A local thief and outcasted police detective, Park Seonghwa, become unlikely partners in crime to solve a string of murders.
START: 3.31.2020
FINISH: 2.20.2021
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record 08...JULY 4===
7:49 PM
AS THE DISTANT THUMPING OF MUSIC NEARS, the more Levi begins to feel as though they were marching into an unseen battle. The sidewalks are full of residents and tourists in shorts and swimsuits as they walk towards the beach, clueless to the changes happening around them. Seonghwa is next to Levi with tense shoulders, his dark eyes nervously shifting around the line in search of anyone looking too suspicious.
The sands are alive with chatter and dancing as fireworks pop and soar over their heads. Kids rush by with sparklers. Scents of popcorn and other foods drift in alongside the salty smell of the ocean, wind gently blowing through Levi's hair.
She isn't sure if she is just paranoid, but the festivities feel foreboding and she thinks that Officer Park must feel it too, his body tense. He is always the one out of the two of them who seems to have it together. Yet, now his lips are drawn into a thin line and his shoulders are hunched over.
She takes a quick glance around herself, nothing visibly out of the ordinary. Still, a chill overtakes the back of her neck and she blames it on more than just the chill of the summer night air.
She pulls on Seonghwa's exposed elbow, tugging him onto a more secluded part of the beach as sand colonizes her sandals.
"What's the plan now?" she asks, having to raise her voice for the words to reach him over the sounds of a rap song playing in the background, the bass reverberating through her body.
He leans back, eyes performing a quick sweep of the beach. He briefly looks at the carnival set up on the pier and the people on boats in the water, unsure of where to start.
"Just keep your eye out for anything suspicious," he commands with a sigh, not quite looking at her. "We'll walk the perimeter of the beach for now. We can't check the whole fair. We'll have to wait and see what happens."
She doesn't like the sound of that but still rushes after him as he begins to walk along the shoreline. Levi makes sure to stay a few feet behind him, feeling tense despite his acceptance of her apology. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that he is still upset with her.
She breaks off from his path, catching his attention as she jogs to a booth selling popcorn.
"What are you doing?" he asks, frowning.
She shrugs, handing the cashier a couple of bills and smiling in thanks. "Blending in. We look weird."
He shakes his head but accepts it, tapping his foot impatiently as she grabs the food from the vendor. She holds the bag of popcorn out to Seonghwa, an eyebrow raised.
Another peace offering.
Seonghwa reaches out for one when a scream pierces the air, louder than the fireworks and the vibrations of music. The beach seems to almost go silent for a single moment, everyone's heads turning in that direction. It takes Levi a few seconds to react, cold, dark fear wrapping a hand around her heart and squeezing.
