The Prosecutor’s Office’s Proposal Chapter 171

“Fortunately, since Chief Tak has been indicted on charges of attempted murder and evidence of the serial killings has been secured, Officer Lee’s disciplinary action is also scheduled to be lifted soon. So, hurry up and recover so you can think about working.”

“…You’re trying to make me work overtime again.”

“That’s the only way I can see Officer Lee’s face for a long time.”

Since we had become lovers, I could see him at night without him having to make me work overtime, but I didn’t raise any objections. Instead, I replied a bit mischievously.

“You’ve been making me work overtime from the start because of that. Because you wanted to keep seeing me while tormenting me.”

Perhaps because I was lying in a hospital bed, Prosecutor Joo—who would usually press down on me, his subordinate and lover, with quite sharp words—readily admitted it.

“Yes. I thought you would know, of course.”

“…You have to tell me for me to know.”

“I forgot. That Lee Chaeha is oblivious. You’re only smart when it comes to work.”

Perhaps because I had been scolded, my eyelids grew heavy again. I blinked my sleepy eyes, and he smoothed out the thin hospital blanket with a look of renewed relief and patted me. On top of the blanket lay a cozy throw that looked like he had brought it from home. It seemed he was being considerate of me, as I am very sensitive to the cold.

“Sleep now.”

“…Yes.”

“I won’t leave.”

“…Promise.”

“I don’t lie.”

That’s right. Prosecutor Joo never lies to me. Although there are times when he tells me less than the whole story.

Amidst the fragments of dreams washing over me, I recalled the day I had run away after being deeply shocked to learn that Prosecutor Joo was the son of Kang Woosung. There had also been a time I had run out of the apartment after finding out he was investigating my father’s case.

Suddenly, I regretted every moment I had tried to run away from him.

I should have done nothing of the sort and just hugged him, asking how hard it had been for him all alone. I should have at least offered him warm words of comfort. And I should have told him that I, too, had been as lonely as Joo Taeson.

I resolved to do exactly that once I recovered, and as I closed my eyelids, I drifted back into a deep sleep.

After Prosecutor Joo’s disciplinary period ended, I went through the discharge procedures. I hadn’t had my stitches removed yet.

My suspension was also over, but due to severe abdominal pain, I took a temporary sick leave from the office. Since I no longer had to fear for my personal safety, I intended to return to the government residence, but because of Prosecutor Joo’s stubbornness, I returned to the apartment instead.

While I was unable to go to work, Prosecutor Joo temporarily stopped working overtime, and every weekday evening, he would head to this place instead of his own government residence to eat dinner together. Ms. No Seonhui came to visit me at the hospital twice.

“Officer Lee, are you okay? My goodness, what on earth is all this.”

“I’m fine. The surgery went well, too.”

“The District Office is in chaos. Because of Chief Song Haneul and Chief Tak Sungwoong.”

“I’m worried. I’m returning to work soon, too.”

“Officer Lee, you’re the victim, so what is there to worry about? Everyone asked me a lot if Officer Lee was okay.”

“Really?”

I couldn’t tell if it was Ms. No’s white lie or because she couldn’t say anything bad in front of a worried colleague, but she nodded her head vigorously.

“Of course. Don’t think about anything else, just look after your health. A new Investigator has arrived, so the Prosecutor’s office has started running properly now, too.”

Since I was soon to return to work, I was curious about what kind of person the investigator newly assigned to our office would be. And how the trial preparations for Tak Sungwoong were coming along.

I couldn’t actually ask what I was curious about, so I politely inquired after Ms. No’s well-being. However, throughout the conversation, my mind wandered elsewhere.

In truth, even until the point when the public trial began, I still hadn’t realized the reality that ‘Lee Gilyoung’s’ false charge had been cleared. I wondered if Prosecutor Joo was feeling it, but lately, we didn’t have those kinds of conversations at all.

We put aside the discussions about the case that we had shared until we were sick of them and focused on trivial conversations. The things that happened during the day, the movies we watched while resting today, and old stories that we didn’t know about each other were the topics. There were times when we spent quite a while talking about what kind of children we were, what snacks we liked, and so on. I was enjoying a complete romance for the first time.

Around 7:30, Prosecutor Joo came home to the apartment as usual. A bag from a lunchbox shop was in his hand. He waved his hand to stop me when I rose from the sofa to greet him.

“Don’t get up.”

“I have to get up to eat anyway.”

“There’s something I want to show you before we eat today.”

“What is it?”

“Did you watch the news?”

“No.”

Prosecutor Joo took a stack of newspapers out of the lunchbox bag and dropped them onto the sofa as if throwing them down. I picked one of them out.

The moment I unfolded the folded newspaper and discovered the article on the front page, my whole body stiffened. The fingers holding the newspaper trembled thinly.

“It’s over.”

Prosecutor Joo’s voice, which seemed relieved, was the same as my heart.

He sat down heavily on the seat next to me and watched me closely as I shed round tears without even blinking. His firm arms wrapped around my back and waist as if to support me as I trembled. Through the gaps in my vision, which had blurred and then cleared, the headline of the newspaper was clearly visible.

True Culprit Who Murdered Casino Owner 15 Years Ago Arrested; The Culprit Is a Former Prosecutor

And in the sub-headline of the article, my father’s name, who had been falsely accused, ‘Lee Gilyoung,’ was clearly visible.

Multiple False Accusations, Including Mr. Lee Gilyoung Who Died Unjustly After Being Framed as a Suspect; Criticism Poured on Sloppy Investigation

This newspaper was our own victory report.

He whispered quietly to me, who was trembling.

“Congratulations.”

“…You too, Prosecutor.”

I couldn’t say anything more than that because tears poured out.

Prosecutor Joo quietly hugged me as I sobbed like a child. Prosecutor Joo must have wanted to cry, too, perhaps. However, only choking sobs burst from my throat, and I couldn’t continue my words properly. The gazes of the people who had tormented me for a long time and the resentment I had to swallow alone boiled in my stomach and around my chest as if they would collapse my body at any moment.

My whole body trembled violently. It felt as if the place where I had been stabbed should have hurt, but I felt no sensation at all, and only my heart became hot as if it would burst. As if melting away 15 years of deep-seated grievances.

Instead of being able to speak, I finally hugged Joo Taeson tightly with both hands. I didn’t hug him asking him to soothe me. I just wanted to comfort Joo Taeson, who had not been able to speak for an entire year after the shocking incident, and who had had to endure various painful things alone just like me after that.

A large palm patted me regularly as I cried.

“I was going to quit everything if you had refused my offer.”

A voice exactly like the one I heard on the rooftop last late autumn drifted into my ears like the wind.

“From a certain moment, I felt like everything would be okay if I could just love you.”

Prosecutor Joo slowly pulled me from his embrace and tenderly kissed my tear-soaked cheeks and eyelids.

“Now, I’m just thankful. In fact, it feels like you’ve been spending every moment with me since 15 years ago.”

Hot tears flowed down once more, forcing their way through my eyelids that had begun to swell.

15 years ago, the two people who had seemed to sink into the lightless deep sea due to the same incident and would never be able to set foot on land forever had finally stepped on solid ground.

We finally inhaled the wind carrying each other’s scent and smelled the scent of grass sprouting from the earth. And sharing the body heat of our clasped palms, we walked together on the warm sand heated by the sunlight. Holding onto each other tightly as if we would never let go again.

The scarlet letter that had been shaking and tattered began to fall from my chest and fly away, riding the sea breeze. While holding Joo Taeson’s hand, I turned my head to watch the scene where that criminal charge, which had tormented me for my whole life, was leaving.

The scarlet letter flew to the far, far ocean, to the end of the horizon, which is the boundary between the sky and the sea, and became a dot that could not be seen.

Eventually, it disappeared and left me forever.

At long last, there was peace.