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Chapter 79
“The memory of that day? What do you mean by that?”
Cha-rin’s face turned pale.
“Friday, November 15, 2013. That was the day the Yoon Jin-young sexual assault case happened.”
Captain Choi bit his lip and clenched his fist.
“That’s a lie… It has to be a lie, right? You must be mistaken. Oppa would never do something like that.”
Cha-rin shook her head repeatedly, looking half out of her mind.
The person she admired and liked so much… someone who had crushed a woman’s life?
She couldn’t believe it.
No—she didn’t want to believe it.
“I want to believe that too. But the victim’s statement from the old prosecution investigation is almost identical to the situation you just described in that memory. Even the date matches.”
This was exactly why Captain Choi had tried not to involve Cha-rin in Jin-young’s case.
Looking at Cha-rin sitting there in shock, not even aware of her own expression, weighed heavily on his heart.
“But you said he was actually found not guilty. Then doesn’t that mean the memory Cha-rin saw doesn’t necessarily have to be from the day that incident happened?”
In-hye asked carefully, watching Cha-rin’s face.
“Dr. Jung. I don’t know what trick that bastard used to get acquitted, but the captain just said Cha-rin’s memory matches the case records. That alone makes it 100%. And look at everything happening around him lately—he’s the kind of guy who would absolutely do something like that. Do you know how many people around him have died? This isn’t the time to be defending Yoon Jin-young.”
Sung-jin raised his voice slightly, displeased with the way In-hye seemed to be defending Jin-young.
“But Cha-rin didn’t directly witness the crime, did she? Just because she entered someone’s memory doesn’t mean she always encounters the full truth.”
In-hye had no desire to defend Jin-young.
She simply didn’t want another rash judgment to hurt Cha-rin again.
“Both of you, stop.”
Captain Choi interrupted their argument.
Then—
“What are you going to do now?”
Cha-rin, who had been silent, looked straight into Captain Choi’s eyes and spoke slowly.
“For now… we’ll keep an eye on Yoon Jin-young.”
Seeing the determination in Cha-rin’s eyes—eyes that clearly meant she would enter Jin-young’s memories again if necessary—Captain Choi stepped back.
If Jin-young really was the perpetrator, he could not let Cha-rin enter such filthy memories again.
“But why did the woman who was punished for false accusation request a retrial?”
Knowing Captain Choi’s intentions, In-hye gently changed the topic.
“She must have found new evidence or witnesses strong enough to overturn the original verdict. Or she might just want to ruin Yoon Jin-young’s reputation.”
“Ruin his reputation?”
“Even if the retrial request is rejected, the fact that the case resurfaces publicly would still be a huge burden for him.”
“Then if the verdict actually gets overturned… what happens to Yoon Jin-young?”
In-hye asked curiously, like a student asking a teacher.
Captain Choi glanced at Cha-rin before answering heavily.
“…It’s over for him.”
Silence fell among the four of them.
“Cha-rin. Are the four people you saw in that memory these people?”
The suffocating silence broke when Captain Choi pulled out a photograph and placed it in front of Cha-rin.
“Captain, when did you—”
Sung-jin looked surprised when he saw the photo.
It was the picture of Jin-young with his friends that had been found at Hyun-bo’s house. Captain Choi must have brought it to show Cha-rin.
“This looks like a photo from Jin-young’s high school days with his friends. Look carefully. Are these the people you saw in the memory?”
“…Yes. I think so. Why?”
Cha-rin had already regained some of her usual calmness.
For now, the important thing was to calmly investigate Jin-young’s case step by step.
Only then could she clear his name if he was truly innocent.
“It’s nothing. Sorry, but I have something to do, so I’ll be leaving first.”
Captain Choi put the photo back in his pocket and suddenly stood up.
“Where are you going all of a sudden?”
In-hye asked, surprised.
“There’s something I need to confirm. Detective Kim, get up.”
“Me too?”
Even Sung-jin looked confused.
“Are you going because of Jin-young oppa’s case?”
Captain Choi’s hand froze on the door handle when Cha-rin spoke.
“Then I’ll come too.”
Cha-rin stood up to follow him.
“No.”
Captain Choi shouted firmly without turning around.
“Then I’ll go back into Jin-young oppa’s memory again and—”
“Lee Cha-rin!”
In the car
“Weren’t you a bit harsh earlier?”
After staring silently out the window for a while, Sung-jin finally spoke.
“What?”
Captain Choi already knew what he meant.
“You didn’t have to treat Cha-rin like that.”
Sung-jin turned his body toward him.
Captain Choi had always supported Cha-rin in everything she wanted to do.
But the way he had shouted at her earlier felt like a completely different person.
“I had my reasons.”
“I know you’re worried about her, but maybe we should just do what she said earlier—let her enter Jin-young’s memory again and confirm things properly—”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Captain Choi cut him off angrily.
He couldn’t bear to watch Cha-rin get hurt after discovering the ugly truth about someone she admired.
“But Cha-rin is pretty stubborn. I don’t think she’ll give up easily—”
“Enough.”
“…Yes, sir. Understood. So where do we start?”
Sung-jin sighed and pulled out his notebook.
“Let’s start with the room salon run by Jin-young’s friend that we saw in the memory last time.”
Captain Choi pressed harder on the accelerator.
Room Salon “RED”
“Welcome.”
A waiter bowed deeply to Sung-jin as he entered.
It was a familiar place—
the room salon called RED, run by Chang-soo.
“Long time no see, James.”
Sung-jin greeted him casually.
“Pardon? I think this is the first time we’ve met.”
The waiter looked confused.
“Well, if you don’t remember, that’s fine.”
Sung-jin smiled mysteriously and patted his shoulder.
After all, how could the waiter possibly know Sung-jin had already met him inside a memory?
“But how do you know my name?”
The waiter looked wary.
“It’s written on your name tag. Where’s the owner?”
Sung-jin pointed to the tag on his chest.
“Who are you?”
The waiter’s tone turned hostile.
“Yoon Jin-young comes here often, right? That room over there?”
Sung-jin casually looked around the room salon.
“You bastard! Who do you think you are, barging around like this?!”
The angry waiter blocked his path.
“Hey, watch your tone.”
“If you don’t like it, leave while I’m asking nicely. Otherwise you’ll be dragged out crying.”
The waiter shoved Sung-jin in the chest.
“Why resort to violence?”
Sung-jin twisted the waiter’s arm effortlessly.
“Ah! Ah! Let go! Let go!”
The waiter fell to his knees screaming.
Moments later—
“What the hell is this guy?”
“Hey! Let go of him!”
Five or six large men surrounded Sung-jin, holding various weapons.
“I don’t have business with you guys. Don’t make things complicated—just leave.”
Sung-jin warned calmly.
“Are you crazy? Don’t you realize what’s about to happen to you?”
The leader laughed while spinning a steel pipe in his hand.
“You’re the ones who don’t realize. If you don’t want to get hurt, leave.”
Sung-jin stepped back slowly while keeping his eyes on their movements.
“You talk big for someone about to get crushed. Guys—get him!”
The men rushed him.
“I warned you!”
Sung-jin dodged the punches easily, grabbed the leader’s collar, and—
BAM!
He slammed the huge man—twice his size—into the wall.
VIP Room
“I told you not to start trouble.”
Sung-jin drank from a water bottle while scolding the men standing in a line.
“We’re sorry, sir! Please forgive us!”
The bruised men bowed like punished children.
“Don’t call me sir. If I see you swinging weapons again, you’re dead. Got it?”
“Yes, sir!”
“I said I’m a detective! Now get out. James, you stay.”
“Me?”
The waiter froze.
“I have some questions. Come sit.”
“I’ll tell you everything I know.”
His attitude changed instantly.
“You should’ve been like this from the beginning. Is your name really James?”
“No. It’s Ko Myung-chan.”
He scratched his head awkwardly.
“That’s better than James. So, Myung-chan… Yoon Jin-young comes here often, right?”
“Yes.”
“Does he come alone?”
“Sometimes alone, sometimes with others.”
“Anyone he comes with frequently?”
“Usually his old school friends.”
The faces from the photo at Hyun-bo’s house flashed through Sung-jin’s mind.
“Does he still come with them these days?”
“Yes, more often lately.”
“Why are you asking, if I may ask?”
“Don’t worry. It won’t cause you any trouble. Just answer honestly.”
“You promise?”
“I’ll take responsibility.”
“Then yes—I know those friends well.”
“Are these the guys?”
Sung-jin showed the photo on his phone.
“Yes. That’s them. Did they cause some kind of trouble?”
“Which one is the owner here—Kim Chang-soo?”
“That one.”
Myung-chan pointed to the smiling man in the photo.
“Did he come to work today?”
“No. He went on a trip recently.”
“A trip? Where? When?”
Sung-jin’s voice grew sharper.
“About a week ago. I don’t know where. Maybe fishing.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“Then one last question.”
Sung-jin grabbed his arm again.
“Are you still in contact with him?”
“Yes. Every morning he sends text messages with instructions for the bar.”
“Texts only? You don’t talk on the phone?”
