🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 17
“I am the beneficiary of Seung-hee’s life insurance.”
Seung-beom spoke calmly, locking eyes with the prosecutor.
“Defendant, are you admitting this now?”
“Not admitting. I am simply stating the fact.”
A murmur spread through the gallery, as if the man had just confirmed the rumors himself.
“So, you’ll be receiving 300 million won from the life insurance?”
At the mention of “300 million,” whispers and gasps rippled through the courtroom.
“I have not received it yet.”
“But you will, right?”
The prosecutor pressed aggressively.
“How is the fact that I am the beneficiary connected to this case? This trial is not about insurance money. Prosecution, do not distort the essence of the matter.”
Kim, Seung-beom’s lawyer, spoke sharply, defending his client.
“Well said. You say this case isn’t about life insurance, yet you keep implying that the victim’s side caused this accident. Isn’t it the prosecution who’s muddying the issue?”
The prosecutor countered without flinching, pressing back at Kim.
“The victim’s side could actually have…”
“I’ll answer that.”
Seung-beom gently grabbed his lawyer’s arm, speaking calmly yet firmly.
“I know exactly what you’re implying. Anyone aware of my troubled past might misunderstand. But I was engaged to Seung-hee. Is it strange to name one’s fiancée as the beneficiary? And if you check, my life insurance beneficiary was Seung-hee.”
His lips twitched with disbelief.
“Yet here you are, looking at me as if I were some greedy, despicable person, treating disgusting hypotheticals as truth… it’s utterly humiliating…”
Seung-beom’s emotions surged; he could not continue speaking. He lowered his head, tears spilling silently.
For a moment, the suspicious eyes of the gallery softened into sympathy and compassion, and the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
“If I offended you, I apologize. Let’s return to the witness. Witness, besides the PC-Crash reconstruction, is there any other method to determine the cause of the accident?”
The prosecutor offered a hollow apology to Seung-beom while redirecting his question to the forensic expert, Ju-cheol.
“Yes,” Ju-cheol answered confidently.
“What method?”
“After using PC-Crash to study the vehicle’s movements, the next step is Madymo, which reconstructs the occupant’s movements for analysis.”
“Madymo? What kind of program is that?”
Impatient, the prosecutor interrupted.
“Madymo simulates the exact conditions of the accident through linked analysis.”
Ju-cheol adjusted his glasses slightly, his tone tinged with annoyance.
“Occupant movements… so you can infer what happened inside the car. May we see the results?”
The prosecutor ignored his expression entirely, ramping up the questioning.
“Yes. I will explain the details as the simulation is shown.”
The screen displayed a CG reconstruction of the accident inside the car.
“As you can see, the passenger in the front seat hit their head on the side window from the initial impact, then again on the windshield from the secondary impact.”
Seung-hee’s mother could not bear to watch and buried her face in her hands, sobbing.
“This shows that unlike the driver, the front passenger was not wearing a seatbelt.”
Ju-cheol paused briefly at the mother’s sobs, then continued with a heavy expression.
“During your investigation, were there any other points that seemed questionable?”
“Several variables exist, but the skid marks left on the road differed slightly from the usual pattern when a car swerves to avoid an unexpected object…”
“So, putting that together, are you suggesting the defendant could have caused the accident deliberately, perhaps preventing seatbelt use and swerving on purpose?”
The prosecutor interrupted again, raising his voice.
“We cannot rule it out entirely…”
Suddenly, the gallery erupted in chaos.
“Seung-beom… no, right? They’re all lying, right? You and Seung-hee… that could never happen. No, Seung-beom…”
Seung-hee’s mother leaped from her seat, crying, reaching toward Seung-beom.
“Calm down!”
Court officers rushed to grab her roughly.
“Take your hands off her immediately!”
Seung-beom sprang from the defendant’s seat, shoving the officers aside with visible anger.
“Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”
Tears glimmering in his eyes, he looked at her with concern.
“Seung-beom… it’s not true, right? It’s all lies?”
Her hands gripped his, pleading for reassurance.
“Of course not. Do you think I don’t love Seung-hee?”
His eyes and lips trembled with grief. The fans in the gallery could not hide their heartbreak at the sight.
“I believe in you, sir. I trust you.”
One of his fans’ voices rang out, filling the courtroom:
“Stay strong!”
“Keep going, sir!”
“The truth will come out!”
Supportive voices surged like a wave through the gallery.
“Quiet! Quiet! Defendant, return to your seat.”
“Mother, don’t worry. Wait a little, and later we’ll go home together.”
Despite the judge’s command, Seung-beom carefully attended to her, wiping his tears before returning to his seat.
“Having the fan club attend this trial was a good idea,” Kim whispered into his ear, satisfied.
Seung-beom’s head remained bowed, but a faint curve at the corner of his lips betrayed a subtle smile—unnoticed by anyone.
“Hmph.”
Chaerin’s frown deepened as she smirked, noticing the fleeting smile. No perfect mask exists, she thought; she had caught it.
“Chaerin, what is it? Did something strike you as odd?” Chief Choi asked, glancing between her and Seung-beom.
“Didn’t you see?”
“See what?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on, tell me. I’m curious.”
“It all just feels… fake.”
The sorrow in his eyes clashed jarringly with the faint, misplaced smile, and it irked her.
“Honestly… the longer I watch, the more I feel that way too,” Chief Choi muttered, stroking his stubbled chin, suspicion in his gaze.
“Then why is the prosecution pushing the insurance fraud angle?” Chaerin asked.
“It’s a high-profile case. The prosecutor wants a big scoop. If he proves Seung-beom is really an insurance fraudster, all the spotlight hits him.”
“Ah… that makes sense.”
She nodded unconsciously.
“And if he’s innocent, like previous insurance cases, it just ends as a negligent homicide case. Either way, the prosecution has nothing to lose.”
Chaerin’s mouth fell open at Chief Choi’s keen insight, realizing he saw far beyond the courtroom scene.
“Does Seung-beom know this?”
“Of course. He planned to clear his name through this case. But now the prosecutor’s tactics have disrupted that plan, which explains his expressions.”
Chaerin’s gaze shifted to Seung-beom, his furrowed brow and sharp glare revealing cracks in the mask of civility he wore.
“This trial isn’t just about a traffic accident. It’s a clear game of agendas.”
Chief Choi’s expression turned grim as he watched the interplay between the prosecutor and Seung-beom.
“Quiet! Be quiet! Any further disturbance, and all spectators will be removed. Prosecution’s witness questioning is done; defense may proceed.”
The courtroom regained order.
“Witness, you mentioned the accident could have been intentional. How can you be certain? Can PC-Crash and Madymo truly provide absolute proof?”
Kim’s questioning cornered Ju-cheol relentlessly.
“No program is perfect. But these are globally recognized and verified tools, so their reliability is substantial,” Ju-cheol responded firmly.
“So you were speaking in terms of probability, not certainty.”
“Yes, but the results strongly suggest it.”
“These programs show the process and outcome, but not the fundamental cause, correct?”
“I… don’t follow.”
“You said the defendant may have intentionally swerved, right?”
“I did not definitively say that…”
“You admitted the possibility, correct?”
“…Yes.”
“Could a struggle or argument with a passenger have caused the steering wheel to turn?”
“Yes, that is possible.”
“Objection, counsel is leading the witness.”
“Acknowledged, Your Honor.”
“Understood. I would like to call a new witness.”
Kim’s confident voice echoed through the courtroom.
“Why… you…”
A neat-looking woman in her late twenties stood at the witness stand. Seung-hee’s mother stiffened.
“Please introduce yourself.”
“I’m Kim Min-ah, 28 years old.”
“Occupation?”
“I work at a small flower shop with Seung-hee.”
“A partnership?”
“No, I’m just an employee. Seung-hee asked for help.”
“Did you know the deceased prior to this?”
“We’ve been friends since high school, first grade.”
Min-ah, nervous, glanced at Seung-hee’s mother briefly before looking away.
“So you knew each other well. You must have known a lot about her personal life?”
“Yes, we were close.”
“And the defendant?”
“Yes, he was Seung-hee’s boyfriend. We occasionally dined together.”
“So you knew about their engagement?”
“Yes. She even asked me to catch the bouquet.”
“Then you were close enough to know intimate details of their lives?”
“Yes… I suppose.”
“Recently, any problems between them?”
Min-ah hesitated, then looked at Seung-beom. He met her gaze without flinching.
“Well… recently, they were not getting along.”
Their eyes met a few times. She swallowed and continued:
“Due to… money. They argued a lot recently.”
“Money?”
Kim’s voice intentionally loud, carrying the word toward the gallery.
