I’m Obsessed With the Suspect - Chapter 7

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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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7

[Uh….]

Yeonhui paused for a moment at the sudden mention of ‘information manipulation.’ Sometimes Cheong-a’s stories sounded out of the blue like this.

However, this was just conclusions being blurted out without process because her mental calculations were too fast, but when traced back, they had never been illogical.

Sister saw something again.

Making that judgment, Yeonhui immediately responded to Cheong-a’s words.

[I’ll check the log records again. If what I saw before wasn’t wrong, there’s definitely a possibility of manipulation that can’t be ignored.]

“Yeah, yeah. Please do that for me.”

[But sister, this kind of information manipulation is impossible at the Cheongwha Faction’s level. Even though they’re one of Korea’s top *Total Responsibles….]

Cheong-a quickly asked Yeonhui, who was trailing off.

“Would it be possible for other Total Responsibles?”

[Hmm. Are there any Total Responsibles in our country larger than the Cheongwha Faction?]

“Well. It could be that Yamokdang or Beonchahoe are aiming to expand into Korea.”

The names of several drug trafficking organizations that had tried to expand their trading routes to Korea came from Cheong-a’s mouth.

“Or maybe, what about Yongyon Gang?”

The moment that name was uttered, the sound of Yeonhui taking a deep breath came from beyond the receiver.

[Oh my. Sister…. The possibility does go way up, but still, Yongyon Gang is too much. If they’re aiming to expand into Korea, we’re basically poking a wild boar’s side with a single skewer right now, aren’t we?]

At Yeonhui’s words, a groan of a sigh flowed from Cheong-a.

“Exactly. Even I’m a bit scared of those guys.”

***

In front of the hospital cafeteria’s dish return area.

Cheong-a, who had received tanghulu, quietly looked down at it.

“Ma’am. Is the skewer too small? I’ll give you one more.”

Every Friday was the hospital cafeteria’s ‘No Leftovers Day’ event. The cooks smiled brightly and handed another skewer to Cheong-a, who had cleaned her tray more thoroughly than anyone else.

Cheong-a held tanghulu skewers in both hands and let out a deep sigh.

Of all things, tanghulu skewers.

Looking at them naturally brought back the conversation she had with Yeonhui a few days ago.

Yongyon Gang.

They were a very large drug trafficking organization based on Filipino Chinese networks.

When Cheong-a was working at headquarters, she had been assigned to monitor key Yongyon Gang figures who had visited Korea.

However, compared to the fuss and full preparations they had made, their movements were nothing special.

From the first day of entry, they visited Gyeongbokgung and Namsan Tower, the next day they excitedly rode attractions at Lotte World, and then they went on a PC cafe tour….

On the surface, it was just a simple tourist itinerary with no problems whatsoever.

But had they really visited ‘without incident’?

Their movements were clean, but an indelible uneasiness remained.

Cheong-a had requested additional investigation proposals from Inspector Jung Tae-bong, who was the team leader of the narcotics unit at the time.

−It’s an ambiguous case to mess with. If we dig too deep, we’ll be in trouble too. If we go one step further from here, we’ll have to report to the National Intelligence Service. Let’s not make a big deal out of nothing.

She was flatly rejected like that.

So even now, it was impossible to know whether Yongyon Gang’s movements had been groundwork for targeting expansion into Korea or not.

‘What if it’s really Yongyon Gang?’

If it was really them who had manipulated Min Yoo-shin’s information, it would be a big problem.

−Sister, that’s like going to poke a wild boar’s side with a single skewer.

Cheong-a stared blankly at the tanghulu in both hands and sighed again.

She had once been in charge of overall information analysis for the drug investigation task force at headquarters, handling core information. But now she had become someone who was digging into drug dealers’ backs with just a skewer like this.

Cheong-a swished the tanghulu skewers around.

‘Could I stop Yongyon Gang with something like this? …Would it work?’

It was at the moment when the corners of her mouth were rising at the absurd thought.

She must have been so absorbed in thought that she lost her mind for a moment.

Along with the feeling of the swinging skewer tip stabbing into something with a thud, a short scream of “Ugh!” rang out.

“…Huh?”

Wait, hold on.

Did I just hit something?!

Sure enough, the skewer she had been swinging was stuck in someone’s back.

The broad back with the tanghulu stuck in it was trembling. The red fruits coated in sugar shook along with that movement.

Unfortunately, Cheong-a felt a strange familiarity from that back.

And the owner of the back with the skewer stuck in it turned around.

The scene of the white coat fluttering as he turned seemed like slow motion.

As expected, it was Min Yoo-shin who had turned around.

He slowly pulled down his mask with a completely crumpled expression and made eye contact with Cheong-a. Then his slowly lowered head confirmed the fruit skewer stuck in his back through his coat.

Yushin looked at Cheong-a again with an even more crumpled face.

“…Are you insane?”

Cheong-a only trembled at the corners of her mouth.

“Wow…. Ah. No? Wahahahaha. Oh. Why is this here… stuck? …It’s not tofu but it went in so, smoothly….”

Why was it?

Why did she keep spouting such nonsense whenever she saw Min Yoo-shin?

She couldn’t understand the reason herself.

“Wasn’t the mop enough? This thing is stabbing people front and back, what the….”

Cheong-a waved both hands vigorously, saying “Ahhh. No! That can’t be!”

Yushin bit his lips tightly as if his back hurt.

She could see his Adam’s apple moving up and down several times.

At Yushin’s fierce gaze looking down at her, Cheong-a unconsciously hesitated and stepped backward.

One step,

And another step.

“I’m really, really sorry!”

She left the tanghulu skewer still stuck in his back and hurriedly ran away.

***

This was already the second time she had committed assault terrorism on Min Yoo-shin.

Because of this, Cheong-a was suffering from quite serious aftereffects.

“Oh. What should I do.”

Her steps pushing the handcart full of cleaning supplies came to a complete stop. And she stared down at her hands.

The feeling of the skewer stabbing into Min Yoo-shin’s back with a thud during yesterday’s lunch still remained at her fingertips.

Did it really pierce him?

No, does human flesh get pierced that easily?

Really?

No matter how suspicious Min Yoo-shin was, she shouldn’t have stuck a skewer into his back like this.

Especially when she wasn’t even certain he was an enemy yet.

He could be a civilian with no connection to drug dealers whatsoever.

Moreover, if he was actually a person related to Total Responsibles, that would be an even bigger problem.

It was no different from Cheong-a revealing her existence to him herself.

No matter how much she thought about it, no plausible solution came to mind.

She just muttered to herself all day long, “What should I do? Hehe, I’m screwed. What should I do. Huuk. I’m sorry.”

“Huung. What should I do.”

What to do indeed.

Until her mind was organized and a breakthrough solution came to mind, she had no choice but to avoid Min Yoo-shin for a while.

However, even that plan failed before long.

“Sisters, how about the Byeolgwan Cafeteria today? I heard they’re serving special meals there. I’ll buy coffee too!”

Worried that she might run into Yushin, Cheong-a had deliberately made her way to the distant annex building.

But then….

“….”

As soon as she swiped her meal card at the Byeolgwan Cafeteria, what she discovered was the back of Min Yoo-shin’s head as he was eating.

He was someone who stood out far too much.

He was tall, with a small head, an incredibly broad back, and such a distinct neckline… It was impossible not to recognize him even if she tried to pretend she hadn’t seen him.

Cheong-a stood in front of the meal service line holding her tray, contemplating for a long time.

Wouldn’t it be better to just run away now?

But unfortunately, a loud voice rang out, cutting through Cheong-a’s worries.

“Bokseon! What are you doing not getting your rice! We saved you a seat, so come over here!”

The older nurses who had already found seats called out to Bokseon, patting the empty seat they had saved. And at that loud voice, Min Yoo-shin’s shoulders flinched and trembled. She was certain of it.

“Ahaha… haha… Ha. Yes, I’m coming.”

Her mind was in chaos.

Because of this, she ended up putting soup where rice should go and piled up ssamjang like a mountain instead of meat, but she didn’t have the presence of mind to think these things were strange.

To get to the table where the older nurses had claimed seats, she absolutely had to pass by Yushin’s spot. No matter how much she looked around, there was no other way.

Cheong-a bit her lips tightly and took large steps forward.

Let’s just pretend not to know him and pass by. Right. Don’t make eye contact. Hold your breath and stay quiet.

Her steps carrying the tray were unusually careful.

The older nurses, oblivious to Cheong-a’s inner turmoil, smiled brightly and gestured with their hands.

Those gestures seemed like they were giving signals to Yushin, making only Cheong-a’s insides burn with anxiety.

*Total Responsible: Slang or investigative term referring to the head of drug trafficking operations

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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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