Chapter 11 — In The Void

Next day CEO Choi send documents regarding the artificial cherry blossoms purchase and usage, where it has been stated that the leftovers have been placed in the fashion house's warehouse where surplus materials or unsold batches of clothes were sent. No one but Mr. Choi, his wife and secretary Lee had access to this warehouse. Also, each collection of materials from this warehouse was recorded and the documentation did not indicate that any bigger amount of artificial cherry blossoms were lost. These were recently used in other creations made by Madam Lee and Hyun Sik, but they never took large amounts of this material. But still, Soo Min wanted to get a search warrant for this warehouse as well. She had to make sure that the documents corresponded to the actual state. She also found it important to contact Secretary Lee. That's why she soon sent him a summons for questioning, same for Seo In Sung's former assistant Kim Hyun Jung. She couldn't reach him through his phone number, but the address seemed to be correct and up to date, as it was still listed in his records that they found.

Kim Young Chul was also called to the police station for questioning so that he could be asked about his 'trips' to the parks, which were recorded on the city surveillance cameras. The question of whether Young Chul could have obtained a KIA car also required a more detailed examination, and Soo Min also sent a request for a search warrant for the apartment he was living with his parents and, if necessary, also for the restaurant. Young Chul's parents refused to voluntarily agree to any search, so Soo Min had no choice. In light of what they learned, searching every place Young Chul had access to was a must. This man aroused suspicion in both Hyun Woo and Soo Min, in her even on the same level as Hyun Sik. However, after the last questioning of Choi Ye Eun's brother, her head was getting really confused, and she wasn't sure if those suspicions had any basis at all. Considering the amount of evidence that might indicate the young designer as the Cherry Blossom Reaper and his general behavior and the general lack of a meaningful motive, Choi Hyun Sik appeared to be innocent. After all, the video from the camera outside his house clearly indicated that he had not left his residence on the Sunday when his sister was missing. The only thing that might have aroused greater suspicion was that they could not search his summer house in Gwangju, but it was not really the fault of young Master Choi, but his father. But despite everything, Soo Min decided to trust her gut and not cross out Choi Hyun Sik from the list of suspects, at least not at this stage of the investigation.

In the afternoon of that day came also the results of laboratory tests of blood samples found in the basement of the clinic Cherry Blossom Beauty. The results confirmed the testimony of Kim Sang Min and those of his colleagues who knew about the secret room in the basement. Most of the blood belonged to chimpanzees, much less to pigs, dogs, and cats. For this reason, the case of the clinic and its dark secrets was taken over by another Section, so Soo Min and Hyun Woo handed over all materials related to this part of the investigation to their colleagues. Although the press was not informed about anything, articles filled with speculation about Kim Sang Min and his clinic were started to appear, after all the place was closed so suddenly and many people saw the police entering the building. Rumors of a mysterious room also surfaced from the depths of the internet, which only irritated the public more. Reading the comments alone, you could have guessed that even if Kim Sang Min and his associates received light sentences, they would not be able to return to the aesthetic medicine industry, and the Cherry Blossom Beauty clinic is unlikely to open anymore. There has not been a trial or any specific information on the whole case yet, and the scandal it caused has practically destroyed, so far undamaged, reputation of this clinic.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The following day Lee Yo Sub, CEO Choi's secretary, appeared at the police station as requested. He was quite tall, but slightly shorter than Hyun Woo, well-built man with broad shoulders, brown hair and eyes. It was also evident that Secretary Lee was muscular despite the black suit he was wearing. The open blazer showed how his white shirt was quite tight and one could kind of see he probably had a six-pack. His body shape resembled something between detective's Joo Chan and Sang Kyu from Violent Crime Section. Anyways, it was evident that he liked hitting the gym as much as those two, maybe even more. Lee Yo Sub was 32 years old and a bachelor who avoided women, even though he was quite popular, which didn't surprise Soo Min. This man was handsome and well-built, which made him a very attractive person, but he wanted to concentrate fully on his work for CEO Choi Young Sik and fashion house. Secretary Lee was extremely loyal to the whole Choi family and took his work very seriously, at least that's how he was described on the internet by people who still worked or used to work in the fashion house and had a chance to meet him. Soo Min, as always, to prepare better for the interrogation, liked to find this type of information about person she was about to talk with, cause then she knew more or less what to expect.

"Hello, Lee Yo Sub-ssi. I'm detective Kim Soo Min, I'll be talking with you today. Thank you for coming." Soo Min greeted the man waiting in the lobby.

"Good morning, I'm detective Jung Hyun Woo, detective Kim's partner." Hyun Woo introduced himself.

"Good morning. Nice to meet you, Detective Kim and Detective Jung," replied Secretary Lee, rising from his chair. "And there is really nothing to thank for, helping the police is my duty as a citizen, and if my testimony helps in your case at least a little, I will be very happy." he admitted very politely, with a slight smile on his face. His voice was extremely pleasant to the ear, neither too low nor too high, also very gentle.

"Okay, then please come with us." Hyun Woo said and they all moved towards the interrogation room. Soo Min and Secretary Lee entered the main room and Hyun Woo entered the one next, which had semi-transparent mirror. He was supposed to observe the interrogations in order to learn to conduct them himself later. Of course Hyun Woo took it very seriously and watched Soo Min attentively, trying to absorb as much as possible. He liked the detective's work more and more every day. Yes, it was hard and demanding work, but that didn't put him off.

Soo Min and Lee Yo Sub sat across from each other at the table in the interview room. Soo Min then placed the paper folder she had with her on the table, opening it afterward.

"Your name is Lee Yo Sub and you have been working as a secretary of CEO Choi Young Sik for 8 years, right?" Soo Min asked, looking at the man.

"Yes, that's right," Secretary Lee confirmed. "In this position, I handle practically everything Mr. Choi asks me to do." he added.

"I understand. The main reason you were summoned was the CEO Choi's old car, this KIA model." Soo Min pulled two photos out of a paper folder, one official photo of the model, the other was from the CCTV footage. "The cameras have captured this car, and according to our in-depth analysis, Cherry Blossom Reaper is probably driving this KIA model." she explained, pointing to the photos one by one.

"In fact, they look very similar," agreed Secretary Lee. "And CEO Choi actually owned this KIA model for quite a long time." he forestalled further questions. "But this car was destroyed three years ago, I brought it to the junkyard myself and as Mr. Choi told to me, I made sure that it was destroyed." he assured.

"You mean you saw this car destroyed with your own eyes, Lee Yo Sub-sii?" asked Soo Min for confirmation.

"Yes, of course. I would never disregard Mr. Choi's words. And he told me clearly to keep an eye on it," Secretary Lee assured once again. Observing the facial expressions on his face, you could tell that he was speaking the truth. This man did not take his eyes off her even for a moment and his voice sounded clear and sure. "If I had disregarded Mr. Choi's orders and he found out, I would have been fired no matter how good a worker I have been so far and no matter how long I worked for him, and he would definitely find out. Maybe I shouldn't say it, but Mr. Choi is a master at screening people and getting the information he needs." he added at the end.

"I understand and don't worry, this last information is not relevant, so we will not write it down in the testimony." replied Soo Min. "I just want to ask you one more thing. I know you mainly work for CEO Choi, but I would like to ask if his son, Hyun Sik, also uses your help? And what kind of relationship you have?" she asked more questions.

"Young Master Choi has his assistants, so he doesn't need my help. Of course, Mr. Choi often asked me to do things that were related to his son or asked me to pass on his messages to him, but in general I don't have much contact with the young Master. Not to mention that Choi Hyun Sik is very introverted and it's generally hard to befriend him," Secretary Lee explained. "On the other hand his sister, Miss Ye Eun, spoke to me more often." he added with obvious sadness.

"Okay, I understand." Soo Min nodded slightly, then took both photos and put them in a paper folder. "In that case it would be all on my part, you can go Lee Yo Sub-sii." she added at the end.

So secretary Lee got up from his chair, bowed, and started walking toward the door, but before opening it, he turned to face her for a moment.

"I found out that you have placed the young Master Choi on your list of suspects. I don't know if my opinion will change anything. Besides, as I said, I don't have a very close relationship with him, but in my opinion, Hyun Sik would not be able to do something like that—certainly not to his sister," said Secretary Lee, holding his hand on the doorknob. "Goodbye, detective Kim." he added, then left the room.

Soo Min sat for a good five minutes drowned in thoughts, so she jumped up on her chair when the door to the room opened and Hyun Woo peered inside.

"Sunbae, are you okay?" he asked, looking at her with obvious concern.

"Yes, I'm okay." Soo Min replied quickly, closing the paper folder that lay on the table in front of her and getting up from the chair afterward. "It's just... These interrogations did not contribute much, except that now I'm even less sure which of our three main suspects could be the Cherry Blossom Reaper." she added, sighing heavily while walking to the door.

"In my opinion, this is definitely one of them. My main guess is Seo In Sung, but I do not rule out Young Chul and Hyun Sik either." Hyun Woo replied, opening her door wide so she could leave the room.

"I also think it must be one of them. But which one?" Soo Min said when she was in the corridor. "I have the feeling that we are so close to the truth, and we still don't have any hard evidence pointing to a specific person, let alone possible motives." she continued further, while walking with Hyun Woo towards their Section's office. "I don't know why any of them would hurt these girls, unless one of them is some kind of psychopath." she sighed when they finally got there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the weekend that Soo Min spent with her parents and Hyun Woo visiting his mother in Gwangju, they went back to their duties on Monday. Kim Hyun Jung, Seo In Sung's former assistant, was due to report to the police station that day. From the information they received from the post office, he received a summons for questioning, so it could be assumed that he would appear on time. In fact, he was about five minutes early. A man of medium height with short black hair and in a plain gray sweatshirt, light jeans, and blue sneakers showed up at the police station. He introduced himself as Kim Hyun Jung, so Soo Min and Hyun Woo were notified immediately, and appeared quickly in the lobby. They noticed up close that the man had gray eyes and looked about 40 years old, which would be consistent with the description, because according to Kim Hyun Jung's documents he was 43 years old, had a wife, whom he divorced while was still working in a modeling agency, and two children who lived with their mother.

"Hello, I'm detective Kim Soo Min, this is my partner Jung Hyun Woo." Soo Min introduced them. "Kim Hyun Jung-ssi, thank you for showing up." she added, sending him a smile. And probably Soo Min did better than before, because the man smiled back. I think she really learned something from working with Hyun Woo.

"Well, I should come if the police need my help." the man replied in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Please come with us." Hyun Woo said and they walked down the hall to the interrogation room. As usual, Soo Min walked in with Kim Hyun Jung, and Hyun Woo walked into the next room to watch the interrogation through the semi-transparent mirror.

When they both took their places in the interrogation room, Soo Min put on the table a paper folder with files, opening it up.

"Kim Hyun Jung-ssi, you've been Seo In Sung's personal assistant for almost 15 years, right?" Soo Min asked immediately.

"That's right. I have devoted a big part of my life to this job." Hyun Jung confirmed, and there was a slight dissatisfaction clearly visible on his face.

"Yes... Then why did you decide to leave so suddenly?" Soo Min asked another question, looking at him carefully.

"You've probably already checked my details, and you know that I had a wife and two children." the man replied, straightening himself up more in his chair. "Unfortunately, Seo In Sung had more and more demands, I spent huge amount time at work... His outbursts of anger, hanging around at night and drinking in pubs also gave me a lot of work. I often had to drive him home in my car and apologize to people for his outbursts." he continued. "I would never have told him that outright, but I was sick of it. To make matters worse, my wife could not stand the fact that I was not at home enough with her and children, which is why she filed for divorce. Overall, working for this man really ruined my life, but of course I didn't write this in my resignation letter." he added at the end.

"I see..." Soo Min took a deep breath, because she got more in that answer than she expected. "Okay, then I'll go to the main reason we called you." Soo Min continued, taking two photos of cars from the paper folder on the table, the same ones she had shown to others, including Secretary Lee. "Our information shows that you owned such a car." she pointed to the official photo of the KIA model. "On the other hand, the Cherry Blossom Reaper was seen in a similar car on CCTV footage." she pointed to the second photo.

"Indeed, you can see the similarities, except for the lack of a roof rack and tinted windows, of course." replied Kim Hyun Jung, looking at both photos. "And yes, I have such a car. I even still drive it. Unfortunately, recently I had a bump and I had to take it to a mechanic, so today I came by bus." he added after a moment.

"Seo In Sung testified that you drove him home in your car when he was drunk, but I would like to ask if he borrowed your car from you for any purpose?" Soo Min asked, turning her eyes to him again.

"Well, if I would say he never did, I would be lying. A few times, yes, Seo In Sung borrowed my car, especially when he forgot to refuel his car and had to go somewhere urgently. This happened even on weekends, as Seo In Sung, as the owner of a modeling agency, worked practically 24 hours, 7 days a week. Yes, when someone sees Seo In Sung's behavior, they may become suspicious of him, and I would not be surprised either if he had some dark secret... But I don't really think it's possible that he is the Cherry Blossom Reaper, because my car doesn't actually have a roof rack, because I found it redundant, but I never darkened the windows in it." he added after a moment.

"Okay, we'll have to check it out anyways. We'll send technicians to check your car for traces. I hope you understand, but we need to make sure that your car has not been used for a crime and everything you say is true." Soo Min replied. "Therefore, please provide the address of the mechanics, where you left the car for repair." she added, handing him a piece of paper and a pen.

"I don't see a problem." Hyun Jung replied, then almost immediately wrote the address on a piece of paper in a very nice and legible handwriting, then handed her the paper and pen. "I understand that you must check it out. Honestly speaking, I am curious if you will find anything. Because I've heard you can tint the windows with foil, and then tear it off so maybe it's possible..." he thought for a moment. "It's better if technicians check it out." he added at the end.

"Thank you for agreeing to have the car checked." Soo Min spoke up, giving him a gentle smile. "Then that's all we wanted to ask. You can go now, Kim Hyun Jung-sii." she added, getting up from the chair and taking the cars photos, then tucked them in a paper folder along with a piece of paper containing the mechanic's address.

"Thank you very much, detective Kim." the man replied, bowed slightly and left the interrogation room, Soo Min right behind him.

In the corridor she met Hyun Woo leaving the next room.

"It looks like it must be Seo In Sung after all." he said apparently pleased with this fact.

"Until the technicians check Kim Hyun Jung's car, we can't be 100% sure." Soo Min chilled his enthusiasm. "But it's kind of true, so far most of the evidence points to him, I don't deny it." she admitted after a moment. "But we still have a talk with Young Chul tomorrow and we are still waiting for a warrant to search his parents' restaurant and apartment." Soo Min reminded him.

"Yes, that's true." Hyun Woo replied and they headed to their Section's office.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kim Dong Min was a 24 years old man, quite short in height, and very slim, he had black hair slightly covering his neck, with fringe delicately falling over his right eye, which in turn had a unique dark blue color. His facial features looked slightly mixed, which only confirmed that one of his parents was not Korean. Dong Min loved wearing stretched tracksuits, old jeans and sneakers, he didn't like having to wear a shirt for more formal meetings at work, and hated suits. He almost always covered his face with a mask when he went outside. During his childhood, Dong Min was teased by many because of his mixed appearance, although he was generally quite handsome, but did not like to show his face because of it. It also helped him stay as anonymous as possible wherever he was, which in turn suited him because in the underground Dong Min was known as V01D (Void), a genius hacker. And of course, he offered his services to anyone who was willing to pay a good price, but never took jobs that would lead to killing someone, Dong Min made a clear line here. On a daily basis he worked as an IT specialist in a computer company, where he was often called a genius, even by his own boss. His success was all the more surprising to others when they found out about Dong Min's past. As an infant, he was abandoned and brought into an orphanage in Gwangju. Dong Min spent a lot of time there, but as a 6 year old he was finally adopted by a good family, thanks to which he could learn and develop his talents. Up to a point, he even felt like the happiest person on Earth. Unfortunately, the past caught up with him and he met someone who turned his life into a little hell, and Dong Min couldn't do anything about it. That day, he was going to meet him again at the same nightclub as always. Dong Min thought that after the last meeting his friend would leave him alone, he himself said that asked him for help one last time. So why didn't he keep his promise by saying that something urgent came up?

"Dong Min-ah, you came." his friend greeted him with a smile as he appeared in the VIP room, rented especially for them, and motioned for him to sit down.

"Hyung, I don't understand why you asked for a meeting again..." Dong Min spoke up, looking at him with a slight grudge. "You told me recently that it would be the last time. Haven't I helped you enough already?" he asked a bit angry.

"I know that I expect a lot from you." his friend replied, looking at him with those strangely calm eyes. "But I would like to remind you that if it wasn't for me, your life probably wouldn't have turned out so colorful." he continued, frowning slightly. "You know very well what was happening in the orphanage in Gwangju, how these guardians treated us... And then what they did to the only person who treated us like a mother." when he talked about it, there was a clear anger on his face. "I saved us all that day and thanks to that each of us ended up in better places." he added, pointing at himself with his hand.

"You saved us, it is true." admitted Dong Min. "But how... You killed these women, and it is not normal." he remarked, looking at him.

"So I guess it would be better if they had beat one of us to death?" he asked grimly. "I did what it took to free us from this hell. I saved you too, so you should repay it." he pointed out, measuring him with sharp eyes.

"But hyung... Isn't it enough? You said it would end with Ye Eun. You got her, there are practically no traces left, so what else do you want from me?" Dong Min spoke to him, clearly distressed. "I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't use my talents to kill people, and I've broken that promise too many times. Hyung, please stop it..." he looked at him pleadingly.

"I have already explained to you that this is not killing." he answered a bit harshly. "Thanks to me they all remain beautiful forever. Someday the world will understand that what I'm doing is right, but until then you have to help me, Dong Min." he stretched his arms and grasped his hands. "I can't help it that I found another person whose beauty I want to capture. I have to do it, so help me." he looked at him with that pleading gaze.

Dong Min felt that he could not speak to his mind. His friend was clearly crazy, and he felt did not have the strength to refuse him. Not to mention that Dong Min was afraid of him, because didn't know what he would be capable of if heard the refusal.

"Okay, hyung." Dong Min released hands from his grip. "How can I help you then?" he asked resignedly.

"Really, thank you." a friend said and his face lit up. "For now, I just want you to hack a cell phone of detective Kim Soo Min from Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Investigation Department, Violent Crime Section." he asked, looking at him.

"Are you crazy? You ask me to hack the detective's phone?" Dong Min said indignantly. "Police officers have training and will easily notice that something is wrong. They have an entire Cyber Crime Section. It's too dangerous." he added, and was about to get up, but felt his hand being gripped so hard it hurt.

"Sit down or you'll regret it." his friend's tone was so terribly cold now that it chilled blood in his veins.

"Hyung, please..." Dong Min slowly sat back down in his chair. "Don't make me do it." he asked, although looking at his face now he felt that nothing would help.

"You are V01D (Void), a famous hacker, and you are overwhelmed by such a simple task?" he asked with a slight mockery in his voice. "So what if it's a detective's phone? No risk, no fun. Besides, if you didn't like risk, you wouldn't be playing hacking, would you? So don't whine to me right now." he shook his head in disgust. "Just do what I ask you to do and you won't regret it. After all, I'm not using you for free, you'll get the right amount. I can afford it." he added at the end.

"Hyung..." Dong Min began, looking at him. "I wonder why you have to do this. We both have a good life now despite this awful past. We were adopted by good people who are also quite wealthy. Why are you risking losing all of this?" he asked, really not understanding it. "The police is now intensely looking for the Cherry Blossom Reaper... What if they'll find a lead? We'll both go to jail for a very long time. Especially you, hyung." added Dong Min.

"I do not care about that. I have to do it all to capture the real beauty forever." his friend replied. "I doubt they'll catch me, but even if they will, I won't regret anything. I achieved my main goal, I have Ye Eun. From now on, if I would be able catch more, I'll only be happier." he continued. "So stop talking nonsense and just do what I am asking you to do, okay?" he asked in a slightly nicer tone.

"Okay, hyung." Dong Min has given up completely. "I'll hack Kim Soo Min's phone, and I hope you'll pay me well for it. Can I go now?" he asked, clearly exhausted from this whole meeting.

"Do not worry, you will get a large sum of money." his friend assured him, smiling slightly. "You can go, of course, thank you again and I will wait for the results. I want to know where she is going, what interests her... Such things. I'll take care of the rest myself." he pointed out.

"Okay, no problem. Just like with the others." Dong Min replied, getting up from his chair and walking towards the exit.