Pre-Session 2 [Part 2]

The duo rushed out of the classroom in a frenzy. Where the hell was Mingi?

"Maybe he is sick?" Irene said.

Y/N shrugged. She looked around.

"Why didn't you answer?" Irene suddenly asked once they made their way through the parking lot.

Y/N took a deep breath through her nose. Something inside her was boiling in anger. She didn't really know how to respond, because whatever she said, could be a complete lie.

"I really have no idea how" She answered.

Irene nodded as she perceived her tone. Something inside her mind seemed to click with her insecurity.

Both of them rushed to a black pick up truck that could only belong to Irene. A sense of anticipation ran up Y/N's fingers as the world around her drowned in sound.

Irene suddenly sighed as her shoulders slumped. Y/N frowned as she followed her friend's eyeline. A happy Mingi ran his way to their car as Irene groaned. Both of the girls rolled their eyes as he got into the car.

"You better have a good explanation as to why you disappeared," Irene said almost immediately.

Mingi froze as his smile dropped. Y/N let out a whole-hearted laugh at the scene.

"My father called me in," He said almost scared of the woman's response.

Irene squinted her eyes before turning the engine on. Y/N suddenly paused as the question popped into her head.

"You're going to the research center too aren't you?" She asked.

Only then did she notice the blue that rested at the ends of his hair. He smiled as Y/N rolled her eyes.

"I'm doing some red highlights if Mingi got blue" Irene said as she exited the parking lot.

Y/N blocked out her friends' conversation as her gaze focused outside. Her mind marinating the information from a couple of nights before. Questions lingered as she tried to piece the case together. The timeline that was assumed was wrong. There could be missing victims. Something had fallen through everyone's fingers.

She frowned. The dates. Where they any dates?

Y/N scrambled through her bad quickly, pulling out a notebook. Pieces of paper, post-its and even photos poked out of the thing.

She skimmed through the pages. Did it all happen under a few months?

"Guys..." Y/N dragged out.

Both of them hummed in unison.

"How long has Mr. Choi been murdering for?" The two young adults seemed to freeze at her bluntness.

Mingi cleared his throat.

"6 months?" Irene said.

Y/N looked down. After a few seconds, she shook her head.

"Two victims a month with one extra. That sounds impossible" She mumbled.

"Don't underestimate him" Mingi said. "He is still there after all"

Y/N nodded mindlessly. How didn't anyone notice the numbers? What was happening?

The research center came into their view as Y/N closed the notebook shut. A bubbling in her stomach leaving her a little dizzy.

"What are we doing today?" She asked.

"We're talking with the first ever name this guy has ever given us" Irene answered as she opened her door.

"Pardon?" Y/N mumbled as she opened her own door flimsily.

As they walked towards the building, nerves built up in Y/N's chest. Her friends had taken the upper hand in distance as they were a couple of feet away. She felt as if a weight was placed on her shoulders for no reason.

Y/N's legs were crossed as she waited. Her eyes scanned the office. It was rather spacious compared to the metal box she had related to her trips into the building. Cozy warm tones covered every inch of said place. Sofas with soft lining took the stage in the middle of the actual room.

She took a sip of her drink as she wrote down notes. The office looked much more majestic from where she sat, right across from the main sofa.

She looked up as the doorknob clicked. A man looked inside.

Y/N stood up with a smile.

"Welcome," She said. "Please take a seat"

A warm feeling spread across her chest as the young man walked in. His features were soft and even delicate. Big eyes that seemed to show every emotion he carried. His hair an ashy blonde.

"I'm Y/N Y/L/N," She said.

"I'm Kim Hongjoong," He said simply.

Y/N's head went up in alarms. He was rather nervous.

She sat down as he did the same. Her eyes landed on him. His posture was rigid. He played with his fingers as he looked around every corner of the room.

"I'm so sorry we are bringing this up again, but there was a breakthrough on the case," She said after a few seconds.

He was almost surprised but didn't flinch. He also knew how to stand his ground.

"You were Lily Lordford's boyfriend correct?" She asked, eyeing his reaction.

He twitched subtly. Something was off.

"Yes," He said in a clear and leveled voice.

Y/N nodded as she wrote down his answer.

"When did she go missing?"

He paused to think. He was looking to the right.

"Around December, beginning of January" Hongjoong said.

Y/N swallowed as her theory was on track.

"Did any officer interview you after the body was found?" She went bold.

Hongjoong shook his head almost immediately.

"I was abroad for university since September," He said.

Y/N paused.

"You didn't come back for the holidays by any chance?"

"No"

There was a dryness to his tone.

"Had there been any problems in the relationship?"

He looked to the left.

"No. Maybe a disagreement or two"

Y/N swallowed as she knew she had to get creative. A tightness took a grip of her chest as she thought it quickly.

"Did you ever meet a man called Choi San?" She asked, her gaze snapping up just in time.

His hands stopped. His Adam's apple bobbed a little too quickly. Y/N kept her eyes placed on him. He sighed.

Left "He was my girlfriend's friend" Right. "We just wanted to help him"

Y/N furrowed her eyebrows.

"He had just recently gotten into a gang problem downtown at the time" He looked left. "Lily just wanted to help him"

Y/N hummed.

"I'm so sorry I'm going to ask this Mr. Kim but..." Y/N could feel her throat closing. "Was there a chance she was cheating on you with San?"

Hongjoong's eyes went wide. He seemed to lean just a bit away from her.

"I apologize deeply for this question but the suspect has confirmed to have some type of relationship with the victims." Lies. But it worked.

Hongjoong looked down. He was trying to keep himself in check.

"Yes." He said in a low voice.

Y/N didn't ask. She didn't want to push the topic any further. But something did raise a red flag. He was not deep in thought.

"Did you become close with San?" She said, something popping in her mind. "Before meeting Lily?"

His fingers twitched. Goddammit.

"No," He said in a somewhat weak voice. Shit. She lost her chance.

"When did you meet Lily?"

"Two years prior"

"Does she have any close relatives?"

"No"

Y/N lifted her eyes. No one had told her that. She nodded to herself as she took a deep breath. Hongjoong looked up. His eyes were still.

"Is it hard?" He suddenly asked.

She snapped up. He blinked.

"Pardon?" She asked after a certain amount of seconds.

He was staring right at her. His gaze was turning icy. His features were locked in place. He looked intimidating.

"Is it hard to do all of this digging?"

Y/N could feel her stomach turning. She cleared her throat.

"It is," She said simply, but he didn't move.

"Was there any friends she communicated with often?" She asked.

Her gaze caught his. He was still. Fuck.

"Not many" His voice was more articulated.

Something was beginning to make her uncomfortable.

"One last question as we don't want to be a bother," She said, nerves flourishing in the pit of her stomach.

She closed her notepad as she looked at him, right in the eye. She didn't move. SHe didn't flinch. She held it. A second went by.

"How much did hurt?" She said in a hushed voice.

Hongjoong's eyes widened ever so slightly. But he snapped back in place.

"Almost nothing" He answered.

She knew he was aware of her question.

She smiled, standing up.

"Thank you for your cooperation." She said as she went to the door. "An officer will come to escort you out."

She bowed her head as she rushed out.

Her heart was beating fast as every one of her senses was in overdrive. Irene and Mingi extended their arms in her direction. She was breathless.

"I need a second," She said leaning against the wall.

"What happened?" Irene asked.

"This man knew Mr. Choi from before he even met Lily, I know it" She whispered to them. "He was not interviewed, he was not interrogated, we didn't even know his name"

She looked back at the office door.

"He probably even taught him some of his renowned tricks" She mumbled as the man came out the office.

He was relaxed. His gaze back to how it had first started. Warm, somewhat nervous and open.

"I also think the timeline is wrong," She said was Hongjoong was out of site.

"We know that," Irene said with a frowned.

"No..." Y/N paused. "As in it was not even a couple of months"

The duo shared a look before staring right at her.

"Maybe he had planned it way before it happened" She looked at the empty corridor.

"And maybe he had some outside help"