Episode 6
Reincarnation Test (4)
Instead of answering, Seojin took out a USB and placed it on the table.
Jang Dong-ik’s gaze focused on the USB.
Although Seojin didn’t mention what was inside the USB, there’s a saying that a thief feels guilty about his own feet.
Jang Dong-ik’s pupils contracted, and he was swallowing dry saliva.
A rapid change of expression occurred in a very brief moment, but the pupils don’t lie.
Jang Dong-ik is afraid right now.
Seojin didn’t miss that moment and spoke sharply.
“CCTV footage. Mr. Jang Dong-ik, were you sitting in a coffee shop near the chicken restaurant where the victim worked on the day of the incident?”
“Yes?”
Lawyer Koo Sang-jin rose again, driving the momentum.
“You mentioned evidence, and it turns out you only traced his whereabouts on the day of the incident? Then, everyone present in that coffee shop would be a suspect, right? Stop asking unrelated questions. This case can be solved by reviewing the black box footage or CCTV footage.”
“…I clearly mentioned that it could be a different incident.”
“No, it’s a traffic accident.”
Lawyer Koo Sang-jin replied with a heavy voice and stared at Seojin with an oppressive gaze.
Then, when Seojin met his eyes, he slowly spoke.
“Prosecutor… How long have you been in this position? I’ve been in this field for 15 years.”
“…So what?”
Lawyer Koo Sang-jin, holding the table with both hands, leaned towards Seojin slowly.
And with bulging eyes, he opened his mouth in a more threatening tone than before.
“You’ve been rolling in the mud for a long time, so I can see what the prosecutor is thinking. The victim’s sister is the beneficiary of the insurance money, right? So, do you suspect that she conspired with our client and committed contract murder?”
“… .”
“As if the grieving family members aren’t miserable enough, don’t make a fuss. Your name might appear in the media.”
“… .”
“So, if you want to make such a claim, bring concrete evidence instead of possibilities. Otherwise, let’s quietly talk about a traffic accident.”
Lawyer Koo Sang-jin stared at Seojin forcefully.
Just by looking at his gaze, it’s clear.
He’s ignoring Seojin.
And the confidence that he can destroy him anytime is evident in his eyes.
The colleagues of Lawyer Koo Sang-jin hold key positions in the prosecution.
People working in key positions in South Korea often share drinks and meals together. A guy who has just become a prosecutor and can’t even control his urine or feces can twist the neck of anyone at any time, or so Lawyer Koo Sang-jin thought.
However, something felt strange now.
“What is it?”
Seojin’s actions had been relaxed and arrogant from the beginning. It wasn’t the attitude one would expect from a rookie about to make his debut. Even up to this point, it was strange, but now his gaze had changed.
“Lawyer, I appreciate your concern about my name trending on real-time search, but I’ll handle the prosecution. If the investigation reveals it’s not a traffic accident, I’ll prosecute accordingly. If it turns out to be a traffic accident, I’ll prosecute it as such. I don’t think I need your permission for every little thing.”
Seojin didn’t raise his voice. He spoke calmly, just like at the beginning. However, in that moment, Lawyer Koo Sang-jin felt a chilling sense of intimidation.
This isn’t an apprentice. He might be wearing the guise of an apprentice, but what showed was a veteran prosecutor who had crawled up from the cliff.
When Lawyer Koo Sang-jin swallowed dry saliva, Seojin’s gaze shifted back to Jang Dong-ik.
Lawyer Koo Sang-jin urgently signaled not to answer anything.
“Keep your mouth shut. Don’t give him any openings. Let’s play defensively for today.”
Receiving that look, Jang Dong-ik nodded.
However, at that moment, Jang Dong-ik’s eyes widened. Seojin was uttering words that only Jang Dong-ik could understand.
“2 billion is a bit weak; let’s go for 3 billion, including the lawyer’s fee. Then I’ll help you.”
Jang Dong-ik’s eyes widened.
“H-how…?”
But that wasn’t the end.
Hell was starting now.
Seojin’s voice penetrated his ears again.
“Even if you do manual labor, you’d get around 100,000 won, but with 3 billion, it’s a thank you.”
He repeated Jang Dong-ik’s words heard through psychometry verbatim.
With razor-sharp eyes, Seojin shot a look at Jang Dong-ik and spoke.
“Where have you heard the words I just said before?”
Jang Dong-ik’s face was turning pale.
It was the gaze of something terrifying, not human.
Ignoring Lawyer Koo Sang-jin’s instruction to keep quiet, Jang Dong-ik muttered, forgetting the order.
“I-I didn’t kill him.”
“He killed him.”
“I didn’t kill him!”
Seojin opened his laptop and inserted a memory card.
The black box footage appeared.
Jang Dong-ik, who had gotten out of the car, rushed towards the victim, checked the situation, and made a call somewhere.
Seojin paused the video at that moment.
Then, with a chilling voice, he asked, “Whom did you call?”
“Uh, the police. No, the insurance company. Was it 119?”
Lawyer Koo Sang-jin spoke up again.
“At the moment you hit the person, were you in your right mind? It’s natural not to remember. According to the records, Mr. Jang Dong-ik called 119 immediately.”
Seojin’s eyes turned towards Lawyer Koo Sang-jin.
“The time indicated by the black box is 1:40 AM, but the time the fire station received the report was 1:46 AM. Did the call last for 6 minutes?”
“Do you really think the time on the black box is accurate? Many people don’t bother to set it correctly! Prosecutor, you’re forcing it right now!”
Seojin casually brought down the call history.
“Jang Dong-ik called the fire station at 1:46 AM.”
“Yes! You’re forcing it!”
“That’s correct. Jang Dong-ik made the call at 1:46 AM.”
“Then that’s it!”
“At 1:40 AM shown on the laptop screen, he was calling the victim’s sister, Woo Su-jin, waiting for the victim’s breath to stop…”
Meanwhile, across the interrogation room, someone was watching Seojin’s interrogation through the glass.
It was Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo.
Narrowing his eyes, Lee Myung-soo, who had been observing Jang Dong-ik’s expression, pressed his phone to his ear.
“Field Officer, does Prosecutor Kim Seo-jin have any investigation materials? Please bring them to me. Yes, all of them.”
Ending the call, Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo shifted his gaze back to the interrogation room.
He muttered, “A murder case?”
A little later, a staff member appeared, pulling a cart.
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo quickly skimmed through the materials that Seojin had investigated.
Then, with an incredulous smile, he chuckled.
“Ah… this crazy bastard.”
After laughing for a while, Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo pressed the phone to his ear again.
As the call connected, the laughter disappeared from Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo’s face.
And with a cold voice, he spoke.
“Chief Prosecutor, this is Lee Myung-soo. It would be good if you could come down for a moment.”
That’s how the call began.
Before he knew it, not only the Chief Prosecutor but also the Head of the Regional Office and the Deputy Head were standing in front of Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo.
All of them couldn’t hide their bewildered expressions as they looked through Seojin’s materials.
Shaking a bunch of papers, the Head of the Regional Office asked, “I thought it was a traffic accident, but it turns out to be a contract murder? And by her own sister? While the younger sister is clearly struggling to raise two kids?”
“Yes, it seems almost certain. There are still a few holes, but if we arrest some related individuals and investigate, it should come to light quickly.”
The Head of the Regional Office pursed his lips and looked at Seojin through the glass wall.
“But how did this guy figure this out? Looking at the contents, he prepared it so meticulously that there’s almost nothing to say, even if it ends up as a mystery.”
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo agreed with that statement.
A traffic accident on a rural road in the early dawn.
The story of the victim, who had to leave her two sons behind, was pitiful, but it was difficult to associate murder with this case.
Even if he had been in charge, it would have likely concluded as a traffic accident.
After letting out a light sigh, Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo spoke.
“Chief Prosecutor, may I suggest a light scenario?”
The Head of the Regional Office directed his gaze at Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo.
“A scenario?”
“Our regional office has been quiet for a long time. I thought it might be okay for us to make some noise once. This could be an opportunity to let people know that we are still here in the prosecution.”
“Is that it?”
“Koo Sang-jin is my junior. I’d like to give that guy a scratch on his reputation.”
When Lawyer Koo Sang-jin was a prosecutor, he represented those in power.
He made money by shaking hands with politicians and working for the wealthy.
Now, he’s showing up in the media, pretending to be smart and just, playing the role of a righteous person.
The Head of the Regional Office, the Deputy Head, and the Chief Prosecutor present here may have questionable intentions, but once upon a time, they were executioners who swung the sword.
Lawyer Koo Sang-jin didn’t seem to like the idea.
The Head of the Regional Office dropped the documents he was holding with a thud and spoke.
“A scratch? How are you going to do that?”
“The sister who killed her younger brother. It’s provocative content. Public attention will be drawn. But here’s the catch – Koo Sang-jin will get involved. He’ll lose to a rookie who debuts while defending the sister’s side. Wouldn’t he come to his senses if that gets revealed in the media?”
The Head of the Regional Office chuckled softly.
“That sounds good. Whether you make a scratch or break a spoon, do as you please.”
“Thank you.”
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo bowed slightly.
After the Head of the Regional Office, the Deputy Head, and the Chief Prosecutor left, Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo pressed his phone to his ear again.
“Reporter Kim Eun-ji, do you know that Koo Sang-jin is here at our regional office? But he’s at the mercy of a rookie… ”
***
“Did you know that Prosecutor Kim Seo-jin is being summoned for the first time today?”
Shin Jong-seung and Lee So-hee, Seojin’s colleagues, were walking down the hallway.
Lee So-hee raised her head.
“I didn’t know it was today.”
“You picked the wrong opponent. The compatibility isn’t good. Do you know who the opponent is? It’s Lawyer Koo Sang-jin. You know, Lawyer Koo Sang-jin? The one who often appears on television.”
Lee So-hee wasn’t interested. She thought that Seojin and Shin Jong-seung were surviving on the talent of having well-off parents. That was all they had. They had no intention of progressing further. Trusting their parents and settling down, they believed that this would be the end for them.
Shin Jong-seung quietly chuckled and said, “Seojin is going to have a hard time this time. He might even face disgrace in court. It’s probably difficult for a rookie to defeat Lawyer Koo Sang-jin. It seems like he’s close to the local judges around here.”
At that moment, their conversation came to a halt. It was because reporters from the local press were approaching them.
When the two fell silent, the reporters were urgently discussing among themselves.
“Who? Koo Sang-jin? Why is Koo Sang-jin here?”
“He probably got a hefty sum. Haven’t you heard the rumors? Koo Sang-jin will defend anyone as long as they pay well.”
“Ugh… I really hate that sleazy face of his.”
Listening to their voices, Shin Jong-seung smiled contentedly.
“Just as I expected. The reporters are making a fuss because Lawyer Koo Sang-jin came to this rural area.”
Not too long ago, before Seojin took a leave of absence, Shin Jong-seung considered Seojin as nothing more than a meal ticket.
The younger brother who did everything he was told, gently smiled, and adapted to the atmosphere. However, he went off course, and not only that, he did it in front of Lee So-hee, who had caught his eye…
Shin Jong-seung felt insulted. Moreover, it happened in front of Lee So-hee, whom he had been giving attention to.
Unable to tolerate it, he said, “… Even if one article is written, his debut trial will be remembered as a lifelong disgrace.”
That’s when shocking voices from the reporters reached Shin Jong-seung’s ears.
“But it seems like Koo Sang-jin is getting cornered?”
“Oh, it looks like the rookie prosecutor is impressive. He pulled out a case that was almost buried as a mystery. Koo Sang-jin is struggling in front of the rookie prosecutor.”
“No way…”
“It’s true. The person who provided the tip isn’t someone who talks nonsense.”
Watching the reporters move away in the distance, Shin Jong-seung’s eyes were the only thing that moved.
He seemed to be blinking, struggling to understand the situation.
“What’s going on?”
All of Shin Jong-seung’s expectations were being overturned.
After standing still for a while, Shin Jong-seung suddenly remembered something and ran up the stairs.
Straight to the interrogation room.
The place where Seojin and Lawyer Koo Sang-jin were.
He wanted to see it with his own eyes.
When he arrived on the floor where the interrogation room was, he heard the door open with a bang.
Lawyer Koo Sang-jin was coming out.
His face was flushed with anger, and he spat out curses towards the interrogation room.
