Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Father's Taxi
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Lee Jae-hyun was sorting out the situation and waiting for backup.
Serhen made her appearance.
Lee Jae-hyun froze for a moment at the sight of Serhen floating in midair.
"You're really going all out."
"......"
He had no idea when she'd been watching, but her description of it as "going all out" left Lee Jae-hyun with a peculiar expression.
He glanced at the still grumbling thugs and at Park Dae-hyung, who was watching them like a hawk.
There was no particular reaction.
They'd glanced over here a few times, but with no response, it seemed Serhen was invisible to them.
"Your form isn't visible to others?"
"Correct. In this state, no other humans can see or hear me."
As she spoke, Serhen raised a hand to point at the horns on her head.
He had no clue what the horns had to do with it, but "this state" implied she had ways to make herself visible to others.
And that she could stay hidden like now.
It was a relief for Lee Jae-hyun, so he gave a light nod.
'That said, carrying on a conversation like this is awkward.'
To anyone else, it would look exactly like he was talking to himself.
As he pondered how to handle it, Serhen spoke up first.
"Hmm. I see what you're worried about."
She flicked her hand.
A black thread extended from her fingertip and touched Lee Jae-hyun.
"Now, even your inner thoughts will reach me."
'Like this?'
"Yes. Loud and clear."
But did that mean every thought he had—good, bad, or otherwise—would be fully audible to her?
He didn't have any deep secrets, but it was still subtly unnerving.
"Ah, only the thoughts you intend to convey to me as your contractor get through, so no need to worry."
Serhen let out an "ah" and spoke reassuringly, but the timing felt off.
He wondered if it was really true, but it wasn't important, so Lee Jae-hyun shook off the stray thought and looked at Serhen.
'So, what's this about?'
"Absorbing karma."
Whenever Lee Jae-hyun caught criminals, Serhen absorbed their karma.
That was the contract, so he nodded and quietly watched her.
"Then, bon appétit."
Serhen spoke those words and moved her hand once more.
Pale clouds like ink rose from the four thugs and flowed toward Serhen's mouth.
'That was the karma?'
"Yes, exactly."
'What happens to them now?'
"No direct impact on the humans themselves."
Serhen shrugged as she answered Lee Jae-hyun's question.
Her response gave him pause.
He'd watched silently since it was part of the original contract, but honestly, a lingering unease remained.
For instance.
'If you consume their karma, does that erase their sins?'
"No way. Draining their energy doesn't mean they escape punishment."
Serhen waved her hand dismissively, as if it were a ridiculous notion.
It seemed utterly absurd from her perspective.
Lee Jae-hyun stared at her silently, and Serhen continued her explanation.
"Every absorption is fully recorded, so they will face judgment later—no exceptions. No need to worry."
'What if there's no record?'
"Well, I heard there used to be demons who deliberately omitted records. But now it's mandatory, so no skips."
'And no demons ignore that?'
"Do that, and their existence gets erased. No demon's willing to risk annihilation just to shoulder a human's sins."
Hearing her explanation, Lee Jae-hyun finally felt relief deep down and nodded.
He had been worried, truth be told.
Catching criminals was always welcome.
But if Serhen absorbing their karma let them dodge posthumous judgment, it would undermine everything he stood for.
Fortunately, her explanation assured him that wouldn't happen.
He wasn't entirely clear on what "existence erased" entailed, but it had to be akin to death.
As Serhen said, no demon would risk it.
'Fine, no worries there. What I need to focus on right now is...'
Lee Jae-hyun thought to himself as he checked the time.
The DUI checkpoint was coming up soon.
The one regret that had tormented him ceaselessly for the past ten years.
The time to fix it was approaching.
* * *
After loading the tattooed thugs into the arriving patrol car and sending them off.
Lee Jae-hyun headed out for the DUI checkpoint, just like that day ten years ago.
"Getting the hang of checkpoints yet?"
"Of course."
Park Dae-hyung glanced at Lee Jae-hyun and struck up a conversation.
Lee Jae-hyun nodded as if it were obvious.
Unlike the radio communications he'd done somewhat frequently as a detective, it had been years since his last checkpoint.
But it didn't feel terribly awkward.
At the very least, he could handle it far more adeptly than a patrol officer of just a month.
'Not that there's much to it anyway.'
It was too straightforward a task for skill to even matter.
Lee Jae-hyun stopped an approaching car and walked to the driver's side.
The window slid down with a whir.
"Blow."
"Ah... shit."
The driver grimaced and muttered a curse under his breath.
Lee Jae-hyun ignored it and spoke again.
"Hurry up and blow."
The driver finally exhaled.
And then.
Beep! Beep beep beep!
The breathalyzer reacted with shrill beeps.
0.06.
Low, but definite intoxication.
"Sir, you've been drinking. Pull over to the shoulder."
"Ah, just one drink. Cut me a break this once."
"Doesn't matter if it's one sip or a drop—it's DUI. Pull over to the shoulder."
Lee Jae-hyun responded to the driver's irritated tone with cool professionalism.
Truthfully, all his focus was on the father and passenger who would appear soon, so he paid no mind to the driver's complaints.
The driver finally gave up and pulled to the shoulder.
"License."
"Here."
"Call a sober driver or family member who can drive, and wait until they arrive."
"Sigh. Fine."
To reiterate, DUI checkpoints were simple work.
Most drivers weren't intoxicated, and even if they were, it was just a matter of taking the license and logging it.
Occasional refusals to test or attempts to flee complicated things, but based on his past life's memories, nothing like that would happen here—at least not yet.
Still, he couldn't risk his father passing by while he was tied up with another driver, so he processed everything as quickly as possible.
Park Dae-hyung, who'd been watching, approached Lee Jae-hyun.
"Same as with that drunk earlier. What's with you? Usually so laid-back, but now you seem like a whole different person."
"What can I say... suddenly want to be a real cop."
Lee Jae-hyun gave a light chuckle in response.
It was understandable why Park Dae-hyung would say he seemed different.
'Honestly, even I can see it.'
After his father died, Lee Jae-hyun had changed completely.
His own negligence had gotten his father killed.
From that day on, he never knew when he'd face a criminal, so he was always on edge.
Especially with violent offenders—he was harsher than anyone.
'No more mistakes like that.'
With that vow, he'd hauled in criminals like he was venting a grudge.
It didn't bring his father back, but what choice did he have?
Catching criminals was the only thing a son who'd lost his father could do.
'Not anymore.'
But now, things were different.
He could save his father.
With an entirely new mindset and experience.
To Park Dae-hyung, he was bound to look completely different.
And just as Lee Jae-hyun had changed, so too would the outcome—nothing like his past life.
Lee Jae-hyun clenched his fist and scanned the line of cars at the checkpoint.
How much time passed like that?
Then, as vivid in his memory even after ten years, a familiar taxi entered his view.
His father's taxi.
* * *
There was no way Lee Jae-hyun wouldn't recognize his father's taxi.
Nor would his father fail to spot his own son.
The taxi pulled up naturally in front of Lee Jae-hyun.
The window slid down with a soft whir, revealing his father's face.
Seeing that beloved face, Lee Jae-hyun felt an indescribable emotion.
The moment he'd regretted his entire life was unfolding right before his eyes.
"Loyalty! Great work out here."
His father, thrilled to run into his son mid-shift, greeted him in a playful tone.
Yes, that's the kind of man he was.
One who joked around with his son and acted like a friend.
After ten years, with his father right there, Lee Jae-hyun didn't know how to react—he swallowed hard and barely managed to speak.
"Father."
"Son, looks tough. Hard work staying out late."
Had he sensed something in Lee Jae-hyun's voice?
His father, Lee Han-cheol, reached out the window and patted his shoulder a couple of times.
It was meant to comfort him, but...
Lee Jae-hyun still couldn't fully rejoice in the reunion.
Because at this very moment.
His negligence would lead to his father's pointless death.
And Lee Jae-hyun would live the next ten years in a nightmare.
'This life, I'll stop it for sure.'
Catching up with his father could wait.
Inhale, exhale.
Deep breath in, out.
Lee Jae-hyun steadied his trembling heart with shallow breaths.
The moment he looked at his father again.
"Mister. Let's get going already."
A man's voice came from the back seat.
Lee Jae-hyun's gaze shifted there.
A cap pulled low over his face, shabby clothes.
It was him.
The serial rapist-murderer who'd killed three people—and his father too.
Myeong Jin-han.
He was right there.