Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 188
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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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Your Past (1)
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I stepped out of the Prosecutor General’s Office with the documents in hand and walked back down the hallway.
My footsteps echoed against the silence, and my eyes grew cold.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s voice lingered in my mind.
“Even though he’s stepped away from politics, he still has influence with the Ruling Party. You’ll need to move carefully. You have one month—bring me grounds for an arrest warrant within that timeframe.”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun was a political prosecutor who wielded power according to political objectives.
Until now, he had conducted investigations that suited the appetites of those in power.
He had severed the necks of the Opposition at the regime’s command and crushed protesting groups beneath his heel.
The reason was simple.
To appear favorable,
To climb higher.
But this directive was different from before.
It wasn’t about appearing favorable to others.
He was directing this investigation solely for himself.
‘Has he truly joined hands with Congressman Park?’
The presidential election was drawing near.
Before the real race began, severing the head of a prominent Ruling Party figure and presenting it to the public held tremendous significance.
The moment the scandal broke, public opinion would explode.
[Ruling Party! Corruption, fraud, and moral decay rampant!]
[Former Congressman Gong Dae-chul’s misconduct—the Ruling Party’s failure to address the crisis!]
[The Gong Dae-chul scandal exposes the Park Mu-hyuk administration’s true nature… Disgusting double standards]
Sensational headlines would flood the portal websites, and the Ruling Party’s approval ratings would plummet without question.
The one who would reap the reflected benefits was naturally Congressman Park.
Congressman Park harbored ambitions to seize the advantage in the presidential race and advance directly to the presidency.
‘And then….’
If Congressman Park grasped the presidency, if he became the master of the Blue House, then Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun would no longer be a lame-duck prosecutor.
By all accounts, he would complete his entire term without incident.
‘And.’
After his tenure as Prosecutor General, he would become Minister of Justice, then a Congressman, and finally receive the baton from Congressman Park as he pursued the presidency himself.
Two pieces of garbage were trying to make South Korea their personal playground.
My pace slowed as I walked down the hallway.
I came to a complete stop and turned my head, my gaze shifting toward the end of the corridor where the Prosecutor General’s Office stood.
My eyes gleamed with a cold, sharp light.
‘How amusing….’
Until recently, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun and Congressman Park had been like enemies, divided by factional lines and locked in a power struggle.
It was only recently that Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun had come to my father seeking help to bring down Congressman Park.
But the two had joined hands.
As if nothing had happened, they laughed and promised a future together.
‘This is truly entertaining.’
In politics, yesterday’s enemy becomes today’s friend.
I would show Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun and Congressman Baek Ki-ho something.
That today’s friend could become tomorrow’s enemy.
I was confident I could make that happen, and I had already devised a contingency plan.
The reason these two men joined hands and could trust each other was precisely the marriage between Kim Yun-hwan and Lee So-hee.
That much could easily be disrupted.
I turned my body and began walking again.
It was then that humid wind blew through the open window, tousling my hair.
My phone vibrated with a buzz.
It was Kim Young-jun’s Wife.
Another person who wanted to sabotage the marriage between Kim Yun-hwan and Lee So-hee.
I smiled faintly.
Kim Young-jun’s Wife was an enemy, but for now, a friend with a shared objective.
Politics and the world—there was no difference in how filthy they both were.
“Yes, Kim Young-jun’s Wife.”
-Are you busy?
“No, I’m fine.”
-Would you stop by the house if you have time?
The reason was obvious without asking.
A thief’s feet itch at the scene of the crime.
Eom Seon-ju’s prosecutor was me, and Kim Young-jun’s Wife was worried that Eom Seon-ju might have said something nonsensical to me.
“Then I’ll stop by to greet you this evening.”
I answered readily and ended the call.
And I chuckled to myself.
‘Excellent.’
I desperately wanted to go to Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s house.
Because there was something I wanted to confirm there when neither Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun nor Kim Yun-hwan was present.
A paternity test.
Genetic testing wasn’t limited to hair roots alone.
Cotton swabs with blood and saliva, or toothbrushes, and fingernails and toenails, among other things.
There were many options available.
If I couldn’t pluck Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s hair, I could obtain something else.
Besides, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun had an evening appointment scheduled. And I could arrange Kim Yun-hwan’s appointment myself.
I picked up my phone and sent a message to Jang Seok-min.
-Have a drink with Kim Yun-hwan this evening.
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It was the time when others were clocking out.
Seo Jin stopped by Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s House to have dinner.
“Come in.”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife greeted me with a warm smile that differed from her usual demeanor.
As expected, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun had not come home.
Kim Yun-hwan was the same—by now he was likely raising glasses with Jang Seok-min.
‘In the house….’
Only Kim Young-jun’s Wife, the housekeeper, and Kim Yu-mi, Kim Yun-hwan’s younger sister, were present.
Kim Yu-mi was a resident physician who had managed to secure a rare day off and was sleeping in her room.
According to her philosophy, one should sleep an extra minute on days off whenever possible.
‘Yu-mi won’t be coming out….’
I planned to humor Kim Young-jun’s Wife appropriately before moving to the Bathroom.
And there, I had devised a plan to obtain Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s toothbrush.
This household didn’t even replace their own toothbrushes.
The housekeeper managed everything.
Deceiving her would be child’s play to obtain the toothbrush.
“You should eat, shouldn’t you?”
I sat at the Dining Table, hearing Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s kind voice.
Various dishes were visible.
From soybean paste stew to short ribs.
“Given what happened last time, I wanted to prepare a meal for you.”
Of course, none of these dishes bore Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s touch.
All were the housekeeper’s handiwork.
But I showed no sign of this and opened my mouth.
“I’ll eat well.”
After I answered pleasantly and picked up my utensils, Kim Young-jun’s Wife picked up a wine bottle.
“Would you like a glass?”
“No, thank you. I have more work to do once I leave.”
From the moment I entered this house, I maintained an amiable smile without a single moment of carelessness.
It was because of Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s gaze.
Kim Young-jun’s Wife was observing me.
She was trying to catch every subtle shift in my expression.
It was the same now.
Kim Young-jun’s Wife watched intently as I ate, then abruptly asked.
“…How is Eom Seon-ju?”
I had anticipated a question about Eom Seon-ju would come.
I answered composedly.
“She’s struggling.”
“Nothing else to say?”
What Kim Young-jun’s Wife was curious about was singular.
Whether Eom Seon-ju had exposed her own secrets or not.
The instruction to kill me.
The other atrocities she had committed.
I had heard quite a lot of information from Eom Seon-ju, but I answered casually.
“Nothing particularly noteworthy.”
“Nothing?”
“She does have her hysterical moments. You know how they say a drowning man will clutch at straws? When people are cornered like that, they all react the same way. They get angry, then make excuses, then give up. Other than that, she’s doing fine, so don’t worry too much. After all, she’s your brother’s sister-in-law, so I’m being as respectful as possible.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife relaxed, satisfied with the answer she’d received.
But wait.
She immediately threw out another question.
“This girl Lee So-hee. I was meaning to ask you about her—who is she?”
“Lee So-hee?”
“Yes.”
“But how do you know about Lee So-hee?”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s eyes sparkled, but I pretended not to notice.
The marriage between Kim Yun-hwan and Lee So-hee hadn’t yet reached my household.
“…Huh?”
It was the moment Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s expression turned awkward at my question.
“They might be getting married.”
The voice didn’t come from Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s mouth.
Kim Yu-mi, Kim Yun-hwan’s sister, walked in from the living room.
‘This is…’
I had come to this house for two reasons.
To stir up trouble through Lee So-hee.
And to secure Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s toothbrush.
The more people present, the more difficult things naturally become.
Kim Yu-mi’s appearance was unwelcome.
Unaware of my circumstances, Kim Yu-mi opened the refrigerator, grabbed a drink, and sat at the dining table like a zombie.
Hospital work had worn her down—exhaustion clung to her face.
I continued to manage my expression and asked Kim Yu-mi a question.
“Marriage? With Lee So-hee?”
“That’s what they’re saying?”
“Ah, so that’s why you were asking.”
I answered and looked toward Kim Young-jun’s Wife.
Her eyes had changed. The warm gaze she’d been showing me until now had vanished.
In its place was a frenzied maternal love, obsessed with her son.
I smiled quietly and opened my mouth.
“Lee So-hee is a good person. She has a nice personality and works hard.”
“What about her family background?”
The question Kim Young-jun’s Wife had been curious about—and the one I had been waiting for.
I opened my mouth slowly.
“I don’t know about her family circumstances, but as far as I know, she only has her mother. She calls her frequently and quite often….”
“Wait, she only has her mother?”
“That’s what I understand.”
It was the moment Eom Seon-ju’s words were confirmed as fact.
Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s face flushed crimson.
At the same time, she braced herself against the dining table with both hands, rose to her feet, grabbed her phone, and hurried out of the kitchen.
She was going to call Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun.
‘I knew that if Kim Young-jun’s Wife heard about Lee So-hee’s family circumstances, she would lose her mind….’
I had been trying to head to the bathroom at this moment.
But Kim Yu-mi was sitting in front of me.
I needed to find a natural way to reach the bathroom while avoiding her gaze.
Before Kim Young-jun’s Wife returned.
‘…How?’
I felt awkward around Kim Yu-mi.
Since entering this body, I could count on one hand the times I’d seen her face.
And we’d barely had any conversation.
In the quiet space, it was Kim Yu-mi who spoke first.
“You know how our mom is, right? Try to understand.”
“But aren’t you going to eat?”
“I’d rather sleep than eat. That’s how I save time.”
“Isn’t it easier now that you’re a senior prosecutor? From what I see in dramas….”
Kim Yu-mi laughed, holding her stomach.
“In dramas, prosecutors don’t catch criminals—they fall in love. They fight well, solve mysteries well, and they’re beautiful.”
Kim Yu-mi spent a long time talking about the differences between dramas and reality.
During that time, I finished eating, and Kim Yu-mi brought me a cup of coffee and set it in front of me.
“Well then, go get some rest. I’ll get up soon too.”
As I spoke, Kim Yu-mi held up the drink in her hand.
It meant she would head upstairs after finishing it.
‘The bathroom is on the second floor, and so is Kim Yu-mi’s room. If I want to handle this before Kim Young-jun’s Wife comes back….’
It would be difficult to say I was going to the restroom.
This house’s layout had the bathroom and restroom separated.
Various plans kept forming and disappearing in my mind.
Among them, there was no perfect way to obtain a toothbrush without raising suspicion.
What kind of madman breaks into someone’s house and steals their toothbrush?
The moment I’m caught in the act, my purpose becomes painfully obvious.
‘There’s only one way.’
I ran my tongue over my lips.
I slowly moved my coffee cup to the edge of the dining table, waiting for Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s volatile temperament to erupt.
That moment came.
“Have you lost your mind?! Do you want to see me dead?!”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s shrill voice carried all the way to the kitchen.
At the same time, I feigned surprise and knocked the coffee cup over.
In an instant, the cup fell beneath the table, and when Kim Yu-mi gasped, it soaked my pants.
With a sharp crash, the cup shattered and scattered in all directions.
“Are you alright? Did you get hurt?”
Kim Yu-mi’s eyes widened as she hastily stood up.
I waved my hand with an embarrassed expression.
“Fortunately it had cooled down. I’m not hurt, but I’m sorry.”
It was awkward acting, but it gave me a reason to head to the bathroom.
I opened my mouth while wiping my pants with a tissue.
“I have something scheduled this afternoon—could I borrow some pants from Yun-hwan?”
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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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