The streets are so empty in front of SolHi, while she’s slowly walking without seeing anything around. People instead are seeing her and gossip about how she looks at that moment: as if she just left a game where everyone should stand in front of the attack with eggs.

But SolHi doesn’t care about this. She feels so empty inside and so kicked down at the same time. Last night, before arriving at DooSan’s apartment, she walked home, but there another bad joke of fate was waiting for her.

While trying to open the door she heard behind her the voice of a man: “Are you sure that you deserve this life you are living now, detective Ian SolHi?”

Slowly turning toward, him she was unpleasantly surprised to see Nam Jin Guk, an ex-journalist of a famous TV channel, who was working now only for a small online magazine, after being kicked out of his post, when SolHi and her team investigated his bad actions related to revealing the relatives’identity of series criminals.

“I can’t believe this: the flying mice surrounding my apartment. What the hell are you doing here, reporter Nam? I don’t think that you are trying to find out some interesting story from me for your reportage.”

“And you are right: well, only 50%, because yes, I’m here because of a subject for my reportage, but that subject is you and not another.”

SolHi burst to laugh. “Am I the subject of your reportage? Why exactly: because of what happened two years ago when you had been fired and sent to Kenya?”

“And you are a real vampire, detective Ian. You are smiling so happy when you have no damn idea how is to live there. Kenya is the hell.”

“At least you lived there: walking and smiling freely, while others hadn’t the same freedom after you destroyed their lives.”

“Did I? I’m not that sure we are talking the same language, Miss Ian. I didn’t destroy anybody’s life. I just told the world the truth, because people have the right to know about the bastards who gave birth and grew up criminals that took many lives and because of whom other families suffered. I call this justice.”

SolHi took a few steps toward him, watching him with hatred. “And who should make justice to those who suffered because of you, idiot?”

“Are you talking about yourself?”

“Not only. Many suffered because of a jerk like you. Me too. 7 years ago, you did everything to send me to hell and this was just because you were looking for sensation. You had no damn idea about what I was feeling or if I’m really guilty for that murder.”

Jin Guk took another step toward her: their faces are now so close that they both can see sparkles of fire spat around. “You had never been just an innocent lamb, detective. Everything was pointing that you are the criminal. I just did my job. And … I don’t think I was wrong then, because you are still around that family trying to kick them down.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Jin Guk took out of his pocket a photo of her and DooSan kissing each other that night in the car. She clenched her fists. “Are you following us?”

“Well, let’s say I’m just looking for sensation. You and Han DooSan will always be a good source for my stories.”

“You are just a fucking shark. You have nothing saint. What the hell are you doing here anyway?”

“As I said: I’m looking for a good subject for my story and of course, to see you dead.”

“And my death, will it make you happy?”

“Not only me. I think everybody will be happy if you stop existing in this world. You are just trash that should never have been born.”

With shaking hands, SolHi grabbed his coat and pushed him toward the door. A deaf noise was heard when the man’s back hit the door. SolHi’s eyes instead looked at that moment like the eyes of a maniac ready to kill. “You don’t know anything about me and my life. You never knew anything about what I suffered. How the hell can you call me trash when you are just from the same class?”

“At least I didn’t kill anybody.”

“You just never touched a gun to kill. But your words and your stories killed many more than you know. Maybe this society won’t ever punish you for what you did, but trust me: it will come the time when you’ll be just trampled under feet, like a cockroach.”

SolHi pushed him away from the door and, introducing the code, she intended to enter her apartment. She stopped when the door was half-opened already, hearing DooSan’s voice coming out of a record that Jin Guk turned on: “Photo? What kind of photo?” DooSan asked. “The one you are so passionately kissing your brother’s assassin. Did you at least feel remorse after doing this?” Jin Guk asked. “Remorse? Why? Did I kiss a woman then or what? It was only a job. In normal conditions: I wouldn't have ever touched her and I won’t ever repeat it. Not even if my life depends on it.”

DooSan’s words “stabbed” SolHi’s heart: she knew that he feels nothing for her, but considering her as being just an “object” or a “job”, how he named her, was beyond any expectations. She turned her head and looked at Jin Guk who was smiling with satisfaction, but she didn't say or did anything else. After a few moments of staring at him, she just entered the apartment, slamming the door.

Now she understands why the reporter came yesterday night: he tried to provoke her and he made it. After a few moments of staying inside the apartment, she left it and went to buy alcohol. She wanted to drink till she’ll lose her will, but instead of it she went to DooSan’s apartment and spent the night there and this was what Nam Jin Guk expected - a great opportunity to kick her down and he made it because people - people that hate her - gathered in front of the building, waiting for her and in the end, they just kicked her, punched her, hit her and made her suffer, yelling at her to die.

SolHi stopped and looked at the cars that were “running” in front of her, but she hadn’t the courage to pass in front of them, tempting her fate.

After minutes in a row standing like this, she continued her way and she doesn’t even remember how she got to the bus station, bought a ticket, and sat on the bus. She waited about half an hour till the bus moved from its place, leaving Seoul City behind them. She dared to look through the window when they were already far away from the city and in front of her, she saw only the sea: that sea that calmed her so many times in the past and that now was meant to calm her down once again, taking away the pain from her chest and in the end to make her vanish from this world.

***

SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT

Kan enters the office and looks at SolHi’s empty desk. In the office were A Rim, DooSan, and Yoon Suk. “Did anybody manage to talk to SolHi?”

“I called her several times, but her mobile phone is out of service. I think she threw it away somewhere. She won’t ever return, sombe,” Yoon Suk said.

“If I was her, I would have done the same,” Kan answered and sat down, glancing at DooSan who seemed so focused on what he was doing and not interesting at all about SolHi. “At least someone is happy now with her missing,” Kan mumbled and opened a file, trying to focus on work.

But the detective was wrong: DooSan wasn’t happy with SolHi’s missing. He tried to find her, but it resulted impossible because there was no record or hint of where she could be.

The notification of a message on DooSan’s phone made everybody look at him. “Prosecutor Han, I have what you asked me to look for,” was written in that message, and, saying nothing, DooSan left the office. Kan, A Rim, and Yoon Suk exchanged glances, but none of them had a damn idea about what Han DooSan was planning.

***

In the lobby, DooSan met Hyon Shik, a man about 30, who’s working as a guardian in the monitoring room in the prosecution.

“Good news, Hyon Shik?”

“The best. You can check it for yourself,” and he gave DooSan a USB memory. “By the way, is this because of detective Ian?”

“Why are you asking?”

“Because prosecutor San DuSik asked me the same a week ago: the records with the day his car was vandalized. In that video, I saw you and detective Ian, next to his car. The rest I think you know already.”

“That bastard: he just got revenge on her, when I was the one who damaged his car.”

“Well, I have something much interesting on that USB. When you’ll see it, then you’ll say thank you to me. And of course, you’ll buy me a coffee. I deserve it.”

“I’ll buy it right now because I have no doubt about it. Let’s go!”

***

SuJin scratches his face with his fingers: he’s working for about four hours already, but he couldn’t find anything and his father is next to him, without allowing him at least to breathe.

“Will you stay here all night long, dad? It will take time. A lot of time.”

“You have it till tomorrow morning and yes, I’ll be here, right next to you.”

“Do you think that I’m Einstein or what? These things take time.”

“And I gave it to you: time. Till tomorrow morning and Einstein - of course, you aren’t, just as you aren’t any damn Unicorn. If you were one, you’d have found that evidence by now.”

“You don’t believe me, huh?”

“Of course not. You don’t deserve it,” Yu answered and sweetly yawned.

“Then sit nicely on your ass, dad, because I’ll show you how wrong you are.” SuJin started to tap on the keyboard so fast that made Yu smile. He knows his son. Well, not that much, but he at least knows how to “motivate” him to work and those words were definitely something to motivate him because even if SuJin doesn’t show it he wants to be like his father and he works very hard for this.

***

The next morning, Yu showed up at DooSan’s apartment door, early morning. DooSan was so surprised to see the inspect in front of his door that he had to rub his eyes several times to convince himself that he wasn’t dreaming.

“Seeing you in the morning, makes me think of my son, prosecutor. He has the same wide-open eyes because of surprise each time I enter his room without permission: he definitely does something forbidden then. What about you, prosecutor Han? Did I interrupt something? Well, I think I’ll find out for myself,” and Yu entered the apartment uninvited.

DooSan smiled, seeing this dare of the inspector, but he didn’t get upset. “Coffee?”

“It will be great. I didn’t sleep at all last night,” and Yu yawned.

“And you said that I was hiding someone in my apartment.”

“Ha-ha. I didn’t sleep because I had to watch for my son to finish his job, not because of my wife who by the way is upset with you.”

“With me? Why?”

“Because of you, I don’t sleep next to her for a long time already. And if it lasts longer, I think she’ll divorce me then.”

“Then, don’t make me responsible for this and go home, more often,” DooSan said with irony and put a cup of coffee in front of Yu, and sat down in front of him. “Did your son find out something?”

“Of course. He has a good nose to smell “rats” and prosecutor San DuSik is definitely one.” DooSan stared confused at the inspector. “That bastard was the one who hired reporter Nam Jin Guk for this job. The one who wrote that reportage was that dog.”

“Don’t offend dogs, inspector. They at least have some respect. This Nam Jin Guk instead is such a jerk. He never let us breathe during the trial and I think he was always behind SolHi too.”

“I’m also sure about this. But we have a clue to close San DuSik’s mouth. Look at this.” Inspector Yu shows DooSan a video on his mobile phone where San DuSik was trying to put a broadcaster under it.

“That car, isn't General Attorney's?” DooSan asked.

“Bingo! It seems that he has a lot of bad shits behind him. I can smell that stink only by watching this video. But the question is how to make him pay for what he did to detective Ian.”

“Don’t worry about this. I have a very good idea of how to force him to walk on all four in front of us. Just send me that video to my email. I’ll take care of the rest.”

DooSan’s glance stared at a blind spot, but even if he found the perfect evidence to get revenge on San DuSik for everything, he did to YuSan and to SolHi, DooSan wasn’t happy because he realized that it won’t ever chase away the pain they suffered because of that bastard.

***

A beautiful view is seen while watching toward the horizon. The sea is calm and its water glitters in the dusk light, making it seem as if it was a fairytale land where one can find peace and also a piece of happiness because the sea had always the power to calm people down.

While driving, DooSan looks in the distance at the sea that seems to run behind his car and for a moment he smiled: “it would be nice to spend here some time. Now I understand why SolHi chose to hide namely here.”

He found out about her hometown from detective Kan. In the beginning, Kan was against DooSan’s idea of coming here and taking SolHi back to Seoul. But when DooSan told him the reason why he does it: to apologize in front of her, Kan gave up.

Now DooSan doesn’t regret that he came here. He didn’t see the sea for a long time already and it also reminds him about YuSan. His brother loved the seaside. He was mad about spending hours just sitting on the beach and looking at how the sea “breaths”. It was for YuSan the Paradise and after his death, DooSan tried to avoid coming here because it was reminding him about his brother and about that he couldn’t make justice for him.

Now instead he came here, not to homage his brother’s memory, but for the one accused as being YuSan’s murderer. Feeling that he lacks air, DooSan stopped the car, approached the edge of the road, and looked at the sun that was washing his body into the water. He tried this way to find some courage to meet SolHi.

***

Standing on the deck of a fishing boat, SolHi looks at the seagulls that are so noisy at that hour while flying above the sea. This flight of them makes SolHi feel at least a little bit that she breaths and that she can be happy.

Yu Min, a man of SolHi’s age and her childhood friend, approached her and, supporting his hands of the rails, he looks in the same direction as she does.

“It looks like happiness, isn’t it?” he asked.

“You know my answer, Yu Min. And you still ask it every time we go to the sea.”

“It’s because I’m curious why you came back here. This place is your hometown, I agree, but it’s also the place that brought you a lot of sufferances in the past.”

“However, it’s still the place where I saw the sun for the first time, I learned to love it and also to understand the message the seagulls send us.”

“Message? What kind of message?”

“That one in which they tell us that we need so few to be happy. However, we are stubborn and we are looking for complicated things. I wish I never left this place. Here … I felt like home and I’m still missing it.”

SolHi’s eyes filled with tears, but she couldn’t allow herself to cry, so she just “chased them away.”

Yu Min watched her, but he didn’t dare to ask her much about why she was here. He feels that something happened to her in Seoul, but it isn’t something that he will find out. At least, he won’t find it out from SolHi.

Looking in the distance, Yu Min saw DooSan waiting for the approaching of the boat. He right away understood that he’s a stranger and that he’s waiting for SolHi.”

“I think you have visitors,” he told SolHi and she looked amazed at him.

“Visitors?” and she looked in the same direction as Yu Min and, seeing DooSan, she just smiled with sadness.

“Don’t worry about unloading the fish. I’ll take care of it. You … should take care of him” and, Yu Min moved away from her. However, SolHi saw that Yu Min got sad seeing DooSan, but she couldn’t understand the reason why her friend was acting like this.

When the boat anchored, she approached DooSan, who was waiting for her in silence. “Prosecutor Han, I can’t believe that I see you here. Are you a ghost or something?”

“Only if you killed me and I came here chasing you,” he said and smiled. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not referring to anything in particular. I just tried to make a joke.”

“A bad joke for me. But anyway, why my ex-boss is here?”

“Ex-boss?”

“Yeah. From what I remember I got a notification that I was fired from the police department, for “having an affair with my boss and trying to get advantages from it,” and I ended the quote.”

“Ha-ha! It wasn’t funny at all. And you are right: I’m not here because of charity.”

“Then?”

DooSan threw her ID toward her and it took SolHi by surprise who barely managed to grab it. “You are back in business, detective Ian,” he said smiling and staring at her.

“Well, I think you came here for nothing: I’m not coming back. So, you can go on the same road you walked on till here.”

“I drove onto it, you wanted to say, and … I’m not leaving … not without you.”

“SolHi! Your fish!” a man about 45 yelled at her.

DooSan stared confused at her. “Your fish? Are you fishing?”

“Yep, and I’m damn good at it” and both burst out laughing.

Yu Min watches them from off the deck. His jaw is slowly shaking because of anger: another man is next to SolHi and she’s smiling at him while she always was so cold with him, despite that he loves her.

The same man that called SolHi to come for the fish approaches Yu Min and touches his shoulder: “you were late, Yu Min. You had been always late in her life. Just get used to it!” The man leaves, but his words didn’t make Yu Min feel better. Per contra: it made him suffer more.