The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 174

174. Suspicious Housewarming

“Ugh, uh….”

The tattooed man felt uneasy, overwhelmed by a fear that kept him from shaking off Shin Hae-soo’s hand.

Team Leader Kwak waved his hand to lower Hae-soo’s, glanced at the tattooed man, and said, “Ah, it’s nothing. You’re here earlier than expected? Did the job go well?”

“Yes, I called in the experts and handed it over.”

“Good job. Hey, Commando, don’t walk around with blood on you. Are you advertising what we do?”

*What do they do? Blood?*

The tattooed man’s ears perked up at their strange conversation, and his gaze went to Hae-soo’s shirt at Team Leader Kwak’s words.

There was a lot of red blood on it.

“Ah, sorry.”

“It’s scary walking around with blood on your face and clothes. It’s not like you haven’t handled things before.”

*Not just once or twice? Have they disposed of people often?*

The tattooed man’s pupils trembled. “Yes, I’ll change right now.”

Hae-soo took off his shirt, revealing a body covered in scars from sharp objects. These weren’t accidental injuries; they were scars from living a dangerous life.

The tattooed man trembled and looked at Team Leader Kwak, noticing scars peeking out from his forearm.

He was now certain there was no misunderstanding. He subtly lowered his short sleeves to cover his shoulder and respectfully clasped his hands, not even thinking about sneaking away.

The security guard felt the same.

Team Leader Kwak looked at the tattooed man and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Huh, yes?!”

The tattooed man jumped, startled by Team Leader Kwak’s question, and quickly raised his head, his expression full of humility and remorse.

“Do you have anything else to say to the security guard?”

The tattooed man opened his mouth wide, raised both hands, and frantically waved them. “Ah, ah, no! I misunderstood! I’m sorry!”

“Oh, you’re quick to repent. Okay, go ahead.”

At the words to leave, the tattooed man bowed deeply and shouted, “Yes, sir! Yes! Thank you! May you live a long and healthy life!”

The tattooed man hurried away and crouched down to hide in a nearby flower bed. Team Leader Kwak handed out recycling bins to each member of Strong Team 4.

“…The photos were no joke.”

“Yeah, they smashed his face with a hammer…”

*Yeah, I knew it. Having someone like that move in next door…!*

* * *

After many twists and turns, they entered Team Leader Kwak’s house.

It was late, past 7 PM, so his wife, son, and daughter were all there.

Team Leader Kwak introduced them with an excited face. “This cutie is our son, Seong-jae! He’s in the 5th grade now.”

“5th grade, Father.”

Oh Gyeong stroked Seong-jae’s head and said, “Oh my, the son is just like his dad, so smart.”

“Thank you.”

Seong-jae bowed deeply to the members of the Strong Team.

Strangely, Hae-soo thought the elementary school student’s eyes held respect.

“This is our pretty daughter! Kwak Eun-jeong, middle school 3rd grade, right?”

“Yes, hello.”

Eun-jeong politely put her hands together and bowed, and the Strong Team uncles nodded with fatherly smiles.

Being polite despite being a middle schooler who looks like an adult meant she was well-educated.

“Eun-jeong, you’ve grown a lot. Do you remember me, uncle?”

“Ah, not really….”

“Hahaha! It’s okay. It’s been five years since I came here, so it’s not easy to remember.”

Oh Gyeong clapped awkwardly.

The youngest member looked back and forth between Eun-jeong and Team Leader Kwak’s wife and gave a thumbs up. “Fortunately, your daughter looks like your wife! She must be popular at school!”

“What are you saying? Fortunately? Honey, they’re like this. The youngest one is messing around because we’re not on the same team anymore.”

“What? I’m just saying what’s true, Woo Gang-cheol? Should I get you more fruit?”

Team Leader Kwak, who had been grumbling, glanced to the side.

His son’s gaze was fixed on Hae-soo. Noticing this, Team Leader Kwak pointed to Hae-soo and said, “Oh yeah, these two uncles are new to you, right? This uncle is Shin Hae-soo. He’s really good at catching bad guys—I mean, catching them. He’s the best.”

“I know. I’m a fan of Inspector Shin Hae-soo.”

Seong-jae handed Hae-soo an A4 sheet of paper and a pen. Hae-soo signed his name and asked, “Team Leader’s son is a fan? What an honor. Kwak, Seong, Jae….”

Hae-soo finished signing and handed the paper back, and Seong-jae bowed.

Team Leader Kwak smiled awkwardly at his son’s unfamiliar behavior. “Hehe, I didn’t know my son was a fan of Detective Shin. I wonder when the other one will be here. It’s about time…”

Team Leader Kwak looked at the clock, and Oh Gyeong asked, “Is someone else coming? Delivery food?”

“Ah, I called Ha-ru. Did Commando hear about it?”

“I came straight from work, so I didn’t.”

“Ah, Ha-ru? Good call. Once Strong Unit, always Strong Unit.”

“I like that too.”

Soon after, the intercom rang.

*Diring ding-*

As soon as the intercom rang, Eun-jeong ran to the front door and pressed the button to open the main entrance.

Then, she put a hand on her chest and took a deep breath, looking at the front door. Her heart was racing.

She had heard about the unparalleled exploits of Ha-ru, the only female detective in the Strong Unit. Just entering the detective division, which even men avoid, was impressive, but she had heard that she was a tremendous talent, so she was even more excited.

She never thought she would meet her, and she had never even seen her face in the media, so she didn’t know what she looked like.

Would she be as big and burly as a man, with a physique that wouldn’t be outdone? Or would she be slender with cool muscles, giving off a strong feeling?

*Beep, click-*

Team Leader Kwak opened the door, and Ha-ru, wearing a hood, came in behind him.

*Huh?*

Her lower body, wearing sneakers and tight leggings, came into view first. Her legs were slender and stretched out like a model.

She wondered if this was the right person, tilting her head and gradually raising her gaze.

Even though she was wearing a baggy hoodie, she could faintly feel her slender waist, her assertive chest, her thin and fair neck, and the bulging trapezius [muscles in the upper back] in between.

The trapezius muscles slightly dispelled Eun-jeong’s suspicion that this woman was the female detective Ha-ru she had only heard about.

*Swish-*

As she took off her hood, her face was revealed.

Long, stretched eyes, neatly lowered eyelashes, deep eyes that seemed to have a story to tell.

Eun-jeong was a woman herself, but she thought she was going to stop breathing for a moment.

“Hello, I’m sorry I’m late.”

Even her plain, mid-low voice with a refreshing feeling, the so-called *danakka* tone [a formal and concise way of speaking], not only stimulated Eun-jeong’s hidden *deoksim* [fangirl/fanboy heart] even more, but completely struck her.

“Please sit here!”

“…Yes?”

Seeing her looking around for a seat, Eun-jeong hurriedly offered Ha-ru her seat, and the others smiled at the rare behavior.

Now, all the members gathered and sat together in the living room to start eating.

Team Leader Kwak’s wife looked at Ha-ru carefully and said, “Looking at Ha-ru, it reminds me of when I was young.”

“Thank you.”

Team Leader Kwak looked back and forth between Ha-ru and his wife and tilted his head. “Huh? Ah, ah! You were much prettier!”

“Liar.”

His son Seong-jae muttered quietly in the corner, but it went unnoticed.

“Please have this too!”

“Yes, please eat too, Eun-jeong.”

Eun-jeong stuck right next to Ha-ru, sparkling her eyes and bringing her food.

Thanks to this, all the side dishes ended up gathering around Ha-ru.

Team Leader Kwak looked at Eun-jeong with wonder.

*A prickly cat has become a gentle sheep in front of Ha-ru.*

Even after the meal, Eun-jeong and Seong-jae did not leave their seats.

It was a completely different sight from when Team Leader Kwak’s friends came to visit.

“Son, daughter, go to your rooms and play now. Why aren’t you leaving?”

“I’m busy. Father, Hae-soo hyung [older brother figure], I want to hear what happened in the next case.”

Seong-jae listened to the cases that Hae-soo could tell him about and sparkled his eyes.

“I have nothing to do in my room. I like it here.”

Eun-jeong also showed that prickly look for a moment, but looking at Ha-ru, she kept her seat again, shy like a gentle sheep.

With the living room full, the housewarming party passed by noisily.

* * *

On the way home from school, Eun-jeong felt like her heart was floating ever since that day.

The scene of seeing Ha-ru for the first time, which she had only heard about, came to her mind hundreds of times without warning.

*What would Dad say if I told him I wanted to be a police officer? Ah, I should have asked my sister why she quit being a police officer back then. Or maybe not. I should have talked to her more. I was just standing next to her like an idiot….*

*Slap-!*

At that moment, a sound brushed past Eun-jeong’s ears. Turning her head, she saw five or six female students in school uniforms gathered in an alley, smoking cigarettes.

A female student was leaning against the wall, and her glasses, which seemed to belong to her, were on the floor.

Eun-jeong moved towards them without hesitation.

“Hey!”

The female students turned their heads at Eun-jeong’s shout.

Eun-jeong strode over, picked up the glasses, and handed them to the female student who was holding her swollen cheek. She looked at the bullies and couldn’t receive them or put them back on.

“Yeon-seo, let’s go.”

“Huh? Ah, this, I was wrong….”

“Even if you’re wrong, your parents can’t hit you, so who are these bitches to hit you?”

At Eun-jeong’s words, the female student who had just slapped her raised her eyes. A small rose tattoo was on her wrist.

“What, bitch?”

The female students behind her provided support. “That bitch is showing off because her dad is a cop.”

“Eun-jeong, are you crazy? Do you want to die?”

“Hey, Kang Yeon-seo, get lost. Eun-jeong, let’s see you die today.”

Eun-jeong glared and brought her face close. “If you’re confident, try it, you thugs who are showing off just because you have numbers.”

The rose tattoo girl took a step back, startled, but then became even more furious after seeing her friends around her.

“You fucking bitch!!”

She raised her hand and swung it. At the same time, Eun-jeong’s eyes sparkled. She stretched out both hands, grabbed her arm, turned her body, put her butt against her stomach, and bent her back.

*Whoosh-*

“Huh?”

*Thud!*

The rose tattoo girl’s body spun around in the air and slammed into the floor. It was a perfect shoulder throw that was hard to see from a middle school student.

“You crazy bitch!”

Other female students rushed in and kicked Eun-jeong. Eun-jeong, who hadn’t practiced much, was no match for so many people.

Eun-jeong fell over with the rose tattoo girl and was being trampled on when a foot stretched out and slapped a female student’s face.

“Aaaagh!”

Eun-jeong raised her head.

*Uh, huh?*

She could see a slender figure in front of her.