In front of Daeseong Hospital, a large crowd had gathered.

Shin Haesu handed over the large man he had subdued to the hospital security guards.

Gu Se-ju, witnessing Haesu’s takedown for the first time, stood with his mouth agape, giving him a thumbs-up.

“Shall we go?”

“How did you take down someone that big? Incredible. As expected of the Korean police!”

“Keep your voice down…”

Just then, a composed voice stopped them in their tracks.

“Wait a moment.”

Turning around, Haesu saw a woman dressed in a sophisticated black two-piece suit approaching him. She placed one hand on her chest and bowed her head.

“Thank you.”

Haesu responded indifferently.

“I was just doing my job.”

“There are many people who don’t do what they’re supposed to. I’m Ahn Seo-eun.”

She took a business card from her handbag and handed it to Haesu. It was a sleek card with a white metallic finish, and the letters were engraved in silver.

[Ahn Seo-eun, CEO of Daeseong E&M]

As Haesu examined the card, Gu Se-ju leaned in close and whispered.

“She’s the youngest daughter of Daeseong Group. A direct owner, a direct owner.”

Looking up, Haesu noticed her poised demeanor, as if waiting for something. Awkward with business etiquette, he took out his own card and handed it over.

“Shin Haesu.”

She accepted the card, placed it in her handbag, and met his gaze again. Her eyes were strikingly clear.

“You made it look easy, but I don’t consider this a small favor. I’d like to express my gratitude.”

Before she could take anything out of her wallet, Haesu raised his hand to stop her.

“As I said earlier, I was just doing my job. As stated on my card, I’m a police officer. I can’t accept anything like that.”

“…I see. I apologize for offending someone with such strong principles. Still, I sincerely appreciate what you did today.”

Ahn Seo-eun once again bowed her head and waist respectfully.

At most, she looked to be in her late twenties, yet her actions exuded refinement. Even as she bowed, her dignity seemed only to rise.

‘Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, huh?’

That very thought made Haesu uncomfortable. The feeling of distance between someone who lived in the same world but an entirely different reality.

He gave a curt nod and turned away.

“Not at all. I’ll be going now.”

As soon as they got into a taxi, Gu Se-ju started chattering.

“Wow, that was amazing. I’ve never seen her in person before, but she’s stunning, seriously. Director Ahn Seo-eun—her business card says entertainment, but she basically runs Daeseong Hotel and the hospital too. And she’s that young! Isn’t she impressive?”

“You sure know a lot.”

Gu Se-ju shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m an expert in that field, after all.”

“Let’s go to the police station.”

“Ah… but the police station is still scary.”

The shoulders that had risen quickly sank again as Gu Se-ju shrank back.

In front of Daeseong Hospital.

Ahn Seo-eun watched Shin Haesu’s retreating figure for quite a while.

“Chief Kang, look into that man for me.”

“The police officer? Understood.”

Seo-eun was about to turn away but suddenly stopped and glanced at her bodyguard.

“Ah, Chief Kim, you don’t need to come in from tomorrow.”

“…Yes. I’m sorry.”

The bodyguard lowered his head deeply, unable to follow behind her.

Gangjin Police Station, Criminal Division.

Since Gu Se-ju’s hit-and-run case wasn’t a simple accident, it was assigned to the Major Crimes Unit 1.

Outside the interrogation room, Shin Haesu showed Gu Se-ju the face of the hit-and-run driver.

“…I think I’ve seen him before, but… I’m not sure.”

“Hmm…”

The hit-and-run driver kept repeating the same frustrating claims.

“I told you, it was just a mistake! And I panicked and ran, then realized I couldn’t get away…”

“Then what about the knife? How do you explain that?”

“That? It was just for hiking! Hiking! Ugh, whatever, I’m not saying anything else until my lawyer gets here.”

Haesu turned to a fellow detective who was also observing the interrogation.

“Have you checked his phone records?”

“Yeah, there’s a lot of weird stuff. His last call overlaps with the time he was fleeing. Meaning, he was on the phone while running away.”

Just then, another detective entered the room.

“They found the burner phone he was talking on. In a trash can near Ganghwa Intersection Park.”

“Damn it, my eyes are gonna fall out from watching more CCTV. You got surveillance footage yet?”

“Yes, sir.”

Haesu locked eyes with Gu Se-ju.

“Mr. Gu, do you have time to wait and analyze this together?”

“If Sergeant Shin asks, of course I do.”

Gu Se-ju stayed to help with the investigation. Since he had been the target, it was highly likely that the perpetrator was someone familiar.

The idea that someone was trying to kill him scared him, and more than anything, he wanted them caught as soon as possible.

Securing surveillance and dashcam footage from Ganghwa Intersection to the park proceeded smoothly.

Haesu and Gu Se-ju, along with the Major Crimes detectives, began analyzing the footage at the station.

Haesu paused on one frame. Before the accident, a woman was captured standing at the crosswalk at Ganghwa Intersection.

“Trace this woman. I checked at the scene—she turned to look at Mr. Gu. And her lips suggest she was on a call.”

“Ah… Yeah, that does seem suspicious. She turned, and right after that, the accident happened. Got it. Hey, we’ve narrowed down the suspect!”

Following Haesu’s lead, they quickly traced more footage of the woman, revealing her movements.

“Oh, wait a sec.”

Gu Se-ju had them pause on a frame where the woman’s face was clearest. Squinting, he tilted his head. Her silhouette was familiar. He alternated between looking at the footage and the hit-and-run driver in the interrogation room before suddenly parting his lips.

“Ah?”

“Did something come to mind?”

“I think I remember. I only saw her once, so I’m not sure… But she left a strong impression.”

The detectives crowded around him. If he could identify the suspect, it would save them the trouble of painstaking analysis.

Haesu asked.

“A client?”

“No, technically, the daughter of a client. There’s this old lady named Park Mak-ryeon…”

Park Mak-ryeon is currently in a nursing hospital. Manager Gu had been entrusted with her assets for a long time since the early days of his work as a financial advisor, and out of gratitude, he visited the nursing hospital frequently. One time, he met her daughter.

However, something strange caught his eye—Mak-ryeon seemed afraid of her daughter. Later, when he asked about it, he was told that she was violent and only took money from her.

“…A property worth 300 million won became 1.7 billion won after redevelopment, and yet she lived such an unfortunate life. Ah! Today is the day she donates all of it to the social welfare foundation!”

“That’s it.”

“That’s right.”

“So, in the end, it was all about money. Even if Park Mak-ryeon was murdered, the donation could still proceed under Manager Gu’s authority.”

“Alright… Kim Im-sook, born in 1975. Just by glancing, her face matches the CCTV footage. Address: 20, 33beon-gil, Okwan-dong, Unit 103. Let’s go arrest her before she runs.”

The detectives quickly prepared and went out to apprehend Kim Im-sook.

Kim Im-sook was caught after hiding under a car in the underground parking lot of her apartment for four hours.

The hit-and-run driver who was arrested earlier turned out to be her lover.

It was also revealed that he was the one who caused Manager Gu to drop his phone.

Due to the meticulous planning of the murder and the fact that Haesu, an active-duty police officer, was stabbed, their crimes were considered more severe, and they were each sentenced to 15 years in prison.

“Bastards…”

On the way back after witnessing the final sentencing at court, Manager Gu muttered to himself, recalling them.

Judging by his expression and tone, that seemed to be the harshest curse he could muster.

Haesu hitched a ride in Manager Gu’s car. His motorcycle had crashed into a traffic signal box on the day of the accident and was completely wrecked.

As Haesu sat in the passenger seat, he quietly observed Manager Gu before asking,

“Manager Gu, how many clients are you currently managing?”

“Hmm… Five at the moment. Once Park Mak-ryeon’s donation is completed, there will be four, including you.”

“How much does a personal financial advisor cost?”

“Personal? You mean a financial advisor who doesn’t handle multiple clients but manages just one person’s assets? Typically, the fee increases by 3%, with a minimum annual fee of 400 million won. Are you… planning to switch because you don’t know when I might die…?”

Seeing the fear in his eyes, Haesu let out a small chuckle and looked ahead as he replied.

“I don’t have anyone around me who would kill you to get to my money. So, why don’t you manage only my assets?”

“Ah… What?”

Manager Gu’s eyes widened.

Haesu had anticipated that he might refuse. Even with the minimum fee, it would be significantly less than his current income.

However, Manager Gu only discussed a transition period to transfer his other clients to different advisors and then readily accepted Haesu’s proposal.

He was actually grateful. If it were someone demanding extensive care, it would be troublesome, but Haesu was simple and easygoing. On top of that, his assets were substantial.

The next day, after work.

Ring-ring-ring, ring-ring-ring.

Just as he was changing out of his uniform and leaving the precinct, his phone rang, as if Manager Gu had a sixth sense.

“Yes, Manager.”

- "President Shin, I have something to tell you."

“Go ahead.”

- "Would it be possible to discuss this in person?"

“Sure. Where should we meet?”

- "I’ll come to you."

“Then let’s meet in front of my place.”

A short while later, at the convenience store on the first floor of Haesu’s one-room apartment.

Haesu and Manager Gu sat across from each other at a wooden outdoor table in front of the store. On the table were two cups of instant ramen, kimchi, and two small bottles of milk.

Manager Gu looked up at the one-room apartment building and muttered.

“For someone with assets worth over 10 billion won, you live quite simply.”

“I don’t feel inconvenienced, so there’s no need to waste money on purpose.”

“That’s… very reasonable.”

Manager Gu trailed off, which was uncharacteristic of him. Haesu, unable to guess what he was about to say, quietly ate his ramen.

“Well, I… I saw something strange.”

Haesu’s chopsticks, which had been lifting a portion of ramen, stopped mid-air. Thinking it might be about a case, he focused his attention.

“You know… that time. The accident…”

Manager Gu carefully recounted the memories from before he had ‘reset’ and died, stealing glances at Haesu to gauge his reaction, fearing he might be seen as crazy.

“…To dismiss it as just an illusion… the pain, emotions, and sensations from that time are all deeply embedded in my mind. It’s truly confusing for me.”

Since Haesu knew exactly what he was talking about, he didn’t question it or brush it off as nonsense. Instead, he waited for him to continue.

“I thought I could just let it go, since I didn’t die after all… but President Shin, your actions caught my attention.”

At his words, Haesu’s eyes wavered slightly.

“When I experienced death, everything was the same. The traffic lights, the passersby, their outfits, everything. But! Only your actions were different.”

Seeing that Haesu was listening seriously, Manager Gu licked his lips and continued.

“Unlike my memories, you stopped me at the crosswalk before the accident. And not only that—you pulled me out of the way before the car even appeared, as if you knew in advance that it would swerve toward me.”

He picked up his chopsticks and pointed at his own eyes.

“And when I experienced death… your gaze was strange. It wasn’t the gaze of someone looking at a man about to die. It was… filled with a determined resolve to save me. Completely out of place in that situation.”

He spread his hands and demanded an explanation from Haesu.

“What the hell is this? I’m seriously confused. I’ve been wracking my brain all night, and I realized you hold the key to these two memories. Please, answer me!”

Haesu was at a loss for words. He was so stunned that he didn’t even notice his ramen getting soggy. He never expected Manager Gu’s memory to be this sharp.

Thinking back, he had indeed been careless. If someone had retained their consciousness before death, it was natural for them to remember things like déjà vu. Yet, he had been too complacent.

There was no time to worry about such things back then, but still…

Haesu quietly gazed into Manager Gu’s eyes before he finally spoke in a heavy tone.

“That is…”