There was silence between us as we walked down the quiet street, the night air crisp, shadows stretching long under the streetlights.
My house was just a little ahead of his. Still, he walked beside me without saying a word, as if it was the most natural thing to do.
After a beat, I broke the silence.
"You know I'm a detective, right?"
He blinked. "No. I didn't."
I chuckled awkwardly. "Ah—I guess I never introduced myself properly. That's kind of rude of me, considering we'll be seeing each other often."
He gave a half-smile, that same unreadable glint in his eyes. "Yes."
I cut in quickly before the moment could stretch too long.
"Hi. I'm Kim Ji-ah. I joined the department a few months ago. Fresh detective."
He stopped walking for a second, turned slightly toward me. "Joon Seo-hyun," he said with a polite nod. "I just moved to this neighborhood. I'm a college student."
I tilted my head, genuinely curious. "What's your age?"
He hesitated just a little before replying. "I dropped a year. I'm twenty-one now."
Aha, I thought, just like Kang-Dae.
"You're in your second year, then?" I asked softly.
He narrowed his eyes playfully. "Why? Are you interested in me?"
I blinked, startled. My cheeks flushed instantly. "N-no! I-I was just asking. You just… look a bit more mature for your age."
A teasing smirk curved on his lips. "Is that a compliment or a suspicion, detective?"
I looked away, hiding my blush behind a forced cough. "Take it however you want."
For a moment, his expression shifted—just a flicker of something unreadable. Almost like pain, or maybe recognition.
We reached the front gate of my house. The porch light flickered on as the motion sensor caught us.
He stepped back slightly. "Get home safe, Kim Ji-ah."
"You too… Seo-hyun."
As I turned the key to my door, I felt his gaze linger a moment longer before he walked away.
I didn't know what it was—his voice, his walk, that sharp smirk—but something about him stirred a forgotten part of me.
Like déjà vu, wrapped in danger.
I stepped into my room and sank to the floor.
"Why am I searching that guy in him?"
If it were really him… he would've said something by now. Right?
I groaned and buried my face in my palms. How embarrassing.
Why did I blush like some high school girl? And over someone younger than me, no less!
Kicking at my pillow like a moody teen, I finally crawled into bed and pulled the blanket over my head.
As usual… nothing happened.
---
A few days later, Senior Han called me in.
> "We've got a lead," he said. "Someone dropped something off—related to the case."
I raised a brow. "Someone sent it? Isn't that suspicious?"
He nodded slightly. "We're not sure yet. Right now, all we know is that it's a genuine clue. We'll figure out the who and why later."
Han cleared his throat, then placed a sealed file on the desk between us.
> "Turns out," he said, "a guy in one of the Korean universities has been smuggling drugs into this district. Quietly. Smartly."
He stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his coat. The fluorescent light caught the sharp line of his jaw as he straightened the collar.
> "He's tied to a bigger ring… so I'm forwarding this to the higher office," he said, voice suddenly colder—more official.
I thought the meeting was over, but just as he reached the door, he paused.
Turning halfway, he glanced over his shoulder.
> "But we're still going to do it our way, you know?"
He blinked, slowly. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Quiet. Clean. Vellore-style."
Then he left, his long coat sweeping behind him.
I stood frozen.
"Was that… Senior Han?"
The same man who used to scold us for breaking protocol over coffee breaks?
Something had shifted.
And I had a feeling—this case was about to become very personal.