Crimson || GyuRicky

7. Catch Up

Zhang Hao frantically drove to pick up Hanbin mid way, crossing the speed limit at least three times. He was going nuts. Hanbin had kept him hanging after the phone call, not saying anything else just- 'We need to follow Ricky.' However, as soon as he got in the car, the detective spared him off the dying inquisition.

"Let's find him, Ricky's in danger."

"What happened??" Hao's voice was shaky, his hands grabbing the steering wheel was also trembling. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he deliberately, foolishly sent his cousin to someone who could potentially take his life. No, Hao didn't even wanna think about it. He didn't wanna believe it, at all.

But well, Hanbin was being factual. "Kim Gyuvin." Hanbin spoke, his jaw clenched, "The one we've been looking for. Who had been there before my eyes all along- I just!!" He spoke with utter frustration, "I hope I'm not too late!" He then looked at the location Ricky's phone was giving. For safety purpose, Hao had once installed tracking apps on his, Ricky's and Hanbin's phone. Although, Hanbin had already informed the police and asked to track the same phone, the locations were consistent. Meaning, either Gyuvin wasn't at his plan yet, or he didn't care about Ricky's cell phone being tracked.

Yet, they both decided to follow the location.

"Bin ah, please tell me, Ricky's not his target this time?" Fear was evident in Hao's tone. And although the younger hated to agree, he nodded. "Ricky's exactly whom he targeted. He's as tall, as handsome and like you said- he's born in May."

"Born in May?" Hao who couldn't quite catch it, asked.

"May is the 5th month, and Gyuvin's been obsessed with the number 5 all along."

"How come-"

"Park Gunwook- born in 2005, Han Yujin, 15 when he died. The dates- all have either 5's, or sums up to 5." Hanbin went on, "Remember? 5 cupcakes, 5%, his contact having so many 5's, all the victims major injuries being at 5 spots- I should have picked up on his weirdness from day one, how could I be so blind!"

"Oh my God..." Hao gulped, carefully following the location. Hanbin made a few quick calls, asking the police to send a crew to follow the location as well, just in case.

"Fuck!" Hanbin cursed, "If only I found the note sooner!"

"The note?"

"The contact Gyuvin gave Ricky, the keepsake." Said the detective, "He handed it over before knowing Ricky had connections with the investigators, so the handwritings came as a match."

"That's his original?" Hao asked. Even in the conditioned air inside the car, he was sweating. They had called Ricky numerous times by then, but not one call was picked up. Hao sped up, relying solely on Hanbin's ID, he needed to catch up to his cousin before anything could go wrong. As long as the phone was still on, Gyuvin mustn't have started anything.

"He's been lying to us since day one, babe!" Hanbin said, finishing yet another phone call with one of his juniors, "I asked Taerae to check the database of psychology departments of all the universities in this town, not one had him enrolled. Even if the name matched, the photos did not. He rather found an enrollment to an online course, which means Gyuvin was never an uni student. He lied to us all."

"But then-"

"Remember one night my laptop was acting up?" Hanbin said, "And that very night Gyuvin went to talk to you about Ricky? You said he was waiting in your room?"

"Yeah?"

"He dug up your past. Made me look into the murder case back in China, where you killed the assaulter."