"What are all these holes in the eyeball?" asked Byeongkwan.
"Definitely not bullet holes," scoffed detective Kang.
"Do you think I'm dumb? Obviously they aren't bullet holes!" he hissed.
"I actually do think you are quite dumb for not looking at the message on the board around this person's neck first."
Byeongkwan rolled his eyes and paid attention to the board.
It read: "I am happy to reveal my third artwork to you all! Please do not take it down this time :'( This guy was very fussy and wouldn't stop yelling as I was adorning him! Be sure to contact his family once you see this. His name is Choi Eun-ho, I'm positive you'll find his family since you guys are police and always find everything. I'll give you props although I hate that you guys are always first to see my artwork then take it down, be considerate other people would love to see my work. Soo, fuck you I guess. I'll be starting a new project next week!
- █"
"He is mad!" yelled Byeongkwan.
"True dat," replied detective Kang.
"Who would want to see his disgusting artwork? It's a motherfucking corspe who wants to see that?"
"Honestly," encouraged detective Chan.
"Adorning my foot! Take this body to the forensics and find the family, I'll see them first thing tomorrow morning!" ordered Byeongkwan.
The officers and ambulance all got to work. All Byeongkwan wanted to do now was to sleep, but his guidance was needed for just a bit longer.
"You want to sleep, don't you?" asked detective Kang pouting as his partner started to blink slowly.
Byeongkwan nodded and nearly tripped.
"Should I handle this case for the rest of tonight so that you can get some rest?" he asked.
Byeongkwan sparkled and hugged him, "Yes, please~"
"No."
Byeongkwan's mouth dropped and he immediately got frustrated and pushed Detective Kang.
"I was kidding. I'll handle it, you baby," he got his balance.
Byeongkwan thanked him and went into his car. Leaving for home.
***
It was morning. The weather was quite gloomy ⸺ foggy and all. Byeongkwan woke up once again, but this time he felt like he was resting in a freezer.
"How is it this cold when it was warm last night? Wow," he spoke to himself.
He stretched himself and boiled hot water for his tea.
There was beeping coming from his door. Byeongkwan turned to look and in walked deary, Park Junhee with a small basket in hand.
"And what are you doing here? "asked Byeongkwan.
"I want to eat breakfast with you today, detective," he replied, lifting the basket of food.
"Here... Again?"
"Yes"
"No, we are eating in your place today," he sternly said, "Staying here any longer will make me mad."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why is staying here going to make you mad?"
"It's so cold in here."
"Oh, and my place has a heater?" Junhee batted his eyes at his neighbour.
Byeongkwan nodded with wide eyes and a big smile.
"I just need to get ready and I'll be right over," said Byeongkwan drinking his ready tea.
"I'm gonna watch TV here."
"Fine."
Eventually Byeongkwan was done and him and Junhee set off. This was the first time Byeongkwan was in Junhee's home. It was warm as he expected but it was a complete and utter mess! Blankets, empty pizza boxes, empty bottles of all sorts of drinks lying on the floor. The dishes were not washed and piling up in the sink when he even had a dishwasher. Too many shoes at the step behind his door.
"Ugh, Junhee. You're living space is a whole pigstyle. How could a detective walk into this?" he said scrunching his face.
"You are the one who wanted to come in here. And what does you being a detective have to do with my pigstye?" he asked holding his hip.
"Me being a detective?" he sighed, "Imagine somebody gets killed in this type of place and you need to find clues here which could be scattered everywhere!"
"Well, shame, but nobody will get killed here. Nobody needs to kill me. So stop imagining and sit down over there," Junhee pointed to a cleaner spot on the floor with a small table.
Byeongkwan sat down and watched as Junhee prepared breakfast for the both of them. Junhee has always been a dull person to Byeongkwan. He moved here two years ago and he's been the same ever since, but this year he's been slightly more depressed and attitudal. Byeongkwan wants to lift his spirits but it doesn't work a lot. He has no idea how to comfort Junhee, because he doesn't want to probably hurt him or end their relationship when so much could've been fixed. Byeongkwan figured that Junhee is really sensitive and often snaps back.
"If you don't like this food then get out," said Junhee grabbing his spoon.
"Wow, rude much. I haven't even tried it."
Byeongkwan ate the food and looked around the living room.
He saw many pictures of Junhee and a multi-colour haired boy smiling. The glass on some frames were broken and there was drawings and writings on it.
"Who is the guy in all those pictures with you?" asked Byeongkwan gingerly.
"He's my friend."
"Best friend?"
"Okay."
"What?" silence filled the room.
"Is he your best friend?"
"What's the difference? He's my friend."
"That's like asking what the difference between adding sugar in tea or not is. The influence is different, Junhee."
"Sure."
"You seem pretty happy with him. How long ago were they?"
"Throughout my freshman year," Junhee stopped eating and stared at his bowl of rice.
"What's his name?"
Junhee puffed and looked around the room,"Why is he so important to know about?"
"I want to learn about the people you are around."
"He's your brother," lied Junhee.
"What?"
"He shares your surname, you're both irritating, boom... Brothers!"
"That isn't enough to prove we are related."
Junhee sighed and said, "His name is Sehyoon, alright? Now stop asking about him."
"Is he not that good of a person to you?"
Junhee kept quiet and started to look like he wanted to cry and scream.
"I'm sorry for asking you about him. I should've stopped when I realized it was bothering you."
Junhee just nodded, continuing to eat.
>>>
They were done eating and parted their ways ⸺ Byeongkwan going to work. He arrived a few minutes before his shift started, but that did not mean he had time to play around. He walked into the department and approached a sleeping detective Kang.
"Hey, this is the workplace. Get up," said Byeongkwan lightly slapping his face.
Detective Kang groaned and took a look at Byeongkwan.
"Who do you think you are? Why would you talk to me like this after I saved you from sleep deprivation!" he banged his fist onto his table as he raised his voice.
"Did you not hear what I said? This is the workplace."
"Oh, fuck off. I had a long night."
"We can talk about it now," Byeongkwan suggested.
"That old woman couldn't stop crying during her interrogation and that family was hard to find. Who knew there were so many Choi's in this city."
"Is that really your" long" night, Chan?"
"Of course not, I had to evaluate the corpse and take in the information of what happened to it. Turns out they bled to death from being decapitated... Alive."
B
yeongkwan shivered.
"Here's the family's information, including everything else I gathered last night." detective Kang handed him a file.
He skimmed through it, nodded and left.
Minutes later, he arrives at the victim's family's home. Byeongkwan knocks on their door, waits a few minutes then eventually it opens. A chubby little girl opens the door with a juice box in hand. She was smiling then immediately frowned when she saw who it was at the door.
"Agh, it's not brother Eun-ho!" she stomped back inside.
"Ji-ho, I've told you not to open the door when somebody knocks!" yelled a women further in the house.
"Sorry mom! I just really want those marshmallows!"
The woman who Byeongkwan assumed to be the woman yelling, approached the door and greeted him.
"Morning Madam. I'm sorry to disturb your family at such early hours."
"Oh no, it's all fine sir. Who are you?"
"I am Detective Kim Byeongkwan and I have some news on Choi Eun-ho ⸺ a relative of yours?" he inhaled deeply.
She gasped, "What is it? He's not involved in a crime is he?"
"Um..." Byeongkwan became awkward.
"Oh, let me bring you inside. So sorry."
They walked in and passed many young children and two elderly people. Another man was sitting on a couch watching television. The woman showed him where to sit.
"Can I get you tea, detective?" she asked.
"Erm, no thank you."
She nodded and took a seat, intrigued to what Byeongkwan has to say. The man also stared at him.
"Um, may I ask who you are in relation to Choi Eun-ho?"
The woman replied, "I am his mother and this is his father."
"Oh ok. I am sorry to bring this news to you but your son was unfortunately the victim of a murder by a serial killer responsible for two deaths before his."
Mr Choi dropped the remote and stared deeply into Byeongkwan's eyes. Mrs Choi began to quiver and hold her chest, falling to the ground. Mr Choi yelled out his astonishment, getting the attention of the rest of the household.
"Daddy, what's wrong? Why is mommy crying there?"asked a little boy in taekwondo uniform.
"If it's this ugly bastard I'll beat him to a pulp," said a boy in the same uniform but much older than his brother.
"Hey! Language!" yelled the elder woman.
Mrs Choi weeped out the name of her child.
"What about him?" asked the elderly woman quite irritated at all the ruckus.
"He's gone!" she cried out.
"What do you mean go-"
"He's dead!" yelled an older girl from a wall behind Byeongkwan. She'd been eavesdropping in the conversation.
"What!" yelled everybody else.
Byeongkwan dropped his head in shame.
Soon the whole household began sobbing, sniffing, shivering and dropping things on the ground.
𝐄𝐗𝐇𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐓 𝐗