Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Hero's Welcome
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After wrapping up the case, Lee Jae-hyun dragged his exhausted body back to Hanseong Police Substation.
“Everyone, clap!”
The moment Lee Jae-hyun stepped inside Hanseong Police Substation, applause poured down on him, leaving him blinking in surprise.
It started the instant Inspector Kim Seok-hyun spotted him and shouted “Clap!”—everyone joined in.
Inspector Kim Seok-hyun, with his kindly face that looked like he could be manning the counter at a neighborhood mart,
knew better than anyone how to naturally look after his team, encourage them, and take pride in their achievements during moments like this.
“Woo! Great job, our maknae!”
Sergeant Kim Jun-ho cheered louder than anyone, clapping enthusiastically.
The others were clapping hard too, of course, but Kim Jun-ho had extra reason to celebrate.
It was tied to Po-sun’s death, and with Go Hyun-sook almost certainly responsible for killing Po-sun.
Kim Jun-ho slapped a hand on Lee Jae-hyun’s shoulder and flashed a huge grin.
“You did great… Thank you.”
“No need. I just did what had to be done.”
“If every cop in the world did what had to be done like you, unsolved cases would be a thing of the past, don’t you think?”
“Haha…”
Lee Jae-hyun gave an awkward smile at Kim Jun-ho’s praise.
In his previous life, he would’ve dodged this kind of atmosphere as too embarrassing.
But now, having returned to the past,
he found he didn’t mind it at all.
Just then, Inspector Park Dae-hyung sidled up and placed a hand on Lee Jae-hyun’s shoulder.
“You did well. That was police work at its finest.”
“Thank you. I’ll keep giving it my all.”
Lee Jae-hyun bowed his head slightly in response.
Park Dae-hyung patted his shoulder and continued.
“Don’t overdo it. Take care of yourself.”
“You’re right.”
Park Dae-hyung gave a thumbs-up, then quirked the corner of his mouth.
Lee Jae-hyun scratched his head in response.
“Police work at its finest”—it might be a phrase tossed out easily or habitually by some.
But to Lee Jae-hyun, it carried real weight.
There were plenty of people wearing the badge who knelt before money and power.
That’s why he always strived to live up to it, as a true cop.
In his past life, and now.
Meanwhile, Min Ji-hye, who’d been listening in, wedged herself between them.
She was the one who usually stood stone-faced in a corner of the station.
Now, she glared at Lee Jae-hyun and Park Dae-hyung, let out a breath, and spoke up.
“‘You’re right,’ my ass… You passed out after taking sleeping pills and still haven’t gone to the hospital.”
“…”
Lee Jae-hyun had nothing to say, so he just smiled sheepishly.
Seeing that, Min Ji-hye shook her head in disbelief and stared him down.
“You’re not telling me you still haven’t gone, even after solving the case?”
“I’ve been too busy…”
“Ha…”
“I’ll swing by on my way out tonight.”
Lee Jae-hyun quickly added, sensing the mix of emotions in her sigh.
Her usual blank expression plus that sigh created an odd pressure.
Team Leader Oh Cheol-jin, who’d been watching from the side, smoothly inserted himself.
“Tonight? You were off today and still came in to work. Go home now. And don’t come in tomorrow either.”
“…Really?”
“Really. Get some sleep.”
It was a sweet offer.
Honestly, Lee Jae-hyun had pushed himself too hard for days.
He couldn’t help being worn out.
He wanted to head straight home, wash off the dirt caked on his body, and collapse into bed.
He bowed his head deeply.
“Thank you. I won’t hold back… I’ll rest up and come back refreshed.”
“Good. Make sure you actually rest.”
Team Leader Oh Cheol-jin nodded.
To him, Lee Jae-hyun was a talent worth more than the world.
The number of cases he’d solved was insane…
If something happened to a guy like that on his watch, he’d be called an irresponsible team leader.
This level of treatment was only natural.
Hearing that, Kim Jun-ho piped up brightly.
“So, if he returns Tuesday, he can look forward to a commendation right away?”
“It’s been how long since the last gold star? Will they give another? They will, right?”
Team Leader Oh Cheol-jin started to answer but slyly turned it into a question.
Commendations didn’t come often.
They were rare rewards for real merit…
This case? Lee Jae-hyun had basically handled it from start to finish.
And it involved a child.
Factoring that in, another commendation wasn’t out of the question.
“He solved a child kidnapping. If they don’t give one, they’re shameless. Wonder how much this time.”
Even though it wasn’t for him, Kim Jun-ho sounded as excited as if he were getting it himself.
Park Dae-hyung told him to calm down since nothing was decided yet.
Watching them, Lee Jae-hyun smiled softly.
An accident he couldn’t have stopped in his past life.
The station’s atmosphere wrapped it up on a heartwarming note.
* * *
While Team 4 basked in full celebration mode,
in the office of Violent Crimes Unit Chief Kim Ho-cheol at Ilsan West Police Station.
“Min-seok…”
“…”
Kim Ho-cheol looked up at the man sitting across from him.
It was Oh Min-seok, team leader of the Violent Crimes Unit—and the one who’d apprehended the perp alongside Lee Jae-hyun.
Kim Ho-cheol stared at Team Leader Oh Min-seok for a moment before speaking.
“What is this?”
He set the smartphone in his hand down in front of Oh Min-seok.
A video was playing on the small screen.
Thud! Thunk!
Dull sounds like bone slamming into bone echoed through the office.
It was footage of police subduing a criminal, playing from Chief Kim Ho-cheol’s phone.
The quality was poor, making it hard to make out the cop’s face clearly.
But the conversation with the perp in the video made it easy enough to figure out who.
Lee Jae-hyun.
In the clip, he moved with the skill of far more than a rookie patrol officer, taking down the perp.
Dodging from the waist up with quick twists, landing punches on the fleeing guy.
A clean hit to the side—Park Ye-chan now had two cracked ribs because of it.
Moves you’d expect from veteran Violent Crimes detectives.
Oh Min-seok scratched his cheek the whole time the video played.
He only spoke after it ended.
“Proof we solved that child kidnapping case clean.”
“We solved it, sure. But quietly? Not so much.”
“Did I ever say we’d do it quietly? I said we’d solve it well.”
“…Jesus.”
A response so bold it bordered on brazen.
Chief Kim Ho-cheol let out a disbelieving breath.
This was borderline excessive force—prime complaint material.
But instead of arguing, he just smirked faintly.
“Well, the kid’s safe, at least.”
“Ha, exactly. Solved it clean, so no one can complain.”
Seeing Chief Kim Ho-cheol’s reaction, Oh Min-seok added smoothly.
Still brazen as ever, and Chief Kim Ho-cheol finally replied in an exasperated tone.
The victim was a child.
Even an adult kidnapping was big news—this was a kid.
They’d handled it, noisy or not, without a hitch. No room for complaints.
“Chief… no, hyung. Can I ask one desperate favor?”
Seizing the moment, Oh Min-seok jumped in.
This case was basically Lee Jae-hyun calling the shots, but Oh Min-seok had been the on-site lead.
So didn’t that give him the right to ask for a reward too?
“What now?”
Oh Min-seok switched to “hyung,” and Kim Ho-cheol responded wearily.
They’d known each other forever, but he only pulled that when he wanted something awkward.
“Please assign me one patrol officer.”
“A patrol officer? Why the sudden obsession with rookies?”
Chief Kim Ho-cheol scratched his ear, annoyed.
But Oh Min-seok’s eyes were steely—he’d come prepared.
No flat-out “no” yet, so the door wasn’t closed.
He spoke clearly, facing Chief Kim Ho-cheol.
“The guy we worked with this time? He’s the real deal.”
Oh Min-seok grinned in a way that didn’t suit a Violent Crimes team leader.
It didn’t match his usual demeanor.
But he figured Lee Jae-hyun was worth it.
There was that saying, right?
A detective who catches perps—no need for backups.
Seeing this side of Oh Min-seok, Kim Ho-cheol smirked.
“You’re eyeing that kid?”
“Yeah, he’s gold. Let me have him on my team.”
“But what can I do?”
“Come on, don’t just say no…”
Oh Min-seok’s brows furrowed.
It was bordering on begging now.
But Chief Kim Ho-cheol cut him off casually.
“Straight up: you want any patrol officer, or just that one?”
“Yeah. Just the one.”
“But that guy’s off-limits.”
“What? No, it has to be him.”
Oh Min-seok waved his hands frantically, flustered.
He was laser-focused on Lee Jae-hyun.
Chief Kim Ho-cheol stayed vague with his refusal.
Naturally, Oh Min-seok started to panic.
Whether he knew it or not, Chief Kim Ho-cheol continued.
“You want a patrol officer assigned?”
“What are you…?”
“So, any patrol officer? Or specifically that guy? Be precise.”
Chief Kim Ho-cheol eyed him with a strange expression.
Oh Min-seok tilted his head, confused.
Assign a patrol officer, sure—but not Lee Jae-hyun?
He wasn’t joking.
And Kim Ho-cheol wasn’t one for empty talk.
Frowning thoughtfully for a second, Oh Min-seok lit up.
“Oh, wait…”
He looked at Chief Kim Ho-cheol, as if confirming his hunch.
Chief Kim Ho-cheol said nothing more.
Just shrugged with that odd look.
That was answer enough.