CASE 30 - Downpour

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It started to rain.

Recently, Jaehwan has grown to detest the rain even more.

As he and Hakyeon looked at the older's mother's grave, a dozen thoughts hovered over him. He took a glance at Hakyeon, finally seeing the empty expression on the latter's face. He never noticed it before because he was always mourning for Hakyeon's mother. But now, he clearly saw it. The older really felt nothing as the two of them stood in front of her. Rather than sadness, it almost seemed like the older didn't even want to be here anymore, he looked as if he wanted to leave and never look back again.

This is going to be the last time we'll be here, right? There was never a point to us coming here ever year... hyung probably came because I kept bugging him to do it... Jaehwan felt guilty.

Hakyeon then caught the younger looking.

"I'm okay, you know," the older knew what was going on inside of Jaehwan's head.

"I just... never knew..." Jaehwan felt really useless. I wish I knew.

"I didn't want you to know. I hid it quite well, didn't I?" Hakyeon tried to play it off with a smile but it was obvious that he was in pain and suffocating alone as he kept his past a secret.

"Hyung..."

Ah, this shitty feeling... Jaehwan found it hard to ignore. All this time, if only I was more attentive. If only I wasn't so selfish and only thinking about myself. All the things I said to hyung in the past... How did he feel whenever I said that I wished my mother was like his? Shit, I really hate this so much!

Jaehwan felt sick just recalling the things he said before. He was so oblivious and very ignorant. He thought that he was saying things for the older's sake but in the end, those words must've hurt a lot.

"Jaehwan-ah," Hakyeon suddenly calls for his name and snaps him out of it.

"Huh?" Jaehwan was distracted.

The older took his hands and held it tightly.

"Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. You wouldn't have known in the first place if I never told you. No one knew about it. I made sure of it," Hakyeon said in a soft reassuring voice as if he was trying to comfort Jaehwan even in such a situation.

"But-"

But before Jaehwan could argue, Hakyeon pulled him in and hugged him. He laid his head on Jaehwan's shoulders and gently said, "let's go home."





"You know who the White Rose is?" Hongbin was having his doubts. He wasn't hearing things, was he?

"I do. At least I'm almost certain I know who it is," Taekwoon tells them.

Both Wonshik and Hongbin looks at Taekwoon with disbelief. Especially Wonshik who has been chasing after the killer all these years and yet, still couldn't even get a hint of the possible suspects. He didn't have a face or a name, yet suddenly Taekwoon says he knows who it is?

"Who?" Wonshik needed to know.

Taekwoon turns towards him and looks at him straight in the eyes.

"The son of Cha Yoojae – Cha Hakyeon," Taekwoon finally reveals.

"What?!" Hongbin jumped up from his chair with eyes widened. "How can that be? How's he the killer? How do you know?"

Of all the names to come out from Taekwoon's mouth, it had to be the one person whose name he's familiar with. Not only does he know Hakyeon because of his cousin but they've already encountered several times before. How can this be?

Taekwoon looked at the two and took a deep breath. He's kept this a secret for years now, not knowing who to trust enough to tell of the truth and what he had witnessed.

"How do you know?" Wonshik questions him further. There was still disbelief in what Taekwoon claims. Not long ago, the latter was saying he was helping InGuk investigate Cha Yoojae for Wonshik's sake any now he says Cha Hakyeon's name so easily? And claiming that the son of Cha Yoojae is the White Rose Killer?

Such an ill fate.

"Hongbin, do you still remember your elementary school teacher?" Taekwoon asked.

"Of course, I do! What abo-..." an uneasy feeling suddenly struck Hongbin. "It can't be..."

"The one who killed him is Cha Hakyeon. Before he became the White Rose Killer," Taekwoon reveals.





5 years ago...

Taekwoon was still new to the force and he was a rookie. He got in right after college because he passed the written exam, and thankfully because of his father, he made it in. Taekwoon was always calm and collected, good at making deductions but was too timid to stand up and fight back. Not only that, he lacked the stamina and ability to catch up to suspects. He was always lagging behind his colleagues, causing trouble after trouble unintentionally.

"You let him escape again, didn't you?!" his sunbae did not look happy after losing a suspect right in front of his eyes just because Taekwoon failed to catch up. He looked at the rookie with a deep sigh, tired of raising his voice at him anymore, and turned around probably thinking of what to report back to the station.

"I-I'm sorry," Taekwoon was still trying to catch his breath. He really tried running with all his might, as fast as he could but he still couldn't pull through.

"Dammit, this is why I hate working with rookies," the older muttered and walked away without even bothering to look at Taekwoon even once.

Taekwoon knew he was lacking. He was very aware of it even without anyone telling him. But it has always been a dream of his to be a police officer because his father was also one. He respected his father a lot and wanted to follow his father's footsteps as a law enforcer. But here he was, getting yelled at everyday, losing criminals no matter how much he sacrificed sleep to investigate case after case. Slowly, he was feeling tired and unmotivated. Slowly, he questioned why he was here in the first place.

"Hear you got yelled at again," his lieutenant at Jongno Police Station said in a rather nonchalant voice. "You really okay? Are you sure this is the job for you?"

"..."

As if Taekwoon didn't already ask himself that several times in the past few weeks... he was already doubting himself as much as he didn't want to admit it.

"Look. You're good at figuring things out and you're the most logical one out of everyone in the team but... catching criminals isn't just about using your brain. As important as that is. You gotta catch up and not fall behind. The moment you fall behind, you end up dragging the entire team with you," the man continued to lecture him. "Why don't you go home for today and think about it. Is really being a police officer suitable for you?"

Taekwoon couldn't even utter a word or argue at all. It was a fact. There was so much truth in it that he was started to hate everything even more.

As he walked down the hallway to leave the station, he noticed everyone was stealing glances at him. It was obvious that they were whispering about another one of Jung Taekwoon's failures. He was definitely not welcome around here.

"Hey, did you hear that rookie at Gangnam Station? He caught that crazy serial killer last night," one of his colleagues went up to another and started to chatter amongst themselves.

"Wait, didn't he also catch his sister's killer not too long ago? I thought he was new!" another joined in the conversation.

"Yeah, same one."

"I heard he's a complete rabid dog. Kind of scary, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but at least he gets the job done. He's a rookie and yet ours-" the guy noticed Taekwoon walking by and lowered his voice. "Ours is a rookie too. Why are they so different?"

Taekwoon twitched in annoyance. But could he say anything back to fight them? No. He couldn't.

It was the truth after all.

Eventually, he made his way out of the station with his head nearly falling to the ground in embarrassment. He couldn't look up anymore. Not only was he disappointed in himself but he just felt ashamed for everything. It's as if he was ruining his father's reputation since his father was a well-known lieutenant at the same station before retirement.

Ring. Ring.

"Hello?" he picked up the phone.

"Taekwoon-ah, when are you coming home tonight?" it was his mother. "Your aunt and cousin came over and brought you a lot of your favorite food from Canada. They really want to see you."

"... Sorry, mom. I'm really busy with work. There's a lot to do and a big case I'm working on. I don't think I can make it home tonight," Taekwoon blurted out a complete lie without thinking. He was too embarrassed to show face to his family and especially to his relatives.

"Really? Again? You haven't come home for a few days already. Are you okay? How about tomorrow?"

"Mom, I'm okay," Taekwoon really didn't want her to ask anymore. "I'm sorry I'm not sure when I can come back. But don't worry about me."

"Alright then. Whatever you say. I'm sure your aunt will understand. I'll let her know. But sweetie, don't work too hard. You really need to take care of your body and health. Take a break once in a while, okay?"

"Mmn, I got it. Thanks, mom."

Taekwoon let out a deep sigh as soon as he hung up.

Sooner or later, they'll eventually catch on to how useless their son is. At this rate, everyone in the family and neighborhood will find out. Words travel fast after all.





Taekwoon eventually went to a local bar with not too many people around. He drowned himself in a few drinks and vented to the bartender without thinking about his position at all. The bartender just thought of it as another drunk customer like all others and let Taekwoon be on his own accord. Taekwoon felt so empty inside no matter how much he drunk to distract himself. He looked at his phone through the messages his family sent him, worrying about him and asking about him. His friends also stopped contacting him since he was always too busy to meet up with them. He was beginning to be more and more disconnected from the world. No matter how much he wanted to be a police officer, is this really the life for him? Just how much longer can he continue doing this?

Taekwoon looked up for a hotel nearby to stay a night or two. He had nothing else on him though aside from his wallet and phone. He had no clean change of clothes, just nothing at all. He looked horrible. Ragged clothes, ripped jeans, sneakers with the soles worn out, and it's been days since he's shaved. Even the eyebags under his eyes made him look very sick.

I look so miserable. What the hell is wrong with me? He despised seeing himself in the reflection on the window as he passed by a few stores after leaving the bar. It was getting late at night and though he didn't want to check in so early, he didn't know where to go. He wandered aimlessly, dreading about the work which he has to return to the next day.

I really want to just disappear. Someone, make me invisible so I can hide myself...

Then, a drop of rain fell from the sky. Just like that, bit by bit, it started to pour.

What's with this luck...

He really wanted to yell. He wanted to scream and cry his hearts out. He hated everything and how it seemed like the entire world was suddenly out to get him.

He ran through the rain, trying to find cover but before he could, he was already soaked from head to toe. Everyone else had already escaped the rain and the streets were deserted in a matter of minutes.

"Fuck... everything," he was about to cry. No one was around to see it anyway.

As he aimlessly walked down the street under the downpour, frantic footsteps approached him from a dark alley. Someone ran towards him in a hurry, not looking in front and pushed him away, knocking Taekwoon into a large puddle.

"Hey!" Taekwoon yelled. Just how much more annoyed can he get in a day?

But before Taekwoon could catch a better look at the person who knocked him over, the man disappeared around the corner.

Taekwoon got up from the floor, gave up even trying to chase after the man since he knew he would lose anyway. However, just as he stood up, he noticed that a trail of red came down his way from the alley the young man ran out from.

Slowly, Taekwoon followed the trail back up, and just in the middle, he saw a single white rose on the floor.

Did that guy drop this? Taekwoon was confused but felt uneased as he saw the dark alley up ahead.

He walked into the alley which was dark and a horrid stench surrounded him. It was all the garbage around him, making him want to throw up. But what was worst was what he eventually saw.

A body lying there on the floor. Dead.

It was an old man, most likely in his late 50s, lying on the floor with his scalp cracked and blood trailing away, being washed away by the rain.





That night, nothing could be found about the man's death. Nothing except the white rose which the young man who bumped into Taekwoon had left behind.

Though Taekwoon had called in the body immediately after he found it, he didn't get a single praise but rather got scolded harder. He stunk of alcohol and looked horrid. He also failed to catch the suspect and even though Taekwoon tried to recall the young man's face, it was hard to pinpoint all the little details for a sketch. He tried to sober up but had nothing. The team tried to investigate the scene of the crime for any evidence of murder but there were no weapons around, no fingerprints or anything. Everything was washed away that night and as days passed by, the white rose which was left behind began to wither as well.

The case was left in the open. Barely hanging on.

Because of that incident, Taekwoon couldn't forgive himself. The criminal was right in front of him and he failed again to catch the person. So, he promised to quit drinking and worked harder. He had to redeem himself and make up for his mistakes. But no one cared to listen to him anymore. Everyone had already given up on the case and eventually, the case was deemed as an accident.

No, they're wrong! It was not an accident! Taekwoon was sure of it but no one believed him. I will catch him. I have to!

He went through any evidence he could get. He collected all the recordings around that area to the best of his abilities, but that alley was a blind spot. The suspect was not caught on any of the cameras. Taekwoon even tried to go to hypnosis therapy to recall what he saw that night. He was able to make a rough sketch of the suspect's side profile but it was not enough to identify who it was. With over nine million people in Seoul, finding one person was not easy. However, Taekwoon was sure of one thing.

If I can even run into that guy one more time, I will definitely recognize him!

Along with his investigation, Taekwoon was also becoming more serious about working out and making sure that he no longer lagged behind the rest of his team. It was definitely hard at first but Taekwoon's persistence proved to be fruitful. He was determined never to let anyone escape in front of him ever again.

But despite all he tried to do to redeem himself, no matter how much he pleaded for the higher-ups to reopen the case, no one cared. Once a case was closed, it would remain closed. No one wanted to reopen a case with so little evidence and without anything to prove. It was a waste of time and resources.

"Sir! Please, hear me out!" Taekwoon continues to beg his lieutenant even weeks and months after the case was closed.

"Just give it up, Taekwoon," the older man simply said and ignored him.

Eventually, frustrated with nothing left for him, he decided to enlist in the military. He hoped that by joining the military, it would not only help him clear his mind but also distract himself from being angry.

Like that, a year went by...

Taekwoon was well-adjusted to military life. He caught up with his peers soon after. He was a little close with some of them but never close enough to tell them what had happened at Jongno Police Station. He didn't even want to mention them anymore. He was alone with everything, everyone refusing to help him even though they were supposed to be a 'team'. And while he was still in the middle of his terms, it was at the same time a new case emerged.

Unlike any murder cases or serial killers, this one caught his attention the most. The killer not only killed well-known convicts and those who were eventually proven to be guilty of crime, but they would be killed in the strangest way. No signs of bruises, not a single drop of blood left behind and only a single white rose was left at the scene.

It's him! It's the same guy! It has to be... Taekwoon was urging to get out of the military day by day as he followed the case of the now named White Rose Killer. And as he read how the killer's methods had evolved, chills were sent down his spine.

The police were completely dumbfounded as one case emerged after another. They found nothing of the killer, the scenes were cleaned up and leaving no traces behind. It was obvious that the winner of this game was the killer and the police were being humiliated, laughed at by the public at this point. And because the killer only killed those who committed crimes themselves, he eventually gained believers who rooted for him.

After completing his two years of mandatory military service, Taekwoon eventually headed back to his station hoping to investigate the White Rose Killer along with his colleagues. But no one at the Jongno Station cared to look into the case.

"Look, we have a lot on our plates already," his lieutenant really hasn't changed, even after two years. Completely useless. "The case was already passed onto the Gangnam Station. If you want to catch the killer so much, why don't you transfer?"

And that's exactly what Taekwoon decided to do.





He took a train all the way to Gangnam Police Station one day to take a look before his transfer application got through. He's heard a lot of rumors of the Homicide Investigation Department, more bad than good but at the same time, they were capable. They were able to solve one case after another, catch one criminal after another even though the methods were rather irrational and violent. Rumors of the 'rabid dog' travelled around quickly from one police station to another. Taekwoon has heard of the name and it piqued his interest to work with this 'rabid dog'. Even if he doesn't agree with the methods of catching the criminal, all that mattered to Taekwoon was that the cases were solved and someone was caught. Results were all that mattered to him.

"Thanks for coming in today," the Gangnam Homicide Department Lieutenant, Seo InGuk greeted him. "Have a seat. Tea?"

"No thank you, sir," Taekwoon politely declined.

He glanced around the office curiously, seeing many books neatly organized along the shelves. There weren't only books about investigations but strangely enough, it seemed like Seo InGuk enjoyed reading about philosophy too. He had a rather unique taste for someone who seems rather young for a lieutenant. Then, he noticed the mountain of folders and reports on the desk as well, with memos all over and notes taken. The lieutenant seemed really hard-working unlike the one back at his former station.

"So, you're Jung Taekwoon? Lieutenant Jung's son?" InGuk asked as he looked through Taekwoon's resume.

"Yes sir," Taekwoon sat up straight, feeling slightly

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