Chapter 5 — House In The Forest

As they slowly reached deeper into the forest, they saw a gray stone wall three meters high, which enclosed a fairly large area just before the dense forest in the back. Maybe less than a meter before the gate, the forest path turned into a gravel driveway. The gate was huge and also three meters tall, all made of metal, in a slightly darker shade of gray than the wall around. The very modern looking surveillance camera was located where the wall was in contact with the metal frame of the gate. The camera has moved right away when their car drove on a gravel part of the road.

"I don't see any intercoms..." Hyun Woo spoke up, scanning with his eyes the gate and parts of the wall nearby.

"What are we supposed to do? Knock?" asked Soo Min, a little bit annoyed.

At the same moment she said it tough, the gate clicked slightly and began to move automatically, disappearing behind the wall and opening for them a way inside. Hyun Woo moved the car forward again and felt clearly that the road from the gravel one had now turned into a well paved. Then they could see a large two-story house in a very modern style in the distance. It looked like a dozen squares connected together in various ways. The color was white, with black shutters and window sills. The porch was small, as the front door. Several wild trees were left around, also few cherry trees were planted, which, however, at this time of year no longer had flowers. In addition, there were slightly more bushes, mainly of roses, and the lawn was clearly groomed. Ivy climbed one of the side walls of the house, occupying almost half of space. On the other side was a garage clearly connected to the house. It was quite large, indicating that Choi Hyun Sik was holding more than one car there.

When Hyun Woo drove the car through the gate, a security guard stood in the road, a tall and broad-shouldered man dressed all in black with short hair and an earpiece in his ear. Hyun Woo stopped the car, and then the guard came to the car from driver's side. Hyun Woo lowered the window, then the man leaned slightly, looking inside.

"Please state the reason for your visit and do you have an appointment." said the security guard in a very low voice.

"I'm detective Jung Hyun Woo, and this is my partner, detective Kim Soo Min. We are from Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Investigation Department, Violent Crime Section and we are currently dealing with the Cherry Blossom Reaper case." this time he introduced them both, and each of them showed their badges. "We came to talk to Choi Hyun Sik about the disappearance of his sister, Choi Ye Eun, who has been confirmed as another victim of the 'Reaper'." Hyun Woo explained next. "This morning we were talking with Madam Lee and she was supposed to inform her son about our visit." he added finally.

"Please wait a moment." the security guard took the phone from the inside pocket of the leather jacket he had on and called. "Master, detectives from Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Investigation Department, Violent Crime Section just came. Shall I bring them in?" he asked, then listened to the person on the other side, nodding his head slightly and hung up, hiding the phone back. "The young master is ready to meet you, detectives. You can go on and leave the car near the garage. Then I will lead you inside the house." the guard informed them.

"Thank you." Hyun Woo replied and drove the car a little further into the parking lot, just below the house, near the garage. When Soo Min and Hyun Woo got out of the car, the same bodyguard appeared beside them.

"I would also ask you to leave the weapon in the car, detective Jung and detective Kim." the man said immediately. "For security reasons Mr. Choi decided that no one can bring any dangerous objects into the house of the young master." he explained.

"But we showed our badges, we are not dangerous." Soo Min sighed, even more annoyed.

"I understand, but that's Mr. Choi's order. I can't do anything about it." the bodyguard replied apologetically. "I can't let anyone with any weapon inside, so please." he repeated.

"Okay, we'll leave the weapon." Hyun Woo said delicately, then looked at Soo Min significantly. She gave up and soon they both left their weapons in the car and Hyun Woo, watched closely by Soo Min, closed the door correctly.

"Hold on the keys, you will have to get us out of here later." Soo Min said when Hyun Woo wanted to give her the car keys. "Just make sure you won't lose them." she added warningly.

"Okay, no problem. I will be careful." assured Hyun Woo, hiding the keys in his leather jacket's pocket which had a zipper, so they could be more secure in there.

"We are ready, lead us." Soo Min turned to the security guard and he started walking towards the porch, then up the stairs to the main door. Another bodyguard stood beside them.

"I'm leading detectives from Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Investigation Department, Violent Crime Section. They are supposed to meet the young master." the guard explained to his colleague.

"I was informed about that visit." said the other and walked over to the electronic lock that opened the door. He pushed back the flap that covered the keyboard. Then with his whole body, which was as well built as his colleague's, he obstructed the view for everyone to securely enter the code. Only the sound of buttons pressed one after the other indicated that he was indeed entering the code, and then the lock clicking could be heard as the front door opened. The man pressed the handle and opened the door wide, holding it so that his colleague and a pair of detectives could calmly enter. When everyone was inside, the door closed immediately.

The interior of the house was not as impressive as in the Choi family residence, in here the minimalism definitely dominated. The furniture looked quite modest, but it was obvious that they were solidly made. Actually, only a large number of expensive-looking paintings hanging on the walls and shelves bending from a whole bunch of books, music CDs or DVDs with movies, a large and definitely modern TV set, also equally modern music player, indicated that a rather rich person lived here.

"Young master Choi is upstairs in his studio." the security guard informed Soo Min and Hyun Woo, then he started climbing the stairs to the first floor and they followed him immediately. Once they were on the floor, the man led them down a corridor to a pair of large, white painted doors. The security guard knocked on them several times.

"Young master, I brought the detectives as you asked." he said louder through the door.

"I'll let you in soon." a male but slightly delicate voice could be heard. Then the sounds of moving something on the carpet and other rustling could be heard, and finally the lock clicked and the door opened wide. A tall and slim man stood in the doorway, black eyes and hair cut short, but long enough to cover his neck, and he had to pull his bangs away from his forehead. His hair was messy, same as the crumpled white shirt and black pants he was wearing. The shirt additionally had several buttons unbuttoned, which is why one could clearly see the collarbones and part of the man's chest, which slightly distracted Soo Min. He was definitely before 30, had rather narrow eyes, almost perfectly even, small nose, and his lips were more feminine. The shape of his face resembled a drop of water turned upside down. In addition to his height, broad shoulders and long legs stood out in his physique. His feet were bare, which also immediately caught the attention of both detectives.

"Hello and in advance I'm sorry for the mess. I'm in the process of doing my creations." the man said, looking at Soo Min and Hyun Woo. "Jun Ho, you can go now." he then turned to the security guard, who immediately listened and walked away and the young man turned his gaze on Soo Min and Hyun Woo again, gesturing them to the room. "Please, come in." he added, trying to smile, but it didn't went well. Generally, it was clear at first glance that Choi Hyun Sik was more of an introvert type. He tried to maintain eye contact, but he would look away from time to time. Even while speaking loud and clear he looked slightly shy.

Soo Min and Hyun Woo entered the room and looked around. It housed several tables full of various cutting and sewing utensils, also for drawing designs. One of them also had a quite large sewing machine. The largest of them also contained materials of various colors and templates for cutting out various pieces of clothing. There were several mannequins in the center, but most were covered with black sheets.

"I already have several projects practically ready, so I had to cover them, since all my projects till the release date are the fashion house secret." explained Hyun Sik probably noticing their curious looks on covered mannequins. "Detectives, please sit down." he pointed to a small sofa located on the other side of the room, in the very corner. He himself took the armchair located opposite. "Maybe you would like something to drink?" he suggested, looking at them both rather uncertainly.

"There is no need. We came here for a specific purpose and it would be better to get straight to the point." replied Soo Min, and Hyun Woo prepared a notebook and pen at once. "I am detective Kim Soo Min, and this is my partner, detective Jung Hyun Woo. We are from Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Investigation Department, Violent Crime Section. After your sister's disappearance and confirmation that she was the victim of the Cherry Blossom Reaper, the case was handed down to us." she introduced them.

"I understand." he replied briefly and the smile he was trying to force so far had now completely disappeared from his face.

"Your name is Choi Hyun Sik or Hyun Choi, as you use for your work, you're 27 years old and a successor of the Choi family, fashion designer of the family's fashion house, and an older brother of the Cherry Blossom Reaper victim Choi Ye Eun, is all of that right?" asked Hyun Woo.

"Yes, that's right." confirmed Hyun Sik.

"Where were you on Sunday evening when your younger sister, Choi Ye Eun, went missing?" this time Soo Min asked the question.

"I was here in this house and exactly in the same room as now. I was waiting here for the bodyguards who were supposed to arrive on Monday. For security reasons, I had the gate closed and all the doors, and I didn't go anywhere." Hyun Sik answered calmly.

"If you were alone here, can anyone confirm that you haven't left home?" asked Hyun Woo.

"You must have noticed that I have a camera at the gate. I can call my security company that is also involved in monitoring and ask them to provide you with a camera record of that particular day." assured Hyun Sik, looking at him.

"Perfect, we would be really grateful." Soo Min pointed out. "Another thing... Have you noticed recently that someone suspicious was hanging around your sister? Maybe a complete stranger or some of her friends behaved strangely?" she asked.

"One of the undoubtedly suspicious types that has been around my sister for a long time is Jang Chang Ho, her so called fiancé." Hyun Sik responded with contempt clearly audible in his voice. "I don't understand how my father could arrange Ye Eun engagement with this guy. Only because he is the son of his lawyer." he sighed. "Detective Kim, detective Jung, I think even you know what a reveler he was." added Hyun Sik.

"Everyone can change." Hyun Woo noticed.

"I don't believe that someone with a past like Jang Chang Ho can change within a few months." Hyun Sik replied in a slightly dry tone. "At various events he was able to insolently flirt with other girls almost in front of me and my sister's eyes. He was getting very drunk more than once and twice. I bet that if someone sold drugs at these events, he would not say no. Thank God that our family does not go to parties at common clubs." he added after a while.

"I understand that you may not like your sister's fiancé, but do you have reason to believe that he could stand behind the kidnapping of Ye Eun?" Soo Min asked, watching him closely. Although he showed slight anger, for her he seemed too calm for the whole situation and that aroused her suspicion.

"I would not be surprised if he turned out to be that whole 'Reaper'. I have no hard evidence, but knowing his past and remembering how he behaved afterwards, I can point him out." Hyun Sik answered calmly.

"I understand, we will take this into account." assured Soo Min. "There is one more issue that I would like to ask about, it resulted from our conversations with others." she continued, completely focusing Hyun Sik's attention on herself. "Apparently you behaved somewhat overprotective of your sister and it would not be considered weird at all if it were not stated that you behaved towards her more like a jealous lover than her older brother." she added without taking her eyes off him. However, Soo Min did not expect such a reaction on his part. Hyun Sik laughed slightly.

"Let me guess..." he said after a moment, again focusing his eyes on her. "Jang Chang Ho said such a stupid statement, right?" asked Hyun Sik, but as if he were sure of it, so didn't give them time to answer. "Chang Ho once asked me directly if I was in love with my sister. He probably does not remember it because he was heavily under the influence of alcohol, but I remember perfectly." he explained quickly. "So, detective Kim and detective Jung, I will tell you the same thing that I told him back then, at least more or less, since none of you is drunk." Hyun Sik paused here, taking a deeper breath. "I care for my sister just like any other older brother would. This can be confirmed by anyone who has seen my interactions with Ye Eun. It's true that I'm more emotional and open to her than to other people, but it's only because she knows how to talk to me." he continued as if slightly annoyed by the fact that had to explain such things. "If someone is trying hard to find a bad intentions, looking at my behavior towards my own sister, then such a person has a problem and is perverted. But in the case of Chang Ho, I'm not surprised that he creates stories straight from pornographic movies. But the terrible thing is that he draws me and my sister and his fiancé into his dirty fantasies." he added, disgusted.

"Okay, I understand." Soo Min sighed. "We wrote your words down and will definitely remember about that." she assured him. "If you have nothing more to tell us in this matter, it will be everything on our part." added Soo Min at the end.

"The only person I can also mention as a suspect is Seo In Sung." Hyun Sik replied. "But if you have already talked to my mother before, she probably told you everything about his behavior. I can only sign under her each word." he added.

"So can you confirm that Seo In Sung was obsessed with your sister?" this time Hyun Woo asked the question.

"Yes, he made such an impression." Hyun Sik confirmed, nodding slightly.

"So did you try to speak up about it like your mother or Chang Ho?" asked Soo Min.

"Maybe not in a public like those two, but many times I talked to my father in private." Hyun Sik replied sighing heavily. "But my father did not take even my words seriously. You may think that as his heir and successor, I have more power than he has... But in fact I am just another pawn on the CEO Choi's board. I even more have to listen to my father and accept his decisions without any 'buts'. I'm locked in a golden cage. I have money, but I'm not allowed to do anything I want. Every decision I have to consult with my father so that he can decide whether what I want to do is safe or appropriate for me." he explained, and for the first time there was a feeling in his eyes seen very clearly, and it was sadness.

"I understand." Soo Min replied, not going to delve into the subject any more. From the first moment she met CEO Choi, she saw that changing his mind on any topic needed a miracle. Although at the beginning Choi Hyun Sik aroused some suspicion in her, now she was a bit sorry for this young man. Many people did not understand that children from rich families were not always happy, despite the fact that they lacked nothing financially. In high school, Soo Min had a girl friend from a wealthy family who unexpectedly committed suicide at the beginning of the third grade. Everyone was shocked, especially when the girl's diaries were discovered, in which she wrote how terribly she felt mentally.

"Is there anything else you would like to add?" Hyun Woo asked and Soo Min looked at him grateful that he took the initiative.

"No, nothing else comes to my mind right now." Hyun Sik replied.

"In that case, we're done for today, but if you would remember something, I'll give you a contact information." Soo Min spoke up and took one of her business cards, which she always had ready, from the pocket. "Here is the phone number to our office and the e-mail address, if such a form of contact would suit you better, Choi Hyun Sik-ssi." she explained, handing him a business card.

"Okay, thank you." Hyun Sik replied, taking a business card from her. "I'll have it on hand and if I can think of something, I'll contact you, detective Kim, detective Jung." he assured, looking first at her and then at him and bowing his head slightly.

Soo Min rose from the couch, Hyun Woo right after her, hiding a notebook and pen.

"Thank you for answering our questions." said Soo Min.

"I'm also thankful you came all the way here to meet me, I know well that it's difficult to find this house. And I hope you can find my sister safe and sound." Hyun Sik replied and seemed to be worried, but to Soo Min his face expression seemed a bit artificial.

"No problem, the ride here wasn't that hard. I'm from Gwangju and my friend's grandparents live nearby, so I guessed more or less where to go." answered Hyun Woo. "In addition, Madam Lee, your mother, Hyun Sik-ssi, gave us very clear instructions, and it also helped a lot." he added, smiling very warmly again, as on their previous visits.

"All right then." Hyun Sik answered, also trying to smile, but it turned out quite faint. "I will call Jun Ho so he would take you outside." he added, then got up from the armchair and went to one of the tables on which his phone was lying. He picked it up and quickly choose the number. "Jun Ho? We've finished the conversation and the detectives will be going out." Hyun Sik spoke to the person on the other side of the phone. "So come quickly upstairs, you have to lead them back." he added, then hung up.

Then they waited for about a minute in silence. Soo Min and Hyun Woo were already near the door, ready to go out, and Hyun Sik leaned lightly against the largest table, gazing at the view through the window, and it was beautiful because it showed what was behind the house: a huge forest stretching very far into the distance. It looked like there was no wall on the back side, but a similar metal fence like at Choi's residence. Therefore, it did not block the view like the wall surrounding the front and sides of the house and the surrounding area. Finally, there was a knock on the door, and only then did Hyun Sik move.

"You can come in." he said, and then the door opened and the same security guard stood there, who brought detectives upstairs. "Jun Ho, take care of detective Kim and detective Jung." Hyun Sik added, addressing the man.

"Of course." said the security guard and motioned both detectives to step out into the corridor.

"Goodbye again." Hyun Sik said at the end, then Soo Min and Hyun Woo just bowed their heads slightly before guard closed the door. After that he brought Soo Min and Hyun Woo downstairs, then to the door and outside.

"It was nice meeting you, thank you for your visit and I apologize for the inconvenience about the weapon." the security guard spoke when they stood by the car.

"No worries. We understand that you only carry out your duties, as instructed by Mr. Choi." assured Hyun Woo, sending a warm smile.

"Yes, no problem." Soo Min agreed, also trying to smile, but it didn't come out as warm as her partner's smile.

The security guard smiled back, bowing slightly to them. Then Hyun Woo took the driver's seat and Soo Min on the passenger side. They both fastened their seat belts and Hyun Woo turned the car over to drive towards the gate, which was already starting to slide away. By the time their car got there, the gate was quite open, so they calmly drove out first onto a gravel road and then onto a forest path. The trees thinned as they approached the main road. Once they were on this road, it was going down this time, so the car drove a lot faster. They passed the cemetery quickly and soon also the houses. Then Hyun Woo turned left, entering a larger street. The fishing camp was already a bit empty, there were also fewer cars in the parking lot. Driving further Hyun Woo already speed up the car, but still tried to drive safely. Knowing the way, he didn't turn on GPS at all.

"Evening is approaching..." noticed Soo Min.

"Sunbae, are you hungry?" Hyun Woo asked, but without taking his eyes off the road.

"I admit it, yes." Soo Min replied. "Do you know any good restaurants in Gwangju?" she asked.

"I know the best restaurant in Gwangju." assured Hyun Woo, smiling slightly.

"Well, take us there then. We will eat something and return to Seoul." decided Soo Min.

Hyun Woo nodded and focused on driving. Soo Min, just like on the way here, looked outside the window, delighted at the stretching views. Soo Min thought that she should really spend at least one day of vacations here sometime. And if do not live here later, then at least buy a summer house, maybe not as impressive as the one of Choi Hyun Sik's, but some modest and small. Something similar to the house where the grandparents of a Hyun Woo friend lived. Soo Min wanted to enjoy the views for as long as possible, but after a while, however, fatigue took a toll and she fell asleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Soo Min felt someone tap her shoulder lightly.

"Sunbae-nim? Wake up, we're here." she heard Hyun Woo's voice. "We were supposed to eat and go to Seoul." he reminded, and then Soo Min opened her eyes. She noticed that her head was resting on the Hyun Woo's shoulder and when Soo Min realized this, she jumped in the seat as if someone had burned her.

"Are you all right, Sunbae?" Hyun Woo asked, worried. "You leaned against the window glass, so when I stopped in the parking lot I rested your head on my shoulder for a moment." explained Hyun Woo, guessing that Soo Min could feel ashamed thinking that she leaned her head unconsciously. "I didn't want to wake you up right away Sunbae, but it's been 15 minutes and we have to eat..." he added.

"Okay, okay." Soo Min interrupted him. "I understand. Let's get off..." she stopped here, looking around. They were standing in the parking lot, but next to the apartment block and she saw no restaurant anywhere nearby. "Wait a minute... You said you would take us to the best restaurant in Gwangju." Soo Min added, looking at him slightly confused.

"Yes, I said so." Hyun Woo confirmed. "That's why I brought us to my mother's apartment." he added with a wide smile, unfastening the belt and opening the door.

"So that's what you meant..." said Soo Min, unable to believe what she had heard. But still unhooked her belt and opened the door as she got out of the car.

"There are many good restaurants in Gwangju, but none can match with my mother's cooking skills." Hyun Woo explained, closing the car and slowly moving towards the main entrance to the block near which they stopped. "And we will save a little bit of money, because my mother won't make us pay." he added with a slight amusement.

"Okay, so be it then." Soo Min agreed, following him. "You can give me the keys now, I'll continue driving. I know the road from the Gwangju center to Seoul very well." Soo Min reached out and Hyun Woo gave her the car keys without any hesitation. "Besides, I slept through the road back, so I'm certainly more rested than you." she added with a slight smile.

"Actually, I'm a little tired." Hyun Woo confirmed, opening the door and holding it, letting Soo Min go first, and later entered himself. Then they both headed to the elevator.

"If you want, you'll be able to take a nap on our way to Seoul." Soo Min assured him when they were going up to the sixth floor of the building. When they got off the elevator on this floor, Hyun Woo led Soo Min down the hall to the last door. They both stood in front of them, and Hyun Woo pressed the bell. First, a dog's bark was heard, then footsteps approaching the door. Then they opened and a middle-aged woman stood in them. She was slightly shorter than Soo Min, had a small physique, long hair in black color mixed with gray tied in a ponytail, black eyes and a small head. Her face was similar to Hyun Woo's, only with more feminine features. She was dressed in an airy dress over the knee, in a very light shade of blue, with dark blue polka dots. A medium-sized sapsali dog with white hair, slightly graying at the back, hung around her legs. The dog was apparently very excited about the guests and if his owner wouldn't stand in the door he would probably run closer to them.

"Hyun Woo? Is that really you?" the woman asked, looking at him. "What a pleasant surprise, I did not expect you to visit me so soon. And you brought a friend." she continued, smiling broadly at her son, then Soo Min. "Come in, please." she invited them inside and let into the apartment. The dog immediately started jumping around them, barking from time to time and wagging its tail cheerfully.

"Hello mom, we were in the area and decided to visit." Hyun Woo replied. "This is my partner, detective Kim Soo Min." he introduced his companion.

"Good evening, mother." Soo Min bowed slightly, addressing her with due respect.

"I am very pleased to finally meet you, detective Kim. Hyun Woo talked a lot about you when he called." the woman replied. "My name is Yoon Su Yeon and I'm Hyun Woo's mother," she introduced herself, and when she saw the dog jumping around, she smiled slightly, pointing at him. "And this is Min Hee, our dog. She is very sociable, always happy to see guests." she explained.

"I understand. She is very cute." Soo Min admitted, stroking Min Hee gently with her hand. She had a very soft hair, was clearly a well-groomed dog, although with such a big number of hair it certainly was not easy. "I've never had a pet. We didn't have space in the apartment, and besides, I preferred to focus on learning." she added.

"I hope you will have a nice time with our Min Hee then," said Mrs. Yoon. "Come to the living room, I was preparing dinner. You'll eat with me, right?" she led them to the room and seated at the table.

"To be honest, that's why we visited you." admitted Hyun Woo. "Can I help you in the kitchen?" he offered.

"No need, I'm done. I just have to lay out portions, I can handle it by myself." she assured.

"We were in the area to talk to a family member of the girl who had recently disappeared. That person has a summer house at the other end of town, not far from where So Hyun's grandparents live." explained Hyun Woo, sitting in a chair.

"Really?" Mrs. Yoon looked out of the kitchen. "Is it perhaps about Choi Hyun Sik, the son of this fashion house owner from Gangnam, Seoul?" she added.

"Yes, how do you know?" Hyun Woo asked, surprised. Soo Min, so far focused on playing with Min Hee, who was constantly hanging around her chair, turned her gaze towards them.

"When the construction of this house began, rumors spread throughout the city. After all, the Choi family is known even here, many locals worked on the construction site, so people talked a lot about it." Mrs. Yoon explained while bringing the bowls with rice first. When she came back to the kitchen for the rest, Hyun Woo jumped from his chair and helped her bring a pot of soup and bowls with various dishes, among other things a large portion of kimchi. Mrs. Yoon only smiled at her son, then sat down at the table with them.

"Besides, I heard on television about the disappearance of this daughter from the Choi family." continued Mrs. Yoon. "And apparently this Cherry Blossom Reaper is involved in this. When you called yesterday and mentioned to me that you would take care of this case, I became more interested. I even started to read on the Internet by phone, as you showed me." she added, looking at her son.

"Yes, that's right." admitted Hyun Woo. "And I'm glad you decided to use other functions of your phone besides calling, mom." he added with a slight amusement.

"Have you heard anything more about this house, mother?" Soo Min asked suddenly.

"When I met So Hyun, Hyun Woo's friend from Gwangju police station, he told me a bit about his uncle who was working on the construction of this house." Mrs. Yoon replied. "All I know is that the house was supposed to be well secured, because that's what Mr. Choi, the boy's father, Choi Hyun Sik, decided." she added.

"And it is." Hyun Woo said. "Monitoring, security guards... Locks opened with a code." he mentioned.

"I feel sorry for this young man and his family. They may have more money, but are basically people just like us. This can be seen especially in such situations when something occurs that can happen to anyone. I can't imagine my child disappearing, and in addition because of this Cherry Blossom Reaper. Let's hope this criminal didn't kill those girls whose bodies were not found." Mrs. Yoon replied. "Anyway, let's take care of food. After all, you probably have to go back to Seoul, right? And soon it will start getting dark." she added after a moment.

"Yes, that's true." Soo Min admitted.

"Then let's eat." Mrs. Yoon announced and everyone took care of the food.