Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 68

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

A Stab in the Back (1)
I lifted my head slowly.
Kim Yun-hwan’s eyes remained sharp and piercing.
As a cold atmosphere settled over the room, I let out a soft laugh and shifted the mood entirely.
“What? A diary? You should’ve hidden something like that better.”
“What?”
I approached as if I hadn’t seen anything and made a motion to snatch it away.
Kim Yun-hwan jumped back with a start.
“Seriously!”
“Sorry, sorry.”
I raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, signaling I’d stop fooling around.
Then I shifted my gaze back to the desk.
“So I can look at the other things, right?”
“Yeah.”
I flipped through the documents casually.
But my eyes hardened.
‘This lunatic.’
This is why the Prosecutor’s Office gets dragged through the mud.
Thousands of prosecutors lose sleep grinding away, and this one bastard spreads rumors about corrupt prosecutors and sex scandals, poisoning everything.
‘Enjoy it while you can. You don’t have many days left.’
I couldn’t let someone like this continue unchecked.
My mind was consumed with the thought of destroying Kim Yun-hwan.
And I decided to lay down some bait.
“Have you been to the crime scene?”
“It’s all in the documents. Why would I go there? And you know me—I’m an office guy. Crime scenes are where those brainless thugs run around flailing. Someone like me belongs at a desk, poring over paperwork.”
He was talking nonsense.
If a case could be solved just by reading documents, it wouldn’t be unsolved.
I suppressed my distorted expression and opened my mouth as if agreeing with him.
“True.”
“But why the crime scene? Is there something odd in the documents?”
“No, nothing like that. Do you know how I solved the Arungyi Remains case?”
Kim Yun-hwan nodded seriously, but his expression showed he had no idea.
Since he was the type who’d tried to fabricate a case and manufacture a culprit, he clearly hadn’t even bothered researching it.
I opened my mouth while concealing my contempt as best I could.
“It started with the media. When the media moves, public attention refocuses, right? Then you get tips and the investigation becomes smoother.”
If I went around poking through neighborhood convenience stores asking about a case from three years ago, few would welcome me.
I’d only hear complaints about how the living need to live their lives.
“You have a journalist friend, right? Ask them to give this case some coverage.”
“The media, huh…”
Kim Yun-hwan stroked his chin thoughtfully.
It would become a dilemma.
The desire to stand in the briefing room after receiving a camera massage.
And the concern that I should prepare for the possibility that the case manipulation might fail.
When his expression shifted subtly, Seo Jin cast out the real bait he’d prepared.
“I really hope things work out well for you. After all, isn’t that how we are? Wherever we go, people point fingers at us, saying we rely on Uncle Baek’s backing.”
“Hey, who the hell points fingers at us! They’re asking for death!”
He seemed to know there was talk behind his back.
He was unnecessarily flaring up.
Seo Jin stepped in front of Kim Yun-hwan and opened his mouth.
“That’s why I hope you build up your credentials, so others won’t look down on you.”
“….”
“After all, we’re going to stick together no matter what, right? Pushing and pulling each other. But if someone disrespects you, how do you think I’d feel about having to support you?”
Kim Yun-hwan swallowed hard.
Come to think of it, Seo Jin’s credentials were impressive.
He’d solved unsolved cases and cold cases one after another, making the news multiple times.
While ordinary people might not know the name ‘Seo Jin’, it was frequently heard within the Prosecutor’s Office.
‘That bastard….’
Until now, credentials hadn’t mattered to Kim Yun-hwan.
Only those without them bothered building them up.
He’d always had the fast pass and raced down the highway, accepting only easy cases to manage his track record.
But now he thought it might be necessary.
At the very least, he wanted to smash Seo Jin’s face.
And the easiest way to build credentials was to get your name in the media.
“Then I’ll be going.”
Seo Jin brushed past Kim Yun-hwan and left the apartment.
When the door closed, Kim Yun-hwan clenched his teeth and brought his phone to his ear.
He was calling Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.
“I have a favor to ask. Could you arrange for a current affairs program PD to cooperate?”
-A PD? Why all of a sudden?
“I received an unsolved case. But….”
Kim Yun-hwan repeated exactly what Seo Jin had said.
-The media needs to move for the investigation to proceed smoothly.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae laughed heartily at what he heard.
-You thought that far ahead? You’ve become a real person after going to Dongnam.
“It’s not that I couldn’t do it before—I just didn’t. But this time I’m going to try a little harder.”
-Good thinking. I’ll support you, so do your best.
The call ended.
Kim Yun-hwan’s expression turned arrogant.
‘A reporter? I don’t play with that kind of thing, you bastard. That’s why you’re beneath me.’
Kim Yun-hwan opened the notebook he was holding.
#Scenario 1.
Kim Tae-kyung, 33 years old.
Occupation: Academy instructor at the time of the incident. Currently unemployed.
Charge: Sexual assault.
Sentenced to 7 years in the first trial, reduced to 2 years in the second trial.
Denied the crime entirely.
Kim Yun-hwan jabbed that name with his finger.
‘You’re the culprit. Garbage that should disappear from society. A bastard who deserves 7 years gets only 2? Wait. I’ll put you back in. This time, life imprisonment.’
Kim Yun-hwan began laughing darkly.
After leaving Kim Yun-hwan’s house, Seo Jin immediately got into his vehicle.
As he gripped the steering wheel, he organized the case in his mind.
-Six victims.
-Serial murders spanning eight months.
-All victims were middle school students.
-Bodies discovered at playgrounds.
-Corpses found in the early morning or morning hours.
-Victims left saying they were going to academy or never returned after school.
-No sexual contact. No fingerprints or blood traces.
-Indiscriminate murders occurring throughout Gangwon Province.
The murders abruptly ceased eight months after they began.
Experts typically offer three theories in such cases.
-The serial killer died.
-The serial killer is serving time in prison.
-Or the serial killer became fixated on a different method of murder.
Seo Jin pressed the accelerator, keeping all three possibilities in mind.
And shortly after.
Seo Jin arrived at the playground in Dongnam County where the first incident had occurred.
The playground held terrible memories from three years ago.
After the incident, children stopped visiting, and it became a haunt for delinquent youth and drunks.
Seo Jin stood in place and surveyed the surroundings.
Located within a residential area, the ground was covered in sand.
‘The victim wasn’t found here….’
The spinning ride called the roundabout.
The killer wouldn’t have murdered here.
The surroundings were packed with houses.
The killer would have feared the victim screaming.
‘He must have killed elsewhere and moved the body here.’
Seo Jin moved toward the roundabout, continuing to survey the area.
‘If he carried the corpse while avoiding CCTV cameras, his route would be….’
Seo Jin traced the path the serial killer likely took.
There was only one path that could evade the CCTV.
The railing of the playground.
‘Had he parked the car there?’
My gaze swept beyond the railing.
But it was packed with parked vehicles.
At night, there wouldn’t be a single spot available.
‘Then the method must be….’
He parked far away and then moved, or.
He stopped briefly in the middle of the road, or.
Otherwise.
‘He must have placed the body in the trunk during the day and parked the car here. Then he returned at dawn and removed the body.’
If my current theory was correct, this bastard was truly audacious.
I turned my body and headed back to the car.
And using the weekend, I confirmed all six playgrounds where the murders had occurred.
By visiting the actual crime scenes, I discovered one more commonality.
-Residential areas where parking was difficult.
-Sandy ground.
-The bodies were discovered in desolate spots within the playgrounds where streetlights didn’t reach.
*
*
*
“You scouted the land, right?”
-Yes. About ten thousand pyeong, he was pocketing? But….
“Never mind, just buy it unconditionally.”
The weekend had passed.
I was entering the District Prosecutor’s Office laden with coffee and cake.
I was on a call with Do Gwang-hyun.
Do Gwang-hyun let out a voice of genuine bewilderment.
-Prosecutor, it’s a green belt. Paddies and fields all around….
“Don’t you think there’s something to it when I’m spelling it out like this? The elected representative in that area is from the ruling party. Now that the general election is over, we’re heading into the presidential election, right? Since he’s been elected, he needs to show his gratitude with gifts, doesn’t he? What could be the most inconspicuous way to win public favor while still having a legitimate justification?”
Development.
Drawing in real estate speculators to make a quick killing and disappear.
-Those bastard con artists.
“You’re the con artist.”
-I’ve washed my hands clean.
“Stay clean.”
I ended the call and entered my office.
“Welcome back?”
But the expression of the administrative official greeting me darkened.
There was something they always said whenever I brought something back.
Have this coffee and keep your spirits up today too.
Then it’s overtime.
As the administrative staff member smiled awkwardly, Seo Jin set a coffee down in front of her.
“Have this coffee….”
Just as she anticipated what he was about to say, the administrative staff member let out a groan and asked urgently.
“What’s wrong? What are you trying to ask me to do today?”
“Just have it first.”
“Couldn’t you tell me before I drink it?”
“Well, this case from three years ago.”
Seo Jin set down the case file in front of the administrative staff member.
The administrative staff member stared at the file and nodded.
“Yes, why this?”
“Could you find all the people indicted during this period?”
“All of them, not just sex offenders?”
All of them—just thinking about the height of documents that would pile up felt bleak.
But.
“Not all of them. Mainly those who are in prison.”
That was at least a relief.
The administrative staff member nodded and picked up the phone with good cheer.
She was going to contact the Records Division to request access.
But you always have to listen to the end with Korean.
“And please check for any missing persons or runaway reports for women during this period. Murder cases or attempted….”
Seo Jin’s words continued for quite some time.
After hearing Seo Jin out to the end, the administrative staff member picked up her coffee with vacant eyes.
“I’ll drink it and do my best.”
“And I’ll be stepping out for a bit.”
Seo Jin’s destination was Wonju.
Upon entering a coffee shop, two men were waiting for Seo Jin.
One was small in stature, and the other was well-built.
“…Why did you ask to meet?”
The one who spoke was the smaller man, Kim Tae-kyung.
He had served two years in prison for sexual assault and returned to society a few months ago.
He was also the suspect Kim Yun-hwan had pointed out.
And the man sitting beside him was Kim Tae-kyung’s Friend.
He came along because Kim Tae-kyung was so anxious.
“I came because I have a few things to ask you.”
“…I didn’t commit sexual assault. I was wronged.”
Kim Tae-kyung shook his head.
Even after serving his sentence, he continues to claim his innocence.
“I really didn’t do it.”
A woman he had met a few months before the incident occurred.
They had been seeing each other for about three weeks, but….
“I told her I found it burdensome to date with the premise of marriage, so we broke up.”
Yet out of nowhere, he was accused of sexual assault.
“Think about it. Does that make any sense to you? There was only one piece of evidence! The credit card statement showing I paid for the motel! If she was going to report it, she should have done it right away! And look, I really didn’t do anything! I left her drunk on the bed and came right out!”
Seo Jin stared at Kim Tae-kyung intently.
I didn’t know what the truth was, but listening to what Kim Tae-kyung was saying now, it matched the sexual assault allegations that Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung had faced.
“But to think he’s even wearing an electronic ankle monitor, damn it….”
Kim Tae-kyung tore at his hair, tears streaming down his face.
Seo Jin exhaled a sigh and opened his mouth.
“I understand. Setting that aside, you used to live in Dongnam County, didn’t you?”
“I’m telling you I didn’t do it!”
Kim Tae-kyung suddenly erupted in anger, slamming the table with both hands as he stood up.
“Is that all it takes to be a prosecutor? You can just pin someone as a criminal? If you’re powerless, is this how it goes…?”
His eyes were filled with trauma.
I hadn’t come here to dig into the past, yet he was clearly misunderstanding something.
Kim Tae-kyung’s Friend, who had been quiet until now, gently wrapped an arm around his shoulder and spoke.
“I’m sorry, Prosecutor. Tae-kyung still….”
“Ah, it’s fine.”
In situations like this, you have to wait until the agitation subsides.
Seo Jin’s gaze shifted downward beneath the table.
When Kim Tae-kyung struck the table, his car keys and phone had scattered.
“Ah, I’ll pick it up.”
Kim Tae-kyung’s Friend spoke, but Seo Jin had already bent down.
It didn’t matter who picked it up—I grasped the fallen car keys and was about to place them back on the table when.
In that instant, the world drained into black and white.
A man exhales cigarette smoke and walks somewhere.
He arrives at a playground.
He stands in front of a car, glancing around nervously.
Confirming no one is there, he hums and opens the trunk.
A schoolgirl in uniform lies inside.
The man stares at her intently, then grins wickedly as he pulls on latex gloves.
“Uncle will have some fun with you.”
And as the man lifts the girl out, his face becomes visible.
It’s Kim Tae-kyung’s Friend.
The psychometry ends there.
Seo Jin slowly lowered the car keys he had been holding.
‘This insane bastard….’
The one comforting the crying Kim Tae-kyung with a virtuous expression.
This is the killer.

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