Chapter Text
“Han Juwon, you’re under arrest without a warrant for embezzlement.”
Juwon stood up from where he’d been reclining and languidly approached the familiar detective who immediately cuffed him, “Do you believe the charges?”
That gave Lee Dongsik pause, Juwon wanted to laugh, “What?”
Juwon gestured towards his shackles and avoided Dongsik’s hand when it reached for his to complete the arrest.
“The charges,” He clarified, “Do you believe them?”
Dongsik nodded, “Yes.”
A wicked smile cut into Juwon’s face as he said, “Then get a fucking warrant.”
Juwon wrenched his cuffed hand from Dongsik’s grip and as though an order had been issued his suited bodyguards moved to shield him. Movement halted, guns weren’t unfastened, and a stilted silence descended. Juwon, for one, reveled in this kind of situation, it was his forte.
No one was willing to embed a bullet into their body for a trivial case like this one, it was child’s play to get away.
The detective raised a hand to the officers that barged in right alongside him making them stop in their tracks. He looked at Juwon, and asked cautiously, “Han Juwon-ssi, what’s the meaning of this?”
A careless smile played on Juwon’s lips as he replied, “That's exactly what I wanted to ask! What gives you the right to break into my hotel room like this?” He met the inspector’s hard stare, “You’re being too presumptuous in thinking that I won't cause a ruckus.”
Dongsik sighed, Juwon guessed he’d been suppressing it thus far to keep up airs, “You’re under arrest, you-“
“Without a warrant,” Juwon cut in.
The room was teeming with officers, their hands nowhere near their gun holsters, they knew who he was and he half wished they’d draw their weapons and shoot. They, much to his dismay, did not.
They remained frozen even as Juwon busied himself, gathering his belongings and continuing his explanation, “An arrest without a warrant requires the individual to be caught in flagrante delicto or to be suspected of posing a risk of escape or destruction of evidence.”
Juwon gestured to the extravagant room he’d bought for the night, and spun back to Dongsik to ask, “Does this look like I'm in the process of fleeing from a crime?”
The detective scanned the room and forced out a ‘no’, Juwon’s victory was short-lived however as a relatively younger officer burst into the room, hand raised, clutching a crumpled piece of paper and simultaneously holding the wall as well as his knees for support.
Pale and breathing steadily, the new arrival declared, “I got it!”
A warrant, Juwon thought haplessly, you’ve got to be kidding.
Then there was chaos, blue uniforms uncertain of their next move while his bodyguards acted decisively, pulling out their concealed guns, ready to protect their charge. Juwon surmised that it looked like a play, he may as well be a prince, his guards were playing their parts to perfection.
“Nobody move!” Juwon recognized that adenoidal voice, “My client doesn’t have to do anything until I verify the validity of that warrant.”
His lawyer, Kwan Hyuk, has arrived.
Oh good. The circus was missing a clown.
Kwan Hyuk had quickly strolled in -Hyuk never ran anywhere- after the policeman holding up his hand to stop everyone in the vicinity, it must’ve been quite a shock to him to realize he did not possess enough authority for his command to be accepted. In fact, it spurred the masses on.
By the time Juwon located his phone -underneath the dining table- the tense standoff had dissolved into officers yelling at his security, the guards warning them to back off in their low voices, and Hyuk attempting to wrangle the warrant out of the constable’s fist.
When Juwon mentioned a circus, he’d meant to be sarcastic.
Juwon furtively glanced at the detective who, to his surprise, was wearing a lopsided smile, amusement flicking in his eyes. He found himself mirroring Dongsik’s expression. Even the personnel set on arresting him thought this was ridiculous, at least he wasn’t alone in that.
Juwon’s smile waned for a millisecond, an imperceptible change that would get lost in the humdrum routine of normalcy unless remarked on or if someone was watching.
No one ever watched him.
After all these years that certainty was finally going to come in handy. Juwon looked around the room, every single person was embroiled in turmoil, some of his chaperones had even lowered their weapons to argue, pointing and shouting. Everyone had mixed together, deserting their prized training and indulging in petty annoyances.
Juwon supposed the theme was irritation, he could work with that.
In seconds Juwon had made his way to the exit while picking up lines he’d heard and adding to the commotion. His voice got lost in the fray, that wasn’t unusual.
The door had been left ajar, in his excitement, Juwon forgot to look over his shoulder, perhaps that was an irreparable mistake.
----
Juwon heard the rhythmic footsteps behind him like the fall of poker chips on a table, what started out as a good-natured game turned into a bloodbath. Well, gambling was always like that.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Juwon didn’t even bother turning around before replying, he’d know that goading, rough voice anywhere, “Ah, detective, so you saw me slip away.”
That wasn’t supposed to happen. It hadn’t before. Then again, he hadn’t been under investigation prior to this one. Juwon had made it to the ground floor of the hotel before Dongsik ambushed him, his luck had run out so soon after he’d acquired it.
This really is gambling.
“You didn’t slip away, you walked away,” Dongsik specified then casually proceeded to comment, “I wouldn’t be a detective if I didn’t notice.”
Laughter bubbled in Juwon’s chest, he compelled it to disappear. It did not. “Is that your subtle way of saying that no one in that room is ever getting a promotion or were you just eager to compliment yourself?”
Instead of providing an answer Dongsik pointed at the handcuffs dangling from Juwon’s right wrist, and reminded him, “You’re still under arrest,”
Juwon was convinced Dongsik was enjoying this, he could’ve sworn he saw a delicate curl of his lips that was quickly wiped away in favor of professional indifference.
“I was watching you,” Dongsik raised an eyebrow, clearly confounded at the relevancy Juwon’s leering had on his arrest, “When that officer came into the room, you didn’t seem at all surprised, nor did anyone else.” Juwon nodded to himself, revising his theory as he went on, “Of course that doesn’t mean anything, maybe you expected it because you’d put in a request, but that doesn’t explain why he acted like he’d just run the greatest marathon of his life without looking the part.”
Juwon turned around and started walking towards the double doors of the hotel marking his escape, idle in every manner, no one would guess he had a police officer on his trail, a beast in their midst.
“Looking the part?” Dongsik’s timbre gave nothing away, Juwon couldn’t sense anything, since he didn’t have ready access to the detective’s expression without revealing his own Juwon resigned himself to listening closely. It was frustrating and intriguing.
“Actors have to embody the character they play, that includes mimicking certain symptoms.”
Juwon paused, maybe Dongsik had already tuned him out, he risked a gander. Dongsik’s eyes were trained on the back of his head, or so Juwon assumed because he caught his gaze the second he slightly tilted his head. Dongsik was paying attention to Juwon’s every word, that felt… suffocating.
“I don't know about you, but after running somewhere I usually pant.” Juwon turned to face the inspector while saying sarcastically, “Maybe it’s just a preference of mi...”
Somehow Juwon had managed to underestimate their distance, the earthy scent of autumn and a head of untamed curls crashed into him.
Deep within him, a monotonous voice cautioned, ‘ Don’t let anyone know. Don’t let them see, if you do, you’ll be even more ruined than you are right now.’
Still, Juwon could not help but frantically stagger backwards at first, taking measured steps once he’d made it a few feet away from Dongsik and his quizzical brown eyes.
Dozens of people milled about in the lavish foyer, none of them seemed particularly fascinated by the pair, Juwon was thankful for that as he straightened his suit and resumed his colloquial stance.
A foolish rich boy. That was the part he’d been given, he had to be able to play at least this to satisfaction. He would.
Juwon kept his requirements in the forefront of his mind, just as he opened his mouth to continue, Dongsik started closing in on him, rudely disregarding the distance he’d put between them.
Juwon agitatedly realized that he’d backed all the way to the pillars holding the master staircase up, the smooth cylinder’s surface pressed into him, entrapping him.
Each step that the older man took bringing him closer to Juwon made his heart hammer, infesting his veins with anxiety.
“Are you okay, Han Juwon-ssi?”
He almost asked the detective to stop, but that wouldn’t fit Juwon’s image.
Stop talking. Stop getting closer. Stop.
Intimidation was a common tactic in the world and if he endured this it’d mean people could no longer use it on him. Surely, he’d become immune to something if it was applied to him too many times.
Juwon jerked his head, the receptionist was busy and so were the security guards stationed outside. He had to devise a plan that he could put into action prior to Dongsik puncturing his personal bubble.
A few steps away. Two steps away.
There was no plan.
Impulsivity that’d been scourged from him reawakened as his frantic mind groped for ideas, as the distance shrunk to only a couple centimeters between the two men, Juwon blindly reached out. A last-ditch attempt.
Warmth quelled in heavy cloth collided with his palm. His nerves tingled, fingertips twitching and pressing harder, not necessarily to push away just pressing into this reservoir of contained heat. Juwon wondered if he could sap all the warmth coursing underneath his hand by simply pressing harder. He tried, it didn’t work.
A cough brought Juwon's attention back to reality and the proximity of the detective’s face to his. Wide brown eyes stared back at him, curiosity and intrigue flickered through them, the harsh fluorescent lights inexplicably made the lines of the detective’s face that had appeared businesslike and severe, softer. He seemed human, not some cardboard cutout of a police officer, he was real. The only way Juwon could’ve seen these imperceptible details was if…
Mortification burned on Juwon's cheeks, mouth agape.
Unbeknownst to himself, Juwon had grabbed a fistful of Dongsik’s white dress shirt and pulled the detective to him, a live wire in his hands.
As soon as his mind registered the turn of events the introduction of body heat had made him take, Juwon quickly let Dongsik’s shirt go and bowed, all the pleasantries and snarky comments eluding him.
“I'm so sorry,” He rasped, already stumbling towards the double doors with gilded embellishments.
The doors opened the second he approached, in his frenzied departure, Juwon realized he’d forgotten to tell his bodyguards his location. It doesn’t matter, wasn’t it their job to find and protect him? He’d make do without them for the time being, right now outsiders might require protection from him rather than the other way around.
Despite walking a couple of minutes in the wintry air, Juwon's heart disobeyed every order he gave and continued erratically beating, his ribcage hurt from containing it. There was no remedy. It was annoying.
Juwon spent an hour meandering in the crowded streets, he kept to the side and evaded everyone that came too close, a simple brush of fabric would send a shiver up his spine.
After his hands were numb and his knees sore, Juwon took out his phone, pointedly ignored the messages that had accumulated from as early as 1AM, and checked his location. Luckily there was a smattering of hotel buildings nearby, and Juwon picked the one that seemed most flamboyant in their advertisements. Newly built, an ‘imperial hotel’ as the website boldly claimed.
It was good enough.
He booked a couple of rooms and called up the receptionist to ask how early he could arrive considering the rooms he’d selected consisted of the top floor.
The phone was answered after only one ring. Juwon silently praised their dedication to their customers as the thin, staticky voice of a woman pierced the cacophony of the city, “Good morning. Thank you for calling Ivory Hotel. My name is Yang Boram, how can I assist you?”
Juwon adopted a pleasant tone and squinted up at the sun, maybe if he looked at it long enough it’d burn today for his memories, “Good morning. I reserved 10 rooms on the 35th floor and I was wondering when the suite located on the same floor would be ready.”
“Under what name did you book these rooms, sir?” A faint layer of skepticism had encased the receptionist’s obligately friendly tone when she answered. Juwon didn’t blame her, it would’ve sounded preposterous to him too if he hadn’t done it so frequently before.
“Lee Dongsik,” Juwon took a key from the inner pocket of his coat, a gift from his uncle, and unlocked the manacles the inspector had stuck on him. He then concealed both items in his pockets, the weight of the steel invoked an odd feeling in his stomach.
“The suite will be ready in approximately 5 minutes, the other rooms will take a bit more time, is that okay?”
Juwon took the phone from his ear to check the time, 10:55AM , “Yes, I’ll arrive shortly.”
Then Juwon thanked her and hung up, over the course of their conversation he’d made it to the building he’d been staying in, security guards dressed as doormen greeted him kindly.
The foyer was just as ostentatious as the last building, the difference being that gold and vermillion had been their signature combination whereas here somber shades with silver accents reigned. If he wasn’t careful he’d get lost in this dreary daydream.
Juwon approached the receptionist’s blackwood desk. The woman’s distinct voice confirmed his reservations and handed him the keycard with the same amount of artificial cheer she’d displayed over the phone. Juwon envied her smile, she must’ve practiced it in the mirror and learned to perfect it, the right amount of politeness and cordiality. Or maybe it came naturally to her, maybe she hadn’t needed to practice at all.
Such superfluous thoughts occupied Juwon's mind as he mechanically got into the white elevator and pressed floor 35, the speakers located above him informed him of his decision. The elevator climbed to his floor at a steady pace, Juwon barely noticed other people milling in and out. It's not that he had too much on his mind, it’s that he had nothing at all. He tuned the world out completely, uninterested in the small talk that accompanied enclosed spaces nor the wandering eyes of others. He didn’t want to look at anyone.
Hyuk called when Juwon got like this, a trance. It wasn’t a trance, he wasn’t under a spell, he was aware of his surroundings to the basic degree. Shapes shifting and a din encapsulating him, that’s how he knew he was in the company of people. If someone asked him a question directly he’d answer, if interest was expressed towards him then he’d sense it. Such instances rarely occurred though so Juwon didn’t feel guilty going to social gatherings and submerging himself in a reality that was comprised of silence.
Juwon felt innocent in his endeavors, if he could choose he wouldn’t have chosen them anyway and they wouldn’t choose him. Balls and masquerades operated on a symbiotic relationship he merely decided not to partake. He couldn’t be blamed.
The second he unlocked the door, Juwon contemplated locking it again and throwing away the key. The hallway and the room’s style completely clashed, whilst the hotel presented a royal and excessive front the room incorporated varying shades of black and white. Clean, sleek, and modern. This was a disaster. The marketing was entirely misleading, it seemed not even buildings knew what they wanted to do, too scared to commit to either design.
What a disappointment.
Juwon was glad he’d booked a variety of rooms, he could examine all of them and form a proper conclusion.
Mindlessly, Juwon walked over to the living room where delicate vases and statues rested on an asymmetrical bookshelf and gathered the items carefully in his arms.
Slowly, unexpectedly each of them fell out of his grasp, smashing onto the floor and coating Juwon's feet in shards. Their plummet had been noiseless, only Juwon had known it would happen, he’d been merciful and let them believe their own interpretations of his actions until the price of ignorance was their destruction.
Juwon methodically repeated the same process in the kitchen, then in the bathroom, and finally the bedroom, he’d cradle the fragile porcelain, the dainty ornaments meant to buoy up the impersonal spaces and released them once they’d assumed they were safe.
Juwon had taken off his shoes when he entered, bare feet met jagged edges, and blood stained the pristine tiled floors. He wasn’t concerned about it, his bodyguards would arrive sooner or later and patch him up. He'd compensate them as well as the hotel staff who stumbled upon the scene handsomely and that’d be that.
Hours crawled past and no one came. Juwon patiently sat on the cream leather couch, his socks soaked and posture stiff.
The sun tottered from one end of the living room window to the next, the moon would soon persuade it to vacate the premises, and still, no one came.
Juwon was alone amidst the wreckage that he’d created.
He wasn’t sure if he’d turned on the heating system or not but goosebumps invaded his skin. He felt cold. He was cold. Had he always been like this? If so, shouldn’t he be used to it by now?
If someone is subjected to something too many times they become immune to it, so why wasn’t he immune to the cold yet?
Juwon watched the stars that’d recently emerged, someone had come for him after all, and plaintively asked, “When did the cold stop bothering you?” Lower, afraid, he murmured, “Has it?”
Before the twinkling lights could respond, an automatic clicking sound, which Juwon recognized as a keycard being accepted, disrupted the conversation
Someone was coming.
Despite his better judgment and general dislike of disappointment, Juwon glanced at the entrance just as Kwon Hyuk looked around the room, nonplussed for a millisecond.
Hyuk allowed himself a miffed shake of his head then quickly slipped into a serious tone, “The detective who came to arrest you in the morning is here.”
Juwon could sense this was a prelude to even worse news though seeing Dongsik again didn’t quite qualify as bad news to him. The scent of the forest, inquisitive eyes, and warmth. That doesn’t sound awful, impossible, sure, but far from awful.
As he’d suspected Hyuk continued, his gaze skipping from broken vase to Juwon’s disheveled self, “There’s a warrant out for your arrest, an actual one,” So Juwon had been correct, he was pleased in spite of the situation, “He’s come to execute it.”
Hyuk looked exhausted, left hand massaging his temple, suddenly Juwon pitied him and wished Hyuk hadn’t been the one to find him like this.
He didn’t regret doing it, he regretted being seen.
Shame washed over Juwon, drowning out the stinging of the soles of his feet as he got up and walked towards the shoes he’d set down parallel the wall, neat and orderly. They were the only items in that suite that could be described as such. Juwon almost didn’t want to move them, two black dress shoes perfectly aligned against the white wall. They looked immaculate.
with a grimace, Juwon thought that his father would approve. He hastily put them on.
Juwon hadn’t bothered avoiding the shards carpeting the floor, and dozens of minuscule pieces must’ve embedded themselves in his feet.
“I've already settled the check,” Hyuk informed him, hand on the door’s silver handle.
“But I…” Juwon trailed off realizing how stupid he would’ve sounded had he finished that sentence. His lawyer had meant; settled the check for refurbishing the room he’d wrecked. Of course, that’s what he’d meant.
Juwon left his ruined lodgings and came face to face with the detective he’d fled from. Lee Dongsik had been leaning against the light brown wall, fiddling carelessly with the handcuffs, Juwon assumes will end up on his wrists, when he called out to him, feigned exuberance at the ready, “Lee Dongsik-ssi, do you like me so much that you’ve decided to follow me wherever I go?
Dongsik glanced up at him, a crooked smile disorienting Juwon and further proving to him there was something in this detective that he’d missed the last time they met, “I do,” He jerked his head towards the elevator and instructed, “Now come along.”
Juwon's heart skipped a beat despite his circumstances, both parties were merely joking so why was Dongsik completely fine and ready to carry out his duties while Juwon came to the realization that as far as he can recall, no one’s ever admitted to missing him?
It scratched away at a decade-old annoyance Juwon had. Suddenly he wasn’t so keen on getting arrested, warrant be damned.
Dongsik seemed to have sensed his abrupt change of attitude because the older man stepped forward, relaxation forgotten and reached towards Juwon. It took immense control not to cringe away from the touch.
“Wait just a second, Inspector Lee.” From behind Juwon Hyuk protested and physically interjected before his client’s wrists could end up in steel. “The deal we struck was that my client would fully cooperate with the investigation if he was not placed in handcuffs and paraded through the media.”
“There’s a warrant out for his arrest, your client should feel lucky that I’m not holding him down and calling backup after the stunt he pulled,” Dongsik retorted.
“Even so-“
Juwon didn’t see any point in arguing, it would only delay the inevitable and make him dizzier than he already was. He looked at his hands, shallow, red scratches embellished his skin, nothing serious, before entrusting them to Dongsik who immediately cuffed Juwon's right wrist.
Hyuk and Juwon both waited for the detective to shackle him entirely. He did not. Hyuk breathed a sigh of relief beside him.
Juwon noticed that Dongsik hadn’t read him his rights, did that mean he wasn’t completely under arrest or that Dongsik was overly lax? Lax to the point of breaking the law.
Considering what Juwon knew about Lee Dongsik it could’ve been either. He was truly a mystery worth solving, a game worth playing.
Dongsik pulled Juwon into the elevator by the other end of the cuff that he clutched in his hand. He was using it like a leash, that ticked Juwon off more than anything today, even more than falsely being accused of embezzlement.
Juwon almost opened his mouth to provoke the detective and get himself fully arrested but a single glance at Hyuk stopped him. He closed his mouth and focused on the pain contained in his shoes. Every step urticated, his throat felt parched, the more Juwon zeroed in on the agony the worse he felt.
Good.
He barely registered the camera flashes that momentarily blinded him and made him walk into Dongsik's back, a moment of warmth, and then it was gone.
Juwon continued focusing on the sensation that felt akin to strolling across a garden with needles as grass until he was sat down in a bleak room. An interrogation room, Juwon gathered based on the makeup of it. Sparse furnishing, grey walls, and a two-way mirror. He peered to his right, foolishly trying to make out anything on the other side of the mirror. A game to pass the time.
Sometime later two people, a woman, and a man of average build, came into the door and sat opposite Juwon, he’d never come across either of them. Then again the only detective he’d ever talked to was Lee Dongsik and he wouldn’t exactly categorize their conversations as friendly.
Even separated by a table, Juwon could see that the male inspector didn’t feel relaxed, he didn’t look it despite them being on his turf.
The man stared ahead and recited, “My name is Kang Dosoo. I'll be observing the investigation.”
“My name is Oh Jihwa and I will be conducting the investigation. Shall we begin?” The woman detective whose name was evidently, Oh Jihwa, asked while she powered up the computer facing her.
Juwon nodded, unsure whether his assent held any value here.
Jihwa looked at him and said calmly, “Han Juwon-ssi, you’ve been arrested for embezzlement and obstruction of justice, do you admit to these charges?”
Juwon scoffed and held back from rolling his eyes, “No.”
“Do you possess two bank accounts?”
“Yes.”
The detective glanced at the screen briefly, double-checking the information, “One of those being 143637224 and the second one being 333120730, correct?”
Juwon shifted in his seat, “Yes.”
“Do you typically participate in or incite criminal activity?”
“Excuse me?”
“Shall I give you a couple of examples?” The leading detective thought for a moment then suggested evenly, “Criminal activity that would assure money ended up in your pocket. Something along the lines of money laundering, tax evasion,” She paused, “Embezzlement.”
Juwon blinked, confused, and placed his hands on the wooden table in full view of the detectives. Juwon’s watch glinted in the fluorescent lights overhead, ”Money laundering? Do I look like someone who’d need to launder money?”
Jihwa glared at Juwon, unamused, and accused him outright, “Do you admit to using 333120730 to embezzle over 1.5 billion won?”
“What? No! Of course not!”
The previous questions had lured Juwon into a false sense of security, he’d almost relaxed. Upset at his nerves for settling down so easily and himself for reacting so glaringly guiltily, Juwon ground his feet into the floor. Silent pain flared up in his legs, he stifled a grunt.
The interrogation continued, thankfully all parties present remained ignorant of Juwon's condition. He wasn’t succumbing to vertigo yet so that had to account for something. Maybe Hyuk would come up to him afterward and comment on how tough he was before hustling him to a doctor- Juwon bit his tongue as a wave of nausea hit him- a surgeon.
Matter of fact, Jihwa stated, “That account was used on multiple occasions to overbill clients and cash customer checks from a company called Medi-Save Insurance.”
Medi-Save? that can’t be…
“When did it start?” Juwon demanded hurriedly.
The detective raised an eyebrow, severity winning over her curiosity, “We can’t disclose that information to a suspect.”
A suspect?
It made sense to suspect him, his account had been used. Remnants of the crime would lead back to him- ideally, they’d lead back to him and they had. Every single scrap of evidence must point to him.
“Was the first incident around November 10th, 2019?”
The detectives exchanged glances, briefly shock before resuming the questioning in a more cautious manner. They thought they had him, “How would you know that?”
Juwon crossed his arm and began, “I…”
“What the hell do you think you three are doing?!”
Before Juwon could make his case, a furious voice and the slamming of a door interrupted him. A short man whom he’d never so much as heard of much less seen bowed to him the second their eyes met. All signs of enragement replaced by reverence. Juwon almost got whiplash as he stood up, ignoring the discomfort.
The man shuffled towards him, half bowed, which left Juwon staring at missing patches of hair on the top of his head, “Han Juwon-ssi, please don’t take anything these officers might’ve said seriously.” Juwon heard a snort from where the stranger had barged in from, “They’re inexperienced.”
He must’ve taken Juwon's silence for smothered wrath because he abruptly lifted his head and grabbed Juwon's arm, beseeching him further, “Please don’t mention any of this to your uncle. It was a mistake on our part, we’re deeply sorry!”
My uncle? God, who cares.
As soon as the man’s impassioned speech concluded, Juwon shook him off. He examined the surface of his watch and bluffed, “If you don’t mind, I have somewhere to be.” His eyes swept over the room, a smirk bejeweling his features, “Your people have wasted enough of my time.”
Muttered apologies faded into the background as Juwon walked out of the stuffy interrogation room into a similarly fuggy hallway. The crucial difference being that in that hallway stood Lee Dongsik, inexplicable repose passed over Juwon before he felt the detective's eyes on him, surveying him.
Juwon adjusted his gait under Dongsik's searching eyes and walked out of the police station biting the inside of his mouth and struggling to keep upright.
There were more important matters to attend to than his wounds, they’d heal eventually but the act of betrayal and the tarnishing of his reputation wouldn’t.
Medi-Save Insurance? Who else could’ve done this except Lee Rangjin!
Suddenly, he wasn’t enjoying this game anymore no matter the thrill.