Get Famous First (4)
Inside the now-quiet luxury sedan, even the sound of the driver and Sergeant An Seong-sil swallowing nervously rang out loudly. Kang Jin-ho, adjusting his posture, covered his mouth with his interlaced hands and began to speak.
"First off, I'd like to ask—what exactly do you mean by 'deal'?"
"Are you trying to play twenty questions with me right now?"
"No, I just mean let's start from the fundamentals."
"…"
Normally, she wouldn't have the leisure to entertain such banter, but seeing him speak with such gravity, Trace figured there must be a reason for it. With a sigh, she answered.
"A deal is an exchange of something between two parties. In this case, it was money for drugs."
"Yes, that's the key. If a deal happened, something was exchanged."
"Do I look like an idiot to you?"
Trace scowled, her irritation flaring. "I know how drug rings operate! Leaving plastic bags in flower beds, stashing goods in subway lockers for later pickup—think I don't know that stuff?"
"Hmm."
"I scoured that subway station over and over that day! There wasn't a single suspicious thing!"
"Is there any reason a drug ring has to act suspiciously?"
But Kang Jin-ho didn't falter. Instead, he tilted his head casually and countered with composed ease. "Tell me—purely in terms of 'exchanging items' at that noon rush at the subway station, what did you see?"
"…Everything?"
"Yes. Everything."
"Haa."
Trace ground her teeth in exasperation. "People buying stuff at the convenience store. A homeless guy swiping a whole roll of toilet paper from the bathroom. An old lady handing out wet wipes at the exit. Bread sold at the bakery. Handmade merch traded secondhand across the turnstiles. Coffee bought to go from the takeout cafe. Canned drinks from the vending machine. Badges given out at the petition booth. And friends meeting up and handing over shopping bags."
She rattled them off like a machine gun, breathless with frustration—her sharp mind and stellar memory allowing her to recount every 'deal' she'd verified from the past without a single hitch.
"Does any of that look like a drug deal to you? You think they hid drugs in flyers or delimanju buns? It was all everyday citizens going about their routines. I checked every last one with my own eyes!"
Trace trusted her vision. If even she—who could vividly relive the past—hadn't noticed, what could this cop possibly know when he hadn't seen a thing?
Yet despite her sharp retort, Kang Jin-ho remained unflappable. In fact, inwardly, he was cheering. In the game sometimes Trace figured it out herself, but this version seemed utterly clueless about the truth.
"You checked the delimanju buns like you said, right? They could have drugs inside."
"…Hah. Yes, I did. I tore one open inside my ability and inspected the filling."
"I see. Now I'm certain of the crime ring's method."
"?!"
"What'd you say?"
His confident declaration startled not just Trace, but the driver and An Seong-sil who'd been quietly listening. Had he just said he'd cracked the case right there?
"But before that, I'd like to ask about your specific ability, Miss Trace."
Kang Jin-ho crossed his legs leisurely as he inquired.
"My ability?"
"I want to compare the rumors I heard online about you with the real thing."
"…If that's all."
After a moment's hesitation, Trace spoke softly. "I can directly experience any space at any time I choose. I can fast-forward or rewind time, and the space recreates that exact moment from the past perfectly."
"Perfectly identical?"
"…What are you getting at?"
"Is it truly perfectly identical to reality?"
"Officer, what I see is the space's own record. Are you doubting my ability?"
"No, not doubting. But what about taste and smell? Can those be recreated too?"
"…!!!"
Trace's pupils trembled faintly. He'd nailed the flaw she'd kept hidden, leaving her rattled.
"Am I right? You can perfectly sync sight, touch, and sound… but not smell or taste."
"…How did you know?"
"Full sensory sync is nearly impossible even among information-type superpowers. I just pointed out the structural limit."
Kang Jin-ho had seen countless superpowered folks in Hero City Simulator. He knew the traits and limits of information-types inside out. An ability recreating past sight, sound, and touch was top-tier—but adding smell and taste? No way.
"And my guess is, the drug ring knew your limit too."
"…No way."
"One of those everyday exchanges you listed. The 'coffee bought to go from the takeout cafe.'"
Kang Jin-ho leaned back deeply into the seat and finally revealed the truth.
"They sell a large-size menu there, right? Over a liter. Did someone buy one?"
"…A few people bought 1-liter bottles of 'cold brew concentrate.'"
An Seong-sil's eyes widened slowly, and the silent driver glanced at Kang Jin-ho via the rearview mirror. How could he pinpoint it without seeing the past himself?
"You probably opened one to check. Black liquid sloshing inside—it looked like legit product to you."
"Right."
"But if you'd smelled it, the moment you popped the cap, a nauseating chemical stench would've hit you. Probably liquid drugs mixed with black food coloring. Other colors might clash weirdly with the drug's hue, but black covers it all perfectly."
"Ah…"
"Cold brew concentrate isn't weird to buy to go without tasting on-site—people dilute it at home anyway. And the texture's syrupy like concentrate, so no big difference from sticky drugs."
Kang Jin-ho concluded firmly.
"Not sure if the cafe part-timer was in on it or cluelessly handed it over. But the buyers knew exactly what it was. A clever trick exploiting your inability to sense taste or smell. Why not track them down?"
There was no hard evidence. No airtight logic. But Trace's instincts screamed: This is it. The truth. If there's an answer to the puzzle that's stumped her for a week, this is it.
At first, she'd suspected him. How does he know my ability? Are these guesses pure insight? Or is he hiding a superpower while playing cop?
Now she had to admit it. Terrifying intuition. Unshakable confidence. She'd thought herself the pinnacle of instinct, but Kang Jin-ho was effortlessly surpassing her.
Chasing people was her job. She trusted her eye for them. This man was a gem. A genius. She couldn't let him slip away. Could she hire him as a hero assistant after he quit the force? Plenty to look into once she got back.
"…You're insane. For real."
Meanwhile, Sergeant An Seong-sil muttered unwittingly, sucking in a sharp breath. He'd heard the 'genius' talk plenty, but witnessing him nail the truth live felt unreal.
"Anyway…"
Trace, head bowed, spoke. "Anyway… I'll drop you back at the station. I'll contact you later."
"Of course."
Kang Jin-ho replied nonchalantly, but inwardly he whooped in triumph.
Karma has decreased by 1000.
Definitely a big one—his karma dropped by a full 1000 at once.
This case was just the start. If Trace spread word to nearby heroes, more would come begging for help, and he'd even get commendations from police brass…
Karma? Might pay it off in no time.
Fame—the thing he'd craved so badly—was within reach, pulling his rich-and-carefree life ever closer.
The hard days were nearly over!
One week later.
With the TV droning in the background, Kang Jin-ho shredded papers.
"Jin-ho, mind refilling the shredder?"
"…Sure."
Contrary to his high hopes, he hadn't gotten famous at all. Why? Weren't heroes supposed to swarm after Trace blabbed about the 'weird cop'? Why was he still grinding documents?
Trace, what gives? Keeping your mouth shut? That's not like you.
(He'd checked separately, half-worried Park Eun-young had 'handled' her—Trace was fine. Made it even more baffling.)
Kang Jin-ho hated this, but he couldn't complain.
"Jin-ho, looks like you had fun hanging with that hero?"
"No, ma'am!"
"Don't lie. Sergeant An told me all about it. You shone, huh? Gonna switch to hero work soon?"
"No way! I like being with you best, sunbae!"
"Really? Good~ You like working as a cop with me, right?"
"Yes!!!"
It was because Park Eun-young's attitude had shifted oddly since he'd returned from Trace's request.
Before, she'd been like a cat toying with an amusing plaything. Now she was… strangely kinder. And strangely scarier.
"Haha, you two get along great as always."
"Gotta look out extra for a hardworking junior. Hehe."
"Yeah, keep it up!"
After Chief Raphael passed by with his coffee mug, Park Eun-young—still beaming—said:
"Jin-ho, wanna go on patrol?"
"Uh, patrol just like that…"
"Let's go."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Kang Jin-ho scrambled into his uniform. Those warmly smiling eyes—those crimson eyes—were too terrifying!