Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 163

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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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No Different (2)
“This is it.”
Seo Jin arrived at the commercial district where the latest incident had occurred, accompanied by Detective Jin Yu-kyung.
It was just past lunch hour.
Most office workers had returned to their companies, yet the street remained crowded.
There were so many people it bordered on congestion.
And scattered throughout were surveillance cameras.
It was simply astounding that a murder using cyanide had occurred in such a bustling commercial district.
“The death occurred over there.”
Seo Jin’s gaze shifted to where Detective Jin Yu-kyung’s finger pointed.
The victim had collapsed in front of a bus stop.
“Was she waiting for the bus?”
“Yes.”
Seo Jin surveyed the surroundings, mentally reconstructing the scene as it had unfolded.
The victim was a woman in her early thirties.
‘After giving birth, she had left the baby with her husband….’
She had come here to meet a friend after a long time.
The day of the incident was a weekend.
There must have been even more foot traffic in this area back then than there was now.
‘The meeting place was a pasta restaurant deeper inside the commercial district.’
Seo Jin moved toward the pasta restaurant.
Though it was a small establishment with only seven tables, it was so packed with customers that you could see it from outside the window.
According to Detective Jin Yu-kyung, it was famous as a ‘must-visit restaurant.’
‘The victim had sat by the window and greeted her friend warmly….’
They parted ways, promising to meet again later.
Seo Jin retraced the path the victim had taken.
I stopped at the one place where the victim’s image had not been captured.
An alley without surveillance cameras.
This short alley, less than twenty meters long, held a secret.
As Seo Jin stopped, Detective Jin Yu-kyung handed over a tablet PC and spoke.
“Would you like to see it?”
The tablet PC contained CCTV footage.
As Seo Jin played the video, Detective Jin Yu-kyung added her commentary.
“The victim left the pasta restaurant at 2:17 PM. It takes two minutes to walk from the shop to here at an adult’s pace. Passing through this alley takes at most one minute.”
Looking at the pasta restaurant’s CCTV, the victim left the shop and immediately parted ways with her friend.
“But the victim didn’t emerge from the alley until eight minutes later.”
With normal movement, three minutes would have been sufficient from leaving the shop to passing through here.
Yet the victim had lingered in this short alley for five minutes.
“And looking at the CCTV footage, when the victim emerges from the alley, she’s holding a coffee in her hand—something she didn’t have before. She received coffee from someone here. They must have had a five-minute conversation as well.”
If that exchange could be confirmed, the case could have been solved easily.
But unfortunately, there are no CCTV cameras in this alley.
As I listened to Detective Jin Yu-kyung’s words, something felt off.
The puzzle pieces didn’t fit together.
‘Eleven people dead so far.’
There’s no pattern to when the crimes occur.
The same goes for the locations.
The entire Seoul and Gyeonggi Province region serves as the stage.
And it’s not targeting a specific gender or age group either.
Literally random victims.
That’s what makes it strange.
“Detective, would you accept coffee from someone you don’t know and drink it?”
Detective Jin Yu-kyung shook her head immediately.
“I wouldn’t even suspect poison, but a favor from a stranger feels burdensome. If they offered a coupon, maybe, but if someone offers coffee, I’d refuse.”
That would be the normal response.
Yet the victim accepted the coffee and even drank it.
‘An acquaintance.’
The person I immediately suspect is the friend who made plans with the victim here.
But that friend’s alibi is solid.
Right after parting with the victim, they got into a taxi.
‘If it’s not that….’
Someone who could predict the victim’s route through this alley to the bus stop.
Or some stalker who’s always following the victim.
‘A murder carried out through meticulous planning, not impulse.’
The killer must have surveyed the crime scene multiple times before committing the murder.
‘For all of this to be possible….’
No matter how I think about it, it’s impossible unless it’s someone the victim knew.
I strode out of the alley.
“Detective, could you check everything possible—the victims’ phone records, financial information, personal details, everything?”
“You’re suspecting an acquaintance? We initially thought along those lines too….”
“I know. Still, I want to go through everything from the beginning. Please. And the detective who handled this case—could I meet them after work? Is that possible?”
There’s nothing to say about going through it again.
Besides, my track record for solving cases is already well-known in the police department.
There’s a possibility I could find and dig into what the police missed.
Detective Jin Yu-kyung nodded.
“Yes, well….”
As I heard Detective Jin Yu-kyung’s response, I turned my gaze toward the alley I’d just exited.
‘One month….’
I have to catch the killer within that time.
If I don’t resolve this in that short window….
‘Huh?’
As I continued my train of thought, my brow furrowed.
‘Wait a moment—one month? This is… Kim Young-jun’s directive, isn’t it?’
An unreasonable order to solve in a month what the police had chased for two years without resolution.
The pretext was sound enough—don’t let filth splash across a gathering of politicians and businessmen from various nations.
‘But…’
When I thought about it, this wasn’t Kim Young-jun’s style at all.
The Prosecutor General didn’t make reckless moves like this.
‘Moreover…’
Kim Young-jun had no interest in the power struggles between the Ruling Party and Opposition Party.
He was focused solely on expanding his influence, thinking ahead to when he’d step down from his position in a few months.
‘Would such a man take interest in this summit?’
It was strange.
Hidden intentions I hadn’t considered until now, obscured by the veil of unsolved murders and time constraints.
There was definitely something more to this.
*
*
*
At that moment, in a Korean Traditional Restaurant in Gangnam.
Chief Prosecutor Jung Jun-woo sat across from an Opposition Party congressman.
The congressman brushed his chin and spoke in a heavy voice.
“…We’re going to sabotage the summit with that?”
“Yes, sir. It’s not our party’s banquet anyway, is it? If word spreads that this famous gathering had poison in the food, the Ruling Party’s image will be destroyed. Wouldn’t our people be outraged if foreign media picked it up? They’d say we’ve brought shame to the nation. If we use that, we can definitely win the presidential election.”
“That’s true, but…”
The congressman toyed with the glass he’d set down, lost in serious deliberation.
This was the height of the presidential election season.
A single mistake could inflict a fatal wound.
This was a time when one had to tap every stone bridge before crossing it.
But if even a small error occurred in the process of sabotaging the summit, we could face a backlash instead—the worst possible outcome.
Then we wouldn’t seize power, and we’d have to endure another damned five years.
After pondering for a while, the congressman’s eyes moved, studying Chief Prosecutor Jung Jun-woo.
Then he set down his glass with a sharp tap and opened his mouth.
“So, you said your goal was to become a director, correct?”
“Yes, sir. I wish to dedicate my remaining years to serving the nation.”
“Can I see your resolve?”
“Pardon? My resolve?”
Just as Chief Prosecutor Jung Jun-woo’s eyes began to move, a shocking statement was thrown at him.
“Become the whistleblower.”
“…!”
Chief Prosecutor Jung Jun-woo’s eyes trembled.
I thought the Opposition Party would make a move, but suddenly—a whistleblower?
But Congressman Park paid no heed to Jung Jun-woo’s emotions and continued speaking.
“Plenty of people spend hundreds of millions just to become a city or provincial councilor. Yet you’re aiming for Yeouido, aren’t you? You should be willing to put in that much effort.”
“C-Congressman! Then I…!”
“I won’t just sit idle either. I’ll support you from behind.”
Jung Jun-woo’s face drained of color.
Whistleblowers rarely met good ends.
Their fate was always regret.
This country showed no mercy to those who spoke out.
Yet Congressman Park continued.
“Gather the reporters and tell them the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ruling Party are neglecting public safety. That they’re putting on a show to boost approval ratings! Don’t worry about what comes after. Once public opinion shifts, we’ll make our move.”
Keeping his own hands clean while reaping the benefits—that was the game.
Watching from the sidelines, gauging public sentiment before acting.
Dirty. Cowardly.
But there was no turning back now.
“Don’t say you can’t do it.”
One look at Congressman Park’s eyes made it clear.
If Jung Jun-woo hesitated, the congressman would go straight to Kim Young-jun.
And he would certainly relay everything he’d said.
Given Kim Young-jun’s temperament, he would never let Jung Jun-woo off easy.
Congressman Park picked up his glass.
Watching Jung Jun-woo’s devastated face, he chuckled softly.
“Prosecutor Jung, don’t agonize over this. Your way back is already cut off. And don’t hesitate either. Just one more step and you’ll reach Yeouido. Politics is a treacherous path—that’s how you succeed.”
Jung Jun-woo bit his lip.
He’d used his wits well enough, but the congressman was several moves ahead in this game of manipulation.
*
*
*
I sought out Kim Young-jun.
Kim Young-jun clearly had ulterior motives.
I had no intention of rolling around in the palm of his hand without understanding them.
At the very least, I wanted to know why.
‘Being a nephew really has its advantages at times like this.’
The Prosecutor General’s Office wasn’t a place anyone could simply walk into.
Certainly not a mere prosecutor.
But as his nephew, I could show my face whenever I arranged a meeting.
And when Kim Young-jun saw me, he raised his teacup to his lips and spoke.
“You took on that case?”
“Yes.”
Kim Young-jun smiled lightly as if he’d expected it, and seeing that smile, I posed my question.
“You ordered it kept confidential, but I’m curious why you gave me a month.”
Kim Young-jun nodded.
And he answered without hiding his thoughts.
Kim Young-jun trusted Seo Jin.
He regarded him as a capable nephew and a loyal hunting dog.
“This wrapping called a ‘meeting.’ And a special case with a deadline set. With so many mouths in the Prosecutor’s Office, it would be strange if nothing leaked out.”
Kim Young-jun wanted this case to spread.
“You understand, but… I have less than a year left in the Prosecutor’s Office. When the administration changes, I’ll have to step down. But after that, I can’t know which bastard will drive a knife into my back.”
Kim Young-jun intended to root out those hiding blades beforehand.
Even if he couldn’t root them all out, it didn’t matter.
If he caught and crushed a few of them, it would serve as a warning that he was always watching.
In other words, he intended to seize control of the Prosecutor’s Office and ensure no one would ever dare oppose him again.
“Seo Jin, this isn’t bad for you either.”
If Kim Young-jun fell into another prosecutor’s hands, I could become a target of a witch hunt too.
Though it doesn’t exist in law, the people’s sentiment harbors a guilt-by-association system that destroys not just three generations of a family, but nine.
“You might have to bear collective responsibility simply for being my nephew.”
Among those who envied Seo Jin, there were those who readily spat out, “He acts recklessly, relying on his uncle’s backing.”
There were plenty of reasons to worry about collective responsibility.
Seo Jin wiped his face.
‘I’m grateful for this…’
I was truly grateful.
Not for the prevention of a witch hunt, but for the fact that Kim Young-jun wouldn’t fall into someone else’s hands.
‘You have to fall into mine.’
Seo Jin gazed slowly at Kim Young-jun, concealing his emotions.
Kim Young-jun, meeting his eyes, smiled quietly and continued.
“Don’t worry about anything else and focus only on the case. If you resolve this case, I’ll use all my power to make you a hero.”
Of course, it wasn’t because Kim Young-jun found Seo Jin endearing.
He was doing it because it was necessary for his plan.
Kim Young-jun was a man with his sights on politics.
He knew well that the greater his bloodline and family prestige, the more remarkable such symbolism could create support rates.
Well, it wasn’t bad for Seo Jin either.
‘Don’t worry? Focus only on the case?’
That was my intention.
I had no desire to be entangled in this filthy den of demons.
And the more Kim Young-jun’s gaze turned toward the future, the easier it became for me to peer into Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s past.
That past could ensnare Kim Young-jun.
I decided to dangle an enticing bait to ensure Kim Young-jun’s gaze would definitely shift.
“Uncle, there’s a prosecutor I find suspicious.”
“…What?”

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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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