FBF chapter 25 part 1
by VolareThere are days when nothing goes right. A case that I thought was just in the final reporting stage suddenly hits an unexpected snag, forcing me to start all over again, or when, in the midst of working on that case, I receive a request I cannot possibly refuse, causing the plans I had made since a week ago to be thrown into disarray. On top of that, minor mistakes I believed would be easily resolved begin to snowball in real time.
Normally, I would have been fine with that. No matter how exhausting and tough the day was, there’s always an end. The moment I wash up and lay down on my bed, I could forget all about it. I can just take responsibility for my own issues.
The problem arises when it’s no longer just my own matter. Like now.
Lee Jihoon
“Why aren’t you answering your phone? It’s worrying me.” 8:02 PM
“Where are you?” 8:03 PM
The moment I saw the message, my heart sank. It felt as if my entire body turned cold, starting from my fingertips.
I had completely forgotten until I saw the message. Today was the day he was returning home from a long-distance flight, and both of us had unconsciously assumed that I would be out to pick him up like I always do on a weekday evening. Especially since we had planned to watch a late-night movie together today.
With a heavy heart, I made the call, recalling that Lee Jihoon’s expected arrival time was around 6 PM.
“Hey. Where are you?”
Lee Jihoon answered right away. Despite having waited for at least two hours without my response, he didn’t seem particularly affected. I pressed my forehead and shut my eyes tight. As I thought about disappointing him, I found it hard to speak, but I had to.
Even if he were to leave now, I would still have him waiting for more than an hour. That was unacceptable.
“I’m sorry. I’m still at the police headquarters.”
“……”
“I’ve been so busy that I couldn’t even check my phone until now. I’m really sorry. I want to come pick you up right now, but if I leave now, I’m afraid you’ll end up waiting longer. Your car is parked there, right? Why don’t you just ride back alone today? You can take a taxi too. I can call one for you if you tell me where you are. Is it our usual meeting spot?”
Although my new department wasn’t as busy as before, there were still plenty of tasks at hand. However, I had never been this busy where I couldn’t even go to pick him up. I tried not to explain why I had been suddenly busy all week to Lee Jihoon, who probably already had an idea about it. I knew all too well that he wouldn’t take it well. Thinking back on how this all blew up unexpectedly, I thought it might have been better if I had been honest from the start.
“It seemed that way.”
“Huh?”
“You seemed busy. Even during our call yesterday, it felt like you were unfocused.”
“…Oh.”
“Don’t worry too much. I’ll figure out how to get there.”
“…I’m sorry. I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
“Yeah. Do you think you can still make it to the movie tonight? If it seems too much, we can cancel.”
Lee Jihoon generously reassured me, but his accommodating tone only made my guilt intensity. Glancing at the clock, it was now 8 PM. The movie was at 11:30 PM. It would be a bit tight, but I thought I could manage to make it by skipping dinner.
“No, I can finish up since everything is in the final stages anyway.”
“Okay. Should we watch it at the theater?”
“I’ll stay home. I’ll come pick you up.”
“It’s alright. Just focus on finishing your work. Let’s meet at the entrance of the theater. I’ll call you.”
No matter how much I insisted, he quickly hung up as if he already knew I was busy. Checking the screen, I saw I had exactly two missed calls. Given that his response was predictable, it seemed he had deliberately refrained from calling.
I ran my fingers through my hair and let out a deep sigh. This is really impossible, I thought.
The drug trafficking case that had been happening quietly in the back alleys of Majang-dong for years was finally brought to light. With a hunch but no solid evidence, it had been slow going under Ha sunbae’s monitoring for over two years, but then an unexpected lead surfaced. Over 10 kg of cocaine was found in the trunk of a guy who was caught for hit-and-run, which led to revelations about the trafficking operations in Majang-dong during the interrogation of those involved. The situation escalated rapidly with the size of the supply network coming to light. It happened just when the team leader had gone on a family trip to Europe for the first time in ten years. Several of the senior detectives, normally reluctant to be away, had also taken vacations during that time. When the news broke, the department was in chaos. There was an abundance of work but a severe lack of hands. Park Seobin approached me without even having buttoned his shirt properly. “Sunbae, could you help me?” His face was filled with embarrassment, and I couldn’t refuse. It was a level of responsibility that a rookie who hadn’t even been in the team for a year couldn’t handle alone. Just then, the team leader called. Upon hearing the news, he had gone directly to the airport, aiming to wait there for any possible canceled flights since he couldn’t even get a ticket back to Korea immediately. The senior detectives on their trips abroad would be facing similar issues. After hanging up, I rushed to the section manager, who was the team leader’s junior back in the hometown. He seemed to already know the situation and lightly patted my shoulder, telling me to go handle it.
Today marked exactly three days since I received the call for emergency deployment, and throughout that time, I had barely had a moment to rest. It had been just two months since I switched departments, and the work was something I had become so accustomed to over the past four years. However, I couldn’t work without being taken care of like when I returned after surgery. The senior detectives occasionally looked at me with worried expressions, but even those brief moments of concern felt indulgent given the urgency of the situation. Tasks were piling up at a frantic pace. I had to search through 100 containers expected to arrive in Gunsan meticulously, catch one person who had gone missing for several days, and simultaneously assist senior detectives as they interrogated a captured drug dealer.
In a way, it was fortunate that Lee Jihoon was on a long-distance flight at this time. If he had been nearby, I wouldn’t have been able to hide my situation. Despite being so busy that I couldn’t even have a proper meal in a day, I still made sure not to miss Lee Jihoon’s calls coming in according to Korean time, no matter where I was—be it in a dim spot behind a construction site, inside my car, or the changing room. It was as if, desperately trying to find a quiet spot to talk, I was at least relieved that I hadn’t raised any suspicion.
I aimed to complete my urgent tasks before Lee Jihoon returned. Thankfully, I had managed to put out the most pressing fires. The arrests I had planned went smoothly, and all that was left was the cleanup. Starting yesterday, senior detectives who had been on vacation had returned to duty, and once the team leader arrived back on tonight’s flight, there wouldn’t be much left for me to do.
I had decided I would go in, finish up one report, and head out right away. How long would it take to get to the theater? While pondering that, I found myself being stopped.
“Sunbae, this…”
Park Seobin was standing behind me, nose stuffed with tissues. Despite his tired face showing obvious signs of exhaustion, the moment he made eye contact with me, he smiled.
“You looked tired, so I brought this. Please take it.”
In his hands, he was offering a Vitamin drink with both hands, a polite gesture. I almost declined, but realized that the drink wasn’t one we had in the office, so I accepted it. Refusing the effort he put into going out to get it felt wrong in its own way.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, no. What are you saying? I should be the one thanking you. If it weren’t for you, I would have been in real trouble. I blanked out while taking statements.”
“You did well. Thanks to you, everything got wrapped up nicely. Go home today. Don’t return to the duty room again.”
“Yes. I’ll finish up a few reports. You too…”
“Yeah. I’m leaving too. I have an appointment.”
I opened the Vitamin drink and drank it right there. As I was about to throw the empty bottle into the trash can in the hallway, I glanced to the side. Park Seobin was watching me with a puzzled expression as he was a step behind me. Seeing him look tense as if he thought I was going to talk about work made it harder for me to ask, but nonetheless, I opened my mouth.
“…You said that movie’s really good, right?”
“Huh?”
“That one you recommended in the car.”
“Oh, yeah. It’s acclaimed as one of the most popular movies among those released right now. A girlfriend of mine watched it and said it was as fun as she expected.”
Two days ago, in the early morning while I was on a stakeout, I had tried to book tickets for a movie that I planned to watch with Lee Jihoon. Park Seobin, who I thought was asleep in the back seat, poked his head up and added his thoughts. “I heard that one’s fun.” He must have seen the poster on the screen. Honestly, I had been kind of at a loss as to which film to pick from the options that seemed similar, so I booked the tickets right away without further consideration upon hearing that.
“Is that so? Thank you.”
Nodding, I stretched my neck a bit. Come to think of it, this would be my first time going to see a movie with Lee Jihoon. Since I had already messed things up, it felt dreadful to think that the movie might not even be entertaining. Considering how prominently the title had been splashed on the home screen of the theater app, it should be above a certain level of quality. I decided to put my thoughts aside and focus on the report. That was more urgent right now.
Lee Jihoon was sitting on the stairs near the entrance of the theater. It didn’t take long for him to notice me as he lifted his head from his phone. For a late-night screening, there were surprisingly many people in the theater. As I noted how busy the snack counter looked, I reached into my back pocket for my wallet.
“Do you want popcorn?”
However, instead of answering me, Lee Jihoon nodded toward the seat next to him where two cups of drinks and a bucket of popcorn lay.
“Oh…”
Lee Jihoon reached out with his hand over my head. Just then, I realized I hadn’t even looked in the mirror all day after running around. As I noticed him before I could compose myself, I tried to gauge his reaction, but there was nothing but a welcoming look on his face as he ruffled my hair and withdrew his hand.
“Hey, Ji Seon-uk.”
It was a teasing greeting as if I hadn’t seen him in ages. The way he looked at me and his expression echoed that sentiment. I realized I hadn’t seen him in a week. Despite having lived together for almost a year, every time I welcomed him back, I felt a fresh wave of emotions. Perhaps it was due to the way he expressed his affection for me in a manner that sought to convey how much he missed me during the time apart. Each time, I found myself contemplating how to respond while biting my lower lip, but I remained trapped in my usual awkwardness.
“…Oh. Hello.”
Keeping his gaze locked on me, Lee Jihoon smiled brightly.
“I’ll carry it.”
I reached for it, but he ignored me. Instead, he gathered the popcorn and drinks with one hand, gesturing toward the theater’s entrance.
“Didn’t you say 11:30?”
“Uh? Yes.”
“Let’s go. It’s about to start.”
“It seems like a popular movie?”
As we walked through the theater, Lee Jihoon remarked in wonder. For a late-night screening, the turnout was remarkably high. There were people packed into the seats right in front of us. I realized that while I had only heard the movie was good, I didn’t even know the plot or who starred in it.
“Yeah, I heard it was fun.”
As I answered, I tried to peer at the poster I had picked up at the entrance. However, a shadow fell over the poster as Lee Jihoon leaned toward me. As he rested his chin on my shoulder, he whispered.
“Are you watching a late-night movie to have fun?”
“…What if I am?”
“Isn’t it to enjoy it?”
I felt a gentle pressure on my thigh as his hand slid under the bucket of popcorn I was holding.
“Come on, let’s hold hands, huh?”
Startled the moment our fingers touched, I instinctively pulled back my hand. While I was peeking around nervously to see if anyone had noticed, Lee Jihoon remained unfazed. He nonchalantly shoved his hand back into the bucket to grab more popcorn. I was relieved that we were sitting in the back row and there was no one beside us, so it seemed no one had caught on. I shot him an annoyed look, signaling him not to do that.
If he intended to tease me further, it was unusual that he backed down this time. But he had his reasons. He showed me his phone, saying it was a call from work, and hastily excused himself from the theater. With the transition to advertisements showing that we still had about ten minutes before the movie started, I had a brief moment of relief. The moment the advertisement began, the theater darkened significantly. It was bright enough from the giant screen to see the poster comfortably. As I started reading the poster’s large capitalized letters for the production company, I gathered it was a typical commercial film with a lot of investment, renowned actors, and a grand storyline. Just when I realized it wasn’t an old film, I intended to put the poster away when I overheard two girls seated in front of me whispering as one ad ended and another was about to begin.
“It’s a post-movie stage greeting, right?”
“Yeah. Ugh, look how packed the front seats are. Do you think they’ll make a fuss sitting up there later?”
“Let’s just see how it goes. If we’re lucky, we might manage to sneak in from the back. There are two exits here, after all.”
I hadn’t known there would be a post-movie stage greeting. Finally, the unusually high turnout for a late-night movie began to make sense. After realizing the back seats usually have a lot of empty spots while the front ones were packed, I also observed quite a few people who seemed to be carrying camera bags.
I really booked without knowing anything, I thought awkwardly while folding the poster in half.
“By the way, isn’t the schedule a bit too tight? How will Hyunwoo cope?”
“Hey. Where do you get the chance to join in when the pro’s around? This insignificant bit is just too much.”
Hearing an unexpectedly familiar name made me question my hearing. No way… My heart sank with anxiety as I unfolded the poster again, scouring all the areas from the plot section down to the cast’s faces. No matter how rudimentary I skimmed, I wouldn’t have missed Hyunwoo’s name.
But there it was, revealed in an unexpected spot.
Special Appearance: Min Hyunwoo
[As the Ex-boyfriend]
In a hurry, I folded the poster back up, desperate not to be seen. From far away, I could see Lee Jihoon ascending the stairs. The theater gradually darkened further as the movie was about to start. I sensed Lee Jihoon approaching to sit beside me. I had to decide now. The moment I cleared my head, I turned.
“Hey. Let’s go.”
Lee Jihoon frowned and asked back.
“…Right now?”
His expression grew even more perplexed as he glanced at the screen, where the production company’s name emerged large on the screen. It signaled the movie would start soon. I hurried in fear that staying any longer might disrupt the other audience members. I grasped Lee Jihoon’s arm and stood up.
“Yeah. I looked at the poster, and I don’t think it’ll be entertaining. I’m sorry. I booked it by mistake. Let’s just leave.”
Fortunately, there was also an exit behind us, so I thought we could leave quietly. I tugged on his arm once more, prompting him to hurry.
“Suddenly? But since we’ve come this far, let’s watch it.”
Lee Jihoon was not the type to just accept the nonsense I was spewing and follow along, but I realized he was more resolute than I expected. As he looked at me with growing suspicion, it felt like my head was spinning.
“What’s the big deal? Just hand me that poster.”
“…Ah, never mind, what does it even matter?”
He even tried to snatch the poster from me, leading to a mini struggle. I had to let go of the arm I was holding onto him with and pull away. The expression on Lee Jihoon’s face was strange. Why was I being this stubborn about it?
Just then, the movie started. As I tussled with Lee Jihoon, it felt like I was being laughed at. The voice that emerged from the black screen mocked my earlier thoughts that fell on hearing the opening scene. Shortly after, the owner of that voice filled the screen. The camera was framed in a way that showcased the back of a woman, with a young man’s face sitting opposite her, almost appearing as if he were facing the audience directly. The close-up followed.
[Noona. I would understand if you were a spy who infiltrated some unnamed country. But you’re not that, are you? How can a person who leads an ordinary job and lives more normally than anyone else hide so many trivial things? Not being able to share your surname, isn’t it ridiculous? It makes me suspicious.]
There are days when nothing goes right. I thought while looking at Lee Jihoon’s profile, who was staring intensely at the screen.
Today is that very day.
Lee Jihoon turned his head toward me only after Hyunwoo disappeared from the screen, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly.
“Who said it’s not entertaining?”
“……”
“It’s already incredibly fun.”
Despite the sarcastic tone, he wore a smile. His eyes fixed on me in the darkness felt like they were sending another message.
Ultimately, we left the cinema in the middle of the movie. It was only possible because Lee Jihoon finally gave in, confirming that Hyunwoo would no longer appear in the film. It was a quiet walk toward the box office. Lee Jihoon walked beside me in silence. He looked as if he was back to normal, yet remembering what he had said inside brought unease.
My mouth felt parched. Stealing glances at Lee Jihoon, our eyes met.
He halted suddenly and turned to me, extending his hand.
Is he trying to hold my hand? But why here….
The look on his face suggested he was waiting as if it was the most natural thing in the world, causing a trickle of sweat to run down my back. Luckily, since there were only two of us who had come out of the movie midway, the hallway was completely empty. After a moment’s contemplation, I looked around one more time to confirm that no one was watching before carefully placing my hand atop his palm.
“…….”
“…….”
Lee Jihoon raised an eyebrow. Wasn’t this what he wanted? Did he want to clasp hands? As I tried to exert pressure on our hands cautiously, a soft chuckle broke the silence.
“Give me the popcorn bucket. I’m gonna throw it away.”
“…Ah, okay.”
I handed him the popcorn bucket quickly, sensing he was trying to help me avoid any misunderstandings. Lee Jihoon flashed a knowing grin while turning away. After he finished sorting the popcorn and drink for recycling, he resumed walking. Unlike before, he initiated conversation with me.
“Which floor is your car parked on?”
“I didn’t bring it.”
“……”
“Uh… I thought it would be nice to go home together in your car.”
Lee Jihoon stared at me intently, tilting his head slightly. I couldn’t be sure since he had covered his lower face with his hand, but it seemed he was smiling. As he slightly shook his head and pressed the elevator button, I suspected something mischievous was lurking behind his casual demeanor.
“Seriously, you keep bringing me up and down…”
The moment I understood what he meant from his casually dropped comment, I hastily replied.
“I really booked without knowing anything. I only heard it was fun.”
This was my last chance. A moment to apologize before we fought, giving me a chance to clear the air. While I could ignore it, I knew it wouldn’t feel right later if I swept it under the rug, so I wanted to address it directly.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be more mindful next time.”
Lee Jihoon, who had been looking straight at me, finally withdrew his hand from his pocket. It took less than five seconds for him to snatch the poster from my hand and toss it into the nearby trash can without hesitation. As I walked alongside him, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he had desired to do just that. The suddenness of the motion left me awkwardly clutching my empty hands while our gazes locked.
“Fine. If that’s what you think, I guess that’s how it is.”
His response was succinct, but I was relieved knowing he wouldn’t throw a fit regardless of his irritation. The look in his eyes was the same as always. At that moment, I could feel the tension in my neck and shoulders ease up a bit after having been so wound up while at the cinema. I moved beside him as we stood together in front of the elevator. Our reflections appeared in the glass. Despite the unexpected developments, I thought heading home and sleeping wouldn’t be a bad choice. The fatigue I had put off over the last few days began to wash over me. As I stifled a yawn and turned my head, my eyes met Lee Jihoon’s. He placed his hand on my shoulder, easing the tension in my tight muscles. As he pressed down on the knots in my shoulders, he tilted his head, asking about something.