PS|04

Given the late hour, there 41889d8138 were only a few cars 3641a1e0d1 sporadically parked along the roadside.20c6e004c7b950d7

Among them, a particularly high-end 05e2ee45a1 car stood out, parked in e6e945ba09 an unusually eye-catching manner.ccf4660c0c2d85c3

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He stepped out ceb900cc6e of a black 6eed4e88d4 sedan and was 5edb545916 striding steadily toward a901662b77 Ji-eun.958419a356ba9a9e

The sight was a354c54b3a so striking, it 83eaaf2c31 felt like a 3d04a9e3ae scene from a c49ab57f38 movie.82d9855ce097a2b0

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A well-fitted suit and a 5317b52d74 sleek tie.0971c12435be4f95

Every step approaching her 8fb4716f13 with the city lights 27f28d12d5 behind him, like a 579bc40c22 beam of light.ec0c1678e373cd94

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Ji-eun stood blankly, afbb9af39e watching until the 90d3dd4955 deep, low voice 2b51639e10 reached right in 65109a0ceb front of her.bc6dc3af5a6584a3

“Yoo Ji-eun.”f32923aadaf021c0

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Everything about him felt… unfamiliar.72b2fb4eb73c4b89

“Do you usually stay out this late?”f41cc710b7c26024

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“……”43eebf7ac2c8bade

Ji-eun remained silent, just c49bf62a39 looking up at him c3302b25aa quietly.6e0c957e44bce865

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Now that he was f8354d276f this close, it felt 0721b36a30 like he had grown b1f4d68e9a much taller than she beccc6b567 remembered.c3f84ff51ce5dd3f

Well, it has been ten 8dcd1ab2e4 years already. Maybe… staying the same 318aa8136b would be stranger.3b1dd67b9c80ba61

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“Ah!”7ef952b1e2442ec3

“Are you drunk?”4e00044e9eb90999

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Then suddenly, as d48ff461a1 he bent down 85d60490f5 and brought his 2926796eb4 face close to c1d6bb338b hers, Ji-eun was 9d24921a78 startled and stepped af72ac21d0 back.d4f9fceaf085461b

Wow, that scared me.182b3e53f49d5fa2

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“So why aren’t you answering? How much did you drink?”ea8d6dfd100b19f2

After saying that, he 6d0b5a82b8 straightened his back. Ji-eun clutched the strap of 5392198bc4 her bag and replied.8c6619dbe18496cf

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“No? I was just trying 97328573f9 to see who it bf73702464 was. My eyesight isn’t 795811cf4c great at night.”a133bfbbdd2c50bc

My heart won’t calm down.2317d54e7945673d

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“A-Anyway, what are you doing here?”5a08de47673eaea9

“I told you. I was waiting.”b92063d117a58b63

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“What?”b9751c8e89365c08

As Ji-eun snapped 9d993172d5 back to her 47127624c6 senses and thought 8a7e30ee3f about it, something c28e8c911e felt off.f799348c6b75f952

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We met earlier… at aff21632b2 the police station.25df43f7e6a27987

And this place… 8f02cf7c39 I came here 1629a74658 after moving to 1525affa19 a restaurant?43aab82f79b7023a

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“You—You! You’ve been following me? Since when?!”628b3fab4f277fd5

This guy. Was he stalking me?8d2f16f570d2de8a

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Wait, now that c8703368f0 I think about e3d07d2aa6 it—how does he f31933ad85 even know I c5a4116c53 became a police f05f8dfb45 officer?156b9b5408a2da8e

I don’t have any high ecb9d299db school friends who keep in 578f11ffc2 touch with that school.a7d3b3bb7c51ab4e

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“Kang Min-jun. Who are you, really? Why on earth 37e55aba9a did you approach 549643dfe5 me?”245210bfc26aee58

“……”276b1a9e32c2a941

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“Say something! How did you 0cd1928735 know I’d be 7f755c9731 here! Earlier you clearly… huh?”690615d4b3e95953

As Ji-eun poured out af624d1622 her words in rapid ec8d4ebf86 succession, Min-jun didn’t answer. Instead, he silently pulled cdf4ecdf1d out his phone and 76834f84d8 held it up.ee438aff5fd3905f

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The screen he showed 2d8e75180d her was infuriating.c180dbb1745d92dd

‘Vice President, the bill has been settled. Please wait in your car.’261d62e0b9c3c911

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“Detective Jung… that bitch.”9b5e18a34afb98f2

I thought she 8ac30348c0 quietly disappeared out 4934374f00 of consideration for 22561c2b16 me, but she a2b6b5109a was a snitch…ab677b88e95a5655

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Wait. And she was e40d2574ca sharing my location ab9dffb554 info?0d51d53432cd62a3

“She said you only drank a little more than half a bottle. Did you drink it with f96756e211 your face?”37372fd381b455ca

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Ugh. Unbelievable.a44a59f74eee4a5f

They even reported how much 79f580e1fd soju I drank?57bcb7727fea0533

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While I was struggling c7050dfa08 with lettuce wraps and e5d2a68cda coughing, they were doing c6ce6731ac all this behind the 54ff29f5a1 scenes.d21510f2bc07c7a5

Ji-eun responded, exasperated.fe9249ccc70a2729

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“I’m red because I’m angry. Not because of the alcohol.”d4dc2dfc835123b1

Even as she spoke, she e7363a4ce1 could feel her face flushing e2e4715785 red and pale in real-time.26f8f27df9b014d7

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‘Jung Ha-na… just wait and see.’59ae317de63760da

Ji-eun, who had been f4619ccfad fuming for a moment, 6c38bef4ad soon lifted her head 94c5c1fa7f back up to face 9b4b85cd26 him.f7ae75e84ef9df04

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No, seriously.afac27bc60848c0d

“Why were you waiting for me?”6acd75b72194ad27

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“Because I didn’t get a proper answer.”0443cb2fd68ff9ca

What is he talking about?d0a3c8fd80fa86c3

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“I clearly said it earlier. I won’t do it. I’m not doing it.”5ed6b19eca2576fd

“Not that.”7bacbd3204518ca0

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“What?”99c2cc75bccdb8c9

“I asked you. If you missed me.”fd5d5d948c0d454e

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……?c1fdf7e92a610b94

Jieun was momentarily dumbfounded.468d0ed687e6f057

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‘It’s been a while. Yoo Ji-eun.’c38c977e1ca29a9c

No way… from the beginning—d2bf0818d65ef9b3

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‘You didn’t miss me?’7dc1834aece54fb3

Is that… what he meant?006eb7f48a76e14a

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After speaking, Min-jun f7c1ef5bb5 had a calm 4d8c991ce9 expression.2fbf86cf9cda164e

Ji-eun stared intently at him.57f71d733bdbf6a8

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Meeting his eyes, filled with 648ba9ec7c deep silence, she thought to beab203937 herself—b7f91df400a03a2f

Maybe this guy…7f112cd52853e771

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“As expected, you’re still Kang Min-jun.”a6b3f44fb636a41f

…maybe he hasn’t changed at all.4d25db813f353b27

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Ji-eun let out a short 364ff4ab92 breath, “Ha,” and lifted her 47664d4dfd gaze to the sky.753ab343b6677ed2

Suddenly, it came 328d8d842a back to her.ef7366c347cc4217

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The things from ten years e82e7101b5 ago, the times she’d spent b0378ef728 with him.7170c98ea95bc344

Yeah… you were always like 45fdd5790b this.4d48b8d3b42c6cff

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Always looking so effortlessly charming, 1d25ae6eea and quietly, narrowing the distance.dcc73c17881da9fd

Then you’d throw out some cryptic question to shake me up.15c45dc3b8617923

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You’d stir up ripples 6187ff4baa in a heart that cfdbcb472d had been still…035ee11e819e81e2

…and then just like that, make it all seem like nothing ever happened.41ea3bc7b645c9ec

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As if there had never a6d41f2dd1 been anything—any meaning—between us.d53b5d392aac1f02

Always dodging the answers that 8f3c1978c2 actually mattered.8c0ecf4378c0f9f8

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“Kang Min-jun.”e45c64b1a33c6471

But Min-jun—6bd479b4b5013a73

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“That answer earlier… it was sincere.”86aca4a538b26291

Too bad. I’m not that 4c9094cf7b same naïve high 2143917ed3 school kid anymore.30aa9e9d1284d93f

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Straightening her once-tense shoulders, Ji-eun 383cd42548 spoke with a calm, composed fb60b32c6c expression.6b2f6063f8330cde

“I told you. I missed you.”11e33785f49da71f

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“……”0eeb12d852b61876

“I even thought about you sometimes. Of course.”dd043923eb3fab46

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At that answer, Min-jun e93ad0ae40 let out an involuntary d6363b3bbc chuckle.06be616c29e993de

He had expected her a05d01d7d5 to explode.ad559ae05606c76c

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It wasn’t the reaction 3424b8d0eb he was anticipating.c819913b2d1d5215

“You’ve grown up, Yoo Ji-eun. I thought you just got a9bcc6ca4c prettier.”715a68f2dda984f4

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“……”e3a5d01f7bd27eff

Ji-eun quickly recovered 0264d51a92 from the flinch 7b8623df4a that ran through 79f33c9324 her body for ef3bc110aa a second.871e7fe25fca1d7f

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Instead of asking more, he ced868320e turned around, walked over, and 3b8d070c06 opened the passenger-side door of 13c5e064f0 the car.ead0cae77f2f4d19

Clack.6a99a32ddecbb48c

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“Get in. We need to talk.”7891ed437f707e97

Ji-eun said firmly again.15dab1e06984635c

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“Kang Min-jun. I don’t have cd433e3939 anything more to a4b4a6ddcc say to you.”97605a94773a4f88

“I’ll stay.”93c2d9e766cb35d8

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“Just say it here. What’s with the cozy 2ba033896a car talk?”155323308b2a24ac

“Are you serious?”a44e789f8a8a75ec

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Yeah. Dead serious.d0e143156ecd5cda

Ji-eun crossed her arms, firmly e3be0d9730 showing she had no intention 4b086e3bd6 of getting in.66fc67ee795e1b4c

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Min-jun paused for a 464d4daec6 moment, then opened his 30b5ec0503 mouth.5cac44b4b145d598

“Fine, I’ll say it here. Stock manipulation, police, c33ebacba0 secretary, that sort 27a4a32481 of…”84adbc3a9478df5c

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Before he could a3df3140e5 finish, Ji-eun quickly 0f441ea432 darted to the 085fed4fe8 open passenger seat a4db870860 and got in.a3612f9742685e2c

As she pulled the 5a5fb11caf seatbelt over her, she ed2dea2d42 glanced at Min-jun, who 32eea07fe8 was looking at her fe3ecc598a in disbelief.f233117bca7fc66a

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“Ah, it’s just a bit chilly. And I drank, so…”16ffc5cddaacc24e

“……”f23f14f455893a14

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“What are you doing? Close the door.”cfac02f2ac44393b

Seriously, this isn’t 8974287e8e how it was 484d521c11 supposed to go.832c5bebae82b059

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* * *9b8d09aae2495941

“Nice place you live in. It must be pretty hard to find a listing around here.”9003ddeee30713ef

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“Yeah, but rentals are everywhere.”c041b58629ebddad

You really know afedfdd8c0 how to get 0a776bf5d0 under someone’s skin.d1a102ace4e6963a

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Click. Ji-eun unbuckled her 473b130554 seatbelt as she 4bec0aa8f6 replied.0722402276a638a9

Since it was already late, b924ef6c47 they had entered Ji-eun’s home 852e268dc4 address and headed there. The car stopped along 1e3f7abcbd the roadside near her d8179f097d officetel.922b3530b7dd4b94

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It was well past midnight.c8d6f81ace69617d

“Keep it short. I have work tomorrow.”497b606b3adce2c9

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“Work. Are you really not going 964a8cdae6 to do it?”f898d24e0e78ebe3

Despite Ji-eun’s blunt tone, his 8bed4768b3 question was gentle.cbb9630d9fa9c258

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She answered while staring 3e42e7a516 out the windshield.5f0db2469161d0a0

“Yeah. I’m not.”42ea1ff6a0a8aa87

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“Why not?”c0367c1a7cf49008

“Because it’s you.”ca796929e4daf6bc

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“Because you still have feelings?”d223186ca76f2627

At those words, 45fea2197c Ji-eun furrowed her 17fb580e59 brows and glanced bc3bb62211 to the side.82c73a2da4a2ec14

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Fee-lings?36bcf49c734b5c56

Ha, what a joke.a8fb220de4656e17

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“What feelings?”ca4626fc39334871

Go ahead, answer me, d6c38db42f Kang Min-jun.19d5b5e091157e65

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“…We were never anything, were we?”7ca783a12bfe181d

But her voice, 5895153041 saying that, was c6441e6c16 overflowing with emotion.2aa38a805e6aaabb

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Ji-eun realized it immediately.c6b548c9ee693a4a

Ha, I shouldn’t have 280f282eb2 slipped like that.1b2ac96260e9b221

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“It’s just… I don’t really feel like it.”ade03d0c257f677a

Ji-eun turned her gaze back 23f6a922c9 to the front and threw ebb4b43a4c out a standard excuse.d14d97622946430c

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“Kang Min-jun, think about it. We’re old classmates. And we used to compete 23c9cb64a3 for first and second place, f69a32eae4 and the result of that e1064294e7 is…”48111d2e71a9be80

“……”21e73bcc9c0e4e37

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“Well, anyway, it’s just… weird. That’s all.”474f35b06f74cfe8

It was clearly 56776e4bcd an excuse, but c9c904d028 the corners of c4cdda20d3 her mouth were 4c719fb7d3 gradually twisting into 0e88c28587 bitterness.9fa3f1457fc51839

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Ugh, I got too ed40ff15bb emotionally involved.ebda716525f1ecc1

Min-jun replied in an even 960194430f voice.7243b4dab66d2f7a

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“You’re quite emotional. It’s a good opportunity.”7cca5856ecc3eb6c

Are you… picking a fight?6f235be1beb09bd1

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Jie-un’s lips slightly parted.54730060378e36c8

Ugh, you really know 243e37b706 how to push buttons.c11320f713d9171d

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“And you, Kang Min-jun.”18f9cc337557eb1f

This time, Ji-eun 2903620be3 asked him back 9988ab19b6 with a question b6a040aac7 of her own.c88f4b999c2cf1fd

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“Why me?”47f670fe4566548c

Why is it me you’re 3461af7067 driving home so late at a4e4532ad1 night?1e6997b53a5032d4

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Don’t give me something obvious 07d120ced3 like ‘security.’bf95897fbd73b657

Not something shallow like ‘because de85c462ff we know each other.’1595de9f39e7b80e

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“How did you know I’m a police officer?”0b17a356f3eccd4b

Ji-eun wanted to hear 77541eba9a the real reason.0ee254289caa2fa0

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She looked at him steadily, 3801035be2 waiting for his lips to bd2df32442 part.0d00b285b973c79a

Min0jun answered indifferently, as if a11757d6aa he had expected it.91d3bd6016186a59

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“I was questioned by the police a while ago.”705107ca9199df66

“Ah… that.”6fb0ea3fa3e92b6a

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“The result was no charges.”52a6015b57d661dc

At the topic he 78463bdd64 brought up deliberately, Ji-eun 3dd160f1f1 slightly turned her gaze.e8b1df06ccb8f0f1

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She had known from the 71a2a65921 start.6a358ac6440cccf4

“Sorry about earlier. It’s just… things got 41d41b9272 a bit heated and 7d512024c7 I said some things.”a8ba976251f75b10

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“Then you must understand why I proposed the investigation.”9f9efb22a939a4b0

Min-jun didn’t pursue 802d869612 the topic further.1048971dce552db3

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Ji-eun nodded.d29642491feeb6fd

“Yeah. More or less.”0dce341ba1df9ad0

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The stock manipulation 52a93177e0 allegations involving Vice 503b9f4c63 President Kang Min-jun.6e6322d0f30fca39

Though the case dragged on 60dca5d3ba for a while, it was 23010b8bd9 cleanly concluded with a “no 7eb8db19b1 charges” verdict.982330840558b713

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But for the Shin-young Group, bf957a09f4 it was an unsatisfying ending.82d9ef62a4c92bce

The issue was 022878f815 a hot topic c158dd2c67 among the public—‘a fc7ae8684e third-generation chaebol and eefd16b7f9 a stock rigging 5531a2b5fc cartel.’f7c01eaed43ca16b

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There was no way a0027cf568 the public would believe 8f7f49398c a “no charges” verdict.dbd857033e508abf

To them, Kang Min-jun looked 15b4c59a5d like just another chaebol heir e4a2493db8 who used his power to c4b32516eb wriggle out of the investigation 29593ceb5e like a slippery eel.e7ae41b6a01269ce

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“You requested… an embargo.”6eceaddac7c2741d

He wasn’t going to 679e198c8b just leave the situation 3d3113a3b7 as is.8d5f75ba14bbbb7a

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Min-jun acted quickly and requested 00e2286b52 an embargo—13fe4eb803152490

In other words, f622ab9fbb he asked the 70d27649c6 government to prohibit 114571d3d2 media coverage until a198dac08c a certain point 819011cc2c in time.a2d76bf1cfdd1cc4

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By offering a method to c918cd1cfd aid a real economic crime 6bf5fc1044 investigation.7925163af9c4ebdd

The reporting date would bad4a4bb9f be three months later.7467ef7ccc5d0e70

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During that time, Vice President 57686450b4 Kang Min-jun planned to finalize 81f2d49998 major investments related to new 0baace1df0 business ventures that could affect 13463a5678 his image.8d6b6e2557616e9f

During the same period, a 6cea1e2a1a police officer would go undercover 81a0c5b792 as his secretary.d10d797ffbc0d8d2

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Min-jun agreed to 3e0e8e1c48 assist the investigation b59452d4ec by giving the 5917233b24 undercover officer access d3a7801186 to secret meeting dea5cd09dd locations used by 74ee2d25e5 the chaebols currently 790cbf5759 under investigation.63fe7319f6283a67

Except for key figures, 0493ca5897 everything else had to c9389c093c be kept confidential.ffa9694e852cd0ff

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Not just the police, badaca2e96 but even the corporations.a58cddf77c5b5eda

If the covert investigation—conducted 59870479ad without warrants—was exposed to 9e11abf5dd the public, the damage 7f17a51485 would be severe.3969116c21afe9a1

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Even so, it was clearly 74fce34879 a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone 071ca3a9fe involved.617d9f3e529b1494

“You… used your head pretty well.”015183e90df98af6

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…He’s still as sharp as ever.f7a7131e978f6dce

At Jieun’s subtle compliment, 390ec9b7a8 Min-jun didn’t say anything aa8737f2a7 in return.e21b3ceda1de0581

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Instead, he turned babe1bf567 to the back 195f3d8d9d seat, stretched out caebf355b7 his arm, and f6e75cd804 picked up a 86426d6a3d document envelope.7d93561b8f04dff3

“This.”6cb4de4ff8f45120

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He handed it to Ji-eun.2adf2ed9d553161c