TOUGH ROMANCE || scoups || BOOK ONE

04

She was already buckled in, her long legs crossed. A flip flop dangled from her toes as she jiggled her foot. The knees on her cargos were ripped and I noticed a raw scrape on her right forearm. I told myself I didn't want to know and threw the Sedan in reverse. I'd dump her at the station - hopefully it was early enough to avoid who I wanted to avoid - and make sure she got her damn car. If I was lucky, I could still grab an hour of shut eye time before officially starting my day.

"You know" She began, "If one of us should be mad at the other, its me"

"I don't even know you and here you are, yelling in my face, getting between me and my coffee and then practically abducting me. You have no reason to be upset."

I sighed before speaking, "you have no idea, sweetheart. I've got plenty of reasons to be pissed and a lot of them involve your waste of space sister"

"Chae may not be the nicest of people but that doesn't give you the right to be such an ass...she's still family." Hani sniffed.

"I wouldn't apply the label 'people' to your sister" Chae was a monster of the first degree. She stole. She lied. She picked fights. Drank too much. Showered too little. And had no regard for anyone else. All because she thought the world owed her.

"Listen. Whoever the hell you are, the only people who can talk like that about her are me, my parents and the Brooke sixth form class of 2003..and maybe also the Brooke fire department..BUT that's because they earned the right, you haven't. And I don't need you taking out all your problems with my sister, on me."

"Whatever" I said through gritted teeth.

We drove the rest of the way in silence. The Riperia Police Department sat back a few yards from Main street and shared a new building with the town's public library. Just seeing it made my eye twitch.

In the parking lot were a few cars here and there. But thankfully, there were no signs of the Cheif's SUV.

"Come on, let's get this over with."

"Uh- there's no need for you to come in" Hani sniffed, she was eyeing her empty coffee cup.

I shoved my untouched still warm coffee at her. "I'm getting you to the desk, making sure they've got your car, then never seeing you again."

"Fine. But I'm not saying thank you."

I didn't bother replying because I was too busy marching my way in through the entrance and trying my best to ignore the big gold letter at the top.

The Choi Seungcheol Police Department

I pretended I didn't hear her and let the glass door slide close behind me.

"What's your surname?" She asked as she wrenched the door open and followed me inside

"Choi."

"Is there more than one Seungcheol in this town?"

"No." I said, hoping that would put an end to questions I didn't want to fucking answer. This building was relatively new, with a shit ton of glass, wide hallways and that fresh smell of paint.

"So that's your name outside the building??" She pressed, jogging up to keep up with me.

"Guess so." I yanked open another door and gestured for her to go inside.

Riperia's cop chop looked more like one of those co-working hangouts that teenagers goof around at than an actual police department.

Sergeant Lee Chan was behind his desk, stirring half a pound of sugar into his drink. He spotted me and my guest and nearly upended the whole mug on himself.