At the unexpected blind date proposal, Shin Haesu widened his eyes. It was something he hadn't even considered.

Chaeyeon naturally came to mind. He had no lingering feelings, and after work, he did nothing but exercise. Unlike when he was on the serious crimes team, he now had plenty of free time.

After a brief contemplation, Haesu nodded.

“Yes.”

“Great. Then I’ll give you her number. You should be the one to contact her first.”

“Understood.”

On his day off.

Shin Haesu scrapped his car, which had its side mirror and entire side completely scratched from illegal parking incidents.

In its current state, it would only sell for about 1 million won as a used car, and repairs would cost nearly the same, so he decided to get rid of it.

Instead, he bought a motorcycle. Looking at the heavily congested roads of Gangjin City, he had already been considering it.

Vroom.

A low, heavy exhaust sound trembled in the air.

It was a touring motorcycle, known for combining both high-speed performance and riding comfort.

He had initially wanted a full high-speed model, but after a trial ride where he almost lost control, he chose this one instead.

Vroom, vroom!

He had modified it to make the noise as quiet as possible, but it still sounded far louder than a car, which he found a bit burdensome.

He stopped in front of a building with a golden sign that gleamed: "Lead Building."

The lower floors housed restaurants, a gym, and a surgical clinic, while from the sixth floor up, office spaces filled the ten-story building.

‘Room 613…’

As Haesu walked down the hallway, he encountered a neatly dressed man wearing horn-rimmed glasses. The man smiled and gestured toward him.

“Welcome. I’ve been expecting you, sir.”

'Asset Manager Gu Se-ju.'

Sitting on the sofa, Haesu stared at the nameplate on the desk. Gu Se-ju placed a cup of green tea in front of him and spoke.

“My name is quite unique, isn’t it? It fits my profession well.”

“It does.”

“I heard you’re a police officer. The starting seed money varies based on occupation and marital status, so we have a basic guide prepared. Please take a look.”

The guide he handed over listed estimated seed money accumulation and asset management fees based on occupation, age, and marital status.

“Public officials usually prefer the C-2 type. It allows for safe and gradual growth of their seed money.”

However, even at the top of the list, there was no option that suited Haesu.

“Not this one…”

“I completely understand. For those new to asset management, the minimum fee can feel burdensome. Let me show you the D, E, and F types. Just a moment.”

Gu Se-ju brought out another guide. Haesu shook his head and met his gaze.

At his current lifestyle, this was money he could never spend in his lifetime. Since he had decided to entrust it to a professional, he might as well be straightforward.

“It’s 11.3 billion won. My seed money.”

“Ah, eleven point three… Pardon?”

Gu Se-ju blinked several times, taking a moment to process the amount he had just heard.

Until now, none of his clients had exceeded 2 billion won.

He had been slowly making a name for himself by focusing on small-time clients.

Seeing Gu Se-ju’s shocked expression, Haesu awkwardly smiled.

“I was referred by Manager Kim.”

“Ah, oh, yes, yes, thank you. Thank you… Turns out, the real savior is here. Please, call me Manager Gu.”

However, with over ten years of experience in the field, Gu Se-ju quickly composed himself and calmly explained the role of an asset manager.

“…You can set the range of investments as you prefer. You can also delegate stock trading and real estate acquisitions, but transactions require your direct approval.”

“I’ll delegate everything.”

“…Haha, you’re quite decisive. The fee is 20% of net profit. The minimum annual fee for the type you selected is 10 million won.”

After the explanation, Haesu nodded and proceeded to sign the contract.

Gu Se-ju, who had been staring intently at the tip of the pen as he signed, was left speechless even after the contract was completed.

“Then, I’ll be counting on you.”

As Haesu handed over the contract and stood up to shake hands, Gu Se-ju snapped out of his daze.

“Yes! Sir! I will stake my life on this!”

Just as he left the parking lot, his phone vibrated.

Buzz.

- Blind date: We’re still meeting at 12 today, right?

He had completely forgotten. Since he hadn’t contacted her for several days after arranging the date, the woman was confirming again.

- Yes.

At a hair salon in Gangjin City’s downtown.

Kim Eun-mi finished styling her hair and stood up to check herself in the full-length mirror.

Wearing a brightly colored cardigan and a short skirt, she looked every bit the springtime girl.

The salon employees clasped their hands together and showered her with compliments.

“You look amazing today! Do you have an important appointment?”

Flipping her hair, Eun-mi responded.

“A blind date.”

“The guy is going to pass out when he sees you.”

With confident eyes, Eun-mi flicked her side hair.

“That’s a given.”

Feeling slightly excited, she left the salon and walked a short distance to the meeting place.

Even though she left ten minutes late, the man was nowhere to be seen. She paid no attention to the man sitting on the motorcycle parked nearby.

“He dares to make Kim Eun-mi wait?”

Ding-ding-ding-ding

At that moment, her phone rang. It was her blind date. She answered immediately.

“Where are you? I’ve been waiting for a while.”

But instead of a response, someone held a phone up in front of her, showing her own number on the screen.

Glancing past the phone, she saw a man wearing a helmet standing there. He was the owner of the parked motorcycle.

As he removed his helmet and met her eyes, he spoke.

“Kim Eun-mi?”

A bad feeling washed over her—today was doomed. She couldn't bring herself to ignore the man calling her name and met his gaze.

“Ah… H-hello…”

“Nice to meet you. Hop on.”

Eun-mi furrowed her brows slightly and pointed at her short skirt with her index finger.

“My skirt is a bit short. Just tell me the location, and I’ll take a taxi.”

Without a word, Haesu lifted the seat of the motorcycle and pulled something out.

Once again, Eun-mi was caught off guard—it was a police activity jacket, with the official emblem clearly displayed.

“What is that… Oh my.”

As she stood there, mouth half-open in shock, Haesu draped the jacket over her waist and tied the sleeves around her securely.

“Shall I lift you up?”

“No, sigh… Fine.”

With no other choice, Eun-mi sat sideways on the motorcycle, legs neatly together.

Haesu silently looked down at her lower body. Smirking slightly, Eun-mi thought, 'So, he is a man after all... But isn't he staring a bit too obviously?'

Then, with a stern expression, Haesu spoke.

“In this position, you are at high risk of falling. Please sit properly.”

The unexpected safety warning made Eun-mi scowl.

“Just start driving.”

“Excuse me.”

“Oh my—!”

Haesu suddenly lifted her in a princess carry and repositioned her to face forward.

Though the seat was wide, she now found herself sitting with her legs apart.

Though covered by the police jacket, the position was embarrassing.

To make matters worse, a helmet was suddenly placed over her perfectly styled hair.

“Ack!”

“What’s wrong? Is it too small?”

“No, no… Just hurry up and go.”

“Alright, hold on tight.”

Finally, the motorcycle started moving.

Her skirt had ridden up significantly, exposing her pale legs. The police activity jacket barely covered anything.

Every time they stopped at a traffic light, she could feel the burning stares from people. Not just from pedestrians but even drivers. At times like this, she was grateful to be wearing a helmet.

‘I want to kill him. Should I just whack his head with the helmet as soon as I get off?’

“We’ve arrived.”

His voice was utterly devoid of any unnecessary emotion, which only made her more annoyed.

She yanked off her helmet roughly and, with her disheveled hair, glared at Haesu.

“Do you not have a car?”

“I did, but I had to scrap it after an accident a few days ago.”

“Ha, haha…”

She let out an exasperated laugh at his ridiculous answer. As she turned her head, she saw the sign for a short rib restaurant. A change of plans. She’d eat to her heart’s content and get her money’s worth before leaving.

“At least you made a good menu choice.”

“Let’s go.”

The restaurant had a stylish interior, with private rooms and staff who grilled the meat for customers and cut it into perfect bite-sized pieces.

Nom.

It was delicious. Probably the best meat she’d had all year, if not in months.

With her annoyance melting away like the meat in her mouth, she recalled what had happened earlier. A man she had just met had lifted her up in his arms within seconds. She had been so startled that her heart nearly stopped, but at that moment…

‘That was… bold. Am I crazy?’

She quietly studied Haesu’s face.

‘His face is decent… His features are a bit sharp, but that suits a man, especially a cop who catches criminals. He’s tall, and oh, wow, why are his shoulders so broad?’

Her friend, Lim Shia, had said something that suddenly came to mind.

“He’s the best-looking cop I’ve ever seen. If I weren’t married, I wouldn’t have introduced him to you.”

Wiping her mouth daintily with a tissue, Eun-mi looked at Haesu with a refined expression.

“You’re a police officer?”

“Yes, I work at the Eastern District Station with Officer Im.”

“Did you hear what I do for a living?”

“No.”

A brief silence. Eun-mi frowned slightly.

“Aren’t you curious?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Haha… I work at Daehan Bank.”

“I see.”

Usually, men either reacted with surprise or felt intimidated upon hearing that she worked in finance, especially at Daehan Bank, known for its high salaries. But his eyebrows didn’t even twitch. It pricked her pride a little.

“I heard that the preference for government jobs has dropped by over 40% in the past five years. They say the reason is that the salary is lower than that of small to mid-sized companies. Is that true?”

Trying to pressure him with salary talk, she lobbed a veiled question. But Haesu answered head-on.

“It’s probably lower than the average salary of small businesses. I’ve had continuous salary cuts for four years due to excessive force allegations, so my recent annual salary was about 20 million won.”

“…Excuse me?”

That was less than half of her starting salary. Eun-mi was so dumbfounded that she chugged down her water.

Then, Haesu delivered another blow.

“The salary cuts have been lifted now.”

“Ha, haha.”

She chewed on her meat absentmindedly and continued the conversation without much soul.

“…If you’ve been working for seven years, you must have gotten a place by now. Did you take out a loan?”

“I had to take out a lot of loans to pay settlements, so I couldn’t get any more. I’ve finished paying those off and currently live in a rented one-room apartment.”

“Haha, hahaha!”

She pointed at him with her index finger, let out a ridiculous laugh, and turned her head away sharply.

“Lim Shia, you bitch.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, nothing. That wasn’t directed at you…”

‘I’m done. There’s nothing more to see. I’m just going to eat as much galbi as I can. I should’ve known when he showed up with a motorcycle. But… when he put me on the bike, he was kind of… No, snap out of it, Kim Eun-mi! Being bold doesn’t pay the bills!’

She silently shoveled meat into her mouth with newfound determination.

Haesu nodded as he observed her, then suddenly asked, “What do you think about crime prevention?”

“What? Crime… prevention?”

It was such an unexpected topic for a blind date that she paused to think if it was some kind of slang.

“Yes. It means preventing crimes in advance, but it also includes how prepared you are in case you become a victim of crime.”

“…I’ve never thought about it. Isn’t that what the police are for? Isn’t that why taxes pay your salary? Do I have to do that too?”

“Of course, we conduct patrols and crime prevention campaigns. However, vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and women should also take precautions.”

“And how am I supposed to do that?”

“By carrying self-defense spray, a whistle, or enrolling in emergency location alert services, among other things.”

Eun-mi frowned and waved her hand dismissively.

“Ugh, I don’t like that kind of stuff. It’s heavy and annoying.”

“I see.”

Haesu fell silent for a moment before pointing at a leftover rib bone on her plate with his chopsticks. It still had a decent amount of meat on it.

“Are you done with that?”

“Yes, why?”

Before she could react, he picked up the bone and stripped it clean.

“Wait, what…”

‘Why does that look… cool?’

A guy taking the leftover bones from his blind date and eating them. If she read that in a text, it would scream pathetic. But in her eyes, he looked like a proud and ferocious beast.

Shaking her head vigorously, she told herself, ‘Get it together. He’s a man in his 30s making 20 million won a year and living in a rented room.’

As they finished eating and put on their jackets, Haesu spoke up.

“Wait.”

“What?”

He picked that moment to go to the bathroom. She was so dumbfounded that she despised herself for thinking he was cool just moments ago.

‘Right. A broke guy who couldn’t even take out another loan wouldn’t have money. This works out. I’ll just pay and be done with this.’

She took out her card and walked to the counter, but the cashier spoke first.

“The gentleman already paid.”

“Huh? Oh…”

Just then, Haesu emerged from the restroom, having checked his appearance.

‘Why does he look so annoyingly handsome?’

As they exited the restaurant, Haesu turned to her, holding his helmet.

“Shall we head to a nearby café?”

She looked at the helmet and frowned. The thought of putting it back on and getting on the bike in an awkward position again dampened her mood.

Snatching the helmet from him, she declared, “No, let’s go drink instead.”

They entered a bar, took a table, and as soon as they sat down, she shouted, “Excuse me! Two bottles of Cuss and one bottle of Soju!”

Her voice was much bolder than before.

Just as she downed a glass of soju-beer mix that she had personally prepared—

Crash!

“You son of a bitch!!”

The table next to them, which had been noisy from the start, suddenly flipped over.

Three burly men and two women were sitting there.

“What the hell, you bastard? Am I wrong?”

“Shit, are you saying our hyung is wrong?”

The men, oblivious to the situation, grabbed each other by the collars and shook violently.

At that moment, a male staff member rushed over to stop them.

“You can’t behave like this here. If you continue, we’ll have to call the police for disturbing business and damaging property.”

“Call the cops? Hah, you little shit, go ahead and try, you bastard!”

Smack!

The employee was struck hard across the face and collapsed onto the floor, now littered with beer and shards of broken glass.

Haesu’s eyebrow twitched at the sight.