The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 175

175. Daughter is Missing

Haru tries to go outside whenever possible. Since she doesn’t go to work, she wouldn’t get any fresh air all day otherwise.

In the morning, she goes to Hae-su and Hwang Jang-soo’s gym for sparring, and in the afternoon, she watches YouTube while brainstorming ideas, so she ends up going for a run outside in the evening.

That’s when Haru noticed her.

‘Kwak Eun-jung?’

The girl who took care of her so much and whose eyes sparkled, Haru remembered her kindness and the pleasant housewarming party.

She remembers how Eun-jung liked that the school was in the same neighborhood as Haru’s Lead Building, saying ‘it’s goosebumps’ [meaning it’s fate or a surprising coincidence] several times.

‘Hmm?’

While wondering whether to acknowledge her or not, Haru saw Eun-jung getting caught up in a quarrel.

‘Oh.’

She admired Kwak’s daughter’s clean shoulder throw. But after that, seeing them attacking as a group in a cowardly manner, Haru clenched her fists.

However.

Even though she’s over the juvenile delinquency age, if she, an adult, gets involved in a fight between teenagers, things get complicated. Even if Eun-jung is fighting for justice and getting ganged up on, Eun-jung could be at a disadvantage.

But she can’t just stand by and watch. Haru quickly scanned her surroundings.

No CCTV, no parked cars. The location is perfect.

Without hesitation, Haru took out the Orc mask from her bag, put it on, and ran towards the female student who was stepping on Eun-jung, delivering a high kick.

Thwack! Thud-

The female student rolled her eyes and fell backward, and Haru supported the back of her head with her toes to prevent a concussion.

After gently placing her down like that, she grabbed the hair of the female student who was staring at her with wide, startled rabbit eyes, and slapped her chin with her palm.

Whack!

Of course, there were no screams this time either. The female student closed her eyes and collapsed.

Thud, thud!

It had been so long that she couldn’t even remember, but Haru, who was dealing with girls, middle school girls at that, was slightly embarrassed to see them collapsing with just one hit.

Soon the situation ended, and Eun-jung was looking up at Haru with dazed eyes.

Haru glanced at her, adjusted the slightly turned mask, and ran away into the alley.

“T-that!”

Eun-jung called out belatedly, but the girl who had suddenly appeared had already disappeared from sight.

With sparkling eyes, Eun-jung looked at the alleyway where she had disappeared and recalled the housewarming party a few days ago.

Navy blue plain hoodie, the same navy blue plain hoodie, the leggings color is different, but… she remembers because it’s not a common fit.

‘That height, that body… it’s definitely her.’

But Eun-jung also roughly guessed why she wore a mask and why she ran away, so she pursed her lips.

‘Cool…!’

* * *

A few days later, she was walking down the street when the rose tattoo girl group blocked her way.

“Hey, Kwak Eun-jung.”

“What is it, again.”

When Eun-jung glared at her, the rose tattoo girl sneered this time as if she was ridiculous.

“Hey, call that Orc bitch again.”

“…What?”

Behind her, several men who had been hiding against the wall revealed themselves. They were wearing plain clothes, so they seemed to be adults or thugs who didn’t go to school. Tattoos could be seen on their exposed arms and legs.

Even Eun-jung, who had a lot of guts, froze when she saw them, who seemed to have no tomorrow.

The rose tattoo girl, sensing the change in her expression, sneered.

“Why, isn’t she here today, you 싸방년 [ssabangnyeon – a Korean slur, roughly equivalent to ‘bitch’]?”

“Get lost.”

As she ignored her and tried to walk past, a man with a nose piercing blocked Eun-jung again. He brought his face close and opened his mouth.

“Wow, you’re pretty? Want to date me, oppa [older brother or a term of endearment from a younger woman to an older man]?”

“…Crazy.”

Eun-jung made a disgusted expression and tried to turn around and walk away, but a rough hand immediately grabbed her hair.

“Kyaaak-”

* * *

Violent Crimes Unit office.

Detective Kwak felt more comfortable with Violent Crimes Unit 4, where he had shared joys and sorrows, so he loitered there whenever he had time.

“Ah, hyung [older brother or a term of respect for a male senior], instead of loitering around, do some work, do some work, Captain.”

“This is working, you punk, supervising whether you guys are doing your job well or not. Do you think I’m a team leader? I’m a captain, Captain Kwak….”

Beeep Beeep

[My Wife]

At that moment, his wife called. Captain Kwak immediately walked quickly out of the office and answered the phone.

Oh Geng clicked his tongue at the sight of his back.

“Anyway, he can’t do anything in front of hyung-soo-nim [term of respect for an older brother’s wife].”

“Hyung-nim [term of respect for an older brother], do you have a tight grip on your wife?”

“Me? Of course~ A man shouldn’t be intimidated at home, Hae-su, you remember that too, maknae [youngest member].”

The maknae nodded his head greatly and replied.

“Yes, I understand!”

At the same time, Captain Kwak was answering the phone with a serious expression.

“…Eun-jung? Uh, she’ll be home soon, uh… um… I understand for now, contact me if anything happens….”

It was news that his daughter hadn’t contacted him even though it was past the time she should have been home.

Even though she grumbled, she always contacted her parents well, so Captain Kwak was a little bothered.

He immediately called his daughter.

[The phone is turned off…]

“Hmm….”

It had only been an hour since school ended. Her battery might have run out and the connection was cut off. It’s too early to report her missing now. But, just in case….

“Captain, what’s wrong?”

The maknae asked when the captain had been pacing back and forth anxiously for an hour.

“Oh? Ah, it’s nothing….”

Oh Geng interjected.

“It’s not nothing, is it? Your face is all dark?”

“Haa… Ah, that’s, Eun-jung hasn’t come home, and her friends haven’t seen her either. But it hasn’t even been two hours since school ended, so I just thought her battery might have run out….”

At that moment, Hae-su jumped up and said.

“Oh Team Leader, let’s postpone the case for a moment.”

“Oh? Ah, you can do that, are you busy? It’s not urgent, so you can postpone it for a day.”

Hae-su immediately picked up the internal phone and continued speaking.

“Please tell me Captain’s daughter’s phone number.”

“No, uh, uh…… okay, 010….”

Hae-su immediately requested a location trace from the information department and decided to find Eun-jung, focusing on the last place where the signal was captured.

* * *

It had been an hour since they started looking for Kwak Eun-jung in the city, and Captain Kwak was also out looking himself, but he became more and more anxious as time passed.

“…Uh, uh, I’m looking with the Violent Crimes Unit 4 team members, and I’m about to call for support now, you haven’t heard from her, right? Uh, no, don’t worry, Eun-jung is a smart kid… Just in case, I don’t know what kind of call might come, so hang up for now, and keep your phone charged.”

Captain Kwak’s face, who was hanging up the phone, was gaunt as if he hadn’t eaten for days.

“…Have you seen this student?”

“Ah, no….”

Oh Geng and the maknae went to collect CCTV footage near the school, and Hae-su was searching with the captain.

As they turned at the intersection, they suddenly ran into Haru.

“Huh?”

“O-oh, what a co.in.ci.dence. What are you doing here? Are you looking for someone?”

“What is it?”

“What are you talking about?”

Hae-su thought her behavior was very unnatural, but he let it go for now because there was something urgent to do.

“Captain’s daughter Eun-jung hasn’t come home even though it’s past the time she should have been home, and her friends haven’t seen her either, so we’re searching.”

“Could there be a grudge?”

“Suddenly? Not just a simple kidnapping?”

“Hmm….”

Hae-su felt a sense of incongruity from Haru’s awkward appearance and the fact that she immediately mentioned a grudge.

“I’ll help too.”

“That would be great.”

Haru, noticing the captain’s expression, grabbed Hae-su’s sleeve and pulled him somewhere. Hae-su realized that she would tell him the reason for the incongruity he felt from her and reluctantly let himself be dragged along.

“Hae-su-nim [term of respect], actually, a few days ago, when I was jogging…”

Haru omitted the story of knocking all the female students unconscious and packaged it in beautiful words that she had rescued Eun-jung when she was in trouble.

“You suspect those students?”

“Yes, the timing and everything, it came to my mind as soon as I heard it.”

“Hmm… then we need to find those students first…”

“I remember all the faces of those students. I even know the names of two of them.”

“Even their names?”

Haru pointed to her left chest with her index finger and said.

“Name tag.”

Hae-su realized once again today. Haru has a good memory.

Soon after, two patrol cars that the captain had requested for support arrived, and Hae-su and Haru went to the school.

Since they didn’t have a warrant yet, they could refuse to disclose personal information. And the teacher who was left at the school refused.

It was a teacher wearing red horn-rimmed glasses.

“I can’t tell you. People who know them well… you need to bring a warrant.”

Hae-su nodded in agreement.

“I understand. You don’t have to tell me until the warrant comes out. If reporters or public opinion criticize the teacher later, please contact me. I will appease the angry netizens [internet citizens], saying that the teacher was just following the procedure accurately.”

“Ah… that…!”

The teacher reluctantly told them the contact information and home addresses of the two female students that Haru remembered.

Trrr Trrr

Neither of the two students answered the phone. The phones were not turned off.

Since they didn’t receive a warrant and it was information obtained by bringing in Haru, who was not a police officer, they couldn’t inform the information department, so they requested Young-soo to track the location of the two female students.

[Jung Young-soo: (Link)(Link) It shows that both of them are in the same place.]

As Young-soo said, the locations of the two were almost exactly the same. Usually, location tracking captures a 50-meter radius in all directions, but the circles almost completely overlapped.

The location was a studio apartment complex, a completely different address from the two female students’ residences.

Finding them first is the priority. Even if this tracking is a waste of time, it’s better to find them quickly and waste time.

Since they don’t have any other clues to proceed with right now, Hae-su immediately got on the radio and shared the situation with his team members.

“It has been confirmed that there were students who had conflicts with Kwak Eun-jung recently. I have confirmed two people and will put the location on the radio.”

-Ah? Uh… Song Pal

-Song Pal

Although many things were omitted, the team members and Captain Kwak did not ask how Hae-su had already tracked the location and found the two female students.

They just trust Hae-su and prioritize searching first.

After searching the location for 30 minutes, a group of people were smoking cigarettes inside the studio apartment parking lot.

They look quite young. Minors who don’t fit in a studio apartment complex where people live alone or college students live.

Hae-su put Haru’s arm in his, making it look like they were lovers, and slowly passed by, eavesdropping on their conversation.

Haru was startled, but bit her lower lip and quietly walked along.

“…Hey, but shit, aren’t we all fucked?”

“I know. The girls are even worse, they’re so fearless, how are they going to handle the aftermath?”

“If we had thought about the aftermath, we wouldn’t have come this far… huh?”

At that moment, the sensor light on the common entrance turned on, casting a shadow on them. One student instinctively felt a chill down his spine and turned around.

There, a beast with gleaming eyes that did not feel like a human’s was standing tall.

Hae-su smiled and opened his mouth.

“Friends, shall we have a conversation with hyung [older brother or a term of respect for a male senior]?”