Chapter 42

Chapter 42: The Hippo Hunt #2

“T-thank you…”

Jung Yuri accepted Tae-hyuk's leather jacket and started to put it on. She wasn't wearing any clothes besides the jacket she had just put on.

In the end, she wasn't even wearing any underwear. She was quite tall for a woman so even with a jacket, parts of her body were still exposed. If she didn't pull her clothes down with her hand, then her butt would be seen.

However, her upper body was more serious. Her chest was big enough to cause every man to take a second look. Thus, the buttons on the jacket could only be done up partway.

"Hah…"

A moan escaped from Jung Yuri's pale white lips. She hugged herself to warm up her body even a little bit.

She looked so pathetic that Tae-hyuk felt strangely dizzy for a moment. Tae-hyuk stretched his hand out to Yuri and said.

“Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to touch your chest."

"Uh… yes."

Tae-hyuk exercised tremendous self-control as he turned his gaze away from the chest that was visible through the leather jacket.

When he touched Yuri's forehead, he could feel that it was as cold as ice.

"Haang!"

Yuri shrieked as Tae-hyuk's hand touched her forehead; however, she didn't resist.

‘Cold… Still, there doesn't seem to be any risk to her life. Once her body warms up…'

Severe hypothermia was a risk. The muscles of her body would be stiff and she would feel extreme fatigue.

“Wipe the water from your body."

“Haang… Yes…"

Tae-hyuk looked around, but he couldn't find anything resembling a towel. In the end, he had to take off his t-shirt so that Yuri could have something to wipe her body down with.

"Hum hum. I do laundry everyday so it shouldn't smell of sweat."

"… No. It seems good."

Tae-hyuk looked at Yuri’s complexion.

A red glow was starting to appear on the previously white face. Her body temperature was rising, but it was still dangerous.

"Can you get on my back? If we go to a concession stand, then there will be a heater. You can warm up there.

Yuri nodded.

Her lips were blue and her whole body was shaking. Occasional moans couldn't help emerging from her mouth. The first thing to do was to take her to a safe place, since her legs didn't work.

Tae-hyuk knelt down in a good posture. Yuri couldn't support her body properly and fell on his back. Tae-hyuk e felt a heavy weight…

Mulkeong!

“Heok!"

There was something as soft as a marshmallow touching Tae-hyuk's back. Yuri relaxed her grip on the leather jacket and clung onto Tae-hyuk. In the end, her breasts were touching Tae-hyuk's back.

‘C-Cold… But very soft… N-no! Wake up Seo Tae-hyuk!'

“Haaang…"

Tae-hyuk's back was very warm, so a pleasant moan emerged from Yuri's mouth. She was naked on the back of a man who she didn't know well. She would've been terribly embarrassed if she was in her normal mental state.

However, was it due to the sense of relief from her survival? Jung Yuri couldn't feel any shame. It was comfortable, as if she was on her father's back.

Tae-hyuk was more embarrassed about being hugged from behind than Jung Yuri was embarrassed form being on his back. Her legs didn't move, so he carefully held her thighs with both hands. The soft texture was conveyed directly. Strangely, she smelled good.

'I-I don't know who is doing a service for whom!'

Jung Yuri was 170 cm tall, a height that was similar to Tae-hyuk's. It was harder than he thought to lift up Yuri.

‘But what if I use the Violence skill? I can do it with my stamina!'

Tae-hyuk used the Violence skill. Both hands were holding Jung Yuri's thighs, so he had to put the iron pipe in his mouth.

Tae-hyuk and Yuri headed to a concession stand. He had to stop once in awhile due to the sound of Yuri's breathing getting too close. Then he had to calm something excited down.

@

“I am a man. A man who is made for this job!"

Joo Hyun-ho hummed as he walked around the performance venue. Kang-suk was looking at the aquarium, while Joo Hyun-ho's task was to check this place. There was no one on the stage and in the audience seats. The only place left was the performer's waiting room. There was a bathtub where animals such as seals and penguins could be washed. If he were the Hippo, then he would commit the crime there.

Joo Hyun-ho was holding a handgun.

“I just picked up a gas gun. It isn't real like Sunbae's. Still, isn't it better than nothing?"

Joo Hyun-ho majored in criminology and psychology and became a profiler. However, in order to serve as an investigator, he completed two years of basic education at the police academy. He knew the perfect method to hold a gun. Furthermore, unlike his frail appearance, he was a master of judo.

"Bang bang! Haha! Isn't this good?"

Joo Hyun-ho aimed towards an imaginary criminal. He didn't seem like a genius investigator at this moment.

Hyun-ho released his finger from the trigger and spun the gas gun around.

“That's enough playing. Then let's start searching in earnest!"

He walked towards the place where the Hippo was hiding with a serious expression. As he arrived at the back of the performance venue, a door with STAFF ONLY appeared.

'Here.'

Hyun-ho looked at the door with a serious expression and kicked it open with his foot.

Bam!

The closed door opened with a loud sound.

“Hands up! If you move then I will shoot!"

Hyun-ho knelt down and aimed the gun forward. Then he looked around.

“Sheesh. There is no one here."

The room only contained a large fish tank, rope and buckets.

"Uh, wait a minute."

Hyun-ho put the gun away and approached.

"Here… Someone was clearly just here."

There wasn't anyone here. However, the evidence still remained. The fish tank was half filled with water. He checked it by hand and the water was ice cold.

"Let's think like Archimedes. The tank is half full. This means there was something in the water. Roughly…"

Hyun-ho calculated the volume of the tank and the amount that it was empty.

"…. It sound be one person who weighs around 50 kg."

There was a lot of water on the floor. It meant that someone had pulled out another person from the fish tank.

Joo Hyun-ho looked around.

There were rope and several buckets filled with liquid. Hyun-ho checked the contents of the bucket.

“Milk, soy sauce and cooking oil…"

There was only a one metre long tube near the fish tank.

“I should be glad since my reasoning is correct. It is amazing, even if the culprit is gone."

Hyun-ho touched the surface of the fish tank.  Water was splattered from someone leaving the fish tank.

“This means the person was in here until recently."

The surface of the fish tank was smooth. Even if the water splashed, it would flow down to the ground after 10 minutes.

Joo Hyun-ho swallowed his saliva.

"… This is the Hippo's workshop."

And the Hippo was gone. His victim was inside the fish tank.

"Has he killed her already?"

It couldn't be. The liquids used for the murder were still inside the buckets.

This meant…

Joo Hyun-hos face turned white.

"… Sunbae is in danger!"

@

Cho Kang-suk stood in the dark aquarium. Whether it was from tiredness due to the continuous overtime, Kang-suk's face was stiff, as if he were a wax doll.

Then someone approached him. Cho Kang-suk felt it and turned around quickly. It was someone that Cho Kang-suk knew.

"Ah. Kim Jong-wook? Have you come to catch the hippo?"

Kim Jong-wook was a police officer working in the jurisdiction. Whenever a murder took place in the area, he was a cop who would take turns guarding the crime scene. Kim Jong-wook was responsible for the bathroom where the hippo committed his second murder. The location wasn't far from here. It seemed he rushed here after hearing the request for reinforcements.

Jong-wook yelled with a pleasantly surprised face.

"Ah Detective Cho Kang-suk! What's going on here? The hippo…"

Cho Kang-suk replied.

“I received a tip that the hippo was here so I came to check. It's been a bust so far, as there's nobody here. Ah, I need to catch the hippo as quickly as possible. This whole day seems to be all a waste."

Kang-suk's face was covered with a dark shadow.

"Haha, indeed. I ran here after suddenly receiving an order."

“Kim Jong-wook should take a break."

"Haha! Isn't this our job?"

Cho Kang-suk stared at Kim Jong-wook with a blank expression.

He was dressed in civilian clothes. He had one hand in his pocket, and his pants were all wet.

“Was it raining outside? Your clothes…"

Jong-wook gave a deep sigh.

"Aigoo. It just suddenly rained. Did you bring an umbrella?"

Kang-suk sighed.

“I didn’t bring one. When I leave then I'll just use a newspaper. I'd like to call a taxi, but I can't. You should know. The salary of a detective is poor."

"It seems so. You must have suffered."

“Anyway, I think that the tip is likely to be a joke. Then, I will look around the performance venue. Do you want to come?"

Jong-wook nodded.

"That seems best. By the way, are you alone?"

Cho Kang-suk paused for a moment before asking in surprise.

“Why do you ask?"

Jong-wook slowly approached Kang-suk and laughed.

“That is…"

The two of them were now close enough to touch if he stretched out his hand. Jong-wook's mouth twisted oddly. There was a sharp knife in his hand.

“I need to know how many people I have to kill!"

Jong-wook stepped forward and plunged the knife into Kang-suk's chest.

Puok!

"Keok!"

Kang-suk screamed.

The attack was so unexpected that there was no resistance at all. He instantly fell down.

Jong-wook giggled like he was enjoying the scene and said,

"Ohuhu… I wonder how you knew I was here. Will you listen to me before dying? Huh? Detective Cho Kang-suk. Please say something. Uhahahaha! That’s correct. I am the Hippo."

Jong-wook… No, the hippo grinned brutally as he twisted the knife stuck in Kang-suk's chest.