After what happened in the parking lot of the DOC, the whole world went crazy many days after the event. Particularly, the madness was felt online after another viral video: the one that showed the world that the fearsome assassin Ian SolHi was killed by the new Chief of DOC when she entered the building to steal some information. In that video, SolHi was also accused of an armed attack, something that hasn’t been proven yet. Even so, the simple fact she’d been killed managed to turn the world upside down and split it into two camps.

Because of the same madness, the new Chief of DOC, Kim HanSol, saw herself forced to hold a press conference a few days after the crime, thinking that it was the only way the crowd could be calmed down. And, to make sure everybody would listen to what she said and not leave room for malicious interpretations, HanSol asked for both online and traditional transmission of the conference. Thus, right at the beginning of the conference, she confidently said, „It had been absolutely necessary to fire my gun and kill Ian SolHi once my life was threatened. Thus, I also made sure that there wouldn’t be any information breach.”

„Still, there is something unclear. At least, this is what we think, after watching the video DOC had posted online. In that video, everybody saw that Ian SolHi wasn’t armed when you shot. More than that, you fired that gun five times, one shot after another, something that seems cruel to me,” said one of the journalists.

HanSol sketched a smile. „Do you think so?” She said, damn calm. „That it was cruel? I consider it life insurance because everybody knows who Ian SolHi was and what she could do. Knowing this, I made sure that the one who lies at the morgue now is she and not me.”

„Maybe, but… you shot five times. I think that it would have been enough firing the gun only once,” the journalist insisted.

Realizing that the journalist’s interrogation wouldn’t end soon, HanSol raised her hand, cutting her discourse off. Then, she sternly said, „I don’t see why I should explain myself in front of you and the decision I made. I’ve done that already: in front of the Commission, the one that decided that I defended myself there. Therefore, once I’ve been exonerated and I’ve informed you about this, I consider that I’ve done more than enough. So, ladies and gentlemen, have a nice day!” Then, not paying attention to the bustle made by the journalists, who asked her to comment on the details of the case, HanSol simply walked away.

Seeing HanSol leaving, the journalists started to crowd and follow her. The hustle of the journalists finally convinced law enforcement that it was time to act and stop it before turning ugly. Even so, some questions were still heard from the crowd, like „What about the evidence that points out that Ian SolHi was innocent?” „Who will pay for her death if it’s proved that she’d been unjustly accused and she didn’t kill anybody?” Or „When is her funeral? Does anybody know when…”

These questions were also heard on the TV from DooSan’s apartment, in the former nest of love where he and SolHi had spent so many beautiful moments before she’d been arrested. He was sitting on the floor at that moment, with a lot of beer and soju bottles around him. Part of those bottles was empty while the other part was only open or half-emptied, waiting for DooSan to finish them eventually.

DooSan drank a lot that night. Still, he had more bottles he wanted to drink too because he was already aware that the alcohol was the only thing that could help him forget what happened. Yes, he has been drinking a lot lately just to forget, something that made him look really bad: haggard, visibly weakened, with his hair a mess after so much squeezing it with his wet hand. Not only his hair was a mess but also his clothes: his tie was half loose, hanging around his neck, just as his shirt was half unbuttoned. Next to him, on the left side, was the jacket while, in one corner of the house, were the shoes, which he had thrown there after returning home.

He returned home that night completely devastated, as he had been all the time in the last few days. And, as always, DooSan drank a lot, trying to forget his problems with alcohol. Even his eyes were red because of so much rubbing them as though he was trying to convince himself that everything he’d seen and found out those days wasn’t real. DooSan really didn’t want to believe the truth because of the shock he suffered after SolHi’s death. He found out about this from the video posted online, something SuJin had sent to him, asking Prosecutor Han to tell him that it wasn’t true and that SolHi wasn’t dead, and DooSan didn’t want to believe that because he felt that something weird was in that story.

Why did DooSan consider that SolHi’s death wasn’t veridical? First, because nobody allowed him to check the crime scene or see her body. He had even fought with law enforcement to be left inside, just as it happened when his brother died. Yet, unlike that time, when Kan left him to approach YuSan’s body, Kim HanSol was implacable and didn’t allow him to approach the DOC building more than 500 meters. From there, he’d been forced to see how the paramedics took SolHi’s body out of the parking lot, a body that was covered with a white sheet and he couldn’t see her face. Even so, he recognized the bracelet SolHi wore and he saw it hanging at her wrist when the paramedics took the body to the ambulance. It was the same bracelet SolHi took from her mother after SinHa died, the same bracelet that helped SolHi recognize her mother when the villagers took SinHa’s body out of the water.

Seeing it, DooSan shuddered. Then, unable to control himself, he fell to the ground, sitting on the cold wet soil for a long time. That day, when SolHi left SoRan’s house in Lee Ma Rin’s car, it was raining. Thus, sitting on the ground, DooSan looked behind the ambulance for minutes in a row, hearing the same deafening sound he had heard eight years ago. What was different at that moment was that SolHi was gone and only her name was proof that she’d been in his life. And, sitting there, DooSan also saw HanSol accompanied by two police officers, in cuffs, heading to the patrol. For seconds only, DooSan saw HanSol looking at him. Yet, he didn’t pay too much attention to that because he was seeing everything at that moment as in a dream.

Because of the shock, DooSan spent that day wandering the streets. Later, he drank a lot, thinking that this would help him forget. Then, in the days that followed the accident, he tried to approach HanSol and ask her for an explanation for SolHi’s death. Yet, he hadn’t been left to see her. They only told him to wait for the investigation to be finished and then he’d be able to have answers. This didn’t convince DooSan though. That’s why he tried to use the influence he had as a prosecutor just to make sure he’d see HanSol, something that didn’t happen eventually. All he won by doing this was to give An Te Sun a chance to fire him, something the General Attorney did eventually.

After he’d been fired, DooSan locked himself in his house and started to drink more. To be more precise, he’s been drinking all five days after he’s been fired. He didn’t leave his house at all or allow someone to see him, although Kan, Yu, and the rest of the team tried to make him leave the apartment. Not even Min Hiok convinced DooSan to leave him inside, even if his friend stopped by the apartment many times in those few days, just to make sure that DooSan was fine. What DooSan did instead was to stay alone in front of the TV, drink, and wait for more news about SolHi’s case. He did that because he hoped with all his heart that the new head of DOC didn’t kill SolHi that day but someone else.

Also watching the TV, DooSan found out that HanSol was declared innocent and that she killed SolHi in self-defense. This made DooSan completely lose his head. Thus, in a fit of anger, he managed to turn the house upside down, destroying a lot of things.

The anger and the effort left DooSan powerless eventually, heading his footsteps toward the bed, next to which he sat down and started drinking again. Right in front of him, the TV continued to show him news about SolHi’s case and the rest of the interview HanSol gave to the journalists. An interview that managed to hurt him more, making his wounds abundantly bleed.

After this, the anxiety has been felt for a very long time pressing over his chest. He needed about three hours after the interview to finally calm down. Yet, this didn’t mean that he accepted his loss or wanted to see people. On the contrary, he wanted to isolate himself more and more. That’s why he didn’t even bother when he heard someone knocking on the door. Only the doorbell was insistently ringing in his ears while he was emptying bottle after bottle.

Eventually, a punch in the door made him attentive. A second punch drove him crazy. Then, struggling, DooSan managed to stand up, visibly bothered by his visitor’s insistence. And, on the warpath, even though he was barely keeping his balance, he approached the door and opened it by slamming it against the wall.

Although he opened the door ready to kill a bull for being disturbed that night, DooSan did nothing eventually. He only stared in front of him for a while, saying nothing. The reason? His visitor was no one other than Kim HanSol.

Sternly looking at each other for a while, HanSol finally dared to ask, „Am I talking to ex-prosecutor Han DooSan? My name is…”

Instead of receiving an answer to her question, HanSol saw DooSan grabbing her by the collar and dragging her inside the apartment. Then, he pushed her against the wall and slammed the door to close it. The man even pressed with both hands over the woman’s neck, hissing through his teeth, „Damn idiot! You are definitely one! Otherwise, I can’t explain how you dared to appear here after what you did. This is a holy place where SolHi lived once.”

Without even blinking, although she felt damn well DooSan’s hatred when he pressed on her throat and even saw that hatred sparkling in his eyes, HanSol didn’t do anything against him but just smiled. Only eventually, realizing that DooSan’s madness was limitless, she twisted his arm to his back from one movement. And, pressing with her entire force to keep DooSan still, who started to struggle to release himself, HanSol hissed into his ear, „You win nothing by killing me! Even if you do that, you won’t revive her!”

Her answer drove DooSan crazier than he already was. And, so suddenly, he released from her trap with a force that HanSol didn’t expect to find in him, not after realizing how much he drank. Then, turning toward her and looking at her like a pitbull thirsty for blood, whose lower jaw was powerfully shaking while squeezing his fists, DooSan said with hatred through his teeth, „I won’t revive her? Of course not! No dead person has been revived by now. Even so, you are damn shameless to appear here after you’ve killed everything I had sacred in my life. You don’t even feel guilty for what you’ve done, bitch!” DooSan yelled at her, pouncing on HanSol again.

He didn’t manage to hurt her this time because HanSol suddenly jumped to the side. This made DooSan stumble over his feet, falling on the floor eventually. He didn’t stay still though but jumped to his feet, intending to pounce on her again. Yet, seeing HanSol aiming him with her gun, DooSan saw himself forced to stop.

Of enviable calmness, HanSol confidently told him, „Don’t force me to use it, Prosecutor Han! I assure you that my hand won’t shake. So, be calm and listen to what I have to say!”

DooSan smiled. „To listen to you? I rather howl to the moon than listen to a bitch like you.” Then, barely keeping his balance and irrespective of her gun, he headed toward the door.

He stopped eventually, right after touching the doorknob when HanSol said, „What about SolHi? Wouldn’t you like to see her again?” DooSan said nothing. He didn’t even look at her, a reaction that amazed her a lot. Then, hiding her gun behind her back, HanSol told him, „I can help you with that.”

„Keep your mouth shut!” The man hissed through his teeth, eyes bathed by tears. „Never, ever dare to talk about her, do you hear me? Ever!”

HanSol smiled again. „I can’t believe that the man I admired once could have fallen so down.” An answer that amazed DooSan. „Yes, I admired you! I did that, thinking that you are unique and you love her. Yet, I’ve been so wrong because you are so pathetic, a chicken who prefers to hide between four walls than make justice to her.”

„What should I do according to you?” DooSan asked with contempt. „To kill you just as you did to her? Without even giving you the chance to explain things, just as you’ve done?”

„To explain myself or allow others to do that? I don’t see why I should have done that. I only followed the protocol. I watched my back, that’s all. And… I’ve also been lucky, I won’t say no. This brought me eventually here because… once you have been fired from Prosecution, I think that it’ll be a good idea to work with me at DOC. What do you say?”

„I say that you’ve lost your mind!” The man said through his teeth. „And… before killing you, as you did to SolHi, I also tell you to get lost! I don’t want to see you ever around me… in this place where SolHi and I…”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

„…you have lived your most beautiful moments together, I know that. She told me about this place.” DooSan looked at HanSol, confused. Yet, he said nothing. DooSan only took the visit card HanSol gave him and looked at her when she said, „My address is on the back of that thing. If you decide to join DOC, you can find me there! And… watch your back! You have enough eagles that round you while they are looking for fresh meat! Until next time, Han DooSan! If there is a next time, of course!”

Saying this, HanSol pushed him away from the door and opened it. Before leaving the apartment, she looked into his eyes again, seeing so many question marks there. Questions she wasn’t ready to answer. „Not yet. Maybe later,” she told herself while heading toward her car. „Or never,” as she whispered, once she was in her car and saw the motorcyclist who followed her to DooSan’s apartment and who followed her after that when she left that place.

***

HanSol’s visit made DooSan take thoughts that night. What made him think, in particular, was her idea of him working with her at DOC and restoring SolHi’s good name. He also didn’t understand what she tried to say when she mentioned the eagles that were around him, barely waiting to enjoy fresh meat. Yet, even if he had so many questions spinning in his head, DooSan couldn’t decide quickly what to do. He only looked for a while at the closed door, seeing the last events right in front of his eyes. Then, crawling his legs behind him, he went and lay on the bed, without changing his clothes, falling asleep right away.

When he awoke, it was already night outside. His head was throbbing and an unpleasant feeling of nausea was felt in his stomach because of the pressure he felt over his chest. This feeling of nausea and sickness made him prop himself on one elbow. Then, half awake, he looked around. Seeing everything so clean and no sign of empty bottles on the floor amazed him a lot, making him sit on the bed eventually. What made him attentive after that was the bag with fresh food from the kitchen table, whose smell reached his stomach eventually, making him forget of nausea. And, barely keeping balance, DooSan approached the table.

Getting next to the table, DooSan didn’t open the bag to take the food but stared at the pills next to it. This made him frown, moreover when he realized that those were the same pills Kan used to take after drunkenness. Looking in the bag, DooSan saw that he’d been right in thinking that Kan had been there because of the small note the detective left behind him, „Eat everything or you’ll see me next to you tomorrow morning!” Warning that made DooSan growl, „The old wolf again! I thought she’d been here.” Then, disappointed, he supported his head with his palms and stood with closed eyes for a while.

Eventually, feeling the necessity of drinking something to go to sleep again and stop thinking about his pain, DooSan stood up and opened the fridge. Seeing it empty, he widely opened his eyes. He also found no bottle of wine or whisky in the kitchen cabinet where he kept his collection bottles, something that made him furiously growl, „What the hell is this supposed to mean?” Then, barely controlling his nerves, he approached the bed, took his phone, and called Kan, growling in the receiver when the detective answered, „Where the hell is my drink, old hairless wolf?”

Hearing DooSan roaring at the phone, poor Kan, who had just fallen asleep, jumped off the bed. Then, half-awakened, he stared at the phone’s screen for a while, asking eventually, „What drink?”

„The one you took from me when you brought me food. The one you’ll bring me back right now!” After that, not waiting for the answer, DooSan hung up the phone. And, sitting on the chair, he supported his head with his palms again.

He winced eventually when he received a short but clear message from Kan. „Who took that drink from you, should bring it back! I don’t have it! So… I’ll go to bed now! If you wake me up again, you’ll see me there right away!”

Reading the message twice to make sure he understood it well, DooSan frowned. „If it wasn’t Kan, then… who?”

This thought made him wince again. Even hope returned to his soul after that, jumping off the chair and approaching the door, which he checked from top to bottom to make sure nobody had broken into the house. The door, like any other door, was well closed and locked. Yet, this didn’t convince DooSan, who opened it eventually, checking it on the outside too. He even checked the surroundings to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.

Yet, he wasn’t hallucinating for sure. Why exactly? He suddenly saw a black shadow lurking on him from behind a pylon, a few dozen meters from his apartment. Seeing the shadow, DooSan madly yelled, „Damn you, eagles! Not even when someone is mourning you leave him alone!” And, barefoot and with his clothes and hair a mess, he started chasing the one who had spied on him.

The shadow didn’t wait for him but disappeared from his sight right away. And, no matter how hard DooSan didn’t try to catch up with her, he couldn’t. The run made him feel out of breath eventually, especially when got to the bottom of the stairs. When he finally descended the last stair and looked around, he saw nobody there.

Even if he realized very well that he lost that race against the clock with his enemy, DooSan didn’t give up. On the contrary, once reaching the street, he kept looking around, trying to find at least a small hint to find the one who spied on him. Yet, not even after minutes of looking around, he saw nobody there. Only the cold was chasing him, making him shudder and finally convincing him that it was time to return home.

Before entering the apartment for good, the man opened and closed the door several times to make sure that nobody had followed him again. Nobody was there though: either in the hall or on the street. This made him mumble eventually, trying to convince himself that he had only hallucinated because of so much drinking and that it was finally time to sleep. Something he did eventually, squeezing the blanket in his arms because it was the only thing he could do at that moment. Yes, it was definitely the only thing he could do, although his mind desperately asked him to accept reality because SolHi was gone. Yet, DooSan was stubborn, and wanted to continue ignoring the truth and hurt himself, perhaps for an entire life.

***

HanSol’s visit wasn’t the only unpleasant surprise DooSan had. On the contrary, it seemed that his nightmare barely started because… the next morning, at the crack of dawn, another punch on the door made him fall off the bed. A second punch made DooSan swear while a third one finally convinced him to open the door. He opened it so suddenly, on the path of war, that made Kan and Yu take a step back. The reason? The eyes of the hyena the ex-prosecutor had at that moment while staring at them, a clear hint that he wasn’t happy with that early visit, and his hair a mess, something that reminded them of a group of mice that had been playing all night long on the top of DooSan’s head.

The amazement and the „fear” didn’t last long for the two visitors. It miraculously vanished when they heard DooSan grumbling, „What?”

„Nothing,” replied Yu, struggling not to burst into laughter because the new look of the Prosecutor amused him a lot. How not to feel like that when, before that, DooSan used to wear an expensive suit while, at that moment, he looked like a hedgehog, whose quills were seen on the top of DooSan’s head, making him look so funny. Then, calm, Yu told DooSan, „We are here with an order from the General Attorney to bring you back to work.”

„He can take his order and stick it into…,” DooSan hissed through his teeth. Then, turning his back to the two visitors, he intended to go back to sleep.

Yeah, right?! The sour face of the prosecutor hadn’t deceived the two old wolves. On the contrary, understanding that if they had left him alone, the one who would have paid for everything would have been them, broke into the apartment, following after DooSan. And, before he could realize what was going on, they forced him to enter the shower. Then, none of them unstuck from him until they saw him freshly shaved and wearing a suit, just as he used to wear in good times. After that, grabbing him by the arms, the two men took him out of the apartment, telling him, „It’s absolutely necessary to be there for investigations.”

To their great surprise, DooSan didn’t oppose the idea of leaving the apartment. The reason? He decided that after the „investigation,” to visit Kim HanSol and ask her to let him see SolHi. He even intended to beg her if necessary in case just asking hadn’t been enough or threaten her if begging had been in vain.

Once in his office, he finally understood that his problems were just starting. Why exactly? He saw HanSol in his office. And, on top of that, he found out in a stupor that he got his job back, although, only days ago, he’d been kicked out of the Prosecution like a vagabond dog.

„This is already witchery,” growled DooSan, hearing the news. „I thought I’d be forced to chase you for my entire life. Yeah, right?! Well, you know the quote: if you need Death, just wait for it! Where? In your office!”

HanSol burst into laughter. „If Death it’s me, then… I’ll play my role. And, wow, Prosecutor Han: what an honor for me to see you so well-looking in front of mortals like me.”

The irony felt in her voice made DooSan growl something barely heard. Then, grabbing her by the arm, right in front of everyone, who stared in amazement behind them, he dragged her out of the office. While heading toward the door, DooSan even hissed through his teeth, „No word or not even the witnesses will make me fear twisting your neck!”

Getting out of the office, DooSan had been forced to release the woman’s arm, even if she didn’t struggle to release herself. On the contrary, HanSol calmly followed him. The reason why DooSan released her was the other employees, who appeared in the hall, whispering about the prosecutor’s shamelessness in appearing at the office after everything he’d done. Then, not paying attention to their whispers, DooSan made HanSol a sign to follow him, heading toward the roof.

***

„That’s already too much,” SuJin hissed through his teeth suddenly, making everybody in the office wince. Then, disregarding the sour faces of those who kept staring at him, the young man started growling while talking to himself but still loud enough to be heard by others. „She has the balls to appear here. First, she grabs a gun and blows up someone’s brain. Then, she appears here to chase her victim’s boyfriend.”

SuJin winced eventually when Yu approached him and hissed into his ear, „Keep your mouth shut or you’ll see the devil!”

„I? But… what have I done exactly?” The young man snapped at his father, standing up and looking for a fight.

He sat down right away when his father pointed at him with his finger. Then, they looked at Yoon Suk when this one said, „Still, the kid is right!”

„About what?” Asked Kan.

„About everything. Let’s think logically now: everything that has happened lately is damn strange.”

„Strange? How?”

„SolHi’s death for example. So sudden and at all in a usual place. She’s been killed in the parking lot of DOC. By who? By Kim HanSol, who appears here days later. She’s not here for work but for Han DooSan, whom she helped to get his job back after his mother did everything to fire him. Does all this seem strange only to me?”

„Now that you mentioned that, I also consider this strange,” said Kan. „Even so, I say not to rush in concluding but wait for news from Prosecutor Han. I’m sure he’ll tell us as soon as he finds out.” Then, not to give others the chance to continue that weird conversation, he made them all sign to return to what they were doing.

The detective wanted to do that, actually: to work silently and clear his mind. Yet, no matter how hard he didn’t try that, he couldn’t. The reason? The visit he paid to Yun Marie the day SolHi was killed.

Thinking about this, he remembered that the day he and Yu made sure San DuSik was arrested for 24 hours to „awake,” they returned to the office. Yet, before entering the building, Kan suddenly turned his back to the Inspector, heading toward the car again. The reason? „Important things to do,” as he told Yu. Then, entering his car, he vanished.

One hour later, Kan appeared in front of Marie’s house. He found her out of her yard, ready to go. Where was Yun Marie heading? Kan didn’t know. He didn’t even try to find out this. He only stepped in front of her when she tried to pass by him and told her, „I know that you don’t know me and that what I say can sound weird to you but… what about you returning to the Prosecution?”

Marie squinted at him. „To return to the Prosecution? What is this supposed to mean?”

„That… the Prosecution needs you?” The detective answered airily. „Just as An Te Sun and San DuSik need someone to rein them in.”

The woman scowled at Kan unhappily. Then she smiled and said, „I don’t see why I should do that. I mean… I don’t see why I have to declare war on the new General Attorney.”

„Is it because your only son’s fate depends on this?” Kan confidently said, managing to make Marie attentive. „In case you didn’t know that, Han DooSan was arrested yesterday, accused of being someone who helped Ian SolHi escape prison.”

Marie winced. „What? Was DooSan involved in her escape?”

„As far as I know, he wasn’t. Yet, this doesn’t mean An Te Sun won’t use this to kick him out of the Prosecution or send him behind bars. He’ll do that for sure if someone doesn’t show him his place. I think that he’s more than capable of getting rid of Han DooSan too, in one way or another. And… I don’t think you want that: to bury one more son, I mean.”

Yun Marie said nothing to this remark. She just entered her car and left. Even so, Kan was sure that she’d do something related to his request. And… He’d been right because, the next day, besides firing San DuSik, Marie also asked for DooSan to be fired. She did that because, finding out about SolHi’s death, she felt released, although she wasn’t happy to know that her biggest rival was out of the game. On the contrary, she felt that, once SolHi was dead, more problems were about to hit her family.

Not only did Marie consider that more problems were coming for everyone but also Kan, who found Marie’s request to fire her son weird. This made the detective think a lot about what happened, concluding eventually that if Marie did that, it was because she hid something. What exactly? He wasn’t sure. Even so, he decided to keep his mouth shut about his visit to Marie. Particularly, he tried to make sure that DooSan wouldn’t find out about what he asked Marie to do because, besides controlling An Te Sun and getting rid of San DuSik, Kan also managed to bring more problems to DooSan. Thus, if DooSan had found out about this, the old wolf Kan would have definitely been skinned alive.