By Zephyria 
“Are you okay?”
Lee-eum wiped his face with the bottled water Nam-soo handed him and rinsed his mouth several times. Team Leader Oh approached while he was pouring water over his head to come to his senses because his coughing wouldn’t stop.
“What is this, seriously? I told you to go in an ambulance earlier, why are you still here?”
He scolded Lee-eum, who was a mess, and then cursed, saying he wouldn’t let that bastard go if he caught him. Lee-eum stared at the collapsed building with a troubled expression. Yang Mok-hyung had vanished without a trace. The fire truck came and put out the fire, but the things inside were ruined.
“Who opened the door? Did you see?”
Lee-eum only shook his head at the Team leader’s question. In a situation where he couldn’t see properly because of the smoke, he heard a thumping sound from outside. And like a lie, the door opened.
At first, he thought it was the local precinct that had arrived, but it wasn’t. When he came out, there was no one outside. It was a ghostly thing to do. A small amount of blood was found nearby, but it was impossible to know whose it was.
“Ah, those bastards. Where are they looking? Hey! Don’t gather there, go to the other side, you bastards!”
While the Team leader left, shouting at the conscripted policemen searching, Nam-soo approached him.
“Sunbae, you should go to the hospital quickly. The car is here, and since they issued an arrest warrant, he couldn’t have gone far.”
Ha, Lee-eum squeezed his eyes shut. It was a stupid and naive act. Who would have imagined being ambushed like that? While he was regretting and blaming himself, the forensic science team arrived. As he watched them head to the collapsed warehouse, Nam-soo pushed his back.
“Go to the hospital quickly. I’ll report the situation here. Or should I take you?”
“It’s okay. I feel a little better after resting.”
Lee-eum approached Jeong Dae-han, who was sitting nearby, out of his mind. Because of the smoke, he was in a state of panic, but even in that situation, he covered Lee-eum’s nose and mouth with his own hands, trying to take care of him. He must be out of his mind. He should have covered his own nose.
Lee-eum looked at his bloodied hand, which was covered in blood from knocking on the door, sighed, and got up. Then, he took out several collection bags from his pocket and handed them to Nam-soo.
“What is this?”
“There were some bloodstains and a few strands of hair inside.”
“Don’t tell me you collected this after the fire?”
“Yeah. Why?”
Nam-soo made a disgusted expression.
“What good is this when we’re about to die?”
“Inma. Even if I die, I need to find out who did this to me.”
Nam-soo made a disgusted expression.
“You’re terrible…. I respect you.”
“Shut up and give me another water. My throat is so sore, I feel like I’m going to die.”
Then he took the water and approached Jeong Dae-han. He looked up with a tired expression, and Lee-eum handed him the water he was holding.
“Drink more of this.”
“Are you okay…?”
“As you can see, I’m fine. Get up. Let’s go to the hospital.”
Jeong Dae-han staggered as he stood up, and Lee-eum supported him. He must have strained his leg from kicking the door so hard. Lee-eum put him in the passenger seat and then sat in the driver’s seat.
“I need to check your leg first when we get there.”
“It’s okay. It’s not broken. Are you really okay? I was so surprised earlier, I was worried you’d be hurt….”
Jeong Dae-han, who was rambling, shut his mouth as if he realized something. He’s in danger himself, but he was worried about me first, it’s a little touching. Is this why friends are good? Lee-eum opened the glove compartment, took out a wet wipe, and handed it to him.
“Wipe it. Your face is a mess.”
While Jeong Dae-han was wiping the marks on his face, Lee-eum cautiously brought up the topic.
“Yang Mok-hyung, I wonder where he went.”
“I don’t know….”
He seemed intent on killing him when he set the fire, so why did he open the door? Did his mind change? What caused the bloodstains on the floor? There are so many strange things.
Then Lee-eum quickly stopped the car. Dae-han looked at him with a puzzled expression, and Lee-eum checked the black box. His face distorted when he discovered that the memory card that should have been there was missing. Damn it.
“Why?”
“The memory card is gone.”
“Did Yang Mok-hyung take it?”
“I don’t know.”
Lee-eum called Nam-soo, informed him of the situation, and told him to check the black box in Yang Mok-hyung’s truck as well. Then, he arrived at the emergency room of a nearby hospital, and while waiting for the examination, his Noona appeared, somehow knowing. His Noona, who had rushed over, teared up as soon as she found Lee-eum.
“Oh my god, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
As she checked him here and there, Lee-eum smiled awkwardly.
“I’m fine. But how did Noona know?”
His Noona didn’t say, but Lee-eum thought Team Leader Oh had told her. The two were classmates, but their ranks had changed, and they sometimes had drinks together in private. His Noona, who was talking to Lee-eum, noticed Jeong Dae-han sitting next to him and made a puzzled expression.
“Who is this? New partner?”
“No, this is Prosecutor Jeong Dae-han, a middle school classmate. Introduce yourself. This is my Noona.”
Jeong Dae-han wiped his hands on his pants and then bowed politely.
“Hello. I am Jeong Dae-han from the Criminal Division 1 of the Western District Prosecutor’s Office.”
“Kim Malk-eum. Lee-eum’s Noona. Nice to meet you.”
Dae-han became even more nervous when she only said Kim Lee-eum’s Noona without revealing her affiliation.
“You’re friends, but I didn’t know?”
“We separated after graduation and met again by chance this time.”
“Then it’s fate. Let’s see each other often. Take good care of Lee-eum.”
His Noona smiled and asked, and Lee-eum grumbled that he wasn’t a child and didn’t need to be taken care of. Just then, his Noona received a phone call and went outside to talk, and Jeong Dae-han lowered his voice and asked about Lee-eum’s Noona.
“That Noona, is she the one? The youngest….”
“How did you know?”
“I saw it in an article.”
“Don’t say it in front of her. She really hates it.”
In fact, his Noona was becoming his father’s pride, having gone through promotions faster than others. However, the problem was that the person herself was not satisfied. Unlike Lee-eum, she was greedy and always wanted to be ahead of others in every way. Lee-eum was proud of such a Noona, but also worried that she would get tired.
Then, the door opens without a knock. He thought his Noona had returned, but this time it was his Hyung. He came in with a juice box, shaking it with his unique unemployed-like bored expression.
“What is it? You look fine.”
“How did Hyung come here again?”
“How else would I come? Kim Malk-eum made a fuss and came. She called and cried, saying our youngest was about to die, ah, geez.”
He wasn’t about to die…. Lee-eum was embarrassed and avoided his gaze, and his Hyung took out a juice and gave one to Lee-eum and one to Jeong Dae-han next to him.
“Who is this?”
Jeong Dae-han stood up again, about to introduce himself.
“Hello. I am Jeong Dae-han, working in the Criminal Division of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office.”
“What is it? Do you know who I am?”
“Yes. I know. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Oh, really? What do they say?”
Lee-eum clearly saw a moment of conflict flashing across Jeong Dae-han’s face. It was obvious without looking. How else would he be nicknamed the mad dog of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office? But he was also a person who was recognized for his sure handling of work.
“I heard you’re a great person…. And that many Hubae respect you.”
“Oh, come on, not that much.”
He smiled broadly as if he believed it and waved his hand, and Lee-eum frowned as he drank the drink he had brought. Seeing him so engrossed in bragging about himself without caring about his younger brother, he hoped that his Noona would come quickly and take him away.
❖ ❖ ❖
【I was just thinking about the past.】
【Huh?】
【You used to explain to me in quite detail about the impact of bees on the ecosystem. So I thought you might become an entomologist. During breaks, you were mostly sitting in the flower bed looking for bugs.】
【Did I…. Well, I did a lot of stupid things when I was young….】
【Not at all. I thought it was cool. I didn’t have a dream back then. Or anything I particularly liked.】
The screen showed a video of a car driving on the road, but the voices continued to be heard. Choi Won-joon skipped the video back. The car parked, and Kim Yi-eum and the prosecutor walked away, and soon Yang Mok-hyung appeared.
Yang Mok-hyung was carrying a large oil drum and headed to the warehouse, and that scene was captured on the black box. A moment later, flames soared, and Yang Mok-hyung hurriedly ran away. That was the end of the video. Because Won-joon’s men removed the memory chip before catching Yang Mok-hyung.
“What’s Kim Yi-eum’s condition?”
“The hospital says there’s nothing wrong.”
“Who was the person with him?”
Director Lee handed the tablet to the back seat. It was someone’s ID photo taken with a somewhat nervous expression.
“Jeong Dae-han. He was working in the provinces and recently transferred to the Western District Prosecutors’ Office. He went to the same middle school as Kim Yi-eum and is one year older.”
Choi Won-joon quietly mulled over the conversation the two had in the car.
“Did he say Alpha?”
“Yes.”
Hmm, this has become troublesome. Choi Won-joon rested his arm on the window and stared at the screen. He had people watching him because he was told that the drug would take effect within a week, and he witnessed the incident today when he followed him to a remote place.
On Director Lee’s orders, the men kidnapped Yang Mok-hyung. Then one person remained, broke down the warehouse door, and pulled out Kim Yi-eum and Jeong Dae-han. If he hadn’t been followed, Kim Yi-eum might have suffocated to death from the smoke.
“Where is Yang Mok-hyung?”
“He’s in Imun-dong. I’ll instruct them to take care of it immediately.”
“Was my next schedule a lunch appointment with President Kang?”
“Yes.”
“Cancel it. Let’s go to Imun-dong.”