#172. Peace. 8
Woojin gulped down the soju in one go.
I had a rough idea of who made that news.
Because when I was eating pork belly with Rep. Kim Cheol-woong, there were subtle expressions and nonverbal expressions he showed me through his body.
But it was always a probabilistic assumption.
When a crime-related incident breaks out, there is a high probability that reporters will be present.
Although he appeared as an anonymous police officer on the news, it wasn't strange for reporters to come by at any time.
At that moment, Officer Kim's voice was heard.
“Wow… You’ve become a star. You’ve become a star. Hahaha! If we keep doing this, aren’t we going to get a promotion, Officer Shin? Come on, have a drink.”
Woojin, who had received the alcohol, opened his mouth this time while filling his glass with soju.
“Sergeant Kim, why is it so hard to be ordinary?”
"mediocrity?"
“Yes. It was just a police officer doing his job. I don’t know if it’s something that’s newsworthy.”
“Officer Shin, it’s rare to find brave people like you, that’s why you end up on the news like that.”
Officer Kim was about to add a word, but stopped himself.
He wasn't just any cop, he was a really weird guy.
“I believe that the essence of the police is to protect the well-being of the people. What I did was only natural.”
Officer Kim lifted one finger and pointed at Woojin.
When I talked to him, at times he seemed like a doctor, a businessman, or some kind of psychologist.
“You speak so well, like a stream of water flowing from a mountain. That’s true. But does everything go as planned? That’s how things are in this world.”
Officer Kim suddenly made his eyes look like flounders and asked again.
“You feel good when you see the news, but are you doing it on purpose? There’s no need to be humble when you’re eating the same food as people. Enjoy yourself to your heart’s content.”
“I’ll make a phone call for a moment.”
Woojin got up from his seat, went outside, and held his cell phone to his ear.
The opponent was Congressman Kim Cheol-woong.
-Hey… … . I got a call from Woojin first, and, oh, it was on the news?
Woojin opened his mouth, focusing on Kim Cheol-woong's voice.
“Isn’t that what Representative Kim made?”
-Me? No?
“Really?”
-… . I was going to do that. I was going to do that, but I stopped because I thought you might hate it. You hate that kind of thing, right?
Woojin slowly nodded his head.
When I hear that there is no excitement and the tone is constant, it is not a lie.
-Is that why you called to ask?
Kim Cheol-woong wanted to make Woojin's existence known to the world, even anonymously, like the news.
They say there are such brave and invincible people.
But I soon gave up on that thought.
Most people, if not all people in the world, want to be recognized, but Woojin is the complete opposite.
“I called because I wanted to hear your voice.”
-There's no soul in your voice.
At that moment, Woojin's voice became a little urgent.
“Congressman Kim, I think the shell is going to burst. I’ll call you back later.”
-husks?
“Okay. Then I’ll contact you again later.”
After finishing the call, Woojin went back inside.
That was fortunate.
Because Chief Kim was pushing it to one side to prevent the shell from burning.
“Sergeant Kim, you seem to have good taste.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
* * *
The next day.
Woojin was able to hear that the detective had received a confession.
It was revealed that Semi's father and the yogurt salesman had an affair and that she was an accomplice.
The detective who told that looked at Woojin strangely.
They started out without any evidence and tracked down the criminal, and the National Forensic Service even called them first and said that the DNA matched.
It was almost as if Semi's mother had stopped pesticide poisoning before it got to a serious level.
I couldn't even pick at it one by one.
I hung up the phone because I had to rescue the puppy.
Woojin's last words before hanging up the phone were that he asked the reporter not to tell him.
And in the afternoon, a reporter came to the place where Woojin worked.
“Is Officer Shin Woo-jin here by any chance?”
Woojin, who was sitting in front of the PC, got up from his seat.
“What brings you here?”
Woojin scanned his appearance in an instant.
He has thick glasses, his eyes look interested in you, and he has something like a briefcase slung over his shoulder.
Even if you look closely at someone who looks like they're in their early 30s, you can see that their finger joints have a lot of wrinkles.
Also, since it was my first time seeing that face, there was a high chance that it was a reporter.
“It’s nothing else… … ”
He handed Woojin his business card with a gentle smile.
[Jeong Hak-jin]
The business card had the identity of a journalist printed on it.
“It’s nothing more than arresting a murderer. I came here to ask for an interview. You did a great job. It must not have been easy. You’re really amazing. How did you have the courage… …”
Reporter Jeonghak Jin continued to talk while praising Woojin.
It was to get an interview.
Of course, Woojin noticed it.
“I just did what I had to do. I have no intention of doing an interview. I apologize for coming here. I would appreciate it if you would go back.”
Despite Woojin's calm tone, the reporter kept smiling.
“I think this kind of story should be shared with many people.”
The reporter was secretly delighted at Woojin's handsome appearance.
The police officer who arrested the knife-wielding criminal after a fight is also handsome?
I had a feeling it would be a huge hit, people would come rushing in like a swarm of ants.
Then the police officers nearby spoke up.
“Okay, Officer Shin. Let me interview you.”
“Good deeds should be widely known. It will also be beneficial for your career.”
The reporter smiled even more deeply at their words for Woojin.
Woojin nodded and answered.
“Okay, reporter. Shall we go out and talk?”
"All right."
Woojin, who had escaped outside, went to the coffee shop with him. No, Woojin spoke in front of the door before going in.
“Would you like to go in first? I have some business to attend to at the bank.”
“Oh, yes. I’ll go in first. You can take your time and come back after taking care of business.”
Reporter Jeong Hak-jin, who entered the coffee shop like that, sat down with a happy heart.
There was no one there and it was nice in Hansan.
Jeonghakjin couldn't hold back the smile on his face as he took out his laptop and placed it on the table.
About 10 minutes passed like that and Woojin came in.
But something was a little strange.
Because a person who said he was going to the bank was coming in carrying a shopping bag.
Jeonghakjin laughed even harder.
Did he bring me a gift to ask me to write a good article?
Woojin sat down, placing his shopping bag on the chair next to him.
And then, out of nowhere, she started plopping wads of money out of her shopping bag onto the table.
And then I pushed the money I had accumulated towards him like a gambling bet.
“I’ll give you thirty million won. Take it and stop paying attention to me.”
The reporter said with a look of absurdity.
“Huh? What do you mean… … ”
Woojin took out the money as if he was raising the stake and stacked it again.
“Forty million won. On the condition that you don’t show any interest in anything related to me in the future.”
"yes?"
chin.
“Ten million more.”
“Look at this… .”
This time, Woojin took back some of the money he had saved.
“Forty million won.”
"excuse me…"
His eyes trembled like aspen trees at the sight of the money piled up in front of him continuously dwindling.
An amount higher than my annual salary was fluctuating right before my eyes.
“Ten million won.”
“Wait a minute! Wait a minute!”
Woojin nodded.
“Take this and pay attention to me from now on. I’m not the type of person who likes to be noisy.”
Woojin, who saw the conflict in his face and eyes, took his hand as if trying to get the money back.
“Okay, I’ll do that. I’ll do that.”
Woojin slowly nodded and got up from his seat.
“Your shoulders have been really sore lately, haven’t they? You need to correct your posture. And if possible, don’t go back to the hair salon you went to three days ago. Your hair isn’t symmetrical. It looks like your intestines aren’t feeling well, so you should go to the hospital.”
He looked at Woojin, blinking his eyes without saying anything.
My hair stood on end and goosebumps ran down my spine.
“How does it feel to have strangers knowing about your life and information?”
And that too for his own benefit.
Woojin continued speaking.
“I’m the same. Reporter, I hope you won’t have to see me again. I didn’t receive any money today. If you ever get interested in me again, or if we ever meet again like this, your life could become a mess. Take my word for it. It will happen. And, please realize that there are many cases that could be covered in the news even if it’s not me. I hope you broaden your horizons. The world is full of warm anecdotes as well as provocative ones. And one more thing, it seems like you have a unique hobby. Reporter, you enjoy cross-dressing. I think that’s something people would like.”
His widened eyes grew even wider, almost tearing.
But Woojin didn't stop there.
“How long do you think you can fool your wife?”
“What is that…?”
“Yesterday, there was a man and woman who were arrested at the police station for attempted murder. They were having an affair.”
A single bead of sweat ran down his forehead.
Woojin continued speaking, holding the ten million won in front of him.
The pile of money that had been piled up in front of the reporter now had not even a single ten-thousand won note left.
“I trust you understand what I mean.”
Woojin left the place without any hesitation and got into the police car.
And then he looked at himself in the rearview mirror and said.
“He was so damn charismatic.”
A line from a movie was flowing out.
* * *
When a woman visited, the police officers were speechless, wondering what was going on.
She was so beautiful that she would beat the celebrity earworms more than TV.
Is it pure and elegant?
A tycoon like that came to the police station.
Now, it was Lee Hye-rim, who was actively working as a public figure for the Shinwha Group, who came to visit.
“You came to see Officer Shin?”
Lee Hye-rim nodded with a calm smile.
“Yes. I apologize if I bothered you. I wasn’t answering your phone.”
“No. No. I’m on patrol and on my way back now. I’ll be back soon.”
“Officer Shin, is it time to get off work now?”
The police officers nodded without exception.
"yes."
“If you don’t mind, can I wait here for a moment?”
“Okay, please sit down.”
"thank you."
At that moment, Woojin came inside.
“Hye-rim?”
Lee Hye-rim smiled brightly.
It was a very bright smile.
“I came here thinking about going on a date with the police officer.”
Her single word left the police speechless.
What on earth did she mean by coming here, and how far Woojin's connections extended was now unpredictable.
Someone muttered with a dumbfounded look on their face.
“I have it all. I have it all.”
Woojin said to her.
“There’s an amazing food stall in this neighborhood, you better be on your guard.”
Lee Hye-rim accepted Woo-jin's words.
“Because we might both die while eating?”
Woojin smiled and nodded.
Above all, the flushed color on her cheeks looked pretty.
“Police officer Shin Woo-jin. I’m leaving work.”
* * *
A few days later.
Woojin was nodding his head while looking at the documents that Kim Taehyun had sent him via email and cell phone.
It was a murder case, but the culprit left nothing behind.
Not a single hair or dead skin cell came out.
It is said that the crime was meticulously planned.
Looking at the CCTV footage from the studio, the suspect was seen entering, but was not seen coming out.
But Woojin found a clue there.
“You had to kill like this.”
Judging from the condition of the body and the bloodstains, it is not a one-time incident.
There was a high chance that it would happen again.
So Woojin said to Officer Kim.
“Officer Kim, I think I need to take some vacation time.”
