Peerless Beauty
Ju Harin received a phone call first thing in the morning.
"Yes. Yes. So you're telling us to take the day off today? I'll pass that along to Representative Cha."
It was Detective Min.
He explained that the investigation was likely to drag on, so he would handle the 'Three-Day Finder Service' requests all at once on another day.
Only five requests had been received yesterday.
Although consultation appointments were scheduled for this afternoon, the initial rush from the first day had died down.
"We just need to get them done within three days, so it's not a problem."
—And please make sure to pass along what I said earlier to Assistant Manager Hyeon Jubaek.
"Yes, I will."
As Ju Harin hung up the receiver, the door to the conference room, where an English conversation class had been running since morning, swung open.
"Good job today, everyone."
"You must review what we learned today. I will check tomorrow."
"Yes, Teacher!"
Cha Donbaek gave the loudest response to Amy's reminder.
The morning conversational English class was highly popular.
The entire sales team—meaning all the male employees—took the English conversation class.
The class was held in the morning.
This was because Amy's counseling duties began in the afternoon.
Ju Harin called out to Representative Cha as he stepped out of the conference room.
"Representative Cha, I have a message for you."
"For me?"
"Yes. Detective Min won't be able to make it in today. He said he'll handle the requests scheduled for today all at once on another day."
"Another day? When? Tomorrow is the weekend."
"I assume he means next Monday."
"Understood for now."
The sales team could only work when Detective Min was around.
This was because he held a monopoly on all the information.
They were dying to know where that information came from, but it was an unwritten rule in this company never to ask.
Ju Harin had found it strange at first too, but now she didn't even care to wonder.
"What you don't know can't hurt you."
The words Detective Min had spoken felt less like a warning and more like a gesture of consideration.
"Oh, and Assistant Manager Hyeon. Detective Min left a message for you."
"For me?"
"Yes. Could you step over here for a moment?"
While Ju Harin was talking to Hyeon Jubaek, Min Gain called out to Assistant Manager Dong, who was just leaving the conversation class.
"Assistant Manager Dong."
"Yes, Ms. Min."
"Let's chat..."
"Ah, yes. Just a moment."
It was her signal that she had something to say over the messenger.
Assistant Manager Dong quickly sat down at his desk and booted up his computer.
Just a few months ago, his life had been completely detached from computers, but now he could perform internet searches and chat like this.
It was all thanks to Min Gain teaching him, saying that an office worker needed to know these things.
As soon as the computer booted up, the messenger program popped up.
Assistant Manager Dong accepted Min Gain's chat request without a second thought.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you mean? Just chatting..."
Assistant Manager Dong, who had been typing away without realizing it, startled and turned around at the warm breath brushing against the back of his neck.
Cha Donbaek was staring down at him from behind.
"Boss—I mean, Representative."
"'Peerless Beauty'? Who on earth is that?"
"Ah, why are you snooping into my private life..."
The chat partner had made a swift exit, but the screen was still visible.
Instead of just minimizing the window, Assistant Manager Dong pulled the computer's power plug entirely.
"Sneaking up behind me and peeking. Seriously, that's not cool."
He glared and protested, but to Cha Donbaek, it just looked like a cute tantrum from a younger brother.
"Want to go grab a smoke?"
"I quit smoking."
"Why?"
"My breath smells."
"Oh, you've really lost your mind. Who did you say it was earlier? Peerless..."
"Fine, let's go. I'll start smoking again."
As he reluctantly followed, Assistant Manager Dong didn't even turn his head toward Min Gain, terrified of causing her any trouble.
Once they reached the rooftop, Cha Donbaek spoke with a cigarette dangling from his lips.
"No office dating."
"Who's dating?"
"'Peerless Beauty' is Ms. Min, right?"
"...Yes."
"Since when?"
"Ah, seriously. I told you, we're not dating. I just had to ask her about something I needed."
"And you're giving her a ride to the library?"
"Well, we're colleagues, so it's just once in a while."
Perhaps realizing how weak his excuse sounded, Assistant Manager Dong's voice grew softer and softer.
"Don't be a coward. If you like her, just say so. Do you lack that much guts?"
"Fine, I like her. Happy now?"
"Are you thinking about marriage?"
"Oh, please, Boss. How could an ex-con like me even compare to her?"
"You never know between a man and a woman. Look at me. Who would've thought I'd end up dating Amy?"
"That's because sister-in-law grew up abroad and is open-minded. Do you think Detective Min would ever allow it? If I were him, she'd be too precious to give away to someone like me."
"Hey, in my eyes, you're the catch. You're loyal, manly, got strong fists, and a face that, you know, ensures nobody will ever push you around."
"As if that's something to brag about..."
No matter how much Cha Donbaek praised him, Assistant Manager Dong's shattered self-esteem couldn't be restored.
A situation where he couldn't say he liked her even though he did.
His heart was helplessly drawn to her, yet he felt even more apologetic at the thought that she might actually return his feelings.
And so, Assistant Manager Dong chose to love her from afar.
Just then, Manager Geum opened the rooftop door and asked Cha Donbaek.
"They said a large group is coming to the restaurant. They want to know if we can help out."
"How many people?"
"Around a hundred and twenty, I think? Anyway, they're short-handed and struggling even to prep the ingredients."
"When do we need to be there?"
"If you're not busy, right now."
"Got it. Go on down and start helping. I'll be right there."
"Yes, Boss."
Cha Donbaek turned back to Assistant Manager Dong to ask what he was still curious about.
"'Peerless Beauty' is a nickname you gave her, right? Is Ms. Min really that pretty in your eyes?"
"Didn't you hear her repeatedly begging us to bring receipts so she could save on taxes? It's not just that she's pretty; I like how sharp and smart she is..."
"So you love her?"
"Boss, seriously!"
He yelled in frustration, but it was a threat that didn't faze Cha Donbaek in the slightest.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. But since when do you read books?"
"I asked her to buy it for me. I didn't know where to get it."
"What book?"
"Just a book."
"Is that a secret too?"
"Stop asking. What kind of company has zero privacy?"
"'What kind'? Did you just talk back to me?"
"N-No, that's not what I meant..."
"Spit it out before you get beaten up. What book is it?"
"K-Korean c-culinary license."
"Did you bite your tongue? Why are you slurring your words?"
"*Sigh.* I'm trying to get a Korean culinary license. I asked her to get me a study guide for the written exam. I was going to keep it a secret because it'd be embarrassing if I failed."
"Wow, look at this guy. Your ambition is no joke, huh?"
"Why are you bringing up ambition?"
"You're planning to help your future father-in-law with the restaurant and then inherit the whole place, aren't you?"
"Agh! I can't take this anymore!"
At Cha Donbaek's relentless teasing, Assistant Manager Dong finally exploded.
He huffed and puffed, looking around as if searching for something to use as a weapon.
In times like this, running away was the best option.
"I'm heading down first, so hurry up and come help. Your father-in-law is super busy today."
"Get back here!"
As Cha Donbaek ran away laughing, the moment he stepped down the stairs, his eyes welled up with sudden emotion.
The stigma of being an ex-convict weighed on him too.
A shameful record of the past that could never be washed away and would follow him for the rest of his life. Even if Amy understood, what about the children they might have in the future...?
"Whew, I should just go wash some dishes. That's the best cure for overthinking."
Overcoming troubling thoughts by pushing his body to the limit was Cha Donbaek's way.
"Slow down a bit. Do you realize you're going over a hundred and sixty kilometers an hour?"
Sitting in the passenger seat, Seo Jihye gripped the handle tightly and yelled.
"Huh? Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought and didn't realize."
"Should I drive?"
"No, it's fine. You already drove when we went to Taean. I'll focus and drive properly."
I slowed down and decided to focus solely on the road.
"What are you thinking about so deeply?"
"The motive. Who killed him, for what reason, and why?"
"Will thinking about it do any good when we don't even have any clues?"
"It's a process of warming up my brain. When I'm fully immersed, I end up noticing clues that I would have otherwise overlooked."
"Immersion?"
"It's like tuning a radio. If the frequency isn't aligned, everything just sounds like static."
In the past, I was always in this state before starting an investigation.
"Who taught you that?"
"My mentor. Detective Son Daesan."
I felt Seo Jihye stealing a glance at me.
"What? Is it weird?"
"Are you okay now?"
"Okay with what?"
"Hearing your mentor's name. Does it not affect you anymore?"
"Did you hear a rumor that I go wild whenever someone mentions my mentor's name?"
Seo Jihye nodded in response.
"You did?"
"It was everywhere."
"...You must have thought I was a lunatic."
"Yes. But actually meeting you, you're less..."
"...crazy than you thought?"
"Yes."
Perhaps because I was indeed crazy, it wasn't easy to look at myself objectively.
Rumors were just rumors; I didn't pay them any mind.
"Rumors are always exaggerated anyway. We're here. The Seoul Forensic Science Institute."
If the body had been sent to the National Forensic Service headquarters, we would have had to travel all the way to Wonju. Fortunately, the Taean Police Station had sent it to the Seoul Forensic Science Institute, saving us travel time.
Seo Jihye, who was incredibly well-connected, had plenty of contacts not only at headquarters but also at the institute.
As soon as she arrived at the institute, she sought out a chief researcher of a fairly high rank.
"It's been a while, Senior."
"Oh, Inspector Seo. How long has it been?"
"About a year? How have you been?"
"Same as always. What brings you here? Surely you didn't come just to see me?"
"I came to check the autopsy results. The victim's name is Shin Haejun. He should have been transferred from the Taean station last night."
"The body buried in the sandy beach?"
"Yes."
"Hey! We only received the autopsy order this morning. How are you here already?"
"I'll wait. Will it take long?"
"Still as impatient as ever, I see. The dissection is underway right now, so it'll take at least two hours to finish the tissue examination."
"Two hours?"
Seo Jihye frowned and checked her watch.
Seeing her expression darken, it seemed she had plans for the evening.
Sensing the struggles of a working mother, I spoke up first.
"If you have something urgent, go ahead first."
"My mother isn't home, so I asked a friend to watch my kid. Two hours is fine, but if it gets any later, it'll be a bit difficult."
"Then just wait to see the results and head straight home."
"You're not waiting with me?"
"It's a waste of time for both of us to wait here. I'll head to Hankuk University and look into Shin Haejun's social circle."
"I mean, that works for me, but..."
"Call me when the results are out. I'll head out first."
"Don't work too late. You'll ruin your health."
If I worried about ruining my health, I shouldn't have become a detective.
Back when I worked at the local precinct, I pulled stakeouts and stayed up all night every other day, and I could count on one hand the times I sat down to eat a peaceful meal at a dining table.
My workplace was a place where knives and iron pipes danced.
I caught criminals with the mindset that letting them go meant death, which earned me countless disciplinary actions.
For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was back in those days.
I wanted to prove to myself that I could conduct an investigation even without Beomjappa.
Was it because my blood was pumping?
My steps toward the parking lot grew faster and faster.
I arrived at Hankuk University and called Hyeon Jubaek.
"Did you find anything?"
—Yes. The client has been running a rice soup restaurant in a traditional market in Cheongju for a long time.
"So they sent their child to Hankuk University by selling rice soup?"
—Yes, the parents were incredibly devoted. Even though he could have stayed in the dorms, they rented a studio apartment near the school for him, worried that dorm life might distract him from his studies.
"Did he have a girlfriend?"
—He brought a girl named Jeong Yurim to the restaurant once last spring, but that was the only time.
Did they break up?
"Anything else?"
—As soon as he entered Hankuk University, he joined a study hall called 'Changcheonjae' to prepare for the CPA exam.
"Doesn't he get sick of studying? Joining a study hall right after entering university."
—My thoughts exactly.
"Did you find out anything else?"
—No. That's all for now.
"You worked hard without even getting to rest."
—Don't mention it. Please call me anytime you have a task for me.
"Yes. Thank you."
True to his background as a former military police officer, Hyeon Jubaek reported only the core facts.
It was short and concise, but it was more than enough for me.
"Now, shall we dig a little deeper?"
I headed to the Business Administration department office.
"Excuse me."
When I opened the door and walked in, there was only one staff member in sight.
Since it was the vacation period, it seemed only a skeleton crew was working.
The employee seemed to be preparing to leave for the day, packing up her things with her bag placed on the desk.
"Who are you?"
"I'm a detective. I have a few questions."
"...Yes, go ahead."
"Do you know a sophomore student in the Business Administration department named Shin Haejun? I heard he entered the university as the runner-up of his class."
"Of course I do. But he's currently on a leave of absence."
"A leave of absence?"
"He applied for a leave right after finishing the first semester of his sophomore year."
"Did he say he was going to the military?"
"I'm not sure. But why do you ask?"
The news of Shin Haejun's death had not yet reached the school.
"His body was found yesterday."
"Oh my goodness!"
Shocked by the sudden news of his death, the employee covered her mouth.
"Oh no, how... how did he die?"
"We are currently investigating to find that out."
"Ah. Yurim will faint when she hears this."
"Are you talking about Jeong Yurim?"
"Yes. They were a campus couple in Changcheonjae. Both of them were innocent kids who only knew how to study."
"Could I get her contact information?"
"Oh, well..."
The employee pointed a finger behind me.
A female student in a tracksuit had just opened the door and walked in.
She had a plain, makeup-free face, but she was a striking beauty.
"Who did you say just died?"