Chapter 8: Under His Gaze

“Ah, you’re here?”

“Hello!”

Suyeong gave a small bow to the staff who greeted her. Behind her, Ju-yeon appeared and lifted a hand.

“Team Leader Jo, you came too?”

“Mm-hm. I heard there was beef ribs, so I came to freeload.”

“Oh! We heard your car broke down in front of headquarters!”

“It’s just old. Fix it and it’ll run fine.”

“Twenty years is more than enough—you should let it go already. What are you saving money for if not times like this? This is when you change cars!”

They bantered comfortably, clearly long acquainted. Just then, ding, the chime above the door rang.

The glass door opened, and following Squad Leader Kim Nam-jin, Si-eon walked in. The moment Suyeong noticed his gaze land on her, she subtly looked away.

Whether fortunate or unfortunate, they’d been too busy to run into each other—but that didn’t mean what had happened before was forgotten.

“Why are you just standing there? Let’s go in.”

He looked perfectly calm, as if nothing had happened. Then again, showing awkwardness would only draw attention. If anything, that would look stranger to others.

Suyeong stepped forward and looked for an empty seat.

With such a small group, no matter where she sat, she’d inevitably fall within his line of sight. She chose a seat as far away as possible and sat beside Ju-yeon.

Soon, the table filled with dishes, and meat began sizzling on the grill.

“Alright! First round—everyone, cheers!”

Kim stood and went around filling glasses. Suyeong, citing that she had driven and needed to take Team Leader Jo home, accepted a soft drink instead of alcohol.

Returning to his seat, Kim cleared his throat.

“Everyone, great work! For a while now, let’s stretch our legs and get some proper sleep!”

Suyeong clinked glasses with the others, her own filled with soda. After taking a sip, her gaze drifted to Si-eon. While everyone else downed their drinks enthusiastically, his beer glass remained nearly untouched.

“Ahhh, nothing tastes better than alcohol after wrapping up a case, right?”

Careful not to be noticed, Suyeong lowered her gaze and popped a piece of meat into her mouth.

As bottles began to pile up on the table, faces gradually changed. Some turned beet-red; others grew pale.

“Excuse me! Two more bottles of soju and three beers, please!”

“Yes!”

She wasn’t someone who got drunk easily, but watching it all unfold while sober somehow made it more entertaining.

What fascinated her most was how, even in their drunken state, everyone seemed to praise the same person—almost as if on cue.

“Did you see the comments under the article when we sent the case to the prosecution? I swear, I thought our team leader had a fan club!”

“Our team leader’s popular!”

They were talking about Baek Si-eon.

“The rest of us looked all serious and rough in the photos, but Team Leader looked like he was in a photo shoot! The reporters kept snapping away—how does he always survive the camera alone?”

It didn’t feel like empty flattery aimed at a superior. They weren’t exaggerating—just stating facts. Even Suyeong, who had once felt uncomfortable around him, couldn’t deny it.

Baek Si-eon.

By any measure, he was impressive.

He hadn’t followed the traditional elite police track, but he’d proven his ability through rapid promotion. A former athlete, standing at 190 centimeters with a solid build—and on top of that, undeniably handsome.

Whenever his face appeared in the news, it became a topic of discussion.

“At this rate, won’t TV stations start calling? You know those dating shows where regular people come out and pair up? They might ask you to join one!”

“Oh! I know those! Every network has one now. If you get an offer, you should totally go!”

Even Ju-yeon joined in.

Unlike the others who were drinking recklessly, Si-eon, sipping his beer with composure, answered flatly:

“I’m not interested.”

“Why not? You might meet someone great, start dating—wouldn’t that be nice? Team Leader, you really need to date. You’ve got no love right here, right here!”

Woo Sung-min, who’d been full of praise until now, pinpointed his weakness.

“That’s true. He is like that, isn’t he?”

Officer Bae nodded along.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never heard of Team Leader dating.”

Kim added, “When would he have time? All he does is work. That’s why his emotions are so dry. Completely dried up.”

It could be called an occupational hazard. Dealing daily with murderers, robbers, and rapists might explain it—but to coworkers, he did come off as lacking warmth.

Still, Suyeong didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. She lived much the same way herself. And she’d seen a side of him that contradicted that image.

—

“Sir, it’s far too cold today.”

—

She didn’t think he lacked fundamental compassion for people. Even now, the way he looked at Officer Woo was sharp—but not cruel. It was a gaze easily misunderstood if you couldn’t read beneath it.

“See? That look!”

Sung-min raised a finger.

“Isn’t that cold as hell?”

He turned, asking for agreement. Suyeong slowly blinked and rolled her eyes.

Si-eon finished the last of his beer and set the glass down. His slightly damp lips parted as he lifted his gaze—and then he smiled faintly, looking straight at Suyeong.

Their eyes met.

“Do you think so too, Officer Han?”

The sudden question caught her off guard.

Without realizing it, Suyeong tightened her grip on the chopsticks.

She couldn’t tell what he was after by asking her that. So instead of answering, she stared back at him. As if reading her question, he frowned slightly and leaned back against his chair.

“You’re good at reading people. I was curious how I look through your eyes.”

Suyeong set her chopsticks down.

His words sounded like a warning—not to lie.

Lowering her gaze, she finally spoke.

“He’s sharp—but not heartless.”

She said exactly what she saw.

“Huh? You really think so?”

Kim looked genuinely surprised. Suyeong shifted her gaze from Si-eon to Sung-min.

“You didn’t say that because you truly think he’s heartless, did you?”

“…Wow. You’re seriously something.”

Sung-min’s eyes widened, as if he’d just heard something profound.

“I was honestly shocked this time! How do you read criminals so well? I can’t see any of that stuff.”

“Hey! That’s why she’s a profiler! A brute like you wouldn’t get it even if you stared all day!”

At Kim’s words, Suyeong’s eyes flickered slightly.

—

‘They say if your head doesn’t work, your body suffers—sounds just like you, Team Leader.’

—

It was eerily similar to what she’d once said to Si-eon herself.

Swallowing hard, Suyeong lifted her gaze.

And immediately met Si-eon’s eyes—still fixed on her.

He, too, clearly had a talent for reading people. The satisfied look on his face suggested he’d seen right through her thoughts.

Suyeong lifted her glass and wet her not-even-dry throat.

That was when—

Bzzzt. Bzzzzzt.

Her phone vibrated irregularly. She checked the screen. An unknown number—but the timing couldn’t have been better.

Phone in hand, Suyeong stood up.

“I need to take this call for a moment.”

She excused herself to Ju-yeon and stepped away, holding the automated spam call to her ear as if it were something important.