Incheon Police Station. 11:24 p.m.

Min-Young ran his hand through his hair as he went through the case details trying to find anything that could be useful. It was a hectic day. Not only did he get demoted but even the case was closed without proper explanation. On top of that, they now had a new case in their hands. None of the members of Team A had been able to get any sleep for the past few days. The lack of sleep finally started to bother Min-Young as he started feeling dizzy.

Min-Young looked at his watch and took a deep breath. He was quite exhausted. Nam-gil then approached him. Placing his arm on Min-Young's shoulder he said politely, "You should get some sleep. You look terrible."

Min-Young rubbed his eyes and looked at Nam-gil. "We don't have time to sleep."

"I understand that you're annoyed by whatever is going on right now. And to be honest, I'm annoyed as well. So I know how you feel...Solving the case is your top priority and I know that," Nam-gil sighed. "But if you don't get some rest then forget about solving the case, you won't even be able to use that smart brain of yours properly...So get some sleep."

"But-"

"That's an order," Nam-gil said with firmness in his voice. "Get some sleep. I'll handle things here for the time being. I'm the captain after all."

Min-Young sighed. It was of no use arguing any further with Nam-gil. He then got up from his chair and walked out of the room without saying another word. The rest of the officers watched in silence.

"He seems stressed out," said Ji-Won. "Maybe it was a bad idea for him to transfer here. I still don't know why he left Seoul in the first place."

...

Half an hour later.

Min-Young was sitting in a metro, lost in his thoughts. As the train lurched forward, he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. His eyes were heavy, and he leaned his head against the cool glass of the window. The cityscape blurred past him, a kaleidoscope of neon lights. Just as he was about to close his eyes, his phone began to ring. It was a call from Ji-Eun.

Min-Young rubbed his eyes and cleared his throat before picking up the call. "Hello?"

"Hey, are you okay?" Ji-Eun asked with concern in her voice. "You sound really tired."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Min-Young lied, trying to sound more awake. "Just had a long day at work. What's up?"

"Oh...well I just wanted to say sorry."

"What for?"

"For canceling the plan last minute. Some work came up."

Min-Young sighed, knowing all too well the demands of work. "It's alright. Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" Ji-Eun asked, her voice still filled with apology.

"Yes, I'm sure," Min-Young assured her.

There was a few seconds of silence before Ji-Eun continued. "You know...you seem tired. If you want we could meet tomorrow. Same place, same time. You sound exhausted."

"No no, it's fine. I can talk right now. I'm not free tomorrow. We have a new case," Min-Young said with irritation in his voice.

"A new case already?! Well, I guess that's not surprising anymore. This is Incheon after all," Ji-Eun laughed. "I guess you've got quite the burden on your shoulders."

"..."

"So...how have you been this past few years?"

Min-Young turned his attention back to the window as the train rolled into a station. He let out a sigh and leaned his head against the glass. "To be honest, I've been busy. The cases have been piling up, and I haven't had much time for myself."

"I see...Well, it's good to know that you're keeping yourself occupied," Ji-Eun said softly. "You always did have a knack for solving mysteries."

"I guess so," Min-Young replied, his voice laced with exhaustion. "What about you?"

"Well for me, the past few years have been quite joyful," Ji-Eun said excitedly. "I got into a good university. I made a lot of new friends. And then I got my dream job. It feels great!"

Min-Young smiled, "...Good for you." Min-Young listened to her enthusiastic voice, feeling a tinge of jealousy. She seemed to have everything under control, unlike him. He couldn't help but wonder what he was doing with his life. Always busy with work, never taking the time to enjoy himself or make meaningful connections.

Ji-Eun was lying on her bed, looking at the photos of her and Min-Young together in middle school. She paused for a few seconds before saying, "So I've been wanting to ask something." Her voice suddenly turned gloomy.

"Go ahead."

Ji-Eun sighed. "...Why'd you leave?"

Min-Young was a bit puzzled by her question. "What do you mean?"

"Eleven years ago...Why...Why did you leave without saying anything?" Ji-Eun tried her best to hold her tears in. "And why did you come back now?... After all this time?" Min-Young could hear her crying through the phone. Ji-Eun wiped her tears and continued, "Look, I know your parents passed away...and I'm really sorry for that...But that doesn't mean you just disappear and cut off all contacts."

Min-Young felt a pang of guilt in his heart hearing her cry. He knew he was a terrible friend for not keeping in touch with her all these years. He remembered the day he left vividly. He was in his last year of middle school. "Well, I had my reasons...I'm sorry. I should have said something back then."

"It's alright," Ji-Eun sniffled. "I just wish you would have told me. I would have understood. Maybe we could have helped each other..." Her voice trailed off as she remembered all the memories they shared together. Min-Young stayed quiet, feeling a mix of guilt and nostalgia.

"If I remember correctly, you wanted to be a writer," Ji-Eun said after wiping her tears. "How did you end up as a police officer?" she laughed.

Min-Young chuckled softly. "Well, I guess life had other plans for me."

"Your old man would be proud of you for following his footsteps." Ji-Eun flipped through the pages of her photo album, recalling the past. "But why?... Why join the police?"

Min-Young rubbed his forehead and paused for a brief moment before answering, "For personal reasons." He looked out the window of the moving train, lost in thought. "I suppose it's because I wanted to make a difference," he said softly, his voice barely audible over the rumble of the tracks. "I wanted to help people who might not have anyone else to turn to."

There was a moment of silence as Ji-Eun tried to process what he had just said. "Wow," she finally replied. "I never knew you were such a deep thinker." They both laughed nervously, trying to break the tension that had suddenly enveloped them. "Well."

"So you earned the black belt in Judo, I see," Min-Young tried to change the subject.

"Yeah, I did. I thought it would be a good way for me to defend myself." Ji-Eun looked at the photo of her and Min-Young together, practicing Judo in the park. "I remember how much you hated it back then." She laughed softly. "What about you? Did you give up on it? You weren't the athletic type."

"Well...I have quite a few moves up my sleeve," Min-Young laughed.

"I bet you do, Mr. Rock hard abs," Ji-Eun laughed heartily.

"..."

Ji-Eun closed the album and kept it aside. She glanced at the clock in her room and yawned. "You know, it's getting quite late now. Let's talk later." She then hung up the call.

The train pulled into a station. There was barely anyone on the platform. Given the time, it was quite natural. As the train doors slid open, Min-Young stepped out into the cool night air. He walked down the deserted platform, lost in his thoughts. He couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt for not keeping in touch with Ji-Eun. He had been so busy with work that he didn't even realize how much he had missed out on. But it was too late to dwell on the past now.

Suddenly, a notification popped up on his phone. It was a text from Nam-gil.

Nam-gil: I've got news.

Min-Young scratched his head and texted back. "What is it?"

Nam-gil: We're not investigating this case anymore.

Min-Young: What?! Is it being closed again?

Nam-gil: No. Rather, it's being handed to Team C.

Min-Young: Team C?

Min-Young rubbed his eyes. He thought there were only two teams in the Serious Crimes Unit. At least that's how it was in Seoul.

Nam-gil: Yes, Team C. The Serious Crimes Unit consists of three teams. Team A, B, and C. Since the crime rates in Incheon are so high, it's better to increase our manpower. The letters assigned to each team are not based on their performances. The letters are only for separating the teams. But if we talk about performance...

Min-Young: ???

Nam-gil: Team C is better than us and Team B.

Min-Young: Uh-huh.

Nam-gil: The chief thought it would be better if they handled it. He told us to take a break.

Min-Young: How considerate of him.

Nam-gil: Well, at least we have some time to breathe now. But I'm not sure how long it will last. I've been serving the police for a while now. Cases pop up quite often here. You never know, we might have a case in our hands tomorrow.

Min-Young: I am aware.

Nam-gil: Anything you want to ask?

Min-Young: Nah...just doesn't feel right.

Nam-gil: About what? The case transfer?

Min-Young: Yeah.

Nam-gil: You don't have to worry about that. Team C has some of the most experienced officers in the Incheon police force. They'll get the work done.

Min-Young: I sure hope so.

Min-Young slid his phone into his pocket and continued his walk towards the exit of the station. As he stepped out into the bustling city, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness. He knew he should be content with the decision to hand over the case to Team C, but something just didn't sit right with him.

Just then he noticed a homeless man who was sleeping in a corner. He was wearing a ragged coat and a scarf around his neck. Min-Young walked towards him and knelt beside him, taking out his wallet. He opened it and pulled out a few bills, handing them to the man. "Here, take this," he said softly. The man woke up and looked at Min-Young, his eyes full of surprise. His face was covered in dirt and bruises and his eyes were bloodshot. This would normally freak a person out. However, Min-Young ignored it.

"T-Thank you, sir," the man replied. His throat was dry. After uttering three words he began to cough violently. Due to this, the scarf on his neck began to unwrap itself.

Min-Young was about to leave. However, as the scarf unraveled, he noticed something peculiar. There was a small tattoo on the man's neck, a symbol he had seen before. It was the same tattoo he had seen on Liam Jong's neck... A red moon.

He narrowed his eyes for a brief moment. "Are you alright?" Min-Young asked, trying to hide his shock.

The man nodded weakly, still coughing. "You should get some rest," Min-Young suggested, placing a hand on his shoulder. The man nodded again and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes.

Min-Young got up and decided to walk towards his house. It's definitely a coincidence, right?