The arrest didn't take long.
The mall owner didn't run.
He didn't resist.
When CID arrived at his house, he was already sitting in his living room.
Calm.
Composed.
Almost like he had been expecting them.
Kang Min stepped forward.
"You're under arrest for arson and murder."
The man looked up slowly.
"…took you long enough."
No fear.
No confusion.
Just acceptance.
Bong Soo frowned slightly.
That wasn't normal.
Ara stepped closer.
"You have the right to remain silent—"
"I know my rights," the man interrupted calmly.
Silence followed.
Because he wasn't acting like someone who just got caught.
He stood up without resistance.
"Let's go," he said.
CID – INTERROGATION ROOM
The room was quiet.
Cold.
Still.
The mall owner sat across from Kang Min.
Hands cuffed.
Back straight.
Eyes steady.
Kang Min sat opposite him.
A file placed on the table.
A recorder between them.
Ara stood by the side.
Watching.
The silence stretched.
Then—
Kang Min pressed record.
"State your name."
The man smirked slightly.
"You already know it."
Kang Min didn't react
"State your name."
A pause.
Then—
He spoke.
"Choi Hyun Seok."
Kang Min nodded once.
"You are under arrest for the fire incident at your mall resulting in two deaths and multiple injuries."
Silence.
Choi Hyun Seok leaned back slightly.
"…yes."
Ara's eyes narrowed slightly.
No denial.
No hesitation.
Just—
Acceptance.
Kang Min watched him closely.
"You started the fire."
A pause.
"Yes."
The word landed flat.
No emotion.
Ara spoke,
"Why?"
Choi Hyun Seok let out a quiet breath.
Then—
He smiled.
Not wide.
Not dramatic.
Just enough.
"…money."
Silence filled the room.
Kang Min didn't move.
"Explain."
The man leaned forward slightly.
"The mall was failing."
His voice was calm.
Measured.
"Losses kept piling up. Maintenance costs. Staff salaries. Everything."
"It wasn't worth keeping anymore."
Ara crossed her arms slightly.
"So you decided to burn it down?"
"Yes."
"So you could claim insurance," Kang Min added.
Choi Hyun Seok nodded.
"For the building."
A pause.
"And for my mother."
The room went still.
Ara's voice sharpened.
"You planned her death?"
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No regret.
Just—
Truth.
Bong Soo, standing behind the glass, clenched his jaw.
Kang Min's expression remained calm.
"You knew she was inside."
"Yes."
"Why?" Ara asked.
Choi Hyun Seok tilted his head slightly.
"She had a policy."
"A large one."
The words felt heavy.
Kang Min spoke again,
"So you sacrificed her."
Choi Hyun Seok shrugged lightly.
"It was necessary."
Ara's expression hardened.
"She was your mother."
Another pause.
He looked at her.
"…and?"
Silence.
Cold.
Empty.
There was nothing human in that answer.
Kang Min didn't react outwardly.
But his eyes—
Changed.
"Walk me through it," he said.
Choi Hyun Seok leaned back again.
"I chose a day."
His tone remained steady.
"A time when traffic was low but the mall was still open."
"I made sure my mother would be there."
Ara frowned.
"How?"
"I told her I needed help with something."
"She trusted me."
Of course she did
Kang Min spoke,
"And the fire?"
"I prepared it in advance."
A pause.
"Fuel."
"Spread points."
"Exit awareness."
Everything calculated.
"I didn't want it to look obvious."
Ara said quietly,
"But you didn't expect to get caught."
Choi Hyun Seok smiled again.
"I didn't plan to."
Kang Min leaned slightly forward.
"But you were seen."
For the first time—
A slight shift.
Not fear
But annoyance.
"…yes."
A pause.
"One of the workers."
Ara's eyes sharpened.
"The one who died?"
Choi Hyun Seok nodded slowly.
"He wasn't supposed to be there."
Silence.
Kang Min continued,
"What happened?"
The man exhaled lightly.
"I noticed something was off."
"A delay."
"A feeling."
He tapped his finger lightly on the table.
"So I checked."
Ara didn't interrupt.
"I went to the CCTV room."
"And there he was."
Silence filled the room.
"Watching."
Bong Soo's jaw tightened behind the glass.
"He saw everything," Choi Hyun Seok continued.
"And he saw me."
Ara asked,
"What did you do?"
The answer came without delay.
"I dealt with it."
Kang Min's voice remained calm.
"How?"
Choi Hyun Seok looked at him.
"I had a knife."
A pause.
"He panicked."
"Started running."
The image formed instantly.
"He tried to escape."
Ara's voice lowered slightly,
"And you chased him."
"Yes."
No hesitation.
"No mercy."
"I caught up to him."
"And that was the end of it."
Bong Soo turned away slightly.
Even he couldn't keep watching.
Ara spoke again,
"And then you started the fire."
"Yes."
"To cover everything.
Choi Hyun Seok nodded.
"It worked."
"For a while."
Kang Min reached into the file.
Pulled out the flash drive
Placed it on the table.
"This," he said.
Choi Hyun Seok's eyes dropped to it.
For the first time—
Something changed.
"…where did you get that?"
Kang Min didn't answer.
"You didn't know, did you?" Ara said quietly.
"That he saved it."
A pause.
"That he saw everything—and kept it."
Choi Hyun Seok stared at the flash drive.
Then—
He let out a short breath.
"…no."
That was it.
His one mistake.
Kang Min spoke,
"He saw you on the cameras."
"He copied the footage."
"And you didn't know."
Choi Hyun Seok leaned back
That was his reaction.
Not regret.
Not guilt.
Just—
Bad luck.
Ara shook her head slightly
"You killed your own mother."
"You killed an innocent worker."
"And you call it unlucky?"
He looked at her.
"It was business."
Silence
Cold.
Empty.
Kang Min stopped the recorder.
The room felt heavier.
Because this—
Wasn't just a criminal.
It was someone who chose money over everything.
Even blood.
Later — Case Summary
The truth came together piece by piece.
The worker who died—
Was not just a victim
He was the only one in the CCTV room at the time.
The others had gone for lunch.
He stayed behind.
Routine.
Normal.
He saw it.
The footage.
The mall owner.
Pouring fuel.
Preparing the fire.
Lighting it.
Everything.
He didn't panic immediately.
He acted.
Quick
He inserted a flash drive.
Copied the footage.
Saved it.
Proof.
But he didn't have time.
Because—
The mall owner noticed.
Something felt wrong.
He checked the CCTV room.
And found him.
The worker saw him coming.
Saw the knife.
And ran
Fear.
Instinct.
Survival.
But it wasn't enough.
During the chase—
The flash drive fell.
Slipped from his hand.
Lost on the floor.
Unnoticed.
The mall owner never saw it.
He only saw the witness.
And he made sure—
There was no witness left.
He returned.
And started the fire.
To erase everything.
But he missed one thing.
Something small.
Something ordinary.
A flash drive.
Left behind.