Doctor Demon

"I am so not a good dancer!" Jiwoon protested but Siwan simply shrugged.

"I'm no Michael Jackson either but we can still have a good time," he said. 

Without another word, he took Jiwoon's hand and pulled her close. His hand snaked around her waist and they stood very close together. Jiwoon was suddenly very self conscious of the proximity. She did not dare to look at him, her gaze on his chest. 

His touch was warm and he was gazing at her, his heart full of many unspoken words. Slow music began to play in the background and Siwan took the lead.  Jiwoon was too flustered on what to do so she followed his lead, swaying to the music with him. She was clumsy in her steps and stumbled a little but Siwan held her tight in a protective manner, not letting her go.

"Sorry," she mumbled when she accidentally stepped on his foot.

"You say that word a lot," he noted. Jiwoon blushed even harder. 

It was difficult to keep her focus whenever he was around and her heart was beating so fast that she was afraid she would faint from the pressure. He had an intoxicating aura which kept on pulling her towards him despite her best attempts not to get too attached to him. She felt that he deserves someone better, someone who was not as broken as she was. 

Moreover, the date he brought to the party was someone with beauty and power. Siwan was the heir to a very elite group of hospitals and he needed someone who could be beneficial to him and his work. Jiwoon had nothing to her name nor was she capable of being someone that impressive. She felt even more inadequate in front of him and hence, did not dare to make any step towards making her feelings clear.

"What happened?" Siwan asked curiously. She had spaced out and was blank. His voice brought her back to reality.

"Nothing!" She lied. "Umm…so how are your…how are your exorcising sessions going?"

She spoke in a low, hushed tone. They were still dancing to the music, oblivious to the world around them.

"I…today I had to send off a soul," he revealed. "Kim Yisub."

Jiwoon could hear the sadness in his tone. She knew that Yisub had hung around for a while after his death, hovering between his home and the Hwang mansion. Jina told her all about the poor soul who was confused and sad. Everyone pitied the innocent boy who was wrongfully killed because of a teenage spat. 

But life was unfair and once fate decided something, no one could fight against it. 

"He was a little like me," Siwan whispered. "Protective of his sibling. The last thing he did before leaving was to visit his grave where he saw his sister. She hated him all her life but at the moment, she really wanted him to come back. His sister was his twin and even though he died, she always felt the connection as if he was still around. She was not wrong. Anyways, he heard her confession and was finally at peace that she did love him in her own way."

"That's good to hear," Jiwoon said. "He left without any hate or regrets. That's more than what we can say for some people who are resentful even in death. At least you got to meet him even if it was for a  brief moment."

"I don't know why the old man made me send him off," Siwan muttered.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jiwoon asked, a little surprised that he did not figure it out. "You just said the reason yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you just say that he was a little like you? You understood his love for his sibling and his need to leave with a peaceful heart."

"But I barely knew him," he frowned. 

"You don't need to know him," she explained calmly. "You understood him and that's what matters. He left the world with a happy heart and a smile on his face. He was content and it's natural that only someone who can truly understand his happiness should be sending him off. Mr. Hwang may be experienced but he also knew that Yisub should have been sent off by you because both of you are two peas in a pod."

Siwan was looking at her but she still did not dare to look directly at him. He always wondered what was in her mind. She was hard to read and did not speak much but she did, her words always made the most impact on him.

To Jiwoon's surprise, Siwan chuckled.

"You…" he began. "You know you're kind of amazing."

Jiwoon blinked and blushed even harder but Siwan added, "You really know how to make me feel better."

"I'm sure a lot of people can make you feel good," she mumbled nervously. 

"They make me happy but they don't make me feel good about myself," he sighed. "Thank you, Kim Jiwoon. You make me feel good."

Then it hit Jiwoon.

"Where's your date?" she frowned.

Siwan also frowned for a second as if he did not understand what she was talking about. Then he realized that he forgot about Verona!

"Uh…" He said, looking around. Her slim figure was storming out of the door, grumbling to herself.

"She left," he mused.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault," Jiwoon said. "I should go-"

She was about to step away but Siwan held her close.

"Stay," he whispered in her ears. "I'd rather be with you than with a stranger I barely connect with."

Was it the song or something else but at that moment, everything else was a blur to them. Siwan was smiling warmly at her, his eyes only on her. He was not sure what he felt but his heart was content and happy just to be near her. She had a lovely blush on her face which was captivating his senses and she shyly avoided his eyes.

Jiwoon was so shy that she could not even look at him. She was afraid that if she did, he would find out about what she truly felt. But Siwan was not thinking straight. He put a finger under her chin and made her look up, directly into his eyes. 

Her eyes were a little teary which stabbed his heart. Why was she crying? What was in her mind? So many questions plagued him and all were about her. 

Without thinking, he leaned in close to her. Jiwoon was frozen to her spot, not able to fight off her feelings anymore. They were in the middle of the dance floor with many people around them and yet, she was not paying attention to anything else. He was leaning closer to her and she could count his eyelashes. 

He has pretty lashes, she randomly thought. Siwan was really close to her, their lips only inches away-

"Jiwoon! We gotta go!"

Jina's voice broke both of them out of their reverie. Siwan came to his senses and realized what he was about to do. He instantly backed out, leaving Jiwoon flustered and confused. 

"Uh…"

Jina, who did not seem to have noticed what happened, said, "There's been a murder nearby. We'll have to go and investigate!"

"Oh yes!" Jiwoon said. "Let's go."

She paused before adding, "Siwan, we'll need you too. There's a child at the crime scene who is hurt."

"Y-Yes!" He stammered. Putting their earlier temptations aside, they followed Jina to the car. Hobin was already outside, waiting for them. 

"Where's the crime scene?" Siwan asked.

"They said it's around a mile from here," Hobin replied. "Let's get going."

They got into Jina's car and sped off towards the scene. A while later, they pulled up in front of a large beach side house which was swarming with cops. Jina parked the car and all of them got out. A child was placed on a bench outside with his foot stretched out on the wood. He was around three years old and was crying hard.

"Mama!" he was sobbing. "Dada!"

Siwan immediately rushed to his side to tend to the child while Jina, Jiwoon and Hobin rushed into the beach house.. The other cops tried to calm down the child but to no avail.

"What's his name?" he asked one of the cops.

"His full name is Oh Banyu," the cop replied. "Who are you?"

Siwan showed him his hospital ID. "I'm a paediatric surgeon at the National Hospital," he explained. "I was in the vicinity with Detectives Hwang and Kim so they asked me to check on the child. How did he get hurt?"

"The killer hit his foot with a large hammer," the cop sighed. Siwan turned to the child and touched the boy's foot. Banyu screamed in pain.

"Mama!" He cried. "Mama!"

"I'm sorry, Banyu," Siwan said in a gentle tone. "It will hurt but I'll heal you in no time."

"His parents were killed," the cop muttered. "It's a bloodbath in there! Their skulls were cleaved with an axe."

Siwan, who was checking the boy's foot, froze. He slowly turned to the cop, his face white with shock and fear.

"C-Cleave?" he stammered. "What do you mean?"

"It's unlike anything I've ever seen, doc," the cop whispered. "Their bodies were lying on the bed and their heads were split open with an axe. You know how a wood is cut into half in a vertical line? That's how their heads were cleaved. A perfect vertical line. The killer even left the axe by the bed-"

Without a word, Siwan ran towards the crime scene. Several cops tried to stop him but he ran past them, not caring if it was illegal. He did not give a damn if he was arrested for trespassing a crime scene but he must stop Hobin. 

"No no no!" He shouted and rushed into the bedroom. He burst through the door to find Hobin standing at the foot of the bed. His eyes were fixated on the bloody bodies of the couple but there was something else. There was a message on the wall written in blood.

"Long time no see, Ohm Hobin," Siwan read.

Jina and Jiwoon were also staring at the message, shocked and confused. All of them turned to Hobin, whose eyes were bloody red with anger and fury.

"The Cleaver is back," he whispered.