EPISODE 67 – A Visit in the Night
It was late, the city outside Micha's small apartment a canvas of muted lights and distant hums. She finally arrived home, shedding the day's tension as she changed into her favorite nightwear: a soft, worn set of pajamas adorned with teddy bears, a massive, fluffy baby hairband pushing her somewhat frizzy hair off her forehead, and her large, round glasses perched on her nose. She looked like a cross between a mad scientist and a kindergarten student, but she felt safe and cozy in her tiny sanctuary, filled with overflowing bookshelves, a perpetually purring cat, and a balcony teeming with plants.
Happily munching on a burger while waiting for her ramen to cook, she hummed to herself. Just as the ramen timer dinged, a persistent ring echoed through her apartment. The doorbell. Micha, mouth full of burger, turned off the stove, took another enormous bite, and padded towards the door.
When she pulled it open, her eyes widened comically. Standing on her doorstep, impeccably dressed even at this hour, was Minjae. Her mouth, still crammed with burger, somehow managed to look even bigger and funnier, her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.
Minjae's perfectly composed expression cracked. A soft, disbelieving laugh bubbled up, then erupted into full-blown mirth. He couldn't stop, doubled over, pointing at her absurd appearance – the baby hairband, the teddy bear pajamas, the clumsy hair tied haphazardly on top of her head like a tiny hill, and that ridiculously full mouth. Micha quickly swallowed, feeling her face burn.
"Why... why are you here?" she finally managed, wiping a crumb from her chin.
Minjae, one hand in his pant pocket, pushed the door further open and casually stepped inside, invading her space. Micha instinctively recoiled, a familiar chill of fear returning. Minjae ignored her, surveying the small apartment – the messy books, the cat perched on a chair, the ramen steam still wafting from the kitchen. His gaze finally settled on her, a serious, almost mafia-like smile playing on his lips.
"So, you told everything to Guen, huh?" he stated, dropping onto the central sofa that served as the living room's heart, connecting to the tiny dining nook and kitchen.
Micha gulped. "Y-yes," she stammered, her voice shaking despite herself. "Because... because I wanted everyone to know. And I'm not afraid of you!"
Minjae slowly stood up from the sofa, his eyes locking onto hers as he began to advance. "Oh, really?" he purred, a dangerous softness in his tone. "Really, you don't afraid of me?"
Before he could reach her, Micha suddenly dropped into a clumsy, but earnest, karate pose, yelling, "D-don't come closer to me! I know karate! I'll fight you!"
Minjae stopped dead, then burst into laughter again, a deep, rich sound that filled the small apartment. "You... you know karate?" he choked out between laughs. "You fool chemical girl!"
Micha, red-faced, straightened up. "Listen, Minjae! You... you forced your way into my house! You're a boy! It's illegal! Un-understand? Get out of my house!"
Minjae simply walked past her karate pose, reached her, and with a swift, almost fluid motion, he grabbed her by the waist. Micha gasped, a shockwave of pain and goosebumps erupting where his hand made contact. Before she could react, he flipped her, sending her tumbling onto the sofa with a soft thud.
Minjae chuckled, looking down at her, still laughing. "Hey, karate girl, why are you still lying on the sofa? Didn't you want to beat me?" He leaned in, his eyes gleaming. "First, you have to apologize to me. Because you told everything to Guen, even though I forbade you."
Micha scrambled up, indignation overriding her fear. "What?! I should apologize to you?! You have to apologize to me for all of this! First, you scared me with a knife, then blackmailed me, then you forcibly came into my house and hurt me!" She stomped her foot. "I'm not apologizing to you, huh!"
She launched into another, even more exaggerated karate pose, a flurry of bizarre "Hiha! Haisa! Haya! Ehhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaas!" as she prepared to strike.
Minjae's smile widened, turning genuinely mischievous. "If you do those 'dump tricks' again and don't apologize to me," he said, taking a slow step forward, "then I'll again hold your waist and flip you directly onto the bed." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a low, suggestive whisper. "And then what will happen, you know very well, right, Miss Karate Girl? Though, truly, you have a thin waist," he added, his eyes tracing her midsection. "But it doesn't matter, right? And this time, you have no one here who can save you from me!"
Micha's confident expression instantly crumbled. The karate pose wilted. Her eyes filled with fresh tears as she bowed her head, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry."
Minjae's smile was pure victory. "Not satisfying enough! You should call me 'Sir' too."
Micha squeezed her eyes shut, then looked up, her face a mask of humiliation. "I'm sorry, Minjae Sir."
"And you should also say that you shouldn't have told this to Guen!" Minjae pressed.
Micha repeated the words, her voice tiny. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told this to Guen." She bowed her head again.
Minjae clapped his hands together, a playful gleam in his eyes. "Well done! But this is the first and last time I am going to forgive you. If you break this rule and tell anyone again, then I will make you pay. And I will come to your house again. And you know what can happen then!"
Micha's head snapped up, the humiliation replaced by a sudden surge of anger and tears. "But don't you have to apologize to me?" she cried, stepping forward, pushing at his chest. "Don't you think you did anything wrong to me?"
Minjae grabbed her wrists, pushing her back against the wall, his face inches from hers. "I wasn't wrong," he stated, his voice hard, but then he saw the fresh, agonizing tears streaming down her face. "You're the one who interfered in my matter, so I don't have to apologize, or I'll..."
He trailed off, his gaze fixed on her crying face. He released her wrists. Micha immediately swung her hand, slapping him across the cheek. The sharp crack echoed in the silent room.
"Now you're trying to sexually harass me!" Micha wailed, collapsing into full-blown, baby-like sobs, loud and inconsolable.
Minjae stared at her, the surprise of the slap giving way to a strange helplessness. He rubbed his cheek. "Hey! Karate girl, I'm hungry. Give me dinner. Stop crying, you're looking ugly."
Micha's crying faltered. She looked up, her eyes wide and tear-filled. "Really? I'm looking ugly? Oh no!" Then, as if remembering her previous point, she burst into fresh tears. "You're the reason! You made me cry! You made me ugly!"
Minjae sighed, turning to leave. "You are actually an ugly duck, don't you know?" He started towards the door.
He felt a tug on his shirt. He turned to see Micha, still sniffling, gripping the back of his shirt. "You said you're hungry," she whimpered, her voice thick with tears. "Don't go. I'll make dinner."
Minjae paused, genuinely surprised by her sudden switch. He hadn't expected it. He walked back to the dining table and sat down. Micha, still sniffling but moving with surprising efficiency, brought him her burger, the ramen she'd cooked, and even some Gimbap with Kimchi she must have had as leftovers.
Minjae, accustomed to perfectly curated, healthy meals, found himself devouring the humble, delicious food. Micha ate alongside him, the tension between them slowly dissolving into a strange, comfortable quiet.
When they finished, Minjae pushed his plate away. "I'm going home."
Micha quickly grabbed a small, neatly wrapped box from her counter. "Wait!" she said, holding it out. "I'm sorry for that slap. This... this is for you. A sorry gift."
Minjae took the box, a rare, soft smile gracing his lips. "I'm sorry too," he murmured, almost inaudibly. He then turned and walked towards the door.
Micha's eyes widened. "Hey, Minjae! Did you say sorry to me? Hey?! What did you say?"
Minjae didn't turn back, just offered a slight, knowing smile over his shoulder. "Nothing. I didn't say anything."
Micha stared after him as he disappeared, then whispered to herself, "No... no, it can't be possible. Did he just apologize to me? Really? Or am I wrong?" A small, hopeful smile began to form on her face as she mulled over the impossible.
Morning at HQ: Cracks in the Facade
The next morning, the sterile hum of CHIPER HQ seemed to carry a fresh undercurrent of tension, but also a strange, new lightness for some.
The first order of business was the Shin Hyo-jin case. The team quickly converged, their faces grim as Dohee presented her deeper findings on Shin Hyo-jin's personal life. "His marriage is a sham," she stated, pulling up files on the main screen. "His wife, Hye-won, a renowned classical pianist, filed for divorce two years ago, citing emotional abuse. She withdrew it under immense pressure from her family and Shin Hyo-jin's powerful connections. The first 'ghost' murder occurred just weeks after her last major performance tour, where she collaborated closely with a male musician. He has a history of obsessive jealousy."
Alex followed up. "I've identified two new clients of 'Harmony Solutions' who fit the victim profile perfectly: Seo-yeon, a successful architect, and Jihye, a popular chef. Both married, both with husbands recently consulting 'Harmony Solutions,' and both showing subtle signs of marital discord. I've set up surveillance around their homes."
Gwen added, "The six-month hiatus in the murders aligns perfectly with Shin Hyo-jin's recovery from major nerve surgery. He's been recently cleared for full activity. He's back in business."
Micha, feeling a strange new confidence after her encounter with Minjae, spoke up, her voice clearer and stronger than usual. "Based on his psychological profile and his return after recovery, he won't waste time. He'll want to reassert his control, his 'purpose.' He might even target someone high-profile to make a statement."
Minjae, present and attentive, added, "My contacts confirmed 'Harmony Solutions' is ramping up new seminars. He's building a 'choir' of silent accomplices."
"So, Shin Hyo-jin doesn't just theorize about 'marital decay.' He's actively involved in it. He uses his consulting firm to identify vulnerable individuals, possibly even influencing them. And he's our killer. He's selecting victims based on their married status, fueled by his warped ideology, seeing himself as a 'purifier'," Kevin summarized, a grim determination on his face. "We need to identify his next target."
A Casual Confirmation
Later, as Kevin and Guen were reviewing some data, Guen, ever observant, approached Minjae. "So," she began, her arms crossed, a knowing look in her eye. "Did you apologize to Micha?"
Minjae simply arched an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement in his gaze. "You should ask Micha."
Guen immediately turned to Micha, who was busily arranging her workspace, humming softly. "Micha? Did Minjae apologize to you?"
Micha looked up, a faint blush rising on her cheeks, a small, genuine smile playing on her lips. "Yes," she said, her voice soft. "He did." She glanced towards Minjae, who gave a nearly imperceptible nod, a hint of something new and unspoken now existing between them.
The hunt for Shin Hyo-jin was still on, a chilling race against time. But within the walls of CHIPER, the complex, often chaotic, bonds between its members were deepening, preparing them for the battles ahead.
What shocking details will lead CHIPER to identify Shin Hyo-jin's immediate next target, and how will the team plan their move to apprehend him?