monster./ park bogum

number 10.

KIM SUHEE.

"no..." i muttered breathlessly, suddenly feeling a huge pressure on my shoulders.

there was no way he could be bogum. my bogum, the second friend that was a part of my childhood three musketeers. my bogum, the one who killed someone just to save me.

i almost died that night, and i didn't even thank him. instead, i threatened to kill him and called him a cold blooded killer.

i closed my eyes with guilt, wondering if i was suddenly being biased because i found out he was bogum. what was the right decision? what am i supposed to do?

he must've been waiting. all those times we ran into each other coincidently, it wasn't, after all.

he was waiting for me full of hope and expectations that i would remember.

but at the same time he was hurt and wondering if i ever even would.

there were still so many questions. why were we friends? why was he so important to me? i didn't understand. how was i supposed if he was involved with my missing memory or not?

the case. i looked up, my eyes widening. bogum was fighting against sungho alone right now.

which side am i supposed to be on? is defending bogum the right choice?

i quickly rushed out of my car, and ran back into the building.

—

"is bogum seeing kwang sungho right now?" i asked the front counter hurriedly.

she nodded raising her eyebrow. "yes, but—"

"i'm his lawyer. may i see them?" i asked.

the lady nodded, and led me to the dimly lit room with the two people inside.

my ex friend and my ex boyfriend.

there was a detective sitting inside, as well. i walked in, trying to avoid bogum's eyes as i greeted the two.

i can't look at him knowing that he was someone important in my past. that he has the ability to kill someone, and that he saved my life at the same time.

i shakily smiled and sungho, whose eyes glared at me as i sat myself down next to my client. with me here, a lot of things were going to change.

"you came back." bogum murmured beside me.

i looked ahead of me and nodded. "i did."

he merely smiled softly to himself, from what i could see in my peripheral vision.

"park bogum, kwang sungho accused you of stabbing him with a knife two nights ago in his apartment room. is this true?" the detective asked.

bogum nodded. "it is true."

"but that's not all." he continued. "kwang sungho is hiding another major part of the story, as well." bogum smirked and raised his eyebrow at my pre-boyfriend. "isn't that true?"

sungho's eyebrows furrowed and i saw his jaw lock. "it is not."

"then what happened, bogum-sshi?" te detective asked.

"he tried to kill someone important to me." bogum said, furrowing his eyebrows. "he would've succeeded if i wasn't there."

i looked at him, a lump forming in my throat as his eyes met mine for a mere second.

i cleared my throat. "the victim attempted a murder to someone else as well, and there would've been an actual murder if bogum didn't defend her." i said. "it was defense."

"and where is this person now?" the detective asked. "if it is true."

"she's—" i started.

"wait." sungho interrupted.

i smirked, knowing that he knew he was trapped. sungho can't prove bogum's statement wrong, without involving me, who knows that he tried to shoot me that night.

"this is all bullshit." sungho muttered, clenching his fists.

i felt a small pang of guilt for doing this to him. i was the reason for his sister's murder, after all. if i didn't defend her murderer, none of this would've ever happened.

but it's my job. even if i know i'm guiltily, or if my client is guilty, i have to carry out with it. it's the price i have to accept with doing this job, even if it makes me a shitty person.

"he tried to kill me!" sungho said.

"i saved you at the same time." bogum said. "after i made sure the girl was safe, i called the ambulance."

"i called them, knowing i could be accused for attempted murder, just like i am now." bogum added, cocking his head to the side. "did you know that?"

"is there evidence for that? do you have evidence for that fact?" the detective asked, clearly interested.

"i do. track my number." bogum said.

my eyes widened. that's how sungho survived. "thus, you can't even label this as attempted murder, when the murderer saved the victim at the same time."

sungho gritted his teeth. "this is—"

"let me ask you again," i started. "did you try to kill a third person that night? you could at least answer that question, for bogum, who saved your life."

"i didn't." sungho lied.

i clicked my tongue. "bullshit."

"in order to truly confirm bogum-sshi's claim, the third person must be here. where is she?" he asked.

"no." bogum refused with no hesitation. "i don't want to involve her."

"what about the cctv evidence?" i asked. "was there a third person present??"

the detective's eyes widened like he remembered something. "there was. but still, if we don't have the witness' statement there is no proof."

"but if what you say is true and that you were really the one that saved sungho that night," the detective continued, "you may be excused from getting arrested and only charged a fee."

the door suddenly opened, and another person peeked their head inside. "it's confirmed, we tracked the phone number and it is indeed park bogum's.

bogum nodded and gave a haughty expression to sungho. "you should thank me."

sungho gave a side glare and only crossed his arms.

"how much is the fee, then?" i asked.

"$1200, is what we have settled on." the detective said.