Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 77

—————

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

—————

Your Face (2)
*
*
*
“Did you hear? The PD of 25 Hours allegedly received sexual favors.”
“Who doesn’t know about that?”
“They say Seo Yun-hye was involved too?”
Two men were smoking and chattering away.
But the moment Seo Yun-hye’s name was mentioned, the atmosphere grew heated.
“Seo Yun-hye? Really?”
“Look at this. ‘Actress A with a wholesome image even filmed a video to advance her career.’ That’s Seo Yun-hye.”
The allegation that Jin Taek-yong, the PD, had received sexual favors struck the nation like a thunderbolt.
And the target was none other than Seo Yun-hye, who had become synonymous with innocent charm.
The news that she had filmed a video while still a minor was enough to shake all of South Korea.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae abandoned Jin Taek-yong, the PD he had worked with to survive.
And the effect was substantial.
Both television and portal site search rankings were dominated entirely by Seo Yun-hye and Jin Taek-yong.
News about the middle school girl murder case appeared only in fragments.
Even in the comments.
-Why would Seo Yun-hye videos suddenly appear in search trends?
-The prosecutors screwed up. They’re trying to cover it up.
-Damn prosecutors.
-Here comes the conspiracy theorist.
-Can she live a normal life?
-Whatever. Anyone have the video?
A few people raised suspicions, but they were dismissed as conspiracy theories and buried.
Public attention had already shifted entirely to Seo Yun-hye.
At that moment.
Seo Jin was driving toward the District Prosecutor’s Office.
The radio was also raising its voice about the entertainer’s sexual coercion scandal.
-Jin Taek-yong allegedly received sexual favors on the condition that he wouldn’t investigate the entertainment agency. But that’s only part of it, not the whole picture. With this incident, the entertainment industry….
I had anticipated this outcome after hearing about it from Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae yesterday.
And I didn’t pay much attention to it.
It was all just a temporary distraction anyway.
People’s reactions were intense, but the vibe was that everything had already burst open.
Without continuously throwing fresh fuel onto the flames, this issue would cool down quickly.
‘At most, it’ll last a month.’
But the middle school girl murder case was only beginning now.
Once Yoon Min-woo took the stand, the world would focus on him again.
At the same time, the life of Kim Tae-kyung, whose existence I had destroyed, would certainly be re-examined.
And while Dongnam Police Station Detective Captain was chosen as the scapegoat instead of Kim Yun-hwan, I had no intention of letting even that slide.
Kim Yun-hwan’s hell hadn’t even begun.
And my vehicle arrived at the District Prosecutor’s Office.
I stepped out, straightening my clothes as I walked toward the lobby.
“So Kim Yun-hwan fabricated the case?”
“Well, the real culprit was the one Prosecutor Seo Jin caught.”
The employees in the elevator began to speak.
True to the Prosecutor’s Office, the topic here wasn’t celebrities but Kim Yun-hwan’s blunder.
“They’re relatives, right? Wow, is that lucky or unlucky?”
But just as the elevator doors were sliding shut, they opened again and I appeared.
The employee who’d been gossiping quickly clamped his mouth shut with an embarrassed expression.
Thinking he’d been caught talking behind my back, his face even flushed red.
I shrugged my shoulders and spoke.
“It’s lucky.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“No, really, it’s fine.”
I smiled faintly and pressed the button for the third floor.
And shortly after, I stood in front of Lee So-hee’s office.
After knocking and entering, Lee So-hee, buried under documents, peeked her face out.
“You’re here?”
I shook the takeout coffee I was holding and spoke.
“Want to grab a coffee?”
Lee So-hee was the one who’d been handling Yoon Min-woo all this time.
No matter how much I’d caught him, I needed to hear her opinion.
And after moving to the break room and hearing the situation, Lee So-hee…
“Take him right now.”
She readily agreed with a genuinely delighted expression, as if a nagging tooth had finally fallen out.
“Do you know how many calls I’ve received since this morning? The reporters won’t stop calling—I don’t even know how they got my contact number.”
Even now, calls from unknown numbers keep coming in.
“And Yoon Min-woo… I can’t handle him anymore.”
Yoon Min-woo wasn’t intimidated even at the Prosecutor’s Office.
He kept saying the judge would make the final decision anyway.
“What’s the point of talking to a prosecutor? I’d only expose my own weaknesses, wouldn’t I?”
He was spouting things like this.
Lee So-hee continued speaking after taking a sip of coffee.
“He only confessed to the middle school girl case and Joo Min-ah in Hongcheon, and he won’t answer anything else.”
Yoon Min-woo only admitted to the case where the body was found.
He’s denying everything else completely.
Lee So-hee shook her head and continued.
“They say he’s a psychopath? I’ve never met one before. The more I talk to him, the more I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
Lee So-hee wore an expression of exasperation.
Then.
“Oh, he’s already hired a lawyer.”
“A public defender?”
Yoon Min-woo had murdered students in the bloom of youth.
His methods were audacious and unforgivably vicious.
Moreover, it was his friend who had been branded the culprit instead of Yoon Min-woo.
It would be difficult for lawyers concerned with their image to defend him.
Yet what came from Lee So-hee’s lips defied expectation.
“No, Kim Jong-jae.”
“What? The Kim Jong-jae I know?”
Kim Jong-jae was a lawyer with a background as both a judge and a member of parliament.
He was renowned for his extensive connections and high win rate.
So the question arose.
‘What’s this about?’
Attorney Kim Jong-jae commanded a steep fee.
He wasn’t the type to move for bargain rates.
Moreover, this case carried considerable risk.
He could face criticism simply for taking the defense….
“Why?”
“I have no idea. A bastard like that… I’d execute him if I could, but it seems beyond my power alone.”
A deep sigh escaped Lee So-hee’s lips.
And.
“I’m counting on you.”
Yoon Min-woo had treated women as playthings.
After the middle school girl incident, he frequented entertainment establishments, selecting his targets like shopping for merchandise.
Exactly the type Lee So-hee despised most.
Seo Jin lightly tapped Lee So-hee’s shoulder.
“Leave it to me. I’ll make him cry.”
*
*
*
“So the investigator has changed?”
It was the interrogation room.
Yoon Min-woo, seated across from me, was smiling.
“That female prosecutor was too soft—no fun at all. When a violent prosecutor sits across from me, at least I feel some tension, you know?”
Yoon Min-woo mimicked gripping his own hair and laughed.
Leisurely, almost complacent.
And he continued, crossing his legs casually.
“I’ve secured a lawyer. He’ll be here soon, so save your questions for then.”
“Ah, I heard. Kim Jong-jae, the attorney?”
Yoon Min-woo giggled.
“Is he really that famous?”
“Tell me something. How did you hire him?”
“I poured every last penny into it. It’s not like I’ll need the money anyway.”
Yoon Min-woo was a YouTuber with quite a substantial following.
Moreover, he lived a life unconcerned with money.
He used Kim Tae-kyung’s car and moved between various residences.
It seemed he’d accumulated quite a fortune over the years.
“Money can solve anything, right?”
Even conglomerates wouldn’t spout such juvenile drivel.
Yet watching him strut about with barely a pittance was utterly pathetic.
And moments later, the interrogation room door opened and Kim Jong-jae entered.
His meticulously combed-back hair was striking.
But Kim Jong-jae’s first action was not a greeting.
With an authoritative gaze fixed upon me….
“I’m a bit late—was having tea with the Chief Prosecutor. We go way back, you know.”
He invoked the Chief Prosecutor’s name in a pathetic attempt to intimidate me.
Then he slowly studied my face.
‘Could underestimating youth actually backfire?’
I’d only skipped trial once.
The twin murder case I’d resolved at the Dongnam District Prosecutor’s Office.
The attorney who faced me back then had passed along this message.
“That bastard Seo Jin has a water dragon in his belly. You need to be careful.”
Recalling that voice, Kim Jong-jae let out a soft chuckle.
‘Nonsense.’
Kim Jong-jae had no information whatsoever about me.
In trial, the prosecutor wasn’t what mattered most—the judge was paramount.
So he’d just taken a quick read of my face….
‘Looks genuinely naive.’
The vacant stare seemed almost foolish.
‘And trial experience just once?’
In trials where any variable could emerge, experience was essential.
‘Even if it’s a water dragon, a hatchling is still a hatchling.’
Besides, before becoming a politician, he’d been a judge.
Expecting preferential treatment and sharing a meal with the presiding judge was hardly difficult.
‘Once this case wraps up, I’m heading to corporate legal counsel.’
That was the fundamental reason he’d taken this case.
He was aiming for a position as corporate legal counsel.
A magical wallet where billions flowed into his hands without lifting a finger.
But to obtain that wallet, he needed credentials.
The ability to turn even the worst cases into victories.
‘Corporations don’t judge lawyers by their image.’
This case was a means to showcase his connections and competence.
‘The goal is fifteen years or less.’
If a serial killer received fifteen years or less, the world would be consumed with controversy.
And naturally, he would receive calls from major corporations.
Kim Jong-jae opened his mouth as he took his seat beside Yoon Min-woo.
“Young prosecutor, you’re aware that when Yoon Min-woo committed murder in Hongcheon, he visited an entertainment establishment, correct?”
“Yes, and?”
“The bill came to over a million won. He was completely intoxicated.”
My brow furrowed.
It became clear what Kim Jong-jae was aiming for.
Diminished mental capacity, or whatever—a slap on the wrist.
This was exactly what I despised most.
And his voice continued relentlessly.
“The same applies to the middle school girl’s murder. He was intoxicated. Being under the influence—in other words, diminished mental capacity—must be considered. And…”
Kim Jong-jae pulled documents from his briefcase and laid them on the table with deliberate precision.
He tapped the documents confidently and continued.
“Yoon Min-woo has a mental illness. Schizophrenia. He has a medical history of treatment fifty-seven times.”
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by hallucinations and behavioral abnormalities.
“I too deeply regret the deaths of six middle school girls and Joo Min-ah. However, Yoon Min-woo experienced hallucinations and delusions. He committed murder without even realizing it. He’s a patient. I will request a psychiatric evaluation before trial.”
With those words, Kim Jong-jae’s gaze turned toward Yoon Min-woo.
Yoon Min-woo nodded, meeting his eyes.
“Sometimes I hear revelations. They give me commands. Do this, don’t do that…”
Nonsense continued to spill from his lips.
I waved my hand dismissively.
“Save the talk about diminished mental capacity and schizophrenia for the judge.”
Kim Jong-jae’s eyes narrowed.
My statement was curt.
‘For the judge?’
Curtness wasn’t all there was to it.
My tone itself dripped with insolence.
‘This bastard?’
In Kim Jong-jae’s eyes, I appeared as a reckless fool, and he contemplated how to crush me.
Meanwhile, my voice continued.
“Yoon Min-woo, you’re only admitting to seven murders—six middle school girls and Joo Min-ah?”
“Yes.”
“Then we have twenty-two identification cards as evidence, but you didn’t kill the other women?”
My gaze turned lethal.
Yoon Min-woo flinched momentarily, and Kim Jong-jae’s lawyer slammed the table with a sharp crack, shooting to his feet.
“Those women are missing!”
“The identification cards?”
“Stolen, obviously!”
“No bodies means they’re missing?”
“Then bring me proof that he killed them!”
Kim Jong-jae’s lawyer’s face turned savage.
He’d decided he needed to seize the momentum before the trial began.
A pup that doesn’t know fear of tigers must be taught the lesson.
If left unchecked, there’s no telling what variables might emerge.
A heavy voice flowed from Kim Jong-jae’s lawyer’s lips.
“Prosecutor Seo Jin, don’t try to intimidate me. Is this how the Prosecution Service operates? No wonder you’re all busy fabricating evidence!”
“….”
“This case too. You’re trying to pin the remaining missing persons on Yoon Min-woo, aren’t you?”
“….”
“And don’t be so curt with me. I’ve been around since the Chief Prosecutor here was just a junior prosecutor—he’s been chasing my tail all these years.”
Kim Jong-jae’s lawyer’s voice ended.
Then I lowered my head and began tapping my fingers against the table rhythmically.
Seeing this, Kim Jong-jae’s lawyer chuckled quietly.
‘Nervous, are we?’
There are several telltale gestures that betray an anxious mind.
Trembling hands or licking dry lips.
Kim Jong-jae’s lawyer believed my current behavior fell into that category.
‘I even brought up the Chief Prosecutor himself—if he’s not intimidated, that would be strange.’
But in that moment.
I slowly lifted my head and met Kim Jong-jae’s lawyer’s gaze.
There was no trace of anxiety in my eyes.
Instead, I stared at Kim Jong-jae’s lawyer as if I could kill him with my gaze alone.
And then.
“Quite the performance, spouting such grandiose nonsense.”

—————

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

—————