Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 81

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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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Desperation (1)
Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s brow furrowed.
Seo Jin’s gaze was provocative and excessively confident.
‘This bastard….’
Attorney Kim Jong-jae felt an inexplicable unease.
But there was no time to investigate the reason.
The trial had already begun, and the first witness was heading toward the witness stand.
The first witness was a woman who worked at a Room Salon.
Her alias was Jin-hee; her real name was Jin Ye-sook.
She opened her mouth while looking at Yoon Min-woo.
“The day before Min-ah went missing, she left with that man.”
The next witness was a male driver from the Room Salon.
“He said he wanted to drink more and asked me to let him out midway. Since he wasn’t a local, I remember it clearly.”
The testimonies continued one after another.
All the witnesses spoke in unison.
-She was last seen ‘together with Yoon Min-woo.’
But Attorney Kim Jong-jae refused to acknowledge it.
Each time, he made the same argument.
“Your Honor! These are merely suspicions! Has a murder weapon been found? Or have we located the crime scene? Nothing has been proven! So I fail to understand why the defendant is being accused of murder!”
As he spoke, Attorney Kim Jong-jae glanced at Seo Jin’s expression.
But Seo Jin’s expression hadn’t changed.
It had remained consistent from the beginning until now.
There was no sign of panic, and he was even smiling faintly.
Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s brow deepened.
‘…Does he have something up his sleeve?’
Certainly, the trial was proceeding as intended.
The defense argument was flawless, and there was nothing left for the prosecution to do.
But something felt wrong.
The oppressive atmosphere of the courtroom continued to bear down.
‘What is this filthy feeling…?’
Attorney Kim Jong-jae finished the witness examination and returned to his seat.
He brought water to his lips to moisten his throat while observing Seo Jin.
And he reached a conclusion.
‘It’s all bluster.’
Attorney Kim Jong-jae believed Seo Jin’s behavior was mere bluster.
‘Yes, it must be bluster.’
The second trial was drawing to a close.
But there was nothing decisive in Seo Jin’s actions.
He was merely insisting like an ordinary novice.
‘I was worrying for nothing. It’s all over now.’
Attorney Kim Jong-jae began imagining the moment he would step into his position as L Group’s legal counsel.
His wife beaming with joy, his son filled with pride.
Everything would be happiness from this point forward.
But that was the moment.
Seo Jin’s voice resonated through the courtroom.
“Your Honor, esteemed Judge!”
Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s thoughts halted, his eyes snapping wide open.
Seo Jin’s voice continued.
“I would like to present and disclose the video contained within the USB drive I submitted during the previous hearing. I humbly request your permission.”
Attorney Kim Jong-jae clenched his teeth so hard they nearly shattered, suppressing the urge to laugh.
‘What? That’s all he had prepared?’
The USB had been admitted as evidence.
But Attorney Kim Jong-jae had made an agreement with Chief Judge Lee Woo-jin.
If Seo Jin requested the video be disclosed, he would feign objection in this exact manner.
“I object! The video contains Yoon Min-woo’s private matters! I cannot accept their public disclosure! Not only have I been wrongfully accused as a criminal, but exposing my private life constitutes secondary victimization, in my view!”
Now Chief Judge Lee Woo-jin would simply deny Seo Jin’s request.
But then.
‘What?’
Chief Judge Lee Woo-jin averted his eyes from Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s gaze.
In that instant, Attorney Kim Jong-jae felt his heart plummet.
And the words that emerged from Chief Judge Lee Woo-jin’s mouth shook the entire courtroom.
“For the sake of judicial transparency, I grant permission. Proceed with the disclosure!”
A thunderous crash echoed through Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s mind.
‘This… this insane bastard!’
His face went rigid, his pupils trembling.
He struggled to comprehend the situation, but it was impossible.
‘What? What? What?’
One question led to another.
But there was no answer.
The truth was that Chief Judge Lee Woo-jin had betrayed him.
‘That son of a bitch!’
Attorney Kim Jong-jae glared at Chief Judge Lee Woo-jin.
But Chief Judge Lee Woo-jin continued to avoid his gaze.
Meanwhile, a monitor was being positioned and a USB was being plugged into the laptop.
“Your Honor!”
Attorney Kim Jong-jae slammed the table repeatedly as he opened his mouth.
He had to stop this somehow.
“This is secondary victimization!”
But what came instead was Chief Judge Lee Woo-jin’s stern rebuke.
“Counsel, be silent!”
“We must consider human rights!”
“That is something we can assess and judge based on the evidence!”
These two men had once joined hands.
But not anymore.
They bared their fangs at each other with lethal intent.
Then.
“I… I!”
Attorney Kim Jong-jae heard a voice from the gallery.
Yoon Min-woo appeared on the monitor screen.
The man who had come trudging down from the mountain was grinning wickedly, waving his identification card in his hand.
Then he got into his car, started the engine, and opened his mouth.
-Just endure five more minutes. It’s nice that her chest is big. Too bad.
He was enjoying himself.
He was even humming.
The shocking footage left the gallery in silence, and Attorney Kim Jong-jae staggered.
And a groan echoed from the gallery.
“Ah….”
It was the father who had lost his daughter.
His body trembled with his teeth clenched tight.
He wanted to rush out right then and kill Yoon Min-woo.
But he restrained himself, his fists clenched.
Because he believed that he would face severe punishment.
And Seo Jin walked toward Yoon Min-woo with heavy, deliberate steps.
Looking down at him with cold eyes, I opened my mouth.
“Defendant?”
Yoon Min-woo did not look at Seo Jin.
His eyes rolled toward Attorney Kim Jong-jae.
There had been a promise made before the second trial.
“Never admit guilt under any circumstances. Then you’ll survive.”
Yoon Min-woo still believed those words.
But something seemed off about Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s expression.
He wouldn’t meet his eyes.
He hung his head and was tearing at his hair.
As Yoon Min-woo’s eyes wavered, Seo Jin’s voice brushed past his ear.
“Explain that footage for me.”
Yoon Min-woo slowly turned toward Seo Jin.
And he answered hesitantly.
“I, I was just coming back from hiking.”
“At that hour?”
“…Yes.”
“Why did you shake your ID?”
“I….”
“Whose ID is that?”
The defendant couldn’t answer.
Even now, his eyes darted back and forth as he deliberated on what to say.
“Defendant, what does the phrase ‘I can endure five minutes’ mean?”
“W-well….”
Seo Jin slammed his fist down on the defendant’s desk.
“Answer!”
At that, Yoon Min-woo flinched.
His heart lurched as he glanced back at Attorney Kim Jong-jae.
In moments like this, the attorney should cry out, “I object!” and come to his aid.
But there was only silence.
He kept his mouth firmly shut.
Moreover, the judge he’d supposedly secured had cold eyes, and Seo Jin standing before him stared as if he would kill him.
Only then did Yoon Min-woo understand.
‘Damn it….’
Yoon Min-woo’s face turned ashen.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
Then he looked at Seo Jin with reddened eyes.
He forced a smile and opened his mouth.
“…They enjoyed it too!”
The defendant’s voice was despicably vile.
With that confession of truth, the courtroom fell silent as if ice had been poured over it.
Then.
“You insane bastard!”
The father who had lost his daughter and suppressed his rage until now exploded.
“That bastard deserves to be beaten to death!”
Court officers rushed forward and blocked the father.
They grabbed his body and shoved him back.
“Sir, you can’t do this!”
“Aaaah! Let go! I said let go!”
The father, seized by the officers, strained with all his might to break free.
But he couldn’t endure it.
Dragged away by the officers’ rough hands, all he could do was pour out his rage.
“Kill him! Please! That bastard…! Please!”
But it didn’t end there.
People in the gallery began hurling curses at Yoon Min-woo.
“That murderous bastard!”
“Shameless scum!”
“Die!”
“Please, death penalty!”
The courtroom was consumed by chaos.
Chief Judge Lee Woo-jin pounded the bench….
“Quiet! Silence!”
I continued shouting, but no one listened.
If anything, it only grew louder.
“Death penalty!”
“He deserves to die!”
Even amid the pandemonium, my gaze remained fixed on Yoon Min-woo.
He kept his head bowed, trembling with such intensity that his entire body convulsed.
He had witnessed the death approaching him.
His final outcries were nothing but death throes.
And then I, who had been watching Yoon Min-woo in silence, opened my mouth.
“Your Honor, may I present my final opinion and sentencing recommendation?”
Just one sentence.
At the sound of my voice, the tumultuous courtroom fell silent as if by magic.
Chief Judge Lee Woo-jin found himself nodding without thinking.
“Y-yes, please proceed.”
Simultaneously, my voice flowed forth without hesitation.
“The defendant committed murder for his own gratification. Despite possessing objective evidence to support the murders, he brazenly denied his guilt until the very end.”
Yoon Min-woo had murdered twenty-two women and thrust both the sexual assault and the murders onto his friend.
He had even attempted to deceive me with his hypocritical smile.
But now Yoon Min-woo was utterly powerless.
All he could do was whimper and writhe.
And then my final words struck Yoon Min-woo’s ears.
“…Therefore, this prosecutor.”
That was when it happened.
Yoon Min-woo’s trembling body suddenly went rigid.
He slowly lifted his head and met my eyes.
And in a desperate voice.
“I, I didn’t. I only killed one person. So spare me. Please spare me.”
Words that countless women must have spoken to Yoon Min-woo.
They must have wept and pleaded.
Begging him to let them live.
And now this monster brazenly begged for his own life.
But my voice was as cold and sharp as frost.
“…I recommend the death penalty.”
Yoon Min-woo began to weep.
“Ahhhhh….”
These are not the crocodile tears I’ve been shedding all this time.
I’m crying—truly, desperately crying.
Not out of remorse for my crimes.
But because I want to live.
“No, it wasn’t me. Yes, I killed one person. Is killing a prostitute even a crime? She was doing illegal work anyway, wasn’t she? Wasn’t it the right thing to do? Huh? The others—it wasn’t me! You psycho! I’m telling you it wasn’t me!”
Yoon Min-woo thrashed about desperately.
His eyes were bloodshot, capillaries bulging as if blood would burst forth at any moment.
And then came the final trial.
The courtroom atmosphere, where a death sentence seemed inevitable, was bleak, and the eyes of those who desired someone’s death gleamed with savage intensity.
Yoon Min-woo entered the courtroom, yet no one raised their voice in condemnation.
It was utter silence.
Everyone simply watched in quiet observation.
Yoon Min-woo sat in the defendant’s seat with a haggard face.
And that was all—his head bowed low.
Not even his fingers twitched.
It remained so even as the verdict was being read.
From beginning to end, Yoon Min-woo sat as if frozen.
And then.
“…Therefore, this court hereby sentences the defendant to death.”
The words of death came from the lips of Chief Judge Lee Woo-jin.
The bereaved families wept softly.
He was undoubtedly guilty, deserving of death, yet finding him and securing the death sentence had been an arduous journey.
In the corner of the gallery.
Kim Tae-kyung, Yoon Min-woo’s friend, sat there.
With the judge’s pronouncement, he released the deep breath he had been holding.
“Ha….”
And watching Yoon Min-woo being dragged away in shackles, he lowered his head.
Kim Tae-kyung’s mind was turbulent.
“It’s over.”
Chief Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo patted his shoulder.
Then Kim Tae-kyung burst into the tears he had been holding back.
He covered his face and began to cry uncontrollably.
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo sat beside him, gently stroking his back for a long while.
“You’ve endured so much.”
Chief Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo smiled bitterly and shook his head.
But then a familiar figure entered Lee Myung-soo’s field of vision.
‘The Prosecutor General?’
He looked again to confirm.
But it was indeed Prosecutor General Yeo Jun-hyuk.
The Prosecutor General was leaving the courtroom.
‘What’s this?’
It wasn’t often that the Chief Prosecutor personally observed a trial.
Yet a quiet smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Lee Myung-soo, the Chief Prosecutor, narrowed his eyes and watched his retreating figure.
And at that very moment.
The judicial panel was also gathering their belongings and rising from their seats.
Attorney Kim Jong-jae approached the bench and opened his mouth.
“Presiding Judge Lee Woo-jin?”
Presiding Judge Lee Woo-jin turned his head to look at Attorney Kim Jong-jae.
“Yes?”
“You’ve worked hard. I’ll see you later.”
Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s voice was warm.
But his eyes dripped with murderous intent.
“…I’ll see you again later.”
Presiding Judge Lee Woo-jin bowed his head and fled the courtroom as if escaping.
Then Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s gaze turned toward Seo Jin.
It seemed Seo Jin was an easy target.
His eyes blazed with such ferocity it was as if he wielded a blade ready to strike.
But Seo Jin calmly gathered his belongings.
“Hey, I told you I’m close with your Chief Prosecutor, right?”
Seo Jin slowly raised his gaze.
I wondered what nonsense would spill out next.
Attorney Kim Jong-jae approached with a rotten smile.
“Don’t you know basic courtesy? When someone speaks to you, you should answer!”
“Ah, my apologies.”
“Apologies? You bastard, you disclosed evidence without prior consultation?”
“Did we need to consult on such matters? The evidence was already admitted, and I thought the rest was at the judge’s discretion.”
“Always so precise with your words!”
Attorney Kim Jong-jae was furious.
The case that was supposed to land him a position as an L Group advisor had fallen apart.
Attorney Kim Jong-jae leaned toward Seo Jin.
“Hey, you don’t know who I am, do you? I could exile someone like you for life. If you don’t want to die….”
But that was the moment.
Attorney Kim Jong-jae sensed something was amiss.
Seo Jin’s previously vacant eyes were transforming.
He was pulling another USB from his pocket and placing it on the table with a flourish.
“Attorney, there’s a Korean Traditional Restaurant I frequent. And they’re saying something interesting—that the Court Chief and Attorney Kim Jong-jae had a meal together before the trial.”
Attorney Kim Jong-jae was horrified.
His panicked eyes fixed on the USB.
Seo Jin tapped the USB with his finger and smiled wickedly.
“I wonder what’s inside this. I’d like to throw it at the reporters, but do I need to discuss this with you first?”

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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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