FBF chapter 14 part 2

“Um.”

As expected, Lee Jihoon responded nonchalantly, showing no signs of suspicion. Still, just in case, I bent down to the bottom of the box and carefully pushed the MP3 into a spot between items of different sizes and volumes. A place where it wouldn’t be easily seen even if the guy rummaged through the box again.

I straightened up from my crouch and accidentally bumped shoulders with Lee Jihoon, who was standing next to me. Both of us were startled by how close we were, freezing in place for a moment before awkwardly exchanging glances. Soon after, Lee Jihoon casually reached for my clothes. The moment I realized this was a familiar action, I quickly reacted. Fortunately, I managed to stop his hand just before it touched the knitwear. I always checked my clothes only after showering, so I had let my guard down. I pulled my body back a little and, seeing him fixate on his caught hand, quickly added,

“It was an internal meeting today. You know since I contacted Seobin.”

At first, I thought it was strange that the two of them were keeping in touch with one common point; however, seeing how he could serve as a witness, it seemed to have its perks. Lee Jihoon, momentarily at a loss for words, suddenly grinned as if he remembered something.

“I heard you had rice soup for lunch again?”

“…Do you two talk about that kind of stuff?”

Noticing my disbelief, Lee Jihoon shrugged.

“You might not like it, but I enjoy it. His answers are much quicker than yours, and he’s even loyal. I bet he’d give a live recap if you got stabbed somewhere.”

“…….”

“I won’t ask you every day, so relax. I was just checking your schedule for the 28th since I didn’t hear back from you.”

The moment the date of the 28th came up, I couldn’t help but freeze. Despite my reaction, Lee Jihoon chuckled lightly, as if he expected my refusal. He continued calmly.

“Don’t worry about it. I heard you have work. Your department is busy these days, right? Your junior said that no one gets off on time…”

“I’m considering taking a half-day.”

“…Really?”

I had been agonizing over that in the car, but as soon as I saw Lee Jihoon’s relieved expression, I blurted it out. Seeing his incredulous face, I nodded.

Things had wrapped up faster than I expected, though it was true that I was still busy, and I’d have to work a bit harder the day before to take that half-day. Still…

“Yeah. I plan on reporting to the team leader tomorrow.”

Since spending my birthday with Lee Jihoon might be the first and last time this year.

“Wow, awesome! I wasn’t even hoping for half a day. I scored double the time. What should we do?”

In the end, it only meant leaving work four hours early, yet Lee Jihoon looked as if he had received a gift he had never gotten in his whole life. Feeling guilty about his joyful smile, I awkwardly turned my gaze and jolted when I felt my stomach unexpectedly open up.

“Hey!”

Before I could even grab him, he had already dropped his clothes and quickly stepped back, raising his hands in mock surrender. Admittedly, he was grinning widely, which raised my suspicions about his sincerity.

“Ah, double-check. Double-check. I’m quite suspicious, you see.”

Noticing the likelihood of receiving a verbal jab for my reaction, Lee Jihoon hastily grabbed the box. He shot a glance at me, who was still stunned, and quickly moved away. I sighed and turned off the lights, picking up the coat I had tossed onto the sofa. Initially, it was just disbelief, but upon reflecting, I felt heat rising to my ears. I hadn’t even showered yet, yet he was wearing my clothes casually as if they were his. What a crazy guy.

“Hey.”

I was about to approach the door when I noticed his call, turning my head. Lee Jihoon, whom I thought had already gone inside, was still standing at the door, watching me.

“I won’t make you regret it.”

Suddenly, it hit me. Soon enough, I might lose this Lee Jihoon’s face and the time I spent with him altogether.

“…What did you prepare that’s so grand?”

After a long pause, I let out a breathy laugh, matching Lee Jihoon’s tone, and he grinned. Instead of a reply, he simply said,

“Goodnight.”

He cleverly avoided answering, stepping into the room, and soon I heard the door close behind him. Once I confirmed he was gone, I turned back to take in the scenery of the living room where we had just been sitting on the sofa. My gaze finally settled on the display cabinet. I stared at the lined-up souvenirs that Lee Jihoon had brought back every time he returned from his flights, reflecting on how foolish it was to love things that were meant to depart.

I could feel that I wouldn’t have much time left to make foolish decisions in this house. I withdrew my gaze and grasped the doorknob. A delayed wave of fatigue rushed in, making my left eye throb.

* * *

“Sir, I heard you’re taking a half-day this afternoon… I have something to ask you before you head out.”

Lee Jihoon

Departing Incheon on November 29 at 11:00, arriving in New York on flight KE082 /

Departing New York on December 2 at 17:25, arriving in Incheon on flight KE091 at 11:02.

“…Sir?”

I turned my head only when I felt the silence. The rookie was standing right behind me with an awkward expression. From his face, it seemed he had called me several times already. I set my phone down, embarrassed that I had turned off my surroundings, completely engrossed in Lee Jihoon’s schedule.

“Ah, I’m sorry. What did you say?”

While tilting his head towards the document, I couldn’t shake off the time I had just checked on my phone. 1:17 PM. Since Lee Jihoon said he would bring the car to the main office at 2 PM, it seemed perfect if I could finish up the rookie’s tasks and leave.

“If you have time, I wanted to ask you something before you go.”

“Go ahead. Is this related paperwork?”

“Yeah, but….”

I sensed hesitation in the rookie even as he reached out to hand me the document. I hesitated, taking note of the commotion behind us. Several senior detectives who had been out on their own tasks since morning began entering the office. The rookie bowed to them with a determined expression.

“Ah, hello!”

“Back from lunch?”

“Yeah! I had my meal!”

Ha sunbae responded while tossing a toothpick into the trash and headed to his desk. His gaze shifted between me and the rookie as he removed his coat. He tossed a coffee coupon he had just taken out from his pocket on my desk.

“Here, I gathered all twelve.”

It was a cafe coupon from the main office. Occasionally, seniors would do this to treat colleagues. A nod of gratitude was all I needed to acknowledge the good intentions behind his gesture, and I tucked the coupons into the drawer next to me. Jung sunbae approached, leaning against the partition with a smile as he spoke.

“Are the juniors getting along well? It looks nice.”

“Yes! The seniors are guiding me well!”

“Oh, is that so? That’s a relief. By the way, Ji Kyung-Wi, I heard from the team leader that you’re taking a half-day today. Why are you still sitting around like this?”

“I have some time before 2 PM.”

“Wow… I was just making a joke about you sitting here after lunch with Ha sunbae, but you really are. You could leave at 1 PM and no one would say a word about it. Even if someone did, I’d take care of it, so hurry and pack up your things and go. Didn’t you almost forget to take a half-day for the first time in six months? You didn’t even come back until night the day you had a health check-up.”

“I’m alright. This makes me feel more comfortable.”

“Ha sunbae, Ji Kyung-Wi here is being stubborn again. You should say something.”

Ha sunbae, who had been inspecting a file, looked up, frowning as he waved his arms. It was a gesture that clearly meant to go away. Jung sunbae, seeing he had won the support, picked up the bag he had placed beside him and tossed it into my arms.

“Sir, I’m really fine….”

“Sigh.”

“…….”

“I’m going out for a smoke. If you’re still here when I get back, you’re in trouble.”

Returning to his desk, Jung sunbae grabbed his cigarettes and glared at me once more. He was joking, but there was a seriousness to it. I sighed and stood up. I leaned in towards the rookie, who was glancing nervously between our conversation.

“Follow me. We’ll talk while we’re heading out.”

The rookie nodded repeatedly, gathering up his papers with determination. I simply grabbed my phone and other essentials, said my goodbyes to the remaining seniors, and slipped out of the office.

It wasn’t even the depth of winter yet, but the temperature had already plunged below freezing several times. It was a surprisingly clear day for this season. The sky was so high and clear without a cloud in sight. Every breath brought a refreshing, dry air into my lungs. Standing still in the parking lot, I noticed how it had been such a long time since I got off work at this hour. My gaze lingered on the blue sky.

I wondered if Lee Jihoon would see the same sky while flying tomorrow. I hoped so.

As I thought about Lee Jihoon, I took out my phone. As usual, since the message notifying me of flight times, there hadn’t been any text from him. He had told me during breakfast that he had to meet with some junior colleagues for an interview in the morning. After a moment of hesitation, I decided to send him a message.

1: 1:40 PM Where are you?

Without waiting for the read receipt to disappear, I put my phone back in my pocket and turned toward the rookie, who was following behind. It was just in time; we were at the front entrance. If we were here, I wouldn’t be noticed by the seniors smoking. Even if I did, they’d only scold me lightly about working outside after getting off early, not getting into serious trouble.

“Is this off the record?”

I asked while pointing to the documents. The rookie’s eyes widened, surprised that I would ask that so suddenly, but he soon nodded seriously. I took a brief glance at the documents he handed over. They were printed internet articles. After scanning the logo of a nearly unknown online newspaper, I read through the article and quickly spotted a familiar name just a few paragraphs in, lifting my gaze immediately.

“This….”

The rookie nodded. He seemed to know what I was curious about.

“I understood we decided not to disclose any names related to Cha Hyuk-jun until things were certain, so I thought I should inform you.”

“…When did this article come out?”

“It was posted at 7 AM this morning and only appeared on the newspaper’s own website, not a search portal. It was taken down ten minutes afterward. Although there might be some who saw it, it’s not a well-known newspaper, and it seems those who did might be fans of his, so word hasn’t spread yet. The article was even locked to prevent sharing.”

What the rookie said was correct. Although some accurate information had spread regarding the villa incident, there hadn’t been any articles mentioning Cha Hyuk-jun yet. The evidence found at Choi Jeong-ho’s house had yet to be released, which made this possible. Everyone was weighing their timing to release it at a more appropriate moment. Until then, there was no need for Jeong-ho to be informed that Hyuk-jun had betrayed him. Therefore, I thought that the absence of the article meant that either Jeong-ho, who knew nothing about it, or the agency were both trying to suppress it.

At least, that was what I thought until a moment ago.

Glimpsing my stiff expression, the rookie spoke quickly.

“I don’t think it’s something to worry about too much. The article was deleted right away, and just to be safe, I monitored it, but there haven’t been any articles related to Cha Hyuk-jun since. If it had been officially released, everyone would have jumped on it and written articles, but since it’s quiet, that seems unlikely. I have a friend who is an entertainment reporter at a major daily, and they’re saying that while the story about Cha Hyuk-jun is still circulating, the agency is doing a good job of suppressing it. However, I’m concerned because this pattern feels oddly familiar. I encountered similar cases occasionally when I worked in the Cyber Investigation Unit, mostly involving celebrities. Sometimes, lesser-known newspapers would inadvertently leak information first. Of course, they would take it down almost immediately, but that means no general public could see it….”

“The agency employees will see it. They’ll be monitoring it.”

“Oh, yes! That’s right. I figured you’d know.”

I was already familiar with this pattern. I had seen celebrities entangled in drug cases go through similar situations. Sometimes, agencies might spread rumors to leverage their artists, or external forces might intentionally drag a case through the mud.

For Cha Hyuk-jun, either possibility could hold true, but for now, the latter seemed more plausible. A force trying to bring down Hyuk-jun while provoking the agency… As I contemplated this briefly, I handed the document back to the rookie.

“Keep monitoring, and let me know immediately if any articles mentioning Cha Hyuk-jun emerge.”

“Ah… yes. Should I report this to the team leader as well? To be honest, I’m a bit burdened about sharing this directly….”

“I’ll do it. We can wait until after the weekend. Besides, the team leader is away right now due to another case, so it’ll likely be difficult to reach them.”

“Understood.”

As the rookie nodded solemnly, a car horn suddenly blared behind us. Both of us turned in the same direction. The moment I spotted Lee Jihoon’s car, I fished my phone out of my pocket. Several missed calls were displayed. I must have overlooked them since my phone was on silent.

“Ah, Seobin’s also here.”

The window rolled down, revealing Lee Jihoon, casually leaning his arm against the window. He was dressed sharply in a white shirt, just like when he goes to work. The distance I felt from the appearance he had shared during breakfast struck me anew. He had mentioned needing to meet with juniors for an additional interview, so it seemed he was dressed for the occasion. The rookie seemed startled, shifting closer when he realized it was Lee Jihoon.

“Ah, Hyungnim! Hello! I didn’t recognize you for a moment….”

Even as he glanced back and forth between the car and Lee Jihoon, it was evident that he was trying to compare the Lee Jihoon in his memory with the one before him.

“Hey, Seobin. How are you? By the way, are both of you becoming too much of workaholics? Carrying documents even outside?”

“Ah, that’s not….”

I interrupted to shield the rookie from potentially spilling anything about Hyuk-jun. I didn’t want to risk Lee Jihoon catching on and turning the discussion to Hyuk-jun. I warned the rookie in hushed tones while keeping my back to Lee Jihoon.

“Don’t say anything about our conversation to anyone before we inform the team leader.”

“Ah… yes! Understood.”

“Go on in. Call me right away if anything comes up.”

“I will, Senior.”

“Yeah?”

Feeling Lee Jihoon’s presence behind me heightened my urgency. It seemed evident I was showing it, as the rookie grabbed my arm and hesitated before taking a cautious look to continue.

“Your shirt and hairstyle really suit you.”

“…….”

“I just thought it was the first time I saw you like this, so I wanted to say something special.”

The rookie timidly raised his thumbs. Impressive….

“Ah….”

My awkward reaction seemed to make him even more flustered. He quickly bowed and said,

“Then I’ll see you on Monday. Have a good trip!”

I watched him enter the building before turning back. Given that it was not a common car seen in front of the police station, passersby were casting curious glances at us. Picking up my pace, I approached the car and quickly buckled my seatbelt in the passenger seat, glancing over at Lee Jihoon. My eyes were immediately drawn to his long fingers. I sighed before he could even start talking.

“Wow, you strap in really well.”

Right, if I let this opportunity slip, it wouldn’t be Lee Jihoon. With his thumbs pressed together just like the rookie had done, Lee Jihoon was grinning, looking as if he had caught something. If I let this slide now, I’d have to deal with him regularly talking about it later.

“Fold it before you break it.”

After gritting my teeth in warning, I finally saw Lee Jihoon withdraw his hands.

“That’s definitely out of the question. Especially today.”

Just as he was set to look away, he hesitated and reached out his hand. I froze awkwardly, realizing how close we had gotten. His head was right near my chin, and a fragrance I had never experienced from him wafted through the air.

“When did this happen?”

He murmured as he twisted and pulled at the curled-up part of the strap. Just as Lee Jihoon removed his hand from the seatbelt, he paused and glanced at me. It felt like he finally realized how close we were.

For a moment, he lowered his head, staring at my neck, but just before our eyes met, he fully leaned back. I coughed lightly and turned to look out the window.

“Hey.”

At his unexpected call, I turned my head. Lee Jihoon had a wide smile, with both corners of his mouth lifted as he rested his hands on the steering wheel.

“I’m so excited. Right?”

His neatly arranged fingers tapped rhythmically on the wheel as the light filtered through the tinted windows, illuminating Lee Jihoon’s face like a spotlight. He spoke as if prepared.

“Let’s go. Let’s have a day we won’t regret.”

Because he had been tight-lipped about today’s plans, I just vaguely thought that we might end up somewhere unforeseen. So when I first spotted the familiar hospital, I inevitably felt bewildered.

“…Why here?”

After he parked, he paused unbuckling, turning to look at me. A rather casual reply followed.

“I figured you haven’t been able to visit lately because you’ve been busy.”

“…….”

“We still have about two hours before the original plan, so I thought it would be great to stop by and see him.”

It was indeed accurate. Just last week, I managed to make time to visit early in the morning, but I hadn’t been able to this week at all. It was unexpected for Lee Jihoon to create this opportunity since he knew how infrequently I managed to make my way here. I watched as he turned wholly in his seat, reaching into the backseat for something as if he was searching for something.

When he turned back, he was holding a bouquet of flowers.

When was the last time I brought flowers to my grandfather’s hospital room? Back when I had still held onto the hope that my grandfather might wake up and see them someday? While I contemplated the bouquet in my hands, Lee Jihoon nudged me gently.

“Come on. Let’s go see the old man.”

It had been a long time since I’d heard the term “old man” from Lee Jihoon’s lips. I closed my eyes momentarily, as if trying to dispel the throb in them, and nodded slightly, barely perceptibly.

The caretaker auntie greeted Lee Jihoon with more enthusiasm than she did me. It was understandable. He willingly extended the macarons he had brought along with the flowers to her, and he was the type to suggest she take a moment to rest while staying with us by my grandfather’s side.

My grandfather was sleeping again today. Even though Lee Jihoon replaced the flowers in the vase, I sat beside him quietly, ignoring the serene silence as the caretaker left the room. I set my hand on the wrinkled one resting neatly on the white sheet. As familiar warmth surged through my palm, I gazed unfocused at my grandfather’s face. I glanced briefly at the well-groomed stubble around his firmly closed lips, possibly having been shaved that morning by the caretaker.

I could hardly remember my grandfather’s voice at this point. Had I recorded a video, I might have been able to recall him that way. It was a punishment for not having even asked for a single photo together. My grandfather had already spent five winters in this hospital. I understood that he hated it more than anyone else. Yet I had continued to do so purely due to my own desires, driven by the flimsy hope that he might wake and the stubborn belief that it would be best for him to receive treatment from top medical professionals in case something went wrong.

I fidgeted with my fingertips, then looked up. Lee Jihoon was standing across from me. As he asked the question, his gaze remained fixed on my grandfather’s face.

“When you come here, what do you talk about with the old man?”

I knew the question didn’t carry any significant meaning, but I suddenly felt choked. In most conversations, two or more people were necessary. Though my grandfather was alive and thus met the conditions for a conversation, I had never attempted to engage him in dialogue since he had been here. I would occasionally attempt to speak, but I never made it beyond three words before falling silent. It felt agonizing to talk to an empty wall.