Chapter 30
A nursing hospital in Gangwon Province.
Juwon is sitting in the visitation room on the first floor.
"Director."
An elderly man with white hair, seated in a wheelchair, approaches him. Juwon greets him with a warm expression.
"Oh... Juwon."
The frail voice belongs to the director of Yeongsu Orphanage, where Juwon grew up.
"Fortunately, he regained consciousness this morning," says the caregiver pushing the wheelchair. Juwon nods in response.
"Thank you."
"Not at all. Let me know if you need anything. I'll be right outside."
The caregiver secures the wheelchair and leaves the visitation room.
"How have you been, Director?"
"Well, I don’t remember much when I’m not in my right mind. The caregivers must have had a hard time."
The director lets out a light, self-deprecating laugh.
In his 80s and suffering from dementia, he was once a spirited man who successfully ran several businesses and operated multiple orphanages in his younger days.
"I think it’s about time for me to go back home."
"Are you saying you’re going to be discharged?"
"I should. All the money I could’ve used to buy the kids backpacks is being wasted here in this hospital."
"Are you still running the orphanage with your own money? I told you to accept some donations."
The director shook his head.
When he first started the orphanage, the director used his own funds to cover all expenses, as he was financially well-off.
Once, at the suggestion of a staff member, he accepted support from a member of the National Assembly...
"They only came to take pictures during election season, asking the kids to write letters to post online..."
There was even an incident where a child was forcibly hugged despite their discomfort, leading to allegations of sexual harassment.
Not long after, the assembly member had to resign due to allegations of sexually harassing their secretary.
"Those rotten bastards, using our kids for votes. I trusted people too much."
The anger still seemed fresh.
After staring out the window for a while, the director turned to Juwon.
"You didn’t come here to listen to an old man’s complaints, did you? What’s going on?"
"I guess you can finally see me now."
Juwon’s playful smile brought a faint grin to the director’s face.
"You’ve always been independent since you were young, so I’m more used to looking after the other kids. Go on, tell me. Do you need help with something?"
"It’s about your daughter."
"..."
The director’s face stiffened at Juwon’s words. It wasn’t the same expression he had when he was angry about the assembly member.
It was the face of someone recalling a tragedy buried deep in their memory.
Juwon leaned closer to the director and continued.
"The investigation into your daughter’s case has been reopened."
"What... are you talking about?"
Having been in the nursing hospital with dementia, the director likely hadn’t heard the news that the Seoul Police’s Cold Case Unit had reopened the investigation.
"The Seoul Police have started a reinvestigation. It’s still in the early stages, so nothing has been uncovered yet..."
Juwon took the director’s hands, which were resting on the table.
"I’ll be joining the investigation as well."
The Gyeonggi Eastern Serial Murder Case—among the 15 victims was the daughter of the director of Yeongsu Orphanage, where Juwon grew up.
The director had her late in life, when he was nearly 40, and she was only 20 when the incident occurred.
That precious daughter was taken from him by the monster.
After that, the director poured all the love he couldn’t give to his daughter into the children at the orphanage.
But as they say, when a child dies, they’re buried in your heart.
Even before his dementia, the director never let go of his obsession with his daughter’s case.
"Juwon-ah……."
"I will definitely catch him, the bastard who did that to the director's daughter."
The director's eyes, which had been empty, regained their light.
The director clasped Juwon's hand, who was holding his.
"……Thank you."
On the way back in the car.
As Juwon held the steering wheel, Terra's voice echoed in his mind.
[The elderly director of the orphanage, despite being diagnosed with senile dementia, doesn't show clear symptoms. He must have been a very healthy person, both physically and mentally.]
"Our director was indeed very healthy. He had great self-control too."
But Terra, for some reason, kept complimenting people.
This isn't like him.
[His eyes still had a sharpness to them. If he leaves the nursing home and establishes a regular routine in daily life, his dementia symptoms might even improve.]
What's he scheming?
Juwon, rolling his eyes thoughtfully, spoke with a doubtful tone.
"Are you…… telling me not to worry?"
[…….]
He's right.
Judging by the lack of response.
This guy always pretends not to hear when he's at a disadvantage.
[The black sedan on the side, it's the first time I've seen that car in the neighborhood.]
Meanwhile, Juwon's car was entering the neighborhood near his house.
"Changing the subject."
Juwon chuckled as he glanced at the black sedan.
It does seem unfamiliar.
"Why point that out? If it's a car I haven't seen before, it's probably someone who moved here or is visiting a resident. Be honest. Are you really worried about me……?"
At that moment.
"Huh?"
A familiar face appeared through the windshield.
"Oh, Inspector Oh?"
It was Inspector Oh from the Seoul Police Department's Unsolved Cases Team.
For some reason, Inspector Oh seemed to be leaning against the neighborhood wall, waiting for someone.
[It seems Inspector Oh is the visitor who came to meet resident Juwon.]
Screech.
Juwon's car stopped near where Inspector Oh was standing.
Juwon got out of the car and approached Inspector Oh.
Inspector Oh, who hadn't noticed Juwon yet, was looking at his phone.
Inspector Oh still exuded an unusual aura.
He is the police officer who proposed and is currently leading the investigation into the serial murders in the eastern Gyeonggi area.
[You were the one who first brought up the unsolved serial murder case in eastern Gyeonggi, Juwon.]
An unsolved case, as the name suggests, is a case that hasn't been closed yet.
It's a difficult case that requires a lot of patience to uncover the truth.
Inspector Oh seems like the type who wouldn't give up on such a case.
"Inspector Oh?"
At Juwon's voice, Inspector Oh turned around.
And his sharp gaze was visible.
That gaze.
That also played a part.
'It feels like once he bites into something, he won't let go.'
[He just has a strong facial impression.]
'……Is that so?'
Terra's words made it seem that way.
[From what I see, you're the persistent type of police officer, Juwon.]
But this guy is subtly stubborn.
Juwon smiled slightly and bowed his head to Inspector Oh.
"Did you come all the way here to see me……?"
"You throw out bait and lure them in the direction you want, leading them to the desired point."
"……What?"
Inspector Oh crossed his arms with an intrigued expression.
[It seems like a metaphor. Juwon, you were fishing for Inspector Oh.]
A few weeks ago.
Juwon had met Inspector Oh at a cafe near the Seoul Police Department.
Of course, it wasn't a coincidence.
I went to that café after hearing that Inspector Oh would be there at that time.
“The Gyeonggi Eastern Serial Murder Case?”
Then, I subtly leaked some information to Inspector Oh.
I told him that a lead had appeared.
There are a total of 1.59 million unsolved cases in South Korea.
Among them, 26,000 are unsolved murder cases.
The unsolved case task force doesn’t investigate all of those cases.
They focus on the ones where new clues emerge, and then they reopen the investigations.
So, Juwon handed over the lead to Inspector Oh.
It was bait to start the case.
The family case of the director of the orphanage where he grew up.
Originally, it was a case he wouldn’t have even dreamed of solving, but after Terra appeared, Juwon was determined to solve it. No, he believed he could solve it.
But this time, it was difficult to push the case through at the Gangjung Office.
There were too many eyes watching, making it hard to move the investigation quietly, and the pressure was mounting, making it seem like the team’s skills wouldn’t be able to shine.
So, he subtly leaked it to Inspector Oh, and Inspector Oh took the bait well.
Of course, he had to pretend not to know.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Honestly, I didn’t feel great realizing I had taken the bait, but then I thought, ‘Am I really that needed?’ and it made me feel better.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Inspector.”
Juwon kept smiling and dodged the question.
He couldn’t outright say, “Yeah, I baited you, a senior officer, to get you involved.”
Then, Inspector Oh glanced at the tires of the car Juwon had arrived in and said,
“You’ve been to the orphanage, haven’t you?”
Juwon’s eyebrows twitched.
“There’s mud on the tires. Where else would you get mud around here these days? You’re an orphan, right? So, the answer is obvious. The orphanage? Or the nursing home near the orphanage director’s place?”
Before joining the unsolved case task force, he was the ace of the Seoul Police Investigation Unit.
As expected, he’s a ghost.
Juwon asked,
“It seems like you already know everything.”
“Even if it’s the unsolved case task force, aren’t you underestimating the Seoul Police detectives too much?”
This time, Inspector Oh smiled and took a step closer to Juwon.
“Still, our information network is probably better than the Gangjung Office’s.”
[Are you trying to challenge me?]
Suddenly, Terra’s competitive spirit flared up in an unnecessary place.
‘He was just joking…’
[I’m an AI, after all. If we’re talking about information capabilities, it’s a sore spot for me.]
‘Well, if it’s sore, you don’t have to say anything… but you don’t even have a mouth…’
[I’ll show you my information capabilities. No, I’ll show you how much my analytical skills, combined with my information capabilities, can contribute to solving the case.]
‘No, Inspector Oh isn’t the enemy. Why are you suddenly…’
[Tell him to expect it.]
With a sigh, Juwon opened his mouth.
Of course, he didn’t say, “Expect it.”
“Is that so?”
At Juwon’s relaxed response, Inspector Oh made an amused expression and pulled something out of his pocket, handing it to Juwon.
It was a can of coffee.
“Let’s talk for a bit while you drink that.”
