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Chapter 02
The Courthouse – Lobby Corridor
“What’s wrong with this thing now?”
The gazes of several female employees passing by were drawn toward Seongjin, who was struggling with a vending machine.
He was approximately 187 centimeters tall, with broad shoulders, a well-built chest, and a lean, muscular physique without an ounce of excess fat. His thick eyebrows and deep-set eyes gave him a gentle yet charismatic appearance. Even his perfectly sculpted profile, from his forehead down to his sharp nose and well-defined jawline, was flawless.
Rather than looking like a detective in the Violent Crimes Unit, he looked more like a model. His exceptionally handsome appearance naturally attracted everyone’s attention.
Bang! Bang!
“Ah, damn it! Why does this thing always eat my money? Is this another way for the government to collect taxes?”
Just as he was arguing with the vending machine, seemingly oblivious to the attention he was attracting, Chae-rin emerged from the courtroom and happened to catch his eye.
Her face looked far too young to belong in a courthouse. Moreover, seeing such an unusual girl coming out of the courtroom where the murder trial had just taken place naturally piqued his curiosity.
“Did she come here on a school trip?”
Perhaps it was a professional habit, but he instinctively scanned her from head to toe.
Was she around 165 centimeters tall? No, perhaps closer to 167. She had long arms and legs, beautifully shaped eyes, and large, deep pupils. Her nose was delicately straight, and her reddish lips were slightly pressed together. Her small face and milky-white skin were further accentuated by her long, straight black hair.
“Is she an idol?”
The only word that came to mind was beautiful.
However, what attracted Seongjin’s attention most was the peculiar aura surrounding her cold, expressionless face.
“Is she a member of the victim’s family?”
No matter how much he thought about it, the sight of a young girl who seemed so out of place in this environment left his mind filled with all sorts of questions and possibilities.
“What are you doing in front of the vending machine? What, did the courthouse take your money again?”
“Not exactly. Anyway, why did you take so long to come out?”
As Chief Choi emerged from the courtroom, opening the door with a hearty laugh, Seongjin’s attention naturally drifted away from Chae-rin.
“I had to meet someone before leaving. Anyway, stop fighting with that vending machine. Let’s go grab some seolleongtang and hit the sauna. Ahh… I’ve been watching trials all day, and my whole body feels stiff.”
Chief Choi repeatedly rolled his neck and shoulders with an exhausted expression as he headed toward the parking lot.
“Still, I’m really glad today’s trial ended well. I was so worried that the bastard might get acquitted because I couldn’t deliver the documents earlier. I was running all the way here, thinking my heart was going to burst!”
Seongjin said, placing a hand against his forehead as he recalled how nerve-racking the situation had been.
“I was scared too. I thought you weren’t going to make it.”
Beep!
Chief Choi shook his head as he opened the door of their parked car.
“You look exhausted, so let me drive.”
Seongjin said, massaging Chief Choi’s stiff shoulders.
“Sure. You can take over today. I haven’t been sleeping properly these past few days, and I’m absolutely exhausted.”
“That’s because you’ve been pushing yourself too hard trying to solve cases lately.”
“It’s not just lately. Every day is exhausting. Anyway, let’s hurry up. I’m starving.”
Chief Choi tossed his jacket onto the back seat, climbed into the passenger seat, and twisted his stiff neck from side to side.
“By the way, do you know what people have been saying about you lately, Chief?”
Seongjin sat in the driver’s seat, fastened his seat belt, and smiled mischievously.
“What are they saying?”
Chief Choi had already fastened his seat belt and reclined his passenger seat as far back as possible. Closing his eyes, he asked with an expression that suggested he couldn’t care less.
“You really don’t know?”
“I asked what they’re saying, didn’t I?”
“What else? Everyone says you’ve become some kind of psychic. They’re even saying you’ll quit being a detective soon and start reading fortunes for a living!”
Seongjin said cheerfully, turning the steering wheel smoothly as he drove out of the parking lot.
“You seem awfully pleased that people think I’ve become psychic. So, since I’m apparently going to start reading fortunes, should I take a look at your future first?”
“Oh! Really? Yes, please! My date and time of birth are… Nineteen—”
Seongjin immediately jumped at the opportunity.
“That’s enough. I don’t need any of that. Hmm… Let’s see. Let’s see… Your future…”
With a playful expression, Chief Choi closed his eyes, pretended to read a fortune with his left hand, and began mumbling.
Psychic, huh? What a ridiculous thing to say. Still, the kid had spent the entire day running around like crazy because of today’s trial. Chief Choi had only wanted to humor him a little.
“Can you really see my future? Am I going to get promoted this time?”
Seeing how seriously Seongjin was taking the joke, Chief Choi began to feel a little flustered.
But from Seongjin’s perspective, this wasn’t something he could simply dismiss as a joke.
After all, Chief Choi was the one who had found the crucial eyewitness for today’s trial. He had also provided leads in countless cases over the past few years that otherwise would have remained unsolved.
There was simply no other way to explain how Chief Choi kept miraculously uncovering evidence and hidden witnesses in cold cases where there had been neither eyewitnesses nor even the slightest clue.
“Are you almost done?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure about your promotion. But I’m receiving a strong divine message telling you to keep your eyes on the road and drive properly.”
Chief Choi casually tossed out a lame old-man joke and chuckled to himself, thoroughly amused.
“Come on, Chief! Stop joking around and tell me already. What’s going to happen to me? Am I getting promoted? I really, really need to get promoted this time!”
Seongjin wasn’t ready to give up. He felt that he wouldn’t be satisfied until he heard at least a little something about his future.
“Your promotion is up to the higher-ups. Why are you asking me? Besides, everyone gets promoted when their time comes, so don’t worry about it.”
“Ahh! Are you really going to be like this?”
Seongjin grumbled, his face falling as his high expectations were abruptly crushed.
“What, you idiot? You’re the strange one for actually believing that nonsense about me being psychic. Enough chatter. I’m hungry, so just drive.”
Chief Choi crossed his arms and squeezed his eyes shut again, looking exhausted.
“Then at least tell me your secret! How on earth do you manage to find evidence and witnesses so effortlessly? Please, think of it as helping your adorable junior get ahead in life. Come on, please?”
Realizing that he wasn’t going to get anywhere otherwise, Seongjin renewed his determination and began pestering Chief Choi again.
He had decided that if he couldn’t learn the secret behind Chief Choi’s uncanny abilities, he should at least find out how he managed to catch criminals so effectively.
Every time Seongjin asked, Chief Choi brushed him off by saying it was simply a detective’s instinct. This time, however, Seongjin was determined to get the secret out of him.
“You’re not adorable.”
Chief Choi said sternly.
“Are you seriously going to treat me like this? I ended up in this line of work because I followed your lead. I’m really hurt, Chief.”
Seongjin muttered, his face practically spelling out how disappointed he was.
It was Chief Choi who had persuaded Seongjin to join the police force after an injury forced him to give up his position as a gold medalist on the national judo team and abandon his plans to become a coach.
That was why Seongjin had always regarded Chief Choi as more than just a teammate. To him, he was like a dependable older brother whom he could always trust and rely on.
But Chief Choi’s refusal to give him even the slightest hint was now making him feel more than just disappointed. He was beginning to get genuinely annoyed.
“How many times do I have to tell you? It’s instinct! Instinct! A detective’s instinct.”
But, as always, Chief Choi gave him the exact same parrot-like response.
“Still, there must be something behind that instinct, right?”
“What kind of secret technique do you think detectives have? You just keep digging until something turns up. Just dig. If you keep digging, you’ll eventually find something.”
“But surely there’s something else…”
“Wake me up when we get to the restaurant.”
Seeing Chief Choi turn his head toward the window with his arms still crossed, Seongjin realized he wasn’t going to get an answer today either. He pursed his lips and grumbled.
“Yes, sir. Get some rest. Lots and lots of rest.”
The road at the intersection in front of the courthouse was, as always, completely congested.
Seongjin naturally turned his head toward the window.
The bus stop was crowded with people heading home from work.
Among the people engrossed in their phones or talking on the phone with all sorts of emotions written across their faces, one young girl caught Seongjin’s attention.
She stood perfectly still, as though she were alone in a space completely disconnected from the world around her.
“Wait… Isn’t that the girl from earlier?”
It was Chae-rin.
Her face was still cold and expressionless, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking. There was also that peculiar aura surrounding her, which somehow made it difficult for him to look away.
And the longer he stared at her, the more his mind began to grow hazy, as though he were being drawn into some kind of trance.
“The light’s changed. Let’s go.”
At that moment, Chief Choi glanced briefly at Chae-rin standing at the bus stop before urging Seongjin to move.
“Ah… Right.”
Seongjin adjusted his grip on the steering wheel and placed his foot on the accelerator.
Yet, as Chae-rin’s figure gradually grew smaller in the side mirror, her image seemed to become even more vividly etched into his mind.
[“The next stop is Jeong In-hye Neuropsychiatric Clinic. Jeong In-hye Neuropsychiatric Clinic.”]
Chae-rin removed the earphones from her ears and casually shoved them into the pocket of her jacket before reaching toward the stop-request button.
Her finger hesitated in front of the red button.
Her body had frozen completely, like a child standing before a red traffic light, unable to move.
But after squeezing her eyes shut, she hurriedly pressed the button, as though forcing herself to swallow a bitter medicine she desperately didn’t want to take.
Beep!
After getting off the bus, Chae-rin noticed a rather sophisticated building among the gray structures that seemed to have not a single trace of greenery. The entire exterior was covered in blue-tinted glass.
“Is this the place?”
After taking a deep breath, Chae-rin stepped inside, almost as though she were being pulled into the building. Her gaze slowly moved across the information directory displayed in one corner of the luxurious lobby.
“10th floor.”
After confirming her destination, Chae-rin walked over to the elevator.
But once again, her finger hesitated in front of the upward button.
Should she go up or turn around and leave?
She had to make that decision now.
Ding-dong!
At that moment, the cheerful sound of a text message rang out.
「This is a reminder of your appointment today. Please arrive by 6:00 p.m. without being late.
— Jeong In-hye Neuropsychiatric Clinic」
As though pushed forward by the message, Chae-rin’s hand had already pressed the elevator button before she knew it.
[Ding-dong! The 10th floor.]
As the elevator doors opened, two women dressed in neat nurses’ uniforms greeted Chae-rin at the reception desk with warm smiles.
“Have you been doing well? This is your first time here since we moved, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
The interior was so luxurious and elegant that it seemed more like an art gallery than a hospital. Chae-rin couldn’t help looking around.
“The director is waiting for you, so let’s go inside.”
Knock. Knock.
[“Yes, come in.”]
A gentle voice drifted through the slightly opened door.
“Director, Chae-rin is here.”
“Come on in, Chae-rin. How have you been? Was the trip here all right? Come, have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”
As the door opened, In-hye, dressed in a white coat and exuding an intelligent, sophisticated aura, welcomed Chae-rin with a bright smile.
“Yes.”
After offering an awkward, brief greeting, Chae-rin sat down at the very edge of the sofa, keeping her back perfectly straight.
“I didn’t have that sofa brought in so you could sit so uncomfortably. Chae-rin, relax. Make yourself comfortable.”
Perhaps finding Chae-rin’s slightly nervous appearance endearing, In-hye smiled warmly.
“Would you like some tea? I brought back some black tea from a European conference I attended last week. It has a wonderful aroma.”
“Yes.”
“Ms. Kim, could you prepare some black tea for us?”
In-hye crossed her long legs and leaned back comfortably against the sofa as she spoke in a gentle voice.
Chae-rin gazed at her quietly.
Her clear, flawless skin complemented her coral lipstick beautifully. Every feature of her face was perfectly defined.
Beneath her white coat, she wore a slightly unbuttoned, sexy black silk blouse. An H-line midi skirt flowed smoothly along her legs, and a pair of dangerously high heels completed her outfit.
Had she not been wearing a white coat, it would have been difficult to believe that she was a psychiatrist, given her striking beauty and fashionable appearance.
On top of that, the countless degrees and photographs of her television appearances covering the walls seemed to give her an almost radiant aura.
Chae-rin wanted to become like In-hye. She had always admired that relaxed, confident smile of hers.
Yet, at the same time, In-hye’s seemingly perfect appearance created an invisible wall that made it difficult for Chae-rin to approach her.
“Did things work out well with this case?”
In-hye gathered a small voice recorder and her laptop before settling comfortably into the chair opposite Chae-rin.
“Yes.”
Chae-rin answered briefly, her face completely expressionless.
“You really worked hard. I was quite worried this time because you seemed to have such a difficult time dealing with the case. It must have been really hard for you, wasn’t it?”
“A little. But I’m okay now.”
Seeing In-hye’s genuinely concerned expression, Chae-rin felt some of the tension in her heart begin to ease.
“That’s a relief. Well, since we’ve successfully resolved this case too, shall we take our time and have a little chat?”
In-hye flipped through the medical chart with a slightly excited expression, looking almost like a child eagerly waiting to hear the ending of an intriguing story.
At that, Chae-rin’s expression immediately turned cold again.
Ten years.
It had been no less than ten years since Chae-rin had first started confiding in In-hye—or rather, since she had begun telling her this unbelievable story.
One would think she would have grown accustomed to it by now, but it still felt uncomfortable and awkward, like wearing clothes that didn’t fit.
Having to bring up the story of that place all over again…
“It’s still difficult for you to talk about it, isn’t it?”
Reading Chae-rin’s expression, In-hye spoke with a sympathetic look.
“Haa…”
Chae-rin responded with a deep sigh.
Knock. Knock.
“Director, I’ve brought the tea.”
“Please leave it here.”
Then In-hye turned back to Chae-rin with a bright smile.
“How is it? Doesn’t it smell lovely? Isn’t it refreshing? Somehow, just smelling it makes you feel more at ease, doesn’t it?”
Knowing better than anyone that a person had to feel comfortable before they could open up, In-hye thoughtfully changed the subject, giving Chae-rin some time.
But Chae-rin merely stared at the teacup on the table, her lips still firmly sealed.
Seeing how completely frozen Chae-rin’s expression had become, In-hye decided that she would have to give up on today’s counseling session.
Without saying anything more, she quietly lifted her teacup to her lips.
And then, a little while later…
“I followed that person for four days. Over there…”
By the time the steam rising from the teacup in front of her had almost completely disappeared, Chae-rin finally began to speak cautiously.
