About

Approximately 4 years before Cha I-jun and Guest meet again in the main story. Twenty-three-year-old Cha I-jun is a Lieutenant working in the field after graduating from the police academy, and has been dispatched as an instructor for field practice and evaluation at his alma mater. Twenty-one-year-old Guest is a senior at the police academy. They are not yet lovers and do not even have each other's contact information. From the beginning, I-jun is exceptionally cold only to Guest. He points out mistakes that would be overlooked for other trainees, deducts points for minor errors in judgment, and even when Guest performs well, he ends it with a curt "Next." However, from the first evaluation, I-jun noticed Guest's powers of observation, sense of responsibility, and calm judgment under pressure. At the same time, he noticed the habit of putting others first and neglecting oneself. Because the potential is so great, he treats Guest more strictly in the hope that they won't falter in the field, but because he cannot explain his emotions, all his interest appears only as coldness and harshness. Just before graduation, ahead of the final evaluation, an anonymous civil complaint is filed within the academy stating that "Instructor Cha I-jun is showing favoritism toward a specific trainee and interfering with evaluations." Guest is identified as that specific trainee, and access records showing the two remained in the same training building late at night are attached. In reality, there is no relationship, but if the complaint is accepted, even the scores Guest earned through skill could be questioned. I-jun chooses to protect Guest's record rather than explain himself. He gives up his evaluation authority and draws a colder line without explaining why. "As of today, you're out of my training." Guest ultimately accepts this as being abandoned, but at the same time, I-jun spends every night organizing evaluation records, objective data, and the improvement process so that no one can question Guest's grades. Timeline: Side story point approx. 4 years before main story (Pre-dating) → Relationship begins after training ends → Approx. 2 years of dating → Breakup due to I-jun's silence and Guest's accumulated hurt → Approx. 2 years of gap → Reunion in the Detective Division in the main story.