SDMT 05

Chapter 05

“Oppa. Woo-kyung oppa.”

The one who had insisted on keeping things strictly professional was now calling him like that so easily.

She said it was nothing but a mistake, not some lingering sentiment.

Claustrophobia, trauma—things she had only struggled with in her childhood—she had long since overcome them.

Yet she hadn’t forgotten his only weakness, and when an unexpected situation arose, she was the first to worry about him.

She should have been concerned about herself, trapped alone with a man in a confined space.

But this wasn’t just any man—this was a man who had been torn apart so miserably. How could she, of all people, think about revenge?

“You’ve got no fear, Jeong Eun-jae.”

It had been the same during her first day on duty, questioning suspects.

Those who tried to swagger and break the rules—whether law firm reps or others—he could handle them himself. But a young, delicate girl had stepped forward to defend him, taking insults from a petty lawyer she didn’t need to hear.

It was classic Eun-jae behavior—knowing his temperament, how easily irritated he could become.

He had managed to pretend not to notice up to that point.

But the moment he saw a disgusting criminal, someone who did illegal filming, lay a hand on Eun-jae, his mood sank into the mud.

“Get out.”
“Investigator Jeong Eun-jae is interfering.”

So he sent her out of the interrogation room.

…He had to admit it: Eun-jae was extremely irritating. And harmful to him.

Still. Even now. Just like back when things had been good between them.

Realizing that, he felt like a glass filled to the brim with water—ready to overflow with even the tiniest drop.

And yet, oblivious to that, she had dared to grope him in the darkness.

The bigger problem, however, was Baek Woo-kyung himself. His instinctual reaction to familiar touches was threatening to surge uncontrollably.

“Disgusting.”

He wasn’t a teenager anymore. Damn.

Swallowing his curse, he grabbed a cigarette and stepped out onto the balcony.

A warm breeze blew through the loosely tied gown. Summer was approaching.

Even after inhaling and exhaling the harsh smoke until his cheeks hollowed, the kind eyes, small nose, and full lips of the person he hadn’t seen in three years lingered in his mind.

Had her baby fat melted away? Or was it the suit?

Eun-jae, who had looked so youthful even at graduation, now exuded a mature aura.

Yet under her tied-up hair, the soft fuzz on her neck was unchanged.

He had always been obsessed with the nape of her neck.

Brushing it with his nose, the soft fuzz mixed with her fresh scent had once erased all the fatigue of his day.

…He hadn’t expected to see that again at work.

To be precise, he had thought that if they ever met again, they would see each other as fellow prosecutors.

“Oppa! I finally became your junior at the law firm! I passed in one go!”

Law school had been Eun-jae’s dream and goal.

“You saw the result, right? Today I’ll celebrate my acceptance properly!”

She had been proudly accepted into Korea University Law School, receiving support from the Do-young Group Scholarship Foundation.

On the day of the announcement, she had run with her phone, jumping into his arms, and he remembered it vividly.

But why had she suddenly dropped out of law school and become an investigator?

“My next goal is to become your junior at the Judicial Research and Training Institute. I’ll become a prosecutor just like you.”

He had even waited outside the library late at night to help her achieve that.

“What a fool I was, Baek Woo-kyung.”

A bitter puff of smoke escaped his smirk.

Rubbing his brows, Woo-kyung leaned against the balcony railing.

Enough with pointless nostalgia.

Six months. Within that time, he needed to accomplish his purpose in Korea and return to the U.S., which meant he had to move fast.

There wouldn’t even be time to dwell on the small woman who had suddenly appeared and lingered in front of him.

Once everything was finished, he planned to leave Korea, never to return.

So no matter how irritating Eun-jae was, he only needed to endure her for six months.

There was no need to expend energy transferring to another district.

After extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray, he went inside and picked up his phone.

“-Hello?”

“This is Prosecutor Baek Woo-kyung. Have you considered the proposal I made earlier?”

“- …”

He went straight to the point. His interlocutor was silent. Woo-kyung rubbed his stiff neck and added:

“Let’s meet first.”

He unilaterally notified the time and place, hung up, then went straight to his study, opened his laptop, and lit another cigarette.

<202X Do-young Welfare Foundation Fund Management Report>

Clicking the material on the screen, an interview with the foundation’s chair appeared.

“….”

‘Chairwoman Oh Hye-ju of the Foundation.’

His eyes froze as they scanned a photo of his stepmother smiling brightly.

It was time to focus forward, fully and without distraction.

The interior of Gangsang Police Station was chaotic.

Phones rang incessantly. Loud arguments broke out amidst the clamor. People were grabbing each other by the collars, with officers trying to separate them.

In the chaos, Eun-jae spotted her mother sitting in the corner.

Disheveled hair. An apron from the restaurant she worked at. One slipper missing.

…Seeing her mother’s state, Eun-jae sighed automatically. Someone had clearly gotten into a serious fight.

“You’re here! Our daughter! Look at that pretty young lady! Eun-jae! Over here.”

Her mother, usually intimidated in front of the officers, suddenly seemed alive upon seeing Eun-jae.

Eun-jae approached her mother, swallowing a sigh.

“Jeong Jin-sook, guardian?”

“Yes. Daughter.”

“But are you a prosecutor?”

The barrage of questions was overwhelming. Eun-jae took out her business card and handed it to the police officer.

“No. I’m an investigator at the Central District Prosecutor’s Office.”

“Oh, not a prosecutor, an investigator.”

The officer resumed explaining the situation with a bored expression.

“Oh, I knew it. Daughter a prosecutor? Bullshit! That woman Jeong always lies.”

A lady sitting nearby seized the opportunity to speak loudly. Judging from her appearance, she had been part of the fight.

“Lies? I only said my daughter works at the Prosecutor’s Office. That’s the fact. That woman just didn’t believe it.”

“I apologize on behalf of my mother.”

Turning her back on her rampaging mother, Eun-jae bowed deeply to the lady.

“Hey! She did wrong, why are you apologizing?”

“I want to settle this. Officer.”

When Eun-jae spoke firmly, her mother finally calmed down.

Thanks to Eun-jae’s humble approach, the rest was resolved smoothly.

Still, processing statements, settlement documents, and receipts took a long time.

By the time they left the police station, it was past 10 p.m.

“You’re not even going to ask what happened?”

The mother and daughter had been silent all the way home on the bus.

Once they reached the alley in front of their house, Jin-sook spoke first.

“That woman started it, you know?”

“….”

“I can tolerate insults about me, but don’t talk trash about my pretty daughter too!”

Eun-jae understood the situation immediately. Growing up as the daughter of a single mother, she had been through this countless times.

Her classmates noticed her father was absent and openly ostracized her. Adults whispered about her and her mother.

Someone unknown should have been erased, yet her mother had given birth stubbornly, making life hard for both of them.

Facing her mother, the woman had the audacity to say such things.

“And Mom has never lied.”

Assuming Eun-jae was silently listening, Jin-sook continued her half-defense.

“My daughter works at the Prosecutor’s Office. I’ve worked at Do-young Group’s headquarters for over 20 years. Is that a lie? The other woman didn’t believe it.”

Hearing “Do-young Group” from her mother’s mouth, Eun-jae’s anger surged.

Her steps stopped abruptly.

“Ah, sorry, sorry! This time it’s my fault. I won’t mention Do-young Group again! I promise.”

Jin-sook realized and pleaded earnestly, but Eun-jae’s anger wouldn’t subside.

“Is that something to brag about? How can you bring up Do-young Group like it’s something to be proud of?”

Turning sharply, she glared, and her mother lowered her head.

“Does Mom have no conscience?”

“….”

“Are we even in a position to talk about Do-young? If you’re going to talk, tell the whole truth! What you did! Why you ran away from that house!”

Who I abandoned because of Mom’s sins.

What precious things I gave up.

Swallowing the words she wanted to pour out, Eun-jae ran her hand through her hair.

Three years ago, the horrific memory of facing the uncomfortable truth came vividly back.

“Is it true? Mom… no, right? How could you be with Vice President Baek… It’s a lie, right? Right?”

“I-I’m sorry, Eun-jae…”

“So that rumor was true? Mom, really… with Woo-kyung oppa’s father…”

Her mother had had an inappropriate relationship with Vice President Baek Do-geon.

That became a knife, stabbing Eun-jae deeply.