บท 45: Tattoo
Min Yoongi POV,
Meanwhile at home,
"Okay, we will talk about your choreography after you are active again. Take care of yourselves, see you in early October", said Bang PD closing our meeting
"Kamsahamnida!", the members and staff were heard saying those words in unison
"Kamsahamnida, see u soon!", I replied while waving and left the meeting
I sighed and glanced at the clock on my laptop screen, it was only 11:30 in the afternoon. I thought the meeting would be over after lunch, but it turned out to be the opposite. We just discussed changing plans for a concert in Riyadh, then talking about the plan for filming the Bon Voyage season 4 (although the management didn't tell us the time and destination we would visit).
I turned my face to the window, staring at the black hat gardener who is busy mowing the grass in the backyard. Instantly the memory of the tattooed man I saw at Daegu Hospital flashed back.
I gritted my teeth, annoyed because until now I had not found any clues about him. The CCTV footage in the parking lot sent by my uncle has been seen many times. But I still can't find out anything about him because the CCTV image quality is very bad.
Even so, I still can see his suspicious movements from a distance. He was seen getting out of his car which was parked not far from aunt Jen's car. He walked slowly, almost like lazy, to Aunt Jen's car and crouched for a moment beside it. That's suspicious to me, although the CCTV footage doesn't capture exactly what he was doing while crouching.
According to the police report I read, the man seems to dropped something by accident and crouched down to pick it up. But I think they just make it up. Why did he walk up to Aunt Jen's car, drop things and go back to his car for no reason?. It didn't make sense.
And I'm sure that the man is the same man I met at the hospital because he wore the same hat and jacket. I've also done some internet checks on the number eight tattoo on his hand and so far I haven't found any exact information or anything that might have something to do with this.
"Aigoo ...", I complained while ruffling my hair. "I need coffee...", I muttered as I got up from the chair and walked slowly out of the room
This house is so quiet, I don't know how Grandma Han can stand living in a house this big alone. I was walking towards the stairs when I saw the door to my right open. I frowned and looked into the room from the doorway.
"Woah daebak", I muttered
In front of me was a large library, almost twice the size of the room we were currently occupying. To be honest I'm not interested in books but my curiosity is beating me right now. I could smell old books as I walked into the room.
I looked around, the two sides of the walls were filled with bookshelves that rose to the ceiling. The shelves were jam-packed with books of all kinds and colors. A large Persian rug covers the wooden floor of the room.
A large window fills one of the walls offering views of the front yard. And a long sofa and several large soft chairs filled the corner in front of the window.
While one side of the room is filled with photographs neatly arranged on the walls. A large photo of grandma and grandpa Han lay right in the middle of the wall. They looked young in their luxurious hanbok.
I approached the wall. This wall is filled with photos of the Han family. There is a wedding photo of grandmother and grandfather Han. There are a lot of Uncle Han Soojin's photos when he was a toddler, up to the graduation ceremony. In addition, there are also photos when they gather with friends or other families.
I frowned, from all the photos that I could see, there wasn't a single photo of Sofia and her mother. There are no photos of Uncle Han's wedding, as well as not a single photo of when Sofia was a child. I felt both sadness and anger in my chest. Was their relationship that bad? I thought.
I walked closer, looking at the photos in the corner. There was a photo of Uncle Han with a beautiful black-haired woman at the school's graduation ceremony. There are also photos when they are on vacation abroad.
I furrowed my brows again, the more I noticed, this black-haired young lady is always in almost every photo of Uncle Han. Who is she?, I thought.
Then my attention was diverted when I saw a photo of grandpa Han holding up the fish he caught. His face was so happy that his cheeks were flushed red.
I widened my eyes and took a step back. No, I wasn't surprised by the size of the fish he caught. What surprised me was the tattoo on his right wrist. The summer sun shines on the tattoo.
It's a tattoo I've seen at the hospital. And it turns out I was wrong all this time... it wasn't number eight ... but it was the infinity symbol (♾)... No wonder I didn't find what I was looking for all this time.
But how? How could Grandpa Han have this tattoo?? Does it mean he has something to do with the accident??.
I catch my breath, my head hurt a little, but I didn't take my eyes off the tattoo for a second. What does it mean? What happened?, I thought.
I reached into my pants pocket and dialed a number on my cell phone. I waited nervously when a ringing tone rang in my ears.
"Yeobosseyo halmoeni, sorry did I bother you?", I asked
"Yeobosseyo, Yoongi~aah? Gwaenchana, What's wrong?", grandma Han's voice heard from across the phone
"I, uh, I want to ask you something... can I have a minute?", I asked again
"Yes, yes of course. I was just about to take a break for lunch. Sofia has returned home, maybe she is still on her way if you want to know...", said grandma Han again
"Ani. Ani. I didn't want to ask about Sofia, Grandma. I wanted to ask... uh, when Uncle Han's accident happened, were you and Grandpa in Daegu?", I asked nervously
"Huh?? Why are you asking that? ....Umm, when Soojin's accident happened we weren't in Daegu. Well, we weren't in Korea, honestly. That week we were in America, my husband was undergoing treatment there. Because of that, we arrived in Daegu on the third day of Soojin's funeral," grandma Han replied in a trembling voice
"Jinjja?", I mumbled confused
"Ye. What's wrong, Yoongi~aah?", she asked worriedly
"I ... sorry granny. Can I ask one more thing?", I asked again
"Yes, of course...", she answered curtly
"Did you know about the infinity tattoo on grandpa Han's wrist? I mean is there a special meaning behind the tattoo?", I asked hesitantly
"Tattoo?? Aah... that tattoo", she said understandingly before continuing. "It's a tattoo he made after completing his military service in the navy. The entire team who served with him made that tattoo reminiscent and also a symbol that their friendship and brotherhood will continue to grow even though they have returned to their respective lives. But ...how did you know my husband had it?", she asked confused
"Oh, I saw Grandpa's photo and was curious about his tattoo...", I answered quickly
"I see. Maybe if you want to know more about it, you can directly ask Lee ... I think he will be happy to tell you everything," she said again
"Huh? Lee? Do you mean uncle Lee??", I asked frowning
"Ye. Lee Chunhee … he also has that tattoo. They are on the same team in the navy, that's where they first met", replied grandma with a chuckle
"Huh??", I answered surprised
"Yoongi~aah, what's wrong?", Grandma asked curiously
"Ani. Ani ... thank you, granny. Sorry to disturb you", I said trying to end our conversation as quickly as possible
After hanging up the phone, I felt my legs go weak. So, what does all this mean? What the hell happened?, I thought as I sat down on the nearest chair.
Is Uncle Lee the one I met at the hospital? Is the man caught on CCTV in the shopping center also him? What was he doing in those two places?? Could he be involved in the accident??
I sat limply in one of the chairs in the middle of the room, I rubbed my face in frustration. I never saw his tattoo because Uncle Lee always wore long-sleeved shirts and suits. He's always been neatly dressed all this time, whether as a form of professionalism or to cover up the tattoo, I'm not sure about that.
But wait, the man in the hospital could be one of the team members who served with Grandpa and Uncle in the navy too. They also have the same tattoo... but what's their motive? Is it just a coincidence??.
"Aaarrgghh!", I growled in frustration while ruffling my hair
My mind is so full of questions that it hurts. I turned on my phone again, typing in some new keywords to search for the tattoo. I read the news, vlogs even looked at the pictures shown by Naver. I feel like my throat is getting dry.
"Aigo", I mumbled when I found a photo of 20 men wearing navy uniforms
I read the names of the soldiers one by one... "Kim Beumsok ... Park Chulmo ... Shin Daehyun ... Han Jong-il ...", I said quietly when I found the name of grandpa Han
Then I continued reading the names again... "Kang Dongmin... So Hyunki... Hong Ryuji... Lee Chunhee...", I muttered when I found a familiar name again. I zoomed in on the photo of the young men named Han Jong-il and Lee Chunhee, observing it for a while. No names are familiar except the names of these two people, I thought.
I rubbed my face tiredly. I don't know what to do now. What Grandma Han just told me is true, these twenty people have the same tattoo.
But according to the data I've read, in many murder cases, almost 80% of the perpetrators are the people closest to them. So 18 other team members could be eliminated due to unclear motives. Meanwhile, Grandpa Han couldn't do it because he was in America and his alibi was strengthened by Grandma Han.
All that's left is Uncle Lee. I just need to find the motive and a piece of evidence that shows whether uncle Lee was involved in the accident or not. And frankly, I don't know where to find it.
"I'll ask him directly... well, maybe he can't have anything to do with this, right? ... I have to ask him...", I mumbled over and over
I walked out of the library room, I have mixed feelings right now. For weeks I've been dying to know about this tattoo. But after I found out, I'm not sure I'm happy with this new information.
I descended the stairs and ran into a waiter.
"Your lunch is ready", she said kindly
"Ye, kamsahamnida. I'll eat with Sofia later. Uh, sorry, can I have a glass of ice americano?", I asked.
"Sure, please wait a moment", she replied kindly
I walked back towards the front door. I'll be waiting for Sofia and Uncle Lee, I thought. I walked back and forth in front of the entrance, for some reason I felt anxious and uneasy. My intuition tells me that something bad will happen.
"This is your ice americano, sir", a waiter came up to me with a glass of cold coffee in her hand
"Kamsahamnida", I replied as I accepted the glass
I sipped my coffee and sat on the steps without taking my eyes off the entrance gate. 5 minutes had passed but there was no sign of them coming. I took out my cell phone and dialed Sofia's number.
There was a ringing tone, once ... twice ... three times ... four times, why didn't she pick up? ... five times ... until it finally goes to the voice mailbox.
I frowned, she always picks up the phone from me. I tried calling her again several times but still no answer. Where are they?? My feelings are getting worse.
"She's fine... they're fine. Maybe there's a traffic jam", I mumbled over and over
I tried to calm myself down, I knew that I was worried like this just because I was affected by the information I just got. That's just my guess, I can't confirm that uncle Lee is the culprit yet. After all, he's been very kind and caring about Sofia, I thought.
10 minutes passed and I had finished the coffee in my hand. I wrote a short message to Sofia, asking where she was. But still no answer.
* ring ring
"Yoongi~aah, have they arrived?", grandma Han said
"Ani, hamloeni. They haven't arrived yet", I answered briefly
"Jinjja? They should have arrived by now. The distance from here to the house is not too far ...", she murmured with a worried voice
"I don't know, Grandma, maybe the road they are going through is jammed," I answered doubtfully
"I'll try to contact Lee then", said grandma before hanging up the phone
I sighed, I felt my heart beat faster. I didn't know what to do, I started walking back and forth again and biting my fingernails. I do have a bad habit when I'm anxious or nervous.
* ring ring
"Yes, Grandma?", I answered quickly
"They still haven't arrived yet?? I called Sofia several times but she didn't answer. Meanwhile, Lee's cell phone was off. Could something have happened to them?", asked Grandma, this time she didn't try to hide her anxiety
"Not yet, Grandma. Sofia didn't pick up my calls either," I answered hoarsely
"Aigo, what happened? Lee never turned off his cell phone before... Aigoo... I have a bad feeling, Yoongi~aah... did their tire car broken? Or maybe they had an accident??, she panicked
"Halmoeni, calm down ... actually I also feel bad, I just found out something about Uncle Lee, although I'm not sure about it ...", I said doubtfully
Should I tell her about my suspicions about uncle Lee or not...
"What's wrong Yoongi~aah? Tell me ...", she said
I was silent for a while, hesitate ...
"Halmoeni, I'm investigating Uncle Han's accident case....", I finally told her
All the information I know, about the possible sabotage on Uncle Han's car, the odd evidence found by the police to my suspicions on Uncle Lee. I could hear the tension in Grandma Han's voice as I told her all that.
"Aigo ... jinjja? We have to find them soon then. Anyway, Sofia also asked me something a bit strange earlier, but I doubt it has anything to do with this...", she said after I finished speaking
"What did she ask, Halmoeni? ...", I said nervously
"She asked if Lee's daughter, Mina, likes her father? ... that's a bit...", Grandma's words stopped when she heard my screams
"Huh?? Jinjja? Lee Mina knew uncle Han??", I screamed in surprise
"Uh, yeah. They've been friends since childhood. And how do you know about Mina too??", she asked worriedly
"Gosh, this is bad ... really bad! We have to find them soon, halmoeni?!", I said panicking while gripping my hair
"Jinjja?? Ottoke Yoongi~aah?? Can you track Sofia's cell phone? You can ask one of my drivers to look around for her", said grandma Han almost crying
"I don't know how to track it...", I answered in frustrated
"Oh! I think I know how to find them! I'll call you again, Yoongi~aah ...", she said ending the conversation abruptly
"Shit!!", I cursed
I then walked briskly to the garage which was located two hundred meters from the main house. I quickened my pace when I saw a gray square building in front of me. 5 luxury cars parked neatly in the garage.
"Sir, is there anything I can help you?", asked an employee walking up to me
"I... I need a car", I stammered out of breath
"Car? What car? Has Madam Han permitted you?", the employee asked
"Uh, I... just a minute", I said when my phone rang again
"Yes, Grandma?" I asked, still breathless
"Yoongi~aah, we found the location of the car they were driving, my technician has installed GPS on all my cars. I will send the detailed location to you. We will meet there! Anyway, tell Mr. Hong that you can use any of my cars you want", she said quickly and ended the call
I stood still looking at the row of cars in front of me.
"She said I can use any car I want?", I mumbled gaping at the employee in front of me
"Arasso. Please take your pick...", said the employee smiling kindly
I shook my head. In front of me was a Porsche Boxter, Range Rover Sport, BMW i8, Ferrari Spider, and the latest Bentley models. I felt my phone vibrate as a sign that a message had come in.
"Which one is the fastest?", I asked the employee
"Huh?", he answered
5 minutes later I was speeding up to the address that Grandma Han had sent me.
"Daegu City Public Cemetery?", I muttered, frowning when the address I was aiming for appeared on the GPS map of the Porsche I was driving
"Why did Uncle Lee bring Sofia to that place? I thought. The cemetery is on a hill on the other side of town. It took about 45 minutes from Han's family's house to the cemetery. During the trip, I kept calling Sofia but she still didn't answer.
I drove the car at full speed on the highway. Maybe if I wasn't as anxious as I am now, I would enjoy driving this sports car, I thought.
The road I took started to climb, I glanced at the GPS screen, the place where Uncle Lee's car was near. My heart was pounding loudly as the car engine roared louder and louder. The road in front of me kept going up and up until ten minutes later, I saw a sign that shows a public cemetery was to my right.
I immediately turned right and entered the cemetery area. Rows of white tombstones were neatly arranged on my right and left. I continued to drive further into the cemetery area, turning my head left and right looking for Sofia and Uncle Lee.
After driving 300 meters from the entrance area, I just saw a red Chevrolet Camaro in the distance. I accelerated my car and stopped right behind the car.
"Sobi? Sofia??", I called, got out of my car, and peeked into the red car
There was no one, only Sofia's bag lying on the passenger seat floor. I turned my head around, looking for them.
"Sofia!", I shouted walking towards the line of white gravestones to my left
I walked faster as I kept calling her name. Then I fell silent when I heard screams and sobs from a distance. I tried to hear more clearly, searching for the voice.
I started running down a few steps to the lower graveyard area. And there they are!
"Shit!!," I said hoarsely
The sight in front of me made me freeze. Uncle Lee sat leaning against one of the white tombstones, his face red and his breath ragged. Meanwhile, Sofia knelt in front of him, tightly gripping the front of uncle Lee's shirt. Her body was shaking from crying and what horrified me was that she pointed a penknife at Uncle Lee with her other hand.
"Why did you do that to them??!", shouted Sofia while sobbing
"I will kill you! I will kill you like you killed my parents!!", Sofia screamed
And with trembling hands, she took steps to stab the knife into Uncle Lee's body...
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