The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 255

A dimly lit secret room, with two women sitting across from each other at a wooden table.

A female student in a school uniform stared at the floor with hateful eyes before speaking.

“I want to kill myself.”

Despite the shocking words, the woman across from her didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.

“What for?”

The student was slightly taken aback by the woman’s cold, calm voice, and then continued as if carefully considering her words.

“…It’s just so frustrating. If I write a suicide note and die… wouldn’t they suffer for the rest of their lives? Being labeled as murderers, even that would be revenge…”

“No.”

The woman cut off the student’s words.

“No one will suffer. Even the ‘murderer’ label will be forgotten by everyone in a month. If they weren’t the type to do that, they wouldn’t have tormented you in the first place.”

The student chewed her lip, then looked at the woman with contempt. Stylish clothes, neat and tidy hair, expensive glasses frames. It was obvious that she had never experienced hardship and had only focused on studying thanks to her well-off parents, and now she was doing this job.

A psychology professor at the nation’s top university at a young age, a person living in a different world from herself.

“What do you know?”

The woman paused at the student’s resentful words, then smiled bitterly and said.

“Suicide, it’s really painful. If you jump from the rooftop of an apartment, you expect to die instantly, but you don’t. It’s so painful that you want to scream, but no sound comes out. One minute feels like a thousand years. Hell isn’t something different. That pain right before death, that’s hell.”

“……”

The student silently closed her mouth and remained still at the woman’s specific and calm explanation. Looking at the woman’s eyes, she could tell. Those words could only be spoken by someone who had experienced it firsthand.

The student instinctively realized that the woman had attempted suicide for the same reason as herself.

“What did you… do next?”

“I wanted to kill them all…”

The woman raised one hand and mimed slitting her throat. The student flinched.

“…But I couldn’t, and I received help from the police.”

At the word police, disappointment and emptiness flickered in the student’s eyes.

“Cops…”

It wasn’t that she hadn’t asked for help from the police. They had just investigated roughly, been coaxed by the perpetrators’ parents, and backed off.

However, as if reading the student’s mind, the woman continued.

“I met a real police officer, a police officer who was angry on my behalf, a police officer who would send the perpetrators to hell for me, a true police officer.”

“Ugh… where would you find a police officer like that these days…”

At that moment, the woman played a video on her phone. It was a news clip.

The sound of the video echoed softly in the small secret room.

-…A miracle in 6 years, Gangjin City, which was the number one in crime rate, has achieved the lowest crime rate in Korea in 6 years.

-In response, many police officers praised the special team of Gangjin Police Station. The special team is called the Haesu Team, referring to the special investigation team dedicated to violent crimes led by star police officer Senior Superintendent Shin Haesu.

-The special team is scheduled to be dispatched to the Jungbu Police Station in Godang City, where the crime rate has increased by 55 percent in 3 years. Many Godang City citizens are looking forward to the Haesu effect.

The news video showed burly men who were indistinguishable from gangsters or police officers, posing for photos in front of reporters.

The most fearsome-looking man raised his hand and waved it slightly, and the reporters parted like the Red Sea [a biblical reference to Moses parting the Red Sea, signifying a powerful figure commanding respect].

The female student stared at the video for a moment, then turned her gaze to the woman.

“Why are you suddenly showing me this?”

The woman smiled and replied.

“He’s the police officer who saved me, both physically and mentally. This time, I’ll save you.”

The female student was somewhat reluctant, but strangely, her words felt trustworthy, and she quietly nodded. For some reason, she felt like she could escape from this everyday hell.

After the female student left, the woman put on her coat and went outside for lunch.

At that moment, a middle-aged man approached her.

“Professor Ham Yuri!”

Ham Yuri turned her head with a smile at the familiar voice.

“Dad! What brings you here?”

Ham Yuri hugged her father affectionately and then opened her mouth.

“But can you please drop the ‘Professor’ title? It makes us look distant when you’re my dad.”

“Hey, why? I like ‘Professor.’ Tell me, who else has a daughter who’s a professor!”

“Ah, be quiet, please be quiet.”

“How was your counseling session today?”

“Oh, it was a child who reminded me of the old days.”

At Ham Yuri’s words, her father’s face darkened rapidly. It was guilt. Seeing that, Ham Yuri quickly continued.

“Dad, it’s not hard for me to think about that time. Rather, it’s good. It’s the driving force that has kept me running until now.”

“Yes, that’s right, thank you. Thank you, and to that person too…”

Ham Yuri nodded and looked at the horizon, saying.

“Yes, and to that person too…”

* * *

A serene traditional Korean house [a Hanok], a middle-aged man and a young woman sitting on the wooden porch, eating apples.

“Ddalangbangu [a term of endearment, like ‘my little dumpling’].”

Crunch, crunch.

The woman, Jo Ara, the team leader of the Gyeonggi Northern Police Station, chewed on an apple with a sulky face, looking up at the sky, and replied slowly.

“Dad, don’t call me that. How old am I now…”

“How old? In my eyes, you still look like you need diapers!”

“Di, diapers, ha… I’m thirty this year… I am.”

“If the first digit is still a three, you’re still young. Do you have a boyfriend?”

At Assemblyman Jo Gamchan’s words, Jo Ara’s face turned red. She suddenly threw the apple down.

“You’ve rejected every single one I’ve brought! He’s too weak! He doesn’t have a strong sense of crime prevention! He looks too kind! He looks too dirty!”

“Huh? Did I? Well, they were a bit… yeah, every guy you brought was skinny like a gigolo and their impressions were a bit… If he’s a man, shouldn’t he be able to take down a few criminals with his bare hands?”

Jo Ara shook her head.

“Ugh… whatever you say. I even asked them, and they rejected me, saying, ‘Please give up on that man.’”

“Huh? What? Who are you talking about? I don’t have anyone specific in mind, do I?”

“What do you mean you don’t! You want someone exactly like Shin Haesu! You’re so hung up on him that you wouldn’t like a hundred other men…”

Jo Gamchan couldn’t deny the words of the grumbling Jo Ara.

He hadn’t realized it, but thinking about it, Shin Haesu seemed to be the standard in his mind.

“But Shin Haesu, he rejected you even though it wasn’t me asking, but my pretty daughter asking directly? How dare he? No, no, this won’t do!”

Jo Gamchan immediately took out his phone and looked for Shin Haesu in his contacts. Jo Ara hurriedly stopped him.

“No, it’s okay, it’s okay!”

“No! This guy needs to be taught a lesson…”

“I got it! I’ll take care of it! I’ll meet him, I will.”

Only then did Jo Gamchan stop right before pressing the call button.

“Ddalangbangu?”

“Hmph… fine.”

She pouted and nodded.

It wasn’t that Jo Ara didn’t like Shin Haesu. Rather, from the beginning, his steadfast personality and cool striking power had appealed to her.

However, Jo Ara, who had never had a proper relationship until her late 30s, didn’t know what to do after being rejected, so she couldn’t approach him.

‘A brave person wins the beauty!’

Jo Ara steeled her heart and headed to the Jungbu Police Station in Godang City, where Shin Haesu’s special team had been collectively transferred.

She wore a shimmering dress and killer heels that accentuated her slender waist and shapely legs, an outfit she hadn’t worn in a long time.

Seeing the gazes of the passing men, she felt that she wasn’t dead yet and waited for him to leave work at the main gate.

However, even after six thirty, he didn’t come out.

“Could he be working overtime? Should I call him? Did he go out on a business trip? Oh, thinking about it, did I come too recklessly?”

As she muttered to herself, the main building door opened, and several burly figures who looked like gangsters came out. In the middle of them, Shin Haesu, exuding the aura of a boss, could be seen.

Only then did Jo Ara smile brightly and try to approach him. No, she was about to approach him.

Tadatadak-

At that moment, someone brushed past her with the wind. A pleasant scent like grass was felt belatedly.

It was a woman. Tight leggings, a hoodie, a slim but ideally muscular body that gave off the aura of a fighter.

The woman ran up the stairs, kicked off the last step, and flew up. At the end of that direction was Shin Haesu.

“Haesu-nim [a respectful title]!!”

Shin Haesu didn’t even twitch an eyebrow and calmly took his left leg back and spread his hands to receive her.

She wrapped her arms and legs around Shin Haesu like a cicada.

Haesu patted her back as if he was used to it and put her down after a few seconds.

“I told you not to wait.”

“Waiting is more fun.”

Jo Ara thought she was a younger sister. But she had heard that Haesu was an only son. Moreover, the way Haesu looked at her made it impossible to be mistaken.

“Hmm…”

With a stiff expression, Jo Ara turned around and walked in the opposite direction from Haesu’s house.

* * *

A large pork belly restaurant in Godang City.

Shin Haesu, Woo Gangcheol, and Kim Hamin, who had just been recognized as the youngest member, sat at one table.

When Shin Haesu picked up the tongs to grill the meat, Woo Gangcheol was horrified and tried to snatch them away.

“Oh my, a world-class star senior is grilling meat. I’ll do it!”

“Sit down, the superior does it in places like this.”

“Please don’t…”

“Shall we start special training from tomorrow?”

At the word special training, Kim Hamin’s face turned blue, and Woo Gangcheol shut his mouth and sat down.

As Haesu was grilling the meat silently, two familiar middle-aged men entered the restaurant.

Then Haesu put down the tongs and jumped up from his seat to greet them.

“Hyung-nims [older brother figures, term of respect], you’ve arrived!”

At Haesu’s actions, Woo Gangcheol and Kim Hamin also quickly jumped up and bowed.

“You’ve arrived!!”

Three men who looked like their muscles were about to burst bowed 90 degrees to the other two middle-aged men. That sight caused misunderstandings among the other people in the restaurant.

“What… are they gangsters again? Ah, I chose the wrong restaurant, should we leave?”

“We’re already grilling, why leave? Just eat quickly, what’s going to happen?”

It caused tension for some burly figures in the corner.

“They’re not our guys, but their faces look familiar…”

“Should we check, hyung-nim?”

The man called hyung-nim hesitated, then shook his head after seeing their size.

“No, it’s okay.”

The two middle-aged men greeted by Shin Haesu’s group burst into good-natured laughter and trudged over.

“Woo hahaha!! It’s been so long, Charge! Muscle monsters, deploy!!”

“Deploying! Beep beep!”

“Hey Shin Haesu, how have you been? Are you adjusting to life as a team leader?”

They were none other than Chief Gwak and Oh Gaeng. It was the first time they had gathered in months since their stations had been separated.

Haesu placed a piece of meat on each of their plates and said.

“It’s nice to get together like this and reminisce about the old days.”

“Heh, heh, look at our Charge, he even knows how to say ‘nice,’ he must be getting more comfortable?”

Oh Gaeng chuckled and continued.

“Yeah, that reminds me, that thing, when we were having a company dinner, what was it, Yongyong Faction?”

“Dongdong Faction.”

“Yeah, those Dongdong Faction guys suddenly bloo…”

At that moment, a loud voice was suddenly heard from the back.

“Everyone, repeat after me! This Gangnaengi Faction will destroy Godang City!!”

“Destroy!!”

Thud-

At those words, Haesu’s hand, which was just about to pick up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, stopped.

At the same time, the other detectives also stopped what they were doing and stood up from their seats.

Step, step, step.

Led by Shin Haesu, the special team detectives approached them. There were about twenty burly figures sitting at the table, they hesitated at Haesu’s muscles but relied on their numbers and swaggered.

“What, which family are you from?”

Crack, crack.

Haesu, standing at the front, cracked his knuckles and approached them.

With a simple answer, the burly figures’ faces turned pale.

“I’m a physical therapist from Gangjin City.”

(Extra Story End)

Thank you for loving [The Police Are Too Strong] until now.

Sincerely, Writer Kim Gise.