Chapter 6: A Name Used as an Excuse

Sooyoung bit down on her lower lip so hard that all the color drained from her face, then finally let go.

“Still, I’m not injured.”

“That’s right.
Thanks to whom, exactly?”

Watching him praise his own contribution so shamelessly, Sooyoung let out a short sigh.

“…If you’d just thought things through a little more before acting, you wouldn’t have been hurt either, Team Leader.”

In the five years she had worked as a police officer, she had seen countless scenes far more horrific than this.
She thought she had become immune to it.

That was a mistake.

Seeing someone get hurt right in front of her eyes made her realize—painfully—that the trauma still lingered within her.

Who the person was didn’t really matter.
The mere fact that he had been injured trying to protect her was enough to shake her emotions.

“…They say if your head’s not sharp, your body pays the price.
That phrase fits you perfectly, Team Leader.”

But instead of bristling, Si-eon let out a soft chuckle.
Not only did the words seem to have no impact—he almost looked pleased.
Sooyoung stared at him in disbelief.

“Why—why are you laughing?
You’re injured like that, and you can still smile?”

Si-eon adjusted his posture and subtly turned his body toward the driver’s seat.
The way he openly shifted to face her made Sooyoung fix her eyes on the road ahead.
Even so, she could feel his gaze settle on the hand gripping the steering wheel more tightly.

“Guess you’ve been holding a lot in.
You always act like you’d never say anything unpleasant.”

When he had told her to pay him back instead of apologizing, she hadn’t even parted her lips.
She had simply said she’d consider an apology already received—one he hadn’t even made.

He tilted his head slightly.

“Or is this not complaining…
Is it concern?”

Sooyoung released the tender flesh inside her bitten lip.

“…It’s not concern.”

“Then is it a thank-you?”

This time, she couldn’t bring herself to deny it.

It was concern.
And she was grateful.
If he hadn’t appeared when he did, the one stabbed by the suspect’s knife would have been her.

She swallowed dryly and parted her lips.
Si-eon, having withdrawn his gaze, leaned his head back against the headrest while looking straight ahead.

“Still, you seem more human now.”

He smiled broadly, clearly satisfied.
At that smile, a surge of emotion rose in Sooyoung, and her face hardened instantly.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get genuinely angry before.”

Her long lashes trembled faintly.

Come to think of it, she couldn’t remember the last time she had expressed her emotions so honestly.
Even to herself, it felt unfamiliar.

Was she angry?
Anxious?
On edge?

She could read other people’s emotions with ease, yet when it came to her own, she was clumsy.

Probably because she had always been too busy hiding them.
She believed she had to stay calm and detached at all times.
And so, even though it had already been exposed, she told a pointless lie.

“…I’m not angry.”

He shrugged lightly, a cool smile spreading across his lips.

“Alright.
I’ll go along with that.”

His words made it clear he didn’t believe her.
Sooyoung bit down hard on her lower lip.

Screech.

Bang.

As they stepped through the heavy door, a cool breeze wrapped around her body.
After being trapped in an enclosed space for so long, it felt like she could finally breathe again.

“No, seriously—why didn’t you rest at home?
You’re injured.
How does an all-night investigation make any sense?
Didn’t the doctor strictly order you to rest?”

Rolling his stiff neck from side to side, Si-eon let out a soft laugh.
Then he extended a hand toward Detective Woo.

“For an injury this minor?”

“Isn’t your hand part of your body?
You got twenty stitches!”

“Quiet.”

“Quiet, my ass!
Am I wrong?”

This time, after stretching his arms in a wide circle, Si-eon stopped by the railing.

“Catching the suspect doesn’t mean the case is over.
There’s interrogation, a crime scene reenactment, and media 대응 on top of that.
Resting is the last thing I should be doing.”

News had already broken in real time overnight through reporters stationed at the police station.
That alone made it urgent.

“Ah… taking just one day off wouldn’t cause any problems!
Captain Kim can handle the press—what are you worried about?”

Letting out a deep sigh, Seong-min stopped beside him.

“I’m saying this for your sake, Team Leader.
You don’t know how to take care of yourself.
We’re police officers, not movie heroes…
At your age, wounds don’t heal that easily anymore.”

Muttering that his concern shouldn’t be taken as nagging, Seong-min pulled out a cigarette case.

“If you’re going to nag, go back inside.
I’m tired.”

“I haven’t even lit it yet, and you’re already kicking me out?”

Only then did Seong-min put the cigarette between his lips and rummage through his other pocket.
Waiting for the lighter, Si-eon lowered his gaze.

“Hm?”

After patting himself down like he was searching his body, Seong-min finally realized and let out a short exclamation.

“Ah.”

Seeing his expression, Si-eon removed the cigarette from his mouth.

“No lighter?”

“…Yes.”

Detective Woo gave an awkward smile.

“I’ll go grab one right away!”

Watching him hurry off, Si-eon let out an incredulous chuckle and leaned back against the railing.

Tilting his still-stiff neck once more, he caught the sound of footsteps below and glanced over his shoulder.

He tried to look away—but the moment he saw the woman’s face, a glint of interest appeared in his eyes.

With mild curiosity, he focused on one person.

“Han Sooyoung.”

When she turned around, another set of footsteps followed immediately.
Tracing the movement with his eyes, Si-eon narrowed his gaze.

An unfamiliar male employee stopped in front of her.
Looking at the man approaching her, Sooyoung spoke first.

“What did you want to see me here for?”

Her eyes widened slightly.
Si-eon turned his body fully toward the railing, his gaze sharpening as he looked down at the man.

Calling someone out to a place like this, at a time when hardly anyone was around—there was only one thing it could be about.

“Uh, well…
There’s something I wanted to say to you, Detective Han.”

“To me?”

Sooyoung responded innocently, as if she had no grasp of the situation at all.
Just from the man’s nervous demeanor, it was obvious what he was about to say.
Yet she looked completely uninterested.

“Yes.
I—I mean…”

After hesitating several times, the man finally gathered his courage and spoke in a louder voice.

“Detective Han Sooyoung, I like you!”

Si-eon squeezed his eyes shut.

He had expected it—but he hadn’t thought the man would actually say it out loud.
At the dizzying turn of events, he lifted the hand resting on the railing and pressed it to his forehead.

“I’ve thought about this for a long time, and I didn’t want to wait any longer, so I’m confessing.”

The moment Si-eon lowered his hand—

“I’m sorry.”

Sooyoung’s voice cut in sharply, leaving no room for interpretation.
Polite, yet firm, she rejected his confession outright.

“I’m sorry, but…
You’re not my type.”

The man looked thoroughly flustered, clearly unprepared to be rejected so quickly.
He blinked repeatedly, then clasped his hands together in agitation.

“Ah…”

Unable to give up despite the gentle refusal, he failed to read the atmosphere and pressed on.

“Th-then could you tell me what your type is?
I’ll try to become that!”

Her gaze, fixed on the man who promised to try, was resolute.
There was no intention of giving him even the slightest chance.
She parted her tightly pressed lips and stated her preference plainly.

“Violent Crimes Division Team Leader Baek Si-eon.”

The words stunned the very person listening in.

Tilting his head slightly, Si-eon quietly read Sooyoung’s expression.
The man hadn’t noticed—but to Si-eon, it was perfectly clear.

Mentioning his name as her “type” was nothing more than a convenient way to escape the situation.

Still, the man finally seemed to give up, letting out a short sigh.
It couldn’t be helped.
No matter how hard he tried, he was the complete opposite of Si-eon in every conceivable way.

In the midst of it all, she had used her head.
To sever things cleanly.

Watching the woman who had borrowed his name so decisively, Si-eon smiled faintly.