I wanted to give her a moment to compose her emotions.
*Clack!*
I quietly closed the sliding door, leaving Seo Yi-re alone in the room. Even work has its priorities, and I had urgent matters of my own to attend to.
— ……Is it true? My wife went to jail? And for murder at that……
“It’s not certain yet, so please don’t jump to conclusions.”
One never knows how things will turn out. While I had to inform him of the facts, it was better to withhold unnecessary details. A man’s tongue often invites misfortune.
— It’s alright. I’m not a fool.
Of course, my words of caution were likely meaningless. The police had probably already turned the entire house upside down by now. Moreover, pesticides had actually been detected in the food and drinks, so the idea of her being framed was far-fetched.
— I always feel this way, but you should have been a human rights lawyer, not a prosecutor. You’re so kindhearted. How are the bad guys supposed to be afraid of you?
“……Uncle.”
— Seo-jun. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. You said my wife is being held at the Eumseong Police Station in North Chungcheong Province?
He was fine. He was unshaken. It was nothing. I wasn’t young enough to take those words at face value.
— Do you think you could look after my shop for a while? I’m not asking you to run the business for me. Just use the farm machinery as much as you want, and just check in now and then to make sure nothing’s wrong.
In rural areas, petty thieves are particularly active. Unlike in cities, farm equipment and crops are often left outside without any security. While it was unlikely someone would steal a large piece of farm machinery, one never knows. Among the cases I had handled in the past, there were definitely thieves who specialized only in stealing from rural villages. But putting all that aside.
“Are you planning to go there yourself?”
— I have to. She’s still my wife, isn’t she?
“She isn’t anymore.”
— She’ll probably never be able to come back out for the rest of her life anyway, right?
That was true. If the previous murder case was proven along with this attempted murder, a life sentence was well within the realm of possibility. At the very least, she would have to serve over twenty years in prison.
— That’s why.
“Pardon?”
— I’m going for my own sake.
“!”
— I need to go and ask her why she did that to me, or spit at her, or call her a harlot, or slap her across the face. I have to see her first. I need to meet her before she goes in. If I leave things halfway finished…… I’m the only one who will suffer in the end.
……I couldn’t deny those words.
— You know how people say it’s like not finishing after wiping your butt?
“……If there’s anything you need help with, please let me know anytime. Don’t feel burdened.”
— Hah. I’m truly blessed. I don’t know how lucky I am to have someone like you by my side.
“If you really think that, then come back soon and buy me a meal. And drinks, too.”
— Seo-jun.
“Yes, Uncle.”
— I’ll live the rest of my life never forgetting your kindness. If you ever need my help, just say the word. I’ll drop everything and run to you. Even if you don’t ask, I’ll be truly good to your father and mother. For the rest of my life.
“Uncle……”
— Thank you truly for saving me.
With that, the call ended.
“…….”
I stared blankly at my phone for a moment before unconsciously rubbing my chest. How should I describe this……?
— Fuck! Mr. Prosecutor. Don’t criminals like us have human rights? I’m not going to run away, so loosen these goddamn ropes!
— Prosecutor. My daughter was raped and killed. But instead of the death penalty, he gets fifteen years? What kind of shitty law is this, you bastard! If your daughter died, would you still play along with the judge like this!?
— Prosecutor. Don’t think it ends here. When I get out of prison, I’ll definitely get revenge on you. You better watch your back for the rest of your life.
— You punk, you said your name was Baek Seo-jun, right? I’ve memorized your face. My life is ruined anyway. Your parents, your wife, your kids, your relatives, your friends! I will find every single one of them and kill them!
Resentment rather than gratitude.
Curses rather than blessings.
Arguments rather than discussions.
Commands rather than cooperation.
I had lived that kind of life my entire professional career. And…….
‘……It must be the same for Seo Yi-re.’
Same job, same assignment. Even our career lengths were similar. How could her life have been so different from mine?
*Creak.*
I carefully opened the door again.
“…….”
As expected, Seo Yi-re was in the same position as when I had left, with her head hung low.
“Why are you still like that?”
Already over one hour had passed.
“…….”
But Seo Yi-re remained silent.
*Grumble.*
In that quiet silence, a single sound echoed as loudly as thunder. It seemed she couldn’t control her biological reactions.
“…….”
The problem was that despite the potentially embarrassing situation, Seo Yi-re didn’t budge.
“Wait just a moment.”
Immediately after, I headed straight for the kitchen. I hadn’t been thinking clearly. Looking at her state, it seemed she had driven this long distance without even stopping at a rest area. If that was the case, I should feed her first before trying to talk.
“I can’t just pick any ordinary ingredients like usual.”
I arrived at the farm and looked around.
*Thump, thump, thump!*
The Snowflakes were hopping around here and there.
“Santa.”
— !
At my call, the Snowflakes immediately lined up in ranks. These little guys had really taken a liking to playing soldier with me.
— Good adults need presents!
The one wearing the Santa hat jumped out quickly. There were others like the Gunfighter, the Princess, and the Hermit, but they all stood still, waiting for my instructions.
“Pick out a zucchini and one or two green chili peppers for me. Please.”
— Leave it to me!
Santa hopped away.
“Squeak!”
Meanwhile, the otter, who now came and went as if this were his own home, was staring up at me intently.
‘Is this guy a dog, not an otter?’
How is his nose so good?
“Not this, you rascal.”
*Splash!*
I quickly hid the bag in my hand. The water inside sloshed loudly. They were fresh ingredients I had bought at the market earlier.
‘Gizzard shad.’
They’re often called ‘autumn gizzard shad.’ However, those in the know are aware that when eating gizzard shad as sashimi, they are most delicious in late summer rather than autumn. Before the leaves fully begin to fall, the bones are soft, making it perfect for *seccoshi*—slicing them raw with the bones intact.
‘Since Yi-re is crazy about raw fish.’
I immediately prepared a cutting board and a knife. I scraped off the scales with the tip of the knife. Then, I sliced the flesh into thin pieces, bones and all. The late-summer gizzard shad had flesh that sparkled transparently, and the bones possessed a savory richness like fine thorns.
‘I’ll set out different sauces according to her preference.’
Red chili powder, fermented soybean paste, minced garlic, a bit of spicy chili, and even sesame oil from the mill. As I poured them into separate bowls, a spicy and savory aroma quickly spread. Next was the soup.
*Clinking.*
When I opened the jar in the corner, well-aged soybean paste revealed itself.
— Here they are!
I boiled a soybean paste stew, adding the zucchini, green chili peppers, and tofu that Santa had picked out.
*Bubble, bubble.*
The savory scent of country soybean paste rose within the boiling broth.
‘I’ll also make fresh side dishes with what the Snowflakes picked.’
I stir-fried eggplants in soy sauce. I seasoned sweet potato stems with perilla seed powder to add more richness. I left a few green chili peppers raw to be dipped in seasoned soybean paste. It was the quintessential setup for a rural home-cooked meal. Finally, I added some braised potatoes soaked in seasoning, along with lettuce and perilla leaves.
*Slide!*
Opening the sliding door with my foot, I slid the tray in front of Seo Yi-re.
“Eat first, then we’ll talk.”
“…….”
“Hurry. It’ll get cold. Start with a spoonful of soup.”
I brought a spoonful of soybean paste stew right up to Seo Yi-re’s mouth.
“My arm’s getting tired.”
“…….”
“Come on. Say ‘ah.'”
“…….”
“You said you liked me. Your favorite person went to all the trouble of preparing this meal and is trying to feed you. You’re really not going to eat?”
“…….”
“I didn’t think you were like this. You’re being too much.”
Only then did Seo Yi-re reluctantly open her mouth.
*Chew, chew.*
Did her appetite return once food entered her stomach?
*Gulp!*
One spoonful.
*Gulp!*
Another spoonful.
The food I had prepared began to disappear in an instant. All the while, tears continued to stream down her face.
“……Senior.”
“Talk after you’re done. Have a piece of that gizzard shad you like, too.”
“The suspect died. An Yu-ra…… the woman who blackmailed the actor Lee Ji-hoon.”
“!”
My eyes widened. This wasn’t something I could just brush off.
“Was it the prosecution?”
That was the first thing that came to my mind. Their old habits never die.
‘If the key witnesses just die, they don’t have to convince me, and they don’t have to lose the weapon in their hands.’
The prosecution still has that kind of power. Digging into everyone from the suspect’s in-laws to their distant cousins if things don’t go their way, eventually driving them to make an extreme choice. Wasn’t that their traditional method? For the record, the police cannot use this method.
Principle of monopolization of public prosecution. In South Korea, only prosecutors have the right to indict. No matter how hard the police investigate, if the prosecution says ‘NO,’ the case won’t even be sent to trial. That is why politicians constantly call for the separation of investigative powers. The power held by the prosecution is simply too great.
“……I’m sorry. I don’t know the details yet.”
Knowing Seo Yi-re’s personality, it wasn’t that she didn’t know anything. She was just reluctant to speak because the information wasn’t confirmed. Therefore, I had to change the question.
“What’s your guess?”
“…….”
As expected, after a brief silence, Seo Yi-re spoke.
“Before An Yu-ra died…… she made one phone call to someone. Someone she called ‘Chairman.’ She also called him ‘Father.’ She was begging him to save her just this once.”
“And?”
“About three hours later, An Yu-ra’s lawyer arrived at our office.”
My gaze grew deeper. The right to the assistance of counsel is guaranteed to any suspect. That cannot be blocked.
“After that, during the interview with the lawyer, An Yu-ra received some medication. From that lawyer.”
“!”
Medication! That was it.
“What kind of medication was it?”
“……Antidepressants. Just in case, I checked through the hospital and confirmed she did indeed have a history of depression.”
“So the fact that she suffered from depression was true?”
“……Yes. That’s why I allowed the medication to be brought in.”
It was a practical difficulty. Suspects are guaranteed the so-called ‘right of interview and communication.’ Simply put, it refers to the right of a detained suspect to meet with lawyers or family and to exchange documents or items. Naturally, denying medication to someone who says they are ill is a human rights violation. Since Seo Yi-re had actually confirmed the history of depression, she had done everything by the book. When a person says they feel like they might die, one can’t exactly take apart every pill to verify its components on the spot.
“Do you think there’s a problem with the medicine?”
“The National Forensic Service is still checking that. But I think there’s a high possibility.”
“Then, what about that lawyer?”
“He left for the Philippines on the day An Yu-ra died. Based on the timing, it seems he left Korea immediately after the meeting.”
These guys, they came in fully prepared from the start.
“I’m sorry…… I’m so sorry…….”
Tears began to fall onto the dining table again.
“Even though you fed me and everything, I was so stupid…….”
Seo Yi-re couldn’t even lift her head due to a crushing sense of self-loathing.
“No, it’s not.”
I immediately shook my head. How could this be Seo Yi-re’s fault?
“Just finish your meal for now. When you’re done, let’s put our heads together and think about this slowly.”
I immediately stood up. Since I had heard the general outline, it was now time to verify the facts.
***
The wooden porch of the outer building.
“Who could it be?”
Shin Hye-seo, Min Ha-ru, and even the members of Revive were all gathered here. It was because they had also seen Seo Yi-re arrive. Of course, Shin Hye-seo recognized the visitor.
“She’s the prosecutor in charge of Ji-hoon’s case.”
“What? A prosecutor!?”
Everyone was naturally surprised. Right then.
“Oh? Seol? You shouldn’t go there!”
“Uncle!”
Before anyone could stop her, Seol ran toward the room.
*Stomp.*
She then came to a halt right in front of the door.
“Seol……?”
It just so happened that Baek Seo-jun was coming out of the sliding door at that moment.
“…….”
The situation inside was quite strange. Seo Yi-re was still dripping tears onto the dining table. And Baek Seo-jun had an incredibly flustered expression.
“D-Did you make the prosecutor cry?”
“……I didn’t think you were that kind of guy, the ‘bad boy’ type…….”
“Shut up. You really can’t read the room, can you?”
However, is it true that emotions are contagious?
“Hing…….”
Seol, who had approached Seo Yi-re, also began to tear up.
“Don’t cwy.”
Immediately after, Seol threw her arms around Seo Yi-re. Then, she raised her tiny hands and tried her best to wipe away the tears. As if that were the trigger.
“Hic…… hic…….”
Seo Yi-re eventually broke into silent sobs.
“…….”
In the increasingly somber atmosphere, Baek Seo-jun clenched his fists so hard they felt like they might break.
‘If this is part of the price for breaking the rules, something else is coming.’
She had held onto a case that the higher-ups had already ordered to be buried. Of course, it couldn’t be said that Baek Seo-jun was without responsibility either. Therefore, he had to help this time.
‘I was prepared for this from the moment I fired the first bullet.’
He had to protect this peace. No, he would protect it. Even if he had to tear out the throat of his opponent to do so.
*Vrrr, vrrr!*
“……Just…… a moment.”
At the sound of the vibration, Seo Yi-re quietly pressed the answer button.
“……Yes. Hello.”
— Is this Prosecutor Seo Yi-re?
“……!”
It was an unknown number. The quick-witted Seo Yi-re immediately switched to speakerphone.
“Who…… is this?”
— My name is Hwang Man-cheol.
“……?”
Naturally, as her confusion deepened.
“!?”
Baek Seo-jun’s eyes also widened.
‘Hwang Man-cheol?’