Lost in thought, Jung-yoon was startled by a sudden presence and, as he inhaled, got a hiccup that turned into a coughing fit.
“Oh my…”
Jung-yoon, who was about to collapse over the pile of case files, had his arm caught by Jeong-rok.
Without realizing it, Jung-yoon pulled his arm back in surprise.
He looked at Jeong-rok’s face, shocked.
Jeong-rok glanced at his awkward hand, now hovering in the air, then brought it to his chest, showing a sad expression.
Jung-yoon’s heart sank again at the look of disappointment on his face.
“I’m sorry. I was just a bit startled…”
Without meaning to, Jung-yoon spoke the words to soothe Jeong-rok’s feelings.
As he looked at his face, those lips, which had fallen into a sorrowful curve, twitched back into an almost mischievous smile. Jung-yoon quickly hardened his expression, noticing the subtle change.
“So, why did you suddenly pop up like that?”
“Are you saying it’s me?”
“…What do you mean?”
“‘Well, live or don’t live.’ That.”
Here we go again.
Jung-yoon couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.
Damn, there’s no way he could be my brother.
That’s impossible.
It’s just an alien with a similar—no, almost identical—outer shell.
There must be some difference somewhere.
For sure, his personality is completely the opposite.
Jung-yoon mentally brainwashed himself.
He then gave Jeong-rok a pitiful look before turning around.
He shook his head at the sound of his footsteps trailing behind.
“No.”
“Then why were you so startled?”
“If it were anyone, they’d be startled. How could I not be when someone suddenly speaks right next to me?”
“…Oh… So, Detective Woo has sensitive ears?”
His reply was so smug and mischievous that Jung-yoon chose not to answer, only grinding his teeth.
He knew he shouldn’t respond or react to such nonsense.
Jeong-rok was not the Jeong-rok he knew.
Absolutely not.
After spending a week with him, that was the only thing he was certain about.
00:46 AM
“Do you not need to go home?”
Late at night, after all the team members had left for the night, promising to meet again tomorrow, Jung-yoon finished the case summaries he was assigned and took his hands off the keyboard while speaking up.
“Detective Woo, are you staying because you’re worried I’ll be lonely?”
He glanced at Jeong-rok, spinning in his chair, and looked at him like he was an obstacle.
His face scrunched up as if it had been slapped.
He couldn’t quite figure out why, but ever since they met, Jeong-rok had constantly teased him in this manner.
At times, he even wondered if this Jeong-rok might actually be his ex-boyfriend Jeong-rok, considering how he wasn’t letting him go in this strange place.
He had even held onto that hope for a while.
But after spending a week with him, those hopes had washed away, leaving nothing behind.
Now, he just hoped he wasn’t him.
There was no way the Jeong-rok he knew could act like this.
The next thought was, could it be because of his background?
In the novel, Jung-yoon was a special recruit who contributed to solving two major cases, passing the promotion exam, and quickly entering the main investigation department.
Due to this, many people disliked him.
He didn’t really care about this, but after observing him for a week, he began to suspect that Jeong-rok was that type of person.
There was no other explanation for how he could make someone so annoyed.
“Are you trying to kill me with that look?”
Jeong-rok, who was looking at him with that unsettling grin, made Jung-yoon’s eye twitch with irritation.
Damn it.
“…What on earth has happened to you, Team Leader? Are you really a police officer?”
The chair seemed like it might collapse under him at any moment.
It was too shabby a chair for his large body.
Jeong-rok leaned back lazily, his whole body resting as he clenched his fists tightly.
“I tried to get into the police academy, I ran around, and even after I got in, I kept running around.”
“…That…”
The guy who’s supposed to be an elite in the investigation division, the son of the police commissioner—why the hell is he acting like this?
More than that, why does he have to look like that with the name Jeong-rok?
Why?
“Jung-yoon.”
Jung-yoon stiffened at the familiar, unexpected call.
The nickname caught him off guard, stirring feelings inside him.
Without realizing it, he glared at Jeong-rok in his mind.
Don’t call me by my last name, Jeong-rok. We’re not that close, right?
However, he maintained his composure and replied calmly.
“Yes, Team Leader Moon Jeong-rok.”
“Detective Woo Jung-yoon.”
What the hell?
Can this guy read my mind?
“Yes, Team Leader Moon Jeong-rok.”
Jung-yoon hesitated for a moment and awkwardly raised the corners of his lips.
The rumors about him weren’t wrong.
He acted innocent to avoid giving him any ammunition for trouble.
He was used to this by now.
“Let’s go.”
“…Where to?”
“You didn’t hear? If not today, you won’t be able to go home for a while. Bring your things.”
“I packed everything yesterday. If I need more, I’ll buy it. You… go ahead.”
Jung-yoon smiled genuinely, thinking this might be his chance to get rid of Jeong-rok for good.
Nothing ever went right when he was around.
It wasn’t just because he was annoying, but it also had to do with the fact that he had the same face as his ex-lover, Jeong-rok.
He kept doing ridiculous things with that same face, which was enough to drive him crazy.
He couldn’t work properly.
Jeong-rok clicked his tongue as he watched Jung-yoon’s resolve, turning his body slightly and giving him a quiet stare.
In a moment, he returned to his usual cheerful expression.
“Where are you going to sleep?”
“The duty room.”
“The duty room? Where?”
Jung-yoon froze, brushing toothpaste onto his toothbrush at the meaningful question.
His gaze slowly turned to Jeong-rok, who was smiling mischievously.
“Why do you ask?”
“Just want to get there first.”
“Can’t you go home? Like Detective Kyeong said…”
Jeong-rok, fiddling with his phone, suppressed his rising anger and stared at Jung-yoon with a look of mockery.
He soon held up his phone screen toward Jung-yoon, flashing a sly smile.
“Didn’t your father say he’d bring it to you?”
Jung-yoon’s already tense body stiffened even more.
Silence passed for a moment, and just as Jeong-rok pulled the toothbrush from its holder, the quiet was broken.
So now, the commissioner is coming here to bring him his things, right?
What is this idiot doing?
“Okay, let’s go. Brush your teeth, and take a nap. What about those dark circles under your handsome face, Detective Woo? What are you going to do?”
“Nap… what?”
“Detective Woo, can I borrow your toothpaste?”
Jeong-rok asked playfully, squeezing the toothpaste on his desk while calling out like he was speaking to a puppy.
Jung-yoon stared at him silently before sharply turning his head away.
He headed to the shower room, putting the toothbrush in his mouth.
He tried to ignore the sound of footsteps behind him, but just as he was about to close the door, long fingers slipped between the door frame.
Startled, Jung-yoon let go of the door handle and stepped back.
With the door opening easily, Jeong-rok grinned as he barged in.
Passing by the frozen Jung-yoon, he grabbed the back of his shirt and swiftly took it off.
“Huh? What are you doing?”
Jung-yoon gritted his teeth, pulling a forced smile as he turned his back, taking off his shirt slowly.
He silently prayed to every god he didn’t believe in, hoping that this was just a nightmare, and that he could return to his normal self and read his novel.
The criminal may be the criminal, but why the hell is this idiot doing this to me?
If this were in a novel, I’d want to check every single detail.
I had heard that he liked to joke around, but why me?
What did I do wrong?
I was just working hard!
How did I end up as this idiot’s target?
And why, of all things, does he have the same face as Jeong-rok?
Jung-yoon just wished this was not some divine joke.
“Detective Woo? Are you dead? Why aren’t you coming in?”
“Coming.”
Is he really not my brother?
Now, more than the criminal’s face, Jeong-rok’s presence was the only thing that puzzled him.