Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Nurse's Black Aura
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Lee Jae-hyun had determined that Serhen's very existence could be helpful to him.
He didn't know what abilities she had, but what she'd shown so far was enough.
She had acted like she could identify criminals.
And if she really could pinpoint criminals, that would be incredibly useful to him.
There were several reasons for that, but the primary one was his sense of duty as a police officer not to create innocent victims.
‘If I can spot guys like Myeong Jin-han in advance, I can prevent additional victims.’
His father—no, his father from his previous life. He vowed not to let another innocent victim like that appear.
His goal was to lock up criminals before any more innocent victims emerged.
Catching Myeong Jin-han, the perpetrator of this serial murder case, had been the same.
And...
On a personal level, it would help with promotions.
‘If I use Serhen's ability, I can drastically cut down the time it takes to identify suspects.’
Solving a problem step by step versus knowing the answer and finding the path to it.
It didn't take much thought to see which was faster.
The more criminals he caught, and the quicker he did it, the faster he'd rise through the ranks.
‘I need to rack up achievements quickly and get back to being a detective.’
Honestly, Lee Jae-hyun was feeling frustrated with the current situation.
In his previous life, his track record had allowed him to move freely without anyone complaining.
But now that he'd returned to the past, there were all sorts of interferences getting in his way, which was a bit annoying.
Of course, compared to the obstructions from higher-ups trying to block his investigations in his past life, it was nothing...
Still, it was annoying.
That was why he'd asked Serhen if she could identify criminals by their black energy.
"Yes, I can."
He hadn't expected such a straightforward answer right away.
Lee Jae-hyun frowned, glanced around, and spoke.
"Here?"
"Yes. Over there."
At his question, Serhen casually extended her hand and pointed to one spot.
Following her fingertip with his gaze, Lee Jae-hyun saw a nurse walking by.
No one else around.
He scanned the surroundings repeatedly, but no other people in sight.
If he'd asked about a criminal and she pointed at the nurse... that meant the nurse was the criminal.
Honestly, judging by appearances alone, it was hard to believe.
"Who?"
"The nurse who just passed by."
"...You're saying that person has built up karma and is a bad one?"
She looked completely ordinary, so calling her a bad one was surprising.
Of course, he didn't think Serhen was lying or wrong.
She'd proven herself so far.
She'd instantly seen through Myeong Jin-han as evil via his black energy.
How could he doubt her?
Besides.
‘People don't walk around with "I'm a bad guy" written on their foreheads.’
Even Myeong Jin-han didn't look particularly evil on the surface.
That's how he'd run his pet shop without issue.
Lee Jae-hyun glanced toward the examination room where his mother had gone.
‘A full checkup will take a while, so stepping away briefly should be fine.’
With that thought, he quietly stood up.
He preferred not to leave his post, but a comprehensive exam would take time.
Sitting and waiting that long was tedious, and if that nurse really had a criminal history...
As a police officer—and as a guardian of a patient undergoing a checkup—he couldn't just sit idle.
He kept a careful distance and tailed the nurse.
"If you can tell if someone's bad or not, can you also tell what they've done?"
Lee Jae-hyun asked Serhen as he followed the nurse.
He half-expected her to say she knew everything, but Serhen shook her head side to side.
Apparently, she couldn't know it all.
"I can't tell that much. It's like how you can see a dish but not know the ingredients just from looking, right, Contractor?"
"True."
The food analogy made it easy to grasp.
Unless the ingredients were blatantly visible, you couldn't tell what was in a finished dish just by looking.
Sure, a gourmet or chef might, but Lee Jae-hyun wasn't one of those.
"Same here. Experienced demons can guess roughly from the energy alone, but I'm not that skilled..."
Serhen trailed off, then wrinkled her brow slightly before continuing.
"I won't know exactly what they've done until I taste it."
"Even fragments of info would help. See anything?"
"If I had to say... the seasoning's off a bit? It's bland but there's a ton of it, so probably lots of petty stuff. That's all I got."
"Petty stuff frequently..."
So, a petty criminal?
Serhen shrugged as if she wasn't entirely sure herself.
Lee Jae-hyun, not getting a clear read, muttered her explanation with a furrowed brow.
"Yeah, like you guessed—stealing, fraud... that sort of thing."
"Real petty criminal, huh."
Lee Jae-hyun ducked around the corner after the nurse, hiding his body as he replied.
Theft and fraud had degrees.
Some stole pens or a fruit from a mart due to kleptomania.
Scams ranged from secondhand deals to investment frauds.
But Serhen shook her head.
"The amount looks substantial, so not just petty. You couldn't accumulate karma that dense from small fries."
"Hmm, really?"
What to do.
Without knowing the crime, gathering evidence would take effort.
‘If I go through all that trouble and it's just a small-time crook, it'd be deflating.’
He could pursue or ignore.
He pondered briefly, but the conclusion came quick.
It was the hospital where his mother was getting her checkup.
He didn't know exactly what, but it needed checking.
Lost in thought, Lee Jae-hyun quickened his pace and called out to the nurse.
"Excuse me."
"Oh, yes. What is it?"
"I'm lost... Which way to the health checkup center?"
"Go straight that way, then left at the info desk."
She pointed back the way he'd come.
Lee Jae-hyun subtly shifted his gaze to her name tag.
[Nurse Han Sun-ah.]
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, yes. Thank you."
Having noted her name, he thanked her and turned.
Then someone approached Han Sun-ah.
Judging by her outfit, a fellow nurse.
"Sun-ah, tomorrow's Park from cardiology's kid's first birthday. She's buying food— you going?"
"Oh, what to do? I have volunteer work, so probably not."
"Right, your volunteer day. Where do you go every month anyway?"
"The senior center."
Hearing Han Sun-ah's answer gave Lee Jae-hyun a prickling sensation.
He slowed his steps subtly, ears perked.
"Man, Sun-ah, you've got such a kind heart. Hospital work's tough enough for me... How do you manage volunteering?"
"I got close to the village head somehow, and now I go regularly. It's pretty rewarding. The elders adore me, and they always give me sweet rice punch when I visit."
Glancing back, Lee Jae-hyun saw Han Sun-ah smiling brightly as she replied.
That face alone didn't scream criminal.
Volunteer at a senior center...
Intuition hit.
Lee Jae-hyun's gut was sharp in moments like this.
‘Was it theft or fraud?’
A gathering place for the elderly.
Thief or scammer...
It fit all too well.
Something was definitely there.
Lee Jae-hyun memorized Han Sun-ah's face, then turned away.
* * *
Lee Jae-hyun returned for now, waiting until his mother's checkup ended.
He couldn't tail Han Sun-ah forever...
Nor arrest her on the spot.
‘The issue's always evidence. On-site arrest would be ideal.’
As he pondered methods inwardly.
"Why'd you just come back?"
Serhen, who had quietly vanished at some point, reappeared in midair without a sound and asked.
Her eyes mixed puzzlement and frustration as she continued.
"Not grabbing her right there?"
"Can't arrest without knowing the crime. Need evidence to prove suspicion at least."
He shook his head at Serhen's question.
What would he even say to Han Sun-ah right now?
‘I don't know your crime, but you're suspicious, so off to the station?’
He'd just look insane.
The media would eat it up.
No matter who, arrests needed justification.
‘Great for spotting criminals via black energy, but these limits are a drag.’
Lee Jae-hyun clicked his tongue in regret, brow furrowed.
Identifying criminals through their "karma" was a clear advantage.
But the limitations were stark...
First, no clue what crime they committed.
‘Don't even know the criteria for how karma accumulates...’
Couldn't arrest someone just for lying a lot in life.
He didn't know the exact standard for Serhen's "karma"...
But it surely wasn't based on human laws.
That's why he couldn't act rashly even on those with black energy.
Second.
"It might be a crime already legally resolved, so I can't touch it carelessly."
Under non bis in idem, no double jeopardy for judged crimes.
Even if black energy marked a heinous criminal, if they'd been tried and punished, Lee Jae-hyun's hands were tied.
"So what now?"
"Play it by the book this time."
Ultimately, he had one option.
What he'd always done, and would keep doing ad nauseam.
"Find evidence first."
"And then?"
Serhen pressed at his "evidence first" reply.
Lee Jae-hyun shrugged at her implication of more.
"Well, judge 'em to fit the crime, right?"
"Sounds perfect to me."
Lee Jae-hyun spoke lightly as if it were obvious.
Serhen replied satisfyingly, lips curling up.