„You’ve been so quiet and so distracted since you turned back from Ian SolHi’s hometown and if I didn’t know you, I would have said that you are really in love,” GhiYon told DooSan, taking him by surprise and making him stare at his friend, thunderstruck.

GhiYon was approaching DooSan, who was standing in front of the big window, in the lobby of the Prosecution Building and staring at the outside fuss because a lot of journalists and other slackers were there, eager to find out more spicy details about Buzzo’s case, the Korean Idol, recently arrested for consuming drugs and who was expected that day at the Prosecution for declarations.

„And still, your silence seems suspicious to me,” GhiYon added, but seeing DooSan’s sour look, he understood that his friend isn’t in a good mood. „Does something happen?”

„In which area do you mean: personal or professional?” DooSan asked, grouchy, and, turning his back to his friend, he headed toward the elevator. GhiYon grimaced but followed DooSan. „Why did you come?” DooSan asked him, without even watching him.

„Aaaa, why am I here?! Well, to force you to buy me a coffee!” and this made DooSan stop and stare at GhiYon. „I’m not joking, I’m really serious! I’m here for declarations in a case I’m dealing with and they told me to wait because of the famous idol, who seems to be a really important figure for the prosecutors these days. So, I told myself, why not make DooSan’s life impossible, meanwhile? And, here I am,” GhiYon said in mockery, turned his back to DooSan, and approached the elevator, pushing the button.

DooSan shook his head, with reproach, but still approached his friend, mumbling: „and this means that you’ll stay over my head all day long. These won’t end soon with the „famous idol”. There are too many benefits to get if they make it, I mean if they can prove his guilt and if it happens, a lot of important men we’ll have rounding here and only for this they won’t „lose” this big fish.”

„And this means you just „fished” me for the whole day,” GhiYon teased him and, smiling happily, he first entered the elevator, whose doors suddenly opened in front of them.

„As if this is something damn good for me,” DooSan growled unhappily, and also entered the elevator. He right away turned his back to GhiYon, forcing him to move back till he touched the elevator’s wall with his back. But the fact that DooSan started to push quickly the button to close the doors made him curious and he approached again DooSan and laid his chin on his friend’s shoulder, looking through the half-opened doors and seeing inspector Yu and detective Kan running toward the elevator and making desperate signals to DooSan to wait for them. But DooSan considered it as being a not that good idea.

„And this move? I thought you and Kan are good friends now,” GhiYon teased him again when the doors closed and the elevator started to move.

DooSan glanced furious at him and, making a sour face, he growled: „not because of detective Kan I closed the doors.”

„Then?”

„It’s because of inspector Yu.” He said also something unpleasant, headed toward Yu, but GhiYon didn’t understand what DooSan said.

„I don’t know why, but I have the feeling that you two argued … a lover’s fight?!”

„Are you looking for your death?” DooSan yelled.

„I? Absolutely not. Who seems to me that really looks for his death are you, my friend. I’m sure that inspector Yu won’t forget easily such rudeness from your part.”

„The one who won’t forgive him is me,” DooSan growled and he was really furious, about to throw fire through his nostrils, something that amazed GhiYon even more. „You’ll see soon what I meant. Nobody does what inspector Yu did to me: not even if you hate till death someone and I won’t forget this ever,” and DooSan suddenly squeezed the fist, as if he wanted to punch the imaginary Yu, he was seeing in front of him. Then, he noticed GhiYon’s piercing glance. „What?”

„Are you sure that this isn’t a fight between lovers?” but he quickly took a step back, seeing DooSan’s fist raised toward his face. „I just said so, don’t flatter yourself. More than this, I have a bonus for you.”

„Bonus? What kind of bonus?”

„Do you remember the day we’ve been at that abandoned warehouse?”

„Where we also saw detective Kan and SolHi?”

„Right. Do you remember what you did you ask me to find out?”

„Absolutely. If there’ve been similar cases in the past. Especially, related to that warehouse.” Suddenly, DooSan turned toward GhiYon, staring at him, insistently.

„Yeah. There’ve been three: all the three victims are women. Age: 20-35-year-old and, all of them had a similar wound on the back of their head. The same Ian SolHi had, 7 years ago, when the paramedics found her in that warehouse.”

„What?” DooSan yelled. „What you want to say is that SolHi could be the victim and YuSan had just been there, by accident? Like bad time, bad place?!”

„I never said that.”

„Then?”

„I don’t know how to explain this, but it seems to me that all these cases are somehow tied. I mean: YuSan’s death and that the policemen found SolHi in that warehouse. Alive, I mean because the other victims had no chance to live. SolHi instead survived, even if she needed a lot of time to recover after this.”

DooSan squeezed both fists, while on his face a slight temblor could be noticed. „Someone needed a patsy then and SolHi had been his perfect alibi.”

„It may be, but what I don’t understand is why Ian SolHi never told you about what she and Kan found on that warehouse. She’s hiding something, too. I’m sure about this.”

„If she hides something, I’ll find out for sure. This time I won’t give up and I think I said this before.”

„DooSan, I know that this is hard for you too, but we must do this. YuSan deserves it and … I think that it’s time to enforce our plan related to Ian SolHi.”

„Are you crazy? What you proposed it’s madness.”

The elevator’s doors opened and DooSan squirted immediately out. GhiYon followed him, like glue. „Why not? It’s the perfect chance to…”

„Hey, do you really realize what you say? Are you crazy? You are asking me to live with this woman,” and, saying this, he suddenly stopped, hissing the words through the teeth in front of GhiYon. Decided to go, he took a step in front, but GhiYon grabbed his hand, stopping him and forcing him to look at him.

„I’m asking you only to live in the same house as she does, not to sleep with her. Not to love her. I know very well that it’s hard for you to be next to the woman that might be YuSan’s murderer, but you must do this, Doosan. Thus, we won’t ever find out what she’s hiding or what evidence they found there and I’m more than sure that they found something important.”

„I’m also sure about this, but … I’m not intending to lynch anybody only to find evidence.”

„To lynch? I’m not asking you to…” suddenly, he kept silent. Looking around, he saw the other workers in the Prosecution staring at them and whispering about their fight, which was seen as a fight between lovers and not between friends. „I think that will be better to talk somewhere else. Your colleagues may misunderstand our fight.”

„The one who misunderstood everything is you, Park GhiYon because with „lynching” I meant that the last time SolHi spend the night in my house she could have been killed only because others misunderstood too. I won’t kill anybody with my own hands.”

„And … who do you really want to kill with your own hands, prosecutor Han?” they heard SolHi’s voice behind them and both winced as if she caught them stealing. Their silence and the fact they were both acting weird, made SolHi suspect that something happens and approached them, staring at them with curiosity. „Here smells gasoline. Sure, we shouldn’t call the firemen?” she teased them.

„Don’t talk nonsenses, Ian SolHi and go back to work,” DooSan mumbled and passed by, followed by GhiYon as if the forensic doctor was afraid to be in the same place only with SolHi because he heard that she’s good „at smelling” things, especially when there’s something weird, and at that moment Park GhiYon was really „stinking”.

***

Entering the office, after DooSan, GhiYon had been amazed to see his friend unhappily grimacing while staring at SuJin who right away ran toward SolHi who was just entering behind them. „Nuna! My beautiful Nuna,” SuJin said in a cheerful voice and grabbed SolHi’s arm, pulling her behind him toward his desk. „Come here to show you how…”

„Nuna, my beautiful Nuna,” DooSan mumbled furiously, having a wry face, but noticing GhiYon’s piercing glance behind him he turned his back to him and right away sat down at his desk, slamming things as hard as possible, taking the others by surprise.

„Prosecutor Han, are you alright?” A Rim teased him, staring at DooSan while getting the manicure.

„I? Absolutely. Why shouldn’t I be?” DooSan tried to justify himself, but with no success.

„Because your face is … let’s say you don’t look alright. You look more as if you just had a fight with the beloved one” and her glance focused on GhiYon, who mumbled unsatisfied: „Gossip here run faster than in mass media.”

„A Rim, do you have any other news for us than those related to my personal life?” DooSan hissed the words.

„Well, yeah. One of these is that the General Attorney just signed the commitment order in the name of Nam Jin Guk,” but she didn’t even finish talking when SolHi approached her and grabbed the file. A Rim also didn’t release it, forcing with SolHi for that folder.

„A Rim, give it to me! You know very well what I’m capable of if I want something and I can’t have it,” SolHi hissed the words.

„As well as I know what I am capable of when things don’t happen as I want and …I won’t give up in front of … detective Kan!” A Rim yelled when the detective approached them and took the folder by force.

„Not another word, A Rim! SolHi, follow me! We have a trap to settle to catch a mouse!” and he headed toward the door.

„I consider that one a snake, not a mouse … a snake whose neck I’ll break today not to listen to his lisp again, ever, especially around me,” SolHi said, and, after taking her stuff, she exited the office.

SuJin, seeing SolHi leaving, whispered with sadness: „Nuna!” and right away received a slap over the back of his head, from Yu, and that slap made SuJin stare upset at his father.

DooSan instead smiled triumphantly and finally calmed down, but he winced, hearing GhiYon whispering into his ear: „now I’ve got the point why you’ve been so testy - a rival appeared at the horizon, huh? Damn traitor, Han DooSan! Damn, damn!” and, shaking his head in reproach, he left the office. DooSan didn’t follow him instead. He just shrugged and smiled.

***

„Reporter Nam Jin Guk?” SolHi called the man that was leaving the apartment, preparing to leave the country and pulling after him a big suitcase. Seeing SolHi and Kan he grimaced unhappily. SolHi instead approached him all smiles.

„Don’t even think about forcing me to run after you or I’ll break your neck!” Kan whizzed at the reporter, who was moving nervously on his place, seeing SolHi approaching and playing with a pair of cuffs.

In front of him, SolHi winked: „did you miss me?” and right away put on the cuff on the wrist. To put the second one, she twisted the man’s arm at his back and pushed him to face the wall. „This is called abuse of power!” she heard Jin Guk’s words.

„Yeah?! Well, at least this time you’ll have a real chance to write a normal reportage. If you escape prison, of course, because of what you did to me, and you won’t leave that cell in less than 5 years. You’ll remember those two years free in Kenya. I assure you that you’ll miss Kenya, idiot!”

„And … can I know why am I arrested?” Jin Guk growled.

Finishing to put the cuffs on him, SolHi forced him to face Kan, who was holding an open sheet of paper with Jin Guk’s assault warrant, right in front of the reporter’s eyes: „false information. The spreading of information meant to damage someone’s life and reputation. False incitement and group attack. Personal Injury. Attack on a law enforcement officer and ... I think the list goes on. Should I read the rest?”

„Not necessary!” Jin Guk whispered.

„Then, let’s go, ex-reporter Nam Jin Guk, and you have the right to call a lawyer to defend you. In case you can’t afford one, you can ask for a public-interest attorney and…” while reading the Miranda warning, SolHi pushed him toward the stairs that lead at the exit door because she intended to make Jin Guk suffer as she had suffered when she had been attacked in front of DooSan’s house and the elevator wasn’t the best variant for this: too many curious eyes around.

***

„What? My beautiful Nuna?” DooSan yelled and threw the toothbrush into the sink. He’s in the bathroom, after having a shower, and he decided to brush his teeth. In front of his eyes, he was seeing instead only SuJin milling around SolHi and this was something that irritates DooSan, and he knew very well the reason of all this - it was too obvious and GhiYon was also right: DooSan became a traitor, of his own feelings.

„So, that little bastard considers that he has rights in my office … hanging around … my people. Well, Yu SuJin, wait! I know very well how to put a muzzle on you, right from the beginning… you, a disobedient puppy which you are!” and after he cleaned his mouth of toothpaste he left the bathroom, slamming the door.

***

„Surprise!” DooSan said, all smiles and staring happily at SolHi, who didn’t expect him at such a late hour and was piercing him with her glacial glance, wondering what the hell Han DooSan lost in front of her door and pulling a huge suitcase behind him.

„What are you doing here, prosecutor Han?” and SolHi stepped in front of him, with her arms crossed on her chest and staring at him.

DooSan instead, wasn’t going to allow to be intimidated. So, after pushing her slightly away from his way, he entered the apartment, mumbling: „gas leak! In my apartment. I’ll live for a while in your house!”

SolHi entered after him immediately, yelling at him: „Ia, Han DooSan, where the hell are you going?” and the door slammed behind her. From inside the apartment, first was heard DooSan’s voice saying: „So, where to put my clothes?” but right after this, for minutes in a row, a deafening sound of falling things was heard.

***

„You are a damn good cat, Ian SolHi,” DooSan mumbled, unhappily, staring at the scratches seen on his arms, neck, chest and also at the clothes seen all around after SolHi threw them out of the closet and the suitcase had been turned upside down, right in the middle of the one single room of SolHi’s apartment.

In front of him, sitting on the floor, SolHi looks exactly or worse than him: floppy hair, the eyes spitting fire, clothes in disorder, and a big scratch seen on the back of her palm after DooSan grabbed her not to fall when he was the one to push her away from him when she wanted to jump on his back and to hold him by hair. „Was it absolutely necessary to do this, don’t you? I meant, to make me look like after war?!”

„Let’s say that I just gave you everything based on merits,” SolHi said ironically and blew away the hair that was covering her face. After this, she passed her hands through it, trying to bring him in order while her glance was really the one of a winner, hardly managing not to smile.

„You definitely had been a man-eater in another life!” DooSan mumbled. „I’m afraid already of what others will say tomorrow seeing me like this: all full of scratches, bites and … al the rest and if I say that I was forced to fight with a cat, then I’ll be their subject of mockery for ages, because of sure they’ll think about a certain „cat” and not about you.”

The hint made SolHi grimace and pierce him with her glance: „then, you should have stayed away from this house because „cats” have their special manner to protect their territory. So, don’t go around your … tail and tell me - why are you here? The „gas leak!” doesn’t work with me. It doesn’t convince me at all. So…”

„Well, I’m glad that you didn’t believe me. Thus, I don’t have why to lie to you. Not anymore”

„Really? Then, surprise me with your „truth,” prosecutor Han,” and she growled, ready for another attack.

„Because you owe me.”

SolHi burst into laughter. „And … for a long time already?”

„For several years already! Since YuSan’s has been killed, in circumstances very … weird and you were there.”

SolHi’s happy face changed completely: reflecting something between anger and remorse. „A debt, huh? And … how big is this debt? This financial liability I mean.”

„Twenty thousand million won!”

„You definitely went crazy. Or what, do you want this way to make me accept a pang of guilt I don’t remember only because I can’t pay the amount you mentioned? Sorry, but I won’t go to jail for this: I’m working as a detective, for Christ Sake, not … I don’t have properties to pay you so much money.”

„Then pay me in a different way!” and the eyes of both stared into the other’s glance. „Allow me to live here, for a … while, let’s say. At your expense and when I’ll consider that you paid enough, I’ll go and I promise that you won’t ever see me again. So, do we have a deal?”

„Vermin!” SolHi mumbled, watching him in disgust. She suddenly stood up, turning her back to him.

„I don’t care about what name you’ll use for calling me, Ian SolHi. You’ll pay me this debt: yes, or yes,” and he also stood up. SolHi suddenly turned toward him, looking at him as if she was a beast ready to break him into pieces. DooSan instead seemed not to care about her feelings.

„Are you saying that you don’t care about how I’ll call you from now on?! Well, you wanted this, Han DooSan!” and SolHi approached the drawer and took a gun out of it. This made DooSan look for a shelter. SolHi instead only looked at the gun and something amazed her: the fact that her hand wasn’t shaking anymore. DooSan didn’t see this: he approached stealthily and took the gun from her hand. Then he moved back.

„Let’s not exaggerate. It wasn´t something that big what I asked to use a gun for it.”

„Ia! Han DooSan!”

„Ia? Han DooSan? Ia!!!! I’m your boss… at the office, I mean. Home … you can call me „Oppa!” but he withdrew, seeing SolHi walking toward him, squeezing her fist.

„Say it one more time - „Oppa” - and I assure you that you’ll meet my „Oppa”, Han DooSan and I assure you that he hasn’t any mercy when he must teach idiots!”

DooSan covered her little fist with his palm and smiled. „I’m not afraid of … him … and I think we should change the bed. I don’t think that it’s enough good to keep us both. It looks like… how to say?! Shaky?! Not for nothing, but I'm a sensitive guy, and I care about my back.”

SolHi smiled. „DooSan, you know, I have a very good idea about this. A friend of mine can help you with your „sensitivity.”

„Really? And … is he that good?”

„Absolutely!”

„And … what kind of furniture does he import? European?”

„No”.

„Then? What does he do for a living?”

„Well, he does … imports, but not furniture … brains and you need so much one now. A new brain.”

DooSan smiled and this took SolHi by surprise, but she definitely stared amazed at him when DooSan grabbed her face with his palms, forcing her to watch him: „SolHi if you talked about this then let’s say it right: we both need a new brain. So, if you buy one for me, buy another one for you too, right away. You’ll need it because your „Oppa” can any time meet my „hion” (the fist) which won’t ever be fooled by your tricks.” He tried to kiss her, but SolHi took a step back and then hit his ankle, making him jump in one foot.

„Anywhere and anytime, Han DooSan!” and she went toward the door.

„Hey, where are you going now?”

„To Hell and if I find you still here when I’m back I’ll show you, too, the right path toward there. And don’t even dare to tell me that I didn’t say this.”

After the door deafeningly resounded, being slammed by SolHi, DooSan stood in a normal position, a sign that he only pretended to be hurt by her, trying to have her mercy. „Damn, cobra! Ah, Ian SolHi, I’ll make it! I’ll make you submissive while I’m here. If not, I won´t call myself Han DooSan” and he started to put his clothes in the same closet with SolHi’s.

***

It’s a black night outside. With no stars or moon. The streets seem deserted at that late hour at night, but also because it looks like it’s going to rain.

The silence of the streets had been suddenly pierced by the scream of a young girl, about 25, running as if she’d gone mad while trying to run away from somebody. She’s barefoot, with wounds all over the body: arms, neck, face, legs, after being hit many times. Also, she had a big mark of blood on the right corner of her lips.

Suddenly, three men, wearing suits, showed up behind her, trying to catch her at any cost, and their yells to her to stop scared her even more. That’s why she turned right at the next corner, but it was a dead-end: because that small street wasn’t illuminated, the young girl didn’t notice that’s a dead-end and while running she hit with the forehead of the front wall.

„It can’t be! It can’t be!” she yelled, distraught, stuttering in the darkness, but she couldn’t find any loophole. „It’s a dead-end!” she again yelled and started to cry loudly. „I … I’m trapped! No, mama, please, save me! Please, someone to help me!”

She had been suddenly held from hair by one of the men that caught up with her and she’s dragged after him. Because of the force used for this and because she’s trying to settle free the young woman lost balance, but this wasn’t taken into account … he continued to pull her toward the exit of that dead-end. Her screams and supplications to be left alone only make them laugh while she’s even more hurt because the mini-dress rose up on her body and her practically naked body, dragged on harsh asphalt, is deeper wounded all over.

Then, the young woman is got in a black van that appeared at the end of the street. She fought very hard to release herself and even bit someone's ear. Driven crazy, the man yelled „bitch” and a punch in her stomach let her unconscious. Then, the man threw her inside the van, got in it, followed by the rest of the men, and when the door is closed, the driver pressed the gas pedal to the brim.