Pre-Session

"It's manipulation. Plain and simple, but effective manipulation. Many psychopaths and sociopaths use techniques that seem rather simple on paper. And they are quite easy to use. The hard part is noticing the advances and changes in circumstances."

The pen seemed to slide smoothly across the paper with no stopping.

"There is always a correlation between manipulation and emotional detachment. And most of you are going to say: Well yes, there is. Why though? Why can't someone manipulate a loved one?"

Y/N focused as her page filled up with words, arrows, squares, you name it.

"Let me phrase that differently. Why is it almost impossible to manipulate someone you hold dear, in a genuine way?"

The professor stopped. Y/N looked up.

"It comes down to this." He proceeded, sending the entire class into a state of relief. "Manipulation is toying with someone's thoughts and mannerisms. If you hold someone dearly, you wouldn't want to change said things. At least not to the extent it is usually taken to"

Y/N furrowed her eyebrows. Her pen stopped. The entire point of the lesson already lost. What were they getting at?

She lifted her eyes only to see a projected image on the board.

"Here is a rather clear example of manipulation using sexual appeal." The professor explained as he walked up a few steps. "Or the manipulator's attractiveness"

He sat down in one of the empty seats at the end of the row, everyone's eyes on the man.

"I want all of you to write a small set of paragraphs about your opinion on what's happening on the video, from how the walls look to the color of the doctor's heels." He said in a serious tone. "If you fell for the trap, you are sent back to Miss Conner's class"

Y/N felt her breath hitch in her throat. No one protested, nor did they move. This had happened the first day as well. The class dividing in half, all the students sent back to an old year class, borderline failing his.

Y/N could feel her heart speeding up as nerves pooled in her stomach.

The man pressed the button and the video rolled. A young woman was sitting right in the middle of an interrogation room. Clean, slick and high contrast. The metal wall not reflecting much even if there was quite the source of light.

The woman was going through a set of papers. Writing down something. Y/N focused on her. She was beautiful, she was to admit that. But something clicked in her head. Was she usually dolled up for work?

The woman shifted. Y/N blinked. Apparently, her answer was yes.

The door opened to reveal a young man. High charisma, high confidence, maybe even narcissism and a fine line. Y/N's jaw dropped as she recognized what was in front of them.

The universities research program.

Y/N coughed slightly as her gag reflex almost failed her. She straightened up.

The man's face was not really visible, but she would be lying if she said she couldn't perceive how handsome the man was.

"Good evening Mr. Choi," The woman said.

The man tilted his head.

"Good evening to you too, doctor," He said with a sly tone. His words were smooth and attention-grabbing.

"We are here to discuss the first official victim," The woman said.

Y/N's heart stopped as her eyes went wide.

"Good" The man purred.

"Mr. Choi" was leaning back, completely relaxed.

The woman shifted. Y/N's mouth went slightly open. Even if dollying up for work is a completely personal and respected choice, Y/N could sense that this was not for the woman's own pleasure.

The man chuckled. His voice rumbled notably through his body before coming out. He seemed to smirk as he looked around.

"She was a beautiful woman." Exaggerated. He was doing it on purpose.

The doctor seemed to pause for a second.

"Beautiful personality. Quite cheerful if I may say so myself." He said.

Mr. Choi leaned forward as he placed his hands on the surface of the table, coming closer to the doctor.

"But the best part was her body." The woman shifted at his words.

The professor paused the video. He sighed as he shook his head.

Everyone in the room expected him to say something, but he remained quiet as he skipped over the video.

Y/N furrowed her eyebrows as she scribbled notes.

"Forensics say there was a slash all the way down the victim's thigh." The doctor read. She looked up.

"Our team also found-" "Your irises are shaking," He said, interrupting the woman in a confident tone.

She paused, seemingly taken aback.

"Why is that important Mr. Choi?" She said sternly. Y/N could tell something was a little off.

Mr. Choi leaned forwards. Coming as close as he could to the doctor.

"I indulge in the pleasant feeling" he shrugged.

The professor paused.

"Plain and simple, yet effective," He said as he stood up. "I want that assignment sent before our class tomorrow. You can go now"

Everyone began to pack as Y/N stared at the screen. The woman had cracked. Did Mr.Choi's advances work? How long did it take? What was the purpose of him even being in there in the first place?

Y/N shook her head, taking herself out of her own trance. She held onto her bag and stood up.

She went up the stairs in a dazed like state. The entire walk back home feeling just as disconnected. Something was burning in the back of her skull.

Was she denying a possibility? Was she falling for it just like the doctor had?

"I may have overestimated some of you," The professor said. "As a big number of you fell for it"

The man stopped as he seemed to be looking for the right words.

"You focused on the manipulator on the wrong accounts. In moments where it didn't matter," He said.

Y/N sighed, feeling disappointed in herself already. She placed her head between her hands as she rubbed her eyes.

"But I will also congratulate where credit is due," The professor said. "Two of you managed to find what really happened"

Y/N didn't move. Her mind ran around her assumption and conclusions. It went like scenes of a movie. Each pause was to be analyzed and judged as a way of finding the small piece of dust on the camera that bothered the nitpicky audience.

"Miss Y/L/N and Mr. Song," The professor said.

Y/N's head shot up. Mingi lifted his head just as fast, both presenting shock. Y/N turned her head, catching Mingi's lost gaze.

"As for the rest, there is an actual number of you that stay in my class" The professor joked.

Y/N shifted her eyes to stare at her notes. Her detached mind saw the mess of thoughts and things string across the paper in an incoherent mess. She always came to understand her scribbles and drawing, very few times looking at it with lost eyes.

Professor James' Class

Big letters marked at the top of the page just like always. She had a habit of writing the person teaching more than the name of the class.

Irene leaned a little closer to Y/N. The scent of oranges and lemon hitting her nose right away.

Irene looked up with big eyes.

"Would you lend me your notes?" She said breaking into a smile.

Y/N smiled back. She lifted her notepad and pulled out a piece of paper. Neat, organized handwriting contrasted greatly with the mess on the smudged pages.

She handed it over as Irene gasped.

Y/N could feel the sudden hug almost knocking the air out of her lungs. She chuckled as Irene went to quickly review the differences in her work.

"Miss Y/L/N? Could we have a word?" Miss Conner called out.

Y/N paused in her track as she turned. She had just come out of class with the intention of rushing home.

"Of course Miss Conner" Y/N replied.

Each step was light and quick. She came into the room, the woodworks finally showing their beauty with the amount of sunlight that came in, unlike her regular classroom which swam in darkness.

"How are you today?" Miss Conner asked.

"I'm great. How are you, ma'am?" She said.

The professor gave her a smile.

"Just as good." Her tone and posture changed. "I had a small question about your work with Mr. James"

Y/N furrowed her eyebrows. Her mind ran through the options, but most didn't fit her serious tone.

The woman pulled out a piece of paper. Lines of ink all over in red and blue pen.

"I was discussing this with my department and Mr. James" She turned to look at Y/N. "There is a certain quality that took our attention"

Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

"Mr. James and Mrs. Kim have been looking for a candidate to help with the university's research. Mr. James has been putting you up as a reliable option for a while. But we couldn't say without testing the student's ability"

Was it really happening? Did she get a spot?

"We wanted to announce that you are our chosen vote," The woman said, handing over the sheet of paper. "We are taking you to the research center on Friday after your morning classes, is that viable?"

Y/N could feel her body combusting. She bowed as she grabbed the sheet.

"Of course, ma'am. It would be an honor" She said.

The woman chuckled as she ushered her out to her next destination. Y/N exited the room with a hammering heart. Her excitement was palpable as she walked out with a huge smile.

The walk home was spent looking down at the paper but not really reading. Big bold letters assumed the title of what was the note of inscription and permission. Her heart went faster as she thought of how lucky she was for such an opportunity, forever grateful to even be considered.

She went up the steps to her dorm and rushed to her room.

The entire building had a rather freezing temperature. Y/N held her pen and notepad tightly as she shivered slightly.

The white halls lit brightly, causing the reflective surfaces to turn a light blue.

Mr. James and Y/N walked through with a calm step.

"This is where we interview individuals with a certain level of uniqueness. Be it how gruesome the case was or how keen they were of the event" Mr. James said as he opened a door for Y/N.

She thanked the man as she entered. A dark room with two big windows leading to empty metal rooms. A set of metal tables in the middle with two chairs. Interrogation rooms.

Y/N looked between the two. One was completely empty, while the other had documents scattered on the table. She paid close attention.

"This is where said interviews are done and reviewed." Mr. James explained. "The person in charge goes into the room and talks with the man or woman one on one. While another person reviews any external actions not caught by the on-ground doctor"

Y/N nodded.

"Just like the video...." She murmured.

"Not really." Mr. James said. "That one is a different type of investigation."

Y/N's eyes went wide as she looked at her professor.

"He's a rather peculiar case. Mostly unknown to the public except for maybe the craze around him when he came into the first public trial" Mr. James shook his head with a sigh. "He was adored and defended, even if he pleaded guilty with no real confession."

Y/N shifted her attention and focused on the room. A young woman sat down and began to check the files, writing on the notepad almost immediately.

"This interview is with a man known for his gruesome assaults" Mr. James. "But today we are getting his side of the story as in past sessions he described the accounts in refined detail."

Y/N nodded as her hand began to write on the notepad.

A man walked into the room, heavily chained. Y/N took a deep breath as the woman greeted the man.

"It's good to see you are doing well," She said in a rather refined tone. Complete attachment. "You told me last time you would give me your side. I'm ready to listen"

The man smiled a creepy looking grin as he chuckled.

Words came out of his mouth and Y/N's stomach turned. Descriptions of gruesome and disturbing imagery that she did not expect to ever hear in her life. Her imagination running just as wild as his words.

But somehow, the pen kept going and her face remained stoic. Her stomach was doing flips and turns as her body felt uncomfortable, but she was not about to say it.

The woman hummed responses as she wrote, looking up every once in a while. She was just as disgusted.

"But then I was thrown in here," He said.

The woman nodded.

Time ticked by as the session ended. 40 minutes gone by in a flash.

"This is going to be your job," Mr. James said. "But with a different person"

Y/N nodded but noticed his reluctant tone.

"You are interviewing Choi San." He said as her heart dropped to the floor.

Good evening Mr. Choi