Dangerous Investigation Diary

Ep. 18 ° Puppet Suicide Case (1)

Inside the interrogation room, the only sound was Officer Ha's sobbing. It was a very soft sound, but even that was almost inaudible, buried in Officer Ha's arms. However, it was a sound that was loud enough for the members of Team 1 of the Violent Crimes Unit to hear.

Even as time passed relentlessly, the members of Team 1 of the Violent Crimes Unit silently stood by Officer Ha's side. No one could offer even a word of comfort. After about an hour, Officer Ha seemed to have calmed down, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and sitting up from his position on the interrogation room floor.

Officer Ha, his eyes red and swollen, stared at the members of Team 1, still in the interrogation room. His eyes were slightly startled, as if he hadn't realized they were waiting. Officer Ha immediately lowered his head and clutched the tear-stained sleeve of his uniform.

김남준 [30]

"Have you calmed down a bit?"

하여주 [28]

"...Ah, ah. Yes. That..."

김태형 [29]

"No apologies."

하여주 [28]

".....thank you."

김석진 [32]

"It's a given, so let's ban gratitude."

김석진 [32]

"If you've calmed down, should we go to the office?"

하여주 [28]

"yes..."

Only then does Officer Ha walk back to his office with a faint smile. The dependable members of the Violent Crimes Unit 1 also follow him back to their office. Perhaps it's only now that they feel like they've truly become a team.

민윤기 [31]

"That's right. Officer Ha, are you feeling okay?"

하여주 [28]

"Yes! I'm fine. Just a little sleepy?"

정호석 [30]

"What... What brings you here, Detective Min?"

민윤기 [31]

"shut up."

정호석 [30]

"...too bad."

박지민 [29]

"Go home and get some rest. Let's get some rest today too."

김남준 [30]

"I just got a call and they said they're giving me a pass on work today."

하여주 [28]

"Oh, really?"

정호석 [30]

"Yeah... let's take a break too."

김석진 [32]

"Officer Ha, go in quickly and rest."

하여주 [28]

"thank you!"

정호석 [30]

"Should I give you a ride?"

하여주 [28]

"Uh... no! It's okay."

The reason I refused the offer of a ride was because I was worried my acquaintance with the high-ranking officials might be discovered. I've been using that power a lot lately, so the thought of a parachute sound being heard was the worst-case scenario.

하여주 [28]

"Let's go in first - thank you for your hard work!"

I knew my seniors weren't the kind of people who would do that, but I was still scared.

Ah, how long has it been since I've walked down the street in broad daylight without a care in the world? I was wearing my uniform, so I could feel people avoiding me a bit, which was a bit nerve-wracking... but being a police officer felt even more real once I got outside.

Just as I couldn't bring myself to tell Detective Jeong that my wrists were still numb from being held by my father, I decided to bury today's events. I tried to act calmly, thinking I could use my childhood as a springboard for growth.

At that moment, just as I was thinking, "This leisurely life isn't what it used to be," my steps stopped at a certain spot. It was my alma mater, but that wasn't the reason I stopped. It was the crowd of people and police officers gathered at Imjeon High School.

하여주 [28]

"...what?"

김연지 [26]

"Huh? Please do it, officer!"

하여주 [28]

"Huh? Oh, uh, hello...!"

김연지 [26]

"I'm your junior, so please speak comfortably!"

The person who spoke to me as I was loitering in front of Imjeon High School was Kim Yeon-ji, a police officer from the Violent Crimes Unit 2. Despite her young age, she was already active in the Violent Crimes Unit, which caught my eye.

하여주 [28]

"Oh, uh uh..."

하여주 [28]

"By the way, what's going on here?"

김연지 [26]

"Oh, this is an incident that all the seniors from Team 1 have finished work and come to us."

김연지 [26]

"The investigation is progressing slowly, so this case will be transferred to the senior team tomorrow!"

김연지 [26]

"Would you like to take a look?"

I figured it wouldn't hurt to take a look. Since I'd have to return to the scene tomorrow anyway, I figured I'd just consider it a preliminary inspection. I readily accepted the offer and rushed to the scene. It was also nice to still be nervous before heading to the scene.

As I approached the familiar police line, I saw a drawing of a person drawn with white lines on the flowerbed of the playground. Ever since I was a child, that drawing had always given me a strange feeling. It looked like something... about to burst out of the painting at any moment.

Putting aside my useless thoughts for a moment, I focused on the chattering students and teachers.

"Suicide?"

"Oh my, that's terrible... Who is it?"

"Um, that... you know. Joo Seon-yeong from class 5, grade 2? I think that's her."

"Wow! Wasn't he a bully? Those kids bullied him so much..."

"Did he commit suicide after being bullied..."

"How can I go to school when I'm scared..."

The child who committed suicide was Joo Seon-yeong, Class 5, Grade 2. The kids say she was bullied, but we'll probably find out if we investigate. I'll make a note of this and tell the seniors tomorrow. Where's my notebook...?

최종호 [33]

"hello-"

Oh, I got tangled up again.

송민기 [30]

"Huh? Inspector, over there..."

최종호 [33]

"Wow~ It's nice to see you again."

이수담 [29]

"how have you been doing?"

When did you see me? You're speaking informally to me... You're my senior, so just hold back, hold back.

하여주 [28]

"Oh, hello."

손나은 [29]

"Where did your seniors go and you're alone?"

하여주 [28]

"...Just that."

송민기 [30]

"Wow...lol The personality of the Strong Team 1 is becoming exactly like that."

하여주 [28]

"...I'll go first. I'm a bit busy."

이수담 [29]

"Yeah, you must be busy~"

하여주 [28]

"Unlike others, I'm a bit busy."

최종호 [33]

"...What did you say?"

하여주 [28]

“This is just a remark, so don’t worry about it.”

하여주 [28]

"Oh, and."

하여주 [28]

"There's a case coming up for our work tomorrow, so maybe it'd be better if we just left it unattended?"

손나은 [29]

"That's really..."

최종호 [33]

"Leave it alone."

송민기 [30]

"What kind of crazy guy has the Strong Team 1 raised?"

I had a fleeting thought, "Is this the right thing to do?", but I felt proud and left the scene, knowing that my seniors would definitely say I did a good job.

...but I think I forgot something.

하여주 [28]

"I'm back-"

I knew I wouldn't get a reply, but I'd gotten into the habit of raising my voice and greeting her. Normally, the housekeeper would have come out, but today, all the maids were on vacation, and there was no way the old man would be home at this hour...

Feeling empty, I couldn't even go to my room, so I just took off my coat, placed it on the back of the living room sofa, and lay down on the sofa.

하여주 [28]

"...Ah, there's nothing to do."

Now that I'm home after such a long time, I have nothing to do, and all I can think about is what I told Team 3 of the Violent Crimes Unit earlier. I turned on the latest TV and flipped through the channels, but it wasn't interesting at all. And that's understandable... I was so caught up in my police preparations that I didn't even know what was fun.

Just then, as I was letting out a bitter laugh, thinking I'd wasted my life, a welcome ringtone rang out from my phone. Perhaps it was the people I needed most, the ones I'd been waiting for.

하여주 [28]

- "hello?"

김석진 [32]

- "what are you doing?"

하여주 [28]

- "Uh... no. I'm just lying at home."

김석진 [32]

- "Oh, really? You got off work earlier and went straight home?"

하여주 [28]

- "Yes... why?"

김석진 [32]

- "No... Detective Choi from Team 3 called me earlier to talk about you."

하여주 [28]

- "...which..."

김석진 [32]

- "What... You're picking a fight with them. How are you supposed to educate a child..."

하여주 [28]

- "...Ah. That..."

김석진 [32]

- "I didn't mean to bother you. I was just curious and called."

김석진 [32]

- "I thought, 'That coward has grown up a lot.'"

하여주 [28]

- "...Oh, I just wanted to start a fight first."

하여주 [28]

- "I'm a bit busy compared to everyone else. The case will be passed on to us anyway, so I'll just give it a quick look and go..."

김석진 [32]

- "Yeah, yeah... Good job."

하여주 [28]

- "...thank you."

김석진 [32]

- "By the way, what incident? Where did you go for the scene?"

하여주 [28]

- "Ah. I stopped on my way home because there was a crowd at Imjeon High School."

하여주 [28]

- "Officer Kim from Team 2 came and told me to report to the scene of the incident, which will be transferred to Team 1 tomorrow."

김석진 [32]

- "okay?"

하여주 [28]

- "Yes... Oh, that's right. And,"

Just as I was thinking about the things I hadn't written down in my notebook earlier and was about to tell Superintendent Kim, I heard the door lock. Was the old man already here?

하여주 [28]

- "Oh, Inspector Kim. I'll call you back later."

김석진 [32]

- "Ah, uh, uh. Okay. Take a break~"

The call ended, and I looked toward the front door. I saw a man coming in, taking off his shoes. It felt like work had finally finished quickly, but I still couldn't get used to the man's full setup.

하여주 [28]

"Are you here?"

윤도운 [35]

"Yeah. I heard you were talking on the phone. Who is it?"

하여주 [28]

"Oh, Team Leader. Superintendent Kim."

윤도운 [35]

"Keep going, why?"

하여주 [28]

"I told you, I can't let anyone find out I live here."

윤도운 [35]

"I'll have to tell you someday..."

윤도운 [35]

"By the way, it's been a while since I've been home."

윤도운 [35]

"Did you eat anything?"

하여주 [28]

"No... I don't remember what I ate after starting work..."

윤도운 [35]

"Let's eat something. What do you want to eat?"

Now that I think about it, it really was. It's already been five days since I started working as a police officer in Team 1 of the Violent Crimes Unit, and I only remember coming home once or twice. The only time I had anything decent to eat was when I was drinking with my seniors. Those were all my memories.

하여주 [28]

"Oh~ Can you do it for me?"

윤도운 [35]

"No way. Let's just order it."

For now, I'll just fill my hungry stomach and sleep, and then think about work. Inspector Kim needs to rest, too... That's right.

하여주 [28]

"hello...!"

김태형 [29]

"1 minute before being late~"

김태형 [29]

"It was really close?"

Yesterday, I ate a lot for the first time in a while and fell asleep due to food intolerance. It felt like I slept for a good 12 hours. When I woke up this morning, something felt off. I glanced at the clock and saw it was already way past my work prep time. I panicked, quickly washed up, put on my uniform, and ran like crazy to barely avoid being late...

정호석 [30]

"Officer Ha, you must have slept well last night~"

하여주 [28]

"Haha... yes..."

Just then, as the hour and minute hands on the clock struck exactly 8:00 AM, the welcome sound of a siren echoed through the office. It was the first siren I'd heard in a long time. Now, with a certain familiarity, I gathered my gear and awaited the order to deploy.

정호석 [30]

"Case number 2002do257, Imjeon High School, Imjeon-dong. A high school girl has committed suicide by jumping from a building. Dispatch immediately."

민윤기 [31]

"Strong Team 1, prepare to deploy."

It was the case I saw yesterday. I realized this yesterday from hearing Officer Kim's words: our team seems busier than others, taking on cases they can't solve. The investigation is slowing down, so...

김남준 [30]

"Uh, wait a minute. Dispatch aborted..."

김석진 [32]

"...what?"

Just as I was thinking that, Sergeant Kim checked his email, frowned, and ordered the dispatch to be halted. It was unusual for a superior to reverse a dispatch order, and Sergeant Kim frowned as well.

김남준 [30]

"Inspector... this is an order."

김석진 [32]

"...You guys wait here."

Superintendent Kim left the office with a slightly angry expression. His seniors didn't bother asking, assuming he'd be headed to the Superintendent's Office. Superintendent Kim likely went with a gun, determined to find out why the dispatch had been suspended.

The responsibility of being a team leader was heavier than I thought.

김석진 [32]

"Sir, this is Inspector Kim from Violent Crimes Unit 1."

경무관 [43]

"Oh, come in."

As the leader of Violent Crimes Unit 1, I went to the Superintendent's Office instead. I've worked for several years with a greater sense of responsibility, and there are many things I haven't done for Violent Crimes Unit 1. But even so, I continue to strive.

김석진 [32]

"Suddenly canceling the dispatch? I've never seen anything like this before."

김석진 [32]

"Please tell me the reason for the suspension."

경무관 [43]

"Oh, that incident."

경무관 [43]

"It went over to the 3rd strong team."

김석진 [32]

"...yes?"

경무관 [43]

“It feels like I always make you guys handle the cases.”

경무관 [43]

"I did that to give the three powerful teams a chance as well."

김석진 [32]

"What is that... Isn't this the incident that happened yesterday?"

경무관 [43]

"yes."

김석진 [32]

"Sergeant Ha heard from Officer Kim yesterday that the case will be handed over to us tomorrow."

김석진 [32]

"The reason for changing something that had already been confirmed the day before, and even after the dispatch order was issued, was simply..."

경무관 [43]

"As you know, Team 3 of the Strongest Investigation Team has been getting a lot of flak lately for not bringing in any cases."

경무관 [43]

“But even though they are called the Powerhouse Team, I selected them, so… I think they are like that too.”

김석진 [32]

"There's a separate reason why they get cursed at, and there's a separate reason why we got cursed at by the top police team in the country."

김석진 [32]

“I don’t know about other people, but are you trying to deceive me?”

경무관 [43]

"...okay."

경무관 [43]

"This is a request from Team 3. They're asking you to hand over the case."

김석진 [32]

".....I knew it."

김석진 [32]

"They seem to have a bad habit of stealing from us for the past three years."

김석진 [32]

"Following the new police officer incident, now there's even a case..."

김석진 [32]

"Just as Officer Ha said, I wondered why an insignificant team kept bringing up our case."

김석진 [32]

"I never knew you had such bad taste."

경무관 [43]

"Careful with your words, Inspector Kim."

김석진 [32]

"Did I say something wrong?"

김석진 [32]

"As I said before, there's a reason why they're at the bottom of the performance rankings."

김석진 [32]

“There’s a reason I get cursed at.”

김석진 [32]

"I guarantee you, Team 3 won't be able to hold out for even two days before they hand over the case."

김석진 [32]

"Then, we'll just have to watch the investigation go awry."

경무관 [43]

"Just a moment, Inspector Kim."

경무관 [43]

"Let me make a suggestion."

김석진 [32]

"What is it?"

If only I hadn't listened to that damn offer in the first place.

경무관 [43]

"This case will be investigated jointly with the 3rd Violent Crimes Unit."

I hope this makes you feel less guilty.

경무관 [43]

"If you handle it well, I'll give you a promotion."

Today, too, I was unable to complete my duties as a team leader.

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