Episode 5
Reincarnation Test (3)
***
A few days later, it was a late night.
Seo-jin was reading the documents handed to him by the investigator in the office.
‘The deceased’s name is Woo Soo-kyung. She was 41 years old.’
She had been living separately from her husband for seven years, essentially in a state of divorce.
She had two sons, one in second grade and the other in kindergarten, whom she raised alone, working day and night.
On the day of the incident, there was a small gathering at the restaurant where she worked.
Although she received taxi fare from the boss, she chose to walk, wanting to save money, and got into a traffic accident.
Seo-jin narrowed his eyes in thought and read that part again.
‘Gathering, walking to save money, and getting into a traffic accident…’
Lost in thought, Seo-jin put the documents into an envelope and left the office.
He headed to the restaurant where the woman used to work.
A while later, Seo-jin’s car stopped in front of the restaurant.
The winter night at the restaurant was quiet.
If it were summer, it would be a busy time for work…
“We’re closed.”
“I’m from the prosecution.”
When Seo-jin showed his ID, the owner’s eyes widened.
“Did you come because of what happened to Soo-kyung? I’ve seen the police, but it’s my first time seeing the prosecution. Please sit.”
Seo-jin sat at the table as the owner took off his apron and rubber gloves and sat across from him.
Pulling out his notebook, Seo-jin asked, “Was the gathering that day impromptu, or was it planned in advance?”
“The gathering? We talked about it a few days ago. Since most of us have families, you know.”
“He gave you taxi fare?”
“Yes, well…”
“How much did he give you?”
“100,000 won.”
“Isn’t that a bit much for taxi fare?”
The owner chuckled bitterly and shook his head.
“Oh, I knew she wouldn’t take a taxi.”
“She knew she wouldn’t take a taxi?”
“Soo-kyung never took a bus for short distances. She was the type to save money, saying she would buy snacks for the kids with that money.”
“Even if it’s late at night?”
“Yes, even in a cruel world, she was the type to walk to the end. I even forcibly gave her a ride once. She got in, but when we turned a corner, she insisted on getting off and walked. If she had just taken a taxi that day, she might still be working happily now. Sigh…”
The owner chuckled bitterly and shook his head.
Seo-jin quickly summarized the information he had just heard:
– The gathering was planned in advance.
– The victim walked even late at night.
– If the murder was planned, it wouldn’t have been difficult to specify the time and place.
Leaving the restaurant and sitting in the driver’s seat, Seo-jin handed over the documents again.
‘The victim’s sister, Woo Soo-jin. She is 45 years old, unmarried.’
She runs a pork belly restaurant in the market.
The size of the store is 15 square meters.
Business is not doing well, and she has recently borrowed money.
The revealed debt is 1.2 billion won.
‘Debt, and loans…’
Seo-jin handed over another document.
This time, information about the perpetrator is revealed.
‘Name is Jang Dong-ik.’
He graduated from the same elementary school as the victim’s sister.
Considering that the total number of students at that elementary school was around 50, the probability of them knowing each other is high.
After graduating from middle school, he moved to Gyeonggi Province and has a criminal record of violence, with two convictions.
‘He was released recently…’
He has a debt of 30 million won and moved to this area again in August of last year.
‘The sister and the perpetrator didn’t contact each other.’
There are no overlapping parts in the call records.
‘They probably saw each other in this small neighborhood…’
Seo-jin handed over another document.
The perpetrator took out a life insurance policy a year and three months ago.
The insurance amount is 1 billion won, prepared so that his two sons could live well even if he died.
However, the beneficiary is… the victim.
Seo-jin frowned and covered the documents on the table.
A prosecutor is someone who seeks the truth.
Sometimes that truth can be grotesque and dirty.
This time was no exception.
As he approached the truth, he felt like a greedy and repulsive beast was baring its fangs.
***
“My opponent is someone beneath you, right? Kim Seo-jin, isn’t it? Are you teaching him well?”
“Stop bothering with other people’s household education.”
“I need to make him turn out just like you, don’t I?”
“Hey…”
“I’m ending the call. Go, and if you have time, let’s meet and grab a meal.”
The call ended.
Tap.
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo, who had lowered his phone, let out a sigh with an unpleasant expression.
Then, he opened his mouth with a steady rhythm of tapping his pen.
“Kim Seo-jin.”
When Seo-jin raised his head and met eyes with Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo, the prosecutor asked in a calm voice.
“Is the preparation for your debut going well?”
“Yes.”
“It’s a traffic accident, right? What do we need to check first?”
“Negligence among the 12 possible causes, especially in this case, we need to confirm the violation of the duty to observe the front due to black box video analysis and exceeding the speed limit.”
“And?”
“We need to request an analysis report from the Korea Road Traffic Authority.”
“Have you received it?”
“It was analyzed that the accident could have been avoided if the brakes were applied between 53.2m and 73m from the accident site.”
“How was the analysis? Was it a violation of the duty to observe the front?”
“It’s a sharp curve, but the road is wide and straight. If the driver had been attentive, they could have noticed the victim.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo nodded.
“You answer well.”
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo’s voice was different from usual.
While it was usually fierce, now it was quite gentle.
The reason was the defense attorney Seo-jin had just spoken with, in other words, Seo-jin’s opponent.
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo and that defense attorney were colleagues from the same year in the prosecution.
They graduated from the same university and went through judicial training together, but their paths diverged.
When Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo acted in accordance with the law, that guy became a political prosecutor representing those in power.
As a result, that guy became a well-paid lawyer, and Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo was relegated to an outlying area.
That guy, who had just made a phone call, had turned Seo-jin’s world upside down.
There was no way to break Seo-jin’s spirit when facing him.
“The first summons and investigation, right?”
“Yes.”
“That attorney on the other side is an ex-prosecutor. Don’t be intimidated because he’s a senior. Firmly control the situation.”
“I understand.”
“Alright then. Keep up the good work.”
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo thought about checking the materials Seo-jin had prepared but decided against it. It was a simple traffic accident, and from the answers he just heard, Seo-jin seemed to be checking the critical points well.
“Do well.”
“Yes.”
***
The next day.
A shiny black sedan stopped in front of the local prosecutor’s office.
A Benz S-Class.
The person getting out was a man with a solid build.
His name was Gu Sang-jin, Seo-jin’s opposing defense attorney.
Carrying a document bag, he moved forward, and standing beside him was Shin Jong-seung.
“You’re here?”
“It’s been a while. Being in a place with fresh air must be doing wonders for your face.”
Shin Jong-seung was the son of a friend of Gu Sang-jin. He always seemed naive, but now, as a prosecutor, he appeared more mature.
“So, what kind of prosecutor is my opponent? Give me some intel.”
At Gu Sang-jin’s complaining tone, Shin Jong-seung chuckled.
“What can I tell you about a rookie? Oh, he’s a bit arrogant, so please understand.”
“Can a rookie be arrogant?”
“His father is the CEO of Jaejeong Construction.”
“Ha…”
A sigh escaped from Gu Sang-jin’s mouth.
Recently, with many silver spoons entering the legal profession, occasionally, ignorant guys who didn’t know their place appeared.
“I’ll have to teach him a lesson about how scary the law can be.”
“Please go easy on him, haha.”
“No, I can’t. Guys like that need a wake-up call.”
Looking at Shin Jong-seung, Gu Sang-jin spoke.
“After it’s over, shall we have a meal together?”
“Yes, I’ll take you to a delicious place.”
Gu Sang-jin lightly patted Shin Jong-seung’s back and walked up the stairs.
He is affiliated with one of the top law firms in South Korea. Moreover, his overwhelming win rate and connections in the legal community have turned the name Gu Sang-jin into a brand.
Watching his retreating figure, Shin Jong-seung smiled slyly.
‘Kim Seo-jin… Get ready for embarrassment.’
When a veteran attorney starts his relentless pursuit, someone like Kim Seo-jin won’t be able to hold his own and will be dragged around like a wet rag.
From now on, Shin Jong-seung decided to enjoy watching that scene.
***
Click.
The door of the interrogation room opened, and Attorney Gu Sang-jin walked in.
Both the perpetrator, Jang Dong-ik, and Seo-jin, who had been waiting, turned their gazes toward him.
“I’m Gu Sang-jin.”
He placed his business card in front of Seo-jin and then sat next to the perpetrator, Jang Dong-ik. After silently staring at Seo-jin for a while, he asked in a low voice, “Prosecutor, excuse me, but may I ask how old you are?”
It was a rude question, the first attack to assert dominance. However, Seo-jin responded with a counter-question instead.
“I learned that if it’s impolite, you shouldn’t ask.”
Attorney Gu Sang-jin smirked with a somewhat pitiful expression.
But only for a moment.
He returned with a serious expression and opened his mouth.
“Fine. Let’s get started. A person suddenly darting out from an alley, a cyclist going the wrong way on a curved road, children running in front of the car—all situations where the driver has no chance to avoid. Yet, the prosecution insists that everything is entirely the driver’s fault, treating them like a criminal.”
“So what?”
“This case is no different. If we don’t rush into an ambitious prosecution and think rationally, we can refute all of the prosecution’s claims. First, let’s assess the speeding…”
“Wait a moment.”
Seo-jin interrupted his speech.
Attorney Gu Sang-jin looked at Seo-jin with a quizzical expression.
“Why?”
“Before we discuss the traffic accident, there’s something I’d like to ask Mr. Jang Dong-ik. Is that okay?”
Jang Dong-ik chuckled, having an idea of what was coming.
He had two prior convictions, and while he had met many prosecutors, this was the first time in this context.
He asked Attorney Gu Sang-jin, “What should I do?”
“Let’s hear what our young prosecutor is curious about.”
Gu Sang-jin nodded, and Jang Dong-ik spoke.
“Go ahead.”
“Mr. Jang Dong-ik, I heard you have debts. But isn’t Attorney Gu Sang-jin’s fee quite high? Considering the travel expenses from Seoul to Gangwon Province, it wouldn’t be insignificant.”
“What?”
“Where did you get that money?”
At the unexpected question, Jang Dong-ik blinked, and Attorney Gu Sang-jin frowned.
“Prosecutor!”
“If it makes you uncomfortable, I apologize. I was just curious.”
With that statement, Seo-jin leaned back in his chair as if burying his back into it.
It was a leisurely attitude uncharacteristic of a rookie.
Looking at Seo-jin’s relaxed posture, Attorney Gu Sang-jin’s eyes narrowed.
‘This kid…’
The audacious prosecutor sitting in front of him was still a trainee, and this was his debut stage.
Seeing a veteran attorney like him, this kid should be nervous.
“He was a senior in the presidential election and occasionally appeared in the media.
However, Seo Jin’s gaze is indifferent.
He doesn’t show any interest in the facade of Attorney Gusoangjin.
“Are you an intern?”
Shin Jong-seung said something a little arrogant, but this went beyond arrogance.
In the past, even if he had shared a joint, there would be nothing to say.
And Seo Jin’s words continued.
Seo Jin asked casually, as if asking about something insignificant.
“Mr. Jang Dong-ik, did you graduate from Dongnam Elementary School?”
“Yes? Yes.”
“Do you know Woo Soo-jin? She’s the victim’s sister.”
“……Woo Soo-jin?”
Seo Jin did not miss the fact that Jang Dong-ik’s gaze was shaking.
Jang Dong-ik is anxious right now.
And Attorney Gusoangjin felt it too.
“Mr. Jang Dong-ik, it’s a question you don’t need to answer. Don’t answer.”
“Yes.”
After answering, Jang Dong-ik tightly closed his mouth.
But Seo Jin’s questions did not end there.
“The beneficiary of the insurance is the victim’s sister. Did you know that?”
“Prosecutor!”
Attorney Gusoangjin stood up, banging the desk.
He glared at Seo Jin with sharp eyes.
“What are you doing right now?”
“I’m asking what I’m curious about. It’s an inquiry, an investigation.”
“Is this an investigation? What does it have to do with a traffic accident?”
There was a strong sense of discomfort in Attorney Gusoangjin’s voice.
But Seo Jin didn’t care and turned his gaze towards Jang Dong-ik.
Jang Dong-ik’s expression was different from just now.
He sat anxiously, constantly fidgeting with his hands.
Observing everything about him, Seo Jin spoke quietly.
“Mr. Jang Dong-ik, and Attorney. There is a possibility that it’s not a traffic accident but another incident. I thought about it and made that judgment.”
“…!”
At the same time Jang Dong-ik flinched, Attorney Gusoangjin’s voice echoed strongly.
“Bring not just a possibility but solid evidence!”
“I have evidence.”
Attorney Gusoangjin’s actions froze at Seo Jin’s cold voice.
The eyes of Jang Dong-ik, who had been bowing his head, snapped up towards Seo Jin, their pupils twitching.
“…There is evidence?”
