The call came early.
Too early.
Kang Min picked up immediately.
"Go ahead."
A brief pause.
Then—
"Another body has been found."
His expression didn't change.
"Where is the location?"
Within minutes—
CID was on the move.
The apartment building stood quietly in a residential area.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing that stood out.
Police lines surrounded the entrance.
Officers moved in and out.
Controlled.
Routine.
Ara stepped inside first.
"Victim?"
"Female. Mid-30s," an officer replied. "Found inside her apartment."
Kang Min walked past them without a word.
Inside—
The air felt still.
Heavy.
The body lay in the living room.
Positioned.
Unmoved.
Ara exhaled slowly.
"…same pattern."
Bong Soo frowned.
"No signs of struggle again?"
Su Young checked her screen.
"Doors and windows intact. No forced entry."
Kang Min crouched slightly, studying the scene.
Every detail.
Every angle.
"He talked to her," Ara said quietly.
No one argued.
Another victim.
Same silence.
Same control.
Footsteps approached from behind.
Steady.
Unhurried.
"Detective Song."
They turned.
A man stepped into the room.
Composed.
Professional.
Prosecutor Lee Tae Jun.
Ara straightened.
"Prosecutor."
Kang Min stood.
Their eyes met briefly.
Acknowledgment.
Nothing more.
Tae Jun looked at the scene calmly.
"…this makes five."
No one spoke for a second.
Kang Min broke the silence.
"No forced entry."
Tae Jun nodded slightly.
"Consistent."
He stepped closer, observing the room without interrupting the forensic team.
"Cause of death will be confirmed after autopsy," he said. "But the setup matches the previous cases."
Ara nodded.
"Yes."
Bong Soo shifted uneasily.
"It's like he just walks in and leaves without anything happening…"
Tae Jun glanced at him.
"Which suggests control," he said.
A pause.
Ara added, "He gains their trust."
Tae Jun gave a small nod.
"That would explain the lack of resistance."
Su Young spoke from behind them.
"There's no sign of forced movement either."
Kang Min stood up slowly.
"He chooses them."
Tae Jun's gaze moved briefly across the room.
"Then the selection matters more than the method."
A short silence followed.
Ara stepped slightly forward.
"We've been looking at the locations."
Tae Jun looked at her.
"What about them?"
Kang Min answered.
"They're not random."
"They're spaced with intent," Kang Min continued. "Not overlapping. Not scattered."
Ara added, "It creates a controlled range."
Tae Jun nodded once.
"That indicates planning over time."
He looked back at the body briefly.
Then at the room.
"Compile everything into a report," he said. "I'll review it once the autopsy is done."
Ara nodded.
"Understood."
Tae Jun didn't linger.
He turned and walked out, his pace steady.
Bong Soo let out a quiet breath.
"…he's strict."
Su Young replied without looking up.
"That's his job."
Ara crossed her arms slightly, looking back at the scene.
Five victims.
Same method.
No mistakes.
Kang Min stood still.
Eyes fixed.
Mind moving.
"This isn't random," Ara said quietly.
"No," Kang Min replied.
A pause.
"It's controlled."
The room fell silent again.
Because now—
They weren't just chasing a killer.
They were stepping into his pattern.