„Transfer Completed,” SolHi read on the ATM screen after transferring 10 thousand Wons to the old lady YeJin’s bank account. And, even if her hand was shaking like hell after sending that money, more often lately, she didn’t know what else she could have done to protect her mother.

„It will be soon just an ugly nightmare, SolHi,” she tried to calm down herself, slowly punching her chest with her fist, just as she did each time she was trying to „chase away” a sudden cry that was pressing her chest.

This time, however, she would have wished to fall prey to the weeping and for a long time actually, trying to release her soul from that invisible cell. But… she hadn’t time for this, because life was stubborn to kneel her down, and SolHi had to fight against life too, especially when debts were surrounding her from everywhere: at home - with DooSan, at work - with her colleagues for whom she should have been a real support, for her mother - to pay the old lady to take care of her and all the debts she still had unpaid for what SinHa was breaking each time she had a crisis, and, in the end, SolHi had to pay for the medicine too - hers and of her mother. Then, were the „debts” in front of people, especially in front of strangers, to whom she didn't anything actually or told them anything bad, but they were all the time asking her to pay not only for what she was supposed that she has done to Han YuSan but for each bad thing that was actually happening around her.

The only one in front of whom SolHi hadn’t debts was herself, for forgetting even eat sometimes, not talking about having time or money to buy something for herself only.

Actually, SolHi had already forgotten when she spent a whole day or money only for her, besides the basics of course, because even if she got to earn some money, something unexpected happened - or the landowner was increasing the rent, or her mother was breaking something. Thus… SolHi understood, that she won’t ever have the possibility to buy that house she always dreamt about.

„This happens to others too, SolHi. Maybe others suffer more than you do! You must endure!” she was saying to herself each time she was feeling that she staggers to her feet or that she was about to collapse. And… SolHi was enduring, for having not else to do. There were too many people that need her help and support while she didn’t have anybody by her side, and this became a daily routine for her - one when she was waking up at dawn, eating something light and low caloric because she was telling herself that only this way she’ll meet the costs, and during the day she was again eating something light - a sandwich or something, for not wanting to waste money also on expensive food. But… when she was eating with her colleagues, she was still forced to get money out of her pocket, for not being able to accept that others pay for her all the time.

Generally, who was paying for her meal was Kan, and he was buying not only the lunch but also the dinner because he also had a „good nose” for such things and he understood that SolHi used to „miss” some meals because of money. But… even if he insisted on always paying for her, telling her that he’s older than her and the older one always pays, SolHi disliked the idea to live on someone else’s expenses and she was paying for her, of course, after having a good quarrel with Kan about money.

That „necessity” of paying at least for her meal, SolHi got while living at Mina’s expense, for Mina really paid for everything SolHi needed during the trial and a long time after this - including her medical care, SinHa’s care, the lawyer, and also their basics. Yes, it’s also true that SolHi gave her part of the money back, in time, even if Mina always refused them. But even so… SolHi felt that even if she pays back in money, she still couldn’t return everything Mina did for her, nor that the money will erase the guilt from her soul, a pang of guilt born from the feeling of being a bug that was living in someone’s house.

Now instead, with DooSan living in her apartment and forcing her to „pay for old debts,” SolHi spent almost everything she earned and put in her account for „bad times” or when she’ll need them. But to tell him that she reached her limits and that she wasn’t able anymore to pay for his „requests,” sometimes reckless, SolHi never dared - his brother died because of her and to spend money with DooSan as an exchange for what he had lost because of her, it wasn’t that big deal, eventually.

But that „not a big deal” resulted in being an extremely expensive thing eventually, that SolHi saw herself forced to look for a new job only to meet the costs.

First, she has been hired at a supermarket as a cashier, working there from 7 to 12 PM, but it didn’t last long because DooSan „took care” of this too, and she has been fired very soon after this.

Well, there hadn’t been only DooSan’s fault in that dismissal, but it has been also because of a few young men who thought that they were extremely intelligent and, seeing her alone in the supermarket, one evening at about 10, they had decided that she was not more than „a simple pu…y and that she can’t handle with all of them.” So, they put everything they could in their bags, in their pockets, and even in their shirts, after tightening them with the belt at their girdle. But their intention wasn’t to pay for this and, eventually, they had that brilliant idea of daring to ask her to also offer them cigarettes, also for free, of course.

SolHi at first played the deaf one and insisted on the payment. But… to whom she was talking?! Outraged, that SolHi put on tied, one of the young men punched the counter, yelling at her that if she doesn’t listen to what he told her then she will feel that punch on her one skin and so bad that even her mother won’t know her after that.

All well and good, but the fact that the idiot mentioned SinHa made SolHi stare at him like the bull at a red cloth. So, SolHi, being outraged, grabbed the end of the wet cloth she used for cleaning the counter and yelled: „you shout put right away on this counter everything you took from the supermarket without paying and you’ll pay for it, or you’ll see what a damn crazy bitch can do with your skin.” But… not everything worked as SolHi wanted or planned: one of the young men jumped over the counter and started to take a lot of packs of cigarettes while the others were impeding SolHi to approach him.

At the moment SolHi cut up rough, seeing how some snot-nosed boys were trying to act up during her shift, she took two steps back, wrapping the cloth around her both hands. But she didn’t have time to bring them to their senses because DooSan showed up there to make matters worse.

„Opa, one single leg stork!” one of the young men happily shouted, seeing DooSan supporting himself with one cane because even if he had taken off the cast and he was working out with the physiotherapist, it was still difficult for him to walk as he did before. So, the „helpers” were still welcome.

„Stork?!” DooSan said grinning. „I see that you have some cold blood in your veins, young man. But… if I were you, I would have listened to what Nuna told you. Not the other, but … she’s worse than a fighting dog if she’s mad,” but the forced one to keep silent, listening to the young men and SolHi yelling at him to shut up, has been him. „If you say so!” he said and he stepped aside and allowed them to exit the supermarket and he also allowed them to take the „prey” with them.

„Do you let them go that simple?” DooSan teased SolHi who was already outraged with him too due to the fact that he intervened in her teaching manner lesson.

„If you don’t want me to try this lethal weapon first on your back, you’ll do well to step back from my way and to take care of the supermarket while I’m missing,” SolHi hissed him through the teeth. After that, she followed the young men that stopped not that far from the supermarket, on a narrow and barely illuminated street.

***

Arrived at the corner of the street, SolHi stopped and listened for a while to the young men’s little quarrel for the prey they got from in front of her nose. „Hey, give me a cigarette too!” a dwarf, not taller than 1 meter in height, told the other, the same size as he was.

„You said you don’t smoke,” another one said to him sharply.

„Yes, I didn’t smoke, but I said to start too while we don’t pay for them,” the dwarf said, but he didn’t even manage to touch the cigarette one of his fellows offered him, when a stone hit his hand, making him scream.

The poor man cried blue murder, and when they looked at the place the stone has come from, they saw SolHi approaching them at a slow step while playing with the wet cloth.

„Eh, damn woman!” the one who seemed to be the leader of the group and the same who threatened SolHi inside of the supermarket said, a guy who actually was a little bit taller than the others, but he still seemed not to have finished the high school. Then, after standing up, he spat to a side while staring in disgust at SolHi: „who the hell brought this stupid to the world?”

„I didn’t know that it’s forbidden to be born as a woman in this world,” SolHi told him with irony.

„To be born it’s not a problem, but to have some brain it seems to be,” he told her in mockery, heading toward her while stretching his arms, for being absolutely convinced to teach her a lesson.

The one who taught him a lesson has been SolHi eventually, because the wet cloth hit with precision the targets: chest, arms, stomach, face, and neck, and those blows burnt like hell, and when police showed up, called there by DooSan, they found the young men with the arms raised up while being kneeled down and asking forgiveness for their bad behavior.

„Was it absolutely necessary to call the police?” SolHi told him later when they were turning back home and she was carrying a bag with the „confiscated things” from the young men. „There were only kids! It could have ended with simple teaching from me only!”

„Let’s say I disliked the fact that they’ve called me one leg stork,” DooSak made a joke.

„And because of your dislike, I’ve been fired and I took only this „payment” for 7 days of hard work,” she told him feisty, showing him the package with the few things.

„You deserved it, for looking for part-time jobs where’s not proved to be a safe one. If you needed more money, you could have told me about this. I’m your boss, remember?! I could have assigned you more work and you could have earned something more.”

„Was talking the wolf to the one whom he asked to bring him the lambskin, but to be also golden. I’m spending more than a few hundred Wons only on you every single day … and all that money goes on meat that you eat it later as if you are a wolf: cluck, cluck on the throat and there’s nothing left.”

„Ia, there’s nothing like this, ok?! Of course, I’m eating, but … not that much.”

„Aga?! Should I remind you about how much you wolfed a few nights before right from off the grid? Alone??? And you also slapped my hand when I wanted only to taste it, saying that there wasn’t enough for you only, how did I dare to try to take it from you?!”

„Me? When I said that?” DooSan tried to play the innocent lamb’s role.

„You said that! Don’t pretend to haven't told it because…,” suddenly, SolHi stopped and looked at the front of a motel from in front of which they were passing - it was one of that kind of quiet motels, with only low budget clients, that didn’t receive couples for one night only or God knows from what else. Even so, even if the motel wasn’t profitable using those criteria, the owner was still preferring to work this way because he was caring about the image, more than about money. „So quiet!” SolHi murmured.

„What exactly?” DooSan inquired, approaching her.

„Nothing important. Just… thoughts about how quiet can be here, especially during the night.” SolHi passed by DooSan then and, at a slow step to allow him to catch up with her, she walked in silence all the way home, preferring to allow herself to be alone in a world so strange, even if DooSan was next to her.

***

The supermarket hasn't been SolHi's only experience with making more money. The very next day while returning from Ha Na’s interrogatory, who finally came to her senses after weeks of being in a coma and she could declare against YuRa, SolHi received a flyer while being in the street and, reading it, she saw that it was the announcement of a kind of warehouse where workers were needed for a full or part-time job and even the daily presence wasn’t mandatory.

„The perfect job for me,” SolHi had murmured then, thinking that she found the golden goose because, do you see, as a detective who can’t be free at a certain hour, this kind of job was so helpful for her. So, with that flexible hour, she could earn extra money without DooSan being aware of this, for she’ll tell him that she needs more time for the investigation and she will be safe from his eagle eye.

But… not all pink-colored glasses mean love and not everything seemed to be as simple as it was written in that announcement: the work was extremely difficult - to carry heavy boxes, to lift them and lower them from the shelves, and this often led to workers'injuries, which were eventually overlooked, for the majority of the workers were illegal ones and they couldn’t afford to pay for medical insurance.

And it was also a Paradise for the bosses who weren’t forced to pay, either for the medical insurance or for the hospitalization. And also because of this, for being illegal workers, they were kept on the throat all day long for a miserable payment that eventually wasn’t enough for all their sufferance.

However, SolHi found it unfair for … her and of course, for others, and she right away „denunciated” the illegal work to Kan, the detective told Yu, and the inspector took care to tell DooSan about this because, of course, it was something unbelievable and the prosecutor had to be immediately informed about this, contrary to SolHi’s desire to keep her new „job” secret.

So, finding out about her „new job,” DooSan first fulminated against her stupidity of going to such places and screaming so loud that probably everybody who was at that moment inside of the Prosecution build heard him, then he ordered his team to be ready and half an hour later they were in front of the warehouse, convinced to catch the perpetrators in the act.

And it was probably DooSan’s lucky day because SolHi’s „new boss” seemed to be in the same mood as he was: screaming and yelling at everybody.

„He looks familiar,” SolHi said in mockery, a hint for DooSan when they saw the „boss,” who was actually responsible for the recruiting and supervising the workers, and the reason why the „boss” was yelling was because of a box dropped on the ground and from which the things flew everywhere around. Well, there wasn’t such a big deal there, for being only a box with clothes which actually were wrapped in cellophane, but the „boss” has disliked this instead, and he even dared to kick the worker’s leg.

„Where did you say you found this corner of Heaven?” DooSan teased SolHi. „While you were looking for the sense of existentialism?!”

„Have you decided to make a laughing stock of me?”

„Me? Absolutely not. I was just calling things by their names.”

„Then, you’re more than free to keep your ideas for yourself, prosecutor Han,” SolHi hissed him through her teeth, trying to make him see the danger of that „dare” which could give them away and so, the others could have found out that they were living together. „Yoon Suk, this is yours,” SolHi told the young detective, putting a small box on his lap.

„What’s this?” Yoon Suk asked confused. When he opened the box instead, he saw a wig and a pair of mustaches.

„Our daily routine, buddy, and … our new job, dear husband.”

„Husband?” Kan, DooSan, and Yu screamed in a voice as if they were cats in a chorus.

„Order in the court!” SolHi apostrophized them. „Or maybe… you’ll trickle with that guy that yells so bad that even the sky yells at him to shut up?! If not, then… just stay calm and watch! And you… „husband” rush to hide your little, sweety face. Not the other, but you look like a princess and I’m afraid not to be „kidnapped” and be a widow before the time. I didn’t even feel the sweet taste of marriage with you,” SolHi added, fighting with her inner laughter.

„Ia!” Yoon Suk shouted at her, annoyed that she had been called a „princess."

„Calm down, Yoon Suk! SolHi just joked. I hope,” Yu said.

„Good jokes, actually,” Yoon Suk snarled, pressing the wig on his head and sticking the mustaches, for SolHi was already out of the car, at all bothered by his screams, and she was already heading toward the warehouse.

When only the three of them were inside of the car, Kan looked suspiciously at DooSan. „What now?” DooSan asked in amazement.

„Why detective Ian looks for an additional job? Weren’t you two living together?”

„What?” Yu yelled as loud as he could. „Detective Ian and prosecutor Han… are living together?”

„Ia, ia, don’t shout that you will make my ears ring and stop pretending not knowing the obvious fact. We both saw them already … together,” Kan to Yu.

„And… may I know since when do you know that?” DooSan asked, staring at them, with his arms crossed on his chest.

„Well… it hadn’t been … intentionally and… it has been totally your fault. You shouldn’t have come to work together if you didn’t want this to be found out,” inspector Yu murmured, looking elsewhere.

„Nobody ever can’t hide something of your „dog noses,” DooSan snarled. „And … I have nothing with SolHi, ok? We are only living in the same house. That’s all! Everybody with his own wallet and paying for his existence. And if SolHi chose to have an additional job, it has nothing to do with me. Anyway, she never asks me or listens to what I say.”

„Prosecutor Han, be honest! Are you an Alfons?” Kan asked reproachfully.

„What? Alfons?” DooSan asked with his eyes as big as onions.

„Well, I think that this is the name given to those who live at the women’s expense,” Kan teased him.

„Who … who… who lives at whose expense?!” DooSan stammered. „Me?! No way! I just…”

„Then answer fast and clean: who pays the rent?”

„Well… SolHi!”

„Who buys the food: you or detective Ian?!”

„Sol…Hi?! I think…!”

„Then clearer than this can’t be! Congratulations, prosecutor Han… you won the prize of the Alfons of the year, and … quiet! We are trying to concentrate here!” Yu told him and stretched his hand and closed DooSan’s opened mouth because of amazement.

When DooSan awoke from that sudden daydream, he tried to say something, but Kan motioned to him to be as quiet as a mouse if he doesn’t want that operation to fail because SolHi and Yoon Suk were already working, carrying heavy boxes on their shoulders and closely followed by their supervisor who was yelling at them to do their job well.

***

„Careful, sombe, they're damn heavy,” Yoon Suk whispered to SolHi, seeing her straining to push the box she had carried on her shoulder till' there, on the shelf.

„Pipe down! Or what, do you want to be caught before time? I’m your wife here and not sombe!” SolHi hissed through the teeth.

„I know! But yet… I can’t understand how could you work here for a few days in such inhuman conditions.”

„Ia, maybe they are inhuman for you, but for others, this workplace means having bread on the table in the evening. So, stop complaining!”

„Hey, you two,” the supervisor suddenly shouted at them, approaching them in a hurry. „Stop whispering to each other! You came here to work and not to rest.”

„Yes, boss! I only told my wife to be careful,” Yoon Suk answered in a humble tone, even if his first intention has been to punch the idiot from in front of him.

„She should have found another job then. I don't hold anyone here for charity. If she came, she must work!”

„Yes, we apologize for that,” SolHi murmured, forcing Yoon Suk to bow in front of the „boss.”

After the supervisor went, a great deal happier that he could salute the ear, Yoon Suk whispered to SolHi: „I have such a huge desire to punch his nose. Only because it can lead to the failure of the whole operation, I’m forcing myself to stay calm.”

„All in good time, Yoon Suk. Let’s go!”

The moment that they were heading toward the door, one of the workers, who was carrying a very heavy box on his shoulder, suddenly kneeled down, complaining about a harsh pain in his back while the box fell down on one side. The only one who paid attention to him has been an older worker that approached him in a hurry. „Are you all right, son?” he asked the injured one in a whisper.

„No, sombe. I think I’ve broken something. It hurts like hell.”

„Endure just a little bit! I’ll talk to the supervisor. Maybe he calls someone here to check your back. Don’t worry!” and the old man approached the supervisor in a hurry, insisting that he should call the ambulance or at least someone to check that injured worker. The supervisor was pushing him away of him instead, yelling that he should turn back to work and not try to poke his nose into others’businesses.

„Are you shooting?” Yoon Suk suddenly asked.

„Of course. Why?” SolHi asked while staring at him in amazement because she hadn’t waited for such a question.

„Because a staging is coming up. And … eh, how I didn't want to get to something like this. I just hope you're a good actress, dear wife,” he teased her and suddenly jumped in front of the box stacking machine.

The driver, seeing Yoon Suk jumping in front of the machine so sudden, pulled the wheel to the right, but because of the sudden movement, the boxes that were on the stacker noisily fell, and one of them hit Yoon Suk’s shoulder while falling, who has been inattentive and couldn’t jump to one side at the time.

„Damn you, reckless idiot,” SolHi hissed through the teeth, seeing that Yoon Suk has been about to be killed because of his own foolishness and this only because of an operation. But… she right away got into the part of the hopeless wife and she approached him weeping like after a dead one, yelling at all four winds to at least anybody call the ambulance or her husband will die soon.

The other workers gathered around them as if in command, looking frightened to see if the hit one kicked already the bucket.

Yoon Suk instead was aware, even though the shoulder was hurting him like hell. „Are you all right?” SolHi asked in a whisper, seeing the others keeping an eye on them.

„I think so! Except for the injured shoulder, I don’t think that I’ve broken something else. I think so, only!”

„You’ll live then. Meanwhile, play possum!”

„What?” Yoon Suk asked in amazement, not understanding what she had referred to.

SolHi instead, seeing the supervisor approaching them in a hurry, but not to see if he could help someone, but for hurrying the others to turn back to work, has pressed Yoon Suk’s head to the floor, forcing him to stay quiet, and due to the sudden movement of her hand, poor Yoon Suk landed oneself with a lump on his forehead too when his head hit the floor, besides the injured shoulder.

SolHi however, started to cry blue murder seeing the movement of the policemen and of the Special Forces Agents, called there by DooSan, who were already heading toward the entrance to the warehouse. The supervisor started to also scream, but to turn the workers back to work, not paying attention to the fact that SolHi was asking him for an ambulance, the workers were also shouting that someone died there eventually, and… in all that hustle and bustle, of screams and shouts, the involved ones in that madness and illegal work, had been picked up by the policemen, cuffed, and taken to the police station for further investigations.

„I knew that I was working with two simple-minded people, but I never thought I’ll get till’here,” Kan hissed through the teeth, seeing Yoon Suk standing up, helped by SolHi, and complaining about the pain in his shoulder.

SolHi instead pretended to not have heard Kan’s commentary and passed by him, hurrying outside.

The others, left her eventually alone, thinking that she was hurrying just to escape a well-deserved dose of „sermons” and „complains” of Kan and of DooSan of course because DooSan told them to be careful and not to be hurt inside there, but it seemed that neither Yoon Suk nor SolHi seemed to have listened to his command and because of this, he was considering the two detectives as being two irresponsible people.

Outside instead, with all the fresh air that surrounded her and filled her chest, SolHi felt that she was lacking air and that her head will explode soon and… the sky suddenly became gray for her while the sight bedimmed and not long after that, SolHi fell unconscious to the ground. She only heard as if coming from far away the screams of her colleagues that were calling her name while running toward her, but she didn’t have enough force to turn and watch them. She simply closed her eyes and everything become black around her, and … nothing else has been felt by her.