Fingers drummed against the table a few times. Director Jang suddenly spoke up.

　　“Guk Jiho. Haegyeon will like you.”

　　“Pardon?”

　　“The two of you are similar. What we discuss today is strictly confidential. That is, unless you want to put both yourself and anyone who listens in danger.”

　　“You haven’t given me any specifics at all.”

　　A smile spread across her lightly made-up face.

　　“You’ve heard enough, haven’t you?”

　　Was it just an illusion, or did something fishy seem to show from her expression? For a fraction of a second, the Chief’s finely trimmed eyebrows contorted asymmetrically.

　　“…I didn’t know the police conducted undercover investigations, too.”

　　“It’s been years since the agency made expanding undercover operations a strategic objective. This isn’t exactly new.”

　　She intended to wrap up the conversation right there. Guk Jiho swallowed an involuntary sigh.

　　“Director. You already chose me and set things up so I couldn’t refuse, yet you haven’t shared exactly what the situation is, what the risks are, or even what kind of person the man in charge is.”

　　“I’m truly sorry to say this, but…”

　　She pulled an envelope from her left drawer and handed it over. Inside was a plane ticket to Khabarovsk, Russia. Departure was in three days.

　　“Haegyeon says he won’t accept just anyone as his partner anymore,” Director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, Jang Eunhyeong, added.

　　“Take it easy and treat the interview like a sightseeing trip.”

　　“An… interview.”

　　“Please understand that I can’t give you the details until you pass the interview.”

　　It seems that once you reach a high position, you forget the dictionary definition of ‘understanding’.

　　“Is Haegyeon the man in charge you mentioned earlier?”

　　She let out a soft chuckle. It was a laugh only an outsider could make.

　　“I don’t know if this will help you decide.”

　　He didn’t answer.

　　“The man in charge is gay. Or so the rumors say.”

　　“What?”

　　“I said he’s a homo. I’ve given you some specifics now, haven’t I?”

　　Her attitude was like throwing a juicy piece of gossip to a tabloid reporter out of the goodness of her heart. His temper—which he thought had completely died down after going through the special forces and his time in SOU—flared up.

　　Keep your mouth shut. A voice in his head warned him, but the words he had been desperately holding back burst out anyway.

　　“Director, is that why you picked me?”

　　“Hm?”

　　“I asked if you chose me because I have a pretty face.”

　　“Ahaha…”

　　Making him feel incredibly awkward, Director Jang Eunhyeong threw her head back and burst into laughter. Her even teeth and wide smile were strikingly bright.

　　“Corporal Guk, you’re handsome, but you’re not the pretty type.”

　　A smile still lingered on Director Jang’s face as she cut him down to size.

　　“It’ll be entertaining to stick you two together.”

　　Guk Jiho hadn’t even made a decision yet, but the Chief spoke as if she had already shipped him off to Russia.

　　“Oh, and if you fail the interview, I’ll send Internal Affairs after you. Since you’re going all the way to Russia anyway, make sure you pass.”

　　She had been in the police force for decades; there was no way she couldn’t handle a single greenhorn cop.

　　In the quiet air of the Chief’s office, cold immaturity and seasoned ambition floated, utterly disconnected from one another.

* * *

　　Soju, beer, potato chips, sliced cheese, dried anchovies, and peanuts.

　　Rummaging through the plastic bag, Min Jaegyu clicked his tongue.

　　“These are all drinking snacks. Where’s mine?”

　　“There’s nothing for you to eat. I’m going to eat it all.”

　　“What the… You really know how to leave a guy speechless.”

　　Guk Jiho completely ignored his senior’s dumbfounded look and plopped down on the cot next to the bed.

　　Since there were no beds available in the four-person or six-person wards, Min Jaegyu was currently occupying a luxurious private room. It was covered by police insurance, so it was no financial burden. Except for the fact that his juniors visited frequently and used it like a hotel.

　　Guk Jiho laid out the snacks and alcohol he bought, popped open a bottle of soju, and brought it straight to his lips.

　　“Hey, hey, there’s a water cup. Pour it out. Why are you chugging straight from the bottle?”

　　Min Jaegyu reached out and offered him the water cup, but Guk Jiho refused it and downed the soju.

　　“Did Team Leader Yu rip you a new one? See, that’s why I told you to act a bit more charming and sociable with the higher-ups.”

　　“…Yeah. I should’ve acted a bit more charming.”

　　Guk Jiho wiped his soju-stained lips with the back of his hand and muttered blankly. It looked like he had lost some weight in his face.

　　“This isn’t like you. Did something really happen?”

　　“The alcohol tastes sweet today…”

　　He let out a heavy sigh, as if the ground were caving in, and downed more liquor.

　　“Since I’m not there, you’ve got no one to cover for you. The vibe in SOU isn’t what it used to be, huh? Do you finally realize how precious I am to you?”

　　Seeing a guy who didn’t usually enjoy drinking, never showed his frustration, and never shrank back no matter how much the higher-ups chewed him out acting like this made Min Jaegyu a little worried.

　　“I’m… thinking about quitting the force.”

　　“What? Why! How are you going to make a living, then?”

　　Unable to move from the bed with a cast on his leg, Min Jaegyu practically jumped, shifting his hips wildly.

　　“How am I going to make a living… That is the problem. Maybe I should re-enlist.”

　　“Still, isn’t here better than the military?”

　　So he doesn’t actually have a plan. It was typical for someone with his years of experience to hit a wall in SOU and talk about quitting.

　　“Does a police officer really have to lay down his own life for justice and the country?”

　　“Well, obviously… Did someone get hurt? I haven’t heard anything.”

　　Min Jaegyu’s voice lowered at the unexpectedly heavy question.

　　He hadn’t heard any news of deaths or injuries yet, but it was always a possibility. No matter how much South Korea boasted about its public safety, the people responsible for maintaining that peace on the front lines lived with risks that lurked like venomous snakes in their daily lives.

　　Watching Min Jaegyu frantically check his phone, Guk Jiho spoke calmly.

　　“No one died, and no one got hurt. Not yet, anyway.”

　　“Uh… right, thank goodness. Why are you talking so cryptically and scaring people?”

　　Guk Jiho offered a hollow laugh at his senior’s scolding.

　　“Nothing’s changed about the fact that we’re basically bullet shields, so I don’t know why… I feel so fucking awful.”

　　His voice was hoarse, producing a suppressed, raspy sound.

　　Guk Jiho looked up. The fluorescent lights reflected and flickered in his pupils. His eyes, shadowed beneath his eyelashes, were empty. They held the detachment of a man enduring life without finding a place to settle.

　　Min Jaegyu bit his lip.

　　“Something definitely happened. What is it? Tell me everything.”

　　“You’ll get hurt if you know.”

　　His expression quickly loosening up, Guk Jiho playfully fired back. So much for his sorrowful look a moment ago.

　　Min Jaegyu picked up a stray dried anchovy and shoved it toward him, and Guk Jiho shamelessly opened his mouth and ate it. After chewing it with relish, he opened his mouth again, so Min Jaegyu picked up more snacks and tossed them in.

　　With the corners of his mouth slightly lifted, he had a truly, infuriatingly handsome face.

　　Come to think of it, even while serving in SOU together, he had never seen Guk Jiho properly drunk. Yet today, he must have already been intoxicated, acting unusually affectionate.

　　So he has a side like this, too.

　　Min Jaegyu popped one of the dried anchovies his junior was enjoying so much into his own mouth.

　　“Ugh, it’s salty.”

　　“I told you they weren’t for patients.”

　　Guk Jiho clinked his half-empty soju bottle against the cast with a loud thud.

　　“Cheers. To justice…”

　　“Agh! You crazy bastard, the bone hasn’t healed yet! Ugh, that hurts.”

　　“Sorry.”

　　Guk Jiho’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he eventually emptied the entire bottle of soju. Considering it hadn’t even been ten minutes since he first touched the alcohol, he had drained it quite fast.

　　“Isn’t Junggyeong’s mentoring session tomorrow? What are you going to do if you keep drinking?”

　　“You know what?” Guk Jiho asked as he popped open a second bottle of soju.

　　“What?”

　　“Lookism is the problem.”

　　For someone saying something completely out of the blue, his pronunciation was perfectly clear.

　　“Out of nowhere?”

　　“Junggyeong’s mentoring session. You said if I show up with this face, they’ll love me even if I do a half-assed job. God, there is no species that cares about looks as much as men do.”

　　Is that something to be so bitter about that you’re chugging straight from the bottle?

　　“Saying obnoxious things while you’re drunk makes it sound like you’re being serious.”

　　“True. It’s not just the face… With this face, I can also shoot well and exercise well. So, I guess it’s inevitable that everyone ends up liking me…”

　　“Guk Jiho. There aren’t that many people who like you.”

　　At the very least, there weren’t many among the higher-ups who adored him.

　　“Yeah…”

　　Perhaps that fact cut deep. Guk Jiho nodded and replied in a sullen voice.

　　“No, actually, there are a lot of people who like you.”

　　“…Hyung.”

　　“Hm?”

　　“Seriously, why are police bastards so ignorant?”

　　“Why bring this up now… Did you just realize?”

　　“Until now, the ranking for the most ignorant was 1st place, athletes. 2nd place, the military. And 3rd place, the police. But the order has changed,” Guk Jiho said, unfolding his fingers one by one.

　　Min Jaegyu asked, playing along with his junior’s grumbling. “What place are the police?”

　　“They’re gunning for 1st place.”

　　“Jiho, whenever you want to drink from now on, make sure you come to me. You can’t drink with any other cops besides me, alright?”

　　“Okay.”

　　“You answer so well when you’re drunk. Try doing that normally, too.”

　　With an expression that made it hard to tell if he understood or not, Guk Jiho muttered bitterly. “Life is like a twisted doughnut. It just keeps twisting, on and on…”

　　“Life doesn’t always work out the way you want it to. I brushed it off earlier thinking it was a joke, but if it’s really that hard, just re-enlist.”

　　“Hah, damn… that brings tears to my eyes.”

　　Guk Jiho raised both hands and made a show of dabbing his tears. Nothing wiped away.

　　He was originally a man of few words. He wasn’t the type to be this generous with his expressions; rather, he was closer to a cold and prickly style. Because Min Jaegyu thought his potential was being wasted, he had told him countless times like a nagging boomer to act sociably with his superiors.

　　He was highly capable, his work was flawless, and just as he said, he was handsome. So if he had just done half of what others did, the higher-ups would have fawned over him.

　　Seeing him ignore all that advice, only to come to him now when he had no power and act like this… It seemed he had been saddled with some dangerous task. Guk Jiho wasn’t the type to run away from it, either.

　　Had he said both his parents passed away in a car accident and his only older sister lived abroad? With nowhere else to go and vent, he was just releasing his bitter feelings like this.

　　“Ugh… I’m drunk.”

　　The guy smiling foolishly had a flawless complexion, as if he had just heavily moisturized. Only the corners of his eyes were slightly flushed, like an idol’s makeup. His pronunciation was perfectly clear, too. Was he really drunk?

　　Or maybe… he had to at least pretend to be drunk to pour his heart out.

　　Min Jaegyu was scrutinizing every detail of Guk Jiho’s handsome face when he spoke up.

　　“Hyung.”

　　“What is it now?”

　　“I’m going undercover in a gang.”

　　“…Huh?”

　　At the dumbfounded response, Guk Jiho broke into a silent smile.

　　“You knew, didn’t you? Everything.”

　　He looked up and stared at Min Jaegyu. His sanpaku eyes remained fixed, the dark irises not twitching even the slightest bit.