Chapter 187
Chapter 187
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: Facing the Media Onslaught
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“Shh!”
Prosecutor Kim Jeong-min made a big fuss, gesturing dramatically to cover Kang Hyun’s mouth but failed. His voice dropped even lower and softer as he scowled deeply and spoke gravely.
“You, starting something like this over personal feelings….”
“It’s not personal feelings when it comes to the investigation. It’s not right to become a victim of rumors just because you’re famous. I just want to give the media a taste of their own medicine.”
Kang Hyun spoke with more confidence and composure than anyone.
Kim Jeong-min knew full well that this couldn’t be faked—it sprang straight from the heart.
And that he couldn’t break Kang Hyun’s resolve once he’d set his mind to it.
“…Timeline?”
“I’ll wrap it up before the end of this month. Before the big case.”
“Ugh, you think that’s possible? Victim summons?”
‘Got him.’
Kang Hyun grinned.
Kim Jeong-min’s question was about when to summon Yoon Haneul to the prosecutors’ office for her statement.
It was his tacit approval of the case transfer.
But without even giving Kim Jeong-min—who’d mustered the resolve to approve—a moment to breathe, Kang Hyun fired off another unexpected response.
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
“Fine. Tomorrow… What, tomorrow afternoon?!”
“Yes. Yoon Haneul will appear in Namyangju tomorrow afternoon. So please send the case over quickly.”
“…Kang Hyun-ah. Looks like you’ve turned into a real blockhead while I wasn’t looking. A total bullheaded fool.”
Kim Jeong-min seemed powerless to halt Kang Hyun’s bull-like charge. Resigned, he had no choice but to speak up.
“Get prepared. The instant she arrives, I’ll send the case through the system, and I’ll dispatch staff for the records. If you’ve got the case number for the defamation filed, link them as related right away. I’ll send the transfer decision to Central District slowly via fax so your seniors there don’t suffer. Got it?”
“Thank you!”
He stood, signaling the case’s lightning-fast start. Kang Hyun nodded vigorously and followed Kim Jeong-min out.
In just a few hours, Namyangju now had no choice but to fully embrace the celebrity.
An enormous turn of events, all from Kang Hyun’s few words.
Meanwhile, by afternoon, as clouds cleared and sunlight began pouring down in earnest.
“Audit target.”
Those were the first words from Deputy Chief Bang Dong-jae to Park Min-seong, head of Criminal Division 1, who stared expressionlessly at the wide sky through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“…Deputy Chief Bang.”
“Adjusting jurisdiction by exploiting regulatory loopholes without an official report. That’s Prosecutor Kang Hyun’s action.”
Bang Dong-jae, who supposedly only showed up during performance review season. Yet here he was before the chief, outside that season.
Not a good sign.
Audits for regulatory violations, moral lapses, or actions against prosecutorial culture.
That’s what it implied. This case too.
But Park Min-seong’s reaction seemed somewhat nonchalant.
“Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Audit Division moving in?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“Unprecedented, so no decision yet. They’ll review immediately after. Big enough to warrant regulatory revisions.”
“Then no issue. They won’t retroactively apply new rules to harass Prosecutor Kang.”
“Pardon? Of course. But the point is, if Prosecutor Kang is audited, the chief who permitted it will face heat too.”
“I know.”
“And the whole Namyangju Branch will get noisy. Branch Chief’s cases and all—plenty of hot issues. They won’t stop at just Prosecutor Kang’s…”
“If Supreme sends down the large-scale audit you’re talking about, then step up. You’re the audit expert, Prosecutor Bang.”
“…!”
Bang Dong-jae, characteristically blank-faced, flinched in surprise. Shadows lifted slightly from his expression.
He’d expected Chief Park Min-seong to explode, drag Kang Hyun in by the collar. Instead, this calm dismissal, as if it were nothing. Bizarre.
“…Then I’ll assume no internal Namyangju disciplinary review for Prosecutor Kang and withdraw.”
“Yeah. Check room 323 instead. Yoon Haneul’s due at 3 p.m. today. Division meeting right after witness interview—be ready.”
“Understood.”
No desire to play the frustrated vassal to a king ignoring counsel, Bang Dong-jae nodded without argument.
Then—
Bang!
“Chief! What is this? Approving such a ridiculous case!”
Prosecutor Hwang Jae-eun.
Before Bang Dong-jae could leave, she flung the door open, voice raised.
“What’s with you now?”
“Don’t you know the Yoon Haneul-Jack Daniel scandal has Kang Hyun tangled up too? Chaos everywhere! Why let the rookie—the one in the dating rumor—summon his supposed girlfriend for a witness interview?”
Shrug.
“She insisted on it.”
“Chief!”
“Senior Prosecutor Hwang. Meeting soon—get ready. Heart’s racing just thinking of a celebrity sighting up close.”
“Hah… you can’t mean…”
Hwang Jae-eun clocked Park Min-seong’s feigned obliviousness in seconds.
If he meant to shield him, no way he’d greenlight Kang Hyun’s pitch or snag the drug case from Central to shift jurisdiction.
Yet Park Min-seong let it roll naturally. Did zilch.
She’d first chalked it to unavoidable coincidences, or clouded judgment, or Kang Hyun bending him.
But no.
Park Min-seong simply had zero intent to protect Kang Hyun—as colleague or junior.
Didn’t even hide it. He’d ignore associate pushback, steamroll the case.
“…He’s a fresh rookie from this year’s intake. Can’t let him dive into that mess. Media’ll savage him no matter what. He’ll hurt, suffer.”
“His choice. And sharper than you or me. Capable prosecutor on a big case—what’s the problem?”
“Senior!”
Her shout filled the room. Bang Dong-jae hummed softly and slipped out.
“Hah!”
Bystanders, look-the-other-way types everywhere. Hwang Jae-eun sighed loud—for all to hear.
‘…’
Park Min-seong’s heart was more tangled, nuanced.
Didn’t hate Kang Hyun as a person, respected the talent. But success? Couldn’t stomach watching. Not aligned, no duty to nurture.
That messy dynamic bred conservatism: stab if he sensed a knife aimed his way, dangle carrots for flattery and obedience.
“This can’t stand.”
Reading him to the bone, Hwang Jae-eun went shockingly aggressive.
“Right now, Chief, you don’t expect Kang Hyun to nail this. You’re hanging him out to take the media barrage solo, hoping he quits prosecution.”
“…”
“Wrong?”
“Setbacks build character. Nonstop wins? Time for reality.”
“That’s the Prosecutor General’s line, exactly.”
Indeed.
Hwang Jae-eun knew precisely who sent Park Min-seong to Namyangju.
Prosecutor General Bae Seong-sin.
The powerhouse tapped him. He had to return to Supreme Prosecutors’ Office with Namyangju Branch Chief Gu Ik-hwan’s head—severed by his own hand.
Couldn’t hand that glory to Kang Hyun. Couldn’t fail.
Explained his moves, sure. But…
“…Not the senior I remember.”
Hwang Jae-eun couldn’t hold back.
Kang Hyun’s wild stunts, shocking risks—she’d never worn fury this raw.
Yet here she was, face a storm of betrayal and rage, glaring it right at Park Min-seong.
“What?”
“Word for word. Not the upright, politics-loathing senior I admired.”
“Senior Prosecutor Hwang.”
“Regret coming to Namyangju with you. Next rotation, straight to Seoul. Cases handed off clean. Goodbye.”
Clack-clack.
Bang! Slam!
No waiting for reply, she spat it furious and stormed out.
“…”
Room fell silent again.
Park Min-seong turned, face blank, gazing skyward out the window.
“…”
Sky blue, clear—caring or oblivious to his turmoil.
Sunlight warm, serene.
But Park Min-seong’s cares ran deep.
“Hah.”
Sigh half regret, half irritation.
Chock-full of tangled feelings toward the junior decrying his lost former self.
Room 323. Kang Hyun’s desk brimmed with case-related articles.
“Prosecutor, last article scrap sent as file. Need internal intel reports too?”
“No, external stuff’s enough. Go home.”
“Worried… you alone?”
“Thanks for this haul. Just handle tomorrow’s office staffing request.”
“Got it.”
Sung Tae-oh’s final words, then gone. Just Kang Hyun left.
He eyed the pile, lost in thought.
‘Media first—shut them down.’
Incident plus 24 hours. Twelve left till Yoon Haneul’s afternoon slot.
Priority: curb speculative coverage.
Bigger rumors, heavier her burden.
Kang Hyun knew his involvement was red meat; every move amplified tenfold.
One fix: arm himself against their free-for-all attacks.
‘Simple. Not easy.’
Up all night, endless articles and clips on the case. One memory surfaced.
Know enemy, know self: hundred battles, hundred wins.
Handwritten scroll from famed calligrapher in mentor Academic Director Kim Jong-hwan’s office.
‘Situation’s clear to me. Now, what they’ve got.’
Yes. Next twelve hours: dissect every article, news, op-ed, SNS buzz from every outlet.
“Twelve hours. Tight. Move.”
Delay her date, stretch time—articles explode ten-, hundredfold. Rumors worse.
Absurd to cover all, but one shot.
Day one: dozens to hundreds.
More time? Three-, four hundred blink-fast.
“Flawless? Errors? Speculation? Unverified? Check it all.”
Click!
Checklists set, articles summarized systematic.
Memorized, reread, re-rehearsed.
Titles, outlets, sources first.
Contents down pat.
Bias, interest levels emerged.
Any lawyer, prosecutor dreams it—tough. Kang Hyun stacked it steady in his head.
Dating rumor, scandal.
Him and Yoon Haneul? Minor blip.
But ‘Jack Daniel’ singer-Yoon Haneul link, drug party whispers? Tainted the lot.
Sever it—Kang Hyun frees up.
“Phew. Timing’s the crux.”
Chain-breaker? No tame presser. Dramatic. Blitz.
Click, click.
Mind-heart knotted, yet desk cleared as time ticked.
‘Timing’ answer? Effortless.
Tomorrow.