Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 86

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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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Entering the Lion’s Den (2)
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Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s office.
Kim Young-jun placed a cigarette between his lips and lifted his gaze.
Seo Jin stood before him.
“It would have been less troublesome if you’d come to Seoul from the beginning.”
There had been several opportunities to come to Seoul.
But I’d refused each time, and only now had I finally arrived.
The reasons were naturally Kim Yun-hwan and Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun, but the truth was difficult to voice.
“I apologize.”
“Never mind. Just do well from now on.”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun tapped ash from his cigarette and continued.
“So, did you say your farewells properly? A person’s finishing touches matter.”
“I did.”
Yesterday I’d spent the entire afternoon drinking with Lee So-hee, the day before with the Criminal Division 2 team, and the day before that with Chief Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo, and so on.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I’d drunk alcohol instead of water for the past week.
I’d said my farewells excessively, and even now their voices seemed to echo in my ears.
“I knew you were leaving, but you’re really going?”
“What will we do if the guy who solves cold cases disappears?”
“Hey, Seo Jin, let’s make a promise. If a big-shot lawyer shows up at the next trial, fill in for us, yeah? What do you say?”
“You have to come. Otherwise we might actually call a shaman to perform a ritual.”
As I smiled faintly, remembering their voices, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun spoke again.
“Is there a department you’d like to go to?”
“Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae….”
“Not Jo Woo-jae.”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s voice was resolute.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae had clearly fallen out of favor.
And as he crushed out his cigarette, he continued.
“How about going under the Third Vice Chief Prosecutor?”
Under the Third Vice Chief Prosecutor was also Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.
And it was also where Kim Yun-hwan had been.
“The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division—it’ll be good experience for your prosecutorial career going forward.”
His words sounded like a suggestion, but they were not.
He was issuing an order.
Seo Jin didn’t object and bowed his head.
“Yes, thank you.”
“And regardless of department, your role will be free.”
In other words, I was free to act as I saw fit.
This was unexpected.
“…Free rein?”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun rose from his seat and strode toward the window with heavy steps.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he gazed down at the world below and spoke.
“All I need to do is shackle the ankles of that creature who runs about so freely?”
It was clearly a welcoming tone.
But my mouth had gone bone dry.
‘This….’
The Prosecutor’s Office is an organization that values principles and fundamentals.
Yet free rein.
Not some free spirit—I’d definitely catch flak for this.
“It’s because he’s the Prosecutor General’s nephew, right?”
“Even worse than his own son?”
“So he’s going to investigate however he wants regardless of department?”
“Does that even make sense?”
“Damn, he’s got it good.”
But Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun gave no thought to my predicament.
He leaned against the window frame, grinning with satisfaction.
‘Damn it.’
Having my uncle as Prosecutor General was an obstacle in life.
I left the Prosecutor General’s office with a frown.
I knew the label “Prosecutor General’s nephew” would stick to me.
But I thought my track record of solving cold cases would ease the jealous glances.
‘This is outright favoritism, isn’t it?’
It was strange that I wasn’t catching more heat.
I could experience petty territorial resistance.
‘Ugh….’
I headed toward the Third Vice Chief Prosecutor’s office, imagining a bleak future ahead.
And as I turned the doorknob with a tense expression, the atmosphere was different from what I expected.
I practically heard what sounded like a “Wow!” of excitement.
“Kim Seo-jin? You’re the one who caught Yoon Min-woo, right?”
“Not just Yoon Min-woo. I’m a specialist in tough cases.”
Inside were the Third Vice Chief Prosecutor along with seven Chief Prosecutors and eight Deputy Chief Prosecutors.
Before I could even greet them, they erupted in cheers.
All except one—Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae forced a welcoming expression while biting his lip.
He knew I was going to work under someone else.
But that was all.
Recently, Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae had been floating on cloud nine.
The land he’d invested in so desperately was steadily appreciating in value.
In any case, the other chief prosecutors wouldn’t let Seo Jin go.
“You crushed Kim Jong-jae’s defense in the last trial, didn’t you? How did it feel? Want to go to trial? I’ll set up a proper stage for you.”
“The big cases are in defense contracting. Does trial work even look good on a resume?”
“What? Say that again.”
Seo Jin blinked.
I’d expected petty territorial posturing, but instead I was receiving a grand welcome.
I stood dazed for a moment before hastily bowing at the waist.
“I’m Seo Jin.”
I’d only offered a greeting, yet I received applause.
Then they turned their gaze toward the Third Vice Chief Prosecutor.
What they desired was singular.
‘Give Seo Jin to me.’
The Third Vice Chief Prosecutor exhaled heavily.
I was beginning to understand Prosecutor Kim Young-jun’s state of mind from yesterday.
Seo Jin’s position was already determined, yet here he was, eyes gleaming with ignorance.
‘Sigh….’
They believed that if they secured Seo Jin, he could become a second Jo Woo-jae.
And if, by some miracle, Seo Jin’s fortune resolved cold cases or unsolved crimes, their names would rise alongside his.
Literally a blessing in disguise.
Just as everyone was salivating, the Third Vice Chief Prosecutor’s lips moved.
“Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1.”
Simultaneously, Chief Prosecutor Yoo Min-tae draped his arm around Seo Jin’s neck.
“That’s right. I knew you’d come. We’re the main division, after all. Hahahaha!”
Chief Prosecutor Yoo Min-tae beamed as if he’d won the lottery.
Then the Third Vice Chief Prosecutor continued.
“Prosecutor Seo Jin’s role is freelance. If you have any investigations you’d like to pursue beyond your assigned duties, feel free to pursue them. This is the Prosecutor General’s directive.”
Silence fell instantly.
Everyone closed their mouths and alternated their gazes between Seo Jin and the Third Vice Chief Prosecutor.
Seo Jin licked his dry lips.
It had begun.
Prosecutors sensitive to hierarchy and protocol would deem this directive unjust.
They would certainly resist, viewing it as favoritism.
And it played out exactly as expected.
Chief Prosecutor Yoo Min-tae withdrew his arm from around Seo Jin’s neck and opened his mouth.
“You’re assigning him work beyond his designated duties?”
“Yes.”
The Third Vice Chief Prosecutor’s response was weighty.
But Chief Prosecutor Yoo Min-tae didn’t relent.
He stepped forward and spoke.
“Are you saying we should overwork the boy?”
Seo Jin blinked.
The atmosphere was shifting in an unexpected direction again.
“Do you know what the younger prosecutors are saying? That they can’t even date and grow old without love! They say when they leave work it’s already dawn, so they’d rather just sleep here! And now you’re giving them more work?”
The other Chief Prosecutors and Vice Chief Prosecutors were looking at Seo Jin with sympathy.
They saw it not as favoritism but as exploitation.
“It’s the Prosecutor General’s orders!”
When the Third Vice Chief Prosecutor shouted abruptly, Yoo Min-tae’s gaze shifted toward Seo Jin.
“Tell him you can’t do it.”
“…I can do it.”
“Hey, you have to take care of your own body! Who’s going to be responsible if you fall apart?”
Shortly after, Seo Jin walked down the hallway with Yoo Min-tae.
Yoo Min-tae raised his phone to his ear.
“Tell everyone to gather in my office. We’ll have a meeting and introduce the new member. Yes, now.”
Seo Jin glanced at Yoo Min-tae.
I knew him well.
‘He was in the Eastern District…’
Like Lee Myung-soo and Ji Se-heon from the Gangwon District Prosecutors’ Office, he was the type of person who was difficult to succeed with.
If something displeased him, he’d bare his teeth and attack regardless of who the other person was.
It might seem odd that such a person was here.
But this was Kim Young-jun’s style.
He believed that having aggressive people around made powerful figures—and Kim Young-jun himself—feared by the Prosecutor’s Office.
That’s why I could be here when I was Seo Jun-kyung.
“Hey, Seo Jin.”
We had arrived in front of the Chief Prosecutor’s Office.
Yoo Min-tae opened his mouth with a menacing tone.
“I won’t say anything about you doing whatever you want, but if you start whining about being sick and get an IV drip, I’ll kill you.”
His eyes looked like he’d actually kill me if I got hurt.
When I answered, “Yes,” Yoo Min-tae clicked his tongue and opened the door.
“The new member’s here!”
The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 consisted of Yoo Min-tae, two Vice Chief Prosecutors, and six prosecutors.
They all greeted Seo Jin warmly.
“You’re more handsome than on the news.”
“That part about being ready to take off your clothes—I read that well too. It was a bit awkward though, haha.”
“Is this another unsolved case?”
All the prosecutors’ eyes were filled with anticipation.
Kim Yun-hwan had been under the Third Vice Chief Prosecutor.
He was making a mess of things, and everyone was walking on eggshells.
Of course, Kim Yun-hwan wasn’t on this team but under Jo Woo-jae.
That incident was also caused at the Dongnam District Prosecutor’s Office.
But Kim Young-jun was quite fond of collective responsibility.
Moreover, unsavory rumors had been circulating recently.
Whispers that they were covering up corruption linked to those in power.
So they had been living as prosecutors with their heads bowed.
Then Seo Jin arrived.
A new presence brings a new wind.
And Seo Jin possessed the qualifications to be that wind.
Anticipation was only natural.
I surveyed the prosecutors’ faces slowly.
Familiar faces.
They used to be my juniors, but now I had to treat them as seniors. It was strange.
But my gaze stopped at one place.
—Choi Hee-jun, Prosecutor
Two classes below Seo Jun-kyung.
We had been quite close, yet he was the first to betray me.
Even now, he was showing me a friendly smile.
‘Bastard…’
I bowed at the waist.
To everyone, but especially to Prosecutor Choi Hee-jun, I opened my mouth.
“I look forward to working with you.”
The greeting ended there, and the meeting began immediately.
Chief Prosecutor Yoo Min-tae opened his mouth.
“Prosecutor Seo Jin, spend a few days getting a feel for things. And…”
Chief Prosecutor Yoo Min-tae picked up one of the documents scattered across the table and continued.
“What’s this? Shin Councilor’s aide is refusing to be questioned as a witness?”
“Yes, claiming to be busy…”
I listened to the meeting’s contents while flipping through the documents covering the table.
I had been instructed to get a feel for the atmosphere, and I needed to confirm what they were working on.
Then I picked up one document.
A police officer’s death.
Found in the Han River a week after going missing.
The police believed it was murder motivated by grudge and did their best, but found no evidence.
Eventually, it was being closed as a suicide.
But at that moment.
My vision turned gray.
“You idiot, why did you charge in when you knew it wouldn’t work?”
Paper was being printed from the printer.
A detective standing in front of it grabbed the printed paper as it came out.
The printout was the same document I had been looking at.
The detective sighed and opened his mouth.
“Young-jin, you poor bastard. Didn’t you know this would be buried if we don’t make it a case? You should have thought about the ones who’ll live on without you, geez…”
The world regained its colors, and I furrowed my brow.
‘What is this?’
It’s a fragmented image.
But something feels deeply unsettling.
‘They found no evidence at all?’
Simultaneously, the detective’s muttering from my psychometry flashed through my mind.
“Didn’t you know it gets buried if we don’t make it a case?”
‘Buried?’
I can’t be certain.
But the officer’s death and the corruption tangled together in my head.
Left as is, this case would end as a suicide.
But if I solved it?
I slowly lifted my head.
Yoo Min-tae, the Chief Prosecutor, opened his mouth as our eyes met.
“What? Something on your mind?”
“Would it be alright if I examined this?”
“What? Which one?”
Yoo Min-tae, the Chief Prosecutor, received the documents.
He let out a soft chuckle.
“Suicide? Why? You sensing something?”
The other prosecutors glanced sideways at the documents with curiosity.
And each offered a word.
“Isn’t it the case that when our youngest touches it, a suicide becomes a murder disguised as one?”
“Let him try. Who knows—maybe he’ll solve an unsolved case just like he did in Gangwon Province?”
Yoo Min-tae, the Chief Prosecutor, looked at me and spoke.
“Can you do it?”

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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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