CHAPTER 6
Kang Yul arrived at the office, skimmed through the documents, and let out a short scoff.
The woman who had cut in line for a taxi an hour ago suddenly came to mind.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m in a real hurry right now…”
Their faces had only brushed past each other through the car window,
yet that impatient gaze lingered strangely long.
‘It was already odd seeing her at the police station so early in the morning, and then cutting in line too. Does being in a hurry excuse everything… seriously.’
Kang Yul muttered quietly as he rolled his pen between his fingers.
But at that moment, a familiar scene flashed by like déjà vu.
“Please just let me in for today. Yes? I’ll be out quickly. I’m in a hurry, that’s why.”
A few days ago, a woman arguing with a staff member in front of a club.
The glint in her eyes under the lights felt exactly the same, even her tone of voice.
‘What, it was her?’
A crooked smile spread across Kang Yul’s lips before quickly disappearing.
‘Her personality isn’t great either.’
At that moment, Junsu, who had been watching his expression from the side, carefully asked,
“Prosecutor, did something happen at the police station?”
Kang Yul shook his head calmly, pushing the thought aside.
“No.”
Coming back to his senses, Kang Yul picked up a file and handed it to Junsu.
“This was just handed over from the police station.”
Junsu flipped through the documents and looked up.
“These are the tracking routes of recently released sex offenders with electronic anklets?”
“Yes. There are several areas where their routes overlap. Let’s check one of them first today.”
“Understood.”
As the sunlight tilted, they walked slowly through the alleys of Cheongsong, Kang Yul flipping through the file in his hand.
The cover read, ‘Analysis of Movement Routes of Electronic Anklet Wearers.’
Following the areas marked with a highlighter, he silently made a round through the alley.
“Investigator.”
Kang Yul stopped walking and asked,
“This path leads to the mountain where the incident occurred, right?”
Junsu nodded.
“Yes. There are several routes, but this one has the most recorded usage. Since it runs alongside a residential area, it attracts less attention.”
Kang Yul looked around the alley and raised his gaze upward.
The corners of walls, utility poles, the alley entrance.
No matter how much he searched, there were no cameras.
“…But there’s no CCTV here.”
“Yes. It’s an old residential area, so installation isn’t easy. The wiring is also quite complicated.”
“Then it would be even harder to leave traces.”
Kang Yul let out a short breath and looked toward the end of the alley.
“Send a cooperation request to City Hall. Whether for crime prevention or residential linkage, compile all possible installation points.”
“Yes, understood.”
While Junsu was taking notes, a voice came from across the alley.
“There are quite a few streetlights that don’t turn on.”
“That’s why I’ve filed complaints several times!”
Kang Yul’s gaze shifted in that direction.
Under a utility pole stood a woman holding a camera.
She calmly explained something to a resident while taking notes.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. We’ve already requested the Electrical Safety Division and the Facilities Management Team, so temporary measures will be taken today. Full replacement requires budget approval, so in the meantime, we’ll connect an additional streetlight.”
She checked the pole number again and took a photo.
Kang Yul’s gaze, which had been observing her, stopped.
Through the strands of hair fluttering in the wind, a familiar face appeared.
A neat shirt, black slacks, and a gray tote bag hanging on her arm.
Now that he thought about it, it was exactly the same outfit as the woman who had pushed past him in front of the police station that morning.
“What… why is she here?”
Kang Yul muttered quietly.
Junsu followed his gaze and said,
“That’s Lee Damju.”
“Do you know her?”
“Of course. She’s the ace of the Civil Complaints Division at Namcheon City Hall, Lee Damju.”
“…A city hall official? And an ace?”
“Yes. She’s famous for her high complaint resolution rate. That’s why people call her the mad dog of Namcheon City Hall.”
Kang Yul’s eyebrows slowly rose.
“Mad… dog?”
“Yes. Once she bites onto a case, she doesn’t let go until it’s resolved. The expression sounds harsh, but it’s basically praise.”
Kang Yul watched her for a moment longer, a subtle glint passing through his eyes.
The woman struggling desperately in front of the club, the one cutting in line for a taxi.
If she were simply a “mad dog,” he could accept that.
But if that nickname came from being good at her job, it was not easy to understand.
As the wind blew, her hair fluttered again.
It was nothing special, yet his gaze strangely refused to leave that spot.
After finishing the inspection, Kang Yul returned to the Namcheon District Office.
While organizing the documents, Junsu suddenly spoke as if he remembered something.
“Ah, right. Your official residence has been assigned.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It must have been inconvenient these past few days. I’ll guide you there after work.”
Kang Yul nodded briefly.
Staying at a hotel hadn’t been bad, but it finally felt like he could settle properly.
After work, guided by Junsu, they arrived at an old residential alley.
Standing tall within it was a newly built officetel.
A gray brick exterior, and a softly lit entrance.
It looked modest, but he liked that it wasn’t crowded.
“Most prosecutors expect a luxury villa near the district office, but this place is a bit different.”
Junsu added awkwardly with a smile.
“But it’s close to the office, and since it’s newly built, it’s more comfortable than you’d think. I think you’ll like it.”
Kang Yul nodded indifferently.
“It’s not bad.”
Only then did Junsu smile and hand him the key.
“That’s a relief. Then please make yourself comfortable from now on.”
After Junsu left, Kang Yul entered the apartment alone.
Past the entrance, a clean space unfolded with white walls, neat wooden flooring, and bright LED lighting.
As expected of a new officetel, everything was orderly and minimal.
Kang Yul slowly unpacked his belongings and organized them before sinking deeply into the sofa.
A quiet stillness filled the room.
The fatigue that had built up over several days seemed to weigh heavily on his shoulders.
After a moment, he opened the drawer of the side table.
Inside was a small pill bottle.
The label was worn, and the text had faded—a sleeping pill.
Kang Yul stared at it briefly, then picked up a glass of water and swallowed two pills.
A bitter taste spread in his mouth.
He set the glass down, turned off the lights, and lay on the bed.
The moment he closed his eyes, a faint breathing sound echoed in the darkness.
A dim light seeped through the darkness.
In front of an old apartment entrance, the door opened and someone ran out in a hurry.
Two hands wearing white gloves, stained with blood.
“Yul.”
It was a familiar voice.
Soft, yet unmistakable.
“I’ll buy the chicken you like for dinner tonight. Wait for me.”
With those words, the fingertips gradually became soaked in blood.
Someone’s rough breathing, the metallic sound of something falling to the floor, and then…
“Mom!”
Kang Yul woke up with a scream.
His breath came out in ragged gasps.
Cold sweat dripped down his damp forehead.
He wiped it with the back of his hand as his heart pounded violently.
A dream he had been having for 18 years.
And the medicine he had been taking for 18 years.
But whenever he had this dream, even the medicine was useless.
Kang Yul steadied his heavy breathing and stared into the air.
Once again, an old memory quietly stirred in his mind.
The next morning.
Lee Damju sat at the table, taking a bite of bread and sipping her coffee.
She then unfolded the Namcheon City daily newspaper placed on the table.
True to the nickname “mad dog of Namcheon City Hall,” checking local news before starting the day had become a habit.
From city hall updates to various incidents and event schedules, she couldn’t afford to miss any information related to public complaints.
As she quickly flipped through the newspaper, her hand suddenly stopped.
[Elite from Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Assigned to Namcheon District Office.]
Below the bold headline was a photo of a man in a neat suit.
Lee Damju put down her bread and stared at the newspaper before slowly closing her lips.
Her expression gradually hardened.
Her gaze fell on the name written below.
“…Seo Kang Yul…”
The eyes in the photo overlapped with the cold gaze that had pierced through her at the police station yesterday.
“Please follow the order.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m in a real hurry right now. Then…”
“I’m in a hurry too.”
The bread she was chewing felt dry like a lump of stone in her mouth.
Even the coffee seemed stuck in her throat.
At that moment, the scene from the Cheongsong alley yesterday flashed through her mind.
When she had lifted her head while taking photos, a man in a suit had been walking from afar.
It was the same man who had blocked her in front of the taxi that morning.
Startled, Lee Damju quickly avoided his gaze, but she could feel the heat rising at the back of her neck from his stare behind her.
She brushed her forehead unnecessarily and let out a sigh.
“This is why you shouldn’t live doing wrong things.”
She had tried to resolve a complaint, only to end up causing trouble instead.
Lee Damju shook her head and stood up.
She slung her bag over her shoulder and was just stepping out of her studio apartment.
At that moment, the door of the officetel across the street suddenly opened and someone stepped out.
And their eyes met.
“……”
“……”
A face that looked like it had just stepped out of the newspaper.
It was Seo Kang Yul.
