Genius Profiler Hansol Im

Hwajong Serial Killer, Kim Joon-ho

Bang, Bang, Bang It was the sound of someone banging on the door.

Professor Im, who was in the library, came out to open the front door.

“… Who might you be?”

When he opened the door, there stood a girl with tears in her eyes along with her presumed mother. A bandage was wrapped around the little girl’s arm.

“Look here! Who raises their child like that? What if her hand broke?”

The woman, the mother, seemed angry. Professor Im couldn’t understand what she was yelling about. There was no way he had done anything, and Hansol, who came into the house earlier was quietly putting puzzle pieces together…?

“I am very sorry, but could you let me know what happened? I am unaware of what happened…”

Professor Im was feeling glad that Hansol’s mother wasn’t in the house. Hansol’s mother knew nothing about his conditions. Professor Im was hiding everything from her, from the moment he attended the psychiatry department and the diagnosis they formed on Hansol.

“Ah, you are really acting like this. Your child struck my girl’s arm at the playground! There will be a scar on her body! How could he do this to my girl? Answer me!”

“… I am sorry. I can give you a generous amount for settlement.”

“Settlement? You are talking about settlement when my child will have to live her entire life with a scar on her arm?”

“There is nothing I could do apart from apologize to you. I really am sorry for what happened.”

Professor Im bowed and kept on apologizing. The woman kept on saying crude things to the Professor until her anger subsided. She even said that she would take 10 million won from him to pay for her child’s education. Professor Im, said that he could comply with her wishes on the condition that she doesn’t go around spreading rumors in the neighbourhood. The woman said that she would do such things only after the contract gets drafted on the words of providing her 10 million won for settlement.

“Please head back safely.”

“Let’s never see each other again.” The woman picked up her crying child and walked away.

Professor Im quietly closed the front door and went over to Hansol, who was in the living room putting together the puzzle pieces.

“Im Hansol.”

The moment Hansol heard his father’s low voice, he knew what was waiting for him. Another education coming up. Even though he was 8 years old, he could tell by experience.

As he looked at his father’s face, he saw the strict expression. Hansol immediately recalled the actions he had done earlier.

“Im Hansol. What were you doing in the playground?”

Hansol decided to get honest with her father, who seemed to be in a bad mood.

“That girl kept on making fun of me. Said that I am stupid. So I scratched her arm with a glass piece.”

“… what did I teach you?”

“You said that one shouldn’t bully others. But that girl kept on bullying me. She made fun of me calling be a stupid human.”

“Im Hansol! You shouldn’t take life so lightly. Even if someone does make fun of you, I told you to be patient! Do you think that slashing her arm with a glass makes you any good? Put your legs out!”

Hansol was in more pain than expected. As he walked over and stood sideways, Professor Im picked up a scale. He hit it until the calf got bruised. Hansol didn’t show any pained expression.

Professor Im, who couldn’t hit him anymore, was the first to speak.

“Im Hansol. You did something wrong, didn’t you?”

This is the answer for the ‘education’ that Hansol was being given. Hansol knew that he had done the right thing to the girl who kept making fun of him, but he knew that what his father wanted was ‘I was wrong’.

“I was wrong.”

“Look straight into your dad’s eyes and say it.”

“I was wrong.”

It was a blunt response as if there was no soul in it. Professor Im couldn’t think of how to solve such a frustrating situation. He had educated his child hundreds of times. He knew that such a kind of education was similar to brainwashing a child and not real understanding to the situation.

“Don’t ever hurt anyone again.”

“I was wrong.”

Professor Im couldn’t control his anger and ended up shouting, “Stop! Stop! Stop it! Stop saying that you did wrong!”

Nevertheless, there was no change in Hansol’s expression. Professor Im, who looked at his child’s eyes, sighed heavily.

“Don’t tell your mom.”

“Okay.”

“Wear long pants until your calves are healed.”

“Okay.”

“… go in.”

Only silence stayed in the house.

After returning to his room, Hansol went back to putting the puzzle together.

But then, he picked it up and threw the puzzle. Pieces of the puzzles scattered in all the directions.

Only then did Hansol’s heart felt at ease.

** *

Hansol waited until the interrogation of the serial killer of Kim Mo, or Kim Joon-ho was over, and spent his time reading the data file which was handed to him in advance.

The case had a peculiarity. Ordinary killers would often target women who are weaker than themselves.

But in the case of Kim Joon-ho, it seemed different.

Kim Hoon-ho targeted a teenage boy, and the body which was found had their genitals completely damaged. However, no semen or signs of sexual assault was found.

“Ugh… doctor.”

A detective approached Hansol and called him. It meant that Hansol could do the profiling since the interrogation was done.

Hansol, closed the data file back into his bag and walked into the interrogation room where Kim Joon-ho was.

Kim Joon-ho had a pretty nice face. Hansol recalled that one time, a fan club was formed for the criminals who had handsome faces. He thought that Kim Joon-ho could be included in that.

“Hello.”

Hansol greeted him first. Kim Joon-ho smiled when he saw Hansol. Even though he was in the room, he didn’t seem to be afraid. Rather, he seemed like he wanted to reveal something. Hansol, observed him carefully.

“Ahh, are you the profiler? I think I have seen you a couple times on TV. You look good.”

“I am the person who came to dig into your mind.”

“Am I mentally ill? Didn’t the police give you my treatment records?”

Among the files Hansol was handed, he wasn’t given any sort of medical records. Hansol thought of two possible things, it was either that Kim Joon-ho received psychiatric treatment through uninsured means or that he received treatment through insurance.

“Let’s talk about the days when you were in hospital. What did the hospital say? What made you go to the hospital in the first place?”

Kim Joon-ho opened his mouth and his legs were trembled. Hansol knew that the man wasn’t scared, but was a habitual shaking to show his cheekiness.

“I mean, I have depression and panic disorder, what else was there? I heard there are all sorts of mental illnesses in me. Hehe…”

Saying that, Kim Joon-ho lowered his head for a moment and laughed like a crazed man. His mouth so wide open making the scene seem bizarre.

At that moment, Hansol’s left eyes shone. That instant.

… it is a lie.

It was an ability he developed ‘that day’. Hansol’s eyes knew how to discriminate accurately between lies and the truth. He never told anyone about it. Since he could distinguish between lie and truth, he didn’t believe in a lie out of good faith. Because of his ability, a few relationships were shattered and Hansol was comfortable with being alone.

Hansol continued the conversation even though he knew that Kim Joon-ho was lying.

“I see. Have you received constant counselling along with medication?”

“Sometimes. But I don’t take the drugs as they develop tolerance in the body.”

… another lie.

“I’ll ask you another question this time. A common question. What made you go after the boys?”

“Isn’t it a very boring tradition to kill women? That is why I did it. I mean, when I see young and small boys, I feel like it. Like I wanted to eat them up. That was why I did it.”

… half lie and half truth.

An answer of both truth and lie. Hansol pondered which of it was the truth. Like, the bodies which were found had their genitals cut. However, no corpse found had any evidence of sexual assault or harassment. The bodies were screaming. The culprit had inferior feelings about his masculinity. Therefore, it is possible for parts such as genitals, which are symbols of men, to have been damaged.

“But there was no other DNA on any of the bodies. If you wanted to eat them, it would have been possible, why didn’t you?”

At those words, Kim Joon-ho giggled like a child and looked into Hansol’s eyes.

“Normally I want to eat it, but I didn’t because I’ll get more hung up.”

… lie.

Kim Joon-ho didn’t know about the glint in Hansol’s blue eye which happened from moment to moment. Even the detectives who were looking inside from the other side of the glass had no idea. No one ever managed to notice the subtle blue light which shone in his left eye.

“You are good at lying, Mr. Kim Joon-ho.” Hansol spoke with a low voice. Kim Joon-ho looked up as if he didn’t know what was being said.

“Mr. Kim Joon-ho isn’t confident about his masculinity. You have low self-esteem. It must have been bothering you for a long time. It is highly likely to be false to say that you received any kind of psychiatric treatment. Mr. Kim Joon-ho has never been to a psychiatrist. Because you hate giving out your personal information to others, even to doctors. So you must be the subtle and covert kind.”

Kim Joon-ho’s eyes wavered for a second there. Hansol, with his never changing expression kept on going on.

“Although you are pretending to be a killer, I get that Mr. Kim Joon-ho’s words are false. For example, exaggerating yourself as a killer in every chance you get. Everyone has a desire to show off their skills. Especially humans who lack something. Mr. Kim Joon-ho keeps showing off with words trying to say ‘I did it’.”

“… so, what do you mean? I really killed them! There is no killer like me!”

“This is it. Even at this very moment, Mr. Kim Joon-ho is showing off. Flaunt is a sign of lack. Mr. Kim Joon-ho must have had doubts about your masculinity and that slowly leads to you feeling inferior. Like human beings whose secondary sexual characteristics don’t develop, Mr. Kim Joon-ho must have felt that he was lacking in masculinity and started turning jealous of those around you.”

“This crazy bastard! Not once have I felt like that! Shit! Ugh!”

Kim Joon-ho, who was cuffed to the table, tried to get up as he screamed. Hansol didn’t even flinch at the sudden change in his behaviour.

“You damaged the other’s body to feel good about your flaws. But every time you did it, your hunger couldn’t be fed, and you would search for the next target.”

“…! Yah, you bastard!”

“Mr. Kim Joon-ho, you are playing the part of a psychopath, you aren’t one. And… it can be said that there is no analysis for your mental state. You were just desperate and wanted to gain attention. Did I do it right?”

“Fuck! Fuck yourself!”

“Well, that is all I have to say. I don’t even have to look at your medical records. I’ll be going.”

Hansol took one last look at Kim Joon-ho and walked out. After hearing Hansol’s words and Kim Joon-ho’s reactions, the detectives felt like they had been mesmerized.

“Doctor! I don’t…”

“Are you asking about Mr. Kim Joon-ho not getting psychiatry help?”

“… how did you know?”

“It was simple. It was to lower the prison sentence. His own confession and no real evidence.”

The genius detective Hansol.

“If you are okay, let’s have a cup of coffee.”

“Unfortunately, I need to head out.” Hansol took his leave and went to the place where his car was parked.

In his ears, his father’s words which were said 10 years back were lingering.

… need to go.

Over the course of 10 years, his father told him to always come home. But where Hansol was heading was the exact opposite. With 10 years passing by, Hansol thought that the tradition could be stopped.

Hansol, who wondered for a moment, changed the gear and turned the steering wheel.

His care headed for the side where his family wasn’t there.