Shotgun K

I could feel the energy of morning in the air around me as sleep reluctantly left my system.
My eyes fluttered open with a start, prickling a little to adjust to the bright light of the sun leaking in from my bedroom window. There was no denying or ignoring that fatigue was seeped deep into my body, my head slightly disoriented about the date and time. And my body felt like a ton of bricks.

Groaning, I sat up on my bed and pushed the covers aside. My hand ran through my messy hair as I glanced over to the alarm clock on my bedside table.

5:22 AM

I stared at the digital numbers for a while, my mind slowly waking up and automatically processing the events of the past two days.
What a long two days they were.

A long, tired sigh escaped me as I forced myself to stand up and drag myself to the closet. There was no way I could get any more sleep.
I pushed the sliding closet door to the side and stepped in, going straight to where all my casual clothes were stored. I pulled out a random pair of jeans, a white long-sleeved pullover tee and a pair of socks. I stripped out of the pajama pants and white shirts, depositing them into the laundry basket in the corner of the closet before I exited.

I tossed the shirt and the pair of socks onto the bed before I pulled on the jeans. I zipped and buttoned the pants, then reached for the shirt and pulled it over my head. I had just managed to shove my arms into the cotton fabric when I heard a noise from somewhere outside my room…inside my apartment.
I froze, straining to listen through the thick early morning silence.
No other sound disrupted the silence of my apartment.

I frowned, and pulled the shirt down rest of the way before turning towards my bedroom door. My stomach started to clench uncomfortably, my heart rate steadily increasing. Should I call out? No, if it was an intruder, I don’t want them to know that I was in my room.
Then what do I do?

I inhaled deeply and held my breath as I slowly and silently approached the door. My heartbeat seemed to be inside my head as my hand reached for the doorknob.
How did they get in?
My fingers curled around the cold metal of the doorknob. My muscles tensed almost painfully as I slowly and carefully twisted.
Please don’t make a noise…Please don’t make a noise---

My door pulled open silently, without an incident.

I let out a silent breath and peered out to the corridor, checking for any sudden movements. When nothing out of the ordinary showed, I stepped out of the safety of my room.
I stopped moving, listening for any other noise. The silence was thick and tense…I swear, something was waiting for me around the corner---
A sudden thought escaped my mind, slipping out before I could catch myself.

What if it was the stalker?

Quickly on the tail end of that thought was the image of the pictures of the young girl…and the bloody heart in the box---
Dammit! This is not a good time to be thinking of stuff like this!

Pushing the nagging thoughts out of my head, I started my way down the hall.
Really, was there really a noise? Maybe I just imagined it. Hey, this apartment complex has a very good security system; how would a stalker get here anyway? And how would they even know my address?
I took a few steps forward when another unwelcome realization hit me.

What if the stalker had a weapon?

I swore silently, turning back to look back at my room and back towards the living room.
Damn it to hell, my stupid mind!
I inhaled and exhaled, determined to clear my head of this nervous energy.

No more thinking, no more thinking…
I kept that one phrase on repeat as I made the rest of the way down the corridor and stepped into my living room area.

Only the dim light of early morning lit up the space; my apartment still looked and felt dormant. From what I could see, everything was in place and nothing moved. Confused, I took a few more steps, approaching the TV area. I stopped in the middle of my apartment and turned slowly around, taking a look all the way around me.
Nothing…huh, maybe it was my imagination---

A low, rumbling sound erupted from behind me and I wheeled around with a start. I turned to my couch just in time to see something jump up---

“AHHH!!” a yell escaped me as I jumped back away from the couch.

“AHH!” a startled cry came in response.

I swear, my heart had jumped to my throat ready to jump out of my body and my skin was crawling with adrenaline. It took another few moments for me to recognize the stranger on the couch.

“Mr. Park?” I said incredulously.

“Huh?” he replied, looking bewildered and confused.

He was sitting up on the couch, his hair sticking up with cowlicks and his shirt wrinkled. He looked disheveled and messy altogether.
I forced myself to breathe, and swallow my heart back down to where it was supposed to be.

“Aoish! You scared me!” I shouted, half in left-over bewilderment and half relief.

Mr. Park blinked at me, his eyes wide.
“…huh?” he let out.

I sighed, and let out a dry shaky laugh.
“Say something else already,” I said. “You practically gave me a heart attack.”

“Oh…” my manager said finally. He took a look around my place, as if he was confused. He passed a hand through his hair, messing it up even more.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I noticed that he was still in the clothes he was wearing yesterday.
“Mr. Park, did you fall asleep here?” I asked.

Mr. Park looked down at himself, looking over his disheveled appearance.
“I guess I did.” he said after a moment. “I didn’t even mean to…”

I sighed, and shook my head.
“Whatever, it doesn’t matter. So long as no one else is here.” I muttered.

“What was that?” Mr. Park asked, sounding curious.

“Nothing. I was just thinking to myself.” I brushed off. I turned around and headed towards the kitchen.
“Anyways, sleeping on the couch like that, you’ll hurt your back and catch a cold.”

Mr. Park chuckled, shaking his head.
“Thank you for your concern, I’ll keep that in mind the next time I start feeling sleepy on the couch.” he said teasingly.

I scowled to myself a bit as I opened the fridge to pull out a water bottle. I went back to the couch and passed him the bottle.
“Here.” I said.
Mr. Park took the bottle gratefully and straightened up on the couch.
“What do we have today?” I asked him.
He took a sip of water, and considered.

“Well, today is another day off so we don’t have much to do.” he said. “There are few things that should be taken care of, but it can be done right here.”

I frowned, surprised at this answer.
When was the last time I had two days off in a row? Did this have something to do with the incident?

I was still thinking when Mr. Park spoke again.
“Oh, but one urgent business.” he said. “Your publicist called. She needs to get a statement from you for the news.”

My frown grew deeper.
“A statement? For what?” I asked.

Mr. Park just reached for the remote on the coffee table and turned the TV on to a news channel. The first thing I saw was a shot of a park, the wooded area marked off with crime tape.

“---the brutality of the crime is unimaginable; this is breaking news. The police has released the identity of the young girl found murdered in the park just two mornings prior.
18-year old Kim Eun-Hee was on her way home from a promotional event for the upcoming and highly anticipated drama, SHATTERHEART. Investigators believe the young teen was murdered sometime between 10PM to 12AM.”

A small chill ran down my back, and I forced myself not to think of the happy pictures of the girl the detectives had shown me.
“So they identified the girl…” I said.

“The publicist just wants to have a comment from you ready, in the likely case that they let it be known that she was a huge fan of yours.” Mr. Park said. “It doesn’t have to be anything long.”

“Yea…” I said, my eyes glued to the television. “Yea, I could do that.”
Looking at the news, that little tidbit would be out by the nightly news. This incident wasn’t anything that would be considered scandalous, outside of the fact that a certain detective suspected me. If that got out, the tabloids will have a field day.

I watched the news for a few more minutes before I turned away from the television.
“I’ll call her now.” I said. “What’s her number?”

“It’s on my cell phone; just use mine to talk to her.” he replied. “It should be on the kitchen table.”
I strode over to the small table on the other side of the kitchen and saw a set of keys and a cell phone. I picked up the cell and looked up the publicist’s number.

“Just a light warning; she is a big fan of yours too.” Mr. Park warned me from the couch.

I sighed, and pushed the call button before bringing the phone to my ear.



I had just turned the page of the book I was reading when I heard the doorbell ring. I frowned, looking up from the pages and towards my bedroom door.
Just when I was getting used to the idea of a real day off…

I set the book down on my bedside table and got off my bed. I was still making my way to my bedroom door when I heard Mr. Park calling out.

“I’ll be right there!” he said.

I stepped out of the bedroom and walked down the hall, and into my living room area just as Mr. Park walked back in from the front door.
“Jae, you have a visitor,” he said.

I was about to ask who when a familiar figure stepped out from behind him and into the living room.
“Oh,” I said, surprise coming over me. “Detective Paek, how may I help you?”

Detective Paek smiled in greeting, bowing slightly in a respectful gesture. I returned a small bow of my head.

Detective Paek shook his head.
“I just stopped by to see if you were doing okay.” he said.

I smiled and nodded.
“I’m doing fine; relaxing on my first real break.” I told him. Then the smile slipped a little. “Did you find anything?”

The detective’s smile also faltered, and he shook his head.
“Not much progress has been made in the investigation.” he admitted. “We’re really troubled with this one.”

I nodded, my stomach bubbling slightly with unease.
“But you didn’t come all this way to tell me this,” I said.

“No I didn’t.” he said. “I actually came to discuss some things with you.”

“What kind of things?” I asked, more than just a little curious.

Detective Paek recovered some of his friendly smile and he shook his head.
“Well, I was just starting to get hungry,” he told me. “Want to talk over lunch?”

“Lunch,” I echoed. I then turned to the television screen, the news still on. The time on the corner of the screen read 11:32 AM.
“Oh…I didn’t realize it was already midday.” I said.

“Why don’t you go with Detective Paek?” Mr. Park said. “I should go home and get changed. I’ll be back later.”

“Mr. Park, you should rest.” I argued. “It’s your break too.”

My manager chuckled, shaking his head.
“I’m still working on your schedule,” he told me. “Besides, I think I’ll stay put here; we’re having a meeting here tomorrow anyways.”

Oh…that’s right. The meeting with the bodyguard…

“So, what do you say about lunch?” Detective Paek asked.

I turned to him, and then back at Mr. Park, who just nodded encouragingly.
“Alright. Let me go get my jacket.” I said.



The place Detective Paek took me to was a family restaurant not too far away from my apartment complex. It was nothing fancy and an average class establishment. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly…it was pretty nice; nothing like the stiff atmosphere of selective cuisine restaurants.

“Ah, I hope you don’t mind the setting.” Detective Paek said, sounding slightly concerned. “I know it’s not anything 5-star rating…”

I shook my head and smiled.
“No, this is great, actually. I miss eating out like this.” I told him honestly.

I hung back behind him, pulling the baseball cap over my eyes as a waitress approached us.
“Welcome!” I heard her say cheerfully.
Detective Paek and she spoke briefly, arranging for two seats. She pulled out two menus and motioned us to follow.
“Right this way, please.” she said with a bright smile on her face.

The waitress led us to a booth towards the corner of the restaurant, giving us enough privacy. Detective Paek slid into the booth and I followed suit, sitting down on the opposite side of him. A menu was set in front of us as I pulled off my shades and hat.
“Can I start you off with some drinks?” the waitress asked politely.

Detective Paek hummed thoughtfully as he studied the list of drinks on the back of the menu.
“Let’s see…I’ll take the ginger ale.” he told the waitress.
She nodded, and scribbled it into her notepad.
“How about you?” she asked me as she finished writing.
“An iced tea, please.” I said.

Silence followed, and I looked up from the menu.
The waitress blushed when our eyes met.
“Oh! Uh, a ginger ale and an iced tea. Coming right up.” she said, before turning around and hurrying away.

I heard Detective Paek chuckle from across the table.
“My, you are popular.” he laughed.

The waitress came back with a can of ginger ale and a glass, and my iced tea. Wow, that was fast.
“Here’s the ginger ale, and the iced tea.” she said, sounding a bit breathlessly. “Are we ready to order?”

I haven’t even opened the menu.

“Uh, no…not yet. Could we have five more minutes?” I asked.

The girl nodded.
“Five more minutes.” she echoed and hurried away.

I watched her practically shoot back into the back area of the restaurant before turning back to Detective Paek.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” I asked.

Detective took a sip of his ginger ale and sighed contently before putting his elbows on the table.
“I know I’ve said this before at your agency, but I wanted to apologize properly about my partner Detective Choi.”

A frown made itself on my face at the mention of the aggressive detective.
“Yea, I know.” I said. “There are no hard feelings; not everyone likes me. And he was doing his job…in a way.”

Detective Paek smiled, looking a bit sympathetic for some reason.
“Choi isn’t always like this; he is an honest man who loves his job.” he said, defending his partner. “Usually he is calm and level-headed with his cases.”

“So he just really hates me.” I said flatly.

Detective Paek laughed, shaking his head. He flipped open the menu and started observing the list of lunch specials.
“Don’t feel bad, I don’t think he hates you.” he told me. “It’s just that this case hits closer to home for him than anyone else working this case.”

I, too, opened the menu and started considering my choice of lunch.
“How so?” I asked, curious.

The detective let out a low breath, as if he was thinking back on a sad memory.
“Choi has a daughter around the same age as the victim.” he explained. “About a year ago, his wife passed away. She had been sick for a really long time. Her death was heavy for both him and his daughter.”
A spark of sympathy ignited in me, my negativity towards the man decreasing slightly. It was understandable, but he still didn’t have to try and press a murder on me.
“Ah, but to explain his aggression towards you on this case…” he went on, as if he had read my mind. “His daughter is also a huge fan of yours. She’s watched all the dramas and movies you have starred in and she very may have attended that promotional event you just had.”

He took another sip of his ginger ale before he resumed.

“Since his wife’s death, the relationship between him and his daughter has been…strained. With him working late at the headquarters, she had to take care of herself. They haven’t been able to communicate well with one another.” he said, and then sighed. “Choi tries in his way to be a good father, but lately, it seems that she has closed herself off from him even more.”

I nodded, feeling bad for the guy.
“You two as partners must be close if he tells you all that.” I noted.

Detective Paek chuckled.
“Yes, I guess we’re close but not close enough for him to confide in me about everything.” he laughs. “Choi’s far too stubborn to show weakness like this to his male coworkers.”

The waitress came over to out booth then.
“Are we ready to order?” she asked politely.

Detective Paek smiled and nodded.
“Yes! Hmmm…I think I’ll have this cream stew bowl, please.” he ordered.
The waitress scribbled down the order on her notepad.
“…Alright. And how about you?” she asked me.
“I’ll have the omurice platter, thanks.” I said.
She scribbled down my order before looking up and smiling.
“We’ll have your meals out shortly.” she told us. She bowed her head slightly before returning to the back area of the restaurant. I turned back to Detective Paek, who was sipping placidly on his ginger ale.

“Detective Choi seemed to be convinced that I was the guy.” I said. “He didn’t like me in the least bit.”

Detective Paek hummed in thought.
“Well, maybe he feels slightly threatened by you.” he mused.
When I gave him an incredulous look, he started.
“I’m serious. In an odd way, it makes sense.” he said. “Choi tries so hard to connect with his daughter again, but gets pushed away. He knows she’s a great fan of yours; maybe in the back of his mind he feels like you are doing better with communicating with her father.”

I hummed, considering his reasoning.
“Possible, I guess. But it’s still farfetched.” I said.

“A thought of a human mind can be many things, farfetched being one of them.” Detective Paek said. “If my job taught me anything, it’s what people are capable of, in thoughts and actions.”

I sighed, shaking my head.
“He can’t possibly think that it’s true, though…me having a better connection with his daughter.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t, but it doesn’t change how he feels.” Detective Paek reasoned.
“But it’s impossible! I haven’t even met this girl before.” I argued.
Detective Paek looked at me, his even and steady gaze penetrating.
“It’s your influence.” he said simply.
“My what, now?”

“You influence.” he repeated. “You seem to have a strong ability to influence people. Most celebrities of your caliber do, but you are especially good. In fact, it may very well be one of your best talents.”
He looked around the restaurant, his eyes scanning for something in the room. He stopped and leaned slightly forward towards me.
“Just look over about two tables away to your left.” he murmured.

I blinked, confused but did as he told me to do. The restaurant wasn’t packed yet so it wasn’t too hard to spot the two teenaged girls sitting two tables down from me. They were whispering in hushed voices as they huddled together, glancing pointedly my way. When they noticed me staring back, they broke out into giggles.

“In the fan mails you have read, just how many of them told you ‘I love you,’?” he asked, driving in the point.

Practically all of them. I thought to myself.

“Just by being in the same space, you draw in their attention. That’s part of your influence.” Detective Paek said.

I looked back at the detective, frowning.
“Doesn’t that come with just being famous?” I questioned.

Detective Paek smiled slightly.
“Maybe, but you would have to be likable and desirable in certain ways to pull people in like that.” he said. “I wouldn’t want to approach an asshole for an autograph.”
I hummed, and took a sip of my iced tea.
“Yea…I guess…” I allowed.

“Ummm…Jae-Sung?”

I blinked, and looked up to see the two girls right next to the table.
“Yes?” I replied.

The girl that spoke gasped slightly, her eyes widening.
“Oh, it is Seo Jae-Sung!” she breathed in awe. She turned to her friend who was standing right behind her. She looked just as stunned and excited.
“I knew it, I thought he looked like Jae-Sung! What are the chances---” she rambled in a forcibly hushed tone.
She wheeled back to me, suddenly looking stiff and nervous.
“I---I, um, I hate to disturb you during your lunch time but um….sorry, um…could we…could we possibly get some pictures and an autograph?” she started stammering.

I blinked, but gave them a reassuring smile.
“Sure, I don’t mind.” I told them.

The girl’s friend wheeled around and hurried back to their table.
“I’ll---I’ll go get pen and paper!” she called over her shoulder.

The girl that spoke to me stood there, bouncing in place with excitement.
“I’m a huge fan of yours! I’ve watched all your dramas and movies!” she told me. “The girls at our school all love you!”
The friend came back with a pen, a magazine and a digital camera.
“I couldn’t find a notepad or paper but I figured this magazine was perfect.” she told her friend as she handed the girl the magazine and pen. She then turned to me. “I’m a fan, too! I love you as Min Han; I cried watching the last week's episode!”

I laughed lightly, giving them an honest smile.
“Kamsamnida,” I thanked them. “Where should I sign?”
The girl handed me the pen and opened the magazine to the center.
“I totally loved this interview you did! You are so sweet!” she said. “We’re cheering for you; fighting!”
“Interview,” I echoed.
I looked down at the magazine in front of me and saw a huge, full-page picture of me. It seemed to be a candid picture, though the photo itself was professionally taken. I was sitting on the couch, my posture casual and I was smiling.
I flipped the magazine over to look at the front cover.

As I thought, I saw the name of the magazine: LUV!

I hummed, flipping back to the page of my interview.
“Oh, they got this out already…” I mused. Then I realized the girls were still waiting for me to sign.
“Oh, sorry…anywhere on this page is okay?” I asked.
The girl bobbed her head excitedly and I signed right next to my face on the picture. She gushed when I handed her magazine back to her.
“I can’t believe it!” she cried, her voice hushed. Her eyes widened as she turned to her friend. “Pictures, we should take pictures…”
The girl looked up from the camera screen, smiling sheepishly.
“I’ve already been taking pictures.” she admitted. “Jae-Sung oppa, even your candid pictures are amazing…”
I let out a short, quiet laugh.
“You think so? I think I look better from the right side.” I said, half-jokingly.

The girl holding the camera blushed, shaking her head.

“I think you look great from all sides…” she said. She blushed even more. “Umm…do you mind if we take a picture with you?”
“Not at all.” I said, standing up. “Why don’t you guys sit next to me, so we’re not disrupting the people in the restaurant?”

The girls’ eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I suggested that. I frowned.
“Is that okay?” I asked.

“Oh---of course!” the first girl that had come forward said.
I motioned for her to scoot into the booth first before I sat down. I turned back to the other girl and patted the seat next to me.
“Here, there’s plenty of room.” I told her, smiling.
The girl looked completely stunned as she slowly lowered herself down onto the seat.
Detective Paek seemed to be laughing as he reached across the table.
“Here, I’ll take the picture for you.” he offered.
The girl to my left nodded and handed him her camera. He turned it on, adjusted the focus before holding still.
“Okay, ready?” he asked.
I automatically wrapped my arms around the two girls’ shoulders, my hands resting at the top of their arms.
“Ready and ‘cheese’!” he said.
I smiled, and I heard the digital snapshot of the camera.

Detective Paek took a few more pictures before handing the camera back to the girl.
“You guys looked good.” he said, as we stood up and slid out of the booth.
The girls turned back to me, practically beaming.
“Thank you so much! This is the best day ever!” one of them said.
“We’ll be supporting you. Fighting!” the other said.

I nodded, giving them a thankful smile.
“Kamsamnida.” I said. “I promise to work hard.”
My eyes caught the magazine tucked under the girl’s arm, and a thought came to mind.
“Ah, hey, can I ask you guy something?” I said. “Where did you buy the magazine?”