«Hyung, do you wanna take a walk around the neighbourhood?»
«Yeah sure, I was about to ask you the same»
We went out and started walking around the streets and talking. At a certain point we saw the figures of two policemen in the distance and, after arriving where they seemed to be waiting for us, they stopped us. They asked us if we were Heeseung and Sunoo and we said yes.
«Heeseung, would you mind if we go to your house for a chat? So we'll take a look, since it will soon be ours» this reminded me of something.
«Are you the police officers named Jay and Jungwon?»
«Correct, let's say that Jay, being part of the homicide team, deals with solving particular cases. I follow him everywhere and help him to catch the criminals»
«I see. You can come at my place, no prob»
We were already near my apartment, so it didn't take long. On the way Sunoo and I often looked at each other worried. Once I got to my house I let them in and we all sat around the kitchen island, Sunoo next to me on one side and Jay and Jungwon on the other.
«What did you want to talk to us about?»
«So, Heeseung, we wanted to hear from you some details about the Jean case. Tell us what happened» I did as required starting from the description of the fight, while Jungwon asked me questions and Jay took notes on a small notebook.
Then the two exchanged some information whispering and I made eye contact with Sunoo.
«Tell him Sunoo» I said to him quietly, he looked at me and was convinced.
«I would like to add something about Jean and Niki»
«Tell us what you know, it might be useful»
Sunoo exposed what he told me this morning and Jay kept writing. Then he turned to Jungwon, who said something to his ear and kissed him on the cheek. Sunoo and I looked at each other, both stunned.
«Excuse me, what was this?! Are you really together?» said Sunoo, who could not miss gossip even in the most serious situations.
«Well yes, it's a long story-»
«Which you must absolutely tell us» said Sunoo. Jay and Jungwon blushed and smiled timidly.
«All right, but first we must tell you our discoveries»
«Have you found any clues to the killer?»
«That's right. Now Jay will speak, he's much more experienced than me in the field of investigations»
«First, thanks to the autopsy, we know that Jean was poisoned. The killer poured poison into his ear while he was sleeping. In fact, according to what you said, Heeseung, he was asleep when you left, right?»
«Exactly»
«Well. Then we found a drop of blood on his desk. The labs tested it, and it turned out the blood belongs to Niki. You told us they had beaten each other that morning, so surely he was hurt, and also that he had come in the classroom to go to Jean. Therefore, Niki could be suspected of murder»
Sunoo was opposed to Niki being seen as guilty and wanted to say something, but I gestured him to wait.
«Were the windows in your classroom open when you left?»
«No, they were closed»
«We found the window closest to Jean open. Your classroom is located on the first floor of the building, so it is easier to enter and exit the window. But Niki stayed inside the school until the end of class. This detail leads us to consider that the killer may be someone other than Niki. Or his accomplice, who opened the window to help him momentarily and escape. But we have no proof of this and, for now, it will remain a hypothesis»
«And Niki will be the main suspect, won't he?»
«Yes Sunoo, because his motive is much more plausible. The hypothetical outsider would have to have an informant inside the school to be able to kill him while he was asleep and the class was empty»
«Are there no other marks or prints?»
«We're still looking for any biological traces left by the hypothetical outside. But he must have been extremely cautious, except for the open window»
«Where's Niki?»
«At the station, don't worry, Sunoo, we won't do anything to him. We just want him to talk, so that we can solve the case faster, but he's not very cooperative»
There was a little silence to reflect, and then something that might have worked came to my mind.
«Guys, what if now we try to go to the police station, so Sunoo meets Niki and maybe says something?»
Jungwon stopped to think for a moment, looked at Jay, then at Sunoo and finally me.
«For me it's a good idea, let's go now»
We reached the station and Jungwon made way for us to a small room with walls made mostly of glass and asked his colleague to let Niki in.
«In the meantime, let's hide back here, he shouldn't see us»
By means of glass, which from the inside is like a mirror and instead from the outside you can see through, we watched Niki make his entrance and sit, laying his arms crossed on the table. His bangs, long and slightly wavy, fell on his eyes.
«Sunoo, go to him», I said, patting him on the shoulder.
«Be careful»
As Sunoo opened the door, Niki looked up at it. When he saw who had entered, his lips unclosed and trembled a little. The other sat in front of him and gazed at him for a long time.
«Sunoo, give me your hands»
Niki took his hands gently and I was amazed by this act.
«How are you Sunoo? Are you okay? Are you hurt?»
«It's all right Niki, don't worry»
A tear run down Niki's face.
«Get up Sunoo»
They both stood up and Niki slowly approached him. Suddenly Niki pulled Sunoo and held him in a tight hug that was soon reciprocated. They stayed like this for so many minutes, as if they hadn't seen each other for who knows how long.
«Niki, it wasn't you, am I right?»
«Oh no, I would never be able. I had just gone there to see how he was and I left. I have no fucking idea what happened next»
«I know that my Niki is a good guy. Say everything and go home, I will wait for you»
«I'll give it a try, I must do it»
They said goodbye and Sunoo came back to us.
«It worked, he said that he had left immediately and he could not do similar things»
«We hope to find sufficient evidence in his defense. Now we'll take you to your homes. In recent times it's not safe to go alone in the evening or at night»
It was 6:11 pm and my father was supposed to be home, so when I got there, he was putting clothes in some boxes. I thanked Jay and Jungwon and said goodbye.
«See you soon Sunoo, pay attention!»
«Bye hyung!»
I went to my father and told him about my day, then we had dinner with a frugal meal and I threw myself on my dear bed, falling asleep from exhaustion.
YOU ARE READING
When 00:00 Strikes || heehoon (English Ver.)
Mystery / ThrillerHeeseung, a young student whose mother died and who lives with his father, will soon have to move in with Sunghoon, his new stepbrother. What will happen between the two? Will they get along or not? In the meantime, terrifying events take place in...
