Chapter : 11 What’s Your Name?
Ji-hyeok, who had been acting aggressively just moments ago, suddenly looked down at her with a blank expression.
Da-sol, who had been about to say something else, snapped her mouth shut.
His eyes were like the frozen plains of Siberia.
Wow… are criminals the ones who have to face that expression?
“I’ll go report the situation first. Wait here.”
Ji-hyeok turned and walked away without another word.
Watching him leave, Prosecutor Park Soo-ho swallowed hard before letting out a deep sigh.
“Seriously, Sunbae… It’s not even that dangerous. There are plenty of detectives here.”
He scratched the back of his head furiously as he muttered to himself.
Then his radio crackled.
“Prosecutor! Brian’s making a scene. He’s complaining that no one’s managing the girls. He wants the club manager brought over. If we don’t send in another woman immediately, the operation is finished.”
Park Soo-ho’s face instantly turned pale.
In short…
They were doomed.
He spun toward Da-sol.
“Um… Miss Owner?”
“Yes, Prosecutor Park?”
“I’m really sorry, but… could you help us just this once?”
A little while later…
Da-sol stood before Prosecutor Park wearing Yu-mi’s clothes.
Yu-mi had handed them over without much resistance since she’d already been dragged to the club against her will and had wanted to leave anyway.
It was a tight crop top and a short skirt that showed off every curve of the body.
Feeling incredibly awkward, Da-sol kept tugging the shirt downward to cover her exposed stomach.
It didn’t help.
Finally, she looked at Prosecutor Park.
“I’m ready.”
“Wow. Excellent.”
Park Soo-ho gave her a thumbs-up.
“The VVIP room has two floors. There are five men downstairs, and the women who went in earlier are drinking and dancing upstairs.”
“Okay.”
“The leader is a guy named Brian. He’s the one handling the deal.”
“Ah… is he the one who made the female detective leave?”
Park snapped his fingers.
“Exactly. One of those five men is actually a detective.”
“You don’t know which one?”
“No. We’re cooperating with the police, but these days they don’t share information that easily.”
“I know. That’s a common movie plot.”
“…Huh. You’re right.”
“So I stay upstairs, and when Kim Do-jung comes in and puts the USB on the table, I press the pager immediately?”
“Exactly!”
“But… couldn’t you just arrest him then? Is the USB really that important?”
“Ah…”
Park hesitated awkwardly.
“That’s top secret.”
“Oh… top secret! Got it!”
Top secret.
The words alone filled Da-sol with nervous excitement.
“No one in that room knows you’re participating in this operation, so be careful what you say.”
“…Operation?”
Da-sol’s eyes sparkled.
She really liked the sound of that word.
“If they tell you to drink, choose your own unopened beer.”
“Why?”
“Brian probably won’t try anything tonight, but sometimes opened drinks are drugged.”
“Ah! Of course I know.”
She wisely decided not to add, I saw it in the movies.
“As long as you’re careful about that, you’ll be fine.”
Park spoke casually as he handed her a pager.
Da-sol slipped it into the tiny pocket of her skirt.
“Are you sure it’s okay for us to do this?”
“It’s fine. As long as we catch Kim Do-jung, that’s all that matters. He’s incredibly difficult to arrest. He’s a major player, but he’s so cautious.”
Da-sol nodded.
“It probably won’t happen, but if you’re ever in danger, press the pager immediately. We’ll rush in, so don’t worry.”
“Um… you won’t be the one rushing in, right?”
She glanced over Park’s thin, scrawny frame.
“Absolutely not. I’m office staff.”
Da-sol’s face twitched.
Seriously? Even if I volunteered, was that really something to say to my face?
“Oh. Forget it. I’m not doing this.”
“N-No! Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyeok will come!”
“But this is supposed to be a secret. How would he know?”
“…”
Can I really trust this guy?
“I’ll take care of it somehow, so don’t worry… Good luck.”
“…Whew. Okay.”
Da-sol walked forward with the determination of a soldier marching toward enemy lines.
The VVIP room was at the very end of the hallway.
She stopped before the door and took a deep breath.
The pounding music echoing through the hallway kept pushing her adrenaline higher.
Standing before the entrance, reality finally began to sink in.
What kind of people are waiting inside?
Until now, she’d been imagining a fun action movie.
But now that she stood before the door…
It had suddenly become a thriller.
A hardcore thriller.
“Looks like it’s your turn to go, sweetheart.”
She even remembered the smiling serial killer’s line from that horror movie, his face drenched in blood.
Get it together, Jin Da-sol.
The room is full of detectives.
And you’ve already committed yourself.
She exhaled deeply, clenched her fists, and pushed the door open.
The room was quieter than she’d expected.
Only the muffled music from outside drifted in.
Wheeeew!
Following the whistle, she looked over.
Only then did she notice the two women sitting among the men.
I’m doomed.
This is completely different from dancing upstairs and looking down!
Tap. Tap.
The man seated at the head of the table smiled faintly and patted the seat beside him.
He wore a cream-colored suit with three buttons of his white dress shirt undone.
The elegant way he brushed back his slightly curled hair gave him an air of refinement.
So that’s Brian.
She had expected a ruthless-looking crime broker.
Instead…
He was handsome.
Brian patted the chair again.
Beside him?
Her heart pounded louder than the music.
Should I just leave? Say I was looking for the restroom and walked into the wrong room?
“What are you doing? Come have a seat.”
His voice was every bit as gentle as his appearance.
He doesn’t seem that bad…
If she stayed careful, maybe nothing dangerous would happen.
Besides, one of the men in the room was supposedly a detective.
And she had the pager in her pocket that could summon everyone in an instant.
Be brave.
Steeling herself, Da-sol forced her trembling legs to move and slowly sat down.
“It’s our first time meeting. What’s your name?”
Brian spoke politely.
He was nothing like the image she’d expected from someone involved in this kind of world.
Of course, the other four men were built like bodybuilders.
The tattoos spilling out from beneath their clothes looked as sharp as blades.
Maybe that was why.
It was such a simple question, yet sweat trickled down her back.
“I-I’m… Ye-rim. Jung Ye-rim.”
Da-sol quickly made up a fake name.
“Ye-rim? That name sounds familiar.”
Brian tilted his head.
“You know… Ye-rim from Tazza. The ‘girl from Ewha University.'”
One of the men answered.
Da-sol froze.
“Oh! I really liked that movie. Have you seen it too, Miss Ye-rim?”
“Y-Yes… I-I’ve watched it… a lot.”
Her words came out in a stammer, and she bit her lower lip.
“Oh really? How many times?”
“F-Five…”
“Wow. Five times? You must really like movies.”
She simply nodded while secretly scanning the room for the detective.
She couldn’t tell.
Every one of them looked equally suspicious.
“What would you like to drink, Miss Ye-rim? Shall I pour you some whiskey?”
His voice remained warm and courteous, which eased her nerves a little.
Remembering Prosecutor Park’s warning, she quickly grabbed an unopened bottle of beer.
Just in case Brian tried to open it for her, she swiftly pulled down her sleeve, gripped the cap through the fabric, and twisted.
Pop!
The bottle opened with a crisp sound.
“Oh? Miss Ye-rim’s an independent woman. But you opened the bottle with your hand? Looks like you’ve had your share of beer.”
“…A little.”
“Is that so? Take your time.”
Brian smiled.
It was an attractive smile.
Yet it sent chills down her spine.
He reminded her of the psychopath from the movie Perennial Snow.
A man who appeared endlessly kind and gentle…
…until someone crossed him.
Focus, Jin Da-sol.
The die has already been cast.
Concentrate on the mission.
Da-sol took small sips of beer while quietly listening to their conversation.
Perhaps they didn’t want to attract attention before the deal.
Thankfully, they simply drank and talked calmly.
Even so…
There was an unmistakably dark atmosphere surrounding them.
Every time she met someone’s vacant gaze…
Or heard them whispering to each other in coded slang…
It felt less like drinking beer and more like swallowing sand.
“How did someone as meticulous as Kim Do-jung ever end up working with Jo Man-deok?”
One of the men asked Brian.
“Jo Man-deok?”
“Yeah. He got caught recently, didn’t he? Funny guy. He kept saying that the darkest place is right under the lamp—that no one would ever suspect the Prosecutors’ Office, the police headquarters, or the courthouse. Said nobody would even imagine it.”
“Oh. The guitar academy? Well, it was nearby. But the academy itself was actually pretty good.”
Da-sol immediately thought of the huge thug who had caused trouble at her pet salon.
Of all the things they could’ve talked about… why did it have to be that?
“Well, no one suspected it all this time.”
“I heard a prosecutor who had just transferred departments caught him. Must’ve had the nose of a bloodhound.”
“Speaking of noses… Boss, isn’t Kim Do-jung crazy about dogs?”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Completely obsessed. He uploads dog pictures to his chat room like they’re photos of his own child.”
Brian chuckled.
“I’ve heard that people doing business with him may not know what Kim Do-jung looks like, but they all know his dog.”
“Exactly. He never talks about his personal life, but he always goes on about grooming his dog and taking care of its coat.”
Poodles.
Bichons.
Bedlington Terriers.
Even in this situation, several dog breeds popped into Da-sol’s mind automatically.
It annoyed her.
“Boss, I think Kim Do-jung will be here soon.”
Hic!
The tension made her hiccup.
Brian’s eyes immediately landed on her.
Holding her breath, Da-sol forced an awkward smile.
Hic!
Brian kindly reached for a glass of water.
Judging by the way he held it, he was clearly about to hand it to her.
Sure enough, he extended the glass with his large hand.
“I-I’m fine. Hic—”
She hurriedly gulped down her beer as if it were water.
Brian tilted his head before setting the glass back on the table.
“You really do love drinking, don’t you?”
He smiled.
“I’m starting to like you, Miss Ye-rim.
