IMTS 08

Chapter 08

It was at that very moment that Cheong-ah passed by Yushin.

“Whoa?”

As if by coincidence, Cheong-ah’s foot lightly caught the tip of Yushin’s shoe.

In an instant, her balance collapsed, and she lost her footing while holding a tray.

Her gaze darted quickly around, focused on the tray floating midair.

Now, lowering her center of gravity, she rotated her body on her right foot.

By bending her knees and rolling once, she could avoid falling.

And instinctively, she knew she could save the tray as well.

But at the last moment, the face she saw was Yushin’s.

A mere janitor performing an incredible forward roll while protecting a tray like some circus act? That was far too suspicious.

“Hmph. Just die then.”

Cheong-ah clenched her eyes shut.

And she chose to fall to the ground. Of course, she didn’t forget to “accidentally” step on Min Yushin’s foot as if it were unavoidable.

Thud.

The tray fell, a bowl of soup flew, and the clatter echoed loudly.

From behind came Yushin’s “Ugh!” from his stepped-on foot.

“Oh my, Bok-seon!”

“Aiyo, Bok-seon-ah!”

Cheong-ah’s coworkers hurriedly dropped their spoons and rushed over to help her up.

“Bok-seon, are you okay?”

“I’m sorry, Professor.”

Yushin slightly furrowed his brows as if his foot hurt and gave a light bow to the apologetic janitors.

At that moment, Cheong-ah, pushing herself up with her hands, spoke loudly.

“No! Why are you apologizing? Professor’s foot—”

Yushin’s shameless voice from behind cut her off.

“You stepped on my foot. While sitting still.”

“…!”

“Oh, should you be the one apologizing? What, because your legs are long? My bad.”

He set down his utensils with a clack.

Then he grabbed a tissue and began cleaning up the side dishes spilled on the table. The messy tissue was crumpled tightly in his hands and tossed onto the tray.

Yushin then turned toward Cheong-ah and extended his hand with a gentle smile.

But Cheong-ah surely saw the fleeting, dangerous expression on his face that seemed to say, “Keep your eyes open.”

Without thinking, she forcefully swatted his hand away.

Smack!

“Ah…”

Yushin’s expression, full of mock regret, scanned the surroundings once.

He shrugged his shoulders lightly and brushed the side dishes off Cheong-ah’s shoulder.

Leaning close, he added in a low voice meant only for her ears:

“By the way, why didn’t you use a breakfall today? Performing a stunt like that is embarrassing for others.”

“…!”

Having said his piece, he straightened up and walked off, his long legs easily stepping over Cheong-ah as she remained on the ground.

Cheong-ah couldn’t bring herself to grab him or speak. Her hands pressed against the floor, tense.

Yushin’s teasing voice lingered in her ears.

It was as if he was silently asking, “Who exactly are you?” sending chills down her neck.

He suspected her.

Min Yushin was definitely suspicious of her now.

If he truly was the head of a drug trafficking organization, this was extremely dangerous. Even as a civilian, she couldn’t risk letting him discover her police identity.

She couldn’t draw attention like this.

Finally, she snapped back to reality.

Cheong-ah took a deep breath.

“I’m so sorry. I was careless.”

She smiled awkwardly and bowed apologetically to those around her, determined to properly apologize to Min Yushin as well.

Avoiding him awkwardly wouldn’t solve anything.

The ‘Bok Bok-seon’ undercover here had to be able to say sorry easily, flinch at the professor’s words, and bow obediently.

She needed to maintain the image of harmlessness despite being clumsy and oblivious.

Any more attention or suspicious behavior could be disastrous.

“Apologize. Make it seem sincere. No, be sincere.”

Pull yourself together, Kim Cheong-ah. You came here to work, after all.

“Ugh…”

Yushin instinctively pressed against the bathroom wall, wincing from the dull ache.

He gave a faint, wry laugh as he stared blankly at the wall.

The stab from the tanghulu skewer a few days ago still hurt across his back. The reason he couldn’t avoid the sharp skewer was simple.

Wearing a thick stab-resistant suit under his surgical gown to avoid unexpected danger, he hadn’t noticed the skewer’s point until it pierced the fibers of the suit.

The result was a bruised, deep purple across his entire back.

Yushin, almost obsessively careful with his body, was even more annoyed.

“…Seriously.”

His mind kept replaying the sight of Bok Bok-seon—or rather, Kim Cheong-ah—wide-eyed in panic after stabbing him with the skewer.

She had apologized and fled in a frenzy, yet her retreating figure somehow lingered in his mind.

Normally, work-related incidents wouldn’t occupy him so. He would have just cursed once and let it go. Ignored it.

Not drawing attention. Not revealing one’s presence.

That was Min Yushin’s way.

But today, something uncharacteristic had happened.

He could have easily predicted that Kim Cheong-ah would use the annex cafeteria to avoid him. And given the janitors’ set meal times, “coincidentally” running into her again wasn’t difficult.

“And she tripped me.”

Her face, falling to the floor in slow motion, kept haunting him.

The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed.

“…Why did I do that? What was I thinking?”

No matter how he tried to rationalize, there was no reason.

A foolish act.

Yushin chuckled at his own absurdity.

It was at that moment.

Bang! A loud sound rang out.

Cheong-ah—or rather, Lady Bok Bok-seon—with rubber gloves and a toilet brush poked her head out of the cleaning supply cabinet and spoke:

“Right, Professor? I was thinking the same thing. Why on earth did I do that?”

Yushin’s face turned pale as he instinctively twisted away from her direction.

“Wh-what? Why? Why are you here?”

“Why? The fifth floor is my cleaning zone.”

Cheong-ah rattled the toilet brush in her hand as she approached him. Yushin, wide-eyed, waved his hands.

“Don’t come closer!”

Cheong-ah blinked and looked up at him.

“Professor… I’m really sorry.”

“…”

“Please accept my apology. Stabbing you wasn’t intentional. And stepping on your foot wasn’t intentional either. I mean, how could a lowly janitor like me avoid something like that?”

Yushin’s expression darkened further.

“What if rumors spread that I got on your bad side and I get fired? Please forgive me.”

Cheong-ah clasped her hands together in desperation, the toilet brush wobbling dully between them.

Yushin yelled:

“Argh! I said don’t come closer!”

He dodged quickly to avoid the brush, his gown fluttering as he moved.

At that moment,

Clank—

A massive, unmistakable movement brushed past him, barely contained.

For a brief moment, silence fell over the bathroom.

“…”

“Ugh!”

“…Aaaah!”

A slightly, no, considerably delayed scream from Cheong-ah echoed loudly throughout the bathroom.