Funfacts:
Names of places in the story
Sungun Police Station – Current headquarters/current Emergency Call Centre
Seogu Police Station – Sungyoon’s patrol division which is smaller rhan Sungun and the station he was demoted to
Eunhyeong-dong – location where Jihye was murdered & current kidnapping case
Gojeong-dong – location of a murder case Youngtaek and Jangjun are working on
Gwangju Police Station – the centre Joochan was transferred and met Seungmin
+++++++
7.00PM
Sungun Police Agency
Emergency Call Centre
Three minutes since call
“Sergeant Choi Sungyoon from the Seogu Patrol Division will be dispatched from the Golden Time Team.”
Donghyun creases his forehead. “Golden Time Team? What the hell is that?”
“What?”
Hearing an order from Chief Hong leaves Sungyoon's ears scalded. Sungyoon hisses and marches forward, pushing away the guards effortlessly. As he steps in fuming, the call manager does not budge at all. Only when Sungyoon is too close and the guards hurry in, Joochan raises his hand telling everyone that everything is alright.
“Yah, are you insane? Who the hell are you to order me around?” Sungyoon speaks coldly and darkly.
Joochan does not lift his eyes off the screen at all. The irritated officer hammers his fist in Joochan’s table multiple times.
“Can you hear me?”
Joochan sighs alittle and looks at Sungyoon in the eyes. “This is an emergency. If we don’t act in 10 minutes, the victim’s life is at risk.”
“So what?”
Sungyoon looks back at Joochan, not taking Joochan seriously.
Suddenly the voice of the abducted resonates in the room.
“Are you coming?... I am... I am scared. Please save me... Please let me live.”
Sungyoon swallows, his heart absorbing the sounds of desperation in the young girl’s voice. His own ears play Jihye’s last words, making him more urged to save the girl.
When Jihye called for help, Sungyoon was not there for her. Would Sungyoon ignore this girl’s call for help, just like how he did to Jihye?
Is he going to be selfish, sacrificing a girl’s life and continuing his harassment towards Hong Joochan?
“Fine.”
Standing at the door, Donghyun heard Sungyoon. “Hyung, don’t tell me-”
“Fine, I’ll go. We’ll talk later,” Sungyoon nods at Joochan and turns away.
Chief Hong reclaims his chair and concentrates on the patrol officers who are responding to his order. Sungyoon walks down the corridor briskly, followed by Donghyun chasing after him.
Chief Daeyeol scoffs, eyeing on the patrol officer who obediently follows Joochan’s order. Chief Daeyeol excuses himself from the Commissioner and walks inside the Call Centre.
Joochan pretends to not see Daeyeol until the older man reaches his table.
“Sergeant Hong, since when did we have a Golden Time Team?” Daeyeol shoots him a rhetoric question. “The patrol division around the area should be enough. You cannot be employing all the divisions for a small case.”
“How sure are you that it is a small case?” Joochan responds in a calm posture.
“It could just be a pervert.”
“If he was just a pervert, he would not bring knives and keep her in an abandoned dusty place like that.”
“Yah,” Daeyeol exhales angrily. “You are seriously going to regret this. You are going to make a fool out of yourself.”
“We will see that after we save the victim.”
Joochan is emanating confidence despite Daeyeol’s attempt to provoke him. Seungmin who heard everything wishes he could just hide somewhere.
7.01PM
Corridor
“Sungyoon-Hyung!”
Donghyun manages to stop the older one by the arm. Sungyoon stands still, looking gazed.
“Aigoo, Hyung,” Donghyun lets out a miserable sigh. “You cannot listen to him just like that. Are you giving up that easily? I can’t believe you’re being easy on him-”
“That girl... She asked for help,” Sungyoon utters helplessly.
Sungyoon is about take a step away from Donghyun but Donghyun holds him tightly.
“Eunhyeong-dong! That is where Jihye died!”
Reminded of that fact, Sungyoon exhales loudly before speaking. “Donghyun-ah… That girl is begging for her life. We’ll talk later.”
Donghyun captures Sungyoon’s dazed expression. Nothing seems to wake him up from this unknown spell that Joochan has casted upon him. Sungyoon leaves Donghyun’s side without a word and walks briskly towards the stairs down, dialling his partner through the radio and getting the car ready.
Donghyun glares at Sungyoon’s back, having his own hands pinned on his hip. Donghyun knows better that when it comes to saving lives, Sungyoon will give his all. Donghyun has seen Sungyoon in too many dangerous situations that nothing scares him. Despite his strong belief in Sungyoon’s success in the mission, Donghyun is torn between following the senior and reprimanding the Call Manager for bossing his hyung around.
“I knew it,” Donghyun hisses. “He spells nothing but trouble.”
7.01 PM
Emergency Call Centre
“Where are they?”
Boknim weeps on the phone, shivering ceaselessly. Her cries may sound weak due to her toughness but Joochan knows better. Not only can the officer hear her cries, he can hear her accelerating heartbeat and shortness of breath. This behaviour is common for anyone who is in Boknim’s situation.
“Are they coming? Why... Why are they taking so long? Are you not going to save me?”
Joochan lifts his eyes off the screen and stands up. Seungmin notices his newly appointed Chief's abrupt movement, looking from the corner of his eyes.
“I must have been led on...”
“Ani,” Chief Hong says with a firm voice. “The patrol officers are on their way as we speak. Please don’t give up, Boknim.”
“Jinjja?”
Joochan smirks alittle, noticing a damper in her heartbeat. “Jinjja. This Oppa will make sure you get out of there alive.”
Hearing the informal approach, which is quite expected from the handsome officer, Seungmin joins him in smirking. What a ladies’ man.
Boknim sucks in a sniffle. “If I listen to Oppa, I will get out safely, right?”
“Oppa promise you. We will have a meal together to celebrate it too, araso?”
Boknim nods despite tears spilling over her cheeks. “Gomawo, Oppa.”
“You cannot give up, ara, Boknim-ah. Now, you need to help us find where you are exactly. Do you remember anything before you entered the room?” Joochan starts to pace up and down the floor. “Perhaps the streets, a landmark, anything?”
“Playground...”
Joochan marches to Seungmin’s desk, as the assistant manager is already searching any playground in the area.
“I saw a playground. He turned away from the left of it.”
Seungmin points to the location of the playground on his monitor and looks up at Joochan for acknowledgement. Getting a nod, Seungmin sends the coordinates to the patrol officers.
Boknim hugs herself tightly and looks around. She then shuts her eyes, recalling anything useful.
“I passed out so I can’t remember... But there was something colourful.”
“Colourful, is that right?” Joochan straightens and looks at the map which is expanded on the wide screen.
“Yes, lights... Colourful lights. Quite bright. Red, white, blue, ... I can’t see what it was clearly.”
“Thank you, Boknim. You did great.”
Seungmin highlights the possible routes on the map, checking on any available camera he can hack on. Joochan paces closer to the big screen and places one hand over one side of his earpiece, hoping to cancel the external voice and amplify the smallest sound inside the radio.
Joochan hears a sound too unique to ignore. During his conversation with Boknim, the unique sound has been revolving in a consistent beat, short distinct intervals in between. The sound is as similar as sweeping a brush against the wooden surface.
Biting his fingernail, Joochan murmurs to himself. “What is it? I heard it before. Think, Joochan, think.”
“Chief Hong,” Seungmin distracts him. “I have highlighted four abandoned buildings within the radius of ten feet from the playground. Unfortunately, I could not obtain any visual through the surveillance cameras. As of now, only four patrol officers from Seogu and Burim Division have arrived.”
“Noted,” Joochan switches his radio to the channel which the patrol officers listen to. “Officers, this is Call Centre. The victim mentioned a playground and the perpetrator has taken the route on the left side of the playground. She also saw colourful lights of red and blue. We will send you four possible locations. Please hurry.”
7.03PM
Eunhyeong-dong
T-junction three feet from the playground
Sungyoon climbs out of the car and greets the two officers from the other division.
“Just the two of you?” Sungyoon grunts, feeling uneasy with the lack of manpower. “Kure. Let’s go.”
Sungyoon leads the way, three officers on his tail. When they reach the coordinates sent by Seungmin, Sungyoon looks around and points to two separate directions, assigning the other officers so that they can search faster.
“Start with that alley, you two. Radio me if you find anything,” Sungyoon instructs and looks at his fellow officer. “You come with me.”
“Okay.”
Sungyoon jogs down the slope with his partner, combing his environment as he looks for anything suspicious. He then recalls what Joochan said in the radio.
“Colourful? Red and blue?” Sungyoon mutters to himself and he spots a dark alley from the corner.
The two of them sneak into the lightless alley. Sungyoon switches on his torchlight, sweeping the light on a wooden wall with several posters pasted randomly.
“Colourful?” Sungyoon examines the posters. “Could it be like this?”
Sungyoon and his partner exchange glances, showing absolute uncertainty of their findings. Sungyoon paces closer and enters a rundown house without a door. He shines his torchlight everywhere, having a hunch that the kidnapper would bring the girl at a similar place like where he is now. Nonetheless, it is too quiet and too good to be true that Boknim is here.
The more he enters, the more he becomes curious. Noticing a door ajar, Sungyoon leaps and opens it in a flash. A cat jumps out in fright, giving him nothing but disappointment.
7.03PM
Emergency Call Centre
“I think he is gone.”
Joochan hears Boknim on the phone. “Wait, Boknim-ssi.”
“He is not here. I… I should take this chance.”
“Ani,” Joochan stands with clenched fists, licking his bottom lip. “Stay in your room.”
“I’m sure there is no one here!” Boknim sounds desperate.
Boknim climbs down the stairs, still gripping on the phone near her ear. She is about to rush down to the door but the sound of footsteps makes her freeze. Sucking a deep breath, she paces to the nearest door, entering a rundown living room, turning around for corners to hide. When she spots the bathroom, she scurries inside and hides behind the bathroom door. She presses her palm over her mouth, silencing her breaths.
Joochan shuts his eyes tightly, focusing on the sounds he is hearing through the call. He can hear footsteps coming closer to the phone, meaning to say that the kidnapper is very close to her. Just like Boknim, Joochan holds his breath, praying that the kidnapper does not find Boknim wherever she is hiding now.
Seconds pass like years, before the footsteps reverberate across the room again, fading away. The door slam loudly, telling Joochan that Boknim remains hidden from the kidnapper. This will definitely infuriate the kidnapper, because he believes Boknim has finally escaped from him. Joochan nevertheless fears that if the kidnapper finds her now, it will be double the torture. The kidnapper will not be kind after she tries to escape from him.
“Boknim-ssi… Boknim-ssi, are you still there?” Joochan says softly, not succumbing to his worries over the girl’s safety.
“Ye… Yes. I think he went up to the third floor.”
Joochan closes his eyes again, feeling little relieved but not entirely as she has moved into a more vulnerable position. “Please, stay put from now on.”
“Yes.”
Switching channels, Joochan glares at the clock. “This is Call Centre. It’s an emergency. The abductor is in the building with the victim. Please hurry.”
7.05PM
Eunhyeong-dong
Listening to his radio, Sungyoon hisses and jogs back to the main road, meeting the other officers.
“Did you find anything?” an officer asks him.
“Nothing,” Sungyoon sighs and notices passer-bys. “Excuse me. Do you know any place in the neighbourhood that has colourful lights or paintings?”
After questioning about five people, Sungyoon is losing hope. He has no lead or clue to get himself faster to the girl. He notices a shop that is still opened at the hour. Sungyoon walks in and meets an older lady.
“Excuse me. Do you know any place with colourful paintings?”
“Colourful paintings?” the older lady says. “It could be that daycare centre down the alley. It was closed long ago due to a sexual harassment case.”
Sungyoon nods to the information gathered, giving his partner a look that they finally have a lead. Sungyoon and his partner run down the alley, paging the officers through the radio.
“This is Division One. We found where the suspect is. We got additional information. It is a daycare centre. It has colourful paintings!”
Joochan is not confident about Sungyoon’s finding. “Did you see any signs? Any LED lights?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Sungyoon shouts back. “What kind of daycare centre has that?”
7.06PM
Emergency Call Centre
Joochan bites his lips again, thinking that he is probably doubting for no reason. He switches channels to the line with Boknim.
“Boknim-ssi. The officers seem to find your location. It’s almost over. Hang in there, araso?” Joochan tells the distressed girl.
“Is it?” Boknim huffs. “I’m sorry, Oppa. I should’ve listened to you. To stay. I always get into trouble. I should’ve listened to my mother and stay out of trouble.”
Joochan stands up straight. “Everyone makes mistakes, even me. No matter what happen, don’t give up or run away. You can always get another chance. Ask for forgiveness and start over. You should never give up. Understand?”
“Yes, Oppa.”
A crying shriek of the door opening is heard, followed by the bumping sounds of two metal rods beating in Joochan’s ears. It sounds like a weapon, heavy and solid. Joochan can only picture the weapon to be some sort of a hammer. The rhythm of the bumping is consistent, as if the abductor is hitting his hammer deliberately against the metal railings. Joochan measures the volume getting louder as seconds pass.
His hunch grips him in fear. The abductor is getting closer to Boknim.
Did the abductor find out that Boknim is still in the building? Did he find out where Boknim is exactly?
The deliberate bumping emits an air of confidence. The man knows where Boknim is. If not, he would not have gone to the third floor and retrieve his weapon. Just like Joochan has suspected earlier, the man is angrier than before because Boknim attempted to trick him and planned to escape. He would have arranged a plan or carried out a process that he always does to his victim.
Because Boknim ruins his plans, the man is skipping steps.
The man is going straight into killing her once he finds her.
“Boknim-ssi?” Joochan calls her out.
No response.
The bumping suddenly stops.
“I think… I think he is gone,” Boknim exhales.
Joochan creases his forehead, doubting it. The man is buying time.
“Oppa, I remembered something.”
Joochan blinks and presses the earpiece hardly on his ear. “What is it?”
“I remembered he was carrying something. With a wooden stick.”
“Is it a bat?”
“Ani. It looks like a hammer.”
Joochan grits his teeth, hating the fact that he is right about the weapon. He recalls the sound of bumping, trying to analyse the weight. The mass that can bring a banging noise by just bumping is large enough to be a stone hammer.
“Can’t be,” Joochan mutters.
Stone hammer is what butchers usually use for animals. How does he even own such a thing?
Wait a second. Profiling his behaviour for the past few minutes, Joochan is sensing something significant here. When Boknim tried to escape, he was tenaciously chasing and finding her. His weapons are not ordinary and actually well-prepared, considering how the abductor met the victim.
It is not only a kidnapping case. This man is abducting her to kill her with tools used for animals.
It smells like a serial killer.
“Seungmin-sunbae,” Joochan darts his eyes towards his assistant manager. “Search on a serial killer whose victims died due to dented skulls or violent hammering.”
“Roger,” Seungmin runs his fingertips on the keyboard and his screen pops multiple windows. “A victim was found dead with a dented skull at Gojeong-dong, a month ago.”
Chief Daeyeol who is still in the Call Centre room flinches. “You can’t be serious. That is my case.”
Joochan ignores Daeyeol’s exclamation as Sungyoon suddenly speaks in the radio. “False alarm. We only found illegal gamblers at the abandoned daycare centre.”
“That is not the place,” Joochan marches. “Please hurry and find somewhere else. The abductor is a murder suspect of Gojeong-dong’s case.”
Sungyoon’s breath hitches. “What?”
Joochan switches channels again. “Boknim, please get out from there! Boknim-”
Footsteps return sliding in his ears. The next sound, it is a groggy male voice.
“There you are.”
Boknim screams and shouts for help, wrestling arms with the abductor. Joochan listens to her cries until Boknim becomes silent, as though she is hit and fainted. Seungmin jumps on his feet, fear shaking his eyes. With the idea that the abductor is the Gojeong-dong killer, Seungmin cannot imagine what to do if he is in Joochan’s shoes. He stares at the officer who is holding his earpiece like a lifeline.
“Boknim-ssi?” Joochan’s voice is quivering.
No response.
The sound of sliding and pushing is heard, as Joochan pictures that the fainted girl is being carried away.
“This is Call Centre,” Joochan dials to all officers. “The suspect attacked the victim. I repeat. The suspect attacked the victim and he is moving her somewhere. He may be suspected of other serial crimes. Be on your guard.”
“Are you crazy?!”
Joochan turns towards Daeyeol who has his arms winged on his sides. Daeyeol is appearing angry with what he just heard.
Not succumbing to fear of the Chief, Joochan walks up to him. “My guess was right. What the suspect swung is a stone hammer that is used by butchers to kill animals. The Gojeong-dong murder is also committed by a stone hammer.”
“What are you talking about?” Daeyeol shows impatience. “My team is already out there to catch the killer.”
“This suspect isn’t a first-time offender. This suspect couldn’t have dismembered the body otherwise.”
“Listen, Sergeant Hong Joochan. If you do things like this, you will lose your job,” Daeyeol reminds him harshly. “This is why I am against the Golden Time Team!”
A phone ringing is heard in Daeyeol’s pocket. The Chief retrieves it and answers the call. “What is it?”
Daeyeol listens and looks at Joochan with eyes of confidence and pride. He then ends the call and walks to the Commissioner who happens to be inside as well.
“Sir, we have arrested the suspect of Gojeong-dong murder. The problem is, he has an alibi to defend himself,” Daeyeol reports to the Commissioner.
“Then, hurry and send back-up.”
“Understood, sir,” Daeyeol nods and dials his phone. “Youngtaek, go to Jangjun with all other members.”
Joochan glances at Seungmin who seems disturbed by what he heard. If Chief Daeyeol is on his way to capture the suspect of Gojeong-dong murder, then who are they trying to catch now? Did they suspect wrongly?
Seungmin is losing confidence, despite Boknim being in obvious danger. Joochan pats him on the shoulder and walks away, signing to Seungmin to not give up. Seungmin sucks a deep breath and attempts to contact other officers from other Division and increase the manpower on the ground.
While Seungmin is working on that, Joochan paces closely to the large screen and closes his eyes, reorganising his thoughts.
This man has the audacity to kill with a stone hammer. He may have chosen a place to kill that is mostly a blind-spot area. It is certainly not nearby the redevelopment area where workers come and go.
It should be a place where he can easily kill people, take his time, and dismember the bodies.
“Colourful…” Joochan repeats loudly to himself. “Lights, red, blue… That sound… Dragging sound. Circular motion. Dragging circular motion. Going round and round.”
Joochan focuses on the thinnest sound that he captures. He opens his eyes and he spots the words of shops that probably have lights.
Mommy’s chicken.
Coins Wash.
Nakwon Villa.
“Seol ma?” Joochan gasps and turns away from the Commissioner. “Sergeant Choi, I know where it is.”
“What?” Sungyoon responds as he is running down an alley.
“It’s a barber pole. The lights, red and blue. The sound as well.”
Sungyoon blows in short pants of breath. “Yah, what are you saying?”
“Boknim is in a building with a barber shop. The abductor has a stone hammer.”
“Any piece of misinformation can confuse us and lead to the victim’s death, ara?”
Joochan clenches his fist and whispers, “I know it’s hard to believe but you should trust me.”
Sungyoon stops his run and rolls his eyes, doubts filling his mind.
“You know that the victim of the Gojeong-dong case was killed with a round edged weapon.”
Sungyoon recalls Jangjun and Youngtaek back in the office, taking about the same case. “This is serious.”
Joochan shuts his eyes again, leaning towards his desk. “I am very sure of what I heard. It is near a barber shop. I do not want to see another person die on my watch. Not again.”
Listening to his words, Sungyoon senses nothing but genuine sincerity. He digs his memory of all the places he saw since he got here. He tries to recall a barber pole.
Then, he remembers the alley before the old lady’s shop. There was a barber pole.
“Damn it. It is a barber pole. It was what she saw,” Sungyoon grunts to himself. “You’re correct.”
“Exactly. Please hurry.”
7.10PM
Ten minutes since the call
Eunhyeong Barbershop
Blessed with the speed of lightning, Sungyoon arrives at the shortest time. He glances at the barber pole within a distance and stares up at the sign that says the name of the barbershop. The kidnapper is definitely here within the building.
With hissing teeth, Sungyoon glares at the abandoned building and brings his collar with the radio up. “This is Division One. Locate nearby patrol cars. Request backup.”
Out of blue, Sungyoon hears the sound of broken tiles. He stares at the second level. Waiting for backup will be too late to save her. He dashes towards its metal gate, pulling the grills back. The glass door inside is unfortunately locked. Hearing more noises upstairs, Sungyoon rams his shoulder against the glass.
One. Two. Three.
From a distance, Sungyoon runs and crashes himself into the door, successfully getting himself inside.
7.10PM
Emergency Call Centre
The phone is still connected to Joochan’s radio, as he listens to the abductor trying to get a hold of Boknim. She sounds awake and she is fighting back.
“Keep dodging, Boknim-ssi. Don’t give up,” Joochan mutters to himself.
A hard thud comes next, as if Boknim is thrown on the floor again. The sound of the stone hammer picked up on the floor follows.
“No…” Joochan bites his fingernail, “Sergeant Choi… Detective Choi Sunyoon… Where are you?”
7.11PM
Eunhyeong Barbershop
“Please let me live,” Boknim begs as she is laid on the floor, crying desperately.
The abductor is unaffected by her pleas and he raises the stone hammer.
In a heartbeat, Sungyoon swoops in and kicks the back of the abductor who falls on the side, letting the hammer off his hand and dropping on the floor. Sungyoon turns to Boknim who stares at him with shocked eyes.
“Are you.. Are you okay?” Sungyoon asks Boknim who barely replies him.
“Watch out!” Boknim screams as the man is quick on his feet and he is raising the hammer again.
Sungyoon swiftly dodges and grabs by the underarm of which the man uses to hold the hammer, dragging themselves towards the cracked bathtub behind. While the man tries to break hold of Sungyoon, the detective cries for Boknim to escape. The young girl trips on her own feet and manages to free herself from the bathroom and down the stairs.
Knowing Boknim has escaped, the man viscously pushes Sungyoon down to the cold tiled floor. The man dares to swing the stone hammer sideways and upwards, randomly and quickly despite its heavy mass. Sungyoon however is light on his feet, evading all movements of his arms even though he cannot see clearly in the dimmed bathroom.
When a chance to grab the man is given, Sungyoon grips on the man’s arm and elbows the man’s biceps, dropping the weapon again. This time, Sungyoon puts more effort in directing the fall of the man by tossing his head towards the mirror, pressing the face against the sharp cracks. The man refuses to give in, swinging his arms again and making Sungyoon lose the upperhand.
The man frees himself from Sungyoon’s hold and swings his stone hammer aggressively but to no avail as Sungyoon is too fast for him to lay a hit. Sungyoon dives into an opening and grabs the man’s waist, twisting him upside down and the man’s heavy boot crushes the toilet bowl.
Both Sungyoon and the man sprawl on the floor. Even though Sungyoon gets on his feet first, the man manages to change weapon and pick up a knife instead. Another swinging of weapon pursues but Sungyoon is too experienced with knife attacks that he does not hesitate to jump into a small opening of his attacks, kicking on the feet and causing the man to lose footing.
7.12PM
Emergency Call Centre
“Detective Choi,” Joochan utters under his breath as he listens to the commotion in the bathroom.
The other officers are listening to the radio too but not to the same extent and clarity as Joochan’s.
“This is Division Two. The victim is safe. We are going into the building now.”
“Roger,” Joochan replies to the officers who found Boknim.
Seungmin places both his palms together, praying that Sungyoon is alright. Daeyeol however is shocked to hear that the victim is finally rescued.
7.12PM
Eunhyeong Barbershop
Bathroom
The man stabs towards Sungyoon who dodges again, earning a beastly groan from the man. Sungyoon reaches for something and holds on a shower head, spontaneously hammering it on the man’s head. The man falls back, the blow making him dizzy. Sungyoon takes this chance to land as many punches as he can on the man’s face until the man attempts to point the knife at Sungyoon.
Sungyoon lets him run towards him. When the man is inches close to him, Sungyoon stoops low enough to use his own shoulder as a leverage and topple the man right into the bathtub. The water splashes out upon impact. Sungyoon jumps into the tub, caging the man with his two strong legs as he throws punches ceaselessly on the man’s face.
The dirty water in the bathtub begins to redden.
The man is not only drowned by the water, but he is knocked out by Sungyoon’s punches.
The adrenaline in Sungyoon seems to only rise and not falter. Sungyoon spots the hammer earlier and walks towards it. Before he picks it up, he spots a black bag next to it. Sungyoon opens it widely and finds wallets and purses all tainted with blood.
It must have been the possessions of this man’s victims. His heart sinks instantly, disgusted and aggravated by the fact that the man was really the murderer who killed innocent girls. This man was like Ko Dongcheol, the murderer who killed his fiancée.
“You scumbag. Your life is worthless.”
If he cannot find Ko Dongcheol, this man is good enough.
Good enough to kill and wipe off from the face of the Earth.
These assholes do not deserve to breathe in the same air as Sungyoon.
Unconsciously, Sungyoon holds onto the hammer, purposely dragging it against the tiles and he lands the metal round-edged stone on the side of the bathtub.
“Don’t do it!”
A voice in his radio shouts at Sungyoon.
It is Joochan who has been listening to his fight with the abductor.
“Detective Choi, please don’t do it. Don’t do it.”
Sungyoon smirks, raising the hammer up. “Let’s put an end to this piece of shit.”
“It won’t change anything! It won’t bring the dead back to life!”
Joochan’s words strike a chord in Sungyoon’s heart. Nonetheless, the haunting imagination of how Jihye was killed plays in his mind, making him raise the hammer even higher.
“Please… Don’t do it.”
A broken tile falls down to the floor, followed by the hammer tipping and dropping. Joochan who stiffens a moment earlier relaxes, knowing that Sungyoon misses the abductor and hits the edge of the bathtub instead.
“Detective Choi…”
Sungyoon leans against the wall and slides down to the floor. Patrol officers arrive shortly.
“This is Division One. Sergeant Choi is safe. The abductor is out. The victim is transferred to the hospital,” the officer reports to the radio.
“Sergeant Choi,” another officer approaches Sungyoon. “Genchana? Are you alright?”
7.15PM
Emergency Call Centre
The Eunhyeong-dong suspect is arrested within the Golden Time Frame. Chief Daeyeol combs back his hair in distress, staring at the frozen digital clock on the screen. What happened just now only lasted for twenty minutes but it was the most nerve-wrecking and stressful situation he has ever came across in the call centre.
Seungmin drops on his chair, wiping his face with both hands. He is more than just relieved that they saved the victim and Sungyoon. He looks up at Joochan who removes his head set and stares at the screen. Seungmin watches the man who was before restlessly pacing up and down, talking throughout the whole mission and now he is stood in his quiet victory. Seungmin cannot be any prouder than this.
And he also knows, that this mission would not have been successful if Joochan did not recognise the sound of the barber pole.
7.18PM
Eunhyeong Barbershop
As the officers drag the unconscious abductor out of the bathtub, Sungyoon is treated with an ice pack against his cheek. He stands by the bathroom, watching officers go in and out of the crime scene.
When he is finally out of his high, he falls into a daze. He recalls of exactly what happened in the bathroom, especially when his body is crying in pain. He also realises the knife managed to cut his thigh and his leg is bleeding.
The pain of his injuries does not match to the pain that dwells in his heart for the past three years. That thought pulls him back to the short conversation between him and Joochan when he was about to kill the abductor.
Hong Joochan. He seems to understand what was going on inside the bathroom, although he only hears everything through the radio.
Can all call operators do that? Sungyoon wonders.
Then, he remembers about what Joochan said three years ago.
That he heard clickety sounds of braces on the call when Jihye was murdered. That kind of sound is impossible to be picked up through radio.
Sungyoon removes the ice pack from his face and walks towards to the bathroom. “Yah, all of you! Shut up and keep quiet!”
The officers jump at his sudden yell and yet they oblige. No sound is heard ever since their eyes set on Sungyoon. Sungyoon looks around, as though he is trying to hear something from the bathroom.
His partner nudges him at the arm. “What is it? Is there an accomplice?”
“No.”
Sungyoon spits a gulp of blood to the floor and glares at the windows of the bathroom, all glass panes shut tightly, that not even the wind can be heard from where he is standing.
“How the hell,” Sungyoon hisses by the bathroom door.
“How the hell did that brat hear the barber pole from here?”
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A/N: Wow, it has been long since I updated. So caught up with life and work that I almost forgot abt this fanfic. Anw, this long-assed chapter will hopefully win your heart again. Thank you for the votes and follows!
And if you haven't checked on their new song Breathe, you are missing out alot! And lol their behind the scenes are so funny and making me love them even more!!!😍😍😍😍😍
Oh, and look out for a new fanfic. I am planning to write a romcom of Jibeom/OC/Joochan. I've already written the first chapter.🤭
Thank you again!