Min-joon couldn't comprehend what was going on. When he looked behind him, the little girl was gone. He looked at the man who fell to the ground and got unconscious due to a lot of blood loss. He called for an ambulance. When the ambulance arrived, he got in with the man.
He was still in shock and was wondering how they knew that.
"It's dark already!! Mom is gonna scold me for playing till this late. Augh! What excuse should I make? Should I say that my friend's leg got broken and I took him to the hospital? Hhhhhh! Yeah! I should say that."
Twelve-year-old Min-joon was talking to himself.
Suddenly, he saw Ji-hoon sitting near the river.
"Ooooooh, Ji-hoooooon!!!!!" Min-joon shouted while walking towards him. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Min-joon?" Ji-hoon said, avoiding eye contact. "I was just enjoying the view."
Min-joon noticed that Ji-hoon was acting weird. "Were you crying?"
"No!! Why will I cry!!!?" Ji-hoon said, wiping his snout, but it was a white lie.
Min-joon asked, "Did your dad say something?"
"No, he didn't say anything. Take a look at this," Ji-hoon said, showing him his Hero Sprint Monk 26T cycle.
"Wooooooooow!!!!!!!!! No way!!!!! It's so cooooool. Can I ride on it?"
"Sure," Ji-hoon said, his eyes welling up with tears.
Min-joon noticed the tears and asked, "Didn't you say that if you got A's in all subjects, then your father will buy you this cycle?"
"Yeah!" Ji-hoon said, his voice breaking, and he started crying. "He doesn't believe in me. He always treats me as a stubborn little kid who can't do anything on his own. He sometimes acts as if I don't even exist."
Min-joon tried to comfort Ji-hoon. "Ji-hoon, look at the sky!"
"Huh?" Ji-hoon looked puzzled.
"I said, look at the sky!" Min-joon repeated.
Ji-hoon looked up at the sky, still confused.
"Tell me, what do you see?" Min-joon asked.
"Of course, stars," Ji-hoon replied, still looking up.
Min-joon asked, "Then tell me, which star got your attention?"
Ji-hoon noticed a star that was shining the brightest. He pointed towards that star and said, "That one."
Min-joon smiled. "Why?"
"Because it's shining the brightest," Ji-hoon replied.
Min-joon's eyes sparkled. "Exactly! No matter who you are or where you are, as long as you shine the brightest, everybody will notice you."
Ji-hoon's eyes sparkled, and he stood up, startling Min-joon.
"You're right!!! If he acts as if I don't exist and I'm capable of nothing, and he doesn't believe in me, then I'll make him believe in me. I'll shine so bright that even he couldn't ignore it!!!!"
Min-joon grinned, standing up beside Ji-hoon. "Then we both will be the brightest stars that this world could have ever seen! Hahahahhahah!!"
Min-joon's eyes snapped back into focus as he stared at the man with a puzzled expression. Was this just a coincidence, or was something more sinister at play?
In the hospital, Jae-hwan rushed to Min-joon's side, worry etched on his face. "Captain, what happened?"
Min-joon's glare intensified. "This weird man tried to kill himself right in front of me.
Suicide?
What? Don't believe me?"
Their conversation was interrupted by a nurse, who informed them that the man had regained consciousness. As they entered the room, they found the man acting strangely - terrified, shaking, and murmuring incoherently.
Min-joon's mind was already racing with questions. He approached the man, who suddenly started shouting, "Why?! Why?! Why am I still alive?! I'm not supposed to be alive!"
Min-joon's patience wore thin. "Shut up! Stop this crazy act! I have questions, and I want true answers. Who are you, and why did you slice your vein?"
The man looked puzzled. "I sliced my vein?"
Min-joon's anger flared. "Didn't I tell you to give me true answers? This is not an answer to my question!"
But the man remained confused, unable to recall slicing his vein.
Min-joon pressed on, showing him the photo of the four-sided star carved into the victim's chest.
Do you know anything about this symbol?
The man's reaction was unexpected - he burst into laughter.
"Hahahahah! This is the symbol of justice! Hahahahah! Now it's my turn! He's going to kill me too!"
Jae-hwan whispered to Min-joon, "Who laughs when they're about to be killed?"
Min-joon's eyes narrowed. "Who's going to kill you?"
The man's response sent chills down Min-joon's spine: "God."
As Min-joon's anger boiled over, Jae-hwan intervened, stopping him from lashing out at the man.
Their confrontation was interrupted by the man's sudden, shocking action - he bit his own tongue.
As they waited outside, Min-joon fumed, "Are you kidding me?
Jae-hwan's worried expression deepened. "What are we gonna tell the chief?"
Tell me what?
Their conversation was cut short by the chief's arrival.
"Min-joon, I'm shocked. That man tried to kill himself twice in front of you, and you couldn't even stop him once."
Min-joon's frustration simmered. "How was I supposed to know he'd try to kill himself?"
The chief's expression turned stern. "Did you show him the photo of the victim?"
Min-joon clarified, "I only showed him the symbol carved into the victim's chest."
The chief's eyes narrowed. "It's the same thing.
Min-joon's determination hardened. "I know,he knows who killed my friend."
Are you still working on that case?The chief's tone turned dismissive. "There is no mysterious man who killed your friend. It was his father."
Min-joon's skepticism was evident. "You expect me to believe that?"
The chief's expression remained firm. "Believe it or not, it's true. His company went bankrupt, and he got into debt. To pay it off, he killed his wife and son for insurance money but he felt guilty and then killed himself, and he was also the one who attacked you."
Min-joon's laughter was laced with incredulity. "You must be kidding me."
The chief's tone remained matter-of-fact. "There's no 'mysterious man' in this case."
Min-joon's conviction remained unwavering. "I know he was killed by that man."
The chief's expression turned resolute. "There is no such man."
Their eyes locked in a fierce stare, the air thick with tension, as if the slightest spark could ignite a war.
But before the silence could escalate into something more sinister, a nurse burst in, her voice shattering the intensity.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but... the man is dead."