The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 242

< #242. Looks Like You're Trying to Run From Me >

Prosecutor Ha Joo-kyung.

She was a prosecutor full of passion and a sense of justice, a rare find these days.

Despite her family’s wealth, she excelled in her studies and received a scholarship from the Daesung Scholarship Foundation, which naturally created a connection with Daesung.

Her father was also a prosecutor, known for his upright character. He had reported internal corruption and was transferred to a remote area long ago, never able to return to the city.

“···Your daughter took charge and put them all away. She got them sentenced to 12 years in prison.”

Her father looked deeply worried as he read the investigator’s report.

“Assemblyman Kim Cheong-won···”

He had left the corrupt world behind long ago, but he remained sensitive to current events because his daughter had followed in his footsteps and was making waves in the Central District Prosecutor’s Office.

He had handled a case related to Kim Cheong-won during his time in the Central District Prosecutor’s Office, and it hadn’t ended well.

He fiddled with his phone and called his daughter.

*

-···You have to be careful, come home early, and don’t go to drinking parties.

Ha Joo-kyung got out of her car while answering her dad’s call and headed for the apartment building entrance.

“Hey, don’t worry, nothing will happen. Who would dare to touch a prosecutor of the Republic of Korea?”

She opened the entrance door and walked to the elevator. As she waited, two men approached and stood beside her.

Ding- First floor.

“Take good care of your health, Dad.”

-Okay, I will. I’m walking every day. I love you, my daughter~ Kiss kiss.

“Okay, me too.”

Ha Joo-kyung replied curtly. When she entered the elevator, the two men followed.

-What’s that? You have to say it too. You’ve changed, daughter.

“Oh, really···”

Ha Joo-kyung looked around, blushed, covered her mouth with her hand, and brought it close to her phone.

“Kiss, okay, hang up.”

-Ahahah-

After the embarrassing moment passed, she finally focused on her surroundings. The two men were standing at opposite ends of the elevator. She glanced at their reflections in the mirror; they looked intimidating.

One man wore a hood, and the other had a hat pulled low over his face.

Swish

Ha Joo-kyung stood close to the door, ready to exit as soon as it opened, and watched the men’s movements in the door’s dim reflection.

Ziiiiii-

The elevator ascended, but the men didn’t press any buttons.

Ha Joo-kyung’s apartment was on the 11th floor, and the unit across from hers was vacant. That meant she was the only resident on that floor.

No one would be viewing an apartment at 8 p.m. Suddenly, her dad’s words echoed in her mind.

-Assemblyman Kim is a dangerous person.

She felt a cold sweat break out, and her fingers trembled.

“Oh, where’s my phone?”

Feigning ignorance, she rummaged in her bag and grabbed the self-defense spray she always carried. The cold metal calmed her slightly.

Ha Joo-kyung’s eyes remained fixed on the men in the corners of the elevator.

The man in the hat pulled it down further, stepped forward, and raised his hand. He wasn’t reaching for the floor buttons; his hand was aimed at Ha Joo-kyung.

She immediately turned, took out the spray, and fired.

Chik-

However, the assailant seemed to anticipate her move and blocked the spray with his palm. He pressed his thumb firmly on the nozzle, minimizing the spray’s impact.

A faint, spicy smell filled the elevator.

Thud-

The assailant roughly snatched the spray, threw it to the floor, twisted her wrist, and slammed the back of her head against the elevator door with his other hand.

Thud-

“Gasp!”

Ha Joo-kyung protected her face with her palm. As her hand touched the elevator door, she kicked backward.

The unexpected attack caught the assailant in the stomach, causing him to stagger. She braced her hand against the door, turned her body, and delivered a roundhouse kick [돌려차기 – dollyeochagi] to the assailant’s chin.

Pow!

The assailant reeled, leaning against the elevator wall, the kick having landed squarely on his chin.

The hooded man watched the scene with a pitiful expression. He finally took his hand out of his pocket.

Seeing his eyes and actions, Joo-kyung was certain he was an accomplice and launched a series of kicks.

Thud thud-

The assailant blocked her leg with one arm, grabbed her ankle, pulled it towards him, and swept her supporting foot. She fell backward.

“Hiss!”

She tucked her chin to her chest to protect the back of her head from hitting the floor.

Thud-

Her back slammed against the floor, sending a jolt through her body. Although her head didn’t make direct contact, it shook violently, disorienting her.

One ankle was still held by the hooded assailant, leaving her in a vulnerable position.

Then, a rusty, knife-like voice cut through the air.

“Miss, looks like you know some Taekwondo, but the world isn’t that easy.”

Ding- 11th floor.

Along with the automated announcement, the elevator doors opened. The 11th-floor sensor lights flickered on, casting shadows inside the elevator.

The assailant grabbed Ha Joo-kyung’s hair with his free hand, but he felt a sudden chill and looked up.

A slender woman in tight black training clothes was looking down at them with indifferent eyes.

The assailant ignored her gaze and tried to grab Ha Joo-kyung’s arm to twist it behind her back.

He would deal with the woman after subduing Ha Joo-kyung. She was just an unlucky witness.

Then, a detail from a pre-investigation report flashed through the assailant’s mind.

‘Wait, no one else lives on the 11th floor—’

Thwack!

A sharp knee drove into his face. The assailant hurriedly raised his hand to protect himself.

Crack

He stumbled back and rolled once before quickly regaining his feet. He wiggled his fingers like playing the piano to assess the damage. A tingling sensation shot through his hand with every movement, and he couldn’t move it properly. It felt like a bone was broken.

He hadn’t blocked the attack properly, and a stinging pain lingered in his nose.

He leaned back, quickly drew a knife from his pocket, and swung it.

The newly arrived woman, Haru, leaned back and kicked his knee diagonally. The seemingly weak blow struck the right spot at the right time, causing the assailant to lose his balance.

While he was staggering, Haru delivered a swift punch to his slightly exposed side.

He saw Haru’s shoulder moving and instinctively lowered his elbow to block it.

Thud!

The sound of the fist connecting with his bare body was strange. Her fist landed faster than he anticipated, and he couldn’t block it completely.

A sharp pain, like being stabbed with a knife, shot through him.

The assailant swung the knife wildly to ward off further attacks, and as soon as he regained his balance, he lunged at her neck with the blade.

Swish swish-

Haru tilted her head slightly, her eyes wide open, dodging the tip of the knife like a boxer evading punches.

Instead of avoiding the fourth strike, she reached out as she moved forward. The blade narrowly missed her hair.

However, her outstretched hand accurately struck the assailant’s armpit.

Splat

“Ugh”

A technique that attacks while attacking, making defense impossible, is the most effective counterattack for women who are relatively weaker.

The sensation in his arm went numb.

Thud- Crack

In that instant, Haru twisted the assailant’s fingers, causing him to drop the knife.

Thud-

Just before the knife hit the ground, she snatched it and stabbed the assailant’s calf.

The assailant stepped back, trying to pull his foot away, but she moved first and stabbed the back of his knee [popliteal fossa] with the knife. His legs buckled against his will, and he dropped to one knee.

Almost simultaneously, she stabbed his side and elbow, stopping the blade just before it reached his neck.

Splat, shiiiii-

Blood spurted out like a fountain from the wounds.

The assailant, facing her relentless and swift movements, the calculated order of suppression, and her indifferent eyes, belatedly realized that she had been trained in the same place as him.

But her skills were far superior. Excuses like carelessness wouldn’t work.

‘Could it be.’

Suddenly, a figure often mentioned during training came to mind.

A woman who had displayed genius-level skills early on and was considered a potential instructor, but who had suddenly disappeared.

She looked down at the assailant with cold eyes and whispered.

“You’re lucky.”

If there had been other opponents to subdue besides this one, she would have slit their throats first, instead of targeting their popliteal fossa and sides.

Ha Joo-kyung had already left the elevator and was watching them, trembling. She held a cell phone in one hand, with 112 [emergency services number in South Korea] dialed on the screen.

To Ha Joo-kyung, Haru and the assailants were equally objects of suspicion.

Haru noticed her and removed the knife from the assailant’s neck, then spoke to her.

“Shin Hae-soo sent me.”

Shin Hae-soo, a name she recognized. He was the police officer who had pointed her out when she was summoned at Daesung.

A mere police officer had not only influenced Daesung to involve a prosecutor but had also sent a woman with skills that suggested she was a former operative.

‘What the hell is that person…’

*

Assemblyman Kim Cheong-won’s office.

Kim Cheong-won took a bite of his hamburger and spoke while chewing.

“Secretary Hong, you’re a bit late?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll make contact.”

Kim Cheong-won frowned and waved his hand.

“No, it’s okay. Don’t call when you’re doing something like that. If those losers fail, it’s like telling them there’s someone behind them. Use your head, use your head.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

Kim Cheong-won removed the tomato from the hamburger, threw it on the floor, and continued.

“What about the wealthy side?”

“There are no female employees on that side, so we’ve decided to plant one. We’ll proceed this week.”

At Secretary Hong’s words, Kim Cheong-won frowned and shook his sauce-stained hand nervously.

Secretary Hong quickly offered him a handkerchief.

“Secretary Hong, why are you doing this? Don’t you understand? I’m just giving an example, an example. Does it have to be a colleague to be sexually harassed? How many women do you think I pass by outside? Just find a whore and use her.”

“···I was short-sighted. I’m sorry.”

Kim Cheong-won threw the handkerchief on the floor and stood up.

Secretary Hong quickly picked it up and put the tomato in his pocket.

“Why are those losers so slow? Let’s go to Milkkot [밀꽃 – a hostess bar].”

“Yes, I’ll get the car ready.”

As they exited the building’s lobby, a black sedan was waiting.

When Kim Cheong-won and Secretary Hong appeared, the driver opened the back door.

Kim Cheong-won got into the back seat as if it were his right, and the driver closed the door. Secretary Hong got into the front seat.

But someone else was already in the back seat next to Kim Cheong-won.

Kim Cheong-won was startled and looked at him, completely caught off guard.

A tall figure that made the car seem cramped, a body like a weapon, and sharp eyes that wouldn’t waver even if a knife was held to his throat.

Kim Cheong-won had never met him before, but he knew who he was instantly.

He had been mentioned numerous times, and he had seen many photos and videos.

“···Shin Hae-soo?”

The rumor that Shin Hae-soo possessed skills comparable to Manager Ma was becoming undeniable.

Kim Cheong-won was about to jump out of the car without even hearing why he was there.

Click click

However, the door wouldn’t open. As he tried to unlock it manually, something heavy landed on his shoulder.

“Looks like you’re trying to run away from me?”