Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: First Day at the Complaints Room
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The public notice was short. It was seeking a student volunteer to work in the civil complaints office at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office over the two-month break. The job was simple—guiding visitors—and the pay was minimum wage plus a volunteer certificate.
"Prosecutor, where do you find stuff like this?"
*-Internal network. Can't you check the internal network?*
A snickering laugh came through the line, calming Kang Hyun's nerves.
But Incheon Prosecutors' Office brought up a practical issue, and Kang Hyun spoke up.
"It's just... Incheon is so far away..."
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. Then a sound like he was clearing his throat.
After a moment.
Prosecutor Kim Jeong-min made the offer in a casual tone.
"You can just live with me in my place. You any good at laundry, by the way?"
* * *
December.
The start of college break was greeted by the first snow.
Kang Hyun, whose exams had ended earlier than most and thus finished classes sooner, packed his bags and headed out the door.
"I'm off."
It was late morning, so his mother had already left for work, but Kang Hyun slung his bag over his shoulder and greeted the door out of habit as he stepped outside.
*Beep.*
A short honk sounded.
Prosecutor Kim Jeong-min had parked in front of Kang Hyun's house and was waiting.
"Snow's coming down. Hurry up and get in. Let's go!"
"Yes. Uh, wait a sec!"
Despite Kang Hyun's firm refusals, he'd come all the way from Seoul.
He wanted to at least treat him to a meal and express his thanks, but before he could, the car took off, and in the blink of an eye, they were past Seoul.
"Heading straight to the office. We'll say hi and grab some food."
"Got it."
*Vroom.*
Snow was falling pretty heavily, but the weather was still mild enough that the roads weren't icing over. Perfect conditions.
At this point, wrapping up his twentieth year, this first snow felt special to Kang Hyun.
"You must be having a good time."
When he said that warmly, Kang Hyun replied without taking his eyes off the white sky.
"How can you tell? I'm just watching the snow."
"I can tell from your eyes. Haven't heard anyone say the venom's gone from them, have you?"
Kang Hyun let out a *pfft* of laughter.
"Guess I've gone soft."
"Nah, you've grown. You ever see venom in my eyes? Or any other prosecutors'?"
"Uh, no."
"Exactly. Only use it when you need to."
Kim Jeong-min, always praising him, and Kang Hyun, who trusted him in return.
Kang Hyun could suddenly feel the bond they shared.
Before he knew it, they had arrived in Incheon.
Even amid the snowfall, he could almost smell the faint sea air tickling his nose—or maybe that was just his imagination.
"..."
Kang Hyun smiled faintly, recalling his brief visit to Incheon in the past, while Kim Jeong-min drove on without a care, passing intersections and turning right at a three-way.
[Incheon District Prosecutors' Office.]
The massive, imposing building that seemed to tower over ten stories showed no sign of yielding to Seoul's skyscrapers.
Driving around the circular fountain felt oddly comforting.
It was another one of Kim Jeong-min's nests, where he'd planted deep roots and worked tirelessly.
A place Kang Hyun would pass through at least once if he became a prosecutor someday.
Good to memorize it with his eyes.
'Doesn't feel unfamiliar at all.'
Lately, whenever Kang Hyun first visited places like this, familiarity hit him before anything else. A sense of warmth and comfort?
*Click, whirr.*
"Hello, Prosecutor." "Good work. This is the student Kang Hyun I mentioned."
"Nice to meet you."
"Ah, looking forward to working with you. I've heard a lot."
As they passed through the main gate, the on-duty police officer snapped to attention and saluted.
Kang Hyun memorized his face while receiving some guidelines and his ID badge. Fortunately, everyone seemed pretty friendly toward him.
"I'll just wrap up quick and come down. Meet at the basement cafeteria."
"Yes, Prosecutor."
As Kim Jeong-min headed up with quick steps, Kang Hyun turned politely to the officer.
"Excuse me, do you know where the Administrative Office might be?"
Since he'd be volunteering, it fell under the Administrative Office within the General Affairs Bureau. Kang Hyun recalled procedures from his previous time at a prosecutors' office and asked, but the officer shook his head.
"No. The Director wants to meet with you personally, Kang Hyun. The Administrative Director's office is on the 8th floor, so wait a moment. Someone from the secretary's office will come guide you."
"The Administrative Director?"
The prosecutors' office had a dual structure.
Just as there was the prosecutors' line—from assistant prosecutors (treated as grade 4) up through section chief, deputy chief, to chief prosecutor—there was also the Administrative Office line, overseeing general staff like case handlers and execution officers, leading up to the Administrative Director.
Kang Hyun, who had worked in the public trial prosecutors' office attached to the trial division, rarely dealt with Administrative Office staff. But since the civil complaints office where he'd be volunteering was under their purview, it made sense they'd take interest.
Kang Hyun waited, roughly piecing it together, for the staffer to come down.
Soon, a man with short hair, a lean face, glasses, and a light blazer came down and greeted him.
"Hello. You're Kang Hyun, right? I'm Section Chief Jang Chi-hoon. Nice to meet you."
A firm handshake.
Kang Hyun glanced at the name tag—'Jang Chi-hoon,' a somewhat unusual name—and bowed his head.
"Hello. I'm Kang Hyun."
"The Director's waiting. We'll say hi, then I'll show you to the civil complaints office."
As they rode the elevator up, Kang Hyun started racking his brain.
'Who was it again...'
He'd seen the organizational charts countless times, and he was good at remembering names.
But the name of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office's Administrative Director just wouldn't come to him.
It was the same in the elevator and all the way down the hall to the Director's office.
Finally, Kang Hyun spoke up.
"Sorry, Section Chief Jang Chi-hoon."
"Yes."
"Could you tell me the Director's name?"
"It's Director Park Ok-hee."
"Ah!"
Only then did it click for Kang Hyun.
A legendary figure among general staff—a grade 9 civil servant who had risen to senior executive service.
He'd completely blanked on the name of someone frequently mentioned as a candidate for Supreme Prosecutors' Office Administrative Director.
'Maybe because he's so low-key.'
In a way, it proved that those who reached the top had no enemies and a faint presence. From what Kang Hyun knew, he was the type who quietly did his job.
*Knock knock, creak.*
"Director, it's Kang Hyun." "Come in!"
Round face, thinning gray hair, white beard. This cute-looking man was Administrative Director Park Ok-hee.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Hyun. I've heard a lot about you."
"Oh, no need. You're the famous one, Kang Hyun. Have a seat."
As Kang Hyun carefully sat, he went to the cabinet, pulled out various items, and arranged them on a plate.
"Here's some black tea and cookies and snacks from that famous bakery in front of the Blue House. Try some."
"Ah, thank you."
"No need to thank me. When a guest visits, you treat them."
He spoke to Kang Hyun humbly, even bowing his head more deeply at times. It was quite unexpected.
In a way, he was the most down-to-earth person Kang Hyun had met so far, yet he held one of the highest positions.
With a kind smile, he said,
"There's an Ombudsman Citizen Counseling Office within the civil complaints room. You'll guide people there, and if you have time, help with other visitors. We're all thrilled that someone like you is volunteering at our Incheon office. It's year-end—few people, lots of work."
"Thank you. Looking forward to the next three months."
Park Ok-hee laughed openly, then wiped the smile away and looked concerned for a moment.
"But... there's one thing bothering me."
"Yes?"
"Well... year-end is when the civil complaints room overflows with aggressive complainants. I worry you might get hurt..."
"Oh, come on. No need to say that."
Kang Hyun waved it off with a laugh as his voice trailed.
Aggressive complainants.
Honestly, what good reason did ordinary people have to visit a prosecutors' office?
From those filing dozens of complaints against the president or broadcasters, to ones banging gongs and cymbals while screaming their heads off.
Especially in the civil complaints room—it was bound to be worse. Kang Hyun had already anticipated that.
"If you say so, that's a relief. Section Chief Jang Chi-hoon will brief you on the details. Looking forward to the next few months."
"Yes. Thank you, Director."
*Bow.*
Leaving behind the Director's hearty laugh, Kang Hyun followed Jang Chi-hoon down.
"You'll have your work cut out for you. It's tougher than it seems."
"It's fine. Sounds fun."
Jang Chi-hoon's meaningful expression, much like Director Park Ok-hee's, came at Kang Hyun's nonchalant tone.
"I've heard you worked at a prosecutors' office before. So you must have some idea... but Incheon is different. The complainants are more intense."
"Then I'll just have to work harder."
"Appreciate the enthusiasm, but..."
He seemed worried Kang Hyun's boldness might be a problem.
But as they descended, Kang Hyun's resolve only burned brighter.
Just then, as they headed to the civil complaints room.
"...!?"
*Grrraaah!* A scream echoed from beyond the steel door.
Rhythmic, steady, repetitive. It sounded like an animal's cry or a monster's howl.
"That sound right now... is that a deer?"
Kang Hyun asked at the bizarre noise.
But Section Chief Jang Chi-hoon replied calmly, as if it were routine.
"...Probably a complainant."
"A complainant?"
Indeed.
The Incheon District Prosecutors' Office civil complaints room wasn't just hype from Jang Chi-hoon—it was infamous for its vicious complainants.
'That's a human voice?'
As they approached, a tension crept in, shifting Kang Hyun's earlier lack of worry.
*Creak.*
The door opened, confirming his thoughts, and hell unfolded before his eyes.
"Uwaaagh! Graaah! Let me go! My money!"
Jang Chi-hoon sighed deeply and looked pityingly at the man flailing in the middle of the room.
Then he shrugged at Kang Hyun.
As if this was standard.
'Ah... so that's why...'
Only now did Director Park Ok-hee and Jang Chi-hoon's words click.
"Whew."
There seemed to be plenty of work for Kang Hyun to shine in Incheon.
"Hello, sir."
"...Huh?"
"I'm a student volunteer. Thought you might be hungry... Want some snacks?"
The man, lying on the floor in a thin jacket despite the winter chill, face grubby, stopped his noises at the unexpected situation.
His hand twitched toward the proffered snacks, then he snapped to and asked,
"Who the hell are you?"
"I told you, a volunteer student."
"Fuck... Then volunteer and mind your own business."
"I'm a law student. Maybe I can help? I'm still just a student, so not much expertise, but who knows?"
At Kang Hyun's words, the man's eyes wavered. Kang Hyun had stirred his desperate grasp for any straw.
"Let's sit over there by the chair and talk while you eat. That sign you threw? Yours, right?"
*Nod.*
"I'll grab it."
The key to handling complainants was attention and patience.
Kang Hyun knew this well and planned to use it actively from now on.