The Wrong Suspect
Yoo Saebom froze in place. The face that had been filled with irritation and rage just moments ago had instantly turned to stone. The chat room was no different.
Yoo Saebom swallowed hard and asked, “...You mean if I go up, I’ll never be able to come back down?”
“Yeah. So stay inside.”
Even as they spoke, the floor noise didn't stop. Thump! A dull, heavy sound continued to echo from the ceiling. But it felt different than before. It was the same sound, yet it felt far more terrifying. Yoo Saebom held her breath. That was when it happened.
“Damn it, seriously. I can’t take this anymore!”
A string of curses erupted from the apartment next door. Immediately after, there was the sound of a door being violently thrown open and slammed shut. Bang! Yoo Saebom’s eyes widened.
“...I think that’s the neighbor.”
She ran straight to the front door. With the chain lock still engaged, she opened the door just a crack, and the sound of footsteps echoing through the hallway became crystal clear. Thump, thump, thump! Someone was running up the stairs. Yoo Saebom listened with bated breath before rushing back to her computer.
“The guy from next door went up to the floor above!”
The chat room was in an uproar again.
Bang! Bang! Bang! The neighbor pounded on the door upstairs. As he did, the thumping noise stopped as if it had been a lie. Yoo Saebom rubbed her arms. Then, Park Jihun spoke.
“Don’t open the door.”
Yoo Saebom asked, startled, “What? No, what exactly is happening up there?”
“Just stay inside.”
“Wait, just let me check.”
Yoo Saebom headed back to the entrance. She opened the door, still held by the chain, just a tiny bit. Cold hallway air seeped through the gap. As she strained her ears, it sounded like the neighbor was shouting at the top of his lungs. She couldn't make out the details, but it wasn't just one person. It sounded like two people arguing.
That was when it happened. Bang! A sound of something heavy colliding echoed through the hall. Yoo Saebom hunched her shoulders. Immediately after, a short, harsh scream erupted.
“Argh!”
Yoo Saebom’s face turned deathly pale. Click! She reflexively slammed the door shut. Her heart was pounding like crazy. Her lips trembled. The hallway grew even louder. Urgent curses, groans, and the sound of doors opening in succession all tangled together.
“What’s going on?”
“They say something happened upstairs!”
“Call 119! Hurry!”
“I already called 112!”
Yoo Saebom stumbled back to her computer and gripped the microphone. “I, I think there was an accident upstairs. Um, over there...”
Park Jihun cut her off. “Don’t open it again.”
Yoo Saebom’s eyes wavered. “W, what exactly happened?”
“The guy who went up there? He just got stabbed at the apartment above.”
Park Jihun’s voice was emotionless. The chat room, however, descended into chaos.
Yoo Saebom’s face turned blue as she read the chat. “...If I had gone up there...”
Park Jihun said nothing. But that silence was enough. Wee-woo, wee-woo. The sound of sirens in the distance was drawing closer. Even so, Yoo Saebom sat there blankly for a long time. Only after a while did she open her mouth with a trembling voice.
“...Thank you.”
Park Jihun replied briefly. “Hang up.”
The Discord call ended, but the chat room was still restless.
Park Jihun ignored the flood of messages and spoke. “HayeonMom. Come in.”
It was a short command. His voice didn't waver. A moment later, the connection sound rang out.
“H, hello.”
Park Jihun asked in a calm tone. “Speak.”
“I can ask anything, right?”
“What is it?”
“It’s about my child’s education.”
The chat room became noisy again.
HayeonMom continued cautiously. “I’m worried about which English kindergarten to send my kid to.”
“...”
“Other moms say if you get a head start now, it’s easier to get into a private elementary school later...”
Park Jihun asked, “How old is the kid?”
“Five years old.”
The chat room exploded.
HayeonMom laughed awkwardly. “Kids these days are all so fast. I’m just worried my child will fall behind.”
Park Jihun spoke. “The kid doesn’t want to go. You’re trying to force them?”
That was the moment. Ring-ring-ring. A phone vibration sound echoed through the Discord call. “Excuse me for a second.” HayeonMom asked for permission and answered the phone. “Hello?”
It started normally, but her voice immediately sharpened. “...What? What did you say?”
HayeonMom’s breathing grew ragged. “You have my daughter?”
“No, who are you?”
“Where are you? Where are you right now!”
It was brief. The phone call seemed to cut off, and the Discord went quiet. Only HayeonMom’s heavy breathing leaked through. She said urgently, “I think... my daughter has been kidnapped.”
The chat room flipped.
HayeonMom continued with a trembling voice. “A stranger called and said they had my daughter. She should be at piano lessons right now... What do I do? Should I call the police first? Or should I contact my husband...”
“Calm down.”
Park Jihun’s gaze fixed on empty space. It was under a streetlamp. A man had stopped walking. In front of him, a little girl was crying. The man bent down.
“Why are you crying?”
“I’m lost.”
The man looked around for a moment, then crouched down next to the child. After checking the name tag on her bag, he made a call. “Are you Hayeon’s mother?”
“Yes?”
“I have your daughter with me.”
“What?”
“No, that’s not it, she was lost... Ah, wait.”
Static. The vision cut off there. Park Jihun spoke. “It’s not a kidnapping. Call her back.”
“...”
“The call just dropped.”
“What?”
“She was lost, so he’s just keeping her safe.”
HayeonMom exhaled sharply. “My daughter is really just lost?”
“Yeah. Call her back.”
She pressed the call button with trembling hands. She must have switched to speakerphone, as the connection sound could be heard through the Discord. The other party answered.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. She was crying alone on the street, so I’ve been keeping her safe. It’s the truth.”
“What about Hayeon? Is Hayeon okay?”
“Yes, she’s fine. We’re in front of the mart at the main intersection. I’ll stay with her until you arrive.”
Flustered, she finally let out a breath. “...Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Only then did HayeonMom seem to calm down, and she hurried to get ready to leave. The atmosphere in the chat room finally settled down a bit.
Park Jihun looked at the chat and spoke nonchalantly. “Next.”
Park Jihun scanned the chat room and paused. There was one nickname that caught his eye. He spoke.
“One free reading. I’m taking one now.”
The chat room surged again.
Park Jihun watched the flood of messages and called out a nickname. “NightWalk. Come in.”
The chat room hesitated for a moment.
It was a polite tone. The chat room stirred again.
Park Jihun watched that message. His eyes didn't easily look away. “Don’t refuse.”
The chat room stopped for a second. Park Jihun added one more thing. “Because you’re the most urgent one right now.”
The flow of the chat room noticeably slowed down.
A beat late, NightWalk’s message appeared.
Park Jihun remained emotionless. “You didn't see it yourself when it happened with Han Yuna, either. You saw it through a junior.”
NightWalk didn't answer immediately. Park Jihun continued calmly. “And you’ve been coming in ever since.”
Park Jihun added, “You’ve been getting called out in the middle of the night lately, so you’ve been bumping into things at home, right?”
The chat room was in an even greater frenzy now.
After a long while, NightWalk’s message appeared.
As soon as that line appeared, the chat room heated up again. A moment later, the Discord connection sound rang out. Ding. A man’s voice flowed out—heavy and deep.
“Can you hear me?”
Park Jihun replied, “I hear you.”
The man couldn't speak immediately. A sound of him steadying his breath mixed in through the Discord. After a moment, he asked, “What did you mean by what you said earlier?”
Park Jihun cut him off. “That’s not important.”
A short silence followed. Park Jihun broke it. “You’re chasing the wrong person right now.”
The man was speechless. He asked in a stiff voice, “What did you just say?”
“The guy you’re chasing right now.” Park Jihun’s voice sank lower. “He’s not the culprit.”
The Discord went quiet. Only after a long time did NightWalk exhale slowly. His breathing was much rougher than before. “I don’t usually believe things like this, but I have to verify it.”
He steadied his breath and asked, “What exactly did you see?”
Park Jihun didn't answer immediately. His gaze was fixed on the monitor, but his eyes seemed to be looking somewhere else. He broke the silence and spoke slowly.
“If you don’t catch that bastard, one more person is going to die.”