The case was officially closed three days later.
Paperwork cleared.
Reports finalized.
Statements reviewed.
Everything pointed in one direction—clean, complete, undeniable.
The mall owner had confessed.
The evidence supported it.
The motive was clear.
There was nothing left to question.
For once, the outcome felt straightforward.
At the Central Investigation Division, that didn't happen often.
A small gathering was arranged
One of the senior officers stood in front of the room, addressing the CID team.
"You handled the situation efficiently," he said. "From uncertainty to resolution in a short time."
Kang Min stood quietly with his team beside him.
"The quick response, the follow-up investigation, and the recovery of critical evidence," the officer continued, "all of it made the difference."
Ara gave a slight nod.
Su Young remained composed.
Bong Soo tried not to smile too much.
"Good work," the officer finished.
Simple.
But enough.
Once the formalities ended, Bong Soo stretched his arms dramatically.
"That's it? No bonus speech? No dramatic music?" he said.
Ara gave him a look.
"You want a medal too?"
"I mean… I wouldn't mind," he replied.
Su Young shook her head.
"You're impossible."
Kang Min picked up his jacket.
"We're going out."
Bong Soo blinked.
"…wait, what?"
"Dinner," Kang Min said.
Ara looked at him, slightly surprised.
"You're suggesting this?"
"Yes."
Bong Soo lit up immediately.
"Captain, I've always believed in you!"
"Don't push it," Kang Min replied.
Restaurant – Later That Night
The place was lively but not crowded.
Warm lighting.
Soft music.
The kind of place where people could relax without thinking too much.
Bong Soo was already halfway through his drink.
"This is what success tastes like," he declared.
Ara leaned back slightly.
"It's just food."
"No," Bong Soo insisted. "It's victory."
Su Young took a sip of her drink.
"You're getting loud."
"I'm always loud," he said proudly.
Kang Min sat quietly, watching them.
For a moment—
It felt normal
Just a team sharing a meal.
"Still," Ara said after a while, "it wrapped up faster than expected."
Su Young nodded.
"The evidence helped."
Bong Soo leaned forward.
"That flash drive saved everything."
Kang Min didn't respond immediately.
"It did," he said finally.
There was something about that case—
Something unsettling beneath the surface.
Not the crime itself.
But how close it came to being missed.
"Let's not talk about work," Bong Soo said suddenly.
Ara raised an eyebrow.
"You just brought it up."
"I changed my mind," he replied.
Su Young smirked slightly.
"Too late."
They continued eating.
Talking about random things.
Old cases.
Personal habits.
At some point—
The drinks kept coming.
Bong Soo was the first to lose track.
"Captain… you know… you're actually… a good guy," he said, slurring slightly.
Ara laughed.
"That's your big realization?"
"I always knew," Bong Soo insisted. "But now I feel it."
Su Young shook her head.
"You've had enough."
"I'm just getting started."
"You're done," she said, taking his glass away.
Kang Min stood up.
"We're leaving."
"Noooo," Bong Soo protested weakly.
"Yes," Ara said, standing as well.
Later That Night
Things didn't go as planned.
Bong Soo couldn't make it back to his place.
He ended up at Kang Min's apartment.
Half-asleep.
Barely walking straight.
Ji Won opened the door when Kang Min arrived.
She blinked at the sight.
"…what happened to him?"
"Team dinner," Kang Min replied.
"That explains everything."
Bong Soo waved weakly.
"Hi… I'm your… brother's friend…"
Ji Won looked at Kang Min.
"…is he serious?"
"No."
They helped Bong Soo to the couch.
He dropped onto it instantly.
"Comfortable," he muttered before going quiet.
Ji Won folded her arms.
"You brought him home?"
"He wasn't making it anywhere else."
She sighed.
"…fine."
But there was a hint of amusement in her expression.
Across the city—
Ara struggled to get her keys into the door.
"This is your fault," she muttered.
Su Young stood beside her, slightly more stable but not by much.
"I told you to stop after the third drink."
"You said nothing," Ara replied.
"I implied it."
"That doesn't count."
They finally got the door open.
Inside—
They collapsed onto the couch.
"Your place is nicer than I remember," Su Young said.
"You've been here before."
"I don't remember it this clearly."
Ara laughed softly.
After a while—
They both drifted off.
The Next Morning
Sunlight filled the room.
Ara opened her eyes slowly.
Her head hurt.
"…never again," she muttered.
Beside her—
Su Young sat up, rubbing her temple.
"You say that every time."
"And I mean it every time."
They both sat in silence for a moment, recovering.
Then Ara looked around.
"Where's Ha Eun?"
"Gone," Su Young said. "She left early."
Ara nodded.
"Work?"
"Probably."
They moved to the kitchen.
Coffee helped.
A lot.
After a few minutes—
Su Young leaned against the counter.
"We should get back to it."
Ara knew what she meant.
"Ghost Eyes."
Su Young nodded.
"We're not close enough."
Ara took a sip of her coffee.
"He's careful."
"And consistent," Su Young added.
Ara looked at her.
"That's the problem."
They started talking through it.
The method.
The approach.
"He gets close," Ara said.
"But not randomly."
Su Young nodded.
"And there's no sign of forced contact."
Ara frowned slightly.
"Which means the victims don't see him as a threat."
"Or they don't realize it in time," Su Young added.
Ara leaned back.
"But how?"
No answer came.
Across the city—
Bong Soo groaned as he sat up on Kang Min's couch.
"…my head."
Kang Min handed him a glass of water.
"Drink."
Bong Soo did without arguing.
Ji Won walked past them.
"Good morning," she said casually.
Bong Soo blinked.
"…why am I here?"
"You don't remember?" Ji Won asked.
He shook his head.
"That's probably for the best," Kang Min said.
Bong Soo groaned again.
After a while—
He sat properly.
"So… back to work today?"
"Yes."
"…Ghost Eyes," Bong Soo added.
Kang Min nodded.
Bong Soo leaned forward slightly.
"That guy…"
He shook his head.
"I don't like it."
"Neither do I," Kang Min said.
"He's not like the others."
A pause.
"There's a pattern," Bong Soo said.
"But we can't see it clearly."
Kang Min looked at him.
"Then we keep looking."
CID – Later That Day
Everyone was back.
No celebration.
No distractions.
Just work.
Ara stood in front of the board.
Photos of victims.
Locations.
Notes.
Su Young pulled up data on her screen.
Bong Soo leaned against the desk.
Kang Min stood quietly, observing everything.
"Let's go through it again," Ara said.
They began listing possibilities.
"How does he approach them?"
"Where does he meet them?"
"What does he use?"
Ideas came.
Then fell apart.
Nothing held.
"No signs of struggle," Bong Soo said.
"No witnesses," Ara added.
"No clear connection," Su Young continued.
Kang Min looked at the board.
"He plans everything."
They all knew that.
"That's not enough," Ara said.
She crossed her arms.
"We need something concrete."
Su Young tapped on her keyboard.
"Every method we've considered doesn't fit perfectly."
Bong Soo sighed.
"This is frustrating."
Kang Min finally spoke.
"We're missing something."
They all looked at him.
He stepped closer to the board.
"Not in what he does."
A pause.
"But in how he chooses."
Ara's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…the victims."
Kang Min nodded.
"That's where we find him."
The room grew quiet.
Because that—
That felt right.
But it still wasn't enough.
Not yet.