One Missed Call | ✓

CHAPTER EIGHT

It was already eight in the evening and the Kim household was still not ready to go out for their friends' dinner party.

Jiwon watched his wife carefully. Her eyes said it all: Startled. Horrified. If there was a way to take away her pain, he would've done it with all his heart.

"I'm sorry," Jiwon found himself saying. "I'm so sorry."

Jisoo didn't say anything, kept on leaning against the wall beside the master bedroom's door, unmoving, as if time paused for her.

Guilt weighed his shoulders like bricks. Jiwon felt like he couldn't do anything for her, so he settled on hauling her in his arms.

"I'm sorry," he repeated again. "I'm so sorry..."

His wife blinked once and looked at him with curiosity. "What... are you sorry for?"

"For a lot of things. For being selfish. For hurting you. For not protecting you sooner. I'm sorry."

Burying her nose on his chest, she murmured, "Now that you're here, make me feel safe."

"I will. I'll promise you that."

Red and blue lights flashed out of their house's windows. As Jiwon looked out to see, it seemed to confirm their reality. The fear he tried to push out of his mind rose like rolling waves. Shaking his head, he tried to wash it out of his system. He had to stay strong for the both of them.

"They're here," his wife mumbled as her arms around him tightened.

A knock was heard, surely coming from the people they were expecting. Jiwon kissed his wife on the forehead and hesitantly let her go.

As Jiwon opened the door, the two officers' grim face welcomed them. Officer Kang Seungyoon curtly nodded while Officer Lee Seunghoon tipped his hat. "Good evening."

Jiwon let the door a little wider for them. They took the invitation. As he gestured at the sofa, he offered, "Please take a seat. Do you want something to drink?"

Seunghoon smiled and waved his hand. "Thanks for the offer but we figured we will not stay around for long."

The two officers sat on the sofa while the couple, on the armchairs. When he took a glance at Jisoo, he couldn't help but get worried. His wife may try to hide it from him, but he knew that she was scared to death. Her eyes, strong and unwavering, was in contrast with her trembling fingers sitting on top of her lap. Jiwon reached out a hand to grasp them. Jisoo stiffened before relaxing as she realized it was just him.

Seeing her like this made him want to say, "It's going to be fine," but they both knew those were empty words. He squeezed her hand and wryly smiled. He hoped it was enough, even for just a little bit, to calm her nerves.

"We're going to collect Kim Jisoo-sshi's phone as evidence. Later, if you don't mind. In the meantime, we followed up on your report about your house. Figured out that it'd be best to start from there since we have nothing on the case." Seungyoon glanced at his partner meaningfully before displaying a grave look. "What we discovered... is alarming."

Seunghoon handed out a manila folder to Jiwon that he accepted with his free hand. With one glance at his wife, he hesitatingly opened the file. A picture was neatly plastered on the first page. It was a headshot of someone who looked young, his sharp eyes looking like it wanted to bear holes through the picture. His bangs that ended an inch or two below his eyebrows were unruly swept to one side. Nose pointed and sharp, he was someone stricken with unhidden confidence. Ghost of a color painted his boat-like lips, its ends curving up for a little smile.