Entering the police station building, Yoon Suk saw the usual bustle: people that were shouting at each other and delinquents that were trying to obtain the police’s pardon, insisting that they didn’t know that what they did was illegal. Also, some people were silently sitting in a corner of the police station, lurking for the perfect moment to hit the pike and hid eventually. Things that Yoon Suk was so familiar with, but which he still couldn't understand up to the end.
Just like Yoon Suk, Chan Choli was also confused after entering the police station, where he stopped. Yet, he did that not because of the same reasons, but because he was trying to be released and escape after that. Something he couldn’t obtain eventually because Yoon Suk knew very well what delinquents like Chan Choli could do and didn’t lose sight of him not even for a minute. Yoon Suk even slapped the man’s head when he saw that that one was obstinate about advancing. After that, he hissed into Chan Choli’s ear, „Come on, man, move further! I don’t have the whole day to lose with you.”
„Then… stop pushing me from behind,” Chan Choli growled at Yoon Suk. He even moaned, feeling the pain in his arm, which Yoon Suk turned to his back, to feel a kick in his butt and his knee later that made him stagger to his feet. Of course, after that came Yoon Suk’s verbal answer to Chan Choli’s request too:
„Or what? Will you run away or what?” Saying this, Yoon Suk smiled, so confident in his words and his actions. He even pretended to punch him again when he saw Chan Choli frowning. After that, seeing the prisoner taking a step back, Yoon Suk smiled again and, grabbing Chan Choli’s arm, he squeezed it hard and pushed him toward the cells, still loudly telling him, „Of course, you won’t do that because I won’t allow you to do that. Not while I’m here to keep an eye on you and kick your ass if you’re a bad boy.”
***
„Ian SolHi, just stay where you are,” Kan shouted at her when he entered the police station behind SolHi, Yoon Suk, and Chan Choli. A yell that didn’t impress SolHi too much because she didn’t stop, but advanced toward the shower room. Nevertheless, when Kan shouted that the entire police station shook because of his yell, „I told you not to move from that place, SolHi, or you’ll see what kind of devil I am,” she stopped. Then, she slowly turned toward him, staring at him in silence, at all bothered by his yell and this was seen in the way she was yawning: continuously and bored.
Eventually, seeing Kan’s sparkling eyes because of her disregard, still yawning, she said, „Yes, boss, I’m listening to you. Yes, yes, I’m staying right here!” Yet, what she managed to do by acting like this was to enrage Kan more, who stopped eventually, staring at her as though he saw a devil or something and was preparing to fight with him. This hinted SolHi that their talk was something not for the moment. That’s why, taking a comfortable position, she asked again, „What this time?”
Not the right question, anyway, because Kan, with the eyes of a bull that saw red in front, yelled at her again, „What this time? Ya, Ian SolHi, did you completely lose your shame or what?”
Not even this time he managed to make SolHi attentive. She, bored, finally sat on a chair and, yawning again, asked, „Shame? What’s this? Something absolutely necessary for a detective?”
Her answer simply drove Kan crazy. Thus, widening his eyes too much, he pretended to punch her several times. Nevertheless, understanding that his cheap play didn't serve him for anything, Kan grabbed a file that was on the desk and prepared to hit her head with it. Something that didn’t happen eventually when SolHi fixed her glance on him, squinting at him, as though begging him to let her go. Yet, not the same thought Kan had because, right after throwing that file back on the desk, he told her, „Yeah, now you are looking at me with those cat eyes, begging me for mercy when, before this, you drove me crazy and…”
Kan kept silent eventually when he heard SolHi’s mockery. „Aah, someone is talking bad about me again,” she said, sticking her pinky into her right ear and shaking it hard. Yet, seeing that Kan was about to pounce on her and break her into pieces, she smiled and told him, „Yes, boss, now I’m ready to listen to you.”
Deeply breathing in, Kan closed his eyes for a few moments. After that, he said, „Right now, go and change the „Uniform” you are wearing or I swear I’ll crack your head! I’m still shocked by your behavior because… how the hell could you go on the street, wearing such… clothes?”
„And… What's wrong with my clothes?” SolHi asked him, looking at him innocently.
„What’s wrong??" Shouted Kan like a jackal. „Nothing. Just an idea that crossed my mind and of half of the Korean guys that saw you walking on the street with such… clothes. Otherwise, everything is just fine, girl. Excellent!” Said Kan in mockery, even if, deep inside him, he was ready to break her into pieces for making fun of him while looking at him with those innocent eyes.
And it was strange. Everything that was related to her, especially her behavior, which he couldn’t understand even if he knew her for about 7 years already. Even so, even if he thought he had learned her, she managed to surprise him each time with something new, something that wasn’t also something good in most cases. Nevertheless, even if the way SolHi was acting in most cases was surprising to him, Kan still loved her, like a father and mentor. That’s why he was so rude to her, trying to teach her to protect herself in that world of hyenas, an effort which SolHi seemed not to see because, suddenly, she managed to surprise him once again when she calmly said:
„Then, if everything is clear and fine, boss, it means I have nothing to do here anymore. So, boss, I’m out of here, to the showers, where I intend to clear my mind and relax. Have a nice day, sombe!” After that, without caring about Kan’s sour face, she simply walked away, paying no attention to the glances of the other detectives that were at the office at that moment and neither to their whistles heard behind her.
Actually, SolHi was used to such „treatment” already. She didn’t care about it anymore after she found out that none of them was by her side in that office and that she was on her own. That’s why she made an important decision the day she understood this, more than 3 years ago: that she’d do whatever she wanted and not what others told her to do, even if what she wanted didn’t coincide with others’ideas, who often thought that what she was doing wasn’t the right thing.
Staring behind her while she was heading toward the showers, Kan started his general show, pretending to have a heart attack at first, then a stroke, to finish falling on the chair, hissing through his teeth all the curses he knew about SolHi, calling her the main cause of his problems and that she never cared about him. Yet, honestly, no one there was paying a penny for his cheap show, even if it was funny sometimes.
Thus, seeing that none was paying attention to him, Kan started to shout eventually, „Oh, God, my head! Someone to give me a pill or something! I’m dying or I swear I’ll kill someone.” Yet, not even thus, he managed to make someone approach him. That’s why he looked for Yoon Suk this time, asking for his pills. Something that worked in the end because poor Yoon Suk had no other choice than to pay attention to his boss. And, without thinking twice if it was right or wrong, he threw a bottle of water toward Kan. Catching it on the fly, Kan furiously looked at the young detective, hissing through his teeth, „Do I look like someone who is thirsty?”
„No, but you definitely look like one that’s begging for attention right now.” A remark that made the other detectives burst into laughter. However, Yoon Suk didn’t bother too much about this or about Kan’s sour face but continued his thought in a very calm and sure voice, „And, sombe, those pills, you are so insistently asking for, would have definitely been necessary because, as I said, before that jacket, it was only a towel. So, if she had gone out wearing only that towel, you would have been a dead man for sure. That’s why, instead of begging for attention, you should thank God, who loves you! You are so pathetic, honestly!”
Reproachfully shaking his head, Yoon Suk left the room eventually. Behind him, Kan, who seemed not to care about the young detective’s advice, continued his show, complaining, „The Angels of Death are after me for sure! I can hear them from far away, and their call isn’t something pleasant for my ears for sure and… Ian SolHi, you’ll pay me for this! I swear!” After that, still mumbling something unpleasant addressed to her, Kan left the room too, paying no attention to the other detectives that burst into laughter again.
***
THREE HOURS BEFORE
A deafening noise was heard all over the police station, made by a group of drunk people, brought there by the officers after picking them up from the Central Park where they had a fight. And, even if the poor officers and the detectives from the Kanam police section were struggling with them to put them in the cells, they couldn’t. All that they managed was to enrage the drunk ones and, looking at them, one could see a pathetic view for sure.
Seeing what was going on, after returning from lunch, Yoon Suk slapped his forehead. After that, he reproachfully shook his head and approached the phone that was ringing like a desperate soul, but which none was able to pick up. Yet, before picking the receiver up, Yoon Suk sighed because he was sure that another boring conversation was coming. Nevertheless, after presenting himself and listening to what the interlocutor tried to tell him, Yoon Suk right away widened his eyes and yelled, „Did you say Chan Choli?” A bad decision in fact, yelling, but he understood it too late, the moment he saw SolHi appearing in the room, wrapped only in a towel because she heard Chan Choli’s name when she was still in the showers.
She, however, didn’t care too much about how others were looking at her. She only rushed to approach Yoon Suk, asking him, „Did you say Chan Choli?” She didn’t even care that the poor Yoon Suk was about to remain without eyes for too much opening them because her curved body, half-naked, was something that drove all the men in that room crazy. Even the drunk ones forgot about their fight and stared at her as the fox could stare at a very tasty bunny when seeing him.
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Only in the end, after shaking his head many times to focus, Yoon Suk managed to murmur, „Sombe… I think you should…” A stutter, which SolHi seemed not to hear because she right away pulled the receiver from his hand and continued the conversation with the one who called. After that, while listening to what the interlocutor wanted to say, she made some notes on a small piece of paper and, finishing the conversation, she threw the receiver back to Yoon Suk to continue that talk while she headed to the exit door, convinced to arrest Chan Choli at any cost that day.
Right next to the door, she met detectives Gi and Mo, who were returning from another mission. And, seeing how she intended to leave the building, Gi grabbed her by the arm, and, grinning, he told her, „Are you going somewhere, Miss Ian?” A mockery SolHi didn’t understand right away. That’s why she responded in a serious tone:
„Yeah, to catch a rat! Chan Choli finally showed up and, definitely, he’ll stink today! Give me that!” Grabbing Gi’s jacket when he understood what she needed from him, she threw the towel toward the detective after putting the jacket on her. After that, she ran out of the police station as if chased by the devil, one that was running to grab a soul or something into his paws.
***
PRESENT. AFTER THE INCIDENT AT THE RIVER
The sound of the shower running was the only one disturbing the silence in that room. Yet, soon, something made that silence feel like a crime scene detached from a horror movie: the door opened, a man’s shoes had been seen entering the room through the opened door, and the „intruder” carefully entered the bathroom.
Yet, he couldn’t enter the bathroom unnoticed because SolHi had a damn good cat's hearing: she could actually hear everything, no matter how weak that sound wasn’t. Thus, understanding that she wasn’t alone there, she listened to what was happening there with interrupted breathing. After that, hearing that almost unnoticed noise again, she puffed through her lips, squeezing the soap into her hand, „Pfff, these men are hyenas for sure because… I locked that door, idiots! Yet, it seems that it doesn’t impede you to enter this place. Well, if you are eager for a kick in your asses or one between the legs, no problem on my part. Otherwise, you won’t ever learn!” Saying this, SolHi grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body. After that, she took a smaller one, wet it, and wrapped the soap in it. And, when she felt that she was ready for the attack, she carefully opened the door of the shower cabin and sneaked out of it.
Once out of the shower cabin, SolHi slowly closed the door behind her and, looking toward the sink, she saw a man in front of the mirror, washing his hands. This made her slowly „growl,” seeing how calm that man was even if he entered the bathroom while she was there. That’s why, looking at him with beast eyes, SolHi thought, „He doesn’t seem bothered or ashamed to enter the shower room when a naked woman is there.” After that, spotting the man’s jacket next to the sink, SolHi stared at it, thinking, „Someone important, huh?! That piece of vestment looks expensive. Yet, it seems to me that this idiot likes cheap tricks rather than paying for the show. Or what, is it too expensive for you to pay for seeing a naked woman??? That’s why you sneaked in here, huh? It actually doesn’t matter the reason because each sinner pays here, on earth, for what he did.” And, taking a step to the side not to be seen by the man, SolHi prepared to throw the soap toward him.
However, the man wasn’t also stupid: feeling that he wasn’t alone there, he preferred to keep pretending not to be aware of that. That’s why he continued to wash his hands, very calmly. Even so, he kept looking behind him, from the corner of his eyes. Thus, he saw the flying towel, thrown by SolHi toward him, something that made him jump to the side, and the soap hit the mirror, breaking it into pieces. Nevertheless, the pieces of the mirror didn’t hurt him because, to protect himself, he grabbed the towel that fell on the sink, unwrapping the soap thus. Yet, even if he saw the soap on the floor eventually, he didn’t bend to pick it up but kept lurking on the attacker to protect himself.
Eventually, seeing SolHi two steps from him, ready to pounce on him, he tightly grabbed the towel and hit her, forcing her to jump back. Yet, unlike him, who saw the soap on the floor, SolHi didn’t notice it. That’s why, the moment she jumped back, she stepped on the wet soap, slipped, and she started to stagger to her feet while her hands were desperately trying to grab something to avoid falling on her back.
Seeing her weird dance on the soap, the „intruder,” who was DooSan in fact, left the towel on the floor and tried to grab her hand to help her keep her balance. Yet, also inattentive, he’d been the one stepping on the soap eventually, slipped, lost his balance, and, wrapping his arm around her waist, involuntarily, he pulled her toward him and fell one above the other.
Enraged, SolHi looked at her „enemy.” Thus, seeing that she was actually lying on DooSan’s chest, her archenemy, she hissed through her teeth, „You!” After that, she tried to stand up.
Not being ready to lose in front of her, moreover, intending to teach her a lesson in manners, DooSan stretched his arm in front, convinced to keep her in place. Instead of forcing her to keep lying on his chest, he grabbed the towel, which suddenly unwrapped because of the speed SolHi used to stand up and, in a second, he saw her completely naked - the splendor of a woman’s body right in front of his nose.
Seeing her naked, DooSan froze. He even stopped breathing for a few seconds. Only his eyelashes were still moving up and down, letting SolHi know that he was still alive. Then, understanding that it could be deadly for him to keep staring at her naked body, DooSan looked elsewhere. This made SolHi finally understand what happened and, staring at him like a lion at the predator that attacked his family, she hissed through her teeth, „You definitely want to die today, son of a…” After that, grabbing DooSan’s jacket, she wrapped it around her body and not putting it on her as it should be.
Her shout forced DooSan to spring up Then, still looking somewhere else, but not at her, somehow ashamed, he said, „I saw nothing! I swear!”
„Yeah, sure, and I’m the monkey of the year,” SolHi yelled at him, trying to punch him. A punch that barely touched DooSan’s cheek, who, seeing that fist passing in front of his eyes, lay back a little. Yet, that failed attempt to punish him, drove SolHi crazy, who intensified the attack, forcing DooSan to use his power eventually, and, with quick movements, he managed to put that jacket on her and wrap the sleeves so tight around her waist, immobilizing her. Even so, SolHi didn’t give up but kept struggling with him, trying to release herself from his arms when he hugged her to keep her calm. And, seeing that she was unable to do that, she looked at him with hatred, demanding him, „Release me!”
„Not until you calm down!” He replied. Then, seeing her devilish glance focused on him, something that didn’t bother him, DooSan told her, „I saw nothing. I told you already, but you don’t believe me, you… stubborn donkey!”
To his great surprise, SolHi said nothing. Yet, when their eyes met again, both of them understood that they felt the same. Yes, they still hated each other as it happened seven years ago, a hatred that was still there and didn’t intend to vanish anywhere.
***
SEVEN YEARS AGO
The rhythmic deafening sound of the CPAP was heard all over the Intensive Care Unit. A machine that helped SolHi still breathe, who was unconscious or maybe asleep, as it wasn’t clear at that moment. Thus, because that room was empty and seemed so big at first glance, each breath SolHi was taking in could be counted, making it be also felt somehow scary at the time.
Then, suddenly, the door opened and DooSan sneaked into the room. He did it very carefully while looking back to make sure nobody saw him entering that room. The man was nervous, breathing somehow interrupted because of the anxiety felt in his chest while his eyes, the eyes of a maniac, looked so frightening at that moment while staring at the patient that was still breathing. Seeing her still alive, DooSan forgot about everything. Even his blood started to run madly through his veins, making him feel even more anxious than before.
Thus, not thinking normally at that moment, he approached the bed and insistently looked at SolHi, who didn’t feel him by her side. She didn’t even move at that moment. Even so, he started to hate her even more, showing her this through the words he said eventually, „You don’t deserve to breathe!” After that, he pulled the wires of the CPAP and broke them. Then, he unplugged the machine, took the pillow under SolHi’s head, and put it on her face. Yet, he didn’t press it, but hesitated for a few seconds, not knowing what to do. Nevertheless, because of the increasing hatred felt in his chest, DooSan made the final decision. And, with shaking hands, he pressed the pillow on the patient’s face.
Feeling unable to breathe because of the pillow, SolHi finally reacted. And, shaking like hell, she pushed the pillow up, trying to take it off her face and protect herself. Yet, too weak because of the wounds and medicine, she understood that she was powerless. Even so, she kept fighting with the madman that was trying to hurt her again, scratching his face, arms, and neck this way when her nails were touching the skin. Nevertheless, she couldn’t push him away from her. Then, suddenly, she stopped breathing, like a robot that received a command.
The fact she lost consciousness so suddenly made DooSan finally react. And, taking a step back, with his arms hanging beside his body, he stared at her hands that were resting on his hands. He was seeing all this so clearly, but it seemed only a dream to him. That’s why he kept staring at it, with empty eyes, with cold eyes, like a demon that finally got what he wanted: her life. Yet, so suddenly, he felt that it wasn’t enough. No, he felt that it wasn’t right. That’s why he grabbed her arms and started to shake her violently, commanding her to react.
Something that didn’t happen eventually: SolHi looked as if she finally reached Heaven. She looked dead, yes, and, seeing her like this, made him feel more anxious than before. He even started to yell at one moment, „Ia, open your eyes, bi…ch! You can’t die! Not until paying for what you’ve done to my brother, here on earth!”
His desperate attempts to make her react didn’t help him, however. Thus, seeing that he was losing the fight with Death that was about to take his enemy with Her, DooSan forgot about everything and pressed his lips to SolHi’s, blowing fresh air into her lungs. He did everything to win in that fight against the clock with death, and he made it. Yes, DooSan won in front of death the moment he heard SolHi’s cough. Then he smiled, seeing SolHi touching her chest with both palms while deeply inhaling to chase the pain away from her throat and staring at him, the one she didn’t know, but who seemed to have been there to ask her to pay for old debts.
Eventually, understanding that he was there to hurt her, SolHi tried to ask for help. She couldn’t eventually because DooSan, seeing her stretching her arm to grab the first aid button, pounced on her and, after a short fight with SolHi, he managed to break that button. He didn’t hurt her again after this, but took a few steps back, still staring at her. The same SolHi did: she stared at him and, with teary eyes, she asked, „Who are you?”
„Your death, Ian SolHi! Someone you won’t run away from ever. I swear!” After that, their eyes kept looking at the other one. And, if their eyes had been sharp weapons at that moment, they would have cut their enemy to pieces for sure because that’s what they wanted at that moment: the other one’s death.
***
PRESENT.
„Why are you here?” She murmured, still tightly held to her enemy’s chest. Yet, even if that position could be considered a romantic one, a kind of love hug, she knew perfectly that it was only the hug of the devil, the one who wanted her dead.
She was right up to one point: that he wanted to hurt her. Moreover, SolHi listened to this from his mouth when DooSan said, „Because I came after you, sweet-bitter monster!” Then, his eyes, two lit embers, looked into her eyes, trying to calm down that beast, whom he was holding to his chest, aware that she was a damn stubborn and at all good listener.
Listening to his answer, SolHi smiled. After that, still looking into his eyes, she suddenly bit DooSan’s arm, showing him that she was a sweet-bitter monster with sharp fangs.