The incheons sun was setting, casting long, sickly orange shadows across the cracked pavement of the Hanseong Apartments. Detective Yoon stood in the center of the 4th-floor corridor, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his dark black Yak windbreaker. The building was quiet, but it wasn't a peaceful silence. 

"You're still thinking about that weight log, aren't you, Yoon-hyung?"

Detective Han was leaning against the rusted railing of the exterior walkway. Instead of standing back, he stepped into Yoon's line of sight blocking his view of the elevator for a second. He leaned in just a bit too close, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You know, if you keep staring at that door with that scary face, the neighbors are going to think you're a ghost haunting this place. And I'd hate for my favorite senior to get an exorcism before dinner."

He reached out, his fingers grazing the sleeve of Yoon's jacket as he 'straightened' a crease that wasn't there. "The chief called. He wants us to pivot back to the runaway theory. Apparently, Somi's social media was accessed from a Gangnam PC Bang two hours ago."

Detective Yoon held his index finger against the tip of Han's nose. "It's a ghost, Han-ah" Yoon said, his voice raspy. He didn't move away from him, accustomed to Han's constant orbit. "Whoever accessed that account wanted us to see it. It's too clean. They're offering us a sacrifice to keep us from looking at the center of the board. Just like that elevator footage."

Yoon walked toward the trash chute at the end of the hall. He kept thinking about the grumpy man from earlier.

"The neighbor was drunk, Han. He saw a girl dragging a heavy blue bag and his brain filled in the blanks. He hates Ha-rin, so he saw Ha-rin. But Min-ji already admitted the bag was hers. She told us it was scrap metal."

"So why are we still here?" Han asked, following Yoon. "If its her bag and her father's metal, what's the mismatch?"

"The timing" Yoon muttered, pulling open the iron hatch of the chute. A gust of foul air hit them. "Min-ji says she was in the elevator helping a fainting Ha-rin. But if she was in the elevator, she couldn't have been dragging that bag down the hall at the same time. One of them is lying, or someone is moving pieces we can't see. Look at the edges of the chute. Fresh scuffs. Someone shoved something heavy down here while the power was out."

Yoon closed the hatch. He touched the wall with his index finger as they walked back to Room 402. "Min-ji is using the neighbor's confusion. She's letting Ha-rin take the blame for the noise and the 'suspicious' behavior while she stays the helpful, average witness. She's hiding in plain sight."

"Mr know-it-all..." Detective han muttered. "Did you say something?" Yoon frowns. "Just a joke, a joke" Han reassured him.

Detective Yoon knelt by the doorframe of 402. He pulled out an evidence bag and tweezers from his pocket. Tucked by the splintered wood — placed exactly where someone would look — was a crumpled slip of thermal paper.

"A CU Convenience Store reciept" Yoon whispered.

[Monday - 03:45 AM]

[1x Yuhan-Rox Bleach (2L) ]

[3x industrial Wrap]

[1x Cherry Blossom Air Freshener - 1+1 deal]

Han leaned over Yoon's shoulder. "Yoon-nim... if she bought this at 3:35 AM, she wasn't 'trapped' in the elevator with Ha-rin. She left her there. She moved while the cameras were off. She bought a cleanup kit while the 'Ice Queen' was unconscious."

"She's basically handing us the proof that she lied about her whereabouts" Yoon said, standing up. "She's sacrificing her own alibi to show us she can move in the dark. She wants us to see the hole in her story, Han. She's challenging us to prove shat she was doing during that missing hour."

"So she's playing a game where we're always one move behind" Han muttered. He stood up straight, his hand lingering on Yoon's shoulder for a firm, grounding pressure. "It's been a while since we've gotten a fun case".

"What a weirdo..." Yoon whispered to himself.

"Hey, I can hear that you know!"

"Call the CSI team" Detective Yoon ordered. "And check the CCTV at the convenience store. I want to see if the person who bought the bleach was smiling at the camera."

As they walked away, the door to Room 402 creaked open just an inch..from the darkness a single eye watched the retreat. Min ji didn't move, she just watched the 'pieces' she had chosen to challenge. She reached out, picked up a long dark strand from the floor, and tucked it into a small plastic bag.

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The walk back from Cheogna Lake Park had been a blur. Ha-rin didn't even remember saying goodbye to Doh-yun. She only remembered the feeling of the cold Polaroid in her hand. She had tucked the photo into her pocket, her hand still shaking, and fled.

Now, she was back on the 4th floor, the hallway lights buzzing like a headache. She couldn't go into her own apartment. She couldn't face her mother's questions about her 'perfect' date or her father tired eyes.

Instead, she found herself standing in front of Room 402.

The door opened before she could even knock. Min-ji stood there, wearing blue jeans and a soft, cream colored blouse that made her look average and kind. Min-ji looked at Ha-rin's pale face and immediately pulled her inside.

"Ha-rin-ah, you're shaking" Min-ji whispered. She didn't ask questions. She just led Ha-rin to the small table and set a warm cup of barley tea in front of her. "What happened? Was the date that bad?"

Ha-rin sat there, her phone raised reflexively to check her reflection, but her hand was shaking too much to see anything. She tucked a strand of hair behind her left ear, then sighed at her cuffs, her movements frantic.

"I found... I found something in his bag" Ha-rin chocked out. She pulled the Polaroid from her pocket and slid it across the table.

Min-ji didn't gasp. She didn't scream. She picked up the photo of Somi's body and looked at it with a sad, mournful expression. "Oh, no... poor Somi. I dont want to believe it, but... Doh-yun? He always seemed so perfect. Too perfect"

"He took me to the park to show this, Min-ji. He was so calm" Ha-rin sobbed, covering her face with her hands.

"It's okay" Min-ji said, moving her chair closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She smelled like cherry blossoms and clean laundry. "You're safe here. I've got you. You can't go to the police yet, Ha-rin. Think about it."

Min-ji leaned in, her voice dropping to a concerned whisper. "The detectives... Yoon and Han? They were here today. And they were asking do many questions about you. They saw you on the cameras, they heard you were 'dragging a bag'. If you show them this photo they'll thing you and Doh-yun did it together. They're already looking for a reason to blame the perfect girl."

Ha-rin looked up, her eyes wide. "They suspect me?" "What happened in that 24 hour gap...?" She thought

"I tried to tell them you were sick, that you were with me" Min-ji said, looking distressed. "But they're smart. They're looking for a 'mismatch'. They want to ruin someone like you Ha-rin. It's a game to them."

Min-ji stood up and walked to the kitchen, her back to Ha-rin. "Actually... I think they might be onto me, too. Just because I'm your friend. They think I'm hiding something for you." She turned back, giving Ha-rin a brave, watery smile.  "But I won't let them hurt you. We're in this together now, right? After the elevator... we're the only ones who know the truth about each other."

Ha-rin felt a surge of desperate gratitude. Min-ji was the only one who didn't judge her. She was the only one who knew her father was a fraud and didn't care. She was the only normal thing left in Ha-rin's crumbling world.

"Thank you, Min-ji" Ha-rin whispered

"Dont thank me" Min-ji replied, patting Ha-rin's head. "Just stay here a while. You look like you need to rest. I'll keep the door locked. No one will find us on the 4th floor"

As Ha-rin leaned her head against the table, exhausted, Min-ji turned away to wash her hands.