IWT 19

 Chapter 19

Inside the car heading to In-hye’s hospital.

Chaerin stared out the window with a blank expression, saying nothing, while Chief Choi drove with a stiff, awkward posture.

The two of them looked like they had been copy-pasted—always the same.

“I’ll give you a fun little question. Want to guess?”

It was always Chief Choi who tried first to break the silence.

“Sure… what is it?”
“Do you know who Shrek’s mom is?”

Choi had already burst into laughter on his own, snickering like a child.

“Shrek… I don’t know.”

Chaerin didn’t particularly want to answer, but she, too, hated the awkwardness.

“Well, it’s… the green mother. Hahaha. Funny, right?”
“No.”

Her blunt reply came out without a second’s hesitation. Choi froze in surprise.

“Really not funny? If I told this to my son, he would’ve—”

Choi scratched his head awkwardly and suddenly stopped, noticing Chaerin’s expression.

“Your… son? You have a son?”

The unexpected words made Chaerin turn her head automatically. They had known each other for years, yet Choi had never spoken about family before.

“Ah… no. Well, we’re here.”

Choi hurriedly parked at the hospital, trying to steer the conversation away.

“Doctor Jeong must be waiting. Let’s go inside quickly.”

He opened the door and stepped out hastily, almost running.

“Yes…”

Chaerin tilted her head as she watched him go. But what lingered in her mind was the fleeting sadness that had crossed his face when he had faltered mid-sentence.

“Welcome, Chaerin. Come in. Was traffic bad?”

In-hye opened the door to the office, smiling warmly at Chaerin and Choi.

“Well, it was rush hour… but why did you call us?”

Choi, ever impatient, went straight to the point as soon as he sat down.

“Chief, let Chaerin catch her breath. Don’t sit like that. Think of this as your home—just relax.”

Chaerin sat upright at the edge of the sofa, as always. In-hye couldn’t help but find it cute.

“I’m fine.”

But Chaerin didn’t want to show her guard loosening in front of In-hye.

“Alright, then. Let’s have some tea first.”

“How was the trial today?”

In-hye set her teacup down, crossing her legs leisurely. She already knew the gist about Seung-beom.

“Ask Chaerin. I want her opinion.”

Choi passed the question to Chaerin.

“Chaerin, what did you think? Do you really think he’s guilty?”

In-hye twirled a luxury pen in her hand—a habit whenever she was focused or thinking—and looked at Chaerin with curious eyes.

“From what I can tell…”

Chaerin’s expression was firm.

“Why so sure? Is this part of your ability—the same thing that lets you enter memories? Since that incident?”

In-hye’s voice rose slightly, excitement sparking in her eyes. She was always different when talking about Chaerin’s ability.

“Not exactly… it’s just a feeling.”

Lately, every conversation with In-hye seemed to end with her ability, and it annoyed Chaerin.

“Ah—this is sweet. Doctor Jeong, what kind of tea is this?”

Seeing Chaerin’s slightly contorted expression, Choi interrupted by slurping the tea like it was soju, cutting off In-hye’s words. He disliked In-hye’s curiosity toward Chaerin’s ability, which sometimes felt like being interrogated.

“It’s a French tea brand called Hédiard. If you like it, I’ll give you some later as a gift.”

In-hye caught the exchange, smiling gently, sneaking a glance at Chaerin. Chaerin’s slightly furrowed brows and subtly downturned lips betrayed her mood. Even with her insistence on caution, any mention of Chaerin’s ability sparked In-hye’s endless curiosity, and she couldn’t help it.

“I know you’re not here to leisurely sip tea. Let’s just have it here. So why did you want to meet today?”

Choi drained the last drop from his cup, arms crossed, tension clear on his face.

“Nothing urgent. Just curious about the trial and thought we could have dinner together.”

In-hye slid the pen back into her pocket, smiling at them.

“If that’s all, you could’ve called. I thought it was something urgent. So, what shall we eat? Chaerin, anything you want?”

Choi leaned back on the sofa with a faint smile.

“Nothing.”

Chaerin replied, detached. The thought of dinner with the two adults—Choi’s corny jokes and In-hye’s endless questions about school and friends—didn’t appeal to her.

“Why always ‘nothing’? Surely you have a preference. How about meat? Doctor Jeong will buy; let’s go fancy.”

Choi laughed heartily.

“Go on, Chaerin. Say what you want. Doctor Jeong will take care of it.”

“Really nothing. I’ll just follow you both.”

“Then there’s a steak place nearby. Chaerin, okay with that?”

“Sure, whatever.”

“It’s really good. You won’t regret it.”

In-hye took off her white coat, hung it in the small wardrobe in the office, and smiled brightly.

“Then let’s go quickly. I’m hungry anyway.”

Choi, ever impatient, stood and grabbed the doorknob.

“Wait a second, Chaerin. Could you wait outside for a bit? I need to talk to the Chief. Won’t be long.”

In-hye’s faint smile encouraged Chaerin to step out, though she looked puzzled.

“Did you meet the person I told you about last time?”

Once Chaerin was outside, In-hye lowered her voice, almost whispering, careful that no one could hear.

Choi silently nodded, shoulders heavy.

“No?”

The slump of his shoulders gave away the answer.

“Yes… nothing.”

He sank deeper into the sofa, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

“I thought this time it might be real… too bad. You okay?”

In-hye cautiously asked, reading his expression.

Choi exhaled a long, heavy sigh.

“Still hanging on, though. Ten years…”

“Ten years… already ten years. Time flies, doesn’t it? Feels like it was just yesterday.”

A mix of emotions passed across Choi’s face.

“Still, these days, you seem a little more at ease than before. That’s a relief.”

“Doctor Jeong, do you know why quitting smoking is so hard?”

Choi popped a nicotine lozenge in his mouth and asked suddenly.

“Hm?”

In-hye blinked in surprise at the abrupt shift.

“Smoking… when you’re happy, you crave it. When sad or angry, you crave it even more. So you think about it every day. Funny, isn’t it?”

Choi’s bitter, weary smile reflected exhaustion and frustration.

In-hye, understanding exactly what he wanted to express, remained silent, simply listening.

“It’s like that. Just like that. No matter how much you try to forget… you can’t. Always lingering in front of your eyes. That face, that smile, the scent, the warmth in my arms… too vivid to forget.”

“Chief…”

“It’s not that you get used to it or comfortable. You’re just holding on with everything you’ve got.”

His eyes reddened as he chewed the lozenge. Deep in his heart lay something irreplaceable. Something he could neither forget nor give up: the son he lost ten years ago.

“You will find him. I’ll do my best to help.”

In-hye looked at him, sympathy in her eyes.

“Help? Then please, really investigate properly before helping, okay?”

Choi, restraining his emotions, pulled a photo of an unfamiliar man from his jacket, slamming it on the table in frustration. Ten years spent searching for a son whose fate remained unknown. Every tip brought fleeting hope followed by disappointment, hardening his heart.

“Sorry… I thought I was doing my best…”

In-hye examined the photo, a conflicted expression crossing her face.

“Don’t apologize. I understand your frustration. You care as if it’s your own matter… it’s just overwhelming sometimes.”

Choi rubbed his face, shoulders slumping further. Hope had been slowly replaced by despair.

“I understand, Chief. But can this method really work?”

He looked up at In-hye, eyes pleading.

“That’s why I wanted to meet today.”

Her gentle gaze suddenly sharpened.

“Honestly, you know as well as I do that finding your son with just these tips is impossible.”

In-hye poured tea into Choi’s empty cup.

“So in the end, the only way is that. And how many years has it been with barely a clue?”

Choi’s brow furrowed. The only way to find his lost son was to use Chaerin’s ability to enter memories.

“But you know? There’s someone even more desperate than you right now… and that’s Chaerin.”

In-hye sipped her tea calmly. Since developing her inexplicable ability, Chaerin had one goal: uncovering the truth behind her father’s murder. Each day she risked herself entering the memories of shameless criminals to find the culprit.

Choi was momentarily speechless. He realized he had been so absorbed in his own grief that he had neglected Chaerin’s.

“So just hang on a little. There’s a way for both you and Chaerin to win. That’s why I’m telling you this.”

In-hye patted his shoulder lightly and stood.

“Chaerin’s ability is still unstable. There are still unknowns. That’s why exposing her to more cases is important. The Seung-beom case should be solved through her. She’s already willing, if you permit.”

Choi listened silently, then rose with a resolute expression and left the office without another word.

In the waiting room, Chaerin sat with her eyes closed, earphones on.

“Chaer-inn…”

The name lingered on Choi’s lips as he watched her, her head gently swaying to the music like any ordinary high school girl.

‘What am I doing to this girl?’

At first, he thought it was for her. Or that she wanted it herself. She was the brave young girl who said she would do anything to catch her father’s killer.

But each time he sent her alone into the memories of ruthless criminals, a pang of guilt and discomfort gnawed at him.

“Are you done?”

Feeling a strange gaze, Chaerin opened her eyes slowly.

“Oh… uh…”

But as her expression gradually hardened, the discomfort Choi had hidden deep inside began creeping back.