Chapter 11
“I'm home.”
The outskirts of Seoul.
A three-story house in a multi-unit complex
When Hyunsoo opened the shabby door and entered, the smell of soybean paste stew stung his nose.
“Grandma, did you make soybean paste stew?”
Hyunsoo threw the laundry piled up over the past few days in front of the front door and ran toward the kitchen. Then he saw a short old woman with gray hair.
“You punk, you're staying out all night long, aren't you?!”
When the grandmother slapped Hyunsoo on the back, Hyunsoo grabbed his back and stepped back.
“Ah, I've been busy catching bad guys!”
“Just excuses.”
“But I'm hungry.”
As Hyunsoo stretched out his mouth, the grandmother, who turned her head, said while scooping the stew.
“If you want to eat it, hurry up, wash your hands, and change clothes!”
“Yes!”
Hyunsoo smiled at his grandmother's harsh but kind words and headed to the bathroom.
The grandmother was not Hyunsoo's biological grandmother. As Hyunsoo began to see future cases, she was the grandmother of the victim of the first case he solved.
The victim was the same age as Hyunsoo, and the grandmother was left alone without a family due to the death of the victim.
It was a time when Hyunsoo was having a hard time because it was before inheriting the inheritance, but he couldn't ignore the grandmother who was left alone.
“Grandma, do you want to move?”
“Move? Aigo, forget it. I’m over 80 and my back will break while preparing to move. I’m not going!”
“Gosh. Such old people talks. Please just get ready to move as the moving company is doing it!”
Hyunsoo, who put down his spoon, leaned his upper body to speak in earnest.
“It's uncomfortable here. It's hard for you to go up and down the stairs because it's not on the first floor but on the third floor, and there's no sauna around here that Grandma likes, let alone a mart.”
“What mart are you talking about? Do I ever go to a mart? I go to the market. I like the market better. There are lots of cheap and delicious food…….”
“Let's go somewhere nice over there with that infrastructure. There's a gym in the apartment, a cafe, and downtown with a sauna is just around the corner! I have enough money to buy a house like that.”
“How do young people like you have that much money? Yours is also a typical civil servant's salary.”
“Ah, you know I have the inheritance……. Why are you so stubborn?!”
Despite Hyun-soo's persuasion, the grandmother only shook her head, saying that there was no such thing.
“No, then why aren't you going to the hospital? I heard you're not answering your doctor's phone? You didn't want to go to the hospital, so I even appointed a personal doctor.…….”
“Forget it! I know my body best. What do those doctors know?!”
“Grandma, I’m paying a lot of money for your personal doctor. Please don't waste money…….”
Then, the grandmother put down her spoon.
“Help poor people with that money. Help the victims, not me. No matter how much the perpetrators are punished by the court and sent to prison, it is the victims and their families who have to live with a hole in their hearts.”
“Grandma…….”
“Help them. Money won't fill the hole, but it's better than nothing.”
The grandmother was the one who lived with Hyunsoo, whose parents died when he was just becoming an adult.
Did Hyunsoo naturally learn the grandmother's harsh words and warm heart?
Hyunsoo, who listened to the grandmother's heartfelt words, shook his head and raised the spoon.
“Old people are so stubborn…… Then let’s eat and order a late-night snack. I can spend that much money on us.”
“What do you mean late-night snack! I'm going to have a stomachache.”
“How about chicken? Grandma likes chicken.”
“……Seasoning?”
“Half and half.”
The grandmother, who was staring at Hyunsoo, nodded coolly.
“Okay, half and half.”
* * *
After a while.
Hyunsoo, who entered the quiet room alone, sat at his desk.
How many bottles did he drink with his grandmother? His cheeks, which he usually bragged about because he was drinking alcohol, were red.
“Ah, Grandma. She drinks really well.”
Hyunsoo smiled as he shook his head to regain consciousness.
“She loves drinking so much that her body is not healthy.”
Hyunsoo let out a small sigh and put his hand under the desk. Then he something caught.
It was a piece of paper taped under the desk.
Hyunsoo tore the paper and put it on the desk. On the paper labeled [Clue], there were numbers marked with traces of writing, erasing repeatedly.
They were the characteristics of Hyunsoo's ability.
Future incidents flash through his mind. The characteristics of these.
[Incident in the near future.]
[I can see the incidents that happened in a location close to where I am.]
[Inevitable?]
“In……evitable.”
To Hyunsoo, who was now used to this ability, this was the only part that caught him.
Hyunsoo, who had a strong desire to somehow prevent the incident before there was a victim, had made various efforts to prevent the incident that flashed in his head, but all to no avail.
The conclusion that came to an end was inevitable.
So Hyunsoo became more and more frantic in catching the perpetrators. Because it was the only alternative to relieve his guilt.
Hyunsoo, who got up from his seat with the paper in his hand, moved to the window. The streetlight In front of the house leaked in through the window.
Looking at the light still, Hyunsoo held the paper in his hand tightly.
* * *
The next day.
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the hallway in front of the deputy chief of investigation's office.
Team Leader Heo Insung with his mouth grinning from ear to ear quietly closed the door of the deputy chief's office.
‘Haa, I tried to stop him…… He ended up causing an accident. Breaking down the trunk of a lawyer's car to get evidence…….’
Team Leader Heo Insung, who visited the deputy chief of investigation's office from the morning, induced Hyunsoo to take disciplinary action with flamboyant words.
‘Even with the warrant came out, the police were not gangsters, but he broke the trunk with a baseball bat like that mercilessly……. If we just move on, the Daesang Law Firm will definitely shake the media. In order to protect the police organization, Lee Hyunsoo should be disciplined.’
Although the deputy chief of investigation seemed not to be interested in Hyunsoo, Team Leader Heo Insung continued to talk. And the result was successful.
‘No matter how stupid he is, a mere public servant can't do that.’
Hyunsoo was already aware that he was covering up the case with money from the rich.
Maybe it was because there was no physical evidence or for some other reason, he seemed to be just watching him, but Team Leader Heo was anxious.
‘That crazy guy, you never know when he's gonna stab me in the back.’
He wanted to punish him and make him take off his police uniform, or at least send him to a place far away from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
He burst into laughter like that and headed for the office.
* * *
At that time.
The corner of the office of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Major Crime Investigation Team 1 was still crowded today.
Hyunsoo, who was sitting almost lying down with his waist bent quite a lot, was still wrestling with the paper he had at home yesterday.
‘Inevitable.’
Numerous circles were drawn there. Hyun-soo didn't want to make more victims.
‘Then…… If an incident flashes in my head, if it only comes out before the victim dies…… Does that mean the victim can be saved?’
It was when he frowned and turned his eyes.
“!”
Another incident flashed through his mind.
“Traffic……accident? But this isn't a major case…….”
Hyunsoo, who opened his eyes, straightened his back and jumped up from his seat.
“Police Officer Kim Yoojoon!”
“Yes!”
Hyunsoo said to Police Officer Kim Yoojoon, who ran straight to Hyunsoo's call.
“Go to the ‘Seongri Police Station’ now and see if there are any reports of traffic accidents being received.”
“Being received? Not already filed?”
“Uh. Received within today.”
“Ah, I understand!”
Police Officer Kim Yoojoon ran out, and Hyunsoo put on the coat that was hanging on the chair.
“Let's start with CCTV…….”
It was then.
“Wait.”
“Team Leader-nim?”
Team Leader Heo Insung blocked Hyunsoo.
* * *
“The disciplinary committee?”
After a while, the lobby on the first floor.
“Uh. Haa…….”
Team Leader Heo Insung sighed and looked at Hyunsoo with sad eyes.
“You didn't do it on purpose, it was because you had a great sense of justice. It's not malicious. Even though I talked a lot like that, it didn't even work. Rules are rules, I guess breaking Lawyer Baek's trunk like that had a big impact.”
Team Leader Heo lowered his head and spat out a small voice.
“Haa. I’m sorry. I’m the team leader but I can't protect a single team member.”
It was a pretentious cry.
He wanted to throw a party at the news that Hyunsoo could finally be disciplined. However, he was also Hyunsoo’s team leader, and with his help, he avoided the head of the district Park's retaliation, so he couldn't openly show his joy.
‘Please, let's stop seeing each other.’
Team Leader Heo covered his face with both hands. He sighed and facepalmed as if he was blaming himself.
“I won't let you get fired at all costs…….”
When Team Leader Heo lowered his hand, he saw Hyunsoo’s face in front of him.
“Ouh sh*t, you startle me.”
Surprised by Hyunsoo's face, which was too close, Team Leader Heo opened his eyes wide.
“Why are you sticking your face in like this?”
Team Leader Heo stepped back, pushing Hyunsoo's staring face away from him.
“I was really surprised……. Yah, I thought since you helped me this time, I'm going to pay you back. I didn't say we should be this close…….”
“Team Leader-nim.”
“What?”
“Team Leader-nim, you know that when you lie, it’s written all over your face, right?”
“Uh, uh?”
“Your eyes are crying, but your mouth is smiling. Look, the corners of your mouth are going up.”
Hyunsoo's finger pointed at Team Leader Heo's mouth. It was definitely not a sad expression.
“When did I laugh again……! Yah! You're lucky I'm the team leader! There's no team leader who's so worried about the team member's disciplinary committee being held! If the team members do something wrong, other team leaders will be busy telling on them…….”
“Ah, did Team Leader-nim tell on me? You want to hold a disciplinary committee for me?”
“It's not that…… I’m…….”
It was then.
Jiiing-
[Police Officer Kim Yoojoon]
Hyunsoo, who confirmed the caller, answered the phone right away.
“The team leader is talking, yet you punk is on the phone…….”
“Uh, tell me.”
-One has been received now! It's a traffic accident at the intersection in front of Seongri Bridge. A car hit a child who was crossing the crosswalk!
“What about the victim?”
-The victim was taken to the hospital, but…… it would be hard because the victim was too young.
When Hyunsoo hung up the phone, saying he would go soon, Team Leader Heo Insung put his face in.
“What, what are you talking about? What victim?”
“You said we're not this close. Why are you suddenly putting your face…….”
“Yah, that's not the same as this. I'm curious what kind of victim…… Yah, where are you going all of a sudden?!”
He shouted at Hyunsoo, who lightly ignored the words of Team Leader Heo Insung and moved on.
“Yah, Lee Hyunsoo!”
“To work.”
“W, work? Where?”
Hyunsoo stopped walking and turned around.
“Murder under the guise of an accident.”
“……Huh?!”
“……I think so.”
“……You think so? No, that's not the point…… Your disciplinary committee is going to be held!”
“I know. Let me know when the date is fixed~”
Then he waved his hand leisurely and left the police station.
Team Leader Heo Insung shook his head as he looked at Hyunsoo’s back.
“That guy…… is really a nutcase.”