Chapter Text
Si-mok was determined to protect Han Yeo-jin.
Whenever Senior Inspector Han called him, Si-mok would always answer in a short, concise way. He always felt slightly reprimanded whenever she had to remind him to say “Hello” back as good manners. He would sheepishly say it back, and he would hear her laugh from the other end. It wasn’t often that they got to talk over the phone, but it still had become somehow of a routine whenever she called. Maybe he struggled with saying “Hello” over the phone, but it was worth it to hear Senior Inspector Han be as lighthearted as always.
After Si-mok had settled down in his sudden transfer to Seoul, he immediately called Senior Inspector Han to let her know he was back in Seoul. He was amused when he heard the surprise in her voice when he informed her he was back and invited her to meet up for dinner since it had been a long time since they had seen each other. The pojangmacha they frequented was gone –though they didn’t really have the best udon and ramen–, so he decided on a small family restaurant instead.
Si-mok didn’t always get the time to eat his meals in peace, so he was genuinely looking forward to that while also meeting and catching up with Senior Inspector Han. When she walked in, he was taken aback by how long her hair had grown. Had it been that long since they had last met? She greeted him with her usual warm smile and stretched out an arm as a welcoming handshake, which he readily returned.
Unfortunately, their dinner was cut short by Chief Woo summoning him to join him for dinner, which he wasn’t even given a chance to refuse. He felt a tad guilty that he had called Senior Inspector Han out on a busy work night to have dinner with him only for him to have to bail out. She reassured him it was fine, but Si-mok, to his credit this time, was able to recognize the disappointment in her voice. He apologized before reluctantly leaving, promising himself that he wouldn’t let her down again like that.
It wasn’t a good tradeoff. Other than Chief Woo, he had also been unceremoniously greeted by Prosecutor Seo’s presence and later by another Prosecutor who was senior to him, Prosecutor Kim Sa-hyun. The food wasn’t good either. He did what any sane man would do and left the dinner early despite his seniors’ tirade about being disrespectful. He should’ve stayed with Senior Inspector Han instead.
The next time Si-mok was able to meet Senior Inspector Han was on the first Police-Prosecution official meeting. She greeted him warmly and introduced him to Chief Choi Bit (Inspector Geon didn’t need any introduction). She jokingly chided him into asking Inspector Geon about his kids, which he obediently complied with. Chief Choi’s stony glare silenced the warm environment though, and soon after, Chief Woo and Prosecutor Kim entered the room. He noticed Senior Inspector Han sobered up so quickly. She was usually the one who always kept the mood up wherever she went.
The council meeting was somewhat disastrous, even in Si-mok’s standards. They really didn’t come to a conclusion— it practically became a verbal brawl of the chiefs. He noticed that even Senior Inspector Han responded to the arguments with a sharper tone than usual. When the meeting ended on a sour note, he hesitantly gave a courtesy bow before leaving. He wondered if there were more on her plate than this council. It wasn’t like Senior Inspector Han to lose her cool like that. Weirdly enough, that bothered him.
While waiting for the visitation hours of Lee Dae-seong, Prosecutor Seo had bothered him about getting him into Chief Woo’s good graces and started on his monologue about the unfairness of prosecutors being rewarded with more work and transfers after doing well.
“You don’t feel a tad bit sad even if you’re sent far away, do you?” Prosecutor asked with a scoff.
“No,” Si-mok answered automatically.
Prosecutor Seo then went on a tirade on how the consistent relocations would affect his time with his family. He listened in with half an ear, not really too invested in Prosecutor Seo’s personal troubles. It was better to stay away from those. He found himself contemplating as well. His own answer didn’t sit well with him. While it was true that he used to not care about being relocated anywhere every once in a while, he remembered when he first felt the reluctance to leave Seoul just about two years ago. He already expected to feel the same after the special council discussions end. And the reason was and would be, of course, Senior Inspector Han.
In an interesting turn of events, Lee Dae-seong suddenly refused visitation even when he had previously granted them that schedule, and who else showed up but Senior Inspector Han. Prosecutor Seo started accusing her of demanding Lee Dae-seong to refuse their visitation while insisting Simok was just his assistant. Si-mok immediately backed away from him, not wanting Senior Inspector Han to think he was in any way scheming with his senior.
Si-mok delved into the case archives of the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office on Chief Woo’s orders. He had his own purposes though. When he finally found what he needed, he immediately called Senior Inspector Han.
“Senior Inspector Han, can we meet now?” he asked carefully.
“Uh, where are you now?”
“You said you now live near Namsan, so I’m headed there now.”
“Are you busy tomorrow morning?” Si-mok could hear the hesitation in her voice. Maybe he it was rude to have sprung up to meet so suddenly?
“If you can’t meet me now, we can just talk over the phone.” There was a long silence, and he thought for a second that Senior Inspector Han hung up on him for being too insistent.
“I’ll text you my address,” she replied after a while. He almost let out an audible sigh of relief.
Senior Inspector Han welcomed him to her balcony. Si-mok realized that she must enjoy having an open space to just air out her thoughts. Then, he started enumerating the cases he had looked up earlier, waiting to see which one would elicit a reaction from her. She insisted that she didn’t know those cases, but the tone of her voice betrayed her. He already had an idea which one it was, but he let it be.
“So, it’s not one of those cases?” She didn’t answer. “I guess I should do another search. I’ve only made it to last year’s reports. I’ll do another search.”
“How far back are you planning to search?”
“I don’t know.” Until he was satisfied that he could get through her, maybe.
“Why did you come to me?”
To be honest, Si-mok didn’t know himself. If he had to put into words the reason he immediately decided to seek Senior Inspector Han after his search, he would draw a blank. Objectively speaking, he shouldn’t even be seen with her, seeing as they were both council members from opposing parties. Still, there was no one else he trusted more, so it just made sense. He was there with a purpose anyway: to figure out what was weighing on Senior Inspector Han— and he was determined, now more than ever.
It seemed he got it right, that she really was being pressured by something or someone, but she refused to expound further. Thoughtfully, he shifted gears.
“You don’t draw these days?” he asked. He didn’t receive a reply again, but that told him everything he needed to know. That felt somewhat distressing for him. Drawing quick doodles was one of the few things he knew that made Senior Inspector Han… well, her. Maybe he would make it his own personal goal to give her the time to draw again.
Si-mok decided that he had hounded her enough. He opted to be vulnerable, admitting to her the guilt and responsibility he felt over the Tongyeong drowning case. He let logic and practicality rule over that day, but he should’ve known better. He didn’t know why he chose to be open to her all of a sudden. Maybe it was to help ease what she was going through and to let her know she wasn’t alone. Senior Inspector Han later told him that he already knew what was bothering him, and he left at that. He did all he could at the moment, and there was no point in forcing himself in.
Prosecutor Seo went missing shortly after. It seemed that they got wrapped into a case that was much larger than they thought. Si-mok felt uneasy. Prosecutor Seo was a tall, lean man, and there weren’t a lot of people who could easily take him down and abduct him without being seen. Si-mok took it upon himself to be as involved as he could with his disappearance case. That was still his senior, after all, and, unwanted or not, he had collaborated many times with Prosecutor Seo. He was grateful Senior Inspector Han understood his intentions.
Si-mok joined Senior Inspector Han in confronting the Ex-Chief Jeon Seung-pyo. The man was violent and impulsive, throwing chairs and banging tables and shouting expletives whenever he could. Si-mok detested people like these. Even more when said people looked down on Senior Inspector Han. He was mostly sitting quietly beside her, letting her lead the interrogation, when Ex-Chief Jeon practically threatened her. Si-mok immediately found himself reacting to defend her, but she stopped him. He knew she could handle herself, but he wasn’t going to just sit there and do nothing. Still, he made sure to make his support as visible as possible, standing beside her and expounding on her statements when he could.
He joined the investigation teams convening at Yongsan Police Station. He could feel that they were less than thrilled to have him join them, but he couldn’t care less. The usual Yongsan team already expected him anyway, seeing that he was the one who got to work with Prosecutor Seo most recently in the current group of people involved, and Senior Inspector Han was more than welcoming than the others.
Senior Inspector Han was as restless as he was. As serious as the situation was, he found it slightly amusing that she wanted to join in on the dirty fieldwork and physical search and investigation instead of just overseeing like a high-ranking chief. She was still the same as she was back then, always on top of things when it came to chasing criminals and decoding cryptic evidence on scenes. When the teams dispersed, he informed her he was heading back to Uijeongbu Prosecutor’s Office. He quipped that he was driving there and not taking a long cab ride like she had intended for him to do the night before, and she allowed him a small chuckle.
Si-mok was honestly irritated, for lack of another term. Someone’s life was literally in danger. They had very little time until Prosecutor Seo would be deemed dead, but they still scheduled a council meeting in the middle of the investigation. Even so, he did his job as expected, providing arguments and data as needed during the discussions. He was careful to not to upset Senior Inspector Han given what happened last meeting. He didn’t take it personally— he knew she had other things on her mind, too.
Then he felt it. His vision started to blur and his ears started buzzing with static. No, not here. He tried to contain his pain, hiding his wincing face behind his hands. Then, he slowly walked out of the room, stumbling through the hallway. He was surprised when he felt another pair of arms wrap around him to support him, but he welcomed them all the same. He already knew whom it was without looking.
Si-mok didn’t know how long he had sat on the staircase until he felt better. When his vision and hearing finally came back, the first thing he saw and heard was Senior Inspector Han sitting beside him, reassuring him that he had become stronger and that he can take his time since the council meeting had wrapped up while they were gone.
“They really left after I told them to. How cold,” she remarked. “I sent everyone a text saying that you weren’t feeling so well. So, they might be thinking you have severe diarrhea.” He stared at her.
“Me? Diarrhea?” he asked, stunned.
“Well, I can’t tell them that I have it.”
Si-mok couldn’t help it. He laughed silently, unable to argue with her logic. He was relieved to see her laugh along with him. He shared his soda with her before sobering up. He realized he troubled her once more, so he apologized.
Senior Inspector Han didn’t seem to like that. She told him that it’s fine and to lighten up before slapping his back with considerable force. He looked back at her with wide eyes, surprised at the sudden sharp impact on his back and still processing what had just happened.
“Hey, look at your face! You’re angry, aren’t you?”
“No,” he responded defiantly, but his own tone betrayed him.
“I can tell you’re angry. You’re upset,” she repeated, amused.
“No, I’m not.”
Senior Inspector Han started laughing at him, telling him he got upset too easily. Insolently, he replied that he now had trouble breathing because of her, and she laughed harder. Well, ignoring the stinging pain on his back that he now had to nurse, at least he was able to make her laugh and forget their responsibilities even for just a few minutes.
Si-mok’s patience wore thin during his interrogation with Kim Hu-jeong’s insistence to stay silent. He was relieved when Senior Inspector Han barged into the room to drag him out in an attempt to let him lead them to where he had disposed of Prosecutor Seo. Prosecutor Kim saw them dragging his son into a car and charged at Senior Inspector Han, but Si-mok held him back. He was not going to let anyone hurt Senior Inspector Han, especially when she was just doing her job.
“Do this again, and we’ll consider it obstruction of justice. You’re his senior, not mine,” she called out at Prosecutor Kim before entering her car. Si-mok already admired Senior Inspector Han since the first few times they met, but his respect just grew for her tenfold at that very moment. If the situation wasn’t as dire as it were now, he might have actually laughed at her boldness to stand up to a senior prosecutor.
Si-mok’s duties were far from done even after Prosecutor Seo’s successful rescue. He had gone to the Southern Seoul Detention Center to interrogate Director Kim on who else was involved in Park Gwangsu’s case, with Senior Inspector Han joining him shortly. She took the interrogation more to heart. He knew how much she looked up to Chief Choi Bit.
He had a personal rule of never looking away from the detainee during questioning, but at that moment, he couldn’t help but turn to Senior Inspector Han out of concern. He watched as she solemnly registered the facts, her trust in Chief Choi dwindling away slowly. Not knowing what else to do, he discreetly held her shaking hands under the table in an attempt to comfort her and hoped she knew he was there to support her. He felt a bit relieved when she squeezed his hand back, acknowledging his presence.
Si-mok already expected Chief Woo to retaliate and threaten him but didn’t think it would extend to Senior Inspector Han. He personally didn’t care what Chief Woo would do to him; he was used to higher-ups threatening to ruin his life, and he was used to ignoring what other people thought of him anyway. He was more worried about Senior Inspector Han, who was already caught in a volatile situation because of her bosses, her position, and her involvement with him. To her credit, she easily brushed off Chief Woo’s threats and blackmailing before leaving the room. Si-mok followed suit, mentally applauding what could either be her bravery or her recklessness.
He knew not to take Chief Woo lightly. Chief Woo was a powerful man with many connections to utilize, and he was the type of man to do anything to keep his power and position. Si-mok somewhat felt responsible that Senior Inspector Han got dragged into the unfair politics of the prosecution, so he took it upon himself to do as much as he could to shield her from career destruction. He would take the fall if he had to. Without a second thought other than protecting her, Si-mok left his room and immediately headed for the National Police Agency.
Si-mok had no idea if appealing to Chief Choi would work. However, he trusted Senior Inspector Han above all, and that was enough for him to work with. He reasoned out with her as honestly as he could, making sure to bring up Senior Inspector Han’s undeniable respect for her as a senior and a colleague, before leaving. He was only half surprised when Chief Choi did admit her involvement in the Park Gwang-su case and stepped down from her position. He couldn’t predict the future after all, but it seemed like trusting in Senior Inspector Han’s judgment was the right choice, as it had always been. Senior Inspector Han was now in the clear.
Si-mok was told he was going to be assigned back to his original post in Wonju. The council went up in flames so quickly, but he didn’t think his transfer would happen so soon. He immediately invited Senior Inspector Han for dinner, and thankfully, she accepted. It was practically a bittersweet tradition at this point, having to tell her the news of him leaving Seoul during the coming weekend over a sudden dinner. Still, there was no other way he would rather spend his last free day than this.
He was able to pick a quiet restaurant this time, not wanting neighboring tables to interrupt their conversation as what happened during the first dinner they had when he came back. He arrived first –as always–, so he started setting the table for her methodically. He was so preoccupied about carefully placing the utensils correctly that he almost didn’t see Senior Inspector Han enter. Then, he had to do a double take.
“Oh, your hair…” he remarked weakly.
“Is it weird?”
“I just meant it’s different.” He was not falling for that again. He had already learned that it was not polite to say that something a woman changed about her looks was weird. She gave him an earful about that last time.
Si-mok couldn’t stop staring. He didn’t think it was possible for him to be so struck by someone’s hairstyle changing. He watched as she ordered everything he liked –and even asked for extra cabbage on their pajeon–, unable to process why the sudden hairstyle change had him in awe. She noticed him staring and looked as if she were waiting for an explanation when it struck him why.
“It’s like when we first met. With your short hair.”
“I haven’t changed a bit, right?” she replied before laughing and shaking her head playfully, her short hair swishing along.
Si-mok would miss that sound. Along with her short hair, it really seemed like she was going back to her bubbly self, less constrained and surer of herself without having to yield to higher-ups. That was all he could ask for before leaving.
He informed her that he was leaving for Wonju that weekend. Even someone as emotionally inept as him could tell that she was disappointed about that news. As sad as it was, he supposed it felt a little nice to know he would be missed by someone— that not everyone wanted to send him away since he brought trouble everywhere he went. At least, someone welcomed that part of him. At least, Senior Inspector Han welcomed him.
Senior Inspector Han poured him a drink.
“Goodbye,” she greeted. “It feels like we keep repeating this. ‘Goodbye, take care,’” she joked.
“Take care, Senior Inspector Han,” Si-mok said whole-heartedly. He was worried, but he believed in her as well. He guessed that him saying that so seriously sobered her up.
“Well, I guess I’ll be okay.”
“Hmm. Is there a chance you won’t be okay?”
Senior Inspector Han shook her head no, indicating she would be fine.
Si-mok, however, noticed her split-second hesitation.
Si-mok trusted her, of course. But he also knew how stubborn she could be. He knew she was the type of person to keep pretending she was okay when she wasn’t. He knew she also was the type of person to endure everything to protect others. He admired that part of her, but he didn’t want her to needlessly put herself in danger.
The food arrived, and Senior Inspector Han immediately went for the pajeon. She happily ate the pajeon, delighted by the simple fact that it had shrimp, seemingly without a care in the world. He held back a smile as he watched her intently, almost affectionately, even.
Just as Senior Inspector Han strived to protect others, Si-mok strived to protect Senior Inspector Han.
---
Yeo-jin was desperate to keep Hwang Si-mok by her side.
Yeo-jin wasn’t exactly thrilled when she was asked to temporarily transfer to the Intelligence Bureau, which she felt somewhat guilty for. It was objectively a great career jump for someone in her field, and for a woman like her, almost impossible to achieve. She would also get the opportunity to directly train under Chief Choi Bit, who had an outstanding track record under her belt. Still, she had grown to love working with her team in the Yongsan Police Station, and starting in a new work environment just added to her anxiety.
When she was introduced to the current team members in the Intelligence Bureau, she was greeted with forced acknowledging grunts and unwelcome stares, which definitely made her uneasy. She felt more like an intruder than a new teammate with the way they looked at her. Not to mention, the job entailed her to be isolated in a cubicle most of the day everyday, sorting and analyzing documents for cases and investigations. She felt restless and out of place and only found comfort in the fact that this was a temporary transfer.
Yeo-jin always found her short reprieve whenever her phone buzzed. She had a little pastime where she just sent Prosecutor Hwang a message randomly. She usually sent the first message, most of the time just asking how he’s holding up in his new assigned location or if his head was doing better. She didn’t think he would ever message anyone outside of work on his own accord, so she took matters into her own hands. Funnily enough, Prosecutor Hwang always somehow responded back to her messages within a few minutes of her sending him one.
So, when he told her he was temporarily back in Seoul for an assignment, she had almost jumped for joy (She actually would have had, if she weren’t in the headquarters when she answered his call). To her surprise, Prosecutor Hwang was the one who invited her to dinner to catch up. However, her joy was short-lived as their reunion dinner had been cut short. Not to mention, she found out they would be facing against each other in the Police-Prosecution council. She told herself that the one silver lining in this was that they would get to see each other regularly again.
Yeo-jin, despite being confident in her skills and knowledge, had been incredibly nervous when walking into the conference room for the first council meeting. She was glad that Detective Jang eventually agreed to join her in this team. At least she had someone she could be comfortable with besides her bosses. Another relief she had was knowing Prosecutor Hwang would be in the same room as her, albeit seated opposite of her.
When they entered the room, she spotted Prosecutor Hwang sitting alone. He immediately got up to greet them, which she used as an opportunity to introduce him to Chief Choi. Even though there was an unspoken tension in the room, she couldn’t help but smile when she saw him again.
“It’s good to see you again. She told me you were back in Seoul,” Detective Jang told him as they were sitting down.
“I see.”
“Goodness. Can you at least ask him how his kids are doing?” Yeo-jin quipped, not able to hold back from teasing him. He was still as stiff as ever, but it was fun to watch. “‘How big are they now? I heard you had your second kid.’” She offered. Prosecutor Hwang merely looked at her before copying her question.
“How are your kids doing?” he parroted back to Detective Jang.
Yeo-jin couldn’t help but laugh. Prosecutor Hwang, the immovable righteous force, always gave in so quickly whenever she suggested that he follow harmless social conventions. Her laughter quickly died down though on seeing Chief Choi’s unimpressed expression. She had forgotten for a moment that Prosecutor Hwang was their opposition and not her teammate like he had been years ago. Both she and Detective Jang sobered up under her stony glare. After a few moments, the other prosecutors arrived. Their picture was taken, and the discussion was underway.
Yeo-jin found herself in the middle of the debate, having strong feelings about the police’s investigative rights. When Prosecutor Hwang gave his points as well, she felt bristled by his detached manner of speaking. In the heat of the flying arguments, she responded with more bite in her words. When the prosecution walked out, she willfully ignored Prosecutor Hwang’s hesitant bow.
She could’ve kicked herself, honestly. They hadn’t seen each other in so long, and she was even excited to be able to work on something with him again, even if they were working for opposite sides. Yet, when he simply gave reasonable arguments, she snapped at him. Looking back, it was just Hwang Si-mok being Hwang Si-mok. She should’ve been the first one to understand that that was just the way he spoke. So much for being his close confidant. She couldn’t look him in the eye after that short, one-sided altercation, not when he looked at her with so much concern before leaving the room.
When they met again, albeit accidentally, it was outside Anyang Prison after her visitation with the suspect Lee Dae-seong. Weirdly and funnily enough, she was relieved that Prosecutor Seo Dong-jae was there as well. His presence meant that she didn’t have to address her outburst and awkwardness towards Prosecutor Hwang (yet) and just had to play along with Prosecutor Seo’s comical accusations instead.
Their next proper conversation happened when Prosecutor Hwang literally invited himself over. He seemed insistent to talk about something with her, to which she was hesitant to agree to. She still felt a bit guilty for lashing out at him during their debate, and on top of that, she was overthinking the files she had copied from the flash drive she was specifically told not to look at. She wasn’t really in the best state to entertain guests, but Prosecutor Hwang rarely showed urgency to talk to her or anyone, so she accepted.
Yeo-jin couldn’t put into words the relief that washed over her when she realized Prosecutor Hwang didn’t take her outburst last time personally nor did he hold a grudge against her for it. He had apparently gone to Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office and spent some few good hours there scouring their case archives before heading to her house. He started listing out the cases he had looked up, hoping to that he was right about one of them bothering her throughout this whole council debate. Yeo-jin kept her mouth shut, not exactly knowing if she could confide in Prosecutor Hwang about the case.
“You don’t draw these days?” Prosecutor Hwang suddenly asked, completely changing the topic. She was taken aback, not realizing someone had actually caught on about her stopping her doodling on paper. She had a professional image to uphold in front of her new, unforgiving coworkers, and she had no desire to be ridiculed for something so silly. She couldn’t believe that that someone to notice would be Prosecutor Hwang, who had only been back in Seoul for a few weeks, give or take. She turned to face him, unable to give a coherent answer to his simple question. To his credit, he understood and didn’t press on.
Prosecutor Hwang confided in her how he felt about the Tongyeong drowning incident, how he should have done something hurt but didn’t, which resulted in people getting hurt. Yeo-jin was surprised he chose to speak so vulnerably around him, and she fought the urge to hug him. Instead, she comforted him with her words.
Once he left, Yeo-jin almost broke her composure. She had felt so alone and conflicted, stuck between following her morals and siding with the Police agency for the greater good despite their questionable methods. Prosecutor Hwang was a breath of fresh air, but even then, she couldn’t bring herself to involve him into her personal dilemmas and put him in danger.
It sank in to her a few minutes later that their whole conversation could’ve been just a phone call after all, as he had suggested if she weren’t willing to meet, but he insisted on visiting her instead. Was his intention just to check up on her, even when she had accidentally treated him so harshly a few days ago? She sighed, sorry that she caught on to his intention so late. Still, she felt a little less alone and reassured knowing Prosecutor Hwang didn’t hold a grudge against her, and that was all that mattered to her.
Prosecutor Seo’s abduction caused a frenzy in ways Yeo-jin didn’t expect. Of course, his disappearance caused a stir. Prosecutor Seo was known in the prosecution and police fields, albeit not always in a positive light. Her old Yongsan team put in the effort to investigate the case as efficiently as they could, which she was grateful for. She could also sense Prosecutor Hwang’s urgency in finding his senior.
What she didn’t like, however, was that both sides of the council were somehow using his disappearance as a means for furthering their edge for the upcoming meeting. She wouldn’t say she was friends with Prosecutor Seo, per se, but he was somehow an indirect colleague, and she knew he was more entangled in the cases than he let anybody know. It left a bitter taste in her mouth knowing that this case was just being used as a stepping stone for both the Prosecution and the Police. The only ones who she felt were taking the urgency seriously besides herself were Prosecutor Seo’s team and Prosecutor Hwang himself.
Yeo-jin was grateful that Prosecutor Hwang went with her when she went to question ex-police chief Jeon Seung-pyo. The man was crude, violent, and disrespectful. While she didn’t bow down to his threats and violent behavior, it was reassuring to have someone by her side backing up her statements. She decidedly dropped him back to his car, which was the least she could do even after she said she wouldn’t. She reassured him that Prosecutor Seo would be fine and that they would find him together.
When Chief Choi accused Yeo-jin of colluding with the “enemy” by bringing Prosecutor Hwang along in her investigation and giving him ammunition to use against them, she almost scoffed. She couldn’t believe that was what Chief Choi was prioritizing over Prosecutor Seo’s endangered life. She gave the excuse of keeping Prosecutor Hwang close so she’d be able to keep an eye on him. When Chief Choi further insinuated she had only done so to keep spending time with him, she protested. While she did appreciate working alongside Prosecutor Hwang again, she did so not out of her own selfish motives but to assist him in the case, since he seemed to be the most determined to solve it.
The council met up again for another meeting at such an inconvenient time, just when they were starting to close in on Prosecutor Seo’s whereabouts. Just as Yeo-jin had expected, they were once again practically on each other’s throats, defending whatever rights they believed were respectfully theirs. When she looked over across the table, she suddenly noticed Prosecutor Hwang wincing in pain. When he got up to leave the room, she instinctively followed.
Yeo-jin fortunately caught up to him and was able to catch him before he collapsed. She led him to the quiet emergency exit staircase and sat beside him until he felt better. Just then, even when she had already known it before, she realized again how much Prosecutor Hwang mattered to her. As she patted his back and handed him a cold soda to help ease the pain from his headache, she hoped she was able to provide for him the comfort she had first promised him years ago.
“You weren’t the type of person to postpone things,” Prosecutor Hwang had stated on their drive back to Yongsan station. Yeo-jin deliberately avoided his eyes, afraid to see any form of disappointment or judgment from him. She had definitely been more outspoken before. She wished she could remain like that, but the stakes were higher now, and she refused to be used as a tool by others just for saying the wrong things out of righteous anger. However, she felt an odd sense of relief upon welcoming the comment. She still had Prosecutor Hwang to keep her grounded and noticed the changes she had gone through even after all these years. She wished she could express just how thankful she was for being her anchor.
Days in and days out, Yeo-jin regularly met with Prosecutor Hwang. In fact, she met up with him far more than she did with her Intelligence Bureau colleagues. She no longer cared if she were going to get accused of colluding with the “enemy,” not when barely anyone respected her there and she had to walk on eggshells almost every minute. With Prosecutor Hwang, she could be herself and talk and act how she normally would without fear of being reprimanded and dismissed. At this point, she only had Prosecutor Hwang to rely on.
Even after apprehending Kim Hu-jeong and safely rescuing Prosecutor Seo, Yeo-jin’s problems were far from over. She was relieved that Prosecutor Seo was rescued right on time, of course, but this incident also opened up yet another case involving their higher-ups, leaving her and Prosecutor Hwang on another pursuit to uncover the truth of Park Gwang-su’s death.
Yeo-jin could have sworn she heard the whole world crash down. Finding out that Chief Choi Bit, the chief she so admired and the woman she aspired to be, was also involved in covering up Park Gwang-su’s death felt like a betrayal. She stayed silent and held her head down, refusing to cry out of disappointment. She couldn’t think of a better time when she welcomed Prosecutor Hwang’s constant presence— silent, observing, and unrelenting.
Chief Woo Tae-ha threatened both of them afterwards. He threatened to ruin her career for being “complicit” in covering up Assembly Nam’s son’s narcotics case then tried to manipulate her into keeping quiet so she can protect Chief Choi Bit and herself. A few months ago, she probably would have given in, still unsure of her position and responsibilities in the Intelligence Bureau, and just worked hard to find alternate but more discreet ways to blow the case open.
Now, however, she was standing right beside Prosecutor Hwang who always remained unwavering in his ideals and morals. Because of him, she found the confidence to even scoff at the senior Prosecutor’s threats before walking away. She would deal with the consequences of her actions later. What mattered the most was that she was doing the right thing, and she was doing that beside someone who shared the same goal.
“He really meant it when he said he’d make you a convict,” Prosecutor Hwang told her quietly.
“I know. And I know he’s capable.”
“And I know he can’t decide by himself when and where to transfer me,” he added.
“I guess the higher-ups agreed to it,” she replied, the implications of their actions finally dawning on her. They shared a look of understanding.
They were so fucked.
But they’ll deal with it. They always have.
And they did.
Somehow, someway, Chief Choi Bit stepped down from her position in the Intelligence Bureau, leaving Yeo-jin’s name clear from any speculations. Despite her colleagues’ hostile behavior towards her, especially when they knew she was to blame for Chief Choi’s resignation, she stood her ground against them. She may have shed a tear or two behind closed doors, but it was mostly out of righteous anger more than anything. She only had Prosecutor Hwang to thank for reminding her what kind of person she was and strived to be.
Yeo-jin was excited when Prosecutor Hwang called her to invite her again to dinner. It had been so long since they were able to just sit down and talk. With so much that had happened over the past weeks, she was aching for just some downtime. Just upon entering the restaurant, she was greeted by the sight of Prosecutor Hwang setting out the utensils so neatly and meticulously while waiting for her. She almost laughed at how… un-Hwang Si-mok that was.
She was amused that Prosecutor Hwang actually noticed her new haircut and was surprised about it but refrained from saying she looked “weird” like he did years ago.
“It’s like when we first met. With your short hair.”
“I haven’t changed a bit, right?”
Prosecutor Hwang broke the news to her that he was already leaving Seoul that very weekend. Yeo-jin tried to mask her disappointment, she really did. But given the way Prosecutor Hwang looked at her as he carefully explained why he had to leave so soon, she must have failed spectacularly. She supposed she looked pretty pitiful at the moment while Prosecutor Hwang still seemed very put-together about his sudden departure.
Yeo-jin settled with pouring him a drink and greeting him a goodbye. She forced herself to smile and joke about their constant separation from each other. It wouldn’t do for them to end their last meeting on a sad note.
“Is there a chance you won’t be okay?” Prosecutor Hwang asked.
Yeo-jin stared at him for a second, unsure of how to react. Then, she forced herself to smile again and reassured him she would be fine. She tried to lift the mood by practically inhaling their food once it arrived and talking loudly, not wanting him to zero in on her sadness.
Genuinely, she appreciated— no, loved that Prosecutor Hwang even asked if she would be okay. She loved that, despite everything that had just happened and all that they had gone through, he always seemed to notice her— not just as Senior Inspector Han from the Intelligence Bureau and the Yongsan Police Station, but as Han Yeo-jin, too. To think he would even remember to ask her about her wellbeing during their farewell dinner… the very thought made her want to cry.
So, it made her stomach turn to lie to him like that.
Yeo-jin longed so badly to tell Prosecutor Hwang that honestly, she wasn’t too sure if she would be okay. She wanted to let him know that she appreciated him these past few weeks for quietly supporting her. She wanted him to stay for even just a few more days, no longer knowing how to handle the loneliness she was living in before he came back. She wanted to cling on to him, scared of how things would be like without him. She wanted to admit to him the growing emotions she had been feeling around him—emotions she herself couldn’t fully understand.
“Actually,” Yeo-jin started, nearing the end of their dinner. “I need to tell you something.” Maybe it was the soju in her system making her act so impulsively. Maybe it was her desperation to keep being by his side or vice versa.
“Hmm?” Prosecutor Hwang tilted his head ever so slightly. And how she adored that, too. She poured herself another shot of soju and downed it, bracing herself.
“I… I think I… Oh, I actually can’t do this, after all.” She laughed nervously. What was she thinking?
“Are you okay, Senior Inspector Han?”
“I’m fine. I’m sorry,” Yeo-jin replied quickly, backtracking. “Never mind, it’s not important.” She tried to pour herself another shot, but Prosecutor Hwang stopped her, hovering his hand over hers.
“Why are you so nervous? Did I do something wrong?” She looked up from her glass and saw him slightly furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Oh, she couldn’t do that to him either.
“No, I’m sorry. It’s not you. I was just being stupid.” She sighed, opting to trace on the rim of her shot glass with her finger instead to avoid eye contact since he stopped her from pouring more alcohol in it. “I just hoped you would stay longer, that’s all.”
Yeo-jin was met with silence. Maybe she had gone too far. Maybe he wasn’t comfortable with her the way she had been in his presence. She couldn’t believe she just ruined their last dinner together. She refused to look at him, terribly regretting her last words. She cleared her throat.
“Uh, I’ll pay the bill. I’m the one who ordered a lot anyway,” she stated, a weak attempt to avoid further confrontation. She started to stand up, but a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. She looked back in surprise and saw Prosecutor Hwang awkwardly sprawled over the table because of his attempt to stop her from walking away.
“Wait, don’t go.” He slowly let go of her wrist. Something about the way Prosecutor Hwang said those simple words made her chest ache, so she acquiesced and sat back down. He did the same. “Me too,” he said quietly without preamble.
“What?”
“I hoped that I got to stay longer, too. I don’t want to leave either.”
“I mean, of course,” Yeo-jin replied, rationalizing. “Your family is here, right? And you were doing such great work in the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. It’s unfair that they’re relocating you for just doing your job. You’d have better opportunities here.”
“I don’t care about any of that,” he said in a matter-of-fact voice. She almost laughed at how fast he waved her reply off. “Why do you want me to stay in Seoul longer?”
“I just liked working with you, that’s all,” she said, shrugging. Also talking with you, sharing meals with you, and spending time with you.
“Me too.”
Prosecutor Hwang had always been frank, brutally honest to a fault, but always undeniably sincere. Yeo-jin looked back at him, finally making eye contact again. She could tell he understood what she really meant without her saying all of it and that he still meant what he said even then. She had to blink back the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. She smiled again, this time genuinely.
“Thank you, Prosecutor Hwang,” she said softly, relief flooding her. “That means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for.”
They had no real solution to prevent him from leaving. Prosecutor Hwang was still mandated to go to Wonju, and Yeo-jin wouldn’t dare impose on sabotaging his career for her selfish reasons. She also had her own duties to fulfill in Seoul. But knowing that he felt the same was enough to comfort her. They would make it work somehow, someway.
They always have.