
"Why do you think I'm forcing myself?"
"Just... because."
It was unusual for him to be so quiet.
Normally, he would have been chattering about the case, saying this and that.
Still fumbling for the lighter, Team Leader Gu gestured toward Joo-won with his chin.
"You don't look too good."
At those words, Joo-won laughed.
"Who refuses a case just because they don't look good? Our job is being a police officer."
"Well, that's true... Ah, where did my lighter go?"
Sighing, Team Leader Gu gave up on finding the lighter and put the cigarette back into the pack.
Then Joo-won spoke up.
"There are 15 victims, and over 50 family members of the victims."
"I'll just send a text to buy a lighter later... Huh?"
"If there's even one victim, if there's an injustice that hasn't been fully uncovered, I would have taken the case. But with 50 people, including the families... I have to do it."
Team Leader Gu Jin-gu, who had been awkwardly putting the cigarette pack back into his pocket, looked at Joo-won with a puzzled expression.
That fiery gaze.
As expected, Juwon was still the same.
I thought he might be a bit worn out since he didn’t say anything when he took on the case, but no.
His passion is still burning strong.
Team Leader Gu Jin-gu, with his hands in his pockets, nodded his head.
“So, Team Leader Gu, you’re doing it too.”
“Well, why not.”
As Juwon left like that, Team Leader Gu Jin-gu tapped the rooftop railing with his empty fingers, missing a cigarette, and gazed up at the sky.
Just then, his phone rang.
The caller was Superintendent Myeong-geon.
- Where are you?
“Why?”
- Let’s grab a meal together.
Maybe it was because there was no one else around to hear.
The two of them spoke in comfortable tones, like close hometown seniors and juniors.
At that moment, Team Leader Gu Jin-gu let out a sigh and continued.
“I really thought highly of Inspector Oh...”
- He seemed like a good guy, didn’t he?
“Is that what ‘good’ looks like? He’s just sweet-talking like a kid, and I don’t know when he said it, but he spilled everything about how many victims and bereaved families there were, completely shaking up Inspector Lee emotionally.”
- The number of victims and bereaved families is all over the internet if you search for it, isn’t it?
“Where would I find the time to search for that? Inspector Oh must’ve casually mentioned it. Trying to recruit our talented Inspector Lee for his own use. Anyway, those who’ve risen to that level aren’t ordinary folks, I tell you.”
- Hahaha. But Inspector Lee seemed to like it more than I expected, huh? I thought he might be a bit tired, so instead of sending him alone, I decided to dispatch the entire Team 3, and it turned out better than I thought.
“Like it? He’s just a foolish young man, full of passion and no regard for his own well-being.”
- Hahaha! You sound just like a father now!
“Well, I am his father! Seriously, I raised Police Officer Lee Juwon! How dare they try to use my kid as they please...”
As Team Leader Gu Jin-gu spat out those worried words into his phone and headed toward the rooftop entrance, it happened.
“Honestly, when you look closely, there are so many hyenas out there, trying to push their cases onto our son...”
In front of the entrance, Officer Han Geon-woo stood there, holding a lighter.
- Why did you stop talking?
“Officer Han...?”
“Team Leader, can I... call you father too?”
What’s with this guy now?
“Ah, uh, Officer Han... What brings you here?”
“Inspector Lee told me to bring you this lighter... By the way, can I call you father too?”
No, Inspector Lee, it’s been a while since we met, but you’ve only known him for how long, and you’re calling him father... But Officer Han Geon-woo stood there with such a vulnerable expression that it felt too cruel to say that.
It seemed like he felt that unless he called the team leader “father,” he would be left behind, especially since all the other team members were being dispatched except him.
With sparkling eyes, Officer Han Geon-woo looked like he was about to call him “father” any second.
“Father!”
Ah, he’s already calling me that.
“Uh, Officer Han...”
Team Leader Gu Jin-gu, with the phone still to his ear, scratched his head.
“Geon-woo, I already have three kids.”
“Five! Including Inspector Lee and me!”
Ah, I’ve been caught.
This guy, his brain is so pure—no, to put it harshly, he’s a 4-dimensional weirdo...
“Father!”
“Ah, alright, stop calling me father... Uh, Superintendent Myeong, I’ll hang up now...”
“Father! Answer me!”
- Puhahaha! Even Officer Han has become your son? Congratulations!
“I’m hanging up! Hey, Officer Han. Let go of my arm for a second...”
“I brought the lighter, Father!”
"No, how disappointed would your father be if he heard..."
"It's okay! Father!"
With his arm dangling after being grabbed by Officer Han Geon-woo, Team Leader Gu Jin-gu came down the rooftop stairs with a tired expression.
At that moment.
As soon as he came out from the rooftop, Joo-won headed straight back home and went to the bedroom.
Even though it was broad daylight, the bedroom was pitch dark due to the curtains.
Joo-won approached the blackout curtains covering all the windows.
"I didn't expect you to come back so quickly."
[I was also surprised by the faster-than-expected speed. It seems like his drive is as formidable as his impression.]
"It worked perfectly, right?"
[It seems so.]
With a slight smirk, Joo-won whooshed! and pulled the blackout curtains to both sides.
Then, numerous photos attached to the window became visible.
There were faces in them.
And the red lines connecting them.
"Let's catch this monster who killed fifteen people."
