“Is something the matter?”
“Well…”
I saw it.
Shin Hye-seo was standing there, looking restless with her phone in hand.
“…Could it be…”
A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
“Is it the prosecution?”
“N-no, it’s not that.”
A sigh of relief escaped my lips.
Indeed, it was far too early for the prosecution to be involved.
The police haven’t even made a move yet.
Above all, if it were the prosecution I knew…
‘They would likely try to reach a reasonable compromise with the new prosecutor first.’
However, I still haven’t heard from Seo Yi-re.
If that was the case…
“Something must have happened because you’ve been away from the office, Director.”
“!”
Shin Hye-seo’s eyes widened.
Then, with a face full of strange anticipation and apology, she looked at me.
“It’s exactly as you said, Prosecutor.”
“If you don’t mind, may I ask what the problem is?”
“…I’m not sure if you know, but while I am the CEO, I’m actually a co-CEO.”
“Oh, boy.”
A groan instinctively escaped my lips.
You shouldn’t go into business with friends, let alone family.
I had seen many times how those things ended.
Whether it was a partner embezzling funds, a breach of trust, or tax evasion.
I’d seen it end in bitter feelings and lawsuits more than once or twice.
“For now, we’re a comprehensive entertainment agency. I handle the actors, and there’s a separate person in charge of the singer division.”
“I see.”
“But, though it’s embarrassing to admit, I recently had a bit of an emotional spat with the other CEO.”
In fact, Shin Hye-seo’s face was slightly flushed.
“There’s a mountain of schedules already booked—commercials, events—but one of our singers collapsed in the middle of it all. They’ve already reached their physical and mental limits.”
“Hmm…”
“That person is in a very dangerous state right now… especially after what happened with Ji-hoon, I was very worried. So, I suggested that even if we have to pay the penalty fees, we should let them rest for now, but…”
I could guess how things were going.
‘It’s probably like a Chief Prosecutor from my department going to the office next door and trying to tell them how to handle their own team’s case.’
But I could fully understand Shin Hye-seo’s position.
As mentioned before, she had recently experienced something terrible.
She surely wouldn’t want the same tragedy to repeat itself.
‘She’s a good person, this Shin Hye-seo.’
Because of that, I wanted to help if possible.
“The other CEO probably won’t back down.”
“I assume it’s because of the potential losses to the company?”
“Exactly. I even offered to cover the penalty fees out of my own pocket, but they said it would be difficult because of the indirect damage to the company’s image rather than the direct financial loss.”
I understood that much.
The problem was…
“But why is the other CEO blaming you? If they’ve made up their mind, they can just proceed as they wish…”
“That singer relies on me a lot. So… for the time being, I had them resting in a place I know. Without telling anyone. It seems word of that eventually reached the other CEO’s ears.”
It seemed the two were closer than I thought.
‘A combination of an actor and a singer?’
It wasn’t an unusual relationship.
Off the top of my head, there were pairs like IU and Yoo In-na.
“Our Ha-ru. I feel so bad for her, I don’t know what to do…”
Shin Hye-seo was already on the verge of tears.
Wait, hold on a second.
“Ha-ru? Do you mean the singer Min Ha-ru?”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
My mouth hung open in shock.
Right.
It would have to be someone of that caliber for them to prioritize profit over a human life.
After all, Min Ha-ru was the greatest singer-songwriter of the era.
Even better, she was still in her twenties, young with a bright future ahead of her.
There had never been a single scandal or controversy about her character either.
“Um, Prosecutor. About that…”
“…Yes?”
“I am truly sorry. I know this is a huge imposition…”
After hesitating for a long time, Shin Hye-seo finally bowed her head deeply.
“Would you happen to have a spare room? I’ll make sure to pay the lodging fees properly.”
So, right now…
“…Are you saying you want to hide Min Ha-ru here?”
It was a long journey, well over four hours by car.
“Ha-ru. Should we stop at a rest area for a bit?”
The manager, Kim Jin-su, glanced back.
At the same time, he felt a sharp pang of pain in his chest.
‘She must be having such a hard time…’
Min Ha-ru.
Unlike her usual bright image, she was visibly wasting away.
Her skin was dull, and there was no life in her eyes.
The deep dark circles under her eyes looked like permanent scars that refused to fade.
It was a testament to the immense psychological pain she was in.
“I miss Hye-seo so much…”
“Just hang in there a little longer. We’re almost there.”
In the end, Kim Jin-su skipped the rest area.
‘We’ll be there in about an hour.’
As he gripped the steering wheel, he unconsciously bit his lip.
The reason Min Ha-ru had ended up in this state was entirely due to the other CEO’s influence.
‘Who would have thought he’d go as far as smashing all the furniture in the office, demanding we hand the kid over?’
However, on the other hand, there was another concern.
“…But Ha-ru. It looks like you’ll have to live with Director Shin for a while…”
He had only said that much, but Min Ha-ru’s face in the rearview mirror brightened noticeably.
“…It’s very rural there. Will you be able to handle it?”
“Actually, I prefer that. It needs to be like that so no one can find us.”
“I suppose so, but…”
“I’m just… worried.”
“Worried?”
“I feel like I’m being such a burden to Hye-seo.”
Min Ha-ru’s expression turned gloomy again.
“She’s probably already overwhelmed because of Actor Ji-hoon’s case, and now even me…”
“Stop. That was my mistake, Ha-ru. Don’t think about anything. I’ll take care of everything.”
Gildong Substation, Goseong Police Station.
“So, he really is a prosecutor?”
“Yes. To say he isn’t, he knew far too much about the law.”
“There are plenty of civilians who know the law well these days.”
Because of what had happened, Officer Noh did not back down this time.
“Captain. Aren’t the civilians who know the law even scarier these days? They go around poking the Audit Office and the Provincial Agency, they come to the substation, they follow patrol cars parked on the street and report them. Wouldn’t it be more exhausting if he’s a psycho like that?”
“Are you openly telling me, the Captain, that you park on the street and rest?”
“…No, I meant there’s no need to go looking for trouble.”
Officer Noh, breaking out in a cold sweat, quickly explained himself.
“Ah. The more I think about it, the more insolent it feels. Should I send another shift? Sergeant Jo seems like he’d be good at this kind of thing…”
At that moment, a newspaper article spread across the table caught the Gildong Substation Captain’s eye.
“…Hmm.”
As expected of a front-page story from a major newspaper, the headline was quite sensational.
[ Actor Lee Ji-hoon’s Death was Murder, Not Suicide. A Tragic Star Fallen Due to Police Blinded by Results.
The case is expected to become a battle of spear and shield between the prosecution and the police, as Prosecutor Baek Seo-jun of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office has launched a full-scale indictment against the investigating officers… ]
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
The Captain clicked his tongue softly.
“Things must be a headache over there, too.”
Then, his eyebrows twitched violently.
“…Wait a minute. Prosecutor Baek Seo-jun?”
Didn’t that name sound familiar?
“Officer Ha.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“That prosecutor impersonator. What did you say his name was?”
Officer Noh quickly searched through the report records.
“It’s Baek Seo-jun.”
“…Baek Seo-jun?”
The Captain scanned the newspaper article again.
There were only about two thousand prosecutors in the entire country.
How many could there be with the same name?
“It must be a coincidence, right?”
“What if it isn’t a coincidence?”
“!”
In an instant, the Captain’s eyes widened.
Someone had suddenly walked into the substation.
“I came by just in case, and it seems my timing was perfect.”
“And you are…?”
“I’m Baek Seo-jun.”
“!”
This time, Baek Seo-jun threw his prosecutor ID onto the table.
“As you might have guessed, I’m a bit of a psycho.”
“Y-yes…?”
“If someone touches me, I bite my own kind. Not to mention the police, who are practically family once removed.”
Baek Seo-jun pointed to the front page of the newspaper.
“Do you want to be bitten by me too, Captain?”
“That…”
The Captain, who was about to say something, quickly bowed his head.
“There’s no way that would happen, Prosecutor.”
“…”
“W-we will do our best.”
Baek Seo-jun stared silently at the Captain for a moment, then gave a thin smile.
“Don’t bother someone who’s trying to live quietly anymore. Before I really tear you apart.”
Gulp.
“I-I’ll keep that in mind!”
A tranquil rural landscape unfolded before their eyes.
The fields, dyed a deep green, slowly tucked away the day’s sunlight and embraced the cool breeze.
The chirping of crickets grew clearer, and white, cloud-like smoke rose from the chimneys of every house.
It wasn’t as flashy as city neon signs, but it held a peace that captured the heart like an old photograph.
“…Ah…”
Min Ha-ru and Kim Jin-su sat on the wooden porch, blankly taking in the natural scenery.
Just looking at it made them feel like they were being healed.
“You’re both hungry, right? Try some of this.”
Just then, Shin Hye-seo personally brought over a folding table.
“H-here, let me take that, Director.”
Kim Jin-su jumped up and snatched the table away.
‘Is this radish water kimchi noodles?’
And they were “cold” noodles with ice cubes floating in the bowl.
Immediately, Kim Jin-su’s stomach roared, begging for food.
Now that he thought about it, they had been starving all day because they hadn’t even stopped at a rest area.
“Go ahead and eat. This is really delicious.”
“T-thank you for the food!”
Kim Jin-su picked up his chopsticks immediately.
And then, one bite.
“!”
At the same time, his eyes went wide.
‘T-this is delicious!’
Kim Jin-su polished off a bowl of noodles in the blink of an eye.
“Phew!”
“Ha-ru. You too, hurry up.”
Kim Jin-su, who was about to shout “One more bowl!”, quietly checked the mood.
“…Sister. I really don’t have an appetite…”
“That’s exactly why you need to eat! You have to eat to live!”
“But…”
“Just take one bite, just to see. These are the special radish water kimchi noodles made by Chef Baek, the person I trust most.”
“…Then, I’ll take just one bite.”
Min Ha-ru reluctantly picked up her chopsticks.
With the intention of really just taking a single bite.
Slurp.
“!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
In an instant, Shin Hye-seo burst out laughing.
“Didn’t you say you’d only take one bite?”
Despite what she had said, Min Ha-ru had completely emptied the bowl, even the broth.
“S-sister. What is this!? Who exactly is this Chef Baek!?”
The ultimate flavor!
It was a bowl of noodles that could bring back a lost sense of taste by the scruff of its neck.