Killing Over Lunch

Phase 1

Silence. The only thing you can hear is the faint munching of kimchi and tapping of spoons against bowls of rice. The family of three sit eating in silence
"We always eat in silence when we enjoy food, don't we?" Says the father in an attempt to break the silence. The other two just chuckle a bit and nod in agreement. A little bit more silence. The father turns on the tv for ambiance and the news comes on
-after a series of mysterious murders took place throughout seoul the police say be cautious of the people around you. The most plausible explanation from the police so far is a cult that draws people in and convinces them to commit familicide, surviving family members of these incidents have been arrested but the murders still continue-
The tv was switched off
"Is that true, dad?"
"Hwang edo don't eat with your mouth full"
"Dad is it true though? Have you not figured it out?" The father sighs.
"No... it's mysterious. There's strange patterns and no one is owning up to anything. Not to mention all the victims are completely random, there's no motive"
"Can I help?"
"Son, you know I don't want you involved with dangerous investigations"
"I'm already involved" edo smirks
"Just get ready for bed"
Edo finishes his food and says goodnight to his mother and father. The week was normal. The father didn't come home for a couple nights then on Wednesday came back at 9pm with some food from a corner store
"What's this, dad?"
"I had my pay reduced this month due to the long investigation, sorry this is all I can get today"
"What did you get me?" Edo grabs at the bag. He didn't really care what he ate so long as it's food and he pulled out some triangle kimbap and gave a little yessss of celebration. His father smiled, he's glad edo appreciated even this much. He takes out his food and his wife's food, his being a triangle kimbap and his wife's was a lunch box since she wasn't keen on kimbap. They sit and eat
"Hey dad did you figure anything out yet?"
"Not yet"
"You sure you don't want me to help?" They chuckled a bit and all conversed happily over their food. Edo reaches over the table for the kimchi but his mother grabbed his arm, startled, edo freezes and looks at his mother. She stared at the table, not blinking, face becoming more and more red
"W...what"
"Honey?"
All of a sudden she breathes in violently and begins coughing and spluttering, she lets go of edo and stumbles to the bathroom
"Are you choking?" The father asks as he follows after her. Edo stood at the end of the table not knowing what to do with himself and not knowing how to help, he fumbled with his chopsticks and tried to comfort himself and block out the painful screeches of his mother between the sounds of her chokes.
"Shes just choking... dad will help her... it's fine..."
It stopped. A deafening silence filled the apartment. Edo stood in anticipation, waiting for his mother and father to leave the bathroom. They didn't.
"Dad?"
Silence
"It's fine, right?"
Still no reply. Edo begins slowly making his way to the bathroom, through the door his dad became visible, he was sitting on the floor in what appeared to be dispair
"Don't.. don't come closer"
"Why?"
Edo keeps walking. He sees his mother's feet, her legs, her waist and then... a pool of blood lay at his mother's head, slowly trickling from her mouth, the stifled sobs of his dad were heard.
"I told you not to come"
His father pulled edo into a hug, on his knees, his dads arms around him edo just kept staring at his mother
"Why are you crying?" Edo asks, quietly "she's fine, right?"
Edo pulls away from his dads embrace and grabs his shoulders, lump in his throat, tears welling up, he looks at his distraught father
"She's okay, right!? Why are you just sitting here!? If she's not okay then make her okay! Why is she.. why..."
The father and son stayed close to each other as the ambulance wheeled her away with the white sheet covering her face and blood stained clothes. Neighbors and passer-by's stood around asking questions wondering what happened. One of the police go over and salute to edo's dad
"I know it's a bit much, detective hwang, but we have to take you and your son to the station"
"I know" sighed the dad "I know how this will go. I will accept that I'll be held accountable for-"
"What? Dad no it's not your fault why would you be held accountable?"
Edo's dad bent down to edo
"If you know it wasn't me and you really believe you can, why don't you find the real culprit?" His dad smiled and he was escorted to the police car, edo was taken in a separate car. These words meant a lot to edo. His father never let him help in cases and said they they were too complicated for him to figure out, this was the first time edo had permission from his father to work on a case by himself. He was determined to make his dad proud.