Zero Encounters

Sincerity

This is the place. Yeonwoo stared at the sign above her head that read, 'SB Wellness'. She entered the revolving doors and the concierge greeted her first.

"Are you one of the applicants?" He asked and the first thing she noticed was his accent. He had a Busan accent and he didn't seem like someone who would work in an office. His built and looks reminded her of the gang members she used to beat up.

"No, I'm actually here for Mr. Baek...Taejoon."

"You're Ms. Yeonwoo, right? He's expecting you upstairs. Tenth floor." He walked her over to the gated elevators. He used his key card to lead her through the door and clicked the button for her. She noted the grand yet contemporary interior design which looked nothing like what she saw outside. The elevator was located right at the center of the building and was made of entirely glass. She saw each floor going up and nothing looked out of the ordinary.

Taejoon stood right in front of the elevator when she got off and wore a gray sleek suit. "Thanks for coming all the way here. I would've had someone come and get you."

"I can't have you do that for me." She smiled, "Your workplace isn't too far from mine anyway." He walked her towards his office. The floor they were on was empty with a few meeting rooms along the East wing of the floor.

"Don't mind how quiet it is. We're still moving and renovating, but I actually don't mind it. You should see how our last building was." He said and let her into his space. He pulled out the brown leather chair for her to sit in front of his taupe colored desk. She looked around and complimented his office space, pointing out the exposed bricks behind him and the giant window behind his desk. He called for his assistant and a man walked in with two cups of coffee. "I just wanted to say thank you again for helping me back then. I have a health condition that not everyone knows about so thanks for keeping that a secret as well."

"Does your grandfather know?" She cupped her latte in her hand, watching the foam bubbles pop. "He must be worried."

"That's why I haven't told him. It won't look good if the press were to find out either." He gestured to the many paperwork on his desk, "It hasn't been the easiest transition since he stepped down and became a pastor."

"That's a story I'd love to hear about." She laughed and saw his expression change. He looked bothered and uncomfortable, "I'm curious to know."

"How about I finish up here and I can tell you over a tour?" He said with his hands trembling.

"Mr. Baek... is it happening again?" She asked and he pulled his drawer out. He grabbed his pill bottle, but accidentally spilt it on his floor. She ran to his side and grabbed the handful from off the ground. "How many?" She said and he held out two fingers. She handed it to him and returned the rest in his bottle.

"I'm really sorry. That is so uncool." He breathed heavily. "I definitely need to repay you for your understanding."

"I don't mind at all."

-

Later that night, Zero joined SIU for their stakeout. This time, they were all partnered in pairs to watch each building under Hyunjin's name. Fortunately, they were all within a mile radius from each other.

"Now, why did I have to baby sit?" Zero muttered with Jisung sitting next to her. They were stationed at a rooftop of an old apartment building. "How many buildings does this guy have under his name?"

Jisung rolled his eyes, playfully, "You think I want this too?"

"Quit it, you two. Do I have to put you in time out?" Inspector Choi chimed in. He thought that pairing them together would give them some time to bond after what has happened over the course of the months they've known each other. He also wanted to get a reaction from Captain Lee, but after today, he knew he needed to do more to get him to budge.