The Strange New Recruit

Lee Joo-seok, a detective on Annam Violent Crimes Team 1, had a rather unusual sense of professional duty.

"If a person has done something unforgivable to another person, they should at least give up any hope of being treated like one. Right?"

He felt something close to hatred for criminals, especially the monsters who committed violent crimes.

It was a kind of trauma, born in childhood after his parents were murdered during a robbery by someone they had trusted.

After a year of living like a broken man, Lee Joo-seok had made some kind of vow and thrown himself into martial arts training like a madman. In the end, he became the violent-crimes detective he had desperately wanted to be.

With his superior physicality, he caught criminals every time he went out on a case, and before long he rose to become the top ace in the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency.

But problems started cropping up soon enough.

He frequently used more force than necessary during arrests, and whenever he got in the mood, he was hit with complaints and disciplinary action for assault in the line of duty.

Pay cuts were a given, and promotion was as good as gone.

Even so, he clung to his own convictions to the very end.

His iron-wired stubbornness left the other detectives shaking their heads.

"Lee Joo-seok, that crazy bastard. From now on, he’s Joo-Psycho."

And since the man himself didn’t seem to care much, the nickname Joo-Psycho soon became practically a proper noun.

Not long after that, he picked up another nickname.

The Junior-Hunter Crusher.

Literally speaking, no one lasted a month under him.

From day one, he threw rookies into real cases and demanded that they take the lead in investigations, while setting standards that were absurdly high.

If they showed even a hint of clumsiness, he would tear into them like he meant to kill them, and no one had the stamina to endure it.

"If you can’t handle something this trivial, and you don’t even have the guts to keep going, then there’s no point in you being on Violent Crimes. You’d be better off quitting right now. You should be thanking me."

Lee Joo-seok believed he was simply following his creed, but from everyone else’s perspective, all they could do was click their tongues.

To them, it was like making a baby who had just learned to walk run a sprint.

"We’re going to lose another one for nothing. Tch."

Violent Crimes Team 1 was already short-handed, so the thought of losing yet another rookie made their stomachs ache.

Still, they couldn’t stop him.

He was the kind of stubborn fool who ignored even the station chief. What good would their words do?

"You think he’ll last a month?"

"A month my ass. Look at his face—he doesn’t seem motivated at all. I give him two weeks."

"Wanna bet? Jjambbong or pork soup?"

"Deal."

There were even detectives sneaking around to make bets like this.

To the eyes of the old hands, Song Tan looked like some spineless kid who had only become a detective because he’d seen cops in movies and dramas.

But it took less than a week to shatter that prejudice.

***

The next day.

"Hup."

Click.

Lee Joo-seok opened the car door and climbed into the passenger seat, then looked over at Song Tan, who was behind the wheel.

Even with the man’s size, it felt like the interior of the car had shrunk around him.

"Here."

Lee Joo-seok tossed a suspect photo to Song Tan.

"Now what are you going to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do?"

Song Tan looked at him steadily, and Lee Joo-seok let out a short laugh.

"You said you could catch him. Was that just something you were talking big about?"

Of course, he hadn’t really meant for him to catch the man from this.

He wasn’t some shaman; how was he supposed to find a criminal from one blurry photo?

He simply wanted to see how Song Tan would react, and how he would respond, in a situation this ridiculous.

"We’ll catch him no matter what."

"With what? All we’ve got is one lousy photo. You really think that’s enough?"

After staring hard at the photo, Song Tan nodded.

"First, I’ll cast out a trap."

"A trap?"

Song Tan pulled out his phone and searched for something, then held up the screen to Lee Joo-seok.

Those were the kinds of results that kept coming up when he searched for “Annam burner phone.”

"You’re going after burner-phone sellers first?"

"Anyone selling drugs to ordinary people will usually use burner phones."

"Fair enough. It’s the only way they can avoid leaving a trail."

Lee Joo-seok eyed Song Tan with hooded eyes.

"But do you really think those bastards will hand over customer information that easily? They’d keep their mouths shut even if a knife was at their throat. Their livelihood’s on the line."

"We have to hit the wall first before anything comes out."

The answer pleased Lee Joo-seok enough that his lips twitched.

Even if his face still looked as impassive as ever.

[~♬]

Just in time, Song Tan’s phone rang out with a string of alerts.

"Looks like they’ve already started biting. The fish, I mean."

Vrooom—

Song Tan started the car and pressed the accelerator smoothly.

"Let’s go."

His tone was calm, as if he were heading out for a stroll.

Lee Joo-seok wondered what the hell gave him that confidence, but for the moment he kept his mouth shut.

***

In a shabby shopping arcade, one faded banner hung where a sign should have been.

On the glass wall, a sheet of paper reading We Do Not Perform Illegal Activations had been stuck up carelessly, and inside, rows of used phones were laid out in complete disorder.

The moment he opened the door and stepped inside, Song Tan took out his ID without hesitation.

"Police."

The owner, who had been clipping his nails behind the counter, froze like stone.

A moment later, he set the clippers down and frowned in an expression of pure disgust.

The kind of face that clearly said he’d stepped in something foul.

Without a word, Song Tan held out the photo.

"Do you know this man?"

The owner gave the picture a quick glance and snorted.

"No idea. Never seen that bastard in my life."

He used polite language, but irritation clung to every word.

"If you cooperate, I won’t make this any more of a nuisance than it has to be. Take another careful look."

"Haah... This is exactly why I don’t do offline business..."

With a deep sigh, the owner narrowed his eyes and glared at the photo with open hostility.

After a moment, he shook his head.

"I really have never seen him. The photo’s so blurry I can’t even see his face properly. And this isn’t the kind of place the detective thinks it is."

Song Tan looked into the owner’s eyes for a long moment, then tucked the photo back into his coat.

"Thank you for your cooperation. That will be all."

As Song Tan turned away without a trace of lingering regret, the owner muttered under his breath.

"Figures I’d have bad luck today. Damn it, I should sprinkle some salt and shut up shop."

Clink—

Lee Joo-seok came out after him, staring at him in disbelief.

"What the hell was that?"

"An inquiry."

"An inquiry? Not a survey?"

"He really seemed like he didn’t know."

"And how exactly can you tell that?"

"I can just feel it."

"What the hell..."

Lee Joo-seok was so taken aback by Song Tan’s shameless certainty that he had nothing to say.

"Wasn’t today supposed to be the day you just followed my lead?"

At that utterly calm response, Lee Joo-seok had no choice but to nod.

"Fine. Let’s see how far this goes. Where to next?"

"Just follow me."

Watching Song Tan stride ahead, Lee Joo-seok was speechless.

He had met countless rookies over the years, but this was the first one who’d ever had an attitude like that.

"Fine. Just for today, I’ll play along with your rhythm."

With a fierce scowl, Lee Joo-seok followed silently behind Song Tan.

***

"I told you, I don’t know! Jeez."

Song Tan came out of another place not long after visiting it.

"How could I remember every face when I get this many customers in a day?"

By then, they were on their sixth stop.

Even keeping up with him was becoming a burden for Lee Joo-seok.

What the hell is that bastard doing?

He couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Every time they met a burner-phone seller, Song Tan would just show the photo and stop there.

No further pressure. No further interrogation.

At first he thought maybe the kid was screwing around, but his expression was dead serious.

Just as Lee Joo-seok’s patience was about to hit its limit...

"Hmm, I’m not sure... I’ve never seen him before, but... Should I ask around the neighborhood?"

At the ninth place they visited, Song Tan finally began to act differently.

"No, no need for that. Could you take another look? I’m sure you’ve seen him before."

The owner’s pupils shifted minutely before settling again.

Then he shook his head with a friendly-looking smile.

"I’d love to help however I can, but nothing’s coming to mind. If I see someone even similar, I’ll contact you right away."

Unlike the others, he was taking the stance that he would actively cooperate.

Song Tan, who should have turned around without another word, stared at the owner with dogged persistence.

"No. You know this man. So I’ll ask one last time."

For an instant, Song Tan’s eyes flashed.

"Where is he right now?"

By then, even the owner, who had been grinning all this time, could no longer keep his expression steady.

"Come on, now. Tone it down a bit, will you? I said I don’t know. What, just because you’re a cop means you can come in here and disrupt my business however you want?"

As the owner started to blow up, Lee Joo-seok grabbed Song Tan by the arm.

"Hey, what’s gotten into you all of a sudden? He said he doesn’t know."

"No. This man knows."

"And what’s your basis for that? What’s your proof that he knows?"

"I can tell by his eyes. He’s reacting like a liar."

"Are you some kind of fortune-teller? Cut it out, punk. I’ve been letting you do whatever you want, and now how far do you think you can push this?"

In the end, Lee Joo-seok, unable to hold it in any longer, glared at the seething owner.

"If you happen to see the man in the photo, call us immediately. If you saw him and didn’t report it, you could be arrested for aiding and abetting a fugitive."

The owner, who had been just about ready to explode, wilted under Lee Joo-seok’s intimidating size and gave a jerky nod.

"You... Come on. Let’s get out of here."

Leaving behind the stern glare of Lee Joo-seok, Song Tan rested a hand on the owner’s shoulder and whispered, almost gently:

"In about an hour, your lower back will suddenly start hurting. The pain will climb your spine and reach your head. Even if you go to a hospital, it won’t do much good. There won’t be anything they can take out. You have only one week left. Don’t forget that."

Leaving only those ominous words behind, Song Tan turned away without the slightest hesitation.

"That psycho. What the hell is he talking about?"

The owner stuck out his middle finger stiffly, spat to the side once, and shut the shop door right then and there.

After leaving the shopping building and getting back into the car, Lee Joo-seok flung the notebook in his hand down hard.

The air inside the car turned cold in an instant.

"Do you think investigating is some kind of joke?"

The pressure rolling off Lee Joo-seok was like a beast growling from deep in its throat.

It was a savage force that would make anyone shrink back, but Song Tan only met his mentor’s eyes with calm composure.

"Of course not."

"If not, then what the hell was all that? Do you think those bastards are idiots? You think they’ll just answer you nicely because you ask?"

"That’s why I was watching his eyes. Not his tongue."

"What?"

Lee Joo-seok could only stare in disbelief at the junior partner talking back so boldly without the slightest sign of remorse.

Honestly, he was even a little flustered.

Because when people got yelled at this hard, they usually apologized or hung their heads and promised to do better from now on.

"You wanted to see how I’d set the direction of the investigation, didn’t you? Then you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠should have trusted me and waited until the end."

"I’d wait if it made any damn sense. You just walked in and said, ‘Hey, I’m a cop, do you know this bastard?’ and when they said no, you said, ‘Okay,’ and kept doing that nine times."

Lee Joo-seok raked a hand through his short bangs.

"Fine, whatever. But if you’re going to do something, at least be consistent. What was that just now? I get that you’re frustrated because you’re not getting any answers, but what good does beating the crap out of the wrong guy do?"

Whatever Song Tan was about to say, he shut his mouth tight.

"Haah... Guess I’m the crazy one for letting you take the lead and hoping for something."

Despite his rough tone, Lee Joo-seok felt quietly satisfied inside.

He liked the way the rookie refused ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to back down, and the stubborn grit that made him want to try something.

"Forget it. From now on, you shut your mouth and do exactly what I say. Got it?"

"Do you have a method?"

"What method? We’ve got one lousy photo. Starting today, we’re going into indefinite surveillance near the area where the bastard was filmed."

After saying that, Lee Joo-seok shot Song Tan a sidelong look.

"Why? Don’t want to do it?"

"No. I’ll follow your lead."

"Don’t misunderstand. All that detective stuff you see in movies—using your brain to solve everything, mind games with the criminal—that’s just fiction."

"Yes, sir. Understood."

"Last thing. I’ll give you one absolute rule I learned during my time on Violent Crimes."

Lee Joo-seok’s eyes glinted coldly.

"Nothing in this line of work comes easy. Nothing is handed to you for free. Getting information out of that rat was pure luck. Never expect luck like that to come around again. Understand?"

At his mentor’s sharp warning, Song Tan nodded obediently.

"I’ll keep that in mind."

"Good grief... How much am I supposed to teach you, from start to finish? Haaah."

Letting out a long sigh, Lee Joo-seok waved a hand in annoyance.

"Start the car."

And so the car carrying the two of them parked near the CCTV footage that had captured the suspected drug supplier.

Time flowed like water, and just as they were about to enter the second day of surveillance...

Buzz—buzz—buzz—

Song Tan’s phone rang sharply.

After checking the caller, Song Tan spoke to Lee Joo-seok, his senior partner.

"It’s the burner-phone shop owner."

"What?"

Lee Joo-seok, who had been crunching through a convenience-store hamburger, wiped the corners of his mouth with his sleeve.

"Put it on speaker."

Song Tan did as he was told and pressed the speaker icon. Then—

Through the sound of frantic sobbing, information about the man in the photo came spilling ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out over the line.

Thunk—

Lee Joo-seok could only drop the hamburger in his hand.