The investigation shifted direction the moment the team confirmed that the latest victim was not killed by the same person responsible for the earlier murders. What had once been a single line of inquiry now split into two, each demanding equal attention.
By morning, the Central Investigation Division had already begun adjusting their approach.
Kang Min stood in front of the board, studying the updated layout. The original case remained at the center, but now another section had been added beside it. The copycat case. Similar in appearance, but flawed in execution.
Su Young sat at her desk, going through data again, cross-checking time stamps and access logs. Bong Soo leaned against the edge of a table, arms folded, watching Kang Min for a moment before speaking.
"So we're treating this separately?"
Kang Min nodded.
"Yes. Until we find a connection."
Ara, who had just stepped in, placed a file on the table.
"Then we need to understand the victim first," she said. "Start from the beginning."
Bong Soo straightened.
"I'll go with you."
Ara nodded.
"Let's visit the family."
Kang Min glanced at them briefly.
"Take everything from the victim's background. Work, friends, recent activity. Anything that stands out."
Ara picked up the file again.
"We will."
Without wasting time, she and Bong Soo left the station.
The drive to the victim's residence was quieter than usual. The earlier energy from the discovery had settled into something more deliberate.
Bong Soo glanced at the file again.
"Mid-thirties. Office worker. No criminal record."
Ara kept her eyes ahead.
"Doesn't tell us much."
"Most of them never do," Bong Soo replied.
She didn't argue with that.
They arrived shortly after and were directed inside by a relative who had been expecting them.
The atmosphere in the house was heavy, but not chaotic. Grief had already settled in, replacing the initial shock with something quieter.
A woman in her late fifties sat in the living room. Her eyes were tired, her posture still.
Ara approached first, her tone respectful.
"Thank you for seeing us."
The woman nodded slowly.
"You're from the police."
"Yes," Ara replied. "We just need to ask a few questions."
Bong Soo stood slightly behind, giving space but paying attention.
The woman gestured toward the chairs.
"Please."
They sat.
Ara spoke gently.
"We understand this is a difficult time. We won't take much of your time."
The woman nodded again.
"What do you want to know?"
Ara opened the file.
"Can you tell us about him? His routine, his work, anything unusual recently."
The woman took a moment before answering.
"He was quiet. Went to work, came back home. He didn't cause trouble."
Bong Soo asked, "Did he mention anyone new? Any conflicts?"
She shook her head.
"No. He kept to himself."
Ara continued, "Did he have visitors recently?"
Another pause.
Then the woman spoke slowly.
"Not that I know of."
Ara observed her carefully.
"If you remember anything, even something small, it could help."
The woman nodded.
"I understand."
Bong Soo leaned forward slightly.
"Was there anything different about him in the past few days?"
The woman hesitated.
"Maybe… he seemed distracted."
Ara's attention sharpened slightly.
"Distracted how?"
"He wasn't talking much. Even less than usual."
Bong Soo and Ara exchanged a brief glance.
That wasn't much, but it was something.
Ara closed the file gently.
"Thank you. If anything comes to mind later, please contact us."
The woman nodded.
"I will."
They stood and left quietly, stepping back into the open air.
Bong Soo exhaled.
"That didn't give us much."
Ara looked ahead.
"Not yet."
They walked toward the car.
"But he noticed something," she added.
Bong Soo looked at her.
"You think that's why he was distracted?"
"Maybe," Ara replied. "Or maybe someone noticed him first."
They got into the car and drove back.
Elsewhere, far from the investigation, Seo Eun Sang sat in her office, surrounded by glass walls and a view of the city below.
Her desk was covered with neatly arranged documents, a laptop open in front of her. Her fingers moved across the keyboard with practiced speed as she responded to emails, reviewed reports, and made notes.
Her phone rang briefly, and she picked it up without hesitation.
"Yes," she said.
She listened, then responded.
"Move the meeting forward. I don't want delays."
She ended the call and immediately dialed another number.
"Send the revised documents to the board before noon," she instructed her secretary.
Her tone remained composed, efficient.
Another call followed.
Another task assigned.
She worked through everything without slowing down.
When she finally leaned back, the room grew quiet again.
For a moment, she stared at her screen, then reached for her phone.
She dialed.
It rang a few times before being answered.
"Hello?"
"Ji Won."
"Mom?"
Eun Sang's expression softened slightly.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine."
"How is school?"
"It's going well."
Eun Sang nodded to herself.
"That's good."
There was a brief pause before she continued.
"I wanted to call earlier, but I've been busy."
"It's okay," Ji Won replied.
Eun Sang hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"I heard you went to the cemetery."
"Yes."
Her tone remained calm.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come," Eun Sang said. "I had to travel to Paris for a conference. It wasn't something I could postpone."
Ji Won didn't respond immediately.
"I understand," she said after a moment.
Eun Sang continued,
"I would have liked to be there."
Another pause.
"Next year, I'll go with you."
Ji Won nodded, even though she couldn't be seen.
"Okay."
Eun Sang adjusted slightly in her chair.
"Send my regards to Kang Min."
"I will."
There was a knock on her office door.
Her secretary stepped in slightly.
"Ma'am, the shareholders are waiting."
Eun Sang nodded.
"I'll be there."
She turned her attention back to the call.
"I have to go."
"Okay."
"I'll visit when I have some free time."
Ji Won responded quietly.
"Alright."
The call ended.
Eun Sang stood, adjusting her jacket before heading out of the office.
Back at the station, the team had resumed work.
Su Young sat in front of her laptop, reviewing footage collected from cameras around the victim's residence.
Hours passed as she scanned through recordings, adjusting playback speed, focusing on specific time frames.
Then something caught her attention.
She paused the video.
Rewound it slightly.
Played it again.
"Guys," she called.
The others turned.
Kang Min walked over first.
"What is it?"
She pointed at the screen.
"Look at this."
The footage showed the entrance of the victim's building.
A figure stepped out.
Face covered.
Movements steady.
Ara leaned closer.
"He's leaving."
Bong Soo narrowed his eyes.
"Can you zoom in?"
Su Young adjusted the frame.
The figure became clearer.
But not enough.
"He's wearing something," she said.
Kang Min studied the screen.
"A mask."
Ara looked more carefully.
"Not a regular one."
Su Young nodded.
"Silicon."
That explained the lack of identifiable features.
Bong Soo frowned.
"So we can't see his real face."
Kang Min's gaze remained fixed on the screen.
"Not from this."
Su Young continued analyzing.
"I checked for fingerprints too."
She paused.
"Nothing."
Ara crossed her arms.
"He planned it."
"Yes," Su Young replied. "He avoided leaving anything behind."
Bong Soo exhaled.
"So he knew what he was doing."
Kang Min didn't speak immediately.
His attention remained on the footage.
"He tried to make it perfect," he said finally.
Ara nodded.
"But he didn't match the original."
That difference mattered.
A lot.
Su Young replayed the clip once more.
"He studied the case," she said.
Kang Min agreed.
"But not enough."
The room fell into quiet thought again.
The copycat wasn't careless.
But he wasn't precise either.
That gap was the only advantage they had.
And they needed to use it.
Outside, the day continued as usual.
But inside the investigation, things had changed.
They were no longer chasing one shadow.
There was another now.
And it was trying to look like something it wasn't.