Eunho inhaled a deep breath before turning to face Jiwoo with a nervous look on his face. Jiwoo patted him on the back. A reassuring smile tugged on his rosy lips. “You’ve got this, don’t be too hard on yourself.” His face lit up like the sun rising at dawn, and relief washed over Eunho like waves rolling onto the shore.

The two men entered the interrogation room, and their stare fell directly on the man sitting down on a steel chair. His head was tilted down to the table, and he carefully lifted it to meet eye contact with both Jiwoo and Eunho.

Jiwoo sauntered to the other side of the table and prepared the camera to film the interrogation, while Eunho sat down across from the suspect, setting his papers on the table. Jiwoo could sense the anxiety radiating off Eunho, and his gaze traced back to the senior lawyers standing behind the soundproof glass, their stare grilling into Eunho’s back.

No one could see them through the glass, but their silent company was enough to pressure the young prosecutor.

He cleared his throat and began, “Mr. Gyeong Haneul, 26 years old. Currently jobless. You’re being charged with attempted murder on Kwon Jun Hae four days ago.” Eunho held an impressed look as he reviewed the case for the umpteenth time that day. He set aside the legal papers and intertwined both his hands together in front of him.

“So, Mr. Gyeong, I believe you’re fully aware of the serial killer on the run, correct?” Eunho stated, challenging the accused with a serious stare. “I’ve carefully reviewed your case and investigated thoroughly without missing a single detail.” He slowly added, an intimidating tone coating each word.

Eunho was always quiet and polite, but his demeanor always changed whenever he’s on the job. Since he was a fresh graduate, he struggled to keep up with the cases that toppled his desk. However, he was passionate about serving justice and unforgivingly prosecuted each criminal he encountered with confidence.

“You’ve meticulously collected every article about him, and the search history on your laptop syncs perfectly with your recent activity. I have a carbon copy of this receipt that shows you bought a long-range pistol the day before you tried to kill Mr. Kwon." Eunho slid the paper on the table to Mr. Gyeong, who sat there calmly, his face caught off guard for just a split second.

“And...? Is it wrong to be interested in the news? I just want to make sure I’ll be staying safe these days. And the gun I have purchased? I’ve got a license to prove I have no motives,” he replied slyly, a deceiving smile painting his lips. “That is nothing but circumstantial evidence; it would be of no use in the court.” Jiwoo disapprovingly shook his head, biting his lip to catch himself from interrupting the interrogation.

“You can keep giving more excuses, Mr. Gyeong, but you can never run away from the truth,” Eunho warned, raising his eyebrows at him. “Let’s cut right to the chase, your motive for attempting to murder Mr. Kwon? He interfered as he noticed you were about to pursue your plan of killing an unsuspecting victim, hence why you bought the gun. You were obsessed with the psychotic mind of a criminal until you became one.”

“You may have been quick to cover your tracks. But I think what I’m about to show you next will help change your mind.” Mr. Gyeong furrowed his eyebrows and squinted his eyes at Eunho. The young prosecutor grabbed his report and handed it over to the suspect.

In a blink of an eye, it wiped the triumphant look off Mr. Gyeong’s face, and his breaths became ragged as his eyes swiftly traced the words on the report. “No!” He slammed his fist on the table and stood up from his chair that screeched against the floor. “This can’t be! I was sure that all the evidence from the scene was completely erased!” Mr. Gyeong thundered, his eyes holding nothing but a fiery rage. Eunho rose both his eyebrows. A newfound satisfaction spread on his face.

“Mr. Gyeong, are you implying that you committed the crime by admitting to covering up the evidence?” Mr. Gyeong abruptly snatched the prosecutor’s collar and stared at him straight in the eye.

Alarmed, Jiwoo rose from his chair but didn’t dare to interfere. The room was caught in an apprehensive atmosphere, and the audience could only hold their breath to witness what happens next.

“Yes, I tried to kill Junhae.”

Mr. Gyeong let go of Eunho with a violent push, causing him to stagger backwards. After regaining his composure, Eunho looked back at the defendant. “Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Gyeong. I believe this is all I need from you. I shall see you in court tomorrow.” After a polite bow and an unforgiving smile, Eunho picked up the report from the table and turned to walk out of the room.

“Hey!” The perpetrator charged after Eunho from behind, and in a swift motion, he lifted his fist to swing a punch at the unsuspecting man but was stopped by Jiwoo, who seized his arm before he could proceed.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!” The criminal howled out in pain as Jiwoo pulled his arm backwards, twisting it in an unnatural position. Mr. Gyeong fell on his knees in defeat as he struggled to loosen Jiwoo‘s harsh grip on his arm. As Eunho exited the room, a team of policemen marched right in and picked up Mr. Gyeong from the floor.

“Hey! Get off of me!” He fought out of the guard’s firm grip on him but was inevitably handcuffed. He sent a sharp look in Jiwoo‘s direction, who shoved his hands in the pockets of his dark slacks, unaffected.

“I swear on the devil that this won’t be the last you’ll see of me.” Mr. Gyeong sneered. Jiwoo gave him a bitter smile in response.

“Of course, I’ll be witnessing your trial tomorrow,” he replied, and watched as Mr. Gyeong was dragged out of the interrogation room, profanities bouncing off the cemented walls as he was taken away.

* * *

“Thank you,” The girl politely greeted as Seohyun cleared up the empty tray of food in front of her patient. Seohyun nodded in response, with a small smile as she continued to clean up for her.

“Breaking News, the perpetrator Gyeong Haneul has been prosecuted in the trial today.” Seohyun‘s ears perked up as the news started ringing through the room but didn’t bother to check the tv. “The man who has confessed to attempting to murder Kwon Jun Hae has pleaded guilty in court and therefore has been sentenced to 5 years in prison.” Seohyun creased her eyebrows together, suddenly interested in the press release as she scribbled down the prescription list for her patient.

That name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before? Finally, she lifted her head to watch the tv screen, which showcased the criminal trudging out of a building with his hands cuffed behind his back, two policemen following closely.

“Mr. Gyeong, is it true what Prosecutor Kim Eunho said about your motives?”

“What can you say about Mr. Kwon? Do you regret injuring him?”

“How were you able to hide the evidence in such a short time?”

The man scorned at the journalists as they swarmed around him, bombarding him with an endless trail of questions. “None of your business! Get lost!” he barked, before being forced into the police car.

Seohyun handed the paper to the patient, who was caught up in the newscast. “Here’s your new prescription. I’ll come back in a while to make sure you’ve taken your medication, alright?” The patient nodded, now focusing her attention on Seohyun.

“Thank you, Dr. Min...” She trailed off before her eyes flickered back again at the screen. “It’s such a great job they caught the perpetrator before he would’ve caused some riot, right?” she added, talking over the reporter who attempted to interview the young prosecutor.

Seohyun could only agree, also looking at the tv. Huh, that man is quite young... and impressive. Have I seen him around before? “Well, I shall leave you to rest. Don’t forget to take the prescription!” she reminded once again as she exited the patient’s room with a cart.

After putting away the empty trays of food in the hospital canteen, Seohyun made a beeline for the comfort room, her bladders ready to explode out of her abdomen.

“Woah.” As Seohyun was about to enter the comfort room, she was pushed aside by a hospital staff, her dainty hands covering her face.

Seohyun, dumbfounded, squinted at the girl as she disappeared out the comfort rooms and down the hallways. What’s with her...?

* * *

The city was alive with bright lights that obscured the night sky and were crowded with people bustling in the streets. Seohyun walked down the sidewalk, ignoring each shop and restaurant she passed by. Her eyes were glued to the textbook she gripped in her hands, and she relied on her feet to navigate the way.

Unaware that she had set foot on a flight of stairs down a subway, she slipped and her textbook had flown out of her hands. Staggering forwards, Jiwoo instinctively held out his arms to catch the bewildered doctor. “Woah.” He took a hold of her hands in his, and Seohyun immediately steadied herself.

They fixed their gaze on each other, sparking a silent conversation. It wasn’t an uncomfortable stare, but one that stood like sweet silence before dawn. As if a trance captivated her, Seohyun murmured underneath her breath, “Your hands are quite warm,”

Jiwoo rose an eyebrow, not expecting those words to escape her mouth. “And I think you’re out of your mind, Dr. Min,” he replied, letting go of her hands. We meet too often for it to be a coincidence... “Where are you heading to?”

As if Seohyun had gathered up her senses, she straightened out her coat and cleared her throat. “Ah, I’m heading home. Just finished work at the hospital.” Jiwoo frowned, unconvinced.

“Dr. Min, we’re neighbors.” Seohyun looked at Jiwoo, dumbfounded. “You’re heading to the subway because...?”

“No way, subway?” Seohyun peered over Jiwoo’s shoulder to find a crowd of people pouring out of the metro with blank faces as they climbed up the stairs.

Jiwoo leaned closer to Seohyun, who was a step higher than him. He closed the little proximity of space between them and brought his lips to her ear. Seohyun stood there, frozen on the spot. The scent of vanilla filled her senses; the hairs on the back of her neck sparked right up. She could feel his warm breath tickling the curve of her exposed neck.

“Are you drunk, Dr. Min?” he muttered, trying to be as discrete as possible.

“No!” Seohyun shrieked. Before she could even think for another second, her chalky hand cracked across Jiwoo’s cheek. The slap was as loud as a clap and stung his face. It had been an open-handed smack, and it had left a red welt behind. Just below his eye was a minor cut where her nails had scratched him. Jiwoo staggered backwards, clutching his face. His eyes stretched open in shock as the people who witnessed the events occur between the two gossiped and walk by quicker.

“Ah, I... I’m sorry, bye!” Seohyun offered a messy bow and began hurriedly walking away.

“Hey... Hey!” Jiwoo attempted to call after her, but could only watch her sprint into the distance and disappear like a candle flickering in the dark. “Crazy woman, what kind of doctor injures people.” Jiwoo shook his head to himself and was about to finish the stairs when something on the ground caught his eye.

He bent down to pick up the textbook which was sprawled out on the stairs and carefully scrutinized every detail of it. “Tch, I can only imagine how expensive these kinds of books are.” She is so lucky I’m being nice to her, no matter how many times she’ll piss me off. Jiwoo wiped off the invisible specks of dust on his suit, before walking out of the subway and following the doctor.

Seohyun stopped halfway through her run to catch her breath. She could hear her pulse drumming in her ears, and her lungs tried to grasp on to whatever oxygen it could reach. I think... I think I lost him... for now. A pang of guilt pierced her heart like a sword that plunged right through her chest.

“Argh, why am I so stupid!” Seohyun repeatedly banged her hand against her forehead, as if to try to smack some sense into herself. He’ll be okay, right? It was just a scratch... I think. Seohyun threaded her fingers through her hair, frustrated, before starting to walk steadily again.

I’m almost home, so I can finally study again in peace. It was only in the stillness of the late evening that she could hear the wind rustling through the trees as if it was calling out her name. “Am I missing something?” Seohyun looked down to realize she wasn’t holding the textbook she had been reading a while ago.

A soundless gasp escaped her lips, and she began to frantically rummage through her backpack for the textbook, fully aware it wasn’t in her bag. Her steps slowed down to a full stop as she aggressively dug through her things for the book and grew annoyed with the dim light that the moon provided for her. “No! This can’t be happening! Arghh! I can’t believe I’m this clumsy!” Seohyun zipped her bag up and swung it around her shoulder before heavily trudging again on the sidewalk, mumbling profanities under her breath.

As she rounded the corner, she lifted her gaze to the road in front of her.

“Hey! Let me go!”

Seohyun clutched on to her backpack and immediately stood back in fear as she watched the incident transpire before her eyes.

In the hazy darkness, a shadowed figure had coiled his arm around a young girl’s neck. She desperately tried to wrestle out of his hold and vigorously shook her head side to side to avoid the white cloth chasing after her mouth.

Unaware that a third party had arrived to witness the scene, the man pulled out a pocketknife from behind and pressed it against the girl’s neck. She dropped her bag and whimpered, tears streaming down her distressed face.

Seohyun stood still like a pole, unable to fathom the sight before he. She helplessly watched as the girl gave in to the rag being forced on her mouth and her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she leaned into the man holding her.

Finally, as if something snapped inside Seohyun, she scrambled and snatched the cellphone from her back pocket. “Hey!” The man turned his head to find Seohyun standing on the other side of the road.

“M-my brother works in the police force! Let that woman go before I-I call someone!” she yelled. The man swiftly picked up the woman in his arms and dashed across the road. Seohyun threw her bag on the ground, ready to chase after him.

“Stop!” Jiwoo, who had been watching from behind the corner, blocked Seohyun before she could run after the man. Sidetracked, she wobbled back as Jiwoo sprinted after the kidnapper like a flash of lightning.

As he was close to catching up with the man, another person popped up from the corner of the street and threw an unforgiving punch straight to Jiwoo‘s face.

Seohyun gasped as she watched Jiwoo fall from the impact, his head colliding with the rough asphalt. Instinctively, she ran up to help him, adrenaline electrifying her senses. “Hey, hey Jiwoo, are you okay?” Seohyun knelt beside him, patting his shoulders and shaking him awake.

While Seohyun attempted to prop Jiwoo up, a stream of bright lights from a van blinded the two. Dumfounded, Seohyun widened her eyes as the van rammed into their direction with a roaring engine.

Seohyun grabbed Jiwoo by the collar and gathering all the strength she had, she pulled him away from the road with only an inch to spare as it sped right past their peripheral.

The van ran off, Seohyun tried to decipher the plate number, but the plate was blank. All she could do was watch the van disappear into the abyss of the night like a candle going out.

* * *

“Tsk tsk...” Seohyun dabbed a cotton ball on to Jiwoo’s forehead to stop the bleeding. “You even busted your lip Mr. Park.” She noted, putting a hand under his chin to examine the bruise.

“Hey! Be careful!” Jiwoo cringed, sending a glare to Seohyun.

“Sorry,” she replied, sticking a band-aid to his temple. She picked up a cloth soaked in ice-cold water and pressed it against his lip. Her gaze traced to his plump and ever so rosy lips that were lined with cracks from the cold night. She looked away and continued to wipe off the excess blood from the corner of his mouth.

Seohyun worked in silence. The apprehensive ambiance embraced the two as if it was suffocating them. The events of earlier left unspoken in a forbidden cave of secrecy.

“Sorry... for slapping you,” Seohyun suddenly blurted out, her finger tracing the small cut underneath Jiwoo’s right eye.

He huffed and sent her a coy grin. “How ironic for a doctor to harm her patients,” he teased, and watched as her lips thinned out to a straight line whilst she applied the cream to his cut.

“There...” Seohyun stepped back to get a clear view of Jiwoo. His hair was disheveled, and his suit was in a disarray than when they first met. But weirdly enough, to Seohyun, he still seemed attractive.

“Hey, Mr. Park. Don’t you think we should report this to the police?” Jiwoo immediately frowned upon hearing her suggestion.

“Perhaps if we do it now, there would still be a chance of catching the guy. You and I were witnesses to the kidnapping!” she exclaimed, folding her arms on top of her chest. “I’m sincerely worried for that girl... who knows how many victims will fall into the kidnapper’s arms.”

“I know, but it wouldn’t be easy to catch this guy. Do you think the police will act upon our statements alone?”

“Besides, what evidence do we have if we go to the police right now? Have you seen their faces? The plate number? Girl’s identity? Anything that could offer a lead to the police?”

They stood in complete stillness, unsure of what to do or say next. Jiwoo could see the disappointment painting her soft features and sighed. “Let’s report it tomorrow, I think now may not be the smartest time to go out.”

Seohyun inhaled a deep breath, then her stare flickered to Jiwoo. “First thing in the morning. You and I should go together. No protests.” She held a finger up as if she was scolding a little boy, determination eminent in her tone.

Jiwoo, unable to protest, could only shrug his shoulders and agree.

Hello dear readers! I've just edited some minor errors on this chapter, and I think it's better now! What did you guys think of this compared to the previous chapters? I hope it definitely was a change for you! I'd love to know your thoughts! Also, do make that tiny star bright to show some love for this book! Cheers~