Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: The Rescue
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Lee Jae-hyun glanced at Go Hyun-sook and subtly concealed his body behind the nearby utility pole.
The odds of her suddenly turning this way were slim, but you never knew.
Oh Min-seok followed Lee Jae-hyun's lead, ducking out of sight before turning to him.
“What should we do?”
“We need to confirm the kid’s location first.”
“That goes without saying... Looks like she’s heading toward the vegetable patch, so how about we sneak around and check the opposite side?”
“Yeah, that sounds good. Just in case, Team Leader, could you draw her attention?”
Lee Jae-hyun couldn’t do it.
She’d personally drugged him with sleeping pills, so that was out of the question.
It was crucial for Oh Min-seok—who hadn’t been exposed to her yet—to approach and distract her.
“Alright, got it. I’ll keep her eyes on me, so secure the kid as fast as you can.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lee Jae-hyun nodded at Oh Min-seok’s words.
As Oh Min-seok began moving slowly, Lee Jae-hyun slipped away from Go Hyun-sook’s line of sight, moving swiftly.
Even then, he didn’t forget to report.
“Suspect sighted, repeating. Suspect Go Hyun-sook confirmed. Child’s location still unconfirmed.”
—Roger that. Currently pursuing the child’s mother. Heading toward Gonjiam Station.
He’d connected his earpiece in advance, so the radio transmission came through clearly.
After grasping the situation on that end via the radio, Lee Jae-hyun moved again.
A classic brick house made of stacked red bricks, the kind you’d see in any rural village.
Behind the house, the suspect Go Hyun-sook walked along as if nothing was amiss, hoe in hand.
It felt like the ideal healing rural life dreamed of by city folk escaping to the countryside.
But the reality was simply a criminal wielding a weapon.
Team Leader Oh Min-seok walked casually, starting up some chit-chat.
“Man... It must be great living out here.”
For some reason adopting that persona, he suddenly said that, then turned his gaze toward Go Hyun-sook—who had straightened up from her vegetable patch work upon noticing him.
“Oh? Hello there, ma’am.”
“...Who are you?”
Go Hyun-sook eyed him warily.
She took off her gloves and subtly headed toward the front gate.
Lee Jae-hyun hid in the bushes—out of her clear view—and watched her.
Dressed in work pants with a hoe in hand amid the vegetable patches, she evoked the image of a typical countryside grandma.
But recalling the cruelty hidden behind that face sent chills down his spine.
‘Are we too late?’
Lee Jae-hyun anxiously scanned the vegetable patch.
The worst-case scenario flashed through his mind:
Go Hyun-sook, with her affable expression, had killed the child and buried them there.
But that thought didn’t linger.
After inspecting the patch, Lee Jae-hyun let out a quiet sigh of relief.
‘Good... We’re not too late.’
If she’d killed the child, there would’ve been drag marks.
But the patch only bore Go Hyun-sook’s footprints, all uniformly deep.
Uniform depth meant she’d come here in her current outfit.
And a single set of prints meant no one else had entered the patch.
Plus, the depth of her digging wasn’t extreme, and there were no signs of disturbed soil elsewhere—so it was safe to rule out burial.
‘Now it all hinges on how long Team Leader Oh can hold her attention.’
Lee Jae-hyun held his breath, tense.
He knew the child wasn’t dead, so what remained was how long Oh Min-seok could keep her occupied.
And during that time, Lee Jae-hyun had to swiftly ensure the child’s safety.
Lee Jae-hyun glanced at Oh Min-seok one last time, then moved.
* * *
Team Leader Oh Min-seok bowed politely and continued speaking to Go Hyun-sook, who regarded him with guarded eyes.
“Ah, yes, hello. I’m from Seoul, ma’am. Looking to scout spots for starting a farm life.”
“A farm life?”
Go Hyun-sook furrowed her brow at the out-of-left-field comment.
Oh Min-seok chuckled and nodded.
“Yes, ma’am. The air’s so clean here, the scenery’s great... Wide-open fields everywhere. Perfect. Mind telling me what the village vibe’s like?”
“Why ask me?”
“Ah... Haha.”
Oh Min-seok let out an awkward laugh at her icy response.
Go Hyun-sook looked at him like he was some insignificant fool.
The moment her body—previously facing the front gate—turned toward him...
Several scenarios raced through Oh Min-seok’s mind.
‘Just take her down now?’
The operation’s top priority was securing the child.
But with Go Hyun-sook—prime suspect—now separated from the child, subduing her immediately wasn’t a bad option.
He started to raise his hand to act but stopped.
‘No. Let’s wait a bit longer.’
The distance from the vegetable patch to the house door wasn’t far.
It was the yard patch, after all—so locking herself inside would take less than a minute.
If she got spooked now, after they’d confirmed the separation, and bolted inside to barricade...
Things would get messy.
Especially if she used the child’s life as leverage.
Stuck unable to advance or retreat, Oh Min-seok stood there, feeling his lips dry out as he scratched his head awkwardly.
Go Hyun-sook opened her mouth, annoyance plain on her face.
“Don’t know. Just keep walking.”
“Come on, ma’am, don’t be like that... I really can’t hack city life anymore. My wife nagged me to death, so we divorced, and I lost my job. Farming with my savings is my last shot at life.”
“...Divorced?”
Go Hyun-sook reacted to the word.
A flicker of interest crossed her face, which had shown only irritation moments before.
Oh Min-seok seized the opening.
“Yes.”
“Tch. A man who can’t handle one woman—how’ll you manage crops? Drop the farm dream and get lost.”
“But ma’am... That’s too harsh.”
“Get lost.”
Her voice dripped with chill.
Oh Min-seok’s eyes widened slightly at the sudden shift.
She’d seemed intrigued just now—how could the mood flip like that?
But he couldn’t back down.
For the child, for Lee Jae-hyun—he needed more time.
“I’m Oh Min-seok! I’ll kneel right here!”
Oh Min-seok dramatically dropped to his knees.
Like meeting his in-laws to ask for their daughter’s hand.
His hand hovered near his waist.
He felt the cold touch of handcuffs.
Ready to subdue her if she made any sudden moves.
But in the end, Go Hyun-sook waved him off dismissively and hurried inside.
“I said get lost! Should I call the cops?”
“...No, why would you call the police?”
Oh Min-seok muttered, bewildered.
Go Hyun-sook still eyed him warily from the front gate.
The frosted glass typical of rural doors let him make out her silhouette easily enough.
Finally, pretending to scratch his head, Oh Min-seok tapped his earpiece.
“How about this time I call 112?”
He said it, recalling Lee Jae-hyun’s first appearance at Myeong Jin-han’s pet shop.
* * *
Lee Jae-hyun circled the house as quickly as possible, peering into every window.
Fortunately, there weren’t too many.
It meant more to check, but also easier visibility inside.
The living room was trickier, though...
It had floor-to-ceiling windows, but unlike the others, curtains covered them.
Hard to see in, so Lee Jae-hyun lay flat on the ground, peering under the hem.
And...
‘There.’
He spotted a small figure lying motionless on the living room sofa.
Not large, unmoving.
He couldn’t see the face, but certain it was Choi Dae-hyeon, Lee Jae-hyun exhaled.
At that moment, his earpiece crackled.
—How about this time I call 112?
“Choi Dae-hyeon confirmed. On the living room sofa... Is Go Hyun-sook still at the vegetable patch?”
—No, if she were, I wouldn’t be radioing. She’s inside now, on alert. Won’t hold her long.
Lee Jae-hyun glanced at the child.
He’d thought Oh Min-seok was doing well at distracting her, but apparently not.
Ideally, he’d buy time until the rescue, but this was likely his best.
Having clashed with Lee Jae-hyun before, she’d be wary of police—and outsiders in general.
Still, confirming the child’s presence was progress.
‘Escaping while Team Leader Oh distracts is off the table now. So what can I do?’
His mind raced.
Child’s safety confirmed—next, return them unharmed to their parents.
No room for injury in the process.
Decision made, Lee Jae-hyun tapped his earpiece.
“You’re sure Go Hyun-sook’s still at the front gate?”
—Yeah, frosted glass but a small window in the door lets me confirm.
“Hold on.”
Lee Jae-hyun immediately headed to the back of the house.
The kitchen area had a door—seemed weaker than the front.
Metal frame, but dominated by a large glass pane; smash it, and entry was easy.
This door aligned straight with the front...
And the living room was right in between. Break in fast, subdue Go Hyun-sook, and the child stays safe.
Lee Jae-hyun drew a sharp breath and committed.
Thud-thud.
He sprinted, building speed with a few strides.
Just before impact, he twisted sideways, leading with his shoulder.
Crash!
Glass shattered, the sound echoing through the house.
Naturally, Go Hyun-sook inside whipped her gaze toward him.
“You—you...!”
Spotting him, she cried out in shock.
Instead of freaking out, she should’ve acted.
Lee Jae-hyun thrust his arm through the broken glass, unlocked the door, and flung it open.
Go Hyun-sook recovered and turned to flee, but...
Too late.
She was an elderly woman, after all.
Before she could take a few steps, Lee Jae-hyun lunged and grabbed her firmly.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Lee Jae-hyun growled in a low voice.