The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 208

< #208. Blind Date >

“…A blind date?”

“Yes, Kim Seon-tae, the second son of Songyang Group.”

As Chairman Ahn began detailing the background of her prospective match, Ahn Seo-eun’s eyes narrowed. Seeing this, Chairman Ahn quickly added, “He’s sociable, reportedly has excellent performance, and a good personality.”

Born into a conglomerate family, Seo-eun had faced a constant stream of blind date proposals since graduating from university. However, she had declined most of them, even those carefully curated by Chairman Ahn.

She recognized that her father’s primary motivation was to leverage her relationships to consolidate his power.

“……”

But now, there was a different quality in his gaze. Considering the prior arrangement with Shin Hae-soo, and the fact that he’d come in person to deliver news that could easily have been conveyed by phone or text, it felt more like the concern of a father than the calculated move of Chairman Ahn.

Suddenly, the events at Hae-soo’s hideout earlier that day flashed through her mind.

Seo-eun sighed softly and nodded. “Okay. I’ll go on the blind date.”

At Seo-eun’s acceptance, Chairman Ahn practically leaped from his seat and gripped her shoulders.

“Really?”

Seo-eun blinked, quietly looking up at the man before her.

She hadn’t witnessed such genuine happiness on her father’s face in at least a decade.

Chairman Ahn, belatedly stepping back, glanced at Secretary Kang behind Seo-eun, then clasped his hands behind his back and cleared his throat.

“Ahem, don’t feel pressured. I understand young people these days exchange numbers first, right? I’ll have him contact you.”

“Okay.”

“Alright, um.”

Having achieved his objective in visiting his daughter, Chairman Ahn lingered awkwardly for a moment before departing the office.

* * *

-…A blind date. Like a meet-up? Usually, you just hang out at a cafe.

-Cafe? Hang out?

-Ah, has Haru never been to a cafe?

-Seriously, noona [term of endearment used by younger males to address older females] has never been to a cafe?

-Wow, a woman in her twenties who has never been to a cafe, that’s unbelievable.

The next day, a conversation unfolded at the hideout.

It began innocently enough. When Ahn Seo-eun mentioned in the game chat that she was going on a blind date, Haru sought advice from the team members on what to expect.

If only Haru and Hae-soo were present, they would have been aware of her background and shown consideration, but Hae-soo was absent at the moment. Haru recognized the gravity of the situation from the others’ shocked reactions and decided to visit a cafe alone that day.

‘There’s so… much.’

However, she encountered difficulties right from the start.

Scanning the menu behind the cafe counter, she was completely bewildered. The menus with accompanying pictures were limited, leaving her at a loss.

As Haru stared blankly at the menu, a cafe employee approached.

“Are you looking for anything in particular?”

Haru was flustered, but she masked it with her well-honed emotional control, speaking casually as if she were a regular customer. “Give me the most popular thing in this cafe.”

“Ah… Iced Americano?”

“Yes, that.”

Haru bravely placed her order and took the quickly prepared Americano to a seat.

There was a long bar by the window, lined with tall wooden stools.

‘With this… I will conquer the cafe.’

Haru stared intently at the Americano, then put the straw in her mouth and took a sip.

“Ptoo, phet, spit!”

She spat it out faster than she had sipped it. The intensely bitter taste of the Americano, which she was experiencing for the first time, caused Haru, who had even swallowed poison before, to eject it in less than a second.

‘What’s so bitter? Is this the most popular thing?’

Haru suspected that the employee had tricked her, so she turned her head and glared at the employee from afar. The employee met her gaze while working and flinched, avoiding her eyes.

She couldn’t be defeated so easily. Haru steeled herself and searched the community site for information.

‘Iced Americano….’

-I came after tapping the keyboard while sipping on an iced Americano. There are many slackers like me.

-(Link) This Americano is delicious. An Americano artisan guarantees it.

┗This guy has some rhyme skills?

-Is there a substitute for Americano? I’m tired of it, but there’s nothing like it.

┗Americano is delicious.

┗What are you saying?

┗Stop it, guys.

Judging by the reactions, it didn’t seem like the employee had lied. Haru found it hard to believe.

‘Why would they drink something like this…?’

With renewed determination, Haru closed her eyes tightly and brought the straw to her lips again to drink the Americano.

At that moment.

“Excuse me.”

A voice came from beside her. It was close enough to be directed at her. Turning her head, she saw a young man in neat attire looking at her.

“Did you come alone?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, then can I sit here?”

The man gestured to the seat next to Haru. Not too close, but close enough to overhear the conversation.

It was an ambiguous situation for Haru to assert her authority and tell him to leave.

“Yes.”

“Thank you.”

Haru turned slightly away and resumed drinking her Americano, concerned that this man would bother her.

However, contrary to her expectations, he merely glanced at her and remained silent.

After conquering the Americano in five minutes, she left the cafe and started for home.

Thud, thud, thud.

Footsteps approached rapidly from behind. Soon, the man she had seen at the cafe overtook Haru and continued on. After walking a short distance, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dropped his car keys on the ground.

Thud-

The man, either oblivious or uncaring, ignored the car keys, which appeared quite heavy, and kept walking. The car keys bore a winged emblem.

Despite being a cop, Haru, raised with a strong sense of propriety, immediately picked up the car keys and approached the man.

“Excuse me.”

Even though she was quite close and called out, he continued walking without responding.

“Excuse me.”

It was as if he was deliberately ignoring her.

Haru quickened her pace, caught up, and grabbed his wrist.

“Hey.”

“Oh, oh, yes, ah? Ah, that beautiful lady from the cafe earlier…”

Haru silently held out his car keys. He looked surprised, but his expression seemed somewhat forced.

“Oh, my car keys? Ah, I dropped them! Wow, thank you so much. What can I do to repay you? I want to buy you a meal.”

“Go away.”

As Haru immediately tried to pass him, he followed and grabbed her wrist again.

“Hey, don’t be like that. I’ll feel bad if you just leave.”

Haru glared at her wrist with a serious expression. However, the man didn’t seem fazed and didn’t release her wrist. Instead, he tightened his grip.

“It’s okay.”

As Haru twisted her wrist to break free and attempted to leave, he followed her once more.

“Ah, then give me your number so I can repay you.”

“It’s okay.”

As Haru ignored him and turned away, his voice dropped.

“Ah, you’re being really coy. You’re not attractive when you act like this.”

Haru stopped walking and fixed the man with a cold stare. The man’s expression shifted completely from the friendly facade he had initially presented.

“I earn hundreds of millions a day even if I do nothing. I was going to spend that day on you, so stop playing hard to get. I even put on an act for the first time in a while.”

Haru silently assessed him from head to toe, then turned and walked away.

The man didn’t pursue Haru any further, sneering from behind.

“There are always girls who think they’re so precious, but they’ll end up old and spreading their legs for money.”

Haru clenched her fist slightly, then released it. She couldn’t resort to violence simply because she was provoked.

Instead, she couldn’t allow such trash to live a peaceful life without consequences.

Haru, observing from a distance, memorized the make and model of his car, along with the license plate number, and returned to the hideout.

As soon as she entered, she threw her coat on the sofa and shouted, “90 Shadow, that 88888, find out who the owner is, what that guy does.”

Jung Young-soo, who was practically a permanent resident of the hideout, reflexively noted the vehicle number and responded, “What’s this for?”

Haru’s eyes, fixed on the air as she recalled the man, were filled with murderous intent.

“A guy who needs a little punishment.”

“Ah, okay.”

It was best not to engage Haru in that state.

Young-soo nodded, loosened his fingers by moving them back and forth like playing the piano, and placed his hands on the keyboard.

* * *

The first floor of the Daesung E&M building.

Clack, clack, clack.

“Oh, oop!”

“C, CEO, you look radiant today. Ah, no, you look even more radiant today!”

Ahn Seo-eun had her makeup done at the in-house hair salon in preparation for her appointment.

Her hair was styled in flowing curls, she wore a beige dress with a side-slit-like pleated hem, pastel-toned high heels, and a black jacket draped over her shoulders, creating a sophisticated look.

It was rare for her to put so much effort into her appearance, so Secretary Kang and Kim Guard, as well as passing company employees, paused and hesitated when they saw her.

The company employees who gathered after she passed whispered.

“…At that level, she could easily become a celebrity herself.”

“I know, celebrities would be intimidated because the CEO outshines them with her beauty.”

“Wow… I heard she’s going on a blind date today, I’m so jealous of the guy.”

Seo-eun, on her way to the blind date, felt a mix of emotions.

The blind date was scheduled at a cafe in a five-star hotel’s sky lounge.

The plan was to have a light conversation at the cafe, followed by a meal as the next course.

Kim Seon-tae, the second son of Songyang Group, was already there.

Kim Seon-tae searched for Ahn Seo-eun on his phone and scrolled through the photos.

“Ah, why isn’t she here yet… Hmm, she’s pretty, but you can’t trust photos these days. But this woman doesn’t have any professionally taken photos.”

The photos he found were all taken by reporters at official events. There were no flattering photos of her side profile, diagonal angle, or even a clear frontal view.

“The youngest daughter of Daesung Group… She seems to have a bit of a temper, but at this level, she’s qualified to be my wife…”

At that moment.

Clack, clack, clack.

The sound of heels approaching, Kim Seon-tae instinctively sensed the sound coming closer and stood up, turning his head.

“Ah….”

The moment he saw Ahn Seo-eun, his jaw dropped.

The photos didn’t do her justice. They were a gross misrepresentation.

Kim Seon-tae had encountered many young and attractive female celebrities and idols, but he had never witnessed such perfect grace and beauty.

“Hello. I’m Ahn Seo-eun.”

Even her voice was clear and refined. Change of plans.

He had intended to casually establish a connection, a political marriage between individuals who understood the arrangement and agreed not to interfere in each other’s private lives, but at this level, he felt compelled to invest his entire being.

He resolved to utilize every skill and ability he had acquired to win her over.

“Ah, yes, K, Kim Seon-tae. Please sit down, ah, right.”

Kim Seon-tae gestured for her to sit, then hastily stepped forward and pulled out the chair for her himself.

His flustered demeanor seemed rather endearing, and Seo-eun smiled slightly.

“Thank you.”

Doo-geun, doo-geun, doo-geun [onomatopoeia for a heart beating fast].

Seeing that smile, Seon-tae’s heart, which had been relatively dormant for a long time, began to race.

Moreover, since both families had already given their consent, the chances of success were high.

“I’m a bit late, I’m sorry.”

Seo-eun placed a hand on her chest and bowed her head slightly. She was also polite. Her hands were free of elaborate manicures, adorned only with a protective transparent coat.

Seon-tae, unable to conceal his infatuated gaze, openly expressed his admiration.

“No, it’s my fault for arriving early. I must have committed a lot of sins in my past life.”

“…Yes? Why all of a sudden?”

“Because I’m only meeting Ahn Seo-eun now.”

“Ah, hahaha…”

Even with Seo-eun’s awkward reaction, Seon-tae persisted, showering her with sweet nothings.

Even the smallest gestures elicited a smile from Seo-eun, leading him to believe that she was also interested, and he felt like he was on cloud nine.

“…Excuse me for a moment.”

“Ah, yes, yes, go ahead.”

After some time, Seo-eun excused herself to use the restroom.

Swoosh.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Seo-eun’s captivating back view, but as she disappeared behind the wall, he licked his lips and attempted to regain his composure.

Tingle-

Seon-tae felt someone staring at him from the seat directly behind Seo-eun, hidden from view. A chill ran down his spine. He subtly raised his head and looked at the person sitting across from him.

“Y, y, you?”

Haru was glaring at Kim Seon-tae. He was flustered and jumped up, approaching her.

“Y, why are you here? Were you stalking me?”

Haru nodded once.

“Yes.”

“Wow, hey, so, not now, you get out of here, quickly!”

“I don’t want to.”

“Wow, I’m going crazy, ah.”

He fidgeted, then quickly pulled out a check from his wallet and handed it to her.

“H, this is your purpose, right? Huh? Go quickly.”

He offered Haru a check for one million won [approximately $750 USD]. Haru stared blankly at the check, unmoving.

“I, is it not enough? Hey, hey, take all of this, please go, I’ll give you more later if it’s not enough.”

He offered her several more checks, but Haru remained still. At that moment.

Clack, clack, clack.

Seo-eun was approaching from afar. He gave up on trying to get rid of Haru and hurriedly sat down, feigning nonchalance.

“What were you doing?”

“Ah, nothing…!”

Just then, Haru rose from her seat and approached the table. Kim Seon-tae was horrified, and Seo-eun also noticed Haru, her eyes widening.

Haru placed the check on the table and said, “This old man gave me this, saying to forget about trying to buy my body with money.”

At Haru’s words, Seon-tae panicked.

“W, what crazy nonsense are you talking about?!! S, Seo-eun, that woman is crazy. Just ignore her, ignore her!!”