MISSION: Love

+ twenty-five +

[ ten years later ]

I pressed my alarm clock which was giving me a headache. The ringing sound stopped and I let out a relieved sigh. I had my hair in a towel to dry it off as I brushed my teeth. I approached the nightstand next to the bed and picked up the letters I got from the mail. Most of them were bills and store appreciation letters.

I reached for my phone and dialled Heeseung's number. "Hello?" He answered in his sleepy voice. I scoffed and rolled my eyes, "We have work. Wake up."

"Are you calling me for the schedule today?"

I hummed in response and hurried to the bathroom to spit out the toothpaste in my mouth. "You have an appointment with Kim Hyunsook. He was imprisoned for the murder of 23 women and a five-year-old boy."

"Is he the one who kept their bodies and slept with them?"

I could hear him grimacing on the other side of the call. "Let's just get it done with. Thinking about the guy makes me sick," Heeseung said and ended the call. I sighed and put my phone down before staring at myself in the mirror.

The last time I met a prisoner for counselling, he punched me in the face because I accidentally talked about a sensitive issue. But that was what psychologists are supposed to do, right? I needed proof of their mental status to submit to the court anyway. I didn't care if this new prisoner punch me or even strangled me to death.

"Remember, Hana. The police and I will watch you from the glass mirror. If you need help just send us some signals," Heeseung worriedly said as he followed me from behind. We both followed the police through the prison hallway and stopped in front of an interrogation room at the end of the building. "You may enter, Dr Yoon."

I entered the room and saw Hyunsook sitting in his chair with handcuffs. I was a little scared when I saw the scar on his left eye. He looked like he could kill me with possibly anything in the room. I maintained my calm expression and sat across from him.

"Hello, Mr Kim. I'm your psychologist, Dr Yoon Hana."

He stayed silent and continued scrutinizing me. I couldn't help but smirk, amused by the reaction. I clicked my pen and wrote about his behaviour in my notebook. He looked rather amused that a psychologist wanted to help him. He looked so unbothered that he probably didn't care about all the victims he killed.

"What makes you kill people?"

He widened his eyes before laughing, "I thought you were just like the other doctors. They will say they're trying to help me. They'll make me a better person. But you? You're different. You get straight to the point. You straight away ask the questions that the court tells you to."

I grinned and leaned forward, "Well, I'm the best in this field. I heard that the previous psychologists failed to even make you speak. Glad to be the first one to succeed. I don't go to work to wait around for the answer. I demand an answer and I expect you to cooperate."

"You wanna know why I kill? I enjoy seeing them helpless, afraid and shivering. How they keep backing away from me and how they get goosebumps. The sweat trickles down due to fear. I enjoy those things."

I was amused by the answer. I placed my pen down on the table and asked, "What are you thinking right now, Hyunsook?"

"Me?" He laughed and thought for a while, "I want to strangle you, slash your neck with a sharp knife, choke you until there are bruises on your neck. And then finally, hit your head with a chair."

"Usually, I thought I could help all the prisoners but I don't think I can help you, Mr Kim. You are a sick man."

I stood up and picked up my things before walking towards the door. It went unexpectedly silent behind me which made me uneasy. I turned around and saw him already aiming a chair at me. I managed to avoid it and went to the corner of the room.

The door slammed open, revealing policemen trying to strangle him and calm him down. "You will never be able to help me, you freak! You're not as powerful as you think you are, Yoon Hana! You thought you were just because your parents are wealthy and powerful! But you will be nothing!" Hyunsook spat as he was dragged out of the room.

💌

"Are you okay? You've been silent ever since your appointment with Kim Hyunsook," Heeseung asked as he kept his eyes fixed on the road. What the criminal said hasn't left my mind ever since. I couldn't show everyone how his words bothered me so much. I sighed and nodded, "I'm fine. Just tired."

"I'm so relieved you managed to avoid the chair. I can't imagine him hitting you with it. I told you he's dangerous. That man is not changing."

"Who cares? I already got the recording proof of his appointment. He is definitely going to stay in prison forever."

He chuckled and said, "Let's go for a drink. We had a long day today."

I didn't say anything and stared at the view outside the window.

Heeseung opened the bar door for me to enter. I could hear laughter and conversations flooding the room. The smell of alcohol and strong liquor flew around my nose. My body jumped in surprise when I felt him putting his coat on me. He was greeting the bar owner who was his friend. I looked around and spotted the perfect seats for both of us.

Suddenly, my phone rang. My mother's name was displayed on the screen. "Heeseung, can you order first for me? I need to answer this call," I asked and left the bar to pick up the call. I walked to the alleyway next to the bar and sighed, "Hi, mom."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"No, he didn't hit me with the chair. I managed to avoid it. The policemen immediately dragged him out of the room."

My eyes caught a silhouette of a man in the darkness. My nose caught the smell of a cigarette as smoke could seem to spread through the air.

"Hana? Sweetie?" My mom called but I stayed silent. The person came out of the darkness and how shocked I was to find Sunghoon looking at me with darkened eyes. He breathed out the cigarette smoke and smirked, "We meet again, Yoon Hana."