The Prosecutor’s Office’s Proposal Chapter 176

“Why be envious? You’re still in your 20s; you can just try everything one by one. You’re doing well at work, and you’ve said goodbye to the past that was holding you back, so you only have good things left to enjoy.”

Prosecutor Joo’s firm tone provided me with solid support.

It was always a welcome thing to hear. Having my lover and superior acknowledge that I was doing well—it felt as if the ground I was finally standing on had solidified, after I had spent so long feeling like I had nowhere stable to step. I wondered if Prosecutor Joo felt the same way.

We leisurely finished off the snacks together. Once my stomach was full and the moisture left on my body had dried, my skin, wrapped in the towel, felt hot, as if by a lie. Wanting to submerge myself in the cold East Sea again, I toyed with some grains of sand and looked up at him.

“Shall we go back into the water?”

“Wait a moment.”

He picked up the sunscreen again. Then, he evenly applied the cream all the way to the nape of my neck, which was still red and scorched. His touch, examining every little detail as if he were worried I’d get a sunburn, was warm. It was the kind of affection that only remained in my faint memories from childhood.

I gave up on my stubbornness and eventually rented a tube, as Prosecutor Joo had advised. We had a great time playing in the water together until the afternoon before returning to the hotel. We washed up together, drew the white curtains, and took a deep nap under the sun for the first time in a while.

He woke up midway and tried to talk to me while cuddling me from behind, but because of the aftereffects of being in the sea for the first time in a long while, I didn’t have the strength to lift a finger and couldn’t answer properly. I mumbled something like someone talking in their sleep, but my pronunciation was so slurred that Prosecutor Joo probably couldn’t understand a single word. It was funny that I, who was the one driven by Prosecutor Joo and taken care of by him throughout our playtime, was the more exhausted one.

His large hand slid inside my slightly lifted pajamas and pulled me toward him. However, he only hugged my body tightly from behind and didn’t wake me any further. As I turned my body in my sleep to nestle into his arms, his hand, which had been holding my back, felt firm—as if he hadn’t gone back to sleep since waking up a moment ago. Without realizing it, I curled up and buried my face in his chest. A familiar scent warmly enveloped the tip of my nose. As long as we could press our bare skin against each other, the pink pills were no longer needed.

I slept soundly and only managed to lift my heavy eyelids when evening fell. His deep eyes, cast by the evening sun, were looking down at me as if standing guard. A languid voice checked on how I was doing.

“Did you sleep well?”

“…What time is it?”

“Seven o’clock.”

“Did I sleep for two whole hours? You should have woken me.”

“You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you.”

His long fingers slowly brushed away the hair that had fallen over my face. The breath that touched my forehead was familiar and warm.

Although I had gotten better at sleeping to the point where I had stopped taking insomnia medication, Prosecutor Joo still didn’t touch me if I was sleeping deeply, if he could help it. I rubbed my eyelids and muttered.

“I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

“It’s vacation—what does it matter if you go to sleep late? I had no intention of letting you sleep anyway.”

Knowing he was someone who would do exactly that, I lightly pushed his chest with my fist and turned my body to try and get out of his arms. But a hand appeared from behind in an instant, pulled at my stomach, and dragged me back into his embrace. Warm lips pressed against my nape, and he blew a ticklish, airy “poo—” sound. Since I was completely relaxed, I laughed out loud, and the breeze touching my neck grew even stronger.

It wasn’t even the kind of thing that would have made me laugh in the past, but it seemed the tension that had dominated me my whole life had weakened. Unable to stand the tickling, I struggled, buried my face in his chest, and laughed like a child. Lately, I have a lot of things to laugh about. It’s because even small things feel enjoyable.

Only after he showered me with a barrage of kisses on my forehead and cheeks did he finally let me go.

I rubbed my wet nape with the back of my hand and lightly complained.

“You got saliva all over me.”

“You cling to me and suckle, and you even drink back what I spit out. Is getting some on you really that big a deal?”

“…Please, don’t say things like that.”

“Acting shy has become a habit for you.”

Since it was a familiar scolding, I chose to just let it slide cleanly, stood up from the bed, and fixed my hair. After changing into comfortable clothes, I left the room with him.

The snow crab restaurant Prosecutor Joo had booked was near the resort. Since it was close, we decided to walk instead of taking the car. Because it was midsummer, the sun set late, so the evening sky still showed no signs of being dyed with the sunset. Looking up at the blue sky, which had faded from the daytime, and the low-hanging white clouds, I moved my slipper-clad feet leisurely.

Prosecutor Joo, like me, was dressed in a casual short-sleeved shirt and sneakers. When we date in Danhyeon City, he usually wears dress shoes and semi-formal attire even when going out nearby, so it was the first time I had seen him looking so comfortable.

The path to the restaurant continued long along the sandy beach, passing through a small windbreak forest in front of the resort. Because a dark-colored wooden deck had been installed, we could take a walk without our feet sinking into the sand. Like any other tourists taking pictures in front of the sculptures placed between the decks, we stopped walking from time to time and took pictures together. Just like any ordinary couple.

When we arrived in front of the restaurant, a crab sculpture holding a fork with an angry face welcomed us. Perhaps because it was famous or because it was summer vacation season, the tables were full; if we hadn’t made a reservation, we would have had to wait for a long time. We sat at a clean table covered in plastic next to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sea, ordered a set for two, and asked for a bottle of soju and a bottle of beer.

“I’m going to drink moderately today.”

As I set the boundary first, Prosecutor Joo nodded reluctantly and replied.

“All right. But you know I only pressure you to drink, Mr. Lee Chaeha?”

“I know. You’re the only one you make work overtime, too. Why do you keep making me drink? Is it because you’re a prosecutor?”

“Because it’s fun when you get honest after you’re drunk.”

“You hate it when I say things when I’m sober, so are you okay with me complaining when I’m drunk?”

“It’s a different feeling. When you’re drunk, you’re just funny. You’re cute because you’re like a fool.”

“Do you like it that much when I become easy to handle?”

“You’re easy even when you’re not drunk.”

It was one of Prosecutor Joo’s consistent evaluations of me. If he thinks I’m a subordinate who works well, shouldn’t he look at me a bit more like an adult?

I pushed my lips out slightly and then pulled them back in, intending to set the spoons, but he waved his hand dismissively and picked up the utensils and wet tissues to place them in front of me first. Since we were in a private setting, I comfortably propped my chin on my hand and waited for the preparations to be finished.

Before we ate the main dish, the snow crab, various foods began to come out as part of the course. Seeing the colorful salads and fresh sushi, I felt very hungry, so I picked up my chopsticks immediately. Although I had eaten the snacks Prosecutor Joo prepared at home, a long time had passed—filled with water play and even a nap—so I was more than hungry.

The somaek (soju mixed with beer) that Prosecutor Joo mixed was filled to the brim in a glass cup. We each lifted them, clinked them together with a light “Cheers,” and gulped down the cool alcohol, quenching our thirst. I’m not typically fond of alcohol, but it tasted sweet today of all days. The sushi was average, but because we were eating it at a vacation spot, the atmosphere made it taste even fresher.

Thanks to sipping and sipping every chance I got, the glass emptied quickly. When I reached for the cup again, Prosecutor Joo worried.

“You said you didn’t want to get drunk. Drink slowly.”

Understanding the affectionate implication in his words, I put down the glass I was about to drink from again. After I ate two of my favorite salmon sushi in a row, Prosecutor Joo moved the remaining two pieces onto my front plate as well.

While eating the third salmon sushi, I took out my phone, which was ringing in my pocket again. As expected, it was a message from Section Chief Kim. Even though Prosecutor Joo had told me to reply later, I didn’t have the personality to put off work, so I started writing a reply immediately but had my phone snatched away in the middle.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Section Chief Kim.”

After reading the text, he frowned slightly and gave my phone back.

“Why does he ask things like this?”

“It’s because he gets pointed out by you a lot, Prosecutor.”

“I don’t like him even more because he keeps interrupting the vacation of a junior who’s only in his first year. And he’s old enough, too.”

“Still, Section Chief Kim has a good personality. We’re getting along well.”

Prosecutor Joo stared at me fixedly from across the glass as he drank his alcohol.

“Since you’re even taking his side, Mr. Lee Chaeha, your score is dropping to negative infinity.”

“…Spiteful. I’m going to reply to the senior whose score you’re deducting, Prosecutor.”