Chapter 9: A Favor That Turned Into a Standoff

At one corner of the spacious rooftop garden, a biting wind tore through the air between the two people standing face to face, staring holes into each other.

The atmosphere was so vicious and volatile that even at a glance it felt like it could explode at any moment, and the employees who had been sitting nearby began to slip away one by one, carefully avoiding the tension.

Before they knew it, only Song Jiwon and Cha Seowan remained in that frigid space.

“Please withdraw the complaint.”

At Jiwon’s words, which broke the brief silence, Seowan let out a hollow scoff.

He already knew she lacked basic sense, but he hadn’t expected her to fall this far below common decency.

“Is that a request, or a threat?”

“A request.

I’m asking you.

The grandmother’s eyesight is poor—she made a mistake.”

“Well.

Hard to call it a simple mistake when I didn’t get my belongings back for over ten days.”

“You know that she was just collecting packages on behalf of that household.

She didn’t even open it—it was left untouched in their storage.

Since they never opened it, they wouldn’t have known it wasn’t theirs.”

“Is she your grandmother?”

“…No.

She’s not my grandmother, but… she’s my grandmother’s friend.

Her closest friend.”

He was so dumbfounded that he momentarily lost the words to respond.

Not even her own grandmother—just a friend.

Was she overly nosy, or simply lacking basic judgment?

“Then what does it have to do with you?

She’s not even your grandmother.”

“My grandmother asked me to help.

She said her friend was in trouble and asked me to do something.”

“So you barge in, completely tone-deaf, and tell your superior to withdraw a complaint while we’re busy catching criminals.”

“If there’s something you want, tell me.

I’ll do my best to compensate you for any inconvenience this caused….”

“What—are you treating me like some lowlife shaking people down for settlement money?”

“Then what do you want?”

“Nothing.

We proceed by the law.”

“Ha….

Honestly, it wasn’t a big deal.

She made an unintentional mistake while working.

You got your belongings back, and you received an apology—do you really need to go as far as filing a complaint?”

“Whether it’s necessary or not is for the victim to decide.

Not the one begging.”

“Team Leader.”

“If you commit a crime, you get punished.

Isn’t that obvious?”

“Of course it is.

But she didn’t steal something while wielding a weapon, or hurt anyone, or commit a violent crime.

And more than that, it wasn’t intentional.”

“Exactly.

If it’s judged as unintentional, she’ll be acquitted.

What’s the problem?”

“She survives day to day doing helper work.

For you, this is nothing.

Even in the worst case, it’d probably end with a summary fine.

But if she gets a theft record, she’ll never be able to do this work again.”

“Do I have to take the accused’s personal circumstances into account?

You said it’s not even your business—don’t overdo it.”

“Ha….”

As if she were just as frustrated, Jiwon let out a long sigh and repeatedly swept her windblown hair back.

He couldn’t analyze her at all.

What kind of person was she, really.

What sort of thoughts were packed into that tiny head for her behavior to be so inconsistent.

“Can’t you just let it go?

I’m asking you.”

He figured this would happen.

Since logic wasn’t working, she’d switched to emotional appeals.

Seowan pressed his lips together and stared openly at the woman looking up at him, her pale cheeks lifted high.

Her expressions changed subtly with every word she spoke, which was oddly interesting.

The way her eyes were hurling curses while her mouth kept saying “please” was almost amusing.

She couldn’t even manage her expressions properly.

“Be more polite.”

“……”

“Do you not know what the word ‘request’ means?”

As if suppressing something, Jiwon let out a silent breath.

Then, having no other choice, she finally gave in and bowed her head.

“I’m asking you, Team Leader.”

Her voice softened, her tone noticeably gentler.

“Please withdraw the complaint.

I understand that you were offended, but couldn’t you be generous just this once—for my sake, at least?”

Her red lips moved quietly beneath his chin, waiting for his answer.

Watching her like this, he suddenly felt an urge not to give her what she wanted.

“No.”

“…….”

“Seeing you like this makes me want to withdraw it even less.”

In an instant, her cheeks flushed bright red.

Her widening eyes brimmed with disbelief, anger, and irritation all at once.

With a poker face this bad, she’d be lucky if suspects didn’t read all her cards before an interrogation even started.

Pathetic.

Clicking his tongue, he turned away without hesitation.

The few minutes he’d wasted listening to nonsense felt like a loss.

“Team Leader!”

A desperate voice came from behind him.

He’d already found her irritating, so this felt like a perfect excuse.

Besides, the thought of breaking in a willful little colt wasn’t entirely unappealing.

“Ha!

Team Leader—hey!

You bastard!”

Sure enough, at the unexpected vulgar outburst, Seowan let out a disbelieving laugh and walked straight out of the rooftop garden.

“Looks like something happened between you and the team leader.”

Taeo’s quiet voice scattered the chaotic thoughts filling her head.

Jiwon answered only with a deep, bone-weary sigh.

“You don’t get along with him very well, do you.”

“‘Don’t get along’ doesn’t even cover it.

This is more like a catastrophic mismatch.”

She muttered weakly, shaking her head.

“But you’ll have to keep working together for a while.

What are you going to do?”

“I know.

What am I going to do.

I’m seriously considering moving my desk back in front of the audit office wall.”

Just thinking about having to go out with him again soon made her head throb.

How was she supposed to endure being trapped in enclosed spaces with that heartless jerk for who-knew-how-long.

“Should I talk to the team leader for you?

Ask for a partner change?”

“No.

He won’t change it.

That guy picked me on purpose just to mess with me.”

Taeo looked at her as if asking what she meant, but Jiwon only trudged toward the open elevator doors.

Before long, Jiwon had pasted a smile onto her face and was walking around the office, both hands full of coffee.

She’d already been quietly ostracized, and the new work assignments Cha Seowan had ordered were enough to sour the moods of everyone in Teams One and Two.

Since they’d be working together long-term—even after Cha Seowan eventually left the violent crimes unit—Jiwon thought she needed to smooth things over somehow.

It wasn’t just her problem; it involved the rest of the team too.

“Here—Jiuk, hot Americano.

Hyojeong, iced Americano.

And Team Leader Yang, iced latte.

That’s right, isn’t it?”

She carefully placed each coffee down, even remembering individual preferences, but no one so much as looked at her.

“Hm, looks like Team Leader Jo is out in the field.

I don’t see him….”

“Just leave it there.

No idea if he’ll drink it.”

Kim Minhyeong from Team Two—who often joined Team Leader Jo in giving Jiwon a hard time—answered halfheartedly.

Jiwon forced an awkward smile and set the cup down at Team Leader Jo’s desk.

Just then, Taeo quietly approached and placed a hand on her shoulder, as if suggesting they go back to their seats.

At that moment—

Click.

The team leader’s office door opened, and Cha Seowan walked out wearing his coat.

As his eyes shifted and found Jiwon, a faint crease appeared between his brows.

More precisely, he was staring at Taeo’s hand resting on her shoulder.

‘You hate it that much?’

Why are you scowling so openly?

Holding Seowan’s Americano in one hand, Jiwon suddenly felt wronged.

She set the coffee down, grabbed her jacket with a sharp motion, and strode outside.

“I’ll go meet Song Detective and the witnesses.

Detective Choi, Detective Kang—you’ll be heading out soon too, right?”

“Ah, yes.

We’ll head out shortly.”

Watching the two of them leave one after the other, Choi Jaehong shook his head slowly.

“This is strange….”

“Right?

Those two don’t feel normal at all.”

“Yeah.

Very much so.”

He fully agreed with Minjeong, who’d spoken first.

“At this rate, I feel like something’s going to completely blow up tonight.”

“Blow up?

What kind of blow-up?”

“Hey.

They hate each other that much—try putting them together all night.

You think nothing’s going to happen?

Taeo and I might be fine, but you and Squad Leader Hwang should probably find somewhere else to be tomorrow morning before you get caught in the crossfire.”

“Maybe we should go stake out somewhere too…?”

As they talked, Taeo’s gaze drifted to Jiwon’s desk.

Amid the clutter of scattered items sat a single Americano—the one Jiwon had left behind just moments ago.