PROBE | discontinued

14. Cold Case Frenzy

9:10 a.m.
Hanjeong precinct,
Seoul

★★★

With basically no evidence in hand, the boys lost hope on Youngmi's case.

One monday morning, when all of them came to work, barely any jokes were made. Jungkook and Taehyung weren't in their usual moods. Hoseok did not drink his signature drink—a can of sprite—first thing in the morning. Yoongi and Seokjin, though unfazed, took in the dolour of the precinct and refrained from their typical banter. Jimin only merely skimmed over the records of resolved issues on his computer. It was when he came across the empty, unresolved complaint filed by Youngmi's mother, he felt a certain void inside of him.

The case had shaken up anybody and everybody who was familiar to it. The public went into an angry frenzy the minute the headlines slid into their screens.

The boys had personally seen the horrific details of the crime—the gruesome assault on Youngmi, the medical reports, her dead body. Though they weren't outright admitting it, it did pose an effect on them.

Namjoon set foot into the precinct and did not utter a word. On any normal day, he would try to enliven the station by uplifting the others. However, this time, he was the one who needed most encouragement.

With each day that passed, Namjoon's will grew weaker. His determination faltered, fragmenting before the helpless situation. How was he supposed to fit in the shoes of everyone up until him? Namjoon was the self-standing one of the team. His characteristic independence, willpower and self-assured demeanor was what brought him his position as team leader even though three of his teammates were senior to him by experience. His role as the team leader meant bearing the responsibilites of the group—whether it be their success or their failure. His team would be identified by him and how he carried himself. Their misconducts were his to reprimand and rectify, their joys were his to celebrate, their drive was his to maintain.

Namjoon had always been the kind to inspire and direct, leading those under and with him to achieve their goals. He was now powerless—incapable. His chest pained with disappointment. Did he really deserve to the be team leader when he couldn't even unite his officers, let alone solve a case as delicate as assault and homicide? He was angry; not upset with his team but instead infuriated by the circumstances. Does each case about assault pose as such distress? Or was it simply out of his caliber to be the kind of policeman he always wanted to be? Perhaps, he was too naive when he thought he could make a difference. Can I ever bring her to justice?

Slumped on his chair, Jungkook was lost in thought. 

As a young boy, he was swift and athletic. He was stronger than most his peers, and showed great agility. He was one of the idolaters of the justice system, wishing to be a part of it once all grown up. Jungkook's childhood dream was to be a police officer—the immediate help to all citizens. He showed great determination during his days of training in the academy. He was praised for his sharp mind. With utmost dedication, he remained the top of his classes in both their academics and physical subjects. Not once had he scored a low grade in either the theoretical or physical tests. Infact, his practice was so thorough, that his training officers had personally warmed up to him, telling him how he was the perfect candidate for the job he wanted. He was the epitome of what a man in uniform should have been like.

This day, however, as they failed to put the pieces of the case together, he questioned his potential. Was he really a good candidate? Or was he just better than everyone around him in those fleeting moments of training? Or, worse, did his less-scoring peers end up becoming capable officers while he sat here unable to do his job well? Was he just built for catching pickpockets and nothing more?