Ephemeral | Heehoon

4

As Heeseung and Sunghoon led the fine arts professor into the questioning room, they were greeted by an elderly figure who seemed to have weathered the passage of time. It's not like they didn't know of his old age, they had spent a whole week researching for countless hours to miss it out. However, his appearance didn't justify his age. Professor Wi Hoon, with a slight hunch in his posture, shuffled slowly, leaning on a cane for support.

His wrinkled skin told tales of a life filled with experiences, hardships, and triumphs. The professor's once vibrant and lustrous hair had turned a snowy white, thinning in patches. His tired eyes, surrounded by deep crow's feet, held a glimmer of wisdom that only age could bestow. Behind the lenses of his outdated spectacles, there was a sense of weariness mixed with a lingering curiosity.

Clad in a worn-out tweed jacket, the professor's clothes seemed to hang loosely on his shrunken frame. The fabric, faded and threadbare, hinted at the countless hours spent in studios and lecture halls. His trembling hands, marked by age spots and prominent veins, spoke of a lifetime spent sketching, painting, and sculpting. As he settled into the chair, Professor Wi Hoon's voice was frail, almost whisper-like, as if it carried the weight of years gone by.

It quickly became clear to Detective Heeseung and Sunghoon that this frail and aged professor could not have been involved in the heinous crimes they were investigating. "Professor, thank you for coming in at such short notice," Heeseung spoke, a kind smile lingering on his face as he sat across him.

"Of course, how can I be of any help?" The professor sank further into the seat when Sunghoon sat beside Heeseung, maybe he felt intimidated or maybe, he figured that Sunghoon had finally revealed their secrets. "It has just come to our notice that Hwang Min, An Woong, Yang Seulgi and Cheon Dae were all attending Fine Arts one hundred and one. Do any of these names sound familiar?" Heeseung's kind smile was long gone and Sunghoon swallowed, watching his fiery eyes.

Clearly, he hadn't spent sleepless nights to end up dealing with lies. The professor shook his head and Heeseung raised a brow, holding a sheet of paper close to the professor's face, "You wouldn't want to be spending your last few years in prison, would you Magnus Greyson?" The professor's eyes widened at the sudden use of his real name and suddenly, everything started falling into place.

"I-I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything, Detective," The professor looked guilty, a rim of tears filling his eyes as his hands shook, "But please, I didn't take part in any of it. Please. You have to believe me." Heeseung scoffed and Sunghoon took a moment to wonder how he managed to put up with so much. Sunghoon couldn't help but feel a pang of unease in his heart.

As he observed the scene unfold, his thoughts swirled with a mix of admiration for Heeseung's investigative prowess and a deep-seated concern for the elderly professor. "These girls, they were full of ambition," Sunghoon saw pride in the professor's eyes, "And I always tend to encourage worthy students to display their artwork. I have a contact of an agent who helps students with commission and pointed all four of them to him. I like to believe that it wasn't his doings because none of the other students I led there were harmed but it could be a personal problem for all I know."