First published: February 7th, 2023

"You'll pay for this," the young man says, clutching his aching jaw. He leans himself on the thick black bars in front of him, wincing when his baseball size black-eye brushes past the cold metal. His other eye, bloodshot and unwavering, focuses on the blurry figure before him. "You don't know who's backing us!"

The black-eyed goon's minions, all in the same battered condition, nod in unison. Although they all very much know, from when the minute they were caught and shoved into this god-forsaken cell, it's GAME OVER.

Sitting on the edge of her desk, spreading an oily ointment over the faint cracks of her knuckles, thirty-nine-year-old Kim Young-ja grins at the six Eunbit Tokki (silver rabbit) gang members. One more to go, she muses, resting her hands on the table, the police badge pinned to her belt glinting under the dim sunlight.

Room 3 of the Seoul Yongsan Police Station looks similar to a regular office; just replace the flashy company posters with the tarnished ones of the National Police Academy, and insert a really small dry cell opposite to the desks and creaking cabinets.

A stout but tall man in his late twenties, initially mistaken by Young-ja for a naive high school student, enters this drab room, clutching on to a thin, blue file. "Seonbae," he says when he reaches Young-ja's desk, eyes on the tiled floor.

Detective Kim Young-ja takes the file her subordinate hands over, not taking her eyes off the six twenty-something convicts. She shifts her gaze to the file when she opens it.

"Good job, Detective Yoo," she says, slamming the file shut. "Take four cops along with you, and bring Assemblyman Song in."

The five minion, initiates of the Eunbit Tokki (silver rabbit) gang, gasp in fear. Their leader, the black-eyed man, rests his throbbing forehead on the bars, we're doomed.

"M-me?" Detective Yoo Beom-su stammers, his wavering gaze dropping to the floor.

Young-ja gets off the desk, straightening her black coat and taking her cup of coffee, "Who else will arrest him?" She takes a step forward, "It was you who gathered the evidence."

Beom-su nods, bowing repeatedly, "Thank you, ma'am."

Young-ja turns over her shoulder, checking the antique wall mounted clock, "Be quick." She watches the minute hand shift to 4, "Assemblyman Song's rally speech will start soon."

"Yes, ma'am!" Beom-su bellows, causing some of the ET gang members flinch. He turns back, and hurries to the exit.

Young-ja slurps down her coffee, and places the empty cup on the table. She then turns to the crowded cell, shaking her head when she sees the six convicts kneeling, their heads sagging down.

"Please save us, ma'am," the leader pleads. His minions nod in unison. "We were used by Assemblyman Song." They all look up when they see the detective's black boots approach them.

"Used?" Young-ja says, scoffing. "We'll see at the court."

And with that, she heads to the door beside the cell, leaving the ET gang members cry for help.

"Shut up!" Young-ja yells as she opens the door. She turns to her right, to see the convicts, "Otherwise, I'll make sure you guys rot in jail for ten years longer."

The convicts reduce their wails to hushed whimpers and sobs.

.

Young-ja closes the door and heads to the elevator at other end of the sun-lit hallway, bowing her head as she passes her colleagues and subordinates. She stops, patting her coat's front pockets when she hears her phone buzz, it's here somewhere- Aha! She pulls out her grey smartphone from her right side pocket.

A smile brightens her wearied face when she reads the caller ID.

She looks around for a moment, and then heads to the edge of the corridor, eyes resting on the window that displays the clear skyline of Yeongsan. She picks up the call, "Hello."

"Hi, unnie," a cheery voice speaks over the line. "I'd just called to remind you of the appointment."

"Appointment?" Young-ja asks, tugging her jacket sleeves to check her watch. "At this time?"

"Yes, unnie," the caller answers. "I'd told you this a million times."

"Oh," Young-ja realizes, rubbing her forehead. "I completely forgot about the bank appointment. Sorry, Hye-in."

"It's alright," Hye-in replies. "I have your documents here, so don't forget to come at 11.30."

"Okay," Young-ja says. "I won't miss it this time."

"Cool," Hye-in says. "Ah unnie, my break's over. I need to return to my desk. See you soon, unnie. " She pauses, taking in a moment. "Love you, unnie," she whispers.

Young-ja's cheeks flush red, "Um-um-"

"Ya, Detective Kim?"

Young-ja exhales sharply when she realizes she'd abruptly disconnected the call. She turns back, flashing an awkward grin at her senior, "Seonbae?"

Detective Kwak Nam-il, a lean man in his early forties, walks toward her; the elevator door closing behind him. "The Chief wants to see you in his office right now. He wants to discuss about the recent hit-and-run case."

"Okay," Young-ja says, avoiding gaze with her senior as she walks past him, and toward the elevator.

"Wait."

The detective clenches her jaw, patience, Young-ja. She turns back, "Yes, seonbae?"

Nam-il points a finger at her, "So, it's true."

Young-ja crinkles her forehead, "What is true, seonbae?"

Nam-il scoffs, "Your boyfriend called you, right? That's why you're cheeks are so red."

"What?" Young-ja asks, startled. She tugs her hands to her coat pockets, preventing them to to rub her cheeks.

"You finally got a new boyfriend," Nam-il says, crossing his arms.

"No," Young-ja tells. "Nothing like that." She checks her phone, "Oh, I have to go. The Chief's waiting for me."

Detective Kwak Nam-il sneers as he watches the detective rush to the elevator. "Kim Young-ja, you can't hide anything," he mutters, clicking his tongue when Young-ja bumps into a fellow officer in the elevator.

A grim scowl replaces Nam-il's smile, when he hears his phone's blaring ringtone. "What?" he snaps, speaking into the phone.

His eyes widen as the person continues to speak over the line, "...what?"

Next update: February 9th, 2023, 6 AM EST.