The oppressive quiet in the car was a stark contrast to the storm brewing within him.
The fact that Seonyang and Park Chang-kyu were still close, despite the legal maelstrom, gnawed at him, a persistent, irritating thorn caught in his throat.
He traced the line of the seat in front of him with an idle finger, his mind replaying the day’s events.
“I wondered why someone like Seonyang would take on the defense, and it turns out it was possible because they were friends,” Hangyeol’s voice cut through the silence, his eyes scanning the case files scattered across the backseat.
He leaned forward, his gaze drifting towards the front of the car, where Jungrok was driving.
Jungrok, ever observant, caught Hangyeol’s troubled expression reflected in the rearview mirror.
“What do you think?”
Jungrok’s voice was calm, a low rumble that somehow managed to be both reassuring and probing.
“Well, maybe Park Chang-kyu was going to help, so he felt at ease?”
Hangyeol replied, tilting his head slightly, a gesture that often accompanied his moments of contemplation. He was still trying to piece together the shifting allegiances in this convoluted case.
Jungrok nodded dismissively, a slight huff escaping his lips.
“That could be it…” he muttered, his eyes on the road.
Jung Yoon, who had been quietly observing the exchange from the backseat, glanced at Jungrok.
A thought, nascent and unformed, began to prickle at the edges of his mind. He mumbled to himself, the words barely a whisper.
“What if the person Jung Yong-baek wants to avoid isn’t us, but someone else?”
Though he wasn’t speaking to anyone in particular, his murmur in the cramped, silent space of the car was audible to everyone.
Hangyeol, whose ears were always attuned to the faintest whisper of a new lead, caught Jung Yoon’s voice from the backseat.
He grabbed the passenger seat, his knuckles whitening as he leaned forward, an eager glint in his eyes.
“If not us, then who? Are you saying there’s someone else trying to catch Jung Yong-baek?”
The question was sharp, laced with a mix of surprise and burgeoning excitement.
Jung Yoon’s gaze was distant, his mind replaying fragments of information, visual cues, and half-formed suspicions.
“Park Chang-kyu…” he breathed, the name hanging in the air like a sudden, chilling revelation.
“Park Chang-kyu? But… aren’t they friends? Really close ones?”
Hangyeol asked again, a note of disbelief in his voice.
The idea seemed preposterous, a betrayal of the established narrative.
Jungrok, with a stern expression, reached back and pushed Hangyeol’s face with his palm, a playful but firm gesture.
“Ugh!” Hangyeol let out a strange shriek and pretended to cry from the back, saying the police were beating people.
His theatrical groan was a familiar sound, a lighthearted counterpoint to the escalating tension.
Jung Yoon laughed in disbelief, a short, sharp bark that quickly faded. But the humor didn’t last long.
The name Park Chang-kyu kept coming to mind, persistent and unsettling.
The lawyer was similar in build to Yong-baek, a fact that had nagged at Jung Yoon since he first saw him.
His attire was also easily mistaken.
A black or dark navy suit. Park Chang-kyu had been wearing such clothes even when he accompanied the witness during questioning.
It was a common enough sight, yet in the context of his swirling suspicions, it felt significant.
Jung Yoon’s gaze drifted out the car window, his eyes scanning the bustling street.
He saw a few men smoking on the sidewalk, their figures silhouetted against the bright afternoon sun.
Two of them were wearing black pants.
Jung Yoon pulled his gaze away, a sigh escaping his lips.
But he couldn’t be certain.
It was, after all, the most common attire for office workers.
Knowing that, why was his instinct so stubbornly pointing to that guy?
Jung Yoon, with a complicated mind, leaned his head against the passenger seat and closed his eyes, hoping to silence the clamoring thoughts.
Prrrrr—.
His attempt to clear his head was thwarted by the sudden, jarring ring of his phone.
He slowly opened his tired eyelids, so fatigued that the faint lines of double eyelids had formed from the strain.
The light from the phone screen was a harsh glare against his weary eyes.
[That lawyer, Park Chang-kyu, right?]
It was Junhyeok.
His voice was raw, extremely agitated, a stark contrast to his usual collected demeanor.
Jung Yoon knew it stemmed from Junhyeok’s past confrontation with the lawyer, a lingering resentment that now manifested as a burning desire for answers.
“Yes. That proxy. Check all his alibis. His recent call records, whether he’s in contact with Jung Yong-baek right now… And if you can trace his movements around the time of the Yang Seon-hwa case, do that too.”
Jung Yoon’s voice was crisp, his instructions clear and precise, overriding the fatigue that clung to him.
[But why him? Is there something?]
Junhyeok’s agitation was palpable, a mixture of confusion and heightened curiosity.
“Yes. He’s from this village too, and he’s Jung Yong-baek’s best friend.”
Jung Yoon’s explanation was succinct, the weight of the implications hanging unspoken in the air.
[I always thought his face looked like crap.]
Junhyeok’s venomous remark was punctuated by a harsh exhale.
The animosity was deep-seated, fueled by professional rivalry and perhaps something more personal.
“Okay, I’m almost there. Going in.”
Jung Yoon concluded, his eyes fixed on the approaching landmarks.
Jungrok, disgusted by the biting tone of unresolved anger emanating from the phone, reached out to hang up.
[Hey! They found it!]
Jungrok’s finger paused in mid-air, hovering just above the end call button.
The urgency in Junhyeok’s voice was unmistakable.
Hangyeol, who had been sprawled in the back, seemingly half-asleep, jolted upright and leaned forward between the two again, his expression now fully alert.
Jung Yoon also looked at his phone, his eyes widening slightly.
Junhyeok’s tone had changed.
He was agitated, but with a different kind of excitement, a triumphant shout that cut through the weary atmosphere.
[They identified the murder weapon!]
At his words, Jung Yoon interjected into the conversation, the question already forming on his lips before Junhyeok had even finished.
“Is it a hoof trimmer?”
The words were out before he could consciously process them, a testament to the hours he had spent poring over every minute detail of the case.
[More precisely, a hoof hammer. It seems a trimmer was also used for mutilating the body.]
Junhyeok’s voice was now filled with a professional zeal, the thrill of a breakthrough.
Jungrok’s expression hardened as he listened to their conversation, a storm cloud gathering on his face.
He stared sharply at Jung Yoon, who bit his lip after meeting his gaze briefly, a flicker of guilt passing through his eyes.
Jungrok remembered, with a sudden surge of irritation, that Jung Yoon hadn’t reported this information.
“What are you talking about?”
Jungrok asked, his voice low and dangerous, as he pressed the brake, the car coming to a halt at a traffic light near Deokdong Station.
The question was not an inquiry for information, but an accusation, a demand for an explanation.
[It seems the National Forensic Service matched what Jung Yoon sent yesterday with what they investigated, and they have a pretty good angle.]
Junhyeok, oblivious to the simmering tension in the car, continued with his excited report.
“Alright, I get it. Let’s talk inside.”
Jungrok hung up the phone somewhat irritably, the click of the button sharp and final.
He looked up, his jaw clenched. Just then, the light changed, and he sharply turned the wheel.
The car swayed slightly, forcing Jung Yoon to grab the overhead handle to steady himself.
Hangyeol, who bumped his head from being off guard, groaned from the back again about the police’s reckless driving, his complaints a familiar soundtrack to Jungrok’s driving.
In the meantime, the car swiftly passed the entrance of Deokdong Station and screeched to a halt in front of the imposing building.
After parking, Jungrok got out first, his movements brisk and purposeful, followed by the other two.
The subtly chilly atmosphere even silenced Hangyeol, who usually chattered endlessly.
Finally, Jung Yoon, who had been watching him, approached Jungrok, a tentative question on his lips.
“What’s wrong?”
Jungrok stopped dead at the entrance of Deokdong Station, turning to face Jung Yoon.
His eyes were cold, distant, and filled with an unsettling anger.
“I don’t hang out with cheaters.”
“Cheating? Are you talking about me right now?”
Jung Yoon’s voice rose, incredulity warring with a sudden defensive pique.
The accusation was bewildering, illogical.
“I’m your partner, so why are you secretly hooking up with someone else?”
Jungrok’s voice was low, but every word was laced with an undeniable possessiveness.
He grabbed Jung Yoon by the collar, his grip firm, pulling him closer.
The detectives from Deokdong Station who were leaving stared in surprise, their footsteps faltering as they witnessed the unusual display. Hangyeol, ever the quick thinker, moved swiftly to block their view, babbling absurdities about them being friendly rivals, a common occurrence in their passionate line of work.
“What’s ‘hooking up’? Detective Gi just happened to be there back then…!”
Jung Yoon tried to explain, his voice strained, the accusation of “hooking up” both absurd and infuriating.
“If you did it without me knowing, then it’s ‘secretly.’ You secretly hooked up with him without my knowledge.”
Jungrok’s grip tightened slightly, his face unyielding.
His logic was twisted, possessive, and utterly infuriating.
“This lunatic…”
Hangyeol, who had just managed to divert people’s attention, gasped and twisted his mouth in surprise at the clear insubordination.
He braced himself for the inevitable explosion.
Jung Yoon roughly tore away the grabbed collar, his movements sharp and angry, and took a deep breath, trying to rein in his temper.
He barely managed to calm the voice that was about to burst out and muttered in a low tone, his words barely audible.
“So? Is that so wrong?”
The question was a challenge, a plea for understanding.
“Yes, it’s wrong.”
Jungrok’s response was immediate, unwavering, and utterly infuriating.
Jung Yoon was dumbfounded.
He stared bewildered at Jungrok, who was speaking nonsense so confidently without changing his expression, his face a mask of unwavering conviction.
Jung Yoon gritted his teeth, the muscles in his jaw clenching.
“…Are you saying it’s wrong to have worked all night trying to catch a criminal?”
The question was laced with disbelief, a desperate attempt to bring Jungrok back to reality, to the actual purpose of their work.
“No one said anything about that. You did well. I commend you. Working all night, every night, like you’ll die of overwork by the time you’re forty? As a colleague, I can applaud that. But you’re mine now. Do the things I say to the superintendent sound like dog bowl noises to you?”
Jungrok’s words were a bizarre mix of condescension and possessiveness, a twisted compliment that left Jung Yoon speechless.
What kind of childish pouting was this?
He scoffed, a short, sharp sound of disbelief, and Jungrok took a step, coming right up to his face.
Jungrok’s shadow fell over Jung Yoon’s face, an intimidating presence.
“From now on, tell me everything first. Only go with me. Only use that brilliant mind of yours with me.”
The demand was absolute, a declaration of ownership that sent a shiver down Jung Yoon’s spine.
“…This guy is really crazy.”
Jung Yoon didn’t back down, his eyes narrowed sharply as he reached out, his hand instinctively moving towards Jungrok’s collar.
Hangyeol, who couldn’t just stand by this time, stepped between them, sensing Jung Yoon was about to grab Jungrok’s collar, the situation teetering on the edge of a full-blown physical altercation.
“Whoa, whoa! Sergeant! Team Leader! Calm down, calm down. This isn’t the main office, okay?”
Hangyeol’s voice was high-pitched, laced with a nervous energy, his hands held up in a gesture of peace.
“Oh, really? Then let’s meet separately at the main office. I guess things are allowed there.”
Jungrok’s response was cool, calculated, and utterly outrageous, a challenge veiled in a seemingly innocent remark.
“Anytime. I’m so excited that Detective Woo wants to see me separately. It’s making me hard.”
Jung Yoon’s retort was swift, equally outrageous, and intended to shock, to push back against Jungrok’s possessiveness with an equally unsettling audacity.
“This… crazy…”
Jungrok murmured, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.
“Please…”
Hangyeol groaned, his face contorted in exasperation, his pleas falling on deaf ears.
Jungrok, with a composed face, uttered such outrageous words and then, as if nothing had happened, simply walked ahead into the station.
Jung Yoon, who had been standing as if nails were hammered into his feet from shock, shuffled along after Hangyeol’s comforting pats on his back.
He had slept only two or three hours a night for several days, scouring all sorts of websites and hardware stores, pushing his body to its limits because the investigation speed felt too slow, agonizingly so.
He had finally found the tool with the right shape, the crucial piece of the puzzle that could break the case open, but instead of praise, instead of recognition for his tireless efforts, he had to endure this utterly bewildering, sexually charged harassment.
He couldn’t believe it.
Ever since he woke up as Woo Jung Yoon from the novel, his life had been a continuous series of unbelievable events, a surreal narrative playing out before him.
But none had been as shocking, as utterly bewildering, as today’s bizarre encounter.
Jung Yoon glared coldly at Jungrok, who, as if nothing had happened, was greeting passing detectives with an easygoing smile, a mask of charming normalcy.
“So, are you two on good terms or bad terms?”
Hangyeol, ever the curious one, ventured to ask, his voice a tentative whisper as they climbed the stairs.
“Can’t you tell just by looking?”
Jung Yoon’s tone was sharp, his irritation still simmering.
“No. I genuinely can’t.”
Hangyeol’s honesty was disarming, his innocent expression maddening in its sincerity.
Jung Yoon irritably looked at Hangyeol as they climbed the stairs, the rapid ascent doing little to calm his agitated mind.
Despite the sharp gaze, Hangyeol pouted his lips and maintained an innocent expression, genuinely perplexed by the dynamic between the two.
“No, I mean, I wonder if they’re so close that he acts like this just because I was a bit slow in telling him things. But then again, seeing him grab his collar is scary… I thought Team Leader Moon wasn’t the type to obsess over such things, but he treats you differently, doesn’t he?”
Hangyeol’s rambling thoughts were a mixture of observation and speculation, his attempt to decipher the enigmatic relationship between the two.
“Different, huh…”
Jung Yoon mumbled, the words hanging in the air, a question mark trailing behind them.
Ignoring his baseless remarks, Jung Yoon headed towards the violent crimes team office, his steps quickening.
He saw detectives gathered in the distance, their voices a low hum of activity.
The quick-witted Jungrok was already seriously looking at a paper he had received from someone, his face a mask of intense concentration.
He couldn’t lose. Jung Yoon quickened his pace, a surge of competitive energy propelling him forward.
Hangyeol mumbled softly beside him, his voice barely audible.
“Well, maybe the detective is different from the rumors, and the team leader too.”
It sounded like he was talking to himself, not to anyone in particular, a speculative thought that seemed to emerge from his own internal musings.
But as soon as it reached Jung Yoon’s ears, it was enough to make him stop dead in his tracks, a sudden chill running down his spine.
“Rumors?”
The question was sharp, demanding.
“Huh? Oh, no. Well, uh, let’s go in.”
When Jung Yoon blocked his path and questioned him, Hangyeol was greatly surprised and stammered awkwardly, his eyes darting around nervously.
Jung Yoon tried to grab him, a sudden urgency to extract more information, but the agile Hangyeol was faster, slipping past his outstretched hand like a ghost.
“What are you doing standing here?”
Junhyeok approached Jung Yoon, who was standing there, puzzled, watching Hangyeol slip past his hand and enter the office.
He handed Jung Yoon a results sheet he was holding, the paper rustling softly, and gestured for him to come in quickly, the urgency of the meeting pressing upon them.
Just before the door closed, Jung Yoon caught it with his hand and squeezed through the gap, his gaze immediately falling on Hangyeol.
He stopped short when he saw Hangyeol talking to Jungrok with a nonchalant expression, as if their recent argument had never happened.
However, with the meeting about to begin, he pulled himself together, pushing the lingering anger and confusion aside, and found an empty seat, his mind already shifting to the immediate task at hand.