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The reward Haejun received for achieving his first successful exorcism was a whopping 30 million won.
With that money, Haejun indulged in the luxuries he enjoyed in his previous life.
He spent half a day swimming at a 5-star hotel, drank fine wine with caviar, and so on...
Naturally, this was something Suho, with his frugal personality, found shocking.
It wasn’t simply because he was poor that he had lived in a goshiwon.
In fact, he was sending half of his salary to his mother back in his hometown, saving up for marriage.
That’s why he had deliberately continued living in the same goshiwon in Noryangjin that he had lived in during his civil service exam days...
But then, why? Just why!
[How could such a scoundrel have possessed my body!!!]
To make matters worse, Haejun even used the remaining money to sign a partial deposit lease contract for a two-room apartment.
It was a newly built villa in pristine condition, with rent costing a third of a police officer’s salary.
Because of this, Suho was now on the verge of fainting.
[P-Please, stop this already...!]
‘You miser. Try enjoying life a little, will you?’
[At this rate, I’ll go bankrupt!!]
‘Heh. From now on, money will flow like a fountain every time we help a ghost find peace, so what’s there to worry about?’
And so, during the two weeks of sick leave, Suho’s life changed completely.
From a cramped, barely 1-pyeong (about 3.3 square meters) goshiwon to a spacious two-room villa.
From someone who had never tasted caviar to someone who knew its flavor.
Finally, the day his two-week sick leave ended arrived.
Haejun’s first day as a police officer was about to begin.
Of course, since it was his first day at work, things didn’t start smoothly.
[Wake up! Please! At this rate, you’ll be late!!!]
‘Ugh, I drank too much last night… Let me sleep just a bit more…’
[How did I even become a police officer?! Please wake up, you scoundrel!!]
‘Exorcising ghosts makes enough money... Do I really need to be a cop, too?’
[Do you not remember the news article the ghosts showed us on your first day in this goshiwon?]
‘…The various crime cases?’
[The cases we’ll be handling are likely related to those articles!]
‘…So what?’
[To get involved with those cases from the articles, you absolutely need police credentials! So, get up right now and go to work!!]
Enraged, Suho shouted and activated his only weapon: an electric massage.
Zzzzt-!
As a result, Haejun had no choice but to open his eyes.
With his eyes open, Haejun quickly washed his face and followed Suho’s guidance out the door.
He took Seoul Metro Line 9 for the first time in his life, heading to Heuksun District Police Station under the Seoul Dongjak Police Department located in Dongjak-gu.
‘Hmm... So this is where I’ll start my second life.’
[What are you waiting for? There’s only one minute left until your start time.]
‘…Maybe it’s because I don’t have good memories of police stations, but I can’t bring myself to move.’
[Just how much trouble did you cause to feel that way?]
As Suho said this, Haejun felt someone’s presence behind him.
When he turned his head,
“Officer Gu, are you feeling better now?”
A middle-aged man with an unfamiliar face gave Haejun a fierce hug.
Haejun couldn’t help but be a little flustered as the bald man, who appeared to be in his mid to late fifties, suddenly embraced him.
Suho explained the man’s identity.
[This is Sergeant Park Seokgi, the leader of Team 2 at the Heuksun Police Substation.]
The rank of sergeant was considered a senior position in the police force.
However, there was no sense of authority in the way Team Leader Park Seokgi treated Haejun.
It was more like the atmosphere of a neighborhood uncle.
“Since our Team 2 mascot is back, shall we have a team dinner today?”
Team Leader Park Seokgi smiled broadly as he led Haejun into the substation.
Ding-a-ling!
With the cheerful sound of a bell, more team members came into Haejun’s view.
All of them were faces that Suho was more than happy to see again.
“Gu Haejun! You’re back! You’ve done well!”
A man in his early forties, wearing glasses, shouted as he warmly welcomed Haejun.
‘Who is this guy now?’
[This is Sergeant Lee Baekho, the second-in-command of Team 2 at the Heuksun Police Substation.]
As Haejun shook hands with the man in glasses, his feelings grew even more mixed.
These people, who had no connection to his previous life, were greeting him with such warm welcomes.
‘But they seem too kind-hearted to be police officers. They’re very different from the ones I’ve met before.’
[What kind of police officers have you met to say something like that?]
‘...Most of them were corrupt cops from developing countries.’
But just as Haejun was responding in this way, someone who made his eyes widen ever so slightly appeared.
“Haejun-ssi! I’m so glad you’re safe! I was really worried about you! Are you feeling better now?”
Patrol partner and direct senior officer, Sergeant Kang Hanna, approached and spoke.
She had short, bobbed hair and a round face like that of a puppy, making her an undeniably cute and attractive woman to anyone who saw her.
‘Oh~ She’s pretty much my type? I almost skipped work when I thought it was just going to be a bunch of old men, but thank goodness.’
[...Don’t even think about trying any funny business with her.]
‘Do you know the three things mercenaries are best at? Shooting, surviving, and pulling off funny business.’
[...Despite how she looks, she was once a reserve member of the national fencing team. Before coming here, she spent five years in the violent crimes unit as a special hire for martial arts, so if you don’t want a hole in your side, you’d better behave.]
‘Fencing? Then our tastes aren’t too far off.’
[Pardon?]
‘My favorite thing is knife fights.’
It was a moment that made Suho feel very uneasy.
For 28 years, he had been known as a ‘decent man who doesn’t make moves on just anyone.’
But now, Haejun seemed to be completely tearing down that reputation.
‘In any case, it’s a relief.’
[...That you have a partner who suits your taste?]
‘No, not that.’
[?]
‘Everyone calls me Haejun.’
At that moment, Suho understood what Haejun meant by ‘relief.’
Before he died, Suho had changed his name to ‘Gu Haejun.’
In other words, if he had become a police officer before the name change, everyone would be calling him ‘Suho’ right now.
[If my colleagues had called you Suho, it would have been awkward for sure.]
‘You really have no idea what a mercenary is, do you?’
[?]
‘The fourth best thing a mercenary does is acting.’
At that moment, Team Leader Park Seokgi interrupted and introduced Suho to a new face, someone unfamiliar.
“Oh, Officer Gu. We have a new member who just joined our team. Come on, Sergeant Hwang, introduce yourself. Officer Gu Haejun, this is our team’s newest member.”
Team Leader Park Seokgi said this as he brought the new person forward.
He was a man in his mid-30s with sharp eyes, wearing a uniform with the name [Hwang Cheolsu] embroidered on it. His physique was solid, almost like someone from a special forces background.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Sergeant Hwang Cheolsu, who just got transferred to the front line from the Police Special Forces a couple of days ago.”
Sergeant Hwang Cheolsu extended his hand for a handshake as he introduced himself to Haejun.
Only then did Haejun and Suho realize why his body was so solid.
‘If he was in the Police Special Forces, he must have been in the Marines or Special Forces.’
[Probably so. Most of them are. But first, shouldn’t you shake his hand? He’s waiting.]
At Suho’s suggestion, Haejun extended his hand and shook Sergeant Hwang Cheolsu’s.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Gu Haejun.”
“I heard from the team leader. You’re from the Marine Reconnaissance Unit, right?”
Haejun was a little surprised by that.
‘Marine Reconnaissance Unit? You, a scaredy-cat?’
It was no wonder that Haejun was surprised.
The Marine Reconnaissance Unit was known for being one of the toughest units in the Marines, where only the top 1% of soldiers undergo training.
In other words, it meant that Suho’s physical abilities were that exceptional.
[If you thought I was just a brainy type, you were mistaken.]
Suho responded with a somewhat proud expression.
But at that moment, Sergeant Hwang Cheolsu grinned slyly and threw out a challenge disguised as a comment.
“That’s a bit unexpected.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you’re from the Marine Reconnaissance Unit, that’s as tough as Special Forces. But Officer Gu, your appearance seems too gentle. With that smiley face, you look more like a priest than a Marine.”
“..........”
“Oh, don’t take it the wrong way. I’m saying you look as good as one of those idols these days.”
The nuance was a bit irritating, but Hwang Cheolsu’s words were something anyone might nod in agreement with.
Haejun’s new body didn’t exactly give off a strong impression.
His pale skin and sharp jawline gave off a delicate vibe.
So, rather than looking reliable, he appeared pretty.
Most of all, since he always wore that default smile, it was inevitable he would look gentle.
In any case, up to this point, it was something Suho could tolerate.
But Hwang Cheolsu’s next words were enough to make even the good-natured Suho flare up.
“But Officer Gu, I heard you nearly drowned while catching a petty thief?”
“........!”
“How could a Marine be so bad at swimming? Are you really from the Reconnaissance Unit? Haha.”
The moment Hwang Cheolsu said that, the atmosphere in the precinct subtly turned cold.
It was too much to joke like that to someone who had just survived a life-or-death situation.
So at this moment, for the first time, Haejun and Suho were on the same page.
‘...Does he even know who’s inside this body to be spouting such nonsense?’
[...Just look at him. He seems like the type who got kicked out of the Special Forces because his physical abilities declined due to slacking off, yet he’s acting all cocky.]
‘It’s a size that can be handled barehanded in 10 seconds.’
[Agreed, absolutely agreed.]
‘Should I go and teach him a lesson?’
[I won’t stop you... But make sure to leave no trace.]
At Suho’s cool response, Haejun showed a somewhat surprised expression.
However, this tension didn’t escalate into a fight.
This was because Sergeant Kang Hanna, quick to read the situation, swiftly intervened between the two.
“Haejun-ssi, hurry up and change into your uniform.”
“?”
“We need to go out for the morning patrol.”
***
And so, a little while later.
After changing into his teal uniform, Haejun found himself in the driver’s seat of a patrol car for the first time in his life.
‘I never thought I’d be driving a patrol car in my life.’
The inside of the patrol car, which he was seeing for the first time, was somewhat fascinating.
In the middle, between the driver’s seat and the passenger seat, there was a navigation system that showed reports and their locations.
Next to it were the emergency radio for urgent calls and a switch that, when pressed, would sound the siren with a “wee-woo” noise.
“Phew… You’ve had it rough since this morning, Haejun-ssi.”
Kang Hanna said as she got into the passenger seat.
She, too, seemed displeased with the newly transferred Hwang Cheolsu.
“That guy, Hwang Cheolsu, is really weird. I heard he was kicked out of the special forces after failing the promotion exam…”
“.........”
“To stay in the special forces, you have to keep passing the promotion exams, right? And your training scores have to be good too. But maybe because he fell behind there... I get the feeling that something is off about him.”
“....Rather than being messed up because they fell behind, there’s a higher chance they were just born a trashy person.”
Haejun answered casually.
Kang Hanna’s eyes widened slightly at his words.
It was because Haejun’s tone was 180 degrees different from the gentle manner he had in the past.
“....Are you sure you’re fully recovered, Haejun-ssi?”
“No, I’m perfectly fine.”
“Oh, really?”
“Why do you ask?”
“No, it’s just that... the atmosphere seems completely different from before.”
Haejun laughed inwardly at Kang Hanna’s words.
Then, following Suho’s voice that only he could hear, he drove the patrol car.
He headed toward the street in Heukseon-dong where one-room apartment complaints were most frequently reported.
However, the moment the patrol car entered the street mostly populated by college students living in one-room apartments,
Ding-! Ding-! Ding-!
Suddenly, the sound of chimes echoed from the patrol car’s navigation system.
It was the sound of an alert for a report.
Next, a voice from the situation room staff came through the radio.
- Heukseon Patrol Car One, you’ve been assigned case number 1247. Please confirm.
Kang Hanna picked up the radio and responded.
“Received.”
When Kang Hanna replied, the details of the report appeared on the navigation screen.
- [Text Report: Someone wearing a raincoat is constantly peeking into the room from outside the first-floor window.]
Haejun squinted his eyes and checked the message.
Haejun, who had gone from being a mercenary to a police officer.
It was the moment his first case was assigned to him.
