We returned to the capital three days after the apprehension.
The journey back was different from the journey down. The urgency was gone, replaced by something quieter: the particular quality of movement after a task is complete, when the body begins to release what the mind had held in tension for longer than it had fully acknowledged. I had not realized, until the moment the Tongyeong facility receded in the vehicle's rear window, exactly how much tension I had been carrying. It was not unpleasant to release it. It felt like setting down something you had been holding for so long you had forgotten you were holding it.
Inspector Gwon traveled separately; she had remaining work to complete in the southern jurisdiction, processing the evidence chain and managing the formal transfer of So Jun-won to capital custody. Sergeant Ma's team handled the logistics. Kaien and I were released from the operational requirements and took the late express north.
