TWB 52

“What?”

Chief Prosecutor Jo Cheol-woong’s face contorted. To have someone come by first thing in the morning and suggest removing Jang Seon-woo from the team was simply absurd… After an initial burst of anger, as Hee-shin remained adamant, Jo finally pulled out his electronic cigarette.

“Why. What is the problem now? I did exactly what you asked, you stubborn brat.”

“Please replace Jang Seon-woo with someone else. Sunbae Park Tae-min would be fine.”

“And the reason is? Do you have an inferiority complex toward him?”

“I heard the Prosecutor General is playing politics. You know that if this goes wrong, it will climb up through Jang Seon-woo and put the Prosecutor General in a difficult position, don’t you?”

“Look at you. Trying to align yourself properly this time? Being a chaebol’s lover isn’t enough for you?”

Seriously, this toad of a man. He was world-class when it came to sarcasm.

“You know that’s not what I mean. The case won’t fail just because Jang Seon-woo isn’t on it. So please, replace him with someone else. I’m asking you.”

“Ha, seriously, why is he like this? Huh?”

Irritation seeped into Jo’s expression. Hee-shin observed every shifting nuance of his face. To what extent was Chief Prosecutor Jo involved? Was he just a pawn? Or was he in league with them?

“Anyway, no.”

“Please consider it.”

“Why do you keep insisting? Hey, kid. This isn’t some simple robbery-homicide. If we mess up, all our heads are on the chopping block. Who are you to tell me who to add or remove from a team that’s already been formed and is in progress? Just because you brought the case in, do you think it belongs entirely to you? Do you think everyone else is a joke? Is that why you’re doing this?”

As the voice grew louder, Hee-shin lowered his head. I’m sorry. It seemed Chief Prosecutor Jo would never remove Jang Seon-woo. Perhaps it was only natural. The board was only complete with him there.

“Stop overthinking and focus. The media is in an uproar. Now is the time to keep a low profile. Don’t give them bait to tear us apart. What do you think they’ll say if we kick Jang Seon-woo out? There’s already enough talk about targeted investigations since the Prosecutor General is heading into politics. You want to add fuel to that fire?”

Since the words themselves weren’t wrong, Hee-shin didn’t answer. As he kept his mouth shut, Jo rambled on with a lecture for a while before waving his hand to dismiss him. As he walked out, he heard Jo cursing behind him about some “headache-inducing brat.”

After fighting that battle, Hee-shin returned to the prosecutor’s office to find Chief Oh drinking coffee.

“Where did you go right after arriving at work?”

“To the Chief Prosecutor.”

“Looking at your face, you got chewed out again. Are you okay? I’m exhausted. Want to go grab some hangover soup later?”

Hee-shin nodded, then suddenly turned back with a look of realization.

“Where are you going now?”

“I think I left my phone. I’ll be right back.”

“Our prosecutor has already developed dementia. We’re in trouble.”

Leaving the joke behind, he stepped outside. He went back up to the third floor and knocked on the door of the Chief Prosecutor’s office. Jo, who was on the phone, hurriedly hung up after telling the other person he would call back.

“What now—! Is there anything left to flip my stomach over?”

“No, sir. I think I dropped my phone. I’m sorry.”

As Hee-shin checked above and below the sofa, Jo let out a low sigh. He told him to get his head straight, to take care of his health even if he was busy, and reminded him that he had collapsed just a few days ago—that if others saw, they’d think Jo was overworking him, which would make the boss look bad.

After searching for a while, Hee-shin reached his hand deep between the sofa cushions. [unauthorized copy[visit our siteclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]Soon, the phone came out in his grip.

Slipping it into his back pocket, he bowed to Chief Prosecutor Jo once more.

“I’m sorry. I’ll be going now.”

He heard the sound of clicking tongues behind him. Once outside, Hee-shin rushed to the restroom, entered the last stall, and pulled the phone from his back pocket. The screen showed that it had been recording video. He pressed the stop button, connected his earphones, and played it back.

The twenty-minute recording started from the moment he entered the office. After Kang Hee-shin was chewed out and disappeared, Chief Prosecutor Jo had a phone call for about a minute.

—Yeah, Kang Hee-shin just left. No. Suddenly he wants Jang Seon-woo out. Did this brat notice something? No, it’s not that. He’s always had an inferiority complex. His background is different from ours. Right? The Assemblyman didn’t say anything else? What do you mean? Why would I change my mind, man. I’m always on your side. I know, of course. I know everything. I handled it well, so don’t worry. That brat can’t move a muscle if I tell him not to. No matter how much he acts out. Ah, hold on. Someone’s here. I’ll call you back.

After pressing the stop button, Hee-shin leaned his head against the restroom wall and took a deep breath. Ah, fuck… He knew the man was a lump of greed, but confirming it with his own eyes and ears felt dizzying. He was no different of a human himself, but wasn’t this crossing a line?

At this point, his uneasy premonitions seemed to be coming true. A situation where evidence could be fabricated and witnesses could recant, completely flipping the board. He couldn’t leave that spot for a while due to the bleakness of it all, and when he finally stepped out, he spotted Jang Seon-woo.

With a heavy expression, he walked over to wash his hands. After drying them, Jang Seon-woo took something out of his pocket and held it out. It was a Zippo lighter. Wondering what it was, Hee-shin looked back and forth between the lighter and his face.

“What’s this?”

“I saw you when you were smoking and thought you might need one.”

“Did you buy it?”

“I didn’t buy it; I won it from a claw machine. At a game center near my house.”

Hee-shin laughed in disbelief. Even if he had bought it, he probably wouldn’t have cared much. But the fact that he won it from a claw machine—something so uncharacteristic—was almost cute.

“I go there sometimes when I’m stressed.”

“You actually get stressed?”

“Yes…”

Now that he asked, it was funny. Jang Seon-woo was human too; why wouldn’t he be stressed? He just never showed it. Some people described Jang Seon-woo as being like a robot. For such a person to play claw machines was unexpected. Then, the memory of Chief Prosecutor Jo’s phone call surfaced, and the smile gradually faded.

“Thanks. I’ll use it well.”

“Is something worrying you? Your complexion…”

“Me? I live with a mountain of worries every day.”

“You should try going there when you’re stressed, Sunbae. It’s more fun than you’d think.”

“Do you have money to burn?”

“Ah…”

“Sorry. I sounded like a total old fogey just now, didn’t I?”

“No. Actually, I prefer it.”

They walked out while having a trivial conversation about claw machines, and Park Tae-min waved to them from a distance. He looked beaming, as if something had him excited. He claimed he had some great news. When Hee-shin listened, it was about him appearing as a panelist on a certain broadcast. It was a program dealing with cases, and he was going to appear very briefly in the first episode.

He then went into detail, showing them what clothes he should wear and which tie he should pick. He really had it easy. A thought suddenly crossed Hee-shin’s mind that if he were born again, he’d like to be born as Park Tae-min, if not Jang Seon-woo.

Tatsuki, who was tending to the orchids, looked at Im Gyeong sitting alone on the terrace. He had been deep in thought with his laptop open for some time. Tatsuki shifted his position to sneak a peek from behind, but the screen wasn’t clearly visible. It was sad how such things became difficult as one aged.

“Did I raise a mouse? The smell is wafting all the way here.”

It seemed his employer had eyes in the back of his head. With a sigh, Tatsuki stepped outside and saw that Im Gyeong was looking at real estate listings. The photos changed every time he scrolled. [Read on Read BL Novels]style="position:relative;display:inline;">[visit our site]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[visit our site]It was a fairly large space for one person, and the address was in the heart of Seoul.

“Are you looking for a house?”

“Not for me, but for Kang Hee-shin.”

He hadn’t been reachable last night; had he visited that place? Lately, Im Gyeong had been visiting Kang Hee-shin’s house often.

“Why a house…?”

“His lease is ending, so he has to move out. He’s going to become unemployed because of me, so it would be pitiful if he had no home too.”

“Do you not consider the possibility that he might go to prison?”

Hmm, that could happen. Im Gyeong imagined Kang Hee-shin in a prison uniform. Imagining him in a prisoner’s outfit with a completely defeated face made him feel sorry, yet curious. Should he go watch if there’s a trial? He wouldn’t be living in prison for the rest of his life, so wouldn’t it be fine to get him a place to stay once he gets out? Starting a law practice wouldn’t be easy either.

No. Forget it. Since when did I care about other people’s circumstances?

If he had cared for everyone, he wouldn’t have ended up with blood on his hands.

He closed the screen and leaned back in his chair, surveying the garden where flowers were beginning to bloom. Once this work was finished, he would [stolen content]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[visit our site]leave for Japan and marry the pastolen contentrtner his maternal grandfather had chosen; then, this house might remain empty for a long time.

“Should I just tell him to stay here instead?”

Tatsuki smiled with a troubled expression.

“He will refuse.”

True, I’d hate it too. Im Gyeong smiled with a frown. Looking up, the sun was blazing. Before he knew it, the sunlight had breached the terrace railing and was consuming a part of his body. He had been so preoccupied with other thoughts that he only just realized it.