I Became a Rookie Cop (2)
In Light City, there was a villain named Eun-yeong. She traveled through shadows, wielded darkness, and devoured space itself. She was unequivocally the strongest among villains and one of the top three powerhouses in the entire city.
But what truly made Eun-yeong terrifying wasn't her overwhelming power—it was her unpredictability. If she was in a bad mood, she'd slice a skyscraper in half; if she was in a good one, she'd kill a passing mafia boss on a whim. Her madness defied all patterns. Every action revolved around her interest. If something caught her fancy, she'd act; otherwise, she'd drop it.
In the game, Kang Jin-ho had barely managed to capture her, only to hear her crime's motive was "it looked fun," leaving him with a profound sense of emptiness.
"Want some coffee?"
"Uh, I had some earlier..."
"I saw you didn't touch it. You'll have some, right?"
"Yep."
Yeah, what was the point of arguing? That was the identity of the woman sitting in front of Kang Jin-ho. It seemed she'd taken an interest in police work this time. Her name tag boldly read Park Eun-young. At this point, she wasn't even trying to hide it.
How did he know Patrol Officer Park Eun-young was the villain Eun-yeong? She looks exactly the same. Her face matched the one he'd seen during her capture. It'd be weirder if he didn't recognize her. Eun-yeong usually shrouded her face in darkness, but Jin-ho remembered her bare features clearly.
"You seem really tense."
"Y-yes, yeah... It's my first day. Haha."
He plastered on a forced smile, but Kang Jin-ho's mind was racing at full throttle.
One day, he woke up as a cop. And his direct superior was a villain. Not just any villain—the strongest psycho bitch around.
If Eun-yeong hadn't been there, he'd have quit the force immediately. The Light City he'd built in the game wasn't kind to ordinary people. Heroes dominated, but powerful villains abounded, and public safety was abysmal. Plenty of heroes, sure, but just as many criminals.
This freakish megacity's design was largely his own doing. He'd played Hero City Simulator to investigate villain crimes, which meant crimes had to happen first, right? The result: a massive, wealthy city packed with police, yet rife with frequent offenses...
Working as a cop here? Even on the outskirts, it wasn't appealing.
I can't quit now.
The problem was, the moment he'd laid eyes on Park Eun-young, it was already too late. If he hadn't joined the force at all, maybe—but quitting right after meeting her, especially after shaking like a leaf? Suspicious. Way too suspicious. The kind where cracking open his skull to see what he was thinking wouldn't seem out of place for her.
His best play now: act like a nervous rookie cop.
If only I hadn't trembled...
From his first encounter with Eun-yeong to arriving in this break room, if he hadn't shivered so obviously, other options might've existed. But he'd shown his nerves plainly and already drawn too much attention.
Look at those crimson eyes brimming with curiosity. Park Eun-young propped her chin, observing him like a cat eyeing a toy.
Act better? Jin-ho felt unjustly accused. He'd never imagined this scenario; he wasn't prepared. You try it. Thirty minutes into this game world, and stay calm without freaking out? That'd make him a regressor, not a normal guy.
"You okay? Your face has looked off since earlier."
Park Eun-young leaned in with a concerned expression. Her gentle demeanor seemed like a model officer worrying about her rookie, momentarily confusing even Kang Jin-ho.
Maybe she's just a lookalike? Did I get it wrong?
"N-no, I'm really fine."
"Really?"
"Yes!"
"Then... am I scary? Is that why?"
"...!"
Her eyes flashed cold. Kang Jin-ho sprang up like a coiled spring, scrambling to explain.
"No, no! It's just, I've never seen a woman as pretty as you in my life."
"Oh, really? For a second there..."
She smiled softly, as if it had all been a joke from the start. The elegant crescent of her eyes was mesmerizing enough to make anyone swallow hard.
...Gulp.
Kang Jin-ho did too—not from her beauty, but sheer tension.
"Patrol Officer Kang Jin-ho?"
"Y-yes!"
"Since I'm your senior, can I drop the formalities from now on?"
"Yes! Go ahead!"
"Thanks."
Switching to casual in one breath, Park Eun-young flashed a catlike smile.
"A few rookies came before you... but they all quit fast, couldn't adjust. So I'm really glad."
"Ah, yeah."
Kang Jin-ho briefly imagined what happened to those "quitters."
"..."
Better not to. Visions of himself "quitting" flooded his mind, wrecking his mental health.
He revised his plan on the spot. No quitting. Instead, play incompetent to bore her into losing interest. Eun-yeong was a maniac, but not a mindless destroyer. Escape her gaze, survive long-term unscathed.
"Ahem, anyway! As tradition with new rookies."
"Yes!"
"Jin-ho. People badmouth us cops these days, right?"
"Yes, they do!"
"It hurts my pride. We could do great if we tried—it's just lack of will."
"...Yes."
Her fingers tapped the break room table—tap, tap—echoing loudly. By chance, it matched his heartbeat.
"Newbies always say, 'Do we really need to do this? Heroes can handle it—why cops?' I hate that. Give your best, good results follow. But they get scared and slack off."
"Right!"
"I want you to work hard, Jin-ho. Enjoy it. Slackers quit fast. I don't want to see that from you. I like you."
"...R-right!"
His heart nearly stopped. He scrapped the "fly under the radar" plan. This was a warning: slacking gets you killed for sure.
"So, be an interesting, competent cop our citizens want around. I heard you're a genius from the police academy? I can expect great things, right?"
She beamed—a pure, elegant smile. To an outsider, it'd look like a passionate senior disciplining and motivating her rookie.
"..."
To Kang Jin-ho, who knew the truth, her words translated differently.
[If you don't entertain me, you know what happens, right, toy?]
Cold sweat trickled down his spine. She'd latched onto the "police academy genius" bit. Fail her expectations, and "quitting" was inevitable.
So, to survive, act like a genius? How do geniuses behave? He'd heard "gifted," but never "genius." His mind blanked.
Grab her interest. Prove he's competent and fun...!
He clenched his fists on his lap. He didn't want to die on this lunatic's whim. Dropped into a world he knew inside out, he'd survive and live luxuriously.
...Assuming he survived.
"Uh, hold on."
As Kang Jin-ho steeled himself, Park Eun-young, listening to the radio, gave a troubled smile.
"Hmm, trouble... I was gonna let you rest today."
"What happened?"
"A theft. It's our patrol team's turn. But since it's your first day, stay here."
"A case?"
Kang Jin-ho's eyes lit up—his chance to hook her interest and prove his worth.
"C-can you tell me the details?"
"Huh? Some cafe theft. Culprit dodged the entrance CCTV. The whole cash register vanished. Probably superpower-related? Heroes usually take those, so we just get statements and photos."
"Cafe..."
Cafe. Theft. No CCTV. Cash register gone.
Keywords clicked in his brain, recalling a Hero City Simulator event.
I know this case. I can catch the perp.
"I really want to go too!"
"Really?"