Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin

Episode 2

 

It was 5 p.m.

 

Seo-jin was running on the treadmill at the apartment community center’s gym.

 

Sweat was pouring down her body, and she was in agonizing pain as if her lungs were about to burst.

 

But Seo-jin kept running without stopping.

 

“Two hours from now.”

 

At 7 p.m., there was a dinner appointment with her father’s younger brother and Seo-jin’s uncle, Prosecutor Kim Young-joon.

 

Prosecutor Kim Young-joon was Seo-jin’s nemesis. When facing him, she might unknowingly make a fierce expression.

 

That’s why she was running so hard, trying to tire herself out to control her expression forcibly.

 

“It’s been an hour of running, right?”

 

It was Jin-young.

 

The guy who hadn’t been to the gym while he was alive was standing right next to the treadmill, smiling brightly.

 

After stopping the treadmill and wiping the sweat with a towel, Seo-jin opened her mouth.

 

“What brings you here?”

 

“I’m saying goodbye in advance for my trip to Gangwon Province. I’m not going to eat with you. I snuck out because I had a promise. I got scolded by my father, though.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I don’t like my uncle.”

 

Jin-young’s expression clearly showed his dislike for Prosecutor Kim Young-joon.

 

Jin-young tapped the floor with his toe and continued speaking.

 

“What’s so great about being a prosecutor? He disrespects my parents, and when he needs money, he openly asks for it. Just thinking about it annoys me.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Do you not remember, Hyung? Then, experience how unlucky it is today. There’s no separate king in Joseon era. Just thinking about how much you’d have been nagged if you didn’t become a prosecutor gives me chills. Anyway, I’ve said my goodbye in advance, right? Drive safely. The front door’s passcode is 1018!”

 

Jin-young left, and Seo-jin drank a glass of water and picked up a dumbbell.

 

She started lifting it lightly.

 

Her muscles tightened, and her hands trembled.

 

But even as she tried not to think, Prosecutor Kim Young-joon’s voice echoed in her mind.

 

“This scumbag. Should I feed him shit or soybean paste? Who pays your salary while you’re paying taxes? It’s not those beggars. They’re the ones receiving money from the Republic of Korea. But they’re asking for more money. They’re asking hardworking rich people to pay more taxes! Then who’s the thief here!”

“Even dogs don’t question the person who feeds them. So, shut up and live quietly, you scoundrel.”

 

Thud!

 

Seo-jin dropped the dumbbell.

 

“…It’s too noisy to concentrate.”

 

***

 

The living room with a clear view of the Han River.

 

A circular dining table was set with candlesticks and flowers, and a melodious piano sonata filled the space.

 

It was 30 minutes before Prosecutor Kim Young-joon’s arrival, but the mother and the housekeeper were busy in the kitchen.

 

Seo-jin sat at the desk in the room and closed her eyes.

 

Her heart was pounding.

 

‘Kim Young-joon…’

 

Kim Jun-man, the CEO of Jaejeong Construction, and Prosecutor Kim Young-joon are brothers.

 

Born as the sons of rural farmers, they moved to Seoul after receiving land compensation money following their parents’ passing.

 

Kim Jun-man had worked in construction sites since childhood and had supported his younger brother, Kim Young-joon. As a result, Kim Young-joon entered the law school at Seoul National University and started his career as a legal professional.

 

Kim Jun-man scratched where it itched for Kim Young-joon, and Kim Young-joon filled Kim Jun-man’s pockets.

 

The two of them grew and prospered in this mutually beneficial relationship.

 

This was the surface appearance seen from the outside.

 

It could be seen as a close brotherhood, or it could be seen as a greedy one.

 

But what Seo-jin saw was different.

 

In reality, Kim Jun-man was not a greedy person. He just wanted to earn enough and live a decent life, but Kim Young-joon wouldn’t leave him alone.

 

Kim Young-joon was like a greedy tiger, always hungry no matter how much he was fed.

 

He would continue to use Kim Jun-man until the end.

 

“Seo-jin, your uncle is here.”

 

It was time to meet Prosecutor Kim Young-joon again.

 

Seo-jin stood up upon hearing her mother’s voice.

 

At the dining table, Prosecutor Kim Young-joon’s family was already seated.

 

Prosecutor Kim Young-joon and his wife.

 

Their firstborn, Kim Yoon-hwan.

 

Their second, Kim Yoo-mi.

 

Kim Yoon-hwan was 31 years old.

 

He attended college, passed the judicial examination, and got married after causing an accident.

 

So, he had children and established a family earlier than his older brother, Kim Jun-man.

 

Anyway, Kim Yoon-hwan also worked as a prosecutor at the Eastern District Prosecutor’s Office.

Following his father’s wishes, he went to law school and became a prosecutor, but he received the evaluation that he has come this far mainly because of his father, and apart from his father, he is just plain ordinary.

 

So, Kim Yoon-hwan is stressed about being compared to his father and tends to look down on people who are less capable than him.

 

“Oh, Seo-jin. I heard you weren’t feeling well. Are you okay?”

 

His daughter, Kim Yoo-mi, spoke up.

 

She was the same age as Seo-jin, 28 years old, and worked as a resident at a university hospital.

 

The children of Prosecutor Kim Young-joon were both prosecutors and doctors.

 

Seeing their success, Seo-jin’s father must have felt quite envious.

 

Seo-jin bowed to Prosecutor Kim Young-joon.

 

“Hello.”

 

Prosecutor Kim Young-joon’s gaze turned to Seo-jin for the first time.

 

With sharp and dark eyes, he observed Seo-jin.

 

“So, you have no memory?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Can you handle working at the company?”

 

“All memories other than personal information such as name and age are normal.”

 

“That’s fortunate.”

 

Seo-jin glanced at her mother for a moment.

 

Prosecutor Kim Young-joon is her father’s younger brother.

 

But her mother is afraid and wary of him.

 

It’s because of the power Prosecutor Kim Young-joon holds.

 

If her father were to fall out of favor with Prosecutor Kim Young-joon, a tragedy would unfold.

 

Although Prosecutor Kim Young-joon and her father are brothers, the coldness and cruelty he occasionally displays are enough to make her shiver, as she heard from her younger brother, Jin-young.

 

And now, thinking back to this dinner, it seemed true.

 

It was arranged to help Seo-jin take her sick leave smoothly, but the excessive preparation for this meal made Jin-young’s thoughts seem not exaggerated.

 

Everyone took their seats.

 

The mother and the housekeeper started serving food on the table.

 

The menu was steak.

 

It was clearly top-quality meat.

 

Prosecutor Kim Young-joon began to cut the meat.

 

Blood oozed out from the rare meat as he cut it.

 

Taking a small piece and putting it in his mouth, he spoke in a leisurely voice.

 

“Eastern District Prosecutor’s Office, right? Have you decided where you’ll be placed after your training? Are you coming to Seoul? I have the power to bring my nephew to Seoul once his training is over.”

 

As he poured wine into Prosecutor Kim Young-joon’s glass, her father chimed in.

 

“Seoul? Can you help? Hey, if you can, do it. Seo-jin doesn’t really like the countryside. Right?”

 

Prosecutor Kim Young-joon’s gaze shifted to Seo-jin.

 

“What do you think?”

 

Seo-jin had a lot of worries before meeting Prosecutor Kim Young-joon.

That person was falsely accused of being a rapist and was dragged to the rooftop of an apartment building and murdered. How should I face that person? Can I bear it? I wondered, but… Seo-jin was surprisingly calm to the point of being scary. He looked at the bloody meat and thought, “I won’t become like that meat.”

 

“No, it’s okay. I’ll go and work wherever I’m assigned.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Seo-jin’s plan after becoming Seo-jin was to conquer the world. But now, he had an additional plan. To stick that face in the bathroom. He could smile as much as he wanted until he saw that.

 

“Even just saying that, thank you.”

 

“But… You don’t remember the moment of the accident? Why the accident happened, what happened?”

 

Seo-jin fell from the 5th floor of an apartment. He was taken to the hospital and miraculously woke up. Naturally, the person who woke up at that time was Seo-jun, not Seo-jin, so he had no memory of why he fell.

 

“No, I don’t.”

 

For a moment, Seo-jin saw a strange smile on Prosecutor Kim Young-joon’s face. But that was it. The adults’ conversation continued, and Seo-jin returned to his room after finishing the meal.

“Did you finish packing?”

 

The door opened, and Prosecutor Kim Young-joon’s son, Kim Yoon-ho, came in and leaned against the wall with his back. He used to be someone who wouldn’t dare to even look at Seo-jin when he was Seo-jun. But now, he was looking at Seo-jin as if he were beneath him.

 

“I came to check if there’s anything else you need.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Kim Yoon-ho unfolded his arms and walked towards Seo-jin. He glanced at the documents on Seo-jin’s desk, which he had been reading just now, a newspaper article about a case that Kim Yoon-ho was handling.

 

“Sexual Assault of a Minor by a High School Teacher in His 40s”

 

A high school teacher called a minor to his officetel, gave her alcohol, and had sexual relations with her. The minor’s parents filed a lawsuit as soon as they found out the truth, but…

 

Kim Yoon-ho looked at the newspaper and widened his eyes.

 

“This is my case, isn’t it?”

 

“Oh, is it?”

 

Seo-jin knew. He had read one of the cases Kim Yoon-ho was handling while waiting for Prosecutor Kim Young-joon. The case of the high school teacher’s sexual assault of a minor was famous, and it was equally famous that Kim Yoon-ho was handling it.

 

That was all he knew. He didn’t want to know more. But Kim Yoon-ho smirked confidently.

 

“Were you studying? Shall I explain?”

 

He was about to say it was okay, but it was too late. Kim Yoon-ho quickly spoke up.

 

“The current issue is that there is no decisive evidence to prove coercion. The parents claim that the man gave the girl alcohol, made her drunk, and forced her into a relationship. Well, we also have to consider their side.”

 

***

 

In the dining room, Prosecutor Kim Young-joon and Seo-jin’s father and mother were listening to Kim Yoon-ho’s voice coming from the room. Prosecutor Kim Young-joon shook his head as he sipped his wine.

 

“Who does that immature kid think he is to teach someone?”

 

He clicked his tongue, but his expression wasn’t one of displeasure at the thought of his son teaching Seo-jin. From his eyes, it was clear that he thought, “My bloodline is superior.”

 

Seo-jin’s father awkwardly smiled, and Seo-jin’s mother drank her wine with a frustrated expression.

 

Prosecutor Kim Young-joon raised his glass and spoke.

“Seo-jin, that punk will become experienced if he rolls around on this floor for a few years. Seeing and hearing about cases like that every day.”

 

But then, it happened.

 

Seo-jin’s voice came from the room.

 

“It might be difficult to prove it as sexual assault, right?”

 

The retaliatory voice silenced the reception room.

 

Seo-jin’s father, along with Prosecutor Kim Young-joon and Seo-jin’s mother, listened intently, even holding their breath.

 

Then, Kim Yoon-ho’s twisted voice could be heard.

 

“What? What do you know?”

 

“Even if he gave her alcohol, we need to determine if the victim was in a state of intoxication, but it’s not easy to prove that. Moreover, these two met several times over the course of a month, exchanged love messages, and so on.”

 

“Yes, the defense would argue like you. But this case…”

 

“If it were up to me, I’d go with Article 302 of the Criminal Act.”

 

“What?”

 

“Why make it difficult when it’s easy? If you just look through the law books a bit, the answer is there…”

 

Kim Yoon-ho fell silent.

 

And Prosecutor Kim Young-joon’s actions froze like a paused screen.

 

Even when his father asked, “Why? What’s Article 302?” there was no answer.

 

-Criminal Act Article 302 (Rape of a Minor or Mentally Disabled Person): Any person who commits rape or sexual assault using their hierarchical or authoritative position over a minor or mentally disabled person shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 5 years.

In simple terms, it means that a man in his 40s deceived a minor into believing that they would develop a romantic or intimate relationship in the future. However, he was married and had no intention of pursuing a long-term relationship with the minor.

 

In other words, Seo-jin’s statement is correct. However, Prosecutor Kim Young-joon cannot acknowledge this here.

 

“Who is right?”

 

Seo-jin’s father could only answer hesitantly to the question.

 

“The law can vary depending on the perspective. Both of them are right.”

 

Then, Prosecutor Kim Young-joon lightly nudged his wife, who had not smiled or spoken since he entered the house.

 

She spoke for the first time.

 

“Why?”

 

“Enough, bring Yoon-ho here. Seo-jin is the child who will be going to work tomorrow. We should leave now.”

 

***

 

“Hahaha! You should have seen the look on Young-joon’s face!”

 

This was when Seo-jin was packing her Boston bag to leave for Gangwon Province.

 

Her mother chuckled quietly, and her father grabbed his stomach and laughed.

 

It was the first time they had seen Prosecutor Kim Young-joon look so flustered or something like that…

 

“Our son is the best, the best! Hahaha!”