A day in 27-year-old Jung Bomin's life,
7 AM
Jung Bomin woke up from his slumber, struggling against his ever-present companion, procrastination. After a slow start, he took a lengthy shower and donned his most expensive clothes and accessories. Coming downstairs, he shared breakfast with his younger sister, Jina, all the while waiting to meet his elusive father, who he only sees on the news. Bored and yearning for a more typical family life like his friends enjoy, he left his mansion, surrounded by deferential servants.
12 PM
He discreetly entered an abandoned mall, transforming into a different persona. Wearing an oversized T-shirt from a local brand and baggy jeans, he covered his hazel eyes behind black contact lenses and completed his disguise with nerdy square glasses. Tousling his hair to cover his forehead, he left the mall with a blue coloured side bag, concealing his true identity.
4PM
Bomin arrived at the CBS news broadcasting station. He collected his camera equipment and greeted his senior, Yoon Seong-ah. Throughout the day, he works as her cameraman, replacing the previous one who was injured during coverage of the Damyang murder case.
Bomin was always fascinated by the Damyang murders. The unknown killer's brutality and cruelty drew him in like a moth to a flame. Now, by following Seong-ah he wanted to witness the unfolding of the past and present events... that was the most nerve wrecking and spine chilling thing he could do in his monotonous life full of luxury. The craving he always suppressed because of his father's position in the society...
10PM
As Yoon Seong-ah leaves the office, Bomin respectfully bids her good night.
"Get some rest, sunbaenim," he said. "You've worked hard on this case."
"No effort is too much for this case, Bomin-ah. I need to catch that criminal as soon as possible. Even though I've been suspended from reporting for three months, we won't stop our investigation. I've informed the director, and we'll continue working on this case unofficially. When we gather enough evidence.... then BOOM! we'll blast the bomb exposing the intelligence department. The media will report the news with clear proof before the official detectives even know what's happening."
Bomin observed Seong-ah's excitement as they talk. "Good night, sunbaenim (senior)," he says, escorting her to a waiting taxi. After ensuring her safety, he retrieves his blue bag and leaves the CBS station. He reached the mall and changed his outfit back to the original one. He packed all the clothes in his bag which he left in the changing room. He went behind the the building where he parked his car. Bomin entered the car and pulled over straight out of the broken rusty iron gate of the mall.
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At midnight, neon blue and pink lights created a mesmerizing display in the Red Moon bar in Hongdae. The DJ's deep bass beats pulse through the air, captivating the young crowd. The bar was filled with the scent of alcohol and cigarettes, and the powerful air conditioning went unnoticed amid the intoxication that filled the enclosed space.
Jung Bomin entered the bar amidst this chaotic scene, his eyes scanning the dimly lit space in search of someone. As he made his way toward the alcohol counter, the gazes of numerous eyes followed his path through the sea of tipsy dancers. However, his attention was drawn to a man wearing a loose gray shirt adorned with a gold chain around his neck, who watched him intently from a corner near the washroom.
Approaching the man, Bomin inquired, "You're the one who contacted me last night?" He displayed the unknown ten-digit number on his mobile screen.
The man nodded and motioned for Bomin to follow him into the washroom. Inside, the man revealed a hidden door behind the sink and guided Bomin into a room bathed in red light and silence. Several young individuals reclined against the walls. A female employee approached Bomin, tray in hand, bearing lines of white powder. Bomin leaned in and sniffed the drugs that lay before him.
"400,000 KRW (approximately 294 USD)," stated the dealer in the gray shirt.
Without hesitation, Bomin tossed an envelope filled with cash onto the dealer's face and exited the crimson room, his head heavy with the effects of the drugs. His gaze fixated on a girl dressed in a snug blue gown, her hair swaying as she danced with friends.
"I want her," he declared, pointing toward the girl. The drug dealer following behind him chuckled, "You can't. She's the mayor's daughter, a frequent visitor, and a VIP customer of this bar."
Undeterred, Bomin, fueled by the intoxicating drugs, moved toward her with a smirk.
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Next day, 5 AM, Namyangju .
The silence of the room was broken by the ringing of Yoon Seong-ah's cell phone. Startled, she lifted her head from her cluttered study desk, where files and documents were scattered. Her laptop was dead with low battery, and a few reports were dispersed across the floor. Pain shot through her neck as she stood up from the chair. She massaged her neck with one hand and reached for her mobile with the other. Her sleepy eyes were partially veiled by falling hair, making it difficult to read the caller's name. She brushed her hair aside, revealing Professor Sungtae's name on the screen. It had been four days since he had called.
"Oh, Professor... I thought you forgot about me or something!" she remarked, stifling a yawn as she inserted her AirPods.
"Are you sleeping?" the professor inquired from the other end.
"No, I was counting stars in the autumn dawn," Seong-ah retorted as she made her way to the bathroom.
"I'm being serious."
"What's the matter? Is everything all right at the intelligence center?" she asked, squeezing toothpaste onto her brush.
"Do you think anything could be okay when that murderer is roaming free? He's hunted down his fourth victim since his return! This is becoming a serious, high-profile case," the professor replied, his voice tense and filled with concern.
"Why high-profile? Who's the victim?" Seong-ah questioned as she brushed her teeth in front of the mirror, foam accumulating in her mouth.
"Kang Jurin, the daughter of Seoul's current mayor, Kang Minseok. Seong-ah, this is going downhill. It's going to become a nationally anticipated case," the professor explained, his voice strained.
"Why are you so worried?" Seong-ah rinsed her mouth. "It's a good thing it'll gain national attention. Maybe your clown department will finally move their ass and start acting more efficiently. By the way, when did this happen?" She moved to her bedroom to collect clothes for her shower.
"Last night. The body was discovered locked in a car on Naksan Beach," Professor Sungtae informed her, letting out a deep sigh. "And there's an eyewitness to the murder."
"What? There's an eyewitness? We need to get to them. Tell me the location."
"Please calm down, Seong-ah. Detectives have already left for Yangyang."
"So what? Just give me that location! I'll personally speak with the witness."
"Fine... I'll give you the location, but please be careful. I have a bad feeling about this... Something ominous is on the horizon, Seong-ah."
Seong-ah ended the call, and a message appeared on her screen: "Naksan Beach Resort, Yangyang-gun." She turned off her phone and headed into the bathroom for a shower.
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2 PM, Naksan Beach
23-year-old Kang Jurin sat lifelessly in the backseat of her car, her dead eyes wide open, frozen in the shock of her final moments. She clutched a signature screwdriver in the grip of her left hand, while jute ropes tightly bound her legs. Her chest was drenched in blood, and her face, hidden beneath a layer of heavy makeup, was obscured by her disheveled hair. Her once-elegant satin blue gown was now a gruesome canvas of dried blood. It was a brutal murder... and the most disturbing one...
"How could someone be so merciless in ending the life of such a young and beautiful girl? That psychopath showed no restraint," Minjae commented as he photographed the gruesome scene through the car window.
"Do you think , psychopaths have feelings? How innocent of you Minjae-yah", Haneul patted over his assistant's back.
Minjae chuckled in astonishment and continued his work, capturing the macabre details. Haneul settled into a cane chair placed on the sandy beach under a large umbrella.
"So, she was last seen at the Red Moon bar? And this is her own car, right? She drove from Itaewon to Yangyang, a journey of almost 160 kilometers, in less than an hour after midnight," Haneul pondered, gathering information from the witnesses.
"Sir, she must have been with someone. There's no way she could have covered that distance in such a short time. She was last spotted at 12:30 AM, and the eyewitness saw the car crash onto the beach around 1:45 AM when he was closing his food truck," Minjae added, shedding more light on the timeline.
"Did the killer accompany her? Did he bring her here, or did he kill her near Itaewon and transport her lifeless body here? And why Naksan beach of all places? Is there a connection with Naksan?" Haneul's mind raced with questions.
"We'll need to dig deeper," Minjae agreed, handing over the photographs and the screwdriver carefully wrapped in plastic.
"Find out where he's obtaining these screwdrivers, or if he's making them himself. He seems to have quite the collection of these deadly tools," Haneul instructed.
"Wait, who's that girl trespassing the crime scene?" Minjae suddenly exclaimed, sprinting toward the car.
Haneul smiled as he saw Seong-ah peering into the vehicle. He walked towards her.
"Something interesting in there?" he whispered into Seong-ah's ear as he bent down. Startled, she took a few steps back, her feet sinking into the sand, and she stumbled. Haneul reached out to catch her, but she refused and quickly regained her footing.
"I'd rather fall and get hurt," Seong-ah declared, brushing the sand off her clothes.
Haneul chuckled, "Well, I tried to help."
"I'd rather not receive your help," Seong-ah retorted, brushing herself off.
Haneul changed his tone from playful to a serious one, "The professor can't help but spill confidential information, huh?"
"Confidential? Breaking news about this case is all over the national media channels," Seong-ah replied.
"True, but she was the mayor's daughter, so this case will move much faster now," Haneul observed as he peered into the car, noticing something unusual.
"Of course, people only care when it's someone important. No one cared when those common people died ten years ago. The same Mayor Kang Minseok pressured the intelligence department to close the case back then. Now, his own daughter is lying lifeless in this car, her heart ripped out of her body," Seong-ah spoke with a hint of anger.
"No... Seong-ah... her heart is not hanging on her body like in previous cases... it's missing," Haneul revealed, his voice filled with shock and realization.
Seong-ah peered inside the car with trembling eyes, and she understood why Professor Sungtae had felt that something sinister was looming.
Haneul angrily spoke on the phone, "How long will the forensic team take to reach here? This is not a joke! It's been over 30 minutes since my team arrived!" His hands shook as he shouted.
A fleet of black SUVs pulled up to Naksan Beach, one of them being an official state car. Numerous bodyguards in black suits swiftly exited the vehicles and secured the state car's doors. With great respect, one of the bodyguards opened the car door, and Mayor Kang Minseok stepped out, followed by his wife, Kang Chaewon. They rushed toward the crime scene, but Haneul intervened as Mayor Minseok attempted to open the car door.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, Sir. But this is a murder crime scene, and you cannot touch the car until the forensics arrive, and we hand over the victim's body to you."
"THIS IS MY DAUGHTER! What do you mean I can't touch her?!" Mayor Minseok cried out in anguish.
"Please, sir, control your emotions and cooperate with the investigation," Haneul pleaded.
Kang Chaewon took her husband's hand and pulled him away from the car, her gaze coldly fixed on her daughter's lifeless body. Mayor Minseok wept in sorrow.
Seong-ah observed this dramatic scene from a distance, her eyes locked on Kang Chaewon. It was her first time seeing Chaewon in public, emerging from the dark confines of the mayor's house. Chaewon wore an elegant pastel green formal dress and white high heels. Her face was adorned with light makeup, but her deep red lipstick stood out. She had a notorious reputation as a powerful and ruthless woman who indirectly controlled illegal bars and clubs throughout Seoul and beyond. Seeing her in person, Seong-ah couldn't help but feel a shiver down her feet.
The sea breeze blew toward them, tousling Chaewon's waist-length hair as it swayed in the wind. Chaewon, while tucking her hair behind her ear, turned her gaze to the right side and locked eyes with Seong-ah. She smiled at Seong-ah, sending chills down her spine as memories from a decade ago rushed back.