By Zephyria 
“The prosecutor is over there. That’s where the guy is.”
Chief Oh Su-young, who had just stepped out of the cafe, pointed toward a glittering building. It was an entertainment establishment located in the prime real estate of South Korea, said to be operated on a membership basis. A witness to a case that had recently caused a stir in the media was inside. A male entertainer, known as a ‘host.’
“What does he look like?”
“You’ll know him the moment you see him. He’s practically glowing, you know? I’m telling you, aside from our prosecutor here, I’ve never seen anyone that handsome.”
“His name is Louis?”
“Not Louis, Roy. Like Roy from Team Rocket.”
“What is Team Rocket?”
“Wow, it really shows that you’ve done nothing but study. You don’t know Rosa and Roy?”
He couldn’t bring himself to say that it wasn’t because he’d only studied, but because he had been so poor he didn’t even own a TV.
“Will you be alright on your own? Should I go with you?”
“Don’t worry. I’m Kang Hee-shin.”
At those words, Chief Oh nodded. Who was Kang Hee-shin? Was he not the man who had wiped out a massive organization formed by a coalition of gangsters during his time in the Violent Crimes Unit? Because of that, his face had appeared in the newspapers, and thanks to his good looks, he had even gained a fan club.
“Then I’ll be back. Keep a good watch.”
Setting down his coffee, he got out of the car and walked toward the entrance, where, as expected, burly guards blocked his path. You cannot enter without permission. At that, Kang Hee-shin pulled out the ID badge from his inner jacket pocket and waved it. A subtle change appeared on the guards’ faces.
The guard in the back sent a radio message somewhere, and a moment later, someone hurried up the stairs. A man with a sturdy build and a sharp gaze, one of the establishment’s managers, whom he had met during a witness investigation. He seemed to have already grasped the situation.
“Oh my, how did such a distinguished guest end up coming all the way here?”
“We meet again. You know why I’m here, right?”
“Of course I do. But, Prosecutor, it’s quite difficult for us if you keep doing this.”
“Isn’t it difficult for both of us? No need for long explanations; it’ll only take a moment, so let me in.”
The man smiled with a troubled expression.
“We have some important guests inside right now. I will persuade him well and make sure he appears tomorrow without fail.”
“Liar.”
“Pardon?”
“I heard you told my Chief the same thing when she came. But he didn’t show up. If you keep acting like this, you won’t know what I’ll bring with me next time. Let’s keep this friendly. Okay?”
“…….”
“Or do you want me to actually make things difficult for you? Is that it?”
The General manager seemed to ponder for a moment before gesturing to the guards. As the guards stepped aside, Kang Hee-shin wore a confident smile and brushed past their shoulders. See? It’s easier when we understand each other a little.
Following the General manager down the stairs, he saw more guards stationed throughout. Contrary to the glittering exterior, the interior wasn’t much different from any other bar. Waiters were seen rushing through the hallways, and boisterous laughter leaked out every time a door opened.
“Please wait here inside, and I’ll bring him to you immediately.”
The General manager guided him to a center room, and Kang Hee-shin took a seat in a corner.
“You might be bored while you wait—”
“I’m fine.”
He didn’t want to accept a glass of water only for them to find some excuse to hold it against him later.
“Just bring Kim Hae-sung. I’m a busy man too.”
As he tapped the watch on his wrist, the General manager flashed a professional smile and disappeared. Left alone, Kang Hee-shin took a deep breath. An unpleasant scent irritated the tip of his nose. It felt suffocating. He lightly tugged at the tie that was choking his neck, and in less than ten seconds, the door opened and a man walked in.
He came quickly.
The man, wearing a flashy shirt, was on the phone with a cigarette in his mouth, naturally shifting his gaze toward him.
A brief silence followed, and then fluent Japanese flowed from the man’s mouth.
Chotto matte?
That’s roughly what he understood.
But why is this bastard fluent in Japanese? Does he work abroad?
“Mr. Kim Hae-sung?”
Instead of answering, the man simply stared. Kang Hee-shin was certain the man was Kim Hae-sung. His face proved that the rumors of him being the most popular host in Gangnam were true. Chief Oh hadn’t been wrong when she said he was breathtakingly handsome.
“You came quickly. Sit there.”
At the gesture, the man sat in a nearby seat rather than the one opposite him.
Hee-shin took out his business card and pushed it forward.
“I am Prosecutor Kang Hee-shin from the 3rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. I’ve contacted you several times, haven’t I? I requested a witness investigation regarding the death of model Kim Ju-won, but you kept avoiding it. So I came in person; you have no complaints, right?”
Without answering, the man simply stared at the business card Kang Hee-shin had presented. For an East Asian, his features were remarkably distinct, yet they were harmonious rather than excessive, like a painting carefully etched onto white porcelain.
It was just as Chief Oh had said. Even as a man, he had been momentarily dazed and captivated, so he could only imagine how women felt. There was a reason wealthy wives had bought him villas worth tens of billions of won in Gangnam.
“Are you listening?”
“Ah, sorry. What did you say?”
The man rested one arm on the table and propped up his face. The gaze staring at him from that slanted posture was insolent. Usually, if a prosecutor came all the way here, someone would at least pretend to be scared, but this guy was incredibly relaxed. Moreover, perhaps because he had just come from attending to a guest, a faint scent of alcohol wafted from him.
“Are you really a prosecutor? You look so young.”
“Sit up straight. I’m talking.”
“How old are you? Thirty? Maybe not even that? Looking at your face, I’d believe it if you said you were twenty.”
Ha. This bastard is using pick-up lines on me?
“I said sit up straight.”
“Your name is… Kang Hee-shin… Kang… Hee… Shin… Prosecutor Kang Hee-shin.”
Seeing the guy repeat his name, Hee-shin began to feel his temper rise.
“Sit up straight if you don’t want to get hit.”
The man leaned back into the sofa, draping both arms over the backrest. As his shirt pulled tight, a firm silhouette was revealed. He thought it was unnecessarily impressive for a host to have such a good physique.
“Is a prosecutor allowed to threaten people? A law-abiding citizen?”
As soon as Kim Hae-sung finished speaking, Hee-shin stood up. The guy was trying to have a power struggle with him. Dealing with people like this wasn’t that difficult. He reached out unexpectedly, grabbed the back of the man’s head, and slammed it mercilessly onto the table.
Thanks to that, the handsome face was satisfyingly crushed.
“Hey, Kim Hae-sung. Do I look like a joke to you because I’ve been humoring a piece of trash who sells his body in a room salon? Law-abiding citizen? Law-abiding? Ha, fuck. That’s not a term used for rattlesnakes like you. You little shit, should I strip you down to your underwear and shake everything out of you? Let’s see if you can still smirk then.”
For some reason, the man chuckled while his face was still pressed down.
“Prosecutor… ugh, you have a foul mouth.”
Hee-shin pressed down on the man’s head with more pressure.
“You’re the foul one, and I’m a wonderful prosecutor of the Republic of Korea! You got that, you son of a bitch!”
“It hurts, go easy. Don’t do this. I like things gentle.”
Despite saying it hurt, the man didn’t stop giggling. He couldn’t tell if this crazy bastard was fearless because he was drunk or because he had powerful backing. It was likely the latter. Suppressing his surging anger, he let go of the hair he was holding and straightened his jacket.
The man was exaggerating, slowly tilting his pressed head from side to side, claiming it felt like his neck was broken. Between his glazed eyes and the pungent smell of alcohol, it seemed a conversation wouldn’t be possible today.
Kang Hee-shin swept back his bangs, which had become a mess from the excitement.
Kim Hae-sung simply looked up and gazed blankly at Hee-shin.
“Mr. Kim Hae-sung. Listen to me carefully. You seem drunk, so I’m leaving for now. But if you keep refusing to cooperate like this, it won’t be fun. I don’t care how great your sponsor is; that doesn’t work on me. I’m not joking, so take it to heart, you fuck! Stop smirking!”
Looking at the man who just kept smiling, Hee-shin felt more suspicion than anger. Was this guy on drugs? He wondered if he should just drag him out and do a drug test. But if he was wrong, the fallout would be significant. Forget it, fuck.
As he threatened the man not to do something he’d regret and prepared to leave the room, a languid voice drifted from behind him.
“Prosecutor.”
The man, buried in the sofa, waved the business card held between his fingers.
“See you again.”
He considered punching that obnoxious face one more time but instead kicked the door open and walked out. For some reason, several men in black suits were gathered in the hallway today. Considering this place had ties to gangsters, it wasn’t strange, but their aura was quite different from the usual thugs.
Being human, he felt intimidated inside, but he tried his best not to let it show. No matter how reckless the gangsters were, they wouldn’t kill a prosecutor.
No one stopped him as he walked down the hallway, but his pace gradually quickened. He strode up the stairs and, after exiting the entrance, deliberately tugged at his jacket to tidy his appearance before looking up at the sky. Fuck. I got scared for nothing.
Turning his head, he saw Chief Oh waiting some distance away.
Only upon seeing his ally did a sigh of relief finally escape him.