The morning sunlight spilled through the windows as Yuna stepped into her department. She greeted her colleagues with a warm smile, her steps light from the success of the previous day.
She didn't notice the tall figure waiting quietly by the window.
As she reached her desk and began to set her bag down, a voice stopped her mid-motion.
"Yuna."
She froze and looked up.
"G-Good morning, sir"
she said quickly, startled by Joon-seok's sudden presence.
He didn't waste time.
"Follow me."
She blinked but nodded, grabbing her notepad and trailing after him. The walk to the main police department was quiet — not out of comfort, but out of tension. Everyone they passed greeted Joon-seok with respect, stepping aside like he carried a storm with him.
As they turned the final corner, his voice broke the silence.
"Were you born with the talent of ignoring direct orders, or did you pick that up recently?"
Yuna flinched a little.
"H-Huh? I—"
Before she could defend herself, Joon-seok pushed open the glass door of the main department and walked in without waiting for her response.
The scene shifted to a conference room deep inside the central police headquarters. Around the long oval table sat six people—Joon-seok, Min-jae, Hae-won, Yuna, and two senior officers.
One was a stern man in his fifties, with sharp eyes that rarely blinked—Mr. Han Jiwon. He was known for running the operations and internal management of the force and had worked closely with Joon and Jae for years.
Beside him sat Ms. Oh Sera, head of the homicide department. Calm, intelligent, and coldly efficient, she rarely showed emotion—but she was respected and feared in equal measure. Unmarried, both she and Mr. Han shared a quiet understanding, though they'd never admit it.
The room fell into silence as everyone took their seats. Joon-seok didn't speak immediately. He stared at Yuna, his eyes sharp, probing. There was something in his gaze—not anger, but questioning. It made her heart skip.
Yuna gulped, unable to hold his stare for long.
"Yuna," Joon said finally.
"Y-Yes… sir?" she replied, straightening in her seat.
Without a word, Joon-seok stood up and walked towards her. She tensed slightly as he approached and leaned beside her, placing a sealed evidence bag gently on the table.
Inside it was a Black Fang badge, stained with blood.
"Are you sure these officers are involved?"
His voice was cold, edged like steel.
Yuna didn't hesitate.
"Mina's father… he was using Morse code during the interrogation. When decoded, it said, 'Room 8, Basement, Police HQ.' I went down to investigate—room 8 had barely been touched for years. But the badge I found had fresh blood on it… which means it was placed recently. Possibly the same day."
She paused, steadying her breath.
"And behind it, there was a list of moles. Two names from our department were written."
The room fell into an icy silence.
Mr. Han Jiwon leaned forward, his hands clasped. "Two officers… from our own precinct?"
Yuna nodded, sliding the folded paper forward. "Their names are right here. I cross-checked the roster this morning—both are currently on leave."
Ms. Oh Sera narrowed her eyes. "How convenient."
Joon-seok stayed quiet, his arms crossed. He stared down at the list, then back at Yuna.
"You went to Room 8 without authorization."
Yuna's shoulders stiffened.
"I know, sir. But I felt that—"
"I'm not done."
His tone was sharp, but not cruel.
"You disobeyed a direct order to stay behind. You left the station without backup. You entered a potentially compromised zone. Do you realize how reckless that was?"
Yuna looked down, jaw clenched.
But then—
"…Yet you were right."
Her eyes snapped up.
Joon-seok turned to the others. "We've been bleeding from the inside and didn't see it. This changes everything."
Min-jae let out a low whistle.
"We've got internal moles… That explains the blown cover during last year's op."
Mr. Han sighed, rubbing his temples.
"I'll freeze their access and have them brought in. Quietly."
"Oh Sera,"
Joon addressed,
"have your homicide team start digging into old closed cases. Anything that involved Black Fang—we might've missed signs."
She gave a curt nod. "On it."
Finally, Joon looked back at Yuna. His voice dropped a little—softer, but still firm.
"Next time, report it before charging off on your own. Understood?"
Yuna nodded quickly.
"Yes, sir."
Joon-seok turned back to the table.
"Everyone, we meet again at 1600 hours. We're officially reopening this investigation."
As the officers filed out, Joon paused beside Yuna.
"Good work, Detective."His words were low, for her ears only.
Yuna blinked, startled—but couldn't help the warmth that spread in her chest.
[ End of chapter 5 ]