By Zephyria 
Baepsae let out a low sigh, his cap pulled down low. A moment later, the whirring sound of an electric drill echoed, and part of the locking mechanism on the entrance door was detached. Beside him, Kang Hee-shin stood with his arms crossed, watching the scene.
“Is it almost done?”
“Stop nagging. I’m working hard here. Now you’re even making me pick locks. Ugh, look at my life; you should have just called a locksmith.”
“That would leave a record.”
Baepsae flinched and looked back. Isn’t this the prosecutor’s house? Is it someone else’s house? Whose house is this? Is this illegal? Hee-shin gestured for him to stop asking and just get it done.
“What kind of prosecutor prefers illegal methods over legal ones?”
“Shut up. Are you doing it right?”
“I am, I am. Wow, got it.”
As the lock was completely detached, Baepsae took off his cap and breathed a sigh of relief. Kang Hee-shin then entered the house. Despite it being daytime, the house was dark, with blackout curtains drawn over every window. At the entrance, he put on shoe covers and gloves. Then, he turned on a flashlight and scanned the interior.
Drawers were open, and items were missing from various places. There were clear signs that someone had packed in a hurry and bolted.
“Damn it…”
Heading toward the bedroom, he found the wardrobe closed, but a few strands of long hair were dangling through the gap. With a feeling of apprehension, he flung the wardrobe open, and a human head tumbled out with a thud. He almost screamed in surprise, but upon closer inspection, it was a mannequin head. Tools were scattered around, as if someone had been practicing cosmetology.
“Ha, fuck. Scared the shit out of me…”
While searching the room, he found a desk calendar. Dates for attending an academy were handwritten on it. On the vanity, there were self-improvement books and beauty-related texts. There were also sticky notes with messages like Let’s live more diligently than anyone else and You’re doing great.
Then, he noticed something that had fallen between the vanity and the chest of drawers. When he moved the large chest, a passport unexpectedly rolled out. The owner of the passport was Kim Min-jeong, and it was still valid. He tucked it into his back pocket for now.
He searched the kitchen and balcony thoroughly afterward, but there were no further leads.
Sighing, he stepped outside, and Baepsae, who had been keeping watch, looked back.
“Are you finished?”
“Yeah. Restore it.”
Baepsae grumbled but quickly restored the lock to its original state. The two descended the stairs and agreed to part ways in the underground parking lot. However, as Baepsae headed toward his car, he suddenly turned back and held out his hand.
“I forgot. Give me my travel expenses.”
“I’ll give them to you later.”
“Prosecutor, do you realize how devoid of conscience you are?”
At those words, Hee-shin gave a thin smile.
“Should I use my conscience to gather every single illegal thing you’ve done and indict you?”
“W-what are you talking about? I only repair computers these days!”
“Really?”
Baepsae instinctively stepped back. Damn it. He had something to do and had forgotten. As he turned to leave, Hee-shin followed him. When Hee-shin tapped on the car window, Baepsae poked his face out and frowned.
“What nowww—”
“Do me a favor.”
“Please, just don’t make me pick locks at other people’s houses.”
“This will be easier than that.”
“What is it?”
“Get me a burner phone.”
“That requires a down payment.”
Hee-shin pulled an envelope from his coat. When he took out a wad of cash and held it out, Baepsae’s eyes widened.
“You said you had no money! Did you win the lottery or something?”
“I sold my watch.”
Baepsae, who was about to press further, looked pitying. He remembered how much Kang Hee-shin had bragged to him when he first bought that watch. He had already guessed that Hee-shin’s financial situation wasn’t great.
“No wonder. Your wrist looked empty. You look drained, too. What have you been doing? You should take some bribes or something.”
“You little… is that even a suggestion? Anyway, I’m counting on you. As fast as possible.”
“Got it. I’ll contact you.”
Before departing, Baepsae abruptly pushed the money back. “Forget the money. Just give it to me when you have some breathing room.” With that, he drove his car and zoomed out of the parking lot. Watching the car disappear, Hee-shin muttered to himself.
“Everyone says they don’t want it, even when I offer money…”
He then drove his own car toward the Prosecutor’s Office. Within twenty minutes of arriving, he conducted a follow-up investigation on a murder suspect, and afterward, he handled work related to a construction company’s slush fund. The only saving grace was that new case assignments had been postponed for the time being.
Having been glued to documents and the computer all day, his eyes felt so dry they felt like they might pop out. Out of habit, he applied eye drops and blinked. After a light stretch, he looked outside and saw that darkness was beginning to fall. He had barely eaten lunch, and since he couldn’t do the same for dinner, he called Chief Oh.
“Chief. You two go ahead and have dinner. I heard the haejang-guk place that opened in front is good.”
“What about you, Prosecutor?”
“I don’t really have an appetite.”
“Still, you have to eat. Didn’t you only have one triangle kimbap today?”
He responded to her question with only an awkward smile.
For several days now, he had been so preoccupied with that damn photo that his appetite had long since vanished.
“I’m fine, so please go. I’d appreciate it if you could bring me a coffee on your way back. With extra shots.”
“Five?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, that’s not coffee, that’s poison.”
Chief Oh shook her head in disgust. She commented that the amount of instant coffee mix he drank daily was already astronomical, and now he was pouring even more caffeine into himself. After Chief Oh and Assistant Baek Young-mi left the office, Hee-shin focused on his work again.
The warrant had been issued today, and Jang Seon-woo had gone to Guyoung Construction with investigators for a search and seizure. He reported that they had swept up everything they could possibly take. From the moment Financial Director Kwak Seong-tae fled overseas, Guyoung Construction would have been prepared. But it didn’t matter. This side had already secured most of the necessary evidence.
There was another reason for conducting the search and seizure despite that.
First, it was for show, and second…
Sure enough, a photo arrived on his phone.
The photo showed the aide of a member of the National Assembly who had received election funds and Chairman Shim’s secretary. They had parked their car in front of a sauna that had closed long ago and were entering it. Their profiles were captured quite clearly.
“They must have been quite desperate.”
So they’re having a secret meeting in a sauna at this hour. Muttering to himself, he told the investigator who sent the photo that they had done a good job and requested they withdraw. Then, as he focused on checking the amounts of money exchanged in a printed Excel file with a felt-tip pen, his concentration began to waver.
Three hours left until the time he was supposed to meet Im Gyeong.
…Is this the right thing to do?
Trying to compose his troubled mind, he rubbed his strained eyes with his palms.
The letters were now starting to overlap.
A short while later, Chief Oh and Assistant Baek Young-mi returned from their meal.
They brought an iced coffee with plenty of extra shots and a sandwich.
“At least eat this.”
“Thank you. Did you receive the photo?”
“Yes, I did. Those bastards must be sweating bullets. They met up immediately after the search and seizure yesterday.”
“They’ll try to find Kwak Seong-tae by any means necessary. They won’t stop at anything.”
“Will you be alright, Prosecutor?”
Hee-shin nodded. He had already met Financial Director Kwak Seong-tae several times and secured his testimony. Im Gyeong was protecting him. Since Im Gyeong had boasted that no one could take him as long as he was holding onto him, he had to trust him.
He had considered changing the man’s status to a suspect and applying for an arrest warrant to put him in a detention center, but considering Chairman Shim’s background as a former gangster, a detention center wasn’t exactly a safe place. If the Chairman set his mind to it, he could eliminate him in any way.
Time passed, and it was already past 10 PM. Hee-shin removed the finger cot from his left finger and flexed his stiff fingers to loosen his wrist. Afterward, he organized his documents and picked up his coat.
“I’ll head out first. I’m sorry.”
Chief Oh urged him to go quickly.
“Go home and get some sleep.”
“You two should stop and go home as well. I think I’ll be pulling all-nighters for a while.”
At those words, Chief Oh put down her pen and stretched, and Assistant Baek Young-mi also began preparing to finish. Even as he stepped outside and breathed in the cool air, his chest felt strangely tight. He started the car and entered the destination, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave immediately. After lingering for about ten minutes, he finally left the parking lot.
After driving for about thirty minutes, a notification appeared that he was near his destination. He parked in the underground garage and went to the lobby, where the staff handed him a key as soon as they heard Im Gyeong’s name. When he tapped the key in the elevator, the light for the 23rd floor lit up.
Upon exiting on the 23rd floor, Room 2301 appeared immediately. He pressed the doorbell, but there was no answer. He took a deep breath and pressed the button again. Still no response. Did he fall asleep? I’d rather he had. He wondered if he should just go back now. As he deliberated, he heard a presence inside, and Im Gyeong appeared.
“You’re here?”
Seeing him smiling brightly while wearing only a robe made Hee-shin suddenly want to turn around and leave. The faint scent of body wash made his head spin slightly. The door opened, and Im Gyeong guided him inside. The room was divided into a bedroom and a living room, and in the living room, a bottle of liquor was set out, perhaps for drinking. Neatly sliced fruit accompanied it.
“Sit. Do you want a drink?”
“I’ll pass.”
“You must have been busy with work.”
“Yes.”
“Is that why? Your face looks a bit haggard.”
The man’s gaze, staring intently at his face, felt more uncomfortable than usual today. When Hee-shin looked down to avoid it, he heard a low chuckle. They sat facing each other, and as Im Gyeong crossed his legs, the robe parted, revealing his lower body. His long, toned calves and firm thighs, which contrasted with his pretty face, caught his eye.
“I heard you had a meal at your parents’ house.”
“Yes.”
“Congratulations. You might actually become a real part of the family.”
“Thank you.”
“Have you thought about it?”
“…….”
“You said you’d give me what I want.”
“What exactly is it that you want, Im Gyeong-ssi?”
“You know, so why are you fishing for it?”
Im Gyeong smiled like a painting. Feeling as if he were being strangled, Hee-shin pulled his tie slightly loose. The sound of ice melting and clinking in the glass was grating. No, the entire situation was just irritating. As he kept his mouth shut, Im Gyeong leaned his chin on the armrest of the sofa, sitting askew.
“How long do I have to wait?”
“…….”
“Take it off. Stop playing coy.”