When it came to receiving the deceased's family members, everyone tried to pass the responsibility to someone else.
In the end, the task fell to Min-Joon and Seo-Jin.
Reception Room
Min-Joon silently handed over a tissue.
Just moments ago, Woo-Jin's parents and younger brother had gone to view the body.
Woo-Jin's younger brother, Woo-Min, was dressed head to toe in designer clothes. Sitting with his legs crossed, he looked visibly impatient.
"Crying, crying, crying! What's the point of crying now that he's dead? It's useless for me to even come here with you. Do you know how difficult high school courses are?"
"Seriously, who's going to take responsibility if this affects my college entrance exam?"
Min-Joon chuckled lightly. "It seems your academic performance is quite good."
Woo-Min replied proudly, "Of course! I scored 280 on my last monthly exam!"
His class ranking had even improved by two places.
Min-Joon forced an awkward smile as Woo-Min rolled his eyes.
"Why did he have to die now? Fine, he's dead—but who's going to pay my tuition in the future?"
Woo-Jin's father suddenly roared, "Shut up! That's your brother!"
Woo-Min shrugged, his face full of displeasure, but he didn't dare say anything further.
Woo-Jin's father wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, supporting her while steadying himself.
"Officer… although my son has always been somewhat distant, my wife and I know him very well."
"Woo-Jin was kind and hardworking. I truly can't think of anyone he would have had a conflict with."
Min-Joon nodded in understanding. After a full day of investigation, he had come to know Woo-Jin—a man who, to him, had once been a stranger.
Now, he was dead.
Killed in his own rented apartment… and they still had no suspect.
A faint sense of heaviness settled in Min-Joon's chest.
After Woo-Jin's parents left, Min-Joon returned to the crime scene alone.
The stairwell tape had already been removed, as residents still needed access to the building.
Only the police cordon remained at the apartment door.
Min-Joon stood at the entrance, imagining himself as Woo-Jin.
Woo-Jin stood here… took out his keys… opened the door…
The murderer blocked the door before it could close—and forced his way inside.
"What are you doing?!"
Min-Joon murmured the words softly, staring at the human-shaped outline on the floor.
The victim hadn't used a name.
That meant the attacker was either someone he barely recognised—or a stranger.
Min-Joon frowned slightly.
Woo-Jin had very few connections in the Seongrim District. If his social circle was so limited…
Could the killer really be a stranger?
The initial investigation had suggested a revenge killing. The brutality of the scene supported that theory.
But nothing in Woo-Jin's life pointed to someone who would hate him that much.
Standing near the bedroom window, the faint odour in the room still lingered.
Min-Joon looked across the street.
In the opposite building, a resident sat on a sofa watching television. From where Min-Joon stood, he could clearly see the flickering screen of a popular drama.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The buildings… were too close together.
The broken bathroom window flashed through his mind.
Suddenly—
Something clicked.
Min-Joon shifted his gaze between the bedroom window and the bathroom window, studying the angle carefully.
A possibility began to form.
"Do you think the murderer is someone Woo-Jin didn't know?"
Jae-Hyun, who had been replaying the surveillance footage, looked up from his screen and fell silent.
After a while, he said slowly,
"What you're saying makes sense… but then how did the murderer choose the victim?"
His tone suggested he was thinking out loud rather than asking a question.
As the investigation progressed, Jae-Hyun had begun to doubt their original direction.
Everything at the crime scene pointed to a revenge killing. Even the forensic report supported that conclusion.
But according to their findings, Woo-Jin had no known enemies.
The contradiction was glaring.
"I went back to the crime scene just now," Min-Joon said.
Jae-Hyun looked slightly surprised. This newcomer… was far more proactive than he had expected.
Min-Joon continued calmly,
"The residential area has several key characteristics: it's open, lacks strong security, and the buildings are extremely close together."
As he spoke, he sketched a simple diagram on paper.
"From the master bedroom window, I could clearly see into the living room of the building across the street."
"If that's the case, then residents across the street can see into Woo-Jin's apartment as well."
"The victim lived on the third floor. We should focus our investigation on residents on the third floor and above in the opposite building."
Jae-Hyun thought for a moment, then glanced out the window.
"You make a good point… but it's already late. We'll start this line of investigation tomorrow morning."
He stood up. "Where do you live? I'll drop you off."
Min-Joon checked the time—it was already past midnight.
He politely declined and turned to leave.
Just then, Jae-Hyun called out,
"Have you handled murder cases before?"
Min-Joon didn't respond. He walked away, disappearing down the corridor.
Jae-Hyun twirled his pen, muttering to himself,
"Don't you like me very much?"
Back in his apartment, Min-Joon set his things down and ordered takeout.
He sat on the sofa, deep in thought about the case.
Then his phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID before answering.
"Are you off work? First day on the job—how was it?"
The voice on the other end carried warmth.
Min-Joon relaxed slightly. "Mom, I'm off work. Is Dad still angry?"
"I just started today and immediately got assigned a case. It's under control…"
"My colleagues are easy to get along with. Don't worry."
The next morning, all six team members gathered.
Jae-Hyun shared Min-Joon's theory.
For a moment, no one spoke, carefully considering it.
"I don't have any better leads," he said. "Let's try investigating in that direction."
Ara and Tae-Wook had no objections, but Jin-Seok hesitated.
"Isn't it a bit too hasty to conclude this alone? Captain, I think we should focus more on the victim's relationships."
Jae-Hyun tapped the table thoughtfully but didn't argue.
Instead, he began assigning tasks.
Soon, Min-Joon and the others returned to the residential area where the crime had taken place.