Street Kids (3)
Less than a day had passed, but the views had already surpassed 300,000. Cyber sleuths swarmed like bees, digging into personal details. Comments were flooding in real-time.
- That's him, that bastard is our school principal Park Dong-pal!
- Yeah! I'm a second-year at Yeonghun High, and I'm sure of it.
- Trash bastard. The crap he spouts normally makes him sound like some saintly adult.
- Jackpot. Park Dong-pal's son-in-law's info is out. He's an active homicide detective!
- Pin the location.
Ha Yeon touched her parted lips with her finger.
If he's the kind of guy who blows things up this big... that uncle?
Just then, the door opened, and a sleazy-looking cop scratched his head as he approached. It was that uncle, the one who'd shaken him down for cigarette money.
"You haven't eaten breakfast, right? Let's go."
Come to think of it, he hadn't eaten a single meal since yesterday afternoon. Being around this uncle made the tension melt away, and a fierce hunger hit him all at once.
* * *
At the diner in front of the police station.
"Can't I have a burger or something? I don't really eat stuff like this well."
Kang Cheol-gu, slurping down pork backbone soup like mad, fixed his gaze on his bowl and rolled his eyes upward.
"You're not hungry enough yet. Don't wanna eat it? Then don't."
Ha Yeon fiddled with her spoon, staring at the bizarre cop in front of her. Not a word. He needed to go home. Was she hurt anywhere? Her parents must be worried sick. Not a single one of those lines. He just focused on his meal.
"...I have parents too. They...!"
"Cut it out!"
Kang Cheol-gu's eyes seemed to deepen as he finished eating, his mouth opening heavily. Ha Yeon cut him off. She'd thought this guy was different, but adults all had the same script.
"Don't bother with the obvious crap. 'My parents are sick. My family was poor, but I overcame it with effort. You're a kid, so go home.' Spare me that boomer bullshit!"
Kang Cheol-gu's eyebrow twitched, then he slammed the table with a thwack and bellowed.
"What a funny kid! Hey! My mom and dad are both super healthy. Why're you making them sick in your head? And what family hardship? I'm a total chaebol kid. My dad's the police academy dean and chief security commissioner. You know what that is? Number two in the whole Korean police hierarchy!"
Spewing spit from his mouth, this 'adult' cop was selling his rich-kid status with his whole body.
A dizzy spell hit like a blow to the head. Ha Yeon's eye twitched involuntarily.
"You know how great being rich is? Even our station chief can't budge when I talk. Why? 'Cause my police academy dean dad is behind me. The thrill of superiors groveling in front of you! Kyaa! You wouldn't get it."
After ranting about the perks of being rich for a good while, Kang Cheol-gu's voice tapered off.
"...So. ...Use it."
"Huh?"
"So use it. Your situation, your parents... everything your parents have. Use it all to get strong."
Kang Cheol-gu's eyes sank into the past, revisiting a history Park Ha-yeon didn't know.
"You think if you act out like that, your parents will be heartbroken? Sorry to say, that's not the parents I've met. Those types put their own success and what people think ahead of your well-being."
"Th-that...!"
Ha Yeon's eyelashes quivered faintly.
"Yeah. People like that, so use them too. Get expensive tutoring, get into a good college. Succeed in society. In this country, no power means misery. You felt it on the street yesterday, right?"
Ha Yeon's head slowly drooped. Yesterday's terror crept up again, mixed with anger. Her lips clenched without her realizing.
"Don't expect too much moral high ground from your parents. They're just ordinary people. Maybe even less mature than you personality-wise. So expect nothing. Quit playing tragic heroine... This world doesn't lift up the fallen. It just stomps them. Only think about getting strong, over and over. Done eating? Let's go."
The whole way back to the youth division with Kang Cheol-gu, Park Ha-yeon's mouth stayed shut tight. Chin buried in her chest, only her eyes deepened.
* * *
The moment we entered the station, Sergeant Hwang came running over.
"Detective Kang! Did you leak that CCTV footage of Park Dong-pal from yesterday's arrest?"
"Who knows. Not my thing."
Sergeant Hwang eyed me scratching my head with narrowed eyes, then shook his head.
"The legal world's friends, in-laws, and lawyers are all gathering and making a fuss. Threatening to sue for defamation."
"Sue who?"
"...They haven't named anyone specific. The motel employee says he knows nothing, just lost the SD card..."
Sergeant Hwang glanced around, lowering his voice.
"...But those gathered guys are all big-talking in front of Park Dong-pal like 'Don't worry, I'll handle it,' but actually backing off bit by bit. Now that the whole nation's in the know, they're cutting tails to avoid the shit splashing back. Haha."
"Hmm. Good."
That was when it happened.
"Lieutenant Kang Cheol-gu, there you are!"
Sergeant Yoon Hye-soon from the youth division showed up at violent crimes with Ha Yeon.
"Hey. What brings you here?"
"Ha Yeon's decided to go home. But she insisted on saying goodbye to you."
Sergeant Yoon beamed a wide smile, leading Ha Yeon forward.
"Alright. Then let's grab vending machine coffee outside. Oh! Kids don't drink coffee?"
"Come on! She drinks booze, what's coffee..."
The kid's face looked relieved, like she'd made up her mind. I handed her the coffee.
"Going home, huh? Thoughts sorted?"
"Yeah. I'm going back. I'll listen to Mom and Dad. For now! I'll study hard too. But they have no idea. That they're raising a tiger cub, not a daughter. Hmph!"
She was trying for a dramatic vibe, but it just made me chuckle. This kid didn't know yet. That emotions have inertia. If you grind your inner rage while smiling at someone, eventually you'll find yourself genuinely smiling. And when that feeling turns real, it even changes how you see the other person.
"Yeah. So you came to say bye?"
"Yeah. And one favor. Help Mi-ju unnie."
"Mi-ju? The one who handed you to that pervert? Why? Not resentful?"
"Before meeting you, uncle, I really wanted to kill her. Acting all nice sister while betraying me! But after your words, it was just me whining on a full stomach. I get her situation now. So I wanna help!"
Ha Yeon's eyes darkened, and she hesitantly spoke.
"...That unnie was raped by her stepdad."
"......"
"She reported it to the cops later. Went to trial, but that dog bastard got not guilty. Something about inconsistent victim statements. Hell, I can't even remember what I ate last week. How're you supposed to remember that horror perfectly!"
Ha Yeon's voice trembled thinly, yesterday's nightmare flashing back.
"Neighbors were furious, saying the mom who abandoned her deserved jail for false accusation since she raised the ungrateful brat. Please. Help that unnie!"
I stared at her. Overnight, her mental yardstick had grown an inch.
"What! Why stare like that all mushy? What're you gonna say now!"
Flustered, her flushed face waved me off.
"Nothing. Just proud."
Kids her age bruise easy and heal fast. I stopped Sergeant Yoon as she got in the car with the kid.
"Sergeant Yoon, hold up. What happens to the kids handed to youth division yesterday?"
"The others were just accomplices, so released with warnings. But Mi-ju? Pimping out minors, punishment's inevitable. We'll see the juvenile trial, but probably protective measure 8 or higher."
"Mind if I meet her?"
"Sure. No issue."
* * *
"Real cop after all. Holy shit, unbelievable!"
Mi-ju's voice rose from inside the detention center, like a cat with fur all bristled.
"I'm here as an ally today, so quit the death glare."
I pulled a chair and sat in front of Mi-ju.
"Ha Yeon's going home."
"Hmph! Knew it. That unlucky bitch. Spoiled brats like her think suffering's a luxury romance!"
"Ha Yeon was worried about you."
Mi-ju's sharp eyes quivered faintly.
"Trial'll decide, but probably protective measure 8 or 9. 9 means up to six months in juvie. I'll testify to lighten the sentence as much as possible."
"...Why's a cop uncle helping?"
Mi-ju's voice settled.
"...Sometimes, just having someone believe me makes this shitty world a bit easier to breathe in. And your dad's never hurting you again. I promise. I'm out."
The kid's eyes started shaking at 'dad.' Leaving her low sobs behind, I stood.
* * *
After Ha Yeon left, I pulled Mi-ju's trial records. Under special laws for sex crimes, intra-family rape or molestation can mean 7 years to life. But physical evidence was gone with time. Prosecutors sought 8 years based on her claim, but the court acquitted. Reason: inconsistent statements from filing to police to trial.
But it didn't take long to prove that verdict wrong. Mi-ju's father, Jo Du-seong. In 2015, he kidnapped and raped an elementary kid on her way home. The fourth-grader victim now lives with a lifelong colostomy bag. During his arrest, the prior trial surfaced, and the court got hammered by public opinion. For not detaining him properly, allowing a second victim.
If the judiciary fucks up, I'll fix it. And luckily, there's still time.
* * *
Jo Du-seong trailed the middle school girl ahead, swallowing dryly over and over.
Ha! Look at that.
The street was dark, no sign of life.