Session 5

Y/N entered the interrogation room with Detective Park at her heels. As of what she knew, she was currently screwed over. The department had requested an interrogation, the detective wanting the doctor in charge to be there. She just couldn't get away from their constant go at it, couldn't she?

"Jongho will be outside if anything happens" He mumbled.

Y/N's blood ran cold.

"What could go wrong?" She asked as she sat down.

"I'm not here only for the department's sake," He said, sitting down as well.

Something about his tone and posture sent shivers down her spine. He looked genuinely worries and she was not sure if that was really it.

"He doesn't get this handsy" He continued. "Mainly with girls"

Y/N swallowed.

"He could punch a guy out cold, but never get so touchy to a woman." He mumbled.

Then how did he kill 13 of them?

Something began to burn at the back of her throat, pushing all rational thinking forward. She really needed to keep herself in check. She needed to read two people now.

She remained still as Mr. Choi entered the room.

"Oh! Detective Park. Haven't seen you in a while!" He exclaimed.

His eyes suddenly landed on Y/N and he sat down quickly, his hands going forward.

"This seems to be an interesting choice, Y/N." He said with a smirk.

"Enough, San" His tone was lower, much more authoritative than when she first even met the detective. "You're not here to have a chat"

Something about it put her off. He sounded like a stern friend. In any case, he would have been the oldest out of the bunch.

San tilted his head, daring the officer.

"Do you remember what happened to your mother?" Y/N asked after pondering her options.

"Not really" He answered, but he was not looking at her.

Fuck, he will not look at her.

"Well, I do," She said, looking at both of the men.

Their attention was on her now. Good.

"In some ways, it was like your own killing Mr. Choi. Women meant to go through strangling and then a good stab in the end" She didn't hold back. She needed him to blow up. "After that, you went to your dad's house. That's where it ends"

As she looked up, his eyes were full of anger. Detective Park suddenly tensed up.

"I believe something happened." She said softly. "You imitated this style. Why?"

She stared at him in the eye. They were shaking.

He saw it all happen, didn't he?

It was all silent. She noticed the detective waiting for an answer.

"There is always a way that we imitated something that fascinates us." He said, his eyes had gone dull. "Maybe I didn't know I was. But I sure as hell didn't kill my mother"

Y/N looked down, making sure to write all of her thoughts out.

"You're a jack of all trades, Seonghwa." San suddenly said. "Never thought I would see you graduate"

"How so?" The detective challenged.

It was like staring at two ticking time bombs or two bulls about to go at each other. The worst part? They actually could be a good match.

"Failing took a toll on you" San blurted out.

Y/N paused. Those records better be ready by the time she is out of that hell match.

The detective shrugged.

"I may have figured out what happened with Lily," She said, cutting the detective mid-sentence.

His eyes widened for a second as San arched an eyebrow. The words were stuck inside her throat. Their eyes challenging her advances. It was like trying to put out a fire by spitting.

"She is the only one that I can put a story to," She said. "Why the rest?"

San tilted his head.

"No" She blurted out. "Tell me why"

"But that wouldn't be fun," He said looking at the detective.

Tears of frustration began to well up in her eyes.

"This cat and mouse game is useless." She said, leaning back in her seat. "I can't solve a case just by your words"

San's gaze landed on her. They had softened. She stared straight ahead.

"I'll let Detective Park do the questions," She said quietly before standing up. "I can't go against you anymore"

It felt out of place. It felt like she was quitting. She reached out for the door.

"My dad" Mr. Choi exclaimed.

Y/N froze. It worked.

"The killer of my mother's murder was never caught," He said. "I wanted to learn a thing or two"

Y/N turned around. She could feel as if the room was running out of air. The detective and Mr. Choi seemed to be sucking the life out of one another just by staring.

"15 murders" She mumbled. "Your mother was number 15"

"Came to find out when I was just finishing high school," He said.

"When you met your friends" she looked at the detective.

His shoulder tensed up considerably. She swore Yeosang had the same habit.

She slowly sat back down.

His gaze suddenly rested on her. His eyes were unsure.

Y/N could feel the heat radiating from her right. The detective was staring at her as well. But something was back to normal. His gaze was stern. Almost as if looking for a crack in her logic. Just like Mr. Choi.

"There was a flower, back when we first met," she said. "Azalea"

Mr. Choi didn't move.

"Azalea, most likely a Russian woman," She said.

He blinked a little to fast. There we go.

The detective paused as well.

"You cared for her enough to leave a flower at her crime scene" She pulled a photo from between her notes and laid it neatly on top of the table. "And yet you did it"

"She is basically nonexistent" She continued.

Mr. Choi stared at the photo in silence.

Y/N held onto the detective's shoulder, stopping him from any other action.

"There is 12 more that finished like that. Why?" She said.

"The past sees the present as its child" He mumbled, shaking his head.

"You had three method changes," she said. "San, what made it happen?"

She came closer. He lifted his gaze and her body stopped. They were full of anger, regret, confusion. Wait, regret?

"At least tell me what makes me different from all the people that have gone through this room?" She said, not looking away. "What makes you trust I will solve it?"

His eyes landed on the detective before going back to her.

He held onto her hand, pulling her closer.

"No one ever noticed her," He said with a grin, just as the detective pulled him away.

"It's enough of your games"

Mr. Choi scoffed.

"You play this game all the time Seonghwa," He said. "You can't fool me... or her"

Y/N closed her eyes for a second before opening them. Jongho was already taking Mr. Choi back.

"Wait!" She called out, walking towards them.

She stood in front of him.

"I noticed," She said. "But that doesn't answer my question"

"I gave you a lead," He said. "Anything else I say and I'm in that electric chair you saw your father, brother, and uncle sitting on"

Y/N's eyes widened. He smirked.

"I'm not the only one that notices things Y/N," He said.

She shook her head.

"What made you give yourself in?" She asked. "Never dared ask that one"

She furrowed her eyebrows. Jongho was constantly looking into the room as the detective.

He smiled. "The right thing?"

The right thing. Her eyes landed on the detective.

"How is Hongjoong's alibi coming along?" She asked, trying to lift away Mr. Choi's presence.

"He is abroad at the moment. He is back in a few days" He said.

"You know him," She said, taking a few steps towards him.

Seonghwa arched an eyebrow.

"Surprised?" He mumbled, before walking past her.

There's 8 of them. All in the same town.

Irene came in running with Mingi at her heels. Something about seeing him again made her stomach turn.

8 of them.

"Why was this one so short?" She asked out of breath.

"Blame the department" Y/N answered, sitting down on the chair. "Never put anyone else in here, much less Detective Park"

"He cut it short?" Mingi asked.

"I believe so," She said with a sigh. "Mainly when all of them studied in the same town around the same time"

A groan escaped her throat.

"I need something else. Another clue." She buried her head in her hands. "I another point of access"

"He is stubborn, you know how complicated he can get," Irene said, rubbing her back.

"I'm not talking about him," She said looking at the table, Azalea's picture still there. "My theory has just been proven right"

Irene frowned.

"Which one?" Mingi asked.

She looked at both of them.

"I think he didn't plan his murders completely on his own" Her eyes wandered to the empty hallway. "And I just need one more person to prove it"