Chapter 101
*The elevator doors slid open*
We stepped out together onto our floor.
Daejin sunbae groaned while patting his stomach.
"Ah, I'm so full."
"Seriously Daejin, did you not eat anything since last night? You ate so much earlier."
"No. I was too lazy to cook. I got home last night and went straight to sleep."
Daejin sunbae then turned to me with a hopeful grin.
"Haemin, I hope Secretary Yoo isn't around tomorrow as well. That way I can drag you out for lunch again."
"Don't even dream about it."
Jiyoo immediately cut in.
"Tomorrow, Haemin is having lunch with me. You already took him out today. Now it's my turn."
"Hey, that's not fair. You interrupted us earlier."
"That's doesn't count."
"Yah—"
I could only smile awkwardly on the outside, but inside I was hoping that wouldn't happen.
If Yuna ever saw me going out alone with Jiyoo noona, only God knew what kind of wrath would fall on me. It's better to avoid that entirely.
Just then, Jiyoo's phone rang. She pulled it out and checked the screen.
"Okay, I have to go first. Duty calls."
"See you later, Noona."
"Bye, scary noona."
Daejin waved lazily.
Jiyoo shot him a warning look before walking away.
"Alright, Haemin. Let's survive the rest of the day."
Daejin stretched his shoulders.
"Let's do our best, Sunbae."
"Yeah."
_____
I returned to my desk.
There still wasn't any work assigned to me from Yuna. At this point, I wasn't even surprised anymore.
Since I had nothing else to do, I spent the rest of the afternoon completing some routine administrative and management tasks.
While going through these mundane tasks, I checked my phone from time to time.
Harin still hadn't replied to my message. I wondered if she was going to be out for the rest of the day. The thought made me uneasy, but there was nothing I could do about it right now.
So I put my phone away and forced myself to focus on the monitor again.
***
Before I realized it, the afternoon gradually slipped away.
The bright sunlight outside slowly faded into the warm colors of evening, and one by one, employees began shutting down their computers and preparing to head home.
The usually busy office floor slowly became quieter with each passing minute.
Finally.
The day was over.
Honestly, it felt much longer than it actually was.
I checked my phone one last time.
Still nothing from Harin.
And no message from Yuna either.
Just to be safe, I remained at my desk for several more minutes after everyone started leaving.
Who knew? Maybe Yuna would suddenly call me and assign me something at the last minute.
But the minutes passed quietly.
Nothing happened.
*Phew*
A genuine sense of relief washed over me.
It looked like I would be able to go home peacefully.
After packing my things, I stood up from my chair and was about to leave when a familiar voice called out to me.
"Already finished?"
I looked up and saw Daejin Sunbae standing beside my desk.
"Yeah. Thanks for your hard work today, Sunbae."
"You too, Haemin."
Daejin rolled both shoulders before stretching his neck from side to side.
"Seriously… I can't wait to get home and collapse. Today felt way too long."
I couldn't help laughing a little after hearing that.
"By the way, where's Jiyoo Noona?"
"Jiyoo? That's what I was wondering too. She's been missing ever since we came back from break. Well, there's no need to pay too much attention to her. She's always been like that. Busy as ever. You'd think she was the Chairwoman herself with how busy she is."
"You shouldn't talk about her like that, Sunbae."
Daejin simply shrugged.
"What? I'm only stating the facts. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow, Haemin. Make sure you head straight home after this, alright? Don't wander around. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and find another headline about how you accidentally made another chaebol heiress fall in love with you."
"Sunbae!"
"Haha! I'm joking, I'm joking."
Then he waved his hand.
"Anyway, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, Sunbaenim."
After saying goodbye, he finally left.
A few minutes later, I left as well.
Inside the elevator, I leaned lightly against the wall and stared at my reflection in the mirrored panel.
Since I had some free time tonight…
What should I cook for dinner?
Maybe something simple.
Wait.
Is Hyunjae free tonight?
It's been a while since we hung out together.
Maybe I should call him.
***
No no no.
I immediately dismissed the idea.
If those reporters somehow saw me outside, it would only drag him into this mess too.
Ugh
This was exhausting.
Can all of this just end already?
A few minutes later, I arrived at the lobby.
Before that…
Where did I put it?
I checked my pockets.
Then my bag.
Ah.
There it is.
My face mask.
I pulled it out.
Looks like I'd have to wear this for the time being.
Seriously, it was such a hassle. But at the same time, I didn't want to be chased or followed on my way home.
Just as I was about to put on the mask—
My eyes drifted toward the main entrance.
And immediately, I noticed the commotion.
Several employees who had been walking toward the exit suddenly slowed their steps.
Some of them even stopped completely for a second.
They stared outside through the glass doors with stiff expressions before quickly shaking their heads and continuing on their way as if they wanted nothing to do with whatever was happening out there.
Others simply turned around altogether and pretended not to look.
The atmosphere felt strangely tense.
What's going on?
"Assistant Kim!"
A voice suddenly called out to me.
I turned my head and saw the same security officer from this morning hurrying toward me from the direction of the main entrance.
His expression looked noticeably tense.
The moment he reached me, he immediately bowed politely.
"Thank you for your hard work today, Assistant Kim."
I returned the bow.
"You too."
The security officer straightened his back.
"Sorry to stop you, Assistant Kim, but I think it would be better if you leave through the back exit today."
"Huh?"
The security officer hesitated briefly before lowering his voice.
"Because the reporters are still outside."
"What!? They're still not gone?"
"Yes."
The security officer nodded helplessly.
"They haven't left since this morning. We've been holding them back and preventing them from entering the building all day."
"Seriously…"
I rubbed my forehead.
"Don't those people have anything better to do? Why are they so persistent?"
The security officer could only offer an awkward smile.
I let out a tired breath.
Please just let me go home in peace.
"I'm sorry, I've caused a lot of trouble for all of you because of this."
The security officer immediately looked startled.
"Please don't say that, Assistant Kim. This is part of our job, and we're already used to situations like this. You really don't need to worry about it."
For a moment, I felt a little guilty hearing that.
"Still… thank you for your hard work."
I bowed politely once again.
The security officer immediately returned the gesture.
"Not at all. Please get home safely, Assistant Kim."
"I will."
After giving him one last nod, I put on my mask and headed toward the back exit.
_____
The moment I pushed open the door, a wave of cool night air greeted me. The area behind the building was almost completely silent.
I let out a long, deep breath of relief.
Thank God there weren't any reporters lurking back here.
Without wasting any more time, I began walking away from the building.
My footsteps echoed lightly against the pavement as I headed toward the nearest bus stop.
The streetlights had already turned on, casting a warm glow across the pavement. A few cars occasionally passed by on the road, but other than that, the area was relatively peaceful.
A few minutes later, the bus arrived.
I quickly got on and found an empty seat near the window.
Fortunately, nobody paid any attention to me. Most passengers were busy with their own things.
With my mask covering most of my face, nobody recognized me. Finally, I could relax a little. What a tiring day this had been.
I leaned back against the seat and quietly looked out the window.
Rows of bright lights stretched endlessly across the city.
Even at this hour, Seoul was still full of life.
Restaurants were packed with people enjoying their dinner. Couples walked side by side beneath the glowing streetlights. Groups of university students laughed together as they made their way through the busy streets. Office workers gathered around food stalls, enjoying drinks with their colleagues.
For a brief moment, I found myself simply watching it all in silence.
Life continued normally for everyone, unlike a certain someone who was sitting on a bus right now with a face mask on, hoping to make it home in peace.
I couldn't help letting out a quiet breath.
Seriously…
Will all of this be over soon?
Surely they can't keep following me forever, right?
Now that I think about it, wouldn't it be easier if I just faced those reporters directly and denied everything?
But could I really do that?
What if they twisted everything I said and made the situation even worse?
Just imagining it was enough to make my head hurt.
I really should've asked Harin about this tomorrow.
With that thought in mind, I forced myself to stop worrying about it.
There was nothing I could do tonight anyway.
So I closed my eyes and allowed myself to rest for a little while.
Before I realized it, the bus had already arrived at my stop.
I stepped off and stretched my body lightly.
The familiar sight of my apartment building stood not far away.
Just seeing it made me feel relieved.
I pulled my mask down when I was sure no one was paying attention to me.
Fresh air immediately filled my lungs.
"Phew…"
I let out a long breath.
"Seriously, wearing a mask for this long really felt suffocating."
I rubbed my face lightly before continuing toward the lobby entrance.
At this point, all I wanted was to get home, take a shower, cook dinner, and forget this entire day ever happened.
Unfortunately—
The universe apparently had other plans.
Because just as I was about to reach the lobby entrance—
I saw a police vehicle.
Parked near the visitor parking area directly in front of the apartment building.
My footsteps slowed slightly.
Beside the vehicle stood two men dressed in plain clothes.
I continued walking, trying not to look at them too much.
The two men were talking quietly among themselves when one of them suddenly noticed me and the conversation stopped immediately.
His expression changed.
He nudged the man beside him.
The second man turned around and looked directly at me.
A bad feeling immediately appeared inside my chest.
The two men exchanged a brief glance before walking toward me. Eventually, they stopped directly in front, blocking my path.
"Excuse me, sir."
The first man spoke politely.
"Are you perhaps Kim Haemin?"
My heart skipped a beat.
"Yes?"
The man reached into his jacket and showed his badge.
"My name is Detective Choi Joon-hyuk. And beside me here is Detective Yoon Jae-hyun."
The second detective nodded politely.
Detective Choi then gave me an apologetic look.
"We apologize for stopping you this late in the evening, Mr. Kim. We actually went to your apartment earlier and knocked on your door, but it seemed you weren't home. So we decided to wait here for a while just in case."
Wait?
For me?
My uneasiness only grew.
"May I know what this is about, Detectives?"
Detective Yoon lowered his head politely.
"Actually, Mr. Kim, we'd like to ask for your cooperation regarding the homicide case that took place last night involving the victim, Park Jun-ho. I'm sure you've heard the news this morning, right?"
Attorney Park?
My blood instantly ran cold.
I slowly nodded.
The detectives maintained their calm expressions.
"If you don't mind, we would appreciate it if you could come with us to the police station and answer a few questions."
For a brief moment, I simply stood there in silence.
The words took a second to fully sink in.
So it had already come to this point.
Ever since hearing about Attorney Park's death this morning, I had a feeling the police would eventually want to speak with me.
I just didn't expect it to happen on the very same day.
"Shall we go now, Mr. Kim?"
"Y—Yeah…"
I straightened my clothes and took a slow breath before following them.
For some reason, the uneasy feeling in my chest only grew stronger.