KARMA

Dark clouds shrouded the sky, releasing torrents of heavy rain over Damyang. The streets full of puddles, making their way to a small bungalow nestled within a dense bamboo forest. Yoon Seong-ah had just returned home after a full day of university lectures, her heart brimming with excitement. Today marked her parents' 25th wedding anniversary, an occasion she had diligently planned for months. Seong-ah was their cherished daughter, adding joy and meaning to their otherwise solitary lives, far removed from the bustling streets of Seoul.

She entered the house, her sneakers leaving a trail of moisture from the puddles outside. Inside the kitchen, she overheard her mother's voice, laced with anxiety.

"Don't you think we should leave Damyang? It's getting too dangerous here," her mother, Kim Hana, worriedly remarked.

"We can't just uproot ourselves so abruptly. Seong-ah is in her final year at the university," her father, Yoon Siwoo, responded with a heavy countenance.

Seong-ah ventured into the kitchen, her heart heavy. "Are we seriously considering leaving Damyang because of the serial killer?" She asked, her tone tentative.

Her parents fell silent, and her mother nodded. "Seong-ah... I don't feel safe here anymore. Let's relocate."

"No, why should we be scared and run away like this? This is our home, our hometown! Dad's business is flourishing, my university is almost complete, and Mom, your NGO is gaining new supporters. Why should we leave because of that psychopath?" Seong-ah stubbornly opposed the idea.

"Because he's a psychopath! I don't want to risk our lives! Seong-ah, he's a monster!" Her mother's voice quivered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Seong-ah sat down at the dining table, struggling to comprehend the sudden intensity of her mother's emotions. Her mother, who had always been the epitome of gentleness, was now overwhelmed by a powerful fear. Seong-ah's confusion deepened.

"Honey, please calm down... Seong-ah is getting scared," her father tried to pacify Kim Hana.

In an instant, her parents vanished before Seong-ah's eyes, the kitchen fading away like a vivid painting being washed off a canvas.

"Mom!!!! Dad!!!! Don't leave me!!! We can move! I'll do whatever you say! Don't abandon me!!! I'm terrified of living alone! I can't live without you!!! Mom! Dad! please don't leave me!!!" Seong-ah cried out, desperation filling her voice.

"Noona! Seong-ah noona! Wake up! Snap out of it!" a voice cried, and she was shaken awake.

Seong-ah opened her eyes to find herself seated at her office desk, her face wet with tears. Bomin was in front of her, concern etched across his face. She wiped her face and left her desk to enter the restroom.

"If only I had listened to Mom that day... It was my fault... My stubbornness... I'm so sorry, Mom and Dad... I couldn't save you," Seong-ah whispered between her sobs. Every year on her parents' death anniversary, she relived the painful memories and blamed herself for their loss.

In her office, Jung Bomin waited as Seong-ah emerged from the restroom with her makeup fixed, her usual stern demeanor restored.

"Are you okay, noona?" Bomin inquired, carefully studying her.

"Perfectly fine. I didn't get much sleep last night, thanks to the most reckless driver I've ever encountered, driving from Yangyang to Seoul. Anyways, I asked you to resign, didn't I?" Seong-ah's voice carried a touch of annoyance.

"Noona, please give me one last chance. I know I lied to you, but no one would hire me with my real identity. Even my father wouldn't allow me to work here," Bomin begged, dropping to his knees before Seong-ah.

"Do you understand your own words? Your father won't let you work here! Do you really think he'll dance and celebrate when you're exposed? Seriously, Jung Bomin, you're a complete dumbass.I feel like pulling your beautiful silky hair so badly until you get the receding hairline Can't you grasp the situation?!" Seong-ah's frustration was palpable.

Her phone rang while she was contemplating whether to throw a punch at Bomin's head. "Noona! Professor! Professor is calling you!" he exclaimed, narrowly dodging her fist.

"Shut up, you jerk! I'll call him later. Let me deal with you first!" she retorted, her eyes filled with disdain.

"What is all this nonsense, Seong-ah! I've been trying to reach you since morning!" Professor Sungtae's voice reverberated as he entered the office.

Bomin had successfully managed to escape Seong-ah's wrath and stood beside the professor. 

Seong-ah rose from her chair, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Oh... you were outside the office... nice to meet you... Haha," she quipped while silently cursing Bomin with her eyes.

"Nice to meet my foot! This Kang Jurin murder is spiraling out of control. The drug bottle you submitted last night... It matches with the drug found in Jurin's blood. She was drugged before the murder, and the most maddening part is that her own mother, Kang Chaewon, is the top drug dealer in this entire city... on the top of the food chain!! But there are no evidences against her! Like this is so fucking confusing!!" Sungtae exclaimed, visibly breathless. Bomin, noticing his exhaustion, extended a glass of water, which the professor gratefully accepted.

"Hmm... I had already suspected as much. But I doubt that Kang Chaewon could have killed her own daughter in such a brutal manner. Her influence only extends to the shady drug trade... and after all, she's a mother. No mother would resort to such a gruesome act," Seong-ah remarked, her gaze shifting towards the pinboard adorned with reports of the Damyang serial killings.

"But she definitely has a strong connection to the murderer. Something went awry in that connection, leading to the deaths within her own family," Sungtae concluded as he gulped the glass of water.

Over the course of the next two hours, Bomin quietly observed their intense discussion.

.

6 PM, Han River Park

Kim Haneul walked across the grassy terrain, his eyes fixed on the sun as it dipped below the Han River. The cold autumn breeze nipped at his uncovered palms, prompting him to wrap them in the warmth of his black fur coat. His eyes were searching for someone and fixed on the person lying down on the grass. He was Lee Hangyul.

"Aey, it's so damn cold! Why did you call me out? We could've met in any bar..." Haneul grumbled as he settled down beside Hangyul.

"Alcohol is prohibited," Hangyul replied, lying on the grass.

"Oh, right, you're on antidepressants," Haneul recalled, eyeing Hangyul closely.

"You know about that?" Hangyul asked in surprise.

"What a silly question, coming for a detective," Haneul quipped, chuckling.

"Well, I don't know you that well..." Hangyul began, but then he got up from the grass.

Haneul looked at him, puzzled. "Still, you called me out here?"

"That night... you said something about me killing my own father..." Hangyul murmured softly.

"Ah, you want to remember that? But now that you've forgotten everything, it's probably best not to recall that dark past. It's all behind you; you can start a new life. It's better not to dwell on the past, my friend," Haneul offered reassuringly, patting Hangyul on the shoulder.

"So... should I live in the darkness all my life just because my memories are wiped out?" , Hangyul gazed into a distance where a dark shadow stood staring back at him.

Haneul observed Hangyul's vacant stare but tried to bring him back to reality. "Hangyul-ah, wait!" he shouted as Hangyul suddenly stood and began walking towards his car.

"Hangyul-ah! Wait!" Haneul followed him and grabbed his arm, trying to hold him back.

"No... I need to leave before him... He will follow me soon..." Hangyul mumbled, appearing increasingly agitated.

"Who? There's no one!" Haneul exclaimed, attempting to ground Hangyul in reality. But Hangyul pushed him away and dashed to his car. He started the vehicle frantically and sped out of the parking lot. Haneul rushed to his motorbike and followed closely.

Hangyul raced through the well-lit streets of Seoul at night, his mind in disarray. All he could hear was his grandmother's words, "You killed your own father." Haneul, on his bike, was close behind Hangyul, aware that his old friend was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

As expected, Hangyul slammed on the brakes, bringing his car to a sudden halt as another vehicle appeared in front of him, nearly causing a collision. Haneul, on his bike, managed to avoid the crash by swerving to the side. He removed his helmet, placed it on his bike's seat, and walked towards Hangyul.

"Please wait in your car; don't come out," Haneul whispered to Hangyul through the window. He recognized the other car.

The door of the car opened, and a woman stepped out. It was Kang Chaewon, dressed in a luxurious red silk gown, her hair elegantly styled, and adorned with shimmering diamond jewelry. She approached Haneul with a sly smirk on her face.

"We meet again, Detective," she remarked, her amusement evident in her voice.

"It wasn't intentional," Haneul tried to explain, but Chaewon couldn't contain her hysterical laughter.

"You're quite handsome; I'd love to see you every day," she said, her tone oddly flirtatious.

As the conversation continued, Hangyul, unable to remain passive, opened the car door and stepped out, revealing himself to Kang Chaewon. Chaewon's expression shifted from playful to malevolent as she set her eyes on Hangyul.

"Lee Hangyul... you've been released from the mental asylum?" she inquired, visibly taken aback.

"Do we know each other?" Hangyul asked, turning to Haneul, who simply shrugged in response.

"You don't remember anything from the past decade, right? You've lost all your memories, right?" Chaewon's demeanor took an unexpectedly sinister turn, causing Hangyul to keep silent.

Hangyul hesitated, casting his gaze sideways to avoid her piercing eyes. However, he was startled to see Seong-ah walking down a staircase from the building across the street. Hangyul realized that they were standing in front of the CBS Broadcasting station building.

On the other hand, Seong-ah was taken aback by the sight of Lee Hangyul, Kim Haneul, and Kang Chaewon standing across from her building.

"Oh, you're here too? What a reunion of people I've been trying to get rid of, for the past decade!" Chaewon exclaimed, laughing as she looked at Seong-ah.

Seong-ah, deeply perplexed by the unfolding situation, approached them with a puzzled expression.

"Alright, let me introduce myself first! I'm Kang Chaewon, the Mayor's wife, the notorious underground drug mafia," she said, directing her gaze at Haneul, "the largest contributor to the Damyang blind orphanage," she continued, turning to Seong-ah, "and Park Heejin's true blood sister," she concluded, her lips curling into a malicious grin as she looked at Hangyul. Hangyul couldn't believe his ears upon hearing his mother's name. Seong-ah was left speechless after learning of the connection to the NGO run by her mother. Haneul was disgusted by the nonchalance of the criminal before him.

It was a startling revelation, a twist of fate that had brought all of them together after a decade. They were brought together to conclude what had remained unfinished, to fulfill the cycle of karma.