Chapter – 21
Cheonga puckered her lips and continued.
“I’m telling you, some huge organization is wiretapping me! You don’t seriously think I’ve gone crazy, do you?”
Ingyu burst out laughing without even trying to resist it. Cheonga laughed along with him.
“And you’ve got proof?”
Cheonga rubbed her stomach and answered in a dejected voice.
“…Not yet.”
“Hey. If there’s no proof, then nothing’s happening.”
“Tch.”
It was just that it hadn’t come out yet. She was absolutely certain she was being wiretapped.
But if she said that, she’d also have to confess that she hadn’t been able to go to the bathroom for days, so Cheonga shut her mouth.
“Anyway, I need a little time. Help me out, hyung. You’re seriously the only person I can trust.”
Caught off guard by the sudden confession, Park Ingyu looked blank for a moment. Then he grinned and glanced sideways at Cheonga.
“Fine. If it’s not this big brother, who else is gonna protect you?”
“I can protect myself just fine, you know?”
“……”
“I’m just asking for a little help.”
Just then, Ingyu’s car came to a stop.
They had arrived at a building parking lot located at Yongseon Intersection.
Cheonga followed Ingyu, wandering toward the investigation site. Standing in front of a massive building, she tilted her head back.
PC POP PC Café
The enormous sign blazed so brightly it seemed to stab at her eyes in broad daylight. With both hands shoved into her pockets, Cheonga stared up at it blankly.
—…C-Pop… at the PC café… find Luna, Luna…
A faint voice she’d overheard while pressing her ear to the doctors’ office door in the hospital corridor replayed automatically in her head.
In that moment, the surrounding noise—and even Park Ingyu calling her—felt distant.
All that filled her mind was the PC Pop PC Café sign and Yang Dongjun’s trembling, whispering voice.
“Hey.”
A sudden shove against her shoulder made her flinch as she turned around.
“What are you doing, spacing out? I’ve called you like five times—why aren’t you answering?”
“Hyung. That.”
Ingyu followed Cheonga’s gaze to the sign.
“Ah. Yeah. Right. This is where we’re checking today.”
Cheonga’s eyes had already shifted toward the stairway leading underground to the PC café. A help-wanted flyer was posted by the entrance.
After staring at it for a moment, Cheonga spoke.
“Hyung, that interview you mentioned… is it a serious case?”
“No? Not a big one. Drunk people, group assault at night. Still, we have to do a proper investigation.”
“Then let’s split up for the canvassing.”
Her sudden suggestion made Ingyu respond in confusion.
“What? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
Before he could finish, Cheonga flung the door open and started racing down the stairs.
She tore off the help-wanted flyer with one hand.
Her heart pounding wildly, Cheonga forced herself to calm down as she ran down the stairs and entered the PC café.
PC Pop PC Café.
Yang Dongjun’s voice she’d vaguely heard through the closed door of the doctors’ office.
The “C-Pop PC café” he’d mentioned had to be this place.
This was where drug users from all over the country gathered after passing through Boksan University Hospital.
That’s what her instincts were screaming.
Which meant she had to see it with her own eyes—right now.
Cheonga slowly scanned the interior.
It was huge—at least 130 pyeong. No, maybe 150, or even more.
The entrance she’d come through seemed to be the main one with the counter, and far in the back there was another entrance with a smaller counter.
What didn’t make sense was that despite the size, the place wasn’t very crowded.
‘At this size, wouldn’t they be running at a loss? And they’re really hiring?’
But she didn’t have time to hesitate.
After sweeping her gaze around once more, Cheonga strode up to the counter and called out loudly.
“Hello! I heard you’re hiring part-timers, so I came by!”
A woman who had been sitting with her back to the register slowly stood and turned toward Cheonga. Soft yellow light from above spilled over her face.
“……”
She wore a form-fitting, Chinese-style dress that showed off her figure. Her glossy hair framed a face with long, alluring eyelashes, a high nose bridge, full red lips, and a gentle jawline—someone who looked completely out of place in a PC café.
Cheonga stared at her, mouth agape.
She was so stunning it was hard to guess her age, but probably in her thirties. No—definitely her forties. Cheonga’s instincts were never wrong about these things.
The woman met Cheonga’s gaze steadily, then brought a long finger to her lips and hummed softly.
Her ornate nail art glittered under the lights.
As Cheonga stood there dumbfounded, the PC café door opened again.
Park Ingyu entered, glancing rapidly between Cheonga and the woman. He waved his hand sharply at Cheonga, signaling her to step away from the counter, then approached and pulled out his official ID.
“Excuse me. I’m Park Ingyu, a detective from Jungbu Police Station, Violent Crimes Division 2. I’m here to ask a few questions regarding the assault that occurred outside last night. I’d appreciate your cooperation.”
The woman stared intently at his badge. After a long moment, she turned her gaze to Cheonga instead.
Then, smiling brightly, she tightly grasped Cheonga’s hand.
“This one? She’s our part-timer. I don’t come in very often. Would you like to talk to her instead?”
“…?”
Calmly, without hesitation, she told a blatant lie.
Cheonga’s panicked eyes met Ingyu’s stunned ones.
“The night manager’s number is at the counter, right? Give it to him.”
At that, Cheonga quickly understood.
It didn’t seem like she was trying to avoid the investigation. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have suggested calling the night manager. She probably just didn’t want to deal with the police directly.
Cheonga swallowed dryly and spoke.
“Ah—h-hello, Detective Park Ingyu? I-I’m the part-timer, Park Bokseon. I-I’ll give you the night manager’s number?”
“……”
A vein twitched at Ingyu’s temple.
It was obvious he was holding back a lot, but Cheonga deliberately ignored it.
Right now, she needed to play along with the owner.
This was no different from a job interview.
The woman either didn’t notice the tension or pretended not to. Smiling brightly, she stepped out from behind the counter. Her silk dress and long hair fluttered as she walked.
As she passed, she gently rested a hand on Cheonga’s shoulder.
“Bokseon.”
“…Y-yes? Yes!”
“After you’re done, come to the kitchen in the back and help me out, okay? And thank you for your hard work, Detective.”
As if she had nothing more to do, the woman disappeared down the hallway behind the counter.
Left behind, Cheonga had to endure Park Ingyu’s fierce glare.
But there was no time to explain. For all she knew, the owner could be watching her through the CCTV.
Cheonga flashed a bright smile and scampered behind the counter.
“Uhh—Detective! Canvassing! You said you were canvassing, right? The night manager’s number should be… somewhere around here… hehe.”
“……”
After rummaging around for a while, she found a list of employee phone numbers tucked deep inside.
Cheonga casually picked up the counter phone and dialed the night manager’s number.
[Hello?]
The voice on the other end sounded strangely familiar.
“Ah, hello! Manager? This is Bokseon.”
[…Who?]
The man repeated the name, then fell silent for a moment.
That was understandable—some stranger calling herself by a name he didn’t recognize.
“Well, um, a detective came by to check something. He said something happened in front of the shop last night, and the owner told me to ask you.”
[…]
“Hold on, I’ll hand him the phone!”
Forcing a smile, Cheonga thrust the receiver toward Ingyu.
“Haah……”
With a long sigh, Park Ingyu snatched the phone from her hand.
