My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 13

“Oh, I don’t think badly of him. That bastard is so arrogant. He acts like he’s a big deal.”

“Well, he’s not entirely wrong.”

It’s true that profilers are in a slightly more advantageous position than others. Just being able to recognize lies is enough.

But if that’s all you hope for, you’re not a profiler. The better a profiler is, the lonelier they become.

“Let’s go. The police have done a good job preserving the scene.”

Seo Juwon took Park Dojun to the scene, where the bodies of a man and a woman lay some distance apart.

“I did a quick investigation, and they both drowned. Judging by the liver temperature, they died around the same time.”

“Any injuries or anything?”

“None.”

Park Dojun looked back and forth between the two bodies lying a short distance away.

“Looks like a suicide?”

“Have they been identified yet?”

“They had IDs. Their families are on their way. They’re both from Busan, so it’s taking them a while to get here. From what I hear, they committed suicide because their families were against their relationship…”

‘It was like this before, too.’

The circumstantial evidence lined up perfectly. People from Busan, facing opposition to their marriage, come all the way here to commit suicide.

“Were any personal belongings found?”

“Not yet, but it’s possible there might not be any.”

“That’s true.”

Movies and dramas often show people who commit suicide taking off their shoes or leaving behind personal items, but in real cases, not everyone does that.

So, just because those things aren’t there doesn’t mean it wasn’t suicide.

“Hmm…”

Both the man and woman had been dead for less than a day. There weren’t any particular traces on either of them.

‘It’s definitely strange.’

I couldn’t say it before, but now I can say for sure, it’s strange.

“What’s strange?”

“There are some strange things.”

“Yes?”

“Why?”

“Aren’t the two of them separated?”

“Yes.”

“But when people commit suicide together, especially couples facing opposition like this, they’re usually tied together.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a kind of bond using death.”

The feeling that lovers have when they commit suicide is the desire to complete the love they couldn’t achieve in this world in the next.

“But in cases like this, where they commit suicide in the water, they end up separated.”

These are people who choose suicide to avoid being separated.

Of course, it doesn’t mean anything after death, but for them, death is an act to complete their love.

“Simply put, it’s common for them to do some symbolic act while doing that.”

They might exchange rings like a wedding ceremony as a vow to each other, or they might tie their bodies together with rope to avoid being separated even after death.

“Couldn’t they have gone into the water hugging each other?”

Seo Juwon asked, sounding unconvinced, and Park Dojun thought that was unlikely.

“You know Nongae, right?”

“Is there anyone in Korea who doesn’t?”

Nongae was a so-called gisaeng [female entertainer] during the Imjin War [Japanese invasions of Korea, 1592-1598]. She was summoned to a victory celebration after the Japanese army invaded Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom] and was made to dance for them. Rather than be taken advantage of by the Japanese, she wore heavy ornaments all over her body and jumped into the river with a Japanese general in her arms, choosing to die together.

“It’s said that she wore rings on every finger and held on tightly to the Japanese general to die with him. Holding onto each other in the water is never easy.”

Park Dojun said, looking at the two people.

“Doesn’t apply to everyone, does it?”

“That’s true.”

Of course, this is just a general observation, and it doesn’t apply to everyone. Everyone has different circumstances and feelings.

“But I have a feeling that something is different this time.”

“Different, as in…”

Seo Juwon lowered his voice and asked.

“Not suicide, but murder?”

“I think so.”

“The police seem to have already decided it’s suicide.”

Seo Juwon said, looking at the police officers gathered in a corner, smoking. There was definitely none of the tension that would be present at a murder scene. It was more like a ‘What should we eat when we get home?’ kind of atmosphere.

‘There’s no evidence, though.’

If they drowned in the water and were facing opposition to their marriage, the possibility of suicide is definitely very high.

‘But something is strange.’

Park Dojun pondered, then suddenly remembered something. A place he hadn’t been to before his regression.

“Do you know where their accommodation is?”

“I don’t, but the police probably do.”

Park Dojun turned at those words.

“Do you know where their accommodation is?”

The accommodation was a hotel a little further away. The police had already arrived at the hotel, but they weren’t really investigating. They were convinced it was suicide, so they had only come to check the belongings.

Since they hadn’t collected the belongings yet, Park Dojun was able to enter the hotel and check them.

“Underwear, clothes, toiletries. Nothing particularly strange.”

“Looks like it was suicide after all.”

The police said listlessly. But unlike them, Park Dojun’s face hardened as he unpacked the luggage.

‘That idiot Han Sungki.’

At that time, Han Sungki had briefly assessed the situation and concluded it was suicide, quickly wrapping up the case. He hadn’t even come here. Later, Park Dojun heard that these items had all been returned to the bereaved family.

‘What did he say back then? Don’t waste time on something that’s obviously suicide?’

But from Park Dojun’s perspective, this wasn’t suicide.

“Profiler, this is suicide, right?”

“Let’s collect this and withdraw.”

The police wanted to go back quickly, as if they were annoyed. But Park Dojun firmly stated,

“It’s not suicide.”

“Not suicide?”

“No. This isn’t suicide. At the very least, it’s an accident. Maybe even murder.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? From what the family said, it sounded like they had reason to commit suicide…”

“Situations don’t always lead to suicide. At least, these people had no intention of committing suicide.”

“Huh? No, why? There’s no evidence.”

“Why is there no evidence? It’s right here.”

Park Dojun said, tapping the two carriers.

“Is there something wrong with this?”

“Why would someone who’s coming to commit suicide bring so much luggage?”

They had come prepared to die. Would such people really think about changing clothes and bring so much?

That’s impossible.

“Most suicides have very little luggage.”

Why? Because they won’t have a chance to wear them later. The act of packing something for a trip means you’re considering the possibility of using it there.

“But as you can see, the amount of clothing in these carriers is not small.”

Both the man and the woman brought a considerable amount of clothes and underwear.

“So, you’re saying they didn’t commit suicide because they brought clothes?”

“You’re putting the cart before the horse. They’re bringing clothes to change into because they don’t intend to commit suicide.”

“Oh? Um…”

The police officers’ faces were filled with annoyance. If it was an accident or murder, they would have to run around.

“Well, they might have wanted to commit suicide in pretty clothes.”

‘What a load of crap.’

Of course, that’s possible. But if that were the case, they would have worn it or brought only that outfit, not packed it in luggage.

But there are about five outfits per person in here.

“Bringing this much is usually for things like a honeymoon.”

Because they have to take pictures often. What could be more embarrassing than wearing the same clothes in every photo?

Of course, they would bring enough to change into.

“Could there be more different meanings of travel than a suicide trip and a honeymoon?”

“Ah, is that so?”

“But they were people who could have committed suicide…”

“The families opposed the marriage?”

“Yes. Well, yes.”

“Most families oppose marriage.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Is there anyone here whose future father-in-law or mother-in-law liked them right away when they got married?”

“That’s…”

The police officers just looked at each other, unable to step forward. Most of them had experienced their partner’s parents, their future in-laws, disliking them because they were police officers.

The dangerous, difficult, and unpredictable job of a police officer is not exactly popular in the marriage market.

“In fact, most parents don’t really welcome their child’s marriage. Especially in the case of these two.”

According to their IDs, the woman was a doctor and the man was a nurse, a unique combination.

From the woman’s parents’ perspective, they would naturally expect a doctor husband, and from the man’s side, they would feel burdened by bringing in an arrogant, accomplished daughter-in-law.

“In reality, the reason why both sides oppose when there’s a difference in family background is precisely because of that.”

Families from better backgrounds oppose because the level doesn’t match, and families from lower backgrounds oppose because they’ll be ignored if they marry into that family.

“But no one knows the extent of the parents’ opposition.”

Whether it was opposition to the point of suicide or just dislike, the police don’t care. After the investigation, the report simply states, ‘Suicide due to emotional distress caused by family opposition.’

“I need to meet the families first.”

Park Dojun muttered, frowning as he looked at the carriers full of clean clothes.

“Aigo, Miju!”

“Hyeongwoo, why did you die! Why!”

The parents’ cries. Park Dojun lit a cigarette, listening to the sound from a distance. Then, he flinched as he unconsciously brought it to his mouth.

“Ah…”

Without realizing it, he had bought cigarettes and put them in his pocket, a habit.

“This is fucked up, really.”

Seeing the bereaved family like that is painful, no matter how much of a job it is, no matter how much Park Dojun lives with a wall around his heart.

If it didn’t bother him, he could be called a monster from that moment on.

“That’s right.”

So, before his regression, Park Dojun would always smoke to soothe the bitterness and pain in moments like these, and that gradually increased, turning him into a chain smoker who smoked two or three packs a day.

“Let’s stop.”

Park Dojun crumpled the lighter and cigarettes into his pocket, looking at the victims’ bereaved family.

‘Embrace it if you can’t avoid it? What kind of bullshit is that?’

There’s a saying in the military, ‘Embrace it if you can’t avoid it.’

But wanting to avoid it means it’s painful, and embracing pain means you’re mentally insane.

Of course, there are things you can bear and things you can’t.

And this is perfectly the latter.

“Miju!”

“Hyeongwoo, no. No. Just take me with you.”

Park Dojun took a deep breath, listening to the parents’ screams.

My Career as a Profiler