Chapter 17

The Red Notebook — Episode 17: (The Locked Room)

Yuri stared at her father.

“Dad…”

He said nothing.

Ji-hun stood beside her, watching him carefully.

Yuri's patience disappeared.

“You know what's in that room, don't you?”

Her father finally looked at her.

“Yuri, this isn't something you should get involved in.”

Yuri crossed her arms.

“Too late.”

She turned toward the hallway.

“I've already found the notebook, the HAN file, and the USB. I'm not stopping now.”

Her father stood up.

“Yuri, wait.”

But she was already walking upstairs.

Ji-hun followed.

“Are you seriously going to investigate the locked room tonight?”

Yuri looked back at him.

“Do you have a better idea?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Don't get yourself into trouble.”

Yuri rolled her eyes.

“Wow. Very useful.”

Ji-hun smirked.

“I try.”

They reached the old hallway.

At the end stood the door Yuri remembered from her childhood.

The same door.

The same locked handle.

Yuri pulled out the small key she had found earlier.

Ji-hun's eyes immediately went to it.

“Your father's key?”

Yuri nodded.

“You stole it?”

“I borrowed it.”

“Without asking?”

“Exactly.”

Ji-hun shook his head.

“Remind me never to leave my keys around you.”

Yuri smiled.

“Too late.”

She inserted the key.

Click.

The door opened.

Yuri froze.

The room was almost completely empty.

A desk.

A few old boxes.

And a large metal cabinet.

Ji-hun stepped inside and immediately began examining the room.

“Don't touch anything yet.”

Yuri raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“Because this room hasn't been used in years. If we disturb anything, we could destroy the only clues left.”

Yuri looked at him.

“Okay, detective.”

“Finally, some respect.”

Yuri rolled her eyes.

Ji-hun examined the desk.

“Look.”

An old photograph was lying underneath a pile of papers.

Yuri picked it up.

It showed her father, Mrs. Han, and another man.

Yuri frowned.

“Who's he?”

Ji-hun studied the photograph carefully.

“Look at the background.”

Yuri leaned closer.

There was a sign behind them.

Room 214.

Yuri's eyes widened.

“The same room from the hotel.”

Ji-hun nodded.

“Exactly.”

Yuri turned the photograph over.

There was a date written on the back.

August 16 — seven years ago.

Yuri's heart dropped.

“That was the night everything happened.”

Ji-hun looked at the date.

“And your father was there.”

Yuri opened the nearest box.

Inside were old documents.

Then she found a handwritten note.

“We couldn't prove anything.”

Yuri looked at Ji-hun.

“What couldn't they prove?”

Ji-hun didn't answer immediately.

He examined the note, then the photograph.

“The photograph proves your father was investigating something at Room 214. But if they couldn't prove anything, they probably didn't have enough evidence to connect what happened there to Mrs. Han.”

Yuri stared at him.

“Then why was her name everywhere?”

“Because she knew something.”

“But she was only a client.”

“Exactly.”

Ji-hun looked at Yuri.

“That means Mrs. Han may have been a witness—not the person responsible.”

Yuri went silent.

For the first time, the pieces were starting to fit.

She opened another file.

One page had been completely removed.

Yuri frowned.

“Someone took this.”

Ji-hun immediately examined the folder.

“The tear is fresh.”

Yuri looked at him.

“So?”

“So this wasn't done seven years ago.”

He pointed at the edge of the missing page.

“Look at the paper. It's aged, but the tear isn't. Someone removed this page recently.”

Yuri's eyes widened.

“Someone came into this room.”

Ji-hun nodded.

“And they knew exactly what they were looking for.”

Yuri looked toward the metal cabinet.

“Let's see what else is missing.”

She opened it.

Inside was a single black folder.

On the front were three words:

THE HAN CASE

Yuri slowly reached for it.

Then she noticed something underneath.

A small piece of paper.

Her own name was written on it.

YURI.

She unfolded it.

Only one sentence was written inside:

“Your father didn't hide the truth from you to protect himself.”

Yuri looked at Ji-hun.

“What does that mean?”

Ji-hun studied the note for a few seconds.

Then he pointed at her name.

“It means your father wasn't hiding the truth because he was guilty.”

Yuri frowned.

“Then why?”

Ji-hun looked at the note again.

“Because if this were about protecting himself, your name wouldn't be here.”

Yuri went silent.

Ji-hun's expression became serious.

“Your father didn't just hide the case, Yuri.”

He looked at the locked room.

“He hid the part of the case that was connected to you.”

Yuri's fingers tightened around the note.

She looked down at the black folder.

Whatever was inside had been hidden for seven years.

And now—

Yuri was finally ready to find out why.

To be continued…