『B』『e』『y』『o』『n』『d』 『t』『h』『e』 『C』『o』『d』『e』

𝕌𝕟𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤

Minji sat at her desk, sipping her coffee and staring blankly at the wall one again. The case was going cold, and she was no closer to catching Jaehwan. She felt like she was running in circles, getting nowhere.

Taesan walked in, looking tired. "Hey, Minji. Any updates?"

Minji shook her head. "Nothing. Just dead ends and false leads."

Taesan nodded sympathetically. "We'll get him, Minji. We just need to keep pushing."

Minji sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I know. I just feel like we're missing something."

Taesan sat down beside her. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

The two sat in silence for a moment, the only sound the hum of the fluorescent lights.

Minji broke the silence. "Hey, Taesan?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's get some lunch. I'm starving."

Taesan smiled. "Sounds good to me."

And with that, they took a break from the case, trying to clear their minds and come back fresh.

~~

Minji and Taesan walked into the bustling cafe, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods enveloping them. They found a quiet corner table and perused the menu.

As they waited for their food to arrive, Minji's eyes scanned the cafe, her mind still on the case. That's when she saw him - a familiar face, sitting across the room.

"Taesan, look," Minji whispered, nodding discreetly towards the man.

Taesan followed her gaze. "Who is it?"

"Jaehwan's old apprentice, Park Sungho. I've been trying to track him down for weeks."

Their food arrived, but Minji's appetite had vanished. She excused herself, walking over to Sungho's table.

"Mind if I join you?" Minji asked, her tone friendly.

Sungho looked up, startled. "Detective Minji. What brings you here?"

Minji smiled sweetly. "Just having lunch. But since I'm here, maybe we can chat about Jaehwan?"

Sungho's expression turned guarded, but Minji sensed a glimmer of fear in his eyes.Minji's eyes locked onto Sungho's, her gaze intense. "Tell me, Sungho, what do you know about Jaehwan's plans?"

Park Sungho, only 20, fidgeted in his seat. "I-I don't know much, detective. But I can tell you that Jaehwan was obsessed with the concept of 'rebirth'."

Minji's ears perked up. "Rebirth? What do you mean?"

Sungho glanced around the cafe nervously. "He believed that society needed to be torn down and reborn from the ashes. He saw himself as the catalyst for that change."

Minji leaned in, her voice low. "And what about Eclipse? What's its role in this?"

Sungho's eyes darted towards the door. "I-I don't know anything about Eclipse, detective. I swear."

Minji sensed he was hiding something, but before she could press further, Sungho abruptly stood up. "I have to go. Now."

And with that, he hastily gathered his belongings and left the cafe, leaving Minji with more questions than answers.