Chapter 68: Happiness is not something pure. (6)

Fwoosh!

Even if one has accepted death, it does not mean their mind must remain empty until the very last breath.

[…]

Inside the warehouse engulfed in flames, Kim Yuhan sat bound, his eyes closed. Yet, his thoughts remained active.

He thought of the serial killer who had murdered his parents.

‘It wasn’t as if I didn’t have a chance to win.’

During the final battle that had unfolded inside the warehouse, Kim Yuhan had an opportunity to claim victory. However, he had hesitated for just a moment, and that hesitation cost him everything.

He had always been decisive.

Once he made a plan, he would execute it without fail.

So why had he hesitated this time?

『I suppose… I’ve changed a little.』

It was likely because, in that fleeting moment, Lee Kang-cheol came to mind.

Lee Kang-cheol often emphasized that everyone has their role to play, and Team 808 was no exception. No matter the situation, one must adhere to principles and focus solely on their responsibilities.

Kim Yuhan had dismissed such words as nonsensical and rarely followed them. Yet, ironically, at the most critical moment, he had adhered to those very principles.

And now, he was paying the ultimate price.

How unlike him. How foolish.

However.

Kim Yuhan burst into laughter.

Strangely, he felt no regret.

Of course, he knew why.

He recognized the changes within himself, and he didn’t find them unpleasant. Looking back, his life had been consumed entirely by hatred for criminals. But now, things were different.

Meeting Lee Kang-cheol had brought about many new experiences.

A different perspective. Different thoughts. New realizations.

And emotions he had never felt before.

Perhaps this feeling was called friendship.

『Everyone has their role to play.』

He muttered those words once more.

As he did, he reaffirmed his sense of identity.

To call himself a detective would be misleading. He had never been entirely righteous. How many times had he personally judged and punished criminals? Being a detective had merely been a means to an end.

So, it was a bit regrettable.

There was no way he could become a detective like Lee Kang-cheol now.

But.

He could at least help ensure that someone as capable as Lee Kang-cheol could continue his flawless career. That much was within his reach. And Kim Yuhan thought it suited him just fine.

By now, Lee Kang-cheol had probably apprehended the culprit.

Fwoosh!

The warehouse continued to burn.

Suddenly, an unwelcome face flashed through his mind.

It was his parents.

Kim Yuhan spoke nonchalantly.

『What’s wrong? Disappointed that I didn’t avenge you? Don’t blame me—just be satisfied that he’s been caught. And stop appearing in my thoughts. Rest in peace already.』

…Because I’d like to rest too.

As he murmured those words, his consciousness began to blur. The flames seemed to beckon him to join their dance, but the smoke had already left him dazed.

Gradually.

Ever so slowly.

Kim Yuhan’s awareness sank deeper and deeper.

There was nothing left to see.

His senses faded away entirely.

『Yuhan!』

He thought he heard something faint, but he couldn’t react. It felt like someone was trying to shake him awake from a deep slumber.

『Kim Yuhan!』

Unconsciously, a smile tugged at his lips.

The voice resembled Lee Kang-cheol’s.

『Kim Yuhan! Kim Yuhan!』

It was almost amusing to him that the last thing he would hear would be a hallucination of Lee Kang-cheol’s voice.

But then.

…!

Suddenly, something shook him violently, and he realized, all at once, that this wasn’t a dream.

Snap!

The rope that had restrained him was cut, and he felt himself being hoisted onto someone’s back. The person carrying him dashed madly through the smoke-filled warehouse.

Moments later.

Fwoosh—!

The moment they exited the warehouse, fresh air filled his lungs. As his foggy mind cleared, the contrast was almost overwhelming.

And then, the person carrying him tossed him onto the ground.

Thud!

Kim Yuhan grimaced at the pain from hitting the ground, but soon his expression cleared as he looked up.

[…]

He was stunned by the sight before him.

『…Senior?』

His eyes widened in disbelief, and shock settled on his face.

『What’s this? What about the culprit?』

Lee Kang-cheol didn’t respond.

Kim Yuhan abruptly sprang to his feet.

The situation was abrupt, but his sharp mind quickly pieced everything together. In an instant, he understood the decision Lee Kang-cheol had made.

“Could it be…?”

Lee Kang-cheol remained silent.

At that moment, Kim Yuhan was certain his suspicions were correct. Lee Kang-cheol had abandoned the pursuit of the culprit and rushed to save him instead.

Without hesitation, Kim Yuhan grabbed Lee Kang-cheol by the collar.

“Are you crazy? You gave up on catching the culprit?”

“I’ve only postponed it temporarily.”

“Postponed? Temporarily? What nonsense!”

Kim Yuhan was so exasperated that he couldn’t even finish his sentences properly.

“You might never catch him now! He’ll become even more meticulous next time! Do you know how hard it was to catch that trail?”

“You always emphasize principles, don’t you? Saying no matter the situation, we must adhere to them? And what did you just do? You let the culprit go! You threw away a once-in-a-lifetime chance!”

As Kim Yuhan yelled at the top of his lungs, Lee Kang-cheol suddenly clenched his fist.

Wham!

A heavy thud echoed.

Kim Yuhan’s head snapped to the side, and he fell backward onto the ground. Lee Kang-cheol had punched him.

A brief silence fell.

Kim Yuhan seemed more shocked by Lee Kang-cheol’s breach of principle than by the punch itself. Meanwhile, Lee Kang-cheol calmly adjusted his collar and spoke.

“Principles. Yes, principles are important.”

Lee Kang-cheol looked down at Kim Yuhan and continued.

“That’s why I followed them, even this time.”

“Don’t be ridiculous…”

“There’s a rule in Team 808 that I’ve never mentioned before. I’ll tell you now, so listen carefully and remember it.”

Cutting off Kim Yuhan, Lee Kang-cheol spoke firmly.

“No arrest takes precedence over the life of a partner. Got it?”

Kim Yuhan couldn’t say a word.

More precisely, he was at a loss for words.

He wasn’t someone who broke rules out of ignorance. If anything, he was the type to know all the rules and still choose to disregard them.

So he knew full well that this so-called “Rule Zero” didn’t exist.

“Rule Zero? A rule that doesn’t even exist—”

“And yes, it’s postponed,” Lee Kang-cheol interrupted, now wearing a faint smile.

“We’ll catch him eventually. No matter how deranged he is, he’s not crazier than you, right?”

A moment of silence followed.

Kim Yuhan stared up at Lee Kang-cheol, dumbfounded.

And then he realized everything.

Lee Kang-cheol’s words carried an implicit assumption that the two of them would continue to work together. In other words, the culprit wasn’t truly abandoned.

It was just that something more important had taken precedence.

And that “something” was him—Kim Yuhan.

At some point, they had become each other’s principles.

[…]

After staring at each other for a long time, both men burst into laughter simultaneously.

“You know, senior? You’re not entirely sane either.”

“Coming from you, that means a lot.”

Neither of them needed to say aloud that they had grown to resemble one another. There are moments when words are unnecessary, and this was one of those moments.

Then.

A light tapping sensation on the top of his head.

Drip… Drip…

Looking up, he saw something cool hitting his forehead. It was rain. And not just a drizzle—it was coming down in thick droplets.

Sure enough, the rain soon turned into a downpour.

Whoosh—!

As the world around them began to soak, Kim Yuhan remained seated while Lee Kang-cheol stood still. Both of them stared up at the sky as the rain continued to fall.

“Kim Yuhan.”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s head back. It’s time to report our failure.”

Returning. Kim Yuhan found himself appreciating the sound of that word.

Come to think of it, he had never had a place to call home. But now, he did. Team 808—his family.

Wee-oo-wee-oo!

Suddenly, the wail of sirens filled the air as fire trucks arrived on the scene. Their headlights lit up the dark surroundings, and firefighters rushed toward the burning warehouse.

“We’d better hurry back,” Lee Kang-cheol muttered.

And then.

“…!”

Lee Kang-cheol’s expression shifted to one of rare shock.

The fire trucks’ headlights illuminated a scene he hadn’t noticed before.

It was Kim Yuhan, drenched in rain.

The wet clothes clung tightly to Kim Yuhan’s body, revealing contours that were unmistakably not those of a man.

There was a curve on the chest that shouldn’t have been there, and in the lower region where a man’s anatomy should have been, there was nothing but a cleanly carved emptiness, as though it had been cut away.

“Kim Yuhan…”

Finally, everything Lee Kang-cheol had found curious began to make sense.

The absence of shared use of public restrooms or changing rooms. The peculiar softness of facial features and voice.

“You?”

Whoosh—

The rain continued to pour.

Kim Yuhan quietly placed a finger to his lips.

“This is a secret.”

Accompanying those mischievous words was a playful smile, as though declaring that Lee Kang-cheol was now an accomplice in the secret.

They stared at each other for a long moment.

And soon, the rain suddenly stopped.

The fire trucks had ceased spraying water into the air.

For a fleeting moment, a rainbow appeared.

“Okay! That’s a wrap! Perfect!”

PD Choi Heewon’s excited voice rang out, louder than ever.

As the staff began swarming like zombies from all directions, Lee Sua and Kim Sun-il exchanged satisfied smiles.

Special Task Force 808.

The climax of their filming had come to a successful end.