Chapter 9: A Door She Can’t Open

“…….”

Si-eon’s gaze narrowed as it followed Su-yeong walking toward the exit.
A faint crease formed between his brows as he reached for the beer glass in front of him again.

“Oh! Team Leader, your glass is empty!”

Squad Leader Kim tilted the bottle toward Si-eon.

“Hey! Squad Leader! Don’t give Team Leader too much to drink! I’m the one who has to deal with the aftermath!”

At Woo Sung-min’s whining protest, Si-eon lifted the now-full glass.
Then, almost demonstratively, he tipped it back and drank deeply.

“W-What?! Team Leader, you can’t handle alcohol!”

Despite his looks—someone who seemed like he could drink crates of beer—Si-eon’s constitution simply didn’t agree with alcohol.
Even one bottle of beer was enough to make him tipsy.
Thankfully, he wasn’t a violent drunk, but once he crossed a certain point, he fell asleep wherever he happened to be.

“Please drink in moderation, Team Leader.”

At Woo’s plea, Si-eon gave a short, crooked smile and set the glass down.

And then—

– “…At approximately 6 p.m. this evening, a forty-seven-year-old man identified as Mr. Jo was found deceased in an apartment in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun District…”

Amid the noisy chatter filling the restaurant, a calm, precise voice pierced his ears.

– “Based on the note found at the scene, police believe the deceased took his own life after falling into despair, and they are currently investigating the exact circumstances.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jo was a member of the Saecheonmyeong Defectors’ Alliance, which filed charges against cult leader Lee Young-se, who received a decision of no indictment last month…”

It wasn’t the kind of death one would normally linger on.

But one word caught Si-eon’s attention.

Saecheonmyeong.

By the time he looked up at the television, the broadcast had already moved on to another story.

One month after cult leader Lee Young-se was declared not guilty.
A member of the defectors’ alliance had taken his own life.

As Si-eon turned the words over in his mind, his expression darkened noticeably.

He didn’t like drinking.

But this was news he couldn’t stay sober through.

“…….”

After sitting in silence for a moment, Si-eon wrapped his large hand around the beer glass again.
When Woo noticed the remaining beer vanish, his face stiffened in alarm.

“H-Hey! Team Leader, why are you suddenly flooring it?!”

Before anyone could stop him, the glass was completely empty.

Su-yeong stepped outside the restaurant and narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked over the drunken men tangled together.
They were well past tipsy, yet still shouting about going for a second round.

Among the flushed faces, Woo Sung-min—slightly less drunk than the rest—was the last remnant of reason holding them together.

And then there was one man who didn’t fit in at all.

Su-yeong turned her head toward him.

Her eyes filled with disbelief as she looked at Si-eon, slumped back in his chair, sound asleep.

Seriously.
He ended up like this after just a few beers?

It was unbelievable.

And yet, it was true—absurdly so.

“Um… Officer Han.”

Su-yeong turned at the sound of her name.

Swaying like a reed in the wind, Woo struggled free from the others and approached her with an earnest request.

“I’m really, really sorry to ask this, but… could you take our Team Leader home?”

Su-yeong’s eyes widened slightly.

“……Me?”

“Yes. I know it’s shameless.
But as you can see, I have to take care of those three right now.”

“…I don’t even know where Team Leader lives.”

“Oh! I overheard earlier—you live in the same apartment complex!”

“…What?”

It was news to her.

Not just the same complex—someone she had never once run into.
Though, given the size of the place, it wasn’t impossible.

“I heard it too. Same apartment.”

Ju-yeon chimed in, sipping her sujeonggwa.

“When did you hear that?”

“Earlier. When you stepped out to take a call? Or went to the restroom? Anyway, it came up while you weren’t there.”

She really hadn’t wanted to learn this kind of thing.

Masking her discomfort, Su-yeong spoke calmly.

“Um… I think I need to take Team Leader Jo home.”

She felt bad for Woo, but she had no desire to take responsibility for Si-eon.
Searching for an excuse, she glanced at Jo—and was met with her eyes going wide as she waved her hands frantically.

“I’m fine! I can take a taxi by myself!”

Her crescent-shaped eyes, like a living emoji, were infuriating.

“You’re going home anyway. Take care of Team Leader Baek.
Look at him—if you don’t pick him up, he’ll collapse on the sidewalk and sleep there.”

Ju-yeon tilted her head toward the sleeping man.

“Yes. He absolutely will.”

At Sung-min’s added comment, Su-yeong closed her eyes tightly, then reopened them.

He hadn’t seemed to drink that much—so when had he gotten this bad?

Letting out a silent sigh, she finally gave in.

“…Do you know the building and unit number?”

“Uh—yes! Building 108, unit 2801!”

Her long lashes fluttered.

Not only the same apartment complex—but the same building.

It was almost unbelievable they’d never crossed paths before.

Keeping her composure, Su-yeong replied evenly.

“Alright. I’ll take him home.”

Woo let out a deep sigh of relief and bent at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

“Thank you. Seriously, thank you so much!”

Su-yeong lifted the corners of her mouth awkwardly.

Freed from worry, Sung-min looked positively radiant.

“You can just dump him in front of the door!
He’ll wake up and go in on his own!”

Easy to say.

Getting him into the car had been manageable with help—but dragging him up to the 28th floor was another story entirely.

Click.

After unbuckling her seatbelt, Su-yeong glanced to the side.
She looked at the man who hadn’t woken once during the entire drive, her gaze tinged with exasperation.

“…Why drink so much when you can’t even handle it?”

He didn’t seem like the type to get blackout drunk just because he caught a criminal.
And it wasn’t as though anyone had forced him to drink.

After staring at him for a moment, she let out a short sigh and got out of the car.
Walking around to the passenger side, she yanked the door open.

She leaned in and unfastened his seatbelt.

Her eyes drifted to his face.

For a fleeting moment, she found herself looking—really looking.

Startled by herself, she pulled back and tapped his broad shoulder.

“Team Leader.”

“…….”

“Team Leader Baek Si-eon?”

She tried shaking him gently, but there was no response.

Brushing back her hair, Su-yeong accepted reality and reached for him with both arms.

“Ugh…!”

She barely managed to support his large body as she hauled him out.

He was heavier than she’d expected.
Then again, with that build, how could he not be?

“…Ha.”

If his body hadn’t been sturdier than it looked, she would have already ended up sprawled on the ground with him.

Beep.

After locking the car, Su-yeong adjusted the solid arm draped over her shoulder and took a step forward.

The elevator was only a few steps away.

Yet tonight, the path felt unusually long and treacherous.

“…Ha…”

Breathing hard, she pressed the up button.

The elevator doors slid open.

Leaning him against the wall, she pressed 28.

Her body felt warm from the exertion.
After steadying her breathing, she turned her head.

He was still there—securely held in place by her hand.

“…I really shouldn’t have stepped in.”

Soon, the elevator stopped.

The arrow beside the blinking red number disappeared, and the doors opened.

She guided him out—

And then she realized the problem.

—

“Building 108, unit 2801.”

—

She knew where he lived.

But she had no way of getting him inside.