The Legendary Detective Catches All the Criminals - Chapter 137



Only Noblemtl

◈Episode 137◈

Incurable disease

Cheongdam Arts High School intersection.

Kim Han-gyeol stopped his car for a moment at a traffic light.

Then he gestured to the school on the left and began to explain.

“That’s the main gate of Cheongdam Arts High School. They say that when it’s time to go to work… no, school, the best cars are parked around there.”

Shin Dae-seong, in the passenger seat, turned his head to look at me and asked.

“When did that happen?”

“Come to think of it, it was founded the year that Detective Shin went to prison. It is our country’s official aristocratic school. The number of parents attending this school is incredible. The current president’s grandson is a minister and vice minister… They say the parents’ meeting is comparable to the State Council of the Republic of Korea.”

“The tuition must be really expensive, right?”

“What are you talking about? They say that the tuition, admission fees, school operation support fees, and other parental burdens are 100 times that of regular high schools.”

“Is it about 50 million won?”

“Probably so. I’m bad with numbers.”

-Brrrrr.

The signal changed and Kim Han-gyeol turned left.

“Should I say I’m lucky? Who would have thought that Hwang Gil-dong would really threaten to blow up Cheongdam Arts High School… Unlike me, Detective Shin seems to be the type where things go smoothly.”

“Isn’t Detective Kim the type that gets tangled up in a lot of things?”

“That’s true.”

Kim Han-gyeol parked his car in front of the main gate security office.

Then a sturdy school janitor approached and asked.

“For what purpose did you come here?”

Kim Han-gyeol showed his police identification card.

“We are detectives from the Unsolved Cases Unit. We have an appointment to see the principal.”

“Are you detectives Shin Dae-seong and Kim Han-gyeol?”

“If you’ve watched TV, you’ll know our faces······.”

“I got a call from the principal. There is a guest parking lot behind the main building.”

“thank you.”

-Brrrrr.

Kim Han-gyeol drove the car slowly.

“He looks like a special agent janitor, not a security guard. He looks like he could even beat up gangsters.”

“That’s right, most of the guards here are from the special forces. They’re completely different from the guards that Detective Kim knows.”

“I can’t even imagine students skipping school······.”

“How was Detective Kim’s school life?”

“I don’t think it would have been possible to deviate from what Detective Shin expected.”

“What am I expecting?”

“Perhaps you think that I was not interested in studying, was rebellious towards my teachers, and didn’t have many friends, so I lived in a world of my own?”

“Correct answer.”

“That’s right for me too. I really hated school life. All I got was interest in whether I was really the illegitimate child of actress Kim Hye-ran.”

Kim Han-gyeol parked his car in the main building parking lot and got out.

“Wow~ The teachers’ tea here is no joke. It’s so obvious that this is an aristocratic school.”

“Wouldn’t someone as skilled as Detective Kim be able to work here?”

“My mother was against it.”

“why?”

“I don’t know. What was my mother’s educational philosophy? If I had gone here, security would have been tight. At the school I went to, reporters would even barge into the classroom.”

Kim Han-gyeol’s face, which had shown signs of depression, immediately brightened.

“The school uniforms look very stylish. Since it’s an arts high school, the students’ appearances are also above average.”

-Bam.

Shin Dae-seong tapped Kim Han-gyeol’s shoulder as he followed the female student.

“Not you.”

“sorry······.”

Kim Han-gyeol quickly changed direction toward the principal’s office.

-dripping.

Shin Dae-seong knocked and waited for a response.

“Who are you?”

“We are detectives from the Unsolved Cases Unit.”

“Come in.”

-Knock knock.

Shin Dae-seong opened the door and went in, and Kim Han-gyeol followed him.

‘The principal’s office is more plain than I expected. I thought it would be filled with incredibly expensive orchids. The principal’s impression is also very warm. But if you’re a principal, shouldn’t you have some crazy charisma?’

The friendly principal, Ha Dong-su, was the first to extend his hand.

“Thank you for taking the time to come here.”

“No, it’s something we should be doing.”

“Please sit here. The sudden bomb threat is giving me a headache. Are you sure it’s Hwang Gil-dong’s threat?”

Shin Dae-seong answered while sitting in the seat recommended by the principal.

“Yes. The special task force for unsolved cases is also in charge of the Hwang Gil-dong case. We have concluded that it is definitely Hwang Gil-dong.”

“I don’t understand why our school became the target of threats. Didn’t Hwang Gil-dong only punish police corruption?”

“With the advent of the Special Investigation Team, his goal has been achieved. Now, it seems that school corruption has become his target.”

Principal Ha Dong-su answered forcefully.

“There is no such corruption or injustice in our school.”

“The principal may be confident, but Hwang Gil-dong seems to think differently. Hwang Gil-dong never stops at threats. He will definitely carry out what is written in the threat.”

“What should I do?”

Shin Dae-seong answered with a serious expression.

“We must suspend all school attendance, conduct a large-scale investigation, and question faculty, students, and parents. Only when safety is completely secured through a thorough investigation can we allow students to return to school.”

“I told you in advance that that wouldn’t be possible.”

“That’s why we came here in person. Detective Kim and I will secretly investigate the blackmail case. The pretext is to reinvestigate the Han Yu-jin case.”

“Why that incident?”

“Cheongdam Arts High School has been very thorough in its internal crackdowns. That is the only suspicious incident that has been made public so far.”

Principal Ha Dong-su checked and asked.

“Is the confidentiality of the blackmail case guaranteed? If this were to be reported to the press, there would be a barrage of accusations that the students’ lives were being disregarded.”

“Don’t worry. Even if something goes wrong, there won’t be any damage to the school. The special investigation unit for unsolved cases requested a secret investigation, and the school simply cooperated.”

“Thank you in every way.”

“But there is a condition. In order to uncover the blackmail incident, there must be active cooperation from the school.”

“I have instructed you in advance to actively cooperate with the investigation by the Special Investigation Team for Unsolved Cases.”

Shin Dae-seong spoke with an even more stern expression.

“There is no need for fake cooperation. The special task force for unsolved cases has put everything on the line for this case. If selective information sharing is confirmed, we will immediately end the secret investigation and notify the press.”

“Don’t worry, that won’t happen.”

It was the time when Principal Ha Dong-su answered seriously.

-Ding dong dang dong~.

The bell rang to signal the end of class.

At that moment, Kim Han-gyeol asked Principal Ha Dong-su in an urgent voice.

“Is this······the lunch hour?”

“you’re right.”

“Somehow······ I feel strangely hungry whenever I come to school. Other people say they get hungry just by wearing their military uniforms for mobilization training.”

Principal Ha Dong-su recognized Kim Han-gyeol.

“Are you actress Kim Hye-ran’s daughter?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“The person our students respect the most is actress Kim Hye-ran.”

“Why should we respect our mother? There are so many people to respect, such as King Sejong, General Yi Sun-sin, Mr. Kim Gu, and Dr. Ahn Jung-geun.”

“I also like actress Kim Hye-ran. Our school offered Detective Kim admission, but actress Kim Hye-ran declined.”

Kim Han-gyeol reacted in disbelief.

“No, why did you refuse? This place is closer to home than the school I went to.”

“Hahaha, we don’t know that either. I think it’s before lunch time. Would you like to come eat with me?”

“No, from now on, we should focus solely on the investigation. Detective Shin and I will eat with the students.”

* * *

Cheongdam Arts High School student cafeteria.

Shin Dae-seong said with a surprised expression.

“Is this really a student cafeteria?”

“Yes, it’s not a hotel restaurant, it’s a school cafeteria. I refused to eat with the principal just to see Detective Shin’s reaction.”

“Can we, outsiders, eat it?”

“Of course. Anyone who enters the school can use it. However······the price of the meal is very evil.”

Kim Han-gyeol bought a meal ticket at the counter.

It costs more than 20 thousand won per sheet.

“Still, it’s worth the money.”

“Yeah, it seems so, looking at the ingredients.”

It was a space no different from a first-class hotel buffet.

“How are you going to proceed with the investigation, not the meal?”

“For now, let’s proceed the way Detective Kim did.”

“Is that really okay?”

“It’s the idea that Detective Kim suggested. I’ll support it as much as I can.”

“Hehehehe, there’s sushi here too.”

Kim Han-gyeol happily ate sushi.

Then he nodded and poked Shin Dae-seong in the side.

“That female student is the victim that Han Yu-jin assaulted. My name is Jeong Ye-na, a third-year student in the vocal music club.”

A noisy students’ dining room.

A female student was eating alone in a dark atmosphere.

It seemed as if he was deliberately avoiding her seat.

“Detective Shin, would you like to sit down and eat together and ask me about the case?”

“Detective Kim, do whatever you want.”

“Then······let’s sit together.”

Kim Han-gyeol filled his plate and went to where Jeong Ye-na was sitting.

“hi.”

“······.”

Kim Han-gyeol greeted her warmly and sat down, but Jeong Ye-na didn’t respond at all.

“The student’s name is Jeong Ye-na, right?”

“!”

Jeong Ye-na stopped spooning and opened her eyes. She reacted as if she was extremely offended.

Kim Han-gyeol quickly waved his hand and continued speaking.

“We’re not suspicious people. Our names are on our name tags.”

“······.”

“Are you normally this quiet? You shouldn’t be this depressed at an age when you can smile just by looking at falling leaves. Why can’t you give me serious advice?”

This is when Kim Han-gyeol persistently tries to have a conversation.

A group of male students came rushing toward us.

“Hey, guys? Why are you flirting with a girl?”

Kim Han-gyeol turned his head and asked.

“Who are you?”

“Can’t you tell by the school uniform? These are students… It looks like you’re here to sell, so you shouldn’t be trolling. I told you I don’t like female students.”

“Yeah, I’m not here to make a sale. I have something to discuss with Jeong Ye-na and Yang, so please don’t interrupt me.”

“Can’t you hear me telling you to just get out? Do you want to be dragged out by the security guards?”

Kim Han-gyeol had no choice but to reveal his identity.

“We’re the police. Okay, now?”

“What? A salty fish is coming into the school······.”

Kim Han-gyeol asked Jeong Ye-na, who was startled.

“Detective Shin and I are investigating the Han Yu-jin fall incident. You were a victim of school violence by Han Yu-jin, right?”

“······.”

Jeong Ye-na kept her mouth shut tightly, and the boy with thick eyebrows raised his voice and questioned.

“Hey, shit! I said no, so why do you keep bothering me?”

“I’m investigating a case right now. I have to ask questions that the other party doesn’t want to hear.”

“Detective, do you have a warrant?”

“warrant?”

“If there’s no warrant, I don’t have to say anything more, right?”

The boy with dark eyebrows grabbed Jeong Ye-na’s hand before Kim Han-gyeol could answer.

“Let’s go out.”

“······.”

Jeong Ye-na got up obediently without protesting.

But Shin Dae-seong wasn’t the kind of person who would let them go so nicely.

“I’ll take the joke here.”

“What did you say?”

Shin Dae-seong asked the boy with thick eyebrows.

“What is your name, student?”

“This is Heo Jin-ho.”

“Is student Heo Jin-ho related to the Jang Ye-na incident?”

“No, I don’t have any.”

“Lies······If you continue to intentionally obstruct the investigation, you will be arrested.”

Heo Jin-ho strongly denied it.

“What are you talking about? Are you saying I’m deliberately interfering with the investigation?”

“Don’t make fun of the police. The special task force for cold cases doesn’t give in to any pressure.”

Kim Han-gyeol warned Heo Jin-ho.

“You heard what Detective Shin said. If you interfere again, you’ll be arrested immediately.”

“Oh, this is annoying… Detectives, do you really want to get fired?”

“Wow~ There really are guys like this? You guys are like, ‘Ok, detectives, idiots,’ and stuff?”

“Do you know who my father is?”

“Why should I know that? I don’t even know who my father is······.”

“Just wait a moment. I’ll blow your brains out right now.”

“Okay~ Go ahead. I’m Kim Han-gyeol from the unsolved crimes unit, and this is detective Shin Dae-seong.”

“Do you really think I can’t do it?”

“No matter how angry you are, don’t speak informally to me. Don’t cross the line.”

Heo Jin-ho answered back with wide eyes.

“If you feel wronged, why don’t you speak informally to me too?”

“This guy is saying the thing I hate the most······.”

“You know what kind of school this is, right? You won’t regret it later. I’ll definitely fire you. Definitely, definitely, definitely!”

Heo Jin-ho kept swearing at Kim Han-gyeol.

Shin Dae-seong quietly got up from his seat.

Then he grabbed Heo Jin-ho’s finger, which was swearing at Kim Han-gyeol,

-Thud.

Just break it and leave it alone.

“Eww!”

Jin-ho Heo, whose fingers were broken, screamed that he was going to die.

Kim Han-gyeol was startled and shouted.

“Ttaaak! Detective Shin, what are you doing?”

“I’m sorry······. I have an incurable disease that makes it impossible for me to tolerate rude students.”