Episode 3: Lee Jin-woo
***
Mother and Hyun-ji were sitting at the kitchen table.
“It’s been a week, right?”
At Hyun-ji’s question, their mother nodded weakly.
It had been a week since Jin-woo was discharged from the hospital.
Yet, Jin-woo hadn’t stepped out of his room.
Except for bathroom trips, he was always holed up in there.
Even meals had to be left outside his door.
Hyun-ji stared at the closed door and muttered,
“Sigh…”
She remembered Jin-woo’s high school days.
Back then, he was a shut-in, glued to games and anime.
He had been pathetic.
She thought he’d improved after becoming a police officer, but now it felt like he’d reverted to those days.
***
At that moment, Jin-woo was sitting at his desk, planning his next steps.
His goal: revenge.
His targets: Jo Hak-ju and Jin Woo-ryung.
They held Jinbaek Group in their grasp, mingling with the powerful.
But Jin-woo was just a cop—a rookie at that.
In front of them, he was a mouse before a cat.
A rookie cop taking on a chaebol was like an egg trying to crack a rock.
However, Jin-woo had the experience of building Jinbaek Group from nothing.
If he started making money now, he believed he could eventually take back everything from Jinbaek.
And he remembered the location of the slush fund he’d hidden as Baek Dong-ha.
It wasn’t much, just pocket money he’d stashed away, but it would be useful.
But then—
‘No, that won’t do.’
The combined market capitalization of Jinbaek Group’s affiliates exceeded 500 trillion won.
Even if he started earning money now, it would take far too long to reclaim Jinbaek.
And retrieving the slush fund immediately was too risky.
He could get caught in their radar.
That was something to handle slowly.
The bigger issue was that by the time he amassed enough wealth to take on Jinbaek, Jo Hak-ju and Jin Woo-ryung might no longer be alive.
Letting them die peacefully of old age was not what Jin-woo wanted.
He wanted to show them hell.
So, Jin-woo changed his approach.
‘If I can’t take Jinbaek, I’ll destroy it.’
If he couldn’t have it, he’d bring it to ruin.
And that was possible.
Jin-woo knew about Jinbaek Group’s dirty dealings and how they operated.
If he exposed all of it to the world, Jinbaek would surely collapse.
Of course, a rookie cop couldn’t expose such corruption.
It would be buried quietly, and Jin-woo would likely meet a grim end.
He even considered finding a different job.
But then, a sly smile crossed his face.
‘No… that’s not right.’
No one would ever suspect a single cop of investigating Jinbaek.
Even Jin-woo himself had thought it impossible.
That’s why he could prepare in secret.
Like an assassin, he could approach silently and take them down.
Besides, no one stays a rookie forever.
If he climbed the ranks quickly, he could gain power.
And if he recovered his hidden slush fund, he’d have wealth too.
With both, revenge was entirely possible.
Having finalized his thoughts, Jin-woo slowly stood up.
It was time to act.
He opened the closed door and stepped into the living room.
Mother and Hyun-ji, sitting at the table, stared at him with wide eyes.
Mother stood up awkwardly.
“What’s wrong? Hungry? Want some food?”
“No. When do I go back to work? Can I start tomorrow?”
Mother looked at Jin-woo with uneasy eyes.
“Work?”
“Yeah. I’m a police officer, right?”
Hyun-ji shook her head.
“I told you, oppa, you know what kind of situation you’re in.”
“The pathetic cop?”
“Yeah.”
“So, was I fired over it? Didn’t you say I was on sick leave?”
Being a cop who ran from thugs was a big deal.
They might have fired him to restore public trust in the police.
If so, he’d need to change his plans.
“You weren’t fired. You’re on sick leave, but…”
He’d been disciplined, but it wasn’t a major issue.
However—
“Reporters are really interested in you. If you go back to work, they’ll swarm the station.”
Jin-woo smirked.
“Reporters… that’s actually a good thing.”
“Huh?”
Jin-woo was already labeled a pathetic cop.
There was only one way to shake off that stigma: achieve something greater.
And for that, reporters were essential.
But Hyun-ji didn’t know what he was thinking.
“A good thing?”
Jin-woo waved his hand dismissively.
Explaining was too much hassle.
“Whatever. So, I can go back to work tomorrow, right?”
At that moment, something flashed through Jin-woo’s mind.
It was a vivid image of someone throwing a trash can at him.
The fleeting scene felt as real as if he’d seen it with his own eyes.
‘What was that?’
It was strange, but he brushed it off.
He figured it was a fragment of a memory from this body’s past resurfacing.
***
The next day, Jin-woo left the house under the worried gazes of his mother and Hyun-ji.
His destination: the police station in Gogeon-dong, Seoan City.
It was a bit far from home.
Though not heavily populated, the area was notorious as a lawless zone, crawling with delinquents, thugs, and illegal immigrants.
Even routine patrols required wearing stab-proof vests.
But Jin-woo was smiling.
‘I like it.’
To gain the power to take down his enemies, he needed to climb the ranks quickly.
And for that, a dangerous place was ideal.
“Alright, start working today,”
The gray-haired police station chief said, looking at Jin-woo with an annoyed expression.
It was clear he was irritated at having to deal with someone like Jin-woo so late in his career.
Jin-woo gave a brief greeting to the chief and stood before the leader of Team 2.
The Team 2 leader, Oh Sung-min, eyed Jin-woo with disapproval.
“Why are you back so soon?”
“My body’s fine.”
“Your body’s fine, but what about us? We’re not fine.”
“Pardon?”
“Didn’t you hear? You were told to stay away until the reporters calm down.”
News of Jin-woo’s discharge had already reached the media.
Soon, they’d hear he was back at work.
And when they did, reporters would swarm the station to see how the “pathetic cop” was being treated.
Writing about it would surely rack up views.
“Well, that’s fine by me.”
“We’re the ones who aren’t fine!”
“What should I do first?”
Oh Sung-min let out a long sigh and glanced to the side.
“Follow me. Let’s have a smoke.”
Jin-woo followed Oh Sung-min to the rooftop.
Oh Sung-min lit a cigarette and turned to him.
“I heard from your mom. You’ve got amnesia, huh?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t remember me either?”
“No.”
“For real?”
“Yes.”
Oh Sung-min leaned against the railing, exhaling smoke before asking again.
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes.”
“The reporters won’t go easy on you. One tiny mistake, and you’ll be back on the chopping block. And you’re saying you’ve got amnesia? You don’t know anything about the job, do you? You’re bound to mess up, and then more articles will come out.”
“I keep saying I’m fine.”
Oh Sung-min stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and faced Jin-woo again.
“I’ve told the team about your condition, so they’ll help you out.”
“Yes.”
“But Officer Kim… oh, you don’t remember Kim Jae-hyuk either, do you?”
“No.”
“He’s your senior officer. Anyway, that guy’s got a nasty temper and has it out for you, so watch yourself.”
“Yes.”
Oh Sung-min frowned, studying Jin-woo.
So far, Jin-woo had only given short, curt responses.
He was completely different from before.
The playful grin he used to wear was gone.
Now, Jin-woo just seemed sharp and cold.
“Man… ever since you got amnesia, you’ve lost all your softness.”
Jin-woo and Oh Sung-min headed back to the first floor.
“Officer Park, show Jin-woo around.”
Officer Park, who was sorting paperwork in the corner, looked up.
“Oh, yes! Jin-woo, come here. You don’t remember the locker room either, right? I’ll start there.”
Officer Park had a round, gentle face and a soft demeanor to match.
He asked about Jin-woo’s health and patiently explained things to the amnesiac rookie.
“We’ve got twenty people total, and they’re all good folks. But you’ve got to watch out for Officer Kim Jae-hyuk.”
There it was again—Kim Jae-hyuk.
Oh Sung-min had also warned that Kim Jae-hyuk had a nasty personality.
In the locker room, Jin-woo opened the cabinet with his name on it and changed into his uniform.
Once dressed, he looked quite like a cop.
But his scrawny frame bothered him.
It was probably why he’d been disrespected and attacked by thugs.
‘I need to start working out.’
That day, Jin-woo spent his time learning the ropes from Officer Park.
He had spent his entire life as Baek Dong-ha dealing only with money.
He’d taken companies from others and crushed their lives with wealth.
Never could he have imagined learning police work like this.
So, discovering this new world was, in its own way, an enjoyable experience.
But then—
“Lee Jin-woo!”
A sharp voice rang out.
Jin-woo turned to see a menacing-looking man glaring at him from the station’s entrance, his face contorted like an angry boar.
‘Who’s this guy?’
As he wondered, the man grabbed a trash can and hurled it at Jin-woo.
Crash!
Jin-woo was abruptly hit by the trash can.
The can clattered noisily across the floor.
He stared ahead, dumbfounded.
The man strode toward Jin-woo, his voice dripping with menace.
“You crazy bastard, you think you can just waltz in here…”
But his words were cut off.
Jin-woo had picked up the rolling trash can and hurled it back at him.
The man’s eyes widened.
He ducked to avoid the flying can, which slammed into the wall with a loud crash!, shattering into plastic fragments.
The police station fell silent.
Not even the rustle of clothing could be heard.
Officer Park, who had been teaching Jin-woo, was frozen in place.
Team Leader Oh Sung-min, typing at his computer, rolled his startled eyes side to side.
Everyone was looking at Jin-woo like he was insane.
Jin-woo broke the silence.
Approaching the man, he spoke in a low voice.
“Who are you?”
The man, blinking, twisted his face into an even uglier scowl.
Rolling up his sleeves, he glared at Jin-woo like he wanted to kill him.
“You’re dead today.”
At that moment, Officer Park rushed forward to hold the man back.
“Officer Kim! He’s got amnesia! Amnesia!”
So, this was Officer Kim Jae-hyuk.
They’d said he had a nasty temper, and his face matched that description perfectly.
“Even if his head’s messed up, he throws a trash can at me?!”
“Officer Kim! What if the reporters show up?!”
“Let go, I said let go!”
Team Leader Oh Sung-min slammed his palm on the desk.
“Quiet down!”
Only then did Officer Kim Jae-hyuk fall silent, though his eyes still burned with resentment as he glared at Oh Sung-min.
Oh Sung-min chewed his lip and turned to Kim Jae-hyuk.
“You’re throwing a trash can at a guy who just got out of the hospital?!”
“His face just pissed me off…”
“Shut up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Oh Sung-min’s gaze shifted to Jin-woo.
“And you, you little punk, throwing a trash can at your senior?!”
“…”
“Apologize! Now!”
Jin-woo turned to Kim Jae-hyuk.
“Sorry.”
He should’ve said “I’m deeply sorry” with a respectful tone.
But his “sorry” carried no trace of remorse.
Kim Jae-hyuk’s eyes flared with rage.
“Damn it! I’ll kill this punk and go to jail!”
Officer Park had to hold Kim Jae-hyuk back even harder.
“Officer Kim! Amnesia! He’s got amnesia!”
Just then, the station door opened.
“Well, hello there! Just here for a cup of tea,”
Said a reporter, strolling in with a sly grin.
Kim Jae-hyuk, face red with anger, was forced to shut his mouth.
***
Time passed.
Jin-woo had heard this area was a lawless zone, but it was quiet.
Nothing notable happened.
The work was simple.
He’d thought being a cop meant catching criminals, but that wasn’t the case.
It was hectic, with all sorts of tasks to handle.
Mostly, he went on patrols, and at night, he dealt with drunks.
Right now, he was conducting a DUI checkpoint.
‘I misjudged this.’
Jin-woo had become a cop to achieve his goal of revenge.
Gaining power through the police was part of that plan.
But at this rate, his plan would fall apart.
Instead of fast-tracking promotions, he was just wasting time.
To top it off, two reporters were watching him from a distance.
‘Should I look for another job?’
But his thoughts were interrupted.
A white luxury sedan pulled up in front of him.
The driver’s window rolled down, revealing a man in a crisp suit.
“Blow into this,”
Jin-woo said, holding out the breathalyzer.
As the man blew into the device, something else flashed before Jin-woo’s eyes.
***
Scene: The police station rooftop.
Team Leader Oh Sung-min and Officer Park were smoking, their faces uneasy.
“Why is it our fault we missed that?!”
“It’s right there on the CCTV—we were doing a checkpoint.”
Officer Park scratched his head in frustration.
“We were doing a DUI checkpoint! Nobody knew a murder had happened! How could we know there was a body in that guy’s trunk?!”
Oh Sung-min exhaled a frustrated sigh along with cigarette smoke.
“You think excuses will work?! The police just end up looking like dogs!”
“The reporters! There were reporters, weren’t there?!”
“You think reporters will take our side?! They’re busy writing articles like this!”
Oh Sung-min shoved his phone toward Officer Park.
An online article was on the screen.
It featured a CCTV still of a white luxury sedan at a DUI checkpoint.
Though pixelated, the officer conducting the check was clearly Jin-woo.
Oh Sung-min’s gaze shifted to the rooftop stairs.
“Damn it, that punk Lee Jin-woo has the worst luck. Just awful luck…”
***
Back in the present, Jin-woo saw the man in the crisp suit again.
He was still at the DUI checkpoint.
“Can I go now?”
“…Sorry?”
“It’s green, isn’t it? What, need me to blow again?”
Jin-woo licked his dry lips.