After Dark (Prompts)

Be With You - 3

"Congratulations! You received the highest score in the exam."

Im Cheol-Ryung smiled at the memory. He was now drinking a cup of coffee close to the end of the workday and he was still thinking about that brief interaction from this morning.

The training session was interesting. He could tell that the Inspector knew her job well provided helpful tips to them in case they needed to diffuse the situation quickly, before the negotiation team came in.

"Appeal to the human side in them. Most of them still have a conscience and it helps to remind them of that," Ha Chae Yoon said.

"Even if they're an international firearms dealer?" One of the other detectives called out.

"Even then," the Inspector replied, sternly. "Even then."

Im Cheol-Ryung frowned. Leaning to Kang  Jin-tae, he asked, "Why did that other detective ask that?"

"Inspector Ha handled that hostage crisis," Kang Jin-tae replied. "If not for her, there would be many more people dead. She got the hostage taker out safely."

"That was her?!" Im Cheol-Ryung asked. Impressed, he recalled the news that was spreading in the station about that situation. Everyone thought that it would surely end up worse with a high body count. It was still quite bad. However, the innocents got out safely. So did the primary suspect and the other corrupt officials, who were now being prosecuted.

She received numerous commendations so it was quite flattering to get a compliment from her. "We rarely get the perfect score in this exam. Maybe you should consider joining the team," she told him.

"I'm good where I am. Thanks," was all Im Cheol-Ryung told her.

Ha Chae Yoon frowned, surprised at how curt he was. Shrugging it off, she bid him goodbye. "Alright. See you around."

He mumbled a reply then quickly left. 

But, while he waited for the elevators to take him down, he stole a sideways glance at the Inspector. She was speaking to one of the detectives who had a clarification. The man seemed to say something funny which made her laugh. 

There it was again -- the need to smile along with her, which he promptly corrected by scowling. 

"Boy, you're in a really terrible mood today," Kang Jin-tae noted. "I wouldn't want to be the criminal who crosses you tonight. Why are you in such a snit?"

"Nothing. I'm not in a snit," Im Cheol-Ryung said, defensively.

The lifts finally arrived and Kang Jin-tae boarded immediately, while Im Cheol-Ryung gave one last sideways look to the direction of the training room. To his surprise, the Inspector was staring his way and was walking to where he was. He immediately joined Kang Jin-tae and closed the doors to the elevator.

Kang Jin-tae gave him a strange look but said nothing. 

*

"Inspector Ha!"

Ha Chae Yoon looked up to see her teammate, Lee Da-bin, approaching her. At her desk, Ha Chae Yoon asked the newcomer, "Yes?"

"I saw the attendees of the training today. Im Cheol-Ryung was there?!" Lee Da-bin asked, excitedly.

"Yes. He aced the exam at the end of it," Ha Chae Yoon shared. 

Lee Da-bin swooned. "That man is smart, too?! Oh my. Some people have it all."

"What do you mean?" Ha Chae Yoon asked, confused with what Lee Da-bin was saying. 

"Oh, come on, Inspector. Surely you've noticed how handsome the man is?" Lee Da-bin said. 

"He's alright," Ha Chae Yoon said. He had a nice face, sure, but she thought that he lacked the sex appeal she saw in a certain crime lord, who was now in jail.

Lee Da-bin rolled her eyes. "I guess, YOU would be the lucky one. Imagine, a hot criminal on one week, then an attractive cop the next? WOW!"

Ha Chae Yoon clucked her tongue at the young officer. "You make it sound like I slept with both of them. I arrested one and trained the other. That's it."

"I wonder who'd be better in bed though?"

"Sheesh, Lee Da-bin. We're at work," Ha Chae Yoon reminded her. When her colleague left, Ha Chae Yoon did wonder about one thing.

A criminal in bed was one seemingly very exciting thing, but was it possible that a law enforcer could be as hot in bed? She never dated a cop before because she didn't want the complication but now she wondered if she was missing out.

Ha Chae Yoon groaned inwardly. She needed a serious date. She hadn't been in a relationship for so long that she was considering what it was like to sleep with a colleague, something she told herself she would never do.

When her work day was finally done, she changed into her street clothes and head out. As she passed by the reception, she saw a certain detective heading out as well. "Good evening, Detective Im Cheol-Ryung!"

The man turned to the direction of her voice. Recognising her from the training, his eyes widened and he visibly put a gap between them. "Oh. Hi."

She was puzzled by his reaction but decided not to call him out on it. "Done for the day?"

"Uhm... hmmm," was all he said but nodded to answer her question. He planned to leave it at that but Kang Jin-tae appeared.

"Inspector Ha!" Kang Jin-tae greeted her. "Heading home?"

Ha Chae Yoon nodded. "You?"

"Cheol-Ryung and I decided to have a beer to cap off this busy week. Would you want to join us?" Kang Jin-tae invited, much to Im Cheol-Ryung's surprise. "I'm with this guy so much, my wife thinks we're having an affair."

Ha Chae Yoon looked from Kang Jin-tae to Im Cheol-Ryung. "You do look cute together."

Kang Jin-tae doubled over laughing, while that comment earned a snort from Im Cheol-Ryung. "So, what do you say? One beer."

Ha Chae Yoon narrowed her eyes. "Make it two and I'm in."

The place they decided to go to was a short walk from the station. Im Cheol-Ryung walked behind them while Ha Chae Yoon and Kang Jin-tae chatted away. Noticing that he's been quiet and has looked forward the entire time, casting a cursory glance at them once every few minutes, Ha Chae Yoon asked Kang Jin-tae, "Does he talk?"

That made Kang Jin-tae laugh again. "Very little. His words are worth a lot." 

"Oh. I see," Ha Chae Yoon said. "Won't he get bored while we babble here?"

Im Cheol-Ryung rolled his eyes before he took a seat at the table they were given at the bar. "I can hear the two of you, you know?"

Ha Chae Yoon giggled and Im Cheol-Ryung couldn't help but gaze at her. "Are you always so serious, Detective?"

"No reason to be happy," Im Cheol-Ryung replied.

There was a hitch in his voice that made Ha Chae Yoon bite her retort. Staring at him curiously, "Hmmm...."

"What?"

"Nothing," Ha Chae Yoon said. She was dying to know why one would say that but she felt like this was not the time for it. Turning to Kang Jin-tae, she asked, "So, are you buying the first round?"