The Lawyer Who Reads Tomorrow - Chapter 13

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

Episode 13

 

 

National Assembly member Kim Wan-gil.

 

He wasn’t someone I had particularly encountered in my previous life, but he was quite famous in this district.

He was also a veteran member with more than three terms, and was especially interested in education.

 

The fact that the son of a member who had even campaigned saying school violence must be eradicated was murdered by a classmate certainly drew attention.

 

“…It might be difficult.”

 

Associate Yoon Ha-young said with a sigh.

To be honest, I also agreed with Associate Yoon Ha-young’s words.

 

The face of the old man crying while holding the yellow paper bag weighed on my mind, but these kinds of cases generally couldn’t result in a not guilty verdict.

 

“That’s possible.”

 

Moreover, Sung Tae-hyun’s diary hadn’t changed either.

 

[I will lose.]

 

The diary’s sentences could change.

Since I had already proven this, it meant my side was still at a disadvantage.

 

Sung Tae-hyun’s diary, which had been trying to persuade me to give up on this case, hadn’t shown any content for several days after that.

 

That wasn’t all.

 

Jung Seung-jun, who was said to be the old man’s grandson, had such clear charges that he was arrested as a current offender, and had even called 119 Emergency Services himself.

 

In front of the police, he kept changing his statement and then completely shut his mouth, and his previous lawyer had no motivation.

Rather, he quickly submitted his resignation letter.

 

What was worse was public opinion.

 

[School violence must be eradicated… Good son with many dreams, Assembly member Kim Wan-gil sends off with tears]

[Final journey sending off his son, Assembly member Kim Wan-gil eventually collapses…]

[‘Assembly member’s son murder case’ perpetrator’s personal information circulating on SNS…]

 

The son of an influential National Assembly member had died.

 

This alone was enough to become a plaything for people who like to talk, but even Jung Seung-jun’s personal information as the perpetrator was circulating through SNS.

 

With Assembly member Kim Wan-gil’s blood-boiling statements being added almost daily, Jung Seung-jun was portrayed as nothing short of a demon online.

 

As a natural course, public opinion was smoothly deteriorating.

 

The court was also not free from the watchful eyes of public opinion.

From experience, there was more than a 90% probability that Jung Seung-jun would receive a heavy sentence.

 

“Still, the trial date was changed. We were given some time at least.”

 

Noh Hae-min, who was pointlessly positive, continued speaking.

 

Well, it was expected.

Since the lawyer had changed, unless there were special circumstances, the court would generally change the date.

 

“Besides, I also think Seung-jun is absolutely not that kind of kid. You’ll know when you see him directly, right?”

“Let’s stop.”

 

I turned my attention away from the cheerful Noh Hae-min and picked up my bag.

 

“I’ll go have a meeting first.”

 

Right, I had to meet that boy who allegedly murdered his friend first.

 

* * *

 

He was a boy with a more youthful face than I had thought.

 

Jung Seung-jun, whom I met in the visitation room, was pale and thin.

The boy with his head deeply bowed was curled up as if refusing all conversation.

 

“Jung Seung-jun.”

 

The boy’s body flinched.

 

He seems to be listening.

 

This was the first time I had faced a minor who refused conversation to this extent, so I closed my mouth for a moment.

To begin with, it would be fair to say that I, who had worked as a judge, had no opportunity to meet alone with a detained minor.

 

“If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to today.”

 

For a while, only the rough breathing of the boy, who seemed to be holding back tears, spread through the visitation room.

 

“But if you continue to say nothing like this, your grandfather’s efforts in coming here with all his assets will be wasted.”

 

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was somewhat of a threat.

All his assets – that was obviously ridiculous nonsense.

However, considering the fruit store old man’s devotion, it wasn’t a complete lie either.

 

“…Your grandfather is very worried about you, Jung Seung-jun.”

 

I don’t know Jung Seung-jun.

 

What kind of boy he is, what kind of life he has lived.

 

What I knew about Jung Seung-jun was nothing more than a few sentences composed of words.

What I could do as someone who was neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist was just tricks learned from books.

 

“…Your… grandfather…”

 

Of course, there was a reaction.

 

The boy who had been crouched silently until now slightly raised his head and began watching me cautiously.

 

Did the previous attorney not conduct any meetings?

If so, the people Jung Seung-jun had met since that incident would be at most the police and his grandfather, that’s all.

 

“Yes, Jung Seung-jun’s grandfather is my client.”

 

Jung Seung-jun’s breathing gradually became rougher.

 

The boy could no longer hold back and began shedding tears drop by drop.

I took out a handkerchief and offered it to Jung Seung-jun, but he didn’t take it.

The boy pressed his sleeve against the tears flowing down like a burst dam.

However, he couldn’t prevent his entire face from getting wet.

 

“No one can hear what we say here.”

“…”

“I’m Jung Seung-jun’s lawyer, and I came here to help Jung Seung-jun. So you can speak honestly to me. Besides…”

 

What words would children find trustworthy?

Words they wanted to hear during adolescence.

It was so long ago that it was difficult to understand a minor’s heart.

 

Instead, I chose the best answer I could give.

 

“I will unconditionally believe what Jung Seung-jun says.”

“…”

“And I will defend Jung Seung-jun based on that.”

 

Jung Seung-jun’s crying began to subside.

It wasn’t because of my words, but rather because his eyes were swollen from crying too much.

 

“…Lie.”

 

Then, a small sound reached my ears. It was Jung Seung-jun.

The boy looking at me with red, swollen eyes had a gaze full of distrust, but he wasn’t glaring at me.

He just blinked his reddened eyes leaking tears and whispered.

 

“It’s a lie.”

“…What is?”

 

At my words, Jung Seung-jun’s lips trembled.

The boy suddenly began pounding his chest as if frustrated, then looked up at me with wet eyes.

 

“You can tell me. I will believe Jung Seung-jun.”

“…Li, lie…”

“It’s not a lie, it’s real.”

 

The boy’s trembling lips opened.

 

“I, I killed him.”

“Really?”

“…You, you said you’d believe me.”

 

This statement was suspicious.

Jung Seung-jun’s gaze, which had been looking straight at me while sobbing just moments before, turned toward the ground.

 

Was it the truth?

 

Even though I had seen countless criminals while serving as a judge in the Criminal Division, this was the first time I had seen a minor in this place, in this state, so my instincts weren’t sharp.

 

I carefully opened my mouth again.

 

“Did Jung Seung-jun really murder Kim Jae-yoon?”

 

Jung Seung-jun, who had been crying with swollen eyes, froze.

It was a different reaction from when he had just said he killed Kim Jae-yoon.

 

“…”

 

The police said he kept changing his statement.

 

The boy trembled his lips several times.

As time passed little by little, Jung Seung-jun finally wiped his wet face roughly and barely whispered.

 

“…I really did kill him.”

“Everything you say now is completely confidential. Did Jung Seung-jun really commit the murder?”

“…I, I did it…”

 

The boy spoke in a voice that seemed squeezed from his chest.

 

“That’s right. I killed him.”

“How?”

“In, in the kitchen… with a knife…”

 

The stab wounds found on victim Kim Jae-yoon’s body were concentrated on the neck and chest, numbering over fifteen.

 

The direct cause of death was excessive bleeding due to carotid artery severance.

I could know this much without even looking at the autopsy report.

 

This was because everything from Kim Wan-gil’s position statement to the detailed circumstances of the incident had all been reported in the news.

 

“Why didn’t you run away then and instead called 119?”

 

At my question, Jung Seung-jun pressed his lips together tightly as if resentful.

 

“It’s strange. It really seemed like you wanted to kill him.”

“….”

“You could have just left him to die, so why did you report it?”

 

This was what I was really curious about.

Jung Seung-jun’s body began trembling again.

 

“Y-You’re a lawyer, so why are you saying such things…?”

 

The boy asked me back instead.

I looked straight into Jung Seung-jun’s eyes as he trembled and began sobbing again.

 

“Fifteen stab wounds, this level suggests it wasn’t just any ordinary grudge.”

“….”

“After stabbing him like that, you didn’t run away, but called 119 again and begged them to save your friend.”

“….”

“I can’t understand it with my head.”

 

* * *

 

The first meeting ended without much gain.

 

Jung Seung-jun, whose eyes had widened at my words, shut his mouth tight again.

Having progressed this far, my suspicions grew as well.

 

There’s something.

Jung Seung-jun is hiding something.

 

The boy caught holding the knife, which was evidence, in his right hand was caught red-handed, and Kim Jae-yoon was brutally murdered.

 

Fifteen stab wounds found on Kim Jae-yoon’s corpse.

With evidence that showed a determination to take his life, and he didn’t even run away, so why did he call 119 and beg them to save Kim Jae-yoon?

 

“Oh, hello.”

 

A woman with an awkward voice looked around nervously.

 

After the meeting ended, instead of returning to the office, I visited the school after classes had ended.

It was the school that Jung Seung-jun and the victim Kim Jae-yoon attended together.

According to President Jung from the fruit store, they were close enough to play together at Jung Seung-jun’s house almost every day.

 

So, their homeroom teacher might know something.

 

“Thank you for your cooperation. I’m Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun.”

 

Jung Seung-jun’s homeroom teacher was a young woman.

The woman who had been hesitating and wavering when I first visited the school guided me to the counseling room while sighing anxiously throughout.

 

The business card I handed her was held precariously in her hands.

 

“…Excuse me, but if this is about Seung-jun’s case….”

 

The woman who had been fidgeting anxiously in the counseling room let out a long sigh.

 

“Is there anything else I should tell you?”

 

Like Jung Seung-jun, the homeroom teacher’s anxiety was noticeable.

 

“And if you happen to have brought a recording device or something….”

 

…Is that it?

 

I shook my head.

I even showed her my phone screen and turned off the power, and the woman, seeming somewhat relieved, opened her mouth.

 

“I’m sorry. Lately, with this incident, the parents who come to visit and… there have been many reporters trying to secretly film.”

“I understand.”

“Since you’re a lawyer, I can answer a few brief questions.”

 

Since it involved a celebrity, it seemed the school was also keeping quiet about it.

The tired-looking woman was quietly looking at me.

 

“I’d like to know about the relationship between Jung Seung-jun and Kim Jae-yoon.”

 

A very thin and transparent wall was blocking the truth.

My instincts as a judge were telling me so.

The woman nodded as if she had expected this.

 

“Both are students in our class. Jae-yoon, as you know… yes, well. Perhaps because of his father, he had good grades and wasn’t bad reputation-wise externally. Seung-jun is… Seung-jun is a slightly withdrawn child, but he was really kind. When I heard about that incident, I was shocked enough….”

 

“From a third party’s perspective, they seemed to have almost no connection, but Jung Seung-jun’s grandfather said they’d been friends since elementary school.”

 

Jung Seung-jun’s homeroom teacher sighed again.

 

“Yes, that’s right. At our school, the three of them always stuck together.”

 

Huh.

 

“…Did you just say three?”

 

A clue that had been just out of reach stretched out long before me.

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