Min-Joon got up quickly to keep up with their pace.
They got into the car together, and Jae-Hyun didn't say much—he simply ate his instant noodles in large gulps.
The crime scene was in the old town of the Seongrim District, and it took less than 30 minutes to get there.
Jae-Hyun walked in front, while the police officers who had arrived earlier began explaining the situation.
"This is an open residential complex; all seventy buildings in this area are walk-up apartments. The crime scene is on the third floor."
"There are two apartments per floor, but the room next to the deceased's is unoccupied. The previous tenant moved out more than half a month ago, and it hasn't been rented out again."
Jae-Hyun didn't stop walking as he asked, "Who reported this?"
"The deceased's landlord. Both properties belong to him."
As soon as they entered the building, a strong, fishy odor lingered in the air. Jae-Hyun frowned slightly and glanced back at Min-Joon.
Seeing nothing unusual, they continued upstairs.
Upon reaching the third floor, Jae-Hyun, who was one step ahead, took a deep breath.
Min-Joon avoided a child in the corridor as he finally saw the condition of the house.
The small apartment was only about 40 square meters. The kitchen was immediately to the right of the entrance, and the front door directly faced the bathroom.
The cabinets, walls, and floor were covered in… traces—dark stains and scattered footprints.
The deceased's head was pressed against the bathroom's glass door, which stretched from top to bottom. Strands of long, dark brown hair clung to the surface.
One hand hung limply toward the ground, while the other was pressed against the glass, leaving a deep red handprint.
The marks on the door had already dried.
After putting on his gear, Min-Joon entered the scene.
Beside him, the deceased's eyes were wide open, unfocused pupils reflecting faintly in the light.
Jae-Hyun suddenly asked, "What did you find?"
Min-Joon was silent for a moment before answering.
"The deceased appears to be approximately 26 to 30 years old. Cause of death—blunt force trauma followed by sharp-force injuries. The weapon was likely a kitchen knife."
Although reluctant, Min-Joon continued.
"The head has been partially severed… a severe wound is visible on the neck."
"The limbs show multiple defensive wounds, but the fatal injury is here."
"During the struggle, the attacker overpowered the victim. The suspect was likely taller and stronger—male, approximately 175 to 178 cm."
Jae-Hyun glanced at Min-Joon, slightly surprised.
It hadn't been long since they arrived, yet Min-Joon had already identified numerous clues and reconstructed the sequence in detail.
"Anything else?"
Min-Joon shifted his gaze toward the doorway and spoke slowly.
"The attacker either followed the victim here or had been waiting for him. The assault began immediately after the victim entered."
"Most likely, it was premeditated."
Jae-Hyun had already reached the same conclusion—he had only wanted to test Min-Joon.
Based on the scene and the distribution of evidence, the attack began the moment the victim entered the apartment.
The attacker first used blunt force—punches and kicks. When the victim resisted, the attacker grabbed a kitchen knife from the cutting board.
Jae-Hyun had already checked the cabinets—everything was intact except for a missing knife.
This confirmed both his and Min-Joon's deductions.
As Min-Joon continued examining the scene, Jae-Hyun moved toward the bedroom.
Only a door frame remained—there was no actual door.
There were no signs of forced removal.
It seemed the bedroom never had a door to begin with.
No wonder the victim collapsed at the bathroom entrance—it was the only place, aside from the main door, that offered even a chance of escape.
In the end, he couldn't escape the killer.
Min-Joon returned, holding a black disc.
"Captain Kang, I just questioned the person who reported the case…"
He spun the disc in his hand, took a deep breath, and continued.
"The landlord installed a hidden camera in the bedroom. He was…"
"You'll understand once you review this," Min-Joon added. "The victim died in his rented room…"
Both of them paused briefly.
After a moment of hesitation, Min-Joon walked over and opened the bathroom glass door.
Inside were basic toiletries—only one set. A single pair of slippers lay on the floor.
"Also, the bathroom window wasn't properly closed. I tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge—the latch seems broken."
They moved into the bedroom. It was clean and sparsely furnished. An old, yellowed air conditioner hung directly above the bed.
"A police officer found a hidden camera installed here by the landlord," Min-Joon said.
Jae-Hyun muttered as he began dismantling it, "You really have to be careful renting a place alone…"
He sighed repeatedly.
After surveying the scene, Min-Joon stepped outside.
From downstairs, he heard shouting and angry cursing.
Frowning, he quickened his pace.
Outside the cordon—
A middle-aged woman with curly hair tied in a bun was repeatedly throwing celery at an older man while shouting angrily.
"You old bastard! How could you do something like this?! You've disgraced our family! Why don't you just die?!"
Min-Joon's gaze shifted toward the man.
The landlord.
The man dodged helplessly, crying out, "Stop hitting me! Please! I won't do it again!"
The woman stood with her hands on her hips, celery scraps scattered at her feet.
"I was just buying groceries at the market when I heard about an incident in this building. I didn't think much of it at first…"
"But when I heard it involved a tenant, I remembered someone who rented from us a year ago."
"I felt something was wrong, so I rushed here. I kept calling on the way, but no answer."
"When I got here… I realized the victim was really one of our tenants."
Her expression hardened.
"I was feeling sorry for him—until I heard that the one who reported it… was my own husband."
She glared at the man.
They usually lived in another residential building not far away.
So how had he known something had happened here?
Under relentless questioning, the man finally broke down and confessed.
Enraged, she threw everything she was holding at him.
At that moment—
Ara stepped forward and greeted them.