<Episode 61>
First, secure witnesses.
I left that task to Seah.
She confidently thumped her chest.
“Leave it to me. I’m still in contact with several of the victims.”
She nodded reassuringly, saying that once they were shown the CCTV footage we had obtained, they would definitely cooperate.
‘Next comes evidence.’
That was the trickiest part.
The incident had happened five years ago, so almost no materials remained.
Still, giving up was not an option.
For now, we decided to thoroughly comb through the CCTV footage obtained from the archives and see whether any other segments were showing Park Jaemin.
As for finding out why the security classification of the case had been changed, I left that to Hunter Lee Hyunwoo.
His smiling face came to mind as he assured me not to worry, saying he could investigate it using his authority as a team leader.
‘He said he was glad he could help me. Saying something like that with that expression… No, no! This isn’t the time to be thinking about things like that.’
I waved my hand as though trying to erase Lee Hyunwoo’s smiling face from my mind.
Beside me, Ari narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Unni, you’ve been really weird lately. You know that, right?”
“…Me? Have I?”
Ari seemed hurt that I kept getting involved in things without including her.
Still, she didn’t immaturely insist on being told everything.
Instead, she spoke quite maturely.
“I can handle the shop by myself. If something urgent comes up, just let me know.”
“Thanks, Ari.”
“…It’s nothing.”
I lightly patted the embarrassed Ari on the back.
Exposing Hunter Park Jaemin’s crimes to the world could be more dangerous than we imagined.
He was a hunter beloved by everyone, and at the same time, the son of Vice Director Park Seongcheol.
That was why I didn’t want someone as young as Ari getting dragged into this.
“I’ll definitely tell you when the time comes.”
Watching her nod, I sank back into thought.
There was still one crucial issue remaining.
Park Jaemin’s alibi during the Incheon Gate Incident.
Proof that he had left the Bureau instead of attending training.
‘They said attendance is always checked during training sessions. Then Park Jaemin shouldn’t have had any attendance record on the day of the incident.’
Of course, there was no immediate way for me to verify his attendance.
But I did know someone who had access to the relevant system.
Hunter Yoon Kanghyuk the head of the Security Team.
***
“Hello, Hunter Yoon Kanghyuk! Your complexion looks even better these days.”
“Ahaha! Does it? I suppose I’ve been feeling a lot more at ease lately.”
Even beneath his sunglasses, I could see his skin practically glowing.
The corners of his mouth kept lifting as well.
He really did seem happy.
“That happy, huh?”
“K-Khm. Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve dated someone… I guess I’m being a little ridiculous, aren’t I?”
That’s right.
Hunter Yoon Kanghyuk had officially started dating my friend Shinhye.
Thanks to Shinhye calling me after every date and enthusiastically telling me every little detail, I was already familiar with their entire love story.
‘Still, it’s nice seeing him happy.’
Smiling faintly, I checked my surroundings before lowering my voice.
“I came to check some program records. Hunter Lee Hyunwoo told you about it, right?”
At the mention of Lee Hyunwoo, Yoon Kanghyuk paused briefly before nodding.
“…Ah, yes. I received word. He said it was a Level 1 confidential matter. Is that correct?”
I nodded.
As expected, asking Lee Hyunwoo for help beforehand had paid off.
“When the Bureau runs training programs, attendance is checked using Hunter IDs, right? How long are those records kept?”
“Hmm. Let’s see. Since the data is regularly backed up… honestly, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that most of the information is still preserved.”
That was a relief.
If the records had disappeared, things would have become complicated.
After instructing the other team members to go on patrol, Yoon Kanghyuk beckoned me over.
“You requested records from the last five years, so I prepared them in advance. Feel free to take a look.”
Using a shortcut key, he jumped directly to March from five years ago.
Fortunately, there hadn’t been many training sessions that month.
‘…Found it.’
Just as expected, a rookie hunter training session had been held on the same day the Incheon Gate Incident occurred.
I focused on the list displayed on the screen.
Then…
‘…Park Jaemin’s name is there?’
Right in the middle of the roster.
Park Jaemin’s name was clearly listed.
But he had been in Incheon, not at the Bureau.
‘What is going on here?’
Still, there was one possibility.
The record might have been altered.
“Can this attendance system be manipulated?”
“W-Well, that…”
Hmm.
So it could.
I could practically see his eyes darting around beneath those sunglasses.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep it a secret.”
“Sigh… It’s not that big a deal. Anyone who’s been around long enough already knows.”
“So that means it can be manipulated?”
“Yes. People have personal circumstances sometimes, you know?”
Unfortunately, logs showing who modified records only remained for one week.
The logs from five years ago had undoubtedly already been overwritten.
‘…But simply proving that the records can be altered isn’t enough.’
I needed definitive proof that he had been outside the Bureau that day.
“Do attendance records remain on Hunter IDs as well?”
“Ah, right. They do. Most people don’t know that, though.”
Yoon Kanghyuk nodded with a ‘‘As expected, you know about that’’ expression.
I desperately maintained a calm face.
Honestly, I had only asked on a whim, hoping there might be something.
And it actually turned out to be true!
That was a pretty good guess.
“K-Khm. Even if the program records can be altered, the Hunter ID records can’t be manipulated, right?”
“They’re GPS-based records. Manipulating them is practically impossible.”
Bingo!
Unable to contain myself, I clenched my fist.
It felt like one of the dead ends blocking my path had finally opened up.
“Thank you, Hunter Yoon Kanghyuk! You’ve been a huge help.”
“By the way, what exactly are you investigating? Did something happen…?”
“Sorry. It’s highly confidential. I’ll tell you once everything is confirmed.”
After saying goodbye to the bewildered man, I left the building.
Now I needed a way to obtain Park Jaemin’s Hunter ID.
Fortunately, the solution wasn’t far away.
The moment Seah heard that we needed Park Jaemin’s Hunter ID, she immediately rolled up her sleeves.
“…You’re going yourself, Ms. Seah?”
“Not by myself. Together with you, Boss.”
Without offering any explanation, she grabbed my arm and dragged me along.
“W-Wait a second! Aren’t you going to explain anything?”
“You’re terrible at lying, Boss. It shows all over your face.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Besides, things like this are all about speed. We have to pressure him before he realizes something’s suspicious.”
Was I really that bad at lying?
I didn’t think I was that obvious.
As I unconsciously rubbed my face, I followed after her.
We stopped in front of Building E, where Alpha Team was stationed.
Turning toward me, Seah asked:
“Boss, you brought the bungeoppang, right?”
“I did, but… will this actually work?”
“Don’t worry. It’ll work perfectly.”
Her plan was simple.
Disguise ourselves as bungeoppang delivery staff and enter the building.
Honestly, Alpha Team hardly ever used our shop, so I wasn’t convinced it would work…
“Thank you! Have a good day!”
“You too!”
We got through absurdly easily.
“…What just happened?”
“Park Jaemin made it painfully obvious that he’s interested in you. The guards just assumed there was some arrangement they weren’t aware of.”
Seah shrugged as we rode the elevator.
“That’s how subordinates are. They don’t want to mess with someone who might have a personal connection to their superiors. You never know what kind of trouble it could cause later.”
She shook her head, saying she had once followed the rules to the letter and gotten chewed out badly for it.
The elevator rose smoothly toward the upper floors where Alpha Team was located.
Before the doors opened, Seah looked at me.
“Ready?”
I swallowed and nodded.
If we could just figure out where Park Jaemin was…
But then, with a confident smile, Seah strode into the hallway and suddenly started shouting.
“Hey! Park Jaemin!! Where are you?! Get out of here right now!”
Her aggro level was insane.
Covering my mouth in shock, I hurried after her.
Security personnel rushed out to stop her.
‘…Surely she doesn’t mean for me to sneak in during the distraction?’
While I looked around nervously, a door at the far end slid open.
And the person we were looking for stepped out.
“Why is there so much commotion… Huh? Haneul? I never imagined I’d see you here.”
Smiling gently, he looked toward Seah, who was currently being restrained by security officers.
His expression stiffened briefly.
Then he casually gestured.
“…Looks like there’s another guest too. Come in.”
And just like that, we entered Park Jaemin’s domain.
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