Moo Chi had spent most of his day collecting profiles for both case files. He had read all the statements once again, highlighting the possible triggers, and had invited some people back for a second interview, just to clarify some things and figure some things out.
Detective Sang had returned with the stalker of the latest rope knot killer victim and he had spend some time trying to weasel information out of him. When they finally got him so far, after taking him the victim's home to spill some secretes, it was already past noon.
Of course, seeing that he had arrested and interviewed the stalker, that meant he also had to fill in the paperwork.
Detective Sang had suddenly made himself scarce and Moo Chi was left typing the statement, something he really hated about his job.
It was this moment that Hong Ju suddenly rushed in, almost knocking over a pile of papers on a nearby desk. .
Out of breath, she slammed her hands on his desk.
"Have you heard?" She asked him, her eyes wide.
He looked up annoyed that she was interrupted him.
"About that old woman, the one who got injured while fighting Kang Duk Soo." She said, "You know her granddaughter, right." She looked him in the eyes. She knew that he had handled her case. It had been the first case he had handled and she knew what kind of impact it had on him, even now.
He sat up a bit straighter at her words.
"What about her. Did something happen?"
Hong Ju leaned over his desk and said in a whisper.
"She cut of Kang Duk Soo's genitals."
"She dit what?!" He shouted. Everyone looked up at him. He signed that it was okay and they went back to their work, muttering about his noise.
"She did what?" he asked again, this time almost whispering.
"Apparently she went in his room and cut of his genitals. They have arrested her. Didn't anyone call it in yet?"
"They probably called it in with the local force." He said absentmindedly, thinking further ahead.
"Did anyone tell Bong Yi, I mean the granddaughter, yet?" he asked her.
"I don't know. It didn't happen all that long ago, perhaps half an hour? I got someone stationed at the hospital because I wanted to do an episode about the Kang Duk Soo case. He called it in, so it's not official yet."
"I'll go and tell the girl. Can you say on top of the case, that way if there is any news, I can tell her directly."
Hong Ju voiced her agreement and he left for Bong Yi's school. In his hurry he left all the files on his desk.
Bong Yi was sitting at her desk, staring out of the window, hoping that the day would go by quickly, so she could return to her grandmother.
She was feeling anxious but it was not an urgent anxietye, more like a lingering worry. Her grandmother had not been feeling extremely well, but the doctors were just keeping her n the hospital to make sure she wouldn't get a bad cold or pneumonia or something.
One of the girls in class passed her a note.
'You OK?'
Bong Yi smiled and mouthed a yes, thanks to the girl. Thanks to the big reveal of the bullies, everyone in class were nice to her and even tried to befriend her, even though school was almost over.
Class went on ahead, and she gave up all pretense on trying to pay attention to the teacher and was just staring out of the window.
The new teacher, who had replaced her usual one, had noticed this, but she had been informed about what happened with her grandmothers, so she decided to let it slide, jus this once.
Someone knocked on the door of the classroom and the teacher looked up. She opened the door and she saw Detective Ko standing there.
He was whispering something to the teacher.
Bong Yi could feel the knots forming in her stomach. This wasn't about her, she thought, this couldn't possibly be about her. Not after everything that has happened. Everything is just fine, her grandmother was still feeling well this morning, so this could not be about her.
"Bong Yi, could you come please?" the teacher asked her, and when she got up, she felt as if her legs were as heavy as lead. She heard some whispering starting, but the teacher quickly put it to a stop. She really was a no nonsense teacher, not tolerating even the slightest gossip about this.
The door closing behind her sounded so loud, and so far away at the same time.
"Ahjussi? What's wrong." She asked, looking at him, begging with her eyes to say everything was fine.
He put his hands on her shoulders and leaned down a bit, so he was looking her straight in the eye.
"It's about Kang Duk Soo." He said, and Bong Yi felt some of the tension going away, "and your grandmother." The tension returned immediately.
"Your grandmother has cut of Kang Duk Soo's genitals and is currently arrested." Bong Yi's brain was processing the words. Her knees gave out and she was feeling light headed.
"Arrested?" she whispered, putting her shaking hands in front of her mouth.
"What will happen now?" she asked in panic. "She can't go to jail, she's sick and old."
Moo Chi looked down at her and crouched besides her. He helped her stand straight again.
"I will take you to the hospital. You're grandmother is still held there, since her health does not permit her to be moved." He said slowly, waiting until Bong Yi nodded.
"Talk to your grandmother, but I think it's best that you get a lawyer. If you don't know anyone, someone can be appointed pro deo, but it's probably better to find someone who specializes in cases like these." Bong Yi nodded again, her eyes still wide.
"Now get your stuff, I'll bring you to the hospital." He said.
During the ride to the hospital she couldn't stop biting her nails and kept on fidgeting wit the zippers of her bags. She couldn't manage to look up from her bag, her stomach knotting angrily.
Her thoughts kept going around the fact that they arrested her grandmother.. Where they going to keep her in detention before the trial? When should she be tried? Will she be able to survive jail? How long would they giver her?
Once they arrived at the hospital they saw a cluster of reporters, who had also heard the news. Hong Ju was standing a bit to the side and he gestured her over.
"Do you think we can go in without them noticing?" he asked her, she shook her head.
"Not without a distraction." Moo Chi thought for a bit.
"Okay, I'll go in, flash my badge and inquire at the front desk. While they follow me, can you bring her Bong Yi to her grandmother?" he asked Hong Ju, who agreed with the plan.
The plan went exactly as he imagined it. He just walked to the front desk, and a lot of reporters were already trailing him, recognizing him for who he was. This left the way free for Hong Ju and Bong Yi.
"Come on, let's go, before they catch on." Hong Ju said to Bong Yi, grabbing her by the arm.
The weaved their way through the hospital unchallenged and in silence until they arrived at her grandmothers room. There was a cop sitting on a chair right outside the door.
"Thank you for helping miss…" Bong Yi said.
"Choi Hong Ju." She said.
"From the television show, right." Bong Yi said, suddenly remembering where she had seen the face from before.
"Yes indeed. Now let's go to your grandmother." She left Bong Yi standing there, and went to check on Moo Chi and the horde of reporters.
Bong Yi took a deep breath and calmed herself.
"Excuse me, can I go in to see my grandmother?" she asked the cop.
"Yes, you can. I'll have to leave to the door open though." He answers her and she nods at him, but can't make herself smile.
She entered the room and she saw her grandmother sitting on the bed reading a magazine, as if nothing happened. The only difference was that one of her wrists was handcuffed to the side of the bed.
Halmoni looked up from her magazine when she entered and she looked a bit unsure of herself.
Bong Yi's mouth was suddenly dry, as if filled with sawdust. She had imagined asking a lot of things when she was coming here, but in the end only one word escaped her.
"Why?" she asked, tears slipping out of her eyes.
"Calm down puppy," halmoni said and lifted her arms to gesture Bong Yi to come closer for a hug. Her left hand stopped going up when the restraint was pulled taut.
Bong Yi flew in her arms anyway.
"They'll take you away from me." She cried in her grandmother's shoulder, nearly hysterical, scared about loosing the last of her family.
Halmoni just held her, until she calmed down. Eventually the tears dried up and Bong Yi dried her face, still feeling sad and lost.
"I just did what should have been done." She explained, "this way, he can't harm anyone anymore."
"But there must have been another way. Now they arrested you. What will happen to you now?"
"I'm guessing that I will be tried and I have to go to jail." Grandmother said, trying to make it sound that it did not matter to her, but in reality that thought had started to come up and scare her as well.
"I must admit, it was a spur of a moment kind of thing and I did not think it through. But I just couldn't bare that he wasn't suffering and so many were because of him. He hurt you and it was my fault partly as well. At least this way I feel as if I redeemed myself a bit." At the last sentence halmoni looked down at her hand that was lying on the blankets, not able to look her granddaughter in the eye.
"You shouldn't feel guilty about that anymore." Bong Yi said, even though she knew she had still blamed her grandmother partially for what happened. She had never come around to forgive her.
"Bong Yi, whatever will happen now, if I go to jail or not, don't forget: you are strong, smart and beautiful. I know that you will be okay."
"You won't go to jail." Bong Yi said fiercely, "we are going to get you a lawyer. I will call everyone we know and see if they know a lawyer who can help us."
Ba Reum was just finishing of work when he received the phone call from Bong Yi. He answered the phone while he closed of the office, waving to his co-workers while he was leaving.
"Hey Bong Yi," he answered the phone, "everything okay?"
"Oppa, I have a favour to ask. I am searching a lawyer."
"A lawyer, what for?" he asked surprised at the sudden request.
"Ah, you haven't seen the news yet."
"No, I just finished working and am on my way home."
"Well, halmoni, she went and cut off Kang Duk Soo's…" she mumbled the last of the sentence, for some reason feeling a bit embarrassed about saying these words to him.
"She cut of what?" Ba Reum asked surprised.
"His genitals." Ba Reum stood still suddenly, someone who was walking right behind him swore when he almost bumped against him and Ba Reum apologized.
"Wow." Was the only thing he managed to say.
"I know. I'm searching for someone who knows a lawyer, preferably someone who specialises in cases like these."
"Ah, I think I know someone. I'll call her and see if she can help."
"Can you? That would be great." He could hear the tears in her voice, even if she tried to sound positive.
"Yeah, I'll call her as soon as I come home. I'll let you know."
"OK, thank you oppa." She was about to finish the conversation, but Ba Reum stopped her.
"Bong Yi."
"Yes?"
"Take care of yourself, okay?"
"I will" she said with a small smile at the concern.