Chapter : 9
Jaehyuk stared into Hyun’s eyes as he waited for her to continue.
It was his habit to look straight into the other person’s eyes, and Hyun didn’t avoid his gaze.
“Jo Chihoon tried to make a double deal with Wang Hoon this time. The most likely partner was the Jintaeseong faction in Korea—the domestic crime syndicate currently led by Jin Hwihan. You know them, right?”
There was no way he wouldn’t.
They were the ones who had taken the life of his father—the man who had once filled Jaehyuk’s entire world.
It was also one of the reasons Ahn Jaehyuk was grinding his teeth to catch Jo Chihoon. And Jo Chihoon, Wang Hoon, and Jin Hwihan were all connected to this drug distribution case.
Unlike criminal organizations in other countries, Korean gangs—one of Cyclone’s current targets—had the characteristic of infiltrating even civilians’ daily lives. That put them at odds with Hyun’s organization, which had no choice but to conduct investigations unofficially.
“But we still don’t have solid physical evidence. Interpol doesn’t move without a clear cause. So…”
Jin Hwihan, whose past crimes were heinous, was already a person of interest to Cyclone.
Even so, they couldn’t act easily. The biggest reason was that he hadn’t yet committed crimes that crossed national borders.
If it turned out that Jin Hwihan was involved in this case, however, the story would change.
While Cyclone was deliberating how to resolve the matter without launching an official investigation, they issued a directive.
They decided to borrow Jaehyuk’s legal authority.
Though “borrow” was generous—it was closer to a seizure.
“You’re going to have to help us.”
At some point, a fresh bandage had been wrapped around the hand Hyun had been tending. The pressure dulled the pain a little compared to before.
She carefully set his treated hand down on the bed.
“Starting today, I’ll be going undercover as a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Violent Crimes Unit.”
At the familiar name, Jaehyuk frowned.
He was the team leader of that very unit.
“Keep investigating Jo Chihoon. With me.”
When the order from above came down instructing her to cooperate with Jaehyuk, Hyun had been slightly surprised. She had assumed he was maybe a lieutenant-level officer, but it turned out he was the team leader of the unit she would infiltrate.
She decided to postpone imagining just how desperately he must have fought to rise to that position.
In terms of a fierce life, she believed no one could beat her.
Still, she couldn’t deny that she felt relieved at the thought that things might proceed more smoothly because of it.
“But there’s a condition.”
As she gathered the used gauze and bandages, she continued speaking.
“A condition?”
“It’s the condition for Interpol supporting your unit’s investigation.”
Not a single bit of Jaehyuk’s opinion had been reflected in this proposal.
And yet Hyun was already speaking as if she were his superior, setting conditions on top of it.
They must have simply decided their position on their own, under the name of Interpol, he thought.
They likely believed an international agent carried far more weight than a Korean detective.
Jaehyuk found her attitude irritating, but he didn’t point it out. He merely let out a derisive snort and listened in silence.
Of course, there was no way Hyun didn’t notice the slight edge in his demeanor.
“What is it?”
Let’s hear it.
“I can’t tell you everything exactly, but Jo Chihoon is currently an international criminal. The Triads and the Jintaeseong faction connected to him fall partially under our jurisdiction. The severity of their crimes is far worse than what you know. And you’ve seen the reality of Interpol. As of now, since you know everything, you’re a person who needs to be monitored.”
What was she saying?
She kept repeating Interpol, Interpol.
In truth, they should have been the ones begging him for help. Who was it that had captured the Triad’s heir?
Ignoring Jaehyuk’s incredulity, Hyun finished delivering the orders from above.
“I’ve been assigned to manage you. Until the investigation into Jo Chihoon is over, you’ll have to stay here with me.”
That was the end of what she needed to say.
Civilians weren’t supposed to discover their identities, but they had unintentionally exposed the organization to Jaehyuk. And perhaps they had even received help from him.
Interpol had issued orders to make use of him while simultaneously placing him under strict supervision.
She was merely following the manual. Just carrying out her orders—without noticing that Jaehyuk’s anger was slowly rising.
“Hah. That’s rich.”
Unlike earlier, when he had tried to get up hastily, this time he pushed himself up slowly with both arms. As he straightened, their eye level shifted upward.
Hyun stood as well to meet his gaze.
“Instead of bowing in thanks, you’re saying you’re going to monitor me?”
It was absurd.
Her boldness made it even more so.
What was so great about being an international agent? Was she trying to crush him with sheer arrogance?
Yet even at Jaehyuk’s low, firm voice, Hyun did not falter. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t expected this reaction.
“If you call it surveillance, then yes, it’s surveillance. But it can’t be helped. If you don’t like it, then step away from the investigation.”
“You think I’d do that just because you told me to?”
“Listen, Mr. Ahn Jaehyuk.”
Hyun frowned at his stubbornness. Leaning both arms on the bed, she looked straight into his eyes.
“What’s with you? This is official business. I’ve already been assigned to your team. My organization made the necessary arrangements. Do you know what that means?”
It meant that falsifying identities was nothing to Interpol.
They easily manipulated areas that even Korean detectives couldn’t touch. They operated on an entirely different level—and there was nothing to gain from standing against such an organization.
“And from what I hear, your superiors weren’t happy about you insisting on going after Jo Chihoon. Thanks to us, you’re getting support. Isn’t that actually better for you?”
Jaehyuk recalled how reluctant his higher-ups had been when he first started digging into Jo Chihoon. One thing was certain: with Interpol’s involvement, the investigation could now proceed openly and thoroughly.
“At your age, wearing those stripes, you should know how to compromise with reality. Or did you get to that position more easily than I thought?”
His lips twitched at her taunt.
Having been rapidly promoted at a relatively young age, it was a sensitive subject for him. Of course, it had been his overwhelming performance record that silenced the rumors surrounding him.
Still, there was nothing he could immediately show her, so he didn’t bother responding.
Her sharp tone softened slightly as she made another proposal.
“Let’s do this instead. When it’s all over, your side takes full prosecutorial authority over Jo Chihoon. We’ll only handle the Jintaeseong faction.”
For the first time, it wasn’t a bad offer.
“Recover first. In that condition, you’ll only be a hindrance to the investigation.”
With nothing more to say to the now-silent Jaehyuk, Hyun glanced at the painkillers by the bedside.
She finished organizing the medical supplies and quickly left the room.
The door shut with a click, and only then did Jaehyuk lean back against the bed. It was enough to leave him stunned.
He could hardly believe that Lee Hyun—the woman he thought merely painted pictures—was an international agent.
What the hell is going on?
Understanding the situation itself wasn’t difficult.
It was just hard to accept.
Jaehyuk stared blankly at the ceiling.
As she had said, recovering came first. With no other choice, he swallowed several dozen pills at once and washed them down with water.
“Are you insane? You scared me!”
Early in the morning, an unfamiliar rustling sound from the kitchen woke Hyun.
Half-asleep, she barely managed to open her bedroom door—and screamed at the large figure filling her kitchen.
It was a sight she had never once seen in her own home.
No one had ever set foot in her kitchen to begin with, so the mere presence of someone there was shocking.
“…What are you doing?”
With a look that said she couldn’t believe the horrifying scene before her, Hyun approached Jaehyuk, who was standing in front of the stove.
