The First Target
Lee Han manipulated the camera, scrutinizing every move of the woman he had chosen as his target. On the monitor, she appeared to be a petite beauty in her late twenties. Her sharp eyes, high-bridged nose, and crimson lips were striking. However, there was no personal information about her recorded anywhere.
"Is this something I have to find out for myself..."
After several days of digging, Lee Han was able to grasp a rough profile of her. She was a newlywed. Her husband was an ordinary salaryman at a small-to-medium enterprise, often working late to make ends meet. The wife seemed to spend her days at home without much to do. She would occasionally go out, but she never stayed long and returned home quickly.
Lee Han memorized the names and ages of the couple reflected on the screen. The woman’s name was Han Sujin, age 29. Her husband was a 34-year-old man named Park Taeyoung.
"Han Sujin, Park Taeyoung..."
He repeated their names in his mind. They were ordinary, common names, but to Lee Han, they now felt branded with a special significance. The names of his first target, his first victim.
"How should I approach her... Blackmail seems difficult since there don't appear to be any major issues. And kidnapping... that wouldn't be easy with a husband in the picture."
Lee Han racked his brain, lost in thought. He had to find a way to trap 29-year-old Han Sujin. For a while, he observed her daily life meticulously, trying to find a weakness. He was waiting for the perfect opportunity.
But still, no answer appeared. To him, this woman seemed to have nothing but the life of an ordinary wife. Even Lee Han, who had already stepped onto the path of crime, felt a fair amount of hesitation. Ruining the life of an innocent person was never an easy task.
Then one day, while watching the screen, Lee Han noticed Han Sujin behaving strangely. She was rummaging through a neighbor's delivery package. Intrigued, Lee Han checked all the past footage.
Having caught Han Sujin’s abnormal behavior, Lee Han carefully reviewed the old recordings. And he discovered a shocking fact: Han Sujin suffered from kleptomania. She would appear perfectly normal most of the time, but at specific intervals, she was often caught swiping someone else's package, only to put it back later.
Analyzing the footage from the bathroom, it seemed the timing coincided with her menstrual cycle. He had heard that, though rare, some women exhibited kleptomania during their period. Lee Han had never imagined Han Sujin would be that type.
He had finally found her weakness. A faint smile spread across Lee Han's face. He was lucky. He hurriedly printed out all the relevant footage into photographs. With the evidence in his hands, he could have started the blackmail immediately.
However, Lee Han decided not to act rashly. Going in too hard from the start would likely backfire. He couldn't drain her dry all at once. He had to lure Han Sujin into his trap slowly, bit by bit.
For now, he intended to use the evidence of her kleptomania to give her a subtle warning. After gauging her reaction, he planned to gradually increase the intensity of the blackmail. In the end, he would make Han Sujin walk into the noose herself.
Lee Han wore a dark smile as he began to plot his next move. A meticulous scheme to drag a woman into the swamp was being crafted in his mind. Led by the devil's whisper, he was sinking deeper and deeper into the darkness.
Then one day, Lee Han captured an interesting scene. An older woman and a young woman visited Han Sujin's home. The two people on camera entered with hardened expressions.
"Mother, Sujeong. What brings you here?"
Han Sujin greeted them with a puzzled look.
"Do you have any idea how much my son is suffering because of you?"
The woman who appeared to be Park Taeyoung's mother approached Han Sujin and spoke as if venting her pent-up resentment.
"Mom, I told you not to let him marry her. Oppa is so pitiful."
The woman next to her, Sujeong, glared at Han Sujin and snapped.
"I love Taeyoung-ssi. Please, try to understand."
Han Sujin, unable to hide her embarrassment, tried to make excuses, but the hostility from her mother-in-law and sister-in-law did not subside.
"How dare you talk about love? A woman like you doesn't suit our Taeyoung!"
"That's right, tell Oppa to get a divorce right now."
The two of them showered her with insults, cornering Han Sujin.
Just then, the front door swung open and Park Taeyoung rushed in. It seemed he had come running after receiving a call that they were coming.
"Mother, Sujeong. Please, stop! Han Sujin is my wife now. Please, accept her!"
"But..."
"She's family now. Okay?"
When Park Taeyoung spoke softly, his mother and sister couldn't retort.
"Let's talk outside for a moment."
He took his mother and sister, opened the front door, and left. Han Sujin watched their retreating backs with anxious eyes.
A moment later, Park Taeyoung returned alone. He approached Han Sujin and pulled her into his arms.
"I'm sorry. My family made things hard for you."
"No, it's fine. If anything, I'm the one who's sorry. Because of me, there's friction with your family..."
Seeing the tears welling up in Han Sujin's eyes, Taeyoung wore a pained expression. He stroked his wife's cheek to comfort her.
"Don't worry. I'll persuade them well. You are our family. Someday, they'll understand."
"Honey..."
"If it's hard, tell me anytime. The two of us can overcome this together."
Han Sujin nodded, sobbing. Held in Taeyoung's sturdy embrace, she found comfort in her heart.
Watching this scene through the camera, Lee Han smirked. A plan to threaten her was already forming in his mind.
The next day, after Park Taeyoung left for work, Lee Han headed to her home, aiming for the time when Han Sujin was alone. When he rang the doorbell, Han Sujin opened the door a moment later. Her face was full of wariness.
"Hello, I am Lee Han, the building's manager. You are Han Sujin-ssi, correct?"
"Yes, but what brings you here?"
Han Sujin asked in a cold tone. Lee Han showed a friendly smile and replied.
"I've come because I have something important to discuss with you, Han Sujin-ssi. Could you spare a moment?"
"My husband isn't here, so it's problematic for you to just barge into someone else's home. Please come back later."
With a frigid attitude, Han Sujin tried to turn Lee Han away.
"Wait a moment. Take a look at this first."
Before the door could close, Lee Han quickly held out a photograph. In that instant, Han Sujin's complexion turned deathly pale. It was a picture of her taking something from the delivery locker.
"What is this..."
"Let's go to my office first. I think it would be better to talk about it slowly there."
Lee Han spoke calmly to Han Sujin, who seemed to have lost her composure. She looked at Lee Han with anxious eyes before nodding in a trembling voice.
Moving to the office, Lee Han sat her down across from his desk. Han Sujin sat hunched over, looking tense.
"Han Sujin-ssi, could you tell me what this is all about?"
His tone was polite, but Lee Han's eyes glinted sharply.
"That... I just did it on a whim for a moment. I wasn't trying to steal anything."
"Is that so? But these photos make it look like you took someone else's property, Han Sujin-ssi."
Lee Han laid out several photos in front of her as if they were evidence. Han Sujin dropped her head with a sickly look.
"I really didn't mean to take it. I just touched it for a second and put it back in its place."
Lee Han stared at Han Sujin, who was making excuses, with cold eyes. What mattered was that she had the 'intent' to steal.
"You may go for today. I will think a bit more about whether to inform the owner of the package or report this to the police. I will be in touch."
Lee Han concluded with a quiet but firm tone. As Han Sujin, engulfed in anxiety, left the office, a wicked smile curled on his lips. It was a good sign. Judging by her reaction, he felt he could definitely break her. The next move was already being drawn in his mind.
That night, Lee Han watched Han Sujin's home intently through the monitor. Seeing her listless appearance, Park Taeyoung felt sorry, thinking it was because his family had visited again. But Han Sujin couldn't say a word. Lee Han felt a thrill from her withered reaction.
The next day, Lee Han called Han Sujin again through the intercom connected to each unit. He calculated that making her come to him voluntarily would be a greater threat than visiting her himself.
In front of Han Sujin, who arrived at the office with a pale face, Lee Han maintained a soft attitude.
"Rest assured. I haven't informed the package owner yet."
As Han Sujin let out a sigh of relief, Lee Han hid his smile and continued.
"However, I looked into the apartment management regulations, and it turns out that eviction is the principle when such disgraceful incidents occur."
At those words, Han Sujin's face turned pale.
"That can't happen. Please..."
Lee Han pretended not to know her situation. But he knew. He knew it wasn't easy to find a house with such good conditions in Seoul. The moment she was kicked out of here, Han Sujin would face a divorce crisis with her husband.
Lee Han, pretending to be in deep thought, opened his mouth.
"Then I suppose I must inform your husband about this first."
"No!"
Han Sujin jumped in surprise. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Please don't do that. Please don't tell my husband..."
Lee Han felt desire at the sight of her pleading. But he knew that acting too hastily would only backfire.
"Understood. Let's look for another way for now. Don't worry too much."
Lee Han left Han Sujin's side, pretending to reassure her. But his eyes were filled with greed for her. As if to bind her slowly, ever so slowly.
Watching the back of Han Sujin as she left the office, trembling with fear, Lee Han smiled faintly. She would eventually be caught helplessly in the noose that was slowly tightening. So that she would never dare to escape.