Seohyun had grieved so many times. The emptiness hollowed out her heart, a shear of nothingness that somehow took over her mind and threatened to kill her. She was afraid of the same repetitive pain that would envelop her in a choking embrace like once before. Afraid of spiraling into the endless despair that plunged her with a sharp-edged blade. Empty, almost on the verge of going insane. Or perhaps, she already was.

Adjusting the black ribbon tied in her hair, she greeted visitors as they clustered in to pay their condolences. They weren't many, only close friends and colleagues. Seohyun masked her face with a polite smile she practiced to wear before the funeral; it almost came naturally to deceive anyone of the stinging in her eyes.

Everyone looked at her through pitiful eyes, and she despised it.

Each word of condolence that lulled in her ears, and she would look away immediately as their eyes shifted to the casket behind her. She was scared to look back; one look, and she knew the bitter truth would shatter her senses to an ultimate breakdown.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." The simple words lingered as she recognized the smooth voice. Her eyes connected with those of Dr. Jong's as she turned to the side.

Eyes pooling with pity.

"Thanks," she muttered softly, her lips twisting to a mundane smile. Thunder roared outside the hall, crackling in the midnight sky with a rambunctious growl. Dr. Jong gently placed a hand on her shoulder, smoothing out the fabric of the black hanbok she was dressed in.

"I have to go. Ring me if you need anything, alright?" He sent her an apologetic look, before patting her shoulder and turning to leave.

The night rolled by like that, Seohyun entertaining visitors as they offered their best wishes and prayers. She couldn't think straight; she was in a daze and felt lost in a foggy mist of her feelings.

Jiwoo stood idly by a lone corner, observing the host from afar as if he was drinking in a lonely painting of a museum. Dressed in dark traditional clothing, he saw how vulnerable she looked. Even when she once stood behind bars, the esteemed lab coat she wore always seemed to give her a cunning flair. But this time, no amount of gentle smiles could cover her tired eyes and white barren face.

It was now nearly eleven, and the desolate function hall was now dimly lit with a handful of warm lights that illuminated the casket. Seohyun slowly turned around, afraid of the sight that confirmed her worst nightmares time and time again.

Gradually, she neared the altar, where the cheery face of her brother's portrait sat. It looked heavenly, surrounded by a grand arch of pure chrysanthemums and an array of fruits and wine below. She bit her lip, eyebrows crossing. A single tear slipped down her cheek like a raindrop scintillating on a glass pane.

"It can't be true. Please, tell me I've been lied to."

Seohyun whirled around, dashing out of the dim function hall and into the chilly night, only the thin hanbok clad to her skin. She ran into the depths of the midnight, adrenaline pulsing her body to move. She didn't know or care to which direction; she just needed to breathe.

She kept running as if something was chasing her. She was running away from the truth that wanted to consume her and rip her into pieces. Just as she was catching the wind, cold droplets began to fall, each splatter slowly staining the rough pavement and her dull dress. Her steps began to falter with each passing second; the mild drizzle escalated into a full-on shower of bullets.

The sharp echoing of violent rain stung her ears, and Seohyun stood there in the middle of an empty road. She sank to her knees on the cold, hard tarmac, not caring for the murky puddles that dirtied her dress. She looked up at the dreary skies as if she would be able to see him one last time.

Her tears mingled with the rain, and she clutched at her chest as if to claw out the pain ripping her heart out.

Her gasping wails echoed around the street. The agony was shriveling her inside out, eating her away with scorching pain that took away any strength left. It was more than crying; it was the ear-splitting sobbing that came from a person drained of all hope.

Seohyun poured out every bottled-up misery that shattered out of the fragile glass. She cried as if the ferocity of it might bring Seojin back, as if by the sheer force of her grief he would descend from the heavens and embrace her in the comfort of his soothing arms.

He was her brother, her only brother, and he could not be gone.

He was the single variable that remained constant in her life, the only family she had. Yet, he left her alone.

Seohyun hunched over, her hands gripping the concrete as she shivered, whilst the rain whipped at her back. She was entirely soaked to the skin by the relentless thunderstorm. Her eyes remained trained on the concrete, pieces of hair blocking her peripheral as it dripped like an open tap.

She froze momentarily. A coat draped over her back, and she felt hands circle around from behind, pulling her up to her feet.

Jiwoo spun her around to face him, and he instantly wrapped a gentle arm around her. It was a soothing embrace that welcomed the pain instead of dissolving it. Seohyun was pressed against the drenched fabric of his dress shirt, and she could feel his hard chest that echoed out his thumping heartbeat, almost tuning out the fierce storm.

She felt so fragile, leaning in his arms that didn't provide any warmth at all. He was cold and drenched just as she was, and it was a caress that promised more than mere shelter from the rain.

Even from a distance, I'll watch over you.

Just as I've admired you from afar.

"Jiwoo," she whispered his name, face pale and ashen. The rough asphalt beneath her feet suddenly felt like delicate clouds; it was then she knew she was on the verge of clocking out. She swayed for a moment before her eyes shut, and she welcomed the sweet oblivion as if it were an old friend.

***

Jiwoo maneuvered through the darkness his apartment with the young doctor in his arms. As he carried her, he could feel the slight curve of her legs in his palm, and the damp loose waves of her hair.

It was a moment of déjà vu once he laid Seohyun in his bed, reminiscing how he once did so the first time he saw her. Their first encounter was indeed a mystery, and Jiwoo, although confused, had come to realize he knew more than she did.

He sighed as he examined every fine detail of her face, illuminated by the warm glow of his bedside lamp. He stretched a gentle hand out to whisk away the bristles of hair that curtained her face. She moved in her unconsciousness at the slight brush of his knuckles, and Jiwoo let out the breath he was holding when she didn't wake.

Her dewy face was as if she was finally at peace, away from all the worries of the earth around her. Flushed lips parted slightly, and Jiwoo could only recollect the feeling of how it felt pressed on his own. He was attracted to her in more ways than she could have ever known.

As he turned to leave her to rest, Jiwoo felt a small tug on the corner of his dress shirt. "Please, stay for a while." The vulnerability in her meek voice sent thrills of goosebumps on his bare arms. The desperation in her tone melted him like a pool of sultry wax of a candle.

"Alright," he answered simply. His captivating voice lingered in her ears; pulling her into a dream.

She slowly lowered her hand. The strong vanilla aroma wafted in his room, almost intoxicating. Jiwoo sat by the side of the bed, eyes cast on her sleeping figure.

Time had been indefinite as he studied her, immune to the fatigue of his aching muscles. There was a mystifying, yet alluring air that followed her like an everlasting perfume. He was absolutely drawn to her, and it had been long until he couldn't deny that fact.

Convinced that she was now stirring in the depths of her sleep, Jiwoo stood up to walk away. As much as he savored the moment, he knew it would be greedy to think it might just last forever. Better to end it before disappointment caught up to him.

Jiwoo sauntered to his home office, where his desk was waiting with a mess of flailing and useless documents sprawled around his computer. Something had been gnawing at him, like a parasite feeding away his energy. Switching the monitor, his eyes steeled on the footage waiting to be played in an open folder.

The blue screen reflected on his face in the darkness of his home. His hand moved the mouse cautiously as if it were a trap. Clicking on it, Jiwoo braced himself for what was about to unfold on before him.

The daunting image of the familiar, yet unknown man, flashed before him like a jumpscare of a horror movie. He was standing there, still as a statue, mindlessly gazing at the gate. It was eerily disturbing, and Jiwoo felt nausea clenching his head and stomach from the scene.

He stood there for an hour, not moving or shifting at all in his place. Then at last, he shuffled around to leave. Jiwoo felt sick all of a sudden, the image of the stalker crawling like an unwanted pest glued in his mind. What bothered him was the clear possibility of her being the coveted target. Now, with her brother gone, they were a step closer to getting what they wanted.

The crime investigator desperately needed answers, yet, he was scared for what it might reveal to him. Since now, there was someone he didn't want to lose.

Even if she wasn't his, to begin with.

***

Seohyun plopped down on a seat behind her desk and lifted her eyes to meet Jiwoo's. There was a certain tranquility in his gaze, one that was like calm after chaos. "You know, if you're not ready to-"

"No, it's fine." Her mouth tightened to a bittersweet smile. It wasn't easy to relive that experience, but she had to push herself. There was a thirst for justice she needed to quench, and at whatever cost, she would make sure she wouldn't lose in this game of chase between cat and mouse.

"Seojin picked me up from work, and he told me that he resigned from his work and was planning to move to Busan. He wanted to bring me along since he thinks it's unsafe here." Seohyun looked away for a second, picking at her fingers from underneath the desk. "We got into an argument. I know Seojin better than anyone else. I don't think he resigned. He most likely got fired, and it was clear that he was hiding something from me."

Jiwoo nodded, jotting down the information on a leather-bound notebook. "And... that's when we discovered we were being followed. I think I could make out two cars in the dark, probably a sedan? We were cornered at some points on the street as well. Hence, we were forced to take a turn to the empty route leading to Incheon."

"It was nerve-wracking. I... I didn't think we would make it out alive. They were aiming bullets in our car, and we ended up driving into a dark forest."

There was a long silence that followed. Seohyun fidgeted in her chair, trying to keep down the lump that was lodged in her throat. "We made it on the other side of the forest, but our car was swerving everywhere. It was too hard to control, especially with the punctured tires. There was an incoming road tunnel and... Seojin crashed into the wall," Seohyun whispered the last sentence. She completely twisted her head to the side, blinking away the stinging feeling that buzzed in her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she replied, a grin curved on her mouth at a sad attempt to cheer herself up. "No one told us beforehand what was to come. But all I know is that I can't walk away like this. I'm not sure about what will happen to me, but all I know is that Seojin's death won't be in vain."

Seohyun took a moment to reflect. She truly wondered what her brother would've wanted her to do. Constantly proving herself against the odds was something she was good at, but she was always so meticulous of her next steps. Always knowing the consequences of each action she preceded.

This time, it was a blur. There were no steps in unmasking the spree of a talented murderer. But she was willing to take the risk, willing to bet with her life in a cynical play of wits.

"Almost instantly, I received another text from a burner phone." Seohyun slid her phone across the desk, the bare conversation displayed on the screen.

You're next

This was no accident. It was a magnum opus drawn with red, dedicated to me.

Jiwoo could feel shivers coiling his spine at the two words aimed at Seohyun. "You need to be very careful, Seohyun. This isn't a joke."

"I know..." she trailed off, pursing her lips together. A swift silence befell the room, and the two were entangled in the quietness of each passing second.

"I've never had an ounce of doubt for what you're capable of," Jiwoo began, a genuine smile laced on his lips. Seohyun raised an eyebrow, his sudden remark piquing her interest. "And all this time, you've always been so cunningly stubborn to stand your ground. I may not be your brother, but neither could I stand to see you get hurt."

Like a flowering petal of cherry blossom, I'd keep you from the first kiss of winter.

She looked away, heart fluttering as if there was a sunny filter covering her vision. "You know, I kinda miss when you're so cocky and full of yourself. But who knew Mr. Park Jiwoo could be this sweet?"

And yet, my forever is falling like the last petal of cherry blossom in the final stroke of spring.

Jiwoo could only chuckle, a gleam in his ever so mischievous eyes. "Well, what can I say? I just want to have you smitten by myself." Like what you've done to me.

Rolling her eyes, Seohyun brushed him off with a snide 'whatever'. But Jiwoo didn't miss the grin she tried to conceal. It was one that was airy and light, a streak of silver-lining that longed for something more.

***

Eunho had decided to check on Kitel, whilst he let Jiwoo interview Seohyun on the account of the 'accident'. If being planned counts as an accident.

Eunho knew the hospital staff were probably sick and fed up with his constant visits; behind their polite smiles was the dread of entertaining a pesky prosecutor.

He had no choice. They wouldn't enforce the security in the victim's room, so he took it upon himself to act as her guardian and make sure she was doing well. If being stuck in a coma can fit in the definition of 'doing well'.

Maneuvering the tight corridors of the hospital, he was desensitized to the commotion that erupted in the halls. It was as if he had been a doctor working here for years and had aged with the turmoil confined in these walls.

"Hello, Prosecutor Lee!" Nurse Kang had jumped right in front of him, radiating a silky grin that made her cheeks plush and rosy.

"Hi, Nurse Kang," came his curt reply. He sent her a polite bow, a little annoyed since he was impatient to reach Kitel's room. Huh, perhaps this is why Jiwoo is eye-candy and I'm not. Not like it bothered me anyway.

"I've seen you come here almost every day! Would you care to take a break at the lounge for a bit?" Eunho narrowed his eyes, confused at her advances.

"I'm in a bit of a hurry. Perhaps another time," he returned, flinging her a quick grin at an attempt to soften the blow of his rejection. He scurried past her, anxious to leave.

Finally, Eunho could see in the distance, the familiar patient room. Squinting, he twisted his head to the side, wondering why the door was wide open. He hastened his walk, almost to a full-speed jog.

"Hey!" Just as he arrived at the entrance, a man emerged as well. He pushed by his shoulder, draping a lab coat over his shoulders as he exited.

Eunho widened his eyes as he scrutinized him, catching a short glance of something marked on the nape of the man's neck. It was a glimpse that lasted for mere seconds but felt like a slow-motion scene in a movie that caught Eunho off guard for a moment too long.

His mouth opened to utter confusion, and before he could take another step to catch up with him, an alarming noise emitted from Kitel's room. Eunho snapped his head to the room, and from the doorway, he could see the victim shaking as if she was caged in a violent seizure.

"I need a doctor over here stat!"   

Hello dear readers how are you? I hope this chapter was alright, I had a hard time writing this and I'm not entirely satisfied with how it turned out but I hope it still called out to you and has its own charm like the others. Please ket me know what you think, your comments and thoughts and even constructive feedback are greatly appreciated ♡  Esp you ghost readers, don't be shy to reach out to me because I would love to interact with you guys as well! As always, please tap the little star so it can light up! Thank you so much everyone for your support! It inspires me to continue writing for you guys!