Hardboiled Scenario

Chapter 2

 

“They found all sorts of drugs in the body of the guy who claims he was spiked, so there’s no way we can just let this slide.”

He had taken quite a diverse array of drugs.

“Th-this is…”

Even though they specifically requested to exclude certain drugs from the test… On the forensic report clutched by the lawyer, not only were the drugs the defendant had personally requested to be excluded listed, but also additional drugs that weren’t even identified.

Unable to hide his dismay, the lawyer stuttered. Muyoung handed him another document.

“Here, this is the arrest warrant application I prepared as soon as I got to work.”

“Wait, wait a minute. Prosecutor Seo! There seems to be some misunderstanding, this result can’t be belongs to our client—”

“Should we do a DNA test for you? Can’t you tell from the personal information on that paper whether it’s your client’s or my defendant’s?”

“No matter what, this is too much! It’s a violation of human rights! We agreed only to test for certain substances—”

“Agreed?”

Strong displeasure flashed across Muyoung’s face, his eyebrows furrowing as much as his lips twisted.

“Who? When? Wasn’t this our first time meeting today?”

“What are you doing right now? Prosecutor Seo! Didn’t you get a call from above? Do you know who I am—”

“Those underhanded tricks might work on your juniors.” 

The lawyer’s protest was mercilessly cut off by Muyoung’s icy retort.

He may expect preferential treatment as a “senior” amid the prosecution, but there was no way Muyoung would have any of that. Prosecutors were duly recognized as an independent government agency.

“I act exactly according to the law. That’s why I’m in this position.”

His demeanor had changed so much from a few minutes ago when he was interrogating without enthusiasm, it was hard to believe it was the same person.

Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Violent Crimes Investigation Department, Narcotics Division. The most notorious bastard among them, Prosecutor Seo Muyoung.

“The lawyer with the five thousand won badge will need to reorient the direction of the argument from the beginning.”

His sharp gaze turned to the unemployed but wealthy perpetrator who was biting his nails. In a calm but bone-chillingly intimidating tone, Muyoung spoke.

“It seems your head isn’t working properly since you couldn’t do drugs due to the prosecution’s investigation…”

Only then did the perpetrator, sensing something was off, stupidly roll his eyes to look at his lawyer.

“L-lawyer, what kind of situation is this right now…?”

The expensive lawyer who had assured him of a suspension of indictment or probation tightly shut his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut, turning away from his client.

“Rather than spouting more nonsense here, it would be wiser to plan for the next defense. As expected, your years of experience weren’t for nothing.”

In a situation like this, keeping his mouth shut was the most prudent decision. No matter what he said, it could be used against him as an unfavorable statement.

“Kim Hyeong-kwon-nim. Are you curious about what kind of situation this is right now?”

So Muyoung kindly decided to explain it to him.

“It means you’re fucked up.”

Fuck all that ‘run first, deny second, and rely on connections third’ bullshit.¹

“Because I’m a crazy bastard who can’t resist a drug addict.”

🍓

The defendant who came for the prosecution’s investigation relying only on his former prosecutor lawyer was detained as soon as he left the room.

Now that the charges were confirmed, there were concerns of destroying evidence and flight risk. He was scheduled to go through a warrant substantive examination at the court swiftly and then to the detention center in that state.

The day was off to a very clean start.

“Sheesh, I keep telling you to speak more nicely, what will you do if you get in trouble again?”

Eom Hae-young, the administrative officer, finally released the reprimand she had been holding back while cleaning up the spot where the suspect and his lawyer had been seated.

“If I get in trouble, so be it. If they tell me to fuck off, I will.”

“There’s no need to go out of your way to get on the bad side of the higher-ups. It’ll only give you a headache if word gets out.”

At Muyoung’s indifferent response, Eom Hae-young put down the tray and put her hands on her hips. It was a signal that she was about to start nagging in earnest.

“They say the nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and that to have a long career as a prosecutor, you shouldn’t make enemies. How many times do I have to tell you?”

Eom Hae-young, a kindly-looking woman in her mid-50s, was a veteran senior administrative officer with 20 years of experience.

“Even if you can’t become a successful elite prosecutor, at least don’t become unemployed. If you keep charging forward recklessly like that, you could fall backwards and break your nose.”

With that much experience, even if she was a subordinate assisting the prosecutor, she had a seniority that couldn’t be treated lightly.

It was no exaggeration to say that there wasn’t a single prosecutor in this field who hadn’t gone through her hands.

“How much more nicely does a prosecutor need to speak to a criminal? I think I treated him quite gentlemanly as it is.”

“Not the criminal, the lawyer. He’s still a senior and probably connected to the higher-ups.”

“Enough of the nagging. I may not listen to the chief prosecutor, but I always listen to you, don’t I?”

Muyeong averted his gaze nonchalantly as Eom Haeyoung glared at him. She sighed deeply, and Cho Kyung-soo, the prosecution investigator, took her place in the conversation.

“By the way, Prosecutor Seo. What happened with the blind date you went on last time?”

“Blind date?”

Muyoung raised an eyebrow, puzzled, and Cho Kyung-soo continued.

“You know, the one who plays the flute, on Saturday, at Hotel Capriccio. Chief Yoo from the Criminal Division insisted that she was a kind and pretty girl and that you must meet her.”

“Ah…”

He did meet a woman last Saturday. It just wasn’t the face of the woman from the blind date that stuck in his memory. 

At that moment, a certain scene he had tried to bury flashed through his mind.

 

“Mr. Banana flavored condom?”

“……”

“Is it not banana flavor?”

“Strawberry is more my taste.”

 

🍓

The blind date took place in a very typical manner at a hotel lounge. With a cup of coffee in front of each of them and the personal information received from the matchmaker floating in a corner of their minds, only trivial questions were exchanged.

As Chief Yoo Jae-ha from the Criminal Division had said, she was a kind and pretty girl. Except for the unique fact that she was the daughter of a close acquaintance of a senior prosecutor, it would have been a meeting lasting at most 30 minutes.

Out of respect for his senior, he tried to attend the meeting with utmost courtesy, but that was it. For Muyoung, interest in something his heart wasn’t drawn to was nothing more than a spark that couldn’t be ignited no matter how hard he tried.

In short, it was boring, boring, and more boring. A 26-year-old girl, nine years younger than him. And a flutist at that.

A flutist for someone who couldn’t even play the recorder? Absurd.

There was no way a conversation with a woman whose hobby was listening to classical music would be compatible with Muyoung, who had no interest in art.

“I’ve always liked mature men since I was young. I wanted to get married right after graduating from college.”

“Is that so.”

“I want to have a baby right after marriage, take photos in similar outfits, and travel here and there. Go on overseas trips every quarter and go camping on weekends.”

Ah. I see. Those were the only answers he could give to her out-of-the-blue rambling.

“I think it would be perfect to have one son and one daughter. The firstborn must be a son. The older brother would lovingly take care of his younger sibling, and the sibling would follow well, calling him ‘oppa, oppa.’ Wouldn’t that be so cute?”

As she said that, her cheeks flushed bright red. Muyoung felt dizzy, not knowing where to start correcting her worldview that was detached from reality.

“Your personality is very… future-oriented.”

The woman seemed to have grown up receiving a lot of love in a wealthy and harmonious family. She had no doubt that the other person wouldn’t dare to reject someone like her.

As the coffee grew cold, the blind date partner poured out a lot of stories. Most of them were one-sided and about a future that had not yet arrived.

Life was such that you could get hit by a passing car and die tomorrow, no, even today.

She was very pleased with Muyoung, who seemed indifferent but calmly listened to her story. She said he was the ideal mature man she had hoped for.

However, Muyoung wasn’t really listening, but thinking about other things. Like how to refuse with the utmost courtesy without hurting the other person’s feelings. She didn’t even give him a chance to open his mouth in the first place.

He had never lost in terms of stamina, but he felt like his energy was being drained. He was itching to jump up from his seat and run away at any moment.

He looked at his cell phone once, his watch once. Then he flicked his hidden fingers under the table a few times.

Just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore and was about to leave, her phone rang first.

“Oh… what should I do? I really wanted to go to the second round… I wanted to have a drink and have a more genuine conversation…”

“It’s okay. Urgent matters take priority. You should hurry and go.”

When she mentioned scheduling a follow-up date soon, he indirectly refused, said he had to check his busy schedule due to ongoing cases and quickly left the lounge.

He was really relieved. How many sighs of relief did he let out inwardly?

This was why he hated meeting someone through an acquaintance’s introduction. It was an embarrassing situation for Muyoung, whose likes and dislikes were clear.

Normally, he would have refused without hesitation, but he couldn’t refuse because it was a request from a senior who had helped him out many times.

Before going to get his car, Muyoung headed to the smoking area outside the hotel. Here and there in the hotel’s outdoor garden, drunken people could be seen sporadically.

Come to think of it, the basement here…

Hotel Capriccio was famous for its beautiful room views, but the club that newly opened on the basement first floor a year ago was also well-known.

Muyoung, with a lit cigarette in his mouth, raised his wrist to check the time. It wasn’t even 9 o’clock yet, but ware they drunk on alcohol early, or on something else?

His sharply chiseled eyes narrowed slightly.

He took a deep drag from his cigarette and exhaled, observing the outdoor garden. Through the dispersing cigarette smoke, his dark eyes grew keen and alert.

🍓

Thank you for reading! ♡