Chapter 3
**Going to Work**
"Good morning."
3rd floor of the Gangjung Police Station in Seoul.
"Huh, Inspector Lee? Are you okay? Did you get discharged too early?"
"I'm fine. They said I was just tired from not getting enough sleep."
"Alright, take it easy."
Receiving greetings from his fellow officers, Juwon entered the violent crimes investigation team.
The office was the same as usual. Detectives handling administrative tasks, and others who were out in the field chasing criminals.
However, the atmosphere in the far corner of the office, where the Violent Crimes Investigation Team 3 was located, felt a bit different.
*Click-clack. Click-clack.*
A middle-aged man with a bald head was staring intently at a monitor, while a young man had his nose buried in a strange book, flipping through its pages.
They were Team Leader Gu Jin-gu and the rookie officer Han Geon-woo of Violent Crimes Investigation Team 3.
This team was at the bottom of the performance rankings in Gangjung Police Station.
On paper, their skills seemed comparable to other teams, but due to incredibly bad luck, they had never achieved any significant results.
The monitor and book they were currently focused on contained "investigation techniques" and "how to be a good police officer"—things that were far removed from actual fieldwork.
[Still, Team Leader Gu Jin-gu, Sergeant Kim Seok-ho, Rookie Officer Han Geon-woo, and now Juwon—they all have an incredible passion for catching criminals. It's just that their performance is rock bottom.]
'Right? It's frustrating, isn't it?'
Because of this, the cases assigned to them were noticeably fewer compared to other teams.
That's why, unlike other teams, they had the luxury of leisurely reading columns and books.
[It seems like a waste of tax money. Is there really a reason to maintain a team like this?]
'You're an alien AI, but you know about taxes?'
[I've analyzed all the memories accumulated since Juwon's birth. I know much more about South Korea's systems than you remember. I also know the term "tax wasters."]
But whose side is this guy on?
'Everyone's trying their best. We're not so useless that we deserve to be called tax wasters, okay? We caught that package thief recently. We do have our uses.'
[Those uses are pretty small, though.]
'Let's not talk about this.'
Juwon cleared his throat and raised his head.
"I'm here."
"...Huh? Inspector Lee!"
"Sir!"
At the sound of Juwon's voice, the two men sprang up and approached him enthusiastically.
"Are you okay now?! We were so worried after you got discharged like that yesterday!"
"Sir, isn't it too early to come back to work? Shouldn't you take a few more days off?"
"I'm fine now. I've rested enough."
As Juwon exchanged greetings with his team, Terra's voice echoed in his head.
[Team Leader Gu Jin-gu and Rookie Officer Han Geon-woo seem to have a favorable opinion of you, Juwon.]
"I'm not the type of person people usually dislike."
Juwon chuckled softly as he looked at Team Leader Gu Jin-gu and Rookie Officer Han Geon-woo, who were concerned about him. But then, an irritating voice came from behind.
"What’s there to brag about a cop collapsing on the street while chasing a criminal? Coming back like some hero..."
Juwon’s head turned sharply.
There stood a man in his mid-30s with thick black hair and sharp, narrow eyes.
It was Sergeant Kim Seok-ho.
"Huh?"
"Oh, you’re here early. I thought you’d take a bit more time off."
Kim Seok-ho, who had twisted his words and gave a slight nod, walked over to his desk across the room.
[Is that Sergeant Kim Seok-ho the jerk you were thinking of?]
The man’s sideways glance and that protruding mouth.
'You can tell just by looking, right?'
[Yes, it’s clear that Sergeant Kim Seok-ho also sees you as a jerk.]
'What?'
At that moment, Team Leader Gu Jin-gu gave Juwon a look that said, "Just let it go," patted him on the shoulder, and returned to his seat.
As Rookie Officer Han Geon-woo also went back to his desk, Juwon sat down at his own.
And then, the same sounds as before.
*Click-clack. Click-clack.*
Compared to the other teams, Team 3 was eerily quiet.
Juwon took off his coat, turned on his computer, and spoke to Terra in his mind.
'You’ve got your first task.'
[Just say the word. I’ll help.]
'I think we need to boost Team 3’s performance. We need to show that we’re not as incompetent as people think.'
[Is there a reason you’re so determined to stay with Gangjung Station’s Team 3? You could solve cases on your own and move to a better place.]
'You just don’t get it... They’re like family to me. No matter how bad our performance is.'
[Hmm. I understand.]
'Hmm? What do you mean, "hmm"? Do you really understand?'
[Strictly speaking, I’ve accepted it. It’s difficult for an AI to fully understand humans.]
Juwon ruffled his hair in frustration.
There’s no winning an argument with this guy.
'So, you’re saying you’ll help, right?'
[Yes. I’ll use the knowledge buried beyond the memories you’ve neglected to assist you.]
'This guy, since when did he start talking so smoothly...'
Just then, Team Leader Gu Jin-gu, who had been quietly observing, poked his head out and spoke to Sergeant Kim Seok-ho.
"Ah, there’s been a traffic accident. Sergeant Kim, could you go check it out?"
"Yes, understood."
"It seems like a simple accident, so just take statements from any witnesses around and check the CCTV before coming back."
Listening to their conversation, Juwon muttered under his breath.
'I should go too.'
[You mean go to the scene with Sergeant Kim Seok-ho?]
'Yeah. I need to see the scene for myself anyway.'
[Understood. Seeing the evidence at the scene firsthand will be more helpful in understanding the case than just looking at photos.]
"Indeed. Very commendable."
Anyone watching would think Terra was his parent.
Juwon let out a bemused laugh and raised his hand.
"I’ll go too."
"Ah… Inspector Lee? Are you sure you’re ready to go out to the field already?"
At Team Leader Gu Jin-gu’s concerned voice, Juwon nodded.
"Yes, I’m fine!"
"Alright, you two go together."
"Tsk—"
[Juwon, the jerk is making uncomfortable noises.]
'…Be quiet.'
A short while later.
A police car pulled up on a quiet road on the outskirts of Seoul.
*Thud! Thud!*
The sound of car doors opening and closing without a word, and Juwon and Sergeant Kim Seok-ho stepped out of the car.
[Sergeant Kim Seok-ho really doesn’t seem to have even a shred of goodwill toward you.]
'Do I look like I have even a hint of goodwill toward Sergeant Kim either?'
[Why does Sergeant Kim Seok-ho dislike you so much?]
'Because I’m too good?'
[Juwon, you are above average in South Korea. You have a handsome appearance, and while your theoretical knowledge might be slightly lacking, you’re still considered a half-genius, with skills even police academy students would acknowledge.]
'Right. I am pretty exceptional…'
[However, I don’t think the reasons above are why Sergeant Kim Seok-ho dislikes you. Could it be because you graduated from the police academy?]
At Terra’s words, Juwon’s gaze shifted to Sergeant Kim Seok-ho, who was already inspecting the scene ahead.
'Well… maybe. But I don’t know for sure.'
Just then.
Sergeant Kim Seok-ho, who had been quietly surveying the scene, approached Juwon.
"You read the case file on the way here, right?"
"Yes. It’s about a mid-sized SUV hitting a pedestrian."
"Right. As you saw in the file, it’s probably just a simple traffic accident."
"We can’t be sure. It could be a murder disguised as a traffic accident."
At Juwon’s words, Sergeant Kim Seok-ho, who had been quietly observing him, let out a sigh.
"Inspector Lee, you know that’s a sickness, right? Making every case unnecessarily complicated."
Crossing his arms, he walked around the scene and continued.
"The time of the incident was midnight. There are no streetlights here, so the driver would’ve relied solely on the car’s headlights, and the range of the headlights would’ve only reached about here."
Sergeant Kim Seok-ho’s foot stopped at a spot.
Right in front of where the victim and the car had collided.
"There wouldn’t have been any cars around, this road is usually deserted, and it was early morning. The driver must’ve been careless and turned the wheel a bit too early before the left turn."
Juwon stood silently, watching Sergeant Kim Seok-ho.
Then, he continued.
"But then, suddenly—*bang*! The driver felt something collide, panicked, and jerked the wheel sharply. Like this."
Sergeant Kim Seok-ho gestured with his hand, tracing the direction the truck had swerved, and turned his body.
"So, the conclusion is, it’s a traffic accident caused by the driver’s simple carelessness."
Having finished his explanation, Sergeant Kim Seok-ho looked at Juwon.
His expression seemed to say, *If you have something to say, say it.*
But Juwon remained silent.
*What’s going on?*
Normally, Juwon would argue that there’s still a possibility of intent, that they should investigate the driver’s surroundings, or that they should re-examine the case—acting like an overzealous young detective who’s watched too many thriller dramas.
*Why is he like this?*
Juwon kept his mouth shut, his eyes alternating between Sergeant Kim and the accident site.
"Hey, Inspector Lee."
Sergeant Kim Seok-ho approached Juwon.
"If you’re spinning another one of those stories about how the driver might’ve suddenly turned into a psycho, let’s just drop it. We don’t have much time left before our reassignment anyway. So, let’s wrap up this simple case quickly and…"
"It’s not… that simple."
Sergeant Kim Seok-ho’s eyes narrowed.
Then, with a look that said, *Here we go again*, he let out a sigh.
A moment earlier.
- *Inspector Lee, you know that’s a sickness, right? Making every case unnecessarily complicated.*
As Sergeant Kim Seok-ho walked around the scene and spoke, Terra’s voice echoed in Juwon’s mind.
[It seems Sergeant Kim Seok-ho doesn’t dislike you out of envy, but rather out of annoyance. He probably sees you as a passionate kid who creates unnecessary work.]
'You don’t have to explain it like that.'
- *The time of the incident was midnight. There are no streetlights here, so the driver… There wouldn’t have been any cars around, this road is usually deserted… Suddenly—bang! The driver felt something collide… So, the conclusion is, it’s a traffic accident caused by the driver’s simple carelessness.*
'Hmm. That’s a plausible deduction.'
[But you don’t agree with it.]
'Yeah. There’s the principle of presumption of innocence, but we still shouldn’t rule out the possibility that the driver caused the accident intentionally.'
[That’s a good mindset for a police officer.]
'Then instead of praising me, why don’t you help me out? What do you think?'
[I can’t definitively determine yet whether the accident was intentional or not. But there’s one thing that stands out.]
'What is it?'
[The skid marks.]
Skid marks are the traces left on the road when a car slams on the brakes and the tires skid.
But then.
'What, what’s this?'
A car began to appear in front of Juwon’s eyes.
[It’s a simulation. I’ve connected your optic nerves to my main system.]
A simulation visible only to Juwon.
Like VR, a virtual vehicle appeared before his eyes.
As the car that had been speeding toward him slowed down, Terra continued.
According to the case file, the last place the driver's vehicle was captured on CCTV before arriving at the scene was a road in front of a convenience store near the river, a bit away from here. It is 16 km away from this location.
Marveling at the strange sight before his eyes, Juwon asked,
"But?"
[The driver reported the incident to 119 at 03:28 AM. The time captured on the convenience store CCTV was 03:18 AM. In those 10 minutes, the driver had to drive here at a speed of 100 km/h to hit the victim.]
As Terra spoke, the slow motion released, and the car quickly approached Juwon.
Of course, only Juwon could see it.
The simulation car, moving at high speed, turned its steering wheel at the spot where Inspector Kim Seok-ho was standing and headed toward the point of collision.
[But there are no skid marks at the scene.]
For some reason, the driver was speeding down the national highway at 100 km/h.
And here, they hit the victim and turned the steering wheel.
But there are no skid marks.
Which means...
"They didn't brake suddenly?"
[Yes. If, as Inspector Kim Seok-ho said, they felt something hit them and turned the steering wheel, they would have definitely braked suddenly as well.]
Looking at the spot where the accident vehicle collided, Juwon thought to himself,
"But it was such a split-second moment, and they were probably too disoriented to remember to hit the brakes."
[But that doesn't explain why the driver's vehicle stopped in such a safe spot.]
The place where the driver's vehicle stopped after hitting the victim.
It was on a hill next to a streetlight in a diagonal direction.
[In that disoriented state, the driver managed to avoid the streetlight, which could have injured them, and crashed the car into the hill. Very safely.]
