CHAPTER 4
The three of them entered the “Warm Rice Restaurant.”
The moment the door opened, a rich smell of soybean paste soup filled the air.
It was a small restaurant, but it was always crowded with customers, and white steam rose from every warm table setting.
“Damju, you’re here?”
A man wearing an apron, who had been moving quickly between customers, spotted Lee Damju and walked over with a bright smile.
Siwoo had come to Namcheon City seven years ago and opened a small rice restaurant.
He had opened the restaurant at a young age, but with his handsome looks, kind personality, and good cooking skills, he quickly became the number one regular spot for nearby office workers.
Since Lee Damju and Hajin often visited here during lunch, Siwoo had become like an older brother to them.
“It’s still as busy as ever.”
Lee Damju clicked her tongue in admiration while looking around the restaurant.
“Of course. So, what do you want to eat today?”
“Boss, we’ll have one pork cutlet and spicy stir-fried pork.”
Bokyeong glanced at Lee Damju while looking through the menu and asked.
“What about you, Damju?”
Siwoo placed a wet towel on the table and answered for her instead.
“Damju’s having kimchi stew again today, right?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s written all over your face. Wait a bit, I’ll bring it right away.”
As he laughed, Lee Damju let out a small laugh too.
A short while later, the food they ordered was placed on the table.
Siwoo added an omelet that hadn’t been ordered and said, “This is on the house. We got good eggs this morning.”
“This?”
“I heard you’ve been struggling with complaints lately?”
“Who said that?”
“Hajin came by yesterday while eating and told me. She said you haven’t been sleeping well these days.”
Lee Damju stopped using her chopsticks and shook her head.
“It’s not that it’s hard, it’s just frustrating. If it were something I could solve, I’d run all over the place… but a murder case is out of my hands.”
Siwoo looked at her for a moment and then chuckled.
“Whatever it is, just eat well. At least that way you can get through it with strength.”
At that, Lee Damju lifted the corners of her mouth.
“Yeah, I guess I need food strength to get through it.”
Bokyeong sucked on her chopsticks and added, “Boss, I’ll eat well too.”
“Alright. Let me know anytime if you need more.”
Siwoo smiled and returned to his seat.
Lee Damju watched his back and felt a warm feeling spread inside her heart.
Before she knew it, their bowls were empty, and while Mina was away at the restroom, the two of them stood in front of a vending machine waiting for coffee.
At that moment, a news ticker flowed across the TV hanging inside the restaurant.
[Namcheon City female murder case, suspect still unidentified.]
The anchor’s voice continued calmly.
The murder case in Namcheon City has entered its tenth day.
Police are mobilizing all available resources to track the suspect’s trail, but no strong suspect has been identified yet.
Public anxiety continues to grow.
Bokyeong shook her head while holding her coffee.
“This is really a problem. It’s been ten days and they still can’t find a suspect… no wonder complaints are flooding in.”
Lee Damju stared at the screen intensely, moving her lips slightly.
“If there are still no clues left behind, then it means this isn’t the first time… could it be a recently released sex offender? Should we distribute flyers?”
“Here we go again.”
Bokyeong glanced at her sharply.
“No, think about it. It happened in a blind spot with no CCTV either.”
Bokyeong sighed deeply and took a sip of coffee.
“That’s the police’s job. You just handle the complaints.”
“I’m just frustrated. Namcheon City isn’t even a big city, and I get dozens of anxious calls every day. And who knows, what if the next victim is us?”
“Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey. Stop saying unlucky things. Just stop worrying about that and drink your coffee.”
Lee Damju picked up the freshly made vending machine coffee and took a sip.
The bitterness spread through her mouth, but her eyes stayed fixed on the screen showing the words “Suspect Unknown.”
That night, Lee Damju kept checking the clock in the living room intermittently.
It was almost 10 p.m., but Hajin still hadn’t come home.
“Where is she? It’s already chaotic enough with the murderer still out there.”
Anxiety rose up her throat.
Her hand, which had been biting her nails, finally grabbed her phone.
After several attempts, the call connected.
“Hey! Lee Hajin! What time do you think it is? Why aren’t you home?!”
From the other end, loud music could be heard.
“Hey! Where are you right now?”
“Unnie! I’m at a company dinner. I just entered a club. I’ll be late.”
“What? A club?!”
Lee Damju shot up from the sofa.
“Are you crazy? What time is it and you’re there? Don’t you know how dangerous things are right now? Get home immediately!”
Only laughter came through the phone.
“Don’t worry. It’s crowded here. I’ll stay a bit longer and then go home.”
Click.
“Hey! Hey! Lee Ha— hello….”
Beep.
Only the disconnected tone rang coldly.
Lee Damju looked down at her phone and clenched her teeth.
“Do you really think I’m going to let this slide?”
The temporary accommodation provided by the Namcheon District Prosecutors’ Office was a hotel.
Kang Yul unpacked his things and stepped out to walk the streets.
It should have been a familiar city, but something about the air felt different.
Old signboards came into view one by one through the cool night wind.
Everything looked the same as before, yet strangely unfamiliar.
Then, a sign at the end of an alley caught his eye.
“Namcheon Judo Hall.”
A shabby two-story building, with a faint light leaking from beneath the worn-out sign.
Training he had never skipped a day in Seoul.
The times he wore a uniform every day even after work at the prosecutor’s office and stood on the mat came back to him.
A faint smile appeared on Kang Yul’s lips.
“Maybe I should go loosen up a bit.”
With a short murmur, Kang Yul walked toward the judo hall.
The moment he opened the door, hot air and loud shouting filled his ears.
Inside, several trainees were practicing rolls on the mat.
The smell of sweat, shouts, and collision sounds. It was a familiar sensation after a long time.
Kang Yul, wearing a uniform, neatly adjusted his collar and stepped onto the mat.
His body naturally recalled its old instincts.
“Yah!”
With a sharp shout, Kang Yul grabbed his opponent’s wrist and twisted him using his foot.
“Ugh!”
In an instant, the opponent lost balance and crashed heavily onto the mat.
Thud!
The powerful sound shook the mat, and silence fell over the dojo for a moment.
Kang Yul straightened his posture without any disruption.
Smooth movements, neither stiff nor broken, flowed like habits engraved over many years.
“Haaat!”
When the opponent attacked again, Kang Yul slipped in with his shoulder and threw him again.
Thud!
The mat rang out once more.
“Is that guy a beginner?” someone whispered lowly.
“That can’t be his first time. He looks like he’s trained for years.”
“Yeah. His basics are completely ingrained.”
Admiring whispers spread from the corner where trainees were watching.
But Kang Yul didn’t care.
He didn’t need anyone’s attention or admiration.
He steadied his breathing again and grabbed his opponent’s wrist, twisting him down.
“Ugh!”
The opponent let out a small groan and was completely subdued.
Kang Yul slowly stood up, adjusting his sweat-soaked collar.
His breathing was steady, and only drops of sweat sparkled on the mat.
When he left the dojo, the cool night air cooled his heated body.
Even at this late hour, the nightlife streets were still noisy with red neon signs and drunken laughter.
Walking past groups of stumbling drunk people, Kang Yul’s gaze turned toward the noise coming from a club across the street.
A flashy neon-lit entrance.
A woman was arguing with a club staff member.
“Please let me in just today. Please? I’ll leave quickly. I really need to go in.”
Her voice was desperate, her eyes pleading as she looked up at the staff.
But the staff blocked her firmly with both arms.
“No ID, no entry. Those are the rules. The rules.”
“I forgot it. You know who I am. Just ten minutes… no, five minutes! Please.”
The woman forced a smile, but the man’s voice grew sharper.
“This is a problem. Please just go back.”
Kang Yul watched the scene for a moment, then shook his head as if he didn’t understand.
“Would she really go that far just to get in?”
It was simply a pathetic sight to him.
As if it wasn’t worth watching any longer, he turned his gaze away and walked on.
Neon lights scattered across the ground, and the noisy voices were soon swallowed by the night.
