Session 4

"What about it is so suspicious? He's been out for a while" Irene said as they climbed inside Irene's hilariously humongous car.

"The detective and the rookie talked about someone in the special unit force. It didn't sit well until I was in class" The car roared to life. "It all fit so well, I even doubted my theory"

"Okay, Stop for a second" Irene said as she turned towards Y/N, who was considerably taken aback. "If this theory so fits, why haven't you told anyone?"

Her mouth opened only to close soon thereafter. She was not even sure of how to articulate this specific idea without sounding like a complete lunatic for the hundredth time in her life.

"Mr. Choi did the crimes, but he has a backup group of people that are helping him stay where he is" She said, her tone wary as she knew her sentence was just as strange, "But not as a prisoner, most as alive and well"

Irene knitted her eyebrows together clearly confused. Y/N shook her head before straightening up.

"I'll let you sleep on it." She said wanting to cut the threat of confusion before it reached its doubting peak. "Dr. Song did sound urgent on that email."

"Safety first James" Dr. Song informed. "This is a way for them to come to terms with one another"

"But we won't have reviewable material" Professor James rightfully argued.

Irene's and Y/N's eyes traveled back to the doctor. They had come into a somewhat empty building to find only the professor and Dr. Song on the scene with the small reviewing room shut and locked.

"I trust her enough to get us what we need and I'm sure nothing will happen," He said.

Y/N's heart shot up in speed. Fear has grown like acid in her chest. Doubts of all kinds were reflected in her eyes as everyone slowly agreed.

"We'll be checking on what we have, begin the reports, we'll give them to Y/N later so she can do whatever magic she has and finally get this show going" Dr. Song instructed.

"What if something actually happens?" Y/N said suddenly, her tone distant as her eyes were focused on nothing. "After all, no one expected him to go semi-physical last time"

The hallways fell silent. Y/N's hearing seemed to muffle over as her childhood responses came back. Was she really ready to go back into that lion's cage? With no way of being safe?

Why didn't the stop it before it all went completely south?

The bubbled inside her head popped as her gaze flicked up to the researchers.

"Why did you call it off the moment he grabbed me?" She asked.

She was hurt, sure, but she was mostly curious at this point.

"I knew you could handle him," Irene said quickly. "I knew that you could win. So did Mingi"

His name sounded so wrong at this point, but she swallowed the bitterness and nodded.

"At least there's a glass wall between us," Y/N said with a small smile.

She didn't focus on anyone else as she got moving towards the elevators.

The gate opened with a very loud screech. The police officer guided her through the maze that was this place.

Stone tunnels that belonged to maybe old train stations or even catacombs extended before them. Each time finding a set of stairs that went lower and lower. She was kinda glad they only went two maybe three of these floors down.

The barely noticeable lighting and the humidity that had turned into full-on liquid stuck to the walls, making it all so much more unsettling. The smooth stone clicked against the officer's dress shoes. She was glad her own shows were silent.

The officer walked much faster than her, signaling for her to wait. She paused. The cells next to her were occupied by very interesting people. Both sound asleep of course, but the state of living they had placed themselves in was quite telling.

Scratched skin to its rawest form, tore out clothes, bloody marks on the wall, probably matching their missing nails, heaved over hair, everything out of normal chaotic behavior was there. But Y/N's heart squeezed in her chest.

She had seen it all before inside, even more, haunting white walls that were only ever filled with screams or wails of pain. She remembered her mother holding her hand as they walked by doors with small windows where men and women would scream for whatever reason, staring at her small body.

And she still felt assured among them. Enough to intern as a nurse. Enough to study their condition. Enough to know that her father was not like them specifically, even if he was just as crazy.

"And what surprise are you bringing me now?" Mr. Choi's annoyed tone seemed to be empty inside those big walls.

The police officer placed a chair in front of the glass. Well, quite a few inches back.

Y/N noticed that the cell in front was pitch black, even empty perhaps.

The officer walked away, passing her by with a nod.

Y/N nodded back before swallowing back her panic. She could deal with it later, like always.

Her steps finally made a drowned out sound as she approached. She took a few deep breaths before finally nearing the chair.

She sat down only to see Mr. Choi standing up. A smirk seemed to appear on his features. He tilted his head to the side.

"What made for the change of scenery, doctor?" He said as he sat on his bed, even further away from the glass.

A chill went up her spine as it all settled. She was now dealing with only his words and those were the really sharp weapons in his arsenal.

She sighed as she began to scribble.

"This is a semi-professional session. Only information approved by the patient, in this case, that's you Mr. Choi, will be provided for the research. Here is where the doctor, myself, is to keep the oath of privacy by all extents." She paused, her throat tightening, "Even when inside a court of law"

She lifted her eyes and she swore she could see fire breed out of his.

"And what if I want none of it to be used? What if I tell you the entire case but don't allow you to push it out? What happens then?" He asked.

The corner of Y/N's lips went up.

"Then I leave. Simple" She said, looking up. He was rigid, too tense, but surprisingly composed. "I already know everything I was looking for and since I'm not allowed to report on it, I would just leave."

"Why?" He asked. Too fast.

"I would have to see you and ask you questions that you won't answer clearly. And the cycle will keep going until one has finally broken the other"

Her tone was much more controlled. Detached. And he noticed.

He narrowed his eyes. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs.

"The bakery boy is off the case then," He said dryly.

Y/N nodded.

"But you must be honest with me," He said.

His tone had turned softer as well as his eyes. Y/N blinked two times too fast before nodding.

"And so must you," She said.

He nodded, his gaze going to the floor.

"How did you know about my mom?" He asked.

Y/N sighed.

"When you mentioned your mother was an artist, I connected the dots," She said, not looking at him in the eye, even if his gaze was fixated on her. That she really couldn't do. "The case matched perfectly. As well as the reports of a child being taken to his father's house"

"Look at me" He muttered.

She remained still.

His body tensed up.

"I can't," she said. "Not after last time"

"Why?" He asked.

Yes, she was missing details. Yes, she was missing clues. But she could let it slip once. Just once.

Her gaze went up only to find him wide-eyed.

"You asked for honesty, Mr. Choi." She said. "Deal with the consequences of it"

She looked down at her notepad, scribbling down whatever could take her mind away from his words and touch.

A long sigh went past his lips.

"I thought I had cracked you open Y/N," He said quietly.

"I know Mr. Choi." She sighed as well. "I expected it. But it didn't make it any easier."

A dry laugh left her throat. "There's a reason why I'm down here with a glass wall right in the middle"

She looked up, catching his hypnotizing gaze.

"I'm sorry," He said closing his eyes and lowering his head.

She closed her own.

"I'm not here to be apologized to" She opened them. "I'm here to solve a case"

He lifted his eyes and Y/N felt like something heavy had just rested on her chest. Was he really being honest or was it still his very well planned out act?

"I had a very tight group of friends, we were 8 in total." He said straightening up. "One left for you to find"

"What about Yeosang?" She asked.

"How did you approach him?" He asked, with furrowed eyebrows.

Y/N was about to answer until she found her discrepancy. Mr. Choi lifted his eyebrows.

"He thought you meant Jongho didn't it?" He said as he laid on the mattress. "Now comes the question, how does he know Jongho and why isn't half of Seoul's entire police department up his ass?"

He stared at the roof. His features were much more noticeable from the side. How were all of them so nicely sculpted?

"Well, off the record, he keeps secrets most of us don't want people to know. Jongho, I mean. He's the most dangerous out of all of us and I'm here in jail" He ranted. "And Yeosang did not run free from him. So now he just worries about him like an older brother normally would"

Y/N noticed a few sentences coming out in dialect. This was way too easy.

"Now is your turn doctor" There it is. "The case I spoke about last time. That man was family wasn't he?"

Y/N closed her eyes.

"I won't use it against you Y/N. It may seem like I have nothing to lose, but I do. I want to live. Might as well work as a team" He said softly.

Y/N swore she could feel his breath against her face again.

"This is a one-time thing San" She opened her eyes, filled with a warning gaze. "You are lucky no one else is listening"

She looked towards the other cells. "At least not consciously anyway"

A small dry laugh came out of Mr. Choi's mouth, taking her by surprise.

"He was my uncle from my mother's side. I never really knew him until I entered high school." She said, looking down at the notepad. "He moved in with us as a way to keep my mother from remarrying. We suddenly found out he was a sought after rapist."

San suddenly sat up.

"He didn't do anything to me, but the red flags were clear," she said. "I was the only one at his execution"

Her eyes were glazed over, but she was not going to cry. She knew her body wouldn't cry for that man.

"And don't apologize. It didn't click for me until a while later" She said.

She took a deep breath.

"Well, back to the investigation." She said, readjusting in her seat. "Anything you want to add about the victims? Any orders? Hints? Names? Anything?"

"Did you notice the redhead in the flower shop?" He said.

Y/N blinked. She raised her eyebrows, hoping she didn't have to go back there with the two officers.

"Are you meeting Yeosang or is he still not answering?" He asked.

Y/N doubted her options for a second.

"Sunday," She said dryly as she scribbled a few more of her ideas.

"Ask him about Yunho." He said. "He was the only one that seemed to detach from all of us"

Y/N frowned. Us?

"That's off the record as well" She nodded at his words, as she scratched it out, her pen moving quickly from side to side.

She looked at her wrist. She cursed in her head as she knew what was about to happen.

Her phone began to ring.

"One last thing," she said. "Are you completely guilty?"

San frowned as he looked towards her.

The phone kept ringing.

"Answer me" She exclaimed as she stood up.

Another second went by as she cursed. She took the chair and began to walk away, answering her phone.

"Y/N!" He called from afar.

She stopped, her blood running dry. Her skin filled with goosebumps. His entire act was back in full form. His fingers on her skin, his voice in her ear, his breath on her face. Everything was making it was back into her memory of him.

"Take it as it is and understand that you are never getting a chance like this again," He said.

Y/N swallowed.

"I don't expect it Mr. Choi"