For several days, he dreamed of Jung Kyungwoo every night.
The sexy sight of him beneath Jaeha, furrowing his face as if troubled yet unable to suppress his ragged breathing. Long eyes that looked particularly attractive with a reddish flush rising. Low groans overlaid on his upright features.
The process of tightly woven muscles twitching and moving, and firm legs slowly accepting his approach. A cologne scent far from sweetness.
Seo Jaeha.
When the rough, scratchy voice called his name, Jaeha would gasp hot breaths as if reaching climax and snap his eyes open.
“Shit…”
Before he could even finish swearing, he’d already run to the bathroom several times, dousing himself with hot water to suppress his physiological reaction.
There was still a week left until the appointment. Could he really endure until then? Coming out rubbing a towel on his dripping hair, Jaeha realized for the first time just how lacking in patience he was.
Having expended energy from the morning, he felt unnecessarily languid. While getting ready for work and leaving, he checked overnight messages on his mobile phone. Most were notifications that didn’t require individual feedback, and the rest could be handled right after arriving at work. The only person he needed to call on the way to work was Gu Daeyoung. He’d been thinking he should make time once this week anyway.
As soon as he got in the car, he made a call via Bluetooth. Before even exiting the parking lot, Daeyoung answered.
—Hey, Seo Jaeha! You’re alive!
His voice was boisterous, full of energy from early morning.
“Yeah. Well, me.”
—Any troubles these days? Have you met any celebrities?
As expected, Daeyoung was looking for story material. He particularly seemed curious about the entertainment industry’s illegal drug case, specifically bringing it up.
“What celebrities would I meet? That’s for the elite hotshots. I only meet boring doctors.”
—The doctor must have mentioned Person A and Person B.
“I can’t carelessly disclose investigation details.”
—So there is something. Let’s have a drink sometime. How about today?
“Not bad.”
—I’ll come pick you up, man.
“What? I should go. You’re buying.”
—Oh my, Prosecutor Seo. Are you going to open up today?
Daeyoung made a fuss like a fisherman who’d caught a big one.
“By the way, can you look up old press releases or something?”
—Press releases? Well, I can dig through the archives. Why? What do I need to dig up?
“No, I’m just personally curious about something. You know Myeongbu Hotel, right?”
—Of course I know it. Did celebrities get drugs there?
“No, completely different topic. Can you look up all the incidents that happened at Myeongbu Hotel last century?”
—For incidents, you’d be faster. Run a search through the prosecutors’ or police database.
“Of course I’m faster. That’s why I’m asking you.”
—…You’re looking for rumors with no official records?
As expected, Daeyoung was quick on the uptake. He needed to be careful.
“Well, if you’re not interested, forget it. Oh, who was I supposed to call as a reference today? I need to check by phone, so let’s hang up. If the reference examination runs long, let’s cancel today’s plans.”
—Ah, hey man. Why are you so impatient? I’ll look into it. You mean third-rate tabloids, right? I’ll tell you when we meet today.
“Then I’ll buy.”
—You always get people’s hopes up and let them down. The country’s in this state because sneaky bastards like you are Special Division prosecutors…
Click.
There was nothing more to hear, so he pressed the steering wheel’s call end button.
After arriving at the district prosecutors’ office, a typical swear-inducing office worker’s day continued. The prosecutor who runs around dramatically at scenes directly arresting criminals is a fantasy created by media. Most of the time was spent buried in endlessly multiplying related investigation materials after suffering all kinds of trickery from suspects and involved parties close to con artists who plead with abundant emotional acting to somehow tug at heartstrings. Sometimes there wasn’t even time to eat, constantly making do with sandwiches and instant coffee.
As Jaeha skipped lunch and busily highlighted documents, Administrative Officer Lee, who had finished eating first and returned, offered him a sandwich and coffee. The coffee in the mug wasn’t instant but fragrant bean coffee.
“Today’s coffee is high-end.”
“It’s the coffee you gave me before, Prosecutor. The filter paper and dedicated cup just arrived.”
Come to think of it, he remembered giving Administrative Officer Lee the whole bag of beans he’d received from Jung Kyungwoo. He’d thought something had increased by the water purifier, and now Jaeha was given a cup too.
“Thank you.”
Administrative Officer Lee silently cheered “fighting” and left.
He took a sip of appropriately heated coffee. At first, the nuttiness and acidity were properly balanced. The aroma was especially good.
“Something premium or other. It is classy.”
There might be even more impressive coffee somewhere, but this coffee was just right for Jaeha’s taste.
While drinking coffee with his sandwich, he loosened his stiff neck and shoulders.
In the political world that never had a calm day, thanks to filing complaints and accusations recklessly over trivial matters, many cases were assigned to Jaeha too. The actual complaint contents were indescribably petty, but the higher-ups were making a fuss to somehow blow them up big to take down opponents they disliked.
“Disgusting bastards.”
He knew he’d handle such work when he came to the Special Division. But still, seeing and experiencing firsthand this world operating with conscience completely abandoned made him automatically swear.
At least there was one case with a somewhat plausible justification. An influential opposition party lawmaker allegedly received a request from a local dignitary through his aide, then got the dignitary’s son hired at a library in the district. Because he was a new concept lunatic who absolutely couldn’t tolerate parachute appointments, talk continued among librarians within the library and spread outside through ordinary citizens using the library.
Especially parents using the attached children’s library were extremely furious about the parachute hire who was unkind to children and spoke carelessly, and as signs showed it would soon spread nationwide via internet communities, the parachute hurriedly took sick leave and disappeared from the library. Still, the parents’ association filed a complaint demanding they reveal the background of how someone without even a librarian’s certificate got hired at a public library.
In the written investigation, the lawmaker naturally claimed ignorance and the aide also drew a line saying he never received any request. However, there was confirmed sales receipt from a restaurant where the aide dined and drank alone with the dignitary, and since the parachute usually openly went around saying his dad got him placed through a National Assembly member, it wasn’t a matter to simply cover up.
“I don’t know why bastards who can’t eat even when spoon-fed bother living.”
Jaeha intended to prosecute the aide. Even if the National Assembly member was directly involved, he was too big a fish to entangle in such a small fry case. Unless the political circles launched an offensive, prosecuting him would only hurt Jaeha.
As he finished the sandwich and was about to wet his throat with remaining coffee, his mobile phone rang. Seeing the name on the screen, Jaeha swallowed the coffee he’d just sipped and cleared his throat.
“Yes. Central District Prosecutors’ Office Special Division…”
—You received the Kim Junseong case, right?
The voice getting straight to the point without preamble was utterly cold.
“Did you eat lunch?”
—…What nonsense is that all of a sudden?
“If you call during lunch hour, isn’t asking about meals first Korean etiquette?”
He heard a low murmur of ‘fucking manners.’ Completely ignoring it, Jaeha smiled slightly.
“Did you have a good meal?”
—Not yet.
“You’ll collapse if you skip meals. We’re all doing this to make a living.”
—I will eat.
“Don’t eat shakes or salads. Eat proper food.”
—Did you put surveillance on me? Did you plant someone here?
“You didn’t know? Choi Dohyun is my spy.”
—Throw plausible bullshit if you’re going to bullshit.
“Busted?”
While playing silly jokes, Jaeha chuckled. Even without seeing, the scene of Jung Kyungwoo erasing his expressionlessness, frowning all over, and shuddering was vivid.
“I did receive the Kim Junseong case though. Why that one?”
—Can I ask about that?
“If you ask, you’ll be called a bribe prosecutor. Well, is it a one or two day thing? Non-prosecution is that, but prosecution with just a fine is possible.”
—Really?
“But who is Kim Junseong? It can’t be the lawmaker’s line.”
The lawmaker had already decided to abandon Kim Junseong. Quick separation from idiots who handle work messily was the know-how of a long political career.
—As long as it’s not non-prosecution, I don’t care. If possible, I’d prefer actual prison time rather than a fine.
“Aha. Reverse lobbying. That’s a bit pricey. Putting away an innocent person is worse than releasing a suspect.”
After crossing his legs and leaning back leisurely, Jaeha gently swayed his chair left and right. He heard some words from the other party who was silent for a moment. It wasn’t words directed at Jaeha. He was telling instructions to an employee. A calm yet cold tone with cleanly dropping endings. Not a single unnecessary word or sigh could be heard.
‘This is his voice when working.’
When he heard signs of the employee leaving, a low sigh was conveyed. This was clearly directed at Jaeha.
“Three-piece suit today too?”
—What?
“I’m asking if it’s similar to the suit you wore before.”
—It is, but I don’t understand why you’re curious.
Well, because there’s nothing more enjoyable than recalling sexy scenes during a tedious afternoon.
“Aren’t you curious about me?”
—You’re just wearing a shirt.
“You know well. I hate vests because they’re stuffy.”
—You must be dying of boredom. Do you have time this weekend?
“This week?”
Jaeha urgently straightened his body and flipped through his planner with major schedules written. There were no particular matters. Just the fact that Monday with its usual swearing would start when the weekend ended. Even the schedule program he shared with Administrative Officer Lee who managed schedules showed no particularly notable items.
“Nothing special.”
—Then you can go to Jeju Island. Saturday morning departure. Don’t worry about accommodations. I’ll send the ticket via message from this side.
“What? Wait, Jeju Island?”
Click.
Looking at the phone screen that was hung up arbitrarily, Jaeha let out an empty laugh.
“Isn’t Jeju Island too early?”
It was a bit excessive for a relationship still in the exploratory stage. He asked for attention to manners, and suddenly stepped on the speeding pedal.
The trap was that Jaeha didn’t dislike it either. Whatever accommodations Jung Kyungwoo prepared, Jeju Island had quite many advantages for privacy protection.
“If you want speeding, I should properly respond this time, right?”
Jaeha couldn’t suppress his spreading smile. He belatedly returned to expressionlessness long after discovering two employees outside looking at him strangely, but the employees’ misunderstanding that he was dating seemed likely to continue for a while.
