The Request (19): Bang Suyeon

Jumyeon was waiting inside a room for the past two hours. He was at a small, dingy office space situated in one of the most congested areas of the city. It was right next to a crowded street market, so he could smell the stench of meat, fish and vegetables coming in through the window. He scrunched up his nose.

The wall clock struck 12 PM. The guy he was supposed to meet was a private detective who took up various cases and was apparently the best in the field. However, looking at his shabby office, Jumyeon had his doubts. The walls were greying and the paint was peeling off. The couch he was sitting on was damp and dirty. Jumyeon had to lay his scarf over it before sitting down to avoid getting dirt on his pants.

The door of the waiting room opened and an old, cranky woman in her late seventies popped in.

"The brat is here," she grumbled and went away. Jumyeon got up, fixing his clothes before heading upstairs to the second floor. There was a door there with a half broken sign on it on which it was written, 'Bang Suyeon, Private Eye'. Jumyeon knocked on the door.

"Come in," a voice said from inside.

Jumyeon walked into a small chamber. The place was very messy. There were stacks of papers shoved on both sides of the room. The furniture looked as if it had not been dusted in years. Thick layers of dust sat on them, causing Jumyeon to sneeze loudly. His dust allergy was getting worse. He had to tie his scarf around his nose to prevent more sneezes but it did little to help. In front of him was a desk and a chair but there was no one sitting there.

"Hello?" Jumyeon called out loud. "Mr. Bang? Are you here?"

The sound of toilet flushing came from behind a door. Within seconds, a tall, lanky youth emerged from it. He looked like he was in his late teens, around eighteen or nineteen. His pale, handsome face was marred by the dark circles beneath his eyes. His eyes…

"Heterochromia," the youth stated, reading Jumyeon's expression accurately as he sat down on his chair. People always stared at his different colored eyes so it was not a surprise to him. "I have heterochromia. My one eye is red and the other is black."

Jumyeon straightened up, shifting uncomfortably. He cleared his throat and said, "I've heard you're the best private eye detective in town. Is it true?"

"I can find things," Suyeon shrugged. "Take a seat and tell me what do you want?"

The boy was straightforward and blunt. He used no honorifics while speaking and was looking bored.

"But you're so young!" Jumyeon pointed out, as he sat across the boy. "What are your credentials?"

"I have none," Suyeon yawned. "I'm just simply better at solving cases than even the police."

"I still want to be sure that you're capable of doing the job," Jumyeon insisted. The boy was too young. How was he supposed to trust this kid to crack the case of a ponzi scheme?

Suyeon looked at him with curious eyes for a while before getting up to move towards a cabinet in the corner of the room. He was scavenging through numerous paperworks until he came across a file. He pulled it out with great difficulty and threw it on the desk for Jumyeon to read.

Jumyeon took it and glanced through. His mouth was agape as he read on. Suyeon had graduated from the top university of the country at the age of fourteen with a degree in Law and by sixteen, he completed his post-graduate studies with a double degree in Criminal Psychology and Anthropology. He was also accredited with over twenty awards from the government for solving high profile cases.

"Are those proof of my credentials?" Suyeon asked.

"Yes," Jumyeon nodded. "I need to hire you for work."

"What work?" Suyeon demanded, narrowing his eyes.

Jumyeon took out a picture from his pocket. It was of Jenna.

"I want to know if Jang Jenna is involved in any sort of investment fraud," he said. "My client is willing to invest in one of her projects but he has heard some disturbing tales about her past endeavors. He wants to know if her record is as clean as she claims."

Suyeon stared at the photo for a while. Jang Jenna…

"Alright," Suyeon replied. "I'll take five hundred thousand dollars for this."

Jumyeon almost choked. "F-f-ive hundred thou-"

"Half in advance," Suyeon went on. "The other half after the work is done."

"That's too much!" Jumyeon protested.

"You're hiring me to investigate a top star," Suyeon said lazily. "Surely, you'll have to pay me as much. Besides, I know you're a top designer. You can pay that much for my services at least."

Jumyeon groaned. One of his close friends had recommended this guy to him and he came to this detective based on his friend's word.

"Fine," he agreed. "But we want the work to be done. You will directly report to me and me only. Please be discrete. We don't want Ms. Jenna's reputation to be tarnished if it turns out to be a lie."

"Alright," Suyeon said. "I'll be discrete. You'll get the report by next week."

Jumyeon curtly nodded but he was still apprehensive. He did not expect the detective to be this young. What if he messed up? Even though he had many credentials, there was no guarantee that he would be a professional. Was it right to trust him?

"Call me if you need anything," Jumyeon said, giving out his card. Suyeon took it and glanced at it before casually flicking it aside.

"I can memorize stuff within seconds," he said when Jumyeon looked mortified at his action. "Your contact details are now in my head."

Jumyeon shook his head in disbelief. The guy was very strange and for some reason, he was getting irritated. "I'll take my leave then," he announced. "Let me know if you find anything important."

Suyeon merely shrugged as Jumyeon left the office. He stretched his limbs and leaned back on his chair, staring at the ceiling as he thought hard. He did not mention this to Jumyeon but it was not the first case he was handling regarding Jang Jenna. There was another client who had asked him to investigate her many years ago. But before he could give him the details, he had passed away. The case remained unsolved.

And now, another person wanted her to be thoroughly investigated. No doubt there was something amiss.

"Jang Jenna…" he muttered. It was time to get to work.