30 What Actually Happened

June 16, 2021

Baekyeon University

"Kim Ji Young, answer me. What the hell is going on? Why did you come to Ian?" Yoo Ri, who is standing next to her brother, is really curious about what's going on right now.

"Don't worry, we just want to hear the testimony from the boy alone," Ji Young replied in a whisper.

"Testimony? What testimony?"

"Do you know Lee Soo Young?" Young Dae asked while giving an interrogating look to the young man in front of him.

"He is my senior." The answer was actually ejected from the mouth of Su Bin, who has now stood up from his seat. "What's wrong with her?" It's very obvious that the young man Wang is starting to panic.

"She was found dead in her apartment room," Ji Young replied.

"Dead?!"

Su Bin looks very surprised by the sad news, as do some people who are in the cafeteria and also, by chance, know the figure of the deceased. People who know Soo Young's figure really don't think that the woman who always looks cheerful is no longer in this world.

"Why did she die?"

"We can't tell the cause of death," Young Dae replied.

"Then why are you asking Ian about Soo Young?" Su Bin looks very curious about the reason behind everything that is happening right now. In addition to curiosity, there is also anger that covers him now.

"He's the last person to be with the victim," Ji Young replied in the end. "So we want to ask for his testimony."

Knowing that Ian is the last person to be with Soo Young makes Su Bin give a sharp look to Ian, who can only be silent. The young man Wang's expression clearly shows that he is furious, furious with Ian, who turns out to be secretly close to Soo Young. The young man Wang, was about to approach Ian with passionate anger. He desperately wanted to punch Ian in the face, venting his anger and the disappointment he felt.

"Hwang Ian, come with us," Young Dae said as he invited Ian to come with him.

Ian, who was still silent in his place, looked around him. The people who were in the cafeteria looked at him sarcastically, and some even whispered to each other about it for sure. He let out a rough breath before finally getting up from his seat.

***

Seoul Police Station

Kim Ji Young who was on duty to ask Ian entered the interrogation room. He volunteered to interrogate Ian because he wanted to talk to the young man one-on-one before starting his interrogation. He dropped his ass on the chair right in front of Ian. The man didn't start his interrogation right away, he noticed Ian's calm face. Ian's two manic eyes stared down, not looking at him at all.

Ji Young already thinks of Ian as his own brother, which is why he is so surprised to find out that the last person with the victim is the young man. Although Ian was the last person to be with the victim, it is also possible that the young man was not the culprit. Ji Young glanced at the one-way glass, behind the glass was the team leader as well as three members of his team who were watching this interrogation.

He turned back to Ian. "You know what? I thought of you as my own brother. I was really shocked when I found out that you were the last person with the victim.

"I'm not the last person to be with the victim." Ian's reply took Ji Young by surprise.

"What?"

"I am not the last person to be with the victim."

There was a feeling of relief when Ji Young heard Ian's answer. So, there's a good chance that Young Hwang wasn't the murderer. "If you weren't the last person to be with the victim, why didn't you say it back in college?"

Ian took his breath in for a moment before finally exhaling softly. He looked at Ji Young. "If I had said that in college, wouldn't you have brought me here?" he asked. "You guys will definitely take me anyway, won't you?"

Ji Young is speechless at Ian's answer, which has a point too. They will still bring him here to be asked for further information. "But a friend of her said that you were invited to dinner at the victim's house."

"That's right. Soo Young did invite me to dinner yesterday. I had agreed to the invitation, but when I was supposed to leave, I canceled it."

***

June 15, 2021

The Han River

While sipping the canned beer he bought, Ian sat on a long bench near the Han River. Since returning from college, Young Hwang has chosen to stay in the Han River. There was nothing to do but look at the river in front of him while sipping his beer. The clock is now fifteen minutes past six, and he really doesn't want to go to Soo Young's house. He didn't want to give the girl to Emma.

A sigh came out of Ian's nose after he finished a beer with zero percent alcohol content. The young man's hand reached into his trouser pocket and took out his black mobile phone. He turned on the phone, opened the messaging app, and opened a chat room with Emma. His two thumbs began to move, typing the message he was about to send to the female gumiho.

To: Emma

Message: Soo Young canceled the meeting.

There was no need to wait long, the message was apparently immediately read by Emma and replied to by the woman, which made her sigh again. It seemed like Emma believed this lie because the gumiho replied that it was okay. He immediately walked out of his chat room with Emma and then switched to his chat room with Soo Young. Again, he sends a message of lies to Soo Young.

To: Soo Young

Message: Soo Young, I'm sorry I couldn't come to your house. Suddenly, my stomach hurts.

But unlike Emma, who immediately read and replied to his message, Soo Young did not immediately read it. It looks like she's busy right now. So, should he call her? Ian shook his head, then finally turned off the phone and put it back in his trouser pocket.

***

June 16, 2021

Ian's Residence

It was midnight when Ian arrived home. After texting Soo Young, he chooses to stay by the Han River for up to two hours and then goes to Tae Hyung's bar. The message he sent to Soo Young was also finally replied to by the woman about an hour after she sent it. Her reply made his feel a little guilty because it was obvious that Soo Young was disappointed with the cancellation.

Ian immediately opened the door of his house, stepping into his dark house.

Brak!

Ian's back hit the door as someone pushed him hard as he turned around after locking the door. The young man had trouble breathing because the person who pushed him was choking him as well. Despite the darkness of the house, he knew who did it—Emma.

"You're lying to me," Emma said in a creepy voice because she was now showing her true form. "Soo Young was at her house."

"How do you know?" Ian asked with difficulty as he tried to get Emma's hand off his neck.

"Because I immediately went to Soo Young's house using your face after getting a message from you!" Emma replied with a snarl.

Ah, now Ian knows why Soo Young replied by using different typing, and it's all because of this gumiho woman. He was finding it harder to breathe, and even his neck was now sore from Emma's long fingernails sticking to his neck.

"If you deceive me again, I will not hesitate to kill you," Emma threatened, giving Ian a sharp look.