Chapter 12: Lines That Shouldn’t Be Crossed

Yeah… well. The day they first met wasn’t bad. It was just the light kind of introduction where you exchange business cards and briefly introduce yourselves.

Sooyoung, staring straight ahead, replied flatly.

“You and I aren’t close enough to be in private contact, Team Leader.”

“Then I suppose we’ll have to become close.”

For a brief moment, her long eyelashes fluttered. Gripping the handle of her bag tightly, Sooyoung answered firmly, leaving no room for interpretation.

“I don’t think that’ll happen.”

“Sounds like you’re saying there’s a possibility.”

Trying to ignore it without bothering to decipher his intention turned out to be pointless—Si-eon boldly revealed it himself.

“Well, it’s not impossible between a man and a woman.”

This couldn’t possibly be because she let him stay over for just one night. Why was he acting like this all of a sudden? Suspicion crept in.

When her sideways glance shifted forward, she met his reflection clearly mirrored in the door.

There was no mistaking the way he was looking at her. Staring straight into those deep, black eyes, Sooyoung asked bluntly,

“Do you… have feelings for me?”

“Yeah. I do.”

“Can feelings really appear out of nowhere like that?”

Looking back, there had been moments that bothered her slightly—but calling it romantic interest felt ambiguous.

Yes. Exactly that—ambiguous.

Si-eon tilted his head faintly.

“Isn’t interest something that can suddenly, unexpectedly happen?”

“……”

“They say yesterday’s enemy can become today’s ally. Life’s like that, isn’t it?”

It sounded as if he were referring to their past together. Still, Sooyoung didn’t waver easily.

“It could be a misunderstanding.”

The red blinking number finally stopped, and Sooyoung parted her lips.

“Or maybe you’re still a little drunk.”

Just then, the elevator doors opened into the underground parking lot.

Walking faster than usual, Sooyoung exited the lobby, rummaged through her bag, and pressed the smart key button firmly.

Beep.

As the lock disengaged and she approached the driver’s seat, she found herself face-to-face with a man who had already reached the passenger side.

She tried to yank the door open as if to avoid him—

“You said I was your type.”

His low voice echoed quietly through the parking garage.

Her eyes, which had been fixed on the slightly open door, lifted.

As Si-eon’s lips curved into a slow smile, Sooyoung pressed her lips tightly together. Raising one eyebrow, he continued in an even tone.

“Smart Han Sooyoung wouldn’t forget something she said herself.”

The words something you said pierced her ears, and only then did the memory resurface—words that had slipped from her mouth days ago. Words she thought she could simply forget if she wanted to.

‘If you tell me what your type is, Detective… I’ll try to become it!’

‘Team Leader Baek Si-eon from the Violent Crimes Unit.’

Had it spread?

No. That couldn’t be.

There was no way Han Sooyoung would go around telling people she’d said something that shattered her own pride.

But the important thing was that, one way or another, those words had reached the person involved.

And the person who’d said them had no choice but to be flustered.

Watching her silently moving lips, Si-eon let the smile fade and opened the passenger door.

Thunk.

When he disappeared from view, Sooyoung quickly pulled the door open and climbed into the car—only to see him already buckled in properly.

She fastened her own seatbelt, pressed the start button, and finally released her bitten lip.

“……I did say that. That’s true.”

He knew it too clearly for her to lie. So she chose honesty.

“I don’t know how you found out, but I only said it to avoid that situation.”

It might sound like an excuse, but his name had popped into her mind at that moment—and it was also true that she decided to use it.

The employee who had confessed to her and Baek Si-eon had nothing in common—they were complete opposites. It felt like the perfect excuse, which was why she’d spoken his name.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Without hesitation, Sooyoung continued.

“You and I weren’t on good terms, and there was no reason we’d ever get personally involved…”

“I told you not to be so sure.”

His persistent refusal to close the door made her bite her inner lip hard. Switching to drive, she slowly steered out of the parking space. After a short silence, she spoke again.

“I don’t want to get entangled with you like that, Team Leader.”

They weren’t enemies—but they were still uncomfortable with each other. Things had improved compared to before, but keeping exactly this distance felt best for both of them.

“Well. That’s something we’ll have to wait and see.”

Screech.

She slammed on the brakes and looked at the passenger seat. Light poured in as they neared the exit. Seeing his smile brighten in that light made her brows knit.

Facing forward, he adjusted his posture and spoke quietly.

“You never know. I might really be your type.”

Sooyoung snapped her head forward.

“……If you’re not getting out, could you please stay quiet?”

The more she responded, the more she felt herself getting dragged into his pace. She squeezed her eyes shut, then tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

***

Inside the building, Sooyoung rubbed her stiff neck.

She’d slept poorly, and the man who’d needled her all morning made the ache worse. Still, at least she’d left early enough to avoid traffic.

But then— You said I was your type.

The voice suddenly echoed vividly in her ears, freezing her hands and feet.

You never know. I might really be your type.

She’d insisted it was just an excuse—but if she was honest, he wasn’t not her type.

Baek Si-eon was the kind of conventionally handsome man most people would find attractive, and from the moment she first saw him, she’d had to admit his looks and physique were exceptional.

Then we’ll have to become close.

It’s not impossible between a man and a woman.

If she’d heard those words back when she was a rookie, she probably wouldn’t have stood a chance. With that gaze, that voice—who could refuse?

“……”

Taking a deep breath, Sooyoung stepped forward again.

As she opened the office door, Chief Inspector Jo—already at work—raised her hand in greeting.

“Good morning!”

“You’re in early, Chief.”

“Yeah. My husband dropped me off on his way to work because of my hangover.”

That made sense—she’d drunk quite a lot last night. Just looking at the hangover remedies in her hand said enough.

“Did Team Leader Baek get home okay yesterday?”

At the mention of his name, which had been tormenting her mind moments ago, her long lashes fluttered. But explaining everything that happened last night and this morning would only invite misunderstanding.

She nodded belatedly and answered plainly.

“Yes… he did.”

As she fumbled her way to her seat, her hand brushed against a neatly stacked pile of newspapers. To change the subject, she handed the top one to Jo Yeon.

“Here’s the paper.”

“Thanks!”

After downing the rest of the hangover drink, Jo took it. Spinning her chair around, Sooyoung turned on her computer.

Once the monitor lit up, she grabbed another newspaper and opened it wide. More important than the front page was the social and crime section.

Flipping through the pages—

Her hand stopped.

A small boxed article caught her eye.

[‘Rage’ After Prosecutors Drop Charges… Man in His 40s Takes Own Life]

Her wide eyes shook violently as she read on, then reread the article line by line.

[Jo (47) was found dead in an apartment in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun District. He was a member of the Coalition of Former Saecheonmyeong Believers, which had filed charges against cult leader Lee Young-se, who was recently cleared without indictment. Authorities report that Jo left a suicide note expressing fury over the decision. Police believe there is no sign of foul play and are investigating the exact circumstances.]

Her hand clenched so tightly her veins stood out, trembling violently as the thin paper crumpled.

[Saecheonmyeong]

As her eyes narrowed, that word stabbed into her vision—as if underlined among the lines of text.