The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 53

Oh Geng’s wife rejoined them when the delivery food arrived, and they were halfway through eating. It was after she had put all the children to bed.

“Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s not like being built like that is a crime, and I feel much more relieved knowing that people like you are protecting us.”

The youngest instinctively flexed his biceps.

“Thank you, sister-in-law! I’ll work out even harder!”

“Youngest, lower your voice, you’ll wake the kids.”

“Sorry, senior.”

Oh Geng pressed down on the youngest’s biceps and said,

“It’s not like everyone is like this; it’s just these guys. You won’t see guys like this on the street, and it’s the same at the police station.”

At Oh Geng’s words, his wife pointed at Hae-soo.

“Oh, I saw this guy before? On the street.”

“Really? No, did you stare at another man that intently? Enough to remember him?”

“Well, his physique is quite remarkable, but more than that, my eyes were drawn to the woman next to him. She was incredibly beautiful, like a model?”

At Oh Geng’s wife’s words, not only the youngest but also the team leader, who was tearing apart a chicken leg, perked up.

“What?”

“A woomaaaan?” [Woomaaan is a playful, elongated way of saying ‘woman’ in Korean, often used to express surprise or interest.]

“So that’s why you didn’t take the introduction to the aviation student!”

Hae-soo waved his hands in embarrassment.

“No, it’s not like that, just a woman I know.”

“Bad boy style? She doesn’t seem like just a woman you know; honey was dripping from her eyes… that’s why she stood out even more.”

“Honey dripping??”

The sight of Hae-soo, who wouldn’t even twitch an eyebrow under normal circumstances, being flustered brought joy to the team members.

As the team members chimed in with mischievous expressions, Oh Geng’s wife cut them off first.

“Still, it’s a relief. My husband was worried because two team members left, but it’s reassuring to have such reliable people joining.”

The team leader nodded while eating grapes.

“Oh Geng used to be the charge [team leader], but these days he’s being too careful with his body.”

He seemed comfortable with the team leader, having seen him a few times. Oh Geng’s wife glared at the team leader.

“He should be careful; he has two kids. Oh, of course, you two should always take good care of yourselves too.”

“Yes, we’ll protect our brother well.”

“Haha, is that what it means?”

While they were chatting, they happened to bring up an incident that Oh Geng’s family had experienced while talking about the team members’ families.

“I used to worry a lot, but these days I think he’s become bolder. Like, ‘come at me if you dare,’ that kind of feeling? He always carries self-defense spray.”

At her words, the team leader and Oh Geng’s expressions darkened slightly.

Hae-soo sensed that something had happened but didn’t ask any questions first.

Then the team leader sighed deeply and said,

“Ugh, I get so angry just thinking about it, daring to target a detective’s family…”

The youngest widened his eyes and asked back.

“What do you mean? Did someone mess with Oh Geng’s family?”

“Oh, it was about two years ago?”

“Yes, the year before last.”

“A guy Oh Geng had arrested a long time ago was released from prison, and he took pictures of the kids playing outside at the daycare center and sent them to his wife, and threatened to kill them with animal blood in a letter.”

Crack.

The wooden chopsticks the youngest was holding snapped. He jumped up and shouted in anger.

“Anyone who messes with a detective’s family should be sentenced to death!! Don’t you think so, senior!”

“Youngest, what’s wrong, calm down, calm down, Hae-soo, say something to him…”

The team leader looked at Hae-soo, who was the only one who could stop the excited youngest with his strength, but lost his words.

Savage energy was flowing from Hae-soo’s face as he narrowed his brows without a word.

“No, death is too easy, I’ll chew off their fingers one by one…”

Hae-soo spat out each word as if he would kill, then made eye contact with Oh Geng’s wife and suddenly came to his senses.

“I’m sorry.”

As Hae-soo bowed his head, she quietly smiled.

The youngest calmed down a bit and asked.

“So what happened?”

“What do you mean what happened? It was resolved well. When it comes to family, the police foam at the mouth and rush in like you guys. That guy went back to jail, and we moved.”

Oh Geng’s wife added to his words.

“Still, because my husband is still working as a detective… we’re always careful.”

“That’s right, I’m most careful when I get off work; that’s why we went to the extreme of moving to this apartment.”

This apartment had a 5-meter-high fence to block sound, so it was impossible to climb over, and there were guards at the front and back gates.

“A detective’s family… I see.”

The youngest seemed to be deep in thought. It was something a person living alone couldn’t have imagined.

*

On the way home, the team leader called a driver and smoked a cigarette.

Hae-soo stared silently at the youngest, who seemed to have complicated thoughts, then nudged him with his elbow.

“Yes, senior.”

“Want some ice cream?”

“Yes, that would be great.”

As the two entered the convenience store, the part-time worker seemed startled. This kind of thing happens occasionally when Hae-soo is alone, but it’s almost a hundred percent when he’s with the youngest.

The youngest, Woo Gang-cheol, quietly watched Hae-soo pay for the ice cream.

The reason he was actually having complicated thoughts wasn’t because of Oh Geng’s family. It was because of Hae-soo.

Hae-soo is a senior that Gang-cheol respects even more than the team leader or Oh Geng.

However, he had a conflict in his mind because of the recent break-in and hacking incident.

Is it right to catch criminals while breaking the law? Is it meaningful for the police to break the law to catch lawbreakers?

“Here.”

“Yes, thank you for the food, senior.”

Hae-soo nodded and checked the text message on his phone. He had tried to pay with the new card that Ahn Seo-eun had given him, and he received a text message with the payment details and balance.

But the balance was strange.

“Hmm?”

Hae-soo counted each digit with his finger and checked again. As he tilted his head, the youngest approached.

“Senior, what’s wrong?”

The youngest followed Hae-soo’s gaze, checked the text message, and his eyes widened.

“The balance is… two billion?! Senior, were you this rich?!”

The youngest shouted louder than ever before.

“Oh? I do have a little leeway…”

“I’m really surprised. Usually, people with this much leeway do business or real estate, right?”

The youngest couldn’t imagine how much his original assets would be if he had 2 billion in his account.

Hae-soo chuckled at the youngest’s sincere words.

“Then who’s going to catch the bad guys?”

“Huh, heok…”

Hae-soo’s casual words struck the youngest’s heart.

The youngest’s conflict was over. Tears welled up in his fierce eyes.

‘A true policeman, the very true policeman I was looking for! The law that blocks his path is an evil law!’

The youngest grabbed Hae-soo’s hand with his thick hands and shouted.

“Senior! I will follow you for life!”

“Why are you being like this all of a sudden? Get away, you’re creepy.”

The youngest’s voice echoed throughout the apartment, but no one even gave them a look.

*

The next day, Shin Hae-soo called Ahn Seo-eun on his way to work.

-Hae-soo, you’re similar to the elderly.

“What do you mean?”

-The elderly start with what they have to do today as soon as they wake up. You also call me early in the morning if you have something to say, but of course, I’m happy.

“…I saw the balance on the card you gave me. I’m a police officer. I shouldn’t have accepted it from the beginning. I can’t accept this much money.”

-It’s not a problem. It’s from my personal assets, and I’ve also filed taxes, and there’s a purpose. The thing you’re worried about won’t happen.”

“Purpose?”

-Marketing expenses. Hae-soo is in a freelance position in the Daesung Group marketing team. Of course, he’s not just a honorary position who doesn’t work, but he’s performing his duties more wonderfully than anyone else.

“There’s a clause that says public officials can’t have other jobs.”

-I’ve confirmed that it’s okay if it doesn’t interfere with work. Should I get permission from above? Rather, they’ll welcome it with open arms because it’s mutually beneficial to the work.

“No.”

Ahn Seo-eun was quiet for a moment at Hae-soo’s firm tone, then made a nasal sound that she had never heard before.

-If you don’t accept it, Seo-eun… is having a hard time.

‘Why is this woman like this.’

The way of referring to herself in the third person, which is the exclusive property of cute and charming women, was truly embarrassing for Hae-soo, as the absolutely dignified and graceful woman used it.

“I’ll… hang up for now.”

-Did it work? Was this your style?

*

Ahn Seo-eun hung up the phone with Hae-soo and chuckled. There was a playfulness on her lips that was not usually seen.

She didn’t know why it was so fun to tease a fierce bear-like man.

Next to her, Director Kang was gaping at Ahn Seo-eun’s appearance, which he had never seen before.

*

In the end, Hae-soo canceled the ice cream payment and returned the card to Ahn Seo-eun.

Even if it’s money that can be legally recognized, it becomes a stumbling block if someone with a grudge digs into it.

There’s no need to create trouble when he’s not short on money.

Clack clack clack-

Hae-soo’s high school classmate, Hwang Jang-soo’s gym located in the basement of a loan shark office.

Hae-soo, wearing a new material special stab-proof suit and gloves, is mixing hands [sparring] with Hwang Jang-soo, who is holding a rubber dagger.

Hae-soo deflected the blade of the dagger that Hwang Jang-soo was wielding to the side and pushed his chest with his palm.

Thud Pow-!

“Ugh”

Hwang Jang-soo clutched his chest and took a few steps back, then fell to the ground.

“I’m not doing it.”

Hae-soo picked up a water bottle in the corner, drank it down, and handed it to Jang-soo.

“It’s because your stamina is low. Quit smoking.”

“If I quit smoking while living this life, what would I live for?”

Hae-soo stared down at him drinking water, then sat next to him and said.

“You, can’t you quit being a gangster?”

Hwang Jang-soo stared at the ceiling for a moment, glanced at Hae-soo, and raised his hand to make a circle with his index finger and thumb.

“You know what a funnel is, right? A funnel used to put something in a hole, the entrance is very wide, so it’s easy to shove in.”

Hae-soo listened to him without answering.

“But what about when it comes out? The opposite, it’s really narrow. This world is like that; it’s easy to get in with all sorts of sweet words. It’s cool, you make a lot of money, the work is easy, it seems like you can live a comfortable life if you use your fists a little, but after a few years, you realize that it’s just a piece of trash, a bottom-of-the-barrel life.”

Jang-soo raised his upper body, put water in his mouth, mumbled, and spat it out of the ring.

“And when you realize that, you’re already in too deep to get out.”

Hae-soo definitely felt that he regretted entering this path. That’s important.

“I’ll help you, what do I have to do?”

“There’s only one way to get out through that narrow hole.”

Jang-soo turned the water bottle upside down and poured water on the floor.

“There’s no choice but to flip it all over [turn the system upside down].”

“Then let’s do that.”

“Crazy bastard, it’s easy to say. You don’t know, man, go away quickly, I have to work now.”

Jang-soo got up and went out of the ring. Hae-soo stared at his back for a long time.

***

A sunny afternoon.

“Giggle giggle”

“Wooaah, catch me if you can!”

Children are seen leisurely running around in the neighborhood playground.

However, a young woman wearing a salmon-colored sweater and a long white pleated skirt is occupying one of the only two swings.

Squeak Squeak-

She was eating a screw bar [a type of Korean popsicle] while tapping the floor with her white sneakers.

A lower grade elementary school boy who was playing elsewhere approached her.

“Sister, I want to ride the swing.”

“No, I came first.”

“How long are you going to ride it?”

“8 minutes and 22 seconds.”

The elementary school student was speechless and backed away when she said it accurately to the second.

After a while, a boy who appeared to be an upper grade elementary school student approached.

“Sister, you’re pretty. Can I have your number?”

“No no to giving my number to strangers.”

She shook the screw bar stick, refused the hunting [being hit on], and got off the swing.

‘Today was another fulfilling day.’

Haru headed home with a light step, satisfied. And stopped in front of the house door.

Other houses have pizza restaurant menus stuck in the door gap, but the menu is dropped in her house.

She didn’t see it when she left the house. Haru narrowed her brows, pressed the number, and entered the house.

Ziiing- Clank

As the door closed, an unfamiliar voice was heard.

“What is it, did we come to the wrong house?”

“Miss, isn’t this Detective Shin Hae-soo’s house?”

Men with fierce impressions came out slowly from the corner of the bathroom, a blind spot not visible from the front door.

Four men, each holding a sharp sashimi knife in their hands.

Haru looked around at them without saying a word and was wary.

“Hyung [older brother/term of respect], I think we came to the wrong place. What should we do?”

“What do you mean what should we do, we saw her face, slice her into fourteen pieces.”

Crack-

Haru broke the screw bar stick in half.

< #53. Isn't this Detective Shin Hae-soo's house? > End