The place the realtor newly showed me was a spacious and large office. It was only three minutes away from Gangnam Station and was located on the 32nd floor.
"How about this, sir? The lighting here is excellent."
And it was true. Warm sunlight streamed in through the large window facing the station.
It would have been a place that ordinary people would like,
but not for me.
"For a place in this location and with this environment, it's just 200 million won for a 100 million deposit."
"There's no privacy."
A 100-million-deposit and 1-million-won monthly rent office suddenly jumping to 200 million won —
*Shameless.*
Moreover, he didn't understand the customer's needs at all.
*Clueless.*
"Just a moment. If you want privacy, I know a good place."
"No."
Judging people by appearance, not understanding proper needs —
Spending time with someone like that was a waste.
"I'll look around more on my own."
***
Tuesday afternoon.
After visiting 12 real estate offices over two days, I walked into Café Connection to rest my tired legs.
'That woman was still the best.'
The second realtor I saw today was the most polite and competent. She showed me five properties, four of which I liked.
'I should go back later.'
But for now, resting was a priority.
Today's top stock was [Connection Mulsan 46,840 (+20%)].
**Life turned around thanks to stock cheats.**
'What a coincidence, this café has the same name as today's top stock.'
So, when I saw the [Connection Café] on the street, I had no choice but to remember it.
Was it just chance that I found a café with the same name as the day's top-performing stock?
'Maybe it's fate.'
There are days like that—
When you just want to follow your mood without any reason.
Today was one of those days for me.
Maybe it was just the excitement of being free on a weekday afternoon after quitting my job. But since I had time, I decided to go with it.
I ordered an Americano and a slice of cake and sat down. As soon as I settled into the chair, I habitually checked my investment value.
[Current Value: 4.49881 Billion Won]
Just seeing the number brought a smile to my face.
'Let's apply to withdraw 50 million first.'
I needed funds for the office deposit and operating costs.
I typed in 50 million won and today's date into the system's withdrawal section. When the trading hit the right point, the system would automatically process the request.
**Buzz—**
The pager vibrated, so I went and picked up my Americano and cake.
A cute carrot decoration sat atop the carrot cake.
'Ha-yeon would've loved this.'
It had already been over two years since I last saw my daughter.
Memories are always romanticized, but in my memory, Ha-yeon was a sweet child who adored her dad.
{Daddy! What's Ha-yeon's favorite animal?}
{A cat?}
{No! Daddy, how could you not know?}
She was on the verge of tears, so adorable I couldn't resist apologizing.
{Sorry.}
{It's a bunny! A bunny!}
{A bunny, huh.}
{Don't forget again, okay?}
How could I resist when she came snuggling into my arms with her charm? Just thinking about her tiny hands clutching my arm made my heart feel warm.
'I hope she's doing well.'
I suddenly wanted to video call Ha-yeon right then and there.
The only reason I managed to endure working late hours at a company that paid peanuts was because of her.
The way she used to call and greet me with that tiny, adorable voice…
Once she turned four and learned how to use a phone, she even made secret calls to me without her mom knowing.
'Got me in trouble a few times, though.'
I remembered the panic of getting a video call in the middle of a meeting.
But at some point, Ha-yeon stopped calling as often. I remembered what she had said then:
{Ha-yeon, why don't you call Daddy much anymore?}
{Mom doesn't give me the phone.}
The way she whispered it with her little lips tickled my ears all over again.
My ex-wife was a beauty, popular wherever she went. Men would constantly try to approach her.
So even during our relationship and marriage, she often didn't answer calls—but I thought she was just cool and chill like that.
Even at home, she rarely carried her phone. She often spaced out sitting still. So I chose to get used to it.
'Because I believed I was the chosen one by a goddess.'
I had to get used to the jealous stares and the snide remarks.
Even when she ignored my calls, I convinced myself it was okay.
'Because I thought it was just her personality.'
Because I mistakenly believed that among all the men in the world, she had chosen me out of love. That's why I worked myself to the bone, handed over all the money I earned to my ex-wife, and lived on the allowance she gave me.
When I was a new hire, it was 50,000 won. When I got promoted to assistant manager, it became 100,000 won, and after becoming a manager, it went up to 200,000 won.
**"People don't change their behavior for no reason."**
The fact that she wouldn't put down her phone, even though she never used to carry it before, meant she was desperately waiting for someone's message while I was at work.
**"It must've been Dok Go-jung."**
Why would a man like Dok Go-jung be interested in my wife? A woman who was just pretty and rarely responded to messages?
No. Maybe I was just a dispensable accessory. Just someone to pass the time with.
The coffee started to taste even more bitter.
As I quietly recalled the past and slowly ate my cake, the table across from me suddenly got noisy.
"Ah! Reporter Kim, just this once, please?"
"Detective Moon, please don't do this."
"Come on, this will be a huge scoop, I swear!"
It looked like a detective begging, and a journalist refusing. They were so loud, everyone in the quiet café could hear them.
"Just publish this one article for me, okay? I swear I'll never bug you again."
"Detective, you know our paper survives on Dokgo Group's advertisements."
*Dokgo Group?* I just came for coffee, but here I was, overhearing this kind of conversation.
**Dokgo Group?** All my attention honed in on their table.
*No way... Is this the reason today's top stock was...*
They say if you desperately want something, the path opens. Maybe the system had led me here for a reason.
The detective suddenly snapped.
"They're murderers walking around like nothing happened! Living it up after stealing someone's woman and locking people up!"
"Please, lower your voice."
"They're killers, I'm telling you!"
Everyone started staring. The journalist stood up in a rush.
"I'm leaving."
"Reporter Kim! I'm sorry, please, just this once!"
The detective grabbed the journalist's sleeve.
The journalist yanked his arm away.
"Detective Moon."
"Reporter Kim, please! You know there's no one else I can ask."
"I know. I owe you too, so I tried to bear it, but…"
He bit his lip.
"They told me not to get involved with you if I want to keep my job. What exactly are you doing these days?"
"Reporter Kim, please! I even bought you coffee!"
"Do you even think about my position?"
"You're just going to run off after drinking coffee?"
"That's why I'll pay for it with my own money!"
He pulled out a 10,000 won bill and slammed it on the table, then stormed out without looking back.
The detective rushed after him, but came back alone a moment later, visibly deflated.
He scratched the back of his head and slumped back into his seat.
"Damn it. What a cheapskate."
He drank the coffee the reporter had left behind.
"Why waste a good cup of coffee?"
Then he picked up the 10,000 won bill left on the table and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Arghhhh, this is driving me crazy!!!"
He banged his head on the table. The part-timer, clearly nervous, carefully approached him.
"Um… sir?"
"God, this is insane."
"S-Sir…"
The part-timer, a young student, looked just like me when I used to work part-time during college.
*Well, I'll have to speak up if I want any information.*
"Are you alright?" I asked loudly, walking over to the detective.
Up close, he looked pretty rough. A bit of a stench, messy clothes—like a homeless guy.
The detective finally looked up.
"I am *not* alright!"
I remembered how he had carefully pocketed the crumpled 10,000 won bill.
"Have you eaten?"
"…Why? Do I look so broke that I can't even afford lunch?"
Yes, actually.
But pushing that button would only shut him down, so I bit my tongue.
"It's almost lunchtime. If you don't mind, how about we eat together?"
"Why should I?"
"I'm interested in Dokgo Group too."
His eyes narrowed sharply. He was clearly on guard.
But I didn't mind that.
*"You shouldn't trust too easily anyway."*
It's not easy working with fools.
Back in prison, I saw plenty of idiots. Even without meaning harm, they'd still mess things up for everyone.
"Why?" he asked again.
"Let's talk over lunch."
He stared at me, bouncing his leg anxiously.
*Yeah, I'd be suspicious too if a stranger suddenly approached me like this.*
Then I saw a head meat soup restaurant through the window.
"How about we just grab lunch there and go our separate ways? That's fair, right?"
"...…"
He kept shaking his leg, glancing out the window. Though he wore a serious expression with furrowed brows, his stomach was honest.
*Growl.*
The sound was so loud it made me embarrassed for him.
"Ahem! Cough, cough!"
Suddenly, he cleared his throat loudly and stood up.
"Let's go."
"Yes!"
We entered the ox head soup restaurant across from the cafe. Since it was past lunchtime, it wasn't crowded.
As soon as we sat down, he placed the order first.
"Boss, two bowls of ox head soup and one order of boiled pork."
"One spicy, too!"
He added.
"Drinking in the middle of the day?"
"So what? You're paying, right?"
"Why?"
He looked a bit flustered.
"Well, you were the one who—oh!"
I never actually said I'd pay.
Not yet.
"Kidding. If you're showing me documents, at least I can buy you a meal."
"You want to see the documents?"
"Yes."
He frowned and went silent for a moment, thinking, then opened his mouth again.
"What do you do for a living?"
"You know the 1.5 billion embezzlement case at Kangmyung Corporation two years ago?"
Kangmyung Corporation was the company I worked at.
"Of course. Embezzlers like that should be ripped apart!"
"I was the one accused."
He shot up from his seat.
"…I don't sit with criminals."
"I was framed."
At the word *framed*, he, who had looked ready to leave, sat back down.
"Framed?"
"I think it ties back to the Dokgo Group."
"Heh! Hahaha."
He suddenly burst out laughing.
"Yeah, Dokgo would do something like that. But 1.5 billion? That's pocket change for a conglomerate."
"Exactly. Why that specific amount?"
If he was trying to bait me, it wouldn't work.
When I didn't back down, he sighed and tilted his neck.
"So, you're saying this is a victims' club, huh?"
"What kind of damage did you suffer?"
"…Don't wanna talk about it."
His expression darkened. I didn't press further.
"Food's ready."
The soup was served. Before starting, he pulled a file from his bag and handed it to me.
"Take a look. I've got copies, so don't get any funny ideas."
"Thanks."
"No need to thank me. It's just the cost of lunch."
While he ate, I carefully examined the documents. They detailed various corruptions starting from the Dokgo Group's second son's DUI a year ago.
There were some photos and graphics — crude, but clearly someone had put in effort.
*It's not enough.*
The evidence pointed to wrongdoing but lacked a solid, damning piece to pin them down.
*No wonder he wanted a journalist to run it.*
Even minor incidents could get reopened if public interest surged.
Especially when the case involved murder and the ruling class? It was bound to make headlines.
*Problem is, the media doesn't want to touch it.*
No one wanted to cross swords with a top-10 chaebol like Dokgo Group. I finished reading and closed the folder.
"Not bad."
"Hey, I've been in the force long enough. If I had a warrant, I'd have dug up their whole damn kitchenware."
For an independent investigation, the quality was impressive. I felt I could work with him and decided to test the waters.
"Must've been tough doing this after work."
Instead of answering, he shoved a spoonful of soup into his mouth. His face twisted, and he chewed slower.
"You okay?"
"…I'm no detective anymore. Quit earlier this year. Damn bastards. They don't catch the real criminals. It's always the powerless who pay. Justice, my ass."
I totally got it. I rotted in prison because of that exact system.
"What do you do now?"
He gave me a side glance but stayed silent, eating his food.
Just as I thought — he probably didn't have a job now. He had that smell about him.
"More importantly, this file — this isn't all you've got, is it?"
He smirked a little.
Exactly. He didn't seem like the type to play all his cards at once.
*A bear of a man, sly like a fox.*
He was thorough in his investigation and sharp enough to be cautious of people.
A worthy candidate to recruit as an ally to help clear my name.
*If I didn't have the Eye of Trust, I wouldn't believe him either...*
But I did. So I had no reason to worry.
"Detective."
"I said I'm not a detective anymore."
"Wanna work with me on something?"