Vrooom-
While heading to the district office, the Detective frantically called public officials he knew, and as soon as he parked, whether an agreement had been reached or not, he rushed straight into the building.
I tried to rush in together with the Detective as well, but he waved his hand and went alone.
"That uniform may work on ordinary citizens, but it won't fool public officials. You wait in the car and think of a plan. I'll trace his movements and find out where he went after he left the convenience store."
"Yes, understood."
Thud-
Dark night outside, and me left alone inside the car.
Except for a few pedestrians moving late at night, it was just quiet.
Left behind in that silence, one possibility came to mind.
"..Maybe the person who shot me on Monday morning wasn't the detective, but his doppelgänger?"
Our clubroom was equipped with an expensive door lock that costs over 3 million won, and the door would never open unless you're authenticated as a member.
The windows were also such that they couldn't be opened from the outside,so unless someone smashed through it, there was absolutely no way to enter.
But the Detective had somehow gotten inside and was waiting for me.
Even when I came back and asked, the Detective himself didn't know how he had entered.
Then there was only one natural conclusion.
That means the only one who could enter that physically impossible place
was the doppelgänger from the ghost story.
'Because in ghost stories, doppelgängers always appear and disappear mysteriously.'
If he possessed such an ability, it would explain both how he got into the locked clubroom and how he broke into the heavily secured Police Agency.
If he shot me with the gun stolen from there, everything would make sense.
If it was a stolen gun, then according to the law, there would have been no need to make the first shot a blank.
After reaching that conclusion and retracing my thoughts, one question suddenly came to mind.
'But why did he kill me?"
And accompanied by that kind of words when the Detective told me to find him after going back.
Why did that person say such a thing?
And what was the reason for sending me the evidence stolen from the Police Agency via delivery?
I didn't know yet.
But one thing was certain.
If I left things as they were, soon the hand of the investigation will reach out to the real Detective Park Gangwoon.
And it was clear who was sending these kinds of ghost stories.
Not someone who tried to kill me irrationally.
A thoroughly intelligent entity that could exploit system loopholes and even social circumstances in an attempt to attack me.
"...The Demon King."
He had started his activities again.
Thud-
The Detective, who had just left moments ago, hurried back and climbed into the driver's seat.
"Detective, did you find anything?"
"Joon. Listen carefully. The detective you're with right now is a fake. One morning, I woke up to find a pile of evidence stacked in the middle of the room. When I went to work, I
learned that there had been a theft at the Police Agency. And when I tried to find my seat, someone was already sitting there. That's the detective with you right now. I know that if I see him, I'll die, so I'm currently avoiding him and staying hidden. Follow the route I tracked and come find me where I am. I made sure to move only through places with CCTV cameras so it'd be easy to
track."
After hurriedly blurting out only what he needed to say, Detective Park Gangwoon quickly got out of the car again and disappeared across the street in the distance.
"..."
I froze for a moment, unable even to think of stopping him. Then I hurriedly rolled down the window and, watching his retreating figure fleeing across the street, shouted inwardly.
'Park Gangwoon status window.'
Pop-
(STATUS WINDOW
Name: Park Gangwoon
Age: 41
Title: Detective
Disposition: Hard-boiled
Quirks: ???
Understanding: 35/100)
"...."
As I quietly stared in the direction where the Detective had disappeared.
Detecive Park Gangwoon soon came walking briskly from the district office
building across the street, carrying an armful of papers.
Thunk-
"Joon, I've got the route. I've mapped
everything out, and I printed photos of him taken from multiple angles."
"....."
"Fortunately, since the CCTV systems run 24 hours a day, there was a staff member monitoring them even at night. But because I was investigating my own movements in the middle of the night, he found it extremely
suspicious. I managed to talk my way
out of it for now, but word might already be heading to the police headquarters. Let's get moving first."
The Detective quickly started the engine and pulled the car away.
I moved my eyes, glancing at the Detective anxiously as he drove off, and shouted inwardly.
'Park Gangwoon status window.'
Pop-
(STATUS WIND0W
Name: Park Gangwoon
Age: 41
Title: Detective
Disposition: Hard-boiled
Quirks: ???
Understanding: 35/100)
'What?'
I felt my head gradually growing confused.
Even while things were still so disorganized, the Detective pressed hard on the accelerator and sped across the dark Han River Bridge.
Holding my throbbing forehead, I asked the Detective.
"...But where are we going now?"
"To your apartment complex. That was the last location,"
"..When was he seen last time?"
"just a few hours ago. I don't know if he's still there, but let's go and check it out."
As soon as he finished speaking, the car made a screeching sound and turned the corner, and there, in the distance, my apartment building came into view.
'..Can we really find him if we go there?'
I was still utterly confused and didn't really know what to do.
If I go there and meet the other detective, then all the truth will finally come to light.
Soon the car slammed on the brakes and stopped at the entrance of the apartment complex. The Detective and opened the doors at the same time and rushed out.
"Do you have any idea where he could be, Joon? It's your apartment complex after all."
"...Well, I'm not sure. I'll have to take a good look around first."
"Put it on then."
The Detective took out a Bluetooth wireless earbud and handed it to me.
"This is the earbud I use for undercover investigations. Put it in your ear and stay on the line with me."
"..So we split up and search?"
"Yes. We don't have time. It's already past midnight, Monday. And if I see that bastard, I'm dead."
The Detective took out a revolver from his coat, clicked off the safety, and handed it to me.
"That bastard can show up at any time, kill me, and then pretend to be me. So let's keep this call going, exchanging information in real time so he doesn't get a chance to switch. I'll leave this gun with you."
I took the gun without thinking and put it into the pocket of my police uniform.
"Even if I kept it, I'd probably be killed the moment I saw him, so it wouldn't do me any good anyway. You carry it and use your own judgment. I've set it so it'll fire as soon as you pull the trigger. The first round is a blank, so be careful."
"...Yes. Got it."
"Then I'll go from the far end. You start from here."
"Okay."
The Detective took a quick glance at the map at the entrance of the apartment complex, then immediately ran off toward the farthest building.
"....."
Instead of running right away, I stood still there for a moment.
The other detective from earlier.
That person was somewhere in our apartment complex.
I fiddled with the gun in my pocket for a moment.
Clink-
"..."
The cold touch of metal.
Since he had even released the safety lock and everything, it was something that could accidentally go off inside my pocket if I touched it the wrong way.
That fact made me feel uneasy, but on the other hand, it also made me feel reassured.
No matter how chaotic the situation, holding a weapon gave me that kind of feeling.
SOon, a call Came from me Detective so I connected the wireless earbud and answered immediately.
"Hello."
[Are you looking around? I've gone past five buildings from the farthest one, Building 16 down to Building 11, and nothing caught my eye. I'm quickly scanning the playground, between the parked cars, and the bushes. If I don't see anything just by looking around, I'll have to go inside the apartment and search floor by floor]
"You're quick. I'm also looking around from the front building."
[Okay. Keep the line open.]
I could hear the Detective's breathless, panting sounds as he ran around, 'huff, huff', right in my ear.
Around me, the neighborhood people passing by also kept glancing at me, wearing a police uniform alone at night, So i too began to slowly move my steps.
'Our apartment... If it were our apartment...'
Instead of running around recklessly like the Detective, I slowly moved my steps and pondered.
Come to think of it, there was still one thing left unresolved.
"The bug."
The small bug that had been installed in the computer case screw in my room.
But the Detective said that aside from the fact that it transmitted signals wirelessly, there was nothing else he could find out.
Considering the fact that the culprit was hiding here right now, I was able to narrow it down to a few suspicious places.
'That bug was very small. It probably couldn't have transmitted signals that far.'
Especially since it was inside an enclosed room, not an open space.
In order to receive the bug's signal, the culprit couldn't have been far from my room.
And the culprit, who happened to have the appearance of our bear-like Detective.
Given his conspicuous appearance, if he wanted to hide himself, from the day he installed that bug and eavesdropped all the way to tonight, the location was fairly limited.
..The utility room in the basement of our building. Or the rooftop.
The utility room has more frequent visits from the cleaning lady than one might think.
With that conclusion, I set the rooftop as my destination and immediately began walking toward my apartment building.
As I entered the first-floor password.
and stepped into the elevator, I immediately heard the Detective's voice from the earbud.
[Huff, huff. What was that sound just now? Are you taking the elevator?]
"..Yes."
[Which elevator?]
I didn't answer.
Because I intended to face that person directly with my own eyes and find out the truth.
[Hello! Lee Joon!? Can you hear me?]
[Tsk, the call is cutting out because of the elevator...]
Around the time the elevator passed the 7th floor where my house Was, I took the earbud out of my ear and threw it on the floor.
And instead, I took out the gun from my pocket, showed my back to the CCTV, and fidgeted with it while waiting silently.
My reflection in the mirror, wearing a police uniform and holding a gun, looked a bit awkward.
Ding-
After the elevator arrived at the top floor, I went up one more floor by the stairs and reached the rooftop of the apartment building.
The rooftop door was wide open, as if inviting me.
I moved step by step into the dark rooftop, gripping the gun with both hands.
And as I stepped through the entrance and faced the vast night sky stretched out before me.
At the edge of the rooftop, a man in a gray coat stood quietly under the moonlight. his back turned toward me.
I cauiously took one step after another toward him.
Sensing my presence, the man slowly turned his head.
"..It's Joon."
"Take your hands out of your pockets."
The man with the appearance of Detective Park Gangwoon nodded his head, then slowly pulled his hand out of his pocket.
"Turn around. Show me your face."
"Of course."
The man slowly turned his body to face me.
On the rooftop at midnight, with the night sky as the backdrop, the Detective and I stood facing each other.
With my gun aimed, I scrutinized every
corner of the Detective's appearance.
The man, who had been quietly waiting for me, then opened his mouth.
"The police uniform suits you well."
"....."
"You should consider becoming a police officer after graduation."
"No. The gun."
I tilted the gun toward the man and asked.
"On Friday morning, when evidence was stolen from the National Police Agency, I heard a gun disappeared along with it. Where is it?"
"The one you're holding seems to be it."
"No. This gun was given to me by Detective Park Gangwoon, who has been with me since the National Police Agency."
"Is that so? I have a separate gun of my own, though."
The Detective casually pointed to his own pocket.
"I also have my own gun, which I've been carrying ever since I left the police headquarters."
"That must be the one you stole."
"It's the opposite, Lee Joon. Your gun is
the one that was stolen."
The Detective slowly moved one hand
toward his coat pocket.
"There's one way to check."
"Don't move your hand! Don't put it in your pocket!"
"Try firing it. Then everything will become clear."
"I said don't move your hand!!"
Then, the Detective's hand, which had been moving slowly, suddenly darted into his coat and pulled something out in a swift motion.
Bang-!!
I fired the gun, and the Detective's large frame was pushed backward with a sudden grunt.
Clatter-
The Detective dropped the gun he had just pulled from his coat, and with his coat flaring in the wind, he fell over the edge of the rooftop.
Whoosh-
I rushed to the edge of the rooftop, but soon only a terrible sound echoed above.
Thud-
The sound of the Detective's body crashing to the ground.
For a moment, I looked down from the rooftop with a vacant expression, then stared blankly at the gun in my hand.
"....The bullet hit?'
But I was told the first round was a blank.
For a moment, I stared blankly. Then I picked up the gun the Detective had just dropped onto the ground.
It was loaded as well.
At the same time, the sound of someone coming up to the rooftop was heard.
Thud thud thud-
"Huff, huff- Joon!!"
The Detective, out of breath, came running toward me.
"Hey, what happened?! The gunshot!!"
Without a word, I aimed the gun I had
just picked up from the fallen Detective at the man.
".....!!"
And then I pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang-!
"Ugh..."
The Detective flinched and stepped back.
After freezing for a moment, he relaxed his guard and patted various parts of his body.
There were no injuries.
"...You scared me, you p*nk. I told you the first shot was a blank."
"No, it wasn't."
I looked down at the two guns on the rooftop and murmured quietly.
"The first shot from the Detective's gun who just fell was a blank. The gun you gave me had live rounds from the very beginning."
"....."
"And the gun that had live rounds from the very beginning is the gun of the doppelgänger detective who killed me on Monday morning in the clubroom."
Click-
I rise my gun and aiming at him.
"who are you?"