Chapter 4 — The Long Trip

[Aish – an expression with a similar meaning to 'damn it'.

Ageyo – a term used to describe someone or something as very cute/adorable.]

Chang Ho finally raised his head, went to the couch and took his place, looking at the pair of detectives.

"So I'm listening to you, detective Kim and detective Jung." he said with a serious face, though a slight smile appeared on his face for a few seconds, exactly when he looked at Soo Min.

"Your name is Jang Chang Ho, 25 years old, you are the son of lawyer Jang Chang Woo and the fiancé of missing Choi Ye Eun, right?" Hyun Woo spoke up, wanting to attract the attention of a man who seemed to ignore his presence.

"Yes, that's right." Chang Ho finally looked at him, but his expression was not very friendly. He seemed to be annoyed again.

"Is it true that on Sunday, late afternoon, you drove your car to the Choi residence and took Choi Ye Eun to a charity event?" Soo Min asked for the start.

"Yes, that's exactly how it happened." confirmed Chang Ho. "I took Ye Eun from home, she had only her purse and was quite scantily dressed, which I did not like very much, because in the end we were going to a charity party. It was organized by one of Ye Eun's friends." he continued, leaning more comfortably on the back of the couch. "When we got to the mansion overall everything was fine. But then several times I told Ye Eun that she dressed improperly, then that she drank a little too much... And that's when we started arguing." he sighed heavily. "Ye Eun could be offended by anything, but was particularly angry when someone pointed out that she shouldn't be doing something. In general, Ye Eun often behaved adequately to her origin, which means, like a typical spoiled heiress of big fortune." he added, clearly annoyed.

"I understand. What happened next?" Soo Min went on, wanting to know more about his version of events.

"I was not happy with the relationship with this girl, my father forced me to make this engagement as well as the rest." started Chang Ho. "But despite everything, I wanted to reconcile with Ye Eun, because I will not deny that I had many nice memories with her. Therefore, I literally left Ye Eun alone for a short moment to take one of the decorative small bunch of flowers from the table and bring her as an apology. She loved such gestures." he smiled gently, mentioning it. "But when I got back to where I left her, Ye Eun was gone. I was looking for her like an idiot for a while, until I found this guy who turned out to be the bodyguard sent by Ye Eun's father. Then he started searching the house and a garden, and I called Ye Eun several times, at first she refused the call, and then probably turned off the phone completely. I started to asked everyone at the party if they had seen her but with no luck." he sighed heavily. "It's ridiculous that most of these people considered themselves Ye Eun's friends, but when she disappeared right under their noses, they didn't seem to care. If any of them really would care about Ye Eun, they wouldn't miss the moment and someone would definitely see her leave." said Chang Ho, clearly upset by this fact. "Finally that day, I got pissed because I thought Ye Eun felt offended by me again. Were it not for the fact that it had happened before that after a big quarrel she ignored my phone calls, I would probably call the police immediately. But then I thought that she had probably called a taxi and returned home, after all she had a purse with her, phone and wallet in it. So I focused on the party, and only when Madam Lee called me next day and asked where was Ye Eun, I found out she didn't come back home. And this is where the whole story ends." he finished.

"In that case, have you seen any suspicious person hanging around while you were with Ye Eun? A one from these 'so-called' friends, or maybe a stranger?" asked Soo Min.

"I have never seen anyone who would be a complete stranger. Such people, even if they wanted to, did not have access to someone like Ye Eun. She was an heir to fortune and a celebrity. Even when she didn't realize it, at least one bodyguard always watched her." answered Chang Ho. "But I would not be surprised if someone close to Ye Eun had something to do with her disappearance. My fiancé's father was surrounded by strange people with whom he did business and thus in his eyes they were untouchable and could not be accused of anything. The first example, Seo In Sung." he added.

Hearing this name again Hyun Woo looked significantly at Soo Min. She only sighed slightly, then focused on Chang Ho again.

"What exactly do you mean?" she asked.

"I knew before that Seo In Sung was a weirdo. I guess everyone knows it, even the people from the lower realms." Chang Ho started his answer. "But when I got engaged with Ye Eun and got to know this man better, he immediately seemed suspicious to me. And with each subsequent meeting, I was more and more certain that the rumors about him were real. You know detective, the rumors Seo In Sung abuses his models, also sexually, or generally that he is not right in the head and stuff like that." he explained, seeing Soo Min's slightly confused look. "Although he was clearly trying to hide his behavior, especially from Mr. Choi, I managed to notice how he was touching my fiancé. If it was only about his obsession, that Ye Eun should agree to become a model in his agency, I would probably ignore it. But when he started to embrace Ye Eun, grab her ass, sometimes also by chance rubbing against her breasts... It was when this guy started pissing me off. I may not love Ye Eun, but she is my fiancé, my woman. And when someone wants to pick up your girl, you have the right to be angry." he continued. "At one of the parties I could not stand all this crap and I hit him in the face openly, in front of the guests. But of course at the end I got the angry talk from Mr. Choi. This old fool..." Chang Ho stopped suddenly, realizing what word he used. "I mean, my future father-in-law, he gave me no chance to explain. Mr. Choi didn't even want to listen when I told him what Seo In Sung was doing to Ye Eun. Madam Lee, his wife, also joined me in the accusations, she probably saw what was going on, but he didn't even listen to her." he added, almost completely angry now.

"What about Ye Eun? How did she behave in this situation?" Hyun Woo suddenly asked, and Soo Min looked at him with appreciation, because he literally took this question from her mouth.

"I tried to talk to her many times, but she always cut the subject, so I didn't bother her with it." answered Chang Ho. "But after hitting Seo In Sung at this party, I started talking to her again about this matter, I asked why she didn't join me and her mother and didn't say what that old pervert was doing to her... We argued a lot then..." he paused, closing his eyes for a moment. "Ye Eun said that we have to ignore all these moves from Seo In Sung... She didn't tell me exactly why, but I think Ye Eun was afraid of her father, after all she saw how he treated me and her mother when we mentioned it. Besides, Mr. Choi probably wouldn't even believe his own daughter. I'm sure that Ye Eun did not like In Sung's obsession, but the fear of father's reaction effectively closed her mouth." he added at the end.

"That sounds like a pretty terrible trap." Hyun Woo said, finishing his notes. "She probably wanted to complain to someone, but her father's behavior killed in her any hope that someone would take her words seriously." he added after a moment.

"Okay, let's move on." Soo Min interrupted, not wanting to hold a discussion, which rather led to nowhere. "Was there anyone else besides Seo In Sung? You mentioned earlier that there is more than one person you suspect." she asked him another question.

"Yes, there is someone else." Chang Ho confirmed, nodding slightly. "This might be a shocking theory, but please, I hope at least you will listen to me carefully." he asked, looking first at Soo Min and then at Hyun Woo.

"Of course." Soo Min confirmed.

"Please continue, we are listening." Hyun Woo nodded in agreement, preparing to write more notes.

"In that case, I will say that I also suspect Choi Hyun Sik, Ye Eun's older brother." Chang Ho announced and, as he expected, it caused quite a shock on the faces of both detectives. "Detective Kim, detective Jung, I warned that this might be surprising. But let me explain why he seems suspicious to me." he continued. "At the beginning, when I met Hyun Sik, I tried to make friends with him, in the end we were supposed to become a family at some point. It wasn't easy tough, he is so introverted that hardly anyone would reach him. Even with his parents, he rarely talked longer than necessary. Hyun Sik fit perfectly to the description of the genius artist, closed almost completely in another world. In fact, the only person he would always let in was Ye Eun. But still, I wanted to at least pretend to try being friendly. However, I quickly began to feel how much he seemed to hate me. At first it didn't surprise me, I was perfectly aware that I am not the ideal husband material, especially for a lady from a good home. My 'colorful' past says it all and with no doubt you both know roughly what I did, detective Kim and detective Jung." he admitted, smiling slightly. "But the more time I spent with my fiancé's family, the more the behavior of their miraculous heir Hyun Sik seemed strange to me. At first I thought he was just overly protective of his younger sister, which is quite normal in some cases. But sometimes I had the impression that Hyun Sik was acting more like a jealous lover, not a worried older brother. He never did such things like Seo In Sung, but sometimes I saw him look at Ye Eun... And I don't think a brother should look at his sister like that." he added finally.

"Have you ever told anyone about this?" asked Hyun Woo, surprising Soo Min again.

"No, I haven't." denied Chang Ho. "It may sound weird from my mouth, but I never dared to do it. I have been visiting this family quite often and have seen how Ye Eun's parents were jumping around Hyun Sik. I could clearly see that he is more valuable to them than all their assets." he pointed out clearly. "In addition, knowing how Mr. Choi reacts to accusations against his business partners, I do not even want to imagine what he would do to me if I said something bad about his wonderful son and the heir to the entire Choi's fortune," added Chang Ho, clearly annoyed.

"I understand." Soo Min replied. "If that is all you have to say, that would be everything on our part." she added after a moment.

"Yes that's all for now. But if something else comes to my mind, I will contact you." Chang Ho assured them. "Can I call the number from which you called my father?" he asked to be sure.

"By all means, yes." confirmed Hyun Woo, hiding his notebook and pen.

"Then we'll go since we have another place to visit." Soo Min got up from the couch, and Hyun Woo right after her. Chang Ho led them to the door, then down the hall to the main door. His father, lawyer Jang, stood near the receptionist's desk and talked to her when his son and a pair of detectives went out into the lobby.

"Is it over?" lawyer Jang asked, ending his conversation.

"Yes. Thank you for a lot of useful information, lawyer Jang." Soo Min bowed slightly and gave the man a slight smile, which surprised Hyun Woo a lot. "Thank you too, sir." she also turned to Chang Ho, but with a serious expression.

"Let just hope that this information will help you, detectives, to finally move this case forward and catch the Cherry Blossom Reaper. It's about time for him to go to jail for a long time. Already too many girls fell victim to him." said lawyer Jang.

"I hope you can find Ye Eun alive." Chang Ho interjected and some strange sadness was lurking in his eyes. Soo Min suspected that despite the earlier statement that 'he does not love Ye Eun', Chang Ho felt something for her. Maybe he just didn't realize it? Or he did not want to let himself think that he could fall in love with his fiancé, to the relationship with whom he was forced?

"We will do everything in our power." assured Hyun Woo, giving both men his extremely warm smile. Soo Min had to admit that Hyun Woo was not only a good detective, but also complemented her with his empathy for other people. She couldn't smile like this, enough to lift someone's spirits with a one simple smile, and for Hyun Woo it seemed to come with such ease... Maybe the fact that they became partners was not a punishment, as she thought at the beginning, but an opportunity?

Finally, Soo Min and Hyun Woo said goodbye for good, because a noon was approaching and they couldn't forget that they were supposed to go to Gwangju city in Gyeonggi Province.

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Before Soo Min and Hyun Woo got in the car and on the road, they entered a nearby restaurant to eat something. The time was perfect for a meal, and they both agreed they were hungry. Even before they sat down at the table, they decided that this time they would split the bill in half.

"Sunbae... I have a question." Hyun Woo spoke up when they already placed the order.

"I'm listening." Soo Min replied, focusing her eyes on him.

"When we said goodbye to lawyer Jang, I noticed something strange." Hyun Woo began a little uncertainly. "Sunbae, promise me first that you will not be angry. I don't want to offend you or anything, I'm just curious." he assured her.

"Ok, I promise." replied Soo Min. "Keep talking." she encouraged him.

"I noticed that you smiled quite charmingly at lawyer Jang, Sunbae. Almost flirtatious." Hyun Woo finally said. "Should I conclude that you like men like him?" he asked cautiously. "Because if so, I will have to hit the gym more often." he added with a slight amusement.

Soo Min looked at him incredulously, listening to his next words. Then she frowned, clearly annoyed. But as she promised already not to get angry and wanted to keep her word, Soo Min only reached across the length of the table and gave Hyun Woo a flick straight in the forehead.

"Stop talking nonsense and focus on work." she said trying to sound as if didn't care about his observations. Deep inside, however, Soo Min felt very embarrassed that Hyun Woo noticed what she was trying to hide so hard all the time while they were in the Jang Chang Woo's office.

"Ouch..." Hyun Woo feeling the pain in his forehead began to massage this place a little. "I'm sorry." he said at once, but also seemed to be slightly grumpy. "Sunbae, you promised me that you would not be angry." he added and his tone sounded a bit cute.

"Aish, how can a guy your age have so much ageyo?" Soo Min sighed, clearly disarmed by his face expression. Hyun Woo generally looked very mature and when he was serious about work she had to admit that he even looked attractive, but at moments like these she immediately remembered that he was younger.

"Well, that's what I was born with I guess." Hyun Woo replied, smiling slightly. One could see that despite her words he was in a very good mood.

Soo Min said nothing, just sighed. At times he really pissed her off, but Soo Min had to admit that she had huge weakness for ageyo and he had a lot of it, as if fate wanted to mock her clearly. She could neither like him nor hate him completely and this thought sometimes drove her crazy. Besides, every day she was more and more surprised by his skills. So even if Soo Min would hate him, she couldn't get rid of him. Soo Min felt that she needed Hyun Woo to solve the Cherry Blossom Reaper case.

When they got their meal, Hyun Woo ate, smiling like a child. He had the impression that Soo Min opened up more and more to him. She was still trying to separate herself with the high wall to maintain the greatest professionalism, but it was clear that this wall was crumbling faster and faster each time. Hyun Woo believed that at work not only professionalism was important, but also friendly relations between colleagues. That's why he wanted to teach it to Soo Min. He had the feeling that she needed friends, even if told herself and everyone else that she didn't need anyone, especially that Soo Min did not look introverted. And even introverts needed friends, so she needed someone close even more.

Soo Min didn't say anything for the rest of the meal, and Hyun Woo also preferred to focus on eating for their journey to Gwangju was waiting. That is why their bowls emptied very quickly. As previously agreed, they split the bill in half and everyone paid their share. Then they left the restaurant, got in the car, Soo Min as a driver and Hyun Woo as a passenger, they fastened their seat belts and finally started on their way to Gwangju.

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The road from Seoul to Gwangju wasn't too long, so by car usually it took less time, but as they unfortunately set off in the afternoon, traffic slowly began to form, besides, they had to stop at a gas station along the way. That's why driving to Gwangju took them almost an hour, and all this clearly upset Soo Min. Hyun Woo tried to relax the atmosphere a little by joking around, but it didn't help much. Fortunately, when they finally reached Gwangju, Soo Min clearly brightened.

"All right, you will continue to lead from here Hyun Woo. After all, it's your city." she said, stopping in the parking lot by the cafe. "But first I'll buy something to drink. Do you want something too?" Soo Min asked, looking at him.

"Iced Americano please." Hyun Woo replied, switching to the driver's seat.

"Okay, wait here, I'll go alone. It will be faster this way." said Soo Min, picking up the wallet from her purse. "And remember, when you will drive later, don't go crazy. This car belongs to the police station, we can't break it down." she added warningly.

"I understand, I'll drive carefully." assured Hyun Woo.

Soo Min closed the car door, crossed the parking lot and entered the cafe. Hyun Woo put his chin slightly against the hands he held on the steering wheel and waited. Fortunately, it didn't last long, just 15 minutes. After that time, Soo Min came back, holding the wallet in one hand, and in the other a cardboard box in which there were two cups with the logo of the cafe. Hyun Woo, seeing that her hands were full, leaned slightly and opened the passenger door.

"Thanks." said Soo Min, handing him a cardboard box for a moment to get in and hide the wallet. Then she took the box and unpacked it. "For me, iced tea with peach; for you, iced Americano," she explained, pointing to each of the cups. Then she took her own cup and took a good sip of tea. Hyun Woo also drank some of his coffee, then put the cup into the recess between the seats in the car. Then he started the engine and slowly drove out of the parking lot back to the street leading to the center of Gwangju.

"Docheok-ro, 998 Beon-gil, behind the Teahwasan park, near the Buddhist temple Baeglyeon-Am... The house is furthest north from the rest of the houses, in a remote area near the Chugok-ri, Deocheok-myeon, after passing the cemetery, at the next turn. There, we have to go down a small forest path, up to the edge of the forest. The house should be there." Hyun Woo read the address and description again when they stopped at the traffic lights. "Hm... It will be at the other end of town, just in the mountains, somewhere near the forest." he said more to himself.

"Maybe use a GPS, it will be easier." said Soo Min.

"I don't know if GPS will be able to lead us exactly there. I don't know if we will have a signal, especially when we get on this mountain road." Hyun Woo replied. "But don't worry, we won't get lost. One of my friends from the Gwangju police station has family there, so I was in the area when he invited me to his grandmother's birthday. There are few houses there, and a smaller road leads more towards the mountains and forests. I'm sure that if we go on that road, we'll get to Choi Hyun Sik's summer house." he assured.

"Well, do as you think. After all, here you are a greater expert than me." Soo Min surrendered. She decided to trust him because he really seemed confident. On the other hand, seeing Hyun Woo point their way on the map, she felt less and less comfortable. Soo Min probably would not have been able to get there alone, and if she had, would probably been lost for a long time and arrive late in the evening.

"Okay, then we're going." Hyun Woo announced, speeding up a bit, but driving carefully.

As they drove to the south part of Gwangju, there was less and less traffic on the road and the number of buildings around them also decreased. But Soo Min had to admit one thing: the views were wonderful. Mountains and lots of greenery, and life seemed to flow here much slower than in Seoul. Although Hyun Woo had to look at the map on the GPS every now and then, he calmly found the right turns even without the hints. After a long time, they passed a fishing camp and a large body of water. There were even fewer houses here, but there was a parking lot, a lot of cars and people who came fishing here. As far as eyes could see, mountains and forests stretched. On the way they passed several houses, farms and other buildings, among them also a hospital. Passing the traveler service point and a Christian church, Hyun Woo stopped by one of the houses and got out.

"Wait in the car, Sunbae. My friend's grandparents live here, I will ask them for more exact directions." he informed, and Soo Min just nodded in response. Then she watched Hyun Woo knock on the door and an older woman opening it. They talked for a moment, Hyun Woo pointed to the car, probably introducing her because the older woman looked at Soo Min, so she gave the woman a smile and bowed slightly. Then Hyun Woo and the older woman continued to talk, first he showed her a card with the address and instructions on how to get to Choi Hyun Sik's house, which they got from Madam Lee. Then the older woman began to speak and show the way with gestures. Hyun Woo listened and watched intently, occasionally interfering, probably wanting to make sure he understood everything correctly. After less than 10 minutes, Hyun Woo bowed low to the woman, thanking and sending her probably the widest and most charming smile Soo Min had ever seen on a man's face. Then Hyun Woo headed for the car, still smiling broadly. He opened the driver's door and got in, fastening the seat belt.

"How did it go? Do you know exactly how to get there?" Soo Min asked, even more interested since right now the GPS did not work properly and probably would not lead them anywhere.

"Of course I know." Hyun Woo replied in an enthusiastic voice. "So Hyun's grandmother knows this area very well, we can trust her completely. She grew up here, did not leave even once, and still lives here." he assured her. "She did not know who lives in it, but knows how the building looks and where it is located, because one of her sons, my friend's uncle, worked on building of this house." he continued, starting the car's engine. "Apparently, that uncle mentioned that the house is for someone very rich, because it is a real residence, and on plans he saw that it would have a lot of security." added Hyun Woo, turning onto the road, but leading in the opposite direction.

"Wait, are we going back?" Soo Min asked, slightly confused.

"Grandmother said that if we want to take the shortest path leading directly to this house, we must go back to the place where the fishing camp ended." Hyun Woo explained. "Opposite there were several houses standing on a smaller road leading north, into more mountainous areas, do you remember?" he asked after a while.

"Yes, I think I remember." Soo Min confirmed, though a bit uncertainly.

"Anyways, this road leads past the cemetery and to this smaller forest path, exactly as Madam Lee described so it have to be the right road." Hyun Woo replied, smiling triumphantly. "In addition, grandmother mentioned that it is probably the only road leading to that area, on which you can relatively easily drive a car." he noted.

"In that case, I have no objections. Let's go that way." Soo Min agreed, feeling a bit more confident when she heard his words.

When they arrived near those homes, Hyun Woo turned car left onto a smaller road leading up. It was well paved, but terribly narrow and barely one car could fit on it. Hyun Woo not only slowed down from caution, but he also did not want to overload the engine, which by driving up itself had a heavy task to make. Almost 45 minutes have passed since their arrival in Gwangju, and it took another 10 to ride up the mountain road. Finally they passed the cemetery and at the next turn, as Madam Lee pointed out, there was a smaller forest path leading deeper among the trees. The path was wide enough for the car and apparently had wheel marks. Hyun Woo turned and slowly drove on, being careful not to leave the trampled path.