I’m Obsessed With the Suspect - Chapter 2

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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2

A few days before Cheong-a started working at Boksan University Hospital.

Bang! The door to the violent crimes unit burst open with a loud sound.

−Good morning, what a beautiful morning!

A booming voice echoed throughout the office.

All eyes in the office turned to Cheong-a, who had entered wearing work boots and opened the door.

She walked in cheerfully with her arms linked with the big guys on either side. Each of her wrists had handcuffs connecting her to the men.

The team members’ faces immediately scrunched up at the sight.

Though the guys on either side were the criminals, it was Inspector Kim Chung-a who had brought them in that looked worse.

Her hair was greasy, looking like it hadn’t been washed in days. Her shabby hoodie looked so dirty that dust would fly if you hit it. Heat packs with shriveled edges were stuck all over her ankles.

−What the hell. Is she a beggar?

−And why does she have handcuffs on both hands? Did you get arrested?

Team Leader Jeon Hong-nam, sitting at the head of the office, squeezed his eyes shut, while Sergeant Oh Sung-min at the central table clicked his tongue and shook his head.

Anyone could see they were holding back harsh words inside.

Cheong-a didn’t seem to care and grinned so wide you could see the cave of her mouth.

−Senior. I told you I didn’t help this bastard quit drugs.

−…You’re sure about the evidence, right? You didn’t just drag innocent kids here?

Team Leader Jeon Hong-nam interjected with an anxious voice, looking suspicious of Cheong-a’s confident expression.

−Ah, Team Leader. I got it all on video – them exchanging white bags for money and even sampling. I collected all the drug bags with fingerprints too.

At her explanation, all members of Violent Crimes Team 2 crowded around the central table.

Their gazes focused on the guy with silver bracelets on Cheong-a’s right, then shifted to the guy on the left who received the bag.

Finally, their eyes settled on Cheong-a.

−But, ahem. Did these guys switch the drugs?

−I was wondering if it’s really Cheongwha Faction stuff. How did you know?

−Hmm, hmm. It smells funky.

−Ah, the smell…?

Cheong-a alternately raised her arms and sniffed.

Each time, the forearms of the criminals handcuffed to her sides jerked up and down.

−Ah shit, senior. I think the smell is coming from me. I was staking out in Wanggil-dong.

−Wanggil-dong?

−You know, there. The garbage landfill.

Instantly, “Ugh!” sounds poured out from the team members.

They each grabbed their foreheads or covered their noses and quickly stepped back from Cheong-a.

−Hey you bastard, go wash up right now!

−Yes. I’ll be back. Please take good care of these guys.

When Cheong-a spun around, the two criminals handcuffed to her also frantically turned in a big circle following her. Cheong-a then looked at Inspector Park Inkyu with a troubled expression.

−Hyung, please uncuff me…

−…

Team Leader Jeon Hong-nam trembled as he watched her disappear into the duty room to wash up.

−Ugh. That terrible thing. How did she manage 3 days in that smelly place…

No one argued with that statement.

Only the two arrested criminals quietly nodded in agreement.

Cheong-a returned to the office quite some time later, toweling her hair dry.

Having thrown off her dusty, grimy clothes, she was now wearing dark pants and a comfortable t-shirt.

Her wet hair swayed as she strode with long legs despite her not-small height.

Though she didn’t have large, refreshing eyes, her small face had eyes, nose, and mouth arranged quite neatly together.

The resolute expression on her makeup-free, rosy face had a charm that caught people’s attention.

Sergeant Park Inkyu also found himself following her with his gaze for quite a while without realizing it.

However, Cheong-a was unaware of this fact. Or pretended not to know.

Cheong-a quickly looked around the empty office. It was because the drug dealers she had worked so hard to catch were nowhere to be seen.

−What? Senior. Where did the kids go?

−Kids my ass. We put them in holding. The evidence is too solid. Upload the video file by the end of today.

Cheong-a answered “Yes” and made herself a cup of instant coffee.

Taking a seat at the central table in the office, she pulled out her notebook and flipped through it.

−But Team Leader, I tracked their movements before raiding their scene, you know? For months, the only places their paths overlapped were Boksan University Hospital and that landfill.

−Boksan University Hospital?

A moment of silence fell over the office. Team Leader Jeon, frowning deeply, spun his chair around to face Inkyu.

−Hey, Jang Yunhu who got caught last month. Didn’t he go there too? He applied for leave saying he was getting medical treatment.

−That’s right. What was it, gastroenterology?

Cheong-a’s eyes widened as she responded to Inkyu’s words.

−Oh, hyung! These guys also got gastroenterology treatment. That’s suspicious! Is there really something there?

Then Oh Sung-min crossed his arms and let out a deep sigh.

−This is troublesome. Of all places, it’s a hospital.

It was clearly suspicious that something was there, but they couldn’t tell what that something was.

Finding out such things usually required time.

However, medical facilities generally didn’t welcome the permanent presence of investigative personnel. This was especially true for violent crimes detectives whose default appearance made it hard to distinguish who was on their side when mixed with criminals.

In the eyes of medical staff, detectives were nothing but harmful.

They were of no help whatsoever to patients who needed peace of mind and body.

−Boksan University Hospital is more particular than other places. They kick you out to wait outside if you don’t have a warrant.

−Maybe that’s because you seniors look scary.

At Cheong-a’s pointed response, the Team 2 members’ gazes turned toward each other. They looked over each other’s fierce faces, clicked their tongues, and shook their heads.

−…Sigh.

Sighs accumulated in the Violent Crimes Team 2 office.

A moment later, Team Leader Jeon Hong-nam’s face lit up as he looked at Cheong-a and snapped his fingers.

−The point is we just need someone who doesn’t look scary, right?

−Huh?

−Not ‘huh,’ look at her. That kid who doesn’t look scary.

Three pairs of eyes turned toward where Hong-nam’s finger pointed. Cheong-a, sitting at the table, looked around at the gazes focused on her.

−…Me?

She closed her notebook with a look of disbelief and gripped both ends of the towel around her neck tightly.

−If we put this one in the hospital, it should work, right?

At Jeon Hong-nam’s question,

−Wow, Team Leader. That’s perfect.

Everyone on the team except Cheong-a nodded their heads.

−Come on, no matter how good I am at surveillance, a hospital is a bit…

−Exactly. Not surveillance, you need to get a job there.

−A job? Is there work I can do at a hospital?

The answer to that question could be confirmed a few days later.

「Cleaning Power Clean: Ms. Park Bokseon, you have been finally accepted for the environmental staff recruitment at Boksan University Hospital. Please visit the basement 1st floor office with the required documents according to the training schedule below.」

A few days later, a job ‘acceptance’ text for a position she had never applied for arrived on Cheong-a’s phone.

−What is this, Team Leader?

Cheong-a waved her phone screen in front of Team Leader Jeon Hong-nam. Behind her forced smile lurked fierce anger.

Ha. Ha. Ha, ha – Hong-nam laughed along with her laughter.

−Still, that’s going too far. Park Bokseon, how tacky. Park Bok? Park Bok? You should have made it Park Dabok-seon instead.

Then Inkyu quietly approached and whispered in a low voice behind her.

−Hey, that’s my sister’s name that we borrowed after begging her for this undercover investigation.

−Oops.

Cheong-a’s lips trembled.

−Now that I think about it, it’s quite a, quite an affectionate name! I’ll take good care of sister Bokseon!

−Oh, right. Fighting.

Leaving behind the dejected Cheong-a, Hong-nam nodded with a good-natured smile.

−Please take care of things, Bokson. We harmless-looking folks will keep the office running smoothly.

***

Splash, splash.

Cheong-a vigorously scrubbed with the mop while recalling the events from a few days ago.

The floor gleamed with a glossy shine. And in stark contrast, her own disheveled appearance was reflected there.

“…Ugh, this is killing me.”

She lifted her head to look toward the end of the corridor. The corridor she had yet to finish cleaning stretched endlessly to the far end.

When she first reported to the office and submitted her documents, there was nothing special about it.

The orientation ended with just showing her how to punch the time clock and where the cleaning supplies were kept.

Right after that, she was immediately assigned a cleaning area.

It was the 5th floor of the hospital, the section with the gastroenterology professors’ research offices and endoscopy rooms.

‘Wow. Why am I so lucky?’

That’s what she thought at first. She would be able to observe the most suspicious gastroenterology professors right under her nose.

However, it didn’t take long for her to realize that this was a misconception.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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