The Next Day...
The warm afternoon sun bathed the tarmac of Busan International Airport in soft gold as passengers poured out of the terminal. Among them, a tall, sharp-featured young man strolled out, his presence quietly commanding.
Wearing a fitted black turtleneck, jeans, and a pair of sleek sunglasses, he moved with an air of calm confidence. His suitcase rolled silently behind him as he stepped to the curb, scanning the road briefly before hailing a taxi.
"Take me to District 9, Old Textile Building." His voice was low, clipped, professional.
The driver nodded and pulled into traffic. The man sat back, removing his sunglasses, revealing piercing hazel eyes that seemed too observant for comfort. His phone buzzed. He looked down.
New message:
"Scene already crawling. You're late."
He smirked.
---
An hour later, the taxi pulled up near the abandoned textile warehouse, now cordoned off with yellow tape and crawling with law enforcement. Blue and red lights blinked in the background. Crime scene markers littered the ground like breadcrumbs.
The man stepped out and walked toward the tape. A young officer moved to block him.
"Sorry sir, no civilians allowed past this—"
The man pulled a police badge from his coat.KANG DO-HYUN, Special Investigations Unit, Busan PD.
The officer blinked in surprise and immediately saluted. "My apologies, Inspector Kang."
Do-Hyun gave him a curt nod and stepped past, eyes sweeping the area. Bloodstains, shattered glass, spent bullet casings… and a burned spot where something had clearly been destroyed.
The forensic team was collecting evidence, murmuring among themselves. A detective noticed him and approached.
"You're late," the detective said, handing him a report sheet.
Do-Hyun glanced at it briefly before looking back at the warehouse. "So… who the hell turned this place into a graveyard?"
The detective grimaced. "No clue yet,We're still counting the bodies."
Do-Hyun squinted toward the entrance, where shadows of a brutal fight still lingered in the chaos."Any CCTC camera evidence" ,he asked
The detective replied :" Not a single one in sight, like it was all planned."
He(Do Hyun)narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know who did this," he said, "but it wasn't just rage. It was calculated."
He took a step inside.
And smiled.
"Looks like we're dealing with a ghost or more ghost who bleeds
Do-Hyun crouched beside the lifeless body of Cha Xiu Min, his face twisted in frozen terror, blood congealed beneath his head. The brutal precision of the wound suggested the killer was no amateur.
He scanned the body carefully… then paused.
Between Xiu Min's right fingers, something thin glinted under the harsh light. Do-Hyun leaned closer and pulled on a pair of gloves. Gently, he plucked out a strand of hair—dark, long, slightly curled.
"Forensics!" he called out sharply.
A nearby officer jogged over.
"Run this for DNA. I want results quickly," Do-Hyun said, handing the strand over in a sealed bag.
Detective Yoon Soo Hyuk, a broad-shouldered man in his late 30s with an easy air of experience, approached from behind.
"You think it's from the killer?" Soo Hyuk asked.
Do-Hyun stood and dusted his hands off. "Can't be sure. Might be the victim's… might be someone else's. Either way, we follow every thread."
Soo Hyuk nodded in agreement and began giving final orders to the officers. "Alright, wrap it up. Everyone back to the station for debrief."
"Yes sir", voices echoes around the room and the different officers arranged and take the bodies, putting it in the ambulance. Do Hyun walked to where Soo Hyuk was standing and watching what is going on,he asked where his car was and then Soo Hyuk showed him his car. Do Hyun pick up his suit case and placed it on the car,he then entered the car waiting for Soo Hyuk to finish up.
After Soo Hyuk was done with the scene,he walked to his car where Do Hyun was already waiting and entered it.
—The ride was smooth as the city lights blurred past. The silence was broken only by the soft hum of the engine.
"Man, look at you now," Soo Hyuk said, glancing sideways at Do-Hyun with a smirk. "You've changed a lot since rookie days. Europe suits you."
Do-Hyun gave a small smile. "So you're saying I used to look like a village kid?"
They both laughed lightly.
"Seriously though," Soo Hyuk continued, "why did they drag you back from Paris? I thought you were doing well with the Interpol-Korean liaison unit."
Do-Hyun's expression darkened slightly.
"Cha Xiu Min," he said simply.
Soo Hyuk blinked. "The guy who's dead back there? What about him?"
Do-Hyun nodded. "His father is Ambassador Cha Won-Sik, Korea's diplomatic representative to France. A powerful man with… complicated allies. The moment word reached him that his son was killed, he made noise—*a lot* of noise."
"Even if his son was mixed up in shady business?" Soo Hyuk asked.
Do-Hyun looked out the window, jaw clenched. "Doesn't matter. He wants the killer found and punished. Officially, I'm here to make that happen."
Soo Hyuk chuckled dryly. "So you're the cleanup crew."
"Or the bait," Do-Hyun replied calmly.
They both fell into silence.
A storm was brewing—and they both felt it.
Soon after,they both arrived at Busan Metropolitan Police Station and they walked to Detective Unit 1 where Yoon Soo Hyuk office is.
The buzz of fluorescent lights filled the air as Detective Yoon Soo Hyuk and Do Hyun stepped into the unit. Officers glanced up from their desks, some recognizing Do Hyun from past headlines, others curious about the newcomer.
"Team!" Soo Hyuk called.
Four detectives stood quickly from their workstations and lined up. They ranged in age, but all shared the sharpness and seriousness of seasoned officers.
"This is Detective Han Do Hyun, recently transferred from the Interpol liaison in Paris. He'll be working with us on the Cha Xiu Min case."
Do Hyun gave a short bow, "Nice to meet you."
The four detectives saluted smartly, and Do Hyun returned the gesture.
Soo Hyuk pointed to each of them:
"Detective Nam Woo-Jin – tech expert. If it has a screen, he can hack it."
Woo-Jin grinned and gave a lazy wave.
"Detective Kang Min-Seok – the bloodhound. Good at tailing suspects and surveillance."
Min-Seok, a lean guy with quiet eyes, nodded professionally.
"Detective Choi Jin-Ho – muscles of the team. If someone needs to be chased or tackled... it's him."
Jin-Ho flexed subtly and gave a wink, earning a small smirk from Do Hyun."Lastly, Detective Park Tae-Yang – the strategist. He's calm, organized, and scary when he's silent."
Tae-Yang gave a small bow but didn't say a word. His sharp stare lingered on Do Hyun a little longer than the others.
"Alright," Soo Hyuk clapped once, "meeting room in 5. We've got a high-profile case and limited time."