Special Investigation Team BTS 2
EP 37. The Students' Mysterious Commotion (3)
정호석
"Looking at it this way reminds me of when I was a student. I also gritted my teeth and studied hard to get into the military academy."
김석진
"It's the first step towards becoming an adult, so I have no choice but to be more careful and work harder."
Hoseok, observing his students through the window, muttered, reminiscing about the past. Seokjin nodded in agreement. Taehyung, following behind them and surveying the classroom across from them, slowed his pace, which had been steady.
김태형
"⋯Look at the students' desks."
김석진
"table?"
김태형
"Don't move noticeably."
Seokjin and Hoseok didn't hide their puzzled expressions as they listened to Taehyung's words, who spoke carefully while staying close to them, and naturally turned their gaze to the students' desks.
Books piled up to my chin, multicolored Post-its stuck to the partition, and... even a pill bottle labeled "Vitamins." The books and Post-its might be okay, but why the pill bottle?
Medicine bottles with the word "vitamin" written in yellow on a white background were placed on every single desk of the students studying.
정호석
"Back in my day, it was a white pill on a red background that you had to pick out and eat, but is it different these days?"
김태형
"No. That's not the point. Look closely. The manufacturer isn't listed."
Depending on your friends or the influence of your parents, the trendy vitamins you consume can vary significantly. In high school, red ginseng, herbal medicine, and vitamins were as commonplace as food, and because of the limitations of each company, you might end up overlapping with those around you.
But the manufacturer's name wasn't written on the surface. Furthermore, it was odd that the standard name, "Vitamin," was written in just three letters.
정호석
“Isn’t that against the law?”
Just as books must list their publisher, goods must also list their manufacturer. This is mandated by law and could be considered illegal.
Seokjin paused, pondering for a moment. He gently pushed Hoseok's shoulder, who was standing next to him, and entered the classroom. Hoseok, flustered, called Seokjin's name in a small voice, but he didn't stop.
김석진
"Student, I'm sorry to interrupt your studies, but can I ask you something?"
"⋯⋯Yes?"
김석진
"This. Where did you buy it?"
I approached the student sitting closest to me and asked him about vitamins. The student, suddenly questioned, looked flustered, then stiffened as I gestured toward the vitamins.
"⋯I don't know."
김석진
"Then, who gave it to you?"
"I said I don't know."
김석진
“I don’t even know where I bought it or who gave it to me⋯.”
"⋯I have to study. Please don't disturb me."
The student turned his back on Seokjin and sat up straight, as if refusing to answer any further questions. Seokjin apologized for his harsh attitude and stepped back, but he didn't take his eyes off the student's hand.
"⋯⋯."
I'm shaking. My hand holding the pen keeps slipping.
Seokjin shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned back, observing the reactions of the students around him. Even if he spoke very quietly, there was no way Seokjin and the students wouldn't have heard his conversation in this quiet place.
김석진
"⋯⋯."
The students sitting around him watched Seokjin. They hunched over, studied him with their eyes, and habitually clenched and unclenched their hands.
Oh, I decided not to take on drug-related cases for the time being. My honed instincts told me that those vitamins were suspicious.
"Detective! What are you doing while the students are studying?"
And then, just as I was about to ask the student about vitamins, the principal suddenly appeared and grabbed my arm, dragging me out of the classroom.
전정국
"name."
"⋯⋯."
전정국
"The more this happens, the more time you lose studying. Let's hurry up and do it."
“⋯Aren’t I being questioned as a witness right now? It feels like I’m being interrogated.”
Perhaps because he couldn't go with Yeoju, Jeongguk couldn't hide the fact that he was unusually nervous and turned the page without even looking at the face of the student sitting in front of him.
Yeonjun, who is not a real police officer but is just a member of the special investigation team, just watches Jungkook's actions as if he were Namil, and Namjoon, who is standing with his hands on the desk, sighs, regretting that he was not able to stop Jungkook.
김남준
"⋯I'm sorry if you felt that way. He's not feeling very well today."
"But shouldn't the police not allow personal feelings to enter into the investigation of a witness?"
Namjoon blinked slowly, startled by the student speaking directly, looking once at Jungkook and once at Namjoon. Yeonjun, with his dry gaze, also turned to the student.
김남준
"You're smart. What's your dream?"
"⋯The police."
김남준
"Are you preparing for the police academy?"
"yes."
김남준
"I'll be a good police officer. I can see you're being honest."
The student stared intently at Namjoon, who snickered, and kept his mouth shut. It seemed as if he was searching for something to say, finding Namjoon's compliment awkward.
김남준
"What's your name?"
"⋯⋯."
김남준
"This isn't an interrogation, this is a witness questioning. You know this is a necessary step to solve the case, so I don't need to ask you again to tell me what you know, right?"
Namjoon pulled up a chair and sat down next to Jungkook. He smiled softly, but there was a strange charisma to it. The student took notice and slowly nodded.
"⋯My last name is Jeon, my first name is Min. I am an only child."
전정국
"When I asked, you didn't even answer."
김남준
"Jungkook. Be quiet and write it down."
전정국
"⋯⋯."
Jungkook, his mouth shut, glared at Namjoon before writing Min's name on the chart. Min, who had been quietly watching his name being written, turned his gaze again at Namjoon's voice calling his name.
김남준
"Do you know about the incident that recently occurred among the students around here? I heard there was a victim at this academy too."
"⋯Yeah, well. I only know what I've heard from time to time."
김남준
"Did you know the victim at this academy?"
"No. I found out about that kid after something happened."
Min shook her head and answered Namjoon's question honestly, while Namjoon fiddled with his watch, lost in thought. It had been two hours since he'd arrived at the academy and interviewed the students. In that time, the only answer he'd gotten from them was, "I don't know."
In the classroom we'd briefly borrowed for the interview, the only sound was the whirring of a ballpoint pen in Jeongguk's hand. Thump, thump. The rhythmic sound only ceased when Jeongguk dropped the pen.
김남준
"Okay... Okay. Thanks for your cooperation. Sorry for taking up your time. You can go study."
"I, but⋯⋯."
As Yeonjun raised his hand to ask for another student to come in, Min grabbed Namjoon faster than he could.
"I know of a kid who died at another academy besides ours."
김남준
"⋯⋯What?"
전정국
"who?"
"She used to be a friend of mine, but she started getting weirder and weirder, so I cut her off. But then I suddenly heard a rumor that she died…"
전정국
"What's that guy's name?"
"It's Ga-eun. Ga-ga-eun. She's a girl."
김남준
"What do you mean, it's become strange? Have you seen anything yourself?"
"Um⋯⋯."
Min trailed off for a moment, as if recalling Ga-eun. Then, he blurted out a single word, "Ah," and looked back and forth between Namjoon and Jungkook.
"He habitually bit his lips, bit his nails, and couldn't sit still, as if he was anxious about something. Oh, and he even jumped from high places."
김남준
"Jump from a high place⋯?"
"He suddenly jumped down from the top of the desk or from a flight of stairs that was about four or five steps high. I watched him and thought, 'That's because he goes diving every weekend.'"
Min shook his head, saying he couldn't understand his actions back then no matter how much he thought about it. Namjoon, unable to find a definitive answer to Min's story, thanked her for sharing it. He then looked to Yeonjun to let the next student in.
김남준
"Next student, come in, ⋯⋯."
최연준
"⋯⋯."
김남준
"Why are you suddenly like that? What's wrong?"
Yeonjun's face hardened in an instant after hearing Min's story. Namjoon, finding this strange, rose from his seat and approached Yeonjun. Jungkook, who had been sitting in his chair, also leaned forward and looked at Yeonjun.
최연준
"⋯I'm not a cop and I've never caught all kinds of crazy people like you guys. So I'm not sure⋯⋯."
김남준
"Why? What is it?"
최연준
"As you know, assuming there is no medical condition, habitual tremors, nail-biting or lip-biting are reactions that occur in people who are addicted to drugs."
김남준
"⋯⋯What, so he died from drugs? But there's not enough evidence to say that."
최연준
"But, you suddenly tried to jump from a high place. You have a hobby of diving every weekend. This is because the person in question remembers their environment and is influenced by it…"
For a moment, memories of what had happened at the aquarium and the doll shop flashed through his mind. "No way," thought Namjoon, staring straight at Yeonjun.
최연준
"⋯It matches the characteristics of the drugs made by Kathartish."
'Ha.' A sigh escaped someone.
Long time no see! I missed you! I suddenly installed Fanple because I didn't want to study, and then I came across the underlined part in Pital's post (lol) and started scribbling.
What's with the fact that they even put my family on paper like this... (touched) Just in case, I'm telling you this: I've never asked you, Pital, to promote my work! (I don't promote my own work either.)
Some of you have asked if you can recommend my work in the comments, but you don't have to ask for permission! I'm so grateful, so I bow deeply!!! 🙇🏻♂️
I was reading through all the episodes to remember the story again, and I almost gave up because I got dizzy... (not lying...) Hahaha... It's a bit like puberty, but I'll continue with this style... hahaha...
I have less than 400 days left until the CSAT! Let's all work hard! Fighting! 👊🏻👊🏻
Please rate, comment, and cheer! (I wanted to comment once 😳)