IWT 31

 Chapter 31

Inside the fairly large sauna lounge.

Seung-beom stood in front of his personal locker and quickly entered the password with practiced fingers.

“Even personal lockers here.”

From a few lockers away, Seong-jin, hiding behind another locker, slowly took off his clothes while secretly glancing at Seung-beom.

“But what am I even doing right now?”

Seong-jin threw his socks into the locker and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Sneaking around and watching another man change clothes already felt ridiculous, but realizing that the place was a sauna inside someone’s memory made it even more absurd.

Still, none of that mattered.

If he could just catch that bastard, he felt like he could follow him anywhere—even into hell.

“Why isn’t he taking off his clothes?”

Seung-beom had been staring silently into the locker for a moment.

Then he pulled out a large black plastic bag.

After quickly checking his surroundings, he removed his jumper and pants in one swift motion.

The moment he turned them inside out, clear bloodstains on the inner side were revealed, and the metallic smell of blood spread faintly through the sauna like mist.

“Reversible?”

Only then did Seong-jin finally understand Seung-beom’s actions at the crime scene earlier.

Since he couldn’t walk into a crowded place wearing blood-soaked clothes, he had prepared reversible clothing to avoid suspicion.

Seung-beom looked around once more.

Then he stuffed all his clothes, underwear, and even his shoes into the black plastic bag and tied the knot tightly several times.

After that, he took out a 100-liter trash bag from the locker and placed the black bag containing the evidence inside it, tying it tightly again.

His actions flowed naturally—like water.

There was no hesitation, no guilt.

Finally, as if he could not allow even the smallest truth to leak out, he checked the knots again and again until his hands turned red.

Watching secretly, even Seong-jin felt suffocated.

“Excuse me. Could you help me for a moment?”

After finishing everything, Seung-beom wrapped a large towel around his waist and politely called a staff member who was collecting used towels near the sauna entrance.

“Yes? What is it?”

The staff member quickly looked Seung-beom up and down.

“I’m sorry, but could you throw this away for me?”

“Just leave it over there.”

The staff member pointed lazily toward a trash bin near the entrance.

“I cleaned my locker after a long time, so there was a lot to throw away. I already packed it properly in the trash bag, so you can just throw it away with the other trash later.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“And please take this.”

The staff member, who had been ignoring him, turned his head when Seung-beom offered a can of coffee with a bright smile.

“It’s nothing special, but please drink it while you work.”

“Well… thank you. I’ll throw this away for you.”

Unexpected kindness made the staff member bow slightly.

He immediately picked up Seung-beom’s trash bag.

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks. Have a good day.”

The staff member, now smiling widely with the coffee in his pocket, looked completely different from before.

Seung-beom’s friendly voice grew even brighter.

“Heh… Easy. People are really easy.”

Seung-beom walked back toward the locker, chuckling quietly.

Just thinking that the small can of coffee in the employee’s hand would erase every trace of today’s crime made a faint smile appear on his lips.

Such a cheap cost for the perfect result.

“Fox-like bastard.”

Seong-jin clenched his fist tightly.

From choosing a sauna with no CCTV, to preparing trash bags, to even bringing a drink to manipulate the staff—

Every step of Seung-beom’s plan was perfectly calculated.

“Just wait. I’ll expose your truth to the whole world.”

Seong-jin watched the employee carrying the trash bag leave while Seung-beom calmly entered the sauna.

Then he carefully followed him.

Inside the sauna, Seung-beom washed his entire body again and again with soap under the shower, letting any remaining blood smell or traces of murder wash down the drain.

Seong-jin watched him through the mirror from the opposite shower.

When Seung-beom closed his eyes while washing his hair, Seong-jin quietly stepped closer and turned on the shower beside him.

Is this risky? If he notices, we’ll get thrown out of the memory immediately.

If Seung-beom realized that someone who had never been in his memory before was standing beside him, he might break the hypnosis.

Then everything would end.

But if we get kicked out now… I won’t return to reality naked, right?

Even in such a tense moment, strange thoughts ran through Seong-jin’s mind.

Fortunately, Seung-beom kept humming while washing his hair, completely unaware.

Showering together with this guy inside his memory… unbelievable.

Still, Seong-jin carefully examined Seung-beom’s body from head to toe.

If Seung-beom had been injured during the struggle with Jung-sik, there might be skin or blood evidence under Jung-sik’s fingernails.

But—

“There’s nothing.”

Seung-beom’s body was perfectly clean.

Not even a single scratch.

A little later.

After finishing his shower, Seung-beom returned to the locker room and put on a clean suit.

“Good.”

He lightly sprayed perfume on his wrists and neck while looking at himself in the mirror.

The man who had committed murder just moments ago now looked completely different.

The murderous smile and the smell of blood had disappeared.

Humming a song, Seung-beom calmly left the sauna.

“I need to find that employee first.”

Seong-jin quickly dressed while keeping his eyes on Seung-beom and followed him again.

“Hey! He can’t leave!”

Seung-beom got into his car in the underground parking lot and drove toward the exit.

“Why is he taking so long?”

Chaerin anxiously watched the car disappear.

At that moment, the elevator door opened and Seong-jin ran toward her at full speed.

“Chaerin! Where did he go?”

He jumped into the driver’s seat.

“He just left the parking lot. If we hurry, we can catch him.”

She pointed toward the exit.

“Seatbelt on? Hold tight.”

Seong-jin immediately pressed the accelerator and chased Seung-beom’s car.

“Did you find anything?”

“For now.”

“Really? What?”

Chaerin’s eyes filled with hope.

“Trash bags.”

“Trash bags?”

“Yes. I’ll explain after we catch him.”

After driving for a while—

“There! He’s entering the broadcasting station.”

Seung-beom’s car turned into the station parking lot.

“He had a live broadcast that day. That’s probably why he came here.”

Seeing the car still ahead, Seong-jin sighed in relief.

“Should we follow him inside?”

“Of course.”

They parked and carefully followed Seung-beom into the building.

Inside the broadcast station lobby, the two hid behind a large pillar while watching him.

Soon, Seung-beom greeted the security guard and passed through the gate.

He disappeared into the elevator.

“I think we lost him.”

Seong-jin looked anxious.

At that moment—

“Let’s go.”

Chaerin walked toward the security gate.

“Just like that?”

Seong-jin grabbed her arm.

But suddenly—

“Excuse me. Why are you here?”

Two security guards appeared and blocked their path.

“What?”

Seong-jin’s eyes widened.

“Do you have a pass? Show me your ID.”

The guard held out his hand.

What is this?

An ID check inside someone’s memory?

“Show your ID quickly.”

The guard’s voice became sharper.

“ID…”

Seong-jin froze.

He had only entered memories twice before.

He had no idea how to react.

Then—

Chaerin whispered softly.

“Show your police ID.”

“…Huh?”

He didn’t think the police badge from reality would exist inside the memory.

But he followed her advice and reached into his jacket pocket.

Then—

“Wait…”

His fingers touched an actual ID card.

Seong-jin couldn’t hide his surprise.

After showing the ID and entering the building, the two searched everywhere for Seung-beom.

But they couldn’t find him.

“Where did he go?”

Chaerin looked around nervously.

“This is the studio where I brought Kim Seung-beom earlier.”

Seong-jin pointed at the door labeled Studio 2.

“Then let’s go inside.”

“He won’t be there yet. The recording hasn’t started.”

He checked the clock on the wall.

“Then where could he be?”

“I don’t know. But if he’s destroying evidence somewhere…”

Seong-jin’s lips went dry.

Then Chaerin pointed down the last unexplored hallway.

“Let’s check there.”