Incheon Police Station 12:23 p.m.

Min-Young was staring at his phone screen. He had received an email from Captain Haneul a few minutes ago. The case file he had requested had finally arrived. He stretched his arms out and cracked his knuckles. He then stood up from his chair, eager to dive into the case file that had just been sent to him by Captain Haneul. The sound of his chair scraping against the marble floor echoed through the office as he made his way over to his computer. He then logged into his account and opened the case file.

Case File: Accident on Manisan Mountain

Case Number: 2023-MM-ACC

Date of Incident: October 22, 2023

Date of Case Closure: October 30, 2023

Location: Manisan Mountain, Hiking trail 3-B

Reporting Officer: Park Ranger Unit 4, Manisan Mountain Reserve

Victims:

- Lee Seo-jun, Age 21

- Kang In-su, Age 19

- Hana Choi, Age 20

Lead Investigator: Serious Crimes Unit Team B, Captain Seong Haneul

Incident Summary

On October 22, 2023, a tragic accident occurred on Manisan Mountain involving three students from a local college. On the morning of 22nd October, the bodies of three of the students were found. A park ranger reported the incident and was subsequently investigated by local authorities.

Investigation and Findings

October 22:

-09:15 - Emergency services alerted to the incident.

-09:45 - First responders arrived and secured the location.

-10:30 - Victims were found and determined to have died from a fall.

-11:00 - Preliminary investigation initiated.

October 23:

-Autopsies confirmed death by blunt force trauma consistent with a fall. Alcohol has also been found in the body of the three victims. The individuals were drunk while hiking the trail.

-Interviews with the hiking group were conducted; no foul play was suspected.

-Mechanical examination of the hiking equipment found no malfunctions or signs of sabotage.

October 24-29:

-A comprehensive review of weather conditions was conducted; no adverse weather was present.

-Analysis of victims' belongings did not reveal any anomalies. Only the phone of Lee Seo-jun (deceased) has not been found.

-Examination of the terrain suggested a loss of footing as the most likely cause of the fall.

Evidence

-Scene Photographs: Showed no signs of struggle or external interference.

-Autopsies: Indicated accidental deaths with injuries consistent with a high fall.

-Witness Testimonies: Corroborated the absence of any suspicious behavior or unknown individuals.

Conclusion

After a thorough investigation by the police, the deaths of Lee Seo-jun, Hana Choi, and Kang In-su have been ruled accidental. The investigation found that the victims likely slipped and fell while navigating a dangerous section of Hiking Trail 3B. The autopsies, weather reports, and witness statements all support this conclusion. No evidence of foul play or criminal activity was discovered during the investigation.

Case Status: Closed

Signed: Captain Seong Haneul

The phone of one of the victims is missing. And no one has found it till now? Min-Young then scrolled to the page which consisted of photos of the crime scene.

One of the photos captured the position of all three bodies together. There were arrow marks and names of the victims that were drawn on the photo to indicate which person was lying where. Min-Young frowned as he studied the photo more closely.

It was clear that two of the victims; Hana Choi and Kang In-su had landed in a tight formation, almost as if they had been pushed together. On the other hand, Lee Seo-jun's body was about one and a half meters away from the other two. The lower half of his body was partially submerged in a water body. Min-Young then opened another tab and pulled up a map of hiking trail 3-B. On the map, it was clear that there was a small river near the trail.

Why is the third victim apart from the others? Min-Young studied the terrain in the photo. There were no tilted platforms that could indicate that the body had rolled over. It was possible that the third victim, Lee Seo-jun, had slipped off from a slightly different part of the edge. This might have caused him to fall slightly further than the others.

Min-Young then looked at the map of the trail and noticed that the hiking trail 3-B had been closed for the past seven months as the trail was deemed unsafe. Why would they be hiking on a trail that is closed?

As he continued to ponder these questions, he noticed something peculiar about the case. While the cause of death was ruled as accidental, there was no mention of any measures taken to recover the missing phone belonging to Lee Seo-jun.

He then scrolled to another page which contained personal information, contacts, text messages, and the family background of the victims.

After that, scrolled through the pages containing the post-mortem report of the victims. As he read through the report, his eyes widened in disbelief. The report stated that all three victims had died from injuries sustained in the fall. However, upon closer inspection, he noticed something strange. The post-mortem report of Lee Seo-jun mentioned a broken neck as well as blunt force trauma to the head. This was caused due to the fall and was confirmed as the cause of death. Lee Seo-jun had probably fallen head first.

The post-mortem reports of Hana Choi and Kang In-su showed that they had suffered severe injuries like broken limbs, fractured ribs, and a broken head which was the cause of death. On the other hand, Lee Seo-jun had suffered no such injuries.

Min-Young's eyes darted to the picture again, focusing on the body's position. He leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. Why did Lee Seo-jun's body land so far away from the other two? Was it because he slipped off a slightly different part of the edge?

He then returned to the post-mortem report of the victims. This time he noticed something even more strange. The time of death of the victims was different. Hana Choi and Kang In-su died around 2:00 a.m. on October 22. However, Lee Seo-jun died about half an hour later.

He frowned as he tried to make sense of this new information. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He thought to himself, "Team B ruled it out as an accident. The toxicology report says that the victims were drunk...which most likely led them to lose their footing and fall to their deaths. The injuries suffered by the victims also suggest that it was an accident." Min-Young took in a deep breath. "However,...there are still a few inconsistencies that need to be addressed. The position of Lee Seo-jun's body, the time difference between his death and the others, the missing phone, and the lack of significant injuries on his body raise some questions."

Min-Young ruffled his hair and murmured, "Right now my biggest question is...why do the victim's parents believe it's not an accident?"

He then picked up the telephone on his desk and dialed a number on it. The call was picked up almost immediately. A woman on the other side spoke. "Hello, this is Incheon Police's digital forensic department. How may I help you?"

Min-Young cleared his throat and spoke. "Hey, This is Officer Min-Young from the Serious Crimes Unit Team A."

"What may I do for you, officer?"

"I want information regarding the call records from a phone."

"May I know the phone number or the phone owner?"

"One moment." Min-Young scrolled to the page that contained Lee Seo-jun's personal information. "The owner's name is Lee Seo-jun and the phone number is +82 XX XXXX YYYY"

The woman on the other end replied, "Got it. What type of information are you looking for?"

"It's a phone that belongs to one of the victims of the Manisan accident, Lee Seo-jun. I need all the call records from the day before his death."

"Alright, I will send them to you in a minute."

"Thank you." After hanging up, Min-Young looked at his watch. The time was 2:27 p.m.

He then looked up at the screen that was displaying Lee Seo-jun's contacts. His parents' numbers were included as well. He remembered the event that had taken place that morning. "...IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT! MY SON IS NOT SO STUPID TO DIE THAT WAY! WHY DON'T YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND?" The old woman that morning had picked up a broken vase piece and threatened Haneul with it. At that moment, Min-Young only stood there as he watched the group wreaking havoc in the station.

It reminded him of something he had been desperately trying to forget. The memory hit him like a tidal wave. The image of his mother, her voice trembling with desperation, kneeling before a police officer, pleading for her husband's innocence, seared itself into Min-Young's soul. "He's being framed for something he didn't do! Why can't you understand? My husband will be hanged, officer. Please... you have to help him."

Tears streamed down her anguished face, her voice cracking with despair, as she begged for mercy that seemed out of reach. The police officer, unmoved by her pleas, spoke in a cold, detached tone, "Ma'am, we have evidence against your husband. He will have his day in court."

Min-Young, only a teenager at the time, felt a surge of helplessness and rage as he watched his mother's desperate attempts to save his father. "Mom, please... don't beg them. They won't listen," he pleaded, his voice choked with unshed tears.

His mother turned to him, her eyes filled with a mix of anguish and fierce determination. "Min-Young, I will fight for your father with every breath in my body. He's innocent, and I won't let them destroy him."

The memory of that day, the futility of his mother's pleas, and the injustice inflicted upon his family continued to haunt Min-Young, leaving an indelible mark on his heart.

Min-Young leaned back on his chair and took a deep breath. "...Mom," He sighed.

Min-Young's mother's words echoed in his mind as he thought about the similar situation with the victims' parents. He couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy for them. Despite the evidence against their claims, they were adamant that it wasn't an accident.

He then took his phone and dialed a number that was on his computer screen. The phone rang for two minutes before it was picked up. "Hello?" A woman on the other side responded.

"Hi, is this Lee Seo-jun's mother?"

There was silence for a few seconds. The woman then replied, "...Yes...May I know who this is?"

"I'm calling from Incheon Police Station-"

"Ahh, so you're a policeman. What do you want? Did you call me to give me a warning?!" The woman spoke before Min-Young could finish his sentence. "You're one of Captian Haneul's subordinates, am I right?" Her voice was laced with anger.

"Ma'am, please listen-"

"Just go and tell that woman that I will not stop coming to the police station until she reopens the case! YOU HEAR ME?!"

Min-Young had already expected such an outrageous response. Fortunately, the woman had not yet cut the call. "Ma'am, you are mistaken. I am not one of Captain Haneul's subordinates. However, I am a part of the Serious Crimes Unit Team A. And I didn't call you to give you a warning."

"Then what do you want from me?!"

"...My name is Park Min-Young. I was just looking into the case your son was involved in... I am sorry for your loss. I know how you feel right now."

"Did you call just to tell me that? To tell me that you feel sorry?"

"Ma'am, please hear me out. This is important."

However, the woman was not ready to listen. "I don't care what you have to say! You are just like the rest of them! You don't care about the truth! My son did not die in an accident!" She broke down into tears, as those words came out of her mouth. "...Do you have children, officer?"

Min-Young was taken aback by her question. "I-I do not."

The woman's voice softened. "Then, you can't understand how I feel. My son was everything to me. He was my world. And now, he's gone, and they tell me it was an accident? How can I believe that? I know he wouldn't have done something so stupid as to fall off a cliff... Every night I see my son's face in my dreams... As if he's trying to tell me... that he needs help."

Min-Young fell into silence. The woman continued, "Do you know how many policemen came to me when my son passed away?... They came to console me. And they all said the same thing you said to me just now...They said they knew how I feel."

Min-Young listened intently to the woman's words. He knew that he couldn't give her false hope or promise anything he couldn't deliver. The woman's crying could be heard through the phone. "You police are all the same...You guys think you're heroes in the line of justice. You guys act as if you guys are protectors of society. But in reality, you don't even care... You're all the same."

"...You're right," Min-Young said with a heavy voice.

The woman was a bit surprised. However, her crying did not stop. "W-what do y-you mean?"

Min-Young paused, feeling the weight of the woman's words. He took a deep breath and spoke with a heavy heart, "You're right. I can't imagine the pain you're going through. I may not have children, but I do understand loss... I understand how it feels to have someone close to you taken away from you. I understand how it feels to question the system and not get any answers. And I understand how it feels to feel powerless in the face of injustice... And I know what it's like to lose a mother."

There was silence on the other end of the line. Min-Young continued, "I'm sorry if my earlier words made you feel like I didn't care. That wasn't my intention. I really am trying to help you. I am looking into the case with all the resources I have."

"Y-you...you really...mean that?"

"I do," Min-Young said with a firm tone. "I called because there is something I wanted to ask. I was looking into the Manisan accident case file. And there are things I noticed that didn't seem to make any sense. So, I want to get to the bottom of it. And I promise you that I will not stop until I've found the truth... Your son deserves that much...and so do the other kids."

The woman seemed to calm down a little.

"So, my question is...why do you believe it wasn't an accident?" Min-Young asked.

There was silence on the other end once again.

"Is it simply because you can't come to terms with the fact that your son is not here anymore?...or is it because you know something?"

However, there was no response on the other end.

Min-Young sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be an easy conversation for her. "Ma'am, I need to be honest with you. As of now, we don't have concrete evidence to rule out the possibility of an accident. But if you have any information, anything at all, please don't keep it to yourself. It might be the key we need to unravel the truth... the only lead to uncover what truly happened to those children."

The silence that followed was deafening.

"Ma'am, are you still there?" Min-Young's voice echoed through the receiver, urgency creeping into his tone.

After what seemed like an eternity, the woman's voice quivered through the line, laden with hesitation. "...I...I received a call from Seo-jun that night."