START LINE

"Professor, he was right in front of my eyes!! He stared at me with god knows what kind of expressions those were in his eyes.... what do you think? will he target me now?", Song-ah was walking to and fro across the hallway of national intelligence center. Her hands shivered with the flashbacks of those eyes which she encountered last evening.

"You would not be targeted by him, actually... after going through all the past files I've come to the conclusion that there is a kind of pattern in his murders. He doesn't simply go on killing people out there unless someone triggers his anxiety...", Professor leaned over the door of his cabin, "and you should avoid coming here so frequently, as the higher officials could get a wrong idea of media interference in this case."

"What interference? They themselves are not taking any major actions towards this case and now they're annoyed that the media is focused on it?", Song-ah said while face palming herself.

"As much as I've been informed, this case seems to be connected with a few big political sharks... I guess the killer... he's related to one of them... I can't really figure out what is happening inside those confidential meetings but yes, one thing is for sure that they don't seem very interested in reopening of this case"

A few men approached Song-ah and Professor Sungtae as they were discussing about the case. Professor stood up straight as they came closer to them but Song-ah remained unbothered about this sudden entry of men in black.

"Since when was media allowed inside the medical rooms of Intelligence center? No one told me about it", a tall pale skinned man in black suit and sleek back hair said in a sarcastic tone.

"If people inside intelligence department slacks off on daily basis then maybe media will have to take over the matters, right Mr. Kim Haneul?", Song-ah said assertively

"Guess someone is going to get an earful from her seniors tonight Miss Yoon Song-ah", he chuckled at her

"Can't even handle to reopen one case and you're here showing off your dominance over my boss? It would be really sweet if you showed that dominance in your work instead.", Song-ah picked up her purse which was lying on the ground and after bowing down to the Professor walked out of the hallway. Suddenly Haneul said in a loudly voice which stopped Song-ah , "Professor start collecting your research papers, the case has been reopened and I'm in charge of it. Hope we can work well together. And I even hope for people to not poke their nose in my work, right Professor?"

"Dumbass", Song-ah said as she walked out of the medical department.

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Hangyul went inside the old cottage but he hesitated suddenly barging inside the house startle his grandma after such a long time. He walked around the front yard thinking about how to start the conversation with grandma as he had diminished memories related to their past. Although hesitantly he made up his mind and entered the house. As he was about to knock on the door, he realized that the door was left open. Hangyul pushed the door and went inside, removed his shoes and said, "Grandma! Are you here??", but there was no response from inside the room. He wondered if she had gone outside but how could she just leave the door open. As he walked inside the living room he found that grandma was sitting on the resting chair with her back at him. Hangyul slowly walked towards her, and softly placed his hand over her shoulders. But as soon as he placed his hand her head tilted and dropped to the left side. Hangyul was terrified.

"Grandma.... gran.... grandma...", his words stuttered. He walked in front of grandma and saw that her eyes were open but she just lied on that chair lifelessly. Hangyul fell on his knees... he sat there staring at her blankly...

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Song-ah got down the car with her new cameraman Jung Bomin as Jehoon was still receiving his treatment in hospital. She reached Jinhae as soon as there was a report of an old age lady murdered in her house. She rushed inside the house and found that cops had already sealed the crime scene and did not allow any media reporters to click the pictures of corpse.

"NO! We have received the orders from the intelligence department to not let any media disturbance near the corpse!! Forensic experts needs to take the murdered body for further check up!! Please try to co-operate with the police!!", Cops tried to ambush the reporters on the door of the house.

Song-ah stepped back and called Professor Sungtae, "What is happening professor?? Why is media not being permitted inside the crime scene??"

"Song-ah please calm down a bit, Detective Haneul has given out those instructions today afternoon as you left the intelligence center. And don't even try revolting there!! Anyways I'll be present there in forensic department so let's meet up in a couple of days." and he hanged up the call.

"Hya Bomin-ahh!! Let's leave the place now!! there's no use of pleading to these cops for the pictures they won't let us inside."

"Ahh... so... if my duty is over then can I go to the hospital and get my wounds treated??" he asked Song-ah

"Wounds? when did you get wounded and where??"

"In the morning... actually I fell over the steps in my house... but then you called me so urgently I did not get time to dress those wounds... hahaha", he said while smiling like a cute puppy.

"Stop acting so cute okay!! how did you even end up in this media business with that idol like face of yours?? Ahh... forget it... lets go to the hospital and get yours wounds treated!!"

"You will come with me? Noona... its okay... I can go by myself!!"

"Just get inside the car, let me show you what Noona's driving skills are"

"I fear we would both end up with more wounds...", he said slyly

"What??? Hya come here!! Stop running!!! sit inside!!!!", Song-ah pretended a fake anger with wide eyes.

They reached the hospital outside the town. Bomin was getting his wound dressed up and Song-ah waited outside in corridor. She kept thinking about the case and Haneul as he had stopped the media coverage of this investigation, "Exactly what is going on his mind? That smart punk really thinks he did something iconic with this sudden order?" she laughed by herself.

Kim Haneul and Yoon Song-ah, high school best buddies who used to stick with each other everyday. There were endless bickering between them and bold extroverted Song-ah kind of always dominated over shy introverted Haneul. They studied in the library together, walked home together, hung out at almost every restaurant in the Ansan town, visited each other's families on various occasions. Haneul was bad at making friends and his only solace was being around Song-ah as she had literally adopted him on the very first day of his school when he was transferred there. On the contrary, Song-ah always had new friends joining them during their lunch breaks, she loved communicating with people around her and knowing their deep down secrets.

"Why are you so much interested in other people's secrets, Song-ah?", he always asked her as they sat on the terrace of their school.

"I get a different kind of thrill pulling out their secrets!! I mean, like... it's only me who knows about it and no one else even has a slightest idea!!!", she used to laugh loudly.

"Then aren't you interested in my secrets?", Haneul asked softly

"Yahhh!! Haneul-ah! Do we have any secrets between us? You even told about the times you've masturbated!!!! HAHAHA!!!!!!", she hit her back and ran outside the terrace.

"Song-ah!!! wait stop running!!! Yahhh!!", he ran behind her.

"Noona, I'm done with the dressing. Let me just pay at the reception then we can leave.", Bomin's voice broke the series of Song-ah's memories.

"Ahh... yes... I'll wait outside at the entrance", Song-ah walked towards the elevator. But as she passed through one of the rooms something caught her attention. He sat down on the chair inside and was talking with the doctor. Song-ah slowly walked near the room and placed her ear over the door.

"She was struck with a minor heart attack, maybe because of some kind of shock? After the medical reports we think that it has a connection with sudden distress due to inflation of brain nerves.", Doctor said to him

"So... when will she regain consciousness?", he asked while looking at the old lady lying beside on the bed.

"We can't really tell you anything right now... we're trying our best... but as you see there's no need of major heart surgery a few days of medication heal her, as it is a minor attack, so everything now depends on her will power to regain consciousness."

"Okay, I understand. Can I shift her to Incheon? It would be much easier for me to look after her"

"Yes within next 3-4 days as soon as she gets a bit stable, you can take her home.", Doctor walked out of the room

Song-ah ran towards the elevator when she sensed the door was about to be opened. But as she entered the elevator she realized that he walked behind her, she knew it... she was trapped..

"Face me", he said as she kept facing her back towards him.

She turned around and faced him... finally she saw him without the mask...

"You...", Song-ah was about to say something but was too stunned to see him as in no way he looked like a serial killer with that handsome face.

"What? Can you just stop stalking me?? No, wait... Why are you even stalking me in the first place??? Since yesterday you are following me everywhere!! From that café to the park then even reached my apartment and now here up till Jinhae??!! Enough is enough now!!!"He confronted her badly.

"Ahh... I just wanted to check something... if you were irritated why did you just stand there looking at me blankly in your building...", Song-ah was completely confused as he was really speaking like a normal person.

"My gosh, I was about to ask you something and you just ran away while screaming!! You scared the hell out of me!!!", he shouted at her and walked out of the elevator as it reached the parking basement.

Song-ah followed him out and walked behind him, he stopped and said, "Again you're stalking me??? What you wanna do??"

"Can we meet tomorrow?", Song-ah blurted out whatever came to her mind, she just wanted to talk with him more and dig out information.

"Excuse me? We don't even know each other, I don't even know your name. Listen... I'm already occupied with lot of things so stop with this stalking thing... I really don't care about what your reasons are...", he said and walked towards his car.

"Yoon Song-ah!! My name... is Yoon Song-ah... I work as an interior designer at an architect firm... see this is my identity card... I really want to know you more, so can we please meet up tomorrow?"

"Why?"

"It's something related to your past, please just once."

"Okay, fine... share your kakaotalk id with me... I'll send you the location of the café..."

Song-ah knew that once the kakaotalk gets shared her real identity would get revealed, "What about meeting at the same café? the one near the crosswalk"

"What if I don't show up?"

"You will. looking at your interest in past... I can tell that you would definitely come"

He stared me again with that eerie gaze, turned around around continued walking.

"Wait!!! What is your name?", Song-ah realized that she still had no identity of him.

"Jeong Hangyul", he said while opening his car door, sat down, pulled back his car, and left the basement.

"Azera model... he seems quite rich though... is he playing some kind of game with me acting all this lost about my stalking? But he doesn't even show a single sign of being a psychopath... Where do I even start my conversation from? digging up the information from him is not easy at all... God help me please... What do I do now....", Song-ah stood there kept wondering as this was just the start line of the whole game between them.