The Prosecutor’s Office’s Proposal Chapter 169

At first, I thought he intended to interfere with the investigation by threatening or killing me, but I realized that if he were careless, he might just be looking for a target to vent his anger on, or a companion for his suicide. I, being the most powerless, easy, and weak person in this game, must have been the first candidate to come to mind as that companion. Moreover, I had the crime—or rather, the lack thereof—of having helped reveal Song Haneul’s true identity.

At any moment, if Song Haneul pushed me, I could fall and be murdered, with the death disguised as suicide. I was terrified, but I hid it and opened my lips once more.

“How did you make Prosecutor Yoon call me?”

“I told the investigator in Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho’s office that an important informant had contacted me, but that I couldn’t go out because I had an appointment. That investigator had an important gathering today, too. I knew about it because we’re close.”

That would be the case. The Song Haneul I knew was someone who got along with everyone. Even with me, who had been a loner my whole life.

He chewed on his lower lip and added.

“Yoon Gyuho is the type of person who would never come to the branch office after work, and Joo Taeson has a family gathering. In the end, the task was bound to fall to you, the lowest-ranking guy.”

“I can persuade Prosecutor Joo to cover up the case for you, Chief.”

Right there, where Prosecutor Joo had offered me the position of investigator, I made a false proposal to him with both hands raised.

“I will persuade the Prosecutor. Since we’re in the same office…”

“No. Prosecutor Joo will only stop once you are dead.”

“…Why?”

“I don’t know. I just have that feeling. Only when you’re dead will Joo Taeson take his hands off this place.”

Could that be? Was Chief Song right?

Ironically, I thought that might really be the case.

Prosecutor Joo is a man who would collapse if I died. And I, too, would never be able to escape the Dead Sea of fate if I lost him.

“Even if I jump, Prosecutor Joo won’t think it’s suicide.”

“It doesn’t matter. As long as there’s no physical evidence, right?”

I could no longer hear the sound of the siren, but I had a feeling that if I stalled just a little longer, Prosecutor Joo would find me. I had no evidence for it, but for that very reason, it was an intuition.

An intense premonition that he would inevitably return to this rooftop, where our investigation began—this spot where Prosecutor Joo had made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

“Jump. Otherwise, I’ll stab you and…”

“…No. That’s not your plan, is it?”

I deliberately lowered my hands and jumped down from the stool to the roof floor. I had to lure out the tip of the opponent’s knife.

“You little bastard!”

Song Haneul swung the knife again as if to intimidate me, but it wasn’t close enough to graze my body. Since his plan was to disguise it as suicide, he wouldn’t leave marks on my body. I had to provoke him further.

Staring straight at the knife, I took a large step forward and threw a punch first. Toward Song Haneul’s face. Because Chief Song dodged, my fist didn’t land directly, but it did graze him.

“Fuck!”

In an instant, Song Haneul, who was already agitated, turned the tip of his knife toward me. However, he didn’t swing the knife with full force, as if restraining his rage. Unfortunately, it wasn’t deep enough to pierce my body, so I raised my bag to block his attack, as if I had no intention of being hit.

Although my sweat ran down my spine from the tension, I slashed the air with my fist again, as if to strike him. Then, this time, Song Haneul swung the knife a bit deeper toward me. He must have thought I would defend myself again with the bag, just like before.

But I betrayed his expectations and raised my hand to block instead of the bag. The sharp blade grazed my left wrist. Because I was wearing thin clothing, my shirt tore, and a sharp, stinging pain passed through my wrist.

Courage alone could not completely suppress fear. My heart pounded violently, scattering hot blood everywhere, but my fingertips went cold and numb, as if dried of every drop of blood.

Drip, drip—hot liquid began to flow out through the cool, gaping wound. Seeing my sleeve quickly soaking in blood, Song Haneul stopped, looking extremely flustered. Hiding my fear, I watched the blood dripping to the floor and met his gaze.

“Now, even if I fall, it’s a homicide.”

“…”

“There are signs of a struggle on my arm.”

I raised my hand to show him the wound.

We faced each other in silence for a long time. I dwelled on the ticking clock. Time needed to move faster. So that Prosecutor Joo could find me.

Chief Song paced in front of me for a while, not knowing what to do. He seemed to be debating his next move, but couldn’t come up with a proper idea. He must have been regretting swinging his knife so recklessly.

Song Haneul, who had been spewing curses, swiped his hair back while still holding the blood-stained knife.

“You son of a bitch, always calculating.”

“…”

“…Are you playing with me, too?”

“I’m not playing with you; I’m trying to help you, Chief. Please change your mind now. Your hunch was right, Chief.”

“About what?”

“When we talked earlier, Prosecutor Joo must have noticed something was wrong with me. So please, stop now…”

Before I could finish, someone shoved the rooftop door open violently. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

The only person who could find me on this rooftop, the only person who could call me up here and take me back down, was Joo Taeson.

Song Haneul let out a sound that was nearly a scream.

“Fuck!”

It was then. Driven into a corner, Song Haneul lost his sanity and tried to run toward Prosecutor Joo.

I reached out my bleeding arm and snatched Song Haneul by the nape of his neck, and Prosecutor Joo’s sharp voice rang out across the rooftop, which had been filled only with darkness.

“Chaeha!”

My stomach stung. The knife Song Haneul had been holding was embedded in my side. I felt dazed. But soon, feeling the man’s arm trying to pull the knife out of my stomach, I grabbed his wrist. Perhaps flustered by the unexpected resistance, Song Haneul lifted his eyes to look at me. In his wide, bulging pupils, a red light lingered.

I looked down at my stomach again, and my rapidly turning mind made a judgment in an instant.

At this position, it might be okay if the knife went in a little deeper. Perhaps I wouldn’t die. But if Chief Song pulled the knife out and stabbed Prosecutor Joo, I couldn’t guarantee the position would be safe. If the knife left my body, and Song Haneul got it back into his hands, Prosecutor Joo would be hit.

I didn’t want to die alone in the cold deep sea, in the Dead Sea where our suffering had melted away anymore. Even if I were to die.

“Chaeha, just let go!”

Prosecutor Joo yelled again desperately as he ran toward the edge of the roof. Hearing the clatter of his shoes, I didn’t let go of Song Haneul’s wrist, which held the knife handle. Instead, I grabbed it and pulled him closer to me so he couldn’t escape.

“Hut…”

The knife dug deeper through the wound. Along with the gushing blood, painful tears fell, but it was okay.

“Damn it.”

The moment the flustered opponent finally gave up and let go of the knife, I saw Prosecutor Joo’s fist drive into Song Haneul’s face. As he collapsed and struck his head hard against the railing, Chief Song’s figure tilted 90 degrees before my eyes.

I sank. Even though the knife hadn’t been pulled out, more blood was flowing than I had expected. As my jaw trembled and my vision turned a deep blue, Prosecutor Joo ran toward me rapidly.

“Chaeha, hold on just a little longer. Okay?”

He fumbled through my blood-soaked shirt to find the wound and pressed down on it, and with his other hand, already soaked in blood, he took out his phone.

“An investigator was stabbed by a suspect and collapsed on the roof of the Danhyeon Branch Office. Deep stab wound to the abdomen. Please come as quickly as possible.”

“Prosecutor… my, bag…”

“Please don’t talk.”

Prosecutor Joo looked down at me with a face that seemed ready to cry and pleaded. It was almost like a prayer.

In the past, I would have thought that he didn’t need to make such a request to someone like me, the son of Lee Gilyoung. But now that my father was innocent, and Joo Taeson loved me, I wasn’t sure if that was still the case.

I looked down at the bag I was carrying and signaled to him with my eyes.

“Hurry…”