Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Caught on Camera
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Lee Jae-hyun headed to the security office with Kim Jun-ho.
Knock knock.
When he rapped on the door, a middle-aged man who appeared to be the head of the security team emerged from inside.
He scanned Lee Jae-hyun and Kim Jun-ho up and down before speaking.
“Who are you? You can’t just come in here.”
Was it the plainclothes that made him mistake them for civilians?
He furrowed his brow as he spoke.
Instead of bothering with a lengthy explanation, Lee Jae-hyun pulled his wallet from his pocket and flashed his badge.
“Police. We need to check the CCTV.”
“Police? What brings the police here...”
The security chief verified the badge, then muttered under his breath.
But soon, he frowned again, blocking the door as he spoke up.
This time, it wasn’t a mutter—he spoke firmly and clearly.
“Do you have a warrant? What gives you the right to check the CCTV...”
“Hey now, sir. No need to get so worked up all of a sudden.”
Kim Jun-ho raised a hand casually, cutting him off mid-sentence.
The security chief flinched at the interruption.
Kim Jun-ho shrugged at him.
“We’re not here to make trouble for the hospital... We just need to confirm one nurse.”
“Absolutely not. If you want to come in, bring a warrant.”
“Hmm.”
The security chief shook his head firmly, as if there was no room for negotiation.
As Kim Jun-ho pondered how to handle this, Lee Jae-hyun stepped in.
“You really want us to come back with a warrant?”
“What, you mean to tell me you were planning to check the CCTV without one?”
The security chief replied as if it were obvious.
At that, Lee Jae-hyun took half a step forward and continued in a low voice.
“Either way, a warrant will be issued in a few days. But if we get it and come back to tear this place apart properly... Think you can handle that?”
“...”
Unlike his quick, decisive responses moments ago, the security chief hesitated.
A full investigation? Ripping through the hospital?
If things got that messy... Honestly, it might be more than he could manage.
Naturally conflicted, he paused—and Kim Jun-ho jumped in swiftly.
“Come on, we’re all just trying to make a living here. Why go that far? It’s not like we’re targeting the hospital. We just need to check one nurse. We confirm and leave quietly. Easy.”
“I said bring a warrant. What choice do we have?”
“Tch... Sir, can’t you bend a little? We don’t want to do this twice either. But if you insist...”
“...Come in. But just that one nurse. Nothing else.”
In the end, the security chief relented and let Lee Jae-hyun and Kim Jun-ho inside.
As he opened the door, Kim Jun-ho winked at Lee Jae-hyun.
He knew Lee Jae-hyun had played bad cop to create an opening.
Following the security chief inside revealed a room where one entire wall was covered in panels.
Dozens of screens displayed live feeds from the hospital’s CCTV cameras.
“Please wait a moment. I need to unlock the password to access the CCTV.”
The route Nurse Han Sun-ah used to obtain the nutritional supplements was obvious.
A hospital, of course.
Serhen had called it theft or fraud.
She might have done both.
The typical ways an IV aunt sourced drugs were two-fold.
Stealing from hospital inventory or colluding with a hospital supplier’s employee.
Lee Jae-hyun figured Han Sun-ah had stolen from the hospital.
‘She could have gotten them from a nutritional supplement supplier’s employee... But a company supplying a major hospital wouldn’t lobby a nurse.’
Maybe a private clinic, but not here.
A supplier wouldn’t gain from feeding drugs to a nurse instead of the director.
Kim Jun-ho agreed.
If a nurse administered illegal nutritional supplements, they likely came from the hospital.
Lee Jae-hyun waited as the security chief entered the code.
“There. It’s been a while since I checked CCTV, so it took time to remember the password.”
“No problem. Thanks for cooperating.”
Lee Jae-hyun approached the control panel.
After a few tries, he got the hang of it.
He turned to the security chief.
“When do you usually dispose of expired drugs?”
“We discard them twice a month. Second and fourth Friday.”
“So last Friday was disposal day. Let’s start there.”
Lee Jae-hyun manipulated the panel as the security chief confirmed.
Beep beep beep.
They couldn’t check every recording.
No need.
Start from the presumed theft date.
Rewinding to three days ago, Lee Jae-hyun eyed the wall of screens.
“Which one’s the drug storage room?”
“That one.”
The security chief pointed to a corner screen.
Lee Jae-hyun locked onto it and sped up playback.
Beep beep beep beep beep.
Exactly five times normal speed.
Too fast for most to follow visually.
“At that speed, how can you even...”
“Shh.”
A security guard spoke to the chief.
Kim Jun-ho pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him.
In the quiet, Lee Jae-hyun focused on the screens.
Kim Jun-ho and the security team watched from behind.
Time passed...
“Here.”
Lee Jae-hyun spoke and hit pause.
There was a slight delay, so the screen showed an empty drug storage room.
Rewinding a bit revealed a figure entering.
“Huh? Isn’t that Nurse Han Sun-ah? Why’s she there...”
A security guard watching from behind muttered, tilting his head at the face on screen.
Lee Jae-hyun turned to him.
“Anything off about it?”
“Well...”
The guard glanced at the chief, trailing off.
Lee Jae-hyun looked to the chief, who nodded.
With permission, the guard spoke.
“We have specific nurses for disposals. Nurse Han Sun-ah works OB-GYN. No reason for her to be there. Weird.”
“Okay, that’s plenty.”
Lee Jae-hyun glanced at the guard’s name tag, jotted it in his notebook.
In case they needed his cooperation later.
The guard, seeing this, asked worriedly.
“Is Nurse Han Sun-ah in trouble?”
“From what we see here... Looks like theft, doesn’t it?”
Kim Jun-ho nodded at the screen.
The guard scratched his cheek.
“She’s not the type... Not pediatrics, but she loves kids. Always bright.”
“Yes, thanks. We’ll keep that in mind.”
Kim Jun-ho brushed it off casually, despite saying he’d note it.
The two most common phrases when investigating suspects’ associates:
“I knew that guy was trouble.”
And “I never thought they’d do that.”
No one’s “not the type” when they commit crimes.
There are no absolute villains in the world.
Even heinous criminals despised by society can be good to someone.
‘Even that Myeong Jin-han was just a normal pet shop owner until his serial killings came out.’
Later reports said he was especially kind to dogs.
Who’d have guessed a serial killer?
Saying “not the type” is like “My dog doesn’t bite.”
“What now? Grab her?”
“Yeah.”
Kim Jun-ho sidled up to Lee Jae-hyun, who nodded without hesitation.
They had minimal evidence.
Time to take them down.
* * *
Lee Jae-hyun and Kim Jun-ho headed to OB-GYN to find Han Sun-ah.
She widened her eyes in surprise at the sight of him.
“You’re...?”
“Ms. Han Sun-ah. Got a moment?”
He asked gently.
Of course, she’d make time whether she wanted to or not.
If she resisted, he’d drag her.
But...
Her reaction was odd.
“Ha, I knew running into you at the senior center was suspicious. Like me that much? This is stalking...”
Han Sun-ah spouted nonsense, clearly misunderstanding.
Lee Jae-hyun flashed his badge before she could ramble more.
“Police. Come with us.”
Her eyes doubled in size, flicking between him and the badge.
“You’re... police?”
“Yes. Please accompany us to the station.”
She couldn’t hide her panic, her voice trembling as she asked.
Lee Jae-hyun pocketed his wallet.
“Wait. What if I refuse? I haven’t done anything wrong. And coming to someone’s workplace like this... Is that even allowed?”
She stared at the handcuffs dangling from his hand, eyes quivering, babbling incoherently.
Classic small-time crook deflection.
Snap snap!
Lee Jae-hyun snapped his fingers twice in front of her flustered eyes.
“Ms. Han Sun-ah. Calm down. It’s just for questioning. No need to worry.”
“Questioning...?”
“Yeah. You’ve seen witness interviews on TV dramas? It’s like that.”
“Oh... Okay.”
He flashed a soft smile to reassure her.
She sighed faintly in relief and nodded.
Not entirely a lie.
After booking for illegal medical practice, they’d question her on Park Chun-beom’s murder too.
TV witness interviews?
Reality’s a bit different, naturally.
And so, Lee Jae-hyun and Kim Jun-ho brought Han Sun-ah back to Hanseong Police Substation.
* * *
Kim Jun-ho eyed Lee Jae-hyun, who’d persuaded Han Sun-ah so smoothly, with wonder.
‘What the hell is this guy?’
He handled suspects like a pro.
Honestly, until the IV aunt story broke, he hadn’t fully trusted him.
A guy who’d aimed to be police, finally made it.
Ego through the roof, right?
But reality hits new patrol officers hard—bullied around, far from dreams, bruised pride.
Then he catches a serial killer, boosting that sagging sense of justice.
Kim Jun-ho had figured the IV lead was blind ambition, overreaching.
‘Team Leader probably stuck me with the rookie to rein him in.’
Pull him back if he went too far.
Oh Cheol-jin letting him loose was likely a lesson in reality.
But peeling back the layers, the reality was different.
Probing the seniors confirmed Lee Jae-hyun’s story.
His swift dives into cases echoed Park Dae-hyung.
Demanding voluntary accompaniment? Smooth.
Steering situations calmly without provoking? Pro-level.
One issue, though.
‘He charges ahead without much caution.’
Could be more careful.
Felt like he’d preset conclusions.
Common young hothead mistake.
Still.
Undeniable: the guy had potential.
Detective material.
He’d probably transfer to detectives soon.
‘Hell, at this rate, they might poach him before he applies.’
The thought crossed his mind.
They call it being “chosen.”
Violent Crimes Unit, chronically understaffed, scouts talent.
Easier said than done.
But shockingly, it felt plausible here.
‘That bad feeling he mentioned earlier... Wonder what else is coming.’
Now, even Lee Jae-hyun’s “bad feeling” warranted rethinking.
Would it end at illegal medical practice? Or more?
If something bigger popped—and he nailed it...
He’d draw major attention among cops for sure.