Chapter 165
Chapter 165
Snake (3).
-They dropped stills for Snake omg
I finally get to see Yu Yeon-seo in a uniformㅠ
└Whoa, insane, a police uniform.
└From today on, Yu-jun is my favorite characterㅠㅠ
└Wait guys, what’s with that club photo that just dropped? Am I the only one seeing this?
└└Whoa
-I guess I have a thing for Yu Yeon-seo when he’s all dressed up.
My heart is poundingㅠㅠ
└He’s been wearing suits all the time lately, so isn’t it been a while since we’ve seen this kind of bad-boy look?
└I was actually hoping for an idol drama because I wanted to see him in idol styling.
└Isn’t it time for a fan meeting? I feel like it’s about time.
└I wish the premiere date would get here faster.
Im Hye-ju, Im Seung-hyeon’s sister and a prominent member of ‘Love Letter’, diligently saved the teasers for ‘Snake’ and posted them on the fan club cafe and her social media accounts. While saving a touched-up photo posted by another fan account, she received a DM.
It was from an account with a default profile picture, what’s known as an egg account. Normally, she would have ignored it without a second thought, but for some reason, she found herself clicking on it.
@Hfd9DasfUfdA
Selling Snake filming info~ Make an offer~
Im Hye-ju scoffed. This kind of trolling was quite refreshing.
‘Does anyone even fall for this stuff these days?’
Running a fan account for Yu Yeon-seo, she had encountered all sorts of people. When Yu Yeon-seo was involved in something controversial, though not criminal, she had even received DMs with blatant criticism like, “Aren’t you embarrassed to be a fan of a guy like that?”
This information was obviously unreliable. It seemed like someone was just trying to scam clueless new fans...
As she was about to close the DM window, something kept nagging at her.
‘This is a bit suspicious...’
She was Im Seung-hyeon’s sister, after all. With an intuition that ran in the family, Im Hye-ju didn’t block the sender. Instead, she switched to another account and followed them.
“Someone’s selling information about the filming locations?”
“Yes.”
The next shooting day, Im Seung-hyeon, having been contacted by his sister, reported this to Yu Yeon-seo.
“The information could be fake.”
“So, I had her buy the info last night, and it pinpointed today’s filming location exactly.”
“Did a staff member leak it?”
“That’s a possibility. Since the information is so accurate...”
“Ha, what a great way to run a shoot.”
The assistant director was constantly picking fights with the director, and because many experienced staff members had left due to the strike’s aftermath, the scheduled filming times were getting progressively delayed.
And now, a staff member was selling location information... Yu Yeon-seo clicked his tongue. Lee Tae-gyeom, who was listening beside them, suddenly sighed.
“...Ah, don’t tell me.”
“Why, do you know something?”
He explained that there had been an online cafe for staff communication before filming began, and that it had only been made private belatedly.
“Could someone know about this? Can’t you ask your sister, hyung?”
“Hold on... she says it’s a method old drama fans used to use.”
“I had a bad feeling about this.”
Apparently, when a cafe was used as a communication hub, some people would search for the drama’s working title or official title before the cafe was set to private, join by pretending to be staff, and then leak filming locations or even scripts.
“That’s why I told them to make it private quickly...”
“Wait, hold on.”
Yu Yeon-seo stopped Lee Tae-gyeom, who was about to rush off to Eom Dong-pil. The highly temperamental Eom Dong-pil vented his emotions in various ways.
The only person he deferred to was Yu Yeon-seo. His ambition was plain to see; it was obvious he was trying to get on Yu Yeon-seo’s good side to switch companies.
‘Then I should play along.’
And the moment a person like that feels despair is when they are betrayed by something they believed was a sure thing. In other words, what Yu Yeon-seo was about to do was string him along with false hope.
“I believe this is the right way.”
“No, Director, you don’t know anything. This is how it’s always done on set.”
“Assistant Director, what do you know about ‘these days’? It’s been a long time since you were hands-on.”
“Wh-what did you say?”
Assistant Director Eom Dong-pil was harassing the director. This had happened more than a few times, and the director’s patience for letting it slide was wearing thin. After constantly yielding, she was finally fighting back.
The staff were also in an awkward position. The director was Lee Seul-gi, but Eom Dong-pil had debuted so long ago that he was a senior, leaving them unable to take either side.
“What’s going on?”
“Ah, Yeon-seo-ssi.”
Just as the atmosphere was growing more heated, Yu Yeon-seo intervened. Eom Dong-pil’s expression changed in an instant. Seeing this, Director Lee Seul-gi scowled deeply. The way he treated her, a rookie director he saw as an easy target, so harshly, yet fawned over the clearly successful Yu Yeon-seo like he was a lifeline, was utterly disgusting.
“Aren’t we filming? The atmosphere is terrible.”
“Ah, I apologize. It’s just that the director has absolutely no experience...”
“It’s normal to be ambitious with your first project. Please be understanding, Assistant Director. You’re the veteran here.”
Yu Yeon-seo patted Eom Dong-pil’s shoulder in a friendly manner. Then he turned his head and casually winked at Director Lee Seul-gi. It was a signal not to worry.
Director Lee Seul-gi, who had been mentally drained from dealing with Eom Dong-pil, had a look of ‘I knew it’ in her shining eyes. On his filming days, he would restrain the assistant director and often come to her rescue. Of course, things were a bit tougher on days when Yu Yeon-seo wasn’t on set.
Yu Yeon-seo led Eom Dong-pil to a more secluded spot.
“But this is too much. Assigning a veteran like you as an assistant director, right?”
“Hah... that’s been a big concern of mine lately.”
Unsure why Yu Yeon-seo had pulled him aside, Eom Dong-pil maintained a deliberately vague attitude.
“Speaking of which... have you thought about directing again?”
“Actually, I was planning to make a comeback after this project.”
Yu Yeon-seo didn’t say it directly. But he spoke in circles, hinting so strongly it was as if he were saying, ‘If you let this slide, I’ll get you a spot at my company.’ The corners of Eom Dong-pil’s mouth gradually turned up.
“I heard our company has a lot of good projects, but we’re short on people to direct them.”
“I-is that so?”
“A good opportunity will come your way soon.”
He then gently coaxed Eom Dong-pil, suggesting that if he could handle the recent influx of people crowding the set, who knew what kind of opportunity he might provide. With that, he placated him.
‘That’s taken care of for now...’
Now, Eom Dong-pil wouldn’t harass the director, even when he wasn’t scheduled to film. He’d be too busy daydreaming about his bright future. Plus, he would take care of crowd control on his own.
The newly formed Narcotics Team 3 began their investigation into the case of Kim Gyeong-sik, who died after being forcibly injected with a lethal dose of drugs. Son Jin-ho took Han Yu-jun to the dump site where Kim Gyeong-sik’s body had been abandoned.
“We can’t let them know we’re investigating this case.”
“Why not?”
By “them,” Son Jin-ho meant everything at the crime scene—the ground, vehicles, trash, even the stray cats that lived nearby.
“We’re the ones listening. We can’t talk to them, can we?”
“No, sir.”
“But they’re dying to talk. Like a toddler who’s just learned to speak.”
Han Yu-jun fell into deep thought. Come to think of it... the voices he heard were fundamentally at a preschooler’s level.
“But if you openly show you’re curious, they won’t tell you anything, even if they know. You know that, right?”
“They did have a contrarian streak.”
“Exactly. So let’s just casually drop hints while pretending to investigate. Then they’ll spill everything they know. They sometimes get a kick out of teasing us, enjoying the fact that they know something we can’t understand.”
“Ah... yes. Understood.”
The two men got out of the car and looked at the dump site. Yellow tape still cordoned off the area as the investigation was ongoing.
(Wow, a police car!)
(But the man next to him doesn’t look like a cop.)
(Yeah! I’ve seen people like him passed out on the street!)
Son Jin-ho’s advice seemed to be working; the voices coming from all directions weren’t as bothersome. Han Yu-jun barely suppressed a laugh.
“So, why did Kim Gyeong-sik die? You know anything?”
“Wasn’t it just an accident? I heard he liked to drink when he was alive.”
Son Jin-ho spoke as if he knew nothing, and Han Yu-jun played along. Immediately, a clamor erupted from all sides. Han Yu-jun winced slightly. It was hurting his ears.
“No, he didn’t have any underlying conditions. So, did someone kill him? A mugging?”
(Nooo!)
“Are you saying it was a homicide, sir? But there were no signs of being hit or any struggle, were there?”
(That’s not how he was killed! Are you even a cop?)
So someone did kill him. But who, exactly? The culprit was caught on CCTV, but they had skillfully avoided the camera’s blind spots, leaving no identifying features.
“You said he was investigating a drug case, right?”
“Right, and needle marks were found on the body. The killer must have forcibly injected him with a lethal dose of drugs.”
(That’s right! They came from behind and bam! Covered his nose and mouth with a cloth to make him pass out, and then...!)
(Stabbed him with the syringe!)
“Why was he killed? Who did it?”
With a little more prompting, he felt they could get a lead. Son Jin-ho, reading Han Yu-jun’s expression, sighed as if he were out of ideas.
“I don’t know. I just came back to the force.”
(There was a snake on his wrist!)
(You idiot, why would you say that!)
(You’re the idiot. How are these dumb humans going to hear us!)
(Huh? That’s true.)
Han Yu-jun drew a sharp breath. It was his first drug investigation, but he had already memorized all the files compiled by Team 1. A snake tattoo on the body was the symbol of ‘Snake,‘ identifying its members.
(But what did he say?)
(‘I told you to back off when I asked nicely, just like Son Jin-ho.’)
(That’s right!)
At the mention of the unexpected name, Han Yu-jun stared blankly at his superior.
After listening to the sounds of the crime scene, the two returned to the office, where a man in glasses timidly approached them.
“Uh, sir.”
“...Who are you?”
“I’m Oh Tae-seong, dispatched from the Cybercrime Unit.”
Drug crimes were rampant due to the rise of social media and secure messaging apps, but the reality was that they couldn’t catch everyone.
“Uh, under the prosecutor’s orders, I looked into the deceased’s internet history.”
“Right, Officer Oh. Did you find anything?”
“I think you should see for yourself.”
What Oh Tae-seong showed them was a social media account that appeared to have been created by the deceased, Kim Gyeong-sik.
The accounts he followed were filled with people who looked like they knew how to party. Photos of them dressed up and having fun at clubs, and selfies taken in rooms decorated with balloons, gift boxes, and cakes.
“Looks like he was a dealer?”
“I hear club MDs are responsible for sourcing drugs these days, right? That’s how they bring in the VIPs.”
“Yes, and that’s what makes it tricky. Those VIPs have some pull, so we can’t just arrest them...”
“Wow, look at those balloons... I wonder if they’re really just filled with air?”
“One moment, Captain.”
The hashtags pointed to two specific clubs. Prosecutor Lee A-hyeon pulled Captain Son Jin-ho aside to a corner. She had heard about his personality from her predecessor. Once he latched onto something, he charged ahead without considering the consequences.
“But you know this kind of case carries a huge risk, right?”
That made it even more dangerous. At Lee A-hyeon’s cautious tone, Son Jin-ho raised an eyebrow in displeasure.
“So, you’re saying we should play it safe because the children of important people might be involved?”
“No, we need to be sure we can lock them up for good. Otherwise, we’ll be the ones getting dismantled.”
Unlike Prosecutor Park Ki-hoon, Prosecutor Lee A-hyeon was cooperative. A clumsy move would only get them hit back harder. Son Jin-ho knew that too. As he stroked his chin, wondering what to do, his eyes fell on the handsome face of Han Yu-jun.
“...Speaking of which, that Han Yu-jun. He’s good-looking, even to you, right, Prosecutor?”
“Is that even a question? The response when he received that Good Samaritan Award was insane.”
“Right? Besides pretty women, is there a demand for pretty men over there?”
He had the looks, and on top of that, the ability to read sounds. It was a perfect fit.
“Of course. It’s not often you see someone who looks like that, is it?”
As Son Jin-ho gave a sly grin, Lee A-hyeon grinned back. Noticing both their gazes fixed on him, Han Yu-jun blinked.
“You two... why are you looking at me like that?”
“Have you ever partied hard before?”
“Pardon?”