The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 21

“Ugh…….”

Although the airbags deployed upon impact, Yoon Seol-ha suffered a significant blow because Kang Hyun-soo’s car collided head-on with the driver’s side at tremendous speed.

She was fortunate to have been wearing her seatbelt; otherwise, she might have been thrown out and killed.

Thankfully, she didn’t lose consciousness, but moving her body was difficult.

Not only was her body trapped due to the car’s wreckage, but several ribs seemed to be broken or fractured from the impact.

She could only groan.

The sandwich she had been eating was scattered on the floor due to the impact of the other car, and her cell phone fell under the passenger seat.

Since the phone posed the greatest risk, she reached for it, only to feel severe pain in her side.

“Ugh.”

She gritted her teeth and tried to reach out, but her legs and torso were trapped in the crushed car, preventing her from reaching the phone.

‘Damn it!’

At that moment, the passenger door opened.

‘The ambulance couldn’t have arrived already.’

Yoon Seol-ha frowned deeply and raised her head.

She made eye contact with Chief Kang Hyun-soo, who was leaning into the passenger seat.

“You bitch…….”

Blood streamed down his head.

Additionally, he was holding his left shoulder with his right hand.

Even though he had caused the collision, he wasn’t unscathed.

However, he appeared to be in much better condition than Yoon Seol-ha.

“Who sent you?”

His voice, filled with murderous intent, entered Yoon Seol-ha’s ears.

Yoon Seol-ha turned her head, trying not to make eye contact, but Kang Hyun-soo grabbed her chin and forced her to look him in the eye.

At that moment, Chief Kang Hyun-soo’s pupils trembled.

“You don’t mean…….”

As he swallowed his words, Yoon Seol-ha spoke instead.

“Are you smitten?”

Yoon Seol-ha’s sharp yet haughty voice rang out.

“Too beautiful for words, right?”

She scoffed and disregarded Chief Kang Hyun-soo.

Predictably, Chief Kang Hyun-soo’s grip on Yoon Seol-ha’s chin tightened.

“You were under Im Sung-jin!”

He finally realized it.

However, he didn’t seem to have figured out that she had joined Choi Seo-joon’s investigation team.

Kang Hyun-soo threw Yoon Seol-ha’s chin to the side and began groping her thigh.

Yoon Seol-ha slapped Kang Hyun-soo’s cheek without hesitation.

Bearing the pain in her side from moving her body, she said,

“You dirty bastard. You want to touch me in this situation? Go to a brothel; don’t act pathetic.”

Yoon Seol-ha knew that Kang Hyun-soo was looking for her cell phone, but she needed to buy time.

With such a major accident, people would surely arrive soon.

“You little……!”

Chief Prosecutor Kang Hyun-soo, enraged, raised his hand.

Just before he could strike, Yoon Seol-ha’s cell phone, which had fallen to the passenger floor, caught his eye.

A bitter smile appeared on Kang Hyun-soo’s face, and Yoon Seol-ha sighed deeply.

‘I should have set a password.’

He immediately picked up the phone and turned on the screen.

He began to search through the gallery, call history, and text messages, but he couldn’t find anything significant.

Kang Hyun-soo’s brow furrowed, and Yoon Seol-ha, noticing this, breathed a sigh of relief.

Still, she couldn’t shake the anxiety that she might have left something behind.

At that moment, the sound of an ambulance siren began to be heard.

“Shit!”

Kang Hyun-soo frantically clicked around on the phone, but he couldn’t find the information he had already deleted.

As the siren grew closer, he eventually gave up searching and pocketed Yoon Seol-ha’s phone.

He clearly intended to recover the photos and their transmission history to track her down.

He was about to return to his car when he realized the ambulance was too close, so he had no choice but to return to Yoon Seol-ha’s car.

And after glancing at the paramedics rushing towards them…….

“Here! Someone’s trapped here!”

As if he had come to check on Yoon Seol-ha out of concern, he shouted urgently with a worried voice.

“Are you okay?”

Yoon Seol-ha barely suppressed the nausea at his nonchalant voice.

Shortly after, the paramedics who arrived asked about her condition.

“Can you hear me? Are you alright?”

“Yes, I can hear you.”

“Can you move?”

“No. My leg is trapped…… I think my ribs are fractured or broken too.”

“Okay, just wait a moment. We’ll get you out right away.”

The paramedics brought equipment and began to pry apart the car body that was pressing down on Yoon Seol-ha’s legs, while others checked Kang Hyun-soo’s condition.

Soon, the paramedics pried open the car body that was pressing down on Yoon Seol-ha and pulled her out.

As she was freed from the car body that had been crushing her, all the strength drained from her body.

The feeling of strength leaving her arms, which she had been struggling to move, was overwhelming.

As she was being carried to the ambulance on a stretcher, she spotted Kang Hyun-soo sitting in the ambulance, receiving first aid.

“Excuse me, just a moment.”

“Yes?”

A paramedic stopped in surprise and asked her.

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

“No. That man took my cell phone.”

Unable to raise her hand due to the pain in her abdomen and side, she gestured towards Kang Hyun-soo with her chin.

“He put it in his left inside pocket.”

“Please wait a moment.”

One of the paramedics rushed towards Kang Hyun-soo.

“The woman over there said you took her cell phone…….”

Kang Hyun-soo glared at Yoon Seol-ha.

Seeing her raising one corner of her mouth, he felt resentment surge, but the paramedic still looked at Kang Hyun-soo suspiciously and said,

“She said she saw you put it in your left inside pocket…….”

In fact, Yoon Seol-ha’s cell phone was in his inside pocket.

Legally, he had no obligation to show it.

He wasn’t a police officer, just a paramedic.

However, if he didn’t show it here, it would naturally raise reasonable suspicion, and that would inevitably cause problems.

He considered revealing his identity as a chief prosecutor, but even though Yoon Seol-ha was a prosecutor’s office employee, she was also from the same district attorney’s office.

The sight of colleagues from the same office interrogating each other would raise questions among third parties.

The situation was bound to become quite complicated.

If the police arrived and found the cell phone in his inside pocket, he could even be caught as a thief in the act.

Yoon Seol-ha was well aware of this, so she couldn’t let it go easily.

‘I should have at least removed the memory chip separately…….’

Although he had deliberately crashed the car, the impact was significant, and he had reached a state of extreme excitement, so he regretted not being able to make a rational decision.

However, there was nothing he could do. The situation had already passed.

In the end, he reluctantly took the cell phone out of his inside pocket.

Then, suppressing his trembling emotions, he said,

“It was on the floor, so I picked it up. I thought it would be a big problem if you lost it.”

“Ah, is that so?”

The paramedic smiled brightly, nodded, took the cell phone, and brought it to Yoon Seol-ha.

Having her cell phone returned, she twisted her lips towards Kang Hyun-soo as she was carried to the ambulance on a stretcher.

‘I won.’

Yoon Seol-ha clutched her cell phone tightly and lost consciousness with a sense of accomplishment.

***

Knock knock.

As I knocked and entered the hospital room, Yoon Seol-ha, who noticed me, struggled to sit up in bed.

“Lie down. You don’t have to get up.”

Normally, she would have said she was fine and gotten up, but today she seemed serious, saying, ‘Should I?’ and lying back down on the bed.

“How’s your body feeling?”

“I have fractures and cracks, including everything, but it’s not serious. I got a 4-week diagnosis.”

“Oh, dear.”

Seeing the pain on Yoon Seol-ha’s usually cheerful face made me feel sorry for her.

“Get plenty of rest; don’t think about work.”

“What will you do without me, Prosecutor? You’ll have a hard time alone. Are you going to find another investigator and have an affair?”

I shook my head at her playful words.

“No way. I’ll be doing it alone, so get well soon and come back.”

“I will.”

She gave an awkward smile and then opened her mouth with a serious expression.

“I recovered the cell phone, so they won’t be able to check it.”

“You said he remembers your face. If it’s Kang Hyun-soo, he’ll get the communication records and find out.”

“Even if he knows I sent it to the Prosecutor, he won’t know how many pictures were taken or from what angle.”

Yoon Seol-ha smiled.

“Knowing his personality, he’ll probably call as soon as he finds out I’m under the Prosecutor.”

“I’ll take care of the aftermath, so don’t worry about it. I’m sorry you got hurt because of me. Haa, I’m sorry.”

I felt sorry.

Of course, she was fulfilling her role as an investigator, but regardless of whether she wanted to or not, I was the one who sent her there.

“Don’t say that.”

She said sternly.

“It’s my fault for not paying enough attention. Rather, I should apologize for getting caught because I wasn’t thorough enough.”

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry.”

If I explained the reason, we would probably spend hours apologizing to each other, each claiming responsibility, so I held back and changed the subject.

“I’ve checked all the photos. This should be enough to raise suspicions.”

“You’re not going to release it right away, are you?”

“I’ll see how things go. It seems like the second son in the Joo-ok Group’s competition is getting anxious. If necessary, I’ll use it as a card for a comeback.”

“I trust you’ll make a good decision, Prosecutor.”

She pointed to her abdominal binder and added.

“I can’t go out for 4 weeks anyway.”

Still, I was relieved to know that we could joke around like this.

I had been very worried, but I felt a little relieved.

Perhaps because I felt more at ease, it suddenly occurred to me that I had come empty-handed.

“I should have bought a flower basket. I’m sorry. I came too hastily.”

“Don’t be so formal; it’s okay.”

“Is there anything you need? Should I bring something from home?”

“No, thanks.”

Yoon Seol-ha said primly with a playful smile.

“Are you trying to go to a single lady’s house?”

“No, what’s between us…….”

“I’ve already asked a friend. She said she’ll bring me underwear and other necessities.”

“Then, is there anything you want to eat? You need to eat well to heal your bones.”

Yoon Seol-ha chuckled.

“No, thanks. Go and do your work.”

“There weren’t any foods you’re not supposed to eat, were there?”

“There aren’t any, but you don’t need to buy anything. I’m not hungry right now.”

“Rest. I’ll buy something.”

“I said it’s okay…….”

Leaving her, who was stubbornly refusing, I left the hospital room.

As I was about to leave the hospital lobby to buy something, my cell phone rang.

-Caller: 010-3X3X-4XX1

It wasn’t a saved number, but I knew who it was.

“Hello, Chief.”

-Let’s meet and talk.

Kang Hyun-soo’s voice was strained with suppressed emotion.

-You must have a lot to say too.

“I don’t know about that, but let’s meet for now. Where should we go?”

-Bora Hospital, Room 1402. See you today.

“You’re in a hurry.”

-You’d better meet me soon too.”

“Me? Is something wrong?”

As I answered shamelessly, there was a moment of silence.

I barely suppressed the laughter that was about to burst out, imagining him gritting his teeth.

-……Be sure to come. I’ll be waiting.

“Alright. I’ll see you there.”