PLMT 7

Chapter: 7

Why was he angry?

He had seemed fine in the office just a moment ago.

Curious about his sudden change, Eunjae opened her lips.

“This is the investigative report and meeting materials, Prosecutor.”

“These are materials entrusted to Investigator Jeong Eunjae. Why are you carelessly leaving them in someone else’s team’s hands?”

Ah. So it was the fact that Jinhyuk was pushing the cart that was the problem.

Eunjae quickly took the cart handle from Jinhyuk’s hands.

But perhaps their timing was off, because their hands brushed against each other.

Eunjae immediately withdrew her hand. Seeing that, Wookyung’s brows furrowed even deeper.

“······.”

Why on earth?

Eunjae was starting to feel frustrated too. She bit her lower lip and looked Wookyung squarely in the eyes.

“I was just helping Eunjae—no, the investigator—because there was a lot of luggage. I didn’t even open the files. How is that a problem?”

Without a word, Wookyung brushed past the panting Jinhyuk, grabbed the cart, and disappeared into the meeting room.

It all happened in an instant.

“What a damn nuisance.”

Muttering, Jinhyuk followed into the meeting room. It felt empty without the cart he had been pushing.

“All right, the Deputy Chief will be down soon! Let’s prepare the meeting perfectly.”

For now, it was time to put aside why Baek Wookyung was acting like that and focus on work.

As the youngest investigator, Eunjae had to move busily to set up the meeting.

When the meeting began, a heavy tension filled the room.

Like the authoritative, hierarchical world of prosecutors, decisions made by senior prosecutors had to be accepted without question.

“Next is the case in which the son of the M Construction chairman has been indicted.”

The case handled by Wookyung and Eunjae was up for discussion.

“A hidden camera? That bastard really got cocky, huh.”

Clicking his tongue, the Deputy Chief held a cigarette while looking at the presentation screen.

“Wait. M Construction… isn’t he the prime minister’s nephew by marriage?”

At the casually dropped question, everyone scrambled to pull out their phones and search.

“That’s correct! Deputy Chief. It is the nephew by marriage.”

Someone shouted the answer first.

“And their law firm is Hwang Geumseong with Hwang Byeon? Then this big shot should’ve greased the right palms himself!”

At the Deputy Chief’s irritation, everyone quietly put their phones down.

“Who irresponsibly set this sentence? Division 1? Who did this?”

All eyes turned to Wookyung.

Regardless, Wookyung stared straight ahead without the slightest wavering.

“Proposed sentence: 7 years (maximum legal sentence for illegal filming).” The Deputy Chief exhaled harsh smoke while looking at the text.

“This is my case.”

A deep voice came from the far side of the long conference table.

“Division 1, Baek Wookyung.”

Baek Wookyung? The Deputy Chief rolled the name around in his mouth and laughed heartily.

“Ah, it’s you? The rookie who, in just your first year, arrogantly carried the senior cases all the way to the U.S.?”

The Deputy Chief sneered, contorting his face.

“Haven’t gone to trial yet, right? Reduce it. If it’s a hidden camera, a two-year suspended sentence and some community service should suffice.”

“Th-that’s…”

The head prosecutor of Division 1 couldn’t answer right away, glancing at Wookyung.

The Deputy Chief was a problem, but behind Wookyung stood the Doyoung Group.

Moreover, his innate intimidation and uncompromising nature had already been proven several times.

“Division Chief. Do you think Baek Wookyung is your superior? Why are you so cautious?”

Clicking his tongue, the Deputy Chief stubbed out the cigarette in the crystal ashtray. Then his gaze landed on Eunjae sitting in the corner.

“Hey.”

Startled, Eunjae jumped up from her seat.

Before she could even ask what was wrong, the Deputy Chief nodded toward the ashtray.

“······.”

Ah, he wants me to clean it up. A bitter feeling washed over her.

Some prosecutors treated investigators like servants who handled their chores. So she didn’t feel too offended.

Eunjae calmly picked up the ashtray and approached the Deputy Chief.

“All right. Division Chief, you go with Baek Wookyung and visit M Construction before the trial!”

The Deputy Chief took another drag during his long speech. The harsh smoke nearly made her cough.

Her eyes met Jinhyuk’s across the table. He glanced away quickly at the loud voice, a sympathetic look in his eyes.

“Go apologize, and see if the prime minister heard anything about it.”

The Deputy Chief flicked cigarette ash onto the ashtray in Eunjae’s hand.

Without even looking, the sparks almost touched the back of her hand.

“······!”

Eunjae recoiled. The pile of cigarette butts tumbled to the floor.

…It was a tough moment in every way.

But if she endured it quietly, it would pass. Eunjae swallowed her resentment and crouched under the table.

“The juniors’ lack of sense and tact is partly the seniors’ responsibility too.”

While picking up the fallen butts, she noticed a pair of black shoes striding toward her.

During the meeting… who could it be? A brief moment of confusion.

“Stand up.”

Creak—the long conference table slid back.

To her surprise, Wookyung’s face, frozen and stern, appeared.

“Yes…?”

“Put that down.”

With his deep, menacing voice, the ashtray disappeared from her hands.

‘I should’ve just put it away quickly and disappeared.’

Was she disrupting the meeting? The atmosphere was already tense.

Seeing how dangerous his presence had become, she felt her days of trying to stay unnoticed might have been in vain.

A faint smirk appeared on Wookyung’s lips as he watched Eunjae stand.

Simultaneously, he placed the ashtray in front of the Deputy Chief with a thud.

“Is an investigator a prosecutor’s servant?”

Eunjae’s eyes widened.

She expected the blow to come to her, but he directed his criticism at the Deputy Chief instead.

A junior prosecutor standing up to the Deputy Chief—something unheard of—had happened.

Everyone was silently stunned.

“What the hell?”

“I just asked because you were having my investigator do chores I’ve never asked anyone to do.”

The puffing Deputy Chief stood abruptly. He lifted his head high to avoid being overwhelmed by Wookyung, who was taller by a head.

“Is this crazy? Hey! What are you doing barging in during the meeting?”

“Ventilating.”

Passing by the fuming Deputy Chief, Wookyung went to the window.

He opened it, letting in fresh air that cleared out the strong smoke.

“Facilities used by the public are no-smoking. Article 9 of the National Health Promotion Act. Forgotten?”

Coughs erupted around the room.

Everyone had known but ignored it until now; Wookyung had deliberately pointed it out, making it uncomfortable.

“You should follow the law. Especially someone who lives by the law.”

“How dare you lecture a senior like the sky? Hey, punk. You’re not looking down, are you?”

Faced with facts, the Deputy Chief tried to assert superiority by rank and seniority.

But Wookyung remained unshaken.

“My eyes are always looking down. Most people are below me anyway.”

He looked down at the Deputy Chief with his usual arrogance and disdain, adding the same haughty gesture he had made to Eunjae.

“This bastard!”

The Deputy Chief, red with anger, was restrained by other prosecutors.

“What is this insubordination? Huh?”

“Hey, Prosecutor Baek. Do you have no sense of hierarchy?”

“Well, hierarchy I don’t know, but I understand the severity of the crime.”

Calmly replying, Wookyung put his hands in his pants pockets and straightened up.

“And I judge only by the nature of the crime, regardless of the team or group.”

He elegantly curved his lips, emphasizing certain syllables.

“Team, group.”

“What, what?”

“No exceptions.”

“Damn it…!”

Everyone who understood his intention between the words fell silent, mouths agape.

“That’s all for my case report. Investigator Jeong Eunjae, return to your seat.”

He watched her sit down and returned to his usual expressionless self.

“Uh, then, next item… let’s move on.”

Eunjae had no idea how the rest of the meeting passed. She clenched her fists, trying to calm her racing heart.

Knock. Knock.

In the office, Eunjae swallowed hard as she knocked on Wookyung’s personal office door.

‘I don’t know… I’ve already knocked, so I can’t back out.’

She had finally found the chance to thank him for helping in the meeting.

After a brief response telling her to come in, Eunjae cautiously entered his space.

“Prosecutor.”

He glanced at her from his seat, backlit by the wide window.

“Yes?”

“Um… are you okay?”

Ah. That’s not it.

Her first words should have been a thank you for backing her up.

Instead, her long-held worry slipped out unconsciously.

“Earlier… um, in the meeting… with the Deputy Chief—”

“Who’s worrying about whom, Jeong Eunjae.”

Startled, Eunjae checked if the door was closed properly as he stepped forward, closing the distance.

“Did you become an investigator just to serve prosecutors?”

“······.”

“Refuse, resist… that thing you were so good at, why aren’t you using it?”

Eunjae stepped back, trying to avoid him.

Finally, her back hit the cold wall.

“You show pride to me, you put up defenses. And you even manage to… get hard for me.”