Chapter 75 – Reaction – Part 3

Chapter 75 – Reaction – Part 3

Baek Gitae’s cheek muscles tensed.

His expression hardened.

His head was fixed, only his eyes darting around the room.

It was an unconscious act of searching for an exit.

A person’s instinct to avoid pleasure and pain takes precedence over everything else, and the same was true psychologically.

Baek Gitae’s eyes returned to their original position.

Kim Taehyun was leaning against the passenger door, blocking it and smoking a cigarette, and in the back seat was an investigator from the prosecution.

And right next to him, it felt like a tiger was sitting.

He even had the illusion that the predator’s eyes, looking calmly at its prey, were vertically slit.

Simply put, it was like a predator observing its prey…

“What on earth are you talking about…?”

Woojin changed his tone from before.

“You seem quite old to take all the blame alone. It would be better to share the crime, so where is the accomplice?”

“The evidence that I am a criminal…”

“That’s a shame. If your confession had come out before we caught the accomplice, your sentence might have been reduced. Then, from this moment on, I will treat this as a different case. You seem to have gotten involved with drugs recently, did you quit and then start again?”

His right arm slowly drew back.

Woojin, who had been quietly observing him, opened his mouth again.

“We’ll have to take a look around your house, Mr. Baek Gitae.”

“Th-that’s illegal, isn’t it! W-without a warrant…”

Woojin cut him off.

“Mr. Baek Gitae, you don’t seem to know much about the law. The law is like a nose ring if you hang it on your nose, and an earring if you hang it on your ear. The prosecution doesn’t see you as a person. They only see you as a performance metric. Do you think such people would consider your circumstances, Mr. Baek Gitae, who is not a big shot, just because a warrant hasn’t been issued?”

Baek Gitae’s eyes trembled uncontrollably.

“…….”

He took the soju out of the envelope and chugged it down.

Then, wiping the soju from his chin, he said,

“I’ll tell you everything. But… can you make the drugs disappear?”

Woojin slowly nodded his head.

“Drug brokers are also released if they cooperate well, right? Investigator?”

The Investigator, who had only been blinking, answered blankly,

“That’s right.”

Woojin’s words were true.

The Prosecution sometimes made such deals to let the small fry go and catch the big fish.

Woojin, who had turned his head back to Baek Gitae, said,

“He says he will.”

“I wasn’t the mastermind of the crime.”

At Baek Gitae’s words, backing away, Woojin opened the passenger side window.

And he spoke to Kim Taehyun, who was blocking the passenger door.

“Detective Kim. He says he’s confessing.”

Kim Taehyun took out handcuffs with a slight smile.

Click.

“Oh, what a waste of soju. You haven’t even had half? Since the cap is off, why don’t you drink it while you listen?”

Kim Taehyun said nonchalantly as he cuffed Baek Gitae’s wrists.

“You have the right to remain silent. And you can Senior Officer a lawyer? You’ve heard that before, right? I’ll tell you again in detail. Your statements in court will…”

Meanwhile, the Investigator watching couldn’t quite grasp the situation.

No, he hadn’t wished for anything to happen, but it was rather anticlimactic.

He seemed to have thrown out a few words about an accomplice returning or using drugs, but he’d gotten a confession, and Detective Kim Taehyun was calmly putting on handcuffs, wasn’t he?

All of this happened in the car in a short amount of time.

There was no escape attempt or any shouting.

Just as disappointment welled up at the sight of Woojin, the Criminal confessed.

Then Kim Taehyun’s voice was heard.

“Investigator? Snap out of it and make some room next to you. It’s normal for everyone to zone out like you when they first see Woojin. You can think later, now, come on~ let’s get in next to Baek Gitae.”

As Baek Gitae sat in the back seat, the Investigator asked.

“Is it true your accomplice returned to the country after going overseas?”

He replied politely.

“Yes.”

The Investigator turned his head to Woojin and muttered.

“This is driving me crazy…”

‘How did he know?’

Soon, Woojin got into the passenger seat and Kim Taehyun drove the car coolly.

The clue to a cold case from 15 years ago had been found, and they were moving to the Prosecution.

***

Prosecutor Kim Cheolung scratched his cheek as he looked at Baek Gitae sitting opposite him.

Then he turned his gaze to Woojin, who was looking through the case files.

One of his cheeks was bulging with a candy in his mouth.

He said he would catch him today and indeed, he caught him right away.

Considering the travel time, it took less than 30 minutes to bring him in.

With handcuffs on both hands.

That thought was fleeting.

Kim Cheolung stood up and approached Baek Gitae.

As Baek Gitae tried to get up, Kim Cheolung put his weight on his foot, which was wearing slippers, and pressed down gently.

“Ugh…”

“Just stay seated.”

“Yes…”

Kim Cheolung bent his knees and met his gaze.

“Where’s your accomplice?”

“We were supposed to meet today…”

“Where?”

“Near my house…”

Just then, Baek Gitae’s cellphone rang.

[Song Gucheol]

Kim Cheolung said meaningfully,

“Your accomplice? Answer it. You need to act well, or you’ll take all the blame.”

Baek Gitae carefully brought the cellphone to his ear with his handcuffed hands.

“Oh, Gucheol.”

-Should I come over to your house?

Kim Cheolung slowly nodded.

“Yes, come to my house. How long will it take?”

-About 2 hours after I finish my errands? But why does your voice sound like that?

Kim Cheolung frowned and looked at Baek Gitae.

“What do you mean, ‘why’? Maybe the drug is wearing off. Buy a few bottles of Soju on your way.”

After Baek Gitae finished the call, Kim Cheolung’s head turned to the Investigator.

“Did you hear that? Cooperating with the Police… No, it would be better to go together, spearheaded by Detective Kim Taehyun.”

“Understood.”

Once the Investigator disappeared, Kim Cheolung cast his gaze back to Woojin.

Even though his accomplice called, he just skimmed through the records, as if he was in another world and didn’t care at all.

Is this extreme composure?

Or is he truly uninterested, just as he appears?

Kim Cheolung didn’t know much about those two things, but he knew one thing for sure.

The more I talked to him, the more I felt like I was being reeled in.

Just then, Woojin’s voice was heard, looking through the cases.

I think I know why prosecutors say being a prosecutor is boring.

As I saw in the records last time, most of the cases were petty crimes like pickpocketing, fights, vandalism, and so on… miscellaneous incidents were the main focus.

Kim Cheolung smiled slightly and put his hand on Baek Gitae’s shoulder.

It’s about to get interesting. But Woojin doesn’t seem very impressed, does he?

It’s just okay.

Of course it is…

Just then, the telephone in front of the PC rang.

Yes. Central District Prosecutors’ Office…

-It’s me. Hwang Manjin.

Kim Cheolung’s eyes widened slightly.

He was a National Assembly Member of the Ruling Party.

Oh, Assemblyman, what brings you here…

-You’re making me sad. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, and I feel like having a drink.

Kim Cheolung was flustered for a moment, then he put on a relaxed smile.

He thought the time had come.

He was becoming a star prosecutor, so they intended to use his popularity.

In other words, they wanted to use him as a weapon.

If he briefed the press about the Baek Gitae case, they would salivate even more.

It was what he wanted.

-How’s your time today?

Today’s fine… Just a moment.

Kim Cheolung’s gaze unconsciously turned to Woojin.

Kim Cheolung covered the handset with his hand and whispered to Woojin.

About tonight…

Kim Cheolung was speechless for a moment.

Because Woojin’s eyes were filled with emptiness.

They looked like the eyes of a sad deer.

No, a National Assembly Member wants to meet me right now… I can’t, can I?

Woojin’s eyes changed again.

It was as if he was saying, ‘Is that how you’re going to play it?’

Right? I can’t, can I? I was just asking. I’m not the kind of person who just breaks promises, am I?

Kim Cheolung brought the handset to his ear again and spoke.

Assemblyman Hwang, it’s a bit difficult today. I have too many cases to handle. I’m sorry you called specifically.

Work is good, but you should take care of yourself first. How about tomorrow?

Understood. Yes, yes. Yes! Please go ahead.

Kim Cheolung put down the handset and gave a bitter smile.

What prosecutor could postpone a meeting with a ruling party assemblyman?

He was dumbfounded when it was actually him.

You’re reacting.

Huh? What did you say?

It seems the world is reacting to Prosecutor Kim Cheolung.

Kim Cheolung smiled broadly at the compliment.

However, Kim Cheolung knew very well that the wave of reaction had started with Woojin.

To Kim Cheolung, Woojin was like a stepping stone he desperately needed to leap forward.

At first, he had planned to give Woojin appropriate compensation and have all the spotlight shine on himself,

but that thought was completely wrong.

Woojin was not such an easygoing guy.

He would sometimes be so distracting, and then make people restless with truly incomprehensible actions.

He’s no ordinary person.

I should have realized it when he knew the revision date of the Criminal Law by heart.

They say there’s only a fine line between genius and dullness, and it seems to be true…

“Do you have a reservation?”

“Huh? Oh… the restaurant?”

“Yes.”

“Of course! I have to! I’ll make one. Do you want to come over and watch me make the reservation?”

“No. I’m not that suspicious of a person.”

“…Are we eating alone? What about Detective Kim Taehyun?”

“I asked him earlier, and he said he had work.”

“That’s good news to hear.”

Kim Cheolung called the SL Hotel Restaurant with the criminal in front of him.

“You have a Chinese course, right? Yes. For two people…”

Woojin quietly said,

“There’s a two-hour course.”

“Yes. There’s a two-hour course, how much is it?”

-It’s 550,000 won.

“For two people combined?”

-No. It’s 550,000 won per person.

Kim Cheolung, who had been speechless, scratched his cheek and replied,

“Yes. I’ll make a reservation for two people for that. Please make it a portion for two that’s like three servings.”

Kim Cheolung consoled himself that it was cheaper than last time and said to Woojin,

“You’re really persistent.”

***

That evening.

Woojin, who had enjoyed a full course meal at the SL Hotel, parted ways with Kim Cheolung, who had to go directly to the Prosecution, and walked for a while.

The neon signs on the street were dazzling, and happy smiles bloomed on people’s faces.

Woojin walked with his gaze fixed on the distance, as if looking at the world at leisure.

There are still so many things he hasn’t done yet.

There were still many things he wanted to do.

Just then, a message came in on his cellphone.

It was Director Jo Jeonghwan.

At that moment.

Jo Jeonghwan, who had sent the episode to Woojin, was smiling in front of the mirror.

He was preparing to attend an alumni gathering after a long time, and his shoulders were puffed up with pride.

He felt like this opportunity would allow him to put those alumni who had ignored him in their place.

Buzz- Buzz-

His cellphone vibrated, signaling a call.

It was none other than Woojin.

“Mr. Woojin, did you see it?”

-Yes. It’s good.

Jo Jeonghwan felt strength surging through his entire body.

“Since Mr. Woojin gave me the inspiration. I’ll definitely try my best to reach ten million views. Thank you, Mr. Woojin?”

After hearing the confirmation, he finally felt that he had a firm grasp of things.

Now, even without Woojin’s help…

Just then, Woojin’s voice was heard.

-It seems like a good way to ruin it.