Dangerous Investigation Diary

Ep. 21 ° Puppet Suicide Case (4)

Except for the members of the 3rd Violent Crimes Unit who were scolded by Superintendent Kim, our 1st Violent Crimes Unit hurriedly went to the interrogation room after receiving a call from the victim's mother saying that she had come to the interrogation room. As we opened the door, light poured into the dark interrogation room and a haggard-looking middle-aged woman was seen sitting in the interrogation room.

김태형 [29]

"...Are you Joo Seon-yeong's mother?"

배주연 [50]

"Ah... yes."

김석진 [32]

"...Nice to meet you, this is Team 1 of the BU Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit."

김석진 [32]

"You came looking for us."

배주연 [50]

"Yes... I have a favor to ask..."

김태형 [29]

"Please speak."

Officer Kim sat down in the chair in front of Ms. Joo Seon-yeong's mother, answering briefly. As he sat down, he naturally took out the interrogation form and a ballpoint pen and placed them on the desk. A specialist in a certain field was definitely something different.

배주연 [50]

"...Why did our ancestors die?"

Officer Kim was hesitating whether he should tell the truth or not, and he was biting his fingernails. Officer Park must have noticed Officer Kim, because he pulled a chair next to him, sat down, and pushed a notebook containing a brief summary of the autopsy results in front of his mother.

박지민 [29]

"Your daughter... died of a cerebral hemorrhage and a fractured cervical spine."

배주연 [50]

"...then..."

박지민 [29]

"As of now, we are also assuming that it was a suicide."

배주연 [50]

"....."

김태형 [29]

"I'm sorry. But..."

배주연 [50]

"There's no way... There's no way. Our Seonyeong..."

박지민 [29]

".....Mother. Daughter,"

배주연 [50]

"There's no way Seonyeong would commit suicide."

배주연 [50]

"Was there anything else?"

박지민 [29]

"There were several bruises on your daughter's body."

박지민 [29]

"I suspect domestic violence or school violence."

배주연 [50]

"It's not domestic violence... She was born late, so my father and I worked very hard to raise Seonyeong."

김태형 [29]

"...Was there any sign of school violence?"

배주연 [50]

"...She's not the type of person to talk about things like that..."

박지민 [29]

"But, mother, even if your daughter was a victim of school violence, school violence is greater evidence of suicide."

박지민 [29]

"Even so, even if you look at the possibility that your daughter was a victim of school violence, are you sure that she would not have taken her own life?"

배주연 [50]

"......."

배주연 [50]

"Yes, there is."

배주연 [50]

"So please... investigate further..."

The case was close to being closed as a suicide. All that was left was to hand over the body so that funeral arrangements could be made, but when the victim's mother, Bae Ju-yeon, made an earnest request, even the eyes of Police Officer Park, who had been acting tough, trembled.

It's not that I don't want to bother reinvestigating the case. I'm scared because I know that even if it's not reinvestigated, it's a difficult case to investigate after receiving it for the first time. I think that's probably the most conflicting thing that Chief Kim had while working in the Violent Crimes Unit 1.

김태형 [29]

"...if you so earnestly wish it,"

김태형 [29]

"We will proceed with a reinvestigation."

민윤기 [31]

"What? Hey, Kim Kyung-j."

배주연 [50]

"Thank you... I really appreciate it..."

When Ms. Bae Ju-yeon, who had been holding back tears at Chief Kim's words, saw Chief Min, who was furious at the decision being made unilaterally, tried to raise his voice, but Chief Kim stopped him by slightly shaking his head from side to side.

We barely managed to appease the crying Bae Ju-yeon, so we called the police officers from Team 2 and asked them to send Bae Ju-yeon away, and we remained in the interrogation room. Only the cold air surrounded us and filled the inside of the interrogation room.

민윤기 [31]

"...Sergeant Kim."

김태형 [29]

"...yes."

민윤기 [31]

"You're currently in a situation where we're conducting a joint investigation, so what are you going to do if you decide this on your own?"

민윤기 [31]

"If I take over the investigation, can you decide everything as you please?"

김태형 [29]

"...No. But, Ms. Bae Joo-yeon right now..."

민윤기 [31]

"I told you not to be swayed by emotions, but you're not an amateur, so why are you like this?"

김석진 [32]

"Detective Min."

민윤기 [31]

"....."

김석진 [32]

"Stop it. Huh? Why are you like this today?"

민윤기 [31]

"...I'll go out for a bit. I'll be back in 10 minutes."

김석진 [32]

"...okay."

Inspector Min, who was angry at Chief Kim like that, left the interrogation room. Inspector Min must have been sensitive because he was in a situation where he had to change the cause of death that he had barely concluded from the evidence that was not even there, and he was conducting a joint investigation with a team that was like an enemy to him and was not of any help.

김석진 [32]

"...Let's stop here for now. Let's rest for a bit."

김태형 [29]

"....."

정호석 [30]

"yes-"

김석진 [32]

"We will conduct a reinvestigation in one hour."

김석진 [32]

"Sergeant Kim, please come to me for a moment."

김태형 [29]

".....yes."

I went back to the office and got ready to go out. Although it was break time, I was sure that there were still things I hadn't been able to get out into the world, and I felt uneasy about the memories I couldn't remember, so I decided to go back to Imjeon High School for these two reasons.

김남준 [30]

"What? Where are you going?"

하여주 [28]

"Ah... I'm thinking about going back to Imjeon High School."

김남준 [30]

"There? School's closed for a week, so the kids won't be there."

하여주 [28]

"...Still, I thought that if I go, I might remember something."

김남준 [30]

"Okay... Take care on your way. Can I go alone?"

정호석 [30]

"Take me?"

하여주 [28]

"It's okay~"

최종호 [33]

"Let me go too."

...What the heck, all of a sudden. Did you get scolded by Inspector Kim and then your head got messed up?

최종호 [33]

"I'm not trying to cause trouble."

최종호 [33]

"I want to go there sometime too."

Since I am a suspicious person by nature, I thought deeply about what the words might mean. Among the many thoughts that came to mind, Superintendent Kim’s words inadvertently crossed my mind.

김석진 [32]

'Please watch out for the guys from Team 3.'

I'm scared that the nightmare from 3 years ago will come back to me, if that happens then, I'll be the target this time, and I'm told to watch out for the kids from Team 3. It's something I heard before I went to Imjeon High School... Sometimes when I see my seniors, I think they're hiding a lot of things. That person and their work are like that too...

하여주 [28]

"...Yes. Let's go together."

김남준 [30]

"What? Officer Ha. Are you okay?"

전정국 [27]

"Shall I go with you?"

하여주 [28]

"No. I think it would be better to go with Officer Choi."

I looked straight into the eyes of my suspicious seniors and spoke to them as if I was reassuring them. They agreed. I told Superintendent Choi to get ready and come out, as I would wait outside, and I left the office first. I also reassured myself, thinking to myself, “It’ll be okay.”

Meanwhile, Superintendent Kim and Chief Kim entered the rooftop of the BU Police Station. Chief Kim's eyes were already filled with tears, and they were on the verge of falling. Chief Kim clenched his teeth and held on, so he didn't fall. Chief Kim stood silently next to Chief Kim.

김태형 [29]

"....."

김석진 [32]

"Sergeant Kim."

김태형 [29]

"Yes... Inspector."

김석진 [32]

"It's okay to cry. It's okay."

At one word from Superintendent Kim, all of the emotions that had been suppressed in Superintendent Kim burst out, and he sat down, buried his face in his hands, and began to cry. Superintendent Kim patted Superintendent Kim on the shoulder and continued speaking.

김석진 [32]

"Why doesn't someone who knows human psychology so well know yours?"

김석진 [32]

"What could a child with so many tears hold back?"

김태형 [29]

"...I know you're sensitive, Officer Min."

김태형 [29]

"It's also more stressful than other incidents..."

김태형 [29]

"But I just... I feel so sad because I'm leaving work..."

김태형 [29]

"I know that being swayed by emotions can be bad for your work, but..."

김태형 [29]

"There are definitely some good points..."

김태형 [29]

"Ms. Bae Joo-yeon is currently in a very psychologically unstable state..."

김태형 [29]

"If we don't reassure you... we can't guarantee Bae Joo-yeon's safety either."

김태형 [29]

"It really only takes a moment for a person to fall apart, and then..."

김석진 [32]

"Yes. Just like now, go and tell Detective Min about this."

김석진 [32]

"You know that Officer Min cares about you."

김석진 [32]

"You're not the type of person to do that, but you must have been upset because you did that to him when he was already sensitive."

김석진 [32]

"Detective Min is also a soft-spoken person. So, go and tell him."

김석진 [32]

"You understand, Taehyung?"

Inspector Kim nodded to his affectionate voice, but as he held Inspector Kim, whose crying became louder, in his arms. Inspector Kim and Inspector Min had many similarities, but also many differences. Just like this moment.

As the sound of Chief Kim's crying grew louder on the rooftop, Chief Kim lifted Chief Kim up, wiped his tears, and took him to the office. If it were Chief Min, he would have handed Chief Kim his favorite handkerchief without saying a word. That's one of the reasons why this team was able to stay together so well.

When Inspector Kim and Chief Kim returned to the office, the once empty office became a little more crowded. It was understandable, since five people were absent from the office where 13 people should have been due to the joint investigation.

김석진 [32]

"What? Officer Ha?"

박지민 [29]

"About 10 minutes ago, I went to Imjeon High School with Officer Choi."

김석진 [32]

"What? Why."

박지민 [29]

"I went there thinking, 'If Officer Ha is there, will you remember anything?'"

박지민 [29]

"Detective Choi followed that."

김석진 [32]

"Hey, why are you saying that now...!"

김석진 [32]

"Ha, Detective Jeong. Here you go."

정호석 [30]

"Yes... why Chaki..."

김석진 [32]

"I'm going to Imjeon High School for a bit. Everyone, stay in your seats. I'll pick up the radio."

전정국 [27]

"Yes? Team leader...?"

Inspector Kim received the car key from Inspector Jeong and ran out of the office without even putting on his coat. Nothing was on Inspector Kim's mind. The only thing that came to mind was that his destination was Imjeon High School. He clenched his fists and put more strength into them.

As Ms. Joo Seon-yeong's suicide became a fait accompli, Imjeon High School announced a one-week closure. During that period, Ms. Joo Seon-yeong would be mentioned countless times by all students, faculty, and staff. Inspector Choi, who followed her, paid no attention and took out a notebook and a ballpoint pen and sat on a bench in the playground.

In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that I came because of that one memory that I couldn't remember. Even when I was preparing for the police academy exam, I had the habit of clinging to the concepts that I couldn't remember until the end, and it seems like it hasn't gone anywhere even though it's been a long time.

최종호 [33]

"What? Did you really come here just to hang out?"

하여주 [28]

"...yes."

최종호 [33]

"Nothing much..."

최종호 [33]

"I just wanted to see the skills of the new recruit that Team 1 has been so fond of."

Even though he was ripped off by Inspector Kim earlier, Inspector Choi immediately changed his tone to a quarrelsome tone when he was left alone with me. I thought he was older than Inspector Kim, but he was the epitome of "not worth his age."

하여주 [28]

"If you have no purpose, then go."

최종호 [33]

"Huh... look at this, you little brat."

최종호 [33]

"This is truly a powerful team."

I clenched my fists to suppress my rising anger. Since there were no seniors, I couldn’t act rashly because of my emotions. The person in front of me now was the leader of the 3rd Violent Crimes Unit, a man comparable to Lee Han-min, whom I had met in the Black Rose Murder Case.

I still vividly remember the consequences of my impulsive actions back then, so I had to hold back.

최종호 [33]

"By the way... Have you heard of Shin Da-hee?"

하여주 [28]

"...no."

The more people you need to be on guard against, the more you need to hide information. That's what Sergeant Kim once said. Shin Da-hee... I've heard of her, but it's also true that there's not much information, so it wasn't a complete lie. So don't feel too bad, Sergeant Choi.

최종호 [33]

"Well, Team 1 of the Strongest is so tight that they don't really talk to you about things like that-"

최종호 [33]

"Should I do it?"

하여주 [28]

"I'm not curious. It's work time, too."

최종호 [33]

"I shouldn't have had such old-fashioned thoughts..."

하여주 [28]

"...I'm really confused right now, so would you like to go?"

최종호 [33]

"...But since I've been saying this since a while ago, I told my senior,"

최종호 [33]

"Is it okay to act so shamelessly like this?"

하여주 [28]

"...It was a joint investigation, and my senior followed me while I was working."

하여주 [28]

"You interrupted my work by talking about things that had nothing to do with work."

하여주 [28]

"I think I have the right to say at least one word, 'thorn.'"

하여주 [28]

"It's not that I'm rude because I resemble Team 1 of the Strongest Forces, but I don't have the courtesy to show it to the Inspector."

최종호 [33]

"What? You're crawling because I'm a newbie."

최종호 [33]

"I'll definitely fix your bad habit today."

Inspector Choi grabbed me by the collar and pulled me up from the bench where I was sitting. My body was lifted off the bench against my will, and immediately Inspector Choi’s palm touched my cheek. Before I could even hold my cold cheek, his hair was grabbed and my face was thrown back.

Also, once upon a time, I heard through rumors that the three strong teams all had bad habits. There were many rumors that they would catch the youngest member of the same team and beat him up like a rat, and eventually that youngest member made a bad choice or left the team on his own.

I don't know who the youngest is, but I feel sorry for him because I think he goes through this every day.

When I felt my cheeks swell and blood burst from my lips, Inspector Choi forcefully slammed my hair down onto the floor. I noticed a dirty notebook that had been stepped on and a ballpoint pen with ink that had run out, but I couldn't pick them up. Inspector Choi left me sitting there.

하여주 [28]

"...ah..."

Only after Inspector Choi left did I get up with difficulty, dusting off my dusty uniform. I picked up my broken notebook and pen, sat back down on the bench, and pressed lightly on the wound. At that moment, a word flashed through my mind.

하여주 [28]

"Violence... school..."

This is 'school violence'. The reason why it didn't come out during the investigation was because the victim was being bullied at school, and everyone was just a bystander... Now that the puzzle is finally coming together, I'm starting to remember the stories I heard when I came to the school for the preliminary investigation.

Wasn't he a bully? Did he commit suicide because he was bullied, etc... I forgot to mention these things, and that's why it was so painful. With the little ink left in my empty ballpoint pen, I found a page of my notebook that was still clean and wrote down the words 'school violence.'

Then we jumped up from the bench and started running towards each other, not even thinking about what I looked like right now.

As we were running towards each other, I felt a pain in my ankle that had been sprained by Officer Choi earlier, and I collapsed on the street. I had to hurry... I held the notebook tightly in my hand with an anxious heart and pressed my sore ankle.

At that moment, a car honking loudly approaches from afar. And, sitting in the driver's seat... is a familiar silhouette. As the car gets closer, a sign on the car becomes visible: 'BU Police Station Violent Crimes Team 1'. Chief Kim...?

김석진 [32]

"Officer Ha!"

Inspector Kim, covered in sweat, driving Officer Jeong’s car like crazy. Was he looking for me? He parked his car carelessly on the side of the road, got out of the driver’s seat, and ran toward me, who was sitting on the street, holding onto my ankles.

하여주 [28]

"Inspector... What are you doing here..."

김석진 [32]

"Why are you sitting here? Officer Choi, huh?"

하여주 [28]

"Ask them one by one..."

김석진 [32]

"...Why is your face like this?"

하여주 [28]

"...Ah. It's nothing,"

김석진 [32]

"Detective Choi said this."

하여주 [28]

"...no."

김석진 [32]

"That's right... That damn habit. I still haven't fixed it."

하여주 [28]

"...I, but I'm really okay."

김석진 [32]

"What's okay? Didn't you sprain your ankle just now?"

하여주 [28]

"Ah, this is..."

김석진 [32]

"......"

하여주 [28]

"...Yes. That's what Detective Choi said."

The mouth that tried to make an excuse for fear of worrying him was quickly shut by Inspector Kim’s eyes. This was because the Inspector was already convinced that it was Inspector Choi who did it. Of course, it was indeed Inspector Choi who did it.

김석진 [32]

"Huh... can you get up?"

하여주 [28]

"Yes... it can happen."

김석진 [32]

"Put your arm around my shoulder."

Even at this moment, when I was supported by Inspector Kim, my mind was filled with the words ‘school violence.’ This time, I held the notebook tighter, thinking I would never forget it. It was so crumpled that I couldn’t even read the writing.

Despite the inspector's suggestion to go to the infirmary first, I went into the office first. I had the intention of showing this wound to the world, but I also wanted to quickly tell the core of the conversation, which might be the only evidence I could think of.

김석진 [32]

"Officer Ha. Why on earth don't you want to go to the infirmary first...!"

하여주 [28]

"I have something to brief you on..."

김석진 [32]

"What briefing are you talking about?"

김석진 [32]

"...You really? What came to mind?"

하여주 [28]

"...Okay. I'll tell you that, and then I'll go to the infirmary."

김석진 [32]

"...Okay."

정호석 [30]

".....Officer Ha. What the hell are you looking like?"

최종호 [33]

"......"

Passing by the worried Detective Jeong and Detective Choi, who was looking at the Violent Crimes Unit 1 while giving them a sharp glare, I grabbed the microphone in front of the office with trembling hands and brought it close to my mouth.

하여주 [28]

"...I'm on my way back from Imjeon High School because I forgot something for a moment."

하여주 [28]

"There were some twists and turns there."

하여주 [28]

"Thanks to you, I found something I had forgotten."

하여주 [28]

"The day I visited Imjeon High School for a preliminary inspection."

하여주 [28]

"What I learned from the commotion of students and teachers,"

하여주 [28]

"The victim of this incident, Joo Seon-yeong,"

하여주 [28]

"The fact is that I was a victim of school violence."

김태형 [29]

"...school violence."

하여주 [28]

"I'm telling you this because the investigation didn't yield anything."

하여주 [28]

"Of course, this may give more strength to the argument for suicide..."

하여주 [28]

"I hope this helps a little."

민윤기 [31]

"Yeah... good job."

민윤기 [31]

"Sergeant Ha, shall we talk about something else now?"

하여주 [28]

"yes?"

민윤기 [31]

"Who made our youngest like that?"

Perhaps, the price for Officer Choi's actions will be paid more definitely than I thought.

Since it's a holiday, I'll write and post little by little! I hope you all had a good holiday 😎 I went to a retreat and also enjoyed a 4-day holiday because it coincided with the school's anniversary 😏 Since it's been a while since I've written so much, I would appreciate it if you read the text and dialogue in more detail 🙇‍♀️

This article... I don't really like it...🥲

I'm always grateful and love you guys 🫶🩵🩵

+ And today's top 5! This is the highest ranking in my work, and I'm going to briefly maintain the ranking order 🥹 Thank you ❤️‍🔥

_ Number of characters: 8010 characters