The full moon blazed its luminosity. Seoul was silent in the middle of the night and the people heard not a single sirene. When everyone was tucked in their beds and sleeping in peace, Youngsoo was hanging out in the playground. He sat on the swing alone with a lamppost near him.
He wore his typical outfit, “the teenager look” as Mee Yoon called it. Youngsoo was tired of wearing his uniform and bringing the weight of his job with him. He has consumed three cans of beer while thinking about Daewon’s case. Youngsoo had no face to show to him. As a prosecutor with a name to protect and firm principles, he put his work over their relationship.
“How do you feel?” Youngsoo looked at the man walking towards him.
“Daewon? What are you doing here?”
Daewon stood a few meters away from him with hands in his pockets. “Do you feel awesome after betraying me?”
“If you are using such a term, does it mean you’re admitting the crime?”
Daewon shook his head. “I’m saying you betrayed me because you didn’t ask me first. It hurts that you feel confident that I am a murderer without valid proof.”
“They found your DNA on two crime scenes. You pretended to be someone else to stalk Mee Yoon, and you hired people to sabotage the accidents. You hid your illness from us. Now, tell me how should I trust you?”
Daewon gazed at the stars. “Trust me because I trusted you, hyung. I am unstable, but I am not a murderer. Well, I guess there’s no point in explaining because you won’t believe me either way.”
“Daewon, you are dear to me. But I stick to the evidence, not emotions.”
Daewon sighed. “Can you talk to me as a brother for a minute? Because right now, you sound like a prosecutor and I hate it.”
“Daewon—”
“Nevermind. You ended our relationship the moment you betrayed me. We are not brothers anymore.” He glared at Youngsoo and walked closer to him.
“You believe I am a killer… then I’d rather be one.” He revealed a pocket knife in his hand and stabbed the right side of Youngsoo’s stomach. The lamppost went out and only the moon witnessed how his blood flowed to the ground. Youngsoo gasped and hugged Daewon as he pierced the knife again and again. It went deeper and deeper until he lay dead in the arms of someone he tried to protect.
***
As he breathed for air, bullets of sweat formed on Youngsoo’s forehead. He’s awoken from his snooze. He took off his blazer since the sweat on his back was soaking through his long sleeves.
“What a nightmare,” he said.
He was rubbing his temporal ridge when someone knocked at the door. Mee Yoon walked in with a troubled expression on her face.
“What is going on?” she asked.
“Sit down. You have a lot to digest.”
Mee Yoon sat on the chair and calmed down.
“So, Sun Hee doesn’t have the guts to tell you. Give me your hands.” Mee Yoon was hesitant but obeyed him.
“Listen, whatever you hear from me is nothing but the truth.” He squeezed her hands and looked tenderly into her eyes.
“Daewon has Obsessive Love Disorder according to Sun Hee. He went to New York not just to study but to get cured. You can talk to her if you need in-depth information about it. She found out recently when Daewon’s doctor called her.”
Mee Yoon bit her lip.
“He has not yet recovered. It triggered him when he saw you for the first time in six years, and he began pursuing you. We discovered video footage of him following you while wearing a realistic face mask. Worst of all, he paid men to put you in accidents so that he could save you. He’s yearning for you to return.”
“What about the murder?” Her mouth trembled.
“We found his DNA on two of the crime scenes. That’s the only evidence we have for now. I’ll be out to see his interrogation.”
“But he is not guilty, right?”
“Pray for that, sis. I’ll do my ways to serve justice.” Youngsoo hugged her tight.
Mee Yoon drove to the psychiatric hospital to meet Sun Hee. As soon as she saw her, she fell into tears. Sun Hee stroked her back.
“Things will be alright,” Sun Hee said.
“Daewon developed the disorder because of me, and now he is a suspect for murder.”
“Sh. Don’t hold it against yourself. The problem is anchored in his family, despite the fact that your failed relationship paved the road for it.”
Mee Yoon rested on the sofa.
“Plus, they haven’t proven him guilty. It’s true that his illness may lead to murder, but we need evidence to support that,” Sun Hee said.
“If it’s not him, maybe someone fabricated the evidence. Isn’t it a bit late to discover his prints on the crime scenes?”
“That person might be the culprit or someone who has a grudge against him. It’s annoying how Youngsoo is on a mission to convict him,” Sun Hee lay her back on the chair.
“And we are here defending him. I’m not sure anymore.”
“Hey, you’re still a lawyer, right? Why don’t you continue to think like a lawyer like you did before? You are, after all, at the top three in the rankings.”
Mee Yoon shrugged.
“My lawyering spirit has long since vanished. I work as a Webtoon artist at present.”
“I’m saying in case you want to come back.”
“Sun Hee, there are things we can’t undo.”
***
The one-way mirror increased Daewon’s anxiety as he sat across Detective Jeon Ryung in the secure interview room. It is a small, soundproof room with nothing on the walls.
“How are you today, Mr. Do? Is your wound okay?” the detective asked.
“It’s getting better.”
“I’m not a bibliophile, but I heard you are popular among young and adult readers. What’s the genre of your novels?”
“Mostly romance.”
“Oh, so you’re a romanticist. You know, my wife always nags about me not having a romantic cell. But she married me anyway.” Jeon Ryung chuckled.
The detective was forty years old, with a good body and muscular features. He exudes positive energy that is devoid of any indicators of danger.
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No.”
“But you like someone?”
Daewon didn’t respond.
“Oh, come on. I watched the news and you seem pretty close to Ms. Seo Mee Yoon.”
“Yes, I like her.”
The detective nodded. “I read one of your books about a guy who developed a personality disorder because of some women pursuing him at the same time. It’s interesting.”
“Thanks.”
“They say that a book reflects the author’s belief and experiences. Is that why you wrote it?”
“I don’t have a personality disorder if that’s what you are pointing out. Also, I admit I am a chick magnet, but I only love one person.”
The detective sipped the cup of coffee.
“And that one person is Ms. Seo Mee Yoon, right? I assume because she’s your ex.”
Detective Jeon Ryung intertwined his fingers. “Tell me, how much do you love her?”
“It’s immeasurable.”
“Oh, your love must be so deep. Is it to a point when you go crazy after your breakup?”
“Everybody who loves would go insane after a breakup, detective.”
“Have you tried being with a woman and imagined her to be Mee Yoon? Have you kissed a woman and thought she was Mee Yoon?”
“Well, when we love someone we see them everywhere, don’t we?”
The detective broadened his shoulders; dealing with a smooth talker is never easy.
“How do you feel when some men show an interest in her? Do you get jealous?”
“Of course. I don’t like guys touching what’s mine.”
“Me too. I want to kick their butts and break their legs. What about you? Do you imagine… killing them?”
“No. I don’t reach that point. After all, it’s a competition. As they say, may the best man win.” Daewon grabbed the cup of coffee from the detective and drank it.
Daewon thought, “Why would I assassinate a competitor? That’s far too simple. I’d rather shatter their bones inch by inch, scrape their skin, remove their organs, and feed the crows their remains. Torture will always be the most effective method.”