Jiho hadn’t known the people hiding in it. But not long into the special investigation, one by one, influential figures began to emerge, including the most influential, the minister, who might have been lost to Myungjin. Was it a misfortune or a blessing?
Jiho was wrapped in indescribable emotions.
In a situation where the special investigation was not making significant progress, Myungjin’s influence seemed to have grown even more.
“Did you talk to Park Rajin?”
“Just briefly.”
“Even a brief conversation is something. Not just idle spring musings.”
Hojin’s light-hearted comment brought a smile to Jiho’s face.
Despite his busy schedule, Jiho had continuously avoided the award ceremonies. But today, he attended solely because of her presence.
For the past ten days, Jiho had been entering work at dawn and leaving at dawn, his routine.
Even amid his busyness, he had thought of Rajin, who hadn’t contacted him, but never expected to share tea with her.
“Could you elaborate? Was there anything special?”
“We’ll see when we meet.”
“You’re meeting? Who? The goddess?”
“Detective Hojin. Stop jumping to conclusions before we even meet. Keep your eyes on the road.”
Regardless, Hojin kept pressing for details about Jiho’s conversation with Rajin.
“If she was so flustered by the mention of Kim Yoojun, could she know something?”
“Maybe.”
“The two didn’t seem to have a business-like relationship, right?”
Kim Yoojun, disclosing confidential information?
Normally, Jiho would have dismissed such a notion. But after witnessing Kim Yoojun at the hotel lobby, the possibility didn’t seem entirely far-fetched.
“We’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Myungjin’s slippery guys, grinding my gears.”
“Exactly. We’re making no progress. None.”
“That’s why. We can’t just raid OH Entertainment without cause. We wouldn’t get a warrant, of course.”
Frustrated by the situation, Jiho rubbed his stiff neck.
“If only the goddess would give us a few leads, we might be able to breathe.”
Since unintentionally overhearing Rajin’s conversation ten days ago, Jiho had been tracking the relationship between Kim Yoojun and the entertainment company.
Following Myungjin’s suspicious financial flow always led to dead ends. Something was there, but it was eerily too lawful.
Despite the efforts of six experts over ten days, they had only been chasing shadows.
“Did we receive the documents from Myungjin Securities’ US branch today?”
“Yes. Just looking at the numbers makes my stomach turn. How are we supposed to go through all that?”
Hojin pounded the steering wheel as he spoke.
“We should at least start the prosecution and then unravel it from there.”
“Wouldn’t it be faster to unravel things starting with Ms. Goddess? There’s nothing more certain than help from an insider.”
“Unravel what? If Park Rajin says no, that’s the end of it.”
“We could at least try in this situation.”
Try, try indeed.
As Hojin said, time was tight, documents were piling up, and manpower was desperately lacking.
The help of Rajin, well-versed in the company’s affairs, was crucial…
But was it too much pressure to put on her, someone who had fled the hotel and shivered at the mere mention of Kim Yoojun?
Jiho gazed out at the street showered in blossom rain.
Was it right to persuade her with the grandiose justification of investigation legitimacy? He couldn’t easily decide.
“Ah, I don’t know either.”
Suddenly, the fatigue from working late nights weighed down Jiho’s eyelids. He pressed his sore eyes, letting Hojin’s reasoning pour down like a shower.
Then his jacket pocket vibrated briefly.
It was Park Rajin.
Screech―.
As Jiho’s SUV entered the fourth underground level of the hospital, the ground screamed loudly.
At nearly 10 PM, Jiho slowly circled the spacious parking lot looking for the spot Rajin had indicated.
Each rectangular pillar he passed cast a flickering light from the ceiling lamps onto the windshield.
“Check here too.”
Peering into the sparsely parked cars, Jiho muttered to himself.
It was a consideration for Rajin, a public figure, and neither of them needed unwanted attention.
Being cautious of people and black boxes, Jiho’s gaze sharpened as he surveyed his surroundings.
“Perfect.”
The farthest corner of the parking lot.
A solitary spot against a wall, marked A1, could easily be mistaken for a private garage. Still, to be safe, Jiho steered the car so the driver’s seat wasn’t visible from the outside.
9:45 PM.
Checking the time, Jiho turned off the engine. The humming of the engine ceased, plunging the vast space into a vacuum-like silence.
Leaning deep into his seat, facing the cold concrete wall, Jiho pondered what Rajin might reveal tonight, chuckling at the thought.
It’s only their fourth meeting; coercion and expectations are out of the question. By listening to her desired corrections, maybe a gap will appear, a chance to initiate a conversation.
“Phew.”
He reclined the driver’s seat and slowly closed his eyes, resting his eyes and breathing slowly, deciding not to push things.
‘I haven’t left the decision to her, so let’s not be pushy.’
As he was reminding himself to be ‘extra cautious,’ there was a gentle knock.
Turning his gaze to the passenger side, he saw a silhouette with a hat pulled down low, cautiously scanning the area. Unlocking the door, the figure, cautious as a rabbit, hopped into the passenger seat.
“Ha, hello. Ah.”
“You’ve arrived.”
“Ah, yes. Ha.”
“Did you run here?”
“Pant, someone might recognize me. Ha… I ran from my mother’s hospital room all the way down the stairs.”
Imagining her running down the dark emergency stairs from the 15th floor to the 4th underground level, wrapped up to avoid recognition, Jiho wondered how she managed without getting winded.
Still unable to catch her breath, she pulled her mask down to her chin.
Her face, devoid of makeup unlike earlier, was pale; panting with her pink tongue out, she resembled a white puppy that had just finished a strenuous walk.
In a formal encounter, especially one where important matters need to be discussed, yet here she was, resembling an exhausted puppy. Why did that seem so amusing…? Suddenly, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Crazy.”
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
