Hardboiled Scenario

Chapter 10

 

A few reporters lingering around the photo line were visible from the window, but Muyoung still feigned ignorance and asked nonchalantly.

“Yes. So I don’t have much time. If you have something to say, please get to it directly.”

After taking a sip of tea and leisurely savoring the aroma, the National Assembly member set down his cup and began speaking as Muyoung prompted him impatiently.

“I heard your name is Prosecutor Seo?”

“Seo Muyoung.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Deputy Chief Gu. He said you’re a talented individual he has his eye on, with excellent skills matched by your double efforts.”

As if. That man who’s too busy establishing his own clique would never speak well of me. Especially if someone is officially certified as a maverick within the prosecution.

“I admire people like you. Born with nothing in their hands but achieving something through arduous efforts.”

Though his tone was dignified and polite, his appearance suggested he was a snake coiled up with schemes.

If this were the Joseon era, he would have the look of a traitorous official.

“Thank you for the kind words.”

‘—But I’m not particularly the diligent type. I just happened to become a prosecutor, and catching bad guys just happened to become my hobby.’

Muyoung swallowed those words along with his tea, not wanting to waste time with unnecessary chatter.

If asked who among the three gathered here was most self-aware, it would be none other than Seo Muyoung himself.

Political ambitions? Not a chance. Joining the elite prosecutors’ line? Yeah right.

So if they’re going to spout such nonsense, he wished they would just leave him, someone dedicating day and night to making criminals pay for their crimes, the hell alone.

Concealing his disrespectful thoughts behind an icy expression, he simply drank his tea. The assembly member, who had been observing him quietly, spoke up again.

“I heard you’re the prosecutor in charge of the drug party case……”

“Yes.”

“With the general election coming up in April, I wouldn’t want any disturbances. I was hoping you could help with that, Prosecutor Seo.”

Muyoung twisted his lips, which were hidden behind the teacup.

“He just associated with the wrong friends, tsk. We let him do whatever he wanted since he was young, so he grew up clueless about right and wrong.”

“……”

“Anyway, the media is already focused on that actress or whoever, so if you quietly resolve this, I could give Prosecutor Seo a good opportunity……”

“By quiet resolution, you mean……”

“If clearing the charges isn’t possible, how about suspension of indictment?”

“Ha!”

A sigh of exasperation inevitably escaped his lips.

So one of this assembly member’s sons was involved in this case, and he turned out to be a bigger fish than expected……

“I know too. A young woman died, didn’t she? My son was just there to have fun at the party with friends. He said he saw that woman for the first time that day and didn’t even exchange a word with her. Why would he lie to his own parents?”

“I see.”

“In fact, I heard it was that actor friend who introduced her, and they were quite close? I believe you must have seen it in the statements, Prosecutor Seo. Our son had nothing to do with it. He was just unlucky to be there.”

“……”

“If this gets resolved, I’ll make sure he gets his act together. Community service, maybe even study abroad to straighten his mind.”

“……”

“You can’t stay dealing with petty criminals forever, Prosecutor Seo. If you’ve played around in the shallow waters long enough, it’s time you taste the air up top, don’t you agree, Deputy Chief Gu?”

“You’re absolutely right. If Prosecutor Seo wraps this up well, I’ll arrange a position for him in the Public Crimes Investigation Division.”

“A smart person like you must understand. This is a good opportunity.”

Rising from the sofa, Seo Muyoung buttoned up his jacket with a faint smile.

“I understand what you’re saying.”

“Good. Then you can go, you must be busy.”

He bowed deeply as he did when entering, and left the Deputy Chief Prosecutor’s office.

After passing through the corridor towards the emergency exit, the clacking sound of his dress shoes echoed as he descended the stairs, stopping at the landing.

Judging by the blatantly unbelievable claims they made so casually, being a national assembly member must be quite the cushy job.

With so many shady dealings, their excuses are quite colorful too. The unlucky one is the dead woman. We’ll see if your son really had nothing to do with it once I investigate.

Muyoung twisted his necktie knot. He unbuttoned his collar, took a deep breath, and let out a sigh-like exhalation.

Only the diligent public servants suffering miserable hardships for meager pay are the real victims.

“I’m not that driven of a guy, but they keep provoking me like this every so often. It makes me want to bite.”

Upon returning to his office, Muyoung immediately sought out Section Chief Cho Kyung-soo.

“Section Chief Cho. Let’s take another look at the autopsy report for Park Sora-ssi, the victim in the drug party case.”

“Huh? Now? Suddenly? Not the actor Yoon Joon-young?”

“Yes. Now. I feel like I need to review it again.”

Muyoung returned with an unusual expression just 30 minutes after leaving with a bothered look. Section Chief Cho didn’t ask any further and swiftly retrieved the file to hand to Muyoung.

“There must be something here……”

Muyoung flipped through the pages carefully, one by one.

There is something. That’s why my feet are itching to find it. Judging by their lawyer-like persuasion and personal concerns for my future….

As he pored over the autopsy report intently, one name caught his eye.

A familiar name was written in the autopsy report.

It was none other than Jae-in.

🍓

With no reason left to turn Muyoung away, Jae-in offered him a seat.

“Have a seat over there.”

As soon as he sat down, he crossed his long legs brazenly and looked up at her with languid eyes, seeming to have a lot he wanted to ask. Jae-in avoided his gaze and filled the coffee pot with water.

She could answer work-related questions, but wanted to decline personal ones.

“We have coffee and chamomile. What would you like?”

She asked with her back turned.

“The same as Jae-in-ssi.”

His reply, unmistakably tinged with amusement, as if he had seen right through her. Jae-in found this confident, self-assured man somewhat overbearing.

Carrying paper cups in both hands, Jae-in returned to the table and handed one over.

Muyoung received the cup, checked the contents, and stretched his lips in a long smile. He looked like a black coffee drinker, but it was hot chocolate.

“You like sweets?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t.”

What was she supposed to do?

“Since you said you wanted the same, if you don’t like it I can make something else—”

“Now I know for next time.”

Jae-in dropped the offer to make something different, pretending not to hear.

He tasted the hot chocolate she made and slightly furrowed his brow. She pretended not to notice that either.

Since he said he came with something to ask, she wished he would just get to it and leave soon.

Seeming to read her mind, Muyoung set down his cup and gestured towards the empty chair in front of him.

“Sit.”

Amusingly, the roles of host and guest were now reversed.

As Jae-in took her seat, he uncrossed his legs and leaned his body over the table.

“I read the autopsy report for Park Sora, and there was something puzzling.”

“Park Sora-ssi?”

“Ah, let me explain better if you don’t know—about three months ago, a woman in her mid-20s suddenly died at a drug party in a penthouse.”

He was about to provide more details, thinking the name alone might not ring a bell since she likely performed several autopsies a day, dozens a month. But she responded first.

“I know. Park Sora-ssi.”

She was only twenty-five, in the prime of her youth.

“Why? Is there a problem with the case?”

“Didn’t you notice anything unusual?”

At the inspection, the only visible signs were faint bruises on her arms and legs, and abrasions around her neck as if from being rubbed against something. And multiple traces of male DNA were detected all over her body.

“There was.”

Having already recalled the case details from just the name, Jae-in readily answered.

“What was it?”

“The drug lidocaine was detected.”

“Lidocaine?”

Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that blocks pain signals from reaching the brain. It’s a very widely used anesthetic.

“Here, it was used for epidural anesthesia.”

“Epidural anesthesia?”

“It’s a type of lower body anesthesia where the anesthetic is injected directly into the spinal cord. It’s commonly used that way in orthopedics or proctology.”

Muyoung’s expression turned quite serious after Jae-in’s explanation, as if finding epidural anesthesia at a drug party was unthinkable.

“Multiple lacerations were found in the woman’s genital area, and there were anal tears as well.”

“You mean to say she was raped?”

“The final determination is up to the investigation, but in my medical opinion, there appeared to have been sexual acts that strained her body considerably. I wrote that in the evaluation report, is there an issue?”

However, the police statements made no mention of strenuous sexual relations. Nor the lidocaine drug.

He strongly suspected someone intentionally tampered with parts of the evaluation report.

“Can I see that evaluation report now?”

“One moment.”

Jae-in walked over to her desk and clicked a few times to print out the report she had written, which contained details Muyoung had not seen.

🍓

Thank you for reading! ♡