Super Subordinate
The chief of public relations at National Police Agency headquarters stared at his monitor and clicked his tongue over and over.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
With every article he opened, the crease between his brows dug a little deeper.
"Goddamn it."
The low curse made the air in the office turn even colder.
The junior officer on the other side of the monitor stole a cautious glance.
"Those fucking hack journalists..."
Lately, articles like these had been coming out without a single day’s break.
The problem was that the public relations line at headquarters was the end point for every single one of those arrows.
The big shots, who’d been dragged over hot coals in the National Assembly, were in a foul mood, and their anger had come pouring down straight onto the people beneath them.
As he was getting chewed out from every angle, the chief of public relations thought bitterly, 'You told me to make more campaigns, so I did. You asked for friendly police content, so I even dragged in comedians! I did everything you ordered, so why the hell are you still bitching?!'
Of course, none of that could be said out loud.
By now, he had no more cards left to play.
A heartwarming anecdote or two wouldn’t budge public opinion at all.
"Haaa... this is suffocating."
He was just about to get up and go outside for a cigarette when—
Ziiing—
His phone rang out noisily.
"Huh? What’s with this guy all of a sudden?"
It was a classmate who worked in the violent crimes unit at Chungju Police Station.
It had been nearly two years since they last talked.
"Hey, you still alive? How’s Chungju treating you?"
"Are you busy?"
"I should be busy, but things are still dead in the water. More importantly, why would our esteemed violent crimes chief bother calling me? Surely not just to ask after me out of the goodness of his heart."
"You’re as sharp as ever. Truth is, I’ve got something that might tickle your fancy, so I figured I’d throw it your way."
"A scoop? For me?"
The chief of public relations asked flatly.
He wasn’t feeling especially hopeful.
"I was going to let it go and move on, but... the more I thought about it, the more it seemed a waste."
"Just spit it out already."
"You know that knife-wielding rampage at Chungju Station? The one from a little while back?"
"Like I don’t. That’s what got me chewed out so badly."
"There was that citizen who took the bastard down, right? I know who he is."
"What? You found him?"
The mysterious man who had taken a child’s place as a hostage and, to top it off, subdued the knife-wielding attacker as well.
How could he not be curious about the identity of a person like that?
"What kind of guy is he? A soldier, maybe? Special forces?"
He made what he thought was a reasonable guess, but the answer from his classmate was completely unexpected.
"Looks like he’s a Chunggyeong trainee."
"What? A trainee!?"
The chief of public relations shouted before he could stop himself.
Stinging looks swept across the office.
"Ahem."
Clearing his throat, he lowered his voice and asked, "Are you sure?"
"Pretty much. One of the detectives under me picked up something the guy dropped. A shooting earmuff case with the Chunggyeong logo stamped right on it."
The chief of public relations went blank.
The other man’s identity was so far beyond anything he’d expected that his mind simply stalled.
"Did you find out who it was?"
"Of course I did. Song Tan. Trainee from the 310th class."
"You’re sure?"
"I’m telling you, yes. On that day, at that time, wearing that outfit, he was the only one from leave."
"Huh... So some ordinary trainee grabbed a knife-crazy lunatic with his bare hands? This isn’t a movie. Does that even make sense?"
"The rookies under me are going nuts too. They’re saying someone like that should be made a detective ASAP."
"Usually people freeze up at the sight of a knife and piss themselves... His name is Song Tan?"
The moment the name Song Tan seared itself into the chief of public relations’ mind, it lodged there like a spike.
Wait.
In an instant, his eyes widened.
'The hero who prevented a disaster... turned out to be a police trainee out on leave?'
The scattered pieces in his head began to lock together.
The knife attack that had nearly left dozens dead.
The hero who’d offered his life to save a child taken hostage.
And, as it turned out, a future model police officer?
A jolt of dopamine raced down his spine, and a shiver ran through him.
"This... how many people know about it?"
"Nobody besides the guys under me. You’re the first person I’ve told."
The moment he heard that, the chief of public relations shot to his feet.
"Sangcheol! Thank you! Goddamn it, I love you, brother."
"Heh heh heh. Took you long enough to notice. So be good to me."
"You know I will. I’ll come to Chungju with both hands full, so wait for me."
"All right then. Good luck."
With that, the call ended, and the chief of public relations could barely contain himself.
"If I wrap this up nicely in a pretty little package... I can turn it into a hell of a picture."
Snickering to himself, he hurried out of the office.
He went to find his direct superior, the director in charge of public relations. The two of them held a long, hushed discussion, and then, in high spirits, headed straight for the deputy commissioner’s office.
***
Inside the school director’s office at Chungju Central Police Academy, the deputy commissioner and the public relations director sat side by side in the seats of honor, while the school director kept his place nearby, unable to settle his nerves.
It was startling enough that they had come without warning, but their reason was even more absurd.
One trainee had taken down the knife-wielding madman at Chungju Station and was, in effect, a righteous hero.
"Th-That... are you sure you haven’t mistaken someone else?"
"Do you think I’d come here without verifying something like that properly?"
"That wasn’t what I meant. I apologize."
The school director shrank under the ice in the other man’s voice.
With the year’s term ending soon, he was hoping to move into a key post at headquarters.
He absolutely could not afford to rattle the mood of the deputy commissioner, the next power broker in line.
And then, in the middle of that heavy silence—
Knock, knock—
The knock they had been waiting for at last came.
The door opened, and the student affairs chief bowed first.
Right behind him, Song Tan stepped in with crisp, precise movements.
They were almost military in their neatness, stripped of all unnecessary flourish.
At that instant, the deputy commissioner’s expression changed completely.
"Come in, come in. Don’t just stand there looking uncomfortable."
Once the two of them were seated, the deputy commissioner leaned forward slightly.
"You’re Song Tan, right? My, you look even better in person."
"Thank you."
The public relations director, seated beside him, also asked casually, "The citizen hero who stopped the knife attack at Chungju Station. That was you, wasn’t it?"
Song Tan slowly turned his head and looked at him.
'So the shooting earmuff case was there after all.'
He had suspected it might have been dropped during the struggle with the attacker, but now he was certain.
The startled student affairs chief turned to Song Tan and said, "The one who subdued the knife-wielding attacker... was really you?"
Sharp looks converged on him.
Song Tan gave a slow nod.
"Yes. That was me."
"Huh... Good heavens."
The stunned student affairs chief slumped back against the sofa, as if his legs had given out.
For a moment, he seemed to forget there was even a deputy commissioner in front of him.
The deputy commissioner nodded with obvious satisfaction and asked Song Tan, "Why on earth did you keep it hidden? After doing something that impressive?"
Song Tan hesitated a little before answering obediently. "Because I’m still only a trainee. I haven’t been officially appointed as a police officer yet, so I was worried it might cause problems... Honestly, I was scared."
The deputy commissioner nodded with a warm look in his eyes.
"That makes sense. Completely understandable. But listen—our police aren’t such an inflexible organization that we’d hold that against you. Right?"
At the deputy commissioner’s glance, the public relations director, who had been busily taking notes on something, nodded.
"The deputy commissioner is right. What Trainee Song Tan accomplished is a tremendous feat, one that shows the dignity and stature of our police force. As the public relations director, I don’t want your spirit of chivalry to disappear into the dark."
"I feel the same. You’ve already shown the essence of the Republic of Korea’s police. You just weren’t wearing the uniform yet."
From that point on, everything they said was practically praise piled on praise.
'Was that guy even capable of making that face?'
The deputy commissioner had always been the sort to look only at numbers and outcomes, with no visible rise or fall in emotion.
For such a man to be this friendly toward a mere trainee was something even the school director had never seen before.
"So, in conclusion... it would be a shame to leave this as just a personal good deed and let it end there."
The public relations director spoke in a coaxing tone.
Song Tan wore a troubled expression.
"I simply did what I had to do. Honestly, I’m also a little burdened by the idea of becoming known."
They had expected him to agree at once, so his unexpectedly negative tone startled the public relations director.
If a provincial magistrate doesn’t like you, there’s no helping it.
But he still could not let this go.
This chance to overturn the police’s reputation, which had sunk to rock bottom, in one stroke.
"Please, just think about it once more. All right?"
The school director and student affairs chief could only gape in silence.
High-ranking officials from headquarters were practically begging a single trainee to reconsider. The whole situation was ridiculous beyond belief.
"If you make up your mind to do it, we’ll make sure you receive the proper reward in return."
At the deputy commissioner’s subtle cue, the public relations director picked up the thread at once.
"If you go home with a commendation at graduation, wouldn’t your parents be delighted?"
For the first time, Song Tan’s ears perked up.
"Not only that, but your contribution to elevating the police’s honor will be reflected directly in your overall evaluation. Isn’t that right, Director?"
"What? Ah, yes, of course."
The school director, who had been watching blankly, answered a beat late.
"And finally... we’ll work to make sure you’re first in line for the assignment location you hope for. How does that sound?"
The implication was that if he wanted, they could even send him to a key investigative division in the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
It was, in truth, the biggest reward a trainee could possibly receive.
The public relations director looked at Song Tan with a plaintive expression as he fell into thought.
About ten seconds passed.
"Understood. If I can be of help to the organization... I’ll try to take it on."
At last, the answer he wanted came, and the public relations director let out a small cry of triumph.
The deputy commissioner also smiled in evident satisfaction and gave Song Tan’s shoulder a few light pats.
"Hahaha. Good thinking. There’s no reason to refuse. We’re talking about telling everyone about something that can serve as an example to all, aren’t we?"
At the deputy commissioner’s glance, the school director nodded reluctantly.
He had no choice in the matter.
"That’s right. Trainee Song Tan is already living a very exemplary life here at the academy. Moreover, his practical scores are excellent, so the instructors praise him so much their throats must be raw."
At the school director’s words, Song Tan seemed to recall something and cautiously asked, "Um... but what happens if I get expelled before that?"
The cheerful atmosphere instantly chilled.
"Expelled? What do you mean, expelled? Why would you be expelled?"
At the deputy commissioner’s question, Song Tan scratched his head.
"The truth is, I was badly bullied in high school, so I dropped out. But I was told that fact... could be grounds for expulsion..."
"What did you say?"
The deputy commissioner’s face flushed red and blue in turns before he burst into a roar.
"What insane bastard said that bullshit!? Why would the victim be expelled, and not the perpetrator!? Who was it!? Which bastard was spewing that nonsense?!"
At the deputy commissioner’s savage outburst, Song Tan’s eyes shifted toward one person.
Toward the student affairs chief, whose face had gone ghostly pale as he waved both hands frantically like a madman.
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