“Daehwan. Come with me tonight.” Chief leans his arm to Daehwan’s desk when he’s about to sit down a few seconds after coming back from outside.

“What for?”

“Tsk. Just come along with me, don’t ask anything.” He said, patting Daehwan's back with puckered lips. He doesn't get suspicious because Chief Park would usually invite Daehwan for some drinks after work, so he just follows along because he feels like he needs it too.

“Okay.” He agrees.

“Oh, change your jacket. You smell.” The Chief wafts his nose while walking away. Just a few people in the room, guess they can’t hear what the Chief said. If they did, that’d probably also insult everyone there, they’ve been unable to shower for a few days too. There is this case entangling those dutiful civil servants that they need to gather focus on it and put aside everything unnecessary, bathing is also one of it.

But he sniffs his clothes and wonders where the smell came from, cause he doesn’t smell anything. Little less he knows, humans can't smell their own odor, but other humans can.

***

A woman in a light brown autumn coat, crossing her legs sitting on the couch in the lounge room of the restaurant. As the waitress informs her about their arrival, she throws a glance to the front door and their eyes meet when Daehwan walks into the restaurant.

That woman arises from her seat gracefully, brushing her coat. She plods so confidently, approaching Chief Park and Detective Yeon, as she remembers the name. Shaking their hands in order. Once again, Daehwan encounters a face he didn’t expect to be there tonight. After exactly one year, they met again.

“We meet again, Detective Yeon.” That woman greeted him in such an elegant manner.

“Oh right. How have you been doing?” A little bit stuttered, he's astonished by how sharp her memory is to remember someone unimportant like him.

The woman smiles, “Hasn’t it been a while to ask something like that?”

When they’re about to walk inside the reserved room with the waiter, someone comes from behind her. Chief Park already took a seat where he can sightsee to the entrance of the room, meanwhile Daehwan's view was somewhat blocked by a screen panel to the dining table. All he could see from the pixelated images behind it was a tall man, with a nice suit and the appearance of an executive somewhat. That gentleman giggles while having a little conversation with Evelyn like they are familiar with each other, even so she just responds with a  slight smile.

They come into the room too, Chief rises from his chair and welcomes him passionately, bowing and handshaking that man. He’s about to reach Daehwan for a handshake too. Daehwan still has no idea who the man is. He reached out for the hand anyway. Everyone in the room handshakes across each other, including Evelyn and Daehwan.

“Thank you for having your time with me, Mr. Yang.” When the Chief mentioned The Yang family’s name, Daehwan flinched. He now has the slight idea who the man is.

“My sister insisted on tagging along. I hope it’s alright with you, sir.” He explains to the Chief the meaning of her presence.

“No, no, I’m so happy that Miss Evelyn Yang also came along.” Chief Park put on his business smile to them.

“This is Detective Yeon Daehwan. He’s the captain of the subteam from the regional investigation department.” He introduces Daehwan to Evelyn’s brother.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Evelyn’s older brother, Yang Jiyeon."

"You can casually call me Jiyeon. I think I’m younger than you, Mr. Yeon.” He mentions that last part while letting out a little grin that the Chief also responds to it with the same gesture as a sign of politeness.

“No way Sire, I have no right to call you that way.”

Yang Jiyeon and the Chief look at each other, Evelyn smirks. “He’s so serious, right, Chief?” Jiyeon giggled, he's on it with the Chief.

Oh, they’re not being serious. Daehwan thought to himself, he flustered immediately for being fooled by his own awkwardness.

Everyone sits down at the table as Evelyn’s brother orders the servers to prepare the requested meal set. Daehwan keeps looking at Jiyeon making conversation with Chief without him realizing Evelyn was staring at him for a moment. When he’s about to look away, their eyes met again the second time. That got him speechless and forget how to act for a moment. So he just smiles at her rigidly, strange how he doesn't even try to start any conversation as if he realizes there's no portion for him to open up his mouth in this gathering.

Chief and Evelyn’s brother are talking about the donation plan the Yang’s Group is about to send to the police station this year. It’s just a regular donation that doesn’t go to public announcement since few big companies around the Gimpo region would casually donate their money to the local police stations.

“I’m just passing my grandfather’s words, Mr. Park. Please also send his regards to the Chief Inspector.”

“No, no…We’re the one who should be grateful for your company’s kindness, Mr. Yang.”

Once in a while, Chief would start a conversation with Evelyn asking about how she's doing after one year living in the country where she’s never been. She just politely answered him short just as Daehwan kept nodding, saying yes here and there as if they mention his name in any conversation.

The Chief keeps pouring them drinks. Of course, as he’s the oldest in the room nobody can’t refuse the offer. Even though Jiyeon has the highest status among everyone, he’s still powerless against the age hierarchy.

“Time goes by so fast, Chief Park.” Jiyeon politely gave a sign to end the meeting.

Chief looked at his watch with a reddish face. Seems like everyone in the room is going tipsy. If it’s his department dinner, the Chief would usually invite everyone for the second or even third round. This much is what can be called as he is holding himself right now. They are dismissed from the table when Daehwan starts to lift Chief’s body who’s swaying to his side while trying to stand up from his chair.

Everyone walks out from the room and goes to the front parking lot. Before Daehwan excuses himself and drags Chief Park along, Jiyeon stops him and takes him into his arms.

“Mr. Yeon, I’ll take Mr. Park home myself. I still have a few things I need to talk about with him on the way there.” Jiyeon puts on a smiling eye to Daehwan.

Under the influence of alcohol, Chief Park who can't even talk clearly just nodded whenever someone is talking about something, while he's held by the waist by the tall broad body of the Vice President Yang.

Since he’s also in one’s cup, Daehwan can’t disagree either. So he lets Chief go to Evelyn’s brother. Yang Jiyeon was satisfied with the submission, but somehow he didn't stop there.

“Instead, could you please send my little sister home?” That request sobers him up immediately.

“But I also…” Before he could finish his sentence, “Don’t worry, you don’t have to drive. I called for a designated driver already. You’re okay with helping me, right?” Jiyeon gives him pleading eyes, which hard to refuse as he’s trying to be polite with their donator.

And so it is, they ended up in Evelyn’s car on the way to her apartment. 

They both took the backseat together, not like Evelyn started any conversation when they got in the car but she became quieter only for Daehwan to feel she's falling asleep when her head falls onto his shoulder. Before, Daehwan woke her up by patting her opposite shoulder lightly, when he checked on her she didn't look so good. Her cheeks were all red and she didn't even flinch when Daehwan touched her arms. Maybe Evelyn started to feel it and had a headache then fell asleep. She appeared to be more drunk than Chief Park, indicating Evelyn is a lightweight that Daehwan needed to support her out of the car when they arrived because it's impossible for her to wake up in this state.

The driver parked the car inside the parking lot and gave the key to Daehwan before excusing himself. Saying that he’s hired and paid by the company already. So once the driver got away, they went to the lift and hit the buttons right to her floor. That naturally he remembered where.

This is all making him uneasy, he's never faced such an experience to take a drunk woman home unless it's his exes. The key pass that was given to him by Jiyeon Yang, who snatched it from his driver's hand is now on him. Before they parted ways, he remembered how Mr. Yang is so trusty to allow someone he just knew to take his sister home.  He's hesitated whether it's a right decision to enter someone's house without their permission. However, looking at Evelyn's condition now the best way is at least getting her secure inside the house rather than being left outside. So he tapped the passcard onto the lock screen beside the door. It opened in three harmonized beeping. Daehwan woke Evelyn up again when the entrance lamp censor turned the lights on.

“Miss, we’ve arrived at your home.”

He called out for her once more checking if she’s already sober. Finally a response with a little humming came out from her. He wants to leave immediately, but then thinking back she won’t be able to walk to the bedroom by herself in that state right now so he initiates to take her there. He still remembers somewhat where it was.

“I’m sorry for the impoliteness. I’ll put you on the bed then go out.” To open the door in another hesitation step, he clicks the door knob very slowly to make sure it makes no sound. He comes what may felt like a thief entering someone’s house.

“Please get rest and sleep well, Miss Evelyn.” 

Daehwan didn't bother to pull the blanket out of it and just put her unconscious body onto the bed slowly, trying to not wake her up.

Before he had time to step away, a sudden yank pulled his hand down the bed. Because of that, he fell to his back easily. A heavy feeling restrained him from getting up and squinting, blinded by the light right above his eyes. In an instant of shocking immobility, a body suddenly sat on top of him. Makes it harder to move.