“Wait in the car okay? Don’t turn the engine or the lamp on. Don’t let them know you’re here. I’ll be quick.”

He told Evelyn to stay inside the car as they arrived at the police station.

Daehwan came out of the car quickly rushing through the news people so he could enter the building. Just as they expected, the building entrance door was full of reporters and cameramen. They’re reporting it live on the midnight breaking news. Lucky for him to catch none of the attention as he made it sneak inside behind all those busy people as fast as he could.

“I’m Goo reporting from Gangnam region police station. A group of rich kids were busted around 9 pm in one of the well known luxury pubs at Gangnam street as suspected for abusing illegal drugs.”

“One of the suspects might be the former young CEO of one of the companies belonging to the Yang Group. As for now they’re facing investigation and there will be further reports as we will follow up with the suspects representative’s public announcement later.”

Evelyn pauses the live news she’s watching from the car’s dashboard monitor. A call buzzes her phone with an unknown number showing on the screen. She answers it after the third buzzing.

“Yes.”

She listens to other people on the line talking and looking out from the front car glass to the crowded people that are still standing in front of the entrance door of the police station. Daehwan comes out of it, this time from the side building. He makes it out of the building from the back door and walks slowly approaching his car under the dim light of parking lamps.

“Go on with it.” Replied shortly then hung up as soon as Daehwan entered the car.

“I have to go out by the back door. They didn’t even let me slip out from the building.”

“Are you watching the news?”

“Yeah.” Evelyn answers as she replies to a text on her phone.

“The police say Mr. Yang and your brother are on the way to the police station. But they won’t come inside as long as there are still news people there. Do you want to wait here until they come?”

“No, don’t bother. They’ll take care of it. Let’s go home.”

***

Today is the first hearing for the Kang Dong Il murder case. He was sitting in the waiting room before the court started along with three other kids, the main suspect and his suspected accomplices had time to giggle and laugh at each other making some funny jokes regardless of their involvement in a serious case that horrendous the whole nation for half a year.

It took police that long to take them officially to the courtroom as when the case was still new, officials can’t arrest them for long since they’re minors and there’s no solid evidence to process for further actions.

“Hey, isn’t he the cop that came to our school?”

They chuckles, whispering to each other again. With the look of annoying spoiled brats, “Wait till my father gets this shit done. He’ll be finished too.” That kid is Sang Yoon Sik, the one whose suspected as the main defendant for this second degree murder charge.

He tsk. Confidently that his parents would save his asses out from the trouble, Sang Yoon Sik even dares to boast to his friends he would make it alive out of the court today.

“I can’t believe he bombs my final year for a mere lowlife bastard, that nasty orphan…” He continues with an evil grimace while looking at Daehwan. He didn't pay attention to them and was talking to someone, sitting a distance from them.

That man stands up once he finishes talking, followed by a woman. He approaches them, still laughing and making jokes and silly things only for them to understand. Daehwan stops for a moment in front of them. A minute before taking  Evelyn out of the room.

“Seems like you enjoy your time here.” He stares down at them disgusted.

“Sure. Laugh while you can kiddos.”

“There’s this wise saying….”

Before he continues, they stop giggling but still retain those high-hat smiles on their faces.

“The universe doesn’t carry debts. It always returns back to you what you gave it.”

They stay tough looking to prove they are on the innocent side. Evelyn gives them a side glance, doing the same as him while looking at them degrading Daehwan’s words. Her face was full of silent rage none can explain. Sending dark air into the room. When it's their turn to pay her a glance, it sends them to sudden quiet.

“Let’s go.”

Daehwan grabs her hand without looking back. She is still standing there for a moment. Once she’s gone from sight, the creep she sent them before still lingers to their mind.

“What the fuck, that woman looks scary… She creeps me out, shit man!”

“Woo Pilsu, is it true that you’re witnessing Sang Yoon Sik and Rim Yoo Hee go back to the canal?”

The kid nods, “They get off from the bus halfway home.”

Woo Pilsu admits that he got it secondhand for the assault of Kang Dong Il and confesses the attackers were totally six students. Yoon Sik is clearly unhappy with his ex-friend statement. They haven’t had a chance to meet since the arrest but he’s already making sure to give that kid some lessons later once they’re done with the case.

Yoon Sik admitted he only hit Doing Il several times along with three other male students while other female students were standing nearby watching them. His motive was because he felt jealousy after knowing that his crush was getting close to Dong Il. He thought Dong Il dated her, later after the beating he learned the fact that it was all a misunderstanding. Other than that, as he admits. He goes home along with the other kids.

That’s what the four suspects' defenders delivered to the judges and even though it was a different statement made from the magistrates on their report after examinations. The girl who said to be his crush admitted herself that Yoon Sik was also abusing her and some other kids in the school. So the reason for having interest in her was just a made up effort to strengthen his reason to beat Dong Il, and that’d make their defender have a more fortunate position on the hearing.

The court called out one witness, the last witness then even asked police to put her into witness protection program because she’s afraid of Yoon Sik and his parents might threaten her if she witnesses against him in the court.

The crown judge administered the oath to main witness Rim Yoo Hee. She sits inside the witness stand.

“Rim Yoo Hee, Do you swear that the evidence you shall give to the court in this matter shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”

“Do you affirm that the evidence you shall give to the court in this matter shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and that this is your solemn affirmation?”

“I solemnly affirm that the evidence to be given by me shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Rim Yoo Hee affirmed the sworn by stuttering voices. She has to say her commitment so the court can start with her part. The prosecutor delivered the testimonies and began the questioning.

“Is it true that you were involved in an aggravated assault crime involving the victim Kang Dong Il?”

She nods while looking down, hiding her face behind her loose, long hair. That girl clearly looked so depressed. She was experiencing a long and tiring investigation. Yoo Hee threw tantrum on Woo Rim who was investigating her before, she kept denying that she was a perpetrator in the attempted murder of Kang Dong Il.

But that doesn’t put her long in a persistent manner. Soon, the provincial prosecutor threatened that she would face a longer prison term if she didn't corporate on giving statement to prove she was helping Sang Yoon Sik murdered Kang Dong Il. She was crying as loud as she could, asking the prosecutor to help her saying she’s afraid of Sang Yoon Sik.

“Yes…” She answered in a trembling voice.

“Did you come to the place where he was beaten together with your friends?”

She nods, still looking down. Filled with anxiety, avoids observing further into the courtroom situation.

“Who are they?”

Although agitated, she has to do as she’s briefed. She must be cooperative with every testimony so Rim Yoo Hee opens her mouth shivering and  mentions all the suspects including Woo Pilsu as the eye witness.

“Did you come back to the canal after getting on the bus, along with Sang Yoon Sik?”

Rim Yoo Hee remains silent for a moment, then nods again. Agreeing with the statement spoken by the prosecutor. She heard a clicking tongue far across her box, it was Sang Yoon Sik. Rim Yoo Hee keeps explaining the whole details of the event in stuttered voices.