The next morning, as she promised to the Old YeJin, SolHi transferred ten thousand won to her account. Then, staring at the ATM’s screen, where it was written in big letters, „Successful transfer,” SolHi sighed. She knew very well what that money would serve. Yet, even if she knew all that, she had no choice but to accept her fate because she could protect her mother only that way.

Eventually, when she felt that she was about to collapse, SolHi started to tap her chest with her fist. She slowly tapped on it, something that meant a lot to her because this helped her to chase that knot from her throat away. Then, in a shaking voice, SolHi said, „Everything will be alright! You’ll be fine for sure because… nothing is forever, SolHi!” Yet, even if she was trying to comfort herself with such words, she couldn’t calm down, just as the pressure from her chest wasn’t gone yet, making her have a short breath.

Because of the same pressure, SolHi suddenly felt that she was about to burst into tears. She’d have liked to cry for a very long time, something to make her feel better. Yet, she didn’t have time for crying, she also knew that. She knew there wasn’t a place for pitting herself, not in that life when all those who surrounded her seemed to be against her, trying to bring her to her knees. The same happened to the debts, which surrounded her from everywhere: at home - in DooSan’s person, who reminded her each time that she owed him. At work because of her colleagues, who were waiting for her to support them in everything. Even in her personal life, she had debts - her mother, whom she had to take care of just because SinHa gave her life and SolHi had to be grateful for that. It was the only reason SolHi still accepted Old YeJin and her son’s caprices, an idiot who wasn’t good at anything - to make sure SinHa would be just fine without her.

Nevertheless, with all SolHi’s efforts to make sure her mother would be fine, SinHa was „worse” with each day that passed. She understood this because Old YeJin’s calls started to be more frequent than before, just as the amount of money the woman was asking for was each time bigger. Amount of money that she had to take from her pocket, cutting her own expenses, which made her eat less just to make sure she’d be able to pay for all those „debts” that started to asphyxiate her lately and make her want to leave everything behind and vanish.

She didn’t have where to go, anyway. Neither in this life nor in another one. Because of this, she had to be strong because a lot of people depended on her. Especially SinHa, who lived in her world a great part of the time because, if SinHa had been lucid, SolHi would have lived better for sure.

„Or maybe everything would have been worse than ever,” SolHi murmured when she caught that thought crossing her mind. Then, turning her back to the ATM, she headed up the street. Not alone, but with a lot of thoughts spinning in her head, thoughts about everything that happened to her lately, which were similar to a swarm of wild bees that had been chased away from their hive by an „intruder,” who decided to ruin their daily routine and good life.

SolHi, however… was neither the swarm nor one of those angry bees that were ready to defend their home with teeth and nails. No. At that moment, she felt that she was the intruder in her own life because others had always decided for her. Just as it happened at that moment when she understood that she wasn’t able to control the course of her life anymore.

Yet, returning to her „debts,” SolHi sighed. She remembered that she had to find another source of money because the salary she had wasn’t enough to pay Old YeJin for taking care of her mother and for everything SinHa destroyed here and there. At the same time, she understood that her money wasn’t enough to pay the medical bills and what Han DooSan was asking for too.

On top of that, with all those expenses, SolHi also remembered that she hadn’t bought anything for her for so long. All that she had at that moment, clothes and accessories, she had from Mina, who always supported her, especially while SolHi had been in the Police Academy. Money SolHi intended to pay back to her friend, even if Pack Mina never asked her to pay that „debt” back.

Yes, while heading back home, barely dragging her legs behind her, SolHi remembered that she owed herself too. Yet, too busy to live her life, and with everything that happened to her, she completely forgot that she also awed herself. Yet, how to comfort herself, SolHi didn’t know, just as she had no idea how to get rid of all those problems that were asphyxiating her lately, making her want more than ever to be able to vanish from the earth’s surface.

Thinking about all this, SolHi sighed again. „The same happens to others,” she whispered, trying to comfort herself. „Maybe others live worse than me. That’s why, SolHi, you must be strong! Endure because… all these will be over, sooner or later.”

Saying these words, all that SolHi did was lie to herself. Not only at that moment she was lying to herself, but also each time she was about to collapse. Words that still gave her some power because, after whispering them, she was standing up again and, proudly, she was continuing her life no matter how hard it wasn’t for her at that time. It was all that she could do at that moment because she didn’t have a shoulder to cry on. „As it has always been,” murmured SolHi when she remembered everything she’d been through.

In time, all these words and everything she did to make herself feel better turned into a simple routine. It was also a burden in her soul, one she couldn’t get rid of, no matter what she did. She could only be grateful for the rest she had in her life, accept everything that happened to her as part of her life, and move on.

SolHi did this with a light heart eventually. She accepted the cross she had to wear on her shoulders and lived her life as she could: getting up in the morning, lacking power most of the time, preparing a light breakfast to bear up with the expenses, and going to work eventually. At work, she involved herself completely because she had always been like that - she liked to finish her work and be as diligent as possible, never complaining about the work she had. Yet, after such a hard day at work, a good meal had to come after. A meal that was most of the time equal to a sandwich and nothing more because she didn’t have money for more.

She could have asked others for money or accepted others to pay for her meal too. Yet, SolHi hated all that: to receive something for free, just as she hated to see others paying for her meal. Because of this, she started to surround her colleagues, in time, especially during lunch, finding numerous reasons not to be in the office when they decided what they should eat that day. And, if she was asked later if she ate, SolHi smiled and said that she had the best meal ever.

With such words, SolHi was lying to others and herself. This never bothered her though but she liked it, thinking that it was fair for her to act like that. Yet, even if it was an excellent tactic with others, it never managed to deceive Kan, who had a damn good nose at smelling SolHi’s lies. That’s why, each time he realized that SolHi skipped another meal, he forced her to follow him to a restaurant and never allowed her to leave without finishing everything he bought for her. Yet, by doing this, he also managed to make SolHi’s soul bleed more because she felt that her debts were increasing too.

Because of the same feeling, SolHi also started to avoid Kan. She did everything to vanish somewhere when she realized that they would be alone in the office at lunchtime because, if there was also someone else, she could find an excuse to avoid going with them. A trick she got while living with Mina because then, when SolHi couldn’t find a job and didn’t have money to pay for her expenses and her mother’s, Mina paid for everything. That’s why SolHi swore that as soon as she’d be able to do that, she’d pay for everything and even for others.

She even managed to earn a good amount of money, which she considered that it was the right sum to pay to Mina. Yet, once DooSan moved to her house, pretending that she’d be able to pay her debts in front of him only this way, SolHi had to spend a big part of that money. Even so, she didn’t complain, just as she didn’t say no to anything DooSan asked her to buy him. She did that because she felt guilty and thought that it was her only way to pay DooSan back everything he lost because of her.

Nevertheless, her way of „paying for sins” turned out to be a damn expensive one because DooSan used to live in style and wanted to live the same good life in her house too. A caprice that forced SolHi eventually to find another source of money to cope with his „expenses.” Even so, she was calming herself down saying that as long as she was healthy and could earn money, others didn’t have a reason to find out about her problems.

To earn the money she needed, SolHi started to work as a cashier at a supermarket that wasn’t that far from her house. She also loved the schedule, from 7-12, only during the night. „Right after I finish my job as a detective,” she told herself when the supermarket’s owner accepted her to work there. „He even pays well. For the moment, this salary helps me to pay for the extra expenses,” a thought that made her happy.

Everything went perfectly until one day when DooSan took care of her happiness to be short. Well, he didn’t do that intentionally. He just „appeared” there, at her new job, one evening when SolHi, as usual, didn’t come home on time. How did he get there? Simple: he checked the app he had installed on her phone and saw exactly where SolHi „wasted” her time instead of coming home and taking care of him.

Arriving at the supermarket, DooSan had another surprise besides the one of finding out that SolHi had a „new job.” There, he stumbled over a bunch of kids, who thought they were super intelligent and entered that supermarket intending to „take advantage because the cashier was just a stupid woman, incapable of facing them all.” Because of the same thought, they put everything they could in their pockets and bags, having the shame of asking for cigarettes eventually… for free, of course.

SolHi, who was cleaning the counter at that moment with a wet cloth, played the deaf. Yet, seeing that the kids insisted on receiving those cigarettes, she asked them to pay for everything they had in their pockets and bags. Instead of money, she saw one of the kids punching the counter, something that made the other kids burst into laughter.

Not everybody laughed though. The one who punched the counter suddenly yelled at her, „Do you think you are smart?”

„No,” SolHi drily replied. „I don’t think I’m smart. I know I am.”

Her remark infuriated the kid. Because of this, he snapped at her, looking like a mad puppy, „Then, I’m also sure I can shape your „intelligent face.” So well that not even your mother will recognize you after this.”

This enraged SolHi because, hearing him mentioning SinHa and that he dared to threaten her, the detective, she slammed the wet cloth on the counter, making the whole supermarket resound. After that, when her eyes turned to be the ones of a mad beast, she stared into the bold one’s eyes and said through her teeth, „It will be better for you if you stop playing the intelligent one and pay for what you’ve taken. If not, you’ll meet the devil for sure.”

Such words made the kids burst into laughter again. They even turned bold when one of them jumped over the counter while the others blocked SolHi’s way. After that, the one who was on the other side of the counter started to put a lot of packs of cigarettes inside his bag. Not only this, but he also took other „things” he considered necessary, sure that none of them would be forced to pay for it eventually.

Yet, the moment they were ready to go, they measured noses with DooSan, who was entering the supermarket. This got them in trouble because they didn’t expect a man would appear there. They didn’t expect that he’d protect the cashier because they suddenly noticed DooSan’s sour face while staring at SolHi. Then, all the kids burst into laughter again when one of them said in mockery, „What do we have here? One leg stork?!”

The „stork” was undoubtedly about DooSan, who was supporting himself only in one crutch, after finally getting rid of the cast. A joke he would have laughed at if he had been among friends, but still one that made him cook his nose, hearing this coming from some „snotty boys.” Yet, instead of wasting his time scolding them for the joke, he smiled and told them, „If I were you, I would listen to what the „stork” says and leave everything I got for free here. Or… I will pay for it. Otherwise, the Nuna over there will take care to break you into pieces, worse than a mad dog.”

„What about keeping your mouth shut?” The boss of the gang said through his teeth.

„If you say so,” replied DooSan drily. After that, he moved aside, leaving the kids to get out of the supermarket. Then, sweetly yawning, he looked at SolHi, who was madly looking at him, and told her, „Will you let them go? Unpunished?”

SolHi, who was mad more because he appeared there than because she’d been stripped of things, suddenly hissed through her teeth, „If you don’t want to pay for what they’ve done, I suggest you keep your mouth shut.” After that, slamming the wet cloth on her arm, she passed by him. Yet, before leaving the supermarket, she demanded DooSan, without watching him, „Watch this place, stork! And, if something vanishes from here, I swear I’ll try this lethal weapon on your back too!”

Hearing such big words from her mouth, DooSan smiled. Then, approaching the door, he saw SolHi turning right at the next corner where the same bunch of kids turned too. „Someone will pay for the broken plates for sure,” he cheerfully murmured. After that, he approached one chair and sat on it because… maybe he was a stork, but he wasn’t for sure a stork used to staying too long on one single leg.

***

Coming out of the supermarket, SolHi turned right and walked a few meters until she got to the corner. There, she turned once again right, getting into a narrow and badly lit street. Getting there, she didn’t advance right away but stopped and carefully listened to the argument of the kids, who couldn’t share the goods they had taken from the supermarket.

„Give me a cigarette too,” a midget told another one, who was barely getting at 1.5 meters in height, but who was thinking he was mature enough to hold a cigarette between his fingers.

„You weren’t smoking, were you?” The second midget asked the first one.

„Yeah, I wasn’t smoking! Yet, once it’s for free, why not try it too?!” The first midget replied. Then, with a shaking hand, although he tried to seem mature and confident in himself, he took the cigarette from his friend’s hand. Yet, he couldn’t grab it with his lips eventually because of a stone thrown from nowhere, which hit his elbow, forcing him to drop it.

Because of the same stone, the midget screamed blue murder. He even bent in front a little, gnashing his teeth. Then, when he’d been able to control himself, he glared toward the corner of the street where he saw SolHi approaching them slowly while playing with the wet cloth, which she was slamming over her palm. And, smiling, SolHi asked them in mockery, „Hei, guys, what about playing a new game, huh?”

„Bi…ch,” the midget hissed through his teeth. „If you looked for the devil by coming here, you found him for sure,” he furiously added, scratching his arm when he felt itches all over it.

„If you say so,” SolHi drily replied. „Yet, midget, you know… bitches have sharp fangs sometimes. Who knows?! Maybe after that thrown stone, which injured your elbow, you can also feel some fangs stubbed into your butt.”

Hearing SolHi talking like that, the boss of the gang laughed. Then he stood up, throwing the cigarette he smoked only half, which he extinguished with his sole eventually. And, staring at SolHi, he weirdly grinned when he told her, „You might be right, but you still forget something: bitches can be trained. Otherwise, they were born for nothing.”

It was SolHi’s turn to burst into laughter. Yet, she didn’t laugh for long but frowned when she saw that the individual spat to the side with contempt, glancing at her from time to time. After that, squeezing the cloth in her hand while looking around to make sure no witness was there, she told him, „I didn’t know that dogs weren’t allowed to appear in this world. Or the women. Is this something prohibited and I haven’t been informed about this?”

„Well, it isn’t prohibited,” the boss philosophically replied. „Yet, having no brain might be a problem.” Then, grinning like an idiot, he headed toward SolHi, stretching his arms and neck, convinced that he would teach the „bitch” some manners for daring to bother them.

Yet, the lesson planned for her had been learned by him because, right after he got two steps from SolHi and he’d been ready to hit her, he felt the first sharp bite of the wet cloth on his chest. That hit hurt like hell. Then, other powerful hits were felt on his arms, belly, face, and neck.

Not only did he suffer that night. The same happened to his fellows because, the moment they saw their boss in problems, they didn’t run away to save themselves but pounced on SolHi. A bad idea was this one because they hadn’t expected that a woman could fight so well. And, before they’d been able to realize what was going on, SolHi forced them to stay on their knees, with their palms touching the back of their heads, and murmuring, „We promise we won’t ever do that again!”

In that position, the police found them soon after this, something SolHi didn’t appreciate at all. Even if she knew that DooSan did that to help her, she was furious with him. That’s why, the moment she could control herself, she hissed through her teeth while they were heading home already, „Was it absolutely necessary to call the police?”

„Why not?” DooSan calmly replied, sweetly yawning. „What comes around goes around, right?”

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„They are kids, DooSan,” she growled, moving the bag with the things she „confiscated” from the kids from one hand to another - her payment for her „hard work” because she’d been fired the same night.

Hearing her talking like that, DooSan stopped. Then, slowly turning toward her, he watched her for a while. Yet, seeing that SolHi stared into his eyes and was about to teach him some manners for poking his nose in her business that night, he started to walk again, saying, „Let’s just say that this way I have had my revenge for having been called „one leg stork.” I didn’t like this.”

„And, because you disliked being insulted by a bunch of kids, you took care I’d be fired, right? Without receiving my money because… this is only a small part the owner owed me,” she feistily told him.

„You can go there tomorrow and ask for the rest.”

„After the circus organized by you by calling the police? Yeah, right! I doubt I’ll receive something from him. I will only be mocked because, if he tells others that the detective has been robbed by a bunch of kids, I’ll be considered the clown of the Police Station forever.”

„You shouldn’t have left them to go then. With the prey, I mean.”

„I wouldn’t have done this if a certain stork in one leg hadn’t appeared there.”

„Now it’s my fault?!”

„Whose fault if not yours then? Mine?!”

„Yeah,” DooSan confidently replied. „Why? Simple because you aren’t capable of setting your priorities well. Especially, what the hell were you doing in that supermarket?”

„Working?”

„Yeah, yeah, I was thinking that you just entered to buy some meat and you decided to be the Good Samaritan watching the back of six kids while they were stealing from there.”

Such words made SolHi growl. „The smart idiot was here and I was looking for him everywhere,” she said eventually, passing by him.

She stopped eventually when DooSan grabbed her by the arm. Then, slowly bending over her, he told her, smiling, „The part-time jobs are good only when they are related to your profession, sweetie! So, next time you need extra cash, tell me. I can find you something related to your work.”

„Like that part-time job, which I did in the hospital? Your personal nurse?”

„You at least have had some satisfaction by doing that and not running after a bunch of kids to take your payment… this bag with nothing,” DooSan hissed through his teeth, moving away.

„Satisfaction my a…,” SolHi growled. „I would rather turn myself into a beggar than call satisfaction having taken care of you. I’d rather call them headaches and not satisfaction.”

„At least, this headache has a pretty face,” said DooSan, smiling.

SolHi frowned instead. „If this was about you, I inform you that you are wrong, darling. Why? Because… neither you are a pretty face nor you are so „sweet” as you try to seem. Just the wolf in the skin of the lamb.” DooSan cooked his nose. „No, no, no, don’t look at me like that, playing the innocent guy. I know what I say. Or what, will you deny that not because of you I spend hundreds of won every day on meat and other things you swallow without at least chewing them?”

„You are exaggerating now. I’m not a bottomless bag. I just… eat a little more.”

Because of his words and „innocence,” SolHi burst into laughter. Her crystalline laughter, from her heart, warmed the man inside, making him feel so good seeing that she was happy. Yet, he right away erased that smile of satisfaction off his face when SolHi suddenly stopped laughing and stared at him, telling him through her teeth, „You aren’t just eating a little more, darling, but swallowing the food like the wolf from the story - cluck, cluck, and there is nothing. Or what, have you already forgotten everything you ate a few nights ago? Right from off the grill, by the way. You didn’t even share with others, not talking about the fact I couldn’t even taste that meat.”

She suddenly pulled back the moment DooSan took a step toward her and then slowly bent over her as though trying to steal a kiss from her. This movement made SolHi bend back, hiccupping in the end when she asked, „What now?”

„Nothing! I was just thinking about that „darling,” which you said twice tonight. Is this a hint or something?”

„A hint? For what?” She stuttered.

„What do I know?! It might be a hint or maybe an… invitation. To something more?”

„Ia,” SolHi shouted, pushing him away from her. „Don’t go overboard, DooSan! I don’t hide anything behind the words I say. It was only a random word, ironically spoken, by the way. And… if you didn’t spot the irony in my voice, it’s your problem.”

DooSan laughed. „You are confusing even yourself with such an explanation, sweetie. Yet, be as you wish: if you don’t want to accept that the „darling” was spoken romantically, it’s up to you.” After that, DooSan turned his back to her and, smiling, he headed home. „Anyway, sooner or later, I’ll find out the hidden meaning of your words. Then…”

Feeling that SolHi wasn’t following him, DooSan stopped. And, looking back, he saw her stopped in front of the motel in front of which they passed by. A random motel in DooSan’s opinion, but a special one in SolHi’s, who knew that place very well.

She knew that place not because she would have spent a lot of time there but because she had seen it so many times before on her way home. It was when she found out that it was a special place, where clients with a low budget could spend a night. A motel where couples weren’t accepted, especially not for a few hours or a single night. And, even if that motel wasn’t that profitable, the owner never changed the rules, aware that „It’s so quiet,” as SolHi suddenly murmured, as though whispering the owner’s thoughts.

„What exactly?” DooSan asked, approaching her.

„Nothing. I was just thinking how quiet can be here, especially during the night,” SolHi murmured, confused, because she didn’t want to tell DooSan that she would have preferred silence instead of the mad life she lived at that moment. Then, quickening her pace, SolHi passed by DooSan and headed home, taking that desire to live the silence and the thoughts about another life, one with no worry in it, with her.

***

A few days after the event with the supermarket, SolHi found another part-time job. She found it by pure chance while returning from the hospital where she interrogated Kim Ha Na, who finally awoke after many weeks spent in a coma. Thus, satisfied that she had been able to gather evidence against Park Yu Ra and Gu SilGi, SolHi decided to walk all the way to the Prosecution and have some time only for her. A very good thought was this one because, while slowly walking on the streets, enjoying the beautiful weather, she received a flier on which was written in big letters, „Part-time job. Daily presence is not necessary.”

„The perfect job for me,” said SolHi, smiling, happy that she finally could find the golden goose. Yet, she understood right away that not even the mouse in the trap receives cheese for free. The same happened to her because the „ideal job” was a damn difficult one - carrying big heavy boxes, which often led to injuries among the illegal workers, „injuries” that weren’t ever reported because none of the workers afforded such a luxury - to lose his job.

SolHi afforded such a luxury though because she couldn’t just stay and watch how others were making fun of good people. That’s why, right after the first day working there, she „complained” about this job to Kan, and the detective, who was the kind of person unable to keep his mouth shut, told Yu. After Yu, DooSan found out, blazing everything around because he considered SolH’s new „job” damn risky. He even yelled at her at one point, „How the hell could you venture into such places without being sure you’ll return home safely?”

„Can you not yell?” SolHi furiously told him. „I only found another job, not killed someone.”

„Something you could have told me too.”

„For what? To yell at me as you are doing now?”

„No! To help you find something more decent. A not dangerous job for you.”

„Maybe, but… if I hadn’t done this, working behind your back as you suggested, I wouldn’t have ever found out what all those poor people experience. So, instead of scolding me for something unimportant, you should think better and make up a good plan to get rid of that place.”

DooSan came up with a plan soon after this because, the second day after SolHi had told them about that place, they appeared there to spy on it and catch the bosses red-handed. Yet, even if they got there right in the morning, they understood that they couldn’t arrest anybody without evidence because by only accusing the boss of yelling at his workers, they didn’t have a solid case. A boss who was yelling at that moment too, staying right in front of the warehouse and yelling at one worker, who dropped a box, and the clothes, all well-wrapped in cellophane, spread all over. Even so, that idiot told the worker that he was stupid and didn’t know how to work. He even hit that man, but DooSan still considered all this not enough evidence.

What DooSan could do when he saw the boss’s behavior and how he treated the workers was to glare at SolHi, growling like the dog at the cat, „How did you say you found out about this piece of Heaven? While wandering the streets and trying to understand what life means?”

„Are you making fun of me right now?” SolHi snapped at him.

„Not at all. I was just calling things by their real name.”

„Something you could have only thought about and not growled at me because… nobody is eager to hear your opinion, Prosecutor Han,” SolHi told him, letting him know that such commentaries were pissing her off and who could have paid for everything could have been him eventually.

DooSan didn’t calm down after this though because he couldn’t understand her for sure. Especially, he couldn’t understand how SolHi could get into problems, more often lately. „As though she’s looking for them,” he thought. Then, he widened his eyes when he heard SolHi telling Yoon Suk, after giving him a small wooden box:

„This is yours, dear husband!”

„Husband?” DooSan hissed right into her left ear. „Did we lose an important event about you two?”

„Yep, the aliens’attack over Planet Earth,” SolHi harshly replied. Then, seeing DooSan’s sparkling eyes because of anger, she changed the tone of her voice, calmly saying this time, „Just a camouflage. Or what, stork, will you enter that warehouse along with me to look for evidence?”

„Of course not! I’m not stupid to kill myself carrying heavy boxes. I leave such honor for the working class.”

„If the „working class was about me,” you should know then that…”

„What about keeping your mouth shut? Both of you,” Kan told them off. „We are trying to work here and not to hear your argument. So, if you don’t have the same intention, you’ll do all of us a favor if you leave!”

Kan’s scolding voice finally ended DooSan and SolHi’s madness, making them keep their mouths shut. After that, they focused on their work, the same as Yoon Suk, who took from SolHi’s box a pair of mustache and a wig, struggling with it to put it on and camouflage himself. He even needed SolHi’s help at one point, something that made DooSan nervously move in the back seat, feeling jealousy killing him inside.

Having no other choice than calming down, DooSan deeply breathed in. Especially, he did that when he spotted Kan and Yu, who were also in the back seat, squinting at him, finding his reaction damn interesting. Because of this and because he didn’t want to explain things, DooSan cleared his voice and looked through the window from his right, something that made Yu and Kan exchange glances, and then smile. They did that discreetly because none of them was eager to win an enemy in the Prosecutor’s person for „indiscreet behavior,” even if some spicy words spun on the top of their tongs, something they decided to leave for later when the moment would have been the right one for jokes.

Saying nothing had been the best decision, in fact. Not even after SolHi and Yoon Suk stepped out of the car and headed toward the warehouse they didn’t say anything. Yet, as Kan was that kind of anxious person, who couldn’t keep his mouth shut for long, he suddenly approached DooSan, whispering into his ear, „Prosecutor Han, can we also know why exactly Detective Ian looks for part-time jobs when you two live together and she shouldn’t have needed more money?”

Yu replied instead of DooSan, yelling into Kan’s left ear, „What? Detective Ian and Prosecutor Kan live together?”

The inspector had to keep his mouth shut eventually, seeing Kan squinting at him. Kan even reproachfully shook his head when he said, „What about not yelling into my ear? I don’t want to go deaf. And… stop playing this role of the stupid one when you know very well what’s going on here. We saw them together a few days ago.”

„And… May I know where exactly you saw us?” DooSan asked, folding his arms.

„In the Prosecution Parking Lot. How to say it to sound nice?! You looked too sweet to be simple colleagues,” replied Kan, grinning. „And, if you didn’t intend to give yourself away, you shouldn’t have come to the office together.”

„As though we can hide something from you,” DooSan drily replied. After that, he opened a bottle of water. Yet, before drinking some, he told them, „Anyway, you didn’t discover the Americas because yes, SolHi and I live together. Just live, nothing more. Each of us has his own money. More than this, if SolHi decided to work extra time, it was behind my back because… she never asks me such things. Not about things related to her personal life.”

He right away coughed the water he drank, hearing Kan’s question, „Maybe she’s not asking you things because she considers you an Alfonse, huh?”

„What? An Alfonse?” DooSan yelled, eyes wide open.

„Yes! I think it’s what others call those who love to live at a woman’s expense,” Kan kept teasing him.

„Ia, Detective Kan, you offend me now! What? At a woman’s expense? When did I do that? I just…”

„Who pays the rent?” Kan suddenly asked.

„Well… SolHi!”

„Who pays for the food… you or Detective Ian?”

„Sol…Hi?! I think…!”

„It’s a decided thing then… you are an Alfonse, Prosecutor Han! And now… let’s focus on our things! Your personal life is only yours,” added Yu in a joke. After that, he smiled when he clearly saw DooSan’s sour face, who didn’t taste the joke at all. Then, Yu looked at Kan, who was staring through the window from his left at SolHi and Yoon Suk, who exited the warehouse to take other heavy boxes to carry them inside the warehouse.

***

„They are damn heavy,” murmured Yoon Suk the moment he and SolHi tried to put two heavy boxes on one of the shelves. „You can break some bones working like that,” he added in a feisty tone this time. „And, honestly, you are the only one capable of finding such jobs, sombe!”

„What about keeping your mouth shut?” SolHi told him off. „I have no intention to be caught red-handed. So, meanwhile, I’m your wife, not sombe.”

„Yeah, I also know that. Yet, I can’t really understand how you could work here for days in such conditions!”

„Not for days, but only one day. And… maybe these are unhealthy working conditions for you but not for others. Other people can earn money only by working in such places. So, stop complaining and work because…”

„Hei, you two,” the supervisor yelled at them, seeing them so close. He even ran to approach them, still yelling, „Did you come here to work or rest? That’s why you are whispering to each other, huh?”

The supervisor’s yell made Yoon Suk bend his head, humble. Then, in a whispering voice, he said, „I was just telling my wife to be careful because these boxes are too heavy and she can break her back.” Yet, even if he seemed humble, the young detective badly wanted to punch the supervisor just to make that one stop yelling at them for nothing.

He kept silent though at SolHi’s command, who elbowed him. She did well because Yoon Suk’s „daring” to reply to the supervisor enraged that one, who yelled again, „If it’s that hard for her to work here, she can find another job. Nobody asked her to come here. She came alone. So, once she’s here, she has to work not talk. And now… turn back to work!”

„Yes, boss!” Murmured SolHi, slowly bowing her head. Then, pushing Yoon Suk from behind when she felt that he was about to punch the idiot in front of them, she made him head toward the door.

Yoon Suk obeyed her command, but he wasn’t at all calm because he suddenly told SolHi, „I want so badly to pay this one back, as he deserves.”

„You aren’t the only one who wants this. Yet, it’s not the right time. Now, let’s go because the ogre keeps an eye on us,” she replied, pointing toward the warehouse door where the supervisor was.

Halfway toward the door while the two of them were carrying a big heavy box, they stopped when they saw that one of the workers knelt, complaining of back pain. That one, not being able to keep the box on his shoulder, dropped it on his right hand first, which he had used to support himself on the floor. Thus, when the heavy box also hit his back, he yelled while the clothes from the box spread all over around him.

Not only did Yoon Suk and SolHi see that but all the workers did. Yet, none of them approached the injured one, except for an old man. This one asked the injured one if he was fine, right after being next to him and trying to help him stand up.

„No, sombe,” the injured one replied. „I think I broke something. It hurts like hell. Especially the back.”

„I believe you. Yet, bear up a little. I’ll call someone to see you. At least, I have to tell the supervisor to call someone.” Yet, even if the old man approached the supervisor and told that one what happened, the supervisor didn’t want to even listen to him, less to call someone. He just yelled at the old man to turn back to work if he wanted to receive his payment at the end of the day.

The rude behavior of the supervisor drove Yoon Suk crazy. That’s why he asked SolHi, after they left the box on the shelf, „Are you filming?”

„Since we entered this place. Why are you asking me this?”

„To make sure my play won’t be easily forgotten.”

SolHi frowned. „What the hell are you planning this time?”

„You’ll see and… ah, I didn’t want to get here. Yet, it’s necessary. Just as it’s necessary to show me today what a good actress you can be.”

„Actress? Ia, Yoon Suk, what the…?” She swallowed hard eventually when she saw Yoon Suk jumping in front of the forklift.

The forklift didn’t hit Yoon Suk eventually because of the driver, an experienced man. This one, seeing Yoon Suk jumping in front of the vehicle, suddenly pulled the wheel to the right, trying to avoid him. Thus, because of the sudden move, the boxes that were on the forklift fell, and one of them hit Yoon Suk’s back, knocking him down. This happened because he didn’t have time to jump to the side again. And, while falling, he managed to injure his shoulder and bump his head when touching the floor, something that made him gnash his teeth eventually.

His reckless decision made SolHi frown and growl, „I’ll let you know what it means to be reckless after this.” Then, understanding why Yoon Suk did what he did, she approached her „husband,” yelling at the four winds for someone to call the ambulance because she didn’t want to be a widow before time.

Her cry, heard by those from the car too, made them exchange glances at first. Then, understanding that something damn serious happened in that warehouse, they jumped outside the car, and Kan demanded on the radio for everybody to be in position and enter the damn warehouse.

Meanwhile, SolHi was forced to continue playing her role. Even so, at one point when she touched Yoon Suk’s shoulder, pretending to be so powerless because of the cry, she asked him, „Are you okay?”

„Yes,” he whispered. „I only sprained my shoulder.”

„You’ll live then! Meanwhile, play the dead one,” she asked him the moment she saw the supervisor entering the warehouse and yelling at the workers to return to their places.

She’d been even forced to push Yoon Suk’s head toward the floor when she saw him intending to stay on an elbow. Thus, because of the force she used, he bumped his head again. Yet, he didn’t have time to complain because of the hustle and bustle that sparkled soon after this when the masked agents, led by DooSan, entered that place.

At all impressed by that madness, and not to allow anybody to leave that place on the sly too, SolHi started to cry even louder just to make sure all the eyes would be on her. And, judging by her cry, it seemed that she was really about to lose her beloved man. A reaction that made DooSan stare at her at one point because he’d never believed that she was able to play such a cheap play.

***

„I knew I was working with two idiots, but I hadn’t ever expected to see such a bad play,” Kan mumbled while he, SolHi, and DooSan were looking toward the ambulance where the paramedics climbed the stretcher on which Yoon Suk was.

Eventually, Kan looked at SolHi when she turned her back to them, saying no word. Then, understanding that it was useless to talk to the walls, Kan reproachfully shook his head and moved away from DooSan. He did that because it was also the time to check if the others were doing their job well.

Yet, a few meters from DooSan, poor Kan winced and looked in amazement behind him when he heard DooSan screaming, „SolHi, wait!” Thus, Kan saw SolHi on the floor, unconscious while DooSan was running as he could toward her.