WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Chapter 66: Fame Is Often Exaggerated (3)

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For the past three weeks, Kang Jin-ho's life had been easy.

...Physically easy, at least.

"Senior! I've finished writing today's patrol report! I'll finish the incident report too!"

"Uh... okay."

"Senior! I've finished organizing the civil complaint paperwork! Please assign me my next task!"

"...There isn't one. Take a break."

"Resting is an extension of duty! Understood!"

Whenever Kang Jin-ho arrived at work in the morning, Jeong Do-man had already come in early and finished most of the paperwork. All Kang Jin-ho had to do was make sure Do-man had done it properly, then send the documents up the chain.

Do-man took the lead in dealing with complainants. Kang Jin-ho only had to show his face now and then, smile, and say, "Yes, yes, I'm the person you're looking for."

Even while on patrol, Do-man went around tirelessly and cheerfully. Light City had a particularly poor opinion of the police, but whenever Do-man and Kang Jin-ho walked around together, everyone smiled and greeted them.

He was a sure-fire ace. Competent, friendly, clearly full of admiration for his senior, yet never crossing personal boundaries. Kang Jin-ho was happy to have such an excellent junior.

Still, if you gained something, you lost something else. That was just how the world worked.

"Inspector Choi. Did Senior Kang Jin-ho always spend this much time looking out the window?"

"Not... this much, I don't think? Maybe you've given him more free time..."

"I see. He must be observing the flow of the entire district. Hmm. I've learned something else. See the trees, but don't lose sight of the forest."

"...?"

The price for having it so easy would come in the form of expectations that grew more inflated by the day.

Do-man was already on his second notebook. Its title was Kang Jin-ho's Sayings and Behavioral Studies, Volume 2... Even when Kang Jin-ho agonized over what to have for lunch, Do-man learned something from it. Even when he took too long in the bathroom, Do-man learned something.

Once, while they were on patrol, a citizen said:

"That Kang Jin-ho guy. Isn't he just coasting because he's got a good ability? Why's everyone kissing up to him..."

"Watch your mouth!"

Do-man's face turned bright red as he rushed forward, looking ready to grab the citizen by the collar.

"His ability? Yes, I'm sure it's exceptional! But you citizens don't know the truth!"

Do-man launched into an impassioned speech, spraying spit as he spoke.

"Senior Kang Jin-ho has donated most of the money he's earned so far! He turned down a scouting offer from the Hero Association and stayed a police officer! You think he's coasting because of his ability? There are countless ways to make easy money in this city, but he stayed with the police and donated all his money! Is there anyone else with his ability who'd work for the salary of a local police officer?"

"Uh..."

"Does that sound like coasting to you?"

"...I'm sorry. I spoke without knowing anything."

Only after the citizen apologized did Do-man finally back down. He returned to Kang Jin-ho with a red face and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry, Senior. I got carried away and stepped in without thinking."

"No, well..."

Kang Jin-ho had nothing to say, so he simply kept his mouth shut.

Come to think of it... I had donated a lot too, hadn't I? Tens of billions of won, even... There were plenty of ways for someone with my ability to make money, but I was still working as a police officer.

Of course, half the reason was Eun-yeong and the other half was karma... but he couldn't exactly say that out loud. Keeping quiet was Kang Jin-ho's only option.

-Do-man, can I see that notebook too?

-Of course. I'll send it over now.

"...Do-man. What are you sending?"

"Ah, I was sending a copy of my notebook to a classmate from the Police Academy."

"..."

As if that weren't enough, Do-man's notebook had apparently begun circulating openly among his Police Academy classmates. It was being passed around under the title Teachings of Senior Kang Jin-ho. Whenever Kang Jin-ho heard stories like that, he felt the urge to quit his job and lock himself inside his house.

"Haah..."

At this rate, something terrible would happen. Still, he had no idea how to stop it.

Deflate the image people had of Kang Jin-ho? But he had his connection to Bitna, the No. 1-ranked hero, needed to maintain Eun-yeong's interest, and had to earn money because of karma... Was deflating that image really a good thing?

Yet if he left it alone, the problem would obviously grow worse.

The fact that Do-man's notebook was already spreading was alarming enough. Do-man's classmates were police officials currently assigned to frontline posts. What would happen if they began copying things like "Kang Jin-ho-style investigative methods" or "Kang Jin-ho-style training methods"? Teachings that didn't even exist would spread throughout the police force.

And what if a case broke out in front of Do-man someday, one Kang Jin-ho genuinely knew nothing about? What if Do-man saw his ability fail to work? High expectations only meant he had that much farther to fall.

"Whew..."

Please, don't let that day come. Kang Jin-ho took a sip of coffee that had gone cold before he knew it and let out a deep sigh.

The moment he set down his cup.

-Ding.

"Excuse me... Is this where Officer Kang Jin-ho works?"

A middle-aged woman entered the police station.

"Yes! What can we help you with? Please feel free to tell us what's wrong."

Do-man greeted her in a booming voice. The woman hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Well... my husband's been acting a little strange."

"Strange how, exactly?"

"Well, it's..."

The woman slowly began to explain. From start to finish, her account felt... odd.

"I came home after grocery shopping, and then my husband..."

For the past few weeks or so, her husband had been acting strangely. He wasn't sick. He hadn't been injured. He ate and slept well, and he answered normally when spoken to.

"But... he seems unfamiliar with his own name."

"What?"

"When I call him honey, he answers, but he's always a beat late. Like he isn't sure I was calling him. Sometimes he stands in front of the mirror for a long time, staring at his own face... and his expression looks so confused."

"Hmm."

"Have you taken him to a hospital?"

Kang Jin-ho asked, his fingers laced together.

"Of course. We even went to a large hospital. He had an MRI, every test they could give him, but they said there was nothing wrong. They said it was stress-related and that he should rest, but..."

The woman's eyes reddened, and soon she began to sniffle.

"Officer, that's not it. We've lived together for over twenty years. I'm certain there's something wrong with my husband, but they say there isn't any illness... Could this be the work of a villain? I tried to request help from heroes, but they said they couldn't do anything unless there was something visible right away..."

That was why she had come to Kang Jin-ho, who was famous despite still being a police officer. She was clutching at straws.

"Hmm..."

Frankly, it was a vague complaint.

Could it be a crime committed by an ability user? It wasn't impossible. Kang Jin-ho knew of a few similar cases.

The difference was that the symptoms here were clearly milder than those ability-related crimes, and the locations were different from what he remembered.

It was also unclear whether the police had any grounds to get involved. He could have said, "I'm sorry, but this isn't under our jurisdiction..." and would have been wholly within his rights.

"So first..."

Kang Jin-ho finished thinking it over and was about to tell her, "For now, please go home, and come back if the symptoms continue."

"Wait, I think I've heard something similar."

Officer Kim, who had been flipping through documents near the reception desk, suddenly looked up.

"I heard it at the senior center on Third Alley. One of the elderly people there had similar symptoms. They were collecting contributions for their savings club, and after paying, they apparently froze for a long time when it was time to write down their name."

"I heard something similar too."

This time, it was Officer Choi.

"The son of the dry cleaner next door. He'd been going to school just fine, then suddenly seemed completely out of it and started watching TV all day. The hospital said there was nothing wrong with him, too."

"..."

An odd mood settled over the police station.

One was a coincidence. But three? Could three still be called a coincidence?

Three was a case.

"Hmm."

Kang Jin-ho crossed his arms and sorted through his thoughts.

The dry cleaner near the police station. The senior center on Third Alley. And this middle-aged woman, who had come from quite far away.

The locations where the crimes had occurred were too far apart. In other words, the affected area was enormous.

If this was a case, then the similar symptoms made it clear that the same culprit was responsible. But what villain could do something like this?

To pull this off over such a wide area without being caught, they would have to be at least a 2-rank villain... But who would even do something this pointless...?

"Senior?"

Do-man's call brought Kang Jin-ho back to himself. Right, that was enough thinking for now. First, he had to confirm the situation.

"Ma'am, where did you say you lived?"

"...Near South District 4."

"Then let's leave right away. We should check your husband's condition first. Do-man, get ready."

"Yes, Senior!"

Do-man hurried off to grab his notebook and equipment. Kang Jin-ho put on his jacket as well and was about to head outside.

"...Come to think of it."

His gaze moved to the empty seat beside him.

-I'm taking a few days off for personal reasons~

Eun-yeong had suddenly taken leave and been absent for the past few days. Thinking about it, every time Eun-yeong took leave, something seemed to happen.

And for this to happen now...

'...It couldn't be.'

Kang Jin-ho hurriedly started thinking about what he would eat after work today.

Thoughts this ominous had a way of turning into foreshadowing...!

Footnotes:

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