upright
Jae Ahn felt as if she had barely closed her eyes when the morning light began to aggressively bleed through the window blinds. Her eyelids felt like sandpaper, and her brain was a foggy, throbbing mess from the total lack of sleep. Before she could even attempt to drag herself out of bed, a loud, heavy rhythmic pounding rattled her front door.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Jae Ahn! Are you in there? Are you still sleeping?" Jongsuk's voice boomed through the thin wood of the apartment door. "Wake up! Wake up!"
Incensed by the sheer volume of his voice so early in the morning, Jae Ahn bolted uprYout and screamed toward the entryway. "Heaaaaaa! Don't break my door down! Wait a minute, I'm coming!"
She stormed over, twisting the lock with a sharp click. Ahuuttt! She swung the door open so suddenly that the wood vibrated against the stopper.
Jongsuk stood there, looking surprisingly put together despite his own recent ordeal. He blinked at her wild hair and dark under-eye circles. "You're actually awake," he remarked, a hint of surprise in his voice.Cutting
"When did ICuttingor me to wake up?" Jae Ahn whispered bitterly under her breath, rubbing her temples.
Jongsuk tilted his head, adjusting his jacket. "Huh? I didn't catch that. What did you say?"
"Nothing," Jae Ahn snapped, waving her hand dismissively to cut him off. "Let's get back to work. I found something incredibly important last night, and I need to show you."
Jongsuk's expression instantly sharpened, the easygoing neighbor mask dropping away. "About the CCTV footage?"
"Yes," Jae Ahn answered, stepping aside to let him into the apartment.
As she walked toward the kitchen to splash cold water on her face, she called out, "I told you last night at a specific point in the footage, he gets a call on his phone. He looks down at the screen, but right at that exact millisecond, some kind of noise from behind him forces him to turn around. That's why the camera caught his face."
Jongsuk followed her to the living room but pointed firmly toward the bathroom. "Ok, but first, go and get freshened up. You look like a zombie. I'll look at the footage while you do."
Noticeably exhausted
A few minutes later, Jae Ahn eNoticeably exhaustedlightly clearer. Jongsuk was already sitting on the sofa, his eyes glued to the laptop screen, rewinding the grainy video over and over again.
She walked up behind him, her damp hair dripping onto her shoulders. "What are you analyzing in the video now?" she asked.We've
"Nothing new," We'veuk replied, his voice heavy with frustration. "Just trying to see what he saw. It's stiWe've'velurry."
"Well, I have something much more important to say," Jae Ahn said, a triumphant, dangerous smile spreading across her face. She reached past his shoulder and tapped a notepad on the coffee table. "I found the number."
Jongsuk froze. He looked up at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How? I mean... how did you find it? The rain completely washed out the pixels on the screen."
Jae Ahn rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "How, how, how. Dummy, use your brain! There are dozens of forensic software websites and digital enhancement tools available if you know where to look. You just have to isolate the light reflections from the screen. It took all night, but I cleared up the blur."
A heavy, suffocating silence fell between them as Jongsuk stared at the ten digits written on the paper. The reality of what they were doing was finally settling in. They weren't just investigating a case anymore; they were hunting a ghost who shared Jongsuk's face.
"What do we do now?" Jongsuk asked, his throat dry.
"What do you think?" Jae Ahn said, her eyes flashing. "I'm taking a shot in the dark to find the truth."
Without hesitation, she picked up her phone, dialed the newly discovered number, and pressed speakerphone.
Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring...
With every chime, Jae Ahn's chest tightened. Nobody was receiving the call. She let out a frustrated sigh and was just about to press the red button to cut the call, but suddenly, the ringing stopped. The line went live.
"H-e-l-l-o?"
The voice on the other end was cautious, low, and terrifyingly . Jae Ahn's eyes widened to the size of saucers. She locked eyes with Jongsuk, and for a terrifying moment, they just stared at each other in absolute shock. The voice sounded almost colder. Empty.
"Hello?" the person on the other side spoke again, a hint of irritation creeping in. "Is anyone there?"
Jae Ahn forced her voice to remain steady, injecting it with a freezing, authoritative calm. "I know what happened five days ago at the abandoned car parking area," she said, her words dripping with silent menace. "If you don't want anyone else finding out about it... you will contact me."
The moment the last word left her mouth, she slammed her thumb on the screen and cut the call.
Jongsuk jumped up from the sofa, frantic. "Why did you cut the call before hearing what he had to say? We could have tracked his location!"
"Use your brain, Jongsuk!" Jae Ahn countered, her adrenaline pumping. "The moment I mentioned the parking area, his entire breathing pattern changed. I heard it clearly through the speaker. He got incredibly nervous. By cutting the call immediately, it forces him into a panic. He knows someone is watching him now. If he wants to protect his secret, he will absolutely contact us. Just wait."
Jongsuk slowly sat back down, processing her strategy. A slow nod formed on his face. "Now I understand. It's a psychological trap."
"Exactly," Jae Ahn said, grabbing her jacket from the rack. "Okk. Let's go then!"
"Where?" Jongsuk asked, hurrying after her.
"Did you forget? We still have to find the specific reason that made him turn around in that alleyway. Because if he turned, it means someone else was there. We need to find whoever witnessed that murder."
When they descended into the dark car lobby, Jae Ahn tossed the keys directly at Jongsuk's chest. "You drive," she mumbled, slumping into the passenger seat. "I don't have a single ounce of energy left in my body."
Jongsuk caught the keys silently, sliding into the driver's seat and starting the engine. As they navigated the winding morning streets toward the crime scene, the gentle motion of the car began to lull Jae Ahn to sleep. Her head bobbed against the window. Noticeable to her exhaustion, Jongsuk deliberately slowed the vehicle's speed, trying to drive as smoothly as possible. But the unavoidable jerking of the city traffic kept waking her up in fits and starts.
Some time later, the car came to a final stop. Jongsuk turned to her, his voice calm and gentle. "Wake up, Jae Ahn. We're arrived."
Jae Ahn blinked, rubbing her eyes and speaking in a groggy, fluffy voice. "We're arrived? Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"
"I tried, but you were dead to the world," Jongsuk said with a small smile.
"Okk. Let's go then."
They stepped out into the damp, gray morning near the old industrial sector. To cover more ground, they decided to split up.
"We go different ways," Jae Ahn instructed. "I'll search the immediate residential perimeter to see if anyone heard anything. You head down toward the nearby taxi stop. Cab drivers see everything at night; see if anyone remembers a strange vehicle or a person running."
Jae Ahn marched toward the neighborhood alleyways, flashing her badge and asking every pedestrian she ran into. "Excuse me, did you notice anything unusual happening here five nights ago?"
Most people just shook their heads, muttered an apology, and walked away. The answers were a frustrating string of dead ends. But just as she was about to give up, she approached a young girl in a school uniform walking down the sidewalk.
When Jae Ahn asked her the same question, the girl instantly froze. Her eyes darted wildly, and a visible wave of hesitation washed over her features. "I... I don't know anything," the girl stammered.
Jae Ahn's internal alarms went off. Something felt incredibly wrong.
The girl immediately tried to ignore Jae Ahn, quickening her pace and pushing past her.
"Hey, little girl, come here for a second," Jae Ahn called out, her suspicion rising.
The girl didn't even reply. She broke into a fast walk, practically running away. Jae Ahn didn't chase her immediately; instead, she whipped out her phone and furiously typed a message to Jongsuk:
Hey Jongsuk, I sent my location. Come here quickly. I think I found someone who knows.
A second later, his reply flashed: Wait, I'm coming.
Jae Ahn picked up her pace, her boots clicking loudly okinst the asphalt as she trailed the fleeing student. "Hey girl! Can't you wait up for me? I just want to talk!"
The girl kept ignoring her, her shoulders hunched in fear. Finally, Jae Ahn's patience snapped. The stress of the case and the lack of sleep boiled over into anger.
"Hey! Are you going to stop, or do I have to force you?" Jae Ahn yelled, her voice echoing off the brick walls. "I know you know something about that incident!"
The sheer authority in Jae Ahn's voice terrified the girl. She shrieked, stumbling to a halt. Jae Ahn closed the distance in seconds, reaching out to grab the girl's shoulder to spin her around.
Smash!
In a blind panic, the girl whipped around, a flash of silver appearing in her hand. It was a small pocket knife. Shnt! Shnt! She threw a wild, desperate slash right at Jae Ahn's face.
Jae Ahn's instincts, honed by years of training, kicked in instantly. She ducked beneath the blade, her hand shooting out like a viper to grab the girl's wrist. With a sharp twist, she forced the girl to drop the weapon, kicking the knife to the opposite side of the alleyway.
Right at that exact chaotic moment, Jongsuk burst around the corner. Seeing the struggle, he lunged forward and grabbed the girl tightly from behind, pinning her arms to her sides so she couldn't strike again.
The girl started screaming at the top of her lungs.
"Aaaaaaahnsssssssss!
Let go of me! Please! I don't know anything about that accident!"
Jae Ahn froze, a dangerous, clever look entering her eyes. She stepped closer, leaning down to look the trembling girl in the face.
"Strange," Jae Ahn whispered, her voice dangerously calm. "But... we didn't ask you anything about an accident."
The girl's breath hitched. She realized she had just trapped herself. Tears began to stream down her face, her voice cracking with pure terror. "Okk, fine! I'll tell you everything! Please just let me go, please! I'm begging you, please!"
Jongsuk maintained a firm but gentle hold on her, pulling out his phone with his free hand and opening the voice recorder app. "Speak," he commanded softly.
The girl took a ragged, shaking breath. "I... I was just going home from school. But that day, me and my friend made a plan to go to the game parlor after class. So I was late heading home. When I reached this alleyway, my bicycle chain suddenly got caught and snapped off. I stopped right over there to try and fix it."
She pointed a trembling finger toward a dark corner of the alley. "At that exact moment, a car stopped in front of the alley entrance. It was a little far away, so I could hear him, but I couldn't see his face clearly. At first, I was actually about to call out to him to help me fix my bike... but then I saw what he was doing."
The girl swallowed hard, her whole body shaking against Jongsuk's grip. "He was dragging a dead body out of the trunk. My hands started shaking so badly that I lost control of my bicycle. It dropped against the metal railing. Clack! That was the sound. He turned back instantly because of the noise, and our eyes met."
Jae Ahn leaned in closer, barely breathing. "Did he chase you?"
"No," the girl wept. "He didn't chase me, and he didn't try to kill me. After seeing me, I was frozen for a moment, completely paralyzed with fear. But he just... he finished disposing of the body, got back into his car, and drove away without harming me."
Jae Ahn looked at her deeply, searching for any sign of a lie. "That's... that's it? That is everything that happened? Did you hide anything else from me? Look at me, girl. If you know anything else, please tell us without hiding it."
The girl nodded violently, her uniform collar soaked with tears. "That's all! That's all I have to say, I swear!"
"Okk. Give me your contact number," Jae Ahn said, pulling out her own phone. "And if anything strange happens, you call me immediately. Listen to me carefully: that killer saw your face. He knows there is a witness to his work now, and he might try to harm you to close your mouth. Take care of yourself. Do not go to any isolated places with your friends for the next few months. Stay inside your house, okk? And call me every single day when you get back home from school. Okk?"
"Okk," the girl sobbed.
Jongsuk finally released his grip, letting the girl go. The moment she felt her arms free, she didn't even look back. She sprinted down the alleyway, running straight toward the main street without stopping.
The Target is Hit
As they walked back toward the parked car, the heavy adrenaline fade began to make Jae Ahn's limbs feel like lead. Suddenly, the phone in her jacket pocket began to violently vibrate.
Buzz... Buzz...
She pulled it out. It was a text message. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the sender it was the exact unknown number she had dialed this morning.
She swiped the screen open. The message was short, sharp, and laced with panic:
Who are you? And how did you know about this?
Jae Ahn let out a breathless, euphoric laugh, showing the screen to Jongsuk. "Wooaaaa... I just shot in the dark, but it went straight to where it needed to go. The bullet hit the target."
Jongsuk's eyes burned with a newfound determination. "Let's go then. Let's catch this killer."
"Yeaaaaaaaaaaa! Now I'm finally feeling good, Jongsuk," Jae Ahn laughed, the exhaustion completely vanishing from her system, replaced by the thrill of the hunt.
She reached out, grabbing Jongsuk's hand tightly, pulling him along with an infectious energy. "Come on, let's get to the car!"