"Detective Sung Ilyong has been found dead in his room."
The words hang in the air for a moment before their full impact hits. Gasps and murmurs of shock ripple through the small group. Minjoo's hand flies to her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief. Park Jinyoung shakes his head, as if trying to deny the reality of what he's just heard.
As the initial shock begins to subside, I feel the weight of several gazes settling on me. The memory of my tense exchange with Sung the previous day suddenly feels much more significant. I can almost hear the unspoken questions forming in their minds.
Dr. Kim's voice cuts through the growing tension. "I know this is a shock to all of us. The authorities have been notified and will be here shortly to begin their investigation. Until then, I must ask that all of you remain here."
As Dr. Kim steps out to meet the incoming investigators, the room falls into an uneasy silence. The air feels thick with unspoken suspicions and fears. What has started as a routine training session has suddenly transformed into something far more sinister.
The next few hours pass in a blur of police activity and tense silence. Uniformed officers swarm the building, their presence a stark reminder of the grim reality we now face. We are kept in the meeting room, each of us isolated in our own thoughts as we wait for the inevitable questioning to begin.
I find myself replaying every interaction I've had with Sung since arriving at the National Forensic Service. Our confrontation looms large in my mind, and I can't help but wonder how it might look to the investigators.
A sharp knock on the door jolts me from my thoughts. Two detectives enter, their faces impassive as they survey the room.
"I'm Detective Lee, and this is my partner, Detective Pyo," the taller of the two announces. "We'll be interviewing each of you individually. Let's start with..." His eyes scan the room before settling on me. "You. Please come with us."
As I stand to follow them, I catch a glimpse of Eunji's face. Her expression is unreadable, but there's an intensity in her gaze that unsettles me.
The detectives lead me to a small office that has been hastily converted into an interrogation room.
As I sit down across from them, Detective Lee leans forward, his eyes boring into mine.
"Let's start with the basics," he says. "Where were you last night between 10 PM and 2 AM?"
"I was in my room, studying," I reply, trying to keep my voice steady. "We had covered a lot of material yesterday, and I wanted to review it."
Detective Pyo raises an eyebrow. "Can anyone corroborate that?"
I shake my head. "No, I was alone."
The two detectives exchange a glance that makes my stomach tighten.
"We understand you had an... altercation with Detective Sung yesterday," Detective Lee says, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. "Care to tell us about that?"
I take a deep breath, knowing how this might sound. "It wasn't really an altercation. Sung... Detective Sung made some comments about my qualifications and experience. I chose not to engage and walked away."
"And that was it?" Detective Pyo presses. "You didn't confront him later? Maybe when there weren't any witnesses around?"
"No," I say firmly. "That was the extent of our interaction."
The questioning continues for what feels like hours. They probe into my background, my career, my reasons for being at the National Forensic Service. With each question, I can feel the net of suspicion tightening around me.
As the interview winds down, Detective Lee fixes me with a penetrating stare. "One last question. Given your training, if you were to kill someone and make it look like natural causes, how would you do it?"
The question catches me off guard. I know my answer could be damning, but I also know that refusing to answer would look even worse.
"There are numerous methods," I begin cautiously, "but given the setting and the victim's age and health, I'd probably lean towards something that mimics a heart attack. It's not uncommon in high-stress environments, even among younger individuals."
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them. The detectives' expressions remain neutral, but I can almost see the gears turning in their minds.
"Thank you for your time," Detective Lee says, standing up. "Please return to the meeting room and send in Detective Kim Eunji."
As I walk back to the meeting room, my mind races. I can't shake the feeling that I have just talked myself into being the prime suspect in a murder investigation.
As I re-enter the meeting room, all eyes turn to me. The tension in the air is palpable, a mix of fear, suspicion, and shock. I make my way to Eunji, who is sitting rigidly in a chair near the window.
"They want to see you next," I say, trying to keep my voice neutral.
Eunji nods, her face a mask of composure. She walks past me without a word, her shoulders set in a determined line.
As the door closes behind her, the room erupts into hushed whispers. I can feel the weight of unspoken accusations in the glances thrown my way. Officer Lee Minjoo, however, approaches me with concern in her eyes.
"Are you okay?" she asks softly. "That must have been intense."
I manage a weak smile. "It was... not pleasant. But I have nothing to hide."
Detective Park Jinyoung scoffs from across the room. "Really? Because from where I'm standing, you're the only one here with a motive."
Before I can respond, Dr. Kim enters the room, his face grave. "I've just been informed that Detective Sung's death is being treated as suspicious. The preliminary examination suggests it wasn't natural causes."
A collective gasp fills the room. The implications of Dr. Kim's words hang heavy in the air. This isn't just a tragic accident - it's murder.
"Do they have any leads?" Detective Choi Seunghoon asks, his voice tight with tension.
Dr. Kim shakes his head. "They're not sharing much information at this point. But they've requested access to all our training materials and schedules. They seem particularly interested in yesterday's session on determining time of death."
Just then, the door opens, and Eunji returns. Her face is pale, but her eyes are clear and determined.
As she walks back to her seat, I notice something I hadn't before - a small, almost imperceptible limp in her left leg.
"Detective Kim," Dr. Kim addresses her, "are you alright? You seem to be favoring your left leg."
Eunji's eyes widen for a fraction of a second before she composes herself. "Oh, it's nothing. I must have slept on it wrong last night. You know how these dormitory beds can be."
As she sits down, her gaze meets mine. In that moment, I see something flicker behind her eyes - a mix of fear and... is that defiance?
As the day wears on, the atmosphere in the room grows increasingly tense. Each time someone returns from their interview, they are met with a mixture of sympathy and suspicion.
It's late afternoon when Detective Lee and Detective Pyo finally finish their initial round of interviews.
They gather us all together, their faces grim.
"We appreciate your cooperation so far," Detective Lee begins. "However, we're not done yet. We'll be conducting further investigations, including searches of your rooms and personal effects. In the meantime, you're all to remain here at the facility. Consider yourselves under house arrest."
A ripple of shock goes through the group. Detective Park Jinyoung is the first to speak up. "You can't be serious. We're not suspects, we're police officers!"
"And one of your colleagues is dead," Detective Pyo counters sharply. "Until we determine what happened, everyone is a potential suspect."
As the reality of our situation sinks in, I notice Eunji slip away from the group, moving towards the window. Her face is turned away, but I can see the tension in her shoulders.
Taking a chance, I approach her. "Eunji," I say softly, "are you okay?"
She turns to face me, her eyes guarded. "I'm fine. Just... processing all of this."
I nod, then decide to take a risk. "That must have been some awkward sleeping position to cause such a noticeable limp."
For a split second, panic flashes across her face before she schools her features. "Like I said, these beds are terrible. Why are you so interested in my leg anyway?"
Before I can respond, Dr. Kim calls for our attention. "Given the circumstances, we'll be suspending our regular training schedule. However, I suggest you all use this time to review what we've covered so far. It might... prove useful."
I'm about to return to my room when I overhear Detective Lee speaking quietly to Dr. Kim.
"We'll need access to all the surveillance footage from last night," Lee is saying. "Especially around Sung's room and the main exits."
Dr. Kim nods gravely. "Of course. I'll have my assistant provide everything we have."