Dae-hyun waited until the crew was processed and the paperwork started before he made the call. He stood by the window in his office, his back to the bullpen, his phone pressed to his ear.
The line rang twice before a familiar voice answered.
"Commissioner Hwang."
"Sir. It's Kang."
There was a pause, a shift in the Commissioner's tone. "Tell me."
"The Golden Crown robbery. The Gangnam jewelry store from three months ago. We solved it."
Another pause, longer this time. When Commissioner Hwang spoke again, his voice was sharp with interest. "Solved it?"
"Arrested the crew leader and four accomplices an hour ago. We have the fence in custody too—she's been running a front company to move the stolen goods. Confessions are already coming in. We've tied them to at least four other robberies in your folder."
Silence.
Then: "I'm on my way."
The line went dead.
Dae-hyun slipped his phone back into his pocket and turned to face the bullpen. His team was scattered across the room—Min-jun on the phone with someone, Jin-young buried in his monitors, Shi-eok reviewing arrest reports, Hae-rin organizing evidence, Soo-ah bouncing with barely contained energy, and Yoon Seo-ah standing quietly by the whiteboard, watching everything.
"He's coming," Dae-hyun said.
Soo-ah's eyes widened. "The Commissioner? Here?"
"Now."
She straightened instinctively, smoothing her uniform. Jin-young looked up from his monitors with mild interest. Min-jun ended his call and stood. Even Shi-eok seemed to sit a little straighter.
They didn't have long to wait.
The door to the bullpen burst open ten minutes later, and Commissioner Hwang strode in like a man who owned the place. Behind him trailed two aides and a woman Dae-hyun recognized as the head of the police public relations department.
Every member of Team Zero snapped to attention.
Every member except one.
Soo-ah's arm was raised in a perfect salute, her back ramrod straight. Beside her, Jin-young had managed something that vaguely resembled respect. Shi-eok's salute was crisp and military. Hae-rin's was elegant and correct. Even Yoon Seo-ah, the actress who'd spent her life in the spotlight, saluted with the precision of academy training.
Only Dae-hyun stood with his hands at his sides, watching the Commissioner approach.
Commissioner Hwang didn't seem to notice. Or if he did, he didn't care. His eyes were fixed on the whiteboard, on the evidence, on the names and connections and timelines that filled every available space.
"Show me," he said.
Dae-hyun nodded and began.
---
As the Commissioner's office door closed behind the two men, Soo-ah finally let out the breath she'd been holding. She turned to Min-jun, her eyes wide with confusion.
"Min-jun oppa?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
"Why didn't the captain salute? Everyone else did. Even the Commissioner's aides saluted. But Captain just... stood there."
Min-jun glanced at the closed door, then back at Soo-ah. A small smile crossed his weathered face. "The captain doesn't salute, kid. He never has."
"But why?"
"Because saluting isn't respect. It's protocol." Min-jun leaned against his desk. "The captain respects the Commissioner. He wouldn't be here if he didn't. But he doesn't do protocol. He does results. And the Commissioner knows that. He's the only one in the entire police force who can get away with it."
Soo-ah's brow furrowed. "The Commissioner lets him?"
"The Commissioner needs him." Min-jun's voice was quiet, serious. "There are things in this city that regular police can't handle. Cases that need someone who thinks differently, acts differently, lives differently. That's the captain. That's why Team Zero exists. And that's why he doesn't have to salute anyone."
Soo-ah looked at the closed door with new understanding. "Wow."
"Yeah." Min-jun pushed off from the desk. "Now stop staring and get back to work. Those arrest reports won't file themselves."
---
Inside the office, Commissioner Hwang stood before the window, looking out at the city. Dae-hyun waited by his desk, saying nothing.
"Four robberies," the Commissioner said finally. "You've tied them to four robberies in my folder."
"At least four. Jin-young is still cross-referencing. It might be more."
Commissioner Hwang turned. "And the fence? The woman running the startup?"
"Choi Eun-young. She's not talking yet, but we have enough without her. Bank records, security footage, witness statements. Her company's inventory spikes match the robbery dates perfectly. She's done."
A slow smile spread across the Commissioner's face. "Three months, Kang. Three months this case sat unsolved. You've had your squad for less than a week."
"Five days."
"Five days." Commissioner Hwang shook his head in something like wonder. "I knew I was right about you. About this squad."
Dae-hyun said nothing.
The Commissioner moved closer. "The press is going to eat this up. A new special squad, hand-picked by their legendary captain, solves a major case in under a week? It's perfect. It's exactly what we need right now."
"I don't do press."
"I know you don't." Commissioner Hwang's smile widened. "But you're going to do this one. Together with me. A joint press conference, four o'clock today. We announce Team Zero to the city, we announce the arrests, and we send a message."
Dae-hyun's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "What message?"
"That there's a new force in Seoul. That the old rules don't apply anymore. That the criminals who thought they could hide—they can't. Not from you. Not from Team Zero."
A long silence stretched between them.
Then Dae-hyun nodded once. "Four o'clock."
Commissioner Hwang clapped him on the shoulder and walked out.
---
The bullpen door opened, and the Commissioner emerged with a broad smile. His aides fell into step behind him, but he paused at the threshold, looking at the members of Team Zero scattered across the room.
"Good work," he said. "All of you. Excellent work."
Min-jun straightened. "Thank you, sir."
The Commissioner's eyes swept across them—Min-jun, Jin-young, Shi-eok, Soo-ah, Hae-rin, and finally Yoon Seo-ah, standing quietly at the edge. His gaze lingered on her for just a moment, something unreadable passing across his face. Then he smiled again.
"There will be a press conference at four o'clock today. The captain will be there. I expect all of you to be there too. This city needs to see the faces of the people who are going to keep them safe."
He didn't wait for a response. He simply walked out, his aides trailing behind him, leaving Team Zero in stunned silence.
Soo-ah was the first to speak. "Press conference? Like... on TV?"
"Probably," Min-jun said. "Cameras, reporters, the whole circus."
Jin-young groaned. "I hate cameras."
"You'll survive." Hae-rin was already pulling out her phone. "I need to prepare statements. Soo-ah, you're with me. We need to make sure everyone knows what they can and cannot say."
Soo-ah nodded and hurried after her.
Shi-eok looked at Dae-hyun, who had just emerged from his office. "Captain. The press conference. What do we say?"
"The truth," Dae-hyun said. "We solved a case. We arrested the people responsible. Beyond that, say nothing."
He walked through the bullpen and out the door, leaving them to prepare.
---
At four o'clock exactly, Team Zero assembled in the main lobby of the Yongsan station.
The room had been transformed. A podium stood at the front, emblazoned with the Seoul Metropolitan Police logo. Rows of chairs faced it, already filled with reporters, camera operators, and news crews. The flash of cameras lit the space in staccato bursts.
Commissioner Hwang stood at the podium, looking every inch the public figure. Behind him, lined up in a row, stood Team Zero.
Dae-hyun was at the end, his face impassive. Beside him, Min-jun looked uncomfortable but resigned. Jin-young was trying very hard to disappear into the background. Shi-eok stood like a statue, giving nothing away. Soo-ah's eyes were wide, but her back was straight. Hae-rin looked calm and composed, as always. And Yoon Seo-ah—Yoon Seo-ah stood in the middle of them all, and for the first time since joining the squad, she looked completely in her element.
The cameras loved her. They always had.
Commissioner Hwang raised his hands, and the room quieted.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for coming." His voice was smooth, practiced. "I have an announcement that I believe will be of great interest to the people of Seoul."
He paused for effect.
"Three months ago, a brazen robbery occurred at a jewelry store in Gangnam. Nearly two billion won in merchandise was stolen. Despite an extensive investigation, the case remained unsolved. The victims remained without justice. The criminals remained free."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"That changed this morning." Commissioner Hwang gestured behind him. "I'd like to introduce you to Team Zero—a new special investigations unit, created to handle the most complex, most difficult cases in our city. In just five days, they have done what three months of conventional investigation could not."
He turned slightly. "Captain Kang Dae-hyun."
Dae-hyun stepped forward to the podium. The cameras clicked furiously. His face revealed nothing.
"The suspects are in custody," he said. His voice was flat, unadorned. "Five individuals have been arrested and are being processed. Evidence has been recovered. The case is closed."
A reporter's hand shot up. "Captain Kang, can you give us details about the arrests?"
"No."
Another reporter. "How did you solve the case so quickly?"
"Thorough investigation."
A third. "Is it true that Yoon Seo-ah is a member of your squad?"
Dae-hyun's eyes flicked toward the reporter. "Yes."
The room erupted. Questions flew from every direction, cameras swiveling toward Yoon Seo-ah, who stood motionless behind him.
Commissioner Hwang stepped forward smoothly, reclaiming the podium. "Ladies and gentlemen, please. One at a time."
But the damage was done. The focus had shifted from the case to the celebrity, from the arrests to the actress in uniform. Questions about Yoon Seo-ah drowned out everything else.
Dae-hyun stepped back, his face unchanged, but his jaw tight.
Min-jun leaned toward him slightly. "This is going to be a problem."
Dae-hyun said nothing.
The press conference continued for another twenty minutes, but the tone had shifted. Commissioner Hwang fielded questions about the squad, about their methods, about their future cases. But always, always, the questions circled back to Yoon Seo-ah.
When it was finally over, and the reporters began to file out, Team Zero retreated to the bullpen in silence.
Soo-ah was the first to speak. "That was... intense."
Jin-young collapsed into his chair. "I need a shower. And possibly a new identity."
Min-jun snorted. "You and me both."
Hae-rin was already at her desk, reviewing notes. "The coverage will be massive. We need to be ready for the attention."
Shi-eok nodded slowly. "It changes things."
Yoon Seo-ah stood apart from them, her face carefully blank. She had known this would happen. She had known her presence would bring attention. But knowing it and living through it were different things.
Dae-hyun walked to his office, then paused at the door. He didn't turn around.
"Seo-ah. My office."
She followed him inside without a word.
The door closed behind them.
---
In the bullpen, the others exchanged glances.
Min-jun sighed. "Well. Here we go."