[Fic] Happily Ever After [1/?]
Introduction: Beauty or the Beast?
---
“Don’t do it!” the young policeman assistant cried desperately, trying but failing to pull back his best friend.
“But someone will die if we don’t do something!” the other assistant yelled. The shadow in the window disappeared and the light of the room started flickering. He began struggling in earnest.
“You will die if I let you go!” Cho Kyuhyun screamed back, grappling his best friend back. “Let’s wait for the other officers! The inspector will be here soon! Why can’t you just wait!?”
“Because another innocent person will die!” Shim Changmin hissed, pulling away from his friend’s strong grip. He ran into the building, the door slamming and his friend yelling behind him.
He used his long legs and bounded up the stairs. Changmin had long calculated where the room had been located from the floor plan they received from headquarters. Fifth floor, room 505. It was located down to the left, the last door of that corridor.
A renown murderer had dragged his victim into the room. The blood trail would have lead the young police assistant to the right room even without knowing the way. Changmin breathed heavily both in physical exertion and blood chilling fear. Police and civilians alike who’ve tried to stop him have ended up dead and carved up grotesquely. This murderer was famous for leaving no victim or interferer alive.
Changmin knew Kyuhyun was probably right. The moment he opens that blood-smeared door might be his last, but he wouldn’t watch another person die. No. Never. He would not let this murderer kill another person!
Readying his gun, he took a shallow breath, paying it wouldn’t be his last. Changmin kicked down the door and immediately brought his handgun to eye level. Slowly, he walked down the dimly light hallway of the apartment. He jumped as he heard a low moan of pain.
The sound of tearing flesh and then a bloodcurdling scream.
“Fuck, no, nononono,” Changmin whispered. He advanced slowly, each step shaky but determined. The hallway seemed too long and the lights too dim. He was close to the end and the painful whimpers came from the left. If he remember the layout correctly, to the left was the living room while to the right was the kitchen.
1, 2… he counted in his head. His hand shook as he steadied himself against the wall. At three, he swung into the opening of the living room. A man, strapped to a chair, sat there groaning in obvious pain as several kitchen knifes seem to be imbedded in his torso. Each missing a vital point but the pain would be indescribable. Most importantly, he was still alive.
Changmin looked around and didn’t see anyone else. He sighed and wondered if the murderer had run off, leaving his work there. Maybe it was because of the high stress he was under or because he hadn’t found a bullet through his head, Changmin forgot the murderer’s infamous reputation.
It wasn’t until the lights blacked out that Changmin remembered: this murderer never left anyone alive.
He felt a burst of pain as a blow to his back causes his spine to curve in a way that was definitely unnatural. He crumples at the victim’s feet, his uniform soaking with blood. His eyes were unable to adjust to the darkness quickly, and all he could see was a dark figure walking towards him, something shining in his grasp. A kitchen knife.
“I’m not sure if you’re stupid or brave,” came the uncharacteristically soft voice. “This is the first time I’ve seen a policeman leave his back completely bare.”
Changmin coughed and seized up at the pain shooting up his back. His eyes weren’t adjusting fast enough and his body wouldn’t respond. This was it. He was going to die.
“I was watching you and your friend squabble,” the dark figure continued, squatting next to the downed police assistant. “At least he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders.”
The police assistant tried to tackle the murderer or at least wrestle the knife out of the other’s hands, but he was too unsteady and the other too fast. Changmin groaned as he hit the tiled floor of the kitchen face first and slid slightly, his nose taking the brunt of the fall. He could hear the murder laugh. It was unnerving how pretty the other laughed. It was warm and happy.
“You’re an idiot,” the murderer chuckled. Changmin heard the other’s footsteps click on the tiles. It was over. It was really over. “But amusing, so I’ll let you in on something special.”
The murderer walked around his fallen body until his feet were in Changmin’s line of sight. The kitchen window let in lights from the outside, creating a stretch of brightness. It was then Changmin saw the murder’s beautiful face and cold eyes. His breath caught in his throat. The man was mesmerizing. Soft, feminine facial features with a rippling muscular body and eyes so cold, colder than anything Changmin’s ever imagined. The police assistant shivered. He was scared. Oh god, he was scared.
“Usually I only ask for my victim’s names,” the murderer said, his lips curving into a smile. A warmth that didn’t reach his eyes. “But today, I’ll tell you mine first. Think of it as a thank you for that little bit of amusement. A gift. A name you can curse at.”
Changmin’s shivering stopped as he was now completely frozen in dread. This was it. The moment this man stopped talking, Shim Changmin would be greeting his ancestors in the afterlife.
“Kim Jaejoong,” the murder whispered, his lips hovering over Changmin’s head. “Only two people alive know that name, and I’m afraid I quite like it that way.”
Changmin forced himself to breath as Kim Jaejoong slipped his hand underneath the police assistant’s chin and gently lifted the young man’s head up.
“So what’s yours?” Jaejoong asked, but the moment the outside light hit Changmin’s face, the murderer’s breath hitched. Through petrified eyes, Changmin noticed something akin to surprise in the murderer’s cold, cold eyes. But it could have been his own wishful thinking as Jaejoong asked again, “Your name?”
“Sh-Shim…Changmin,” the police assistant croaked out.
“Ah, Shim Changmin,” Jaejoong repeated. His voice so low Changmin almost missed the next words. “You know, three’s a good number.”
Without a warning, Jaejoong smashed Changmin’s head against the floor, and everything went black.
---
“The notorious murderer, codename Hero, has once again claimed another victim, making his murder count climb to twenty-seven in this year alone. His victim was a thirty-six year old salary man with no past records or connections with previous victims. Once again, Hero has proven his indiscrimination. He chooses no target demographic in no certain geographical scope. Seoul has not been the only city Hero has stricken with his terror.
Senior Inspector Jung Yunho reaffirms his warnings, “Please do not put yourself in any situation that would invite danger. Remember, Hero likes to kill one victim at a time. Travel with friends or family if the situation allows. Don’t take walks in the dead of night. Most of this is common sense but take it to heart.”
However, last night an unexpected event occurred, a courageous young police assistant had confronted the murderer in an apartment building and was apparently left alive when the rest of the authorities rushed to the scene! This is the first time anyone has survived an encounter with Hero up to date. This courageous young man is resting at a local hospital and his condition was declared stable.”
---
“You fucking idiot!” the Senior Inspector roared at the bed ridden police assistant. Changmin flinched as the loud shouting hurt his throbbing head, but he knows he deserves it. Jung Yunho, his boss, mentor and fatherly figure, had every right in the world to scream and curse at him. “Graduated top of your class. A skilled fighter, shooter and analyst. Perfectly rational in armed robberies, hostage situations and bomb threats. Voted to having the most potential as a newcomer by everyone from traffic officers to the Commissioner General himself!”
His best friend, Kyuhyun, merely patted Changmin’s arms lightly. Even though his best friend and fellow co-worker had been furious, Kyuhyun wouldn’t want to put Changmin through this again. Being yelled at by Jung Yunho was almost as terrifying as being chased by Hero.
“And you go into the same room as Hero?!” Yunho continues to yell. The nurse seemed to want to tell the inspector to quite down but any of her complaints were shot down by a rather murderous look. “Are you insane?! There are people who’ve died being in the same street as that man! I don’t know how you made it out of that alive but honestly you shouldn’t have.”
“Hey, Yunho, calm down,” another senior inspector said loudly, attracting the raging man’s attention. Lee Donghae was probably one of three people who could take a furious Yunho on directly. “This is a hospital, and even though Changmin’s been an idiot, he’s hurt.”
“But this fucking fool-”
“And you’re relieved out of your mind that ‘this fucking fool’ came back alive,” Donghae said softly. The fire seemed to just seep out of Yunho’s eyes at those words. “Why don’t you just tell the boy you’re happy he’s still alive?”
“…it was implied,” Yunho grumbled but quietly exited the room.
“Inspector Lee,” Changmin greeted, nodding his head as far as the pain would let him. “Thank you.”
“You gave Inspector Jung quite a fright,” Donghae chuckled. “When we got you to the hospital, he didn’t sleep until you opened your eyes. In fact, I think he’s been up a good sixty hours now. But you know that man, he’s probably going back to the office.”
“Sixty hours?” Changmin gaped. He bit his lip, suddenly feeling guiltier than before. Yunho was dead as a log when he slept and he loved his sleep. For the man to forsake it for a full sixty hours, he must have been worried out of his mind.
“Hey, hey, you have another person who’s been up for sixty hours for you,” Kyuhyun protested, exaggerating a yawn.
“Who asked you to?” Changmin retorted bluntly but smiled.
“Oh you little ungrateful bastard,” Kyuhyun huffed also smiling. “Just watch. Next time when you decide to go confronting mass murders I’ll handcuff you to the steering wheel.”
“You’d let innocent people die?!” Changmin gasped with mock shock.
“Yes,” came the calm answer. Changmin blinked. Kyuhyun looked his friend in the eye, his eyes growing red with unshed tears, and said, “If we were to encounter Hero again, I’d let everyone in that building die if that would save you.”
“Kyu-”
“No Changmin, you listen,” Kyuhyun said, grabbing the bedridden man’s hand. “This time was a miracle. A God given miracle. No one, let me repeat, no one has survived Hero before. If we were to encounter Hero gain, promise me right now that you will not chase after him.”
“Wait-”
“Let me finish,” Kyuhyun hissed. “In any other situation, I would let you do whatever the hell you want. You’re smart. I trust you not to do stupid shit, but this is Hero. A man who’s been killing people for the past twelve years, who’s evaded the brightest minds in law enforcement for the past twelve years, who’s gained a reputation for leaving no one alive for the past twelve years.”
Changmin bit his lip. He knew he should have been a dead man. More than just a dead man, he should have been a carved up, dismemberment of what was a dead man, but here he was alive and kicking. Kyuhyun was right to ever last word. It was a miracle he was alive. There was no way this was happening again.
“Promise me Changmin,” his best friend begged. “Please promise me.”
“I…I promise,” Changmin says sincerely. “I promise never to do that again.”
It was then Kyuhyun let the tears fall and Changmin realized Inspector Lee had long left the room.
---
“I wonder if he saw my message,” Kim Jaejoong whispered. He closed his eyes and let the fake stars of the city bathe him in light. He could imagine all the little people, like ants, scurrying around in the artificially light streets fearfully. Once upon a time, one of those little ants was him. It was hard to believe it had already been ten years since then.
Oh, ten years has changed many things.
It was hard to believe that ten years ago, he had almost been happy. He could have had a happy ending. A family with a man he loved and a son he adored like his own. He could have gotten his happily ever after.
Oh, ten years has changed many things.
Ten years ago, he knew how to smile. A smile that light up his eyes and warmed his heart. Back then, he remembers a lot of things to smile about, from trivial thing such as an acknowledgement from the grouchy old man who lived down the street to important thing such as his son calling him ‘appa’ for the first time.
Oh, ten years has changed many things.
Ten years ago, Changmin had been so little. Barely ten and already a know-it-all. Now the boy was twenty and no longer remembered him. It must have been the trauma. Not that Jaejoong blames him-though that little prickling at the corner of his heart seems to say otherwise. Now that he thinks about it, he really should have killed Changmin.
Next time, he thinks to himself. I still have next time.
---
Kim Junsu was a journalist. He basically ran around collecting stories and as all journalists, he had his areas of expertise.
He was the number one reporter and analyst of the murderer Hero. Any up to date article about Hero was probably under the name Kim Junsu. He had made a name for himself with his up to date data and inside information. It was useful to have a good friend inside the police force. Jung Yunho gave him information and in exchange, Kim Junsu establishes himself as the only Hero-centric reporter.
His old friend hated reporters and journalists bugging him and his team so he gives any interesting information that doesn’t go on the news to Junsu. Yunho doesn’t get bugged by useless people and Junsu gets a juicy tidbit each time. While the college roommate connection helped, Yunho didn’t just trust Junsu because they were friends but also because of the journalist’s skill. Junsu knew how to defend his territory quite well. Anyone who knew him knew that Junsu was competitive to a fault. He has shut down quite a few upcoming journalists who’ve dared to challenge him in what Junsu dubs ‘Hero-reporting.’
How does Yunho know? Well, before Hero-reporting, Junsu did a different kind of writing: celebrity reports and movie critics. Under the pen name Xiah, he used to monopolized several actors. One of them was Lee Hyukjae, or Eunhyuk, his best friend since elementary school, but that had almost been a given. As friends, Junsu had sworn not to let any negative word get out about Hyukjae and the actor had promised Junsu the most recent updates on his career, even before his company made official announcements of them.
But the other one was the main reason Yunho trusted Junsu with Hero-reporting. Park Yoochun, an American-born Korean actor and former idol. The man had started his career in Korea by debuting in an idol group, but later left it to pursue acting. From his first drama, the man generated a stir that still hasn’t died down ten years later. From the small screen to the silver screen to the international screen, Park Yoochun had become the role model for every aspiring Korean actor out there.
And Junsu might have a slight celebrity crush on the man.
As a newbie journalist, Junsu had quickly established himself as one of the main reporters on Park Yoochun from accurately predicting his next projects to diffusing juicy but harmful scandals. And it took Junsu only four months more to become the only journalist covering Park Yoochun-lots of subtle threats, backdoor agreements and silent blackmailing occurred during these four months and not all of his actions would have been considered ‘legal’ so to speak.
Junsu calls it a fan’s love for his idol while Yunho says it’s an obsessive tendency border lining stalking with a touch of unlawfulness.
Yet it is exactly that Yunho expects from Junsu when covering Hero. Someone who wasn’t afraid to stake his ground and shove when other’s push, someone who wasn’t scared of tiptoeing the law and most importantly, someone who could erase his tracks, squeaky clean, retaining his good public image.
That was everything ‘Angel’ Kim Junsu had established in the past ten years.
---
Senior Inspector Jung Yunho paced up and down the office, muttering to himself. It was already three in the morning, making it the 64th hour since he last slept, but Yunho wasn’t tired at all. He was awake and anxious.
Hero left another message. A damned coded message that the murderer left last time and the time before and the time before that. They had variations, but it followed the same general pattern. Five murder weapons, all impaled into the victims body somehow or another, and an alphabet to accompany it.
They had analyzed the positioning of the murder weapons and found nothing. They had analyzed the letters, the possible order of the letters, the reverse Romanization into Korean, etc. Yet every time, they got gibberish.
The news hailed Changmin as the first survivor of Hero, but in truth, Jung Yunho had been the first, ten years ago. Back then, he had been brave but foolish, very much like how Changmin is. He had burst into the room and saw Hero finishing his work.
“From now on, I will leave a message on each of my victims,” Hero had said to him. “I will turn myself in the day you figure out my message.”
For the past ten years, Yunho has not forgotten an instance in that bloodied room. If he closes his eyes, he could still hear the murderer’s soft voice saying those exact words. If he keeps his eyes closed, he could start smelling the blood. And if he falls asleep to this image, he would recall the entire incident from the start of his seemingly normal day to the moment that changed his life forever.
“I know what you’re doing and stop,” a voice snapped Yunho out of his daze. Kim Heechul, the third Senior Inspector in their department, stood at the office doorway with an exasperated expression.
“Heechul…” Yunho whispers, his voice dry.
“Heard you haven’t slept for sixty plus hours,” Heechul commented nonchalantly, walking into the office and closing the door behind him. “Sat in the hospital waiting for the police assistant to wake up. Is he okay?”
“He’s…alive.”
“Hn, that’s better off than most of Hero’s victims,” Heechul sighed. “The people in your team must have something that keeps them alive. You survived the first encounter and now Changmin survives the second.”
“I hope there is no need for a third,” Yunho grits out.
“…do you really not remember?” the other asks seemingly out of the blue.
“I’ve told you Heechul, I don’t remember at all,” Yunho says, sounding more frustrated than before. They haven’t been working together for more than ten years for Yunho not to catch onto Heechul’s line of thought.
“I just find it strange,” Senior Inspector Lee confesses. “You remember the details of the whole day to the minute and even what Hero says and does, but you cannot recall his face or who he killed that day.”
“But you believe me,” Yunho states.
“Yes, I do,” Heechul responds grimly. “But no one else would. That why Donghae and I persuaded you not to report the ‘first encounter’. The victim’s body was so torn up when we found it, there was hardly enough to put into a plastic bag much less identify the person.”
“Is there a particular reason you’re bringing this up all of a sudden?” Yunho asks.
“…do you really not remember him?” Heechul asks hesitantly. “About ten years ago, a pretty, young journalist who was interested in the Hero killings?”
“There were many ‘pretty, young journalists’ who were interested in the Hero killings back then,” Yunho frowned. “If it weren’t for Junsu, there still would be.”
“Ah, well, that’s right,” Heechul agrees. They continue the conversation but go into new ways of decoding the messages.
For the past ten years, Heechul hasn’t asked Yunho about Kim Jaejoong, the pretty little journalist with large black eyes who had been more interested in the Assistant Inspector of the case rather than the case itself.
But that day, ten years ago, Kim Jaejoong had disappeared without a trace. Both Donghae and Heechul suspected that the dead body from them had been Kim Jaejoong’s, and the death of his lover had rattled Yunho to the core, changing him into someone no one from the past would have recognized.
So he’ll keep his lips sealed until Yunho is strong enough to face that on his own.
---
Waiting for the other to pick up. Pauses his work.
“Hey Yoochun-ah.”
“Yes, hyung?”
He smiles. The other picked up no matter what.
“I think I’ve been patient enough.”
“Well, ten years is a long time.”
“I don’t think he’ll ever understand unless I do this.”
He picks up the screwdriver and thrusts it deep into the chest cavity, meeting minimal resistance as his strength and experience shined through.
“…I promised to help you to the end.”
“Thank you, Yoochun-ah. I don’t know how I deserve you.”
“I don’t know how Yunho-hyung deserves you, Jaejoong-hyung.”
“Haha, don’t say that, how’s filming going along?”
“Well, I’ll be home tomorrow night…”
A low moan of pain and he raises an eyebrow. Damn, she was still alive?
“Okay, would you like me to cook something specific?”
He aimed the fifth and last screwdriver at her forehead and smiles coldly at his latest masterpiece.
“Are you working right now?”
“Hm…can you give me a moment? This one might be a little tricky. I’ll need both hands.”
“I’ll still be on.”
The last rod goes through her head easily, the front of her skull cracking from the pressure. He picks up the phone again.
“Done, just need to sign it now.”
“God, I heard that one…how about soondaeguk?”
“Sure, I’ll pick up the ingredients from the market after I wash up.”
Her body comes up in the news the next morning and that night sensational actor Park Yoochun comes home to a hot meal.
---
---
---
A/N: …a complete 180 from Talk Show Confessions. This will be…dark to say the least. It’s more of an idea in progress than anything actually. I’m not sure whether I’ll continue or finish it ‘cause most of the ideas for this have come out. The only parts missing are the Yoosu, the revelation and final confrontation.
Apparently in South Korea, you start from Policeman Assistance before you become a Policeman. The ranks go up senior police officer, assistant inspector, inspector, senior inspector, superintendent, senior superintendent, superintendent general, senior superintendent general, chief superintendent general and finally commissioner general. (gasps for breath)
There will be more fluff for future fics. I just started one in which the story is sappy sweet, like maple sugar status sappy sweet. Haha…