Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 102

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Dedicated Team (1)
As I approached the urn, I suddenly stopped in my tracks.
And I gazed quietly at Seo Jun-kyung in the photograph.
He was smiling brightly—what could have made him so happy?
The photo was taken three months before his death, on the day we arrested that ruling party congressman, and I had celebrated with Lee Dong-young over shots of soju that evening.
We drank and cheered, singing of hope—saying that if we caught just a few more of those bastards, the Republic of Korea might change.
It was a photo Sung-ah had taken when she came in that day.
I exhaled a long sigh and turned away.
I had merely avenged a personal grudge; there was still a long road ahead before I could afford to dwell on the past.
Congressman Song Won-tae, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun, and all the other garbage—there was far too much work to be done.
‘I’ll destroy it all. Everything in this world, I’ll take it all. I’ll come back then.’
Seo Jun-kyung and I are different.
I know that without power, everything is stripped away.
That smile, the colleagues we shared.
That’s why I must take everything.
Until I destroy and seize everything those bastards possess, there is no time for sentimentality.
I brushed past Lee Dong-young and opened my mouth.
“I’ll head out first.”
Lee Dong-young kept his eyes tightly shut.
It seemed his tears had not yet subsided.
Outside the columbarium stood an enormous crowd of reporters.
They had come to photograph Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung’s urn.
And then.
“It’s, it’s Prosecutor Seo Jin!”
At someone’s shout, the reporters’ gazes snapped toward me.
Simultaneously, they swarmed like ants.
They captured my descent down the steps on their cameras, frantically pressing their shutters.
Click! Click! The sounds rang out loudly as the reporters’ voices followed.
“Prosecutor Seo Jin! You cleared Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung’s name. The fact that you came to the columbarium suggests you had some connection—what was it?”
“Please say something!”
“Prosecutor!”
I descended the steps in silence.
Today, I had no words to offer.
*
*
*
At the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s attention shifted from his work.
His phone vibrated with a buzzing sound.
‘Who is it?’
I picked up the phone with an indifferent expression, but tension surged through me in an instant.
-Come up.
It was Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun.
‘What is this?’
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae swallowed hard.
It had been a long time since he’d been summoned by the Prosecutor General.
Ever since he’d fallen out of favor over the Kim Yun-hwan affair, he’d been living on scraps.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae rolled his eyes, searching for anything he might be scolded about.
But nothing came to mind.
‘Could it be… the land in Chuncheon?’
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae shook his head.
It couldn’t be that.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun didn’t meddle in personal investments.
As long as you didn’t cause trouble, he let that sort of thing slide.
‘Then what is it?’
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s mind continued to spin.
But there was nothing to be scolded for, nothing to be praised for.
‘Damn it, what the hell is this?’
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae furrowed his brow and rose to his feet.
Unable to shake his tension, he headed toward the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Moments later, in Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s office.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun was gazing out the window.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae greeted him with “You called for me?” but Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun didn’t turn around.
He treated Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae like a sack of barley, keeping his eyes fixed on the window.
There was nothing Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae could do. He cursed silently to himself and waited for Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun to speak.
A bit more time passed.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun slowly turned his head toward Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.
“You’re here?”
His voice was soft.
But Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae didn’t relax his guard.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun was most frightening when he smiled or pretended to be kind.
“Sit.”
When Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun pointed to the sofa, Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae sat down awkwardly.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun sat across from him and opened his mouth.
“Seo Jun-kyung’s honor has been restored.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s truly good news.”
Despite his words, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s expression and tone were dry.
He had always considered Seo Jun-kyung an eyesore.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun put a cigarette to his lips and continued speaking.
“Keep an eye on Seo Jin.”
“Pardon?”
Jo Woo-jae blinked.
He couldn’t fathom what this sudden remark meant.
‘Seo Jin?’
Jo Woo-jae tilted his head in confusion as Kim Young-jun continued speaking.
“I heard Seo Jin was with Lee Dong-young when he was in Chuncheon. Yet this time, he cleared Seo Jun-kyung’s name.”
“…!”
“Lee Dong-young was present when we apprehended Shin Ju-eon.”
Jo Woo-jae understood immediately.
Kim Young-jun had paid no attention to Investigator Lee Dong-young until now.
A mere investigator was someone he could crush underfoot at any moment.
But not anymore.
He was connected to Seo Jin.
“Seo Jin might have embraced certain ideologies.”
Seo Jin was still a junior prosecutor.
He could have heeded the words of an experienced investigator.
“He might even champion a twisted sense of justice. So watch him.”
“But Seo Jin isn’t in my division….”
“I’m forming a dedicated team to maintain the prosecution in the Kim In-yong case. You’ll lead that team, Woo-jae.”
Kim In-yong had kidnapped and murdered his girlfriend when she tried to break up with him—the brutal method of killing shocked the nation.
His fingerprints were found on every piece of evidence used in the crime—the saw, the knife, everything—yet he continued to deny the charges.
“Put Seo Jin on that team. Record and report everything without exception—who he contacts, what people he meets, what he’s thinking.”
*
*
*
“You know about the Kim In-yong case?”
The next day.
I walked down the hallway with Jo Woo-jae.
“Yes, of course.”
I turned my head toward Jo Woo-jae as I answered.
I’d rushed over after being called, only to have him suddenly bring up a murder case.
‘What’s this about?’
Seo Jin and Jo Woo-jae were in the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 and Division 2.
There was no reason to discuss a gruesome murder case.
I studied his expression, wondering why he’d mention this, when Jo Woo-jae smiled mysteriously and continued.
“We’re forming a dedicated team to maintain the prosecution. I’ll lead it, and you’ll be joining.”
“Me?”
Jo Woo-jae nodded and stepped into the elevator.
Jo Woo-jae, the Chief Prosecutor, nodded and stepped into the elevator.
And Seo Jin stepped forward from behind, revealing the smile he had been concealing.
‘Predictable.’
It was obvious what instructions Jo Woo-jae had received without even hearing them.
‘He told you to watch me, didn’t he.’
It was exactly what I had anticipated.
Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung had been a thorn in the side of Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun and Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.
And it was Seo Jin who restored that honor, with Investigator Lee Dong-young by his side.
‘He must have been worried.’
Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung was fierce enough to be difficult to control.
The way he wielded his blade against those in power was exactly the style that younger prosecutors admired.
With Kim Yun-hwan gone, he wouldn’t want to see Seo Jin developing that same temperament.
‘He’s worried about me and I’m truly grateful.’
Seo Jin tapped the elevator floor with his toes and smiled faintly.
As long as I knew their plan, there was nothing to fear.
Moreover, Seo Jin saw this as an opportunity.
The day when the land in Chuncheon would plummet in value was drawing ever closer.
And when that day came, I planned to give Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae a dog collar as a gift.
Seo Jin’s gaze turned toward Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s retreating figure.
That gaze was cold.
‘I’ll show you hell.’
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae would become my dog from now on.
Following my instructions, he would blind and deafen Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun.
After finishing his thoughts, Seo Jin smiled broadly and spoke.
“I appreciate it. Please teach me a lot.”
But what Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae said was ridiculous.
“Sorry, but there’s nothing to teach you.”
“Pardon?”
“All the evidence points to that bastard anyway. Think of it as a vacation. Just take it easy, then go to trial, push for sentencing, and come back. Got it?”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae patted Seo Jin’s shoulder repeatedly.
He looked genuinely pleased.
After enduring the Prosecutor General’s cold gaze and eating cold rice all this time, he was thrilled at the thought of eating warm rice again.
‘Pathetic bastard.’
I almost felt sorry just thinking about what kind of crumpled expression he’d make when land prices crashed soon.
But for now, I matched his mood and opened my mouth.
“But what will Criminal Division 3 say?”
Murder cases were the domain of Criminal Division 3, which handled serious crimes.
They had been handling and developing the case all this time, and Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae had essentially stolen it.
Naturally, they wouldn’t be pleased.
But Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae didn’t seem to care.
“It’s the Prosecutor General’s orders, isn’t it? What can they do about it?”
Jo Woo-jae valued his connections with superiors over relationships with others.
He believed that Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun would open doors for his advancement.
With a soft ding, the elevator came to a halt.
They had arrived at the floor where the Interrogation Room was located.
Jo Woo-jae patted Seo Jin on the back and continued in a cheerful voice.
“Don’t worry about those guys. Let’s keep it simple. Simple.”
“Yes, I’ll trust your judgment and proceed accordingly.”
Of course, Seo Jin had no intention of keeping things simple as Jo Woo-jae suggested.
Every case demanded my utmost effort.
Otherwise, an innocent person could become a criminal.
Seo Jin followed and asked.
“By the way, who else is on the team?”
“I’m not sure. Criminal Division 3 said they’d send someone, but….”
Jo Woo-jae, lost in thought, shook his head as if he couldn’t remember.
“Who was it again….”
Just then, the Chief Prosecutor of Appeals Division 2 was walking down the hallway toward them.
“Oh, Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.”
The Chief Prosecutor of Appeals Division 2 was also at odds with Seo Jun-kyung.
And like the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together—he was quite close with Jo Woo-jae.
He stepped forward and opened his mouth.
His first words were grating.
“That bastard Seo Jun-kyung has become some kind of hero. The bastard….”
At those words, Jo Woo-jae observed Seo Jin’s expression.
He had been instructed to watch Seo Jin regarding Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung’s matter.
So he tried not to miss even the smallest change in expression.
But Seo Jin’s face remained calm, and Jo Woo-jae turned back to the other man.
“Sleep and wake up a star, they say—that’s exactly what happened to him. It’s disgusting….”
“Still, the guy’s dead anyway. He’ll be forgotten soon. Or, should we try to destroy Seo Jun-kyung’s reputation from our side?”
“Destroy?”
“I looked through Seo Jun-kyung’s past trials and they were garbage. If we create a smear piece and leak it to reporters, they’d love it. Garbage should remain garbage. Hehe.”
The man who had been talking finally recognized Seo Jin.
“…Prosecutor Seo Jin? Sorry. You restored Seo Jun-kyung’s honor, didn’t you? Understand me. We weren’t on good terms. Just talking.”
“It’s fine.”
“Sorry, sorry.”
There were still those in the Prosecution Service who viewed Seo Jun-kyung unfavorably.
Though he had been cleared of false charges, he had made countless enemies along the way.
Having many enemies didn’t matter, but I had no intention of becoming garbage as they intended.
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s grab a drink sometime soon.”
The man left.
And Seo Jin stood beside Jo Woo-jae.
“You didn’t like Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung, did you?”
“He had too many enemies.”
“But turning him into garbage doesn’t seem right.”
“Huh? Why?”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s eyes gleamed.
He wanted to hear what Seo Jin truly thought of Seo Jun-kyung.
“It seems wasteful to just discard him. What if we made Seo Jun-kyung a hero instead?”
At Seo Jin’s words, Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s eyes widened.
His lips twisted involuntarily.
Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung was a thorn in his side.
But then.
“…A hero?”
*
*
*
“Prosecutor General!”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae burst through the door of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun, who was working, looked toward Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.
“What is it?”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae approached Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun quickly.
At his urgent expression, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s eyes narrowed.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun had instructed Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae to observe Seo Jin.
But judging by that expression, something seemed to have gone wrong.
“What is it?”
However, unexpected words tumbled from Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s mouth.
“What if we made Seo Jun-kyung a hero?”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun crumpled the documents he had been reading.
And just as he was about to throw them, Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae spoke quickly.
“The Prosecution Service’s image is poor. People point fingers at us, saying we wield absolute power. But Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung was killed while standing against that power.”
“…!”
“We tell the people this: our power is insufficient. Yet we always do our best for the nation. As guardians of the law, we work with our lives on the line. And Seo Jun-kyung’s death is proof of that. We give money to civic organizations and hold his funeral again. Not because anyone ordered it, but as if the citizens themselves are doing it. Movingly!”
“Woo-jae….”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s voice was low.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae flinched.
But Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun was setting down the documents he had been holding.
And with one word.
“Do it.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s mouth split into a grin.
He immediately bowed deeply.
“Understood, sir.”
If I handle this matter well, I can stand beside Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun once again.
Now Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae must make Seo Jun-kyung a hero by any means necessary.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————