Sergeant Park suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a car horn outside, then let out a laugh for no reason.

“Ahaha! You know, I’m not usually this weak to alcohol, but I must have gotten drunk after just a few glasses of somaek. I ended up spouting nonsense. Just let it go in one ear and out the other.”

Saying that, Sergeant Park checked his watch. It hadn't felt like much time had passed, but quite a bit had actually gone by.

“I should get going.”

“Already?”

“If I’m late, Deok-sun will scold me. I need to be home by midnight, so I should leave now.”

“I see.”

“How much do I owe you?”

“It’s fine.”

“Come on, it’s not like I just had one or two drinks. I really enjoyed the kimchi pancake too. And besides, I am a police officer. I can’t just take a free meal.”

“If you insist, just give me 20,000 won.”

“20,000 won? That’s not even enough to cover the drinks.”

“20,000 won is enough.”

Sergeant Park muttered, “That won’t do…,” then quickly placed a 50,000 won bill on the table and dashed out of the restaurant.

“Make sure to load me up with service next time! Next time, I’m going to drink until I burst!”

Seo-jun smirked and gave a small nod.

As he was cleaning up, Seo-jun suddenly became curious. He opened a subspace and summoned Cha Sang-hyun.

“I have a question for you.”

“I was wrong… Please, please, just let me out of here. Please, sob….”

“Cha Sang-hyun, have you ever felt sympathy in your life?”

“Sympathy…?”

Cha Sang-hyun hesitated for a moment before nodding furiously.

“Of course! I’ve felt sympathy before. I’m human too, you know. When I see people begging on the streets or disadvantaged people on TV, I feel bad for them, and my heart aches….”

“What about the mother and daughter?”

“Huh?”

“Did you feel sympathy for them?”

“You mean Ae-seon and the child?”

“Yes.”

“Of course! I did! I mean, she was someone I loved, after all. How could I not feel even a shred of sympathy? I did! That’s why….”

“What was the child’s name?”

Cha Sang-hyun’s brow furrowed deeply. He was clearly struggling to remember.

After a moment, he confidently shouted, “Hee-jin! Her name is Hee-jin! My daughter’s name is Hee-jin!”

“I see.”

Hee-jin and Hui-min.

A subtle but crucial difference.

Seo-jun, who had been nodding, suddenly let out a quiet chuckle.

-Those bitches are the reason I’m stuck here, and he’s wasting time asking me this crap. Just let me out already. Ugh… I just want to go home! I’m going insane!

-As soon as I get out of here, I’m going straight to Hye-yeon first. And then I need to see Min-ah too. So hurry up and let me out, damn it!

“You want to go home?”

“Huh? Ah… Yes! I do! Please let me out. I’ve reflected on my sins. I admit I did terrible things to Ae-seon and Hee-jin. If you let me go, I swear I’ll live a good life. And I’ll never say a word about you, not to anyone.”

“Then I suppose I should send you home.”

“Th-thank you….”

Contrary to his expectations, the subspace began to close instead. Cha Sang-hyun screamed in panic.

“Wh-what?! You said you’d send me home!”

“That is your home.”

“L-let me out! I said let me out!”

“And for the record, the child’s name wasn’t Hee-jin. It was Hui-min.”

“Whether it’s Hee-jin or Hui-min, just let me—”

Cha Sang-hyun couldn’t finish his sentence. The subspace had completely closed.

Seo-jun stared blankly at the now-sealed subspace, then let out a quiet sigh.

His eyes landed on the items Sergeant Park had left on the table.

[Deok-sun] [10:21 PM] So where are you now?
[Me] [10:21 PM] I’m almost there. I think I’ll arrive in about 10 minutes.
[Deok-sun] [10:22 PM] Are you sure? You’re not going to be late like last time, right?
[Me] [10:22 PM] No, really, I’m almost there~
[Deok-sun] [10:23 PM] If you’re late again, I won’t let you off this time.
[Me] [10:23 PM] …Actually, I might be a little late. Should I bring some rice cakes?
[Deok-sun] [10:24 PM] Do you think I’m that easy?

When no reply came for a while, Sergeant Park grew nervous.

Deok-sun was usually sweet and cute, but when she got mad, she was scarier than a tiger.

Ka-tok!

The notification made Sergeant Park quickly check his phone.

[Deok-sun] [10:28 PM] Instead of the place in front of the house, buy them from the rice cake shop next to the laundromat. Get some steamed rice cakes and rice balls. 🙂

Sergeant Park grinned happily.

That was so like Deok-sun.

Just as he was about to type his reply—

“Huh? Isn’t that a cop?”

“Where?”

“Over there, walking this way.”

“Oh! You’re right. That’s a cop.”

Hearing the conversation ahead, Sergeant Park cursed inwardly.

There were very few reasons for an officer to enter District 12 this late at night for personal reasons. But if they had to, they should always change into civilian clothes.

At any time, in any place, they could become a target.

“Hey!”

A group of gangsters swaggered toward him, and Sergeant Park instinctively reached for his waist.

It was empty. The holster where his gun should have been was missing.

‘Ah!’

He remembered leaving it behind when he was drinking.

What kind of idiot forgets his gun?

Just as he was berating himself—

“If someone calls you, you should at least answer, Officer.”

“What do you want?”

“Wow, damn, look at that charisma. Anyone would think you’re an Awakened. Don’t you agree?”

One of the gangsters examined the name tag on his uniform.

“Sergeant Park Jin-hoo?”

“You should know, if you cause an altercation with the police, you’ll immediately become a nationwide fugitive. I suggest you don’t do anything foolish.”

“Oh ho… Look at this guy’s guts. Pretty impressive?”

In truth, it wasn’t about guts at all. Park Jin-hoo was actually trembling inside.

He was just acting tough because he knew he couldn’t afford to show weakness to the gang members.

“Our dear Sergeant Park Jin-hoo, who’s got guts. Let me ask you just one thing.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you see any CCTVs around here?”

Park Jin-hoo glanced around.

There were no CCTVs in sight.

He could see one under a distant streetlamp, but it wouldn’t be able to capture anything happening here.

“If there aren’t any CCTVs, who’s going to know who the culprit is and issue a warrant? More importantly…”

“……”

“You don’t even have a gun right now.”

Ka-tok!

Ka-tok!

Ka-tok!

Ka-tok!

The notifications kept ringing.

It was definitely Deok-sun.

The gang member continued circling around Park Jin-hoo as he spoke.

“I have a friend named Seong-hyun. But he died last year. Do you know why?”

“……”

“He got shot in the head by a cop.”

“……”

“Lieutenant, do you know what happens when a person takes three or four 5.56mm rounds to the head?”

Ka-tok!

Ka-tok!

Ka-tok!

“It bursts. A person’s head isn’t a watermelon, but it still explodes. Splattering brain matter everywhere. Should we see what happens to you, Lieutenant?”

The gang member loaded his AK-47 and aimed it at Park Jin-hoo. The other gang members began hyping him up.

“Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.”

In the end, gunfire rang out.

Bang—!

Rat-a-tat-tat!

They say that when a person is about to die, their entire life flashes before their eyes like a panorama.

That was exactly what was happening to Park Jin-hoo.

His father lifting him up into the air… Holding his mother’s hand as he entered elementary school… Eating jajangmyeon at his middle school graduation… His father confronting a robber… Meeting Deok-sun for the first time… And then… The bullet.

Even at a speed of at least 300 m/s, the bullets were clearly visible. Heading straight for the center of his forehead.

Park Jin-hoo closed his eyes.

‘Deok-sun, I’m sorry I can’t come home.’

Four bullets lodged into his forehead. No, they were supposed to.

But suddenly, everything stopped.

The stray cat crouched on a distant oil drum… The gang members holding their shooting stances… And even the bullets.

“I told you, this is a dangerous place.”

With that remark, a hand suddenly appeared and caught the bullets. Then, with a flick, they were tossed aside.

At that moment, time began moving again.

The gang members looked bewildered.

“What the hell? He’s still alive?”

“And who the hell is this guy? Was he here before?”

“Are you blind? He wasn’t here.”

“Then when did he get here?”

“How the hell should I know, dumbass?”

While the gang members bickered, Park Jin-hoo was utterly shocked.

“Boss?”

“You left this behind.”

Seo-jun handed him his gun and holster.

“How did you…?”

“You said it yourself earlier.”

“What?”

“You don’t even know if the police these days are catching criminals or just rounding up innocent people.”

“I did say that. But how did you…? There was definitely no one here.”

“You’re doing well, Lieutenant. Thanks to officers like you, citizens can sleep soundly. I appreciate your hard work.”

At that moment, one of the gang members aimed his gun.

“What the fuck, who the hell are you? Are you an Awakened? How did you just pop up out of nowhere?”

“……”

“Say something. You wanna die, bastard?”

“Just shoot him and let’s get inside. No point wasting time.”

“Okay.”

Bang!

Rat-a-tat-tat!

Gunfire rang out.

The bullets hit Seo-jun’s head directly.

But Seo-jun simply flicked them away as if they were nothing.

The gang members’ faces turned deathly pale.

“H-how…?”

“A-An Awakened?”

Stuttering, the gang members began to slowly back away.

They had to run to survive. Get away from this monster.

The problem was—they couldn’t move. It wasn’t fear that paralyzed them.

It was as if invisible strings had bound them completely, preventing them from escaping.

“It’s getting late. Don’t you think?”

“Boss… who exactly are you…?”

“Who knows.”

Leaving behind a cryptic response, Seo-jun walked toward the gang members. Then, he opened a subspace. The pitch-black void swallowed them whole.

Ka-tok!

Ka-tok!

“You should hurry home. Your wife seems to be waiting.”

With those words, Park Jin-hoo lost consciousness and collapsed.

“From now on, you can live only with good memories. You deserve that much.”

“Urgh…!”

Park Jin-hoo let out a scream as he woke up. Jolting upright, he looked around.

“Huh?”

It was his home.

His bedroom, to be exact.

“What…?”

As he looked around in confusion—

“What a damn show you put on.”

“Honey?”

“Ugh, I swear, I wish you weren’t my husband.”

“It’s really you?”

“Didn’t I just say I wish you weren’t my husband?”

“But what about the boss?”

“Boss? What boss?”

“He definitely saved me…”

“You came home drunk off your ass and had some ridiculous dream.”

“No, I swear it really happened…”

“Yeah, sure. Something really happened.”

“Right? It did, didn’t it?”

At that moment, his wife smacked his back.

Smack, smack—!

“Yeah, something happened, you idiot!”

“Ah! Ow! That hurts!”

“Quit whining and drink this.”

Park Jin-hoo gulped down the honey water his wife handed him. The sweet taste instantly cleared his head.

‘Was it really just a dream?’

Well… If it wasn’t a dream, it wouldn’t make any sense.

Looking at his wife, Park Jin-hoo suddenly smiled brightly.

If it was a dream, then that was a relief.

“What are you smiling about, you idiot?”

Oh… Maybe not?