Oh Kang-seok's wife rejoined them when they were already halfway through their meal, after putting the children to sleep.

“Sister-in-law, you've worked hard. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, not at all. It’s not a crime to look the way you do. If anything, I feel much safer knowing people like you are protecting us.”

The youngest reflexively flexed his biceps.

“Thank you, sister-in-law! I’ll work out even harder!”

“Keep your voice down, rookie, or you'll wake the kids.”

“Sorry, senior.”

Oh Kang-seok pressed down on the youngest’s biceps as he spoke.

“It’s not ‘people like you,’ just these guys. You don’t see guys like them just walking around. It’s the same at the station.”

At Oh Kang-seok’s words, his wife pointed at Haesu.

“Oh, but I’ve seen him before? On the street.”

“Really? Wait, you were looking at another man that closely? Enough to remember him?”

“Well, his physique was just so unique… But honestly, it wasn’t him who caught my eye, it was the woman next to him. She was stunning, like a model.”

At Oh Kang-seok’s wife’s words, not only the youngest but even the team leader, who had been casually gnawing on a chicken drumstick, snapped their heads up.

“What?”

“A woooooman?”

“I knew it! So that’s why you refused that blind date with the aviation department!”

Haesu flusteredly waved his hands.

“No, no, it’s not like that. She’s just… someone I know.”

“A bad-boy type? Calling her just ‘someone you know’ when she was practically dripping honey from her eyes looking at you…”

“Dripping… honey??”

It was rare to see Haesu, who didn’t even flinch at most things, looking this flustered, which only made it more amusing for his teammates.

As they joined in with teasing smiles, Oh Kang-seok’s wife cut in.

“In any case, I’m relieved. My husband was really worried when two team members left, but now we have such reliable people joining.”

The team leader nodded while eating grapes.

“Oh Kang-seok used to be our frontline fighter, but lately, he’s been way too cautious.”

They must have met a few times before because the atmosphere between them was relaxed. Oh Kang-seok’s wife shot the team leader a glare.

“Of course, he should be. He’s got two kids. Ah, but you two as well, always take care of yourselves.”

“Yes, sister-in-law. We’ll be careful.”

“Haha, does that sound like a promise?”

As they chatted, the conversation naturally shifted to family matters, and eventually, the topic of something that had happened to Oh Kang-seok’s family came up.

“I used to be really anxious all the time, but now… I feel bolder? Like, ‘come at me if you dare.’ I always carry pepper spray, too.”

Her casual remark made both the team leader and Oh Kang-seok’s expressions darken slightly.

Haesu sensed that something had happened but didn’t ask first.

That was when the team leader let out a long sigh and spoke.

“Ugh, just thinking about it pisses me off. How dare they go after a detective’s family…”

The youngest widened his eyes and asked.

“What do you mean? Someone targeted Oh Kang-seok’s family?”

“Oh, yeah. What was it, two years ago?”

“Yeah, the year before last.”

“A guy Oh Kang-seok arrested in the past got released and started sending pictures of his kids during outdoor playtime at daycare to his wife, along with threatening letters smeared with animal blood, saying he’d kill them.”

Snap.

The wooden chopsticks in the youngest’s hand broke in half. He shot to his feet, his face livid.

“Anyone who touches a detective’s family should get the death penalty!! Right, senior?!”

“Rookie, calm down. Hey, Haesu, say something to him—”

The team leader turned to Haesu, the only one who could restrain the youngest, but fell silent.

Haesu, his brows furrowed, was radiating an unmistakable killing intent.

“No, no. Death is too easy. I’d start with his fingers, bite them off piece by piece…”

He was practically growling each word when he suddenly made eye contact with Oh Kang-seok’s wife and snapped back to his senses.

“I apologize.”

As Haesu bowed his head, she offered a quiet smile.

The youngest, having calmed down slightly, asked,

“So what happened?”

“What do you think? It got handled. You know how cops go berserk when their family is involved. That bastard got thrown back in jail, and we moved.”

Oh Kang-seok’s wife added,

“But since my husband is still a detective… we’re always careful.”

“Yeah. I’m most cautious when coming home from work. That’s why we pushed to move into this apartment.”

This apartment complex had five-meter-high walls for soundproofing, making it impossible to climb over, and both the front and back entrances had security guards.

“A detective’s family… I see.”

The youngest seemed lost in thought. Living alone, it was something he had never considered before.

On the way home, after calling for a designated driver, the team leader lit a cigarette.

Noticing the youngest looking deep in thought, Haesu nudged him with his elbow.

“Yeah, senior?”

“Wanna get some ice cream?”

“Yes, sir! Sounds great.”

As they stepped into the convenience store, the cashier visibly flinched. This sometimes happened when Haesu was alone, but when he was with the youngest, it was practically guaranteed.

While Haesu was paying for the ice cream, Woo Kang-chul quietly observed him.

What was really on his mind wasn’t what had happened to Oh Kang-seok’s family—it was Haesu.

Haesu was a senior he respected even more than the team leader or Oh Kang-seok.

But after witnessing the breaking and entering incident and the hacking case, an internal conflict had begun to take root.

Was it truly right to break the law to catch criminals? Did it mean anything if a police officer had to become a lawbreaker to do his job?

“Here.”

“Thank you, senior. I’ll enjoy it.”

Haesu nodded and checked his phone. He had used the new card given to him by Ahn Seo-eun, and now he received a text with the transaction and remaining balance.

But something about the balance seemed off.

“Huh?”

He counted the digits one by one on his fingers and tilted his head in confusion. Seeing his reaction, the youngest leaned in.

“Senior, what’s wrong?”

The youngest followed Haesu’s gaze to the text message and his eyes went wide.

“The balance is… T-twenty billion?! Senior, are you this rich?!”

The youngest shouted louder than ever before.

“Huh? I do have some extra savings, but…”

“This is beyond ‘extra savings’! People with that kind of money usually run businesses or invest in real estate!”

Having twenty billion just sitting in an account, the youngest couldn’t even begin to imagine how much Haesu’s actual net worth was.

At his genuine reaction, Haesu let out a small chuckle.

“Then who’s supposed to catch the bad guys?”

“…H-huh…”

The youngest felt those simple words stab straight into his heart.

The youngest's inner conflict had come to an end. His round, intense eyes welled up with tears.

‘A true officer, this is exactly the true officer I’ve been searching for! Any law that stands in his way is an unjust law!’

The youngest grabbed Haesu’s hands with his large, thick palms and shouted.

“Senior! I will follow you for the rest of my life!”

“What’s with you all of a sudden? Get lost, it’s creepy.”

The youngest’s voice echoed throughout the apartment complex, but no one dared to pay them any attention.

The next day, on his way to work, Shin Haesu called Ahn Seo-eun.

- Haesu, you’re just like the elderly.

“What do you mean by that?”

- The elderly wake up and immediately think about what they have to do for the day. You’re the same. Whenever you have something to say to me, you always call early in the morning. Not that I mind.

“…I checked the balance on the card you gave me. I’m a police officer. I shouldn’t have accepted it in the first place. I can’t take this kind of money.”

- It’s not a problem. It’s from my personal assets, I’ve reported it for tax purposes, and there’s even an official designation. You don’t have to worry.

“Designation?”

- Marketing expenses. You’re officially a freelance consultant for Daeseong Group’s marketing team. And not just in title—you’re actually contributing more than anyone.

“Public officials are not allowed to hold other jobs.”

- As long as it doesn’t interfere with your duties, it’s allowed. Should I get official approval from above? They’d probably welcome it with open arms, since it benefits both sides.

“No.”

At Haesu’s firm tone, Seo-eun was silent for a moment. Then, in an unexpectedly nasal voice, she spoke again.

- If you don’t take it… Seo-eun… will be sad.

‘What is this woman doing?’

The way she suddenly referred to herself in the third person—a speech pattern reserved for cute, affectionate girls—felt completely out of place coming from someone as poised and dignified as her. The sheer awkwardness of it caught Haesu completely off guard.

“…I’m hanging up now.”

- Did that work? So, this is your type?

Ahn Seo-eun ended the call and let out a soft chuckle. A playful expression, one rarely seen on her face, lingered at her lips.

She wasn’t sure why, but teasing this fierce, bear-like man was incredibly amusing.

Beside her, Chief Kang stood frozen, his mouth hanging open at the sight of this unfamiliar side of Seo-eun.

In the end, Haesu canceled the ice cream purchase and returned the card to Seo-eun.

No matter how legally sound the money was, if someone with a grudge decided to dig into it, it could become a problem.

He wasn’t in dire need of money, so there was no reason to invite unnecessary trouble.

Tap tap tap—

In the underground gym of Hwang Jangsu’s loan office, Shin Haesu, clad in a specially-made anti-stab suit and gloves, was sparring with Jangsu, who held a rubber training knife.

Haesu deflected the knife’s edge sideways and pressed his palm against Jangsu’s chest.

Thud! Smack—!

“Urgh.”

Jangsu clutched his chest and staggered back before flopping onto the ground.

“I’m done.”

Haesu grabbed a water bottle from the corner, drank deeply, and handed it to Jangsu.

“You’re just out of shape. Quit smoking.”

“In this line of work, if I quit smoking too, what’s left to enjoy in life?”

Haesu silently observed him for a moment, then sat beside him and spoke.

“Why don’t you quit the gangster life?”

Jangsu stared at the ceiling for a while before glancing at Haesu. He then lifted his hand and formed a circle with his thumb and index finger.

“You know what a funnel is, right? The thing you use to pour liquid into a small opening? The top is wide, so it’s easy to pour things in.”

Haesu listened in silence.

“But what about when you try to get something out? The bottom is narrow as hell. That’s how this world works. They lure you in with sweet words—make it sound cool, easy money, an easy life if you’re strong. But after a few years, you realize… shit, you’re nothing but trash at the bottom of the barrel.”

Jangsu sat up, swished some water in his mouth, and spit it onto the floor outside the ring.

“And by the time you figure that out, you’re already in too deep to crawl out.”

Haesu could tell—Jangsu regretted the path he had taken. That was the important thing.

“I’ll help you. What do we need to do?”

“To get out of that narrow opening, there’s only one way.”

Jangsu tipped the water bottle over, letting the remaining water spill onto the floor.

“You have to flip everything upside down.”

“Then let’s do it.”

“Crazy bastard. You talk as if it’s that simple. You have no idea. Get lost, I have work to do.”

Jangsu got up and left the ring. Haesu sat still, watching his retreating back.

A crispy, sunlit afternoon.

“Kyaaah! Hahaha!”

“Catch me if you can!”

Children ran around the neighborhood playground, laughing freely.

On one of the two swings, a young woman in a peach-colored sweater and a long white pleated skirt sat, gently rocking herself with her white sneakers as she licked a screw bar ice cream.

A young elementary school boy approached her.

“Noona, I want to use the swing.”

“No. I got here first.”

“How long are you going to use it?”

“8 minutes and 22 seconds.”

The oddly precise answer left the boy speechless. He backed away.

Not long after, an older elementary school boy walked up to her.

“Noona, you’re pretty. Can I have your number?”

“No numbers for strangers.”

She waved her ice cream stick dismissively and got off the swing.

‘Another fulfilling day.’

Haru hummed in satisfaction as she strolled home. But as she reached her door, she stopped.

Other apartment doors had pizza flyers stuck in them, but hers did not.

She hadn’t noticed anything when she left earlier. Furrowing her brows, she punched in her code and stepped inside.

Beeeeep—Click.

The door shut behind her, and a stranger’s voice called out.

“Huh? Did I come to the wrong house?”

“Miss, isn’t this Detective Shin Haesu’s place?”

From the bathroom, out of sight from the entrance, rough-looking men emerged, grinning.

Four of them. Each holding a sharp sashimi knife.

Haru silently assessed them, her body tense.

“Boss, looks like we got the wrong place. What should we do?”

“What do you mean? She saw our faces. Slice her into fourteen pieces.”

Crack—

Haru snapped the ice cream stick in half.