“…Huh?”
Jung Yoon, caught off guard as the arrow suddenly turned to him, stumbled over his reply.
“We’ll be back!”
Jeong Rok immediately cut Jung Yoon off, turned around, and saluted loudly.
With his mouth covered and unable to object, Jung Yoon finally let out a hollow laugh.
Han-gyeol, who felt the laughter against his palm and quickly printed and brought the materials, saw the two off.
***
Hyun-cheol immediately called someone.
It seemed to be the warrant department.
He waved dismissively as he greeted them and yelled at the person on the phone, telling them it was urgent and to hurry up and produce it.
Jung Yoon gathered his personal belongings and followed behind Jeong Rok, who was leading the way.
As they left, he carefully scanned the list of addresses Han-gyeol had given him.
“Let’s start with the furthest place. It’ll be better to stop by the closer ones on the way back.”
“Whatever.”
Jeong Rok grumbled curtly, needlessly tapping the Podoli standee at the lobby entrance.
Jung Yoon, paying him no mind, stopped walking as he was about to exit.
When Jeong Rok looked back, Jung Yoon, with his head tilted, stood in the middle of the stairs.
“Why?”
“I was wondering if I should pack toiletries or if it would be better to buy them.”
“Why toiletries?”
“It seems unlikely we’ll be able to cover everything today.”
Jung Yoon turned the paper filled with black text and shook it at Jeong Rok.
“Are you okay with just using what’s at the motel?”
“I guess buying them would be easier,” Jung Yoon muttered nonchalantly as he came down, while Jeong Rok stood idly, staring blankly at him.
“It’s better if I drive, right?”
“…Uh.”
Jung Yoon turned and approached the driver’s seat.
Jeong Rok, startled by the flashing headlights after standing still, quickly headed to the passenger seat.
Before opening the door and getting in, Jeong Rok stared intently at Jung Yoon, who was already inside, with complex eyes.
***
It had already been a week.
A week had passed since they started visiting, searching, and asking questions at the addresses on the list.
“I’ve finished washing, Team Leader. You should wash up.”
Jung Yoon dropped the towel he had used to dry his hair onto the floor and slid his wet feet, looking at Jeong Rok’s feet.
This was because Jeong Rok, unable to get on the bed for not having washed, was lying on the floor, stretching his feet towards the bathroom.
Jeong Rok, who hadn’t moved, slowly pushed his head along the floor and lowered his chin. |
His gaze, slowly traveling up from Jung Yoon’s feet, met the eyes that were looking at him with pity.
“Sleepy.”
“Then you can just sleep there today.”
Jung Yoon shook his head firmly.
No matter how much he was his superior, he couldn’t share a bed with an unwashed body.
Of course, he didn’t think Jeong Rok, known for being as meticulous as himself, would do that.
That’s why he shook his head even more firmly.
“You’re so mean.”
“Wash up. Shall I help you up?”
“Yes. I’d appreciate that.”
Jeong Rok sullenly extended his arm.
Jung Yoon approached, took his hand, and pulled, making Jeong Rok spring up with the momentum.
But perhaps he pulled too hard.
Jung Yoon was pushed back, his body swaying, and Jeong Rok, whose hand was still gripped, followed Jung Yoon’s body like a tug-of-war rope.
Jung Yoon couldn’t even make a sound.
He was too surprised and flustered.
Jung Yoon, falling backward, cursed under his breath and squeezed his eyes shut.
Just then, his waist was grabbed with a strong force.
Only then did a surprised gasp escape his lips.
Jung Yoon, startled, opened his eyes wide.
Then, Jeong Rok’s jawline was right in front of him.
He could feel their lower halves pressed together, inevitably.
A dizzying sensation made Jung Yoon’s Adam’s apple bob greatly.
Jung Yoon inhaled, subtly lifting his eyes to check Jeong Rok without being noticed.
The first thing he saw was Jeong Rok’s relieved smile.
And then a shallow sigh.
“Haa…”
Jeong Rok was holding Jung Yoon in one arm, satisfied with himself.
Jung Yoon’s gaze stopped at the slightly curved corner of Jeong Rok’s mouth.
In addition, the feeling of a sensitive area subtly rubbing against him made all his nerves stand on end.
He tried to ignore it, but Jeong Rok’s lower body, which he clearly felt, made it impossible.
‘Damn it,’ Jung Yoon cursed softly and checked Jeong Rok’s expression.
The person in question showed no particular change in expression.
It was a natural reaction, as he must be a different person from who Jung Yoon perceived him to be.
But why, why did that composure feel so ascetic?
Jung Yoon grimaced in pain, blaming his own corrupted mind.
Only then did Jeong Rok, perhaps feeling the gaze on him, shift his eyes and look at Jung Yoon.
When their eyes met, defenselessly, his body heated up.
In that brief moment, Jung Yoon, who had thrown Jeong Rok into a dangerous imagination, was startled by the subtle change in Jeong Rok’s expression and snapped back to reality.
As Jung Yoon quickly turned his head away, Jeong Rok chuckled softly and lowered his head.
He whispered in a voice mixed with laughter, near Jung Yoon’s neck, which still hadn’t cooled down, and his earlobe, which must have turned red:
“My savior.”
Jung Yoon, who had completely cringed at the touching breath, stared at Jeong Rok dumbfounded.
Jeong Rok, with a slight smile, winked playfully.
Just before the wink reached his skin, Jung Yoon snapped to attention and pushed Jeong Rok away, escaping his embrace.
Realizing what it meant, and that this situation wasn’t exactly in his favor, Jung Yoon gritted his teeth in dismay.
“You wouldn’t have died even if you’d just left me… what ‘savior’ are you talking about…”
Jung Yoon immediately went on the defensive, thinking Jeong Rok would use this as an excuse to make demands.
As Jung Yoon swept back his wet hair, flustered, Jeong Rok, who had stopped after passing him, stared at him persistently.
“Why?”
“Nothing. I’m going to wash up.”
He had something to say in his expression, but Jeong Rok shook his head, passed Jung Yoon, and went into the bathroom.
As soon as the sound of the door closing was heard, Jung Yoon kicked the floor and punched the air before throwing himself onto the bed.
Ah, damn it. This crazy bastard. No, crazy body, get a grip.
“…That’s not Moon Jeong-rok.”
It was true that it was him, but the Moon Jeong-rok who made him react like this wasn’t the one he knew, so he said that.
Jung Yoon despaired at his lower body, which felt like a mass of disappointment.
He was disappointed in his body for reacting thoughtlessly just because they bumped into each other briefly and made eye contact.
That’s not Moon Jeong-rok.
I know it’s hard for you, but I’m dying too, okay?
So please, snap out of it.
He’s my boss.
My company boss.
“This is really gonna mess things up.”
For a moment, Jung Yoon was engulfed in an inexplicable sense of defeat, trying to cool his body, when he heard the sound of water rushing in his ears.
Jung Yoon burrowed into the blanket, covered both ears with his hands, and began reciting the national anthem in his head.
Why did it have to be only double rooms left, Jung Yoon cursed at the innocent situation and buried his entire face in the pillow.
He was grateful that he’d be sleeping in the car for a while starting tomorrow, and he tried his best to fall asleep before Jeong Rok came out.
***
“Here?”
“Yes. That building, 4th floor, the window at that far end.”
The next day, after preparing early in the morning, they had set up outside the home of a man presumed to be Yoo Bo-ha’s boyfriend.
It was a villa building with four floors above the ground floor, which housed an empty commercial space for rent and a seemingly dilapidated restaurant.
Jung Yoon parked the car diagonally across from the building and thoroughly checked inside the building first.
He even set up a device behind the rooftop door to prevent it from opening, just in case Yoo Bo-ha tried to jump from the building to escape.
“When I showed Yoo Bo-ha’s picture, a few people recognized her. I think she definitely came here.”
“Then all we can do is wait for now. I need a cigarette.”
Jung Yoon, who was putting a mask with a broken string (from touching it incorrectly) into a trash bag, looked at Jeong Rok. Jeong Rok, who had been looking for his lighter, paused at the gaze and pretended to cry that he was dead tired.
“I checked the trash can locations when I was driving around earlier. I’ll smoke quietly and dispose of it properly, Detective Woo.”
“Try to smoke in a corner if possible. Your face, Team Leader, is too… conspicuous from this direction, it’ll be troublesome if they notice.”
“…What does that mean? Is that a compliment?”
Jung Yoon avoided answering.
He focused only on reaching into the passenger side glove compartment and pulling out a new mask.
Jeong Rok made a motion as if to grab the head that had approached his thigh, then opened the passenger door.
Left alone in the car, Jung Yoon finally leaned back comfortably in his seat and rested his head.
His eyes remained fixed on the villa building as he quietly recalled last night and this morning.
Fortunately, thanks to his physical activity subsiding in time, Jeong Rok didn’t seem to notice anything.
It was the same in the morning, as Jung Yoon had woken up and handled things first.
Of course, his mind and head were still complicated due to the unexpected physical changes, but Jung Yoon tried his best to erase unnecessary feelings about Jeong Rok from his mind.
Jung Yoon recalled Jeong Rok biting on a cigarette filter like a thug and smoking with an arrogant posture.
He only thought of Jeong Rok throwing ridiculous jokes at him and Jeong Rok trying to order him around in any way possible.
That Jeong Rok was a Jeong Rok he hadn’t seen in any previous situation.