The Prosecutor’s Office’s Proposal Chapter 153

I released the cold doorknob I had been holding, turned my body, and ran back to the front of the elevator to check the 6th-floor directory. Unlike the 5th floor, the 6th floor had two storage rooms without room numbers. Because of this, the numbering was shifted, placing the 614 office directly above the 512 office.

That gaze that felt like it was looking down on me. I recalled the shadow I had forgotten and slowly turned my feet.

The Chinese food delivered for dinner had arrived at the 614 office. The office was bustling with people eating, as even the investigators from our own office had come up. Since we hadn’t had a chance to go down to the cafeteria since yesterday, we were handling all our meals with delivery food.

I sat down late and was mixing my portion of soggy jajangmyeon when Prosecutor Yoon, who had already finished his bowl, let out a loud sigh. My hands moved faster at the sight of his empty bowl.

“Evidence of Oh Jahyeon distributing drugs or disposing of a body keeps coming up, but I just can’t find any evidence of the past incident.”

It seemed everyone was finishing their meal, so I had started eating my jajangmyeon hurriedly, but under the table, Prosecutor Joo kicked my foot with the tip of his shoe. I broke off the noodles that were filling my mouth and looked to the side to see that Prosecutor Joo’s fried rice bowl was still more than half full. It seemed I could afford to eat slowly.

He put down his spoon and answered Prosecutor Yoon.

“Speak accurately. It’s not disposal of a body. It’s attempted murder.”

“Attempted murder because there was a needle in his neck? Do you think the judge will accept that?”

Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho sounded skeptical. As if it weren’t enough that the internal investigation situation seemed to be leaking to Chief Tak, it was disheartening to see Prosecutor Yoon, who would soon have to push for an indictment, showing such a passive reaction. Prosecutor Joo retorted.

“It’s visible evidence. It will be sufficiently accepted. The problem is that we aren’t finding anything to prove other murder cases.”

“A syringe wasn’t even found. And lie detector results aren’t accepted in court.”

“You think I don’t know that? Even so, the judge will have no choice but to consider the results. The test report is right in front of them, and judges are people too.”

Only after engaging in a long debate with Prosecutor Yoon did Prosecutor Joo take a spoonful of his remaining fried rice and eat it. I slowly chewed the swollen jajangmyeon noodles and made sure to eat some pickled radish in between.

Attempted murder, disposal of a body, violation of the Narcotics Control Act.

Together, the sentences for Chief Tak and Oh Jahyeon wouldn’t be light, but the problem was that it was woefully insufficient to prove serial murder. Other data had poured out, but it was impossible to tell for certain from the photos whether the country Chief Tak studied abroad in was Russia. Since we had already requested immigration records, it would be possible to verify soon.

The joint investigation team finished most of the preparations for the indictment regarding the attempted murder and disposal of the body of Koryo-in Mr. Kim, as well as the drug distribution case, during the remaining week, and everyone prepared to head home late at night. Prosecutor Joo put on his suit jacket and stared at the calendar hanging in Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho’s office.

“What is that red mark?”

At Prosecutor Joo’s question, an investigator from Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho’s office answered.

“It’s Prosecutor Yoon’s birthday today, so we were all originally going to have a team dinner together.”

The long fingers that had been buttoning his jacket stopped. Prosecutor Joo’s pupils moved smoothly toward Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho, who was standing behind the investigator.

“Why is your birthday different from Soyeon’s?”

At his question, I, who had been packing my bag, also hesitated. I looked toward Prosecutor Joo without revealing any signs of surprise. The choice not to look at Prosecutor Yoon was almost instinctive. It was to avoid showing our suspicions to the other party.

And to hear Yoon Gyuho’s voice. One can deceive with facial expressions, but it is difficult to deceive with a voice. For instance, a subtle wave had rippled through Prosecutor Joo’s repeated question.

“Soyeon’s birthday was yesterday, wasn’t it?”

“Isn’t it unique? Soyeon and I have different birthdays, just 10 minutes apart. Soyeon is at 11:55 PM, and I am at 12:05 AM the next morning.”

The voice of Yoon Gyuho answering was ordinary. I moved my hand, which had stopped, and finished slinging my bag over my shoulder. I had overreacted for no reason. The fact that Prosecutor Yoon Soyeon and Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho have different birthdays does not prove that he is a mole.

I left the branch office with Chief Song. I had to pretend I was heading home to the government residence, so I parted ways with Prosecutor Joo in front of the branch entrance.

Chief Song, exhausted from several days of working overtime, let his tired shoulders slump.

“Wow, it’s tough. Officer Lee, how did you survive working overtime for months? Since I’ve been leaving at midnight for the past few days, I’m not in my right mind.”

“Prosecutor said we should all take annual leave together once this case is over, so I’m just thinking about that.”

“I wish the summer vacation period would come quickly.”

It was the first time I was leaving work with Chief Song while looking at the pitch-black night Haneul, and it wasn’t bad. To be honest, it was much better than I thought. Because we were in the same position.

The two investigators moved their tired feet and chatted together. We also complained about the busy, low-paying workplace.

Although Prosecutor Joo might not be pleased with this situation, I was grateful every day that I had a colleague with whom I could converse comfortably, even if only for a short while. In my heart, I desperately hoped that he wasn’t a mole. Even Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho.

After all, Chief Song was someone who had worked with Prosecutor Joo for a long time, and Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho was someone he had known for a long time. I didn’t want his heart to be hurt any further, whichever way it went. The same went for me.

Just as we were about to part ways on the 3rd floor, Chief Song suggested.

“Do you want to go up and have a beer? It’s Saturday tomorrow.”

I really wanted to have a drink with him, but since Prosecutor Joo was planning to come pick me up soon, I couldn’t accept. I was planning to leave the residence in a little while because there was a risk that Chief Tak would break in again. My eyebrows naturally tilted with regret.

“I’m sorry, what should I do? I’m tired. Since it’s late at night, let’s do it next time.”

“I guess it is too late, isn’t it? How is your time tomorrow?”

“I’m meeting a relative tomorrow.”

I refused because Prosecutor Joo dislikes meeting people outside of work on the weekend. He is a colleague I like, but there was nothing I could do. I didn’t want to do things Prosecutor Joo dislikes. Chief Song grabbed my shoulder lightly with an apologetic expression before letting go.

“Then I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Yes, Chief. Let’s have a drink separately when the investigation is finished.”

I kept the assumption—although I’ll have to get Prosecutor Joo’s permission—hidden deep in my mind, away from Chief Song.

I opened the front door of the residence for the first time in a while. I cleaned the empty room, which had turned freezing cold because the tenant hadn’t entered for several days, wiped it clean, stayed for about 15 minutes, and then quietly locked the door and came out. As I ran through the empty alleyway and reached the main road, Prosecutor Joo’s car was parked on the shoulder.

I got into his car immediately. As if to release the desire I had endured and suppressed while facing people all day, I held his hand first.

“You’ve been waiting a long time, haven’t you?”

“It’s fine.”

His delicate fingertips meticulously groomed my hair, which had been messed up by the wind because I had been walking hurriedly.

That night, I spent it at Prosecutor Joo’s house instead of the apartment where I was temporarily staying. It was better for both of us because I was planning to go meet the person I identified in Chief Tak’s photo with Prosecutor Joo on Saturday.

In a sense, I hadn’t lied to Chief Song.

Tomorrow was the day I had decided to go to the detention center where my relative, my maternal uncle, is incarcerated.

📄🖊️

My uncle, appearing with a corrections officer while wearing a blue inmate uniform, looked much more haggard than before. My uncle had a sour expression upon seeing me, but he bowed politely to Prosecutor Joo Taeson and sat down across from the metal table.

“Please take off the handcuffs.”

At Prosecutor Joo’s instruction, the corrections officer approached and removed the handcuffs.

My uncle, whom I saw after a long time, was clearly different from his usual self. In the meantime, he had aged significantly, was skin and bone, and looked shabby. But, ridiculously, I was afraid of such an uncle. My hand, which I had placed under the table, stiffened with tension.

Although the tiger was now in a state of having lost all its teeth, it was still a predator to the rabbit whose flesh had been torn by those sharp teeth its whole life. I tried to relax my stiff expression to hide the fact that I was nervous, but my facial muscles wouldn’t move as I wanted, so I chose to lower my eyelids obliquely.

My uncle leaned back in his chair crookedly and parted his lips.

“What brings you here? Prosecutor, for you to see me twice already.”