The Prosecutor’s Office’s Proposal Chapter 105

Furthermore, he had already been with the prosecution at the time of Lee Gilyoung’s murder case, so he was thoroughly well-versed in the investigation’s status. Although he wasn’t the prosecutor in charge, it was a murder case that had occurred among his friends, so he had paid considerable attention to it.

Perhaps even back then, he had already clearly recognized Lee Chaeha’s existence. There must have been many rumors circulating among the alumni too. About the child he left behind, about Kang Woosung, Oh Jahyeon, and Lee Gilyoung. On the contrary, when it came to such rumors, I could only be an outsider.

Since it was just the two of us, I also crossed my legs, leaned back comfortably, and replied.

“You aren’t shaking just because Oh Jahyeon is a high school friend, right? It feels like your worry is a bit excessive. Even though she’s the youngest daughter of Osong, she’s a child who was cast aside long ago. There hasn’t been any particular contact from Osong while the investigation has been proceeding either. It means they’ve turned off their interest.”

“If I let everyone off just because they’re high school friends, how could I conduct investigations here? At my age, there weren’t even that many high schools in Danhyun City. Excluding the technical high school and commercial high school, there were only two academic high schools. It’s only after the casino was built that many people came to live here; back then, it was a neighborhood with more cattle being raised than people.”

Chief Tak replied with a mixture of jokes and a genial expression, then suddenly narrowed his brow slightly. Tapping the armrest of the sofa with his palm, he opened his mouth in a noticeably serious tone.

“I don’t know what you think of Investigator Lee Chaeha, but I think it is unjust for that person to suffer because of his father’s wrongdoing.”

Now, I agreed as well. He continued speaking.

“That’s why when you said you wanted to work with Investigator Lee Chaeha, I pretended not to know and asked the 1st Division Chief—but because of that matter, bad rumors ultimately spread among the branch office staff about Investigator Lee Chaeha alone. So, even if it’s for the sake of Investigator Lee Chaeha, be careful when indicting the Oh Jahyeon case. Even if something goes wrong for you during the indictment, you have the status of a prosecutor and I can block it to some extent, but that’s not the case for this investigator. And if by any chance a rumor spreads that this investigator is Lee Gilyoung’s son, the aftermath won’t be easy to handle.”

“The only people who know are you and me, Division Chief. It’s a case from a long time ago. The rumor won’t spread.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Once you step outside the branch office, there will be quite a few people who know who Lee Chaeha is.”

It wasn’t that I hadn’t worried about that either. If by any chance Oh Jahyeon judges that things have gone wrong for her, she might attack this side. It could be a political method, or perhaps a violent one. All the people who obstructed her path died. In one way or another. Even the Koryo-in Mr. Kim, who seemed to have died an accidental death, ultimately had circumstances discovered where he siphoned off drugs.

An animal that hunts is bound to aim for the weakest individual in the pack. Even a dog raised at home does so. When trying to threaten or bite, they choose the youngest or injured opponent.

Lee Chaeha was both. Young, and an injured person.

“It’s not that I’m not worried either. I will do my best to protect him.”

“Seeing you say that, he must have been a good person to work with.”

“Yes, he does well. He has skill. No matter which prosecutor he meets, he would do better than when he’s with me.”

“Why with you? Looking at the data Prosecutor Yoon gave me, he investigated well even under Pro Joo.”

“I’m a bit stingy with praise, you know.”

I meant it.

Rubbing the armrest of the chair with my fingertips, I fell into thought for a moment. I recalled Lee Chaeha’s face, lowering his head and repeating that he was sorry every time he was scolded.

If there was a saving grace, it was that he didn’t lose his nerve at my style and said what he had to say. If it weren’t for that, he would have found it harder to endure. Lee Chaeha’s gaze, which looked resolute yet sorrowful, bothered me occasionally—no, quite frequently now.

“Anyway, you be careful too. Even if I try hard, you don’t even belong to our department, and on top of that, there’s a whole bunch above us up to the Deputy Chief Prosecutor and the Head of the Branch Office, so you must not fail after indicting. Investigate thoroughly, and if it doesn’t work out, backing down is also a way. What if you find it hard to endure like Prosecutor Yoon Soyeon? I’m worried about Gyuho too, who lost his younger sibling.”

Presumably, Chief Tak had judged the risk of investigating Oh Jahyeon to be very large. From earlier, his intent to dissuade Prosecutor Yoon and me was vivid, but since I had no intention of backing down, I brushed it off lightly.

“Don’t worry. I just want to know the truth, after all. Then, if you don’t have anything else to say besides worrying for me, I’ll be leaving now.”

“Look, look at the way he talks!”

I ultimately provoked the gentle person’s nerves, smiled brightly, and left the 2nd Division Chief’s office.

In the hallway, employees leaving work were busily moving their steps toward the elevator. While passing countless people and walking toward the prosecutor’s office, I chewed over Chief Tak’s words.

Though I had tried to ignore them, the facts I had known deep down all surfaced. Worries such as whether Lee Chaeha might become endangered like this.

Even to protect him, a conclusion of guilt had to be reached somehow. Otherwise, if we just poke around and lose the case, Officer Lee will also find it hard to hold out like Prosecutor Yoon Soyeon.

Just as Chief Tak said, I would be able to endure somehow. But Lee Chaeha is a human being too—can he keep merely tolerating unjust treatment indefinitely?

Standing in front of the prosecutor’s office for a moment, I slowly opened the door. Lee Chaeha was sitting alone, turning over documents. The sunset that had spread across Haneul broke through the wide glass window, flowing in to touch his fair skin. The reddish light of the sunset was faintly cast on his pale cheeks, which always looked as if they might vanish.

“What are you doing.”

“I was looking at the sexual harassment case allocated last week.”

“Let’s order delivery for dinner.”

“Yes, Prosecutor.”

“Before that, come inside for a bit first.”

With a somewhat tense expression, Lee Chaeha rose from his seat. Neatly tidying up the documents he was viewing as usual, and placing the dark blue thimble he always wore on his finger onto the center of the desk out of habit, he followed me inside with cautious steps.

The process of closing and locking the door, and then overlapping our lips, now flowed like water. Whether he had grown accustomed over the few weeks, Lee Chaeha no longer showed an awkward demeanor like the first time. I don’t know how it is for him, but for me, holding back my desire while looking at his face all day long was an ordeal.

His soft lips parted into a round shape, responding to the kiss. I sucked on his soft tongue, which felt as if it would bruise if bitten, and licked every single part of the mucous membrane inside his mouth. His body fluids felt sweet.

As if a groan might leak out, he trembled and shrunk his shoulders, but soon clung to me, gripping my arm. Every time the tip of my nose pressed against and brushed his skin, his sweet body scent rushed in.

The ten fingers of Lee Chaeha left round pressure on my skin. Holding me tightly, he kissed me just as he was led. When I sucked in his wet tongue, a small groan leaked out in the end, but I didn’t want to stop it. Setting his back against the office door, I kissed him for a long time.

It felt like it wouldn’t end if I coveted the red flesh as much as I wanted, so I barely let go of our entangled tongues. Although he was a Lee Chaeha who always maintained a calm attitude, at the very moment our lips separated, he couldn’t compose his disheveled face and the redness cast on his cheeks. Of course, he became even more disheveled on top of the bed. To the extent that I couldn’t keep my senses.

“Never send money to those people again.”

The emotion contained within his wet eyes wavered like a reed facing the wind. Understanding my words instantly, Lee Chaeha nodded his head slowly and released the small pressure he had placed on me. Feeling a lingering regret, I searched for and gripped his hand that had dropped down. His hand was still as cold as winter.

“It’s been a long time since I cut them off. They aren’t people who are wanting for money, you see. It felt like they just wanted to feel treated by me occasionally like that.”

“Then why did you send it that day.”

“…You know why.”

His round eyes rose slightly toward me and then came down. I wasn’t angry, and it was just amusing, so I tapped the tip of his nose with my index finger.

“Blame me outright then.”

Whether it was because of my expression which didn’t reveal emotion, Lee Chaeha pressed his lower lip firmly with his upper teeth as if testing the waters. His closed lips parted, and a small voice leaked out.

“I wasn’t trying to talk back….”

Caressing the wet lips and cheeks that uttered those words, and brushing back his bangs that had become disheveled from kissing me, I kissed him again. My patience grew thin. Without a word of complaint, Lee Chaeha placed the pressure of his ten fingers onto me once more.