"How are you feeling, Chanmi?" The head detective glanced at her subordinate, who was currently sunken into the passenger seat beside her. The younger woman had remained in that slumped position since she'd entered the car. Jimin would've been more amused by the situation if they weren't on duty as members of the local law enforcement. "Judging by your unusual lack of enthusiasm, I assume you aren't feeling too well. I will only ask of one thing from you at the moment, and that is to correct your posture. Keep in mind that we are under constant public scrutiny."

"Your assumptions are correct. I've got a bit of a headache - as expected from a few drinks - but it's at a degree that I can nonetheless continue to work with." At the same time that she said this, Chanmi pulled herself up into a proper sitting position. Jimin's words were within reason - if anyone were to catch a glimpse of her previous sitting posture (and it was guaranteed that they would eventually), it wouldn't be a fair portrayal for the rest of the police department.

"Thank you, Detective." Jimin said in response to Chanmi's compliance to her request. "You're fairly new to our branch, so it comes off as no surprise that you're still getting adjusted to the way we do things around here. Don't worry, you'll get used to it sooner or later. We actually do this all the time."

"Yes, you're right. I guess I'll be looking forward to our future interactions."

Chanmi could only sigh in remembrance of the events that had transpired just the night before. She didn't go out very often, and she wasn't much of a drinker either. But her friendly colleagues had insisted that she accompany them for dinner in celebration of a long case they'd finally closed, so she didn't want to dampen the festive mood by refusing. However, she didn't foresee that they'd convince her to consume more alcoholic beverages than her inexperienced self could handle. A warning would've been appreciated, she thought.

"So, did you enjoy your first outing with the squad? If I were to be frank, then I'd tell you now that everyone working in this department is weird as hell, so I wouldn't blame you if you hated it. I only agree to tag along because there needs to be a responsible figure to shoulder the burden of keeping those freaks under control."

Chanmi felt that it would be very rude of her to outright agree, so she kept her response simple and polite. "Everyone is nice. They treat me well." It was the truth, anyway. Her colleagues were indeed nice; they were just a bit...rowdy and playful.

Jimin raised a brow as if she wanted to add on to that, but in the end she just nodded. "That reminds me - I'm curious as to where you and Hyejeong ran off to. None of us could find you two anywhere. You suddenly disappeared on us." 

At the mere mention of Hyejeong's name, Chanmi could feel beginning to burn, with the same sensation that the alcohol from the night before had given her. Her brain, of its own volition, proceeded to recall certain details from the night, specifically the moments involving the resident medical examiner of the department - Shin Hyejeong. As someone who dealt with corpses for a living, the woman had managed to demonstrate that her talents and expertise weren't limited to the bodies of the dead. Chanmi definitely wouldn't forget that night for the rest of her life. She lowered the window at her side, her heated body practically begging for air. She had left Hyejeong's apartment in the early morning and returned to her own in time to get herself cleaned up and to get a few more hours of sleep in (before Jimin came to pick her up).

Jimin didn't fail to notice the change in Chanmi's demeanor upon mention of the medical examiner, and the younger woman's silence wasn't making things any harder for her to figure out either. There was obvious disapproval in Jimin's tone as she said: "You don't have to give me an answer. I believe I know it already and I won't into your personal affairs. Just don't get too carried away and do your job, alright?"

"...yes, ma'am."

Despite the implications of Jimin's statement, in reality, Chanmi didn't think that her current relations with Hyejeong were going to develop into something more, into something exclusive and romantic. After all, it seemed like something they had simply done in the heat of the moment and under the influence, as a one time thing - a one night stand. On the other hand, Hyejeong wasn't exactly clear about where they stood either, so Chanmi wasn't even sure what they were, aside from being colleagues. What she knew for certain was that she wouldn't have minded something more (given that Hyejeong wanted it as well, of course).

The afternoon sun felt a bit more unforgiving than usual but it was nothing that the newly issued short-sleeved uniforms and air conditioners running at maximum level couldn't fix. It was just as ordinary as any other day for the Angel City Police Department - well, that's what most of them would consider it anyway (any outsiders bearing witness to their interactions would beg to differ). Other than the usual hustle and bustle of locals going in and out to make reports, the precinct was relatively peaceful. They had successfully closed a high-profile case revolving around illegally obtained human organs being sold and exchanged throughout several cities in their vicinity, overall arresting dozens of people involved in the complex trade. All there was left to do was for everyone in the department to write their respective reports on the aforementioned case.

The dinner they convened for the previous night seemed more than sufficient for a celebration, but their beloved Chief of Police decided that she wanted to go out of her way to show her a little more appreciation for her subordinates' hard work. She gathered everyone around to where she had paper plates, cups, plastic utensils, many bottles of different beverages, and several large boxes stacked on the tables (from which a mouthwatering aroma filled the meeting room). When she had their undivided attention, Choa made her announcement, beaming with joy: "In further celebration of a particularly difficult and taxing case closed, I have taken the liberty of purchasing lunch for everyone."

Delighted cheers and short applause rang out before they all proceeded to grab the necessities and line themselves up in front of the boxes in an orderly manner, retrieving their food with no rush. They didn't even make an attempt to mask their excitement at the prospect of free food, but this visible excitement wouldn't last very long as they realized just who exactly was standing