SU | Chapter 2.9

Where had the director gone, who used to take him to the restaurant when he threw a fit about being hungry? Yoohan glanced at Ji Youngwon, who was exuding a cold, indifferent aura, and opened the backseat door. For Ji Youngwon, his usual demeanor was nothing out of the ordinary, but Yoohan found himself attributing meaning to every indifferent expression and tone.

As Yoohan half-leaned into the car, Gu Kangsan, sitting in the driver’s seat, waved his hand with a shocked expression.

“Hey! You’re supposed to sit in the passenger seat!”

Yoohan, awkwardly balancing on one foot, asked, “Huh?” The jaw muscle of Ji Youngwon, standing right behind him, twitched.

“Seriously, what are you doing, little mouse….”

Yoohan hesitated, sensing the tension. His only experience riding in a car was in a van transporting laborers, so he was utterly bewildered by the current situation. Just then, Gu Kangsan opened the driver’s door and leaned out.

“The back seat is the best seat, man. Come here and sit in the passenger seat.”

Realizing his mistake, Yoohan quickly opened the passenger door. Ji Youngwon, who had been resting his forehead on his hand, rolled his eyes as if he found it pathetic.

“I’m sorry….”

“Your ignorance is showing. Hurry up and get in.”

“…Yes.”

Once Ji Youngwon settled into his seat, the car started moving. Feeling deflated, Yoohan pouted, and Gu Kangsan casually struck up a conversation.

“Hey, did you hear the news?”

“What news?”

“About this case.”

“Um, but there are so many terms I don’t understand. I heard something about adultery, but….”

Yoohan glanced back through the rearview mirror, expecting a reprimand, but Ji Youngwon had quietly closed his eyes.

“Today, we’re going to collect evidence of adultery. The client is a woman in her thirties, currently in the middle of a divorce, but she lacks evidence, so we need to help her gather it.”

Gasp. Collecting evidence of adultery? That was something he had only heard about in movies or on TV. Yoohan’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“So this time, we’re really going after the bad guys?”

Gu Kangsan tilted his head at the unexpected question. If they were to discuss the nature of crime, there were no worse people than those working at their private investigation agency.

“Well… yeah, let’s say that. The client’s husband took a half-day off, so we can start tailing him from the parking lot.”

“Tail….”

It felt like he was becoming a detective conducting undercover surveillance. Yoohan steadied his racing heart and fiddled with the bag in his lap. Gu Kangsan glanced at Yoohan’s fidgeting fingers.

“Everything you need is in that bag, so take a look.”

“Okay. Is there no plan for this operation?”

At that moment, Ji Youngwon, who had been with his eyes closed, suddenly kicked the back of the passenger seat. Startled, Yoohan pressed his left cheek against the window and turned to look back.

Ji Youngwon was glaring at the source of his insomnia.

“There’s no plan for tailing. This time, it’s all improvised, so keep your wits about you and follow along.”

“If I don’t know something, I can ask, right? Why are you kicking me?”

“Just shut up.”

It was an unexpected outburst. Today, Ji Youngwon had been particularly prickly, and Yoohan pouted his lips in displeasure. Meanwhile, Gu Kangsan felt the cold sweat trickling down his neck as he anxiously watched Ji Youngwon’s reactions. Despite the little mouse’s worst-case scenario of talking back, Ji Youngwon’s response was surprisingly mild.

‘…Have they become friends? When did that happen?’

Ji Youngwon had been busy handling a big case that had come into Seongsim Planning over the past few days. They had been in the same building, so they might have crossed paths a few times, but… it felt strange to see someone who had no affection or trust for people show any leniency toward another.

But what was even more surprising was the little mouse sitting right next to him. Even in front of Ji Youngwon—who could easily intimidate him—he had the audacity to brag about buying a pot and was even talking back. He had known from the start that this kid wasn’t ordinary, but no matter how he looked at it, he seemed to have a knack for inviting trouble.

To put it nicely, he had guts. To put it harshly, he was completely out of touch.

While Gu Kangsan was making a fuss, the car sped on for another thirty minutes. They arrived at an underground parking lot of a building. It seemed they had made prior arrangements, as the barrier to the parking lot, which only allowed registered vehicles, easily lifted. Yoohan swallowed hard. Ji Youngwon, who had been asking for sleep, slowly opened his eyes.

“xxxmo 73xx.”

As Gu Kangsan casually mentioned the number, Yoohan quickly asked, “Should I let you know when I find it?”

“Yeah. It’s a red compact SUV, so it should be easy to spot.”

Just as he said, it didn’t take long for a vehicle to come into Yoohan’s view.

“Ah? Manager, over there!”

Gu Kangsan, who had been slowly rolling the car, also spotted the target. Fortunately, the spot next to the target was empty, so they moved there. Once the engine was completely off, Yoohan hugged the bag tightly.

“…What do we do now?”

“Let’s see. It’s eleven fifty… If he took a half-day off, he should be leaving before lunch, so he’ll be out soon.”

As Ji Youngwon scanned the parking lot, he adjusted his lips.

“Let’s attach the GPS before he comes out.”

“Okay. I’ll do it quickly.”

“Little mouse, you go do it.”

Startled, Yoohan shifted in his seat.

“Me? I don’t know how to do it, and what if I mess up…!”

Ignoring Yoohan’s urgent shout, Ji Youngwon continued.

“Shut up, and look for the square thing in the bag. It’s black.”

Yoohan scrunched his eyebrows and fumbled around. A small GPS device that looked like a walkie-talkie came into his hand.

“How do I attach this?”

“It’s magnetic, so it doesn’t matter. Just stick your hand under the car, so don’t make a fuss.”

It was impossible not to make a fuss.

“It’s illegal, isn’t it? And the evidence won’t even hold up, right?”

“Are we just going to sit around without trying to collect evidence? It’s the client’s car anyway, so it’s not a problem… Ugh, I’m the only idiot explaining this.”

As Yoohan hesitated, Ji Youngwon checked his watch.

“If you want to ruin everything, go ahead and keep whining.”

Under his pressure, Yoohan squirmed like someone in a hurry. Although he was sweating from the sudden situation, it was a simple task of just sticking his hand under the car, just as Ji Youngwon said.

‘Don’t be scared.’

Besides, this case was about adultery. For the sake of the victimized client, he had to do his best to gather evidence. It would be contradictory to worry about legality when they were going after bad guys. After a moment of fidgeting, Yoohan took a deep breath. The sound of his heartbeat echoed in his ears.

“I’ll be back.”

Yoohan blurted out the words in a rush and flung the door open. At that moment, a short, loud beep echoed from the target vehicle. Startled, Yoohan quickly ducked down and watched a man casually walking toward him while talking on the phone from a distance.

“Hey, Minji. Yeah, yeah. I’ll pick you up in front of the station. Let’s buy the barbecue ingredients when we get there. Yeah, okay.”

Oh no, it was the adulterer! Of all times…! Covering his mouth, Yoohan dropped to a crouch and quickly moved toward the trunk of the man’s car.

Ji Youngwon, who had been watching Yoohan’s antics through the heavily tinted windows, burst into laughter. Even in a situation where he could easily be caught, he remained calm and collected.

“Director, about that little mouse…”

As he pressed his forehead against the window, Ji Youngwon replied, “What?”

“I don’t have any field experience, so there’s a chance I might mess up, right? If possible, don’t make me do it.”

“Ugh….”

Ji Youngwon seemed to be thinking about something as he thudded his forehead against the window twice. He slightly pulled down the black turtleneck that was snug against his neck.

“Kangsan.”

“…Yes.”

“I don’t understand why you’re telling me to save a card that we might need to throw away.”

Gu Kangsan swallowed hard at the gentle tone of the director.

“Your meddling is getting out of hand. Are you going to babysit him or what?”

“I’m sorry.”

Ji Youngwon had unintentionally let out more harsh words than necessary. He wasn’t sure if he was directing them at Gu Kangsan or himself.

He turned his gaze back outside. Before long, the target vehicle was quickly leaving the parking lot. Gu Kangsan bit his lip and leaned toward the passenger window. Just then, the passenger door swung open.

“Gasp, gasp….”

Breathless like someone who had just sprinted, Yoohan hurriedly caught his breath. Sweat was dripping down his forehead. Once he settled into the seat, he took a moment to steady his racing heart.

“Did you attach it well?”

Gu Kangsan asked with concern, and Yoohan nodded quickly.

“Phew. I barely got it on, but the magnet? It was so strong that it made a loud noise. I was worried I’d get caught. Thankfully, it seems he didn’t hear it because he was on the phone.”

He spoke rapidly, his voice filled with excitement from the adrenaline of the thrilling situation. Ji Youngwon, sitting in the back seat and fiddling with his phone, checked the app linked to the GPS.

“Let’s go.”

He handed his phone to Gu Kangsan. Without wasting a moment, Gu Kangsan secured the device in the holder and started driving. Meanwhile, Yoohan, who had been holding his breath, straightened his slouched body. After fastening his seatbelt again, he casually glanced back. Ji Youngwon, who he thought would at least say something nice like last time, was staring out the window without any reaction.

“Did I do well for a first-timer?”

Ji Youngwon, leaning his arm against the window, glanced at Yoohan. Yoohan’s face was lit up with excitement, like a puppy that had just caught the ball thrown by its owner.

“Do you want me to pet your head or something?”

“I’m the type who performs better when praised.”

Interpreting sarcasm literally was a skill in itself. Ji Youngwon slowly closed and opened his eyes, as if conceding defeat.

“That’s too bad. I’m the type who gives compliments as insults.”

Tch… whatever. Yoohan, feeling cold from the Director’s stinginess, turned his head back to the front. Ji Youngwon seemed satisfied with Yoohan’s grumbling reaction and comfortably leaned back in his seat.

Gu Kangsan, who had been observing the two, cleared his throat. Seeing Yoohan, who was begging for compliments from a man he referred to as a “card to be discarded if necessary,” made him feel a twinge of guilt. He focused his gaze back on the road. A red dot was wriggling on the phone screen. The vehicle, which had briefly stopped in front of a nearby subway station, was now moving again.

“Looks like we’ve made contact.”

“Keep following.”

They had been tracking the vehicle for a while using the GPS map, but it showed no signs of stopping and continued to move forward.

“What the hell, are they going all the way to Gangwon-do for a fling?”

Ji Youngwon’s curse became a reality. The car that had been following without any issues was now on the Yeongdong Expressway, heading towards the Wonju IC. Yoohan suddenly recalled the words of the cheating husband he had overheard during a phone call.

“Uh, Minji? Yeah, yeah. I’ll come pick you up in front of the station. Let’s buy the barbecue ingredients when we get there. Yeah, okay.”

“Oh! Speaking of which, he mentioned something about barbecue ingredients during that call. It seems like they’re not just going to a hotel but somewhere like a pension.”

“Right. You sure are quick to catch on.”

Ji Youngwon washed his face, looking tired.

“It seems like they plan to stay overnight.”