Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 135

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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One Thing (5)
In a world drained of color, Kim Young-jun’s Wife was on a phone call with someone.
Her brow furrowed, and anger smoldered in her eyes.
And in that moment, Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s voice pierced the space like a scream.
“You should have handled it well then! If you don’t want to get into a mud-slinging match, stop it! Ha… fine. I’ll look into it. And this is the end. Consider it a warning. Don’t cross the line.”
The call ended there.
And Kim Young-jun’s Wife gazed out the window with sinister eyes, muttering to herself.
“…All I need is for Yun-hwan to succeed. Nothing else matters.”
*
*
*
That was the end of it.
The world regained its color, and before me stood Kim Young-jun’s Wife.
She was looking at me with chilling eyes.
The difference was that she was smiling.
Genuinely artificial.
I narrowed my eyes.
If I could have seen only the caller ID on the phone Kim Young-jun’s Wife was holding, I might have learned something important.
‘Who was she talking to? Her family?’
The exchange had been so brief and only her voice audible, leaving me with no clues—just a tangled mind.
As I was lost in thought, Kim Young-jun’s Wife continued.
“I saw it in the news. They’re investigating the private loan market these days, aren’t they?”
“Ah, yes.”
“What’s the reason? I’m just curious.”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s voice was casual, and I gave a textbook answer.
“A complaint came in, and as we investigated, it turned out to be quite large in scale. So we’re investigating for the sake of performance metrics.”
“Ah, performance metrics?”
A look of contempt flickered across Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s expression.
She seemed to know the real reason I was investigating the private loan market.
And from Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s lips came a voice like a warning.
“How long do you plan to do this? Ah, I know a bit about that world, and it’s dangerous.”
Her tone suggested that continued pursuit would inevitably lead to trouble.
A warning to stop.
But I didn’t back down; instead, I offered a provocative response.
“If I’ve started, I have to see it through to the end.”
“…See it through to the end?”
“Yes, to the end.”
“I don’t think you should.”
“I’m a prosecutor. I can’t stop just because it’s dangerous.”
For a fleeting moment, I saw the corners of Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s mouth twist.
An expression and gaze that seemed to desire Seo Jin to fall into danger.
But that expression vanished in an instant, and she spoke to Seo Jin in a gentle voice.
“I’m worried our nephew might be struggling. If you think it’s dangerous, stop whenever you want.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
“Right, you said you had somewhere to go? Go on then.”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife brushed past Seo Jin’s side with those words.
A cold wind whistled sharply.
Seo Jin turned his head, watching her receding figure.
If a thriller film had a villain, it would feel like that.
*
*
*
Seo Jin was on his way to meet Shin Ji-yeon.
As he turned the steering wheel, he recalled what he’d seen through psychometry.
‘…If only things had gone well back then.’
A sudden suspicion crept in—could Kim Young-jun’s Wife be behind the force that pushed me to my death?
But it was still only speculation.
I couldn’t jump to conclusions prematurely.
The previous Seo Jin had stirred up the loan shark market while powerless, making many enemies.
There was no guarantee that led back to Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s family.
I had to avoid letting suspicion breed suspicion, leading toward the wrong answer.
*
*
*
Shortly after, Seo Jin stood on the Shopping Complex Rooftop.
Shin Ji-yeon had handed over only the materials Seo Jin requested and left, and he was now opening and examining the document envelope.
What Seo Jin had asked Shin Ji-yeon for was information about the foreign woman who had orchestrated the traffic accident.
His only clues were the name Anna Roux and her status as an illegal resident, yet Shin Ji-yeon had found her faster than expected.
‘The reason she was found so easily’
There was only one reason.
The woman was a significant player—in other words, she was caught in the Shinma Group’s network.
Seo Jin’s gaze turned to the documents.
The woman’s information came into view.
-Name: Anna Roux (likely an alias).
-Age: 30 (estimated).
-Nationality: Chinese-Canadian (estimated).
-Characteristics: Illegal resident.
Yet even the Shinma Group only knew her as Anna Roux—an alias.
Her residence and everything else remained uncertain.
But there was something they did know.
The reason Anna Roux remained ensnared in Shinma Group’s network.
Anna Roux reportedly appeared whenever figures from the political world gathered.
‘She’d offer bribes, perhaps even sexual favors.’
Anna Roux was quite beautiful.
Lustful dogs would drool at the sight of her.
I handed over the documents.
On the final page appeared a list of the lawmakers who had met with Anna Roux.
I tapped each of their names with my finger, muttering under my breath.
“You’re all bait.”
As I slipped the documents back into the envelope, a faint smile crossed my face.
Anna Roux held quite a high position within their organization.
Yet someone of such rank had personally orchestrated and carried out a terrorist attack against me.
It revealed their determination to place me in mortal danger.
‘How thoughtful of them.’
They had stepped on their own tail because of that determination.
I intended to climb that tail and examine the body itself.
I turned and descended the stairs with heavy footfalls.
Yet despite my efforts not to think about it, Kim Young-jun’s Wife and these people kept overlapping in my mind.
I furrowed my brow in thought.
‘I need to verify that first.’
*
*
*
The next day.
I sat in my office.
Before me sat the man who had jumped into the car.
I placed the documents about Anna Roux on the table and asked.
“Is it her?”
The man stared blankly at the photograph.
Then he nodded.
“Yes. That’s her. I’m certain!”
Now it was confirmed.
“I understand. Thank you for your trouble.”
“I….”
My gaze shifted toward the man.
He spoke with desperate urgency.
“…Could I go to the Detention Center?”
The moment he stepped outside, he would die.
Death itself didn’t concern him, but he despised the thought of his debts transferring to his family and siblings.
Ironically, the safest place for him was the Detention Center.
Seo Jin nodded.
“Don’t worry. I’ll go with the charge of violating the Special Act on Prevention of Insurance Fraud.”
The man clenched his fists.
He seemed pleased about being arrested.
After the man left, Seo Jin rose and gazed out the window.
I had confirmed Anna Roux’s face and learned that she was connected to a politician.
I would be able to see her face soon enough.
‘That aside.’
I recalled what I had seen in the psychometry.
In that vision, Kim Young-jun’s Wife was on a call with someone, and I was fairly certain the person on the other end was her family of origin.
‘If I could just confirm the caller’s number….’
But it wouldn’t be easy.
If I investigated the call history, I might get caught by Prosecutor Kim Young-jun.
If I tried to check the call history through illegal means, it would definitely reach his ears.
And I couldn’t do it legally either, even with a warrant.
‘Is there no choice but to confirm it directly? How?’
Lost in thought for a moment, I suddenly recalled the last words Kim Young-jun’s Wife had spoken in the psychometry.
“…I only need Kim Yun-hwan to do well. Nothing else matters.”
A deranged obsession directed at Kim Yun-hwan.
I could use that to sit down face-to-face with Kim Young-jun’s Wife.
I picked up my phone.
I found Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s number and pressed the call button.
“Ah, it’s Seo Jin.”
My voice was bright.
“Could I see you for a moment? You mentioned you knew about the loan shark market. I have some things I’d like to ask you about….”
But Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s voice was cold.
-I’m a bit busy right now.
Busy? That was nonsense—she had no real schedule and spent her days shopping, yet she was making excuses.
She didn’t want to meet me.
Well, this was within my expectations.
I brought out the words I had prepared.
“Ah, there’s also something about Kim Yun-hwan….”
-Kim Yun-hwan?
“Yes, I thought I should tell you in person.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.
Then.
-It’s the Shinma Department Store. Can you come here?
“Yes, should I come now?”
I ended the call.
And gazing out the window, I exhaled a tense breath.
*
*
*
A short while later, I met Kim Young-jun’s Wife at a coffee shop across from Shinma Department Store.
“We could have met at the department store lounge. Why did you insist on coming to a place like this?”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife seemed displeased with the crowded coffee shop.
She regarded the people seated around us with contempt.
Then her gaze shifted toward me.
There was zero affection in Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s eyes as she looked at me.
She fixed me with a thoroughly indifferent stare and opened her mouth.
“What about Yun-hwan?”
No pleasantries—she was cutting straight to the point.
That suited me fine. I had no intention of exchanging false courtesies with Kim Young-jun’s Wife.
“Well, you see….”
I regarded Kim Young-jun’s Wife carefully.
Or rather, I was looking at her cell phone tucked inside a palm-sized bag.
And I continued slowly.
“I have quite a few friends studying in the United States. Friends who attend the same school as Yun-hwan.”
At that moment, Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s phone vibrated.
“One moment.”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife pulled out her phone and entered the pattern lock.
Then she muttered “spam” and placed the phone on the table before turning back to me.
My gaze flicked briefly toward the phone.
Getting it out of the bag was already a success.
“So? What about Yun-hwan?”
“…He’s cohabiting with someone.”
“…!”
It wasn’t a lie.
I had enlisted an American through Do Gwang-hyun and was monitoring Kim Yun-hwan’s every move.
I needed to know when he might return to Korea and try to trap me.
The more leverage, the better.
And as expected, Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s brow furrowed.
Her obsession with her son.
Cohabitation with some unknown woman was more than enough to provoke her anger.
I licked my dry lips and continued.
“She’s three years older than him.”
“Wait. Yun-hwan is seeing someone three years older?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Tell me.”
I brought the coffee to my lips and shook my head.
“This time, I’d like to ask you something. The loan shark market….”
“Hey! That’s not the issue right now!”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife was in the middle of expressing her anger.
A valet parking attendant entered the coffee shop.
He glanced around, recognized Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s face, approached her cautiously from the side, and asked carefully.
“Are you the owner of the Mercedes?”
“Pardon?”
The valet parking attendant opened his mouth with a genuinely apologetic expression.
“Well, um… there’s been a minor collision, so it would be best if you could take a look….”
“A collision? What do you mean?”
“Someone bumped the bumper slightly while parking. It’s not too serious.”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife bit her lip and rose to her feet.
“Just a moment.”
She had been on edge ever since hearing that Kim Yun-hwan was living with someone.
And now a collision on top of that.
If they had met at the department store, she would have used the VIP valet parking without worry, but she disliked parking at this shabby place.
And she disliked that it was Seo Jin who had suggested coming here.
‘This really doesn’t help my life.’
Kim Young-jun’s Wife left the coffee shop with irritated steps.
And Seo Jin was smiling.
He had seen the phone Kim Young-jun’s Wife had left behind.
“Thank you.”
Everything from the collision onwards was part of Seo Jin’s plan.
If Kim Young-jun’s Wife had taken her phone with her, there would have been several more tedious steps to execute, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Seo Jin immediately picked up the phone and pressed the power button firmly.
The screen lit up.
A pattern-locked password screen.
At that moment, the bodyguard standing beside Seo Jin spoke.
“It’s N.”
The spam message Kim Young-jun’s Wife had just received was sent by the bodyguard—that too was part of Seo Jin’s plan.
And when Kim Young-jun’s Wife checked the message, the bodyguard stood behind her and watched as she unlocked the pattern.
“Thank you.”
Seo Jin unlocked the phone and immediately went to the call history.
He took out his own phone and pressed the video recording button.
Excluding the names of Kim Yun-hwan and his family, he touched each other name one by one to verify their phone numbers.
Among these, there was someone who had called Kim Young-jun’s Wife.
*
*
*
Kim Young-jun’s Wife, heading toward where she had parked her car, furrowed her brow.
‘Ah.’
I left my phone behind.
‘Sigh….’
Kim Young-jun’s cohabitation news, a minor accident, and now I’ve forgotten my phone too.
As one miserable situation followed another, Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s eyes filled with irritation.
“Wait a moment, I left my phone behind.”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife spoke to the valet parking attendant, then turned her body around.
Her heels clicked sharply against the floor as she headed back toward the Coffee Shop.
*
*
*
“Prosecutor? Kim Young-jun’s Wife is heading this way, sir.”
At the bodyguard’s urgent voice, I furrowed my brow.
I hadn’t yet checked the call log.
If I missed this moment, there was no telling when I’d get another chance to check my phone.
“Just a moment… Stop her, please. I don’t care if you have to bump into her or whatever—just give me three minutes.”
“Understood, sir.”
The bodyguard turned to leave.
He’d agreed, but looking at Seo Jin’s formidable-looking aunt, he wondered how on earth he was supposed to stop her for three whole minutes.
But then, it happened.
Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s phone vibrated.
The caller ID showed Eom Seon-ju.
‘Eom Seon-ju?’
Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s name was Eom Si-young.
It felt like Eom Seon-ju must be someone from her side of the family.
I swallowed dryly and brought the phone to my ear.
The other person’s voice came through.
-Look… I’m not trying to start a mud-slinging fight. But the business has to keep going, right?

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