Chapter 2: The Extension of the Investigation

The man tilted his head slightly and glanced down at the gun barrel aimed squarely at his chest.

Just as she had expected.

He showed not a trace of agitation.

No fear, no surprise—only the faint twitch of an eyebrow, and a look of naked contempt, as if to say, how ridiculous.

Because of that, perhaps, it felt as though Jiwon—despite being the one holding the gun—was the one more cornered.

She couldn’t quite explain it, but the pressure rolling off him was overwhelming enough that it was clearly her who was being dominated.

Thud.

Shaking off that feeling, Jiwon shoved the gun muzzle hard against his solid chest and warned him again.

“Didn’t you hear me?

I said step back.”

Only then did the man slowly release his grip on her wrist and take a step back.

Even so, the rude, openly disdainful gaze looking down at her—as if daring her to do whatever the hell she wanted—never wavered.

“Don’t move.”

Jiwon corrected her stance and aimed the gun again, issuing another stern warning.

Then she quickly grabbed Jang Gapsu’s wrist as he lay on the ground and snapped the handcuffs shut.

The other cuff clicked neatly onto the roof handle of the parked sedan beside him.

The hand that had been mercilessly stomped moments ago must have been in serious pain—Gapsu let out a low groan.

“Jang Gapsu, you are under arrest on suspicion of murdering Kim Mingu, an operative of the Dongjin faction.

You have the right to remain silent, and the right to appoint an attorney.

Anything you say from this point forward may be used against you in court.”

Even as she spoke, Jiwon’s gun never left the man’s direction.

At this moment, in this place, the most dangerous presence wasn’t Gapsu—it was this man.

She stepped closer, addressing him as he silently observed her actions.

“What are you?

Who the hell are you, barging in here and interfering like this?”

“Watch your mouth.

You’re the one who popped out of nowhere.”

“Who are you?

Dongjin faction too?

Or did Gu Seong-cheol send you—

To get rid of Jang Gapsu before the police caught him?

What, are you that bastard’s errand boy?”

“Errand… what?”

For the first time, confusion flickered across the man’s otherwise impassive eyes.

He frowned slightly, as if genuinely incredulous—and that expression, too, felt strangely familiar.

Even in this low light, his sharp, assertive features cut through the darkness far too clearly for him to be ordinary.

If she could see him properly under brighter light, she felt she might recognize him immediately.

The memory hovered just out of reach.

Jiwon forcibly shook it off and held out her hand toward him.

Honestly, it didn’t really matter who he was.

What mattered right now was securing evidence tied to Jang Gapsu’s charges.

“Whatever.

Just hand that over.”

She jerked her chin toward the documents in his hand and repeated herself.

“Hand it over.”

When the man only stared back at her arrogantly, completely unmoved, Jiwon clenched her teeth, forcing down her rising anger.

“Hey.

That bag you’re holding could contain critical evidence proving Jang Gapsu’s guilt.

If you don’t cooperate while I’m asking nicely—”

“Don’t want to.”

“What?”

“I said no.

Why would I hand something this important to you?

I’m not brain-damaged enough to do that.”

The sheer audacity of his reply left her momentarily speechless.

Who exactly did he think he was talking to?

Watching him casually shove the documents back into the bag and zip it shut, Jiwon raised her voice.

“Who do you think I am?

I told you—I’m the police.”

“Oh.

The police who hid and watched while the suspect tried to escape.”

“Hey—!

That was because I was waiting for the right timing—!

No, forget it.

Just hand it over.

This is clear obstruction of official duties—”

“Rank and name.”

“…What?”

“State your rank and name.

Your affiliation, your position.”

The nerve of him, demanding that information in such a commanding tone, was infuriating.

Is this guy actually insane?

Jiwon stepped closer, half-wondering if he’d forgotten that a gun was pointed at him.

“Cut the bullshit and hand it over.

Now.”

In response to her threat, the man took another bold step forward, as if daring her to shoot.

The distance between them closed, and the short gun barrel bumped uselessly against his firm chest.

That arrogance made her temper flare.

“Keep this up and I’ll really shoot you.”

“Be my guest.”

What kind of lunatic was this?

“You think I’m joking right now?”

“And do you think I’m joking?

I asked twice.

Rank and name.”

“I’m warning you for the last time.

Don’t do something you’ll regret.

I’m done being patient.”

“I’m not sure who’s the one about to regret things here.”

“Give me the bag, you bastard!”

She’d warned him enough.

Her patience snapped, and she lunged, grabbing his arm to twist it up—

“Ng—!”

In an instant, her arm was seized instead.

She had no time to react.

The sheer force of it crushed her resistance before it could even form.

“Ugh!”

Bang!

Her back slammed into the side of the parked sedan, and at the same time, the gun slipped smoothly from her twisted grip.

Jiwon’s pupils blew wide.

Even setting aside his monstrous strength, the speed and precision with which he disarmed her was something only someone with special training could pull off.

What the hell is this guy?

Grinding her teeth, she threw everything she had into grabbing his arm, trying desperately to reclaim her weapon.

Bang!

Her body slammed into the car again.

“Urgh!”

How many exchanges followed like that, she couldn’t tell.

Calling it a fight felt generous.

The difference in size and power was painfully obvious.

While she was already gasping for breath, he looked barely winded.

It seemed brute, desperate tactics were her only option.

She made a snap decision and kicked hard at the space below his knee.

Then she jammed the gun muzzle into his solid chest with all her strength.

For the first time, he flinched slightly, his brow creasing—and she seized the moment to hook her arm around his.

“Gnh!”

But the next instant, her body lifted clean off the ground—

and was slammed unceremoniously onto the hood of the car.

Bang!

Stars burst across her vision, but she sprang back up like a roly-poly doll.

It was pointless.

“Ah—!”

A massive shadow loomed over her.

A thick arm pinned her shoulder down hard, forcing a groan from her lips.

“Rank and name.”

This bastard was definitely insane.

No doubt about it.

“You crazy—!”

As she struggled again,

Click.

A familiar, chilling sound echoed just below her sternum, along with the cold touch of metal.

“I warned you not to do something you’d regret.”

At the sinister voice, Jiwon bit her lip hard.

She heard the hammer cock, the trigger tightening—

and she knew better than anyone that the gun pressed to her chest was fully loaded and very real.

“Rank and name.”

Rank and name.

Rank and name.

Rank and damn name.

What, did a ghost die without hearing it?

Why did a thug like this care so much about someone else’s rank and name?

Grinding her teeth, Jiwon finally gave in.

“Song Jiwon.

Inspector.

Violent Crimes Division, Team Three, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.”

“Song Jiwon.”

The man murmured her name slowly, as if tasting it—
as if engraving it into memory.

“Now that you’ve got it, put the gun away.

It’s dangerous.”

“Yeah.

You’re the one who dared point something dangerous at me.”

“I’m warning you—do this to a police officer and you’ll face aggravated charges later.”

“Spare me your laughable threats.”

“What did you say?”

“Police?

Even an idiot like you gets to be one?”

“You son of a—!”

As Jiwon bristled and tried to struggle again, the gun muzzle dug viciously into her abdomen.

“Hah…!”

As if to restrain her completely, his body pressed in close.

Even through the thick jacket he wore, his physique felt like solid stone.

She was completely subdued.

There was nothing left she could do but gasp for breath and glare up at his pale face.

“Haa… ha.”

Under the headlight glow, like indirect lighting, his face—once swallowed by darkness—came into sharp focus.

Contemptuous eyes looking down at her.

A proud, straight nose.

Firmly set, thick lips.

They were so close she could see the smooth texture of his pale skin.

Their locked gazes tangled, and the fog-heavy air between them grew unbearably dense.

Under the weight of his relentless stare, it became harder and harder to breathe.

Perhaps it was fear born from not knowing who he was.

Or perhaps it was the unique pressure he radiated.

Surely it wasn’t anything else—

“……!”

Suddenly, Jiwon’s eyes widened violently.

It felt like a dead lightbulb in her head flicked on with a sharp click.

She finally remembered who this impossibly striking face belonged to.

“Ha, Cha Seo—!”

Wiiing!

A siren wailed in the distance, scattering the rest of her words into nothing.

At last, she fully recalled the name of the man staring down at her.

Cha Seowan.

Red and blue lights flashed wildly across his smooth face, slicing through the fog.

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