Chapter 15: The Distance Between Us

Knock, knock.

When the brisk knocking stopped, the doorknob turned.
Sooyoung slipped the door open quietly, a yellow file folder tucked under one arm. Captain Kim and Officer Bae Jinhui, both in the middle of work, widened their eyes when they saw her.

After offering a brief bow in greeting, Sooyoung held out the documents she was carrying.

“These are the visitation records for Kang Young-hoon.”

“Oh! Thank you!”

Officer Bae stood up and accepted the yellow folder. Now empty-handed, Sooyoung clasped her hands neatly together and casually scanned the office.

Her gaze soon landed on Sian’s empty desk.

Isn’t interest something that can suddenly appear, out of nowhere?

After saying things like that so easily, he’d been so busy she hadn’t seen even a strand of his hair in days.

Was it just sweet talk?

Or was he a player?

As those thoughts spiraled one after another—

“Should I pass on a message for you?”

“Huh?”

Sooyoung snapped her head around at Officer Bae’s question. Seeing her standing there staring into space, she must have thought Sooyoung had something to say.

“Oh, no. He’s not at his desk, so I thought he might be busy. Did he go out on assignment?”

“No. He said he had a personal matter today and left early.”

“Ah….”

So they wouldn’t run into each other today either.

Adjusting her grip on her hands, Sooyoung said she’d be going and turned around. She paused briefly in front of the closed office door, then shook her head slowly.

The pointed toe of her high heel shifted direction, and after hesitating, she finally stepped forward.

***

Once a case is closed, there’s no longer any reason to preserve the scene.
Suicide cases usually didn’t require extensive cleanup, but there were exceptions. When a body had been left undiscovered for several days—like Jo In-ho’s—CSC crews (Crime Scene Cleaners) were called in.

“You know we don’t just let anyone in during cleanup, right?”

“Of course. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even be here.”

At Sian’s easygoing reply, the man narrowed his eyes slightly. After checking the staff entering with their equipment, he grabbed Sian’s solid arm and handed him gloves and shoe covers with his other hand.

“Once they really start cleaning, you’ll need to step out.”

“Yes. Understood.”

After preparing, Sian entered Jo In-ho’s apartment and slowly scanned the interior.

With hawk-like focus, the forensic staff photographed and documented anything that might aid the investigation.

Jo In-ho’s place was no different. It looked exactly the same as it had in the photos—nothing missing.

They hadn’t overlooked anything.

“…Ha.”

Only after checking every room did Sian stop in the living room, where the body had been found.

The alcohol detected in the bloodstream confirmed Jo In-ho had been drunk, but the half-empty beer cans and snack bag crumbs still on the table said it just as clearly.

As Sian slowly swept the room with lowered eyes, his gaze fixed on a fallen bottle of mineral water. Judging by the reduced amount, only a sip or two had been taken.

His eyebrow twitched slightly.

He reached out and set the bottle upright, then turned his head at the presence behind him.

“Hey, can I take this with me?”

“What?”

The man frowned behind his clear goggles, his voice slightly muffled by the mask.

“Why would you take something from a crime scene? That’s trash now.”

“They’re going to throw it away once cleanup’s done anyway. Thought it’d be okay if I took it.”

“What would you even do with half-drunk water?”

“You never know. It could be evidence.”

“If it were evidence, it would’ve shown up already. The autopsy didn’t detect anything, remember?”

That was true.
If someone had deliberately drugged the water, the forensic analysis wouldn’t have missed it.

Sian pulled an evidence storage bag from his pocket, placed the bottle inside, and sealed it completely.

***

After leaving the main building, Sooyoung rummaged through her bag for her car keys.

She found them—but froze when she saw what was next to them.
An unopened box of bandages and scar ointment sat untouched.

Staring at the items she hadn’t been able to give to the person they were meant for, Sooyoung lingered for a long moment before lifting her head. She went down the remaining steps and turned toward the outdoor parking lot.

That was when—

“…!”

She ran straight into a man walking toward her—the same direction she was heading.
It was Sian, the one she’d been told had left early for personal reasons. He wasn’t someone you could mistake for anyone else. Even without seeing his face, his overwhelming physical presence made it obvious.

And once you did see his face, there was no chance of confusion.

Sooyoung stopped mid-step and stared at him as he approached, pressing her lips together when their eyes tangled.

Even he paused briefly the moment their gazes met. Despite the distance, his deep, dark eyes seemed to pin her in place, and Sooyoung swallowed hard.

He was the first to move. Closing the remaining distance with long strides, he brushed past her and spoke without stopping.

“Let’s go eat.”

Eyes wide, Sooyoung turned to follow his movement. Tilting her head slightly, wondering if she’d misheard, she looked at him again. Sian stopped and met her gaze.

“You haven’t had dinner yet.”

It was true—she was just getting off work—but the sudden invitation left her visibly puzzled.

“…Why dinner all of a sudden?”

In response, he lifted his large hand—the one injured during Kang Young-hoon’s arrest.

“Aren’t you going to pay me back for saving your life?”

At the words saving your life, Sooyoung’s long lashes fluttered.

“Uh, I—”

Before she could finish, he turned away, gesturing for her to follow. Watching his broad back, Sooyoung clamped her slightly parted lips shut.

“Welcome!”

The place Sian led her into was a udon restaurant across from the station. The bright red, street-stall-like interior made Sooyoung glance at him with an uncertain expression.

“How many?”

“Two.”

He answered and sat where the staff indicated. Sooyoung, who had been lingering near the entrance, followed and carefully took a seat.

The restaurant must have had fast turnover—two bowls of udon arrived quickly. Accepting her chopsticks from Sian, Sooyoung finally spoke.

“…When you said ‘life debt,’ I thought you were going to treat me to something really expensive. You’re pretty modest.”

After neatly finishing a mouthful of thick noodles without a sound, he lifted his slightly tilted head.

His prominent Adam’s apple moved slowly as he swallowed, then he frowned faintly.

“Want to redo it somewhere expensive?”

Seeing him casually offer a second chance to treat her, Sooyoung let out a small, incredulous laugh.

“You already used it. It’s over.”

She adjusted her long hair and quietly chewed her noodles. A soft chuckle drifted down from above, but she kept her eyes on her bowl. Only when she sensed his gaze withdraw did she glance at him.

Thankfully, his injured left hand didn’t seem to interfere much with daily life. That didn’t mean it hadn’t hurt—it surely had.

Scooping up more noodles, Sooyoung asked:

“…Your hand. Is it really okay?”

Trying to sound casual, unconcerned. At that, she felt him straighten up. His gaze dropped down onto her just as she brought the chopsticks to her lips.

“If I said it wasn’t, would you take responsibility?”

Cough!

Startled by the word responsibility, Sooyoung choked and hurriedly grabbed a tissue. Her eyes reddened as she barely avoided a disaster, her face flushing bright red with embarrassment.

Covering half her face with the tissue, she stared at him as if to ask what he was talking about.

Even in the middle of that chaos, his low, precise voice slipped into her ear.

“You keep asking if I’m okay. Makes it seem like you’re hoping I’m not. Or like you’re actually planning to do something about it.”

Her chest tightened briefly, but she responded calmly.

“…I’m just genuinely worried. You got hurt because of me, and I don’t want to end up feeling guilty if something goes wrong.”

He slightly furrowed one eyebrow, a faint smile curving his lips, but his tone was serious.

“Don’t carry guilt doing this kind of work. That’s how you get sick in the head.”

At his words, Sooyoung tightened her grip on her chopsticks. He looked oddly detached, as if long accustomed to this.

“Just think of it as bad luck. Wrong place, wrong time. Thinking that way is easier on the heart.”

Yet there was a trace of old remorse lingering in his expression. Saying that was his way of telling her not to blame herself.

“….”

Sooyoung pressed her palm gently below her collarbone, where a sharp, uncomfortable sensation lingered—as if a noodle had gone down the wrong way.