Chapter 15: A Bait Called a Toast

When the eldest, Captain Hwang, raised his glass first and proposed a toast, everyone gulped down their drinks as if they’d been waiting for it.

Only then did the solemn atmosphere loosen a little, and pleasant voices burst out.

“You all worked hard.

The first case wasn’t easy, but thanks to everyone’s effort, we made the arrests quickly.”

“Not at all.

The kids aside, the team leader worked the hardest.”

“Exactly.

Wow, when you jumped out that window, Team Leader, I was so shocked I almost passed out.

I thought you were Spider-Man or something.”

With alcohol in him, Choi Jae-hong began his full-fledged flattery.

Just earlier he’d been ranting about how filthy Seo-wan’s personality was and calling him a Southern District legend, and now look at him.

How he could spew such honeyed nonsense so smoothly was honestly astonishing.

“No, seriously, how are your reflexes that good?

Did you go through some kind of special training?

Oh, where did you serve in the military, Team Leader?

Army?

Air Force?

Navy?

Don’t tell me—Marines?”

“Navy.”

“Oh?

I’m Navy too.

Where exactly?

Which unit?”

Faced with Jae-hong’s nonstop questions, Seo-wan replied shortly, his tone noticeably tired.

“Special Warfare Flotilla.”

“UDT?

Whoa, I knew it!

I could totally tell you weren’t built like a normal person!”

Jae-hong made a huge show of it, acting as if he’d just heard something earth-shattering.

The others listening looked a little surprised too.

With that wealthy, elegant face, he looked like someone who could’ve gotten exempted and no one would’ve blinked.

“Team Leader, you’re seriously a total cheat character.

To think such an OP character is our team leader—what an honor!”

It was getting worse by the second.

Even Jo Min-jung seemed to be joining in on the flattery now.

Their sudden change in attitude was almost impressive.

How could everyone flip faces overnight like they’d planned it.

In the exchange of glances, countless unspoken messages passed between them.

‘You all have strong stomachs.’

‘Why?

What?

At least this is milder than the flattery you used to give, Song Ji-won.’

‘I was never this bad.’

‘Why not?

I mean it.

Our team leader is genuinely impressive.’

Genuinely impressive, my ass.

Unable to agree in the slightest, Ji-won drained the rest of her drink in one go.

“You seem to drink well.”

A low voice suddenly reached her.

When she turned her head, her eyes met Cha Seo-wan’s gaze head-on as he looked straight at her.

Out of everyone here, he’d singled her out specifically.

Everyone’s attention shifted back to Ji-won, and she reluctantly opened her mouth.

“Ah, yes.

Well, I don’t exactly drink badly.”

“How much can you handle.”

“Well….

About three bottles of soju, I guess.”

“Hey!

Even when you drink in pairs, you don’t get drunk.”

Jae-hong butted in without reading the room at all.

“Anyone gets drunk if they drink in pairs, senior.”

She already had enough things that could be held against her.

There was no need for him to expose a weakness like this too.

Ji-won shot Jae-hong an irritated look.

The best defense is offense.

Ji-won quickly changed tactics.

“What about you, Team Leader.

You don’t drink well, do you?”

“I drink as much as other people.”

“Then why aren’t you drinking right now?

Don’t tell me you don’t want to drink with us.”

With a let’s see you squirm mindset, she asked again while bringing her beer glass—filled to the brim with somaek—up to her lips.

Watching her closely, Seo-wan’s lips curled up faintly, as if amused.

“That’s not it.

I just don’t really like soju.”

Captain Hwang winked at Jae-hong.

A silent what are you waiting for signal.

“Then should we order something else?

Beer?

Cheongha?

Bokbunja?

Or maybe makgeolli—”

“Just somaek, please.”

A single empty beer glass was pushed in front of Jae-hong as he scanned the menu.

He hesitated before taking Seo-wan’s glass.

“But didn’t you just say you don’t like soju?”

“Someone’s glaring at me like they’re cursing me with their eyes.”

“Who?

Who is it?”

“Over there.

The officer drinking somaek.”

The man reciting this while staring straight at her was unbearably irritating.

From that day.

From the day her ugly secret had been exposed without warning, Cha Seo-wan’s gaze had grown more persistent, as if he couldn’t wait to prod and provoke her further.

It was mostly her fault.

Why of all moments had she let him catch her in such a disgraceful state.

The way he’d frowned in disgust while watching her cry was still vivid in her mind.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it Cha Seo-wan who chased after a crying person just to harass her.

So why was he the one reacting with such irritation.

The more she mulled it over, the more absurd and infuriating it felt.

“Honestly, you two seem to suit each other pretty well.”

What kind of nonsense was this now.

Jae-hong looked back and forth between the two, clearly enjoying himself.

“You don’t seem to like each other that much, but your teamwork isn’t bad.

Oh, right—Ji-won, you’re a police academy grad too, right?

Weren’t you in a similar class year?

Did you ever see the team leader back in school?”

“No.”

Ji-won cut him off immediately.

She didn’t want to be tied to Cha Seo-wan any more than necessary.

“Really?

Didn’t overlap?

Feels like you might’ve.”

Jae-hong tilted his head, puzzled.

“She was too busy studying and working part-time.

She probably didn’t even know who her classmates were.”

Captain Hwang, who had been quietly drinking, chimed in.

Ji-won, noticing how well he seemed to know her, looked at him with curiosity.

Quick to catch on, Captain Hwang hurriedly added an explanation.

“Oh.

Officer Song’s father is my senior from Violent Crimes.

I’ve known her since she was young.”

“Then, Captain, you must’ve seen her dating too, right?”

Jae-hong barged in again with more nonsense.

Ji-won’s brow creased.

“Dating?

I don’t remember seeing that.

Ji-won, did you ever date without me knowing?”

“Captain?”

“Probably not.

After she beat up all the guys who followed her around in high school saying they liked her—”

“Captain!”

Unable to take it anymore, Ji-won cut him off, her face burning red.

Jae-hong and Min-jung laughed openly, while Tae-oh beside them wore a mysterious grin.

Having her past suddenly laid bare like this—especially in front of Cha Seo-wan—was not pleasant at all.

“Ji-won, were you really a total single your whole life?”

At Jae-hong’s unnecessary precision, Ji-won clenched her fists.

Still, oblivious to the murderous glare, he kept giggling and poking at her.

What should she even do with this useless senior.

“I am too.”

Kang Tae-oh, who’d been quietly listening, suddenly spoke up.

The attention that had been on Ji-won immediately shifted to him.

“What?

Really?

Detective Kang, you’ve never dated?”

At Min-jung’s surprised question, Tae-oh nodded again.

“Yes.”

“Wow.

Should we post an announcement on Blind tomorrow or something?

The female staff will go crazy.

A handsome younger guy who’s even well-mannered.”

Smiling softly, Tae-oh gently placed well-cooked pieces of meat onto Ji-won’s plate.

Ji-won lifted the corner of her lips in a silent smile.

It was probably something like Here, eat, Aren’t you eating, I am, exchanged without words.

Watching the two of them, Seo-wan’s brow twitched sharply.

So she can smile.

The sight of Song Ji-won smiling shyly irritated him to no end.

With him, she glared like he was her mortal enemy, yet with Kang Tae-oh she wore that soft, bashful expression.

How many faces does she have.

Barely suppressing the rising irritation, he lifted the bottle and tilted his chin toward Tae-oh.

“Ah….

Sorry, but I’m not very good with alcohol….”

Tae-oh trailed off, glancing at his glass that wasn’t even empty yet.

Even so, Seo-wan didn’t lower the bottle, staring straight at him.

He wasn’t the type to force people to drink.

More precisely, he was the type who didn’t care whether someone drank or not.

But today, for some reason, he felt like indulging in a bit of spite he normally wouldn’t.

Because of someone glaring daggers at him from the corner.

“Not even one glass?”

Seo-wan asked Tae-oh in a relaxed tone, his gaze fixed squarely on Ji-won.

It was clear to everyone whom the question was truly directed at.

This was bait.

Cha Seo-wan’s petty, ill-natured bait aimed straight at Song Ji-won.

A strange heat passed between their exchanged gazes.

In the end, Ji-won shoved her glass forward and bit down hard on the hook.

“I’ll drink it.”

“Alright, then.”

Replying arrogantly, he tipped the bottle without hesitation.

Glug, glug.

Clear soju filled the clear glass to the brim.

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