Reported
Paju Police Station.
In this place, which had become much quieter than before due to a declining population, shouting was suddenly echoing through the halls.
"So, you're saying you did nothing wrong?"
"What exactly did I do wrong?"
"Ha!"
The officer writing up the report looked flabbergasted by Dojin, who didn't even blink at his words.
What kind of times were they living in?
At a time when not just South Korea but the entire world was highly sensitive to quarantine measures, how could he be so brazen after doing something so selfish?
For a moment, the detective even wondered if the young man in front of him was somehow unaware of the pandemic.
"Look here, Mr. Dojin! Do you people not watch the news? The whole country was turned upside down because of that outbreak in Itaewon not long ago, and you're gathering in groups to play? Are you out of your mind?"
"You keep leaving out the core details, so I really don't see the problem. Did I violate any of the quarantine regulations?"
"Unbelievable! Words aren't going to work on this guy. Do you want to end up in a holding cell?"
At first, the detective had tried to handle things gently, thinking it was just the foolishness of an immature youth.
But the more they talked, the more shameless Dojin seemed, pushing the detective to say something he shouldn't have.
"If I have to go in, I'll go in. But before that, I'd like to know exactly why I'm being detained. I only came here voluntarily for questioning. It's not like I committed a crime, is it?"
"I've been telling you this whole time! The government issued emergency quarantine measures due to the pandemic, and you violated them!"
Slam!
Unable to tolerate the circular argument any longer, the detective slammed his hand on the desk and stood up.
But Dojin was not one to be intimidated by this.
He might not look it, but he was an orphan.
He had lived a rather tumultuous life before reaching adulthood, and his actual mental age was ten years older than his current physical age.
There was no way he would confess to a wrongdoing he hadn't committed just because of some shouting.
Looking at the agitated detective, Dojin spoke clearly and calmly.
"I agreed to accompany you here out of goodwill, but seeing your attitude, I can't do this anymore. Please record all of our conversations from now on."
"...What?"
The moment the word "record" left Dojin's mouth, the detective flinched.
It wasn't that he had a guilty conscience, but rather the sheer pressure that came with the word "recording."
Besides, wasn't it Dojin, not the police, who was demanding it?
Wait. Did he really do nothing wrong?
The detective was starting to realize something was off.
But it was a little too late.
Dojin had no intention of letting it go now.
"Are you not going to get a recorder? If not, I'll just record it on my phone. Do you consent?"
"..."
In the end, they moved to an interrogation room equipped with recording devices.
If they didn't, Dojin looked ready to start recording on his own phone.
While they didn't know what issues an official recording might bring, letting Dojin record it himself would be even worse.
It would look as though the police had ignored a legitimate request from someone who had accompanied them voluntarily.
And as soon as they changed rooms, Dojin began to press the detective in earnest.
"Now, would you mind repeating what you said earlier? What did you say I did wrong?"
"W-well, that is... the quarantine regulations..."
"Please don't beat around the bush and tell me clearly. Which part of the quarantine regulations did I violate?"
"..."
"Did I gather people in an enclosed space? Was I not wearing a mask? Or were there too many people?"
"..."
As Dojin continued, the detective's expression grew darker.
He had only dispatched because a report came in, and seeing people gathered and playing, he had brought Dojin in.
But the more he listened, the more he realized there was no actual issue.
He checked the photos taken at the scene, but as expected, there was no violation of quarantine rules there either.
People were scattered around the play equipment and tents, and there wasn't a single group of five or more people.
Whenever they spoke to or encountered others, they made sure to wear masks and maintained a distance of at least two meters.
...Damn it, there really isn't any problem.
At this point, he had no choice but to admit his mistake.
The informant was one thing, but as the responding officer, he should have remained rational. Instead, he had lost his temper the moment he heard the words "quarantine violation."
He had acted too emotionally, thinking of his wife who was currently struggling while working at a public health center.
Let's just clean this up, admit it, and apologize. I can still resolve this easily if I do it now.
Just as he finished assessing the situation and was about to apologize to Dojin,
someone knocked on the door of the interrogation room.
Knock, knock.
The moment Dojin and the officer turned their heads toward the door,
someone opened it and stepped inside.
"Excuse me... who are you?"
The officer spoke instinctively at the appearance of a man in a neat suit who looked to be in his early forties.
Anyone could tell the man was no ordinary visitor.
Sure enough, upon hearing the officer's question, the man pulled a business card from his breast pocket and handed it over.
"I am Choi Young, a partner attorney at Hana Law Firm."
"Pardon? A lawyer? What brings a lawyer here?"
"Why else would a lawyer come to a police station? Naturally, I am here for my client."
"...Me?"
Dojin was actually the one surprised by the lawyer, who casually pulled up a chair next to him.
Someone was suddenly here to represent him?
Having never met a lawyer in his life, Dojin found the situation utterly baffling.
Of course, the most flustered person in the room was someone else entirely.
"Wait, a lawyer came all this way for something like this?"
A lawyer showing up at a police station to defend someone who had merely been reported—not even confirmed—for violating quarantine rules.
In his twenty years on the force, the officer had never seen anything like it.
"What on earth is going on?"
Dojin walked out of the police station with a bewildered look on his face.
The situation, which had been dragging on since he arrived, had been resolved cleanly the moment the lawyer named Choi Young stepped in.
"I will handle things here, so you may go home now, Mr. Dojin."
"What? Oh... really?"
Dojin asked back without realizing it.
Having never hired a lawyer before, everything that happened after Choi Young's arrival felt completely foreign to him.
"Yes. Unless there is a warrant or you were caught in the act of a crime, anyone who merely cooperated with voluntary questioning is free to leave at any time."
"I see."
It meant he could have just walked out the moment the conversation stopped making sense.
He felt foolish for staying and enduring the stress just to cooperate.
Dojin shot a sharp glare at the detective, silently demanding an explanation, when the lawyer spoke again.
"Someone is waiting for you outside. I came here at their request, so please head on out."
"...Alright. Thank you for your help today."
After thanking the lawyer, Dojin walked confidently out of the interrogation room.
The detective couldn't bring himself to stop him.
Not only was Dojin only there voluntarily, but the lawyer standing right in front of him was staring him down with an increasingly cold gaze.
"Dojin, over here."
Lost in thought about what had just transpired in the interrogation room, Dojin looked up at the sound of a voice.
The voice calling his name was quite familiar.
Sure enough, Jo Yeong-jin was waving at him from a short distance away.
Seeing the man who was Director Wang's right hand and like an uncle to him, Dojin felt all his built-up tension melt away.
"What brings you here, Uncle?"
"What do you mean? The Chairman was worried when she heard you were in trouble, so she sent me to help."
"The Director?"
Dojin tilted his head in confusion at Yeong-jin's words.
He hadn't contacted her, so it was strange that the busy Director Wang already knew about his situation.
Noticing Dojin's confusion, Yeong-jin guided him along as he spoke.
"The Chairman is a subscriber to your channel."
"What? The Director?"
"Yes. She signed up for ViewTube just because of you, and she says it's her only joy these days. Even from my perspective, she seems to really enjoy your videos."
"Haha..."
Dojin laughed awkwardly.
He hadn't thought much of it when filming and uploading, but knowing someone he knew was watching made him feel a bit embarrassed.
And of all people, Director Wang?
It felt like he had just performed a talent show in front of his grandmother.
"Personally, I'm very grateful to you."
"Why, Uncle?"
"She doesn't show it, but the Chairman's health isn't what it used to be. She's getting older, and lately, she hasn't had anything to pour her heart into."
"..."
"But when you became independent, you lifted a long-standing burden from her shoulders. That helped her regain some energy, and after watching the videos you uploaded a few days ago, she was laughing just like she used to."
Dojin nodded at Yeong-jin's words.
The videos uploaded a few days ago were of Bo-ri and her kittens, farming, and playing with the children who visited the village.
For the Director, who loved children and animals and enjoyed farming as a hobby, it was literally custom-tailored content.
Dojin could guess which video the Director liked the most.
"She's been watching yesterday's video on repeat. A ninety-minute video, no less. You should have seen the look on her face."
Just as Dojin expected, Director Wang's favorite video was the one uploaded yesterday.
It was a video of the people who had returned to the village on long-term leave, relaxing and playing at Three Meals House.
Although the families kept their distance and there weren't many people gathered, to Chairman Wang, who remembered the old days of Jeong-ah Elementary, that sight was more entertaining than any variety show and more touching than any drama.
"I heard you've been opening the schoolyard for a week already?"
"How did you know?"
In truth, it had been over a week since he opened the schoolyard.
The video uploaded yesterday was edited from footage taken on the first and second days.
I was actually a bit surprised that people agreed so easily.
On the third day of opening, when Seung-wan suggested editing and uploading footage of the schoolyard, Dojin had worried it might be difficult to get permission.
But the villagers had agreed to the proposal much more readily than expected.
"It's simpler than you think. It's a record of their time. Who would dislike having their family memories captured without having to film it themselves?"
Dojin had nodded in agreement at Seung-wan's words.
He recalled how happy all the parents had been when they heard the suggestion.
Of course, the fact that the proposal came from Dojin, who had provided the play equipment and space for them, also played a part.
Thus, Dojin edited the footage from the action cam he wore and the security cameras installed around the property, uploading the video yesterday.
The video triggered another explosive response.
People who had been cooped up inside due to the COVID-19 pandemic flooded the comment section.
Most of the comments expressed envy or vicarious satisfaction, so Dojin hadn't paid much attention to them, but...
"Looking at your face, it seems you haven't checked the recent comments."
"Is the atmosphere bad?"
Dojin had barely looked at his phone yesterday afternoon because he was busy playing with Bo-ri's family for the first time in a while.
Naturally, he hadn't checked the comments on his channel, but hearing Yeong-jin's words, it seemed the reaction wasn't entirely positive.
As Dojin hurriedly reached for his phone, Yeong-jin calmly stopped him.
"You can check that later. Most of them are good comments. It's just that there are always pathetic people who can't stand to see others doing well. That's the reason you got reported this time—a few of them did it."
"Ah..."
Only now did Dojin understand why he had been brought to the police station.
The detective had refused to reveal who had reported him until the very end.
"Tsk. I knew it, but there really are a lot of malicious people out there."
It wasn't as if he had done anything grand.
He had merely provided a space and activities for families with nowhere else to go, yet there were people who resented even that.
He had even attached a brief explanation at the beginning of the video.
He explained that the people gathered here were those who had recovered from COVID-19 and had returned to their hometown during unpaid leave.
He had intentionally shown them adhering to quarantine guidelines, and yet...
"It's because times are tough. People are struggling, so they hate seeing others look happy—even if those others are just children."
"..."
"They probably know deep down how pathetic they are. They're literally people who have achieved nothing, learned nothing, and come from nothing. So don't waste your energy worrying about them."
Yeong-jin stopped walking.
Dojin naturally stopped as well, and Yeong-jin pointed toward a spot ahead.
"I've said my piece. Go on in. The Chairman is waiting for you."
A car was parked where Yeong-jin was pointing.
It was a sedan familiar to Dojin—Director Wang's car.
"You're the one who hired the lawyer, right, Uncle? Thank you."
"I told you, it was because the Chairman was worried. It wasn't for your sake."
Despite Yeong-jin's deliberately gruff reply, Dojin thanked him once more before walking over to the car.
Knock, knock.
When he knocked and opened the car door, Director Wang was indeed sitting inside.
However, unlike usual, when she would be reading books or documents, she was holding a large tablet in her hands.
"Hahaha! Dad! Over here!"
"Whew, hold on a second... Dad's going to lose his breath..."
The familiar voices coming from the tablet were definitely from the video he had uploaded to his channel yesterday.
It was just as Yeong-jin had said; she was watching it on a loop.
"Are you here? Hehehe, you've been through a lot. Come on in."
Seeing Dojin, the Director closed the tablet cover and spoke.
"Excuse me."
"Hehehe."
Once Dojin got in, Yeong-jin, who had slipped into the driver's seat at some point, started the car.
"You've transformed the schoolyard beautifully. I like it very much."
The Director, who hadn't said a word until they left the police station, finally spoke as the car merged onto the road and picked up speed.
"It's nothing, really. It's mostly just covered by the play equipment, but otherwise, it's similar to before. Oh, but I did clear out all the weeds."
"Hehehe, but it seems you spent quite a bit of money this time?"
Dojin smiled sheepishly at the Director's remark.
He was installing new playground equipment where he had first met Samsaek-i and the others, and the contractor was someone the Director had recommended.
Guessing she had heard about the construction costs from them, Dojin vaguely tried to change the subject.
"I didn't spend as much as you'd think. The new play equipment was a bit pricey because safety is important, but the other things didn't cost much."
"Didn't cost much? Even by a rough estimate, it must have easily exceeded a hundred thousand dollars."
"..."
Surprised by the Director's words, Dojin looked at Yeong-jin.
The company they bought the bounce house from was one Dojin and Seung-wan had found by searching the internet, so it had no connection to the Director.
Yet the fact that she knew the details so precisely meant she must have had help from someone.
And sure enough...
Catching Yeong-jin's eye in the rearview mirror, Dojin was certain that he had informed the Director of his situation.
He could see a sense of pride in Yeong-jin's eyes.
What a blabbermouth of an uncle.
"Hehehe, don't look at him like that. Chief Secretary Jo didn't bring it up first; I asked him. So, how much did you spend exactly?"
"...I didn't spend that much. Just a little over a hundred thousand dollars?"
In reality, he had spent about a hundred and twenty thousand dollars, but Dojin didn't see the need to be precise.
He didn't want to make it seem like he was bragging about spending so much money just because of the Director's request.
Perhaps understanding Dojin's thoughts, a warm smile remained on Hye-seok's face.
"Hehehe, looking at the video, it seems you plan to keep the schoolyard open for another month or so. Is that right?"
"Yes, I should. As you know, there's nothing to do around that village. Since children have finally returned to the village after a long time, I should at least give them something to play with."
"Even though you might get reported again?"
"Let them report me again. What's the big deal? It's not like we're violating any quarantine rules anyway."
"You rascal. Still, it will be quite a hassle."
"I can handle a little hassle. The kids love it so much, I can't just tell them not to come just because I don't want to be bothered."
"Indeed. That wouldn't be very adult-like."
With that, their conversation lapsed into silence for a while.
The Director stared out the window, lost in thought, while Dojin kept his eyes on the road ahead, having nothing else to say.
After about ten minutes of silence,
the Director spoke, having finished her thoughts.
"If you plan to keep it open, you'll need people."
"People? What kind?"
"Even if they are temporary play structures, any place where children play needs safety personnel for emergencies. Normally, you could overlook it since there aren't many kids, but it's better to be prepared."
"Ah, that does sound necessary. I'll look into it."
"I will send them to you."
"Pardon? Why would you do that, Director? I can handle it."
"Hehehe, it's because one of our affiliates has been idle due to a lack of work. It's a company that handles security and safety personnel, but they've had zero business lately, so the boys are just sitting around."
Since she put it that way, Dojin couldn't refuse.
With local festivals and celebrity events canceled due to COVID-19, those workers surely needed immediate employment.
"It's only a one-month temporary gig. Will they be okay with that?"
"In times like these, even a month is something to be grateful for."
"Then please send me the staff list and the invoice. I'll transfer the payment."
"Hehehe, don't worry about it. I told you, they're just sitting idle anyway."
"What? But still..."
"They're field guys, so they can't stand being cooped up in an office. Just use them. That way, they can feel like they've earned their paychecks, right?"
"..."
"I'll also send some people to handle quarantine management. Having professional quarantine staff on-site should quiet down the nonsense in your comment section."
This was something Dojin hadn't even considered.
Considering the tightening quarantine measures and the newly implemented social distancing guidelines, it was definitely a necessary workforce.
However, the Director's main point hadn't even begun yet.
"Once you're done opening it to the public, I'd like to rent out Jeong-ah Elementary—no, you call it Three Meals House now, don't you? I'd like to rent Three Meals House."