Power & Sex, and... 34
Honestly, I knew the situation wasn't entirely fair, but those guys had been such assholes to me up until now, and Ara was fuming after being labeled the other woman in an affair. So, partly to help her cool off, I was turning a blind eye to the police officers' overzealous response.
They readily agreed to let me accompany them to the station, and the officers snapped crisp salutes in unison before the patrol cars started rolling out. I turned on my ignition and followed, with one patrol car blaring its siren ahead to lead the way while the other two trailed behind with flashing lights, escorting my car like some VIP convoy.
When we arrived at the station, uniformed officers saluted as one of them guided me to a convenient parking spot. After parking, I bowed slightly in thanks to the officer, then headed inside with Ara—only to be greeted by a chorus of "Sir!" echoing around us.
"Sir! I'm Kim Ho-gi, Chief of Busan Jin Police Station."
"Sir! I'm Park Pan-su, Chief of the Information Division at Busan Jin Police Station."
As the chief finished his greeting, a stream of division heads approached, saluting one after another. Ara seemed a bit overwhelmed by it all, gripping my arm tightly.
"It's nothing major, but I've gone and troubled you and all the executives, Chief."
"Nonsense. Please, Assemblyman, come on in."
Under the chief's guidance, Ara and I made our way to his office, receiving "Sir!" salutes from every officer we passed in the hallway. Naturally, the information chief, security chief, and other executives trailed us inside.
I politely declined the seat of honor a few times before finally settling into the sofa spot the chief insisted on, taking a sip of the coffee his secretary brought.
"This is my wife, by the way."
"I recognized her from the articles during the last election. You're a beautiful lady, ma'am."
"Thank you, Chief."
Ara beamed at the compliment, and the chief smiled warmly back at her—she was about the age of his own daughter.
"So, what exactly happened, Assemblyman?"
"Well, it seems those guys misunderstood things between me and my wife as an affair. On our way home, I made her cry, so I pulled over to the shoulder to comfort her with a hug. That's when they saw it and lost their minds, I guess?"
"We'll investigate them thoroughly and punish them accordingly."
"No need to go that far. Just give them a stern warning and let them off with a caution."
"Honey, no! People like that need to be taught a lesson."
"Ara, hang on a sec? I'm talking to the chief here."
Ara was still steaming mad and insisted on punishment when I asked for leniency. But realistically, the most we could pin on them was property damage and thuggish behavior—nothing that'd get more than a fine in court, even if it went that far.
"Ma'am, I'll handle this properly myself. No need to worry."
The chief wore a kind, understanding smile, doing his best to soothe her.
As we chatted casually over coffee, the sergeant and corporal from the initial response team entered the chief's office.
"Sir!"
"Any progress on the investigation?"
"Yes, sir. But their parents are loaded. They're kicking up a fuss, calling lawyers and everything."
"Then let 'em call! I wanna see just how fancy these kids' family connections are."
Whether it was because I was there or he was genuinely pissed at their behavior, the chief's face hardened as he ordered the investigators to hold off on statements until the lawyers arrived, then send the case to the prosecutors with a recommendation for indictment once done. Those punks had escalated things unnecessarily.
Anyway, I moved to another room for a formal victim statement in front of the officers, then exited the station amid send-offs from the chief and his executives.
"Honey, I was so thrilled earlier."
"Thrilled about what?"
"When those white patrol cars flanked us front and back on the way to the station, I felt like the president or something. Isn't that how they escort him?"
"Aigoo, what am I gonna do with my little wifey? That's all taxpayer money, you know."
She was still that pure early-20s girl at heart—quick to anger but finding joy in the smallest things. That innocence of hers kept nagging at me: I'm the bad guy here, marrying a girl who should be out having fun with friends, dating around, into this future with a jerk like me.
"Mother-in-law, we're home."
We stepped through the gate, and there she was at the entrance, having heard us arrive.
"Come on in, son-in-law."
"Mom, it was so much fun today."
"Fun how?"
"The patrol cars escorted honey's car front and back."
"What happened?"
"Nothing much. Just got tangled in some idiots' nonsense."
"Pfft, those jerks are the problem. We didn't do anything wrong."
"What went down?"
"Yeah, these two assholes rammed honey's car and kicked it. So honey called the cops, and we had them hauled in."
"……."
She excitedly recounted every detail to her mom like a kid fresh from an adventure, and Mother-in-law watched with an "Aigoo!" expression. Even as my wife, she looked adorably like an elementary schooler in moments like this.
"Mother-in-law, what's that smell? Something hearty and delicious."
"Oh, I made samgyetang hoping you'd eat when you got back, but it's late now."
"Aigoo, you should've told me."
"Didn't you have dinner already?"
"Look at the time—it's all digested. I'm starving."
Truth be told, there wasn't any samgyetang smell yet. But Ara had mentioned her mom bought a chicken, so I figured skipping it would disappoint her. Ara eyed me suspiciously, like she wanted to say something, but waited until Mother-in-law headed to the kitchen before whispering.
"Honey, you already ate dinner."
"Yeah, but if I don't eat the samgyetang she made, she'll be upset."
Ara lowered her voice and pointed it out, so I had to explain why we'd be eating samgyetang this late. Soon, the pot bubbled away, filling the house with that rich, savory aroma.
Once it was reheated, I sat at the table, and Mother-in-law ladled a heaping bowl into a wide soup dish for me. I blew on it—whoosh, whoosh—and dug in.
"Wow, Mother-in-law, your samgyetang is the best."
"Oh, don't say that. There are so many restaurants that do it better."
"No, really. It's the tastiest I've ever had."
Her samgyetang really was delicious. I polished off one bowl and went back for more, but the overeating left me bloated and struggling to sleep.
"Honey, get up already."
I'd crashed late from the stuffed belly and slept in until Ara's shouts jolted me awake.
"What? Something happen?"
"Come out and see the news quick."
"Why?"
"It's about you."
Wondering what the hell, I threw on a top and shuffled to the living room. At the bottom of the news screen crawled the chyron: Assemblyman Park Maru assaulted by thugs!How the hell? I'm fine—what happened without me knowing? I sat on the sofa, watching intently.
The chief's interview wrapped, and inexplicably, a public relations officer from the Busan District Prosecutors' Office appeared next. He stressed that assemblymen represent the legislature, framing the "terror incident" as a direct challenge to the National Assembly's authority and state power itself. He pledged severe punishment for the ringleaders.
Maybe the chief had been outraged by their actions during the statements last night, or perhaps their parents had beef with the police, prosecutors, or even the media.
Anyway, those kids—who hadn't even stomped the hood—were now "armed with an unidentified blunt weapon" threatening an active assemblyman, plus drunk driving with a "blood alcohol level of 0.09%."
Helpfully, the reporter noted: "Though Assemblyman Park Maru earnestly requested leniency for the two suspects from the station chief..." making clear the case was proceeding independently of my wishes.