[The Vendetta]

Hyuk and Gwang Soo felt refreshed after having finished a nice clean bath, complete with a hot massage. They grew drowsy as they leisurely peeled and ate the boiled eggs, drifting off into sleep.

How much time had passed? From the window, it was just before daybreak.

Hyuk’s phone rang loudly. Hyuk all but kicked Gwang Soo off from where he had put his leg on top of him and answered his phone tiredly.

“Hello…?”

“Were you sleeping?” It was Choi Min Soo.

“Ah, chief. What seems to be the matter, sir?”

“The inspector in charge of the Smile case is at the station right now. Get your over here.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hyuk hung up the phone and rubbed his face with his hands before waking up the comatose Gwang Soo.

“Wake up, kid. We have to leave.”

“Ha… Just a little more… ah—!”

Hyuk simple hit the grumbling Gwang Soo on the side to wake him up and hurried to the sauna to take a quick shower.

Police Station.

Min Soo was not happy.

He cut an impressive figure with his intimidating and charismatic presence sitting next to Jae Suk. Nothing more needed to be said if even the usually strong hearted Jae Suk was breaking out in cold sweat. The reason Min Soo was so angry was what Jae Suk had told him a little while ago.

“Please take a look at these files here.”

The time was about an hour ago, still dark. Jae Suk had called forth a sleeping Min Soo and showed him the case files he had gathered.

“Is there something wrong with the reports?” Min Soo quickly leafed through the files. His face turned sour.

It was a completely different report than the one he had previously seen. Someone had manipulated the information on the report to erase crucial information. His sudden change in demeanor felt like chokehold to Jae Suk.

Min Soo managed to calm himself down, but nonetheless looked Jae Suk dead in the eye with a piercing, raging gaze.

Jae Suk felt himself sweat.

What a character… No wonder he hasn’t been promoted yet… Although I’m not really one to talk, am I?

“Do you understand what the problem is?”

“...I’m deeply ashamed.” Min Soo hung his head low.

At his apology, Jae Suk panicked, instead hurriedly helping him stand straight again.

“No need for all this, it would make me uncomfortable. Anyway, is Officer Jang Hyuk here?”

“He headed home. You know, you have to sleep to work.” His low baritone rang through the room.

“Do…. you know of the previous team lead, Han Suk Gyu whom Officer Jang was particularly close to?”

“...Are you suspecting Officer Jang?”

“He’s had this case far longer than you, Chief Choi. He’s also the one with the most spite and knowledge about the case.”

Min Soo was quiet for a moment. Then he fished out his phone and called Jang Hyuk.

Inside the Car

“...Officer Lee, you didn’t mess up on something with the chief, right?”

“No, sir. I shouldn’t have?”

“...Okay.”

Hyuk was very uneasy.

An angry Min Soo and a new inspector. A wave of uneasiness filled him, about everything that he had hidden thus far.

Damn it… Has he really? Could he possibly have figured everything out? It was nice tha