Chapter 16 - 1#

Do-jin, who emerged after drying his hair, tightened the knot of his robe.

As he stepped into the bedroom, his stubborn mouth curved slightly as if something pleasant had happened.

“Team Leader Nam, now work…” The bed where he cast his gaze was empty.

“••· It seems you woke up and left well enough on your own.”

At dawn today, Hye-jun had fallen asleep as if he had fainted, in a state of utter exhaustion. Do-jin was well aware that Hye-jun had been running forward without a proper rest while investigating for the past two months. Therefore, he hadn’t guessed that Hye-jun would be able to wake up this quickly. It was clearly his own miscalculation.

Looking around his surroundings, Do-jin checked the other bedrooms, the bathroom, the restroom, the parlor, and even the dining room of the suite just in case. It was as he expected. Though he knew that what he anticipated would happen exactly as thought, he still found his phone and placed a call.

The call only connected; he could not hear a voice. No matter how many times he tried, the result was the same.

‘He’s not picking up!’

Nam Hye-jun had obtained a long vacation of about a week, including this Tuesday through the weekend. It was intended as a reward. Even though Do-jin knew it would slightly complicate the schedule of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit, it was a vacation he had intentionally given, hoping Hye-jun would finally get some proper rest. Looking back now, he judged that this, too, had been a bad move.

The eyes of a predator, simulating what kind of picture its prey might be drawing in its head, flashed sharply. All along, Hye-jun’s desires had been castrated. At crucial moments, he never spoke of what he wanted. Nam Hye-jun, who faced injustice, crises, instability, and even danger head-on, would surely try to run away from last night’s sweet memories. However, because he was also a clever policeman, he would know that Do-jin wouldn’t just leave it at that.

In this case, Nam Hye-jun’s thoughts were obvious. There was a high probability he would stay hidden throughout the holiday. Do-jin could clearly see himself being the only one tormented by anxiety while his calls were ignored.

When the future was clearly visible, prevention was one way to handle it. He immediately called Section Chief Son.

• Yes, Chief. It’s me.

“You remember Team Leader Nam Hye-jun. Things got a bit complicated because of him as soon as I took office at the Central Agency.”

• Of course. I remember because I had a hard time cleaning up the situation back then.

“Track Team Leader Nam’s movements from now on.” The shrewd secretary on the other end of the phone seemed to misunderstand the true intent of this command.

• You said you’d keep an eye on him for a long time. I’ll attach someone immediately. What kind of scene should we secure? Embezzlement? Acceptance of money or goods? Or is it a sex scandal?

Do-jin paused, holding the phone in one hand while stroking the back of his neck with the other. It wasn’t unreasonable for Section Chief Son, who only remembered the shock that occurred during the first meeting with Hye-jun, to judge it that way. Moreover, since Do-jin had never once ordered to track someone’s private path without a specific purpose, it was natural that Son’s thoughts wouldn’t reach that far. It was something Do-jin himself hadn’t even anticipated.

However, it had happened, and Do-jin no longer had any intention of running away from the emotions that were now so glaringly obvious.

“He’s on vacation starting today. See if he books tickets for planes, trains, buses, or any other means of transportation. Whether he reserves lodging or convenience facilities. Whether he rents a vehicle. Whether he gases up his own car. Where his destination is. Whether he has a companion. If he does, check the identity and background of said companion as well.”

• This sounds like the route of someone going on a trip.

“I suppose I should call it an escape. If he goes somewhere, check if there are any unusual items in his card usage history during that period. Entertainment facilities or… well, I don’t think that would happen. But if by any chance he’s visiting such places in desperation, catch him before he does anything foolish.”

• You mean you want me to check how he’s playing. Understood for now. Will this be enough?

“No, additionally. He might not necessarily be going somewhere. In that case, if there’s a sign of him going out, report it as it is; if he’s stuck at home, report it as it is. I want to know what he’s doing, what he’s going to do, and if possible, even what this punk is thinking while holed up in his room.”

The silence of the other party continued. It seemed he utterly could not understand this command. One downside was that even Do-jin, who always judged a situation and prepared for what was to come, could not give an answer in a clear form. He was not immune to such ambiguous sensations. Pressing his forehead irritably with his fingertips as if he had a headache, he added.

“Find out as much detail as possible and report back.”

• What should I do if he stays quietly at home?

“Then report it as such and hold the situation. Anyway, I’m thinking of going to see him myself now.”

• Are you not coming to work? I believe today is the day the suspect in the Jang Seon-gyeom case is being sent to the prosecution. You have to go into a meeting at the Main Agency after the referral.

“That’s not the problem right now••····•”

Do-jin stopped speaking for a moment. That’s not the problem? He wondered if those words had really come out of his own mouth.

He ran his hand over the spot where Hye-jun had been lying before he went in to wash. Perhaps because the air conditioning was running weakly inside, the spot was already cool without a trace of warmth. His expression as he felt that cold temperature with his palm was subtle, as if his mood was soured.

Considering the time it took to wash and dry his hair, he calculated that it must have been quite a while since Nam Hye-jun slipped out of here.

Unless something unusual happened, he would have already arrived home. If he had intended to be away somewhere, there was a 90% chance they would miss each other even if Do-jin left now. Do-jin, accepting that fact with dissatisfaction, gave additional instructions out of necessity.

“Considering the time, he should have arrived home by now. Team Leader Nam’s condition isn’t good today. He’s not the type to go to the hospital on his own. Check if his physical condition looks strange and report that first.”

• Yes, I’ll call you.

After finishing the call, he tossed his phone onto the bed. As he turned to go change his clothes, the state of the sheets caught his mind and he stopped. Returning the way he came, he checked the warmth of the spot where Hye-jun had been lying once more. That gesture was, surprisingly, quite tender. His facial expression became clear, as if all doubts were being lifted like dark clouds clearing away. It was the look of someone who had found the answers to several questions.

Because he hadn’t known such a thing existed within him, he hadn’t been sure of the form of his emotions. He thought that if they slept together, he could clearly sort out the confusion. Whether what he wanted was Nam Hye-jun’s body, or dominance itself, or a petty emotional victory, or something else entirely.

Last night’s sex was satisfying beyond measure. If the goal had been to be the winning pitcher who won the game, he could just step down from the mound now and return to his daily life. Yet, Do-jin felt an emptiness somewhere in this moment. It felt as though he wouldn’t be able to get a grip on anything all day. His head was so full of something else that it was becoming unbearable.

In the end, he had no choice but to humbly admit that he wanted to see that face again—the face he had faced for months until he was sick of it, and had looked at all through the dawn until he was weary.

‘Why me?’

Nam Hye-jun, who was clumped together with defense mechanisms because his wounds hadn’t been treated in time, was the greatest “wrong answer” of his life. The only thing different from other wrong answers was that he couldn’t help but choose it even while knowing. He couldn’t believe that he was refusing the smooth path and choosing a steep one just to hold onto one man covered in scars.

Moreover, a one-sided love. Do-jin was a person who had forgotten for decades that such a word even existed in the world. Even when it’s mutual, people let go when it gets hard, yet it was one-sided. And from his side, at that.

‘Why.’

He was out of breath up to his throat with the desire to hold onto Hye-jun, who had said, “It’s not that I won’t let go, it’s that I can’t.” He was at a loss because he wanted that brave and strong fool who self-mockingly called himself a coward.

An uncharacteristic impatience surged, wanting to see how long Hye-jun could endure without shaking off his hand.

He began to want to believe that Nam Hye-jun alone would be different.

For the first time in his life, he realized that a very difficult riddle had been placed before him.

“This bastard causes trouble from one to ten.”

Suppressing the emotions and thoughts that felt like they would explode, Do-jin took another step forward, his ears faintly red.