File #8: Pause (1/2)

<u>Gyeongju</u>When Eunjae came to, she found herself in a room, lying on a plush sofa. She sat up and looked around, dazed. She saw that there was a bookshelf, some papers strewn across the floor, and the nameplate I the desk told her that she was in Kim Heechul's office.

"Are you okay?" She heard a familiar voice, and looked behind her.

"Doojoon-ssi..." She mumbled. "What happened to me?"

"You passed out in the corridor." He shrugged. Just then, Eunjae realised something.

"Doojoon-ssi, that man-" She shouted, but he shook his arms.

"Calm down. Kikwang told us."

"O-Oh... I see..." Eunjae nodded. "Thank you for bringing me here, Doojoon-ssi."

"Drop the -ssi." He spoke quietly.

"Doojoon?" She cocked her head to one side. He slowly smiled.

"Why are you so nice?" Eunjae couldn't help but blurt it out. Doojoon stared at her in surprise.

"We-ell, I don't really like reporters. But you're different. At least that's what I felt." He smiled. Just then, the door opened and in came Junhyung, Dongwoon and Yoseob.

"Heechul hyung's a calling. He wants to see you, it's urgent." Yoseob said. Doojoon nodded and walked out of the room, leaving her alone with the three.

"Well, well, fainting beauty, how are you today?" Junhyung teased. Eunjae viciously glared at him.

"Don't piss her off, she might hypnotise you." Yoseob chuckled, smiling mischievously.

"Okay, that's enough teasing. You okay?" Dongwoon smiled at her.

"I guess I'm okay." She shrugged, turning to face them. Junhyung sat down next to her while Yoseob and Dongwoon sat on the chairs opposite the sofa.

"It's not easy seeing people die." Junhyung said quietly, and Eunjae knew only too well.

"Hey, so what have I missed?" She asked.

"Well, not too much-""Name, Lee Changsun, alias Joon, he has a pretty nasty record here." Heechul said grimly, looking at the case files. "Oh, we sent the microchip to the lab, Kikwang, and it's just as you predicted."

"What did he predict?" Junhyung asked, arching his eyebrows.

"The microchip was programmed to discharge after a given time. So this guy was bound to die." Kikwang looked at the case files again.

"How bad is he?" Jina asked.

"Pretty bad. Sex crimes, homicides, you name it, he's an expert. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if this guy was the murderer-"

"He can't be." Junhyung shook his head.

"The murderer wouldn't just kill himself, not when he's got another murder to take care of." Yoseob added.

"The actual murderers wouldn't be stupid enough to come back to their original crime scene. He's nothing but a guinea pig." Dongwoon concluded.

"And there's one more thing I'd like to mention." Junhyung moved forward so that everyone's eyes were on him. "I know this guy, he was involved in the Busan suicide case, remember, Jaejoong?"

"Yeah, that really nasty one, right?" Jaejoong nodded.

"Mm." Junhyung nodded. "Well, in that case, the murder was pretty sloppy and messed up."

"Your point is?" Yoseob couldn't help but chide snidely.

"Wait, Seobie, good things come to those who wait." Junhyung cocked up an eyebrow. "The evidence was all in place, the killer didn't think through it properly."

"But in this case the murderers aren't leaving behind much clues." Kikwang nodded.

"Good. And one more thing. The Busan murder was all messy. Call me a psycho, for all I care, but there was no beauty in the murder, as there is in the present case."

"Beauty?" Doojoon muttered in disbelief.

"Have you looked at the present murders, Doojoon?" Jaejoong remarked, catching on to Junhyung's theory. "There's an order. It's not all over the place. The required body parts on a white piece of paper. This killer has an MO. Joon didn't."

"One more thing." Dongwoon looked up. "There blood was used as one would use paint. All the lines, it's all so artistic."

"Our killer has an artistic touch for sure." Jina grimaced."That's what happened so far?" Eunjae sighed. "Man, this is too messed up..."

"We're going to solve this case no matter what, Eunnie." Yoseob pinched her cheeks.

"Don't. Only my brothers do that to me." Eunjae looked at Yoseob threateningly, who cowered behind Dongwoon in fear.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay, you look pretty pale..." Dongwoon asked worriedly.

"Whoa, since when has Dongwoon started caring about others so much?" Junhyung teased.

"Since when have you started joking around so much?" Dongwoon shot back.

"Eunjae effect." Yoseob concluded, smiling at Eunjae.

"Okay, no, no." Eunjae shook her head, but she was still smiling.

"Three brothers?" Dongwoon asked, cleverly changing the subject.

"Mm, I have two elder brothers, Jaekyung and Junwoo and I have a younger brother called Jongup." She smiled. "They're only my half-brothers though."