The sirens blared through my headset as another suspect bolted down a narrow alley.

"Ya! Stop running."

I laughed to myself and tightened my grip on the controller. One more corner. One more shot. I was seconds away from arresting the serial killer in Detective Chronicles: Seoul, the newest crime game everyone seemed obsessed with right now.

Then my phone buzzed. Unknown Caller.

"Aish..."

I ignored it. The phone buzzed again. And again.

"Jinjja..."

With a sigh, I paused the game and answered. "Yeoboseyo."

A nervous voice replied, "Hello... is this Chamel?"

My hand froze. Nobody had called me that in years.

Chamel. Short for Chameleon. It was the nickname I’d earned during my years as an undercover detective.

I could become anyone. A gang member, a businessman, a bartender—a woman if required. Give me a week, and even my own mother wouldn't recognize me. Back then, I worked for the Korean National Police Agency as one of their youngest undercover assets. People said I’d make team leader before I turned forty.

Then I made one mistake. One mission. One decision. That was enough.

These days, I ran a private investigation office from my apartment in central Seoul. The work wasn't glamorous—cheating spouses, corporate leaks, online scammers, the occasional stalker—but it paid well. My apartment overlooked the Han River, my bills were always paid, and I had enough money sitting in the bank to retire tomorrow if I wanted.

Life was quiet. Maybe too quiet.

"Who's asking?" I said.

The caller hesitated. "I'm... I'm Mr. Kim..."

A kid. Definitely a kid.

I leaned back in my chair. "If you're lying to me already, this conversation ends now."

"N-no. Sorry." He swallowed hard. "My name is Kim Min-jae. I'm Mr. Kim's son."

The name tugged at something in my memory. One of my old clients, years ago. "So?"

"I found your business card in my father's desk."

Interesting. "Make it quick."

"I have a job for you."

I almost laughed. Instead, I ran a hand through my lengthy black hair and stretched my long, lean frame out on the lounge chair. "You do?"

"Please investigate my former teacher."

Now he had my attention.

"He tried to sleep with me."

The words came out cold. Not shaky, not embarrassed. Just angry.

"When I threatened to report him, he framed me," the kid continued. "He said I stole the answers to my final math exam." Another pause, heavier this time. "I was expelled. My father sent me overseas to finish school."

I rubbed my chin. "So you want proof your teacher's a pervert."

"Yes. Can you do it?"

"For the right price."

"I'll pay anything."

Kids always said that.

"My mother died last month," he continued quietly. "I turned eighteen this month. My trust fund is finally mine, so I don't need my father's permission anymore."

Young, naive, and rich. A dangerous combination. Luckily for him, I wasn't a scammer.

"I'm not cheap," I said. "It'll be ten thousand dollars upfront. Twenty thousand when the investigation is finished."

Silence. I expected him to back out. Instead—

"Okay. Deal."

I blinked. "...You're serious?"

"Yes. How do I pay?"

Who was this kid?

"I'll text you my bank details and email," I said, slipping back into business mode. "Send me everything. Messages, photos, names. Anything you have. Once the deposit arrives, I'll send you a service agreement that protects both of us."

"Okay." His voice cracked slightly. "Thank you, sir."

"You've got forty-eight hours."

That part was a lie. I didn't have another case waiting; I just wanted to see if he was serious.

"I'll send everything tonight."

The call ended, and the apartment fell dead quiet again. Outside, headlights drifted across the bridges of the Han River. On my monitor, the game remained paused, the suspect waiting patiently on the screen.

I stared at my phone. "A teacher..."

I hadn't investigated one of those before. Something about the kid's voice bothered me. It wasn't fear; it was pure hatred. And hatred usually meant there was a lot more to the story.

"Interesting," I mused.

I picked up my controller, unpaused the game, and got back to catching the bad guys on my screen.