Thank you for shopping at Seven Twelve. I handed the plastic bag filled with groceries and the change to the old man standing in front of me.
The old man gave a small nod and walked out. The neon lights of the convenience store hummed softly above my head. The wall clock showed 22:57.
I stood behind the cashier counter, counting change with automatic movements. It was almost midnight, and as usual, the store was quiet. The refrigerated drink shelves stood in silence, and the glass door reflected my own figure—a tired face with empty eyes.
"Senior, it's time for the shift change."
I raised my head. A man stood there, wearing the same Seven Twelve uniform as mine. His expression still looked awkward, like someone who hadn't fully gotten used to this place yet.
"Oh. Yeah," I replied shortly.
He was a new employee. He had started working here three months ago. We rarely talked—and I had no intention of starting.
I handed over the cash drawer, signed the shift change sheet, and grabbed my jacket.
"Be careful on your way home, senior," he said politely.
I nodded. I didn't reply with words.
Outside, the night air pierced my skin. I walked along the narrow path by the river—a shortcut to my house. The streetlights were dim, the sound of flowing water was soft, and the cold wind carried a damp scent.
That was when I saw it.
Something was sticking out of the surface of the water.
At first, I thought it was a branch. Or a large piece of trash. But the ripples and splashing caught my attention.
When I focused my eyes, I saw a human hand floating in the water.
I stopped. My heart started beating faster. I stared at it for a few seconds, then rubbed my eyes.
Maybe I was tired. Maybe this was just an illusion.
I looked again.
No. It was really someone's hand, submerged in the water.
My body froze.
I knew what I was supposed to do. Shout. But there was no one around, which meant I would have to jump into the water to save them.
However, my thoughts moved faster than my conscience.
It was already night. The water had to be cold.I wasn't a good swimmer.Pulling an adult out of the water wouldn't be easy.If I jumped in, I could drown too.
And most importantly—
I didn't want to get involved.
I looked away.
My feet carried me forward.
Without looking back, I walked home.
That night, I slept like usual.
No dreams. No dramatic guilt. Just exhaustion dragging me into darkness.
But the next morning—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Loud knocking shook the front door.
I woke up gasping for air. Before I could get up, the knocking turned into violent pounding. The door was forced open.
Someone grabbed my arm roughly and dragged me off the bed.
"What—?!"
My vision spun, my head dizzy. Several men stood around me. They wore neat clothes, dark vests, and carried weapons.
My hands were cuffed.
"Target secured," someone said into the walkie-talkie in his hand.
"What's going on…?" I asked groggily.
"Don't resist. Come with us," a man said coldly, pulling me to my feet.
I nearly stumbled as they dragged me out of the room.
For a brief moment, I saw my family in the living room.
My mother covered her mouth. My father stood frozen. Their eyes were filled with shock and sorrow.
I didn't get to say anything.
I was taken outside.
As my mind began to clear, panic surged.
"Wait! What are you doing? Why are you arresting me?!"
I struggled.
"You are suspected of murder," a police officer answered coldly, before pushing me into the car.
"Murder? What are you talking about?! You've got the wrong person!"
The door slammed shut, and the car started moving toward somewhere unknown.
I tried talking to the other officers inside the car, but none of them responded.
The room was cold.
One table. One chair. A wall with a large glass panel—I knew it was a one-way mirror.
In front of me, a screen lit up.
CCTV footage.
I saw myself walking along the riverbank. There was no one else but me.
"You were the only one who passed through this area for several hours," the officer across the table said. "That's why we suspect you as the serial killer who has been active for the past few years."
"That doesn't make sense," I argued. "What about other cameras? What about a few minutes earlier?"
He pressed a remote.
The footage changed.
A few minutes before I passed by—a woman was suddenly thrown off the bridge. Another small screen showed footage from a different location, but there was nothing there except an empty view with no people at all.
"How can you be sure it was me?" I asked. "What if she committed suicide?"
"There are signs of violence on the victim's body. This was a planned murder," he replied. "And you were the only person at the scene after it happened."
"There were other people! Customers at the convenience store, my junior coworker—he passed by too!"
The officer stared at me for a long moment.
"That's true, but they passed before the incident. We will also investigate your workplace and interrogate the person involved."
Those words hit harder than a slap.
At that moment, I realized something.
All the evidence… pointed at me too perfectly.
Someone had planned this.
Someone extremely clever—someone capable of deceiving even the police.
I denied everything in every way I could.
But they kept pressing harder.
"You're a loner. Gloomy. Indifferent to others, even your own family," the officer said. "A few years ago, you clashed with authorities. The murder patterns also show the perpetrator enjoys toying with us."
I remembered my past.
The illegal import business I ran for two years due to my ignorance of legal matters. At the time, I used my parents' identities to import goods. I was only selling counterfeit branded shoes at double the price, and after gathering enough capital, I started an import business and managed to earn around $9,000 per month, continuing to grow.
But one day, the authorities came and seized everything I owned. I submitted the required documents, but none of my goods were returned. Enraged, I caused a scene and ended up in a physical altercation with several officers.
I was only 17 at the time.
"It seems you no longer wish to argue," the officer said. "Just confess in court. Your sentence might be reduced."
I stayed silent, realizing that I was truly trapped in this situation.
I thought about my family's condition, and the sad truth was that we didn't have the money to hire a lawyer. On top of that, my family would never take out a loan to hire a lawyer for their child.