The meeting did not end quickly.With Prosecutor Lee Tae Jun now seated among them, the atmosphere in the room shifted in a way that was difficult to describe but impossible to ignore. Nothing obvious changed—no raised voices, no visible tension—but something subtle settled beneath the surface.
Kang Min stood near the board, continuing from where they had stopped. His tone remained steady as he went over the structure of both cases again, making sure everything stayed clear.
"We keep both cases separated," he said. "No assumptions. No overlap unless we confirm it."
Tae Jun nodded slightly.
"That's reasonable."
Su Young adjusted something on her laptop before speaking.
"The materials used by the copycat are still our strongest lead. The supplier list has been narrowed down, but we're still verifying purchase records."
Bong Soo leaned back in his chair.
"If the account used is clean, it'll take longer."
Ara added,
"Or it leads us somewhere we're not expecting."
Tae Jun looked at the board, taking in the details.
"What about victim selection?" he asked.
Kang Min answered,
"No clear pattern yet. But they all had limited social interaction."
Ara nodded.
"Which made them easier targets."
Tae Jun folded his arms slightly.
"That suggests planning, even if the execution isn't perfect."
No one disagreed.
Kang Min continued,
"The copycat is trying to replicate the result, not the process."
Bong Soo let out a quiet breath.
"And that's where he keeps slipping."
The discussion moved forward, steady and focused. Everyone contributed, building on what they already knew, adjusting their approach as new details were considered.
Tae Jun remained engaged, asking questions when needed, offering input that aligned with the direction of the investigation. From the outside, everything looked smooth.
But Kang Min's attention shifted more than once.
Not in a way that drew notice, but enough for Ara to catch.
At one point, as Su Young explained an update on the traced materials, Kang Min's gaze moved briefly toward Tae Jun before returning to the board.
Ara didn't say anything.
She simply noticed.
The meeting continued for a while before Kang Min brought it to a pause.
"We'll divide tasks," he said. "Su Young, continue tracing the purchase records. Bong Soo, follow up with suppliers directly. Ara, review the victim backgrounds again—look for anything we might have missed."
They nodded.
Kang Min added,
"I'll coordinate with both sides."
Tae Jun spoke,
"I'll review everything from the legal side and assist where necessary."
Kang Min gave a short nod.
"That works."
The meeting ended not long after that.
Everyone returned to their positions.
Work resumed.
⸻
The station settled into its usual rhythm, though the presence of someone new in the team space was still being adjusted to.
Su Young worked through data, occasionally making calls to verify supplier information. Bong Soo stepped out briefly to follow up on leads in person. Ara remained at her desk, reviewing files, making notes, cross-checking timelines.
Kang Min stood by the board again, alone this time.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Then he shifted slightly, adjusting one of the photos pinned under the copycat section.
Footsteps approached.
Ara stopped beside him.
"You've moved that twice already," she said quietly.
Kang Min didn't look at her.
"It wasn't aligned."
Ara followed his gaze.
"You're thinking about something else."
He didn't answer immediately.
Then he said,
"Just organizing things."
Ara didn't push further.
But she didn't fully believe that either.
⸻
Across the room, Tae Jun stood near Su Young's desk.
"Can you walk me through the material trace again?" he asked.
Su Young nodded.
"Sure."
She turned her screen slightly, explaining the supplier list, the purchase account, and the narrowed locations.
Tae Jun listened carefully.
"Is there a chance the materials were obtained through a third party?" he asked.
"Yes," Su Young replied. "But the purchase record still gives us a direction."
Tae Jun nodded.
"Good."
His tone remained calm, professional, consistent.
Nothing about his presence disrupted the flow of work.
If anything, he blended in smoothly.
⸻
Later in the day, Bong Soo returned with updates.
"I checked two of the suppliers," he said. "Both confirmed small purchases matching our materials."
Ara looked up.
"Any records of buyers?"
"Not detailed enough," Bong Soo replied. "But one mentioned an online order pickup."
Su Young turned slightly.
"That matches what I found."
Kang Min stepped closer.
"Location?"
Bong Soo gave it.
Kang Min nodded.
"We'll follow up."
Tae Jun added,
"Make sure you request full transaction logs. Even partial data could help."
Kang Min gave a short response.
"Already planned."
Their exchange was brief.
Neutral.
But again, Ara noticed the way Kang Min's tone stayed measured—just slightly more distant than usual.
⸻
As the hours passed, the team continued working without interruption.
There was no breakthrough yet.
But progress was steady.
And that mattered.
⸻
By evening, most of the team remained at their desks, still going through files.
Ara leaned back slightly, closing one of the reports.
Across from her, Kang Min was still reviewing the board.
She stood and walked over.
"You've been at that for hours," she said.
Kang Min didn't turn.
"So have you."
"That's different," she replied. "I sit down."
That earned a quiet response.
"Fair."
Ara glanced at the board.
"You think the copycat will move again soon?"
Kang Min answered after a moment.
"Yes."
"Because of the pattern?" she asked.
"Because he hasn't been stopped," he replied.
Ara nodded slightly.
"That makes sense."
She hesitated briefly before adding,
"You're not saying much today."
Kang Min finally turned toward her.
"I am."
"Not really," Ara said.
He didn't respond immediately.
Then he said,
"We'll talk when there's something new."
Ara studied him for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright."
She didn't push further.
⸻
Across the room, Tae Jun gathered a few documents before stepping toward the door.
"I'll review these and follow up tomorrow," he said.
Kang Min nodded.
"Understood."
The rest of the team acknowledged him briefly.
He left without delay.
⸻
The room felt slightly different again after he was gone.
Not quieter.
Just lighter in a way that wasn't easy to explain.
Bong Soo stretched slightly.
"Long day," he said.
Su Young didn't look up.
"Not over yet."
Ara returned to her desk.
Kang Min stayed where he was.
The board remained in front of him.
Two cases.
Two paths.
And somewhere between them, a truth that hadn't fully revealed itself yet.
⸻
The night deepened outside.
Inside the station, the work continued.
No one said it out loud.
But everyone knew—
They were getting closer.
Even if they didn't know exactly to what yet.