PART ONE

Love in Seoul

 

 

“You should be more careful when walking alone,” a feminine voice spoke on the other end of the phone call. “Seoul isn’t the safest place and you’re living alone with Hyun Tae, I - ”

 

“Worry about us everyday, I am well aware,” Cha Hyojin spoke, stopping to place jar of peanut butter in her cart. “Don’t worry about us Seon Joo, we’re fine here. If anything happens, you’ll be the first person I call, okay?” she consoled her best friend.

 

“Sometimes, I feel like I’m your parent,” the woman sighed.

 

“I love you, Mom,” Hyojin jokes. “I’ll call you when I get home, take care of yourself, tell your boyfriend to take you on a date soon!” she bid her good byes and hung the phone up, placing it in the pocket of her blazer. She strolled through the aisles, picking up food and placing it in her cart, stopping suddenly when she felt as if someone was staring at her. She tried to look as casual as possible while looking all around her, but she saw no one suspicious. She shrugged to herself, ‘Don’t be so paranoid just because of what Seon Joo said,’ she thought to herself. She quickly made her way through the store, picking up the rest of the groceries that she needed and made her way to the cashier. “Thank you, have a good night!” she said to the lady who bagged her groceries and made her way to her car.

 

She was a third of her way to her car when she got the same feeling that someone was watching her once again, but in the parking lot with only a few cars as the orange-pink sky was getting a little darker by the minute, her paranoia was also increasing. She adjusted her grip on the bag in her left hand, gripping her car key in the other hand. She had only taken another few steps when she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder, and before she could let out a scream, her grocery bag was taken from her hand, replaced with something small and shiny.

 

A police badge.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m a police officer,” the deep voice belonging to the arm spoke quietly. “I noticed that there was a man eyeing you in the store and he seems to be following you too,” he cleared his throat and then spoke louder. “Babe, I told you to call you me when you come to the grocery store,” he looked back and saw the man that was following the girl turn away.

 

“I - thank you,” she said. She never felt comfortable around strangers, let alone them touching her, but she never felt safer than she did in this moment. “I parked here,” she murmured, gesturing to her car. “Thank you so much, I’m new in this city and I was trying not to act paranoid but my best friend kept warning me of all these stories of stalkers, but I kept thinking it was nothing because she’s always been worrisome and really paranoid about everything and - ”

 

“You talk a lot,” the man spoke up. “Your trunk?”

 

“Ah, sorry,” she said, turning around to unlock the car and open the trunk. Before she could grab the bag, the police officer had already placed it in the car, and closed the trunk with a slam, standing up straight so the street light was shining on his face, giving Hyojin a chance to study his face. ‘Man, I knew Seoul had good looking people, but it must be illegal to be this handsome,’ she thought to herself. “Thank you once again,” she said, bowing to him the slightest bit before walking to the driver’s side, opening the door. She was about to close the door when a hand stopped the door.

 

“This is my card, you can call if you ever run into any trouble, or if you want to file a report,” he said, handing the card to Hyojin before closing the door, telling her to lock the vehicle before walking away. The street light was shining off his leather jacket, allowing the girl to take in his broad shoulders before turning her attention to the card in her hand.

 

Korean National Police

Senior Police Officer Im Jaebum

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

 

She placed the card in her pocketbook, making sure her car was properly locked before driving back to her apartment building. It was a quick 15 minute drive, but it was an exhausting day at the company that she worked at, and after her scare at the grocery store, all she wanted to do was go home and curl up with her son.


 

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Cha Hyojin’s 18th birthday present was a positive pregnancy test.

 

She practiced safe with her boyfriend and a kid was definetly the last thing she was expecting when she was college bound. Her boyfriend and her weren’t completely in love with each other and while initially they thought this was a sign they should stay together forever for the sake of the baby, six months into the pregnancy, he was on a plane to England, leaving Hyojin back in Busan with a baby on the way.

 

Hyojin’s mother always told her to stay away from him. He wasn’t good news. Hyojin realized it that day. She couldn’t complain. She knew that they were still kids themselves, how were they supposed to raise a kid now? Despite never being in the picture, he still sent money to Hyojin but never came to see their child.

 

Her child.

 

Hyun Tae was the apple of Hyojin’s eye. The minute she held him in her arms, she fell in love and knew that she was going to be just right on her own. But she wasn’t alone. Her parents, although disappointed at first, instantly fell in love with their grandson the moment they laid their eyes on him and were with Hyojin every step of the way. They supported Hyojin when she took a gap year to work instead of going to university. They woke up in the middle of the night to change Hyun Tae’s diaper when they knew Hyojin was up studying for her exams.

 

Hyojin also had Seon Joo with her. She was less of a best friend, more of a second mother to Hyojin, but she would give up anything in the world for Seon Joo’s happiness. From the moment the girls were born, they had spent every possible moment together, and the two girls were only brought closer together after Hyojin announced her pregnancy.

 

When had she told her family a few months ago that she was moving to Seoul for a job, Seon Joo was more upset than Hyojin’s parents. “How can you take my godson away from me?” she said tearfully, cradling the child in her arms.

 

“Seoul is only a two hour train ride away. We’ll visit often,” Hyojin assured her best friend, wrapping her arms around her.

 

“You better,” she muttered, looking at the 5 year old in her arms. “You have to promise me I’ll be your favorite Auntie forever, Hyun Tae,” she said, holding her pinky finger out to the child. The young child nodded, linking his own pinky with the woman’s before snuggling against her neck.”God, I’m going to miss you so much,” she said, looking at her best friend.

 

Hyojin smiled at the image of her son in her best friend’s arm. “Thank you for everything that you’ve done for me. You’re practically his mom too, you helped raise him, and I will forever be in your debt, Seon Joo,” she said, holding Seon Joo’s hands in her lap.

 

“You got this, Cha Hyojin,” Seon Joo smiled sadly. “I know you got this,”

 

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“I don’t got his,” Hyojin said to herself. She had been sitting in the parking lot under her building for five minutes, rethinking the events of earlier. Nothing bad had happened, but what if the police officer hadn’t showed up when he did? “No bad thoughts,” she said out loud, taking a few deep breaths. “You didn’t move to Seoul to be disappointed by one weirdo,” She nodded to herself before finally getting out of the car. She opened her trunk and pulled out the tote bag that held her groceries before heading into her apartment building, waving hello to the doorman and entered the elevator, pushing the 7th floor button. She got off and walked towards her apartment, stopping at the one across the street before knocking on the door.

 

A few moments later, the door opened and she was greeted by Nam Miyoung, the kind woman who picked up Hyun Tae from school everyday. “I hope he didn’t bother you,” she smiled, looking over the woman’s shoulder where she could see her son jumping and laughing.

 

“You know that Hyun Tae is always well-behaved, and he’s great company for Junsu,” she referred to her own son. “Those boys can’t get enough of each other,” she laughed, gesturing Hyojin to come in.

 

“Oh no, it’s fine, I’m already a little late because something came up. I should quickly feed the little one dinner and get him into bed. He’s full of energy now, but he’s gonna get cranky soon,” she chuckled, gesturing at Hyun Tae to go. She bid her neighbor goodbye before finally entering entering her own apartment. “Mommy is going to quickly put pizza in the oven and then we’re going to do bathtime, okay?” she said, crouching so she was at eye level with Hyun Tae. Her son was one of few words, something that caused Hyojin to worry about at first, but after realizing that not every child was loud like she was, it was easy to get over. The boy nodded, running towards his room while Hyojin placed the groceries on her kitchen island, taking a frozen pizza out of the bag to place in the oven, setting a timer on her phone as she walked to the bathroom, filling up the tub for her son’s bath.

 

After the little boy was cleaned and dressed in his pajamas, the mother-son sat at the island, eating their food. “Were you good at school today, Hyunnie?”

 

A nod. “We started letters today,” he said. “Teacher Hwang says that I’m the best,” he smiled at his mother, sauce spread on his lips.

 

“My Hyunnie is the best at everything,” she smiled back, leaning in with a tissue to wipe his mouth. “Are you excited for your field trip tomorrow? You’re going to Lotte World Aquarium!”

 

“I’m going to see fish and Teacher Hwang that we can even take pictures with the sharks!” the little boy went off on his own tangent about the sights that he was going to see, and Hyojin smiled at the 5 year old, patting the top of his head. The two finished their meal and Hyojin led him to his bed, reading not even half of his favorite picture book before realizing that he had already fallen asleep. She smiled softly, kissing the top of his head before gently getting up, closing the door the slightest bit behind her before heading back into the kitchen to clean up after their meal and put the rest of the groceries away. When she was satisfied, she poured herself a glass of wine, walking back to the bathroom before turning on the hot water to fill the tub, throwing in a bath bomb for good measure. When she finally stripped herself of her clothes and sat in the water, she felt the hot water relax her muscles, taking a sip of her wine as she closed her eyes.

 

“You got this, Cha Hyojin,” she muttered to herself. “You got this,”


 

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“Officer Im, the Captain wants to see you,” the young intern said to the man who was sitting at his desk.

 

“Why?”

 

“I’m not sure,” she said, quickly turning away and going back to her desk before he could yell at her.

 

Im Jaebum had a reputation at his precinct, but it kept people away from him, so he didn’t complain. He worked alone for the most part unless he was training a younger officer, he gave money when they were collecting for someone’s birthday, retirement, whatever the occasion, and he wanted to keep like that.

 

His captain, on the other hand, did not. Captain Park had been pushing Jaebum to work with a partner for a year now with no avail. As one of the few people to be made Senior Officer at the age of 25, the Captain knew that he would have to put up with Jaebum’s grumpy attitude because he was too good at his job, but that didn’t mean the officer was free to do whatever he wanted.

 

“What do you want?” Jaebum said, not even bothering to sit.

 

“Is that how you talk to your Captain, Senior Officer Im?”

 

“What do you want, Captain?” he asked, stressing the last word.

 

“I need you to go to - ” the older man started.

 

“No,” Jaebum cut off. “I have an open case,”

 

“I know that you closed that case and finished the paper work an hour ago, that’s the great thing about doing all this stuff electronically,” he said, giving him a look. “So let me finish what I was saying, no, let me rephrase myself. You’re going to Lotte World Aquarium. There are a few elementary schools having a field trip there today, so they’ve asked for some officers for further assistance. While this something that the rookies do, I would like some of my senior officers there as well, just in case. Don’t bother changing into your uniform, we don’t want the general public to worry by seeing so many uniformed officers,” he said. “Is there any problem?” he asked when he saw Jaebum’s face, already knowing what his answer would be.

 

“No sir,” he tipped his head and turned around, walking back to his desk to grab his car keys before exiting the precinct. He knew that Captain Park would occasionally make him mundane jobs that were usually done by rookies because he refused to get a partner, but he was Im Jaebum. If he didn’t want a partner, he was not going to have a partner.

 

Even if it meant that he was going to be paid to babysit at the aquarium.


 

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It was supposed to be an easy job. How hard could it be to make sure there was no one suspicious at a family-friendly aquarium on the day that half of the elementary schools in Seoul decided to take a field trip? So when a voice from the ear piece he was wearing said that there was a man walking around with what looked like a knife, Jaebum couldn’t help but curse under his breath. The museum security failed to pick up on the metal object, and with so many rookies around to make an equally rookie mistake, he was thankful for once that he was here. The police force could take a break once in a while from facing backlash.

 

“Location?” he said, walking casually amongst the public. “Are there kids around?”

 

“The shark exhibit in the north wing. The only people here are a kindergarten class, 10 kids with 2 adults and including me, 2 junior officers, sir. Suspect is dressed in dark denim jeans, white shirt, black jacket and black baseball cap. We assume he’s holding a knife in his hands, can’t get a clear look unless we get closer,” the young officer replied.

 

“Don’t get closer, I’m almost there,” Jaebum answered. “I’ll be the one to go close to the suspect, any mistake will be on me. Just keep your eye on him,” Jaebum continued as he turned the corner. “What is he doing?”

 

“We’ve noticed that he has been following this certain group for 15 minutes now. Cameras show that he entered the museum about 30 minutes ago,” a security guard answered this time. Jaebum could finally see the suspect and noticed that rather than looking at the tanks of sea life or the children, he had his eyes set on one of the adults. ‘Exes? Messy break up, wants revenge?’ Jaebum thought to himself, looking around to make eye contact with the two uniformed officers that were in the room. He gestured at his ear piece before speaking ever so softly.

 

“I want you two to get the kids and adults out of the room. Don’t seem too obvious, don’t give them any details. Also the lady in the yellow shirt? Don’t let her see the suspect’s face. He’s been eyeing her, I’m assuming it was a relationship that ended on a sour note, he’s here for revenge of some sort. The minute she sees and recognizes him, he might do something,” he commanded. “I’m going to distract our suspect,” he said, cracking his neck. When he saw the young officers approach the group, he slowly started walking towards the suspect, studying his movement. The group was almost out of the group when the woman in the yellow turned around.

 

Of course. Jaebum practically ran to the suspect but it was too late. The suspect ran, grabbing the kid closest to him and held up the knife in the other hand.

 

“Get them out, NOW!” Jaebum yelled at the officer.

 

“If she leaves, the kid gets it!” the suspect shouted, waving the knife in the air. Jaebum groaned internally. He told the officers to not let her turn around, but of course things didn’t work out how he wanted. At least the suspect didn't hold the knife to the child’s face, and thankfully the child wasn’t crying or yelling. Jaebum could work with this.

 

“Leave her and take the others. Quickly,” Jaebum commanded, walking so he was in between the woman and suspect.

 

It was supposed to be an easy job.


 

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“Where’s my son?!” Hyojin screamed, running into the precinct. Her usually well kept hair was in a messy bun, her pumps in her hand rather than on her feet. She had a brown stain on her white button down from when she dropped her coffee after getting a call from the police station.

 

“Ma’am, please calm down and come this way,” the intern that usually sat at the front desk spoke softly, guiding Hyojin towards a room in the back where she could see Hyun Tae in a playroom with another man’s back facing her. “Your son is safe, the officer at the scene made sure that no harm came to him. He was checked by the ambulance, he is perfectly fine,” the younger girl pointed to the window.

 

“Fine?!” Hyojin let out another scream. “A deranged man took my son because security didn't catch him at 11 AM! Why did I get a call two hours later telling me what had happened?!” She knew the intern in front of her had nothing to do with it, but she couldn’t help herself.

 

Hyun Tae was her world, her everything.

 

And she could’ve lost him just like that.

 

“You’re right, I’m sorry ma’am,” the intern apologized, and Hyojin calmed down slightly, knowing that her appearance and loud voice was scaring the poor girl in front of her. She placed her pumps back onto the floor, sliding her feet into them.

 

“I’m sorry for yelling at you, my anger was misdirected,” she said, her voice gentle. “When can I take my son home?”

 

“We have our precinct shrink coming in a few minutes, just to make sure that there’s no emotional damage. Something like this can be a little more traumatizing for someone as young as him,” the intern visibly relaxed a little bit. “We just need to get your ID and some basic information about your son for our report, which you can do now so you can take him home once our shrink is done,”

 

Hyojin nodded, finally breathing for the first time since the phone call, and she realized that she looked like an absolute mess. She didn’t want Hyun Tae seeing her like this. “I’m sorry, but do you have a bathroom I can use? I have clothes in my car that I would like to change into, I look like an utter mess,” she said, giving a small smile.

 

“Of course,” the intern nodded, walking Hyojin to her car before taking her back inside and towards the bathroom. “I’ll be outside, ma’am,” Hyojin nodded, closing the door behind her, holding the clothes that were always kept in her trunk in case of an emergency. She shook her head. ‘He’s okay, breathe Hyojin,’ she said to herself, splashing her face with cold water.

 

She quickly ed her stained white shirt, thankful that the camisole she had on underneath was still fine as she put the long cardigan on, exchanging her pencil skirt for ankle tapered jeans, her colored pumps for white converse. She undid her bun, ruffling her hair the slightest bit so it didn’t look as messy and put it up in a neat ponytail. She folded her clothes, throwing them into the tote bag with her heels on top before exiting the bathroom.

 

“Since your son is a minor, you can stay in the room with him,” the intern said, pointing to the room where Hyun Tae was sitting. “The shrink isn’t here yet, but the senior officer that was with your son is in the room if you have any questions,” she led Hyojin towards the room, knocking on the door lightly before opening it.

 

“Mommy!” Hyun Tae exclaimed, dropping the toy in his hand as he ran to his mother. Hyojin fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around her son’s body, showering his face with kisses.

 

“Oh, my baby,” she sighed, picking him up so his legs wrapped around her waist, his arms around her neck. “You gave Mommy a heart attack,” she whispered, closing her eyes as she felt her soul at peace now that she was holding her son in her arms. She heard someone clear their throat and she opened her eyes to see a familiar male figure. “Hey, you’re that cop from last night!” she said, putting Hyun Tae on his own feet as her eyes hardened. “Why was I called 2 hours after the incident to let me know what happened? I understand things could be confusing at the scene but - ” she started.

 

“You talk too much,” he repeated his words from last night, shoving his hands in his pocket, as he studied the woman in front of him. She looked younger than him, dressed in casual clothes that were very different than the business attire she was wearing the night before. ‘She seems younger than me, but she looks good for her age if she has a young child,’ he thought to himself before clearing his voice and speaking again. “I was not in charge of contacting you, Mrs. - ” he paused, realizing that he didn’t know the name of the kid or his mother.

 

Ms. Cha,” she corrected the man.

 

“Ms. Cha. One of the younger officers were in charge of contacting you, so I apologize for your delay, but it was not in my control. I was the senior officer that was with your son and I can assure you that no physical harm was done. The situation was dealt with in a matter of a few minutes,” Jaebum replied, his face still stoic and free of any emotion.

 

“I helped take down the bad guy Mommy!” Hyun Tae pulled on Hyojin’s cardigan to get her attention. “I kicked him and then he fell and the police officer rested him!”

 

“Arrested, baby, not rested,” she corrected him, her hand caressing his cheek. “I’m proud of you,” she added before turning back to Jaebum. “I apologize for the way I reacted,” she said, letting out a sigh. “Can I start whatever paperwork I have to do while we wait for the shrink?” she asked, and Jaebum nodded before leaving the room.

 

“Were you scared Mommy?” Hyun Tae asked, his voice quieter now.

 

“Terrified,” she answered, crouching to meet his eyes. “But then I remembered that my Hyun Tae is a big boy, he’s so brave and never gets scared,” she smiled, pressing her lips against his forehead. She heard the door open, and continued speaking. “You were so good today, I think you deserve a Happy Meal today, so why don’t you go play and I’m going to fill out some papers, okay? When the doctor comes here, you’re going to continue to stay a good boy and answer all his questions, okay?” she said, patting his cheek. She stood up and Hyun Tae went back to playing with the toy truck, turning around to face Jaebum who gestured her towards the table.

 

“You don’t have to do much as the situation was dealt with before it escalated to something bad, and your son explained what happened. He is a minor, so he just need your ID as you are the one that is going to take him home,” he explained. Hyojin took her wallet out, handing him her driver’s license and Jaebum couldn’t help but study it longer than usual. ‘She’s only 23?’ he thought to himself. He was someone that usually kept to himself, he didn’t want to get involved if he could avoid it, but there was something about the woman in front of him that just made him curious. “You gave birth at the age of 18?” he said before he realized his words.

 

“Is that a problem?” Hyojin asked. Back in her hometown, she got many stares and looks from the elders of the community due to being not only pregnant while unmarried, but at the age where she was supposed to be finishing high school. She was abandoned by many friends as she was deemed as a bad influence, leaving only Seon Joo, but she was all that Hyojin ever needed. She could deal with the judgemental stares, but she wouldn’t stand it if someone said something to Hyun Tae. “I came here to take my son, not be judged over my life choices and decisions, so if my son and I are making you uncomfortable - ”

 

“I was just curious, I am not judging,” Jaebum interrupted, pausing before choosing his next words carefully. “I was just asking because I’ve never met a young mother, but I am most certainly not judging you. If having your son at that age was your choice and not something you were forced to do, then so be it. Who cares what other people think?” he turned around, leaving the room once again to scan her license to add with the report.

 

“I had you stay with the kid because you were on the scene, but maybe I should have someone else in the room if you’re going to irritate the mother,” a voice spoke behind him and Jaebum turned to face Captain Park.

 

“I didn’t mean to irritate her, sir. I wasn’t thinking before I spoke, but I apologized,” he explained.

 

“She may be young, but she is still that boy’s mother. Tread lightly, I don’t want to deal with a complaint filed against you,” he said, walking towards his office before pausing. “Or maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. She’s the first person that’s walked in here that has made you speak before thinking,” he chuckled before walking away, Jaebum frowning slightly before going back to the room. The shrink had finally arrived when he entered the room and he saw the little boy sitting on his mother’s lap while they all sat at the table. The little boy was fine, much different than that Jaebum had seen before.

 

This child’s excitement wore down and he was much calmer, quieter, but his mother didn’t seem worried at this change. ‘Kid must be quiet most of the time,’ Jaebum thought before frowning to himself once again. Why did he care how the kid acted? He shook his head, placing the license on the table in front of Hyojin before backing away, leaning against the wall as he closed his eyes.

 

He couldn’t wait to go home.


 

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30 minutes later, Hyojin was finally allowed to take Hyun Tae home. She had gathered her stuff and signed the papers when she turned around to see her son with the officer from before.

 

Senior Officer Im Jaebum.

 

“Hyunnie, what do you say?” she said, patting his shoulder.

 

“Thank you Mr. Police Officer,” the little boy smiled, his head tilted back so could look at Jaebum’s face. “When I grow up, I want to be exactly like you and fight more bad guys!” Jaebum looked at the child, unsure of how to answer, and then his mother, whose face looked slightly worried. He bent down so he was at eye level, and for the first time in a long time, he smiled.

 

“Why don't I catch the bad guys for now? You worry about growing up now,” he patted the top of the kid’s head, standing up straight to look at Hyojin, his smile still present, “right, Ms. Cha Hyojin?”

 

Hyojin was startled staring at the officer in front of her. If she thought he was handsome under the streetlight when he helped her, then this officer - this man - that stood in front of her with a smile that she swore could stop a war… ‘Holy , he is goddamn handsome,’ she thought to herself before realizing that Hyun Tae was tugging at her sweater. “OH!” she exclaimed, shaking her head. “Yeah, let’s just worry about you running the playground first, then we’ll think about you running the police force, kiddo,” she chuckled. “Thank you, once again,” she turned to Jaebum, bowing slightly before walking out of the precinct. The mother-son walked hand in hand. Once she made sure that Hyun Tae was buckled into his carseat, she settled into the driver’s seat, eyeing the little boy through the day mirror.

 

“Mr. Cha Hyun Tae,” she smiled, “what do you say we get that Happy Meal and then head to the arcade?”


 

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It was a little past 10 PM when Hyojin’s car pulled into her parking spot. After the police station, she took Hyun Tae to McDonald’s for lunch and then an arcade afterwards. When it was nearing dinner time, Hyojin thought that spoiling her son one night wouldn’t do too much damage, and decided to take him to the movies, buying him a meal there as they enjoyed Toy Story 4. Hyun Tae had fallen asleep on the way home and Hyojin was glad that the day was over. It was Saturday tomorrow which meant she would be off, but she had arranged for Hyun Tae to sleep over at his friend’s house, and she knew that both Hyun Tae and his friend would be upset if she canceled last minute. She sighed, getting out of the car quietly and lifted her son into his arms.

 

He instantly snuggled against her, his arms tight around her neck, as she closed the car door, walking into the building. She quietly bid the doorman a good night as she entered the elevator that would take her to the 7th floor and she was thankful that no one else had asked for the elevator. Hyojin was talking to her apartment when she noticed the unit door next to hers was open and she took a little peek, seeing some boxes. “Someone is finally moving in here, huh?” she said to herself. She had been living in Seoul for almost 4 months now and the apartment next to hers had been empty the entire time, so she was surprised to see someone moving in, especially this late at night. She shrugged, walking away to her own apartment where she spent the night with Hyun Tae snuggled next to her.


 

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“I told you last night was that I was not coming in to work today,” Jaebum spoke into the phone. “I’m moving into my new apartment today, and I would like to get everything settled in one day, Captain,”

 

“Very well,” the masculine voice spoke on the other end. “Senior Officer Kwon is going to take over the case from the museum yesterday, so as of right now, you don’t have any cases to work with. Take a few days off, you deserve a break,” he said.

 

“Sir - ” Jaebum started.

 

“Jaebum, you work too hard. I don’t want to see you in the precinct until Monday, are we clear?” Jaebum sighed knowing this was a fight that he was going to lose.

 

“Yes sir,”


 

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“Seon Joo,” Hyojin whined into the phone. “I don’t know what to do. My 5 year old son has weekend plans while I’m at home alone!” she was lying on her bed in starfish formation.

 

“Hey, consider this as a mini vacation. You may be a mom, but you’re only 23 years old! You’re young! Go on a shopping spree, or better yet! Let’s go clubbing!” her best friend exclaimed. Hyojin sighed as she closed her eyes, only standing up because she heard the doorbell ring.

 

“I don’t know if you were aware, my dear Seon Joo, but I live in Seoul and you’re - ” she rolled her eyes as she opened the door, “in Seoul?!” she quickly hung up, shoving her phone in her pocket before practically jumping on her best friend. “Oh my god, you’re in Seoul! You’re in front of my apartment, you’re here!”

 

“I’m here!” Seon Joo giggled, holding Hyojin’s hands as the two jumped up and down in the hallway.

 

“Wait, why are you here? Did something happen?” Hyojin stopped.

 

“Yeah, I missed my best friend and my godson,” Seon Joo said, hugging the girl. “Oh man, I forgot how great you were at hugging,” she said, pulling her tighter.

 

“Hey, what about the guy that brought our bags up?” a masculine voice spoke and Hyojin turned to see Park Jinyoung, Seon Joo’s boyfriend.

 

“This is the best day ever!” Hyojin shouted, running towards the smiling man, throwing her hands around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground. “Oh man, I missed you guys so much,” she said, pulling away to look back at Seon Joo. “You said we’re going clubbing tonight. I have no kid tonight. I am going to get so drunk,” she started bouncing up and down.

 

“Don’t you get tipsy after two cups of wine?” Jinyoung asked, giving the girl a look.

 

“Hey, don’t speak to my daughter like that,” Seon Joo said, wrapping her arms around Hyojin. “If she says she wants to get drunk, we are going to get smashed,” her smile widened. “Let’s go!” she exclaimed, pulling Hyojin into the apartment.


 

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“Clubbing?” Jaebum said. “You want to go clubbing tonight?”

 

“Yeah, dude,” the other line said. “You’re always busy at work, this is the first time in like forever that you’re off, and for the weekend! C’mon, it’ll be fun! We’ll go drink, dance, maybe find someone for the night,”

 

“I would normally say no, but seeing that I have nothing to do tonight since my boss basically threatened me into taking these days off, fine,” Jaebum replied. “But, I am not drinking. You guys can drink however much you want, get smashed, whatever. I’ll drive you guys home. You want to bring a girl home, I’ll make sure you guys get in a taxi, whatever,”

 

“Hell yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!”

 

“I’ll pick you and the guys up around 7 PM, Youngjae. Let them know and don’t make me wait,”


 

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“Let’s go guys, it’s 6:30 and I am a mom! If I’m not drunk before 8 PM, I will be tired and cranky!” Hyojin exclaimed, standing in her apartment entryway.

 

“You go to the elevator, I’m just putting my shoes on!” Seon Joo called from the bedroom. “Jinyoung said he’ll drive, he went down a few minutes ago,”

 

“Hurry! Make sure you have your wallet!” Hyojin called, looking inside her purse to make sure she had her phone, not paying attention to the person in front of her until she bumped into him. “Oh I’m so sorry, I - ” she stopped in her words. “Officer Im? What are you doing here?” she asked, studying him from top to bottom. ‘How are you allowed to look this fine?’ she thought to herself.

 

Jaebum was clad in black jeans and black t-shirt with his usual black leather jacket, his feet clad in combat boots. He was wearing a simple silver chain and his hair.......the last two encounters she had with the man, his hair had been left alone, falling freely in front of his face, but right now, it had been slicked back for his forehead and beautiful facial features to be on display.

 

“I just recently moved here,” he replied, gesturing to the door.

 

“Oh, you’re the new neighbor!” Hyojin smiled. “Hyun Tae and I live next door, so if any time you need something, don’t hesitate - ” she stopped mid-sentence, remembering that the man in front of her was a stranger, someone she’s only had two encounters with, and each time, he had stopped her rambling. “I’m sorry, I don’t even realize when I’m annoying someone,” she chuckled, inwardly cursing at herself. “Enjoy your evening out!” she said, walking towards the elevator, praying that Seon Joo would come out before Jaebum got near her again.

 

“Yah, Cha Hyojin, I know you can’t wait to get faced drunk since Hyun Tae isn’t here, but wait for me!” Hyojin heard Seon Joo’s voice and instantly wanted the floor to swallow her, knowing that Jaebum most certainly heard her. “Oh my, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that your neighbor was out here,” she quickly apologized to Jaebum, who was still standing outside his apartment door. “I’m Ahn Seon Joo, Hyojin’s best friend and Hyun Tae’s godmother,” she extended her hand towards the man, and Hyojin wanted to cry when she saw Jaebum shake her hand.

 

“I am Senior Officer Im Jaebum. I just moved in yesterday,” he briefly explained.

 

“Ah, you’re new, or else I was going to say that Hyojin never told me how handsome her neighbor is,” Seon Joo giggled, flashing a look at her best friend.

 

“Hey!” Hyojin exclaimed. “Elevator’s here! Perfect! Let’s go down where Jinyoung - remember him, your boyfriend? - is waiting for us!”

 

“Actually, I’m headed downstairs as well,” Jaebum said, walking towards the elevator. There was something about Hyojin that made Jaebum want to be near her. He was usually the last person to initiate a conversation, often ignoring strangers that came up to him if it wasn’t related to his job, but when Hyojin’s friend spoke to him, he wasn’t annoyed. When Hyojin cut her sentences short, he felt at fault, knowing that he had cut her off in their other encounters. The elevator ride was quiet. The two girls were speaking quietly to each other, which gave Jaebum the chance to study Hyojin.

 

Each time he had seen her, she was dressed different, and gone were the business and a casual look she was wearing the last two times. She was dressed in a blush pink skirt that stopped mid-thigh with full sleeve black sheer top tucked in that allowed him to see the black lace bralette she wore under it. Her black hair was curled, the waves flowing down her black, and she was wearing dark eyeshadow with a dark red lip. His eyes traveled further down her legs that seemed to go on forever before stopping on a pair of black sandals with straps that wrapped around her calves. He had dated before and he wasn’t blind to strangers that he passed in his daily routine, but Cha Hyojin was just something so…

 

Refreshing. New. Confusing.

 

“Enjoy your night out, Jaebum-ssi,” Seon Joo called as she was being pulled by Hyojin out of the elevator. Jaebum nodded, walking to his own car to pick up his friends.

 

“Hyojin’s new neighbor is hot,” Seon Joo said the minute she sat in the car, turning in the passenger seat to face her boyfriend who was driving.

 

“Thank you for telling me that, sweetheart,” Jinyoung said with a straight face. “Hyojin, directions to the club?” he turned to the girl in the backseat. Once she had entered the address into the GPS, she leaned back against the seat of the car, crossing her arms across her chest.

 

“I’ll admit he may one of the handsomest people that I have ever laid my eyes on - ” she started off.

 

“Way to make a man feel good about himself,” Jinyoung muttered.

 

“You know you’re handsome, Jinyoung, but this isn’t about you,” Seon Joo patted his cheek before turning to face her best friend, nodding to let her continue.

 

“But he is very much not interested in me. This isn’t our first time meeting but, no matter how handsome he may be, I have a kid, Seon Joo. I can’t just get in a casual relationship that easily, I have to look out for Hyun Tae as well. Plus, young single moms aren’t exactly what a dude looks for in a relationship,” she sighed. Hyojin would give up anything in the world for her son, but she knew that his existence did make her dating life a little difficult, but it didn’t matter to her.


 

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Just like she said she would, Hyojin got very drunk. Jinyoung sat at the bar, sipping his soda as he promised that he would drive them home, but Seon Joo and Hyojin, who had their share of alcohol and more, were dancing together on the dance floor. Hyojin couldn’t remember the last time that she let loose like this and promised her drunken self that Hyun Tae would be allowed to go to a sleepover once a month.

 

“I’m going to get Jinyoung, find yourself a man to dance with!” she heard Seon Joo’s voice and nodded absentmindedly. The only thing that she was paying attention was the loud music that was playing. She was dancing on her own when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. Taken back by the touch, she turned her head to see a familiar face.

 

“It’s the handsome police officer!” she exclaimed, smiling brightly at Jaebum, turning around in his arms to face him properly. The people dancing around them seemed to move in, pushing her against his body closer and Hyojin placed her hands on his chest. “Are you here for security?”

 

Jaebum studied her face, taking in her pink cheeks and shiny eyes, some of her hair sticking to the sweat on the back of her neck, and determined that she was drunk.

 

“Where are your friends?” he asked.

 

“They’re having the time of their lives!” she giggled, moving to the beat of the song. “Come on, dance with me!” she moved out of his arms, holding his hands in her own to move them with her. Jaebum stood there still in the crowd of dancing people and couldn’t help but laugh at the girl in front of him. He hated getting involved with people if he didn’t have to, but when he spotted the girl in the crowd, he couldn’t help but get off his seat from the table that he was sitting at. He knew that his friends were among this crowd and if one of them saw him with the girl, they would drive him crazy with questions, but he didn’t seem to care right now. He didn’t object to her request and found himself moving as well, pulling her closer so that her back was pressed against his chest, letting him get a sniff of her vanilla scent mixed with alcohol.

 

He wasn’t sure how long he was dancing with his friends until he felt his phone in his pocket vibrate. He pulled it out, seeing the alarm that he set for 1 AM, remembering that his friends had planned to leave at this time. He looked around him, knowing that Hyojin had more alcohol while they were dancing and it would be unsafe to leave her alone. He spotted Seon Joo at the bar with a man and guided Hyojin in that direction. “I believe she is leaving with you,” he said, patting the other woman’s shoulder to get her attention.

 

“Hyojin!” Seon Joon exclaimed. She had switched to water an hour ago and she could feel herself sobering up slightly as a headache was coming in, but Hyojin seemed even more drunk than the she last saw her.

 

“Thank you,” Jinyoung said, wrapping one arm around Hyojin’s shoulder to support her. Her eyes were closed, but she was still moving along to the music.

 

“I’ll take my leave then. Please take care of her. Good night,” Jaebum said, nodding his head, walking away to turn back once to see her friend and the man hold the girl, handing her a glass of water.

 

Cha Hyojin was something interesting.

 

 

 

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galaxywixhes
Very long, and kind of all over the place, but I'm very content with the way that I wrapped up this story! Thank you everyone who read Love in Seoul!

Comments

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MissKita
#1
Chapter 3: This chapter is so good !

I love the "murder" scene, it's so funny 😄

And the end is beautiful. I love the way their relationship is slowly changing !
jojojoana
#2
Chapter 4: this kind of fluff we all need in our lives <3
jojojoana
#3
Chapter 3: so cute, adorable, stunning, breathtaking, never been done before, exquisite wow XD
juvana102 #4
Chapter 9: Beautiful ending
heilig #5
Chapter 9: Jaebum being a dad, I dig that!!
boysenberryjam
#6
Chapter 9: Naww this story is great!
proudjbstan
#7
Chapter 3: they are the sweetest people ever and deserve all the happiness in life :)