Shin Haesu found Haru’s contact in his phone and was about to hit the call button when he stopped.

‘Maybe this is for the best.’

Even just this afternoon, he’d been worrying about how to help Haru become independent. The timing couldn’t have been better. It’s not like she’s the type to get hurt or taken advantage of somewhere. She’s smart and capable enough to take care of herself.

As long as they were together, Haru would be in danger.

Haesu didn’t send a single text or make a single call to Haru. He quietly prepared dinner.

Fwoooosh—click

He opened the rice cooker and froze. Without realizing it, he had cooked enough rice for both of them.

Sitting alone at the table, he took a bite of rice.

“D-delicious as f*ck.”

He suddenly smiled, remembering the strange way Haru had once expressed her admiration for his cooking. Even recently, she would react with gratitude and amazement every time she ate a spoonful of rice.

Watching her like that had made Haesu appreciate the present moment more than ever before.

After finishing his meal, he did the dishes, took a shower, and then, out of habit, glanced at the corner of the bed.

—“Whatcha gonna do? Shushushuk!”

—“Ugh, that’s so annoying.”

The image of her lying there, playing a mobile game and muttering strange phrases, flashed through his mind.

You don’t notice when someone’s there, but you sure notice when they’re gone. After living together for several months, it felt like traces of her were left in every corner of the house.

But then the image of her standing in the middle of that sea of blood came back to him—dark, shadowed, terrifying.

‘This is for the best. It really is.’

He could never let her go through something like that again. Haesu made that vow to himself as he lay down on the bed.

Still, he missed the strange gravity of her tugging at his sleeve every time he fell asleep. Now that she was gone, he realized just how much of his life had been soaked through with her presence.

Despite being thoroughly exhausted, sleep wouldn’t come easily.

Would she eat properly? She’s never eaten out alone before… What if someone targets her? Where will she sleep? She doesn’t have anywhere to go, so why did she leave so recklessly…?

Haesu didn’t stay up all night worrying about Haru, but he didn’t manage to fall asleep until just before dawn.

The next day.

Shin Haesu always worked out at Hwang Jangsu’s gym before work unless something unusual came up.

Tap! Thud!

Haesu charged forward, deflecting Jangsu’s rubber knife with his forearm and driving his shoulder into Jangsu’s body.

Jangsu stumbled back a few steps, shook his head, and tried to thrust the knife again. But before he could even extend his arm, Haesu closed the distance.

Thwack! Smack!

“Kugh!”

Haesu drove his fist into Jangsu’s stomach without giving him a chance to breathe. Even with open-finger gloves on, the impact was barely cushioned.

Jangsu clutched his stomach, rolled across the floor, and tossed the knife aside.

“I’m done, I’m done!”

Normally, Jangsu would go on the offensive while Haesu defended and counterattacked. But today, Haesu attacked relentlessly the moment Jangsu assumed a stance.

Jangsu had known Haesu since they were young. He could read Haesu’s emotions even through his blank expression.

“Something happened, didn’t it?”

“No. Just trying to clear my head.”

“Alright, then I’ll hit you hard too!”

“Come at me.”

Thwack! Smack!

Jangsu stumbled backward, clutching his stomach.

“Seriously, what the hell?”

After using Jangsu as a human punching bag and sweating it out, Haesu headed to the police station.

A crowd of reporters was gathered at the entrance. When Haesu pulled up on his motorcycle, someone recognized him and shouted.

“Oh! It’s Detective Shin!”

“Detective Shin Haesu!”

“Detective Shin! Just a quick comment about the recent retaliatory attack!”

Confused, Haesu ignored them and parked his motorcycle before heading inside the station.

The chief, watching through the office window, called him in.

“Detective Shin.”

“Yes, Chief.”

“I respect your privacy, but I think you should just give a quick interview and get rid of them. It’ll be good for Gangjin Station’s image. But if you don’t want to, I’ll send them away.”

Haesu had no particular reason to avoid an interview. It would only help improve the public’s perception of the police.

“I’ll do it.”

The station’s empty auditorium.

An impromptu press conference began. Reporters swarmed around Haesu, firing off questions.

“Are you the same Detective Shin who caught the chauffeur serial killer?”

“Yes.”

“How did you handle the gang members seeking revenge? Were they all armed?”

“Yes. All four of them had knives.”

“Did you feel your life was in immediate danger?”

“Even if a child points a knife at you, it’s dangerous. You’d know if you’ve been there.”

“Why do you attract so much crime?”

“No idea. Maybe it’s my face?”

“You look like a security guard.”

“People are demanding you reveal your identity. Will you?”

“My job, age, and name are all public. What else is there to reveal?”

“Your face.”

Haesu waved them off.

“It’s not much to look at. And it’d be a problem for undercover work if people recognized me.”

“But there are already pictures of you.”

“A blurry shot isn’t the same as a high-res close-up.”

“Then how about showing your arm?”

“I could show you my abs too.”

Haesu stood and took off his uniform jacket, revealing his tight, functional short-sleeved shirt.

Specialized anti-stab vests, no matter how thin, were uncomfortable to wear in summer, so he only wore them when on duty.

“Whoa…”

“Wow…”

His body was practically a work of art, defined muscles marked by countless scars.

Click click click—

“Detective Shin, any message for the public?”

Haesu gazed directly into the camera and spoke in a low, steady voice.

“If you’ve done something wrong, turn yourself in. It’ll hurt a lot more if I have to come get you.”

“Whoa…”

The chilling tone made the reporters freeze.

“Any last comments?”

A female reporter with long black hair asked. Something about her reminded him of someone.

Haesu stared at her for a moment before speaking.

“Haru, come home.”

“Ah, is that the name of your pet?”

Haesu smiled silently.

“I see. Thank you for today’s interview.”

“Good work. I’ll be heading off to work now.”

“Thank you for your time.”

“Thanks for the refreshing interview, Detective Shin!”

Even though no one managed to secure an exclusive, several reporters handed Haesu their business cards out of goodwill. They appreciated his sincere answers, even to trivial questions.

After a hectic day, it was finally time to go home.

Shin Haesu shot to his feet the moment the clock struck six.

“I’m heading out first.”

“Huh? What the heck? Weren’t we gonna grab some fish cakes after work?”

“Let’s do it tomorrow. Something urgent came up.”

Haesu immediately called Haru. Her phone was off. He contacted Jeong Yeong-su to track her phone’s location, but the last recorded spot before it was turned off was near a grocery store.

‘Where did she go…?’

Haesu searched the area and checked with Ahn Seo-eun, but there was no sign of Haru.

Step, step, step…

He climbed the stairs with heavy steps. His feet felt weighed down. As he reached his apartment, a small hope sparked within him—that maybe Haru would be there, waiting for him like a surprise event.

Click.

Haesu froze in place in front of his door.

A woman was crouched on the stairs leading up to the next floor. Beside her was a neatly packed suitcase.

She slowly lifted her head and looked up at Haesu. Her lips, dry and cracked after just one day, parted slightly.

“I… I’ve been a burden. But… I want to stay with you. I don’t want to be apart from you. I promise I won’t do this again. So… please don’t throw me away.”

Haru’s confession sounded like something she had prepared for a long time. Haesu’s eyes gradually widened.

It was the first time he had heard Haru’s honest feelings. Until now, he had assumed she wanted independence. That’s why he had trained her—to help her achieve that goal as soon as possible.

Maybe she’s clinging because she’s never experienced independence before, or because this was the first real home she had known since escaping that horrifying underworld. That could change over time.

But for now, the answer was obvious.

“I found you.”

Haru’s eyes widened.

Haesu reached out his hand. Haru took hold of his large, strong hand and stood up.

As soon as she came inside, Haru devoured her meal like a storm. Haesu watched her with a satisfied smile and spoke.

“Where were you? And why was your phone off?”

Haru reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bundle of cash, setting it down on the table. Two fifty-thousand won bills and three ten-thousand won bills.

“I can’t rely on you forever, so I earned some money. My phone turned off while I was working. But… once it got dark, I started to really miss this house and you. Even though I knew I was being a burden…”

“You’re not a burden. You did well. So, what kind of work was it?”

Haru paused mid-bite, holding her spoon in the air as she stared at Haesu. After blinking twice, she mimed lifting something heavy with both hands.

“Deliveries… I was moving large boxes.”

“Delivery loading and unloading?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

Haesu’s brow furrowed sharply. No wonder Haru looked so worn out—she hadn’t just wandered around all day; she had done intense labor and even gotten paid for it.

“Why would you do something that hard…”

“Huh? It was fine. I got a lot of help.”

“Help? While loading and unloading deliveries?”

Loading and unloading deliveries is not the kind of job where people help each other. Everyone’s too busy handling their own assigned workload.

Haesu suddenly recalled something a famous actress had once said about working part-time:

—“The customers were kind, my coworkers were kind, even my boss was kind. Ah, the world felt so kind.”

“Yes, and everyone was very kind. From now on, I’ll keep earning money.”

Of course. Her face must have triggered everyone’s protective instincts.

Delivery loading and unloading is not the kind of place where you’d encounter kindness. Usually, you’d just get screamed at by the supervisor all night with a string of creative insults.

Haesu shook his head.

“No, don’t do it anymore. Let’s start by finding work that suits you better.”

“Ah… Something that suits me. Okay.”

Exhausted and grimy, Haru took a shower and quickly fell asleep.

As Haesu watched her, he resolved to move to a safer, more secure home where outsiders couldn’t easily intrude.

[Internet Café: “Fight Club”]

A forum described as “a gathering place for fighters nationwide to challenge each other and establish a true hierarchy of strength.”

[(Link) That hotshot cop everyone’s talking about—can’t let this slide, right?]
Apparently, this Detective Shin guy everyone’s raving about single-handedly took down four gangsters out for revenge. Three died, and the last one is crippled after getting his ankle sliced. Damn.

—Maga99: Sure, he’s in good shape, but we’ve got guys in the café who are way more ripped than that.

—Moondiya: Pfft, our guys are on another level. That cop wouldn’t even qualify as a rookie here.

—dlfader: Lol, no matter how good that cop is, he wouldn’t stand a chance against the pros here.

—Seungwoo’s Thought: Honestly, today’s gangsters are pathetic. I once fought two of them at once, and they were weak as hell. Four guys with knives? Nothing special. People are hyping this up way too much.

—Sergeant-at-Arms: I agree. I’ve got an idea. How about we officially challenge that cop and post the video? It’ll make the café famous.

—Seungwoo’s Thought: Beating a guy that skilled will definitely draw more hidden masters out of the woodwork.

—Cloud and Light: I’m in.

—Sergeant-at-Arms: Whoa, aren’t you the champion of the Incheon Fight Tournament? This’ll be over in no time!

—Seungwoo’s Thought: If Incheon’s champion is going, I’ll tag along too.

—Aura Joe: The top dog from Seoul’s Gangdong District is joining too.

—Sergeant-at-Arms: This is crazy! Detective Shin is done for! I’ll handle the filming. Let’s show the world what the Fight Club is made of!

—Cloud and Light: Let’s set a date.

—Moondiya: LOL, this is gonna be wild. But how will you find him?

—Sergeant-at-Arms: We know his station. We’ll just wait near the exit until he gets off work. I’ll scout the location and post an update. Let’s make it happen!