Bring It On!

Chapter 1.

“We uncover everything. From unsolved mysteries that shook South Korea to inexplicable phenomena! A veteran detective with 30 years of experience and top experts from various fields hit the ground running in the investigative program ‘Tracking to the End!’”

After the VCR segment ended, the screen showed a dimly lit studio. Click. The lights turned on, revealing a set that recreated the interior of an old ship. A faded world map hung on one wall, and piles of wooden barrels and the ship captain’s wheel were stacked nearby. The camera panned across a net hanging on the wall, a cluttered table with a compass, and a portrait of a white man in a captain’s hat with feathers.

With the program’s signature music playing, the host appeared. It was a woman in a black suit holding cue cards in one hand.

“Hello, I’m Song Ihyun, the host of ‘Tracking to the End.’ Our program has covered numerous cold cases. But this time, we’re investigating an unsolved case so bizarre it surpasses them all. The incident took place aboard an old cruise ship drifting on the open sea.”

As Song Ihyun’s high heels clicked on the floor, she made a wide circle around the table and continued speaking beside the world map displayed on the left side of the screen.

“Right here, in the North Sea between Denmark and Norway, a well-built adult male suddenly vanished. The person involved is Mr. Cha, second son of J Group, one of Korea’s leading conglomerates involved in every major and minor national event.

“Mr. Cha drew even more attention for his striking appearance than his prestigious background. Practically a ‘celebrity’ in his own right, he vanished without a trace overnight. With over 60 days having passed and no progress in the investigation, our team found the case suspicious and began looking into it.”

The screen changed to show a luxurious sitting room in beige tones. Two men sat in the center of a plush sofa, their faces blurred out for anonymity.

[Yoo Okhwan (alias) / C Gallery Director / Friend of the victim]

“Oh, that bastard finally kicked the bucket? Where’s the body? They should gut him, stuff him with salt, and put him on display. Say what you will, but his appearance is worth preserving.”

[Jin Sucheol (alias) / Unemployed / Friend of the victim]

“He’s probably already bloated and water-logged. What display? Oh wait—don’t air that last part. If the chairman hears it, he’ll kill him.”

[PD]

“Do you recall anything unusual on the day Mr. Cha went missing?”

[Yoo Okhwan (alias) / C Gallery Director / Friend of the victim]

“It was Chairman Cha’s 70th birthday. He has this old boat he treasures. Older than the Titanic, he says. Anyway, it was a private little party with only close people onboard.”

[PD]

“And Mr. Cha attended the party as well?”

[Jin Sucheol (alias) / Unemployed / Friend of the victim]

“He didn’t want to, but Chairman Cha forced him to go. Now he’s blaming himself, thinking it’s his fault that bastard—uh, I mean Mr. Cha—ended up like this.”

[PD]

“Did Mr. Cha have any enemies?”

[Jin Sucheol (alias) / Unemployed / Friend of the victim]

“Enemies? Ha! It’d be faster to find someone who didn’t hate him. That asshole had serious personality issues. Sure, he was talented, whatever. But every word out of his mouth was pure contempt. Always looking down on people, humiliating them. I wanted to punch him and call it an accident, but even that was hard to pull off. His spot at Berkeley? He didn’t earn that. Bought it. I heard $200,000 was enough.”

[PD]

“So you’re saying Mr. Cha got into Berkeley through bribery?”

[Yoo Okhwan (alias) / C Gallery Director / Friend of the victim]

“Don’t listen to him. He’s full of resentment and just spreading rumors. Mr. Cha may have lacked social skills, but he played the piano like he was possessed.”

[Jin Sucheol (alias) / Unemployed / Friend of the victim]

“Oh, you son of a b*tch! So everything I say is a lie to you?”

[Yoo Okhwan (alias) / C Gallery Director / Friend of the victim]

“If it’s not a lie, then what is it, you loser? Stop acting tough when you’re nothing compared to Cha.”

[Yoo Okhwan (alias) / C Gallery Director / Friend of the victim]

“You piece of sh*t!”

Smack—

Before the PD could intervene, a phone was hurled. The carefully arranged interview descended into a full-on brawl, right in front of the cameras. Security guards waiting outside rushed in to separate the two men.

It was clear that continuing the interview was impossible.

The PD decided to find another interviewee.

[Shin Hyewon (alias) / Actress / Friend of the victim]

“Please blur my face only slightly.”

[PD]

“Don’t worry, we…. Sorry, what?”