A total silence was in DooSan’s office at that moment while each of his team members was focusing on his work. Then, suddenly, all of them jerked when DooSan threw the pencil on the table and hissed through his teeth, „Damn them all!” This drove SolHi crazy, making her hiss through her teeth something barely understandable. After that, she focused her glance on the others, whom she saw exchanging glances because none of them understood what had happened to Han DooSan. Then, when DooSan hissed through his teeth again, „I think you are kidding me,” SolHi hit the table with her fist and, staring at DooSan like an eagle at his prey, she yelled:

„Prosecutor Han, if you have something to say, just say it! Loudly and not mumbling! This can make others think that you are talking about them!”

Although DooSan understood very well what she intended to say, he kept his mouth shut, not at all eager to tell others about his concern. Even so, he furiously glanced at SolHi, hinting to her to leave him alone if she didn’t want to continue the fight they had had the night before.

His furious glance didn’t make SolHi calm down. On the contrary, more furious than before, she started to mumble, „He always gets enraged with others, and the ones who pay for his bad mood are we, as though we are his patsy.” After that, she started to throw things on her desk, letting DooSan know that he managed to drive her crazy that day.

Eventually, she furiously glanced at Kan when this one threw a ball of paper at her. Then, staring straight into her eyes, he hissed through his teeth, „Keep your mouth shut if you don’t want to be who pays for his bad mood!”

„Is it my fault now?” SolHi yelled. „I can’t believe that, sombe! Mister Prosecutor Han is in a bad mood and those blamed for this are others!”

She kept silent eventually when the door suddenly opened and Prosecutor Iun Min Hiok entered the office. Looking at them, smiling, he told them in a cheerful voice, „Good morning, colleagues!” His playful voice and his joy seemed something strange to the others though.

Who disliked his colleague’s „triumphant entrance” in particular was DooSan. He, still angry, looked at his friend, a man about 37-40 years old, who had been Han YuSan’s friend too. And, still staring at Prosecutor Iun, somehow squinting at him, DooSan tried to ask this one by glance what was he doing in his office and to say it quickly before he got even madder than he was already.

Although he furiously looked at Iun Min Hiok, DooSan wasn’t angry with him. Actually, DooSan couldn’t be angry with Min Hiok, whom he respected a lot because this one was a good man, whom he could trust and who helped him to get rid of problems not only once, and this happened because Iun Min Hiok was considered a wise man. Unlike his friend, DooSan was generally the contrary, always in trouble, although he wasn’t the man to look for problems, except those times when Ian SolHi was around him because they had that bad habit of looking for problems together. Yet, a great part of the time when DooSan had problems with someone was because he couldn’t accept the injustice, especially if the victim was an innocent person. Then, the rest of the time when DooSan had problems with the others was because he was the son of the former General Attorney, Yun Marie, and, recently, for bringing Ian SolHi to the Prosecution, who was still considered a criminal.

Even so, although he knew all the reasons why Han DooSan had problems with the others, he never turned his back on him. Still, Iun Min Hiok had always had that magic power to drive DooSan crazy, whom he always reminded that he „owed him” and that it was time to pay back him for all those times he helped him, if not, he would have given up on helping him. Yet, his threats were often in vain because both men knew that even if Han DooSan had refused to help him, Iun Min Hiok would have never given up on his friend. At the same time, Han DooSan wasn’t the person who wasn’t paying back for others’help. Yet, he would have liked Iun Min Hiok to stop reminding him about certain „debts.” That’s why, seeing his friend there and the satisfied smile sketched on his face, DooSan right away understood why Iun Min Hiok was there that morning… to ask him to „pay back for something.”

What made DooSan pay attention to Iun Min Hiok, more than the smile sketched on his face, was to see his friend staring at SolHi. It’s better to say that prosecutor Iun was staring at SolHi’s back because, although she had nothing with him or against him, she still turned her back to him when this one entered. SolHi didn’t even respond to this one’s „Hello,” and she did that because she was really pissed off with Han DooSan that day and she wasn’t also in the mood to have to deal with his friends too.

Seeing Min Hiok staring at SolHi, DooSan frowned. „What is this one planning?” DooSan suddenly wondered. „To be damn if I ever understand what this man is thinking about.” Yet, although he wondered this, DooSan was sure of one thing: that Iun Min Hiok wasn’t staring at SolHi because of the gossip that was heard in the Prosecution, which isolated DooSan from the rest of the colleagues. That gossip was saying that Han DooSan brought his mistress to work with him and that he gave up on avenging his brother. At the same time, DooSan was sure that Min Hiok didn’t hate SolHi or try to knock her down as many wished to do. Yet, the fact that Min Hiok had stared for so long at SolHi started to irritate DooSan, who grabbed a sheet of paper and, after he crumpled it, threw that paper ball at Prosecutor Iun.

Without even looking at DooSan, Min Hiok grabbed the paper ball on the fly, making DooSan happily shout, „Ooo, Prosecutor Iun, the fact that you grabbed that ball so easily hints to me that you haven’t forgotten about your youth.” His happy shout made everybody attentive and look at them. DooSan, paying no attention to his team, kept staring at Min Hiok, whom he said later, „Those twenty years of playing baseball hadn’t been for nothing, I see now, even if I thought that you lost your skill after other twenty years of not playing.”

DooSan’s words made Min Hiok show his teeth to his friend. „I’m not as old as the death, okay?!” He told DooSan, hissing the words through his teeth, a hint that he disliked that joke. After that, he pretended to throw the paper ball at DooSan’s head. Yet, instead of DooSan’s forehead, the paper ball got into the trash can, making Min Hiok happily say, „Now it’s gooal!”

SolHi, hearing the joke between the two men and seeing DooSan so happy, although he had been furious only minutes ago, squinted at them. After that, she mumbled, „I thought that the doll lover was his only lover. Yet, I have been wrong in thinking so, it seems to me.” She kept silent eventually when Kan, who was passing by her at that moment, elbowed her.

Her commentary made both DooSan and Iun Min Hiok squint at her. Yet, unlike Min Hiok, who didn’t understand what SolHi tried to say, DooSan understood very well her hint, something he disliked. However, seeing Min Hiok staring at him and asking him by a glance what was going on there, DooSan grinned. After that, standing up, he approached Min Hiok, asking him, „To what do we owe the honor of your visit?”

Who answered his question was A Rim and not Iun Min Hiok. She, looking at Prosecutor Iun as though she saw a God, said in a sweet voice, „As though Prosecutor Iun needs a reason to visit us! He’s always welcome in this office!” Seeing Kan’s ironic glance focused on her, who hadn’t expected to hear about another love story that day, A Rim hissed through her teeth, „It’s none of your business!” After that, she started to arrange some documents in a file, but… she did everything so badly because her glance was still focused on Min Hiok, and, instead of the necessary documents, she also put inside that file other sheets she didn’t need there.

SuJin, who was at the next desk, suddenly squinted at A Rim. Then, in a teasing tone, he murmured, „I thought that the only jealous person here and the one who hates to share his „love” with others is prosecutor Han. Yet, I see that there are other jealous people around too.” He kept silent eventually when Yu threw the stapler at him to make him keep his mouth shut. „Yes, yes, I got this: I have to keep my tongue warm.” After that, putting the headphones on, the young man turned the volume to the maximum, continuing his work.

All those commentaries and strange reactions amazed Prosecutor Iun a lot. Because of this, he looked at DooSan, asking him in a cunning tone, „Did I interrupt something here?”

„Rather… you disturbed a swarm of wild bees!” DooSan calmly replied, forcing a grin. „And… forget it! You should better tell me what you have to say and hit the pike before you are turned into their patsy. I’ve already been turned into one and I assure you that’s not something pleasantly felt on your skin. So… what are you looking for here?”

„To help me with something!”

„With something? With what in particular?” DooSan asked in amazement. Then, spotting the file from Iun’s hand, he took it and looked through it to understand what Iun needed from him. After a few moments, still looking through the file, he asked, „A missing person?”

„Yep! I got it from Gi! He asked me for help because… they received an order from our… bosses to close this case as soon as possible. I also received that order, by the way! Yet…”

„…you consider that this case stinks! However, as you can’t act openly, you decided to turn us into your patsy in case something goes wrong! Am I right?” DooSan asked, grinning, a hint that he also disliked that joke but it was still the truth.

Min Hiok looked at his friend in amazement. „What do you eat lately that you can read through lines?”

„Humans,” SolHi replied instead of DooSan, without looking at him. Her answer made DooSan grin and Min Hiok smiled seeing DooSan’s bitter face. It even seemed weird to him because those forced grins, which were seen both on SolHi and DooSan’s face, hinted to him that something damn important was happening between those two. Yet, as he was a person who couldn’t keep his curiosity only for himself, Min Hiok asked eventually:

„Are you two dating?” A commentary that made SolHi drown when she sipped from the cup of tea. After that, coughing and splashing everything with bitter drops, she squinted at Min Hiok. This one only smiled when he said, „I was right!”

„Yeah, right!” DooSan hissed through his teeth. „And… prosecutor Iun Min Hiok,” he added in an official tone of voice, hinting to Iun that he went too far with that joke.

„Yes, yes, I got this: I should do my work then poke my nose in your business. So, as I said, we have to solve this case as soon as possible. More precisely… in three days. Otherwise, I’m forced to close it.”

Hearing Min Hiok talking like that, Kan turned toward him. After that, folding his arms over his chest and squinting at Min Hiok, the detective asked in an ironic tone, „Do we look like vampires or what? Three days? You haven’t been able to solve this case in months, and we have to do this in three days, right? Something we would have been able to do if one of us had been Vanga, but not when we are all simple human beings with no additional skills.”

„Maybe you aren’t vampires, but you are good at what you are doing. That’s why I came here to ask you for help.” Prosecutor Iun’s complement made Kan proudly look at him. Yet, understanding that he gave up in front of Iun so easily, Kan suddenly turned serious. Then, he looked at Min Hiok with pumped eyes when this one said, „We didn’t receive this case months ago, by the way! Only yesterday.”

„You received it yesterday, and they asked you to close it already?” DooSan ironically asked. „Is it only my feelings or some important person is involved in this?”

„Honestly, I have no idea. Yet, although we couldn’t find out too much, we still could find out that the young girl simply vanished from the earth’s surface. And… we are also sure that she didn’t leave the country. Her friends don’t know where she is and she hasn’t passed by work for a few days already. About her boyfriend, in case you have this question in mind, we have no idea if she has one.”

„Family?” Inspector Yu asked, making a few notes.

„Only her grandmother, but she’s too old already. Because of this, something hints to me that she has no idea about what her granddaughter is involved in. So, until we don’t find her, I prefer not to kill anyone,” Min Hiok added, hinting to them that as good as they were at solving things as easily they could get into problems too, and, why not, kill someone if it was the case.

„I think the hint was about us,” SuJin suddenly mumbled, taking everybody by surprise because… they thought that the young man listened to music and not to what they were talking about.

Min Hiok hadn’t been bothered by the young man’s commentary. On the contrary, he turned toward him, and, smiling, he said, „I simply adore working with intelligent people. So: can I or cannot I count on you in this job?”

„Do we have a word in this?” DooSan asked, giving back to Iun the file he had taken before. „If yes, then… I prefer not to get into problems because… this case stinks!”

„The herbal tea also stinks sometimes, but you still drink it in case you are in pain,” SolHi replied, approaching them and taking the file. „And, as I’m sure Mister Turkey present here won’t do anything to stain his hands with…, I’ll do it in his place.” After that, simply enjoying DooSan’s killing glance, she turned her back to him.

DooSan, who understood what she meant by „won’t stain his hands with…,” as everybody in that office, got enraged more than he was already. After that, heading toward her desk, he yelled at her, „Ia, Ian SolHi, since when do you decide what case we should investigate or not, huh?”

„Since you play the role of the virgin who loves to be asked to do… things?” A remark that reached the target right away because DooSan stopped. After that, staring into SolHi’s eyes, DooSan made the sign of a falling head, hinting to her that that favor he’d pay back to her one day. After that, looking at Min Hiok, DooSan forced a grin when he said:

„We’ll take care of the case. Yet, I kill someone first.”

„If you like!” Replied Iun Min Hiok smiling. „It doesn’t bother me as long as you solve this case. So: keep up the good work!” After that, he left the office, slamming the door behind him. Then, he right away appeared in the doorway, grinning. „Sorry,” he peacefully murmured. „With no mean intention! The slammed door, I mean!” Yet, when he exited the second time, he slammed that door again.

„It seems to me that everybody wants to drive me crazy today!” DooSan murmured, approaching SolHi and grabbing the file from her hand. This made SolHi furiously squint at him while DooSan only forced a smile when he said, „I only take back what it’s mine. If you want this, turn yourself into a Prosecutor!”

„To start biting everyone I meet in my way as you do? No, thanks!” SolHi replied, returning to her desk.

Deep breathing in and out to calm down, DooSan approached the big white desk where he stuck a photo of the missing girl, a brown-haired woman. „Kim Ha Na,” he said when he felt that he was able to control himself and not kill someone. „She’s a student at the Faculty of Arts, Hankook University. According to her friend, Park Yu Ra, she disappeared about four days ago, and this means that…”

„…the 48h hours to find her alive passed already,” said Yoon Suk. „So, should we look for her body now?” Receiving a file in his head from Kan, Yoon Suk furiously looked at his sombe. „For what?”

„For talking nonsense, for this. Why? Because this isn’t what I have taught you. What I always say is that nobody is dead if you haven’t found his body. That’s why: let’s focus on evidence and try to find her as soon as possible. Preferably alive. So: SolHi, you come with me to talk to her grandmother because, maybe she’s old, but I’m sure she knows at least something. Actually, I’m more than sure she knows something if she hasn’t told the police that her granddaughter vanished.”

„Maybe she doesn’t know that her granddaughter is missing. That’s why: try not to kill her with a heart attack before we find Ha Na!” DooSan ironically told them. Then he grinned when he heard SolHi bursting into laughter. „Does this seem funny to you?”

„Absolutely. Why? Because, even if we kill someone, we’ll blame the one who has taught us to do that. You know the scene with the shoelaces, right?”

„Ia!” DooSan shouted, making everybody stare in amazement at him.

Yoon Suk frowned. „The scene with the shoelaces? Which laces?”

„Nothing for public use,” murmured SolHi, smiling. „And, sombe, let’s go before our „boss” doesn’t call a flying horse for us to send us to hell!” And, taking her things, SolHi rushed toward the door, followed by Kan.

DooSan, understanding that she did that to drive him crazy, closed his eyes and deeply breathed it. Then, when he opened his eyes and saw Yu and Yoon Suk in front of him, he asked in an irritated tone, „And… why are you still here?”

„Where should we have been if not here?” Yu asked calmly. „I don’t intend to go somewhere without instructions. Not the other, but the „scene with the laces” made me think about this. I don’t want to try this on my neck next time.”

DooSan slowly growled, hearing the Inspector’s commentary. Then, he said, „Go and check the victim’s friends and her company. I’m interested to know details about her friends, colleagues, and former lovers. At least one of them may know if someone has something against the victim. More than this, I’m interested to know who Park Yu Ra is and why she waited for four days before telling the police that her friend was missing. This is what seems suspicious to me.”

„I got it!” Yu replied, heading toward the door along with Yoon Suk.

After they left, DooSan walked up and down for a while. Then, he stopped in front of SuJin, who squinted at him all that time, wondering what was in the Prosecutor’s head. Eventually, spotting DooSan’s eyes focused on him, but he was still silent, the young man asked, „Should I check her social media?”

„A good idea, in fact, because… the online will always have something to tell us!”

„Then… I’ll do it!” SuJin shortly said, putting the headphones on again and starting to work. Not the same DooSan did, who continued to look in front, immersed in thoughts while trying to figure out what that awkward feeling he felt in his chest was warning him about.

***

„Did you really have to be so rude to Prosecutor Han?” Kan told SolHi while both of them were climbing a super steep path toward a poor neighborhood of Seoul City. And, because it was so hard to climb that slope, and he got tired already, Kan got to gasp loudly, feeling that he lacked air. Unlike him, SolHi spryly climbed that slope, paying no attention to his commentary and to the fact that Kan was barely catching up with her. Because she ignored him, Kan frowned and yelled in the end, „I’m talking to you, Ian SolHi!”

His shout finally made SolHi stop. Then, with a sour face, she squinted at him when she said, „Why shouldn’t I have done this? He looked for it! All day long, by the way!”

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„What about the fact that he’s your boss? Did you forget this already?”

„No, I didn’t! Yet, I’ll always do this because I find his tone obnoxious. Why? Because he’s always playing the role of an important person. As though he’s trying to make us never forget who the „boss” is, especially me. And… where the hell is that address? They said it was somewhere here!”

„It should have been here! The address, I mean. Yet, it’s as stubborn as you and Prosecutor Han are, having your heart set on killing me when I still have a lot to live. I’m not young, but I still want to live! So, stop killing my nerves!” Kan hissed through his teeth, stopping to breathe. „What?” He snapped at SolHi, seeing her smiling.

„Nothing. I’m just happy that you realized that you aren’t young anymore. This means that it’s time for you to give up on smoking, women, and start doing some exercises.”

„Huh, I’d rather see the devil than give up on women and… the rest. It has been enough for me all that I have given up in my life. I’m not eager to give up on more things than this.”

His words made SolHi suddenly turn toward him, taking him by surprise. „You should have thought about pleasure when you were young and not now. Why? Because a man gets married when he is young, has kids, and gathers some fortune to boast to other old men later.”

„Are you rubbing some salt on my wounds?”

„I? When exactly?”

„Forget it! If I listen to you then…” Kan didn’t finish his thought, but only reproachfully shook his head, hinting to SolHi that she managed to piss him off. After that, he suddenly turned toward her, making her stop too. „Maybe I would have done this. To marry someone, I mean. If I have had another job, somewhere in an office where it is warm. Thus, I wouldn’t have walked around like a soul in pain, on hell’s paths and with you behind me. So, if you don’t want to be like me when you are old, marry someone! Why? Because… there is one thing when a man is old and lonely, but it’s totally different when an old woman is single. Why? Because, when a woman is alone and old, she takes care of a lot of cats and drives crazy old men like me!”

„Was this a hint?” SolHi asked, squinting at him.

„Why only a hint? I called the things by their real name. So: if you start to at least live with someone…” Then, Kan focused his glance on SolHi, seeing her growling something unpleasantly. This made him suddenly turn her back to her, mumbling, „Forget it and… where did you say that address was?”

SolHi followed him right away. Not silent, of course, but mumbling, „It seems to me that someone hasn’t been able to keep his mouth shut about his new address. Well, Han DooSan, I’ll put my paw on you when I’m back in the office. Then… you’ll hear me for sure!” After that, turned into a wild cat, SolHi kicked a stone, sending it to hell instead of Han DooSan, whom she intended to send to the same place later.

***

„Whom did you ask if he lives here?” An old woman asked SolHi. Bent a lot in front, the old lady approached SolHi eventually, letting her know that she was deaf and needed SolHi to talk louder.

„Park Yu Ra,” SolHi loudly responded. „According to the documents, she lives here.”

„Park Yu Ra?!” The old woman asked in amazement. „No, detective! This is the first time I have heard this name in fifty years since I’ve been living here. I’m living with my granddaughter here. Her name is Kim Ha Na and not Park Yu Ra or as you said her name is.”

The old woman’s words made Kan and SolHi exchange glances. Yet, none of them said anything. Actually, the first one who understood that something was stinking in that story was Kan, who wasn’t called „old wolf” for nothing - he had a good nose for such things. Because of this, he asked the woman, „What about your granddaughter, Ha Na? Didn’t she pass by here with someone? A friend or maybe a young man?”

Before answering his question, the old woman took a short time to think. „No,” she said eventually. „Or… no, wait: was this two months ago?! I’m not sure when this happened exactly, but I remember that about two months ago Ha Na came with a colleague here. A chubby blond young girl. They said that they had to work on a project and they came to work here because it is quiet.”

SolHi smiled. „So convenient!” She murmured. After that, looking at the old woman, she asked in a sure voice, „Did the girls ask you to sign a document or something? I don’t know: a statement or maybe a confirmation that you allow the other girl to live here?”

„No,” the old woman confidently replied. „I didn’t sign anything. Only the document for the pension.”

„The document for the pension?” Kan asked in amazement. „Isn’t the pension received on a credit card like the salary?” Looking at SolHi, Kan saw her shrugging.

Without feeling the irony in the detective’s voice, the old woman calmly said, „Yes, we receive the pension on a credit card. Yet, there had been some formalities for increasing the pension at that time. Or something like that. Ha Na told me that it’s something normal before the elections.”

Kan and SolHi exchanged glances again. „Did we have elections and I wasn’t aware of this?” The detective asked eventually.

„Yeah, three years ago,” SolHi ironically replied. „Yet, I see now that the lonely wolves don’t keep track of the events.” Seeing the detective’s sour face, she smiled.

Their commentary, although whispered, made the old woman attentive. Then, somehow anxious, she asked, „Detective, why are you asking all these questions? Does something happen to Ha Na?”

„Of course not, grandma!” SolHi rushed to calm down the old woman. „I would have told you if it was so. We are just doing some routine checking because of some mistakes we have found. At the Registry, I mean. We are just checking the information. And, as we’ve done here, let’s go, sombe! Have a nice day, grandma!”

„You too, detectives!” The old woman said, heading toward the gate while the two detectives moved toward the main road.

„What are these two girls planning?” SolHi asked when Kan and she were far away already and the old woman could not hear them.

„Isn’t it clear? It smells like a fraud to me. Or… one of them is in trouble and that’s why they decided to lie to this old lady. And I think the one in trouble is Park Yu Ra because she changed her address two months ago when Ha Na’s grandmother signed the „document for the pension.” More than that, this starts to stink… worse than it has stunk in the Chinese neighborhood. Actually, I still feel that smell!”

„Did you try the shampoo?” SolHi asked in mockery. „I heard it does wonders!” After that, winking, she passed by Kan.

Her mockery made Kan cook his nose. After that, upset, he mumbled, „Who’ll need shampoo is you, darling. Why? Because what Prosecutor Han and you are doing now also stinks! I just hope you won’t drag all of us into the same puddle where you decided to swim together.”

***

„Park Yu Ra? Miss Park? Are you home?” DooSan asked, knocking several times on the door, but with no response. After that, he looked at Yu and Yoon Suk, who were with him, and asked, „Are you sure this is her apartment?”

„We are sure, Prosecutor Han. This is the address she registered a few days ago as her home address,” replied Yoon Suk, showing DooSan a photo of the information he got from the Registry.

„Honestly, I understand nothing. On Iun Min Hiok’s information was written that Park Yu Ra lived at the same address as Kim Ha Na. Now…”

„…it’s strange. I agree with you,” responded Yu. „Yet, this hints to me that one of them lies. Why? Because there is no chance to live together and not see that one person has been missing for four days already.”

„What if she did that for a purpose, Inspector?” Yoon Suk thoughtfully said. „I think this happened for sure because…” Yoon Suk kept silent when he saw Kan and SolHi running up the stairs and approaching them.

„Kim Ha Na never passed by here,” said SolHi through gasps. „The building manager didn’t ever see her. Also, we didn’t see any trace of her while checking the records from the surveillance camera. More than that, we found out that Park Yu Ra should be home now because… we didn’t see her leaving the building.”

„She should have been! Yet, nobody answers when we knock on the door,” said DooSan feistily. „Something that hints to me that Yoon Suk’s suggestion is real: Park Yu Ra and Kim Ha Na are hiding something and…”

A loud noise, of falling things, had been suddenly heard from inside the apartment, making everybody wince. Then, in a second, all of them took the guns out of the support and took an attack position. Only after this, SolHi approached the door and knocked again, yelling, „Park Yu Ra? If you are home, open! The police! If you don’t open this door, we’ll knock it down!”

„We can't enter without a judicial order!” Yoon Suk murmured.

„Only if we get one meanwhile,” replied DooSan. „SolHi, open that door at any cost! I’ll take care of the consequences!” After that, when SolHi nodded, DooSan moved away from them, making a phone call.

Eventually, although none of them wanted to get into trouble, all of them understood that the problems were inevitable when they heard the young woman’s shouts from the apartment, asking for help. Hearing this, Kan ordered SolHi to „Move aside!” After that, Kan shot the lock and kicked the door, opening it. Thus, they saw Yu Ra on the floor, bleeding after she had been stabbed in her stomach, and her attacker, a man about 25, jumping through the window when the detectives entered the apartment.

Seeing the young man about to jump through the window when they entered, Kan demanded him to stay quiet. Something that didn’t happen eventually, and forced the detective to shoot, intending to stop him. The bullet hit the wall eventually, without hurting the attacker, who managed to escape before Kan could pull the trigger.

„Damn it!” Kan cursed when he saw that he failed to make the attacker stop. After that, he approached the window and, looking through it, he saw the young man descending on the gas pipe as though he was a monkey. „We’ll lose him!” The detective yelled when he saw the young man about to touch the ground. „He’s in the backyard! Go after him!” He demanded. Yet, looking at the others, he saw only DooSan in the apartment, next to Yu Ra, and no trace of his colleagues, something that made Kan frown, understanding that those ran and left him alone there.

Intending to follow the others, Kan was forced to stop eventually when passing by Yu Ra, DooSan grabbed him by the arm and demanded him, „Press on the wound and call an ambulance! We’ll take care of the rest!” After that, DooSan also left the apartment.

„Do I look like a babysitter or what?” Kan furiously growled, pressing on the wound already while calling 911. „Or… are they thinking that I’m old now and… Hello, Detective Kan Gi Yon, police…” he said eventually when the 911 dispatch responded to the phone call.

***

Stopped at the crossroads, after she ran up to that place, SolHi carefully looked around but saw nothing. Everything seemed too quiet, „As though the earth swallowed him! Damn! Where did he go?” She murmured eventually, not seeing the one she was looking for. Only in the end did she see DooSan, Inspector Yu, and Yoon Suk approaching her in a hurry.

„I think we’ve lost him!” Yoon Suk said through gasping. „I don’t know how he manages to do that, but… he’s too fast and…”

„There he is!” SolHi shouted, seeing Yu Ra’s attacker on one of the roofs. „Let’s split! We have more chances to catch that bastard only this way! Prosecutor Han, follow me!” After that, SolHi ran toward the building on whose roof she saw the young man. While heading toward there, they all heard Yu’s voice in the headphones:

„Don’t let him get to the area of the markets! Especially, don’t let him get to Itaewon, which is the most crowded. If he gets there, we won’t ever find him!”

„Got it, Inspector!” Replied DooSan. Then, seeing SolHi turning right at the next corner, he did the same. Thus, both of them got to a side dark and narrow street, which was considered by the locals a shortcut to Itaewon. Halfway through that street, SolHi stopped, right in front of many things that were put one on top of the other. Yet, to get above those boxes and different things and then on the roof, she realized that she needed help. That’s why she made a sign to DooSan to approach her. While heading toward her, DooSan frowned and asked, „What are you planning this time?”

„Following him from here, we’ll lose him. What we need is someone to follow him on the roof.”

„Are you crazy? The roof…”

„…is my favorite place, remember?! I lived for years on the roofs. I know them very well and I’m not afraid of them. So, stop talking stupid things and help me!”

„Yet, SolHi, this is madness!” DooSan shouted.

„What’s madness is to do nothing and to lose him!” She also shouted, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him after her toward the pile of things. Understanding that he had no other choice, DooSan sighed and then took her into his arms, something that made SolHi hiss through her teeth, „What the hell do you think you are doing?”

„I’m trying to help you. You said that you need to climb on the roof, right?”

„Yeah, to climb, not to be carried by you in your arms! What I need is you as a springboard!” After that, gesturing at him to cup his hands together, SolHi took a few steps back.

Reluctantly, DooSan obeyed. Thus, when SolHi got next to him, she stepped on his cupped hands first, and, catapulting her up, he helped her to grab the top box. Then, hanging for a while, SolHi managed to keep her balance at first and climb on the roof in the end after she stepped on the same box she grabbed with her hands at first and then on the edge of the roof.

Once on the roof, SolHi carefully looked around. She saw nobody there though, for seconds in a row. Only in the end did she see the young man jumping from one roof to another, something that made her cook her nose and mumble, „Does this one think that he’s been a cat in another life or what? If yes, I’ll show you what real cats can do, idiot!” Then, she said in the headphones, „He’s on the roof of the eastern building that’s next to Itaewon. Try to catch him at the crossroads.”

Her words made Yu stop and look around. „Roof?” He asked, looking up. Thus, he saw SolHi running on the roof and heading toward the place where the young man was. „She has lost her mind for sure!” The inspector hissed through his teeth, running toward the place she told them to go.

Looking at them from above, SolHi saw Yoon Suk at the crossroads and told him, „Yoon Suk, turn left! I think he intends to descend at the crossroads at Itaewon 26 Gil. If he does this, he has free access to Gyeongbokgung Palace and we won’t find him ever after this.”

„Sure, sombe! But… where are you?!” Looking up, when he heard her talking about the roof with Yu, poor Yoon Suk widely opened his eyes when he saw her jumping from one roof to another. „To be damn!” He yelled, running as chased by the devil toward the place SolHi told them. While heading toward there, Yoon Suk kept looking at the roof, but he didn’t see SolHi standing up. „Sombe! SolHi, are you alright?”

„I’m fine,” SolHi murmured after a few moments. She, after landing on the other roof, rolled a few meters while struggling to keep her balance. Yet, while doing this, she clearly heard Yoon Suk’s yell but she had the power to answer only when she stood up. „I’m fine, but I’m not seeing him anymore.”

„He’s at 45 degrees to your right,” she finally heard DooSan’s voice in the headphones. „He’s heading to Bogwang-ro 55 gil.”

„I have him!” SolHi replied, sneaking toward that place at this time when she saw the young man, but he didn’t see her. This gave her a certain confidence and smiled while rushing toward the place where he was.

Although SolHi did everything to approach him as fast as she could, the roof on which both of them were at that moment had a lot of traps and bumps despite the fact that it was pretty large. This was because the buildings, which had different sizes, were positioned one next to another. Thus, in many places, you could pass from one roof to another only stepping over their edge. Then, here and there, chimneys could be seen, which helped SolHi to hide when she spotted the young man looking around. After that, when he turned his back to her again, SolHi continued to sneak toward the place where he was stopped, although she thought he would jump right away, something that made her confused too.

Only when she was a few meters from him, did SolHi notice the guy carefully looking down the street. „He’s checking the area to make sure he’ll see us appearing there. What he doesn’t know is that he has fallen into the trap already because… I’m here already, loser,” SolHi thought. After that, she kept sneaking toward him, managing to pounce on him when he least expected this. What SolHi didn’t take into account when she pounced on him was the distance between them and the impact of the jump. Because of this, instead of rolling on the same roof, both of them rolled off it eventually, falling on top of a pile of garbage bags, which were put on top of another, on a similar narrow street to the one from where she climbed on the roof. Thus, because of those bags, they didn’t break anything when they hit the ground. Even so, each of them heard the cracking of their bones when they rolled on the ground from off the pile of garbage bags.

After he stopped rolling, the young man shook his head to clear his mind because he had been inattentive and didn’t notice SolHi approaching him. Then, he’d been taken by surprise when they fell. Even so, when he could do that, the young man stood up and carefully looked around, seeing SolHi a few meters from him, on her feet already and blocking his way. He also saw her grimacing while slowly moving her right shoulder, something that hinted to him that she dislocated it when she fell. Even so, she was determined not to let him escape that day. And, seeing the determination in her eyes, the young man cursed. He was furious because she was standing right in front of him and he hadn’t free access to the gas pipe that could have allowed him to climb on the roof again and vanish eventually. Heading in the opposite direction wasn’t an option either because there were Yu and DooSan waiting for him already.

Seeing Yu and DooSan there, the young man yelled again, „Damn you, idiots! Are you all around or what?”

Hearing him talking like that, SolHi laughed. „So, Jerry, did you finally understand that you got into the trap? If yes, please, save us some time and effort and lay on the ground! I don’t really want to break your bones eventually.”

„Really?” The young man said, also laughing. „Do you really think that you are capable of breaking my bones? Allow me to think differently because… I have enough experience with such specimens like you.” He said that while heading toward SolHi at a slow step.

Although she saw him heading toward her, SolHi didn’t move from her place. She only told Yu in the headphones when she noticed that he intended to approach them, „Stay there, Inspector! This Jerry is mine and I’ll make him pay today for all the evil things he has done to Tom over time!” Then, suddenly, she’d been forced to pull back when the young man attacked her. Pulling back, she managed to avoid being punched and his fist passed by her head. Then, when he turned toward her, intending to grab SolHi by the neck, she hit him on his nose with her elbow, making him spit blood eventually. Yet, receiving an elbow on her back too, SolHi gasped and took a few steps in front, struggling to keep her balance. Something she didn’t manage to do eventually because of the kick she received in her right knee, which she received from behind and which forced her to roll on the ground eventually. She didn’t stay down too much, but kicked back, managing to hit the man’s ankle and forcing him to kneel too.

Both kneeling, the two of them gave each other a short time to think and breathe while spying on each other. After that, standing up, they started to move in circles, something that seemed to be not to the taste of any of them. Because of this, trying to take the other one by surprise, they suddenly pounced on each other, punching the rival. Thus, his fist managed to hit SolHi’s injured shoulder while her fist punched his chest, forcing them both to move away from each other when they felt the pain.

„Cobra!” The young man hissed through his teeth, spitting blood.

„With the cobras, you have to act like one!” SolHi growled. Then, suddenly, she ran toward the wall, jumped and, after touching it with her sole, she intended to hit the young man’s head and knock him down.

By doing this, she fell into her own trap because the young man understood her plan right away. Thus, when SolHi hit, he jumped aside, and SolHi rolled on the ground again. This time she didn’t have time to stand up because the young man managed to grab her by the leg when she stopped rolling and dragged her toward the pile of garbage bags. By doing this, he tried to demoralize her and make her fear him. What he managed to do instead was to provoke her more. That’s why SolHi started to struggle with him and managed to grab him by the arm eventually, not letting go of that arm, not even when he started to hit her injured shoulder. Thus, she had the chance to wrap her legs around his neck in the end, intending to force him to put her down and immobilize him after that when he lacked air. Yet, what she managed to do eventually was to see herself hanging upside down after receiving another hit in her injured shoulder that forced her to take her hands off his arm.

Seeing her hanging like that and that she was in danger of cracking her head if her attacker had released her at that moment, DooSan grabbed the Inspector’s gun and pointed it toward the young man, yelling at him, „Put her down or I’ll shoot you!”

„As though you’ll shoot me as long as she’s with me!” The young man growled, looking at DooSan from the corner of his eyes. While he did that, SolHi saw her chance to act. And, taking the dagger from her pocket, she cut his right hip.

Moaning because of pain, the young man knelt, releasing SolHi. Yet, she didn’t have a chance to run away from him, not even that time, because he caught up with her right away. And, grabbing her by the hair, he started to fight with SolHi to take the dagger from her hand.

„I said to let her go!” DooSan shouted again. „One… two…!” A threat that didn’t impress the young man. Yet, understanding that it was better for him to run away from there than continue the fight with her, the young man pushed SolHi against the wall eventually. After that, while she struggled with herself to stand up, he was already halfway to the roof, climbing on the gas pipe like a monkey.

Not to let him escape, while they ran toward SolHi, who was already trying to climb on the garbage bags, DooSan shot three bullets in the air. Yet, this didn’t scare the young man or make him stop. He lost his trace before they managed to get next to that pile of garbage.

Seeing DooSan staring at the roof, but not helping her to climb, SolHi shouted at him, furious, „Help me and not just stay and watch!” She yelled this after she saw Yu running toward the other side of the narrow street and telling Yoon Suk in the headphones to go to the Itaewon where he would catch up with him. Then, seeing that DooSan didn’t react to her order, SolHi shouted at him again, „I told you to help me climb, DooSan or we’ll lose him!”

„We lost him already!”

„Not as long as he’s still somewhere around. More than that, with Inspector Yu and Yoon Suk following him from down, and me from the roof, we can catch him. So, help me to climb!” She moaned eventually when DooSan pressed over her injured shoulder.

„You are barely standing, SolHi,” he reproachfully told her. „There is no chance of following him in the condition you are in now! Not talking about the fact that you can’t climb on that roof with this injured shoulder! What you can do instead is to keep your mouth shut and follow me! Willingly, SolHi! Otherwise, I swear I will cuff you!” After that, not waiting for her answer, DooSan put his jacket on her shoulders and, grabbing her by the arm, forced her to follow him toward the exit from that street.

While following DooSan, SolHi kept looking back. She obeyed that order only when she understood that she had no other choice. If she hadn’t done this, DooSan was really capable of cuffing her. Yet, this didn’t mean she agreed with his decision to let the young man escape… something she was sure she would have been able to impede if she had climbed on the roof again.