Chapter 4: The Case They Didn’t Want

The Chief of the Gildong Substation at Goseong Police Station was absolutely livid.

“……So you went ahead and actually processed the case?”

And as expected.

The moment the victim left, he unleashed his pent-up fury.

“A case where there isn’t a single CCTV camera at the scene? Knowing full well it’ll just increase our number of unsolved cases?”

“…….”

Senior Officer Noh and the young officer were busy desperately avoiding the Chief’s gaze.

‘Man, what a guy. Honestly, even if the number of unsolved cases goes up, it’s not like it affects our substation’s performance rating.’

The duty of local police only went as far as the initial investigation.

Identifying and arresting the criminal was the job of the investigation department.

Naturally, the record for unsolved cases would fall on the investigation department as well.

That was setting aside the fact that it would negatively impact the overall performance of the police station.

The problem was…….

‘They said the Chief is moving to be the Investigation Chief during this round of personnel shifts.’

Yes.

That was the biggest problem.

Because all the unsolved cases that occurred this year would become the responsibility of the Chief, the next Investigation Chief.

“The thing is, there was a current prosecutor at the scene…….”

Just then, the young officer, who had been gauging the mood, spoke up cautiously.

“What? A prosecutor?”

“Yes…….”

“Why would a prosecutor suddenly show up in this backwater? Did you check his ID properly?”

“Not exactly, but…… Chief. Honestly, would a sane person impersonate a prosecutor for something like this?”

“No, what kind of frustrating nonsense is a police officer talking? How did you even pass the civil service exam!?”

The Substation Chief shrieked.

“It’s obviously a bluff! There are guys like that among the country folk. People who don’t know how scary the world is, claiming some politician is their relative!”

“That……”

“No. Is a prosecutor some easy target? Even those ridiculous voice phishers claim to be Prosecutor Kim Min-soo from the Central District Prosecutors’ Office. It’s not just country folk; there are plenty of people impersonating prosecutors these days!”

The Substation Chief immediately pointed his finger toward the door.

“Never mind that the case was processed. Go out as soon as the sun comes up tomorrow and bring him in!”

“Huh? Bring who……?”

“Isn’t it a crime for a civilian to impersonate a prosecutor!?”

In the end, at a late hour, I brought two strange(?) women into the house.

“Wow!”

As soon as she entered, Seo Yi-re couldn’t stop exclaiming.

“This house is huge. It’s like a house where the old nobility used to live!”

“It looks like a drama set.”

Even Shin Hye-seo, who had plenty of experience with such things, looked surprised.

Seeing that, my shoulders subconsciously puffed out with pride.

‘I actually helped carry a few pillars when this house was being built.’

Though my back still throbbed whenever I thought about that time.

“Senior. Were you a local power player to this extent? You could tell people you’re a regional clan leader.”

“Stop talking nonsense about clan leaders. With the money it takes to buy one apartment in Seoul, you could buy hundreds of acres around here and build a grand country house.”

“Sniff, sniff. I can even smell the ocean.”

“We’re near the southern coast. You can actually see the sea through the window when it gets bright.”

“Woooooah!”

Watching Seo Yi-re’s antics, I let out an involuntary chuckle.

To think she was letting out such bursts of excitement in a voice that was barely a whisper.

“But wasn’t it three people living in this house?”

Shin Hye-seo whispered cautiously.

“That’s right. Before I came, it was just my parents.”

“But for that to be the case, the house is too large. The materials are quite high-end as well.”

There was a reason for that.

“It was originally built for the purpose of a lodging business. Like the pensions you see in the countryside these days. That inner part is the main house. This area is for receiving guests.”

“What!?”

At the same time, Seo Yi-re whipped her head around.

“So, you mean that house visible deep past the bamboo forest path is the main house?”

“Yeah, so?”

“No! At this distance, wouldn’t it be soundproof even if you screamed your lungs out on purpose?”

That’s true.

But your voice is exceptionally shrill, you see.

“Ugh! I was tricked.”

I ignored Seo Yi-re and turned back to the other person.

“My parents built it for their retirement. It’s hard for them to keep doing farm work forever. As long as they hire the right people, this takes less toll on the body than farming.”

“……It’s the kind of retirement anyone would dream of. It’s amazing.”

Shin Hye-seo smiled brightly.

“Thanks to that, fortunately, there are plenty of spare rooms.”

“Tch.”

“……?”

I looked back again.

For some reason, Seo Yi-re was pouting.

“Now what?”

“Nothing.”

“Do you want me to bring you a mirror?”

“Your ears sure are sharp.”

“Don’t even think about trying to find my room to raid it. I’ll scream.”

“Ugh, what are you talking about! Stop getting ahead of yourself, will you!?”

Listening to this, Shin Hye-seo couldn’t hold back and let out a ‘Pfft!’ of laughter.

“You two. I had a hunch, but you seem to be closer than just workplace colleagues.”

“We aren’t.”

This time, the same reaction burst out of Seo Yi-re and me simultaneously.

“Pahahaha!”

Now Shin Hye-seo was openly cackling.

“Ah…… it’s been a really long time since I’ve laughed like this.”

“Anyway.”

I sat down casually on the wooden veranda.

“Let’s talk. The real reason you two came all the way here.”

“…….”

“Above all, even if the Yi-re I know is quite a rogue, she isn’t the type to be this openly burdensome.

“Oh. I’m a bit touched.”

“It wasn’t a compliment. I suspect it has something to do with Shin Hye-seo. Am I right?”

Only then did the two of them cautiously glance at each other.

“……Actually, Senior’s case. I ended up taking it.”

Twitch.

My eyebrows jumped instantly.

“Lee Ji-hoon’s case?”

“Yeah.”

“……I see.”

A bitter smile formed on my lips.

I felt somewhat sorry.

I was the one who started the fire, but it felt like the wrong person was suffering for it.

For reference, a prosecutor possessed one very special power, as potent as their formidable authority.

We often called this the ‘bullet.’

‘Each individual prosecutor holds the power of indictment.’

In other words, a single prosecutor functions as an entire government office.

In a normal company, you have to submit a proposal and go through a line of approval before a document becomes effective.

But the prosecution?

Of course, they go through an approval line just the same, but if a specific prosecutor loses their mind and indicts someone, the document’s effect stands.

However, in an organization where you have to jump when they say jump, the end for such a ‘jagged stone’ was obvious.

Having spent their one and only bullet, they would be demoted to a backwater province, or if they hated that, they’d have to quit.

“If you were going to settle in a place like this, you should have just stayed a prosecutor.”

It happened to coincide with the personnel reshuffle period.

Usually, civil service reshuffles are concentrated at the beginning of the year.

Thanks to that, as soon as I used my bullet, I was assigned to some remote corner of Gangwon Province.

If I hadn’t submitted my resignation, I’d probably be looking for a house there right now.

“I was too exhausted to continue working as a prosecutor.”

“……Even so…….”

In an instant, Seo Yi-re stared intently into my eyes.

“I think you’re cool, Senior.”

“……?”

“Among the prosecution and police combined, you’re the first prosecutor to ever indict an investigator for the crime of publicizing facts of a suspected crime.”

A smirk escaped my lips.

“Don’t go falling for me, though.”

“……Ah. When you keep acting like that, it makes me want to get competitive for no reason.”

Seo Yi-re glared this way with an expression that said, ‘What am I lacking?’

And then she said:

“Can’t I like you?”

“…….”

She’s really going to cause an accident at this rate.

I should stop the joking here.

“Anyway, my head is hurting so much right now because of you, Senior. Since you’ve already gone as far as indicting them, I have to finish the case properly.”

Inwardly, I felt relieved.

……Because Yi-re was the one in charge of the case.

“Senior.”

“Yeah?”

“What do you want me to do?”

Now the main point was finally coming out.

“Should I just call in the detective in charge and the police higher-ups, give them a piece of my mind, and flip the whole thing over once?”

“…….”

After thinking for a moment, I let out a sigh.

“I don’t think that’s something I should have a say in.”

The case was already out of my hands.

In other words, it would be overstepping.

“Yeah. I knew you’d say that.”

“…….”

“I’m just notifying you. That’s what I’m going to do. Honestly, you want that too, don’t you, Senior?”

Seo Yi-re winked.

Then.

“It won’t bring back the dead…… but still, I hope Ji-hoon isn’t in pain anymore over there.”

“…….”

Slowly, a picture began to form in my mind.

Why these two had sought me out at this late hour.

“I came here in person to tell you this. Trust me.”

“……Thanks.”

“Yeah. In that sense……”

Immediately after, Seo Yi-re’s voice became somewhat cautious.

What was she going to talk about this time?

“Can we let Shin Hye-seo stay here for a while?”

“What?”

I was startled instantly.

“Don’t misunderstand. There was a sort of lobbying effort directed at Hye-seo. She is the CEO of Lee Ji-hoon’s agency, after all.”

“Lobbying?”

“The usual story. High-ranking government officials seem to be looking for Hye-seo so the matter doesn’t get any bigger. Since Lee Ji-hoon has no family, they probably thought everything would be fine as long as they silenced this side properly.”

Honestly, this organization is as rotten as ever.

“You know how our prosecution works. If Shin Hye-seo doesn’t listen, they’ll literally try to shake her down for everything she’s worth.”

This is a problem even if you haven’t committed a crime.

How many people are there who won’t show any dust when shaken?

Especially since the prosecution would even fabricate a crime if there wasn’t one.

In the entertainment industry, where large sums of money move and various customs are commonplace, there were plenty of places to find dust.

“Can you look after her, Senior?”

“Alright.”

Since I also bore some responsibility for this matter, the decision was easy.

However.

‘If this happens, the joke I made with my father has practically become a reality, hasn’t it?’

Of course, the person wasn’t a fearsome gangster, but a top star who was one of the best in the country.

‘But how am I supposed to explain this to my parents……?’

Early morning.

Fortunately, the situation I was worried about didn’t happen.

“Sh-Shin Hye-seo!?”

My mother, discovering Shin Hye-seo in the yard, was startled.

“Am—Am I dreaming right now?”

“It’s not a dream. She’s my guest.”

“You mean, the actual Shin Hye-seo who was in ‘The Queen of Laughter’ is right in front of my eyes……?”

Shin Hye-seo gave a gentle smile.

“That’s right, Mother.”

“Oh my goodness. I’m really enjoying your drama!”

My mother immediately started jumping for joy.

It seemed she really was a fan.

“But where did Father go?”

Immediately after, I tilted my head.

The man who should have been out in the fields long ago was nowhere to be seen.

“Ahem!”

“……?”

At the sound of a cough heard suddenly, my expression twisted strangely.

My father…… for some reason, he was wearing a fedora and a full suit inside the house.

Even though he didn’t have any plans.

“Could I possibly get an autograph?”

“Of course.”

I saw it.

The way the corners of my father’s mouth twitched noticeably.

“Father. Don’t you need to watch out for Mother’s reaction?”

I whispered quietly into my father’s ear.

“What are you saying? Is getting an autograph a crime?”

“And yet your eyes are fixed right over there?”

“…….”

After a brief silence, my father raised his voice as if he wanted others to hear.

“Seojun.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Is Shin Hye-seo by any chance that important witness for the case you were in charge of that you mentioned before?”

Oh.

I needed a decent excuse to gloss things over.

— Son. We’re a team now.
— Oh, of course, of course.

As expected, my father and I were perfectly in sync.

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Then……”

However, if only my father had stopped there.

He eventually crossed a line he shouldn’t have.

“……Are there any other witnesses coming? These days, I find that Jang Hee-yeon lady to be really graceful and pretty……”

Oh, Father.

How are you going to deal with the consequences……?

“Look here.”

Flinch!

As expected, my mother, who had approached at some point, was glaring with narrowed eyes.

“I guess you can’t see me right now?”

“……I wasn’t looking.”

“What weren’t you looking at?”

“Did dirt get in my eyes? I can’t see anything.”

“Should I put some dirt in there myself?”

“……No.”

“If you don’t want to actually go blind, behave yourself.”

“Got it……”

My father.

No matter how much he pretended to be the ultimate tough guy on the outside, the number one in this house’s hierarchy was my mother, no matter what anyone said.

“Um, Actress Shin?”

“You can just call me comfortably by my name.”

“C-Can I really do that?”

“Of course. I’m greatly indebted to the prosecutor.”

“To our Seojun? Hohoho! Anyway, you must be hungry. Shall we have breakfast together?”

“Yes, I’d love to!”

Fortunately, the situation seemed to be settling down to some extent.

Seo Yi-re had already returned to Seoul early in the morning…….

Knock, knock, knock.

“……?”

Just then, I felt a presence outside the main gate.

“Is anyone home?”

Since the gate was open, the identity of the guest was revealed quickly.

“P-Police?”

My mother’s eyes widened instantly.

“Why would the police be at our house……?”

It was Senior Officer Noh and the young officer, both of whom were familiar to me.

“Well, we received a report suspecting someone of impersonating a prosecutor in this house.”

……Look at these guys?

Immediately, a vein popped on my forehead.

Because I could pretty much tell how this was flowing.

‘They’re finally going to make my old personality come out.’

Soon, I stepped forward myself.

‘There are plenty of methods coming to mind…….’

Which one should I use to snap these complacent police officers back to their senses?