She was his princess.
He vowed from the beginning of their relationship that no one would touch her, let alone insult her in any way. Everyone in Department Eight was well aware of this. Everyone knew how enraged he would become if he found out that some cretin would try to undervalue his girlfriend based solely on her gender. While everyone knew how talented a prosecutor Kim Miyeon is, she was frequently insulted by those who didn't know any better, mostly by male criminals who can't accept being beaten by a female.
Do Ji-han almost got caught up in a disciplinary offense because of this one reason alone. But it didn't matter to him as long as he made it clear that no one was going to insult his woman. They were on the hunt for a murderer in Gangnam. Ji-han, Miyeon, and Soo-dong were successful in apprehending the criminal in a narrow alley. The person they were looking for, like most criminals, was desperate to flee. After Soo-dong blocked his other route, Miyeon was the one who was able to corner the suspect, and Ji-han trailed behind Miyeon.
"You did a good job, Miyeon, planning his possible escape routes," Ji-han praised. "How did you know which way he was going to go?"
"I'd heard he was a regular here," Miyeon explained. "So, while we were driving here, I mapped out the area," she explained before confronting the criminal. "You weren't too clever in planning this, Lee Soo-won; the evidence led us right to you."
"I can't believe it," scowled Lee Soo-won. "I can't believe some girl would sabotage my escape."
"Do you have a problem with women, Lee Soo-won?" Soo-dong inquired.
"Women are just weak objects for us men to enjoy," the criminal smirked, and Ji-han and Soo-dong narrowed their eyes at him. "Don't you think they have no place among us?"
Miyeon laughed at his remark. "What year do you live in? Women can be just as equal to men in this day and age."
"Nonsense! You're just here as sex objects, nothing more," he said, dirty-looking Miyeon from head to toe. "If I wanted to, I could even have my way with you right now."
"Hey," Ji-han said abruptly, having had enough of what he was hearing. "Don't you dare to talk about Ms. Kim in front of me like that."
Lee Soo-won burst out laughing. "Oh, you're this chick's boyfriend? Tell me, is she hot in bed?"
"What?!?" Ji-han attempted to approach the criminal, but Miyeon stopped him.
"Ji-han, just ignore him."
"I'm curious, Mr. Prosecutor; how does her pussy feel? I'd appreciate it if you could share her with me."
"That's enough!!" Without warning, Ji-han punched Lee Soo-won in the face, knocking him to the ground, but Ji-han wasn't done, and he continued punching the suspect's face until it bled. "You useless son of a bitch! You deserve to rot in hell for talking shit about Miyeon!"
"Mr. Do, no, don't!" Soo-dong tried to pry Ji-han away from the man while Miyeon placed handcuffs on the now unconscious suspect. "Mr. Do, what have you done?"
Ji-han ran his hand through his hair to calm himself down as he looked at Miyeon, who had just finished putting the suspect in handcuffs. She then approached the chief prosecutor with a worried expression on her face. When Miyeon placed her hand on Ji-han's cheek, he instantly relaxed.
"You shouldn't have done that, Ji-han," Miyeon chastised. "You crossed the line on that one, and you could've been in big trouble if Soo-dong hadn't intervened."
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't care less," Ji-han admitted, casting a disapproving glance at the suspect. "This guy's the worst."
The chief prosecutor winced as he felt a sting on his right hand. He noticed wounds on his knuckles when he looked at it. Miyeon let out a gasp as she examined his hand carefully. "How hard did you hit him, Ji-han?" she asked, looking at Soo-dong, who instinctively looked at the unconscious criminal.
"Hard enough for some of his teeth to fall off," Soo-dong observed as he examined Lee Soo-won's bizarrely swollen face, blood trickling from his mouth, and a tooth or two scattered nearby. "I admit, my blood was boiling after this poor fool disrespected Ms. Kim, but I think you went a little too far, Mr. Do."
"I don't have any regrets about this one. The bastard got what he deserved when he murdered his girlfriend, most likely because she finally started fighting back, and then he had the audacity to insult and harass Miyeon right in front of me."
"You know there's no way Mr. Gal would let you question Lee Soo-won after what you did."
"Keeping me out of the interrogation room would be the best decision he could make, because if I wanted to, I could kill Lee Soo-won."
Miyeon exhaled a sigh. "You don't have to be this reckless just to protect me. Besides, you know he couldn't do anything even if he tried; he'd just end up with multiple offenses. Harassing a law enforcement officer isn't really a smart thing to do when you already know you're going to be convicted of a more serious crime." She then took Ji-han's hand in hers and gently tugged on it. "Let's get back to the car so I can patch you up, and we'll leave things to Soo-dong until the cops arrive."
~~~~~
Back in the car, Miyeon was preoccupied with tending to Ji-han's wounds, while the latter watched her quietly. When he saw how soft and small her hands were in comparison to his, he realized how special Miyeon is to him. He didn't care if he would be suspended as a result of what had happened. He couldn't bear the thought of anyone insulting her. To him, she is the most precious person who has ever entered his life, and his life has been deeply affected as a result of her presence. When he heard Miyeon speak, his train of thought was disrupted.
"Don't do that again; I won't stop blaming myself if you keep jeopardizing your career to protect me; this is the worst one yet, Ji-han."
Ji-han cocked his head and smirked. "You worry too much, Ms. Kim."
"It's because you keep worrying me, Mr. Do," Miyeon explained as she finished dressing Ji-han's wounds and was about to put away the first aid kit when Ji-han grabbed her hand and lovingly caressed it. When he looked into her eyes, his heart began to race. He couldn't believe how he felt right now, that just looking into her eyes made him feel this way. He'd completely and utterly fallen in love with her.
He laughed at himself. "What have you done to me? And I don't mean that badly."
"Are you sick? What's the matter with you?"
"I... honestly don't know; I know I've been reckless, but I don't blame you; I never did." He chuckled once more. "Who would have guessed that the Doberman of Eastern Seoul would become a reckless fool simply because he fell in love?"
"Do Ji-han, this isn't the time to be cheesy-"
"I'll be quick, just hear me out," Ji-han drew Miyeon in closer until he could feel her body against his. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Kim Miyeon, and I don't regret anything that's happened so far; I promise to keep you safe always, even if it means jeopardizing my entire career." Miyeon's eyes welled up with tears. Ji-han then drew her in for a kiss by placing a hand behind her head. She closed her eyes and melted into his arms.
Soo-dong, accompanied by Detective Kang, emerged from around the corner. He was about to call out to Ji-han and Miyeon when he noticed them having an intimate moment. He immediately stopped Detective Kang, and just as he was about to ask why, he noticed the couple kissing on the side of the car. They smiled at each other before quietly backing away to give the couple some alone time.
Ji-han and Miyeon parted their lips a few moments later, the former still stroking the back of Miyeon's head. They exchanged long glances before realizing where they were. Ji-han kissed Miyeon on the forehead quickly but sweetly before finally backing away from her. He then placed his hand on the small of her back, smiling as he led her away from the car and back to where Soo-dong awaited them.
