The TV screens in the precinct waiting room glowed with the late-night news. The anchor's grave face filled the screen.
"NEXT ON THE NEWS..." the graphic read.
"THE STALKER AND SERIAL KILLER WHO TERRORIZED NOJEONG DISTRICT... WAS ARRESTED BY POLICE WHO ARRIVED ON SCENE... AFTER THEY RECEIVED A CALL THAT THE KILLER HAD BROKEN INTO A WOMAN'S HOUSE."
The screen then showed a mugshot, pixelated and blurred.
I was brought to the NOJEONG POLICE STATION, my rights read to me clearly.
A detective, his face grim and serious, looked at me as I sat across the table. "You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."
But the arrest was already in progress. The metal cuffs felt cold on my wrists.
"JEONGHO CHOI..." the officer stated, "YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR THE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT OF SEONGYU BAEK."
Later, another voice spoke, giving background on one of the victims. The words scrolled across a dark screen: "SHE HAS NEVER KILLED, BUT SHE HAS THE BLOOD OF... ...TWO PEOPLE (SEONGYU BAEK AND ****** HEO) ON HER HANDS."
Inside the interrogation room, the detective slid a piece of evidence across the table-a slightly singed photograph of a woman, blurred and damaged.
"WE FOUND THIS IN THE TRASH CAN IN YOUR ROOM," he said, his gaze intense.
"AT FIRST, WE THOUGHT IT WAS ONE OF THE PHOTOS YOU TRIED TO BURN."
His voice hardened, accusing. "BUT IT TURNS OUT THIS ISN'T HYEONJIN NA OR MIU JEONG, THE WOMEN YOU MURDERED, AND IT ALSO ISN'T YEONA PARK, WHO YOU ATTEMPTED TO MURDER."
The detective leaned forward, showing me the photo. His face filled the panel, close and menacing.
"WHO IS THIS WOMAN? WAS SHE YOUR NEXT TARGET AFTER YEONA PARK?"
I felt the anger boil up, the disrespect of his tone snapping my composure.
"I-I CONFESSED... SO W-WHY ARE YOU BEING SO RUDE TO ME?" I stammered. "I-IT'S PISSING ME O-OFF."
He didn't back down. His hand slammed down on the table, a loud SLAM echoing in the small room.
"ANSWER ME, YOU PIECE OF SH*T! WHO IS SHE?!!"
I recoiled, pushing back against the chair. My face contorted with rage, bordering on a manic laugh.
"I DON'T KNOW..." I spat out. My voice rose to a yell. "I-DIDN'T EVEN KILL HER, SO WHY ARE YOU ALL UP IN MY FACE ABOUT IT, A**HOLE?"
Then, a new voice broke through the tension, calm and official.
"MS. BAEK..." it said, as the scene shifted, moving away from my outburst to something else entirely.
"Ms. Baek..." the detective's voice was measured, but his next question was an accusation. "WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL THE AMBULANCE RIGHT AWAY... AS SOON AS YOUR FATHER, SEONGYU BAEK, LOST CONSCIOUSNESS AFTER BEING HIT IN THE HEAD WITH THE BAT?"
I stared back at him, tired and bruised. "Like I said, Detective... I thought he had simply fainted. He was bleeding, but his breathing was fine... I wasn't sure what to do because it happened right after I had been severely beaten."
I recounted the terrifying events. "...BEFORE my father fainted, he had tried to stab Mr. Choi. Mr. Choi still had a baseball bat, and he was enraged after seeing my father beat me. There was no telling what either of them would do once my father woke up. I thought it'd be best to get the two of them away from each other before things got worse."
The detective's eyes narrowed, his skepticism a heavy presence in the room. "ARE YOU SURE YOU WEREN'T TRYING TO GIVE JEONGHO CHOI THE TIME TO RUN FROM THE SCENE?"
I felt a fresh wave of panic, reliving the fear. "I sent Mr. Choi home and was about to call the police when my father regained consciousness. I was all by myself and was so scared that he'd beat me again that I ran and hid in the bathroom."
I leaned in, my voice shaking with remembered terror. "You know how I feel, right? Because I was in such a rush to get away from him, I didn't even think to grab my phone and call the police. Eventually, I passed out from the fear."
The detective, typing on his laptop, presented the facts that contradicted my account. "We believe Seongyu Baek died sometime between 10 PM and midnight last night. You called the police at 3 AM in the morning, Ms. Baek."
"WHEN I woke up after passing out in the bathroom, it was early in the morning," I explained. "I don't remember the exact time, but when I came out of the bathroom, I found my father still lying on the floor and called 112... THAT MUST HAVE BEEN AROUND 3 AM..."
"WHY DID YOU CALL 112 AND NOT 119?" he pressed.
"I called 112 because he wasn't breathing anymore," I whispered, the finality of that realization still a shock. (Note: 112 is for police services in South Korea, 119 for ambulance and fire.)
My Defense
He changed tack, noting my poor physical state. The officer was visibly holding my arm, keeping me supported. "You fainted again soon after you arrived at the station. WHY DID YOU ASK TO BE INTERVIEWED INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE HOSPITAL AS WE RECOMMENDED?"
"I ASKED TO BE INTERVIEWED RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT AN ONCE OF SUSPICION ON ME," I stated, my voice regaining a fragile strength.
I looked the detective in the eye, determined to make him understand the truth of my life. "Detective, my father constantly beat me ever since I was a child. I called the police for help multiple times, but nothing was ever done to help me. I DON'T WANT MY FATHER TO RUIN MY LIFE ANYMORE THAN HE ALREADY HAS."
"WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY, MS. BAEK?"
A tear tracked down my cheek, a painful acknowledgment of the reality. "I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT I'M CLEARLY THE VICTIM HERE."
Ms. Baek's Defense
"WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY, MS. BAEK?" the detective challenged.
Tears streamed down my face. I looked him straight in the eye, trying to ignore the pain in my body and the humiliation of the past hour. "I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT I'M CLEARLY THE VICTIM HERE."
I had to make him understand that my actions were driven by self-preservation. "I asked to be interviewed right away because I didn't want an ounce of suspicion on me," I explained. "Detective, my father constantly beat me ever since I was a child. I called the police for help multiple times, but nothing was ever done to help me. I don't want my father to ruin my life anymore than he already has."
Mr. Choi's Reckoning
The scene shifted to my (Mr. Choi's) interrogation, where the detective was laying out the facts of my confession and my immediate flight from the scene.
"Mr. Choi, do you admit to assaulting Seongyu Baek with a baseball bat first?"
I could barely whisper the answer. "YES..."
The detective's face hardened as he delivered the full picture. "According to Ms. Baek-Seongyu Baek fainted and fell to the ground bleeding... after you hit him with your baseball bat. ARE YOU SAYING YOU SAW HIM PASSED OUT ON THE GROUND BLEEDING, RAN FROM THE SCENE... AND WENT BACK TO YOUR PLACE OF RESIDENCE? Is that correct?"
I was a mess. I knew what I did was wrong, but the fear and chaos of the moment had overwhelmed me. "THAT'S TECHNICALLY CORRECT... BUT I DID THAT BECAUSE I WAS REALLY FLUSTERED... I-I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S HAPPENING ANYMORE... AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT I DID..."
The detective leaned back, his patience gone. He typed a few keys on his laptop. "SIGHHH. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SHOW YOU YOUR BASEBALL BAT? IT'S COVERED IN YOUR FINGERPRINTS AND SEONGYU BAEK'S BLOOD. DO YOU REALLY NEED TO SEE IT TO REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID?"
I put my head in my hands. The detective continued to press the cold, devastating truth. "SEONGYU BAEK DIED FROM CARDIAC ARREST AND A FRACTURE OF THE SKULL AS A RESULT OF YOUR ASSAULT ON HIM. Do you often leave people to die when you're flustered, Mr. Choi?"
The gravity of the situation hit me with full force. My actions had consequences I hadn't even begun to process.
"Look. Even if you beat up a stalker who was threatening Ms. Baek, you'd still be going to prison for assault. If you witnessed a crime, you should have called the police. Why did you take matters into your own hands? If everyone could take matters into their own hands, why would we have laws or the police?"
I could only look down, tears welling up. The detective had one last, cutting statement.
"DON'T MAKE THIS HARDER ON YOURSELF, MR. CHOI. MS. BAEK LOST HER ONLY PARENT AT THE AGE OF 20 BECAUSE OF YOU."
The statement shattered me. The memory of Ms. Baek, when I first saw her smile, flashed through my mind-a stark, painful contrast to the reality I had just created for her. I started to cry, the regret immense and crushing. I didn't know what to say. There was nothing I could say.
(Silence)
The Confrontation
I stood outside, waiting. I'd been waiting for a while. A STEP echoed on the pavement, and I looked up. She was finally here.
"YOU'RE LATE... I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A WHILE," I said, my voice heavy with worry.
She looked tired, her movements stiff. "Yeah... I've been busy, Junseo..." she replied, before asking, "...CAN I STAY WITH YOU TONIGHT?"
I let her in, but the silence was suffocating. I needed answers.
"WAIT. CAN WE TALK?" I pleaded as she headed for the bathroom, a towel draped over her arm.
"I'M SORRY. I'M JUST SO TIRED. I'D LIKE TO SHOWER AND GET SOME SLEEP. OH, IS IT OKAY IF I SLEEP ON YOUR BED?" she replied, deflecting.
My frustration boiled over. "IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY TO ME?" I pressed.
She turned to face me, her expression unreadable. "...IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME. AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT YOUR FACE TELLS ME."
"WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME...? YOU SAID YOU NEEDED MONEY. YOU SAID YOU WERE JUST GOING TO RIP SOME MONEY OFF HIM!" I shouted, the memory of her plan and the resulting death tearing at me.
Her gaze hardened. "THIS IS WHY I DIDN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING. IF I HAD TOLD YOU MY PLAN, DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU'D HAVE TOLD ME TO GO AHEAD WITH IT?"
"HOW COULD YOU USE HIM TO KILL YOUR FATHER?! HE WAS TRYING TO HELP YOU!!" I was shaking, grabbing her arm, trying to force her to see the terrible truth of her manipulation. "YOU MADE HIM DO IT."
She pulled away, her composure unnerving. "I NEVER TOLD HIM TO KILL MY DAD. I DIDN'T FORCE HIM TO DO ANYTHING. HE CHOSE TO DO WHAT HE DID...!"
I saw the truth in her eyes-she wasn't sorry for her actions, only for the mess it created. My own heart broke, remembering the broken man in the interrogation room. I had been foolish, blind.
(SOB) I buried my face in my hands, the tears coming fast and hot. "I'M SORRY... I'M SO SORRY..." I didn't know if I was apologizing to her, to the victim, or to myself for my own weakness.
I kept my voice cold, pushing against her desperate grip. "I never told him to kill my dad. I didn't force him to do anything. HE CHOSE TO DO WHAT HE DID...!"
"YOU MADE HIM DO IT. YOU MADE IT SO HE'D HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO KILL HIM!!" she roared, her eyes wide with accusation.
I fought to maintain my icy exterior, seeing only pity and judgment in her face. "DO YOU PITY HIM? IS THAT WHY YOU'RE ACTING LIKE THIS? I'M SORRY I HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS... BUT I ONLY FEEL PITY FOR MYSELF."
She recoiled slightly. "WHAT...?"
I leaned in, my voice low and fierce. "YOU HEARD ME. I ONLY PITY MYSELF. I'VE NEVER HAD A NORMAL LIFE. EVER SINCE I WAS LITTLE, I SPENT EVERY DAY IN FEAR, WONDERING WHEN I'D BE BEATEN NEXT OR ABANDONED."
The tears that had been building finally streamed down my face, but they weren't for anyone else. "SO WHY DO I HAVE TO PITY OTHERS? I'M SICK AND TIRED OF ACTING LIKE I CARE ABOUT THE REST OF THE WORLD!!"
She grabbed my arm, her voice softening in desperation. "AJIN, I told you that I'd PAY FOR WHAT YOUR MOTHER DID TO YOU... BY BEING BY YOUR SIDE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE..."
"Sure," I scoffed, pulling free. "But that's just for what her mother did to me. I STILL HAVE A LOT OF DUES TO COLLECT FROM MANY OTHERS WHO'VE HURT ME. SHE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH."
She pulled me into a hug, pleading. "PLEASE DON'T BE THIS WAY, AJIN. I'LL KEEP YOU SAFE AND HELP YOU LIVE A NORMAL LIFE LIKE OTHERS, SO PLEASE...!"
I pushed her back, looking up at her with raw, unforgiving eyes. "DON'T BE RIDICULOUS. SHE'S NEVER ONCE KEPT ME SAFE." My anger turned into a painful, brutal truth. "IF SHE REALLY WANTED TO KEEP ME SAFE, SHE SHOULD HAVE KILLED THAT BASTARD BEFORE IT CAME TO THIS AND I HAD TO TAKE MATTERS INTO MY OWN HANDS."
My entire being was screaming with the resentment of years of neglect. I jabbed a finger hard into her chest. "YOU SHOULD HAVE BITTEN YOUR MOTHER OR DRAGGED HER AWAY WHEN SHE WAS BEATING ME! YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT THEY WERE DOING TO ME IN THAT HOUSE OF YOURS!!"
She stood silent, her face stricken, unable to offer any defense against the pain she and those she cared about had inflicted on me.
She stood there, shattered by my venomous words, while I turned away, the truth spilling out of me like poison. I buried my head in my hands, exhausted by the confrontation.
"IF YOU WANT TO GO TELL JEONGHO CHOI THE TRUTH, GO AHEAD," I challenged, without lifting my head. "I BET IT'LL BE A TREAT TO SEE HIM REALIZE THAT I USED HIM." I let the cruel reality hang in the air. "GO TELL HIM IF YOU WANT TO SEE HIM BREAK BEYOND REPAIR!"
I lifted my head, meeting her miserable gaze. "YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE... YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING UNFORGIVABLE," I warned, the accusation catching in my throat.
She took a tentative step toward me, tears streaming down her face. "ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE ME FOR WHAT I'VE DONE?" she pleaded.
I felt a fresh wave of despair wash over me. "YOU'LL LIVE IN MISERY FOR THE PAIN YOU'VE CAUSED... YOU'LL HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE." I grabbed her shirt, desperation making me shake. "YOU MAY NEVER FIND HAPPINESS UNTIL THE DAY YOU DIE."
She pulled me close, clinging to me. "THAT'S WHY I CAN'T LEAVE YOU. I HAVE TO STAY BESIDE YOU AND PAY FOR THE THINGS WE'VE BOTH DONE RIGHT NEXT TO YOU."
I pushed back, my voice barely a whisper against her chest, outlining the only future I could imagine for myself now. "I'M GOING TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE NO ONE CAN HURT ME... AND BE REBORN AT THE PINNACLE OF SOCIETY."
She gripped my shoulders, forcing me to look at her. "THAT COULD BE THE LONELIEST AND SADDEST PLACE IN THE WORLD, AJIN..."
"I DON'T CARE," I spat back, tears freezing on my cheeks. "I'VE NEVER BEEN HAPPY SINCE THE DAY I WAS BORN."
She stared at me, her sadness deepening into despair. "THERE'S NO WAY THAT SOMEONE AS SMART AS AJIN BAEK WOULDN'T KNOW THAT." She looked away, closing her eyes as a single tear escaped. "IF THERE IS A GOD, I'D ASK THEM... WHY I STILL LOVE..."
She looked back down at the floor, the words hanging heavy in the air. "...SOMEONE SO CRUEL."
The scene faded to the mugshots of three people, two of them crossed out, leaving only I (Ms. Baek) standing alone.
The male character's internal thoughts concluded that happiness built on someone's misery would never last, and if she ever felt happy, it would be a happiness derived from someone else's pain