Forest of Crime (End)
Three days had already passed since the overnight shoot began.
"Action!!"
With Ha Il-kwon's booming, energetic voice, filming began.
"Heh heh heh heh…."
Suspect Yoon Seung-ho let out an unsettling laugh inside the interrogation room.
"You fucking kill people and then laugh?"
"Officer. When do I get food? I'm hungry."
BANG!!!
Choi Jin-cheol slammed his fist down hard on the table.
"What? You little shit. Yoon Seung-ho. You're getting life either way. So quit wasting time and tell me why the fuck you did this!!"
Choi Jin-cheol roared, but Yoon Seung-ho didn't so much as blink.
"Officer. Don't raise your voice so much. You're scaring me. And I said I'm hungry? I don't have the strength to talk on an empty stomach, so how am I supposed to confess?"
"Haa…. Hey. Go grab some soup and rice from outside. Whatever's fine."
"If possible, ask for extra pickled radish."
"You fucking bastard, you think this is a restaurant!? Eat what you're given."
Choi Jin-cheol stepped out of the interrogation room.
"Keep a close eye on that piece of shit."
"Yes, sir."
Click—
Hoo—
Back in the temporary office set up for the case, Choi Jin-cheol lit a cigarette.
"Haa…. Fuck."
He stared at the crime-scene photos plastered haphazardly across the whiteboard.
"Boss, what's wrong this time?"
A subordinate called out to him.
"Something's off."
"What is, sir?"
"That bastard got caught way too easily."
Five victims so far.
All of them slaughtered with brutal cruelty.
And yet a killer that meticulous suddenly left a clue behind?
"Boss. He's human. Of course he makes mistakes. Plus it was found inside a victim's body, so he probably never noticed. Either way, the DNA matches, the murder weapon turned up at his place—the evidence is airtight."
"Yeah. You're right."
"And easy? What part of this was easy? We spent all night combing through CCTV and black-box footage, and dozens of people staked him out before we finally got him."
Hoo—
The murder weapon had already been sent to forensics; results would come soon enough.
For all practical purposes, the case was closed.
"Then I guess that's a relief."
"Yes, sir. Once it's over, let's grab dinner!"
Slurp-slurp-slurp—
Inside the interrogation room, a full-blown food show was underway.
"Alright. Talk."
"Officer, you really have no patience."
"Talk before what's left of my patience runs out. Why did you kill the victims."
Scrape—scrape—
Yoon Seung-ho scraped the bowl clean, set the earthenware pot down, and looked up.
"Why? Officer. Have you ever watched someone die?"
"What…?"
"They bleed, they scream, and the light in their eyes slowly goes out. My god!! Isn't it beautiful?! Like a work of art!!"
Yoon Seung-ho's voice began to climb.
"Especially that last bitch—killing her felt so good! Fighting hard, thrashing around, then gradually losing strength and giving up. Ah…. Just thinking about it again is so thrilling. I could almost come…. Though that's how I got caught. Heh heh heh…."
"You crazy bastard…."
Choi Jin-cheol felt a wave of pure revulsion wash over him.
"So…. You killed five people for a reason that insane?"
"Heh heh heh heh…."
Yoon Seung-ho started letting out small, bubbling laughs.
"What's so funny?"
"Officer. I think you've got the wrong idea."
"I didn't kill five people. Heh heh heh heh…."
"What? You little shit!!!"
Choi Jin-cheol grabbed Yoon Seung-ho by the collar.
"Where are the other victims!!!"
He shoved his face in close, but Yoon Seung-ho's expression never changed.
"You've got it all wrong. I only killed two. Five, six—how the hell would I know? Hahahahaha!"
A wet, rattling sound rose from his throat as he laughed without stopping.
"You think that lowers your sentence?! You're getting life either way, you bastard! So talk properly!!"
"What am I supposed to do when it's the truth?! This is why you pigs are pigs!! Don't pin shit on innocent people!! Heh heh heh heh!!"
"You little shit!!"
THWACK!!
Crash—
Choi Jin-cheol drove his fist into Yoon Seung-ho's face.
"Boss!"
"Team leader!"
Subordinates burst into the interrogation room and hauled the two of them apart.
"Boss. Go get some air first."
"Yeah. Cool your head."
"Haa…."
Finally restrained, Choi Jin-cheol stepped outside to clear his mind.
He flipped through the case file.
Flip—flip—
And then there was Yoon Seung-ho, the man they'd arrested as the killer.
Yoon Seung-ho was a deranged murderer.
But something still felt off.
Now he understood what that unease was.
Yoon Seung-ho's words, combined with the instincts of a long-time detective.
The possibility of another killer.
"Hey. Feeling any calmer~?"
"This bastard…."
Choi Jin-cheol forced down the rage boiling up inside him and sat back down.
The interrogation resumed.
Yoon Seung-ho kept needling him with that mocking tone, but at least he was answering the questions—more or less.
"Team leader. Here are the forensics results and Yoon Seung-ho's past hospital records."
Lee Ji-young approached Choi Jin-cheol during a brief break and handed him the files.
"Haa…."
Blood from two victims had been found on the knife used as the murder weapon.
Just as he'd claimed—the third victim and the fifth.
"Look at this. Yoon Seung-ho barely feels pain."
"What?"
Hospital records.
In the past, he had been the victim of a medical accident.
During surgery, a nerve had been damaged, leaving him almost completely unable to feel pain.
The interrogation dragged on, and everyone except the night shift headed off to rest after the grueling hours.
"It's a shame. Such a shame."
"What's a shame?"
"That bitch…. I really wanted to kill that one with my own hands!!"
"Who are you talking about right now?"
"Officer. You know the salon up front? The one with the incredibly pretty owner."
"I know it."
How could I not. That's where our youngest has been throwing himself at her nonstop.
I even heard he went there today, taking advantage of the first break he'd gotten in days.
"Those strange yellow eyes like stars. I wanted to snuff out the light in those eyes with my own hands!!! It's such a shame!!! Let me out, please!! Just let me kill that one!! I have to be the one to kill her!!"
He strained so hard that blood welled up around the handcuffs biting into his wrists.
"Heh heh heh…. Officer. Want me to tell you something fun?"
…
The scene cut.
"Okay, cut!"
Whoa…. That guy. His acting is seriously incredible….
Ara was genuinely in awe of Kim Young-soo's performance.
Kim Young-soo.
Famous as a master of supporting roles, he had joined Forest of Crime as Yoon Seung-ho.
I genuinely thought he was a real psycho for a second.
Even watching from the sidelines had made her angry—she could only imagine how Lee Min-hyuk, facing him head-on, must have felt.
She had already shot a scene with Kim Young-soo once before, but it had been maybe a minute or two at most, and only Lee Eun-ju had lines, so she hadn't really gotten to see him act.
Anyway, now it's my turn.
The interrogation-room scene between Lee Min-hyuk and Kim Young-soo had just wrapped Episode 3.
Now came Episode 4.
The episode where Lee Eun-ju truly took center stage.
The flashback scenes had already been shot in advance.
And today was basically the same as yesterday—just a little more intense.
All she had to do was kill Lee Hyun-woo with a clear conscience(?).
"Alright! Last shoot of the day! Let's give it everything we've got!"
Ha Il-kwon pumped up everyone on set.
"And once we're done today—barbecue party! We extended the lodging by one more night, so anyone who wants to stay over can stay!!"
"Yes!!!"
The cheer that went up was louder than usual.
"Ara. Nail that last scene."
"Yes. Thank you, unnie."
Yu Ha-yeong beamed as she cheered her on.
The stiff version of her from yesterday was long gone.
"I'm counting on you. Don't go easy on me."
Lee Seo-jun stepped up and held out his hand.
"Yes. I'll give it everything I've got."
Ara took it and shook.
He's full of surprises, honestly.
Lee Seo-jun. An unusual character.
Handsome, with a cool, sharp look.
He'd been acting since he was a kid, so his résumé was stacked.
And his skill backed it up—he had firmly established himself as a genius actor representing the next generation. And yet last night, after dinner, he had come looking for Ara.
The reason? He wanted her help practicing.
He'd monitored his own performance from the day before and decided that, with his current ability, he couldn't fully receive that kind of acting. So he'd come to her.
When it came to acting—when it came to making a better piece of work—he was the kind of relentless hard worker who would unhesitatingly seek out lessons even from a junior so far below him it was almost embarrassing.
A reverse-charm gap?
Anyway, if she'd been an ordinary woman, she might have fallen for him.
Either way, it was impressive, and as both a junior and a fellow human being, she had helped him out of respect for that decision.
For the record, she'd also told him then to drop the formal speech.
Yu Ha-yeong and Lee Seo-jun were the same age, and having one of them talk casually while the other used honorifics was just weird.
This was the land of Eastern etiquette, after all.
"Lee Seo-jun-ssi!! Gil Ara-ssi!! Please stand by!!"
An assistant director's shout carried over from a distance.
The highlight of this episode.
With the entire cast and crew watching—
filming began.
"Action!!"
"Ugh…."
Arms and legs bound, Lee Hyun-woo's eyes fluttered open.
"You must have been tired. Work's been rough lately, hasn't it?"
A familiar, honeyed voice drifted from beside him.
"E-Eun-ju-ssi? What the hell is—"
Lee Hyun-woo was a detective, after all.
Even through the panic, he was already scanning the terrain and assessing the situation.
"I did use a sleeping pill, but I never dreamed you wouldn't wake up. Luckily you came to just in time?"
"A sleeping pill? Don't tell me—"
Lee Hyun-woo remembered the coffee he'd accepted and drunk at the salon.
"D-don't tell me…."
He remembered what Yoon Seung-ho had said in the interrogation room.
"Eun-ju-ssi, are you saying you…?"
Shhhk—shhhk—
The sound of something being sharpened.
"There was a time, once."
Her voice sounded almost serene.
"There was an instrument that wouldn't make a sound. It was broken, you see."
Lee Eun-ju suddenly started talking nonsense.
"As a conductor, a broken instrument is useless. So I just left it alone."
"What the hell are you talking about!!"
Lee Hyun-woo snapped, but she paid him no mind.
"But then that instrument escaped on its own. And do you know what the amazing part was?"
Step—step—
"That instrument picked up the baton itself. Isn't that incredible?"
"You're insane—what are you even saying!!"
"I made a mistake. If I'd known, I would have taken care of it myself. After all, no one is good at something from the very start."
Lee Eun-ju crouched down to meet his eye level.
"Since it's come to this, we're going to play one last performance. Hyun-woo-ssi."
Slice—
Ugh!!
A razor honed to a vicious edge skimmed across his thigh.
"Well now, Detective."
A bright smile.
"What kind of sound do you make?"
A dazzling smile greeted Lee Hyun-woo.
"Fuck you!!!"
THUNK!!!
GAAAAAAAH!!!!
A gouge about a centimeter deep opened in his thigh.
"Ah…!"
A beautiful melody poured through her ears, into her head, and lit up her brain, flooding it with dopamine.
Crrrk—
Aaagh!!
With every fingernail and toenail she pulled free, a different melody filled the room.
"Hah…. Hah…."
"Haa…. Haa…."
Two different genres of breathing wove into a harmony.
"E-Eun-ju…."
"Don't…. talk. You're interrupting my enjoyment."
THUNK!!
Scissors plunged into his thigh.
"Kh—! You fucking bitch…."
Lee Hyun-woo gritted through the pain with sheer will and forced the words out.
"You think…. things will go…. your way."
"Shut up."
THUNK!
"Ugh!! You think…. I'm just…. going to sit here?"
A vicious grin spread across Lee Hyun-woo's face.
"Fuck you. You bitch."
With those final words, he gathered what strength he had left and bit down on his own tongue.
THUNK!!!!!!
In that same instant, Lee Eun-ju drove the knife straight through the back of his hand.
"……Uwaaaaaaaaaagh!!!!"
Pain on a completely different level from anything before forced his mouth open on its own.
"What are you doing what are you doing what are you doing what are you doing what are you doing what are you doing?"
Lee Eun-ju wore an expression more chilling than anything she had shown so far.
"Why are you killing yourself? Why are you breaking yourself? Why are you running away? Who said you could? Who gave you permission?"
Riiip—
She sliced off her own sleeve with the knife and jammed the cloth into Lee Hyun-woo's pain-forced open mouth.
"No. Absolutely not. That would make me sad…."
Crrrk—creeeak—
She wound the blue tape that had bound his hands and feet tightly around his mouth, packing the cloth deep inside.
Grab—
Lee Eun-ju seized the back of his head and yanked him toward her.
"Alright. We're going to start over from the beginning."
Lee Hyun-woo met those faintly reddened yellow eyes.
His pupils began to tremble without end.
"From the beginning. Softly."
Slice—
Mmph!
piano (softly)
Delicate, careful, as if handling a baby.
Sliiiice—thuuunk—
The blade sank slowly into flesh.
Mmmmmph!!!
mezzo-piano (somewhat soft)
"It's a shame I had to cover the sound hole, but this is nice in its own way. This, too, is music. Good. Quiet, with a deliberate sense of suffocation—let's begin together."
Not a bad feeling.
The torture resumed.
"……."
"Haa……haa……."
The surroundings were already a sea of blood.
Only Lee Eun-ju's fevered breathing could be heard.
Lee Hyun-woo's head hung limp.
Lee Eun-ju grabbed his hair and lifted it.
Riiip—riip—
She tore the tape from his mouth with rough force.
When she pulled free the cloth that had turned red inside his mouth, a ragged breath spilled out.
"You don't even have the strength to kill yourself now, do you."
Lee Hyun-woo opened his eyes and looked at Lee Eun-ju right in front of him.
Ptoo—
He spat a clot of blood from his mouth onto her face.
"Fuck you…."
The light in his eyes still refused to die.
"Haha."
A soft laugh as she wiped the spit from her face.
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"
THUNK!!!
The knife punched through his other hand.
Grrraaaaaaagh!!
"Kyahahahahahahahaha!"
A thin stream of red blood began to trickle from Lee Eun-ju's nose.
Not a prop—real nosebleed.
The adrenaline unleashed by extreme excitement had flooded the blood vessels in her nose.
"From here on, it's the CLIMAX……!"
Slash—
Her baton began to thrash without mercy.
One swing.
Then the terrible scream that followed.
How many more times did she swing?
The music grew quieter and quieter.
"Ah……. Such a shame……."
Lee Hyun-woo's breathing was barely audible now.
"And that's why I love it so much……."
A deep aftertaste lingered.
"The greatest performance……."
Lee Eun-ju raised the baton.
"You did well."
THUNK—!
…….
"Finale……."
Lost in that deep resonance, she curled into the blood-soaked chest of Lee Hyun-woo and closed her eyes.
Wee-oo—wee-oo—wee-oo—wee-oo—
In the distance, police sirens drew closer and closer.
"Lee Eun-ju!!!"
"Kid!!!!!"
"Lee Hyun-woo!!!!"
"…Do you hear that?"
Lee Eun-ju opened her eyes.
"They're calling for us."
THUNK!!
She pulled the baton free from his chest.
"A curtain call from so many audience members!!!"
THUNK!! THUNK!! THUNK!! THUNK!!
"Get up! We have to answer them! The audience is calling! For us!"
She stabbed his chest without restraint, but Lee Hyun-woo gave no response.
…….
"Lee Eun-ju!! Don't move!!!"
"K-kid!!"
"Ugh—!!"
Police stormed the scene.
"What are you doing! Hurry up and sing again! Hyun-woo-ssi. The audience wants it!!!"
THUNK!!!
"I said don't move!!!"
Choi Jin-cheol bellowed, but Lee Eun-ju paid him no mind.
Just as Choi Jin-cheol and his team moved in to arrest her—
BANG—!
…….
A gunshot, then a brief silence.
The source of the sound was the tip of Lee Ji-young's fingers.
Tremble-tremble-tremble—
The muzzle she held was pointed straight at Lee Eun-ju.
Ah.
No voice came out.
A bullet through the lung had stolen control of her breathing.
Right.
Encore.
I can do it myself….
Hissss—
Blood welled from the hole in her chest with a sound like air escaping.
The end of the play. A quiet wind, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
Hiss—hiss—
pianissimo (very quietly)
For the instrument that had delivered such a magnificent performance.
A memorial, a requiem, offered with the conductor's own life.
Speaking to the audience in place of the instrument that could no longer speak.
Haa.
Fuck. Perfect.
A smile.
Ah. I'm happy.
Thud—