Shadow in the Chair
With a startled yelp, Jeong Yeon-jae shot upright from the sofa, whirling around in reflex.
She blinked her large, curious eyes in genuine bewilderment at the figure already there, crouched behind the couch with her head peeked out.
“Hey! When did you even get here?”
Her voice stumbled with the shock of it. How long had she been lurking?
“I’ve been here the whole time since you started work. When I poured your coffee, I even pressed the button for you and you still didn’t notice?”
“What? You had that little presence?”
“I don’t know. Maybe my stealth has gotten better. Anyway, I’ll take this from here.”
Jeong Yeon-jae snatched the thick stack of documents from Jeong Dong-cheol’s hands. The way her eyes sparkled as she flipped through the pages that Lee I-ryeong had just delivered made her look almost giddy.
Dong-cheol downed the rest of his coffee in one long gulp and jerked his chin.
“I was about to assign this to you anyway. Well? Does it smell like money?”
“It reeks.”
“You know what this case is about?”
“Not yet. But I plan to find out.”
“Come on, first we have to report it upstairs. Once the approval comes through, we’ll design the operation.”
“It’s tied to the Sahwa family. You know that… I want this one. So just give me the approval.”
Aigoo, that was exactly why he’d planned to cut her off at the gate.
Jeong Yeon-jae’s stubborn glint was one Dong-cheol knew from experience meant persuasion was useless.
After neatly dropping the empty paper cup into the trash, he returned to his desk and switched on the laptop.
Thinking about it, Jeong Yeon-jae had always been suspiciously transparent. She hid nothing about her dark past and yet somehow radiated this bold, almost reckless energy.
The first time he’d met her, it had been right here at Echo Research. She’d shown up like a scrawny, scruffy little stray dog kicked out of a gutter, asking to be taken on as a client.
“I want to prove that every piece of evidence used to arrest me was fake.”
“What? You’re one of our clients?”
“I served one year and two months. I got out a week ago. I’ve been researching Echo, so don’t try to brush me off. I know exactly what kind of place this is.”
She had stood there so boldly, claiming no money or advance payment, only to slide over a resume so flamboyant it made people’s heads spin. Everything would be paid for in blood, sweat, and tears.
Dong-cheol had doubled over laughing, then ruffled her tiny head.
“You’re fresh out of the twenties and you’re already talking about paying with your body? Kid, that’s not how you talk to the head of Echo Research.”
At the time it had been pretty rude to a young woman, but Jeong Yeon-jae was younger than his own little brother.
What kind of desperation had driven her—someone barely in her twenties—to march up the gang-infested stairs and walk through these doors? What kind of help had she needed to track down Echo of all places?
People came to this place from all walks of life, but something about Jeong Yeon-jae stirred an inexplicable mix of pity and intrigue in him.
Moreover, Echo Research didn’t just look like a discreet detective agency; it was one.
Even if the name sounded a little off, it was the clearest way to describe what they did here.
And yet she’d found out about the real Echo within a week of leaving prison?
Pity aside, Dong-cheol refused to take her words at face value.
She was a full-ride computer engineering major from Korea University, holder of top-level certification in seven languages and every major internship program imaginable. The documents she’d handed over had left even Dong-cheol’s eyes wide.
Jeong Yeon-jae was powerful, intriguing, and dangerously bold.
Perhaps because of her unreadable expression or those too-wide, innocent eyes like a little stray puppy, Dong-cheol decided to put her to the test instead of reporting her upward.
Whether the assigned task was legal or not was irrelevant. She was already a criminal with no hefty fee and no chance of being absorbed into normal society.
So he tasked the rest of the team with discreet background checks on her.
It was the easiest way to gauge her real abilities.
And that was when they discovered just how sharp she truly was. From bank balances to sock counts to how many cigarettes she smoked a day and the exact timing of her phone-screening sessions, she had covered every requirement of the agency. Perseverance, obsession, and an eye for detail—especially in data collection, she was exceptional.
She didn’t make decisions on her own. She simply collected information. In this era of AI, even the machines would probably seem more human than her.
Such a woman lighting up with excitement was rare indeed.
“That’s enough of that. Let’s tackle one simpler thing first.”
Dong-cheol pressed the Enter key on the keyboard with a sharp tap and changed the subject, rising from his chair. The printer beside the computer whirred to life, spitting out several sheets of paper.
He gathered them, pointed a finger at Jeong Yeon-jae, and watched with amusement as she licked her lips and approached.
“Got something fun?”
“What? You think our work is fun?”
“It’s not bad. I learn a lot.”
“Learn? What’s fun about dark, ugly things?”
“Forget that. What is it? Echo? Echo Research?”
“Just simple information gathering. This boss of ours has been messing around with coins lately. But she seems to be using it in shady places.”
“Hmm… I just need to find out where the money’s going?”
Dong-cheol shrugged and slid the freshly printed pages across the desk with a serious expression.
Jeong Yeon-jae took them, read the brief through carefully, and leaned back against the edge of the desk.
“This one smells like money, and it’s attached a good player. The problem is I don’t know her origins or connections. Judging by how she’s been cleaning up after all those society wives, she’s a natural at sales… but I still need to bring her down. No need to see her ugly side.”
Pfft. The mention of “ugly side” made her grin wickedly.
“When have you ever seen the ugly side?”
“That’s the point. From the size, she looks like a player with calloused hands. Easy pick-up.”
“Easy? How far?”
“Just the photo and her identity. Nothing more. After that I’ll decide whether to add extra pay based on the situation.”
Jeong Yeon-jae nodded without another question.
From what she’d heard, it seemed no one else had been able to extract information even after making contact.
She swapped her indoor slippers for sneakers, pulled her hat low, slipped on a hooded jumper, and slung a backpack over her shoulder. She looked every inch the fresh-faced new graduate.
“Leaving already?”
Dong-cheol propped his long legs on the desk, fiddling with his phone as if deciding what to order for lunch.
Jeong Yeon-jae fed the documents into the shredder. The rhythmic buzz of the machine continued for a long time.
“What’s the point of waiting around? Might as well get some fresh air while I’m at it.”
“Alright, here’s the key.”
She caught the single key he tossed her. It was the delivery scooter used by Echo Research for quick jobs.
Everywhere in Korea there were delivery riders, and hardly anyone suspected them. At this moment, it was probably the most convenient disguise job there was.
The only drawback was the weather. On a chilly, windy day like today, the wind alone could turn your nose red.
“Aigoo… I was going to take the car.”
“That neighborhood? Even parking for a second there turns into pure chaos. Just go quickly. Don’t stay long.”
“Got it. I’ll be back in a flash.”
She clicked her tongue and headed to the cabinet, grabbing a padded vest with plenty of pockets and warm gloves before leaving the office.
Opening the fire door connected to the emergency exit, she found Ji-man guarding the entrance greeting her with a cheerful salute. To others he was a loose, street-tough guy, but to Jeong Yeon-jae he was just a normal colleague.
“It’s cold out there. Take a hot pack.”
“Already got one.”
“Want to go eat makgeolli with me tonight?”
“I’m good. I’m going to eat elegant pasta.”
“Elegant? What are you, made of glass? Convenience store stuff?”
“What? You don’t know the convenience store food has gotten ridiculously high-end lately.”
“Oh, right. They had a new menu there. They said a famous chef made it.”
“I picked some up this morning.”
“I’ll be back.”
Jeong Yeon-jae gave a light wave and descended the stairs. The building was old, but the steps were unnaturally polished, a testament to how many people passed through here every day.
In the world there were always more people who got cheated than those who did the cheating, and while infidelity was always mutual, the one being targeted claimed it was all her fault.
Echo Research was no different; they listened to the victims’ grievances and pocketed the fees.
But Echo was different. People who hired Echo never vented their grievances. They didn’t even expect a resolution.
All they wanted was information—fast, accurate, and reliable. Even if it broke the law, Echo delivered.
The only problem was the fee structure…
Money smells the best!