They would be returning to the car after what had happened at the venue. Detective Oh, sitting in the passenger seat, felt as if every part of her was suddenly rigid. Jihwan was still Jinhwan, yet he seemed so different to her. Kissing him had been incredible, and if the phone hadn't rung, who knows what might have happened. They might have ended up in bed together, complicating even further the relationship that should have remained purely professional. Yet she felt that the kiss had been like a lit fuse whose length no one could predict. Perhaps the bomb would explode months from now, perhaps never, or maybe much sooner than either of them expected.
During the drive, they remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts. While Detective Ho wondered about the nature of their friendship, Jin Hwan couldn’t shake off his anger towards the unknown man who ruthlessly harassed a woman, even going so far as to break into her home. He wondered how Detective Ho could ignore how dangerous the situation was. After all, she should know well how ruthless and malicious people could be. How many terrible cases had she worked on? Trusted individuals who, overnight, became tormentors. So, he could only imagine what kind of caution to expect from a complete stranger.
For all he knew—which was very little—this maniac must have been obsessed with Detective Ho's beauty, and little by little was trying to get closer to her while also trying to scare her. He recalled a case of a man who became aroused by following girls at night, driven by the thrill their fear gave him. Eventually, just following them wasn’t enough. He needed to terrorize them even more, a perverse need that ultimately led him to murder. Jinhwan wouldn’t have been surprised if Detective Ho’s stalker had similar perversions. If that were the case, it wouldn’t be long before he did something much worse.
They arrived at Detective Oh’s apartment, and she was the first to get out of the car. Jinhwan watched her, so proud, confident, and courageous, but behind his eyelids still burned the image he had seen earlier: a liberated, hungry Detective Ho. That thought momentarily made him lose focus, and he had to quickly push it away. It wasn't the time to give in to hormones, at least not yet. He would make sure they returned to the topic once the urgent matters were dealt with.
“What floor do you live on?” Jinhwan asked as they reached the elevator. Detective Oh answered, and he pressed the corresponding button on the illuminated panel.
The elevator moved slowly up the shaft. It was as if both of them were attuned to every small metallic noise. They were both on high alert, aware of the potential danger awaiting them, even though they both wanted to pretend it wasn’t a real possibility.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Detective Oh was the first to step out, followed closely by Jihwan, who kept a close watch on her. The detective quickly punched the digits into the keypad, the sound of the keys pressing seemed almost ominous in the corridor. When she pressed the final button, the lock clicked open. She placed her manicured hand on the doorknob and turned it, opening the door with a swift motion.
The apartment was dark and silent. Her heart was racing in her chest, but for a completely different reason than it had been at the venue. Jinhwan stepped past her and entered the apartment without hesitation. Detective Ho noticed that Jinhwan had his index and middle fingers resting near his gun, ready to draw if necessary.
Detective Oh reached out to the wall and flipped the light switch.
There was nothing in the apartment to suggest that someone had entered without permission. The place looked exactly as Detective Oh had left it, and at least from what they could see, there were no other envelopes containing messages.
They remained silent as they moved through the rooms together, covering each other's backs. After checking all the rooms, looking under the beds, and inspecting the closets, they concluded that whoever had been there must have already left.
"I’m not comfortable with the fact that he knows your code," Jihwan said. "You need to change it immediately."
"If I change it, he won't be able to get in, but it will be much harder for me to figure out who he is," Detective Oh replied.
"I won’t let you stay here knowing that this stalker might come in and harm you. As skilled as you are, you’re not invincible, and if someone were to ambush you while you’re asleep, you wouldn’t be able to defend yourself."
Jihwan’s words were harsh but accurate. However, something inside her told her that changing the code might not be the best choice for the overall picture.
"I really want to find out who this person is, Jihwan," she insisted.
"Fine, I’m not going to stop you from figuring it out, nor am I going to force you to change your home code. However, there is one thing I will not accept."
Detective Oh raised an eyebrow skeptically and crossed her arms. "And what might that be?"
Jihwan ran his hand through his brown hair, then sighed in frustration. It was the first time Detective Oh had seen him truly tense. "Pack your things and come stay with me. It’s not safe here. I wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing you’re here while that man might come at any moment. It would make me a much less effective assistant. Doesn’t that have an impact on your case, Detective Oh?"
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