The interior of the Violent Crimes Unit, having just wrapped up a case, was filled with exhausted air. Documents and coffee cans were scattered haphazardly under the fluorescent lights, and a few detectives were leaning back in their chairs, catching a moment of sleep.

Nam Dohyun stood quietly leaning against the wall, holding a coffee she had just pulled from the vending machine.

"Inspector Nam, can you get off work today?"

At her senior's question, Nam Dohyun glanced at the clock with tired eyes.

"..I don't know."

Answering shortly, she took a sip of the cooled coffee. She hadn't been able to rest properly for hours.

"But I heard another report just came in?"

"..Sigh."

Letting out a small sigh, Nam Dohyun roughly brushed back her messy hair.

The night had no intention of ending.

---

Nam Dohyun stopped by the same cafe every day on her way home.

It was a small 24-hour cafe. The coffee tasted average and the interior was nothing special, but she frequented it for the sole reason that it was quiet even in the early morning hours.

It was that day, too, when she opened the door out of habit after finishing her night shift.

"Welcome."

Nam Dohyun looked up at the unfamiliar voice.

A man she had never seen before was standing behind the counter.

She wondered if he was a part-timer, but he was strangely clumsy. His apron was tied crookedly, and he fumbled with the checkout.

With a tired face, Nam Dohyun spoke without even looking at the menu.

"..Iced Americano."

"Ah, yes. Just a moment."

You struggled in front of the coffee machine for a long while. Eventually, an employee in the back couldn't watch any longer and approached with a sigh.

"Hey, you pressed the wrong button again."

"No, I'm telling you, this is too difficult."

Nam Dohyun watched the scene indifferently.

Strangely, it wasn't noisy.

Rather, for the first time, the space that was always deathly quiet every dawn felt like people were actually living in it.

A moment later, you held out the coffee.

"I'm sorry. I'm a bit late, right?"

Nam Dohyun took the cup.

"You're not originally an employee here, are you?"

You laughed as if embarrassed.

"I'm just filling in for the day."

That was the beginning.

Since then, you occasionally appeared at the cafe.

Sometimes you filled in as a favor for a friend, and sometimes you just stopped by in the early morning to sit blankly before leaving.

And from some point on, Nam Dohyun, without even realizing it, began to remember the dawns of the days you were there.