The truth never comes willingly.
You have to pull it out.
⸻
CID — Interrogation Room
The room was small.
Cold.
Unforgiving.
A single table.
Two chairs.
And silence pressing against the walls.
Kang Ara sat across from the witness, a middle-aged woman clutching her bag tightly.
Her name: Mrs. Choi.
Neighbor of the victim.
Nervous.
Unstable.
Important.
⸻
Ara Takes Control
"You said you saw someone that night," Ara said calmly.
Not aggressive.
Not soft.
Controlled.
Mrs. Choi nodded quickly. "Yes… I think so."
"Take your time," Ara said. "Start from the beginning."
A pause.
Then—
"I heard voices," the woman said. "Not loud… just talking."
Ara leaned slightly forward.
"Male voices?"
"Yes."
"Two?"
"Yes… I think so."
⸻
The Detail
Ara's eyes sharpened slightly.
"What time was this?"
"…around ten."
Ara and Kang Min—watching from behind the glass—both registered it immediately.
Right before the estimated time of death.
⸻
Pressure Builds
"Did anything sound unusual?" Ara asked.
Mrs. Choi hesitated.
Her fingers tightened.
"I… I'm not sure…"
Ara didn't interrupt.
Didn't rush her.
Just waited.
And that silence—
Forced the memory forward.
"…it was strange," the woman said finally.
"How?"
Another pause.
Then—
"They sounded… calm."
⸻
Behind the Glass
Bong Soo frowned. "Calm?"
"That's not normal," Su Young added quietly.
"No," Kang Min said.
"It's not."
⸻
Back Inside
Ara didn't react outwardly.
But she adjusted her tone slightly.
Sharper now.
"Did you hear anything else?"
Mrs. Choi swallowed.
"…after a while… it got quiet."
"How quiet?"
The woman's voice dropped.
"Too quiet."
⸻
The Moment
Ara leaned in slightly.
"And then?"
Mrs. Choi's eyes trembled.
"I looked through my door camera…"
Ara didn't move.
Didn't breathe too loudly.
"Did you see him?"
A long pause.
Then—
"Yes."
⸻
The Description
"What did he look like?" Ara asked.
Mrs. Choi shook her head quickly.
"I didn't see clearly—he was wearing a cap… and it was dark…"
Ara's expression didn't change.
"Anything you remember matters."
The woman hesitated again.
Then—
"…his eyes."
⸻
Silence
Behind the glass—
Kang Min stilled.
Completely.
⸻
Ara Pushes Further
"What about his eyes?" Ara asked quietly.
Mrs. Choi's voice dropped to almost a whisper.
"They didn't look… human."
A chill passed through the room.
"He wasn't angry," she continued.
"He wasn't rushed…"
Her breathing grew uneven.
"It was like he was just… looking at everything."
⸻
The Exit
Ara leaned back slightly.
"Did he see you?"
Mrs. Choi shook her head quickly.
"No… I don't think so."
A pause.
Then—
"He just walked away."
⸻
After the Interrogation
The door opened.
Ara stepped out.
Kang Min was already waiting.
"Well?" he asked.
Ara exhaled slightly.
"He talks to them."
Kang Min nodded once.
"I figured."
"But that's not the worst part," she added.
He looked at her.
And for the first time—
There was something heavier in her expression.
"He's calm," she said.
"Too calm."
⸻
A New Layer
Bong Soo rubbed the back of his neck.
"So… we're dealing with a psycho who likes conversations?"
Jae In spoke quietly from the side.
"No."
They all looked at him.
"He's not just talking," Jae In said.
"He's controlling the moment."
Ara nodded slowly.
"Yes."
⸻
Summons
"Captain."
An officer approached quickly.
"The prosecution office requested your presence."
Ara frowned. "Already?"
"For what?" Bong Soo asked.
The officer replied—
"The Ghost Eyes case."
⸻
Prosecution Office
The building was quiet.
Refined.
Structured.
A place where everything had order.
Unlike the chaos they were chasing.
Kang Min and Ara walked side by side.
Neither spoke.
Both thinking.
⸻
The First Meeting
The door opened.
Inside—
A man stood by the window.
Back facing them.
Composed.
Still.
"Detective Song."
His voice was calm.
Refined.
Controlled.
He turned slowly.
This was Prosecutor Lee Tae Jun.
Sharp suit.
Sharp gaze.
Unshakable presence.
"I've been expecting you."
⸻
First Impressions
Ara observed him carefully.
Everything about him felt… precise.
Measured.
Nothing wasted.
Nothing careless.
Kang Min's gaze met his.
Briefly.
Then held.
⸻
The Conversation
"I've reviewed your case," Tae Jun said, walking toward them.
"Interesting pattern."
Ara spoke first.
"We believe it's serial."
Tae Jun nodded.
"I agree."
A pause.
Then—
"But you lack evidence."
Direct.
Clean.
Unapologetic.
⸻
Tension
"We're building it," Ara replied.
Tae Jun studied her briefly.
Then looked at Kang Min.
"You're leading this case personally."
Not a question.
A statement.
Kang Min didn't respond.
Didn't explain.
Didn't justify.
⸻
A Subtle Moment
Tae Jun's gaze lingered for just a second longer.
As if—
Measuring him.
Then—
He smiled slightly.
Professional.
Controlled.
"I'll be overseeing this case closely."
⸻
The Exit
As Kang Min and Ara turned to leave—
Tae Jun spoke again.
"Detective Song."
Kang Min stopped.
Didn't turn.
"…be careful."
A pause.
Then—
"Some truths are better left buried."
⸻
Outside
The door closed behind them.
Ara frowned slightly.
"…what was that?"
Kang Min didn't answer immediately.
His expression remained calm.
But his mind—
Was not.
"That wasn't advice," he said finally.
"It was a warning."
⸻
Elsewhere
Back in the office—
Tae Jun stood alone.
The room silent once again.
He looked at the file on his desk.
Then at the door.
Where they had just left.
And slowly—
A faint smile formed.