File #12: Lipstick (1/2)

<u>Incheon</u>"No..." Eunjae shook her head. Anger, shock, frustration, it was all threatening to drip from her eyes.

The bodies were hacked limb by limb and arranged in a manner that somewhat looked like a container with an oval opening. Again, it looked like blood was used to draw what looked windows. It was very peculiar, the way the bodies were arranged. Horrible.

Junhyung looked around and exhaled heavily. Cases had never been as bad before.

"Well, let's start looking at details, nothing we can do just standing here..." Doojoon nodded. "Jina, start looking for any other evidence we can't see."

"I'm just going to wait outside, okay..." Eunjae muttered and shuffled out of the room. She walked to a window and stared at the hallway. She'd only met Hyuna a week ago. Who would've thought that she would be the next victim?

"Here." A water bottle was held in front of her. She looked up.

"Thanks." She nodded at Dongwoon.

"You alright? I mean, blood, I know-" He sighed. "You wanna go home?"

"Is that alright?" She looked up hopefully.

"Yeah, everyone's making me leave because I injured myself. 'Injured'." He scoffed. "Plus you like you were waiting for a miracle to get out of this place so here I am."

He smiled lightly. She looked up, somewhat gratefully.

"Is it okay if I leave though?"

"Yeah. I told Junhyung I'm taking you home, so grab your things." He smiled sadly. "They'll let us know about what happened, so don't worry about it now."

"Oh alright." Eunjae nodded and stood up. Dongwoon gently placed his hand on her shoulder to lead her away. He noticed how she trembled over with fear, and sighed heavily.Kikwang began taking blood samples. Using a cotton swab, he began to collect blood and put the samples in a plastic bag. The smell was getting to him, and he almost felt faint, when someone tapped his shoulder.

"Idiot, use a mask." Jina put one around his mouth and nose. "And don't take it to heart if Doojoon yells at you, he's a bit stressed out."

Kikwang looked at her in surprise, and slowly nodded. He resumed taking samples from the limbs.

His eyes fell on the small star symbol, carved into the skin. He seethed at it angrily and resumed taking samples with a fiery motivation to find the people who did this and bring justice to the families and the friends of the deceased.

Kikwang, realising that there was not much more to do, began to put away the limbs in plastic bags with the help of his forensic assistant. Only Jina and Yoseob were in the room, talking silently amongst themselves. Kikwang thought hardly. They were getting nowhere with this investigation. No matter how much they moved forward with it, the murderers were always a step ahead. He thought again.

The first murder was in Incheon, then in Gyeongju, Jeju and back to Incheon again... I'm not too sure, but I think these places might be connected somehow-

"Kikwang." His assistant, Haeri, snapped him out of his reverie. He looked at her, arching his eyebrows. She was holding up a black stick with a gold border around the middle.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Lipstick." She popped it open. "And it's pink. I don't use this brand, it doesn't seem like Jina uses is either."

Kikwang looked over at Jina, and her lips. Red.

"Ey, Jina!" He shouted out and held up the lipstick. "Is this yours?"

"I don't use Estee Lauder." Jina shook her head. "Ask Haeri."

"It's not mine." She shook her head as well. "And we're the only ladies that came to the crime scene today."

"That means it belongs to one of the murderers." Kikwang smirked."Tsk." She growled, stripping off her leather jacket, collapsing against the plush sofa of their hideout in Incheon.

"Have I told you you look really hot in a wifebeater?" He smirked. She glared at him, causing him to look at her in alarm.

"What happened?"

"I dropped my lipstick." She groaned. "Damn it!"

She kicked the air in frustration. He knelt down in front of her and sighed.

"Well, baby, don't you worry. I got it all covered." He smiled.

"How so?" She sighed heavily. He took her hand in his.

"Like I said, I got it covered. You just have to trust me on this one."Dongwoon and Eunjae stepped outside the hotel, letting the breeze calm their senses. Eunjae blinked back tears.

"It's okay to cry, you know-"

"No." She inhaled deeply. "I'm fine."

"If you insist. We're going to have to take the bus, is that okay with you?" Dongwoon asked concernedly.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Do you mind if we grab a cup of coffee though? I just want to try and relax."

"Sure." Dongwoon nodded. The pair made their way towards Starbucks.

Dongwoon held the door open for her, and allowed her to walk inside before following suit. They walked to the counter.

"Welcome to Starbucks!" A young woman sang. "What can I get you two?"

"A cappuchino." Eunjae forced a smile.

"A frappuchino." Dongwoon smiled kindly. Eunjae looked at him.

"A frappe in the winter." She asked incredulously.

"What?! If you can have a cappuchino in the summer, I can have a frappe in the winter!" He said defiantly, making Eunjae laugh.

"You're stupid, you know?" She shook her head. "Real stupid, Dongwoonie."

"Dongwoonie?" He laughed. "No one's called me Dongwoonie in a while."

"Well, I'm going to call you Dongwoonie from now on." She smirked.

"Well, you can call me whatever you like as long as no one else gets to hear it." He winked. Eunjae turned pink, but remained calm and composed.

"Are you hitting on me, Son Dongwoon?" She arched her eyebrows.

"Maybe... you seem to like it though." He wiggled his eyebrows mischievously.

"Oh, what makes you say that?" She asked as they took their drinks and sat at a table.

"Well, you're blushing, for one." He smiled. "And I just do. Your body language doesn't show that you are repulsed by my flirtatious implications."

"Well spotted, Son Dongwoon." She raised her cup and took a sip of her drink. "I suppose you took Psychology then?"

"I did Psychology alongside Criminology in University." He nodded.

"Impressive." She nodded. "So why don't you give me your psychological profile on our murderers?"

Dongwoon took a long sip of his drink, and set it down on the table. He looked at her intently, before nodding.

"Typical pleasure killers. Most likely a man and woman working side by side. A couple. Thirsty for power and wanted to be feared by all others." He looked up at the ceiling, scratching his chin as he thought.

"Well, why a couple?" Eunjae asked. "And it could easily be two girls as well."

"Idiot. The male forms personal connections with our vics, remember?" He stuck his tongue out.

"Ah, sorry-" She shook her head. "But then, it could easily be two men."