Chapter 8

“We’re here. This is the place.”

From guessing which Rabbit could’ve committed the crime, to ranting about which Beast-Blooded bloodlines produced the worst criminals, all the way to grumbling about kids these days not studying—Uwan never stopped talking. Finally, he ran out of breath as he wrapped up his chatter.

[Kkori Ssambap House]

Getting out of the car, Beomjin spotted the familiar signboard. Faded from sun and rain, it was one he himself had once accidentally broken and replaced with a new one.

“Hah, can’t believe this sign’s still standing. Funny how happy I am to see it.”

“You’ve been here before?”

Beomjin tapped the sign, and Jinyoung’s voice cut in. Crap.

“Once, yeah. A friend said it was a must-try. Food was good.”

“A ssambap place? For a tiger? You’re barely in your twenties, aren’t you?”¹

Word for word, the same line he remembered. Jinyoung had said exactly that when she followed Uwan to this restaurant in the past.

“Why can’t I eat ssambap? You order it here and they serve meat with it too.”

“Well… true.”

Their exchange fizzled out quickly, and Uwan stepped in.

“If you’re done with the small talk, let’s go. I already told the director I’d be bringing a guest.”

On the third floor of the building next to the restaurant hung a sign: [Special Beast Investigation Unit]. The gray exterior of the building was as dull as ever, not a trace of warmth.

The first-floor lobby looked as bare as if construction had just finished. No potted plants, no signboards—only murals of ancient animals sprawled across the walls, like stepping into an old tomb.

The click of shoes against the marble floor echoed sharply. They waited at the elevators, and when the doors opened, a thick wave of floral fragrance burst out—like perfume sprayed across every surface.

“Urk!”

Beomjin had forgotten. Too late, he clamped his nose, but the heavy scent had already stabbed into his sinuses. Unable to step inside right away, he clutched his nose. Uwan and Jinyoung, long used to it, just laughed at him.

“You’ll get used to it soon. Come on.”

Inside, Beomjin forced himself to breathe through his mouth, steadying his sharpened nerves. He needed to prepare himself—for what was coming, and for the impact it would leave.

On the third floor, the elevator doors opened to reveal a narrow, stretching corridor. The offices on either side were shut with blinds.

At the same time, the mingled scents of countless Beast-Blooded surged like a sandstorm.

The Special Beast Investigation Unit was truly a den of beasts. Untamed wild smells condensed into one building, raw and unfiltered.

Thankfully, he had experienced it once before. It wasn’t as overwhelming as the very first time.

“Now you see why they douse the place in perfume,” Jinyoung said coolly, taking the lead. Beomjin and Uwan followed.

Turning past the offices, they entered a large open space. Dozens of staff members were at their desks, staring at monitors, scribbling notes, or talking on phones.

Then, a female employee hustled toward Uwan, clutching a stack of documents. Beomjin knew her name—Chae Hana. A Cow-blooded Beast-Blooded who had joined the unit six months before him.

“Chief, where have you been? The director’s been looking for you. Did you get his call?”

“Call? Not sure. When did he start asking for me?”

“About five minutes ago. I said you were probably out on assignment, that you hadn’t come back yet, and—oh!”

With wide eyes and a round face, Hana chattered quickly—until she noticed Beomjin. She froze, shrinking back like she might bolt any second, retreating step by step.

“Wh-who is that? A new recruit?”

“Haha. Deputy Chae, first time seeing a Tiger, huh?”

At Uwan’s teasing, Hana bobbed her head quickly and edged around Beomjin, keeping her distance.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. He’s just a guest. He won’t do anything strange.”

“Of course, he… he’d better not. I have to deliver these files right away. Excuse me.”

Her words sped up until they tumbled out like rap, and she fled without looking back.

“She’s just not used to Tigers,” Uwan explained.

“I understand,” Beomjin said. He remembered how it had taken Hana nearly half a year to meet his eyes. This reaction was no surprise.

But other staff were watching too. None of them outright gawked, but plenty pretended to be absorbed in work or conversation while sneaking glances at him.

Beomjin was the only Tiger there. Noticing the stares, Uwan murmured to him.

“Tigers are so rare you could call them extinct. I had a senior once who worked with one, but for most of us—including our little Bear here—it’s a first.”

“Don’t call me that,” Jinyoung grumbled, knocking on the wide office door at the far end. Above it, a plate read: [Director’s Office].

Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in!!”

The sharp voice made Beomjin’s chest tremble. Memories long buried stirred awake, and a lump rose in his throat.

The door opened, and Lee Suchan appeared. With his sturdy, rounded build, he had been swinging a golf club before noticing the three of them. He broke into a wide grin.

“Seo Jinyoung, looking as solid as ever. And well, well! Uwan, who’s this you’ve brought? The guest you mentioned?”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Director Lee Suchan.”

“I’m Baek Beomjin.”

Suchan shook Beomjin’s hand firmly. Even his plump grip carried weight. His eyes quickly scanned Beomjin’s solid build.

“Whoa, that’s not an ordinary body. You must’ve trained?”

“I boxed.”

“Ha! Knew it! Look at those muscles—tight and strong! Am I right?”

“Well, he is a Tiger, after all.”

Suchan and Uwan burst out laughing like old drinking buddies. Suchan always laughed loudly at the smallest things, and maybe that was why—despite his high rank as director—he kept good relations with his staff.

Beomjin, however, had seen his end. The bittersweet memory made his eyes sting, but he forced it down.

“Anyway, welcome! Having someone like you here would be a huge help.”

“Huh? Oh, no, I didn’t come here to… join.”

Beomjin shot Uwan a look of panic… ‘This isn’t what I agreed to!’ …but Uwan simply looked away. Worse, he poured oil on the fire.

“He actually found the crime scene earlier and even tracked down clues about the culprit. The way he analyzed it was so fast, even I was shocked. Like he’d been one of us for years.”

“Is that so? Then he’s all the more valuable! Hahaha!”

“Wait a minute, I didn’t—”

The two middle-aged men were skilled at boxing him in. At that point, Jinyoung snapped.

“Hold on! He did nothing, and you’re just letting him in? What about the paperwork? The exams? The interviews? You’re ignoring all of that?”

With clenched fists, Jinyoung fumed like a child throwing a fit. Suchan’s laughter stopped. He glanced at Uwan, who gave a twitchy smile and hurried to calm her.

“Hey, hey, don’t get so worked up. I was exaggerating. Just saying we should give him a chance, right, Director?”

“Of course. Not just anyone can enter this place.”

They tried to sound dignified, but it was obvious they were watching Jinyoung’s reaction.

“If you two keep this up, I’ll quit.”

“That won’t do! We’ll keep things fair, so don’t stay mad.”

“Honestly, with you clowns, I can’t trust anyone.”

She stormed out of the director’s office, leaving Beomjin awkwardly behind. Clearing his throat, Suchan turned serious.

“Anyway, you said you had something to report?”

“That’s right. It’s heavy stuff, though.”

Uwan skipped over details about the White Tiger and the elixir, focusing instead on the crime scene—the ritual, the victims, the clue pointing to a Rabbit. Suchan listened with eyes closed. When he opened them, he looked straight at Beomjin. Beneath the warmth was a predator’s sharp gaze.

“Beomjin, you’re young, but your observation and knowledge of Beast-Blooded are remarkable. Did you study this from a young age?”

After a pause, Beomjin forced a smile. “My uncle used to tell me stories.”

“I see. And the culprit’s identity isn’t confirmed yet?”

“Correct. Once we connect the crime scene analysis with the victims’ information, I don’t think tracking them will be too difficult.”

In that moment, both Suchan and Uwan showed the true face of the Special Beast Investigation Unit.

“Good. Then you’ll work this case with Jinyoung—”

Suchan cut himself short, adjusting his seat. He leaned back, chin raised, his eyes now razor-sharp.

“Wait.”

Beomjin raised a hand. Uwan gestured for him to continue.

“I never agreed to join the Unit. I don’t like group living, and I hate being held back. But I do want to work on these cases.”

“You want to work with us… but not in the Unit?”

Uwan tilted his head at the odd answer.

“Sorry, but I have to live on my own terms. That’s why I’d like to make a proposal.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“I’d like to work with you as an outsider. Not a full agent, but something like… an advisor.”

“Ah… you mean a consultant?”

“Exactly!”

Beomjin snapped his fingers at Suchan’s perfect word choice. Uwan didn’t look pleased, but Suchan thought for a moment and nodded.

“Alright. Not a bad arrangement. Help us as a consultant, then.”

He stood and extended his hand. Beomjin shook it lightly.

“Good. You can coordinate the details with Chief Uwan here. I look forward to good news.”

After a polite bow, Beomjin left with Uwan. Jinyoung was waiting outside.

“News from the scene. One of the victims—the Snake—was identified. A loan shark. Name’s Moon Sajun, forty-seven, unmarried.”

“A loan shark, huh? Sounds like money was the motive. What do you think, Beomjin?”

“Likely. People die over money all the time. And if he was a Snake, I can imagine how nasty he must’ve been.”

It already felt natural, the way they exchanged thoughts like teammates. Beomjin asked her:

“Did they find the time of death?”

“The four victims died within close range of each other. The Snake, the Sheep, and the one with the mutilated head died between 11 p.m. and midnight two nights ago. The Horse around 1 to 2 a.m.”

“Why was the Horse last? With nearly an hour gap?”

“There must be a reason.”

“What kind of reason?”

Jinyoung’s flat face showed neither jealousy nor malice. Beomjin matched her tone.

“I don’t know yet. We’ll find out when more info comes in.”

“It’d be nice if we knew now. Senior, what’s next? Should we check out the loan shark’s office?”

“That’s the move. Where is it?”

“Not far.”

Uwan gestured them toward the elevator, and they set off.

Moon Sajun’s office, [Haetsal Capital], was located in Yeouido, right in the thick of skyscrapers. The sight of a loan agency nestled among first-rate financial banks was jarring for both Beomjin and Jinyoung. Everyone nearby looked like ordinary office workers.

“So where exactly is it?”

Beomjin stared up at a ten-story building. No sign of Haetsal Capital anywhere.

“Strange. The address says this is it.”

“You ever see a spider sit in its web with a sign over its head? Places like this don’t need signs. Clients find their way.”

Showing off his years of experience, Uwan marched inside. Beomjin followed but paused at the revolving doors. The faint trace of Beast-Blooded scent made his heart pound again.