Chapter : 2. What Are You Looking At?
Jihyuk had moved into IL Apartments a few days ago.
Just a five-minute walk from the Prosecutors’ Office.
For someone like him, who worked frequent overtime and even gave up his weekends, it was the perfect place to live.
But…
He kept getting off work after eleven at night, so he hadn’t even had the chance to enjoy his new home.
All he did was shower and sleep.
The movers had unpacked his furniture and clothes, but since he left for work before dawn every morning, he had no idea where anything had been put.
In short, the place was a complete mess.
So today, he decided to leave work earlier than usual and finally get everything organized.
Besides, he had something important to deal with tomorrow.
Jihyuk slipped both hands into the pockets of his suit and looked around.
The softly illuminated landscaping looked beautiful even at night, and he could see a walking path winding through it.
The open view stretched alongside an artificial waterfall.
It was still February, so the waterfall wasn’t running yet.
Standing where he was, Jihyuk memorized the layout of the buildings and the walking routes.
Perhaps because of the cold weather, the apartment complex was nearly deserted.
The only people around were a man in his mid-forties sitting on a bench with earphones in while looking at his phone…
…and, farther away, a woman crouching beside a dog.
At least it was quiet.
That alone earned it a passing grade.
Bzzz.
His phone vibrated from the inner pocket of his jacket, the vibration tickling his firm chest.
He disliked the way the buzzing traveled through his torso, but keeping his phone there had become a habit because it was easy to reach without restricting his movements.
Just as he slipped a hand into his jacket to answer the call—
He felt something tugging at the hem of his pants.
Jihyuk lowered his gaze.
A dog had wrapped both front paws tightly around his leg, enthusiastically thrusting its hips.
Anyone could tell it was mounting him.
“…Ha.”
He withdrew the hand that had been reaching for his phone and looked down at the blissfully oblivious dog with a deeply creased frown.
“Mong-i!!!”
The woman’s voice echoed loudly through the library-quiet walking path.
“Oh my!”
She hurried over in a panic and pulled the dog away.
“Oh no… I’m so, so sorry.”
She bowed repeatedly in apology before suddenly lifting her head.
Her large, round eyes met Jihyuk’s.
Even without speaking, those eyes seemed to say, I’m sorry.
As a prosecutor, Jihyuk knew well that communicating through one’s eyes was a skill.
Most of the people who possessed that skill happened to be criminals.
Thinking that, he instinctively scanned the woman from head to toe.
It was a habit born from his profession.
Her long, wavy hair fluttered in the still-chilly breeze.
She wore a coat over a light blue shirt with the top two buttons undone, a black skirt, and boots.
Her black skirt was covered in dog hair.
She either owned several dogs or worked with them.
Through the slightly open collar of her shirt, he could see her fair, slender neck…
…and the delicate line of her collarbones.
Moist, doe-like eyes.
A graceful neck.
A beauty that immediately caught the eye.
Jihyuk decided she looked like a deer.
Not that it mattered.
People with faces that innocent were often the ones you had to be most careful of.
Never judge someone by appearances.
It was one of the iron rules every prosecutor engraved deep into their heart.
Someone who looked so pure they seemed incapable of breaking the law could turn out to be a murderer, a fraudster who had swindled billions of won, or the mastermind behind psychological abuse.
Meanwhile, someone with the face of a hardened gangster might not even be able to kill an ant.
So, for the time being, he simply classified her as a deer walking around with a crazy dog.
“Off leash. You know that’s not allowed, right?”
His voice came out firm and dry, just as it did in court.
Maybe it was his tone.
Maybe it was the thought of a fine.
Either way, the woman flinched.
“…The leash? Ah… Well… It suddenly came loose, and before I could grab it, Mong-i ran off…”
She hesitated before offering an explanation.
He wasn’t inclined to believe her.
He knew that most dog owners followed proper etiquette.
But there were always one or two people who ruined it for everyone else.
And they all gave the same excuse.
“I’m really sorry. He’s normally not like this.”
Dasol hurriedly scooped Mong-i into her arms, staring miserably at the concrete beneath her feet.
She knew all too well how people usually reacted in situations like this.
There were middle-aged men who yelled at her just for walking a dog.
Old men who complained whenever they saw a dog peeing on a utility pole.
People who demanded that even tiny dogs wear muzzles.
She ran into people like that even more often whenever she walked Mong-i alone at night.
On top of that…
The man before her was so tall she had to tilt her head back just to meet his eyes.
His broad frame and calm, emotionless voice made her freeze on the spot.
He looked well over 190 centimeters tall.
His deep voice only added to the intimidation.
She felt like a Shih Tzu standing in front of a Doberman.
“If the leash had been secured properly, this wouldn’t have happened.”
His words were as cleanly cut as if sliced by a knife.
Smooth.
Precise.
And somehow completely devoid of warmth.
Dasol looked up at him.
Wow… He’s handsome.
He was so unbelievably good-looking that she almost blurted it out.
The soft lighting highlighted his facial features, weaving together light and shadow to create strikingly defined contours.
His straight, high nose bridge was especially impressive.
He looked like a living sculpture.
Even a famous painter probably couldn’t capture him any better.
Still…
Whether it was because of his statue-like appearance or the cold way he was looking her over…
She could clearly feel the distance between them.
One wrong word, and things would only get worse.
Steeling herself, Dasol spoke.
“No, that’s not it. I really didn’t let him off on purpose. His harness somehow came undone by itself.”
The man simply looked down at her with his lips pressed into a straight line.
Her explanation clearly wasn’t getting through.
“You must have been upset. I’m sorry… I… I really don’t know what to say.”
At times like this, the best strategy was simply to surrender.
As she bowed deeply once again—
A sharp ammonia smell suddenly hit her nose.
It was a scent she knew all too well.
That distinctive, pungent smell unique to dogs.
The one smell she absolutely didn’t want right now.
Dog urine.
A terrible feeling crept over her as she looked toward his feet.
“…Ah.”
There was Mong-i.
Standing there with his eyes peacefully closed…
Casually peeing.
He looked so relaxed that even his shadow seemed carefree.
He was marking.
Mong-i had marked the man.
Liquid had spread across the cuff of his trousers and onto his polished dress shoes.
The stream of urine flowed beyond Mong-i’s happy little shadow into the brightly lit pavement.
Dasol squeezed her eyes shut.
Should she tell him?
Wouldn’t saying something now at least show some sincerity?
The smell would only get stronger as the moisture evaporated.
This was a luxury apartment complex.
One glance at the elegant man’s clothes was enough to guess how expensive his suit and shoes were.
They’re definitely expensive…
Either way…
It was only a matter of time before he noticed.
Dasol glanced between her own shoes, Mong-i’s front paws…
…and the man’s wet leather shoes.
What do I do? What do I do?
Gulp.
She swallowed hard and forced herself to open her dry mouth—
“What are you looking at?”
“…Huh?”
Had she been staring too obviously?
It hadn’t even been that long.
The man immediately sensed something suspicious and lowered his head toward where her gaze had been fixed.
Oh… Please. No!
His face twisted in disgust.
A long, heavy sigh escaped him.
“M-Mong-i is an old dog, and his eyesight isn’t very good. You’re so tall… he probably mistook you for a utility pole…”
Startled, Dasol rambled without thinking.
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized it sounded less like an apology and more like something that could get her grabbed by the collar.
She clamped her mouth shut.
In her imagination, she smacked herself hard across the lips.
“My leg is not a utility pole.”
“…I’m… sorry…”
Her voice was barely audible.
She stole a glance at his face.
It had turned icy cold.
At this point, she felt like she ought to kneel.
Even though it was a freezing February night, sweat trickled down her back.
“At this point, perhaps you shouldn’t be taking him on walks. Or at least use places where there aren’t other people. And keeping your dog on a leash is basic courtesy—even children know that.”
His words stung.
But even if she had ten mouths, she couldn’t argue.
If their positions had been reversed, she would have been upset too.
The fact that he didn’t kick Mong-i with those long legs is already something to be grateful for, she thought.
“Anyway… I admit this was entirely my fault. I’m truly, truly sorry.”
“It’s very easy to call something a mistake.”
The man replied in a flat, emotionless voice.
