🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 63
“Director Jung, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?”
Startled by Inhye’s staggering, Taejun quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“No, I’m fine. I’ve just been a bit tired lately. I guess it’s just mild anemia.”
Inhye lightly pushed Taejun’s hand away and leaned against the elevator wall.
What’s going on? Why is he asking this all of a sudden? Could it be… does he really know about Chaerin?
Her vision blurred, and cold sweat ran down her spine.
Does he really know? No, maybe he just said it without thinking. Calm down, Jung Inhye, calm down.
Even in the short moment as the elevator numbers rapidly approached the first floor, Inhye’s mind was flooded with spiraling thoughts and worries.
“Are you really okay? Do you want to go to the infirmary?”
But Taejun, unaware of her inner turmoil, couldn’t take his worried eyes off her even after she said she was fine.
“Don’t worry. I’m fine.”
Taking a steady breath, Inhye straightened her posture and lightly raised her hand to signal that she was okay.
Perhaps it was the calm after the storm. The torrent of worries and doubts that had turned her head upside down temporarily sank below the surface, and suddenly everything seemed clearer.
Right. Ask about it casually, as if it’s nothing. That will seem more natural. Just ask naturally.
And the answer was to confront the situation head-on.
“I’m relieved. I was really worried. I thought you might be seriously ill.”
Finally, Taejun exhaled in relief, his racing heart slowing.
“Thank you for worrying. I guess I’ve just been a little tired lately.”
But when it came to asking, he couldn’t easily get the words out.
“Don’t push yourself too hard. Take it easy, or your health might suffer… Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything so forward.”
Taejun fiddled with the elevator buttons, embarrassed at his own words.
“Thank you for your concern. But earlier… why did you think that way?”
“Excuse me? About what?”
“About the Chief’s niece. I’m curious why you felt she was special.”
It wasn’t the best timing to ask, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was understanding what Taejun was thinking, why he said that.
“Oh—she didn’t feel like an ordinary high school girl. Like an idol or actress, maybe? Anyway, that’s just my impression. It’s nothing serious; I probably shouldn’t have said anything. Don’t worry about it.”
Taejun smiled awkwardly.
“I felt the same way when I first saw her. Her presence is different from other kids these days.”
Oh… so that’s what it was. Was I overthinking?
Inhye finally exhaled, relieved by his answer.
“Right? I thought I was the only one who noticed it. But I also thought I’d made a mistake.”
“A mistake?”
“When you asked earlier why I thought the Chief’s niece was like that, your expression was so serious that I worried I shouldn’t have asked.”
Taejun adjusted his glasses, observing Inhye’s reaction.
“Did I look that serious?”
Inhye gave a faint, awkward smile. She had tried to control her expression but had clearly been caught off guard by the mention of Chaerin.
“Yes. But… that expression wasn’t bad either.”
“Really?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
Seeing Taejun awkwardly fiddling with the keypad again after speaking, a small smile spread across Inhye’s lips.
Ding. Ding. First floor.
“You don’t need to come down to the lobby. You must be busy. Go on up.”
Inhye, already stepping out of the elevator, gestured for Taejun not to follow.
“But that’s a matter of courtesy—”
“Really, it’s fine. Go ahead. And when you schedule the counseling sessions, please contact me.”
“Yes. Thank you for accepting such a sudden and difficult request today.”
Taejun gave a slight nod.
“It’s nothing. I hope I can be of help. I’ll be waiting for your call.”
Inhye gave a light, graceful bow with her signature bright smile and walked confidently out of the prosecutor’s office lobby.
“Yes. I’ll contact you soon. Please be careful on your way.”
Taejun couldn’t take his eyes off her until the elevator doors closed.
Police Department, Criminal Investigation Division Office.
Bang!
“Does that make any sense right now? Huh?”
An enraged Jin-young slammed his hand on the desk.
“Jin-young, calm down. Where’s this irritation coming from?”
Seong-jin raised his voice as if not to be outshouted. After hours of going back and forth with the same questions and answers, their patience had reached its limit.
“Detective Kim, calm down. I’ll handle this.”
At that moment, Chief Choi, silently observing, placed a hand on Seong-jin’s shoulder, taking over.
“Jin-young!”
His deep, resonant voice echoed through the office.
“Why?!”
Jin-young shouted, his voice rising in anger.
“Jin-young!”
The more he shouted, the stronger the power in Chief Choi’s voice and gaze became.
“…Why…”
Gradually, his previously high-pitched voice began to drop like air escaping from a balloon.
“Jin-young!”
“….”
Faced with Chief Choi’s commanding presence, Jin-young averted his eyes and lowered his head slightly.
“Jin-young, don’t get so angry like before. Tell me in detail about what happened that day. Where were you, and what were you doing?”
Feeling he had regained the upper hand, Chief Choi spoke gently, in a reassuring tone.
“How many times do I have to say it? I didn’t do it! Damn it!”
But Jin-young wasn’t one to back down. As the questions continued, he once again raged at Chief Choi, venomously shouting.
“Hey! Don’t swear. Where do you think you are?”
Seong-jin, standing behind Chief Choi, clenched his fists and yelled.
“Detective Kim! Stop. Jin-young, I’ll ask again. On the day victim Kim Guk-sun died, where were you and what were you doing?”
“I was drinking, and I woke up at some motel! How many times do I have to say it? What did you overhear earlier?”
Jin-young pounded his chest as he shouted.
“So who did you go to that motel with?”
“I don’t remember! If I knew, I’d tell you right away. I blacked out; I can’t remember!”
He jumped up, gripping the desk, shouting in Chief Choi’s face.
“Sit down first. Then tell us who you drank with.”
Chief Choi shifted the direction of questioning.
“I drank alone.”
Jin-young plopped into the chair, sounding annoyed.
“Alone? You went to a room salon alone?”
Chief Choi asked, puzzled.
“Yes, alone.”
“Why go alone to a room salon?”
“Isn’t it obvious? To meet women. What, I’m supposed to go there to study? If you don’t believe me, check the CCTV. You’ll see who I went in with.”
“Hm—”
Chief Choi pursed his lips, typing Jin-young’s words into the laptop with precise keystrokes.
“Is it okay for a celebrity to go alone without a manager? Don’t you manage your image? Kids adore you; shouldn’t you be a good role model?”
Seong-jin, listening nearby, frowned in disbelief.
“Why such outdated thinking? Celebrities are still human. There’s no law against drinking or meeting women.”
Jin-young smirked, crossing his legs.
“And besides, my fans don’t love the real me—they love the star they see on TV. I just have to look good on screen. Why should I sacrifice my private life for them? Detective Kim, you’re naive.”
“This is… unbelievable.”
Seong-jin felt rage boil inside him, wanting to slam Jin-young’s face to the floor, but had to restrain himself.
“And you keep yelling at me and interrogating aggressively. If you do this one more time, I’ll file a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission for coercive investigation!”
Jin-young alternated pointing and snarling at Chief Choi and Seong-jin.
“You… really…”
“Detective Kim!”
Chief Choi held back the furious Seong-jin.
Even though he had thought it strange that the son of Korea’s top law firm head was coming in for a witness interview without a lawyer, he hadn’t expected this strategy.
They gave rehearsed answers, claimed coercion without a lawyer present to invalidate the investigation, and tried to provoke them—if they reacted physically, they’d accuse assault immediately.
“Fine. Let’s say you don’t remember who you went with. Then, where’s that motel?”
Chief Choi, suppressing his own anger with a deep sigh, spoke calmly again.
“Earlier you said it was an unmanned motel in the outskirts of Seoul.”
“Where in the outskirts?”
“I don’t remember. I really don’t.”
“How did you get there? Drive yourself?”
His fingers typed rapidly on the keyboard.
“Of course, I took a taxi. Haven’t you seen the news? So many get caught drunk driving. I wouldn’t risk it. I never drive drunk. Are you trying to pin me for DUI and disappointed I didn’t get caught? Haha.”
“Ha—damn.”
Jin-young, who had been fiercely claiming innocence moments ago, now sneered. Chief Choi’s patience was nearing its limit.
“Boss, is he on something? Doesn’t seem in his right mind. Should we test for drugs?”
Seong-jin whispered in Chief Choi’s ear, but he held back his anger one last time.
“Let’s summarize. Jin-young went alone to a room salon, drank, coincidentally joined a woman, then took a taxi with her to a motel. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“But from the room salon, he was already too drunk to remember who she was or where the motel was?”
“Yes.”
“And in the morning, she was gone.”
“That’s right! Finally, some understanding. Same Korean, but some understand, some don’t… ah, geez.”
Jin-young glared at Seong-jin beside him.
“Damn it.”
“Jin-young, how do you explain this footprint?”
Chief Choi held back Seong-jin, who looked ready to punch, and presented the footprint photo to Jin-young.
“I’ve said it repeatedly. The sole matches my shoe, but I never went there.”
Jin-young pushed the photo back toward Chief Choi, speaking bluntly.
“Are you going to keep denying this evidence?”
Seong-jin shook the photo in front of Jin-young.
“Detective Kim, are you serious? Just because my initials are on the sole, I’m the culprit? If it said ‘BTS,’ would BTS be guilty?”
Jin-young flapped his hand irritably at the photo.
“They said the shoes were custom-made for me by fans in the waiting room yesterday. There’s only one pair in the world.”
Chief Choi stared at Jin-young suspiciously.
“Honestly, nowadays anything can be replicated if you pay. Just search online—pictures of my shoe soles are everywhere. Someone probably copied it to mess with me.”
Bang!
“No! The footprint pattern and your shoe size match perfectly!”
Seong-jin slammed the desk.
“I warned you not to yell at me. And logically, isn’t it more reasonable to suspect someone who threatened to kill me? That person could have made this to frame me!”
Jin-young yelled back defiantly.
Then:
“Let’s stop here for today.”
A man in a neat suit entered the office.
“Who are you?”
Chief Choi scanned him quickly.
“I’m Attorney Ha Soo-young, Jin-young’s lawyer. That’s enough for today.”
“Ah, you’re here.”
Like clockwork, Jin-young smirked at Attorney Ha, as if a script were perfectly timed.
