Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Changed Target
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Lee Jae-hyun hopped into a taxi right after clocking out and headed straight to Incheon.
He couldn’t help but worry about Song A-ram in particular.
Without her help during the Park Chun-beom case, it would have been tough to pin down the guy’s crimes.
But compared to the favor she’d done him, Lee Jae-hyun hadn’t been able to repay her properly.
He naturally felt indebted to her for that.
Failing to fully resolve the school bullying she’d been enduring was another thing that nagged at him.
With that sense of responsibility for the follow-up, it was only natural for him to head to Incheon.
“Welcome.”
He arrived at Incheon Western Police Station, and as soon as he stepped out of the taxi, Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun, who’d been waiting, greeted him.
Her black straight hair was neatly tied up in a practical bun, and she wore a light aviation jacket over a T-shirt for mobility.
It was classic detective fashion.
Before he could even express how nice it was to see her familiar face after so long, Lee Jae-hyun cut straight to the chase.
“So, what’s the exact situation right now? Are the kids bullying A-ram again or...?”
School violence wasn’t something you could stamp out easily.
The perpetrators got smarter over time, and the adults supposed to protect the victim couldn’t be glued to them 24/7.
Inevitably, there would be times when the victim was exposed to retaliation.
Lee Jae-hyun asked with open worry on his face.
Fortunately, Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun shook her head as she replied.
“No, nothing like that. I talk with A-ram often, and we even went to a sauna together last time. No signs of it at all.”
“Then...”
“But it doesn’t seem like the kids are just behaving themselves either. Looks like they’re bullying someone else now.”
“...So the target’s just changed.”
Lee Jae-hyun said, his face hardening.
This was why eradicating school violence was so damn hard.
No matter how much they preached prevention, the system left police with little they could do.
All they could manage was protecting the victim.
Even that was full of holes, and there were practically no ways to rein in the perpetrators.
Even if they protected the victim, if the bullies switched targets like this, there wasn’t much they could do.
“Yeah, seems like they’re doing it because I’m watching A-ram. Realistically... school bullying only gets proper punishment if the victim steps up.”
It was an unavoidable reality.
No matter how much evidence piled up...
If the victim didn’t report it, or said, “We were just messing around as friends,”
All that evidence was worthless.
The puzzling part was that Song A-ram had evidence and Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun right there, so filing charges was always an option.
And Song A-ram was definitely set on mustering the courage to take down her bullies.
Whoever this new victim was, if Song A-ram pressed charges...
The school would try to cover it up first.
But with Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun holding firm, it wouldn’t be easy, so the case would proceed properly.
If incidents happened twice, the teachers would watch the bullies closely.
That would make it harder for them to act out like before, and the victims would naturally dwindle.
“A-ram...”
“She started the filing process... but suddenly wants to withdraw it.”
“Something must’ve happened.”
Lee Jae-hyun’s expression turned grave at Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun’s words.
Song A-ram, whose school violence issues had already strained things with her dad, suddenly backing off? There had to be a reason.
“Yeah, I stalled the withdrawal for now...”
“Hasn’t A-ram changed her mind?”
“Yeah, and she’s dodging talks with me about withdrawing, so I couldn’t figure out why.”
“Either way, we need to talk to A-ram properly to get to the bottom of it.”
“That’s why I called you. Talk to her for me.”
Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun probably had no choice.
If Song A-ram insisted on withdrawing herself, there was nothing to be done.
She wouldn’t drop it for no reason, so they had to find out what.
“Got it. Let’s go see A-ram then.”
With that, Lee Jae-hyun stood up alongside Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun.
And naturally, they headed to Song’s Gukbap House.
* * *
“Welcome... Oh!”
As Lee Jae-hyun entered the gukbap restaurant, Song A-ram, mid-greeting, froze upon spotting him and Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun.
She seemed reluctant about something, approaching with hesitant steps to say hello.
“...Hello.”
“Yeah, you doing okay?”
Song A-ram greeted him in a listless voice.
Lee Jae-hyun forced a smile in response.
She was being so obvious about avoiding him.
It was clear as day she was hiding something.
Lee Jae-hyun turned toward the kitchen, where clattering sounds came from.
“Boss, two bowls of hot gukbap, please!”
“Coming right up! Huh? Inspector Lee Jae-hyun?”
Song Boss peeked out from the kitchen to reply, then stripped off his rubber gloves and rushed into the dining area.
“Oh, come on in. You should’ve said you were coming.”
Song Boss grabbed Lee Jae-hyun’s hand with a bright smile.
Seeing that, Lee Jae-hyun realized Song A-ram was keeping this from her father.
“I was nearby and craved your gukbap, Boss.”
“Oh, sit down. I’ll bring it right out. A-ram! Why’re you standing around when the inspector’s here?”
“Uh, uh... It’s fine. Inspector, sit here.”
Song Boss tilted his head at A-ram’s awkward expression but soon headed back to the kitchen, saying to wait just a bit.
Lee Jae-hyun glanced toward the kitchen, then spoke up.
“A-ram.”
“...Yes.”
“Came for the follow-up. Whatever it is, I’ll help.”
“I’m fine now. You don’t need to do follow-up.”
“Why the sudden change of heart?”
“Just...”
Song A-ram sounded curt, but also a bit sad.
Something was definitely up, so Lee Jae-hyun spoke calmly.
“A-ram, it’s true I haven’t earned your full trust, and that’s on me... But trust me one more time and tell me. I’ll do my absolute best on the follow-up.”
“...You’ll get in big trouble too, Uncle.”
Lee Jae-hyun’s face stiffened oddly.
And it wasn’t just him—Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun reacted the same.
“Uncle too...?”
That implied someone else was already in deep trouble.
Lee Jae-hyun furrowed his brow and pressed on.
“A-ram, I’m a cop. Just tell me whatever...”
“Their dad doesn’t give a damn about cops.”
“What...?”
Song A-ram replied curtly, almost defiantly.
But Lee Jae-hyun didn’t miss the choked voice beneath it.
He knew that tone well.
The voice of a weak person hiding hurt from injustice they had to swallow.
His face rigid, Lee Jae-hyun was about to press further.
“Here’s your delicious gukbap.”
Song Boss emerged with the bowls, and Song A-ram clamped her mouth shut.
She still didn’t want to worry her dad.
Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun stood up immediately.
“Oh, right! Boss, mind if we chat for a sec?”
“Huh? Eat first...”
“Boss, let’s step out for a smoke and talk.”
Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun led Song Boss outside.
Seeing that, Song A-ram let out a small sigh.
“...I know. Unnie’s really looking out for me. And you’re here because she called you.”
“Yeah.”
“Ha... But seriously, those kids are crazy.”
“Tell me slowly what happened. I’ll do everything I can.”
Lee Jae-hyun met Song A-ram’s eyes as he spoke.
Finally, she opened up cautiously.
“Lately... the kids stopped bothering me, and that article about the gukbap place came out, so I made some friends.”
“That’s great.”
“No, it’s not. There’s this girl Choi Su-jin I got really close to... Now they’re targeting her.”
Lee Jae-hyun clenched his fist tight.
So the new target Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun mentioned was this Su-jin kid.
“If we get Su-jin to file charges too...”
Just as Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun said, the bullies wouldn’t escape punishment.
Plus, they’d be marked at school, so they wouldn’t dare act out again.
That’s what Lee Jae-hyun thought.
Until he heard what Song A-ram said next, her voice trembling.
“They’re total scum... They said if I don’t withdraw the charges, they’ll kill Su-jin.”
She gripped her small fist tightly as she spoke.
Had he underestimated kids these days?
The bullies were craftier than he thought.
Not going after the main target, but threatening those around her.
A friend Song A-ram had finally made after clearing her name—using her like this must’ve hit hard.
“Retaliatory threat...”
Lee Jae-hyun mulled the charge in his mind.
Song A-ram continued in a quavering voice.
“Su-jin wants to do something too. But her dad works at Hyun-jin’s dad’s company...”
Exploiting social status on top of that.
Su-jin must be going through hell mentally.
Lee Jae-hyun gritted his teeth.
But Song A-ram wasn’t done.
“They shoved a lighter in her face... Said they’d burn down her dad’s store too...”
At that moment, a grinding sound leaked from Lee Jae-hyun’s clenched teeth.
Retaliatory threat escalating to aggravated intimidation.
Using her one new friend and her only family.
The fresh wounds from school violence layered on old ones—how much must that hurt?
He looked at Song A-ram, then down at her clenched fist.
She was squeezing so hard her tiny knuckles were white.
“A-ram.”
Lee Jae-hyun etched that fist in his mind, then looked up.
Meeting her eyes, he smiled to reassure her.
“Don’t worry.”
“...Uncle.”
But under the table, his own fist trembled from the strain.
Still, he kept smiling.
If it meant that kid’s fist could unclench.
He could playact like this forever.
Gripping his fist was his burden alone.
He held the smile and continued.
“Nothing you’re worried about will happen.”
His gentle words contrasted with the fist under the table, which spoke his true feelings.
You bastards... I really can’t let you off.