Shin Haesu turned around at Chaeyeon’s call.

“Ah… Chaeyeon.”

Looking into Haesu’s wavering eyes, Chaeyeon was certain. There was only one reason why this broke man would be lingering in a department store, and in the women’s clothing section at that.

Somehow, he had found out about her breakup with Dong Namcheol and had come looking for her.

In their three years of dating, he had never once set foot in the store.

“What brings you here?”

Haesu hesitated, unable to answer right away. Seeing this, Chaeyeon let out a small laugh.

‘How obvious.’

Feigning ignorance, Chaeyeon moved on to another question.

“How have you been?”

“Same as always, catching criminals…”

“Did you get promoted?”

“Yeah, this year.”

“I see, it was about time. What about your place?”

“I got a studio apartment near work.”

“Rent?”

“Yeah.”

At the mention of rent, Chaeyeon let out a small sigh and averted her gaze. She reached out and touched Haesu’s arm without hesitation.

“Your body’s gotten even better.”

Haesu twisted his arm, naturally shaking off her bold touch.

‘Hah, fine, I’ll say what you want to hear.’

Clasping her hands together, Chaeyeon spoke in a voice tinged with guilt.

“I broke up with Dong Namcheol.”

At the mention of Namcheol’s name, a deep wrinkle formed between Haesu’s brows.

Click, clack, click, clack.

From the direction of the restroom, a striking woman approached, her high heels clicking against the floor. She was dressed in a crisp white blouse with a ribbon necktie and a sky-blue skirt, giving off a fresh and elegant vibe.

Chaeyeon’s eyes were drawn to her unconsciously. She was about to wait for the woman to pass when, suddenly, the woman stopped—right next to Haesu.

Chaeyeon’s pupils shook violently.

“Y-you had company?”

“Oh, this is Haru. Haru, this is… Chaeyeon.”

Haesu fumbled for the right words to introduce her but ended up just saying the name. Haru gave a slight nod and then pressed herself close behind Haesu.

‘W-wait, is she a model?’

Chaeyeon quickly scanned Haru from head to toe. Even in those obviously 9-centimeter heels, she was almost as tall as Haesu. Her figure was slim, with not an ounce of excess fat. She didn’t even seem to be wearing makeup, yet she radiated beauty.

‘Where did this stingy guy find a woman like her…?’

Judging by Haesu’s reaction, he hadn’t come here to flaunt his good life in front of her for revenge. He was too much of a miser to spend money like that, and besides, he wasn’t the type to play petty mind games.

But still, she couldn’t help feeling bitter.

“Ah… so you’re here to buy clothes for your girlfriend? Come into our store, I’ll help you out. You’re not good at picking out women’s clothes, right?”

“I can pick them out just fine.”

At that moment, a refreshing voice rang out from behind.

Chaeyeon turned around and was so startled that she nearly gasped.

‘Ahn Seo-eun… the executive director?’

She was very familiar with Ahn Seo-eun’s face. As a member of the owner family, she often came through the department store, making her presence well known.

“Haesu, you sure have a wide network of female acquaintances.”

“It’s actually quite small.”

“Oh?”

“A-anyway, I’ll be going now. Have a nice time.”

Now even more flustered that Haesu was on speaking terms with Seo-eun, Chaeyeon hastily bowed and retreated.

From inside the store, she watched them through the glass. She had no idea what kind of relationship those three had.

But one thing was certain—Seo-eun, of all people, had shown signs of jealousy.

‘What the hell happened while I wasn’t looking? If that’s the case…’

She imagined herself standing between those two strikingly beautiful women.

‘I’d look like a total squid…’

Chaeyeon crouched behind the counter, swallowing her embarrassing delusions.

In front of Haesu’s home.

Chief Kang handed over an armful of shopping bags to Haesu.

Haru bowed deeply to Seo-eun and Kang.

“Thank you, truly, so, so much…”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I had fun today too. Let’s go shopping together more often, okay?”

She looked at Haesu for his approval, since he was technically Haru’s guardian.

“Hmm…”

Haesu glanced at Haru. She had her head lowered, cheeks flushed red. She was happy. Throughout the shopping trip, she had worn that same expression, though she never said it outright.

Given how she had handled those high school girls non-violently, she’d probably be fine on her own.

More importantly, Seo-eun seemed capable of handling any situation that arose.

“She’d like that.”

“Great. I’ll call you, Haru.”

“…Yes.”

As they saw Seo-eun off and made their way home, Haru’s steps up the stairs were just slightly lighter than usual.

‘She really is just like any other girl.’

That night, Haesu lay still, staring at the night sky through his window.

The strange experience from a few days ago resurfaced in his mind.

‘Did my reset ability change?’

The ability to see an event from someone else’s perspective about an hour later.

Had it changed? Or had it been added?

Since the incident with the paralyzed schoolgirl, he had used his reset ability sparingly. Maybe that had caused it to shift.

‘I’ll figure it out in time.’

For some reason, instead of his usual blanket, Haesu found himself looking at Haru, who was curled up hugging a shopping bag in her sleep. He closed his eyes.

On his way to work, just as he got on his motorcycle and put on his helmet, his phone rang.

“Shin Haesu speaking.”

-Boss Shin! Where are you right now?

“On my way to work.”

-Ah, wait, just wait a moment!

“What is it?”

-It’s nothing major, just hold on a second!

Before long, a car pulled up in front of the building, and Chief Gu stepped out, carrying a large box.

“What’s that?”

“A gift! For you!”

Gu’s face was unusually flushed with excitement. Haesu took off his helmet and opened the box.

Inside were a black long-sleeved shirt and pants. But the design looked… a bit strange.

“Remember? After Mo Chang-gwi case, when you got seriously injured, I mentioned police-grade equipment.”

Gu pulled out the shirt, holding it up for Haesu to see.

“I spent ages researching and had this made—it’s a newly developed protective suit. It has some stretch, breathes well, and, most importantly, offers top-tier protection. I even tested it with a kitchen knife myself. It won’t be pierced by regular force.”

“Hmm…”

At first glance, it looked like a high-performance sports outfit, full of tiny holes, and it was incredibly thin. But when he picked it up, it was surprisingly heavy.

Seeing Haesu’s doubtful expression, Gu doubled down.

“Try it on! It’ll feel like you’re wearing nothing at all! It took eight months to make! And here, these gloves too—”

He was also given a pair of thin gloves made of the same material, fitting his hands perfectly like surgical gloves. Looking closer, it was clear that all of these were no ordinary products.

“How much is this…?”

“Ah, hahaha, the price, the price… Don’t worry too much about it, just use it carefully. Thanks to you, boss, I’ve made a lot of money, haven’t I?”

“How much is it?”

When Haesu asked again without a hint of a smile, Gu Se-ju sighed as if he had no choice and raised two fingers.

“Two thousand?”

“Two hundred million.”

“Huh…”

Haesu stared at Gu Se-ju in surprise at the price. Honestly, he was a little shocked. No matter how much profit Se-ju had made because of him, he never expected him to spend such a large sum, 200 million won, just as a gift.

Since it took eight months to produce, meaning nearly a year including the designer, it would be rude to refuse such sincerity. Besides, the size and purpose were tailored specifically for him, so he couldn’t even pass it on to someone else.

“I will use it gratefully.”

“Hahaha, I only hope that President Shin doesn’t get hurt… Oh—”

To show his appreciation, Haesu immediately took off his outerwear and put on the protective suit right then and there.

Gu Se-ju quickly looked around and used his body to shield Haesu.

It truly felt like functional sportswear—completely unobtrusive and well-ventilated.

Haesu packed the pants and gloves into a storage bag inside the box.

“I’ll put these on later.”

“It fits you perfectly. I feel so proud!”

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Yes, best of luck!”

Gu Se-ju had a genuinely delighted expression.

The short but intense vacation for the entire Violent Crimes Team 1 had ended. As Haesu stepped into the office, members from other teams greeted him warmly.

“Commander’s back?”

“Wow, Team 1 is looking fresh!”

“You’re here, senior!”

The loud greeting from the youngest member, who had arrived earlier, echoed through the office. He looked like a gangster no matter when you saw him.

Oh Kang-seok gave Haesu a high-five and then turned to the youngest member.

“So, rookie, how was your vacation?”

“I went on a trip with my girlfriend.”

“What?”

“What did you just say?”

Both Kang-seok and Haesu turned their heads at the same time.

“Our rookie has a girlfriend?”

The youngest, whose bare hands could probably take down an ox, blushed and answered.

“Yes, we’ve been dating for a year.”

“Wow, nice, nice. What about you, Haesu…?”

Without saying a word, Haesu returned to his seat and picked up a dumbbell.

“Sigh, our Haesu is great at catching criminals, but terrible at catching women. Rookie, what do you think about Haesu?”

“Senior Shin Haesu is an outstanding person!”

Kang-seok wiggled his pinky finger.

“Then why don’t you introduce someone? Haesu’s thirty-one this year, right?”

“I’m fine.”

“I’ll ask my girlfriend right away.”

The rookie picked up his phone.

“Rookie, I said I’m fine.”

“My girlfriend is in aviation. I’m confident I can find you an amazing woman, senior!”

Ring ring, ding ding—

The call started connecting. Haesu set down the dumbbell.

“Rookie, put the phone down.”

“Yes, sir!”

At the lower-pitched voice, the rookie quickly ended the call and lowered his phone.

Kang-seok waved his hand dismissively.

“Come on, man. You can’t just catch criminals all the time. Wow, aviation, huh? If I had married later…”

The team leader, who had been trimming his nails, muttered.

“What’s my wife’s number again?”

“I should buy some chicken today—my beloved wife’s favorite.”

Just as Team 1 was recharged and carrying on with their pointless jokes in a cheerful mood, the door to the Violent Crimes office opened.

“Team leader, you’re here?”

“Team leader, you’re here!”

A burly man walked in with his chin raised arrogantly, waving one hand.

“Oh, oh, right, right. Have a seat.”

Haesu’s eyes widened when he spotted the man.

Kang-seok, noticing him from afar, commented.

“Ah, right. They said we got a new Team 2 leader while we were on vacation. He’s young.”

The Team 2 leader glanced around before spotting Team 1. He smirked and approached.

“Hello. I’m Dong Namcheol, newly transferred from Police Headquarters as the leader of Team 2. I look forward to working with you all.”

With one hand in his pocket, Namcheol extended the other for a handshake with Team 1’s leader. Though their ranks were the same, Namcheol was over ten years younger, yet he acted as if addressing a subordinate.

Team 1’s leader frowned slightly before standing up and taking his hand.

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. I’m Kwak Su-cheol.”

Namcheol gripped Su-cheol’s hand tightly before releasing it and then looked around at Team 1 members as if making a declaration.

“I looked into it, and I noticed that Team 1 has a tendency to monopolize the big cases. Now that I’m here, cases will be distributed fairly. I trust that Team 1 will cooperate.”

Kang-seok’s eyebrow twitched, and he stood up.

“What did you just say?”

Though Namcheol lacked muscle, he was about the same height as Haesu. Looking down at Kang-seok, he smirked.

“Aren’t you just a team member? Your rank is lower, so you shouldn’t be causing an insubordination issue on your first day, should you?”

Kang-seok’s eyes blazed. This guy was clearly younger than him, yet he dared to talk about insubordination? He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

“Hah…”

At Kang-seok’s sigh, Haesu stood up, and his gaze met Namcheol’s.

Namcheol didn’t look surprised at all. That was when Haesu realized it—Namcheol wasn’t someone who would normally be assigned to Violent Crimes, especially not to Gangjin Station, where the most cases occurred. He had come here knowing Haesu was here.

That thought made it even more infuriating. Just as Haesu was about to step forward, Team 1’s leader blocked his path.

“Now, now, we can discuss case distribution later. Today, you’re just here to introduce yourself, right? Go on inside.”

With the team leader mediating, Namcheol’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Ah… really, I’m only letting this slide out of respect for you, team leader. Keep your team in line…”

Thud, thud, thud—

Just then, Namcheol felt Haesu rapidly closing the distance.

Wham!

Haesu grabbed Namcheol’s shoulder with one hand and pressed down.

“Aagh!”

With immense strength, Namcheol was forced sideways, slamming his head into the desk. Haesu brought his lips close to Namcheol’s ear and spoke in an icy tone.

“Dong Namcheol, how dare you come here? I don’t know what kind of fucked-up thoughts brought you here, but a garbage like you has no place leading a detective team. Pack your shit and get lost before things get worse. Got it?”

“Y-You bastard, do you think you’ll get away w—Agh!”

Crack.

Haesu pressed down harder on Namcheol’s collarbone. His sharp scream echoed through the office.

“Hey, stop him, stop him!”

“Hey, Shin-dol!”

“Team leader!”

Both Team 1 and 2 members rushed in to pull Haesu away.