Chapter 56: Focus on What You Can Stop

Lee Jaehyun took a moment to catch his breath while waiting for Park Daehyung to arrive.

His heart was pounding, and his whole body was tense, nerves wound tight with anxiety and regret.

Whoosh.

Exhaling roughly, he lifted his head and found Se-re-hen looking at him.

He opened his mouth to speak.

“Why?”

“No, well… Just… You don’t need to blame yourself so much. What will happen, will happen, and the Fate that can be changed is limited. No matter how hard you try, there are things you simply can’t alter, Client…”

“I could have stopped it. If I’d just been a bit more careful.”

Things happen because they’re meant to?

Don’t say nonsense like that.

Lee Jaehyun had stopped plenty of incidents and caught countless criminals until now.

Take, for example, the first one he ever caught: Myung Jinhan.

Originally, three more people should have died by Myung Jinhan’s hands.

The victims: Jung Mi-rae, Lee Jaehyun’s own father Lee Hancheol, and finally Myung Jinhan himself.

But Lee Jaehyun had saved all three… and ensured Myung Jinhan faced proper judgment.

He was certain he could have prevented this incident as well, but his own carelessness let it happen.

However, it seemed Se-re-hen had a different view; she shrugged her shoulders and continued speaking.

“There is such a thing as predetermined Fate, and it’s not something people can block entirely. The Abduction was bound to happen. Just accept it.”

“How could I…”

“So, Client, focus on what you can do.”

Lee Jaehyun tried to say more, but Se-re-hen pinched her brow and went on.

Focus on what you can do.

At those words, Lee Jaehyun nodded.

He couldn’t agree with Se-re-hen’s claim that there is a set Fate that people can’t block.

But the idea of ‘focusing on what you can stop’—that he could accept.

The Abduction had already happened.

Then, what Lee Jaehyun could do now… was ensure the child wasn’t killed, and could safely return to their parents.

While he was organizing his thoughts, Se-re-hen spoke up.

“I promise you.”

“What?”

“If you catch that abductor, Client… someday, when that person dies, I’ll make sure he gets proper judgment in Hell.”

Se-re-hen looked at Lee Jaehyun as she said this.

If you catch him, she’d deliver proper judgment.

And since it was a demon making this promise, ironically enough… he felt he could believe her.

Lee Jaehyun looked straight into Se-re-hen’s eyes, which seemed to burn with a fire deep within.

And at that moment, he realized that Se-re-hen was just as angry as he was.

Last time, when the Attempted Child Assault Case broke out, she was furious too.

Was it because this case also involved a child?

Whatever the reason.

Seeing Se-re-hen, furious and making a promise, Lee Jaehyun felt his mind grow colder.

He clenched his fist and spoke.

“I promise too.”

“What?”

“I’ll catch him no matter what.”

Lee Jaehyun said, his voice firm.

At his words, Se-re-hen’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Since Lee Jaehyun had never failed to catch someone he said he’d catch so far, she could naturally trust him.

***

Not long after, Park Daehyung arrived.

He must really have been nearby; it hadn’t even been ten minutes since the call.

As Park Daehyung showed up, Se-re-hen disappeared from view.

Lee Jaehyun nodded lightly in greeting to Sergeant Min Ji-hye, who approached quickly with Park Daehyung.

“To explain the situation right away: I was sitting here on this Bench, and then a grandmother came over…”

“How’s your condition?”

Just as he was about to explain, Min Ji-hye frowned and asked.

Lee Jaehyun hesitated, looking at Min Ji-hye.

She waited for his answer, scanning him up and down.

With a peculiar tone, Lee Jaehyun replied.

“I’m fine. Other than some muscle aches, I’m okay…”

“Muscle aches? Are you sure it was just a sleeping pill you took?”

Min Ji-hye asked at once.

Lee Jaehyun nodded immediately.

“Yes. The moment I drank the ginger tea the grandmother gave me, I got drowsy and passed out, almost as if I fainted. That was about an hour ago…”

“But muscle aches, huh… It might not have been just a sleeping pill. Let’s head to the hospital first.”

“I’m fine. The child is Missing, and an active Police Officer was knocked out with a sleeping pill. The child’s in danger, so the kid comes first…”

“You don’t seem to realize that the Police Officer who was put to sleep with a sleeping pill is you right now.”

Min Ji-hye said, sounding exasperated.

There was real concern for Lee Jaehyun in her words and actions.

He knew that, but he also knew what was most important right now.

Choi Daehyun, the Abducted child’s safety.

He hadn’t felt any physical problems from taking the sleeping pill.

And just like Se-re-hen had said earlier, there probably wasn’t anything but the sleeping pill in it.

“At least, you don’t seem in critical condition, so let’s hear the rookie’s explanation first.”

Park Daehyung jumped in.

Min Ji-hye made her displeasure obvious, but kept quiet and looked at Lee Jaehyun.

Lee Jaehyun continued his explanation.

“The CCTV caught her several times. After checking that, we can verify her identity… There’s no way a grandmother alone could abduct an 11-year-old child, so there must be an accomplice. Most likely an adult male.”

“That’s quite a leap. The kid might just be a regular Missing Person…”

“The child is Missing, and an active Police Officer just happened to be knocked out with a sleeping pill? That can’t be a coincidence.”

Lee Jaehyun answered right away.

He knew he was making assumptions.

From Min Ji-hye’s perspective, it wasn’t certain yet whether it was an ‘Abduction,’ a ‘runaway,’ or a simple ‘Missing Person.’

But Lee Jaehyun knew better.

Still, Lee Jaehyun reminded himself not to repeat the same mistake as before, thanks to Min Ji-hye’s point.

Maybe thinking the same, Park Daehyung spoke up beside him.

“He’s got a point. But focusing only on one line of thinking is dangerous, so let’s calm down and consider everything.”

He said that, and Lee Jaehyun nodded.

Min Ji-hye, seemingly displeased with how things were going, looked between Park Daehyung and Lee Jaehyun before speaking.

“Jaehyun, you should go to the hospital first. The rest of us need to continue patrol.”

“I’ll go to the hospital once this is over. Besides, they’ve probably already left the area.”

Lee Jaehyun shook his head at her suggestion.

He had known this case was going to happen.

He couldn’t help but feel responsible for not stopping it.

At the very least, he felt he had to resolve this case himself.

It was both the burden he put on himself and the promise he’d made with Se-re-hen.

However—

“We’re not Detectives. If you suspect you’ve been drugged, you should go to the hospital, take care of yourself… and leave the investigation to the Strong Crime Unit, right?”

“I’m not a Detective, but I am a Police Officer. I have the right to investigate and to make arrests. The more people searching together, the better…”

“So, since you have the right, you think you should bear the responsibility too? What, are you going to say something like, ‘With great power comes great responsibility,’ like a line from a movie?”

Min Ji-hye blocked Lee Jaehyun, speaking a bit roughly.

Lee Jaehyun was a bit taken aback by her heated reaction.

From earlier, Min Ji-hye had been trying to get him away from the scene and to the hospital.

It was the first time she’d shown her emotions so openly.

“…I couldn’t even recognize the culprit right in front of me. Of course I have to take responsibility…”

“Jaehyun, you’re still the rookie. Just a patrolman. If there’s blame, I’ll take it. No, Sergeant Park will. Or our Team Leader will.”

Perhaps regretting her harsh tone, Min Ji-hye spoke calmly now.

Even so, Lee Jaehyun couldn’t easily nod his head.

Yes, that’s true.

Right now, he was a rookie Patrolman. There were plenty of people to take responsibility if he made a mistake.

But outwardly he was a rookie—inside, he was a Police Officer with ten years’ experience.

He’d put countless criminals behind bars as a Detective.

How did he earn the nickname “Mad Dog”?

To have an accomplice in a child abduction and murder case right in front of him and not even recognize them…

It weighed heavily on Lee Jaehyun.

“Sergeant Min Ji-hye.”

“Yeah.”

“Please, just this once—let me do my duty as a Police Officer. If I go to the hospital now, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life…”

He said this, clenching his fist.

Just yesterday, he’d sworn to protect Choi Daehyun no matter what.

He’d sworn to change Fate.

And yet, the fact that he hadn’t protected a single thing was tormenting Lee Jaehyun.

Still, Min Ji-hye didn’t back down, about to say something more—

Tap.

Park Daehyung placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

In the end, Min Ji-hye had to step back.

“…Let’s at least return to the Capital Region Police Station first. You should change clothes, at least.”

“Thank you.”

“And both of you, clear your heads while you go.”

After settling things, Park Daehyung put Lee Jaehyun and Min Ji-hye into the patrol car.

Even then, he glanced at Lee Jaehyun with a complex, meaningful look.

***

Things progressed rapidly.

Since Team 4 was practically the only one suspecting a child Abduction, they were the only ones moving frantically… but the atmosphere at the Capital Region Police Station was chaotic all the same.

It was no surprise.

No one else but Lee Jaehyun had caught, just in the past few weeks, a Serial Killer, a Sibling Murderer, an Attempted Child Assault Case, and a runaway Fraudster—his hand already full with Strong Crime Unit-level criminals.

Not to mention Park Daehyung, now working at the Capital Region Police Station after his time as a Detective, was also moving around with a grave face.

The entire station was naturally paying close attention.

Everyone was quietly helping out Team 4 and staying on top of the situation.

Amidst all this, Lee Jaehyun and Min Ji-hye confirmed the grandmother’s identity.

“The background check came back. Her name is Go Hyunsook. Her husband is deceased, and she has one son. The son’s name is Park Yech’an.”

“Anything else?”

“She has debts. And… she’s originally from Icheon. She only moved up recently.”

“Icheon?”

At this, Park Daehyung frowned.

He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then spoke.

“Contact the Icheon police. Have them confirm her identity.”

After Park Daehyung gave the order, Min Ji-hye nodded and started to contact the police station in that area.

Bang—

Not the usual rattling, but the urgent sound of the door being flung open rang out as someone burst into the station.

A man and a woman entered, their faces deathly pale and trembling.

Their presence alone was enough to send a new wave of tension through an already busy and tense police station.