Jinhwan had taken her to a place Detective Oh didn’t know. It was an elegant venue, perhaps too much so, given the premise of drinking together to forget their problems.
The interior lighting was soft, with walnut-colored parquet floors and a ceiling adorned with glass sculptures resembling myriad bubbles. The work suit she wore made it clear that she and Jinhwan were colleagues, but it made her feel uncomfortable for another reason. Around her were beautiful women dressed in stylish, branded outfits. She also owned a few designer pieces and would have insisted on being taken home to change if she had known they were coming to such a place.
Jinhwan seemed perfectly at ease, as if he frequented such places regularly.
A young waitress with red hair tied in a high ponytail approached them.
"Good evening, do you have a reservation?" she asked, referring to a booking book with a teal leather cover, matching the sofas.
"Yes, under the name Park Jinhwan," he said, and Detective Oh was surprised to hear those words.
"When did you make the reservation?" she asked, but he avoided answering by giving her a sly smile.
Detective Oh realized that Jinhwan must have been quite certain she would accept his invitation. Perhaps he imagined she would give in eventually, but how did he know it would happen that very day? After all, nothing had transpired between them to suggest a closer relationship, and Detective Oh was confident she had hidden her thoughts and intentions well. It remained a mystery why he had reserved for that evening, despite their decision to go out being made just minutes earlier, and she had never seen him use his phone to message or call anyone.
She decided to investigate later, not wanting to raise too many questions in front of the waitress, who was now flipping through the reservation book with her well-manicured nails. “Park Jinhwan... here it is,” she said. “You reserved a private room, correct?” Jinhwan nodded, and the waitress led them to the back of the establishment, down a long corridor lined with numerous doors. One of the doors was for them. She opened it, revealing a spacious room with sofas along the walls. In the center was a low round table with bottles of champagne, red wine, and white wine, along with various bowls of snacks: kimchi, peanuts, seaweed, and pickled taro root. On the other side of the room was a cabinet with a TV and a couple of microphones. Detective Oh was surprised to discover it was a karaoke room, considering the venue’s luxurious appearance.
As soon as the waitress left, Detective Oh sat on one of the sofas, and Jinhwan sat next to her. "Did you really bring me to a karaoke bar?" she asked, and Jin-Wan chuckled. "Afraid I'll find out you're not much of a singer?"
"What?" she said. "I have the voice of a nightingale!"
Jinhwan laughed again. "I'll have to hear it to believe it!"
Detective Oh retorted, "What makes you think I don't have an amazing voice?"
"If you had such a beautiful voice, you could have easily become an idol, especially since you're such a beautiful woman. I bet you were stunning even as a girl," Jinhwan said with a casualness that made it sound like a simple comment, rather than a potentially significant statement. Detective Oh remained silent, reaching for her glass, but Jinhwan was quicker, picking up the bottle of red wine. He unwrapped the protective foil, removed the cork, and poured her a drink first, filling his own glass afterward.
"You're not someone who takes compliments well, are you?" he asked, though his tone made it clear it wasn't really a question. Detective Oh leaned back against the sofa and crossed her legs. "Usually, when men give compliments, they only want one thing, but that's not what I expect from a colleague."
"Really? So, what do you expect from a colleague?" Jinhwan asked. Detective Oh remained silent for a moment. She brought the glass of wine to her lips, taking a small sip. The wine had a rich, fruity flavor that lingered. She picked up a pair of metal chopsticks and selected a piece of kimchi from the bowl, chewing it thoughtfully. After completing this small ritual, she spoke again.
"I expect you to give me great ideas on how to solve cases, to make me look good as your superior. And most importantly, I expect you to advance in your career. That's what I expect from you, Jinhwan."
"Ah, noona," Jinhwan said, dropping the formalities of their professional relationship. "Maybe I should've told you, but there's a strict rule here: no talking about work, careers, cases, or investigations. Tonight, I want you to completely forget about your job as a detective. Just relax and enjoy the evening. What do you say?"
"Did you just call me noona?" the detective asked, then chuckled and continued. "And who would even make such rules? I bet none of the other rooms around here have the same regulations. This seems like a place where colleagues gather to celebrate and discuss work, don't you think? But it's fine; I came here precisely to stop thinking about the case. So, I'll accept your offer. However, I noticed you haven't had any wine yet. You’re not planning to make me drink alone, are you?"
"You might be surprised to know that I can’t handle much alcohol," Jinhwan said. "I’ll only have half a glass of wine, especially since I’ll need to drive you home."
"A guy who can't handle wine? Now that's interesting," Detective Ho said. She took the bottle and poured even more wine into Jinhwan's glass. "We said we’re here tonight to forget our problems, so why hold back? And if you’ve forgotten, taxis still exist. I’m older than you, Jinhwan, and I handle alcohol surprisingly well. If you need someone to look after you, I can do it. Just let your guard down and relax."
They clinked their glasses together. But before either of them could take a sip, Jinhwan asked, “What are we toasting to?” Detective Oh seemed to ponder for a moment. Then she glanced at Jinhwan and said, “To our friendship?” she asked, hesitantly. “If it can be called that?” “Would you like to call it something else?” Jinhwan asked. Detective Ho laughed again. Perhaps the little bit of alcohol was starting to go to her head. After all, when she said she handled it well, she had been lying.
"Use a more respectful tone, Jinhwan. You should continue to address me with respect. Forgetting that we’re colleagues and that I’m your superior, I’m still older than you." Jinhwan took a sip of wine, then set the glass down on the coffee table and grabbed a handful of peanuts from one of the bowls. He munched on them and, without saying anything further, picked up the remote control from the table to turn on the TV. "Why don’t we lift the mood a bit and sing something?" he suggested. "What would you like to sing?" Detective Oh asked.
"I’ve had Man Man Ha Ni by U-KISS stuck in my head for days. Do you know it?" Detective Oh was genuinely surprised. "But that’s such an old song. How do you know it? You were probably just a kid when it came out."
Jinhwan laughed. "Yeah, I was still in middle school. Anyway, let’s sing it. Do you remember it?" Detective Oh began to hum loudly to recall the rhythm. "Yes, I should be able to manage," she said, accepting the challenge. "How does this karaoke work? Is it scored?"
"Yes," Jinhwan replied. "The better you perform the song and pronounce the words, the higher your score. There’s also a local leaderboard, but it's almost impossible to get to the top. It seems like U-KISS came here a couple of times and took all the top spots."
"Anyway, what should we bet on?" Jinhwan asked, taking another sip of wine. "Are you sure you want to bet against me?"
Jinhwan returned her mischievous smile. "I have nothing to worry about, noona."
/ continues… /
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