SU | Chapter 3.4

A week had passed. Yoo Han, following Gu Kangsan, threw himself into assignments with zeal. In just one week, he had tackled five cases. He had joined the personal affairs team to collect evidence of infidelity, gathered information on a stalker, collected evidence of insurance fraud, and helped the regular team catch two debtors. Yoo Han, naturally adept at handling situations and executing tasks, effortlessly succeeded in each request.

He didn’t rest on the weekends, diligently shadowing Gu Kangsan. After a week, Yoo Han was able to exchange greetings comfortably with the initially gruff and uncomfortable ‘hyung-nims.’

No longer did they mock Yoo Han for his innocently wide-eyed, naive manner of speaking. Yoo Han belonged to the rare breed of ‘good’ humans who didn’t scheme or put on airs, a rare find in the detective agency world, so it was natural for the others to warm up to him. The staff gradually came to appreciate him.

Despite this, Yoo Han still found it hard to fully open up to the ‘hyung-nims.’ Their rough expressions of affection—slapping him hard on the back or ruffling his hair—still made him uncomfortable.

As the discomfort intensified, Yoo Han found himself increasingly thinking about Ji Youngwon. Though his words might be thorny, compared to the ‘hyung-nims,’ the Director was quite mannerly. He would buy meals when asked, provide a hairdryer if needed, and aside from when Yoo Han acted frustratingly, he didn’t touch him carelessly.

“Manager, it seems the Director is very busy today too.”

It was just after a Monday meeting had ended. Other teams had gone out on assignments, leaving Yoo Han and Gu Kangsan eating a standard meal set at Emoni’s restaurant.

“Yeah, he’s busy.”

Gu Kangsan slurped his bean sprout soup without much interest.

“What exactly is he busy with?”

“Stuff for Sungsim Planning. It’s always busy. The stakes are different from Speed, and so is the brainpower involved.”

Gu Kangsan gestured vaguely near his temple with a spoon. Not fully satisfied with the answer, Yoo Han blinked inquisitively. Hm. Gu Kangsan continued.

“If you want specifics, he’s rooting out industrial spies, coordinating with public enterprises to catch fugitives abroad, stuff like that.”

Yoo Han’s lips curled up in fascination.

“Wow, that side of the business sounds pretty impressive.”

“We hardly get our hands dirty like we do here.”

“That Executive Director Gu we saw, does he work on the fourth floor?”

“Yeah.”

Gu Kangsan nodded as he ate. Yoo Han added a bit excitedly.

“The detective agencies run by Director Ji Youngwon…”

“Hm?”

“They seem quite righteous.”

Gu Kangsan paused, his mouth open in disbelief.

“Righteous? What…?”

“Yeah. At first, I thought the Director was just greedy and ruthless, and, well, he is focused on money.”

“…”

“But since I’ve started working on assignments and gotten to know the hyung-nims, I see it. It’s more rewarding than I thought.”

Hehe. Yoo Han’s shy smile left Gu Kangsan at a loss for words.

“Lately, when we finish assignments, clients thank us, and it feels great… I’ve already received gifts twice, and it’s really satisfying.”

“…Is that so.”

Gu Kangsan scratched his head, embarrassed. The image of the detective agency that Yoo Han painted was an utterly fantastical one. To Gu Kangsan, Yoo Han’s naivety seemed almost like a joke, but each time, he just offered an awkward smile and a nod. Despite the abundance of dubious activities behind the scenes, he chose to keep his mouth shut.

To Yoo Han, this place was like the hideout of Hong Gil-dong, the heroic outlaw, but tragically, Ji Youngwon’s agency had no moral compass. It wasn’t just about distinguishing between legal and illegal; for instance, while Speed Errand did provide personal protection against stalkers, they also took on jobs involving gathering personal information for stalking purposes. Clients who brought illegal requests often ended up paying several times the fee when caught, and Ji Youngwon and his crew felt no remorse over such dealings.

Moral considerations aside, they took on any profitable work. That was the nature of Ji Youngwon’s operation. It was no different at Sungsim Planning. It was ironic.

“Just eat your food and stop talking.”

Gu Kangsan cut him off, slightly distressed.

“Ah, sorry. I got a bit carried away.”

Yoo Han grinned sheepishly and picked up his spoon again. As the conversation halted, a silence fell over the table. Yoo Han occasionally glanced at Gu Kangsan, who seemed a bit uncomfortable. As they were finishing their meal, the restaurant owner greeted someone boisterously.

“Oh, Director Ji, long time no see. You must’ve been busy. I’ll prepare your seat right away.”

Sitting with his back to the door, Yoo Han paused and turned around without thinking. He craned his neck to see Director Ji walking in.

Ji Youngwon, sensing the intense gaze, turned his head. Yoo Han was looking at him with puppy-like big eyes.

“Director!”

He called out as if he had been eagerly waiting, causing Ji Youngwon to raise an eyebrow. Yoo Han stood up quickly and bowed.

“Hello.”

How have you been? Yoo Han started to add but paused as he raised his head. He had expected Ji Youngwon to acknowledge him, but the Director walked past him to another table. Embarrassed, Yoo Han scratched the back of his head. It seemed he was the only one excited to see the Director. Especially after the stalker incident, he felt a strong bond had formed, which only magnified his embarrassment.

Gu Kangsan soon approached Ji Youngwon, exchanged a few words, and returned to Yoo Han.

“Kid, if you’re done eating, let’s go.”

Yoo Han hesitated, fumbling with a few peppermints on the counter. Gu Kangsan, saying he’d go out for a smoke, left him there.

Members of the forensic team that had entered the restaurant with Ji Youngwon on the third floor curiously asked Executive Director Gu.

“Who’s that kid?”

Executive Director Gu, pouring water, replied coolly.

“Just a bell runner we’re using temporarily at Speed.”

They looked at Yoo Han, who was pacing around like a nervous puppy, with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. Everyone but Ji Youngwon paid him no mind.

Yoo Han was too preoccupied with gazing at the Director’s profile to notice anyone else. Ji Youngwon was wearing a crisp gray knit with a black leather jacket, looking every bit the model. His features were sharper than before, his jawline more defined.

“Has he lost weight, or has he been overworking?”

Curious, Yoo Han couldn’t bring himself to leave. He had a lot to say, but when he finally faced the Director, his mouth wouldn’t open. He wanted to deliver the cookies before they expired, not to mention give him his phone number.

He had plenty of compliments he wanted to hear too. On Friday, he had successfully approached a target to gather evidence for an insurance fraud case, and it was Yoo Han’s merit that the fleeing debtors were tricked into a quick capture. He wondered if the Director knew of his achievements.

Unaware or indifferent to Yoo Han’s thoughts, Ji Youngwon gave him not a single glance.

“Kid, aren’t you coming?”

Having finished his cigarette, Gu Kangsan called out to him. Disappointment washed over Yoo Han’s face. He hadn’t expected much, but the Director’s complete disregard felt particularly harsh. Yoo Han walked out with a heavy heart, trailing behind Gu Kangsan.

As he stepped out, Ji Youngwon finally looked up. Through the glass, he saw Yoo Han catching up with Gu Kangsan.

“Director. The broker this time is anonymous, so it’s a bit hard for us to make contact. Might be better than President Baek, though. Are you sure about this? It’s an untested connection, and we don’t know how it might backfire.”

Executive Director Gu, before the meal was served, sought Ji Youngwon’s advice.

“Let’s continue for now. We can make a decision later if necessary.”

“Yes, understood.”

Ji Youngwon looked out the window one more time. Yoo Han was no longer in sight. He set down his spoon. It had been a week since he had consciously avoided stepping into the errand center. Yoo Han, who kept stirring his nerves in various ways, was still sticking to him like sticky gum, and merely seeing him brought discomfort.

“…”

Was it his curiosity about Yoo Han as a man or the fact that his bright smile triggered something primal that he disliked? Whatever it was, Yoo Han, who unnecessarily troubled Ji Youngwon, was unwelcome.

***

Yoo Han spent the entire morning grinning from ear to ear, trying to forget the disappointment from the day before. Since everyone had gone off to handle their tasks, Yoo Han naturally ended up on cafe duty at Speed Errand’s first floor. Though flies were the only visitors for the better part of the morning, Yoo Han kept busy without getting disheartened.

He cleaned the floors and dusted off the coffee machine’s leftover grounds. He washed the piled-up dishes and even managed to scrape together a lunch from the expired food and drinks in the fridge. By the time he finished everything, it was already half-past noon. Although it was an unofficial gig that didn’t even pay by the hour, Yoo Han felt a rush of excitement, as if he had landed a respectable job.

“Anything else I should do…?”

Whether he moved around or stood still, time mercilessly flew by. While resolving each task felt rewarding, Yoo Han seemed to have a knack for the cafe work. He dusted off his frilly apron and leaned on the counter, staring out the entrance, occasionally throwing out a needless “Welcome!” as if in a role-play.

Director Ji Youngwon usually stopped by the cafe after completing his tasks. If there was a chance he’d go out, he might pass by the cafe.

True to Yoo Han’s expectation, exactly one hour later, Ji Youngwon appeared. Yoo Han, who was sitting at the counter, bolted upright at the sight of the director in his sharp charcoal grey suit, stepping out with Executive Director Gu.

Ji Youngwon didn’t seem to notice Yoo Han; he just walked past, focused straight ahead. Even as Yoo Han waved his hands above his head in a victorious gesture, Ji Youngwon never turned back. Only Executive Director Gu glanced oddly at Yoo Han.

“Did I do something wrong?”

At this point, Yoo Han couldn’t shake off the feeling that Ji Youngwon was deliberately avoiding him.

“Things seemed pretty okay after that stalking incident before…”

Reflecting on the days he hadn’t encountered Ji Youngwon, Yoo Han began to question his actions. Objectively, it seemed clear Ji Youngwon was avoiding him. Although avoiding the director might be safer for Yoo Han, he couldn’t help feeling disappointed by Ji Youngwon’s waning interest.

Maybe he should initiate a conversation, possibly even dig into some unresolved questions about Kim Minjae, and perhaps they could jointly tackle the almost expired cookies.

Just then, someone entered the cafe with the clack of shoes. Startled, Yoo Han gazed at the newcomer—a man with shoulder-length wavy hair, wearing a navy striped suit and a carelessly draped black long coat, looking every bit like a model.

Yoo Han, too stunned to deliver his well-rehearsed greeting, simply nodded. The guest lifted his sunglasses.

“What’s this? Someone new here. Are you a new part-timer?”

The man’s brusque question left Yoo Han scratching the back of his neck.

“Ah, no… I work for Speed Errand.”

“Not at the cafe, but upstairs?”

The man casually dropped the honorifics, shifting his sunglasses atop his head. He squinted at Yoo Han, seemingly baffled that someone so ordinary and naive-looking could work at an investigation firm.